Early Risers.

[New Haven Neil]

Which makes me consider that when we eat there next weekend, there will be Jews, devout Catholics, CofE Christians, atheists and a don't know, and we're all the best of friends.   Real friends, the type you can rely on when thigs go bad.  There is hope for the world yet.

[jamie92208]

3 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

Which makes me consider that when we eat there next weekend, there will be Jews, devout Catholics, CofE Christians, atheists and a don't know, and we're all the best of friends.   Real friends, the type you can rely on when thigs go bad.  There is hope for the world yet.

That reminds me of a committee I was once on. Next to the Catholic Monsignor was a former salvationist turned pagan. I was there as a Baptist and we were merting in a C of E church and we all got on very well..

 

Jamie

[Winslow Boy]

1 minute ago, jamie92208 said:

That reminds me of a committee I was once on. Next to the Catholic Monsignor was a former salvationist turned pagan. I was there as a Baptist and we were merting in a C of E church and we all got on very well..

 

Jamie

 

It's funny the things that spring into your head when you read something.

 

This jogged a memory of my father attending a funeral of a Catholic friend. They were all standing round the grave and the priest lent over to my father who was a lapsed C of E to ask how my father's team had got on.

 

It turned out that the priest was a keen follower of Salford City - up the 'ammies' and that was how he knew my father.

 

It just goes to show that it takes all sorts to make the world turn.

[BoD]

24 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

It turned out that the priest was a keen follower of Salford City

The priest at the church that Valerie goes to is chaplain for the local professional football team.  I’m sure that if he could, his vestments would be red and white striped.

[pH]

3 minutes ago, BoD said:

The priest at the church that Valerie goes to is chaplain for the local professional football team.  I’m sure that if he could, his vestments would be red and white striped.

During WW2, while in the RAF, my dad was in charge of the football teams in units he was on. At a station in Egypt, the right winger on the team was the Catholic chaplain. On one occasion, they had a game arranged on a Sunday morning. The chaplain had a mass to say, probably going to finish about 15 minutes before kickoff. Dad had a jeep sitting outside the church, and he stood at the back. The priest walked off the altar and arrived at the jeep about the same time as dad. He’d had his kit on under his vestments and put his boots on on the way to the pitch.

[Dave Hunt]

19 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

The mythical Kraken is well known to viewers of the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise - "release the Kraken" being a catchword.

 

The first time I ever came across the idea of the Kraken was many years ago when the John Wyndham book The Kraken Wakes appeared.

 

Dave

[iL Dottore]

3 hours ago, polybear said:

 

SWMBO:

"And just WHEN did Lucy start wearing Chanel No.5??"

Since she rolled in a cow pat and had to be shampooed and in the absence of proper dog shampoo, a little bit of human shampoo was used. Leaving Lucy smelling like roses (so to speak).

Were iL Dottore to tread the path of sin, you’d find that both Lucy and Schotty would be the most shampooed dogs in Switzerland 

[Ozexpatriate]

21 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

The first time I ever came across the idea of the Kraken was many years ago when the John Wyndham book The Kraken Wakes appeared.

I don't remember when I first encountered it but was certainly quite young. There's a reference to it in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, (I think) when the Nautilus is attacked by giant squid. (There's also a reference in Moby Dick, but I did not read that until much later.)

 

I'm pretty sure I must have seen a reproduction of some sort of woodcut / engraving of it grasping a ship like the ones on the Wikipedia page.

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. The five day forecast is cold for most of the week BRRRR! with some hill snow, even in the south west. I won't be going out much next week.

[polybear]

2 hours ago, New Haven Neil said:

Which makes me consider that when we eat there next weekend, there will be Jews, devout Catholics, CofE Christians, atheists and a don't know, and we're all the best of friends.   Real friends, the type you can rely on when thigs go bad.  

 

I wonder if that would still be the case if all were faced with the S4um Bring & Buy Stand.....

 

Bear here.......

....who's been fighting with the Multiquote function several times today - seems to be playing up at the moment.....

 

Framing for the C.U. Box "ongoing" - the front frame is assembled and holes drilled n' plugged in the wall and ceiling ready for fixing; I did discover I'd got the size wrong** after the glued joints had set.  Only a minor Turdycurses, however - the box was slightly too big bigger than it needs to be rather than too small, but only by 20mm (meaning it extends down the wall a little lower/further) but I can live with that.  I'll fix the front frame tomorrow then add some end and bottom bits.

 

(**Despite all the "measure twice, cut once" business)

 

I did manage to get Bear's tea-time toast right this evening - yesterday I managed to spread Strawberry Jam onto a slice that'd just been spread with "Seriously Spreadable Smoked Cheese Spread".  Tasted Ok though.

