Life's compensations

Well I do hope your DiL doesn't hear you!!

Very understandable - have you tried taking your DIL to a riding school to get her schooled?

Good for you! X

Nanban

I could think of a few good procedures to inflict on my xSIL if only they where legal

Ah now, all of the above advice completely impossible because we simply don't know where they and our grandchildren are - hope she hears me, oh yes please. Now then grans let's hear your versions - food and alcohol of course accepted as all round panaceas - oh and sweets!

Nanban, have just read your last comment, and suddenly realised what you were saying. Just wanted to say how sorry I am that this is what you have to cope with. I hope your 'therapy' horse helps you a lot! We really do need a 'hug' emoticon.....all the best xx

My personal compensations are poetry, music, reading in general, walking, beautiful scenery, travel, snorkeling on coral, spending time with my family and friends, a glass of wine, good food, my health, music...... gosh, I had almost forgotten how lucky I am (None of it takes away the sadness of losing almost half my family though).

I don't suppose anything could take away the sadness of that Greatnan But keep doing all the other things, it will bring comfort. My compensations are walking laughing and being with my DH, time with my Grandchildren friend and family.

Thank you, GoldenGran. I forgot to say that I watch a lot of TV, as I live alone and it is the only way I get to hear English spoken, apart from my phone calls to my daughter and my sister.
There is a lot of snobbery amongst ex-pats - apparently I am not integrating because I don't watch French TV, which is nowhere near as good as UK TV.
Well, I have watched Corrie for over 50 years and I don't intend to let a little thing like emigrating stop me now!(It is shown in NZ but about three years out of date so I will have to watch it on my laptop).
I watched The Great Barrier Reef on iPortal (on my laptop) tonight - I think I will get the DVD when I get home. My daughter bought me the complete boxed set of David Attenborough's series (plus a DVD player!) and I can watch them over and over again.

I'm glad you enjoyed the Great Barrier Reef, Greatnan. Those coral gardens are fabulous as are the fish. Monty's pretty tasty as well. Oh, I think I might have said that before...
I've been to the outer reef on an organised trip and loved it, though the weather was overcast. All my other snorkelling was in East Africa.

Annobel, one of my grandsons spent three months in Tanzania, studying the effect of the tsunami on the reef and helping to build schools, etc. He kept telling me that I would love the snorkeling there.
Once I am living out here, I will certainly be visiting the Barrier Reef but I know you have to go out in an organised group. My favourite snorkeling is when I can just swim from the shore, on my own, as I do in Egypt.

Yes, Great Barrier Reef is a really good programme - I was beginning to get worried as Attenborough is well over 80 now, and I don't suppose he can go on making films for much longer. It seems we have a worthy successor.

Greatnan. Try George Mcgavin, he has an excellent sense of humour and is very knowledgeable as well.( apart from making you eat crickets)

Greatnan - what a traveller! We too had a house in France for a while and completely agree re TV but then anywhere other than here is such rubbish that it makes English TV look positively intellectual.

We are so very fortunate, we have had a life others would only dream of; we have a life that others might only dream of but the bottom line is that the black hole where our son should be is inconsolable. Isn't it completely true that when you have a thoroughly nasty cold and you know your best friend has cancer, it doesn't make your cold any better!

I'm contemplating hypnosis so that I can finally not be completely terrified of spiders - another of life's small compensations. Love to all.