General Chat

Save that china for me Fred...LOL
I am busy sewing and so that is why I am not here. I am trying to turn out 3 aprons a day as I procrastinated for soooo long.
Yesterday I went to a geneology seminar. It was a good day and they served up an amazing lunch. Topics were irish records, very interesting, and a couple of sessions on being a detective and looking for evidence. I had already taken a Legacy webinar on that very theme so this was enjoyable and just reinforced the concept. The last lecture of the day was on Google and I have to admit that I did not get much from that.
Mary I got a letter from Lost Cousins today and Ancestry has all of the Warwickshire parish records on line....was that where your brick wall was located???
Gotta run, that darn machine is calling me, especially as I took a day off yesterday.Lesxx

Good evening Les' ,i wish we lived a lot closer ,lol,i could GIVE you a full 1947 Foley dinner service ,complete with the 6 cups and saucers for your collection,immaculate condition ,done in gold paint on a deep yellow circle background.at the moment sitting in the china cabinet.
Also have a full Japanese tea service 1955 vintage done in best bone china ,so thin ,you can nearly see through it,come over and take 'em both.
The gear for the kitchen arrived this morning ,and i'm darned pleased that i live close to the B & Q store and am not out back and beyond like you ,lol.
This is because the worktop next to the sink arrived damaged and i had to let the seats down in the car ,and take it back,where they cut a new piece for me.
I also dropped a clanger ,ordering the wrong worktop end pieces,the ones that came were the wrong depth and would have blocked the undersink cupboard doors from opening ,ooooops.he he.
Anyway ,while i was there i saw a nice little [big] B B Q for sale reduced by £50 because the fitting together instructions were missing.
This new B B q has three main burners,and a side burner for a saucepan or frying pan,in that many pieces that it will take some putting together :-|,this being just the job for the wife ,who is brilliant with jig saw puzzles ,lol :-S,it will keep her busy and out of my way while i get on with the plurry kitchen ,he he :-D .
The cooker and freezer don't come for two weeks ,giving me plenty of time to loosen the bench tops ,strip the casing off the built in oven ,and dismantle the carosel in the corner so that the missus can give it a good clean before the new bench tops go on.
I was double pleased that we went to Curry's for the cooker because the insurance we took out on it in case of breakdown included it being cleaned by a professional team who do the job once a year ,yey ,i get off one cleaning job at least.
They also gave the missus a chit which enables her to buy any small kitchen appliance at 25% off ,great as she has her mind set on a new krupps bench top mixer ,chopper, blitzer, this wife of mine is as spoilt as the other female in the house :-| lol.
Noticed that the gas board is busy over the road now ,digging up the gas mains in front of the empty flats ,so i hope this means they will be demolished over the winter when the rain ,cold and snow will help keep the dust down ,a worry for me because of the wife's health because the last thing she needs is dust from the rock wool insulation on her chest,or laying all over the garden and roads like it did at our last address when the flats were demolished there.
Think i had better see the council and explain the problems that we had last time,the demolishers there made no attempt to damp the site down at all ,and lots of people in our street had sore throats and runny noses with the dust.
I cheat with the lasagne Les' buy it ready made cook ,cut ,and freeze it ,but the wife has found some lasagne sheets that are ready to cook straight to the dish ,so ,we too are open to a recipe,perhaps a good look on the net will turn something up or ,HEELLLLP Edith,Mary ,lol :-D .
I have already taken piccies of the present kitchen ,and will keep you updated on progress as myself and my son get on with the job ,starting tomorrow morning.
Have a good week everybody ,off to brew up some soup for the tea ,
Fred. <3 xxx

Well I escaped this morning on my own...yea!! Went to Parksville to the English store to stock up on Oxo and Bisto gravy granules. Then off to the thrift stores where I bought three more cups and saucers....oh no!! I need help, I need cup and saucer therapy. Some that I have already acquired I now don't like so will sell them off. Norm hasn't seen todays haul yet....you may later hear him howling where ever you live!!!

Sunny again today, love these fall days. Gonna find a guy to come in and prune, cut the grass and rake ready for winter. My back has not really recovered since I put it out 2 months ago and so I will have to get some help. I have a doc's appt for my back at the end of the month altho we already know that I have disintergrating discs...bummer!!

