WEEKLY CHAT (non-osprey) SUNDAY JULY 22, 2017

Hello all

Sorry about the lurking.

I have more visitors arriving on Monday so feel like a landlady, lately!

Stepdaughter's funeral is on Wednesday. PM showed that she had a stroke.

I just want it all to be over. Emotions are running high - Stepson doesn't get on with his sister's husband and says he won't attend the hotel after the funeral. I could cry. So fed up with the shenanigans. Wednesday isn't about him, it is his sister's funeral and as far as I'm concerned he should behave with dignity and remember that he is there as his late parents' son as well as his late sister's brother. End of rant. Sorry.

Good morning – feeling almost back to normal after rushed day Friday.  It was lovely to see GD#1 and catch up with her news (next plan a PGCE to teach Chemistry) and family news we don’t get from her mother!  Reasonable meal at OTB for their “Indoor BBQ” theme night – portions too large, but I had a very nice vege burger (made of vegetables not soya).  Having to finish church newsletter in a hurry today – just printed draft for OH to proof-read.

Thanks for complements re pic of deck and containers – more to follow when I get around to adjusting sizes.

Annette – big discussions here re saucers under containers: OH tends to overwater and the saucers overflow onto the wood anyway, as well as rotting the roots, so I persuaded him to stop using them!  Since we get a lot of rain on the whole deck, I don’t think this is a particular problem!  The dark chocolate flowers are Chocolate Cosmos – it blooms quite a long time in late summer, and the flowers smell of chocolate!

Diane – there are a number of perennials with dark centres and I can’t remember the name of that one – I just know it isn’t a Cone Flower or Rudbeckia – OH calls the Jam Tart Flowers!

AQ – your Thursday experience sounds good – and a nice birthday for Friend since her husband didn’t give her priority over his pals – great windows too.  The wind your area was experiencing reminded me that I have discovered from our local Friday paper that the flooding from the storms last weekend wasn’t just in the local village, it was in the town here too – and some only one street away from us!  We are just that bit higher, and it only ran down the road towards them!

Linda – pleased you had some sunshine among the rain but sorry about dead fish.  I hope dentist visit goes well on your return.

Heather – sorry about family issues re your deceased stepdaughter; I hate ill-feeling in families, but sadly it happens.  Surely it doesn’t matter too much that your stepson doesn’t go to the hotel?  It is at the funeral itself that family representation really matters, anything else is just added extra.  Pleased the PM gave a very definite cause so that the funeral can happen next week – maybe life will be easier when that is over.  Take care, and stop worrying about the way people are (although I know that isn’t easy).

Magazine finished, so OH will print the copies this afternoon in church hall – he is currently heating up some soup for our lunch.

Know what you are saying, OG but quite a few of OH's family are travelling through for the funeral from Aberdeen area. Rightly or wrongly, I think that my stepson should be around for them since he is the only one of their actual family here now that OH and his daughter have both died. I think it is not appropriate to demonstrate his antipathy towards his brother in law so publicly and obviously. Whatever happened to Highland Hospitality and plain good manners?

Hi all, again.

Thanks for all your news.  Lindy - have a lovely break in Wales and love the daily pics you post.

OG - I'm nicely envious of that decking and plant pots, something that would suit our garden.  It is really lovely. Glad J got back safely.

AQ - what a magnificent church and window. Loved the keyhole window too.

HeatherB - I think I can see what you are getting at.  Do hope that things will run smoothly for all the family next Wednesday and that your stepson comes around, still time for him to do so.

Not a lot been happening here.  Getting excited about our holiday, off on the 12Aug for 6 days to Germany. Weather has been mixed, mostly cloudy, breezy, with occasional sunshine. As to our family home, I wait to see and hear from my brother in due course as to what is going on.

Not long till your holiday, then, Lynette.

Heather - I know it's annoying, but it's often weddings and funerals which show up the rifts in families, and can bring out the worst in people. OG is right, though, in that the most important part of it is the funeral service. If you can, I would just "go with the flow" and let it all wash over you. Do the things you have to do, yourself, and don't feel responsible for someone who is plenty old enough to know they're being childish. It is not your problem.

We've had a pleasant day, here, even though the weather has been disappointing and we did not have a full day out as it was quite cold and cloudy. We had a walk by the straits, a quick food shop, and a talk to our neighbours. 

When we leave here, we will leave things ready for our Youngest and his family, who are going to enjoy a week here from next Friday. So I shall be putting some ornaments away, and bringing home some of the clothes from in the wardrobe!