General Chat

Good evening everyone.
Firstly may I wish Ann and Tony a happy anniversary. I am sorry I am a bit late, but better late than never.
So nice to hear you had a good time at the tall ships, and that you enjoyed your meal, even though it was a little long in arriving.

Sallie, I hope you and Alun have a lovely anniversary tomorrow, thats if it is tomorrow, but if it's today please forgive me for getting it wrong.
Did you, or have you planned anything really special to do.

My grandaughter is fine, after her experience with the dog. We still don't know the outcome of the police taking J's statement.
My daughter is away in Bognor Regis at the moment, and J is at home alone, as she had to work today. But she is almost 19, and can take of herself fortunately.

We went to visit baby Lilly and her older brother and sister today. She has eventually cut her first tooth, and she keeps sticking her tongue out over the tooth, it must feel very strange for babies, when they cut the first tooth.

We also found out today, that our son is intending to get married next August.
I just hope they don't expect us to fork out a fortune, as we paid half for his first wedding.
It's to easy these days, for couples to walk away from a marriage, without trying to work things out.
But I suppose it's better to separate if there are children involved, and there are continual arguments, as happened with my sons first marriage.
Many of us are witness, to how long marriages can last, if it's worked at.
If a couple tell me they never argue, or fall out occasionally, I tend not to believe them.

Right enough of my waffling.
Take care girls, love to you all. Mo xxx

Hi all
xxx


only just managed to get on here!!



Belated Happy Anniversary wishes to Ann
xxx





Happy Anniversary Saliie
xxxx





sylvia
xxx

Mo


if a couple say they never argue, and agree all the time ............. I immediately think that one of them is a doormat!


We all know that marriages have to be worked at, continually ........ and we all reach our own version of a happy marriage. What we think of as happy, might not be what someone else thinks it should be!


But then, there are times when an end should be called to the marriage, and it is better to separate.


My personal feeling is that parents should not be expected to contribute to a second marriage!

J inisted on paying half of the costs of her marriage ....... and she had never had a permanent job at that time. She graduated with a Master's degree in May, and they married in June. But she saved up, made two of the bridesmaid dresses while a friend made the 3rd one, kept the wedding small, and had a morning wedding with a luncheon, not a big splashy evening do.

She was going to make her wedding dress, but she and I went to a bridal salon for the "experience", and she saw just the dress she was imagining ................. it was officially a bridesmaid dress not a bridal gown. It cost just under $300 (or about £125)!! Needless to say, I bought it for her right there and then!

We did it all for around $8,000, which would be just under £4,000 at that time.



sylvia
xxx

we spent 2 hours this morning watching TV


the Leader of the Federal Opposition Party died on Monday, of cancer.

The federal election was only in May, and Jack Layton had led his party to a record (for that party) 103 seats in the federal Parliament. The House had one "sitting" of about a week in late June. Two weeks later, he announced he was taking a leave of absence to battle a new cancer (he'd fought prostate cancer about 18 months ago).

He was a wonderful man .......... even if you did not like his politics!


He was given a State Funeral ...... lay in state in the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa for 2 days, then in Toronto City Hall Friday and Saturday morning. Then the Memorial Service ...... ecumenical, blessings from First Nations, Anglican, Jewish, Asian ................ lots of music and singing, and laughter.


He'll be sadly missed ............. he brought civility back into politics!



RIP Jack Layton





sylvia
xxx

Happy anniversary Sallie, if I am not too late.

I had a lovely weekend with my son. We did a little tidying up of the garden and he mowed the lawns, which hadnt been done for some time. We also relaxed and chatted. He took me to visit Phil yesterday. He left here at midday today to go to visit his sister who had to have her dog put down a few days ago, with prostate cancer. Son hadnt seen her for some time. When he had left I had lunch (he had decided to buy something at a bakery) and then got changed and went into Papakura for a choir concert, of Rossini's Petite Messe Solennelle. It was very good. Some of the choir members want me to go back to sing in the Christmas concert. I am undecided.

