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Good morning, Rusty!
A dullish start to the day.
( I hate these dark mornings when I get up!)
But the sun is creeping out now.
I have several deliveries due to arrive today....
I am just awaiting my "time slots," so that I will know when to expect the parcels.
Hopefully, all will have come by the time I want to go out for a second walk this afternoon.
I have nothing else scheduled for the day.
Did you get what you wanted from Screwfix?

Hello, Elle!
It's a lovely day here!
Yes, successful trip to Screwfix.
The store has had a makeover recently.
The store layout and access has changed, and much more parking now.
I am home for the day now.

Hi, Rusty!
Ah, that is good that you have had a successful shop!
All this going to Screwfix etcetera sounds as though you have a lot of jobs on hand to do?
But better not let work tasks interfere with your watching of the golf?
Prioritise.......!
I have been ploughing through all "My Contacts" in Hotmail and trying to update them.
What a task!
But I think I have it all sorted to my satisfaction now.
I am still waiting on some deliveries.......

Update, Rusty!
I have had a phenomenally efficient day!
I have reorganised "My Contacts" online.....ordered the remainder of the "goods" that I failed to do yesterday when the computer defaulted....
waited in for my deliveries......sorted out and boxed some books......
And still found time to fit in our afternoon walk!
But I have just been listening to "Eggheads" and Egghead Steve said that he intended keeping every single one of his ten thousand plus books!!
He is "stockpiling against a rainy day"!
Er..maybe I should reconsider throwing out so many of mine....?
If an Egghead can set a precedent...?

Good evening, Elle!
My son is going to tackle most of the jobs.
I shall do the rest, but we have everything we need to hand, after the trips to Screwfix.
I have not seen much of the golf, but Europe are 2 points ahead of our American friends.
A promising start!
Good you have got your deliveries!
Steve will never read or re-read that many books.
I would pay him no heed, Elle!
I have just finished the puzzle!
I liked 19a and 6d!

Hi, Rusty!
I was but looking for an excuse to hang on to some of my books....!
My pile of "I must just read that one again..." is growing!
I haven't got around to finishing today's puzzle...I was too engrossed in my various tasks!
Yes, I have heard of Nelson Eddy.
And "ear lobe" is a good one!
My favourites so far are 15a : mileage and I especially like 17a: autopsy.
"Topsy" - "I just growed" - from Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel, "Uncle Tom's Cabin".
Now I know I have this book somewhere - it is definitely one that I must read again!

Hi elle
Is that also Brer Rabbit "please don't throw me in the briar patch"?

Hello, Chris!
You have lost me here with the reference to Br'er Rabbit?......
Or is this the answer to another clue?
I well remember, as a child, reading Enid Blyton's version of the Bre'r Rabbit tales...
But these were originally related by Uncle Remus...in the books written by Joel Chandler Harris.

Hi elle
I have a vague memory of Brer Rabbit being caught (by Brer Fox?) and saying "please don't throw me in the briar patch" as he knew that he could then escape.

I think it's all second hand, though - I don't think I've ever read the original Uncle Remus tales.

Found it! (on Wikipedia)

"In one tale, Br'er Fox constructs a doll out of a lump of tar and dresses it with some clothes. When Br'er Rabbit comes along he addresses the Tar-Baby amiably, but receives no response. Br'er Rabbit becomes offended by what he perceives as the Tar-Baby's lack of manners, punches it, and in doing so becomes stuck. The more Br'er Rabbit punches and kicks the tar "baby" out of rage, the more he gets stuck. When Br'er Fox reveals himself, the helpless but cunning Br'er Rabbit pleads, "please, Br'er Fox, don't fling me in dat brier-patch," prompting Fox to do exactly that. As rabbits are at home in thickets, the resourceful Br'er Rabbit uses the thorns and briers to escape. The story was originally published in Harper's Weekly by Robert Roosevelt; years later Joel Chandler Harris included his version of the tale in his Uncle Remus stories."