General Chat

sorry about that ,not sure what I did!! Finally met Fred and Liz ,near the cheese stall,which we resisted! but succummed to the black puddings ,had a good walk round the market and some of theshops ,had a cup of tea and a chat.Liz had done really well but got tired and so they left near lunch time,I meet my friend and had a cup of coffee and bought a few things for birthday presents and some cards.Fred nad Liz and their grandson and Lizs sister and brother in law very impressed by the market!!and said they would come back. Did you fill your bag and get some bargains Dorothy?
Must go need to check on tea, Back tomorrow,take care brenda.Ps thanks for the tea fred,It was good to see you all hope you got home ok. Brenda

Hi everyone,we have hada really nice day today ,some dark clouds and therain did look like it might come down at one point but up to now its stayed dry.
I hope your day went as well as you wanted sounds a good way to spend a day to me.We have costco here as well.

goodmorning from a very sunny barrie yesterday we were told we get a huge wind and rain storm but most of it passed us by though we did get some rain but to-day it will be nice as I said the other day the weather is crazy but anything is better than snow. to-day I am off out with a friend to several shops the library and coffee at a new place that has just opened, it is next to a new charity /thrift store apparently they recieve new stuff end of lines and over stock you can fill a big shopping bag for only 5 dollars the lady that is going out with me has had a lof of fun in there coming home with some lovely new name brand stuff so I thought I would have a look around.brneda she says you roll up the clothes and can really stuff the bag. also she wants to go to costco it is a big barn of a place that stocks everything you can think of in bulk big savings for families. andrew and lindy have shopped there for the family, I went with chris the week she was here they have a box of french onion soup 6 to a pack frozen and it is so good. good ideas for xmas and the butcher is very good so we will have a walk around and see what we can spot, of course if you live alone the idea is to go with someone in the same situation and buy things like toilet rolls ie. 64 in a box and split the amount and cost tissues etc .thurs to sunday the place is packed so hopefully to-day we can have a quiet walk around I don't like crowds anymore, spoke to chris last night she was enjoying her visit with her friends in oakville they had gone to niagra on the lake for the day lovely spot not far from the falls kind of old world with great little shops and resturants I usually take visitors there well time to get this day on the way hope fred and liz are feeling allright and the weather warms up for them bye for now dorothy

Just a quick one peeps ,before i let Liz loose on the puter,lol.
The new med' seems to be working,but it will take a while as she was pretty bad after the old med's didn't work when she took them.
Looks like being a very wet day here ,but Chris is looking forward to his tram trip so much that i will take him tonight no matter what,my hip and leg are playing hellbecause with Liz being unable to go out ,i havn't been out much either ,so the old pin has had no exercise ,he he.
Time to go ,i will make a cuppa while the missus gets to do her emails.Fred.

Hi all,its been really cold here today ,but the sun was so bright it was really awkward to drive in it.
Tomorrow is going to be warmer ,but will be wet.! we are at the dentist for out check ups tomorrow and should have been meeting friends for lunch afterwards ,but it looks like we have to take a rain check from them.
Not sure if we will still go out for lunch or if we will go shopping ,we both have a few birthday presents we need to get ,so might nip down to the Lowry shopping Mall..Your sister is going a lot of visiting Dorothy,can't say i blame her while she can,hope your son can slow down some what sounds really hectic, and I know what you mean about the christmas cards,the post costs so much these days ,I will be sendinga loy less than normal and they will be second class sent before I go away to make sure they get there!!!.Hope Fred and Liz are ok in fleetwood,and Liz is feeling better with her new medicines.
Brenmda

hi good morning from a misty barrie it is going to warm up again will even be 21 to-morrow crazy weather, sorry to hear that liz is not well fred but hope you enjoy the visit to fleetwood how kind of the owner to move you to a warmer place and like brenda says bury can alway wait I don't think it will disappear fleetwood brings back very happy memories for me. brenda wow you have been busy doing your cakes puts me to shame I don't do them any more I cheat and buy them. don't have much planned this week Ian has a day off school to-day but his dad is working from home to-day so my services are not needed, andrew was very tired when I saw him on friday he had been on and off planes every day last week early morning 5am flights etc he earns his money I tell him.my sister flies back on thursday she is visiting friends in oakville to-day, suddenly realized I need to think about sending xmas cards but some folks I am just going to phone ie. the ones in england I can chat for 20 minutes for the price of a overseas stamp daft really and some the older cousins are getting on in their 80's so it is nice to hear the voices at least for me it is. well off to do a bit of house work bye for now dorothy

