Hi Kathy,

Sorry about the Sunday night, felt a bit low due to leaving Dawn and putting Sheba in kennels I think, but thank you for your kind words.

We had a good drive here Monday, got here about 1:30, so we got unpacked and made our way to the local beach, really nice, the whole place is nice and clean and the staff are so helpful and welcoming, we got back and made our way to the kiddies entertainment, that was also really good, poor Henry (2) was asleep before the show finished, but must admit was a little beat myself.

Tuesday it was off to Scarborough, again very nice the weather is being so good to us, it's so nice and sunny, we got back to camp, and made our way to the pool, they have a lazy river that was also very good and the kids loved it. This big kid did as well.. Today we shot off to Briddlinton once againg really nice, we managed to ventured out in a pirate ship, back to sea for me, was so nice and the kids loved it too. We got back and into the pools again, now taking advantage of the time to send a post to you while the family get changed.

Kathy it would be so nice and a privilege to have a chat with you, I would happily give you my phone number and email, I hope the cancer chat line management would allow this. 

Please don't think I'm being cheeky, but about the racing, wouldn't it be better to record it, and then watch it at your leisure or are you worried about hearing the results before you watch it, because that can be deflating can't it.

Little kiddies are so honest arn't they, they say and repeat anything you say, got into trouble because of what I have said before, got a couple of corkers to tell you, just hope I can tell you in person.

Well Kathy the family are here so I must get to the bar and get the refreshments and a menu, looking forward to our next chat, 

Take great care of yourself

Paul x x

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Mark, Nicola, George and Henry enjoying our day out in Filey, the weather has been so kind to us

Just thought I would drop you this photo while they are getting changed after our swim in the pool/lazy river.

Take care Paul x x

Hi Paul,
Many thanks for the pic.  I can almost smell the sea salt.  I am so pleased the weather has been good for you.
Sitting out the back yesterday with a girlfriend who was invited and was staying for tea when we heard the gate squeak, neighbour from 3 houses down had dropped round also, lovely.  20 mins later next door neighbour plus Jack Russell dropped in.  Tell you what if there had been anymore drop ins I would have had to clear more chairs.
I had some mince cooking for tonight tea (shepherds pie) but besides checking on it now and then it was a lovely social occasion.
It sounds as though you are having a great time with the family.  Was that pic taken with young Georges camera?
Kidlets coming down this morning for 2sleepovers, think I am organised.  The big kids will come back on Sunday and stay for tea so will do a roast beef.  Son asked last night if he can invite another friend for tea so it's all good, always able to squeeze another one in.
Paul I will post this in case it disappears while I jump in the shower, hope to be back soon
Kathy x
 

Hi Paul,
Glad you are back home safe and sound and no doubt refreshed.
Tonight is night 2 of the kidlets being here and we had accomplished so much by lunchtime, 2 walks, ducks fed, worm, snail and chaffer grub collecting the latter by accident discovered in the veggie plot.  Luckily we are all early risers so getting woken at 6am is not a drama for me
Rainy periods but we got out in between showers.  We played some board games also which the kids enjoyed.  They will stay for tea tomorrow then head off.
I hope Sheba has settled in ok back at home.
Re the badminton, starting it on Monday.  Had another quote today and reckon that's the one I will take, he didn't try and baffle me with trade talk and I appreciated his honesty.  Will chat it over with son tomorrow.
If you would like to email Annabel at enquiries@greenbarncottages.co.uk and ask her to forward your email address on to me maybe we could correspond directly.   (She has mine) This is a business address Annabel can use and she has kindly done this for a few of us allowing direct emails.
Sorry I have not much news, just been basically having fun with the littilies.
Off to bed soon, they will have me up before daybreak requesting brekkie.
Take care
Kathy x
 

Hi Kathy 

Thank you for the email address to enable me to forward my email address to you. I have contacted Annabel so hopefully will be hearing from you in the near future.

The holiday with son Mark and family was most defiantly a nice break and think it was good for me, although throughout each day I did think of Dawn a lot, wishing she could enjoy it with me, but as you have taught me Dawn was there with me every minute of each day, and it did help, thank you so much for that. I also thought of Sheba but out loud to Mark saying hope she is Ok.

Kathy please tell me more about the about the worm, snail and grub collecting, do the little ones pick them up, what do you do with them, who do you feed with them. Sounds intriguing .

Have been watching bits of the London Marrathon this morning/afternoon, the stories the runners tell of why they are running, just have you in tears, there are thousands of amazing poeple out there, it just amazing some poeple set themselves some amazing goals, makes me feel quite pathetic ..

So glad your quote was as you liked it, sure your son will give you confidence in his thought about it, hope it all goes well for you and turns out exactly as you require , a quick question for you Kathy if I may, we bought and planted a small Apple, pear and cherry tree about five years ago, never had anything off them I have noticed a couple of blossom stems on a tree, haven't a clue which tree is which, we did feed them well with manure fruit feed and so on, but nothing, any ideas .

Got a pile of ironing, keeps shouting at me,, the ironing board keeps following me around, think they are trying to tell me something. Still it's been another beautiful day here, so have made the best of it by getting a lot done outside, lawns cut, weeds removed and of course playing with Sheba, but the poor girls keeps going indoors out of the sun, she gets onto the sofa and has a snore or two, bless.

