General Chat

Hello everyone,

P**p is anyone else having trouble with this site?? I press the refresh button and get error and still can't move back and forward to read your posts without major trouble. :-S

It has been a sunny, windy day here. Floods abating in some areas, but many are just about to cop the brunt when the rivers reach their peak over the next 2 days. So sad to watch these folk with knee high water in their homes and possessions destroyed. Don't know how lucky we are in my area.

Fiona is the pain any better today? I hope they get some answers about your MIL's condition. It must be very worrying for the family.

One of my ancestors was Frances and was listed sometimes as Fanny or Fran on the birth certs. for the children.

Ann "Breaking Bad" is about a chemistry teacher who finds out he has lung cancer, never having smoked in his life. His BIL is in the drug squad and shows some footage about the raids and how much cash they seize. So Walter (Walt White) decides that to provide for his family in the event of his death, he could use his knowledge to make pure Ice. It is something I didn't think would interest me, but it's funny in parts, brutal with the drug cartels and has so many twists and turns. It is on our ABC2. I'd never heard of it before a friend mentioned it, but I'm addicted (no pun intended).

Port Arthur in Tasmania was a terrible settlement for the convicts and where the shooting took place in 1996 (Martin Br**nt shot about 30 people visiting the old colony that day). My convicts seemed to get Tickets of Leave fairly quickly and tended the colony herds at Parramatta. One reoffended and ended up at Hervey Bay in Queensland. He died after about a year there. That was another nasty place. Good luck with the ferreting!!!

Frank how are you today? I wouldn't be sending emails or making phone calls. You will just upset yourself. Leave it as it is - not worth the stress.

I'm off to the couch now, so enjoy your afternoon. 11.22 pm DST

Sorry everyone your posts came through whilst I was typing.

Afternoon all
I will finish reading your posts later..I am still in the middle of watching skating on ice on record..
Alan took some photos of the photos my auntie had yesterday..some where of my mum I hadnt seen when she was young...also I now have some more to add to my tree if I can work out who they are..

Took Mocha for a walk so I could post some Birthday cards..The wind was so strong and it was cold outside but the sun was shining.

I have now given the grass its first cut as the wind has dried it out from yesterday when we had snow showers.. and the temp dropped to 1 degree here.

I have been given abottle of polish Vodka by my cousin..40% wow..I might try this tonight lol..

Must get myself some lunch now..when you are on a roll you dont like stopping ...well I dont bye for now

Well that's two weeks in a row I've missed DOI, went round to a friends yesterday afternoon, it was her birthday, meant to stay only a couple of hours but after a few glasses of wine I stayed for dinner and it was nearly 10 by the time I got home. I'm glad Andy was voted out, went off him when he started moaning.

Another fine piece of jewellery Ann.

I'm thinking about composting, mainly because the council here are not going to take garden waste from 1st April, unless you pay, anyone got any advice on what the best type of bin would be.

Good advise Kim, But how I want to give him a piece of my mind. It's always the same. SELF FIRST, SELF LAST, and SELF AGAIN. I wouldn't wish my condition on anyone, but he has never had a days illness in his life, and thinks no one else should. Blood is BOILING NOW.!!!

Anyway, Glad the floods are improving, I have read about it in our press, also the disaster in the US of A What's happened to the world's weather. My Dad always said, It wasn't natural having all those planes flying round the world. :-0 :-0 :-0 :-0 and this caused our disasters. That was in the 40s.!!!

Maureen, There are so many sorts. I had a round one that was bottomless, with a lid. I would put in the waste vegeatable cuttings, old plants etc. Nothing to woody as it never rots down. I use to buy a powder that you would sprinkle on the layers to help it rot down. I'm sure Mel, William, Jane etc.will have loards of ideas .Go easy on the grass cutting. they go black and horrible.

Have prepared dinner for tonight. Sliced up Pork, in Onions, and gravy with sliced potato on top. That takes about two hours in the oven, FRESH CABBAGE FROM THE GARDEN, and carrots and peas. I've done one of my Bread and Butter puddings. It's all soaking up the milk/cream and egg as I speak. Will top it up before going into the oven.

Pat, Be carefull, that sounds move like paint stripper, !!!! Not to much Now :-D :-D :-D :-D

Hi All,

Had a terrible job to get on here again and I had to do a web search for the site and get in that way as my Favorites thing I usually get in by takes so long. I even have to log in to read messages from GR. Something is dreadfully wrong I fear. I tried logging in five times again today but when I went into the GR site on the web I did'nt even have to sign in!!

