General Chat

Morning all, Well Fred it seems the rest of the folk have deserted us.
Hope they are well.
Have had a very busy week but things should calm down now. The weather has also improved. Friday nite was -35 with a windchill to make it -43. Last nite it started to warm up and this a.m is up to -15 so much better.
Was at a pot luck supper last nite and had some excellant food. One dish was to die for. Oven bake chicken legs with orange sauce and sliced almonds. Not too sweet and the crunch of the nuts really made the dish tasty. Another was a broccoli and fresh mushroom salad. the dressing was a creamy yogurt and sour cream mix with parsley finely chopped in it.
Have been looking through the seed cataloges for the coming spring and thinking of ways to make my small space bigger. Will try to make tiers of shelves for one end of the balcony so I can fit more pots in.!!!!
My herbs this year are getting used up quickly so will have to look at planting more this year.
Glad to hear Liz is feeling better. I know what it is like to wake up with bones that don't want to do what I do.
Time for me to get some food in me so will say bye for now.
Do hope all the others are O.K. and will visit us soon.
Edith XXXXXXX

wahey ,the new phone is now fine ,the top up card was faulty ,and once changed ,the voucher went in fine,so i can now phone overseas for as little as 2 p per minute after a 4 p connection charge,cheaper than some calls in this country ,lol.
The phone will even connect to the internet for a week for £2 ,a full 7 days ,so i can carry my internet in my pocket when i go out while i go on holiday ,perfect.
We are off out for dinner today ,and will be stopping for a light tea as well.so we will be taking some of the baking with us ,and a load of the stuff that was left in the freezer after Christmas.
Liz had a good day yesterday. baking some flans and pies ,using up a load of mashed potato ,and whatever by making corned beef pies [the tinned stuff] chicken and mushroom pies ,cheese and onion flans ,and other sundry stuff,so we have a few extra meals in the freezer ,and a couple of pies and flans for the bairns to munch on at tea time.the same the woorld over he he,the bairns loving Grannies cooking whenever they can get it.
Looks like Stephens family will be moving in March ,bake down Howdon way ,10 miles towards the coast ,so we can still visit in summer.
The house has five bedrooms which is tons better for the kids,the two girls getting an attic bedroom apiece ,the youngest getting a small bedroom on the ground floor ,and the two boys sharing a large double bedroom.
There are two big reception rooms and a study on the ground floor ,with a utility room and largish kitchen,so the family will have oodles of space,and to cap it all ,it's £80 a month cheaper than where they are now ,lol.i am kidding the son that he is only taking it because he is only half a mile from the Tyne river ,and his old fishing spot he he ,he denies it of course ,but Anne looked at me and nodded ,so i think i was partly right.
The tunnel is only a short walk too ,through that and they are in the middle of the Jarrow shopping centre ,so shopping is not a problem.
Well,time to go and get ready,take care all,and watch the weather all,isn't anywhere near spring yet [sighs],and is thankful not to be in oz which is looking grim yet again ,so ,take extra care Mary,we are thinking of you especially at this time,Fred.xxx

Hi Edith ,Liz is feeling more like herself now that it is a bit warmer ,and is managing to do some soup making again ,and has even made the dinner today ,giving me a rest.
We had some lovely fresh tomato soup for tea yesterday,and have the gear in to make Swede and cardermun, or swede and potato.for the freezer.
We had a casserole for dinner ,with which i did some brussel tops ,carrot and calabrese .and prepared the potatos ,red onion ,and all the veggies for Liz who cooked the lot .
The forced rhubarb ,and apples we got from Morrison's went to make crumbles ,4 rhubarb ,2 apple ,and 4 apple& rhubarb.
This is the first time we have used forced rhubarb ,for crumbles ,but it is ideal ,so sweet that no sugar is added ,making it ideal for us diabetics.
The phone i got from tesco's has to go back tomorrow ,as ,although the international pay as you go card loaded fine,the domestic pay as you go wouldn't go in ,i will get THEM to sort it out ,or get a new phone or card [whatever] or a refund,for another phone.
It has been lovely here today ,very cold overnight ,but nice and sunny all day ,so much so that Hissy lay out back for over an hour before dinner ,looking at me through the patio door as if to say ,come on dad ,bring your coffee and join me like you did last year,he he ,no chance pussy cat ,still too cold for me to expose my knees and top the tan up ,yet ,anyway.
Liz and i are now starting to plan our spring holiday ,eleven weeks to go before we return to Blackpool for the week.
Time for me to prepare the tea ,fish for Friday,and this time ,it's Alaskan Pollock for me and fish fingers for the missus until she try's the Pollock to see if she likes it,at £1 for two battered fillets i wasn't about to leave it in the shop.lol.Nearly Burns night peoples ,Tuesday next week,and i have my Haggis in the freezer ,a nice Swede in the veggie rack ,so i am all set.
Have a nice weekend all.Fred.xxxx

