General Chat

Hi everyone
We had a busy weekend, on Saturday over 300 motorbikes gathered for the annual toy run in New Plymouth with toys being given to the Sallies. I was roped in as the Santa and rode in an open-top car with the province's rugby mascot - a bull. It was a fun-filled day and Santa got a bit sunburnt, strangely the bull didn't as he had his mask on most of the time. A number of children were out to see the bikes go pass and give toys to us which were piled up for the congregation to see yesterday.
Gayle and I are looking forward to Christmas with Craig, and with the rest of the family. When Craig goes back to his place we are going with him to spend a few days away - the first time in nearly three years since shifting.
I am listening to some Christmas music on the PC while writing this. Catch-up again soon, John

Hi all,
Well time is getting on and Johan will be going into hospital 15th December and operated on 16th
December. With any luck he will be home the following weekend but still groggy for Xmas I suppose.
Today I had both daughters with partners for coffee and also my granddaughter. My daughter gave me a lot of green leaves for using in my Xmas arrangement for our front door. I have no time to do it before Wednesday. Tomorrow I have my help in the morning and then I have to go to hospital to my urologist in the afternoon. Tuesday Johan and I have to see our cardiologist and then I see the opthalmist. I don't know now if that is English or not.
Lovely e-mail Fred, made me cry.
Sylvia xxx

goodmorning everyone, sylvia how are you and your husband doing I hope all is well, fred thankyou for the merry christmas e-mail it was great and so true I will pass it on, another cold day but no snow at the moment going to go and do a bit of shopping just wanted to say hello bye for now dorothy

goodmorning oh fred once again you are making my mouth water you really should put to-gether all your reciepes in book form for the likes of me and perhaps other who are not the best cooks, sorry to hear about all the bad weather you are getting I was just on line reading the british papers and looking at the pictures, to-day we were supposed to get rain and snow showers its about 9-30 am and the sun yes the sun is shining the sky is high and blue with a few cloudss I can se for miles way into the distance and it is only -3 so quite warm!! I was planning to stay in to-day but will venture out this afternoon , took the grandhildren to the fundraiser that their mom was working at last night at mac donalds she has 1000 students at the school she teaches at and a great number of their moms and dads turned out with the familys,this sunday we are all going to the churches xmas concert which is held at the theatre at the college in town they do put on a good show amazing voices some of the members of the church have and they do a kind of pantomime show as well.Lindys mom is back from ethopia so we shall have most of the family to-gether at lindys after for lasagne etc, andrew and bryan will miss the show as bryan has a hockey match well that is it for me oh yes john sounds like you 2 dollar stores are a lot of fun bye for now dorothy

Morning all ,from a cold winter wonderland,where old Fred has already been busy after boiling up a ham bone last night,and puttinc steepie peas in a large bowl to soak.
cut the meat off the shank this morning and found there was a load of tender bacon,soooo,a load is going into the freezer for future bacon and egg pies for the Sunday tea table,reckon there is enough to do two good size ones,
The remainder will go back into the soup,shortly before it is finishedwith a chopped up leek ,and a red onion,about an hour longer will do it ,the peas are now nice and soft so i will blitz the lot together just before turning the soup off to cool.
I may just have to get the plain flour out to make bread,no way am i going out shopping in the snow lol,,it looks like a whole day indoors he he,not to worry though ,we won't be hungry,i have some dried yeast for the bread,so,a few slices of fresh bread for tea along with a bowl of fresh pea sand ham soup will be a nice ,tasty ,warming tea.
We might just have noodles ,or pasta for dinner,quick ,and again tasty and warming.
He He Cyprus looks inviting just now,i'm afraid the days of loving the cold and snow are well passed and gone lol,i prefer my creature comforts,swings and roundabouts really because i don't think i could put up with the hights of summer in a place like Oz either,i hate temperatures in excess of 23 c.
Hope everyone is well ,and looking forward to their weekend lol,won't be long now,cheers all,Fred.

