Well done Gayle our intrepid traveller!  Moving Judi?  I recommend you come this way - wall to wall sunshine and NO SNOW now for months!  You can play on my sit on mower anytime you like then :-))  At the moment I want to move out NOW.  Cooked roast chicken dinne for me and Sam (Daniel working tonight) and Wayne came over and joined us, that was ok and I'm trying to get used to him, then I went out to sort out connections on my hose pipe thingy so I could get from the garage where the only outside tap is and reach the paddock where we have made the allottment.  Anyway that was "emotional" as they say nowadays, but I managed it, then went and watered the runner bean, tomato and sunflower plants in the propergator before coming in for a coffee (no Baileys be impressed!) and crashing in front of the tv. Sam and Wayne had vanished upstairs and as I flicked through the channels I realised Liverpool are playing tonight - Waynes team - so I went upstairs calling loudly "It's me, are you decent?" Sam called out yes so I went in to tell him only to find them both curled up in bed..... umm it's not 8 o'clock yet..... umm I want to be somewhere else now....... ohhhh get me out of here.  And then he said it's ok his mate is recording it for him.  Ewww I just don't want to think about this.

Right thinking of other things now.  Lynne so sorry to hear the news you were expecting but still never ready for, hugs to you and of course to Ellen.  A bit hurtful of your friend Judi, but then she is hurting at the moment isn't she and she may understand in time just how helpless we all feel as nothing we can say will help, you are such a lovley person though so I am frowning at her and sending you a big hug xxx  Patricia it's so frustrating hen that happens isn't it?  It's happened a few times to me on here and Facebook is always mucking me about, trouble is by the time you've written it all it's left the grey cells and you can't remember what you've said can you?  We love you though Patricia so don't let the cybergremlins get you!  Ailsa are you back yet? 

Right I am off again now, I'm sorry all the people I have left out, my sister just phone and interrupted the flow, so I am now sending you all lots of love and hugs as always, take care and look after yourselves - oh and I apologise to all that I nagged about cooking for yourselves and looking after yourselves I now understand what it's like, if there's no one else going to be in I just can't be bothered to cook properly and don't even feel hungry!  I wonder if I should find a commune for us all to move to, or start our own? xxxxxxxxxxx

Hi everyone.  I'm back, but not for long.  I will take my laptop with me this weekend but not sure when it will be working as Becky has disconnected her internet while she moves.

I had a lovely time in Liverpool.  I saw the sign for Southport and thought of you Helen.  We crammed loads into our couple fo days.  I have been to 2 museums, been on the magical mystery tour around the Beatles landmarks and shopped till I ran out of hands for the bags!!  I have laughed and cried!!  I didn't really associate this trip with Chris.  It is normal for me to constantly think about whether Chris would have enjoyed things but after the tour we ended up in the Cavern.  There was a John Lennon tribute on and he was very good so we stayed to watch.  Chris and I were not huge Beatles fans but enjoyed them.  Becky is a big fan.  However Chris was a big Lennon fan.  He chose Imagine as the song for the middle of his funeral service.  By the time the singer in the cavern had sung working class hero and imagine I was in bits.  I daren't look round at Stu & Suzanne.  Then all of a sudden I felt Stu take my hand - bless him - and hold it until the song finished.  We have eaten loads and had some fantastic cocktails in a fairly famous bar.  We have walked miles.  Stu & Suzanne still want to move to Liverpool in the future so watch this space.

Rosemary I loved reading about Jaydog - it was a lovely thing to happen and I am sure you are right.  Belated happy birthday from me to Daniel for his 20th.  It is hard having a birthday without his Dad.  Sorry about the awkward moments with Sam & Wayne.  Not too long till our meet is it?

Lynne I hope you Dad is soon feeling much better.  Please remember to take care of yourself while you watch out for your friend.  Good luck with the plans to make some changes in the house & stay put.  After I help Becky move this weekend I will start to do something about my garage changes.

