P is for People & PhD's

Well more like people watching.
Is this a sport that everyone plays or is it just me?
I love people watching. I have never quite gone so far as creating stories for the people I see but I do wonder what they are up to?

For a long time I always wondered why you saw children out of school during the week? But now that so many people home school I realised that they were probably out doing a lesson on something.
And once I started working shift work I realised what fun it was to people watch in the middle of the week when you are on a day off and wonder what everyone else is doing?

You definitely see some weird and wonderful stuff sitting quietly off to one side watching the world and the people go by.

I have watched 2 people meet in front of a restaurant before, it was obvious that they were on a blind date. It was so funny watching their reactions to each other, sadly I am not sure it was going to work out! But it definitely gave us entertainment for a while one evening.
The same goes for new blogs I come across, I love going all the way back to the beginning and getting to know them, what they were doing, why they started their blog and where they are now. Helps me get to know them and their style of writing better. Do you do the same?

PhD's

Do you have one of these?
Have you worked hard enough to gain one?
Have you ever considered getting one?

I have and I have been successful. I have sweated lots, swore lots, yelled lots and still I have a PhD.
In fact I can honestly say that I have several PhD's

And for those of you who are now totally confused...a PhD....is a Project Half Done!
Yep every stitcher, crafter, quilter etc will totally understand me and will confess to having a PhD somewhere in their house!

I love the colours in this

this is how far I have got!

I started this in 1999! I have 2 rows of hand quilting and the binding to complete!

This is so cute

these are some of the pieces for it, only been on the go for 7 years now!

I am proud of my PhD's I have at least 10...didn't I do well.

Swine Flu

As we are all fully aware now, Swine Flu is out there in the world.

Unfortunately I sometimes feel it has been taken a little too far!

People die from Influenza every year, or at least they die from complications due to Influenza.
Influenza is catching, you can get the flu from someone who has it, yes, if at work someone is coughing and sneezing, you can catch it, they may have the flu, and bingo, so could you have it a few days later.
This is how it has been for many years now. Medical professions are aware of this and that is one reason why they try so hard to have an active Flu Injection available each year. Because they know that Flu can kill. Or at least people who develope the flu are susceptable to further compications.
If next year everyone who had the flu was to report it to the Ministry of Health, there would be a major out cry, but we no longer really keep a tally on the amount of people who die each year from the flu.

Suddenly we have people panicking over Swine Flu, when at present it is showing no more symptoms in people than the ordinary everyday flu. And the other funny thing about it....it is exactly like the flu.

Alex's daycare has just sent a message home about Swine Flu. Seems that they will turn people away who have any flu like symptoms.
Such as:

1. fever
2. cough
3. sore throat
4. runny nose
5. stuffy nose
6. headache

Alex is home today as it is not a day he goes to daycare, he has a snuffy nose. A typical childhood cold that he no doubt caught from one of the other little kids at daycare, or even from his brother, who caught it from school. I have a snuffly nose too, have had for about 2 weeks now, again typical thing I have in the winter months.

So does this mean that suddenly we should stay home till the symptoms disappear? So far I would have been off work for 2 weeks.

Yes we need to stop this spreading, but how do you stop a cold spreading?

There has been, apparently, 1 death in England. But what they don't tell you, is that even though the person was H1N1 positive, they haven't actually said that that is what they died of! They may have died from Pnuemonia, which could have been a complication of having the flu, but because they were positive then it must make the media.

As you may be able to tell, this bugs me a little. I don't want anyone to die from Swine Flu, yes I will do all I can to assist in it not spreading, but to start telling people that if you have a cold to stay home until the symptoms have disappeared, well then New Zealand may as well shut up shop for 7 days, everyone stay home, do not socialise with family and friends, do not pass go, do not get $200 and don't dream of breathing!

A vaccine is required, and yes I know they are working on one. There will be pandomonia when it is released. They had better have enough because I think the uptake on it will be huge and it will not go down well to have the medical company come forward and say 'sorry, we just don't have enough!' People will want it when it is available, so lets hope there is enough.

Kindness

One of the cats, Prenzel, has gone for a walk!

We always guessed that she was a wanderer, but never thought she would prove it to us within 8 weeks of having her.

But what gets me, is that there are still some kind people out there!

We have put fliers in peoples mailboxes this week and we have had 3 calls about it. Now people don't have to call but I was really touched that they took the time to call and say they had seen a cat like ours around in the last hour, day or week.

The boys don't seem too bothered that she is not here. They know she has gone for a walk but they are not all that upset by it?

I do miss her, she is so cute. But if she is a wanderer then maybe she doesn't want to live here. I don't want to go away for the weekend wondering if she is still going to be here when we get back each time?

Barney is not at all bothered that she is not here. She is ruling the place like this is what was meant to be!