Nothing happened

I had a conversation with someone this morning. Thinking about it now I ask myself, "Did I just imagine that? It can't be true, surely?"

No reason to suspect the person of not telling the truth but just such an amazing revelation.

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Hidden treasures

Just filed a paper and discovered the half-full tin of Heroes chocolates I'd hidden in the drawer. Admittedly lots of them are the creme egg sort that we don't like but, still, I consider it a win.

Have also been in touch with the sexual health nurse and have arranged to collect some condoms on Wednesday. So my day's going well so far; how's yours going?

Normally autocorrect on my phone is keen to leap in and suggest the word I might be typing. But I got as far as 'sexua' and it still didn't identify it or offer a suggestion. Even when I typed it in and finished the sentence I noticed my phone had changed it to serial. It obviously thinks I shouldn't write such shocking words!

I looked out of the window when I got up this morning and the roofer's van wasn't there so I was safe to wander into the bathroom. Imagine my surprise then when, as I was passing the window, what looked like a little orange goblin head suddenly appeared at the top of the scaffolding. 

I haven't treated you to one of my amazing pieces of artwork for a while so here's my take on it.

Admittedly he looks more like a zombie in my drawing but you get the idea. In real life he looks perfectly normal I assure you. It's just my eyes - and my drawing talent - that makes him look otherwise.

Not too bad

When your team loses 54-12 and you say, "Well that wasn't too bad," you know you're a true fan.

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I cooked a new recipe for dinner tonight. Pan-fried hake in lemon and caper butter sauce, served on a bed of mash with tenderstem broccoli. It was very nice too.

Hm, looks like meat in the photo but that's because it's skin side up.

The life I lead

On the streets, Friday night, in prison Sunday morning. What a life I lead!

Martine, the prison chaplain, was on fine form this morning. With her blue hair and her rainbow-heart-covered clerical shirt and dog collar, you can't miss her in a crowd. She spoke about mental health and showed the video of Lewis Capaldi's breakdown at Glastonbury in 2023, and then his song, Survive. 

She has a very different style from the other chaplain. She goes with the flow, takes questions, and is relaxed, and very loving. I tried to find a photo online of the shirt she was wearing but failed sadly.

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We don't do Valentine's Day so yesterday I spent it washing, shopping, cooking, gardening, and jigsaw-ing. I even managed to fit in watching Scotland beat England at rugby. Husband was disappointed but admitted Scotland was the better team on the day. Last week Scotland was beaten by Italy and there were calls for the manager to resign, and so on. It looked as though the team was in the doldrums, then they come out and play their socks off. 

So it looks as if Wales will be getting the wooden spoon again this year! This afternoon it's Wales against France. Not sure if I can cope with watching it: it could be a massacre. I will watch of course but I'll definitely be accompanied by a box of Maltesers.

* * * * * 

Completed my latest jigsaw.

White liberal

Unlike many, I'm still on Twitter because my timeline consists of golden retrievers, police dogs being brave, Welsh rugby, and the occasional left wing political comment. I responded to one of the latter along the lines of, "Yes, I'd rather live next to a refugee than a Reform MP," and suddenly I receive a torrent of abuse.

I say torrent; I mean twelve abusive comments. Actually make that eleven as I count white liberal as a compliment. I reported one as it wished harm on me but I can ignore the rest.

It confirms my suspicions that Reform voters are not only unpleasant people, the majority of them are thick as two short planks.

* * * * *

Went to Mumbles this morning to buy fish and take back my library books - with the serious intention of not borrowing any more for the time being as I have loads to read. I'll just take a little look, I say to myself, and come home with five books I couldn't resist.

As the shop was waiting for more fish it necessitated me wandering around for a while. I have a couple of dresses that I've been thinking need a cardigan without sleeves to go on top. I couldn't think what the word was. I said to myself, "What's the word for waistcoat?"
"Oh, that's the word!"

I googled waistcoats and find out they're on trend at the moment. Get me, a trend-setter. well, maybe not exactly a setter but definitely on trend. So I bought myself one in Mumbles. Tried the charity shops first but they didn't have any - obviously because everyone's wearing them not getting rid of them.

* * * * *

Out on High Street last night with the friend who works with the girls working on the street. I know there are women who say they personally choose to do it but not the ones on the streets, who are driven to it by poverty, addiction, boyfriends. Their stories are so tragic.

Last night one of them was asking if we had any crop tops. I went into full Welsh mam mode saying, "You'll get a cold in your kidneys, child!"

We had several requests for condoms. I have undertaken to find out where/if we can get free condoms to hand out.

Another bit of Icelandic wall art

Icelandic wall art and statues

Ice cream with Vivien for brunch then jigsaw. Feel I should be doing something but can't be bothered.

* * * * *

Reykjavik is a city of statues and wall art. Here are a few of my favourites.

