General Chat

I said that I would be back so here I am and how pleasing to see posts from others.
That toast and dripping has certainly brought many fine memories back.

Oh Frances, I know what it is to go out looking without really knowing what you want, the necklace and earings sound good...as for clothes I must admit that I still buy nearly all my clothes in the UK.
Val, How kind of someone sending you about Reading, I am sure that you will find it interesting.
Merlin, I only ever drink Good champagne, no point in anything else, in a past life I have been known to spend a LOT OF DOSH on Champers!

However I also like a decent G&T, with Lime not Lemon, can't drink Brandy but love the smell of it, enjoy a well pulled Guinness, best in Dublin with oysters which they seem to sell at every bar and also like good coffee, Darjeeling tea or any good brew.
What am I drinking right now, fizzy water!

Now a confession!! I have almost accepted some more work back in the UK, short term contact arriving by email tommorrow BUT this time it is in a Residential Home not nursing and has only 20 beds rather than 50, is set in beautiful grounds, as was the last place and they are paying for a two bedroom apartment for me.

Now for the very strange co/incidence which I think is spooky but intriguing!!

When I was around 3 and a half years old I had to leave my mother because she was very ill in her pregnacy. My father took me to a convent near to Hastings where I stayed for about 6 months. I have very happy memories of the place and have wondered if it was still there. Well, the answer is yes, but now it has been turned into appartments and guess what...
Yes it is the same place!

Unusually for me I do not know what to think or say so will wait to see what replies come along.

Have a good day and evening everyone .


Bridget

Good morning everyone and I hope that it will be a good day for you all.

This morning as I came down stars the sky was rather strange in so far as , from the sea the sky rose like a giant wall of deep dark blue and then from thereon the sky was a pale blue and the sun was shining albeit rather weakly.

Last night the temperature must have dropped considerable for when we retired it was cold and OH asked for a light weight duvet which we put
away months ago...a sure sign of Autumn arriving. To be honest we do not have the gloriuos Autumns that occur in the UK with all the wonderful colours of trees and plants...it is at this time I miss the UK for that very reason. Maybe that is why I quite enjoy going back to UK for the Autumn.

Today I have to look for some photos which my elder sister lent to me and she keeps reminding me about them, now I think I know where they are BUT if they are not there then I have a problem as I have sooo Many photos and many have not all been put into albums...I think a prayer to St Anthony is called for. and of course positive thought from anyone who reads this!!!

I have just had a good smile as I looked again at Merlins comment and noticed the Mrs Dales Diary comment!!! I remmebr listening to that , so please tell me is it ironic aor simply a smiley...toast from the fire sounds great so Merlin must be OK.
We have a wood fire during the winter months and it is so cosy...also it is not as drying as central heating. I do not like over warm bedrooms as I find I cannot sleep well if I am too hot, I would rather have a nice feather duvet...I also prefer real cotton sheets, luckily I also enjoy ironing which OH is also a dab hand at. In fact when we were bringing up the children and we were both working, becaue he worked on shift work, I would often come home and find he had done all the ironing.

Today I shall prepare the room for our friends who arrive on Saturday and clean downstairs thoroughly. That also means I can keep an eye on the comp and check now and again my threads.

I think we may be going out with some friends for an early dinner and then meeting our friends who have left the delights of Weston Super Mare for the winter. OH collected them from the airport yesterday and the husband wants me to show him how to trace family, apparently he has a brother who he seems to have "lost"....

Well that is all for now and I have promised to put something on the Culinary Thread., any one from here also adding. ?

Look forward to reading your messages...I am going to sit on the balcony, have my coffee and have my quiet time for the next 15 mins,

Take care everyone


Bridget

Good afternoon All
Well the sun has been shining this morning, although now it has gone a little cloudy. Went for a walk down the town this morning and popped into a couple of Chinese bazaar shops - bought some more Christmasy bits for my cards. Came home with the good intention of cleaning up guest bedroom - tried to use the vaccum/steamer thingie to clean the rug and the thing would not switch on. So it will have to wait until hubby comes home from work at lunchtime - any excuse will do for me !!!
So, having made some Christmas cards in August I decided to write them and address the envelopes. Perhaps I am organised !!! Well we will be going over to UK in December for a wedding and visiting family and friends so I thought I could save on the postage - tight oap that I am.
Hope you all have a good day
Love Mary xx

Hello Bridget,

It's quite breezy again to-day but not unpleasant. Still no rain although rain was forecast for to-day, but the weatherman gets it wrong often !!

