Genealogy Chat

Well someone had to pop in for a visit - 1st one today

Its not quite as busy back in the office - everyone on holiday - wait for the rush 1st week of September.

Its always nice to hear about somewhere we send a lot of our clients to - mostly honeymoons or someone who has been before. Bali can be very popular some years.

Its a long way for us to travel from the UK - i would so love to visit Fiji it sounds wonderful - did a honeymoon booking to the pacific islands - Bora Bora etc it looked just wonderful.

We didn't think we were going to have a holiday this year - due to finances - however I had a bit of luck with some overtime & managed to aquire enough for a cottage for the week.

I did a very good business case comparison for my OH -
a week in a country cottage - just the two of us
or
a week at his sisters (again)
or
a week at home just the two of us

We would still spend the same on food at a cottage as we would at home
If we went to his sister we wouldn't have to cook or buy the food but we don't get a choice either

We woudl spend the same on petrol if we went away for the week as if we went to his sister as we would be running his parents around.

If we were at home we would be doing housework & jobs that needed doing but we would be on our own.
If we go to his sister - we won't have any time on our own to relax & she will be talking to us all the time we are there - even if we are not in the same room.
If we go to a cottage we are on our own - no jobs to do & we can spend out time how we want & relax or go out in the garden if the weather is good.

The cottage won - the last statement swung it.

We have booked a little cottage for 2 near the Forest of Dean - right next door to Ross-on-Wye - peace & quiet in the country with lovely views. I have never been to that part of the world & we can just chill.

Not as exotic as Bali or France Evelyn.

Still have a bit of a poorly cat at home (was going to say Pussy but thought I would get deleted or ribbed by Frank) - I think he has a sore eye now - it was very weepy on Sunday but better now but he dosn't seem to like looking at the light a lot & he is very doppy. he also dosn't seem to open it fully - his owners will not take him to the vet - I feel I should but he isn't mine. Just wondered if he needs a bit of a vitamin boost or antibiotic - but don't know how to go about sorting him out - Wish you could get something from the chemist for Cats like you can for us - my OH thinks he is depressed since the dog moved in next door.

Oh well back to work

Take care all

another sunny day lol! It's going to get to about 21C ........... but there are suggestions that we might have some hotter weather in the next week.

The fires are still out of control ........ and the hotter weather will not help matters.

At least the cooler temperatures have not brought any high winds with them, so the fires are not "candling" ............... spreading by flames jumping from tree top to tree top. That makes life a little easier .... and means the fires don't spread over great distances as fast.

We still think the cabin is safe ................ we haven't noticed reports of any fires on that side of the highway in that part of the province. But the air could still be bad.

OH wants to go see the opera students performing on August 30, and we've had an invite this morning to go to a friend's 60th birthday party on September 1st ............. so it looks like we won't be going up until Sept 2 at the earliest!


Interesting thing is that we have something called the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) on in Vancouver this week and next ............ it's been going a long long while, celebrating 100 years this year. It's a mix of county show (agriculture) with auctioning off of the best steer / pig / sheep raised over the past year by youngsters, fair ground, sales demonstrations of all kinds of wonderful gadgets, etc etc. They used to have competitions for best jam, cake, needlework, pickles etc, but I have no idea whether those still take place.

They do have the most superb musical events ....... which are even better this year, with all kinds of world class entertainers. They have spent something like $6 million (around £3 million) on the entertainment. Started off with Bryan Adams on Saturday afternoon. The Beach Boys on Saturday evening.

Michael Buble was also in town!


The tradition is that the PNE spells the end of summer because it always RAINS during the 2 weeks

We used to go regularly when we were younger, twice ....... once with adult friends and once with J. We almost always got wet on at least one of the trips!


Seems not this year ... at least not this week!



I used to spend a lot of time on Friends Reunited (the sister site), but now visit very rarely, to "see" friends who still post on there. I went for a look see this mroning ...... gawd, it is sooooooooooooooooooooooooo slow.

Don't anyone complain about this site being slow unless you have been over there!




s
xxx

Robert! We're not scary at all........honest injun.



Just a quick visit but it was lovely to catch up on so much news from everyone.

Welcome back Sue - that's gone quickly.

Sylvia - I know exactly what you mean about having the house back to yourselves.

Josie - don't mention baby showers to our Sylvia!


Must dash - have to pick daughter up and am out tonight but hope to be get back on here asap. Cx.

Of course you are.

Hi Everyone

There is nothing quite like sleeping in your own bed when you have been away for a while.
We did oversleep last night and got up late this morning but it was good.

Bali is an Island of Indonesia,it is hot and humid all year round with a temp about 30c at all times even at night.
It is very good for shopping ,and eating out at all hours .

