General Chat

Norm and I are in the PA Canda Day parade today. Norm is dressing up. Our theme being the Trash and Treasure weekend he is going as a cross between Rod Stewart/Captain Kid/Osama!! I will take pics.
Me ....I am just wearing a purple hat and purple socks. Hat has a black net veil and hopefully it will stay on my head as it is meant to be warm today.
As with all things, sometimes life sends a curve ball. Norm's brother, in Quebec well near Ottawa really, has more heart problems and is inoperable. So we have decided to trek east now and not to Alaska. I am quite sad about that but family must always come first. We hope to make a quick jaunt to the Maritimes so that will mean our journey will literally be from the Pacific to the Atlantic...wow!!!
So its off to the parade!!
Lesxx

hi happy canada day to one and all I have spent the day watching the tennis wimbledon has to be the most wonderful two weeks of the year for me, leslie sorry that you have to change your travel plans but as you say family come first, my family are going to england and france on the 9th of july the first trip over for the three grandchildren I shall house sit for them. the oldest one graduated from public school last wednesday it was a great ceramony I did as asked and di not cry1 they play pomp and circumstance and that always sends me off, I took over an album of his fathers graduation at the same age the children loved the old photo's especially seeing dad without his mustache something they have never seen before. well there will be fireworks to-night down by the lake I feel sorry that the toronto plans for to-day had to be cancelled due to the strike bye for now dorothy barrie ontario

Darn it VP, Alaska would have been great. So sorry about Norm's brother - age is a butter. All you need now is a powerful engine and some floatees and you could keep on going to see your Dad in the UK lol. Seriously so sorry about is all
Happy Canada Day to you all
Evening Badger and other UKers and good half way through hte morning downunderers
JA

C'mon all Let's hear if you are all still with us.

Stay well !!!!!!! Edith

well people ,looks like one of those days again lol,i typed out a message for this thread and was just about to put it in ,when whooooosh,off it went grrrrrr,i take it from past comments by others that this does happen from time to time but it's darned annoying he he.
Hiya Edith old buddy ,how is the garden on the balcony going ? you know ,i mentioned this famed balcony to my younger son a few weeks ago ,and how you ,and one or two others grew essentials in small places ,and he got smitten he he.
So far ,Liz has taken him down three tomato plants ,basil,corriander,mint ,chive,parsley and even two pots with perpetual onions in, which he has placed all around the back yard ,he is chuffed to bits when he comes to do a meal,walks out back, and collects his own herbs. which are of course nice and fresh,he is even using a very large bin box like i have out back and is growing radish and lettuce in.
Sorry to hear about your bro' in law Les,and yes ,family cannot be ignored ,but you know ,seems like you have another travel epic in front of you ,and many new sights to see anyway.
Perhaps if you have a cam corder with you ,and do a nice recording of your travels ,you could put it onto disc when you get back ,and sell a few copies to swell the funds from a future garden sale and sewing bees, i for one would go for that,the thought of some of the lovely scenery and places you have over there make my spine tingle when i see them.
The garden is now fully planted out and the greenhouse is nice and clear except for peppers and young herbs,and i suppose i had better get used to it,i have been told by the boss ,next year ,i have one corner for starting my onions and leeks in Jan',and that's it,everything else ,i have to start natures way ,out in the open,hmmmmm,.time for a rethink methinks.[hey ,that ryhmes] lol.
I expect to do very well with the dwarf beans this year with all the rain we are getting,three plants to a pot ,and eight pots to the row,that's a lot of beans he he,and the parsnips and carrot are doing well too ,maybe a bumper crop this year.
I found my recipe folder at last ,and am now adding sauces ,marinades and other stuff to the list,so that i can recall them any time i feel like it.
The new lime and corriander marinade my son does for the marinaded B B Q chicken is a must as i really liked it last week when he made it,he has a few others sorted out for me as well .
The new Perscription sunglasses are great ,they will come in really handy when we get some sun [when being the operative word ] but i will be taking them to cyprus with me so they will have SOME use this year.
I took Liz to town with me to pick them up ,lovely sunny morning,and warm when we started out so i went out in a cotton ,casual shirt ,shorts ,and trainers,we got into town early ,so we had a walk round the farmers market ,you know the sort of thing ,all meats ,cheeses and butters,and truck garden plants ,home made fudge ,and farmers from Germany,France ,Ireland and the like.
Finishing there ,we went to pick up the glasses and then went to MacDonalds for dinner because we had coupons for half price meals and free java.any way,sitting there eating and looking outside we saw the clouds rolling over ooooer,no car ,and looking like rain,,might have known it ,we walked out side as the BIG drops started to fall and by the time we reached the bus stop ,it was like a mini monsoon [ i kid you not having seen them before],so ,at 'tother end when we have to get off said bus ,it was howking it down even harder,and the ten minutes walk through the fields to the house ,well,let's say ,i could have done with wipers on my glasses he he ,it was indoors ,clothes off ,such as they were ,and into the washer with them,to spin the water out.,next time i go to town in the summer ,i take the car he he.
Well ,that's it for now ,time to get myself a cuppa and biccie ,a treat for me 'cause i have been a good boy ,lol,down to twelve stone for the first time in twenty years ,and my blood sugar going back to 6.2 wahey,see you later chums .Fred.

