General Chat

Good morning from Sydney. Some intermittent sunshine but temperature dropping in readiness for our winter, which starts next week.

Bridget - that's great about your grandson. I hope he continues to progress and goes on to do what he wants. My eldest son wanted to join the air force - not so much to fly, but to work on the aircraft engines - but was not accepted because he was 'red/green confused'. A big disappointment to him, he settled for an apprenticeship as a toolmaker and later did further study to become an engineer. Now has his own business making woodworking machinery. I don't think he ever got over the disappointment, though.

You said what I said many years ago. When I gave up work to start my family, I soon said 'how did I find time to go to work?' - then years later, when I returned to the work force, it wasn't long before I said 'what did I do with myself all those years at home?. Once we talk like that, it means that we have settled into our new way of life. I'm sure you won't regret it.

Val - I think that falling 'up' steps brings more shock with it than if you fall 'down' them. Hope your OH recovers soon.

Berona, congratulations for being the first person on page 69, who would have ever guessed that we would be heading towards page 70,one day. I am quietly proud that we have been so successful at learning about each other, writing about so many topics, sharing laughter and tears etc. I wonder if we will reach 100 pages one day??

It seems from your message that your son has been very successful in his own right and you must be very proud of him. It is the continuation of having young men go into the Army and the Navy that makes me feel so proud...in the UK there are always stories about young people who are not achieving, or lazing around etc but in fact there are plenty who do amazing work and apart from the occasional prize which somehow is usually organised by an old celebrity they seem to be ignored unless serving in very dangerous places as at the moment. Well enough about that from me!

Also thanks for your comment about returning to work....that is why I stopped my all important Registered Nurse status.

About home. Well this morning is somewhat chilly and the sky is of three shades this morning, a rather dark blue at the horizon, then a sludgy yellow pink and finally a pale wishy washy blue. I can still see the quarter moon and I am confused as to whiter or not it is going to be a hot day...will just have to wait and see. The fishing trawliers can still be heard in the distance, and there are some birds who are twittering but not as many as yesterday.

The peace however is still present and adds to my favourite time of day.

Yesterday we went out to lunch with about 30 of us in total. We had great fun, and I have been asked and agreed to help with the fundraising for la local charity and also for anyone in the group who may suddenly need or know of someone who needs a little help.

We go to a different venue each time, and occasionally to a persons house if their garden can accommodate us all.

The raffle raised 100.00 euros yesterday which i thought was a reasonable amount. This is held by the treasury and at the next meeting he will let us know how much we have in total.

Well that's about all for now, so wishing you all a happy and healthy day

07.12 hrs Spain




:-) :-)

What a lot has happened since I last looked at this thread. I look away ffor a couple of days and bham1 evryone seems to have posted a lot of interesting news.
Bridget, well done to your grandson, thank goodness his mum changed his schools, it has enable the true young man to emerge.

So pleased too eith all your news re hot matches and the new contacts you have made, very exciting isn't it.

Mary, did you have to go to a lot of trouble to be able to vote in elections? As Bridget said, I hope that you got the result you wanted.
I wonder if this will encourage Bridget and her O.H to register, especially now that she is retired and will be living in Spain for most of the time.

Val, so sorry to hear about your OH's fall. I hope that he soon feels better. Did anyone come to his aid? Perhaps he needs new glasses.

Berona, my (one and only) son wanted to join the RAF but only if he could be air crew. He was told as a young teenager that he couldn't realise his dream because he has asthma. He was very disappointed, especially as there was nothing he could do to change the situation.

Well, I went to the college on Monday and had my hair "done".
My mainly white hair (with a little bit of black at the back) now has bright pink, blue and lilac streaks.
People now smile when they see me in the street! I also had it trimmed so that it doesn't look an untidy mess at the moment.
The colours will slowly wash out. So I will have to try to show my fave out of doors a few times before that happens.

I am having my eyes tested in a couple of weeks time. I will need new frames not just new lenses, as I managed to stand on my glasses a few weeks ago. Luckily the lenses didn't break but the frames got rather bent.

It is raining here at the moment, so can't put the washing on the line to dry. I have however managed to plant a windmill in the garden. Yes one of those plastic things that spin in the wind. It adds a little colour anyway, and survives whatever the weather.

Tess
10.15 UK

Hi all

Been baking this morning, lost of cheese scones and also fruit ones, ready for our churches fete next month. Also have done a recipe from the Hairy Bikers Cookbook, Anglesey Eggs for supper tonight so will post on Culinary Delights if its any good.

