Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey Topics), 21 December 2014

Happy new week and happy solstice!

Last week's Chat Thread is here.

For most of us, today is the Winter Solstice. Welcome back to the Sun! With the return of the light, I'd like to wish all of my dear friends on this thread a happy holiday season and a new year blessed with joy, abundance, good health, serenity, and love!

The solstice occurs on 21 December at:

2303 GMT
11:03 p.m. in the U.K.
6:03 p.m. in the eastern U.S.
3:03 p.m. in California

And for AQ: Happy Summer Solstice on 22 December at 9:33 a.m.

This solstice is special because it happens within 2 and a half hours of the New Moon. I'm seeing this cosmic event as a fresh start and a new beginning. Woo hoo!




The photo is of the Sun in the midst of a powerful and spreading coronal mass ejection. The photo was taken by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, a partnership of the European Space Agency and NASA.

The image is free for non-commercial use.
SOHO (ESA & NASA)

  • Diane, thanks for starting us off and for the glorious picture of the sun in all its glory - makes me feel warm, well it can only get lighter each day now.

    Love the skit on Ding Dong Merrily. I have two cats and fortunately they use a tray or go outside.

    Heather - so please friend in Denmark is making a good recovery.

    Alan - long time no hear from.    Happy Christmas to you.

    Well Harriet and Ozzie are still waiting as all the best laid egg plans never go according to how they should.

    Harriet is sitting at present; 

    egg hatching table

    Off to the gym tomorrow. Done all my food shopping now so its on with the preparation on Christmas Eve.   Have nephew and family coming over from Droitwich tomorrow evening to exchange presents so am putting on some nibbles with drinks. Should be a nice evening.

    Take care all.

  • Unknown said:

    Annette's Christmas Carol: Deck the Halls

    Deck the halls with balls of cat poo.
    Fa la la la la, la la la la
    Tis my ol' cat's Christmas doo doo.
    Fa la la la la, la la la la

    Don me now my rubber gloves.
    Fa la la, la la la, la la la
    And I'll clean up that kitty love.
    Fa la la la la, la la la la

    On my knees in merry measure.
    Fa la la, la la la, la la la
    I'll scrub up this Yule-tide treasure.
    Fa la la la la, la la la la

    Fa la la la la...la...la...la...la!

    LOL!

    Don't forget to put a clothes peg on your nose before cleaning up the cat's Christmas special!  LOL!

    Our herring gulls are red listed birds.  Think about that the next time you hear some flaming idiot calling for a cull of them.

  • Hallo All:

    DIANE: That's hysterical. "Deck the Halls" will never be the same! Fortunately, the poo in question was easy to remove with a paper towel, but I did spray the area with all kinds of deodorizers.  Oh, and did I mention the two puddles of wee in the kitchen?  Thank heaven she did that on the tile floor.

    OG: I was babysitting the dog while daughter was off at Disneyland with g'daughter et al. I just waved bye-bye to them all (dog included) - until Christmas Day.  Dog will be with us again for a week starting Friday (guinea pig too).  Cat hasn't pooed in the house before. Don't think I'll be going back to bed and leaving her alone in the living room while doggie is visiting.  

    Going to take a nap now.

  • Choc cups & cherry truffles in fridge, yes I tasted!, next on agenda is to de-cobweb rooms as I sing Diane’s hilarious ditty.

    Tis the season to be merry . . .
    Jennifer was a pretty 18 year old girl. In the week before Christmas she sauntered up to the counter, and was trying to decide which of the many types of tinsel she would buy. Finally, she made her choice and asked the spotty youth who was behind the counter, "How much is this gold tinsel garland".
    The spotty youth pointed to the Christmas mistletoe above the counter and said, "This week we have a special offer, just one kiss per metre".
    "Wow, that's great", said Jennifer, "I'll take 12 metres".
    With expectation and anticipation written all over his face, the boy measured out the tinsel, wrapped up the garland, and gave it to Jennifer.
    She then called to an old man who had been browsing through the Christmas trees and said, "My Grandpa will settle the bill".

  • I should say that Annette is a fastidious keeper of her house and it's very clean. I just had to tease her. LOL

    Back later. Off to town today to get much needed groceries and supplies.

  • LOL AQ!! Enjoying your "Season to be Merry" series! Good Morning, All. Not too cold here, but the air is still damp. Lots to do, again, here: off to collect our turkey (we always enjoy the traditional meal) and Friend is coming around for a cuppa, with news of the puppy she has secretly bought for her OH's Christmas present!
  • Good morning-  up early today, off to Beauly for a bit of shopping before it gets busy. Then home to get stuck into house work and tidying everywhere before family arrive at about 6pm - 7pm approx.

    AQ.  Am enjoying your funny stories.

    I feel so sorry for the people involved with the Glasgow accident, a dreadful thing to happen, so unexpected and unnecessary somehow, several families lives ruined.

  • Good Morning Everyone. Sorry I haven't been posting. Christmas panic has set in. We have been visiting and had visitors, plus trying to wrap presents and catch up with the HW. I have just stripped our bed as I always like to come home to fresh bedding. We will leave home, to go to our son's, early tomorrow morning. I was awake at !am this morning as one of our bins, which was empty, was blown over and I could hear it moving in the wind. I couldn't stand the sound any  longer, so got up and put the bin back where it should have been. OH slept through !!!! I must continue with the HW and will be back later.

  • Seasons greetings from Badger Army To Stop The Cull With Direct Action:

  • A beautiful card, Alan.

     

    I queued for half an hour....  just to say that I'd come to collect my turkey!  Then I had another 25 mins to wait for it to be found amongst the other orders in the cold room, so I did all the other shopping meanwhile.  Came home really desperate for a nice cup of tea after that.  Saw a packet of pre prepared potatoes underneath where my car was parked, in the supermarket car park!  Then found some cheese amongst the chocolate display at the checkout!!  So two people have things missing this year!!

    Friend turned up with her OH in tow, they had a coffee and shortbread with me (my OH is at the allotment, fetching leeks). So I was not able to say anything about her surprise puppy - but she did tell me on the phone that its a Miniature Schnauzer, a female. We await to be told about his surprise, and a possible name for her. (they will have to wait for 2nd week January to collect her from the breeders)