General Chat

Hello, Lordy Lordy, we now have temps above o
Thought the day would never come but yes it is here. The next week looks quite nice as well. Can't wait to get out on the balcony and get my hands dirty. hee hee. The snow should go fairly fast now and as long as it's a slow melt we don't have to worry.
Friend Chloe next door is also happy to get outside. She sat in a lawn chair most of the day to-day just watching the birds etc. a most contented cat indeed.
We too feel blessed as we watch all the devastation in Japan, at times it seems the world is on it's way to complete disaster doesn't it ????
Hope things settle soon. Our time has gone ahead already so even the tummy grumbles are out of tune. Making a cream of broccoli soup for supper to-nite so must finish it off.
Stay well all. Edith XXXX

Morning Edith,Mary,and all who look in, i did run a check on the possible virus ,and can confirm that it's another spoof ,but as i said as i passed the warning on ,better safe than sorry at the end of the day.
Poor Japan ,yet another explosion at the reactor site amid concerns now ,of a complete melt down,and concerns too of other reactor sites elsewhere going down the same road,we are indeed blessed Edith,and should be thankfull for what we have .
No more complains from this quarter that's for sure ,just niggles ,such as ,all my planting of snowdrop last September resulting in ONE lonely Snowdrop showing it's head,among tons of blue crocus ,planted as multi coloured ,grrrrrr ,but ,they do look nice ,and i even have Bluebell at last coming up among the primrose ,so i do have tons of colour out front.
Today is a reversal of yesterday ,he he ,dull ,damp ,misty,and a fret just starting ,lol, no sitting outside for me today that's for sure.
The pusser cat is sulking ,i took two lovely Cod loins out of the freezer this morning to do up for dinner ,with a parsley sauce ,laced witjh pepper,,a few peas ,and sweetcorn kernels,laid in a dish topped with creamed mashed potato's.
As soon as Hissy knew she was out of luck with the fish ,she flounced of in the sulks,and is sitting outside on her stool.
I thought the fish would be a good idea after the dinner yesterday ,which ,while lovely ,is rather high in sugar and salt among other things,so the fish will counteract it all.
If we get another big quake in Japan ,or the states ,as expected ,the earth may shift again ,hmmmmmm ,our Mary could find herself where Canada is at the moment ,he he ,and Edith and i could be basking in the tropics again ,lol,as happened thousands of years ago,although to be truthful ,after thinking of Aden ,and the heat all those years ago ,Mary is welcome to it ,i couldn't hack it anymore, Cyprus in October was more than hot enough.
Well ,time to go and do some work ,this time of year with all the water on the ground is a pain ,he he ,Hissy leaving muddy paw prints all over the kitchen floor,ignoring my pleas for her to wipe her paws on the mat as she comes in plurry pusser cat,lol,us house husbands have to many chores to do ,sigh.
Catch you later all ,take care ,peeps Fred.xxxxx

Hi Gang, I am back. Had a great visit with the kids. Rhian is now old enough to play board games and we had some great family contests with lots of shouting. Norm and I came home on an early ferry yesterday morning, did a little shopping in Nanaimo and then home. Ollie was so glad to see us...he howled on and off for the rest of the day. I roast a chicken for supper and now have the bones simmering to make broth. Not sure what kind of soup I will make.
Japan is very worrying for the whole world I think. We get earthquakes every day along our coastline, from Alaska to Mexico. This earthquake in Japan moved those island away from us and since then we have monitored very few earthquakes here, puzzling and worrying. The fear of radiation is slight and I do tend to agree with the analysis of that....I wonder if the winds change total direction where that radiation would end up. Of course if the reactors blow up well it will be in our atmosphere....everywhere...what a world!!
Have had another creative brainwave and have a new product on the design boards...LOL Will send pics as soon as the first one is done.
Not much else here....same old day. Keep well.
Lesxx

