General Chat

Incase anyone is interested, Downton Abbey starts tonight. It's the final series ever to be made :-( What a pity, it was a good programme. I wonder if they'll do the Christmas one this year?

Just noticed your post on the previous page Mel. So you've got dozy flies in your kitchen LOL Doesn't it make it easier to get rid of them if they're dozy? It did make me laugh when you were talking about their unsavoury habits.
Glad to hear you have good weather, it's gone cloudy and dull here now. At least you'll be able to sort your border out this afternoon and your OH can carry on with his jobs.

Yes I'm looking forward to the Grand Prix too. I think Hamilton and Rosberg are having problems with their tyres which is slowing them down, so I don't think either of them will do a good job in the race today, unless they have sorted the problem out since yesterday.....We can live in hope can't we? :-D

I'm just having a break from the furniture moving and then I'll make a start on the sofa in the living room, we've had to put them together at one end of the room to make space for Sandra's mattress, but now that's back in her room I can move one of the sofa's back over again. We're almost there, which is good as I've just put the chicken in the oven for lunch. Then I want a bath before the F1 starts.
BBL

Well I have finally arrived.

Good afternoon to you all.

Thanks for the Birthday wishes for Ros.

Friday evening started by me going to the pub at 6.30 pm. I sat and had a couple of pints and decided on Ham Eggs and Chips. Which went down a treat. I was home and in BED by 9.15 pm. It appears Harvey and Lewis came about 7.45 and went to a restaurant that has really hit the "HIGH SPOT" in the places to eat 9 out of 10 in all the reports. They had an excellent meal and came home around 10.00 pm Lewis rushed out of the car to come and see "HIS PAPPY" When he found I was in bed and asleep Ros wouldn't let him wake me. Ros had invited Harvey in not knowing I would be in bed. So it looked like he was making an effort !!!

Anyway we woke about 7.30 Saturday morning, and laid in bed talking for a good hour, something we haven't done for years. From 9.00 am the phone started ringing with birthday wishes from friends all over. The post man came with more cards and one from her God Mother with a cheque for £70.00.

John and Carolyn called round with her present which was "AN ORIGINAL PETER NEWCOMBE PAINTING" He's the famous local artist, who's latest paintings are fetching tens of thousands of pounds. So that will go in pride of place somewhere. She loved Tony's painting which she had already seen I have taken a picture of it which I will send on, but it will not do it justice.

We went next door for coffee ( I had a pint of home brew) We say there till after twelve. Then we dashed to Spec S. Who had rung to say my glass's were ready.
As we came out of Pam's The Florist delivered her 20 RED ROSES. Which she couldn't open till we got back. I left her sorting out all her cards and presents while
I went for a pint to watch the match. I couldn't understand why there was this little old man sitting in front of the telly all alone. It appears he called in Friday and asked the BAR STAFF that if he came Sat Lunchtime could ne watch the Notts Forest V Middlesborough match and they said YES so all us regulars couldn't watch the ARSENAL V CHELSEA match.

I came home and we had a bit of late lunch. Then more people were calling round to see her. During this time the Florist arrived again with flowers and a big BALLOON from CONRAD IN SPAIN.By the time they all left. We had to get showered and dressed to go and ick Carolyn and John up. We had a disappointing visit this time and I had to complain. The manager was very apologetic and took the drinks off the bill, which will beer and john's wine was over £26.00. So a nice saying. They came back here for a drink and didn't leave till after midnight.

So a very busy couple of days. Now for a relaxing afternoon.

I will try to catch up on the posts later today or tomorrow. But trust you are all tickerty Boo. :-D :-D :-D

I see we are going to have an INDIAN SUMMER from next weekend through to OCTOBER Temps up to 25 degrees ;-) ;-) ;-)

I am glad Ros enjoyed her birthday Frank it sounds like you were both busy all day no wonder you did'nt post. Are your specs ok? I would be lost without mine.

I hav'nt got up the border yet and now its come over all dull and grey but it is 'nt raining. Oh will be in in a min as he came in and said he could'nt screw the roof down because he did'nt have the right size screws, his were too big or too small. I went in the uti room and picked up my box of screws and they were just the right size so now he is on the roof of the shed screwing it down.

