Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 3 December 2017

HAPPY NEW WEEK and HAPPY NEW MONTH and HAPPY FULL SUPERMOON!

I hope everyone has a wonderful week. Sunday is the Full Moon, and it's a so-called Supermoon (the full moon near lunar perigee). 

Here's a Cooper's Hawk like Annette has in her garden. I thought of her when I saw this photo.


Cooper's Hawk
Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge, Wyoming USA
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Photo labeled Public Domain (Copyright-Free)

  • Diane - Thank you for starting us off and as always a beautiful picture.

    .

    Clare – Blimey. That is Slade!!!! Not for me.

    .

    Rosy - “I saw Mummy kissing Santa Claus” always brings back memories of a wee Dau#1 giggling and threatening to tell Daddy. This same child years later told her young sister not to let on they knew that FC wasn’t real, otherwise they wouldn’t get so many gifts.

    .

    I love the traditional carols. I even drive further to Midnight Mass (getting hard to find nowadays) because that church has half hour of Xmas carols before. Mostly the lovely oldies which I can sing (or warble).

  • Evening all:

    Diane: Thanks for starting us off and for the image of our not-so-friendly neighborhood raptor.

    Clare:   Thank you, but I'll take the Herald Angels over Slade any day.  :-)

    Rosy: I was in a store the other day and they started playing a popular Xmas song (not a carol), but you could barely recognize it what with the showy technique and added notes and warbles.  I was so exasperated I exclaimed to a lady nearby that if they have to play the song to at least get someone to sing it properly!  She (cranky old far like me!) agreed.  I mentioned Rebecca Louise Law's work some months back when I did a short blurb for the magazine about a California exhibition she held.  In fact, I think it had the same theme.

    AQ:  I'm with you on traditional carol services.  Multiple choral groups hold concerts during the season and  I need to look through the schedule (that's on tomorrow's To Do list).

    Spent hours doing winter clean up work in the garden - it hasn't been as tidy in a few years. Tomorrow I just have to check the irrigation then I plan to relax with my feet up.

    Have a good Sunday everyone.

  • Good  Morning  Everyone:  Just had to sign in, and also just noticed that I've got lots of discussion to read back on!

    Thanks to Diane for the beautiful Hawk pic to start us off again.

    I love all, All, of the Christmas music -- I will be playing the traditional classic carols on Christmas morning, on Classic fm Radio, then listening to the cheesy pop tunes later: it's not Christmas for me without a bit of Elvis crooning plus Michael Buble!! And yes, Clare, I smile when they blast out Slade in the supermarket!

  • Today's pic:

    "I'm only slightly muddy, honest....."

  • p { margin-bottom: 0.25cm; line-height: 120%; }

    Morning all. Just on to let you know where we are at. Last week was the first round of doing battle with the NHS!! I must say that it has been interesting.

    Firstly the consultant appointment. First – whether OH wants a lumpectomy or a mastectomy, OH opted for the latter as she really did not want to keep going through this. The next comment was 'if? it is necessary'. Hmm what is coming next?

    Next a check on the tumour. VERDICT: it has dramatically shrunk and more importantly softened, indicating that the cancer is dying. Result a new appointment for the end of January.

    Now the pre-op appointments, Friday being the first. Question from staff – why have you got two separate appointments instead of back to back? So still have another appointment next Tuesday. No comment. Already looking at everything in the kitchen that I haven't had the time or energy to do.

    Showers now under-way. Sunday lunch round the corner looking welcome at the moment. Not to worry about a cat AWOL for some unknown reason, all that now back to normal. (question: what is normal?!)

    To all those who may be having problems I send BEST WISHES and good luck to another day.

    If anyone asks why have a pre-op it lasts for six months so is still a useful stand-by.

  • Lindybird said:
    I smile when they blast out Slade in the supermarket!

    Yay!!!!  So glad I'm not the only fan.

    I'm currently listening to 'Oh Come All Ye Faithful' - sung by Twisted Sister.  I'm more than happy to provide a link to this unlikely version if anyone would like me to!  I can definitely say it sounds joyful and triumphant.

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

  • Further to my previous post you will probably prefer this lovely song from Johnny Mathis.  The words to this are just beautiful.

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

  • I remember this one, CLARE, lovely.

  • LINDY   Definitely only a teensy bit muddy.

    ANNETTE    So sorry to hear the news of King. Glad he had a good home in his latter years.

    One of my favourite Christmas songs is "The Little Drummer Boy". You don't seem to hear it very often now.

  • Lovely Johnny Mathis,  Clare.  How about another one on that page, The Pogues "Fairytale  of  New  York"  - love it!

    Good to get news from you, ForestBoar.  I do know that they want to know if you will consent to complete mastectomy, in advance, so that if they find Bad News when they open you up, it can be done there and then. But of course if it can be just a lumpectomy they will do that. The appointments system can sometimes be a problem if they have different departments involved, and they don't "talk" to each other.

    We went for a good walk around a local water feature - not really a lake, just some kind of reclaimed pit which has been filled with water and has trees around: its now well populated with Mallards, Coots, and Swans, and today there were a whole huge group of wonderful Canada Geese, all trumpeting to each other. Great.  No camera with me today so no pic.

    We were sad to hear yesterday that some of my OH's relatives have just had to have their beloved dog put down:  she had a growth in her throat which they were told was not malignant, but then she started to have lumps in her body, too. They're very upset, naturally - the dog was not old.