General Chat

Hi all, Well I was up with the early birds this morning before six o'clock, and started baking bread before going to the market. When I came back I baked two more loaves and made a batch of strawberry jam. The washing machine did the washing for me, for which I am grateful. My ex son in law came in at lunch time for a cup of coffee as my grandson has his birthday today (his son). He is taking him out to an exclusive restaurant somewhere in the south of the country by train, and will have a couple of drinks on a terrace first. I think this is a super idea for father and son to spend his birthday together, especially as my grandson has not been too happy since his parents split up. He still asks why? I am afraid the answer lies with his mother (my daughter). The weather is lovely at the moment. I do hope it will last. Have a nice evening, what is left of it. I have been watching football again, and will be glad when it is over then I can do something else. Sylvia xxx

Hello everyone .just a few quick lines,hope you had a good day Fred,coud have done with a day at the coast myself.. Still packing stuff up for thisdecorating and kitchen work,would hate it if we ever move.!!! Wonderful weather again, Take care ,Brenda

Morning all,just adding a few lines before the fun starts . I got up at six,watered the garden,,made myself some breakfast ,got the washng machine loaded and started,and came online whist able. The two young'uns,Sean and son Martin have pinched my internet as from nine this morning to assemble a new super puter for Sean to use on camp ,so Liz and i are going to bog off to the coast for the day and leave them to it. I will close down very shortly and make a couple of beef sandwiches and a flask of tea to take with us,i will be glad to get my internet back ,at the mo i have a window till he geats up ,and then a window between nine and ten in the evening when i'm too tired to come on line ,what we grandparents have to put up with lol. Not to worry he will be back at camp next week and things will get back to normal lol. Have to go ,see you all later.Fred.

Having another sleepless night after two fairly good ones. Weather really good again today,managed to get two washing machine loads out to dry,they just need ironing now.!!! The football starts again on Friday Sylvia,one game each day til Sunday,not sure after that ,but its the final on July 9th. Still in the middle of clearing out the units in the dining room and finding place to store the stuff we are keeping,have loads of books and tapes for the charity shop. Good job I am off tomorrow as well,meeting friends for lunch then going to see some more old friends and work colleagues at a pub near where we worked, a few more have been made redundant and are having farewll drinks etc.. Will hope fully get on here sometime tomorrow ,if not Saturday. Take care <brenda

I have added a contribution to the site today which I haven't done for a long time. Just nudging this thread up. Sylvia xxx

Hi everybody, Well looks like a night off from football tonight as I cannot find any matches on tv. I watched two matches yesterday, France v Spain and another one which I have already forgotten. What a memory girl! Today has been bright but a bit chilly. I have had my help in and with a little time she has over we are trying to get through cleaning all my spoons which hang on the wall in the sitting room. When they are clean I spray them with a lacquer and they won't need cleaning again for a few years - if I last that long! My granddaughter has asked me to help her translate a text, which I can now do tonight. Johan and I have booked into a Center Parcs hotel on the coast here for 10th July - a midweek special offer. Our daughter works for Center Parcs so we get it quite cheap, otherwise we wouldn't do it because we don't use all the things at Center Parcs. I'm looking forward to the change anyway. Hope you can now sleep better again Brenda. Now have a nice evening all, and don't go killing all the midges Fred, leave that to the swallows. Sylvia xxx

morning all,managed to sleep well last night but was awake at usual time even thougth I am not on work till 12.20pm. Wull be leaving shortlry,Mavis have bought myself a new personel dvd dplayer to learn a little spanish but will try your tip as we do have some soothing tdvds. I also used to buy Milo but you cannot always get it here.Sorry about all your funerals, John sounds like you have some really gpood scenery around you , Have to leave in 10 mins so will have to close now, Brenda

Hello again. Still very frosty and cold at night here but beautiful during the day. The birds are eating me out of house and home due to the cold weather. They just love Bananas and oranges. Fortunately friends have citrus trees so always plenty of free fruit! John - Taranaki is just so beautiful with the snow. We spent a few days in New Plymouth 5 years ago. Loved it. We thought the wind wand was unusual!!! Had three funerals today! Could only manage one unfortunately. One friend with Parkinsons, one with the big C and Duncan who was 89years and never been sick. Just passed away in his sleep. His wife is 85 and a very talented artist. Still painting water colours, oils, china painting, floral art - how can one person have so many talents!! Quiet day tomorrow - apart from ironing and housework! Hope you are feeling better Fred. The photo's were just great. Yours flowers are so pretty. Sylvia - we are football addicts too! Not that the matches have been anything to write home about so far. Brenda - when I have problems getting to sleep I listen to soothing music on the radio. Have an ear piece so Pip doesn't get disturbed. Used to listen to the talk back program but that kept me awake! Must go now and make the bedtime drink - Milo. Yummy. See you soon. Love Mavis NZ

