Late night ramblings

Dear Kate,

i am truly delighted you’re back on the dating train, not because I think it will all be a bunch of roses but it simply gets you out there, mixing and doing your ‘thang’! I can also tell you lots and look forward to doing  so. I did meet some very lovely men but also, as you might imagine, some dreadfully arrogant types. I can’t honestly say what they made of me but I’d imagine I made a good job of entertaining them. And beware! People are not always who they say they are. I’m sure you know these things. 

Lots of love,

pepys xx

Hey Lovely Lady P. I couldn't sleep. So i often let my lovely hamster Rodney have a stroll round my shower. My light's gone in the bathroom. So this is where technology's great. I put my torch on, on my phone. It's quite romantic having a 'whizz' by torchlight. I felt quite emotional about my lovely mother earlier. I seem to get extra sad on a Sunday. Strange. But when i see Roddy. He really cheers me up. Plus if i can't sleep, i love to listen to Radio London. You don't feel as alone, hearing other people's opinions. Plus i love knowing i'm not the only one that can't sleep!! If it's stormy outside, i love to get a cuppa soup, snuggle down under the duvet & maybe get some comedies on, on utube. I don't know what i'd do without my tablet!!

Lady P. I was so concerned when i read you were terrified. Your spirit. (Not your age) remind me of my lovely mother. She was so bloody strong, brave. Always had a sense of humour about things. I so respected her for those qualities. When one of her lungs collapsed 15yrs ago. She was the one that dialled 999. Not me!! Maybe all the years of nursing made her so calm & practical. Please don't let this fear of falling take over your life. You're too worldly wise for that. I'm sure you could get a sexy man to cling to in the street. Better than some old stick. More fun too. The guy on bodyguard would do!! 

I love your idea of a film club. I love the fact your looking forward. Like i said. When i'm low. I do love a good comedy. There's an entertaining film called JULIE & JULIA  (Meryl Streep). It's about Julia Childs the cook. My fave mixture comedy & FOOD!! Beautiful sets. Alot of it's set in Paris.   HANNAH & HER SISTERS. When my mum watched that in the cinema. She was scared she was going to have a stroke. Just couldn't stop laughing. The rest of the audience was giving her filthy looks!! THE FABULOUS BAKER BOYS. Michelle pfeiffer & the very sexy Geoff Bridges. I like the music in it too. For more gory stuff. I love a bit of mafia violence. (Not sure if eating is wise watching this). GOODFELLAS. Ray Liotta & Rob Deniro. Beautiful!!  Or a black comedy. ABIGAIL'S PARTY. My mum & i were in Waitrose at Russell Sq one day. We saw the Director of that film Mike Leigh buying some toilet roll. My mum went up to him & said 'your films are so depressing!' He said. 'Well life is depressing. We're in Waitrose!!!' I wanted to say. 'Well it could be worse. We could be in Asda!!!' There are so many beautiful, sad, funny films out there. They really pull me through when i'm feeling down. (Plus a few gluggs of wine help!!! Anyway. I do hope you start to feel better soon Lady P. Just think. You're a very popular woman. That should warm your heart. X

Well hello all

im now back from my holidays it’s been fabulous but already back at work and reality kicking in. 

You do seem to be having a terrible time of it Peyps. Thank goodness you have such lovely family and friends to rally when needed. I think the film club is a marvellous idea. Just what is in order when you’re not feeling great. I’m an old romantic at heart and love nothing more than curling up with my cats and watching classics like Brief Encounter or Casablanca. Blythe Spirit if in a silly mood. Whatever you choose enjoy. 

How are things north of the border squeaky?

Hope all are having a good day xx

Haha! Much love to Rodney! Andy if you really want to know how bad life could be, take a walk around Iceland...and we’re not talking Rejkavijk!!

My cinema will be known as the ‘Lapsed Catholics Cinema Club’. I don’t remember calling it this but apparently I did! 

I will message again soon. 

Pepys xx

Hi Vixen

I've not been around for a few days, I've been in hospital, I had a mini stroke (TIA). It came on about 3am, I'd woken up with the usual pain and gone to the kitchen to put the kettle on and was a little unsteady and my face was tingling and the skin felt tight. I picked up the kettle and almost dropped it, my right arm was weak! So what did I do? The wrong thing, had a cup of tea and got back into bed. It was the next morning when I phoned the doctor that everything kicked off! 

Well I'm back home again, rested. Apart from not sleeping too much in hospital because of the lady in the next room with mental health problems, she screamed most of the time, especially when the nurses were doing obs on her, and then at 5am the morning of my homecoming, she was hammering the door and windows as well as screaming at the top of her voice. 

