Something is not working quite right... I've done a quick edit twice & won't fix it so will give up & just "add my piece".

Jean, if memory is right, when Senior Net dumped us, Pat already had Christian Photographers running so carved a spot in that site for us to meet. Wasn't long we had our own space that Pat named: Seniors & Friends. Michael had helped her keep the places running and took over when Pat got sick. I don't know diddly-pooh about how any of this works, but one of my kids told me most sites keep afloat with selling advertising & donations. WE owe Michael a big thanks for keeping us connected as far as I can tell. So that is all I know about anything. 

I am alright, didn't want to to worry you but it was BT who set me up tv-internet-landline phone, then the next day all went down, they took it all away from me, ( i had to pay for it ) and no i am not happy with the BT company but now they have tied me into a 2 year contract if i want a BT line installed...As i type i have the BT engineer in my home setting up landline-tv, and as you can see he has gotten my computer up and running but i have not yet gone into my emails, i know i have missed so many important emails i am frightened to even look...And yes a complaint will be on its way to BT...As i have been pushed into a 2 year contract i wont be able to go with another company unless who deals with my complaint can get a result to cancel with BT...I am hating what BT has done to me, the non stop phone calls...BT technical guy is still here working on my TV, he is having problems..

Jackie, what a relief to hear from you and that it was only your technical stuff keeping you away, not your health.  Bless you.  So glad you're back.

Tomereader - Everyfriend
...thank you for caring...yes this past fortnight has been a nightmare without landline and internet, even my tv was not previously set up as it should have been, it is now...
Before internet and landline was disconnected from me i had gone online ( i had internet for one day, landline for two days ) i had just booked online for the British Heart Foundation charity to come to my home to collect several largish items, they never came but i have now managed to re-book and they are coming Monday, these items are taking up a lot of room in the living room, previously had been in the narrow hallway stopping me from getting out of the door with my rollator and even my mobility scooter which i have to charge up at my electricity expense in my hallway as yet no allocated space using their free chargers in the mobility sheds outside the buildings...
When you come from a house with your partner and three dogs, then move to a small apartment, no garden, very little storage, the tiniest of kitchens, it hits us hard when we have to downsize to the life we once knew, the life we once lived...This downsizing is going to take me some getting used to...I am also to the front, the traffic noise, the heat, my place is like living in a greenhouse, i have to have my floor fan going all day, if i open the window i cant hear the tv for the traffic whizzing past...This is a different way of living but at least i have come back home, this is where i belong, although how the Town has changed and not for the better...so many nationalities..and so much rougher and dirtier looking to my first 50 years living in it, and of course the buildings that have sprung up..

FYI: California Wild Fires: Our Marilyne, who lives in California is only about 15 miles from where they are evacuating people.  She can see the fires on the side of the mountains, and there is heavy smoke, and ash falling.  Keep her in your thoughts and prayers, and for those who are in this site and can communicate with our other members, please let them know.

Glad to see you are okay, Jackie. I totally understand the battle of being bullied into a 2 year contract. I put up with dropping phone calls & off & on internet for years. Got my first bill with AT&T, good thing they warned me it was going to be "higher than promised".... so many excuses. So will be watching for the next one & will jump up & down if not what the sales lady promised! Was keeping the scooter charged up part of the package deal? Maybe they can get the new kind of adapters to plug more than one into an outlet. I know it takes time. All the the furniture in my house will have to go because it is very large stuff and nothing would fit into the apartments or condos they build for "seniors". "I feel your pain"... we spent a lifetime collecting this stuff and hate to part with it.

My daughter has spent a month with her oldest daughter, husband & 2 kids to help them get organized after a move from one coast to the other. Both parents are working at home right now (same company) so have offices set up but kids are not able to to go school or day care yet and I think she said "baby sitting costs $38 per HOUR, can't find nanny help. At least in the month my daughter has been there they got the house entirely furnished to their needs and all the problems that show up (like the upstairs AC didn't work, had to get a new disposal put in, yard work taken care of). The company allowence for rental property was fantastic and property management has handled what needed to be done, but without my daughter being there to take care of business & kids, the parents could not have been on their jobs all day!

It is nearly bedtime and I haven't eaten yet. Do hope every day is a little better, Jackie. 