I got some flat sheet fresh pasta today and so will make a lasagne and maybe cannelloni and freeze them. I will see how ambitious I feel. I have been off cooking for the last little while. I need some new tasty recipes....any offers??

We shall have to have some pics of that new kitchen Fred so that we can all drool with envy,.....I would kill for a new kitchen. OK I am off. have a great weekend. Lesxx

Afternoon all ,Edith Les ,mary ,and anyone else who decides to pay us a visit.
Been very busy this last week ,what with ordering all the gear for the new look kitchen ,that is done ,and will be delivered on Tuesday of next week ,but ,as yet i dont' know wether it be am ,or pm ,until i get the phone call.
In the meantime ,the wife mulled over the idea ,of turning both the bathroom and seperate toilet into wet rooms ,and being female ,meant NOW ,lol :-P.
So ,off we went yesterday morning to a local carpet shop ,where we brought a largish piece of underlay ,enough to do both rooms ,in one piece ,and some lino ,enough to do the toilet ;-).
Coming home i realized that i hadn't checked to see if i had the tubes of silicone i needed for the job ,but luckily i had,so after a quick snack ,i set too .
Stripping the old carpet out ,and followed by the underlay ,i found the wood ,as good as the day it was put in ,ans so the job was easy ,and straight forward .
I used the old carpet to mark out the size of the lino ,and found it was big enough to do the job twice over ,not bad for an off cut.
I then cut the underlay ,and laid it followed by the cut lino ,put a bead of white mastic silicone round the lino to skirting board ,clear silicone round the base of the toilet base ,replaced the carpet gripper at t he door ,job done,and seeing as i got it done by 5 pm ,the wife gave me the rest of the evening off :-D .
The bathroom shouldn't be a problem either seeing as i still have the old carpet as a template for the cutting.
so ,so far ,no getting caught in the corner Edith ,but ,it's early days yet ,lol ;-).
Lovely afternoon here by the way ,so i hope it will be as nice tomorrow morning ,i could do with getting out front and get some more weed out of the front borders before the bin men come to empty the garden waste bin ,so that i have four weeks to get the rest of the rose cover plants out ,and clear out the greenhouse before they come again.
I take my tomato seeds from my sugar plum Mary so i can't wait until spring to plant them the way you do yours ,but ,hey it's the end result that matters ,and i know of lots of people who use the same method as you ,and it saves having to buy seed which is now pretty dear.
No arty stuff going on in Geordie land i'm afraid ,driftwood here is collected ,dried and used for firewood ,nope ,no artists here ,just firestarters he he.
:-).
Gonna sign off for now ,time to sort something out for the tea ,have a great weekend all ,Fred <3 xxx

Morning all, This will be my 2nd try to post, first one has gone to cyberspace.
Our weather is now in fall mode so it's a rainy day. Will not complain as the earth needs it.After a hot dry summer the forest needs a drink too.
Hope Fred has not built himself into a corner in the kitchen :-D
Have made 2 of his soup recipes this past week and as usual shared them with others in the complex. Potato and leek is an absolute winner.
Will be off to the big city next week, for Christmas Craft show and stocking up for the holidays. I know it sounds early but it is easier travelling now than in late November on snowy/icy hiways. :-) When the snow comes I will be able to enjoy it,not having to drive long distances to shop.!!!
Your joke this a.m was indeed funny Mary, I sat here laughing to myself as I have actually seen this happen,a great way to start the day.
See where you had some better weather Les, hope it stays with you for a while :-)
Time for me to get on with the day so it's bye for now. Edith <3

Hi everyone. Been a bit cool lately,, nice for me though..

Took John to the specialist and he upped the new tablet to the next level as it hadnet made any difference to his walking..Lets hope the new dose works a bit better..
Put a cut in half tomato in the tub with my lemon tree and it is now got little tomato plants coming up..Better go and get my new tubs for them..Cheap way to do it though,,, :-D :-D
Well all the kids have come and gone,It wore me out and has taken me a week to recover,,All the driving around was getting to me..never mind the cooking ..but it was lovely to see them..
Have a lovely weekend all..