Morning all.. We have dull and grey outside but no rain..Cant believe it,,they have said showers and rain for the past week and we haven't had enough to dampen the garden. A spit here and a spit there..gggggrrrrr..Watch the weather radar and we see it all coming but when it gets near to us it splits in two and goes south and north of us..
Les So glad you had a nice time with the grandy,,They do grow up fast and before you know it they are off doing their own thing.
Not much on today so might have a FH day and see what I can find..My film is in at the FHC so have reserved a viewer for sat. morning..do hope I find what I am looking for..
Fred Your garden must look nice with all the colour,, My daughters house she lived in in Bathurst had a magnificent display of hyacinths in spring all over her lawn,,The purple and the green lawn looked just beautiful..The people that they bought the house off were great gardeners and must have spent a lot of money on their garden..It gets quite cold there so bulbs do well..Sydney is not cold enough for them..

Hope all are well and I better go and get some brekky..Feel for the poor people in Japan, they certainly do have a hard time ahead..Hope they get those reactors under control and no more radio active stuff leaks out..they don't need that extra burden..

Love Mary xxx

Afternoon everybody,weather not too good today but i got the missus down to the town and bank,and we sat in the Grainger market and had a sarnie apiece with a nice cup of coffee,and then brought a few goodies ,mainly two quarter pounder beef burgers ,some pork burgers ,two pounds of Cumberland sausages,a pound of Ox liver,and some local black pudding ,we are now set up for treats for the next two weeks.
We called at Netto on the way home and got hold of two more brushwood screen ,and now have enough to go the full length of the fence ,which will cut out the stiff breezes from next door ,and prevent the weed seed blowing through the fence [i hope].
I also found two bush covers ,made of fleece ,which will go over my orange tree for the duration of winter,so the tree will be well protected now ,being in the greenhouse with the cover on as well.
They could be the answer for you too Mary ,two covers in the pack ,costing £1 here,so less than a dollar in oz.
I had a good look for that oil Les' but no luck so far ,ruddy common market ,refusing to let the modified seed into the e U,can't understand their mentality ,here we are .most people refusing to buy the rapeseed oil because it tastes pretty awful,and the bee keepers unable to sell the honey from the flowers because it is inedible,when the Canadians ,and their bees are getting by fine with the modified crops.
Makes no sense to me ,farmers all over europe modifying seeds for hundreds of years with potato ,wheat ,corn ,Barley,tomato,s ,and even the lowly cabbage being bred since Victorian times for heavier ,better crops,and now Brussels say ,no ,it's wrong to modify crops? they are mad ,the whole lot of them.
Things are going from bad to worse in Japan ,a large radioactive cloud now on it's way to America,and the distinct possibility of one of the reactors going critical,no wonder the people in charge are panicking,if that reactor blows ,the rest of the plant will go too,worse than any Hiroshima,God help them all.
I tried the new I E 9 last night ,and after everything ran slow ,and msn kept freezing ,i re installed I E 8,and everything is back to normal,that sounds about right Msn putting a new version of their browser on line ,yet again while it is still full of bugs ,well done google ,and yahoo for a far better service once again.
Oh ,forgot to mention ,i at last found my Cyprus potatos in the market ,yeeeess,who is having Jackets for tea ,any guesses?he he.
Catch you later all,take care specially all those in the oz flood areas.Fredxxx

Ya know Fred, not selling canola oil in Britain is about as stupid as not selling oxo cubes here in Canada because of mad cow disease....who thinks up these things I wonder??? I use mostly extra virgin olive oil except for the few recipes that call for veg oil. At least olive oil has some health benefits.
Here's a new spud dish for you to try....don't know if I posted this before. Layer thin sliced potatoes, onion and tomatoes in a casserole, starting with potatoes and ending with potatoes. Drizzle about a tablespoon of olive oil over the top and then sprinkle on about a half a cup of crumbled low fat feta cheese. Put the lid on and bake at 350 for about an hour.....it is pretty yummy, pretty healthy and a nice twist on scalloped potatoes.
If the prevailing winds carry the radiation from Japan to North America my understanding is that the "strength" of the radiation diminishes as it travels across the ocean. Does anyone remember what the world effect was re: Chernobyl (spelling). I might google that see what it says.
OK off to do whatever the day brings.
Later Lesxx

