Dear Carol,

They grow up so quickly, too quickly.  Have a wonderful lunch on Sunday.  You are so lucky that you both can still celebrate his 73rd birthday.  Happy Birthday to Norman for Monday.  50th anniversary coming up...that's wonderful.  It would have been Neil's and my 35th anniversary earlier this week, the 25th.  It's amazing how young we all looked when we look back on photos, remembering all our dreams and hopes.  We have beautiful sunny, hot weather again, actually a total fire ban tomorrow.  Got to 36 today although early this evening we had a few big drops of rain.  Eli thought it was great, I had him in the pram and we'd gone for a walk.  Deana rang to see if I could watch him for a while, a problem with the shop computer, and her and Nick were trying to get it sorted, but Eli was having a ball, getting into everything that he shouldn't be getting into, and they weren't getting anything done.  I said I'd come and get him, but then decided as it was nice still we'd go for a walk, (Eli in the pram).  It started raining, Eli loved the raindrops falling him, they were huge but luckily not a lot of them and it was still warm.  It must be hard for Keith with June being in the care home, he'd be grieving, both for her and the life they had together.  The birds surely do have your address in their directory of places to eat.  It's lovely though to have them in your garden.  Enjoy catching up with Maggie tomorrow,
I went to get my nails done this afternoon, but not long after I got there Mandy started feeling unwell, She went downhill quickly, (a migraine), so I said we could postpone till she was feeling better, so my nails look dreadful at present, at least I don't have any specific plans, so that's fine, and depending on when she already has appointments booked they possibly won't get finished now till Wed or Thurs.  Tomorrow will be a fairly lazy day, maybe do some cooking.
Bed time for me.  Take care, love Sue xx

Hi ya ...

You said I could ask for your help if needed ... there's a thread just come on with the heading " no one's listening.   I know it's for the nurses, but the lass is only just holding on, and feels she's alone and no one's helping her ... I'm really worried ... just hearing that everyone cares may just help her hold on ..

Thanks hun ... Chrissie xx

Of course I'll help Chrissie, if I can.  I will have a look now as I've been out for the evening. Xx

Hi ya and thanks ... don't even know if she'll come back ... but I just hope she took "gamechangers advice and call the Samaritans ... she just sounded so desperate ... and that's the frustrating bit on here is there's nothing else we can do .. 

Any ways hope you had a good evening ... I do look on every so often to see how your doing ...  though I was worried when I hadn't seen your old user name for a while .. but I asked Annie as I was worried .. so glad your still with us ... take care ... Chrissie xx

Oh Chris I'm so sorry that you were worried about me but you've found me again.  I didn't have a particular good night out as Maureen was a bit upset about her kitchen being unfinished, her husband died suddenly aged 43 years and she's struggling to come to terms with it, which is understandable.  Her sister is having the same problem with her husband as me and spent all night moaning, me I go out to enjoy myself so it was all a bit depressing.  Sue, sit on those ratty nails until next week!  Lucky you with warm weather it's back down to 6degrees again and wooly jumpers and so ks are back on the menu.  One of our so called friends rang and left a funereal message on the phone about someone dying, this is the second time he's done this, but never once has he rang to see how Norman is doing  so a little bit insensitive from my point of view, death is our daily trial which we push down deep and never talk about so we don't need reminding of it, hubby hasn't seen this guy for over twelve years now so not a close bereavement.  I went to Maggie's for coffee and she is notorious for making atrocious coffee so I got my cafetiere out plus ground coffee and proper milk and took it with me!  We had a laugh and she supplied the biscuits and said it was the most economical coffee morning ever.  Its a good job we know each other well.  So have a good weekend and speak soon.  Love Carol xx

