General Chat

I saw those documentaries Teresa. When the weather improves, I said to OH, I wish to see the exhibition in Leicester and he agreed to take me. It would be nice if it was on the same day you and your Other Half would be there. OH isnt really interested . As he puts it, "he just does the driving".

Richard III's facsimile shows him as quite a nice looking man, and not the sort who'd murder two little boys. Keep them imprisoned, yes, it was rough and dangerous times for all. Henry VII had those boys killed, and all the propaganda about Richard started during Tudor times.

Thought for the day : we came here from the past, on our way to the future. The thought occurred to me this morning as I sat in the hospital waiting room, waiting to donate nearly an armful, for blood tests. While waiting I started to read The Haunting, the last novel by Alan Titchmarsh, which so far is a brilliant read. I like it, anyway.

The tests are for Full Blood, Rheumatoid, and Anti Nuclear antibody. The doctor must think I glow in the dark LOL.

Oh dear icicles hanging from my nose dear.

The picture is me arranging myself decoratively in the photographic studio with my kiwi feather cloak as a train to my skirt. I shall try and enlarge it a bit.

I am too cold to speak further.

Have a warm evening ladies.

Auntie Petunia

Ladies, gather up your thermals, tis snowing again :-|

FTE will be home in May Susan but she will continue hopefully on her quest to see the world and is intending to sign up again for anther six months. We miss her of course but its a wonderful way to see the world and get paid at the same time :-D

OOH Cherry, i watched the Richard the third program a couple of weeks or so ago. It was all about how they traced the DNA to confirm it was him. I like history and may encourage OH to take a trip up to the exhibition with me. As you may or may not know i have a real phobia about travling on trains, tis bad enough if I am accompanied. Any other mode of transportation is fine including sea and air but trains, oooh no..........................................................................

I will follow the teachings of St Ro, she hads a bit more protein in the diets now which stop the hunger pangs although nothing to stop the sugar cravings :-(

Susan.......... guess what fellow malteser fan :-D There is a new Maltesers bar out called Maltesers Teasers. Its a milk chocolate bar with crunchy little malteser pieces in it. In the local supermarket from April. Hope fully i will have lost a little poundage by then and can try a bar or two :-D

Aunty dear, what is your photograph showing us? it looks to me like Moses as a small fruit by the river :-S :-S :-S :-S :-S

I will keep my picture for it looks very much like the view from my front window at the moment :-(


Tootle pip for now


Teresa

It's really Mothering Sunday in the UK Susan, but we call it Mothers Day now. Mothering Sunday is a religious occasion. America has a Mothers Day in May as well.

Ah well I ate my solitary "family dinner" while watching TV, and swigged a bottle of Kopparberg pear cider. hic ! very naice it was tooooooo !! :-D

I hope you all had a lovely day Dears.

One never knows how much she will miss her Mama until she no longer has her.................a lesson to be learned there.

We will have big clock fashioned in Trafalgar Square to countdown to the Big Day, alike to the Olympic Clock. I am very excited indeed.

Susan dear, I am going to change me avatar dear, those tarot cards are indeed no good for me. I shall show you the kiwi cape I fashioned into a skirt when I visited your shores many years ago. Perhaps I should wear that on the Big Day atop of the chiffon. In honour of your dear gel.

Night all, the Midwifes are visiting soon.

Auntie Petunia.

Good upside down morning Ladies and peeps,

I have been outside for an hour , before the sun came up, watering our new lawn..... My tootsies and fingers are a tad cool now. I have had to done my woolly slippers.. The man who laid the turf told me half an hour of watering would suffice. I don't think so, sprinklers are currently banned so it is a handheld hose job...
Haven't had the bill for the turf yet so had best try and keep the ruddy stuff alive until we at least own it.

Ladies, I ironed the 'dress' on Saturday... I must say, with my heart in my mouth lest I ruin the thing. :-D. Happily, the dress survived and my heart is back in my chest beating quite normally. Twelve sleeps to go..
My fruit checked the long range forecast, oh dear, one site has rain on the 23rd. After months of no rain... still, the forecast could be wrong.

