Re: Hi Dita and all

[ciderman_nz]

I'll be there in a minute Dita! :-)

[dita]

Whats happened Ciderman?????? I am still waiting and having to hunt for someone more reliable now. Was it a bit too far for you ????

[vannin]

Maybe Ciderman is passing the time of day with the 'Kevin' gardener, who is expected to phone me this week. I am also expecting another call from an NHS lady who works at centralised appointments somewhere. I refused the first suggestion she made to me because the venue is near Slough, probably £60 by taxi there and back plus more for waiting in their carpark, and there must be umpteen nearer clinics for vaccs. She sounded very nervous when she said she'd had two conversations with my daughter, so I spoke very gently to explain my non-driving, which in fact she already knew.

[vannin]

All systems are go for tomorrow to get jab at special clinic in Burnham. Clinic is set up for this week, to vaccinate those who have been missed out! This morning I have had three phone calls:- two from different ladies at P.A.L.S and one from a Dr Clark who runs this Burnham facility. Finally (I hope) a call is due from a volunteer driver about transporting me. Suggested time is 1.30 but it is open from then till 5.30 to give choices. Much better than paying out more than £50 for a taxi!
Trixie and I send love and hugs to Dita and Dolly xxxx Take care all

[dita]

Maybe Ciderman is passing the time of day with the 'Kevin' gardener, who is expected to phone me this week. I am also expecting another call from an NHS lady who works at centralised appointments somewhere. I refused the first suggestion she made to me because the venue is near Slough, probably £60 by taxi there and back plus more for waiting in their carpark, and there must be umpteen nearer clinics for vaccs. She sounded very nervous when she said she'd had two conversations with my daughter, so I spoke very gently to explain my non-driving, which in fact she already knew.

Vannin, I sent a text to someone the other day, my friend told me about this guy who cut her mums garden, I sent a text to the number she gave me.. Have I mentioned this before--------because he is called ( Kevin ) and he came and cut my grass yesterday. Or is it just a coincidence??????
Love and hugs to you both xxx

[vannin]

Dita, the paths we both tread are littered with coincidences, starting from discovering we both used to be on the circulating friendship magazines. I have never, in the past fifty years, found anyone else who had ever heard of them! Then there is the singing! As for the Kevins, there are a lot of them, but for both our temp gardeners to have the same name, is remarkable. Not that I have been phoned yet. I am expecting mine to be aged mid-fifties upwards. I have a reason, as follows-

I remember that the sixties were the time England had a surge in popularity of a few Irish names. First Kevin, then Liam and so forth. My son's second name was Liam when it was still unusual but it is the Irish form of William, my father's name. (Don't tell me yours was too!!) Mother's name was Anne.
If 'my' Kevin ever phones, he might be a 25-year-old Pole, like my excellent window cleaner.
Love and hugs to both of you xxxx Take care all

[vannin]

It must seem my enthusiasm for adventure usually involves meeting up with both genders!!
Who would have thought my appointment for second jab would be remotely like an adventure? Secondly, who would have thought that my chauffeur this afternoon would alter from being a girl named Jade, to a Firefighter named Andrew, in fact, currently spending (the rest of) the week at work in the handover to becoming manager of two local fire stations, after being at HQ for a while.
But this afternoon he was a volunteer and brought the red car which is his official company car, in which he would attend 'shouts' (fires) He offered to stay in touch about my smoke alarm replacements!

From what was visible of his face, he looked not much older than thirty and like a young Pierce Brosnan. When he offered to walk me up the drive afterwards, I foolishly said 'No thank you, I'll be fine.'
By using country lanes the trip took 20 minutes each way which is good going. For a fortnight, I have been saying I'd be glad when (14 weeks) would be over. It IS now but so . Jab? Oh, that was OK too!
Dita, I hope you are feeling better today. Trixie and I send love and hugs to you both.
Take care everyone

[dita]

Oh! Vannin I so love to read your posts, you truly have a talent for explaining and writing it down. Pleased your jab was not too bad,m Andrew sounded a very interesting guy. My gardener Kevin was probably in his late fifties, very slight in build but interesting to chat with because of his canny sense of humour, I shall certainly get in touch with him again. My Dad was a Yorkshire man called Edmond, my Mum Laura, sad but we ain't got that in common----its a shame really we do have an uncanny resemblance in certain things. I am still not too well but still battling in there. Lots of love and hugs to yourself and Trixie xxx And take care all x

