David's blog

**The smell in my kitchen is amazing right now—I’ve just taken a ginger cake loaf out of the oven.** I made one in class a few weeks ago and thought I’d try it again myself at home. According to the teacher, ginger cake is less hassle than other types of cake, so I figured it should be easier for me to manage. I changed a few ingredients this time—I used margarine instead of butter. It might make it a bit less rich, though I haven’t tasted it yet, so I’m not sure. I was planning to cook it in the Ninja Speedi, but the tin I have doesn’t fit. I’d hoped it would speed up the baking and save having to use the main oven. I’ll need to find a tin that fits the Speedi for next time. Things can definitely go wrong with these cakes—like forgetting an ingredient or overbaking it so it turns out dry. But if I get good at this, I might even start selling them. Homemade cakes are a treat many families miss out on these days, with so much else going on. I’ll need to do some proper road-testing first...

- My laptop has been refusing to shut down properly for the past few days. I think it might be stuck on an update. I tried restoring it, but lost patience and ended up doing a reset. Now I've lost the apps and other information that were on there—it’s been a real hassle. On top of that, I received an email today about a pair of glasses I ordered online. Normally, I wouldn't buy glasses that way, but it was the only option available at the time. I had spoken with an optometrist about the order, but in the end I decided to go ahead and place it myself—especially since it seemed they were just ordering them online anyway, and there were none available in the shop. I had some old prescriptions at home, but I couldn’t find the one from last year, so I had to go back to the shop to request another copy. I sent that to them, but this morning I got an email saying the copy was blurry and some key information was missing. They also wanted to know whether the glasses were for reading or ...

Mae cerddoriaeth Soul   neu enaid yn Gymraeg am wn i,wedi chwarae rhan reit bwysig ym mywydau pobl ifanc Llan dros y degawdau.  Soul yw ffurf o gerddoriaeth boblogaidd a ddechreuodd gan gerddorion duon yn yr Unol Daleithiau o ganol yr ugeinfed ganrif ymlaen. Rhai o’r artistiaid enwog sydd wedi cyfrannu i’r genre Soul yw Aretha Franklin , Otis Redding , Stevie Wonder , a’r rhestr yn parhau. Mae’r gerddoriaeth hon wedi deillio o draddodiadau’r eglwysi yn America, sef gospel , ac hefyd o rhythm and blues . Mae cerddoriaeth Soul yn derm cyffredinol ar gyfer sawl arddull sydd wedi datblygu o draddodiadau’r blues a cherddoriaeth efengylaidd yr eglwys Ddu. Dysgodd arloeswyr Soul y 1950au – megis Ray Charles, Etta James, Sam Cooke, Clyde McPhatter, Little Richard, a Hank Ballard – gerddoriaeth trwy berfformio mewn grwpiau efengylaidd. Wrth i'r artistiaid hyn gynnwys elfennau blues a symud at eiriau seciwlar, ganwyd y genre soul. Yn y 1970au, dechreuodd cerddoriaeth Soul osod y sylfaen...

I heard an interesting cookery class the other day. I was due to get there earlier than usual this week, and in the afternoon, people were invited to come and enjoy what the class had been cooking. I went on the bus, and on my way there, I saw the postman . They gave me a parcel, which contained weighing scales. An Unexpected Challenge On getting to the cookery class, I saw the teacher. I didn't hear her say hello; the reason for that was she'd lost her voice! So, it was going to be a very interesting lesson trying to understand what she was telling the class to do when she couldn't speak. Anyway, she asked me to make a ginger cake, which I did . It only involved following a recipe, so I got on with it . The kitchen was full, and it was a bit awkward trying to find the ingredients , though they were all in a big bag, I found out eventually. Thankfully, I didn't need her intervention that much, and I managed to get the cake done. A Mixed Outcome I think everyone man...

