Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 2 February 2020

HAPPY NEW WEEK and HAPPY NEW MONTH!

I hope everyone has a wonderful week.

Almost spring...sort of. Today is Imbolc, the ancient traditional holiday marking the halfway point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. I'm ready for a little sunshine. This has been the most dark, dreich winter ever. 

Yellow French Marigold
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  • It is very windy here today - some snow forecast but I don't think that I will see any - this house is just about sea level, even though I don't live near the sea. I've been outside a couple of times to move next door's emptied bins which have blown over, blocking my driveway. She must be able to see what is happening!
    OG - hope it stayed dry for you today.
    PAT - I know the feeling, wondering where the day has gone!
  • A cold wind here, even though it's dry and relatively bright. Went to the town and got 5 out of 6 errands sorted - went to the jewellers to ask them to resize my wedding ring but forgot they might be closed as its Monday!

    My OH took an entire stack of paperbacks to the charity shop, to make room for the fact that he keeps buying them as he's reading one or two a week now. He says that if he leaves them on the shelf for 2 years he can enjoy them all over again, so he keeps his favourites. (He won't have a Kindle).

    I'm trudging through a whole drawerful of old receipts, letters, and cheque book stubs. Found some cards made by our children years ago - Aw!
  • Good luck with the receipts LINDY! I have a tall filing cabinet here and every single quote, bill and receipt since 1982 ( when this house was purchased) is in it, all are in files labelled 'Capital Expenditure' 'General House Repairs' 'Miscellaneous Correspondence' etc etc etc. Then legal correspondence, fuel bills, bank statements...... Sometimes I'm grateful that my OH was a meticulous record keeper. I can find the answer to questions as in ' what materials were used to repair the flat roof and when was it done?'.

    The gales have blown my water butt over and disconnected it. I have never known that to happen before.

  • Sorry it's so windy there, Heather. Saw the warnings on Scotland's weather on the forecast this morning. Keep safe! - don't get blown away!
  • Good evening.

    Blood Test – no blood found! Holes in both arms, but returning in the afternoon next Monday.

    J’s eye visit – has a new stick on temporary prism – much less strong and it could be less again when his eye has settled from all the bruising, so don’t get glasses yet. Will be seen again in six months. Wish they had warned us about all this bruising – he has had quite a scary time with his eye so red. Return to work went well – and he and his temp boss are discussing him going back to his original timetable of four full days each week but haven’t worked out how to implement it within the timetables.

    HEATHER – sorry about the wind. Unusual for a water butt to blow over if full, and I guess it was after recent weather! It has been quite rough here, but rain stayed off until after lunch, and was mostly short showers so OH and J didn’t get wet between buildings. There was a lot of sunshine among the showers.

    LINDA – 5 out of 6 messages accomplished is quite good! Pleased to see your OH is getting rid of some paperbacks as well as you reducing yours and sorting through all the other accumulated stuff.
  • OG - I thought the same about the water butt. Very odd. I'm wondering if the connecting pipe became loose at some point and there wasn't much water in the butt. I didn't use it much last year - laziness, hose was easier. OH was very keen on using rainwater . Our water isn't metered so I use the hose. Feel free to tell me off !!!
  • I have been having one of those days several of us on here have had recently. Been busy all day, but nothing to show for it.
    The "tree expert " came this morning (I cannot spell the proper word without checking it) Some work already arranged, We need planning permission for everything, which takes six weeks.
    The plumber also arrived with the new part for the boiler. At least the leak is fixed. Has the plumber managed to get to you yet Lindy?

    Heather, I know what you mean about meticulous record keeping. When I am asked in shops if I need a receipt, I always accept. If the OH has been an accountant, he will definitely keep the records.
  • Hi all. Lovely to read all your news. Love lamb , had it last week. Dau was out for lunch yesterday so OH and I had steak. Afraid I;m one who prefers to come out of Europe and not be ruled by them..
    Weather has been mixed down here, it seems we are having rain overnight and fine during the day with it being a bit breezu. Looking at the weather forecast it looks like Scotland is going to get the brunt of the windy weather then following down the country.
    Going for a blood pressure check Wed re the dizziness I keep getting - had a bout on Thursday with sickness and then another bout yesterday but no sickness. Not sure what is going on but will ask on Wed. Also had an alert that the checkup was today, 10 mins beforehand, so had to ring up, they'd got the alert wrong, phew!
    Lindybird - lovely to see the spring flowers appearing - saw a pic in the Telegraph today of a Scottie in the midst of a wonderful display of snowdrops at one of the big houses.
  • I ALWAYS ask for, and keep receipts.

    OG: How awkward if they can't find a vein. Hope you can summon up some blood later!

    Rosy: We're shaking our heads over the plumber. He said "I'm busy, but I'll call in on the way home after my last job, to assess your job" - then we waited for three days.....nothing. He's not even rung us to say he's too busy. The plumber before that said he would give us a message when he was free...... The plumber before that said......

    My OH has threatened to cut off the electricity and do the job himself.

    We're still discussing what to spend our small win on.
  • See you came on while I was posting, Lynette. Hope the doc can decipher your sickness/dizziness - there are many causes, I'm sure.