Around the World with 80 Chicks #2
 

Welcome to our Summer/Winter home. We chat so much that our old Spring/Autumn home was getting stretched at the seams. Old thread is http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/show...696#post595696 to go back to see the last entries.

So to Happy2bme, Teel, Mel, Linus, Peacock2 and Roseblush and those wonderful people missing in action, Shaker and Kiwi-Annie to mention just two, here we are again. New Home, new Plans, new Hopes and aspirations.

Please feel free to join us at our place (pictured below) Come to tea, we love to chat to one and all.

Ooohh Shad :love: what you've done to the new house - thanks for showing us the way. From that picture's photo angle, it really puts "across the pond" into perspective. So glad you found this place for us as I am a sucker when it comes to gazing out at the water...

Think I'll go take a walk around the place now to get myself situated. Hopefully I'll run into the rest of you worldly chicks in my travels. :wave:

Getting used to the lack of nicotine causes memory loss??? first time I have heard of that one happy. Sometimes I think I have posted for the day and when I go back for one reason or another it is not there. I blame the computer but hey, sometimes it's me. Aaah these golden years!!!
What a shame about your weekend. Now I just know you will have to make the move down here and enjoy our winter sunshine. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to afford to winter over in Queensland and spend the summers someplace else (NZ or Hawaii or maybe South of France or Tuscany or even Finland!!!!!) Poor DH, wants to be out and about but is thwarted by the weather - well not even he can do much about that. But it is good to hear that the back is getting better. Take it easy now. My best wishes go out to your friend, she has a long road to walk but with support of family and friends she will get there. GB is a drastic way of doing things but it sometimes has to be done and things can happen. Hope the husband carries on the good work in the kitchen.
Happy, I don't know that it is lack of commitment on your part. I too have been here for a long time and have lost some but definitely nowhere near all the weight. For those of us who have to cater to other tastes as well as our own it becomes very hard especially as you have things in the house which you should not be allowed anywhere near. Personally I think it is routine. We simply have to find the routine which suits and carry on with it. Then of course life changes again as in our cases with jobs etc and we have to re-routine ourselves. Sure commitment has something to do with it, but this is one long and boring journey - we are bound to stray once in a while. Don't be too hard on yourself, but definitely go find that treadmill and spend the same amount of time on it per day as you did smoking - that will make a difference.
I know just what you mean about the kids leaving school and getting themselves into financial difficulties. Heck it took me years to get mine under control as well. But you are right, there is no such thing as life resources in schools and homes most of the time. I well remember getting on the wrong side of the school council when the boys were in school for asking that the Human Relationships courses also dealt with budgetting, banking and paying bills and rent as well as saving for the future. They only wanted to teach them about sex. Talk about sticking your head in the sand. Ye Gods, the kids probably knew more about that than we did. I also got into trouble for telling the headmaster you could buy drugs on campus. He refused to believe it and I sent DS2 out to buy $10 worth just to prove it. Neither DS2 or I got on well with him after that.
Figuring out ways to celebrate Teels 40th. I mean she is going to Salzburg - I best get my gear on and go to...........................the supermarket????? :rofl: :lol3:
I found out why I was not able to e-mail my friend in Arizona. They have apparently put in a couple of firewalls at the server and the computer. They have now allowed my address into the firewall and I can communicate again. All is well. Ngaire said she was wondering why she had not heard from so many of her friends. D'uh only after she mentioned it to Steve after I had got through at last, he said well didn't you set the address book up to allow special people through? Yes well. I think he is now calling her airhead. :?:

Right well I have done two loads of washing and been to the gym and showered,shampooed and shaved etc. So it's probably about time I got on with work. I'll catch up with all you lovely people later.

Glad you liked the new house happy. tea on the lawn when you are ready. Just row over the pond.

:yikes: :yikes: :yikes: :yikes: Oh Shad, I just read your journal and saw how you came upon Sunday the cat. How awful! I can't believe how incredibly evil and wicked some people are. How fortunate you came along. If you should find the former owner, call me and I will be there in a flash and both DH and I will help you :rollpin: :rollpin: :rollpin: :rollpin:

Got a good laugh out of your story of giving DS a few dollars just to prove that drugs were easily purchased at the school. Sad as it may be, I think going all the way back to when we were in school, drugs have always been available if you know the right people. I thought it was more prevalent when I was in school in the early 70's when people were quite open about it, but my sister came along almost 10 years later and said it was no different when she was in school too. Anyway, you are such a hoot - :lol: I would have loved to hang over the fence and hear your stories of berating the silly "system".

Hmm you suggest spending the time I would have been smoking instead on the treadmill - I quickly calculated that to about 2 hours a day. Guess I'd be a stick insect in no time if I devoted that sort of time on the treddie. Will it work the same if I do it 30 times a day for 5 minutes at a time? :rofl: But a good suggestion none the less.

You really are so right on with having the routines to keep us on a successful path. When I first started 2 years ago, eating and exercising were my number 1 priority - everything else and I mean EVERYTHING took a distant second to that - housework, chores, recreation and I started in June so I had all summer without the demands of school. But it was an unrealistic expectation that I could keep up with that lifestyle for a sustained amount of time.

Your post about it being June already and almost half the year down shook me up that it's time to get serious again. I'm getting back in the swing of food, water and exercise. (Rowing over to your place is not a bad idea and could be an excellent cardio workout!) I've also gotten back into the fly lady fling boogies and the 15 minutes at a time tackle a task. Even after just 2 days, I feel much better as things are falling into place. The only downside is that it does really make the evenings fly by at lightning speed. A week or two more of this and things should be more under control.

Good luck on the job search. I have sent a few CVs out but no nibbles yet. Still don't have a definitive date on when things will come to a close.

Hope the rest of the ladies find their way over here. Don't make me come and look for you :mag: :mag: :mag: :mag:

Good Morning friends. I love our new abode. Lots of space for me to whiz around in. Later I'll try all the ins and outs of the place. I am a Pisces so am very glad that we live near water! Good choice Miss Shad!!! Love it.

For 2 days I don't really know where my mind has been. Nights filled with dreams and waking a little tired. In the middle of the night I was up for an hour in the bathroom. I don't recall eating anything that would have caused this particular problem:rofl: Also woke up with the same one! :lol: Maybe I have a little bug and that's why I am not myself?! Yesterday I looked at the clock and saw 2PM. The day was flying by. Got a load of towels etc done and waited for Carlos. The seat was not the one for me so Friday he will be back with another one we are borrowing from another shop. We were both disappointed but the prob is that whair construction is changing and doesn't suil certain backs. I may need another prescription for a custom seat and back. We'llsee.
I think I will do nothing for rtoday and not even get dressed. Just a wee bit of a rest.


shad~ Although I tried to keep up with your journal.........I hope everything is still progressing smoothly and as usual.

Happy~ Glad the back feels better and hope you're able to get out more.

Teel~ Is the big day on the 16TH?

Linus~ How goes the war of the houses?

I have literally no strength to think or type. This too shall pass. See you tomorrow and hope your day is a great one!!!

