General Chat

Dad had a 2 tone green and cream Vauxhall Victor estate once Mel. That was quite a big car for you to learn in. The Ford Anglia was my driving instructor's car. His name was Mr Steele and he had a Jimmy Edward's style bushy moustache and wore brown brogue shoes with the punched hole pattern in the leather. He was very patient too, but a bit mean on my first lesson like Jane's instructor. He made me do 48mph on my first lesson and all I could think was 'how do we stop'!! lol. After my 2nd lesson he wanted to book me in for an advanced driving test before I'd even took the ordinary one as he said there was quite a wait for those. There was no way I could afford the lessons though so that didn't happen. A trick of his was to stand a matchbox on it's end on top of the dashboard. If your gear changes were smooth enough it wouldn't fall over he said. :-S

When the neighbour in the close that had Parkinsons had carers they were always male, so maybe it was what he had requested. It sounds like your hubby made a good move there Gill from the cold garage.

Naughty boy Frank......now why doesn't that surprise me! LOL. The nearest I got to driving without a licence was up and down the drive at home to move dad's car to get to wash it!! Mind you after dad bought a little A35 van, when mum and dad were out I once drove it between the house and garage onto the back lawn and then drove it around the lawn and back. I just hoped I'd parked it back in the exact spot so dad wouldn't notice and then had to check in case there were tyre marks on the lawn!!

Just had some porridge sprinkled with blueberries, cherries and mango and a shake of cinnamon. That will do me till tomorrow.

I think my instructor told me that if there was a cup of tea on the dashboard .It shouldn't spill when changing gears :-D.I often think of that when I change gears now and try and be a smooth as possible.He smoked like a chimney too when I was having my lessons.Not because I made him nervous but I think that was just the norm back then.He even offered me a cigarette :-0Can you imagine that nowadays !
I loved driving and still do ,but I don't like night driving now as I am blinded by on coming lights.
I wouldn't like to start learning to drive now .All those lorries and bad tempered drivers on the road.Dad used to let me drive his car in the mornings going into college in Plymouth.I used to wave at everyone I knew and he would freak out .Telling me to keep 2 hands on the wheel and eyes on the road :-D.
I think I have said before but the week after I passed my test I got a job as a driver for a Vet.It was a blue and white small Bedford Van with a wire curtain thing behind the seats ,and I would pick up and transport Dogs and Cats to and from the Vets.Then I would have to swill out the back each night with disinfectant .The smell of the disinfectant was much nicer than the accidents that the animals had !!!!!

I bought a new pot for my Olive tree today.So it is now repotted and has been moved right up against the back wall of the house with the other one.Fingers crossed now they won't blow over again.I asked at the Garden Centre when the next delivery of Xmas trees would be..I was told there were no more and to be quick and choose a tree.I am supposed to be going with James tomorrow afternoon to choose one ,but decided to pick one and have it kept until tomorrow.James and I always go together to get the tree,and he is the one who gets to choose.Hopefully he will think I have made the right choice :-D.We will see lol

You do change gears smoothly Jane so it obviously works! I can just picture you sailing along waving like the Queen while your dad's nerves were fraying. My instructor smoked one of those pipes with a big curve on it so it was held at chin level like Sherlock Holmes. We forget don't we how smoking happened everywhere you went years ago. I had to do hand signals and indicators on my test, so the windows were up and down all the time with the hand winder flying round.

I don't think dad took a usual driving test, but he learned to drive in the army, first the trucks then moving on to tanks, then being an instructor and training others to drive tanks. Mum never did learn to drive. She tried when I was having lessons and dad took her out once....only once! She nearly drove him and the little van dad had into a wall head on!!! She had a couple of lessons with my driving instructor then and I asked him how she was getting on. His tactful reply was that he wished she was more like me!! She gave up then. She was not one to persevere and didn't like being told what to do or what she was doing wrong so it was bound to be a disaster.

Brr it's getting chillier here. Not sure whether to go to Melton Mowbray with OH tomorrow!!

