Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 22 December 2019

The wooden tree was an example of my strong will -- I bought it in a tiny shop almost completely full with Christmas decorations! -- I went inside because I fell in love with a wooden carved Santa in the window. He was so expensive I almost fell over! So I looked around, and saw the trees which were produced in several sizes, with this the smallest. I bought three, one for each of our families. So I was happy with my purchases but had not gone crazy in the shop.

It finally stopped raining today, at last. We've had so much that some lawns are just mud. My OH braved the golf course, so I took myself to the garden centre and came out with a birthday card, a toy for Bonnie, and two pencils with a Santa on top, for the grandsons. Not a big purchase!

I do feel better and it's been a help to have had a little snooze this afternoon. I wonder if I've had a touch of one of the things doing the rounds at the moment. Never mind.

OG - Great that you can relax having done the magazine for a while.

I'm glad that you are better, LINDY. I saw yesterday that you were a little better. I didn't post, in fact did very little as the preparation for Christmas entertaining and the two busy days quite wiped me out! I have a lot of help from the family and feel guilty for not doing more but they keep telling me that I did everything for them when they were young and now it is their turn.....I feel blessed.
My son and family will arrive later today - memo to self - finish putting the good china and glassware away before Bella arrives! Plus I am informed that Emilia (aka Millie), at eighteen months is a climber. Watch this space. I think that they will be here for about a week.

Pleased to see LINDA is somewhat better and enjoyed some modest retail therapy.

HEATHER - enjoy your time with Sam, Bella and Millie.

Very normal Saturday here - J off to the sales in Carlisle, OH printing magazines and myself catching up with anything I can do, or planning more for the TO DO list! Weather - pleasant so far.

Good Afternoon. Don't know where the morning went! Did our usual food shop, and picked up some other bits. Went to tell our neighbours when the film "Cats" is going to be on, as they're interested, but don't have/can't cope with the Internet.

Tidied away some of the crockery we only seem to use on Christmas Day. Have bought a joint of beef for tonight (think I might have mentioned that already) so just had a quick lunch of eggs, and some bacon leftover from the festive roast. Now I'm too tired to face battling around a furniture shop to look at what we need to revive our dining room. My idea is to use some of the dining room furniture in the newly carpeted study, thereby meaning that all we need in the way of storage in there is a bookcase. But 1st, we need a new piece of furniture to replace our tired old sideboard etc.

Heather, enjoy having the young ones to stay - I guarantee you'll be tired when they go home again!

Evening Everyone. Hope you have all survived the festivities and that those feeling under the weather improve rapidly.

Annette and Diane, I don't know if you read any of the other threads here but there was a new thread earlier today posted by someone looking for help about what to do after seeing a cougar in the back yard; the mention of both say he is probably in the States or Canada and found the RSPB forum by internet search. The thread is here below and I hope you can offer some suggestions--thanks: community.rspb.org.uk/.../cougar-in-my-yard-last-night

Gardenbirder: I just posted some basic tips on who to call on that thread and asked the person to let us know what happens. It certainly would help to know the location! Thanks for spreading the word. :-)

Thanks, Annette, hope Caleb reads your comments.

GARDENBIRDER: I've added some info and links to resources to Caleb's thread. Annette is much more knowledgeable and experienced than I am, but I thought I'd try to help, too.