**Is Learning the Welsh Language Difficult?** Learning Welsh can be challenging, especially if your only language is English. Some of the sounds in Welsh don't exist in English, which can make pronunciation tricky. However, many languages share similar sounds with Welsh, so speakers of those languages might find Welsh less difficult than an English monoglot would. Take, for instance, the Welsh "CH"—it has a harsh, throaty quality, unlike the softer "ch" sound in English. Languages like Lithuanian use similar guttural sounds, which makes it easier for their speakers to read Welsh phonetically. I discovered this recently when I asked a Lithuanian man to read some Welsh aloud. He managed it remarkably well, while a monolingual English speaker might have struggled without prior exposure. The takeaway? The more languages you know, the easier it is to learn new ones. But motivation can be hard to find if you already speak English—it's so dominant globally that man...

It’s been a hot one today. It started off muggy and dull, but brightened up as the day wore on. I did my usual stint at the food bank, where there's currently a heap of out-of-date cat food. The lady who helps me on Fridays was reluctant to put it out, in case someone took loads of it and tried to flog it. I really don’t think there’s a thriving black market for expired cat food—strange attitude for someone working at a food bank. When I got home, I went for a dip in the river. It was freezing at first, and I almost bailed, but I persevered—and I’m glad I did. It was surprisingly refreshing. They say cold water swimming is good for inflammation. I probably didn’t stay in long enough to get the full effect, but I’ll definitely go again at some point. I felt nice and clean when I got out and refressed. Parking in the village is getting worse—cars everywhere, even blocking pavements. I guess it’s down to the rubbish public transport from Labour in Cardiff. I think I can leave the wash...

I’ve had problems for quite a while now, and one of them is to do with my eyesight. So the other day, I made the long bus journey—about two hours with a change—to visit the local blind society. Since I was heading that way, I thought I might as well try to sort out another issue I’ve been having with my hearing. I popped into the hospital and saw someone, but the problem’s still not resolved, so I guess I’ll have to go back there eventually. I then made my way to the blind society to see a chap called Nick, who was going to tell me about these Meta Ray-Ban sunglasses. They’re designed to help people with vision problems, using built-in AI that can recognise objects and surroundings—useful for people who can’t see certain things. I also needed a bit of help with the VoiceOver feature on my phone. There’s been a lot of buzz about these Meta Ray-Bans. I wanted to find out if they lived up to the hype—or if it was, well, just hype. (Pardon the pun.) It all seems a bit space-age—music playi...

JUst in case you wonderd  The Changing Landscape of Intimacy: What Sex is Like for People in their 60s For many, the sixth decade of life brings a new chapter in sexuality, one characterized by evolving physical realities, deeper emotional intimacy, and a redefined understanding of pleasure. While the passionate spontaneity of youth may transform, a fulfilling and vibrant sex life is not only possible but common for those in their 60s, often enriched by a lifetime of experience and connection. Physical changes are a natural part of aging and can impact sexual function for both men and women. For women, the hormonal shifts of menopause can lead to vaginal dryness, thinning of vaginal tissues, and a decrease in libido. Men may experience erectile dysfunction, a delayed or less firm erection, and a longer refractory period between erections. These changes are often gradual and can be managed effectively with a variety of approaches. Beyond the purely physiological, emotional and psych...

 I have learnt something new about computer connectivity, I found out yesterday that you can use your mobile as a hotspot to connect your tablet, I am surprised it has taken so long for me to learn this, it will be uselful with the lap top I will be able to use the laptop away from the house wifi. I have recently started to bake cakes, i have learning to in the cooking class and its amazing thta such nice things can be made from the ingredients, there are some interesting techniques in the creative process too, such as making sure the certain combinations are mixed together to the right Consistency. When making a sponge you need to mix the butter and the sugar into a creamy pale mix so that air is put into it so that it's a bit more spongy The teacher did tell me a couple of other things but I forgotten them. I think I have a sweet tooth and that's why I enjoy making cakes I discovered a new cake the other day ginger cake it's a lot easier to make than the other cakes due t...

 I was not looking forward to the mondaay swim today I was feeling a bit knackered and in no mood for exercise but off I went anyway, my mood was not helped by the fact I would have time to kill after being swimming, as I had an appointment in the xray department. I eventually got to the swimming after a few stops of chatting to this and that, one of them said the pool was quiet which was a blessed relief, and it was fairly,.  I did the usual amount of lengths and then foolishly I went shopping and therefore had to carry the whole let around until it was time to go for the appointment which I had decided I was going to walk to pass the time, so I had a bit of a walk with a load of shopping, I should have done the shopping on the way back really. I got the hospital early had a cup of tea and then went to the xray place I was not there five minutes and then I went to catch the bus back as it was raining, I miss read the timetable and nearly missed the bus.. I have been back here...

