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Hey, Rusty!
Sorry, but any delay in my replying is your fault, because I have been watching - and listening! - to Michelle Obama "rocking" with James Corden!
Excellent!
However did you happen to come across that?
I have looked up "a hackneyed expression" in my Brewers.
Yes, it is related to Hackney the place name.
Brewers states "the allusion is to a weak hired horse , as originally raised at Hackney"!
There is more....but that is the "nitty-gritty"!
(I'll look that up another time!)

Hello, Elle!
Was not the First Lady brilliant?
She has music in her veins!
I am a fan!
Have to get her on BGT!
I think YouTube "suggested" it to me.
It is amazing what is on there.
I watched a bit of Verdi's funeral last week!

Hi, Rusty!
Yes, Michelle Obama is certainly a versatile lady!
She is doing great work with her project "Let Girls Learn", which is helping adolescent girls get a good, quality education, thereby enabling them to reach their individual potential.
She believes that a girl with a good education can shape her own destiny, lift up her family and improve her community.
I do so agree with her!
Her singing Stevie wonder songs with James Corden let us see another side to her!
Er.....should I ask how you happened on Verdi's funeral?
Were you just browsing? or did you have some reason to look it up?

Hello, Elle!
I have added Michelle Obama to my Twitter list.
She is the biz!
I would have to say she is my very favourite First Lady.
i cannot quite remember what brought me to Verdi's funeral.
But, he composed my all time favourite piece of music.
"Va Pensiero". (i have it on several CD's.)
His funeral was in Milan in 1901 and as the cortege passed along the streets the crowds sang Va Pensiero.
So Va Pensiero and Verdi's funeral go together, for me.
Toscanini conducted the music at the funeral.
Well forecast for tomorrow is good.
Hope so!

Good morning, Rusty!
We have yet another nice day here - we are really being very fortunate.
And temperatures are down to maximums of 21C, which suits me much better.
My friend has just been to collect the dog! She is looking after her today, as we are going out with younger daughter, BB and baby.
We are going to a Stately Home near my daughter's where the grounds are open to the public but dogs are not allowed.
Hall Place is a stunning Tudor house with magnificent gardens situated on the banks of the River Cray in Bexley.
The gardening team there won a Green flag award for its gardens for the twentieth time last week!
The grounds are very extensive and very much inhabited by Canada geese! They are everywhere! On the river, wandering across the grass, investigating picnics........
There is a Museum, and an Art Gallery in the old stables, plus a riverside cafe.
There is plenty to do for young children!
We shall leave here in about an hour,and plan to be back about teatime, picking up the dog en route.
Shall you see Miss L-B today?
I am sure she will have lots to tell you about her holiday.

Good morning, Elle!
Another nice morning here.
Hope your day out goes well.
Bexley is a new name to me.
I have heard of Bexleyheath?
I shall leave La Bamba in peace for a day or two.
The family dog was very excited to see her back home!
I do not know when she returns to work.
Not been out yet.
Have breakfasted, and watched the First Lady again!

Have great day out elle. Those geese do make the most appaling mess, though.

I am off to the wood to camp with the family- well, we will all cook on an open fire and they will sleep in a tent but I prefer my bed. Let's hope no large animals are on the prowl!

Good afternoon, Rusty!
Back home again!
The weather was somewhat disappointing initially......we had heavy rain for a couple of hours, so we all remained in Welling, at our daughter's house, till it had passed.
Playing games with BB!
Left there for Hall Place about 12 noon.
Lovely sunshine from then on though, so all was well!
The gardens there are beautiful!
The rive rand lawns are inundated with Canada geese and some Greylag geese, and mallards.
Enjoyed our lunch at the riverside cafe and walked for miles!
I am exhausted!!!!
What have you been up to ?



Hello, Ros!
Thank you, we had a lovely day!
I hope your camping goes well and that it doesn't rain on you!
You will feel guilty (or maybe not!) at going home to your comfortable (dry) bed, and leaving your family in the wood, should it be raining!

Good evening, Elle!
Fine and cool here, too!
I went up to Glenisla today, parked my motor, and had a dander.
Just got home and my son came a-visiting.
You seemed to have had a good day out, too.

Good evening, Rusty!
I am glad that you had an enjoyable day out!
Ah yes, you have mentioned Glenisla before.
One of the Angus Glens?
Is it far from where you live?
You timed it well if your son arrived just as you got home!
I see that there are 3 cases of Zika virus in East Yorkshire.
All believed to have been contracted overseas as we don't have the (relevant) mosquito here.
Zika can be transmitted sexually but the risk is very, very small
Funnily enough, Zika virus has got put on a back burner with all the furore about the IOC!
I hadn't realised, but apparently there have been 53 cases of Zika diagnosed in the UK since 2015.
Reading on, I discovered that although extremely serious to babies born to mothers who have the virus, other folk suffering from Zika recover after 2 to 7 days (it just wears off)
I'm thinking how strange that something as serious as Zika (declared a global public health emergency by the WHO) should so suddenly go out of the limelight!
The focus just shifted.......but the danger in Rio must still be there .......?