Hello everyone..I see we have moved home again...thanks Shad for getting us safely here!
HAPPY I am so sorry about your disasterous weekend...the weather is responsible for making or ruining even the best laid plans :devil: :rain: :sunny: it never does what we expect it to do.Please stop worrying about commitment...look what a success you are with the no smoking challenge.. :wizard: :cp: Come on girl, give yourself a truly deserved pat on the back...only don't hurt yourself :dizzy:
MEL that :censored: chair of yours is driving ME to distraction so how on earth you are not firing tornadoes:coach: at this stupid company heaven only knows. :rollpin: I had a little upset with my scooter today (more later!) and I am fuming over that, which is only a fraction of what you have had to endure....please let it come sooooon. :mad: :stress: :sumo:
SHAD I loved the stuff on dog philosophy!! Sorry you too are having a stressful time at the moment. Any news on the job scene? Glad you managed to contact Ngaire finally... :p Where is that house, by the way? Are there any fish in the lake?? Have we got a window cleaner? I'd help but I can only reach the lower level ones :lol: :lol: :D
Yes I am 40 on the 16th June. It is having a strange effect on my psyche. Not sure how to explain it really. I am so excited about going to Salzburg and London, but keep musing on the fact that deep down I know I am still depressed about what life holds and doesn't hold. Yes the meds are working fine at the moment but I know ther will be a time when they won't keep everything in order and then I will be back on the transplant list and all the horrors that that will entail... :kickcan: :kickcan: :kickcan: And my "weightloss" is such a :censored: joke.I have no commitment to it at all at present although I am still swimming a couple of times a week usually. 3 times on a really enthusiastic week.
Birthdays always have a funny effect on me. I start thinking about my birth parents and wondering....well everything really. Do you think mother knows I am the big 4-0...I don't know what time I was born...wonder if she thinks of it...cares...wonders....SORRY I am being a bit emotional here. :cry: I know all that stuff is true about adoptive parents choosing you and so on but there is still a very deep void about paternal roots that is crying out to be filled. I don't suppose I ever will fill it. I could never look for my real mother whilst my parents are still alive. :no: It would be like a real kick in the teeth.
I went to The Suffolk Show today with my neighbour...the ex-nurse one with whom I am going to Salzburg. We left at 07:34 hrs :fr: :fr: (I had forgotten that hour existed!!!) so as to miss the traffic and we did have a very good journey with no hold-ups. I was using my scooter for it's first big day out and only less than a couple of hours into the day it started "coughing and spluttering and dying and preferring to go into reverse than forward!" :?: :?: So we started to take it back to the car with the awful thought that we would have to very soon go home,and wondering how the :censored:we would ever get back to the car with the stupid thing coming to a halt every three foot or so when T. had this brill idea of finding a steward (lots of them in bowler hats zooming around in golf buggies) and asking whether he could take us all back to the car...which was what did happen. Except with the plus that there was a mobility marquee which was hiring out scooters...and thanks to someone cancelling an arranged hiring, there was one to spare. :lucky:..just for me!! :smug: :smug: :dance: :dancer: For the price of GBP £16.50...but it sure saved the day. I am all prepared to :coach: :coach: :coach: :rollpin: :rollpin: at the mobility centre tomorrow. And the weather was pretty bad. I froze. All week long yesterday was deemed to be the better of the two...not so. By lunch it was overcast and drizzling and cold...me in short sleeves :^: :^:

I thought you would have recognised the house Teel, but anyway it's Woburn Abbey. Yes I would think they have a window cleaner. How lucky you could get yourself another scooter to whiz around the show and in short sleeves. Hope it wasn't white and that you didn't have beetroot for lunch!!! :rofl: :lol3:
Have you ever suggested to your folks that you might like to search for your natural parents? They have probably been expecting it for years. They may even know a few facts about the birth or the time or the bio parents. It is possible you know. They may even help you search!!!
Mel so sorry you are not feeling well. I did tell you not to overdo it didn't I? Well get better soon and learn the lesson that we are not indestructible.
Sunday the cat is sitting here headbutting me. She wants to get on my knee again - I bought some fish at the supermarket so she is letting the presence be known in case I feel like dropping some on the floor. Tough puss - not going to happen.

Gorgeous eyes this cat. I'll see if I can find a picture of her one of these days. She is cute and one wonders how anyone can do something so horrible to a helpless cat. Still she is a whole lot better than she was, but is not a particularly playful puss although very loving. The vet tells me she is a very lucky cat, I say she is not as grateful as she should be. Apparently another ten minutes inside the bag would have fried the brain. As it is, sometimes I think she has a little brain damage.

I've been shopping this morning, filled up on fruit and veg and a few pita wraps plus coffee and a bit of meat and fish. Not cheap either today. However it will last me (the meat and coffee and stuff anyway) about 2 weeks. I also bought myself a new tile tool to nibble out small bits from the tile so I can work around little bits and pieces.

So I should now go and get changed and get cracking again. I rang the lady suggested to me by my friend Mick who has some work going, but as per normal, it's a case of hurry up and wait. She has my CV but is not yet responding to phone calls. I refuse to get stressed. :stress: :eek: :faint: Gotta go

Ah Woburn Abbey! I have actually never been to the abbey but to the safari park a few times. So that's what it looks like! :lol:
Yes Shad, i've talked to the parents about...the parents!! Mum was absolutely horrified and couldn't understand for one milli=second why I would want to go down those paths. She felt very betrayed and came out with all sorts of "reasons" why it would be the worst thing in the world..for my natural mother..e.g. might never have told any family; happily married and all family none the wiser;she would be in her 60's now and might be ill, or worse, not alive anymore...and so on...for herself and dad, why did I feel it necessary to go hunting for another mother after all the years of love and sacrifice...and why did I feel this need so badly when my adoptive brother Paul has NO wish at all, at all, to seek for his?
Yes I've been at this place a few times and not able to move from it. Except perhaps as I get older I think the chances of her still being alive do get less, especially if she got a cardiomyopathy at an early age like I did!!! They know no details of my first two years. In the 60's adoption was all a very big secret and there was no ties whatsoever to the natural parents.I was sworn to secrecy all my earlier years.."not of anyone's business".In later years I chose to tell friends. Nowadays adoptees are given a "memory box" of treasures from the time of birth and details, like time and so on. Healthwise it would be so handy to have more info, especially if there are any hereditory links to the diabets, the cardiomyopathy and the degenerative disease of the spine.Still. It is evidently not to be.
I am glad we went to the show yesterday. Today it looks quite a lot greyer out there...don't think I will chance hanging out the washing!
Oh yes...I thought very carefully about what to wear whilst out yesterday!!:s: I had a mid-pink blouse on! And kept away from all things runny and dark red! As it was, we had a hoagie for lunch and a bit of stuffing leapt out on to my knee!!!
Mel good luck for today when you start it in America in a few hours time!
Linus..hope you are hanging on in there....
Roseblush...where are you hiding? Come and visit our new abode...
Happy...good morning to you too...time to come out and greet the day...hope the weather is better over there than it is here...!
Peacock....where are you? Haven't seen you for a while....hope you are ok!!
Bye for now...love from Teel xx

Sorry, Teel I should have worked out that you have already asked. Now there is another way to go about it. Firstly talk to your GP about the possiblitly of opening the adoption records for medical reasons. I know that this can be done in NZ. I presume it is also done in Aus, but I've never had occasion to use it. Secondly there is a program called Jigsaw (in NZ), which I believe is also in UK where you can leave your name, details etc and they will check to see if your birth parents have ever requested your details. Apparently if the child wishes to meet the parents they can arrange it. However it does not work the other way around. You don't have to tell your parents. By the sound of it, it is kinder not to. The following are two sites that I have found - the second on is UK based so that may be the one for you. It is all confidential. And personally because of the medical history I think you have every right to know.
http://www.reunite.com/
http://www.majilton.4t.com/
Let me know how you go.

Hi Alll I am back up and running
 

I got my computer yesterday and so I am finally able to read the posts and get back in the groove with my internet girlfriends....yeah...... I have missed you all so much and will take time this weekend to go back and read the posts so I can be upto date with all of you.
I had a nice weekend away with my neice it is so nice to reconnect with her and to stay in touch. Life is so swift and things can change so quickly. We use to spend so much time together but that is getting less as she grows up. Together we have a journal that we keep and pass back and forth to each other and that is fun to keep as time changes. She is taller than me now! :mad: Oh well!
The sun is finally shining and it is so pretty here the last couple of days makes you feel inspired that things can actually change if we try. I was sure my Dr. would say something about the weight gain since my last time there but we had other things to talk about. I have made my good diet soup again and the house if filled with all kinds of good food. My determination is back and I will work each day at making a difference for myself.
I want you all to know how much I admire each of you and the amazing woman you all are! Thanks so much for this place to come and share. Blessings to each of you today.
Take Good Care,
Nae

Had a nice long entry all ready to type and the brother arrived to chat. So it's now time to race off to the gym for the 4th and final time this week. Bodybalance here I come.

I'll do a linus and pop back later for a decent blether.

