WEEKLY CHAT (NON-OSPREY) SUNDAY DECEMBER 27, 2020

Hallo all.  Re dishwashers, we just fill it up and run it whenever that happens.   Re gifts, my OH was fretting again that my hedge trimmer wasn't much of a 'gift' even though I wanted it.  I got it organized today, charged the battery and it's all ready to go.  Meanwhile, he's thrilled with the four-slice toaster, which seems to the job in record time. 

AQ: Re a previous 'thought,' what bothers me is that I eat light and healthy between New Year and Christmas but then undo it all just between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Went for a walk this morning and all kinds of bits were jiggling along behind.  

Heather:  I'm sure your gift from daughter wasn't mere wrinkle cream but a very exotic and expensive moisturizer. :-)    Maybe buy her a book on how to stay in shape as you age?  Just kidding.  

Lindybird:  A too-small hat and ice-defrosting spray for the car?  And no flowers either.  :-(    By the way, what made you decide on that lovely painting of the sailboats rather than one of the two you'd previously mentioned?  I love the winter-time photos.  I always liked walking in winter when I lived there - it's quiet and sort of contemplative time of year.

Diane:  Is it your computer or just online access?  We've been repeatedly bumped offline at certain times each day recently; the techy folks said it was simply that too many people were zooming, etc.  Do hope it's a comparatively easy fix.

OG:  Oh geez. No flowers for you either - and no houseplant - what does it take I ask!   Personalized signs on the motorways, as in  "Don't forget the flowers for your wife"?  That raspberry pavlova must've been wonderful - and chocolate cake too.  I've put on weight just reading about it.

A lovely sunset here tonight, with a storm working its way down the coast.   Grandson and partner are coming down tomorrow for lunch. I told him we had leftovers, etc., but he insists on bringing everything and will do all the work, 'so you don't have to do anything and can relax with a glass of wine."   What a sweetie he's turned into.  I'm very lucky.

Have a good Sunday all. 

  • Shame about your jigsaw, Clare. You'll have to do another one!

    Just rang a cousin who lives South, near to our Eldest. The virus is rife there, and her daughter and family have all caught it although the youngsters are not too poorly, but her husband is very ill indeed in spite of being a strapping 40 something and very tall rugby player type physique. This meant that my poor cousin, who only lost her husband less than two years ago, had to spend Christmas totally alone. She also had to endure the really bad storm last night which made all her fences rattle.

    We did not get the storm, except for a bit of wind blowing, and some rain. Again. Now the sun is out and it's a bright day. I fed the birds and cleaned over the bird table, which is about my chin height. As I refilled it with goodies, a robin came down and looked me straight in the eye! He/she took a big beakful and flew off. What a thrill, to be only inches away from a wild bird.
  • Annette: I agonised over the picture choice for a while, as you could tell at the time: my OH sits directly opposite the wall which we chose to hang one on, and it was occupied previously by a print which I had bought in the Canaries of one of their beautiful, windswept and empty beaches. (subsequently had it framed at such a large expense I had to hide the bill from my OH!!) We had both decided it was time for a change. I began looking, online due to the restrictions, and was immediately drawn to the more abstract and symbolic type of art. I am more modern and "arty" than my OH, who likes traditional stuff in all things. When we managed to get to a big department store to look at pictures, I showed him one I really loved, of a huge rolling wave, but in a sort of modern style, and I could tell he wasn't keen. Nor on some with multi colours, with gold streaks going through abstract marks.

    When I showed him the Lowry ones with the boats and yachts, he was more enthusiastic. As he will be looking at it every day from his favourite chair, I decided on getting one as it was more a compromise which at least we both liked. As also, the picture I chose only cost £35, compared to the £140 ones I had been looking at, I had hoped that he might treat me to something else..... then I got the car spray, LOL!!
  • Clare - Glad you have been able to get back into Jigsaw Planet. Having tested whether I could get in when you said you were having problems, I discovered a wonder of nature. I decided to do a picture of an old typewriter. I realised my fingers know where the letters are but my eyes don't! I hadn't realised that before - I've been a touch typist for more years than I care to remember - but ask me where a specific letter is and I would be hard pushed to find it!!

    Still lovely and sunny outside. I've been for a walk, expecting lots of floods, but there was only one really wet patch on my lake walk, which I passed five times. Lots of branches down, but I didn't see any fallen trees. Tomorrow we are promised snow.

    Hope everyone is having a peaceful day recovering from whatever you did over Christmas. It's certainly been different ...
  • I do like the jigsaw LINDY. I got a dog jiggie last year. It was an M&S jiggie and I think they did cats as well. Took me a while to do.
  • Oops sorry, I thought I had lost the first one, so tried again.
  • Morning all:  Re jigsaws, I can't imagine  what inspired me to get Starry Night.  I think I manage to place about 5 pieces each evening.  Glad the storm wasn't too bad - I spoke to my niece in Newport Pagnell yesterday and some areas there were flooded.  

    PatO: I too learned to touch-type at a tender age and was interested to read that you can still do it (as I can) but wouldn't be able to 'place' the letters..  Same here. That must be what they call muscle memory,  which our Tai Chi teacher is always banging on about (in the nicest possible way). I bet that if we had to imagine typing something, we could 'reconstruct' the keyboard on a piece of paper.

    Lindybird:  That's a nice compromise over the picture, with the added financial benefit.  I suggest you take the difference and buy yourself a treat or three.  Sure hope your cousin's family recovers quickly.  I was reading some time back that blood type may have something to do with how the virus affects individuals, but haven't seen anything since. We're all consumed with speculating on what other damage The Great Orange Narcissist will inflict before he leaves office.  

    AQ:  Hope the cool weather sticks around a bit.  I've got five Michael Connelly books (detective mysteries set in LA) that I reserved and that all somehow arranged to arrive at the library on the same day.  Then, having been 57 in a reserve line of about 130 for the new Robert Galbraith (JK Rowling's adult pen name) book, got a note that it was ready for pick up.  Went to collect it and OMG - it's more than 900 pages!  I hope it doesn't fall on me when I'm reading in bed - I see a bloody nose and black eyes.  Won't need any fitness program after lugging that around the house.

    And yes, toast is on the menu - at least this morning.

  • Annette - I hope you will be able to renew your large book. It would take me several weeks to read a book that long. I used to devour two or three 'normal length' books a week, but these days I fall asleep after a few pages! Mind you, last night when Storm Bella was banging and crashing and bashing rain against the window, I read about fifty pages of my current book!
  • Quite by accident started reading Jeffrey Archer...'Nothing ventured '
    and actually quite a nice interesting read.

    1st of his series , William Warwick,
    as I read somewhere     ",not a Detective story more a story about a Detective"