Re: Hi Dita and all

[vannin]

I think it is lovely to sometimes bask in our good childhood memories, knowing that there are also many sad memories which won't be forgotten but can partially stay in 'the back of' our minds.
I had a few years when I missed Ireland a great deal and used to have a half-formed intention that if the worst were to happen to my husband, I would go to live in Ireland. But that was before a certain baby boy arrived in the family, to bewitch us remaining. I wish he had known his Grandad who would have adored him,(so too would my son) but there were six month between my last bereavement and the baby's birth. Daughter needed me for a while, more than was evident before, but I have settled for the infrequent visits now. She will have Christmas off this year and they will come from 24th to Boxing Day.

Not many of my folks are left in Ireland, a scattering of cousins who understandably have busy lives too and my aunt age 92. I only once ventured North of the border, to Fermanagh, folks live 60 mls West of Dublin, but I love Kildare. I am keen on the vocal groups you mention AND I always enjoy The Fairytale of New York too.
I had my booster on Wed, all straightforward this time but no fireman's lift Can't always expect such fun.
Trixie is her happy cuddly self and I hope you and Dolly are keeping well. We send love and hugs to you both. xxxxx

[dita]

Hi Vannin and everyone around. Hope you are all well. Vannin My friend I Loved reading your post, Fairytale of New York is also one of my favourites . Today being Remembrance Sunday I have been thinking alot about members of my family who were sadly lost in the wars gone by, Hugs and Love to yourself and Trixie from Dolly and me xxxxx

[vannin]

I reached here in the end, hoping everyone is well, especially you Dita and Dolly.
I am beginning to be concerned about Ciderman, as he usually pops in from time to time. Re the birthday and the fact their clock is ahead of ours, the people down-under had Monday when we were having Sunday, which means his birthday celebrations may have been over by the time I posted Happy Birthday.

Unlike the U.S.A. which is behind us!
I am immersed in pre-Christmas preparations and must go to the P.O. tomorrow for stamps, before the crowds do the same. Having said that, I found it empty twice in October when I sent parcels.
Trixie and I are are gardener-less these past 2 weeks, as Kevin's winter break started, and Matt had returned to his other career in a hairdressing salon but still has 'mobile' work too. Kevin said Matt is loving it but gets very tired not surprisingly.
Love and hugs to Dita and Dolly from Trixie and me xxxx Take care everyone

[vannin]

Just to add the Post Office - the only one for miles - was empty again. Must be something I said!

[dita]

Oh! never thought about the time difference when I wished him a happy birthday------- Never mind he can have a belated one now
HAPPY un BIRTHDAY Ciderman xxxxx

Love and Hugs Vannin and Trixie from Dolly and me xxxxx

[vannin]

Trixie is probably half-starved right now as she has refused every flavour of wet food I put down for her today. Her favourite dry food has been barely nibbled. Maybe she will have a binge tonight. It is all my fault, how spoiled she is. So much food waste.

I would not presume it to be more digestive trouble, not unless she would be 'off' food for a while. She is otherwise in good sprits and playful. But please EAT
Back to the kitchen now to have a look. We are slaves to our pets.
Still we both send love to Dita and Dolly.xxxxx Take care everyone

[ciderman_nz]

You mentioned childhood memories! Recently I had a lovely experience that was not even of my making! Our local U3A group has a sub group called "Armchair Travel", which I don't belong to but their leader heard me mention that I spent 3 of my childhood years in Bermuda, and he asked if I would give a talk on it. I prepared for a couple of days for it and the memories all came back to me as clear as crystal, despite it being 75 years ago. Luckily my dad took lots of photos, not of high quality but suitable for me to run a slide show with my talk. They really seemed to enjoy it and the talk when we got to the tea and coffee stage was really encouraging.

[vannin]

I wish I could have been in the audience. Well done you, with the preparations and the show.
There is a local U3A group and I only went once, but it was a shambles in a changed venue to their usual. Scores of members came and the start-time came and went. People still milling in, but not the person who was to give the talk (have forgotten the topic)
It transpired they had all had trouble finding parking! I had come on the bus and once the speaker arrived, I only had ten minutes to spend there, before my return bus time.