The whole country needs rain deperately, but please weather gods, not the 23rd :-S

I hope all the Mothers had a lovely day. We don't celebrate Mothers Day until May..
Sadly, the whole thing has become far too commercialised. Leaflets in the mail from every retailer around, note to retailers: I DO NOT WANT A SMALL ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE FOR MOTHERS DAY, OR LARGE ON FOR THAT MATTER.... grrrrrrrr... I want my fruits to at least phone me and say hello. :-).

Petunia, your roast dinner sounds vey nice. I too use olive oil for my roast taties and the like. Much better for ones heart apparently. It is so hard to find a nice piece of beef to roast. I am a dab hand at cooking a leg of lamb, beef I tend to dry out.. My fruit makes a lovely pork roast with crackling crunchier than a crunchie bar. Delicious...
I didn't know you had a glass eye? Which eye is it? Be careful of those tarot cards, you might misconstrue what they are telling you..We can't have the blind leading the blind. No one will ever find their way..

Teresa, I have one of Ms Conleys books in my cupboard. Diet and recipes. I once followed her diet, no fat, cheese or dairy. I lost a heap of weight but I was always hungry... Sometimes unlimited fruit and veg just doesn't fill the void like a nice choccy bar does :-D.

Glad your fruit is enjoying her travels. OH and I visited the Pearl Harbour Memorial many years ago, I must say it was very eerie. Knowing we were standing above a body filled wreck. There was still oil seeping to the surface...
When will you see your fruit again?

CC, enjoy your daughters visit. It is always nice to catch up with the fruits. I hope to catch up with my male fruit over the Easter break. I shall have to buy him an Easter Egg and maybe one for myself ;-). I have seen mini Malteser bunnies in the supermarket. Maltesers are my favourite favourite confection.

