General Chat

William I am alright with the Dartford Bridge as it goes up and then over and down.I don't like the tunnel at all.We had to go through that each time we went to see james when he was at Kent Uni.I think the Severn Bridge is worse as it is so long and flat !

It's been a funny day weather wise.Black as your hat a times and looking stormy ,and then it goes and we have a bit of blue sky....Now it is black again :-S

I have just made a Chicken ,Lemon and Leek Pie.Aren't I good :-D.It smells good and it's not in the oven yet .

It's HAILING :-S :-S and coming down the chimney.

Have got my passport,train tickets, Hotel Booking and Euros all in a wallet and in my bag so at least that bit is done.Usually it is Chris who does all that ,but it's down to me this time.I get in a bit of a flap separating out going tickets /inbound tickets,and making sure they are apart from each other so I won't get them mixed up.I've sorted out some clothes but thing I might need to put a couple of long sleeved tops in as it doesn't look too hot in Lille.I'll do the packing part tomorrow sometime.

Hannah was supposed to be coming for the night tonight but she has an Interview at 8.30 on Monday morning somewhere .Herts/Beds/Essex Health Authority for a 3 year Clinical Training Course,so she needs to prepare.Then a week on Wednesday she has another interview about a PHD at Kings.I know she has been trying for years to get on a Clinical Training.So she is going to be a bit stressed I reckon.I think the PHD one is kind of in the bag,but if offered a place at the other she may well take that.

I hope Maureen is having a grand time at little Harry's Birthday bash :-D
It is Amelia's 3rd birthday on Monday.She is still a tiny little thing.Janice will be missing that ,but I'm guessing they will be celebrating today.I wonder if Janice has packed her case!!!.....oh she is on the phone ....BBL

MANDY you could try putting vinegar on the scale as that should shift it.

No good moaning about the rain Mndy when you said you could do with some. Sound to me as though your wish has been granted.

I never like Weetabix even from a child and I think it was because they go pappy.

It is cold here in the wind but the sun has just come out now it will be going down!! :-|

Have cleaned another kitchen cupboard today. It is surprising how dirty they get round the cooker. A bit of Cif soon cleaned it up but I had to stand on the little steps to reach the top and now I have backache.

Fiona hope the weather is better for you tomorrow and you can get htat shed in place.

Rain has stopped play :-S i have been potting up a few pots with plants , went to get a plant out of the tray and there was a huge toad in with the plants !! :-S i had already taken one plant out and never noticed it ,it must have been hiding in the tray !! :-S :-S

The sky is black as your hat i think we're in for some more , i heard some thunder too.!!

Frank, have you been reading my breakfast menu? Weetab*x is exactly what I did have - we have a pestle & mortar here and I even gave it a bashing before the warm milk went on. Needs be as must.

Frank you have also lived my dream, to visit the Grand Canyon, sounds a bit bonkers from someone who says they don't like heights, eh? I think the nearest I'll ever have got is when we went to visit Delabole quarry in Cornwall one time. We were staying down at my late brothers caravan in Padstow, a foggy day left us wondering what to do. I suggested visiting Delabole visitors centre. We arrived at the car park by the centre, parked up against a wall, then looked over the wall. Carmel said "That's it, I'm off this idea.". We were looking into this vast hole in the ground, completely unaffected by fog, with a huge dumper at the bottom moving about like a tiny Matchbox toy. That was the end of that jaunt.

Jane, I can't say tunnels bother me. Maybe it's because (and Frank is probably the same) as a lad living around London, we would often use the Blackwell Tunnel to get to south London areas. Further up is the Dartford tunnel which I've often used to get into Kent. Anyone travelling the M25 will also know that there are several tunnels along there. I think the reason they don't bother me is because I quite like driving in the dark - but of course tunnels are well lit anyway.

What a liquorice allsorts day it is out there. Cold wind, heavy showers followed by immediate sunny spells, crazy :-S We have just been as far as our local M*rrisons for a few essentials, so that's it for today.

