General Chat

Huia, I am glad Phil seemed to recognise you even if he was a bit saucy lol
Glad too that he was able to go out and see the vehicles, they didn't hang about long but I suppose with that many it would have been too difficult, at least it was a nice thought and must have sparked a few memories in some of the residents perhaps? It's great that you were able to go out somewhere else, and presumably chat with the other mushroom pickers too. Hope you enjoy them and Phil does too if you take some. I too looked at the calender again to find the relevant places. Every is so beautiful and makes me envious of such scenery. I know Britain has some lovely views and scenery but in a different way and I love watching the programmes on tv showing all the countries in their glory. The programme about bears yesterday was lovely, in Canada, I told o.h. I am coming back next time as a traveller and explorer to see all these places but I think I will have to be rich to do it all lol

Sylvia, it must have been lovely to spend so much time with MJ and to have the magic touch, despite it upsetting other family members. If your daughter wanted you to do the honours, then blow everyone else, it was for little ones benefit. How over the top the shower gifts sound, useful I know but probably most people trying to outdo each other. Does MJ vomit much after feeds? I helped out a neighbour when she had her second baby, and he was always projectile vomiting, and not doing well at all. Altho she had been to the doctor's with him they weren't helpful till I suggested she go back and ask about pyloric stenosis as he was vomiting so much after each feed. She came back and asked me to look after her little girl as the baby had to go to hospital straightaway. Her husband was away on business so he was sent for and the baby was operated on and thrived, he is now a lively lad of around 11. As far as I recall it was a fairly routine sort of op and all was well, but I hope it isn't anything as much as that with MJ, doesn't sound like it if he is not vomiting often and is putting on weight. It's so lovely when they smile at you and when you know they are following your movements and begin to recognise more than just Mum and Dad.

Shame about the plants but hopefully things will recover now they aren't weighed down by the clay.

Anyway glad you enjoyed the trip home too and hope you get a chance to spend time with MJ as often as poss.

take care,

love to everyone, time for bed now

Lizxx

Hi Mo


and everyone


The doc did think MJ had some form of acid reflux ................. so prescribed a very mild form of liquid Ranitidine for him. He hated it and spat most of it out (he loved his Vit D and gripe water though!!). J tried it for 3 or 4 days, and things didn't seem to improve at all, so she stopped giving it to him by the end of the week. She had similar problems while she was pregnant and was also prescribed Ranitidine but it made her feel worse, so she was thinking that MJ might be responding the same way.




hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm ......... the shower



Imagine if you will, one small house, living room and dining room separated by a double door (but the doors have been removed). Imagine about 15 women between the ages of 16 and 84, with the majority over 55. Imagine that at least 6 of them are sisters-in-law, with the same surname. Imagine the loooooong back history that implies


The men were banned from the house for the period of the party (OH went into Halifax, to the Maritime Museum with its permanent Titanic exhibit)

J's m-i-l was IN CHARGE (in capital letters) ............... only she didn't tell anyone that she had put her back out the day before, so was being somewhat the "martyr" by the end.

She was insistent that the dining table be reduced to its smallest size (square), and that it be pushed against the window wall ............. ignoring the fact that there was an iron chandelier in the middle of the room that hung to about 5' above ground AND that this was now exposed. I made my one and only comment at this point "that's about eye level for me". One rather dirty look, and she picked up the end of the table and moved it (yep, with a bad back!).


Balloons, streamers etc etc all around. Food in great profusion on the table. J's sis-i-l arrived later than expected ............... the store had forgotten to prepare the veggie plate she had ordered. They did give her plates of cut and chopped veggies, and didn't charge her ............. but she had to arrange them all on arrival.

Then the guests arrive ............. these 2 over here aren't really friendly, but it's better to sit together than over there with that one. Repeat a couple more times

I notice that everyone arrives with a gift bag, usually a LARGE one, tissue paper sticking out the top, all being placed near the fireplace. I had sent OH out to buy gift paper, wrapped our gifts, then realised I had forgotten to mention gift card, so had to make one (very amateurishly) out of the wrap paper.

