Hope everyone has a good week.
Dried lion poo … wouldn't fancy being the person who had to collect that!
I remember the Challenger disaster very well. One of those events where most of us can remember exactly where we were and what we were doing. I was driving in Putney on a very rainy afternoon when the report came on the radio. I can remember going cold all over at the awfulness of it all. Amazing to realise it was 32 years ago - whatever happened to all that time?!?!?
So sad, but very touching:
www.bbc.co.uk/.../world-us-canada-45133855
Ospreys Rule OK, but Goldfinches come a close second!
Had a good day out – weather gave it a holiday feel even though it was basically a shopping trip – also good to be driving much of it in countryside. Had a salad lunch at Dobbie’s – considered all other options, but I ended up with the Greek salad – feta, olives etc – same as last time. Got the scones we wanted and one of the cheeses and even found OH a new garden fork – very posh Spear and Jackson. We spent ages among the plants and looking again at some possible future landscaping. We bought a replacement Mint (previous one from a different garden centre developed bad rust), a Chrysanthemum (to follow on after current summer pots on the deck), and the Broom shrub which we went for! M&S was also a successful venture and we chose some different ready meals to freeze to try to reduce OH’s cooking responsibilities! My legs were not very helpful – I couldn’t get comfortable in bed last night, so both were very unresponsive when I got up this morning. I used my scooter at the garden centre and the wheelchair at M&S where there is less manoeuvring space, but had difficulties getting in and out of the car. I did eventually remember, J’s trip to Carlisle was to book his car’s service and first MoT, and then go to the cinema – I assume the film he saw was not available at our little local one.
Heather – that was an early start in the garden – well done!
Pat – those were my thoughts after our first wet day following the heatwave – “can we have our summer back now, please”! But it is great when you can hear the garden enjoying it! We are expecting to be back to rain tomorrow, I believe, although the forecast keeps changing due to a “wobble” in the Jetstream.
Annette – sorry you have it muggy there – presumably due to your proximity to the coast – as well as having the gloom from the fires up north. They really are extreme this year! Maybe you will be better able to sort out carpets and furnishing in time for – dare I say it – Christmas? Orioles and Humming Birds sound like a fantasy world to us over here, but sorry about the rodents – agree that could be down to a shortage of predators.
Diane – what a great selection of rodent repellents – if you used that lot together, I would think they would leave because they were so confused!
Annette and Pat – strange about memories – I usually have a good memory for detail, but the only clear recollection I have of where I was and what I was doing was that terrible day of 9/11, and when I think about it, I can take myself back to the room I was in and the material I was reading for an essay – which I never could bring myself to finish!
Feeling quite tired – I think some relaxing TV is called for – well, actually a quiz show, but they are my favourite!
Hi, I have my brother who lives down South and family up here for the week to Monday. Not staying with me, but in a cabin over Ullswater way. They were out today for a walk in the nice weather. We met up on Tuesday with my sister and husband and her daughter and 6month old baby for a pub lunch, very nice to get together. I will see that brother again tomorrow along with the brother that lives quite nearby, for lunch again. (I have 3 brothers if you have lost track, the other visited a few weeks ago...!)
I keep wondering whether to mention that the brother, D, living nearest and also in age to me has recently been diagnosed with prostate cancer, an aggressive type. He went to Preston yesterday for the preliminaries to radiotherapy, which starts in 2 weeks for 7 weeks! All the way to Preston, 50 miles, it is awful we do not have anywhere nearer. My mother had to go there too.
I did mean to say that i had a nice time last week in Wales, osprey watching at several nests. The weather could have been better though! I also really enjoyed a visit to Bodnant Gardens, I had been before once many years ago, and at a different time of year.
Good Morning. Rain on our windows..... but that's all! It was supposed to be 'heavy showers' for several hours this morning, but we seem to have missed it yet again. My OH is off out on a Golf Day, but I've told him that I will be praying to The Rain Gods for something for the garden.
