General Chat

Oh my goodness Jane.What an awful thing to happen.

I hope everyone is safe and their home can be saved. What a good neighbour to provide comfort and shelter for them.

Oh Jane, your poor neighbours. They must be feeling devastated, my heart goes out to them. Thank goodness they could come to you for help.

Oh Jane how awful. So good that they knew they could come to you for help. Hopefully it is now out. Are the fire brigade still there checking? I hope they didn't lose too much, that the fire brigade were there quickly and it sounds as if your neighbours are safe although obviously in shock.

Morning all,

O gosh Jane what a thing to happen at that time in the morning. Were everyone out of the house? Is that the neighbour on your right as you look at the front of your house. Oh said there should be a fire engine there this morning too to make sure it is all out and not something smouldering away somewhere. He said the new shift should send one round to make sure.

We have a nice bright morning here with sunshine and blue sky but for how long I ask??? Is this our St Lukes Little Summer?

I have sent pics of the rings and the cones I have made lately.

Throats raw again this morning must have been the wine. slept well though only got up once for the loo and dropped off again right away when I got back to bed.

Morning all

Oh your poor neighbours Jane, I hope it was put out quickly and they are okay. It's nice to know they can come to you for help if they need it. House fires are really scary, we had one when I was about 12 years old and it's something you never forget. I hope they haven't lost much and they are sorted by Christmas. Do they know what caused it? How are you feeling today?

I hope you manage to sort out Ros's car alarm Frank, what a nuisance. At least the garage might be able to help if you can't sort it out yourself. When is your Astro Turf being put down?

How nice of you AnnG to send some card making things to Sandra, I'll make sure I'm in this time so it doesn't decided it wants a holiday in Chester first lol :-D Thank you, you are so kind, Sandra will be thrilled when I tell her. We all had a late night last night so she's still asleep. I've not long woken up myself. You asked about the other lights we've bought, it's going to be a spare, unless the light we've already bought isn't bright enough to go all the way along the planter with it being 12 foot long. If that's the case we'll put the second one at the other end and buy a three way connector, at least the shop has one of those, so it won't hold the job up. Or we might use it to light up the waterfall, we're not sure yet. They're only £15.99 so we can always buy another one for the waterfall if it's needed for Sandra's planter or we decided not to keep it as a spare, so plenty of ideas.

It's lovely and sunny here, so I hope we have another sunny day when we're ready to put Sandra's light in. She's counting the sleeps, only six to go, as we think the items won't arrive until late afternoon on Friday, so we won't be able to do the job until Saturday, weather permitting.

Did you manage to find a cardigan Ann? Yes I've noticed how many shops have closed down over the years. I used to be able to buy the perfect pair of jeans but then that shop closed and I've never found a pair I feel comfortable in again, there's always something wrong with the sizes, just like you said with your cardigans. I'd love to send a photo of Sandra's garden but I really don't have a clue how to do it and I have an automatic flash on my camera so I doubt the light effect would look the same. I really should try and work it out, but I'm always so busy I haven't had a chance yet. I hope your OH's knee is okay, my OH is the same as yours and his aches and pains come and go depending on what he wants to do lol ;-)

How is your sore throat and cough now Mel? There's nothing worse than a cough, especially at night if it keeps you awake. Maybe it was the glue, you just need to keep the room ventilated next time you use it. How are you getting on with your crafts?

I think I may of finished OH's tree now, I just need to go through the tree I've got access to just to check, but if I haven't finished I don't think they'll be much more to do. I've been doing it for almost three quarters of a year so far, so will be glad when it's finished. I had a right to do with it last night, I checked the tree I've got access to and he'd got the husband of one of OH's ancestors death date muddled up with his father's, but because I didn't know who his father was it took me ages to work out his correct year of death, also to add to the confusion his mother's name was the same as his wife's name, apart from his mother had a middle name and OH's ancestor didn't. They both died in the same year, which also added to the confusion, so all in all it took me almost 2 hours to work everything out. It's all correct now, thank goodness and that section of his tree is now finished.