Thanks for the heads up, Tome... prayers are always nice to share. I have not been watching the news so had not heard where the fires are. I have friends & family out there so will check all out. Shirley

Shirley - Everyfriend
...another issue i faced was one of the two part-timers manageresses said i could not ride my fold-up travel mobility scooter inside the building, i needed insurance cover to be able to do that so another thing i had to set up without landline phone, anyway all set up and start date was - is from that same day which includes my inside home contents insurance...thank heavens they gave me over my mobile phone conversation a reference number as the manageress ( neither do i particularly like, one told is Russian ) who only comes in for a couple hours per day scrutinised the form with my squibbled handwriting notes i jotted on it and photocopied it as my proof but i have to keep folding the scooter to get it in and out of the small lift as and when i use it outside to travel anywhere and even then, oh the pavements, absolutely shocking, the cracks, the different mixtures of stonework, the unevenness, the pot-holes, it makes me a nervous wreck when out and about in the streets, and then i have to look for the slopes both sides of the road to drive down and up on, not forgetting the stationary cars that are parked half on the road-half on the pavement, albeit stopping me from getting past, or fear my mobility scooter will scratch their car...oh yes so many ignorant to the disabled people around...Mind you, i have had a few considerate motorists stop to let me and my mobility scooter cross the road, i usually put my hand up to say a thank you, then my mobility scooter stops, i give a chuckle as i am now holding that poor motorist up...not intentionally of course..not forgetting i am moving on it at its slowest speed...even a snail will be going faster than me..

I am only hanging onto items, furniture that mean a lot to me, stuff that Richard and i first bought to set up our forever home soon after we got engaged and moved into our house together...or items we bought when on holidays together...but some expensive recent bought stuff has been literally given away as no room for it-for them...but have no specific meaning to me, so as my late father would have said to me...." you can kiss it goodbye " and i have..

I am crying " no not again " lost my internet, now back in but now cant get tv connection...this is going to start up all over again with BT...TV now back in but i dont trust all this, i feel it is going to go dead again on me after forking out all this money to BT...
*****************************

I am reading all missed posts since BT cut me off for 12-13 days and thank you all dear friends who showed concern over me and missed me...I am truly touched...although on tenterhooks this will happen again, i do not trust BT...

Everything is better here this morning.  It was a long sleepless night, because you never know what's going to happen next, when the wildfires get the upper hand, as they have here.   There was the possibility we would be told to evacuate, but fortunately we weren't.  The town of Los Gatos, where we live,  is at the foot of the Santa Cruz Mountain range, on East side, and the town of Santa Cruz is on the West side.  In between is a heavily forested area that contains many small communities, with lots of homes, businesses, ranches, and campgrounds.  Big Basin Redwoods State Park, is located up there. 

Every active wildfire is given a name.  This one is called,  the CZU Lightning Complex fire.  It's been burning for a a couple of days, and firefighters are working hard to save as much as possible of the communities and homes.  One big problem being that this is only one of the many wildfires burning throughout  Northern CA .  As a result, Firefighters are in short supply, so citizen volunteers are helping in every way possible.   Fire crews from other States are arriving.    People are basically so good!  They come together in a catastrophe, and help each other in so many ways . . . by taking burned out families into their homes, providing food for firefighters, rescuing domestic pets and taking them to shelters, and so much more.  Everybody is working together, under difficult circumstances. 

The event that caused these fires, was upwards of 10,000 dry lightning strikes throughout Northern CA, starting on Saturday night and continuing for 24 hours.   The temperatures during this  time, were 100 degrees, on up to 108 degrees in some areas.   No rain of course, and there won't be any rain for a couple of months yet.   Mother Nature can  be very cruel at times.   

Marilyne...
...i cant for the life of me imagine the situation you have described which last week here in my now part of the UK country our temps hit the mid 90's, and i was hot hot hot...yet here in UK we-i dont hear of wildfires - forest fires, although small ones must be going on in some remote parts of UK...
So sad that humans have to flee their homes or worse, stand and watch their livelihood burn and not forgetting the innocent animals and their youngsters..

I have not seen anything on our UK news channel about your fires...

Gosh, I have not been able to get into S & F all week. Today is the first time I have been able to get in since Monday.  However, I do see where others have been here.  I know that Michael had said the site would be down for a while.  But, I have tried every day. 

Anyway, glad it worked this time.

Jackie, I am glad to see that you are ok,.... But, sorry about all your current problems with your phone and internet.  But, just give it a little bit of time.  Moving is always such a stressful job, and when you have problems, just makes it a little bit worse.  However, eventually, things will all fall into place.

I am sorry that you are having problems getting around on your scooter.  My husband had one, and there were times when he couldn't get by a car that was parked half on the sidewalk, also.  And, then there were times when someone would have parked in the way of getting the ramp to  our van opened up so he could get in.  Sometimes people can be so inconsiderate.  Just hang in there, and hopefully, you will be able to figure things out better.

The fires are terrible out in California.  Marilyne, sure hope that you will be able to stay safe in your area.  Will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

I did go back and read the previous messages, and do hope everyone is doing ok.  Not doing much today, as I didn't feel all that great when I first got up.  So, haven't gotten much done today.  I do need to finish loading the dishwasher and get that going.

