Dig It with Jo Whiley and Zoe Ball - 81: Feral Squirrels and Toy Story: Speculum Edition

Starting point is 00:00:00 Coming up on Digget, what is this story that's just flushed up on our screen in front of us? Squirrels at vape? What? Surely not. This is what you're doing. Look, squirrels are now vaping people. My God, what's happening? You can be the god puppy mummy.

Starting point is 00:00:15 Pup mummy. Because I can't have one, so we can just be pup mummy from here. No, hang on, that sounds weird. If ever I'm feeling a bit fragile, if everything's getting on top of me, and I listen to some sad songs, it just destroys me. And I just need to hear songs with joy in. The clear plastic speculum was left lying on the kitchen table and was then claimed by my youngest son. It became his favourite toy. Oh, what? All of that, right after this.

Starting point is 00:00:42 Happy Monday, Joe. Oh, very happy Monday to you. Nice to see your face. You're looking very spring-like and gorgeous. And so many of our diggers, we run into our diggers all the time, don't we, when we're out and about, all over the place. And it's so wonderful. I feel like we've got such a lovely community around us. And this is where we dig in, where we hear from you, because you get in touch with all sorts. I've had quite a lot of diggers getting in touch about paint colours recently, by the way, in my wallpaper. Oh, have you? Which I'm very happy to share if anyone needs to know at all. Little Green Masquerade.

Starting point is 00:01:22 That's the lounge. Now, we all know squirrels can be a bit much sometimes. I've got a gang of squirrels. I'm now trying to welcome in my garden. So far, they've only got one of my tulips through the wire. Well, Leanne's been in touch with a squirrel update. I'm sorry. I've got images of a squirrel with a pair of pliers, like wire cutters cutting through the wire.

Starting point is 00:01:41 Seriously. I will get on eventually. I will get those bulbs. Hi, Zoe and Joe. It's Liam from Manchester. I just wanted to drop a message about our local school neighbourhood who, when they're not busy terrorising my border tell you fin, they are getting up to all sorts of chocolate shenanigans. So it's still a while ago when I was walking the dog and one ran past me carrying a flake in his mouth. At the time, I thought it was having a little bit of a moment

Starting point is 00:02:07 till when I was talking to a neighbour, she said that she'd watched one recently bury something in the garden that was purple, and when she dug it up, she had retrieved a well-known brand of chocolate. Since then, we've had all hosts of treats that we have dug up as we've been sorting out the borders in summer, including peanut butter egg, caramel, and more recently a chocolate truffle. And it just had me wondering whether yourselves or fellow diggers

Starting point is 00:02:29 had actually come across this yourselves. And if you haven't, what is the weirdest thing that you have dug up from your local garden. Anyhow, take care, keep doing what you are doing. You're both amazing and really do bring a little bit of sunshine to the week for us. I'm loving the fact that Leanne's voice is sort of like lowered tones. Like, you know, they're out there right now. They can hear me.

Starting point is 00:02:50 So I'm calling this in on the quiet. It sounds to me, Leanne, like your local squirrels have escaped from the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory film with Johnny Depp. Do you remember the squirrels that worked? Yes, they were in a... Yes, I do. Yeah. With barucas salt.

Starting point is 00:03:06 I have heard of all sorts, but a squirrel eating only the crumbliest, flakiest chocolate, tastes like chocolate never tasted before. I have not... This is unbelievable. So it sounds like they're a bit fond of a dairy milk. Should I leave some little eggs out? Has anyone else got squirrels that eat chocolate? This is bonkers. And things that you've dug up in your garden before.

Starting point is 00:03:30 I mean, I was around in India's my daughter who's moved into a new house. over the weekend and we were going through her garden and so I was just squealing with delight and going, oh my God, you've got a crab apple there and goodness says what, but then they're digging down and they're kind of excavating. And she found this beautiful little fairy doll because the house before had lots of children in it. And it was one of those that you go to a pottery cafe and you paint it and obviously a child is taking it down to the bottom of the garden and then it just got buried. And she dug it up and it was just so sweet and really evocative reminded me of when India used to do that kind of thing. So she put that up on high. So, okay, if we've got any

Starting point is 00:04:03 Squirrel activity, please share with us. What is this story that's just flushed up on our screen in front of us? Squirrels vape? What? Surely not. This is from Andy, who has emailed. Squirrels are vaping e-cigarettes after mistaking fruity aromas for food. That makes me so sad.

