General Chat

Mary, mary quite contrary, how does your garden grow! not so much out in the back one it would appear and no wonder with such a big family and dog's also, I love reading your lovely stories which conjure up magical visions of how life was like when my children were small, so happy days they were and still are in my memory xx Not only did my three little ones play in our veranda and large garden but all their pals used to come a knocking, requesting to be allowed to join in the fun. On a sunny day out came the canvas paddling pool and hose pipe, along with plastic table and chairs and numerours toys, the boy's made a tent over the swing frame and all was well in the world, except when they became hungry and they all congregated at the kitchen door asking for food, drinks and sweeties...there was no need for neighbours to question where their children were, it was a case of follow the noise or screams, depending on how the day went...if the day turned out to be a wet one they all played in the large veranda where most of their toys were housed. An hour before my husband was due in from work I would send the additional family home, bathe my three and have them watching their favourite childrens TV programmes prior to us all sitting down to our supper. Throughout my childrens lives they have always prefered to entertain their friends at home and not gather on street corners, just wish that same lifestyle could apply to some of today's generation, sad I think....
As for ideas for recipes, well here is a tried and tested one I have used throughout the ages and still use today, tis called a ' macaroni mess', as follows:.... Macaroni (small pieces) 150 grams, Tuna in brine (large tin or 4 x185g tine), bunch of spring onions, add salad cream or mayonnaise to taste......Preparation: whilst cooking macaroni open up tin/s of tuna and drain, chop up spring onions....once macaroni is cooked rinse in cold water, add tuna and spring onions then add salad cream, stirring gently, a meal in itself being carbs, fish and green vegetable..you can add corn on the cob, bits of pineapple, small tomatoes or even little pieces of cheese, in fact whatever takes your fancy or what leftovers you have in the fridge...try it lass and hope you enjoy it xxx....An easy 'sweet' I used to do for the kids when it was hot, as follows: Banana's which are ripe but not brown...peel banana's, halve and wrap in cling foil, place in freezer for a few hours and you end up with a banana lolly, lovely xxx
As for my garden Mary, with so much rain we have been having lately it has turned into a mini jungle! the potted geraniums are overflowing, the scented stock have grown to twice their size, the corguette's! plants which earlier died on me are sprouting like mad and will harvest well but for some reason the tomato plants are not doing too well, only a few flowers have appeared to date! my pride of place though being two japanese maple trees I planted this year which have taken and doing well, I look forward to their golden colour during the winter months.. and so the seasons change, as does our lives.....
Toby pleased to say is still a blessing for me even though he disappears more frequently up to Coventry to run with his mates, the Cleveland bays. This year and for the first time he spotted rabbits and took off at a speed of knots, followed by the nosey horses, as luck would have it my daughter stopped him before he vanished through a distant hedge!
Am so pleased you are enjoying your double bed lass but can envisage some of your tribe clambering to climb in alongside you, all in good fun though xx Am away now to get washed and dressed and inspect my 'jungle' to make sure no lions have taken up residence, fox's yes which are rife in my neck of the woods and so desperate for food to feed their cubs, I love nature....
To all my other friends out there I send you my love and best wishes and hope you are keeping a little better, hope to hear from you soon.....
Love, Joyce.P xxxxxxxxx

Happy anniversary Carole and Steve, and best wishes for many more years.
Mary XOXO

Tomorrow is Steve and I's 30th wedding anniversary. Hayley said I would have got out sooner if I had killed him. (Still chance) ! We are both at work, and I don't know what time I'll get home so no plans to do anything.

Had the kids here quite a bit this weekend so it's been nice.

Lousy weather!

Mary just one dog did a good job of killing off plants and grass in our garden. No wonder you have given up !!