Love Mary xxx <3

Good afternoon ladies,Fred is back home after a very busy day which i did not enjoy one little bit having been phoned out this morning having just finished a message on the other thread i visit daily.
My son was stranded just outside Bradford ,in Yorkshire ,three hours away when you are talking rush hour traffic.
Having got there to find that there was no chance of gettiing him going again or towing him back with no tow bar ,i had to get the A A to do a relay job to get him home.
Never seen an engine like the one he has ,both the generator ,timing and valve gear run from only one pulley and internal gearing for the overhead cams.
When he said the car started to run slower and slower after a little grating sound from the front ,i reckon it's a safe bet that one of the gear wheels has stripped off it's cogs,and caused a load of internal damage in the process .
I have told him it will be cheaper to buy a second hand engine from a breaker ,than try to have this engine repaired.
Anyway ,i am back home as you can see ,he he ,never a dull moment in this house ,but son number one could have done wiithout this just now,the car needed for his early starts at the warehouse where he works,,looks like earlier than ever starts ,lol,no buses at that time of morning laddie ,out with the hiking boots i reckon .
While i was having a long over due shave after going out early ,i heard the workers out the front again ,and am pleased to see they have now done the concrete plug ,and put the yellow cover back on top until it has hardened,and the other van has been since to replace the topsoil on top of the other hole,finishing off with seed laden soil ,so ,when the seed germinates ,all traces of the hole will be a thing of the past.
My tea tonight ,as reward for my rescue act this morning is Asparagus soup ,fresh made ,with french stick slices ,covered with garlic butter and toasted,yum ,spoiled or what ? ;-) .
Wow Les,you are well in front of me now ,my beetroot all still in the buckets,and still too wet to get out so i am a bit miffed ,all that lovely stuff ,and still waiting to be eaten he he :-| .
Time now to feed this furry feline ,miffed because i went out and left her most of the day ,she is now stuck to me like a limpet ,even as i finish this missive ,she is sat here on the chair arm waiting for me to go feed her :-) .
Catch you all later,Fred.xxx

Hi Edith. When we were in Port Renfrew we saw a guy outside his house sanding huge chunks of wood. He also had furniture made from driftwood. Nothing would do that we would go in his house and see his "creations". The beds were something else, all four posters, gnarly bits of wood and all wired so that mini chandaliers hung over the pillow area. Weird...I should have taken a pic.

I did stuff my chicken breats with apple stuffing and wrapped in prosucuttio, made the twice baked spuds...what a feast and rich!! much more so than we usually eat. Today should be a lean day but I am going to put a roast in the slow cooker. Somewhere I have an attachment that has dozens of slow cooker recipes...must send it along to you guys.

Rain today and damp. Man coming next Saturday to fix the basement bathroom....and life goes on.
Lesxx

Morning all, Enjoyed the traditional turkey dinner yesterday, so have to-day to work it all off. ;-)
Thanks for the pics Les, Bella is as lovely as ever.The driftwood is great for many crafts but I suppose you too have seen the furniture they make from it.
A local couple have an entire house full of it and really it should be too much but it isn't. Lovely when finished properly.
Our trees have all turned now and most are dropping their leaves, the weather is finally acting like fall and we are getting some cool nights.The neighbour and I are going to plant 300 tulip and daffodil bulbs in front of our building so we can have a bright spring showing :-D
Fred and Liz as usual you sound very busy and ready for winter. Hope your snow stays away for a while, December is soon enough right?
Mary, glad to hear you had the families for a visit, great to have the wee ones around isn't it? Hope you can get help and advice for yourself and John.
Time for me to get on with the day so will say bye for now. Take care everyone. Edith <3

Happy thanksgiving everyone. Hope you are all having a good weekend. We were supposed to go over to the kids but Norm has been asked to teach a class on Excel next week and is up to his eyeballs in relearning. So it will be dinner for two at our house. Norm doesn't like turkey so I think I will stuff chicken breasts with parmesan cheese, wrap them in proscuitto and bake. Then I think I will make twice baked spuds and use a little sweet potato in the filling, home made apple stuffing, and some sort of veggies....sounds like a feast doesn't it??

