What's on your agenda for today?

I remember those days of getting up that early while living on our farm in my teen years, being in the Navy and working a civilian job (after the Navy) when I had to start work at 7AM. Never had to work that many hours in one day though.

Sure am glad "retirement" got me now though. Am still an "early bird" sometimes and get up at 5 or 6AM.

hollydolly said:
I get up for work at 5am and work a 12 or 13 hour day.. :)
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hollydolly said:
I get up for work at 5am and work a 12 or 13 hour day.. :)
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holly, please forgive me for asking, but why are you working such long hours or at all for that matter, with your what seems like your serious back condition. What kind of employer would require this of you and can they provide medical disability pension for this? Not that its any of my business, and I'm sure you have your reasons, but it just seems like unnecessary suffering. I hope your taking care of yourself. :)
 
Holly - I've been enjoying taking frequent looks at the beautiful photo you posted of actual Spring weather! I know you'll never guess what kind of "Spring" weather we had here today - of course it was the usual...snow, snow, and more snow! Everything about the weather here is so completely abnormal, it totally weirds me out. Your photo with the pony in it took me right back to visiting England - the country scenery was so awe-inspiring. When there, I loved seeing Blenheim Palace, Salisbury Cathedral, Stratford, etc. but it was the wonderful little roads in the countryside that made me believe I was in heaven.

My neighbor's cat has gone missing so I'm going cat-hunting with a group of folks to see if we can find Smitty. Wish us luck as the snow keeps falling on and on .......
 

Kath said:
Holly - I've been enjoying taking frequent looks at the beautiful photo you posted of actual Spring weather! I know you'll never guess what kind of "Spring" weather we had here today - of course it was the usual...snow, snow, and more snow! Everything about the weather here is so completely abnormal, it totally weirds me out. Your photo with the pony in it took me right back to visiting England - the country scenery was so awe-inspiring. When there, I loved seeing Blenheim Palace, Salisbury Cathedral, Stratford, etc. but it was the wonderful little roads in the countryside that made me believe I was in heaven.

My neighbor's cat has gone missing so I'm going cat-hunting with a group of folks to see if we can find Smitty. Wish us luck as the snow keeps falling on and on .......
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Kath, I love the country roads as well. My road is a two lane coastal road but not far past my house it becomes a single lane with fields of sheep or lots of trees. Lovely for a bike ride.

I went to Blenheim Palace back in 1999 with my youngest son who wanted to see everything connected to Churchill.
 
Blue skies today! High of about 9C/48F. Doing my lower body muscle workout then going to be constructive. Overdue for starting on my deep cleaning/reorganising one room at a time.
 
Good Saturday morning, folks. I think it's morning...too dark to tell. We're supposed to have a nice, sunny day (70F) so I might be playing in the garden this afternoon.
 
Good morning Georgia, hope you have fun in your garden today, we've had rain and more rain here. I bought seeds to plant yesterday when I was out, now if the yard will just dry out.
 
I did it. I played in the garden, just doing some spring cleanup and planting some sweet potato vines in a bed of daffodils so that when the blooms and foliage from the daffodils die it won't look so bare. There were purple sweet potato vines...I had no idea, thought they were all just green...so I got a mix of green and purple.

I bet April is already getting purty and deciding what to wear for her evening out. That's what I need: an evening out! Dining, clubbing and just generally clowning around! Anybody wanna go along?
 
Kath said:
Holly - I've been enjoying taking frequent looks at the beautiful photo you posted of actual Spring weather! I know you'll never guess what kind of "Spring" weather we had here today - of course it was the usual...snow, snow, and more snow! Everything about the weather here is so completely abnormal, it totally weirds me out. Your photo with the pony in it took me right back to visiting England - the country scenery was so awe-inspiring. When there, I loved seeing Blenheim Palace, Salisbury Cathedral, Stratford, etc. but it was the wonderful little roads in the countryside that made me believe I was in heaven.

My neighbor's cat has gone missing so I'm going cat-hunting with a group of folks to see if we can find Smitty. Wish us luck as the snow keeps falling on and on .......
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Ohhh no Kath I don't envy you the snow , not one little bit, but i'm very glad the photo brought back some lovely memories for you . As you rightly say, the countryside in the UK is beautiful and with the 4 seasons it's probably the pettiest country in the world where nature is concerned IMO. You'd love it here where I live because we have a Myriad of country lanes and woodland, which I drive through on a daily basis before joining the motorway to get to work.

I remember a friend coming to visit from Southern Spain where it's beautiful but arid and as we drove through the country lanes from the airport to home, looking at awe at all the greenery , he commented.. ''Your country is soooo green it looks like the England manufactures chlorophyll''...and you know what, when I think about it, it really does.. :D

hope you managed to find Smitty..
 
GeorgiaXplant said:
I did it. I played in the garden, just doing some spring cleanup and planting some sweet potato vines in a bed of daffodils so that when the blooms and foliage from the daffodils die it won't look so bare. There were purple sweet potato vines...I had no idea, thought they were all just green...so I got a mix of green and purple.

