General Chat

Goood Niiiiiiiight dears! Take care, George will see you all home safely.

Except for Cherry dear who only has to climb the stairs...................

Pink Lesley dear, it must have been a trick of the light, you know those gas mantles send out a strange hue.

Well........................I must say I was surprised when I opened the door and saw a giant penguin standing there.

Then I looked again, and it was Juana, in full garb.

She came to say goodbye before she entered closed Orders. She wanted to say her last farewells, and beg for forgiveness.

How could I refuse. She is my flesh and blood after all, plus the advantage I will never see her again! So a win, win, situation.

Take care dears, and get home safely. Sweet dreams all.

Reaching for the Ponds
Auntie Petunia

CC, your creation sounds positively err, delightful :-D. You do wonders for the recycling brigade dear....
Is a bin liner not a tad cold ? Perhaps you could sew in a lining?, but what could you use?. Egg cartons what have been flattened?, perhaps not, you would not be able to sit down...... I could send you a bag of smelly wool from one or more of our finest ewes :-)....

Sorry I missed the party girls, this jolly time zone thingy is a real pain. I am always one step ahead of you all.. Oh that I could consume cake for my breakfast :-D. Still, I was there in spirits ;-).

Bye bye Juanna, have a nice life ;-). Suddenly I have a vision of the Sound of Music :-D. ** chokes **

I am presently downloading cd's to my puter, what a clever clogs I am. When I am done, I shall (with help), transfer all the music to my eye pod.... It was wiped you see, as empty as the bottle on my bench :-S.
Technology and I are not usually that compatible.....

I have a stack of about 20 cd's to go :-(.

Toodle pip, sweet dreams,

Susan
swaying to the music

Good evening ladies, I was in my black frock Auntie,I fear you may have your rosé tinted specs on which show things in different colours. I had a most wonderful time but I'm a bit worried about dear Cherry, she looked as if she was a little warm about the gills.

Junana is orff to the order is she? Well we will see. I think a visit from us all would be the best thing. We can see if she is living up to her potential so to speak. I hope you checked the silver after she had gone ;-)

I have been to the dentist and hygienist. It cost an arm and a leg and more!!!
I have a nice gleaming Colgate smile now and three small gum fillings where the vigorous brushing has exposed the roots.

Orff now to get the tea. FTE is in Barbados today. It was raining in St Lucia yesterday. She wasn't amused. We had a pleasant sunny day here :-D :-D :-D

Teresa

Gosh Susan, I have to wait for FTE to get back before I can load the I pod. I'm not very good with all things technical. My little smiley faces only appear on this I pad and not the main PC. I have no idea why.

Teresa :-D

aww thank you for your kind words, Petunia dear. Yes, I do aim for "unique". I hope you had a wonderful birthday and have recovered from all the glasses of "cordial" that you imbibed. I must say, I never expected to see you rolling across the top of the piano like that, and your version of In The Greenwood had to be heard to be believed. But, a merry time was had by us all, to be sure.

I was surprised at Beatrice though. Who would have thought a lady of her standing could perform a party trick like that.

And what a turn up for the books, that Juana should pay a visit. Did she realise it was your birthday? Has she repented? Have you truly forgiven her? Would the Closed Order she is joining be the Sisters of Perpetual Misery? Can she get me Whoopi Goldberg's autograph?

*

Thank you for your timely warning Lesley, I was able to save my outfit from melting and will be wearing it when I attend Susan nz-s Offspring's wedding. But please dont tell Susan as I dont want to frighten her away.

*

Susan I do not feel the cold, particularly not when I am warming my chilblains and varicose veins in front of dear Petunia's coal fire. MFH got one of those record players that transforms old vinyl records into a signal to create a music CD. I copied all my old vinyls>CD music to my hard drive and created some very nice CD compilations. What I am not allowed to do is ..... sell it. I too am not fully conversant with all this modern technology. I find the best way to cope with this lack of knowledge is to panic when things go wrong.

*

Poor you Teresa, having to visit the dentist. Stil, your teeth now have such a gleam on them that perhaps The Osmonds had better watch out. My smiley faces went after the last GR upgrade, when I was using IE8. Now I have returned to Firefox, not only has everything speeded up, but I have my smiley faces again.