Hi everyone The weather is better than it has been and as it is still winter more cold snaps are still to come. We can see Mount Taranaki from our front door its beautifully clear with snow quite away down. John

Hi Everyone,had a few letters to write to night and a few phone calls to make ,I still have some friends who do not have a computer and some who do but never answer emails so i have to write to them. Had to phone the sister who is getting married and a friend to re arrange a meeting and then another friend to find out about an old work mate,so pretty bust really,John and David were both watching the football so I was on my own. Glad you got on tonight Fred,hope you are better soon, Need to check something before going to bed ,so night all see you soon,Brenda

Hi Brenda,and Sylvia ,AND everyone else,i have a few minutes before the grandson gets out of the bath so i had better get on with it lol. went to the second sports day today at the school where Sophie ,stephen and Jordan go ,went pretty well and the rain held off. I managed to get a few nice photos which i will send out tonight ,but i bet you know which is my favorite without me saying anything ,so i await comments. Must have an early night seeing as i am really tired and am on antibiotics for a chest infection [again] and also for a painful knee because some rotten midgie decided to bite me and give me an infection too, but not to worry 'cause i got my own back and slapped it silly ,and I am still here ,he isn't lol. Hope you all enjoy the photos see ya later.Fred

Took me ages to find us tonight we was half way down page 15!!! fred is busy as he has his granson staying again who use Freds pc.Sylvia is watching football,I was at my bothers house yesterday ,so did not get on,just shows you how easy it is to slip over the edge. Busy day today couple oferrands this morning then some ironing then work and as usual we have to do four jobs at the same time as some one forgot to give us the right details to do them seperately and they have to be done by the same time.!!! Luckily it was a slow night so we got two done completely and can finsh the rest tomorrow. Hope I get some sleep tonight as last night I ended up on here from 1.30 til 4am ,went to bed early had a nice couple of hours then just woke up and could not get back asleep.Have tried warm milk,drinking chocolate,night cap(very small) any other suggestions. TAke care Brenda

Hi everybody, Just popped in before you asked where I was. Well busy as usual and trying to watch as much football as possible, much to Johan's annoyance. This afternoon I watched Ecuador v England and this evening will watch Holland v Portugal. So nice to see so many of you posting, keep it up whilst I am away. Sylvia xxx

Hi everybody Haven't looked at GR for two weeks and things have move along since I was last here. Craig came down this weekend so it was good to have him here - I had my birthday 21st and we celebrated 33 years of marriage on 23rd so the three of us went out for family dinner. We had planned going to my Mum's on Saturday for dinner and then visit David but flu put paid to that as both Mum and Bev were unwell. Craig decided to make it an extra long-weekend by going back home on Monday so that has been good as we were able to go for drives with him. The weather over the past week has been very cold but not as bad as some parts of the country which have seen snow anywhere and road closures. We lost power here in New Plymouth the other day for about an hour when a tree took out a power line, but that is not as bad as parts of the South Island where there has been no power for several weeks. John

Hello,welcome Dorothy.If the property has any land around it ,thats why it is so dear.developers are keen to get hold od land and pull down big old houses and put up apartments these days. Please feel free to join us any time.I live in North manchester and go shopping in Bury town center and the Market a lot.. Having a good tidy up in this room,did not realise what I had collect in old mags,books etc.Out for a meal tonight and really looking forward to it. See you all tomorrow Brenda.

Hi from canada just was reading the bury times on line and was stopped in my tracks, I used to live at 82 high st walshaw some 50 yrs back and when my parents emigrated over here they sold the house for around 1200 pounds, next to use one lane way over was bently hall manor a nice property but not all that grand, well it is for sale for 1.25 million pounds can you credit it, but it does have one draw back the circular drive only hold 10 cars. when I was home 18 months ago I was by the house and while it looked nice this price I do not understand. I am well aware that real estate prices have gone up and up in that area but still this semms a bit out of line. I am coming home again next year for my 65th birthday if it is not sold by then maybe I should mention to my son that would make a grand birthday gift!!!! bye for now dorothy

Hello everyone,came on two hours ago and started a message,was called to the phone ,and then had to start tea,so message got sent into cyber space I think or the part of the message I had written,as my son just came in while I was making tea,he will normally ask what to do with anything i might leave open but not tonight as he was in a hurry to get an email to his mate who was still at work. We have had a nice day sunny ,dry, but windy again.Hope it is dry and warm tomorrow. Glad to see you are all happy, fred I still haven't seen your garden,hope you can manage to try and send at least one piccie before your pc is taken over by your granson.!! Di,hope John is sorted out by this new doctor,what luck that he comes to your neck of the woods. Mavis,we have had some rain this week over here and also some very strong winds ,it was really cold at times and looked more like November than June. (not forgetting mid summers day on the 21st.} Have to go now the washer needs emptying and refilling ,!!! See you all soon,Brenda

Hi folks,what a load of messages from all over the place,. Well ,i hope everyone is set for the weekend and have plans for chilling out. I wen't out this morning ,got all the hedges trimmed ,fed the gardens and lawns ,and then backed the car as close to the wall as possible to leave Sean room to get his car into the drive,there is just room lol. I was sitting out back earlier today ,in the sun with a coffee and suddenly my back garden beame like piccadily circus,we had about fifteen starlings arrive ,three thrushes ,two blackbirds ,a magpie and our little mouse all came out together ,i did manage to get a few photos of the mellee so i hope they come out. Sean got back yesterday morning but was so tired after a full shift ,a ten hour flight and disimbarcation to even think about starting back,so he stayed on camp yesterday and started the journey home this morning. We will be taking the bairns for the first picnis of the summer while he is home so he can give us a hand on the beach with them lol.his legs are younger than ours. Must be off now ,to see to the tea,steak and kidney pie with all the trimmings,a request from Sean ,sick of eating chicken for three months whilst on station in Iraq. Boy ,how times have changed,when i was in the middle east we were looked after very well ,the meals were as good as any camp in this country,pork ,beef and lamb on the menu as well as fish ,fresh veg and fruit,but it seems as though all the cooks can do these days is chicken,well thats the yanks for you too much trouble to do any decent food it would seem. See you all later,Fred.

Hi everyone. Lots to read tonight! You have all been so busy. Still very cold here - more snow down the bottom/middle of North Island. Went out for dinner last night with the girls. Went to the Kwang Chow - ate too much!! But it was delicious. Not able to do any gardening as the wind is soooo cold. Watched the semi finals of the Netball tonight - next Friday is the final - our local team Magic are in the finals playing Sting. Very close match tonight - had to play extra time. Pip is enjoying the football - bores me a little i'm afraid. Have been doing some cross stitch today - almost finished. Have to then finish a cardigan I started a 'long time' ago. Shortened a pair of trousers for Pip today - how I hate doing that. Always nervous when I chop the bottom off!! He was pleased however. All for now. Regards to you all. Mavis

Hi everybody, Haven't looked at the computer for the past few days as I was so busy, and then when I sat down was so tired I fell asleep. Bernie bought herself a mini sundress with a flounced skirt, but as she doesn't like short skirts she also got a skirt, thinking to herself it would be easy for me to combine the two and make a long dress. Firstly they were black, gauzy crinkly fabric, which I hate sewing, secondly the skirt was cut in about 12 panels, very flared, and so hard to convert to 2 x 12' flounces. I have not been a happy bunny the past few days, but I have done it as best as I can, and we're both very glad that I'm my normal sweet-tempered self again; well, that may be an exaggeration, but I'm better anyway! Tuesday we went to a nearby island, over a little one lane bridge, and onto a delightful area of lovely homes on open fields, most of them fruit farms, a most beautiful, peaceful place; I'd love to live there. anyway, we bought a flat of strawberries and made 12 pints of sugarless strawberry jam, and it's delicious, the best jam I've ever made, and guilt-free as it's sugarless. The recipe was on the following website, if anyone feels like making jam, either with or without sugar. It's the best recipe I've ever used. http://www.pickyourown*org*/jam.htm or /jamnosugar.htm We had a good day Sunday, Father's Day. Sue came over and John did dinner on his new barbecue, and we sat outside in the sunshine and enjoyed a good chat. Sue is so happy in her new job and is thinking of moving to be closer to work to a nice family area in the eastern area of Vancouver, on a slight rise looking over the water to the north shore mountains. While driving round the area she saw a hospice, and stopped to enlist as a volunteer, so once she's been cleared as not having a criminal record, she'll be doing something else she really loves, talking to and helping others in need. Once she's settled into all of that she'll be able to think about her courses again, to become a qualified councellor, which she had to put on hold at least temporarily. John has an appointment with an internist on Wednesday next, highly recommended by our GP, and he has an office locally where he holds a clinic one day a week, so we don't have to go chasing across town this time, just a 10 minute, if that, drive. Also John has met him as he checked in on him in hospital when he had Sepsis. John is a lot happier now that he knows he will be in a different heart specialist's hands. Sylvia, I hope your hand is feeling a lot better now. You must be feeling really frustrated not to be able to do the things you enjoy like embroidery and card making, not to mention housework...okay I won't mention it!! Glad to hear that Johan is given a clean bill of health, too. Hi Kathleen, good to see you back again. Hi too Fred, Brenda, June and Mavis. Well, must go do the dishes. We had strawberries for tea, and they are so good this year. Love to you all. Di.xxx