I bet April is already getting purty and deciding what to wear for her evening out. That's what I need: an evening out! Dining, clubbing and just generally clowning around! Anybody wanna go along?
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Please Miss can you hold it off until I'm all fixed..and I'll come along. I desperately need a night out partaaayyin' :beerandwhistle:
 
Cookie said:
holly, please forgive me for asking, but why are you working such long hours or at all for that matter, with your what seems like your serious back condition. What kind of employer would require this of you and can they provide medical disability pension for this? Not that its any of my business, and I'm sure you have your reasons, but it just seems like unnecessary suffering. I hope your taking care of yourself. :)
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No need for forgiveness Cookie..there's a few reasons why I have to work those long hours which I won't go into on a public forum, but in answer to your question, the simple answer is NO my company doesn't provide medical disability pension. I am allowed 2 weeks paid sick off a year...and anything after that is unpaid...so I soldier on. I have never taken time off sick, so I have got 2 weeks owed to me from last year that I can use for this recovery and still not compromise the 2 weeks which will be available to me if I need it during 2015
 
Thanks for answering, holly. Truly, sometimes we don't have much choice about these things and do what we have to do. Many companies here don't provide sick benefits either, but we do have a government disability insurance available to everyone, not much but better than nothing. Good you've got the 2 weeks owed, and the 2 weeks for 2015. You must be a very strong lady indeed, and all the best to you.
 
I'm back. We haven't heard from April? I'll bet money she's trying on one outfit after another deciding what to wear tonight!

My Best Aunt called me a little while ago to thank me for her birthday present...she's going to be 90 tomorrow. 90! And she still picks up the "old" people and takes them to church and takes them to doctor/dentist appointments and grocery shopping. Imagine. I should be so mobile IF I live to be 90.

I couldn't think what to send for a birthday present...after all, turning 90 is a pretty big deal...so I sent her $100. What did she spend it on? LOL She'd seen some flowered tights that she wanted but thought that spending money on them was a frivolous waste. As soon as she got the card and cash, she ran right to the store and bought the tights. She's thrilled because she still has "plenty" of money left to fritter away. And where's she going to wear her new flowered tights? To church tomorrow! (Under a skirt, of course.) I guess when you're 90 you can wear whatever you darned well please:)

She's going to sell her house and move back down to Georgia. I am so excited because she's just the funnest, greatest aunt ever! My cousin works at a prison in a little town about 100 miles south of here and just bought a three-bedroom house. He told her one bedroom is for him, one for her little dog and one for her. LOL She says she just can't handle another UP winter and is tired of seven to eight months of sNOw, but she's not coming until fall because summers up there really are spectacular and worth staying for.

That's my exciting day. So far.
 
Cookie said:
Thanks for answering, holly. Truly, sometimes we don't have much choice about these things and do what we have to do. Many companies here don't provide sick benefits either, but we do have a government disability insurance available to everyone, not much but better than nothing. Good you've got the 2 weeks owed, and the 2 weeks for 2015. You must be a very strong lady indeed, and all the best to you.
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Actually I get my leg pulled about this at work...the 'Holly' work ethic is legendary..while all around me the younger members of the team are calling in sick with the slightest ailments..I still go in, I have to be verrrry sick indeed to take time off...my daughter is exactly the same..
 
Holly - You made me realize that I don't know very much about the health system over there. I think we in the US assume that the health service there is supposed to take care of the health problems of all UK citizens. It seems that there's got to be more to it than that because healthcare is a huge issue for any country. I think I need to read about how health care systems differ all over the world to because it's a subject I'm really foggy on. You need to be in optimal health so you can continue to enjoy the beauty of where you live! Oh..and so far, no Smitty.

Georgia - You are so lucky to have such great weather as this is the time to figure out what to plant, what to prune, etc. I sure miss gardening but that's something a person gives up when living in a 55+ community. I've been trying to convince the HOA board members to allow women on the board, but so far nothing on that score. I believe that having some women board members would have an impact on some of the absurd rules and regulations that now prevail. At this point, my only option is container gardening which is fun but not like when there's a great big yard to plant things in.
 
Kath said:
Holly - You made me realize that I don't know very much about the health system over there. I think we in the US assume that the health service there is supposed to take care of the health problems of all UK citizens. It seems that there's got to be more to it than that because healthcare is a huge issue for any country. I think I need to read about how health care systems differ all over the world to because it's a subject I'm really foggy on. You need to be in optimal health so you can continue to enjoy the beauty of where you live! Oh..and so far, no Smitty.

