General Chat

Hi Everyone,Brenda is back!!!!! Had an absolutely brilliant time,weather,food .hotel everything great. Have spent nearly an hour reading all the messages from when I went away to Tennerife,glad to see new face welcome Mavis and Rupert. Now going to watch Coronation Street ,doing it backwards as I have to wait for the video my friend has hopefully made for me.Its alaso been a long day and after that i will probably have a bath and bed. Love to all Brenda

Hi everyone, Its a bit wet here this morning, its a good job I got my washing dry yesterday, we do have a tumbledrier but I prefer the washing dried outside, Fred, I look forward to soup of those soup recipes, with this cold weather coming on, they will be just the job, Do you freeze them, I know Sylvia has talked about freezing soups. Sue, I agree with Nan, there is only one dinner to have on Christmas Day, and that is Turkey and the full trimmings, mind I do admit to having a side salad as well. I dont eat Christmas pudding though, its too sweet for me. Even in hot weather, I still like a cooked dinner, I like BBQs too but not on Christmas day, Now I am giving my age away, lol Everyone is now stirring ready to go to work so I had better leave you all. Brenda should be back from holiday shortly. June xx

Hi All Welcome back Rooster Guy. John NZ I tried a Sudoko online yesterday, the second time I attempted to do one, the first time I couldnt get it right, but yesterday it all fell into place, so to speak, so I may have another go today. I watched David's eldest child do them while she was here last week, and decided to give it another go. Fred, no sorry I wont be putting in an order for Xmas pudding lol. I can not stand fruit cake or puddings with fruit in them, even the smell of them when they are hot doesnt agree with me. So my poor David who likes Xmas pudding has to rely on my mum cooking him a little pudd all for himself. She wraps it up in Christmas paper and give it to him as a Pressie. He has never complained and always looks forward to his little pressie, he doesnt leave any of it so it must be nice. The only time I ate Xmas pudd was when I was pregnant with my first child, when I asked for some pudd the whole family (about 30) looked at me in disbelief, I dont know how I ate it, it was the one and only time. For Christmas we all go to Nans for Christmas dinner, we have to have roast turkey and ham along with roast spuds and also boiled new potatoes and other vegies. Then there is the Chrissie pudd and other sweets like pineapple snow, meringue, cheesecake and I mustnt forget my sweets, because I dont like pudd I have some stewed Kentish Cherries and cream, and then I have a bowl of fresh Raspberries and Cream. Last year one of Nans daughters suggested that we have a cold Christmas dinner or a BBQ, well the reaction from Nan was unbelievable, I recon they would have heard her down the end of the street lol. Lucky she isnt as violent as Liz, otherwise the one that mentioned the stupid idea would have wore her walking stick like poor Fred does sometimes lol. There is only one Christmas Dinner that you have and thats the end of story, no matter how hot it is as far as Nans concerned. Well not that I have taken up all this room on the board I will go now. Hello to all who I havent mentioned, hope you are all well.

Hi all,and hello again to Ruppee,long time no see ,come on and join the other old chukk'es lol.,there are plenty of us on here,Elisa wised me up to who you were by the way ,so you can blame her, hee hee. I will have a word with the wife June,and get you some new soup recipies ,i have a few if you would like them,i tried some last night ,and got my wrist slapped[this is getting to be a habit] again sniffle.cause i wanted MORE,i felt a bit like Oliver.with Liz waving that stick again,you know ,i don't know why some one never mentioned any thing about burying that stick while i was busy in the garden [rotten lot]. She is starting the christmas pud's when we come back off holiday,and the cake ,so if anyone would like the home made chissy puds instead of the shop bought ones with gravy in [ugh] just ask. The sun is out the ,sky is blue and i'm going in the garden shortly ,don't know about you. sorry folks ,a mad half hour is coming on. We have started packing a couple of bit's and pieces,ready for Saturday ,and i'm getting a bit exited now,i can almost smell these fish[or is it the tea] never mind ,as elisa suggested ,i will have the camera with me to take a piccy of the caught fish ,so ,if no photos ,no pics,and don't worry Elisa,i can't cheat,you can't buy pike in a fishmongers,and you can't catch cod or whiting up river so i CAN'T cheat lol. I have two new programmes on the puter where i can call up street maps ,photo's and web cam's in aus and new Zealand now so i will be sniffing out those summer B.B.Q.'s you will be having,and watching out for any free bee tucker,and may request some recipie ideas from over the pond. What do you all like for your christmas dinner over there? i bet ,in that heat you can't be bothered with the traditional roast and what have you ,so someone please tell us brit's what you enjoy on the beach or in your gardens on the 25th. .I don't think i will be looking for any internet cafe's down there it's goin' to be a fishing holiday ,as in chill out time ,eighteen hours fishing ,and six sleep lol.i intend to recharge the batteries ,and ENJOY myself.have a nice afternoon all ,see you tomorrow ,Fred.PtfA&G&G&S.