HI Fred and all the others who pop in.

The Balcony garden is now great Fred, I have 11 toms on one plant
with many more to come. 2 feeds of green onions so far.
Rosemary and basil shooting all over the place. Parsley, thyme and
oregano still slow. Tried the cucumbers but it was just too cold so
will try again next year.
Flowers are georgous and my hanging baskets are fabulous.
Must go,time for a cup of tea. See you soon. Edith XXX

Afternoon everyone ,wow ,i have been looking out over the moors for the last hour watching the lightning flashing from the ground ,up into the clouds,clearly visible because it is so dull with the storm clouds.
Years it is since i have seen a storm last this long,and now it is clearing i feel quite let down he he.
It must have effected quite an area because i tried to get in touch with the son but both mobiles on different providers were off the air.
We bought home the old camera from the sons which i gave him last Christmas gone ,to check the tapes before he goes on holiday this weekend ,before he uses them and wipes all the old footage off.
Just as well we did too ,there is footage of a past Christmas a few years ago with the whole family of young' uns together that we had never seen so that is now all on disc.
We also found at least ten minutes of Missy as a kitten before she went missing,and a further five minutes with both hissy and missy playing together so ,that's also on a disc which ,i haveto admit ,made me a bit tearful ,because i can't help but wonder if i could have done anything to prevent her getting lost and i still miss the little mite.and wonder every day how she is,and who took her in,still .i now at least can look at this disc whenever i like ,which will be often.
Hope things go well with your new motor Mary when you get it,,ours goes back to be changed in under a year to be changed ,so i will be interested to hear what you think of yours ,who knows ,maybe?.
We are having a beef curry for tea Mary ,so ,if you are coming ,yoiu had better get your skates on ,lol
I will be using a basic Madras powder adding my own little amounts of ginger,cardemum,tumeric,chillie flakes and ground almonds ,together with a few raisens ,to take the place of sugar which i never use in cooking,and have made some indian chupatties to round the curry off ,apart from some egg fried rice of course,for dessert it will be an ice cream for her highness [lol] while i have two nice necterines ,with nothing he he.
The weather here is still well and truly screwed up ,cor ,if i had but known ,i would def have' emigrated years ago ,new zealand perhaps, where i'm told ,parts of the south island are like Scotland ,but with a lot fewer people around ,hmmmmm ,that does sound good lol,which is why i like my little corner of the world so much ,close the curtains of an evening ,and apart from the odd car ,it's lovely and peaceful.[now that the bairns have all gone back home lol.
Well ,i am off for now ,i take this curry lark pretty seriously,when i get started it can take me over an hour to get a meal ready for the table.
Take care all,see you later.Fred.

