General Chat

Back again, what with dodgy ear, flu and a visitor from bali, I've been flat out doing not much of anything!! Sent OH and mate off to port arthur today, that's the penal settlement for convicts, with a long list of names to look up if they can, apparently there are some photos?? Certain people will be interested if they can find any on the list.... sent some mail off to the uK a couple of weeks ago, but haven't heard if it's arrived as yet, snail mail....... dead of winter here, snow on the mountain and icy mornings and days all wet and soggy, good excuse to stay home when you've got a dodgy ear!! Especially as they're going on an eco tour first to look at the whales, I don't fancy ending up in minus 50 deg water with this ear, and I'm so wonky I'd be sure to go overboard!!

Mum has been playing the cd thomas sent, god bless him, he made her year with that kind act, she loves to sit and sing along and have a good cry!!!!!!!!!!!! Time for some brekky, have a good snooze you all,, FT x x

On following the thread about convicts I see that the 1861 census has been turned in,but not the 1871.
I guess that the post between oz and uk is still done by sailing ship as you have not heard of its arrival yet!!

I do hope you feel much better soon Linda,its been a while now since you went down with lurgies.
They arent catchable by t,internet are they?

Wales I see every day,so I dont really fancy a boat trip to see it.

Xxs for Thomas

No doubt it'll turn up soon, I've had some certs take 3-4 weeks, coming the other way. Did you see the 1871 census turned up and created some doubt?!!! Hope it doesn't cause any sleepless nights!!!! FT :)

Peep Bo!

now now children

i take a break and this is what i find is it.

i don't know obviously Sylvia's is the voice of reason. Sylvia we need you back here pronto to keep this pair in line. (although i think Thomas would have approved of the games).

how is everyone? bit quiet around here isn't it?

Oh dear,the ref is back,quick ,hide Mo.

OH strewth,the nuts get everywhere.
As my gran used to say ........
Theres nowt so queer as folk,
but thee and me is fine,
But I do wonder about thee??

Bumble bees???
Where do they come into invisible cloaks??
I wouldnt want to share one with a bumble bee!

Ah that explains it.
We lived a mile from the nearest neighbour and we had a real old tartar for a history teacher at secondary {I thought the world of him} and he sorted out the bullies,they did NOT repeat offend.
I think I was the only child in my year that wasnt scared of him.
He called me an arrogant b***ch once.
So I asked him what arrogant meant,he said,

Exactly what you have just said and done,now go look it up in the dictionary.

Then he threw the blackboard duster at me,,,,you know those old wooden ones with felt on one side.
It missed thank heavens!!

The latin teacher had caught polio as a child and was on crutches.
My ,he could swing them things straight at your backside if you weren,t quick enough,or rap you over the head if you were sat down!

Now of course they wouldnt get away with it,he never really hurt us though.

But the headmaster of the primary was a pure sadist,nasty man took great delight in caning and even made the boys hands bleed sometimes.
Lucky us girls only got the ruler,but I was one of the goodies,so I missed out on it.

Hi ya everyone


I'm still trying to get my feet on the ground, and get back to normalcy ..... or what passes for normalcy in this house!!

We had a great trip, and did lots of things. The train was wonderful, with great food and congenial company (well, most of it was congenial!!).

I saw a place name one day from the train somewhere in Canada ..... Dunrubin ........ which was close enough to make me think of Thomas


I'm home until some time between Friday and Sunday, when we plan on going to our cabin for about 10 days ............ it's about an 8 hour drive away from here. 20 acres of land, which takes OH back to his Welsh farming background! Not much farming being done there now though ....... we grow lots of rhubarb and enough potaotes to keep us supplied for several months ..... and pay not attenton to either of them!


DING DONG

xxxxx

Hi everyone


Mo ..... we don't waste the rhubarb and potatoes from the land. I meant that they are ignored and get no attention for weeks at a time.


The rhubarb was planted many years ago (before we bought the land in 1997). OH found a number of plants growing in a very wet area tucked away well away from the cabin, and doing very nicely, thank you very much! They had been ignored for years but obviously liked the area ....... even though it wasn't where you are supposed to grow rhubarb!! We found them when all the plants were in flower .......... I'd never seen rhubarb flower stalks before!