Judi can't believe you are still getting snow.  Sounds like you did a good job of explaining things to you Dad.  They worry so - my Dad is really fretting about the first anniversary of Chris's death at the bank holiday and trying to figure out what he can do to help.  I am going to have dinner at theirs on the Friday night until Becky arrives.  I am so glad Becky is going to be able to come home for the bank holiday - I will worry less about how she is coping if I can see her.  Good luck if you decide to move & I hope your headache has gone.

Has Gayle arrived back yet?  Sounds like she is having some sort of mega journey back that she is never likely to forget.

Patricia how are you?  Can't believe you lost 2 posts - I would have given up then as well.

Sue - your RFL is on the same day as mine at Pontefract.  I seem to be doing okay for sponsors so far.  I think they are taking pity on me because I am doing 2 races.  I am doing the Wakefield one in May as well.

Hi Manda.  Your quote is so true and makes me feel like I should try harder to live my life - we'll see!!  How are you?  Have you had any better a day today?

Dot I haven't splashed in a puddle for years.  Hope you & Alan are okay x.

Good evening Jenni & John - I hope you are both okay.  Good luck with all the races & walks John.

Fiona glad to see you are still on-line and that Darren is enjoying being busy at his work.

Well I must go as in my usual style I have to be ready to leave straight to Becky's from work tomorrow.  That means I still need to have a shower, iron & pack tonight and I have a birthday card for a SIL to finish as well.  Trying to get done for midnight.  I hope you are all okay and that you have a decent night.  Take care everyone.  I will try my best to get on here over the weekend.  Ailsa xx

Evening All,   Lynne give your friend a hug from me, and as you say we all know what is in front of her. I do hope your dad feels better soon and the tablets help him. John good luck in your marathon. The race for life was taken away from Dumfries near where i stay so not able to do it now as the nearest is about 2hrs away. My sister just been on the phone and a neighbour has just died he got told last week he had the dreaded  C, and also a boy that i was at school with is in the hospital and not well at all  he had a brain tumour.  I texted Gayle tonight and she was on the train bound for Glasgow she must be shattered and i am sure she will be glad to get home. Judi laptop doing fine so Kim saved me some money. I have been off today and spent the day with Charlie and Kim she has another two Thurs off then she is back fulltime. Luv and Hugs to you all. Fiona xxxxxxxxxx  

Oh dear Rosemary, not what you wanted to see. It is one thing knowing but another thing seeing.  Oh well here are some lovely penguin hugs for you.  Please can I play with your sit-on lawn mower?? I actually want to ride a tractor but don't know anyone who has one.

Fiona sorry you cannot do the race for life but glad that you had a good day with your family.

Lynne hope your dad starts to improve soon it must be so frustrating for him and  for you all.

Glad to hear that Gayle is well on her way home by now.

Everyone else I hope the day has been good to you and that tomporrow is even better. I appreciate that important and significant anniversaries are looming and am here armed with tissues and outstretched arms for anyone who needs them.

Love and angel hugs to you all x x x Patricia x x x

Hi Patricia.  Looks like you had a bit more like with that post.  Just thought I would pop back on and wish you all a nice weekend - just in case we don't manage to get Becky's internet up & working after the move and I don't get back on for a few days.  Take care everyone.  Ailsa xx

Have a good weekend, my penguin friends - enjoy the sunshine

Sue xx

Hello everyone, hope you are home safe and sound now Gayle. 

I have had a better week this week, think it is because I was busy and saw people, it is still hard going home alone though.  I went to my first group session yesterday morning.  It was good, there are 6 of us, all women and 2 facilitators.  We are all in different stages and different circumstances but all have lost our partner.  This group continues every Thursday morning for 10 weeks and I think it will be a huge help for me.  It is in a beautiful country location and once the weather gets a little warmer, we can all sit outside for our chats. 

Otherwise I am plugging away at sorting out tools and junk, got a lot of garbage out last weekend, I must clear off the tools this weekend, my BIL is coming next Saturday to pick up Dan's car so I need to get the spare bedroom cleaned up a little for him.   Puppy and I are dog sitting May4-10 so I want to get the neighbour's dog over and introduce them.  That will be interesting. 

Lynne, extra hugs for you and your friend.  It will be tough for you to supportive right now.

