General Chat

Hello everybody.
Good to see you Sallie. I was so pleased with the moses basket. In fact
mummy to be, came to visit today, and she is over the moon with it. Apparantly she was worried in case I had bought one that was full of frills.
She's a funny little thing, for someone of only 25, she like plain things, nothing fancy.
I have made seven baby cardigans Sallie. My son reckons that some of them look like the second size up, even though they were all knitted in the same wool, and on the same size needles. My tension must have been out somewhere along the line. But obviously some cardigans had more stitches than others, hence the difference I suppose.
It's a good job Roly is not into his train layout as much as Alun is, as we just have not got the room for it. But I bet he would love to see Aluns layout.
Just think, we could have left them to it, and gone out for a coffee and a look around the shops. LOL
You will be pleased to know, that I have at long last finished the spare bedroom.
I had to stop doing it, when my brother came to stay.
I was a bit concerned that the wallpaper would get bubbles in it, but I must be getting better at it with old age,and got away without getting any.
It is looking pretty good I must say. Who's a clever clogs then, moi.
I am exhausted now though, getting up and down the ladder is a nightmare on the old legs.

I hope everyone is well.[[[[[[[[[Hugs]]]]]]]] to Jean, Ann,Sylvia,Marie, Liz, Huia and all our cyber friends.
Bye for now, love to you all. Mo xxx

I havent visited Phil for a week now as I have had a bit of a sore throat and some nose and throat congestion in the mornings, so thought it best not to visit in case I had some bug. There is a family meeting there tomorrow afternoon so I will probably visit in the morning, hoping to be past any possible infectious stage.

I must go through all my photo boxes to try to find an old photo and its neg, that a newspaper woman is interested in. They go to the printers in 5 days time so I need to find it today. I thought I had it scanned but I cant find it on my computer, so must get cracking.

Huia.

How did the family meeting go Huia. Did you manage to get in to see Phil,
or was your sinus problems still playing you up.

This is a very lonely little thread at the moment.
I hope that everyone is well.
Theres not much been happening here, and I am missing all the news from you all.
Take care my friends. Love and best wishes to you all. Mo xxx

Hi Mo and everyone

This has not been the easiest week

It started badly at the ferry terminal ............ there were so many walk on passengers being dropped off or picked up that the short term parking lot was absolutely full ...... there may also have been some who had parked there illegally for long term (ie, walked on the ferry themselves). OH had to join one of the slow moving line ups going round and round, all hoping vainly to grab a spot, while I walked to the actual terminal. Daughter did not appreciate having to walk as far as we had to, nor the fact that I didn't actually know where OH was ..... reason was that s-i-l was pulling very heavy cases (they took the kitchen sink away with them!). I didn't respond well .... snapped angrily at both of them in fact! It wasnt as if we had done it deliberately.

It has continued through the week as s-i-l has got more and more uptight about today's exam by committee. I think I have said before that he shows a number of autistic traits, and boy have they come out this week! It's been very much Me, Me, Me. Daughter is very protective of him ...... I have been led to believe by others in similar situations that this probably makes life easier for her. If she can keep him calm, then she doesn''t have to spend hours bringing him down from whatever agitated level he has reached.

She had two of us to deal with on Monday .......... we were unable to make supper until he had finished what he was doing, and which he had started about 5 minutes before we should have started preparing. I needed to take some medication, which I take after eating, ................. so I blew again after he started dithering around in the kitchen, further blocking attempts to get things going..

We ended up having a throw-together salad, with cold roast beef.

But he doesn't like cold roast beef ....... so his slices had to be heated up in the microwave, along with some left-over gravy.

I have had problems handling him since before they even got engaged .... but you can't say much can you?!

Anyway, they are out at the university now, his exam begins in about 1 hour. It may take 2 or 3 hours to complete. Then hopefully they will be home by 6 pm .... which is when the babysitter is arriving so we can take him out for a celebratory dinner.


He leaves tomorrow morning, while daughter and baby stay for another 2 weeks.


MJ has been great ............. laughs and smiles when he sees me, and I have got him making the right actions when I say "down" (sit down on my knee) and "Up" (pull himself up). J is delighted that he is responding to those "commands".



now you see why I haven't been posting for the last few days!




