Morning Brian

Loving the new family of owl siblings - the pleasure you have with wood shows through in the results of your work.  Am sorry you have not yet managed a chat with your Dad.  My Mum has a mobile but never wants to use it and so its off more than its on!!   Good day here yesterday with a visit from our daughter and baby Zack lifting everyone's spirits.  Now I have just seen the time and need to get things ready for hubby before leaving for work and just when the sun is showing its face - lovely!!  Have a restful day and will chat again soon.  Hugs to you and MrsB. Jules x

Hi Jules

Am glad to say I am currently fine.  Visited the office earlier today to discuss my return (and collect my easter egg).  We have agreed that I will do 3 or 4 hours a couple of mornings a week and graduall build from their.  Also to begin with I shall be more admin based than normal  until I am back up to speed and able to take calls and have some idea of what I am talking about.  It is totally up to me how many hours I do and how many mornings.  Boss has said he will be in regular contact with hubby to make sure I do not do too much.  Have pointed out that as hubby is currently working nights contact will be limited to after 3pm when hubby gets up to 6pm when the boss finishes.

Glad to hear your mum has done no damage to herself although I think the staff might keep more of an eye on her knowing what she was up to!  No doubt she will not be happy but hopefully it should keep her relatively safe.

Glad to hear that daughter and Zack visited and that a good time was had by all.  I cam imagine how your arms feel.  If you do not do something everyday it can really take its toll.

I do hope hubby's back does not get any worse and hopefully when he has his next check up the consultant might be able to suggest something (other than upping his painkillers) which might help ease the problem.  Mind you having spent an awful lot of time sitting in one place on the couch over the last few months I have noticed that my lower back does begin to ache after a relatively short time now and I have to get up and exercise it.  Might not be an option for hubby though.

Enjoye the sunshine even if you are at work.

Best wishes.

Gill

Hi Brian

Love the new owl family.  It is surprising how quickly they have multiplied.

So sorry to hear you have not been able to speak to your dad.  It must be very frustating satying up so late and then not getting a reply.  I do hope you get to speak to him soon.

Enojy the sunshine and glad to hear you have nuts.

Gill

Hello everyone

Glad you are all enjoying the sunshine. I have started lunchtime "brisk walks"! again with my friend. Felt quite pleased with myself. And I slipped out the office just before 5 to visit a local garden that our boys from work are landscaping for the Love Your Garden tv show. Was quite an eye opener watching the filming and have to say that Mr T works very hard, like one of the boys and a real perfectionist. They are building 8 in total, very exciting for all involved. The one I saw today was really lovely. I felt horribly in the way tho and lazy so I didnt stay too long!

As usual I am sidetracking because I really popped in to say Brian I really love those owls! They are fab. The housemartins have finally returned here, strong little things, all the way from Africa. I have put some pots of mud out for them to help them build their nests. I love the way you can hear them twittering up above on a nice evening.

Gill, sounds like a good plan re the phasing back to work. You can take it at your own pace which is lovely and it shows they really value you too.

Love to all

Lisa xX

Hi Lisa

I love to walk (just as well as I dont drive) and with the weekend looking very good weatherwise once the garden is mowed I am hopeful of taking Zack to the park on Sunday (elder grandson going to the banger racing again with school mate) and also to see the farm animals at our local market.  We have hubby's sister coming for dinner on Saturday and Mum's birthday on Monday with a final farewell to my late friend on Tuesday so a busy few days.

Hope you and Paul and Joe are all okay (still try to follow you on the other thread) and enjoying some of the 'retro fun' - what next - clothes and haircuts to match.

Like you am enjoying the 'owl family' that Brian has added to my thread.  We are lucky to have many goldfinches currently using our bird feeding station (but am equally not so blessed with lots of slugs and snails trying to win the battle with our dahlias which are just sprouting so could do with your hedgehogs taking a holiday!!) (Have been out this morning to pop 'protectors' over the top of  new shoots!!).

Well off to work soon so had best get on with a bit of housework  before I leave.  Take care  and sending hugs  Jules x

Hi Lisa

The phased return is great but given what I will be doing when I first get back I am not so sure.  One of the Solicitors is an older guy and whilst he is great fun he has no clue about organisation in the slightest.  He and his secretary manage to sort things out between them with the exception of putting deeds in to storage and closing files.  From what I have seen he has not closed many since he joined the firm!  They were going to ask someone else to do this task until they realised that the person they had in mind would not know an original document if it hit them in the face and consequently I got the job.  At least it does mean that if I feel really tired one day and decide to go home it will not matter if things have to wait a day or more to be done.

Will look forward to the new series of Love Your Garden so I can see the local one although I know the good work your guys do anyway.

Do you think your hedgehogs would like  holiday with Jules?  Sounds as though she could do with them.

Gill

Hi Jules

So glad all is well at present and it certainly sounds as though you will have a busy few days.  Hope your Mum will be pleased with her present and that she gets the cake.  Whilst she might not appear grateful at the time I am sure she is but from what you have said in the past she probably would not show it if she was.

Hope the funeral goes well and whilst it will be a sad occassion I hope it is not too difficult for you or her family.

Hope hubby is continuing to do ok and that his back is not causing him too much pain.

Gill

Good morning Jules,

Didn't get on here much yesterday as we had shopping first thing, them Mrs B had her diabetic check up at the doctores. Then in the afternoon, I took Mrs B out for a drive as I needed to get a large chuck key for my lathe. I was given a large chuck a couple of years ago but it didn't have the key with it and I have just found a place where they had one but it was an hours drive to get there. Will now be able to produce the owls eyes much quicker and more accurately.We both enjoyed the drive.

Our wood club talk was by a lady who does pryrography. Aboslutely beautiful work and was a very good talk too considering she was rather nervouse about it as she had not given a talk before. She spends 120 hours on a single picture but the wildlife scenes she does stand out in 3D.

Hope you have an enjoyable weekend and that hubby does not get too tired. Will be thinking of you on Tuesday. I imagine this will be an emotional day for you and will bring back many fond memories. I hope Mums birthday goes well too. It sounds as if you have a busy time ahead of you you so suggest you start taking the pills now

Take care Jules, best wishes to you and your family, Brian.

Hi Lisa,

Thanks for your kind words about the owls. Just have to find a way to blacken the beaks a bit better. I have plans to expand the range as soon as possible.

I love it that you have put some pots of mud out for the House Martins. When I was young (and that's a long time ago ) we used to have them building nest every year and love to see them. But have not see then nesting for many years now.

Have a great weekend Brian.