General Chat

Oh Carole that sounds lovely, relaxing in warm weather. We finally have sun today, so welcoming, unfortunaterly the snow melting also reveals a lot of work to be done outside, I'll leave it to your imagination, enough to say 3 dogs, rain, mud, long winter.
Kids return to school tomorrow,it's been a long week for them - and the adults.
I go for a heart scan tomorrow morning, hope I remember in the morning, missed some appts recently, got the time wrong etc. Not aging , just weary . . unfortunately starting at the top LOL.
Remembering my Dad today, 37 years gone, how he would have treasured his 8 great-grandchildren.
Enjoy the weekend everyone,hugs all round.
Mary

Hi all

Hope you are all well .
Would you believe it the sun is actually shining here in Scotland !!!

Last week end we had snow sleet and rain non stop and it wasn't much better during the week .

Have been very busy ( as I knew I would ) running about with son and his census forms .He can only carry about 40 in his bag so when he finished that lot he phoned home and I had to drive down with the next batch .!!Then of course because he was so tired it was can you collect me .Costing me a fortune in petrol !!!!

I completed mine and went to post it .Too big to fit in the letter box you would think they could have worked that one out .Think they are going to get back a lot of mangled forms .

cheers

Kathy

Sorry I've not been on much. I don't know where the time has gone since I last posted. Been to Florida for ten days had some lovely weather. It was lovely just to get away and relax. We didn't do our usual running about. We did hire a car so were able to see further afield than without one! Went to Orlando to see Wicked the musical. It was fantastic. Also sat out in the sunshine on the Sunday and listened to a local Blue grass group playing /singing the roots of their music. Chatting to people from other States who were there for the winter.( We would love to do that.) Back to real life and work, oh how I have been jet lagged and worn out! Daughter and boyfriend stayed at our house to look after the dog. But didn't seem to know where the dusters and cleaning stuff is!! So caught up on most of that. Any one got time to come give my bathroom a bottoming? And the utility room!! Caught up with my neighbour last night I knocked her up to come out and look at the moon. So we had coffee, and a chat. She was very poorly and in hospital. Her family are in Scotland, her husband (RAF) in Falklands. So I felt a bit responsible to keep an eye on here. Her only child away at uni, it must and still is a hard time for her, awaiting test results and not knowing whats the cause of this ilness.
I have appointment next week with the nurse for review of copd and ashma but am pretty good on the depression side. Two women at work Thursday joked next time I am working at their shop they are having a holiday. I joked a lot with them forgetting their names first thing in the morning called them Doris and Betty. Bannana man came in later, a young man who they said thinks he is god and knows it all. I had so much fruit and veg to stock take! I told him to cut down his orders customers want it fresh!!

Thinking of you all all of the time, even though I am not contributing much. xxx

The old man is off to the opticians on Tuesday.

He says he doesn't want to look round town while he is there but this is the same cantankerous old bugger who was not going to get out of the mini-bus when he went shopping in the next village.

He was telling a neighbour he would be going to the dentist this morning.That won't take long.Well,it might,the dentist will have a very long search to find any teeth in there.

Now he is worried about how we are going to pay for his glasses.That is from my mother always telling him that there was no money at home because of me and why he is naked and starving in an unheated house.

Dropped his bottle of beer on the way to the village lunch yesterday.That is where the money goes,boozing and fine dining!

Hi

I am concentrating on an ancestor caled Matthew Bradford born about 1764. He wed in 1798 in Southchurch, Essex and died in 1849 in Southchurch. He is my 5xgreat grandfather. In the 1841 census he said he was not born in Essex and there was several Matthew Bradfords born in the South Cambridgeshire and West Suffolk area. Two of them were born in the 1760s which was 1762 in Great Bradley, Suffolk and 1765 in Westley Waterless, Cambridgeshire. There was on born in Dalham but he died as a baby. I believe the 1765 one could be mine and will work at it.