Hope you are all well


sylvia
xxxx

Hi Sylvia.
Poor you, having to put up with S.I.L like you have. It must have been very trying, having to hold your tongue.
The trouble is, we can't chose our childrens partners for them.
At least now that his exam is over, he may be able to relax a bit, and not be quite so awkward.
Ahhhh bless little MJ, it is so lovely when they start to try to stand. They look like they have got rubber legs, don't they.
Has he started saying mum or dad yet. I bet if he stays with you much longer, he will have a full vocadbulary by the time your daughter goes home. LOL Just don't teach him any swear words.
I do have the occaional read of the thread you and Viv are on, to keep up with all the gossip.
Take care love, and enjoy the next fortnight, with just your daughter and MJ.
Love Mo xxx

Sylvia I am sure you will have a lovely time with your daughter and MJ when SiL goes home. In some ways it is probably a good thing that they do live a long way away, although it means not seeing your daughter and MJ so much. I wonder how he got on staying with friends, at least you know a bit about why he is like he is. Sounds like hard work though. Hope his exams went well anyway.

Ann

That visit wasn't really like "staying" with friends, as in being in the same house.

J's godfather and his wife own 2 plots of land. They have built a smallish 3 bedroom house on the second lot, call it The Cottage, and put up visitors in there. They provide makings for breakfast (cereal, milk, bread, jam), plus eating and cooking utensils, and expect you to go over to the "big" house for mid-morning coffee and lunch, and then later for dinner (or you can stay the afternoon with them, unless they send you "home"!).

OR you could stay in the cottage and prepare your own lunch or even dinner, or go out for the day.

I gather from what J said, that they actually spent quite a lot of time in the Cottage, and much less time at the "big" house than we, for example, would do.

There are 5 of our long time friends in this one town ....... all J's "honorary" aunts and uncles, and all now at least late 60s (oldest is 84). M&J go to visit them whenever they can


The problem is that none of them really have seen M as we have seen him ............... so they have no understanding of what it can be like.

M&J have never stayed more than 3 days in the same house with any of them at any time, and that longer time is when things start breaking down.


I think it is better when we go to stay with them, though still difficult ......... because we seem to be more willing to adapt to their routines than he is to ours. We don't for example ask them to buy special cereals, that will be left. I have to ask to be sure to have soy milk in, but that is the only requirement.

We now have, for example, 3 boxes of Oatmeal Crisp Triple Berry cereal, unopened, on our store shelves ............... because he will not eat any of the 5 or 6 cereals that we do have in. Including Oatmeal Crisp Raisin and Almond.

He does actually also like the Oatmeal Crisp Almond (a relatively new addition to his diet, it wasn't on the lsit of "things needed to buy" that J sent us 3 weeks before they arrived) ......... so J bought him a box of that one.

He could have had the kind that was in the house, and picked out the raisins, couldn't he????

I'm not shining my halo here ...... but, although I prefer either corn flakes or the Raisin and Almond, I eat whatever is in the cupboard when we're visiting (except bran flakes!!).



well, we're waiting to hear the result


I do hope J will phone at some point ..... but she may not!!



sylvia
xxx

heard about an hour ago


s-i-l has got his PhD


....... excellent presentation

...... excellent thesis

...... good contribution to the subject


He has to make a couple of minor changes, whicuh he'll do after he gets home tomorrow (Friday), because he has the necessary resoruces there.




phew!


sylvia
xxx

Congratulations to him. Well done.

Whew!!! thank goodness for that Sylvia, he got good results really. Perhaps now he will relax a bit, and not be so tetchy with everyone.
If he came to our house he would have to eat what was here,or go without.
The shops are not that far away, and if he has money in his pocket, he could buy them himself. LOL

Hi Ann, not long now till your holidays is it. And I wonder who's birthday is
not very far off.

Hi Ladies,

Right, I hope this is third time lucky. I got about half way through the first and second messages, and for no reason that I can tell, they both got whooooosed! It's driving me mad!


Sylvia, you've certainly had a very trying week, by the sound of it. Surely your daughter must have realised that you and OH had no choice but to park a long way from the terminal. We all know it isn't ideal, but at times it happens that way. I'm know that it would have been better and a lot easier for you too, as you have trouble with your leg. Did your daughter think about that?

Congratulations to your son-in-law, on getting his PhD, he's done well.
Did you and OH enjoy your evening out, with them? I hope that it all went well, and that you had a lovely meal to celebrate his achievement.

Once your son-inlaw goes home I'm sure that you'll have a lovely two weeks with your daughter and MJ. She'll be far more relaxed with him not being there, as she won't have to try and keep him on an 'even keel ' , if you know what I mean. It must be difficult for her at times, trying to keep him calm, also not wanting to see you upset. I know how you feel Sylvia, having been in a similar situation a couple of times. I'm afraid, that sometimes I don't find it easy to keep my mouth zipped. Just wish at times, that I was like Alun, he seems to be able to let things ride and say nothing.

