General Chat

Hi Guys, no the infection was not in my hand, I was one handed because after 4 other places the only vein that would hold the stent was in my right hand and I just babied it as there weren't too many other places to try. I did actually have a cyst removed from one of my "girls"!!! But as life often sucks the infection spread until it was half way up my chest. Every day it advanced and at one point they told me that if they couldn't stop it it would become deadly serious. Today they took out the saline lock and now I am on oral antiobiotics but I still have to go back each morning to get it dressed. Still painful. Norm and I are exhausted. What should have been a 45 minute visit to the hospital was aften 2 hours, so very little sleep for either of us. Finally today I will be able to wash my hair but still no shower or bath. The doc said today that there was three types of infection in there. I asked where they had come from but he didn;t know!! Asked me if I had been out at night flashing my boobs at the night clubs....what a wag!! I gave him a quick punch in the arm. Lovely man, great sense of humour.

Apart from this we jog along. We spent the entire weekend watching movies and dozing then last night we watched episode three of the second Downton Abbey series....what a fabulous show...sure can't beat British drama. Did you and Liz watch it Fred???

We have had appalling weather. Two days of freezing rain and then last night a wind storm so fierce that it shook the house and when Norm went to look at the wood pile this morning the front rows had been "moved". All the rain yesterday tho has melted the snow, a blessing.

Now I am wishing for spring and hoping that we will be able to sneak away with that little trailer for a few days. The little trailer has done well this winter, not damp inside mainly because of this funny little flying saucer thing that soaks up damp and oozes warmth. We have it sitting on the floor, we have all the cushions stacked up on their sides....so hopefully all will continue well.

Glad Bob is doing OK, Teresa. Altho still uppermost in your minds hopefully it will become a lesser worry for you.....life eh??
Hi Mary, Edith and Sylvia, hope you are doing OK. Fred this will be my first night of real cooking since last Wednesday....gonna try and rustle up something smashing!!
More later. Lesxx

Morning everyone ,from a sunny but coolish Newcastle in the frozen north of Blighty .
Glad to hear that Bob is bearing up Teresa ,sounds like a very good prognosis to me ,long may it last too leading to a full recovery.
My mum beat cancer three times over the years ,and at 78 years got it again ,and died of it ,but there is now stem cell treatment which gives people a better fighting chance ,so i think a full recovery is on the cards.
If MY greenhouse was reading minus 33 i would be staying indoors ,in bed yet, ,he he ,we over here are wusses with temperatures like that.i can't stand more than 30c either ,in my old age ,i am def' a middle of the road guy ,lol.
Sorry to hear about the hand Les' it sounds painful ,and not nice at all ,you need some tlc from the hubby ,Bella ,and Ollie until it heals ,but this backwards and forwards dosn't help although it has to be done ,no wonder you are so tired and out of sorts,cum'n Edith ,some of these jokes and little stories of yours would do us all good about now ,so how's about it?
Nothing much happening here ,we had our £0-30p marrow for dinner yesterday ,i stuffed it with a little minced beef [skirt] some long grain rice ,and put green thia curry mix in for taste ,wow ,even the grand sone ate it ,and he is a parky eater,so i think i did well,a whole meal for less than £3 .
We had fish and chips for tea ,done on the air fryer ,and both chips ,and fish portions were crisp ,and done to a turn,a far cry on the old actifry we had before.
Noticed that my Blue bells were coming through out front .the Fushia were still hanging in ,and my wild Garlic is coming up away ,so it looks like spring isn't too far away.
Catch you later all ,time to do some work ,albeit half heartedly .
Fred :-(xxx

Hi Guys and Gals!

Welcome back Sylvia!

Les, I am sorry to hear that you have an infection in your hand, hope it heals soon. I have had cysts removed and it is not a lot of fun. Mine were on my head so every time I combed my hair it was agony.

