General Chat

OOOPS did I really say that Andalucia is NORTH of Spain .....must have something to do with that very small glass of white wine I had hic hic

Bridget

Just the one Bridget!!!
Happy New Year to one and all.
Feliz año nuevo.

Regards,
Frances

Happy New Year to you all. where have the last ten years gone???

I seems only a blink of the eye since we were welcoming the New Milenuim

Enjoy your evening and I raise my glass to you all

Bridget

Hello, well I guess you are all over the New Year Festivities and looking forward to a wonderful 2010.

We still have a lot of visitors in town, the caravan parks are still quite full and the beaches still packed with sun-seekers.

There is rather a terrible wind blowing to-day making things even drier if that is possible! Our poor garden is really looking sad although I planted some lobelias in pots which I can at least water using a watering can.

My eldest brother paid us a visit this weekend which was nice as I haven't seen him for a couple of years.

Wishing you all health and happiness for the new year.




Val in SA.

Hello everyone

Today I woke to a complete whiteout due not to snow but to frost!! To say it was cold was an understatement....as the day went on the sun shone for a while but the temp didn't seem to improve very much. Apparently it snowed in Hastings but the snow had not arrived where I am by the time I left work so am hoping that it stays away. I am not confident driving in the snow and ice.....

Our heating and hot water is back on..the plumber managed to get the part on Monday and after 10 days of being without either we we delighted to have the service again.....I shall never take central heating for granted again.

Work is going along fairly well...the residents are very vocal in their opinions and I believe that they manage the home and I am there to make sure that they are supported ...this is excellen t in theory but is very daunting when trying o explain the legalities of managing such a place.
The level of expected service is very high and not always easy to implement. On the other hand it is great to see a care home working in such a progressive manner.

Just had a message to say that grandaughter in Amsterdam has learnt to walk a few steps and today was her first day at nursery...how time flies.

well not a lot of news, looking forward to hearing from you all
so bye for now


Bridget

Hi Bridget, hope the snow stays away for you, I try never to drive on icy/snowy roads now that I don't have to. Aw bet your little Granddaughter is sweet, how old is she, love it when they start to walk.

My third Grandson, he is 17 nearly 18, passed his driving test first time yesterday. That is three of them on the road, that will be more grey hairs than ever if I think about it. You have to let them grow up and get mobile but it is scary.

I can imagine you have one or two tussles with the residents who see themselves as being in charge 'because we pay to be here'!!!!!

Look forward to hearing more of your news soon
Ann xx

Good morning one and all

Got up this morning and we have frost on the inside of our windows, not just on the outside! More snow over night and still snowing now. Not sure how I shall make it to work but will do my best to get there. The staff at the home were fantastic yesterday and those who simply couldn't get there contacted others who covered for them....my main problem is getting out of the drive. The incline is very steep and the ice is very thick and the cars are slipping and sliding all over the place, then the journey to work, which on average takes 4, yes4, minutes took one hour yesterday. Will take overnight things with me today just in case.....

My grandchildren range from 12, 13 in March, to my grandaughter in Amsterdam who is 7months old. I have 6 altogether but sadly only see three of them as the mother of the others will not allow the family to see them.If we send cards , presents etc they are either returned or ignored.


Ann it is not so much that the residents are in charge because they are paying but because they are so alert and have had some very senior work positions in life. For example one lady in her 90s was the head nurse who was at Buckingham Palace as the nurse in charge when the present queens' father had his appendix removed, she also has so many citations that they cover quite a large area. When I was about 10 yrs old she was sent to the US for 2 years by the English Government to study how their health system worked and to advise the english Government on the way forward....thankfully she felt strongly that the English way was far superior!! She is very alert and still reports to me every day what need s to be improved etc.
All those living there have had such interesting lives and done such much that one wonders why we think travel is a new phenomenem. They have lived in all continents between them and yesterday one made me laugh so much, but only after I had left her room. Sjhe wanted to see me about the choice of one of the meals which was a supper meal. The option was egg and chips which many of them enjoy, But this person was horrified that she was offered "workmans food" as she had "never eaten egg and chips in her life, this is what is served in roadside cafes".
Well of course she was and will be in future offered a different alternative but I did find it funny.

