General Chat

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 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.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

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

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

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 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 All,sorry I have been absent for a few days ,work in the garden and other things overtook coming on here,my apologies.
Sorry your birthday was over shadowed Dorothy there is nothing worse than when pets are ill and you can not do anythimg for hem .Hope the family are ok.
We are back to the cold an wet after a fairly good bank holiday weekend.Hope that wasn't our summer.!!!
What a shame about Gayle John I can understand why she is fed up.!!! Hope she isn't waitinh much longer.Not got long on here as I am supposed to be looking something up for someone.See you all tomorrow Take care ,Brenda

Hi everyone,well the sunshine is back and we are supposed to have it all weekend and guess who is working tomorrow!!!
Going out to lunch shortly with John,we were going to meet some friends but they have cancelled as they both have colds,they go on holiday on Tuesday so need to make sure they are better.
No luck finding a holiday for us yet, seen a couple we like and will sort something out this weekend.
Hope you are all well and getting out and about if your weather permits.
See you soon take care ,Brenda

Good afternoon all ,what a lovely day so far and looking good for the whole weekend too.
Been rather busy what with one thing and another starting with plumbing in the new washing machine after having to highten the bench because it wouldn't go under properly,then going into the sauna [greenhouse] to pot on plants before moving them to their permanent homes.
I went next door and strimmed her grass down so that she could get her mower over it and went next door the other way to put her weed killer down properly ,seeing as her son killed half her new plants last time he did it he he ,she was NOT at all impressed lol.
Just about bought my own garden up to date now ,only one hedge left to do,and there is no hurry for that seeing as it's fir and quite slow growing.
Yesterday evening ,it being so nice ,i fired up the b B Q ,got out four wholemeal buns four sausages and ditto burgers made a nice greek salad with sun dried tomatoes a few chopped cooked jersey royals. lettuce and whatever ,and we both spent over two hours having a lovely laid back lazy tea finished off with my first lager in two weeks,lol,i have to tell you people ,it went down VERY well he he.
I was up at sixdetermined to have all the work indoors and out done by dinner time so that we could both have a lazy weekend and ,so far ,i am on target,
The wife did dinner today ,a few new potatoes with home grown broad beans from the freezer,both drizzled with mint from the garden ,chopped and mixed with some balsamic vinager ,much better than malted english ,chip shop crap and dosn't drown the mints delicate taste,this we had sat at the table on the patio,beutiful it was too ,nice smallish great tasting meal ,topped off with New Zealand Hoki,dipped in egg and coated with a mixture of breadcrumbs ,chopped chillie peppers,tarragon,chopped garlic grass ,and lemon zest ,it was beeeeeutiful.
to top it all off ,while i was busy this morning the missus set to and made a Banana,and Date loaf,made using plain wholemeal flour ,an egg,honey ,brown light sugar and a couple of other odds and sods he he.no fat whatever animal or vegetable suitable for coliacs and diabetics,i found that it was nice and light and wasn't too sweet at all.
I had to fit in the cooking of a full gammon ,bone in that the wife got for easter and never got used,i cooked it for two hours in a big [very]pan before draining it and placing it in the oven covered with foil,first for an hour at 160c and then 20 minutes with the fat scored in diamonds ,studded with cloves and put back into the oven at 180c to finish off.
when it's cold i will bone it and then slice it on the bacon slicer before putting it back into the freezer in meal size portions ,minus of course tonights meal ,and one outer slice [cooks perks] that i had as a taster,nice ,veeery nice ,a lovely piece of yorkshire bred ham ,cooked using a yorkshire recipe .
Tomorrow ,it looks like a picnic for the grandson and off to the coast for the first time this year .
I have been dressed in shorts all this week,getting some wind and sun onto my legs ready for Cyprus,can't be going over there with moony legs can i?.
Mind peeps ,even this time of year these days ,that sun is fierce so please on and all watch what you are doing ,my skin was permanently burned in the middle east but even at this time of year i am limiting myself to twenty minutes twice a day,less if you are sitting in it ,and not moving around sunstroke is bad ,second degree skin burns are worse still.
Catch you all later,Fred.

hi friday 1pm my time just taking a break from the andy murray match he is not playing all that well glad to hear brenda and fred that you are having good weather it has rained all day for the last 3 days not great, but the farmers will be pleased so I have stayed in and watched the tennis. fred did you read my message about that weed remover I sent the web site as well, as usual your menu's sound great and how nice to be able to eat outside and your advice re the sun is very good. I am very white at the moment but I don't tan that well at the best of times.othing much new the family are keeping busy and the children are still very sad re the loss of the family cat and the dog is moping around still looking for her hope you all have a good week-end oh murray is leading in the tie break in the first set so back to watching bye dorothy

