General Chat

Hi everybody Its raining here today and the rest of the week is more of the same. Sue and June - I had the same problem with sudoku when I started, just couldn't get my head around it. I still get stuck on the HARD ones and have only managed to solve about two. I also tried solving the on screen ones and a could one to visit is www(.)websudoku(.)com/ - where it actually allows you to click on buttons below the puzzle to see if you are putting the numbers in the correct places and highlights in red when they are wrong. I coming up to a year on GR and considering renewing which will probably happen, its been fun 'chatting' and solving those 'name that film' puzzles that appeared during the year. John

Hi all, You are all still looking well, and in a happy frome of mind, only way to be. as you probably all know we are now on daylight saving here in Kiwiland, takes a few days to get used to, but get used to it we will, Weather not so good today, rained most of last night and very cold windy and overcast, with lots of water lying around. I play bowls during the summer months and we started on September 17th and so far have only managed 2 afternoons playing, mainly due to weather and ground conditions, but the season is still young, unlike me. so should manage more games as the summer approaches. Best go do some housework, will catch you all later. TTFN.

Hi All Just a quick hello to everyone and to tell you all what I have just seen. We live on a 4 laned arterial road (main road that goes from one end of the city to the other). Well I was looking out my window and I saw a steer running down the road. There was a 4WD after him, dont know if they have caught him yet. But we dont usually have cattle wandering on our main roads lol. We are having a terrible day here today with warnings of wind gusts up to 110 km hour, there is already one road closed in a town about an hour from where I live, as there is roofing iron and debris all over the road. It is also raining, but what else is new it is show time, we have our Show holiday on Thursday. Rooster Guy, sounds like we are both getting similar weather. Yes we are also on daylight saving. It takes me no time to get used to it, I love it and would be happy if we could have it year round. John sound similar to the site that I go on for Sudoko with the wrong numbers being red if they are in the wrong place, so I go to change that and end up with more red ones so it is a matter of starting again, it does fill in time though, and keeps the mind active lol. Well I must go and do a bit more work, hope everyone is well

Hi everyone, It is dry here but the sun isn't shining yet. Yesterday we went to Hoghton Tower, which is only 3/4 miles from us. It is 16th Century Fortified Manor House. It is 650 feet above sea level so there are views of Lancashire, Cumbria and North Wales from there. The Manor wasn't open for viewing so we will be returning next summer to have a look round inside. It was a Medieval Weekend, so there was jousting etc, and a tent for the King, that was set up as it would have been on the battlefield. There was also a Craft Fair, with some beautiful handmade things. I used to sell my painted ceramic lights and ornamenys at Craft Fairs, so I met up with some of my friends that are still selling their crafts. It was very enjoyable. Sylvia v O, I'm glad to have you back, you sound as though you had a good time. I would have been lost with all those sophisticated things too. Fingers crossed for Johan. John, I do hope you renew, there are too few of nice people on this site now. Maybe they are still around but not posting. I will have to try Sudoku again, we have been doing Flipwords, we have a competition between the four of us as to the highest number of points we get. For a couple of days I held the highest score but now my daughter has left us all behind. Rooster, It sounds as though we are all having similar weather. Our clocks will be being put back this month, I do wish they would stop messing around with the time. I hope the weather improves for your bowling. Sue, Those gusts of wind sound very nasty, I wonder if it was something been blown over that startled the steer. Hope your weather improves soon. Well my peace is now over, everyone is up and about, so I will leave you for today. Take care everyone. June xx