It is very popular with the surfers and is the most visited Island by Australians as it is not that long a flight from us,about 3hrs 20min from Perth airport,we had a three hour drive to Perth from Busselton.

It was very nice to not have to do washing ,cooking and making beds,we had our rooms done everyday by the hotel staff.

We eat out every night ,so all we had to do was shop and eat and lay around a pool all day if we wanted .

Josie I too love crean doughnuts and apple turnovers,I find it hard to pass on those when everyone else is getting stuck in.

It was nice to see Robert pop in a few times ,he seems to be coming out more lately.
We really are not that scarey are we Robert..

It is pooring with rain here.....a welcome home I suspect.

Daughters birthday today she is 38yrs and she is my baby ,it is also the Granddaughters birthday she was born on her mothers birthday in the same hospitol and same hos ward ...a bit spooky really.

Better get dinner on ,check in later.
Love to you all.
Suex

Hi everyone


Welocme back Sue. Glad to hear that you had a good holiday.


It is a lot cooler today than last weekend!! Much more pleasant I have to say.



J just phoned .... she said the smoke from the BC fires was obvious through Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and even into the western edge of Ontario!

She actually had quite a good flight ........ there was no-one in the 3rd seat in the row, so she and MJ had 3 seats between them on both legs of the journey, and the crew were helpful. One of them even watched MJ while J went to the loo. One of them also helped her off the plane and to the elevator (sorry ... lift) in Halifax.


We're thinking of going up to the cabin sometime in the last week of August for a week or possibly 2 weeks. September 6 is Labour Day, traditionally the end of summer in both Canada and the US, and most schools, colleges and universities go back the next day (if not before). OH has loved being away for that "first day and week of term" since he stopped teaching!

We haven't been up yet this summer for longer than that one day in June ...... but then it has been so hot and the fire season so very bad that we wouldn't have gone up there even if we had not had J and co visiting. The cabin is in the same area that has the worst fires, and, at the very least, the air would have been difficult to breathe. We believe the cabin is safe .... but there is only one road in and out to it ......... leading from the bigger road down to the lake about 25 km away.

We'll make a final decision closer to the time, possibly only the day before we leave!!

The fire officials have said that cooler temperatures etc will help them to gain control of the fires ....... so many of them are still mainly out of control (some of them are 10% controlled, others 20%, etc). There are I think 4 or 5 really big ones, but about 150 fires burning in total.

They have also said that it could be weeks or months before some of them are finally completely out ...... when the cold temperatures and snow arrive.

This has been one of the worst fire seasons, but fortunately (if one can say that), very few homes have been burnt ........... they've all been in relatively uninhabited areas of the province. Three people have been killed ......... one man when a tree he was cutting fell on him, and the 2 pilots of a fire fighting plane which crashed.

The forests have been devastated.

The big worry now is the ranchers, who put their cows and other livestock up in the hill and mountain meadows for the summer .............. it is anticipated that there will have been a huge loss of animal life.




take care everyone



s
xxx

Jeanie - so sorry to hear about Melody - hope the others helped you through it - I ended up losing both my dogs at the same time - so it was doubly hard & nothing to come home to that evening.

Have a poorly cat at the moment - so trying to sort him out as well -

Josie - have you tried the Crispy Creme doughnuts - have they got to NZ yet - my friend in the US raved about them & there is a shop in London I beleive - one of our hotel suppliers brought some down - so I tried one, just to be socialable of course - I have to admit they put normal doughnuts in the shade. Spolit me now for the normal ones.

Cynthia - I meant baby seagulls - who are nearly as big as the adults now & learning to make a lot of noise as well. It is quite a site to see 5 seagulls all trying to get in a bin & pull a bag to shreds.

Glad all went well with the vist Sylvia

Susan - wonderful to have you back - tell us all about Bali.

Will try & pop in again later as OH is getting grumpy in the kitchen

Take care all

Welcome Back Susan, glad you had a great holiday.

Lucky you managing to lose wait I can only but dream of ever managing that and certainly not on holiday.

Enjoy your DVD Fest.

Catch you later Josie

Hello Everyone

We got home last night and we had a wonderfull time all on our own I might add.

It was very hot and humid but we did not mind one bit as we were sick of the cold before we left.

Good flights and good shopping as I like it to be, of course we did a lot of bartering with the store owners,I really enjoy that .
They start off with stupid prices and I think they expect us to barter some what .

We did a lot of walking so in turn I lost another 1,1 kilos of weight,I did expect to put weight on as I had just as much to eat as the OH did.

They make the most wonderfull fruit juice drinks there all made with the local fruit ,I love the mixed fruit juice drinks.

I was glad to see you all still here ,I will read all your post later on.
I have to wash all the new cloths I bought and try out all the DVD's the other half bought.

