General Chat

it seems we have all been busy too busy to post on here ! I was always told that we have poppies because the poppies grow in the farm fiels where so many died.

Re your idea Bridge mine would be 2 and 10

Come on Gerard you are letting the side down, there will only be twice as much to do later in the garden, and it will be cooler. Here in Norfolk it has been very mild, and we have been sweeping up leaves again, they all seem to have fallen into our garden this year !! No wind to blow them somewhere else !!

Have a good weekend

Regards Jan

Gerard
You are right about the Poppy.
It was chosen as a symbol of those who died serving for their belief in their country as the red Poppies are thought to be the colour of the blood.

It has absolutely no connection with government etc.

I will wear my poppy with pride, and I expect most people will do the same.
As for the position of FIFA, words fail me.
I have pictures and one wonderful painting of direct family members who
were or are in the forces and they will all be on display on the 11.11.2011.

Good for you Gerard for sending a message to the people who did not have the decency to inform you of the outcome of your interview. When I interviewed I always told them that if they had not been selected by a given date they would know that on that particular interview they had not been successful. After the first interview everyone would be contacted by either a telephone call or in writing. Where have good manners gone to??

Beautiful weather here today, with temps in the low 20s and no wind whatsoever.
Family go home early on Thursday, and friends from England arrive tomorrow!

Must go now as OH is calling

Bridget :-)

Good morning everyone - it's a miserable overcast drizzly day in London, and I have been up since 3.30 am because I took the OH to work this morning in the car. I fed our four cats before I took her to work (at about 4.15am) and at about 6am they were asking for more food (thank goodness I can get some cat food on special offer somewhere every week (2 x 12 sachets for £5.00 in Sainsbury's this week!) - but we wouldn't know what to do without them!

Poppies seem to be causing a stir this year (or the banning of them) - firstly Poundland, the Body Shop (falsely accused) and now Football's governing body FIFA have decided that England players can not have poppies on their shirts (perhaps it will offend the Germans - oh that's right the head of FIFA is a German!) - I am still unaware that there is any religious or political significance to the poppy - I thought it was to remember the dead. I am using a picture of my Uncle George on my Facebook Profile - he was killed in the Desert in 1942 - it is my way of remembering him - OH is using a poppy as her profile picture!

I sent my Email to my 'who I thought might be prospective employers' - telling them how disappointed I was with them and kept it very diplomatic (mustn't burn bridges)

I keep looking at my garden - but only looking - must be brave and get out there and finish clearing up at the back - maybe this weekend!

That's all for now
Keep well
Gerard :-)

Good morning to you all. Here the sun is shining, the birds are singing, jet and Joe have had breakfast, a quick walk and are now in the sun whilst dozing.son and family just rising and OH on the computer!

Yesterday my (step) son, who I refer to as son, and my husband put the Miele cooker in for me.,
Some of you may recall that son brought his friends here when they last visited and I was moaning about my cooker which was nearly 40 years old. The young couple said that they were having an Aga fitted and did not know what to do with the two year old Miele cooker.

Well son brought it with him and it is now in place and so is the hob which the couple also gave to me!

I have written and called them and they said they had intended to take it outside their house to give away, so decided to give it to me., they love their new Aga

Looking forward now to using it.

Not much news so far today so wish you all a happy and pleasant day


Bridget.

Bridget - I must have been a bit subtle with my preference - it was definitely there if you read carefully (but if it is too subtle No.8).

I can't believe how miserable Amos the prophet was - this morning's reading had the words 'hate' and 'despise' in it. Any way I must have done a fairly good job of reading it as so many of the congregation came up and told me so. Candles lit and prayers said too. Bridget - Don't worry about Church, Jesus is everywhere and with us all the time, and I am sure He is helping your faith to grow stronger.

