General Chat

Hi everyone, A rather dull start again today but it isn't raining and the wind appears to have died down. Yesterday, I kept trying to have 40 winks but didn't make it until about 5 in the afternoon. Elisabeth, I hope you managed to get the lawns cut, although it does seem early. I haven't any lawns to cut now, just lots of tubs and hanging baskets to tend, though I have some bushes that I cut back each spring. Sylvia, I hope your throat is better and that Johan's blood is fine. Maybe you should put a sign up for the blue tits saying Nesting Box To Let. Brenda, You cant beat meeting up with friends for a good natter. No I cant buy much for the garden either, I haven't the room for much else, plus if I am moving, I dont want too much to carry. Chris, It is good to be home again and I know what you mean about having to put coats, scarves, hats and gloves on, I'm always glad to shed them too. It would be nice if you could come a few weeks later another time, Its so pretty here when the leaves are on the trees. Brenda may well be right you probably have met more Genes members than we have. Time to get dressed ready to take my granddaughter to work again. Love June xx

Hi all, I was up early so thought I would spend a few moments here. Linda is cleaning my bathroom and toilet and will clean up the balcony for tomorrow. Yes, my throat is better, just my right ear. I phoned the doctor to see if they would syringe my ear out and they said the earliest they could do it was next Tuesday. I was cross. I had told my doctor that I had this party tomorrow and now I have to wait. Oh well Sylvia, calm down, there are worst things in life! Thanks everybody for your kind messages, what would I do without you lot. I cannot understand it, but I've not heard from Di. She hasn't e-mailed me for our party either. Either she is too busy or she is ill. Hopefully not the latter. When are you moving June? Well, will keep this short, Sylvia xxx

Hi all ,i decided not to quit ,which would after all spoil a lot of my research into the two families,but i will do as many of you are already choosing to do ,which is sticking mainly to the good threads ,and leaving the rest. I,m glad some of you are getting decent weather as i can't even get into my garden for drizzle this morning.The pysio went well last night ,and for the first time i see a chance that i may even get back to work,not that i would be much better off mind you after the budget,but now at least i can get my self respect back. there is also the added incentive of being able to stop on at work after 65,to stave off the lean years ,lol. must get on with the housework ,before the boss kicks up,[which she is good at] but i will be back later. The tuna was lovely Brenda, poached in foil after being chargrilled on one of those griddles you put on your hob,and then put it in foil ,adding coriander chilli powder ,lemon juice and a sprinkle of garlic,it went down a treat. I had a good week for the shopping ,picked up my griddle from Netto which are £19 ,but i got for £2,the tuna steaks i got from our local freezer shop for £1.99,for five steaks ,so i bought four packs,ditto with the salmon,again five to the pack,and got a 5 kilo bag of rice for £3.85,not a bad shopping day at all. The boss has spotted a table ,and set of six chairs at Cramlington,with the parisol ,for £140 ,which she is eying avidly,all made out of wood ,so it looks as though we will have some new patio furniture for the b,b,q'sin the next few weeks.cyal.Fred.ptfg.&a&g&s.

Morning all, A few lines from me before I get on with the chores. I did get the lawns cut and was amazed with how much grass cuttings I ended up with. It was nice using my new mower, which has been in the garage for 10 years since I won it in gardening magazine competition. (Mower, shredder, raker and hedge trimmer.) I have been keeping it in reserve for when the old mower gave up, but have now given the old one to our son for his first garden, so I can start with the new one! The garden looks beautiful now with hundreds of daffodils out and the forsythia is just showing a little yellow too. I do love spring. I have just spent ages on the phone trying to sort out my W H Smith Clubcard points. I had a letter this morning saying I had £9 worth of points, but when I got my papers today, the receipt said £2.50! Apparently they are having trouble with their systems, so they are crediting me the extra. If you don't ask you don't get. It is a glorious day here, blue sky and sunshine but I don't think I shall have time to get into the garden. I will be running around all afternoon as usual. One of these days I shall meet myself coming the other way - a favourite saying of my dear old Dad. Sorry I haven't mentioned everyone but.... have a good party Sylvia, Kathleen - thinking of you and Susan. June - are you moving to upsize, downsize or move area? Love Elisabeth x

