Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 8 December 2019

OG:  The New York TImes had a piece today called "There is no lesser of two evils in Britain's election."    I hate to think what will happen if you guys only get 'more of the same.'

Good Morning. Election Day at last. I only say that because it will mean an end to all the endless talking on TV & radio. I know it's important, but sadly I don't think it will mean much change: a lot of things will go on as before. Ho hum.

I'm having a day at home - only got to pack for the weekend (as I've done nothing yet), find all the books & small presents I've put away for Amber, and wrap them, and heave ten boxes of books and etc back into the study so that we can have our conservatory back!

Was sorry to hear that the great Botanist, Naturalist and Broadcaster David Bellamy has died aged 86. He seemed lovely man.

LINDA - I doubt the endless talking will end - there are the post mortems for a start!

I think today - polling day - will be the lull between two storms. The last three weeks have been full of nothing else but electioneering; I imagine the next three weeks will be full of analysing the result, whatever it may be! I'm keeping my head down, concentrating on taking Minutes this morning and then hopefully letting everything else wash over my head. Then, of course, there's something else to cope with in another couple of weeks … I've gone off December this year!

Reasonable weather here today and cleaner has arrived. She will be here next week too - but I was already planning to "deck the halls" on Saturday 21st, and then she will miss two weeks, and the decs will be down just after Ne'ers Day. so out of her way. We can't have the Hogmanay meal I was planning as I have to go to radiology on 31st, so we shall have it on 1st January. Talking of odd days for appointments, J has to go this Saturday to Ophthalmology outpatients - apparently to see the consultant who they said was no longer there when they apologised for missing his target date in April! "Curiouser and curiouser", said Alice!

That's strange, OG!

Very wet here again, so my OH came home after only four holes of golf and we went together to vote, to get it out of the way. He's now gone off on a Duty Visit to see old friends who he only sees once a year. This has left me in a passion of trying to do everything at once - preparing food for tonight, wrapping presents, packing for tomorrow......

Pat, I think I've gone off December a bit, too.

Did the Above, and moved books, too. At least we won't have to look at so many in other rooms.

It's been very wet: I said to the woman in the voting queue next to me that it'll probably be a low turnout in this miserable weather. I also expect lots of people not to bother, as they're so fed up with politicians, the lot of 'em!

Good work, LINDY. I am so lazy, hate the banging of pages in books every Spring cleaning ! I have a dust mite allergy so it's a good excuse not to hang on to too many books! Plus, the pages turn brown at the edges and and and - any excuse to avoid work....
I have a postal vote so don't have to go out. I wonder what the outcome will be.

Diane: If you're interested, Guardian.com/uk-news has a comprehensive "hour by hour...." timeline for the UK results.  I'm pretty certain you don't need to subscribe because I used to visit the website before I started sending them money.  What's funny is that one of the links is entitled "If you'd rather go out...."

Nice to read that everyone else is going about normal business with family and doc visits, etc.  

I hung our ancient low-tech Xmas lights along the fence yesterday; alas with gaps due to strings being just a few feet short at the ends.  I have a bag full of colored bulbs and plan to sit down today and test each and every one of them so I know which I can keep as spares.

Thinking of you all in the UK!