Hi Everyone, Sorry I have been missing again, its another week of haveing thinga to do, posting parcels, photoing road signs etc. Welcome Rooster Guy, I'm past my sell by date too so dont let that worry you, You are as old as you feel ( I wont complete that saying, lol) John, I must be thick, I just cant get into this Sudoko, yet I like Code Breakers and word puzzles. I will have to have another go when I have time from writing my memories. Sue and Judy, I always give nees and wasps a wide berth, My daughter is terrified, one summer they were just attracted to her, they would go inside her clothes, she stopped using perfumes etc.. In the end we put it down to the medication she was on because she didn't have the problem before or afterwards, but she is very wary now. Judy Beckham and Bonnie are fine, although Beckham keeps getting a little upset when all these boxes appear. Tortie is very slow now and hardly eating, she must be getting ready for her long sleep. Atleast is she is asleep when we move house, ut will be easier for us to keep an eye on her. Sylvia v O, I hope you and Johan are enjoying yourselves and keeping out of mischief, lol Fred, you didn't mention any nice warming soups today.Would you please print the odd one on now and again please? Kathleen, I hope you and Susan are coping, I've got my fingers crossed for you. Off to take Sam to work now so speak tomorrow. Love June xx

Hi all. Would like to join your thread was on one before but under Rupert from NZ, recognise a few names from back, Changed my name as I think i am a bit of an old chook. Well past my best before date at anyrate. Will write more later as food has just been thrown into the coop and best go get some. Regards and all the best to everyone on the thread

Hi everyone Some years ago when we had a swimming pool and I was sweeping it a bumble bee stung my foot right through the sock. I didn't take much notice at first and soon I could hardly walk on my good foot. My son took me up to A&E and was told to take antihistamine. These days I steer clear of bees and wasps. I was just looking at one of the other threads about the Sudoko craze, I not the only person addicted to it. John

Hi to you All Sue I can understand your fear of bees.Our eldest daughter was stung when she was only 5 yrs,luckily we were quite close to a doctor's surgery as her face was swollen within 30mins and she had difficulty in breathing but within moments of having an antihistime injection she came right.Poor little lass had to have a course of inoculations but as she had had such a fright,she never complained. I believe the bumble bee does have a sting but unlike other bees it doesn't lose it, however,they are not aggressive and I love to watch them. I do curse the day our forbears brought wasps to these shores however,they serve no worthwhile purpose and I have seen a paper wasp carry off a monarch butterfly caterpillar, ugh !! Well off to pull some more weeds,these days are so lovely ,it is nice to be outdoors.My recent illness has left me like you Fred,limited to what I can do,however I am learning to adjust and control my frustration by exploring other avenues of enjoyment,being on this thread is one of them and what a lovely excuse !! Regards to all JudyNZ

nudge

Hi All Judy, I am not sure about the mainland if they have bumble bees, but here in Tassie we have had them for a couple of years. I am not sure how they arrived in Tassie, whether they was brought in for a particular reason, or if they just might have flown over from NZ by themselves. I am not worried about the bumble bees they look funny, and some people over here are calling them V8 bees, because of their loud noise when they fly. Do bumble bees sting? I am only scared of normal bees and Wasps. I have only been stung a couple of times by a bee when I was young, so I am not sure what started me being afraid of them. We had a wasp nest in a bank of a front yard 2 doors down fom where I lived when I was a child. The parents had poured something in the nest and boarded it up. Us children was told not to go near it, well one day I went out with my Nan and yes you guessed it the other kids moved the boards and they all got stung, some many times. I am not sure if that is what made me scared, just knowing what can happen. Or maybe I am just a softy, but then I also hate spiders, even Daddy long legs. Well must go and catch up on some rest now that our home is 3 children less, with Davids children gone home today. June you are right, weare a happy family when we are all together. They will be back on 21 Dec for Christmas. Hello to all who I havent mentioned

Hi Everybody JA lovely to hear mention of Mr D, Ripley sends her love,both she and Anna miss hearing news of THEIR friends and often think of Beckham.Bonnie,Tortoise,GP's,Milo etc. Sue,your mention of bees reminds me of a news item which said that the lovely bumble bee was becoming scarce in the UK.No doubt due to the insecticides being used willy nilly. We have the Bumble bee here (I think they are lovely little beings but always treat with respect) I understand there aren't any in Oz. June I have never experienced an English Christmas but can believe it is quite lovely.Such the opposite of ours where it is usually too hot to enjoy the usual Christmas fare. It took my husband many years to get used to the difference. Sylvia and Johan hope you both are enjoying a welcome break. Won't be long and Brenda will be back from her holiday, look forward to hearing her news. Happy thoughts to you all JudyNZ

