General Chat

Annette

I am lucky



but I can't do very much of it myself, so someone has to do it.




s
xx

good news about the peak level, just seen that on our news.

Sylvia, that's the way to do it! Get your OH to clear out the contents of the cupboards. But does he chunter about dates as he finds items out of date!!!! Mine does, as if he'd never let things get so bad!!!!

Hope everyone is well.
My thoughts are with all who live or have relatives in Australia. The sheer scale of the devastation is hard to take in. Also on last nights news a major mud slide in Brazil claimed 400 lives or more. Weather has gone mad.

Cath xx

Yes Catherine I saw that about Brazil. Terrible all these lives lost and homes and belongings lost. And did yous ee that they are still suffering in Haiti because of the various agencies not pulling together to rebuild etc?

Ann I did see that. Its tragic about Haiti. Certainly makes one sit up and be thankful for what we have.
I hope our Australian friends are all safe and well.

Cath xx

Hi all

Haiti is a terrible problem ............. but it does seem that a lot of the problem is due to graft and corruption in the country itself.

Aid agencies here are saying that has been a problem for many many years.

Anderson Cooper has a program called Keeping Them Honest on CNN ..... he has broadcast from Haiti 3 or 4 times over the past year, and some of the things he has exposed are truly shocking.

Very little of the inaction seems to be due to the agencies not working together, but to them being unable to get the government to work with them. For example, supplies shipped into the airport in Haiti, then refusal to release them to the aid agency concerned unless huge amounts of money are paid over.




We're in a period of heavy rain, then sunshine, then showers, heavy rain, cloudy, sun, etc etc

It's also pretty warm (around 10C or higher in the daytime), and there have been several landslips and mudslides cutting off roads to the rest of Canada.

Fortunately, no-one has been hurt or even trapped by them.



Hope everyone is well


sylvia

HI
I havent been posting for a few days because my oh has been having tests at the dr twice last week. I am very concerned about him.
informing you also that my friends and family in Qld and other areas ruined by floods are ok but in need of much TLC.
they are finding that people are helping them clean up who they dont even know.

Police have put the fear of god into the ones who think it might be a chance to steal, and said there is a 10 year jail sentence for anyone found in possession of looted goods. So then people can feel better about unknown others helping out.

My niece in Gatton had her optometrist business washed away, but her home and family are safe. she is in the process of salvageing what she can and finding about the insurance cover for her optical machines.

here in Albury, We have had a lot of warm, windy and wet weather and further from here it has been flooding and evacuations had to happen in Euchuca.
If Wangaratta gets flooded like last time many people will be effected. so hoping flood waters dont come that far along the border
again.
The ground is sodden and cant take any more. One noticable effect is that the gum trees are wildly spreading new leaves and there is a strong smell of eucalyptus in the air everywhere.

Yesterday the kookaburras were extremely noisy, and the last 4 days the noise of cicadas continues day and night. They are climbing up the walls and spreading there wings to fly.

I havent seen any parrots lately so they must have flown inland to the wet breeding areas. I heard on the radio a bird watcher talking about the millions of birds on the inland river systems. Not just water birds but all types.

Best wishes Annette

Still thinking of all the people in the flood areas annette. Pleased that your niece is safe, so sad about her business but at least her life is safe and hopefully she will be able to re-build her business.

I hope that the tests can sort out what ails your OH too.

Catherine we were watching Countryfile last night which had Guernsey on it. We were very interested in the (I think they called it) Hedge markets. Where produce is left outside for people to take and pay for in an honesty box. All sorts from asparagus to lettuce and carrots. How nice to live somewhere that this can still be done. The man interviewed said it was because it was a small island and thieves would soon be caught. But I wondered if they had trouble with holiday makers thieving, he didn't say. This one was using his late fathers vinery in which to grow veg. Was also interested in seeing the fresh lobster and crab barbecued !!!

I live in rural Herefordshire and neighbours sell eggs, fruit, vegetables and plants with the use of honesty boxes. We were rather amused to see a Tesco delivery driver stopping to buy fruit! It seems to work well.

