General Chat

Morning all.we had a lovelly dtart to the day ,manged to do some ironing before it got to hot,but now the rain has started ,its mainly showers ,hope it does not get any heavier as I am at the hairdresser at 12 o'clock. Mind you we have been told we need some rain and quietea a bit of it apparently other wise we will be in a draught!!!.
Have had some good hot matches this time and two or three of my replies look very promisiing.
Was supposed to go out to a late lunch after my hair do but had to change as my friend needed to be some where at 4pm which did not leave us much time/So seeing her Monday instead.
Hope you have a great time seeing your friends Dorothy .
Hope Fred is enjoying what ever he is up to.
Have to take my car to the garage to morrow as the drivers window is broken ,or rather the motor it runs off is capute!!
see you all soon,Brenda

hi off to brampton shortly the weather has turned nice in for a few hot days, Laura went to the doc's yesterday and has a abcess on her tonsils sohopefully the new meds will help her , hope you all have a nice few days and a good week-end bye for now dorothy

hello everyone nice to hear from sylvia her daughters cruise sounds very posh, well fred I have ot agree with you the football was so awful I was very embarrassed if my dad was alive he would have called them quite a few names. he played for englands juniour boys against belgium many years ago. sorry that your trip ended up so badly could not have been much fun, brenda how nice that your friend is visiting from aussie land and yes anne is going to order neils book for me and I will settle up with her re the cost etc. Last evening was Laura's graduation it did go well though she spent the day in bed with a raging strep throat her dad medicated her all day, up till 4pm we did not think that she would make it but she got dressed and we left at 4-30 she looked great and got through the cermonies ok but after was in tears and missed the dinner and little dance. we brought her home and she went to bed. of course I was very proud of her. just to let you know I am going to brampton on wedneday noon andrew is driving me down as he has a meeting in toronto and will not be back till monday I am going to stay with isobelle and we will watch the tennis to-gether and her son will drive me back on monday or even sunday night, so I am looking foreward to this as I have not been down for ages with the not driving situation, brenda yes I am ok with the diagnosis can't say that I like it but it could be worse Andrew is researching specialists and using all his medical contacts, helps to have a son in the medical field even though his speciality his all the drugs etc. her you have had some great weather we have quite a bit of rain, my sister is on holiday in arizona and texas she called the other day and the temp was 42 degree's yes that is right 42 about 114 in the shade sorry this is so long but I shall be back next week take care bye dorothy

Hi Sylvia ,nice to see you again,and be good ,that mask has to stay on at night ,otherwise you will have even more problems than you have now.
Nice to hear that you are having your undercarriage repaired [legs] ,looks like the roller skate race between us could soon be on again he he.
Don't think you should have mentioned the word summer though ,it has been raining since last evening and shows no sign of letting up yet ,still .it will do the gardens the world of good ,so i must not complain.
The gas fitter is here at the moment putting a new meter in ,lol,i think they are worried that we are fiddling the gas somehow because we use very little ,even in winter,[tight ass** scot ,thats me ,lol]
We went out for the day yesterday ,going to the coast ,South Shields ,to the beach where my grandparents and children would have spent their picnics at,and was pleased to see that the whole area has been cleaned up and revamped,
We went into the town itself for dinner to the market ,what's left of it ,and found a nice little cafe in a back street near the station where we both had a very nice meal,the wife having a cheese omelette ,beans and chips ,and me having my usual fish ,chips ,and mushy peas,both meals were well prepared and cooked ,my fish being the best i have had in years far nicer even than the Waterfront cafe in north Shields fish Quay,so that is now my new watering hole come dinner time ,lol.
From then on though the day went somewhat pear shaped ,because after getting off the bus after a nice run down the coast from Shields ,we went into the station at Sunderland ,to find the place in termoil ,the trains backing up and loads of disgruntled passengers ,swo rather than wait for the train which looked as though it would be full even as it arrived we got the train the other way into South Hylton where the line terminates.to start off on an empty train for the return journey to Newcastle [crafty ,or so we thought] not a good move ,miles from a bus stop for two disabled people,and then finding that there was a fire at Sunderland station ,closing the whole system down ,metro lines and the main line through Sunderland from Kings Cross to Newcastle central.
So there we were ,stuck ,well and truly for thirty minutes while the fire service checked out the whole station before they would allow the station to reopen.
When it did start back up ,there were three metros including ours on the line before Sunderland and the intercity stuck in sunderland itself ,all to be cleared and restarted before ours could even shut the doors and move out of Hylton .
It took us two hours instead of 45 minutes to do the journey ,time to get from York to home via an express coach ,so ,ihave told the wife ,next time ,we park the car in the same place ,and go by bus ,lol.
The advantage was i suppose ,we were both totaly wiped out by the time we got home ,shut the greenhouse up just as the rain started ,fed Hissy who was NOT pleased at having no dinner ,oooops and a late tea,so we decided an early night was called for and slept very well.
The footy was a forgone conclusion Brenda the team playing like geriatrics,from start to finish ,in fact a team of geriatrics would have done a lot better ,these wayne Rooneys ,and others are paid far too much and i think they should be paid on resu;lts as are insurance companies ,you know ,no win ,no fee.
Our football players have no passion ,all they are interested in is getting as much money as possible for as little as possible,they will NEVER play to international standards while the attitude is as it is .
The other teams such as Australia ,America,new Zealand and Cameroon ,all shamed us,we don't deserve hosting the next world cup,we arn't nearly good enough.
Thank goodness we have the cricket ,golf and rugby sports ,and tennis of course something decent to watch.I'm afraid i would rather watch paint dry as look at the state of english football again.
\time to go and get the housework done ,not much today thank the lord ,only the dusting.Catch you later peeps ,Fred.

