WEEKLY CHAT (non-osprey) SUNDAY MAY 17, 2020

1. Meanwhile, some pics from the garden yesterday..   

Edit: that's the house next door,  behind the fence. The archway might look important,  but it only leads to the lean to shed!

Look for the bee just coming on to land!

He/she was a busy bee...

OG - For some completely unknown and unplanned reason I volunteered to produce a weekly news sheet for the church. I thought this would be for five or six weeks … but oh no! It's a bit like producing a full monthly magazine every week, and takes a huge amount of time. Trying to find a mix of factual, spiritual, educational and humorous articles is quite a challenge. There's not a lot of 'news', of course. But it's a way of keeping the church fellowship together, and all I am able to do at the moment. I just wonder how long it will be before we are able to hold services again? Rumour has it that may not happen until next year …

Morning all:   OH's b'day and he's still abed.  Giant hamper arrived from UK family - wonder what goodies are inside.  Stay tuned.

Diane:  Wonder if I should be shopping for pants/shorts/etc. on certain days too...

OG:  Hash browns definitely an American breakfast item. Add some green pepper and onions and they're delish, but that's something I eat only when I out for breakfast and then I have to be really hungry.  

Heather:  Fruit pudding?  Why do I think that doesn't include fruit given that you hate it so much......   I remember black sausage; not sure I'd eat it now.    Don't know Lorne.    We used to eat fried bread; cooked in Lard yet!  Eeeek.  Grilled tomatoes and beans too (but the latter mostly served on toast as a quick and easy dinner).

AQ;  Did not envision you with long hair.  Do you wear Birkenstocks too?  

PatO;  Not surprised it's harder to do a weekly news sheet.   Re churches, my favorite radio station interviewed a Catholic priest yesterday about plans to start regular Masses again - with only 25% of congregants allowed and masks a must.  I was waiting for the interviewer to ask how they'd handle Communion.   I imagine that 25% capacity not a problem in some areas, but the church granddaughter attends in Arizona has been jam packed the couple of times I went with her - all age groups there too.  That diocese has just built a larger church that was supposed to have its opening during the shutdown, but no news on when or how that will happen.

It's been one of those weeks filled with little and annoying frustrations - some caused by me which is even more exasperating.  One thing I've noticed is that I'm forgetting to take off sunglasses when I go inside a store.  I think it has something to do with putting on a mask and being so preoccupied with doing it properly and putting on gloves that my usual car-to-store routine is off..  Anyway, byproduct of that is squinting at labels in store because it's so dark (duh) and yesterday I temporarily lost my sunglasses when I took them off to see what I was buying.  Finally found them by the store's front door....  I took tissues with me in case of sneezes, itchy nose etc., so when I lifted my mask to use tissue, lost track of tissue (due to gloves not being as sensitive) and ended up wiping nose with glove.... oh dear. Not what the CDC had in mind (though I'm sure Donald would tell me to just spray disinfectant up my nose!)   Came home, went to take a break and have lunch in garden and noticed that garage light was on.  Reached hand in to turn it off but hit wrong switch and turned off garden fountain instead, which then wouldn't come back on.  Arghhh  Fountain now dismantled (though running again) and part of OH's b'day will be spent reassembling the heavy top and hoping the pump doesn't balk and turn off during the process.  Other than that....

Happy Birthday to your OH, Annette! I forgot that it was Friday there, now, too. We're all agog too, as to the contents of his goody box. Please divulge it later.

Sorry you're having problems, some days are like that. Swearywords are allowed in those circumstances! By the way, we've been advised not to wear gloves as they are more likely to spread the virus than bare hands which are regularly washed or gelled. Also, I know that when I've worn a scarf across mouth & nose, I've found that I spend a lot of time adjusting it, which sort of defeats the object of trying not to touch your face <sigh> On the other hand, a mask is more to stop you infecting other people than it is to protect yourself.

Pat, you were brave to volunteer to produce a news sheet. It's a bit like being Treasurer of an organisation , and once you start, you'll never be able to relinquish your responsibility as no one else will be found to take it on.

Can only suggest that you cheat a bit and do a paragraph or two taken from other sources, such as quotes available on the internet, and getting someone else to contribute a short article on "Motherhood " or "Pet Care" or such things, every week.

Heard that there have been some burglaries in our district lately, which is surprising seeing as nationally, crimes like that are down because everyone is at home.

Yesterday I found a female sparrow trapped in our conservatory and I grabbed it in cupped hands to put it out of the open window near to it. It was so light, it was just like catching a butterfly. Wondrous that such a fragile creature survives and that similar birds fly many miles in migration.

Lindy - almost everything I use comes from somewhere else! I have a lovely lady who writes nature notes, which are usually the most popular article in the magazine and now in the news sheet. She is always the last item. The minister writes a 'letter', which is always the front, so I only have to fill the middle! Some of AQ's 'Just a thought' find their way in there, and I have regular sources where I can usually find something suitable. And people are actually sending me items! I do have to beg, and make suggestions, but there is a reasonably steady trickle. With nothing much going on, I think people are happier to share things than they normally are. Long may it continue! By some reports I've got this job for at least another six months - which was rather more than I thought I was signing up for!!

Oh heck, Pat. That's a long time. But you sound as if you're coping. Good Luck!

People have sent me a lot more stories, funny items and quotes on the internet recently than they usually do. I suppose we're all trying to cheer ourselves up!

Off to throw some sausages in the pan. We often have "fish Friday" but we had fishcakes yesterday, so I fancied our favourite Cumberland sausages in gravy with mashed potatoes.