General Chat

Hi Jean, I know that you had given it to a friend to post early last week, so couldn't understand why it hadn't arrived. Still if your friend is anything like me, if I don't do something when I think about it, chances are that I'll forget about it.lol!!

No wonder Debra is shattered, she has had a lot to worry about over the last couple of months, bless her!...... of course it doesn't help working full time either.
I hope that she'll manage to rest as much as she can on the days she's not in work.


So far Jennie is doing fine (touch wood) I just hope she will continue that way for a long time. The dietician at the hospital put her on a low fat diet as she thought that cutting out fats would help her, which it has, she feels a lot better and her Crohn's hasn't bothered her since she's on it. She's also finding that she can eat all the vegatables and salad stuuf that she's always loved, even as a child.
Of course we are all wondering now if the fats are responsble for her suffering from Crohn's.....it just seems odd that she is feeling so much better now than she has since being diagnosed with it. Time will tell I suppose.

Thinking of all our friends on here, hope that you'll all have a nice weekend.


Take care everyone.


Love and best wishes. Sallie.xxx

Where is everybody? It is more than 24 hours since anybody posted on here. Have you all run out of news and gossip? I cant say I have much to add. I feel like going into hibernation. It is so cold and I am getting tired of fetching firewood inside. It is over a week since I visited Phil as I thought I might have another cold but it hasnt come to much at all.

I got the new hearing aids on Thursday. I have difficulty putting the right hand one in the ear. They havent had a proper test yet. I did make one phone call but wasnt very impressed. I will have to see how I go at hearing people in the shop tomorrow afternoon.

Huia.

Huia you don't seem to be having much luck with your new earing aids, hope you get them sorted soon. Let us know how you go on tomorrow in the shop with them. I haven't been on much as I am having difficulty sitting down with my bad back and the sciatica. I never have any news because I don't go out and about so I rely on this thread for any of my friends news.
Sallie it sounds good for Jennie with the low fat diet, Hope she stays that way and it does sound as if the fats were responsible doesn't it.
OH has made me a cuppa so will go for it.
Hello and hugs to everyone else.

Love Caz x

I went for a walk this afternoon, hoping that it will help me to sleep tonight. First I drove down the road to get a local newsletter out of somebodies mailbox (he emailed me to say it was there), then I drove into the Otau Valley, and walked up and across the Wairoa Dam. On the way back down I met the man who emailed me and stopped for a chat. That walk was about 40 or 50 mins without stops. I had photographed a bolete fungus on the walk, also the dam and some paradise ducks.

Then I drove over the hill to the Moumoukai Valley and walked up the Mangatawhiri Dam and back down. Another walk of about 40 mins.

There were lots of people walking in both valleys as it was such a nice sunny day. It is also school hols for 2 weeks and the weather is supposed to be good until Friday.

I hope the fresh air and exercise have done the trick as I had trouble getting to sleep last night (I see there is a full moon which probably explains it). I finally took half a sleeping pill at 1.30. I dont want to take another one tonight if I can help it.

Huia.

I forgot to say that one hearing aid fell out even before I had left the house so I left it at home. Then on the walk when I tried to take my sunglasses off the cord on them caught the other h.a. and pulled it out so I put it in my pocket. I wish now I had got in-the-ear ones again.

Huia.

Huia, you are having trouble with these new hearing aids. If you were a more impatient person, you would have stamped on them by now, especially when they fell out (I can picture myself and Basil Fawlty as I say this).

I hope that you gett them sorted very soon. After all you have spent all this money to have improved hearig + aids.
Sounds like you enjoyed your walk though, well done you.


Mo, re my potatoes, yes I could picture them growing down instead of up and appearing in a garden in the Southern-hemisphere on the other side of the world. Just hope that the recipient enjoys eating them.
Sallie I hope that Jennie's health continues to improve, so that she can enjoy life to the full again.
Ann enjoy yourself in Torquay. I went there last year and used a computer in the Library to contact GReaders Group.
I think that Torquay is a lovely place, such a lot to see and do. Or you can just sit awhile and watch the world go by.

My eldest grandson is coming here later. I have to pick him up from the Station. He will be doing a two week work experience at a restaurant in the Birmingham Jewellery Quater. So I will be a little more busy over the next two weeks.

Hope everyone is well,

will catch up when I can,

Tess

My walk yesterday afternoon helped me to get to sleep last night, but it hasnt done anything for my weight as yet :-(
It is a pity I cant get a walk like that every afternoon.

Today I am going to visit Phil before lunch then work in the hospice shop in the afternoon.

Huia.

Good morning everyone,


Thought I'd look in before I start on my card making, as once I start doing them I lose all track of time.lol!! I've started making the Christmas cards so will carry on making them between doing all the birthday cards, etc.



