Headline news tomorrow: French woman arrested for strangling MIL with teabag string
Jan 5th 2012, 6:30 am
#47
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Re: Headline news tomorrow: French woman arrested for strangling MIL with teabag stri
She irons underwear????
I know the loss of privacy is hard, but you are on the downhill slope to her going. Some, but not all, of the things you accuse her of seem a bit unfair- taking medication for example or drinking tea by the gallon- the first is necessary, and the second is a general thing among the older people- I am 51 and drink more tea than water- about 6 or 7 half pint mugs per day, and maybe half a glass of water. I even take all my medications with tea (no milk no sugar). Have you shown her how you like your t-shirts folded? I am presuming she is being kind enough to iron your things. As for the deli avoidance- she may be on a limited budget if she is buying stuff for you to eat. She may also be lonely and looking for company rather than being shunted off to her room like a small child in the evening.
And don't start me on using technology......I can't even see the buttons on the digital cameras or phones.................I get my 15 year old to do it.
Oh dear, I'm going to make someone a lovely mother in law.
I know the loss of privacy is hard, but you are on the downhill slope to her going. Some, but not all, of the things you accuse her of seem a bit unfair- taking medication for example or drinking tea by the gallon- the first is necessary, and the second is a general thing among the older people- I am 51 and drink more tea than water- about 6 or 7 half pint mugs per day, and maybe half a glass of water. I even take all my medications with tea (no milk no sugar). Have you shown her how you like your t-shirts folded? I am presuming she is being kind enough to iron your things. As for the deli avoidance- she may be on a limited budget if she is buying stuff for you to eat. She may also be lonely and looking for company rather than being shunted off to her room like a small child in the evening.
And don't start me on using technology......I can't even see the buttons on the digital cameras or phones.................I get my 15 year old to do it.
Oh dear, I'm going to make someone a lovely mother in law.
I drink 10 mugs of tea a day, 2 coffees and 2 litres of water, plus one red wine.
Just spent 6 weeks driving around USA and Canada.
The 15 year old was horrified at how many 'bathroom' stops we needed
I really need to cut down.
Jan 5th 2012, 10:12 am
#49
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Re: Headline news tomorrow: French woman arrested for strangling MIL with teabag stri
There may be something in that though. All the French older people I know have pretty fullfilling lives and seem happier than the English ones we're talking about.
Jan 5th 2012, 10:40 am
#50
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Re: Headline news tomorrow: French woman arrested for strangling MIL with teabag stri
I have to say that when I look at the MIL at 68 and at my aunt at 69, they couldn't be more different. My aunt goes scubadiving, skiing and trekking. She's constantly on the go or looking after her grandsons and enjoying life. They are from a different planet!
You definitely must be British to understand... 
Latest news: she has drunk herbal tea and it was "rather nice". Apparently she tried herbal tea once before, didn't like it and decided that black tea was much better just before bed. It's taken us over a month to convince her to try the herbal tea which is different from the one she tried about a hundred years ago...
Today, she came out to her son with:
"I know you must be disappointed that I still haven't stopped smoking, but really I am weak-willed and also, when you and Elice argue, I find refuge in the garden with a cigarette" - WTF?????
She has been saying for years she wants to stop smoking. We even sent her the Allen Carr book a few months ago when she said she was trying to quit before she came over. She hasn't read the fluking book and of course she hasn't packed it in her suitcase 
and now she is blaming her smoking on our arguments? We've been living in Australia for nearly 10 years FFS, and we've seen her maybe 6 times in that time! How is it that our arguing on the other side of the bloody planet has stopped her from quitting? 
And we didn't even argue for the first 2 weeks of her stay here and she was still puffing away! 
Jan 5th 2012, 10:42 am
#51
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 9,668
Re: Headline news tomorrow: French woman arrested for strangling MIL with teabag stri
My parents are pretty good too. They are not much younger than MIL (she's 68) and they are always doing things, going places, having dinner parties, visiting people. I know that financial means play a part, but I reckon you can still find intersting things to do and people to see even if you haven't got much money.
I have to say that when I look at the MIL at 68 and at my aunt at 69, they couldn't be more different. My aunt goes scubadiving, skiing and trekking. She's constantly on the go or looking after her grandsons and enjoying life. They are from a different planet!
Alright, I'll ease off on the tea and coffee-drinking criticism then! You definitely must be British to understand...
Latest news: she has drunk herbal tea and it was "rather nice". Apparently she tried herbal tea once before, didn't like it and decided that black tea was much better just before bed. It's taken us over a month to convince her to try the herbal tea which is different from the one she tried about a hundred years ago...