Morning all, Fred I have to agree with you about the exercises. I have learned it is easier to do all the strestches etc. and then get on with my day. If I don't the pain simply stays I too have reduced the pain pills from 4 to 1 a day.
Our weather is still cold and clear. I refuse to complain, just looking at the rest of the world I feel blessed.
Will be using some more of my chicken broth to make a chicken, tomato, rice soup for a soup and sandwich luncheon on Friday. I've found if I crush rosemary and add it early the flavour is much better. !!! My dried herbs are going quickly this year so will have to plant a lot more come spring.
Condolances to Norm and Les.
Mary, do hope you get some good news on John. Stay well and keep the "chuckles" coming.
Hope all the others are o.k. do let us know.
Bye for now. Edith XXXXXXX

Morning Mary,yep ,i do agree with Les as well ,my upstairs ,small freezer is of a shop type used for cold storage ,but i am still very fussy with meat and fish storage ,you can't be too careful food.
Both birds were brought within two months of each other and both expire in 2012c ,april,so i am well okay.
My freezers will store stuff well after the best before dates which means they are still okay to eat but do loose some of the taste over time,but i don't store that long anyway ,preffering to rotate meats every time i buy new .
I am having to keep Hissy indoors these days ,after she has been unwell yet again after bringing me a mouse home ,some pratt is using a banned mouse killer .somewhere locally,loose poisen is banned over here ,and it is supposed to be used in a catcher ,not left for the mouse to run around carrying the poison with it.
It will bw hard to keep her in after she has had the run of the outside ,but i ain't going to loose her because some idiot can't obey local by laws on dangerous substances.
Poor Les isn't having much luck lately.i sent her and Norm a sympathy email card this morning as soon as i read the post she put up ,just to let both of them know we were thinking of them,such a shame.
Our weather is slowly sinking back to cold ,brrrrr ,so i will take Liz to the local shops this afternoon when it warms a little ,just to get her out for an hour.
The new cameras in the car work a treat ,nearly all the cars behind now staying well back once they spot the ring on the back window,and even the cars that overtake seem to be behaving more sensibly,instead of cutting in as they clear the bonnet,hopefully i will never have to use the footage on either ,just the better driving will do me any time ,money well spent in my view.
Well ,the last cabbage out of the garden is now in the steamer ,so ,apart from the nine brussel plants ,and a few stray beetroot ,it's back to buying veggies until the new seasons stuff is ready,but i have done okay despite the weather.
Nearly had a heart attack when i did my blood test this morning ,8.8 ,ooooops ,that piece of naughty but nice double choccie cake ,and the two Satay chicken sticks didn't do very much for the old diabeties ,lol a case of a quick return to the diet ,he he.
The son is getting a bit better after his scare ,and it looks like it may have been a trapped nerve in the spine ,but we won't know for sure until we get the hospital results,so i am slipping up his every morning first thing ,and doing my exersises along side of his ,so he can see how much they hurt me ,and it's not just him in pain,but i have told him again ,i would be tons worse if i even thought of stopping them.
I am even off the strong pain killers at night at last ,and most days can just work through it with the occasional para cetamol.
Well ,the sun has come out ,just in time for me to go get the dinner ,a couple of bangers ,a slice of bacon and some warmed up new tatties,leaving some lovely Tomato soup for tea.
Hope all are well and coping with the day,Fred.xxx

Norm's brother died on the operating table on Friday. Will be off the board for a few days.
Lesxx

Hi everyone... We have sun and hot,,I dont like hot..LOL

Poor ole Aussie is in a bad way with the floods,,so much damage and so many sad people,,but the Aussie spirit will come through and they will be fine in the end..Everyone is helping their neighbour and they are being well looked after by the emergency men and the gov. Just so sad so many have died..Johns sister lives in Brisbane and luckily is just out of the flood zone..

JOhn is now nearly back to the way he was before he saw the specialist and so its back for more consultation,,the new pills are not doing all we hoped for..

Hope all are well,,and keep warm,Veronica enjoy your trip south to the warm and hope you dont get seasick..LOL

Fred.. Les is right about how long you can freeze things,,so be careful.and check it out.

