Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 10 April 2016

OG can I sadly come in here..

Youngest did polo at Guards Club Windsor her employer was a Guinness child at Eton with a string of ponies..

She spent the summer with him playing as captain of the team. So Prince  William was also there. She said he was the shyest of all but always lingered to feed his ponies carrots. Harry just lead his " minders" as he called them a merry dance.

Annette: I hope you have a wonderful, relaxing evening at your hotel. Safe travels! I'm so, so happy you'll get to see your sister. Have a grand time.

Blue Origin was founded and is owned by Jeff Bezos, the founder and CEO of Amazon.com. SpaceX launches tall, powerful rockets designed to carry big payloads to the ISS, and well into space. Blue Origin has focused on sub-orbital flight, and their rockets can reach only the edge of space for a short time. A SpaceX rocket has 15 times the thrust. Its 1st stage boosters go twice as high, and they can travel more than twice as fast on descent back to Earth. So Blue Origin's accomplishments are not as impressive as SpaceX's, despite Bezos's boastful Twitter posts. LOL

Evening all:  Arrived safe at halfway point (at least on the first part of the trip). Had a false start in the parking lot of the deli near home where I stopped to buy snacks for the road. Got back in the car and it balked!  Bottom line: Needed a new battery, which was installed by friendly Auto Club service guy.  One hour later was on the road and all well since then.

Diane: I just saw the photos of the White Pelicans - are they still down the road?

Lindybird:  I imagine Gloria is happy to have Gertie for company. Such nice reminders of your holiday. Was interested to hear of the colorful goat population - all colors?!   (Knickers made it into the suitcase.)  :-)  My sister would appreciate your poem - my sister says she doesn't care what the temperature is on this trip as long as the sky is blue.  Will check out the Mary Berry autobiography.

dibnlib: I see Abbatoir Blues (published in the US as In the Dark Places) is several books ahead (I'm working my way through the books in chronological order). Will give it a look before I get it from the library..  Thanks for the tips re  the Peter James books.

OG: No you didn't mention that Mary B was at the funeral (I wouldn't want to Mary B at my house to eat anything I'd baked.)  :-)

Wendyb: Why "sadly" ?  Interesting about the Princes, but not surprised, are we?  

Diane: Thanks for the background on Blue Origin and why Space X's achievements are more significant.

Watching "Call the Midwife" on motel television.  Off out early in the morning to meet daughter, g-daughter, and Ms. D for lunch.

Take care everyone.

Annette – Safe journey. Darn it, new battery expense but better at start that somewhere remote.

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Linda – I loved “Letters from Skye”. Reminds me of “Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society”. Some years ago a friend started me on Peter Robinson books, since then I’ve devoured lots of other whodunits, but my favourite is Elizabeth George.

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Dau2 phoned on weekend asking if I wanted “visitors”. It’s been quite a while since they dropped in here, since we spend so much time at their house. Twins trotted in happily, investigated box of “new” toys, puzzles, books. MissJ “walked” around on her knees giggling as she discovered our carpet with pile was different to their aged carpet. MissL was fascinated by the pretties in the china cabinet. OH & s-i-l took 3 kids off to nearby playground, then it was time to go home with wee ones hopefully napping in car. I haven’t heard from Dau1. I did ring to tell of my mishap then sent an email with update, but nothing in return.

Good Morning, All. Had a bad nights sleep due to still coughing, just when I thought I was over my head cold. Ugh. Never mind, nothing urgent today & off to garden centre as my OH needs supplies for allotment, so I'll enjoy having a poke around.

Annette - Sorry your journey started with a stutter, but as AQ says,  better then than later on when you're further along the road. Looked up the title of M. Berry book on my Kindle and it's "Recipe for Life".  She is one tough lady, who has worked extremely hard and also had her share of tragedy in life. EDIT:  The goats are all kinds of mixed colours, some all one colour, some white, some dark, some patchy - but no blue or red ones, LOL!