Carole it was a back garden, quite a large space, I had flower beds, a vegetable garden plot, shade garden under the trees, full of hostas and a lawn swing, shady and quiet. Till the dogs arrived, most of the hostas have been destroyed, the rest have been moved to the front garden. The awful heat we've had the past few days have turned what's left of the lawn brown, there are many dead spots on the ground, no flowers, just a neglected empty space. The kids trampoline and swing are out there and now a smallish pool. the veggie patch is overrun with weeds, the only thing I do out there now is to sit at the table on the porch. It is just dead space. No point in trying to create or maintain a garden. Sad. It would make sense for us to pave it, so Gareth could practise bike-riding out there in safety, but the cost is prohibitive at present for such a big area. BTW, Gareth has not attempted to escape once since we got the pool.
The front I call my garden, a veggie plot & herb garden now near the house, a shade area with hostas under the big maple tree and 4 flower beds full of perennials. Unfortunately they all look proper pathetic now thanks to the heat, I cannot bother watering as it evaporates as soon as it hits the beds. The grass is more weeds than grass but it passes as a lawn!! I loathe the extreme heat, and really don't feel well when I have to be outside in it.
The 3 girls had a wonderful time at camp, Sarah did amazingly well, except when the group had quiet time and she felt it was a good time to sing LOL. Neither of her sisters were in her cabin so they each had their individual group of cabin-mates. Her group included her with every planned activity except archery (for safety reasons). the camp nurse told me that S's friends were wery accepting of her and helpful to her, except for a couple of hygeine issues like refusing a shower, and refusing to wear bug repellant, she did really well, came home absolutely smothered in bites, her entire body, apparently from spending the night in a tree fort. She doesn't seem bothered by the mosquitoes when they are swarming her, but goes crazy scratching once they have done their deed.
A friend was clearing her parents house as they move to more sheltered housing and offered me a brand new double mattress and box spring, I was going to refuse then decided to try and fit it in my small corner, and replace the rickety old single bed I have been using for the last 2 years. The bed fits perfectly and I have slept better the past 3 nights than I have for months.
Now I have blessed another family with the single bed for their granddaughter. What a treat to sleep well with no wakening to joint pain umpteen times!!
Tomorrow (July 18th) would have been my mother's 106th birthday, still miss her so much after 10 years gone. I'm glad miniMary remembers her, she was 4 when she died and often talks about her still.
Somebody inspire me as I can't decide what to feed the family for a mail meal in this weather. We've made a huge bowl of potato salad and another of macaroni salad, devilled eggs, bought sliced ham and roast beef, sliced tomatoes and been eating a variety combo each night this week. Nobody wants a hot meal when it's so hot outside. We eat at the outside table, I'd be quite happy to only drink cool things rather than eat. My GERD is playing up, awaiting another dilation of lower oesophagus together with lower scope in the next month or so, takes so long for an appt., then the Dr wants me to go for another check of "the girls" which I hate so have conveniently lost the requisition. I suppose I must agree to it as it has been 5 years since the last one.
Taking the day off today basically, enjoying a few minutes of peace and quiet.
Colleen's new job is working out well, except she has been putting in several 12 hour days for the past 2 weeks, doesn't leave much time to spend with the kids.
have a lovely day all, sending hugs to those who could use one!!
mary

Mary what makes a garden a yard? Here a yard is a small area mostly concrete or paving slabs behind the house. A garden is a larger area with a lawn and flower beds. My American cousins always call their Garden a yard. What do you call the area in front of the house?

Must have been quiet for you with the girls away.

Sharon I did read your thread and the link.

Anyone else still going strong? I am having a lovely sit in the back yard (no it's no longer a garden), feet up, watching my grandson splashing in their small pool. He has had a quiet week without his 3 sisters, who all return from summer camp tomorrow. We haven't had a single phone call so it seerms that Sarah has done well over the week. She so loves it at camp, wood cabins on the side of a beautiful lake, 8 girls to a cabin, and for the first time Sarah does not have a sibling with her in the cabin. She does have a counsellor with her 24/7. It's so good for the others to have separate time from her, they are all on-site but with their own groups. No doubt they will be bursting to tell us everything when they get in our van to return home!!
The temperature has been mid-90's today, a scorcher, which I hate, cannot bear the humidity. The lawn has been ruined, totally brown , even the watered geraniums are on their last legs.
The fright I had last week with my blood pressure really pulled down the mood but we are climbing back up, I increased my Vitamin B intake, thinking I was just tired, not realising immediately that the problem was very low blood pressure, which was also producing a pressure headache.
Whomever coined the phrase "the golden years" should be shot LOL. The only gold I have is on some teeth!!
A friend of mine in the States, fell yesterday when she tried walking through her house during a power outage and fractured her humerus badly, she has assured me that it was NOT humorous LOL Waiting for surgery.
My ATV is awaiting pickup, but I am trying to find a way to sell it instead, in order to have the roof reshingled, as there are nine separate roof areas, it's a huge job, which I'd like to have done before winter, tired of snow and water coming in the lounge window!!
The fruit trees are producing early this year so we are being treated to lots of cherries, earlier than usual, some corn is also ready, usually not till mid-August..
Wishing everyone a safe a happy weekend, I fear I will spend most of it on the road!!
Mary

Anybody looked at my killer mother thread? It looks like she was a narcissist.It has been mentioned in the newspaper report. At least it is finally being recognized.

I have had problem trying to get on last page of this. Got here at last.

Hi all
I got to mt daughters 30th birthday party it was great.

Still in alot of pain went to doctors Friday he gave me stronger pain killers. As i knew already going to take time to heel. As what with what i have already wrong with me.

Hi to everyone ((((((((((((HUGS))))))))))for you all as always.