Evening to all ,from a lovely sunny Newcastle ,where Fred has his shorts on for the first time this year,with sunglasses on to prevent sun blindness through it bouncing off my 'orrible white legs he he.
We took the youngest son and wife out for a meal today ,it being their anniversary,going back to an old haunt at Seaton sluice where we had a lovely ,well cooked meal.
Yep ,the russian radiation leak screwed our lamb production ,and arable crops in the north east of England,and Scotland for years ,as well as the fishing industry,but we are about back to normal now.
looks like there may be good news from Japan today,with there being a good chance that the crisis is under some sort of control at last ,praise be ,it was pretty scary for a while,so let's hope that things will cool down around the reactors and ponds.
Afraid i agree as to the olive oil for cooking ,i refuse to use sunflower oil ,and tend to use pure rapeseed oil for my other cooking, but i havn't given up the search for the Canola,someone must be importing it.
The thought that silly beurocrats are preventing the use of a modified crop that enables 50 odd tons of unsaleble honey from just one area is so darned annoying,and the bee farm owners are really struggling ,because of the many ,many acres of rapeseed that is grown for animal feed only ,and biofuel ,because the taste of the unmodified oil is very unpallatable for most people ,being rather bitter.and this taste being reflected in the honey.
Hope everyone is going to have a better weekend ,catch you all later ,Fred.xxx

Hi everyone.. YYYYAAAAYYYY WE GOT RAIN...my little tub in my back patio is half full of water..more tomorrow they say...yyyaaayyy..
I use olive oil for cooking but one time I accidentally picked up Grape Seed Oil..so thought butter it I will try it,,, and it was quite nice..not a strong taste and very like olive oil..
Come to OZ for the best honey in the world..it is so yummy and so much of it..love a warm glass of milk with honey in it before I go to bed..try it and you will be converted to..
Went to the FHC today and got a big welcome back and hug from the manager,,and nice to see some familiar faces...it is such a friendly place with nice people. Found a few things in the films I ordered but still not what I need to verify a parent child connection..will go back on Tuesday and have another go..

Fred.. Our fruit trees don't need to wear winter coats,,they sit out in the fresh air and love it,,we don't even get a frost it is that mild in winter here..when our lemon trees get a bit older they usually have fruit on them all year round..as we only use the lemons as we need them and let them stay on the tree until then..You will have to send me a picture of your woolie lemon trees..pmsl....

Hope all are well and have a lovely Sunday all..

Love Mary xxx

Morning Mary and all,
Happy to hear you are getting the weather you need at last. We have rising temps too but of course mother nature always has the final say. Last night we had freezing rain followed by snow, so slippery roads etc. will be the order of the day.
Thank you for the pics of Japan. That site is brilliant letting us see the before and after. The devastation is hard to look at and when you think of all the people who have died or are homeless it doubles the feelings.
I feel extra blessed to be where I am right now and say Thank you every day for the privilege.
See Fred is getting started on his tan !!!! no such luck here hee hee
maybe I can get some rays off the snowpiles on a sunny day.!!!!
Yes, Les I see where Japan is closer to you now and they are doing all they can to stop any radiation from coming your way.
Hard to believe the quake actually moved the earth's axis and shifted some of the islands as well.
O.K enough already Edith, it is time for my porridge so will say bye for now.
Edith XXXX