Very overcast today, and that wind still chilly.

Got another message from an old school colleague,we were in the school play together, everyone had a crush on him, and I got the part, and was envied by them all.....you have no idea how hard it is to walk around in a crinoline !!! Glad we don't have them now !!!!!!!!!

11.15am Norfolk UK

Hello everyone,

No rain to-day, the sun keeps peeping through and then disappearing.

Thanks Berona and Tess for your concern.. OH is feeling fine , just needs his fingers dressed still has the grazes on his forehead and nose but that is not a problem. he only uses glasses for reading, I think he missed his footing somehow. He popped in to the undertakers this morning with some chocolates for the lady who had helped him, she was pleased to see that he was OK.

Tess you are quite daring having coloured streaks in your hair! I had my hair cut yesterday, quite short so just hope it will be manageable.

Bought a collar with a bell on for the cat as I don't want her catching the birds now that they are using the feeder.
Take care.

Val. 13.40

Good evening every one. Today the has been mixed re the weather, bright and sunny this morning until around 15.00hrs when it became over caste. No rain yet though. We went out today to play boules with a group of friends which was good fun, however we also had lunch at the cafe attached to the site and we were not impressed .. Will just have a bocadilla next time.. The food was greasy and not very appetising. The wine tasted like vinegar although one of the men drank it.
Tomorrow I shall start packing for our trip back to the UK for the wedding.. Must say I hope there isn't a third wedding this year! It is.costly with out fits, flights etc and then the gifts. Hope that does not sound mean.
my son who lives in Barcelona will stay here so I know that he will keep jet and joe as company and take them for walk, and he knows how to keep the house clean.

I will be having my haircut in the UK and I think I will have it cut quite short so I can look after it easily.
Not a lot happening at the moment so will say bye bye for now and wish you all a pleasant evening or day,depending where you are of course.

I will be working on my tree on Genes later,isn't it strange how one can have a few people who one cannot find anything about and in less than four weeks all three families who are not connected to each other and then have had so much info about these people I cannot keep up with the info. Hope this makes sense

17.31hrs Spain
:-)

Well we are home from our holiday in Dorset, don't holiday weeks go quickly, so much faster than those at home. We had a lovely time.

Val I am sorry to read about your husband's fall and pleased that he has no bad lasting effects. Does he wear varifocal glasses? If so he may have not been looking through the right 'part' of the lense going up the steps.

Bridget, I have lost track, when do you return to UK for the wedding?

Goodmorning,

Seems as if to-day will be another cool day - right up my alley:) I love the cooler weather.

He's fine thanks Ann, he only has reading glasses so I think it was just "one of those things" missed his footing somehow.

It's craft market day again to-day so that's where I will be and then to do a bit of shopping for my friends before visiting them.

Had good news this week from my friend who had a bowel resection last year, she had her check-up and a scan and got the all clear, I am so pleased for her.

Am expecting another friend of long standing next week, she will be spending about 10 days with us while her husband is away playing in a bowls tournament., am looking forward to that.

I had to look up bocadilla as I had no idea what it is, sounds like what we call a submarine sandwich.

You are quite the jet-setter Bridget, when are you off to the UK?

Well ladies have a wonderful day and enjoy whatever you are up to to-day.


Val.

8.34 a.m.

Hello everyone, and so glad to see a number of messages.

I understand what you say about my travelling. I think it is because I came home in February as some of you will recall and we went to Amsterdame first for a few days the drove through parts of France, and eventually arrived home.
More recently we drove back for my son's blessing of his Marriage and just a few weeks before my sister who lives in
bath told me that her son was getting married next Friday so of course we have to be there. We need to go to Bristol Airport and the only flight from Valencia was on this coming Monday and we will arrive in Bristol at midnight!!! My niece has said she will pick us up from the airport.
The o ly flight back is on the 7th of June and as it is this sister who was my birthday present when she was born we thought we would celebrate my 65th birthday together.
I am not anticipating going back to the UK again this year, it does work out quite expensive especially as we put Jet and Joe in kennels, this time my eldest son is coming to dog sit for us.