Been out this morning as had to drop something off at the solicitors after OH had his check up. He has high blood pressure again and the doc wants to put him on some other drug for something else, which I can't remember what he called it. Frank may know as it is to do with mood swings!! After that we went to the garden center to get some more fish food. I bought an Echinops plant as I lost the one I had out the front. Nice and tall for the back of the border. When we came out they had some shelving and bits for sale. Oh bought me 5 round baskets in difference sizes which we have put over the campanulas that the rabbits keep eating. I was talking about digging them up as they do this each year. Ann it the one I gave you a piece of. It is nice and tall in white and blue and flowers for a long while and it's evergreen. Talk about June Chop to make your plants flower more. They eat these down all through the winter and spring then when they flower in the summer they bite the flower stalks off and leave them on the ground!!!!!!! BUT not I hope with these baskets on them.............we will see........... :-|

We also ate at the garden center and I have not gone shopping so am back up the border after this.

Sun is shining and there is still that eye watering cold wind that Jane was talking about.

I also tried to get Spenser Sweet Peas but could only get the Spencer type in a collection of four colours and they hav'nt got the lovely dark puprle one in it. Just a lilac, white red and pinky colour. Cost me a fiver too.

Yes, I've been looking on line Frank, some are really expensive, if my son wasn't so busy I would get him to make me one but then by the time you've bought the wood it probably would work out more expensive.

Try not to get yourself in a lather over your brother, what is it they say: you can choose your friends but you can't choose your family.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W%C3%B3dka_%C5%BBo%C5%82%C4%85dkowa_Gorzka

this is the vodka i have..I will let you know Frank if it tastes like paint stripper lol ;-)

Afternoon, folks.

Sunny here today, but the cold wind could slice you in two. We have been out to the shops, but we didn't hang about.

No, Frank, Katarina kept well covered up on DoI last night. Maybe she's saving the best for the Grand Finale! It was right that Andy went out, I thought he was past his limit two weeks ago. The ones left are really good, and who would like to bet if it's a male or female winner this time. Not me! It's really good entertainment now, whoever goes or stays. I think it will be between Chico and Michael - or maybe little Miss Dynamite (size 6 WOW, now that's a saving on VAT if she can buy kids clothes!!!) Jorgie could steal the title.

Fiona, I'm glad you had some sunshine while we were getting rained on. The number of times I see the weather map and think 'Poor old Scotland's getting it again'. However, I do have lovely memories of holidays in Scotland, and the weather was pretty kind to us.

Ann, I'm glad you recall the Fussell's milk, and that's it's still available. Although we never use condensed milk. Did it have a butterfly on the label?

Frank, I do feel so sad over your and your brother. I only had the one brother, and he died some years ago of Cancer. although we were seperated by 100 miles and only saw each other about once a month, we were still great pals. He was nealy 5 years older than me, which I think I've mentioned before. I still miss him to this very day. So reading your posts, I consider myself lucky, even though he's no longer with us.

Going to buzz off now, other things to do.

Catch you all later

Hi All
Maureen ,Chris made our compost 'bins' .Well wooden framed ones .We have 3 .If I remember I will take a pic for you.There always seems to be something living in them :-S.Mice,Rats, Bees.When I go done with veg peelings etc I always make a noise just to scare any creatures away.I always have a vision od coming eyeball to eyeball with a Rat :-S :-S :-S

What a sunny day it's been.I got a ton of towels and other washing dried :-D


I hope those baskets work for you Mel.It's soul destroying when everything gets munched by the rabbits.I have seen quite a number of black wild rabbits again this year.Mainly young ones.

Frank PM on it's way

Maureen I have tried all sorts of composters and don't get on very well with them!! I now have one of those tumbler ones like a barrel on a stand and you turn it to mix the compost. The trouble is I need 2 really as you should fill it and not add anymore until it is emptied. Another idea would be to get a shredder and use the shreddings as a mulch around the plants? I fancy one of those wormery things as they digest what you add ant turn it into compost quite quickly, but they are expensive as well. At the moment our council take garden rubbish fortnightly in special brown bins, but you have to pay an annual fee for the bin.

Pat that Vodka sounds a bit like some Shnapps I had in France years ago, very strong and served in tiny glasses and no wonder!! Being a Vodka girl in the past I'm sure I would have liked it! lol Don't forget........tiny glasses!! :-D I bet Mocha is loving his walks. Good to get some photos you haven't seen before.

