General Chat

Just popping the head in the door to say hello . . .
Hope everyone is well and giving the grin gear a good nudge . . :)

TLR has been in Jakarta for a couple of days . . but home in the morning, so that is good :)

L xo

Well ,hello to all,from 'tother Newcastle over the big pond,where Fred is getting ready to go to the foot clinic shortly,then taking the car through to Wallsend to pick up the youngest sons new fireplace for which i will get a fish and chip dinner for my efforts ,he he.
I am having to watch what i am eating in future,because i got my butt kicked good style when at the diabetic clinic two days ago ,ooooops ,i had let the background blood sugar level to go up to 8.4 and was told that if i carry on i will have to go on the dreaded needles ,hmmmmm, time to watch what i am doing methinks.
It isn't too bad ,and i think i can swing it round okay,but the biccies and pastry have to go,and i need to cut the size of the meals down a good bit,isn't it as well i love my fish ,salads and veggies he he.
Pastry is a real treat once a month it seems,but i am going to treat myself to a meat and potato pie [one] while in Fleetwood to see if they are the same.
I have found a diabetic savoury bicckie ,so i can have a couple for tea once in a while with my brown bread sarnie ,which i can stuff with Tuna,or Salmon,and my favourite brekkies of sardine on toast.or a nice Manx Kipper are safe ,so ,not the end of the world ,and with the veggie garden on the go again i can still eat well enough.
I was making my salad yesterday teatime when i slipped with the ,sharp prep' knife and cut the end [little piece] off my thumb ,lol,the knife being so sharp i didn't notice until i saw the bead of blood on the chopping board,oh well ,a little extra raw meat on the salad ,he he.
The kitchen is nearly finished,only a coat of paint [second] on the two doors ,and it's done.
The missus is already eyeing up the toilet so i think that must be next on the list,which will be interesting,so many pipes to paint along with the walls and door,which i reckon i may have to take off to do.
The missus has brought me a very nice ,compact electric sander for the big door areas but i am hanging on as i intend to leave the doors a few weeks to see if i get my loyalty bonus when i swap cars,£20 will pay for more paint ,and the three new panelled doors i need to finish the rooms off upstairs.and the new car has room enough in the back to take doors ,no bother.
The weather here is going backwards yet again grrrrr ,back to frosts in the early morning ,but thank goodness ,none of the veggies are in the buckets yet,apart from the three new Asparagus [two showing] and the rhubarb.and they are in sheltered parts and should be okay.
Marie ,try spraying your veggies with rose clear ,it is systemic ,and last's about a month before a respray is needed ,and it kills the moths ,and eggs,and the crawly things as well.
once you have sprayed them twice ,the season for the butter flies and moths are gone and the spray dosn't harm humans or pets and dosn't affect taste,he he ,i don't have many problems that way ,because my furry partner chases and eat's them [no accounting for taste ] lol.
Time to go and get ready now ,catch you later Fred.

Hello everyone,
Ages since I dropped by but I have had a couple of GR contacts in the
last two weeks, I only left one of the greats family trees on this site and lo and behold after two years I am getting interest, from NZ which is birthplace of OH...... when we get to UK it will be his side with the most interesting past lol , I get to go to look up Ag Labs in the Lake District and Kent, he gets to go to University Archives for anti-slavery activists and Greenwich Museum etc etc !
Mary we are all hoping for the best for your own John and brother John also, love and XXXX's my dear. ~~~ to Loz, grin gear pretty good here !
Marie your garden sounds great, you and the Badger comparing notes is
like 101 Veg Gardening for Novices LOL, I Love It ! On the weekend I
discovered aphids in the new buds on my gardenia, so squished and washed them off with the hose, Tonight OH and I did our garden walk and
revisited the gardenia and I had a thought, I pinched off the growing tips of some rosemary I had potted up, plus some thyme that had struck and put the nip pieces onto the bids of the gardenia. I will be very interested
to see if it deters the aphids just long enough for the new growth to harden. I am finally learning that timing can be everything in the garden,
it is wonderful to hear about your daily tasks Badger!
June your trip can't be too far away now, all the best for it, hope you uncover all kinds of delights! Safe Journey !
Tony you are such a treat to hear from, our Easter weather was pretty good here, some rain but smallish showers I think you got more down south.
We had DD come home from Uni for a 5 day break, it was lovely to see her, I had been pre-warned that she had a haircut and changed from long dark to funky blonde over dark with long at front and short at back, I sort of forgot to mention this to her Dad so I allowed him to rush into the terminal
to find her ( flight arrived early, I parked the car !! ) .......... she had to stand in his face and wave twice before he focused and recognized her !! One Of Those Moments!! The electric blue tights and silver moon boots no doubt threw him off also !! We then had a revolving door of teenagers in and out, woke up to bodies in the lounge and no milk in the fridge........
wonderful really, her peer group are all nice young adults finding their way. Best I go off to read the GR message tonight, and do the dishes ( well, I didn't cook, fair is fair !), Take Care everybody, ~~ Hz