Going to compare OH's tree with the tree I've got access to now, to check I've got everyone on there, then if I have OH's tree will be finished and I can move onto sorting out Christmas, I've normally got a bit further on Christmas by now, so I'm running behind. The last thing I want is to have to pay for everything in one go nearer the time as that can be quite expensive. I like your idea of buying the Christmas stamps throughout the year AnnG and will be doing that myself next year.

Sandra's awake now, so I've let her know about the things you've sent her AnnG, she's really excited and can't wait. No doubt she'll be keeping an eye out for the postman, so it doesn't end up being lost again if it won't go through the letter box. She said to say thank you <3 <3

Missed your post there Mel, I've just taken a look at your lovely crafts, you are very good at what you make and your ideas........where do you get them from? The cones are very pretty, I love them, what a good idea. Sandra likes them to with them being PINK lol :-D :-D :-D
Sorry to hear your throat is still sore, hope it improves soon and doesn't linger.

Good morning fair maidens,

DULL FOGGY Morning here. I tested the lawns and they are far to wet to mow today, with this misty damp weather.

Harvey will come up next weekend to collect the Astroturf from Johns, we will store id down the side of the bungalow, until Harvey has the time to come and lift the turf, prepare the area, and lay the turf. I said to Ros last night. "IS THIS WORTH ALL THE TROUBLE" I have also rung Barry to ask when he will be coming again. He can cut the lawns when he comes.I just don't feel strong enough to be doing manual work. When I looked out at 7.00 this morning, you could hardly see across the road, for all the mist.

What a shock for you Jane, being woken at that time in the night. I hope there isn't too much damage. The SMOKE DAMAGE can be very bad. It gets into everything from furniture to your bedding and clothing. I can see your neighbour wanting to use your Washing Machine, to help with all the washing that will be involved.

So we have one very excited your lady, waiting for the postman. It must be lovely to see her so excited Gill. Have you got her lights and garden all sorted now. ??

How the injury this morning Ann. Has he got a bandage on it or a Plaster. ;-) ;-) ;-)

Have spoked to Garry (my nephew, Bills son) this morning. He has blood clots on his lungs. The doctor thinks this has been caused by him going on the INKA TRAIL and being at high altitude. Next year he is planing on climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. He is a glutton for punishment. lol lol He is still training young boxers, and had NINE in a local fight night last night. He is following in his fathers footsteps. Bill loved his boxing, as did my brother JACK.

For Ros's birthday card, I bought it on line this year. It was a beautiful card, and at least £5.00 cheaper than one would have been in Tesco. Not that I was looking at saving money, it was because I didn't go shopping with Ros to be able to get one. I will be looking for a Christmas Card shortly. To see what they are like. !!!

How is Colin now Mandy. Has the cream helped in clearing up the rash ? I do hope so, for his sake. There must be the urge to scratch at the area, which I imagine would make it worse. ;-) ;-)

Ros is in the shower, once she's out I will get showered and shaved, get dressed, and continue to read the paper. Not that there is anything but doom and gloom, all over the world.

Have a good day, whatever you might be up to. Take care. xxxx

Gill there's not a pink cone its red and white ribbon on the first one.

Had a bit of a tidy up this morning of my craft stuffs so I can bring my little table into the kitchen so I can do crafts at the table. I always do the gluing in the uti room on the ironing board so must remember to open the window when I do it next time.

Its good you found a nice card for Ros online Frank and good luck in finding a Christmas one for her too.

I've just taken another look at the pics you sent Mel, sorry I see now it is red and white ribbon, at first glance it looked pink.........still they are very pretty though and a good idea. I have some cones and Sandra has asked me to do some up the way you did for her Christmas tree. We were looking for something to make together, so thank you for the idea, Sandra and I will enjoy making them :-) :-)

It's still lovely and sunny here and there are about two or three people cutting their lawns, so OH has decided to do ours Frank. We're hoping with all this sun there won't be to many clouds around tonight as we want to watch the meteor shower, it's debris from Halley's comet and will go on for a few nights.

