General Chat

hi just a quick update I recieved a call late yesterday afternoon to say the family were on the way to the vets as calico had had a very bad day and that they could not let her go on any longer so I drove over fast to the house and was there for them when they got back, laura is taking it very badly and as it was the anniversary of lindy's father's death not a good day all around, but calico was nearly 19 and had been loved and a valued member of the family, call byran early this am to wish him happy birthday he said thanks as I sang to him but I am a little sad grandma so I hope the day goes better for him, the big dog appears to know something is wrong he is off his food bye for now dorothy

hi everyone I am back from my birthday week-end I guess all in all reaching 67 is not so bad, we had a nice dinner on friday and went to see the group we follow lots of laughs oer the past times with them, on saturday I spent the day at isobelle's we pttered int he garden rented two movies and watched a reply of susan boyle singing memories what a voice. had a good drive home on sunday and then had dinner with the family celebrating my birthday and bryans all in one. one sad part the 19yr old cat is failing quite badly so I think that andrew and lindy will be visiting the vets at the end of the week if she does not fall asleep before then she is a true calico cat he bought it shortly after they got married to keep lindy company while he was travelling and they were new to this area the wee thing only weighs about 3 pounds at the moment the vet has been keeping her going but I think that the end of the road is near I said my goodbyes to her when I left... to change the subject fred I used the weeder that isobelle bought and it is great an ajustable pole with 4 prongs on the end and a pedal you put the prongs into the weed push a button on the top and the pedal and the weed comes right out it is called a Fiskars weed remover and the web site is www.fiskars.com easy eject feature unique design allows weeding from a standing position that what it says on the packaging hope this is helpful, john sorry to hear about your wife she must be very fed up. yes kathleen the weather is great sunny but not too hot to-day has been great, yes I do enjoy the balcony Ian agreed last night to come with me to the garden centre to help me pick out plants etc for as he told his dad grandma is not to good at this dad she really depends on me out of the 10yr olds mouth, I may finally have a grandchild interested in tennis I have bought them all rackquets but andrew told me for the last two sundays he has taken Laura to the courts to play and he thinks that this will be a regular occourance plus the alone time for dad and daughter is a good thing, she came in first in the sling put at the school track and field games , well that is it for me back to the french open what a great 2 weeks ahead with the tennis, oh yes brenda great idea to cut back on the work enjoy the time ahead of you hope you made it to the market, anne phone this am and said the weather was not bad bye dorothy ps. thanks for the card brenda

Hi all
Gayle is brassed off to put it nicely, her surgery was on 19 May when a fistula was placed above her wrist and you guessed it - it didn't work, meaning more surgery sometime in June/July when a fisula graft will be put in her other arm. So here we go again!! The Renal unit weren't too pleased either as they were expecting a graft in the arm.
The weather down in NZ is very cold - we had a heavy dumping of snow on Mt Egmont and some on the nearby ranges closes to the mountain. Our son who was visiting took some photos of the snow covered peak on my camera.
Catch you soon, John

Good morning all, at last I get to use the computer!! It is a lovely morning, the sun is shining and the birds are singing their little hearts out -- and I have to keep chasing all the neighbourhood cats out of my garden. For a while we didn't have more than the odd moggy around but suddenly it seems the cat population has grown so now I can't feed the birds. I hate it when I find feathers all over the place but that's nature I guess.
Brenda, I hope you are feeling better now; Fred is right the library is not worth sacrificing your health for and the money is not worth making yourself ill as useful as it is to have that bit extra.
Hope your weather has finally improved Dorothy, it does seem that winter has dragged on a bit everywhere. Both you and Sylvia seem to make good use of your balconies - I have a garden which is a nightmare, full of stones and weeds that seem to spring up overnight and I have to keep nagging my sons to get it sorted as I can't cope with heavy digging anymore. I have a friend who has a balcony which looks an absolute picture, she grows tomatoes in hanging baskets, potatoes in pots and flowers in all sorts of containers. It isn't very big and slopes (for drainage) but she manages to fit loads of plants in - it's north facing as well. Makes me feel ashamed.
Granddaughter is now recovered from her pneumonia - thankfully. She is now getting stressed over her final exams at college, trying to catch up on the two weeks work she missed through being ill - convinced she is going to fail - but she won't, I think she will do ok as she has worked really hard. Fingers crossed anyway.
I hear stirring from upstairs so I guess I had better move myself and get into the bathroom for my shower while I can - it will be a couple of hours before I can get in there once they start. Why do men take so long in the bathroom - what do they do in there?????
Love to all
Kathleen

