Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 2 September 2018

HAPPY NEW WEEK and HAPPY NEW MONTH!

I hope everyone has a wonderful, peaceful week. There were lots of posts at the end of last week's thread, so check back. 

Anhinga
Everglades National Park, Florida, USA
U.S. National Park Service photo/S. Zenner
Photo labeled Public Domain (Copyright Free)

  • Hello folks, not been on for a while.

    See that there has been a lot of lovely things happening to you folk.

    So nice of your friend, Lindy, to send you those roses.

    AQ hope that cold clears up quickly

    OG see you have been suffering a little with your legs but pleased you had a lovely lunch out. A shame the dinner did not come up to scratch.

    Hi Diane and Annette, hope all is well with you both

    Had a lovely weekend last week, celebrating our Golden Wedding. However at the small family lunch, our kids and my son's wife presented us with another gift - to go and see Andre Rieu in London by coach with an overnight stay, what a finale.  Now looking forward to the cruise in October.

    Weather not been too bad here. Quite warm today. Attended a Thanksgiving service for one of our old dears who had had to go into a home as she had vascular dementia, same as my mum.  What a lovely happy service it was and we all met in the church hall for light refreshments afterwards.

  • Dau phoned this morn, on hearing my husky voice, cancelled nanny duty tomorrow. Good. Although cold  is easing, I was not sure I would cope as I am still coughing & it makes me so tired.

    Yesterday OH decided, as so often lately, that he couldn’t be bothered going out to lunch. So I produced sandwiches using a tin of tuna flavoured with sun-dried tomatoes & basil and for some crunch, lettuce. He doesn’t like tuna, not fond of lettuce. Today he couldn’t depart quickly enough LOL.

  • AQ- I had to laugh at your method of encouraging your OH to resume his normal routine! Very clever. Hope that you feel better soon - good that you've been excused Nanny duty.

    LYNETTE - the cruise holiday will be here before you know it. Did you tell us where you are going?

    OG - such a pity about the disappointing evening meal. I begrudge the waste of money when that happens! Hoping that your legs have recovered by today.

    LINDY - enjoy the visit to your family x. Did you have good meals when away for your birthday treat?

    I plod on with encouraging my friend to eat more sensibly! She had two soft boiled eggs for breakfast yesterday, with wholemeal bread and butter. Lunch was cold meats left from the night before, with tomatoes and beetroot ( She won't eat lettuce, cucumber, salad onions or any kind of onions leeks or garlic). Her blood glucose was 6.7 two hours after lunch. She was determined to have a hot cross bun on the strength of that reading, followed by some Scottish Tablet that she'd bought at Brodie!! So there was avoidance later - no finger pricking took place.

  • Good Morning.  Dry here but grey skies.

    Sorry I've not had time for detailed replies: was sorry to read that your legs have been troubling you, OG, and that your meal wasn't great.

    AQ - Good that you'll get chance to rest up and recover from your chesty cough. My OH is not a lettuce fan, either, so I have to buy the smallest possible amount or a lot of it gets wasted in this house.

    Took lots of pics on our recent trip, but most of them have grey skies, so not the best I've done. Will put some of them on here sometime (I've not finished t he Flower Show ones yet!)

    Doing housework this morning, then off to visit Friend G. Have a good day, All.

  • Heather - we crossed posts! - I promise to come on later with The Strange Tale of The Birthday Dinner!!

  • Oh good! I look forward to it!

  • The Strange Tale of the Birthday Dinner!

    We had chosen our hotel not just for the comfort of the ameneties, but because it seemed to have a very good menu, which meant that we would be able to go down to a nice dinner on the night of my birthday (Friday) and then stagger back upstairs later, when ready.

    We booked the table for 7.30, so that we would have time for a lay on our bed with a cuppa and five minutes shuteye before getting ready, after a busy day exploring The Lakes and all its charms. Then we got washed & changed and I spent extra time getting my makeup just right, plus putting on decent jewellery.  I had even put on special coloured nail varnish to go with my outfit.  I wore a nice blouse, loose trousers and some evening sandals:  my OH wore a smart shirt & tie, and his best black shoes.

    We sat in the lounge area, and ordered white wines whilst we perused the menu - the Italian waiter took our order and said that he would call us when dinner was ready.  Eventually, we went through to the dining room.  I marched in.  The room looked lovely, with small chandeliers lit, soft glowing candles on the tables, and a lovely view of the sea in the distance from the windows.  But......

    There was not a soul there!  - completely empty!  He seated us in a corner and left us again.  Eventually, he returned with a small plate each for us to try:  it was a rabbit & ham terrine on a light biscuit.  Then, he brought our beautiful lamb with red wine and blackcurrant jus, accompanied by carrots and green beans, and fondant potatoes.  We ate and talked, and tried not to giggle too much about being on our own.  The waiter reminded us then, that as there had been a wedding that afternoon at the hotel, most of the guests were now attending the evening "do".  By that time, another couple had thankfully appeared, and looked as surprised as we were at the emptiness.  We ordered and ate our puddings whilst they began their meal.  I had a black cherry concoction, the fruit soaked in booze and then interleaved with many leaved light pastry and cream, and accompanied by ice cream in a tiny bowl:  my OH went for the sticky toffee pud.  We finished with coffee for him, and a Grand Marnier liqueur for me, lovely.

    It was a super meal, but rather strange!!

  • ps - the pud was difficult to eat, as with a lot of these pastry things, it completely disintigrated once I stuck my spoon into it! Pastry everywhere.....

  • At least you would have heard what your OH was saying, LINDY! The meal sounds lovely. But yes, strange to be in an empty restaurant! I hope that the other couple weren't placed right next to you... Thanks for sharing the experience :-)

    Friend and I got the bus to town and she bought a few tartan take home gifts for her grandchildren. I did warn her that they might have been made in China! She is happy and that is all that matters. Tomorrow we shall take the train to Elgin and youngest daughter and OH will meet us. Then lunch at Harbour Lights, Lossiemouth. Son in law is fed up. His GP practice have still not received payment for private blood tests. His company are chasing up the firm that they use for these things. Until they receive payment the GPS will not forward his blood results.

    "
  • Yes, Heather - Nice old fashioned romantic music playing in the background, but we did have plenty of conversation. The other couple were seated in another corner from us, too far to shout across the room, so I had a word with them when we got up to leave. The gentleman was also eating the lamb and enjoying it, the food was excellent.

    Glad you got the gifts your friend wanted. Enjoy your trip to Elgin.

    I've just finished the Minions jigsaw puzzle, which I began at lunchtime but stopped when all the faces began to make me dizzy!

    Here it us, I took a pic on this tablet: