General Chat

Not a lot anybody can add to that ,so ,i won't lol,Fred

Ya gotta love this!!! Hey Edith, whaddya think!! LOL



THE DIFFERENCE IF YOU MARRY A CANADIAN GIRL



The first man married a woman from North Carolina. He told her that

she was to do the dishes and house cleaning. It took a couple of days, but on the

third day, he came home to see a clean house and dishes washed and put away.



The second man married a woman from South Carolina. He gave his wife

orders that she was to do all the cleaning, dishes and the cooking. The first day he

didn't see any results, but the next day he saw it was better. By the third day, he saw

his house was clean, the dishes were done and there was a huge dinner on the table.



The third man married a girl from Canada. He ordered her to keep the

house cleaned, dishes washed, lawn mowed, laundry washed, and hot food on the

table for every meal. He said the first day he didn't see anything, the second day he didn't

see anything but by the third day, some of the swelling had gone down and he could

see a little out of his left eye, and his arm was healed enough that he could fix himself

a sandwich and load the dishwasher. He still has some difficulty when he pees.


Roflmao

Good morning peoples from a mild north east of england ,where old fred is adding a little missive while i wait for the engineer to come and fix my broadband.
At least ,using my little Acer,it keeps doing the updates so by the time i pack it away in the case it should be fully up to date for the trip down south.
Thee second batch of corned beef is well away in Mary's chalet,so by the time we get back on Monday week ,it will be ready for the cooker.
Any time is okay for the aprons Les i promise to make good use of mine lol,i am one of these cooks that has been known to forget to use a paper towel whilst doing prep' and wiping my hands on the apron instead [smacks wrist ] he he.
Yes Edith ,i was watching river Cottage [cooking programme] last Christmas when i saw this bird compilation 9 birds in all ,starting with a spatchcock ,and working up slowly ,bird by bird through wood pigeon pheasant grouse chicken ,finishing off with a huge goose,it looked lovely and tempting but it is a job for a pro' cook ,to make sure the meat is cooked way down in the middle,can't take chances at my age ,a dicky tummy is the last thing i need at Christmas ,lol,i can't afford to take to my bed ,too much to see to.
The son has decided to buy a ready done one with just the three birds in ,so,i will get a taste of it anyway on New years day ,wahey ,apart from the other batch of beef ,all i have to do ,by popular demand ,is my county stuffing and help with the roast tatties ,my crisp fluffy ones being in great demand again [nice to be in demand for something he he.
The garden Parsnips ,and carrots are spot on this year ,and the tattie barrels look promising.
The New pad sounds delightful Joan ,and will hopefully be easier for the boss man to manage,i know too well the feeling ,having to give up three huge allotments after my heart atttack,it was a wrench after so many years of growing and showing my veggies at shows and eating fresh home grown all the time ,it was like being a dog who has lost his tail,and i moped for a long time.
When we moved to here though i came to a lovely laargish garden,and nicked a patch to grow my own stuff again [happy days] lol.
You have more to look forward to now as well ,plenty of greenery around you ,and animals .wild ,and domesticated,your boss will find his feet again in no time.
.I am off now to make a large batch of ,wild mushroom soup,which will doa meal tomorrow ,leaving some to take down to wiltshire on Wednesday.
See You later all,Fred

Morning, from a warmer Sioux. We are only -10 this a.m. To us that is almost summer temps. hee hee. Yes, Les when you called we were very cold and blowy. I think the lowest it got was -34. The next time round will be the end of January.
Have the cards all sent and the presents bought so just have the wrapping to do. Son and d.I.L. will do the holiday bird and I can just sit and watch. Neat hmmm. Fred in our local supermarket they have all the birds
set out for a "Terducken" the turkey-duck and chicken deal you have been talking about. The butcher has deboned them and they are ready to put together. If I had a bigger family I would try it !!!!!
It's great to read all the news and look forward to you all staying and
keeping the site busy. Time for breakfast so bye for now. Edith XXXXXX

