General Chat

yes Lesley, one last year, one this year, and two more to come at some point in the future ..... by the time they have finished with me I shall be the Bionic Woman !! trying to look on the bright side .....

btw I shall pass on the salsa if you dont mind but the sauteed spuds sound good !! :-D

Good Evening Ladies.

Anyone for burnt salsa, steak and saute potatoes? Today I thought I had left a salsa simmering on low heat, wrong ................................. I had left it on a high heat .................................... I only popped into the garden to finish edging the lawn, when I returned the salsa was burnt solid in the pan :-( luckily we have a farm shop within walking distance so I was able to purchase more peppers and start again :-|

Auntie Petunia all this High Society gallivanting is making me feel tiered just reading about it :-( having said that if it all gets to much for you I will gladly step into your shoes :-D

CC I am sorry you are in the need of an operation :-( but pleased to hear you haven't got long to wait for it :-)

Thank you for telling me about the spice shop .............................. it's just a little nearer than Upton Park.

Hello Susan I hope all is well.

Lesley x

Thank you for your concern dear.

No George has been in France with Francine's parents. Her Mama has not been too well of late. Her Papa has a Boulangerie so there was plenty of work to be done.

Little Valentine is a little tinker now, and into everything. He is becoming bi-lingual. Of course he is spoilt rotten over the Channel. Especially as he is the only little boy in the family.

I shall of course arrive in the tuk-tuk, I shall have it decorated with flowers, and make a grand entrance. I think of the Hotel Marigold whenever I ride in it nowadays......................I do so like that naice Mr Nighy.

Have a lovely weekend Ladies, I shall report back soonest.

May the sunshine on you all.
Auntie Petunia

I trust Petunia dear that you will be taking a chaperone with you. I would like to volunteer for this service, or if not perhaps you can prevail upon George? I havent seen him around much lately. I expect little Valentine has everyone on the hop at the moment.

I think we shall all be looking forward to seeing the vision of you in pastel blue!

#sniffs#

I will have you know this little memento is very precious to me dear. As you know my dear little girl passed quite a few years ago, but for me to carry her teddy with me gives me comfort dear. I am sure you will understand.

Great news dears, I know we are moving at a fast pace, but at my age I cannot afford to wait too long.

I am to be taken to tea at one of James' children's houses over the weekend. I dont know which one yet, but I am sure it will be marvellous to meet the family.

I have ordered flowers, arranged for Pat-trish-aaaah to go and buy a box of choccies, and I shall rescue a bottle of wine from the cellar. Such fun.

It is to be warm again I feel, I shall look out the pastel blue lawn dress, with a straw bonnet. Smart, yet not too formal.

Make hay while the sun shines
Auntie Petunia

So glad, Petunia dear, you had an enjoyable heevening at the thee-aytre. How the other half live *sniffs*. MFH often listens to Mr Allam on a CD, he was one of the stars of Cabin Pressure. Benedict Cumbernauld and ... oh who is it who plays Diana Trent in Waiting for God ... yes, her, she's in Cabin Pressure too. Is it Stephanie Cole?

Well of course one is quite used to finding a lost teaspoon in the bottom of the washing up bowl after everything has been washed, dried, and put away. But to suddenly find sooo many spoons missing - one dessert spoon and two teaspoons from a cutlery set which was a gift from my parents, and also three teaspoons each from another two sets which I purchased, and all have gone missing in the last year since I did the last cutlery audit (which is the last time the cutlery trays were cleaned out) - surely so many spoons cannot have ended up in the rubbish with the scrapings in the space of one year.

Come along dears, open up your handbags for inspection ..... oh Petunia, why on earth do you feel the need to keep one of those in your handbag, at your age. Are you blushing?? yes, you ARE !! ;-) ;-) ;-) ;-) :-D :-D :-D

Good evening Ladies, and the new person who has popped their head around the door!

Dear Upsidedown Susan, how lovely of your extended family to be featured in the newspaper. Sportsmen too! Will they play for the national team at a future date. I do hope so, then I can say to anyone who will listen 'those strapping young men are related to a dear friend of mine' without blinking an eyelid. How exciting.

