There's no one chatting today. We're all waiting for you to get back from your trip to the Ulster American Folk Park. Hope you had a good day out.

Thelma

Hi Thelma, the site looks so lonely; I was expecting loads of news from others. Nice that you missed me. Yes, we had a grrreat day at the Ulster & American Folk Park. It was really very interesting. In fact, it's 8 pm and we're just home. Had to have a wee juke at the net. Anyway, the weather was good, just a couple of wee showers, nothing to speak of. If you have been, excuse me boring you but if you haven't, and you're ever over here, make sure you pay a visit. It recaptures in every detail, even to the precise size of the ships taking the exiles, what the lifestyle was here before they set off. The poor were very poor, really poor with no lighting, no money and they all lived and slept in one room. But, there were examples of those who were a little bit better off, just a bit, and what they had, and it wasn't much. All the houses were re-built exactly, with the turf fires lit, and women dressed in the old costumes telling the history. There was a Presbyterian church, again very plain with just wood pews. There was also a Mass House. It too was similar to the church, very bare, just rows of forms. No heating of any description. Then we visited a school with a "teacher" at the desk. I forgot to say that there were 6 busloads of schoolchildren visiting today with their teachers. Anyway, some of the children were seated at the desks so I sat down too. My husband sat behind me. The teacher, after explaining how the schoolchildren were taught years ago, then put a few questions to the children. To my embarrassment, my husband stuck his hand up and answered a couple before I stared at him and said, "These questions are for the children". Men are so stupid, aren't they? We visited shops also on "this side" before boarding the ship which would take us to the new land - America. Even the ship, although it was the correct size, was really quite small. The living conditions for the passengers were just awful. One bunk for each family, no toilet facilities except what you made yourself, and no washing facilities. You can imagine what it was like. The fact is IT REALLY HAPPENED. One sixth of those who emigrated never reached America alive. They died from all sorts of diseases. Even so, they were willing to take the chance to have a better life. This, by the way, was BEFORE the potato famine. Then, when you got to the other side, you were given a view of what it would have been like for those arriving. America in those days was a hard place too. People had to work really hard but at least there was work. The emigrants would have seen for the first time jars of fruits like peaches, pears, etc. Dried foods too. Hams and fowl, game, that sort of thing, all in the shops. I could go on but it would take me all night. We spent 3 full hours there. We watched videos, read histories and listened to documentaries. It was fascinating. After all that, we had a meal out, drove home and collected our wee dogs from my daughter's house, so that's my gallivanting for another while.

And there's me thinking I had a hard childhood.
Did they do soda bread in those days?

Actually, I believe they did. Whether they could afford butter is a different matter.

Hi Ann,
Your visit to the folk park was interesting and I'll have to make a point of going there if we come to Ireland next year. I'm not into museums but I like to see how people lived long ago. My cousins took me all over the place but we never made it there. Have you been to Avoca where they filmed Ballykissangel(one of my favourite shows)? It's just a tiny village and my cousins and I sat outside Fitzgeralds and ate our icecreams.

Yesterday I took the day off from the computer and went to the gym in the morning and again in the evening and in the afternoon I went to the garden centre. Bought plants for my garden and some to take over to my daughter's house tonight. I like garden ornaments and bought one of a little boy and girl on a see-saw. This one's not too bad but some can be a little tacky looking. My husband hasn't seen it yet, it's not something he'd be wanting. Mind you, there is nothing of his in the garage that I'd want!

Thelma

Thelma, I don't like museums either but the Ulster/American Folk Park is not a museum. Most of it is outside and I know you would love it. Talking about garden ornaments, last year my two sons (stupid men) bought me for my birthday 2 awful looking garden ornaments of lady and gentlemen bowlers. Not only were they horrible looking, BUT I HATE BOWLS, as my husband played them for years, almost creating a divorce. They ARE displayed in the garden but they're ugly and grey to boot. Going to the garden centre tomorrow to buy more purple pansies to put in a big ceramic pot. I love my garden in the summer, have a few baskets, tubs, tomatoes in the greenhouse and various herbs. Great while the going's good.

Hi Ann,
Maybe you can plant a nice bushy shrub beside those bowlers and eventually hide them. I can just imagine the look on your face when you got them. Another trip to the garden centre today and I came home with a load of perennial flowers including purple pansies, shrubs and a gorgeous yellow rose bush. I love my garden in the summer too and it all starts with watching it come alive in the spring and checking out which plants made it through the winter and which ones succumbed to the cold weather. I've tried tomatoes in pots and I cannot grow them and yes they would do well in a greenhouse. I still haven't bought any annuals for my pots so I'm off to the garden centre again tomorrow.
Thelma

Thelma, one of the said sons who went halfers with the other to buy the ugly bowlers (and they are deliberately made to look ugly). Can you imagaine a fat woman with huge boobs, a grumpy looking face, wearing a sunhat with curls peeping out. That's the lady bowler. The man is almost as hideous, but not quite.