 I decided this morning to go to the opticians. This opticians is 12 miles away and of course it's open at the weekend like most of the shops. How to get to the bus to another town first then change there but I decided to catch the train I got to the next town with only a few minutes to spare before it was time for the train to go from that town, so I thought I would chance it and try to get the train, hoping the train was late.   I got the bus to the tesco and then went to the station andd the train was late and i jumped on before the door clesed.  I needed the loo on th train but it was occupied and therefore I had to go back and doing this I missed the guard.  As I was coming ot into Pwillheli were the optitician is sitiuated the guard caught me and I paid for ticket. I there is an issue now if you don't get a ticket before you get on the train you will be fined, but I think that is depeendent on there being a machine in the station which there wasn't at...

I came across a video filmed in my garden a couple of years ago. It showed the fence that once stood between me and next door—before *that* hideous new one went up. It had a softness to it, really. A lovely tree leaned over the wall, and there was an old shed at the far end—both now gone. As they say, *good fences make good neighbours*, but it seems I’m stuck with this one for now. I found the video in the downloads of what I’d posted to Facebook. I’ll never be a cameraman, but I suppose they act as a record—snapshots of what’s unfolded over the past five years or so, through the pandemic and everything else. I’m not sure what to do with them, really. Part of me thinks I should just delete them—they do take up space on the computer—but part of me hesitates. I’d hoped the videos would include ones I uploaded to other sites too, but it looks like I’m only getting the ones from my page. During the pandemic, I shared a few clips of myself singing and playing the guitar. I wouldn’t mind see...

I went for a walk with a group of people today around Trout Swansea Lake. I have for a long time wanted to walk around the lake apparently it's about 8 miles long we did not walk that far today but I could see what the path was like it's not actually a path there's a road it was quite tough from the old feet but we veered off in the end I went to walk on some baron ground crash which looks quite dry these days as the weather has been fairly dry for the last few weeks Apparently There is rain on the way just hope Petersen stay though there is not a lot I can do about it it was a beautiful day for a walk today the sun just makes me feel like just I'm bling and it's just feeling the heat of it it's really nice some fine weather for a change instead of the gloomy wet weather we have had for the last few years I know the lake quite well as I used to go fishing there when I was younger and swimming there and I got caught by barbed wire a long time ago and still have t...

--- **Lady of the Lake** Yesterday, I wandered to the old golf course lake,   chasing warmth in May’s uncertain breath.   The hill was steeper than I recalled—   legs unfamiliar with its slope,   mind distracted by chattering geese   who are rarely so bold.   Perhaps love has found them, or unrest. The path meandered, I followed—   lost in bramble and breeze   until the lake revealed itself,   its surface pierced with sound and feather.   Canada geese honked their displeasure,   uneasy with a visitor   on the cusp of their mirrored world. Still, I slipped into the water—   expecting the chill to greet me sharply.   But it welcomed me like memory,   cool but kind,   free from fuss or flinch.   They circled, ever watchful,   their wild eyes unreadable. Satisfied, I rose   just as they returned— ...

 So a copper gets away with causing actual bodily harm to a person he was trying to arrest, this was an outrageous desicion really, and just adds tothe cry of defund the police as they are obviously just thugs, I have never seen such a brutal attack before, and for the jury to find the cunt not guilty make a mockery of the justice system. 't knlw what drugs the jury were given but 0bviously its not the first case of miscarriage of justice involving a jury and many have died got hanged becuase of juries and asre still being killed all over the world.  As luck might have it no one died in this cade but knows of the long lasting damage done to the guy who was attacked by this copper, brutality leads to brutality, and the guy who was attacked will feel aggreived that this scumbag of a copper got off scot free. I guess there is karma, and you hope that will happen in the case of this copper and he will get his one day, what goes around comes around.  This case  does nothi...