Morning all.not looked out the window yet ,so not sure what the weather is doing!!
Had a busy day yesterday and then went out last night for a chinese meal for my friends 70th birthday ,was home by 10.30 as we were all a bit tired,and some had gone on the bus with their bus passes so wanted to get the earlier bus home rather than the later one.It was still very enjoyable.
Hoping to get out to Bury Market today ,if it is dry,but don't fancy walking round in the wet.
Got some plants for the hangimg baskets yesterday and a couple of trays for the trougths,need a couple of gereniums now,
Hope you have a nice break Sylvia sounds really good.
Fred ,I have decided to either go down to one day a week or stop altogether by christmas.I like just doing my own thing more and more,
Dorothy hope you have a great weekend and brilliant birthday.
Going for a cuppa now.See you all later,take care Brenda

Hi all,
Well weather still fine, just a few drops of rain, but soon over. I had my help come round to help Johan empty two of our wardrobes so that he could repair one of them. She came at 9.00 am and when she was finished emptying the wardrobes she had lots of time over whilst Johan repaired the cupboard, so she swept and cleaned up my balcony for me and poured out coffee inbetween. What a luxury, personal assistant!
I went to the hairdresser for a permanent at 12.00. My hairdresser had had an operation on her throat on Tuesday and was still a bit groggy. I stopped on the way and bought her a bunch of flowers. When I got to her house I was met by her daughter in law and new baby.
After my permanent I did some shopping and for the rest of the day have done sweet nothing - just cooked dinner, fish and chips.
The weather forecast is good for the weekend, so let''s see if the weatherman can keep his word.
Have a nice evening.
Sylvia xxx

Morning all ,and hello Sylvia,nice to hear that your weather has improved a lot.
Know what you mean about this country only too well ,i remember my wife getting reported to management after being collared by an ignorant old bitch in the metrocenter in Gateshead on Christmas eve complaining that she wouldn't be able to shop onChristmas Day because the centre was shut ,most aggrieved she was ,when the wife said ,Madam ,even lowly shop assistants ,and cleaning staff are allowed Christmas Day off,get a life why don't you.
I prefer it when it was ,shops closed saturday dinner time to Monday morning ,were closed Christmas and Boxing Day,and closed Good Friday and Easter Monday,we never went short of anything with a little forthought.and the shops got proper breaks as well ,no one should be forced to work on Sunday there is no earthly need for it apart from emergency services and the forces,who get their time off on a rota system.
Still no washing machine ,so we can't go anywhere again today ,he he ,looks like the garden for me ,Fred.

Hi all,
Well we are having fantastic weather. Johan and I went into town to the market etc. etc. yesterday. This made a nice change for us as the sun was really hot.
We have booked a mid-week in Sun Parks Hotel on the coast by us. We will go there by taxi and take our two scootmobiles with us. This way Johan won't have to drive at all, so extra holiday for him. We go the Tuesday after Whitsun until the Friday. I love the sea and this hotel has all its rooms facing the sea. Now is the problem of trying to juggle everything together, as appointments with physiotherapist and pedicurist have to be fitted in before we go. We will be back for our daughter's birthday - or we would be in the doghouse!
I will be glad when we get the other programmes for our computer as I am missing a lot of things.
Today is Ascension Day and some shops are closed and some open. Nobody can agree or disagree whether to open or close. I would say close as it is a Holy Day, but then again look at Sundays now in Britain!
I'd better ne careful or the old soap box will come out again!
Have a nice evening.
Sylvia xxx

If you Did but know it ,our Brenda,your body is telling you it,s had enough time to slow down it's begging you .
Trouble is ,if you take no notice ,it will come to the stage of your body hitting back to MAKE you,not recommended ,been there ,done it and learned the hard way that ruddy library will still be there after youv'e gone lass ,and you won't get any medals for the effort.
Would be interested in the name of that tool Dorothy,sounds a bit like the spade i had years ago which used to pick up the spit of soil and throw it forwards without you having to lift it,but tines ,instead of a spade head sounds just the ticket,but ,i must admit ,i am a lazy gardener and tend to use a spot weed killer for the lawns and ditto on any weeds like the dreaded mares tail and dandilions.
I saw on the horticultral show last night that there are acouple of new salad veggies on the go that you pick a couple of leaves for a meal ,and the plant regenerates ,hmmmmm,i like the sound of that,ideal for a small garden.
I renewed our gold passes this morning ,online which will see us mobile for another year,able to use the rail service between Newcastle and Sunderland for the next year ,prepaid ,and enables us to use the local metro as well ,well worth the £12 apiece charge.
When the missus gets her head out of her book and comes down ,i will tewll her that i have done them ,and in return ,she can take me to town for a walk round Newcastle ,and buy me a macdonalds with a couple of vouchers we have[i fancy a mc chicken burger with large fries] he he ,not bad for £1-99 and i think she got off lightly ,lol.And it saves me cooking ,so it looks like a stir fry for tea.
See ya later peeps ,Fred

