General Chat

6 days since any of us posted.

Still disappearing under the contents of the bathroom. however, the bath is in and should be useable by tomorrow, also the shower. We are nearrly there (I hope).

thank you Mo and Jean for your cards. <3

Ooh I haven't got to towels yet Sylvia and still undecided what to do about tooth brushes.

we're under another rain and wind warning ............. and this one is likely to last at least until Wednesday as there seem to be 4 storms on after the other coming at us from the Pacific.


Ann .......... having done 2 bathrooms some years ago, I can assure you that you have probably not done visiting B&Q!!!

We discovered we needed new soap dishes .......... one new vanity had a place to put the soap, but it turned out not to be very practical. The other didn't have any place, which we hadn't noticed before.

We then needed new toothbrush holders and beakers 'cos the ones we'd had looked so old

The toilet roll holder in one bathroom wouldn't attach to the wall where we expected, and still be in easy reach. So, had to visit Home Depot to find a free standing one.

Then we decided that new towels were in order :-)

Ann, you have chosen a diamond to do your bathroom, clearing up after themselves is quite a rarity with tradesmen here in Kent.
Thank you for your card received in this mornings post.

Jean, it's been ages since we heard from Sallie. I believe she was due to see someone, the last time we spoke to her.
Like you, I do hope she is progressing well, we do miss her input don't we, she has been a part of our G.R Family for quite sometime now.

Cor blimey, we went shopping today, and nearly got blown away. Yesterday we decided to leave shopping till today as it was wet and horrible out, good grief I wish now we had gone then now.
The wind fairly took our breathe away, and now it's getting dark, and is overcast, oh lord winter has arrived.
At the moment we are watching some silly christmas movies on the t.v, trying to get into the spirit, but it's failing miserably...boo hoo LOL

Well my lovelies, I will say cheers for now me dears, love Mo xxx

Ann and Mo thank you for your cards just posting yours, although they are not the original ones I had made for you both and one for Sallie, cant find them anywhere as yet if they turn up I will send them later, house moving is the pits :-S :-S :-S

Has anyone heard how our Sallie is doing, I do pray she is making a good improvement I miss her posting,

Just ordered an item of Argos and we will be able to collect it after 4.0pm today just down the road from us within walking distance, hows that for service :-D :-D :-D :-D

. Ann the bathroom will be lovely when its done, get some candles and a glass of your fav tipple and relax ;-) ;-) ;-) ;-)

hope everyone is o.k. love Jean xxx <3 <3 <3

It is ok Mo when he packs up for the day he tidies everything away off the landing, takes up his protective runners from the carpet and hoovers up all the mess. Lovely man!

Oh goodness me Ann, do take care crossing the landing with all those tools etc laying around. you don't want to go flying down the stairs in the dark. Never mind love, it will soon be finished.
The 27th of December is an awful date for us as well, we lost mother in law on that date.
For a few years Roly thought she passed on boxing day, he was in such a state, but on production of her death certificate, clarified that I had been right all along. M.I.L loved christmas, and would hate for us to be down at heart at this time of year.
We lost my mum on December the 12th, so as you can imagine, December is not exactly my favourite month, but we have been blessed with two grandchildren born in this month also, so we keep our chins up.

Well girls, the tree is up, but the lights will not be lit just yet. We are expecting a couple of the grandchildren to pop in over the weekend, so we have decortaed the tree for them, more so than ourselves.

Have a lovely weekend everyone, take care, Mo xxx

Sylvia, so sorry to hear about your friends diagnosis, horrible disease. i hope she is able to enjoy her Christmas with you. it will, as you say, bitter sweet for all of you, but lovely to be able to share that time with her.

Our Christmas too will be with mixed feelings as we celebrate the first one withough Jon, and remember him on the 27th, the anniversary of the day hedied last year.

yet another trip to B&Q today. This time for mirror, grab rail, bathroom bin, small towel ring for hand towel, otherwise OH will swamp the bathroom when he washes his hands as the main towel rail is a few steps from the sink (or will be when the electrician fits it!). Also bought a new kitchen bin. I am not sure if that is 3 or four visits this week plus one visit to the tile place to collect tiles, and another visit because Alan forgot to tell us to get spacers, we thought he had those, and joy of joys we will be back there next week, I knew we had too many tiles. And we have also made a visit to a carpet warehouse to get cushion flooring for the bathroom. Hopefully only another week to go. not funny climbing downstairs for the loo at night.

It is fun trying to cross the landing numerous times, as all the bathroom tools, cutting machine, vacuum cleaner etc are spread over the landing, quite an agility test.

Also today went to the hairdresser to have my hair washed and blow dried. Cloakroom sink doesn't quite do it!!

All very well having the bathroom costed and we knew about having to buy tiles, but then, of course if the bathroom suite is new you really want all new other stuff don't you, every time we go to B&Q we spend about £50. good job that seems to activate them sending OH a voucher for £5 off £50. (or is that a chicken and egg situation? Anyway, I do think that, aside from maybe a new bath mat set, we have bought it all. %3A-D %3A-D time will tell.