Starting point is 00:04:22 That's horrific. That really is horrific. It has come to this. Ladies and gentlebeam, be more careful. Throw your vapes into dustbins, please. Do you know what? The vaping thing makes me really cool. cross. It's like get people off smoking and then get them addicted to something that smells of

Starting point is 00:04:38 coconut or fruit where, because what I've noticed amongst my friends who vape is that they vape constantly and you get that horrible smelly fog of, oh, kind of black currants. Sweetness, yeah, yeah. But they do it constantly and I'm like, you are vaping more than you ever used to smoke. Yeah, I'm sure. But anyway, that's my rant over. But this is what you're doing. Look, squirrels are now vaping people. My God, what's happening? If you're loving diggits, please hit follow or subscribe wherever you watch or listen. That way you get brand new episodes directly to you as soon as they're out. Recently, Dana got in touch about something called nesting. She was asking whether it might help children adjust during a divorce. It's where the kids stay in the family home and then the parents take turns

Starting point is 00:05:27 living there instead. And Emma sent us this voice note. Hi, my name's Emma. I'm two years down the line from splitting from my husband and partner of 28 years. We had three children. I instigated nesting and I actually was the one that left the family home. I rented a little place down the road and we talked about it to the children. My friend gave me some great advice to talk about having two family bases. So that's what we did. We had two family bases and the children stayed in the family home and we

Starting point is 00:06:05 And we came and went and that worked. I think we must have done that for a few months. I can't even remember now. It's also a bit of a blur. But I was the one that put an end to it. And even though the place that I was renting was quite small, in the end, I pushed for the children to come and stay with me because I found it very difficult in the end.

Starting point is 00:06:27 I found it quite displacing. But it definitely worked for a period of weeks, maybe a couple of months. And you might feel differently, but I just felt like returning to the family home every week was extremely painful for me. And yeah, I felt like I didn't really have a home anywhere. So it was tricky. But if you can get through that, get over that. And if you put a time limit on it, it really helps the children through those early stages of coming to terms and processing what's happened between. you and they're not having to pack up their things. So just wishing you lots of love,

Starting point is 00:07:09 lots of luck. You will get through it. We don't know how, but we do. So yeah. Thank you, Emma. You can hear the emotion in her voice there, can't you? The empathy there. She's lived it and understands completely. Yeah. That whole feeling of feeling like you haven't got a home must be incredibly difficult. There were a lot of comments on our clip about about this and a lot of people were saying, you know, that finances can be the reason that people can't leave because they can't afford to rent another place or get another place and that can keep people back. And, you know, and I'd also just like to say, just having read some of the comments when we put a clip up, that we sometimes respond to people's particular situations on the pod

Starting point is 00:07:55 but we are only speaking about our own experience and we are not professing to be experts and we are not saying that what worked for us particularly would work for everyone. It's just a conversation. And I thought it was really important to say that, you know, everyone's experience is different. And it can be so devastating and heartbreaking. And some people have to stay and some people can't stay any longer. So I know everyone's experience is really different. But I just wanted to say thank you for trusting us and talking to us about this.

Starting point is 00:08:31 And Emma, thank you, because I know your message will be of great comfort to many of our diggers who are listening. No, it doesn't devalue your experience, whatever your situation. The pain is still very, very real for whatever reason. We're going to take a quick break now for some ads. If you want to get this episode ad-free and early, then subscribe to the potting shed. And if you opt for an annual subscription, you will get a free limited edition Digit tote bag. And also Father Gill's Sew and Tell Seeds will be back in a bit. We have an email from Laura. Hi, Laura. She says, I'm a mum to four children and I work as a GP.

Starting point is 00:09:15 My children are now age 20, 18, 15 and 8 years old. That's quite a gang. When my eldest two, both girls were in their early teens. We were discussing vaginal examinations and how they're done. I was explaining about a speculum. We have a very open relationship, which is so good to hear. They ask all sorts of medical questions regularly. I brought an unused speculum home to show them what it looked like so it would seem less scary. It did the trick and they were suitably happy. The clear plastic speculum was left lying on the kitchen table after our chat and was then claimed by my youngest son who was three or four at the time. Oh, this is too good. It became his favourite toy. Oh, what? And he would take it everywhere for a few

Starting point is 00:10:05 weeks. That happens with kids, doesn't it? Whatever that toy is, they're inseparable. The cafes, the library and the park. Often women, never men, would regularly ask, is he playing with what I think he's playing with? It caused a lot of giggles and good humour. It is still knocking about the house somewhere in a toy box. Oh my gosh. Laura in Aberdeenshire, your family sound fabulous. How wonderful to have a doctor in the house to answer all tricky questions.

Starting point is 00:10:35 Laura, we shall turn to you forever now for any of our. doctor questions. But yeah, what about your kids? Did they have strange toys? No, honestly, I think this is where we really need our diggers to get in touch and share with us because they will have untold stories. There will be things, weird things that they were obsessed with. I can't think of anything that mine were obsessed with that was out of the ordinary.

