General Chat

I have just finished writing a chatty reply to today's threads and pressed the wrong button and now have to start again.
So here goes!

Thank you Berona, Captainbugwash, and Tess, for your interesting postings,
. So many memories came flooding back, so in no particular order here are some of my thoughts.
Tees, the Malayan food sound delightful, I have never been to a Malay restaurant so maybe you could put a recipe on the Culinary thread.
You certainly have been busy with first buying your new cable and walking both directions, well done. How is the garden looking now, no wonder you were tired!
Penny, we wait with abated breath to hear what you have been up to!,,I will be on here later today.....as I have note done anything special so far today, I even missed the sun rising as I did not wake up in time...I blame watching the snooker last night!!
Berona, thanks for exposing toughens on a PM, however I still think it is a lovely title and I would think that it would make a beautiful first name...
I had forgotten that you transcribe, I guess that without people doing this we would not have all the info we search for. Would you write a resume of what you have to-do..I am confident that many of us would be very interested.

How about writing something of your London memories, having read your message I am going to write about some of my memories from the age of 18 to 24 when I worked at the London Hospital in Whitechapel now known as The London. I must first check that I have not done this in the early part of the threads.

Well it is a grey day here so far, the is a slight breeze and it is very quiet, it feels as if the whole community is still asleep except me...even Jet and Joe my lovely Cocker Spaniels are still sleeping.

Last night just as I was going to bed around midnight I had a phone call from one of my twin sons......his father has been admitted to hospital due to his heart condition. He has inherited this from his father and he is rather I'll, but hopefully his treatment will work. I have known him since we were 15 years old and we both still have good feelings for each other, also my second husband is a relative so we are quite concerned about him. He has a delightful Lady partner and they are both looking forward at being at army son's church blessing in two weeks time. Please say a prayer that he recovers and is able to be with us on this very special day.
Thanks and bye bye for now, have a good day and as usual I shall peek in and out through out the day

Positive thoughts to you all

07.37 hrs Spain

Hello to all. I haven't been posting the way I said I would. Sorry about that - but I do transcribing for FreeBMD and they sent me a rather big job recently - but that's done now and I am back to normal.

So did anyone NOT watch the wedding? I watched it live until my bedtime - that was when they all arrived back at the palace - but I've seen the rest of it many times over - including the 'kiss'. One of our local chanels used a 'still' of that scene every time they went for a commercial break!

I loved every minute of it. Brought back memories of when I was in London and used to walk miles around those areas, sight-seeing. I also camped in Trafalgar Square overnight for the Coronation. Only the Brits can put on a display like that - and everyone was so happy for them and wished them the very best.

Evening ladies, just a quick few words to say I have'nt abandoned you all, had lots to do over Easter. Will be back next week...........honest. Take care all Penny

Sorry Bridget, Val and Co. Have again spent the last few days being very busy followed by long periods of rest (and some sleep).

Went out on Thursday (28th) to celebrate my baby brothers birthday. (he is 54).
We went to a Malasian Restaurant, the food was excellent. I had Mee Goreng for my main course, followed by banana fritters yum, yum.

On Friday I had a lazt day. Did watch some of the Royal Wedding and enjoyed it.
Saturday I walked to my local A-g-s Store and got a electric cable extension, so that I could mow the lawn at the end of the garden.
Walked all the way home again too, a total journey of around two miles, which nowadays is very good for me.

Later I mowewd the lawn (after bringing the washing in). So as you can see, a very busy and energetic day).
I had also received a marriage Cert. I had ordered it on Monday 25th (late evening)and it arrived on Saturday 30th. Really quick, especially when you consider the Bank Holidays.

Today I've been tired. And my son has been using my computer this evening.
So just a quichish visit before I go to bed.


Following our talk about housework, I have been thinking about open fires (coal fires in England).

I really miss roasted chestnuts .. they used to come pinging out of the fire and tasted delicious.

i also loved the taste of toast ot toasted crumpets done on the fire, but used to get hot knuckles.
I miss that sort of thing.

However, I don't miss the long rigmarole of lighting the fire, or the long wait till it gave out much heat. Or the chore of cleaning the grate.

Of course, coalmen also did home deliveries, carrying a heavy sack of coal to the coal shed. I wonder if that would now be allowed under health and safety rules.


Good night eveyone.

