General Chat

Hazel. Thanks for your message, so you are in Hastings!! Well I never!

When I was about 3 1/2 years old my mother became I'll due to pregnancy. My father could not care for me and go to work, he knew the Mother Superiour of the school named as Sandrock Hall. I was there for about eight months!
My last place of work meant that I had to find accommodation and low and behold it was a flat in Sandrock Hall. So I had my 4th birthday there and then my 65th birthday there as well. It felt rather strange. It was the stress of the work that lead to my breakdown.

Enough said, me thinks!

Gerrard, the Chilliwhat was far from being "chilly' ! However we both enjoyed it and I froze what was left, strangely I find it is even better second time around .
The fruit is doing well absorbing all the alcohol,. I always make a large cake and then we can have some at New Year as well.
I do not like Marzipan so not sure yet how I will decorate it, any suggestions??

I am eagerly awaiting my new oven and then I will try my new style cake
Tins which are some form of flexing material.

Autumn cleaned the house today, well one floor of the house, inspired I think by having to thoroughly clean the freezers and pull them away for the wall, and I thought I kept the house clean!
Have a good evening everyone and I hope to be back tomorrow.

Bridget in Spain :-)

Hi all

It was nice and sunny when i first got up, now cloudy but still very windy

Thank you Bridget i am hoping i can get a beter one of them so can see both they faces. Hope to go Wednesday still.Then i can put it on here that night.

Off to shopping centre today Age UK have something going on over there, Also got family history thing on as well.So will have a nose at that be for doing shopping.

Been looking up what record centre me and Pat need to go to.Looks like the same ones which is handy. Both about an hour from where we are in Hasting.

Have a nice day all of you

Bye for now.

Hazelx :-D :-D

Hi Everyone

What a gorgeous photo - glad the twins are doing well - I can remember my big pram (only because I have seen a photo of me in it) - I was assured that the Queen had one identical for Prince Charles (HM must have copied us because he is a bit younger than me)

Well done with the garden Jan - I am finally getting round to doing our back garden - it looks like some waste ground at the moment - but since we erected the shed it means there will be less to weed and therefore easier to manage - I have just been lazy before - the Green Bin men got another sack of weeds for composting this morning

Bridget - How was the uninterfered with Chilli - occasionally we have the vegetarian option - my OH isn't too keen as it's a bit spicy for her.

I made my first Christmas Cake at College when I was 17 - and I remember it took ages to make it - but it was worth it - to be honest I haven't tasted a better one since - but of course it was made under the tutorship of our Senior Chef tutor - so how could it go wrong! I do remember lots of dried fruit and brandy to soak it in - We bought our own ingredients - so we got to take the cake home after we had iced it and then shown it at the Christmas Fayre (My Mum was never very good with cakes (cold hands) but pastry (Yummy Mince Pies) yes) - Me, I have warm hands great for cakes - not so good for pastry!

Not heard from Berona since I gave out the Sudoku link - you don't have to do them all Berona!!

Off to voluntary work shortly - it's my usual Tuesday stint looking after the Car Park - OH is coming after work later too (glutton for punishment) - then tonight we have adult confirmation class for OH - I will remember Bridget's granddaughter again - and will say a prayer for the safekeeping of those lovely twins too!!

Bye for now
Gerard :-)

Hazel, what a lovely photo of the twins!
I can clearly recall how many people used to see the twins in their pram, it was a Marmet large pram, no one seems to use these now, and they could not believe how tiny they were. If only they could see them now!

I keep saying a little prayer that the son who is the one who was so tiny has twins next February,, but the photo only shows one, maybe next time??

Do keep us all informed of how they progress,

Best wishes

Bridget in Spain
:-D

Hi Bridget

thank you for that.Yes my friends daughter was 12wks prem and if you saw her today you wouldnt have guess she was on 2lbs 10oz. and she wouldnt take bottle.She does now at 29yrs old Ha Ha

I have spoken to they mum tonight and she said they taking the bottle again.So if carry on doing so be out end of week.But i am hoping to get over to see them on Wdenesday afternoon..They in the same cot now as well all the time. :-D

Hazelx :-D :-D

Hazel, do not worry about the twins not feeding so well, this happens quite often. My smallest one was only allowed out with his brother when a close friend explained that she had trained as a midwife and knew how to use a special pipette which gave him only 2 or 3 ounces if we were lucky. Now guess which one got through to the vigours of gaining a place at the most famous Army Training College in the world,

It sounds as if you have been very busy, look after yourself as much as you can.

Best wishes

Bridget :-)

Hi all

Got back from Teri's last night. Had a very busy weekend. Looking after Caitlin friday night. Then Had Arron from Sturday afternoon until Sunday afternoon.Done cooking with Caitlin, And helped her sort her room out.

Twins were to come home this week sometime but have had to have feeding tubes put back in as wont take from bottle anymore.Doctor said they just lazy.So hoping they will start back having bottle then can come home. I hope to go and see them be for i go away.