CC

Gooood evening dears.

What another grey day it has been. I have been out and about today. I did indeed visit the Sister of Much Griping, and they have confirmed that Juana will be getting accepted into the order in a couple of weeks. They have asked me if I want to make a settlement on her and the Order. I naturally said Yes, if I am to finally get rid, then I am more than willing to pay................

How wonderful Teresa that your Fruit is in the West Indies. All that wonderful sun. I am quite green with envy. Not that I would let my delicate complexion face the suns rays, but the warmth would do my bones good. I hope your toothypegs are not too nervy dear.

Susan dear, you must keep us informed of your MOB activities. I too am a whizz at downloading music, have you heard of Joseph Lock dear? He and Donald Peers are popular crooners. Nothing like dear Mr Stewart, but of the same mould. Mr Stewart has a new LP out here dear. He is duetting with all and sundry, and by the miracle of modern science, Ella Fitzgerald!!!!!

Cherry dear, I am quite, quite sober. Cheek! I know how to have a good time, that is all. Did you like my little recital dear? There is nothing like a monologue to keep people enthralled. Did you know the one about The Wreck of the Hesperus?

Yes, I was amazed at Beatrice too. That trick with the ping pong balls. I wonder how she managed to keep so many in the air at the same time?

Did you like the little skit with Georgianna and Octavia being Laurel and Hardy dears. I wonder what had happened to my bolster. I have no idea Octavia was going to shove it up her jumper like that. I suppose that is called Art, sweetie.

I am to watch the last episode of The Paradise soon gels. I think it has been plain from the start what is to happen with Denise and Moray. But I shall watch it just the same.

Denises' Uncle is a busy fellow is he not? He was in Early Doors as a Copper, a Copper in Vera Drake, and Copper in Prime Suspect, and now a shopkeeper in The Paradise. He has a certain gravitas does he not.

I am orft to the that Swedish Store tomorrow, the one without windows. I am looking for a vase, and cannot find one anywhere else. So who knows, I may just find what I am looking for there.

Good night All
Auntie Petunia

Oh Petunia, you are not about to part with some more of your money I trust. I have had the most horrible thought. Supposing, just supposing, that Juana is not really going to join any closed order at all, but has dreamed and schemed it, to extort money out of you. Do be careful dear, before writing any cheques and parting with red cents. No dear I am not a pessimist. I am a realist. Doodle first, dear, before you blow the dust off your cheque book.

Oh was Beatrice using ping pong balls? I didnt realise. I thought they were ... oh never mind. I had thought that Tricki Woo was looking a little pained but clearly my two plus two made five and three quarters.

Was it an impression of Laurel and Hardy? I thought the bolster was meant to represent an unborn bump, possibly a reference to Queen Victoria and her brood. Georgianna with her moustache strongly resembled Prince Albert.

My oldest offspring loves Ikea. I once went with her to Ikea in Edmonton, as she insisted I admire the place. I will say the lunch was nice, if expensive for what it was. MFH took Oldest Offspring to Ikea once, just the once. He came home white and shaking. That was shortly after he turned into a GOG. I have often told him, that he has no sense of adventure.

Naturally, I have a Josef Locke CD, and I remember Donald Peers (Why does Donald Peers? ... Because he needs glasses, was a popular joke of the day) and Dave King (I have a Dave King CD too), and Edmund Hockridge.

As for duetting with the Dear Departed, I well remember Natalie Cole duetting with her father who was an excellent performer and I always felt Natalie was riding on her father's success. Robbie Williams has also duetted with the AfterLife. I shall be sure to tell MFH about the forthcoming Rod Stewart CD, that young man puts on a wonderful stage show especially with his American Songbook feature.

When I was a gel, I found Josef Locke a tad boring. Square, even. All I wanted to listen to was pop music, daddy-oh. Now the world has turned full circle, and I enjoy nothing more than packing up my troubles in a bag and throwing it on a bonfire and watching it Blaze Away, while taking Kathleen home again by the Mountains of Morne. Most uplifting.

