General Chat

Just thought i'd pop in and say hi ~~~~ to you all.
Eileen so lovely to read your posts lately, I can almost feel the positivity coming from you :)
Good news on the dogs Mary, eould love to be able to come and celebrate their arrival but it is a bit far away!!
Carole, you sound really busy and enjoying life at the moment.
Gail, sorry you are not having the best of times at the moment, always here to talk if you need an ear, hugs for you xxx
Lily, have been looking for you on fb for a chat most nights but have'nt seen you, hope all is well with you.
Liz you ok, have'nt seen much of you on the boards lately.
How are are 2 Hazel's as well, seem to remember seeing treehunter a while ago but not seen Lanc witch for ages

GRRRR just continued my last post, submitted it because the screen was jumpy and I've lost it now.
Anyway to cross to type it all again so i'll send love and strenght to you all
Claire xxxxx

Am using this post to sit down for a while, muscles and joints are soooo stiff from working for 3 solid days in back garde, Anno Domini has a lot to answer for. Did hardly anything last year, it was a complete mess, the ivy which was (nearly) all taken away the year before, had come back with a vengeance.Hard work to encourage it to let go it’s tenacious grip on fence and walls….shrubs and trees were pruned back, weeds that were having a field day have all been ruthlessly pulled up.Now I have an overflowing green bin, which I hope the bin men will empty this thursday, it is very heavy, mostly due to kitchen waste which has been in there for months,& sunk down, and now the garden refuse…have also two enormous green bags (they are specially for garden and kitchen waste, they rot away within a couple of weeks) filled up, and a very large pile of branches and other big bits of ivy standing out back…hope ‘someone’ will go with me to the dump a.s.a.p…

Gail, are you feeling less rough now? Deanna too. It is horrible to feel so down, isn’t it?

Carole and Clair and Mary, thank you for your kind wishes.I do feel quite positive lately, long may it last !.
Carole, how terribly sad it is to see a loved one with dementia, losing all their dignity etc. My mother didn’t know who I was in the last year or so of her life.I have often wondered if it was a wise thing to do, bringing her and my aunt over here in ’96, as she (mother) died about 9-10 months later, even more confused than she already was. The wierdest thing happened just a couple of seconds before she breathed her last breath, i.e she opened her eyes (she had been in a coma for a week), looked at me and said ‘Eileen’, in a clear voice.Her eyes were as they used to be, clear, not empty, as if no-one was ‘home’, so to speak..May your friend and her siblings find the strength to deal with this awful situation…

Clair, I type my message on the Word program lately, as a couple of kind GR members advised me to do.The box keeps jumping around like a flea in a fit, impossible to post that way.

My daughter F. , the one I went to Brittany with, asked me to go up there for a few days. Was planning to go on thursday, come back saturday, as it is a nightmare to travel on trains etc.on the 30th (old queen Juliana’s birthday), but she phoned yesterday to ask me to go this wednesday instead. My car is playing up, needs a new part for the steering, it is really dangerous as it is now, should be seen to soon.Even if it is ready before wednesday, I can’t leave it for so long near the station here, it would probably get stolen or vandalised…it’s a very long walk to the station !!! Another prob.is, travellers are advised to get of the train 2 stops before the big Central station in Amsterdam, because of work being carried out there…have to find my way from Amstel to where daughter lives, meaning a long tram ride, IF I am lucky enough to be able to get on one…can’t say I am relishing the thought….
Amsterdam will be a real old sight from 30th of april onwards, if the garbage collectors stike goes ahead…you should see the sheer amount to rubbish left after a normal day/weekend, not to even mention the festivities in and around the city on the 30th….

Well, must get moving again, can’t sit for too long, maybe I should buy an oil can to lubricate the old joints.Lol…

Have a good day everyone, be safe.

Eileen

ClaireJo, good to see you on here, hope all is well with you and the family.
Deanna, One day you will find him when he pops his head over the parapet so don't give up just yet.
Eileen, gardening seems to find all the muscles we have forgotten we've got doesn't it. Must be a good work out though!

I am sure you will be fine going to F's on Wednesday, just as you were fine in the end going to Brittany. Enjoy your stay and take a peg for your nose, if the garbage strike has gone ahead!!!!!

Lol Anne.It's not the stench I mind, more the rats that are attracted by the rubbish, much of it left overs...ugh!
Am just hoping there won't be a repeat of Queen's day last year in Apeldoorn.Most of you may remember that man deliberately driving into people watching the Dutch royal family in a big, open-topped bus, killing 8, injuring 10..terrible tragedy! My youngest daughter is coming back with me on saturday, staying at least until next tursday with her two kiddies who have scarlet fever!!!! I think she needs a bit of TLC herself.
Off to bed again, only got up to reply to a few mails.
Night all.

Eileen

It is very quiet on the thread the last few days, hope it doesn’t mean that those of you who have been having/are having a rough time of it are still in the black hole? Terrible place to be!

Am off to Amsterdam this afternoon, will be helping/advising grandson’s class mates about the school garden, ie.suitable plants etc. tomorrow.
Hope it stays dry on the 30th…

Will be very busy from saturday onwards, but hope the little ones of daughter S. who is coming back with me will be a lot better by then.Poor little mites.

Today would have been my aunty’s (the one who lived with me here) birthday……

Lots to do before heading off.

Take care and be happy.

Eileen

morning everyone

take care

Gill

You too, Gill. Nice to see you.
Greets from sunny Sydney- well today was, it is now after 7 pm and dark.

