...these are days that The Eagles song 'Peaceful, Easy Feeling' seem to sum up. The need to be together quietly although there is background awareness of uncertainty.
I was working last night so my lover brought me a cup of tea in bed and then did my housework - Bliss! and then - more bliss - we just snuggled down together for a couple of hours. I love passion. But I also love 'peaceful and easy' and kindness and consideration and everydaynesses.

"Peaceful Easy Feeling"

I like the way your sparkling earrings lay,
against your skin, it's so brown
and I wanna sleep with you
in the desert tonight
with a billion stars all around
'cause I gotta peaceful easy feeling
and I know you won't let me down
'cause I'm already standing on the
ground
And I found out a long time ago
what a woman can do to your soul
Ah, but she can't take you anyway
You don't already know how to go
and I gotta peaceful, easy feeling
and I know you won't let me down
'cause I'm already standing on the ground
I get this feeling I may know you
as a lover and a friend
but this voice keeps whispering
in my other ear, tells me
I may never see you again
'cause I get a peaceful, easy feeling
and I know you won't let me down
'cause I'm already standing on the ground
'cause I'm already standing...
on the ground
oooo, oooo

...that's me! According to entry on welshceltgirl's blog illicit affairs cost £400 a date/bonk!

My lover and I are cheap and Dutch as well as Welsh! When I travel West he buys lunch and when he comes East food is on me (in a manner of speaking!)

Yesterday was an Italian caff in Morriston - bacon, egg and chips followed by rice pudding - We know how to live, don't we? And later a cuppa and biscuits at Felindre reservoir.

Today the excellent coffee (Rainforest, fairtrade to make up for me having a Nestle's Kitkat yesterday)was served chez-moi and it was a Cardiff pub lunch - Chili con carne and a steak - And we confused them, 'cos I was the steak eater!

As said on WCG's blog - We didn't have to pay for a room as my bedroom was available

On Menhir's advice I asked Peredur if he knew anything about 'pwnc' and got this interesting response.
http://www.peredur.uklinux.net

Hmm. No. It's not something I've heard about before. There are a number of types of singing that are unique to Wales, most notably the "Cerdd Dant", which is still very strong. There is also a kind of carol singing at Christmas known as Plygain. This latter has all but died out.

"Pwnc" literally means "text" or "topic". This would fit in with the idea of learning a Bible passage and answering questions on it. There used to be a tradition of answering questions on Bible passages called Cataceiddio (IIRC), from "Catechism", but it had a wider meaning than Catechism does in the Anglican church. This tradition is referred to in G.J. Gruffudd's autobiography, "Hen Atgofion", again IIRC.

Beyond that, I can't help, I'm afraid. Sorry.

Sounds interesting, though.

This is BBC Wales' online dictionary complete with sound.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/learnwelsh/

I thought I'd share a bit of culture for a change.
My sister has been trying to find recordings of 'pwnc' so I had search for info and found these. I had to do loads of wading as 'pwnc' seem to mean topic/subject and apparently also means riddle....
When I spoke to my sister earlier she had some 'pwnc' in the background. it sounds very strange - almost African, but it's the Bible in Welsh!
If anyone knows of any recordings or where and how to find some I'd be interested. There seems to be one recording only that featured in a documentary some years back.

Baptist chapel's Bible singing

Mar 11 2006

Western Mail

A FORM of religious chanting, pwnc, is to return to a historic Welsh church as it prepares to uphold a tradition that dates back before Henry VIII's time.

When Wales was a Catholic nation, congregations used to sing verses from the Bible instead of reading them. This form of chanting was called "pwnc" but very few Non-Conformist chapels sing the pwnc these days, preferring instead to recite the Bible passages.

On Sunday, June 4, the members of Rhydwilym Baptist Chapel in Llandissilio, Pembrokeshire, will be celebrating the ancient tradition.

The chapel was established in 1668 and is situated on a bank of the Eastern Cleddau River.