Who remembers Kathleen Ferrier? *deep breath* Blow the wind southerly, southerly southerly, blow the wind southerly ..... la la dee dee. *cough, splutter, choke*

Now, I shall be running around like a headless chicken for the next day or so, as I have a Very Important Person visiting me later this week. I have to polish my rhinestone tiara, brush down my fake fur coat, clean my scruffy trainers, and generally be ready to Meet And Greet. Do you think VIPs eat jellied eels and understand Cockney rhyming slang?

CC

Good evening dear Ladies,

Tis black as your hat outside tonight. The neighbours are watching the England game on football, and are shouting obscenities for all and sundry to hear.

Now................I visited that Swedish Shop today. A long way to travel for a throw, 4 candlesticks and two plant pots.

I had such high hopes to buying some festive cheer, but although the Christmas shop was full of goodies, it was not to my taste. So I left rather disgruntled.

Oh my, as you know I am used to being chauferred around or being dragged along in the tuk tuk, so for me to have to use the bus was a nasty revelation.

The driver seems to have a death wish. Indeed he felt it is his duty to cut up every car in his way. There is a particular road that is rather more narrow than usual, and residents can park on either side. Notwithstanding, our bus mowed down the middle of the road, scattering all in its wake. I had to catch my breath more than once I dont mind saying.

Kathleen Ferrier, Cherry dear. I believe she was an opera singer. She was featured heavily on Family Favourites on a Sunday. From BFPO somewhere. Also on the playlist was Matt Monroe, Craig Douglas and Michael Holiday, if I am not mistaken.

I did so like that nice Mr Como too. With his Magic Moments.

Do tell who is visiting you dear. I am sure whoever it is, is not worth the trouble of polishing your tararara. Unless it is our own dear Queen.

But would she come to Letsbee Avenue? I wonder?

I am orft now to see if I can solve a tricky problem of one of my ancestors who seems to have completely dropped off the edge of the world.

Looking on the Underside
Auntie Petunia

You will excuse me, Petunia dear, if I nip home. I shall return to Motie Towers as soon as I possibly can, so you wont have time to miss me; but I must make preparations for the Very Important Person who will be visiting me tomorrow, so am needed at home for a few hours.

I would hope that my Esteemed Visitor would not object to my humble environment and would not judge me for not living in a palace. We cannot judge a book by its cover. My kettle boils just as well as the next persons, and I am sure I have a clean cup and saucer, somewhere. Also, I need to make another binbag outfit so I have clean clothes for the morning.

You know, we have to be careful what we say on the internet. All too often, one hears of cases where a teenage person has referred to the location of a party on that Footbook site, and in no time at all the world and his wife have turned up at said party, without invitation, and all mayhem breaks loose.

Do you think that if I mentioned there is a party at Downing Street, the same thing would happen? It's a political party, of course, but what the heck. It would be great fun to see the world and his wife stampede to Downing Street.

Kathleen Ferrier was a contralto. Yes indeed,she was often requested on Two Way FF, by people from BFPO locations. You mention names I am familiar with - Matt Monroe, Craig Douglas, Michael Holliday, Perry Como, The Platters, The Inkspots, Josef Locke. Songs from musical movies. And more. But I could not abide Maria Callas, and to this day her voice goes through my head and sets my teeth on edge. Mdme Callas is the reason I detested opera until I first heard Luciano Pavarotti.

I have a Perry Como CD, a Matt Monroe CD, The Platters, Inkspots, Josef Locke.

*wanders off singing:
I'll never forget
the smell of the sweat
from under your armpits .....
Magic Moments, that's enough .....* :-D

CC

Ladies dear, may I drag you back to the present day :-| I'm a little :-S to say the least, I have heard of Mr Como, was he the one in a rocking chair ? Or was that Mr Doncardigan?

Oh we'll hay ho and all that. Any news of Pat rish aaaaa in the jungle yet. I heard she had a bit of a trial with a pair of unmentionables. Eating them I think. She is also parading round in her undergarments trying to win votes and sympathies. Poor dear she really should cover up :-0

Where are Lesley and Susan. All this history of music has frightened them off I think.