 

Apart from that, nottalot else really; NNNND have had a very minor back garden revamp to make it a bit more kiddy friendly - including rather a lot of new fencing panels that must've cost a few quid; there was plenty of life left in the old panels (just a few slats needed replacing and a coat of creocote and it would've been fine for a good few years yet).  Hopefully no-one will moan about the height either cos' the fence looks well above 6ft and it's adjacent to a road, which is a no-no.  Doesn't worry this Bear though as it makes their garden more secure - which makes my garden more secure.

Edited January 15, 2023 by polybear

[Winslow Boy]

16 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

I wonder if that would still be the case if all were faced with the S4um Bring & Buy Stand.....

 

Bear here.......

....whose been fighting with the Multiquote function several times today - seems to be playing up at the moment.....

 

Framing for the C.U. Box "ongoing" - the front frame is assembled and holes drilled n' plugged in the wall and ceiling ready for fixing; I did discover I'd got the size wrong** after the glued joints had set.  Only a minor Turdycurses, however - the box was slightly too big bigger than it needs to be rather than too small, but only by 20mm (meaning it extends down the wall a little lower/further) but I can live with that.  I'll fix the front frame tomorrow then add some end and bottom bits.

 

(**Despite all the "measure twice, cut once" business)

 

I did manage to get Bear's tea-time toast right this evening - yesterday I managed to spread Strawberry Jam onto a slice that'd just been spread with "Seriously Spreadable Smoked Cheese Spread".  Tasted Ok though.

 

Apart from that, nottalot else really; NNNND have had a very minor back garden revamp to make it a bit more kiddy friendly - including rather a lot of new fencing panels that must've cost a few quid; there was plenty of life left in the old panels (just a few slats needed replacing and a coat of creocote and it would've been fine for a good few years yet).  Hopefully no-one will moan about the height either cos' the fence looks well above 6ft and it's adjacent to a road, which is a no-no.  Doesn't worry this Bear though as it makes their garden more secure - which makes my garden more secure.

 

Only if it's within 1.5 m my Bear. Ask me how I know.

[Dave Hunt]

An interesting time last night. We were just about to go to bed when Jill noticed that Horace the cat was behaving oddly - walking very slowly and stiffly then sitting down with a crying sound and just staring straight ahead. He had also been sick. I tried to pick him up and he gave out the most awful shrieking growl and struggled to get away, in contrast to his usual pleasurable purr. This was obviously quite worrying and as he had been out until a short time before we wondered whether he had been poisoned so I rang the emergency vet helpline and was advised to take him into the out of hours vet at Telford so at 0015 we set off, having somehow got Horace into his cat basket. He was seen straight away and the vet, who was a lovely young Polish lady, gave him a full examination, concluding that the trouble was in his chest so took him away to shave the affected area. She came back to tell us that he had multiple puncture wounds in his chest and it looked as though he had been attacked by another animal, possibly a cat but maybe a small dog or even fox. She stitched him up, gave him a pain killing injection, an anti-emetic and the start of an antibiotic course. We got home at about 0230 and as soon as Horace was let out of his basket he went to his safety hidey hole, which is under the spare double bed, where he stayed until this evening. We have to take him to our own vet tomorrow morning for a check up and continuation of the antibiotic course. He ventured out from his hidey hole for the first time at about 1800 this evening but has eaten and drunk and is even purring when we stroke him so it looks as though he is on the mend. As the Bard put it, there's allus bl**dy summat.  

 

Dave

[Winslow Boy]

11 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

An interesting time last night. We were just about to go to bed when Jill noticed that Horace the cat was behaving oddly - walking very slowly and stiffly then sitting down with a crying sound and just staring straight ahead. He had also been sick. I tried to pick him up and he gave out the most awful shrieking growl and struggled to get away, in contrast to his usual pleasurable purr. This was obviously quite worrying and as he had been out until a short time before we wondered whether he had been poisoned so I rang the emergency vet helpline and was advised to take him into the out of hours vet at Telford so at 0015 we set off, having somehow got Horace into his cat basket. He was seen straight away and the vet, who was a lovely young Polish lady, gave him a full examination, concluding that the trouble was in his chest so took him away to shave the affected area. She came back to tell us that he had multiple puncture wounds in his chest and it looked as though he had been attacked by another animal, possibly a cat but maybe a small dog or even fox. She stitched him up, gave him a pain killing injection, an anti-emetic and the start of an antibiotic course. We got home at about 0230 and as soon as Horace was let out of his basket he went to his safety hidey hole, which is under the spare double bed, where he stayed until this evening. We have to take him to our own vet tomorrow morning for a check up and continuation of the antibiotic course. He ventured out from his hidey hole for the first time at about 1800 this evening but has eaten and drunk and is even purring when we stroke him so it looks as though he is on the mend. As the Bard put it, there's allus bl**dy summat.  

 

Dave

 

I'm a firm believer that for every good thing that happens to you there's an equally bad thing just around the corner waiting to jump out. My current success rate is three good things to one bad. Having said that there are some days when I struggle to get that high.

