jandy44

Im sure Brisca is due back home from the UK today,I wonder if she has returned and how her stay here has been....................oooops she is back on Wends............





Brisca xxxx

BriscasBetterHalf

Yes you got it, back about midnight Wednesday night.... So after a lie in suppose u might see Sam Thursday pm sometime.

jandy44

Oh good I hope she has had a good time here ,Im sure the weather picked up in the end.Looking forward to hearing from her again...............

Lionda

You've missed her then

BriscasBetterHalf

3 weeks and 2 days............ yes I think it would be fair to say I've missed her

brisca

Well HELLO everyone!

Thanks for the lovely welcome back Jean; that was really kind

This is just a quickie to let you all know that I'm home safely.
Got back at midnight on Wednesday.

I spent Thursday morning socialising in the village and catching up with friends.
Had lunch and then a lovely siesta - oh, tis great to be home!!
A friend brought her 2 week old puppies round this evening; adorable!
Then it was time for my English conversation student to visit.
Before I knew it, it was 10pm and I still hadn't caught up properly with my elderly neighbour!
Went round to see her till 11.30, and came home laden with tomatoes, peppers, onions and potatoes!
Took the dog for a walk, had a bite to eat and here I am - it's Friday already!

Got to go shopping tomorrow.........there's no food in the house!!!
O/H thinks he's done really well to have done the housework and changed the bed before I got back - he just didn't think about getting any fruit or veg in! Bless him.

Will shortly drop a few lines about my wonderful visit to meet Chris W and her lovely husband. They made me so very welcome, and it was so lovely to meet them both (and Josh the very handsome GSD, of course!)
Many many thanks to you again Chris, if you're reading this

Will also write a few words about the weather, the countryside, the floods.............!!

However, my Spanish social life has resumed in abundance - and the British footie season starts on Saturday! - so if I'm not around too much, you'll know why

I had a great time in the UK, and it was lovely to see my family and friends.
However, it's soooooooooo good to be back home!!

Hope everyone is OK?
I haven't had a chance to read any of the threads yet, other than the one about poor Sam's Sam and his worms and painful goolies
Hope the little lad is soon feeling a lot more comfortable, Sam.
Bet he'll be pleased to see the end of this year; it's been a nightmare as far as his health is concerned, eh?

Right lovely friends, I'm off to see if I can sleep for more than 4 hours tonight.
Make of that what you will Lionda .............honestly, we were TALKING till 3am

Looking forward to catching up with you all soon.
Take very good care.
Love Sam xx

jandy44

Good to see you back Sam goodnight god bless catch up soon

chrisw

Hi Sam! It's solovely to hear from you. We have all missed you! It was lovely to have met you and I SO enjoyed our afternoon last week. Did we stop talking at all do you think? Have a lovely sleep and will catch up with you in a couple of days as my friend and her daughter are coming up tomorrow for the week end. They should arrive at about 6, but I don't finish work til 8 so will be feeling like a LONG day tomorrow! Talk soon Sam,
Love and hugs, Chris XXX

rugbymatt

Welcome back Sam!!

Thank god you are back, its been going nuts on here since you left!!

brisca

Oops! Forgot to say folks........................

Another reason for possible delays in posting, is that one of our monitors is broken - so O/H and I are battling it out for use of the remaining one!
It could get nasty!!


Morning Matt
Do you know, I couldn't get to sleep last night, so I read a few threads....
and I'm starting to get an idea of how it's all been going nuts on here!
I especially noticed the "Shhhhhh, it's quiet" thread - but I gave up "reading" after about page 6!!

Bit of a shock about Big Pete too!

I don't know; it's a bit like coming back to the village and finding that 3 people have died, and one's had a heart attack since I've been away!!

Hello Chris!
Hope you have a fantastic weekend with your friend, and that the sun shines for you. Will look forward to catching up with you very soon.
I do hope you're going to extend the same wonderful hospitality to your friend as you did to me................I especially enjoyed drinking from the small coffee cups!!
(Sorry folks, "private" joke, that Chris may or may not choose to explain!!)

Hello Jean
Well, thanks for the wishes for a good night's sleep. Unfortunately they didn't work! Never mind, I'm sure a long haul around the supermarket shortly will send me off to sleep!
It sounds like you've finally managed to tear your hubby away from work and the house decoration, and that you're going to be visiting Spain soon?
Good for you!
I haven't had time to search through all the threads for more info.
If there's a thread about your trip, please can you send me the link?
(now that you're a very clever "puter operator" )
If there isn't a thread..............why not!?
Can't wait to hear more about your plans!

Am afraid the supermarket is calling, so will say hasta luego to you all.
Love and hugs,
Sam xx

rugbymatt

What can I say...........

jandy44

Good Morning Chris,its so nice to have heard that you have met Sam,wonderful,I hope you are keeping well,I hope you have a really nice weekend with your friends.Take good care..........xxxx

jandy44

Morning Sam,I have not started a thread about our forthcoming trip ( perhaps I ought ) because hopefully its going to be eventful.
Sorry to hear you,v not had a very good night,looking forward to hearing all about your trip to the UK.
I bet there was lots of sloppy hugs and kisses from Sholoh when you arrived home ,how is she coping with the heat.
I will try and PM you soon and catch up with all the news.Have a good day,take care............

brisca

Hi folks!