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/yourwales/history/tm_objectid=16801394&method=full&siteid=50082&headline=baptist-chapel-s-bible-singing-name_page.html

In West Wales there was a special festival at Whitsun – this was known as “Y Pwnc”. Each Chapel would be given a prescribed section of the Bible, which they would learn and discuss, so that they could answer questions on it. On Whit Monday, they would congregate in the largest chapel and the proceedings would begin. The text was chanted in a high-pitched monotone, the more soprano voices the better, and to anyone not brought up in this custom – it sounded hilarious. As a child, I found that a strategic hankie held close to the mouth helped to stifle my giggles.

http://www.angelfire.com/folk/gorseinon/stories/chapel.htm

Twm Carnabwth

A colourful character, his behaviour ranged from being devoutly religious to being outrageous. He was a regular reciter of the ‘pwnc’ but was also known as a prize fighter in fairs throughout the counties of Pembrokeshire, Cardiganshire and Carmarthenshire. He is buried in the graveyard of the Baptist Chapel, in Mynachlog-ddu.

http://www.brobeca.co.uk/Rebecca.html

Opening with a beautiful Llio Rydderch triple harp solo, the 71-minute CD then moves to a contemporary folk tune by Dylan Fowler and Julie Murphy that intertwines folk, pop and rock elements in a potent blend. Rag Foundation's "Mynd I Rymney" is next, with Stephen Fearing-like vocals backed by a driving pipe sound.

Other highlights, and there are many, include the archive recordings of singer John Thomas and another of chapel-goers in a chant called "Canu Pwnc," John Morgan on concertina and a recording of the ballad "Breuddwyd" by the legendary folk-rocker Meic Stevens. They also include "Fi Wela" by new group Fernhill, Kilbride's reel "Tom Edwards" and a harp-based song from Pigyn Clust (Loreena McKennitt sound-alikes). There is great quality and surprising variety here. It's exciting to know Wales has so many vibrant folk artists.

http://www.rambles.net/rough_wales00.html

Unable to sleep, I got back up last night and did another new CV!

At the moment I'm having a 'There's a hole in my bucket' time - When the apparent way to solve stuff just becomes circular - the way in the song you need water to fix the hole in the bucket but can't carry the water because there's a hole in your bucket.

It's one of those weeks when my lover's time is constrained but we get to see each other without privacy and I can't make up my mind whether it is worse than not seeing each other at all - Sort of darkness visible and loneliness in a crowd stuff if that makes sense. Last week I chose not to meet one day as it would have been impractcal and likely to be emotionally frustrating and (of course!)I regretted not meeting.

On work front there are various possible opportunities and stuff to be positive about, but emotionally exhausting and I just need quality time with the person I love and who knows me in a particular way. I think I shall see him tomorrow (down to my choice)and will be OK but very difficult. We will have time to ourselves, but not total privacy - lunch and a walk and/or time alone in the car.

I know I'll bounce back, but meanwhile 'stuff' makes me sad...

Well, the "stuff" that was so distracting me has come to fruition and yesterday I was made redundant!
I am quite positive and went from learning of redundancy (by email)to a piece of client-centred work that I think I did rather well. Strange but not uninteresting times as you can imagine. I've had weird bouts of apathy and industry while awaiting results of "stuff" which are by no means clear cut yet. I have recently updated my CV and written a record of recent continuous professional development so here's to the next stage...

I'm off to Chapter again this week and my friend was wondering if 'Siadwel' would be there - As none of the others appreciate Sparkes' comic genius, it semed a bit of a waste only me getting excited.
I know G of the Beeb sometimes reads my blog - And he is nearer my age than his lovely wife - Wonder if he's a Huw Pugh and Barry Welsh fan as well...

... I've decided second best thing to do is reread Heartburn!
Bacon sarnie was excellent as was lemon cake. Nora's obviously not Kosher, but I don't know if she eats pork. A perfect bacon sarnie is pretty good quick comfort food....

Nora Ephron Quotes:

Nothing like mashed potatoes
when you're feeling blue.

Nothing like getting into bed with a bowl
of hot mashed potatoes already loaded with
butter, and methodically adding a thin
cold slice of butter to every forkful.

Insane people are always sure that they
are fine. It is only the sane people who
are willing to admit that they are crazy.

I have made a lot of mistakes falling in love,
and regretted most of them, but
never the potatoes that went with them.

You enter into a certain amount of madness
when you marry a person with pets.

What I love about cooking is that after
a hard day, there is something comforting
about the fact that if you melt butter and
add flour, then hot stock, it will get thick!
It's a sure thing. It's a sure thing
in a world where nothing is sure!

Most of us live our lives devoid
of cinematic moments

If pregnancy were a book they would
cut out the last two chapters.

