General Chat

goodmorning I see that john had elton john in his area we had bon jovi in ours I quite like that young man and his music. last night we had the christmas dinner in the complex turkey with all the trimmings it was a good meal and considering one person the manager does allthe cooking she did a great job. I was not sure I would make it as I recieved a distress call the youngest grandchild was ill so could I come over for a couple of hours while the others went to their actvities. not sure what he has quite an upset stomach headache etc. he knows my routine well he took one look at me and said I guess it is one ounce an hour right grandma , the cats have recovered from the trip to the vets though I have been ignored for a couple of days except at feeding times. guess everyon is busy with the holidays coming up . I am going to wrap some more presents to-day bye for now dorothy

Hi everyone
The sky is a lot clearer than Thursday this week. The Elton John concert played to some 15,000 loyal fans who braved the elements wore raincoats of various colours and the footwear accessories were gumboots. Pictures in the paper on the Friday showed people in all kinds of wet weather gear some with plastic sheeting wrapped around the waist. There was limited seating hence for the array of wet weather protection, the seating that was there were for the premium and gold ticket holders. Two loyal fans won a competiton in the States flew to New Zealand to meet Elton and go to the concert. This was one concert we didn't want to go to but we do occasionally here music coming from the venue where we live, this time however the wind seemed to keep the sound in the venue.
Syliva the carolling is going well. One thing Gayle and I miss is the brass band at church (Sallies) and that is something we miss at carolling time. Our voices are getting a good work out - last evening for example someone requested we sing 'The Twelve Days of Christmas' and by the end we were exhausted. As for singing outside your door it might be a bit far to come.
Until next time,
John

goodmorning brenda have a great trip everyone must be busy since I last posted. this morning our down town area has suffered a major fire for any one who knows the barrie area it was at the corner of bayfield and dunlop started at 11-30 last night and is still on fire at 9am this morning. the wellington hotel built in 1880 quite a landmark in the area is gone it housed the royal thia resturant, the apartments above are gone but no loss of life human or animal so that is great. it is the second major fire in our area in 10 days a large part of the beach shops in wasaga beach are also gone. as we live close to lake simco the fire dept ran hoses down the major intersection to the lake to obtain additional water to help put out the fire, several shops have been lost difficult at this time of year. I have had many phone calls this morning as some of my friends think I am close to the area but I am about 15min away so I was not involved. with all the big malls aroung the area downtown areas have to struggle to maintain a special way of life this is not going to help. anyway I hope you all have a great week-end bye for now dorothy

hi can't sleep it is midnight so I was reading the messages boy brenda car repairs world wide are expensive but what can we do we need the cars to get around, nice to hear from john even if his weather is wet. this evening there was a craft sale in the social area of the complex it went quite well I bought a wooden christmas tree complete with decorations for 4.00 dollars it is on top of the tele just a little one but it was cute. it is the christmas dinner on saturday evening about 65 people are expected. the management put it on you get to meet people who you never see usually as they go out to work I was speaking to the lady who is the on site manger she does most of the cooking she is doing three 27 pound turkeys with all the trimmings should be fun. well I think that I will try and get to sleep the cats go to the vets in the morning I brought the carriers out to-day but they were not impressed to see them guess they know what is coming for them goodnight all dorothy

Hi everyone
It's raining here and some 15,000 people are going to have a rather wet evening at the Bowl of Brooklands listening to Elton John. Up until yesterday (Wednesday) the weather has been quite hot and now the rain is here through to the weekend. Mind you the gardens need it and so do the farmers who are experiencing drought conditions.
Our carolling is going well four homes down another 13 to go.
John in NZ

HIya,thank you all for your good wishes for my holiday.Have finished work and started the last of my ironing just having a "tea break".Had to drop the car of at the garage again this morning,and they found a fault they did not see last week.!! They had to replace what I can describe as a wire with a plug at each end ,it is called something like Laudom something or other ,and all together cost me £130.08. plus the £240 from last week means i have spent more than enougth on the car this year.
weather rather wet today,but brightened up a little after lunch..Must get back to the ironing and packing,Speak to you all later.
Brenda

hi brenda I am sure that you look great with the new hair colour have a wonderful vacation, glad to hear that sylvia's husband is home the new glasses sound very smaer. well good to see fred back on line what a busy fellow you are all that painting and preparing vegatables as well. I spent about 45 minutes this am cleaning the snow and about 2 inches of thick ice off the car. it was quite a chore there as about 2 feet on the car and around. they have ploughed out the parking lot very nicely. the snow held off during the day so I was able to go and finish the xmas shopping for the children. they say we will get more snow overnight but maybe they will be wrong . it is supposed to be the coldest winter in a decade sounds grand I don't think. I am going to try and think about other things to pass on other than the weather. fred do you have any new recipes for parsnips I do like them but the family are not too fond of them. bye for now dorothy

Hi Brenda Bet you are getting excited for your holiday Hope the weathers perfect and you enjoy it all
Nice day here weather wise hoping for 25 c today
Rain needed !! the ground is still very dry the rain we had didnt amount to much, need a good rain then to clear is our order
Margaret

Hi everyone,all busy again with one thing and another,i have put a colour on my hair ready for my holidays ,it said it was mahogany which looked rich brown but has come out more like an auburn,!!1
Only a half dayto work tomorrow,then home to finish the ironing and packing.However the car has togo back for them to recheck.!! Speak to you tomorrow,brenda