On Friday I pulled out all the beets and pickled them, took me all day what with the pulling, the washing, the cooking, the peeling...on and on and at the end...15 jars. I thought to myself that I wont do this again and then I met up with a friend and she justcooks hers and then freezes them until she needs them. Now I might try that next year.

Fred our gas stove has 4 burners and it has a grill burner in the center. The grill worked like a hot damn until the first time we had to take it apart and wash it and then all the little holes bunged up and it has been mostly useless ever since. If I ever had to buy another I would get a semi professional one with six burners but only, like you, if I had the room.

Our bathroom in the basement is still in pieces mainly because we cannot find a shower unit to fit. We have a low ceiling in there and the new stalls are too tall. So we have a guy coming this morning to see if he can put our old one back together, thank goodness Norm saved all the pieces. The vinyl from the back walls (corner shower its a neo angle) came apart when we took it out so once the corner walls are back in place then I will tile the other two. It will be good to get this done. It has been like a bomb site in there for about 4-5 months, and I miss having the bathrrom downstairs.

Later. Lesxx

Morning all,another wet morning here ,but it is a tad milder again so i can't grumble.
We did a re measure on the new benches ,and the removal of the built in cooker space and seperate hob ,and went back to Currys to remeasure the stove we wanted ,and Bu***r ,it is two inches too long to go into the space ,meaning opening the back door to bring any appliance in is a no go,the door not able to open to 90 Degrees ,so it's back to a four hotplate job .
We still have two ovens though and both are a good size ,and ,again we have both ovens with catalytic liners but i did so want that central wok plate.
The only way round it that i can see is to get an electric wok ,so i will have to have a think on that one.
The electric cookers over here Les' are far cheaper [and cleaner] to run than the gas ones and all our electric ones are now hard wired ,easy to connect yourself ,and no chance of gas leaks.
In case you are really interested i will try to find you a piccy of it on the net ,don;t know if you can access Curries Electricals over there,so just let me know if you can't,and i will see if i can pull it up for you.
Like you ,we have fired up the heating these past few days ,pleased to find that there are no problems anywhere,so ,no need to call the engineers out.
We have a bit of a problem with the hole outside our gate on the drive to the road ,work finished the team came out to fill the hole in ,and all went well at first ,gravel and shale put in up to the required level ,ready for the capping to be applied.
4 days later the team came back ,lifted the cover ,and put in the asphalt to ground level and smoothed it off ,leaving a gap two feet wide and a foot long ? when i enquired as to why i was told ,the asphalt drive was paid for by the then house owner ,and the path belongs to the council ,and the council has to come out and relay the concrete ,Helloooo? did the council dig up the concrete< no ,the gas board did so why shouldn't the gas board fill it all in again ? ruddy crazy country .lol,so here is red ,still having to drive over a hole covered by a yellow kevlar plate [photo following] while these clowns sort themselves out .
Know how you feel re the beets too ,i have loads to come out as well ,but no way am i going out back in the pouring rain to pull some until the weather clears ,i don't do gardening in mac's or wellies .he he
The wind reckons to change about Tuesday bringing much colder air from the north hence the snow warnings ,but hopefully the new updates place the snow a little further north of us ,mainly Northumberland ,give it all to Berwick ,we don't care ,lol ;-).
We have found that the Oxfam charity is a bit suspect tone of money being hived off foe administration ,meaning they are top heavy ,too many chiefs ,and not enough indians ,lol.so ,we avoid them ,preffering local charities and hospices ,that are totally run by volenteers with far smaller overheads.
Hissy isn't my friend this morning after i dosed her with flea and tic drops lol. a was crafty ,lol, with the wife standing by ,dose of stuff hidden in her hand ,i got the cat treats out ,called her majesty over and fed her a few ,and while she was busy with them grabbed her ,pinned her down ,and called the wife over to administer the drops to the back of the neck.ooooooo ,the accusing looks we got as i let her up ,he he ,she shot off out the back door ,and hasn't been seen since ,i think it will be dinner time before she comes back in :-(.
You watch those chillies Mary,we have some loony over here in Bradford who has bred a chillie that is so darned hot ,that once it has been bitten into has resulted in some people being rushed into hospital ,with very bad reaction,there are some crazy people around ,but ,coming from Bradford well ,that says it all ,he he
Well ,going to see to some dinner now ,the grandson is here and we are doing an old favourite of his ,spam and bean crunchy top ,made out of a can of spam cut into half inch cubes ,a tin of plum tomatoes ,ditto ,a tin of baked beans one onion chopped small ,pepper,and small cubes of potato.
This is topped by two slices of well buttered bread ,again cubed,to give it the crunch.
We found the recipe years ago at a time when pennies were very tight ,and found it cheap and warming on a winters day ,when we still had four kids to feed,and now ,with the way the world is going with rising food prices going ,it may yet come back to the fore ;-).
Have a great weekend folks ,see you all shortly ,Fred :-D xxx