evening all,well its not too warm here either,put the heating on all day today!! glad you can get your van heated fred,please do not worry if you don't make it to Bury Fred like you said it will be there next March, Liz's
health is more important.
Nipped out to my neices this morning and was glad to get back it was sunny but cold!!
Glad you enjoyed the meal dorothy ,we have found prices for our lunches are creeping up as well so we are not having starters now helps the waist as well.!!!
Got another cake done today only two more to go!!
don't think I will be doing them next year my hand and arm are still aching with the mixing,my mixer will not hold all the mixture when thefruit is in as well.
Need to watch my programmenow brenda

Not me Dorothy ,it must have been Edith over in suix lookout who foisted the snow on you he he,but ,if you like ,i could send you some by mid week when we are supposed to be hit by wind and weather from the arctic.
This is our first morning in Fleetwood and i got up at 5 am to put the heating on for Liz 'cause it's darned cold.
When the caravan owner heard that Liz is unwell ,he changed us into this van[his own personal one] which is double glazed and has central heating,so we should be nice and snug ,as i have set the heating to come on at 6 a m every morning.
We are promised snow and very low temperatures by Tuesday ,so i will see how Liz is by then as to wether i will allow her to go to Bury or not,but i have been in touch with Brenda,and we have exchanged mobile numbers ,so i will keep her informed as to events.
I have to go to Cleevies this morning ,so if she want's to come ,i will take the car ,no buses for her for a few days at least,but the new antibiotics seem to be working and her breathing is getting better,and i reckon by the back end of the week,if not before ,Chris should get his trip on the trams he as heard so much about and get to see the Blackpool lights he has never seen.
If it comes to it ,we are back down here in late March [already booked] so if push comes to shove ,we will have to do Bury market then.
Blimey Dorothy ,i'm suprised you could even walk after a meal like that ,never mind ice cream on the way home ,he he ,but it sounds as though you had a great time.
The New T Mobile dongle is so fast that i don't need the owners lounge and the wi -fi = plus £1 breakfast,this morning,soi will take the missus a cuppa and a tablet in a few minutes ,and make breakfast here in the van today.
would you believe it ? we called at Morrisons outside Blackpool on the way through to do most of the shopping and forgot ,tea ,sugar ,and coffee,how daft can you be ,lol.hence the trip out this morning later when it warms up a little,but it will give me some indication of how Liz will cope with the cold.
Hope everyone is having a good weekend,catch you all later,Fred.

hi one and all the snow I woke up to yesterday is all gone and it will be about 17 degree's to-day Ian and I had a great dinner at the red lobster last evening I was so full I could hardly walk out of the place!!! we started with 2 appetizers calamaria and escargot really good followed by caeser salad then the main course Ian had lobster tail and a combo of differant shrimp served on rice and I had a sea food platter lots of shrimp and linguine with alfredo sauce and shrimp baked spud as you can see it was quite a lot they also bake their own cheese buns, on the way home we stopped at the dairy queen an ice cream place and Ian managed a small strawberrry sundae that has always been a tradition with the children that we always stop there. prices however have gone up quite a bit but it was a special occasion but I was not really expecting it to cost 75 dollars. but we had a great meal and I had a good chat with Ian so all in all it was a fun evening but I don't think that I shall need much in the way of food to-day. bye for now dorothy

ok to-day was sunny and then this afternoon along with the sun we had lake efect snow showers was this a gift from fred!!!! if so I don't want it but it did not last long, jut spoke to my sister brenda and I don't believe she will be back up it is easier for her to stay in toronto after she has been to oakville to see friends and head to the airport from there and that is ok with me. oh I do hope you all do meet up in bury I will be thinking off you all and fred do check out the cheese stall if only for a look. been over at the sons for a couple of days not staying overnight he is down in newfoundland and I was giving lindy a hand with things and of course making good use of the washer etc. the laundry room here is very nice but you can't always regulate the heat in the dryers as well in personal ones. well its about 8-30pm thursday evening so that means grays anatomy at 9pm and law and order uk at 10, glad to see the trial of russell williams is over and he got life in prison but he is still going to be entitled to his army pension!! that does not seem right , lindy's uncle john sewell is having a book signing this evening in toronto I believe her mom is going he write books on urban planning in 3rd world countries since he retired as mayor of toronto a few years ago he has spent a lot of time in africa teaching folks how to set up town councils etc well time for me to go bye for now dorothy