Sorry Jan about the football - didn't mean to rub it in! and you are right about West Ham, Bridget, but with the Sontaran as manager you were destined for the drop. Sam will get you back in the Premiership (where you belong)
Gas mantles - that reminds me when I was small we had gas lighting in our street, there used to be a man on his bike with a pole who used to go round and light the mantles. My Gran only had gas in her house (no electricity) - gas lighting and coal fires (and cold bedrooms) and a tin bath on Fridays!, and when Grampa died and she went to live in Hythe, then and only then did the landlord electrify the house and put in a bathroom, obviously to sell the house for a small fortune.

Every time I see someone with an iphone it makes me feel old - and when I remember gas mantles, I realize I am old!!!

Gerard
:-)

I was browsing my paperwork and found this. Between the age of 4 years and 10 years we still gas lamps for all the lighting in our house in the east end of London.

this reminds me so much of those years!!

Gas lighting
Gas was first used for street lighting in 1807 and was adopted for home use in the 1860s. The introduction of the incandescent lamp (light bulb) in 1879 spelled the beginning of the end for gaslight.

Even so, gas continued to be a popular choice for home lighting until the 1920s. Even though electric service may have been available in your town, conversion to electricity was still expensive and was generally not undertaken until a house was sold to new owners. The invention of the gas mantle in 1887 improved the functionality of the typical gas lamp, and this kept the gas lighting industry in business a bit longer after the light bulb came along.
A gas mantle is a cotton mesh "sock" soaked in minerals. When placed inside the gas lamp, the cotton burns away, leaving a chemical mesh that glows brightly when heated by a gas flame. A mantle can increase the light output of a gas lamp tremendously.

I have a few other bits and pieces about those days and just reading them makes me wonder how people would manage today if we had to return to those times

Bridget

Gerard, Thank you for your message and the info re your family and Cancer. It is indeed a dastardly disease but people do make amazing recoveries, so we will just have to wait and see.

I was always aloud to have a sip of whatever my grandparents drunk and also what ever my parents had. Mind you we did not have alcohol most of the time except for mu grand mother who had to have her Guinness every day and she was nearly 90 when she died and Grandad enjoyed a decent Gin, which is also my tipple two or three times a week.

Thank you for thinking about us in your prayers, I do not go to church these days and strangely my faith has grown even stronger...

Re Football, at least my team west Ham are in second place in the ratings but oh dear they should never have gone down!!!

Hazel, I am going to keep a list and see what is the most popular, that is if anyone else has preferences...thanks for getting people started.
Enjoy your time with your friend and have a splendid catch up time.

My choice would be 2 and 4.
Come on Gerard you must have a preference and if not please add to the list!! Mrs Bossy Boots is back!!!

Son has been delayed slightly due to the high winds but should be here between 15.30 & 16.00 hrs so meal prepared oven will be turned on soon and I must NOT NIBBLE before they arrive.

It is still very very windy, could and grey here!!

Bridget




<3

Hi all

I am ready and now waiting for my friend Karen to get here. She said about 11-11.30.She dont live that far from here.but we could never get a date that we were not doing anything at same time.
Sofabed now gone so place is a bit safer now for me. Put a chair on there as well that i dont use.Only for pile of clothes.


Bridget mine would be numbers 6 and 7. Hope the son shines when your son gets there. Have a great time.

