General Chat

Hello to all. This is Dumbo. Well, I should be called that after what I realised this morning.

My children gave me a mobile phone a few years ago and it is paid for on my DIL's business plan, which allows for more mobiles than she has - so it costs nothing and allows for $15 worth of calls per month - which I don't make anyway, I only use it to receive texts and reply to them (rarely).

After a health scare more than a year ago, I make sure I keep it charged up and not only take it with me wherever I go, I take it to bed with me too.

A couple of weeks ago, I received a text and when I replied, it wouldn't 'send'. Again, this happened a few days ago and when I tried to make a call to check it, it wouldn't work either - and triggered a message saying that my pre-paid account was zero. I don't have a pre-paid plan, so DIL is sorting it out with the providor - who obviously changed it by mistake.

In the meantime, I have been carefully keeping it charged and taking it to bed with me each night - in case of emergency.......It was only this morning that I asked myself "why am I doing this?". If it doesn't work - what good is it to me?

I'm claiming 'old age'. Anyone else do silly things like this?

Spanish Eyes

We will catch up when you get back.

Been out in the garden again today, and then went on line and ordered two euphorbia and 2 perennial geraniums. I love both these plants as they are such good value. Perennial geraniums stay green all winter and you cut off the flowers when finished and then they flower again. If you haven't bought plants on line use Crocus.co.uk. We bought two trees 5ft plus high from them they arrived in big pots, lots of roots, well packaged. In fact it took us an age to get the trees out !! Delivered as they said promptly taking into account that this was when we had all the bank holidays , so we decided to order some plants, will let you know how they are when we get them.

Til tommorrow X :D

Hooray, birds at last :D, this morning one little weaver arrived and boy did she make the most of her visit, then two little doves appeared. I sat and watched them from the lounge it was lovely. Now hoping that others will find their way.

Bridget, I hope the wedding Blessing goes well have a great time on your visit and come back safely.


Val.

14.14.

Greenfingers

On find Ancestors the is a chap named Victor Harvey whi is brilliant at finding records from Wiltshire, he has recently done a lot of what I call "confirmation work " for me.

I also would be delighted to help once I am back from my jaunt to the UK. Please pm any info you have and I will start looking for you asap.

Val, backing will be done this morning, should only take a couple of hours, as we are going in casual clothes apart from the wedding Blessing. We are sealing the presents in bubble wrap and placing it in a cold box, then we will buy the wrapping paper in the UK. The box will then be filled with food to bring back from the UK.

Jet and Joe my cocker Spaniels are booked in for the Kennels and Jet will be a little cross and make a fuss but they are very well looked after, so we know that they will be OK.

The sun is shiny and everything is calm today.

Val, the hailstones make a dreadful noise, don't they. I cannot instantly recall having hailstones for about 10 or 12 years, when I was still in the UK.

Well time to get that packing done

08.41hrs Spain :P

Last night just after 10pm. out of nowhere came a loud peal of thunder and then down came hailstones of varying sizes, didn;t last long and the ground wasn't even covered with the hailstones and then just as suddenly it was all gone. Not something we see here often, in fact in the 16 years we have lived here it has hailed just once before. This morning the sun is shining again and there is quite a srong wind blowing.

No birds yet Ann but perhaps to-day. When they discover the feeder I will be able to watch them from the lounge.

Is the WI a church ladies group? Up until the end of last year I was a member of our Ladies Fellowship, we met once a month and had interesting speakers and demonstrations on various activities.

I gave my husband a haircut yesterday and I must say I did quite a good job considering I am not a hairdresser. He won't go to a unisex place and the local barber seems to have disappeared so he was at my mercy :-).

Packing all done Bridget?



Val.

8.13

Thank you for the comments about the WI , yes some of my members are in their 70's but young at heart... unfortunately I guess our youngest member is about 60, but hey you are as young as you feel, and we are a lively lot, such a pity you don't live near here... we would welcome you with open arms.

Spanish Eyes.. re Wiltshire, my father had an Aunt Winnie who lived in Devizes and her husband was the blacksmith. I know they existed because I visited with my parents in the 50's but I cannot ascertain as to what her married name was. She was an Evans born in Poplar and her mother was an Elizabeth Markham. Winnie had a brother Wilfred. I have tried so many ways of getting to the bottom of it all....I have various feelers out with other people on the GR trees, but as usual I am still waiting for them to reply...only one has replied so far Hey Ho...have a lovely time and if you can help with Wiltshire I'd be eternally grateful

Greenfingers, back in 1969/1970 I lived in Essex and a new WI was started up in the evenings. The intial meeting was at the local primary school and it was heaving. I went home from that meeting as treasurer, a post i held for three years until we moved away. I loved that WI, we were very informal but had some great speakers and it was a good social life, we were nearly all under 40 at the time. I was in my early 30s. Twice since then as we moved around, I have tried to join the WI but each time the age group was 60 plus and it was not at all lively, friendly enough but only about 15 people and sadly not for me. I think i was spoiled by our evening WI as mostly round here they are in the afternoon. I hasten to add that I am 70 so have no objection to the members being older in body but I would like them to be young in spirit.

Val, any birds yet? They do take ages to get used to new feeders.

Bridget, your outfit sounds nice. I hope you enjoy the blessing, give my love to my home county wont you?

Hello,

Bridget, your sons will be well pleased with crystal and the coffee set I am sure. Have a good trip, travel safely and you can tell us all about it and the wedding Blessing on your return. Your outfit sounds very nice. JBay is also a very informal place, in fact when we arrived here we were told that we had joined "the tackie and tracksuit brigade" :-).

I am still waiting for the birds to find the food which I have put out for them in the feeder, I wish they would get a move on.

Val.

15.26.

