A pleasant Spring day with a splash of sunshine. George has been walked in the woods and I've tidied round the cottage so now wait for a message to let me know I can collect Pat from the hospital and hopefully her son from the train station. Meanwhile George barks and barks and barks.... who'd have a Lhasa?

Patsy ~ Ah, the joys of democracy when a country is split! Much the same feelings exist in the UK when our choices are either far right Tories who support the rich while taking from the hardworking or an ex-commie that seems able to charm idealistic young voters into thinking extreme socialism is the answer. Of course most of us prefer the middle ground but little chance these days. Just for a minute yesterday, watching an interview on British tv with senator Jeff Flake I thought there is hope but then realised he is about to retire. Is he jumping the burning ship I wonder? Who knows Patsy, it could be the porn stars that take him down before too long!!

I forgot to weigh this morning but am sure once my visitors are safely away some sort of routine will return to my life.

Enjoy your day friends.
Jackie

Me too, shopping, cooking etc with Mike over.
A woman's place is in the home (?) so I will stick to ironing etc but empty my mind of all unpleasant thoughts and let the children sort things out!

Pom/chihuahua/shiatsu mixes bark a lot as well, sigh.

So, also.......hi and bye.
Anne.

PATSY, it's the 1st time I have seen the possible explanation for what is happening to our democracy, though I must admit to saying I suspected a coup! Somewhere today I heard that with Bolton coming back, the Cheney desires will be carried out!!! OMG! Florida is a very conservative state, but some of the survivors of the school shooting are becoming vocal and active, and they are our future! I have not felt as helpless in the past as I do now, because his followers make no sense at all. Some are lovely people and do not reflect his kind of sleaziness in any way. Yet the adore him! They are moral upright people so what are they seeing we don't see? JACKIE has explanations, but this goes beyond any common sense at all!
I can't think straight and I have accomplished next to nothing beyond a couple of urgent meetings today. One was about trying to decide to continue our grief support group, which at this point I think I belong to only because of the newer widows and widowers who feel so lost. But I still have a couple of issues, too, so I voted to keep it up. I wish our chaplain could attend instead of lead as he has had a very rough year in his family, poor guy. They are a lovely couple who give, give, give of themselves until they are both worn out!
SANDY, good for you, getting rid of that extra couple of pounds quickly! Moving will keep it off, too!
ANNE, I think most people are decent too, but confused about what's right or not in today's climate! How much responsibility should each individual take for morality and remaining ethical in a challenging world? Values really have changed and we have come to realize ostracizing people because of accident of birth is unacceptable, yet it is still happening! I do think democracy is worth fighting for if we can properly define what it is! And I don't mean warfare! I mean TALKING about it! I find few people wish to discuss it though, thinking it will go away! OK, too much for one day!
LIN, hope your day went well. Is 4 PM too late to snack? I'm hungry!
Buzz
..........................Always Believe Something Wonderful Is About to Happen!.......................

Our Spring weather has decided to take a break and yet this morning in the woods we noticed the first flash of white from tiny heads of wood anemones popping up through the leaves and the birds are certainly busy building nests so I think it's time I came out of hibernation too!
The decision was made yesterday for Pat's son to come home with me from the station, pack his mother's car and drive to the hospital, collect her and carry on to her home rather than us both travelling back and forth. It meant not being able to say goodbye properly but I will Skype her later today and wish her happy birthday. It seems very quiet and I'm feeling lost without a mission to complete but not sure I could have taken much more worry either.This morning when I heard the French police officer who swapped with a hostage in France and was then shot by the psychopath terrorist has died it brought tears to my eyes. What a waste and for what?

Sandy ~ Last night George was allowed back on the spare bed with all his comfy cushions to roll in so at least his routine has returned! LOL Yes Boris is too special to allow him to deteriorate and fade so I will continue to watch carefully but today I see the painkiller drops are working and he is walking with less stiffness in his legs. It's a battle to administer as he has the biggest teeth and claws but I tell him it's all for the best! Well done on losing that extra weight.... you certainly know what you're doing. Wish I did!!