Welcome to BC, Joan. As you know it is "the most beautiful place on earth" I have never noticed your little village on any trips thru the Okanagon....next time I will watch for you. I love the Okanagon. There is a great drive that takes you east of Vernon and brings you out to the Arrow Lakes. There is a little ferry that takes you to the other side and then a short drive north brings you to Nakusp home of the world's finest hot springs. A short drive east and south brings you to Nelson which really should be marketed as BC,s most cosmopolitan city. Great artists, foods from all over the world and a whole city of really friendly folks.

Hi Everyone...aprons are in snoozing mode I think until after xmas. I had an order from Fred and I am going to make Liz a special one just for her and then a kilt for his lordship!!!. Fred think Valentines day OK??

The cold weather has lifted a bit only about 2 below today and the snow has missed us for the moment...thank goodness. I know Edith is languishing at minus 30 or so....brrr!!!! Drink lots of egg nog!!!
More later.

Lesxx

Hi Everyone!
Not been on here for a VERY LONG time! Took me ages to catch up on all the posts. I lapsed my subscription nearly a year ago as Genes became so crappy and I had little time to waste. I only renewed it 2 days ago because I happened to be reading Genes and came across a tree that had me married to my ex-brother in law! I can’t believe the mis information that some people put on here – and on other sites too. Annoying when you have written proof and they refuse to make changes, others copy the mistakes and on adfinitum!
We sold our farm this year and moved to join Deb and Lesley in BC. Looking after the wood stoves and heaters was getting too much for the OH (he turned 80 this year) and he was not feeling well so suddenly decided one Sunday evening in May (just after his birthday) that we had to sell up. He always swore he wanted to die on the farm but finally came to the conclusion that is exactly what would happen (probably in the next year) if we did not make a move. I found a beautiful house in a small subdivision in a small rural village called Falkland on Highway 97 between Kamloops and Vernon. Our son and granddaughter teach in Vernon and only 20 minutes away. (Loved your take on Canadians Deb – so very true).
This is Cowboy Country still and so busy! OH still has his trees (millions of them all around us as we are just below the treeline of the mountains, cows at the bottom of the garden and terrific friendly people. We even have a resident bear that has not decided to hibernate yet. Left his calling card in our driveway a couple of weeks ago and we missed his antics a week last Sunday when we had the police cars and wildlife at 2:am chasing him from the next door neighbours front doorstep and the neighbour across the road’s front porch,
The house is just outside the village which in a valley between two mountains but within walking distance is a library, a Pub (very similar to an English pub - but with a hitch rail for horses and special parking for motor bikes). Friday night is Fish and Chip night and he can get his favourite tipple – Black and Tan! Best of both worlds! It boasts of the oldest Rodeos in the country too.
We moved in here in August and still have a few boxes to unpack. So many things to do I just don’t know where the time goes. What with joining the seniors group, learning Tai Chi, dropping in to the curling rink, the library, Saturday night dances, quilting club, learning our way around and the odd trip to Vernon I just don’t know where this year went.
I will need Fred’s advice on gardening next spring as gardening here is much like England and different to Alberta. Huge garden with raspberries, strawberries, blueberries etc; rose beds and flower beds all over the place – and I haven’t a clue what is in them – until next spring. We don’t have the rain like Deb and Les nor much snow and cold as in Calgary or where we lived before….and summer is just perfect!!
All the best
Joan

Hi peeps out there in the frozen places ,and others who arn't quite as cold.
Liz and i are staying in today ,so it's backs to the wall .and out with the wrapping paper[if the cat will let us ,lol
So ,its daddie claus ,mummy claus and Hissy claws at the wrapping in a family group.
I got to visit the vodaphone shop yesterday and they were very good,i got a free upgrade because the dongle i had was no longer in the shop,i got a far faster one and even got my new sim on the same number ,so all i had to do when i got home was get the Acer out ,plug the dongle in ,and wham .on line.
This time i insured against damage ,or [ahem ] loss for £3-50 a month.
I am also going to put the T Mobile onto the acer in case i ever go to a place like Blackpool where voodaphone isn't too clever ,so i can still get online at least.
Hope all you peeps in the frozen countries are doing okay,back later as there is work to be getting on with .
Take care all,Fred

Hey Teresa, saw your blizzard on the TV....wow that's about the third one isn't it. Very cold here for us about minus 10 today but oh! the lovely blue sky!!