Hello Girl. Not exactly back to normal. Must have been a virus of somekind. At least the trips to the loo stopped. I am stopping my NCC till Monday and will re-do my goals from last week. It was impossible to do them for 2 days in and out of the bath! :rofl:
Poor Carlos. He was here again today and this seat is no good either. He found some things wrong with the chair and is returning Monday to pick it up and take it to the shop. He called the company and they are sending a nearby rep to take a look at it. If it's not to Carlos' expectations he is returning it. He told the company he's fed up tonite. He left a crest-fallen man and I wasn't much happier! :lol: But sometimes Sh*t Happens and we have to work at it till it's fixed! I was so upset the other night that I had spasms again in my chest. Tension is a killer for me there. The pain was so bad i had to go to bed. Told Carlos that we must just deal with this chair BUT without any yelling and screaming. I'm stressed out enough with everything else. I left and went for a spin around the halls while he screamed on the phone:rofl: I am back at square one but not overly concerned. I will let Carlos go nuts and he can handle this.

Jen and her BF will finally get to have his 2 kids visit for 6 weeks after a battle between the 2 lawyers. The BF finally won after about 50 faxes back and forth. His ulcerous stomach is acting up and they both are worn out. I look better than both of them:lol: I have not caught up with all the reading here. Just wanted to tell my friends my troubles. I feel like I am one step away from losing it. If I get upset I'm sick and if I hold it in I feel sick. What's a girl to do! :rofl: Maybe I should become a Catholic. They seem to have a lot of Saints they pray to. Every other day one of the women in here tell me to pray to a different one!!! :rofl: :rofl: Well I have cried enough for one night. Hope you are all well and I should be fine in another day or two. Take care~ Love and hugs to you all, Mel

Oh lordy, forget catholicism and go for Hinduism. They have thousands of gods and goddesses for you to choose from. Each one has a different reason for being and you can bless the god or goddess with your own god given reason for living or being as you wish.
Good idea to let Carlos lose his cool. You need to keep your sanity here, you are going to need it with those kids at hand for 6 weeks. ye gods grandma how you going get past this!!!!

Evening ladies,

I am back from my haunts. More on that later.

Mel, if you decide to become a Catholic - pray to St. Jude - my personal favorite as he is the patron saint of hopeless cases. It is due to many novenas to him that I finally got my drivers license. I went and bought a car, got insurance and got my drivers license in that order. It's a funny story which I will tell you someday. Anyway, St. Jude is my buddy. If you decide to become a Buddist then you would have to believe in kharma, wouldn't you and would have to cast your woes to the winds to be taken care of (or dumped on some poor evil sap - is that how it goes :rofl: ) I have to admit that getting that chair fitted is far more of an ordeal than I ever imagined. And the fact that it's so expensive makes the troubles thusfar all the more unbelievable. You are right in that getting aggrivated does you no good whatsover - holding it in or letting it out. Your only alternative is to dig deep and find some humor in all of this. Think of that statue with the guy staring up at the bird sitting on a branch directly over his head. He looks upwards and says, "go ahead, every one else does (as in go poop on me)". Making yourself sick and frustrated just takes too long to calm down so you might as well laugh at it. I will have to get you a horn like they had on Model T cars so you can blast around going ah-ooh-gah, ah-ooh-gah! Rest up, try to not let it get to you.

Teel, I am sorry that your parents are feeling threatened because you want to seek your biological family. I must say that I had not understood it myself until I began to watch some television shows and saw people talk about how they felt things were "missing" and the frustration of the unknown. And particularly for the medical reasons. Many people said they were unsure of having children not knowing their family medical history and what they might pass on to their children. It really was compelling and helped me to understand their perspective. It's not as if you are rejecting them, but they are older and feel differently than we do. I wish you success in your investigations. Big hug to you :grouphug: it does seem like many things are coming to a head for you at this point in your life. I can't explain why you are in the position you are in now more than anyone else. All I can say is that had things been different and you had continued your nursing career, you would have never wound up here and we would have never had the pleasure of your company - same for the U.K. fat chicks. I suppose it is not good to dwell on what might have been - the only positive force is what is yet to be, whatever challenges we face.

While eating lunch today I was watching a show of people with severe disfigurements. One man contracted a rare but horrible infection in his sinus cavity. Far worse than that flesh eating infection you may have heard about. It did so much damage that he literally lost his face from below his eyebrows to his upper jaw. His eyes and nose were removed along with his upper palate, jaw and teeth. He is blind and cannot smell. I saw that story and wondered, how in the world do you find the will to carry on after something like that? He has a loving, supportive wife and said the idea of dying never occured to him. I am in awe of the courage of people like that.

Shad you have really been the inspiration at the gym dear woman. And a model for the No Crap Challenge. Life is actually better when you don't have a pesky job interfering with the better things in life, doesn't it? If not for those annoying bills that need to be paid, who needs to work, right? I see you are also getting lots done around the house.

As for me, yesterday I spent the evening catching up on some sorely overdue emails to friends of mine and some relatives too. By the time I was done it was time for bed - the evenings sure do fly by. Tonight DH and I went to dinner and went to the garden stores as we are in desperate need of some landscaping around the house. One side is way overground with day lilies that need thinning, the rock needs to be pulled back and the grown sprayed with no grow killer to kill off all the odd grasses, weeds and maple tree "helicopter" seeds that are taking root all over. The other side off the patio takes the brunt of the hot summer western sun and that area is full of rocks, the old stub of a tree and some odd bush plant that looks good for 2 weeks when in blossom and then gets hacked down as it is all scruffy and dry looking after it blooms. And then I have another small patch on the shady side of the house that I will probably add another clematis and some sort of small bush thing. We bought new rock (he wanted mulch, I didn't like how it looked). We got a butterfly bush (gee what a SURPRISE huh? Sure hope he doesn't have visions of it being his own personal butterfly sanctuary :lol: ), a hibiscus, a hydrangea, and some nice assorted flowers. Tomorrow DH will be dragging me out of bed early - around 7 or so :yikes: and we will no doubt be spending the day ripping out the old, tilling the ground and planting. A long and hard working day ahead. Will be nice cool weather to work in though.

So if you don't hear from me tomorrow, it's because my fingers are too tired to type. Also I have been sneezing all day long and now my nose is stuffed up. I really really hope I have not somehow contracted a summer cold. I was just thinking the other night that this past winter was the first I could remember that I didn't have a cold. Summer colds are much worse as they hang on FOREVER. Nooooooooo!

So I am off to bed early to fight it off and get some rest before DH yanks me out of the bed shortly after the sun rises. Hope you all have a good weekend.

Good to hear from you again Nae. What has happened to Linus? Hope the back is not out of whack again!!!

Hello from "I am on antibiotic lady"!!!
I went to the doctor's yeasterday to try and clear this load of congestion in my sinuses..I have had it for about 3 weeks now and I decided it was perhaps time to try and get it gone before I fly. I was rather spurred on 'cos I had a load of chest pain during the night and couldn't decided whether it was the usual chostachondritis being troublesome..(perhaps overtired from the Suffolk Show?:rolleyes: ) or the beginnings of a chest infection. So I went . Unfortunately could not see my own G.P. but a lady who said my chest was clear but thought a dose of amoxycillin might help the gunge I am blowing out of my sinuses.....yuk yuk yuk!! :p :p
SHAD thank you for those links...I will certainly look them up. What has always puzzled me is that I have not got my original birth certificate. That is, I mean I have one that is classed as my original, but it has only my name, date of birth, where, and the date of registration on it, which was August 1966 when I was two. So I don't even know what my real mum's name was. I do wish my brother was a bit more keen to look for his birth parents, but he won't entertain the thought for one milli-second. :?:
I do admire your gym challenges! Do you feel fitter and as if you are turning into "mrs. muscle-woman?!" Well done for your tenacity... :D
HAPPY thank you for your lovely words. You are very kind :angel: It sounds as if your garden is going to look very inviting for the flying insect fraternity! Just hope it only attracts butterflies! I have a blue hydrangea..what colour is yours? Does it depend on the siol at all? I really have no clue about these things...if it grows, good!! :lol:
MEL I really don't know what to say to you and that blessed chair :mad: :bomb: :headache: :rollpin: :sumo: A good job you have Carlos to do battle for you... :coach: :coach: :coach: You on the other hand must try and be cool calm and collected whilst the battle rages on. Try!! You need to practise this art of not losing your head when all around you are losing their's for when Jen's BF's children come to stay... :lol3: :lol3: :lol3: Glad your virus seems to be taking a hike out of you at last.
ROSEBLUSH Nice to see you! Glad you are back in the land of computers :comp: :comp: Hope all went well with the doctor's...it seems most of us have been to see the medical people recently! Good you had a nice time with your niece... ;)
Well that's all for now...better go and get the washing in off the line....more ironing!!! :devil:

Thank God for weekends
 

Shad~ Hinduism here I come! :rofl: Also.....Sorry I missed the cat story. People must be the cruelest animal on earth. What a horror story. Glad Sunday has a good and loving home now. :D
Your exercising and house work must be doing wonders by now!!! My God Woman......what energy!! Jen, the 2 :bb: :bb: and the BF will be staying at HIS parents house and also a trailer they own in the "country". :lol: :lol: Imagine them coming here to me? :faint: :yikes: But they will most likely come for a few hours at least once.