"Coooeeee, Lesley and Susan, come and listen to Mr Morrisey, he of the gladioli on the cyber I pod". That's better. Their ears are soothed now :-D

I am very excited, the new bed is here for FTE/guest room. I am hit hearing orff now to make it with the new bedclothes :-D

Yours, ready to watch Pat rish aaaa on the jungle tonight

Teresa :-D

Good Afternoon Ladies

Well I am curious as to how CC got on today with her VIP visitor :-S I wonder who it could have been :-S

~~~~~~~~~~to Teresa, it's Coldplay all the way for me :-) although I grew up listening to my mama's favorite music, Alma Cogan and Nat King Cole now that is a blast from the past :-D..................I hope you are pleased with the end result of FTE/spare bedroom.

Susan it's the way you tell em :-D :-D :-D

Teresa dear, no you may NOT drag us back to the present thank you. The past is so much safer, I have my sanity to consider you know.

I know Perry Como was very relaxed and I think he often wore cardigans. Val Doonican sat in a rocking chair, wearing jumpers. Val D wore the jumpers, not the chair. I liked them both. I have a Val Doonican CD of course, his track The Special Years always brings tears to my eyes, it could have been written about me and my Offspring.

Oooh a new bed. Who gets the honour of testing it? Perhaps you can allow Pat rish aaaah to come and stay with you again - once she has apologised for what happened the last time. I do not care to see her cavorting around the jungle although it has to be said she is gaining experience. Perhaps Petunia will permit her to take the job in the North Pole during the Festive Season.


Lesley please do excuse my panting and puffing, I am out of breath from all the rushing around and the excitement of having a VIP visit my humble cardboard box. I changed my outfit at least 20 times you know, I have an assortment of binbag outfits in different colours - green, black, purple. The clear binbag outfit tends to attract unwanted attention, for some strange reason. I finally plumped for an outfit made from a black binliner and a blue and white plastic shopping bag. I knew I looked simply amazing, because the look on my VIP visitor's face was one of sheer amazement. She said I looked arresting, at least I think that is what she said, because it sounded a little like she said I ought to be arrested but I wasnt wearing my ear trumpets at the time.

After a cup of tea at Chez CC, we went out for a bite of lunch, and the time just flew. It makes a nice change for me to find myself in such congenial company.

Now, where is dear Petunia, because I wanted to tell her all about it but I expect she is out and about, busy in the community poking her nose ... errrrrr........ doing all her assorted Good Works. I have had a very pleasant afternoon indeed. :-)

CC

Good morning Ladies,

Cherry, so pleased you had a pleasant afternoon with your VIP visitor. Do tell who it was, an old friend perhaps??

These names you speak of, I know a few. I remember Mr Dooningan :-D, he had a pleasant voice. Some of the names you mention, dare I say, I do not know of them...

Speaking of opera, there are two brothers from Auckland who are both off to study at a music academy in Wales. They are an amazing talent. Watch this space.
My parents used to listen to opera and such 'old' type music. I had no appreciation for it as a youngster. I have 'matured', I do like a bit of Katchachurian with the 'Spartacus' theme. Not sure of the spelling :-S.

I must confess to enjoying a good old 'musical'. Such fun. I quite fancy myself in a fancy costume singing at the top of my voice. Lucky for the rest of you, that will never happen....

Teresa, hope the refreshed bedroom is to your satisfaction. It is always nice to update a room here and there. I have a few things I would like to do to this house, all put on hold until a certain nuptials is out of the way.

Tis Friday again, hooray. Tomorrow evening we are entertaining a few friends to dinner. We will be twelve in total :-D. My motto is 'all care, no responsibilty'. To the best of my knowledge, I have never poisoned any of my guests..... They keep coming back so it can't be all bad.

Have a lovely weekend folks, we are in for more rain... I need to mow the lawns this afternoon, hoping for a window of opportunity.

Toodle pip
Susan

hello Susan, I will give you three guesses who my Visitor was, please send your answer on a postcard to :
Hacienda View
999 Letsby Avenue
off Four Wheel Drive
(and I darent add a zip code because the one that springs to mind might get me whooshed LOL ..... old enough to know better, addled enough not to care!! :-D)

Spartacus was one of the first classical pieces I heard and enjoyed. At senior school, before Religious Worship was held each morning, while waiting for the headmistress to make her appearance to lead the service, a piece of classical music was played every day, so I got to hear Tchaikovsky and Mozart and other composers, but T and M were my favorites in those days. The wireless was always on in our house, but Mum & Dad never listened to opera. Mum was all for the Big Bands.

To me, the Big Bands all sounded much the same, with one exception and that was Glenn Miller. I dont know why but his music was distinctive and stood out from the rest, I virtually jitterbugged out of my cradle to Glenn Miller and in 1966 I bought a Glenn Miller vinyl LP which practically got worn out; I still have it however. I still play his music ... which I have on CD now.

I think I was drawn to the music by Katchaturian, because I had been impressed by the Kirk Douglas movie. As I said, I was very young once. I saw Spartacus the ballet on TV one time, and the way they moved to the Saber Dance was just brilliant, wonderful choreography.

The school also played excerpts from Holsts Planet Suite. I bought Ravel's Bolero in 1966, the first LP I ever bought, having heard it as the theme music for the movie of the same name starring George Raft and Carole Lombard, and still have that vinyl. Side B is Serenade for Strings by Tchaikovsky. I now have all these works, and more, on CD. In those days, I preferred lighter classical, but as the years have passed I've learned to appreciate more composers although I still find Handel and Bach a tad too sonorous for me.

I used to find Beethoven a bit heavy, but one day while reading a James Herbert novel I had the radio on, tuned to Radio Three, and they played a Beethoven symphony which I had on a compilation audio tape, and I realised I had "grown into" that symphony and its now one of my favourite pieces I like to hear a lot. I have that on CD now, as well. I've grown to appreciate a lot more of Beethoven's work, have you heard the Fur Elise? he wrote it for Elise, whoever she was; it's beautiful.

Well ... if you want to sing for us, why should we stop you. Dress yourself in your fancy costume - perhaps a kimono from Madama Butterfly?, and go sing Over The Hills And Far Away. :-D ;-) Just as long as you dont sound like Maria Callas ..... *cringes*

It's still Thursday here. I hope you will not be offended if I do not join you for dinner, as I would not wish you to have 13 at table.

We are very damp and cold in the UK at the moment. This morning we woke to fog in my little corner of north London, and when it went it wasn't missed ................ you have all the time in the world to work that one out !!!

CC

CC I think you made a very wise choice with your attire :-) some people just do not appreciate recycling ...........sorry I mean art :-D I have no doubt your clear plastic creation is beautiful a tad risque :-0 .................... maybe it is best only worn in private ;-) the public wearing of this I am sure would lead to an arrest :-(

May I ask did your visitor arrive by helicopter or public transport :-S

Morning fog that cleared you are soooooooooo lucky it was foggy in my corner of Essex all day :-(