Fred I haven't done any thing with my veggies...hmmm! maybe I should dig them up and put them out in the sunroom...pretty cold out there but not as much as outside.

I have a transcript of the members bill that is asking (successfully) for 2010 to be designated the year of the British Home Child here in Canada. If anyone wants a copy let me know and I will email it to you.

Off to sit by the woodstove....I am freezing today...grrr!
lesxx

Hi Everyone,

Mary, can you please, please send some of that heat this way? As I sit here it is minus 26 with a wind chill of minus 34!! Bone chilling is the only word to describe it today. We had a blizzard in this area on Friday. Calgary got hit hard. When Bob and I went in to the city yesterday we could not believe how much snow there was, we didn't get half of what the city did out here. There was some drifting snow here especially for us as our lot is in the corner up against open fields. I am sitting beside the fire right now, not that the house is cold, but a fire always makes everything seem more cozy.

I am in the process of getting the house ready for my mum's visit this friday. She lives with my sister and sis and her hubby are having both their office Christmas parties at their home (very big house) so we thought mum might be more comfy here. Hopefully we can persuade her to stay for a week or so and I can show her around town.

I started decorating the house today by unpacking all my little houses for the Victorian village that I set up. I have about thirty lighted houses with lots of accessories that will really add to the festive atmosphere. We still don't have a tree but will probably go out to the tree lot and get one on Wednesday.

Time to check on dinner- nothing fancy Fred, just ginger and pineapple meatballs with snow peas done in the slow cooker.

Stay warm all you Canucks, hope it cools off for you Mary!

Teresa

Hi everyone..We are going up to 35c today, and the west suburbs are going up to 40c...thank goodness for the air con..I remember when I was a young lass it was so hot we used to see the tar on the road melt,,and people would say ,,you can fry a egg on the road or the bonnet of my car.42c was common...lol.Thank goodness we don't have those temps at the moment..must be global cooling..lolo

Having a quiet Christmas and going to sons place where daughter from Canberra is coming up..Will be nice to see our Canberra grandies..The Canberra mob are getting a new puppy in jan to replace their lovely Newfoundland that died..This one is a Japanese Spits,,google it and see what a lovely dog it is..The puppies look like miniature polar bears..lol

Well off to do some food shopping so have a nice day all and stay warm..

Love Mary xxx

Hi Les i think you could do with a couple of bales of hay Lass,to cover you veggies with ,they survive in my garden okay ,even in the tubs which are at ground level ,but honestly think you could do with a good layer of straw over yours because your frosts are so severe compared to ours.
Pics requests for Rhian will be coming in thick and fast lol ,so ,extra batteries for the wand are in order ,bet she looks lovely in her fairy dress.
Any tartan will do ,as long as it's of a scottish sort ,no special tartan ,they are soooo expensive here never mind over there ,lol,my Baird kilt and tie cost me £200 in total ,and that was twenty years ago ,i shudder to think at what the rest would have come to ,shirt ,the covering over the shoulder ,dirk ,socks and shoes ,not a lot of change from £1000 i bet ,noooooo ,ordinary tartan will do fine thank you very much.
The cat will probably bring you much joy ,mine did very much this very morning ,bringing me a present of my most hated enemy of the garden,a wood pigeon ,left on the step for me to dispose of .
Hissy was there as i opened the door ,and got a loving pat ,and stroke for bringing it ,one less in the spring to ruin my seedlings , if it had been any fatter i would have kept it for my son who loves game birds,afraid they taste a little strong for me though .
Hope everyone is having a nice weekend getting the house decked out ,and doing the last minute shopping,not long to go now is there?
Our copy of Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince arrived this morning ,so we will have a treat after our dinner of steak liver and onions& dumplings ,complete with garden veggies by settling down for the afternoon and watching the film.only hope it;s as good as all the others which we have .
Catch you all later, Fred.