Now to illuminate you on the persons mentioned yesterday. Are you sitting comfortably dear...................then pin back your lugholes.

There is a new television programme on now, called Endeavour. It is a prequel to Morse with John Thaw. This show is how a young Morse came to Oxford and began his career. Jolly good it is too. His superior officer is called Thursday. He wears a trilby hat, smokes a pipe, and has sandwiches for lunch, made by his wife everyday. He [the actor] has a lovely voice, and is a Mr Roger Allam, and it was he, to whom I was referring to in his acting role at the Globe last evening.

#gasps for breathe#

May I tell you all the play was most entertaining, and we did indeed have supper at the Hoxo building on the Thames. We looked out over the river, and saw the lights dancing on the water. It was very.....................nice.

Until of course, the helicopters swooped along the Thames to take Miss Boncie and her family back to her hotel. It was jolly noisy, and very expensive I'll be bound. Still I suppose when he was in Dynasty Children she got the taste for the high life. And she has paid her dues.

Well done Cherry dear, for getting a decision of your hip. It will make your life so much easier, when you are freer to walk around without discomfort.

As for the question of the tea-spoons..............I fear they have gawn in the same direction as a few of my knives. They are scooped into the bin along with the scrapings I fear. No one ever does it, but they end up going missing..............

I wonder where all the socks go too?

Take care dears
Auntie Petunia

there is a Thieving Spoon Fairy in my house. Last year I had a full complement of the spoons and forks which were part of the cutlery set given us by my parents as a wedding gift (excluding the bone handled knives most of which fell to pieces and were replaced - I have all the replacement knives).

Following a routine cutlery audit (cos I was cleaning the cutlery trays) I am now missing one dessert spoon and two teaspoons. I shall be inspecting your handbags later ....... :-D :-D ;-) ;-)

Which Fourth Dimension are my spoons in? Answers on the back of a Penny Black please ... !!!

STOP PRESS !!!

good morning ladies, I have returned from the horsepiddle, with good news. I told the consulting doctor that the GP had done the Ortho referral forms on Tuesday for me to have my right hip replaced. The Xray shows that joint is even more worn than it was a year ago and it warranted surgery a year ago it was "that bad". He said he would add me to the surgery waiting list and mark it urgent, so I expect to wait four to six months unless they have a cancellation.

I dont want another operation, but if I do nothing I will end up the way I was before my left hip was done and I dont want that either.

Congratulations Susan to your young rellies for their elevation to global stardom!! Something to embarrass them with in future years when the girl or boy friends come calling LOL ;-) ;-) ;-)

Dare I suggest you investigate immediately if that lucky couple are distant relations of yours - or mine!! If so, send a begging letter or two, poste haste :-D :-D

As your winter looms, our summer is a-comin' :-) :-) Ask me nicely and I will bottle up some heat and post it to you ;-) :-D Surface mail of course .... ;-)

Ladies, good evening,

I trust your evening out was most enjoyable Petunia?.. I must confess, the names you speak of, mean nothing to me, nada, zilch :-D.... Do excuse my hignorance...

CC, I do hope you had a successful visit to the horsepiddle. Fingers crossed for a sooner rather than later 'op' date. :-).

You probably wont believe me, but there was a picture of junior members of my family in the Daily Mail's online sport section yesterday. We were all beside ourselves with excitement. They are not 'famous', just happened to be in a photo of a couple of rugger players ;-).. But, I saw them with my own eyes. They are all of 5 and 7...

A very lucky couple here, have won $14,000,000 with a Lotto ticket that was rescued from the pocket of a pair of jeans about to go in the wash :-D.. Good luck to them I say. My colour has returned to normal now, the 'green' has gorn :-S..
My OH won $26.. Cest la vie !

Tis dark here now by 6pm and I do not like it one little bit.. Roll on Spring, though I am getting way ahead of myself. I don't have curtains at my kitchen windows. Though we are secluded, I ocassionally get the willy's... The doors and windows are all locked ;-).

Time to think about cooking an evening meal, OH is to be late home. I shall have hunger pangs before too much longer, wonder what is lurking in the fridge waiting to be consumed, must go and see.