My cousin from Liverpool contacted me last night via messenger, she hadn't told me before but her husband broke his leg immediately before Christmas.  He'd had a hip replacement which hadn't gone particularly well and then tripped over the rug in the front room, tried to grab the Christmas tree to break his fall but missed it falling down and putting the steel pin in his hip through the bone.  Denise had gone out for lunch with friends, came back two hours later to find him apreadeagled under the tree where he had been for two hours, talk about a comedy of errors and I thought it was just me, it obviously runs in the family!  So he's stuck downstairs for months as he can't use crutches and isn't allowed to put his foot down Denise tells me she now understands how I felt when hubby lost his leg.  So on a lighter note I found a 1950s retro skirt for 13 pounds on line and ordered it.  It has Marylin Monroe in a bathing costume on it and many other retro designs, Maureen pops over this morning with a pair of spotty trousers with a frill on the bottom but I honestly don't think they'll fit me, she's 5ft 7in and I'm barely 5ft 4in nowadays, it's all that running around that has made me shorter.  I'm missing Mary as we don't talk when she's away, although I see others it's different when she's not here.  I don't think hubby is too well today he has gone very quiet on me which means he's worried about something.  I told him this morning about the decaf teabags, he said Sue and I were devious women, as if.  So we're looking forward to Sunday lunch tomorrow then tea and cake at Sue's.  Only one birthday card has arrived so I hope they turn up on Monday.  Carol xx

Dear Carol,
Sorry your night out wasn't as enjoyable a it should have been.  Like you when I went out, it was to forget all my worries with Neil for a while.  I like the warm/hot weather, we haven't had a day under 30 in the last week and will be the same for the next couple of days, but with the heat comes the risk of bushfires.  A very close girlfriend has been exacuated because of a bushfire.  She and her husband are both fine, but keeping my fingers crossed their house is fine, once the fire is under control.  They live about 4 1/2 hours from me on the other side of Melbourne.  I'm in Western Victoria, they are in Eastern Victoria. 
No birthday dinner for Deana, they've gone to Melbourne, and will spend the night at Nick's sisters.  I did catch up with her on Thursday to give her birthday present.  Love your morning tea with Maggie..best way to do it.. you get good coffee, biscuits and good company.  Curious as to what Maggie uses as you took proper milk with you.
Another lazy day, did go to the supermarket at 9.00 this evening, once the sun had gone down.  And just now have finished prepping a casserole which will cook overnight.  We have a car show and market here this weekend, but I don't think I'll venture out, I'd get so sunburnt.
Hope Norman is feeling a lot better now.
Have a great weekend.  Love Sue xx

Der Carol,
That's what I get for leaving mid-message and prepping the casserole.  That would have been awful for him, falling like that especially when his wife wasn't home.  Do you have somewhere in particular to wear your retro skirt.  We do miss dear friends when we aren't in contact with them, and other just aren't quite the same.  Hope Norman isn't coming down with something, could he just be worried thinking you are going to give him de-caf teabags.  Probably nothing to do with why he's quiet.  Neil would have worried about it though, he didn't like change.  Have a lovely lunch out tomorrow, then tea and cake later.  I'm sure more cards will arrive on Monday.
Take care, love Sue xx

Dear Sue, I've bought the skirt for my 50s rock and roll afternoon tea, I thought that I would go a little bit more dressed for a posh tea than look like I'm biking somewhere.  I can buy some cheap plastic beads from a charity shop, it's part of the fun getting ready for these get together.  Norman was quiet all day so I left him alone, he's getting ready to go out but doesn't look well, I don't sleep well when he looks poorly as I start worrying about things.  We see the McMillan nurses on the 22nd so they may get a chest XRay done.  It seems funny that you may get sunburnt when I may get frostbite!  You are so good cooking all these lovely dishes for yourself, I'm terribly lazy about food if its only me and live on pasta and fish,, so I admire your fortitude.  My cousin's husband has not been well since she married him, we all thought he was just lazy and my Uncle made a horrible Father of the Bride speech saying he wasn't who he wanted his daughter to be married to, you could have cut the atmosphere with a knife and my two girls were bridesmaids!  Denise had gone to Uni and joined the Police and was a rising star, John worked on reception at the Council offices.  He basically became a househusband and gave up work as Denise then got another job and earned a fortune.  Most of my friends use skimmed milk to stay slim, its not working though so I don't see the point in having poor one density to lose weight!  I'm off for a shower now.  Take care, love Carol x