I love your choice of film, Vixen. EVERY time I slice an onion, I think of Julie And Julia and wish I could slice an onion as quickly as Meryl Streep lol. If we're going to watch a film at home, my choice is something to make me laugh. As a child growing up, I used to love Jerry Lewis, Norman Wilson. Used to feel so sorry for Pitkin when he was being bullied, but our Norm won out in the end! More recently, I've been rolling about the floor watching Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (who could forget the reflex testing scene and Steve Martin's teary face), and Planes, Trains and Automobiles and the hand between the pillows! And of course we can never forget Del Boy. The funniest TV scene ever, is voted to be the one in the bar where Del Boy is playing it cool and goes to lean on the bar but the hatch has been lifted! For me though, it has to be when they're unscrewing the chandelier.....

I'm so glad Vixen that I woke up and decided to make a cuppa and read your post, I'll be going back to bed happy! 

Tvman xx

Hello

Glad to see everyone is about. Sorry to hear that tvman and Pepys haven’t been so good. A wet morning here in Fife and it doesn’t look like clearing up. A day for the house, I think.

Squeaky

• Gosh TVMan, that must’ve been a fright. Glad all is well now. I like the idea of your film club, Pepys. Sounds safer than Iceland! All good choices from you all - my dad was a real film buff and although we weren’t close, he did instill a love of cinema in me. Ooh, so love Brief Encounter - such a classic and quite raunchy for its time (that’s Noel Coward for you). I’m happy to watch most things although all these Marvel films are starting to get a bit samey. Last year when I was nearing the end of my chemo and not up to much, my husband and I decided to go and see every film in the Oscar Best Picture category. My favourites were Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and The Shape of Water which ended up doing very well. Thought Gary Oldman was extraordinary as Churchill in The Darkest Hour but the film was fairly ordinary. Did miss I,Tonya which I’ll catch on Sky. Didn’t get the fuss about Get Out as a film but appreciated the point it made about racism.
• The budgies are in fine fettle, Pepys. Completely dominate the house and keep us amused with their antics. Little Gryff has really brought Huw out of his shell. Huw has only ever lived with an elderly budgie (our much missed Dylan) so having a curious, active baby to play with now has made him realise he’s a young bird too. He’s got fit following Gryff about and built up his flight muscles so he zooms around the living room as he should and no more falling to the floor like an autumn leaf, as Dylan used to do. Huw is very impressionable like a schoolboy who follows one of the cool kids around and does what they do.
• The wolves are settling into their retirement and are very relaxed now that they don’t have to keep half an eye on strangers when they’re out walking. At the moment most of the volunteers are giddy with delight at not having to be so formal around the public and make a lot of fuss over the wolves. Too much in my opinion (they’re not pets!) but if the wolves get tired of it, they’ll soon let them know. My main worry is someone will get bitten (which would serve them right - there’s a few that need a wake-up call) but as long as I do my own thing and keep a healthy respect for the animals, I’ll be right and any silly sods can take their chances! Any incidents we’ve had with the wolves (and luckily there have been very few) are down to people getting complacent and not heeding the wolves’ behaviour. They’re not aggressive but if startled or pushed out of their comfort zone they will bite and bite hard and no one wants that! 

My God Tvman. I'm flattered my post cheered you up. But i'm just glad you bloody woke up!! How scary for you. Maybe that's what saved you, being so calm. I can understand you've had enough of hospitals. No-one goes to a hospital for a rest. When i was being diagnosed with Reactive Arthritis. (I was 21. I'm now 47!!) i had to stay in for a week. I bloody hated it. There was a woman in a bed opposite snoring her bleeding head off. Everyone's bored with people bringing grapes in. So i used mine as ammunition. I was so exhausted & frustrated. I got her a few times. But it didn't stop the snoring! (Although i, myself don't have cancer. (It was my lovely 'Belfastian' mother). But i have arthritis & iritis & glaucoma. I've got some awful eye pain at the moment. Stress brings it on. So if my spelling's bad. (I've got an excuse).

I know all about people screaming living where i live. Nothing shocks me anymore. I used to have a male alcoholic neighbour. Attractive man. (On the odd occasion that he was sober!) He suddenly went outside our building, off Drury Lane. Lay on the ground wearing a poker dot mini dress. He did this on several occasions. Often called the police for no reason. Also called for an ambulance, was having hallucinations. I felt sorry for him. But he used to cause trouble. Would scream & shout in the corridor late at night. I think he's been moved to a hostel in Harrow. He needed more attention. 