Where is everyone tonight. ??

I have been home alone all day. Ros went off with Carolyn to The Salvation Army H.Q. in Northampton. To feed the homeless people. All the women make Soup, Sandwiches, cakes, biscuits Tea Coffee, fruit juices, an supply various fruits to feed them with. Any food that's left over they pack into carry out packs, for them to have later. There were over 100 people there wanting feeding. Ros got lumbered washing up all the dishes, plates and cups. They were gone for FIVE HOURS. She is knackered now, after eating my lovely roast Lamb and ll the trimmings. She is no sitting with her feet up.

Good job you had the right screws Mel, or else if the wind got up the roof might have blown off.

I'm in my dressing gown now after another shower. Feeling tired. I hope I can stay awake for Downton, if not will watch it tomorrow on catch up. Watching Lewis on ITV 3 at rhe moment. Nothing else worth watching.

It's very quiet on here today

You've both been busy Frank. Glad to hear Ros had a lovely birthday.
So we're getting an Indian summer then? That'll be good as I haven't had much time to do anything in the garden for the last few months with everything else I've been doing, so if we're going to get some good weather I'll be able to sort it out before the winter gets here :-D :-D

Mind you I saw the weather forecast for tomorrow and it's going to pour down. Luckily I don't have to go out and have decided to do the apples, although there's still quite a lot to get through so I might end up doing some on Tuesday as well.

We're finally back to normal here with everything in it's right place :-D :-D :-D I'm glad it's all over. What with sorting all the cupboards, wardrobes, loft garage etc... and then all the decorating. 6 months in total. I was meeting myself coming back as Frank said LOL

Sandra's got X Factor on again. Not to keen on that programme, but she loves it, so OH and I are sitting here watching it with her, to keep her company. I'm sorting all the washing out at the same time as I didn't get time to do it all earlier with being busy with other things.

Oh, X Factor has just finished so now it's big brother, another programme Sandra likes. I've had to record Downton Abbey and will watch it tomorrow, along with Time Crashers which I also had to record because of X Factor. Never mind at least she's happy, which is the main thing ;-) ;-). She tends to sleep in, so I can watch my programmes while she's asleep in the morning as I'm an early bird :-D

Evening All :-),

What a busy time you've had Frank and didn't Ros do well for her birthday! I looked up the artist and must say he does some lovely paintings doesn't he.

Gill, you must be well pleased now the decorating is done and you are able to get straight again. Have you any idea what colour sofas and rugs you are getting or are you just going to see what there is and what takes your fancy?

Mel, that's lucky you saved the day with your screws and it's good he's been able to continue getting the roof on. If you want me to have a look at your ancestor your stuck with just PM me the details. I doubt I'll have any more success than you, but sometimes a second pair of eyes helps.

The ancestor born in 1395 in York was Sir William Nykson. His father Robs Nykson was born 1370 in Yorkshire. Through the generations they seem to have lived in Yorkshire, then, from Quaker times in the 1600s moved south and had their children in different places. At least my ancestor and one of his brothers moved to Ireland (the other brother was given land and 2 properties from another brother which he sold before he moved!) and then my ancestor went to Pennsylvania in 1723, presumably because of the persecution of Quakers and the fact that William Penn bought land there for Quakers to settle in peace. Life was still very tough and dangerous though and some were killed by the 'natives'. Some of his children returned to England, and I am descended from one of those. I don't know why they returned, but his grandson called one of his sons Luther, so maybe he or his father had changed religion to follow Martin Luther's teachings and were no longer Quakers?? The name Luther is in every generation of that line of the family from the 1700s to my dad's brother!

Off to bed now. OH is going to the scattering of the ashes tomorrow and then we are going for lunch at the bistro where they do a lovely ham hock with mustard mash. :-) OH says it will count as a meal for our anniversary!! lol. He's got a pile of thankyou cards he's written to be posted.

I'm fascinated by history and your story sounds really interesting Ann. Isn't it strange the way surnames change over the centuries? The way your Nykson changed to Nixon, it mustn't of been easy tracing a name that changed. I had just one letter difference with OH's surname and that was tricky enough. You must be very good at researching, I wouldn't of known where to start with the surname you had to research. How did you mange to get so far back?