Had to take my microwave in for repair this morning after which I
did a bit of shopping, nothing exciting though.

I am looking forward to my friend's visit next week so I must get
the spare room ready for her, she will be spending three days here.

My computer is in my daughter's workshop and at the moment and the CD she is playing at the moment is bagpipes which I enjoy, I musst say that some of her music really isn't my cup of tea. I do enjoy light classical musical.

I am enjoying the book on Reading, it is very interesting and my daughter is also very keen to read it.

Bye for now,


Val in SA.

Good Day to all. Bridget - your amazing coincidence with the apartment reminded me of when I was on a working holiday in 1953/4, my friend and I had a big front room on the ground floor or a rooming house in London.

In 1989, whilst on a visit to England, I walked past the place and saw that our big room was now a Travel Agency's office. No longer a rooming house. Then, in 1991 when my daughter was leaving for HER working holiday, she handed me the address where her mail could be sent. Guess what? Same address!

Afternoon Bridget and everyone,
Raining again, this is getting beyond a joke!!! It was fine this morning, we went to Calpe to look at televisions and replace the plates I threw across the terrace several weeks ago and the weather was fine, the beach was crowded then it suddenly clouded over. Luckily we managed to reach the car before the heavens opened. Bought a new chair for the computer so will probably spend even more hours in front of it. Put the chair together myself with a little help from OH, usually it is the other way round , so am feeling quite pleased with myself.
Line dancing tonight so will probably be complaining about aching legs and knees tomorrow.
Hope the weather is ok wherever you all may be.
Frances

Good Afternoon Everyone

It is a delightful day here in Peniscola the sun has shone since around 09.00hrs and is pleasantly warm, warm enough to sitoutside.

We are going out tonight to meet up with our friends who reurned from the UK yesterday, they will be here now until mid December.

My contract was agreed to day and I am more tahn pleased with it as is OH who will join me there a week or two after I arrive. The contract has been agred for 6 months which is a bonus as we can see family and friends over Christmas, and be back here for the summer.

We have some friends who wish to come and live here whilst we are away and they will also look after Jet and Joe.

Frances
how clever you are to put a chair together, I once put a TV table together and was vey pleased with myself until I relaised that one side was light brown and everything elkse was black..needless to say it stayed that way.
Lina dancing, now there is something I have never tried, although I expect it is fun.

Val in SA Oh I don't think I could stand to much in the way of BagPipes, they are great at New Yera or on officil parades but at home.....
Being partially tone deaf I sadly do not have the same appreciation as many people do for music but due to childrens weird and wonderful music over the years and OHs amazing knowledeg and collection I have become quite used to many artist I would never have kbown otherwise.

Re the Rain are you having the same type of rainfall we had recently, I know that more is promised fro tomorrow.

Mary in Spain

Now I know that planning ahead is good BUT christmas cards done and dusted already that really is being very organised. I do admire you for making your own, they are always so delightful to receive.

Berona,

Isn't life strange, do you think that these coincidences are a message or something similar....Anyone else with a strange co incidence?

All is well here. so I am going in the garden for a short break, take care everyone

Bye for now


Bridget

If there are any errors please accept my apology

Bridget - it is not a nice day here now - it was very pleasant this morning and I went for a walk but it is raining cats and dogs at moment. Sky very grey and looks like the rain is here to stay for a while yet. Not really complaining as we do need the rain.
Have a good evening
Love Mary xx

Good morning everyone

The sun is shining the temp is in the mid 20s and all seems peaceful very different to last nights weather!

Raging thunderstorms, thunder seemed to be right above the top of the house, lightening across the sky and such rain it was almost a wall of rain, hammering on the stairs and into the pool. Jet and Joe just sat by my feet or hid under my bed...Thos went on untiol around 04.00hrs and then the rain slowed down as well. Finally I was able to get some sleep, hence my late arrival this morning.

OH weny to town in the midst of this rain to watch the Liverpool game and apparently the lplace was packed and I didn't go because I though now one would venture out...silly me!!

