General Chat

Just a few lines to let people know i am still around and taking an interest in things. I have been having a load of problems with the puter again,and have now found a programme that shows up adds and viruses which seem to slip past avg,and it too has a virus eliminator ,so i will see how it goes. You seem to be getting straightened up now June ,but by the time you are finished you will be needing another holiday.,i'm not taking the mickey,i found out what it was like first hand last winter ,was i glad when it was all done. I had to take our set top box back to Tesco this morning because it kept freezing ,and seeing as it's the one in the bedroom i was 'nt very amused,every time we got snug ,and warm it either froze so we couldn't change the channel.or it wouldn't turn on or off grrrrrrr. The wife has been busy with soup recipies again ,and we made some parsnip,sweede curried soup today,but we can't have any today because it needs to infuse overnight to taste right. I really fancy fish and chips tonight for tea,i havn't had it for weeksand i have some nice fish in the freezer which we get from a little freezer shop down the road,ten battered or crumbed fillets for £3.00,and very nice they are too..Must get on with this box set up ,or the wife will be chewing my ear off because she won't be able to watch her programme tonight,this was only to let peeps know that the pest was back. Fred.PtfA&G&G&S.

Hi all, Another grey, overcast day with drizzle. When is the sun coming our way again? I sorted out some more photos to be scanned, and did a bit more genealogy, until my granddaughter Linda and her boyfriend came in unexpectedly. Always nice to see her and her boyfriend. I'm looking forward to Wednesday when Johan and I are going to stay with our daughter for a few days. We were going a couple of weeks ago but a funeral put a damper on that. Depending on the weather, we will pop into Germany for a look at the shops. Not much news for now. Have a nice evening everybody. Sylvia xxx

Well it's Saturdat afternoon,I am not working today and what have i been doing,Washing the car (not been done for approx 3months ).did it with our new pressure washer, it was good ,and we even did part of the front path,(which was not part of the plan I might add) . then i sorted out more washing realised that I did not turn on the washer after filling it last night, !!! brought up some dried washing from the drier to put in the linen cupboard and decieded to check emailsand messages so here I am. Might nip out shortly for a walk round the local market,but there again I might go to Sainsbury's for a change and it will be warmer.!!! Diana ,I have this picture of where you live and walk the dog it sound really lovelly.We have hardly anywhere except the park now and then its a fenced of part for dogs,where we can let Max of his lead.It;s not ideal but its somewhere. Out for lunch at a carvery tomorrow,will tell you what its like afterwards,take care Brenda

Hi Everybody, Had a really busy day today, so won't stop long because i'm exhausted; satisfied exhausted though. We took Ross to the football field next the school for his run, met uo with neighbour Helen from across the road and her 2 dogs and he stole their ball and refused to give it back. Then, although he's not that interested in little people usually, he saw a little guy of about 3 or 4, and ran up to him treating him as he usually does dogs who he's challenging to run with him, that is bumping them with his rear end and then starting to run. looking over his shoulder to make sure they've taken the hint. Of course the poor little fellow didn't know what he was supposed to do, so Ross ran back and bumped him again. The little boy wasn't at all fazed, and his mum thought it was hilarious too, but we were afraid Ross might get too boisterous, so managed to entice him away. He's so big but such a gentle dogand if a dog acts aggressively toward him, he just turns and looks away. When we got home I cooked a roast chicken with little roast potatoes and asparagus with lots of pepper, lemon juice and butter, (or I should say Olivina). This morning I received a lovely surprise from one of my second cousins, a photo of my Great Grandmother Ann Ellen, and of cousins grandmother, Ann Ellen's daughter, my Great Aunt, and her husband., so I added them all to my PAF file and than started to add a picture of each of the rest of the family. I then cleaned the bathroom, made a batch of orange molasses fingers glazed with streaks of orange icing, and then did several emails, and now I'm off to bed, when I've finished here. My son too has been hurt twice in the past, Brenda, and yes, it sure does hurt to see them hurting doesn't it? Our children may grow up and leave home, but they're always in our thoughts, and always our children. Put your feet up and relax, June, for a few days till the plasterer arrives, because it sounds as though you 're going to be very busy for the next few months. There's a big storm heading our way overnight, but we're promised several sunny days next week. Wish we could trust them to be right, but they're often wrong and it'll probably snow next week!! Goodnight and God bless, everyone. Love, Di.xxx

Hiya . June don't know about me fitting it all in,somethings just don't get done for a while,then I have a blitz. John hope you get an offer soon,we have friends in the same boat,their house has been up for sale for two weeks without a veiwer,when the agent had said 'no time at all ' whenask how long he thought it might take.They are already buying their new home,but will not be able to do any changes until they have sold this one. Di ,I like one pot meals as well but some how we get more than one pot and three plates.!!! Wish my son would find someone half as nice as the lady your son has found,he just keeps getting hurt.,which hurts me as well. Not much else to say except it is still cold and grey here. Have a nice weekend see you all soon,Brenda

Just seen Sylvia Whalley in Perth's thread, she is a grandmother again. June xx

Hi everyone, Its a miserable day here, rather misty and cold. I am going to see if my grandson has anything planned for today, if jhe hasn't I am going to ask him to come to the tip with me. We have a lot of cardboard boxes with moving and also new furniture was wrapped in polythene and cardboard. Last week the binmen didn't even take one box so my sil rang and they said they should have all been taken and could we manage until next week, which we agreed to. The cardboard is on the side of our drive so isn't in anyone's way. Yesterday the binmen came and threw some of the plastic bags onto the cardboard and left them there. This morning a cat or something has been in the bags so now I have chicken bones, lettuce leaves, teabags etc mixed with the cardboard boxes. Does this mean that next week the flattened cardboard boxes will be left because of this other rubbish? Then they will have the audacity to knock at the door for a tip at Christmas. The best way is for me to take the boxes to the tip myself, otherwise this feud could go on for ever. Brenda, I dont know how you fit everything in, you are always on the go. John, I think having to keep the house tidy all the time is the worst thing of selling. Even though it is tidy most of the time, the first time you think I will put that away in a minute is the time that someone wants to view. Good Luck. Di, I had tried wetting the paper thoroughly but it is being stubborn. I didn't get any sympathy from the family, all they said was that I should have left it. Thats all very well but I hate being in a mess. I use PAF too, I have had various programmes given me and they may be alright, I haven't tried them because I am so happy with Paf, I also keep my notes and photos etc on there. well I am off to see what I can do, I have now been told that the walls wont be plastered for another week.! So there muist be something I can do meanwhile. June xx

Hi everyone, A quickie call in before tea, and before I get too cross -eyed or too tired : I've been sorting through papers all afternoon. Mavis, PAF is the family tree program on The LDS website. It's very easy to use, and it's free!! There's room for notes and you can add photos. Glad to hear Pip's tooth has settled down and hope it stays that way! I love one dish meals done in the oven Sylvia. No watching to make sure everything is ready at the same time, and only one dish and 2 plates to wash. I'm getting so lazy when it comes to cooking and housework; prefer to conserve my energy for my hobbies! Yes, Bernie is a real gem, Brenda. In fact if Steve doesn't marry her, I think I'm going to adopt her as an honorary d-i-l, and tell him to find somewhere else to live!! Just kidding, I wouldn't part with him, even if he is a moody old thing at times. I'll just have to nudge him in the right direction. Any tips anyone! Hope your sister will be feeling a lot better soon. Tell her to take it easy and put her feet up, and let someone else do the chores for a while. June, it's a long time since I had wallpaper, but I seem to remember it comes off more easily if you wet it first, or maybe you've tried that already. If I lived next door, I'd help you, because I like scraping off wallpaper. It's one of those mindless jobs when you can daydream as you're doing it, or even meditate. John, hope you sell your house soon. Even if you're in no hurry to move, it's very disruptive to have people popping up at odd times to view. Have you watched any of the HGTV programmes on TV about readying your home for sale by hiding away all the knick knacks and painting everything in a neutral colour. It seems if you make your home a sort of sterile looking place with a minimalist style, it sells quicker. I'm afraid we're definitely of the knick knack generation so I'm never moving again, haven't the energy to pack things away for a start! Had a lovely sunny morning here, so I went outside and tidied up a bit. We seem to have wind storms so often lately, that the evergreens in the garden are going to lose all their branches soon, and I've picked up well over a hundred pine cones, probably more like 2 or 3 hundred. Thank goodness we didn't have a power outage the last time though. We have overhead power lines so if we have a gale or if a drunk drives into a power pole, out go the lights quite often, not for too long usually, thank goodness. Must go and get tea. See you all later. Take care and keep warm. Love, Di. xxx