Ben

I had a surprise this morning. My cousin in NZ, daughter of my mother's brother, sent me an envelope conmtaining school report cards of my mothers, from 1919, which for some reason had been hidden in her late fathers papers. It was a poignant moment but gave me a chuckle as she didn't pass algebra!! She pushed me to make sense of it, little did I know she had the same struggles!! The poignancy relates not only to the fact that they were hers, but also were her very last report cards, as she left school at 14 to take a secretarial course, to assist her mother with income as her father had just died. Her hopes of becoming an architect were dashed when she left school. I am truly touched to have these papers.
Despite the white blanket on the ground, the sun is shining, and for once I remembered that the clocks went ahead yesterday.
I am embarking on the creation of cinnamon buns today, wish me luck. I love cinnamon buns, with raisins and chopped pecans filling. Melt in the mouth yummy goodness. And diet-appropriate LOL (in spots).
I am relieved that my NZ cousin basically escaped the quake, and her daughter in Aust escaped the flooding. Heartfelt compassion to those in Japan who have also been devastated.
Back to work, no peace for the wicked, wonder sometimes what I am paying for to have earned so little rest . . . . .

Sharron LOL I don't have time to slow down, this morning started off delightfully early with Gareth being very sick, his Mum and Em are away for 2 days,at a dance competition in Buffalo,NY, and they just called, Em is also sick and has to dance with her group in an hour, hope she doesn't have a repeat on-stage!!. She doesn't dance again until 5pm, then they will prob come home and skip tomorrows workshops Not a nice way to start off the week of hols. Sarah's worker is taking her to the Y to swim for 3 hours today and tomorrow, . that's a bit of a break for her and us. miniMary is thrilled as her Mum has finally agreed to her having email and a FB page. She's already found some friends from her old schools on FB. Her website for her totebags is almost ready to launch, a friend has helped her to create it and looking good thus far! She originally sewed the bags to help S&G get their service dogs and raised quite a bit. Her plan now is to help reduce the remaining funds owing, then to put money in a college fund, as she wants to be a vet. Hard to believe she has only 4 years left till she leaves for college/uni.
Now what shall I bake today? Can't just sit here, and twiddle my thumbs, that wouldn't do at all. Hopefully Gareth feels better by tonight.
Have a great day everyone, I am going to shut this down now for a few hours to get something done, and as Sharron says, not just talk about it.
TTFN

Well Mary,it is good to see you have found something to fill your empty hours.

FGS woman,when are you going to slow down?

I would have a look at the science and how other flours react to leavens, Probably the heavy old gluten free is cheaper to produce and, as that is all there is,people will buy it.

Angola,wow,I want to go there. It is doing it's damndest to recover from the world's longest civil war

.Wouldn't fancy Singapore much but wouldn't mind having a job that sent
me there.

Lazy tart,I'm still in bed.Better get up and look like I mean it. Hope you are all up and enjoying the day.

Hi Mary, sorry no one has been around, I am late getting on line again.
O.h. off to his son's later today but only till midday Sunday as the son didn't know he had to travel to Singapore for work (he has only been in the new job a week!) so he wants his Dad to leave early from the visit. Bet the d.i.l. isn't very happy to be left alone with the baby altho presumably there will be extra wages for him taking the trip, not sure but the last job paid him loads of money when he had to travel to Angola for six weeks or whatever it was. It was when he got back mid Jan. last year that he proposed to her and then they started trying for a baby, her idea, and she fell straight away, hence the rush to get married before the baby arrived. It was a hectic ten months for them so hope things don't go as mad when he gets back from this three week trip! He might just get home for Mother's Day, her first one, not sure what his return date is, O.h. went out to get a gift for the baby and I told him to get d.i.l. lots of chocolate etc for comfort food while his son is away lol

Sorry you have snow again Mary, looks as tho Scotland is due lots more but none forecast here for the mo.
Such a shame Gareth is having such problems and I hop the new centre works out for him and you all.

Well done with the baking, good idea for the cook book and maybe you can get Megan helping you with a small production line so you could sell some of the things? I bet there are lots of people who can't get nice bread etc since 'her' bakery closed down.

do take care and love to all

Lizxx

Where is everyone???
Another busy week coming up, the kids are off school for their "March break", so perhaps I can sleep late a couple of times. Gareth's peculiar behaviours continue and remain unexplained. Today he has been very drowsy, then suddenly gets up, walks over to someone and slaps them across the face. He is to go to the new centre as of March 30th, I just hope the time there will prove helpful. His Mum is understandably anxious as there is no other option. Hopefully we can do a good job of observing him when he's home next week, documenting behaviours becomes a full-time job LOL.
I have a new project, I am considering writing a gluten-free cookbook. Today I made 3 loaves of banana bread and if I do say so myself it was far better than any I've made before with regular wheat flour. Lovely texture, I am so pleased. Banana bread has always been a fav in our home but since we went gluten-free 4 years ago I have relied on professional bakers for this recipe and until now haven't attempted it myself with rice flours etc. I simply adapted my old recipe this time, apparently I am finally getting the hang of it. There is hope. Now if I could make decent scones or buns, things would be even better. There are so many recipes available but so manay turn out very heavy. I am thinking that I should just revert to my old recipes and adapt them, rather than rely on info from others. Perhaps I'll even concoct some gluten-free Welsh cakes.!!
It was wet yesterday but I was so pleased to see the grass, and some daffodils starting to poke through the ground., now today we are again freezing and blanketed in white again, is there no respite?
I'm off to bed, 'night all.
Mary

