Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 22 September 2019

Sounds like a good day, Heather :-)

Hi all, back from sunny Cumbria where we had a fantastic weather wise week. Managed to get out and about and see the wonderful countryside. Made the mistake of going over to Windermere last Wed, still packed with tourists and couldn't find anywhere to park close by the town so in the end we aborted and made our way back to our cottage.
Went on the Settle / Carlisle railway, actually from Appleby to Skipton and back. Really nice journey. what they don't tell you is you can't see Ribblehead viaduct whilst on the train, just the wall. Best vantage point is from the road which we have actually done a year or two back whilst staying in the Dales..

Just read that it looks like J's surgery is going or gone ahead. Do hope all is OK, OG.

Not going to read back but will pick up on news this week. Few photos to follow

Happy Autumn all!

And to you, Annette.

Sunny morning here after our damp day yesterday. Very sad news that Thos. Cook have finally gone bust, after so many years of being a major travel company. Lots of peoples travel plans shattered, too. We booked recently with another airline to get to our holiday in The Canaries next March, as we usually use Thos. Cook Airlines to fly, but dare not use them this time, and were worried that if they collapsed, all the other airlines may put up their prices!

My OH gone off to his golf: he was unusually late this morning, as he overslept, so has dashed off.

Lynette, you picked a good September week to enjoy The Lakes. Lovely weather. We usually avoid Windermere, as its always chaotic these days, everything seems to converge there and the parking, as you say, is terrible.

HEATHER – sounds a great first day – completed by Welsh Lamb!

LINDA – “good” although sad that you and sister in law are in the same situation so can enjoy films together – hope you will enjoy the film. We three are planning a day out this Wednesday to visit Lakeland Ltd at Windermere.

LYNETTE – welcome home from Cumbria. Sounds as if you made good use of the weather! It’s a pity Ribblehead viaduct isn’t curved like Glenfinnan (Harry Potter). One more visit to The Christie in October, then J’s surgery is at Wythenshawe on 4th November – taking surgeon’s advice for a hemithyroidectomy for now to reduce risks. He’s still of work with his General Anxiety Disorder.

Got to go to the dentist this afternoon – luckily got a cancellation. Crown and pin came out last evening, so I need the tooth dug out from under it – was told about twelve years ago that there was no solid tooth under the crown! Had it crowned about 30 years ago, so it’s lasted well!

Podiatry (substitute for substitute) early evening, OH dentist tomorrow, Lakeland Wednesday, Daughter Thursday, Missionary Friends from Indonesia Friday – Help! Even more hectic than last week! But I have finished the magazine – so long as OH can find time to proof-read - then printing Saturday!

OG - Sounds like you and I are in the same boat this week! I managed to get the magazine almost set on Saturday, in spite of multiple interruptions from all sorts of delightful people - one of the penalties of having to do it in the Church Office! This afternoon I will hopefully start the printing, although that may not happen as I have a four-page leaflet to write, get approved and get printed before the weekend as well. Magazine will be issued on Sunday, so I think it will be a few very early mornings for me! I also have the first of my talks about my World Cruise next Monday, so have to get a sort of script ready for that. Will someone please explain to me what retirement really is???? And can anyone explain to me why when I have a bit more time I get very few contributions for the magazine, but when I'm manically busy I get 32 pages?????? Oh yes - and my usual Sunday commitments to prepare for ... hey ho.

Well sounds like everyone over the Pond is very busy coming and going, etc.  

OG/PatO:  Good luck with the newsletters, etc.  You might want to tell everyone to get their words and pics in a week earlier.  I send out "Gentle Reminders" to my slow contacts about upcoming deadlines with a hint that, geez, if we don't get the info in time, we may be forced to find a substitute item. That usually gets a reaction.

Lindybird:  I remember Thomas Cook travel brochures adding the promise of sunshine (Italy! Spain! Portugal!) during cold damp English winters.  It didn't have its own planes back in those days.  A shame -such a well known High Street brand, but apparently it was never able to compete with all the online options now available.  I was reading that last summer's prolonged heatwave didn't help (people stayed home?) and all this hoo-haa with Brexit only added to its problems.  

Woke to lovely thick fog this morning, which is already dissolving in the sun  - a foretaste of November!  Then two hot dry and windy days then temps down again Thursday with possible showers over the weekend. Darn it. I'll miss those; I'm also missing thunderstorms in Prescott Valley, which are supposed to clear the day before I arrive.  :-(  

It's been an odd summer, I was tidying up the patio yesterday and suddenly realized that no only had we very few oranges this year, but that just one of the four plumeria has put out any flowers and then just on one branch, and that the four epiphyllum (epiphyllia?) had produced just three flowers between them.  Last year we got about 10 on one plant.  Meanwhile though, the orange tree is loaded with oranges that will be ripe come next April/May. So maybe they all just needed a breather.

Successful visit to very nice dentist. She managed to get the whole rubbish of my tooth out - big hole down to the bone so being careful for a few days. Oh, and no strenuous exercise - as if!   Is going for my injection being careful? I hope so, because I am not postponing that for anything! The dentist is new to our practice, but a very pleasant young lady - I even allowed her to take an X-ray!