Huia.

Yes, I looked at your photos earlier Ann. I have now added more to mine.

Huia who will be off to bed soon.

Well good morning, afternoon, evening to everyone.
Sylvia, I was talking to S, the bride to be, and she says she is going to a bridal salon this week, to try on several different gowns, to see what suits her. She is then going online, to places like E.Bay to find and buy her dress.
From what I can gather, they intend to do the catering themselves, huh, guess who will get dragged into that, yep Joe Muggins here.
I don't mind helping out, but she does have some family here in Kent, but the rest are up in Scotland, and I get the impression that she wont be inviting her mother. ( quite a history there from what I can gather ), but will be having the Scottish side down for the event.
Oh I just dont want to get involved in family politics, and will just do my bit, for my sons sake.

Huia, it's lovely to hear that you have had a good weekend with your son.
Plenty got done out in the garden as well, now thats a bonus for you love, as it's a big job for you to manage on your own.
Doesn't the man who used to come and do your lawn come anymore.?
Wouldn't it be lovely for you to be part of the Christmas concert, you do so enjoy your choir singing. You should try to do it love, it will give you another outlet to enjoy yourself.

I must go now, so I will leave you all with my love and best wishes. Mo xxx

Thanks for the annivesary wishes Sylvia and Mo.

Quite a nice bright day here today, we have just popped round the garden centre for coffee and now I am sorting out for the holiday.

Sylvia sorry to hear of the death of Jack Layton, it sounds as if he will be sadly missed.

Huia, nice for you to spend time with your son, especially as you got your gardening done as well.

Happy anniversary Sally hope you are enjoying your day.

Hi Everyone,

First of all thank you all for your anniversay wishes for today, also thank you Ann, Joyce and Jean for the anniversay cards, they are all beautiful.


Jean, we still haven't got our internet back but as soon as we do, I'll pm you.


Huia, pleased that you enjoyed your son's visit, it was nice for you to have his company for a couple of days.

It would be nice if you rejoined the choir so that you can do the Xmas concert with them. You'll really enjoy going again once you start.

Glad that Phil was okay when you visited him last.



Ann, glad you enjoyed your wedding anniversary.I'll have a look at your photo blog as soon as finish on here.




Mo, glad to hear that your granddaughter is alright after the dog.

As you and the others said, couples have to work at a marriage, some couples these days aren't able to do that, for some reason or other.

Good to hear that Lilly has her first tooth at last, bless her.



Sylvia, nice to hear from you. I agree parents should not have to contribute to a son or daughter's second marriage.
Hope all is well with J and her family.



Caz, I'll pm you as soon as our internet is working again. I had hoped it might be tomorrow but with it being the Bank Holiday there won't be any hope of that.



Well ladies I'll say bye for now, speak to you all soon.



Love and best wishes. Sallie.xxx

Mo, I put off the mowing man when the steer got in and trampled all over the lawn. It was so boggy and pock marked, but it is not so boggy now so I will give him a ring in a couple of weeks about starting again, since the lawn is also starting to grow with the slightly warmer weather.

I had been thinking yesterday about possibly doing the Christmas concert with the choir, but I dont think it would be wise as I will miss one practice when I am in Chatham Is. and as I am going to be a candidate in the election (November I think) I will possibly be too busy for choir.

Jean, thanks for your comments on my blog photos.

Huia.

Hello ladies,
Huia, whats this about being a candidate in your elections. What does this involve love, and are we going to have to call you your ladyship or some other grand title.
I forgot about that bloomin steer getting into your garden and trampling the lawn down.

So what exciting things have we all been up to this weekend.
We decided this morning, to take a trip down to Hastings in Sussex.
We thought we would spend a couple of hours in the Park there, before going down to the sea front.
There was a dog show going on in the park, and that was lovely.
By the time we set off to go down to the sea front, the traffic was nose to tail, so we turned around and came home. Fortunately for us, the journey is not a long one, only 1 hour 15 minutes away.
But it has been a really enjoyable day all in all.

