Hi Dita and all

[dita]

Hi Penny and all, Yep it not just warm its ruddy hot, after taking the morning constitutional with her majesty the dog, helped along by your hugs we decided to carry on with work in the garden, it didn't last very long cos this old age seems to not suit the climate anymore. Hope you are feeling better, tablets to make you better which make you feel worse,- just joking, know what you mean. Hope you managed to relax for the day, thats what I'm doing now. Keep smiling Penny and take care all.

[Penny]

Morning Dita and all, hugs and kisses sent early, use to cool off. So warm, not grumbling but a shock. Trying to have an easy day, just prepared lunch, Pork. Take care and enjoy the weekend cheers Penny

[dita]

Hi Penny and all. late today, me too trying to take it easy, old age has hit home the last few days not sure if its a virus or maybe I'm just under the weather, guess it will sort out in the wash hugs helped while doggie walking in the sun, decided to cook light meal for tea. Keep your chin up and take care all.

[Andere Richtingen]

Hi, all - we're home! Actually, we've been home since Friday evening but I've been busy with laundry, ordering groceries, collecting the puss, dealing with stuff in the post that piled in while we were away. Here I am now, although no sun tan. I don't have that sort of skin but I do have a few freckles starting to show on my arms.

The day we set off was absolutely terrible - strong winds and serious rains, horizontal rain mostly that meant you couldn't see the front of the car from inside it, never mind the car in front. It was probably one of the scariest journeys I've ever done but turning back wasn't really an option as it would have been just as bad going the other way. Lots of flooding and accidents meant lots of diversions and the last 20 miles into Manchester took around 2 and a half hours because all the alternative routes were snarled up. It was so c-o-o-o-ld, too! Hard to believe it was May.

However, despite a mostly cool and very showery weekend, we managed to have lots of fun with all our anorak friends. We left the cranky car on the hotel car park and were ferried around in a beautiful vintage double decker bus for a couple of days - lovely! We had some delicious meals and the hotel was great so a good time was had by all.

On Monday, we left for Chesterfield. The car was still guzzling water and I had to put about 5 litres in before we even set off but we couldn't see any sign of where it was leaking away from so OH said, oh, let's just carry on as planned, with a big water carrier in the boot! We both like Chesterfield, it's a delightful town with a large and quirky market and the weather was improving rapidly so we were happy to be there again. We spent the next couple of days visiting preserved railways (chuff!) and indulging OH's fantasy that he's a contestant in the Coupe des Alpes, up and down the stiff gradients and round the hairpin bends of the back roads of the Peak District. Unfortunately, the car was none too happy with this treatment and, coming back from Rowsley (adding several litres of water before setting off) we stopped for petrol at a Morrison's. After 20 miles of such treatment, it was running very hot and OH suggested I get out and look under the bonnet while he revved the engine to see if I could see water leaking out anywhere while it was under stress.

Yeah; right. I peered at a manky-looking bit of hose, he put his foot down and the bliddy thing had just had ENOUGH! It erupted. Water gushed everywhere, narrowly missing my face and my feet and causing the chap at the next pump to look around and say, "Excuse me, but is there something wrong with your car?" as water and antifreeze eddied round his trainers! At this point, we called the breakdown service! The poor ol' car was taken away on a transporter and we had no idea when we were going to get it back so we cancelled our planned onward journey to Henley and (phew!) the hotel had one room left so we could extend our stay for another night.

We were only car-less for 24 hours and, after doing a test-thrash up and down a few more hills, OH pronounced himself happy to set off home on Friday. The great pity of that was that Friday was the nicest, sunniest day we'd had and we spent most of it on the road. Still, Lucy K was pleased to be let out of jail early so some good came of our woes.

Unfortunately, I came back to the news that, while we were away, my best friend's husband died. He'd been in a very fragile state for years but it was still a shock. He was a lovely man, humorous and kind, and not even quite 70 yet. They live in Cyprus and, fortunately, have been there long enough to have made some really good friends in their tiny village otherwise poor Carol would be very much alone. But, anyway, Penny - I'm glad to read your OH got an all-clear. That must be such a relief. And Dita, how's your friend who's having the by-pass getting on? I hope your virus soon goes away, too.

I'm off to cook some salmon now. After the over-indulgences of the past week, I'm putting us on a Sensible Diet for a while!

[Monsy]

Glad to see you back.

[Penny]

Morning Dita and all, hope you are feeling a little better Dita and able to take doggie out, My nights sleep was a little better but could not fancy a big meal, cioked for hubby and I had soup Andere, . dear me, what a holiday, still you enjoyed a lot of it. Sorry about car trouble, always something, what are you going to do, keep it and hope for the best. or get a new one. Hope puss was happy to be picked up, Is any one having Internet problems. I keep getting cut off and notes saying this site is not available. very odd. cheers Penny

[dita]

Hi Penny and welcome back Andere and all. Wow! Andere been an up and downer break for you, but all in all sounds as if it was an entertaining one which had some perks throughout. Hope you are ok Penny, hugs were around as we went on doggie walk in the sunshine today. Me still got the lurgy whatever no doubt it will go as quick as it came with a bit of luck, anyway just done an online shop that will save lugging it back and forth and its £1.00 for delivery cheaper than petrol. Keep your chin up Penny and take care Monsy, Andere and all.

[vannin]

Andere, what a shock about your friend's husband. I am so sorry to hear you returned to such bad news after having a very mixed few days away. Very glad you were not stranded by a breakdown happening among the hairpins, and what a relief the car was returned to you within 24 hours.

