Weekly Chat, Sunday May 29, 2011

jsb:  Got your message and will respond further but in the meantime wondering if UK ladies have any opinions re sheets available over there since postage could be expensive if ordering from a U.S. company.  I tend to buy all cotton, the higher the thread count the better the quality - nice and soft. There's a company called Bed Bath & Beyond where I typically buy them (they mail discount coupons every month!) but apart from that, they're generally nowhere as expensive as regular prices at the large department stores.   Let me think...    Ladies of LG (guys too): Got any suggestions UK side for jsb while I ponder?  (If you want to sell your house and first-born child, there's always Ralph Lauren, but take the smelling salts!!)

jsb - If you type in - say - 'high thread count bedlinen' into your search engine you will get some UK options. I have been with friend in California when she bought fantastic high thread count sheets, probably from the same store that Annette has mentioned??? TK Maxx sometimes have American high thread count sheets but its a bit hit and miss and not what you would probably want for a gift.

Ladies, this wedding list I am making up, is more of a slant on the fanciful, rather than the practical. To demonstrate this.....I suggested a Buddha statue, as I understood the couple were interested in SE Asia, but that was a non-runner. Incidentally the Buddha was in a gallery at Forest Row, near Weir Wood reservoir where I spotted the osprey last Wednesday. So you see why I wanted genuine American.....although I may end up getting it here if the transport is too costly.

I don't know, if I can post a photo of the Buddha......the gallery lady may not like it.

jsb: Heather mentioned TKMaxx - here it's called TJ Maxx (no mail order) and has better quality stuff than its two rival stores (Ross and Marshalls) but as Heather also pointed out, it's hit and miss (although have seen some Ralph Lauren on their shelves).

jsb, You could spend a fortune on the sheets and they may never be used. Have the couple made a wedding list, which may say what sheets they prefer and what colour and even from which shop. I have found that is what happens these days. I will whisper this, but Harrods will always obtain whatever you are looking for and it is not always the most expensive, especialy if you can wait for their sales, which are usually the end of June/ early July.

Heather: What's considered high count thread over there?

Hi folks, been on other thread for most of the time today.

Thanks for all your news.

Alicat - see you are going away on Sat - have a lovely break.

OG - what fantastic pics of the birds

Not a lot going on here today but a fabulously warm day, mostly sunny with some cloud around. Ran out of bird food yesterday and ordered some more from Pet Supermarket, just hope it hurries up and arrives soon or else they will think I've abandoned them.........lol

Brenda H: Harrods sales are a favourite in this neck of the woods. Also here there is a TK Maxx, which as you say is a bit hit and miss. The groom is my nephew. In common with a lot of youngsters, they don't need that much and are a bit reserved as far as their list goes.

Annette - I would say 500 but online they talk about much more. In our local stores I think it would be difficult to get above 250 but I am will ing to be challenged on that by any other Inverness residents who are more knowledgable! When I say local stores I am excluding TK Maxx

‘Evening, all.  Morning was dull and breezy, but turned into sunny and warm afternoon and evening, with hardly any breeze.  OH and I just watered the whole garden – amazing how the wind had dried it out after all that rain we had not so long ago.  My little Runner Beans are valiantly opening some new leaves so should be able to feed themselves and grow, so not entirely written off.  Temp cleaner came this afternoon – older than me and with two replacement hips, but she did a good job, while I sat around feeling guilty.

Enjoyed all the posts overnight and today. 

Margo – sorry about your OH’s day ending as it did last night.  Not good driving back to work with the swollen ankle – I hope he hasn’t made it worse, and that he is sitting with his feet up this evening.

Alan – our alpha male Chaffinch doesn’t sing, he just pronounces his superiority with a single repeated monotonous shout!  But we still love having him around, and often answer him!

Lindy – glad you suspected trouble from shower before any serious damage was done.

Joan – do look after yourself in this hot weather!

Brenda – very envious of your Nuthatches – they have only been recorded in Scotland in very recent years, so numbers and breeding will no doubt increase with climate change.

Annette – I find that I can confuse thirst signals with hunger – and if I eat I feel more thirsty – so if I think I am hungry, I have to stop and think which it really is!  If plants are disappearing underground, sounds like Gophers – big trouble!

Here is the baby Goldfinch (without head markings) and a back view to show the quite adult-looking tail – a surprisingly slim baby!

No way this young Starling could be described as slim – more fluffy than some which are still being fed by parents, but this one is very self-sufficient – like sitting continuously over half an hour eating in the feed tray – and repelling all comers!

And we have three young Blackbirds – I think from the nest in our hedge - can't get them all together so this is a sample!

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Planning a day at Caerlaverock tomorrow, hoping there are still some baby ducks and waders.