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Hi, Rusty!
Yes, our son is working over Christmas, too.
His hotel is always busy at this time of year.
Hopefully, we may see him tomorrow or Monday......but otherwise it will be between Christmas and New Year.
He will phone on Christmas Day though.
I think I shall go and wrap the last of my presents...I meant to do them earlier this afternoon...but got side-tracked!

Good morning, Elle!
Great day here, with hard frost!
Hope you managed to finish your wrapping.
I am heading out soon, with Miss O.

Good morning, Rusty!
That was great timing!
I was just logging on.......
It is raining here and looks set for quite a time.
A poggy dog this morning!
Yes, wrapping all finished, thank you.
Have a great time with Miss O at the Pine Cone.

Good afternoon, Elle!
Still a lovely day here.
Roads were a bit icy at the Pine Cone.
Miss O had us skidding, now and again!
But, we had a nice time.

Hi, Rusty!
It hasn't ceased raining here!
A very miserable day.
We decided not to take an afternoon walk.....
I am glad that you and Miss O had a good outing..... it sounds as though it was rather a hair-raising trip though!
I have just been chatting on the phone to an old school friend.
We have been in constant touch since our schooldays, have always lived relatively near to each other ( give or take several miles) and used to meet up regularly once a month in Croydon.
(You may remember that......I used to take the tram!)
Then, due to family circumstances and health issues , she and her husband moved last year to live in Devon, near to their son.
So now we make do with phone calls!
I have done the Everyman, but have given up on the ST cryptic......it is a Jumbo puzzle today... too much trouble!

Hello, Elle!
Oh, the hair-raising trip was just for Granddad.
Miss O thought it was great fun!
I agree about the Jumbo puzzles.
I've not done one in years.
Too much of a slog!

Hi, Rusty!
And still it rains!
But hey, let's look on the bright side...at least it isn't snowing!
Our forecast for tomorrow and Christmas Day is fine, but very much colder.
I have recently been reading all genres of books that I haven't set eyes on for years.......all unearthed from my recent "sort-out".
I have just finished a Nevil Shute bearing my maiden name on the inside cover!
I dare not say how old that must be!
It looks a tad faded......I had completely forgotten the storyline!

Good evening, Elle!
Poor you and the rain!
It is dry and frosty here.
Temperature +1C or +2C, and the gritters are out.
So, scraping car windows in the morning!
Is your book sort out complete, yet?
I think I have only read "A Town Like Alice", by Shute, nothing else.
It was a good read, I thought.

Hi, Rusty!
I prefer the cold and the frost to the wet!
Yes, my book sort out is 'complete,' in that I have now given away all the "surplus" books.......
I am now down to about five hundred that I shall keep.
This count does not, of course, include any of our text books.
However, my intention eventually is to stack the books in 'author' order.
This looks like being a somewhat mammoth task, and one that I have put on hold for the time being!
Maybe I shall make a start on the project after the New Year.
I have just read two books by Nevil Shute..."Most Secret" and "So Disdained"
I enjoyed both.
Yes, "A Town Like Alice " is a good book.
I liked the film , too, although it was not strictly accurate ...and missed out huge chunks of the book's storyline.
Did you see the film?
Virginia McKenna as Jean Paget, and Peter Finch as Joe Harman.

Hello, Elle!
I prefer the cold, too.
Though I may prefer rain to frost when Miss O is driving!
I have memories of seeing "A Town Like Alice", but it was a long time ago..
I always liked Virginia McKenna as an actress.
She would be one of my favourites.
I missed out on recording a documentary/biopic of Bing Crosby last week on Sky Arts channel.
His wife and daughter took part.
Hopefully it may be repeated and I'll catch it!