Grandmafrench THANK YOU, you are so kind to write uplifting and supportive posts and I wish you were up to joining us but I understand if you are not. I know you are with us, cheering on in the background.
I do hope your DH recovers well.
It's clear that anyone who begins a post with an apology, knows full well they are going to hurt or offend and thus spoil the atmosphere here.
Especially, as Grammaretto says, there was absolutely NO comparison between the post criticised and the incidents to which it was compared.
ixion if you leave us, I shall instruct my DS (who will be in the UK from 7th) to hunt you down and tickle you until you relent. And believe me, he can do it.
See picture, fully clothed, of him and Gubbins at work together.
Note the broad back he inherited from his mother (who has, incidentally heard more insults and cruel jokes about being fat than the sour poster could dream about in a lifetine).
We're adults, we're wise, we turn into ducks when such things rain down and it just runs off our backs.
Carry on Lobstars, you and our loyal friends in the background are absolute magic!
Good to see you posting Ziplock - please can I come to your house for cake on Christmas Day? 
Jan your poor girl is having it hard at the moment, isn't she, you must be worried but this too will pass 
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Grammaretto you are a great example of 'Feel the fear and do it anyway' - it'll all work out and of course you're worried, who wouldn't be by such huge changes but you're made of strong stuff. Coinnigh ort!
My dgd1, did a sort of gap-decade!
It began as a gap year after the hospitality course she applied for at 18, advised her to get 'real life experience' first.
Like so many teenagers, she had no realidea of what she wanted to do and sadly, that's often seen as a fault. It's not, it's normal.
So off she went to london (both her birth father, my DS1 and the lovely man who married her Mum are from UK) and after that, went all round Europe with friends she met there.
Despite getting excellent grades at school, the very specific world of university didn't appeal either as a teen or when she
came home, so she then worked at various jobs quite happily until at 30, was 'persuaded' to think about some sort of training, 'for a proper career'.
She's now a qualified Quantity Surveyor, having started with the firm as a temp and liked the look of the job.
Currently she's doing very well and enjoying it.
She's just bought a house but she's always said how much of me she sees in herself.
Had I been able, her life is one I too would have loved to lead: - ever changing, new experiences, travelling, learning.
So one day, I am convinced she'll rent out her house and move on yet again - and thank goodness she can.
Neither of my sons had gap years as such, or went to Uni just took their time deciding while working at other things as DGd has done.
DS1 started his own IT consultancy company in Australia. DS2, went into IT full time as well.
It is better, in my opinion, to look at the character and personality of the young person and what's going to make them happiest, rather than anxiously try to impose a cookie-cutter idea on them. Especially as so many graduates, over half according to LinkedIn, don't actually use their degrees.
Many feel they wasted those years and racked up student loan debts they wish they did not have.
I'm going to plant my sunflowers and tomato plants today. 
And apologising because you know it's going to cause upset? That's just spiteful
I had hoped to choose my words more diplomatically when I raised an objection to the idea of a gleeful welcome to scantily clad young men - âbutlers in the buffâ - but clearly not diplomatic enough.
I had no spiteful agenda and am very hurt that it was construed thus. Saying what I believe to be right has always been of more importance to me than being popular .
Nor am I a snarky killjoy, as suggested by another poster, just uncomfortable with an apparently female equivalent of the sort of âbanterâ Gregg Wallace seems to find acceptable. I may be one of that group of âmiddle class women of a certain ageâ he objects to, but if so I am proud that my years have given me the confidence to speak out when I see wrong.
So I apologise if it derailed your thread, that was never my intention and as this pic shows I clearly suffered the penalty of perhaps rashly dipping my toe into the water.
I'm getting messages from the airport where Gubbins is dashing around organising everyone; DS says she is SO excited.
Their plane leaves at 9pm and it was hoped she'd be tired, instead, she's wired
DS flies out tomorrow after lunch. I'll be tracking both flights in between a trip to the doctor and trying, yet again, to whip the last chapter of the book into shape.
Such a lot of research to do and results are surprising too - did you know that birthday cake with candles (blown out, make a wish) is a symbol of death? Goes back to Romans and Greeks - 'Many happy returns .
Nursery rhymes deal with it; our everyday language is full of references - and so familiar we never give it a second thought.
"Ted's used the last of the milk again, I could kill 'im".
There's a lesson there 
I'm aiming to get it finished and edited befoe New Year - and then begins the long haul of finding an interested publisher. But at least that bit will be gentler on the eyes.
X-rays went fine yesterday - such a lovely technician, made me laugh and was very helpful and kind.
I'll get the results tomorrow.
Very hot today - Google says 21 degrees but that's out at the airport; here I'm sure it's at least 24 - but cooler in my little whare with all doors and windows open
Have a good day everyone
Isn't this an endlesly fascinating and wonderful world?
I was able to watch Gubbin's plane take off and can follow it, if I was prepared to stay awake for 16 hours and 44 minutes, all the way to Dubai.
Technology eh? A miracle
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