[dita]

The troubles you are having with Trixie are much the same as mine with spoilt too much Dolly, because her teeth have mostly all gone she insists I break Rewards, and other stick treats up to make it easier-------what an idiot I am, I put a couple with her in her cage while I did a floor cleanup, she ate the both of them whole ????
Just gonna do my online grocery order. Love and hugs Vannin and Trixie from Dolly and me xxxxxxx Take care all xxxx

[vannin]

Apart from ignoring the food, Trixie is very playful, like leaping around the back garden while I pulled up some enormous weeds then Perching on the shed roof to watch me. Seemed prepared for a game of chase but I knew she would go into hiding
She gobbles up treats which I sometimes serve as a last resort so they are a meal replacement. I used to get chicken-flavoured stick version for cats and it was part of the daily ritual to sit down, break off pieces so she took them in her mouth. One day she just stopped liking them, last year. Now I have another kind which are only acceptable to Her Ladyship sometimes.
I sometimes wonder if she has toothache but can see no difficulties when she crunches dry food - which is also ignored today, very unusual.
She did have a very small portion some time in the night.
Ah well, changes may be likely in the next 24 hours. Love and hugs to you both from the two of us xxxxx

[dita]

Despite us having 2 totally different species of pets between us they are remarkably very much alike in some ways, as regards food and also being very playful. However I feel she is suffering from CDS and it is getting worse, confusion is the main worry which is names Old Dog Syndrome. That makes two of us ??
Love and hugs to you both from Dolly and me xxxxx

[vannin]

Well, if it is approaching for you both, I will be next and Trixie has started to appear 'older' this year - almost 13. In cat years she must be already in her 80s.
It is not only our circumstances with pets that are similar despite different species. There have been several after the first coincidence of us both being ex-members of Correspondence mags. More recently the hymn which we 'have in common'! Trixie is picky again today but still sits expectantly by her dishes, when I have tried offering all that were favourites. Only one type of dry food will she condescend to have. She and I send love and hugs to you and Dolly xxxxx

[dita]

Hi everyone, I hope you are keeping well. Hello Vannin, your Trixie is nearly as old as Dolly, which type of dry food do you feed her with? I am trying Dolly on Iams Senior 8plus but its not going down very well, it is very small and well accepted by small dogs who have lost their teeth. The coincidences we have between us are a little bizarre in a way , there must be plenty of other folk though who given the opportunity to meet up in some way would find themselves in a similar position. Love and Hugs to you both from Dolly and me xxx

[vannin]

Trixie has Purina 1 for 7-plus, and after having it since she was eight, I noticed on Ocado there was an 11-plus in the same flavour, so thinking of health and economy, I bought 2 large bags which were on offer. Well! When I opened one and found the bitty-bics were twice the size of the 'younger' kind, it surprised me because the 7-plus had been half the size of the early-age ones. But now she is not eating either of those stocks at all!
However, they were all chicken-flavoured and the discovery of Purina-1 salmon flavour is now very popular, thank goodness because I have a really large bag which weighs a ton.

Whether I can offload the other dry food on my friend for her inlaws' cat Fleur, I am not sure she ever eats dry food. Love and hugs to you and Dolly from Trixie and me xxxx

[dita]

I find it is very difficult finding small bags of dog food which you are able to try before you actually discover whether its suitably acceptable and enjoyed before you have to fork out quite alot of money for an extremely small animal, the last few weeks I have spent £20.00p on such food------and that's without the amount spent on treats ----Up to now I have been unsuccessful and have had to waste it unless I can give it away to someone with similar needs.
One of my elderly Cockatiels died yesterday, just two left now, she had been pretty shaky the last few days during her molt and had a problem feathering up for winter, in my mind I doubted if she would be here for spring. Love and hugs to you Vannin and Trixie from Dolly and me xxxx