Morning all ,wow ,spring is here all right ,went out back this morning early on to sit with my cuppa ,and noticed that the apple had blossom on ,yippee ,which of course means ,apples again this year,so i hope to have blossom on the plum tree within a few weeks.
I was hoping to get the grass trimmed this morning but the wife has her ruddy washing out early grrrrr,so i will have to leave that till this afternoon.
not to worry though ,i have trimmed the Fushia bushes ,and roses over next to the fence so that i can get the brushwood screening up ,long before the grass seed and weed seed start blowing through the fence,if i get the first 20metres up today the other 20 can be put up later in the week.
Going back out shortly to have my coffee with the furry pest ,who is already creating because i am still indoors ,he he ,and when the coffee is finished i will go into Mary's chalet and get the planting benches ready for the off ,and tidy the rest of it up.
The tomato buckets are already sitting there ready ,so just have to drop the seeds in on Friday before we shoot off to Fleetwood for the week.
Nice that you don't have to worry about frost Mary ,that certainly makes things easier ,but of course ,you have other worries we don't have ,as regards water shortage ,or severe heat ,swings ,and roundabouts again he he .
Be back later this afternoon Fred.xxxxx

Well we have had some lovely rain and my tub is now full of water...should ease off today me thinks but I am a happy chappy..Keeping the water up in our hot summers is a pain Fred as you say we do have some very dry spells and the pot plants need tending so that they don't dry out..I love it to rain when I am home but hate driving in it..
Off to the FHC again today to finish off the film I ordered..am having trouble connecting my distant grandfather to the parents I think are his..He was born in one place but his parents were married in another and he was baptised in another, and I am having trouble finding a connection..births don't seem to be registered back in 1799 only baptisms, and if I have the right parents he was baptised in a different county to the one he was born in.ggggrrrr...then he went to live in another county..all before the census started and cant find parents in 1841 census either.and he died in 1840...very unkind of him if you ask me..pmsl..
Hope my chalet gets a good clean out Fred.. and go easy on that sun..Don't want you getting sunburn..
John just the same,.no change..
Hope all are well and will pop back soon..

Love Mary xxx

Just saw this...

Ancestry are offering free 24 hour access to their Census records on Census day, 27th March 2011


Mary xx

Morning all, Another week has sped by and we still have snow. Having a yearn for green grass, daffodils etc. but so far only "white"
See Fred and Liz are off on holiday next week, hope you have good weather and some sun to tan Fred's knees Hee heee
Have received the Coast series on D.V.D, What amazing photography.
There are 3 discs per set and cover all of Britain,Scotland Ireland and Wales coasts. The history of very early Britain is fascinating.
Mary, I guess you and I will have to keep the site going until Fred gets back.Seems all the others go into hiding and only come out for special occasions !!!!!!!!!
Time to get on with the day so bye for now. Edith XXXXXX

Morning our Edith ,worry not lass,he he .old Fred is taking BOTH laptops with us ,including TWO dongles everything being slipped in to the big laptop case for carriage.
Everything goes into the one case ,laptops ,stands ,all the cables ,chargers ,the verbatim external hard drive,and pass book,and two meecies ,he he,normal service being kept up,lol..
I willbe taking the new phone too ,able to phone out over the globe ,and even go on the internet for a week for £2 for browsing ,and light downloading if need be ,we are well catered for.
I have already spent an hour out back this morning along with the furry four legged foreman who watched me like a hawk as i weeded the full back end ,in front of the screening.
The rest is a doddle to do later this morning before i take the missus to have her hair done it only needing the hoe run over it .[the soil ,not the hair ] [ouch].
While she is in the poodle parlour i will take the car over the road to have it cleaned inside and out,ready for the trip.
Sorry to hear you are still in whiteout Edith ,surely it can't last much longer?
Found a couple of pics of my old allotment which i will email ,hard to believe we had three running just before i was taken ill,the leeks which you can see in the pic ,behind the wind break ,alone took three hours a week to tend ,each garden ,because i had leek trenches in all three.
But ,it was my hobby then too ,and we were spoiled for choice veggie wise ,he he ,we needed the big freezer just for those.
Well the pest is giving me an ere bashing again ,so i will take a cuppa out back with me ,and sit with her a while before picking the hoe up ,lol.
Catch you later All.Fred.xxx P,s can i borrow Chloe for a few days,i need another foreman on butterfly chasing duty ,lol xxx