Evening All

Brrr today has been bitterly cold the wind is quite strong to and the rain is lashing down, not a nice day to be out, mind you it did not stop me meeting up with the usual bunch of ladies for coffee,
we booked our christmas lunch today, at the same place we have our coffee, but we will meet up next Wednesday at 12 noon instead 11.00. I must remember the presents , we give each other a little gift at our christmas lunch ,usually a christmas bauble or sometimes a forever friends gift ,last year a gave the ladies a friend T towel and a little christmas angel decoration.

When OH got to work this morning he was told to go home and take today & tomorrow off as holidays, honestly why they cannot phone before he leaves the house in the morning beats me, he was not the only one either, :-S :-S

Well, we've watched all the 60 minute makeover's, what a marathon. lol

There aren't many male carers where hubby works, he had been a carer going to people's houses but some weeks he only got 2 hours work, so he decided to find a new job with more hours and was lucky to find one in our village.

He works very long hours (12 hour days) and gets very tired as you can imagine. He has Monday's off, but likes to just relax.

Good job I can decorate and do DIY I don't think he'd have the energy to do anything else. I felt bad asking him to paint the ceiling's for me but he knows I have a fear of heights so didn't mind helping me. Luckily the two ceiling's which needed doing were small rooms so only took him a couple of hours then he relaxed for the rest of the day.

A friend of my hubby's taught me how to plaster and I can paint and decorate, lay carpets, basic plumbing and electrics and tile walls. I also garden so it's not very often I need hubby's help, which is good for him, otherwise he'd never get any rest

:-D :-D :-D

Evening all,

It's been a really cold and windy day here .
We've been to see two school plays in the church,been to the hospital and got a new christmas tree ,so it's been all go here .

Thanks Ann and Maureen for the christmas cards ,another hand painted one from Maureen they are so good ,i've got a little box to keep them all in .

I don't think my dad ever took a driving test ,i think he learn't to drive when he was in the army .
I couldn't wait to start driving and did so as soon as i could ,i'll never forget the day i had a lesson ,there was a lollypop man who would stop the traffic on a crossing to let cyclists ride across ,well the driving instructor told me not to stop ,to keep going as they were cyclists and i didn't have to stop for them only pedestrians .
He was so angry that he got me to drive to the police station to report the lollypop man :-S :-D
I didn't think i would pass my test because when i was asked to do hands signals i forgot and put the winker on !! i suppose because i didn't panic and calmly turned it off to do the hand signals i passed first time . :-D
I remember the instructor driving home from the test and as we pulled up at home he jumped out and ripped up the L plates i had on a Mini that my dad had bought me :-D
Mum and Dad were watching him out of the window so they knew i had passed .

Gill ,i hope Sandra's well enough tomorrow to enjoy the carols in the library .

Gosh this wind sounds as if it's getting stronger !!

Dear All

I have often looked at this thread but have not posted.

Just wanted to say hello and hope you are doing well. <3


Take gentle care
With best wishes
Elizabeth,
xx

Hi Elizabeth

I'm new as well, you'll find everyone on this thread very welcoming and friendly. As you've probably noticed we talk about all sorts of things.

Look forward to you joining in :-)

Thankyou Elizabeth.

Oh Gill ,you are a Jack of all trades :-D.I could do with you here :-D :-D.I don't have a clue when it comes to DIY :-S.Chris will have a go ,but (I will whisper this) He is not the best :-S especially when it comes to painting.
Mandy you have had a hectic day.I bet you have your feet up now :-D
Fancy your instructor reporting the poor Lollypop man :-(.....I passed first time too :-D
Chris passed second time ( so I have one up on him ;-))

Ann ,did we have the conversation about changing gears smoothly when we went to meet Maureen?It seems to ring a bell.
Chris had some sad news today.One of his friends who he trained with at medical school died in April from a brain tumour.He was only 60 and was a GP in Cheltenham.
I only met him twice .Once at our wedding and then again when we lived in Nailsea (Bristol) just after we had Hannah.