Well I have said my prayers this morning and sent my positive thoughts not just to those who have asked for me to remember them but also for eveyrone trying to get to work, for all those in the services trying to get to accidnets, the ambulance crews etc.



Now it is time to have some coffee, pack an overnight bag and the wake OH to see if he can get me to work. If not the partner of one of the chefs said he will come with his 4x4 and try to pick me up ... Hope you are all well and I will look on here again this evening

Bye fo now

Bridget

Good morning all
Firstly let me say I hope you all in the UK stay safe and warm with all the terrible weather you are having. I do not envy you one little bit. I was only saying to hubby this morning if we were still in UK I would not be able to go out as my feet would not want to stay on the ground - I was always falling in the snow !!!
Secondly, sorry I have not been adding to your thread Bridget - what with having son and d i l over for Christmas I have been busy. Their holiday was delayed by a day due to bad weather in Liverpool so they arrived on the Monday before Christmas. They both thought it funny as I kept saying I was cold. I have become a whimp since living in Spain. We had an enjoyable time over the festive period and the weather was fairly king to us and we managed to go out for walks etc. Took them back to Alicante airport on 28th December and left them around 2.15 pm for their flight home at 4.15 pm. We went off to Benidorm - hubby needed shoes - size 12 is a problem in Spain and we only know of this one shop in Benidorm which stocks them - then we went up the mountain by Benidorm to see some friends who were over for Christmas and had an enjoyable meal with them. Hubby¡s mobile kept bleeping with messages from Adrian -plane delayed - no one knows anything or not telling them anything. This went on most of the evening until eventually a message came through off to a hotel in Alicante flight cancelled - trying for same time tomorrow. Well eventually they managed to get away around 5.15 pm on the Tuesday. They both said they were not bored - hubby and I would have been bored and really fed up if it was us. Still they arrived back home in Cumbria safe and sound which was the important thing.
Yesterday was the day the Soanish celebrate more than Christmas day - The Epiphany - children have their main present that day. We decided as it was a lovely day . blue sky but a chilly wind - to go for a walk in Denia along the coastal path - the sea was fairly rough - and we sat outside on a terrace have a small refreshment watching the waves and a couple of boats out at sea. And yes, we did think of you in UK and thanking our lucky stars we were in Spain.
Today it is raining with more forecasted for tomorrow so I have mundain jobs to do - like defrosting fridge and freezer before shopping this afternoon to fill them both up again.
Bridget I had to smile at your residents - I bet they keep you all on your toes. Bless them. I know older people can be contankerous - my mom is at 86 - but they can tell such good stories of daus gone by. I think all who look after the older generation need a medal.
Well I seem to have ranted a lot - hope I have not bored you all to tears.
And once again please take care and stay warm.
Love Mary xx

I am still alive and well but the hours in the day simply fly by and when I get home my OH says"oh no not on the computer again!!" so everyone I am well, the weather has been both beautiful and scarry, and just as it was clearing Mr Jack Frost has visited. The pavements outside are frozen, visitors to the home tell me that nearby the snow has returned and I can't leave until 19.00hrs as resident has to go to the surgery.
I have joined another thread all about writing...now I have never written anything before but thought it would be fun but in reality I am scared, rather similar feelings to taking exams...Has anyone on here joined this thread.??

I miss writing about my quiet time and will go back to it in the very new future, hopefully in early February

I look forward to "talking" to you all again more frequently

Best wishes

Bridget

Hello everyone

How are you all, and thank you for keeping this thread alive, whilst I have been so busy at work. Most days I have come home, had something to eat and then fallen asleep. However the end of the road is in sight and I am beginning to relax again.

I expect you have all heard about the snoowfalls, the dreadful drivibg conditions etc s I will not bore you all except to say thank goodness our hot water and central heating was back on by the time it started.