Well, I’ve been back from the UK for a week now, so I thought it was about time I spent a bit of time catching up with you lovely lot (and besides which, Jandy reminded me that I was supposed to be filling people in on my trip!)

It’s been a really hectic time since I got back; coupled with the fact that we’ve had to share the PC – so I haven’t had much of a look in!
Anyway, O/H has gone to the UK today – just for a few days – so I’ve got the PC all to myself
O/H’s flight was delayed from Madrid for almost 2 hours………..I had exactly the same experience when I flew out. Good old Hasslejet!

Anyway, I won’t bore you with all the details of my 3 weeks away – but thought you might like to know about a couple of things:

The weather!
(Had to discuss that, didn’t I!?)

Well, bear in mind that I arrived on 16th July and returned on 8th August………..the warmest it got was a heady 22 degrees!! Mind you, I had to wait almost until August to experience that “heatwave”; July was a flipping washout (in more ways than one!)
Apparently, the weather I experienced in July was an IMPROVEMENT on the previous situation, so I suppose I should count myself quite lucky!
I don’t know how people were coping with the continual grey days and rain, day in and day out; it was more like October than July!
Thankfully I’d taken a good supply of jeans and long sleeved tops, but I had to buy some socks for my poor little cold tootsies!

I feel so sorry for everyone having to put up with the summer you’ve had in the UK


The floods!
Yes, just what you’d expect during the British summer!

I was due to visit friends in Gloucester!!
I didn’t want to add to their problems, but they were more than happy for me to share their misery for 3 days………..so off I went.
I was quite amazed that the trains were running, and was surprised not to see too much evidence of water laying about the area (this was on the Thursday, after the worst of the flooding on the Sunday/Monday)
However, by the time I arrived, the city was without drinking water, and nothing was coming out of the taps.

Thankfully, my friends’ house wasn’t flooded, so of course they were luckier than some. They have a 9 month old baby, so obviously her needs were paramount.

They described how eerie it had been in the city centre during the worst of the flooding; with almost everything forced to close.
Their lane had been underwater only a couple of days before I arrived; and both sets of their parents had been “marooned” in their respective villages. Frustratingly, all the parents had running water available – but just couldn’t get out of where they lived, to offer help initially.

You may have read stories about people contaminating water in the bowsers that were provided; either by urinating in them, or adding bleach to the water!! Others just opened the taps, and let the water drain out
Doesn’t it just make you sick that people can stoop to such irresponsible behaviour?
My friend said that the situation had brought out both the best in community spirit, and the worst of human nature.
Needless to say, we weren’t keen on using the bowser water for anything other than flushing the loos!

Supermarkets were handing out free bottled water, and we certainly didn’t have to queue or fight for them! The situation seemed to have been handled very well, in that respect.

We collected RAIN water in the baby’s paddling pool, for more loo flushing (although they were only flushed once a day if it was “yellow stuff!!”)
It really does make you appreciate how much water is used for all the daily functions, and how much we take its availability for granted.
It wasn’t such a shock to the system for me, because here in our village we are often without water!!
Despite their difficulties, my friends were obviously very aware of the fact that just a few miles down the road, other people had flooded houses. Also we talked about how millions of people around the world are without water on a daily basis, with nothing like the infrastructure that exists in the UK. We also talked about all the hundreds of thousands of people worldwide, who are affected by natural disasters like floods, earthquakes and so on – and that we still had an awful lot to be grateful for.

Like I said previously, it was poor Chris W who bore the brunt of my inability to shower, when I moved on from Gloucester to her neck of the woods!

Meeting Chris W
Bless her and her husband, they made me incredibly welcome
There I was at the train station with my 4 pieces of luggage (don’t ask!) I wasn’t wearing a rose in my lapel (!) and there was this woman at the station entrance looking like she was looking for someone! So I hesitantly asked “Chris??” and she replied “Sam??” and then you couldn’t shut the pair of us up!!
I got a lovely welcoming lick on the ear when I got into the car………………..from Josh the handsome GSD, who was sporting a very ingenious line in protective footwear (a cut down bottle of coke!) to look after his poorly broken leg.

After several cups of tea, a huge spread of delicious food, several slices of Chris’ fabulous home made lemon cake, a tour of their beautiful house and garden (can’t understand why it hasn’t been snapped up yet??) a show of photos from my village and surrounding area, several more cups of tea and LOTS of talking, I had to leave quite suddenly when my other friend came to collect me. She had two tiny children waiting in the car, so I obviously couldn’t linger too long in my goodbyes to Chris and Bob – which I felt terribly guilty about
It was a wonderful day, and I can’t thank them enough for their generosity and fantastic hospitality

I can definitely recommend meeting up with fellow forum friends if you get the opportunity. It’s lovely to be able to put a face to a name, and I feel really privileged to have met such gorgeous people.