Caz, how is Phil now? I hope that he is feeling a lot better and that he is now able to drive again.

Hope you are able to make some cards as I know that you enjoy making them and with not being able to go out, it also helps to break up the day for you.

It's raining here again today, I managed to dry some washing yesterday morning but then it started to rain and that was it for the rest of the day. It rained heavily on Saturday up until about half past two and then showers throughout the rest of the day. Alun and I went out on Saturday, got what we needed and got home as soon as we could.




Tess, I'm sure you will enjoy having your grandson staying with you for a couple of weeks. It will be nice for you to have some company.




Huia, will you be putting the photos on your photo blog? I'd love to see them, as since knowing you I love to see anything to do with NZ, whether it's photos or on the TV, it's a beautiful country.


I hope that they will be able to sort out your hearing aids for you soon, it's so annoying that they are still not alright especially when you've spent a lot of money on them.

Hope you had a good day at the Hospice Shop. Did you manage to find any bargains there today?

Hope that Phil was OK when you visited him and that he responded to you. Take care.



Ann should be home from Torquay today, I hope they had a good weekend there.



Mo, where are you? I hope that you and Roly both are alright..



Well ladies, I'm going to make a start on the cards now, so might speak to you all later.


Love, Sallie.xxx

Hello lovely ladies.
Sorry not to have been here for a few days, but it's surprising how the time flies by, and another day is gone before you realise it.

We went to a 60th birthday party last Saturday night, and had a really good time.
We were home before 11.00 p.m, but that was late enough for us. We have not been out for a social gathering for ages, just for darts.
Yesterday my feet were absolutely killing me, where I had danced so much.
Why is it, mentally I am still a teenager, but physically I am a pensioner,and can't stand the pace anymore. lol

Well done on doing all that walking Huia. I felt quite exhausted just reading about it.
But knowing you, the photographs you took, are probably brilliant. You have a certain flair for it, not like me, I just snap away willy nilly.

It's good to catch up on all your news. Most of us like to hear what is going on with our friends on here.
I hope Ann and T had a lovely time in Torquay. I hope she lets us know how it all went.

Tess enjoy your grandsons company. I take it that you are going to be the taxi service, that all parents or grandparents tend to be.
But we wouldn't do it, if it was an imposition would we. lol

Hi Sallie, hows you and Alun faring.

I went to the doctors this morning, as I have not been able to shift the cough that the flu/cold virus left me with.
She tells me I have a crackling at the bottom of my lung, so I am on anti-biotics to clear it.
Still onwards and upwards is the order of the day.

Well girls, I must go and start the dinner now, or I will have one OH who is crying out for food.
Take care my friends. Love to you all. Mo xxx

Hi, I am back.

Sallie, I remember reading somewhere a long time ago that crohns was thought to be connected to drinking full cream milk as a child. Our friend's daughter who has it used to drink a lot of milk and her Mum used to make fresh clotted cream from milk and the children loved it on cereals etc. That is a lot of fat. I know that she can't eat a lot of fat and I believe she has to be very careful how much meat she eats.

We had a lovely time in Torquay even thought he weather was not as good as it should be in July. The hotel was full as was Torquay. There were literally hundreds of 14/15/16 year olds in the town from Spain, France, Italy and other countries. Apparently they have foreign exchange language students at the language schools all through July. They would all congregate in the gardens opposite the hotel while waiting to be divided up into their groups for activities.
On Saturday we drove down to Plymouth to see our grandson and take him out to lunch. Thatw as nice and we were impressed with his flat.
On Sunday we caught the bus using our free passes and went to Brixham. It was mainly dry so we were able to walk around the town quite a lot.
today we drove home. The time soon goes.

Huia, what are your new aids like, do they have a mould that fits in the ear and ear pieces that go over the ears?

Good to see you back Ann, and that you had a nice time.A shame about the students though, even if they didn't get under your feet.
I think that the foreign exchange students, are here in Kent as well. Ramsgate is very popular with them, as it is a port, and many ferries dock there, and little boats that were used in the Dunquirk evacuation.
It seems to be a very popular place for them to be.
Mind you, we love the open air places for eating, and also the little bars by the dock.
The free bus passes come in very handy at times dont they.

Nice to see you back Ann and glad to hear that you and T had a good weekend.

Alun have taken some photos of my cards so as soon as I can I will send them to you for the blog.


Mo you aren't the only one that's mentally still a teenager, it's just a pity about the physical bit.lol!! Sometimes I wonder where the years have gone, they seem to have gone by so quickly.

Talking about free bus passes, someone at the bus stop last week told me that in this area they are supposedly now going to charge us a £1 for each jounrney from August on.....not sure how true that is though.... I just hope that they won't.