Not read all other post yet, will do late

Bye for now

Hazelx :-D :-D

Not long until we reach page 90 by looking at the entries.
Congratulations Tess for being first on this page.

I have got all the fruit together in a large bowl with plenty of Sherry in it and it will be looked at and stirred for three days before I go to stage two of my Christmas Cake. I have a new recipe this hear it is from Mary Berry festive Baking in a well known magazine this month.
I now wish I had bought even more fruit for cakes when in the UK.

Slow cooker is also in action as OH made a chilli for dinner tonight, I have strict instruction " not to interfer"!

Bye for now

Bridget :-D

Hi everybody,
have offically finished making chutney...run out of jars...should'nt need to buy any for some time...veggie patch doing well..was given some leeks and they seem to have settle in....onions coming up and broad beans romping. Haven't had time to come on here because of all the above, and re-modelling a bit of the garden that had been neglected. It now is weed free but needs some other plants..will probably put in some shrubs in one area.


Time to watch Doctors !!

Jan

Good morning to you all. I have just read through all the messages since my last entry. Your kind words, thoughts and prayers fo my Granddaughter are very much appreciated. Gerald, please keep the candle going for my granddaughter, I find it very comforting. At one time in my life I lost any sense of religion etc but about 20 years ago I realised that the belief was still within me and lighting candles has always ment to me that my faith is true and strong.
My granddaughter has now arrived and is being worn so the next stage of recovery begins. I telephoned my daughter last night to let her know that we are home. Now, our relationship has been very difficult sinc she was 18 years and one week. This is etched in my brain! She is now 37 and on this visit to her she hugged me so hard I thought I might be fainting if she went on!
Last night I thanked her for being so delightful, for her consideration and for giving me the longest hug I have had for a very long time. Her reply was " I suddenly learnt Mum, just how much I love you and need you" did I cry, of course I did. So out of a terrible time comes great news.

Grandson has not been left out of all this drama and whilst not one of the most clever children he is well mannered, pleasant to be with, charming when in company and is determined to go into the Army. My daughter is not sure that he will be successful in his desire and is herself not sure that she wishes him to be in the Army. He is very protective of his sister, can chat to anyone who is willing to listen, and to my mind is a typical lad of his age. Even I had forgotten that hebis only 15 in March not 16 !! As he is now 6 feet 1 inch tall, I think we expect to much from him!!
I will be back later today, I am going to try to get back to sleep now. I woke at just after 02.00 hrs withna dreadful headache but it is abating now.
So night night

Bridget

Gerald, good luck with your interview today, I hope things turn out as you would have wished.
Your Pantomime sounds great, shame that you don't live close to me, then I could be there to shout "Oh yes you are!"

Hazel, what lovely grand-daughters you have! They lookso good together. Of course they are used to being close to one another, so this should give them a sense of normality in the new and very different world they now inhabit.
By-the-way, when I was a little girl my (two years ) older sister would only let me play with her and her friends if I anewered to the name Hazel! (As in "come along Hazel")

After a very wet night, we have now got some blue skies, so my washing is on the line.
Am also dedicating myself to tidying up. Firstly all my paper work, with had got so bad that all the different piles had converged.
Will also be tidying generally, and putting away stuff that I don't need at the moment. Hope to have some plastering done in the two reception rooms soon.
Will find out later today how much and when.

Bridget, I hope that your return journey went well. I am sure that Joe and Jet will be delighted to see you both.
As to moving back to the UK, perhaps a visit in the early new year, with miserable weather and few hours of daylight, would be a good idea, before making the final decision.

Hope that everyone is okay.

Tess

OH is on her final morning of the first week at work from 5am to 9am - as a favour I have been getting up at 330am and escorting her to work to make sure she gets there safely - so I have been able to do a lot less in the evenings. I still got to do voluntary work on Tuesday and Thursday and my interview for proper work is later this morning - the weather has got very cold in the morning - a bit more like October.

I expect Bridget thought the weather was great whilst she was visiting the UK but didn't realize she took the sun away with her. I said a prayer for her granddaughter on Tuesday at church - she has been through a terrible ordeal and coming to terms with candles is going to take a great deal of time and patience, and unfortunately she will have reminders for always. Ironically I lit a candle for her :-(

Hazel the offer is still open to help if required

Signing off for today - everyone have a good one :-D
Gerard

Bridget, I was coming on here for a catch up and a chat.
Have now read about your darling grand-daughter and her injuries.
I am stunned. I hadn't realised that her burns were so widespread and serious.
What a brave young lady she is. I hope that she sees her new special vest as a positive thing, as it is there to help her heal.
Perhaps she could give it a name?

It was understandable that she was distressed by the candles, but oh, how sad. There are candles in so many restaraunts nowadays, as well as in peoples homes.
Hopefully other people will learn from your families experience. Maybe helping to avoid the same thing happening to others.

My thoughts go out to her and the rest of your family.


