Toots

I was married for 8 years before having children. Like you we made do with 2nd hand furniture to start with. No TV. Every penny went on "doing up" our first home which was a little terrace. When we sold it, we came to Australia. After 3 years here we bought a block of land and built our own house. One old car between us. Still with old furniture. Things got easier and it was really nice to buy decent stuff for the house. Still no TV though. Most people were the same then and we still had a good time. Always managed to save to see Mum and friends in Scotland every 2 years. That's where a bit of my savings went. That was my luxury time. Husband has had his TV for years now. I can still easily live without it.

You mean like those so called "influencers"?

I'm the same as you and Skani. When we moved from Perth to Sydney I really found the summer humidity in Sydney hard to cope with after the dry heat of Perth. Even 25C on a humid day was horrid.

Yes, I understand. Just thought it would have made it easier for everyone. Hope you can manage to care for him here.

Didn't get it yesterday. Got in on the 3rd line today.

If you father has no relatives in Australia, would it not be possible for him to return to the UK to be looked after by you. You could accompany him back to make the journey easier for him.

I agree with some of them being lazy but not all. We used to get casuals in to help at really busy times at my previous workplace ......... very busy office environment. Deadlines to meet etc. A percentage of them were really good. Lots of common sense and a good work ethic. Never forget one girl who didn't want to spend time filing documents when asked as she didn't want to ruin her nails. She also couldn't stop peering at her phone every 5 minutes. She lasted a week. Told her not to come back.

I am old chook now and worked right up to retirement. I look at some young people and think they don't know the meaning of hard work. It was my choice to work as a vet nurse from leaving school until I was 25. For three years in my teens I worked a 6.5 day a week. Yes, a half day off a week and a weekend off a month. In those days we had 2 weeks holiday a year. It was my choice to work with animals and even though the hours were long and involved a lot of physical work, I loved it. You would be hard pushed to find anyone to work those hours now. From the age of 20 to 25 I worked a 6 day week. Again I loved it so no complaints and I did get much longer holidays. There are now all sorts of workplace standards and health and safety plus unions. I certainly never had a 9 to 5 job in my life. Do people really feel they work too much now?

What? How do they survive without a job? I can understand it when people are at retirement age but not under other circumstances.

In hotels in Singapore and many other Asian countries the air con is set far too cold. Always need a cardi ................ then you walk outside to be blasted with the heat.

Yes. Whenever I see somebody wearing a mask I assume they have Covid or a cold.

I've almost forgotten all about Covid. I was having a swim this afternoon and noticed a couple strolling along the beach in their bathers ............................ both wearing masks. Really!

Day after day after day of sunshine can actually get a bit boring for me. I don't mind the sudden weather changes at all and by the end of summer I've just about had enough of it and really look forward to the mellow autumn days.

It's 19C here at the moment but is forecast 24C in the afternoon. Gorgeous day. Just come back from a long walk and will have a swim later. I haven't worn a jumper since October except for the other day when the weather was cold and wet. My sister has been happy to escape the Scottish winter.

And all dogs/bitches apart from dogs from registered dog breeders should be desexed. We have neighbours who have 2 labradors. They had the male desexed but not the female thinking there would be no pups. They are both in a secure back yard and their front garden is also fenced. Last year the female fell pregnant and nearly died having the pups. Ended up having a C-section. A sneaky little Romeo who roams the streets of Devonport had his wicked way with her through the bars of the front fence resulting in her having 7 puppies. They kept one and found good homes for the others. Needles to say the vet desexed her when she had the C-section..