General Chat

Ann, I was watching the voice last night as well,and to be honest I couldn't choose who the winner would be, both had such lovely voices.
Boy George's girl was sooo like him in her way out appearance, and the other girl had a lovely voice as well.
This last series on BBC was the best one , and I read that Will.i.am and Paloma Faith would not be going to the ITV version, also that Ricky Wilson had stated ages ago that he was retiring from the show anyway, so that only left Boy George, I wonder if they will choose other celebs for the panel instead of him.

Sylvia, I joined Face book to try and trace a couple of cousins of mine. I thought I had had success in one case, only to be told by the cousins family that they were uninterested, so I gave up.
Another part of my family is unlisted, and I can only remember one of their names anyway.
It's such a shame how with time families fall apart, the last time I saw any of them was before we married in 1964.
I did find one cousin via this site, and we do occasionally make contact with each other, but we have never met.

It has been another cold day today, it wants to warm up before we have our holiday in Hastings, or we will be back early again. LOL

Night night girls, take care, Mo xxx

When do you go Mo?

We had sun today but it was windy, although early on it was not a cold wind.

So now I have the joy of golf, the ball gets gradually smaller in this house, rugby, football, golf, himself watches them all.

I don't look forward to the voice being on ITV being interrupted all the time by the adverts. It certainly won't be the same without Will.i.Am. I will miss Ricky too, he is such a good mentor.

I have p.m'd you Ann.

Hello girls, just to let you know that Christie's nan died last Wednesday night, so things have been a bit stressed with one thing and another. They were not able to cancel or postpone the wedding unless they lost all the money, as it had all been paid for. we had all hoped that the funeral cold have been this week, but I am afraid that it won't be until two days after the wedding. But I am sure that Christie's nan would have wanted the wedding to go ahead, as she would not have wanted them to lose all their money.

I am hurting inside for Christie,and feel so sad for her, as she so wanted her nan to see her getting married to Richard. So the wedding will be a happy occasion but also tinged with sadness and grief. I just hope that it won't be too difficult for the family.


Mo, not sure if you and Roly are going to Hastings for your holiday soon, but if you are, hope that you will enjoy yourselves and that the weather will be kind to you.

I hope that it won't be too long before Lilly will get an appointment with the psychologist, the sooner she has an assessment and diagnosis the better, so that they can decide on the treatment she needs, the sooner it can start.


Jean, Ann, Sylvia and Huia, hope that all is okay with you all and your families.

I shall be glad when we are through April and and well into May, there is so much happening this month and the beginning of May, I am finding it very difficult to cope most days now, but my C P N is very supportive and I don't know where I would be without her, she is wonderful. Tomorrow I have an appointment with my new psychologist, as the one I have had for three months has gone on maternity leave, her second baby is due at the end of April.

Well I must get myself a hot drink now and try and get to bed a bit earlier than I have been doing lately.


Take care everyone.


Love and best wishes to you all. Sallie .xxx <3 <3 <3 <3

Oh Sallie how sad, BUT, Christies Nan will be with her in spirit, and would want them to go ahead with the ceremony.
Nan was happy for them both, getting married is one thing she would have wanted for her grandaughter.
Even though the day will no doubt be tinged with sorrow, she will be looking down on them, sending her love and blessings.
Yes my love, we are off very soon, but our son will be here looking after the house. He has been living with friends since the separation, and will be glad to be nearer to the children. At least this way, he will be able to have them overnight for a change.
The only thing I am dreading is coming home to a little mess, we are so set in our ways, and used to things being just so. But hey, the hoover will soon clear any mess up.
I hope the new psychologist was as good as your normal one.
Stay strong darling, and fight each day as it comes. You have had a lot to contend with just lately, and every day things will change, but sooner or later, you will be a new girl, looking forwards instead of backwards.
Just think,god willing, you may become a nanny in the future, now isn't that a wonderful thing to look forwards to.

Today started of really lovely, in fact we should not have taken our coats with us, it was so warm, and we felt a little stupid as everyone else were wearing summer clothes, and there we were sweating buckets.
But now we are in the middle of a heavy shower, thank goodness I had just bought the washing in from the line. I surely would have sworn had it got wet again. LOL

I send you all my very best wishes, take care now girls, Hugs Mo xxx

Sallie, I am so sorry to hear about Christie's Nan. I am sure though they would not wish her to linger in pain and they will know she is at peace now. The main thing was that she knew they were getting married and was happy for them. It is a pity that the funeral could not have been before the wedding but, as Mo says, she will be with them in spirit. maybe they could have her photo on the top tablr at the reception. she will have wanted the wedding to be a happy occasion and I am sure it will be. Best wishes to them. <3 <3

Hi Sallie

good to hear from you.

I'm sorry to hear about Chrissie's Nan .................. but I do hope that they don't let it spoil the wedding. She's out of pain now, and was happy that they were getting married.