Tomorrow and the night after are the two best nights, but it maybe to cloudy to see it. OH noticed a bit last night, but I didn't spot anything. At the end of the month we should be able to see Venus, Mercury and Jupiter, so we're looking forward to that. We do love looking at space and see what's happening every month thanks to a book Sandra bought me for Christmas last year called "Stargazing a month by month guide to the night sky" It's brilliant and has calendars for each month and lots of information and pictures. It's for 2019. I'm hoping she gets me another one for next year if there's one in the shop, she's been asking me what I'd like for Christmas. ;-) ;-)

Poor OH he'd just finished cutting around the boarders when it started raining so he can't cut the grass now. At least the edges of the lawns look tidier.

Afternoon all,

Oh my goodness Jane what a shock that must have been to be woken in the early hours with a fire next door that must have been really scary for everyone .
I take it the neighbours got out ok ,i should imagine there is lots of damage as the roof went up in flames ,the water would have soaked everything down below so the poor people will probably have nothing left ,it's just awful for them they must be in a daze today .

Mel you have been busy again making some more lovely things , your going to have lots to sell on the stall this year .
Hope that sore throat soon eases .

So you'll soon have the Astro turf then Frank ,i'm sure once it's down you'll wish you had it years ago, would Barry be able to lay it for you if Harvey is busy ?
Hope you enjoy your meal today, that's a good idea getting the card online saves you having to get one in the shops .
Colin's rash is so much better after using the cream ,it's pink now and not so red and fierce looking .

The family came this morning ,well son, DIL and the two young ones the other three were with their friends ,it's half term this week so they are coming for some lunch on Wednesday .

Oh better get my washing in ,i can see it's drizzling .

Afternoon all, goodness it is dark and gloomy out there.
Jane I hope you have managed to snatch a few hours sleep during the day. Or are you still hosting your poor neighbours. Do they have any idea what caused the fire?

Mandy, pleased to hear that Colin's problem is being alleviated with the cream, is it something like Limasol. When my OH had rashes under his arms and in his groin when it was hot I thought it might be fungal and he got rid of it with Limasol.

Frank, probably just as well that it was too damp to cut the lawn, you don't need that strain, it is hard work this time of year. Hope lunch was good.

Gill I think it should definitely go through the letter box, it is an A5 size envelope. I didn't have time to make up a large envelope full but wanted to give her enough to get her Christmas cards finished.

Mel, loved the cones, simple but attractive, I used to decorate cones many years ago and also teasels to put in with artificial floral decorations. When is the sale? I also like the rings.

Oh what a night it was :-0 :-0 I am off to bed now as i haven't had any sleep.
It seems it was probably an electrical fault in the Utility room. They were so lucky to get out as the smoke was so thick and built up so fast. Then the flames burst out through the roof. 2 were just in nightwear and nothing on feet . Gina was still dressed for some reason. I gave my thick dressingown and slippers to the lady who was there for the weekend. I think everything has basically been lost as the ceilings came down with all the weight of the water.The fire really took off in the loft.
They wont be able to live there now for many months.This afternoon Al came back with a white van and I think he has taken all his power tools etc from the outhouse or wherever they were kept.The fire brigade were here until 7.30. Then later this morning another fire engine came to check all was good. 2 Firemen called this afternoon to check our fire safety and left a leaflet.

So I am just going to get a hot chocolate and take it up to bed. I can't face any food tonight although I did manage a tin of Mushroom soup at lunch time. Physio in the morning if I wake up in time :-)
Night Night x

Afternoon All,

Dry and sunny this morning then we had a shower and it's back to dry and dull again now.

What a shock to find someone at the door because of a fire Jane. It sounds like it had got a grip with flames coming through the roof. It's lucky they spotted it in time to get out, but it would be your worst nightmare to lose possessions in a fire and they must have lost some of their things. It will be a right mess in there now as Frank says so I wonder what they will do as the roof may need replacing/repair as well.

Mel the things you have made are so lovely!! :-) You get the colours so right and do things so neatly and will have a nice stall with all these things. :-) Sorry your throat is so sore still but at least you slept well which helps.

We ate at home today and I did some tuna steaks. I'm not sure I will get them again though as I've tried them before and found the texture too meaty. thought these didn't have much flavour and preferred the tins!

I bought the dining chairs we like online last night but there's a problem as it wouldn't send me an activation email. I suspect I might have made a mistake in my email details so will have to ring them in the morning.