Had a long chat with son who has his leg in Plaster , he is much better now, has been for a check and the stiches will come out next week and the plaster may be renewed. He has been looking info about his injury on the Internet and is now fully aware of the consequneces if he doesn,t do what he has been tod to do. He has arranged a BBQ for his birthday and he ahs a multitude of friends coming to it. He seems to have many friends who are very supportive so that is good...

Everyone else in Family OK so keeping my fingers crossed that is the way it will stay...also another great neice or nephew due in 2 weeks time!

Thos weekend is the finale of the festival and the town is full of special lights and decorations, there is plenty of music flowing up the mountain and lots of singing in the evening, we just sit and listen to it but on Saturday we will be there, for the last parade. Have checked that places at restaurant are still booked out to us!!

Well I am going to spend my own time in the garden now, hopefully it will not rain and have my quiet time, i shall think of you all and ponder a while...
Take care

have a good day and if anything interetstiing happens I will be back


Bridget

Just a quick note everyone,

I have just been told that Keith will not be posting anymore, I am sorry to hear that as it is pleasant to have a male view of life on here . I have passed on a message to say that we wish him well


Bridget

Hello Bridget,

Well it is a wintry day here to-day with a strong win d blowing.
The sea is ugly and I guess the fishing boats will be sheltering in he bay again.

Glad to hear that your son is doing well, I hope that continues.

Sorry to hear Keith won't be posting any more. I hope he keeps well.

Nothing very exciting happening to-day, will be off to the shops in a
while to do some shopping aand will pop into Woolies and see what they
have to offer.

The music to-day while I am at the computer is 70's Rock which I must say is not my cup of tea. My daughter has a very varied taste in music, from rock to classics and all sorts in between!!

Take care everyone and enjoy the rest of the day.



Val in SA.

Hi Bridget & everyone,
Been to the beach today..very pleasant. Arrived there about 11 and had to leave at 2.30 as the dark clouds came over...yes it has rained again!!
We all seem to be suffering from weather at the moment.
Take care
Frances

Wonderful news this morning I am aGreat Aunt again My niece has had her second daughter safely delivered at home in the early hours of this morning. Her Big sister woke up to find she had a baby sisterand is so excited. Mother and child are both well, dad is exhausted, sister has gone to school to tell everyone and her grandma, my sister called me around 08,00hrs this morning. I am off to buy an outfit for the new member of the family as the baby and children clothes here are so gorgeous.


I have taken time earlier this morning to think of anyone who is feeling sad, lonely or simply worried and to be pleased about those who are happy

I will be back later today.

by for now


Bridget

Good morning all,

Congratulations again Bridget, have a lovely time shopping for the new addition to the family.

Nothing changes, another very windy day with no sign of rain and a very choppy, grey sea.

There is a lot of activithy on the plot next door to-day where a house is being built, the owners are buiiding as they have the money, I guess it won't be completed for quite some time yet.

We are selling pancakes on 3 October to raise funds for our church
building fund. We are presently using the hall of another church as our
own premises are too small. We are trying to buy a piece of ground to build a church but our municipality has been dragging it's feet for so long
I'm not sure when we will ake some progress.

Till next time,



Val in SA.

Hi Bridget and Val and everyone,
Congratulations to your niece on the arrival of her baby, Bridget. Weather today is warm and sunny with a few high clouds. Last night we had quite a storm and lost the electricity to our power circuit, we had light and the new half of the kitchen was working but no tv, computer etc. Seems to be ok this morning so can only conclude that water had found its way into the circuit!!! Keeping everything crossed that we don't have anymore rain for a while. Going to buy some lottery tickets today as the euromillions is a massive jackpot...well we can dream!
Enjoy the day.
Frances.
PS You can have our rain Val.

Good afternoon All
Well today is lovely around mid 20's - just how I like it. We are planning a bbq for Sunday with our next door neighbours - hubby will be cooking salmon and I will be doing the other stuff. Probably do stir fry and jacket potatoes - which will make a change from salad which we seem to have all summer.
Yesterday I booked the hotel in Evesham for December 5th as our friends' daughter is getting married. We will incorporate this with visiting my mom and sister in Cornwall, grandchildren in Nottingham and our eldest son and his wife in Cumbria. From one end of the country to the other. Just hope the weather will be kind to us. We have not been back to the UK for 3 years but it will be great seeing everyone especially the grandchildren.
Kitchen duties are calling so I had better move away from the computer.
Enjoy your day everyone
Love Mary xx

I wish, Frances!


Val in SA.

