Malka did you live in Watford when you were in England? Thats where my mum was brought up and her parents lived.

Sunny but blustery here so will call back in after I've walked the dogs.

Morning all. Been a busy day so far and I am seriously thinking about going back to bed with the dog and a movie for a couple of hours or I will just sit and stare for the rest of the day!

Bought a little 3kg load tumble dryer this morning. Something I thought I'd never need here but it does keep raining on and off lately and the wind keeps blowing the clothes airer outside over. And because in high summer the searing sun dries laundry until it is 'stiff' and if you leave it out more than a few hours you get sun bleached lines on it too! (main reason is coz I hate ironing and so many more things won't need ironing now I've got a tumbler again!)

I am moving in four weeks. My small apartment is starting to look like a junk shop as I gather up all my stuff from other apartments and buy stuff for the new one while the sales are on. Hoping the guy in my new one is amenable to me putting some stuff in the spare room before the move. He is moving into my apartment so I think it makes sense for us to 'spread the workload' of the moves and not try to do it all on one day.

No. My parents bought an un-yet finished new-build house in Edgware in December 1938 and moved in in the January. Everyone said they were mad because WWII was on the horizon but the moved in and twin and I were born in March 1942 in Bushey Maternity Hospital [where my son was eventually born!]

I ended up living round the corner from the family home until I left to come to Israel, and Mother stayed there until she sold the family home and bought a new [I forget the word, I am sorry] an apartment in Hemel Hempstead with a [brain dead, sorry] someone who was supposed to check everyone daily?

Edgware was my home from when twin and I were brought home from the maternity hospital - and that family home was within a few minutes walking distance from where I ended up before I left England.

Strange or maybe not strange - when I went back to the UK for the first [and last] time after the Gulf War in 1991 I went to visit neighbours either side of my what had been family home, but I could not drive past it or even look at it.

Even after all these years I still find it difficult - I mean it was not as if my parents had bought a house where someone had previously lived - this was theirs, ours, the first people who ever stepped foot over the doorway let alone slept and lived there.

Not really sure if anyone can understand what I am trying to say.

Tangutica - wow, how convenient that you are buying each others homes. Maybe you can get one removal van between you so that the van can simply go back and forth with a full load.

Malka - I think what you were trying to think of is 'warden assisted housing' where there is always a warden on call for emergencies etc.? I can understand you not wanting to look at your old house - so many memories there. I'm the same with my 'family' home where my parents lived for 43years.

Afternoon all Just popping in to say hi to all of you I missed, and I've read the sad news that Che will be leaving the fold tomorrow We'll all be getting the tissues out with you at 1 pm June

Had a glorious walk down on the beach, we had it all to ourselves. The sun shone for the whole time we were there, with a clear blue sky, it was so uplifting, and when I got back to the car it went all dark and chucked it down when I got home, but that's ok

The tide was out but racing in, so the big pools were filling up fast which Zena loves to lie down in. Had a good hour down there walking and chucking her ball, so she did 3 times as much as I did and was quite tired when I put her in the car, which is good! She walked straight into my shower with her ball for a hosing down, I swear she loves that shower, she didn't want to get out!

That all changed though when I put her collar on to take her to the vet for a weigh in, and I can't believe in 2 weeks she's only lost 0.4 of a kg Better than putting it on I know, but I thought she would have lost at least a kg. It's difficult for me, cos all these years I've been trying to keep the weight ON, and now because she's actually utilising all her food, I'm having trouble getting it off cos she's hungry and I feel sorry for her. I think I will cut out all the biscuits, which she only gets in the evenings anyway, but she has quite a few of little mini markies, gravy bones and bisrocks, so I think she'd be far better off with some scrambled egg or a fish stick instead I think

Then we went up to the van again, to check on the fridge/freezer which was defrosting and all was well there, I had left a bowl in it and some towels on the floor, so no damage done, just wet towels. Now it can be left until March 1st. Now I'm busy washing the rest of the crockery (well, I'm not, the dishwasher is), so that I can pack it all up clean ready to take back up there when we open.

Got back and decided to do a bit of painting as the weather got me all enthused, so I did a bit of snagging in the kitchen, so that Dave can fit the 1/4 round to the bottom. Then I scrubbed all around the bottom of the shower cos the grouting was getting a bit naff, but it's come up a treat, all sparkly and white again.

That's me done for the day, I've done enough now, going to have a bit of lunch and then a well earned nanny nap and might do some paperwork later, I'm trying to get a new information pack made up for the van, but I can't get into it, I keep putting it off, but it's got to be done.

Hope all is well, I'm glad to hear Pepsi and Brian seem to be ok now Jen, but I notice we haven't heard anything yet from Nikki about Tai, but maybe she's been back whilst I wasn't here, so off to check that one out.

Afternoon TM I had some washing out today it dried a treat. Very blustery here.

Afternoon Harvey glad to read the snow is melting your way and the temperature is rising.
I think we still have a BHS in Harlow I say think as I try to avoid our town like the plague. We did have one last time I looked.
Afternoon Pat tumble driers are so handy.
Good luck with the move.


Afternoon Jenny and Helena.

We're losing Che?

Helena - surely 0.4kg is OK in just 2 weeks. That is over 1lb which is quite a fair amount for a dog. I'd be delighted if I was losing that, I still can't get back on my diet

June - can we have a puppy fix photo of all the pups together ..... or is that impossible with them all being so active now. If so what about a Che fix I know you'll miss him, but just think, one less mouth to feed, poo to clear etc etc.

Very windy here and the dogs seem to use the wind as an excuse to be permanently in 'chase and game-on' mode. Forget the needing a wee etc when outside, they are just like little rockets, practising their rugby tackling, fast cornering etc. Only trouble is it all continues when they set foot back in the house. I must have replaced the cushions off the settees and smoothed down the rugs five or six times today. I'm hoping they'll crash out this evening so there is a little bit of calm in this house

One of my neighbours must have put some laundry out on their washing line, 'cos next door there is what looks like a flowery duvet cover entangled in a tree about 30' up and it doesn't look as though it's going to budge.

Off to feed the dogs now in the hope that a full tummy will make them sleep.

Malka, BHS is still going, I've had some great bargains in the past including a fab sheepskin jacket for under £20.

Helena, I admire your energy with showering Zena down after her walks. I'm afraid with my muck magnets I quickly towel them down and cope with the consequences (mud turning into dust) afterwards!

June I hope after the pups have all gone your body clock goes back to normal & you don't wake up at silly o'clock like you do now.