~~~~~~~~ to everyone

hello Lesley. Our council is very hot on recycling everything. Perhaps I shall save the clear plastic bag outfit to wear on Brighton Beach. All is revealed on Brighton Beach .... so they tell me ;-)

Ah now, my visitor arrived in a pink Rolls Royce, which I found out later had been hired for the occasion. The owner, a Lady Penelope, even let my visitor borrow the chauffeur, whose name was Parker. :-D

This evening I nipped to Tesco intending to spend a little time traversing the various aisles, as I have vouchers to spend. On the way there I noticed the fog was starting to come down again, and when I left the supermarket it was already dark so I returned to Motie Towers immediately lest the fog thickens, like the plot :-S

How is the baby doing?

CC

Morning,

CC, I am out of guesses :-(. Spill the beans to the dimwit please.

Now whenever I hear Bolero, I immediately think of Jane Torvill and Christopher Dean doing their magical skating routine... The first time I think we could really appreciate 'dancing on ice'.

My father was also a Beatles fan, I still like to boogy to their music and sing along. Now I know my Mama has a Kimono tucked away somewhere :-S, shame I am unfamiliar with the lyrics of Madam Butteryfly, perhaps I could make up my own.
I too enjoy big band music, in fact most types of music except techno and very heavy metal, I have even come to like a little country and western, a very little :-D.

I watched Graham Norton last night while waiting for OH to get home. he is a funny man and a good interviewer. I sometimes wonder if the guests quite know what they are letting themselves in for or do they get the questions ahead of time, possibly not as there is alot of ad libbing.
There are quite a few reruns on the tele, I am so bored with alot of them. Fawlty Towers to mention but one :-(.

