Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 15 September 2019

Been busy, going to Wales on Friday and big gathering here just after I return home. I'm buying all the foody things that can be frozen and making menu list. Also, must leave the house all tidy and clean so ready for the invasion!

I remember that potatoes got scab one year when I was doing the garden next door. My OH just shrugged his farmer shoulders and said that as I was rotating it was probably due to the amount of water/rain ( or not!) at a crucial stage! Our soil here is acid. He'd lost interest in growing veg after many many years doing it.

Quiet on here today. We had a good gossip with our friends this morning - the gentleman has had shingles for a while this summer, and is only just recovering. His wife has multiple appointments with the NHS for various problems. They're trying to get on with things, in spite of these setbacks. We all have grandchildren to be boasting of. After their visit, we went out for lunch, and both enjoyed lasagne made with Welsh Black Beef (from black cattle which are in the fields around here).

Heather, its come around that you're going away, though I can't remember what for! Enjoy yourself.

Just digesting our light meal tonight, then will throw some clothes in the suitcase and empty the jam cupboard, as tomorrow, we're off again!

HEATHER - hope you get a good time in Wales and that your friend is in better spirits than when she visited you last year!

LINDA - wishing you a good journey home.

OH and J are getting ready for their trip tomorrow - for J's consultant appointment at Wythenshawe, Manchester. I chose myself a treat dinner from M&S - roast pork! Looking forward to it. Had a good shopping trip there today - lovely weather for the drive, but we did get stuck behind a tractor until halfway home when he realised what a long queue he had and pulled into a farm entrance to let us pass.

Hope that your menfolk have a reasonable journey both ways, OG, and that something good comes out of the visit. Enjoy your pork dinner!

We got behind farm machinery here yesterday, and the queues do build up if it's a busy road. My OH says that its just good manners, really, to pull in to the side when possible, if you're driving any vehicle which holds everyone else up.

Going to bed early, shortly. I had another of my occasional bad nights last night, and after keeping myself going all day today, its hitting me now. Most of the time I sleep very well, but if I have a bad night I can toss & turn for hours. It wasn't helped by eating some squares of chocolate quite late, plus seeing a message from my late Friend Gs daughter on Facebook, saying that unbelievably its now a whole 6 months since we lost her from our lives.

Good evening everyone. Just checked to see if I was signed in. I wasn't!

We have had a busy few days with visiting relatives, among other things. Nothing planned for tomorrow. Several things on my to do list to catch up on. I am rooting some saintpaulia (in Marmite jars) and they are ready to pot up.
I like them on the dining room windowsill which gets early morning sun, which seems to suit them.

Hope you have a better night and have a good journey back tomorrow Lindy. I usually sleep very well also, but the odd bad night puts me 'out of sorts'.

Don't get too tired out with the shopping and cleaning before you go to Wales, Heather.

Hope the men have good journeys tomorrow, OG. Enjoy your dinner. I have not seen the roast pork in M&S.

Waves to everyone else.

HI all:  Been suffering from brain fog these last couple of days but getting through the To Do list bit by bit.  Nice and cool now   All well here; am tidying up the last of the pix to scan and looking forward to getting the two "project" tables folded and back in the garage.  Raked the parkway around the front of the house yesterday in preparation for the street sweepers this morning so am a tad achy today.

Lindybird:  Hope no farm traffic on the way home tomorrow.  

Heather: Any special occasion for the huge family gathering?  How long will you be gone in Wales?

OG: Enjoy your pork dinner while the men are gone Wednesday; hope they have a good trip both ways and that J gets sorted quickly..

Rosy: I used to grow violets, but have given up on inside plants these days...

I was going to nap this afternoon but didn't get around to it and now it's time to rummage about in the fridge for dinner!

Take care everyone.

Good Morning. Sunny here, and looks to be a good day here: however we hope to be home by lunchtime. The weather in the UK should be very nice for the rest of this week and Saturday, as September can be sometimes. A little lengthener of summer before winter creeps in!

Edit:  Annette, well done on your project to get all your pics scanned! Not a small job.

Random comments as I try to catch up. When driving in UK, I was amazed that drivers pulled over to let traffic pass. It certainly does not happen here in SA. Thumb soup? Yes, fires in QLD & NSW are extreme; everything tinder dry after drought. Last I heard some lads were being interviewed. . .

My back does not agree with hard motel mattresses and I did not sleep well. I am so tired, sleeping all night in my own bed and half the afternoon.  Long drives –Adelaide to Port Lincoln is 650 km and that was our first day. Lots of stops for coffee, toilet, photos. Some of the roads, esp that to Whalers Way, were unsealed and very corrugated. We saw from clifftop at Point Labatt the only mainland colony of Australian sea lions. We saw 3 sets of silo art; one just being painted as we passed. Of course I photo-ed about 50 churches (some no longer in use). We had 2 afternoons free and I spent my time walking (creeping?) the streets to capture various sights. Our total “mileage” was 2048 km. I’ll attempt to tell more when photos are ready. Meanwhile I have posted a few pics on flickr, you will need to scroll down/back to find them.