What are you doing today?

[Horus]

Another day I will be glad to see the back of, my elder brother passed away suddenly a couple of weeks ago and today is his funeral. Another landmark in my life with his passing, no doubt I shall be chatting with an ever dwindling number of relatives, many I only see at such events, I shall be glad when I get back home again.

[Grandad]

My condolences Horus.

My brother and sister, both younger than me are both still living
I know what you are saying though Horus. I sometimes say I am reaching the top of the list. It would be my wish that my remains are disposed of by cremation WITHOUT any service or ceremony. I don't expect my family would agree to that but I do not see the point of spending a substantial sum just to dispose of my remains. I like the Hindu, Jewish, and Muslim methods by which the body is either buried or cremated very quickly, even before the end of the day.

[Kiya]

Condolences to you & your family

[Horus]

Thanks folks, I am starting to feel like "The last of the Mohicans"

[Grandad]

Thanks folks, I am starting to feel like "The last of the Mohicans"

I hope all went well today H if that expression can ever be appropriate for a funeral.

But I had noticed your strange haircut just recently

[Grandad]

I am in the middle of a 'little' DIY job in the home. I will tell you about it when I finish because there are serious reasons for doing it but more to come in a few days.

[Horus]

All went well Grandad and if I get around to it I may have an unusual tale to tell.

[LovelyLadyLux]

Condolences on the passing of your brother H. Always a sad time when a loved one leaves.

[Horus]

Thanks LLL

[Mad Dilys]

My condolences too Horus. I have just seen your post on my Kindle as I apparently permanently denied myself access to my laptop a couple of days ago.

[Horus]

Thanks MD, what did you do to your laptop?

[Mad Dilys]

Well, it was at the end of an 18 hour day, I was too tired to sleep so thought I'd play a computer game.

However, I couldn't. The message was that the resolution was too low. Odd I thought, never having a reason to change it, but I followed the prompts and couldn't change it at all in spite of going back to base again and again. No applications would open.

By this time I admit I was very vexed and my judgment might have been affected. I went to Help, which suggested "Refreshing without losing data." So I pressed the button, and about 20/30 minutes later it restarted, opening with a request for password.

Ah! Now I have a really big problem as when I bought the laptop a few years ago and opened for the first time I was currently using about a dozen or more passwords for various things - I started to put in a password and almost immediately a square with the numbers 0-9 flashed up. I thought this was an alternative to using a word password so put in a numbered one. Of course I later discovered that it would remember all my passwords, so used it all the time.

BUT, when the device refreshed it did not appear, only the request for a password!

As I see it, all applications including the password reminder were and are affected. Not only that, but since the opening password even if I could remember it, was interrupted and not complete I have no way of knowing what it is.

Of course I have tried every password in my book but even if I can get a professional to restart it I think I will lose all my applications including a game I have been playing for two years and reached level 187.

The moral to this story I think is don't try to "mend" your device when you are very tired.

[Mad Dilys]

P.S. I'm using Windows 8.1

[Grandad]

As we are now car-less, we either taxi or depend on family. Yesterday DiL Karen took Mrs G on the regular Thursday weekly shop. She is a teacher and has been very helpful during school hols. As has daughter Alison who also works in a school as a TA. Only about a week until the kids go back but today Ali is taking us to the coast at Tankerton for a light lunch then a couple of shopping calls on the way home. We will miss our girls when they go back to work.

[LovelyLadyLux]

The day, at some future time, will come when I can't get out and about and drive. Just a matter of time and that day is going to be devastating.

I already organize me and my driving times to happen at the least busy time of the day, avoid driving at night or if weather is bad. Most now I'm in prevention mode in that I'm not putting ME out there at high volume traffic times.

Here it can be difficult to get around without a vehicle (distances are too great), taxis are super expensive, bus stops are far and only come every hour or two ..... not going to be a happy day when I can no longer drive (for whatever reason) so I guess I'm saying I can empathize.

Are there any volunteer groups there or service organizations who take people out and about? I'm not sure there are any here but down in the States I had a gf who volunteered to drive people 1 or 2 days a week. She loved it and quite enjoyed the several little old ladies she motored around to different shops.

[Grandad]

LLL, we have an organisation here called AgeUK that provides a range of services for the aged. I think their services are most appropriate for older people living alone. My mother used to be picked up once a week and taken to their centre in the city where they would have lunch and then some activities and entertainment. Although my mother had her family living nearby she still enjoyed a few hours with people in her age bracket. That however would not be for us.
We don't like using buses although with our free bus passes we can travel throughout the county, buit not for us.
So we will use buses just into town, and taxis for local trips like the weekly supermarket shop, hospital appointments etc. The family are very good and accept our change in circumstances but, come on, they are all into their fifties and for many years we were at their beck and call so, time to call in a few favours, don't you think?

[LovelyLadyLux]

It is hard for me to sometimes think that my oldest daughter is almost 40. I know what "I" was doing at 40 but somehow in my mind doesn't envision either of my daughters as that old. I've always been at their beck and call but I'd HOPE that when I'm in my dotage they would be there and at my beck and call a bit but ?? I'm sometimes honestly not sure that the younger generations are programmed to be as giving towards their elders as I was.

I can distinctly remember back having to do actual work for my Grandparents on both sides. I HAD to climb about under the dining room tables and dust. I had to carry things up and down the stairs and some of the work was actual hard manual labour - but - again am not as sure that the younger generations have internalized the same ethic towards older people (meaning Me)

[Grandad]

Lunch at #2 sons' home today. They live about 16 miles away but he will pick us up and take us home.

Referring back to Friday. I had said that in addition to a couple of shopping stops, our daughter was doing the taxi job to Tankerton, about 7 miles from home, for a spot of lunch. Tankerton is between Whitstable and Herne Bay on the north Kent coast. This area still retains its old fashioned English seaside atmosphere and is much sought after by wealthy London and Home Counties types looking for weekend retreats. It is little over an hour from London and as a result property prices are sky high.

I don't have a picture of the main street which has all the shops, restaurants, and cafes etc you could wish for but not a supermarket or major chain store in sight.

We had filled bagels and panini with side salad and pots of tea at a little cafe called Caffe Eighty Nine, 89 being the street number. (Mrs G insisted that I crop the first one before posting )


There is none of the usual 'Kiss Me Quick' seaside trash at Tankerton. Just grassy slopes that go down to the pebble beach with many private beach huts. All very Edwardian, but I really like it.


In the background of pic #2 above is The Isle of Sheppey. You may remember Horus saying he met some folks from there on his recent trip to North Wales. Yaki-Da

[Horus]

Thanks for sharing you day out Grandad and of course your pictures. Nice to see the isle of Sheppey in the background and I shall be meeting up with my new friends about the middle of next month in Betws-y-Coed and no doubt go out for lunch together in the village pub. Also as they have one of those quite large motor homes that are no so easy to park up outside of a touring park, I will make plans to invite them and their little dog out on a few sightseeing trips with myself and Annie as I have plenty of car space and know the area quite well, so it may be nice for them to have a tour around.

[Kiya]

Looks like an enjoyable day out by all ....Certainly after lunch I'd be going into the shop behind you for some fudge....yummy yummy