Chrissies Blog from 2007

From Heey Baby To Sospan Fach With Triplets And Jelly Babies

Posted by chrissie, 03 September 2007 ·

So it's Friday morning 31/08/07, I've thrown every possible item of clothes that any girl could need for a weekend away into a suit bag, loaded that into the van along with my lap top various bags of "stuff" that I "need" to take to North Wales on my regular visit to see the parents.

I am quite excited this time as not only is it the first time I have managed to coincide my monthly visit to Rhyl with a local soul night and Mark Speakman has kindly offered to give me a lift to Llandudno Football Club, to the first night of a new do but I am going to pick up my birthday present from Mark & Chico's shop. The family have clubbed together to buy me - "Heey Baby Days of Beach Music" book.

I set off about 10.15 and have arranged to call at Lou's (mrs soul) for a cuppa and a goss on the way up. I arrived at mid-day as anticipated, found the road where the house is but it's one of those posh cul-de-sacs that don't have numbers just a name so there I am trying to read the names on the doors of the houses when I here "Oi am here" in a black country accent, there is our own mrs s in her jim jams and woolly socks standing outside the house waving at me.

We have a cuppa and a good old natter, then she is rooting around amongst piles of vinyl saying "have you heard this" etc, then she shows me her new website that she is developing and I was impressed to say the least and well worth a vist, www.gingercatsoul.sampasite.com, but as she told me it is a work in progress and only in the development stages.

After only intending to stay an hour at the most I realise that I have been there over an hour and a half and really need to get on the road. So after ten minutes of good byes etc I am on my way up the A41 towards North Wales.

Now I am in a hurry, being a girl I have just decided that I don't want to wear any of the 27 zillion outfits I have packed to wear on Friday night and "must" get something new, and need to get to Rhyl before the shops shut.

This achieved and new frock bought I pull up in the van outside Funkyfeet Records to find Mark and Chico just shutting up shop. At this point I am on double yellows on the wrong side of the road, but I can't wait till Saturday to pick up my book. Quickly make arrangements for the evening.

Next stop is the nursing home to see my mother. She is suffering with severe dementure and has been in an home for nearly a year. It's a sad and horrible thing to see a parent go through this but sometimes you have to look at the funny things it brings out rather than concentrate on the bad stuff.

I haven't been to see mum for about 8 weeks, as I missed last months visit, and I am greeted with, "you've got a new bathing costume" totally puzzled at what she is talking about I look across to my Father who just shrugs is shoulders. Then it hit me what she meant. I had a v neck vest top under my shirt and she thought it was a swim suit. Then it starts, the dreaded conversation about the "triplets".

"How are the your babies?",

I reply, "I only have one mum, and he is 27 and has a baby of his own now"

"But who's looking after the triplets?" and so it goes on.

She is obsessed with the welfare of these triplets that are a figment of the place where the dementure takes her sometimes. The triplets were "born" early this year, and none of us can fathom where she got the notion from, but we all have to play along with it. Half an hour passes and I tell her I must be going as I have to cook dad's tea before I go out. A look of sheer horror crossed her face and I knew what was coming next, "Where are you going and what time will you be back?" so I told her, fibbing a little about my expected return time. Then off we go again "Who's looking after the triplets?" so I reassure her that my sister is babysitting and off I go home, eager to open the box which holds my precious birthday present.

As soon as I get to dad's house I open the box with the book in put one of the CDs on and within about 2 mins I was engrossed. Next thing I knew it was 7pm dad was home from visiting mum, I hadn't cooked him any tea and I needed to get ready to go out.

Mark picked me up about 8pm and we picked Chico and Pat up on the way. On arrival I spotted an eager asboannie, awaiting the presentation of her SS LAAS badge. So the formalities of the badge presentation over, it was down to the serious business of the evening, dancing, drinking and reminiscing about the old days in North Wales with Rich and a few others.