“My” boy at school
Some of you may recall that the main reason for visiting the UK at this specific time, was so that I could see the class of 11 year olds that I used to work with, in their last week at Primary school.
Well, it was every bit as wonderful as I anticipated, and I had such a great time with them all – and especially “my” boy; a lad with Aspergers Syndrome, whom I used to support on a 1:1 basis. In fact, I stayed overnight with him and his family, and we also went to see the new Harry Potter film together – so I saw him lots
He’s more handsome than ever, very chilled out and mature and I was incredibly proud of him
He was awarded the Cup for achievement in English, which is so very well deserved as his writing skills are phenomenal.
I watched him and his classmates perform “The Tempest” in the school garden one evening (amazingly it didn’t rain!) and he was one of 3 children (Sprites) performing from the boughs of a huge old oak tree! Thankfully, Health and Safety madness hasn’t completely taken over in rural Somerset, so the children were able to perform whilst wearing safety harnesses. It added a really novel touch to the whole thing; and as always the children all performed brilliantly.

Also during that week, I went to the head teacher’s retirement party; a huge bash in the school grounds, which 500 people attended! (It DID rain that night – thank goodness for marquees!)
The children played a huge part in that night too; they sang and played musical instruments, in a specially put together concert in the Head’s honour.

The countryside
My travels were all in Somerset, Devon, Gloucestershire and Wales – so obviously a lovely part of the country to be in
I don’t miss life in the UK one little bit, but I couldn’t stop marvelling at all the greenery around me (when I could see it through the banks of rain!)
Obviously that rain does some good though, because the countryside was stunning – and I found myself looking at it through new eyes, thinking about how my Spanish friends would love to see it.
The countryside where we live in Spain is greener than many parts of the country, but it still has yellow and brown expanses at this time of the year!

Health & Safety gone mad!
I thought some of you might appreciate this little story....................
I went with the friends from Gloucester, to have lunch in a pub on the outskirts of Bristol (honestly, the things you’ll do when you haven’t got any water; the excitement of having running water to wash your hands is incredible!)

Anyway, as I said previously, they have a 9 month old daughter.
So, her dad went to the bar with her bottle and asked if they could warm it in the microwave.
“Sorry, can’t do that in case the bottle explodes in the microwave!!”

So he asked for a container of hot water.
“Sorry, not allowed to pass you the hot water across the bar, in case you injure yourself!!”

Eventually (after about a 15 minute wait) the baby finally got her bottle………. after the barman took it upon himself to don his chemical warfare suit, and ventured to dunk the offending bottle into warm water, all by himself!!
He may have needed counselling after such a dangerous feat, but no doubt he had received top class training in the art of bottle warming – so perhaps we don’t have to fear for his sanity too much!!
Our sanity however, was sorely tested by the ridiculousness of the whole situation (and the fact that the pub and service was diabolical!)

It does make me chuckle, all this H&S stuff. I’m all for being sensible and aware, but it seems the “I’ll sue you for anything I can think of” brigade has ruined any possibility of common sense prevailing!
It’s even funnier, when here in our village there are frequently holes being dug in the ground (usually to mend the ancient water pipes, and rectify the aforementioned lack of water problems!)
Well, if we’re lucky, someone thinks to put a warning triangle somewhere in the vicinity of the hole……………but otherwise (even in the dark) the general assumption seems to be “there’s a hole in the ground; you can see it, so walk round it and don’t be daft enough to step in it!!”
Talk about from the sublime to the ridiculous!

Children and dogs!
Right, this is my last word now, because this post is far too long as it is - and I need to take the dog out!

One of the best things about my trip was the amount of time I got to spend with children and dogs! Many of my friends either have children, dogs – or both!
Apart from all the fun at school, I spent lots of time with two little babies that have been born since we moved to Spain. One is 9 months old, and the other 4 months
I had so much fun “chatting” to them, and marvelling at all the things they can do already.
I was also blown away by my friend’s little 2 and a half year old, who entertained me non-stop with all his knowledge, questions and funny little expressions. I also had a wonderful time with another friend’s 20 month old son who has boundless energy, and loves having stories read to him. Well, I was totally in my element!

Not having any children of our own, my most favourite moments were when I had a gorgeous warm, snuggly little person sitting on my lap first thing in the morning (yes, even very early in the morning!) with a chubby little hand resting on my arm, with my chin resting on their soft little head………….and just taking in their smell and marvelling at the trust this little being puts into you! Aah, gorgeous!

I also had a wonderful “fix” of GSDs and Collies, so all in all it was a pretty perfect trip!

Right, now you’re sorry you asked, aren’t you Jean!!?
That should have sent everyone off to sleep by now!!

Nite nite all

Love Sam xx

Sam Greenfield

Hi Brisca
Glad you had a good time and are safely back home now - yep you were lucky with the weather not been good at all - turning back to cold and rain now this past few days but as you say there have been lots of people who have had lots of problems with flooding so i consider myself very lucky.
Well it was good to read your adventures especially the one about your old place of work - i work with kids with special needs and as you say its brill - i love it and am hoping to do something similar when we get out to Spain fingers crossed.
Take care