Nice sunny day here in Norfolk. I now have 3 grandparent baptisms. 1913, 1921 and 1933. One more is still to be found.

Hazel how nice to see you, {{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}} to you too!! It's so true how things will suddenly hit you hard, out of the blue, even years later I know one can hit bottom over something which seems as fresh as the day it happened. Good for your sister, fighting back, trying to look past the numbers and enjoying each day as much as possible. Enjoy your holiday with her, what a special time you''ll have.
Kathy I have some recordings of my Dad but haven't unearthed any of my Mum, which is silly as she lived another 27 years after Dad died. Those recordings become more precious as the years pass, wonderful for the grandchildren to hear as well.
Liz it's not Legge-Perthes disease and it's not Osgoode-Schlatters either (which my son had, where basically the muscle/tendons grows faster than the bone and pulls the growth plate off centre, if not corrected the long bone stops growing). L-P would have shown up much sooner and O-S is a bit early in his development, but believe me I mentioned both to the Dr !!!!

Off now to tour Gareth's new class with his Mum, keeping fingers crossed that it will be as good an experience as we've been told.
Group hug,
Mary

Hi All

Not been on this thread for awhile.((((((((((((HUGS))))))))
to all who needs them.

I am feeling very down today, dont know why.

I think it maybe i have started to think about my sister more now,she has been told she has 18mts to 2yrs, but if she gets a cold,flu or chest infection it could kill her. She has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. COPD for short.Was told this in Jan.But she has been bad over the last month with a kidney infection.She lives over in Essex. I am in Middlesex. so not easy to see her much.

She is not one to give up and sit about,when she can she goes into work which is just round the corner. We are going away in May for 5days.We are also planning if she is up to it (she is still driving)to go and see some family over the year.

I only losted my mum 2 and half years ago.She was also my best friend. Like my sister she is also my best friend.

But i have had such a good few weeks befor today.It just comes up and hits you dont it?

Take care

Hazelx

Mary I hope the finances can be sorted out so MiniMary can take up the place at the school, as you say it will be so good for her to mix with new people and be just herself. Lots of positive thoughts for her. Tell her congratulations and well done!

Poor Gareth, he is going through the mill, I hope the new school will help and that the MRI shows nothing sinister. He is getting a big lad I think, and it made me think of Perthes' Disease, do you think that could be causing the limp and he can't explain how it feels properly?

(Perthes' disease is a condition where the top of the thigh bone (the femoral head) softens and breaks down. It occurs in some children and causes a limp and other symptoms. The bone gradually heals and reforms as the child grows. The aim of treatment is to ensure that the femoral head regrows back into its normal shape so that the hip joint can function well. )

I guess if Gareth goes on the bus to school he will have the dog with him, but will there be someone to escort him as well? Not sure how things work over there.


Can't imagine how you cope with everything going so wrong, walls falling down? Whatever next? Do take care of yourself and hope things calm down a bit soon.

Kathy, how lovely that your sister found that tape and did the cd for you, even tho it got you all weepy!
I think somewhere we have a cassette tape of my mother talking to my son, he recorded it when he was staying at hers. I must track it down and get it on a cd too, see if I sound as much like her as people who knew her say I do now She was quite 'Norfolk' and I am now as well, it's living with o.h. that did it, he is quite broad and I didn't used to be but over the years the accent has become stronger. I hate the Norfolk accent, think it makes people sound thick!