Time to get on with my day,

~~~~~~ to Lesley

Susan

you are brave Teresa ...... St Rosemary indeed. Much good luck in this quest. While you're at it, could you please lose some of my weight as well? I sure dont want it.

If your eldest fruit enjoys history she may wish to visit the Richard III exhibition when she returns to these Blighty-ed shores. Richard did not murder the Princes in the Tower. It woz Henry wot did the deed - all I need now is the evidence that it was Henry. Perhaps your fruit could start digging. Then again, she might find she is digging up Richard IIIs horse in a Tesco car park.

War Memorials are an excellent way to remind us all Lest We Forget.

My daughter has mentioned on occasion what her OH does ... the noises he makes which are most inappropriate and should never be heard outside the bathroom. Including lavatorial singing and whistling. Then again, it is said that if men dont whistle in the bathroom they wouldnt know ......

oh, arent I allowed to repeat that joke here? ;-) ;-) ;-) ;-)

"Cherrrryyyyyy. how old am i now???????"


Aunty dear I too am sitting here on my own. Despite the wind and snow, tutttty tut tut, the devils football game is on. My dear husband has hithered orff to take FTY to his place of footy. I have decided to stay toasty warm at home. It is mothers day after all so i can do as i wish today :-D

Do not dispare of that bounder Patrick, just imagine having your routein upset and having to share your sleeping arrangments. Some Gentlemen, I am told, are very joyful when they make noises with their bodily functions. They appear to be proud of such things. You have had a lucky escape my dear

I have joined the on line merry band of St Rosemary of Conley :-) I know I said that I would not be joining any more devils slimming clubs but I really must as the weight is creeping up and up and Im now heavier than i was was FTY was in situ so to speak. It seems a better idea to weigh first thing in the morning at home and follow the dear Ladies advice on line. I have also joined the local Council run swimming pool which give discounted rates for those who do paid toil. The facilities are very clean and people very friendly. I was supprised to see how many people I know there. FTEs mate was there the other day and we had a good old catch up. I also swam 20 lengths :-D :-D :-D :-D

Watch this space :-D

Do enjoy your luncheon Ladies, I will be following the miniscule portions of the sainted Rosemary but it will all be in a good cause.




Sorry to disapear like that, FTY has just phoned, They are on their way home from the Devils football game and have lost 3-0. Glad i stayed at home now ;-)

We have had communication from FTE. The Fruit has been to Japan and visited the memorial in Nagasaki (i think it is spelt like that) I think she is on a quest to visit all the war memorials about the globe. She has been to the one at Pearl Harbour this trip as well. The Fruit always liked history so is seeing everything she can.

Im orfff now to visit St Ro's site and do a little more of the cross stich birthday card i am fashioning for my friend.

Tootle pip for now


Teresa

good afternoon Petunia dear, I know you like to stick your oar in ... errrrrrr............... organise good works, and help people, but did you really have to organise such cold temperatures and sleety rain for Mothers Day?

We went to Potters Bar, to an antiques and collectors fair which is held there monthly. Fortunately, no one wanted to buy this old antique so I came home again.

My daughter cannot visit today, she has to work tonight, and if she'd come here it would have meant her paying for a minicab for just one hour. So I told her not to worry. She said she will come over Tuesday night. I know she's bought me a nice card, she always does, and she put an e-card on my Facebook page with a mothers day message.

Roast beef eh? are you sure Pat rish aaaah didnt choose the pack with the mad cow disease in it?
;-) ;-) ;-) ;-) ;-) ;-)

A'very good Mothering Sunday to all you dear Ladies.

I know you all have the benefit of offspring, I hope they have been good to you all. I trust you are all sitting with your feet up and being waited on hand and foot. Who tutted then?

It is days like these when I think of things may have turned out, if they had not been different.

If only my dear Patrick had been the gentleman I thought he was, and not the bounder he became. My only keepsake of his now, is the cameo brooch, and that is always pinned to my heart. Stifles a small sob, and blows sedately on a lace edged hankerchief.

Church had a wonderful service this morning, in recognition of Mothers everywhere. The children in the choir sang on their own, and there was not a dry eye in the church anywhere. Nothing like a soprano singing Morning Has Broken to bring a tear to a glass eye.

I think there is to be a double whammy this afternoon of both Rugby and Football, so that gentleman along the road will be yelling his head orft. How common!

Why do they not do synchronised sewing? I would watch that. I watched a demonstration of a shopping channel yesterday, some lady teaching us all to knit. She cast on with one needle and her thumb . I had never seen that before, and it made it look more complicated that it need be. I use two needles and have never seen the need to look elsewhere for inspiration.

Mrs Berry is having lunch with her brood today, as is most fitting, as she is like the Old woman who lives in the shoe. Pat-trish-aaaah is cooking luncheon today. I believe she has gawn to dear old Marks & Sparks and bought a meal deal. I must say it smells lovely, and we will be having a traditional British dinner of roast beef and yorkshire pud. No bad for a gel who was brought up on the Spanish coast. The only think that detracts is the use of olive oil rather than dripping. But beggars cannot be choosers.