Ailsa, Liverpool was one of our stops last summer, we had so looked forward to seeing the city and got the stomach flu, missed Dublin altogether and could only walk around the pier in Liverpool, we were still so weak.  I said I want to go back some day and see what we missed.

Patricia we will have to find you a tractor to sit on.

hope everyone has a good weekend

Hi all ,thanks for all the good wishes this week , i haven't seen my friend yet but will try and go to see her next week , i know she's got her family round her but i will go as soon as i can . Had a much better week (apart from the loss of a good man) i've been working with a man who i get on very well with and we have had a good laugh which always helps . I'm waiting for someont to come and collect the electronic drums now and feeling a bit like oh god how can i sell them ? but how can i keep 3 sets . I'm happy that they are going to a young lad and i've found out lots of extras for him , i think Gordon will be happy that they are going to a young boy who wants top learn .  Bren i know how you feel about sorting the tools out , i keep telling the boys to take some but they wont , they want to leave them here , oh well if i'm not moving now it doesn't matter that much .. Judi dont change your mind as many times as me lol , if you get the valuer in and look what you want to move and  you'll probably decide that you live in the right place anyway . Good luck with what ever you decide hun .. Well i'm off to York tommorow for the day with a group of widows from Face book , one or 2 of you have interacted , usually through my posts , i havn;t mat anyone before (only our Manda) so i'm looking forward to that . I'll have to bring the 2 groups together so if you get lots of friend suggestions from me , you'll   know why lol .. Any way i'll go and dust the drums , i'll be back later .. Hope everybody is doing ok and looking forward to the weekend

 xx Take care Lynne xxx

Hello everyone,

Well I am finally back!  What an adventure I had lol.  The holiday was okay but it was a family resort so it was a bit tough at times and Wully and I had been to Tenerife before so memories were brought back.  A week was long enough and when they said it could be the end of the month before we could be back I thought there is no way I can stay that long.  My mum and dad agreed to watch the boys and said I could go.  I met 2 girls at the resort from London and another lady and her son from Oxford and travelled on a flight to Madrid with them on Monday night.  They were really good company so we all kept our spirits up.  We stayed in a hotel in Madrid on Monday night then went to train station first thing Tuesday morning but it was a nightmare.  No trains.  There was a group of Brits hired a coach privately for £7000 and they needed 50 people to get it going at 140 euros a head and we got to 27, however they wanted cash up front and I would have been on it 20 hours to Paris so instead we decided just to get first train north.  We then met a guy from Telford so he came with us and we went to Santander.  We missed the navy boat (yes loved the comments lol) and spent the night there which was a really good laugh. 

We then went by bus from there the next morning to the border and got a train from there to Bordeaux which my friend Colin organised back home which was a godsend as everytime you got to a train station you couldn't get any tickets.  The train from the border to Bordeaux was terrible as I felt so sick from tiredness and was really flagging but just had to keep going.  Got off at Bordeaux for a couple of hours and had something to eat so that perked me up again and felt a bit better then we got the train to Paris and got there at midnight on Wednesday.  We then stayed in a hotel there.  I then left the others as the guy from Telford got a flight the next day from Paris and the girls got the 0643 Eurostar to London.  So Thursday was a bit strange as I started to feel a bit panicky because I was on my own and just had to keep giving myself pep talks.  A few people had collapsed at the station probably from all the travelling so that didn't help!  I then got the Eurostar at 1643 and got to London at 1800 then the train to Glasgow from another London Station and got in at midnight last night.  I was so tired though and felt really shaky.  Luckily Colin picked me up and took me straight home and have just been dozing on and off all day.  To say it was an adventure was an understatement but strangely I did enjoy it.  Met some lovely people on the journey, had a good laugh, saw very cool places and it was good for my confidence because as we all know that has been dented for all of us I think.  I now feel stronger and a bit more independant again and a bit clearer in my head about what I want. 

Ironically my family flew into Edinburgh today and will be home in a couple of hours!!!  Never mind - the problem was I didn't know when I would get home so didn't want to take the chance it could be another week.  So off to do my washing now and try and get caught up on everything happening since I went away.  Hope you are all okay and I have been following your posts.

Sending you all hugs

Gayle xx

Welcome home Gayle xxx