Hi everyone..Hope you are all well.. I have been a tad busy as my big brother had a relapse and was taken back to hospital in a ambulance..He only had 4 days at home and was back to Westmead..so have been busy visiting him again..Well he was allowed home yesterday and so far so good,,He looks a lot better than the last time he went home so hope this time he stays healthy..He is coming to me tomorrow for a weeks R and R and I will feed him up and get him back to his old self again..I will have 2 old crocks to look after now and they can compare walking sticks..hee hee hee..Brother John is still very weak and need the stick to get around..

Not long now June.. are you packed...

Marie When are you off.. all these people travelling makes me jealous..lol

Merle How are you my lovely..hope you are keeping well..

Fred Hope you are not dirtying my Chalet.. We might be able to rent it out and make some money..whats a Band B charge these days..was 12 to 14 pounds last time I was in the UK..25years ago.lol

Been busy today getting everything done before Big Brother arrives so better get back to it..

Anyone going to the National Archives in Kew when overseas..???

Love Mary xxx

morning chasps,and ladies ,looking coolish and damp here this morning in the north east of England ,and looks like an early shop in case the wind shifts [re the Icelandic volcano eruption ] we ain't too far south of it ,lol,and dust like that Liz dosn.t need on her lungs.
All the scottish airports are already closed ,and i havn't heard any aircraft out of ,or into Newcastle yet this morning ,so we may be grounded as well.
I got the youngest son sorted yesterday and he is now the proud owner of a genuine ,antique fireplace ,an Adam marble job ,that his dad in law was going to smash up and skip [perish the thought] and must be worth a good few dollars in any currency.
Got on well with the two front flower beds as well ,and they are weeded and planted for the season now,and i ran the hose out last night and left it lying on the lawn ready for this morning,so ,i was out front at 6 a m sharp.he he.
I did haave one slightmishap this a m though,lol,whose the daft b****r who didn't make sure the hose head was connected to the sprinkler properly ,lol, who turned the tap on ,and walked to the lawn ,cuppa in the left hand and bent down and picked the hose up ,and who got a facefull of water as i pressed the trigger ,Fred ,that,s who ,he he,water all over me ,freezing cold and the hot cuppa wasn't so hot any more ,half full of water,and half my tea on the lawn.
Cor ,tell you what though ,on a coldish morning ,a gish full of very cold water wakes you up in a flash .
I gave the garden a bit of a spray but concentrated mainly on the lawn itself to make sure all the feeder is well into the soil where it will kill all the green stuff but not the grass.
I am pretty chuffed now ,as i only have the three big borders to weed and plant out front ,and both the gardens are sorted ,leaving only the hedges which only need done four times in the season anyway.
I came in at half six ,repainted the kitchen door before taking the missus her cuppa up,so ,apart from the downstairs carpets and dusting that's it for the day ,done and dusted if you will pardon the pun.
Hope the bro is going to fair a lot better while he is with you Mary, but ,the relapse dosn't sound too bad seeing as he is home so soon again.
It is a problem these days when hospitals are so busy and tend to shunt patients home a bit sooner than they used to because of bed shortages.
mary ,i think you are a bit behind the times with the rates ,he he,£1800 a year now for band A so B will be nearer £2500.
Thank the lord that we goon house size here and not the land size ,in the towns ,or i would be in band C instead of A,course ,you lot over there are spoilt rotten he he ,the biggest average houses in the world compared to out caravan sized properties, i know i got such a shock when i saw the size of houses and bungalows in Cyprus,heck i would love one that size here at Their prices ,still ,i can count myself lucky that i managed a mortgage on my wages and now have my own home ,which will be sold off when we depart this mortal coil ,and the money given to the kids.
We are going shopping today ,mainly for veg and staples like milk [ long life] ,in case the wind does shift,and we will then stay in the warm.
Think i will fill the car up on the way home ,which will cover the next week and the trip to Blackpool leaving us ,only to fill up before coming home the following weekend.
Hope everyone is having a good day ,catch you later,Fred.

