General Chat

Good afternoon Ladies,

That deletion was me, a senior moment I'm afraid, hit the wrong button!!

Nice to see you back Bridget, you have been missed.

The sea is choppy to-day because of the strong wind which is blowing. Most of the country is having good rains but somehow we miss out.

Enjoy your "cat sitting" Frances, I think we all need some "me" time now and again.

While we were away we managed to get some stone-ground bread flour for Jimmy's bread-making, now he just needs to get back i nto bakin g mode.

Mst be off later to do the weekly shopping - not very interesting.

It gets light here very early in the morning now, broad daylight at 4.30 a.m. to-day, so I get up early and do whatever chores need doing and then the day is mine.


Take care.



Val in SA.

Hi everyone
Frances enjoy your cat and house sitting - if you get the chance there is a brilliant market at Altea on a Tuesday.
Good to see you Bridget and glad everything is going well on the work front.
Another beautiful day here today - we are so lucky - much luckier than those poor folks affected by floods in Cumbria. Had an email off our eldest son last night - he lives in Ambleside - said the river was at the bottom of his drive. But he managed to cycle to work and the boss let him off early before it got dark.
Off for a meal on Sunday lunchtime to celebrate 8 years living in Spain.
Hope you all have a good weekend
Take care
Love Mary xx

Hello everyone and thanks to Mary and Frances for your comments.
Some friends from Spain called in a couple of days ago on their way to the North of England. They enjoyed our "bijou" home and we had a splendid mmeal at the local pub last night. they left around lunch to=ime and called several hours later to say that the rain had got steadily worse as they drove North to Chester. At least here it was a pleasant morning with the sun shining. It is damp now but not exactly raining and at mid day the sun shone and everything looked splendid in the gardens.

Had some good news from SSAFA but you will have to look at the other thread to read it!!


Well bye for now will be back tomorrow

Bridget

I'm really late to-day, but better late then never!
Still no sign of rain here.
Jimmy collected for Retina Foundation this morning, not something I like doing, standing with a collection tin, although I have done it once or twice. Amazing how invisible one becomes.

Hope your son is not too badly affected by the floods Mary. Enjoy your lunch to-morrow.

Take care,


Val. in SA.

Hello all, spent the afternoon writing Christmas cards, no easy job when you send about 150!!!!

We have had the very high winds and some heavy rain but nothing like they have had up north, I feel so sorry for those poor people in Workington and Cockermouth, just before Christmas. And that poor Policeman, his family have such a sad Christmas in front of them, my thoughts are with them.

Glad the job is going well Bridget, make sure you stick to your guns and don't work the long hours. How long is the job going on for?
I am so sorry to hear about your great niece having cystic fibrosis, so sad for the family. I hope the other little one was able to enjoy her birthday despite the sad news.

Take care every one
Ann
Glos

Hello from a cool and cloudy JBay. To-day has been a quiet day, went to church and have just been taking it easy, another way of saing lazy I guess!!

Have been watching Sky News about the floods in Cumbria, my heart goes out to those people. So sad . It brought back memories of the flood we experienced while living in Beacon Bay when the bridge across the Nahoon river was washed away and we were cut off from East London where we worked. Our supplies were brought in by helicopter for a couple of days while the army built a Bailey Bridge which we used for a long time. Sorry I don't mean to detract from the plight of all those involved.

How was lunch Mary - hope you had a good time.

Off to make a cup of tea.

Keep well.


Val. in SA.

Good afternoon everyone

First thanks for the kind comments re mygreat neice. her sister has noow been tested and she does not carry the gene....thank God for that. The siblings of the parents have now to be tested so keeping our fingers crossed.......
my daily meditation/prayer for everyone ow has a very personal aspect and if anyone else could have some postive please remember us all.

The weather here on The Ridge has been very mixed, brilliant sunshine and then suden heavy downpours which are leaving wonderfully brilliant rainbows and I am looking at one right now.
A lot of different birds are also here I feel sure that some of them must be those who would normally be at sea as they are rather large. There are two sitting on the roof of the house opposite...they are prodominately black with a brilliant white under carriage coming round, rather like an up side down saddle. their tails are very long as are their beaks.