Gerard good old Arsenal :-D

~~~~~~~~~~to everyone else.
Hazelx

Hi Everyone

Firstly I have been informed by the Jobcentre that all successful candidates have been informed - which obviously means that I have not been successful. Mind you as they haven't bothered to let me know (three weeks waiting) after promising that they would let all of us know - I am probably better off not working for such a firm. I am in the middle of drafting an E-mail to tell them how disappointed I am with them, and don't you worry I haven't stop looking and applying every day for jobs. I still have my two days a week at my voluntary work (at least for a few more weeks - until they run out of funds [council cutbacks])

So glad the twins are progressing well and are over their illnesses.

Cancer - I have discovered in my life that Cancer is just not fair. It picks on people who have healthy life styles, and people you know and love and it picks on celebrities, usually ones you like too. In our small immediate family, my mother had cancer when she was 54 and was given only a few weeks to live - when my oldest brother was getting married - she had not visited a church since my christening - but she was let out of hospital for the day and she was wheeled everywhere. After the weekend, tests had shown that the cancer had miraculously disappeared and she lived for another 35 years! My oldest brother recently had prostate cancer - he has never smoked has a healthy lifestyle and is exercising (playing golf) regularly. My other brother and I had terrible lifestyles early on although I have now given up smoking (5 years) and heavy drinking (sometimes a glass of wine or a beer - but no trips down the pub) and have become a vegetarian who eats fish (it has a posh name), not a sign of cancer for either of us (thank God).

I am off to church shortly (I am reading the first lesson today) - I shall be lighting a candle for all those who need our prayers.

My beloved Arsenal won 3-0 yesterday against West Bromwich Albion. So one of us has to be disappointed!

As regards the topic, I will go with the flow - mind you when I was young I thought ...................................... :-)

Be happy - keep well
praying for you if you need it
thinking of you anyway
Gerard <3

Congratulations to Jan for being the first person on page 93, we are creeping nearer to the 100th! Never for one moment did I think we would still be on here for this amount of time. Of course I am delighted that it has survived and what a lot of "pen pals" I now have.

I have been trying to think of some new or newish subjects we could all write about, any suggestions welcomed, for example

1.Where is my dream holiday and why?
2. Where was my best holiday and why?
3. What is my most treasured item and why?
4. What advice would I give to a newly married couple and why?
5. My favourite Author and why?
6. Describe the area I live in, the good, the bad and the indifferent.
7. If I could choose where to move to it woul be ............and why
8. When I was young I thought.........................
9. On a Desert Island I would choose these four songs...........these fthree books, these two photos, and if only one item what would it be and why.
10. How I would like to be remembered and why?

All other suggestions to be considered and please give answer by today week.

Now I shall be expecting some very interesting answers


Son from Amstedam and family should be arriving at about 2 pm but the weather here is not very pleasant, hifpgh winds, rain, and chilly to say the least.
Roberta, who is two can now speak very well in both Dutch and English, so we will be having lots of fun. I have decorated the Christmas cake and put together a few little presents she can open whilst here. They go on their journey home on Thursday morning very early.
Daughter in law has to go back to UK to see her mother who is terminally I'll, we are praying that she survives to see Christmas with her granddaughter.

Well time now for a coffee, but will be back some time later today,


Bridget in Spain

I am sure that I am not alone in saying we wish everyone that has problems will be in our prayers ...I shall think of my friends on GR when I go to church tomorrow.

OH lit a fire this afternoon, it is so lovely to see the glow, better than central heating any time... we are lucky enough to live in an old house, so still havve the benefit of an open fire. Pull the curtains and vegetate bliss..............

Have a nice weekend.

Jan X

Good afternoon to you all.

Hazel. Delighted to read that the twins are doing so well, and that you enjoy your trip to see or play snooker. I like snooker, to watch, I mean. In the UK we had a full size snooker table and all my sons friends would call around to play. At least that easy we knew where they were. OH also a snooker fan and played for the department he worked in when in the civil service in London.
Other good news today from HOs son who has had problems re his children.
He is now seeing his children twice a week for three hours, still made to have supervision but when he told SS that he was back living with his mother and there is room for the children, they are going to visit to see if it is a suitable place for the children to live. I am confident that it will be,
So please keep, fingers and toes crossed, along with positive thoughts and prayers.

Son from Holland will be here tomorrow, so have decorated Christmas cake for Roberta, and bought a small present. They are only here for three days as the have two stops overnight so the Roberta does not have to be in the car for too long. Her mum is rather sad at the moment as her mother has now been told that her sudden appearance of liver Cancer cannot be treated and the expectation is for three to four months......so sad, as I sad before, has lived life without alcohol, or drugs, grows nearly all of her vegetables and fruit, never eaten meat. As she is a vegetarian.

I am praying that she will be able to see her granddaughter have a great Christmas.

Please remember in your prayers

Bridget

Hi everyone

I am waiting in today for lady to come pickup sofabed i had on freecycle.she should be hear within the hours. So glad its going as right near frontroom door and i can just about get pass door to get out.I am fedup with hitting my knee on it.

Berona
Savannah and Sian are getting better now.I havent seen them since Monday.But my son Duane keeps me updated on how they doing.

Bridget Glad things are getting better for you with your family.Enjoy it.

I had a good day at the national archives at Kew the other day.Apart from loseing one rellie on 1901 and 1911census.So when i go next week will have to work on that one.

tomorrow i am meeting up with a friend i use to go watch the snooker with years ago.We havent seen each other for about 10yrs.So looking forward to that.