Is the alarm back in the care of your neighbours now Vera? :-D

Mandy I expect you will start to see less of the older children now they are into doing things with their friends. The little ones will still keep you busy though. Is Chelsea liking her new school? That's good that Colin's rash is looking better now and starting to fade.

Gill you have done really well to get your OH's tree done and with all that confusion to sort out too! I still have more to do on mine as one bit you do leads to more to research. I've had a DNA match recently, but he has no tree on ancestry, but today I have worked out that his grandfather, who has apparently lived in Australia for 30 years, is my cousin on dad's side that I know little about. I'm hoping he may be able to exchange photos.

I know what you mean about things being worth the trouble Frank as we are considering a small extension. You have to keep in mind the end result and just think you won't need anyone to mow the lawn or trim edges once it;s all done and it will always look neat and tidy. :-D

Oh Jane I bet you are all worn out! I wonder where they will live till it's fixed? I expect the insurance people will sort that out for them. It sounds awful and they certainly won't be spending Christmas there by the sound of it. I hope you have a good sleep now. <3

Goodness Jane that fire was close ,I bet you moved your car's back .
I hope they have Insurance, it's surprising how many people don't , it's going to take some time before they will be able to move back in , the whole place will probably need gutting ,replastering ,rewired , I do feel sorry for them but at least no one was hurt that's the main thing , have a good sleep you must be shattered.

AnnG no its not Limassol ,it's Timodine, a steroid cream so he has to use it sparingly.

Ann, Chelsea is loving her new school ,she has got two merits from one of the teachers that hardly ever gives merits out so son and Dil are really pleased ,last week she went back to the school to help out at the evening they had for next year's intake so we're all proud of her , she's not one for holding back she will soon put herself forward to do things .
I've never had fresh tuna but I do like tinned tuna and would rather have that than salmon .

I hope you get a good night's rest Jane. That fire was certainly close to you, you must have been very concerned until the firemen got it under control. I am sure your neighbours appreciate the help you gave them. I have been thinking of them all day, I expect the shock is only just setting in for them. I do hope they have good insurance. The husband and wife partnership I worked for before I retired owned 4 holiday cottages and a couple of times we had them let for several months to people who had problems with their houses, but holiday lets aren't usually suitable for long stays. When we had to move out to have our home underpinned we made it clear to our insurance people that, while we would compromise a bit on the size of the accommodation and we didn't have to have a garden, we did expect to be properly housed. They suggested we find a property and let them know the rent which they would consider, and they agreed to our choice, a very nice four bedroomed house in a good area. Your poor neighbours have to cope with losing pretty much everything so I hope their insurance company is helpful and good to them.

Mel, your rings and cones are so pretty. I love the cones in particular.

Mandy, I'm pleased to hear that OH's rash is improving. I couldn't believe it when you said it's half term next week. It only seems like last week they were going back to school after the summer. Was it Chelsea starting at secondary school this term? I hope she has enjoyed her first few weeks.

Did you enjoy today's meal Frank? We had roast lamb today with roast potatoes and parsnips, broccoli, carrots and leeks. Very nice it was too. Not long now before you get your astroturf and then you won't have to mow the front anymore. As Mandy said, if Harvey is busy and short on time, could Barry get it laid for you? You'll get frustrated if it's just lying there in rolls.

Gil, I did laugh when you said you thought you had pretty much finished OH's tree. Is a family historian ever finished? I thought I had got about as far as I could with OH's tree then recently his cousin asked me a question about their common ancestry so I had a look to check for her and found myself double checking stuff I did years ago and managing to get back another generation. OH's family are a bit of a nightmare as he has German and Irish ancestry. The German side hasn't been too bad as we knew where they came from and FamilySearch has a lot of German records but I can't get all that far back on the Irish side. They have common Irish names (Byrne and Mahoney) and only ever give Ireland as their place of birth, not even a county let alone a town.

Well, our neighbours got back from their cruise and are going to contact the company that fitted the alarm and get them to come in and sort it. They were appreciative of our efforts and did give us some wine.

Speaking of wine, I think I may just go and pour myself a glass. Hope you all have a peaceful night and wake up tomorrow bright eyed and bushy tailed..