Hi team I am bound forget names so I will say 'Hi Team'. Week 2 of our house being on the market - no decent offers to date and its early days plus we are in no hurry to move. The various people viewing all leave saying 'Lovely home' but so far no actual interest is shown mind you it wasn't advertised properly until today. Have to agree with Mavis, the past few days have been very hot on Auckland's North Shore and trying to sleep is almost impossible no sheets covering us. The heat is quite sapping. Today is the 75th anniversary of the Napier earthquake, the children survivors now in their eighties gathered in Napier to remember the 1931 disaster. John

Had hoped to get on here earlier ,but due to sleeping badly last night,getting up early and being out most of the day with my sister,I have not had time. We managed to have a cup of hot chocolate and some buttered toast ,as she is stillnot up to eating 'properly'mainly due to doing that hoovering.(think she would know better as a nurse!!!) Got the shopping ,went to see dad and sort some things out for him. Took Jane home,came back ,had a cup of coffee and a sandwich,made the tea,sorted out the washing,had tea ,had a cup of tea and read the paper and my magazine .Then had to phone two friends about emails and arrangements for seeing them next week . Wanted to watch a couple of programmes on tv but fell asleep during both of them!!!.So now I am off to bed ,hoping I will not be tossing and turning again. Di what a great girlfriend your son has, sounds a lovelly person.hope the floor is finshed soon. June be carefull with the stripping,have you got a steam stripper they work wonders.You can hire larger ones fron HSS. Sylvia its been grey and cold here as well,looks like more of the same tomorrow. Mavis ,please please send us some warmth its not nice here at the moment., Sorry any one else I have not mentioned ,but my eyes are closing Take care Brenda

Hi Everyone, I'm late again today. After taking my granddaughter to work, I came straight back, did the dishes, put the washing in and decided to get on with stripping the wall paper off the walls. I had thought that I would get at least a full wall done but it so hard to get off, there was another paper underneath, I only managed a tiny bit and that took over 3 hours. I was so exhausted so I just got the braising streak in the oven and peeled the potatoes, sat down and promptly fell asleep. Sorry got sa visitor. June xx

Hi everybody, Well woke to a grey, cold morning, so then it takes me a bit longer to come to terms with a new day. I usually then get breakfast in my night clothes and have a shower later. Just what I did today. The day before when I had my trusty help come I had to nip out of bed and get dressed. Tomorrow too as I am going to the market. I need very little, but will go to the supermarket for fresh milk etc. I managed to do some ironing today and make an 'oven dish' which consisted of minced meat, sauerkraut and sliced potatoes in the oven of course. A bit like a shepherds pie idea. I then made a batch of small fairy chocolate chip cakes and a chocolate pudding. I was then so tired and falling asleep so couldn't do any of my genealogy which I had intended to do. Maybe tomorrow as I only have the market planned. Not much news for now. Lovely to see all your messages and that this thread has remained so friendly. Sylvia xxx

hi Just arrived home after a pot lunch tea. A get together of the 13 people who went to Norfolk Island last year. A good excuse to have a few drinks and lovely food! I made some Pinwheel Scones to take. They had sweet chilli sauce, crushed pineapple, cheese and a sprinkle of Paprika in them They were quite hot but delicious. We had a good variety of food. Rolled chicken stuffed with apricot stuffing, stuffed curried eggs, sausage rolls, various salads, three different quiches. A delicious Pavlova with cream, blackberries (from the hedgerow!) mixed with Raspberry Jelly - the jelly was broken up with a fork and the blackberries stirred in and then spread on the cream. Really tasty. Lots of different cheeses and crackers. Lots of wine!! Pip's tooth is behaving and he is now on antibiotics again - our Dentist, Tim, says to leave it alone and see how it goes. They really don't want to extract it. Di - Pip too is on 7 pills a day. Every night when he gets them out of the cupboard he says 'I suppose I had better take these b.......pills'. At least they keep him going. Also Di what is PAF? Sounds interesting. Still very hot here - 82 deg in our bedroom tonight. Get's hotter and hotter. Will go now - Goodnight/Goodaye Mavis NZ

