General Chat

Hi everybody, Yes, it's me back again. I couldn't get an internet connection and suspected it had something to do with Johan's tidying up our sitting room on my birthday, and yes, I was right. My granddaughter discovered the fault. Johan had knocked a switch where he had been tidying up. Now, back to my birthday. I had tea in bed to begin with, then I lay waiting, and in no hurry to get up. I heard Johan busy in the kitchen, so thought let him get on with it. He never does anything in the kitchen normally. Now this year he had boiled me an egg and made toast and fresh coffee. We sat in the sitting room with our breakfast on place mats on the coffee table. Me in my nightgown. Well, there was nobody else around! Johan had bought me a book I wanted and a small address book which I wanted to fit in my handbag. I wasn't expecting any visitors until evening. Then, the 'phone rang and it was my brother in law who said he was coming with his new girlfriend (He was married to Johan's sister, who died 2 years ago). Well, that made me hurry to get a shower and dress. I then made a pan of tomato/vegetable soup. An ex neighbour from where I used to live also turned up in the afternoon and my neighbour/friend from here also came, so we were with 7. When they had gone, Johan and I managed to have a rest before the evening visitors came. My eldest daughter, her partner, and my grandchildren came first, then another couple from here, so we were with 10. Usually I bake lots of cakes, but this year I bought cake from the bakers and also my daughter made an apple cake for me. My house is like a florists. I have some beautiful roses in all colours and also a mixed bunch of chrysants etc. Lovely. I had so many lovely presents that I feel really spoiled. On Wednesday Johan and I were so tired, that we woke later than usual. I had made an appointment with the pedicurist. I 'phoned her to tell her we'd be a bit late. I have known this pedicurist for many years, so she's a friend now. I wanted my feet done before next week as on Monday we are going to my daughter to stay for a few days and will have a day in Germany. For this reason my feet must be in order. The weather is quite nice, although I did get caught in a shower of rain today. We are supposed to have colder weather the weekend and then on Monday warmer again. Now, here's me rambling on and on and forgetting to thank everybody for sending me good wishes for my birthday - thank you. I really did enjoy reading all the messages. Will close for now, love Sylvia xxx

Hi there - this will take a few seconds. B.i.l is here, arrived at the house 3.45pm and believe it or not, l managed to have everything done and had just started cooking. He bought me another 5 Indian tiles, l have taken a photo of the ones l had already, so will have to take some more now and put them on the GC photo page. They are gorgeous!!!:o))) Sylvia - so pleased you are ok and the puter is ok as well. Sounds like you had a lovely birthday, so many flowers, great stuff:o) Thats it:o) Kathleen still thinking of Susan jude sarf wales x

