Hallo all! Have a happy week and don't forget to check last week's thread for any late-breaking developments! :-))
Overnight and early morning rain has gone some way to cleaning plants which were splashed yesterday - full clean-up will take a few days, I reckon. OH was outside after breakfast to unblock a downpipe which they had left blocked! Should be dry to get to and from car for GP visit this afternoon, otherwise mostly a catch-up day for us.
DMR not yet returned from repair - awaiting a part - but not time to watch much TV anyway - and when there is, I am happy with past episodes of The Chase on Challenge every evening!
LINDA - pleased you are safely home - a couple more trips to Wales this year? But also your Birthday weekend plus the cruise - what a full life you have!
HEATHER - I hope SiL will have good results from yesterday's blood tests.
GILLIAN - have a wonderful time in Oban, Mull and Iona! Hope there are no travel disruptions on the ferries.
ANNETTE - don't know how you can bear to watch the political/legal shenanigans these days - bad enough seeing reports afterwards. Do you think impeachment is now more likely?
PAT - enjoy your "full and varied" day!
Ospreys Rule OK, but Goldfinches come a close second!
Thanks Pat for info re John Smiths grave. Will definitely look for it when there.
GILLIAN - I hope that you have a great time visiting Mull and Iona. I've only been to the islands once and enjoyed the whole experience. I wonder if the houses in Tobermory are still painted colourfully as in the TV programme for children?
ANNETTE - Son in law returning to work very much depends on his blood results. They should be back by Friday. His company are paying for the blood test and accompanying letter but that won't necessarily hurry things up. You asked me, the other day, about the Danes and Buenos Aires. I don't know if they will see the Carnival or not! They went to Rio last year and had a great time. This trip is apparently happening because they have read Joshua Slocum's book and want to do a similar journey.
OG - I had a look at the roof tiles on this house. I wish that I hadn't! They are called rosemary tiles, clay, I think and red/orange when the house was built 60 odd years ago. Now, they look very dull and dare I say? dirty. I don't suppose that they have ever been cleaned! OH wouldn't allow a pressure washer on them, he said it would make them porous. I have no idea whether that is correct or not.
There and back dry - Doc happy that her meds seem to have sorted my gut problem, and safe to stay on them long-term. Have also received (yesterday) my cataract appointment for 20th September - at last!
OH is chopping veg for Ratatouille with pasta - guess I should go and offer to shave Parmesan!
Morning all: I see that the hummingbirds and regular feathered types are already leaving splatters of this and that on our clean windows. We have one of the regular feeders suspended from the eaves after spotting mice and one rat in the bushes across from the kitchen window where it had previously been located. :-( Meanwhile, hummingbirds seem to be sitting on their feeder and pooping energetically onto the window behind them. Sigh. Must have a word....
OG: Re the political doings, I see/hear bits and bobs during the day when online or driving. Come dinner time, we see what the headlines are and then figure out if we want to cope with it, but yesterday was a Big News day re the Manafort verdict and also Michael Cohen's guilty plea, so lots and lots of speculation (from reasonable/knowledgeable types - at least on the channels we watch) about Now What regarding the larger investigation into you-know-who's financial dealings (he's never revealed his tax returns) and possible - wait for it - collusion with the Russians over the 2016 election. Re impeachment, it's not being ballyhooed very loudly but some folks are drawing comparisons between the potential rationale in this case vis-a-vis the much less egregious one for the Clinton impeachment over his dallyings with Monica (who I'm sure didn't paid off for her troubles, unlike the porn star and the beauty queen). Crikey, it's all so tacky, but that seems to be the hallmark of this particular administration (not that we know everything about preceding presidents). At this point, I'd think Trump is every defense attorney's nightmare, given his proclivity to blather and tweet ad nauseum. I bet that's much more of a response than you ever wanted! :-))
PatO: : Don't know about amusement; more like a mix of morbid fascination, disgust and the very faintest beginnings of a glimmer of hope - at least in this house.
Heather: Hope SiL's Friday results give him the go-ahead for work. I've not read Joshua Slocum's book, but enjoyed The Voyage of the Beagle, which had me on Google Earth for ages following Darwin's land expeditions in South America. Incidentally, I just rented the DVD of Lion from our local library, about a child adopted from India to Oz who eventually found his Indian mother after retracing what he could remember of this Indian home town via Google Earth. Re your roof, I'd say, If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Last two days have been too busy, so plan to do some low-key puttering today.
