Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 28 January 2018

Lindy, I agree with Heather that is an admission from your OH  to say that he is tired. Age does catch up with us all, eventually. He has been vey busy recently.

Sorry that you are unwell, OG. Hope you  feel better soon. Glad you had some good news.

The first highlight on the cruise came as we were approaching Madeira. It was early morning before it was light, and I was sipping tea  (as you do) and watching the bridge camera. I noticed a point of light in the corner  of the screen which gradually became a string of lights. We had arrived!

We had toured the Island before, so just took the eco transport option for a trip around Funchal. We were surprised at the amount of new buildings since we were last there. (I think about twelve years ago)

Rosy: That sounds like a very lovely moment when you arrived at Madeira. So special! Thanks for sharing.

All: Happy Imbolc (also called Imbolg), the ancient festival that marked the cross-quarter day between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. TAKE HEART, WE'RE HALFWAY TO SPRING!!! The holiday was celebrated in Scotland, Ireland, and the Isle of Man, and continues to this day in some places. It began tonight at sunset and ends tomorrow at sunset.

Evening all:   Good news from our garden!  Froggie is back (or someone who sounds just like him/her). I was sitting at the computer this afternoon and heard some familiar croaky strains.  It sounds like he's still living in one of the pots by the patio door; have no idea why he's been keeping such a low profile.....  Still, OH and I are pleased he's piped up again.

Diane:  How are you getting online - a landline?  Imbolc seems to have an odd origin ("in the belly" - apparently of ewes).

Heather:  Wow, you must've had real trouble sleeping to watch our resident egomaniac blow his own very over-sized trumpet!  (Or maybe you watched a recording...)   No worries about the chainsaw. OH will handle it (he's used to it). I shall be offering moral support and directions. :-)   My sister is also glad to see January gone and the days getting longer, bit by bit.

Rosy: I remember from geography classes that the Bay of Biscay was supposed to be very rough.  I guess stabilizers don't always work.

OG:  Congrats to you granddaughter - where/what is NQT?  Do take care - there's a lot of flu floating about.  I've been mildly "off" for the last week myself and have decided to give my Tai Chi class as pass tomorrow.

Lindybird:  Sounds like you need to take care of yourself too; hope you have a good visit with the family.   Was that a real hedgehog tackling the brontosaurus?

Have a good Friday everyone - stay warm/cool and take care of yourselves!

Annette: No, I don't have a landline. My Internet is AT&T U-Verse. It's a high-speed broadband that uses advanced fiber optic cables. Mine is pretty fast. It doesn't use the old phone lines. I could even get U-Verse TV bundled with my Internet (or we now can get AT&T's DirecTV, which is internet-based and not traditional cable). But both are too expensive here, and I don't want to sign a long contract. My cell phone is not a smart phone, so it's not integrated with my Internet. Everyone in my region complains bitterly about our hit-and-miss cell phone service. 

I hope you aren't getting the flu. If you're starting to feel bad, please take it easy for a few days. It's really bad in your area. Take care. 

Good Morning, All.  So glad to hear that froggy is back, Annette! Probably just keeping a low profile, as they say. ;-)   It looked like a real baby hedgehog, to me - maybe at a rescue centre? Hope you havn't got the flu.

Hope that OG is feeling improved today.

Rosy - Not surprised that the Bay of Biscay was rough, it was the wobbliest bit of our voyage, for sure. But we were not as affected as you.

Am off later this morning, to our Eldests.  Not taking this tablet, so will be offline for a couple of days. Hope everyone will take care of themselves, and have a good weekend, too.

Today's pic:

"Room service is pretty good, here...."

"I am a little froggy

-  I keep my profile low

I've been lurking in this big green pot -

Because I'm green, you know!

You may have thought, 

I meant my skin, but

Although that is true

My green credentials are OK:

I'm much greener than you!

I've never used a plastic straw

Or had a plastic pot!

This one is made of good old clay, and

It's served me well for many a day,

So wasteful, I am not!"

LINDY    Just love that poem,   and the pic, thank you.

I have 2 vases of lovely roses on show.  A friend flies to Jamaica at lunchtime (they went down to London yesterday).  She arrived with 2nd hand flowers which would have gone to waste otherwise. Very gratefully received. Friend and her husband are treating their son and his girlfriend and their daughter and her husband to this all expenses paid holiday as a 30th birthday pressie!!!! It is ok for some.

Lindy: I hope you have a wonderful time with your family!!! Enjoy every minute.

Annette: I meant to say that I'm glad the wee frog is okay and is now accounted for.