Love Mary xxx

Hi Everyone, dunno know what I have been up to but it has kept me really busy. Have a CT scan today, not looking forward to this as I have to take an antihistimine first so that they can shoot me with the dye....which I may also get a reaction from...life!!!
Fred, you should check online about the frozen life of poultry. I suspect that it may be 6 months which means you'd better eat your turkeys by summer. About every 3 months or so I go thru my freezer and chuck out anything that has been languishing in there for longer than that. We freeze a lot of left overs as meals and sometimes they just get forgotten about.
I have been reading the Oz papers online...what a catastrophe. I watched a video of the this swollen river sweeping away all the cars in a parking lot.....scary stuff. Stay safe you guys.
We had about 10 inches of snow on Tuesday night so yesterday was a white day and the schools closed etc. It was supposed to rain last night but this morning I see more of the wet variety of snow...yuk!! Meanwhile Bella was out in the yard with me while shovelled. She found one of her big balls, dug it out, and then went crazy with it for about half an hour.....flying snow everywhere.
More later. Lesxx

Afternoon all you people over the big pond ,from a the mild breezy old country,lol.
I even managed rto get one of my Parsnips out of one of the boxes this morning and found it to be sound and well usable,despite the heavy frost and wetting they got as the snow melted,and my water butt seems to be watertight still ,so that's £30 saved.
My seed book arrived today and i notice a new cauliflower listed that will stand well into winter ,and it is resistant to clubroot.so this i may try.and there is a new cabbage that will grow throughout the severest winter so a packet of those are earmarked as well,these ,and a new variety of cylindrical beetroot which will grow well in tight spaces are going on to the wish list as well,along with the usual stuff i grow ,should maximise the cropping in the small areas i have.
I used the last of the kale for dinner today,so that's another bit of space cleared for a new crop so despite the weather ,things are moving on okay.
Doing the shopping Monday ,i saw some Turkey crowns in one of the food freezers ,marked down to 37 for a6 kilo crown ,that is now in the upstairs freezer ,giving me two ,one for easter ,and the other for next Christmas ,which by the way is only 49 weeks away ,lol[Fred ducks to avoid the old shoes and bricks being hurled his way.]he he.
I have my frozen Swede and Haggis in the freezer too ,ready for Burns night at the back end of the month,and so far as i can see ,the tattie barrels have survived the cold as well ,so i am well sorted,not as bad as i first feared..
It looks as though more misery is Headed towards our kinsfolk in oz ,the rain now seems to be heading Melbourne way God help them,is there to be no end to the ravages of nature this Year.
The shift of the magnetic north pole may have something to do with all this ,as well as being something to do with the death of millions of birds and fish who use the magnetic field to navigate by,after travelling two thousand miles on migration ,they will now ,until they adjust be hundreds of miles off course,by the time they reach their intended nesting grounds the whole world is going crazy.
We have just had confirmation from Haven as to our week in Blackpool in early April,and our two week holiday in Cornwall in early October ,so we are well set up ,can't wait for either,we had some astounding holidays in both venues last season,lovely areas both.
hope everyone is coping well ,i am off to run the bath for the missus,time to spoil her again.
A nice stir fry for tea i think,catch you all later ,Fred.

Hi All

The Aussies are having a very bad time. It really strikes a chord with me now as I discovered late last summer that one of my Grandmothers sisters emigrated to Canada and then did an apparent runner to Australia with her 2 children, she settled in Toomowoomba and then had a third child, no husband around, but the boy has the same name as a chap who I found on a photograph with her - Skeleton in the cupboard me thinks.

Had our first real snow in Dundas yesterday - about 6 inches of really nice white fluffy stuff. All clear for driving so no excuse not to go to the dentist tomorrow.

I hope the snow stays away for a bit longer as I leave for Scotland on the 18th - Decembers trip that was rescheduled.

Got to start looking out the summer stuff as Keith and I head off on a Panama Canal cruise a few days after I get back from my Scottish trip so I better have my cruise clothes ready incase of bad weather delaying me getting back to Canada. It would just be my luck!!

