General Chat

Oh yes Vera I am sure we played this games too.

Definitely no party bags. We usually got a piece of birthday cake in a serviette. As a variation on musical chairs we sometimes played musical statues, always played Pass the Parcel and Pin The Tail on the Donkey. If there were enough guests to make two teams there was passing the orange under the chin or matchbox on the nose. Happy days :-)

No party bags for us either Ann.
Having a Christmas time birthday, I do remember that sometimes my mother would take a chocolate tree ornament off the tree for each friend to take home.

Being a summer baby my birthday was in the school holidays and parties were in the garden. I don’t remember any indoors so we can’t have been rained off. Yes we had the blancmange rabbit and jelly I can’t remember anything else except a cake with candles. We played hunt the thimble and musical chairs using the radio from kitchen to garden. I don’t remember any other games played at mine and we didn’t have take home party bags, in the 40s and 50s I was grateful to have a party, money was tight.
Strange you say about losing confidence Vera, with not going out during Covid , and then T falling a lot before going into hospital I have lost a lot of confidence walk-in, still do it but have a fear of falling (which thankfully I haven’t).

Vera, I am sorry to learn that you have more illness in your extended family.
Like the others, I hope the family member can be kept pain free.

The mention of a rabbit mould brings back happy memories.
We had a glass rabbit mould and a birthday blancmange would be made and carried through to the bedroom windowsill to set, - We didn't have a fridge until a good few years later and our small kitchen was on the sunny south side,
It would be set out in chopped jelly 'grass', as Vera mentioned.
I used the same mould for my children, but often made a milk jelly rather than blancmange.

As a child,we never had ice-cream at birthday parties, but it was sometimes a Sunday lunchtime treat to have a slice off the family size vanilla block bought from the Walls icecream van, which only called into our road on that day.
The block would be wrapped in many layers of newspaper and again taken into the bedroom, which was the coolest room in the bungalow.There it stayed until after dinner.
Sometimes our 'slice' was put into a 'cone' with a rectangle shape at the top, made specifically for these family blocks.

Other treats for children's parties might be pink wafer biscuits, chocolate finger biscuits or marshmallow cakes wrapped in bullseye silver and red foil wraps.
Iced biscuits with picture sillhouettes on them were another treat... Were they called Playtime?

Only in much later years were crisps and sausage rolls added to the menu.

Do you remember any party games you played?
Hunt the thimble was quite popular and I don't remember prizes for finding it. One's reward was being allowed to be the hider for the next game.

Rabbit moulds - there's a blast from the past. Birthday teas when we were little often included a pink blancmange rabbit sitting on a bed of chopped up green jelly "grass". I remember one party when I was about 6 where, while we were eating our sandwiches, the man of the house ran up the road to the sweet shop and came back with a block of neapolitan ice cream wrapped in several layers of newspaper and this was quickly cut into chunks before it melted. I think it was the first time I had eaten ice cream at the tea table. I felt very sophisticated. Now we can have a freezer full of goodies that the kids eat every day but I wonder if parties are as special as they used to be.

Lovely hellebores in your photos AnnG. We have one dark pink one that is in flower and a yellow one that has buds that seem to be coming straight through the ground without any stem. That one was new last year and didn't bloom at all and it isn't looking good this year. We also have a white one just coming into bloom and another white in a pot that is full of flowers. OH dug that one up a year or so ago to throw away as it wasn't blooming and looked nearly dead. I persuaded him to put it in a pot and hide it behind something else just to see if it would recover at all. It looks lovely now although the leaves are a rather pale green but it has lots of flowers. I might try digging the yellow one up and potting it. I also have 3 patches of aconites which are all showing a lovely bright golden colour and should be fully open in a couple of days.

It sounds as though the afternoon tea for your sister and bil was lovely Mandy. I bet they were surprised to see you all there. Colin's brother is clever making that wooden chain. I really admire anyone as skilled as that.

You're right about our parents and technology. My Mum died in her 50s so never really got caught up in the digital age but my Dad was 93 when he died and could just about cope with the basic television channels and operating his microwave, at least he could until dementia hit. I remember once when he was probably mid-late 80s and was staying with me. It was my brother's birthday and he was away on holiday, so I sent him a text from Dad and me. Dad asked when he would receive it and didn't believe me when I said he had already got it but had to believe it when a minute later we got a reply. He really found that hard to fathom.

I hope your knees aren't giving you any trouble today Ann. Keep on with the little and often exercise regime. I'm a good one to talk as I am really lacking in exercise lately. After I broke the bones in my foot I seemed to lack confidence in going out on my own but I am trying to make more of an effort now and have been for a short walk of about a mile this morning. Perhaps we'll all get out a bit more as the weather improves. At least today has been sunny for us, though it is still very cold.

