Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 16 December 2018

HAPPY NEW WEEK!  I hope everyone has a wonderful, peaceful week!

Black and grey female wolf of the Druid Pack

Yellowstone National Park, USA

Jim Peaco/NPS, photo labeled public domain (copyright free)

  • Still waiting, amazingly, for new baby to appear: if it's much longer, it may be born with a knife and fork ready in its hands, saying "What's for dinner?"

    Our granddaughter had me highly amused. At one point she said, as she served me with a pretend cuppa from her plastic teaset "Here is your teacaff!" -- she had heard her mother speak about decaffeinated tea, LOL!!  We walked through the shops of St Albans in the cold wind on Saturday and as we held hands, we sang "We Wish you A Merry Christmas" at the tops of our voices.  People must have thought I was a crazy old woman, but I didn't care!

  • Slow to load and I get error message. Hope it posts.

    Monday Dau & Trio visited for lunch & play. Our tree was closely inspected and some favoured ornaments moved to suit. Someone who is used to liquid soap in a dispenser, converted my cake of soap into 4 squished blobs. I think I know the culprit. I made a variety of sandwiches – ham, cheese, curried egg, tomato. They all gamely tried a mouthful of the egg, pulling faces. As a treat I had Xmas mince pies, not expecting them to like them. Gosh, there were none left over. Tues was my last visit to city for odds & ends. I have to be careful not to mention I went to a certain choc store for OH! Of course he doesn’t give gifts, so I can only expect from Dau#2 & Little People. Today food shop – I’ll get my own chocs, so there. I did plan a load of washing as temp expected 35 C, however so far we have had rain, thunder & humidity. Ugh. Tomorrow I must continue with chasing spiders & dust bunnies.

  • Chasing the same creatures here, AQ, only in cold temps.  Hope you got yourself some really good chocs. (Fancy them enjoying the mince pies!)  Its mad here - hallway and dining room full of cardboard boxes with decs in.  Some are now up, but have the tree to do and lots more garlands to drape around the pictures etc.  Can't find the front door wreath - I don't have a fresh one, just put up the same one every year. Expect it will turn up, as not all the boxes have been explored yet.

  • LINDA - I try to put my ancient wreath on front door on first Sunday of Advent. I was a few days late this year and it does look puny compared to the modern ones! Tree went up early to avoid any arguing during Monday visit. Yes I now have my favourite Lindt chocs.

    Supermarket was frantic. Wed is “5% off for pensioners” and elderly pensioners shop in pairs; as well there were very ancient ladies tottering around vaguely, and dozens of staff restacking shelves. Rain has gone, leaving us hot & sticky. So far (11 am) 29 C.

  • I've another mad busy day today: bills to pay, decs to put up, calendars to consult, things to find, and more shopping. Then off to visit my Friend G.

    Raining here again, and still dark. I hate Winter!!!

  • I’m dreaming of a white Ch-mas. But I’ll have to make do with a red hot one. Forecast Ch-mas Eve 32 C, Ch-mas Day 35, Boxing Day 39.

  • Good grief, AQ!  - you'll have to sit in the fridge!  I think ours is about 7 C.......... Sunny here now and my stuff out on the w. line, hoping to dry my OH's thick trousers and not have them draped around the house.

    Have just heard that the family baby expected was born last Sunday, a boy, 8lb 12oz, mother & child doing well. Somewhat piqued to find that no-one rang us to tell us the happy news.....

  • What a shame, LINDY that nobody thought to tell you. I know the feeling...

    AQ - I agree with LINDY - hope your aircon is working well!

    After a weekend in the doldrums I have got SO much to do - went in the dining room just now to find soot all over the hearth.

    I , too, have boxes of decorations sitting around and plenty of dusting to do. 

    PAT - Not too long, now! 

  • You're quite right, Heather - not long now ... help!  So much to do.  Have now partly succeeded and partly failed in my visa applications.  The good news first - I have successfully got an Indian visa!  But the flip side is I've railed miserably with China.  I went all the way up to London this morning - for those in the know, it was EC2, which is not the easiest place to get at from Sussex!  Great expense, total exhaustion - and I didn't get beyond Reception, where I was told I had the wrong form - yet again!  I have taken that as the final curtain.  I am not meant to go to China - i have been in the past and have seen most of the 'sights', but would like to have gone again.  I'm OK with the fact that's not going to happen.  There are all sorts of compensations - the visa was going to cost £151, plus £25 to post it back to me - and we have two short visits to the mainland totalling less than 24 hours over the two visits.  It's certainly not going to spoil my trip!

    Now to start considering what to put in the suitcase ...!  Don't think I'll overtake Lindy in the shoe count.

  • Maybe it wasn't meant to be, PAT. I'm vicariously excited about your wonderful holiday! Today, for the first time, I've been thinking about going somewhere on my own. Progress!!

    LINDY - hope that you had a good visit with G.

    Callum and his girlfriend have just left, I wasn't expecting their visit and it was lovely to see them both. He and sister Amy are going to Edinburgh tomorrow to spend a few days with their Dad and his new family. They will return on the 24th.