Georgia - You are so lucky to have such great weather as this is the time to figure out what to plant, what to prune, etc. I sure miss gardening but that's something a person gives up when living in a 55+ community. I've been trying to convince the HOA board members to allow women on the board, but so far nothing on that score. I believe that having some women board members would have an impact on some of the absurd rules and regulations that now prevail. At this point, my only option is container gardening which is fun but not like when there's a great big yard to plant things in.
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The NHS does take care of everyone here. But I guess all jobs are not the same regarding sick leave. Scotland has a separate NHS from England and employers seem to be more generous with sick leave. I've known one lady who was off for 6 months and she got full pay, went on half pay after that. But she worked for the Council so maybe that was different. My stepdaughter was off for about 10 months maternity leave. I think she got full pay for 3 or 4 months, then 3/4 pay, then half pay.
 
Kath as AS said the NHS does take care of everyone in the UK...although not equally or fairly in many cases. For example it can take months to see a specialist after a GP has written to them explaining your need , and then once he's recommended a procedure that can take yet more months to be admitted to hospital.

Your right Annie it depends on the employer as to the entitlement of sick leave, local government offices are quite generous with their sick schemes.. I can of course take longer than 2 weeks from my job if it was deemed necessary but it would be unpaid and I would have to rely on SSP ( kath FYI that's Statutory Sickness benefit) paid by Social security which would barely enable me to afford food, much less utility bills or mortgage payments...so I wouldn't be able to survive.
 
It all seems so incredibly complicated. Just about the time I figured out how the "universal" health system worked in Germany, I came back to the US and had to start all over figuring out how our own insurance worked. Now that I'm on Medicare, I never give it a thought and just go to the doctor once a year for a physical and am done with it. So far, knock wood, I haven't had any health problems that required having to visit her any other time except for my physical (which costs nothing).
 

AS and Holly - Thanks for the info on how things work healthcare-wise in the UK. I'm beginning to see what the differences are between there and here. Over here, most regular working folks get their health insurance thru their employer. When they retire from the job, they are enrolled in Medicare which covers around 80% of health needs - so they need to get a supplemental insurance policy to cover the remaining 20%. Medicare now also covers the unemployed, sick and impaired, etc. How much time a person can take off if sick is up to the discretion of employers. Some people have little or no time off and some have a generous amount of sick leave.

Georgia - You are a lucky gal! Not only do you get to garden already, but you only have to see your doc one a year! I would really love only going once a year to the doctor because that would mean I was super healthy! Unlucky for me, I've had a chronic, incurable condition for many years so I've seen enough doctors to last me forever.
 
Georgia, the NHS isn't complicated at all. Waiting times for specialist appointments totally depends on what area you live in. We have very short waits in my area. When my DH had his vertigo problem he was sent for an MRI within about a week. When he had a suspicious growth under a fingernail he had surgery on it within 2 weeks.

In the US I had surgery twice, fortunately when I had insurance, but had to pay 10% of the total bill.
 
Ameriscot said:
Georgia, the NHS isn't complicated at all. Waiting times for specialist appointments totally depends on what area you live in. We have very short waits in my area. When my DH had his vertigo problem he was sent for an MRI within about a week. When he had a suspicious growth under a fingernail he had surgery on it within 2 weeks.

In the US I had surgery twice, fortunately when I had insurance, but had to pay 10% of the total bill.
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Agree with that Ameriscot. the NHS isn't complicated at all and it does depend on the area you live in, twice now I have had to see a consultant and each time my appointment was within ten days of seeing my doctor.

The doctor my daughter is under often sends his patients (my daughter was one of them) to see a consultant in a private hospital all within the NHS, my grandaughter at the age of 21 had to have her tonsils out and the same doctor sent her to the private hospital for the consultation and operation, still within the NHS.
 
Bee said:
Agree with that Ameriscot. the NHS isn't complicated at all and it does depend on the area you live in, twice now I have had to see a consultant and each time my appointment was within ten days of seeing my doctor.

The doctor my daughter is under often sends his patients (my daughter was one of them) to see a consultant in a private hospital all within the NHS, my grandaughter at the age of 21 had to have her tonsils out and the same doctor sent her to the private hospital for the consultation and operation, still within the NHS.
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I am very happy with the NHS but I know waiting times can be much longer in densely populated places like London.

After I'd been here a couple of years I asked my doctor about getting a bone density test as the one I'd had in the US was not good. I'd had a heel scan in my doctors office. I was sent within a few weeks to a private hospital and they did a full body scan!!
 
Ameriscot said:
I am very happy with the NHS but I know waiting times can be much longer in densely populated places like London.

After I'd been here a couple of years I asked my doctor about getting a bone density test as the one I'd had in the US was not good. I'd had a heel scan in my doctors office. I was sent within a few weeks to a private hospital and they did a full body scan!!
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That is true in some areas of London but where my son lives in London they have no problems..........................overall I think the NHS does a damn fine job and I wouldn't be without it.:)
 
Bee said:
That is true in some areas of London but where my son lives in London they have no problems..........................overall I think the NHS does a damn fine job and I wouldn't be without it.:)
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Me either! Healthcare was not something I was thinking about when I moved here. I probably knew it was different and you didn't have to have insurance. I just walked into my local surgery and filled out a form. Didn't even need to prove I was entitled.
 

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