I need to go and look through the fridge and cupboards to see what I've got that will make a meal with cold pork left from yesterday. I know I've got potatoes and half a cabbage so I can do bubble and squeak if I can't think of anything better.

Afternoon All,

Early start as it is window day, but then he didn't turn up! The wind has gone but it's very dull again and 7 degrees. OH has been out and trimmed some lower parts of the potentilla that was hanging over the gravel and I am starting on sorting the kitchen drawers once he has finished in the kitchen. I need to move the kitchen implements I rarely use into the drawer in the uti and move the useful things from there into the kitchen. Some things can go to the charity shop as well as I don't think I will be using a butter curler or the slicer that does crinkled chips anymore or the rabbit jelly mould.......remember those!

So sorry to hear your sad news Vera and like the others say, I hope they can be kept free of any pain.

Mandy, Colin's brother is very clever to have made a chain in wood! My first OH's trade was wood and he had a big garage full of woodworking equipment including a lathe, but I never saw him make a chain! He made lots of things, the first for me was a fancy rolling pin when we got married and he made models of the lorries for the firm he worked for as well as furniture for us and a greenhouse. Colin's brother mush have carved it by hand which can't have been easy at all!

I hate having impressions done too AnnG. I know what you mean about those drips and your dentist was good warning you and telling you to lean forward. Having them made OH sick once due to the trickling down his throat. Tomorrow will soon be over and you will have your nice new choppers!

OH's parents nor my mum would have managed computers and the internet. To be honest they didn't want to, and resisted even using a bank card as long as they could. None of them had mobiles either. OH's parents still only used the 4 channels on their tv that they were used to as well, even though they would have loved the replays of old series on GOLD. We showed them how easy it was but I think they were afraid of not being able to get back to the usual channels.

Your OH's laser cutter sounds good Mel. I bet it was lovely to see the crocuses and yes, it is strange that roses and crocus were flowering together! I must see if my Aconites are ready to flower as they always cheer me up.

Better finish my gloves next and then the draws!

Mandy I don't think there is any way you could make a chain on a lathe so he must have carved it and its a very long prosess. Good on him for attempting it. He could make welsh spoons and sell them.

Morning All,


Suns out at the moment and I don't know if there was a frost as I got up late.

Vera such sad news when a family member get that awful disease my thoughts are with you.

I hate having impressions taken but that part is now over so the next is to have the rest of the tooth out. I m sure it will be ok and we are all thinking of you.

I have three yellow crocus out in the orchard such sunny little flowers and a welcome site on dreary days. I also had three pale pink roses up on the wall!!!!! a week ago. I could'nt believe it when I drove up there to go out. The seasons are really changing.

today was just an impression, time was for 0900 and I was home (walking) by 0915. Not painful at all of course, just a mouthful of pink stuff like playdoh which had to be held in place for about five minutes. He is very kind and explained it could tend to drip down my throat so to lean forward, he is meanwhile holding it in place so when it oozed out as he pressed it in place he just said lean forward and it was fine.

Tomorrow is the worst appointment, today was because I need the new front denture as I broke the adjacent tooth last week so one has to be added to a denture and I needed a new one anyway. tomorrow I have to have the remains of the existing tooth extracted, it is only mainly the 'post' to which the tooth, which was a rebuilt one, was attached so I don't know what to expect. I guess I will be a nervous wreck again tomorrow. Cynth drove me round as she was going anyway to see the funeral people but I walked home.

Morning all

Another frosty morning but the Suns bright so it's soon disappearing.

Vera thats very sad news for your family as Anng said I hope they are comfortable and pain free .

Mel it would be nice to see what OH has been making ,Colins brother has a lathe and when he use to come for coffee he would bring all sorts of things he'd been making the last time he came was before covid he had made a wooden chain ,how he made that you'll never know there was no joins in the links all carved out somehow ,he's also made lots of bits of fruit apples,pears,bananas etc and fruit bowls.

Anng hope the dentist appointment goes well today.

Right the washing machine has now finished so I better get that sorted and find the next job to do probably a hoover round .

Thank you AnnG. I hope all goes well at the dentist. It was impressions today wasn’t it?

Good morning all, off to dentist soon so BBL.

Vera I am so sorry to see you have had more sad family news. what an awful disease that is. I hope the person is comfortable and kept pain free. <3

Good morning all

It’s dry and sunny here for a change but very cold. The weather app is telling me it’s 2 degrees but feels like -2.