Hello All,Lovely to see some posts, you have all been so slack lately ,never mind Tony, Allan , Sydney bloke, Mary,Badger & I have been keeping our end up.
Mary I am sorry to hear your Husband and also your brother are not well.
Hz, great to hear from you I had a big belly laugh when i read about you daughter,I had the same experence when our daughter went to uni, she got off the train and instead of being a natural blond she had Jet Black hair , and the weidest getup on, I almost died,& to make matters worse she informed me she was now a vegetarian ,& her father didn't notice the hair colour. Hz when are you going overseas?
Mary I am leaving on the 19th September.
Badger you are a scream, I get such a laugh when I read your posts. The white cabbage moths are still with us, a good frost will kill them off. I have been busy shoveling wet sand and garden soil it has taken me 4 days to do it
and to-morrow it will be compost.
My Chrysanthemum's are in bloom,I only have two color,s White and Maroon, they had done so well I am going to add a few more colours, here in Oz they are called the mother's day flower or the May flower.I often get wet when hosing it is such a shock when the water hits you, I am inclined to use the word that is short and starts with S---.The Fire place sounds Lovely.Did I tell you I have a large Native Garden? also a small Japanese garden,the native garden is where all the soil sand & mulch went.
Laurie nice to hear from you.
Merle you must be very busy with your Jailbirds,LOL I hope you are still enjoying the Job.
Tony that holiday in Puket must be happening soon?
What is the weather like in Adelaide Cowgirl June?
Badger when did the Volcano in Iceland erupt, I have been so tired after all the shoveling and carting down to the garden I could only manage to feed myself and then fall into bed.
Well folks I must away my bed is calling me, you can probably hear it, so Cooee to you all, MARIE.

Arvo....:>))

Seems ages since my last post.

Been busy...work, work, and more work, but i'm not complaining, as i will need a lot of spending money come our trip to Thailand ( Phuket ) coming up in a few months.
A few new pairs of shorts, shirts and the likes to keep me happy and going for a while, and soooo cheap over there.

Bit of a windy day in ol Melbourne town, but still receiving days over 24c..??????
I dont care what they say......but me bones tell me that something strange is going on with this planet. Wether its caused by mankind ( Ozone layer ) or just a natural mother nature change in the planets weather pattern....... but, to be still getting warm weather in the far south of Victoria( Melbourne ) at this time of the year.....somethings going on out there in the atmoshphere....lol
Only one month to go till the end of Autumn, and normally we are in long pants and jumpers by this time!!

Anyway......the warmer weather is still bringing the customers business in, and thats a good thing for me, as far as work is concerned...lol

Not much else happening, except the new Moggy ( kitten/cat ) who was aptly named "Bourbon"has taken over the house...lol
Daughter called him Bourbon, as we found him asleep one day as a kitten underneath my Grog Bar, and neatly wrapped around a bottle of Bourbon asleep on his back, tummy pointed skywards and legs spead out........with what looked like a grin on his face hee hee......:>))

He demands to be fed cooked chicken, followed by a saucer of milk, twice a day......and if he spots me making my favourite sardine or tuna sanga, he claws my leg, or does a figure eight through my legs until i submit.....or else trip me over....:>(( I have been forced to take my sardine sandwhich into the bedroom so i can eat in peace....lol

A blokes home is not his castle anymore ( sob )

Hope all is well with everyone, and now its back to work i go.


Av a good un.


Tony....:>))

Hello All ,
Just pooped in to say you must have a look at Tony's Anzac tribute on the Topics Board, It is very moving.
Well done TONY.
Regards Marie.

Good morning all ,from an over cast Blackpool ,in Lancashire ,where Fred and Liz are enjoying their first holiday of the year.
At the moment there are no trams running from fleetwood to blackpool,the tracks have to be changed to a deeper depth to take the new trams which are closed in and modern for use in the winter ,and early spring before the old trams come out for the tourist season.
The whole of the High Street in Fleetwood is under reconstruction at the minute ,and of course ,the shop keepers are not pleased because the lack of visitors is hitting trade hard,and as the disruption lasts until 2012 they are not at all happy.
The tracks running through the rest of the system are ordinary rail track and are fine,and i think Blackpools tracks were deeper to start with and won't need to be done [just as well methinks] the shop and stall holders there would lynch the council if they tore the roads up there too he he.
Time for a quick look at the other boards before i go for my walk.so i will see you all later on,Fred.