Hi all,
Well Johan is now home He came home yesterday while I was out shopping with my eldest daughter. We phoned him and heard that he was packing to come home so were not surprised to see him. My eldest daughter, Janet, was a good help yesterday, packing the shopping in the car and then upstairs in our flat into our cupboards. Not always in the best place, but at least off the floor, so I don't have boxes of coffee and biscuits piled up everywhere.
Today I have been to the shops to the opticians to get myself another pair of specs. It is 3 years since I had new glasses so thought it about time. We are allowed on the National Health to have a pair every 3 years. I have chosen a frame with a bluish tinge - something different - the new me!
I also went to the bookshop and bought some books for Johan for Xmas and another book for Janet for Xmas. I feel that I am now making progress towards Xmas.
I must bake some bread tomorrow and my help is coming so will be kept busy.
Must go to the garden centre next week and gets bits and bobs for making centrepiece for table and decoration on front door etc., plus Xmas tree.
Well if we get bad weather after Xmas I don't mind as I have so much food in the house I can hibernate. What a good idea!
Have a nice evening.
Sylvia xxx

Evening everyone,sorry i missed you all yesterday ,but i was rather busy with decorating these past few days,and have been rather tired.
Most of it was finished yesterday ,and i thought to myself ,yes,a lazy day tomorrow,but ,i forgot to inform the wife of the fact.
Today ,i had only one wall and a door to finish and then ,job done,
I had the wall done by eight this morning ,and put a coat of silk on the door to see if Liz liked it ,or wether she wanted gloss.Gloss she said ,or when i wash tjhe paint ,it will come off the wood,eh?.
I asked her ,how come the paint dosn't come off the paper then when you wash the emulsion,[silence is golden ] hee hee ,one win to Badger,but i still have to recoat it with gloss tomorrow.
WEe went to the clinic at ten,then went shoppinmg ,wher Liz spotted nets of brussels and parsnips for sale at £1 a net,so there i am at one this afternoon ,lazy day gone,preparing and blanchin g bruissels and parsnips,enough to to six meals for eight over christmas,i even got to make vegggie soup with the water used for the blanching ,witjh shredded green cabbage leaves ,carrots ,onion,shalllot,rosemary,lentils and barley in,lovely,some for supper done with fresh milk or creme fresh,and plenty put down in the freezer for a cold day.
Time to go now ,as a treat for working so hard today,i have a hot curry with chips coming from our local fish and chip shop,last time it was half a chicken.
This fella does lovely fish as well,so i am spoiled for choice.
See you tomorrow,Badger.

monday eve 6pm well what a day it has snowed all day approx 25 cm but it has been blwoing so it could be more thank goodness lindys game was cancelled for this evening, I could not see across the road all day did not even attempt to go out and clear the car some of my neighbours who attemtted to go to work turned round and came back . and they are saying we have another 25 to-morrow before this storm blows over nad goes away. sorry to talk about only the weather but it is the main topic of conversation at the moment bye for now dorothy

Hi All,very windy and wet here today,was supposed to brighten up but did not.
Hope the snow holds off Dorothy,iam just planning on lots of R/R next week.!!!
Feeling tired as I did not sleep well,and the car is playing up,just when I need it not to.
Be back tomorrow night,brenda

hi brenda and all I do hope the weather is sunny for you on your holidays, we have had a wild 24hrs snow freezing rain etc all school buses cancelled to-day and we are to get more snow, I drove home from andrews last evening and the freezing rain piled up on the car like mounds of popcorn I had to stop twice to clear it off even though I had cleared all the ice off before I left, have to go over there this evening so I am hoping that the snow will stop by the time I leave. still have a bit of xmas shopping to do so hopefully this week I will be finished. mailed all my local xmas cards yesterday, I left the english ones with anne to post. hope that sylvia is looking after herself. the electrician has just come to the door they are putting in a new fire alarm system in the building the cats have run away and hid under the beds bye for now dorothy

just another quick message as I am sorting out some clothes for my holiday!!.have some trousers to turn up and have a skirt to take in,due to the amount of weight I have lost.!!!
Hope Johann continues to improve Sylvia,but Dorothy is right in telling you to look after yourself
Good luck with the carolling John ,must be nice to be in warm singing carols.!!!Hope the garedn continues to be good.
Dorothy,wet and windy here but have been told its sunny in Tenerife,mind you until I get there i don't look at the weather.
We have all been warned we can not use the library pc for private emails,wehave to book a public one on our break!!So I might not reply during the day when I am at work
Brenda.

Hi all,
Oh John, how I miss England when I think of carolling. Can't you come and sing outside my door?
I don't miss much, but carolling I do.
Sylvia xxx

Hi all,
Christmas carolling begins this week - eight days over three weeks. We have two rest homes tomorrow, Monday, afternoon. By the end of the three weeks we will probably be exhausted by all the running around (for me it will be walking).
The vegie garden is looking good particularly the silverbeet and tomatoes, sadly the cabbages and cauliflowers are being attacked by slugs meaning its time for slugbait or something.
Catch you next time
John

hi sylvia glad to hear your family are looking after you so well, your right after 4 bags of blood johan should look quite pink. remember to look after yourself as well bye for now dorothy

Hi all,
Just come on here as it is lonely at home without Johan. My youngest daughter and her husband came and picked me up today at 4.00 pm to go to the hospital and we returned around 7.00 pm. Johan asked me to take him "something for by the coffee" so I made a batch of cakes for him this morning.
Johan seemed to have more colour in his face. Well he ought to with having 4 bags of blood given to him.
Tomorriow my other daughter Janet is going to sleep at my granddaughter's house and then will pick me up on Monday morning. We will then go to the Makro, the wholesalers, and do our "big" shopping as when Johan comes out of hospital he won't be fit enough to do this.
The weather is very windy and wet and cold.
See you all tomorrow.
Sylvia xxx

hi its late in the evening here but could not sleep due to the noise the wind is making so cameon line so glad to see a message from sylvia and to hear that her husband is improving that is great news bye dorothy