HAPPY NEW WEEK!
Instead of an inserted picture, I'm offering A LINK this week. It's a photo that won an Audubon Society Photography Award, which shows an American Osprey and an Eastern Kingbird. I'm sure the Osprey was fine, but the photo displays the fierce nature of our Kingbirds.
I hope you all have a wonderful week! Safe travels to all those on the roads.
You've had a lovely time with the family, LINDY and I'm absolutely sure that they loved giving you another birthday!
Yes, my friend helped me but I wish so much that I could help her. She and her late husband were devastated to learn that their daughter's marriage was breaking up. This was followed by an estrangement between them and their daughter. So, not allowed to see their beloved grandchildren. She is convinced that all the upset accelerated her husband's death and is having great difficulty accepting her daughter back into the family. The upside is that she now sees her granddaughters again, which of course, she is delighted about. I feel that she has suffered so much:-(
How sad, Heather. It's awful when grandparents are separated from their grandchildren: they must have been heartbroken. And the upset over the marriage, too. Your friend has indeed had a hard time of it.
A huge bang this morning, as we sat with our tea in bed. Delivery of a big skip, next door! - the lady who bought the house has gone away for a couple of weeks whilst they take out the old bathroom, knock out a wall to make it bigger, and put in a new one! We still have workmen up the road, too, where the new extension is taking shape.
It has been a noisy year for you, LINDY. Not much happens around here - except that next door have had rather nice wrought iron gates installed today!
Heather: I don't understand. Your friend didn't side with her daughter when the marriage ended?
No, DIANE, she didn't. Her daughter had an affair, out of the blue. My friend was, and remains, very fond of her son in law, who was broken by the split. It is a long story but both she and her late husband were appalled at some of the things that their daughter said and did. The ' other man' was not a very savoury character - the affair didn't last longer than a year or so. My friend's daughter had estranged herself from her family and divorce ensued. After another six months my friend's husband died. The daughter neither came to see her father during his last illness nor attended his funeral. Now, two years later, she has reappeared and slowly things between mother and daughter are improving. The two grandchildren are delighted to have their granny back in their lives. My friend became quite ill, physically and mentally. She had suffered a double bereavement, in effect.
Heather: I see. I hope they can all heal and find happiness. I'm glad you enjoyed your time together. Best wishes on your new garden ideas, Heather.
Lindy: Welcome back. Glad you had a nice visit.
AQ: Welcome back to you, and I hope you will kick that awful cold completely and immediately.
Chrisy: I hope your brother will be comfortable. Best wishes to him. OG: The urge to swap around furniture and stuff is probably related to winter coming -- preparing to hibernate. LOLPat O: Your cruise sounds so lovely. I hope you enjoy every single minute of it. After you return, you'll have to tell me about the sites or shows you decided to enjoy in St. Petersburg. Safe travels to you.
Annette: Enjoy that lovely visit to the hacienda-style hotel. That temp is very hot. I'd sit in the air-con, too. They probably have cable on demand, Netflix, and other channels, too. (I liked that recent sci-fi series called The Crossing.) Have a safe journey home. After your niece leaves, I look forward to stories about condors. I've always wanted to see one.
Diane - thank you for your good wishes. I leave tomorrow. If you wants to track the ship, I will be on Columbus. Still haven't quite decided on the excursions … but I will have done by Thursday! I intend to enjoy it fully - it's been on the wish list for so many years! I haven't been on a cruise for about thirty years - I think things will have changed quite a lot!
Have a good day, everyone. I'll be packing and trying to leave everything the way I hope to find it when I get back! Masses of paperwork to get through … aarrgghh!
Good Morning All, and Bon Voyage to Pat: it sounds wonderful, and I'm sure you'll have a truly brilliant time. The Columbus is a beautiful looking ship.
Hope all our friends in the USA are going to be OK, the hurricane heading your way soon is pretty grim. I see there are evacuations taking place.
Heather - Your friend has had a horrendous time. She must have been glad to spend time with you, and chat about things both concerning her daughter and also other unrelated subjects, to have some relief from the worry.
I'm off to Tesco this morning for a couple of things, then going to visit my Friend who enjoyed her daughter's visit last week & the weekend.
Hello all - brief input from here, got to go and get haircut!
Dry at the moment here but quite windy.
Pat - I have looked at your cruise ship - lovely and not too big.
Hope all are OK. I am wondering about DIBNLIB - hope is all OK there, Dibnlib.
'See' you later, must fly!