Hi everyone..Well life is slowly getting back to normal.. My brother had a relaps and enede back in hospital for 10 more days and then he came and stayed with me for 10 days so that I could get him back to as near normal as I could.. He could hardly walk when he came to stay with me and when he went home he was 100% better and could walk without his walking stick and felt a lot more his normal self.. It was also good having him here as he came to the dinner to celebrate out 50th wedding anniversary and that in itself was a blessing..
Life now is slowly getting back to normal and I am recovering from being a mite tired with 2 old crocks to look after..that was what I told my to Johns anywhay..LOL..
June Not long now..Do have a great trip and see lots of cemetarys and parish records..lol..

Marie When are you off.. Its this year isnt it..Boy all these people travelling..wish it was me...never mind cant have everthing..

Merle How are you my lovely Do hope you are ok..xxx

Fred. Are you back from your holiday yet..

Have a lovely weekend all

Love Mary xxx

Hello to all, this thread has been very neglected lately , Cooeeeeeeeee Where are you all, you cant all be that busy or are we just TOO boring .
Well I went on a wine tour yesterday with our Uni of the 3rd age & we had a great time trying all the wines & it was capped off with a luncheon at the last vineyard, it was a delicious meal followed by a scrumptious dessert, I had to go to the gym this morning to work off the Calories that were in the dessert & of course dont forget the Wine.I came home with 3 bottles.
Badger I hope your weather is inproving and the weather for your holiday is Sunny.
How are you Mary I hope your brother is on the mend also your Oh.
Hello to Merle if you are looking in, Also HZ.I hope you enjoyed seeing your Daughter.I have been having trouble with thrips on my chrysanthimums,and of course still problems with the cabbage moth.
All is well with my family no winter bugs ------yet.
Tony and Barbara I hope your holiday is great.
Alun what are you up too other than work, our local Aussie Rules started last Saturday the boys went to Cowra and played in the pouring rain they lost by 7 points, it will be different next game, we were short as some of our better players were out, one had caught chicken pox ,another had done a hamstring at training the usual things, I am hoping we are at home to-morrow.
Time for a cuppa.
Regards to you all
Marie.

Good morning all you people over the big ponds,some coming into spring and others into winter.
We are now settled back in again ,and the furry pest is ignoring us again ,he he ,the honeymoon seems to be over again ,until the next time.
I can't do much outside today ,it is theatening rain ,so by the time i get the lawns done ,that will be about the lot ,apart from replacing the seedlings we lost over the weeks holiday through lack of water.
Not to worry ,it was only the Calabrese, and there is plenty of time to replace it because it has a long cropping period.
I noticed too ,that Liz's pet project is showing signs of life ,the Asparagus is showing at last ,and as soon as she sees it ,she will be on her knees praying in the direction of Mecca.or getting the broomstick out,he he.
The weather here for the start of May is awful,andi was so hoping for good weather on the 4th so that i could take the wife out for the day for her birthday,still ,i can still get her down to the Astley Arms in Seaton Sluice for a nice dinner.
We will be going down to Blackpool again for Blackberry week in October,along with Chris so that he can see the illuminations,he is the only grandchild who hasn't seen them yet ,his dad being a bit of a grouch at times,but no matter ,we will have him down there for a week so that he can explore Blackpool ,and the other towns in the area.
Hope everyone is okay ,alive and kicking and Mary is enjoying her cooler weather,and bro's company.
See ya later peeps ,off to the wild green yonder.Fred.

Hi Fred and all you vacant lot.
It looks like it is just you and me Fred they are slack everyone must be on holidays.
We have had more rain, our block was only just starting to dry out when down it came again,mind you the veggies love it .My jonquils are up and some of the daffodils are poking their noses through, the last lot of rain has made the Chrisanthemuns a tad sick.
Last weekend, our Barhurst Bushrangers Aussie Rules football had a home game it was a great day ,we lost only one game and our Seniors thrashed the other team by a record 243 points, I actually felt sorry for the other team and to their credit they tried very hard for the 2 hrs of the game. I am now off to the comfort of my bed mind you Fred if we didn't mow every 6 days I would be able to say off to the wild green jungle go I.
you may have to poke your nose in a bit more often, or I will be talking to myself.
Kindest regards Marie.

OK, I'm sticking my nose in.

Its Happy Mothers Day and I've decided that,apart from breakfast and cups of tea, I'm not doing anything until the eldest comes and takes me to lunch.

