General Chat

Hello my lovely ladies.I have managed to grab the lappy from my son for a while.We had an awful christmas,I am afraid. We have both had the flu,and I have been to the doctors today for some anti-biotics.I think we spent most of the evening,clock watching,and wishing the family would go.We have never felt that way before,but none off them went home before
11.15,we were exhausted.
The snow here has all vanished thank goodness.We were snowed in for about three days,even though Roly did manage to get the car off the drive,
eventually,to go to the airport to pick friends up.
Went to see if my lappy was ready for collection,and they are still waiting for spares.Just my luck isn't it.
It was lovely catching up on all the news.And if I don't get the chance to pop in again,a happy new year to you all.
love and best wishes to you all Mo xxx

Jean, I love my decorations and never want to take them down, it always looks so drab afterwards.

Mo I am sorry that you had a rotten Christmas, hope you both feel better soon.

What a nuisance that they are still waiting for the part for your laptop. Makes you wonder if they actually ordered it in time doesn't it?

Hi everyone

We got back yesterday. A bit of a mixed trip .............. very good on the whole but there were odd moments here and there!!

The 17 month old had a great time, not too many presents ...... but she is one of those that opens a present and plays with it for quite a long time before wanting to look at anything else. One grandma (Dad's mother) couldn't wait for her to open ALL the things, so kept dragging the child back to open more and more!!

My sis-i-l (Mom's mother) was all goo ga, and finally ended by asking her son and his wife when they might have a child ...... just as they were discussing the dog they hope to get in the next week or so. Son immediately said "Just leave it there Mum". I said that I had never asked my daughter when she might have a family ................. because it really was none of my business. Sis-i-l was not too pleased with me! But her d-i-l thought I was great!!! Oh well!!

There was a foot or more of snow on the ground, but we only had a sprinkling one day. The coldest was about -20C on the day we arrived, then it didn't get below about -11 or -12C overnight, and about -7 or -8C during the daytime.

We all got some very nice presents ..... I got 5 books (that I had actually bought myself and then given to OH so he could give them back to me!!), and OH got a couple of warm shirts.

It's good to be back, and in our own bed .................. sis-i-l gives us her bed, but it is very firm and my back doesn't always like it, especially when we can't get out to walk.

Now for a quiet New Year, just the two of us, and a nice steak dinner!

We always take our decorations down on 12th Night ..... except we didn't put any up this year!!

I always used to hate doing that ........... my birthday is the next day and as a child, I used to want the house to stay decorated for my party.


Hope all those who have been sick are now better.

Hi all,
not feeling 100% yet, that fall shook me more than I realised but have been plodding on doing what I can, someone has to lol, no one else offered to cook or wash up on C.Day or since, and I had to drive my son home too as o.h. was 'too tired' translate that as a bit over the limit!

It's been raining hard here all evening but the snow has been gone for a while now thank heavens. I haven't been out far since C. Day but will be venturing into the city by bus later today to meet with Marilyn for an hour. It will be good to talk to someone other than o.h., he's been a real misery guts some of the time but better now he is back at work, except he is using the car which makes it more difficult for me to get out.

I must apologise to those who received cards late or not at all, I was doing fine with writing cards till the fall and then everything went a bit pear shaped so some people's cards are still waiting to be written.

Do take care when out and about, Alll good wishes for a Happy Healthy New Year

love
Lizxxxx

Huia, I am using the old Singer sewing machine given me by one of my great aunts when I was 12 so hevens above, fifty years ago! She used it as a housekeeper to Sir Henry Wood, when she was in London. She and her sister returned to their native Norfolk on retirement, well long after that really, as they were quite elderly by the time they came back to live here, two spinsters with wispy hair and crocheted skull caps - now I know where I get my thin hair from. i have made all sorts of things with the machine but I should have had another aunt's singer treadle machine that was passed to Mum for me. Mum in her wisdom gave it to my s.i.l. not for sewing but cos it would look good in the hall way of their old rectory! Never forgiven her for that, there was no discussion, it just disappeared from Mum's lounge one day and when I asked about it, was told it's new home.
I tried to get an electric machine the other day from Gumtree, it was only £15 but the person had sold it to someone else before I could arrange to go and fetch it, thanks to o.h. needing the car for work. Have to hope my old one keeps going as I still use it now and then for curtain making and other little jobs.