Go for a paper Brenda ,embossed, that you can redecorate with a silk emulsion in future ,afraid i have to agree with your hubby on this one,re plastering will be a messy ,longish job that will still need painting when done,and will cost you and a leg. you don't need that expense in the run up to the festive season.
I am with you on the new style shopping though ,i too prefer the old style market where you just mooch about as you choose ,these new shops are a nightmare ,as soon as you walk in you are set upon by salespeople who follow you everywhere with the hard sell,it makes me mad ,that you arn't left in peace to browse.
Most of my electrical stuff i go to Curry's for ,they know me now after i told them [politely] that i knew what i was looking for and would let them know if i needed help ,lol, now when i go in ,i get a good morning ,nice to see you again ,and then they bog off and leave us in peace ,lovely.
We were in there this morning where i ordered the new tumble dryer which will be delivered the week after we get back from Blackpool.
I did the windowsill in the dining room this morning ,so,apart from the window in the main bedroom needing stripped and weatherproofed ,and repainted ,decorating is finished until the spring.
next year we will do the benches in the kitchen which are a little dated,replacing them with a new set up for a double ,free standing oven ,all ceramic,to take the place of the built in oven and hob so it will be B&Q for the bench tops ,where i can get them cut to size before delivery,and back to Currys yet again for the cooker ,
We are thinking of ditching the electric fryer and getting a medium size halogen oven that can cook chips with no fat ,and even cook a 4lb chicken,with veggies,or cakes ,and so energy efficient they can't be beaten,
I have even got the fir hedges trimmed today using the new battery cutter ,so light that the heavier trimmer is destined for the bin unless the son wants it ,he he ,with that and the flymo cutter on the extending rod for the tops of the taller hedges ,trailing a wire all over the place is a thing of the past.
Liz is having a bit of bother with her breathing again Brenda ,so we will be coming to Bury by car now,not on the bus,not too bad though as i will have the sat nav to prevent getting lost.,so when Liz gets short of breath it will be ,sit down for a cuppa for a bit.
I will have my Cyprus forage cap on as usual and my body warmer ,and the grandson so we will be easy to spot ,just look for two oldies with walking sticks ,talking Swahili [Geordie really] lol.
Well ,the missus says i am on cookhouse duties again so it's time to go ,catch you tomorrow. Fred

Eh Fred lad I am always feeling tired reading about what you and Liz have been up to ,decorating wise,wehave to start the living room soon,but can not decide wether to have it replasterd so it just needs painting,or just get another paper ,I would go with the plastering but John thinks it will cost too much and needs the whole room emptying!! I said lets strip the room get a couple of quotes and see what we can afford,I just need to bring him round to my way of thinking.
Been up to Bury today ,still not a lover of the new shops but the Market was as busy as ever,weather was cold but really sunny,might go again with John on saturday.
Will be pleased to meet Fred and Liz.Glad you had a nice visit with your sister Dorothy is she still coming back next week?
Need to go and finish a book I am reading ,see you all tomorrow.

hi chris left thia morning so I amtaking it easy for a day or two, yes brenda I can drive again thank goodness my fred what a lot of decorating you are doing, you say you have snow near you please don't send it over here. hope you get to bury you should enjoy it and it will be great to get to-gether with brenda off to watch coronation street in touch again soon bye dorothy

Afternoon all ,just checking in after coming back fromthe town ,and doing the dinner [wraps made with chicken pieces and a small jar of Heinz Morrocan sweet chilli sauce mix] fast and veeeery tasty.
We are half way round the dining room now ,ans should be finished just before we leave for Blackpool if all goes well.
By the time i get my window done ,there is only the hall and stairs to do before Christmas,so we should have a lazy start to next year ,with only the lounge to redecorate,and then it's full steam in the garden again.
I was out back before we went out this morning ,and it goes to show how wet the summer has been ,i have little toadstools growing in the lawn,huh , i wouldn't mind so much if they were mushrooms , lol, but these are toadstools ,wouldn't have minded so much if they were the edible ones grrrrr. but no such luck.
We still intend to come through to Bury for the day Wednesday Brenda,so long as the weather isn't too bad it is snowing thirty miles to the north of us ,looks like an early winter ,but i'm not too bothered ,we are well prepared this year ,and can even do a pooh bear thing if need be ,[ hibernate] ,he he
The news wasn't all bad Dorothy,much as you expected i reckon,but it does mean ,like it or not,you will have to slow down somewhat, but it isn't so bad when you get used to it ,once you learn to pace yourself.
Well ,i am going to do a Brenda tomorrow ,make a couple of apple crumbles,and some apple sauce for the festive season,i have to do something with all these apples off my tree,there must be thirty to forty to harvest right now ,roll on next year when my my plum tree starts fruiting the same way,yum yum.
We are both slowing right down now ,panic over for this year ,and we are back on track again.
Going to find something for the tea now ,maybe some soup or something on toast.
Seen you tomorrow peeps,have a good evening ,Fred.