Take great care of yourself Kathy

Paul x

Hi Paul,
 Great you have contacted Annabel, no doubt she will be in touch when she gets a mo.
Re the worms the littilies collect them and then dig holes in my pot plants or lawn to rebury them to "improve the soil" their words not mine and water them.  The chaffer bugs we get rid of and sluggy wuggy and snaily waily they put down somewhere and wonder where they have disappeared to when they check up on them.
Grandson brought a bug over today and asked what it was.  His dad's reply, it's a spider "drop it".  It was what we call a money or garden spider and considered harmless so was let go.  We try and practice the live and let live principle unless the bugs are eating the plants when I will chose to get rid of them.  
Quote no 1 was a basic job quote doing what has to be done but not looking at work required within the next few years if left unattended so financially was a good quote
No 2 was a bit of a rip off I feel seeing a female on her own looking for work
No 3 appears honest and actually explained a few things to me and pointed out signs a gutter and down pipe are rusting and will be cheaper replacing now when the rest of the work is being done if I intend staying here,  I have checked out his building license on line to endure it is valid.  As he says he would rather be fair in his quotes and get recommendations by word of mouth than over quote and miss out on the work.  I appreciate his candour.
With the littilies here have missed out on the news for the past few days, haven't even looked at the last 2 days papers -oops, so didn't realise the London marathon was on again.  To try and listen to the radio news was impossible so gave it up as a bad job.
After playing the same Queen cd for 3 times(so thrilled to have a working CD player again) have just put on Blondies greatest hits so bopping in my chair in the kitchen , yes I am quite mad.  Saw her perform in Adelaide about 5 years ago and she was as good as ever.
Regarding your fruit trees maybe Google pics of the blossoms , that might give you a clue as to what is what.  I know here new fruit trees you have to wait 5 years for blossoms that will produce fruit.  Maybe Google each tree and the pics of the leaves will show you what you have. Just a suggestion.or if you can send a pic through maybe I can try and check it out for you, or give you a laugh, do what the Aussies would do, watch it, water it and see what transpires.  The Aussies are so traditionally laid back.
My new lemon tree is showing new growth which is great but don't expect any fruit for some years, that's ok I can wait.  The mandarin tree down the back is so overladen with fruit it's not funny I really will need to give it a good pruning once the fruit has ripened otherwise it will be too tall for me to manage.
I cooked for 8 tonight a beef roast with roast veggies, Yorkshire pud, the works.  DIL was amazed son ate the lot as he doesn't eat as much as he should.  He probably didn't want to offend me or just enjoys the old fashioned meals he grew up with.  One bonus I worked out how to get Dice to take his fish oil capsules.... Cover in gravy!'
I asked grand daughter to help me so she brought out the required potatoes from pantry one by one then stood on a chair at kitchen sink with me while  I peeled the spuds and we sang Old Mcdonalds farm with her doing sound effects.  She is two and a half and a little charmer, just so affectionate.  Both grandkids are which is great.  Their parents are doing a great job of bringing them up.  Look forward to sharing pics when we can correspond.
We were feeding the ducks this morning and I could see son and DIL had arrived and making their way to duck pond, no doubt had heard our voices, the look on the littilies faces when they saw their parents faces was beautiful. I have so many things to be thankful for, I am very fortunate indeed.
We don't have a choice in the life fate deals us but we do have a choice in how we handle it.
Ironing !!!!
Good on you for doing it, I gave it up about 25 yrs ago as hubby was better at it than I.
I just buy non iron products now, off the clothes line and put away.
Off to pick up a bed stick for mother in law tomorrow and off to introduce myself to the social badminton group.  First priority will be dog walk though, he almost took me off my feet the other day when he went to bark at another dog behind a fence.  Such is life.
Well Paul will sign off for now,
All the best
Kathy x 

Hi Kathy,

I have just experienced another reply gone missing, I think it's me, I have just hit the number of postings on the bottom of the screen, and as the screen disappeared so did what I had written, so sorry chat line organisers I'm the wally not you.

Well what a couple of days they have been, I have achieved so much, back to work and all sorted there now, the car has a new drivers seat, so that's good, Sheba has been to the vets and is good apart from being a touch over weight, got to cut down on her feeding as I give had treats for her training, got and email back from dogs trust about Sheba, they will phone in the next day or so, outside is tidy and clean. So all is looking good, treated myself to a new dictionary, it would be embarrassing to let you know how  out of date the old one was, contacted my next client for Ssafa chat and also been to a Ssafa AGM, I learn so much every time I go to a meeting. 

Did get a shock off the vet though as he told me of a top right hand fang of Sheba has been broken, must pass this onto the dogs trust when thy a phone, it's embarrassing I did not notice it before the vet did, turns my stomach to wonder how it could have been broken and with what force.. I do know what trees are what now, why didn't I think of that, ok it's because I'm a man, I know, but thank you for your help in that one, please excuse my wally requests, as you may be asked for more help on so simple questions.

Like the idea of the worms, it's nice you think of life that way, wouldn't it be a nicer place to live if there where more like you, and those sluggy wuggies and snaily wailies are probably back where you first got them from, whoops sorry for being  a cheeky chappy

Wow cooking for eight, that was an achievement in itself, now I'm feeling hungry, just had a thought fish chips and mushy peas tonight.

Little children are wonderful aren't they, so true and honest, dosn't matter what they say because they say what they see and that is without malice, it's the month of May next, that means the grandchildren out in Adelaide are reaching significant ages, Cianan is 21, Charlotte is 18, and little Lily is 12, where does time go, don't like sending unequal amounts in cheques even though it's for special birthdays, so will make it up to them when I pop out to see them next year, hopefully.

Take great care of yourself Kathy, it's so nice chatting to you.

Paul x