Random chat NO PROMO

[#1]

Hi guys, I thought it'll be nice to have a thread for just random ramblings so we can all get to know each other!

So, lets start with, what do you all buy on etsy? I just received a soap order, waiting for another 2. Looking for body butter and solid lotion bar, any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

I love waiting for parcels! 7 more!

[EvesLittleEarthlings]

Hey everybody, I am just catching up on this thread. Heather, how is your Mom doing? I trust you are not still driving all over the countryside?

After almost 2 years of hardly keeping up with demand, my etsy shop has slowed to a crawl. Things started to go downhill in mid-October, recovered somewhat for the holidays and now seems to be in steep decline. I am partly relieved as I felt I was working too much, but it is extremely frustrating to be washed around the internet and sent down the drain without knowing WHY.
Other than that, we are well. Hubby and I will be visiting England this year for sure, we already have the tickets and will be there in June for 3 weeks. The plan now is the spend a week in London, some time around Bedford where the relatives are and the remainder in the southwest. It is tempting to drive all over and see the sights, but with the driving on the opposite to what we are used to and the memory of other trips that felt like all we did was sit in the car, we are going to have to save the northern part for some other trip.

[Former_Member]

Eve, I thought I'd seen more of you on facebook, I suppose that's cos of having more free time? alternatively, might be because I'm forever removing people!! Enjoy your trip, I haven't been down to southwest for a few years but I do remember the roads were awful, really slow.

[sockysocks]

We go to Cornwall quite a bit and always leave home very early to miss the traffic even in winter. When we go in July we leave by 4:30am (I live about 25 miles south of London) otherwise you get hold ups on the M25 and worst of all on the A303 as you pass Stonehenge (still single carriageway), then lots of other single lane spots along the way. Shouldn't be too bad in June Eve, but my advice is go early to everything! I can't believe the number of times we've left attractions in the early afternoon and people are queueing to get in - or driving around looking for somewhere to park their car.

[EvesLittleEarthlings]

Hi Mandy, thanks for the good advice regarding getting an early start. That will be easy for us, as we are up at 5:30 every day anyway.
Do you have any favourites that you recommend? The guidebooks make everything sound amazing. The only must see on my list right now is Bath, due to Jane Austen novels, of course.
Hubby is an avid gardener, so if you know any gardens that are must-sees, that would be a great start.

[sockysocks]

I love Jane Austen too but I've never been to Bath - I'll have to add it to my list! If you know you will be going there it's probably best to have at look at the Royal Horticultural Society's website https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens where you can also select 'partner gardens' and put in a town or area as a search criteria. I'm a member of the RHS and go regularly to Wisley (junction 10 on M25, the motorway that goes around London) and that is lovely all year round, but stunning in the summer.
I think Brits do gardens (and scenery) really well so you can probably believe the hype. National Trust properties nearly always have great gardens too. If you get as far south west as Cornwall, the Eden Project is a must and I like The Lost Gardens of Heligan too. You will be spoilt for choice!

[Former_Member]

Hi everyone! Its been eons since I've posted here. Yes I am still alive.

Sorry to hear about your mum Pamela.

Heather, congrats on the grandbaby! You must be a very proud grandma. How's your mum doing these days?

Eve, your trip to England sounds like wonderful fun. Do you need someone to carry your case?

I'm just past the 6 month mark since my transplant and so far I'm meeting all of the statistical goals as far as the basic recovery process goes. However I have ended up with medically induced diabetes as a result of some of the medications I'm taking and I haven't nearly got the amount of strength back that I was hoping to have by this time. I'm still going to the gym a couple of times each week whenever possible but found out last week that I'm in the very early stages of my body rejecting my lungs. So six days in hospital to get that started under control and then another six months of treatments as an outpatient before I know for sure that I'm out of the woods. What the docs are trying to do is to kill my antibodies that are attacking my new lungs, using a chemo type procedure.

Its been a tough road so far but others have had far more serious complications so I feel blessed.

[Former_Member]

wow crochetgal, you're very philosophical about the set-back. I hope you're soon back on the road to a full recovery.

My mother (as you kindly asked) is less philosophical. She was discharged from the nursing home late on Tuesday with instructions to do nothing for a fortnight, then gradually resume "light duties" about the house. So I went over today at mid-morning...only to find she had already stripped the bed, done 3 loads of washing and drying (the machines are not just in different rooms but on different floors!!) and was spring-cleaning the freezer.

So I came away exasperated after doing the necessary shopping. She wanted to go herself, but fortunately she was under the false impression that the doctor would be calling.

I am at my wit's end with her. she just will not be sensible.

[sockysocks]

Hope your new treatment is successful crochetgal. Your positive approach to your condition must be helping your overall health.

You just can't tell some people nifty!