Hi Folks just a very quick hello ,as I am shattered ,had an errand to do before going on work at 12.30 so was out from 10am till 8.30pm ,not used to the long hours any more 6 years ago ,I used to work 8am to 7pm fours days a week and Most Saturday morning!!!
Couldn't do it now,not sure how long I will keep working if I keep feeling like this.
Got your email Dorothy,You don't half get about Fred.
Speke to you tomorrow/Take care Brenda

goodmorning from a very nice morning over here brenda I have sent you via gene's a private reply with the new e-mail address hope you get it if not let me know and I will phone you in the next few days, fred my you are busy in the garden my friend isobelle over here who has a large garden just bought a very nifty gadget for weeding it has a long handle that you can adjust to height, then it has three spikes on the bottom and a pedal so that you don't have to bend to weed, it has worked wonders for her in getting rid of the dadilions etc. made and marketed for the !!!older gardeners. I am going to browse around the garden centre to-day to plan the purchases for the balcony as the over night temps are to be better no frost in the forecast so maybe the winter is realy over. bye for now dorothy

Morning all,what a nice one too ,i may even start to put some of the veggie plants out into the buckets if it stays like this.
The son turned up yesterday morning and did the inside of the long hedge for me which gives me more time for my back to ease it still being a little tender ,ooooo ,ouch ,'ere Brenda and Dorothy, 'as no one told you that this getting older isn't what it's cracked up to be he he.
Hissy caught another mouse this morning ,which i managed to rescue before she did any damage apart from giving it one heck of a fright.
This is one of the reasons for moving the bird table to the front patio,maybe then the mice will stay away from the back then ,there being no food out back to attract them.
It will be better for the birds anyway as they can use the hedges to keep out of harms way,and the cat can't climb them to jump across to the table where the birds feed.
I have to take the wife up to Cramlington this morning for some shopping ,so we will call into their branch of asda to see if they have her new rotary clothes line,if not it's back to Gateshead where we saw them on Sunday.
I like Crammy' anyway ,wednesdayis market andbooty day ,so i can have a sniff around the stalls for odds and ends.
The all new Newcastle Central Library opens next month which means i can get back into family research at last,lol,it came to an ubrupt halt two years ago when they blew the old one up to make way for the contractors putting the pilings in for the new one.
Our new super Morrisons is due to open shortly as well ,which should give the other stores in the area competition ,and bring some prices down a little,Asda won't be looking forward to this at all,and neither will tesco,as they lose their monopoly in the region .
Hope everyone has a nice day,Fred.

Afternoon folks,well its stil wet and still miserable her,I have stopped sneezing but,can not get warm at all.Had no luck with the holiday yet will keep trying but do not think we will get lucky unless we go to othet places.
Dorothy have you sent your new email to me yet ,as I haven't seen it.
Hope you have a good time at Brampton and enjoy your group.
Busy as always fred,you make me tired just reading your message.
Need to make the tea now.Take care Brenda

hi everyone well it seems to have been a cool and wet week-end all over the place over here it was not the best of long week-ends weather wise but this week we are heading into the hot weather ie. on wednesday it will hit 34 with the heat and humidity from the cool to the heat. nothing to much new over here if the weather stays hot then I will go and get my plants for the balcony. pc problems must be catching brenda I am still trying to sort mine out could not even get into tthe gene's site yesterday. I am planning on going down to brampton on friday as four of us are going to get to-gether for my birthday (on the 24th) we are going out for a meal and then to see the group we have followed for 34yrs we met them on my 33rd birthday. I shall stay over till saturday or even sunday and then drive back, there is a fruit and vegatable market place in brampton that I like so I shall pop in and do some shopping they also carry a good selection of british goods jams pickles chocolates etc hope you all have a good week bye for now dorothy