James received a Xmas card today from Portugal.I was trying all day to think who he knew in Portugal.
It was from his employers.They are in Portugal now until the New Year.Lovely message saying it was a delight to have him on the team and they are looking forward to working with him in 2015 :-D.I think he was quietly quite chuffed.
I need to go find a tooth pick now as I have lamb meat stuck in one of my back teeth and I can't get it out with my tongue or finger :-S
Once that is done I will be off to bed to read my Kindle.So will see you all in the morning x

My mum said I should of been a boy Jane, what with motorbikes, cars and DIY.

My hubby has just mulled through the channels looking for something to watch and you'll never guess what he's watching DIY DUMMIES. I'm not joking, how funny is that :-D :-D :-D :-D.

Maybe he's looking for tips lol it's on channel 5 maybe your hubby could take a look too :-)

I'm hoping to post the Christmas cards tomorrow, I haven't got yours yet Jane, maybe it'll arrive tomorrow.

That was a nice card James got from Portugal, I bet he is chuffed and rightly so, it's not often you get such a nice message.

I passed my test first time and hubby second so we've both got one up on our OH's Jane.

Sorry to hear about Chris's friend and such a young age too

Sandra is feeling much better today Mandy so hopefully she'll still be feeling that way tomorrow so she can go to the library. Luckily her dad isn't on a 12 hour shift tomorrow so can take us there in the car, it's far to cold and horrible outside for her to chance walking. I wouldn't want her to get anything else through getting cold.

Michelle has just emailed so I'm off to read it now
Back again tomorrow

Hello all,

I can't believe it, but I've just lost a post too. That's the first time it's happened to me. I'll write again tomorrow as it's getting late. William probably put the whammy on me :-D

Just want to say how fortunate you are Gill to have your hubby working close to home. I think it takes a special person to do the work he does.

Hello to Elizabeth. I don't post very often, but do enjoy reading to see what everyone are up to.

Today (10th) would have been our 54th wedding anniversary. We were married for 49 yrs and 3ms when my old pal passed on. It was truly dreadful for the first 3 years, but I'm not so sad anymore. I look forward now to what I know is ahead.

Hope Fiona is okay - I hear that the weather up there is very cold.

Bye for now,
Ruby

Morning all and evening Kim,

Grey skies this morning and everywhere is wet wet wet and windy.

I opened up th ebantam house and they were'nt bothered to come out.

Going shopping today.

Meant to say I hope Sandra is well enough for the Carol Service today at the Library. Have a lovely time.

Morning all

Nice and sunny here but still as cold as ever. The wind seems to have calmed down today although it was really bad in the night, I thought our roof was going to blow away. I heard a bang but don't know what it was, so I'll ask hubby later to check the roof, (me and heights don't go together very well :-D)

Sandra is still asleep, but going by the way she was yesterday, I think she'll be alright to go to the library. Her dad is working till 2pm so he'll take us in the car. It actually starts at 2pm so we'll be a little late but I don't think Sandra minds so long as she's there. From what Sandra was telling me it's more of a sing along where everyone joins in, rather than a carol service, so it should be good.

She loves singing and even made her own CD once. My sister's ex had a recording studio so Sandra sang her little heart out to a song she knows and he recorded it onto a CD for her. It's really good. :-)

Not much to do today a bit of polishing, then the carol singing, if there's time I'll do a bit of shopping. If not I'll do the shopping tomorrow and I'll post everyone's cards today too :-D :-D.

I'm not surprised Mel your bantams didn't want to come out to play today, with the weather being wet, wet, wet and windy. They're not daft are they? I think I'd stay inside too. ;-)

It is hard Ruby, when a loved one pass's away, everything changes, but I'm sure he'd want you to carry on and be happy.

Yes I am fortunate to have my hubby working so close to home. An old school friend of mine, her husband works away for 4 weeks at a time and I know how lonely she is sometimes. She lives in Victoria, Australia, not sure where about her hubby works, but I do know he has to take two planes to get there, so quite a way by the sounds of it.

Going to do my polishing now
BBL

You can come and do my polishing after you've done yours Gill.