Games are played, prizes given out ..... and the woman who won the first prize said it was her 82nd shower ... she won every succeeding game, but kindly suggested that the prize should be given to the runner-up.

Gifts to be opened. J placed in chair of honour where she can be seen by everyone in both rooms. Her niece sits beside her to take notes of who's given what.

This is when Sylvia realises that she should have given a gift bag NOT a wrapped present!

Each bag is taken, name on gift tag read out, card inside bag opened, tissue paper removed, and every gift inside taken out and displayed. Then the gifts are put back in the bag, and the bag passed around so that everyone can examine the gifts. Some rummage around in the bag, others take the items out again and display them.

Every bag contains as many as 6 gifts .................. 3 or 4 outfits, a toy, baby items such as talc, lotion, even a bottle of Baby Tylenol (we don't use Baby Aspirin over here).

Everyone looks at the gift tag to see who's given this bag ......... and I am quite sure that mental notes were taken of the gifts given.

Time to eat ............... sandwichs, crackers and dip, cakes, etc etc


Meanwhile, baby is being passed around from one to the other ...................... and eventually begins to cry and cry. Only 2 hours after a very good feed

................ so J gives him to me, who hadn't intended to touch him at all, with the instruction to calm him and keep him asleep as long as possible.

I ended up holding him for the rest of the party, because no-one else was willing to take him and keep him asleep.

I know that J's niece, at least, was very unhappy about that ............ and presumably some others as well!


The gifts J was given, all for M, were welcomed ............... but it was all so over the top. Sizes of clothes ranged from newborn (!!) to 12 months, with the majority being 3-6 month ....................... and she must have had 40-50 different items


THEN, about 20 minutes after everyone had left, m-i-l's sister arrived, with another 5 bags, 4 very small, containing only one outfit and from her children


M-i-l and sis-i-l start clearing up. The niece sits by me, and starts playing with MJ's toes. Guess what happens??





Please, please, never again!!!!




sylvia
xxxx

Hello girls.
Huia it is good to hear that Phil still has his warped sense off humour.
Did you enjoy the vintage vehicles. I bet they were a spectacular sight. I think that owners off older cars,take more care off them,than an every day car. It's different if it's a new car,that is also looked after properly.
I had a look at my calender,at the deep blue lake,and visualised you sitting there enjoying the scenery.
I hope that Phil enjoys the mushrooms. That is off course if he is in an eating mood.
It's good to have you back Sylvia,we missed you.
Sure sounds like you had a good train journey. I think it makes a big difference,if you have good travelling companions,to break up the monotony.
My goodness Matthew is certainly gaining weight. What colour are his eyes now. Only a babies eye colour does tend to change as it gets older.
It's lovely when they begin to notice things,and start to focus properly.
But when they smile,it melts your heart doesn't it.
Oh poor little mite having gastric problems. Have they said what is causing him the problems yet.
Good ol nanny,nursing him like that. You do realise that you have probably made a rod for their backs don't you. He will now expect nanny to rock him to sleep all the time. You crafty thing,you got out whilst the going was good. lol
But then you won't be able to see him that often will you,so you had to get all the cuddles whilst you could.
You will certainly notice the difference in him the next time you see him.
You will have to tell us the story off the baby shower next time you are here.
What a shame that he left grandad out off the cuddle stakes.
And you have not been christened till your grandchild either,sicks or pee's on you.
Can you put your OH on a plane,and send him over here to sort my garden out for me.
I hope Jean and Sallie are o.k,as we have not heard much from them lately. (((((((((HUGS FOR YOU BOTH)))))))))
A big hello to Ann,Debbie, Liz as well.
Love to you all. Mo xxx

haven't had time to read back fully, so I hope I haven't missed anyhting. I will read back tomorrow morning (Sunday) ........ but wanted you to know I was back in town!!!!


We got back this (Saturday) morning after a great trip home by train ........ 6 days and 5 nights, and great convivial congenial company for the last 4 days on The Canadian from Toronto to Vancouver.


MJ is fine, now weighs about 11 lbs and .................................... he began to focus his eyes 2 or 3 days after we arrived, so he was really watching and studying your face by last weekend. He also began to smile ............ I got one of the first tentative ones, and then he gave a full bodied grin to his aunt last Sunday ........... just before the Baby Shower began.