Morning Brenda ,Sylvia,dorothy,and everyone else who frequents this 'ere thread lol.
Had our showers here yesterday too ,but things seem to be looking up today ,so far anyway ,it was so nice ,and mild this morning that i went out at six to put the bins out,the usual rubbish,and this week ,the garden waste.
The fellas will have a fit when they move the latter ,brown one ,he he ,with all the hedge trimmings in ,and the grass from two lawns ,it weighs a ton ,lol.
Having done that i potted on my holand winter cabbage ,coo ,marys chalet is getting really crowded, so ,as soon as this ruddy wind dies down,i will have to kick off [nicely] and get the first of the buckets planted up,starting with the french bean that are starting to really move.
I will have to have a word with the missus this morning ,i fancy a week in Blackpool early in june,and have a little money spare ,sooooo ,if she is willing to stump up the petrol money i will pay for for the accomodation,we will see .
The front patio is coming alive now ,all the fushia,lavender ,and other bushes are doing well and the honeysuckle in the corner is budding up at last ,as to the Rhodedendron,the buds are starting to split,and it looks to be a purple variety ,looking good in it's big urn.
Once the missus gets herself sorted it looks like a shopping morning ,and i have promised her a new revolving line for her washing ,and they have a very nice ,four arm one for sale in Asda ,reduced to £20.
Must go ,the cat is complaining because the door is shut and she can't get in terrible that ,i must teach her how to swing on the handle to open it herself he he,fred.

Good morning everyone,its still cold wet and miserable here,and to top it all I have another cold,sneezing every few minutes.Had lemon,honey paracetamol all sorts ,but I suppose it will take its course.
I did not watch the Eurovision Sylvia,not my cup of tea ,but I am told the winner was ok.
We have been having problems with the pc this weekend thats why I have not sent you anything Dorothy.We are only using it for sort spells at the moment.
Also need to sort out my car insurance and hopefully a holiday.
Take care Brenda

Hi all,
Did anybody watch the Eurovision Song Contest? I taped it so that I could run it through quickly. I did think Norway were quite good and was pleased with the result.
My neighbour from the third floor, who is in Hungary at the moment, will be returning home next weekend so I phoned her and got a terrible telephone line. She said she has been without telephone for a couple of weeks and we could just about shout a few words to each other, enough for me to know what shopping to get for her for next Sunday.
It will be nice to see her again as she has been away for some weeks now.
I had just bought three new balls of fat and seed for the birds when a large bird came and knocked the balls off, so will have to put them up again tomorrow.
See you tomorrow.
Sylvia xxx

hi from a long week-end tht looks like being a rainy one still working on getting my contact list back in shape not doing too bad with it. I have been watching the tennis from spain to-day a heck of a good match this after noon between nadal and jocvic or whaterver he is called I amhoping that they will show the next semi-final but the preakness horse race is on and lots of hockey so may not be lucky bye for now dorothy

Morning all ,its a really cold day again here,dry at the moment but it was chucking it down earlier.Hope it stays dry as John is out golfing he could not get out yesterday as the courswe was closed due to the bad weather.
I will do what you have requested when I get home Dorothy at work till 5pm.What a shame about your contacts,its everyones nightmare Ithink.
Fred have asked about the green house before ,but I might just have another go when I know I am finishing workl
John hope Gayle gets her surgery next week,it appears to be all medical things everywhere that have the same problems.My friend in Australian has a brother in law and his op was cancelled a few times as well.
Time for a brew and my turn to make it!! See you later.Brenda

Morning everyone ,Hi Brenda ,bet you are at work again being usually the busiest day of the week for you.
What a lovely morning here in Newcastle O T when i opened the blinds a while ago and looked out over the moors ,durham one way ,and Northumberland the other i could see [just] ,the Gorse,and Heather through the mist ,enough to bring a lump to the throat of any miss-placed,scot.
We had a lot of rain here yesterday for which i am thank full ,the garden was in dire need as was the lawn,and my water butt next to the greenhouse is now full again.
Water from the but is only used in the greenhouse because all the stuff in there grows better and faster,the plants in the garden are fed from other butts ,or tap water.
Our van will be going away for a make over shortly,we are having the floor injected with resin ,to stop the floor going soft in the future,and we are having a new cassette toilet fitted that empties from a hatch in the wall of the van,much better than having to cart the old one through the van,and much more hygenic methinks ,we have found someone to do the work ,all in and parts ,for £500,which ain't bad.
coupled with the waste water container on wheels that we found at a boot sale ,we now have [or WILL have ,shortly] all mod-cons ,lol.
Bring on the warm weather, woo hoo .
Can't do any work outside today because of the threatened rain ,but ,no matter,i am up to date anyway ,and ,of course ,there is housework to do ,[groans and mutters under my breathe he he].
Might as well go and get on with it before the grandson arrives ,see ya later lovely people ,Fred