Viv

[Penny]

Morning Dita and all. Hugs and kisses sent early today. Not sunny but very close. Hope your bad luck is over Andere, very sorry about your frriend. Seems to be the year for bad luck. Think I will hibernate till 2015. Do hope you are feeling better Dita, I had an uncomfortable night and felt yucky, will be glad when Friday is over. Have to dash to Costco,hope it is not packed. Take care all. Cheers Penny

[dita]

Hi Penny, and all. Andere did mean to mention yesterday about the sad news you had on your return, sorry to hear about your friend who passed while you were away. Cyprus has quite alot of ex Brits, I was once in touch with a guy who was an ex potter and had disabled hands, had good chats on a couple of forums, he and his wife loved living there. Penny you and I sound like a good pair just now, I still feel very much below par almost flu symptons, blocked ears head pains and congestion. Dont worry-(Hugs)- Friday will soon be here and gone, I can guess your anxiety and I'll be thinking of you + Dolly will be too. Keep smiling and take care all.

[Andere Richtingen]

Hi, everyone. Late today - this is the first chance I've had to lift the lid on the laptop since I got up this morning. Please, don't anyone ask what I've been so busy with because I haven't got a clue. It was just one of those days for chasing my tail and everything taking twice as long as I planned or thought it should. Maybe it's because I'm so tired; the humidity here the last few days has been horrendous and I can't sleep when it's like this. The forecasters keep changing their minds about if and when we're going to get a decent thunderstorm to clear the air so I've no great hopes for tonight.

Thank you all for your kind words of sympathy and support; they're much appreciated. Carol & Tony loved living in Cyprus. They used to holiday there as often as they could and eventually decided to settle there as there was nothing much to keep them in England. I don't think Carol will want to leave now as she's so firmly entrenched in village life where she is (and she hates the English climate!)

I'm sorry you've still got your bug, Dita - fingers crossed it goes away very soon. Hope Dolly the doggy is OK and enjoying sun-shiney walks? Weatherman on R4 today said you were in the nicest part of the country this afternoon! Lucy K is very upset this evening as it seems our neighbours have a New Cat! Their lovely old tortoiseshell died a while back - she was over 20,, I think. Earlier this evening, I heard LK growling and swearing and yowling and went outside to find her sitting on the outside of their windowsill, glaring in at a beautiful blue-grey puss, and carrying on like an old fishwife as my mother used to say! I must catch up with my neighbour soon and find out all about it and, hopefully, be properly introduced to the newcomer. I made Lucy come indoors and she's sulking now because I've spoiled her fun.

The good news is that the car seems to be fine now (touch wood). We've talked about replacing it because it's reached the age where there seem to be a constant list of minor maintenance jobs to be done but, unless it develops some major fault and turns into a money-pit, we'll probably hang on to it for the present because we both like it and because, if we really are going to move house, as we've also been discussing, then we'll need all our resources.

[Penny]

Morning Dita and all, Fingers crossed for you Dita,get better soon, felt yucky one getting up again. Hope hugs and kisses arrived o.k.just been starting the bread off. Pleased to hear good news about car Andere. Strange how one gets attached to a particular car. A new one never seems to fill the gap. Where were you thinking of moving to if that is not being too nosey. Hope everyone is enjoying the weather, take care. cheers Penny

[dita]

Hi Penny, Andere and all, its very humid today can tell there is a thunderstorm on the way, and not just from the clouds either!!! sometimes when someone sticks like glue to one continually, especially when feeling unwell its hard to take, being a carer is very taxing at times. My mum used to say 'one can't call mi soul mi own'. Poor L K got a rival can see the heckles going up from here Andere. I used to have a British Blue he was lovely but could be tetchy at times, he was a rescue cat. On our doggie walkies today found out that at the weekend a neighbour of ours whose little Jack Russell escaped when someone left the gate open, only seconds before its absence was discovered however the dog had run off down the lane onto the land where some lads who shouldn't have been there were riding around on motorcycles, one of them ran the dog down and killed it. So we did need those hugs today Penny, anyway keep that pecker up and take care all.

[Andere Richtingen]

......... Where were you thinking of moving to if that is not being too nosey........

No fixed ideas at present! It'll probably be within the Greater London boundaries because of the transport advantages. In a London borough, any resident with a freebie bus pass also has free travel on trains within London, the underground and trams. However, I'd like to get a tad further out to somewhere there's a little more green space so we're looking at the boroughs on the fringes. There's no rush so we're just throwing ideas round at the moment ....

Hi, all - it's suddenly gone blessedly cool and fresh here so maybe I'll get some sleep tonight!! There's not much happening here today. OH is having one of his sporadic attempts at throwing out some old paperwork but he will keep stopping to read it first so it's a slow process. Hope the dog-walking was OK today and you'll soon be feeling better, Dita. Hugs and purrs from here to help. The Greater Purring One has spent virtually all day asleep on OH's office chair. If reincarnation really happens, I wanna come back as a cat!

Take care all .

[Penny]

Morning Dita and all, hugs and kisses for cooling off again. Hope you are feeling a little better Dita, do take care. had a rough night again and legs ache so much. Hubby has the same problem with his legs, We begin to wonder if it is the Statins. Roll on Friday. Had quite a drop of rain during night, now lovey and sunny again. I would think quite a bit before moving Andere, The way things are going now prices might drop a little or stabilise. Me to, coming back as a pet cat. I hope. Off to Sainsbury and hope full meeting Son for lunch. He will be off for about two - three weeks down in Dorset. Take care all and have a lovely day. cheers Penny