Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 2 August 2020

HEATHER - feel for you all, but especially Callum: that has been such a long time to wait! Who cut the grass? Is youngest S-i-L back on shore again? It is a very hot day with low humidity, that probably contributed to breathlessness - also, you must keep hydrated; but all the worry is not helping you, I know. Do take care.

Sat outside this morning while E-E weeded the birds' patch. He needs to continue later, but is busy with mower and strimmer right now. I have just prepared a bag of parsley leaves to freeze. Was watching birds, bees and butterflies this morning. The "real" (coloured) butterflies did find the Buddleias this week and are loving today's sunshine. Have noticed that the Peacock Butterfly is quite a bully - keeps pushing Fritillaries off their chosen blooms.

I had to smile at the picture of bullying butterflies :)

Lindy, a magpie is a big bird to have indoors. Glad it managed to find its own way out.

I think I am grinding my teeth while sleeping as well. I am hoping that is "all" the problem is, I am trying to be relaxed, but it is not easy right now.

Heather, Lovely to see the family (and to get the grass cut). It is good that Callum has a date for Court. It has to happen at some time. Waiting is always worse.

Not quite so hot here today, fortunately,

Morning all:

That's some alarm clock Lindybird.  Good that boiler problem seems to be sorted.

Heather: Wonder if that October date will hold firm given the virus, but it would be good to get it over and done - hope that all will go as well as possible.

OG: Googled images of the Peacock; butterflies are so colorful, it's amazing how such small creatures developed such unusual and beautiful markings.

Finding it frustrating to type properly as I have a small cut at the tip of my middle finger.  Hand sanitizer smarts and small bandaids don't survive for long.   A very small problem though given everything else.

Am almost finished reading John Bolton's book, The Room Where It Happened, about his time as National Security Advisor to Trump.  His politics make me cringe, but the book is well written and some of his 'OMG I don't believe it' type remarks are actually quite funny, but his description of the chaos inside the White House is really really scary.

Thanks for thoughts, everyone. Callum has been staying with his girlfriend and her parents since lockdown but has told his Mum that he's coming 'home' for a few days. He is speaking about missing his Mum's cooking but I rather think that he needs to be somewhere he can let off steam.....
LINDY - good that Sue will enjoy time with her family! It will be a welcome break for her. I,too, have been thinking about the dentist. I've had several e-mails from the surgery updating procedures and so on.
ANNETTE - a great idea to get a recliner for your daughter. Did we hear how your OH got on regarding his hearing aid check? Heard last night about a tunnel from Mexico into Arizona.... unfinished, I believe.
ROSY- good that you've got what hopefully will be a fixed date for your OHs biopsy. What with that and the hot weather, I'm not surprised that you are finding it difficult to relax.
HARELADY - what a great time you had with the family! Good to read that.
PAT- why no golf lately? Is that a silly question? Glad though that you are able to enjoy excursions with friends and exercise under the trees!
AQ - family time sounded good! See that your OH is still enjoying his lunches out, even if the bus journey is a bit fraught.... I hear most nights about the situation in Victoria. One interviewer asked the ABC reporter if he thought that Aussies just didn't like being told what to do! What's your take on that ?!!!

Quite hot here today, not suitable for me, I'm not bred for it! My step granddaughter lives and works in Brighton and isn't coping at all well. She says 34° yesterday.

It's 34 degrees here today, and I'm just north of Brighton, so I guess it will be even hotter on the coast. It has not felt quite as hot today as it was yesterday - a bit of a breeze when I went for my walk.

No golf at the moment, Heather. I gave up my club membership last autumn, as my regular partner 'retired' and I didn't have anyone else to play with. I've been invited to another club by a neighbour a couple of times since the rules eased, but no regular play at the moment. I am missing it, but this is not the ideal time to pay an annual subscription when you know all the local clubs (which are all on solid clay) will be waterlogged for much of the winter. Come next spring, I'll think again.

Heather: Thanks for asking. OH has new ear thingies and now the TV is back to tolerable levels. (Wonder how long that will last.....)

OG - forgot to say - SiL got another delay for going offshore, so was home when he should have been away. He is on an official rota so still gets paid. It is always the same on the rigs. His work relies on other things being completed ( he deals with subsea stuff which I assume means the drills). All things being equal he leaves Aberdeen next Wednesday.

I'm just listening to Ave Verum Corpus on Classic FM. One of my favourites. The church choir sang it at the wedding of my son. Not sure if it is wedding music but it was one of the things that the choir did best :-) A village church in Shropshire.

Heather: I hope the case goes well for Callum. I'll be thinking of both of you.

Lindy: Oh dear. I think I would find it disturbing to wake up to a magpie in the house! LOL Glad it found its way out.

Rosy: I hope all goes well with your OH's biopsy. Sending you strength.

Annette: Good that your OH's ear pieces are working and his hearing is improved. I thought about reading the John Bolton book. His politics are abhorrent, but the stories about what goes on deep in the administration are probably interesting, albeit horrifying. I would need to order it brought to my local library, which would entail a conversation with the staff. I don't think I want to be drawn into a political discussion with them... One of the downsides to living near a small town. 

Annette - Its always amazing to me, how a tiny thing can be so irritating and painful. Of course, our fingers are super extra sensitive and so it feels as if its impacting on everything we try to do. Hope it heals quickly.

Have read everyone's posts but now way too tired to reply to all. Had a busy day apart from a nice interlude in the garden. It's been warm but as I said before, not as hot as some. Had our fan on as we ate dinner at 7.00pm but have been shutting windows in the last half hour and off to bed now.