Morning Liz, and Sylvia, its very windy and wet here, the snow at the back is still solid, and now its quite slippy, but if it keeps raining it should soon be gone, Liz, what a lot of great gifts you got, even oh did you proud.... J and I usually wait until after the festivities before we buy each other gifts, not that we really need anything, but I am sure I will be able to find something.....lol....

Sylvia, how do you cope with it being so cold, I cant bear the cold weather and we never have it as cold as you !... in fact I rather go to pieces at the mention of bad weather, !! but you certainly seemed to have enjoyed your Christmas parties.....hope the next year will be a good year for you ....


love Jean xx

Morning all,

Hope you all had a lovely Christmas.

We had a lovely rowdy one...LOL

I'm in Norwich until Monday and then peace and quiet back in Devon before I go off to Cyprus for a couple of weeks.

I hope to meet Purple Liz this afternoon for our yearly coffee !
I hope she can make it ,I need a good old chat as much as Liz does ..LOL

I'm a bit fed up of playing Ker-Plunk and Snakes & Ladders and anything that's worthy of a child game !!

Here's hoping you all have a lovely NEW YEAR and behave yourselves LOL

Marilyn x

Hi all Marilyn and Liz enjoy your chat this afternoon.
Liz I would think that not having a treadle machine is probably good news for you, wherever would you put it Lol!!!!! I used to use a treadle at school and remember how easy it was to accidentally get it going in reverse Lol!!!

Jean hope your snow soon disappears, none here at all just mucky rain. And OH is playing golf, they must be mad!!!

Sylvia, welcome back, sounds like a typical family Christmas !!!!! Like us you were pleased to get back in your own bed.

Oh bother, just typed a response and lost it!

Off to get ready now - see you soon Marilyn - have you got your red gloves lol

love
Lizxxx

Ann, still hard set snow at the back of the house, but now it is very windy ,cold and there is sleet mixed with rain.....ugh...I hope T did well at the golf he deserves it going out in all the rain and cold,....


love Jean x

He didn't win Jean but said it wasn't too cold.

Hi all

Raining and about 4C here!


Jean ............. re standing the cold. I would actually rather have it cold than too hot ....... one can always add clothes, but there's a limit to how much one can take off!!

In fact, in most parts of Canada it is a dry cold, and a damp cold feels much colder. Damp cold is what we have here in Vancouver, and what you have in the UK, and that really chills you right down into your bones.

The houses are warm ................. it is the very rare house that doesn't have central heating. In fact, I would guess that no houses except in the back of beyond are without ....... unfortunately that probably means many houses on First Nations reserves way up north. Secondly, we have very warm clothing, and I think we are better prepared for the cold weather than we ever were when I lved in the UK.

I'm sitting here now wearing a fine cotton/cashmere turtleneck (surprisingly warm!), gaberdine wool fully-lined trousers, knee-high socks, and a down padded vest. The room temperature is set at about 20C. If it was really cold outside, I would be wearing a thicker turteneck, and also silk-jersey long johns, and possibly a silk-jersey under top.

We'll be venturing out soon ....... want to do a shop-in this afternoon instead of leaving it all util the madhouse tomorrow!


Off for a mooch around


sylvia
xxx

Happy New Year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Love Jean xxx

Hello to you all.
We have had rain again, it is New Years Day here in Australia.I spent New years Eve with my Daughter Barbara as Emily & Abigail are in Brisbane with their Father .

We spent the Evening sipping Wine & watching Anne of Green Gables, we got up this morning about 8:30am had breakfast then sat in our Pyjamas and watched the sequal to Ann of Green Gables, lovely ,shed a few tears but the ending was good.

Liz ,Purple, some one mentioned you had a fall, how did you manage that?? I hope you are much better ,I hope you had a nice time with Marilyn.
Sylvia I dont know how you can live in such low temps.