Patsy ~ Cold rain? I know all about that! I'm delighted you will be our medical advisor because certainly blanket meds at a certain age are a ridiculous concept almost as if we're written off as individuals. Our generation is far more informed than before and of course we have access to so much information we can and should question rather than blindly trust. My friend Pat had a long conversation with her consultant so she understood what she's taking and any side effects. The vet I saw with Boris talked of a balancing act because what's good for one symptom could so easily upset other organs then gave me the options and passed the decision back to me. Doctors should do the same for us!

Buzz ~ Grief is such a complex emotion that can't be fixed as such but you know, it sort of becomes a part of us so it's good you can continue your support group. Do you think at one of your meetings someone could encourage the chaplain to talk about his own issues as well as lead? As for all things political I wouldn't want to be Chinese or Russian when it seems if you oppose you mysteriously die or get locked up but at least we can live with the hope of fair elections can't we?

Jackie

Sort of busy SANDY. The French policemans (a Lt. Colonel) death is heartbreaking. And to think he wouldn't be dead if the terrorist hadn't been allowed into his country. Makes one think doesn't it. Beautiful photo Sandy, and maybe, just maybe your sweet little boys will grow up to a no guns society. That is - for the general public anyway!

We haven't any snow, or rain, or thunder, but it IS freezing cold! Still below freezing at mid day. Roy just phoned from England because he thought it was Sunday. Apparently it's pretty awful there on the east coast and he can't get out to pick his daffodils or mow the grass. Not a sniff of a daffodil here of course! Anyway full of hope he's off to the garden centre with my cousin once removed (his stepson) to pick up compost.

So you can see I am having a pretty uneventful day when I have to rely on news from thousands of miles away to tell you gals. Mind you, the Bean and I enjoy uneventful days!

So, on that note I'll wander off and eat my fried rice, mushroom, onions, and assorted veggies. I made homemade salmon fish cakes for Michael and me yesterday and they were so good!

Anne.

Hi all, I'm wiping away tears, too, SANDY (Yours little boys certainly are just gorgeous!), but I'm afraid I can't ignore totally the politics going on around me, so I watched those incredible young people in Washington, Parkland, Florida, Boston, New York, and other places gathering to make a difference in their lives by getting the NRA out of politics! Our fabulous president would have given his eye teeth to have drawn such a huge crowd for his inauguration! (He claimed his was bigger than Obama's!) . There was one 11 year old from Florida who was so eloquent she amazed everyone. Another 17 year old young woman from California was determined to make us all understand how common gun deaths have become in so many families, and how it never loses the pain! I could not get over how mature every single one of the students was in speaking passionately about making sure our votes count, and how we adults have surely let them down by continuing to vote for Congresspersons who refuse to change gun laws to stop allowing automatic war weapons to be sold to a civilian public. Or vote for new golf clubs over funding public schools! I wish someone could explain to me how a Constitutional mandate for allowing gun ownership for a MILITIA constitutes letting everyone own any kid of gun and as many as they want wherever, whenever and however! And why we are so blind to the actual intent of the NRA, the board of which simply gets rich, richer and richest by stopping any and all legislation regarding gun ownership! Does anyone ever bother to research the people who run the NRA? On a sweeter note, we are being bussed this evening to FAU to hear a contest among student singers for next year's scholarships. The University provided free tickets for their acoustically perfect auditorium. Tomorrow night I signed up for a stone crab dinner, since I have never tasted one! Then I had a nightmare that I kept trying to fit the crabmeat under my eyelids like contact lenses, but they didn't fit! I wonder what a psychologist would make of that !
PATSY, aside from stating I think you are approaching your recently discovered medicinal changes very rationally, I also want to add how much I admire your area for its values and direction. I wish Florida were a bit less uptight!
JACKIE, your cruise date is creeping up quickly! If you get an opportunity to take a side trip around Flam up into the glaciers, I seem to recall that being a highlight for me. Of course my memory after 40 years could be fuzzy, but I do think that was Norway, with which I fell in love! ...In answer to your "fair elections" question, don't you have gerrymandering in the UK? Our states have made a mess of "fair elections" since the lines for zones are redrawn every 10 years assuring the party in power will remain in power at least another 10 years! Therefore, Florida, which has more registered Democrats, has an almost completely Republican Legislature, Governor and Justice Department very unrepresentative of the makeup of the state!...How are you enjoying your new garden room?
ANNE, uneventful days can be safe and happy days! And your salmon cakes would be very welcome anytime. So enjoy Michael!
I hope LIN is having a wonderful day. Miss her but she is allowed a day off,lol!
Buzz
.........................Always Believe Something Wonderful Is About to Happen!.......................