Hi everyone.. WE have had some lovely rain and my garden is looking good..and better still the weather is cooling a weeeee bit and I am loving it..LOL

As regards to the post re free access to Ancestry census on census day in the UK..I am afraid the person I got that off was a little confused..Its one of those things where you can get 2 weeks or something like that and have to sign up with your credit card..but can cancel at the end of the 2 weeks..or something like that..I am now very confused so don't know if I have confused you lot...PMSL...

Fred Have a lovely holiday..See you are taking the kitchen sink along so that you don't feel homesick...Where are you going..and for how long..Hope the weather is good for you and you get the last of the summer wine..

Edith Hope you are warming up and the white stuff is melting..time to get that bikini out,,,bet those foxes will be back with the whole family soon..How do the bears get along with the foxes..

Les.. Are you home or away...LOL

Hope all the others are well ...

Life here is much the same..Nothing much happens to make it change..

Have a lovely weekend all..

Love Mary xx

Morning to all ,and to our Mary,you hasn't confused me at all ,i normally do that to myself he he.
The wife and i are on split shift this morning,she is filling out the cencus form ,while take the easy path by doing the housework[now done] and the dinner.
Mixed veg' today ,roast parsnip ,onion ,a few sweet tatties thrown in with the roast potatoes,sweede,cabbage and diced carrot ,in the oven with home made sage,onion ,and apple stuffing ,with a roast chuck,to feed four ,us having one grandson ,and grand daughter until tomorrow night.
The chicken i prepared by salting the cavity and then shoving a red onion up the rear end ,to A stop the breast from sagging whilst cooking ,and B to give it a tad of extra taste.
Just had a thought people ,and here i am going to get such a smack ,lol,i wonder if i shove an onion up the rear end of the missus ,it will stop HER from sagging ,he he,oooooops ,ouch,told you didn't i?.
This new cencus form is a real pain ,the government wanting to know far too much of our private lives,up to and including how many times you blow your nose in a day when you are under the weather flaming cheek.
When at the end they more or less demand your phone number ,i dug my heels in ,no one ,has the right to my number unless i desire to give it ,so i wrote there ,Ex -directory,if they want to get in touch ,they can write me ,lol.
We are half through the packing now ,not much needed for the week,as we leave for Lancashire Monday morning for a week in Fleetwood and Blackpool,before coming home to start on the seed planting.
Yep ,taking the new phone Mary so that i can kick off while relaxing outside on the verandah if the weather is kind.
The feed and weed went on to the small lawn yesterday ,and i watered the edges to three feet in ,and am now leaving it to soak in before doing the next lot this evening ,finishing it all off tomorrow morning.
The car went in yesterday afternoon to be cleaned and valeted ,whist the missus was having her hair done ,so i drove straight passed her when i went to pick her up saying ,cor ,i didn't recognise you ,lol.what with that yesterday ,and the joke about the onion this morning ,i am on veeeery thin ice ,he he ,need to watch my pppppps and quuuuuus for a few days methinks,i will take her out for a posh dinner one day next week to prove i still loves her ,he he.
The weather today is on a bit of a downer ,but it is supposed to get better next week ,and i would like to get out and about a little if possible.
Time to go and check the dinner ,hopefully i will be back later ,Fred.xxx

Hello all. Time to drag us forward. See Fred and Liz got to their holiday site. Enjoy!!!!!
The weather is slowly warming up but the snow can't go fast enough for me. We are in for a very wet spring as it all has to melt and go somewhere.
The ground was saturated last fall so it should be interesting, maybe an ark is in the near future too hee hee.
Waiting to get my hands in the dirt and get the hanging baskets ready but again I also have to wait for that uugh.
Have been busy with the usual volunteering stuff and hopefully it will slow down now with spring.
Time for my supper so will see you soon. Edith XXXXXXX