Bob is doing fantastically. He was discharged on Jan 2nd just 17 days after transplant. He actually only spent about a dozen days in hospital. The rest of the time he came home on day passes and returned each morning. Apparently, he is in the top 5th percentile for recovery. 90% of people who have a transplant are discharged between 45 and 60 days, 5% over 60 days and the other 5% less than 45 days. So to come home after only 17 days is very good. He has had a couple of ups and downs but is generally very well. His blood counts continue to rise and do what they are supposed to do. 3 months after the stem cell transplant they will do another bone marrow biopsy and will then be able to tell us whether he is cancer free. So fingers crossed until the middle of March. It is still a long road to complete recovery but we are much more hopefull than a few months ago. Thanks for all your good thoughts over the years.

Have any of you checked out the new Electoral records for London on Ancestry? I can't remember who has London roots on here. I have been having a great time tracking my family with the help of these records.

We finally got snow last weekend (2-3 inches) and very cold weather. It was minus 33 on Wednesday which was also my first day back at the greenhouse, so a little chilly on the old bones. Today we have a chinook so the temperature has flown up to plus 2. Such a difference in 4 days.

Must run and try to figure out something to throw in the oven for dinner. Bob has no taste buds right now so it is a challenge finding something that he will eat. The doctors say not to give him his favourites right now as he may never eat them again if they don't taste right. At the same time we need to up his calorie intake as he lost 23 pounds in two weeks. So more than a bit of a challenge right now. Suggestions from you all would be very welcome!

Teresa

hi guys it is one hand Les here. Infection spread horribly and i am still going three times a day for antibiotic iv......Norm and I are exhauseted....up early for the first round and then the last one supposedly at midnite. Last night they let a half an hour of saline thru before they realized that they had not switched it over. We didn' t get home until almost one...exhausted!!!
more later when my brain is functioning. Good to see you Sylvia./
Lesxx

Hi! Everyone, I wish I had the energy to cook some of your recipes Fred. I think I will have to make a real effort as they sound so tempting and I haven't bothered much lately.

I am not going out today either Fred, but because it is too hot, not cold. The temperature outside is 38C at the moment but, thank goodness, it is quite nice inside with the air conditioning.

Hi! Mary, I haven't spoken to you for ages. I hope you are well, but, I gather, John is in hospital. I hope he soon recovers.

I am suffering with my Arthritis too so I think I will try Cinnamon. I quite like the taste, especially with sugar on toast. I have been taking Fish Oil for a long time now and it really helps, as, if I forget to take it, I soon know the difference. I take 9 capsules a day though so it is not cheap, but worth it.

It is time for a snack now, so I am going to have some Cinnamon Toast!

See you all later,

Sylvia XX

Hi Sylvia ,we meet again for the second time today ,lol ,and again ,nice to see you back :-D.
Yep ,we is all still here ,still crazy as loons ,but hey ,we all stay cheerful no matter what,apart from a few grumbles about weather ,exept from Edith who i don't think a neapolitan day would faze,she enjoys anything the weather can throw at her ,he he
Well ,anyway ,i now have the new sandwich toaster which i am going to try out this evening ,starting with four toastie rounds [Two each] ,of a slice of home cured ham topped with grated cheddar cheese with a little red onion ,mixed with a little pickle .
Tomorrow i will be making a stuffed Marrow which i got from the local shop for 30 P ,and will be making a filling of rice,and minced beef skirt,mixed with some Thia green curry,all wrapped in foil and oven baked along with some roasties and parsnip/carrots.
Think you are right about the tomato's Mary ,either your soil is a bit nutrient shy ,or they are lacking sunlight ,it's no good putting feeder on them until the fruits are set .or the plants will shoot away up the canes ,and be far too spindly to make any decent fruit. :-(.
Think these next few days it looks like stay indoor time ,we have lots of cold air blowing across the county driving drizzly rain before it,so Liz and i are already looking forward to our first holiday which we booked last night online.
Back to Blackpool we go the last week in April ,when ,hopefully the sun will be back ,nice and warming [he says hopefully].
Going to go now and do the windows update that the puter keeps reminding me of .lol.Catch you all later ,Fred.xxx :-D <3

