Eddie99

What an awful thing to happen Hopefully the surgery goes well and her recovery and return to the UK are uneventful

Thank you We’re boarding Iona on Saturday - our first cruise since the 2020 edition of the one you are on now. We’ve been waiting for 🦠 to be eliminated, but have finally decided that missing out for 4 out of our remaining, err, 20 if we’re lucky, years is enough and we should go for it, taking as many precautions as possible I’m concerned about your cougher, and Selbourne’s multiple coughers though. It’s a dilemma. I would have been like you and left - even abandoned my meal Is anyone masking? Lovely pics of lovely Funchal. We have a 21° drizzly day forecast for our visit, but there’s time for it to change. I will continue to follow your adventure, which, as I say, will bring back memories from 4 years ago. We were lucky with the sea conditions. I wish you smooth sailing from now on - oh, and enjoy the Glasshouse, our favourite

Good stuff Avril As you say, a bit OTT for losing weight but that gives you both a bit of leeway for enjoying all the nice things when Frank’s home All the best

Thanks! It’s terrible how much people are ‘over a barrel’ with the school holiday price hikes Fingers crossed for good weather mid-July. Did I post my New Year’s Eve pic? Weymouth doing a good impersonation of Chania🙂

Lots of people with lots of news - lovely that the news is mostly, if not totally, good i have no real news, except that it is a nice, dry, sunny if chilly, day, and, believe it or not, this time next week I shall be on a cruise! 3 years and 50 weeks since we disembarked Ventura early February 2020. Looking forward with a little bit of trepidation - Iona seems a bit *enormous* I’ll try to do a (semi) live blog - but that’s for the future. I’m still vaguely waiting for whatever emergency will prevent us joining the ship … and I always thought I was a glass-half-full person 🫤

Good solution!

Morning all Josy - hope ‘the patient’ had a good night and that ‘the nurse’ is ready for her duties. You’ll be fine, I’m sure Michelle - just what you didn’t need. There are so many investigations which throw up the need for further investigations. Bad for our nerves but very often a false alarm. Let’s hope so for you Your poor dog with the sore eye. Fingers firmly crossed that the situation resolves, either by the ulcer healing or by the surgery. I know a couple of “pirate dogs” who have normal, happy, pain-free, lives Avril - I’m so glad kalos posted. It’s a pity your doctor couldn’t spare you more time to give you a more detailed explanation of the situation and what might happen. Perhaps you’ll hear more today. Look after you Another yellow warning for heavy rain today. Such a pain in the neck. Roll on the colder weather being forecast - though not a repeat of The Beast from the East, please

Yay! Starting the cruise with a bang! 💥 🎉

Bon Voyage Smooth seas and welcome sunshine

Continuing the current slightly off-topic line - A friend has just told me of her neighbour back a week early from a European river cruise because of flooding

That’s good to hear Avril Tell Frank to keep up the good work, and make sure you are well fed and well rested for when he comes home. The housework can wait. Lose yourself in a good book, or enjoy some pleasing music

Thanks Avril, and the same to you Onwards and Upwards

Thank you Kalos Happy New Year to all, but especially to those who had a tough 2023 for whatever reason Here’s a silly one

Adonia, as she was when we were on her, has a lot of tables *outside* the buffet, at the rear of the ship, which are perfect for lazy breakfasts in the sun An omelette/minute steak/kidney station too, when P&O Bon appetit I’m not jealous at all Enjoy!

Avril, I hope you’re sleeping soundly as I write this and will wake up feeling a little bit refreshed ready for the day ahead. Things always seem dramatic and dark in the wee small hours but let’s hope Frank rested well and today will see the start of the tests and treatment to get him back on his feet and your situation back to comfortable normality We’ll await the next bulletin x

I’d like to second that sentiment Avril (though we’ve already had our *traditional* (post-C) Xmas Eve salad Niçoise) Happy Birthday to my fellow *bit lost among the Xmas celebrations* birthday celebrants Have a lovely time everyone and let’s hope for a great 2024

Apparently, because of leap years and 365 and a quarter day revolutions, the solstice this year is today, 22nd, not 21st as we generally think So

… and in theatres here, apparently I’ve seen reports from around the country of very unpleasant antisocial behaviour

Thank you for your report It’s always interesting to hear how people enjoyed their cruise. I’m glad yours was good

A special Happy Birthday to your Sarah from me Graham. 🎂. We Xmas birthdays have to stick together I’m sure you’ll all have a wonderful time

ENJOY! 🎉 It will take you a little while to adjust. There’s a period where you can’t really believe you don’t have to get up and go to work - that it’s all a lovely dream. Then you settle into your contented retirement and wonder how you ever fitted work in to your new, busy schedule

That sounds lovely! Yes, I remember fixing name labels in my Mum’s clothing & belongings & thinking that life goes round in circles. It didn’t seem that long since I’d been doing it for my children’s school stuff Next year you’ll have the fun of the care home Xmas party. I still smile remembering seeing Father Christmas give one old duck a parcel, carefully explain that it was his special present to her, only to have the reply “Alright. Now b*gger off!”. Bless them. But they were lovely do’s, with singing and mince pies and the staff’s children helping out and having fun.