Last summer I was helping produce a play called the Six Towns. It was for the Penkhull Mystery Play on a Saturday in July.
Not that many people saw it because it was outside on the church green. As it was on a windy day the voices of the performers were lost to the audience. Our retelling of the story will be slightly longer and will also be inside with microphones. It was successful in July so I hope it does equally well in February and helps raise funding for the Mystery Play coming up in July.
Outside my back door, a twenty year old wall plaque from Yorkshire still resides. Held in place by a nail through its forehead. Brown oak leaves surround his face. Sometimes these ancient masks have leaves or vines growing out of their mouths. They are symbolic of life and death, new growth, or fertility? They are found in connection with old religions like Wikka? They are certainly pre Christian.
If you are interested in these ancient symbols then take a look at corn dollies too. These are made of tightly plaited straw with the heads of wheat left in place. There is a lot more information avaliable online.
Stressed! My old cat went out while I was shopping, I realised he was not around and I’ve just been calling him for an hour. I left the back door wide open, I kept whistling, it cuts through traffic noise. I also put messages on WhatsApp and got lots of support – one person even offered to come to look for him, he is not eating much except cat soups and drinking a lot of water. It’s such a worrying time.
I thought he was in the garden but its very overgrown and if I went out looking for him I could easily fall over. BUT thank goodness… He’s back! I feel like the boy who cried wolf!
I’m too young to get my pension but I’m not working either. My health is not good, and I’m having various tests. So what do I do? I’m trying to keep occupied by doing creative things and trying to get some exercise. It’s weird because I’m not used to being like this, I was always strong physically and mentally but I feel diminished. Time is taking its toll on me.
Sorry, this is too serious, but the prompt is tempting me to reveal more about myself. Lots of things have happened in the last five months that have pulled me in different directions but mainly downward. I try to find a balance between not work and home, but activity and non activity. Sometimes it takes me a couple of days to feel right again. Most of the time I clamp myself tight like a barnacle inside my house, not looking for daylight. It takes me time to pluck up courage to go out. I can think about travelling, but I don’t. I think of all the things that could go wrong.
Luckily I have friends who drag me out. I can go to some places easily, but others? The anxiety is too much for me. Just going outside to pick up the milk off the gate can take me hours to decide to do it. And yet meeting friends lifts me up. My cats help too. What would I do without them.
We might get a cold snap in the next few days. At the moment though they are clinging on. Inside our house, I’ve just had to torn the heating off. We had a radiator mended in the week and now it’s pumping out warmth. I’m sitting here in a tee shirt and thinking I might turn it back off at the valve…
Let’s see what happens when the weather cools. If it gets frosty, if it snows. Then I won’t just be wearing a fushia pink tee shirt, and the flowers outside might be gone.
A plethora of fungi in the garden today, not sure what they are, but we have an old tree stump and I think these are growing on its roots? I need to clear away all the empty flowerpots, give them a good wash so we can pot plants on in the spring. We spent a couple of hours planting pyracantha and roses next to the old hedge, hoping they grow up nice and spiky.
Tongue out ready to lick, mucky chin, don’t know where he’s been. He came in after being out. It’s been raining and there’s mud about! Watchful eyes see what’s happening, he knows he’s loved, though he’s bought a smattering of rain and seeds in on his fur. So time to wash so he’s clean and dapper.
It’s been a month since I went out painting on a windy day, came back and caught my leg in a car door. On Saturday there is an urban sketching meet and I might go. What concerns me is that I will need a table or at least a chair. But on the same day there is a choir performance I’d like to attend. It will be possibly a safer bet as its downstairs and there will be chairs and no steps to negotiate….. It feels scary and good to contemplate getting out and about again. It’s good that two activities I love, art and singing, are both happening on the same day, but I am anxious!
One of my cats has become allergic to certain foods. The trouble is we don’t know what. I’m concerned it might be cat treats because he’s had something different recently.
I rang the vets, they were closed so I got an emergency vets number. They would see him but it’s 5 miles away. I haven’t been out the house for a month or driven so my stress is really high. I asked about pet transport but non of them were suitable. One wanted £90 to come over from Lichfield. Another was fully booked. Friends were out. I couldn’t get any help.
I could have waited till tomorrow, but the cat needs seeing. Finally I decided I would take him. The step out of the front door was a challenge and I took my crutches. We had to go on a big main road and I managed to drive OK just very nervous and driving below the speed limit!
So I’m sitting waiting with hubby. It’s going to cost a lot but it needs sorting out…
He’s been seen, he’s been given an injection and a gel for his damaged skin where he’s been scratching. Only 1/3 of the cost was the medication, the rest was the out of hours consultation. I won’t say how much… 😭
Got home, it took me ages to get back in. But I feel happier now, and the cat is sorted out.
What’s in a cats mind? Waiting for something, but what? No sounds outside, no rustling leaves, but he waits. His sister or brother outside. Is it them he’s sitting, waiting for.
The cat likes to be patient, it’s in his nature, will he see a spider cross the floor? I wrote this, then looked up. A click or clack and he’s out the cat flap, to explore.
Night sits over the house. Will he see a mouse? Will he wait and stare some more, or pounce? No presents please. I don’t need the hassle. You sit and stare, at peace.
Mallaband-Brown 