Good morning all, a lovely start to the day the good weather looks set to continue for a while. Just hung a line of washing out and it is great to see it blowing in the breeze and the sun shining.
Had a bad night, eventually gave in and got up just before 5 - had to do something as my brain just would not switch off worrying about imaginary disasters. Don't know why perhaps because I was watching TV and sort of dozing, I can only remember the last scene was a man walking out of a hospital crying - don't know what the programme was so don't know what it was all about. Think perhaps that was the cause. Anyway, another day and looks good so far.
Sorry your birthday was not quite as happy as it should have been, after 19 years the family will miss their little cat. They become part of the family very quickly. Turning 67 is pretty good Dorothy - wish I could do it again!!
Fred, wish I could afford to hire you as chef for a week !! Maybe Liz as well that cake sounds good. I have a salmon in the freezer, bought it a couple of weeks ago but was tired when I got home and couldn't face dealing with it then - so it went into the freezer as it came so now I have to get it out and deal with boning it and deciding what to do with it all. I'll give some of it to my son who lives down the road and probably my daughter as well. Will cook it all and pop some back in the freezer for later in the week.. I tend to forget I am not catering for the whole family anymore.
Cup Final day today - so I will be cheering on my team and remembering how I used to watch their home matches from my bedroom window. Had the best view of all - and free!!! Back in those days they wore their shorts longer and didn't get paid as much - and on Wednesdays they had greyhound racing, the track ran around the edge of the football pitch. No prizes for guessing which team I support. It all looks so different these days.
Brenda I hope you manage to sort out a decent holiday this weekend. My g.daughter is off to Greece on 8th June, booked ages ago but they have been having loads of trouble with how much has been paid, how much still to pay - ended up costing more than first quoted. There are nine of them going and they were supposed to get a tenth place free but they didn['t get that. Phone call to come and collect their tickets but only 4 had arrived - she is planning on putting in a complaint about how it was all dealt with - but not until they come back. I just hope the hotel is as good as it says in the brochure - judging by what has gone wrong so far it could well be a disappointment.
Best go and get some breakfast - then going to sort out my potted plants and finish planting out the rest of the herbs and the tomatoes. The grass in the back garden (it cannot be described as a lawn) is covered in buttercups this year, first buttercups I have seen for ages.
Hope you all have a good day.
Take care
Love
Kathleen

Morning Kathleen,and Dorothy,and yes Dorothy i did get the message about the fork and am going to look into getting one as it would be handy to use between my buckets once i have the plants in.
Depends on what you are doing with the salmon Kathleen as to how you bone it,lol,salmon steaks you cook with the bone in,and i tend to use a good fish filleting knife and run it along the spine ,leaving two nice fillets and all the bones still connected to the spine [usually],you could of course cheat ,and have a fishmonger do it for you.
I may just buy one myself ,there is a glut of them here at the minute and you can pick up a lovely red atlantic fish for £7,or so ,as you say ,right for the freezer ,but i would rather cut it before freezing ,i find that t they don't cut too well if they have been frozen twice.
Lovely day here again ,all the work is done ,including the gammon which is now down in the freezer,the garden was watered before the sun got too strong and i got the spray onto the roses and gave them a soap wash.to knock the aphids off ,don't like using systemic killers because my tits and finches get their brekkie off the roses and this garden is as green as i can get it and get eatable veggies from [pardon the pun ] he he.
we had a nice tea yesterday ,boiled and then pan fried new potatoes [nicola] which i will use for that again because i learned something new.a tiny bit of oil in the pan ,and the skins went nice and fluffy ,tasted good too,so i will be doing those again.
With them we had four nice thin slices of the gammon [cold] with two poached eggs cooked in water and white spirit vinager and a touch of salt.and we had it outside in the garden again ,he he ,i love this weather.
Found out last night too ,that when i was dozing while cooking the tea on the B B Q that the wife took a couple of pictures of me with out me knowing ,he he so when the garden piccies go out ,i will add them ,me sat there like the lord of the manner ,lol.
I had a close look at my bush out front this morning and was amazed at how lovely the blooms are ,three shades of light to dark blue touches of pink and white ,and the stamens sat there like fairy wands with what could be tiny tiny pearls,i am off out shortly to take a macro shot of just one bloom of the many on the bush for my photo page.
Well ,that's it for now ,i have to get set for the grandson arriving,and get him a seat set up out on the patio as he will no doubt want to read a book in the sun again.
Catch you all later,Fred

