General Chat

Well Petunia, you have outdone yourself with our gifts. I am over the moon... or under it, depending from where you are looking :-D.

Extra virgin olive oil - :-(, Petunia, I have children :-D :-D :-D.

Home made wine, now that is THE ticket... It is chilling as we speak.. Red you say?. Ooops, I shall remove it from the fridge tout suite..

Merino bed socks?. Why, thank you, I think :-D. We have three million woolly blighters here, possibly even more. Not all bear Merino though.

Ah, eau de Estuary, I am not quite sure how to thank you :-S.

A tapestry, how lovely. Do you think it is like the one Carol King sang of??.

French cheese, delicious :-).. I shall purchase a baguette to accompany the cheese and the wine. I shall be as happy as a porker in muck....

Never look a gift horse in the mouth they say... I shall not.. Not that I am calling you a horse dear... Is it true the French eat horse :-S.... I feel sick..

Good evening Ladies, I am sorry for my disappearance, but SO many things needed to be put in order.

Firstly at Church, the flowers were wrong, the cassocks had not been washed, the kneelers needed a good brush, and the altar cloth could have done with a renovation, such was the amount of wine stains on it! Tutty tut.

You see I go away, and everything goes to wrack and ruin. They were all surprised to see Beatrice and I, and their good wishes were such that they wished we had had such a lovely time, that we could have stayed longer! Naturally, I know the nature of these things, and one must not outstay ones welcome when on holidays, and of course the usual everyday things must not be neglected!

When service was over, I wrote out a rota of things that needed to be done, and distributed it amongst the WI Ladies, delegate dears, that is the key!!!!

My frillies have been put away for the summer dear Susan, one only wears them in warmer climes, the old cotton dependables have come back to the fore.

Yes our good proud boys have won the Ashes again. Such a tiny urn! I don't know what the fuss is about.

NOW..........................................pressy time. Are you sitting comfortably with your cyber hatches open? Good! I have bought you all the same, as we are all equal in our little brood.

Stand by for a bottle of extra virgin olive oil. A bottle of delicious home made wine. Some delightful cheese. A small bottle of perfume made by the nuns of the Weeping Willow Tree by the Estuary convent. A handmade tapestry for your walls, and a pair of handknitted fine merino wool bedsocks for the cooler nights. Don't worry about the bottle breaking dears, they are in a small hamper, lined with clean straw.

Don't bother to thank me dears, it is the least I could do for you all.

Supervising Pat-trish-aaaaah loading the hampers into the cyber hatch.

Pip Pip
Auntie Petunia

YOOHOO Ladies,

Excuse me for shouting but you all seem to have disappeared...

Petunia, I trust your frillies are suitably washed, dried and put away nicely... Err, not being greedy but I haven't seen any cyber present as yet??... I do so like to receive a present, especially from overseas ;-).

Jolly hockey sticks, your boys won the Ashes :-D.. Hip hooray !!. Fancy it raining in Manchester :-(. ** titters quietly to myself **.

Today we have had an almost spring like day, marvellous stuff. I could almost be tempted into the garden.. Perhaps tomorrow :-S.

I have been out to afternoon tea with a dear friend. Most enjoyable , as was the slice I ate that I shouldn't have :-D. Oh dear, how sad, too bad, never mind, it was delicious :-). Nearly time to think about cooking dinner.. Curried chicken tonight, Mama's simple recipe.

~~~~~~~ to you all,

toodle pip

Good morning Ladies,

The boat-train arrived at Victoria this morning at 7am. Pat-trish-aaaaah picked us up in the tuk-tuk and trailer, and we descended upon Motie Towers just after 8am.

We are now suitably bathed and refreshed and off to church.

I shall report on our last day in France, and our return journey later, as usual it was not without mishap.

I hope that by our return all our frillies will be fluttering gently on the line, and Mrs Berry has left a delicious meal for us.

Your cyber presents will follow in due course.

Picking up my Bible as I close the door.
Auntie Petunia

National roast day :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)

Im on my way over Susan :-D


Teresa

Mosquito or flea bites Aunty??.. what lurks in hay ?. So glad you are having a jolly old time of it. It all sounds lovely and relaxing, shopping is one of my favourite pastimes - especially in places new..

~~~~ to Teresa and Lesley, hope things are well with you both and yours?..