[Dave Hunt]

2 hours ago, New Haven Neil said:

Which makes me consider that when we eat there next weekend, there will be Jews, devout Catholics, CofE Christians, atheists and a don't know, and we're all the best of friends.   Real friends, the type you can rely on when thigs go bad.  There is hope for the world yet.

 

Jill and I are both Catholics, one of our best friends is Jewish and married to a Methodist, we are friends with the local C of E vicar (who was born and bred a Catholic), a great ex-RAF pal of mine is a Moslem, several other friends are atheists, our younger son is a humanist and some other friends have embraced Buddhism. Then it has to be said that we have no idea what beliefs a significant number of our friends and acquaintances have. So what? Does it make any difference when we meet? No, nada, zero, zip. And why should it?  I just thank God for good friends and get on with life and like Neil want to believe that there is hope yet for the world.

 

Dave

[Dave Hunt]

40 minutes ago, polybear said:

I did manage to get Bear's tea-time toast right this evening - yesterday I managed to spread Strawberry Jam onto a slice that'd just been spread with "Seriously Spreadable Smoked Cheese Spread".  Tasted Ok though.

 

A USAF mate of mine introduced me to the extra mature cheddar cheese and strawberry jam sandwich and it's yummy.

 

Dave 

[DaveF]

For various reasons I didn't post earlier about yesterday - it has been a busy day today.

 

Evri delivered part of my missing order, so I have now paid for the items, as the firm had refunded me when they didn't come the first time.

 

During the afternoon I had a very enjoyable walk on the promenade and the Links path, there was a lot of water running across the beach from the little burn.

 

In the evening I listened to Swiss Radio, then watched a piano concert by Yuja Wang on German TV and then read.

 

All in all a relaxing day

 

David

[jamie92208]

2 hours ago, BoD said:

The priest at the church that Valerie goes to is chaplain for the local professional football team.  I’m sure that if he could, his vestments would be red and white striped.

Our last Minister at Gildersome was a died in the wool Leeds United supporter. Somehow the club got mentioned in most of his sermons. The church treasurer supported Man U.

 

As to standi g round the grave, a good friend was bei g buried, it was rai i h hard and the grou d had a lot of clay in it.  It's a wonder that the priest, widow and several others didn't slide down on top of poor Mike.  At least they didn't bury him with his car keys in his pocket.

 

Jamie

[polybear]

1 hour ago, Winslow Boy said:

 

Only if it's within 1.5 m my Bear. Ask me how I know.

 

It most definitely is....probably 1m or maybe a little less.

[polybear]

47 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

A USAF mate of mine introduced me to the extra mature cheddar cheese and strawberry jam sandwich and it's yummy.

 

Dave 

 

Must try that one - tomorrow if I remember; melted cheese on toast with Jam on top sounds promising......

[polybear]

6 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

As to standing round the grave, a good friend was being buried, it was raining hard and the ground had a lot of clay in it.  It's a wonder that the priest, widow and several others didn't slide down on top of poor Mike.  At least they didn't bury him with his car keys in his pocket.

 

Jamie

 

A friend of Bear's is an Undertaker; they had one instance where a Piper playing at the graveside stepped backwards and fell down the hole - I'm not sure if it was occupied at the time....

[Ozexpatriate]

32 minutes ago, polybear said:

Must try that one - tomorrow if I remember; melted cheese on toast with Jam on top sounds promising......

Grilled cheese sandwiches are excellent with jam (with the cheese on the inside) - I prefer things like onion jam or pepper jelly (jam) but sweet jams* (darker the better) will work too. Also sliced apple is very good - like apple and brie.

 

In the US midwest there are people who like cheddar cheese with apple pie.

 

* There's a seasonal jam called "holiday" jam that would work well - one brand includes: figs, red tart cherries, cranberries, orange juice, dried cherries, ruby port, brandy, ginger, orange zest, cinnamon, vanilla, star anise, and cloves.

 

Edited January 15, 2023 by Ozexpatriate

[pH]

11 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

In the US midwest there are people who like cheddar cheese with apple pie.

 
That used to be quite common in many parts of North America - I remember seeing it on restaurant menus. But it’s years now since I’ve seen it.

[petethemole]

Dad introduced me to cheese & jam and cheese & apple sandwiches in the early 60s.  I didn't like stronger flavoured Cheddar as a child so normally had Edam.  In later years I grew to love mature and vintage Cheddar.  I still do but diabetes has put paid to the jam.

 

 

 

[Winslow Boy]

45 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

A friend of Bear's is an Undertaker; they had one instance where a Piper playing at the graveside stepped backwards and fell down the hole - I'm not sure if it was occupied at the time....

 

Wait till you have to get into the grave with a pump to empty it of water. This is a reopened grave by the way so...........

[Winslow Boy]

54 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

It most definitely is....probably 1m or maybe a little less.

 

Oh dear. A word in her shell like might be required but if its anything like here I don't think the council will do anything. Just tell her to make certain that if the 'fall over' they fall her side not highways.