Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 28 May 2023

Good Morning. Beautifully sunny here. We're having to water our pots in the garden every night, now, so it must be summer!

Hello at last.
Before I tackle the post holiday ironing and the grass cutting, I will go back through last weeks posts and reply where I think appropriate.
Lynnette - I was sorry to read about your visit to hospital. I hope you get that machine sorted to help with the breathing. Also, I hope the knee referral appointment is productive. At least you got to eat your lunch outside.
Lindy - I have really enjoyed your garden photos. It must be a pleasure to look at. I can understand about the pot watering needing doing every night. My water butt is empty and I am thinking about getting a second one.
Re passport photos. I made a big effort with my appearance when I had my new one taken at Max Speilman’s last year. I washed my hair and put make up on. I still looked terrible! I suppose that is what I look like these days!!!! I think my bus pass photo is my best but I am wearing my glasses in that!!! I did like your comments about who or what you looked like Lindy!!!
OG - what a busy week you had last week. I am glad you are able to get out and about and attend things like the consultation on the solar park. I am also pleased that J is enjoying his new job. As ever, there seems to be lots do to do your garden.
Annette - sorry about the failure of your meal out. It couldn’t be helped I suppose and you have another one to look forward to eventually.
AQ - glad you got a good photo trip out and also that your OH likes his new shoes.
Re tipping - my friend and I gave a generous tip to our coach driver last week. He was really excellent not just as a driver but as a guide. Everything ran most efficiently. I tip in restaurants if the service has been good but always in cash so that the server gets the money directly. Funnily enough, I have never tipped my hairdresser. I suppose because it always seems very expensive!!! As she comes to my house now, I give her coffee and, if she is here over lunchtime, I give her lunch so I suppose it sort of evens out.
Right. I must go and do my chores. I will return later or tomorrow with a few holiday photos.

Good morning, Monday!

LINDA – we have a booking system for the tip – works well. Need to get some garden rubbish there this week. Pots watering every night, and whole garden with hosepipe alternate nights. I agree with the back pain!

LYNETTE - Good to “see” you “sounding” a bit more cheerful this week. I hope your appointments are helpful.

RUSTY – looking forward to the holiday photos.

We got a lot done in the garden yesterday – my role was supervisor as usual! Only among containers on the deck, but I have even succeeded in reducing the numbers – until we decide to fill lots of little blue pots whose contents have moved into bigger ones! It all looks better now it is cleaned. J went to a meeting at church last evening – about forming a union with their linked church in a local village.

Have I mentioned that the water feature has become the bird bath? They have so enjoyed it this spring since E-E had not returned the working solar parts, so we decided we coudn’t take the extra space away from them – trouble is, their baths/showers splash a lot of water out, especially when ten or more young starlings get in there together!

Dentist again this afternoon – should be last filling for a while – still waiting to hear from hospital re the extractions.

Have never tipped a hairdresser by giving her lunch LOL!

OG -- Our bird bath is much used. The starlings seem to think its theirs, to have wild parties in. Afterwards, it's half empty!

A beautiful day here, & we went off to a local plant nursery where the young plants are so much better quality, and cheaper! than the garden centres. Stocked up on geraniums and little petunias etc, to fill my hanging baskets with. Then we went to a local Lions Fair - the Lions do a lot for local people including helping the elderly and giving a lot of them a special, jolly and very welcome Christmas meal if they live alone - on Christmas Day, no less. We try to support their fun raising efforts. I bought a ticket to "guess the name of the dog" (it was a toy dog) and didn't even ask what the prize was! I suppose it might have been the toy itself.. .. Lots of children enjoying bouncy castles, slides, and watching their dads "welly flinging". We had an icecream ourselves before we left.

Oh -- and they had a Dog Show. This included an agility course, plus prizes for The Dog With the Waggiest Tail and the always popular Dog Most Like It's Owner.

Morning all: From the wettest winter to one of the coolest springs! We 'might' see the sun next weekend when kids are here.

Have read everyone's posts and sounds like folks are chugging along pretty well for the most part. Have desk stuff to do today and then out to tidy up the roses which have put on their usual fantastic first bloom but are now looking somewhat tatty. Cleaned 'my' room within an inch of its life and only the living room left and kitchen counter tops. Won't go after the floor until kids, dogs, etc. have been and gone.

We appear to have some kind of a deal over the debt limit, but wonder what the small print says; also there's always the unintended consequences.... However, signatures on dotted lines yet to come.

Take care everyone.

On the subject of bird baths, the blackbirds are the worst for splashing the water in mine and emptying it very quickly, I am forever filling it up.

Lindy - it sounds as if you have had a good day.

I got the ironing finished, went to a friends for coffee (she texted me and asked if I would like to go) I came bac’ with 3 plants which her husband had grown for me. I have cut the grass and tied in my sweet peas. I thought I would give you Day 1 of my holiday.

We used a local coach company. We had been to the North East with them before - Holy Island and Alnwick Castle. They pick you up at your door in a minibus and take you to a central place to meet the coach. I didn’t have to handle my suitcase until it arrived in the hotel room!! I met my friend who had been collected from Chester. We were both really pleased to learn that the lunch stop would be Aberystwyth. We were both at University there although we didn’t know each other then. We had a good walk along the prom and past the Old College Building. We then found somewhere for lunch. After another 2 hours driving we arrived at our hotel which was very comfortable and provided excellent meals.

Aberystwyth - the prom, Pier and Old College. It is taken into the sun so looks a bit dark. 

Good Morning. Nice to see Rustys report of her trip: Aberystwyth looks much as it did when I last saw it, some years ago when we called there when on a mid Wales holiday. Sadly, it was a very grey day then!

Our Youngest has been on an adventure over the long weekend, with 3 friends. They decided they'd like to climb the Three Peaks- that is the three biggest mountains in the UK consisting of the biggest in England, Scafell (English Lake District) then Ben Nevis, biggest in Scotland, then Snowdon, biggest in Wales.

They managed Scafell first, and had good views from the top. Then drove to Scotland where Ben Nevis was in the clouds, so nothing to be seen at the summit. Then they stayed over night in our caravan and tackled Snowdon- I only know that they are now home and very tired now, of course. We await news of how they got on on their last leg. He was too tired to speak to me last night, so messaged us to say they were home.

Dau#2 arranged to meet me at a bookshop at Norwood  (eastern suburb). My lucky day, though it was busy, I found a park in first side street. Bookshop was incredible; I restrained myself to one purchase. Then we adjourned to a bakery for snack time. Dau a jam berliner & cocoa. Me a kitchener bun & latte. While I was extracting cash to pay, she zapped her credit card. Next time I shall be quicker. A kitchener bun is a South Australian treat, a sort of berliner but split and filled with jam & lots of cream.