Mash: Hi Gorgeous! And? What is your news? Are you getting much work these days?
Gina: Hi there! Can't complain. Just enough commissions to keep me busy without overworking. Enough money too. And you?
Mash: I still work about 12-15 hours a week, which with my rental means that I am not dipping into my savings too much.
Gina: Sounds good. Is this journal Rose was an editor of still around?
Mash: Amazingly ATLA has continued for another year in 2018. I have always believed that they would not stop publishing it, or change how they produce it, in the middle of a year’s editions, so I am now at that stage of waiting for the first paper of the 2019 edition to arrive on my desk. Each year I think it will stop, and each year, somehow, it staggers on! Fingers crossed.
Gina: Fingers crossed. Happy for you. And Rose's ALTA. How is she?
Mash: Don't see much of them. The last do we had together was in November! Michael's birthday party at Carriage and Stallion in Buxton. But I hear they're doing well. Rose's granddaughter will be graduating from college this summer. You met her, remember?
Gina: Tina?
Mash: Tilla. A short for some name but can't remember.
Gina: Always wanted to ask you: how old is Rose?
Mash: Not sure. My age? Must be older as she's bound to be getting her pension by now.
Gina: Has she retired yet?!
Mash: So I hear. ALTA secretary told me the other day.
Gina: And you, old man?
Mash: I get my state pension in 2021. But not having paid much into my pension plan I can't expect it entirely to support me.
Gina: And the estate? The rents?
Mash: That will do, though I'd have to cut on booze
Mash: D‑':
Mash: The smallholding is looking fairly neat these days (mainly due to Hellie). So I don’t work too hard there, but over the course of a year, I probably spend 4-5 hours a week working on it. Through butcher problems, we kept our pigs for a month longer than we expected this year, and in that time they grew by about 15-20 kilos each!. So my freezers are full to overflowing.
Gina: Pork is not good for you, they say. Especially for older folks.
Mash: We have decided to give the pigs a rest next year, since we should have plenty of meat. I really don't care if it's healthy or not as long as it tastes good.
Gina: Good old Mash!
Mash: It's me!
Gina: How grand to hear your news! 
Mash: You must come and visit me again.
Gina: We'll think about it!
Mash: :)
Gina has enough commissions to keep herself busy and they bring her enough money. Mash works about 12-15 hours per week, which also works for him. The ALTA journal is still going strong. The last time Mash saw Rose was in November at Michael's birthday party. Rose is about his age and retired now.