Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 26 December 2021

Happy Hogmanay and Happy New Year!

This is the last thread of 2021! Time flies...

My dear friends, I wish you all happiness, health, safety, and serenity in 2022. May it be a better year for us and the world.

PHOTO: The 2021 Comet Leonard, near in the sky to the awe-inspiring star cluster Messier 3. The comet will reach its closest point to our Sun on January 3, 2022 at the end of its 40,000-year journey to the inner Solar System. It'll be ejected into interstellar space, never to return.


Photo labeled “Public domain” (copyright free)
Horizon Productions SFL

  • Just read this and had to share it.

    This is something said by Desmond Tutu. "Don't raise your voice, improve your argument". Isn't that just such a wonderful thing to say. If only....
  • That is wonderful, dibnlib.

    Had a visit from my OHs Other Sister this morning, just as I came downstairs with wet hair, and was preparing to get to grips with deciding on what to wear & to pack for tomorrow. We gave her some shortbread & a coffee, & enquired as to her conversation with Awful Cousin, who seems to be contemplating another visit to these shores......
  • Hallo all:  Left home at 5:15 this morning; not much traffic at all through Los Angeles.  Smooth sailing until Coachella where the traffic backed up following a much earlier crash/fire that closed down the highway for several hours.  Fortunately, they'd just reopened the road  by the time got there so there was only a 30 minute delay.  Am now enjoying a glass of Irish Cream something; will see daughter in the a.m.; granddaughter was there earlier today so the day's visitor's 'allowance' was used up.  We're going to both try to sneak in tomorrow.:  I'll play the "out of town mother" card.  :-)

    dibnlib:  Like the idea of your Christmas dinner.  No leftovers though I guess?

    Heather:  How did things work out?

    Lindybird:  Take care.

    Hi to everyone else.  :-)

  • Thanks for the new thread, Diane, and thanks to you and to everyone else for all of your posts--these threads are another thing which keeps me distracted from much of world events at the moment. Thanks and please keep up the good work everyone--I love to read your posts. One day we may actually meet in person! Although I have managed to meet (in person!) two folks who post here, and delightful it was, too! (You know who you are!)
  • GARDENBIRDER - I would love to meet you & the Friends I have made on this thread. When I first joined I thought I would return to UK one day. I know now that I shall never travel overseas again. Health, increasing age, additional security in last dozen years and now covid; I could not face the 24-30 hour travel from my DownUnder door to UpOver destination.

  • Travitude (n.) when you start to feel grumpy and sassy because you haven’t travelled in a while.

    High five if you don’t know what you’re doing with your life and just want to travel the world.

    Europeans: I drove 40 minutes to spend the weekend in Paris, then popped to Germany to visit family on the way home.
    Australians: I was in Queensland and drove for 18 hours. Now I’m still in Queensland.

  • Good morning all
    ANNETTE - you just be relieved to be in AZ after a long journey.
    The Christmas dinner was very nice when we finally got to eat it! We weren't sure how long it had been cooking when the oven died, so thank goodness for the meat thermometer !
    OG - sorry that you slept so well :-)
    AQ - son in law goes back down under in about a week's time. He's not sure where he'll be flying into and presumably quarantining.
    My son and family are on their way here from Shropshire. They all had negative tests yesterday. We have been advised to restrict indoor gatherings so unfortunately there will not be a family meal while they are here, too many households.
    LINDY - I hope you are feeling better - bad news about Awful Cousin...
    DIBNLIB - I'm pleased to read that your Christmas lunch was so good. Callum, his girlfriend and her family had Christmas lunch at Drumossie. Apparently it was,excellent (£82 a head can you believe?) Her granddad treated all 13 of them. A very generous gesture.
  • Good Morning. Nice to read about everyone's plans and adventures.

    Annette: Glad to hear you arrived OK and I hope you get to see your daughter soon.

    OG & EE: Hope you three have managed to have a festive time in spite of things not being ideal. {{Hugs}}

    Heather : Glad the Christmas meal was able to be rescued. A tale to tell, and a drama to remember in years to come. How generous indeed that sounds, to take such a large party out to lunch.

    Sue is not best pleased to hear that Awful Cousin is contemplating coming back again. She will have to find out the date when she's expected, and arrange to be away as she is the prime target to be host! My OH has made it clear in the past that we will not contemplate having her here. I said, say anything, even "Linda is too delicate mentally to cope!!" ;-))
  • Unknown said:
    I have managed to meet (in person!) two folks who post here, and delightful it was, too! (You know who you are!)

    That's what's called starting at the bottom and working your way up!

  • aquilareen said:

    High five if you don’t know what you’re doing with your life and just want to travel the world.

    Have fifty million high fives.