*SUPPORT* for all who are living with estrangement

Lovely to see your post PF and good to know that you've found support on Mumsnet. It's good to know that there are people of your D's age group who are able to see what you as an EP have gone through and have empathy.

It must be hard for your D, having been no contact to now have you both back in her life, and to have that tempered with your DH's diagnosis.

If you remember, when your D first got in contact with you I told you how much I admire your courage for taking the first tentative steps toward reconciliation. My admiration for your courage remains; your's, your DH's and your D's.

It's wonderful that you've all been given this opportunity and are able to embrace it and one another. It was never going to be without difficulty and without new challenges, even without your DH's diagnosis.

Your last paragraph says it all and believing as you do has been invaluable to us as we've moved on with our lives; re build them and find peace.

Take care dear friendx

Just checking in and hoping everybody is well. The days all seem the same and yesterday as Bank Holiday Monday it felt like any other day. I have kept to a routine and done some cleaning around the house although I could have done some pottering around in the garden but allowed myself to leave it for now.

It seems that the Lockdown is still bringing new challenges in the neighbourhoods and where I walk the dogs on my route I pass the social building for the little district council.
There is a hard surface car park and many dads have had their children playing cricket or football in there over the recent warm weather only yesterday the gates were heavily padlocked and huge notices saying stay out. It all seemed really quiet. There is a large field nearby and that was empty as well but nothing closing it off so I just took a walk across it
and it was pleasant as so many birds flying in and out of the bushes.
Stay safe all.

With fewer of us humans walking around and in our cars, the wildlife is certainly more visible these days 3nanny. For the last 4 evenings at about 10.30 pm I've seen a hedge hog scurrying up our road; so cute.

We're also more aware of the different birds we can hear at the moment, over and above the sea gulls which as you all know I love to hear.

I only hear seagulls when I go to the tip lol

We moved here to a coastal town just over 3.5 years ago to rebuild our lives 4 years into our estrangement and in so doing left all the rubbish behind.

Every morning I smile when I hear the seagulls because I know how lucky we are to have found this fabulous house, in this lovely town, and to know that there is life after estrangement.

I am hearing seagulls every day and I am in a non coastal city. Wondering if they are coming inland because they are missing the food provided by people in seaside towns ...as in chips, fish, sandwiches etc! A while ago I was sitting having a picnic on a beach and a seagull dived down and removed my egg sandwich from my hand!!

It's weird hearing them away from the coast

That could be why Madgran. It's a constant battle trying to get the stupid ones usually visitors, not to feed the gulls. They end up with no fear which makes them potentially dangerous.

The greater black backs are huge, bigger than either of our dogs and it's quite frightening if you see one coming toward you, a bit like scene from Alfred Hitchcock's 'The Birds'.

Before we moved here several years ago I had a doughnut taken out of my hand; never walked around at the coast while eating since.

What an emotional rollercoaster PF - so much going on. I'm glad some of it is positive and you are getting some much needed support. I'm glad also that you are finding a way through all this that is bringing you some peace of mind.

We haven't been going out shopping. DH has asthma and has had a lot of chest problems so we're relying on deliveries when we can get them. They seem to be getting scarcer still though so we will have to play it by ear. He's been a bit under the weather generally lately, but he's just resting and hoping for the best.

No seagulls here but lots of noisy pigeons.

Morning ladies

I can see why you're dependant on deliveries hugshelp, I hope your DH is feeling a little better today. It must be a worry when someone has health issues and the need for self isolation is so important.

We had a lovely walk yesterday evening, just a very short drive to the beach to let our cockapoo have a run off the lead. She went bananas bless her and got rid of some of her pent up energy. We let our little poodle off too. He's so small and being white he looks like a little lamb bouncing around.

It's a beautiful morning here today, the sea is a beautiful blue and looks very inviting but I certainly wouldn't fancy taking a dip, it will be freezing!! I wouldn't be surprised to see one or two going in though.

I need advice on how to dispose of a body; Mr. S.'s.

I've just received a photo from my cousin of me, my mum and our pekingese that was taken in 1999 by the Daily Mirror and was used in an article as our dog saved our lives.

We were living in a flat and nearly died from carbon monoxide poisoning. We were both unconscious and my mum was brought round by our dog licking her face. I'd had more exposure and that night it was touch and go as to whether or not I'd pull through. Mr. S. and I were engaged at the time.

Mum and I went down to London to an award ceremony and our dog was presented with a gold medal for life saving; the only peke ever to receive one which makes sense.

So why is Mr. S.'s life in peril? He looked at the photo and said "those were the good old days weren't they when you got gassed". He then burst out laughing and is still laughing because "that came out wrong".