Hello Eileen. I hope you advise rather than help. Their muscles are a lot more nimble than yours!
Also hope the threatened garbage strike is over. A week's pile of rubbish doesn't bear thinking about. We had one here, once and it was dreadful. Fortunately it was not in the summer.

Afternoon Gill, good to see you posting.Keep well!

Colin, I doubt if there will be any digging to do tomorrow, just advice and help given, the days of doing heavy digging are well past now...lol.

The dreaded strike by the refuse men is actually on 30th, Queen's Day thus.They picked this day because of it hitting home even worse than it would on normal days, hope it isn't carried on way past this date! They do have a tough job though.Am not sure if the road sweepers will strike too, as they are doing in some other places.

Must get moving, have to be ready to go when s.i.l picks me up to go to the station.

Eileen

I'm feeling sad today. It is two years ago today that my Mum passed away. I miss her very much.

Dear Alison

Hello

We haven't spoken before.

I am not normally on here more later.

I am very sorry your Mum passed away.
Anniversaries are always very difficult.

Try and focus on the good times and may they bring you comfort.

Take gentle care of yourself.
Very sincere wishes
xx

Dear Alison, as Elizabeth has said, anniversaries are very sad, I have found that birthdays are difficult, too. My mother died many years ago. She would have been 81 the day after our Mother's Day (May 9 this year).
I think as long as we realise why we are sad we can cope, just. xx Colin.

Thinking of you on this difficult day Alison. I hope you can turn it into a good day by celebrating your Mum's life and remembering all the good times you had with her.

I hope you are right Ann and I do find him... but I have my doubts.
I think there are an awful lot of mistakes in the census, and because people in the main could not read or write in the early 19Th century, they could not check up.
Never mind, I will manage I'm sure.
I cannot move any further as the other side of my family, maternal, is Russian, Israeli, Polish &...I can't read the writing and my mummy who could, is no longer around, bless her.

I have come on just to see you all, but I don't have anything to contribute...
I'm a bit depressed I think, if you could tell me WHY... it would be helpful. ;-0)

Anyway. I hope you are all managing to cope whatever your worry or problem is and I wish you all a little sunshine.
See you soon.
Deanna XXXX

Dear Alison, your sorrow is shared by so many, me included. My mother made it to 96 y/o, but it was still too soon, for me.
Hold your precious memories close to your heart. I've planted a tree in each garden I've had since her death, in her memory, so each time I look at it, I remember how she loved Nature and it's beauty. Just a thought, might help.
love and hugs,Mary

Deanna have you asked for help on the boards? Anyway I hope a miracle occurs and you find him.

Just had a chat with Joyce. Thought I'd pop on and check you all out.

Son's girlfriend has been in a car accident (Thursday night) and has a broken collar bone.
It's just one thing after another this year.

Councelling strange. Just talk about family and
how I feel. No structure to it. Don't know if it will be any good. But I remember feeling the same at the start of CBT.


Sending love to you all xx

My daughter Colleen wrote this on Wednesday last . . . . "drumroll please...after 32 months of full-time study, 21 Brock U courses,12 St.Lawrence College courses, 50 + assignments, and LOTS of late nights...I HAVE FINISHED ALL MY REQUIREMENTS FOR A BACHELOR OF ARTS DEGREE WITH A MAJOR IN PSYCHOLOGY!!!!!! A special thank you to my Mum and all those who supported me on my path to University Education!! What a privilege!!"
I am so thrilled for her, she seems totally lost the last few days, not sure what to do!!! Starts an 8-week placement tomorrow and then has one graduation in June and one in September.
The kids are so proud of their Mummy. I am in awe that she has persevered and reached her goal at 41 years of age..

I have to have a minor surgical procedure tomorrow morning, to remove the two embedded sutures that remain 2 months after my carpal tunnel surgery. Hopefully it will be much less sensitive afterwards.
Did a lot of gardening today, we are no longer allowed to spray dandelions, so we started digging them out, one by one, after 2 hours had made a mere dint in the yellow front lawn, so persuaded 2 of the kids to remove literally hundreds of the yellow heads, and the rest of the leaves etc will be cut with the lawn, once I get the mower going!!!
It feels like rain so we came in early.
My goodness Carole, things seems to have been particularly difficult around your family recently. I hope the latest accident victim recovers well. How is Sarah's husband doing, and their little boy?
I had to drive 'up north' yesterday for a funeral for an old friend ( old meaning 30+ years ago not that we are both ancient). It was almost 4 hours going there in constant rain, the return trip was half-hour less on dry roads. Long trip for an hour's service. I just HAD to attend. When it ended I felt overwhelmed with sadness, as my friend was one who walked the road with me when my son Michael died in 1973, 15 minutes after birth. She kept me busy and distracted and told me off when I needed it. Then 9 months later she helped me deal with my fathers death, then another 4 months and my David was born early with Respiratory Distress syndrome, and she helped with my girls until David and I could come home after 10 days. Some friendships last forever even when apart. I was privileged to call her 'friend'.
Time to finish the laundry and get ready for bed. Hugs all round.
Mary

Hello all, I am feeling a bit flat at the moment. Could be a touch of SAD. The difference between our seasons is not extreme because of our low latitude (about 34 South) but I still feel a bit miserable.
That said, congratulations Colleen! A fully fledged degree is something to be proud of. If you are too lost, maybe you could start a higher degree? Just joking. I am sure your family want to have a bit more of you.
Colin