Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 14 April 2024

HAPPY NEW WEEK!

I hope everyone has a good week. 

I forgot to say that the wildlife behaved normally here during the eclipse. The songbirds sang and the woodpeckers pecked. Only the black vultures reacted strangely. They formed a flock, flew and dived erratically, and seemed distressed. They're back to normal now. 

Sorry I'm late starting the thread. I went to the convenience store on the highway and then sat on my front step in the brilliant late afternoon sunshine and ate my burrito. 

My heart goes out to all of you who are providing care for loved ones or coping with your own physical conditions. Love, hugs, and strength to all!

  • LINDA – You wrote” Not sure what difference it makes whether or not you were going to profit from the pictures...”. Ah, I would be making money out of his church, not him. Nothing stopping him getting a member of congregation to take photos and create, say, postcards to sell.

    ANNETTE – Bus trips are for autumn & spring. Our leader recognizes that summer is too hot. The only trip I liked this autumn clashed with kid-sitting the Trio. The other trips are virtually repeats – I have been tripping across SA for over 20 years! OH does fret and get confused if I am out too long or too often. However May is History Month – I have flagged 2 or 3 possible events. Definitely not the ghost tours, the walking tours, evening events and all those same old churches that are open in May every year.

    Today I bought my new duna, booked GP for flu jab for both of us next week and arranged for a new Lawn Man – previous one has injured his back and can’t come for months.

  • Hello to all from a bright but cold and windy Suffolk.

    I have been reading but also had another stint of Nanny duty in London with James (almost 7 and Lily 4) Then a trip to Surrey to catch up with old friends and a lovely long lunch at friends new house. They bought an old very run down 1930s semi-detatched in Surbiton and have spent 3 years extending and renovating it. They have a huge kitchen/dining and living area where we spent all  of the day. The only thing they kept was an old tiled fireplace in the small "front room" and have kept the style and furniture to the 1930s.

    Diane - I loved it that you got to experience the Eclipse.

    To everyone else I do read all your news and wish you all a good health.

    ps - I too have thought about an air fryer so appreciated your thoughts. I have limited space in a small galley kitchen so will look at Robert Dyas and Lakeland.

  • Harelady: I can't believe that Lily is 4 now!!  Sounds as if you've enjoyed your visit. I'll keep everyone informed about my adventures with the air fryer. I bought one for my son in Lakeland as they had a good range, and I have confidence in their always having good products in their range. They do come in all kinds of shapes and sizes so you need to decide which suits you best for your purposes, and of course, space available.

    AQ: Do hope you can manage some of the outings you describe. A bit obvious, but take time for yourself when you can. You'll be glad the hot summer is over now, I expect. I hope the new Lawn Man is reliable.

  • Its sunny here now but we had raging wind in the night and a lot of rain. It stopped long enough this morning for us to enjoy a short trip out for a coffee in the Garden Centre and a poke around their new displays. Came away with a bird feeder, a dog toy and a plant which looks like a big crimson daisy. We looked out to sea and the water is churning wildly in the wind,with big "white horses" as we call them.

    Annette- Wow, quite an experience for you with the hawk. They are so dramatic and clever. Hope your family are all doing well.

    OG - We had planned to come to Wales for some time now, but other things got in the way. I saw the Practice Nurse the other day at our Docs and she suggested I borrow one of their b.p. monitors and take my b.pressure twice a day for a week, then submit my results. She thought it might be possible to up my meds if necessary, so I have to wait & see now. Good to hear that you managed a church service.

  • Lindy - yes. It has been very windy here too. I bet the sea looked very dramatic. We have even had hailstones. 
    I have been to a funeral today. I think I said about the lady from the golf club who died suddenly of 2 catastrophic strokes. The church was packed to the rafters. We sang one of my favourite hymns “Lord of all Hopefulness” and one of her sons spoke very well. He found just the right tone. The wake at the golf club was full of chatter. I think my friend would have approved. Oh and I should have said, the churchyard was full of primroses. 

  • Into the evening again – and E-E is going outside again to plant Osteospermums (terracotta and bronze) in the hanging troughs for along the fence by the patio - already prepared the compost, so it won’t take him long.  We shall repeat the colours in the centre of the hanging baskets.  He’s had a busy day today – the weather has been good for a bit of catching up in the garden, alongside the domestic jobs.

    A few weeks back, I think I mentioned visits from a Rook – a very handsome bird but a bit shy.  At first, he would only land outside the dining room when I was sitting there alone, then he gradually started coming every da,y whoever was there although he still doesn’t like it if E-E is moving about, and more recently started feeding most days from the dish half way up the pole. He is now well established, several times a day and sometimes calling for a mate (I assume) who joins him there!  They are beautiful birds – and they know they are – really showing off their glossy plumage.

    ANNETTE – re your comment on “I had to be moved” – sometimes I feel like I am just a piece of furniture!  But E-E is always there to move me when it is for my own comfort too!  I hope MsD will be a good girl for Grandma and Great grandma while her mother is away and that your GD will have an equally good journey back at the end of the week.

    AQ - our “Annan- History Town” Group is holding it’s fourth annual Summer Festival this year – looks interesting but access is not always ideal for me.  Will have a look when the full programme is published.  Our lawn man seems good – we are wondering whether he will do the “weed and feed” as well as the mowing and trimming.

    HARELADY – glad you had some recreational time away as well as the babysitting.  Your friends’ house sounds lovely.

    LINDA – sounds like you are having a good relaxing time despite mixed weather.  I think I missed four Sundays at church – one when I was on the reading rota so E-E did it, and one when It was my turn to lead prayers (Easter Day) so I prepared it for him to read.  It was nice to go this last Sunday without a job to do!

    RUSTY – you will be able to think of your friend every year when the primroses are blooming in the churchyard.

  • OG - what a lovely thought that I can remember my friend when I see the primroses. I hadn’t realised that.

  • Hello all- thought I'd better appear !

    I've been thinking about an air fryer but that's as far as I've got. Apparently 45% of British households have one. My son is the only family member who has one. They use it to cook meals for the two younger children, who eat at 5pm. The rest of the family have their evening meal later. 

    Not a lot happening here - some asked about physiotherapy. I have been given exercises for my arm/shoulder( which is still bothering me)

  • So given the chance again would you go to see the 2017 eclipse that I was urging you to travel to?

  • I know someone who was raving about how good air fryers are. I have not seen one yet.