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BARBIE



Have a lovely day whatever you get up to!
Jackie

Same here. Happy Birthday Barbie,
Anne.

The recital was uneven, but the microphones weren't properly adjusted at first. Two of the women were just lovely, were amazingly talented and had magnificent audience composure, with wonderful mezzo soprano range, which is not generally my favorite. I learned later that they were actually voice teachers, ...not students! One girl had a voice like an angel and sang Summertime as well as I have ever heard it, but she could barely walk onto the stage, she was so overweight! I do hope she has a career ahead of her because her voice and style were so professional.
I finally went to bed as the sun was rising since I thought it made sense to video call my son who is 6 hours ahead so I always get him as he's preparing for bed! We had a great chat and he and his wife are in a play for the next 3 weekends, so I would not have gotten him later anyway! I just hope I'm not too sleepy during our stone crab dinner tonight! so I've been sort of napping/relaxing all day.
I hope you are all enjoying Palm Sunday.
Also, is today BARBIE's birthday? If so

Buzz
......................Always Believe Something Wonderful is About to Happen!.............................

Good morning sneakers. The second day in a row we've seen sunshine but I gather it won't last. Never mind, I'll make the most of it. Over the weekend I've chatted to my friend Pat who is being well looked after by friends who have organised a rota so she is not left alone overnight and has been told the local hospital stroke team will visit this week. Her son had to rush back to London where he lives because his wife had to take their daughter who is barely over a year old to hospital with suspected meningitis. Thankfully doctors now think it isn't but she is still unwell so they keep her in at night but let her out to be home during the day as they think she will feel better in that environment. Also poor Boris had what appeared to be a stroke on Saturday night so yesterday I phoned our emergency vet and told her I thought it time. His last few hours couldn't have been more perfect as he spent the night sleeping against my knees then sat outside in the sunshine until time to go. He's been laid to rest at his favourite spot where he sat when I was feeding hens or pottering in the greenhouse and a small bunch of bluebell bulbs that we uncovered as my neighbour dug for me have been planted there. Brady seems lost without him of course but will no doubt soon be out mousing again. I've so many wonderful memories of Boris with his amazing dog/cat character so he'll continue to make me smile.

Sandy ~ How proud you must be of all your grandchildren and you're right, the younger generation will put right the wrongs inflicted by a greedy and bullying organisation. I can hear Joan Baez singing We Shall Overcome!! Hankies at the ready for the whole Call the Midwife series, I'll say no more!!

Barbie ~ You always enjoy your birthdays doing what you love so I knew this year would be no different. Great to read Jake is recovering well but then he's in good hands!

Well George as ever is barking at nothing I can hear so I will get him busy in the garden helping me weed.
Jackie

Hello, the utilities will be here soon. Ack!

Jackie, I am so sorry for your loss. I am glad your friend has found support at home. Her family is going through so much. I hope all turns out well.

Anne, hello, cold, wet, dreary. That sums up my day.

I enjoyed Call the Midwife last night. I did not enjoy pulling all the old papers out of the fortfolio the former records person had. Chunks of paper, plaster, and goodness knows what came cascading out. There is just a huge pile of mess. I see no order to the records of births, deaths, marriages, membership. I am sure she knew what she was doing, I have no idea. This may take longer than a couple of months.

Well, going to make a cup of coffee before the water is shut off. God willing, it will be on again later today.

Hugs.

Lin