Hi all, Just been checking up on you all and read your messages. Maybe write tomorrow. Sylvia from holiday address xxx

Hi all,Fred stands corrected and slaps his wrist [again],but you must admit ,it provoked a good response so i won't apologise apart from the ones who have had a miserable last two weeks with colds and other upsets so there. Trouble is ,i am trying to keep up with this and that,cope with the garden, housework ,research and i think it's time to slow down a bit. It's a lovely day here again,sunshine ,quite warm for the time of year ,but it is rather windy,hee hee,i was sitting in the back garden eating a roll with cheese in[ my dinner] i put the roll on the plate and reached for the can to have a drink and the plate started to slide across the table,Fred promptly puts down the can ,and reaches for the plate to rescue the lovely ,fresh roll ,and the can gets blown over grrrrr,it's okay ,i get the message,no more dinner outside till the spring. I am looking forward to next weeks holiday more and more now,and am getting my fishing gear fitted up ,ready to do battle with the pike,which i'm told can be pretty big on the broads,so i'm hoping to break my record for the biggest caught. I am getting fed up of missing calls because i hav'nt got my earphones on ,so as soon as i finish this missive,i will be putting the speakers and mic' back into use,and then i can play my music and chat at the same time. Both of us will be keeping our fingers crossed for Susan,and it would be a lovely birthday present for me if the lady gets the all clear in november,she deserves a huge slice of luck after being brave for so long. hope this finds every one starting to look forward to the weekend,and just think,it's one week closer to Christmas lol. Fred.PtfA&G&G&S>

Hi everyone, Sorry I haven't been around but I'm sure you didn't want me passing my germs around and moaning about my cold. Yesterday I received my reminder about my flu jab and it reminded me that I always have a cold when the jab is due, proves that my body clock is still working, lol Kathleen, Fingers crossed for Susan, I hope she fells better each day, I bet she will be pleased to see this year out and another New Year start. Mavis, Its amazing the little things you remember when you start writing down your memories, I hope to add a few photos too, although I have lost a box, I'm hoping they come to light during the removal. J A. Enjoy your holiday and rest. Judy, I enjoy looking forward to summer and BBQs, I dont really look forward to winter although I love Christmas. Sue, Your house and family sound such a happy one and having extra children doesn't seem to put you out at all. Fred, Are you getting your own back and slapping my hands, lol? I did welcome Mavis and so did others, so der de der der! lol I have to take my granddaughter to work now, so see you soon. Hi to those I haven't mentioned. June xx

Hi all Kathleen I didn’t mention earlier that I am thinking of you and Susan. I do hope things start to pick up now the Chemo is finished. Yes it is really starting to warm up here, only occasionally I have the heater on during the day as we are getting warmer temperatures of up to 18 and most nights are only getting about 7. There are a lot of blossoms on the trees and along with that are the dreaded bees. I know they do good but I can’t stand them. I swear they head straight for me, when I was young we had a houseful at my Nan’s and a bee flew in the door past everyone else and straight to where I was sitting. As for going everywhere with Gaynor Bear, its funny how people think you are a bit silly, when you do something that is not always seen, until they realise that you are doing it for a good cause. Judy, I know what you are saying about the patience being a bit thinner now that we are a bit older, I find myself about to tell them off for making a noise, and then I stop myself for a moment and think to myself, well they are not fighting, they are only playing noisily. They are reasonably close to each other with their ages so they get along pretty well. Between us we have a 16year old, 14 year old, 13 year old, 12 year old and two 11 year olds. But they can be as noisy as younger children. When they are noisy I just say to myself it is not long til night time when they go to bed and I can sit down and relax for an hour or so before I feel the need to also crawl into bed.

Hi June, Fred, Judy, Sue, Sylvia, Kathleen, Mavis, Sylvia and Norman I always read the thread but usually add to Canada and then head for bed! On holiday this week before Axel comes to stay. Kathleen, lots of thoughts for you and Susan, along hard road. I loved your photos with Gaynor Bear. Sue and Fred the currawongs start before dawn here, along with the cock who usually starts about 4 am. Here comes the meowing Mr D. Hopefully he will settle on the chair next to me. Sue the old ticker box is doing fine. Will you have a quiet house after tomorrow? Take care all JA

