Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 3 December 2023

OG - The church that does the Christmas Tree Festival - not my church, but another in the same Circuit - does it every year. Because they feel they have to! Many local schools not only provide a decorated tree but also come and sing, dance or whatever - definitely a part of their Christmas preparations. And each year they have more trees because more people and local groups want to be a part of it. A great way of building community.

ANNETTE: Yup. I'm analyzing Medicare Advantage Plans. Sigh...

I am hoping to go and see the Christmas trees in the cloisters at Chester Cathedral on Tuesday, I will report back, I haven’t been since before Covid. It will be interesting to see how many there are.

How lovely, Rusty. I have a very soft spot for Chester Cathedral. I stayed out at the Holiday Inn by the racecourse some years ago when we did a residency at the Cathedral and I got to know the area around the Cathedral very well. It's probably changed a lot since then ...

Diane: We have original Medicare. OH's former employer contributes X dollars per year toward a Medicap policy, but the cheesy b*****ds haven't increased that amount since 2017 and when did premiums ever go down!? I'm lucky because working for AARP for 20+ years came with a great retirement medical plan and no premium. I know many people with Medicare Advantage who are happy with their provider network - to a point. I think it depends on where you live and what's available. Good luck. More importantly, stay healthy!

Thanks all for talk of weather, Christmas services and celebrations and Chester Cathedral. I'm hoping to actually have some Spare Time in the next week or two when other stuff has been sorted.

Take care all.

Pat - the Holiday Inn out past the race course in Chester has got asylum seekers staying in it now (at least it did last I heard!!)
You would recognise the area around the cathedral. It hasn’t changed at all. I will take some photos if I remember. It is a horrid wet day today. I was supposed to be going to the zoo with some friends but we have called it off. I am just going to theirs for coffee and stollen (they used to live in Germany so stollen is a tradition with them.)
Diane and Annette - your health insurance must be a terrible worry for you. For all we criticise our NHS, it is still free at the point of use thank goodness.

Good morning. Weather back to nondescript light cloud. Above freezing and no precipitation. Hope you all have the same or better.

PAT – I agree with you about the community aspect of Christmas Tree Festival – non-church people here still mention the one we had. Maybe I shall speak louder before next year!

RUSTY - very many years since I last went to Chester including the Cathedral – seem to remember having my mother with me so must have been in the 1990s! I agree we are lucky to have the NHS free at the point of delivery – if only they could deliver on their promises!

Gradually feeling better – and I slept the whole night. It meant I woke up very congested but am breathing normally now. Cleaners today – I hope the ironing one will reappear this week as EE has done very well with the pile he had to do to help catch up.

Love the sound of that Christmas Tree Festival.  Benson making himself comfortable in OHs chair.

Diane-Are you looking at the plans in the back of the 2024 Medicare handbook you should have received.. It should list all the plans in your area so you can see a direct comparison between them. I have Humana here and have had it for years. Every state is different.

Rusty, Pat and OG, I lived in Chester for eleven years, A lovely and interesting city. Great for shopping and I seem to remember a tea shop in Bridge Street that served delicious cheese scones.
Going about one's daily business could be quite difficult though, with coach loads of tourists going in the opposite direction! We did enjoy walking round the walls.