Shedcast 6/21 - Chinese New Year

Hello lovely blog watcher, 

I do hope you are well and not too cold in this icy weather. We are cosy in our little house and no complaints. David had his vaccine this week, he travelled to Sheffield on the bus (a big trip out) but he was soon back, and apart from that we have done our regular walks around Birdwell. Yes, it is cold out but it is February, hello, it is winter.

I don't think my friend will mind me showing you this picture she painted this week, it is perfect for Valentine's Day, which, being tomorrow I thought was perfect for this week's blog. Will there be roses in our house? I suspect not, but I'm sure there will be a little romance, I remember my mother's words so well, 'never stop courting' she told me, wisdom indeed.

So, off we go with this week's Shedcast: and a new little song about 'Jackie Weaver' I hope you like it.

We are all still in 'lockdown' but it won't last for ever. Again our thanks to all the people who are working to keep the wheels of the world turning, let's hope the Chinese Year of the Ox will be a strong one. 

My painting of the week, subject, a song title, is 'Moon River' - Moon river, wider than a mile, I'm crossing you in style some day, you dream maker, heart breaker... such a lot of world to see... two drifters off to see the world... It is our signature tune, the one that reminds us of our adventures.

That's it for this week, have a good week everybody, keep busy, keep healthy, and keep smiling!

Jane and David xx

VALENTINE SPECIAL

Hello lovely readers,

I hope you all had a very HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! David and I celebrated with a glass of cider in the shed, followed by curried vegetables and rice - a Valentine Special!

We also had a midweek trip to Barnsley, Thursday, no market, it was a wee bit quiet but we picked up a few essentials and then had lunch in the Falco Bar, next to the library. That was quiet too, but we had a laugh, especially at the window decoration cum promotion cum I'm not really sure, of a lady about to either dive into the pool (none existent), or else the North Sea, a good two hour's away. Whichever, it put us in a jolly mood with David saying, 'I feel like I'm on holiday.' Maybe that is the reaction the widow dresser had in mind. We ordered three little dishes of tapas and larger to complete the mood:

Frighteningly funny! 

Brilliant little nibbles!

Storm 'Dennis' hit on Saturday/Sunday, but Birdwell is on hilly ground so we were safe from all the flooding. Apparently the river at Darfield came dangerously close to overflowing, but it seems like Wales and York got the worst of it.

After two days of rehearsing for my set at the Barnsley Spoken Word event on Sunday, I was ready for a relaxing evening and a cosy up. You will find the account of how the event panned out in my next blog, but you won't have to wait a week, it will be out as a simultaneous blog, right after this one.

So, if you are ready to see what I got up to yesterday, (Sunday), or if you just want a good laugh, read my next blog post.

See you on the other side of... (sanity)!
Love and Hugs,
Jane x

P.S. Oh, I forgot to mention, I've had another little success, I have had two poems accepted for the Voices of Change anthology, Sheffield, to be launched on 1st May. Yeah!

Unplugged in Doncaster

Hello everybody,

I do hope you have come through the storm without much damage. Ciara blew her way through Birdwell yesterday taking our garden fence with her, but luckily it will soon be repaired. We had a cosy-up day in the house listening to the wind and rain, reading and watching TV, it was the right thing to do, especially as we had been out and about in Doncaster on Saturday. And why were we there? Well, we'd seen on Facebook that there was an Unplugged session at the Brewery and Tap. It's a place we had never been to before, so it was bus pass out, and glad rags on.

We are so pleased that we made the effort. It was jolly, and a great environment with guitar music, song and recitation, and yes, I did join in.  Fun! fun! and that's what everyone needs. Here are a few pics:

We were lucky to get a seat.

Alison was having fun too.

While Ian was busy in the back making sure the brew was perfect.

Add caption

Now that's a barrel!

Behind the scenes at Doncaster Brewery

Thanks, Alison and Ian for a perfect afternoon. We hope to see you again soon.



















Today, Monday, has been cold but otherwise not too bad. We tripped off to Morrisons this morning for essentials, and we were back in time for the Daily Politics on BBC2. 

Now it is time to do a bit of washing before thinking about making tea. Oh the joy of housework!

I did manage to read a book last week, The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole. It's claim to fame is that it is the first novel in the genre 'Gothic'. Well, I did enjoy it because of the language - Medieval English - even though the story did have a few quirky moments, but I'm not sure gothic is my sort of stuff. I may be proved wrong. 