Tess
23.06 UK

No post today.....so thought that I should at least send a quick message to everyone. I hope that you all have had a good day, no disagreements and some fun and laughter.

Nudge

Following my messages to a few people on here Lorna, see page three will be rejoining us after the 2nd of July, so if there is someone any of you miss why not send them a quick personal message..it seems to be working for me.

Having looked back to 2009 when this first started I am going to try to get back to my original style of writing. That would be a big step forward for me,

Take care everyone

10.25 Spain

Good morning Val, it is murky weather day here as well, where has that sunshine gone?

I have sent personal messages to five or six people who used to post on here to invite them back even if it is only occasionally...maybe some new people will join us soon? If not I am sure that we will still carry on being in touch with the resilient few. As I have said before I treat this thread as my penal people, saves the stamps and re read at any time. I have been wondering if we could somehow encourage people from across the world to join us...perhaps we can all put our thinking caps on!,,

Hoe wonderful that you have found someone to help with you UK connection. Do keep us informed. There is a chap who has helped me a great deal with my Ford Family who came from Mere in Wiltshire, he sent copies of all of them to my sister and I shall be seeing her soon for my army sons'church blessing and she is bringing it all with her. I am so excited, he has even put everything into folders for me...

Do you have family from any other part of the UK?

I can only agree with your comments about the dress code from Euginie and Beatrice......then as far as I am concerned their mother never dresses very well either....

I thought the very young bridesmaids were delightful snd the two page boys were so smart.

Yes I am fortunate that my OH is a romantic but he can also be very infuriating at times especially about sport.however it has taught me a lot as well and with 5 sports mad sons between us and one sporty daughter with her two children , I guess he has henhouse of a help than hindrance. We do though watch more sport than anything else. However I have never been a person for the "soaps" so no harm done really.also we do have three TVs around the house so if we want to watch different things we can do so.

By now I must be boring you so will say goodbye for now and I will have a quick peek later this afternoon.

Enjoy your day

09.21hrs Spain

Goodmorning - very dull here.

I watched the wedding after all. Kate looked lovely, I really liked her dress it was elegant. I was surprised to see how thin her mother is though. I didn't like the outfits of the Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice, and those hats! William driving his father's Aston Martin with all the bits and pieces attached was a lovely touch, especially the L in the front! The priest doing cartwheels amused me - he must have been so relieved it was all over!

Bridget your husband is a romantic, whaat a really nice thing to do.

I have made contact with someone in Southampton and was able to give him a copy of my tree and he was really please. He will be visiiting the Southampton Archives and if he finds any more information will let me have it - isn't that wonderful.

Have a nice day.

Val.

07.49.

Val, Thank you for your message. We had a good time meeting people at the English Bar in town and all lthose who turned up enjoyed the day. I thought that the bride looked beautiful and her dress was simple and beautiful, I liked the fact that so many children of a yuong age were involved and everyone looked so happy.

We met with a few poeple we know at the English bar in town and most of the people were visitors. We came home and opened a special bottle of Pink Champagne and tosted the Royal Couple and ourselves, A very beautiful moment. OH can be both infuiiating and very Romantic....but then I expect that many men are the same!!!

I will give a fgew of the people a nudge to see if they will come back on here and if not well at least we are still in ciontact!! I enjoy your postings so please do not stop/

Off now to contact a few people

Bridget

17.25 hrs Spain

I also enjoy coming on here although my days are rather dull compared to some. and I don't have much to say. Yes, it would be lovely if some of the missing ones would pop back.

One of my brothers is such a Royalist you would not believe although he lives here and has never been to the UK, a legacy from our days in the Commonwealth, so I am sure he will be watching closely to-morrow.



Val.

Hello,

Enjoy your day doing nothing in particular Bridget, we all need a day like that from time to time. I also enjoy the quiet of the early morning.

The water feature is up and running but I haven't been able to sit iutside to enjoy it yet because we have had the most terrible wind blowi ng here for the past three days, this morning it tried to rain but the wind has blown the rain away. The sun is shining at the moment and the wind is still blowing. I have also cleaned the birdbath and want to buy a bird-feeder on Saturday at the Craft Market, this will attract the birds to the garden again and I will be able to watch them from the lounge.

Not sure whether I will be watching the wedding to-morrow, my daughter will be watching so I guess I will also be parked in front of the TV.

I made a big pot of soup for lunch to-day as it is cold, made some dumplings but they seemed like lead lumps! I will freeze what is over for another day.