Happy~Funny you should mention St. Jude. A woman just told me that too!! :rofl: I have had many hopeless cases before and they prayed to St. Jude for me. Guess it must be working. We have a "first Mass" here in the community room for them each month. The priest still comes, sometimes on Thursday instead!!! :lol: You sound like you and the DH have a jungle outside! I hope you're having a good time and it's warmer than here. All my windows are closed and I'm wearing sweats!!! :rofl: Have fun. How goes the SBD? Did you start yet?

Teel~ Wish there was more I could say.......I find some generations are still of the old ways and will not budge. I wish you luck if you do decide to search. It's a shame you have no info. Is there a way to open the adoption file up with your health issue? or do you have to have a lot of $$ for that?
Don't let all this spoil all your wonderful plans for a happy and fun filled birthday month!!!

Nae~ Good to see you back and I loved the idea of the journal being passed back and forth. How great is that?! :D I have assorted journals and fill them in. I was wondering if I should save them for later on. Jen might get a kick out of them. :lol: Good luck with the new PC!!

Linus have we lost you or did I not go back enough pages?!?!? LOL

I'm feeling much stronger today. The weather is cold, windy and darkish. Rain on the horizon. maybe a good day to read/ Jen's bird is cranky and I threatened to stuff and truss him already before 9am! :rofl: If I spend some time "petting" him maybe he'ss shut up! :lol: I'm off to get my snack first and then him!!! Have a wonderful weekend and take care.

Teel I hope you will be feeling better soon too. I just realized forgot to say that. Nasty things sinus infections. I hate them!! Good idea before flying too for getting rid of it. Good luck!!! Miss Antibiotic Lady! :queen:

hi
 

Hey I spent time writing a nice long post and talking to all the gals when it wouldn't let me post it...... :?: Then I tried to enter a journal post and forgot how..... I am wondering about my brain...anyway I figured it out and made an entry...so I will come back later and talk to you all again.... Hope everyone has a fun weekend...
Blessings,
Nae

Good to hear from all the ladies overnight.
Nae, sorry to hear about the ongoing problems with the computer. Sometimes though I think that it may be a bug or two in this site. When you post, do you use the quick reply or Go Advanced? Sometimes I think that for reasons unknown to this little brain, some of the tags stay open. That is that it doesn't always close a colour or a size or a url file name. Try clicking on the Close all tags button in the Go advanced section and then re post your entry. Always copy your entry as previously said to Teel. Then you can paste it back if the first one fails. Some of the ladies on other threads and in journals actually type their entry in Word and then paste it into the thread or journal. That solves the problem of copying the entry before Submit Reply but doesn't help if you want to put loads of smilies or pictures into your post. Other than that, I don't have a lot of suggestions, and we may have to put the question to Happy to come up with a better answer!! And if our own resident web person can't help then maybe refer it to Suzanne of 3FC - who I might add is very quiet lately. Haven't seen a journal post from her for a while. No doubt she is extremely busy and beavering along as she does. :comp:
Teel, as an adoptee, you will not get your original birth certificate until you open the adoption records. How do I know this - well my Sister went through this from the other end - she was the birth mother and was trying to find the child. So while I can talk about the process from the NZ end, I can't do much for your end. Those records can be opened. It remains to be seen whether you can contact the birth mother or not, I believe it can be quite traumatic and disheartening from time to time. My DSis got in touch with her child but it is a rollercoaster relationship and although she is 'in touch' with the child, there is only minute communication and a fair amount of distrust - for example the sis was invited to the childs wedding, but has only heard through the grapevine that she is now a 'grandmother' I think it hurts her just as much to know. So just be aware of what can happen and seek counselling - I think there was some consellor activities listed on that site. I personally think you should go ahead, but just be aware of problems that may be encountered. I might also be inclined to speak to your social worker as well! She may know where you can get started! :crossed: :crossed:
Happy - a butterfly bush? Do you mean a Buddleia Davidii? I have a couple in my garden, the dwarf variety as the buddleia can get very long and leggy. The dwarf variety is now taller than me :?: I did have several, but they went to the great butterfly house in the sky. They do draw in butterflies I must admit - we had quite a few fluttering around during the summer. I hope you do not overdo it in the garden and that you are doing stretches to keep that back a bit supple. :workout:
I'm not sure you could call me an inspiration in the gym! More like the fairy elephant really. I can't say that I really enjoy it either. I go for (mainly) three reasons.
1. My body is better. I am not saying leaner, trimmer or devastatingly stunning. It is better because I can move it more. I am not so stiff in the joints, I can bend things further than they used to bend. My lungs are also better, I don't have some of the shortness of breath I used to have. This of course is a wonderful bonus.
2. I can feel muscle - particularly in the legs which are rock like. This of course means that the weight loss is still slow. You don't get muscles like these that weigh only a couple of grams on the butchers scale.
3. By going to the gym I achieve two materialistic things - it gets me out of the house but not down to the shops, and I get contact with other living beings and the DS is not breathing down my neck about wasting his money.:nono:
I do not get the so-called highs from exercise that people talk to me about. :cb: :cb::cb::cb::cb: I don't feel happy and joyous while I am doing it - somedays it is more like - crikey, time does go slow when you are not having fun. I hate the killer step class and it annoys me that the others in the class can do it so much better than me - that they actually bounce their way through it. I know that I have a problem hearing the instructor at times being partly deaf and all - I wish someone would explain to me why the music has to be so loud that the instructor has to screech out the instructions. I feel unco-ordinated and clumsy. But I go because of the sweat out - maybe I should also invoke St Jude when I am doing a Step class. :yikes: :faint: :eek: I don't mind the Bodybalance class as it is slower and I can hear better because the music is less heavy rock and more relaxation and I get a good workout really, it does stretch the muscles but doesn't really cut it as far as sweat goes. I find my balance is not so good particularly on the right leg. I'm hoping it will get better - as I am hoping for the step class. It can't get any worse so it's got to get better!! Right??? The rowing machine and treadmill I put up with and do. Can't say I get that much excitement out of them, I count down the minutes to finish. The only thing I really can say that I get out of them is when I better my own records as in calories burnt, distance covered, wattage produced or time taken to do it. I suppose my inward competitiveness invents guidelines for me to go by. Whatever floats your boat, I don't question it too deeply. I just go. With all the exercise, the good food and water, the weight is still very slow to come off. I am however losing - don't question this Shad just accept it. It's better than before!
So it is Sunday here Downunder. Our wondrous World Leaders have gotten together and put the world to rights according to their own beliefs and craziness, and are now gathered at the Normandy landing sites of WW11. So while the fat cats are all up top, those of us mice at the bottom of the world will take the day off to play. It's not a sunny morning here but the clouds break every now and again to give us a ray or two of sunshine. I am about to go for my challenge walk for the day. Then there is cleaning to do in this house. I spent most of yesterday cursing non-straight walls and tiling procedures and today I had best clean up the mess. I am considering putting a floating wooden floor in instead of the carpet and tiles previously anticipated but the cost will be fairly heavy. So I need to do some homework and decide whether I want to DIY it or get someone in to do it. Sometimes the time factor far outweighs the cost of doing it by yourself.