Hi everyone, Woke up this morning opened the blinds and saw brightness and blue sky. Didn't last for long though; we went into Richmond, just a 20 minute drive to the north of us, to buy a deluxe queen size B-Y-O bed, as they were on sale 50% off. Now we can have guests to stay. We have only one bedroom and the office, but as John has now retired, he's going to sell his drafting table and attachments, so there will be room to put up the bed in the office. It comes in a tall, 3', by 9' by 13' zippered bag, with wheels, so you can pull it along when you go on a surprise visit to someone taking your own bed, planning to stay for a few months! lol Seriously, I'd hate to have to travel with it and suitcases, as it's quite heavy, so think I'll stay home and just let visitors sleep on it. By the time we'd finished in the store it was pouring rain again, so that meant no flooring today for John, so we went for a Japanese lunch of miso soup, salad, teriyaki chicken, tempura veggies, and sushi; delicious! Did a lot more sorting out paperwork this afternoon, and prepared packages of certs and info for my 2 second cousins so I can send them off tomorrow. there are actually several more of the cousins, and they're all interested in the family tree, but just the 2 that I'm in touch with at the minute. I sense they're all fairly close, so guess they'll all share the information. I think I told you my son sent Bernie a dozen red roses, and when she told me I said 'You lucky so and so; I never got red roses'. (Well, John's not a romantic, but he does a lot of practical good things around the house.) Anyway, next day Bernie went grocery shopping, and when she came home, she came downstairs and gave me a dozen absolutely beautiful peachy orange roses. I was thrilled. She is such a lovely person, and just a pleasure to have around. Well, back to the files. Yes, isn't PAF easy to work with June. I've been entering all my notes and references on it and a few photos too. I hope Pip's tooth isn't still troubling him Mavis. I hadn't thought about it before, but I guess if John needs dental work, he'll have to go into hospital, as he's on warfarin too and also aspirin, and a couple of other blood thinners. He takes 7 pills a day. Milk and cookies and bed time soon, so I'd better say goodnight now. Take care all of you, Brenda, Fred, Sylvia, June, Mavis, Jude and Kathleen if you're looking in, and Elisabeth. Love, Di.xxx

hello everyone,,twice yesterday I typed messages that went goodnes knows where !!!!! after the second time I gave up. Glad you are all ok and you all seem to be so busy,heres me thinking that in 3 years time when I can officially retire I will have lots of time to do all my housework and hobbies,but it doesn't look promising at the moment. It has been really cold here today and the heating was not working properly at the library,the back part which has radiators was nice and warm but the main hall has warm air blown out ,only it wasn't so warm today . Going to take my sister for tests at the hospital tomorrow and then maybe for lunch,depends on the way she is feeling,think she went a bit mad and tried to hoover today ,so is feeling very sore Will also have to do some shopping ,need some fresh veg and fruit,but the stuff in the supermarkets seems to go 'off' so quickly these days. Third time lucky I hope see you soon,Brenda

Hi everyone, I expected to add to the thread before this time but I have been busy all of the day but for the life of me, I cant think what I have done. I have peeled the spuds, taken Gaynor to work, been to Asda, been to the bank but that shouldn't take all day.! It has been very cold here today too. Sylvia, I hate putting the shopping away too.I think that is the worst part of shopping. Di, I use PAF too, I find it so easy to use. I haven't been doing very much housework, everywhere is so dusty. the plaster board is now on the walls, I dont know what the next step is, just hoping it wont be long. I can only put up with being untidy for so long. I will see you all tomorrow, lets hope that we have a few more messages by then. June xx