Morning Edith ,yep ,we isss in Fleetwood ,rain and all ,but sunshine aplenty nevertheless,so we are well chuffed.
We didn.t get to meet our Brenda in Bury yesterday ,because it was chucking it down with the wet stuff and i thought it very unwise to take Liz out in it ,she has the sniffles to start with,courtesy of Chris ,and in her state of health ,a chest infection she does NOT need he he.We did go out for an hour ,anyway ,to our haunt outside Fleetwood,a cafe called Koi Carp Land ,really a market garden ,but for wet land situations,with tons of fish for sale [live only] he he ,a bit expensive for the table costing upto £1200 for one carp ,depending on size [gulp]
The cafe is a two stage affair ,you can sit inside if the weather is bad,or outside next to their lake ,filled with fish ,surrounded by lawns ,trees,and shrubs,lots of birds,nesting all around ,moorehens, ducks and swans ,and dry land birds,and even squirrels,all visable as you sit on the patio on the lake edge while you can eat a full meal or enjoy a coffee and biscuit,we spent half an hour in there and had a great time unwinding.
Today we will be going to Southport,a supposedly,lovely seaside resort ,built by the Victorians in the 1800s but kept up to date ,so ,we will see ,full report tomorrow.
Tonight we are off for a carvery meal with the sis' and bro'in law,which should be nice ,the carveries here being cheap but very nice,at £4 a head,cant grumble at that ,lol.Time for my shower in this beutiful van in lovely surroundings,catch you all tomorrow.Fred.xxx

Hi Guys, don't ask where I have been....no idea. It has just been a mess of tax returns, rain, sick neighbours and on and on.
Yesterday I sorted out all the fabric I have collected over the last few years. Now I have a huge bin of remnants, another huge bin of cotton waiting to be sewn and yet another huge bin of fancy fabrics like taffeta and lace etc. To tell you how heavy these bins are....I cannot lift the cotton ones!! And what to do with all those remnants....any suggestions???
Hey Fred just reading a book by Maureen Lee where the "girls" like to go to Southport for the day on the weekend. Any chance of some pics???
Norm has been digging the garden for me, a couple of rows a day so now I just need to weed the rest of it and he will dig that as well. Got my seeds yesterday. Not going to grow turnip this year as they did not do well at all. I really wanted to try butternut squash but now cannot find the seeds. Not going to grow scarlet runners this year either, Norm has decided he doesn't like the taste and it is way too much for me to eat.
Thery have found radiation in the milk in Washington State just to the south of us so for sure it will be in ours too, nature doesn't recognize the border between the two countries!! The government says it is harmless!!!
Got my hair cut yesterday and coloured....red streaks and I mean red. It looks....er....cool???? I asked Norm what he thought and he replied well it is a bit short...guess he was being kind!!!LOL
OK I am off to cut today. We are in the Artists Walk on April 16/17 and I want to create a wedding dress apron. Also I have another vintage dress that I want to take a stab at. Soon it will be Easter...how the year flies.
Take care.
Lesxx

Wow you are all busy...

Fred. 4quid for that meal sounds lovely and cheap..Hope you ate up big...are you staying in a van park on the travels or are you renting one and going out from there..sounds lovely ..

Les.. I can see a very posh apron coming up for the wedding dress...get to it girl and show us a pic when it is finished..

Edith Can you find your car in all the snow or has it all now melted..

Life here is just the same..no change in John and now the doc is worried he might have a cancer in his throat.so he has to see another specialist and he cant get a appointment till June. His voice is getting croaky and hoarse and it is a bit of a worry..could be due to his prednisone but not sure. I notice that his handwriting is getting dreadful and his memory is not as good as it was..I suppose we are all getting older and wearing out..LOL

Have a lovely weekend all..

Love Mary xx