OH is busy ordering a couple of books for me from Amazon and other than that there isn't a great deal of news.

take care
Everyone, I will look in again later
Bridget

Will be thinking of you all Bridget.



Val in SA.

I had my coffee out on the patio this morning at 5.30 a.m., it was beautiful outside then, quiet and peaceful. As usual the wind has come up, it always seems to blow from lunch time.

I do hope your great niece is doing OK Bridget, I will continue to remember you all in prayer.

Have just printed pictures of our trip and want to put them into an album.. Must get my brain into gear and write the story of the trip to accompany the pictures.

My daughter is enjoying her ridgeback puppy which nis now 12 weeks old. I am really surprised as she has always been a cat person.

That's it for now.

Take care.




Val in SA.

good evening everyone

the weather has been bery strange...heavy down pours obliterating the landscape a then the sun came out and glistend on all the puddles. tonight the wind has been high but has calmed down a lot so who knows what tomorrow will bring.

very busy at work, BUT for all those who remeber my dreadful dilema last year into the summer of this year i simply want you to know that I AM NOT WORKING LIKE THAT EVER AGAIN!! here I can arrive and depart at sensible times. we have audits every week and the next is on Wednesday, but no one is panicing, the team are great and working very well with me and not against me. it is wonderful to have Peter my OH with me and he makes sure that I have a decent meal every evening and relax as as well.

I still have my quiet times and think of you all my prayers are with you all.

Next weekend i hope to see my Army son and the weekend after the one who lives in Wales.
On 20th Dec we all meet at my daughters for a full Xmas Lunch and to exchangr presents but before that we have 2 grandchildrens' birthday.

EXPENSIVE time of the year.

well good night everyone

Bridget

Good morning all
Well we still have blue skies and I am still wearing short sleeved tops - me thinks that will change next week when we are off to UK. I am getting excited now and looking forward to seeing grandchildren - not seen them for 3 years - missing out so much on their young lives.
Had a phone call Sunday night from the parents of the bride whose wedding we are going to on December 5th - they have booked flights on Thursday 10th and flying to Spain to spend a long weekend with us. We are flying from different airports but landing at Alicante the same time - I assume on different runways !!!
Well Sunday lunch was cancelled - my hubby has pulled something in his arm and spent most of Saturday night·Sunday morning in a lot of pain - so I told him to cancel and we would go somewhere local on Sunday night. We went to a typical Spanish restuarant and thoroughly enjoyed our meal - no sea view but that will always be there for another day. Off out this Sunday evening with friends for another meal - so unlike us to be going out so much - but very enjoyable.
Glad to hear you are not working your socks off Bridget and that your hubby is looking after you. Out of interest how do you find the cost of living in UK compared to Spain ?
Hope you little great niece is making some progress - I remember her in my prayers.
Well, ironing to do and I must go out to the shops. Hope you all have a great day
Take care
Love Mary xx

Hi everyone,
Have a great time in the 'old country', Mary...don't envy you the weather. It is forecast to get a little colder here next week, about 17 or so. Going to do my cat sitting tomorrow so will have missed Altea market, having said that I am not a big fan of large markets, feel threatened somehow....just me being daft I suppose, but I don't do crowds.
Glad to hear Bridget is enjoying being back in the swing.
Enjoy the day.
Frances
PS Soooo glad I don't have 150 cards to send!!!

Hello everyone,

It was lovely again early this morning so I sat outside and had my morning coffee. The wind has come up again though. It seems that some people just can't be bothered to adhere to the water restrictions and are still watering gardens with sprinkler systems and hosepipes, residents have now been asked to report people who are doing this.

I guess the excitement is mounting now Mary as your visit to the Uk drawers nearer, do have a wonderful time and enjoy your grandchildren.

How is your great niece getting on Bridget, I remember you all in prayer, hope she is improving. poor little mite.

