General Chat

Annette, thank you for your thoughts. The snow and ice is at best a nuisance at worst dangerous. Only a nuisance to us as we can't get out and about, but we don't have to being retired. We had warning of the weather so we stocked up on food and our house stays quite warm as we have had all our cavity walls insulated, plus the roof and have double glazing. We are lucky in that we can just about to afford to keep the central heating running on low all day when it is cold.

However there are people who are going to be suffering from the cold who can't afford to heat their homes properly. Hopefully they will have learned to have a blanket handy to wrap round themselves when sitting around.

And there are people who have to drive on the icy roads, people who need to get to work, the emergency services etc. Those are the ones I feel for and who need our thoughts. Some of the main roads will be gritted but that is not a lot of help if snow then falls on top. (somehow that seems to be the government of the days fault - we had the same last year).

Our personal problem is going to be whether we are able to get to our daughter's for Christmas at the end of the week. However, if we can't that will be sad but not life threatening and we'll have to go later on. Fingers crossed that somehow we get enough of a thaw to clear the roads.

Catherine, stay warm!

A very good morning to you all.
Hope everyone is safe and warm. Very cold here today and airport is closed until 1p.m. Its rained all night and now we have snow showers as well. Will just have to curl up by woodburner for the day and read a good book.
Take care everyone,

Cath xx

its 9 am Sunday 19th Dec.
I just saw on the early tv news that they cant find England !
It was a catchy intro to the story, but when I heard it through I realized what they meant.

You poor people, covered in snow or ice.
Unable to go anywhere, do anything.

I have NO idea what you are experiencing, and I am amazed you can still be cheerful.
and this is likely to go on for months? o dear, I do hope the the power stations can keep up with the demand for heating. how do folk keep warm in such trying situ. ? I suppose this months power bill will be enormous.

Thinking of you all and for your wellbeing.

Annette

Morning Ann
I was remembering that I had some childrens books from Australia brought over by my penfriend when my children were small. I have also used them with my childminding.
Don Spencer's Australian Animals
and Jalygurr by Pat Torres.
My penfriend's husband used to work in education for the native Australians. They lived in Perth and in Broome up in the North West, where there were pearl divers I think.

Linda :o) XxX

I believe quite a few people with other health problems have already died from flu. Some of them swine flu so I am glad that, in the end we decided to have the flu jab, even if we did both have coughs afterwards.

Catherine, it will be a shame if the patois dies out altogether in Guernsey and Jersey. I like to hear it spoken (Not that I can understand it) when travelling on the buses.

Moonbi and Clarabear. It is strange to hear mention of Australian children's books, we tend to think that the books we read as children were universal but I had never heard of yours. That is very interesting. Are they more universal now do you think?

Morning everyone
Think England will be hibernating today. So much of us is either covered in snow or frozen solid with ice.

Well I shall be staying put today and keeping warm.

Just on the news is the fact that BA are cancelling all their flights from Heathrow between 10:00am and 5:00 pm and Gatwick for similar times too.

Then there was a report advising pregnant women to have the flu vaccination as they think the flu and particlularly swine flu will be bad this winter. And a very low uptake so far, but there are 3 varients of the virus this year.

Have a good warm and safe day everyone

Linda XxX

Good morning folks,
another chilly one. We have no snow but plenty of rain.
Ann we dont have any French traditions that I can think of (except the naming of roads) only British ones. A lot of older people still speak a form of 'Patois' or Guernsey French, but by and large it has died out as a language. Some schools are trying to ressurect it, my eldest granddaughter belongs to a Guernsey French club at school and only this week the children were singing Jingle Bells in 'Patois' on the local radio, so, who knows, maybe it will make a comeback.
Hope everyone is well

Cath xx

Hi Clara bear
i too am an aussie, and I love the tone of the conversations on this thread with people from other countries.

where are you?
Im living near the Vic/nsw border, major inland city. I think you can guess it.

I grew up reading everything a kid could get their hands on. my dad use to get second hand childrens books from op shops, garage sales and the like, and we would share them with our friends passing them around.
I especially liked Blinky Bill, also the Muddled headed wombat.
Its sad that Aus author Ruth Park died this week. She wrote books that now are classic aussie reading for kids.

my family are all grown up and out of school, busy working.
its amazing just how cool it is here, when last year same time it was so... hot
best wishes and happy christmas

annette

Isnt it nice to see some new people on here, welcome all. Am hoping the roads will stay open until Wed is over as all I am short of for Christmas is my library books and the van comes wed afternoon. Ours is the run that when things go wrong, it always seems to be our turn for the van visit!