I have a problem with my tree which I've had for years. My OH's great uncle and his wife, we think had two daughters, but it seems that the wife's sisters brought the girls up. I've checked the birth records and it shows the sister's as being the mum's but we're pretty sure that isn't right but don't know how to find out for sure who the real parents of the girls were. I just haven't got a clue where to start to even try to find this information out.

You asked about the sofa's Ann. We're not sure exactly what we want yet. We're thinking of the colour brown but not to dark and maybe a sofa bed so if we end up with a 2 bedroom property, if Michelle wants to stay she can use it. As for the carpet, again we're not sure, but we'll know what we want when we see it.

I've just made a cheesecake and was going to keep it for tomorrow but OH and Sandra fancied a piece now. I think they would of ate it all if I'd let them LOL. Thankfully they've left some to have tomorrow.

Going to bed now, see you all tomorrow
Night Night

Morning all

Well, the rain's here, just like it said it was going to be.

I'm just having my morning cuppa then I'll make a start on the apples. I have a mountain of them to get through. OH normally goes out to his mates on a Monday to help him with his garden but won't be going today with the weather being so bad, so he's going to help me with the apples, along with Sandra so hopefully we'll get through them quite quickly.

So much for me being an early bird, I slept in and only woke up because I heard the bin being emptied. We forgot to put ours out, luckily it's only the recycling bin so no smelly food being left around for to long. We must remember to put the bin out in future, we might not be so lucky next time and it could be the other bin....Yuk.

Going to finish my cuppa now, then get on with all the apples ;-)
BBL

Morning all and evenign Kim,

Was raining here too this morning but I thinkits stopped now but we still have grey dark skies.

I have to pop up the shop for something and do a load of ironing today. Oh has just put our bins out as they don't come till about 11am and if we put them up the top at night the foxes have them all out or they blow away if its windy. We don't have a dustbin or wheely as it is so far to take it up the top to the road it ust goes out in a bag.

Morning PEOPLE Evening Kim.

We also have the rain Gill that horrible misty type that soaks everything. Ros wanted me to empty the last bag of potato's, so she can spread the soil over the garden before putting down the bark. But I can see that will have to wait.

She has decided to pick the rest of the tomato's and empty the pots of compost on the garden, she will be dry in the greenhouse. :-D :-D

Have you anywhere special where you will scatter MILs ashes Ann???

You have certainly gone back a long way with your tree !! What a clever girl you are ;-) ;-) ;-)

No plans for me today. I am a bit on the shaky side this morning, so will read my book. Bu the way I finished "ROOTS" last week. !!!

We had that sort of rain Frank.... the fine stuff. It's stopped now but looking at the sky I bet we get more before the day ends.

Congrats on finishing your book, did you enjoy it?
So Ros is still working away in the garden? She likes gardening by the sounds of it.

I really must do something with ours. I've got quite a lot of pot plants that needed putting into larger pots, but with everything I've done this year I didn't get the time, so now I'm thinking of putting them straight into the garden. I hope we get the Indian summer you were talking about then I can make a new border and plant them out. At least we won't have so much to water if I do that, because the ground doesn't dry out as quickly as the pots do.

Sorry to hear you're a bit shaky today, maybe you should rest up a bit. You've been busy yourself lately and I'm sure the jobs you have to do can wait a day or two.

OH, Sandra and I have just peeled and chopped another 2 bags of apples, but I've asked them to stop now so I can stew them and put them in the freezer. I don't want to end up with to much and no where to freeze them. I've taken the raw ones out of the freezer and will stew them too as they take up to much room, that way I'll be able to freeze more. I'm hoping to have enough frozen apples to see me through till next September when the apples will be ready to be picked again.