Hello Everyone. I had forgotten about this thread until today and when I looked at it just now, I realized it was where I met Joan, Mary, Fred, Edith and probably others who I used to chat to before.
I rejoined GR a few days ago and it is so good to be back but I will have to do some reading of all your posts to catch up with you. I hope you are all well and I hope it is not too late to wish you all a Happy New Year.

Sylvia XX

Morning all, I had to chuckle at your reply to our cold weather Fred. We are in the middle of a cold wave but it sure does not stop our world. Yesterday the folks in town were out shopping, lunch out, and life carried on.
With the windchill factor the temp was -41. Didn't even put on my heated socks :-D(battery operated)
The soup pots in town are busy for sure, a big bowl of hot soup and a meat sandwich will keep the body going all day. :-)
Great to hear you are getting out Mary. Sounds like you need some "miracle grow" for your toms. Don't know if you have it there but it does work wonders on all plants.
I have been going through the seed catalogs and boy do they have a lot of new plants this year. Some of the flower colours are neat.
Must put them away for awhile or I will be ordering stuff I will never plant ;-) It is fun tho' Good thing I only have the balcony now.
See the west coast is under a lot of snow so I will guess Les is not too happy. My Aunt in Vancouver is not pleased as she is in a walking club and they have cancelled the walks for this week. She is 88 so surely she will enjoy the rest.!!!
Time for me to get this rear in gear and get some needed housework done. See you soon Edith <3

afternoon ladies ,just finished the tidying up around the house ,and made /eaten the dinner ,and now i can sit down for a while with my coffee ,which the missus has made for me.
Dinner i started by taking two Ciabatta rolls out of the freezer and defrosting them in the mike' and slicing them down the middle.
Both sides pasted with green pesto sauce ,a layer of leadammer cheese ,back bacon,and chicken breast slices,followed by sliced tomato ,and finishing off with another layer of cheese and thinly sliced red onion.
Tops of the rolls put on ,they were placed in the pannini press and cooked for around four minutes ,before serving on it's own ,and enjoyed watching bargain hunt on the box.
I was very interested to read of your trip Mary ,and was tickled pink when i saw the smug look on Mr D's face curled up on your lap ,he he ,one pussy cat who knows just what he wants ,and knows how to get it.
Glad to hear that hubby is enjoying his new puter ,they make such a difference when you are restricted from getting around freely,i know mine was when i was in plaster for six months followed by four months on crutches ,even now ,well mobile again ,i still prefer it to the tele' and phones,and i like my games as well.
les' way to go Lass ,i nearly choked on my coffee reading about your jack in the box ,lol,i can just imagine the look on your face when he /it jumped out on you ,had it have been Liz she would have scared the life out of him ,starting with a veeeeery loud scream to awaken the dead within a few hundred miles ,followed by being attacked by a hard walking stick.he got off lightly i think.
Our temperatures are down to -4 to 5 ,so i can imagine being as low as -10 very easily ,and it would be a case of the heating being on overnight on an anti pipe freeze setting.
When it gets down to Edith's sort of frosts and cold where you need to plug your car in overnight to stop the oil in the sump freezing ,well ,i don't want to know ,i am spoilt over here i think he he. :-P.
at least Bella ,and Ollie know where to snuggle up ,hissy likes to curl up on her new play centre which we have placed right next to the radiator in the front room by the window ,so she has the best of both worlds ,she can curl up in the warm ,and watch out of the window at the same time :-).
got to go for now ,i have just had my ear bent by the wife for not programming the new printer in properly ,ooooooops .it's working fine on stand alone but won't couple with the printer to use via copying from coupons and documents,so i need to go into the computer and configure it into printers ,scanners and faxes :-| .
Oh Well ,never rains but it poiurs ,lol,catch you later guys ,Fred :-D <3 xxx

