Hi Dita and all

[vannin]

A lovely surprise offer has come from someone I have never met. A fuzzy feelgood factor has entered my phase of worrying about how to deal with changing my HP laptop from Windows 7, which Microsoft are due to part company with in January, to Windows 10 which I have avoided upgrading to. I heard it is difficult to learn, I don't have a relative who can sort things out, and the few I.T. Consultants I have found by their advertising , who have sometimes fixed a breakdown or done a service, have cost between £70 - £100 a time. I believe getting a professional to do the required upgrade is a frightening cost, and had not favoured any particular past experience.

So I turned to Chris, a chap who was a friend and colleague of my husband. Last year, he said he wished he could advise on computers for me , but his knowledge had become limited re keeping up with the changing I.T.world. BUT he had acquired a 'son-in-law-to-be; who is an I.T. Consultant. If you get in touch over a problem, he said, I can refer to Matt.
Last night I did exactly that, and I obviously intended paying if Matt would help.

Today Chris, who had taken relevant details from me (HP model number, serial number etc) emailed me that Matt could have my laptop to upgrade it over the weekend (Chris will collect in the morning) and all for £30 cash. Unbelievable! I expected it to go to three figures, rather than take advantage, but will up it anyway.
Meanwhile I have sent for a book on How to use Windows 10, to arrive on Monday. After getting used to pitfalls of how to source tradesmen etc and some rip-offs along the way, things are looking up. On my current little list of excellent tradesmen acquired through word-of-mouth, I now add this new surprise offer from a young professional, in great hopes.

[Andere Richtingen]

Sounds good, Viv. I happily admit that I detest Windows 10! I loved Windows 8 and 8.1 which many people disliked but W10 always feels as though it's trying to prevent me from doing what I want to do, the way I want to do it and everything on my new, fast, whizzy laptop is awkward to get to and takes twice as long to accomplish. I've promised myself that I'll spend the winter taming it but,meantime, I'm using my battered old Android tablet for most things. However, I hope your W10 manual helps and you're one of the many people who love it. By the way, I love those ***** for dummies books which talk you through the subject with humour and logic and lovely little drawings ...

Very quiet and grey here today. Just sat back with my coffee after a late brekky and wondering whether to go and put on a wash or leave it until tomorrow. I've got a mighty gammon joint to cook later; I don't really know what possessed me to buy one so large but it looks nice!

We had a pleasant afternoon yesterday, met old friends for a pub lunch and a catch-up. Diane and I were at school together and have kept in on & off touch since. Our OHs have work and technical interests in common so they get along well and it's fun to get together when we can.

My gardener paid her last regular visit of the season this week and left everything trimmed and tidy. If we have a warm, wet ajtumn and the weeds run riot, I might get her back for a quick session in November but otherwise, that's it until spring .. . I'm torn between hating the short hours of daylight and enjoying the snug feel of a long evening with the blinds closed against the world!

I hope the Maggieh /Twin clan are enjoying their trip and the weather is reasonably kind to them.

[twin1947]

Good afternoon everyone. So far the weather has been fairly good, only rained during the night, today is cloudy and sunny. We have been out for a pub roast which was very tasty. We are going for a stroll around the site in a while. Hope everyone is well.

[Andere Richtingen]

Great. The post I was halfway through typing just disappeared before my eyes again. I'd love to know what causes it.

Cool, breezy, grey and damp here. Not weather for going anywhere you don't have to. Not that I could - there's a great tabby, purring lump parked across my legs and it would be a terrible shame to disturb her! Talking of cats, I hope Trixie is coping with the mite situation more comfortably now it's turned cooler and wetter?

I'm glad to read that Twin & co are staying cheerful and getting about despite the weather. I hope everyone else is OK, too. Absolutely nothing to report from here. If LK ever moves, I shall get up and do a pile of ironing, then it's soup, cold cuts and salad for dinner and that's my lot for today.

[Penny]

Been very quiet and dull here but now sun is shining and the wind has died down. Sorry to hear Norfolk has a lot of rain. My D.I.L is there for a few days with some female relatives.. One has a cottage near a lake so I hope they are O>K> O>H> developed a backache so has been sitting with a hot water bottle all day. Have to get my lamp out tomorrow and help him ease his pain. Hope all are O>K>and keeping well. Big hugs for all little ones. cheers Penny

[Young Goat]

For Andere
Two sugestions
(1) If you are repeatedly losing posts when your typing them do them first in Notepad then cut and paste into The Rowan Tree
(2) Try this to make Windows 10 a bit more like Windows 7
http://www.classicshell.net/
I have just upgraded from Windows 7 to Windows 10 and, except for the Start Menu (which I have changed using the above) I find it very similar.
What is it that it is stopping you doing ? I'll advise if I can.

[vannin]

I had no idea this was National Grandparents' Day until not-so-little Charlie phoned me this evening.!

Andere, re Trixie's excellent progress:! I hardly dared rejoice about it in the past three weeks or so. But, all in all, this year's mite season has been much shorter than in other years! Whereas it sometimes started in June and dragged on till Oct or even November, two or three seasons. But it has been July to September. Maybe the rain has a great bearing on this. She and I are delighted (though of course she would rather not run in like a drowned rat!) The litter tray gets ignored.