That is another story ....... and an experience I would be quite happy not to repeat!


He did cry a lot as he has a gastric problem of some sort .......... not colic ............................ but I turned out to have the ability to a) soothe him, thus calming him down, b) putting him to sleep, sometimes in less than 5 minutes!, and c) keeping him asleep. This of course necessitated me sitting in the armchair for long periods with him in my arms, rocking him (in a non-rocking chair). They are now going to accept a rocking chair from J's sis-i-l.

J was happy for me to do this as she got a lot of things done, and didn't have to worry if he started to cry as she knew I was taking care of him.


He did throw up on me once ..................... all down my front and into my lap!!




I really had not intended to wash that skirt while I was away!!!!!




Unfortunately, he began to cry every time OH tried to hold him, so OH didn't get much cuddle time!





Meanwhile, OH was working in the garden. A very large amount of clay had been removed from under the basement last November/December, and piled all over the lawn in the back garden. The pile then slipped and fell over the beds all around the edges of the garden .......... they hadn't realised that wet damp clay would do that.

Many plants were buried ..................... so "dad" was asked if he could please try to find at least some of them, including a coral bark maple that we gave them 5 years ago in the "old" house, and which had been very carefully transplanted to this one. OH succeeded ................................ after 2+ days of searching!

But the poor wee tree may not survive. One branch had been removed in the fall by a landscaper who chopped it off by mistake (!!!), then another obviously broke under the weight of the clay ............. OH transplanted it to the front garden, and J will provide some TLC in the hope that it will recover. OH did the transplanting and planting of new shrubs and perennials last Saturday.



It snowed on Sunday






sylvia
xxx

I visited Phil this morning and when I sat down I said 'Hello, Phil. Are you going to look at me?' He shook his head from side to side as he said 'Oooooh' as if to say what a horrible sight. I guess he still is aware who I am, and he still has his sense of humour!

The carers brought a wheelchair and put him in it to take him out to the front carpark and some of the residents who were in armchairs with wheels were also taken out the front. The vintage vehicle club drove into the carpark from 11 am, paused a couple of minutes and then drove out again. There were 20 or 30 cars. A couple of the men had their eyes shut and wouldnt open them so they missed the cars but Phil saw them. I am not sure what he thought of them, but at least it was a change of scenery for them, and out in the fresh air. After we had wheeled them back inside I headed for home, but as I got to our driveway I decided to keep going over to the valley where we used to live. (Mo and Liz, that is the one with the deep blue lake in, on my calendar, also the picnic site). I picked a hatful of mushrooms on the dam. Another family had picked a lot from the camping paddock. I am thinking of taking some of the cooked mushrooms to Phil next time I visit, see if he enjoys them.

Huia.

Hello alll , this is a very short piece as it is ANZAC Day & I wish to watch the parade . I wanted to let you know there is a lovely prose written by Tony from OZ on the General Topic's Page.
PLEASE read it as it is beautiful.I havent time to read the posts .Will look at them later.
The parade will have started must Go ,Love to all.
Marie.

Debbie I will be over for my salad,is it ham or cheese. Cheese and biscuits are good,but not stilton or danish blue,they dont agree with me.
Ah bless Sophie,I am so pleased she enjoyed her day. They had lovely weather for it didn't they. I bet she is shattered now.
I wonder how Daniel got on today. It's a really long day for him isn't it.
Not to many glasses off wine,coz the children no doubt will have you up early.
Have they got any sports planned for tommorrow.
Ann,my son was so lucky with this house off his. He had been to all the estate agents in the area,and the properties he was shown,were disgusting. In poor states off repair,and were tiny and damp.
It was just by chance, that I bought the local paper,and lo and behold there were two properties in our area. We looked at the first through the window,as he could not get to view the house till the following monday. And the neighbour next door was hanging out off the bedroom window,and was shouting to others in the road. That was a no no,it put him off straight away.
We went round to peep through the windows off the second one,and he fell in love with it without even seeing it. And when he viewed it on the monday,he took it straight away.
He has finished all the decorating upstairs now,including the wallpapering
Thank goodness we don't need to go there tommorrow. I can try to catch
up with all my own work then.
But we will be back there on monday,oh boy what excitement,NOT.
I hope everyone is well. I will be back tommorrow to speak to you all.
Love and best wishes Mo xxx ((((((((HUGS FOR JEAN)))))))))

Nice restful colours Anne, as I am sure the seagulls will wake you early enough for being on holiday.