We had a nice weekend away with friends in Nanaimo....ate lots, drank lots and laughed lots!
On Saturday we took the ferry over to Gabriola Island. We lived there back in the 90's and I hated to move. Now going back I realize again what drew me to that little island. It is so peaceful, and calm.....great windy beaches, and a few calm sandy coves. We went by our old house....such a lovely place...made me quite sad. I would love to go back and live over there but Norm says no! We took Bella out on the rocks and she wave surfed....silly girl, she had so much fun, well we all did, even had a picnic.
Now home again and it is back to the sewing machine as the sale weekend is almost here - July 11/12. Best get cracking.
Where are Veronica, Teresa, Sylvia etc.etc.??? Hope all are well.
Lesxx

Good morning Christine,blimey ,i thought i had a busy time in the garden but i seem a slouch next to you ,but i can't understand why you only lost a pound ,cor ,i would ask for a refund and start again [ducks to avoid the brick that's coming my way ] he he.
We have been having a time of it this week too ,the water was off all day yesterday while new mains pipes were laid so we decided to go out down south for the day,leaving the house by 8 am.
we got ourselves onto the metro ,intending to go as far south as we could get ,only to find that there had been a lineside fire ,and the metro system was out of service at Heworth to Jarrow, sooo ,onto the buses,to find that all of the express services have been withdrawn,so it was community buses only.
We went between Durham ,Darlington ,Stockton ,and finally Middlesbrough,staying for an hour or so in each place ,and noticed one heck of a change in each city ,no longer northern scruffy cities that they were ,but bright clean and colourful places that were a pleasure to visit.
Darlington had changed a lot ,with a new set of steps outside the closed in market which has a built in water feature,a new look clock tower which has been restored recenty and my old favourite, the market itself full of goodies,meats ,fish and veggies from all over the world,clothing , and everything else you can think of ,a real mish mash,of produce ,it took me an hour to get the missus out of there ,before we went back to the steps and seating to have our dinner time salad,
We went on to Stockton from there for a look around,and i found my wireless usb adapter at Argos before wee went to get a coffee in the middle of the high street,pity that we had picked the wrong day for the market ,which used to be huuuuge lol,and do round things off ,we decided to sit by the river side to eat our tea time sarnies.
We found a nice seat ,in a little nook where we could see the water and a fantastic mobile that was moving all the time ,powered by hydralics of some sort.
Walking down to the waters edge ,we found it so clear ,we could see the bottom of the river ,something not seen for well over a hundred years ,so ,well done tees side ,it must have taken a lot of doing ,but so worth it to see ducks ,swans and even a few geese ,who are very fussy about their water.
Our crusts didn't last two minutes when we threw them in lol,and i noticed that the ducks didn't let the geese push them around,lots of pecking and in fighting going on.
Coming home we noticed that the express buses from middlebrough to Newcastle still run,so ,in future we will go down there by the express buses and radiate to the other towns from there.
I noticed the repairs to the water pipes were so good that the hole next door was full of water,come back lads all is NOT forgiven he he..
Must be off now ,things to do and all that, take care all ,and enjoy your weekend,Fred.

Hello everyone, nice to hear you have travelled up to my area Fred, you are right it certainly has improved over the last few years. I'm looking forward to tomorrow hoping the rain stays away as it is big family favourite for us. Durham Big Meeting (Miners Gala). Its has been a big day here for years and years celebrating the miners lives and its lovely to go into Durham to watch all the Colliery Banners being paraded. Usually we meet up with people we haven't seen all year, it brings back the days when everyone got on with everyone else... Had to take it easy the last few days to make sure I can cope!!!
Hope everyone has a lovely weekend... Take Care ........

Hi Dianne,travel UP to your area ,i live in Newcastle petal ,he he ,so it's more a case of going DOWN to your area ,lol.
I had noticed the miners Gala and Stockton ,and Darlington's as well .must be something in the air up here ,our local area kicks off this next weekend with south and north river fetes and whatever .
Our next day out will be to Beamish museum where us oldies can get a yearly ticket for £13 each ,not at all bad seeing as you need to go more than once to see everything that's on there.
I am now going to take time out to enable my laptops to couple with the tower computer ,to hopefully share the printer,with the missus without having to use her computer.
See ya later all ,Fred.