Hi all, Well I had a difficult job waking myself up this morning, or rather Johan trying to wake me up. Last Monday I bought two new pillows for our bed and we had them on last night for the first time - wonderful. They are fibrofill which is better for my allergy. Linda came at 8.30 am and cleaned up my balcony and windows. If you could see the size of the windows, you would know that they are a morning's work. Anyway, she managed to do the bathroom and toilet and the kitchen floor. I told her to leave the vacuum cleaning, as nobody will see the odd speck on the carpets. I went to the market, not that I wanted much, but we have a good craft stall and that is where I spent most of my time. You see Annemie wasn't with me otherwise I don't like to keep her hanging about. I bought some cheese and vegetables too. The weather has been fine here all day. In our block of flats a young couple on this floor were married today, next to them people are moving tomorrow, and the other side of the couple a man died this morning, and of course tomorrow is our party. What a lot is going on here on the first floor! Will update you on Sunday, don't think I'll have time tomorrow. Fred, you'll just have to get back to work if the 'boss' wants some new furniture. Don't feel that you owe society that you should go back to work, if you're not healthy, then don't do it. You only have one life! Sylvia xxx

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Will be brief with this message, as it is later than I thought. Fred you should become a personnal shopper ,getting bargins like that, you can do mine any time you are free. My friends auntie always gets the bargains as well,she once got an electric kettle,toaster and a set of pans from either Aldi or Lidl for £15.00,they were stainless steel as well. I am supposed to go to Bury market with John tomorrow,but he is so full of a cold, I think he needs to stay in,but we shall see. Take care Brenda

Well did not make it to the market,John is still full of that cold,his throat and chest are bad too. Had a nice wlak round our local market and have bought six little pots with primulas in, assorted colour,to brighten up the tubs. Saw a lovely photo frame which was the wrong size,but the lady will see if they have a bigger one in the warehouse. wanted some new cushion covers but could only see suede,leather and sort of shaggy ones ,which I didn't like. Going for a cuppa npw and to return some calls, Speak to you all soon.Hope you are all enjoying th elovely weather

so we don't slip too far away.

Good morning, Sorry I didn't call in yesterday but we had a trip south to visit our son and fiance. It was very foggy when we left, cleared a little around Peterborough but was then very thick again near Hatfield I think. We stopped for a coffee break before heading around the M25. They have done some great DIY on the house and it looks so different now. They just have the jungle of a garden to sort. We had lunch, outside a pub by a lake. It was glorious and too nice to be indoors. On the return journey we stopped for a break and I had a wonderful pancake and coffee. I haven't been out for three meals in one day for ages! We chatted lots about the wedding preparations. It is getting complicated with a wedding and reception at other side of the world and then another reception around here for all the friends and relatives not able to make the 10 hour flight. Could be an expensive year! I expect everyone else is busy, I know I will be with gardening now the weather has brightened up. I have just been out with some fresh water for the birdbath and the garden is just glowing yellow with hundreds of daffodils. Spring has really arrived. (I think some blackbirds are nesting in the space where I keep all the plantpots and compost. Its under a brickbuilt b-b-q so I may not be able to get to my bags of compost for a while!) Have a happy Sunday. Elisabeth x

Hi everyone, Isn't the weather lovely, everyone was sitting outside the pubs having a drink as though it was summer. I hope this weather continues over Easter. I thought I had put a message on yesterday but cant find it. Yesterday I took my granddaughter to work as usual, went to Comet for some printing ink, came home to find the electricity was off, it was off for a couple of hours, I felt like a smoker, I didn't know what to do with my hands. A couple of years ago, a lady on Genes gave me a lot of info on my family, then about 12 months ago she contacted me to say we weren't related after all but the information she had given me was correct, she had done all that research that didn't help her at all. Yesterday I was reading through the lists she had given me and found another couple of items that now 'tied' in. I will forever be in her debt. One of the things was an addie for a web site, it opens with this photo of a cemetery, I sat here, literally shaking, I have only ever been to that cemetery once in my life, that was 53 years ago, it was the first funeral I had ever been to, it was for the death of my nephew, 17 weeks old, but I reckonised it immediately. There was a photo of a tombstone and details of my great great uncle and his 2 wives, I had only known of one, Sylvia, I do hope you enjoyed your party, and met a lot of old friends. Fred, I'm glad you decided to stay, usually my men run out on me, lol I'm glad the physio is doing some good too, anything to keep the pain away. I would buy your garden furniture and enjoy it, at least then the government cant take the money away from you. I think you should heed Sylvia's words, you dont owe Society anything, you know your body best. Elisabeth, I hope you are taking some photos of your garden for us to see. The house we are hoping to get is a 'double' house if you know what I mean, The couple that had it, had a large family and they built on, duplicating what they already had, so there are 2 lounges etc. We thought it would save me running around all the time, with Gaynor not being able to drive, though we are hoping that after the operation, she will be able to. Also it will stop everyone worrying whether or not I am alright. Brenda, I hope John's cold is a little better. I always think of black puddings when I hear of Bury market. I used to go to Bury Town Hall for meetings when I was working, and it was so stuffy in there, I used to walk around Bury in my lunch break, just to get some fresh air. Jude, I bet Madoc is enjoying this lovely weather, Beckham loves it when he can have the door open and just keep running in and out all day. When my next door neighbour is in her garden, he follows her up and down the garden 'talking' to her as she gardens. He cant see her because of the 6 foot fence! Hi to everyone I have missed. See you all tomorrow. Love June xx