Tis Friday again here, hooray. Last day of toil. End of the month again so a tad busy at work.

We are puppy sitting tonight :-D. She is sleeping over... OH will take her for their usual Saturday morning constitutional... it does them both a power of good.
Ladies, I have three times this week, dragged my sorry youknowwhat from the bed and taken myself for a constitutional :-). Two mornings in a row there was quite a heavy frost, things were a bit slippery in places. I managed to stay upright, always a bonus while walking, I feel.

My youngest sibling turns 49 today, for three weeks, he and next eldest are the same age ;-)....

Fruit had organised a family meal here on Sunday. It is national roast day. Fruit is cooking a roast for dinner... by dinner I mean evening meal. Dinner is always eaten in the evening - otherwise it would be luncheon :-\..

Toodle pip, have a lovely weekend.

Susan

Blimey O Riley Auntie ;-) How people let the demon drink control them like that, well tutty tut.

I do remember Papas liking Tiswas as well. It was a mystery to me but is now solved :-D

Garlic Auntie dear, and a certain brand of body lotion from the lady what brings cosmetics to the doorstep. That will stop the mossies

Orff to feed the hoards

Teresa

Good morning Ladies and silent watchers!

A silent day yesterday, Beatrice did not surface until noon, and then complained of a headache. We left her to it.

Us jolly trio of gels went shopping in the next village. There are lots of lovely little local shops there. Individual to each other. We have bought lots of nick-nacks to bring home with us.

George dropped us off and left us to our own devices, so we pottered, sipped cooling drinks, and ate plenty of croissants.

Suitably refreshed, we wended our weary way home, along the dusty paths.

As if by magic, a horse and cart came trundling behind us, packed with loose hay, and offered us a lift home. My French is a little rusty, but we did manage to communicate to the farmer.

After giving us a bunk-up onto the back of the cart, we sat among the hay, fanning ourselves, and singing merrily. How many times can we sing about a pen of our aunt?

Jolly times girls, jolly times, so calm, so innocent, so covered in mosquito bites!

Scratching furiously
Auntie Petunia

Good evening dear Ladies,

I fear our dear Teresa has been eating radishes!

It was indeed Eric that narrated Magic Roundabout. His younger daughter opened a shop near us. Twas a little card/paper/fancy goods/kitchen equipment shop. I thought it very nice, but it only lasted a short time. Such a shame.

I know of a gentleman acquaintance who regularly watched Tiswas with his two young children on a Saturday morning. Just to see Sally James, wearing navy hat bands as garters! Tutty tut.

However onto higher things. Good evening Lesley, are you inviting me to your county dear, I could take the train!

Now let me tell you the tale of the old iron pot concering Beatrice. Alas she is not a Bea, if you saw her face you could tell that. That woman could stop a clock!

As I said, we visited a vineyard yesterday. It was very pleasant to wander inbetween the vines on a warm summer afternoon. Of course we wore our straw hats, we have to protect our peaches and cream complexions.

It may be that she is an organist dears, but she has very nimble fingers, and pulled more than a few grapes off the vines as we pass. As you can imagine dears, some of the grapes were starting to ferment, and they become potent.

The warm sun may have had something to do with it, but she began swaying along through the vines, still picking, still fermenting!

By the time we reached the Chateau she was fairly weaving her way along.

We reached the house, and we were been given a Tasting Session. They were Pinot Grigio grapes, and there was an array of green bottles on the table. Suddenly from the back we were treated to Ten Green Bottles being sung slightly off key, and very, very loudly. I must admit that I had never heard Beatrice singing quite so gustily. When she had reached No Green Bottles she turned her attentions to singing about Inverness! I fail to see how the French countryside could compare to Scotland, but nevertheless she felt compared to sing her heart out. Something about Four and Twenty Versions from Inverness? She was slurring so much, it was not plain.

George, being the gentleman he was gently slipped his arm under hers, and bundled her out, and let her flop onto the back seat. Two hours later, we joined her and found her snoring loudly and dribbling onto the leather seat.

As you know dears, I am teetotal, but Georgianna and Octavia much enjoyed the Tasting Session, with a little Brie, I comforted myself with a cracker or two, some Cheddar and Elderflower Cordial.

Dinner was waiting for us when we got back to the Boulangerie, and dear little Valentine run up to the car as we slew to a stop. What a bonny little fellow he is.