Hi Guys,
Yes Fred I too have been to Beamish. Normie and I were there in about 1992 and it was great. Bet it is even better now.
Big weekend....about 100 garage sales dotted around the city. Yours truly did all of the lists and spent the last two days dropping them around town. Norm and I will be in the Walmart parking lot. Hope to sell off the rest of our junk (all 16 boxes left over from the last time!!) and my aprons. I am going to take Emily. Don't how she will like being in the parking lot all day...oh well at least she wont sun burn...LOL!!
Have a great weekend.
Lesxx

Hi everyone Cant believe it is so long since I was here..Have been busy trading in cars and buying a new one.. In the end my brother said he would buy one and daughter said she would buy the other one so didnt have to have worried..Grandies are growing up and the chance to get a well looked after car was to much for daughter..so we have ordered the new one which we get in 2 to 3 weeks..will be so good to only have one car to clean..and not have to rent a second garage to put the other car in..We are buying a Hyundai i30 hatchback..good headroom for John and lots of room for him to stretch out his legs so that he dosent get cramp in them on long trips..whooohoo we might get a holiday ..one day...

Some good news at the moment is Johns legs seem to be improving..He has started walking more and the pain so far is from muscles that havent been used for ages..so he is making himself walk everyday, and each day is improving..The doc seems to have got the drugs he has to take sorted and they seem to be doing good at the moment..Just hope it isnt another letdown in a few weeks time,,He has had so many letdowns that we dont get to excited until it is long term.. but we are ever hopeful..

Lovely to see Christine back..Do hope you are ok..Nothing worse than a neighbour from hell..We had 2 dogs from hell next door to us before we moved and I threatened to go to the council to have them removed if they didnt sort them out and stop them barking all day so they at last did something..gave away one that didnt bark when he was on his own and did something to the other one but he stopped barking thank goodness..Lovely dogs and very friendly but suffered from seperation anxiety..I feel the stress of the barking was one of the causes of Johns stroke..

Well hope all are having a nice wekend..

Les great pics..Lady Les..hee heehee..

Lotsa love
Mary xxxxxx

Morning all you happy campers he he,well ,i was up at the crack of dawn ,fed the jungle outside [and jungle it is] the carrot and parsnip growing like trees at the moment and if the stems are anything to go by ,we are in for a bumper crop.
We still have water gushing out of the ground along at the end of the block ,but our hole has been filled in and the turf put back,so the water should be right to drink by Sunday morning.
I did have to complain to the people doing the job after some sillyB****r slipped with a still saw on the drive ,cut through the tarmac to a depth of two inches leaving a hole for the rain and frost to get into ,and enabling said frost to lift and damage the drive,still ,that's their problem ,if they don't do it ,i will bring the counci lin ,and send the water board the bill.. Must go now ,the grandson has arrived .Fred,

Morning all. How great to see so many replies.!!! Sometimes begging

does work, heehee. A big hello to Christine, Dianne, Mary and Les,

Nothing too much happening in our town but the big Blueberry Festival

starts at the end of the month, so we will be jumoing for sure. There are

120 events over 10 days so busy it will be.The chairs are just about

finished and ready for auction. Hoping for mega bucks this year just hope

they like the colors etc. Must get some breakfast so bye for now and come back soon.

Love to all. Edith XXXX

Hiya Edith nice to see you again ,i could do with cheering up this morning because it's dank and 'orrible outside [typical weekend] and i is cheesed off anyway after putting my pic's on the puter that the son took ,lol,mostly they are great ,but after taking a couple of macro pic's ofa hover fly on one of the bushes out front ,he took a couple of the missus out back behind the jungle ,holding the first cucumber of the year in her hand.
Boo Hoo,he forgot to put the camera back on auto exposure ,and they came out well over exposed grrrrrr [if you want anything done right he he.
This is the first pic i have this year with the wife ,smirk on face showing off the first of her produce lol,mind you ,it's as well the common market is now allowing the sale of bent fruits and veggies again ,the cucumber in question looks like a rather large boomerang he he.
She asked me what ad gone wrong ,and i thought i would tell her that you are supposed to tie a small weight to the end to keep it straight but had second thoughts ,mainly for my own safety ,so i told here the truth,and said she had to make sure the fruits didn't touch anything to make them curve.as they grew.
All this rain lately is making the garden grow very quickly ,even the weeds [BU***r ] lol,and the edges of the lawns i have to trim every week ,not every fortnight ,but i suppose ,you can't have it all ways .
Had a nice salad last night for tea ,with a nice piece of tuna loin ,grilled under the mic' heater [more economical than the cooker],putting squeezed lemon ,corriander and chives on first ,yum.
Poor bairn ,here again for the weekend ,and i'm thinking of telling the son ,that it's time he had his son with him for a change for a couple of days ,the bairn is having no prime time with his dad ,and it isn't right,the lad is becoming withdrawn ,and i am a little worried about him being as he is slightly autistic to start with.
Don't get me wrong ,i love having all of my bairns stay ,and i love them all to bits,but, having lost my dad when i was two years old ,and never had a dad i couldremember ,i know all too well the feeling of being fatherless and having no one male wise to look up to ,and it isn't the same being stuck with a grandad all the time.
Well ,it had started to clear up ,and i thought hah,B B Q for tea,but i thought too soon ,it has now clouded over again and it looks like more rain in the offing [mutters foul words under breath ,in case the missus hears, he he]
I managed to get the puters coupled together for networking ,but still can't run the printer from my laptop,because it isn't wi fi,so it looks like i will have to buy a new H P for Christmas ,oh well ,back to the drawing board.,[bother in best piglet voice].
Hope all are enjoying their weekend despite the weather ,poor younger son and family ,in Blackpool for the next week ,hope he took the macks and brolly with him lol.
See ya later peeps,Fred.

