Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 6 August 2023

DIANE – Thank you. I hope no damage from your storm. We have had a lovely sunny day, temp ranging from 6 C overnight to 14 C max. With the dove calling in the distance and spring bulbs opening their flowers, I could think it was spring! Of course with the previous rain, weeds are lodged in muddy glue.

News of Bandicoots, Bettongs & Bilbies HERE

Fascinating, AQ ! I knew nothing about these wee creatures...
And many thanks, DIANE - hope that the storm is passing.

Thank you Diane for starting us off. I do hope the storm has now gone and that it didn’t cause any damage.
AQ - glad you are enjoying spring. Don’t worry about the weeds!!!
I am almost ready to set off on holiday again! I am very lucky I know. I am hoping the grass will dry out sufficiently after yesterday’s deluge for me to be able to cut it this afternoon. Otherwise it will be really long when I get back. I will probably not have time to be in touch but will try to read the news. I will send a report when I get back in just over a week. In the meantime, I hope everyone has a good, positive and healthy week.

rusty2 said:

I am almost ready to set off on holiday again!

I hope you have a fantastic time - and that the weather behaves!  Our next break will be near sunny Hartlepool in mid-November so we've got a bit of a wait, but we have had a great time this summer.

Blimey. The US are out of the Women's World Cup!

J didn’t go to church today and has requested a sicknote as he can’t cope with searching jobs right now – he has a job centre appointment tomorrow. He is however ironing this afternoon. He did seem to be getting short of stuff to wear!

We two went to church and enjoyed a chat with an ordinand who is taking a placement at our church for a few months – mentored by our Interim Moderator. It was good to go to a real service after last weeks fiasco.

LINDA – have found out by accident on facebook when we may be descended upon by England family when they “do” Hadrian’s Wall later this month – maybe. We last saw Dau#1 in January, and I don’t think we have seen girls in the last three years.

DIANE – thanks for new thread – I hope you got no damage from the storm. We got nothing from the big named storm which hit parts of England – mainly south-west I believe – but have had a few small showers – enough to prevent mowing. OH is pottering about with domestic chores, and I have started assembling copy for the Sept mag for church. There was another Fun Day for History Town, but we decided not to risk getting rained on. Also, they keep holding events which overlap our mealtimes – and we do like to eat regularly.

Morning all:  

OG: First off, so sorry things are bumpy again with J. Did you and EE manage to sort out his meds?  Hugs from here.  Very belated congrats on your anniversary.  Madagascar is a very exotic destination for the Guides!   Hmmm, wonder if the England side of the family will give you more information re their impending travels.... Glad today's service was tolerable.  

PatO: I like your alphabetical listings approach for various issues.  :-)   On the topic of music, great-granddaughter (Ms. D) is now in a 'traditional' junior high school (sounds like what we experienced back in the day where they actually expect you to work hard!), got into orchestra and after trying various stringed instruments, fell in love with the cello (music genes on both sides but more developed in her Dad's family).  I hope it lasts.  She has to cart it back and forth on the school bus a couple of times a week but says it's no big deal....

Heather:  I find I worry less as I get older; used to anticipate all kinds of scenarios that never materialized (probably eclipsed by worse!!)  :-))

Rusty:  Sounds like a lovely holiday; hope your sleep has improved.  Good Lord  - I see you're off again.  Enjoy!  :-)  Fingers crossed the weather is kind.  'Silver beaches and turquoise seas...."  Sounds wonderful and here I was imagining gray sky and a gray choppy ocean.

dibnlib:  What a fab cruise!  Nice and slow and not too many people on board.  As you say, worth all the faffing around at airports.

Clare:  OH and I were planning to go see Oppenheimer, then he read it's 3 hours long.  He has a hard time sitting through a two-hour TV program.  I think we're going to wait until it streams but I gather it's best seen on a large screen.  Fab photos on that link you provided for Lindy's verse....   Re the US Team, people are shocked at the performance this year - a new team that one commentator said didn't seem to gel...  And those missed penalty goals. :-(

Lindybird: Congrats to you on being 'published' at LG!   My grandkids thrived on pizza.  I used to feel guilty letting them have it so often.  It's now a favorite of Ms. D's.   That sudden quiet when they all leave is rather nice.....   Smiled at the road sign:  We credit people with so little common sense (although my grandson claims common sense isn't all that common).  :-)

OH MY, FINALLY MADE IT TO THIS WEEK'S NEWS (and thank you Diane).  Must check the weather to see how that storm is treating you....

AQ: Lots going on Down Under re the three Bs.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch:  Have been really busy in the garden; actually managed to feed the potted plants this morning and have been pulling back the dymondia where it snuck too close to tree trunks.  Grandson stopped by on his way home yesterday after two weeks providing mechanical support to teams fighting a fire near Riverside and having accrued amazing amounts of vey nicely compensated overtime which will help with the upcoming wedding plans.  Took daughter to the Rodeo here last night; not my favorite spectator sport, but some of the events - like barrel racing - which my daughter did in her young years, were exciting and didn't involve making animals uncomfortable.

Anyway, I'm sure there must be something that needs doing...... off I go.

Annette - The story of your great-granddaughter and her cello getting on the bus together reminded me of someone I used to work with. She played the double bass and drove a Mini. That didn't work - so she had to buy a Saab instead! Glad you like the 'listings' game. My sister and I had both invented it independently and realised we had both been doing it for years! We then swapped a few 'categories'. That must have been in the genes as well!! Every time I do it now I smile and think she no longer has to play word games to try to get to sleep ... By the way, there are a few 'advanced refinements' - names with the same number of syllables is one of my current favourites.

Diane - I do hope the storm has moved on and that you and your 'patch' - and all the critters - are safe.

Rusty - I hope you have a wonderful holiday. Really looking forward to your report in due course.

Unknown said:

OH and I were planning to go see Oppenheimer, then he read it's 3 hours long.

It fills the time really well, but I found I really had to pay attention to all the dialogue - I would have lost track, otherwise.

Unknown said:

I gather it's best seen on a large screen

Understatement of the year!!!!  Surround sound would help as well.

Unknown said:

Fab photos on that link you provided for Lindy's verse

I wasn't sure if she'd seen any photos of the redone centre and I really wanted her to see what they'd done with her poem.

Unknown said:

Re the US Team, people are shocked at the performance this year - a new team that one commentator said didn't seem to gel...  And those missed penalty goals

I really felt for those women who failed to score their penalties, especially Megan Rapinoe.  She retires this year and I bet she'll dwell on that for an age.