Toodle,

Susan

#whispers# Hello ladies, just popped out in the interval.................speaking to you on the Blooooberry.

That naice Mr Hallam, is nothing like his alter-ego Mr Thursday. But he does still have a lovely voice.

I must say there is rather a lot of noise here, apparently there is a young lady called Boncie singing just along the Thames, and the noise is drifting down here.

We are to eat in the Hoxo Tower later on, after the show. I shall let you know tomorrow.

Curtain up
Auntie Petunia

~~~~~ to everyone, what a lovely day its been today, not too hot, not too cold.

my word Petunia dear, one of the Sinjun Mannerings. Fancy that. Will he be moving into Motie Towers any time soon? There is plenty of room, after all. I will soon train him to take his pipes and ceeegars outside and smoke in the Folly, away from the house. A generous burst of lavender room spray every five minutes will deter even the most thick-skinned smoker.

Heart problems you say. Does the Major have a penchant for growing Foxgloves? At least it sounds as though he wont expect you to eat the mushrooms.

I have a horsepiddle appt in the morning, for a routine check up of my left hip, and will mention then that the GP has just completed an Ortho Referral for my right hip to be done at the same horsepiddle. I dont suppose it will speed my way up the waiting list tho. I dont expect to get an operation date much before the end of this year, as the waiting lists are very long.

oooh a St John, i say Auntie, I do hope you have an entertaining evening. FTY went on a School trip to the Globe. Im sure you will find it more stimulating than he did.


~~~~~~~~~to Susan Cherry and Lesley.

Lesley the spce shop is just in the next County only a spit and a jump from here. I will hemail the place to you for I fear we are not allowed to advertise.

OH is shouting at the TV. Its the local elections tomorrow and he is getting a little cross. I will administer tea


Tootling orff for now



Teresa ;-)

Good afternoon Ladies, and the silent majority who peek, but do not speak!!!

I am hurt that you are casting nasturiums in the Majors direction dear Cherry, you really are flinging the potted plants in all directions.

Ah the Major dear. Major James St John Mainwaring to give him his full name. He is a little older than I. Just a few months. He was a Major in the Hussars dears. He has shown me a photograph of himself when he was Trooping the Colour. I must say he was very dashing and good looking. He is now in his prime and looks a little like Richard Todd. He is grey and distinguished and has a little tash like Errol Flynn. He is a true gentleman and wipes his tash when he has had soup.

He is a widower, they were married for 50-odd years, she died a few years back, she had heart problems. They have three fine strapping sons, who are also in the military. Two in turn have their own familes, the third is a confirmed batchelor and the military is his life. He is a committed soldier, and has served in many countries. He has a perchant for collecting hats from wherever he serves, and his favourite is a fez. James has 6 grandchildren, and sees them whenever he can.

That is all I can tell you so far dears. All in all, he seems very normal. And he is not stingey. I do so hate a man who counts his change into a purse! Its so Norris.

Well Cherry dear, I do hope you are put on your list soonest, and then you will have the warmer weather to recuperate.

Hello to dear Teresa, Lesley and Susan when they pop in.

Forgive me dears, I am orft to the Globe tonight, we are to see that nice Roger Allam strutting his stuff as Prospero.

Buttoning my gloves and showing a clean pair of heels.......................
Auntie Petunia

*runs into drawing room all a-tither*
ITS A MIRACLE!! ITS A MIRACLE!! A pothole has been filled in !!! just the one, but it's a start ..... ;-)

ah we have company again, good afternoon ladies and readers and I hope you are all keeping well, you are all looking very well. As always Petunia you are the epitome of well dressed graciousness and good taste. Such a shame the bandage on your leg spoils the overall effect. oh well ! The silk scarf is exquisite. Hmmmm .... made in Taiwan. I am glad to hear the Major is proving such an amiable companion, which major is that? I have lost track of your many admirers. Major Holdup? Major Stare? Major Catastrophe? Major Roadahead?

No I cannot say I have noticed the distance between one door and another in the corridor. You see, your hallways and your staircases keep moving around, especially in the West Wing. I climb the stairs thinking I am headed in the direction of the library but find myself suddenly in the basement, listening to an Unseen orang utang crying "ook ook".