AQ - Nice for you to have a formal visit from the family, for a change. I hope your daughter is coping without your help, and perhaps in future you can support them more occasionally. Hope other daughter is not taken up with her own dramas, if she's not in touch. I imagine all sorts when I don't hear from our Eldest sometimes, then find they've been off gallivanting with friends and are fine.

Hope OG is much improved today, and Margo is managing to follow the happy story, so far, of EJ & Odin.

Good morning.  Done half the ironing – now having a sit-down.  Guts more settled, but, like others, cold and cough still trying to revive itself.  Weather forecast to be dry again – so gardening this afternoon again.

Wendy – Windsor was home and workplace of many of my grandmother’s siblings, so most had their homes within Windsor Great Park and the Royals would almost go unnoticed!

Annette – sorry about battery, but as has been said, best part of the journey to discover the need.  Glad you reached halfway, and hope you are having a quiet night ready to continue for family lunch.

AQ – nice for you to have visitors without any demands to look after kids.  Your Dau#1 sounds like mind – hardly even acknowledged when I was undergoing cancer treatment, whereas Dau#2 was sending flowers and cards.  SiL took more notice than she did – but maybe accounted for by him having medical background and her being possibly in denial.

Linda – hope your day turns out as relaxed as you hope, and that you can stop coughing soon.

OH home with shopping – must help put it away!

Glad your stomach's settled, OG.   Good idea to do the ironing in segments:  I do that when there is a lot, I can't stand, standing at the ironing board for too long.

Been to the garden centre and came out with a big trolley, full, as my OH splurged on a three4one offer on compost!  and we also got a free bag of growbag mixture.  I bought two small pots of sweet peas, for him to grow on in the greenhouse and then give me later, and I also bought two paperback books which is naughty of me as I have lots to read....   still, they were a bargain, so I couldn't resist!

Hello all -

Thanks for all your news, have read everything but haven't replied, sorry, no concentration, as have been thinking deeply about my Dad, trying to dredge up memories. I was a very curious child, fascinated by history, so can clearly remember seeing his war medals, two for gallantry (WW1)and membership certificates of various professional organisations.  Unfortunately either he or his mother (perhaps on marrying?)changed his name at some point, don't know when but certainly by the time the certificates were issued.  Lots of tantalising and interesting family stories (as in, well known relatives) which may be complete fabrication. Or maybe not. Who was his father? Who made sure that he got an education?  All I can say for certain was that he was born in 1891, illegitimately, to an servant girl of 19 who spoke Gaelic and English but could not write her name. She signed the record of birth with a cross - 'her mark'.

His death certificate was issued in the same name as his record of birth.

Morning all:  Good sleep; now having first cup of coffee in room, then breakfast, then on my way.

AQ:  Re battery, my thoughts exactly.  There's a lot of "remote" out here.  Hope you were suitably fragile when it came to using that wrist during Dau 2's visit.  :-)   In the same vein as Letters from Skye, dd you read Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson? I've got her latest book The Summer Before the War on reserve at the library.

AQ/OG:  Interesting about MIA daughters...

Lindybird: Thanks for more info on the Mary Berry book.  I don't see it at our library's website. For me, head colds are invariably followed by coughs; sleep better.

Heather:  Tracking down your Dad's story sounds fascinating. Maybe he was the offspring of a Lord who took advantage of the servant girl - well, would be one explanation of who paid for the education!!   I bet the more you think about him, the more you'll remember. That's one thing I'm looking forward to about seeing my sister, who's five years older than I; I get odd snippets of info about our parents that she can remember.  My mother always claimed we were related to Maureen O'Hara, but I've no idea....

Must get on the road.

Good to read everyones news.

Our day started with blue sky and sunshine, but now overcast with rain threatening. Still we managed to get gardening bits done.

We have just booked for a 3 day break (24-26 Dec,) thought I better not mention the C word. We will be spending the festive season at our favourite hotel in Pitlochry.