Chrisy - Glad you enjoyed Wales. I too, went to Bodnant Gardens many many years ago. It's well worth a visit. We must have gone during the springtime when the famous blossom laburnum arch walk is in bloom, as I remember being impressed with it.
Hope that Annette has not fallen off her ladder, picking oranges!
Unknown said: So sad, but very touching: www.bbc.co.uk/.../world-us-canada-45133855
How lovely to see orioles and hummingbirds, Annette. I'm going a bit green with envy here!
There was activity next door yesterday: its empty and we are awaiting our new neighbour. Some men arrived and dumped a whole lot of garden pots on the back patio (which I can see if I squint over the fence!). We think that maybe our new neighbour may move in today, Friday is a popular day for moving. The sun is still shining and I have washed some towels: whether it will deteriorate and I won't be able to put them out, I don't know.
OG: I have not asked my Friend about the hormone treatment yet: she was very tired when they called for the dog and just told us the bare bones of what had been said in their long consultation. My OH had hormone and radiotherapy when he had prostate cancer, but that was to dull down his testosterone which apparently feeds the cancer in that case. It seemed to work, and he is fine now. I must say that I'm relieved that my Friend did not have to make the decision on whether to go for chemotherapy, as we discussed it once years ago and she said that she would find it hard to decide whether to put herself through it.
She has had family visitors since then so I have left them in peace to talk amongst themselves and come to terms with the diagnosis.
Just read back and realised that I've been so busy I missed saying that I was sorry to hear Chrisys news about her brother having Prostate Cancer. I do hope he can respond to treatment, Chrisy: we had quite a drama when my husband had it, three years ago, but we met a lot of people having radiotherapy and most of them seemed to be getting better, so it is effective. My OH went to Christie Hospital in Manchester which is only about 45 minutes from here, so not too bad, and on main roads all the way. Your poor brother sounds as if he is going to have quite a trudge back and forth, all that way, which is the worst part really, having to turn up every day. My best advice is to go early and get it over with, even if you have to rise very early, that way you have the rest of the day free.
Nice that you all managed to meet up for your pub lunch: I know what its like to live a scattered life, my relatives are all miles away.
Good morning from a lovely wet Annan! Rain began about 11pm last night, and thunder and lightening woke us at 3am. Storm was quite short, but there were further showers through early morning and breakfast time. Sunny now, with more showers expected. All opted for a quiet day at home (apart from OH’s current Tesco and butcher outing) as several commitments tomorrow. We shall actually be busy this afternoon with the plants we bought yesterday, and others delivered by mail.
Chrisy – enjoy your get togethers with the visitors from the south. Sorry to read about the Brother with the cancer – I suppose the Cumbria Infirmary in Carlisle would be just as far as Preston from where you are? I had my radiotherapy in Carlisle a few years ago – opted for daily trips over the border rather than accommodation away from the family, in Edinburgh. When we lived in Preston, our Son had to go to Manchester for his treatments! Pleased you enjoyed the holiday in Wales, with several Osprey nests and the gardens.
Linda – I hope you may get some more rain in the next few days – maybe when your OH isn’t at golf! I had thought of your Friend’s hormone treatment possibly being due to her original breast cancer (as suggested by Heather), but I thought you had mentioned her having at least two other cancers since that one. I have a daily oestrogen inhibitor (by tablet) for five or more years after the breast cancer; apparently, even post-menopause, the body even turns natural testosterone into oestrogen which makes some cancers grow. I thought you said she had been diagnosed with stomach cancer, but now they have apparently referred her for bone cancers – maybe this will be clearer when you and she have had a good chat, if she is up to it! It is good that she is getting a chance to talk it through with her family members. As you said to Chrisy, it is good to get scattered families together; even if Daughter’s wedding had gone ahead with original plan, our other Daughter was not going to join us – but I am still hoping we might have everyone here for J’s 40th birthday next summer!
Well, I guess I should be getting on with something now instead of sitting here droning on! Have a good weekend, everyone.