My goodness, this site is so very slow tonight. It has taken ages to get this far. We have had two good days, bright and dry. Yesterday was a bit windy but today was colder. It made it more noticeable that the days are actually drawing out, not having to put the lights on until about 4.45. It does look as though there might be a frost tonight as the cars are beginning to get white caps. It has been pretty awful in some parts of the country with the floods and no electricity, so many people have lost their possessions in the floodwaters. Thankfully we have not had to contend with anything as bad as that. Tomorrow I am taking my friend to a funeral. It is the 4th wife of her (my friend) ex husband. She was his second wife, divorced him some 40 + years ago - and the only one to live to tell the tale!! He will be 90 this year, seemed to marry ladies much younger but, apart from my friend, he has survived them all. Wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that he was an undertaker :-). The lady who's funeral it is was really nice, I used to take my friend to see them quite often and she always made us very welcome. Odd how people often get on better with their exes than when they were partners. We will only be going to the church service as neither of us feel able to cope with the actual burial. Hope the weather holds for another day. Jude, hope your b-i-l does not suffer too badly for the long journey and enjoys his stay here. Your tiles sound very interesting and the grooved shelf seems a good idea to show them to advantage. Look forward to seeing some pictures of them. I had a look at the GC photo pages early this morning, it was good to revisit those I had already seen and to view the newer ones. Sylvia, so pleased you had such a nice birthday. All those flowers must be a delight to have, I love having flowers in the house and with all your visitors you had lots of good company. I hope you enjoy your trip and your day in Germany. Whereabouts in Germany will you visit? I didn't get around to see a great deal of the country but was stationed in Berlin (where I got married), and visited Hamburg briefly. Was stationed in a few other places but back in 1949/50 we were a bit restricted as to where we could go off camp - it was still classed as Active Service back then. June, it is time you got rid of that horrible bug. I can imagine how exhausting a trip to the supermarket must have been after what you have been through. Di, you take care, I hope you manage to get rid of that cough soon. I got a lot of relief from breathing eucalyptus oil in hot water - I have a sort of inhaler thingy. The steam helps to open up the "tubes" and the eucalyptus (or olbas oil, friars balsam are alternatives) help to clear the mucous. Perhaps you already do something like this? I loved the pastels that John has done of the animals - they are really good. Ann, Anne, Fred, Marly, Lou, where are you? Hope you are all keeping well and avoiding the bugs that seem to be having such a busy time infecting everyone. Elisabeth, I will get up to date with my e-mails soon - Chris will be at work on Friday and Saturday evenings so I should be able to catch up then. He has been cleaning up the computer lately, re-installing Norton etc. We have been getting quite a number of 'warnings' recently, somone trying to access the computer amongst other things. All seems to have stopped now that he has done all that. Thank you all for your support for Susan, she does appreciate it. She now has a "buddy" through the Macmillan Care service so that she has someone to talk over any concerns she may have and to reassure her as she does get a little worried, as much as she tries to put a brave face on. Have a good night, sleep well God bless Love to you all Kathleen

Hi everyone, Its a dull day here with a light breeze, Sylvia, I'm so glad you enjoyed your birthday, what a lot of visitors you had and all those flowers. I'm pleased you have sorted your computer out, its so easily done to knock a switch off, I remember, not so long ago, I had been drying my hair and I unplugged my laptop instead of my hairdryer and then wondered why it didn't work,lol Enjoy your few days away and you day in Germany. Hi Jude, well you now will be enjoying you b i l's company, he should have got over the jet lag by now. The tiles sound very unusual, I will look forward to seeing them on GC photos. Kathleen, my cough has almost gone now, thankgoodness because I pulled a muscle in my side with coughing and just when I think I have got my side better I have another burst of coughing and it sets it off again. I am a wimp aren't I. I'm pleased Susan has a "buddy" to talk to, it must be a help.Still thinking of the two of you. I am having to keep quiet because my grandson is trying to get some sleep after working the night shift, so I think I'll put some photos onto Webshots. Love June xx

Hi Just a quickie to say sorry not been on for a couple of days, was very busy with decorating and actually researching family tree, writing up biographhies etc. Although i have found time to read the threads andanswer a few short ones, this one always takes a bit longer so gets put off and then not done!! Now we are just off for the weekend, going to torquay for 3 days, back on Monday so iw ill be back in touch after that. glad your cough has almost gone June. And that you had a nice birthday Sylvia. kathleen hope the funeral goes OK, don't blame you just going to the service. Take care everyone Love Ann Glos

Evening All.I have not managed to get on here for a couple of daysdue to a couple of reasons,but I am here now. went out with friends last night to help our friend celebrate her 70th birthday ,we had a chinese meal ,which was great the Manager gave us a bottle of wine for Margo ,who was 70. We then went to the theatre to see Tommy Steele in Scrooge,which was brilliant. I had an accident at work on Monday ,I fell over a box ,been off work a few days ,but only did something muscular,to the top of the back of my right leg.Problem now is I have trouble sitting in this chair for long .and I can not find a cushion that helps!!!(the theatre was abit uncomfortable as well.)It is slowly getting better ,so should be ok soon. Sorry not to mention anyone by name but my mind is not here at the moment.Take care ,Brenda

