General Chat

Morning girls....

Petunia, yet another photygraph of your good self? What a lovely supply you have :-S..

Glad to hear you had a spiffing time with the old boys, bit of a blow that you were all stiff and sore... Yes I know that age is only a number, just try telling that to them old bones :-D.. I must say I prefer a 5 star establishment any day :-D. My experiences with camping have left a lasting impression,,, suffice to say, I shall not be camping ever again if I can help it. :-)

CC, did you find a home for your latest whimsies?.. Why do you make more dusting for yourself?.. My OH likes motorsport too. I myself don't mind a bit, V8's to be precise. Down under we have a series (mostly in Oz), used to be Holden v Ford.. Now the racing has been opened up to 'other' makes :-P. My OH is in the 'red' camp, a workmate in the 'blue' camp.. Makes for some interesting conversations :-(.. Early June is not that far away is it...

~~~ to Teresa, you must all be beside yourselves with excitement at your wanderers return.. Have you steeled yourself for the incoming 'bits and bobs ?. How many trips is FTE to do per year?. You may need to upsize your home :-D.. Or rent a storage shed ;-). How long before Fruit is orf again?

~~~ to Lesley, are you hiding until your hair colour has returned to normal? ;-). Hope all is well with you and yours...

I am orf to be shorn this morning. I missed my last appointment due to our family bereavement, appointment completely slipped my mind. I am now feeling very hairy and 9am can't come quick enough..
My male fruit is home for a few days. He is pretty much house bound with his ruddy leg in a plaster. He is near to stir crazy, luckily he can while away the day watching the tele :-|..

I made an executive decision yesterday, I booked OH and I a weeks holiday from early September :-D. I was only going to the travel agent to enquire :-D... Roll on September I say.

Better rattle me dags and get a move on, have a pleasant evening all.

Susan

By now Susan you will be hair free :-D

I do hope your poor fruit is not google eyed watching the TV all day. The devils x box is banned for two weeks. FTY has GCSE exams and is in revision mode with a quick kick up the do dah :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D