That seems to be all for to-day, nothing exciting at all.


Val.

15.30.

Good morning everyone and I hope that you are all well and have not eaten to much chocolate!

We do not have any plans for today so it will be a very relaxing time and I can choose what to do rather than have a plan.
This morning I was woken by the sound of birdsong, the sun was begining to lighten the sky and Jet and Joe (dogs) were still sleeping until I tiptoed ont the verandah. It was so peacful and calm that it almost made me shudder, and I simply stood an watched the sky as it entered to day light. Those of you who have known me throgh this thread from the begining will know that this time of day has plaed a very big part of my life here in Spain and to feel so calm and enjoying my special time was another big step forward for me.

I have always enjoyed the early part of the day when everything is quiet, peaceful and my time.

This morning I have been watching some of the information on TV about the Royal Wedding tomorrow. I must say that I have conflicting feelings about this especially as the younger members of the Royal Family do not have a particularly good record of staying married and after all the pomp and glory yet the romantic side of me will overcome me and no doubt I shall enjoy myself. ( I must admit that I have also been married twice so my last sentence is niot really fair...Oh never mind!!)

Is anyone on this thread going to London to join the crowds???

well the sun is hsing so I am going around the garden now to check all the plants and do some spraying on one or two parts of the plants, just to help their feed.

Bye bye for now

10.36 hrs Spain

Good evening Everyone, I trust that you have all recovered from Easter and guess that you may be preparing for the Royal Wedding. It will be interesting to learn how you all spend the day. I suspect that most people will watch or be one of the thousands who line the streets waiting for a glimpse of a Royal or a Famous person. I remember my daughter going to see the marriage of Dianna and Charles...

Today we went to the bi monthly meeting about 40 of us attend, mostly Brits and some Germans, a couple of Spanish to have a meal together, have a chat about going to other towsn of cities etc and also to raise funds for a local charity....I did not win a prize today, but took along some raffle prizes. I do not know how mauch we raised today but am sure that an email will be sent tomorrow.

No other real news so will not bore anyone, but say goodnight, I hope you are well and look forward to seeing more postings tommorow.

Bridget 21.03 hrs Spain

Hello everyone, I hope that you all had a great Bank Holiday for Easter, we certainly did.

It was wonderful to have my eldest son here and his girlfriend and her son were also very nice to meet.

Time passed so quickly and they all went back to Barcelona late morning today. The trains here are very good and reliable, and also very comfortable, not sure about the inner city trains as I have never used them.

We thoroughly enjoyed having them here but I had forgotten how much energy boys of six have. His mother had placed his Easter eggs and small gifts were hidden around the garden, and he was so excited it brought back many memories of when my four children and my now husband would bring his two sons as well and we had such great fun.....

Yesterday the weather started to improve and today the sun has been shining since early morning so all my washing has dried and some will be ironed later tonight. Now OH says it is daft to iron sheets etc as they will soon by crumbled anyway...do every one iron all their linen as I do?. Just asking in case I am out on a limb here?

However we noted that the forecast is not brilliant so please pray hard that our normal weather resumes very soon!!

I am looking forward to hearing you next messages, take care of yourselves

18.29hrs Spain

Hello from Tenerife, on the count down now as we go home on Saturday. We don't thik the weather has been as good in April as it normally is in May but I suppose that is to be expected. we have booked in for May next year. But we will be back her in august this year for 6 weeks this time.

Bridget, I often wonder how the Spanish people understand their own language it sounds such a muddle and they all seem to talk at once and don't stop to listen. I can understand some of it when written but not spoken. Mind you I don't understand German either. and yes, all Spanish children seem to talk loudly.

Having a wonderful time with son etc being here until tomorrow. My language skill look pale against a 6 year old boy and I find it amazing how son and his girl friend switch so quickly from one language to another. Why is it that I find German so much easier to pick up Spanish????

Val your day sounds very busy, I hope that you are able to get the pump sorted out there is nothing so soothing as water in the garden, I would miss mine if it wasn't trickling nicely. We do not leave it on 24 hrs I suppose about 6 hrs a day.

I do not have to do the cooking tonight as Son has told me he has it all in hand...

16.02 Hrs Spain and it is still raining we had about 4 hours without rain today!!!

Take care everyone

Hello there,

Nice to see you back Tess, aren't childlren wonderful, always get their priorities right! I must admit I too am not a gardener, very good at giving the orders though - do this move that etc! Happy gardening.
Hope you enjoyed the concert.