Fred, you just had the hottest day on record, how can you be getting snow....and so early..yuk!! We too regularly go thru our stuff and pack bags for the "diabetics". They get paid by Value Village for all this stuff so a good fund raiser however in the last little while VV has upped their prices to the point of being ridiculous. Guess VV would compare with Oxfam, what do you have in Oz, Mary??

Another wet day for us. Norm lit the wood stove for the first time yesterday so the basement was cozy. We had been camped out on the dining room table for the last few months so it was weird to be back downstairs. The four legged family members thought it was great. Ollie had been howling for days, not so yesterday, curled up on my old office chair about 3 feet from the woodstove....cat bliss!! Even Bella was stretched warming her belly....winter is coming!! these guys know.

Ya know I still have not pickled those beets. Since we got home it has done nothing but rain and the ground is just mud. Maybe I will have to wear Norm's wellies and just get out there. maybe today..ha!ha!

Sure can tell we are having a local election. The city truck came down our alley today and filled all the pot holes. Norm and Bella went out to watch, such a rare thing to see. Some of the holes were so deep that you could drop in almost to the middle of your wheels when you drove over them. Sure hope they used something more substantial than just earth otherwise one good rain and it will all wash away....pah! government workers!!

Hey Fred can you send a pic of your new oven, am interested. We have a five burner gas stove that we got about 4 years ago and have never really been pleased with it even tho it cost lots.

OK guys off to do something. Be good.
Later Lesxx

good morning everyone ,getting a little chilly here in the mornings now ,but seeing that there may be snow coming by the weekend ,that's to be expected i suppose.
The decorations have come into our shops too Mary ,but not a few at a time like yours ,but all of a sudden ,enough to put the shoppers off their cup od tea in the cafe ,he he :-|.
We have the hot cross buns all year round now ,which i don't mind ,they are lovely as a tea time snack with a slice of cheese in ,and a little jam ,of course. ;-).
The wife and i have had a darned good clear out over the last two days ,lots of books ,dvd's ,and clothing bagged up .waiting for scope to come and pick the lot up sometime this morning ,we can actually see into the drawers ,cupboards ,and utility room now ,and the floors upstairs heaved a sigh of relief as loads of weight came off them ,lol
The pics are great Les ,thanks a lot ,your little trailer looks amazing with the beach as a backdrop ,and Bella looks innocent and ready to play ,as always,nothing as exiting here at the moment.
I got the windowsills upstairs scraped and ready to paint ,which is a relief ,these old legs of mine don't feel too good if i spent too much time standing on the ladders ,he he ,but painting ,well ,it wont take half as long so it should be a lot easier.
I will be glad when scope has been ,as Hissy is suspicious,at all the bags ,and two old cases we have put a load of books into,and i reckon she thinks we are off on our travels again ,hanging around our legs all last night and again this morning,poor little thing ,she looks really unsettled .
Made our choice of cooker ,a double oven A A rated ,black Belling ,with catalytic linings to both ovens and ceramic rings ,now all that remains is to pay for it ,gulp :-( but it will be soooo much easier to keep clean ,it will be well worth it in the long run.
The garden is looking forlorn now ,the front garden is waiting for me to pull up the ground cover rose hedging we put in three years ago ,but i cant get near it in these winds ,as the thorns are lethal,stop me getting in among them yes ,but not stopping the weeds from growing ,no ,so out they come .
There are plenty of other things in the garden that i can thin out and replant to smother any weeds that try to take hold and i can also put plenty of bulbs in ,that will grow through it,so i will settle for that.
Sean's parcel arrived yesterday so as soon as the charity van has been and gone ,we are mobile again ,so we will be off out to have a look at any more stuff we may need to finish the kitchen refurbishment.
Time to go now so that i can put the charity bag outside to attract their driver as the van comes down the road ,and the wife stuck a label on it asking him to knock.
Catch you later peoples ,have a good day ,or evening depending on where you are ,and Edith ,can we have our sun back for YOUR snow?,thank you very much ,lol.Fred :-Dxxx <3