So, it's all steam ahead to prepare for the Barnsley Spoken Word Valentine's do at The Old School House, this Sunday at 4.30p.m. The entrance is whatever you can give towards the Barnsley Food Bank - Tins of meat, beans, tomatoes etc or toiletries always wanted. Come along if you can, you will be well entertained.

Ta Ta for now, have a good week and I'll be back soon with an update of my 'exciting' (could do better) life. I'll be glad when the weather improves, my little shed is being neglected.

Lots of love and hugs,
Jane xx

P.S. I have two wonderful reviews on Amazon this week, (thank you dear readers) - you may not think that is going to improve my lot, but it did bring a smile, and that is enough to put me on for the time being. Higgs Bottom you'll be a winner one day. Click to find out more.

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT!

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT!   I knew the minute I saw him...

Yes, the sun was streaming in through the bedroom curtains, porridge was in the pan before I had time to think smoothy, toast, or anything otherwise, and that happy Valentine's greeting of 'do you want me to clean your boots,' melodiously fell on my waking ears. And when I got downstairs, there he was in his walking regalia, rucksack at the ready.

Valentine's Day - a walk in the countryside, who could ask for anything more. Then when we stopped for a cuppa and a bacon butty, it was, have you got a tenner love? I ask you, where's the romance in that. But, just as I had resigned myself to that, ah, bless, I know he loves me without red roses, excuse that more women than me have told themselves, the situation was in sight of redemption.

We had reached Elsecar, and the Antiques Fair. This is it, I thought, this is where he says, if you see a little something you like I'll treat you. Not! But I did end up buying a tin mop bucket as a prop for the play I'm in at the Acadamy Theatre in April. And, he did carry it all the way home, which was sort of gallant, if you know what I mean. Not quite a Knight in armour, but close.
Such is love!

Other news - I had a little trip out with my drama group friends on Thursday evening. We went in a minibus, to the theatre in Cleethorpes, where Up The Resistance was on. Now, as this is the play which we are rehearsing for at the moment, it was fun to see what the other am dram group made of it. So, it was a bit of a spying mission, but fun all the way. They were really good, so I think we shall have to up our game. I've never been to Cleethorpes before, but in the dark we could have been anywhere. I couldn't see the sea. On the run in we did pass a huge industrial site, all lit up for miles, but it wasn't exactly illuminations.

I've prepared my A Poet in Crete for Kindle this week, too. It will be available any day now.

My lovely man.

Well, I do hope your Valentine's Day was as wonderful as mine. (Or even better). Talk again soon.

Love and hugs,

Jane x

Happy Valentine's Day from Beckenham

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

I don't know what you are up to today, but I hope you are making a special effort to think about that special person in your life. I know I am.

Over the years there have been flowers, chocolates, the odd bottle of wine. But today David and I have decided to abandon all of that. Is it a sign of age, or are we just plain miserable?

Well, I hope it is neither. Yesterday we walked to Penge and back, so I think we are pretty fit, and as for miserable, we don't allow that in the house.

What we have decided to do is work through the day, we have things to do, and then have a special meal tonight with a drop of bubbly. And over that meal we shall discuss an adventurous day out on Sunday, when, hopefully the weather will be a little brighter.

So, to work. I am in the (hopefully) latter stages of my second novel, so that will take up a couple of hours. Then I have a couple of poems to write for the Shortlands Poetry Circle meeting, which will take place on Tuesday. This is very exciting as it will be my first attendance at the 'writers' meeting. I had to apply to join, then be accepted by the committee (no pretend poets wanted) and finally try out a meeting to see whether I want to be a regular member. It is very exciting! As it usually takes me a few days to perfect a poem, if not longer, I had better make a start today.

Also on Tuesday I will attend my first meeting of Stanza, another poets' gathering, this time in Bromley. Both meets are chaired by Anne Stewart.

I should add that I have been a member of the Shortlands Poetry Circle - Readers group for almost about a year, and I enjoy that very much. It also widens my knowledge of poetry generally.

So, that is my writing schedule for today. And when that is all done, I shall relax with my lovely man, who is, as we speak, ordering me a copy of Steven Fry's The Ode Less Traveled, his little present to me for Valentine's Day. And my present to him? Oh, I think I shall find something to put a smile on his face.

Have a lovely day readers, make it special.
Love Jane x