Jane, myself - and others were saying about the subject of farts always seeming to provoke humour - but I'm thinking of naming our house (after the American millionaire of course!) Trump Towers :-D

Catch you all later

Still raining and gone cold, put on heating and grabbed a jumper BRRRRRR :-( hope so Mandy the rain has not stopped OH potting a few plants in the back porch :-D

Afternoon everyone,evening Kim,

Lovely sunny day here ,there were a few puddles about when we got up so we must have had rain in the night but i don't know how much ,i will have to check the water butts and see how full they are.
Washing blowing well on the line but i'll have to keep an eye out as there's black clouds looming !!

William sorry to hear your having problems again, and poor Carmel too, i suppose breakfasts are easy as you can have the cereals soaked with milk, it's the main meals that pose a problem for you.
I'am not good with heights ,hubby has no problem with heights ,he's been doing it all his working life ,he just walks on the tiles on a roof like he's walking on the ground !!
I've never been through the tunnel ,and i'am not sure i would like it being so closed in !!

What a nuisance its raining Fiona and just as your OH wanted to get the shed moved too,maybe tomorrow will be a better day so he can get it moved into place.

We have been to Homeb*se and got some patio cleaner to see if we can get rid of some scale marks, Toby will wee near the little wall and i hose it down every day but the water is so scaly it's leaving it all white as it drys out !!

Afternoon Everyone
What a chilly day.I have just put the heating on :-0 :-0.No rain as such (yet) I think it is to come.

Frank we are going by Eurostar.I know Janice has done the other train with their car to France but neither of us have been on the Eurostar.
William I am exactly the same as you on the Severn Bridge !! I think what makes us feel like that is the side of the bridge and all that wire work ,plus the central barrier flashing past.I feel dizzy and also am scared I'm going to crash into the side.I grip the steering wheel so hard and my heart is in my mouth .But as soon as I'm the other end all is fine again :-D I dislike Tunnels in the car for the same reason.I prefer to close my eyes (NOT when I am the one driving of course) :-D.If we go anywhere where it means driving through a tunnel I get Chris to drive.It must be something akin to Vertigo.

I need to get to Tes** as they do lovely Rustic Chips in the chilled bit and I want some for tomorrow .Just hope they still have some.

BBL

No Moving shed today, non stop rain getting heavier too :-| :-|

Morning All and Evening Kim,

Been raining here and the sky is sloudy.

Dos'nt make you want to do anything.

Did anyone see the program on Pride and Predergist (sp) the Ball yesterday night? It was very interesting.



Forgot to thank William for the pics yesterdy. Frank too love the pics of the procupine which is an American hedgehog.

Ann and Gordon should be there by now if they left early. Hope they had a safe journey.

Done it again wrote the post and did'nt post it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Morning at last.

How are you all ??

Will. You can always try Weetabi# with warm milk. they soften down very well, and somehow I like them.

Jane You will be through the tunnel before you know it. I have only been through it in a car. You can then tune into a radio station that tells you all about the digging of the tunnel, and where all the earth was placed on the French side. Are you going on a coach, or train ??? Behave yourself !! we don't want to have to bail you out of prison lol lol

I bet Ann is on her way by now, SAFE JOURNEY SEE YOU NEXT WEEK. .

Not a very special morning here, still cloudy, and rain promised for later. Was going to clean outside windows, but don't somehow fancy it.

Will, I am pleased to say that nothing really puts me off, I love the sea , high bridges, helicopters, looking down from cliffs to the sea below. When in Las Vegas, we flew the Grand Canyon in a helicopter. It was the most amazing thing and thrill I have ever had.

Morning All, Evening Kim.
Morning William.

Pouring down here, OH did go out for a couple of hours on his bike, but said in this weather there was not so many daft folk on the roads, (He said it :-P)
Waiting till lunch time to find out if he is moving shed, I told him I think it's to rain all day, will text the rest of the family later.

Good morning everybody, another EROOR message day on GR. Had to come in via Google & 'steps' again this morning. Looking changeable out there.

Had to go back to the dentist again yesterday afternoon, an infection where the root was taken out, oh hum, back on the antibiotics. At least I'm getting used to the 'two toothed' plate a bit with the aid of Polygrip! Gosh, I never thought I'd get this old and loose my tooth. Do you recall in our parents days, everyone over the age of 30 seemed to have dentures. It was nothing unusual to see their sets of gnashers in a little pot in the bathroom - they were normally 'in-soak' overnight. I susppose I've done well to keep what I've got as long as I have given the wartime food that we had - but then again, maybe that's the secret - no junk food then!