Hi all and nice to see you Sylvia I am sure you will be feeling a lot better soon with all your physio etc,and I hope your daughter enjoys the cruise,i have friends who love to have cruise holidays and say they are worth every penny.
Had agood day yesterday visiting my friend who lives in Australia,she is over visiting the family,its four years since her last visit and 10 years since i went to australia to see her.I saw her for the afternoon, .but will see her again at the end of next month whe.IIn she and her husband get back hedter seeing his family near Poole.
Hope Fred and Dorothy are ok and not to disapointed after the football on Sunday.The tennis is still good and have seen a bit of It each day on tv.
Better get on with my house work as I have a couple of errands again today, Take care Brenda

Hallo all,
Just thought I would write a few lines. I have just been reading the letters from Brenda, Badger etc. and cannot add anything on their lines as I don't have a garden - just living in a flat with a large balcony. However, my balcony is looking beautiful with lots of flowers and not too much hard work.
I am now going to the physiotherapeut twice a week to have lymph drainage on my legs. They are improving so will be able to have new elastic stockings soon.
I am only sleeping 4 hours a night which is not so good, but still hate sleeping with my mask.
My youngest daughter - next week 50 years of age - is on a luxury cruise at the moment where she has to dress up every evening for dinner. The number of suitcases she had to take with her was not normal. The terrific expense of ball gowns and her husband's dinner suits was enormous, and I am anxious to see the photos when they get back.
They are usually quite a careful couple with money so find this really strange for them.
So we have summer here at last. It is supposed to last as well.
Have a nice time.
Sylvia xxx

Morning all,(well just) its a lovelly day here,have been out side early this morning having a cuppa and its so peacefull!!
Have some of our own new tatties to have with dinner,!!!John is disapointed in the yeild from the first bag he did,was only about 4lb in spuds .I am reading my books and on the internet to see how this can be increased. I have printed off your tips Fred ,so he can read what you have told me.!!
Dorothy,well now you have got a diagnosis,you know what you have to deal with,I expect you are still in shock.Its easy for us to say but it might not be as bad as you initially think.I am sure you will get all the help and medicicnes you need not to mention the love and support from your family and friends.
Have you arrange anything with Annes daughter about Neils new book yet?John needs me to help in the garden so I better get down there,See you all tomorrow.
Brenda

Morning all ,,Glad the Tornado missed your patch Dorothy ,you have enough problems without that sort of thing on top of it.
Yep ,i remember a small tornado hitting a holiday park down near Brighton a few years ago,very small ,lasting only a few seconds ,but in that time it wrecked half of the site ,and caused a good few injuries.
Hey Brenda ,i mentioned buying potato growing sacks at B & Q last week ,which i used mostly because the company mentioned was selling the sacks off at £1 each.you can use these as potato sacks at this time of year too according to the experts,just open a sack ,make sure it can't fall over ,and spill,jam three tatties in each one ,well spread out ,and let ,em go ,lol.[Just get some ordinary Charlotte from the grocery isle and use them,no need to buy seed potatoes]
According to the blurb ,you can plant tatties until mid August ,and get a good crop for Christmas,so ,having checked for you to find out for sure ,i will delay putting mine in until mid May ,instead of April next year.
Our cat had a mad half hour last night ,running upstairs and down ,catnip ball in her mouth ,with the result that there are tons of cat hair in all rooms ,grrrrr ,all visions of Fred having Sunday off from housework have gone out ofthe window [sniff] so i had better close for now ,prepare the veg' for dinner [all steamed today ,tatties for mash, plus new with butter and mint,cabbage ,carrot batons,Calabrese,,and cauli' with beef out of the freezer ,no oven needed,and nice and quick so that i can get everything ready for the match [footy] and later tennis ,
catch you all later ,Fred.