Hi Everyone,

As usual it has taken me ages to get back on here. My computer needed an overhaul so that didn't help!

Bob has now had two three day Chemo sessions out of the six that he is supposed to have. The really good news is that he may not need any more Chemo as the Leukemia is now in the decimal points so almost non existent! Yippee!! The doctors will decide after his blood work on the 22nd, so please keep your fingers crossed. The only problem right now is that his hemogloblin is extremely low so he is anemic and has low immunity. I am making him eat lots of high iron food in an effort to change things before his next appointment. All in all he has been very lucky with very few side affects from the Chemo, no hair loss and just a slight touch of nausea. The doctors have said that when the Chemo is finished with they will watch Bob very closely to see if there is a recurrence of the Leukemia.

Well, our house went on the market last week so now we have the nuisance of people trecking through all the time. I normally come home for my lunch break and so must check in with Bob to see if the house is being showed before I come home. Lots of showings so far so hopefully we will have an offer soon. Mind you, there is nothing available that suits our fancy for another house so far. I am gradually going through stuff and purging what we don't need. I sure don't want to have to move it all to another place. Les, I need to do a garage sale, wish there was a parade of them going around here, you get much more traffic that way.

Things are starting to slow down at the greenhouse now. The annuals are almost finished and perennials will go on sale soon. I am going to try to work one day less a week as soon as the house sells so that I can get all the packing done. Our Christmas stock starts arriving next week though, so lots of pricing to be done so I may not be able to have many extra days off.

I have today and tomorrow off so of course it is tipping down out side and I can't get in to the garden. Yesterday it was 25 degrees and I had to work! I have the worst luck with my days off. I either have a ton of appointments (mum and Bob) or it rains so I never get in to the garden. Good job perennials are not too much work.

Time to make some lunch.

Teresa

Time for my lunch

Welcome back, Teresa and especially with the good news.

You have been in my prayers and will stay there untill all is clear. Best

wishes Bob. I know the joys(horrors) of moving and and hope for the best

for you. I was so tired after 3 weeks all I could do was sleep.!!!!!

Keep posting when you can. Love to you both. Edith

SORRY EDITH looks like I sent my message to you instead of the thread.

Hi everyone..Sorry havent been on but have been busy selling car and looking for a new one and than lots of visitors..Am hoping that tomorrow will be a rest day.
Teresa What great news about Bob.. Am so happy for you both and do hope that house sells soon,,You have my sympathy re the packing as I had to do most of it when we sold our house as John was not able to help much. We went from a 5 bedroom home to a 2+study place and had to get rid of so much. Big hugs for you both..xxx

Edith Hope you are ok and where are my bear pictures..waiting..waiting..lol..

Fred.. You are not having much luck with that weather are you..hee hee hee...take a rest and put ya feet up..Liz wont mind..

Some good news is that something is happening with Johns neuropathic pain.. He is really working hard at it and we are hoping that the brain might be starting to heal itself.

Hope you are all enjoying your summer as we are enjoying our winter..

Love Mary xx