Hi everyone, Good to read all the 'happenings' of everyone from various places/Countries. We too are trying to get used to day light saving. Would help if the weather wasn't so wet and windy. Put all the washing out early and it is wetter now than when I put it out. I have tried Sudoku but it's not for me (I can't get it right!) We do miss Christmas Dinner in England. Roast Turkey and all the trimmings. We miss sitting around the fire in the afternoon scoffing nuts, fruit, crystallised fruit, dates, figs etc. Wow, we must have been greedy! We did have Roast Turkey here in NZ the first two years - didn't really enjoy the turkeys. We had been used to having fresh ones straight from the farm. We enjoy our BBQs etc here now though. At Easter my married daughter usually says 'shall we have a proper hot Christmas Dinner for Easter'? Guess who cooks it! But we have fun. Specialist for me tomorrow - the Dr. thinks I have a slight bladder prolapse! Blooming nuisance I can tell you. Will probably tell me It is age related - muscles wearing out! It was a six months wait in Tauranga Hospital so had to go privately. Goes against the grain, but had had enough of the problem and the thought of another 6 months would have driven me crazy. Although if it is life threatening they are very good. When my husband Pip had cancer 18th months ago he was in and operated on in no time at all. Thank goodness. Must go now - most people will be having lunch but I will be going to bed! Nite nite Mavis

Morning everyone, nice to find so many messages toread about what everyone is up to. My partner John is into Soduko but says they are getting easy ,I know there are several levels and will be looking for a harder level for him now.He says I should be able to do them but never leaves me any to do!! Have been in touch with some one with the same rellies as me and she lives ,I think, in my neck of the woods,I am really pleased. Our times change like June says at the end of this month,I will then have the correct time on my phone clock ,video and timer on the oven,I can never change them ,so leave them and have to remember for six months of the year that they aren't correct. Its cold and grey outside and I don't think the washing will dry out there again so it will be in the dryer tonight. Hoping for a phone call from a friend I have not seen for a while to say she will be meeting me on Thursday ,have a dentist appointment and am meeting some other friends afterwards and have asked this friend as well ,we go to a city centre pub and have a bottle of wine and a meal (,two for the price of one)and a good old natter. Going to look at the tree of this connection again (big smile on face). Take Care,Brenda

Hi everyone Brenda, you may have to buy a Sudoku book for yourself to use. I did the sudoku puzzle this morning it was an easy version and it gets harder as the days go by. Have you visit the web-site and played the on-screen version? John

Hi everyone, Its Tuesday again already, I dont know where the time flies to. It looks a bit dull outside but may brighten up later, at the moment, its dry. Mavis and Brenda, I cant get the hang of Sudoku either, maybe if they did a version for 5/6 year olds, I would stand a chance. I even bought a book of them, but I'm no good with those either. Mavis, Good Luck at the specialist tomorrow. Brenda, Sometimes I dont bother altering all the clocks either, what does it matter if the video or water comes on an hour different, I dont usually set my video for programmes in advance anyway. I hope you found some more rellies. John, Normally I enjoy puzzles with numbers but me and Sudoku just do not get on, I think I am going to leave it for a while then try again, maybe my patioence isn't as good as it should be. Well done to you! I hope Kathleen and Susan are feeling a bit better now. Take care everyone. Love June xx

Hello All, John I think you are correct about getting myself the sudoku book,I have seen the web site but not done any on it,I would never be of the pc if I started !!! June Weather not to nice here either but i am off to work shortly,so I am not that bothered,I will find out my rota as soon as I can and let you know about the meeting. Any news on the move. Sorry if I missed any one,have an errand to do for John on the way to work ,so going out a bit early. Take care ,Brenda

Hello all. Sorry I have not been here much lately (if that makes sense?!). Nice to read all the messages. Am having a quick read while about to have a coffee here at work. Lovely and sunny and blue sky down here in Bournemouth. :- ) Joy (dead chuffed because my football team won yesterday!)

Hi all, Not a very interesting day, but will add my comments. Spent most of the day cooking, washing and ironing. I made a lovely table centre piece with hydrangea flowers and ice-plant flowers and set it in a wreath of dark reds and green odds and ends. It really is a picture, even though I say it myself. Who else is going to say it? Actually Annemie came down for a natter and saw it and thought it was fantastic. Annemie asked me if I would knit a pair of gloves for her husband for him to wear in bed because his hands are bad with eczema. Now, I haven't knitted gloves for years, so wasn't looking forward to that at all, but being the person that I am 'I cannot say no'. I then had a great idea. Yes, stacked away in our cupboard I had a pair of white cotton gloves. Hey, ho, problem solved. Annemie beamed with delight and me too! Tomorrow is the big day. I have my new teeth, hopefully in the morning and in the evening Johan has his appointment with the cardiologist. Cannot wait to hear what he is going to do with him. Well I have to stop now as Annemie wants me to make a card for one of our neighbours who is coming out of hospital soon. Cheerio Sylvia xxx

