Busy all day - will catch up tomorrow. Have a good Sunday all (don't forget to check last pages of previous thread. Somebody has been posting photos of puppies again!)
Too many previous postings for me to comment on All - but I have enjoyed them! (esp. liked your Eagle pic, Alan!)
Annette: I prefer white wine, but do enjoy a red occasionally. Also like the pink variety, Rose or any other name (a rose by any other name.....?). Glad there's light at the end of your flowery, paved and walled tunnel. Especially like the sound of the lovely trees.
Lindy's Film Review
We went to see "The King's Speech" today, which you have no doubt heard a lot of good things about, in the media. The cinema was almost full to bursting point, so other folks must have been influenced by what they had heard, too. It did not let us down!! The three of us decided that it was well worth all the fuss, and more.... if Colin Firth does not get an Oscar, he's been robbed! He gave a sterling performance, aided by an almost equally mesmerising one by his counterpart, Geoffrey Rush - between them, they must have had a lot of lines to learn as they were in almost every scene. We were swept away by the feeling of being there, back in those days of royalty being so very remote from the ordinary man, and of the times when the terrible possibility of another major war was being talked of in hushed tones... But the story itself was of the relationship between these two very different men, and how between them they fought the Kings own personal war with himself, to overcome his problems. I recommend it, and defy anyone not to be impressed by all the performances.
ps. I see dibnlib has been to see it, too..
1st egg at Friends of Blackwater Eagle Nest: http://www.friendsofblackwater.org/camhtm2.html. One week earlier than last season.
Cheers!
Hi everyone.Thanks for all your updates, pics, links etc. All great stuff as always. Sorry I've not posted for a few days but I'm hoping to get back into the normal way of things by tomorrow. We had a bit more snow here in the last few days but it looks to have all been washed away by the rain. Saw a Goldfinch in the garden yesterday. First I've seen for a few weeks. I've also noticed an increase in Chaffinches, who seem very fond of the sunflower hearts. The Starlings continue to provide endless entertainment, especially in the birdbath, and the House Sparrows are full of cheeky energy as always. :-) In fact all the birds brighten up even the dullest of days.My kindest regards to everyone.Paul.
Warning! This post contains atrocious spelling, and terrible grammar. Approach with extreme edginess.
dibnlib said: LYNETTE I was only 20 and Wg Cdr probably seemed too over the hill to even size him up.....how things change!!!! however OH would like me to say that he was considered rather a handsome RAF guy in his time - and not bad now I hasten to add, he was military Air Traffic Controller Sqn Ldr and not Dentist wg Cdr.
LYNETTE I was only 20 and Wg Cdr probably seemed too over the hill to even size him up.....how things change!!!! however OH would like me to say that he was considered rather a handsome RAF guy in his time - and not bad now I hasten to add, he was military Air Traffic Controller Sqn Ldr and not Dentist wg Cdr.
Alan - thanks for the eagle pic
http://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/things-to-do/wildlife-webcams/loch-of-lowes/
RSPB Giving Nature a Home
Kellogs - Hi, glad the storm was not quite so fierce as first thought, still those winds are pretty strong at 80mph.
Love the pics of the eagle and egg, will look in on the site.
Friday afternoon and another week disappearing fast! Great news, chatter, pics, links. Thank you, everyone. I found this gem when I was browsing . . .
I've been told the way to achieve inner peace is to finish the things I've started. Today I finished two bags of potato chips and a chocolate cake.I FEEL BETTER ALREADY!!!
Evening all: Fist thing: Must apologize for monster post that follows - all fairly superficial blather; don't feel obliged to read! Also am too tired to proofread, so please excuse non sequitors, typos, poor spelling or syntax, mix up in responses to other people's posts, etc.
Another wall-to-wall busy but productive day. Landscapers arrived early and had to heat up oatmeal FOUR times before I finally had a minute to cram it down. Desk is assembled. Hurray! Took most of the day with me and OH standing on our heads wielding screwdrivers, pliers, and hammers while trying to match up various bits of hardware with illustrations in handbook and wondering why we had more holes than we needed and why A didn't fit with B. We called the store where we bought it and Bob in the warehouse told us not to worry about it; that it sounded as if we were doing fine. Somehow ended up with several leftover nails, screws, etc.,, but desk is sturdy and all the drawers open and shut properly. Did not attach some decorative wooden side panels since I lost one of the nails down the inside of the metal legs (Bob told us he always did those bits first to get the most frustrating part out of the way, but we were way past that stage). Instead, I put some matching plastic "plugs" into the holes, but was short about 8, so cut circles of duct tape (same gray) and stuck them over the less visible holes. Brilliant!