Just realised what a hilarious statement that is.

Al of the veges that have survived snail attack are doing well,, and I also noticed a patch of jonquils coming up.

My intermittent internet is working OK at the moment , so I might be able to indulge in some family history.

have a great day, Yvette

Morning all ,we had a good day yesterday apart from the pest bringing in a playmate [mouse] and letting it go in the kitchen,where it promptly shot off under the washing machine.
Ignoring it for the time being,i went out into the greenhouse and got myself organised for planting out ,[at last] putting into the buckets ,the winter cabbage,Calabrese.Brussels,and then putting in the 60 beetroot plants.
Going back into the greenhouse i put in the broad bean seeds ,the runner bean seeds ,leaving just the dwarf french beans for Sunday morning ,[today].
I went out front later on and put in the six hardy Fushia into the big tubs ,replacing the ones that had died over the winter,and put in two lovely 'Mum plants i got from Morrisons while shopping.
I also called in at the hardware shop on the way home ,and got a mouse trap.
The trap ,i set last night before going to bed,leaving the cat to watch out for ,and hopefully catch the critter if it ignored the trap and bait.

Getting up this morning i found the useless ball of fur crouched down by the shoe rack ,so i tipped it forward to find the mouse at the back of it ,and i chased it out with the wifes brolley,where upon the cat grabbed it and shot off to the kitchen.
The cat was playing with it when i goot there ,letting it go and chasing it only to catch it again .
She let it go yet again and it shot underneath the washing machine,so i had to drag the washer out ,,only to find that it was now under the cupboards and i had to take out the kickboards to remove it.
The cat grabbed it yet again and took it under the table where it started playing with it again ,letting go of it to play with her little ball ,and then when the mouse tried to get away ,left the ball and chased after it.
By this time i had had enough,took my slipper off ,batted the mouse ,batted the cat ,and took said mouse out to the dustbin.
If that ruddy cat brings one more playmate home ,i will keep the mouse ,and put the cat out ,lol.
The son came yesterday afternoon to borrow a dvd [Avitar] to watch last evening and as the missus walked him to the gate ,she tripped on the step and hit the ground catching herself on the side of the step.right in the upper ribs,and bruising her left wrist as well .
The son got her up before i could get there ,but she didn't half give herself some big bruises ,must have hurt a lot too ,the first time i have seen her in tears ,since her mum died.
She is okay this morning but is sitting next to her computer in her dressing gown,too sore to attempt dressing.
Oh the joys of getting old ,we will be falling over matchsticks next.or sheets of paper ,lol.
Must be off now ,i am going to make the wife a drink ,and will then go into the garden to put the last of the brassica out ,a row of Primo ,spring cabbage before hopefully cutting the lawns.
I have only got to buy some big leeks now and all the planting is finished apart from the bean crop,way to gohe he ,caught up pretty well havn't i?
The only bad mistake i made was forgetting to put the leek seed in in January [B****r] but at least i have the seeds already for next season.
Hope everyone has had a good weekend,catch you later ,Fred.

Hi Yevette, This Is Marie , in what part of the country do you live, I am in Barhurst,NSW, pleased you popped in, Badger & I have been feeling lonely,Fred is a real character I always get a laugh reading his post I hope you had a great Mothers Day , I did and now to-day is my 71st Birthday the girls are going to cook a very nice dinner for me.
Fred I hope your Oh is a little better I bet she is very bruised,
We have had several frosts it has hit some of the Veggies but they are still fruiting, I am going to put some bok choy in and see if they survive.
Fred you love your cat and it sounds like she had a lovely time.
I must go I am feeling cold and need some Grub and a nice hot cuppa.
Cheers to you all Marie.