Strangely enough, Beatrice did not want anything to eat, and excused herself and went to bed. Such bad manners. We may not like rabbit stew, but if we refused their hospitality, it would be bad form.

So that my dears, was yesterday........................................we have had a quiet day today, Beatrice was not too well!!!!

Exasperated with it all
Auntie Petunia

Tighten your seat belt Petunia you could be in for a bumpy ride when you visit our beautiful county ;-)

Clickety click Teresa :-D :-D :-D

Hello Susan. x

goodness I doubled clicked there :-)

oooh dear, what has Bea done now Auntie ?????

Dear Emma's Papa, was his name Eric? I did so love the Magic Roundabout when I was a small Fruit :-D What it was about? I am still trying to work out. I also liked playschool and in later years Tizwas. I was never a fan of Miss Rosalyn and Romper room. She never called out my Sister and I when she was doing a role call of names at the end. I also was not a fan of Swapshop. We louvvvved Tizwas. Mama did not :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D


Sorry I was lost in youth there for a moment.

I was on some more unmade roads today across the boarder to Suffolk, not far from where we live. FTY and I have been doing the Aunt/Uncle/Great Aunt/Great Uncle visits for the last couple of days. We have been a very good Niece and great Nephew. FTY has been fed two hourly so is a happy Fruit. FTY has hollow legs and is growing upward and not outwards. Mrs Berrie may like to sling some grub down the cyber hatch to supplement our food stocks :-)

Auntie dear, you may like to get your hunters on. There are some very large puddles about which may be heading your way.

Orff now for feeding time.

Teresa

oooh dear, what has Bea done now Auntie ?????

Dear Emma's Papa, was his name Eric? I did so love the Magic Roundabout when I was a small Fruit :-D What it was about? I am still trying to work out. I also liked playschool and in later years Tizwas. I was never a fan of Miss Rosalyn and Romper room. She never called out my Sister and I when she was doing a role call of names at the end. I also was not a fan of Swapshop. We louvvvved Tizwas. Mama did not :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D


Sorry I was lost in youth there for a moment.

I was on some more unmade roads today across the boarder to Suffolk, not far from where we live. FTY and I have been doing the Aunt/Uncle/Great Aunt/Great Uncle visits for the last couple of days. We have been a very good Niece and great Nephew. FTY has been fed two hourly so is a happy Fruit. FTY has hollow legs and is growing upward and not outwards. Mrs Berrie may like to sling some grub down the cyber hatch to supplement our food stocks :-)

Auntie dear, you may like to get your hunters on. There are some very lagre puddles about which may be heading your way.

Orff now for feeding time.

Teresa

Smooths down dress, pushes hair delicately over ear, and composes one's self.

Good evening dears, I am pleased to report that everything is now back to normal, Francine and her family are now back in charge of the shop and the baking, and George is ferrying us, and dear little Valentine around the valley and showing us the sights, in the manner in which we are all accustomed.

Susan dear, you must count your lucky stars dear, there is definitely something afoot in your corner of the world. All those shudders, big waves, and fires. Not to mention the humungous spiders....................... But I am pleased that you and yours have not been affected.

Teresa and Lesley, I am fascinated by your accounts of living in the wilds of the country, all those unmade roads, it reminds me of being here! I shall ignore your humourous comments Teresa dear, I know you mean well, and there is no need to dive for cover.....................my aim if better when you are standing!

Lesley I do hope little E is well, and the visits to the Peter Pan hospital are proving beneficial. She must be blooming in this warm weather. Little chubby legs with a hint of colour from the sun are almost edible!

I am totally lost with this talk of mobiles dears, I have my windup Bloooooberry, and it suits me very well. The hamster in the wheel does the recharging most nights, but when it sleeps, we take turns to crank the handle.

Telletubbies dear, is that the ones in brightly coloured suits, who talk rubbish? If so, then yes, we have watched it in French. Unlike the Magic Roundabout that WAS French, and then translated into English by dear Emma's Papa.

We are heading back to town now dears, we have had our fill of Chateaus, wineries, and vinyards today. Beatrice has let herself down again........................