Morning all,, We have dull and a possible shower..

Took some leaves off my silver beet yesterday for my stir fry and it was yummy..Got to get some more chilli plants as my frozen supply are nearing a end..Love them in hamburgers and savoury mince..
Had a visit from daughter and family in Orange on Tuesday and got one days notice.. so when son and family said they would come around for dinner I had 12 to cater for..so it was take away pizzas all round..easy peasy..LOL..
Got daughter and sil from Canberra arriving today for a 2 day visit,, Think they have decided that as I cant go visit them any more they are coming to visit me..I have upped my thyroid tablets to give me the energy to cope :-) :-)

Who was that who mentioned the C word.. much to early but I did notice mince pies and Christmas decorations are starting to sneak into the shops a little at a time in case to many people complain..they complained heatedly early this year when hot cross buns were in the shops by the first week of January..getting ridiculous..

Have a lovely weekend and the pics are great Les and the way to go,, Short trips to get used to the how and wherefores of caravanning..

Lots of love Mary xx <3

Morning all, What a glorious lot of weather we are having. Been in the low 70's
all week and looks like more of the same for another week. The trees are the
best I have seen in years, the colors are deeper and brighter and in the sunlight are gorgeous.
The neighbour and I have been out preparing the flower beds for some spring bulbs. We plan on putting in about 200 daphs and the same for tulips.
It is still a bit too warm so will wait till the end of the week. :-)
Must get my balcony furniture covered as well so a few busy hours to put in yet. Then the snow can come. The forecast is for above normal temps so don't know what to expect.
Must get everything done before the 20th as I'm away again for Christmas shopping etc. So busy days ahead.
Time for breakfast so bye for now. Edith

<3

Hey Fred, I see you guys are getting our Indian summer. We are getting wet over here. The prospect of another short trip in our trailer rapidly vanishing as the weather does not seem inclined to buck up.

It was jam day yesterday. Norm went out early and picked the plums, three huge tubs full, maybe 70/80 pounds worth. We made five batches of jam, 17 x 250 ml and 13 x 500ml. That is a lot of jam!! Then we gave two huge tubs of plums to the Homeless Shleter and to the soup kitchen here in town....everyone will be eating plums for awhile. The jam making took up most of the afternoon. Bella lolled around the kitchen inhaling the fumes and Ollie sat on the floor where the sugar had spilled, bet he enjoyed licking himself!!

Very "Fallish" this morning. Overcast, quite dark really, and rain. Time to dig out all those long sleeved shirts and sweaters and get into comfort mode. Also time to get my sewing area all set up and ready to go, only 4 weeks to my first show and not one stitch has been sewn.