Well, as I say, the younger of the two sons asked me what I would like for Christmas. Forever needing bedroom slippers, and knowing he is always broke, I suggested a pair of slippers, size 5. No problem. I didn't even care what colour he would choose. On Christmas morning, when I opened the present he had bought, I discovered a very large looking pair of slippers and, sure enough, they were size 8. I looked at him for an explanation because I had told him the size to buy. He just looked, gave a lop-sided grin and said, "Well, that's all the size that was left in the shop. You can get them changed after Christmas". Are you surprised at the choice of garden ornaments now? Yes, I have already planted a hydrangea bush beside the bowlers and perhaps eventually they'll get "lost" in it.

Thomas, Thelma, Ann, dear Dabbler, all

Talking about gardens and all. In the winter Thomas gave me a remedy for curing my frost bitten fuchia. Well, you should see it today, better than ever, next to a magnificent philadephia and climbing pink roses. Actually, I was showing an American friend my garden, and she said "Call this a garden, I call this a yard!" And she is right, I have everything squashed into a patio type yard, but it sure is beautiful at the moment. And all the ornaments I have is a pink pig my dear son bought me years ago. Except my husband of course, when he sits and suns himself!

Liz

Liz, your garden sounds lovely, even if your American friend calls it a yard. They call gardens yards anyway, don't they? Anyway, what I want to know is, what on earth is a philadelphia? If Low Roader is reading this, I asked him some time ago what on earth a tea jenny was but am still awaiting a reply.

Ann, I think another name for is it Orange Blossom, that is how it smells. It is a large shrub with white blossoms. Wish it was like this all year round, but the other year the crows made a nest in it, and we had the joy of watching the babies learn to fly from our flowerpots.

Listen up you.
At my age you miss things.
A tea - jenny is a person who cosistently (and annoyingly according to my superior officer), requires cups of tea to be made.
My SO says that every time I come into the room my lips form "how about a cuppa" - even when I have one in my hand.

That's really old age for you.
You will be there someday.

In Hilden when we talked about the yard we meant the lavatory as we didn't have gardens and being so terribly polite we did not use the word lavatory.
Funny but most people still have a dislike of the word, especially Americans. I remember some years ago at the brewery in Cloister Andecs there were some drunks fighting and the security men closed all entrances and exits, an American standing in front of me said " I hope they stop fighting soon as I gotta go to the bathroom"
Incidentally the word lavatory must have french origin as here in Bavaria the french influence is still in the dialect and in farmhouses in the mountains the farmer when talking about a wash hand basin refers to it as a lavor.
Donald

In my granny's house, they referred to the lavatory as the "wee house". Incidentally, I read that Prince William's former girlfriend's (the name escapes me at the moment) mother was frowned on as she used the term "toilet" instead of lavatory when she was in the Royal's company. SO THERE. We were right all along.

My mind has come back for a few minutes. Kate Middleton,and a lovely girl she was. I think Prince William is going to make the same mistake as Charles (I can call him that because he visited here, remember)and play the field before he realises that SHE was the one. Why don't they just come to me for advice.

Low Roader, My husband is EXACTLY THE SAME. Tea, tea, tea, all the time. IF he happens to be doing a wee job around the house or garden, its "I'd love a wee cuppa tea" as if I wasn't doing something just as important. MEN!!!!

That's your job in life.
Maid to the master.
Get on with it and never mind those silly plants.
Concrete lawn back and front, that's us.

I think the term " wee house " originated in the Lisburn mills, the lavatories were wee houses built on the outer walls, semicircular comprising of a lock up cubicle, housing a single toilet, not only used as latrines but also ( at the same time ) as smoking rooms. I remember in the late 50s after the 10.00am tea break the wee houses being filled with smokers.
Before my time some of the old hands ( John Jackson to name one ) experienced having to report to the boss and after being granted permisson to go were handed a key on a huge steel ring.
Good old days!
Donald

I remember the lavatory in the newspaper office where at least 3 of us would squeeze in for a smoke. It wasn't ventilated and how we escaped serious health problems I don't know. And that was only from the smoking!!

Low Roader, I can't believe you would deprive your wife of sitting out on a beautiful carpet of green grass, especially where you live which must be breathtaking. As I told you before, big brother has a camomile lawn which needs no maintenance.

Yes, Master and apprentice, that's what I always think when I'm asked to make endless cups of tea. We only let you THINK you're the boss and that's the trick. I'm away down today again for more purple pansies, think I might have a fetish about them. Forgot to buy flowers in Tesco yesterday so will pick up a couple of bunches too. Hubby and Rachel are parked on the deck, him reading the newspaper and drinking tea, Rachel talking to the dogs. Good life!!