hi what a week an earthquake followed by a tornado the G* and G20 costing one billion dollars, saw the motor cade yesterday goingup the highway and a diagnosis of ms. after the visit to the doctor yesterday, fred the quake stretched from ottawa to us and further up so it was large enough, the folks in midland that suffered the tornado have a lot of damage it hit a mobile home park, and the visit to the doc was not great but onwards and upwards will see a specialist in that particular problem of the brain, andrew will be home to-day from the funeral in ottawa and we will have a discussion, if I was a drinking woman a large brandy would have been in order about 11am yesterday but instead I went to tim hortons and had a coffee and a large muffin, but a spot of good news the doc said to me have you lost weight and I just raised my eyebrows but was told to get on his cruel scale and low and behold I had lost 12 pounds so stress is good for something, yes I am still enjoying the tenis and the soccer the tennis is due to start at 9am in 2 minutes so bye for now take care dorothy

Afternoon our Brenda ,Dorothy,and anyone else who shows their face today ,lol.I use two old composting bins for my tatties brenda,putting a little soil ,or a mix of soil and compost in the bottom ,laying in six or seven tatties [,my favourites are Charlotte .an early variety that seems disease free and a good grower] cover with a little soil ,and a little feeder,and wait until the leaves come through,wait a couple of days ,add more compost and feeder ,and keep doing this until the barrels are full,keeping moist all the time ,when the haulms start to change colour from green to brown ,stop watering and feeding ,place the lid over the top and leave until Christmas, lovely new tatties for virtuzally nothing ,even using potatoes from the bag ,not seed tatties.
Some people even use lorry tyres ,one placed on top of another as the level keeps rising ,the principal is the same,and i start mine in early April .
I see Dorothy has had yet another quake yesterday ,around 5.i on the richter scale,but this one is nearer the Usa ,Canada border so she may not have felt this one, i even found a site that shows quakes in Britain ,lol ,but they are so small most of us here don't feel them at all .and i like it better that way ,he he.
My eldest son turned up with a small gas bottle for me today so all i need is a refill once he remembers to return the camping stove lol.
Well ,Fred is off to watch the tennis again ,i ain't following the football much 'cause i think Sunday will see us out ,though i hope i'm wrong ,Fred.

Morning everyone,the good weather is back with us and its supposed to last all weekend!!!
Have a couple of errands to do today and want an early start.
Everything was good at the docs yesterday,but he could not say what had caused my dizzy spells etc,So he has given me some pills to take over the next month to see how I go ,he thinks it might bethe weather or me being tense!!We shall see.
Fred would you tell me please how to get the potatos at christmas like you do??
Hope you are continuing to enjoy the tennis Dorothy.
See yoy soon take care ,brenda

Morning folks,we also have a bit of a damp start to day ,i got up early to put some washing on so I could hang it outside before I went shopping ,but I was just taking the basket out when it started ,admittedly only a drizzle but did not want to chance it ,so its all hung on the clothes maiden or on hangers hanging from shelves in the dinning room.
It is supposed to brighten up later.
I remember being at work ,about 8/9 years ago when we where having a number of earthquakes round here.it was so unreal we could not beleive it!!.
Hope you don't get any more Dorothy,also hope the tornado was too bad.
At the docs later to have my weight checked with the nurse and then see the doc who wants to reveiw my medications .Good job I am not paying for presciptions (at the moment)as I have just had a two month supply and at what is it about #7.00 per item ,it would cost me a lot of money. Better go and see what the post has brought !!>
Brenda