Anyway time to get off here and go do something. I best creep around for a while as DS is still sleeping off the class/school reunion he went to last night and if I want his help this afternoon, best not to disturb the sleeping giant with the vacuum cleaner this morning. Have a good day :coffee: :cheers:

hi all i found you all
well im here in sorts at the moment my heart and thoughts are winging there way to valkenburg just outside the german border but you will all be very proud of me i didnt cry until he was away and even only a few tears that would not stay in that was until i got back to my street and my neighbour across the road whos daughter has gone through school with craig but is going on a different trip {they get a choice of three} asked me if i was all right and then the flood gates opened :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: but as i explained to my freind hes too far away to get to him quickly {i would get there eventuallly} and i miss him dreadfully and hes not even there yet!!!!!!!!he did call from reston when they stopped to change driver and told me to stop worrying as he was fine that kid knows me better than i know myself so that was at 12.50 am so i think **** be crossing through holland at the moment .Now where to start youve all been so busy TEEL if you are seriously considering this your first step is to contact social services when your birth mother gave you up for what ever circumstances shell have had the option of leaving things for you and they will still be held for you if she had ive known of one woman who has always left new details of where she is and how to contact her for over 35 years now but in this country its very much the adoptees disicion wether to make contact or not and its also totally private and left to your decision wether or not to make contact and in your case medically it would be a good idea even just for details if there is any and it would be your decision if you want to tell the parents or not back in a mo dogs just thrown up
:yikes: :yikes: cleo is missing her master and letting us all know about it
when we got back from seing him off last night the livingroom looked like a bomb had hit it and we soon discovered that con,s hamster had got out of his cage and cleo had been playing with it !!! :yikes: :censored: :censored: it was in the livingroom behind the tv unit and was a wee bit soggy but seems to be allright this morning i had to set my alarm for 7 am so as i could get up and make sure it hadnt gone to that big wheel in the sky before conner got up :censored: SHAD cant see the pic dh has got that much protection on this comp that nassa s secrets would be safe in here i uppose with it being connected to his hes got that much stuff on his that he ahs to be safe but ill look for a pic of the abbey later loved the doggy thoughts and oh so true by the way when you all come for tea ill provide the scones who takes jam and who takes cream??? MEL ive had a thought that maybe the reason the chairs are so expensive is the fact that they make so many cock ups that they have to recoup there money from somewhere maybe you should get a job with the company and sort them out maybe a users prospective about how devistating these faults and delays can be to people they might buck up there ideas a wee bit HAPPY dont i just know how you feel it sticks in my craw when your body wont do what you want it to do what upsets me is the way my family and freinds have had to adapt we cant make long term plans as we never know how ill be and spur of the moment stuff is out of bounds as i have to plan all my medication so as i can actually do anything and dh says sometimes its just not worth asking !!!! ROSE glad the comps back we all miss hearing from you and your wee corner i know how you feel about the young ones taking over my ds has just started shaving has got feet the size of canoes and is now one inch taller than me and hes only fourteen now ladies im looking for ideas my birthday is on the 18 th and im being asked what i want for a present the choices are a new hard drive for pc a new bottle of prefume and a new ring so votes please as im stuck and the kids want to know so dad can give them the money :rofl: :rofl: by the way when did the smileys start moving ??? i thought it was drug induced but conner can see them too and as for the saga of the house too long to go into now but needless to say heads are rolling and i should have been re-housed two years ago
speak to you all later
kirsty

Rejoicing in good health on this Sunday!
 

Good morning Ladies one and all! Hope Sunday is being a great day. Ours is dark and gloomy but i am better so i don't care! :rofl:
Linus~ You made me spit all over my screen!!! When did the smilies start moving?!?!? ROFLMASOFF!!! I am still cracking up!!! :rofl: OMG How funny this was!!! And I needed a good laugh! I hear you on the house bit. Good luck as our battles both wage on! :lol: We will survive! :)

Shad~ Nice exercising but I think it's time to tell the truth....you really go to look at all those lean and mean hard bodies!! Now admit it and you'll feel so much better! :rofl: :rofl: I am doing another NCC this week. I chose one I used last year many times. So it's not over doing it. Any news on the job front? It sounds like you need to go back to work so you can get a rest! :lol: Maybe construction work is in your blood. You could be a boss of a gang. Watch them all hang upside down trying to put the tiles on! Hope you're having sweet dreams right about now and not nightmares of tiles sliding out of place!
Happy~ I had a good laugh at the butterfly bush. I had to go back to your post after I read Shad's comment. LOL Let me know if any of them come to roost there! :rofl:

Today is a MUCH better day for me. I have even chosen my goals for tomorrow and am ready to go. I feel a little bit lethargic but am hoping to shake that off today. I'll go to webshots and pedal to the pictures. Maybe Egypt again. I saw some maps at Pathmark but only city ones no global. Still thinking of madcat's idea about pedalling to Shad via a map! :lol: When we get a new bus I will have access to book stores. They want too much $$ for ship and handling so I will wait. In the meantime....How many miles would make 10 minutes so I could multiply them?! I need some help on this. Any ideas?! Hope you all have a great Sunday and take care!

hello
 

[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=2]
Is the color and font really showing up....I don't understand sometimes how to use this blasted computer...Shad thanks for your help... I have usually used the post reply at the bottom of the last post...is that what you use for your posts?
Linus so nice to see you here and know you are still with us. I have taken a break from being outside working to check in with you ladies from around the world.... hope all is well with everyone....
Check back later,
Nae ;)

Morning all. I slept in again today so am in a bit of a hurry again. I'm off to the gym for the killer step class once more. Get it over and done with - who knows one day I may get used to it. Heaven forbid.
Linus, good to see you back posting again. I gather this is the first time one of the chicks has flown the nest? You will get used to it I promise. Sounds like the housing department needs a bit of a bomb under them in your neck of the woods. You could just be the necessary fuse.
Mel good to see you back and cheery again and good on you for putting the foot down with a firm hand - so to speak. There is always more than one place to go to, more than one chair company etc. Stick with it girl.
Roseblush - Nae, if you open a command in front of a sentence then you must close them at the end of the piece you want to change {font = comic sans}HELLO{/font} I've made the brackets wrong so you can see what you have to do. You can use lower or upper case letters and no extra spaces like I put in. HELLO see what I mean. I generally use quick reply and type in any smilies that I want to use, but sometimes if I can't remember the name of the smilie I will go to the advanced part and open up the list. I did print off the list once, but in true fashion I have put it away in a place where I will not forget it!!
Happy must be once more talking aloud to us!!! No, she is all worn out from the gardening and the planting of the butterfly bush. I'll bet it is planted where the DH can poke a camera out of a window and take photos.
Okay, yesterday was a bit disasterous as far as exercise and work went so I can not waste today. I'm off to get dressed and go to the gym. Then it is back to the tiling. I don't think I did especially well on Saturday and may have to take a couple back off the wall. That could get exciting! On the other hand I may just leave them there for the eccentric look!

Hi all,
Quick post for me I'm afraid. VERY busy weekend. Spent all day Saturday working on the yard. When you let things go for years, it seems like it will take all summer to get it in shape again. Cutting, digging, moving, shopping, raking, weeding, - oof duh. Sunday I was out shopping with the clowns and idiots for 3-1/2 hours straight, running to the gardening stores to get some stone border blocks, look for pots and figure out how things will be arranged. More hauling and loading and unloading and bending. Then there were the groceries to be had. By the time I got home my feet will killing me, I could barely stand up. We had a quick dinner and I just had to sit for an hour and soaked my feet - they felt as if they were bruised. Tell me why the ONLY place you want to keep fat (on the bottoms of the feet) you lose while retaining it elsewhere all over the body?

Got back up again, gave the kitchen a good cleaning, packed away the groceries, made lists of all that I have and now it's way past the bedtime again. I won't be able to get back here until late tomorow night. This week there is something going on every single day. Not fun stuff, just stuff you have to do stuff.