It certainly did Mr. S. so before I do the deed I need to know how best to dispose of him afterwards. Remember we don't have a garden so burying him isn't an option.

Well, since you live by the seaside I think a Viking burial may be the answer

What a wonderful dog you had though and an amazing escape!

Sorry to hear about your DH hugs. Keep safe!

Good thinking PF, yes it was an amazing escape and if Mr. S's is lucky he may have an amazing escape today too.

Good Morning all; so sorry but it made me laugh Smileless to hear what Mr. S. said which I am sure came out wrong.
You could of course take a drive to Dover and have a bit of exercise along the high cliffs it would be so easy to lose your footing up on those cliffs. !!!!!!!!!!!
What a clever little dog you were lucky to have had back in 1999 they always say that a dog will go the last mile for it's owner and the owner would of course do the same for the dog.

Just going back to your post Smileless2012 April 20 13.21 about moving to the coastal town and the seagulls. I like to see the seagulls as well and they do come up near where I am but as yet I have not seen them this year. When looking at the pictures of the almost empty beaches in U.K. last weekend I was greatly tempted to get into my car and drive to one of them just to feel the sea breeze and get the smell of seaweed and shingle that would be bliss if only for two hours. When all this is over I really must make some changes in my life.

I've just realised, the photo was taken in 1979 not 1999 and I read before I posted and still didn't see my mistake.

It is lovely to smell the sea 3nanny. We notice when we're visiting DS in Aus. that the sea doesn't smell the same as it does here, it was the same in Florida. I think it's the absence of sea weed that makes the difference.

As weird as it is, there is something nice about the almost deserted beaches at the moment. Funnily enough, before the lock down was announced I said to Mr. S. that if there is one, this is a great place to be.

The sea has lovely smells and when the tide goes out all the
seaweed and little shells are scattered everywhere. It may be a U.K beach but there is just something about it that feels great.

My son went to Malaysia and then onto some of the smaller type islands several years ago now and he cleverly had his camera attached to his breathing apparatus while underwater in the clear sea the video he made of it was excellent and the fish swimming all around him was lovely to watch. He's been to Egypt twice (and did not visit the pyramids) his favourite was driving around on large quad bikes into the desert places. I asked him if he went on a camel
he said no I had the quad bike why would I want to sit on a camel. He has done much more travelling than me.

DS did a similar thing 3nanny when he swam with whale sharks in Aus. They're huge, I couldn't believe how big they were until we saw other people swimming near them. I was glad I wasn't watching it live when he was actually swimming.

Sounds if as if your son's like ours. He's done a sky dive, goes snorkelling and used to do quite a bit of free climbing but seems to have given that up; thank goodness. He has motor boards and they go surprisingly fast. He came off last year and broke his wrist.

TBH in some ways he's more of a worry now that when he was little.

The boys tend to have very little fear Smileless2012 although my sons fishes were those less large than whale sharks your son went swimming with. I am not sure which holiday my son was on with his friends but they went somewhere to do the wave surfing, anyway he saw his friends calling him back as the wave coming was gigantic, unfortunately he had no time to get back and just had to go with the flow, he told me he knew he must not panic and get terrified even though he was. His friends thought the worst
but after much rolling around he safely came out of it albeit petrified and he lived to tell the tale.

Son has done several rope dives (not sure what you call them) where he dangles head first down a steep canyon he had that on a video most of his friends declined to do it. He said it was a big adrenaline rush and exciting.

He has calmed down the scary stuff a bit he seems to have got it out of his system I hope it stays that way.

Oh me too 3nanny I'm not sure I could cope now with some of the heart stopping things our DS's done over the years.

That does sound scary. We worry about DS with his snorkelling as there are great white sharks on the coast. I once spoke to him about it and he said it's all part of the adrenaline rush; really!!.

Good job our son's aren't friends as I dread to think what they'd get up too.

I'm really starting to miss my friends. I think before this I was stressed having too many friends and not enough time and now all I have is time and I can't see them. I miss them so much.

Goodness smiles you do know how to capture the attention of an audience lol.
Glad you survived your near-miss.
Very tired tonight, so just giving you all a quick hello, stay-well, night night. x

I’ve been a live in host on Airbnb for the past four years until a month ago when they cancelled all my bookings due to lockdown. Now considering whether to try and get a lodger instead as I just don’t think I can rely on Airbnb in the long term. Anyone else in the same boat?

Life's never been boring hugshelp although not always for the most pleasant of reasons.

I've decided let Mr. S. off the hook so he's survived his near miss too.

Just watched Captain Tom do his 100th lap of his garden, what an amazing man and what a great way to start the day