Hi everyone, Sylvia, I hate housework too, but I also hate to see the state my home is in now that I can't do any. Well. I could I guess, but I'd have to manoevre around diplaced furniture and a big industrial vacuum, and since John is in and out of the house all the time to cut the planks on his saw outside the back door, it would really be a waste of my time, as he drags in a little more dirt, sawdust and dead leaves each time. So instead, I'm averting my eyes from it all, and relaxing. I hope you're going to be sleeping better tonight Sylvia. sleepless nights are so debilitating especially when it's your heart that's keeping you awake. Take care of yourself and don't work so hard. Went out shopping this morning for veggies, and browsed around a bit, then came home, had Safeway Chinese food, egg noodles and rice noodles, lovely fat ones with onions and peppers, ginger beef, sweet and sour pork, teriyaki chicken and black bean chicken; delicious. Then it started to rain, which curtailed John's flooring, so we settled down among the chaos to do puzzles and I fell asleep. The floor is almost half done, is going down a treat and looking lovely. Can't wait to see it all stained and varnished, and John is going to redo the hallway at the same time, as we did that when Ross was a tiny puppy, (hard to visualise the great beast as tiny now), and he used to chase after my 2 schnauzers and scraped the floor a bit with his sharp claws. June, you have inspired me to tidy up my paperwork, so as well as getting copies done for my relatives, I've also been transferring all my bits and pieces of notes on paper into my paf file. Rather overdid it yesterday, so must ration my time on here better, but it's nice to see stuff all organised in one place and all backed up to CD as I go along. When spring arrives I must take time out to go over to the LDS library and confirm a few things and look up a couple of relatives whose birth records I haven't been able to discover yet. Fred, that was good news to start the day with, that Susan and Kathleen are okay, and I hope she'll soon be feeling a lot better and up to coming back to join us. Also Jude where are you? Hope you're well and Madoc too. Brenda, hope you're well too and not working too hard, but of course we all know you are. Well, tea's ready; we're finishing off the rest of the Chinese food. Yummy! Love to you all, Di.xxx

Hi everybody, Well I was up with the lark this morning. Before six o'clock. Not planned, but had a bad night with heart valve not functioning too good. It seems my fluid intake was high, but the output low. It seems I need to pass fluid when I am asleep, but not during the day and this causes me breathing problems. Anyway Johan and I went to the wholesalers and did our shopping. It's not just the shopping - large floor area - but putting it all away when I get home. Anyway, I still had time to iron a few shirts and visit Annemie who has a broken toe. I can now make a lot of bread with 10 kilos of bread flour, plus lots of frozen fish etc.etc. The weather has been very nice today with lots of sunshine, but still extremely cold. I saw lots of ice floating on the rivers. Now will keep this short as I have e-mails to answer. Sylvia xxx

Hi evryone, We haven't got any frost this morning and it does feel warmer. Fred, sorry to hear that you are still freezing, I know what you mean about some drivers. They are always in a hurry instead of leaving five minutes earlier. Thanks for letting us know about Kathleen and Susan, last year was a terrible strain for her. Di, How exciting for you, chasing the rellies up, I think I will pop on the Castle Garden Website for a nosey. Sylvia, Dont wear yourself out at the wholesalers. you will have to sit and watch the birds instead, Spring will be with us soon. Mavis, What a shame that your daughter's hoilday was a washout, such a disappointment! I hope they soon sort out Pip's toothache, I think its just about the worst pain possible. Today, I think Gaynor and me are going out for lunch, we haven't been out for lunch together since before Christmas. Where has January gone? I am off to get dressed now, so see you all tomorrow. June xx

Morning peeps,i came on early this morning to say that i have heard from Kathleen. She and Susan are okay,butt Kath'is feeling rather battered and tired from all the hassle last year,a\nd now needs time out to pull herself round. She is thinking of you all and promises to be back before long. Me i got up early because there was freezing fog last night and i had to put the bin out for emptying ,and i wanted to get it in before dawn to stop some unfortunate falling over it on the way to work. i have to go shopping today up to the daughters but i may be late getting there ,as i refuse to take the car out in these conditions,i don't mind a bit of fog,or a heavy frost,but not both together. I'm not worried about my driving ability,but the last load of snow we had made me think about some other drivers,lots of them have no idea how to handle snow,and freezing fog to my mind ,is a lot worse. I will be back this afternoon,i just thought news of Kathleen would be a good start to the day would be nice for a lot of us .see ya later.Fred.PtfA&G&G&S.