Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 20 February 2022

HARELADY – wishing you a safe and pain-free drive to see your Son and family. Have a good weekend with them.

DIBNLIB – hope your OH’s ENT appointment went well – sorry he had to clear snow and hope he had safe roads there and back. I assume Benson wants to go and play in the snow! Yestetday was the first I had heard of the new telephone service up north. I am a luddite concerning mobile phones, so I hope we keep real landlines much longer!

HEATHER – I don’t like papered ceilings, but we inherited a few here. Most are okay, but did have to adjust in the wet room.

ANNETTE – don’t spend too much at the school booksale! I hope your Daughter is still doing well.

LINDA – your Son seems to be just one of many decorating this spring. Our weather has been pleasant so far today – and love having sunshine so much later in the afternoon now.

I think I may have muddled yesterday and today in this post – forgot I didn’t come on here Thursday as study was full of bathroom items while OH was cleaning the main shower room! Fun tomorrow as he is going to clean electric “fire” in the lounge – suspect he may find some puddles have descended via the chimney!

We inherited some papered ceilings, too: one we managed to get rid of, but some are a pain, as now and then you can see the joins! They must have been put on to hide other imperfections.

I've had a muddled, frustrating day - my OH left before 9.00am and our neighbour said he had to see someone about a bad shoulder, but it turned out that he needed x rays and other tests, plus a couple of consultations. They eventually returned here just before 3.00pm. By which time I had run several scenarios through my head, and was wondering why my OH had not messaged me at all, seeing as they were so long. My OH was weary and hungry - they had had endless waiting, and not had a drink or anything to eat. He sat down to a cheese sandwich here at 3.30. He asked me if I had received his text message - No!! It arrived about an hour after he got home, so I've no idea what went on with it.

Several things we were going to do had to be shelved for another day. I had to content myself with cleaning the oven, which didn't get done yesterday. Boo.

This morn I delivered perishables & library books to Dau & Co’s front door. All were standing in window (Dau in tears). MissL has recovered (only mild symptoms for 2 days). Her exclusion time has expired and she can return to school. But how?, when rest of family (still negative & without symptoms) have to quarantine until mid-week. Too far for her to walk. Too far for me to help twice a day. And friends already have cars full of kids; no cramming as we once did (safety & individual car seats rightly required).

On way home I photo-ed a few buildings but it was too hot in the sun (about noon), so left more for another day. From my local library I collected my “holds” plus a few other books. I had already found 2 for me at Dau’s library despite it being very small and adult non-fiction rather sparse. To Dau &Trio’s “holds”, I added another 8 books for them to share; I hope they haven’t read too many already. I avoided cat & dog stories LOL. OH has gone for his (almost) daily walk. I must transfer cottage pie & veg from fridge to stove. Oops, he’s back.

Doing nothing is very hard to do – you never know when you’re finished. (Leslie Nielsen

Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired.

Procrastinators unite! Tomorrow!

Good Morning. Lovely bit of sunshine through our windows, but it's still only 3 degrees- should be warmer later.

Sorry about your daughters predicament, AQ. Frustrating for you, too, unable to help more. At least they're all well. I hope they can find things to do to occupy themselves.

Hoping to get some stuff done today which was left undone yesterday. One was for my OH to reach some glassware stored high up on the kitchen shelves which undoubtedly will need washing as it's not used much -- even less since the virus struck- we live like hermits most of the time.

I just said to Sue that very sad as it is, I'm not watching the News all day, just the main bulletins, as we can do nothing about the appalling state of things in Ukraine and although our hearts go out to them, there's nothing we can do except to feel for them in their predicament.

AQ - good that you are able to help your daughter - I hope that they enjoyed the pasties the other day. I have the ingredients in the freezer but cooking these days is sometimes too much to contemplate !

I have now got one less papered ceiling. Alfie the painter gave me the choice of repapering or plastering - you can guess which option I chose.

Everyone - have a good weekend. I'm waiting for eldest and middle daughters to arrive, our weekly shopping and lunch session. We always have lunch here, I've been in a restaurant twice, since the start of the pandemic.
My Welsh friend has caught Covid. She and her son drove up to the Midlands last weekend to attend an 80 th birthday party. There were 95 guests. Enough said !

My 1st actual size daffodils are out! Sheltering in the front garden. We get excited, here in the UK, AQ, as we have so little colour in our long horrible winters. Today is bright but still only about 8 degrees. Roll on Spring....

Heather, glad the ceiling is sorted. Sounds as if you have a treasure of a decorator there. ...  Sorry about your Welsh friend, hope she's not too ill.

No rain, no wind, no covid, so okay here.

We have a lot of people directly and second or third generation from Ukraine which makes that business seem rather close - we also have the wee Ukrainian pow Chapel up the road in Lockerbie.

LINDA - sorry mobile phone let you down when OH was helping the neighbour - very frustrating.

AQ - glad you could help Daughter with library books etc, but agree you can't take on the school run for those who could be attending.

Nothing nasty lurking inside/behind the lounge fire; it looks clean and bright, so hope there won't be any smears on the glass when the sunshine returns this week.

J had a work offer from most local primary school. For: just a five minute walk from home. Against: primary (the one in Dumfries put him off that when he was seconded a few years ago), some kids only P1 mixed with all other years and full time 5 days a week - too much for a starter post after being off sick. At least we now know the list has been circulated with his name on it. His good news: when he was unemployed sick his car insurance was raised (theoratically had "more time to go out and about" - because he now has a job, it has been reduced by over £100!