Carmel has still got blisters in her mouth, we don't know if it's from this virus she has or from the lichen planus that's been added to her ailments. At least she can brag of having more teeth than me :-D

No plans today, take it easy I guess and see how the weather pans out. I'm still trying to get soft foods down and it's a time for innovation with food. Malted milk biscuits dunked in warm tea are a bit like when we used to give the kids Farley's rusks!!!

Hope Ann has a good holiday and a safe journey. Jane you said you don't like tunnels, it's long bridges that I don't like. One's like the Severn, Hull and Menai make me feel like I'm being hypnotised, I get the feeling that any minute I'm going to jerk the steering wheel and crash into the side. Does anyone thing that's allied to vertigo? I can't stand heights and yet I've been up in a helicopter and that didn't bother me?

Right, lets go and see what mash I can get for my breakfast. C Y A L

Night Night Ann .Hope you have a good nights sleep and are raring to go in the morning.
I will be taking a big deep breath going through the tunnel.Tunnels give me the willies.I start to feel a bit claustrophobic .But I think Janice and I will be so busy nattering that we will be the other side before I know it :-D
Have a safe journey tomorrow ,and a great week .

I feel just about ready for my bed too.I have a new book to start on my Kindl* :-D

Maureen I hope little Harry has a lovely Birthday on Saturday.
and Frank hope Conrad manages to sort your computer out for you.I think you said he would do it this weekend.
Right that is me now for the night .........Where is Pat???? It's been a while now since we heard from her :-S

Well, that's me done and 'done in' now and really needing a holiday! This afternoon I found a top I meant to return and it would be too late if I left it till we got back, so I had to go haring off to the shop for a last minute refund!! :-S There's always some last minute thing isn't there.

Thanks for your good wishes and please, NO rain dancing next week, I've banned it!! I've decided to take a thicker coat as well now......thoughts of bracing wind on the coast.....also stuck a scarf in my shoe bag. :-S The 3 small pots of little seedlings are in a box ready to go!! They can live in the utility when we get there!! lol. No Mandy, they won't be going on any daytrips. :-)lol. OH made a thoughtful comment earlier......'you usually bring some plants back, don't you'. What with seedlings and shrubs/plants I think he was imagining peering through foliage like a japanese sniper driving home.

I haven't finished the bag yet Mandy, I've just been too busy. The teacher was expecting to take a pic of it today as well. I just need to sew on the little flowers and beads, but will send a pic when it's done. :-) One of the ladies at class wrote me a little list of out of the way places we must visit next week. She does her family tree as well and had rellies from Cornwall way back and one built his own cottage, so I want to see that.

Jane I hope you and Janice have a lovely time in France. It will do you both good ..........you will enjoy the tunnel on the Eurostar. I think a Croque Madame would be much nicer than frogs legs....yuk!! I will catch up with you when we are both back as I am off to my bed now as I was awake with 'things still to do' buzzing around my head till nearly 4.00am this morning. :-S OH has already said he will be up early tomorrow!! :-S His car is absolutely gleaming now, I'd forgotten just how red and shiny it was. :-)

Nighty night ............ xx :-D

Mandy my French is just what I remember from school days.I can understand more than I can speak.I think janice will be the same.I do like to have a go though even if I sound like a right idiot lol Janice is more likely to have snails .I'm afraid I stick the the safe things that I know.I bet horse will be on the Menu somewhere,but I'll give that a miss too.I'm not very adventurous with food.I tend to stick with what I know.But when it comes to puddings etc I'll give anything a go :-D

Back to wet cozzies.Remember trying to get changed on the beach under a tent thing that your Mum made??.Trying to lift one foot and shaking off wet sand so it didn't get into the costume.It never worked .It always ended up in the awkward bits :-S.How uncomfortable was that...Very scratchy!.....Going home and rinsing out the swimsuit ,and the sink would be full of sand.Tar on the feet and flip flops or plimsoles and having to use that stuff called Tar Off (or something like that).The smell was so strong it nearly knocked you out.I remember going to the beach one day in my white school plimsoles and coming home with them looking black because of all the tar.It would often get walked into the carpet :-S :-S.Then I would get a right old rollicking.