Starting point is 00:10:57 It was kind of, it was bears and it was diggers and dinosaurs. I think that pretty much summed up. But I can't think of anything particularly unusual, but I bet our diggers have. Yeah, my son's friends at school playing kids. catch with something that might have been double-ended. I think that was a thing for a while. I don't know where it came from, but it was a thing. And then Woody would tell me the hilarious stories about this thing being lobbed about. I was like, really, I don't think this is suitable. Can you not find? And he'd be like, mum, it doesn't concern you. Don't worry about it.

Starting point is 00:11:29 I was like, I don't want to hear this story. I don't think this is very savoury. Oh, gosh. Talking of small inanimate objects that you either love or you hate, Amy has been in touch and she said I'm an art graduate I believe I've got relatively good taste and I love gnomes I'm very happy for you Amy I've inherited my late grandmother's

Starting point is 00:11:50 and have been cultivating a collection inspired by one specifically a gnome that reminds me of my dearly departed dad he comes to festivals with us he stays inside in the winter and ventures out in the summer we call him Prog Rock Brian

Starting point is 00:12:04 I might be converted here Brian was his full name he quietly helped me fall in love with music, hence the reference. Gnomes rock, quite literally, Gnomes rock. That is from Amy and she sent us a photos. If you're watching, I can see Prog Rock Brie. Come on, Prog Rock Brigh. He is going to start many a conversation at a festival.

Starting point is 00:12:24 Can you see, look at him, he's lovely, he's got star glasses. He's holding a guitar. And of course, hat on, fingers in the air. The rock hand gesture, yeah. There he is. That is such a lovely story. that's the thing, isn't it? Things that remind us of loved ones. And that's a great reason to be into gnomes. I like this. We've had a lovely update from Michelle, who recently got in touch,

Starting point is 00:12:53 asking for uplifting songs for her cancer recovery. She says, thank you so much for including my email in your podcast. Last Monday was my worst day in terms of pain. And the mention and song suggestions gave me a much needed lift. I'm pleased report that I'm recovering well. and find it hard to believe that it's only two weeks since my surgery. I was also told yesterday that they managed to remove the tumour with clear margins, which is the news I was hoping for. That is great news. I'll need treatment, of course, but feel very reassured by the amazing team at guys. I've added the tracks to my playlist.

Starting point is 00:13:32 It's amazing the difference that music can make. I promised to my husband that as soon as I'm able, I'll be joining him in the garden, which has also been inspired by Joe. Zoe's passion for plants. Have a great day and thanks again. Michelle, you're a warrior and we are sending you so much love and I hope you're healing fast, lovely and that your treatment, continued treatment isn't too harrowing for you, gorgeous girl. And it's really good to hear you know positive stories for people having treatment for cancer because it can be so overwhelming when you get that diagnosis initially. Yeah, we've made a new Spotify playlist by the

Starting point is 00:14:07 way with all our uplifting song suggestions. I sat on the train on a long journey the other day and I just at the time of my life. Because I think if ever I'm feeling a bit fragile, if everything's getting on top of me, and I listen to some sad songs, it just destroys me. And I just, I need to hear songs with joy in, with a bit of an upbeat feel to them.

Starting point is 00:14:26 So I was going through, and I was picking my very, very favourite. So if you go to Dig It Uplifting on Spotify, you'll find our favourite songs. And we'll just keep adding to those. You know, as we remember them, as we hear different things, we'll add to it all the time.

Starting point is 00:14:37 So if you are ever down in the dumps, if you're going through something that's really difficult, if there is sadness around you, then just stick our playlist on in the background and hopefully it will make a difference. I mean, we can't guarantee, but hopefully it'll make a bit of a difference. So it's dig it uplifting on Spotify. You can find a link to it as well, by the way, in the show notes.

Starting point is 00:14:53 It's there. Yeah, and if you put Joe's show on at 7 o'clock every night, you do the shiny happy playlist, don't you? I do. Shiny. I'm a pro. You are a pro. I try.

Starting point is 00:15:09 Zoe, next time I talk to you, we will know which puppy we're getting from our litter because we are getting. getting the big reveal. We've been following their progress. We get her. Hopefully, I think we're getting a little girl. On the 19th of April, which is my dad's birthday. So it's not long to wait now, but we find out which one from the litter we're getting. And oh my God, every single day, we're just literally hanging on every move. I know, me too. I feel emotional. I'm sort of like being one person removed from the family. But we're going to get to see this pup.

Starting point is 00:15:41 You can be the god puppy mummy. Pup mummy. Because I can't have one. So we can just be pup mommy from here. No, hang on, that sounds weird. Well, I can't wait for that. Have a nice few days and we'll see you, see each other on Wednesday, yeah? Yep, I'll see you on Wednesday. Love you lots. See you next time. Bye.

Starting point is 00:16:05 Digit is a Persephonica production.

Dig It with Jo Whiley and Zoe Ball - 81: Feral Squirrels and Toy Story: Speculum Edition

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