So forgive my silence, I am thinking about you and talking to you all as I drive. And yes Shad, we got a dwarf white ball butterfly bush - the exact latin name you stated. I looked at the tag after you mentioned that and sure enough, that's it. I got 2 others today also but it's too dark to see the tags. Should be a nice layout I think. Too bad we can't see anything on that side of the house when we're inside :lol: Would have to pop my head out the patio doors, sure to scare anything away that might be grazing there. Some of these flowers are supposed to attract hummingbirds too. DH would just fall on the floor if they decided to hang around too. :love:

I really have to get to sleep, have to get up early for a rare visit to the office tomorrow. Have a good day everyone. Hope you all enjoyed your weekend. Sorry I couldn't stay and chat...

:devil: Both, please!!! And can I have coffee and not tea??? Black with a sweetener!!! :coffee::lol3: :lol3:
And oh Linus, you made me :lol3: :lol3: discovering that your smilies do move!!
Hope Craig has a good time away in Germany and that you survive the week! Is it a week he has gone for??
Happy, your garden sounds a real treat and is sure to attract loads of "flying caterpillers!!!!Seriously I love butterflies, especially red admirals and the tiny blue ones...name escapes me right now.
Shad..would you feel happier swimming? I don't know whether it would be to any advantage health and fitness wise, but perhaps you might enjoy it more?
Roseblush, lovely to hear from you. Sorry you are having computer problems :comp: :rollpin:It is SO frustrating when you can't do today what you know you could do yesterday!:sumo: :sumo:
Last night my birthday celebrations started!!!:smug"! Freinds of mine bought tickets to see a Scottish Fiddle group called Blazing Fiddles who were appearing at The Theatre Royal in Bury St. Edmunds. The theatre was packed to bursting and they were very good, full of energy and excellent fiddle players. All came from Scotland somewhere...the Hebrides, Inverness and Oban. The girl said she had been playing for 24 years..apparently up there in the islands it is compulsory for every child to learn the violin in primary school! Good on them! So my birthday countdown has started!
Having my hair cut tomorrow! Having highlights as well!:devil::D: It is YEARS since I had highlights put in...I remember I was going to visit my ex-BF's parents with him in Sunderland and I had my hair done in the morning!I remember all too well the "swimming cap" with the hairdresser pulling out strands of hair and me looking like a hedgehog!!
Well best go and do something with the day. Its warm...21 degrees. I thought we were due to have a storm or two yesterday...the sky was black and looked very storm gathereing, but I don't think we had any rain...unless of course I slept through it yesterday afternoon!!
Bye for now! Take care!
Love from Teel :wave:

Good Morning. And a fine dark morning it is here! :lol: jen's bird was rather noisy today and we all got up early. My 2 included. They are not used to "mom" uncovering them so early. We should all s;leep good tonight! :lol:
Tomorrow will be a busy day so I'll see you all Wednesday. Food shopping and then the election volunteering till 8pm if I can stay that long. A neighbor and I were asked to be challengers. but we must shop first we agreed. There is only one trip a week to Shoprite and that store is cheaper than the others.
Shad,I hope the step class went well. How did the tiling go? My bathroom next please?! :lol:
Teel~ the countdown is official now? :rofl: Sounded like a great time with the fiddlers.
Nice friends you have.:D
Nae~ Hope the computer is sorted out and you have no more problems for awhile! :(
Jen is having them with my old PC and comes down here now! :lol:
Happy~ I would have also thought the bush would be by the window closest to Hubby's armchair where he sat with camera in hand ready to snap the pic!!! :rofl:
Good luck on your busy week and see you when you can get here!:wave:

I feel stiff all over. hope it's just the weather. All the birds are sleeping now. Maybe that is what I should do! :lol: Have a great day and be happy!:D

R.s.v.p.
 

:coffee2: TO: LINUS
:thanks: FROM: MEL
RE: :cofdate:
I would love to attend your Tea Party. I have no favorites as I love all jams and jellies. I have never had a "real" scone before and would find this a real treat. Thanks for the invitations. I gladly accept. :hungry:

There now. I thought that place by the lake would be just fine with all of us. Linus, I have my coffee black, hot and strong. Scones are fine, but I've sworn off white flour for my no crap challenge so if there are any wholemeal ones going (or pumpkin scones maybe) I'll stop off for a bite to eatas well.
It's been a dark grey day here too Mel and then we had this really fiery sunset. Now it is just blackish out there. Not too many stars but a tad cool to go out and count them.

Step class went okay Mel, thank you for asking. I didn't look at the clock for the first 20 minutes - that's a first. Normally I am getting a string of bad words together by the first 10 minutes. I actually managed to string a couple of routines together as well so maybe I am getting used to it. I've still got two left feet when it comes to leaping on and off that step tho' Sometimes I just forget the step and jazz around the floor - that way I won't miss the step or fall off it or get half on/half off and the step moves along the floor and I get the wobbles. Still someone's got to provide the amusement I guess. The Instructor loves dogs - she's just got herself a new blue heeler - so she can't be all bad!
Teel - I think the Blazing Fiddles were playing at the Edinburgh Festival when we were there in 2000. I seem to remember a fantastic group of musicians with a name something like that. I guess I didn't write it down as I can't find it in the diaries.

I guess it is time I was in bed. I've stayed up a bit tonight to see if it helps me to sleep better. I've been waking up all bright eyed and bushy tailed at 2.00am and not able to get back to sleep for ages. My supply of books is dwindling and I am getting tired during the day. It doesn't help. The job search is not going well at the moment. It's me for the missions if something doesn't turn up shortly. Monetarily I can survive and there is plenty to do round here, but I seem to be getting a touch of cabin fever or something. Time to find a friend to do lunch with - oh to be rich enough to be one of the 'ladies who lunch' Okay bed calls. Nighty night

Morning
 

Morning all, so nice to get up and read your posts in the morning along with my :coffee: I would also like to join the tea party...... that just sounds delightful! Teel, you sound so good and Happy Birthday to you. Enjoy all the wonderful things coming our way this week. The group sounds so good, am afraid my violins are just gathering dust in their cases under my bed. This is my birthday month and as of yet have not really been too concerned about it.
I think the way it lands I will be working so no big deal.
I was up at 3 this morning Shad and saw you were online...couldn't sleep for some reason but then this morning I didnt'want toget up either. I just playeda few games til I felt sleepy again. I worked outside most all day yesterday so I have few sore muscles today too. And I have been good on my food and have not lost a thing infact I have gained.... but I am not going to let that stop my good choices this week........ I hope!
Mel, hope you have a good week and don't get too tired trying to help and take care of everyone else in the whole place. What kind of birds do you have? We use have some but my little turtles are easier to take care of for me...... not as much daily maintanace.
Looks to be a gorgeous day here so I best get busy....hope all is well with everyone and together we conquer our goals for the week!
TaTa,
Nae

treacle wholemeal and chocolate and fruit you name it i can make it wont make the jam though i love my pots too much to fry them {yes i burnt the arse out of the pot the last time i made jam} craig called last night so im a happy mummy again hes been away before just not so far its the ""how do i get to him if somethings wrong"" syndrome so ive just had to clean out his fish tank as we had a very large snail problem and i dont like using chemicals in the tank so im now wet smelly and bloody sore so im going to nip ***** and benjy out for a wee and have a shower so ill speak to you all tomorrow and weve decieded on the hard drive for my birthday and mum got me a lovely african dark wood vase and a hands up buddah and some lovely oval baskets that i intend to use as bins for my livingroom so my new design theme is taking shape as im planning on going a bit tribal not the colours im having creams and browns but the textures prints and fabrics i love leather fur and suede so im really happy i managed to find things to go with the scheme hubby says that with all the plants ive got the place looks like a jungle anyway my devils ivy is going across the ceiling
speak later
kirsty
ps nae has those tutles of yours finished off those poor wee fish yet ???? my abgels are now 8 inches from fin tip to tip so ill send them over to sort them out

So three birthday girls this month. Oh how exciting. Wonder what Mel with do with that information.
Roseblush, your birthday is the same day as my sister. She is one year older than you. It is a big birthday coming up for you too isn't it? Well it only gets better from here on in, even if the list of ailments seems to get longer and longer.
First Teel and then Linus and then Roseblush. We should be celebrating most of this month at full speed.
:wizard: :genie: :gift: :hat: :balloons: :dance: :cofdate: :gossip: :hb: :cheer:
Okay, since I posted most of the deep dark thoughts of Shad for the day last night, I'm sort of running out of things to say. I've re posted my NCC for the week in my journal. I stuffed up yesterday. Today is another day. The staying up later sorted of worked. I slept until 4.30, went to the wee room and came back to bed. Picked up a book and fell asleep until nearly seven. Only Sunday the Cat (big brave huntress that she is) screaming at 6.50 about the cat from next door being in the yard got me going again. Geez she can stick her claws into me hard enough, why doesn't she take a swing at other cats in the yard!!! I know why - she never had to do it for herself, Shad the dog would go out there and defend her honour!!!! Guess she considers she needs a new slave!!! Tough cat - learn how!!
Okay to the gym, to the gym.