Hi everyone.. Sorry haven't been in but have been away,,. My daughter in Canberra talked me into going to visit over the weekend as my other daughter from Orange was going to Canberra and she thought a girls weekend would do me good,,
Went down on the train last Friday and came home on Monday..Had a lovely time,,first time away for a couple of years so really enjoyed it..
Had morning tea with JA on Monday morning and she then drove me to the station to catch my train..Was lovely to meet Mr. D at last,,and what a beautiful cat he is..so friendly and loved a cuddle..
John is happy and is now enjoying a laptop so he can at least keep in touch with his friends. It is going to be a long drawn out session with this leg,, he goes to the specialist for a xray of the break on 6/2 and if that's ok the cast can come off,,It is then rehab till they think they have done all they can,then home with some help for me and him.I only visit Tuesday and Thursday during the week as the traffic at coming home time is dreadful peak hour,but I go sat. and sun. and can stay as long as I like so I take my lunch and have it when he has his.
My silver beet is still producing lots of feeds and doesn't look like it is finished yet..my tomatoes are growing well but not to many flowers on them,,feel they are not getting enough sun..but will wait and see..
You all sound well and enjoying your cold weather,, ;-) :-) :-P :-P

Better get off to the hospital as it is a visiting day today..

Love Mary xxxxx <3 <3

Bu--er..lost my first post. Here I go again.
Snow, snow and more snow....and I I hate it. Plus it is cold, about minus 11 over night. Edith I know this will be mild for you but we are just not prepared for it here. Hardly anyone owns snow boots or even a heavy winter coat. Last week I even saw a guy at the grocery store in shorts and hiking boots.

One evening last week I went over to the liquor store to get wine and then headed across the parking lot to Safeways to get proscuito. As I am walking back to my truck I noticed that there was a car parked a little behind me and as I got closer this person jumped up from behind and called "oh hi. How are you" Then I noticed that it was a man dressed as a woman, lots and lots of rouge and lipstick, a wee bit of facial hair, a long skirt and ballet flats....loverly!! :-D Anyway I thought I would have to bash him with my pack of proscuito instead I stood still and said in a loud voice "you do not know me!". "It" did a double take and mumbled "oh, er, no I don't" and hurried off across the parking lot. So PA's likely only transvestite may also be a mugger...cool :-D

Yesterday I had to have a small surgery. It is called "marsupialization" (OK for you lot in OZ..LOL) Anyway it is painful and I have to go to the hospital every morning to get the dressings changed. Such is life.

At the moment me, Bella and ollie are hunkered dwon in front of the wood stove...toasty.
More later. Lesxx

Morning all, Here goes for the second time. First one in cyberspace!!!
Winter is here, driving home from dinner last night the wind was blowing, snow and sleet made for a slow drive :-|Getting home I had to find the cord and plug in the car so was very cold when I finally got in.
Oh the joys of cold weather :-) Was treated to seafood stuffed shells for the dinner yesterday and they were fabulous. Probably 5000 calories per forkful but it was a treat.
Now have a good excuse to stay in to-day as it's still blowing outside.A new book is waiting for me and a cup of coffee :-)
Hope everyone is well, must get moving so bye for now. Edith <3

Morning all and snap Edith ,lol,Hissy is enjoying the sun too,sitting outside the patio door ,lazing on the step in the sunshine ,with her eyse closed ,don't mind that in the least ,but i do mind her keep mewing at me and asking ME out to join her,no way pussy cat ,it ain't cuppa on the patio time yet awhile :-P.
The weather is turning a lot colder here now ,minus 5 last night ,so it's turn the heating up time ,lol,poor old Liz does not like the cold at all these days and complains when i take her to the shops in shorts ,and a body warmer he he, but as i say to her , a legacy of working in the open air nearly all my working life ,you get used to all conditions.
Found a nice piece of Salmon cut beef in the freezer yesterday ,just the right size to make up a warming ,steak and kidney pie ,so that's on the menu for today ,with a few veggies.
.Think it's time to make the wife her cuppa ,before i leap into the bath for a nice relaxing soak before i start on the chores ,so i will catch you all later ,Fred :-) xxx

