Dear Carol,  I know the police are pretty useless for what they consider a minor incident but on the off chance he came back they already would have had a notificatiion of the earlieragressive  incident. They need to at least check/empty their email though.  Poor Chester being their all by himself, although cats manage quite well so long as you go in and feed and change their water and litter.  I guess it all depends on how long he'll be by himself.  Hopefully your brothers foot heals quickly.  It has been and still is cold.  So cold and frosty that with the frost overnight, my solar hot water panel has blown.  I was lucky my neighbour was in her backyard (which backs on to side of my house), and she could hear the water pouring out of it, so she came and told me, otherwise I would have been unaware of it.  So rang the plumber who told me how to shut the water off until he could get here tonight.  He did say it may have just been a valve but occasionally it will blow the panel.  He arrived at nearly 6pm, gets up on the roof, in the dark with a torch, and of course it's blown the panel.  The good part is we also have continuous hot water so he has sealed up the solar tank and connected the continuous, so I at least have hot water till he can get another panel, hoping it's still under warranty, but that's debatable.  The plumber had another 2 (same complaint) still to check tonight.  Apparently its quite common with this really cold weather and frosts. My nail appointment was postponed till tomorrow as Mandy had to take her MIL to Geelong for a Drs appointment, (her MIL has cancer.)  So have achieved absolutely nothing today and now busy tomorrow afternoon and then Rotary in the evening.  If I was bored, I guess this would break the boredom. 

Even with the swollen feet I much prefer summer.
Up early this morning, so early to bed tonight.  

Take care, and love to all.  Sue xx

Dear Sue, I do hope you haven't frozen to death, it's horrible here as well, I was going out to get my blood pressure tablets but getting wet or going one day without, the not getting wet won!  Norman has stayed home too, fancy June and we are staying home.  So I went to get boot checked and it opened first time, Toni looked at me like a stupid woman who had failed to understand my car.  So I drove to my brothers to see how he was, we just laugh when we're together and Karen was home so we had coffee.  Rebus and Morse go absolutely mad when they see me but it gets too much as they won't get down and because of thunder they kept barking.  Karen's tomatoes and cucumber are under water and she was upset, Terry just laughed and said you can buy tomatoes and cucumber in a shop and that she had spent more time, money and love on them than him!   My roses are sodden and just flowering, my beautiful black lace is bowed with the rain and the grass at the front is six inches tall as Norman has been away for two weeks, they've sent photos of Quebec and Debbie has a sun hat on, mine would be to keep the rain off.  I tried sending my email to the police again and back it came, I give up!!  So not much more to report due to our inclement weather.  Speak soon, love Carol x

Dear Carol,

Haven't frozen to death,although yesterday was terrible, just so cold and showers on and off all day,  today on the other hand, still cold but we had lovely sunshine.  I actually had to turn the heating off in the car when I went to get my nails done.  Stayed in this morning and caught up on all my dishes that I didn't get done from Sunday night and then yesterday.  By the time the plumber had been and I did tea, couldn't be bothered last night so woke up to a huge pile this morning, but got them all done

Then tonight we had the Changover dinner at Rotary, a really good night, lovely food and good company.  I was sitting on a table with the sister of the new president.  I knew her from aqua balance but she stopped going, was lovely catching up.  Tomorrow I'll watch Eli.

I know very well the look Tony would have given you, Neil used to give me the same look if I ever said there was anything wrong with the car.  It was good though that your boot opened when Tony tried, I was thinking you might have had to get the lock drilled out and a new one fitted.  That happened to me years ago... cost a small fortune, had to get a locksmith out.  I'd been away for a week and had a suitcase in the boot and needed things in it so on a Sunday afternoon had to get the locksmith.  He said only thing he could do was drill it out.  Then had to tie the boot down till the dealer could get a new lock.

