Hi Dita and all

[Penny]

Morning Dita, Andere and all. Had lots of problems yesterday. Hubby in and out al day sorting daughter out. Finally got her car problem over, it was a worry because of her working today. I came on here last night and got cut off straight away. No idea why. No flooding or broken poles here. I saw some of the pictures on TV, what a dreadful problem for the people flooded out. I was rather angry too, people who came into this country for nothing this week, put up in a first class hotel with accommodation and cash. Whilst our poor flood victims are stuck with nothing. Makes me so angry. Still furious this morning. Do hope doggie gets a lovely walkies today, hugs on the way to keep her warm, and big kisses for puss if she gets out of her warm sleep. That's my moan for today. Take care all and do keep warm. Still no word from Viv. Do hope she is o.k. Hope hubby continues to make progress Andere. Have a good day all. cheers Penny

[dita]

Hi Penny, Andere and all, missed you yesterday Penny but had thought you were maybe busy. I do agree with you about the fact our own people are in chaos over this storm situation, but folk who have contributed nothing are allowed to take advantage of so much, they will then stab us in the back for doing so. A very dull but dry day, not bad doggie walk but she much keener to get big hugs out to you Penny Just discovered the reason why we have not been able to receive any ITV programmes the last few days, the wind has dislodged our tv aeriel and it is slipping down the roof, more expense. My cousin has just been to see us, bless him he was concerned for my health and decided to see for himself. It seems he was fine during the tide surge, it is non tidal where he is moored. Hope you are having an easier day, keep smiling Penny Andere and all.xx

[Andere Richtingen]

Hello, all. Lovely and sunny here today and not too cold. OH still feeling wiped-out and not up for going out anywhere, which is a shame but he's better off resting and getting over it properly. Yes, I know I could go out without him but it's not the same as having someone to share with! Lucy was out for a while enjoying the sunshine but is now resting comfortably while she sleeps off the effort of finishing her breakfast. Should be a decent couple of days for dog-walking anyway, Dita.

I was thinking about the victims of the flood and wondering if any of those charities who are so quick to set up bank accounts to collect for disaster victims overseas ever contribute to the welfare of similar victims in GB? I know the Red Cross do a great job in all sorts of emergencies but where are organisations like Save the Children, CAFOD, etc? I'm not saying they don't help out here but I've never heard of it. Although the scale of these floods is nothing like the scale of - say - the Philppine typhoon, the immediate consequences are just as devastating for those involved. And, come to think of it, whenever there's some major disaster anywhere in the world, kindly people here are quick to respond to appeals for help and European governments donate vast amounts of financial and practical emergency aid. Is it ever reciprocated, I wonder?

I know that it was in 1953 because there's a big display and a complete listing in the Watersnoord Museum of all the help provided to the people of the Netherlands from across the world following those floods. These days though, I do get the impression that 'aid' has become a one-way street.

Glad you are OK, Penny and your daughter's mobile again. We've not heard anything from ours since OH returned from there earlier in the week so we have to assume his fix worked and the car's OK now. (We always work on the assumption that no news is good news!).

[dita]

Good morning Penny, Andere and all. Calm, dull day, walkies good for doggie today, big hugs for you Penny, hope you ok. Aerial man just rang, he cannot make it today he's got lots of aerials to fix so its tomorrow instead, no worry's considering all the roof problems around. Hello to Lucy Katt, hope she having a purr on your lap Andere to say thanks for spoiling her. Did hear Viv been posting on FB, not sure but if she is she probably fine, hope so. Keep smiling Penny Andere and all.

[Penny]

Lovely and sunny here but so cold. Very quiet after the hectic weekend. Big hugs for doggie, hope she enjoys her walkies today . Spent half the morning doing the Xmas cards and getting them stamped etc. Funny how you think, that's it, then another one arrives which you have forgotten. Hope we are finished now. Such a waste of cash really. We open them, read them, stand them up for a few days then bin them. Had decided to give to charity this year but so many tales of the cash getting into the wrong hands, have given up. Hoping to get to Cosco tomorrow, running out of bird seed so must top up before Xmas. Big kisses for puss, hope she is keeping warm. That was lovely of your cousin to check up on you Dita. I do like to hear of good deeds. Take care now and enjoy the week. cheers Penny

[Penny]

Morning Dita and all, what a dull day.so dark and cold. Hope doggie has better walkies than expected here. Big hugs on the way. Hoping to get to Cosco today, will have to wait and see. Hope all are well including hubbies. This one as usual in his strong silent mood. In his computer room at present. All cards were posted yesterday so hopefully, no more to do. Birds up earlier than expected today, George sitting, looking and squawking in the kitchen window so had to prepare their feed before I could sit down for breakfast. They are so clever. Funny how they know it is rubbish collection day today and once they have been fed they vanish until afternoon. If I happen to be late putting out their food it stays there on the lawn until afternoon. They hate being disturbed by lorries etc. Talk about spoilt brats. ha ha. Do take care all and have a lovely day. Almost forgot kisses for puss. hope she stays warm and curled up. cheers Penny

[Andere Richtingen]

Good morning, all. The sun has at last broken through and it's glorious here after thick fog earlier on. Everything outside is damp and soggy but it looks wonderful from inside! If it's like this where you are, Dita, it should be great for a brisk dog walk. Not that Lucy K's having anything to do with walks - she mooched out for half an hour before breakfast, returned to eat and is now tightly curled up in her own bed.

OH continues to make progress although the eczema's still a grotty mess; he's much more like himself and has announced his intention of joining in a short CAMRA pub crawl this evening. He assures me he's not staying out for all of it and he's not going to drink a lot. I'm deeply sceptical on both counts although I'm pleased he's up to getting about with his friends. If he's OK after that, then there'll be no more excuses for not helping out in the kitchen on the grounds that his foot hurts .... heh-heh.