Please stay safe,

Joy

I haven't posted for several days and was so glad to see a post from Jackie And Marilyne that they are all right when I checked the forum today.

I haven't been watching much TV but did read about the wild fires in CA.  Marilyne, I am so glad you didn't have to evacuate.  We lost power this morning, but thank goodness it was only about a half hour.

We've had several night thunder storms and plenty of rain.  Have a good day everyone!

Good afternoon,

I had the patio door and a window at the other end of the house open all morning.  The a/c didn't even come on until almost noon.  Really nice to have things aired out - even if it did make me sneeze.

Jackie and Marilyne,  glad to see you back amongst us.
 
So sorry, Jackie, that there are so many issues to deal with in your new home.
 
Marilyne,  I've seen news stories about the fires but didn't realize you are so close to them.  Firefighters from Oklahoma went to....I think it was New Jersey...to help with hurricane cleanup and then went directly to Iowa to help with the damage from the.....terrible wind storm (I can say it but can't spell it).  Wouldn't surprise me if they end up in California to help with the fires.

I've just passed the half-way mark on album pages.  If I can keep up this pace, I may have it "ready for inspection" by son before dil's birthday on September 12.
I'm using a different color page for each year and there are a few years for which I have no pictures;
Neatest thing is that I discovered how to open a blank document in Word and insert things I can use for titles (for instance:  "Big 12 Championship", something that says "Montana" (or whatever) with an appropriate logo, or a drawing of a helicopter to go with pix of a ride they took in Hawaii). Then print out the page and carefully cut around each thing.
Really neat for identifying what each topic is.

...and now I need to Get Busy with today's self-assignment.

Hoping Everyfriend Everywhere can find something to Enjoy today.

Joy - FlaJean...seems we three have been absent and missed for these past few days - weeks...good we are all back and posting again...

Just switched on a tv Chanel and watching classic performance Shirley Bassey and Neil Diamond, not sure what year ( must be a good 30 years ago ) judging  by the way they are dressing - several change of outfits so varying shows, quite some years ago but good listening to them and part watching them whilst on the computer at near 9.30pm...Seems she last performed 2002...our Queens 50th Jubilee party at Buckingham Palace..

Goodness, I didn't realize that Shirley Bassey was still singing in 2002. Last time I remember going to see her in concert was in Blackpool and this was in 1962. Going to have to look up on UTube and see what has happened to her in all these years.

Glad to see things getting back to normal here.

Marilyne - I've been thinking about you all day. I saw on the news that parts of California are having rolling blackouts and with the heat you're having, I can't imagine not having A/C. I am so hoping you aren't affected by the blackouts! And praying the wildfires stay away from your area. So sad that many are losing their homes.

Jackie - I hope your internet/TV problems are over. With time, things will settle down and you can begin to enjoy your new surroundings. Seniors and Friends ran into some glitches after the server change but it looks like that may be solved.

Joy - You and several others went among the missing for awhile. I could get in but most of the time "nobody was home"! I haven't checked the Soda Shoppe yet, but all I could get were some very recent posts.

Callie - Nice that you could have some fresh air for awhile. I love it when I can open the doors for some cross-ventilation.

Jean - We had rain for a few hours the other day.....the kind that actually does some good. Every day we start out with sunshine and by afternoon it's dark and dreary. Good napping weather. 

Shirley - I'm sure your granddaughter appreciated her mother's help. Childcare is so expensive and many parents are unable to work with children out of school. We've moved and downsized so many times but still have more than we could take if we decided to go into assisted/independent living.

Jeanne P...
...wikipedia says Shirley Bassey sang - performed August 2019 at UNICEF's Summer Gala Sardinia singing Goldfinger - Diamonds are Forever, she also appeared on the Ball and Boe tv Christmas special December 2019, she is now 83 years old...

Beverley...
...13 days away from S & F's was too much for me, as soon as i got back on my computer my first posting was to let you all know i am safe ( not in hospital ) i headed straight into S & F's before anywhere else...

I can't believe it is the 22nd already. This month is flying by fast. The temps are grudgingly staying below 90^o. 

Jackie, glad you are back and okay if frustrated over problems with the cable and getting around in your scooter. I never heard of having to get approval to use a mobility scooter indoors.

Marilyne, I am glad to see you posting and have not had to evacuate. I hope the smoke is not too bad there. Lots of strees there, living so near to the fires and smoke that can switch direction very quickly. My friend in Colorado, I think, is a bit miffed. She informed me that there are at least four fires going in CO and at least one major highway is/was closed because the fire was on both sides of it. but none of it is being reported, at least not here. She is up on the plains where she is getting smoke, but not too bad. It is the people down in the valley that are getting the brunt of the smoke.