Just going to have a nice cup of tea, and then start the dinner. Bye for now girls. Love Mo xxx

We went to a flea and collectors fair in Malvern and boy was it cold!!! There were hundreds of stalls with lots of things to look at, I only bought some craft stamps but it was fun looking, we were home by 2pm which was good as we have loads to do before going away. At least it is warmer in Tenerife than it is here which is something to look forward to.

Mo, I am mainly standing so that I have somebody for whom I can vote, and so that our party hopefully will get a bit of local publicity. In the last election we did not have a local candidate and the local papers ignored us, also meetings that were organised for candidates ignored us. I might have to go to such meetings this time, but I might get somebody else to stand-in for me if there are too many at night. I was a candidate some years ago so have made speeches, but there are better speakers in our party than I am.

My son forwarded an email to me with photos of the snow that fell in these hills. I must ask his friend if I can put some on my blog.

Huia.

Brrrrr good evening girls.
It's blessed well cold here today, what the heck has happened to that thing called summer. I don't call the few days of warmth we had as our summer.
I hope you are all o.k. Off I go to make a nice hot drink, to warm myself up a bit.
Love to you all. Mo xxx

I took my lunch up to Cossey's Dam at Hunua today and walked around for a while taking lots of photos, until some of the people came back from baiting the various traps. Had a nice chat with them. I might do it more often, on a Wednesday, in fact I might offer to take a spade or fork to dig out the agapanthus plants that are growing wild up there. They are considered a pest in New Zealand.

I will be off to bed soon, so behave yourselves when you come on here girls.

Huia.

Huia Agapanthus are quite expensive in our garden centres, I never considered they could be a pest, they are so pretty.

Hi Girls,

Just a quick look in to see how you all are. Hope you are all alright.


Ann I know you are due to go away, but not sure when you go. Hope that you and Tony have a lovely time, take care.

Hope you received your anniversary card that I sent you and T, sorry I didn't send it until late on Friday evening, so hope that you've got it by now.







We got a shock on Saturday, the neighbours living opposite us were on holiday last week and the hubby slipped as he was getting out of the bath, bumped his head and died. He was in his middle to late thirties.....his wife has a very good job so he stayed at home to look after their two sons aged 9 and 4....he was a nice person, I feel so sorry for his wife and the boys.

Well I'll speak to you all soon. Take care.


Love and best wishes. Sallie.xxx

Good evening Sallie.

Ann, the ordinary agapanthus seed down very freely here. I had some lining my drive until Phil decided they were a pest and dug them all up as they were marching down the road. He also dug or pulled up any he found down the road. They have been declared a pest in NZ, although there are one or two varieties that dont seed so freely and I think they are acceptable.

Huia.

Hi all
xx


I remember being devastated back in 1975 when I discovered that freesias had been declared a pest in Australia!


but after all one definition of a weed is "a plant growing where you do not want it to grow"!



We're going to the Island tomorrow to stay with our best friends until next Tuesday ........ it's a long weekend here. Labour Day is Monday, and that is the traditional "end" of summer. All educational establishments that have not yet gone back will start their new year on Tuesday.

Unfortunately, I'm going to be a little handicapped ............ the arthritis in one of my big toe joints decided to act up over the weekend. Now it is all red and swollen ........ and pretty painful to walk on! Plus, there are only certain shoes and sandals that I can wear!

I saw the physio yesterday ........... he put an ice pack on my foot while he did all the other treatments. I think the ice was on there for at least 40 minutes! Not much else to do though than rest, ice and elevate it.


We will be back latish on Tuesday.



Have a good weekend



sylvia
xxxx

Hi Sylvia if you are still around. The freesias in my garden are getting everywhere, but I do love the scent. They are the old-fashioned one, not the fancy larger and coloured ones. I also have a white violet which has spread itself around. On a sunny day I can smell the flowers without bending.

Huia.