Morning to all ,from a damp Newcastle,where we have just had a little drizzle to start the day.
Well Dorothy ,your quake didn't show up on the disaster site ,so it must have been a small ,local one ,but any quake ,big or small can be very unsettling ,i know that from my days out east,and hope that yours is the one and only you get ,there have been quite a few over nearer the Alaska side of the country but nothing major..
I did get the bolts to repair the B B Q lid ,which i got done last evening when it cooled off a bit,and the new cover fits a treat,but i struck out on the little gas bottle i looked for ,plenty of time for that though ,and if i can't find one ,i can buy a bigger one ,and swap it at Calor for the filled ,size one that i need.
You seem to be in the wars this week lass,now a tornado posibility as well as a ground shaking,we have had a couple [just about] here too ,a sign of the climate changes i expect ,but luckily ours havn't touched down,and ,i hope they never will either ,they would make a heck of a mess in so small a country,storms are bad enough thank you very much.
Fred has done a bit of tennis watching as well as the football but only because i can't get outside where i would rather be,lol,i leave sport to the younger ones these days he he,the garden is active enough for me.
I found some very nice large plate mushrooms in Morrison's yesterday,just the right size for stuffing full of cous -cous and cheese .reduced in price too ,45 p for the four,so it's on the menu for dinner today along with a couple of stuffed peppers to use up the rest of the fillings.
I reckon growmore in my garden is a thing of the past now i have found this organic feeder in pellet form that i buy at B & Q ,that and the pelleted chicken poo ,are making the veggies grow that much faster ,and anyway ,the growmore is getting to be far too expensive these days ,probably to deter people converting it to drugs,he he ,i would like the bloody drug barons to try using chicken poo for that ,people would growing feathers and clucking instead of talking .lol.
Think the oz team are doing very well too Brenda ,and it might be interesting if Britain were to meet them later on if they survive Sunday ,playing Germany.
Brit's against the aussies ,he he ,this would be a real grudge match ,as are the rugger and cricket matches ,always interesting to watch,lol..plenty of fire and attitude he he.
Stick to the plastic cans Dorothy ,they are far lighter for a pensioner to carry ,empty ,or full ,and if they catch your leg when being carried ,wow ,have you seen the bruise the metal ones leave? ,ouch.naaaah.i prefer plastic thanks ,and ,a lot cheaper to buy.
See the hot matches are on site this morning so i will have a look later this morning before i mooch about outside,providing it brightens up.
Weekend on the way peeps ,time to slow down a tad ,he he,see ya all later ,Fred.

WED AFTERNOON EARTHQUAKE I kid you not I was watching the tennis about 1-45 my time and the couch started shaking and me as well then it stopped and then started again not for long but the building was swaying so it was a bit alarming I have never been in an earchquake before, well I guess john is happy with the match results not a bad game though I think that they could have done better in the 2nd half, the tennis was good so all in all I had a good day, hope fred got all his hopping done, have moved the tomato plants inside as we now have a tornado warning out for this area a funny day weather wise the wind is very strong bye for now dorothy

Hi everyone,its another great day here,johns watching the football and as the lads are winning ,he is a happy bunny,hope it stays like that,other wise he will be a disgruntled bunny.Have only seen snatches of the tennis dorothy ,hope you are enjoying it.It was golf and football at weekend in our house .
Have been really lazy the last few days ,but do feel a bit better today,no fuzzy head etc, Will see what the doc says tomorrow.
Hope you got all your shopping from the market fred,Need to get a new watering can ,ours has developed a hole,its plastic so we can't mend it.Have been looking at maybe getting a metel one ,but there does not seem many about.
have had FOUR charity collection bags put in the door this week,so might have have another sort out later this week.Time to get some potatos on for tea,See you all tomorrow,Brenda

morning peoples,just a few lines before i swan off to Cramlington,the Wednesday Market and shops,because i need a new B B Q cover,an old,empty small gas can for my camping stove [when i get it back off the ruddy son ,lol] and a couple of 100xm6 roofing bolts for a repair i need to do,and a few other sundry items.
The new car is great ,quite a bit wider than the old one ,so i need to swing the mirrors inboard before reversing through the gates,or loose them ,ooooops ,he he,the reversing camera is amazing though showing the distance behind you to the nearest obstruction,and the nearside kerb at the same time,but i have refitted the fresnel screen to the back window too ,which will show any bairn directly behind the car out of range of the camera ,one cant be too careful safety wise.
Well ,we have heads in two of the calabrese plants ,so things are coming along fine ,mainly i think due to me now using all organic fertilizers ,and pelleted chicken poo,the plants seem to love it.
We are looking forward to our break in Oxfordshire with the grandson,and my cousin Shaz' lives close by as well ,so i will take her out to lunch one day when we are down there and ,i will take her the disc copy i have of our grandparents ,and family documents,files and photo's i know she will love having.
Time to go ,but i will return later ,when i get back,take care folks ,Fred.