Sounds a good idea to have a sing song that should really get people into the Christmas spirit if they can join in with the singing.

I'm on my way Mel, have the feather duster ready :-D :-D.

It's only a small library and all the staff are really friendly. I've been once before and they laid on mince pies tea and coffee or a small glass of sherry if you prefer. There was a Christmas quiz as well as the singing so it should be a good afternoon. We're looking forward to it.

Going to check my emails now
See you later

Morning all, Evening Kim,

Guess what MADAM has gone off shopping with Carolyn again. Don't know when they will be back. I have been waiting for a trip to the hairdressers all week. The way it's going I will need an estimate, before they start. :-D :-D :-D

Hi to Elizabeth, Please come and join our happy little gathering, you will be made most welcome. <3 <3 <3

Had a wonderful evening with Conrad and Jan, our table was booked for 7.00 pm and we ate so much, I haven't seen Jan eat so much before !!! Conrad has to have a small operation today at Peterborough Hospital on his rear end ;-) ;-) ;-) So he can't have anything to eat or drink after 8.00 am this morning. He certainly made sure he wouldn't be HUNGRY by what he got through last night. :-0 :-0 :-0

We are going down to Devon on the 21st. They have a table booked at a restaurant on the sea front in Torquay for my birthday. So that should be nice.

Gill, you are a "JACK OF ALL TRADES" Like you, Ros can decorate and change plugs/fuses. She is an excellent gardener, even thought she finds it harder every year. After four back operations, I can see why. :-( :-( :-( Hope you both enjoy singing this afternoon.

All the old "GREY MATTER" is coming to life over the driving tests/lessons.. So it's good. we still have MEMORIES.

Carolyn bought round this morning all her Birthday flowers as they are still fairly fresh, and she didn't want to just throw them away. Also bought round a BAGFULL od apples from her tree, a massive cabbage from the allotment and a swede. As we have stacks of veg in the fridge. I have cut the cabbage and swede in half and given it to the next door neighbours together with loads of apples. We would never eat them all, and I hate to waste food. We will have to be careful what we buy this week, or I can see us carting loads down to Devon, or feeding Tony and Val.

Keep your chin up Ruby, I know what it's like as do so many of us, to loose a loved one. But it's good that you have "HAPPY MEMORIES"

Madam has just rung, they are having a coffee wherever, and when she comes home, she will take me for my HAIRCUT, so I think I might need a hat on when I come out :-D :-D :-D

I'm going to change now, as I am in a joggers and T shirt.


See you later.

Afternoon everyone.
I missed Elizabeths post.Hi there Elizabeth :-D
Oh Ruby,you must have lots of memories flooding back of your long marriage.Many many happy ones :-D <3.It is nice that you have such a big family all near you .It must be terrible for someone to lose a loved one and be all alone.

Gill,I hope you will all be singing your heads off this afternoon. :-D :-D and Sandra will be on top form.How lovely that she was able to make her own CD !!!

Frank,I don't know how Ros can go shopping as often as she does especially at this time of year.She must have some stamina.

It is officially Christmas here.I HAVE THE TREE :-D.It is in it's stand and in position ,but I do need to take a bit off the top bit otherwise my Fairy or Star will be touching the ceiling !.My hands started itching and my ears went all itchy too,so I have had an antihistamine.
I think I will light the fire have a bit of lunch and then get the decs in.The thought of getting the lights on is already getting to me :-S.Chris is going to disappear out to the Summerhouse ,and James is out with friends,so no help from them :-S

The post has just been..Thanks Mandy for your card :-D
Right I need to get the fire going.

Just getting ready to go to Sofia's school to see their Christmas Nativity play, Sofia plays a shepherd this year. Victoria watched this morning while i looked after Matteo.

Thanks Jane for your Christmas card and to Maureen , another lovely card again this year , I put them all our thread cards on my radiator cover along with my Christmas candles,

Better go and get wrapped up it's freezing outside have had a few light snow showers this morning but it is too wet to lie.