Hi everyone, think I have overdone "tasting " the apples I cooked this afternoon as I have been up and down to the loo a few times since I went to bed at 10pm to have an early night!!!
My friend had given us some bramleys from her trees and I promised to make an apple crumble,which I started to do but the crumble went wrong when I put the sugar in the bowl with the flour and marge ,Before I had rubbed then into bread crumbs!!i could not take it out so thought I would just add more flour and make a sweet pastry ..wasn,t a good idea ....so ended up with baked apples and custard instead, very nice but I must admit I kept checking if they were sweet enougth.
Dorothy so pleased you now have a proper diagnosis and hope the change in medication helps get you back to your old self .can you drive again now or is it still a no go? Fred Are you just showing off with all your Jobs round the house I am still trying to keep up with you.Are you still planning on coming to Bury Market while in Blackpool.
Brenda

hi one and all sorry to be absent for a while well to updte you I went last wed to the specialist and got the results of all my tests and was able to view all the films taken of my brain (confirmed I do have one) was not the greatest news I have had one large t.i.a stroke I guess that was the incident in march and have had several small ones since!! so a small change of meds told to remain stress free as much as possible and then enjoy life so that sounds not too bad, I don't have any pysical damage ie. no problems with speech or gait so I guess I am lucky, my sister is here and we have been out and about she leaves to go to toronto to-morrow for a few days and then my be back up to me till the 28th I guess. fred you have been very busy but it sounds like you are all setup brenda good to read your notes bye for now dorothy

Morning Brenda,we up here have had a busy but good weekend ,getting lots of work round the house finished at last.
I got the wife's room finished in the late afternoon and noticed that it was lots quieter and warmer ,got the de humidifier out of the shed where it has been for three years ,and have put it on the landing ,hopefully to dry the top floor air a bit and stop a lot of condensation,but i will be even happier when the tumble dryer arrives ,which will stop all the drying clothes indoors on the clothes horse which i reckon is a lot of the problem.
This morning ,it's off to the town and bank ,then off to Tesco's for a bit of shopping before coming home to do a bit of tidying up before i start the decorating in the kitchen ,which is coming on very well.
Think i will leave my bedroom window until after the Blackpool trip,which i am looking forward to,he he ,i have promised Chris a game or two of crazy golf while we are there ,but i think he really want's to see the lights ,and even more wants to see the lit trams that i remember,from last winter,although they won't be running all the way to Fleetwood until late next year ,the new track not being finished.
I reckon i will have to bring my orange tree in from the greenhouse this week ,after the heavy frost we had yesterday ,cor ,it was a tad nippy out front ,lol.even the car was covered in frost ,and shivering ,he he.
Time to take the missus her cuppa up.so i will catch you later ,Fred.

Afternoon all.well looks like you are all busy this weekend hope you are all enjoying whatever you are doing,the weather is good again today ,bit chilly but dry and some sunshine.
Not sure if I am out tomorrow or not waiting for a message from some one.Take care .Brenda

EVENING ALL,well its been another fairly good day weather wise l managed to get DavIds uniforms washed and line dried today so he is ok for most of next week.Hi John sorry you might not be around much hopre you and the family are ok,Went to change my books at the library and pick up some i had resereved,had a chat with some of my old work mates and found out they are installing some self issue machines which I am not keen on,and neither are the staff seems these machines tend to create work rather than decrease it as they tend to break down a lot and the public will not /can not use them,and if the staff have been reduced the remaining staff can not cope!!!
Had a few other errands to do and managed to get everything i wanted.
have a good wekend,Brenda

Hi everyone, I'm another that hasn't been around on GR for awhile always forgetting that I've this site as well as FB. I haven't got around to renewing my membership so if you don't see me its because I've allowed it to lapse. John