General Chat

Good morning all. The weather today has been brilliant. In fact it was good yesterday too, and last night I made a list of things I want to / should do. After hanging out the washing which I did a few days ago (it has been draped inside) I started to make one of my large double sheets, of which I have many, into a large single but then realised it was a pity to waste such a nice sunny day when I have been longing for one, so I went for a 40 min walk. After lunch I cleared the heaps of dead leaves out of the ditch that runs down beside our drive (one off the list) then I decided to do a bit of gardening (not on the list). I dug out some sow thistles (puha), plus a bird-sown karamu (we have lots of them around), then dug up a couple of dahlia plants. They are not my favourite one, in fact when I first bought it it was supposed to be a cactus dahlia but it turned out to be a large pink waterlily type. It has been very hardy and has multiplied a lot, so I might take some of the tubers to the hospice shop. I washed the mud off them and left them in a semi shady place to dry.

It is the busiest I have been for ages. It is amazing how the sun can perk me up. The only problem is that it became quite hot so I didnt do any more. But at least I have made a start.

Huia.

Hello girls.
Sylvia, I hope your OH is not suffering to much after his dental treatment.
Cysts in the mouth are so painful,they seem to appear from nowhere,and the next thing you know you are in agony.
I hope your check up went o.k, you don't need both of you suffering at the same time.
I can't believe the size of your kitchen, it's enormous. And the price that you have been quoted,for the moving and replacing of two appliances, seems pretty good.
When are they starting your kitchen, you have probably told us, but I have forgotten.

Sallie the M11, is a night mare every day. Roly used to have to go there to do the maintenance on one of his sites. He dreaded going because he knew there would be hold ups every time.
I am pleased that Richard is still enjoying his job.

Joyce I hope you get a better nights sleep tonight. You were probably worrying yourself about what was going to happen today. Whatever it was,
I hope it went well.

My word Huia, you have been a busy little bee. It's surprising how a little bit of sun,can lift our spirits,and spur us on to do things.
I bet they will be thrilled with the tubers,at the hospice shop. I can visualise you, up to your armpits washing the tubers. LOL

I haven't been up to much today. Just been to the hairdressers and had all my hair cut short again. Cor it was chilly when I came out of there, my ears felt like they were going to drop of.

I hope Jean, Ann, Tess, Liz,Marie and Debbie are all well.
Love to one and all. Mo xxx

Where is everyone gone? You must all be in hiding! lolol!!!


Huia, pleased that you have had some good weather, and that you have been able to go for a walk and also done some gardening.

When I first read your post, I thought you had said that you had gone on a 40 mile walk, but after reading it again it sunk in to my head that it was a 40 min walk.lolol!!

It's a good idea to take some of the dahlia tubers into the Hospice Shop, I'm sure they'll sell them.

When I was a teenager (many moons ago lol!) the garden of the house we lived in had very poor soil, but my father always managed to grow beautiful dahlias. My auntie was quite envious, because dahlias would never grow as well in their garden.



Dutch, I'm wondering how you got on today, I hope it all went well for you.
I'm going to get Alun to take some photos of my cards later on, when he's finished playing with train layout, for the night.
So I'll send the pics to you all, including, 'our Mo', I don't want to leave her out.lolol!!



Mo, as we were talking about old photos yesterday, I thought I 'd tell you about what our local council have done. At the bottom of the main shopping street quite a few shops have closed, so the council have covered the fronts of the shops with large boards with old photos on, showing how each shop and the street, use to look likein the late 1890's to the 1930's.

I love looking at the photos when I go up town, and I think it's a great idea as it's so much better than seeing horrible dirty boards, which makes the place look derelict.



Ann, hope you and T are still enjoying your holiday. It can't be too long now before you are due home, if my reckoning is right, I think you've only got about a week left.



Sylvia, hope OH's face isn't as painful today, and that it will soon be better.

When do you go to Vancouver Island, I know that you've booked the tickets for the ferry already. I hope the weather will be alright and it won't be too cold there for you.

Sending hugs and kisses to MJ. xxxxx



Jean, as I've told Dutch, I'm going to get Alun to take photos of some of the cards later on tonight, so with a bit of luck I can send them to you within the next day or two. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will go alright.




Tess, hope that you have been alright over the last couple of days and that you have been able to get out and about.


Thinking of all our absent friends.


I'll speak to you all tomorrow.


Love and best wishes. Sallie.xxx

Mo, just missed you again. I'm glad that Richard hasn't got to travel to Harlow this week, with the rain they've forecast over next couple of days.

Although for the next few days he and the others will have to work a 12 hour day, to get the store ready to open on Friday. But at least, it's nearby so there's no travelling.


I'm going to have a cuppa now, my throat is really dry.


