The Garden Fence - proper Old Style support and chat!

pollyanna_26

burtha said:

was ok here yesterday ( sat ) bright with odd showers, but was cold . 
need some sleep , wide awake still and it's now annoying lol .. 
thank you for the birthday wishes x

Very belated birthday wishes burtha. I had two birthday's I dreaded. 30 no idea why and 50 which seemed ancient! I can look back now and wonder what on earth  was I thinking. I hope you managed to sleep, I'm just emerging from weeks of insomnia and it wasn't pleasant.

Although today can't be a normal mothers day I hope either your youngest dd or son has made you a nice brew and hearing from the rest of your brood cheers you up.

Pace yourself with work, running etc. We'd all miss you if you wore yourself out.

pollyx

pollyanna_26

monna I can say from experience no seagull is ever happy with A stolen chip. A bag full yes but never one. Perhaps your seagulls are better bred than those in the North. Here they're constantly swooping down, walking around peoples feet and if you sit on a bench they're up there with you. I tried shouting "Quiet" a few years ago as they screamed overhead and there was a deathly hush. Youngest looked at me in shock. I found it worked most of the time but haven't been able to do it in town over the past year. I think a lone pensioner shouting quiet would attract attention and I haven't quite lost my marbles yet.

It's been cold , wet ,windy here with a bit of sun so we all seem to be seeing similar weather . Next week is supposed to be better and the clocks go forward the week after next so hopefully better weather to come.

Lovely thought for today monna. When I had my first child the hospital staff started calling me Mother. Many parents aren't connected by blood to their children. They may be married or single but have taken childen into their homes and hearts. Have often had to gain their trust and help them overcome a difficult start in life. So many youngsters would have lived very different lives in their formative years either in an uncaring birth family or in care. If it weren't for those women and men who took them in , loved them and taught them life skills . They too are Mums and Dads.

pollyx

pollyanna_26

Reading back you mentioned The E word monna! Best to leave the 12 year old to her sweeties methinks. She seems to have tired of the Roman phase, the Poison Garden etc and today may or may not be 12 years old. No idea how she keeps track. It's too late to do the Give me a child until he (she) is seven and I will show you the man/ (woman) thing but can we reason with a 12 year old and perhaps set her on a different path from now on?  She's talking of her own sweeties but Alnwick is still in my mind. Perhaps a bigger vase which completely covers her so she can't type is the answer.

pollyx

burtha

thank you Polly.  
very low key mothers day here,  but to be honest that's what I prefer,  much to media hype and unrealistic expectations these days . but I am very grateful that I've got 4 kids who love me, have now seen through all the crap and they are doing ok . . 
bunch of daffodils from the youngest dd with a simple love you is perfect .
Enjoy whatever you can today . .. I'm going to try smiling at people as I run , it will either make them happy or scare the life out of them . 

MrsCD

Belated birthday wishes, burtha! Very low key Mothers' day here, too. I was asked what I wanted, so this morning received an email with an amazong gift voucher so I can keep my kindle topped up, and a bunch of flowers from my girls. They both found beautiful cards too! Very happy. 
I'm also aware of those who don't or can't have children, but like it's already been said, there are many people who care for children not their own by birth, and that doesn't make them any less their mothers or fathers. I think they're all heroes.

mothernerd

Belated birthday wishes, burtha. I've had funny moments with 'significant' birthdays too - I'm not vain so it's not to do with losing my looks (my brothers would say I never had any to start with) but just a dip for about a month before and a month after and then just as suddenly back to normal. DS2's 21st was 3 month's after my 50th (and two days before DS3's 18th) and he insisted on telling all his friends that it was a joint celebration (he was drunk when he arrived, I think they'd done a pub crawl through Manchester in the afternoon) which I could have done without (I like hiding behind the buffet table not being on show).

Quiet companionable day here. My hand made card was a success - mum thought I'd bought it and just added some words. She wasn't aware that it was Mothering Sunday so wondered why I had left a plant in the kitchen by her breakfast tray (bought at Wilco's last week in case I couldn't get flowers). I thought I might pop into Morries after my vaccination, if it was quiet (did this at the festive period when I had gone to get cash from the machine) but when I came out I was nearer home and had already got rained on walking there, so came straight back.