hi as usual when I read what fred has to say my mouth waters cheese and blackberries two of my favourites pouring down rain at the moment but we have had several sunny days so I won't complain plus it is the 2nd day of wimbledon so I shall be watching, yes fred the boys played very badly here's hoping that they do better at the next match, was watching the budget on bbc tele this am some of the cuts don't sound good hope that they don't affect you guys too much, Laura left yesterday with the school to quebec city for a few days she had to take a dress with her as they are going to a nice dinner, she now owns 2 dresses she is such a tomboy that my son thinks it is great that she has these two. he was supposed to go out of town for the week but recieved a call yesterday that one of his men who has worked for him for 20yrs died suddenly so he may fly to ottawa on saturday if that is the day of the funeral andre had a large family so no plans are made as yet, getting around this week-end will be a nightmare with the g8 in town well the tennis calls bye for now dorothy

Evening all this is my third attempt to write you a message tonight did a nice long one at first whichas gone of to cyper space,and then a few lines which have joined the others.!!!
Bury was good,very busy,John got what he wanted and i saw a few things I want to go back and see again ,without John.
If i had not promised my friends they could read neils book I would send you mine,but i don,t know when they will be finished they read at different speeds.have not seen it in the shops but have not been looking there
fred you aren't half getting the little breks in aren;t you: well done.Hope you enjoy and your grandson.
have to go and look for something on internet for my friend ,take care see you all tomorrow,brenda

Well ,good morning all of you happy campers .or maybe not,Afraid your belief in the england team was somewhat misplaced Dorothy ,what a load of plonkers they are ,lol.
Algeria deserved to win that game ,the opponents being outclassed and outplayed at every turn ,,even my old school days local amature team Wycombe wanderers would give them a harder time ,if not win.
You need a one of those new video /dvd players Lass ,one that will let you watch one channel ,and record the other for viewing later ,the best of both worlds.
I couldn't get anything but a little watering done in the garden yesterday ,far too cold and windy to do any real work,[blast it ] he he but today looks far more promising ,so i have the mower out ,and as soon as the rest of the street is up and about ,i will get the front lawn cut ,and the edges trimmed.
The grandson can earn his B B Q by picking up the edge trimmings for me to save me getting down to do it ,giving me old back a rest.
I filled my tattie barrels right up to the top this morning ,so all there is left to do now is make sure they get enough water until they turn brown ,whereupon i will place the tops on until Christmas week .
My lovely sis' in law has managed to find me a caravan for the autumn blackberry week for £150 for the full week ,so that i can take the grandson down to see the lights in Blackpool .and ride the trams,which he has never seen ,or done before,think he will enjoy it ,i know i will ,and i will remember to take the cam-corder down this time to video it all.
23 hours to go people ,and then we pick up the new battle bus and take back the old one,he he ,there must be something in the wind in Newcastle ,lol,iv'e just had the son ask if he can put his car on my drive until he sells it he having just bought a newish Corsa which will be far cheaper for him to run than the big red 2 litre engined tank he has at the minute,i only hope it isn't on the drive for long though ,because i will be unable to get into the shed ,and will have to keep the mower in the greenhouse until it is sold ,and it will be awkward for me to get the mower over onto the front lawn with both his ,and my car on the drive together.
I havn't given up my cheese either Brenda ,just moved over onto low cholesterol ones,one of the new ones [lowchol] made by a lancashire family cheese maker ,is soooo tasty ,and yet so low in saturated fat that the taste is unbelievable ,,unfortunately the only place i can get it at the moment is Morrisons.
Can't wait to get down there again ,for a whole week yet [who-hoo] i will def' be paying Preston market a visit ,where i can spend a good hour looking round the stalls,before going upstairs on the balcony for my toasted tea cake for dinner at the cafe,the teacake there ,spread with locally produced butter is a dream come true.
Nice to hear that you are both getting out and about ,enjoying the local markets and bookstalls ,nothing better to my mind ,unless it's a bit of sun and a nice garden chair ,and a book to read ,sun glasses on ,of course.
See you later peeps ,Fred,off to marinade the meat ready for the dinner ,and Tea B B Q.

hi brenda glad you like neils new book I went onto amazon uk yesterday planning to buy it as I saw it was on for 2pounds 80 pence a good deal but when everything was added up postge etc it came to 15 pounds which I thought was a little high, so I am going to ask anne's daughter to buy it of line for me and I will send her money for the book and postage which should come to about maybe 10 pounds and with the rate of echange in my favour at the moment that should come to about 14 dollars, a bit overcast to-day have stocked up on groceries for the next two weeks of tennis I bought some local strawberries yesterday and they were so good, I shall thik of you at bury market bye for now dorothy