[EvesLittleEarthlings]

Crochetgal, I wish you the best! I see you in the forums etc and wonder how you are doing. You are always so generous with your thoughts and advice. I try to be like you, but I often feel like making sarcastic and unhelpful remarks to many of the folks who post. It is best for types like me to keep our thoughts to ourselves sometimes.
Nifty, I feel tired just thinking about what your mum had done around the house. I was cleaning today and felt very dragged out after about 30 minutes.
In other news, after a YEAR of thinking, researching and looking, we finally purchased a trailer to tow behind our Kia Rondo. It is an aliner, you can see a pix here: http://www.dannyscampers.com/scout%20price%20and%20weight.htm
That's a new one, we bought a used 2012 model for $5000 CAD, The plan is to start taking it on adventures later in the year, perhaps August or September as we already have the trip to the UK booked. I love road trips to the USA, but with our dollar so low, it is pretty expensive. I think we will have Canadian adventures until things swing round again.

[Former_Member]

I've never seen an Aliner, maybe we don't get them over here?

[ClosetGothic]

WE have them here in Mew Zealand, Eve! We're a nation of campers at this time of year :)

That looks like FUN to me!

[Former_Member]

Nifty, if I were to do any of the things that your Mum had done, I would be right back in the hospital!

Eve, those Aliners are just too cute! We see them on the road all the time around here. I agree with you re the dollar - its not worth it to come to the USA right now as the $CDN is taking a real beating. By the way, there are many times when I delete what I was going to post in the forums because it would get me in serious trouble!

I was thinking about opening up the pool tomorrow as we are breaking temperature records right now. It was 85F today and is supposed to be 90F next week!

[sockysocks]

I'm on holiday in Cornwall at the moment and it is flipping freezing here. Only 6c today (about 42f) with an icy strong wind. We are staying in an old farmhouse by the coast which is lovely but could do with being a lot warmer. Send some of your heat my way crochetgal!

Eve, went to the Eden Project today (I recommended it on the previous page) and it was great even on a cold February day.

[EvesLittleEarthlings]

Mandy, I am reading Bill Bryson's Notes from a small Island. He is travelling through the West country and keeps griping about the traffic jams ...it is getting me worried about driving there in June. Especially after what you said about the traffic. He describes the English countryside so beautifully and the small villages and hikes with great pleasure. I can hardly wait to go, just hoping for clear roads. The Eden project is def on the agenda!

[sockysocks]

Is that the second Notes from a Small Island book - The Road to Little Dribbling? I read that recently and thoroughly enjoyed it. You should be ok for most of June as it's not the main school holidays until July/August, that's when it get really busy. Half term is w/c 30th May for one week.
As I said before, best to go early in the day to miss the crowds. Also if you have access to the Internet check the BBC travel page for any roadworks or incidents for the roads you are travelling on.

[EvesLittleEarthlings]

Yes, it is the dribbling book. It is hilarious at times. Some of the places I know from literature, like Lyme but others I had no idea about or had only heard of in passing. Great tip about getting to places early. That won't be a problem for us. I was up at 5 this am.

[Former_Member]

I've read lots of Bill Bryson's books, he's so funny. Seriously though, even though it won't be school hols, there are no such things as empty roads in our holiday destinations!

[Former_Member]

this maybe a very temp change of avatar, I'm trying to comply with the idea of using an actual photo. it's a couple of years old though, I stopped dying my hair and I'm happy with being grey - but I'm not happy with any recent photos!

[sockysocks]

I wondered who that was for a minute! You look happy in it!

[Former_Member]

it was at my son's wedding so I wasn't entirely sober!

[EvesLittleEarthlings]

yes, I was wondering who that was too! One of these days I am going to switch to a photo......

[ClosetGothic]

Nice photo, Nifty :)

[ClosetGothic]

Did everyone survive February? It's always the most unpredictable month of the year for me for sale - ended up better than expected due to a good day yesterday though.

Aside from Etsy, it has been SO HOT here - we have been dying in daily temps of around 28 - 30°C with humidity around 80%... not hot by most of the world's standards but most people don't have aircon here so it's a struggle not to feel limp! Big blue skies though so won't complain :)

[sockysocks]

Cold and wet here in the UK. I'm surprised about people in NZ not having air conditioning Janne, I thought it would be a standard thing to have, like central heating is in the UK.

Very slow for me Etsy-wise but I've got very little in my shop to attract the views.

[ClosetGothic]

Our temps are usually pretty mid-range, Mandy and we're a hardy bunch of colonialists out here :)

New houses are well equipped to handle heat and cold but not the older ones Victorian Villa here). Our house has heat pumps which will also blow cold but not a ducted system as in other countries. Open fires are still really popular here but are restricted in major cities.

The heat has gone now, gorgeously cool; phew :)