Hi Everybody Lovely day here at last,the past few days have been more like Autumn than Spring.We have had a lot of windy weather and the garden looks like a snow field,covered in blossoms. Sylvia we look forward to your bright new smile and you will no doubt enjoy the comfort again.Do hope that Johan's visit to the cardiologist brings good news. I'm afraid John that my mind is too lazy for Sudoku but agree it is nice to keep the mind active so I have started a thread that perhaps we can find something to keep the old cells alive. Regards and happy thoughts to all JudyNZ

Hi everyone, Its a bit dull here this morning but yesterday it brightened so maybe it will today as well. On Monday evening, my daughter decided to dye a white skirt she had for the summer, everything was going fine until the washer stopped. She managed to get the skirt out and it really does look like new. Her husband came home yesterday and tried to mend the washing machine, the man in the repair shop had told him what to do. The outcome is that it would cost too much to repair it. While he was trying to mend the washer, my granddaughter was screaming upstairs, she had pulled the fancy top off of one of the taps and water was spraying out all over the place. My s i l left the washer, dashed upstairs and sorted the tap out. Now my washer is out in the garden and my daughter's washing machine, which fortunately was stored in my garage is now installed in my kitchen. What a star my son in law is! Its all my fault really for saying it was a boring day! Brenda, No no news yet on the move, we are waiting for their surveyor to come and view our property. I hope you manage to sort out your rotas ok. Joy, Good Luck to your football yeam. Sylvia v O, I look forward to seeing your big smile today.lol My thoughts are with Johan. Judy, Its really Autumn weather here too, the leaves are now turning lovely golden and bronze colours. I must get my camera out before the leaves fall. Once again everyone is getting up so that is my cue to come off here lol. See you tomorrow, June xx

Hi All Not much to report here. I have had a contact on this site and I have been busy going through her names and boy has she got a lot of names. I have only got a small number on this site highlighting what I call the main branches of the tree and the children belonging to them, but I have not added any later generations, I figure that is enough for people to see if there is a connection. It is a public holiday here tommorrow for the Show. We are not going tommorrow as the weather prediction is not good, nothing unsusal for showday. David and myself are going on Friday, Dannielle isnt worried about going to the show as she would prefer to get an extra showbag instead of going to the show. Sylvia hope Johan gets a good result from the Cardiologist. John, I went to the Sudoko site you mentioned and yes they are easier than where I went. June not good when washing machines break down, mine has been on the way out for a while now, when it comes to drain and spin it just sits there and hums at you. I wabble the outlet hose and the water starts draining out. We have had the pump changed twice so when it goes this time I think it will be time for a new machine. Hope this finds you all well.

Hi everybody, Well no teeth, but a promise of next week. I tried them again today and he has put an extra piece in the top ones and I must get used to that. Feels like something is stuck in my upper gums. Now tonight Johan and I went to the cardiologist and it was so busy. Poor man. He said he wanted photos of Johan's heart and he has to have blood taken again. He doesn't know why Johan is so breathless. Johan has had electric shocks twice to get his heart to beat normally and may need doing again. Time will now tell. At the hospital there were several flasks of coffee for the patients and milk and sugar. I thought this was very thoughtful of the hospital to provide this free for the patients. I suppose the cafetaria was closed. We have had such lovely weather so I scooted round the harbour and did a bit of shopping. It was surprisingly quiet being that it was such lovely weather and the children are always free on Wednesday afternoons - well, the junior schools. Not much more news for now. Thank you all for bearing with me and being for me which helps to know you are not alone. Sylvia xxx

