Slow Living - Doing It Old Style!

Florafauna

@leftatthetrafficlights and @valli, I'd love your thoughts/tips on setting up a wildlife pond as this is one of my plans for the new house. So exciting to see newts.
I am heartened about the relatively short amount of time left at work. I work in education and I love the children and the thought of giving them the best life possible but the past two years have been so hard. The lack of support and lack of money in the state system is really difficult and is really impacting on staff mental health. Think if I wasn't retiring I would be leaving the sector for emotional wellbeing reasons. 
Sorry to introduce this depressing note. Anyway I'm off to knit on my sunny garden bench and watch the large bumblebee that's appeared. 

Wednesday2000

You must be excited to retire Florafauna. It just came up on my phone yesterday about my old secondary school and the issues they have had there. Teachers at top London girls' school St Ursula's announce further strikes | Evening Standard

My husband is probably being medically retired in a few months. It is daunting thinking that we will only have a certain amount of money to live on, especially with the vet bills we have had this week for my cat! She seems to be okay on this heart medication which is good.

I am about to have a hot shower and get dressed as I have been sleeping so much lately as I have been ill on and off for the past two months. I was just saying on here that it is warm enough not to wear tights or leggings here so I might go out with bare legs today for my walk. I'm so happy the clocks are going forward as I hate the winter months because of the lack of light.

Brie

Cruise ship has returned south and will be in port tomorrow.  No excursions of interest and being Easter Sunday nothing will be open so I'm considering having a swim in the open deck pool and maybe jump in the hot tub that's beside it.  After all we're now up to about 5c so it's toasty out!!!

Wednesday2000

Have you felt sea sick at all Brie?

I was thinking of going on a cruise, but realised I probably would get sick. I don't drive, but even in the back of a car I feel sick. The only thing I can use without feeling sick is trains and the bus. I'm glad I didn't book a cruise before that thought struck me!

Floss

Brie said:

Cruise ship has returned south and will be in port tomorrow.  No excursions of interest and being Easter Sunday nothing will be open so I'm considering having a swim in the open deck pool and maybe jump in the hot tub that's beside it.  After all we're now up to about 5c so it's toasty out!!!

How has your weather been? I think your side of Shetland had it a little easier than my side out towards Faroe!

Brie

@Wednesday2000
I've hated cruising due to seasickness so went prepared with a pack of Kwells. But the pharmacy only had 1 pack which is 6 tabs.  So I also bought 2 packs of Kwells Kids which have 12 tabs but half the dose working on the idea I could double if necessary.  We had some days with 6 foot swells so I did take 1 kids on getting up and another later in the day but now we're down to maybe 3 foot swells I think I've got used to it and haven't taken anything for a few days now, not even fussed. I used to always get car sick so this is major for me.

@Floss
Weather was dreadful at first and one stop cancelled as a result.  But really when in shore there has been a light dusting of snow at times and a bit of rain so I think we've got off lucky.

leftatthetrafficlights

@Florafauna - I don't really have many tips for a wildlife pond, mine was basically a 'build it and they will come' scenario! 😁 we have deep water, marginal and floating plants in ours, plenty of oxygenators and a 'waterfall' - we have a 'ramp' made of cobbles to enable anything that goes in that shouldn't be there to get out and it's positioned mainly in sunlight although when the oak tree is in full leaf it starts to cast shade by mid afternoon. We've not introduced any wildlife, it's just turned up and it's a really useful resource for birds to drink and wash in and the deer drink from it too 😊 it's a shame that you feel so disillusioned with the education sector now but I know you're not alone - my dsil works as a teacher and I know the system can be soul destroying 😔 hopefully, now that you're close to retirement you can try to forget the bad bits and focus on how much good you have done and how positively you have impacted the children you have taught 😁 

@Wednesday2000 - I'm glad your cat is doing well on the meds!! 🙌 it must be such a relief! I hope you start feeling better soon- I know how rubbish it is when the illness seems to linger 😔 well done for remembering the travel sickness before you booked a cruise! It's awful having travel sickness 🤢 especially if you've paid a fortune for the privilege!! 🙄 

@Brie - I hope you're enjoying the cruise - not sure about the swimming in 5°C!! 😳 the hot tub sounds reasonable though! 

We've done loads more garden stuff today - I'm thoroughly exhausted!! 😵‍💫 it's been lovely though and I'm really pleased with our progress - I'm just so tired though!! 😴 I'm going to go and have a bath shortly to soak my aching bones and the I'm going to meditate and sleep!

I made dinner earlier - we had the basil and tomato okara loaf with pesto and olive sauce, sprouting broccoli, cumin fried potatoes and hommous - very lovely and plenty left over for lunch tomorrow 😋 

Floss

Brie said:

@Floss
Weather was dreadful at first and one stop cancelled as a result.  But really when in shore there has been a light dusting of snow at times and a bit of rain so I think we've got off lucky.

Only 6ft? We had 10ft swell at one point and 2 x force 9/10 storms 😳
I did better on front-to-back movement than side-to-side! Faroe stop cancelled as the pilot boat couldn't get alongside (but £50 due from the insurance 😉). Bright sun in Orkney & Reykjavik day one, day 2 ended in snow. 

Florafauna

@leftatthetrafficlights that's loads of info re wildlife pond, thanks! I was also planning to take a build it and they will come attitude to wildlife so it's great to hear that it works so well.
Had a mega gardening session today, big tidy up and also washing garden ornaments that we want to take and putting them together in the log store. Also planted lots of flower seeds and some veg. May not grow much but have friends who'll be happy to take seedlings etc. 
Planning a quiet day tomorrow, DD and DSil going after breakfast so it'll be sewing or gardening depending on the weather and a late afternoon swim

Valli

@Florafauna looks like you’ve had lots of advice.  Main thing i believe is to have sloped sides for access/escape and appropriate planting.  My parents get lots of frogspawn in their pond but no toads or newts.  The have fish, which breed, so must be a good pond.

Did some housework yesterday…i much prefer cleaning when the weather is fine and i can open doors/windows to dry floors and get fresh air in.