FTE will be home very soon now. Im sure she will have aquired many many things :-| FTE is home for three weeks and then off again for another six months. She will be home at Christmas which will be nice :-D :-D :-D

~~~~~ to one and all


Teresa

Ooh Susan don't you like my new hair colour :-0

My MOG also likes to watch car and motocross racing ................................ two hours of vroom, vroom, vrooooooooooooming .............. how interesting ............. not.

Teresa not long now for your happy reunion :-D and seeing your wonderful seeing gifts from all the different countries FTE has visited.

By any chance have you got a spare bed in your caravan that is parked at the University Trust ....................eldest fruit has resumed work (two and a half day's a week) and already she is being asked to work overtime :-( mostly on the twilight shift, I'm sure she appreciate not having to drive home at midnight.

Auntie Petunia another lucky escape :-0 aren't there any lively genuine gentlemen old soldiers that you could grab .................................... oops I mean walk out with :-)

Another shopping spree CC tut tut ........................... any news on your appointment yet?

Good evening gels, what a damp day it has been. I have perambulated with Trickey Woo a couple of times today, and got soaked..................must look to see if my feet are webbing.

How lovely you all have your fruits to look after you in your old age [not that you are old dears] I have that lump of lard that thunders across the passage, but not that she is much company!!!!

I hope you are all well gels, and keeping dry.

Pip Pip
Auntie Petunia

good evening ladies, I too am positively waterlogged and had to change my clothing when I returned home from the emporium where Every Little Helps. I dont have to think about getting webbed feet - I was born with webbed toes on each foot - two toes on each foot are conjoined - very annoying ..... and these days very painful, with the arthritic changes in my feet.

Teresa I can feel your excitement from here, dear. I saw a mug in Tesco today, it said "keep calm and put the kettle on".

Susan the two whimsies I bought on Sunday are squeezed into the whimsie cabinet. One is an "oddity" - two pieces that were fused together during the making, and oddities can become rarities worth a lot of boodle one day!

Lesley I had a letter from the hospital asking me to phone them, which I did, and they have offered me an appt re my right hip, for the 16th. MFH says he will make sure he is free to take me there.

Come now Petunia dear, dont feel so "left out" over not having any Fruits of your own. I might have had Offspring, but I still have to shift for myself. At least you have Pat rish aaaaah .........

............... but surely the thundering lump of lard you refer to should be stored in the refrigerator? or it wont be fit for cooking with.

I have had a nasty shock in the post - a letter from the power company. In spite of paying monthly by direct debit, we owe them money. Although I have now paid off the deficit owing against the last four quarters, they are still increasing the direct debit because we used more juice during the winter months. How else were we meant to keep warm ??????? The main problem was that as fast as I walked around turning the radiators down, the GOG was walking behind me turning the rads up again. :-S

So soon CC! it would be wonderful if you could make the 16th. x

I've turned our rads up this evening, brrrrrrrrrrr it's freezing :-(

May 16th CC?, crikey, that is soon. Good luck for a speedy recovery. Please hemail us when you are able.

Lesley, your hair is, err, 'bright'.... Thought I was seeing a jazzed up Mrs Brown ... What's with the whistle?. You turning a trick or summat?

Teresa, fruits eyes are not square - yet.. he does manage to hobble to the kitchen to feed himself... Funny that ;-). He was to depart tomorrow morn with his blister, but seems she is leaving a tad too early for me laddo. Another night here it would seem :-). Good luck to FTY with his exams (shuddering at the thought). Can't wait to hear about FTE's adventures.

Petunia, for a minute there, I thought you were referring to CC :-D. I should have known better :-(. Hope your toes have dried sufficiently?. We are having a lovely bit of sunshine but wouldn't you know it, rain is coming from Friday... I am trying to keep up with the falling leaves, rake as I might, there are always more on the ground... Oh well, tis Autumn ;-).

I am currently cooking a curry, Massaman. Hopefully the meat will be tender by the time we eat... Naan bread at the ready - yum. We are rather partial to a good curry. Not sure if this will be a good one though :-D :-D.

Enjoy your breakfast, have a lovely day

Toodles

no no ladies, I am not having the hip operation on the 16th. I didnt say I was. This is an out patients assessment appointment about my right hip.

Gooooood afternoon ladies,

Dear Upsidedown Susan, you are fairing better than us with the weather, we have now got COLD weather again. I ventured to the shops this morning, just to give them the thrill of seeing me, and I must say I could have done with my liberty bodice being on. It was jolly chilly.

Now, as I mentioned previously Pat-trish-aaaaah is getting a little portly, and I thought a short burst of exercise would do her good. So I summoned her to get out the tuk-tuk. It should have been used the other week, but I was taken to the Ball in a chauffeured car, so that lazy gel got out of it again. I thought a quick trip to Alexandra Palace may be in order, so I got her to set the sat-nav on the handlebars, and offt we went.

