General Chat

Hi Sue, Linda and Aussie Thread Friends <3

I have just read on The Welsh Thread about The Duchess.
I was so very sorry to hear this news.
She is at peace now after a most cruel illness.

Sending lots of Love to Tec and my heartfelt sympathy to him and his daughter and her family <3

Also to you all, here on The Aussie Thread, of which Tec has been a huge part of and a great friend to you all <3

Love Jem xxx

RIP dear Duchess - our thoughts and love are with Tec and family <3 <3

aw, sorry to hear that.

But, yes, but a great relief for her.


Love and hugs to Tec, and to his daughter (((xxx)))

I am in Greece now, but have just had a message from Sue. She rang Tec and his daughter answered with the sad news that the Duchess has passed away. She spoke to him and said that he was calm and relieved that it was all over for her.

It is a very sad time for him, but dementia such a cruel illness, so he is relieved that she is at rest.

My love to Tec and his beloved Duchess <3 <3 <3

If anyone adds to this, I will copy the responses and read them to him at an appropriate time as he doesn't use his computer now

oh dear, I am so sorry to hear this ............... but "enough is enough" as Tec said.

Please give him my love when you next contact him, or his daughter.

I managed to get in touch with Tec.. His daughter is there because the Duchess is extremely ill. She is in hospital, but they have withdrawn all of her medication as there is nothing more they can do, it sounds as if she is very close to the end.

They have been married for 53 years, he was very excepting of the situation, as he said "enough is enough" Neither of them would want her to go on as she is.

The pain in his chest isn't any better, so I think that he wants to know that she has gone before him. All very sad, but they have had long and happy lives, which is all any of us can ask for.

I will try and keep in touch with his daughter while I am away

I hope you are all OK Sue, your weather did feature on our news this morning, it sounds to be really bad

Huia .......... that was quite the adventure! I'm glad that you managed to find your way, and to spend time with cousins and other family.

Sue ........... I had not heard about your weather. Our news has been full of the flooding in Paris and other areas in Europe, and in Texas.

We're back in the sun and heat, at least for the next 2 or 3 days. Once again, we're getting temperatures in the high 20s .............. not usually seen until July or August here, and then usually only for a couple of days at a time. Last year was so hot for so many weeks ............ I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it doesn't get as hot this summer. Air conditioning is not at all common in houses more than about 10 years old :-(

Did you have the cemetery keeper chasing you for demolishing the bench Huia?

Your weather sounds to be dreadful Sue, I hadn't heard about it, stay safe.

After bad weather down south last week,it is nice to have some sun here today. The forecast for the next week is good. That is because we are going away of course. We will probably miss the only good part of summer and it will be awful when we come back

How sad, Huia - 49 is very young :-( what an adventure you had with driving here and there. I may have given up but seeing relatives is always good. Hope you got some good photos.

The weather here is horrendous. You may have seen it on the news. Torrential rain, wind. We have roads closed in all directions and the centre of our town is waterlogged. Thankfully we have food. We can't get to our daughter's home and they possibly won't be able to go to work tomorrow. The children have been advised to stay home from school as there are some trees down in the playground.

Yesterday I got up early as I was going to a funeral - my cousin's oldest son aged 49 - at Henderson at 10a.m. I didnt know how long it would take to get there because it is the beginning of the long (Queen's birthday) weekend, so I allowed 2 hours, but it took only 1 and a quarter hours, including having to stop to ask somebody the way as I took the wrong exit from the motorway.

After the service in the funeral home's chapel (and a lunch there) we then went to Waikumete cemetery, which is huge. I have been there before, but not from Henderson, so I followed the others. When the burial was finished I was invited back to cousin's daughter's place at Massey. I tried to go down the road we had gone up in the cemetery but there was a big funeral going on and cars were parked one side of the road, which is fine, still one lane to go down - except that I found some idle idiot had parked on the other side. Only 2 or 3 ft at most between them. No way even the smallest car could pass between. I had to back uphill, not easy in my ute with a canopy on, hard to see in the narrow lane. Luckily I didnt hit any cars although I semi-demolished a bench seat on the lawn beside the lane! You can imagine how livid I was about the double-parker.