Hi all Brenda - you must put more water with your drinks!!!! lol only joking :o) hope you are ok soon, you'll need one of those rubber rings?? Take care:o) Ann - have a nice weekend. Vic is very aware now that l want to start decorating in a few weeks time - yippeeeee:o) June - do hope you are definately feeling better now:o) l will take a peek at webshots. Di - l'm just going to look at GC photo page now. At the moment l can't put photo's on GC photo page - l transfer photo's from camera to the Kodak Easyshare software, but then for some reason l con't do anything with them. They all have a little red flash in the top left corner, don't know why,but since that has appeared l can't do a thing with them. l used to burn them to CD and put them into a folder etc - will take another look at Kodak to see if l can figure it out - hate to think what l have done now - derrr!!!! The shelf thingy for my tiles could soon be sorted - spoke to other b.i.l today, he is going to measure up on Sunday, another yippeeee:o) l have 15 all together now, so they really need to be seen and appreciated. The weather has been lovely today, it did try and rain but only for a few minutes. B.i.l took us out for meal this afternoon - he and his partner don't do much cooking, after a full days working from approx 8am til 7.30pm don't blame them! The dog is in his element, three people to make a fuss of him now:o) Where is everyone - - Fred,Christine, Elisabeth,Anne (Belfast),Lou,Bill, Marly etc etc - hope you're all ok. Nite nite Jude sarf wales xx

Hi everyone Its a bit damp here today, the ground is wet although there is only a spot or two of rain. This morning I was up early, my grandson finished earlier than expected so rang for a lift, so then we both had a cooked breakfast. We are out for a family meal tonight so we probably will just snack during the day now. Thanks for your good wishes everyone, I am feeling a lot better now, just have the occasional cough. Ann,Glos, Enjoy your weekend in Torquay, its years since I have been there. I dont blame you for keep nipping off, you only stagnate at home, but then again not in your case you are always so busy. Jude, your camera isn't the same make as mine so I can't really help you, but it does sound as though there is a tick or maybe, not a tick, where there should be one. It sounds something as simple as that. Why dont you put a message on the Tips Board asking for help? Brenda, Take care of that leg, I hope you haven't trapped a nerve. I was only thinking of Tommy Steele the other day and wondering what he was up to these days, I would have loved to see that show. Di, I keep meaning to burn some CDs too, I just dont know where all the time goes. I'm glad you are getting out for a walk a bit, just watch if its cold that you dont get cold on your chest again. Kathleen and Susan, take care now, thinking of you. Well I had better get moving, I am off to the hairdressers soon. Love June xx

Good evening all, It is time I added my two pennyworth, as I keep trying to look in but the site seems to be so slow just now. Sorry if I don’t mention all by name, but put I put it down to the memory not being what it was! I am now feeling much better – the coughs and snuffles haven’t completely gone, but I am sleeping better and my appetite has returned. I hope everyone else is recovering from this awful ‘bug’. I had a lovely surprise this morning when my brother called in for his usual cuppa, after his trip to the town. He brought two boxes of books and a framed scroll. The scroll is one neither of us can remember seeing before, but he found it in his attic. It is dated 19th July 1919 and was presented to our father at the ‘National Celebration of Peace’. It mentions “ ‘ The Great Victory’ by which right is upheld, National Liberty is maintained and secured the future for all the Nations of the World. Thanks be to God”. What a wonderful thing to find after all these years. Dad is going to need a whole filing box to himself one day with all the paperwork I am gathering about him. (My brother has no children, so all the artefacts will go to our, now only, son.) I just wait for the WW2 medals from the Medals Office, which they have said he is entitled to. Amongst the books was a School Prize for Mum, from 1911, when she would have been just 8. It seems very heavy reading for an 8 year old, but is signed by the Headmaster, and I even have some photos of him! I also found some books from my childhood. I have sat and re-read Nicholas Thomas the Naughty Kitten this afternoon. It is definitely not PC by today’s standards. Naughty Nicholas goes off to hunt and intends to chop off the tails of five foxes, and his father demands his cane and takes him to be beaten! Don’t think that sort of thing would be found in today’s books. Enough of my nostalgia. Back to the chores and to sort out something decent to wear for a lunch with friends tomorrow. Thinking of you Kathleen and especially Susie. Love to all Elisabeth

