General Chat

We went to Port Elizabeth to-day to collect some things for my daughter and it was very hot there. As we travelled the clouds were dark and I thought it might rain, but it didn't.

We had some nice rain here last night not sure if there was any in the catchment area. I have suggested that we put up a tank as we can then catch some of the run-off from the roof when we have these local showers, we will then have water for the garden.

Enjoy your son's visit Bridget.

Take care and enjoy the rest of the day.

Val.

Congratulationns Val you posted the 800th posting well done so now we aim for the 900th, who will it be I wonder?
I will be back during the weekend
Take care everyone and I hope that there are lots of things for me to read.
Bridget

Just a quick Hi.
I have remembered to take all my meds this last couple of days. So feeling a little calmer.
Did a "big shop" yesterday, with the help of Ring & Ride, a door to door minibus (great).

Today got the ordinary bus into town, to have my hair done at the College. A lovely new hair style for £9 (a third year student)
Also had my finger nails painted purple ( following a hand massage etc) for only £1 - the money from this going to children in need (so I pd a little more).

Cold but dry in Birmingham, must remember to take my gloves with me next time I go out.
But perhaps I ought to sew a pair of gloves to a length of elastic, so that I can thread it through my sleeves and actually come home with both gloves!

Val, my Irish grandmother used to have a rain water barrell, which also caught the run off from the roof, this would have been used for washing.
Of course, there wasn't a shortage of rain in Ireland, but they didn't have any water/plumming in the house.
Drinking water was carried form a spring, a little way from her house. Cooking (and boiling a kettle) was done on an open fire.
I remember that the water from her hot water bottle was reused every evening.

Tess

Just a few words from me,

Remembering your meds. Tess?
I had my hair cut this week and I feel so much better, I always feel so untidy when my hair gets too long and wispy as it is very fine and thin!

Very blustery again to-day, wind is to be expected at the sea but this wind is really awful, the washing is all tangled around the washline.

Jimmy's birthday to-morrow, so this afternoon I will be making a cherry loaf for him as it is his favourite. At the moment he is busy making some chicken casserole for lunch.

Am now going to pour some brandy over the christmas cakes.

Take care.


Val.

Val
I hope that your husband enjoyed his birthday and hat he enjoyed his birthday cake.
Tess your description re your grandmother water barrel reminds me of my relatives in finglas in the 1980s and my fathers innsistence that we always had a water barrel which was used to water his plants.

I am sorry I haven't been on here much but have had toi give some extra love and support to one of my boys. I cannot put details on here but sufice to say it isn't only women who are abused by there partners.

Did I already tell you all that I became a great aunt again two days ago, a cousin of baby Z and she looks wonderful and was two weeks late.
Well this is all I can manage at the moment so please help to keep this going

Positive thoughts to you all

Hope all goes well for your son Bridget. I know that things can be very upsetting, especially when we (as parents) fell helpless.

Welcome to the world, little Zee's cousin.

I hope that Zee (and all the rest of the family) are able to meet her soon.

I am remembering to take my meds. most of the time. So feeling ok at the moment.

Val, I hope that Jimmy enjoys his special cherry loaf, and that you enjoyed the chicken casserole that he made.

I remember taking a little bottle of brandy to school, to drop into the Christmas Cake (after it had been baked) and have to confess and not all the brandy reached the cake!

I think that having your hair done can often make you feel better, I'm always cheerful about getting it done at such a low price. Also feel useful, as the students are getting useful experience.

Time to make my mug of Horlicks and do my hot water bottles.

Good-night,
Tess

Bridget I do hope things work out for your son.
Mmm Tess, I wonder where that brandy went!!!!
The cherry cake went down well. We had no electricity on Sunday from 6a.m. till 6 p.m. as the electricity provider was doing maintenance. Couldn't even have lunch out as the restaurants all rely on electricity for their extractor fans. I just managed to make a cup of coffee before the power went off. We do have a little gas cooker so were able to make tea and something to eat or I should say Jimmy did, I don't like working with gas.

I also love Horlicks Tess and have some each night before I go to bed, probably part of the reason I'm spreading!!! You are fortunate to get your hair done for a low price. A cut and blow dry cost me R160 (about £16).

Cloudy and cool here to-day but still no rain.

Take care.


Val.

Val
Thank you for your kind words. I have promised my son not to discuss the situation in a public forum, but sufice to say that he has been hurt over a number of months and not just emotoinally. I was shocked!

So sorry everyone if I am not very positive at the moment. I know it will pass I just need a few more days to recover.

For Bridget -

Rainbows appear after mighty storms
When things look their worst
Just when skies are darkest gray
Out of heaven the rainbow bursts.




Val.

Bridget, whatever the problem I am sending positive thoughts to your son that the sun will soon shine again for him.

Lovely poem Val.
(But I am not admitting where the brandy went!)
We haven't had a power cut here for ages (I am now crossing my fingers). I have an electric cooker etc. so would be a bit lost in a power cut.
Have got some candles and a big box of matches, stored in a special place, so that I can find them easily if the lights go out.

My sister and bro-in-law, had a "power cut" a couple of Sundays ago. However, they did get prior notice. so went into town for lunch and a concert. Power was back on by the time they got home.

Bridget, sending positive thoughts to you and your son .

Tess

Thank you everyone for your kind thoughts about my son.

I will be back as sson as I can feel strong enough but meanwhile Please wil ayou all look after the board for me.??

Good morning all

Only just caught up with this thread - positive thoughts Bridget for your son - hope all turns out ok. You remember to look after yourself too.

One of the reasons I have not been on here much is because I had an email from Friends United telling me about some games they had on their site - and sorry girls but I am hooked. Wordsearches and number games - housework gone through the window. I keep telling my hubby that doing them keeps my brain working !!!