I love Steve Martin. But i've never seen Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. I know it's got Michael Caine in. (My dad was a journalist & looked very similar to him). I like planes, trains etc. I loved John Candy. I know i'm a grown up. But i often watch Uncle Buck. You can just put your feet up with a cuppa & empty your mind & just relax. I also love the film The Jerk. Hilarious when Steve's trying to dance. If you haven't seen it. I suggest you hunt it down. I have so many comedies i never get sick of. Early Doors. (I love going to the pub). So this is the best for me. I really love a pub that has regulars. Where i live, there are loads of tourists. But you know when you've found a 'regular'. They always sit in the same spot at the bar. There are a couple of Irish pubs near me. (Always the most lively). One is called The Coach & Horses. Catherine St. 1 little room. But it has a great atmosphere & has won awards for it's Guinness. It's always lovely & cold!!! Sorry to post such a long 'post'. I know i'm not always in the mood to read a long one. But i'm glad you're ok Tvman. Just think of Pat Mustard. 'I forgot me fecking trousers.' Me ma loved him. That should make you smile, being a retired milkman. Or 'Bonnez da douche' from Del boy. x

Hi Vixen 

I don't mind reading a long post if it's directed to me! 

I haven't seen The Jerk so I'm going to hunt for it. I really would recommend you watch Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. It's very funny in places. And yes, Michael Caine is in it.

I love a cool pint of Guinness, although it is said that it doesn't travel well. I'm going for a weekend break to Sligo the weekend after next and I know just the place in the town centre that has loads of little booths and they serve great food also. However, it needs to be washed down with a touch of the black stuff! 

Any idea where your mum grew up in Belfast? I spent the first 21 years of my life there, through the Troubles. Then I got married and moved to the seaside town of Bangor, Co.Down. 

Not doing much these days after the stroke, the wind is getting up and I love being out, hearing the leaves rustling but I think I'll stay inside today. 

Take care Vixen 

Tvman xx 

Hi Tvman. It seems a few of us are staying in today. You me & Splodge. It's quite sunny here. Hurts my eye. I feel i'm going to bump into things in dark glasses. So i'm watching Miranda on IPlayer. Silly but fun. I love Patricia Hodge. She looks fantastic.

i'm so ashamed to say i don't know which part of Belfast me ma was from. She used to mention The Falls Road. Think she lived not far from it. I know it was a scary place. I loved hearing stories of r childhood though. (She was born in the 30's). All the kids would play in the road. (Weren't as many cars of course). She used to describe the feeling when they used to swing round the old lamp pos with rope. I always tried to imagine, must have felt as if you were flying. I can't quite imagine being able to swing round them, even to this day. She said you could get 3/4 kids swinging round atnce. Sounded great. The bloody council wouldn't allow that now. Health & safety. She also told me about a family that lived near by. 3 sons. Quite a poor family but proud. They all shared the same ct. Would take it in turns to use it & carry it over their arm. I was touched by that. My granny was born in New Orleans. But was a total 'Belfastian'. Was very slim & quite tall. Had just 1 big meal day. I remember going over there at the age of about 10. She'd bring massive bowls of cauliflour & sweed, with loads of butter. Lovely). My mum got me into Worcester Sauce. I can smell it now. Steang hot, the butter melting & glugging on the worcester!! Cars were on fire in the middle of the street! Loads of kids & dogs running around. (This must have been in the 80's). I wasn't used to that. was brought up in boring suburbia. Hardly any kids where i lived. It was a safe, quiet little road). But my granny's road was more lively. I liked that. Nice houses, but just more lively. Had a coue of sweet shops at the bottom of the road. My uncle owned a couple of sweet shops. My mum & i were walking to a neighbour's place. This little boy shouted 'Hey wee girl. Your trousers look terrible My mum nearly pounced on him. Had a real go at him. (Just for the record. My trousers weren't terrible. They were more trendy & from London. Colourful stripes. I still remember them). Most of my uncles & aunts are retired teachers. One of my aunties was a headmistress at the Holycross School. She won awards for improving things. I remember mum telling me when she used to go for job interviews. (She was Catholic). (Lapse!!) if the company had protestants working there, they would literally say it's not even worth you applying. Even if she was qualified for the job. What an awful time. There's a very emotional documentary on utube about people that lived in the divis flats. Awful place.   I'm so grateful i don't live in a horrible ugly massive characterless block of rundown flats. But of course, now, i think they've been renovated & there's a long waiting list for them! Look at how life changes!! Take it easy Tvman. Enjoy relaxing!! x