Teresa thank you so much for the golden binbags and the loan of the tiaiaiaraaraaboomdeehay. I can promise you I will look an absolute picture when I am done :-D I see you have been eating radishes and cucumber as well. I hope you chewed slowly dear.

Susan it is spring here in Blighty and what else would I do at this time of year but cast nasturtiums around? If you kept moving, dear, the seeds wouldnt hit you. :-D

~~~ to Lesley I hope the baby is still doing well :-)


Well I have been to the GP and done the Ortho referral, and the paperwork will be sent through soonest. I expect to get a letter within two months telling me I am on the waiting list to be added to the waiting list!!

Never mind Oxford, I went to Cambridge, many years ago .......

One Sunday afternoon ..... !!!

Goooood evening dear ladies.

Teresa dear, punting down the River. I hope you had a cornetto in one hand dear. If you screw your eyes up, and squint a bit, and go under the bridge, you could almost imagine you were in Italy dear. No? No, I couldnt either, but I have visited said town, and I must book myself a tour in the other college town, and see where Morse did what he did when he done it!

Lesley dear, I do hope you had a lovely time. Please make it known you were displeased with the box of air you received. Suggest a pressie could be put on the box next time. Incidentally one knows of a young girl who had a henna tattoo dear, much to her Mama's disgust. She then tired of it after a few days, and proceeded to use damp salt on her arm, to rub the tattoo away. She was left with stripping the top layer of skin away. She is very lucky not to have a permanent scar! Children eh? Tutty tut.

Susan dear, we are having slightly sunnier days here, but it is still nippy first thing in the morning. When I take my morning perambule, I still have to wear a scarf and gloves. I must look after my hands dear, now that the skin is getting a bit thin. I have been told lard is a good emollient, but I have yet to try it.

Cherry dear, I am sorry I have been absent from home of late. As you know the Major and I are getting on famously, and he is such a gent. We have just had afternoon tea at the Ritz. Dear little sandwiches, pretty cakes and tea made with proper tea leaves. We then strolled through the Burlington Arcade, and he bought me a silk scarf.

Do you know dears................I think I have a gentleman follower.

All aflutter
Auntie Petunia

~~~~~~~~~~~~~Back to Susan

Ooh Teresa punting on the Cam what a good idea for a gals day out :-)

Spices that can be bought near to us :-S do you mean from the expensive food hall in the village next to mine?

I was once recommended to me to buy my spices and silk at Queens market in Upton Park ................................... it's long way to go though if you run out of something :-D you can get a fantastic henna tattoo done there too ................... ............ that's if you want a henna tattoo ;-)

Gentlemen callers at 9pm wearing what you are showing orf Petunia, I am shocked dear...... You are, if I may say so, looking a little saucy, dear. Either that or you have lost the 'tie' off your garment?. Looks to me like a robe :-D, but I was sure you would not entertain gentlemen wearing just a robe :-S....... You weren't hoping for a quick game of 'strip jack naked' were you :-D?...

CC, stop casting nasturtiams about me ;-)..

~~~ to Teresa, I am sorry not to know the places you are alluding too :-(.. I bet you are looking forward to your fruits return :-). I am following the son and girlfriend( of a very very dear friend) via photographs on f...bo.k... I am constantly amazed by the photographs and feel very priviliged to peruse 'their' photographic travel diary. I am sure your fruit will have many a tale to tell - lucky young things out there 'doing it'... I had reason to 'check' an age block on a survey... I did not like , one little bit the block I had to 'check'... In my mind I am still young and carefree :-D. Long may that last I say. :-).

Are you all basking in glorious sunshine yet or is it a tad too early?. Apparently outside today was very warm. I wouldn't know, I was stuck at my desk with the heater on :-P..

Best get on and cook our dinner.. Have a lovely day ladies.

~~~~ to Lesley.

Auntie, now you were talking of spices. FTE is traveling to cooler climates on her next jaunt after her hols at home. I however knowof a very naice spice shop nearer to home. I will google to see if they have a wwwwwww site an onlineoffline shop. I will hemail it to you if they have. Lesley may also know of it

:-D



Teresa

Oops I have double posted :-S