I'm following you, Squiggle - book and bed.

Goodnight everyone.

EL - how awful and sad about your clients

night yogi and everybody

Good morning everyone

 

It is quite possible that with my ill client the pancreatitis, shingles and blood clots are connected. He is one of those people who hadn't seen a doctor for many years, so it is quite possible that he had had lesser symptoms in the past but ignored them. If I hear anything I will let you know,

 

It's fairly cloudy but dry at present. Long term forecast over the next 4 weeks shows generally changeable weather, temperatures around average sometimes a bit below, sometimes a bit above. Although some snow is expected at higher levels up North, at present there is nothing in the forecast to suggest that there will be a repeat of the exceptionally bad weather a year ago, (But please don't hold me to that )

Good morning everyone. After yesterday's downpour, I hope today's weather will be a bit better -  although it is looking overcast atm.

El, I think a lot of people are guilty of ignoring symptoms and hoping they will go away. Or feeling that your symptoms are too trivial to bother the doctor, I know I am guilty of that.

I hope your client is diagnosed very soon, so that his treatment can begin.

Got the weekly shopping to do this morning, but I'll be back later.

Morning everyone Through the gap in the curtain I can see dark cloud, but I don't hear rain.. I'm not getting up just yet either Beating was an interesting experience, I had one of the easier positions which meant a bit of waiting around, but I'm very good at standing around daydreaming.. The fell was beautiful, I enjoyed the fresh air, walking through heather, bogs & jumping ditches is tough on the feet though! Luckily I did not fall into any bog pot holes I willed the little grouse to stay behind me, I did see several escapees they really are beautiful birds, it's a very bizarre concept that people pay several thousands of pounds a day to shoot them if I were that rich I'm sure I'd have very different hobbies! It was lovely to see my SIL & future BIL and their gorgeous doggy! Stream cuddled up with me by the fire and even let me put my reindeer antlers on her I won that book on eBay £3.50 including p&p, and after the heavy wilbur smiths of late, I'm reeeeeally looking forward to some lovely Christmas reading 31 sleeps to go! I missed you all yesterday

Good morning everyone, its quite a nice morning again.  Glad you won that book Summer I know you will enjoy it, I could give you a guarantee I am that certain

 

Got to dash off the post office soon, I have a book swap to post off, its all books this week.

 

Have a good day.

Welcome back, Summer. We missed you too.

Glad some of the grouse managed to escape.

Aww, Stream sounds like a good-natured little dog, I'm sure she'll make a good mum when the time comes. Do you know when they expect her to be in season again, Summer?

I'm looking forward to receiving my Christmas books. I have checked and they have been dispatched.

Squiggle, I hope there isn't a big queue in the PO. That reminds me, I must pop in and buy stamps for posting Christmas cards. Not that I've even started writing them yet.

If you haven't seen them yet, this is this year's Christmas stamps set:

Those look nice, thanks El.

The ones I posted above are very special, not only are they zero calories, but they didn't cost me anything. I'm not sure though that you will get such a good deal from the post office.

I think you may be correct.

I don't know if any of you read any of Anne McCaffrey's science fiction books, but I see on the BBC website that she has died. She was 85. Many of her books were set in the world of Pern and dragons. She is the favourite writer of the daughter of someone I know very well at church. I've already rung the mother to let her know so that she can break the news to her daughter.

 

I did read quite of few of her books, but they weren't amongst my favourite. Many years ago I was visiting a science fiction bookshop (can't remember whether in Bristol or Birmingham) and she was there signing her books. I did get a book signed by her but don't have it any more. I can't say that she seemed a nice person though.

 

The only other writer I have ever met and got a book signed by him was Colin Dexter (the Morse books). Colin Dexter did seem to be a much friendlier person, and if it wasn't for the fact that there were lots of people waiting to get books signed, we could have had a good chat.

Sad news about Anne McCaffrey EL, she was one of my daughter's favourite authors.  I have quite fancied reading her Dragon series of books but I think I am daunted a bit by the quantity, if there are a series I feel as if I have to read them all, am I potty or what?

You are not potty at all, well if you are, then so am I. I think there are around 20 in the Dragon series, the later ones were co-written with her son Todd. Dragonrider was due to be published next June and After the Fall was in progress of being written. I would expect that in due course Todd McCaffrey would complete them as a tribute to his mother.

 

I have read most of her earlier books, but went off them when they just seemed to be being churned out. One of her earlier non-Pern books was Decision at Doona which I quite liked. In this one humans make contact with cat-like aliens.

Sci-fi is not a genre that I read, so I hadn't heard of the author you mentioned, El.

 

Good to hear the Colin Dexter was nice when you met him. I am a big fan of Morse.

I used to like sci-fi many years ago, when it was really well written and made you think about things in a different way.  I haven't found many good sci-fi books for ages now and I could be wrong but I think that the Anne McCaffrey books mentioned might be following the trend nowadays which is not pure science fiction but more veering towards fantasy, i.e. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings etc, which is not to my taste.

 

Anyway I'm heading off to read now, so catch up tomorrow.  Night night everyone.

Goodnight Squiggle, sweet dreams.

I recorded Living With The Amish on Ch4, off to watch it.

Sleep well everyone, see you tomorrow.

For the night owls.

Oh sorry to miss everyone, we've had MIL here today. Yogi I wanted to watch that Amish programme, I'll look for it on 4od! Sweet dreams all in here, El, love the stamps, thank you

Good morning everyone. Weather is horrible today, with heavy rain and strong winds.

Summer, I hope you can find the Living With The Amish programme on 4OD, it was very good.

How is your MiL's health these days, I hope she is well?

Good morning everyone

 

Sunny at present here, but I think there may be some showers later.