Well, eldest son and d i l are coming over 16th December - our wedding anniversary - and going back 26th December - so I will be cooking Christmas dinner for 4 - almost like old times. Still waiting to hear when the youngest son is coming over - hope he makes it although don't think it will be the same time as his brother.

Well must be off and get my act together and do some housework - well, perhaps I will look at the games first !!!!

Enjoy your day everyone

Love Mary xx

I am now trying to avoid the temptation of having a quick look at friends reunited.

Have just got up for a while as having difficulty sleeping.
But not a good idea to get too wrapped up in other things.

Hope you enjoy your Christmas, with your family (or some of them) around you.
I haven't made any plans for Christmas yet. I am quite happy to be on my own on Christmas Day, I know I will see the family some time over the Christmas period.

love Tess

Mary, I know what you mean about the games, I haven't seen the games on Friends Reunited but the games on Facebook have me hooked, especially Bejewelled and Worddrop, I must admit to wasting hours playing whenI know I should be doing something else, but what the heck!

We are expecting my sister for a few days over Christmas, but it will be very quiet. I am not a good traveller at the best of times, so don't like travelling at this time of the year as the roads are very busy and there are too many accidents.

I sat outside this morning at 5.30 a.m. having a cup of coffee, it was lovely, everything so quiet and peaceful before the noises of the day begin, not a breath of wind.

I am going to be energetic to-day and varnish the garden bench then I want to be off to the Nursery for a few chive seedlings which the gardener can plan t as he works to-day.

Take care of yourself Tess, you will have to catch up on your sleep during the day.

Hope you all enjoy your day.


Val.

OH a very big thank you for keeping this going for all of us. i am sorry i am not posting very often but I will be back. Sad son has now found somwhere to live until he can get back into his own house, he had rented it out, so that is a relief.
It is hard as a female to recognise that some women can be very cruel and not just verbally. My son feels so demoralised and sad. At least he is back at work now which will be good for him and he has had a meeting with his supervisor and explained his situation

I am going to see my daughter tomorrow and will stay for the weekend also just learnt that Army son and his wife will be there so it will be a good time. Unfortunatly Son in Spain and other son cannot but nevertheless we will have a good time.
with all the worry I did something really stupid and it has cost me some serious money. I put petrol in my new diesel car!! I was distraught but fortiunally I had cover and all is well and the car is back on the road...what a lucky escape

good night everyone, unlikley to be on here now until M=sunday night of Monday so enjoy the weekend

Bridget

Oh dear Bridget! but it must be vert easily done (I think that a lot of people do it anyway)
You have had a lot on your mind recently, so not altogether surprising that you lost concentration for a little while.

Pleased that the car is back on the road.

Have a great time at your daughter's, great news that your army son and his wife will be there too. I bet there will be a lot of talking, well into the night.

Yake care,

Tess

Hello everyone

I am feeling like ME again.
My daughter hs pampered me and done everything she possibly could to make me feel appresiated and pamperded.
rmy son and wife were here when I arrived after another long, long shift...in fact nearly dozed off driving here.
My grandson has deceded that he wants to go onto the army when he is 16. So army sone brought lots of eqipment for him to sue when he next goes to camp and spent a good hour or so talking to him. My daughter in law got on very well with my daughter and is was great to see such harmony. They left after lunch and we went out shopping.
all in all a lovely day.
today my UH called to say that my son in Barce;ona had called asking to be picked up from the station as he had come to see his step brother, wife and their baby who is now walking around so OH is feeling great.

The son I am worried about seemed a listtle more settled on Friday so I will call him shortly and he can speak to the children as well.

So it looks as if things are improving and I feel so much better away from work that I really know that I am doing the right thing in leaving early next yer.
Again everyone thank you for your help, support and friendship.

Bridget

Good morning evryone, I hope that you are all well and having a good time.
I am feeling much better now and my son who I was so worried about is improving slowly. He is pleased with the house he is living in, only one other person the owner is living there. He is back at work and trade is reasonable given the economic climate and sales have increased this week. He calls me each evening and we have a chat, and finally the woman he was with has stopped calling him. Some of his female friends have been very kind and supportive,
Thank you for all your kind thoughts and I will be back on here most days now.

Boss has interviewed people for my post and we both thought that one person stood out from the rest and an offer has been posted so please keep your fingers crossed that he accepts.
Yesterday we had a visit which I had arranged from the Chairman of our local council and his wife. The press turned up as well and several of the residents met and spoke to the Chairman and his wife. We had an extra special mid afternoon tea and an excellent slide show of locl fauna and flora, The Chairman and his wife asked if they could stay to listen to it as well. Lots of photos taken and we are now waiting to see if this makes it to the local paper.

Will now have to find another person for some time in the New Year.

Val your little poem has been copied and laminated by me and I have it on one of my notice boards at work and several people have commented so a very biig thank you.
I have spent quite some time on on bejewelled, onceI start it is like an addiction!!! well I guess there are worse things in life than playing games in the evening!!

Bridget

I am back! Have been to East London to visit my niece who was really ill at the weekend and the Matron at the Home thoguht would would not make it through the week-end. She has rallied and yesterday when we visited her for the last time before returning home she was almost back to her old self.

Bridget I am pleased that things are looking up for your son. One worries so. Also good to hear that there is a suiitable applicant for your post. Not too long now before you can call it a day.

Visitors are beginning to come to town for the holidays, the shops are full of Christmas things and music, but I do think many people have forgotten the real meaning. For some it means nothing more than party, party , party. We are having our church Christmas lunch on Saturday at the local hotel and I am looking forward to that.

That all for now. Take care.



Val.