After getting the pump and moving some quite heavy stones around and placing pot plants and a couple of little gnomes around, we couldn't get the tubing we need to attach to the pump, there is one more place we will try to-day and if we have no luck there we will have to wait until we next go
through to Port Elizabeth.

Another birthday! This time our daughter. so we are taking her out to lunch to-day to a little restaurant called The Sunflower, it is quite small but the food and the service are outstanding. There are a couple of tables outside but I think it is too windy to sit outisde.

I didn't have any chocolate eggs yesterday but did have chocolate brownies which perhaps I should have given a miss, what with all these birthdays!.

Because Wednesday is a holiday many people have taken to-morrow off so that they can have an extra long-weekend.

Hope you all have a good day whatever you will be doing.


Val.

10.03.

Tess, many thanks for your posting, nice to see you are with us.
I also recall the time when everyone seemed to hsve a new outfit for Easter. My mother used to make our clothes and I must say that she was a very good seamstress.

O really enjoyed reading about your garden. It is never to late to give it a try, it seems to me from what you have written that you are now on the first step of a new hobby...I have always gardened, my father was an excellent gardener and as children we helped him and that was how we learnt.
The fact that you were happy when you finished the first task says it all!!

Re the different languages...it must sound like the tower of Bable at times and like most Spanish children the little one speaks very loudly...it is the only thing that is a little difficult to accept, I want to say please speak quietly.

Now you mention it there does not seem to be many others from Main land Europe on the threads, or perhaps they do not note it. There are a very large number of Brits in France and some small villages are almost all English, not so sure about Itally but do know there are a lot of Brits in Germany.

Interestingly where I live, not a large lace by any means most of the Brits have gone back to the UK,our coatnof living in Spain is now higher than in the UK, and the unemployment levels are still increasing daily. The change over from pesatas caused a huge problem and most people would prefer to go back to them rather than have Euros.

Well everyone time to finishe now, I may be back later, I hope you have left some of your Easter chocolate for today, and that all is well.

08.38 hrs Spain

Thanks for the description of Tenebrae ladies. Although I became an atheist over forty-five years ago, I still remember the great feeling on Easter Sunday in church.

THere would be a blaze of candels, a profusion of flowers. the ststues would be unvailed and (nearly) everyone would be wearing their Sunday besy, or even new clothes for the big occassion.
All a big contrast to the few preceeding days.

Penny, you are right I don't like gardening. Actually it would be more accurate to say that I haven't ever really gardened.

Have only got my garden cleared, a lawn put down and a garden shed installed in recent months.

A little while ago I bought (my first) lawn mower.
However I couldn't get it to work, so locked it in the garden shed till my son could give it the once over (before I sent to back in disgust).

Well, son unlocked the shed, got mower out, had a look at it. Then he told me what I had been doing wrong (surprise, surprise). He left themowr out, as it was too hot and sunny to cut the grass (he was worried about the grass, not me you understand).

Then he went off to work - (a thirty hour shift, looking after people with learning difficulties.

Didn't get round to mowing the lawn that evening, so put mower in shed .. couldn't find padlock. Lookes in dhed, on windowsills and inside the house near the back door, no sign of it anywhere. Phoned son at work, he suggested I look in his pockets, as he had gor changed into work clothes. Still no sign.
Bought mower back into house meanwhile, looking again in the places I looked before (you know what it is like).

This all happened on Friday, yesterday I was going into town to a concert, for St George's Day, so saved my energy for that.
A couple of hours ago I tried with the mower... followed son's instructions and it worked!!!

Not only that but I found the LARGE padlock, hidding in the long grass.

I am now hot sweaty but happy. Haven't fininhed the lawn yet but hope to do more tomorrow.

Will also have to think about getting a few plants, shrubs etc in the garden.

Bridget, it is so good to hear that your son and his patrner were able to visit youat last.
It must have been really great, especially with all the languages being spoke.

Penny, where about in the West Midlands do you live?

Val, the celebration breakfast sounds great. Lovely to not have to get lunch later.

We seem to have a few people from Spain on here (and other threads). I know that Spain is a big country but I haven't seen many people from other European countries (except perhaps Ireland).

Good to see all of you on here over the last few days.

Hope you all have (or have had) a happy easter.

Tess