There was a QR code on this bench so you could listen to poetry by Tomas Godmundsson.

You can't see this one very well but it's a stone from Hiroshima commemorating the victims of the 1945 bombing. Every year on August 6th a candle lighting ceremony of remembrance takes place with the candles being released onto the lake.

I don't know what this man did to upset the sculptor to make stop halfway! Apparently the statue is most often called The Unknown Bureaucrat.

Trains and bridges

Trying to make sense of the notes I took during the meeting for the records took me most of the morning. Then I went for a lovely walk in the woods with Husband, Elder Son, and Theo. Walking itself isn't too bad; it's going up steps or coming down steps, or sitting down, or standing up, that pains me.

Now I've made a lamb and spinach curry for dinner to have before we go to the theatre. Hopefully there won't be a recurrence of what happened yesterday, on first night, when the call had to be put out: "Is there a doctor in the house?"

I've shown you before some examples around the village of green Post Office boxes that have been painted with local highlights. Here are a few more I spotted recently.

The Mumbles Mile was a famous pub crawl, where drinkers could go from pub to pub all along the sea front. People used to come from miles around to do it, and they even made t-shirts saying, "I've done the Mumbles Mile". Mumbles used to be a big drinking location but the focus has changed a bit these days or maybe people aren't drinking as much.

The Mumbles train was the world's first fare-paying passenger railway. (Just don't get into an argument with Husband about whether it was a tram or a train!) It was closed in 1960 because of competition from the buses.

Every so often someone says, "We should bring back the Mumbles train," but it's not going to happen. Sadly.

Note to self

Do not put yourself on the bible study leading rota on the second Tuesday of the month when you also lead writing group.

I also went back to exercise class yesterday morning for the first time since before Christmas. People said, "Take it easy first week back," and later, "Well, you didn't take it easy, did you?"

What was I supposed to do when paired up with a woman thirty years younger than me? I had to try and keep up. Although I did let her take the heavier weights.

Today I can't walk upstairs without groaning and moaning. I can't even get up from the toilet without an "Oarh."

Nobody cried in writing group, and the only person who walked out of bible study did so before I started so that was an improvement on last time. One man did put his head on the desk in exasperation but that was probably good.

I asked, "Why did Jesus have to die?"
He said, "Blah blah scripture verses."
I said, "Yes, but why?"
He said, "Blah blah scripture verses." (Louder.)
I said, "WHY?"

That's when he sank his head into his hands.

In the middle of the night it struck me: some people just don't question, or doubt, or wonder. They just spew out verses. Or don't think. That explains why, when I say, "Does anyone else have a problem with this verse?", they all look blankly at me.

Life must be a lot easier that way. 

Anyway, that was my manic Tuesday. 

Currently planning an art workshop in the church hall in aid of Zac's. It's going to be a paint-along, so should be fun for us non-artists.

We also had a lunch in Zac's for volunteers to catch up on how the new food provision is going. It's a great success with numbers going up every month. And the fact that we have staff and volunteers there on Thursday and Friday to provide breakfast means the members of the Rough Sleepers Intervention Team can spend all their time talking to and helping guests with questions, accommodation, and form-filling. Plus the various nurses pop in to give advice or treat.

And this afternoon I've started a new jigsaw! At last!

Tomorrow I have to resist the urge to go to Rough Edges to 'see how they're doing' having said I'm stopping and handing it over to the new managers. So it should be a reasonably peaceful day. We're going to the theatre in the evening to see Daughter-in-law, amongst others, in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time.

And I'll try and catch up on washing etc! (Not me; I'm clean. Clothes.) And try and finish pruning the front garden roses. And here's Bring Me Sunshine to remind me of what I have to look forward to.

And another birthday

Out for lunch today with Daughter, Husband, Elder Son, and Daughter-in-law to celebrate Daughter's birthday. We'd planned to go to Gin and Juice only to find it doesn't open on Mondays so we ended up in Bistrot Pierre, which was fine.

Daughter is vegetarian but Husband likes his meat so trying to find somewhere suitable, that has more than one veggie option, easy parking, and is open on a Monday, is quite a task. I had a very nice brie and caramelised onion tart with a yummy pear and lettuce salad.

Lunchtime enjoyment added to by getting a Seasalt dress from the charity shop for £15 - normally would be around £60 at least.

The rest of the day I've been prepping to lead bible study tomorrow night, in between firing off emails to people listing my brilliant ideas. I say brilliant; I think they're good. Whether anyone else will remains to be seen.

It's fascinating where prepping for a study takes me. I've been down the child sacrifice route this weekend, as well as trying to get clear in my head the difference between penal substitution and its alternative, which doesn't seem to have a name.

Yesterday was National Snowdrop Day so here are some from our garden.