this post is closed
Life outside Ambridge
Life outside Ambridge
Life outside Ambridge
Popular posts from this blog
Life in Ambridge
THIS POST IS CLOSED "longer off topic comments" - Episode 14 Life Outside Ambridge Have a seat and let's chat.
This is the biggest problem we have with computers in our house....
ReplyDeleteBrilliant Gary 🐈🐈🐈🐈
ReplyDeleteBuddy likes to walk or sit on the keyboard!
ReplyDeleteMust have watched this in delighted recognition about 10 times....says so much about cats, this blog, key trends. You surpass even your own high standards, Gary !
ReplyDeleteSimon's cat!! That's our Merry.. ❤️
ReplyDeleteLove it!! My pusscat sits on the printer - flashing lights, whirring sounds with some surprise prints!
ReplyDeletePS Pusscat now sitting in a cardboard box, which was about to go into the re-cycle bin! 😻
DeleteReally funny Gary. Back in the day I remember our adopted stray sitting on my dissertation papers and doing her best to stop me studying, grab my attention. Most put out she couldn’t get to my lap.
ReplyDeleteI just love Simon’s cat cartoons. Have watched them all several times. One of my cats insists on sitting on my knee and rubbing her nose all over the iPad. The other inserts herself into the jigsaw box so I can’t get to the pieces. When she eventually gets out she takes half the contents with her.
ReplyDeleteMy pusscat loves to sit on my jigsaw being done, which is on the board (have it on the lounge floor) when doing a jigsaw, so can't put pieces in.
ReplyDeleteNot as bad as my sister's cat, though. It decided that the box of jigsaw pieces made a good litter tray. Luckily this was spotted in time!!
Stasia have you seen today’s “Repair Shop” - the man who repaired that broken (into 30+ pieces) large egg (covering the cigarette box) did an incredible job! The time, skill and patience to do so unimaginable.
ReplyDeleteOf course all professionals are just superb!
LadyR. Not yet, I had a visitor. Will watch on iPlayer this afternoon.
DeleteIt is absolutely amazing what theses experts can do with damaged and broken items, so important to the owner. The two toy ladies are wonderful, especially with teddy bears.
Love the Repair Shop. I dream of having my Indian stool restored, that my Godmother brought back in the 50's...it's been too well used!
DeleteTalking of TV - tonight's episode of Great Australian Railway Journeys was an absolutely fantastic reminder of how we spent the first week of our honeymoon! Feeling all misty eyed now... 😍
ReplyDeletePlan to watch it ,Gary.
DeleteLove Michael Portillo ‘s train journeys.
River Plate is playing football !
ReplyDeleteNo Michael Portillo.
Gary ,can’t find the programme .
ReplyDeleteThere is South American football on
And the game at the end was amazing! 😀
DeleteSorry there were two comments about the same thing.
ReplyDeleteThe first one didn’t seem to have got through but then appeared.
LadyR. Watched the expert fix the egg. Incredible that he managed to put all those fragile bits back together. He was so patient and steady with his hands. 🥚🥚
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed ! 🤗
DeleteMaybe it's because I have lived abroad for near 40 years that i have real nostalgia for the tv programmes that I watched as a child. I read this week that they are bringing back HOW . I absolutely loved that show with Fred Dinage and Bunty James.
ReplyDeleteBut I think youngsters of our generation were thrilled with a blue Peter badge or a crackerjack pencil...not any more ..sadly
Autumnleaves “Crackerjack” is to return next year on CBBC & iPlayer! It has been 35 yrs since it aired. No idea of new format.
ReplyDeleteI remember the quiz - if you got a question wrong you were given a cabbage and I think it was either 2 or 3? Cabbages and you were out 😂
Blue Peter at this time of year would make their advent calender made with wire coat hangers tinsel and candles😃😃
ReplyDeleteCan you imagine..we were thrilled with so little.
Sorry for going down memory lane but I feel this blog is my connection with my roots after living abroad for so many years.
Keep well and safe everyone..and never miss the opportunity for a good laugh..the elixir for long life❤❤❤
👍to all that, Autumnleaves!
ReplyDeleteDank, wet & miserable day today here in Hampshire. Will remain so until Friday when we return to the 5c temps again - if accompanied by sun I am ok with that “bracing” 🤗
ReplyDeleteOh joy, thanks for that Lady R - 2 1/2 hours' organ practice in a church with single-skin walls, which is only heated properly once or twice a week!
ReplyDeleteAre you practicing Christmas Carols yet Sarnia?
ReplyDeleteMy favourite is “ O Holy Night”.
Not yet, LanJan, but shouldn't be long now. 'Her Reverence' is a bit hung up on Advent, but fortunately for me she's not doing the Carol Service this year; her colleague is more into the Christmas spirit and therefore it will be more fun. You asked for details of the funeral service, didn't you. What, if anything, did you make of it, or was that too long ago for me to ask?
DeleteAutumn leaves ,you are right about us being thrilled with so little when we were growing up but I think it is good because probably like me you and others who are not likely to be classified as “youngsters” find it doesn’t take much to please us.
ReplyDeleteNow you might find this “sad “ but when I was little , an aunt used to buy broken biscuits for me and unlike my mother who wouldn’t even allow me to have a chip butty ,I was allowed to dunk them in my tea when I visited her.
Lovely.
Recently our local supermarket had boxes of broken biscuits for £3 so I bought a box.
Imagine my joy when I discovered that not only were there some chocolate biscuits in the box but most of them were not broken.
Brings back memories of pre supermarket shopping in childhood.
ReplyDeleteThose metal boxes at waist height ( chest height when you are six or seven) with biscuits. I would look longingly at the whole biscuits, but it was only the broken biscuits that mum bought.
I can remember the Co-op where your money was put in small metal containers which then whipped along on an overhead wire to a cashier who put the change in and it came back to the shop assistant. The only other thing I remember clearly is the mound of butter and the assistant patting out an oblong shape from it and wrapping it in greaseproof paper. Cheese was wrapped in greaseproof too which apparently is better for keeping it fresh than cling! Yes we had broken biscuits too!
ReplyDeleteMemories for me too. My sister and I were sent to the shop to buy some biscuits, we chose and then the shop keeper told us my Grandmother wouldn't like it as they were full price ! Oh the embarrassment, when we told my grandmother she was furious, no doubt had it out with the shop as we were never embarrassed again.
ReplyDeletejust seen the devestting floods in France and Italy, hope all our friends are safe and well away from the floods.
ReplyDeleteWe're fine, but Bordeaux /Libourne area is on "vigilance crue"
DeleteThanks Cowgirl..we've had constant rain for the past few weeks but yesterday the Sun came out.....oh joy. So we have a few days before the next bout. Mountain roads have been closed due to falling rocks and the local lakes have broken their banks.
DeleteNothing compared to the crisis in Venice.
Sarnia 5:27pm 24th November.
ReplyDeleteIt is good to see your posts again.
I hope that what I am about to post is not deemed to be insensitive but if so then I apologise.
Firstly in reply to your question.
I was very interested to read of the music you chose for your husband’s funeral
My favourite composer is Edward Elgar and so I was pleased that you chose Nimrod.
I also would choose “The Day Thou gravest Lord is ended “ as did you.
The other piece of music I would have is the Intermezzo from Cavaliera Rusticana by Mascagni.
All very moving pieces of music.
Now I don’t mean to be irreverent but the other music I want is “You’ll never walk alone” from Carousel but I really want it to be sung by Gerry and the Pacemakers which is in truth possibly one of the worst versions going.
However it brings me to tears every time I watch Liverpool FC on the television
Does anybody know whether somebody has compiled a list of the most popular pieces of music chosen by Desert Island Disc castaways?
I would hazard a guess that Nimrod comes pretty high up on the list.
How about Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen and Pachelbel’s Canon ?
Not irreverent at all, Lanjan, and thank you for your interest. I encourage people to choose music that reflects the personality of their deceased family member and what means the most to them, not what meets with the approval of anybody else. For example, my own funeral is already planned and in the documents file, and I shall be entering to the raucous theme tune from 'Who pays the Ferryman' (we were on holiday in Elounda once, where the series was filmed) and leaving to the strains of Abba singing 'Thank you for the music'.
DeleteOne of my nieces favoured Cavaliera Rusticana, and if someone was hell-bent on having it obviously I would play it, but I have been known to caution against it as possibly being too distressing for a funeral. My aim is to provide strength for the family and I would be wary of any music that served to ramp up the emotional content of what is already a fraught experience; if anything, I prefer to be able to get them through it without tugging on the heartstrings any more than necessary. By all means feel free to reduce your nearest and dearest to jelly at your passing - perhaps they're made of sterner stuff, but I wish them well with it!
A friend of mine was left as a widow to look after her mother-in-law who, to put it mildly, was a cantankerous, poisonous old bizzom. This dear lady chose Edith Piaf singing 'Je ne regretted rien' for her exit music, which was really telling it as it is, because she made life a misery for everyone around her, deliberately, I often thought, and her choice bore out my suspicions.
My mother’s uncle owned a grocery shop in Watford which we used to visit when visiting relations “down south”.
ReplyDeleteHe would stand behind the counter wearing a navy and white striped apron and I am almost sure he wore a boater hat.
He cut cheese with wire and the butter was patted into shape by two bits of wood and as you say Ev 11pm 25th November ,both cheese and butter were wrapped in grease proof paper.
How I wanted to work in a shop and be able to use a cash register.
I got my wish when as a student one Christmas I worked on the Christmas counter in Woolworths.
All I remember selling were cake frills-7d each -and lots of folk seemed to buy two-1/2 or three
1/9.
I do remember broken biscuits, as sold loose in Woolies.
ReplyDeleteMy main memory though, comes from a bit later, when BHS had a food hall. Here I could buy a single frozen fishcake, beefburger or 2xsausages, for 3p. Eaten with baked beans or tinned tomatoes + some potatoes, didn't starve.
Sarnia, your advice seems spot on to me !
ReplyDeletelanjan, ✓✓ to Pachelbel's Canon & Leonard Cohen.
Thank you, kind lady. As you may have gathered, funerals are a speciality of mine. Along with many of my colleagues, to me funerals are more important than weddings, because you choose to get married and spend many months planning it just as you want it, but death comes when and how it will; there's nothing to be done about it except try to ease the anguish as best I can.
ReplyDeleteWe had “Unchained melody” at my husband’s funeral as he used to warble it a lot! I made the mistake of choosing the Jimmy Young version which sounded rather hackneyed to modern ears and I should have had the Righteous brothers! After a lifetime in the Royal Navy the exit music was “Hearts of Oak” which brought back many memories and I felt it honoured him.
ReplyDeleteEv you did the right thing in choosing the Jimmy Young version of Unchained Melody.
ReplyDeleteHe and Al Hibler were the ones who originally recorded it .
Either of those would have been fine though I imagine your husband sounded more like Jimmy Young because he really did warble didn’t he?
Mind you I thought he was really ancient when he did so.
Wasn’t he over 40 ?
(I prefer Robson and Jerome to The Righteous Brothers )
Correction.
DeleteJimmy a Young was a mere 35 years of age when Unchained Melody was No1 in the Hit Parade in 1956
ReplyDeleteLanjan. FYI......try this.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/26v4KfMLDfnJQ8n4mB2fWr0/facts-and-figures
Or even 34!
ReplyDeleteAh thanks for that BB.
ReplyDeleteInteresting.
No Elgar’s Cello Concerto but some Brief Encounter.
Unchained melody always affects me now and have to make a rapid exit if in company when it plays or is performed! Had forgotten about Robson and Jerome. They were really quite good but faded away.
ReplyDeleteAll very interesting conversations above.
ReplyDeleteNo happy music for me so far on my list.
All very sombre.
I am afraid I've had another accident.
Dogs all happy as a pack, two nosy little terriers intervened and they all kicked off.
In trying to restrain Lady, ring finger on left hand caught in metal ring on her collar.
She twists and turns and I heard and felt finger go. At a very strange angle I thought it dislocated, but ex ray tells a different tale.
I thought it was only possible to have a compound fracture on a large bone like the femur.
Wrong !
I must have surgery.
Am to expect call from Orthopaedics Gloucs tomorrow morning.
Message to Stasia.......
I have not yet contacted IT man, and unlikely to be able to do so for a day or so.
Did not want to appear rude. It's on my list, and thank you.
I am O K but can only type wth one finger.
Hand turning black from bruising, but not a great deal of pain, and nothing in comparison to Spiceycushion and Archerphile woes.
Sending thoughts Mrs P 🌻 so sorry to read of your accident.
ReplyDeleteAll the best for tomorrow 🤞
Oh Mrs P! So sorry to hear about your broken finger. I do hope they get it sorted soon and with minimal pain and discomfort. Sending best wishes.💐💐
ReplyDeleteWhile I'm here.... I saw the consultant last Tuesday who seemed satisfied with progress so far. I am now down to 20 mgs per day of the steroid tablets. Doctor has started me on some sort of antibiotics twice a day in preparation of coming off prednisone (? whatever!) the week before Christmas. He also asked me to look up four different medications (explained on the British Association of Dermatology) which aren't 'quite' steroids, as far as I can see. Presumably I will start taking one or more of those.
ReplyDeleteInstructions received to return to him in eight weeks time.
Arms and legs are still blotchy with purple patches and feel sore but not unbearable and needing painkillers.
However I have developed steroid myopathy which means after standing for about 20 minutes the muscles in my back hurt so much I want to scream! Also have to pull myself up stairs hanging onto the banister! I need to go to GP to arrange physio (and get my flu jab which I needed to check if ok.)
On top of that the consultant has diagnosed a basal cell carcinoma on my right temple. A small purple patch for which I have six weeks worth of cream to apply each night. It also does mean that I am supposed to wear a hat whenever outdoors and factor 50 suncream! I have researched this BCC and am not *too* worried, although it was a bit of a shock at first.
Both the last two conditions are associated with the pemphagoid, not helped by living in Australian sunshine many years ago for three years apparently!!
Son has erected bookshelves in my 'study' so a big sorting out now of about 600-800 books as to what I keep, what I can sell and what will go to charity shop. Then getting a painter/decorator to do the three storey stairwell and new stair carpet. Probably a job for January/February!😀
Mrs P, ouch! So sorry to hear that and thinking of you particularly today.
ReplyDeleteSpicy, two steps forward...really sorry to hear there are yet more twists and turns to your health progress. Take good care of yourself.
I find that sorting process exhausting and I am well. For months I have been wading through treacle with my stuff in London and what to get rid of, keep or transfer up north, plus all the repairs on my Dad’s house, issues with Mum’s house, overdue decorating here... I hope you are in a position to do stuff at a pace that doesn’t exhaust you or interfere with your healing.
Take care all🤗
MrsP . What a horrible incident. I do hope Glos deals with your injury as soon as possible. Don't worry about the man I'll ring him and explain. Hope you not in too much pain.
ReplyDeleteI'm in Cambridge for.a.few days to spend time with my sister. Yesterday we went to the Fitzwilliam to an exhibition called Feast and Fast. Food through art from 1500 onwards. Wonderful
It is a great little museum. We are going back to see another on Music and Art.
Home tomorrow.
Oh, Mrs P, you have been in the wars this last month or so - is it a case of accidents coming in threes ? If so, I do hope this is the third & LAST ! ( now I'm wondering if it's the fourth, which would knock the whole notion on the head...)
ReplyDeleteMeantime, how inconvenient as well as painful. Do feel for you.
Spicy, thanks for keeping us informed of your progress AND setbacks; Every time you write, it's always both ! I do hope 2020, & I do mean early 2020, brings a consultant speaking only of steady progress & NO setbacks.
ReplyDeleteCan see how frustrated you are, but your indominitable spirit & determination to tackle projects keeps you going.
That said, I do hope someone is going to help you shift all those books !
Many commiserations to both Mrs P and Spicycushion. 💐💐
ReplyDeleteI add my commiserations too ,Mrs P and Spicycushion
ReplyDeleteSympathies & bon courage to Mrs P & Spicy. Basal cell carcinoma is what I had, also on right temple! All easily removed now, just keeping working on my scar, happily disguised behind hair..!
ReplyDeleteRV with the consultant this afto /cet' aprèm/ce tantôt..
DeleteMy thoughts with Spicey and your ongoing problems.
ReplyDeleteHope you can take comfort from Parsley example, but awful for you that one thing after another keeps coming.
Like Carolyn I will hope for better health come early 2020.
Many thanks for commiserations. None from daughter who reminded me that one should never intervene in dog fights.
I am in very little pain or discomfort. And I did sleep through the night with hand well protected.
The greatest concern is organising car to be retrieved from the common, overnight stay for Lady if I am kept in Hospital. And transport to bring me home. When I get the call I intend to get to Gloucester on the bus.
Stasia, many thanks. I will follow up when this problem has been sorted.
There is always a silver lining !
Lady went in the dog walkers van, in a cage, and stayed in it for three hours without a murmur. She cried when she heard my voice, but quietened when I spoke sternly.
When we got home I tried her in the crate which has been sitting in the room with the door open for the last six months.
I led her in with the lead and encouraging treats, several times last evening and she stayed for several seconds each time.
More of that today.
Now to attempt some washing up.
No call yet from the hospital.
Mrs P - strictly speaking you shouldn’t interfere in dog fights but perfectly understandable to try to prevent injuries. A walking stick can be useful to put between them! Hope you do hear from the hospital today and sending every sympathy! I am getting a behaviourist in to help with Dudley. He is still hysterical when the doorbell rings and this morning nipped at Katy’s ankle as she left for work. Can’t have that in case he bites someone! What we do for these dogs!!
ReplyDeleteHeartened by Parsley's comment! Many thanks!
ReplyDeleteSpicycusion.
DeleteI am sending positive thoughts. Keep strong.
👍
DeleteOh I’m back on.
ReplyDeleteSending healing thoughts to all the “sick” on the blog. It really seems to be a disastrous year, health wise, for so many of us.
I sincerely hope 2020 brings us all health, wealth and happiness ........well I’d settle for 2 out of 3.😊
Carolyn, how are you doing with regards your shingles?
Went to the cinema this aft to see “the good liar”. Helen mirren and Ian mckellern. It was superb. Would highly recommend anyone to go see it. Next week we plan to go and see “knives out” ......a take on an Agatha Christie really. Trailer looks good. It always seems to go like this. Nothing at cinema for ages then two or three good ones straight after each other.
I'd like to see that film( Mirren & McKellen), PtbY, & agree, especially this year - also find that 3 must see films pop up simultaneously, followed by months of dross.
ReplyDeleteThanks, back to normal, pretty much, though aware of energy levels still + ghostly reminders in lower back etc., but that's to be expected, & pales in comparison beside the ongoing challenges suffered by others here, very much including you, waiting, waiting for something to be done about the thyroid affecting vision.
Wow Archerphile due back tomorrow (?) where has that time gone!
ReplyDeleteAfraid the predicted cold ❄️ spell is back Sarnia - wrap up well from head to your toes for organ practice tomorrow🥶
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMrs P
ReplyDeleteHow are you and Lady this morning ?
Spiceycushion
Sorry to hear of your ongoing health problems, hope to hear of more progress soon.
Thanks, Lady R, but it wasn't too bad - a heady 13 degrees in the church this morning, almost sub-tropical by organ practice standards!
ReplyDelete👏🏻 Good to hear Sarnia - I thought your practice was tomorrow I believe temp is to drop significantly overnight but you never know....
DeleteLady collected at nine this morning and off in this strangers car without too much fuss.
ReplyDeleteI left at 9.30 - bus to Gloucester arrived home 5.30.
I am prepped, bloods and ECG for surgery in a weeks time. ( ��)
Apparently the shattered bone will heal itself, but finger already twisting and prognosis is that it will continue to do so if not operated on. Since right hand is already very difficult and all fingers on both hands arthritic, I think on balance best to intervene to prevent worse.
Have spoken with ' foster lady' and Lady has had two long walks, been fine with other dogs met, in and out of her garden as door open all day, and asleep while foster mum watched the Repair Shop.
Interrupted by return of Lady, who actually saw a �� today, and had she been off lead would definitely have caught her dinner.
She made a fuss when greeting me but sleeping calmly now.
A successful day !
How odd !
ReplyDeleteThe first two question marks were ' fingers crossed emoji, the second was a rabbit.
Lovely that Lady was ok away from you. You have done so well with her! I always worry about leaving ours but they are usually fine. We are going away for a week in April but I know they will be well looked after and to be honest it is good to have a rest from doggy duties sometimes! Hope the finger op goes well and take care!😊🐕😃
ReplyDeleteI should have read this blog before posting on the other. (An off topic question for Mrs P, already answered on here)
ReplyDeleteWishing speedy recoveries to all those afflicted, Mrs P, Spicycushion, Carolyn, Janice.
Thanks Zoetrope. This year has been a long hard haul but I have just got to be patient and persevere, and I know that I am a lot luckier than some and am making progress. I'm not sure I could have coped with what Spicycushion has been going through. My aim is to one day be able to climb our nearest tor again!🤞 At the moment I am managing a little potter along the lane most days going from gate to gate and leaning on them to rest en route and then resting in a chair when home again. Apparently our leg muscles or something act almost like a second heart helping pump the blood round so the walking is to strengthen the legs as well as the heart. I am doing as the doctor tells me! and have also made up a little notebook of positive affirmations to do with the heart and health and read through these before sleep. Many good wishes to all of the rest of you who have been facing health problems. 🙏😊
DeleteMrs P
ReplyDeleteSo pleased to hear that everything went well, especially with Lady, that must be a big relief for you. You can now relax a bit knowing that when you have your op she will be ok. I hope all goes well.
Janice, here is a big heart 💓 sending positive vibes.
ReplyDeleteJanice, warmest wishes for your continued improvement.
ReplyDeleteMrs P, all the best for your surgery.
Healing wishes to all other poorly and convalescing bloggers.
Janice, sometime 2020 will see you climbing that Tor ! 😊What a difficult year you've had, but sounds as if you've exercised great doggedness & perseverance, one step at a time literally, as it were. Surely very frustrating at times.
ReplyDeleteLove your practice of writing positive affirmations, & reading them every night. What a good note on which to end the day. All the best.
Janice have you thought about ankle weights?
ReplyDeleteThey were recommended to me .
I live in a bungalow and as a friend says I have “ bungalow knees”
Of course once I had them(the lowest weight you could get) I was good and wrapped them round my ankles like I should and moved my feet up and down but then of course I forgot about them.
May just have a go now
Good luck with your walking.
Janice, may i add a little useful extra to your regime.
ReplyDeleteYou are correct about using the leg muscles to pump, and walking is the best possible that you can do.
However you can add to the 'pumping' and the strengthening by 'marching' when sitting in your chair resting.
Marching, even when sitting down is an excellent exercise and as well as exercising the muscles and pumping the blood, it also relaxes the leg muscles.
Just up and down with alternate feet for thirty seconds every two minutes will help enormously.
Positive affirmations are a wonderful tool.
I got through all my exams with them. But not reading but rather writing them down.
Ten minutes of ' I am good enough and well prepared ' for ten minutes line after line after line.
It worked.
Many thanks for good wishes from all.
And mine to all others suffering.
I'm a bit late - but may I just simply say to everyone that is suffering at the moment that I hope that things do indeed get better.
ReplyDeleteI have been mostly doing nothing at the moment, but tomorrow it is our turn to host the "Film Club" so today has been spent prepping food for that. I LOVE farting about in the kitchen - I think I ALMOST enjoy doing that as much as I enjoy eating!
We are either going to watch "Cinema Paradiso" or a movie called "The Russian Ark" which is entirely set in the Hermitage and was shot in a single take. It is absolutely stunning - it has a cast of thousands with a live orchestra and covers 300 years of Russian history. Sounds boring, but it is sumptuous to look at.... PtbY, we tried to go and see the Good Liar but the timings were not right, will try again next week. And cannot wait to see "Knives Out"! It looks right up my alley....
Cinema Paradiso....bellissimo😭😭😭
DeleteI love everything about it - I can't even listen to the music without crying and have been known to well up just thinking about that last scene! 😥😧😭
DeleteLove a good foreign film. Haven’t seen cinema paradiso in ages. Must try and see it over Christmas period.
ReplyDeleteJust to say thanks for all the good wishes and suggestions.😊
ReplyDelete