Is it possible to write a sidesplitting novel about the breakup of the perfect marriage? If the writer is Nora Ephron, the answer is a resounding yes. For in this inspired confection of adultery, revenge, group therapy, and pot roast, the creator of Sleepless in Seattle reminds us that comedy depends on anguish as surely as a proper gravy depends on flour and butter. Seven months into her pregnancy, Rachel Samstat discovers that her husband, Mark, is in love with another woman. The fact that the other woman has "a neck as long as an arm and a nose as long as a thumb and you should see her legs" is no consolation. Food sometimes is, though, since Rachel writes cookbooks for a living. And in between trying to win Mark back and loudly wishing him dead, Ephron's irrepressible heroine offers some of her favorite recipes. Heartburn is sinfully delicious novel, as soul-satisfying as mashed potatoes and as airy as a perfect souffle.

"I have made a lot of mistakes falling in love, and regretted most of them, but never the potatoes that went with them."
Nora Ephron, Heartburn

I thought I'd blogged about misery mash, but can't find it. so apologies for repetition if there is some.

Nora Ephron wrote a wonderfully funny and sad book called 'Heartburn' (As well as 'When Harry met Sally' etc)about a couple splitting up and based on her rather public split with her ex-husband Carl Bernstein
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nora_Ephron

The novel is very quirky and contains recipes including one for mashed potato. I realise most of us with any cooking ability can cook mashed potato, but this is a very creamy, butter-laden version for when you are in need of comfort food - the savoury version of a litre of indulgent ice-cream. What I remember is that you mash it with lots of butter, then just loll around eating it and keep adding more butter. I've never just eaten mash on its own but appreciate idea and understand the mood.

My friend N like me is a bit of a peasant and we love basic foods, so the idea of 'misery mash' as symbolic comfort food and being miserable was born. Today is a misery mash day but I probably won't get round to making it, beause it's too much effort! I shall however have a bacon sandwich and probably have a takeaway this evening.

I was recently joking about the culture shock of moving all of twenty miles from village to city when I first came to cardiff. it triggered something I'd fictionalised in a short story.

Characters and details are fiction, but I know an Englishman who was made uncomfortable when seeing a girl from a similar village. And when I was a student at the old College of Education, some university lads did get beaten up for a similar incident.

He liked the Spanish people; in some ways they reminded him of his mother's family in the Garw valley. The Spaniards were more laid back than the Welsh valley folk but had that strange mix of privacy and curiosity that had so confused him as a youngster. That, and their sense of identity that included country, area, town or village and even street sometimes as well as 'family'.

He realised it was the new millennium and all that, but he'd still no sooner risk a flirtation with a Garw valley girl than a Spanish senorita. It might all be different now, but he had his memories of how the valleys were when he was a youngster and his first visits to Spain in the late seventies. The Spanish men seemed so intimidating that he'd never have dared approach their sisters anyway. He had, however, really fancied Gwenda, the daughter of his Gran's neighbour. He was fifteen, shy, studious and had already found he enjoyed a wide range of books... and he was a wally, a geek, a nerd or whatever the current insult had been. He had vague recollections of being called a 'Quentin' at some stage but after a few years the insults tended to merge. Apparently, what put him beyond the pale in Cardiff High was liking maths, astronomy and chess!

Gwenda didn't know he was a Quentin and it wasn't until he went to college he realised you were not completely stuck with the identity thrust upon you by your peers. With hindsight he realised that to Gwenda he was an exotic species - a city dweller from the great metropolis of Cardiff. There were not that many cars in Garw in the tail end of the sixties and the seventies and not many Cardiff visitors. He simply didn't think of those things, he was just astonished that Gwenda talked to him and acted like the girls in school did when they were with the 'in crowd' boys. He might have been shy but he wasn't stupid. Ever time he visited his gran with his family he'd spend as much time with Gwenda as he could. He'd sent her a jokey postcard once; a way of letting her know when he was next visiting. She'd been thrilled. The girls at school had apparently been 'dead jealous'. Imagine that; girls his age who were jealous of Gwenda because of him! It seemed a postcard from Cardiff was almost as good as a love letter to the romance starved classmates in Gwenda's school.