Hope you and OH will enjoy the next two weeks with your daughter and MJ.
It's great that he knows you and has always got a big smile when he sees you. Lots of hugs and kisses to MJ. xxxxx


Mo, it seems to be quiet on all the boards, probably a lot of members are on hoiday or maybe, like Sylvia, have family visiting.

I hope that all is well with both you and Roly. I know you went away a couple of weeks ago, but just wondering if you have another holiday lined up.
Alun and I are not going anywhere, because I still don't want to come home each day. I know that one day, I'll have to try and stay somewhere, but for now I don't feel ready. I mentioned to Alun, that I would love to go to New York again. He came out with the comment, " you do know that you can't go there for the day, don't you ", to which I said, " I DO know that". lolol!! Of course, I meant one day when I feel better.

I've made quite a few cards over the last few days. I'm finding that I can now get myself much more organised, with jobs around the house and card making, so I'm pleased about that. At times over the last eight or nine months, I thought that, that time would never come again, but it has, thank goodness!


Huia, I hope that you are feeling a lot better now, and that you've been able to visit Phil. If you've been to see Phil over the last day or two, I hope he responded to you more than he did on your last visit. Has your son been up to see you lately?


Ann, sorry you've probably already told us, I was just wondering when do you go to Bristol for a cuple of days? Put my memory down to old age!


I wonder if everything is okay with Marie, she hasn't been on here for a while, so I hope that things are alright with her and her family.


Liz, how are things with you? Hope you got on okay with the Counsellor on Monday. Also, hope that you are all now organised ready for the wedding.


Jean, still thinking about you, and hoping that you are feeling at least, a little bit better. Take care!


Well, I've got a couple of PM's to send, make our dinner and then it's back to the card making. So I'll speak to you all very soon.


Love and best wishes to you all. Sallie.xxx

Hi Mo and everyone


Thank you

We had a lovely evening out yesterday, with a lovely meal, as we always do at the restaurant we went to. We'll be there again next week on our anniversary, with J as our guest.

It isn't cheap by any means ................. but is superb for a celebration!


Now he is at the airport, will be boarding his plane in less than 30 minutes for his flight home.


He was great last night, although he had a stress headache hanging around (if you know what I mean), and was very nice this morning as well.


so things are back to as close to normal as they ever are between the two of us.



Now I have to go and baby proof the house ............. my niece is on the way to visit her mother with her 20 month old son ............... only she can't fly direct from where she lives to where her mum lives. She has to come through Vancouver, and has a 7+ hour layover today. We're less than 10 minutes from the airport, so we see her a couple of times a year!


I've not had to baby proof for many many years though!!



take care everyone




sylvia
xxx

Hello ladies, I am just popping in to let you know all is well at this end of the country.
We are of to a BBQ at our daughters in a minute, so I will see you tommorrow.
Love to you all. Mo xxx

Dear Friends, sorry I havent posted lately, I havent had the internet for about a week, seems to be back to-day thank goodness.
The girls have been sick with colds and Abby has had conjunktivitis??in her eyes.
Our darling little grandson has been ill with a virus and teething he has had very high temps and has had convulsions and he stopped breathing,they have had the ambulance to him and he has been at the emergency departent twice, it has been been dreadful for Tracie and Ryan.
I am going to see him shortly I rang this morning and Tracie tells me he is a little better to-day.This has to be short as I must go. I will post again later . All my love to you all Marie

Oh Marie I am so sorry to hear that your grandson had the convulsions, and that the rest of the family are suffering from the cold symptoms.
Your cold weather could have something to do with all the ailments going around.
It's amazing how cut of we feel, when we lose our internet connection.
I hope things improve for your family, and that you dont lose connection again in a hurry.

Well we had a lovely time at the BBQ, well that is, until we had a cloud burst. My poor son in law was like a drowned rat by the time we had found him an umbrella. Fortunately he had the forethought to close the lid on the BBQ, so that the food did not suffer.
After we had left, the grandchildren decided to get the wii dance out. Thank goodness we left when we did, or good old nan would have got dragged into it.
It was bad enough that we had to meet two of our grandaughters boyfriends for the first time, without my making a fool of myself dancing round the room. Oh how embarrasing that would have been. I wouldn't mind, if they had known me longer, but on introduction, it's a bit much dont you think.
You all know I am a nutter, so it doesn't matter, but for someone who has never met me before, it could have scared the pants of them.