Maybe it works in rural areas then, don't think it would work here, too many people who want something for nothing.

Hi Ann,
I missed Countryfile.
The Hedge Veg stalls are brilliant, I buy lots from them. Amazingly there isn't much pilfering either by locals or visitors. The quality of goods is far superior to supermarket bought and I like to support local growers (my late father was in tomato growing) when possible. There will always be a few who steal but they are a minority.
Our son in law has a fishing boat and keeps us supplied all summer with lobster, crab and lots of fish.

Cath xx

Catherine I envy you, all that fresh veg and also lobster and crab. I love fish and especially lobster and crab!! I said to my OH it is time we re-visited Guernsey, must be about 20 years since we were last there.

Hi
Guernsey sounds like the perfect place to escape to after all the trials we are experiencing here lately. Maybe I could go there in my dreams.

Its going to take some time for us to save up for a holiday though. and most likely we would go and visit our son in Maine. Just the effort of the trip puts me off.He and his wife decided not to come in February, but are making plans to come in June.

Our youngest son who had been working at the silos for the harvest is now finished his contract there.
He has had one interview with an engineering company about an apprentice welder.

and This morning I took him to an interview for the ADF,
He wants to do a degree in metal work with them, which is his first preference it seems. he will be there this morning about 3 to 5 hours, doing the assessment skills test, medical test , psych test etc.
and He should know at the end of the day whether or not he progresses to the next round of tests.

I am familiar with the ADF because 3 of my brothers went in to trades in the army, and they did well, none of them went to fight in Vietnam, so our family was lucky.

today its a different matter as Australia goes into all sorts of peacekeeping arenas, with the skills and trades that they have to rebuild things. In fact tight now many are up in Qld doing searches and helping with the logistics of the cleanup and rebuilding of Rockhampton, Ipswich, toowoomba and Brisbane.

So I mean its a fairly good life if they dont have to fight and kill.
I like many mothers hold my son close to my heart. What is it with the youngest son bond?

Apart from that things are going steady, and I am putting all my genealogy notes into order, with the stories, and photos, that I have collected. My newly found cousin has encouraged me to finish the project, and given me ideas how to get it compiled and printed.

So Im doing the best I can at the moment, but it seems so complicated sometimes, that I stop and shake my head, wondering if I can really do a good job with it.

best wishes
Annette

Ann if ever you come to Guernsey again let me know. We can have a mini-meet.

Hope everyone is safe and well

Cath xx

Annette, you will get there in the end, break it down into smaller parts, one step at a time and think how proud you'll be when it is finished.

good luck to your son.

Catherine, might take you up on that if we ever get back.

Hello all
Son is successful in the ADF. His tests reveal that he is more suited to navy than army. the suggestion is that he apply for Marine technician.

So he has applied, and now waits for them to contact him for the next round of interviews. If all goes well for the next medical, then he will be going to Cerberus Base south of Melbourne.

The rain has stopped last 2 days, and the air is starting to heat up again.

Good news Annette


I hope he is successful in the next interviews.



more snow here ...... not forecast before it arrived this morning!



OH was out at the university where they have had more than here at home. He said it was snowing quite hard at higher elevations out there ........ especially on the 5th level of the Parkade


.............. where he had parked his car!



sylvia

Morning folks,
Annette hope all goes well for your son at his next round of interviews. Bet you,re glad the rain has stopped.
Sylvia did your OH get the car out safely or have to abandon it.
We finally have central heating again after a month without. I'd forgotten how good it feels to wake up in a nice warm house.
Cold but dry here this morning, hope you all have a good day whatever you're doing, take care,

Cath xx

Hi All,
Annette congratulations to your son and good luck in the next stage.

Sylvia, poor you, I hope we have finished with the snow, nasty stuff. Take care if it is slippery out and I hope your OH managed to get his car out OK.

Catherine, pleased to hear that you have heating back, it is miserable without it. I can't remembere if you said what the problem was, did you have to have a new boiler?