Made us a lovely brisket dinner with all the veg cooked in with the meat (casserole pack plus Chantenay carrots and celery which I chopped last night )- cooked extra cauli and broccoli to use in meals this week and saved some to eat raw with dips. Phone rang as we were finishing dinner, DS2 and his gf were outside with flowers, a large bar of chocolate and a card each for me and mum. They were going on a quick visit to the boys' father as he goes in for another minor op tomorrow (he has a permanent life expectancy of two weeks). 

Anyway nice little visit and our delivery came. Mum has run out of something essential and I could only think of the overnight delivery service (the item should have been delivered on the 11th - will chase that up tomorrow). Sat and watched one episode of mum's current series and then started a film. Good film but mum was snoring and I was starting to nod off. So saved the second half for tomorrow. Had half planned a 'party' tea but mum only wanted a sandwich. I have given her some watermelon I had tucked away and I've eaten my way through a pile of raw veg (cauli, broccoli, red and yellow peppers, mange tout and baby sweetcorn) with a dip. Lots I want to do outside but the rain keeps lashing down so I have a list of things to do, a list of possible meals and some interesting party bits to weave into this week. 

Thinking of all those who are mothers, or who have helped care for the children of others, especially my aunt C who never married, cared for my grandma for many years, babysat/ cared for any number of nephews and nieces and died at the age of 61. She was 21 years and 1 week older than me.

pollyanna_26

burtha I prefer low key too. When we were young it would be home made cards for mum or dad. Sometimes a bar of chocolate or some other small gift, sometimes homemade. Similar with their birthdays or the festive season.

I can never understand those sometimes parents sometimes adult offspring who run up eye watering levels of debt for stuff for various occasions. Weddings costing thousands I don't understand if it involves bank loans and credit cards. It's an important day but only one day . When I married my first husband I was head to toe C&A modes from headress, veil, a beautiful dress and shoes. I bought the lot in my lunch hour out of my savings. My sisters did my hair and make up and no debt involved.

A bunch of daffs and Love you fromm your youngest dd is perfect and comes from a good heart.

MrsCD. We've found gift cards and vouchers very handy especially over the past years. DD1 is usually a gift or gift card. We gave up on flowers a few years ago after the arrival of a huge bouquet of David Austin roses and other flowers here. I was searching for something big enough to put them in and dropped a huge, heavy much loved crystal vase. This years Mother's day present is a gift bag of all things chocolate frrom "Betty's " of Harrogate. It includes hot chocolate- she knows me so well. One of my hopes is one day we'll eat in Betty,s again.

A voucher for your Kindle is a very thoughtful gift as are the flowers. I've had a few M&S gift cards, or Boots in birthday cards over the past years and they're very useful.

mothernerd (can't find my bold) It sounds as though you had a lovely day with mum. I love handmade cards, yours sounds very good if your mum thought you'd bought it. I do know handmade often are much nicer than bought with love and effort involved.

Lovely the family popped to the gate and you got your mother's day card too.

You have done such a wonderful job keeping your mum safe. I know how much mental effort it takes caring for a shielded person.

My sheilded person emailed earlier"  Happy , happy Mothers day. Sorry I fell asleep this morning." It's a good job I'm used to her crashing out.

If I weren't a fair distance from you I'd be tempted to appear the gate with an empty plate. Some of the meals you cook make me feel hungry. I've been a bit up and down with cooking lately. It was easier cooking for myself and others. Must do better.

I wonder what lunch monna had.

Well just realised ManU are about half an hour into today's match. Leicester won 5-0 earlier and took our second place in the table so not very hopeful.

Take care all

pollyx

MingVase

pollyanna_26 said:

Reading back you mentioned The E word monna! . Perhaps a bigger vase which completely covers her so she can't type is the answer.

pollyx

*Scrolls back to find out what monna said re the E things*

And excuse me but I WOULD ALWAYS BE ABLE TO TYPE. The will to speak is too strong

pollyanna_26

MingVase said:

pollyanna_26 said:

Reading back you mentioned The E word monna! . Perhaps a bigger vase which completely covers her so she can't type is the answer.

pollyx

*Scrolls back to find out what monna said re the E things*

And excuse me but I WOULD ALWAYS BE ABLE TO TYPE. The will to speak is too strong

Worn out. DD1 on the phone an hour and a half and Man U surviving only because of the other teams own goal. Back in 2nd place now and I'm like a wet rag.

Speak to you tomorrow and your strong will.

pollyx

burtha

morning folk , happy Monday