Say Fred, my carrots, beets and turnips are all still in the garden. I just go out and dig 'em up as I need them. Now we had severe frost last night down to about minus 5.....guess those veggies will be OK eh???

Will look for some tartan for you....any particular colour, and after xmas I will make an effort to download some pics of the recent ones. At the mo I am making a fairy dress for Rhian for xmas. We got her a wand that sparkles (batteries) and I am going to make her a butterfly crown for her head. Think she will prance all of xmas day!!!

Today is write the cards day...not my most favourite thing but I do lke to receive so best get at it. Norm and I just did the grocery shop for the month so we are all set. Am thinking of getting another cat. I miss my Ziggy so much and I think I would love a kitty. I would get a rescue cat and have actually seen a lovely ginger tom who is pulling at my heart strings.....we'll see.
Off to write.
Keep warm and well you lot.
Lesxx

Hiya Edith nice to see you always old friend,even if you are using swear words so near Christmas [HOUSEWORK ,URGGGGGG].Hey i.m sure Les could do me a special .one pinnie in tartan that i could wear at the baird gatherings ,at Christmas ,and for the Burns supper.
the original Lavender and taffita would be lovely for liz while she makes her pastries,lol.a nice addition to her little pile of presents.
That's two now .lol.and i still reckon it's a good idea.
Well ,we had our first power outage of the year this morning ,only lasting a few minutes ,but it did take out the sreet lamps ,so ,it was ,get on the phone and report it as soon as the council offices opened.
They must expect it now ,it happens every year at this time ,you would think that by now they would have decided to lay a new cable and have done with it.
Made a nice ,simple dinner for the bairn today,spaghetti and proper meatballs made out of the best steak mince ,and the spaghetti done in a proper tomato sauce .
Tea wise i have decided to try the veggie from the garden to see what it's like this year,toad in the hole ,with roast tatties and parsnip,and new potatoes ,mash ,cabbage ,and cauli. steamed ,the wife is going to make the gravy because she makes it better than me.
Time to go ,cor ,where has today gone ,catch you later all.Fred

Morning from a snow covered Sioux. Yes, Fred I think you would look
lovely in a lavender taffeta with matching satin ties.!!!!
Les your sales would soar and who knows the the fame you could attain??
Our winter is definately here to stay and it has finally sparked Christmas fever. Shopping in our "big city" has increased this past week. Our annual Seniors dinner is on Monday as well as the Craft fair this week-end. Busy days ahead but fun ones for sure.
Hi to Mary down there in the heat.Enjoy the holiday at your son's.
To all the rest of the folks here's hoping you are all well and getting ready for the holiday. Off to get some breakfast and then on to some house work. See you soon. Edith XXXXX

Tell you what Les ,we, the genes family can help get rid of a few pinnie's for you .
Wrap one up .let me know how much the postage is ,and i will pay for the pinnie's and carriage even taking a pic of myself wearing it in the kitchen,lol.so come on all you peeps Les needs to shift these pinnie's so she can get more material for the next batch.
You can even use my pic for the next fair Les ,good advertising for the products,and i get to use good coverage for my clothes in the kitchen he he.
Don't know about the cooking though .maybe it's because i enjoy doing it as much,nothing pleases me more as when something comes out of the oven ,wok ,or slow cooker that is nice,tender and tasty [back ot the net],Have to go early today ,daughter shopping at cramlington time ,
Catch you later ,Fred