Well I must go, I have got to do the dinner.
Love to you all. Mo xxx

Here we go then, Our weekend:

A short weekend in Bristol
We had looked forward to our weekend away for a while, it was partly to ‘celebrate’ my seventieth birthday and partly because we wanted to see the new production of Les Miserables. The weekend was, as we expected, nearly all good, and thereby hangs a tale as they say.
It only takes about forty five minutes to reach Cribbs causeway from here, therefore it makes a good break point when we have a weekend in Bristol as we do occasionally. Hotels don’t like you to check in before about 2.30 usually, and in the case of the hotel we were staying in, The Bristol Hotel, we have to use the NCP car park which is free to hotel guests after about 4pm and all weekend.
On Friday 6th August we drove down a very congested M5 to junction 17 and Cribbs Causeway. We had no trouble parking and managed to while away an hour in Marks and Spencer’s having coffee and then spending money. It is noticeable that the M&S there has a lot of different clothes to shops in other places. Take it from one who visits the store in whatever town she is in. And I really must comment on how well the shop was lade out. Everything looked so attractive and the clothes just shouted out “buy me!” Being the school holidays it was quite frantic around lunch time and we were surprised to note that they have changed the central food hall making it into all individual little restaurants which seemed to reduce the number of tables. Anyway we eventually found a coffee shop that sold very nice sandwiches and baguettes and had a much needed sit down.
We arrived at the hotel at 4pm and were quickly booked in. We had been very fortunate and managed to pick up a special offer which included an upgrade to a superior room and a bottle of Champagne and strawberries on arrival. And it worked! The room was great, big and very smart all in black and white with a few touches of raspberry red. We looked out to the cathedral and the downs and the sun was shining. We unpacked and went for a walk, the hotel is right on the harbour side and along the opposite side are all the cafe bars and restaurants, including Wetherspoon. Naturally this was to be our destination and we found a table outside overlooking the harbour where we enjoyed a glass of Chardonnay and shared some Nachos as our meal was not booked until seven thirty.
Back to our room to enjoy the Champagne (and it was champagne and not Cava) and strawberries both of which was delicious and much appreciated. Then, after a bath we dressed for dinner which was inclusive for our first night. The restaurant is very nice and we had a window seat looking out over the harbour. First the waiter brought us some home-made bread and oil and balsamic vinegar to dip it into. Then Tony had leek and potato soup and I had a salad with olives and brie in a tasty dressing. For our second course we both had lamb rump sliced on a sort of mashed potato cake with a lovely sauce and asparagus and for sweet I had ‘parfait’ (ice cream to you and me) and Tony had poached pear with mixed berries which he said was nice but sharp. As we had already had quite a lot of alcohol with the wine and Champagne, we just had a tomato juice each. The food was beautifully cooked, small amounts as the fashion is in those sort of places so not for the starving, and we were glad it was inclusive because looking at the menu it was not cheap. After the meal we rounded it off with an Amaretto in the bar listening to the piano being played in the background.
Saturday dawned and it was pouring with rain. Ugh! Not part of our plan as we had a ten minute walk to the shops. However we had a long, leisurely, large breakfast from the buffet buy which time it had stopped raining. We walked up to the shops via the many craft stalls by the Corn Exchange, stopping to look at a registry office wedding where some of the guests were wearing way our clothes! We visited The Mall, then Cabots Circus, the latter is usually just for looking as it is full of really expensive shops like Harvey Nicholls, where we stopped to enjoy the wonderful windows so cleverly dressed. As it happened I did buy something there as I spotted a top I liked in Wallis which was reduced by more than fifty percent. After such a large breakfast we really couldn’t face lunch so we just had a coffee which was just as well as even that was difficult with so many people in town. We were tired by now so made our way back to the hotel where I read a magazine I had bought and Tony watched Sky Sport. So far, so good.
We needed to eat fairly early as we had to be in the theatre for seven thirty so at about four o’clock we set off out of the hotel to find something to eat. Fortunately I decided that we’d eat first then go back to the hotel and change. We looked at Wetherspoons but it was really crowded with lots of youngsters sitting and standing outside drinking pints and shouting around. Next door was another pub restaurant called the Pitcher and Piano.