Huia, maybe your choice of colour combinations are what is causing your headaches!!!! Perhaps you should paint over all those Bright Patterns in your house. LOL LOL

Actually, I shouldn't make fun of such a serious matter for you - I do hope that you are feeling a bit better. What is your weather at the moment - do your headaches get worse with changes in the air pressure. I can't be doing with too much heat these days, I used to love it but ever since I was pregnant with Daniel through a heatwave, I suffer terrible headaches with hot weather and always have to wear a hat.

Warm & Sunny here today though clouding over now and drizzle forecast overnight. Sophies Brownie afternoon went well and she is exhausted. Tea then bed for her. Luke has been out playing in the garden all day with children from our road, and Matthew is out on his bike with about 5 other boys - they will reappear when the sun starts to set. Daniel not due back til 9pm, so I may even manage a glass of wine thisevening, as I don't have to go out and get Daniel.

Tea in our household is salad and cheese and biscuits - anyone fancy popping in, please do so.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Debbie xx

Mo that is good value for any area so well done him.
Huia Lol Lol!!! I don't think so!!!! restful colours please debbie.

Debbie, can you tell the hotel that Ann would like her room painted in fluorescent purple with fluo. pink spots and fluo. green stars and......well, you get the picture, neat but not gawdy.

Huia.

Poor Richard, Sallie he must have been in agony. Does he not have a dentist locally to him. I know that in some areas people are having problems finding an NHS dentist.
I have been with the same practise for quite a few years now,but only got in with her because she was treating my daughter and her family.
Ann our son was very lucky,he managed to get a two bedroomed house
for £450 per calendar month. And that is good value for this area. He does need two bedrooms,for when he has his two children stay at weekends.
Well my friends,I must go to bed now,I am shattered.
Night Night,god bless you. Mo xxx

Debbie, please check that the hotel are using nice colours in our room Lol!! Nice to know they are sprucing it up for us.
Mo, sounds as though you have been busy and the young people will have a lovely flat to move into.

Hi Girls,

Debbie, you were lucky to have the washing machine, it's so much easier to do it bit by bit. I think the worse part of going on holiday, is the pile of washing and ironing when I get home.

Mo, I don't know how some people can be so dirty. Jennie's cooker was really mucky, and had to be cleaned before they could use it. We took Richard to a N.H.S Walk in centre this afternoon, he's been suffering from toothache all the week. The dentist there, gave him antibiotics to take as he's got a small abscess under one of his teeth, she also took out an old filling and put in a temporary one. His tooth was one of the reasons why he came up on Wednesday.

Love to everyone, speak to you later.