Also she has noticed my injuries or rather, the way I am one-armed in action, and appointed herself my carer, following me around the house. Such cuddles too. All this continuing from her new relationship with vet visits and I ask 'Who is this cat and where is my Trixie?!'

[Andere Richtingen]

I'd never heard of it either, Vannin, until I read somewhere this morning that it's International Grandparents' Day. Meh!
Just another bid by the greetings card suppliers to sell more product, I guess! Nice of Charlie to call though, much better than enriching Clintons et al.

Excellent news about Trixie and I'm so pleased she's still taking good care of you and providing TLC. There's something wonderfully comforting about a snuggled-up puss, isn't there? We're. getting plenty of Soggy Moggy syndrome,too. Quick sprint outside to do the necessary, frantic dash back inside and straight for the nearest pair of ankles to demonstrate exactly how wet it is out there ....

[Andere Richtingen]

Thanks for the hint, Young Goat. I DO try to remember to prepare my pearls of wisdom in Notepad or One-note then cut & paste. I just don't always remember until the dreaded Message Snatching Gremlin strikes again.

As for W10 - it's not actually stopping me from doing anything. I just don't find it as intuitive as W8.1. That's probably because it's just different enough to be a pain when I don't use it very often. I bought that laptop principally because it has a huge amount of RAM and a monster HDD for editing and storing large numbers of photographs and, for various reasons, haven't actually done much work with it yet.

I don't think I'd want my desktop to look like W7, anyway; I never really got on well with that. I have it on a little Acer Netbook and it's quite cranky. I think the main problem is that it doesn't really have sufficient RAM to run well and there are no expansion slots. One of these days, now W7's no longer supported, I'll trash it and replace it with one or other version of Linux just for fun. Another of those "one day" projects. I've been 'taming' computers since the early 80s and the days of App!e II+ and MS-DOS so I'm not going to be bossed by W10!

[vannin]

No problems so far on Windows 10! Of course all the frightening scenario which put me off in the past... has been involved in the actual upgrading. As I don't ask much of the computer, it is a relief and the potential snag is,getting it to accept interaction with my printer, an 8-year-old Canon Pixma. But if I need to print, I shall keep it linked to the Dell desk-top (15 years old and still excellent but has Windows 7!)

[Andere Richtingen]

Good afternoon, all.
After a couple of fairly reasonable days here, it's just starting to turn miserable and wet once more. From the look of the sky, I reckon the deluge will happen in the next ten minutes.

There's not a lot happening at present. I've just been to the farm shop and got some root veg to make a beef stew for tonight plus some more stuff to make my next cauldron of soup - squash, sweet potato & carrot this time. I had some distressing news the other day - my lovely local butcher is shutting up shop at the end of this week. He was running the business as a concession within the local Spar grocers and I've been a fan ever since we moved here - a proper butcher who will get and cut anything you ask for; who only sells properly aged beef and who knows the provenance of everything he sells. But he's moving on - taking a job with another butcher's shop in the city and he will be sorely missed. There are other butchers but not so good and not less than a five minute walk away. I expect I'll just revert to getting all my meat with my Waitrose order.

One of the reasons we thought this was a great place to live was the number of useful local shops but, six months ago, the nearby pharmacy closed and now it's the butcher. Friends in other places say the same things are happening where they live. I can't help thinking business rates have much to do with it.

[twin1947]

Good afternoon All,
Today is our last day of our holiday we are all packed,well almost.We are going out to a local pub for dinner tonight so no washing up Tec,then visit the club room to be entertained.Today is lovely and sunny and very warm,best day of the week but we have had a great time.

[Penny]

Delighted you had a good holiday. How I wish????? Take care. cheers Penny

[Andere Richtingen]

Welcome home, Twin. Glad you had a good time and at least some decent weather. Now comes all the fun of unpacking, laundry, trying to remember what you left in the freezer that might be worth thawing and eating, etc, etc. After 24 hours, you'll feel like you never went away!

Not a great day here - cold and gusty, with intermittent rain. OH is winding me up, behaving as though he needn't ever lift a finger and some mysterious housekeeping fairy will do everything required ... the trouble is, he knows I can only stand so much mess and squalor and things-to-be-done. Eventually, I usually do give in and do whatever needs doing because somebody ought to. Why are they so bliddy aggravating? I wouldn't want to be without him; I do know how lucky I am to have a kind, gentle, faithful husband who indulges most of my whims (so long as they don't involve anything domestic) - but, even so, there are times when I could drown him!

Hoping the weather improves for the weekend. We're supposed to be going to Skipton on Sunday for a vintage bus event but the idea of leaving home at 6:30am and lumbering up the A1 on a classic bus in the cold and the rain is losing its appeal. Boots, Macs and nice, warm sweaters at the ready, methinks.

[twin1947]

Good evening all,
Yes back home all unpacked and washing machine has been on,nice to be back in my abode with own shower and bath for OH.
My hubby also doesnt join in doing housework or anything domestic hes lazy .
Cant wait to get into my own bed tonight,although the bed was comfy in the caravan but theres nothing like home comforts.
Will be away next month for grandsons birthday hes 5 and staying with them which is nice as the grandchildren like to come and wake us up at silly o clock can cope with that for 2 days .