Our town is getting quite busy as there are already quite a lot of visitors here, I thought the new Mall would ease the parking problems in the town centre but it doesn't seem to have done so as parking is a real problem.

Do have a super weekend.



Val. in SA.

Good morning all
Thought I had better add to this today as we fly off to UK tomorrow. Got the suitcase packed apart from toiletrys which will go in tomorrow morning. I am so excited I hope I manage to sleep tonight.
Well, the past couple of days the temp has dropped here - still blue sky but the wind definitely has a chill factor - but I guess I will feel the cold when we land in Liverpool tomorrow evening. Just hope Saturday is dry for the wedding we are going to. Hubby looked at weather forecast and reckons it is rain - wondering if our large umbrellas will go in suitcase.
Hope your great niece is improving Bridget and you are not working too hard. Will bore you all to tears with the memories of our trip after 10th December.
Hope you all keep well and happy
Love Mary xx

Morning all,
Cat sitting was good....did lots of shopping. I know that to most of you shopping is an everyday thing and nothing to get excited about but we live in the back of beyond and proper shopping is a car ride away. I took myself off to Benidorm one morning, love going there, out of season, great to people watch!!! It was quite busy with the Spanish pensioners enjoying their subsidised holidays and the milk-white brits wandering about in next to nothing!!!
Had my morning walk on the sea-front in Albir...very bracing. Watched people doing Tai-Chi...think I might try it.

Enjoy the day.
Frances

Morning everyone, Was going to LMA today but not feeling to good, in alot of pain and got a upset tum.

Its nice and sunny in Uxbridge but very cold.

{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}}}to everyone

Hazelx

Good afternoon to you all,

I can just imagine the excitement Mary. Have a good trip and a wionderful time. Hope the weather holds out for you.

I love shopping Frances. I think I was born to shop!! We don't have to go far any more as we have all we need here now that the shopping malls have opened.

I haven't seen you post here before Hazel, so nice to see you. Hope you feel better soon.

It's been a very nice day here so far, and Jimmy has ben out at the archery range playing at Robin Hood!!

The price of petrol goes up at midnight to-night so we need to get the car filled before then.

Oh well, mundane things call, must fetch the washing in.

Take care.


Val in SA.

I just wrote a long message and pressed the wrong Button!
I will try again later

Bridget

Apart from the sad news i had about my sister in laws mum passing.

I had a good day, I went to a coffee morning at the library and met some very nice people and made friends with some of them.

It was so nice having someone to talk to and finding out they all doing they family tree.

Meeting them again next week.

Hope everyone is ok

Hazelx

Hello everyone

It looks as if this is becoming my monthly diary rather than daily. Thank you to everyone for keeping this going, I believe we all have fun and happy times on here and it is a good place to be part of. And when the news is not so good we all seem to find the strength to say the right words, offer comfort and prayers and if we do not have a belief we have life experience that helps us to support each other.

My husbands eldest son is visiting on Wednesay along with his Partner and our lovely newest grandaughter Roberta, I am sooo excited because I haven't met her yet and I can't wait to give a loonnngggg cuddle. They can only stay for one night as they are travelling around. This week thay went to Swansea to see one of my twins and had a good time there, then they have more family to see before they go home for Xmas

On Sunday we have an early Chrisdtmas Dinner with my daughter in Suffolk and we will exchange presents. The chidren spend the afternoon with their father on Christmas day so we always have a special day the week before

On the Monday we are staying with our former neighbours in Frinton on Sea and we shall meet all our all friends from Frinton as they are having a big party.

Will not get to Wales to see the other twin son until the new year but it is something to look forward to and of course the eldest in Barcelona will be at our Spanish home so will have a long chat with him during Christmas.

Please everyone keep those prayers going for my grt. Neice. She has put on some weight and now weighs 9 lbs. The family go to Great Ormand St on Monday for more test on the babay as her pancres is looking rather worrying so PLEASE keep those positive thought going



HAPPY CHRISTMAS to you all, just in case I am not back her for the next few days

Bye for now

Bridget