Something has surprised me in the last couple of weeks and that ishow easily OH and I have settled into such a small home. We have a small sitting-room which is also our dining room, one small kitchen can only cook in there and fitting in two people is the limit. One bath room and two small bedrooms BUT we feel vey content and happy. Miss Jet and Joe my two Cocker Spaniels but do not worry abot them as I know they are well cared for.

Has anyone else ever experienced this.?

I have joined another thread all about writing, submitted my first two pieces and so far had some very positive comments. Must say I felt very nervous.
Goodnight everyone will be back some time tomorrow

Bridget

I think we should try and make more of an effort keeping this thread going as it is good to keep in touch with people's every day activities etc-

Bridget I hope your great neice is doing ok. She is still in my prayers.

Well we have rain on the Costa Blanca today and the temp is dropping to 50 plus - but should not complain as there is far worse happening - like Haiti and now a plane crash in the Med- So many people loosing their life.

I am at present knitting myself a jumper with some of the wool my sister gave me on my visit in December. It is bright pink so when I wear it I will be noticable !!! No one could miss me anyway - cos I am a big girl - lol

I also must get out tomorrow to buy some card as I have loads of cards to make for birthdays in February and March. I had a shock the other day when I bought a couple of stamps - the price has gone up and is now 72 centimos . or somewhere around that - good job I make cards which is so much cheaper than buying them.

Take care all
Love Mary xx

Hi, haven't seen this thread for a while and forget it when I don't see it.

Bridget, I can't remember if I saw your piece? maybe I did there were so many.

Mary, 50 sounds quite warm to me!! more like 6 here today, very cold wind and dark and gloomy, doesn't lift the spirits much.

Glad you have settled into your little home Bridget, not so much to clean I guess. I would be OK in a smaller place as long as I had somewhere else to keep all my bits, books etc! Goodness knows where it would all go if we needed to downsize.

I have come out from under my rock!!
Hope you are all well. How is your greatniece doing Bridget

As we are not allowed to use hosepipes our garden is looking really sad.. I did plant some lobelias in pots which gave a bit of colour outside as I could water the pots using a watering can. Our water situation is serious and there is talk of us not being able to use municipal water at all for the garden and each household to be allowed 500 litres of water per day. Anything over that the charge will be nearly ZAR15 (I think that is just over a £1) per litre. In some parts of the Eastern Cape dams are dry.

I also do quite a bit of knitting, not for myself though, I knit children's jerseys which I give to one of the underprivileged schools here. I have tried my hand at card-making although I'm not very creative, do enjoy it and have created some disasters!!!!

Enough waffle for to-day.

Take care everyone.


Val in SA.

Since writing yesterday we had a light drizzle which although it hasn't changed the water situation, was good for the lawn which, would you believe this morning has a tinge of green. Some parts of the country had floods and sadly some lives were lost.. Now (our time 7.20 a.m) the sun is shining and the temperature is expected to be 27.

Have a good day.



Val in SA.

Hi everyone

Thank you for keeping this thread going and now I am back as well.
The last audit went very well 87% which considering that the first one when I arrived was in the low 50s is really a good result. Of course it was the staff who did most of the work, my role is really to make sure that they know what and how to do the work and record it accurately. They have almost without exception worked hard and are delighted with the result.
It is very damp here today and it looks as if we are having more rain come our way........ I really am looking forward to spring and seeing the flowers and hedge rows bloom.
We helped Army son to move yesterday. He has moved out of his army quarters, which I must say were very pleasant and he and his girlfriend are renting a house together. Hope it works out for them both but she is very set in her ways and refused to allow him to put his uniform in her wardrobe as she kept saying"no,it is my wardrobe not yours". I did behave though and did not reply!!

Well it is time to leave for work now, and I will try to be back on here this evening.

Take care everyone

Bridget

Hello Bridget, so nice to see you back. Well done on the audit, the improvement must be very satisfying.

Still no rain for our part of the country, each household is now allowed 500kl of water per month with a penalty of nearly ZAR15 for each kl in excess of the allowance. We are trying to keep the fruit trees alive though the rest of the garden is not looking too good.