Olive trees and some of the larger plants were put in today. It's actually beginning to look like a garden rather than an abandoned lot. Thank heaven, no contractors of any kind due tomorrow, so am planning a very slow start to the day and then a little bit of tootling around for one thing or another. Went to the Rose Society meeting tonight for pruning demonstration. I've done it a lot but you always learn something new and besides, they have great desserts (orange cake, cheesecake, and persimmon cookies!). The annual "come one, come all" pruning of the Mission roses is this Saturday, so I'll be there to help out; however, hate to have well-meaning but inexperienced folks going after "my" roses with dull loppers and bypass pruners so I'll go up there tomorrow and take care of them myself.
Spoke to the Panasonic folks who took the telly and they expect replacement part to arrive tomorrow or Monday and will call to schedule delivery - lady who answered the phone sounded very efficient, which was reassuring,
Diane: The Indianapolis trip sounds like just what the doctor ordered. Friends with dogs, restaurants and shopping! Wonderful. And so nice to hear that you had a good visit with your brother and his fiancee (not to mention the red-tailed hawk). All good stuff. Hawk encounter must've been thrilling - but not the flat tire,
OG: Grandson is 20, going on 15. Very affable but still living on his own planet. They say the front lobe of the brain doesn't fully develop until the late-teens or even the early 20s; hence impulsive (and expensive) behavior. Not being snide when I say I do believe it's a guy thing (complicated by pesky testosterone!) :-)
Brenda: Now safe to mention desk. :-)
Alan: Your secret (about the eagle pix) is safe with us!
dibnlib: Wg Cdr Quant? Brother of Mary herself? A glass or three of wine, eh? OH and I will go out for nice dinner when garden is done and drink a toast to no more home improvement projects.
Margo: Hope toilet behaves itself for the duration of the winter. All that flooding in Australia (and now Brazil) gives us all a chance to put our frustrations (desks, landscape contractors) in perspective. I bet that Billy Whizz is going to miss you when you're off in Italy; will be interesting to see if he reacts any differently when you get back. I love Italy; what part are you going to?
Djoan: dibnlib says I can have three glasses of wine (but then I'll fall into my food). I notice you used "pharmacy" in your post. Do they still refer to them as "chemists" (the name we used when I was growing up).
Lynette: I don't understand this La Nina bit - they told us back in the summer it was shaping up to be a La Nina year (dryer than normal) for California, but we had tremendous rains in early December, which is typical of El Nino years (wetter than normal). Re red wine, it affects me more (histamines) than white, but really there's nothing quite as delicious as a good red. Enjoy your dinner out on Saturday. Phoebe looks very perky in that last pix.
SheilaFE: Dixon of Dock Green! Was that Jack Warner in that role? Ah, the good old (non-violent) days. Aha! Now I see that you used "pharmacist" (used to be "chemist"). Joined-up writing was what was missing with our landscaper earlier this week :-) Thanks for link to bird deaths; will check it out.
Kellogs: You're so right - we've all been going a mile a minute on this blog for some time now. Wonder what it would be like if we were all in the same room..... Very interesting about the "new" Phoebe (but where is "old" Phoebe?)
Lindybird: A rose by any other name - very good. :-) Colin Firth should've got an Oscar the last time he was nominated (A Single Man was it? Can't remember. Didn't see it but everyone here thought he was brilliant.) Think he lost out to Mickey O' Rourke or some other sentimental favorite. Love Geoffrey Rush too. Have a fun time with grandson; what a treat.
Heron: You been hanging out with Gary? He's been AWOL too. Always good to see you.
AQ: Glad your Rx for inner peace is working out (was never offered chocolate cake at my yoga classes though....)
Going to fall into bed - thanks everyone for pix and posts. Have a lovely Friday.
Just came on to say 'Hi' as off soon to hairdressers - she's 'doing me' earlier than usual today. Also will have to brave Sainsburys on a Friday - Ugh!
Thanks to Kellogs for earlier links & pics, and for the lovely eagle pics just over the page.
Annette: Glad to hear that the End is nearly in sight, and that you can enjoy your garden again, without lots of burly men galumphing around! Hope the rose pruning goes OK. Whenever you mention them (the roses that is) I get just a whiff of that lovely perfume - gorgeous!
AQ: So very sorry to hear of the awful conditions and events over there. Thanks for the cheerful words.
More dreadful news this morning, of Brazil. Lets hope that all these awful floods and winds will soon stop their rampaging around the world.
I have not told Son, but have a very sore throat since last night, and am wondering if our visit South will be posible after all, if I have some sort of malaise. I shall be very sorry for myself if we can't visit Sweepea, and we have presents & cards for D. in Law as its her birthday soon. Will have to go get haircut and forget about it, and hope it goes away by tomorrow.
No weather here today! and its quite mild. Have a Good Day, All.
AQ That will give me an excuse to finish the chocs we have in from Christmas. I like it.
LYNETTE I served 6 years as Assistant Air Traffic Controller and was at Leuchars. Wildenrath and LATCC, OH was at Colt, detatched Belize, LATCC, Shawbury, Lossie, Shawbury, Leuchars, detatched Falklands HQ STC and ScATCC perhaps our paths crossed ????
ANNETTE Pharmacy or Chemist same thing