Morning How lucky you are Fred to still have grens in the garden. :-) I am getting seed catalogs in the mail so will have to plan my balcony for next year. I usually take an afternoon, sit and drool over all the choices. Then put the books away, knowing I don't have room to plant my"dreams" :-D sure is fun tho'.
Les, your post got me thinking about meatloaf, had not made one in ages.Got some meat and made it up with eggs in the middle,it was very tasty!!!
Furry friend Chloe has been enjoying the mild weather as she can go out on her balcony , lay in the sun and watch the birds in the trees.
Weather still great for this time of year but am wondering what summer will be like???
Hi Teresa, Hope all is well at your house.
Mary,How goes your days, not too rushed I hope. Travelling back and forth to hospital is tiring I know, so go easy on yourself.
Time to move the rear and get my day going. Bye for now Edith :-)

Morning to everyone ,what a nice morning it is here ,after a pretty windy night ,the sun is out ,and ,so far it is pretty mild ,before the weather starts to turn for the weekend.
Hah I knew Les would be busy ,but i didn't know it was such a lousy job ,and one i hate [shudder] the tile placing on a solid wall is bad enough ,but the grouting is worse again,but i take it this means that you managed to get the old shower put back in?
Another selling point once it is done and dusted too,tidiness throughout a house is so important when the viewers start to come through the door ;-) .
I like the sound of the meatloaf as well ,i love it but never get to make it these days ,because the missus's taste keeps changing ,and she no longer likes the dish ,sigh,i maybe need to go out for a meal more often and find a place with meat loaf on the menu.
looks like the veggies in the garden will keep me going until the back end of March so long as the snow dosn't kill it all off,there is still plenty of leeks left ,kale ,brussel ,and a couple of cabbage to use up,so i won't have to buy much green stuff.
Well ,another ten weeks to go before the spring starts proper ,and i can get cracking outside again ,the seed planting in the greenhouse first ,smashing .
Going to sneak off now ,and find some work to do ,something indoors to keep me going for an hour ,lol,maybe find something for the dinner.
Take care all ,catch you later ,Fred. :-D xxx

And I am still here Fred. Just spending my days doing the tile in the bathroom. So much of it can only be done in sections with a board nailed in to take the weight. Then it is a day to set and then on to the next bit. Today I will finish the shower wall hopefully and then it will be time to grout. I am hoping to talk Norm in to doing the grouting....messy job.

We had sun yesterday and today but it is down below freezing at night....but no white so this is good. At least the back yard is firm enough that Bella can go out there and not get muddy....worse than a kid!!!

Made meat loaf last night and that is good for two meals so not much cooking tonight. I like that. Next week I am going back to Weight Watchers. Although I am not fat my doc wants me to drop some pounds and a month later I have no budged an ounce....so back to the "weigh scale"!! At least it will keep me motivated.

Funny weather for you Edith, and you are right, it will be a difficult year on the prairies unles they get a really wet spring. I was talking to Kathy last night and they have a good amount of snow in Calgary so perhaps that part of the prairies will fare better.

Mary, hope that you are OK and taking advantage of this break, although I expect that driving to and from can be just as exhausting. Hope that John is on the mend...will you be able to stay in your place when he comes home??? Old age is a bugger isn't it!!