Despite his heady success he hadn't even had the courage to kiss her before he was politely warned off making advances to a Garw girl. Apparently, outsiders were supposed to keep their hands off 'their' girls he was told by a group of local lads. It was only "a friendly warning, like"; it wouldn't be fair to beat him up if he really hadn't understood. He knew it was stupid; they didn't even like Gwenda as she was seen as a bit of an outsider - "a bit of a ponce" as they kindly explained, but rules were rules. He'd been scared and took the advice to heart. He also decided that explaining a ponce was actually a pimp and not a snob was not a good idea in the circumstances. It was a few years later that he appreciated how lucky he had been.

One of his friends (a fellow Quentin) became a student at Cardiff University. Simon told him an astonishing tale about some of his fellow students. They'd heard that the College of Education had a new bar and some very attractive females who might not be averse to their attentions. They discovered an unofficial segregation in the large open plan bar with women one side and men the other. The lads were intent on drinking, as were most of the women. Their tentative approach to grab a table on the female side was welcomed by the seemingly brazen womenfolk who flirted outrageously. They didn't actually 'cop off' but a fun time was had by all. Unfortunately, on their way home they were set upon for the crime of chatting up 'our women'!

Chris realised that the Garw youngsters had treated him with more fairness than their older, more educated counterparts who were going to end up as teachers. Chris was nothing if not a quick learner. He'd never tangle with any female who was seen as territorial property.

Today was my lover's birthday. I got very excited buying his presents - including a Dylan Thomas book, Dylan's new album, some cooking stuff, a silly pencil case and a radio.
We tend to celebrate high days and holidays with roast lamb 'cos we're so sophisticated that its our favourite meal!
Oh - and the new basque got an airing!
So today he didn't clean my microwave or sweep the floor, but he did have to pour the tea and coffee as I was still struggling ito my private party look! Luckily he didn't complain.
We had a lovely day together, and of course I now miss him.

What Dog names Say About Us - This is something I put together for a newsletter recently and Pompadour's piece on her recent mad journey triggered the posting here:

Like many of us who advocate alternative and positive conflict resolution the creeping ‘ASBO-ism’ of our society has been quite frustrating.
Anti-Social behaviour Orders were introduced in England and Wales as part on the 1998 Crime and Disorder Act. Over 4,000 ASBOs have been issued.
In fairness, Wales has been less ASBO-mad than our neighbours in England, but the ASBO has definitely entered our popular culture throughout the UK, as this piece from The BBC Website illustrates:

It was in 2005, as awareness of anti-social behaviour orders grew, that the word "Asbo" truly entered the English language - and the Collins English Dictionary. But its arrival as a well-known term was not just marked by those responsible for filling the nation's bookshelves.
The cry "Asbo! Here, Asbo!" saw a Staffordshire bull terrier obediently scamper to its master's side in one Hull park, poet Ian Killen told the Guardian.
Working on a project to record unusual dogs' names, which also uncovered the moniker Twoc (short for Taken Without Owner's Consent), the writer mused: "The dog's names are a vivid portrayal of the world their owners live in."

Had a funny day - had meeting to attend re 'stuff' that's affecting my life at the moment. On the plus side - my lovely lover arrived at my home before me and did my washing up, cleaned my kitchen and welcomed me home.
I took him for lunch in a Canton caff that does amazing bacon, egg and chips and then we had a few hours just being peaceful and together. While not actively miserable I am somewhat 'flat' at the moment and it's nice just 'being' sometimes.
Earlier in week my lover and I did brilliant piece of work - have I told you about my modesty?- and we both felt depressed afterwards despite excellent feedback!
of course if we were a legit couple we could be together when 'stuff' makes one or other of us miserable, but it isn't so, so we make most of times together.
On a more positive note it's his birthday next week so I may get to christen the new basque! So it will be dinner and naughty underwear next week - Just to prove we haven't quite forgotten what this Lover/mistress lark is all about!

ps Is it just me? I'm somewhat susceptible to yawning and easily set off - i've just had yawning fit through looking at screen and having my eye caught by the two yawning smileys!

...OK WCG - You asked for it! And you thought VD was bad! This is my Friends Reunited bit on favourite music - Told you it was bad, didn't I? BTW - Just realised the initials of Friends reunited - D'you think it's deliberate?