Keep well you lot. Lesxx

Morning to all ,from one very warm [already] north of England,where i have already been out back and given the lawn and veggie patch a cool shower ,before going upstairs and giving myself ditto .'tis going to be another hot one ,i reckon :-D.
I was just setting up to do the B B Q yesterday when i got a call from the Grandson Chris ,who asked if we could do it today instead so ,folks .you all have an extra few hours to get here if you want a free burger and bun ,lol
Had an Email off Marta who is back on her Uni course in Poland ,to say she has settled in okay ,and to say that Sean had Arrived on his base in the middle east ,and was fine,after a long flight out ,stopping over in Oman for a meal and sleep.
Looking at the activity we have all been up to on here ,i think we should start a rest club ,he he ,Edith the head honcho ,because she has put the rest of us to shame ,over the past couple of weeks ,the lady deserves an endurance medal for stamina .
Glad to hear you have your herbs salted down for winter use Edith ,we are in the middle of doing ours now ,and look to be going to do pretty well ,with plenty of storage jars standing by.
The gas board had us back online with the gas by 7-30 pm ,and all that is left to be done ,is get all the holes filled in and the street and drive way squared away,but you watch ,bet you a pound to a dollar ,some company will arrive within two weeks and tear it all up again ,never fails. :-.
As soon as the eldest son drops by this afternoon ,i will give him the heads up regarding the kitchen update ,i could do with a little help to get the old stuff stripped out and the new bench tops and sink fitted ,a good weekends work,for me ,slow as i am these days.
That done ,i will ask him to get my ladders down off the fence ,and get on with the window sills that want cleaning up and repainting,before the bad weather arrives.
The hall and stairs i can take my time with whenever i feel like a change of job from tidying up the garden.
Hope everyone is going to enjoy the weekend,and relax with their company.so,take care all,Fred :-D xxx

WOW You lot have been busy..

Edith.. Just don't overdo it..don't want you getting run down..Before we had smoking restrictions I had to always wash my clothing that I wore to the venue after being there for only a few hours..it was horrid ..much better now.. The States sound very sad,, At least here we have free health if you are a pensioner or derelict.. Nobody is turned away..I often had to wash the clothes of people that came in off the streets with a illness and they at least went out with clean clothes..I didn't have to do it for them but I wanted to and they were a lot better going out than they were coming in..Loved working in the wards in the hospital,, and was sorry to have to leave...

Les Glad you are having fun with the van..Little trips give you the practise needed and it wont be long before you are experienced travellers..Can you fit the trailer in the driveway..That way it gives you extra sleeping when you have visitors..

Fred. Well I think you will be happy to stay home for a bit.. all this travelling is making you feel tired and in need of another holiday... :-D :-D

Had a houseful last weekend with 3 of my grandies here. Was lovely but tiring,, Got daughter and hubby arriving on Thursday for a couple of days visit. I cant get to visit them so now they are visiting me.. Johns walking is not good so we don't go far..We are joining the Motor Neurone society as they give lots of help and advice, which we need..

Have a lovely weekend all..

Love Mary xxxx <3

I am home. Bella is better thank goodness. We stopped at Costco in Nanaimo on the way home and stocked up on chicken, beef etc.

Edith I am glad this is becoming easier for you...doesn't do to get over involved sometimes and that is easy to do when you are a "facilitator!!" that would be you and I, and Fred and Mary etc.etc. l

Municipal elections are here in November and I have offered to help a younger man, John, in his quest for mayor...between that and the sewing, I may be busy. Meanwhile next weekend is thanksgiving and we are hoping to go to Tofino for a few days with the trailer....we'll see. pics to you guys pretty quick.
Lesxx

Morning all, Finally able to settle in and get my bearings again.
The last casino we were in was filled with smoke(they are operated by local
Indian tribes) and in the U.S smoking is not regulated like here. Any how because of that I had to wash every piece in my suitcase and even cleaned the case itself. We did enjoy the trip and wow got to see first hand just how bad their economy is. We are in much better shape here, as if they don't carry health insurance they can and do literally die in the hospital doorway. If you don't have the admission cash you just don't get in.
Talking to some of the folks who work in the hotels, casinos and food venues the wages compared to ours are beyond ridiculous and how they manage to keep the family fed and clothed is a challenge.
Edith added a new learning curve to her life and I really enjoyed it. Getting 50
people on/off a large bus, into and out of the various events we went to was at first a daunting task, however as the trip moved on it became easier and fun.
My folder of jokes and stories were enjoyed and the movies and music c.d's filled the travel time, so all worked out.
Will be off again on Oct. 19th to a Christmas Craft show and shopping for the holidays. Look forward to staying in Canada this time :-) Fred I have emptied all the pots and will get them cleaned up for next year, Very happy with the herbs this year. I have all of them drying and will get them in jars etc. when I get back from this next trip.
Time for me to get on with my day so bye for now.Be back soon.
Edith <3