Take care

Hazelx

Have been having trouble getting onto this thread for the last couple of days. Keep getting 'error' etc, seems to be OK now. I read in a a post (2009) that someone was asking about Acapuncture. I know it's rather a long time ago! but if anyone is interested, I had it some years ago for Sciatica, and it worked brilliantly; I don't think it does for everyone, but for me it was like a miracle, and I haven't had a recurrence since. Just thought I would post this in case anyone is interested! Still feeling pretty OK, a slight panic attack in bed the other evening, just as I was going off to sleep! Did some deep breathing, and all was well. Not quite ready to come off the Cit yet, but hopefully, getting there. Do hope other people are feeling 'up together', I think a bit of fine weather helps, nothing like the sun to brighten people up a bit. Well, thats the theory!!

welcome lizlynes, yes we've all experienced the mineshaft at different levels, at different times. If you are only on 10 mg I would be inclined to stay on it. Small dose, no shame in needing it. Helps keep the chemical imbalance in check.
Well Carole this thread you started for all of us has I think now reached 8900 replies. It has certainly evolved from the first few tentative posts!! Thank you Carole for having the strength to reach out.
Mary

Sons 26th birthday today. He was going out with a load of mates last night. I text him this morning and he replied that lots of them cancelled. Another who did turn up wanted to chat and took Rem home, on entering a big suprise as all his mates were there! So partied till about four am. So thats lunch out with us cancelled!! Just pleased he had a lovely time with friends.

The spray tan this morning is ok, mostly! Not that obviouse, except on top of my feet where skin is dry!! Orange. Legs a bit patchy. But trousers will hide. face and arms can't tell I gave them a spray. :-D

Welcome Lizlynes, that black hole is so lonesome. I didn't care if I got out or not! My husband did. Looking back I have had nerve problems since being a kid. Mum always said nerves are a funny thing. Didn't realise till a couple of years ago she was what helped my nerves stand on end!! After counselling I have now put on weight and feel like an adult and not the child she made me feel like. My counsellor made me see her as the old lady she is who has no control over me. But I'm not saying the fears have all together gone.

The weight drops off me if I have a set back. But then if you don't eat at all it tends too !

We find it helps to write our feelings here and share them. To get a reply from someone else saying they feel the same or did at one time is reasuring. To close the computer is like putting the problem away. There is no facing a friend and wishing you hadn't shared that about yourself.

Steve is at a concert tonight. So I decided to get out the spray tan I bought a year ago and never tried. Hold can 40cm away and spray. Easy!! I hope I didn't get carried away. I'm now waiting for the three hours to pass while it changes colour. Hoping not to be covered in streaks and bloches. Going to look a mess at work if it hasn't worked properly!!

Thankyou Sharron, that's really kind of you. That mineshaft is a really HORRIBLE place to be, but not quite so bad when you have help and support. Mind you, the only SLIGHT upside was that I lost a stone in weight first time round which I certainly needed to do and have managed to keep off ever since!! Has anyone else lost weight? I can't think that I'm the only one!!!!

You probably met most of us down that mineshaft. We have all been down there.

Hi Lizlynes, You are very welcome to join in on this thread and I am sure you will receive all the supposrt you could hope for from people on here. I am pleased to hear that your are making progress with you anxiety problem, feel free to lean on us whenever you want to.

Hello, I wonder if you mind if I join this site? I have suffered with anxiety problems on and off all my life. I was very nervy as a child, and as I got older, 'mountains out of molehills' seemed to have been invented for me!!! This finally came to a head about two years ago after a very unpleasant saga with our neighbours, which is too long and boring to repeat, plus my OH's brush with Cancer was enough to send me on a very severe anxiety attack. I can't tell you how horrible it was, I felt as if I had fallen down a mineshaft and I simply couldn't climb out; Luckily I have a very sympathetic GP who put me on Cit, the side effects were horrible but I persevered and after about a month I began to feel a lot better and was able to go down to 10mg after about two months. I came off the tablets completely about three months after that, and apart from a small blip when I went back on them, I've been pretty OK ever since although I am still on 10mg. I hope to come off them again, this time for good. Deep breathing really does help and I think with the support of a site like this an understanding family and GP, anxiety can be kept at least under control. Well, I hope so! Best of luck to you all.

I listen all night.Might be fast asleep but if a mosquito sneezes down the garden then I am wide awake and ready to get downstairs.

Mary my mum is often saying she is woken by hearing my dad call her. I put this down to her listening for him and not being able to fully relax. After seven years of looking after him there is no wonder. Since he died she continues to hear him call. It reminds me that as a new mother I would wake thinking I heard my new baby cry or making noises. Again anxiety stopping the ability to fully relax. I think it's the same for you.
When my mums brother in law was ill and dying many years ago, mum woke early one morning hearing 'the doctors talking, and trying to phone her'. My aunt didn't have a phone or drive so mum knew she would get the call to ask them to pick up aunt and go to the hospital should he take a turn for the worse. Again she was unable to shut off and sleep deeply.


I was looking for last post first but it's gone! Found post date

I shall go back to mine Mary.

I have my medical tree back to my grandparents and their siblings, think about 4 generations is good. Thanks to my uncle who was a doctor, I found a further family history of migraine, cancer, heart disease and epilepsy. Very interesting.