This last few weeks have been amazing re my family tree. I have a wonderful Aunt by marriage on my tree who had a very sad life at times. My mother tried to find her family but never got very far although she did find three of her children. Well last month a new person started a tree on GR and I had a match, I simply coul not believe what happened next, but suffice to say I now have a truly beautiful letter written by my mother to a granddaughter who at the time was not allowed to reply...
Enough to say that we are thrilled as a family to have found these people,in fact we have learnt so much, the children were placed in a Dr barnardoes Home and stayed there until they were old enough to leave, they were not given the correspondence sent to them unless it was a birthday card etc and never given any from their mother.her first husband was a very cruel man,and this is conformist by remaining family. Now for something strange.. One of her grandchildren lives just 10 miles from my sister in Bath....yes I am going to meet her...I think I will need some tissues with me..

Has any one else had such an experience??

Do surprises come in threes?yesterday late evening I had a message from someone who does not wish to be named and was told that my father came from Wexford, and he was given to foster parents because the parents were already expecting him when they married. He was given away when he was 1 day old! He was born in 1912 in Dublin....I can know tell him in my quiet moments that his history has been found.

As you can all guess these have been emotional times.
well thanks for reading my saga I will be back later today or tomorrow.

Enjoy your day everyone

14.40 hrs Spain

Wonderful news Bridget, that you now know about your fathers roots. Well done to the person who does not wish to be named, for giving you the information. I wish that there were more people like them around.

I know what you mean about telling your father during your quiet time.
when my mum died (unexpectedly) I watched Coronation Street for a couple of weeks, so that she would know what was happening. I don't watch it myself, but just felt that she would know what was in my mind.

Yes, it was sad and cruel when women in Ireland had children out of wedlock, or they left their husbands. Men seemed to have the power, and the horrible ones could use it to hurt people, and often did so.

A cousin of my mums was taken in by men more than once, made pregnant by them and then abandoned. Unhappily her children were taken away from her when they were babies, she was never told what happened to them.
Eventually she meet a lovely man, they married and had many happy years together (but unfrotunately no children) I met this lovely old couple more than once, and a nicer, more lovong pair you could not meet..

Today I have done a little weeding in the back garden i.e. dug up the weeds that were growing between the pavung slabs by the house. Then had a bout of extream tiredness, so have has a (long) nap late this afternoon.

The Boards on GR are still being rather moody on my computer. I hope that it is "all better" by tomorrow

Enjoy the meeting with "the grandchild" I am sure that she will love to get any info re her grandmother that you have. Taking a lot of tissues sounds like a good idea.
Enjoy the wedding too.

Yes it is great when someone gives you info that you weren't expecting, we all hope for that. No you don't sound mean Bridget about the weddings ...pity they weren't all in the same area !!!!

Windy again today but sunny, go in to hosp for my pre-op assessment on Tuesday, it will be a long day starting with an ECG then all the rest, I just love sitting about in a hospital !!!

Then I should a big should go into hosp on 6th June for a hip replacement...I hope I do not get cancelled, I am tired of being in pain, tired of not being able to walk far, tired of putting on weight because I can't exercise..............Just TIRED. So keep everything crossed for me !!!!!!!!!!

Hello everyone, I hope that you are all well and enjoying your day. It is dry and warmish but not hot here in Peniscola. We are having lunch today at the home of our friends who came to lunch last Sunday. Not sure what we wil have but as the lady is a good cook we will enjoy it.

Last night we went to the English bar to watch the Manchester United team play Barcelona, it was a lesson for MU as they are simply not in the same class as Barcelona, here I have to admit that I supported Barca.

Yes I am lucky to be given the news that my father although born in Dublin was in fact born in Wexford but how sad that my dear father was never told this. I have searched for him as I promised, even now I am not sure that I will managevto find amy details. However I may start a thread to see if anyone knows the area, and maybe be able to tell me if there are any people with the same surname still in Wexford. I do know that there are quite a lot of people in Wales with the same name as well, so one last try to see if I can find relatives.

Roger Daltry is on Desert island discs and his story is very sad and he has also felt the loss of his father when hecwas still a baby.

Well time to stop now,

Enjoy the day

12.51 hrs Spain

It was yet another very windy day here and not very warm. I spent all afternoon downloading my holday photos and up loading them to my photo blog. If anyone is interested in seeing the blog please PM me for the address, it is only open to those I give the address to. There are photos on there from several people on Genes besides me.

Hope you enjoyed your meal Bridget.

Will try to pop back here after I have had a sleep.
I'm a little out of sorts at the moment, but nothing that a good sllep won't cure.

Pleased the "your team" won Bridget. I hope that there was agood atmosphere in the bar. i.e. that you were not the only Barca supporter.