It's supposed to be Summer in the UK, hope your weather improves before too long.  At least here it's Winter, so we expect cold miserable weather, just been worse than expected the last week.  I don't blame Karen being upset her tomatoes and cucumbers were under water, you in the time and hope at the end to get some produce,  Mine needs mowing in the back yard also but it's been too wet to mow.
Hopefully the rain won't damage the roses, they are beautiful when they flower.

Take care and love to all.  Sue xxx

Hi Sue, I didn't post yesterday as it was so horrible again that apart from the usual I didn't go far.  Margaret was back at dancersise but struggled as she is still not fully fit after the snoring holiday fiasco!  We had corned beef for tea which we haven't had for ages Norman fancied it but me not so much.  I like a corned beef hash with a fried egg in the middle but that's a winter meal.  Your rotary dinner sounds lovely we girls are going to see Yesterday the movie soon and have a meal out.  My cousin Denise has looked for a half way point to meet up so that's the week after next for a good catch up.  Mary is picking me up this morning to take some T sbirts back to M & S so we're going to have coffee and cake whilst out, I'm looking for a new necklace as I'm fed up with my old ones.  Norman has an appointment with Danny the practice nurse this morning so he can check out his inhaler, he has looked a lot better this week thank goodness, I said that I thought he was going to die on me last week, he gave me a hug and said I couldn't be so lucky!  I know he was joking but I think he knows that it's getting harder as the months go by to live a normal life.  So still in PJs and off to get ready to go out, have a lovely day with your gorgeous little grandson.  Love Carol x 

Dear Carol,  Don't feel you have to post everyday, It's lovely to hear from you but there is a lot of things more important.  Any sort of cold/flu virus seems to take a while to get over.  there has been some nasty ones here that take ages before you are fully over it, can't imagine it's any different there.  I love corned beef, just haven't cooked one for quite a while.  I've never tried corned beef hash.  I'm toying with the idea of seeing "Yesterday" on Sunday evening.  The clip looked really good when I was last the movies.
It will be lovely to have a catch up  with your cousin Denise.  Enjoy your morning out with Mary, I'm sure it will end up as a shopping day not just returning. So happy to hear Norman  looks much better this week, like you I was wondering if his cancer had worsened. Praying it is still stable when you have your next visit with the consultant.  
It was yesterday I had Eli. Not a day goes by, that I have him that he doesn't have me in stitches.  Yesterday when Nick arrived home, Eli had seen him walk by the loungeroom window on his way to the front door, he hurried to the door, I was thinking to greet his Dad, but no, it was to stop him coming in.  He kept pushing the door closed.  Ended up I had to pick him up so poor Nick could even get in.  It was so funny, then when I went to leave Eli is grabbing my bag to stop me.  Then later this evening I'm going over there to stay the night as Deana is off to the flower market again in the morning.

Take care and enjoy your day with Mary.

Lots of love.  Sue xx

It's 29 degrees here today so we've gone from floods and cold weather to sweat pouring down my face, oh for the old fashioned summers and winters when seasons were defined.  Mary and I enjoyed our shop and I bought a summer frock for my trip to London, you wait it will probably snow.  On the way back she wanted some plants and we Missed the turning so we went to another one instead, it was so hot that I tried to get us some drinks but the shop didn't have any, the woman serving looked at me and said, it's Carol Searle isn't it, well not for fifty years I replied, I know she says I was your bridesmaid, it's Olwyn!  You could have knocked me down with a feather, I've obviously worn well as she looked nothing like my bridesmaid who was tall, slim and had red hair, this lady was grey, stooped and nothing like her, but her husband died suddenly of a heart attack and she was left to run the nurseries, she'd even named her daughter Faye, how weird is that?  Yesterday I got my nails done, all of them, hubby chauffeured me and then we went for a drink and some food, he looks better and seems.upbeat.  The surgery have him on steroids and said we need to speak to the oncologist on Friday as it maybe the cancer growing again or damage from the radiotherapy, but we've discussed it and said what will be will be.  You can only fight so much, too much energy is required and he hasn't got that in reserve.  So Ella went to Southend, cried when Mum left her, Mum cried when she got home and rang me to tell me, don't worry she'll be fine, you worry too much, but she's only six she wails.  Today I call her, everything OK I ask, yes Ella got home off the bus told Mummy to get out of the way as she only wanted to see Alfie as she'd missed him!  So did she go away this morning without crying, no Faye says but I told her to shut up and enjoy her day with the trip out, see I say, you worry too much!!  I'm off to have a G & T with loads of ice, I need cooling down.  Sue hope all is well and it's not too cold, very funny about Eli, very much like Faye and Ella.  Love Carol x 