I have no taste I'm afraid! I love 'Bat Out of Hell' and have a soft spot for Rod Stewart... I'm also one of those awful people who buy compilation albums... I like anything from Matt Monroe to the Eagles via The Beatles and Stones (of course!),Cream, Pentangle, The Beach Boys,10cc, ELO, Fleetwood Mac and all the usual suspects. I also think it's impossible to be human and stay stationary to Bowie's 'Let's Dance', Mick growling about lack of satisfaction or Eddie Grant refusing to dance.

...hmmm...sounds like a good rumour! I thought I'd post about the brilliant Hugh Pugh and Fishguard following WCG's comments.

And now we know we both sometimes go to Chapter we'll have to look out for each other - I shall be looking for a slim dominatrix with long straight red hair (unless it's been raining)and WCG will be looking for a fifty-something with a 42DD bust possibly wearing a basque!

Hugh Pugh is a news reporter for the fictious Look Out Wales reports featured on Barry Welsh is Coming. He is played by Welsh comedian, John Sparkes.

Hugh Pugh is a reporter in Fishguard in West Wales, and his reports are constantly in black and white (though he was briefly in colour for a short time). It is explained that Fishguard itself is in black and white because it is behind with the rest of Wales, though this is a ploy for the reports to match with doctored newsreels for Sparkes' jokes.

Hugh Pugh himself holds a grudge against Barry Welsh due to the fact that Cardiff is more advanced than Fishguard, and that Barry Welsh is the host of the show.

Fans and viewing figures claim that Hugh Pugh is the most popular segment of Barry Welsh is Coming.

Fishguard

According to Hugh Pugh, Fishguard is managed by Mayor Kenny Twat, who owns a vineyard where he manufactures a wine named Chateau Myself (A play on "shat on myself", a term used for soiling clothes). Other residents of Fishguard include:

* Mayor Twats' 7-year-old son
* Telly Phone - Member of Fishguard Telephone Club
* Norman Helmet - A fireman
* Dung Bowen - A farmer
* Mr. Clinic-Lee Dead - Retired soldier
* Mrs. Hideous
* The Pop Tarts (A Welsh girls band poking fun at Spice Girls, featuring Big Tart, Ugly Tart, Cheap Tart and Stupid Tart)
* Anne Robinson
* Trevor McDonald
* Pamela Anderson
* The Welsh-Language Homosexual Society
* The Royal Fish-Guards (Led by Colonel "Tosser" Thompson)
* Mr. Slightly Thomas (Deceased - Previously mentioned in Absolutely)
* Fishguard Staring Club (Its' rivals are the Haverfordwest Glaring Society)

Crime in Fishguard is kept under control by Detective Chief Inspector Shortarse, leader of the Santa Squad, a crime unit featuring policemen all dressed as Santa Claus. The most wanted man in Fishguard is ganglord Larry Island (A satire of Barry Island), who runs a gang of baby criminals trained to steal toys and make forgery paintings. Members of the gang include Mad One-Eyed Jack and Baby-Faced Baby.

Transport in Fishguard is restricted to motor vehicles for moving about in the town. A small railway, the Fishguard - Fishguard Railway (run by Fishrail) is also used. To get around outside of Fishguard, the main transport mode is lace-up shoes, although some elastic-sided boots are on some routes. A pipeline was also built to pump thousands of tourists into West Wales per year, but the casualties from its' first run meant that it was soon replaced by an A-Road.

Most of the newsreels of Fishguard are doctored from old newscasts from the 1960's, with the names of celebrities altered for humour, including Richard Cliff (Cliff Richard) and East Clintwood (Clint Eastwood).
[edit]

Hugh Pughs' History of Wales

Hugh Pugh also featured in a black-and-white mockumentary about the history of Wales, stretching from the Stone Age to the modern day. The program won two BAFTA awards for best short film and best actor the following year.

I saw the wonderful Mr Sparkes at chapter Arts Centre recently and was trying to explain his utter brilliance to my friends and was met by blank faces. Admittedly I wasn't explaining it very well because I couldn't reacall key words like 'Morwenna banks', 'Naked Video', 'Barry Welsh' etc. H had vague memories of 'Siadwel' but no idea why Fishguard and coracles are hysterically funny.
And tonight I saw him there again - but despite my fuller explanations they were still less impressed than me.
Any other fans of the Siadwel, nasty Fishguard reporter and 'Disgusting!' out there?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Sparkes