It was a good night and the music was spot on not going to go into the chin stroking stuff about who played what, cos I am rubbish at that and will probably get it all wrong. My honest opinion of the first night.................If it sticks to the same format with the same quality of music it will turn into a great regular well attended soul night.

Mark dropped me home about 2am, I pour myself a chilled glass of pinot and I have my usual perusal through the local paper and there looming up at me is an advert for the local theatre staring up from the page. MAX BOYCE IN CONCERT Sat 1st Sept. At 2.30am in the morning this seems like a good plan for my Saturday night, well it did at that time of the morning.

I do the usual stuff during the day, dad's shopping at Morrisons, (Why do elderly people have to shop on a Saturday.......CAN'T they do it during the week when we are all at work. grrrrrrrrrrrrrr) then back off to the nursing home to see mum, and her concern about the triplets is grows. She then voices concerns that its time my father got a proper job, he's 83, and she hopes he isn't going to marry the new cleaner. She then starts giggling and tells me that Clifford, one of the other residents, thinks he is her boyfriend and she doesn't think he is all there...................errrrrrrrrrrrrrr. I know to some it may seem a little callous that I laugh at some of her antics but if I didn't I don't think I could cope with it all.

Luckily my aging aunt and uncle then turn up to see her and I make my escape only after assuring her that I have not left the triplets on their own and they are safe and well.

Home, cook put dad's dinner in the oven and then the fatal mistake I picked up the book again.......next thing I know it's 6.50pm and I have to be at the theatre for 7.15, quick wash and change and walk up to the sea front to the theatre.

I am a little apprehensive about seeing Max Boyce as I don't want to ruin the memories of when I saw him 30 years ago and not sure whether his performance now will be as good.

After a quick vodka & coke in the bar, we take our seats. The warm up compare/comedian was above average for a seaside show and we thoroughly enjoyed him, though can't for the life of me remember his name. My sister then opens the Jelly Babies, my hand dives in, I am hoping that in the darkness of the theatre I may just be lucky enough to pick a balck or red one but alas, green and yellow, oh well better luck next time I think.

We are then treated to the warbling of a very average female singer from South Wales who managed to murder The Rose and Barcelona consecutively, she definitely should of stayed in the valleys and not bothered with the journey up to North Wales, but what did amuse me was that as she opened her mouth to sing her first song I noticed her tongue was blue...............I started to giggle only to get funny stares from the people in front of me. I later over hear her talking to a friend in the foyer telling them that she had eaten a blue M&M before she went on.............stupid bint!!!!!!!

Max Boyce came on stage to his signature tune Sospan Fach and I realised that my eyes were filling up with emotion, we have a word for this in welsh which does not translate in to English, "Hireath" basically it means longing or yearning. The performance did not disappoint and by the end my tears of Hireath had turned to laughter.

The mystery of the Jelly Babies was never solved, I must of eaten another 10 during the show and not once did I get a black or red one, I think my sister must of nicked them all, but how she could tell in the dark of the theatre remains a mystery, a long with origin of the imaginary triplets..........................

Richard Bach - Quote 3

Posted by chrissie, 18 January 2007

Evolution made civilization steward of this planet. A hundred thousand years later, the steward stood before evolution not helper but destroyer, not healer but parasite. So evolution withdrew its gift, passed civilization by, rescued the planet from intelligence and handed it to love.

Richard Bach

Richard Bach - Quote 2

Posted by chrissie, 18 January 2007

Can miles truly separate you from friends... If you want to be with someone you love, aren't you already there?

Richard Bach

Richard Bach - Quote 1

Posted by chrissie, 18 January 2007

Every person, all the events of your life are there because you have drawn them there. What you choose to do with them is up to you.

Richard Bach

Ramblings 1

Posted by chrissie, 18 January 2007

Am totally new to this blog thingy and not really sure what I will include in it. As time goes on I hope it will, as many things in life, evolve naturally.

To start it off I have a few favorite quotes and sayings from a writer I admire greatly "Richard Bach" that I would like to share and will welcome your comments.

Thanks

QoFxx