Love, Sallie. xxx

Our weather is deteriorating again. Strong NE winds blowing. I think I had better go for a walk before the rain sets in again. After that I hope I will feel enthusiastic about washing the windows, at least on the inside. I cant remember when I last did them.

Huia.

Hi Huia, mind you don't get blown away out there.
If you don't feel like doing the windows when you get back, there is always tommorrow mate.
Did you take the tubers into the hospice shop yet.?
I am getting fed up with all the rain we are getting at the moment. It won't be long now before we have to put the heating on as well.
I have been putting a throw over my legs during the evening,as it starts to get quite chilly then. Roly refuses to have the heating on till October, he says it costs to much. He's a skinflint LOL
Love Mo xxx

Sallie we have two days left. Where did the time go? We fly home on Saturday.

Hi all

we're having a lovely Indian Summer at the moment .... blue skies, sun, temperature's up to around 20C

Sorry Huia!


Mo ... sorry, got the kitchen measurement slightly wrong

It's 9' x 15' ....... I was looking at the estimate, and the fllooring comes in 12' widths so that's what's been ordered.

We'll end up with a strip left over that's 3' wide by 15' long

House kitchens over here are much larger than in the UK.

Sallie ...... the workmen start on Monday, Oct 4, with the plumbers arriving

OH is doing the grunt work of ripping everything out.

The man who's making the cabinets is coming round late this afternoon to check some details with me / us


We go to Vancouver Island on October 9, and return on October 11 ....... so only 2 days away. We're going for our friends 80th birthday, on October 10 ...... she's having about 30 or so people round to their house during the afternoon, but then expects the "oldster" frineds to stick around well into the evening. We usually stay with them, but her brother is up from Arizona, so we're staying in a nearby hotel.

Monday October 11 is Thanksgiving Day up here in Canada ........... we celebrate Thanksgiving 5 or 6 weeks earlier than the US.

We celebrate on the second Monday in October, and they celebrate on the 4th Thursday in November

That usually means a big turkey dinner with all the trimmings on either the day, or some families have it on the Sunday.


OH still looks like a lopsided hamster ........... he does tend to ignore instructions though!

Was supposed to ice his cheek for 2 hours after the dental work, and not do anything strenuous for 2 days


Iced it for 2 minutes every hour, for 2 hours

Ripped out a cupboard that evening. Ripped out 2 more cupboards yesterday afternoon.


what can one say??!!



sylvia
xxx

GoodMorning Ladys
Monday night did,nt sleep at all text Liz to say going to bed now that was 10.45 and 5.30 i was still awake tuesday went to see this docter and have to see her again on tuesday,anyway went to take my tablets on tuesday night and i no why i did,nt sleep i had taken wrong tablets but now got them right again i had missed putting my sleeping tablets in but i wake up three or four times with cramp in my feet
Mo they cant opertate on my spine or foot as it will be worse than it is now ,so specialist in the hospital had alook at my MRI scan and xray of my foot and just said no opertion is out of the question on both accounts,but hey it could be worse,is your birthday in october Mo my eldest son is 52 on the 5th oct
What arelief about Caz was so worried about here glad everythink was fine
Jean the cards were realy good Sallie looking forward to seeing yours got some more card stuff yesterday,as got alot of birthdays and anniversarys coming up and with xmas only just round corner,yesterday i was sick again had to have lie down but it pass over thank goodness
Anyone heard of this across front of your neck you have bone well one side i have lump as the docter to have alook ,and he said its with me useing walking stick it makes the musle stand out its only on the side were i use my stick,so when i go to England im going to ask docter to have alook just to put my mind at ease
Thinking of all the other ladies who i have,nt mention stay safe and keep well
Liz my friend hope your ok talk to you soon Dutchxx
and now going back to bed to see if i can sleep for hour

Good Morning everyone, hope you are all rarin to go....the weather is still not too clever, and tomorrow s forecast is heavy rain and gales,,, which is a great pity, as we go to see D get her BSC at Manchester, so bang goes the hair do....I have trouble with it at the best of times....lol....Sylvia, some of your indian summer would go down well here. hope you are well and the little one too....

Sallie, your cards look great , in fact excellent, you certainly have a knack for crafts... btw have you used the new machine yet, there are so many things one must have now, every day something new arrives, I must curtail my buying, I get very addicted to it...years ago I sold my work, and the proceeds helped towards the buying, but now I just do them mainly for fun, but keeps me alert and I do love it all....

Mo, did you like my card pics I sent you, after the big moan from you,
you are such a babe...but I love you..... how are the family? is Rolys eyes doing o.k. I go to the clinic just before we go away end of the month...
J goes to see the Dermatoligist next week, so its all go...then a bit of a lull for a while we hope!!