Mo ..... enjoy your holiday xx



The avatar was our street last week ............ today the ground under them (street, grass areas and gardens) is covered with pink snow :-D

We had a strong wind most of yesterday and a milder breeze today, and all the petals are being blown off

I too am sorry to hear this news, I feel sure the family will realise how special this wedding will be and be able to remember all the lovely memories they have of the times spent with Christies grandma, the love they had for her will surely be evident at the celebrations of the wedding, perhaps bitter sweet but cherished just the same.bless the bride and groom and all your family ....

Sallie, many times you have said its a long road, I see it as once a long winding road, now I feel its a more even one for you, and will shorten by the day..of course there will be bad and good days, the good will outweigh the bad ones of that I have no doubt...
because you are loved not only by your family, this family on here also have much affection for you and I for one admire the way you are aware of your own situation, half the battle is won when an understanding is achieved by you and those who love you, I also know its not easy to make confession about your life .and I am aware we on here are with you all the way ,take heart dear Sallie you are to be admired....always in our thoughts and prayers, much love and hugs Jean xx. <3 <3

Jean, thank you for that second paragraph, you put into words what I (and I am sure all of us) feel and nobody could have put it better. :-) <3

Hello to all my dear friends on here. Thank you all so much for your lovely thoughts and kind words, I very much appreciate them all and also your friendship.

This week has been very difficult for me, but I am lucky that I have a supportive and wonderful C P N, she has rung me a few days this week and popped in to see me----I don't know how I would cope without her help.

Although I have only just started seeing my new psychologist, she is very nice and I am sure that we will be able to work well together. But it is going to take a long time, at least 18 months of weekly therapy, which also includes Family Therapy. All the mental health people I have helping me have told me that there will be times after having therapy that I will feel a lot worse, but they have to take me right down and then slowly bring me back up.

At first I found it very difficult to accept that I had not only severe depression and Generalised Anxiety Disorder, but also BPD. At least, I now have accepted that I have
I suffer from a serious mental illness, so hopefully, although it will be slow, it will be onwards and upwards from now on.

Christie rang me this evening, she tried her driving test for the second time today, and passed it, so as you can all imagine, we were all thrilled and pleased for her. It was also her 27th birthday today, so it was a nice extra birthday present for her.
And of course the wedding is a week on Sunday,for quite a few years now, we have always considered her a member of our family, so a week Sunday she will officially be a member.


Alun is still waiting to hear when he has his operation, the Consultant told him that it would be the end of April, but haven't heard anything yet. They are pretty good at the hospital for keeping to the dates, but we are wondering if the junior doctors are on a two strike again around that time, and also the I C U staff are also on strike for the two days too. And of course Alun and other patients have to spend the first 48 hours in I C U after open heart surgery.

I am going across to North Wales to visit my cousin tomorrow until Tuesday. Alun and Jennie are taking me to Chester where my cousin works, so she will meet me there after she finishes work. I need a break from them here at home and I know that they need a break from me too, as I have been very difficult to live with since the end of last
September, because of my illness. I think that the break will help to relieve the situation for a while at least.

Ann, what you suggested about having Christie's Nan's photo somewhere in the place they are getting married, I had also had the same thought, but didn't want to upset her by suggesting it to her, but she rang me yesterday and told me that both her and Richard had decided to have both her Nan's and her Grandad's photos on a chair each during the wedding ceremony. So I was happy to hear they had thought of it too, as Christie was close to both of them.


Here I am again, going on about everything!


I must go to bed now, have to get a couple of jobs done before I go to North Wales tomorrow. Will speak to you all when I get home. Take care of yourselves everyone.
Thank you all once again for being there for me.


Love and best wishes. Sallie. xxx <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Sallie, enjoy your time with your cousin and return home refreshed. I am sure it doesn't help the situation to have Alun's operation hanging over you.

I am pleased that Christie is to have photos of her grandparents at the reception

While being aware of your mental health problems, focus on the fact that you are having treatment that is making you better. I read today that depression is like a large cloud. Imagine a cloud that comes down over a mountain. Then, before long the cloud lifts again and you can see the mountain is still there. The mountain is your life, it will still be there when the cloud lifts. You have to brlieve that. We do! <3 <3 <3

How lovely to hear from you Sallie.
We are all thinking of you darling,just enjoy your time in Wales with your cousin, and know that we wait to hear of your fun times with her.

Speak to you all very soon girls, love and hugs Mo xxx

nice to hear from you Sallie. Enjoy your visit with your cousin. xxx

we're off to the Island for a couple of days next week ............. principally to pick up our friend's ashes from the one who picked them up from the crem. Hopefully, we'll get them in the ground in the next 3-4 weeks.

But we will also see other friends while we are there.

Hello everyone, Iing to get on line for ages, now D tells me that I need a new laptop,
so I will have to count the pennies and see whats on offer, Cant do without a laptop
Sallie me love, hope you had a noce break and are coninuing to get better each day,

Sylvia, I wonder if you have been on your planned trip, or have I missed it...
hope it wasnt to upsetting for you...