Another lovely day but a breeze is good.  We have no plans but go for a ride to Pity Me a village in Durham which used to be a pit village, hubby says what a funny name, I say it was probably when it was a pit village and everyone said "pity me living here"!  Despite putting the sat nav on he misses the turning and tells the sat nav woman to shut up as she directs us back round the roundabout, I'm in fit's of laughter now as he just doesn't look where he's going.  We park in the garden centre. There's a massive sign saying Tea Barn so we hobble down to it, he's struggling, shaking and the sweat is pouring off him, inside it's a greenhouse, so I leave him pop to the front and realised that the three adjoining green houses say Pity Me _ Garden Centre _ and Tea Barn.  Poor hubby is exhausted now and the flipping tea rooms are right in front of the parking, he's had it by now so back in the car he gets upset saying he's a waste of space and I should have gone by myself.  I hold his hand and tell him it doesn't matter, we've had a ride out that's what counts.  So we've come home had sandwiches and a drink and he's feeling better.  Cancer has a lot to answer for.  Love Carol x

Dear Carol,

29 degrees is lovely, if only it were that here.  The weather certainly has changed from when we were kids.  Sounds like your day out with Mary was good, I hope you get to wear your new frock when you go to London.  Fancy meeting your Bridesmaid like that.  Will you stay in touch, you must have been good friends at some stage to have her as your bridesmaid.  What a coincidence that you both named your daughters Faye.  The steroids should help Norman.  Really hoping Norman;s cancer is still stable and not growing,  Stay positive, your attitude plays a big part in your overall health.  Faye and Ella are very much like Eli.

I ended up having Eli yesterday as Deana was doing stocktake in her store.  Got to 4.00pm and she hadn't done as much as she thought she would have, so rang Nick to see if he'd come and help.  So I had Eli from about 4.15 till nearly 9.30 when she finished.  Lots of snuggles, especially after tea as he was so tired, but ever so good.
Today was a fairly lazy day, didn't do much of anything except my knitting.

Enjoy your G & T, stay cool and have a great Sunday.

Take care, lots of love.  Sue xx

We've got through another day and after a good sleep he's looking much better.  It's a quiet day as Sarah comes and we breeze thr the housework chatting as we do it, it's amazing how working together time flies.  She's just been diagnosed with a hole in her heart so is a little distressed, she's been trying to lose weight but has struggled so of course she definitely needs to do so now.  She was telling me that they had driven up the duel carriageway from Ellie's Grandads and she'd seen a man laid out in the middle of the roundabout not moving, she'd dialled the 101 service and they sent a rapid response unit, shut half the road off and crossed the busy highway thinking he'd been hit by a car or a wagon but he'd been drunk and tired, walked to the roundabout climbed the barrier and fallen asleep!  What a waste of time and resources, I couldn't even get my e mail to go through and we were being harassed by a road rage idiot!  Sue you are so lucky having all these cuddles I miss mine but they are all growing up so fast so make the most of them.  It's only three weeks til we see them as they are heading this way on holiday.  My spare Norman is back tomorrow at least I've saved his hanging baskets from this heat, the lawn is a wilderness after three weeks of no mowing. Welcome back to my friends and handyman.  Love Carol x