Hey Everyone,
Well the fair this weekend was a bust!! It was Grey Cup on Sunday and even the "wine" train didn't bring us many customers. So now I have lots of pinnies left. Grrrrr!!
We went into Nanaimo yesterday to do a bit of shopping. It is only a city of 80 thou but seems like the "big smoke" to us. Edith you will understand that.. Have been helping a gal with her BHC research and have now come to a dead stop....nothing to be reconciled...too frustrating!! I am going to start updating my info on GR..... a long project altho it may bring me some more of those wonderful hot matches....well heat is heat right???
Have a chicken carcass simmering away so will be chicken soup tonight...yummy! Funny how its mostly Fred and I that chat about food....why is that Fred???
Take care.
Lesxx

Hi Lady Mary ,yep the name Bowral brings to mind a tulip festival in October for starters ,and looks to be a nice little town,enjoy your get together and meal,i shall be with you all in spirit you lucky lot.
The beef is already in the chalet ,and as that comes out to cook and put in the freezer ,the other piece will take it's place.
We are more or less on our own too this year ,so all the meats will be precooked early ,sliced and put into the freezer ,to take out as needed.
.we are off down the Metro Centre later this morning to finish the present shopping ,so i will try to get the boss to buy me a mc donalds chicken burger meal ,which will mean i only have to take out soup for this evenings meal,along with some sliced french stick ,and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese ,a meal fit for anyone,lol.
Off to get ready peeps ,catch you later,Fred.

Well Fred you can just get down on one knee,,(not the wonky one) and call me Lady Mary hee hee hee hee..I am sure that I haveny got Winny in my tree.. He might on the other side but I am very sceptical...Cant believe the errors he has..He is in America and has a big American side of the family but ?????????????..must go and see what else he has..hee hee...
I haven't started my cards yet..I have bought them so better get started..We are having Christmas at home this year..Well at sons place,,and Daughter from Canberra is coming up ..Daughter in Orange is staying home but will probably come down soon after,,
The Wattlers are having a Christmas lunch get together soon and I am going..I am driving 150 km there and 150km back for a lunch,,I call that keen..Will be nice to get out on the road again..It is down in Bowral Fred,,You should know where that is,,lol
Well better go and do some of the dreaded H,,,k so have a nice day /night..
Hope you are all well and keeping warm..

Love Mary xxx

Evening all ,nice to be here again with a computer that will go on line with either wi fi ,or via a dongle ,he he ,i won;t mind going away for a couple of days any more ,
See that our Mary has Winston Churchill as a distant cousin ,hah ,i suppose we now need to call her maam ,Mary now.lol..
Seriously, you never know who you have in your tree until you look do you.Mary is lucky ,in my case and with my luck i might find i was related to Jack The ripper ,lol ,or worse. he he
We were lucky Edith ,we got away with the snow again ,it missed us by a long sea mile ,so now ,so long as it holds off till i get back from helping the grandson sort out his new house ,i will be well pleased.
Hissy is keeping looking up at me and patting my leg ,hinting that it's her teatime ,so ,i think i had better go and feed her ,poor old Fred Two VERY demanding females to look after he he.
Catch you all later,Fred.

Hi all. Well it is here "snow" Over night we got about 1 inch,but more is coming. Nice that it waited until Dec.
Yes, Mary still feeding the foxes. Mom and twins plus another come nightly.We have several people in the complex saving bits and pieces for them.
Did indeed do a lot of shopping. Finished the Christmas list and then got all the basics for the season as well. Like Fred we stock up for winter as it's a long way to drive for other than we can buy in our town.!!!!
The shops were all geared up for the holiday and a few had some very good sales on. Managed to get a lovely black jacket for the holiday parties with some "bling" on the collar and cuffs.
Must get back to the cards as time is getting short for mailing to far away places.Stay well everyone. Edith XXXXXXXXXXXX