My sister and I did lunch yesterday. We had planned on going to a restaurant with outdoor seating but there didn't seem to be anyone around. Too bad, because I really wanted to try their Chicken Fricassee. We went down the road to a place we had been to before (under different owners). That was a mistake, IMO. Sue said it was indoor seating (which she had wanted to avoid) but would not be crowded. She was right there. There was only one couple and they appeared to be relatives or friends of the waitress. No one was wearing a mask. I ordered an eggplant panini but what I got was what appeared to be a pressed chicken patty which was tasteless. The iced tea was nothing more than tinted water, almost as tasteless as the chicken. The panini bread was not what I expected, but was whatever that bread is that they make gyros with. It and the rest of the veggies and sauce was good, and the fries were tasty. Scratch that place of my list.  

MarsGal...
... thank you...
... yes unbelievable i needed insurance cover to use my " travel " scooter ( which i state " travel " scooter, the type one would be accepted on a plane ) to use inside this building and along its hallways and that it was not an on road scooter which one does need a licence for, oh and she ( the nicer of the two part time manager's ) photocopied my insurance number as proof to place on her - my file...She made sure i was authorised...

Bubble, has been off line and will be for a few more days. Please keep her in your prayers please..

Here it is 12:30 and I'm trying to get a few things done.  I did get a wash of white things going and did the bathrooms and now resting a few minutes.  I don't seem to have much energy these days.

Our son-in-law is doing the lawn.  We've had plenty of rain so everything is nice and green.

Our grandson was back in the hospital but I think he is home now.  His cancer is taking over his body.  The new treatments just haven't worked.

There is a possibility of two tropical storms (or hurricanes) brewing at the same time in the Gulf which is rare "they" say.  We are keeping an eye on the weather. The fires in the west are bad.  We'll be praying, Marilyne, that you and all your family are safe.

Hope everyone has a good day.

FlaJean...
... saddened to hear grandson is not clear of his cancer but " there is always hope " and we never know what is waiting " around that next corner."

There is another quiz for those who wish to participate.

https://www.seniorsandfriends.org/index.php?msg=183047

I noticed that Bubble hasn't been around, Amy. I hope she is okay.

Jean - I'm so sorry that the treatments haven't helped Jason. I will continue to keep him, and his young family, in my prayers. 

MarsGal - nice that you and your sister met for lunch.  Sounds like the food left a lot to be desired, but at least you got out for some socializing! 

Beverly - Be thankful that you are in Florida, where the air is fresh and clean.  I know you have some serious lung issues, so you would have a difficult time here, with all the fires. Many people with breathing problems like asthma or COPD, are leaving town, and heading for areas like the Oregon Coast, where the air is fresh and clean!

Jackie - sounds like things are slowly settling down for you.  It takes some time, before everything falls in place, and you begin to feel comfortable your new home.  I'd forgotten all about Shirley Bassey, but good to hear she is still around.  Her rendition of the song "Goldfinger", was a massive hit, here in California.

Callie - Will you please send those hardworking OKC firefighters here to Northern California!     We haven't had any out of state fire crews so far,  and we need help desperately, with all these out of control fires! There was something I wanted to ask you about, but can't remember at the moment?      I'll leave you a message in the Library Bookshelf, later this afternoon.

Joy - Good to see you posting again, but sorry you haven't been feeling well.     it's hard to feel like doing much, with so many unpleasant things going on in the world.  The TV news stories are all very depressing to watch.   

I just realized that we haven't heard from Jenny, since the site opened again?   I hope she is okay, and just having a hard time getting back into S&F?   

Bubble has been ill since the 16th.

Marilyne...
...seems Jenny ( Denver ) has been popping in but has not posted since the 16th - 6 days ago...wondering if she is having problems posting...
...Just sent her an email...

AMY - I forgot to thank you for informing everyone that Bubble is very sick.  Please update us if you hear anymore on how she is doing?

Marilyne, I just sent an email to Jenny hoping that she was safe and okay

Another couple is Johann and Windell who've been absent since early last spring..

I'm so sorry about Bubble. Thanks for sharing, Amy.

Marilyne, you remembered  and I replied in the Library.

Haven't seen any news about the Oklahoma fire-fighters. Surely do hope they'll head west to help out.  The pictures of the fires are awful!!!!

Domestic Duties have taken most of the day but I hope to get some work done on the photo album this evening.  Surely nothing to watch on t.v. and I think I'm caught up on the Netflix series I like.  I'm not big on watching shows I've already seen.

Hoping Everyfriend Everywhere has found something to Enjoy about today.