I eventually found my way to Massey and the place where relatives were having a cuppa (boy, did I need that) and something to eat. It was lovely to be able to chat to relatives that I rarely see.

I then headed back to the motorway to come home, but when I got to the southern motorway the traffic was so thick, stop, start, slow. My poor hip was sore from switching between accelerator and brake all the time (not an automatic) so I stopped when I got to Papakura and did a little shopping to give my hip a chance to recover. I slept very well last night, no need for half a sleeping pill although I had thought I might need it in case I lay there remembering my anger over the idiot parker.

I have now finished my breakfast (slept in until after 8a.m.) and must download the rest of the photos I took yesterday.

Keeping warm and being comfortable sounds good to me Huia

It took us ages to get home yesterday, the traffic was horrendous. We had a nice week playing, but the weather was very poor.

We have a couple of days to turn things round before we go of for our next holiday - it is a hard life :-D

When Phil went into care 7 yrs ago I took to wearing his old work jerseys in winter. Holes in them, paint streaks on them, but they are nice and cosy. Not fit for giving to the Hospice shop. I am still wearing them though, several layers of his and mine for the cold days (and nights!), saves on power and lighting the fire in the daytime though I do light it at dinner time to warm up the house a bit for the night. I look a right proper scruff in my multi-layers (only at home, I hasten to add) but I dont care.
:-D

OH does the same thing as Linda's ........ relegates shirts and trousers to gardening and work clothes


but he then just keeps on using them.

He bent down in the garden one day ................. and split his pants. :-0

It was the material that split because it had got so thin, not the usual seam!

OH relegates things to work clothes, that means no matter how scruffy they get, he doesn't throw them out.

We were swimming for ages in an indoor heated pool of course, she wanted to go again today. It is horrible weather, so we went to the cinema to see the new Jungle Book film. It was very good, but it had a few cuddling into grandma moments and one leaping onto grandmas knee moment.

Esme is fine in her own way. She is starting to lick food from a spoon and even picked up a feeding cup to have a quick drink when she didn't like the food in her mouth. She is still along way from eating by mouth though. She will be three in July, but is only in size 18 month clothes. I will try and put a video on Face book for you

My goodness you are such busy people. I hope the weather is nice and you can get out and about with the girls. How is Esme getting along?

It's so cold here that I can't imagine anyone wanting to swim unless it's in a heated pool.

Our bedroom looks a Chinese laundry at the moment. We re both sorting out old clothes. I finally got through to OH that he can only wear so many shirts. When he buys new clothes which isn't often he doesn't get rid of any old ones :-|

We have traversed the country once again and are back in London for baby sitting duties. It looks like rain tomorrow which isn't good, we had better go swimming

It is back to jeans and a jumper here today, but still sandals. I refuse to revert to socks and shoes.

I have just walked into the centre to pay my community transport money in. Not that the woman was there, they only work part time, but are always "popping out" or coming in late. I just left it and if it isn't correct, tough :-|

I have the last lot of washing in the dryer, so I will need to contemplate the large pile of ironing this afternoon as we are off to London on Monday for half term. So far Eve has declared that we are taking her swimming and for a golf lesson. Her daddy hasn't played for twenty years, but he was asked to play with some people from his new job. He went for a lesson to brush up. The place has a nice crazy golf part, so Eve had a go at that. She overheard that they do free golf lessons for children, so she is determined to go.

She likes her sport, on Saturday mornings, she does trampolining, then is transported somewhere else for gymnastics. I thought that she might drop one, to make things easier for her mum, but no - she likes them both

definitely a silly man!

but how many of us have done similar :-D


Glad you had a good time, Linda, even though the weather wasn't too good.


the weather is pretty chilly here today ........... and it is the 2nd day of graduation at the university. The ceremonies are spread over 6 days, 3 this week and 3 next week, 4 ceremonies each day. OH goes to every one, dressed in his regalia ...... he "works" as a Marshall in the processions.

Oh what a silly man Tec is. I'm due to give him a phone call too.

Sunny but oh so chilly here. I've just had a delivery and the delivery girl is rugged up for the snow I'm sure :-0