h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Good morning dear W4aT.

I do apologise for not answering your last message here. I did read it and meant to reply later. Sorry.

I had a lovely Christmas day with my daughter and son-in-law. Their new (old) cottage was beautiful and cosy. I had a very relaxing day there. Boxing day was spent with church friends and was very enjoyable. I haven't been well though most of the time and yesterday was spent in bed with a migraine. It was horrible. I am a lot better today so must very soon get some shopping. I don't feel like going out but needs must.

I do wish you and your family a very HAPPY NEW YEAR . I expect I shall go to bed early tonight as I get very emotional and sad on new year's eve. I remember being with my family. My Father would pour us all a glass of sherry and it would stay on the litte tray until midnight! We were not drinkers! But my Mother would drink hers in one go and always got told off (very sweetly) for drinking too quickly. We would all watch the White Heather Show. These days I have no interest in what is on the television at new year. I'm afraid I cannot stand Jools Holland.

Have a great evening whatever you are planning to do.

Warmest wishes, hugs, and love.

Polly

XXXX

Hi, Polly

Thank you for your good wishes, which are warmly reciprocated - although I have a lot of misgivings about 2009.

I'm glad to hear you had such a lovely Christmas - did you get to do any walking? We had a very nice walk in the woods on Boxing Day, which included a visit to the Dewdrop Inn, where there was a mummers' play in progress. That was probably the nicest time, along with the carol service on Christmas Eve. I don't think I mentioned that someone sang a shortened version of my song, which went down quite well. And the three graces made a cd of it, which they presented to me on Christmas Day. Wasn't that a lovely idea. Unfortunately, they recorded it in a very short space of time on Christmas Eve, when Grace III had a terrible cold, so I'm not sure they did it full justice, but it was very good all the same.

Christmas Day was rather hectic, with so many guests, and it seemed to take forever for everyone to open their presents. Our friends are obviously not as poor as us, in spite of their protestations. I suppose that, being from Euroland, they get more for their money here now.

I'm not a great fan of New Year's Eve and its hollow bonhomie.

Happy New Year, the chimes ring out,
And drunken voices, too;
People who don't give a damn, shout
"Happy New Year to you".

Sorry, that's the start of a pome I wrote in my embittered youth. I still think there's an element of truth in it.

We'll be having a very quiet time tonight. Our youngest visitor is still with us, and she has arranged to go to her uncle's, where they know how to celebrate. Apparently, Grace II and Grace III are going with her. Grace I will be at the golf club where her chap works, although she might come and see us earlier in the evening. After that, it will be just the two of us. Perhaps we'll have an early night as well. More likely, we'll have a quiet drink with some of our lovely neighbours. For the sake of auld lang syne.

Anyway, here's hoping 2009 is a wonderful year for you and Pixie, and that you will be restored to the best of health.

Hi Polly,

How are you? I hope the clingfilm's doing its stuff and you're surviving this cold weather.

I see your Pied Piper post was modded. I thought it was because of the 'queer' reference (hence my posting) but I've since had a completely innocuous posting removed, soley on account of the broken URL, so maybe that's what happened with yours.

You may be interested to know that old Frank made a posting on the 'didderent' thread last night - although it didn't appear until this morning. He seems to have made a few posts on various threads during the last week, so is obviously still going strong.

Take care.

Hi, W4aT.

I have just noticed the modding of my pome. I couldn't remember which one I had used until reading your message here. What is meant by a 'broken url'? Whatever it is, I'm surprised that my bit from The Pied Piper was taken away! Yes it might well have been the word 'queer'. How sad.

I've been away for a few blessedly quiet days. I'm not managing too well here. Very stressed and unhappy....

The place has been warm enough, thank you, although the kitchen has been freezing at times. I dread the gas bill as I couldn't bear the cold in here. I might have to go across the road to the Hotel and do the midnight washing-up in order to pay the bill.

I trust you and your family are keeping well and warm. It was a beautiful day today but getting jolly cold again tonight.

Warm wishes to you.

Polly

Hi, Polly

Sorry to hear you're feeling so stressed and unhappy. Is that because of where you live or because you're on your own or what? Not that it's any of my business. Anyway, I hope things will improve for you - and soon.

URL stands for uniform resource locator, or some such. Basically, it means internet address. The way we highlight words in blue is to make them look like internet addresses, so that the software creates a link to that address, which it highlights in blue. Because the address doesn't really exist, it's a broken URL. I've always thought that the mods fell back on this as an excuse if they removed a post and then realized they shouldn't have, but sometimes they seem to remove posts just for that reason and no other.

We are managing to keep relatively warm, Polly, but, like you, I'm dreading the gas bill. It would have been nice if prices could have gone down before the cold weather set in rather than when it's all over. It's not so cold here now, but getting windy, and forecast to be wet and wild. That's the type of weather I hate most: not only does our garage roof leak, but the house is in a very bad state of repair, especially the bargeboards and the window frames, so we could sustain a lot of damage if the wind gets too strong. I live in a state of trepidation.