Hi everyone
What a busy few days!! No Brenda I won't be on a motor-bike I don't want my leg to fall off. The last time I was on a bike was some 30 years ago and I nearly caused an accident as leant the wrong way.
Monday this week we made a start on Christmas shopping, checked out the $2 Shop for gifts surprisingly what one can get for $2 that costs heaps and other shops. Bought an azalea plant for the garden which I have to reposition as its too close to the house.
Today, Thursday, preschoolers and their mums had their last Mainly Music program for the year with food and music.
I've been playing Scrabble on Facebook and got a BINGO when the last letter of my seven letter word was linked to another word gave me 95 points!
Will have to check the garden tomorrow and reposition that plant.
Take care - John

hi fred I thought you were retired thats a lot of decorating you have done, glad you don't have too much of the white stuff , your tea sounds great as usual ah bubble and squeck you can't beat it, it is 6pm my time and I have just finished my supper I had a chicken breast simmer all after noon in french onion soup plus baby potatoes green beans brocoli carrots and some chopped up braised celery not bad cooking for me and enough left for to-morrow well it is off to watch casuality for me way behind your programme but it is good show bye dorothy

Afternoon peeps,i have at last done the ceiling in the bedroomprior to starting the wallpapering,put up the decorations in the front room,and assembled the new bedroom furniture,so ,i am now sat down until i go to make the tea,.
Hope your hubby recovers quickly from his op' Sylvia,and you are right of course,the last thing johan needs is to be trundling around in the cold when he gets home.
Dorothy lol,it's bitterly cold here ,but i will make do with the inch of snow we have had so far,three feet?,you can keep it for me.
Hissy will not go outside in it [sensible lass that she is]prefering the hearthside rug ,or my lap when i am sat next to the fire.
The snow clouds are gathering here again Brrrrrr,i am soooo glad that all the shopping we rerally need is in,we can survive for rthree weeks without going shopping if we need to,thank goodness .
This cold spell has boufght some of the birds back into the garden,and my two special little buddies are back,my wren and robin,both having a go at the seeds,so if they come back for a few more days ,i will buy some mealworms for them,they loved them last year,and they need the protein in this cold weather.
Something warm is called for for tea tonight ,i think i will fry a little liver,a couple of slices of bacon and an egg ,together with some bubble and squeak,which should fit the bill nicely.catch you later Fred.

goodmorning first of all sylvia I hope all goes well with your husbands surgery and don't rush around to much or you will be ill, this morning I was reading the daily mail on line as per usual and there was my old home town of bury lancs in details and pictures because of the three inches of snow that they got also a picture of a horse playing in a field of snow in ramsbottom another place I know so well, of course I had to phone my friend anne in bury and tease her about the 3 inches whenI have about 3 ft of snow around where I live we had a good laugh, she said the schools were closed and she went to get a bus this morning to go to an appointment as she did not want to shovel the car out of the garage and the buses were not running as there was not enough drivers, she did go toyork shopping yesterday with her daughter they took the park and ride into york but she said it was very cold anyway it was great to see bury featured in the daily mail made my morning bye for now dorothy

Hi all,
Well Johan will be operated on 16th December, just a week before Xmas. The urologist wanted to operate on him next week but he had to see the cardiologist first. We fortunately both have an appointment with the cardiologist next Tuesday so then that will be ok hopefully.
I think we will have to get our Xmas tree home early as Johan won't feel like going round Garden Centers after his operation.
Everything has been set in fast tempo here as I am trying to buy Xmas presents, write cards, etc.etc.
No more time now girls.
Sylvia xxx

hi sylvia I don't blame you for not going out if it is that slippy how nice that you have started decorating for the holidays I am thinking of starting mine this week, hope all goes well for your husband with his test and that he will soon be feeling better we missed the promised storm last night but to-day is not over yet bye for now dorothy

Hi all,
The best thing you can do with your bluebell bulbs is eat them Fred, stew them would be a nice thought.
What weather we are having, lots of sleat and snow, brrh, brrh. Me, I'm staying indoors. Johan is going to the hospital tomorrow for his cytoscopie and I have told him I am not going with him. My help in the house is coming to change the beds. My ex son in law is taking Johan to the hospital as the weather is so bad and slippery. I had changed my day for household help but have asked my help to just come in and change the beds. The duvets are so heavy for me to lift. She will then come again on Thursday to do the rest of the flat.
Today I started decorating for Xmas. I got a couple of table runners out and put my poinsettas and white cyclamen out which I bought on Friday. Our taxi company is offering us old 'uns trips to the Garden Centers and family over Xmas and New Year for 50 cents. Now that is next to nothing . I can also take my scootmobile. Anyone with a wheelchair etc. can also go.
Hope Brenda is enjoying herself and everybody else of course.
Sy lvia xxx

goodmorning just a note to keep the thread up near the top yesterday I had a big shopping day bought a turkey one of the stores had a good sale plus other xmas stuff, obtained the new reginald hill book from the library, to-day just having a quiet sunday we are in for a big storm to-night they say so we shall see have my regular eye check up at 4pm on monday plus this new test they are doing if you are diabetic it is a lazer machine and you can see the back of your eye in living colour quite neat the machines are very expensive so two eye clinics share it plus it is 50 pounds for the test not covered by the government health card as yet but if you are diabetic all the other yearly checks are covered so that helps well bye for now dorothy