Sallie xxx

Hello my lovelies.
It's unbelievable how many different types off migraine there are Huia isn't it. I always thought there was only one,until I worked in the pharmacy,and had to read up on the differences between each one.
We had a new medication for it,and were only allowed to sell it,if the pharmacist gave his permission. And customers had to have a card,signed by the pharmacist,when sold to them.
You were brave smelling something the doctor asked you to smell. My lord it could have been anything,even his smelly socks in disguise. LOL
Liz,I must be a strange person,as when I go to bed,I never turn the stair lights on. If I do,they seem to dazzle me. I have always found it easier in the dark,to go upstairs. It must have been all those carrots I ate as a child. LOL Or I was a burglar in a former life.
Ah so Debbie,you are the phantom dumper are you. We call it fly tipping here. lol
But seriously, I bet the church is very grateful for your donations.
You were so lucky having the washing machine,in your holiday home.
When you have children,the washing soon mounts up.
Please wish Daniel all the best for tommorrow. The poor thing will probably spend all Sunday in bed to get over the day.
Oooh Sophie will thoroughly enjoy herself at Brownies. Even if it has been done so many times in the past,it will be a new experience for her,
bless her little heart.
My word it's going to be noisy in your house,if Sophie and Luke do take up
playing instruments. I wonder if they realise how much time and practise
they are going to need.
Mind you if they do decide to do it,you could always start your own musical trio. I will offer to be your agent. Mind you I am tone deaf,so it might be a bad idea.
Please give all the children my best wishes,for which looks like a nice weekend, and I hope they all enjoy themselves.
I wonder if Sylvia is home yet.
A big hug for Jean,Sallie,Ann,speak to you soon I hope.
I have spent most off my day,helping to clean my sons new home. The worst job was cleaning the cooker. I don't think the previous tenants,had cleaned it ever. But it's sparkling clean now,and so is the kitchen.
When I was cleaning,I wondered where all the water on the kitchen floor was coming from. When I looked under the sink,the previous tenants had
taken the washing machine out,and had not bothered to put a blanking cap,into the u-pipe for the sink,and all the water was running out into the sink unit. Roly had to go and get the blanking cap,whilst I had to mop all the water up. So the floor got a double wash.lol
In the time it took me to do the kitchen,my sons girlfriend cleaned all the bathroom. And my son,painted the two bedrooms,and then the bathroom.
He was lucky as his friend,who is a painter by trade was helping him.
Their next task is to paint the hall,stairs and landing, then they intend to tackle the living area. With the kitchen,being left to the last.
Well enough off my gassing.
Love to you all. Mo xxx

Hi Ladies, oh Huia, you do seem to be going through the mill at the moment don't you? When I go to the optician he drops some orange coloured liquid in my eyes and then that allows him to see right inside them, like an x-ray type thing. He does also take pictures sometimes. Apparently they can see loads of things with this technique and would pick up the start of something which may not actually mainfest itself outwardly for some time.

Or it could just be stress??? I know what you mean about "sick" headaches though, as I occasionally get them and they only start to get better once I have actually been sick. Awful when it happens though.

Good luck with it all.

Well, it is a glorious day here and I am doing some serious cleaning out. The children have been attacking the bedrooms and the church down the road are having a jumble sale tomorrow, so we are able to just leave jumble outside the doors of the church hall and it is just taken in and sorted. I like doing that then nobody sees that it was me who left some of the things that I get rid of!!!! nothing too serious, I just don't like to be seen sometimes, so would prefer not to have things collected from the house - strange woman that I am.

The children are all back at school again, and those who have been caught up with travel problems are beginning to filter back to the Island. There are still a few teachers off, but not too many. All the holiday things are now sorted and packed away. We were lucky enough to have a washing machine where we stayed so I did a wash every other day to stop things piling up and it meant that I didn't come home with bags of dirty laundry. Never had that luxury before and as we weren't paying the electric or gas separately I made the most of the facilities in the house.

Daniel is off to North London tomorrow (to Barnet Copthall Stadium) for an Athletics Meeting. Nothing too competitive, just a pre-season event to get him in the right frame of mind. There are 5 Athletes and a couple of parents/coaches going. So he leaves here at 6am and won't be back till 9pm, so a long day, but he should enjoy himself.

Sophie has a big Brownies event all afternoon tomorro at a local Manor house & gardens, which she is looking forward to. We always went to that same place when I was in the Brownies - no imagination !!!!! It should be fun as it is an Island wide event and she will meet loads of new people there.

Sophie came home from school yesterday with an application form to start learning to play the Violin, and Luke brough one home to start playing the Clarinet. The Jersey Instrumental Service provides free lessons in all of the schools, on the understanding that the children commit themselves to practicing, exams, recitals and eventually (providing they still play the instrument), joining one othe many Island orchestras or bands/groups. I'm not sure Luke & Sophie appreciate what iit all means so I will have to explain to them before we make any firm moves. Sophie already has recorder lessons at school, but none of the others are musical at all. I used to play the cornet and belonged to various orchestra/bands and jazz groups in my younger days. I can still get a reasonable tune out of the instrument, but no longer play it with any seriousness.