Will pop back later tonight,missed you all.
Suex

Hi all

daughter phoned late last night (Friday) to say they had arrived home ....... 2½ hours late. It was well after midnight her time!

Apparently there was a further delay in Toronto ........ the new crew for the plane had not turned up on time for duty!


I went shopping this afternoon, downtown. Got several bargains ........ a couple of tops for me and a short sleeved dress shirt for OH.

The weather is much cooler now, and there might even be some rain overnight

...... but the smoke from the wild fires in the interior of the province have now been blown east as far across the country as northern Ontario ................ almost 2000 km away! People all along that "path" of smoke / haze are being warned of bad air quality and to stay indoors if they have any health problems.



Cyn ................. probably!!


BUT it is sooooooooooo nice to have the house back to ourselves again!



Take care everyone


s
xxx

Hi Everyone, Where is everyone? just found us on page 3

I have news from Evelyn she is well and is heading of to France and will be away from the end of this month until the end of September.

Will be going to my second ever Baby Shower next Saturday, my first one was a surprise one thrown by the ladies of my Church for me when pregnant with my second baby.
So am thoroughly looking forward to this one, we have all been told to wear something green and bring a plate of finger food and a present.

It will be an all female affair with party games, which I love.
The mother to be knows she is having a boy so that makes it easier for the present.
Lucky in NZ we don't go for the over the top horror type celebrations they seem to have in the US and Canada which some of you have had the misfortune of being part of.

The sun is finnaly starting to shine more frequently and with a little bit of warmth however there is still a bitter cold wind that spoils it. Two more weeks and Spring should be here.
Can't wait it has been a long cold wet grey winter this year.

Take care everyone will catch you all later Josie

Poor Jeannie, the loss of a dog is always hard to bear. Very sorry to hear that news. Take care Jeannie.



Anne, I now have a vision of a party being held within your bin. Did you mean seagull babies or baby babies???? lol



Cream doughnuts.......ohhhhhhhh. You really shouldn't mention such things Josie. drooool. I've just eaten a custard tart followed by a Flake. Don't tell Frank though.


I heard briefly from Evelyn a couple or so weeks ago but she is always busy. It would be nice to have her back on here though.


Sylvia, you're going to miss that little chap aren't you but please don't mention Christmas just yet!


The day started with a storm this morning and has rained on and off all day. It went very dark at the front of the house earlier but it was still quite bright at the back...very odd.


Ah well, I must stop waffling. Love to all. Cx.

Hi all


what a lot of news

Josie .. please tell Jeannie that I am very sorry to hear about Melody.


Just back from the airport where we left J & MJ........... her plane was delayed an hour but she decided that she wanted to be there for the posted time and to go through security so that she could try and get him to have a nap before it was time to board.

Of course, she left with more than she came with ......... she borrowed a small carry-on suitcase from us to stuff some essentials in. Then, they bought an ExerSaucer when they first arrived ...... it's the modern version of those walkers that we used to have, except the baby's feet touch a "saucer" and the part in which he sits moves around while the "saucer" stays stationary. Anyway, she decided to take it home with her

................ in a VERY large box, which was then also stuffed with toys she bought in Ikea earlier this week. They don't have Ikea in Halifax, it closed down about 10 years ago.

We got home and promptly phoned M to tell him the plane was late .................. and that there was all this extra baggage that he had to fit in his car!

It was great to have them for so long ............ only 4 months to go before we arrive in Halifax for Christmas!!!




s
xx

Hi everyone,
Ann those cookies sound divine.....
I have reached an age where I don't worry about calories anymore,

I will not deprive myself anymore because it might cause this or that ailment. I already have this or that ailment so what the heck,
bring on the sugar rush.

A bakery just along from where I work sell Cream filled Doughnuts, one of my favorites, and I find myself indulging at least 2 or 3 times a week.

I always feel a little naughty when eating them, as the cream squeezes out and the icing sugar goes all down my front.
Because as a child my Mother warned me off eating them by saying that 1 doughnut was the equivalent of eating 32 helpings of Cabbage which instantly gave me a mental picture of my Mothers watery over boiled Cabbage which would put me off wanting one.

My Mother lives only 10 mins down the Road from this shop, and I kind of look over my shoulder to check she is not there when I order one.

Glad to see you pop out of your shell Robert, hope it has not been to hot for you in there this summer.

Am in contact with Jeannie and she would like to say to everyone that she is only divorced from Genes and like Robert keeps an eye on us in this thread.

Her beloved greyhound Melody the one with the Tumor had to be put down the other day as the Tumor had grown so rapidly that Melody was suffering.