Today, she came out to her son with:
"I know you must be disappointed that I still haven't stopped smoking, but really I am weak-willed and also, when you and Elice argue, I find refuge in the garden with a cigarette" - WTF????? She has been saying for years she wants to stop smoking. We even sent her the Allen Carr book a few months ago when she said she was trying to quit before she came over. She hasn't read the fluking book and of course she hasn't packed it in her suitcase and now she is blaming her smoking on our arguments? We've been living in Australia for nearly 10 years FFS, and we've seen her maybe 6 times in that time! How is it that our arguing on the other side of the bloody planet has stopped her from quitting? And we didn't even argue for the first 2 weeks of her stay here and she was still puffing away!
I have to say that when I look at the MIL at 68 and at my aunt at 69, they couldn't be more different. My aunt goes scubadiving, skiing and trekking. She's constantly on the go or looking after her grandsons and enjoying life. They are from a different planet!
Alright, I'll ease off on the tea and coffee-drinking criticism then!
You definitely must be British to understand... Latest news: she has drunk herbal tea and it was "rather nice". Apparently she tried herbal tea once before, didn't like it and decided that black tea was much better just before bed. It's taken us over a month to convince her to try the herbal tea which is different from the one she tried about a hundred years ago...
Today, she came out to her son with:
"I know you must be disappointed that I still haven't stopped smoking, but really I am weak-willed and also, when you and Elice argue, I find refuge in the garden with a cigarette" - WTF?????
She has been saying for years she wants to stop smoking. We even sent her the Allen Carr book a few months ago when she said she was trying to quit before she came over. She hasn't read the fluking book and of course she hasn't packed it in her suitcase and now she is blaming her smoking on our arguments? We've been living in Australia for nearly 10 years FFS, and we've seen her maybe 6 times in that time! How is it that our arguing on the other side of the bloody planet has stopped her from quitting? And we didn't even argue for the first 2 weeks of her stay here and she was still puffing away! You can't make people do something they don't want to.
Jan 5th 2012, 10:49 am
#52
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Re: Headline news tomorrow: French woman arrested for strangling MIL with teabag stri
Jan 5th 2012, 10:57 am
#53
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Re: Headline news tomorrow: French woman arrested for strangling MIL with teabag stri
I know, but I wish she'd just own up to the fact she doesn't want to stop. It's not even as though we pester her about it or anything, she's the one who brings it up. Happy to give her support if we can, but she has to want it. And to stop coming up with lame excuses
Jan 5th 2012, 12:05 pm
#54
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Re: Headline news tomorrow: French woman arrested for strangling MIL with teabag stri
I know, but I wish she'd just own up to the fact she doesn't want to stop. It's not even as though we pester her about it or anything, she's the one who brings it up. Happy to give her support if we can, but she has to want it. And to stop coming up with lame excuses
Jan 5th 2012, 12:42 pm
#55
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Re: Headline news tomorrow: French woman arrested for strangling MIL with teabag stri
I concur with slaphead.
Jan 5th 2012, 10:48 pm
#56
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Re: Headline news tomorrow: French woman arrested for strangling MIL with teabag stri
Although Slaphead, I'm sure you meant to compliment me on my English as I am sure I don't speak Engish
I am indeed 100% French, born and bred there with all (well most) of my family still there, but I am also an Aussie now
Jan 8th 2012, 1:34 pm
#57
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Re: Headline news tomorrow: French woman arrested for strangling MIL with teabag stri
Are you that chick from the Mining ads?
Jan 8th 2012, 7:18 pm
#58
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Re: Headline news tomorrow: French woman arrested for strangling MIL with teabag stri
Wish I was a french bird
Jan 8th 2012, 7:48 pm
#59
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Re: Headline news tomorrow: French woman arrested for strangling MIL with teabag stri
You'd have been eaten!
Can you not put on ze sexy accent avec stockings?
(No offence)
Can you not put on ze sexy accent avec stockings?
(No offence)
Jan 9th 2012, 4:58 am
#60
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Re: Headline news tomorrow: French woman arrested for strangling MIL with teabag stri
Mining ads? What mining ads?
My OH thinks I should put on a French accent more often... I actually don't sound too French normally, to his despair. I have been asked if I am Canadian, Belgian, German, italian and even Irish 
People hear the accent but can't place it and so come up with all sorts of suggestions. French is rarely one of them
None taken
People hear the accent but can't place it and so come up with all sorts of suggestions. French is rarely one of them