[dita]

Good afternoon everyone, taking advantage of the central-heating today, difficult to keep warm and can imagine many are feeling that way. Not sure if it is me going deaf or if the sound on TV is getting worse, half the time I cannot understand what they are saying. Watched that Viewpoint on ITV last night and had to give up on it. I do get Tinnitus but?????
Hope you are ok Vannin and Trixie love and hugs to you both from Dolly and me xxxx-------Take care all x

[vannin]

I have been finding the sound very bad on Viewpoint too, and use the subtitles to catch any dialogue. It could be a low-budget production like so many. The worst one ever was 'Jamaica Inn'. Terrible sound and filmed mostly in darkness, which I really hate.
Forgot to add yesterday, about the Chariot of Fire-(fighting), it is heavy and with speed capability, ready to be in the thick of fire incidents and built to withstand the heat. Don't know it's make though.

He said if we were delayed by roadworks, no problem, he would activate the flashing lights and sound!!! Life in the fast lane eh?
Of course we know all firefighters are trained in First Aid and we had no time to talk about the mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, but had wide-ranging conversation!
Conversely, still awaiting the Kevin's phone call while he is spending too long in Lincolnshire , so by tomorrow it will be time to take up the car-lodger's offer to mow the lawn.
Hugs and love to you both from Trixie and me xxxx Take care everyone

[dita]

Good afternoon everyone, I hope you are all well. Vannin lots of publicity regarding Noel Clarke and his supposed activities when not in Viewpoint or picking up Baftas???? Think I will give Boris a ring and see if he has heard anything >??
I agree with what you said about the sound being so un-hearable when I mentioned it the other day, I was starting to think it was me going deaf, Mouth to mouth resuscitations eh! and with a fireman -----what a thought I will see if my Kevin will pop over and give your garden a little attention Vannin, if I ask him nicely he may oblige in other ways too should you desire nudge nudge---wink wink.
Love and hugs to yourself and Trixie from Dolly and me xxxxxx

[vannin]

No, both Age UK and the Kevin have let me down. Can't even get through to the office that was advising me so have left messages. Also sent a text to my car-lodger that I would be glad and grateful to accept his offer to cut the grass. I think some people have left work early today for the long weekend.
Tomorrow is my 56th wedding anniversary and the garden was David's pride and joy, it has gone downhill.
I won't prolong this today as I am still keeping an ear out for the phone but very doubtful it will ring.
Trixie and I send love and hugs to Dita and Dolly. xxxx Take care everyone.

[dita]

Good afternoon everyone, hope you are all well.
Sorry to hear you haven't had your messages answered Vannin , hopefully though your luck may have changed by the time you have seen this. I am sure David will be thinking about you today if possible, and recalling you sat in your garden on a nice summer day admiring his handy work all those 56yrs ago.
I'm having one of those scatty- doing stupid things days, then spend an hour or so wondering why I am feeling like this.
Love and Hugs to you Vannin and Trixie from Dolly and me xxxxxx

[vannin]

Sorry, I know much more than an hour has gone by and it was not my memory letting me down. I got engrossed in reading through stuff I unearthed in a cupboard, then sorting through the files I keep - not in such careful order as it used to be. Manual files in a cabinet - am not clever enough to fiddle with computer files!
I felt quite tired in the middle of the day, too much excitement in the week maybe. Dita, I have scatty days most days!
I really can't think of much more to report, daughter phoned in the afternoon and is surprised I don't even have an aching arm.
HRH Trixie condescended to come on my lap for a while, after a week or two being more interested in out-of-doors and grumpy when we had cool evenings. She and I send love and hugs to Dita and Dolly xxxx Take care everyone

[dita]

I keep sorting stuff out and putting them in safe places, promising myself they are much better organised than ever before. Reality is a worse problem because I have forgotten where the safe place has gone.???? Computer files are a certain NO! NO! Dolly keeps getting me worried because she goes to bed and looks so forlorn, of course I think she is not well and pay attention and fuss over her only to find how quickly she can recover -- the little so and so.
Love and Hugs Vannin and Trixie from Dolly and stupid me xxx