So we're partying like there's no end are we? If we're having tea and you're brewing it from your side of the pond, are we also having crumpets? What ARE crumpets by the way? Are they on plan? Will Shad be serving her butternut soup that sounded so good (thanks for posting the recipe in your journal - I will have to try that one).

What shall I bring? It is strawberry season. Just please don't ask me to top them with single cream, clotted cream and lets not have that confusing conversation again as I still don't know our creams from your creams and we have something called and egg cream that is neither cream nor eggs and it's a drink. :dizzy:

Weather is getting hotter now as we approach summer. Actually I think it's only hot because we haven't finished all the prep work for the new landscaping and the warmer it gets the more often I have to water all the plants on my patio so that my substantial investment does not dry out from under my nose. Went out after supper tonight to cut up more of the brush DH chopped up over the weekend and a lady walking by with her tiny tots said she swore she saw a deer run down the road in front of her. Sure enough it was confirmed by some neighbors standing out and chatting. Now the nearest deer infested woods are several miles from me and there are many heavily trafficed roads between my place and the forest area. So this poor doe is far, far from home. It's a wonder she hasn't been hit yet. DH said she had heard about our place and was just coming by for a bite to eat. We have red birds, blue birds, brown birds, 7 ducks, 3 rabbits, many squirrels, 2 pairs of mourning doves and one widowed dove whose mate was snatched by a pair of hawks all calling our yard home throughout the day. We have a rather large shade tree in front of the house and with a steady supply of apparently what must be the tastier brand of birdseed, along with some bread and my expensive cooking nuts that DH thinks are treats for his friends, we have quite the crew of wildlife here. Would be nice if we could attract a few hummingbirds too.

But... all of this takes time and work. And all of this work takes time away from other things like sitting on the computer here. But slowly I am catching up on things.

I have a nice selection of assorted cool fruits here - watermelon, cantelope, sweet dark cherries, plums, bananas, apples and peaches. You are welcome to swing by, pull up a chair, chat and munch for a while. Just ring up first as I have not totally gotten my fly lady act together as of yet :lol: Happy Tuesday to you all...

9 Days and Counting until the Birthday extravaganza commences... tick, tick, tick

:cb: :cb: :cb: :cb:

Crumpets are sort of OP. It's what we put on them that causes the problems. They are made a bit like thick pancakes but only cooked on one side. The other side rises up and as it cooks produces bubbles with set into holes. You can pour butter or cheese or salsa or golden syrup or jam onto the hot crumpet (plonk it in the toaster to heat) and it fills up all the holes and dribbles out as you eat them. I loved them as a kid with butter and vegemite, but am not so impressed these days. Mind you ours used to be huge and light and fluffy, todays ones seem to be much smaller and chewier.
Here's a sort of picture. If you put crumpet on the word search these days, you have to be prepared for what comes back!!!!!

Oh yes crumpets, I loved them when I was vacationing in oz..... but I could not get the hang of eating vegimite.....probably just like some people don't care for peanut butter. I did enjoy the food over there for lots of reasons. Happy you sounded good and the more plants you have the more work you make but sometimes whne you go to the nurseries it is impossible to resist.
I did good yesterday on my plan but not a budge in the scale ....oh well. I am trying to drink more water during the day to help out the situation.
Great hockey game last night...wow so exciting for that team and the players.... it was a great sports weekend with horse racing hockey and nba ball too. Tonight is game two in the nba final. been so good I haven't even had one beer while partaking of the sporting frenzy!
Hi Linus nice to see you..... how goes the waiting for the youngser? Sometimes you just want to get your hands on them and never let them go....Chad starts jumping out of helicopters today...has been throwing lines to them last week at the descend and hover overhead.... can't even think about it. My one lone guppy is winning the war of time in the tank with his buddies. I need to start looking at garage sales for a bigger tank to expand their domain.
Hope everyone has a good day and remains op for the week.... I am making small gains in that department hope is shows one day soon!!!!!
Love ya,
Nae

you know i completely forgot to mention that im not going back to slimming world as i really prefer doing it alone im not a good one for doing what im told and much prefer doing it for me and i also seemed to lose more weight this way and im now 15.7 so thats just 7 pounds to go and ill have lost threee stone since march the first getting a visit from the head honcho from the council on monday to get this housing thing sorted out so fingers crossed happy how goes the no smoking thing im now seriously thinking about it i must be getting my head sorted and doing things for me and mine instead of what other people think and ive also just found out my so called best freind is not will explain later must go and take washing out of the dryer as its really foggy here and damp and miserable
speak later
kirsty

ps again i swear my head is up my !!!!!!!! ill leave that one for the imagination i forgot to post my stats at the end of the month so ill try and get them done and post them later

Morning all.
It wasn't a great day yesterday, so I hope life just gets better today. Not that anything went horribly wrong - just didn't go quite right. So today there is no gym, I will go for a walk instead. Tiling is on the menu today. I measured up and drew the straight lines for start yesterday but it seems that the tiles are not actually quite straight either. So that explains the 'eccentric' look from the other day. Everything appears straight but something isn't. Never mind, most of these tiles will be hidden behind or under furniture. I'm getting my mathmatical brain together at the moment and will then go fix these darned tiles. I shouldn't wait for me to get to your tiles Mel, you want them finished in this lifetime - right???

Vegemite is an aquired taste Nae. Not everyone likes it. I can take it or leave it. I have a friend who's day doesn't start until the toast and vegemite are ingested. Americans tend to be a bit wary of it. I think it is because they plonk too much on the bread or toast. It is not meant to be slathered on. We used to laugh at DS2 because he would butter his bread and then put on just enough vegemite to colour the butter. I guess the taste was still there and he is really not that much into salty/savoury tastes. Apart from Maccers and KFC and Red Rooster and Subway that is.

Okay, time to go get flyladied around the joint and then onto the tiling. Can't put it off any longer.

I have a great respect for tiling and things of that nature. Have watched DH work with a not very straight house and apparently sometimes the materials themselves are not so straight either :dizzy: So I can now appreciate when things are laid out properly and the art of covering imperfections. Particularly if you have pieces to cut to fit into place. We had the same issue today with the scalloped border stone for the yard. DH has the level out, is measuring sides and taking FOREVER to place just one piece of stone - 14 MORE to go someday as my plants are cooking in the sun.... gets it and the dirt all leveled out and I started digging the trenches to hurry things along a bit - did I mention that we have had our 3 days of cool lovely spring weather and it is now hot, steamy and warm and all my tender young plants are COOKING in the sunlight????? We laid a few pieces of borderwork which are straight as the crow flies. However, the sidewalk they are butted against is crooked and most apparent even after DH's careful and precise measuring. So do we put the blocks in even with the ground or zig zag them in so that they APPEAR to look straight against the crooked sidewalk? :lol: Doesn't not help when your husband does excellent work but is a perfectionist - well let's say he likes to get things right. Me, at this point, I just want to plant the flowers before they wither up in the heat - tis a pain watering them twice a day and sometimes that isn't even enough. And we have lots more work to do yet. I can't rush DH - realisitically with his back he can only do so much each day so I am trying to help in whatever way I can.