[dita]

Hi! Penny, Andere and all, getting duller and duller as the day goes by, short doggie walkie today, all because the guy turned up to put us a new tv aerial up, ours got problem in the storms last week, it has been perched on the roof ever since. We have now got a new one which cost nearly £200, made me think of all those people flooded out and the money they will have to fork out?? Anyway doggie had fun tormenting the engineer with her ball and is sending hugs out to you now Penny I managed to get most of my xmas cards posted, have the village ones yet to do, most of us here deliver cards to each other. That Lucy Katt is lazy, wish doggie would curl up and have a nap Andere, she never sleeps until bedtime. Those birds of yours are very cheeky Penny, they know when they are well off. Keep smiling Penny Andere and all.

[Penny]

Hi Dita, Andere and all. Lovely and sunny here at the moment. Still cold but bearable. Just finished lunch, did a lovely piece of roast pork today. Hope all have the same sunshine. Will be just right for doggie walkies today, along with hugs to keep her company. Did a shop at Cosco yesterday, surprising how many items I could see which could be bought cheaper at Sainsbury and Tesco. All fighting for customers of course. But golly, was the place busy. Unbelievable. I expect puss is taking advantage of the warm sunshine too. Big kisses from me. Hope all hubbies are well. Take care and have a good week. cheers Penny

[Andere Richtingen]

The fog descended here about 7pm yesterday evening and didn't lift again until after midday. A couple of hours sunshine but now it's setting again. These short days are so depressing. OH and I were laughing about the weather forecaster on the BBC Essex breakfast programme who kept saying the Met Office had issued a yellow fog warning. We kept looking out the window but it was all sort of white and swirly, not yellow at all.

OH seems none the worse for his pub crawl although he's complaining his other leg aches today. I'm not very sympathetic and said it must be due to the unaccustomed strain of crawling around all those pubs!

Lucy's gone into daft mode - tearing around the house, chasing her tail, fighting with an elastic band, poking her toy mice under my dressing table and then complaining because she can't reach to get them out again (neither can I without a ruler). Generally, when she does this, she's like a small child - frenzied activity for a little while then she'll just drop asleep without warning wherever she happens to be. Hope everyone's keeping warm and well. Hugs to all.

[dita]

Afternoon Penny, Andere and all, came on earlier and got cut off in the middle of a message, gave up and now back. Been foggy all day, ours was white too Andere, not a glimmer of sun which disapointed us on doggie walk Penny, and you did mention sun, anyway despite this she sends you lots of hugs. Will send her round to sort out L Katt as well Andere Hubby has got emphesema (sp) and also been put on Statins today, OMG will never hear the last of it now, I am the one with the chest problem and suffer in silence most of the time?????...... but now. We nipped to Sainsburys they are selling 1Lt bottles of their equivalent of Baileys for £10, do not know how it got in the basket Keep smiling Penny Andere and all.

[Penny]

Dita, I am so sorry to hear of hubby's problem. We three wives seem to be in the same boat, suffering in silence. Do hope your couh has improved now Dita, can't do with you being ill, you have your OH to think about. (joke).Please do take care, not many of us left. cheers Penny

[vannin]

Hello, sorry to have been missing most of a fortnight. Yes, true I was on Facebook and also the other place, though not quick-witted enough this week for the quizzes, Penny! But it is only The Rowan Tree that gets 'my confidences'!

I was in London for a few hours yesterday, and the 'few' hours travelling were many more than the time spent there. But I was seeing little Charlie in his choir, singing carols. I wouldn't have missed it for the world, after having to miss his Nativity play that conflicted with Pat's funeral last week.

Thursday was not so bad as I had dreaded. Naturally people are still showing shock especially the family who must be shellshocked. A lady offered me lifts, she comes up from Hants to Bucks, and we had never met before the funeral of Ray (Pat's husband) She got in touch before Pat's funeral and I thought it was so kind, and appreciated the transport very much.

Viv

[Penny]

So pleased to see you back again vannin, as you can see by the posts we have all been worrying about you. Must have been lovely listening to the choir. Special time. Having a lift from a stranger, nice to hear of good deeds. Take care and keep in touch, we all miss you. cheers Penny

[Andere Richtingen]

Welcome back, Vannin! Glad you're OK and enjoyed the singing. I bet Charlie sang even better than usual, knowing you were there specially to listen.

Dita, I'm so sorry to hear about your OH's diagnosis -that must be a real downer for him but I think much can be done these days to stop it getting any worse. Hope he's OK with the statins, too. Friends tell me it's not advisable ever to be standing between a person on statins and the smallest room so do take care you don't get knocked down when he's gottagonow!

Hi, Penny! (and anyone else looking in) Don't want to miss anybody out! Cold here today and quite grey; really heavy frost last night but no fog here although I heard London City Airport - about 6 miles away - is suffering fog delays this morning so there's some about. Lucy K can't make up her mind what she wants this morning. When she's in, she wants Out, NOW!! When she's out, she demands to be let in - she has a cat-flap but why should she use it when there are servants? When it's not cold, I tend to leave doors open all over the house so she can go where she likes. This sort of weather, they're closed to keep down draughts and she hates it and, wherever she is, wants to be somewhere else and is constantly howling at doors. She's driving us nuts. I'm going to sit down and write some cards this morning. Our friends know we don't do Christmas but they will send cards anyway, even the Jewish and Sikh ones! And then we feel we have to reciprocate; it's all a bit mad in my opinion