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Hello, Elle!
Peter Falk was excellent as Columbo.
There will be folk all over the country like your husband and you, trying to erect the Christmas tree!
Here is rather a sad tale about Christmas.
Someone has stolen baby Jesus from a Nativity display in a church up in Perth, would you believe!
What is the world coming to!
I hope the culprit is found and chastised!
The temperature has been rising here all day.
We are up to 6 degrees!

Hey, Rusty!
I have been reading about Mr M's introductions to his books......
In one instance , notably the first chapters of "Centennial", I did find the initial descriptive passages somewhat heavy going - remember we were talking about this?
Mr M is now explaining that he writes this slow "heavy" introduction deliberately, in order to eliminate the sheep from the goats - my words , not his!
He feels that if a reader can withstand such an introduction and persevere, then he /she is ready for the rest of the book!
Ummm!
That is a terrible tale about Baby Jesus being stolen from the crib - I hope he is found.
How to describe such an act? Is it blasphemous?
There was a clue yesterday (?) posted up on the forum....I thought that was possibly to be described as such...did you see it?
How is Miss ATW's flat decoration coming along?

Hello, Elle!
I did not know that about Mr M's early chapters.
Good luck to anyone who can get through the first chapters in "Space".
I gave up on it.
Was all about "matter" and "light" and "black holes" and other terminology which made not a bit of sense to me.
Grim reading!
This is the second year running that baby Jesus has been stolen from that Church.
I do not know what clue you mean.
Some threads I do not open, as they are way over my head.
I know my limits!
The flat is coming on very slowly, as it is only Miss ATW and her Dad doing most of the work, though a plasterer is coming next week.
Is the tree to the fore yet?

Good morning, Elle!
Update!
Just read on BBC News that baby Jesus has been found, and the police have reported three men to the procurator fiscal.
Weather seems to be a lot milder this morning.

Good morning, Rusty!
A fine day, and yes, much milder here, too!
It had rained overnight though, so I decided to "test drive" my wellies!
All seems to be ok!
I guess hard wearing will be the only real test!
Still, not a bad effective repair for under a fiver! and I still have some glue left in the tube should I need it again.
(Strangely, it needs to be kept in the freezer!)
That is good news about Baby Jesus being found...but three grown men as thieves?
Whatever would they want with a religious icon?
Do you have plans for today?

Hello, Elle!
Well done on the welly repair!
Yes, keep what is left in case you need it again.
It will be in your Amazon list of purchases, if you needed more, some day.
(In case you forget the name!)
I am sure there is a reason for the freezer!
Yes, they are very pleased at St John's Kirk with the return of the baby Jesus.
Maybe high jinks? Wonder where "high jinks" comes from?
Maybe in Pigale's books!
I have been to the garage to pay my bill, which he made up yestreen.
So, I timed it right!

Hi, Rusty!
That is good that you were finally 'allowed' to pay your bill!
We have the same problem with our mechanics friend.
He has his own garage, but I wonder how he makes it pay if he is as lack-a-daisical with all his customers as he is with us!
I looked up "high jinks" in Brewers, with a view to telling you the answer.
But it is very "longwinded", so best look it up yourself - there is quite an interesting explanation!
I have been doing household chores all morning!
I deserve a coffee, and a look at the crosswords!
Then it is back to writing Christmas cards.......

Good morning Elle and Rusty!

Another beautiful day after the usual very frosty start. Still minus something early mornings.

Now, this is what I have found:

'High jinks, a somewhat dated expression for fun and pranks, was originally the name of an ancient drinking game played with dice, and the antics of the players gave birth to the phrase.
Sir Walter Scott described the game in his novel Guy Mannering in 1815'

This is just from one book - the others do not give the expression, but I have not checked my Brewers.

PS - the full lengthy quote appears in my edition of Brewers
(Millenium edition)

Are you both OK!

Hi, Pigale!
Fine, thank you!
How are you?

Thank you for that !
Brewers (my edition is the 18th) goes on to explain how the game is then played........
"........those upon who the lot fell were obliged to assume and maintain for a time, a certain fictitious character, or to repeat a certain number of fescennine verses in a particular order.
If they departed from the character assigned........they occurred forfeits........."

Chambers tells me that "fescennine verses are rude extempore verses in which the parties bantered and ridiculed one another"
(fescennine means obscene or scurrilous in nature)