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Good morning, Pigale!
I have the same weather as you!
Beautiful day, no wind, a slight frost.
I eat very simply, Pigale.
I certainly would not call my preparations "cooking".
Just a "means to an end"!
A treat I have on occasion, is to go to my nearest fish and chips shop and buy some. The quality is excellent, and there is usually queuing out the door.
But that is just when I feel like spoiling myself!

Good day, Elle!
You are a busy bee today.
Anything to do with Lent?
I have given up climbing trees for Lent.
Weather on Tayside is glorious.
Very enjoyable!
Yes, I have got my paper, but I do not look at it until later.
Was getting the news at ASDA about the new babies.
All (two) getting on great!
Still reading Ludovic's book. It's first class.
I have vouchers to use at Waterstones and Amazon.
I like Waterstones website. It is well laid out.
Are you having a bash at The Times crossword today?

Sorry, Pigale,
I meant to say I am glad everything went well with the kittens.
You and their Mum will be glad to have them home, soon!

You know Rusty, I used to love eating fish and chips with my fingers when it was all wrapped in newspaper! But there again I was in my teens then - good old days.

Hello again, Pigale!
I am so glad that the cats are fine! You will be happy to have them home - as will their mum!
Regarding "sacred"... thank you, but we weren't looking for a synonym - my argument was rather that the adjective should not have been used to describe the 'man' but rather the 'music'!
I still like to eat my sausage and chips from the chip shop with my fingers! (what does being young have to do with it!)

Nothing much I guess, except for the fact that they are not wrapped in newspaper nowadays; anyway, the chance of me eating some in France is very remote.

Hi, Rusty!
Well, down here, we shall have our own new baby hopefully very soon now (mid-March!)
Youngest grandson is getting very impatient for his brother's or sister's arrival!
You are lucky still to have vouchers for use at Amazon and Waterstones. I have finished all that is in my account, so I shall feel guilty if I spend too much on purchasing yet more books! (but I might just have a look at the 1p pages.........!)
When you do look at your paper, you will see that Jess Ennis- Hill's coach is advocating that the BOA moves its preparation camp to a Zika virus - free zone well outside Brazil.
He also says that he will put no pressure on her to compete and defend her title - he considers that he has a duty of care to advise the best for her.
Good for him!
The front page of The Times is somewhat controversial, too...........parents are seemingly advising their offspring never to 'dally' with someone of an opposing political persuasion!
Yes, I shall have a go at the 15 x 15 later on........
Meanwhile, here is a clue for you (and Malone if he is reading this) from the Times QC.......
10A: In the morning, I leave China (5)

Thanks for the Times QC clue, Elle.

I found today's big/main/real Times crossword an awful lot easier than yesterday's. I don't think I was any smarter today, I think we all just get on better with some setters.

I had no problem with Byrd, sacred composer. In crosswordland, this just came across as a composer who composed sacred/religious stuff (which Byrd did). The shorthand of crosswords often leads to these things, slight misdirections and so on.

Hello Amigo-Elle!,
Kenya are ready to boycott the Games due to Zika.
They are very concerned with the potential effects on their female athletes.
I entirely agree with them, and Jess's coach.
Why is there no leadership on this issue from the Government, the British Olympic people, our Prime Minister or Minister of Health? Do they hope Zika will go away?
We will wait forever on Coe doing anything.
He is an irrelevance.
Any woman going should be given the facts from medical experts, not from those with vested interests.
I have just set my machine to record a prog this evening
"California Dreamin'" about the Mamas and Papas.
I liked them. Hope it is good.
Just off for a walk to see the snowdrops!

Hello again,

Well, the feline family is duly reunited and quite happy about it too !
My bank account is duly debited by a fair amount (!!!), and not really happy about it!

Still, no more expense now until end of August for boosters for the three of them.

So nice to see blue sky after the past few days, but not quite sure how long it is going to last - we'll see.

Elle, I forgot to mention about chip to the Vet - Am going back in 2 weeks for stitches out (Free !) so will ask then - anyhow, it's done now.