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It has taken me so long to get on here, l did'nt even get to the latest messages, gave up and just went straight to "add reply". A good ten minutes. Not stopping, just wanted to see who's been on the thread. My other b.i.l will be here soon to meaure up for the shelves for the tiles!!!!:o) then we are off't out to listen to Irish music and have a pint ot two. See you all tomorrow, l hope:o) jude sarf wales xx

Hi everyone I'm a bit late today, I have had a very lazy day, I did some washing this morning, then I got the hoover out and I think its broken so I coudn't do that. So I settled for transferring the photos I took last night at our family dinner, onto my PC and on to Webshots. We had a lovely meal at a local Italian Restaurant, but it is so good and popular that there weren't any tables between 7 and 8.30 when I booked a week ago, Elisabeth, Its lovely to see you on the board again, I got so engrossed in what you had written, I almost forgot what I came on for. How did we grow up to be "normal" people if the books we used to read are so bad? What a treasure trove your brother found, do you use PAF to record your Family History, because you could scan the scroll and put it on your PAF file where you put photographs. Sylvia, I saw that nudge, at least you didn't delete it and pretend you hadn't done it. Jude, surrounded by men, you must be having the time of your life, Kathleen and Susan, still thinking of you. Brenda, I hope the leg /back is improving, take care. Ann (Glos) is in Torquay, I hope they are having a good time. Di, I hope the dreaded bug has gone now. Take care everyone. Love June xx

Hi everybody, Yes, June I did the nudge to keep the thread forward a bit. I was going to write, but took so long in getting on the site that decided to wait until this evening. Am I forgiven? I do get accused of nudging, even when I don't do it. I have to laugh myself about this. Had a bit of a lazy day again. Did some last washing as Johan and I are driving down to Eindhoven tomorrow afternoon, where we shall be staying with my daughter until Thursday. We hope to go into Germany on Wednesday. Janet (my daughter)'s partner Henk has his birthday on Tuesday, so will celebrate that. Oh I will be glad when the summer comes. It has been so cold here in the evenings. Actually during the day it is lovely and sunny, but cold. I woke up this morning and had so many aches and pains that I could hardly get out of bed. I took some Paracetamol tablets and now feel much more mobile. It must be the cold weather. Keep the thread going everybody, as I'll not be seeing you until Thursday. Love, Sylvia xxx

Sylvia, There is nothing to forgive, you nudge all you like, it has been taking a long time to update messages, I thought it was my computer. Enjoy yourself in Eindhoven, I sympathise with the aching joints. It is a horrible wet day here today, I have to go out to the bank shortly and call in the supermarket as well as put the rubbish out, I hate doing these things when it is raining. I will pop back later when I have made up my mind what I am doing thinking of you Kathleen,Susan, Brenda and all Love June xx

I think we need a nudge now and then on this thread, it seems to slip back down the pages so quickly. Hope everyone had a good weekend, it is a bit dull and miserable looking outside but my Sunshine Choysia is dancing away - I think getting excited that Spring will be here in a couple of months. The squirrels are running around delving into all the pots outside, when I see them getting near to where I have bulbs I knock on the window or open the door and they run away. Can't have them digging up the few flowers I have out there. We also seem to have a lot of blackbirds at the moment. The other day a heron came and sat in the apple tree which grows in the garden backing onto mine. A lot of the branches grow on my side and we have had to cut them back, they actually grew through the roof of the old shed we had there. The shed has been replaced with a slightly smaller one and we keep the branches trimmed back each year now. Sorry I seem to have run out of time now, the phone always seems to ring more whenever I get here, today it's all wrong numbers - so annoying!! Hope you are all having a good day, will catch up later if I can. Christopher is off now for 4 days so I will have to compete for time on the computer. God bless Love Kathleen