Good morning everyone

It has been a vert wet and windy nigt here in Peniscola but has that stopped the singing. and music in town....OH NO ! This morning as I write it isn't actually raining but there is that ominous atmosphere, with a red and blue sky with a lot of cloud and the temperature has certainly dropped.
Our last visitors for the season arrive today and thankfully they are very adaptable, have hiired their own car and will be reasonable happy to simply chill out for a few days. They both have quite demanding jobs so I believe tthey come here in order to "stand and Stare" as the poem says.

Val in SA, I read your email and the name Woolies was great to read especially as in the UK this company no longer exists, is it the same as Woolises was in the UK.
It will be interesting to watch the development in the land next to you, I find new buildings fascination to watch as they are being built...If I had may life over again I would be a civil engineer, as they absolutely fascinate me in their achievemnts...however in my time it wasn't even considered for girls...ce la vie.

last night we had some friends pop down for me to start a tree for them as the husband has not had contact with a brother for about 40 years and neither has anyone else in the family and they are trying to trace him so I have another tree and mystery to try to resolve.
There is someone from Australia on one of the threads so I must find her as I know this chap was the CO for American Express in Melbourne Austraila for some years.
Whilst they where here we were playing The rolling Stines, David Bowy and such like , it was good fun.

Frances, how comfortable is that new computer chair, i have ordered a new one and now it will arrive just as I am going back to UK.! someones' law I think it is called

Mary in Spain , Oh when it rains, it RAINS doesn't it. I cannot recall having gentlle showers, or light rain since we moved here. it is always torrential...but as I have written about previously and you mention frequentley we really need this rain and hopefully if it continues the water shortage problem will start to be resolved, and I must say that the plants and the fruit trees do look so much perkier.

Val in SA hope the c offee morning goes well, fund raising is such hard work, I am sure that some people do not realise how much effort goes into these events. All local authorities or minicipalities seem to work at the same snail pace across the world, I wonder if anyone can explain why?
Your "I wish" comment sounded as if you were having a difficult day, so I have had an extra few minutes this morning to my quiet time and tried some positive thoughts. I hope that your husband is well and all the family, so take care of yourself as well.

I am just back now from my coffee and thoughts time and have had to pick up the garden table and Umbrella which was no longer partnered to to the table, has broken isn several places and will have to be thrown away, found one chair seat in the pool, all the others had managed to stay attached to the chairs although only one chair was still upright and the table was laying on its' side. Now these are wooden table and chairs so not light weight so may give some indication of the wind levels here together with the rain. There is garden mess everywhere so OH has his wok sorted for the morning and visitors should be her by midday. Not sure it is worth buying a new shad this late in the summer..and as we will be going to UK soon

Oh well I had better go and do some final dusting etc

Will pop back from time to time during the day



bye for now everyone


Bridget

Morning Bridget,
The computer chair is very comfortable, this one has arms and a high back and the arms are adjustable so can sit up-close and personal with the computer, no more stretching forward to type...bliss!
I think Woolworths in SA is more like M&S than the old Woolies, I am only going on what someone who has been told me, so I may be wrong.
Weather today is perfect, hopefully the rain has gone for a while. Everywhere looks so fresh and clean, the dust has been well and truly dampened down.Maybe this week we will get our paella with friends that we should have had last Tuesday, but I won't hold my breath just in case.
Sounds as if you have had some terrific storms up your way, still plenty to keep OH occupied in tidying up...LOL!
Enjoy the day
Frances

A bright and cheery goodmorning to everyone,

The sea to-day is different colours of blue/green with lotys of white horses, looks pretiter that yesterday.

Bridget our Woolies is your Marks and Spencer. I didn't find anything I liked there, they seem to cater for the young and thin and I'm neither!!! The shop in Port Elizabeth has a nicer selection of goods so when next I'm there I shall have a look..

My daughter and I have just been to a small morning market in town, there was a selection of sauces and cheese and a few tables displaying beadwork etc, not much in the line of veggies though which is what I had hoped for. This is something new here so maybe it will grow in time. We have a mionthly craft market where i love to browse around.

My "I wish" was for the rain Frances offered me!! Thankyou for thinking of me. Some parts of the country are being declared drought areas, and are looking to the government for aid. Your storms sound really terrific.

I guess next on the agenda will be finding something for lunch.

Till next time take care,



Val in SA.


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