I thought the Highgate West Hill would be more fitting for her, as the gradient is steeper, and huff and puff, and sweat and bluster she did. She was like Puffing Billy by the time we got to the top. Quickly over Pond Square, and along to North Road, then down to Highgate Woods, and across Muswell Hill and very soon we were at Alexandra Palace. You can see most of London from there, and how it has changed.

You used to be able to see St. Pauls, the Old Bailey and St Pancras Station. Now they are blighted by the Shard, the Eye, and some new blocks on the Kings Cross development site. So sad that our landmarks are being dwarfed by monstrosities.

#with a ladder and some glasses, you could see Hackney Marshes.......if it wasn't for the houses inbetween............#

We sat for a while, drinking in the cold air, and had a mug of hot chocolate to ward off the cold. Pat-trish-aaaaah did try for a dollop of cream on top, but I soon put a stop to that! She may look like a dollop, but there is no need to consume one too.

Please feel free to park some of your fruit's possessions in Motie Towers dear Teresa, I can assure you I charge a very nominal fee. Look how Cherry has taken over!!!!

Lesley, might I suggest a toner on that creation of yours dear, you do not want to be mistaken for a French poodle dear. Stunning as it is!!!!

Talking of French creations, I am pleased to say that George and Francine will be home very soon, and the invalid is improving. So there is no need for them to stay longer than the end of the month. I am so looking forward to seeing dear little Valentine again. He is spurting up all the time.

I tend to think that Pat-trish-aaaah is still in touch with Juana, but as long as I do not see THAT WOMAN darken my doorstep, I shall try to ignore it.

Strangely, Mrs Berry has mentioned that certain items keep going missing from the Pantry. Now, either Pat-trish-aaaah has an attack of the hungers in the night, or she is feeding someone.

No names mentioned, just follow the direction of my eyes. No.............not you Cherry, but she does keep disappearing to the garden shed.

Too tired to care.....................
Auntie Petunia

I've just applied to work for ErrolSheep. Do you think I will be able to pull the wool over his eyes long enough to get the job ??

*gazes thoughtfully at Pat rish aaaah*

do you know Petunia dear, the thought occurs to me that Pat rish aaaah has been getting far too chummy with the gardener, since she frightened the coalman away. I suspect that she might be

*whispers*

with child !!!!!

Well, some things do run in families and not just feet. Like mother like daughter, like granddaughter ........... ;-) ;-) ;-)

Having watched Bill & Ben and Little Weed in my infancy, not to mention my knowledge of Mellors scant though it is, leaves me to suspect that all sorts of things get planted in the potting shed !!!

nominal fee for using the rooms at Motie Towers???????

what ?????????

am I racking up a Storage Bill without being aware of it?????????

:-S :-S im awash with washing, did someone mention the midwife for Patcrisssshhhaaaa
:-0

FTE has gorn outtt,

Im cream crackered


Back tomorrow seeking sanctuary


Teresa


Bytheby Susan, Fruit said her favourite destination on the worldy was NZ :-D
ThecFruit said it was a beautiful place with really friendly people

oh you will not believe what has happened to me. I am sooooo angry and panicky I am STILL shaking .......

I left home early for my hospital appointment to allow for roadworks/delays, and busy hospital car parks. When I reached the hospital I drove around the car park for around 20 minutes before someone pulled out so I could nip into that bay, and I was getting edgy seeing the time slip away, but I was in that parking bay by 2.45. It took me five minutes to walk to the reception desk .....

......... where I was told I should have gone to Bishops Stortford hospital. No one told me that I should have presented myself at BS, and its not on the letter I received asking me to phone to make the appt, the letter just says to attend Trauma and Ortho, and the letter had all the logo of the hospital in Essex. The reception clerk then referred me to Enquiries. The Enquiries clerk phoned BS hospital to tell them I was at the Essex hospital and I had a letter. Whoever she spoke to claimed they hadnt sent out any letter. She replied "you did because I have it in my hand and the patient is standing in front of me". I was then asked if I could get to Bishops Stortford although I'd miss the 3 o'clock appt but they'd fit me in. I said there was no way I could get there by myself.

I'd had to take myself to the hospital today although normally my OH drives me around but he's unwell today, in fact he came home from work yesterday because he was taken ill.

The Enquiries clerk ended the call and told me it would be marked down that I went to the wrong hospital because no one made it clear to me where the appt was booked for; and they'd send out another letter with an appt for me to attend the Essex hospital. I thanked her and left, and drove home on the wings of fury.

When I got home, I got on the phone, and had a discussion with a very nice and understanding appointments clerk who assured me that my "standing" as a patient at the Essex hospital hasnt been compromised, I wont be marked down as a No Show Patient, and she made me an appt for June there and then. I dont mind waiting for June, and I dont mind who I see, as long as the appt is at the hospital in Essex. I explained about the fibromyalgia and why I was panicking, I just dont cope in bad situations and to me this was a bad situation because I was worried about being marked as a No Show, and she said again I wasnt to worry about that.

I wont say all is well that ends well, I've had a whole afternoon wasted and been worried to death into the bargain. What is wrong with the NHS appointments system these days .......

What is wrong with the NHS appointments system these days ....... cont'd