Morning everyone,we have snow here again in northern england,just like the weatherman said we would,aren't they getting clever!!. Sylvia hope you ahave a nice trip,enjoy yourself. June,I have loads of pictures to scan into the pc must make an effort to catch up with it Jude your shelf sounds like a great idea ,Johns mother had something similar all around the hall in her previous house.It was already there when they moved in,she started collecting plates to make use of it,as it would have meant alot of work to take it out. Kathleen keep thinking about you and your daughter,hope you are both ok. My dad was told he has lung cancer . He starts chemo on Wednesday,they have told us it can not be cured ,but should shrink with this treatment,they will not operate,due to his age ,78 and the fact that it is also in the lymph nodes.I have been a bit preoccupied since we found out just before christmas and did not want to say anything on here at first,could have been denial I suppose.I feel more positive now and will keep you posted. My leg/bottom is slowly getting bettr but sitting in this chair for long is not comfortable at all.Good job I don't sit down much at worklike I used to. Speak toyou tomorrow Brenda

Hi everyone, Well we had a smattering of snow, I was up at 5.30, my burglar alarm went off, I thought I will look out when it is daylight to see is there are any footprints in the snow but its still not light and all the snow has vanished. I haven't anything planned for today, but I think I will have a snooze if I get chance, I'm feeling a little tired. Oh yes, must give you a bit of a laugh, there is a model with the same name as myself, most of my life I have from time to time been teased about her, well at the moment there are photos of her on Ebay, so again the teasing has started. A few weeks ago I ordered some census CDs from Stepping Stones and he asked if I was the model. Kathleen, its lovely to see the bulbs coming up, I too have trouble with squirrels digging them up. It doesn't seem 5 minutes though since I was saying this last year. Di, Its taking me for ever to get onto the site aswell, I dont think it is our threads that is clogging up the site, I think it is when Genes are testing "improvemenst" for want of a better word. Brenda, Just do the photos when you have time, there's no rush, they will still be there. I'm sorry about your dad and hope the Chemo doesn't take too much out of him. I'm pleased you can now talk, it does help. I keep thinking of you. Glad to hear the leg/bottom is improving. well I'm off now to try and get some sleep. Love June xx

Hi, its me again, I have had a snooze and feel better now, then My daughter and granddaughter came round for an hour. We have had a mixture of weather here today, a bit of snow early morning, then rain and sunshine and gales all the time, I hope Merseyside dont send the thunder and lightening over! See you all soon. Take care, Love June xx

Evening all, I actually managed to get the thread to load, so I had better add something before it takes me an eternity to find it again. We had a lovely lunch with friends yesterday. (Sorry mean Sunday!) The food was wonderful and it was so nice to be shown around every nook and cranny of their new home. It is an old cottage which they have extended and renovated to an incredibly high standard. They have created a wonderful, comfortable home. I now want to rip my kitchen apart and replan it! We have had a blustery day, though no snow or hail. It rained quite heavily last night and I expected it to turn to snow but it didn't. There are quite a few snowdrops in the garden, the winter jasmine still has lots of flowers and some cyclamen are still flowering, and primula. It is lovely to see some colour on the gloomy days. I have finally packed the Christmas decorations back in their big cardboard boxes today so they can go back in the attic. I did promise to throw a lot away, which we don't really use, but being a terrible hoarder I only threw away a few broken items. Perhaps next year I will be more ruthless! I'll clear up after our chicken curry and rice and dish up some icecream and fresh pineapple - there is plenty to go around if you fancy some..... Love to all, Elisabeth.

I always seem to get on here at such funny times these days ,thought I'd add a little something unless we fall of the pages. snow seems to have gone but it;s still wet and cold,kept a lot of people from the library tonight. Off to bed now before my bun goes numb on me and I can not get confy in bed, take care Brenda