Tell me about it. When we lived in Germany our holidays consisted of, visting my parents in Durham plus all the usual rellies then visiting hubbys family on Arran. We always managed to get someone unhappy cos they didn't get a visit. Yet when we moved back to Durham none of those people bothered visiting us, even after the boys arrived

WOW sounds like a good trip, i hope you have a great time
Mandy

Thanks, it should be pretty good except I don't really want to go to Bermuda anymore, I think I am about to have a falling out with the bride I dread her calling now because it inevitable means that I need to pay for something else I hadn't budgeted for

Oh who's the bride? A relative, weddings always cause rows
My sister asked me to be her matron of honour, i refused, as i'd just had my eldest and still looked huge.
also she gets on my nerves
When i got married , my mum told me i had to have my 2 sisters, various cousins and my brother as a page boy(im the eldest)
i managed to get a nursing friend to be chief bridesmaid, although i did want my gothic best friend to have that honour(you can imagine the rows that caused)
Mandy

The bride is a girl I was very close friends with at school. I agreed to be bridesmaid before Xmas when the understanding was I would just have to pay for flights, everything else would be provided as Bermuda is a bloody expensive place to live or visit. Then I'm told I have to buy my dress and then there is no accomodation I have to arrange my own and then she has a cheek to ask for a present Do you think it is rude to not buy a present, I'm just not sure how I could possibly pay for anything :scared:

the girl who i asked to be my chief bridesmaid, only had to pay for the hire of her dress. the night before the wedding she stayed with me in my room.
I provided the flowers, the night of the wedding she stayed with her fiance in a local hotel (her choice ) as my parents offered her my room.
She bought me a pair of earings as a pressie i certainly did not expect her to pay for a pressie for me .
i would be honest with her, explain that cos you now have to pay for a dress and accommadation that you cant afford a pressie.
Alternativly buy something cheap and cheerfull like tea towels
i tell you my nursing friends got me tea towels , dusters and all sorts like that and i thought it was great.
i even got a rolling pin of one of the ward sisters
Mandy

I will buy her a cuddly koala or something Or perhaps a boomerang for when she has her first argument with hubbie

I know a lot of people these days write lists of what they want, but when i got married as we had not lived together as he was in Germany and I'd been doing nurse training in Hull, i just cut pics out of the Argos and said we would like something like this (nothing expensive)ie bedding , towels etc.
I think something personal like what you suggested would be novel and a great reminder of you

Does she live in Bermuda or is it a fancy wedding/honeymoon package?
Mandy

Sorry for butting in but that is really cheeky of her. Sounds like you will be forking out the equivalent cost of an average wedding just to get there.

Buy a postcard from Melbourne wrap it for her .

Hi Mr bear
I saw your reply earlier, will email you over the weekend
Mandy

Tell me about it, John and I coulda got married instead

LOL I'll wrap up a bill and give it to her.

I'm reading a book about the men who went to the moon and they were paid $32 expenses or something stupid. So one of them sent an invoice to NASA basically billing them as if they were paying a pilot (think it was for a few thousand $?) so NASA sent them an invoice in return for 1 launch ready Saturn V rocket $62 million

SHOCK HORROR you live in sin
Mandy

Yes, afraid so, has been approx 7 years now We weren't allowed to mention it to my grandparents for approx 5 years but then next to my sister I'm an angel anyway

Living in sin was not so bad

Just ment a few weeks in a hotel when the future inlaws were in town.

We didn't get the choice if i wanted to live with hubby, and he was in Germany we had to get married. otherwise we would have not bothered.
I feel so old when i say me and hubby have been together 19 years(married for 16)
AS he says he would have got less for murder
Do you think you will marry?
Mandy

John's mother keeps having a chat with me about not getting pregnant before we are married because that is wrong :scared: