Hi Ladies,

Your drive out last Sunday sounded wonderful.  Poor Lisa with her broken bone.  Hope it heals quickly.  I did something similar when my girls were only small.  It was really painful for a week or two, I do remember wearing shoes was almost impossible.  Have they finally fixed the problem tooth at the dentist or is it likely to flare up again?  It's funny when someone else takes a class.  We are used to doing things one way and then someone else comes in and they do it completely differnt.  Doesn't mean it's wrong, it's just different to your normal.  You've done what we are still doing... having a massive cleanout.  We are getting there slowly.  Linen press is next so we can fit in Deana's towels and bed linen.  We have a huge bag of things ready for charity.  

I'm like you, I wouldn't have ordered cake and eaten it in front of someone not having any.. it's just not fair to do when they are dieting.  The coffee and day out would have been nice though, even without the cake.  Have you tried to make an egg free cake, there are some lovely recipes around for them.  

What a day you've had.  I would have been spitting chips if I'd been covered in custard from a split container.  Then the wine to top it off.  The afternoon sounds better, sitting reading the paper with a wine.  I'm sure you will get tea without setting the house on fire or anything else.

We've had a lovely day today.  I did some ironing.  Nick did the lawns in the back yard and cleaned up all the lose grass.  Deana tidied up and prepared tea as Jan and Harry (Nick's Mum and her partner)  were coming for tea as it was her birthday yesterday.  Had a lovely Greek style chicken with a roasted tomato salad, with lemon delicious for desert.  It was lovely and Eli amused all through dinner.  Then a girlfriend of mine called in for a visit.  It was just a lovely day.  Tomorrow I have the market.  !st birthday for the market and our biggest one yet.  The weather is supposed to be lovely too, a warm 22 before showers late in the afternoon.  It should be a good day.
I took Cookie to the vet on Thursday, she had her shots and claws trimmed but also had her checked as she has a couple of bald patches.  They've put it down to stress, which wasn't a surprise, she runs everytime Eli'is around, he is an active 20 month old and quite noisy.  Cookie likes peace and quiet.  I hope in time she is more comfortable around him.  He love the cats and is really quite gentle with them.  I have to laugh at Mr Higgins with Deana and Nick's two cats.  Jasper tries to play with him and he just hisses at Jasper.  He still does his usual though, nothing much fazes him.
My house is slowly starting to look like it did prior to them moving in.

Hope you have a better day tomorrow.

Take care and love to all.  Sue xx

Hi Sue. Sorry to leave it so late but I've been to Church at Heighington where I used to live.  I was on the PCC fifteen years ago as I was a regular attender, sang in choir, taught Sunday school, got married there and all mine  and grandchildren were Christened there.  So we discussed many moons ago to put toilet facilities and a new kitchen in to encourage more attenders, however all the old timers refused, I resigned over it and it's taken fifteen years to do. So tonight was a celebration for the new facilities, it was such a beautiful uplifting service, lots of my friends there, wine, coffee and snacks, but Norman and I went for a drink first, he went home and has just picked me up.  It seems like you're all getting it sorted, lots of fun with the animals and Eli, a new start to your life and a very good one by the sounds of it!  We had a drive out in his new car, still no information showing so a visit to the VW garage tomorrow.  So I'm off to have something to eat, a glass of wine, talking of which Lisa laughed her head off when I relayed the wine saga, had to say today I saw the funny side of it.  See you soon.  Xx

I'm still trying to source an egg free cake!  Today in Newton Aycliffe after picking my enlarged wedding photos up which look brilliant, I popped into a bakers, she's a independent Baker so she said she'd do it.  Great, so an 8inch cake, fondant icing and message. Simple she says, how much I enquire as most of the usual stores charge about £35 for a ten inch, £68 she says without batting an eyelid, you could have knocked me down with a feather.  Needless to say she's off my list.  Hubby has been out in the fresh air whilst he can, his car has to go back tomorrow for its info system to be sorted out, think I'll be his taxi service for now.  Its a glorious day but getting so chilly, but if its dry I don't mind.  Faye said her skin is getting worse after using my gift of natural skin care, but she'll persevere, she's finally got on her teacher training course, it's hilarious really as she's never really been child friendly, even with her own two!!  I'm feeling a little tired at the moment, maybe I need a quiet week, I live in hope, I missed zumba today as I can stand and punch the air in my own kitchen, and twist around doing stupid Indian hand movements, come back Kimberly.  See you all soon.  Love Carol x 

Hi everybody, a busy few days here, we've just got his car back so I've been taxi driver, because its got built in reverse bleeping, which drives me bonkers, as those of you who know me know I have trimalgic nerve damage in my ear so high pitched noises make me very stressed, so I set too to cut down the hedge that my spare Norman wants to remove but my stubborn Norman won't let him.  So after two hours of chopping and pruning, sweeping up and sweating in what was a very beautiful day its done.  Linda next door shouted through our fence that she had a new gardener who was doing a very good job at a cheap price, send him round I yell back.  So a quote of £120 to cut all my prickly hedge, that if you look at it stabs you, all my trees and take it all away they came and did it, there and then.  The young man, James organised everyone but did nothing himself  so I chatted to him and he's just had an operation on his eye, when he was two he stabbed himself in the eye with a pencil, blinding it, at the age of 19 years its now being removed to put a false one in.  His Grandad has liver cancer and is having chemotherapy so he was understanding of our situation.  He put a packet of unopened cigarettes on the garden table, I need to stop he tells me, yes you do I say, then I tell him hubby has smoking related lung cancer because he wouldn't stop, he left the pack alone.  If I can stop one young person from smoking I will have achieved something.  I have to clean my windows today as I sacked the old guy who treated me like the little woman of the house, hubby said he obviously didn't know me very well!  Hope you are all doing OK.  Love Carol x 

 Hi everyone. Hope you are all enjoying this lovely spell ofindian summer. My sister has had another stent fitted and thank goodness is now home. I have just come home from a few wonderful sunny days in Llandudno with my daughter Cathy. We had lovely room, more like a bed sitting room. It was huge and an enormous bathroom with double basins and walk in shower. We had really lovely dressing gowns and slippers provided and Elemis shower and Beauty products. Best of all we had a balcony with table and chairs overlooking the prom with marvellous views over ocean. Quite spoilt for a few days. Coming home though on the train we were diverted several times and had to change trains as there was a fatality on the line. Someone had jumped under a train. They must be so so low to do that. Very sad and dreadful for the train driver too. Terrible experience. We have booked to go back to Llandudno in May. You get a better rate if you block early. I’m a bit worried yet again I have another lump on my stomach. Not had anything since March. Think I’ve been lulled into a false sense of security. I last saw my oncologist early June and my next appointment is next Tuesday thank goodness. He thinks these lumps/sores will always appear on the surface and then heal and that the cancer will not go inwards. He did say if more arrived it would be more radiotherapy. I know I could not stand anymore Chemo. Hope everyone is ticking along ok . Lots of love to you all. Gloria xxx

Dear Gloria, so nice to hear from you again.  What a wonderful time you've had, it sounds positively glorious, its so far from here that we've only been that far once, Faye was fifteen months and it took twelve hours by train!  This committing suicide by train is becoming a common occurrence, Lisa has spent many a long hour worrying about getting home for Harry, its a selfish and unpleasant thing for everyone involved, there are so many easier ways without involving strangers.  I'm sorry you've got another lump but it seems like they're keeping abreast of it.  Norman is seeing his oncologist on Monday but apart from a constant wheeze he's doing well.  He's just got home from playing a few holes of golf in this glorious Indian summer we're having.  Another scam call this morning saying my mastercard was being used fraudulently, I'd just made toast and coffee, so that all went cold whilst I rang my bank.  The new paper boy ripped my paper to pieces again so I complained, they said they would sack him!  I felt awful but they brought me a new paper and took the ripped one as he said his parents would probably be round to see why he'd been sacked.  Then I threw my second cup of coffee all over my clean washing and down the cupboards and my carpet, I hate mornings like that so I went retail shopping to calm down.  I came back with two new pairs of loafers in suede, one pink, one navy for the grand sum of £30. TK Maxx long may you reign.  Sue I hope you're all settling in to your new living arrangements, I expect Eli is thrilled to see you every day, what joy for you both.  Lisa and I finally found an egg free cake which we can collect from. Middlesbrough and doesn't cost a fortune, hurrah.  I'm being taken out for lunch tomorrow, I wonder what gin I'll choose! Love to you all.  Carol x 

Hi Dor hope you don't mind me coming on your string, been struggling a bit this week I've uncurable cancer since 2016 I've been OK with it, but my wife is ill in hospital and it's really getting to me, we've been hitched 46 years always been everywhere together apart from toilet and work, i didn't think it would hit me like this though I've been going to see her about 8.30 and leaving about 8.00 but she's still in bad pain and nobody seems bothered they give me paracetamol it's us. Thanks for listening (hopefully) I just neaded a good rant ease the stress out a bit,, best wishes to all.. Billy 

Hi Billy love, of course I don't mind, where here to help each other through and lift each other up so rant as much as you want.  I've had somme really bad days through this cancer struggle we can't be positive all the time.  So poor wife in hospital and this is when it gets hard on you as well, Norman was in for a month once, it was horrible.  

 I see your advice to others and its always solid support so take mine to you.  I know where you are coming from as we've been married fifty years next month, to say I'm grateful is an understatement, apart from a few holidays apart we've been the same so heartbroken to be in your situation and it does seem no one cares, had the treatment, got you to survive beyond predicted so that's it.  We feel exactly the same, paracetamol , how does that help when it hardly gets rid of a headache!  I know you're struggling, when I've been unwell hubby has lost the plot, he copes with the cancer but is terrified of losing me.  I'm out for lunch today, so get in touch tonight and I'll write back.  Love Carol x 

Hi Carol bit more relaxed now she's sleeping alot better pain still there but not quite so bad hope to see Dr in morning to ask about it see what he says bren should be home Mon night or Tues morning doesn't seem long to get everything fixed, thanks for listening. God bless.