I have just realised Elisabeth that we must have been typing at the same time. I have the problem with the birds too, I have some bushes that I only cut back once a year but I can never do it until the birds have nested. It must take a bit of organising with a wedding abroad and another reception over here. I am taking notes, in case we should have the same problem though our flight is only about 90 minutes, which doesn't give the same problems. Enjoy your Sunday too. Love June xx

Hi all, Here I am again all in one piece, or almost! Johan and I had a fantastic day yesterday. Janet picked us up to take us to the hall where our reception was. We arrived at the same time as the accordion players. Janet had made a beautiful posy of all white flowers for us to put on the table and a corsage for each of us to wear - just like being married all over again. Janet used to work in the flower business, so she is so good at flower arranging. Everybody said how wonderful I looked, big smiles all round! As if I don't always look lovely - conceited! Johan had a dark grey suit, and calls it black, difficult to convince him that it is dark grey. Good thing Janet told him too. We started of with coffee and tart - large fruit open latticed tarts. I had ordered 7 of them. On one of them they had made from our wedding photo a picture on top. For all the pieces of tart they had made round discs with our wedding photo - these were edible, but nobody ate them of course. I have never seen anything like this before. Very expensive so I have heard, but I didn't have to pay. Janet's partner Henk is going to do some electrical work for the man in return. How lucky I am. No tarts to pay for at all. Henk also paid for the accordion players. So nice to see most people turn up. At our age there are always one or two who are too ill to come - understandable. Two of my ex colleagues came too. We still see one another and try once a year to have dinner together. Janet and Henk did a sketch for us of two old people. She borrowed my rollator and had old lady's clothes and Henk too, trousers wide open, no buttons done up, that sort of thing. It was hilarious. They mimed to a CD. There was a little dancing, and I was asked but couldn't bring myself to dance. My grandson kept coming up to me and putting his arms around me - he is 18! We had the hall until 6.00 pm but it was almost 7.00 before we left. We had booked a dinner table for 7.30 so just about made it. We finally arrived home around 11.00 pm tired but happy. We had said that we didn't want 60 bunches of flowers, and asked if they wanted to give something put it in an envelope. People were so generous! We did of course, receive some flowers. Lots of photos were made, so when I get some will try and scan them to a site somewhere. Love, Sylvia xxx

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Sylvia,I am so pleased that your party went well and that you and Johan enjoyed it.(have you decided if you are having the proper one next year ,now you have had the rehersal?) June,it has been lovely hasn't it ? hope it's as nice on Thursday and for Easter. What sort of printer do you have? I need ink as well but find the shops are expensive and can not find any that do a 'copy' ink for my Lexmark. Elizabeth ,sounds like you had a lovely time on your visit,nice to hear of people enjoying them selves.Your garden sounds great with all those daffs,which are my favourite flower. I have never had much luck growing them ,but we have a few in the tubs which are doing well. Hope the others have had a good weeeend and they will be reporting back tio us in the week. Brendal

Brenda, Gaynor was buying her ink at Asda because it was cheaper (they didn't have the one I needed even though they had the same make) but she has now found that Sainsbury's is £5 cheaper than Asda, so next time, I will be checking there first. Just shows it pays to look around. June xx