goodmorning everyone fred your bluebell bulbs interested me I love them and have many happy memoires of fields of bluebells behind where I lived as a child I don't think that I have every seen them over here a friend of mine in prince edward islands has lots of blue lupins in the fields near her house and had a enlarged photo fo them framed for me the closest Ive come to the colour of the bells. again it is cold but not snowing though we are in for another major storm on monday they say but it could pass us she says keeping fingures crossed, I looked after the children last evening so that andrew and lindy could go to the teachers xmas dinner and dance they had a great time,plus lindy said they were voted the most romantice couple on the dance floor she said they only won that as they danced to unchained melody which was the dance of choice at their wedding, but they both seemed rather pleased by it as my son walked me out to my car he quietly said "see mom after 17yrs of marriage and three children I can still be romantic you taught me well!! not sure what he meant but I took the compliment, actually with both working and the busy lives they lead with their family its nice when they have some time to-gether, well enough of that hope brenda and john are having fun and that sylvia and her husband are feeling better have a great week-end bye for now dorothy

Evening everybody,from a chilly north east where it reckons to go well below freezing point tonight ,huh,wouldn't you know it ,having just got home with two bags of Bluebell bulbs to plant ,to find the ground frozen [bummer].
The missus bought a huge ham shank home as well,that's mainly for two biiig pans of country broth or soup ,which ever takes her fancy when she starts,lol
There are plenty of shallots,carrots ,onions ,parsnip ,and pulsessitting around the kitchen.
There4 will be more than enough ham ,off the bone left for me to make some thick pea and hame soup too [yum]
One of the pans of soup is to be split up between the two sons ,and daughter,the other pan will be put into little containers for the freezer.
Hope everyone is looking forward to the weekend ,he ,he ,make the most of it you lot ,because when you go back to work on Monday,you are looking at December ,and santi claus lol,our grandbairns are already exited.
I won a long standing battle with the wife,and came home with two boxes of lanternchristmas lights for the tree,low voltage /waterproof ones,in case Hissy decides to have a chew.
Have a good night all ,be back tomorrow.Fred.

hi well brenda you probably won't get to read this tillyou get back but I shall think about you about 10-45 pm as you are getting up to go to the airport I hope you have a great two weeks, for the rest of the people on this thread I spent 45 minutes cleaning off the car there was about 3feet of snow on the car and around it I was quite winded but then gone on with what I had to do, to-morrow I am loooking after the children andrew and lindy are going to a school dance! actually it is all the teachers at the school lindy teaches at getting to-gether for christmas early but people seem to have so many things to go to it is perhaps a good idea it will do them good to have a night out without the children I am an old romantic at heart well off to cook supper bye for now dorothy

Hi everyone,especially Dorothy.Sorry I have not been on had a couple of extra things to do before getting away.
Hope you are all well and happy while i am away,hopefully i will find an internet place like last year and can check in now and again,
Will be of to the air port at 3.45AM ,flight at 7Am,and should be back two weeks later at about 7.30pm .
Take care Brenda

hi everyone appears to be busy I am just dressing in many layers to go and clean off the car and get the cats their special dry food, it is a very gray and cold day out there don't think that I will stay out long bye for now dorothy

goodmorning fred did you send the snow over to me I awoke this morning to lots of the white fluffy stuff coming down like it was raining I can hardly see out of the window it is coming down so thick and fast a good day for staying indoors, but the children will enjoy it and the ski hill resorts, my son called me last night a young woman of 40 who worked for him died in her sleep about a week ago very sad yesterday he had to go to her home to remove all work related products and paper work (he works for a drug company) she had a 12 yr old daughter who will know live with her father the parents were separated, andrew said it was a difficult day she was a good employee and no health problems she just went to sleep and did not wake up. sometimes I forget that he is 42 and has many employee's he is responsible for so we talked about how I felt and delt with losing a patient I hope he feels a little better to-day, perhaps to-day is a day for writing the local xmas cards and maybe wrapping some gifts hope everyone is well bye for now dorothy

hi brenda the idea of doing boxes is a great one the church the family go to are also doing that and have been for quite a few years, the three children now do one each as they are now older and able to do so. plus the family have adopted a child in africa that they support, last xmas my sister and her husband through world vision supplied desks and chairs for a classroom in the childrens name as their gift to the children. so the cases are ready to be packed you must be happy to get away again have a great time. it is about 5pm and I am trying to think what to have for dinner cooking for one is so boring looking outside I see some of the houses have their xmas outdoor lights on it does look pretty bye for now dorothy