Come now Cherry sit down and we will be eating soon. I think it unnecessary to hold your cutlery up until the food is served dear, but if that is what suits you......then so be it.

Toodle pip to both Lesley and Teresa. I hope the east wind is not biting too hard.

Dear Upsidedown Susan, countdown is on its way. Soo exciting. What news dear?

Salivating at the thought of a PROPER dinner.

Auntie Petunia

Teresa you really must refine your Aging System.

When you reach the age of 25, you stay there for 10 years.
When you reach the chronological age of 35, you admit to being 30, and you stay there for 5 years.
.
when you reach the chronological age of 40, you admit to being 35, and you stay 35 for 5 years.

etc etc.

When you reach the age of 70, you start counting backwards. Sooner or later, you will undertake your Offspring, which is very useful as they will be obliged to look after someone who is much younger than they are.

Of course, they could always just dump you at Shady Pines ........ :-S

horrah, we are all safe and gathered in gals, awaiting from near and far for the nuptuals :-D

What a terrible ordeal for you Auntie, i do hope your digestive system wasnt over taxed so to speak ;-) ;-) ;-) Im so glad you were a girl guide Auntie. I was a Girl Guide and also joined after that the Yong Farmers. The stories i could tell!!!!!!?????

Did I hear of three coat weather again!!! What joy, the pitch may be too hard for the younger fruits to play on at the weekend :-D :-D :-D :-D

Ooooh Lesley the cyber cake sounds very nice thankyou. My age is going down by two years at a time, I shall be 40 somthing :-S Its a good job FTE is away, last time a birthday in the next deccade came along she made very large posters and attached them to the outside of the house for all the world to see, how common, tutttty tut.

I will tootle orff now to asemble the evening food. FTY is hungry all the time now. Im chained to the Kitchen day and night :-| I feel a very extended visit from Mrs Bury to this end of the A12 may be in order.

Yours huffing and puffing to the Kitchen and tutting like a tutting person


Teresa

thank goodness you are back, Petunia dear, we were all quaite concerned. I hope you are well?

I dont think I was remiss in not organising a search party. The fact is, I assumed you were away doing one or more of your Good Works and had decided to sleep out for the duration.

At least you didnt go hungry during your inadvertent incarceration, with all that tropical fruit available, and I hope the young man who locked you in was suitably chastised. Have you tried my new product? May Dew? Would you like the May Dew look?

Now I must be away - I have a wedding to prepare for. Do let me know what you think of my newest Binbag Creation, it is a most amazing dress dont you think? Not another one like it in the world. And when I have finished with the hat, I shall auction it on eBay. Its amazing what one can create from old toilet roll holders and pieces of string. ;-D

good afternoon everyone, my ankle is better now thank you Susan. I hope your foot is all right now? Next time, take more water with it !! ;-) Seriously, you were very lucky not to end up with a serious gash.

Rest assured I have not been trapped in dear Petunia's attic, dear ladies, just dealing with one problem after the other.

Tomorrow is The Day isnt it? May the sun shine on the beautiful bride and her beautiful mother :-)

*

Lesley dont worry, it is very kind of you to say I can have the items, and just mail them at your convenience. A musical freezer eh? Actually I love the tune Greensleeves, performed either by James Last or the Gunther Kamen choir. Its supposed to have been written by King Henry VIII for Anne Boleyn, during the days when she kept spurning him, saying "the King's wife I cannot be, and the King's mistress I will never be".

I have one at home who has not closed the freezer door on two occasions. And it wasnt me. We lost a lot of food, each time. His trouble is, he doesnt pay attention to anything he does because all he wants to do is slump in front of the TV, so whatever he does is a rush job. And I am forever picking up the pieces .....

*

Teresa I dont know about four candles but I ought to send Pat rish aaaah orf for a chocolate tea pot as well as some chocolate tea bags, I would just love a cup of chocolate tea. :-D :-D

Petunia, what a fright you gave me, missing in action and lo, here you are. So nice to have you back. Your tarot cards must be duds, did you not see yourself locked away in a glass house??
I hope all that fruit did not upset your tummy :-D.. I am very pleased to know you are freshly bathed ;-).

Now we are only missing CC... She isn't in the attic is she?? Cooeeee, CC

Lesley, no significant rain is forecast at the moment... Today we had ready lawn put down. I could not delay it any longer if I wanted to be tidied up by the wedding... I shall have to be very strict with watering the new lawn. I must say the 'green' is quite a change from dusty brown.

Things are not at fever pitch yet Petunia. I do intend buying a little rescue remedy to use for fruit and I... Fruit has a few things left to finish off, I feel I shall be on her case until they are done. I refuse to be doing bits at the last minute.

psst, Lesley, March 16th ;-) ;-). don't let on it was me that let the cat out of the bag will you.

My OH is going to be home late and I am starving already... I will leave you and go forage for something to tide me over til dinnner time - whenever that will be.

Susan

Our singing fridge freezer has saved us a fortune in defrosted food.................. but I ask why a tune like Green Sleeves :-(

Susan I hate those tinder dry conditions, I am surrounded by fields and have seen many a field-fire it is soooooooooooooo scary, I hope you get a sprinkling of rain soon just enough to lay the dust.