 

Squiggle, I think Anne McCaffrey had a lot to do with popularising stories which are a mix of science fiction and fantasy. Dragons are so associated with fantasy and she brought them into science fiction. But I don't think anyone has come up with a definitive definition of what science fiction is, and there has always been a crossover between science fiction and fantasy, Arthur C Clarke's books are clearly science fiction as is some of H G Well's. Tolkien's is clearly fantasy. But Jules Verne's A Journey to the Centre of the Earth, although classified as science fiction, can be taken as fantasy. Then the comics where the likes of Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon are classified as science fiction, but have very little to do with science.

 

In more modern times, take Star Trek and Star Wars. Star Trek is essentially science fiction, a lot of it is based on possible scientific advances and in real life, some scientists are working on making some of them real. I don't think you can say the same about Star Wars - they are the equivalent of Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon.

Morning xxx
I have my granddaughter for a few days so wont be around much . Take care xx

I hope you and your granddaughter have a good time

Good morning everyone, Skylark enjoy the time spent with your granddaughter - precious time

 

As regards science fiction I suppose I am a purist.  I do like pure science fiction and dislike fantasy - with the only exception being Discworld which is just plain daft but silly.  Pure science fiction doesn't seem to be written any more but hey ho tastes change.

 

I have set the box to tape the series of Living With The Amish and I am looking forward to seeing it, I thoroughly enjoyed the previous series which was the other way around, with the Amish teenagers coming over here on rumspringa (their chance to let off a bit of steam).  The Amish do fascinate me, in some ways they are so right and in so many ways they are so wrong.  I did have to laugh at something I glimpsed yesterday about rogue Amish going around and cutting off people's beards but there's probably something much more sinister behind it.

 

A nice morning, hope it is where you are too, enjoy your day.

There is, if you read this BBC news item it goes into more detail, but it's about a feud in the Amish community which has got out of control.

I don't read much science fiction now, but Stephen Baxter is possibly the closest to Arthur C Clarke. Orson Scott Card's Ender series is worth reading, though he does write books which don't really fall into science fiction.

Morning all It's a breezy but sunny and bright day here, we're just getting ready to go to York for the day I love York! Yogi, my MIL is in pretty good shape lately thank you, she sometimes has the odd off day but all in all, doing great I downloaded the 4od app for the iPhone and have the Amish programme on there, I've managed to watch about half of it do far and am thoroughly enjoying it! Skylark I hope you have a lovely time with your granddaughter

Oh and I LOVE star wars! Especially yoda!

Skylark, have a lovely time with your granddaughter.

Glad your MiL is feeling better, Summer.

Thanks for that EL, very interesting.  Sadly although the Amish started out as God-fearing people some if not many part of their sects have wandered far from God and have got bogged down in mere tradition.

I went out to the shops and the wind is freezing! The "Risk of ice" warning message flashed up in the car, too. Winter is on it's way.

What a horrible thought Yogi, we have all been spoiled by this mild November.  I do hope we have a milder winter than the last couple.

I hope so, Squiggle. I don't want to be snowed in again.

The next 3 days are very windy in Northern England and Scotland, and it's that which will make it feel cold.

The latest longer term forecast from the Met is:

UK Outlook for Wednesday 30 Nov 2011 to Friday 9 Dec 2011:

It will be a largely unsettled period across the bulk of the UK, with the wettest and windiest weather generally towards the northwest, with gales and spells of heavy rain or showers most likely here. Showers will turn to snow at times over high ground in the north, perhaps falling to lower levels on occasion, with a low chance of this also threatening central parts of the UK at times. There will, however, be some drier and more settled interludes too, especially towards the south of the country later in the period. Temperatures are likely to be around or a little below the seasonal average, bringing an increased risk of frost overnight almost anywhere during any more settled spells.

followed by:

UK Outlook for Saturday 10 Dec 2011 to Saturday 24 Dec 2011:

The generally changeable westerly theme is likely to continue through the middle part of December, with spells of wet and windy weather separated by some drier interludes. Generally, rainfall amounts are expected to be around or a bit above average, meaning that western areas will on the whole see more rain than the east, although some rainy spells are likely for all parts. Sunshine hours should also be close to or slightly above normal, with eastern parts more likely to experience the best of the sun. In terms of temperatures, many places are likely to see a trend towards somewhat milder than average conditions, but this does not rule out some colder snaps and the chances of frost and hill snow will continue to increase later in the month.

 

So although winter is on the way, there's nothing there which suggests to me that the extreme bad weather of a year ago is expected.

I am relieved to hear it, El.

I confess that I don't like the more recent James Bond films. I see that today it's been announced that the part of Q will be taken by Ben Whishaw in the next one. That is a very strange choice. Whishaw is only 31 - the only thing I've seen him in was that rather odd BBC series "The Hour" where he was the young upstart.

 

Also in it apparently is Albert Finney though I don't know which part he will play. It's not M as Judi Dench is doing that again.

I thought that was strange casting for the part of Q, he seems very young for the part.

I don't watch James Bond fims any more (used to watch the Sean Connery ones) but Mr Yogi and sons do.

I think I gave up too when Sean Connery quite, I think me and my hubby found them too formulaic - the books were very good.

Apart from the Sean Connery ones, I can't say I really liked any of them. On Her Majesty's Secret Service does have some merit, mainly because of Diana Rigg, and because of introducing "We have all the time in the world" which although not the title song is I think an excellent song. I think the best of the Roger Moore ones is For Your Eyes Only as that is the one which concentrates more on being a genuine adventure story rather than massive explosions, and also because it did away with all the double/triple/quadruple entrendres that plagued the other Moore ones - he actually comes across as having some moral conscience.

debbie harry was asked to sing 'for your eyes only' but turned it down so sheena easton did it

 

just thought id share that info with you