Strange how I always think of the Channel Islands being warm. Even though every time we have been it has been the same weather as at home Lol!!! Very cold here Catherine too. some time back we were talking about different Christmas traditions in different countries. In the Channel islands, in your case Catherine, Guernsey, do you have any French traditions mixed in with UK ones?

Clara bear, If you look at the Greaders threads when they appear on here. (It is the GR reading group we review the chosen books every 6 weeks) you can often pick up a good selection of books to read.

Welcome to Clarabear.

Ann, we don't want this thread to die so keep nudging, lol. Will promise to try and keep it up.

Cath xx (freezing in Guernsey)

I have been an avid reader most of my life, enid blighton and the Billagong series (in Aus) and many more. Then I concentrated on Brithish History, then American, then Ireland. Yes I would read almost anything except M&B unless I really need to destress. Depression caught up with me so I could not concentrate, but happily back now reading and noting the books you are mentioning on here. I have heard the Kite Runner is very good.
Happy Christmas Reading

Welcome Clarabear, always good to 'meet' somebody else. There are several people on the general and chat boards from Aus, you even have a special thread on Chat.

Moonbi, I don't like to keep nudging up my own thread and, as nobody had posted, I thought people wanted to let it die.

We have just been shopping, to get the things we forgot when we did the final shop!!!! Plus a refil of petrol in case the weather worsens and the tankers can't get through. We will need petrol to get to our daughters in Hampshire.

The sun is shining at the moment here but it is just +1 outside.

Hi I have been member of GR for some time now did not realise this was such an active social room. I used to belong to MSN Groups and we used to have lovely discussions and got to meet etc: I really miss those rooms maybe I have just found a replacement. Sometimes we need to broaden our horizons. I am in Aus by the way.

Off to the dentists unfortunately !!!
But not too bad here

Hope everyone is almost there for their prparations

Linda :O) XxX

where is everyone?

Off enjoying the lead up to Christmas?

shovelling snow away?

Reading books?

Protesting in the streets of London?

Making gingerbread cookies?

Chasing down the turkey?

Have a wonderful trip Sylvia, and a specially happy Christmas to you and your family.
Look forward to all the news when you return home.

Best wishes xox
Annette

Sylvia, have a wonderful trip and a great Christmas with your family.

The best bit is when you leave the house and know if you haven't done it/packed it it's too late.

Have a safe trip Sylvia, and a very happy Christmas to you and your family :))

Rose xx

Bridget


I used to lose myself in books as well ................ to the extent that I would not hear if anyone spoke to me!

I was an editor for a large part of my working life ........ and I have found that that made reading difficult because I notice misprints, mis-spellings, errors in things said 10 pages before compared with what is said on this page, etc ..... you know the kind of thing I mean! Things that really come down to inadequate proof-reading!



We leave on Tuesday, so I am making short visits to GR at the moment, in between doing things like getting wash bag set up

.................. I only use soap, underarm stuff, toothpaste, and a moisturizer



so why does it take me 2 hours to set it up?????????????????


......... getting ready also includes getting stuff ready to put in the safe we have in the basement ........ things like all the bmd certs I've bought, any bits of good jewelry, etc!

......... and backing up the hard drive onto an external one "just in case"



Plus helping OH when he comes in asking "where is .....", "what shall I do with ....."



I'm spinning in little circles at the moment



Tomorrow, I have physio, and we also have to pick the last couple of items to take away for J&M ....... some very special "cooking" chocolate for making extra special desserts and some chocolates only made in Vancouver ..................... which means I'll be out of the house most of the day.


On Tuesday, we want to get the 6 pieces of baggage to be checked down to the station no later than noon. Then come back, have bath/shower, finish packing the carry-on bags, etc.

Train check-in is about 6:30 - 7:00 pm, and there is no dinner served, just snackies with a glass of champagne as we leave Vancouver. I can't eat the snackies ........ they always have cream or cheese in them!

so we have to eat something beforehand.

We think we'll go to our local coffee shop (where we go most afternoons) at about 4:30pm, and have an early "dinner" .......... they have just started making what is said to be a very nice chili. Then back home to get ready for the taxi which we'll order for about 6 pm



Just in case I don't get back on here after tonight



MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL
xxxxxx




sylvia
xxx