Teresa you must give me a clue when the special Gals birthday is then I can bake a special cyber birthday cake........................will a Victoria sponge with fresh cream and strawberries be acceptable?

Oh Auntie Petunia how lovely to see you have returned safely after yet another awful ordeal, what was that young man thinking of :-S how rude of him to ignore you and your expert knowledge on the pollination of a pineapple

My answer on a postcard should be with you in the morning ;-)

Now do you think we should organise another search party for CC :-S if the weather is changing for the worse I would like to think she is somewhere safe and warm................Petunia have you checked your attic? Just a thought.

Dear Ladies, how are you all? Tickety Boo I hope.

I am now germ free and back to fighting form. All those mustard baths and Vick on the soles of my feet seem to have worked. I must disinfect those lace edged hankerchiefs dears, they are standing in the corner of the room, and I am debating whether to wash them, or send them to the Charity shop. Answers on a postcard please................

Thank you for your photos dears. Your cabinet looks lovely Cherry dear. Just think of all that dusting thought. Thank goodness I have Pat-trish-aaaah to tickle around with the feather dusters. All that dust would make me sneeze again. And I have a sore tum from sneezing and coughing.

Susan dear, you must be getting near to fever pitch now that the Wedding is approaching at such a rapid pace. Deep breaths dear, it will be wonderful and the day will fly by and be over in a trice. Lots of photos dear, posed and non-posed. I shall be supporting you in spirit dear..................in my new hat. Preens.

Now, let me tell you the tale of the Old Iron Pot. What a week I have had. You may have noticed that I have not been here to hand out advice and well meaning comments.

As you know I am a Patron of that Botanical Society in Surrey. No? Well I am. I go and judge the orchids there on an annual basis. There is nothing I cannot tell you about aerial roots and budding. You may be aware that these precious blooms need to be kept in moist conditions, and have their own House. It was rather vapid in there dears, and reminded me of when I was a gel in Indian in the monsoon season. Hot and steaming gels. So much so that I had to venture out into the fresh air. I was gently fanning myself when a naice young man in overalls came to ask my opinion on the Tropical House.

Never one to shy away from my responsibilities I walked to the glass house with him. It was only when I was explaining the intricacies of the pollination of the pineapple to him, that I realised he was gawn!!!

I gave one further turn around the conservatory to cast my professional eye over the plants, but when I went to the door it was locked on the outside.

Try as I may, I could not summon help, and the sun on Tuesday was really quite warm. I began to feel a little faint. Afternoon turned to dusk, and still no-one venture near...............

As you can imagine I was feeling a little perturbed now dears, especially as night was falling and it was getting cold. However the old pioneer spirit came to the fore.

As I was a Girl Guide dears, I always keep a pencil, pad, whistle, piece of string, and a sharp knife in my bag. However, there was no phone. I remember putting it on to charge dears, but did not pick it up before I left................

I cut down some leaves from the banana tree dears, and made a bivouac, and settled down for the night. My goodness the things I started to remember when I was locked in there. I remembered that the steam would distill the water for me to drink, and of course there would be enough fresh fruit to last me a few days.

And so dear readers, I spent 3 days locked in that blasted greenhouse, eating fruit and smelling like a tramp. I was not aware that the place was only inspected every fourth day!!!!!

However, I am now nicely clean and smelling like a baby after its bath. I am only a little surprised that Cherry did not send out the search parties sooner. I am rather miffed. Tutty tut.

I trust the east wind is not too cold for you Teresa and Lesley. It is always a little chillier on that side of the British Isles. Tis going to be colder next week, may I suggest a three coat day, with hat, scarf and gloves.

Take care dears, do not work too hard.

Auntie Petunia

Cherry dear you have forgotton to add to your list. You may need forkcandles ;-)

Cooooeeee,

I am here :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D,

The big day is nearly here Susan, you must be so excited, Im glad you had an extra bottle chilling after smashing the other one :-) :-)

FTE once did the very same thing to our freezer one day, It was summer so all was ruined. I would like a singing freezer, the hits of Morrisey and the Rolling Stones would be nice :-)

Lesley it was two coats colder on Tuesday morning -2 and i was busy with scraping off the ice from the car. However It was 6 degrees yesterday morning at the same time so only one coat colder :-S

I do hope you are feeling better Cherry, I do think that Auntie may have got the bug or somthing as its doing the rounds...............or is she organising a supprise for a very special birthday Gal :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D


Off now to do some studying :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\


Teresa

OK, now I am concerned,

Where the heck are you all?. Not ill I trust?

Lesley, we will have to keep the home fires burning til our wanderers return :-).

I mowed the lawns this afternoon, more dust than grass at the mo, officially in drought :-(.

I am going to record Exile tonight,,starring Jim Broadbent. About a chap with Alzheimers. A condition afflicting a loved one in our family :-(. Have any of you watched it?

Better go, OH home soon and dinner is running late..

Susan