O.h. on holiday and already he is driving me nuts. He decided to repaint the garden fence, it's a colour called Mountain Blue which sets off all the plants in tubs and side beds really well. He thought he had a tub and a half from last time, so got stuck in then opened the second tub to find it full of soapy water, which he had put in last time to clean the tub out! I went off to my counselling session and said I would call at the diy store on the way back, only to find they don't do that colour any more, well it's not in their brochure anyway. Called a couple more stores and found it at B & Q, maybe they make it just for them to sell so didn't drive across the city, he can get some this morning as I was miles from the B & Q. Only today, Weds, Thurs and Fri to go, he is visiting his son on Saturday till Sunday and back to work Monday - hooray lol


Take care all
love
Lizxx

Thank you so much for all your concern. Gareth is having a really difficult time, the Dr is stopping one of his meds for a few days to see if that has any effect.. They are also booking an MRI asap, to rule out any sinister issue. Interesting comment Sharron about whether he may be copyiong, actually I mentioned that myself, because in my many years working in orthopaedics (before I switched to geriatrics) I remember so clearly discussion about a child with a limp, who was assessed and reassessed over and over. After several years, one bright doctor asked him why he was limping, and sure enough he was pretending to be the disabled partner of a current fav TV character. I seriously doubt this is the case with Gareth as he appears really anxious when he limps, complains that he is 'stuck' and appears to be! Today he is walking normally but very very angry, bashing walls, pounding on the doors, what has upset him is anyone's guess. he has been accepted to the small school, and is to start there in 3 weeks. His Mum and I are to visit it tomorrow. if she makes the final decision to move him there, the school board will arrange round trip bus transport for him.

miniMary is ecstatic today as she has received a letter, offering her a spot at the private school to start in September. Now we wait to see what financial assistance they are willing to offer. This will be so good for her to be her own person, apart from S&G's sister. The big step of course was acceptance, I so hope the financial icture is cleared so that she can attend there.

We've all bounced back now from the stomach flu, now if we could get miniMary's puppy to calm down, things would be better. Of course life here always has it's downs as well as the ups, awaiting repair of half of the bathroom wall which fell down when we had a big thaw of snow, plus heavy rain a few days ago. Long story which I won't document for my fans, I videotaped it instead this time.

Watched the US new version of Secret Millionaire last night, I felt so moved by 82 yr old twins, Helen and Ellen, who run a "love kitchen" for homeless and disadvantaged folks, they received $$ to help their cause. What a pair, made me feel good about the state of the world!! There's hope for mankind with angels like those two!!

Oops, have to run upstairs, Meg is alone with his nibs and seems chaos has erupted, the peacemaker is on her way - wish me luck - and Mum will mercifully be home in half-hour.
TTFN<
Mary

Hi all

Sister came today with a cd copy of a tape she found in her garage .

My parents obviously having a party in their house and was the custom people sang even if they shouldn't !! Like Aunty Cathy and uncle Sandy !!!

Listened to my mum singing very nicely * the ring your mother wore " and I was a weeping idiot .Didn't think I would hear her voice again .

love

Kathy xxxx

Good thinking Sharron, he may well be thinking that way.

Hope everything is ok with Mary and all of you

Lizx

Maybe Gareth is experimenting, wondering how it feels to hit his head against different things. Just because it is not experiment we would want to carry out with our perception of the world and pain does not mean he feels the same.

Likewise the foot dragging. Maybe he has seen somebody else do it and thought he might try it out for himself to see if there was any benefit in it. He sees the world from his own view,as do we all.

Oh Mary, what a worry for you all. Would Gareth wear a protective helmet do you think, some children have to to protect them from falls if they have illness that causes them, so might be able to get one. I don't think they are hard like cycle helmets but more padded to save his head from damage. He is getting to be a big lad so force behind his runs at the wall and hard for people to restrain and lift too if he goes down.
I hope the new school helps but I suppose that will mean you driving him there and picking him up and you have to take the others too to a different place? Thank heavens you can drive and get the children to their various activities etc.
Has Megan had any luck with finding work or is it working out ok having her at home all the time? I do think of you often.

I am fed up as o.h. is off work for a week but hopefully he will go off to see his son and the baby next weekend from Sat to Sun so I get a little break.
His company had decided they have to take their holidays within certain times now instead of choosing when they want them, so he has to choose two weeks between the end of July and the beg. of Sept. Of course, that is the most expensive time, the hottest if abroad and also the children are off school and he hates holidaying when there are hoards of children around. He also hates hot weather hence us only going abroad in autumn time usually!

I told him to ask the company for the extra cash to cover high season costs lol

take care Mary and everyone,
love
Lizxx

Mary, let us hope the new class has the answer to his problem then. Maybe the reason he was not walking properly was psychological in some way.