Chris has just arrived ,so will go and see what his day has been like....and get dinner on :-D

Yes Jane i get a stabbing pain and a burning sensation too,i think it;s the change in the weather ,although sill no rain here ,the suns now shining !!
I don't think Chris and James will starve ,you said you had filled the freezer so they are bound to find some thing in there , i suppose it will be Frog Legs and Snails for you and Janice LOL
Do either of you speak any french ?

Ann, i had to smile when you said you were taking the seedlings with you :-D are you taking them out each day with you :-D :-D :-D :-D LOL i hope they don't get car sick :-D :-D

Frank, i tried having a sweep out side near the back door but the bits just kept swirling round and round so i gave up in the end !!

Ewww yes chewing gum under the school desks yuk !!
and swimming costumes :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D so hard to get back on and all the sand that would gather in the back side too !! :-D :-D :-D

Frank it is still too windy here to sweep anything.The good is that the washing is whizzing around nicely :-D
I just looked up the longer range weather for Lille next week.It only looks about 14 to 17 degrees.I still don't know what to pack :-S.I know I am not taking a coat or jacket.Just a thin rain jacket and medium thick card.They will do to go over anything.I don't feel the cold much so that should be ok for me.
James is going to cook a Curry for him and Chris on Monday,and I will get something easy for them for the rest of the time I'm away.I don't think I should have to bother really as they are quite capable of sorting themselves out.I'm sure they won't starve lol
I had a couple of little faces looking at me through the kitchen window just now.....the Robins :-D.I don't know if one is Buster or not.There are too many different ones now.I think a couple are young ones.

Fitz has just lent me a little book.....It is called 'I Remember' and is by someone called Joe Brainard .Each little memory begins with the words I Remember.He grew up in the 40's and 50's.It brilliant .
I will pick out some of his memories and put some on the thread when I post.
To start off
I remember sitting on top of a horse and thinking how High up I was
I remember rubbing my hands under the table and feeling all the gum
I remember very old people when I was very young.Their houses smelled funny.
I remember trying to put on a not quite dry bathing suit (ugh)
I remember not trusting pressure cookers

I too remember trying to get on a damp or wet swimming costume .It was a nightmare trying to pull it up and getting the straps to get to the shoulders lol

Jane you must be kidding, who's ever going to trust Dr. Death with seedlings :-D :-D :-D

Still having trouble with getting internet connection, when ever I get to what I want it tells me I have lost the connection. I am tearing my hair out (what I have left)

We had another letter this morning from Sandant## saying about being accepted for new credit cards. We haven't applied and have reported the fact to their fraud dept. TWICE and the police. I sent them a very stern email this morning, saying if this persists, I will take it further.

Have just watered the front garden, all the bedding plants are starting to wilt. I'm sorry to say. We do need some prolonged night time rain. Ros is having a sweep up on the patio. When she's finished I will go and water out there.

All this trouble with joints, is down to arthritis, I suffer terrible in my fingers, wrists, knees and shoulders How about you Will. ??

Ros is doing one of her curry's tonight, so I have a night off.

It's warming up lovely now,and the sun is shining :-D.I just told James to get his washing out quick lol
Have just got back from Fitz.he had a great time in North Devon with plenty of sunshine.The cats he was looking after weren't that impressed having him stay.I suppose he was a stranger but they were fine.One kept hissing at him :-S

Mel I can't believe your hair is nearly down to your knees !!!!! Do you ever trim the ends off ?

Fiona I think we are due rain tomorrow but hopefully up with you it will be dry enough for OH and the others to move the shed.

Mandy does your thumb and wrist get that stabbing pain ?Mine does and it makes me yelp :-S.

Well I changed my cardigan and got another,only to get home and see I picked up the wrong size :-S.So that is another trip to town tomorrow :-| :-|

William what smashing pics of the sunrise this morning :-D :-D

Are you all set now Ann? are the little seedlings going with you? lol Iwould have looked after them for you if we were nearer........mind you after Chris's tomato plants disaster I doubt that you would put your trust in me ;-)