My hands are all wrinkly with the moisture of the apples LOL. I'm just having a cuppa. All the apples are chopped and in the pans so when I've finished my drink I'll stew them and start on the next batch if there's enough room to put them in the freezer.
I gave some to mum the other day and she said she'll have more if I can't freeze them all, also OH's workmate said she'd have some for her horses, so they won't go to waste ;-)

Morning All,

What I find interesting is finding out about the people and their lives and even what was going on in the area they lived at the time Gill. I found my own way back to the Quaker ancestor born in 1680 from the parish records. Then I found and bought a book about the early Quaker settlers where this ancestor settled that mentioned him. I got quite a bit further with that, but mostly with his descendants born there. The credit really goes to a few other people who did the research to get back to the 'Sir'. They have found a lot of information from things like wills as the 'Sir's' son's marriage brought land and property into the family. Sadly none of it reached me!! The son had land at Bossall, Yorks. Looking at that village I found that about a hundred years earlier it was completely wiped out by the plague and people were too scared to go back, so the houses fell into decay. Apparently you can still see humps in the fields where the house foundations were.

Rowntree, Cadbury and Fry companies were all founded by Quakers...........so I must have inherited my ancestors' love of chocolate! :-) It's their fault!!! lol.

I can just picture the 3 of you doing the apples Gill! I bet it smells lovely!

Did you mention this shakiness you get to the doc Frank? Maybe you should if not. The ashes have been scattered in the Garden of Remembrance where she lived. I'm always a bit sceptical as usual as I think there must be the ashes from 'others' mixed in, but that's me all over to think like that. What book are you reading now?

Horrid drizzle here and the builder has chopped down one of the big fir trees (it's his as it's on his land where the road will go through. There's just the one left on the neighbour's land now and there was a lovely row of 4 before. Now we have a view of the new house windows built on the field instead. :-S

Better get my skates on.....I'm meeting OH for lunch at 10 to 12. BBL.

Forgot to mention My plate has been rubbing on my bottom gum. I have used no end of BONGEL# on it but no difference and I keep running my tongue over it, which is making it worse. !!!! Anything else I can try ??? What was that oil you could put on a tooth ache ???

Still a miserable morning here, with this horrible rain.

Conrad is coming home for a big exhibition at the NEC on WednesdY, SO WE ARE BOTH LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING HIM .Sorry I caught the CAPS. I'm not sure if he and Jan will be staying with us or getting a hotel room in B'Ham. We are less than an hour away from the NEC so it would save them money coming here !!!

Have you got the rain Mel, or is it all go on the shed again this morning ??

I wonder how our Jane is doing ?? Hope she is behaving herself <3 <3 <3

Morning all

We had some rain now we have the fine drizzle stuff. Used the new washing machine that is temporary in the annexe put a programme on and hoped for the best. Have now found the paper work for it and all the programmes.

We have Virgin media here fitting our new boxes in. I am using my daughters Internet at the moment.

Later on we have to go and register at the doctors. We do need our pills lol

We now have sunshine so I will send you some this afternoon.

Frank my bottom teeth rubbed on the outside of my gums so I had a little file of them with my nailfile. They are much better now but then the inside started to rub and make my gum sore so I told the sentist and she took a little off that bit and now they are ok again.

Any one watched The Go Between last night on bbc 1 ? I enjoyed it but then I like the old fashioned things.

You will soon be up and running on your own internet Pat. Hope you like your new washing machine.

The sun's come out here and there is lovely blue sky too.

How interesting Ann. I like to know about the history of an area and people who lived there too, it's really fascinating. My OH's great uncle fell out with his family but I don't know why and moved to New Zealand, he married the girl who's sisters had the two girls I was telling you about that we think might of been their children. OH's great uncle married her in New Zealand and I managed to find a picture of the church they were married in. They both died there and these two girls were mentioned in both their wills, which is what made us think they were in actual fact their children. The family are very secretive of what happened to Edward (OH's great uncle) but have let slip that they had two children. Quite a few of OH's family have now passed away and took the secret to their graves, but there are one or two who might, in time, tell us what happened.

Do you know how I can find out if Edward's wife did give birth to the two girls. Would there of been a place she may of gone to for unmarried mother's. One of the birth records isn't quite right, the volume number doesn't match the area it states for the birth. I just need to know where to start then I might stand a chance of finding out the truth. Hope you don't mind me asking?

I'm the same about scattering ashes, I remember when we scattered my granddad's ashes, well they were buried in the ground, but it was just a patch of grass at the side of the graveyard. The wind was blowing and some of the ashes were taken away with the wind. I really didn't like it at all and much prefer a grave where you can visit. I've asked my girls not to have me cremated, OH and I want to be buried together. It's strange the things we think about isn't it?

