Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 21 May 2017

Lots of coverage of the Manchester bombing here.

Wall to wall coverage here, ANNETTE, and not just on the news channels.  A lot of what is being said is repeating earlier information, speculating and retweeting "celebrity" comments - no longer real news.

Rather annoyed, really, that so much chat has been given to analysing every possible bit of news on both the tv and on the radio. The best channels have just referred to it briefly, then got on with their programme. It's not that I'm not thinking of all those families devastated by events, quite the reverse, but no amount of talk will help the situation. At times like these we need to hear familiar voices and familiar routines. The terrorists have won if we let it affect us too much from going on regardless.

As OG says, a lot of stuff is not even 'real' news.

I'm surprised too, to find that the situation at LG is still being mourned in such a hugely emotional way. It's very sad, and I was of course upset, and am still worried by the absence of Odin, but I wonder how long this period of public wailing is going to go on.

Back from Elgin, had a good day. Lunch out and then time with the girls when they finished school.

I agree with much of what you have just posted, LINDY. Both about events in Manchester and things at LG.

Plus, I am not a vegan and can't honestly guarantee that the chickens, pigs, lambs etc that I eat have been raised in perfect conditions even though I do my best to eat birds and animals that have not been treated badly during their short lives. This may seem an irrelevant comment but those who attribute human feelings to birds might do well to consider how the mothers of their Sunday roast might feel when their offspring are sent to market.

Well said, LINDA.  Still a hangover from what I heard referred to on radio recently (re a different topic) as "THE DIANA EFFECT"!

I can sort of understand the Diana effect but times in our country have  changed so much since then..

I love our Ospreys and nature is cruel..

I still can't imagine losing a child at 8. Both my girls were precious at that age  but  30 plus years later our world has changed beyond belief .

WENDY- I was thinking the same today, in Elgin. Watching all the children rushing about the playground.

The world is certainly changing. But then, it always has. When in adversity, I think of my parents and millions like them, who went through all kinds of change mostly brought about by two world wars.

They just got on with it: something the British are good at, I'm proud to say.

Heather - Like you, I am not vegan but do my very best to try and eat meat which has been obtained through humane methods. Even my OH, who loves his roast beef, and pork chops, will happily eat at least one fish and one vegetarian meal a week. I think if we did not eat together, I would have even less meat. When he goes out at mealtimes, I'm happy with just a pasta or rice dish with veg.

We are half packed up and hoping to leave here mid morning, in the sunshine. I've put two small alpine plants in tubs here and will ask the warden to water them if there's a prolonged dry spell. I also bought some bedding plants to put in at home, so it'll be all hands on deck when we get back. Soon it'll be June and Wimbledon will be around the corner!

Good morning everyone.

It is pretty dull weather here this morning. I'm expecting the man who cuts our front hedge to arrive fairly early on. Also the routine check of the house alarm system, this afternoon. I guess that the garden rubbish bin will be full before I put any of my own bits in it. We are going to have to pay £30 per annum from next month if we want our garden bin collection to continue. A lot of folk are refusing to pay but I have little choice since I don't drive. The bin has to be put out before 7am on collection day so everyone just puts it out the night before. I have visions of non payers creeping out in the dark and tipping their grass cuttings etc into my bin! Oh well.

WENDY I have observed that almost all of my grandchildren have had very little freedom, compared to my own childhood. I was shown the route to school at age 5 and from then on walked it alone. I was so young that I went home by mistake at play time one day because we had been told to put our coats on and I thought that meant it was home time!

The school gates were obviously open all day. Not so now, in granddaughters' school.