Next door was another pub restaurant called the Pitcher and Piano. No I don’t know why either. We opted to go in there, we were going to sit outside but it was a bit cool, then the first table we looked at was next to a very inebriated noisy group. And this is where the consequences of choices comes into play. We decided against a large circular table on a platform which was a bit isolated in the centre of the room and opted for a small table with two arm chair like seats on a platform that ran down the centre of the room. We ordered and got a bottle of wine, choking a bit on the fact it was double the price of a similar one in Wetherspoons, although half the price of one in the hotel. Then we ordered a sharing platter of chicken wings, potato skins, calamari etc plus a portion of chips.
So far, so good, we enjoyed a glass of wine while we waited for our food. When it came we realised that the table was, in fact, too small to take the long trays the sharer was presented on so we decided to move to an adjacent larger table. Now picture this next bit and wince for me please! The waitress took the platters and Tony took his plate and glass of wine. I left my white coat, luckily, on the chair and picked up the bottle of wine and my glass. Are you with me so far? I turned to go to the new table but as I turned I momentarily forgot I was on a platform, the edge of the armchair was very close to the edge of the platform so the illusion was of a flat floor and I turned my foot and wend down almost backwards but on my right side, hitting a chair out of the way as I fell which made an enormous noise and the room went silent as I sprawled covered head to toe in my glass of red wine. I didn’t feel as if I had hurt myself and was more concerned with telling Tony, waitress and a rather dishy waiter who had come running that I was Ok, if a little damp. Everyone started talking again and the wine all over the floor and table was hastily mopped up. We continued with our meal, there was nothing I could do about my clothes they were soaked in wine and damp but not uncomfortable. The wine had not really spilled much out of the bottle but they brought us a fresh bottle and were really excellent at asking if I was OK, could they do anything else for me etc. After the meal the manager came and filled in the accident book and agreed that there should be a florescent strip along the edge of the platform. We went back to the hotel and I stripped off my wine soaked clothes, even my knickers were wine soaked, then changed for the evening after a lovely hot bath....... which brought out the bruises I didn’t realise I had. One on the edge of my foot, one on my waist which must have been caused by the chair I knocked into and, a small one on my elbow and one on my thigh . Nothing on my back or my hip and I didn’t hit my head.
After that performance we really enjoyed the performance of Les Miserables. Gareth Gates was excellent as Marius and the evening flew past. We walked, or in my case limped, back to the hotel and finished the evening with an Amaretto before retiring to bed at about eleven thirty. So, as I said, it was mostly a lovely weekend.

OH MY GOODNESS Ann. You are a right Calamity Jane, but very very lucky not to have done yourself more damage than you did.
I dare say that the proprietor was quite worried in case you took them to court, after all health and safety would have been on them as quick as anything, with them not having any notification that there was an uneven surface in the vicinity.
They should definately have had some signposting around the area.
If you get any delayed reaction, please make sure you get yourself checked out. Love Mo xxx

I will, Love them they were all very concerned and couldn't do enough for us, theyw ere all young and polite too, two were Spanish but spoke excellent English, the Manager was very concerned but i really don't think it occurred to him that I could sue. Not that I believe in the compensation culture so probably wouldn't. Although a new pair of trousers wouldn't come amiss.

Hi All,

Ann, thank goodness you didn't hurt yourself badly. As long as you're feeling alright now, that's the main thing.

I remember a number of years ago, going to a police dinner dance with my brother and sister-in-law, ( John was in the Gwent police, before retiring) the evening was going well, until about half way through the dancing, they decided to play a game in between each dance, where the person on the platform, would ask if someone had a certain thing. One of the things he asked for was an old penny, so of course I had one in my purse, got it out and as I ran to give it, I slipped and fell against a chair, although I didn't really hurt myself, I felt so stupid and embarrassed.
It wasn't until the next day that I realised I had a huge bruise on the one side of my back.
I'm pleased, that other than that, you've both had a lovely weekend.


Mo, glad you had a good time at your daughter's, although it's a shame about the heavy rain. It's a good thing that your son-in-law thought about closing the BBQ, so at least the food wasn't ruined.
Jennie has a Wii, but she can't get me to give it a try, I'm not into those kind of things, I'm sorry to say. lolol!!

Marie, I really hope that your grandson is much better now, bless him. It's
such a worry when they suffer from convulsions.
My niece, my brother's daughter, suffered from convulsions every time she had a temperature, this went on until she was nearly seven. So I know how worried you all must be. Let's hope that he doesn't have anymore, from now on.
I also hope that the girls will soon feel a lot better. As Mo has already said, it might be the weather that you're having at the moment, that's causing the problems.

Well, I'm going to make another card now, getting on okay with them at the moment.

Take care all of you!

Love and best wishes. Sallie.xxx