It miy be worth searching facebook to see if you can get info about Wexford.
I have been lucky that some of the places in Co Limerick that my grandmother's family came from, have their own pages. Lots of photos, some videos etc.

Good morning all. I had a strange weekend and want to share what I learned with you in case you need to know in future. I live in an outer western suburb of Sydney - in a villa which is a semi to another villa occupied by a European lady. We can hear faint sounds of movement but pay no attention to them as people who live close to others do.

On Saturday, I received an email from her business email address - apologising for not telling me about suddenly going overseas and saying that she is at Heathrow airport and has a lot of samples which requires her to pay excess baggage of $5650 in order for her to get home. Promising to repay on her return, she asked that I lend her the money urgently, and gave a Liverpool area as the place she intends to pick it up from.

I picked it immediately as a scam but because we don't have much to do with each other, I began to listen for sounds to prove that she is still at home. I heard nothing! Absolute silence! I then used the address on the email to write to her and tell her she has a 'hacker'. Imagine my surprise when I received a 'reply' stating "it's me. I'm at Heathrow airport. Please send the money urgently" and more promise to repay on her return. This floored me! It also led to me getting help from a friend. There was a lot more involved such as hearing 'someone' running the shower. However, I wasn't game to knock on her door in case it was opened by a 'stranger/intruder'. I wondered who was using her home if she was away?

My friend told me to send another email - this time to her personal email address. I did this and she answered immediately - from next door! She had already received a phone call from someone else on her contact list with the same news and has changed her password. Only her business address was hacked - not her personal address. This is what to do if you are affected by this in the future.-

If you receive an email like I did - do NOT answer it and do NOT use that email address to contact the person who is supposed to have sent it. Contact them either at another email address or by phone/personal, etc and tell them they have a problem and to change their password immediately. Once a hacker gets into your account, they can read everything and start guessing your password until they get it right - then they become YOU. So, make your password something that has nothing to do with you or your family, pets, business, etc.(and change it frequently).

This hacker even wrote the message in broken English, once they saw how she writes. They miss nothing and are very clever. She was very apologetic to me, but I'm glad I've learned how to deal with this situation - and I'm flattered to think that someone thinks I could just send that kind of money off without any worries - and on a Sunday, too. I'm afraid that if she really had been sitting at the airport waiting for my loan, she would be sitting there for a long time!!! :D

Glad you didn't fall for it Berona. I too have had very similar, it is surprising (or maybe not) what people will stoop to isn't it?

Berona
I am in a bit of a hurry today but thanks for posting your reperiences, I shall certainly take heed of it. I am gong to discuss it with mu OH right now.
Nearly finished packing for the trip back to the UK for the wedding.

Yes Berona unfortunately that scam has been going the rounds for some time, thank goodness you did not fall for it, horrible people, ......troouble is when someone really needs help.....like callling wolf isn't it

I am still having trouble getting on the boards on Genes. It is driving me mad. Didn't have any success at all clicking on "My Threads" I have to (try to) go on General Boadr, it sometimes works. But then have trouble turning the page.
If I had a swear box it would be full.
A rather wet day here today, typical of a Bank Holiday monday. It doesn't matter so much to me as I have retired, but I feel sorry for people who are still workin
This afternoon my son and I "looked in" at a local allotment club. It is less than ten minutes walk away (even on a slow day). I had never thought of asking if I could join. My son phoned them first and checked if we could be members, even though we don't have an allotment.
The answere is YES! We just have to get two people to support our application.
They also have bowling and snooker as well as doing coach trips (There is one going to Bridgenorth in a few weeks.)
They have a bar and lounge too. I will be going back on Wednesday to collect membership application forms. Just hope that we are both accepted.
Berona, I'm pleased that you were not taken in by the scam. It must have been worrying for you.
Bridget, I hope that the weather in the UK has improved by Friday and that the wedding goes well.
Annin glos, sounds like you had a good time in Dorset, do you go there often?
I will PM you.


Have to go now and try to get on some other threads while my luck hols out.

Tess

Glad you did not get caught Berona. We have a lot of that here too, a text message informing us that "your cell phone number has ben chosen to win an amount of R ............, phone so and so at number..........." just another of the many scams.

Last night out of nowhere we had a heavy shower of rain which lasted just a few seconds and to-day has been dark and dismal most of the time with an icy wind bklowing.

Thought I would do something productive to-day so I have made a large batch of gingernuts and then made a batch of rusks, the rusks are now in the oven drying out.

The allotment club sounds interesting Tess, good luck on bing accepted.




Val.
15.00.