Huia, can you bottle some of your energy and send it over please, you are doing so well, and its great to read your " diary" I love hearing all your news, Phil seems to be settled now which must be a great relief for you,take care love and tell us more.....lol...xxx

Debbie quite a while get in touch since we had your report, but we know how busy you are, dont forget us... love to you all...
Marie should have lots to tell us when she returns from Italy. so thats something to look forward to, and there is our Ann, back soon, we have missed you, so look forward to your adventures too..

Dutch hope you feel more easy now someone is listening to you, Wonderful news about Caz isnt it... hope Jan is o.k. at least you have your new hobby to take your mind of things for a while..so onwards and keep the cards coming . take care.xxx

Liz , you are always in our thoughts, and hope you are moving on, and feeling much better, I will get in touch with very you soon... but we are always here and ready to listen so do keep in touch,

waves to Tess hope everything is o.k. with you too, and our absent friends too.....

see you all later have a good day...

love Jean xx

Hi everyone, I am fine a little tired on Monday and rather busy yesterday, but generally ok.
I have been concentrating on my family tree, trying to sort out my piles of paperwork and transfer information to tree on genes. i.e. trying to tie up all loose ends. Seem to be suceeding in tying myself up in knots!

Blue skies here today, helping to lift the mood. My bro will be coming round later to use my computer as his has died.
I will be trotting up the road (actually getting a bus for a couple of stops) to have a blood-test.
This will be the third time I have tried to have it done.
First time the Health Centre was closed for staff training .. was rather annoyed to see the sign but couldn't swear, as a young man was reading the sign too, having got off the same bus as me.
Tried again the next day, was told that they now only did it on a Thursday (this was last wednesday) I had previously been given a leaflet by my GP that this Health Centre had a drop in any day for a blood test.
Couldn't go last Thursday as had other things booked.
So will go out again after my bro. has arrived.

This is only a little grumble, it is a wonderful scheme really, and it is free!

Hope that everyone is well, I enjoy reading about what you are all up to.

Tess

My bro has been here and used my computer .. He bought a stack of paperbacks with him. Tried to persuade him to take some of my old ones back with him, but he would only take one.

have had my blood test done (yipee) was there and back within half an hour, all done and dusted.

Someone asked about the fish soup I had from the Caribbean takeaway, and I didn't reply.(sorry)
I don't know what sort of fish it was, some sort of white fish but there were still some bones in it.
There were some veg in it including potatoes, carrots yam and other things I can't identify. It was slightly spicey
but not curry flavoured.

The jerk chicken I had at the Caribbean Cafe (a different place form the takeaway) was hot and spicey really lovely. I hadn't had it before. I have bought jerk sauce from a local supermarket, but it is no where near as good as the food from the cafe.

Living in a multicultural area has an awful lot of benefits, as does living in an inner city area, where (almost) everything is on the doorstep.

Tess

Hello girls.
Lucky you having an Indian Summer Sylvia,and temps of 20C, thats nearly a heat wave here. lol
I don't envy you all the upheaval on the 4th Sylvia, but it will be so worth it.
Oh poor hammy the hamster, is he any better today bless him. But he is a typical male,and only do half a job in the ice usage department.

Oh Joyce what are we to do with you, getting the tablets all mixed up. You are a silly billy arn't you. lol
Yes Joyce it is my birthday next month, another year older, but no wiser.
It was brilliant news about Caz, onwards and upwards for her now, thank god.
It does sound like the doctor could be right about the muscle on one side of your neck, being enlarged. You have got muscles like Popeye, and didn't realise it.
You are obviously using the muscle more than you realise,when you are using your stick. You must stop bashing Jan over the head with it. LOL
I hope you managed to get a few more hours sleep, when you went back to bed.

Well my little friend Jean, I LOVED YOUR CARDS. I have already told you which one I want for christmas. The poinsetta one, it was lovely.
Oh I do hope the rain holds of for D's ceremony tommorrow. Is it being held inside or outside. My daughters was held in Rochester Cathedral, thank goodness, as it was a horrid day outside.
I hope you will let us know how it goes. Have you bought a new hat to wear.
Roly's cataract is not quite ready for the op just yet. But he has been getting some rotten headaches again, so we are going to make an appointment, for the opticians for him, just to be on the safe side.
We can't be to careful after his brain bleed.
Anyway darlink, enjoy yourselves tommorrow, and please give D must congratulations.

Tess I am pleased you didn't have to hang around for your blood test.
It was me that asked you about the Jerk chicken. It sounds lovely, and I would like to try it sometime. I don't think I am confident enough to try and do the recipe myself. Besides, it's nice to go out and eat at times, and be waited on by others.
What part of the counrty do you come from love. There are not many southerners like me, on our thread,I keep hoping to find someone who lives close to me.
But I blame my dad for that, as his last posting was to here in Kent, and thats where we have stayed.