Hello everyone, Sylvia, pleased to hear your party went so well. What a lovely idea to put your wedding picture on the tarts, it sounds like a happy day for everyone. Look forward to seeing some photo's later, I'm sure you looked lovely. June, like you I am sure I put a message on yesterday but it took so long to get the thread to load and it looks as though my message also disappeared into cyber-space. What a great idea to have a double house with Gaynor - peace of mind for everyone. Has Gaynor got a date for her operation yet? Elisabeth, the daffodils are a lovely sight aren't they? I only have a few left now though I have a small bed and a large tub of miniatures. One variety is not yet in flower but the other - I think it's called Firefox, is just coming into flower, haven't got many of those though. The hyacinths are doing quite well and I see my clematis has started to grow. It is one that has to be cut right down and I actually remembered to do it at the right time last year. The one that grows through the choisya is too difficult for me to do anything with so I leave that to it's own devices and it seems to flower well every year. My forsythia is in full bloom and looks really good. Apart from that the rest of the garden is a total mess. I have killed off most of the grass and hope to get it dug over and a lawn relaid. I would like some raised beds but not sure if that will ever get done. My youngest son got married in Florida and had a reception back here about a month later. They did all the planning though. I regret that I didn't go to the wedding but the bride's parents couldn't afford to go and at the time I felt it would be unfair for me to go if they couldn't. My d-i-l did have her brother and his wife & children there and her grandmother lives there so she did have family but Terry didn't have anyone. Still no good regretting it now. Fred, so pleased you decided to stay around we would miss you. Do take it easy, you have paid your dues and your health is too important to take chances with. With your eye for a bargain can I ask you to come shopping with me next time I need to shop? Brenda, I hope that John is recovering from his cold. There seems to be some really nasty 'bugs' around this year. How is your leg now? Jude - where are you? Playing hide and seek with Madoc again I bet!! Christine, sounds like you had a good trip and it's great to meet up with other GC people. I have met quite a few - including Gaynor, a lady so full of life and humour it is so very sad that she is now so ill. Have heard from Di and she is keeping very busy, they have had such lovely weather that she has been tending her garden much of the time and doing a lot of sewing. John has had his usual cancer check-up and they want to see him again. She thought it would not be too serious as they did not make it a matter of urgency. Let's hope it all turns out well. Susan has her ups and downs but is pretty good on the whole. Staying quite positive and getting out a bit although not on public transport. She has had a cold but it doesn't seem too bad, no temperature. Indira checks it just to be sure. Looks like the weather is going to be a bit less bright and sunny for the next few days but definitely warmer. Only two weeks ago we had snow!! Hopefully the Easter weekend will be brighter again. It has been lovely for the past couple of days, so good to see the sun it makes everyone much more cheerful. Goodnight sleep well God bless Kathleen

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Hi everyone, Its lovely and sunny again, I will have to water my plants they are all getting dried out. Beckham was quite a hero yesterday. lol. I went into the garage but was only going to the front, but Beckham came in rushing to the back, making his grumbling noise as he went. So I went to have a look and tortoise was on her back, kicking her little legs in the air, she must have been trying to climb out of the pen I had put around the hut and then fallen over. I picked her up and Beckham was snuffling round her, checking her out, she just hissed back at him,lol. Anyway the hut is now outside again and she can have the run of the garden. Kathleen, No Gaynor hasn't got the date yet, the last I heard, Gaynor was having to arrange for the Cd of the Multiscan to be sent to the Neurosurgeon, anyway she passed it on to the solicitor, I cant understand why these Consultants dont work together. I'm glad to hear that Di is keeping busy, please give her my love when you next email. I have just left off, I have 2 blackbirds that come for a bath all the year round, they wait for me to break the ice on the odd occasion it has frozen. I have just found it is these two that have a nest at the bottom of the garden. That is why the bluetits no longer come in the little house, the blackbirds nest is right in front of it. Sylvia, Have you recovered from your party yet, it certainly sounded as though you had a good time. I look forward to seeing your photos. Elisabeth will probably be out shopping or running around after one of her relatives, they are so lucky having Elisabeth there all the time. I expect Jude is busy playing with Madoc and Fred will be doing his garden, what an industrious lot we all are. well I think the blackbirds have finished their baths now, I will water some plants before I put the washing out. Have a good day. Love June xx

Morning all, I will add a little, while I have the page loaded. It takes so long I often forget I have it there. I have done the morning's shopping lists, ready for the afternoon visits. I am going to the double glazing people's workshop in a little while to order a panel for son's back door. It has a cat flap at present, and looks a bit battered so we are getting a new panel. I did discuss it will the our company a while ago, but they needed the exact dimensions, including how thick it is. All that information was gathered at the weekend, so I will go and order it soon. (It could take a while as the girl in the office was at school with me! We always end up nattering for England. Note I said - girl. I still think of myself as that, despite the white hair and a few creaking joints!) This afternoon I am calling at the medal and coin shop in town to buy some sixpences. Son's future Mum-in-law has mailed me about getting some for the 'something old, something blue, etc. and a silver sixpence for her shoe'. I have to send some over to America and someone else in her family is getting married in the summer. (I did get some last year for someone on the site, when her daughter was getting married.) (Perhaps you are reading this Claire?) It is a glorious morning, washing blowing in the breeze and the weeds growing as we sit here. I must get out there and do something about them. My first job though is to sort out Mum-in-law's garden pond. I saw somewhere else Fred didn't have any frogspawn - we have tons! On with the day. Be happy. Elisabeth x