I'm going to make us cuppa now, so I'll speak later.


Love, Sallie. xxx

Mo, hope that the antibiotics will work and that your chest will soon be better.


I'm off now to do a few cards. Speak to you all later on.


Love, Sallie.xxx

My hearing aids do not have a mould. There is a sort of tulip shaped thing that goes in the ear with the narrow tube going up over the ear to the solid bit that has the 'works' in it. I am not happy with them. The one for the right ear has come out a couple of times. I have trouble putting it in anyway. The one for the other ear is easier to put in but still came out once. I go back the day after tomorrow for a check up and adjustments. I feel they need to be a better fit. It needs longer tubes or something.

I have added a couple more photos to my blog. I might add more tomorrow. I am going to bed now (or soon).

Huia.

Huia just had a peek at your blog you were a lovely young thing how old were you? and now you are still a lovely lady...

I have been working hard most of the day with plenty of sit downs.... changed the bed linen and washed it all, finally went in to our bit of garden and chopped the old Hydrangea down it looked as though it was dead, but the cuts showed green so hopefully it will revive itself by next year, pulled up lots of weeds in between the paving stones so at least now we have some kerb appeal....and I made some cards...
hope you are all keeping well, Jeff is doing very well and is walking farther each day, still quite thin but that should bulk up in a little while, so my dear friends sleep well and hope to be back on soon
love Jean xxx

Jean, the 2 photos were taken in March 1984. We walked the Milford track for our Silver wedding. I was 48 at the time. We were on the guided trip so did not have to carry food and bedding, apart from a sheet. It is possible to do an unguided walk, staying in different huts and doing your own cooking etc. but we decided to do it the easy way.

I will be posting photos of a walk we did a few years later on the Kepler track in the South Island, also near Te Anau.

Huia.

edit: I have now added 3 more photos.

I have added 2 more photos to my blog, ones taken on the walk the other day. The first one took an age to download and the second one was only half loaded after an hour so I cancelled and then trimmed some of the photos so that they would not take so long. Unfortunately, some photos are not suitable to trim. I will have to find out if there is some other way to reduce the number of pixels or whatever.

Huia.

A quick look in while I have the chance.

I am enjoying having my grandson here. I don't have a car so have used public transport to meet him at the station, bring him home and then tske him to the restraunt the next day.

Luckily, his dad (my son) is her part of the time too, as he works in my area sometimes. So most of the time he will be the "taxi"

Ann, I'm pleased that you enjoyed your time in Torquay. I had forgotten about the language schools, I bet the pavements were rather crowded till they were all sorted out in the mormings.

i made full use of my bus pass , and went into Brixham one day, a very pretty place.

Sallie, I hope that you don't have to start paying per journey with your pass.
Since the begining of April this year, all passangers have had to pay 60pence per journey on the special ring and ride bus, which I use when going shopping.
This special service was affected by rise in fuel prices and cut-backs in funding (it is run by a charity). I find it well worth the 60pence, as it is a door to door service, the driver will even bring the shopping to your door for you.

However charging bus fare on a normal bus would have a detrimental affect on many of the people with free passes.

It has rained every day here since 15th July (St Swithens day). I am hoping for a dry day soon so that I can put my washing on thje line.

Hope that you are all well,

Tess

Hello girls.
Why is life never simple.
You remember my telling you about my nephew who had the brain tumour.
Well he is back in hospital. Apparantly he slept for 48 hours solid, and showed no signs of waking, when his other half decided to call the doctors.
He was rushed into hospital, and they are not sure if he has got meningitus or if he has had a stroke, as he has lost the use of his left arm, and has no feeling down the left side of his body. My first reaction is that it could be a stroke, but I really don't know.
My niece rang my daughter to tell her about what had happened, but once again, nothing from my brother.

Jean, I hope you have been making some meat puddins for Jeff, to fatten him up a bit.
I hope you haven't overdone things in the garden. But I know how looking at weeds can make you feel that you should pull em up.
They grow quicker than the plants do, dont they.
((((((((((((((HUGS FOR YOU BOTH))))))))))))))

Hi there Huia, you are a busy bee with your blog. Hope you are well.
How did you get on with your hearing aids at the hospice shop, were you able to hear people talking to you clearly.

Love to all. Mo xxx

Huia must have a look at your blog again. I am sure there is a way of reducing the number of pixels.

Tess, yes the pavements were very crowded and Primark were doing a roaring trade.

Mo, I am sorry to hear about your nephew. poor fellow not having much luck with his help. It does sound like a stroke, especially given that he had the tumour, it sounds as if it could be connected. I hope he improves soon and gets the feeling back. Such a worry for the family.