Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 22 November 2020

There are kind people out there - middle daughter's landlady has reduced the rent by £100 in December as a thank you for paying regularly this year, through lockdown.

HEATHER That is so nice. Good that your daughters on time payments have been appreciated this way.

CHEERFUL BOOTS

I sat, and tugged on my Cheerful Boots, and then slapped on my Friendly Smile -
Because of the covid, neither had been worn by me for a while.
In the street, folks were wandering, looking lost
Or frowning as if perturbed,
Some of them even seemed to be disturbed.
'Twas as if the whole world's worries had descended on the town
As if a joint decision made, to all be feeling down.

I marched into the grocer's shop, and told the girl within
"Beneath this mask, you know, I have a cheery grin!"
She said "I can see from your smiling eyes
There is a smile beneath your mask - it is a nice surprise!"
"So many people come in here
With all their moans and grumps
Its almost enough, being every day, to put me in the dumps!"

She smiled beneath her mask, and I did so with mine:
We each carried on with our usual day
Feeling a bit more fine.
I stomped back home, in my Cheerful Boots
On the way I posted a letter -
And I thought, "You know its true, if you smile, it makes things feel much better"

When I got back, with my boots laced dirty mud:
I saw my bag was grubby, too.
But the greyish day was not a dud -
I found happiness can stick, like glue!
For my big smile was still upon my face
My happy heart was full of life
If you look for the Silver Lining, you can defeat the strife...

Found it very tiring going out for the first time, but lunch was good and hearing test went okay - new hearing aids soon. Will say more during weekend - probably when OH goes to print mag tomorrow.

Glad you that both survived, and, enjoyed your lunch, OG. A successful trip then. But tiring, of course. Rest tomorrow - it's the weekend!

LINDA – While wearing my mask, I discovered how much I smile at people.

My body clock is behaving badly. After yesterday’s gallivanting (aka me out for 1 hour food shopping), I was tired by teatime, went to bed, slept an hour, woke to spend rest of evening reading. Of course night’s sleep was then poor. This morn I put on washing, OH helped hang it out. He tried to talk me out of washing as “it is going to rain”. No, no rain until evening. Meanwhile temp in 30s and a fire danger day in country districts. All dry by 1 pm – sun was burning. Instructions from Dau#1 not to do too much. When did I ever do so little HW! Reading & knitting & snoozing is my lifestyle now. The 3-day lockdown caused the library system to extend all borrowings until 1 Jan, hence no rush to return mine.

Just a thought

You can’t have everything. Where would you put it? (Steven Wright)

Good Morning. A very watery, reluctant sun this morning.

AQ -- Pleased to hear that you're not doing much. The housework will wait. Don't forget there are no visitors to come and see any dust or ironing baskets! My clock seems to be haywire, too, I can now drop off to sleep at any time of day!!

Hope that Annette is enjoying her family time and it's not too tiring.

Have a good weekend Everyone.

Temp has dropped but humid, it is trying to rain, thunder in distance. I finished another book today. If I manage to stay awake, I shall watch "Escape to the Country" The most up-to-date episodes on "repeat" channel are 2017. Ho hum.

Good (Saturday) morning. Our first slight frost this morning. I was again heard to mutter my now daily “geraniums” – he still hasn’t moved them into the greenhouse and I don’t want to lose them, but he is so short of time for anything.
Lunch yesterday was at King’s Coffee shop. Used to be combined with a Christian bookshop which was always useful, but books have disappeared now. We went there because it is very near Boots Hearing Centre, just round the corner from parking and (the main reason) it has an accessible loo! Leek and potato soup was excellent, and we went back there after our appointment for chocolate brownies! Appointment had to be done in the Optician section because audiologist actually uses the basement, but pre-arranged that way and it worked out well. Not sure the new hearing aids will arrive in time for Christmas. Going back to the car, we saw some lovely wooden toys in a shop window, and were able to complete Ch shopping for the greatgrandchildren, so that was a bonus.

PAT – sorry your Christmas plans may be changed. Good idea to get frozen and dry goods in “just in case” – they can all give you a few treats later if not used at Christmas!

DIANE – much as I did enjoy going out, I felt very wary of people not wearing or half-wearing masks in the street, and am not keen to go again, although I know I shall have to in order to fetch hearing aids when they are made.

ANNETTE – have all the family gone home now? I can understand it being exhausting, especially keeping up with Ms D and Puppy Pearl.

AQ – well done with the early shopping! I suppose you are now rushing around baking again. IT was only yesterday that I told OH that my body clock is very confused – but I could put it down to the most recent medications – 9 different tablets at breakfast now, as well as other through the day!

LINDA – sounds like your OH is rushing around too – and I agree with you about ladders – I even worry when mine uses the fixed loft ladder to fetch stuff up and down. Our window cleaner came just now – J saw him and paid him. Glad it is done as it means he won’t arrive while painters are here – they are apparently waiting on a delivery of wood treatment (they did come and do the bit of fence which OH never finished). I enjoyed the Cheerful Boots poem!

HEATHER – so good about your Daughter’s landlord – she deserves good things to happen for her.

Must now Do Things!