Time to get me mop out and start the dreaded chores. Toodle

Susan

CC Baby E is as beautiful as ever and doing well thank you for asking :-) yesterday she was weighed and is now 11lb 11oz :-D

You could also tryout your creation on the beach at St Osyth's it's not quite so far to drive as Brighton :-D

Housework Susan I find myself doing less and less :-) I detest it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~To Aunty Petunia and Teresa

Good evening Ladies.

Well........................did you guess gels..............did you.......................did you? Did you guess who the VIP was?

It was..................................ME!!!!!

I was the Lady Penelope who descended on dear Cherry in her own home. Yes, I arrived at Lesbee Avenue, at the Back of Beyond. And very nice it was too.

It took me a time to get there, the chauffeured car had no Zat Nav, and so were were in contact by cellphone, with dear Cherry guiding us along the road.

Oh my dears, Cherrys' Japanese garden is lovely. So delicate. She has very green fingers, and she has given me a Money Tree to bring me good luck. So thank you for that dear. I have even bought a Lottery Ticket for tonight in the hopes it will bring me good fortune.

After a refreshing cup of tea, we ventured to a gardening centre for light refreshment. What a pleasure that was too, it has a Winter Wonderland, all the decorations were twinkling. It was very pretty. I did enjoy myself.

So....................now I have met dear Upsidedown Susan, when she was in London Town, and yesterday I visited dear Cherry.

Two down, two to go. I am sure that you would like me to visit you dears. Why are you hiding behind your respective sofas dears? Come out. I dont bite. well not hard. Titters.

Now today, I went to meet my dear friend Rita. We had not seen each other for a long time. We went to a refreshment bar called The Icehouse. Funnily enough there was no ice there! But she was more familiar than I, and ordered us a pitcher of Woo Woo. Now I know Trickey Woo. But this was a pleasant sweet flavoured cordial. Very nice, but a little acid in the back of my throat. We passed an interesting hour or so, chatting and sipping..................then I am afraid I do not remember much after that.

George had to come and collect me, and take me home. That Rita is a naughty gel, she knows I usually stick to elderflower.....................

Nursing a muzzy head
Auntie Petunia

Susan dear, never describe yourself as a dimwit .... someone might believe you :-D !!!

Well, dear Petunia has spilled the beans, so now we all know who my VIP visitor was. She entered my cardbox box most graciously, and promptly sat herself on the toadstool behind my shed in the back of beyond, while we sipped tea from rose petals. George and Francine hovered around, taking care of the car, in case the little tykes of the district made off with the wheels and pinched the gold lady off the bonnet. My hanging baskets all have to be nailed down, doncha know, and the front lawn is cemented in too. Everything has to be nailed down but sometimes one tyke is more enterprising than the rest, and steals the nails as well.

I'm old enough to have seen the George Raft movie of the same name. I think William Bendix was also in that movie with George Raft. Normally Raft played gangsters, but in Bolero he played a dancer who developed a heart condition and was warned that if he danced again he would die. So he danced again, and he died, cradled in the arms of Carole Lombard who looked up at the camera and tearfully twittered "..... he was too good for this world". I used to think Carole Lombard was so very beautiful, with her bottle blonde hair. I grew up ..... :-(

The music Bolero really haunted me, so as soon as I could afford it I bought the LP. I followed Torville and Dean, and their skating was superb of course, but it used to irritate me when the media started referring to the music as "Torville & Deans Bolero".

Och, the Beatles. I never forgave them for going Pyscho Delic. I much preferred their earlier work. Where we used to live, the Offspring decided they wanted to share a room, so the smallest bedroom was used as a storage room and I put the ironing board up there, as well as an old record player. One day, Oldest Offspring was doing some ironing and listening to records, and I was compelled to walk in and say "for heavens sake, will you please turn that rubbish down". OO was listening to Sergeant Pepper.

If you arent sure of the lyrics for One Fine Day, there is always The Humming Chorus. All together now ...... Ummmmmmmmmmm mmm mmm

Hope you will fogive me for saying this but I cannot abide Graham Norton, and never could. I've only watched one of his shows, and that was the night Jon Bon Jovi was guesting.

CC