I tried out a chicken pie recipe over the weekend, and it was simply delicious, the pastry was the easiest pastry I have made. Said my daughter - Mom you can make this agaIn!!

Visited my niece and her husband who were camping at the caravan park for a couple of days, they have now left and are travelling further down the coast. Camping certainly isn't like the old days, they have all sorts of things which makes life easier, cupboards, lights, freezer/fridge. I must admit I am not really the camping type.

Take care.


Val. in SA.,

The welcome back has been inspiring and thank you everyone for keeping faith in me.

I could not believe it when I looked out of the window whilst at work today and found that it was snowing again! Thankfully so far it hasn't settled on the roads so everyone should be able to get about.

I spend my quiet time when I get up each morning and can just about see the sea from the second bedroom. It is the sea that I find so inspiring and this makes me think of the chain we all share one way or another, it is only the expanse that separates us all.
Mary in Spain, the one thing I really missed this Christmas was the Ephphany parade, seeing the three kings etc
Ann i am pleased to hear that your grandson passed his driving test, I guess that now the really worrying time starts so he must go in my positive thoughts.
Val, Thanks for the congratulations on the audit report we all worked our sox off as they say and now the real test starts which means at least retain this llevel and trying to beat it.


Well now it is relax time with some turkish delight cadbury chocolate...oh the calories...guess I will worrry about that tomorrow

Bridget

Hello everyone
Well away for longer than I thought but here is a little about what I have been upto.

The weather here whilst very cold and damp it has also produced some amazing sights. the way the snow and frost has settled on all the trees, (wish i knew what they all are) has been quite beautiful and many times I wish I had my camera with me. The frost has really sparkled and looked like diamonds showing off, The snow has been wonderful for the children playing snowballs and riding sledges reminded me so much of my own childhood,
What I have found very strange is that one can be driving round a village and the trees etc are now clear and then around the next bend the village is still covered in snow and frost, cars stuck in driveways etc,all rather bizarre

We helped the army son move from army quarters into a new abode for both him and his girlfriend...not at all sure that it is the right thing but I know I must not interfere....
Eldest son is finding business very hard in Barcelona and it looks as if he may have to close his shop....I can only offer comforting words and he has always been so independent...However on the bright side he has a lovely partner and they are trying to work things out between them.
I still find time at the beginning or end of each day to sit and think about everyone who is suffering in some way or another, remember good friends and hope thay understand why I have not been in contact as often as I should, and say a prayer for all those who are down in spirit, etc. I also try to remember to say Thanks to to everyone for their thoughts when I have needed them.
Now I must finish and give some time with OH even though he is watching football on TV!!
Bridget

Oh Dear!
It looks as if this thread is dying....what a shame Iused to look forward to hearing from you all and I used to be able to find time to write nearly every day. What does everyne else thnk, should we simply say good bye (I hope not), should we try to write once a week or has anyone got other suggestions.

I am at work, seeing what a night shift is like, OH is in London with one of the sons, the went to the West Ham United Football mach and they WON. The two of them are so excited....

A couple of weekends ago we went to help Army son move out f quarters to move into a house with his girl friend, and son in Barcelona wants us to visit him in his new flat, whilst daughter wants to know if we would like to have our grandaughter and grandson fo a week in the Easter Holidays.

Oh well time to do the walk around so god bless you all, hope to see some messages tomorrow,

Bridget

Hello Bridget from a very windy JBay this morning.

Have just returned from church, where after the service we all stayed behind to discuss ways of raising funds as we are wanting to build a church. . At the moment we hire the hall from the Seventh Day Adventist Church on Sundays. We own a small building, part of a complex, which does not accommodate 60 people, our membership, although I must say that the average attendance on Sundays is 38.

Sorry to sound like a stuck records, but still no rain here.

I am considering not renewing my membership to GR when it expires at the end of the month.

I seem to be stuck with my family tree, but I must get myself into gear and sort out the pile of papers which need to be filed, but it is just so hot here that I never really feel like doing much!!!

I do hope that your little grandniece is getting along nicely.

Take caRE.


Val in SA>