Hi Dita and all

[Penny]

Morning Dita and all, OH out for lunch with a couple of mates. Taking it easy or so I thought. Daughter arrived to say she had been in a hit and run on her new car. As it was in the dark, no one could see the number plates of the other, which had no lights. Police have done a search but so far no good. So it looks like we will have to cover the costs again. Makes me sick, daughter has an advanced driver certificate which helps with the police but makes no difference to the other chap. he will still get off Scott free even if they trace him. Seems it was a young one about 25 ish. looked foreign. Police said even if they catch him he was probably uninsured. Thought I was in for a quiet day today, somebody up there hates me. Hope everyone else is o.k. and enjoying the sunshine. Take care all. cheers Penny

[vannin]

Penny, this is bad news indeed, about your daughter (and her car) being the victim of this scoundrel.

But, let me speak plainly. Why should you feel you will 'have to' cover the costs again? You are a pensioner, so is your husband. Your daughter, who has indeed been unlucky, presumably has a good job and possibly a working partner or husband.

I was making this mistake, up till this year, and funding my daughter and s-I-l, right, left and centre. But I am a widow, surviving on state pension and whatever they call the widows' benefit these days - no occupational pension as I was a temp and/or casual for my last fifteen years before retirement. Annuity of £100 per month!!! I was so ready to always fork out large amounts from my life savings, that they came to expect it as their right. They tried to manipulate an Equity Release in my name on my property............for their use.

Fortunately I took stock and thought 'sod it, not any more'. They can wait till after my death. Took legal advice and the solicitor said their behaviour was outrageous.

I am not saying, for one minute, that your daughter has ideas such as this. But it is not her right to expect financial support from parents who are no longer young. The fact that I saw the light and that they are fully aware of this, made the past year sticky but we seem to understand each other now. The fact they are the parents of my only grandchild, means we stay in touch, and I will see to it that he never wants for anything.

Stay firm and don't just go shelling out handouts. You may need it. Your daughter is a grownup now.

Viv

[Penny]

Thanks for reply vannin, you are of course right. I was sounding off because just as daughter is getting on well something like this happens, we have had an agreement for a long time, we provide and she has an arrangement of so much per month to pay off her debts. She has always kept up to date, it's is just this sort of thing that throws a spanner in the works. Like you, I have no pension. Never mind, have to put up with the bad as well as the good. Hope you are keeping well too. Take care, cheers Penny

[dita]

Hi Penny, Vannin and all. Oh! blimey Penny I am sorry to hear your news today, it never rains but pours when you least expect it, would be great if they had caught him but the crafty way these accidents happen there is no chance. I feel so sorry for your daughter its a blessing she wasn't injured but she would feel the shock never the less, it is something you never think is going to happen till it does, very frightening. Nice sunny day here I've been attacking a few weeds and some 6ft high dying wild poppies which have established themselves in our garden the last few years, colours are pink and lavender and some have beautiful double centres, where they came from we have no idea and apart from odd ones around the village seem only to appear at our house. Penny big hugs to yourself and your daughter, keep smiling and take care Vannin and all.

[Andere Richtingen]

.... Police said even if they catch him he was probably uninsured....

This makes me so angry and it happens so much now - but is it any wonder when the fine for driving without insurance is often only half the cost of insurance? And insurance is so expensive because so many people are making fake claims for un-provable things like whiplash. Personally, I'd like to see anyone caught driving without insurance branded across the forehead with some readily identifiable sign so we'd all know!! (Fascist? Me? No, just fed up with being battened-upon by low-life). Anyhow, Penny, I'm relieved your daughter's OK even if her car suffered. It's only machinery, after all. Oh, and I agree with everything Viv said but, so long as you and your daughter have an arrangement that's fair to everyone and works for you, then it's up to you.

OH just got a text from the GP surgery to say his chest x-ray was clear so now he's waiting to hear when the cardiology appointment will be. As we're supposed to be going on hols at the end of next week, it'd be nice if it could be done before we go but, with the NHS, I doubt that it will. He's barely moved from his computer chair today but has now started sorting through some old paperwork - mostly because he's lost some correspondence he needs to claim on a couple of small pensions he'd forgotten about. The only reason he EVER sorts out anything is when he's lost or mislaid something.

The sun has just come out for the first time today but it's still not very warm, not like midsummer at all. Hope little Dolly managed to get a decent dog-walk, anyway. Hugs and purrs to all.

[Penny]

Thanks Andere, so pleased at your OH result so far, all sound very good. I am sure you will have a wonderful time. Nice weather for our little friends, hope they are making the most of it. Expecting son this evening to fix up my printer. Told him not to bother but he is bringing new parts for his dads' computer (father's day present) so he said he will do mine as well, has no other spare time. Have a good evening and take care all. cheers Penny

[Penny]

Morning Dita and all, Hope hugs and kisses are helping today, not very bright altho' dry so far. Fewlt a bit shattered this morning, after all the turmoil of yesterday. Son came round just after 6 p.m. and was fixing OH computer and my printer until 11.45pm. I kept saying he should pack up and go home but like me, he has to finish a job first. Anyway, all hunky dory today. Daughters' car fixing been arranged so am keeping fingers crossed now for a peaceful end to the week. Off for weekly shop and hopefully lunch with son. Do hope everyone is well and not being bothered too much by the weather. Get plenty of rest folks, take care. cheers Penny

[Monsy]

I'm glad your daughter is OK Penny, but I agree with Viv. After all, what would she do if you weren't here?

