Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey Topics), 5 July 2015

HAPPY NEW WEEK!

Last week's Chat thread is here.

I hope everyone is safe from the bad weather in the U.K.

Margo: Sorry it was so frightful for you.

Clare: Congratulations on your new opportunity at Minsmere. Enjoy!

Brenda: Sorry you lost your match with the men folks. :-) I'm sure your new roses are lovely.

Lindy: I hope you enjoy your time in Wales.

Annette: So glad you all had such a nice day at the beach.

Heather: I hope things are improving for your family in France.

AQ: I've enjoyed looking at your photos. I like the Koroit Library, the Cape Nelson Lighthouse, and the Portland Tram; also, I want to live in the little Kalangadoo Church with the green roof! Very lovely. 

You might be interested in seeing this old Catholic church near me: see here and here. Built in 1886, it stands in the rustic, restored 19th century Billie Creek Village in Parke County. Also, here's the historic old Log Church, built in 1871, in what is now Turkey Run State Park/Forest near me.

Hello to everyone. I hope this post makes sense. My neighbors are blasting off huge fireworks. They terrify me. I hope they don't set the woods on fire. Poor, poor wildlife. I hate July 4th.

  • Good morning, Diane - thanks for the lovely start to the new week's thread.  I'm really looking forward to working at Minsmere.

    A big well done to the England ladies football team in beating Germany to place third in the World Cup - what an amazing achievement!

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

  • Evening/Morning/whatever all:  Just in from afternoon/evening with family - lots of fun little rides for Ms. D, plus food booths, music, and finally the fireworks - always a great show - all on the grounds of the Santa Ines Mission (the town is spelled Santa Ynez, but the church itself is actually in Solvang - go figure).  I swear the crowd gets bigger every year, but it's all good fun and mellow.  Traffic after was ghastly, so I took the road over the hills and was home in good time; kids home safe too.

    Diane: Thanks Very Much for starting us off; hope your neighbors aren't the kind of celebrate for days after the 4th.  That little church is so sweet - and so different from the Log Church.

    Limpy: It's really great that you're enjoying Minsmere so much - a really worthwhile activity.

    Clare: When do you start at Minsmere?  Such a relief that England beat Germany; I bet it eases the pain for the player (Bassett?) who made such an unfortunate move in the game against Japan.  

    So two big things to look out for Sunday - USA vs Japan Women's Soccer Final and the Greek referendum....

    And so to bed....have a good Sunday everyone.

  • Good morning. Mowing going on outside while I am catching up here indoors. I slept really late today – and J went back to bed instead of going to church. I think yesterday’s highly charged and humid atmosphere wore out the both of us!

    Brenda – pleased you had some good bowls matches last week, even if the ladies did lose to the men.

    Margo – special thoughts and prayers for the week ahead.

    Diane - thank you for starting the week. Sorry you had to endure a second night of fireworks.

    Annette – pleased you and family enjoyed the celebrations – but I am with Diane over fireworks.

    Not making lunch today – J is out for a meal later with the Mission Team who are at our church for the week, so can do his own thing for lunch, and OH and I will save space for afternoon tea; the local village churches start their summer season of Sunday Teas today. All this week, I shall make our main meal at lunchtime as J will have to go early for preparation for youth evenings. All the events (starting with today’s services and including kids’ and youth events, a ceilidh and hog-roast next Saturday and the next Sunday morning service) are being held in a marquee on the church land where the new church centre will eventually be built. It appears the marquee was successfully raised yesterday, despite the morning storm.

    Ospreys Rule OK, but Goldfinches come a close second!

  • Woo Hoo - my first day at Minsmere is tomorrow!  YEAHHHHHH!

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

  • Enjoy yourself Do you know what your duties will be?

  • Some administration, with some reception as I get used to the place.  

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

  • Thank you!  I hope I don't need it on this occasion.

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

  • Good luck CLARE!

    Thanks to DIANE for starting us off this week. Also thank you to all for your news!

    I have no news:-( Unless we talk about our gas boiler which keeps switching itself on without being instructed to do so. Engineer will come tomorrow. We have a horrible feeling that he will tell us that we need a new boiler. It is 15 years old.

    Family in France are still struggling.

    I wish that I could tell you all about their problems, but it wouldn't be right to do so and I know that none of you would ask about the problems, anyway. I can say that it's not just a question of money, it's also a problem with one of their children, very worrying for them and potentially financially destructive. If that makes sense.

    Granddaughter Amy is 14 tomorrow. She and her Mum are coming here for lunch. She has asked for chicken Caesar Salad (with chips!) Because it is her birthday she will have a pudding and give herself a bolus of insulin via pump, to deal with extra sugar.

    Take care all xx

  • Afternoon: Just sorting myself out prior to the Soccer game.

    Clare: Reception duties sound really nice. It's a great way to meet people who will be genuinely interested in the site, but the Admin side will give you another perspective that will be interesting too.

    OG: A busy week for you. My granddaughter went off to Mass this morning at Mission Santa Inez where the fireworks were held last night. It's a lovely old church and apparently has a much different congregation and sense of community than the one she now attends in Arizona. She and Ms. D also went to the parade in Solvang yesterday morning, which had a strong Hispanic flavor, typical for this area, with "dancing" horses and riders in traditional vaquero gear. She was also struck by the different atmosphere between that parade and those she's seen in northern Arizona, which tend to be more - um - redneck. If she didn't have an ex-husband in AZ, I've a feeling she'd move back to California at a moment's notice. We'd all love that, but, oh well...

    Heather: Fingers crossed boiler still up for an easy and inexpensive fix that will keep it going for another few years.  Re family, makes perfect sense to me. So many families have a kid that can make things very wobbly at times.  Do hope there's a solution that will keep the wolf from the door...  

    Back later after soccer match.