Hi Everybody Glad to hear your news Kathleen and we will all have positive happy thoughts for Susan. Sue,you must be exhausted with 6 little 'darlins' to keep fed and amused.I think as you get older the patience gets thinner,I love having my grandchildren to stay but as an elderly Aunt of mine used to say 'The little darlings bring their chatter and energy with them and thank goodness take it with them when they go'! Fred,what a well organised fellow you are.My husband also keeps his gas bottles,lamps,cookers etc handy in case of emergency,must be a fisherman's trait ! Well we are into Spring but as I said before the days are more like Summer and the poor birds and plants aren't too sure what to do.It always seems such a pity that flowers like daffodils and freesias have such a short flowering time here.Next weekend our daylight saving starts and we can look forward to the BBQ and those lovely fresh salads. Happy thoughts to you all JudyNZ

Hello all, Sorry not to have been around for a few days. Was a busy week, several visits to the hospital for Susan's blood tests. Happily she has now had her last chemo, a bit worried that they might not do it because her bloods were not too good but they did and though she is feeling rather poorly is looking forward to feeling better as each week passes. We will know if it has all been succesful about November - it has been a long, hard year for her. Also fitted in a couple of days of 'me time', took charge of Gaynor Bear for a couple of days. Met with a lovely lady Kim in Runnymede and had a nice afternoon. On Tuesday took GB to London to meet CB and Daisy and had a wonderful day visiting Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, St.James Park and many other places. Saw the Horse Guards - the young guardsman on his horse was obviously intrigued as to why he was having his photo taken with a big pink Teddy dressed in a lovely pink ballgown, ermine cape and tiara!!! The weather was brilliant and I arrived home with aching legs, tired but happy to have enjoyed such wonderful company and a really lovely day out. I had taken GB around with me whilst I was working and managed to collect a few pounds to help swell the Cancer Research Funds. Mind you quite a few people thought I had completely lost it carrying a pink Teddy around with me everywhere. I don't care, those who troubled to ask why put their hands in their pockets and gave a contribution. I recently found that I have a distant relative (through marriage) in Australia which is exciting. Think she is a fifth cousin 3 times removed - not too sure if that is correct but near enough. Have to concentrate on sending her details and learning a bit more about the family that emigrated. Off to my bed now, I have read all the messages from Sue, Mavis, John, Sylvia, June and Fred, sorry if I have missed anyone. Now that winter is coming will look forward to hearing from those who are having spring and summer to help brighten our days. God bless Love Kathleen

Hi All Fred, if you go back about 1 page, it will refresh your memory as to when Mavis showed up and you may be a bit forgetful, suffering from CRAFT again, as it was around the time your grandson was leaving, but quite a few of us welcomed Mavis, like myself Judy, Kathleen, June and you was actually the first to welcome Mavis!! Are you sure you only landed on your rear lol. All jokes aside I hope you are going ok with not being able to return to work. My Dad had a Quad bypass a few years ago and it wasnt as successful as the Doctors had hoped, he retired from work, but he doesnt let it get him down he tries to keep active and goes for walks every day, when he isnt getting too much trouble from his legs. Mum and Dad also go on short holidays to the mainland or to NZ. I haven’t been on for a couple of days as I have had up to 6 children at home at one time and no less than 4, as David’s 3 are over here on holiday until tomorrow. We in Tassie are also trying to change from plastic bags to cloth ones, you can buy them at the supermarket when you get your groceries, They have these new type of plastic ones that are supposed to decompose better than the older style ones but they are so weak that they just rip, and you are better off with the cloth ones. I suppose it is one way of getting everyone to convert to the cloth bags. We have one town that has won an award for being totally plastic bag free you go even into the corner shops and they don’t have plastic bags, you either take your own or you can buy a cloth bag at the shop. Well I will get going before I have a child looking over the shoulder waiting for their turn on the puta. Hope this finds you all well.

Shame on you lot,a new face on the board and no one says welcome? that will never do ,welcome Mavis and please do come back,we could do with some more kiwis on here. I guess you are all getting ready for yoursummer which is somewhat harsher ,and longer than ours I have been checking the winter woolies [and other things] to make sure the moths hav'nt been having a chew,and everything seems to be okay. I have been looking at the emergency heaters too ,and have got in two full bottles of gas ,in case we loose the power again as we did last winter.I also have the gas B.B.Q.out back ,and the gas cooker [camping stove ]in the shed .so we won't starve or freeze,i even have a paraffin heater in the greenhouse to protect my plants ,so they will be fine too. We lost our power for half an hour this afternoon,so i spent my time till it came back on choping the huneysuckle plant up and getting it into a big plastic sack ready for the bin men tomorrow morning,which means the garden is ready for the spring.cor,i am starting to envy you now,plenty of colour in the garden and all. I'm off for a look rouind the boards now ,but may pop back later in case someone else shows up ,heeeelp,Sylvia,June,Kathleen ,ANYONE,lol.Fred.PtfA&G&G&S.