Frank, I hope the old boy gets back on his feet again and gets his speech back. It is amazing what stamina some have as you say. We watched the programme about Warhorses that was on the other night. The grandson of the chap who rode Warrior was on it and telling some of it. They showed old film and some interviews with 3 old boys done about 10 years ago. They all had all their marbles and were lively old boys. It showed the birth and death date for each one and we were astonished. One was aged 103 when he died , another 104 and the other was 108!!!! ....and after all they had been through in the war too!!

Kim, up to now I have found that one of the 2 brother rellies of mine that were transported was granted a ticket of leave but it was cancelled when they found he was living in an adulterous relationship!!!

Mel, I hope the baskets keep the bunnies away from your Delphiniums. Such a pretty colour combination too.......here it is the slugs that go for them!! I bought a golden Libertia today for the middle beds. I lost one I had on the front but it is a nice contrast being like a spiky grass. I have been trying to get seed for those big 'Kong' Coleus you see in the garden centres. No-one seems to stock the seed for those either, but looking online I see Mr Fothe*gill has them!!

William, For whatever reason. My two elder brothers and me have never really got on. I had so much love for my Father, which they didn't seem to share. The elder one (who has never had a days illness) Said to my Father when he was dying "You are suffering now, because you can't face the day of judgement" for any son to say that to his father dosen't deserve a father. I thumped him then, and have never forgiven him, and never will The other who is terminley ill, was my best man at my first wedding. He was such a rogue, and always Skint. I had given him the Money for the Bells and choir and should have been paid to the vicar., he spent it on gambling, and had to borrow the money from my FIL. which he never paid back. So you can see why I am a happy little bunny on my own, with my wife and her two children.

LOL Pat.Have you started it yet???..I'm not keen on Vodka.White wine and Gin for me :-S :-S.Hic Hic .(not at the same time of course) :-D :-D :-D

Ann I am going to PM you

Among other pills E takes two differant ones for her cholesterol,or to lower her cholesterol.
She is also on one for her blood pressure.
Also she takes one for her thyroid and one other.

She has been having a lot of pain in her knees.Arthritis of a sort that swells her leg around the joint and it goes pink / red sometimes.
She was put on Diclafenic (sp)
Then she was taken off that because of her BP.
So she is in pain again,usually at night.

Any recomendations??

Would Physio help I wonder David?Or a Tens to have a night.

Evening everyone,
It has been pouring with rain here all day ,and the wind has been so strong !!

It's just a quick look in ,had the family here for tea we had just finished when we were plunged in to darkness!!!
The electric has been back on for about twenty minutes now ,so i'am off to make a cuppa in case it goes off again !!

Ooh Mandy !.I thought you were due rain,but didn't think it would be that bad that you had power cuts :-S :-S.Have you got your torches and candles to hand?
We sometimes get flickery lights ,and then I think oh oh .It is quite common here to get short power cuts ,so I always have something ready to give a bit of light.

Chris has had a new printer delivered today.He is now working out how to get it all set up .I want my dinner!!!!!!!.I think I will just have to patient a bit longer :-S

I have asked her to consider acupunture since she won't get new knees

Frank, thanks for sharing that with me and I am sorry to hear that you ended up with the dregs of brothers. It's really sad to hear but again it makes people like me count their blessings (or their relatives). I have indeed been fortunate, not only with my own brother, but with Carmel's brother over in Ireland. I can honestly say that he does feel more like a brother to me that a B i L., we have the same ways, the same humour, so I count those as my first blessings. The fact that the whole of her family took to me ( an English Prodi at that LOL) - I just feel that I went from a small family to a big extended one.

On the other hand, you do have one big adopted family on this thread, and isn't it nice to know you can share the good times - and the bad ones on here. I know you've been a member of this 'family' far longer than me, but I do so look forward to 'popping in for a read' - even if I don't have anything profound to offer.

On the upside, the slow cooker was on the go again today. We had oxtail, haven't had it for ages. Some carrots in the gravy it was cooked in, served up with plain old mashed potatoes. The smell had already got my taste buds going and the meal, although simple, was absolutely d - e - l - i - c -u - o - u - s. Followed by good old fashioned rice pud with a dab of strawberry jam in. Who's a happy bunny?

Anyway, off to do something useful again. Catch you all soon

We had to stumble about in the dark, we were in the sitting room ,the children had all their toys over the floor !! little Katie had just wandered in to the kitchen, so she was scared all by her self in the dark ,she started to cry !!

Hubby got the torch ,and thank goodness it was charged up , we also have one of those Fluorescent Tube lights that you can charge ,so we got that down too, what a performance !!

The little ones thought it was great fun once we had a little light , son wanted us to go back to theirs for the evening ,but we thought we'd stick it out .