Greenfingers, aim taking a quick look on here whilst having a coffee. Noted that you are interested in Wiltshire, which part are you interested in. This is my main interest and I am so excited because when I meet my sister she will be giving me copied records from the the present to the 1700hs, with births deaths and marriages all transcribed from the original documents. I feel as if Christmas has arrived early.

I started by looking for Fords, and Jukes, have many more.

Well coffee getting cold so must go


14.47 hrs Spain

We had rain at last about 4.30 this morning, the garden feels fresh but it has made little difference to anything else.

Got reprieve today from gardening but will be back at it tommorrow. I'm keen to get things straight before I go into hospital,......if I ever get there, still waiting for a confirmation letter.

Hope everything goes OK Spanish Eyes.will be thinking of you.

I have a committee meeting at my home this afternoon, I am a WI president for my sins...no I love it, if someone had told me ten years ago I would belong to the WI I wouldn't have believed them. My ladies are a lovely bunch, and some have had a difficult year healthwise, but we all bounce back. My OH is going to empty the compost bin while we talk, just to keep out of the way !!!. Though I have given instructions in advance, as to where we should move the bin to !!!!!
:O

Valerie, we are driving back so etting off on Wednesday morning very early as we want to miss thepeople going to work aroun Barcelona, it can be a nightmare to drive around...I tried it once and we arrived at the major airport!!!

The Blessing of the marrigae is on the Saturday so we should have an easy journey. We are driving because we are taking some things back with us including quite a lot of Waterford Crystall which we are giving to my son and daughter in Lax=w as a present. I am also going to give my eldest son, when he is 4o this year a rather smart coffees set which his father and I bought when we had our firs anniversary, so it will be 39 years old and it is still in fashion...eldest som=n is very artistic and has often commented on it.
We should be home on the following Tuesday or Wednesday, so I may nit be on here very often during that period of time.

I shall be wearing a Pim=nk and Brown outfit and I have the matching bag, shoes et and have only worn iy once before so jolly pleased that I had kept. We do not dress very formally in Spain so it seemed siily to rush out and bye another outfit.

I am the omly one awake. OH is sound sleep as are Jet and Joe, the females must have more stamener than the males,

well wishing evry one a good nights sleep and if you are just waking to a new day please enjoy your day

Bridget#23.30 hrs Spain :P

We learn something new every day!. Bridget I thought it looked interesting which is why I asked.

Happy packing - when are you off to the UK?


Val.

19.32.

Val
My Avatar...well first I had to look up what "avatar" means so to day i had a new learning experience.
My Avatar is a photo of where lived in Frinton on Sea in Essex, England. it is in fact a lovely photo but have realised that it does not look good on here. So I may change it to something else when I came back from the UK visit

I should be packing but the weather is soo nice today, OH has gone to the local to watch a football match and I have been sitting in the gardens.

well must show willing so off now to get the suitcases down

18.38 hrs Spain ;-) :P

It rained all day yesterday and most of last night, we have driuzzle on and off to-day and now the sun is trying to peep through.

I am well pleased with the photographs I printed, it makes all the difference having the correct photogtaphic paper and I am glad I waited.

Bridget I am interested to know about your avatar.

The Sunday paper is missing the section with all my crossword puzzles, I am having withdrawal symptoms. :-)


Val

Sunday... all the plants are in and we have had a few spots of rain,,,oh for some more the soil is so dry and hard, you almost need a hammer and chisel to cut out a hole for a plant !!

OH plans to tackle the compost heap this week...as we are fast running out of "good soil" . Still now we are on our own we only need one container, we used to have four, but two have gone to good homes and the other small one is about too. Our council gave you the opportunity to but compost containers a few years ago, and we took advantage of it, as we have a large garden. Needless to say there is always stuff that can't go in the bin, and OH is a regular visitor to our local tip, which is just down the road. Cannot and will not understand why people !fly tip! there is no excuse in our area at least, yes sometimes you have to wait, but if you pick your day its easy.

Anyway, now going to make batter up for Toad in the Hole. Have a good visit and wedding blessing Spanish Eyes, hope your husband enjoys the pork recipe.


regards

Bridget I nudged it up for you. It is called Greaders review April May books.

Whoo Hooo Followed the destructions and it all worked, well it did when I finally got the right file name DOH. Now I have my patio plants from two years ago instead of the male profile !! Go on Spanish Eyes you can do it !!!!!!!!! If I can you can !!!!!!!!! :D

After being able to use the laptop fiirst thing yesterday, couldn't get on the internet or mail or anything. It appears that a transmitter was down,I felt as if my right arm had been chopped off, needless to say when someone had paid the electricity bill for the transmitter :S we had 15 e mails come in UGHHHH
Still at least I can now converse with my GR Friends.

Still no rain here in Norfolk, been threatened and feels stormy but nowt has happened, Put in all our bedding plants this morning so could do with the rain, but instead OH had to water with the hose, as we are on a meter, the water board must have been rubbing their hands with glee . I will follow the instructions given above and get some research notes on. Does that mean we could ask each other about the areas we are researching ? It would have been nice if we had had some sort of warning and advice Heigh Ho.

Seems only 42 % of us turned out for the elections on Thursday, I have to say it was all pretty painless, but some will moan about anything..
;-)

Hope your hangover is gone to-day Bridget and that you are bright and chirpy :-).

We have lovely rain here for the last few hours, at times it was pelting down, it is still raining and I am hoping it will continue also hoping it is raining in our catchment area. Our three water tanks are all overflowing.


Val.

9.24.

Ann, I have sent a PM but can you tell where the thread is for me to put my Grisham review.?
Thanks from Bridget who is very confused to day through a hang over from last night!. getting used to the new layout, and being tired because we had unexpected visitors today.
19.27 hrs Spain
:O