whilst a patient at a hospital in Middx, I kept getting letters cancelling appointments saying another letter would be sent with a new appointment. So I'd phone the hospital to find out why my appt was cancelled - to be told my appt wasnt cancelled.

Suppose that I'd taken those letters at face value, and not turned up. I'd have been marked as a No Show patient. I reckon these fake cancellations are the reason why so many people dont keep their appointments. On one occasion, I took a cancellation letter with me as "evidence" to show the clinic clerk, and she said she didnt know why these letters were being generated because they were sent out from somewhere else.

What happened today has made me very cross and at one point it was all I could do not to burst into tears. Like I say, I tend to panic because of the fibromyalgia. My nerves are bad at the best of times.

Anyway ..... I am now sipping tea from a £2 Tesco mug emblazoned with the words : Dont Panic, Put The Kettle On.

having got my woes off my ample bosom .........

Teresa many years ago when I was a secretary working for a firm at St Pauls by Fleet Street, I met a lady from New Zealand who was employed by the same firm. Although I forget her name, I have never forgotten how pleasant and friendly she was. The Aussies I've met have also been very friendly. I think the Antipodeans are more relaxed than most Poms - we do tend to specialise in the Stiff Upper Lip even now.

Oh Cherry dear, what a to do!!! One does wonder about the NHS in general. There seems to be parts of it in disarray to say the least. Our local A& E Dept is always over subscribed. One has to wait to see the Triage Nurse, then on average it is a 4 hour wait.

We cannot get a doctors appointment, they have to be booked 2 weeks in advance, what is happening? I feel very sorry for nurses, as they seem to get most of the flak that is flying around. It is a very hard job, physically and mentally.

I hope that you get sorted very soon Cherry, and hope you feel better that you have vented your spleen, it does no-one any good to hold it in.

I am sorry Teresa dear, I do not take in washing, it has not come to that yet!!!! I hope that your fruit is treating you well, and dishing our exotic pressies from over the waters. Have you a kiwi cloak dear? Or maybe a hula hula skirt? Do tell.

Please send us a bit of sunshine dear Upsidedown Susan, it is grey, it is wet, and it is COLD!!!!

Feeling a little cheesed orft
Auntie Petunia

good evening ladies and dear Petunia.

In the district where I live, if one requires a doctors appt one has to tell the telephonist why one wishes to see the doctor or the nurse practitioner, so details are taken along with the patients phone number. Then someone phones the patient back to discuss the details at length in a "telephone consultation" and then a decision is made as to whether the patient qualifies for a doctors appt. Then, the patient has to phone the next morning at 9 am to request the appt - to be told all the appointments are gone and to phone again the next day ..... so the patient does, to be told all the appointments are gone and to phone again the next day .... so on the third day the patient phones again to be told .... its ground hog day !!!!

However, the doctors also run a 7-day appointment booking system for non urgent matters. These appointments are always gone. The doctors offer a "wait and sit" appointment where the patient sits and waits to be filtered in around the appointment patients, assuming the "sit and wait" slots havent already been taken.

What I would like to know is - how do the patients who were lucky enough to get the appointments ever get the appointment in the first place?

Oh dear CC what confusion :-( I hope you are feeling a lot less stressed and not to disappointed now. x

Auntie Petunia this afternoon in my little corner of Essex it has been glorious sunshine :-D I've been gardening wearing a tee shirt ........................... you will be pleased to know I don't need a toner on my hair the sun has bleached it blonde ;-)

Susan that's wasn't a whistle ....................... I was trying to learn how to blow bubbles with my gum :-D

I hope FTE and the Trust are not working you to hard Teresa ......................
what did I hear you say ..................... was it I should be so lucky :-D :-D :-D

oh my dears. I am quaite overcome. I've got through a whole toilet roll cos I ran out of paper hankies. I have spent this evening watching Les Miserables, the movie version of the stage musical purchased this week from Tesco for £10.00. I was surprised that Russell Crowe who I always thought was lightweight acquitted himself well, I never knew he could sing. And even more surprised to find that Hadley Fraser had a small part in the movie playing a soldier, cos he was in the stage version when Alfie Boe played Jean val Jean, HF playing one of Marius's friends.

I'd already bought two concert DVDs, one with Michael Ball playing Marius, the second with Alfie Boe playing Jean val Jean, but in the concerts they just stand and sing while wearing their costumes. I bought the Liam Neeson film version on DVD; but I wanted to see the panoramic version of the musical. What can I say. Breathtaking. The songs are uplifting in spite of the sad lives of les Miserables.

Hadley Fraser was also in Phantom de l'opera, he played Raoul in the 25th anniversary performance on stage, and I believe he has also covered for the role of the Phantom as well. I wonder if he's trying to be ubiquitous.

The novel is a fascinating read too but if it hadnt been for the Michael Ball version of the concert I'd never have got into Les Mis and never have bought the book. Well, only my opinion, but this is a simply superlative DVD. If it can make this hard hearted hannah cry, it must be good :-D