Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 10 January 2016

Evening all: Was up at daughter's today, stocking her fridge and making sure everything clean and ready for return. Not a lot of work - grandson met me there and did a lot of fetching and carrying.  Saw a huge hog dead beside the road with a very interested coyote lurking nearby, but too wary of the cars going by to get close.

Diane: Thank you got for the new week ducky!!  :-)  Not sure we'll see the New Moon here - all overcast. And what a gorgeous rose! El Nino is being kind and  some big storms are due at the end of next week with smallones in between. What amazes me about California is that just after a couple of days of good rain the hills already have hints of green.  That's funny about the first vs. second story debate. I like second floors for one reason: I can sleep with the windows wide open and feel secure, not so on the first floor (first and ground floors I think in the UK).

Brenda: Thanks for refreshing my memory re Margo's latest transfusion.

Margo: All the best for next one and do so hope you'll be well enough for the Feb. concert. Huge hugs to you!

OG: Just Googled trench cake: Recipe included flour, margarine, vinegar, brown sugar, currants, cocoa, baking soda, nutmeg, ginger and grated lemon rind. No eggs due to shortages. As I'm sure you heard, this was cooked by families then mailed to the men in the trenches... Glad you liked the museum event.

Daughter and granddaughter are in a motel en route; apparently they both went in the hot tub then picked up a pizza for dinner. They should be here by lunchtime tomorrow, then granddaughter will fly back to Phoenix late afternoon.

Have a good Sunday everyone.

Thank you Diane for being our faithful starter! Yes the kindy hours must be to suit working parents. Dau was telling me that child care fees are so high that some mums returning to work after maternity leave, expect to have negative income for 2 years or so. They are happy to do so until child(ren) go to kindy or school in order to maintain their place in workplace. Dau knows that by staying home with her kids she will be at a big disadvantage when she tries to get a job. I think she is good at selling herself and thinking on her feet so she should be OK when the time comes. Fingers crossed. Meanwhile she is busy with educational play with them.

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I planned a salad tea for this eve. Darn weather is only 33 C, not the predicted 38. OH will be complaining that I could have cooked something! Too bad.

AQ: I feel so bad for parents when both have to work just to make ends meet, which seems to be a common predicament these days. I had a couple of young neighbors some years back, and they decided they were going to live very modestly while the wife stayed home with the kiddies but continued her education at nights when her husband was home. She got a job as a teacher when the time came for the kiddies to be in school. She used to grow huge sunflowers in her garden and harvest the seeds. Sometimes I wonder if some of today's parents could actually manage on one income, but have lifestyles they don't want to give up. So many children seem to be rushed from one activity to another and have no idea how to amuse themselves. But what do I know? Good luck with the lunch and two snack predicament!

Good morning, all!  We had lots of rain overnight but it looks like it's going to be a sunny morning.

Diane, I enjoyed reading about your crow - seems it recognises you.  Have you fed it before?  There's a crow at our local supermarket who recognises Limpy and caws at him for that reason.  Do you have any photos of your raven pair?

Annette, we were once in that situation when we had Helen.  I had to work full time for a few years - childcare fees took a big proportion of my take home pay but we were still better off than we would have been had I stayed at home.  I went to part time hours within a year of her starting school, which was much better.

Good Morning, All, and thanks to Diane for starting us off so cheerfully, plus everyone for their informative & chatty posts.

We now live in what was a bungalow (I've probably said this before so ignore me...) But we adapted it so now there is an upstairs bedroom & en suite shower room, but we retained the downstairs bathroom, so if we stay here long enough to become frail, we could ignore the upstairs part and live on one floor downstairs. That's the theory anyway. We've also discussed that if one of us is widowed, there are some nice flats for the elderly in the centre of our town. 

I'm glad I'm not the only one who talks to the birds: I address most animals as if they speak English!

I was not in a high earning job when we married, being a secretary, so gave up work to care for my sons as child care would have eaten up my earnings. We lived comfortably but very modestly, with one car and very few holidays. Now I seem to be trying to make up for it by buying plenty of shoes, LOL! My Friend & her OH moved into a house nearby with their daughter who was exactly the same age as my Youngest, and as Friend had a good career in Admin, she returned to work and I cared for her daughter at home- a solution for all of us. It was good for my sons, and fun for the little girl, too. She is now a successful Engineer in the south of UK (and a married woman, too).

Good Morning Everyone, A very wet and windy night, with the odd clap of thunder. It is still raining and we have a warning for tonight's rain.

Thank you Diane for starting the week with sure a lovely rose picture. I, also have some strange conversations with our garden birds, but I think, most of the time, they are just telling me that the table and feeders need refilling.

Daughter's pup will be getting picked up Mon - Fri for Doggy Day Care, but we have been asked to cover next weekend ( Fri night - until Mon) when daughter will be working nights and her partner will be working long days. I thought I said this would happen when I tried to discourage them from getting a dog :-(( We won't be able to dash up to London every time they are working similar shifts. There were similar problems when our son got Penny and they didn't work weekends.  I do miss Penny though, although she does seem to have settled in Singapore very well. Should I get a dog of my own and completely confuse the issue. LOL

For all you gull lovers:

Click on him to see more.

I started this thread nearly a week ago - there are some beautiful photos on it and it's worth a look.

Magnificent Seven

Morning all:

Limpy: Thanks for the link to Magnificent Seven - some really super shots there. What a talented bunch!

Clare: Was your gull shot at Felixstowe too?

Lindybird: That worked out well with friends' little girl. I agree there's a "diminishing returns" factor in these kinds of decisions.

Brenda: Oh dear, and you hate to say "I told you so."  Are you going to have to go to London to pick up daughter's dog? And this same creature will be picking up Monday-Friday by doggy day care?  Sounds more expensive than child care!  :-)

Gray and damp here. Ya gotta love it!  :-)

BRENDA    Met a lovely couple when out dog walking the other day. They had a lovely cockapoo called Wendy. They were in their 60sor 70s and Wendy was their first dog.Their sons now in their 40s were allergic . Her very word were "It is the best thing we have ever done"