All for now

Veronica

Hello Yes, Fred the soup was tasty. 6 of the neighbours said so!!!.
I really enjoy making a big pot and then delivering it around to all the others in our complex.
Some in their 90's just don't get homemade food of any kind. Now with all the tinned and frozen stuff they don't have to cook. However as long as I am able I will still make my own fresh food. Some of the so-called T.V. dinners make me ill. The gravy is congealed water and flour and the meat is akin to shoe leather.
I can now blame your part of the world for our cold as well. hee hee
The weather person on T.V says there is a large low over Britain holding
a very cold high over us. So how about chasing it away and then we can both get better weather.
Have to figure a way to help the Ozzies as well. I see they are getting more water woes.
My niece has signed me up on that social network and it is driving me nuts.
I don't know how to maneuver around the site and really don't have time to sit and study it. Seems an awful lot of info from many people and I'm
not into it at all.
When I get a few minutes I will call her and let her walk me through it all.
"Young folk" I love them all but not sure if I can keep up with them.
Time for a bit of lunch so bye for now.
Edith XXXXXXX

Morning to all,from a bitterly cold north east England brrrrrrr,wish it was spring [whimper] ,lol,but i pity any poor soul sleeping rough this week , i couldn't see the colour of my car this morning for Hoar frost,and i will have a hell of a job clearing the screens before i go to get the wifes perscription from the doc's.alone today as i dare not let her outside in this.
They say that next week will see it much much milder with the south possibly reaching 50 F yeah ,right i will believe it when i see it ,he he.
My soup ,simular to yours Edith tasted just fine so i'm sure yours will be extra tasty as well.
I got the new slow cooker out early yesterday afternoon and threw in some scrubbed new tattie's,grated carrot,shredded cabbage.onion ,leek,Turkey breast,liver,pig's,,a nice stock.and a couple of Portabello Mushrooms i found lurking in the depths of the fridge ,and after slow cooking for three hours it was spot on,so i now have two days dinners ready to go.
Tea yesterday i made jackets again ,the wifes Tuna ,mine medium red Salmon ,yummy to both .
It seems the German poultry farmers have been playing God again ,feeding their egg laying hens with amimal and pesticide contaminated food,huh ,some people never learn,first cattle and pigs and now poultry ,God didn't make hens to be cannabalistic,and now we have poisoned eggs and by products in our food chain.
For now Egg mayo,salad cream,pastry from bakers and biscuits are off the menu,the wife has enough problems already without being poisoned as well .
I do wish ,time and time again that i had enough land here to raise my own hens ,but i havn't so now i will have to make sure i buy only eggs off my local farm ,to be on the safe side ,and will be making my own mayo.lol even more cooking ,sigh.but it will be a new experience for me ,never making my own mayo. before too lazy ,that's me ,lol.
I set my first car camera up yesterday and it works a treat,so ,by the time i get the one for the back end done ,it will be £200 well spent for the cameras and high capacity cards [26 gig],hopefully the sight of them front and back will be enough to warn the nuggets off trying anything daft.
Hope John is getting even more mobile Mary,it must be such a relief for you both.
Off now to clear the car windows and screens,take care all ,and have a good week,Fred.xxx

Morning all, As we are a few days backdated I will get us restarted.!!
Our area is in the deep freeze for a few days again but I will not complain. Looking around we have been having a lot better weather than other parts of this world.
I see Fred is already thinking of planting!! That will come at the end of April for us and even then we have to be careful. he hee
Am getting into soup making mode, I have a large chicken to do up amd make a lot of broth. Then to add a variety of veg, beans ,barley etc. to complete it all.
Over the holidays I had a fabulous cranberry salad. I will get the recipe and pass it a long as it really was different and very tasty.
Also a broccoli, red onion rings,mushroom and raisin salad.
Such good news from Mary, very happy to hear John is now mobile again.
Great to hear from Ian again, brave indeed to get in a kayak !!!
Now that all the festivities are over I plan on getting back to the family tree and finish it off and send everyone the c.d
Putting in all the pics and documents has taken forever but am almost done now. Only 2 families to complete so here's hoping !!!!!
Time to get on with my day so bye for now. Edith XXXX

Morning all,what a nice start to the day ,e mails done ,housework done ,and time for play before getting the dinner.
It was so mild this morning when i got up at 6 am to put the bins out ,that i decided that once i had done the afore mentioned chores ,i would spend a while out back .
i have now come back indoors having pulled out all the old roots from last years plants ,and now i am ready to top up all said buckets ready to start again ,lol,all that remains is to do ditto in the greenhouse ,lol.
This looks a little forlorn at the moment.no plants ,empty trays and buckets to turn out into the garden and refill ,but only six weeks until i plant the new onion seeds ,and that's the new season under way.
I made the stock for soup last night with the carcass of the chicken ,and finished off tonight's soup with lentils,split peas ,a nice leek ,onion ,and course ground black pepper ans sea salt ,it tastes a bit of all right ,yum.
I am now trying the new electric cooker ,with cheese and cauli patties,wedges,and baked beans,nice and quick ,lol,fred

Happy New Year everyone..Hope you have all recovered from all that eating and drinking, and now its the diet..LOL
We have lovely weather but the poor peeps up north are not so lucky..Do feel for them as it is dreadful to lose everything to the floods..First it droughts and then flood..Cant win in this country but wouldn't change it for the worlds..We should be in the bushfire season soon as the weather is warming up..