She is also concerned that since Evelyn cancelled her party she has not been on the thread, Has anyone been in contact with Her? I have sent a PM. No reply as yet.

Well off to my bed, been a long day catch you all later Josie

Well Cynthia - not quite like that - but it made me chuckle.

I do a quick clear up around the house & kitchen in the morning - empy all the small WPB's & get rid of anything we can't recycle & pop it in a bin bag - and tie it up & he takes it out & pops it in the big green bin at the end of the garden.

I am not that tall & can get the lid up & the bag in - but can't reach the lid to shut it back down - its on a slope the other side of the fence - very complicated - we have loads of seagulls & babies around - so If I leave the lid open they get in the bin & have a party.

The system works for us - trouble is I know what he is going to say every Friday morning - its just annoying.

As you guessed I am off work today - couldn't take another day of training - even if it was the last day. I feel very brain dead now - goodness only knows what mess I will get back to next week.

Well bin done & out - washing done & out - but looks like it may rain - OH gone to work but finishes at Noon - we are going to PC world to get some Ink & a mooch - I love mooching around PC world & Staples. Then shopping as we are vising the outlaws tomorrow.

Being very naughty at the moment - bought some Millies cookies on the way home & had them for brekki - Raspberry & white chocolate - Strawberry & Clotted Cream - Banoffee - Toffee Popcorn - yummy but no good if trying to lose weight. Felt I needed it as had to have a fasting blood test & a repeat S test at the doctors yesterday - i know they are esential but I hate them - so picked up the cookies on the way home to treat myself.

Off to see if I can fix the DVD RW with Franks help.

How do you get a bin ready for bin day......do you put ribbons on it or something????? I saw a lovely cartoon of an elderly married couple sitting up anxiously in bed and the wife saying to the husband..."The sooner you go to sleep, the sooner it will be bin day". It fits us to a 'T'. OH is the bin man in this house and gets in a bit of a tizz making sure it's put out etc.etc.


That was just a fleeting visit.....see you later. Cx.

Happy belated biorthday to Sylvia's OH

Cynthia - hope your OH is ok now - & with the bruise turning a lovely yellow now

Robert - wonderful to have you with us again ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Waves

Still no Evelyn - anyone sent out a search party yet?

Frank - a joy as always - will have a go at your computer advice this weekend - I need to print out your advice - but have no ink in the printer - My OH thought he had a spare - no it turned out to be an empty box - we are getting a new one tomorrow when we go to visit the outlaws.

As luck would have it Cynthia - the latest travel crisis does not affect my office at all - we only use the expensive operators who have been around for years. We would have problems if the major airlines when bust or Abercrombie & Kent, Audley Travel, ITC, etc.

Must away as need to get the bin ready as its bin day & OH has already reminded me twice this morning - don't forget its bin day - I am getting a little annoyed as I know its Friday & he does this to me every week - might as well have it on a tape loop. I get the bin ready he puts it out.

Joy

Take care all - I agree Party time soon.

By the way Frank you will still be 6 years older than me at your next birthday - but you are 1 year younger than my OH. My OH & I share a birthday (not year obviously) and ours is 24 September - agreed Cynthi - what date is yours Frank?

See you all soon

Heavens......no visitors today?????


Well, I've nothing exciting to add but must keep the flag flying.


Good night ......... again :)) Love. Cx.

Confused? Me, confused? I was certainly confused last night when my OH slipped over and ended up with two powerful grazes on his forehead! He suffered no ill effects whatsoever, but looks rather like a reindeer who's antlers are missing!! I think I was more shaken than he was!!



Ah.....now I know where I am going wrong with the baked potatoes......silly me :))


Well, are you going to tell us when the actual date is Frank? We can have a party to celebrate.....it's time we had a party on here I think. I'll willingly pick Robert up in my car to bring him to your place.


Anne, has your office gone all to pot with the latest travel crisis?


Josie~~~~~~waving to you in your dry cleaners. Anything exciting to report?


A very happy birthday to Sylvia's OH and I am so glad they are out of the cellars and that the weather has cooled down. Much better for everyone I should imagine. Please don't go falling over anymore....I'm up to 'here' with folk falling over at the moment!


Goodness, 10pm already........nearly bedtime - so - night night dear friends. Cx

Cynthia.........whit..........me........confused.................

You're the one who puts TV dinners in the black & white TV to cook instead of the microwave.
............did you never wonder why setting the remote control to Channel 3 wouldn't cook the baked potatoes :)

Thankyou to the elder Robert for attempting to inject some sanity to the thread and yes I am a just a smidgeon younger than most of my friends here.
Just approaching one of the irrelevant birthdays now.........you know, the one between 56 & 58.

Talking of spring chickens Sylvia, just make sure you remember to get your OH back out of the museum.