Good Afternoon to all you lucky people,sat or out in the garden while we are stuck in here hard at work,!!!
The glorious weather has not kept people out ,still had the stalwarts on the computers some even paying for extra time.
The club next door is having its annual open day ,so people are all outside with drinks and food,our carpark is a mess with chip wrappersand cans etc..Someone kindly left a broken bottle on the door step so we had to sweep it up.
Just counting down to 5o'clock now then we will be out of here and going home to sit for a short while at any rate in our gardens,with a drink of our own choice,!!!
Kathleen glad your grandaughter is better and hope she enjoys the holiday.We have narrowed the holiday to two and will decide tomorrow.
Fred I am drooling again here ,must make a note about that cake sounds great.
David my son is making our tea tonight so I am not sure what it will be.
Dorothy,think I heard that Andy Murry got through?
I do tan but get loads of freckles as well.!!
Need to do a few more jobs before we start to close up.See you tomorrow.,enjoy the weekend.take care
Brenda

hi it is late saturday evening and was just browsing through the messages glad to hear you think that gadget will be good for the garden fred, brenda sorry that you had to work with the weather being so nice, the afternoon was good over here and then this evening we had thunder and lightening and tons of rain and then it blew over, andy murray plays agin on sunday so I shall be watching, we are having another pot luck dinner on the 13th of june at the building it is to be a cold dinner so I am thinking of what to bring maybe a trifle for dessert, one of the ladies will have company from england and she is going to bring them down should be fun. sorry that susan came in 2nd she has quite a voice well I think I shall pop of to bed bye for now dorothy

Morning to the two stalwarts,oh dear Brenda you sound as though you had a heck of a time with that place next door and their party ,you know ,if those people did that in Austria Norway or Germany ,they would be told to pick it up by any passing person.
Only in this country,England are we ,as a whole ,dirty ,untidy and careless with our enviroment,,i like to go to Wales ,and Scotland for my holidays because those people as a whole take pride in their country and keep it clean.
Looks like being a nice day again ,and iv'e promised to take the grandson to the coast for the day,poor little beggar hasn.t been this year despite his dad having a car and us living only 14 miles from Tiddly Bay,And Tynemouth.
He will get his lolly or ice cream too,because dad never buys them these days ,not because he is a bad father ,far from it ,he loves the bairn very much ,it's just that he can be very thoughtless at times ,anyway ,i am off to make the sarnies and drinks so i will catch up with you lot later,every one should hide anyway ,seeing as i'm taking the new camera for a try out lol.
catch you later peeps ,have a good day.Fred

Hi all,
Fantastic weather, but I'm going round shivering whilst Johan has put the heating up to 24 degrees!
I have been told that my thyroid gland is running too slow again. It has been good for 30 years but seems as t hough I need a new boost of thyroid. My kidneys are not good either. I have told the doctor I'm going away Tuesday until Friday and then start whatever treatment I need. Ever seen anyone in a fur coat on the beach? No I don't have a fur coat and don't even want one.
Just thought I'd put a few notes here before finishing off a card I'm making for the neighbour. I keep falling asleep so I'm all behind with everything.
Johan has to keep waking me up.
Will contact you all at the end of next week.
Sylvia xxx

Hi everyone
LOL - I must be the spring chicken on this thread. Gayle learnt the other day that no fistula was placed in her arm just a vein and artery were linked which didn't work. The specialist is not too pleased and is having stern words with the surgeon about putting a graft in the left arm, all going well that could be late June.
Winter is here snow on the mountains and the ski season for the diehard skiers is going full steam as of this weekened.
Pity Susan Boyle missed winning just hope the winners are not fly by nighters that get together to perform and then vanish off the spectrum.
Must drink my coffee before it gets cold, bye
John

Morning all ,just a quick line before I have to get to the ironing and then get ready to go work.
Fred we have asked our managers to arrange for maintence to come and tidy our side of the car park and the back and front of the library.and to also give us a proper brush and shovel for outside.We can then at least tidy up a bit ourselves.when we are not busy.Have emailed you about the stuff you sent ,many thanks.
Have a good time Sylvia and hope all goes well with your treatment when you get back.
John we have had a brilliant weekend weather wise its suppoed to carry on most of the week.Hope its not our summer.!!LOL Hope things go according to plan for Gayle from now on.
Speak to you all later,take care,Brenda

hi one and all monday evening 6-30 my time just read all the messages john you say you are a spring chicken what age would that be!!!! I hope the doctors sort out what is needed for your wife very soon, fred hope that you and the grandson had a great day, brenda I hope you don't go out with the brush and shovel the library maintance staff should do that ( tht is if you have one) sylvia have a great trip and I hope the health problems clear up
I shall be having an early night I set the alarm for 5am (daft I know) to watch the tennis and it went on all day till 3-30pm but it was a grand day of tennis with lots of ups and downs I went from room to room doing things I was not sat down all day(would not want anyone to think I am lazy) isobelle and I had many phone calls back and forth as our favourite roger dederer nearly got knocked out. I gather that the weather in bury at least was great to-day anne and her daughter rang me this afternoon here it was wet and cold so I am off to bed early starts again at 8am to-morrow bye for now dorothy