Dash it the b****y thing is playing up again I am about hurl it through the window :-| :-| :

so see you when I can . take care , love Jean xxx <3

Hello ladies. We are slipping off page one. I am off out soon to get the WOF for the car. Tomorrow (Saturday) I will have to be up early to find my way to Mt Albert for my oldest cousin's funeral. I hope there are not too many roadworks/accidents on the motorway.

Hello girls,

Jean, yes thank you I enjoyed the few days in North Wales with my cousin, although it was a break from being at home with the family, I was very busy helping her to sort out and pack glasses and china ready for her move to Chichester next Thursday. I shall miss seeing her as often as we have been able to, with her living further away from us from next week.

Thank you all for your lovely thoughts about Christie's nan, I have passed them on to Christie and Richard, they said thank you, and they are much appreciated.

We all had a lovely few days in Hailsham, for the wedding. It all went well, thank goodness, and we all made a special extra effort to make it a happy occasion for Christie and Richard. Christie made a beautiful bride, she wore a white lace dress to just below the knee with a navy blue sash tied into a a lovely bow at the back, and she wore white roses in her hair. Richard's suit was navy blue,he wore a white shirt with a light blue and navy paisley tie.

Instead of having a DJ, they hired a juke box with all the songs and music they wanted, so we all danced ( well mostly the women) to a good selection of the music they had chosen.

Richard and Christie spent their wedding night in the wedding cottage in the grounds of the venue, and they invited all of us to have breakfast with them on Monday morning,before we all started our different ways home.
When we get some some photos we will try and put them on your photo blog Ann, if that is possible.


When we arrived home there was a letter waiting for Alun, letting him know that he has to go for his pre op assessment next Thursday 5th May, and has to go into hospital by 4 p.m. on Tuesday the 10th of May and has his operation the next day, the 11th.
I shall be glad when it is done, but also dreading it.


Huia, hope you had a safe journey to your cousin's funeral and that it all went well. Sending you my condolences.


Mo, hope you and Roly are enjoyong your time away and that the weather is okay.


Sylvia, hope that both you and your OH are both going along okay, and that all is well with your family.

Will speak to you all again soon.

Take care everyone.


Love and best wishes to you all and your families. Sallie.xxx <3 <3 <3

The wedding sounds lovely, so glad everything went well for one and all, I look forward to seeing the pics.
it will be good to get Aluns hospital visit over and done with, he will be fine I am sure..
I have to see my doctors shortly to have my ears syringed, I have to have new aids, but ears must be clear for them to fit new ones...
and also we need to have our eyes tested, its all go go go. ;-) ;-) ;-)

I have put the card making on hold for a while, so I am going to do some die cutting and do some stencilling,its a long time since I did any...

J has brought the rest of my scrapbooks from our old house, my carers love looking at them and all the memories come flooding back :-D :-D :-D :-D

my laptop seems to have righted itself so thats good news...

tea and toast has just arrived so see you later, take care

love Jean xx <3 <3

Hello my lovelies, tis me the nuisance, back to annoy you all again. lol

Sallie, it's lovely to hear that the wedding went well, and that you enjoyed yourselves.
The bride and grooms outfits sound wonderful, and matched each other. Did they have any bridesmaids ?
Thank goodness Aluns appointment has arrived, bless him he will soon be on the road to recovery love.
I daresay, that helping your cousin packing, helped to ease your mind from other problems a little, like the wedding preparations etc.

Our holiday went well for a change, it was rather blowy, but at least it was dry for once, and we didn't have to come back early.
The caravan was really nice, and had central heating as well as a gas fire. And believe me we needed both on first thing of a morning, it was rather chilly willy.

See you all later, take care dear friends, Mo xxx

Good evening to you all.

It took me an hour to get to the church for the funeral yesterday as I had to keep stopping to look at the map with a magnifier to make sure I hadnt missed it, but I got there with time to spare. The cousin who died was a bachelor. He had been very shy all his life, lived with his parents until he was 40, but when he moved to Auckland he attended the church and took part - albeit silently - in some of their activities. One of our other cousins lived nearby so she kept an eye on him, and I learnt he had another cousin via his mother's sister. So there were 5 of his cousins there, along with quite a few younger ones. It was a nice family gathering. Seems to be one of the few occasions we meet up these days.

It's always the same isn't it Huia, we seem to only meet our relations, at either weddings or funerals, and sometimes christenings.
You are brave using a map, we use our satnav if going somewhere strange to us. Mind you, even that has got us lost before now, so perhaps you have the right idea love.

We have had a simply glorious day today, bright sunshine and temperatures up to 19c, now that's quite warm for this country, considering how wet and cold it was last week.

We were thinking about going down the coast tomorrow, but we shall wait and see what it's like in the morning.

See you all later girls, love and hugs, Mo xxx