Heeeello,all ,yet again ,we seem to be very short of visitors,a good job Yevette stuck her nose in he he .or we would be back to the bare bones again.
Everyone is either t busy getting ready for the winter ,proper ,or taking holidays in warmer climes ,lol,don't blame 'em at all ,we had another frost last night ,but after the son told me it was snowing as he came over the fields to our house ,i was sort of expecting it.
I did find my leek plants at the garden centre, two punnets worth ,that should do us well with the other winter veggies this coming Autumn.
I managed to cheer the missus up a little as i came in from the greenhouse by telling her that the Asparagus seedlings were doing very well ,and would be ready to transplant in a few weeks if they keep growing at the rate they are under glass.
she is well bruised but getting around a bit better now thank goodness,which is as well because i need to go to town tomorrow and complain about my glasses,which i had made last august ,and paying a lot extra for reactolites ,only to find they have stopped getting darker as the sun comes out [which ain't very often at the moment] ,lol.
Wait til the frosts are well finished before you plant out new pak choi,Marie,otherwise you will loose them ,they are hardy when they are growing on ,but tender when very young,i have my first sowings in the greenhouse ,and will only put them out when the weather becomes more clement..
Most of the other brassica are well used to the cold and should grow well even in the frost,your cauliflower are well renowned the world over as the best ,and i won't grow any other but ,Dok,Elgon, Barrier Reef, and Canberra, all the english strains are crap,not worth the effort of growing.
I won the best cauli of the show four years running at the allotments ,with Barrier Reef ,And Canberra.
Looking at the hedges ,i need that new cutting tool before i get started on them again ,groan,my aching back ,he he ,still ,i need them for privacy out front ,and by birds would complain if i did away with them,every year i have my blackbird and thrush family homes ,along with many hedge sparrows ,and my wren ,they give me a lot of pleasure.in the early spring and summer..
Wish someone would cook me a meal on my birthday Marie,but well done to the girls , i'm sure you deserve being spoiled once in a while ,that's what families are all about.
Time to go and sort something out for dinner,maybe Lasagna broccoli,and new potatoes for a change.i must admit that i don't make my Lasagnas though ,i buy big ones made by Chicago town from a freezer shop ,cook them ,cool them right down ,cut them into four and refreeze them.
This does us two meals ,all for the princely sum of Two pounds ,not at all bad at the price ,but i think i may buy some of that meat free mince i mentioned ,and have a go,it can't be that hard ,can it ?
Catch you all later Fred.

Hello, sorry to have neglected the thread. Been fairly busy. Happy birthday Marie.
I'm still working, and have just had a minor promotion. Our laboratory manager has left and while I didn't get his job (no company car etc) I have new responsibilities in looking after our re-accreditation. This should be in about May next year, by which time I was hoping to be among the leisured classes. Oh well. Not that I can really afford it according to the financial planners, who I think are mostly parasites, but I would like to enjoy my retirement before I cark it.Sorry, but I am not a gardener but reading about battles with thrips, aphids and other nasties I am rather glad.
Hi Yvette, nice to see a new name.
Have a good evening peeple. Colin.

Oops I have also been away too long, hello everybody. Turning chilly here too, cabbage moths well and truly gone now but they did their share of damage finishing off my basil and bell pepper foliage. Like you Marie, I am in tidying up mode, it's time for the seed cattle-dogs to dream of what to concentrate on next spring ! How I love the Diggers Seed Catalogue, you can google it Fred !!
Well I have been having an interesting time of it. Hubby Barry has been having biopsies to investigate his raised PSA for three or so years, finally got sent to Melbourne for yet another biopsy and they found the nasty tumour, and before you could say Jack Robinson, he had surgery last weekend. The great news is that the pathology report says the whole (tiny but deadly) tumour was excised and no spread to the lymph glands or outside the prostate, the surgeon said he never expects to see him again. While he is away in Melbourne I am running the business, doing his job and mine, so far so good, but this is just the first week and I expect it will get tiring as time goes on. Meanwhile an old employee of many years has died so I have a funeral to go to on Thursday. So my plate is full.
I did enjoy your description of the mouse in the house Fred, you are quite a story teller, I hope you have out pen to paper for the grandchildren I bet you have some funny tales to tell about your life.
Hope to check back a bit more often - I get more family history done in the winter, and the days are closing in rapidly now. Cheers, Hz
Oh and my DD is going very well at Uni Marie, enjoying her classes and coping very well sharing a flat for the first time, I'm so proud of her.

Hi HZ, Lovely to hear from you,WOW you were lucky that your husband got to a specialist in Mebourne, & good that they acted quickly, so pleased the outcome was good, you must have said a quick prayer of thanks.
It is good that DD is doing well ,Sebastian seems to be enjoying his time at University also.He is now part owner of a car( he owes his parents as they lent him some money to buy the car).
Colin it is good to hear from you, I had to work longer I was almost 64 before I could retire. Battling with the nasties are all part of the fun of Gardening.
I am sure Fred would agree.I will hold off with the Bok Choy I will put some more Brassicas in.I do like Brocolli.

I have work to do so must away to the garden.I could also do with some food see you all soon. Byeeeeeeeeeeeee Marie.