I haven’t got any plans today apart from doing the washing. How can 2 people produce so much washing in one week?

Last night we received the devastating news that another family member has just been diagnosed with an incurable cancer. This is a more distant rellie but we are a close knit family so we are finding it very upsetting.

Afternoon All,

Much the same here today, a bit of sun earlier but dull since and a shower of rain.

Vera it sounds like the birthday celebration has taken off a little! It sounds like it will be quite a big do now. If you all wrap up warm you could then open some windows that would help. You could need some of these fingerless gloves we are knitting! :-D At least the 'headache' could be brought into play if needs be and you still don't feel comfortable nearer the time.

AnnG I have taken my walking poles with me to Cornwall the last few times and they make me feel younger than sticks would, like I am training for some sporting event! lol. They are good for walking along rocky paths and cliff tops and going up and down steps that have no handrails. I hope your ankle feels better again soon. We seem to get these setbacks more as we get older.

It sounds like you had a lovely time Mandy and we would have loved the food where you can pick what you want from tasty things! It was a lovely surprise your sister got to see her youngest son and his partner too. The cake sounded huge and I like the little diamond shaped containers with chocolates.

Mel it would be nice to see those things your OH has made.

Mandy he is just making the one I think well I hope really as they are such dust collecters. So far I have a big ant in the bedroom, a butterfly on the windowsill in the dining area a witch on a pumpkin which I love and there is also a lot of tiny dolls house furniture and a box that opens. I'll send a pic when I can. The witch would make a smahing card. He bought himself a laser cutter and loads of wood.

Sun and showers here and very windy. I nipped out after a very light shower and cut three long branches off the rambling rose down to put in the garden bin. I also took a bit more off the large hardy fuchsia bush leaving a bit to protect from frost. Two weeks time it will be time to cut down the buddleias further, a tough job as that means cutting the thicker branches.

As we were sort of talking about age earlier I was sitting thinking about my Mum, she died when she was 85 and had been digging in the flower beds (July) the previous day. She knew she had an aortic aneurism and had chosen not to get it treated (she was terrified of hospitals). anyway she loved her garden and her church but that is all she did. I wonder what she would think of me in my 82nd year being at home on the internet and on social media. She had trouble understanding a video recorder. My Dad was the same age as her when she died but lived on until he was 93. However, he went into residential care when he was 87/8 and, although he knew about computers and could actually type, I am not sure if he would have ever grasped the internet. And I think there are still people those ages who are no different to my parents. I have a friend in her 80s married to her OH in his 90s and he has always refused to have a computer or smart phone in the house.

Afternoon all,

Very blowy here today and it was so gusty in the night it woke me several times .

We had a nice afternoon yesterday, sister and bil were told they were being taken out for afternoon tea but had no idea that we would all be there too ,sister got a bit tearful especially when her youngest son turned up with his partner, they live in Brighton so they don't see them very often ,I think there was nearly forty of us including a few little ones .
The tea was nice ,there was mini sausage rolls, cheese straws ,tiny sandwiches with cheese and pickle ,ham,egg and cress and salmon and cream cheese , two different scones with butter ,jam and cream in separate little dishes and lots of other little cakes ,pots of tea on the table and coffee for those who don't like tea .
There was a big cake for them to cut but it wasn't cut in the end as everyone was so full so they took it home .
The cake was round about twelve inches high with a round mirror laid on the top with lots of diamonds laid on the top of that so they sparkled it was so pretty .
On the tables we all had a large diamond shaped container with six little chocolates in.

Mel what is OH making the Minions for .

Oh its now raining think I'll get the kettle on for a cuppa .

Very wet, windy and grey here as well. During the night one of the feeders for bird seed blew off the tree and broke. It has stopped raining for the moment but it looks as though there is more to come.

AnnG, I am bearing a strategic headache in mind. The house we are going back to is quite large. It’s set a good way back from the road and has a large lounge and a good sized dining room and both have doors to the outside that could be opened if needed. As for the funeral, our late friend would say “go for it and enjoy yourself” but we’ve been worried about his wife. She is very much part of our group and wouldn’t normally be left out but we didn’t feel right asking her to join us. However our problem is solved as after the funeral one of her friends from another town is taking wife back with her for a few days so she won’t be here anyway.

Just noticed the time - I’d better turn the roasties over and get some veg on.

Morning Anng and all,

Very wet and very windy here this morningand its dull and grey and miserable.
Not a nice day at all and the wind howled all night. Glad I shut the big girls in last night so they were nice and warm without the wind blowing in their pop hole.

Oh is still putting together pieces of wood and I thought the latest one was an owl but its not, then it came to me its a Minion.