Take care everyone.
ANNETTE - seems one can't have both clean windows and birds - I know which I regard as more important! One report broadcast here at lunchtime suggested Himself could give a presidential pardon to both wrongdoers and prevent his own indictment. Surely, if he were to pardon Cohen, he would acknowledge the confession and therefore his own part in the matter - and would thus condemn himself? He doesn't seem to have tweeted yet, and is side-stepping all questions - I would expect he won't resist a tweet beyond about 2am his time!
ANNETTE - I'm fairly sure that the true story of the Indian boy was on BBC World service at one time. It just seems familiar.
Heather - I agree about the roof. It's probably fine just as it is.
OG - Good that things are going well, medically. And great news that your eye op is now scheduled, and not too far distant.
Annette - I remember reading about the film "Lion" when it came out, and being interested. Not seen it yet, though. Here, we have been watching a series about the USA, involving our (ex) politician Ed Balls, who has been travelling the country to find out why Trump has had so many supporters, and what their hopes for the future are. It's been fascinating. Don't know if you would ever get the chance to view it, there.
OG: Well, it's three years (eeek!) since we last had all the windows cleaned professionally while the birds get fed daily, so you can tell where our priorities lay. Yes, those who know more than I have proffered the same reason as you why Himself may be advised not to rush in with pardons, although there is that saying about fools rushing in...... Manafort is facing more serious charges with his next trial (obstruction of justice/failure to register as a foreign agent/money laundering) with apparently even more evidence against him this time (!!) and there's speculation he may flip, but I don't think so. I'm sure he's holding out for a pardon. Meanwhile, Cohen's attorney is telling everyone and their brother than Cohen has info that would be very helpful to Mueller (contradicting previous press reports that he's already done a deal with Mueller). Cohen's got school age kids (poor kids) and the notion is that he'll do whatever it takes to avoid a long jail sentence. Breaking news - she exclaims breathlessly, just like on TV! - NY investigators have just subpoenaed Cohen in connection with their case against the Trump Foundation. One possible outcome is that it might end up requiring the release of Trump's tax returns. And let's not forget they finally got Al Capone for tax evasion.
Heather: What was nice about the film was that at the end they showed photos of the real kid (now grown) and his reunion with his Indian Mom.
Went to stores this morning. Forgot raspberries and supermarket didn't have the OxiClean I wanted. Life is tough in the first world. Also, bad news in that Lowe's Home Improvement, which owns our wonderful neighborhood Orchard Supply Hardware store, is closing all OSH stores to focus on competing with Home Depot. But the nearest Lowe's is 30 miles away and we have the worst Home Depot in the world nearby. Most of the employees don't know much of anything and aren't inclined to find out, which is why everyone shops at OSH. Typical stupid management decision! I may be forced to write and tell them about their mistake. :-)) If they don't listen, I'll write to Ace Hardware and tell them there's an opportunity here. Rant over! (For now) :-)
Annette – The film “Lion” was big here. Much was filmed in Tasmania. Here in Aussieland we are having leadership dramas which have pushed your amazing news to second place. I wish the pollies would forget about MeMeMe and get on with important stuff like health, education . . Oh forget it. Rant over.
A busy nanny duty as Miss6 had no Girl Guides and, as soon as she was home from school, she quickly claimed my time. She read to me, we played some games. It degenerated into a frantic mess as soon I was playing games with all three. I balked at playing Twister and operated the spinner. This Friday is the school Book Week parade where the kids dress up as their favourite book or character. Dau insisted costume/s had to be from clothes or dress-ups already in house. Miss6 has chosen Slinky Malinki, a black cat, easy to dress as. Twins can join in parade. MissJ has a spotted dress hence a Dalmation. MissL must be yellow and “cattie”. Yellow dress found but Dau met a brick wall when suggesting leggings & sleeved top as it is cold here. My attempts were, and as far as I know, still are, successful. I found navy leggings with cat pics and a grey skivvy to wear under yellow dress. What she represents, no idea, but she is happy (well, she was yesterday). How dressing up encourages children to read is beyond me. All it does is make some mothers compete with more elaborate & expensive costumes.
Linda – I read your “Hop to it” poem to twins and Miss6 read it to me. Lots of giggling. Thank you.