Had a lovely trip to our daughters and back and the traffic wasn't to bad..John managed fairly well but found daughters stairs a bit much so didn't venture out to often..While there they had to big downpours which flooded their rumpus room as the drains couldn't hold all the water and it overflowed into the garage and down to the rumpus room..never happened before.. and hope it doesn't happen again..

John is a little better and is walking around the unit without his stick so we are happy about that..Now waiting on a appointment for a mri..then back to the doc for his prognosis..

Hope the New Year brings everyone good health and lots of happiness..
Love Mary xxx

Happy New Year to All,
I've spent Christmas and New Year down at my daughter's with the six grandchildren overdoing the food and drink but unfortunately have to return home tomorrow to start work on Tuesday.
The three eldest grandchildren all got kayaks for Christmas and they even persuaded me to have a go on one of them.
I must go now and rig up a fishing rod to take my granddaugthter fishing again.
Best wishes to those of you who are waterlogged and snowbound (my little sister is going to feel it when she goes back to the UK in two weeks time).

Ian

Happy New Year everybody i am having a lazy morning before getting the dinner ,and looking forward to it ,lol,back to the usual meals ,as we have had enough rich stuff to last us until the spring.
Fish and chips ,and mushy peas [home made ] are the order of the day,before we struggle to cope with tea at the daughters before settling back in at home.he he.
Next year God willing we will be spending the whole holiday at home ,going nowhere at all,time for other people to visit US after all the years of doing the rounds.
i have had a look at the veggie patch this morning and have lost everything but possibly the brussels to the cold and extreme frosts ,all the late parsnips and carrots,but it just means i will have to adapt and go for crops that come out a couple of weeks earlier in November,because i have the feeling that the winters are not going to get any easier for a few years at least.
The granddaughter sounds a pip ,Les' she will keep you going no problem he he ,you should have left the paint flakes in the mix ,enabling you to paintent the idea [i can hear the groans from here ] haar harr.
I have just thought ,it might be an idea to go out and check the water butt outside the greenhouse ,to see if the frost burst it,because the snow and sever frosts come back next week,if it is still sound ,i will open the valve and drain it down ,a bit more water in the ground won't matter now,it can't get any wetter than it is ,lol.
Could be tons worse though ,our mates in Oz are suffering with terrible flooding over vast areas ,and others are suffering higher temperatures than ever with the road tar melting and catching fire ,setting the roadside grass alight on top of massive bush fires yet again,these people must be as hardy ass the bushmen of old ,taking it all in their stride ,and coming back for more,poor blighters.
catch you later peeps ,Fred.xxx

Hi All

Les you are right, resting up for the New Year party. Ate to much of the stuff I shouldn't have over the holiday so the colitis is giving me lot of pain - no one elses fault but my own and I will have to settle back down and be a lot sticter with the diet - but not until after tomorrow night's party.

We have been so blessed with the weather in the Dundas area, its 9c today and what very little bit of snow we had is fast disappearing. We had an easy winter last year so perhaps we are going to be lucky again this year.

I like the sound of the icecream cake, same sort of idea as my booze laced icecream. Its my birthday on Tuesday, perhaps I can get the grandkids to make me one over the weekend.

V

Hello, Yes, a second wind I could use. Have been planning the supper for tomorrow night at the Centre.
It is pot luck but these "old folks" need guidance on what to bring or we end up with all meat dishes or all veggies.
Have one lady who makes the best lemon meringue pie on the planet.
She uses only fresh sqeezed lemon juice and the meringue is sky high and stays that way. Absolute bliss !!!
Having the little ones around for Christmas really is the best isn't it??
Hoping the very best for everyone in the new year. Will see you all again after the 2nd.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!
Edith XXXXXX

Have to tell you that granddaughter and I made ice cream cake on xmas eve. She was the "basher" and me the "stirrer". What a lot of fun. I gave her a rolling pin and she successfully decimated a Crunchie, an Aero, a Crispy Crunch, some peanut butter chips and some cashews. In fact she got wildly enthusiastic with the rolling pin, so much so, that in one wild swing she wacked a chunk of paint off the cabinet door. Such a girl!! Anyway it all got stirred into the ice cream (excluding the paint chip-lol) and then re frozen. We ate in on xmas day and gdau was pleased to tell everyone about the dessert she made!! Not bad for a four year old.
Where is everyone??? getting their second wind for the 31st???
Lesxx