Been there, done that!

[dita]

Hi Penny and all, mostly cloud here and we also had a couple of showers, enjoyable doggie walk today pity you couldn't have joined us Penny quite relaxing, hope today brings no nasty surprises like yesterday what a nightmare. Thank goodness all getting back to normal now, lovely son you got there to stay so late to finish the jobs started. Its OH's birthday today he has been busy opening cards and presents, I got him a watch at his own request he is a bit of a watch fanatic so he's happy. Paid Sainsbury's a visit and did a little shop, they seem to have dropped a few prices since they found out that sales have gone down, bit of a sale war going on at the moment all round now. Hope you enjoyed chat with your son Penny, keep smiling and take care Vannin, Monsy, Andere and all.

[Andere Richtingen]

Ho, hum: late today! Slightly late Happy Birthday wishes to Mr Dita; hope Penny enjoyed lunch with her son and that the computers are all working OK after all his labours. It was lovely here this morning and I almost wished I had a dog to walk(!) as LK was flopped on the duvet - again. However, it didn't last and quickly turned grey and windy and cold; it would be so nice to put the cardigans away and know they wouldn't be needed for a month or two but no chance....
We're going to Oxfordshire tomorrow, staying in Bicester overnight so we can go to an open day on Saturday at Steeple Aston where there's a man who has a narrow-gauge railway running around his garden. It's steam hauled, all built to look like one of those old Indian mountain railways. We went there once before and it's absolutely superb so couldn't pass up the chance to visit again. I'll try and get round to posting some photos afterward. Have a good weekend all and keep smiling.

[Penny]

Morning Dita and all, lovely and sunny here so hugs and kisses of early for walkies. Just put in a couple of loaves, our your gardener chappie is coming this evening so like to be prepared. Had nice lunch with son yesterday, he is so busy I ticked him off for not getting enough rest but most of the stuff he does is for the young so I can't grumble too much. He is out most evenings this week teaching young ones how to water ski. Have to go to the clinic for another blood test this a.m.so not very happy with myself at the moment. Fingers crossed, another week of waiting. Do hope you are o.k. Dita and your OH enjoyed his birthday. Also Andere's hubby. Miniature trains is one of the joys my OH used to enjoy. He finally go rid of the last a year ago. Just been summoned to get the elevenses. Catch you later. cheers Penny

Time is now 2.50 and I have just sat down. I am shattered. Came home from clinic and did lunch. Fed the greedy ones again, inc. OH. and started cutting up all the fruit for my grape and plum chutney. It is now simmering away for 1 and half hours so I am sitting. Hope all are well and having good weather. Take care. cheers Penny OH has just poked in and said he is going to post office. Moved himself at last. grrrrrr

[dita]

What a carry on we have had today Penny, around 8.30 this morning a BT Outreach van arrived a couple of doors away and a few minutes later opened up part of the telephone pole opposite and dragged out a big plastic bag full of wires, he groped around for a while then stuffed wires back in bag and stuffed em back into the pole. A few minutes later he got in his van and drove away. I decided to just check the phone and found it dead, also found out the house a couple of doors had reported a fault the day before, which has now been rectified and working again. It took us an hour to get any joy from BT, costing £5 while waiting for someone to talk to us on our mobile, they then sent a message to the mobile saying that they would hopefully get to rectify the fault by 26th June and if the fault on our property it would cost £148 +. Gave up for a while then tried another number waited 20min listening to music before managing to actually speak to someone, thankfully they asked for our mobile no and said they would be in touch which they did saying the line was ok, we insisted it wasn't and would they check again this time they agreed it was faulty. An hour ago the Outreach van came checked the line, went outside groped around in the pole like the other guy did and spent an hour checking this that and the other for ages before finally informing us he'd found the fault, that was 6pm. To top it up, Boots brought our medication 2 weeks early, missing half of it anyway. How was your day? certainly needed those hugs today Penny

[dita]

Do hope your blood test ok Penny, you have been busy again today.
Andere I do hope you have a lovely weekend.
OH had a quiet but nice BD, thanks for the wishes you both sent.
Take care xxxx

[Penny]

Poor Dita, what a day. OH has been having the same problem, no phone, no internet, no phone again. Just about sorted this evening, had a final call about 30 mins ago saying all should be o.k. Fingers crossed. I am shattered. Just potted the chutney.Hopibng for a quiet evening from now. Do take care and get plenty of rest. BP results in about 4 -5 days. cheers Penny

[dita]

Oh! Penny you had phone and internet problems too, seems the guy sorted out 2 doors away then disconnected us by mistake. We too have just had a call saying we should be ok, like you. Odd isn't it. That chutney sounds yummy Penny. We'd both better keep smiling take care.