Sylvia, I am saddened to read of your friends illness, I pray that she is strong enough to enjoy your christmas buffet.
This is the second day of my trying to post, so I am hoping and praying that it goes through o.k.
Take care dear friends, hugs to you all, Mo xxx

(insert whatever expletives you can think of)


Tests are showing that our friend has pancreatic cancer. She will have a biopsy in a couple of weeks that will determine if that is so, and the stage. But the doctors are talking months rather than weeks. She does not want us to tell our daughter just yet.



Last night (Sunday), I booked OH and myself in to the hotel on the Island where we usually stay for 4 days over Christmas, and she will join us there, and also join us for the Christmas Buffet. I'll reserve the table for that tomorrow (Wednesday).

It will be rather a bitter-sweet time.

and they worked :-D :-D :-D

same here Ann...

Just testing if my name has changed to my Christmas one

I can empathise with you Mo, in a couple of days I have written over100 cards, not all to be posted. At least it took my mind off the banging and sawing as the new bathroom is put in.

My hot date let me down Jean, he fell asleep on me....not literally I mighty add.
I have got writers cramp, since yesterday I have written out over 70 christmas cards, fortunately not all of them need posting. Whew, exhausting work, thank goodness it's only once a year, as my right wrist and the hand itself wouldn't be able to take it.
Thats why my message was a quickie Jean.
Tomorrow we are looking after baby Ava, whilst our son goes for an MRI scan.
He has been having headaches for a few months now, and this will be his second MRI, but they just want to recheck the last one to be certain theres nothing untowards going on.
After our nephew having the brain tumour, we are glad they are ensuring things are o.k.
Well thats it folks, time to go and watch "I'm a celebrity" so I will say good night god bless.
Love and hugs Mo xxx

What the :-S :-S :-S :-S Have you got a hot date Mo, whats going on ;-) ;-) ;-)

Hi all, hope everyone is well, can't stop see you tomorrow, hugs Mo xxx

Christmas excitement for us never really began until about 7-10 days before Christmas, at least in the house.

There used to be a Christmas Dinner and Party for the children of faculty members where OH worked ................ the meal was so delicious (not only turkey but German-style duck or goose with red cabbage) that many faculty would turn up without their children!!. Our daughter loved going ........... and we had it set up so that we chose the date closest to Christmas, usually a Friday, and going to that party was the beginning for us .............

We'd go out and buy the Christmas tree on the day after, set it up and decorate it on the Sunday. Christmas cards were opened after that, and I would attach them to ribbons to hang from close to the ceiling in the rooms.

Sometime during the following week, we would have a Staff Wreath Making Event where I worked, with hot cider and snacks, while we made our own wreaths and table decorations from material we collected ourselves in the Garden or by the roadside. During that same week, daughter's school would hold their Christmas Carol Service in the Cathedral, and school would be over.

Those events together all spelled the beginning of Christmas.

So really, the tree and all decorations only went up on the weekend before Christmas, 10 days before being about the earliest. Most of the presents went under the tree just 2 or 3 days before Christmas, parcels from overseas still in their mailing wrappings, and no-one, but no-one, was allowed to pick up and shake parcels in an attempt to find out what was in there.

All decorations came down and were burnt, out of the house, or packed away by about 8 or 9 pm on the evening of 12th Night.

Thank you Sylvia and Jean, for being so understanding.
Sylvia, we don't have any contact with our ex D.I.L, to such bitterness went on regarding the divorce, so there would be no way we could go and stay with them over in OZ.
So it looks like skype is our only way.
We shall have to make this christmas extra special for the children, as it may be our last together as a family, after all, non of us are getting any younger.
It's bad enough losing our eldest daughter, and two grandchildren, and they are still here in the U.K, let alone losing J.J and Courtney.

Oh Jean, how unlucky you are, but then again lucky to get your money back.
At least by going to the store, you can view what you want to buy, and it will be a nice day out for you both, as long as you take it slowly, and don't get excited and run around the shop. LOL

I can't believe how many people have now put their christmas decorations up, also the outside lights.
The true meaning of Christmas has vanished into thin air. But then, I tend to be an old fashioned girl.
I do have to admit that when my children were young, the excitement began on the 1st of December, when they helped to decorate the tree.
But now christmas decorations, and cards are in the shops way to early, tempting parents to start putting them up before the end of November. Oh well, moan over.

Bye for now dear friends. Hugs to all, Mo xxx

Mo

sorry to hear your two are moving to OZ .............

You'll have to save your pennies so you can visit them down there. As well as making sure that you maintain contact with them and your ex-daughter-i-l via letters, emails, Skype, etc

I have another internet friend whose son and family moved down under, then the marriage broke up down there. He's just re-married ............. but friend and husband manage to get down there about every 2 years and spend 2 months or so re-connecting with the grandchildren. Plus, of course, Skype.


Of course, I may see this differently from you guys ........

........ we left England without a look back at what it would mean to our parents. My father died before our daughter was born, but OH's parents would come out every 2 years for 3 or 4 weeks ............. spend half the time with us and half the time with OH's sister and her children. All 4 of their grandchildren were out here.

Now my daughter lives on the other side of Canada with our only grandchild .............. flying there takes almost as long as it would take for us to fly to England (about 8 hours vs 8-9 hours).

That's how life goes for us ................ we moved for opportunity. Daughter moved to be with her husband, and they have never been able to afford to move back here.

Life changes from children and grandchildren visiting regularly to grandparents visiting as often as they can afford.