Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 3 December 2017

Diane,  Thank you for moon info. Very interesting. I like the 'Flower Moon' name.

I must find out more about European names, as I have never heard that one before.

Annette,  I also read about the fires in California. I know it is a big state, but I thought not so far from you. Terrifying.

Dibnlib,  Glad you enjoyed your first Christmas meal. We are going out this evening with some friends. I think I need a Benson! Neither  of us can finish everything on the plate nowadays. I don't like wasting food.

Oh, heck, Annette - didn't know you were so near to the big fires....  hoping you all keep safe.  Keep meaning to say how sorry I was to hear about King - I remember you looking after him once, and saying how sad he looked. 

I keep meaning to do all sorts of things, but just now I seem to be doing three things at once, all day every day!  Sometimes I think we should just go and live on a desert island somewhere instead of all this rushing around during the festive season.....

Had three thousand things to do this morning, but spent a good three quarters of an hour on the phone instead.  Ho hum, I suppose all will pan out OK in the end, as it usually does.

Off now to get dinner - first have to empty the dining table of all the Christmas wrapping paper etc.....  <runs off......>

OH bought some Christmas food this morning - all for the freezer, so we don't have to eat vast quantities - and can look forward to leftovers, which is the part I really like!  My plans are always subject to change, having the big chest freezer.  Cooking sweet and sour pork this evening, using leftover roast pork.  Changed my mind about the fruit cakes this morning as we really don't need them!

I did sort and label my craft boxes, with a pleasurable amount of flinging - and I freed a box to hold incoming Christmas cards, the first of which arrived today!

Our first Christmas event tomorrow - didn't bother attempting crowds at Christmas Fairs, Town Lights Switch-on etc.  We are going to the General Interest Group meeting - shared supper and "seasonable" local entertainment.  This means we shall miss the Rainbow Tribe annual concert at church the same evening - woops!

J says the kids at school are all hyper, thinking Christmas has started because the lights went on here last week!  He has his department restaurant dinner on Friday evening - not far away (at Powfoot, which you may have heard of re its golf course) and he'll travel in his own car to leave early, away from all the drinking!

Well oh what fun! An hour and a quarter into Cheltenham, longer than in rush hour. Arrive 20 minutes early, then at 10.20 OH is called in, 10 minutes before appointment time. Five minutes later we were starting back. Question was if you need an operation is the anaesthetic you had last time alright. Then a chat about his friends who had non intrusion-al methods of numbing the area concerned then said he wasn't one of them. Hey-ho. On our journey back home 5 minutes before the appointment. A lot of wasted time for all. Next appointment 18^th Jan. On the plus side I had no low sun problems, all cloudy.

Older SD has now lost all hair and next chemo is Thursday. Younger SD is being an absolute angel!!!

Good evening.

Heather – will email link to cheese company – in Cheshire – but there are many!  (sorry, only just saw that question in a past post from you!)  So nice that the cousins, Amy and Katie, get on well and will do your tree together!

Annette – another late comment – sorry to read about King, although I often forget him as his predecessor Oro made a bigger impression on me!  I do hope you are safe from the fire risks in SoCal!

Dibnlib – I hope Benson enjoyed the doggie-bag as much as you enjoyed the meal!  We are ignoring a number of eating-out opportunities this year.

Rosy – hope you are enjoying your evening out with friends.

ForestBoar – sounds much like many of our hospital trips – I find it helpful to arrive in wheelchair (was even more so on stretcher) as they move one through quickly because one is in the way!  Your younger Stepdaughter is doing a wonderful job helping everyone through this extra-difficult time – does she go out to work as well as all this?

Well, I seem to have caught up at last, so will send quickly!

Good  Morning,  All.  Awoke early again, here. Supposed to be dry here, and rain by this evening.

Do hope that all is well with Annette.

ForestBoar - Sorry to read that you've had rather a tiresome day with your hospital appointment. Thinking of you and your family at this difficult time for you all.

Lindybird said:

Do hope that all is well with Annette.

Lindy: I looked at a power outage map, and it appeared to me that Annette's location is part of a massive power outage. The fire has likely burned the transmission lines, which was feared last night. I could be wrong, but if she doesn't appear on here today, that may be the reason. I, too, hope she's okay. 

Edit: I think she uses her laptop to post on here, not her phone.

Quiet on here today as they've been "doing maintenance" and it was not accessible for some hours.  Hopefully back to normal, now.

Thanks, Diane, for news of what's happening in California.  Rather worrying but lets hope its just the power which has gone down, and that Annette and her neighbours are unaffected by the bad fires we've seen on the news.

We've been down to the local Tip (exciting lives we lead!!) and then went not far to see the house which sis-in-law is thinking of buying. We could only drive past, but it looks in good order and has a lovely outlook onto some fields. We then popped around to see if she was at home,  (she lives in the village already, and is just downsizing) and then we were able to have a cuppa with her and discuss the exciting prospect of her buying her new home.

Been having a big tidy up in preparation for cleaning:  Friend and her OH are coming to dinner on Friday night - I've not cooked for them for ages but we certainly owe them a couple of meals at least.