So now you have sore gums as well Frank? Having your plate filed down sounds like a good idea, as Mel found out. Maybe you could have a word with your dentist. You don't want to leave it incase you end up with an infection :-(
I bet you can't wait to see Conrad again, I assume he'll visit even if he doesn't stay with you?

It sounds like you're getting yourselves organised now Pat, it won't be long before everything is sorted and you're settled in properly. I bet you can't wait?

I had a missed call from the estate agent before so I rang them back and have now booked in an appointment for them to come and measure up this place next week. So the property is now going back on the market. Hopefully this agent will be a lot better than the last one.......although that wouldn't be hard would it? :-D

I've almost come to a standstill on my apples for the moment as there are so many there is no way they are all going to fit in the freezer, in fact I'd get hardly any, so OH has just nipped to my mum's to bring the freezer here that her neighbour gave to us a few months back, I'll then be able to get a lot more in there, plus I'll have some extra freezer space ready for all the goodies we buy for Christmas ;-) We think it'll just about fit at the end of some units we have. I would of liked it in the garage but we don't have electric in there so it's having to come indoors instead.
Luckily mum stored it in her garage for us, which was nice of her.

Well, I'd better get back to stewing a few more apples that have already been peeled. I asked OH to get me some more freezer bags while he was out as we don't have as many as I thought. It smell so nice in our bungalow at the moment.
Hope it doesn't rain again before OH can get the freezer in our kitchen. There are one or two darkish clouds about even though the sun is still shinning.

Hello to all,

I haven't been up long, so all I've done is to strip my bed.

What a lovely birthday Ros had. I liked the pictures Frank - especially the light reflections on the water. It looked as though there had just been a rain.

I envy you all those lovely apples Gill. We get plenty that are grown up in the mountains, but seldom see apple trees locally - just too hot I think. I love apples and cranberries together. Apparently you don't need as much fat in a cake if you add applesauce.

I bet your house looks spiffy now. Nothing started here yet on my new digs. It won't be a new build - I'd have to go in debt for that. I'm going to have the garage converted, and will also have the utility room, which will become a bathroom. It already has a toilet and wash basin. We just have to take my washer and dryer out and insert a shower. I haven't used a bath for years - can't get out :-(
The sunroom will become the new utility room. It's only ever been used by the dogs. I'll have just over 650 sq ft, which is really all I need. My eldest son and his wife are moving into my house for now. They have just put their house on the market. They have a four bedroom home. Their two girls are married and their son works down near Atlanta, so this works well for them, and I'll get to see more of my grandchildren.

Ann, You will have to go and visit that village in Yorkshire. Wouldn't it be an interesting dig around those humps. The Quakers were such a peaceful and gentle group. Did it rub off on you?

I hope everything goes well with selling your in laws home Ann. I learned things about Probate when OH died. It may not be the same there, but properties cannot be disposed of here, until after Probate. Mine was very straight forward - all paperwork was in order. We each had our Will made, leaving everything to the other, but it still took 6 months to finish. I actually found it veryannoying because they want to know everything about the value of the estate and at the end, I had to pay a small percentage of that value. I had to use a lawyer a couple of times, so that was an added cost.

Happy for You Pat that you're moving into your new home. I have to get rid of lots of stuff. I'll just give it all away. I want to hang onto a few pieces of Ercol furniture, although they are a little big for the new quarters, but hope to fit them in. I'm going to downsize my bed to a double- grands will have to snuggle up with me. I have a large cupboard off the garage which houses the gas water heater, so that is to be moved to the new utility room, and that cupboard will be pantry, or larder as we called it at home. I shall keep my stove and fridge freezer because DIL is bringing her stainless steel ones - I like mine better.

I'm waiting for one more bid to come in, but hopefully can get permits and off we go. They will have to build the floor up level with the house to start. I had thought I would have wood floors, but it costs about 3 times as much as laminate, so am undecided about that. Anyway, I will take before and after pictures and send. I've bought my paint - it's a very pale grey. It actually looks white with just a hint of grey.

Must get moving. I laughed at you with your gun Mel. Do you remember Granny Clampett from the Beverley Hillbillies ? :-D