~~~~~~~~~to everyone take care.

Hazelx

The last few months have been very 'unusual' weather-wise but starting to heat up now. Our Spring is Sept - Nov and it hasn't been like spring at all.
However, it is now starting to feel like Summer is coming soon with to-day forecast for 30+.

Bridget - I'm so glad things are looking brighter with your family and hope they continue to get better and better. Enjoy the visit this weekend.

Hazel - I hope the twins improve quickly. I hate to hear babies cry - don't know how I would cope with two of them crying at the same time!

Gerard - have you heard about the application? They are leaving you too long. I would be out looking for something else if I was kept waiting that long.

Glad to hear Bridget that you have had a breakthrough on your family tree...i still have a few brick walls to knock down.

Lots of rain over night

Jan

Hi everyone

Not read all notes yet. Just popping on while my tablets start working so i can go out get some shopping with being away for almost a week at Teris. My IBS is playing up bad started yesterday when i was at TNA, not a good place to start i can say.

Twins bit poorly over last few days, got over colds now got the cough and being sick with it.

(((((((((((HUGS)))))))))to everyone who needs them.

~~~~~~~~~~~to everyone one as well.
Take care

Hazelx

Good morning from a very wet part of Spain. 20 minutes ago we were shaken by the loudest clap of thunder I can ever recall. It sounded like an explosion such as a bomb, and we both lept up and jet and Joe were to frightened to bark. From the verandah we could see just a few street lights!
The rain was so strong it looked just like a curtain. 20 minutes on, no more thunder, heavy rain, usual delicious cup of coffee, jet and Joe sound asleep and OH watching the sports news!

Son from Amsterdam and family will be here on Sunday just in time for lunch. Looking forward to my new oven being installed.
I will then try out my new cooking utensils.... The silicone ones that I bought recently. I am a little nervous about them so hope all will go ok.

Other news, I don't think I added it yesterday, my daughter starts back at work today. She is thrilled to bits, and I shall be thinking of her. The previous person in charge has been sacked, someone she knows is replacing him and she has all the hours she had a year ago given back to her.
She does not work full-time but 17 hrs per week.
My granddaughter is doing well and spending more time at school, so please please can this be the start of a nicer 12 months. There have been times when I thought that I could not cope with any more bad news.

Enjoy you day, I will be checking another family in my other research place today.
Very exciting yesterday when I finally broke through the family of My husbands fathers family, so many with his surname.,.,but eventually I found them. Yippee

Bridget :-D

Good night everyone, I am really tired as I have had a great brake through on My husbands Family history, it is amazing,,


Bridget

:-)

What threw me was the fact that they were messages out of date by 2 years, but showing page 92...so what glitch that was Bridget I have not a clue !!!!!!!!!!!! Pooters are great when they work and when they don't decide to have a mind of their own.

Oh well

Been typing up family tree notes and drawing family trees today, as well as raking up miles of tree leaves !!!!!!!!!! so been a busy bee !!

Thanks for all your good wishes re my friend its much appreciated

Regards Jan

I have had a message saying that someone tried to post on here about 15 minutes ago and could not do so. Hope it is working OK.Just read eall your comments re my Photos, I will keep looking.
Bridget