He eventually moved about 5 plants to our veggie garden near the cabin and we bring back 10 or more pounds of stalks on trips in June. I chop the stalks in small pieces and we freeze most of it, then make rhubarb and ginger jam in the fall and winter. Some we use for rhubarb crisp.

I don't actually like rhubarb, I hate that taste and the feel it leaves behind on my teeth!

The potatoes are planted every year ...... that's one reason why we had the quick trip up there back in May. We'll go up in September and dig them. He planted just over 50 "eyed" pieces, so we should get a goodish crop.


We do find the yield is smaller up there than down here at home ............. longer days can mean bigger broccoli and cauliflower, etc, but the shorter season with its colder nights seems to reduce the number of potatoes that are formed.


We also try collecting some of the native berries ....... but I'm afraid that the wildlife usually beats us to it. Birds ...... and I'm sure the odd bear, deer or moose ............... soon find ripe berries!!

Fortunately, the deer don't seem to like the taste of rhubarb or potato leaves, otherwise they would be after those as well! Maybe they know that both can be poisonous?!!!

Hi everyone

Mo ....... the flowers on the type that we have at the land are at the top of tall flower stalks (3 or 4' tall, at least) and are smalliish, in a spike, creamy or greenish white. Quite spectacular.


Well, I had to go and have my annual squish this afternoon, and she certainly did squish me!! I sometimes wish I'd had them both removed back in '95 when I had the breast cancer and mastectomy .......... it would save a lot of trouble!!

Now I wait and hope they don't call me back to re-do the mammogram for some reason. I think I have been called back about once every 3 or 4 years .......... fortunately the second set has always shown that there is no problem, but they do have to be certain.

If I don't hear within the next week to 10 days, then I know everyhting will be fine ........ until next year!



where is everyone?




xxxxx

If you get spayed like me you wont need that end tested ever again,
no cervix.

Yippee,Best days work the surgeon ever did on me.

Saved a fortune at the chemists every month as well from the age of 43.
Mum went on until she was 55 and I prob would have too.

Sylvias back ,sylvias back!!
I spied something begining with S on tips just now.

How was it ,are you all relaxed and chilled out?

lucky bean
,
have had 1 night away at the parents in somerset,then had to take down a greenhouse to bring home,which took me 4 days to put back together,
no destructions on how to do it!!so that was a good relaxing time
I am KRACKERED!!

Hi Viv


and everyone


yep ...... the cool and the damp and, more importantly, the mossies, blackflies and no see'ums drove us home!!


Nevertheless we did have a nice relaxing 9 or 10 days at the cabin ............. had the wood stove burning brightly most of every day, and got lots of reading done.



Good on ya putting a greenhouse together without any destructions on how to do it!!


now go and put your feet up, with a nice cool glass or summat or other!

hello all,

don't worry Mo - i have been on the IOW helping my uncle build his new house. i am now just off mahogany cause its even hotter on IOW then mainland.
he has his first floor up now, and will probably call for more assistance soon so if i disappear again thats where i am. i have a dongle but couldn't find reception on the island at all - couldn't even check my emails. now ive got to trawl through them all. ahhhh!

DING DONG for Thomas

Hello all, sorry I haven't been on for a while, didn't have anything interesting to say!! Still don't really, still have ear infection, off to quacks again today, rec'd my new passport yesterday, very depressing comparing pics taken then and now, freezing cold here, and that is about it!!!!! Hope you're all leading far more interesting lives,, I'm saving remember so no bargains to brag about either!! hugs all round, FT :) x

ha - no mo no new muscles. remember i used to be a lifeguard/ fitness instructor/ nutritionist/ swimming instructor. there are no new places for muscles only existing ones.
sorry but no aches and pains for you all to giggle about.
ft - its always good to hear from you anyway.
as for the passport - i was a bit gutted to with my last one. my previous one i had a tan cause the pic was taken in summer and my hair had been lightened in the sun so i looked great, last one was taken in the middle of winter - i look like a goth - nothing wrong with that its just not me and now i'm stuck with it for another 9 years.
and mo - don't put yourself down like that.

What is a msg?
I have never been on twitter,facebook or any of them things so I wouldnt know.
Anyone else know?