Well my friends I must go and start some dinner, as I am starving,and my belly is grumbling.
Yep I know Jean, just like me. LOL
Love to all. Mo xxx

I am in the West Midlands Mo. We came here in 1961 when my dad left the army (Having done his "22)
He thought that it was a good place to live, as he had four children, there would always be plenty of work available.
Also as we are near the centre of England and there was at that time a good rail network, we could easily get to anywhere in the country.

If I remember correctly Dad's last posting was to Richmond in Yorkshire. He only had a few months to do when we returned to U.K from Malaya.
So Mum and we four children spent some time in Ireland (Mum's home country), visiting and staying with various cousins and uncles and aunts.

It's amazing Tess, how many men actually did their 22 years service back then.
My dads last posting,was to Brompton Barracks, hence our settling here.
But he was actually born in the Medway Towns, so it seemed natural for him to want to stay here,as it's where his roots were.
I also have Irish ancestors,but cannot trace their roots.

Mo just quick message my g,g grandfather was in Brompton Barracks some of his children were born there as well as Ireland,he was in the army but all the family on my Dads side were all in the army ,you did,nt say what date in october?
Dutchxx

Jean, I cant spare any of my 'energy', I dont have all that much, although a little more than I have had for ages. I have even scrubbed the remains of the brown slimy stuff off our verandah. I had started back in summer. Now all I have to do is spray it with the mixture that deters it from growing back. Maybe I will get it done after Christmas, if I am lucky.

Today I went to the Positive Ageing Expo at Pukekohe. There were all sorts of info stalls. I am thinking of applying for a phone system whereby if I cant hear what the caller is saying somebody types their replies to me and I can read it on a screen. It is so frustrating when I have to keep asking people to speak more slowly and clearly. I also told the historic society that their c1945 date for a photo of snow on Pukekohe Hill was wrong as it was 1939. They will check it out sometime but I had previously given them something which will prove I am right.

There was a display of belly dancing. Now that does not look too difficult and would be a fun way to exercise. I am not as slender as the ones doing it, but I understand that the culture of the countries where it originated prefers voluptuous women! I would certainly qualify for voluptuous and then some (must look up voluptuous in the dictionary, see if it means exactly what I think).

I have spent a couple of hours this evening scanning lots of Phil's b&w negs. Well, about 40 which isnt exactly lots but it takes ages. Still a long way to go before I am finished those ones from the 2 or 3 years before we married. Admittedly it wouldnt take so long if I didnt note down on the sleeves in which the negs are kept what the negs are (if I know) and the image nos.

Time to think about winding down for bed now.

Huia.

Good afternoon ladies.
Joyce, most of my ancestors were in the Royal Engineers,stationed here at Brompton Barracks.
It is still an army camp,and has not changed much over the years. The old Chatham dock yard is now no longer used by the navy,but some of the older units are still used ie the old ropery. But they have built a shopping center,and housing estate there.
Those were the days when the army and navy were both stationed here.
Of course, I was to young to understand way back then, I was a sweet little thing.
Jean and Sallie know what date my birthday is, but they don't know how young I am,coz I tell fibs. LOL

Huia that phone sounds a brilliant idea. Just make sure you keep your specs close when it does ring, so that you can read whats being said to you.
I don't know about belly dancing. I am a bit afraid that once one of my bellies start to wobble, the rest will follow. lol It's a bit like jelly on a plate, wibble wobble, can't stop the motion once it starts.

Jean I hope it wasn't as wet in Manchester as it is in the West Midlands. It has rained almost none stop.

As for belly dancing, I think that I am now the right shape to do it. i.e. I have a huge belly! No point belly dancing if you haven't got the belly for it.

Mo did you used to skip while singing "jelly on a plate, wibble wobble" etc
Although quite a por physical speciman I used to love skipping.
Could do it alone, or with a group of friends.

Huia, I agree that the phone sounds a really good idea. Will help you to keep in touch with friends and make communication much easier.

Sylvia, I hope that Hammy Hamster is now back to normal and that fitting the new floor covering in the kitchen goes well on Monday.

Off now to scowl at the weather through the window.

Have a great weekend everyone

Oh my word Tess, how did you know I skipped to the jelly on the plate ditty.
Skipping is something that will never go out of fashion with little girls, thank goodness.
I used to like to do my hool hoop as well. And play two balls against the wall.
And the thing you never did when the boys were around, handstands against the wall. We always tucked our skirts into our knickers. lol
There are so many games that children these days would frown upon, that we all thoroughly enjoyed.
Love Mo xxx