Anyway, nearly used all my allotted words, so you are probably bored to tears by now - sorry:-(((

Just to say that, Anne, the Hotel here is gearing up for your arrival later on this year - the decorators are in, so I will ensure they make a special effort with your room. LOL.

Gotta go now, but will be back.

Take care and enjoy the sunshine.

Debbie xx

My throat is now burning a bit, I think I must have a cold coming on. I have been innoculated against the various flu types, but in view of the fact that my immune system was compromised when I (unknowingly) overdid the dermol ointment I am now wondering if it might have ruined the effects of the jabs. I hope not. Anyway I will be keeping warm and rested today and tomorrow and hopefully it will pass.

Huia.

Hi all,

Mo, I did say violets to begin with but they were the outdoor ones I meant, I have loads of those as well as all these little violas, have some pink violets too in one pot, now they are pretty. Haven't had African violets with the fuzzy leaves for a long time.

Huia, I wonder if being asked about flashing lights and dark spots was the same as my optician spoke to me about, the beginning of a detached retina.

I told him that sometimes, especially when going upstairs in the dark, which I have to do when o.h. is already asleep - don't ask - I see a bright flash at the left hand side of me, as if the side of my specs is reflecting a light somewhere. I mentioned this last year at my eye test and he looked carefully and said I had a slight tear in my retina and if I ever found it got worse or I got lots of floaters or anything that worried me, I was to go to a and e or an optician or doctor as quickly as possible and tell them about my retina, he said it was the start of a detached retina but would probably be ok and wouldn't get any worse. I was really worried when I had that fall in case the hard knock had done any damage but the nurse at the walk in centre who checked me out said altho I had a few floaters in both eyes, she thought they were normal for me and not a problem. This time when I saw the optician I told him about the fall etc and he checked things but didn't say anything was worse and I can't recall if he even said anything about the retina. I keep meaning to phone and double check, but he is retiring soon so I might have missed him, I knew it was my last visit to him. He has been checking my family's eyes for years now and was the one who noticed my Dad was blind in one eye, Dad hadn't noticed till the optician asked How long haven't you been able to see out of that eye, and Dad said he didn't know he couldn't lol Turns out he had had a bleed behind the eye where a blood vessel had burst but he hadn't noticed and so it had dried and was irreversible. That has always made me cautious so I am constantly winking to check that both eyes work!

Hope the headaches ease soon or that you can see the doc and get your sinuses checked out.
As you say old age is a real bugbear, bits going wrong and such, oh to be young and fit again lol

take care Huia, and all

love
Lizxxx

Jean, I have worn glasses for quite a few years now.

Last year when I was tested for new glasses I was told I had the beginnings of a cataract. My specialist had also detected a haemorrhage (sp?) in one eye. I do use eyedrops each day for the glaucoma.

I think my doc wondered about a migraine as she asked if had had flashing lights or spots before the eyes. I used to have migraines years ago but didnt have the flashing lights with the headache, but on a couple of occasions I felt a bit strange (more so than I normally am!) and then had the visual disturbance. I got a book from the library on migraines and there was a drawing of what I had had. It is an elliptical thing with zigzags and spots, but it does not go all the way round. I wish I could draw it on here. It seemed strange that I didnt have it with the headaches or the headaches with it. I got over those migraines (I called them a sick headache as I usually finished up 'frowing up' which eased it considerably. My sister has what she calls 5 day headaches. Mine usually lasted 5-7 days. Perhaps they are back with a vengeance, making up for the years that I have missed them!

If this dull ache goes on for another week or 2 I might go back to the doc and see if she can send me to an ENT specialist to see if it is the sinuses. The doc did get me to sniff something and asked if I could smell it. I said yes although I didnt mention that it wasnt a strong smell in one nostril and even fainter in the other.

Old age, who would have it? Or rather the problems that go with it.

Huia.

Hi Mo,

Good to know that both you and Roly are okay. When are starting up your removal business? Ha! Ha! Anyway, hope all goes well tomorrow! Good luck to your son.

Love, Sallie xxx

Cooeee Sallie,I am here,you missed me some how. Now that a miracle isn't it. lol