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Hi, Rusty!
I still have to buy the family cards...but will start writing all the others soon...maybe tomorrow.
I am awaiting my husband's erecting the tree - a difficult job - and sorting out the lights, and then I shall decorate it.
The cat "helps"...only he takes off, what I have put on....
He is under the impression that the coloured balls are there expressly for him to bat about the room!
I am hoping, though, to have the tree finished by the weekend.
Some one has smashed the wing mirror on our car...…
My husband has just gone down the road to see if the local car repair shop can fix it!
I hope it won't entail a trip to Volvo as that is some distance way.
One way or another, today is turning out to be a somewhat frenetic day!

Good evening, Elle!
A pity about your wing mirror.
Hopefully it's an easy fix.
I have had a canny day.
Finished my puzzle earlier.
I have seen 25a before, but did not know what the word meant.
A good puzzle!

Good evening, Rusty!
How have we got to nearly eight o'clock at night?
Where has my day gone?
I seem to have been spinning around......
The wing mirror turned out to be the least of our problems!
The very kindly mechanic said that he would order the replacement glass for it by tomorrow, bring the car back at noon, and he would fix it then......and then offered to share his fish and chip lunch with my husband!
Now that is service....!
I never got around to completing the puzzle.....there were too many distractions.....
"Autodidact" was a new word for me , too!
I liked "sic" at 26a.
It is definitely time I had a coffee!

Hello, Elle!
There's no fish and chips on offer at my garage!
More's the pity!
Seems to be a fairly straightforward job, though.
It seems colder tonight.
Maybe just me and my old bones!

Hi, Rusty!
Yes, it sounds a simple job....
I wonder what happened to break the mirror?
Maybe a car hit it a glancing blow?
The car is booked in for a service with Volvo in the New Year.....there are one or two fancy touches that our usual mechanic cannot sort out.
I never asked whether Miss L-B enjoyed the Lewis Capaldi concert in London?
I'd never heard of him...but there is a Dr. Who actor called Peter Capaldi.
Any relation ?
Yes, feeling cold here, too!
Dry though!

Hello, Elle!
The mirror could have had a glancing blow, but most are on a spring-back mechanism.
You can just push them flush against the window.
When the bin lorry comes down my narrow street, the lads push back all the mirrors in case the lorry clips them.
I am wondering if your broken mirror was an act of vandalism?
I don't know anything about the concert.
I have not heard of Lewis Capaldi, too.
I think that was what she called him.
I think she was at a show as well, but I don't know what one.
I'll ask her if I remember.

Good morning, Rusty!
A cold but lovely sunny day.
Better by far than warm and wet!
We do normally remember to push back the wing mirrors against the car.
It is an automatic gesture...but, on this occasion, I may have forgotten.
( Yes, it was on the passenger side!)
But it may well have been vandalism......
Ah well, it is getting fixed at lunch time.
Expensive though? £95.
I have a "free" day today in that I do not have to go out again, other than walking the dog this afternoon.
I think a neighbour is popping in for coffee this morning .
How about you?
Do you have anything planned?

Good morning, Elle!
Fine morning here, too.
No frost.
A pity about your mirror.
There are nasty folk about who "key" cars.
Scratching the paintwork as they walk past.
If you think about it, Elle, leaving a car on the street or in a car park, is leaving it fair game to anyone walking past.
I have no plans today, so far.
I was out earlier but I think I am home for the day now.

Hi, Rusty!
Grrrh! I had just typed out a reply, when it all disappeared!
So here I go again!
We have frost galore!
The roofs, cars, and grass are covered!
It all looks very pretty!
The pavements fortunately are clear.....but the paths in the park were a tad slippery.
However, a hard frost equates clean dog, so you will not hear me complaining!
We have no alternative to leaving the car parked on the street, Rusty.
We have a reasonably sized front garden.......but no drive nor garage.
I guess we are lucky it was just a cracked wing mirror.
Now........how about this for a spooky coincidence?
I am reading "Human Traces" by Sebastian Faulks...and what word did I come across last night but "autodidact" !
I wouldn't have bet on that happening!
My neighbour has just phoned to say she will be here in half an hour.....
(Just time for me to push the hoover round!)

Hello, Elle!
It is mild here today and has clouded over.
My car stays on the street, too.
I have seen "autodidact" several times, but I never looked up the meaning of the word.
Anyways, there are no new words for me in today's puzzle!
It was not too difficult today.