HAPPY NEW WEEK!
I hope everyone has a healthy, joyful week. Next week will be the Winter Solstice already!
I now have several species of birds coming to the outside of my enclosed porch. The red male cardinal tries to chase them off, but there are too many. They're eating the seeds on my "weed tree", various vegetation, and the poor wasps hibernating in their nest.
Shopping excursion this morn. First my new chopping board and flour sifter. I threw out my old sifter after the Mouse Event as I could not imagine getting it truly clean ever again. Also it was a bit battered & over 50 years old. I walked up and down and around, repeat, found an assistant but he was so new he had not a clue. I went back to entrance to HeWho Checks That We Don’t Leave Without Paying (no other staff in sight). He has never heard of what I am asking and waves vaguely where I’ve been and does not call for anyone to help. I give up.
Now for a shade hat for OH (old one is really decrepit) – tick. Then, luck, I find another assistant, very helpful, she escorted this Old Lady to the exact shelf in kitchenware. . . and then checks her i-thingie. Oh, dear both of those were on Clearance and “we are out of stock”. Thanks for your help sez I. Now for toys. After much searching I found a 500-piece jigsaw for Miss11 (most were ugly) – tick. Paid at “check-out” in centre of store. As I exited store, I saw wrapping paper. Too far to go back to checkout queue, so I bought my roll at the card shop, probably much dearer there.
I detoured to library to return my “Vera” library book (I read it twice in 4 days). I know there is a waiting list for it, so I wanted it back in system asap. Snatched another 6 miscellaneous titles that are supposed to last me the rest of the year. Maybe.
Morning all: Lynette posted on last week's thread. I'm taking the liberty of copy/pasting it below. She also sent us a Christmas card, which I'll post here if I can.
FROM LYNETTE
Hello everyone, Not been on for a few days but have just been skimming through 8 pages already and its only Monday.
Reading about Morrisons, we have two local ones but very rarely shop there as I now shop online from them, have been doing for a few years now. Have noticed that prices have gone up a lot so am trying to curb spending now there are only two of us although I do find its difficult at times. Tend to book 2 or 3 weeks ahead and then refine the orders nearer the time. Making sure I get a time slot in.
All CP's are bought, just have to be wrapped although I am trying something new this year. An online shop was selling packs of 20 assorted Christmas/ Star bags to put preses in saving on paper and they can be reused. All cards written and posted as we did have a promise of snow which hasn't really materialized, just a thin coating but there have been some hard frosts.
Thanks for all your news. - seems a crazy move to turn off heating, can only assume they are trying to save on costs but it isn't best practice for those working there I'm sure.
Lindybird, that's terrible for the local bakery. Do hope they don't incur too big a loss and hopefully insurance from the lorry driver will pay for the damage.
CARD HERE:
Wishing you all a VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND A PEACEFUL NEW YEAR (from Lynette)
Morning all again:
Lynette: Thank you for the Xmas card and greetings. Sounds like you've got most things organized. Hope you and yours have a lovely time over the holiday.
AQ: Oh Lord. So sifter's are now just museum-worthy items eh? On the same topic, I had to give my e-mail address to a store person some months back - it's perhaps the original e-mail provider in the nation and the lady asked "What's that?" Then I had to call the company itself the other day for something or other and the service rep started off by saying "Thank you for being a loyal member for - (stunned silence at his end) - 27 years!!??!!" I said I'd probably been a member longer than he'd been alive and he said, still apparently shocked: "I'm only 21!" EDIT: Thanks for mentioning the Vera books - I had no idea they existed. I'll go looking. I've just finished reading The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith (J.K.Rowlings' pen name for her adult mysteries). Almost 900 pages; afraid to fall asleep reading it for fear of ending up with facial injuries...
Meanwhile, kids had a brilliant easy and unbelievably fast ride home yesterday - through LA on a Sunday afternoon yet - which amazed us all. They chased our storm east across the desert and arrived home just as the snow started in their neighborhood. When she got the new car, it came with an app that connects with the vehicle so I was able to 'follow' her across the desert and then the lonely back roads until she actually pulled into their driveway. Something to remember for folks with teenagers! :-)
Rain all night again here. Yay!
I usually like a turkey meal out before Christmas and we asked friends if they would like to join us. We booked a 3 course festive lunch at a nice hotel (Kingsmills for Heathers interest).. We have enjoyed Sunday lunches there a few times and treated our friends and their daughter a while back when they looked after Benson for a few days. As well as 3 courses there was also tea/coffee and mince pies for £23.50. It was quite delicious and the service was very good too. We sat blethering for a while then I noticed my friends OH call quietly for the bill. I got my purse out to share the cost and was told it was their treat!! We are rarely out in the dark and it was so nice to drive home and enjoyed some of the beautifully decorated gardens. The 4some was made of of me and my OH and my dear friend who lost her leg in an accident in March 2021 and her OH. She was very lucky not to lose her life and I was so lucky not to lose my very dear friend. Friendship is such a wonderful thing and to be treasured.
dibnlib: Sounds like a lovely time with some much valued friends - a nice tradition. True friends really are worth their weight in good. (Food sounds good too!)
Spoke to granddaughter today who - along with Ms. D - got an unexpected and very welcome lay-in (lie-in?) this morning after a late-night alert that Ms. D's school would start two hours later than usual to allow roads to be cleared of snow.
Take care everyone.
DIBNLIB – I’m sure they appreciate your care when your friend was in need. Hang on to those friends. It is so easy to “not bother this year” and before you know it, people drift away.
ANNETTE – I much prefer Ann Cleeves’ Vera books than her others. Perhaps Vera is blunt like me!
RUSTY – I hope you are enjoying your days away and I’m looking forward to my next trip with you.
LINDA – Sleepless nights are too familiar in our house; I get up after 2 or 3 hours sleep, cannot get back to sleep until I read for 20-30 mins. OH is already up and he refuses to go back to bed. But he does have several sleeps through the day.