Tess :-)

Greenfingers and Ann

Thank you for your very kind and understanding messages. Somehow, although my granddaughters injuries were worse than I expected he resilience and determination shone through. I believe that she has already started some form of counselling as part of her visits each week to the hospital.
Well oh just arrived and I am supposed to be packing


Bridget :-D

So you have had a good visit home Bridget, I am pleased for you. Yes, that week has gone by quickly, it is a week ago that we were travelling home from Tenerife and it certainly doesn't feel like it.

Your Granddaughter is being very brave but it is natural that she will have moments when she feels she can't cope with a situation. I imagine she is suffering a form of post traumatic stress disorder and, as others have said will need counselling to cope to avoid her developing a phobia of candles. (totally understandable but she needs to talk to somebody who can take her through it to help her 'know' that candles are not always going to burn her because as she gets lder she is going to be faced with them quite a lot as they are so popular.). But I guess it is too early for that yet and the accident is too fresh in her mind. I too had tears in my eyes as you described her injuries and I have nothing but admiration for her. I hope you were able to tell her that she has a following of admirers on here.

I hope you have a good journey home Bridget and I am sure your Jet and Joe will be glad to see you.

Have a good journey home, with all your goodies !!!


Love Jan

Simply a quick visit tonight. We left Ipswich about 16.00 hrs and took the scenic route back to Attleborough and did the final shopping for all the everyday food items tHat are so much cheaper in the UK.
We have been out for an Indian meal which was absolutely delicious and soon I shall be climbing the stairs to bed.

I can hardly believe that our visit is almost finished but am looking forward to going home and of course to collecting Jet and Joe on Saturday. We will be having a stop on the way home unlike the journey here.

So wishing you all a happy day tomorrow and if you do not here from me until Saturday please do not be concerned.

Bridget

Treehunter congrats on your twin grand daughters

Bridget glad you are enjoying your visit, thinking of you and your precious grandaughter, hope your step son gets his children back, good that you are so close. I am with Berona I am sure she will need counsellling of some sort, it can only help, and i am sure that the docs may suggest it....love to them

Bridget - thanks for letting us know about your grand-daughter. I had tears in my eyes as I read your post.
I'm so glad she is determined to return to normal. However, she may need some counselling help in order to do so. I'm sure the medicos will recommend that if they feel it will help.

You also mentioned your step-son. I hope he is making progress with his claim for the children. It is probably good for him just to have you close enough to talk about it. I hope everything there improves too.

In the meantime - enjoy your stay (and keep the iPad charged!).

Hello and yes I remembered to keep my iPad charged.
So where shal I start.?

We set off from Attleborough to Ipswich at just about 09.15 and arrived at my daughters house at 10.20.
When the door opened my granddaughter threw her arms around me and gave me a hug which I shall never forget. My daughter gave us a very similar welcome. My grandson was at school.
In true English manner we had tea and home made scones, and lots of chat.
OH then made a call to son who has been fighting to gain custody of his children and took the train to London and is taking his son to have a good Indian meal. He will come back tomorrow at about 2pm and we shall make our way back to Attleborough and have a meal out with my friend Lesley whilst her husband is at the Rotary meeting.

My dear Grandaughter.
I am so proud of how this girl is managing! She is so determind to do everything she used to do. However when she asked me if I wanted to see what had happened to her I felt tears welling but did not let them fall.
To say I was shocked is an understatement.
She had severe burns from waist to her neck and up to her ears. Both arms were burnt from elbow to her neck. She was so considerate as to how I might feel that she told me not to cry or worry because she is getting better! She expained very clearly how the accident happened, she even picked up the rug to show me the burns on the carpet ( the whole room is being redecorated and new carpet is being fitted next week) !!

We went out in the late afternoon to Felixstow and had a very good meal in the Alex and I would heartily recommend the food and the staff were excellent. Half way through our meal my Granddaughter became very stressed and started to cry saying " take them out, take the candles out,"she was quiet but visible distressed. her mum tried to explain that the candles were not on our table and that she should think of the other people coming in to eat. I could not sit there with granddaughter being so stressed, so I went to the bar and explained to the chap in charge why I was asking if the table nearest to us could be removed. He was so very understanding that he insisted on removing all candles from tables not being used.
Grandaughter had by now become very distressed so we left the restaurant about five minutes later, and when she saw even more candles outside she could not stop crying, and I very nearly cried with her.
By the time we got home she was much better and once we had settled with a cup of tea she was over the incident.

So everyone, please, please keep her in mind for a little longer, her first special vest arrives from Ireland next week and that means another new hurdle for her to cope with.

Just one more little story. Izzy and I have been trying to meet each other for quite a long time but to no avail. Then when I knew we were going to be in the UK we agreed to meet up,,,,,,,, unfortunately this has failed again!!! However we have now spoken to each other and we spent quite a long time on the phone. Thank you Izzy, for being a warm, kind and thoughtful person. I am proud to be considered a friend. I will be back in late February so will make sure that we meet!

I shall now sign off, have a cup of Horlicks and go to bed.

Bridget in sunny and warm UK.

:-( :-(