I am VERY disappointed.
Auntie Petunia

Auntieeeeee, are you there or been driven to the brink of chewing off your nails with the teletubbies who seem to be on a loop. :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D

Frost Susan? I hope you have your thermals at the ready ;-)

Paid toil is very warm Lesley, Its the situation of the building I think with very little airflow. We have loads of fans for everyone who resides with us :-D

What has happened to the roads between my house and Sainsburys? There is nothing but gravel towards your end. The car is covered in stone chips :-( OH is busy polishing them out on a weekly basis. It was hard the other evening driving home in the rain, no cats eyes or white lines to be seen anywhere!

Hope all is well with baby E, It is a bit cooler for the little ones now which is good. Some can get very fretful in the heat.

I have a new phone, I'm the proud owner on an I phone. OH FTY and FTE said it was a better option. I can get free Viber to text FTE which is free with wifi. I haven't a clue how to use it and am awaiting instruction from FTY once it is charged :-D

My dear old Blueberry with be popped in to the draw with all the other old mobiles, you never know they may be collectors items in years to come.

Teresa :-D

Hello to those that are to hot and those that are to cold.

Oh dear Susan more quakes:-( you must get far more than we hear of :-S

Auntie I can only give you a tiny piece of advice.................................................... ........................................................................................................................ be afraid very afraid ..................................................................... of the wasps:-D

Teresa I hope your return to paid toil wasn't to painful or to hot :-D

Morning Ladies,

I have woken to a gloriously beautiful morning - white as white with frost :-D... thank heavens I don't have dentures ;-).. The birds are currently happily feasting on the remains of my breakfast.

Petunia, what an experience for you, baking the bread not just eating the bread, I shall think of you as Henny Penny, there is a children's story I remember, everyone wanted to eat the bread, no one wanted to help make the bread... I trust you are recovered from your efforts?. I must say, there is nothing quite so nice as the aroma of freshly baked bread :-).
Not so much of a holiday for you all, you are living the life of a woofer :-D... no, not a canine :-\.

A 5.4 quake this morning at 1.05 am, 12 km's deep hit the central North Island... We are too north to feel any of the quakes so far. Very unnerving for the people in the affected area. :-(.

I am not sure where my morning has gone, I am sure my clock is on fast forward some mornings... I had best get my skates on and rattle my dags ;-) ;-).

Toodle pip

:-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D Auntie, are you doing paid toil dear?????? :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D


I would help dear Auntie but you know how I do so hate cooking. I am used to the heat what with the M word and working in very warm conditions on a daily basis.

Now as for dear little Valentine you do not need to run yourself ragged. Do what any good mama does. Find the dear little chap a comfy chair within your line of site and tune in to the French equivalent of CBBCs :-D I'm sure that Bob the Builder, the Tweenies and Telly Tubbies have all been dubbed into French. This will keep him amused for hours and you can keep to your daily toil. A couple of bread rolls will keep him from chewing on things and fill him so full of carbs he will sleep all afternoon ;-)


Tuttty tut tut, I do feel Mrs Berry and Holly need more than the minimum wage. £10 is usually the hourly rate ;-)


Your diving for cover


Teresa

Peers into looking glass with distain, wipes perspiration from brow, and flour from nose!!!!

Hello dears, I hope dear Susan is well after her tremors, and that Teresa and Lesley are keeping the East Coast county under orders.

Oh dear, what a week we have had....................remember I said that as we arrived that Francine and her family, apart from dear little Valentine, were setting out the evening meal for us? And very nice it was too.

Unfortunately they had eaten at lunchtime too, and apparently had a dodgy whelk, or some such shellfish. Hence they all had food poisoning [or should I say poisoning? Titters] for four days.

I must say that running a boulangerie is not as easy as we thought. All that mixing, pummelling, and stretching of the dough is like doing a work out with that naice Ms Fonda. Jolly hard work, and going for the burn.

Talking of burns, all four of us genteel ladies have managed to burn our arms putting the bread into the gigantic ovens. All that heat and steam. Our hair has suffered from fatigue as well as our arms.

We take it in turns to look after Valentine, and as he is now toddling, we are running ourselves ragged.

If this is what dear Mrs Berry and her daughter Holly have to put up with everyday, perhaps I should pay them more than the minimum wage..................

As you know, the French do like to purchase their bread fresh, and visit the shop at least twice a day, which means that we are constantly standing in pools of water! I did not know that the body could dispose of Evi@n at such a rate.

Waving an oven glove in your direction...................

Auntie Petunia