Hello to Huia Sallie Deborah, has anyone heard from Deborah?
Hi June and Mo I hope you all have a Happy New Year also Ann in Glos.

I hope I havent forgotten anyone, Love & Hugs to you all & thank you for your Friendship over the past Year, Marie from OZ.

Hi, Marie, your time spent with your daughter sounded lovely, a peaceful day.... we went to our friends for a potato pie supper, it was great, good old british nosh... I took a fresh fruit salad, we have been friends for over 50 years, spend a lot of time together it is always a easy relationship, we can sit in silence and never feel we have to make conversation ,not that it stays silent for long....lol......but that is the mark of a close friendship I think.
quite cold here but crisp and sunny....have a good new year ....Mo has no lappy it is broken, she is trying to get it repaired but we do miss her...
hope everyone else is doing o.k. and keeping warm....heres to a very good 2010, for all of us... keep chatting to us .....


love Jean xx

A very happy new year my dear friends. Sorry for the lack off being on here.
Still have not got my lappy back.I have got smoke comimg out off my ears,
with temper.How the heck can it take so long to repair a laptop,it was a lot quicker when my mother board went on the blink.
I hope you all had an enjoyable new years eve. We went for a meal out,with the family.It was a really good night,and the children thoroughly
enjoyed themselves letting ballons go in the restuarant,and waiting to see who they landed on.We did witness a fight on our way home,oh my lord,when people have a skinful of drink they do some stupid things.Thank goodness the bouncer broke the fight up pretty quickly.
Have any off you made any new years resolutions.I dont bother,as I always
break them before the first day is through.

Oooops, now I can continue,this blessed thing keeps throwing me out again. Has anyone heard from Sallie lately?I hope she is well.
A BIG ~~~~~To Jean,Marie,Sylvia,Huia,Liz,Marilyn, Ann and all our friends.
How did the meeting go Marilyn+Liz,did you have a good natter.
Huia,how is Phil doing? and are your eyes any better.
My thoughts go out to Sylvia and Marie,who are both suffering from different types of weather to us.We are dry but chilly here in Kent.
How is my Jean+J doing,I hope you are both well. I have been missing talking to you.
Love and best wishes to you all. Mo xxx

Hiya hun, so pleased to see you back , we are o.k. except for being snowed in again, it is very bad here we managed to shovel some of the snow away, now the dam stuff is back again....ugh.....freezing though... I dont want to move out of the house at all...so I am not going to .....so there.....
not sure about our Sallie , maybe the family are with her, I am sure she will be in touch soon, we havent heard from Debbie for a while, again she is probably busy with the family, they are all missed though.....so come back you lovely peeps, we need to hear the gossip, well Mo does....lol.....

take extra care , love Jean xx

I am testing girls to see if I can get back to my usual name.
Hooray it's worked. Love to all Mo xxx

Hi there MO and others.

MO, my doc sent me to see a specialist at the acute eye clinic in Auckland, supposed to be the best place in NZ for eye care. He gave my eyes a thorough look-at and decided I was allergic to one of the substances in one of the eyedrops that I was using for glaucoma. Since I stopped using those ones (he prescribed a different one) my eyes have felt much better, although still a bit bloodshot.

Phil turns 80 tomorrow, the 4th. I hope he will be awake when I visit him. A lot of the time he just sleeps and I come home after half an hour. Our son will be 50 a week later, and I will be a year older too :((((

Huia.

Hi MO, and everyone
xxxx


Mo ..... it does seem to take longer to do laptops.

We bought a laptop about 18 months ago. It was pre-loaded with Vista, and we just couldn't get it to work, so we took it into our local computer shop (called GoGo Geek). It took them almost 2 weeks to offload the Vista and load Microsoft, then get it working ...... it turned out there were a couple of programs that were also installed that they couldn't a) find out what they did, and b) to get rid of them!


Raining and about 9C here ....... so a typical warm 'n wet Vancouver winter day!





sylvia
xxxx