O I see now that it was the bungalow to your left that caught fire. Was'nt they going to sell that for the new road to go through?? I bet you are tired after all that upheaval but I am pleased everyone got out ok and were safe.Oh said they would send another fire engine in the morning to make sure everything was out. He knows about these things being an ex fireman.

Ann glad you liked my makes.

Mandy I am please the cream is working for oh and he is more comfy now. It sounds like something I had when my arms came out in all those spots and I too had sore groins. I was given a cream which worked really well. Make sure you boil up your flannels and towels or at least on a 60 wash, bedding too and anything that may come into contact with the area. Get him to wear cotton as much as he can in the trouser department.

Morning all,

Another very grey day here in Devon and raining with it.

I have lost count of bin day!!!! Its every two weeks and I missed it last time. I shall have to ask Em she'll know and write it on the calender again. Things were so easy when it was once a week but they keep mucking us about. Basicly we do the councils job for them really. We keep all the plastic, food waste and cardboard and tins seperate and they just have to take the other stuff to landfill.

Moan over, what are we all up to today? Anything exciting?

Jane how are you feeling this morning and what happened to your neighbours last night?

Morning Mel, morning all

Sunny but chilly here today, if the grass dries a bit more OH will cut the lawns later.

I rely on OH to sort the bins out, or I'd probably be like you Mel lol.

I hope you managed some decent sleep last night Jane and woke up in time for your physio. I didn't realise how bad the fire was for your neighbours, I hope they had insurance and it's soon sorted for them. By the sounds of it, it'll probably be next year when it's all completed. I hope they find somewhere nice to live in the meantime and haven't lost to many personal things.

I bet you're relieved your neighbours are home now Vera, so you can pass the problem of the alarm back to them. That was nice of them to give you some wine as a thank you.

Yes Vera, I doubt OH's tree will ever be finished, but hopefully I'll have copied everything over from the tree access soon. I found another section I'd missed so it's not quite finished yet. I will need to go back over the whole tree to see if there are any gaps I can fill in myself, but for now I'm concentrating on copying everything over from the tree I've got access to, which hopefully won't take to much longer.

You were lucky to find your German ancestors, I don't know where to start with mine as all it says is he was born in Germany. It's my great granddad who I never knew, I didn't even know his son was my granddad until I was 50 years old and unfortunately he'd passed away by then. Apparently my Nan remarried, so I only knew her second husband as my granddad and didn't know the truth until I stumbled upon my parents marriage certificate and my dad's name was mention with a formally known name. By the time I had that information it was to late to ask the older generation any questions as they had all died.

I did have a tree match connected to my granddad but it came to nothing in the end, so I guess I'll never find anything out about my great granddad and where he was born in Germany as I haven't got a clue where to start looking. His son (my granddad) was born in England, but I can't find a death record for him as he went by two different surnames during his lifetime, as his mother married twice. So I'm afraid my side of the tree ends there. I agree with you and the Irish records aren't much better. OH had an Irish ancestor and it was the same as you where her place of birth was just mentioned as Ireland with no other details. It's very frustrating sometimes isn't it?

How lovely to have a breakthrough on your tree Ann, I hope you manage to see some photo's, I find things like that very exciting and love to compare the way they look with members of the family on our side.

Pleased to see Chelsea is enjoying her new school Mandy and well done to her for the two merits she got, you must be so proud of her. Glad to hear Colin is improving to, the cream sounds like it's doing the trick which will make him feel more comfortable.

I was also thinking Barry could put your Astro Turf down for you Frank if Harvey is busy. Once it's all in place it'll look lovely and you won't need to worry about cutting the front lawn anymore. It is a big job but will be well worth it when it's finished.

I'll let Sandra know the things you've sent her will definitely go through the letter box AnnG, that way she won't worry. I think Mel's parcel going missing has had an effect on her, so now she thinks it's going to happen all the time. I'm sure she'll be fine soon though, one she realises lost post doesn't happen very often.

Going to get a cuppa now then finish copying over what's left on OH's tree, with a bit of luck that bit will be done in a day or two.

The card making things you sent Sandra have just arrived AnnG. Sandra is thrilled with it all and said to say thank you <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 She is now going to finish off her Christmas cards.