We have a pair of mallard ducks that take up daytime residence here each spring and early summer - at night they fly back across the road to the community pond. I was horrified to see that momma duck has apparently hurt her leg quite badly. She is limping something terrible today. Barely takes 3 steps and falls down in the grass. For some reason she has a harder time in the grass than walking on the dirt. I put a pot of cool water out along with a load of birdseed and she was quite happy to plop down in the shade of the tree with all she needed to be content. It's really something how the male looks after her. DH and I are bleeding hearts when it comes to animals. We know we can't catch her to take her to the vet and there are several predatory animals around her. Yesterday the neighbors told me that a deer was running down the street. Now that's rather unusual. But I am rambling here... how did I get to this point from tile? :?: Good luck with tiling Shad, hope you can get it well enough to satisfy you. Is this the fancy tile for the bath or are you on to another room now? Didn't you order some Spanish tiles I thought?

Linus, can't say I blame you for quitting Slimming World - they did not seem to be the most encouraging lot. After a while we all learn what we need to do, the hard part is sticking to it but as you say you are doing it on your own so why put out the expense? Good for you for considering quitting the smoking. I made many excuses for myself before I finally said that I should do it. And even that was a whim I admit. I told LOTS of people so I'd be too ashamed to back out of it yet again. It's hard. I sometimes miss it - alot. I hate that I have gained 13 pounds in 2 months since I quit. I can't believe it's been 2 months which makes this my longest quit and I'm not near craving them as bad as the last time I quit which makes me think I can stick with this one this time around. But I do think about it. You need to REALLY prepare yourself for this and you truly, MUST WANT this soooooo much. If not, then I suggest my plan which is to tell everyone so you'll feel too horrible if you even consider lighting up. Thing is too, if I did have the urge for one, I suppose I could borrow one from the neighbor but most probably I'd go buy a pack and to spend $7 for one cigarette seems pretty crazy. I say one cigarette because of course I'd have to throw the rest of the pack away after I coughed and gagged and stubbed out the one I wanted so bad. :lol: I have stopped taking the Zyban as of this weekend and thank goodness I no longer smell all the wierd things I was smelling before. I also was having frightful dreams - of people chasing me to kill me, the ones where you wake up frightened. And darn it, I was also dreaming of smoking if you can believe that too. Anyway, good luck to you, I will help you in any and every way that I can but it will be 98% up to you. Does your husband smoke too?

Nae so your son is ready to do his fire jumping. :yikes: Bet that worries a mum but by the same token, how wonderful to be able to pursue a career of your dreams. Be supportive and pray alot :lol:

I thought Miss Mel said she was going to be busy today so we will excuse her absence. Where however is Miss Teel? Busy planning the birthday festivities? We shall have to figure out how to coordinate a birthday toast - water or any beverage of your choice is acceptable. Just like we shot a happy new year around the world, so can we extend the birthday salutes.

What say yee? :hat: :hat: :hat:

I am here!! I did post yesterday and thought I had copied it but I lost it. Can't be doing it right :mad: :?: We had a blister of a day yesterday. It reached 30 degrees. Today it is a much more manageable 20 as I sit here :comp:
SHAD good evening to you in your time zone...Spanish tilies, eh? :eek: rather you than me! I thought a tile was a tile...never mind having an upside and a downside. I do pray that Sunday is just out of sorts for a day with something he ate rather than a trip to the vet lurg.
Still nothing on the job front? Frustrating to say the least.. :kickcan: :kickcan: My thoughts and prayers are with you, my buddy :goodluck: :grouphug:
HAPPYyou have done so magnificently with stopping smoking tackle everything else later. My friends husband put on a stone when he stopped...she said it was all the peanuts he ate instead! What, please are "mourning doves"? It must be nice to have so much wildlife around..I hope that doe does not get hurt in the urban traffic.
Poor Mrs. Mallard...sounds like something nearly got her.How kind you and DH are to feed and water. You are good souls!! :angel: :angel: Thanks for the reminder about the cream conversation.. :lol: And what on earth is "egg cream" if it is not cream and has no egg in it??
LINUSYou are doing so well! Nearly 3 stone :smug: :cheer: :cheer: :goodscale :lucky: I don't blame you for giving up on slimming world. It costs a lot of money to my thinking and you are doing brilliantly on your own steam. A thousand well dones to you "cheer" "cheer".
ROSEBLUSHdo you play the violin? Come on now, get it out from under the bed and give it a dust...you might surprise yourself and enjoy playing again ;) Vegemite is certainly an aquired taste which I don't subscribe to! Ooooh yuk ! :p Can we start celebrating your birthday yet :cheers: :wizard: :balloons:
MEL are you up yet!? :coffee: :coffee: Come along now, it's a lovely day, not too hot, like yesterday's too hot to be out weather..any news of that darn chair yet :dizzy:
3 weeks today and my neighbour and I will be in Salzburg! :dancer: :dancer: :flow2: :flow2: I am NOT looking forward to getting out of bed at 03:00hrs for a 2 hr check in for a flight that leaves at 06:40 coo blimey o'reilly!! :tired: :yikes: :yikes: :twirly: I have unearthed a very old white cotton jacket that I have had for years and given it a wash. Perfect. (I do wonder though just how long it will be WHITE for though...? :o )
Yes I have started my birthday celebrations. :yes:..just a tad early! But now the official countdown is on..7 days to go!! :D :queen: :cheers: :gift: :hat: :hb: :spin:

I am having a lazy morning after yesterdays festivities. But I need to get me arse in gear! :lol:
Shad~ wish there was some good news with the job prospects. You can come and live with me and the birds! Bring the garden as we have none! Don't worry about the tile job. i don't mind if it gets done in the next lifetime! LOL Hope the sleeping thing passes. Maybe you are over tired?! Plus a LOT on your mind.:dizzy::faint: What exactly did you find when googling "crumpets"? I don't want to end up on some porno site!!!:rofl:

Happy~ Love the yard stories! LOL Sounds more like a zoo every passing day!! Hope none of them start eating each other!! How is the mallard? Better I hope too!
I used to love chocolate egg creams. When I read your post I could almost taste them! :lol: There was a little store near my house and he made great ones! Also a store in NYC near Canal street that also was famous for them. But they were not as good as this man's. YUM YUM Save me some fruit salad I'll be a little late getting there!! Also see if you can cue the deer when to run across your yard whilst I am there! :rofl:

Linus~ Your native sounding living room decor sounds great. I didi my bathroom that way and haven't finished yet! It's only been about 2 years now! :lol: I love the African prints and textures. Have fun but make saure everything is portable in case you get what you want at the next meeting! LOL Congrats on being 7 lbs away from goal!! YAY YOU!!! I agree about slimming world. good decision. You're doing fine anyway!

Nae~ sorry you are having trouble with the sleep thing. A lot on your mind also! :yikes: Chad is in our thoughts too as I know how a Mom must be feeling too! :faint: I had all your birthdays on my calendar and knew you were the 29th.
What a celebratory month this will be for around the world Chicks!! Will we ever be sober?!?! :rofl:

Teel~ You sound so excited and we can all feel it!!! Salzburg watch out!!! Here comes Miss Teel!!! It is a lovely day so far also but will be hot and humid very soon. Windows are closed and the A/C is on already! :rofl: Here is the chair story........

Andre picked it up yesterday for everyone to inspect and evaluate. it may just be that it wasn't put together right or worse...that it is a lemon and needs to be returned. I must wait and see. He also brought with him a peace offering....new tires for this worn out chair with the bald tires. Couldn't have been a better time as in Shoprite yesterday a woman backed up right in front of me and my cart hit her. I stopped but the chair slid while still pushing the cart. No one was hjurt except my pride and a very red face!!! :faint: he had a part for the joy stick which drives the chair. So I am set for the moment. Parts for the oldest chair will have to wait till the ins. pays for the new one. all red tape and paperwork! YUCK!!!

Well Chickies I must get a move on and do SOMETHING constructive today!!! :lol:
ope you all have a nice day and take care.