Hi Everybody Well at last our weather is back to Spring,really makes your wardrobe versatile,guessing at temps each day !! June,aren't washing machines the greatest and oh the tales they could tell.Many years ago when my grandson was a babe my daughter's machine packed up and having a baby to wash for each day needed a replacement.My dear old agitator was unpacked from the shed (wouldn't part with it as it had taken a lot of saving up for).It gave me a thrill to see the same machine that had washed my daughters nappies washing her sons. Hands up those of you who like me can remember the scrubbing board and the old copper.Oh how I love modern technology ! Regards to you all JudyNZ

Hi all Judy yes I remember the old coppers. My Nan and Pop had one on their farm. They sold the farm in 1990 but right up til then Nan would fill the copper up and light a fire under it, which was located in the laundry everytime she washed and she would use the water out of the copper for the hot water. But not only for washing would it be used, the laundry was situated in a room seperate to the house, the toilet was also in a seperate room within the laundry, so we had an outhouse of sorts. Yes we even had bedpans in each room incase we needed the toilet during the night and didnt want to go outside because it was dark or too cold as they lived at the foot of a mountain. When we caught a chook or goose or turkey to kill and eat, Nan would set a fire under the copper and when the water was hot she would get some water out of the copper and put in a metal wash tub, like what you would use a wash board with, to scald the feathers on the birds to make it easier to pluck them. The other time the copper would get used is at bath time. Nan would fire up the copper then when water was hot she would carry water from one end of the path to the other to the bathroom which was attached to the side of the house. They did have a hot water system but they only used that to wash the dishes with, Nan didnt like using the hot water from the system to bath or wash clothes with as it would them cost more for their power.

Goodmorning to all, Sylvia - Do hope they can sort out Johan's problem soon. Thinking of you both. Joy - When we lived in Andover Hampshire (13 years ago) we used to visit Bournemouth and Mudeford frequently. My brother used to live in Bournemouth. June - Came away from the Specialist feeling a bit down - have to have a scan on my abdomen next week. At the moment it is the usual blood tests etc. Dr. thinks - only thinks - that I may have a Cyst. Wet and windy here again today. Had a busy day. Our Probus Club had a car Fun Run Rally. Everyone was in fancy dress. Some of the costumes were fantastic. The rally was really good - we actually won! Unfortunately, the winners each year have to organise the next years rally. Design the course etc. Will be fun. Our grandson has been home on leave from the Army - good to see him. Went away a young lad and came home a man! He just loves the army life. Must go now - bed time here! Mavis

Hi everybody, Well Judy I remember 'the good old days' having to wash babies napkins by hand. I never had a washing machine until my third child was born and that was only on hire. Our first home was a caravan in a field and every drop of water had to be carried. A nightmare with a baby! My husband fitted up some wheels with a large container for water and used to fill this once a day for me but with a baby you soon run out. We had gas lights to see with. The winter was the worst as my husband worked late many evenings and I was alone with nobody else near me. Very lonely. Today I am absolutely knackered as I have been turning out old clothes in our bedroom. I have filled 4 large plastic grey bags with clothes and linen. This is a job which should have been done long ago. I really am a clothes hoarder. I keep thinking 'maybe that will fit me again next year'. Of course it never does. The kilos come on but rarely go off. The weather has been dull, grey and misty. We had sun forecast, but it never showed its face here today. I hope the sun comes through tomorrow as I am going to the market. I am going alone as Annemie has a doctor's appointment. Have a nice evening, and see you tomorrow. Sylvia xxx

Hello everybody I remember the copper in the laundry on the family farm, Mum would fill up with water, light the fire to heat it. I think it took most of the day to get the washing done and put it through the hand-cranked wringer. Then they got the electric wringer washing machine and the copper got pensioned off. As time went by that too got retired as top loading machine took its place. Memories of a childhood. The weather today is a bit better but (that word again) rain is expected, then we have the equinox winds to look forward to. Jeepers - isn't Christmas is getting close. This Christmas my wife's brother and sister will be joining us. The last time we got together in this way was when their father died in 1986 nine days before Christmas. This June, their brother died suddenly and my sister-in-law suggested we all had a Christmas together, now that there is only the three of them. Most of our Christmas are spent at my Mum's then at my brother's for part of the day. Just renewed by GR sub, as it is fun being on this site. John