Off to tile. Lesxx

Morning Fred and all. Just busy is my excuse. Seems a lot of "stuff" has caught up with me and I have had to get it done. :-|
Have now put all the Christmas bits away, and like you Fred the sight of Easter makes me cringe. Why is everyone in such a rush?????
The older I get the more I want folks to sloooow down as we all learn not
wish our life away.
Our weather like yours is very mild and overnight we had rain, so the streets will be like skating rinks this a.m. Crazy weather indeed ,last year loads of snow to almost none this year. The prairies are green so the farmers will have a difficult year with the wheat planting, no moisture.
Hope all is well with you Mary. Any toms yet??
Time for me to get my day started, so see you again soon. Edith <3

morning all? is everyone away on holiday ,or busy working their finger ends off like our Les?
Try as i might ,there is no way i can drive all the way down to Tewksbury for my uncles Funeral ,but i feel guilty because i have been to all the Barnes ,Baird family wakes over the last 45 years ,and it dosn't sit easy :-(.
I have however paid my respects via the post ,and email and that will have to do .
We tried the air fry last evening Les' and it's tons better than the actifry giving well cooked crisp chips and chicken bites,but we got a shock on revisiting Curries to find that the offer price had finished ,and they were uo to £200 a shot.
Am i glad i took out the insurance on the item ,if anything goes wrong with it within 3 years ,i take it back and get it replaced F O c ,no questions asked,which is why all my electric stuff i get from there ,even my puters .
I am going down to B & Q later this morning ,where i will buy two tubes of ready mixed mortar ,in tubes that can be used in a mastic gun, ideal for the little gaps in the gable end brickwork that the storm blew out ,the rest will be used on the garden wall which needs doing before the snow comes back to prevent further damage.
Our weather is still very mild for the time of year ,but it reckons to get colder as the wind swings from the north ,by the weekend
I think i will have the outside of the car done while i am out too ,i don't like salt left on the bodywork too long as it tends to dull the paintwork,i do wish they would stop using it on the roads here a course grit is just as good ,and snow tyres will take care of the rest.
Hope everyone is getting back to normal and looking forward to spring,he he ,the shops here are full of chocolate easter bunnies ,eggs ,and hot cross buns ,sigh ,another few weeks and the Christmas decorations will be back in the windows :-S.
Catch you later all ,Fred xxx. :-D

afternoon to all who show up this weekend from a mildish north east of England.
I am going to try your extra topping on the puddings and cakes Edith,it can't do any harm ,and i could do with a little extra help in pain control.
We too have been busy soup making after we found 30 spears of Asparagus reduced to 38 p ,not to be sneezed at ,and it made a large pan of tasty stuff,lol.
Feeling a little depressed after being informed that my uncle Ray who lived in Tewksbury died yesterday, a my one and only uncle on my mothers side of the family.
I havn't seen him since i went to High Wycombe for my great aunts funeral four years ago ,but i had huge respect for him and have many happy memories to hang on to from my childhood with him :-(.
hope everyone is having a good weekend ,catch you all later ,Fred.xxx ;-)

Morning all. The weather is indeed the topic of our lives right now. Last winter we had 4 to 5 ft of snow. This year so far we have about 4 inches.
Global warming or cooling, whatever it is can just go away and let us get on with our normal stuff, thank you much ;-)
The cinnamon can be added to whatever you wish Les, I put it in plain yougurt and on different custard puddings. Also in sugar to sprinkle on toast. Along with the 2 ounces of extra dark belgian chocolate each day I manage to keep the pain gone, and although the damp wet days are a trial
I can get on with my day.
As I will be 77 in a few days I get around really well. I figure if chocolate and cinnamon can get me help to move I'm first in line. :-D
Making a big pot of potato leek soup today Fred. All the "old boys" in the complex always look forward to it. We will undecorate the place to- night
so if they are "souped up" they will help to clear all the decorations away. :Sometimes it pays to bribe folks.
Mary hope things in your world are getting a little easier for you. Think of you often and send good wishes your way.
Time to get the day going so bye for now. Edith <3