It's lucky the weather was so nice today. It was Grace III's birthday (she's a teenager now ) and we went to Marwell Zoo. There was a very splendid bactrian camel there, but I was disappointed not to see a pudu. I've seen one there before, and it inspired a lavatorial song which used to amuse the children.

Take care.

Good afternoon dear W4aT.

It is raining hard here. But at least the temperature is a little higher.

My apologies for the moan yesterday. I'm just very 'low' with things here. I hope I can move this year. Horrid neighbours etc. I just can't bear noise (lots of it) or fear. I am seeing the environmental people again this week. They are on my side thankfully. But it seems like there are going to be some very annoyed/angry folk, and I'm scared.

Apparently the url WAS broken. But I could see nothing at all wrong with my particular post. I believe I did nothing wrong or put anything somewhere where it shouldn't have been!

I agree about the timing of the reduction in gas bills. Very clever of British gas! I haven't used the heating so far today in order to try and save money. It's not cold though. Or at least I can't feel any cold with all my layers on!!

I've been to church this morning. But I felt so terribly unhappy and couldn't wait to leave it. I did the creche and really didn't feel up to it. Usually I stay after the informal service for coffee but today I just couldn't face it.

Marwel is sort of just up the road from me. Winchester I think. I was last there when my daughter was about 6 years old! She is now 35.

What are barge-boards? You aren't living on a boat, are you? I have often fancied a boat-house except that these days I would not feel very safe on one.

Have a lovely Sunday. Warm wishes.
Polly

Hi, Polly.

I hope you are enjoying the Spring-like weather, even if it does get cold overnight.

How is your back these days? Are you getting physio for it? If so, is it doing any good?

I hope you will continue posting on the Poet Tree. We really shouldn't let the kraken bring it down, as he seems intent on doing. There's no need for you to 'say anything' - just respond to the poems posted and ignore the rest. 'Go placidly amid the noise and haste', as it were - or 'amid t'annoys and hate' as I rephrased it.

Take care,

Hello dear W4aT.

Ofcourse I shall continue posting on our 'pome' thread. I enjoy it so much. But there are times - many times! - that I want to tell our mutual friend to go fly a kite! We all seem to be 'bullies' as far as he/she is concerned. I am most certainly not a bully!


Anyway.............


Yes - what a wonderfully warm day. I'm beginning to feel a bit chilly now though (almost 6pm). I had a walk this afternoon and it was really enjoyable. My back is still very uncomfortable but I just have to muddle along.

My membership thingy is playing up. I am being told that I must sign in as a 'returning member'. I didn't sign out when I was last here. When I try to sign in it doesn't work and I am sent back to the MB. From looking at the different conversation lists it seems there are no new posts. But ofcourse there are. So I click on one of my old posts and I am then told again about returning members!

I hope you have been out in the sunshine~~~~delivering all those leaflets! You must have fine legs with all the walking.

Golly - I must put some heating on before I go out. It is my home-group this evening.

Hi, Polly

I know what you mean about wanting to tell our mutual fiend (sic) to go fly a kite. But here's what someone said to me tonight:- "As to the other matter, I don't know why anyone bothers with the poisonous old git. He is enjoying himself. The only way to beat him is to totally ignore anything he says. It will drive him mad."

I think there must have been a general problem with the "membership thingy" this evening. I didn't have any trouble signing in, but the information on the conversation lists was completely up the spout.

The Tree got very busy tonight. AHL kept posting silly rhymes about not getting an apology from me (when he's the one who should be saying sorry to the world) and peege, myself and el D (a lovely chap) kept linking to his nonsense. In fact, we got in quite a muddle at the end on account of simultaneous posting. All good fun.

The weather has certainly been ideal for delivering recently, and is forecast to remain so for the next few days, at least. Not that warm, really, but that's good for me. As for my pins, well, "these once admired legs of mine ain't much to look at now", but they do get me around pretty well - although I could do with some new knees.

Have you ever posted any poetry on the web, Polly? El D was telling me that he'd put a few pieces on poemhunter. I had a look at them, and they're rather good. Not the kind of thing I'd normally go for, although one of them did remind me a bit of John Clare. I might try it myself sometime. Have to write a poem first, though. I wonder if there's a website for posting doggerel?

Take care.

Hello dear W4aT.


I think that all 'his' nastiness is so horrid. And I agree with whoever that HE is most likely enjoying himself. But it has all got just too much recently. If one dares to utter a word against him he becomes deranged! And yet I feel sorry for him. If posting daft insults gives him joy then his daily life must be rather miserable. And that is a shame. As for Frank, I can't quite understand what side of the fence he is on at times!! Apologies, Frank, if you get to read this!
But I have a soft-spot for him because of how worried I was about him almost 18 months ago when something was obviously wrong. He is clearly older than you and I and I do have compassion for older folk.

As you mentioned starting a new 'pome' thread, have you yet done so? I took a quick look but didn't see one. Every part of me is aching tonight and I have been struggling all evening to stay awake. I shan't stay here for very long this evening.

I've often looked at 'Poemhunter'. So I shall try to find El D's. Have you got a link please?

L'Occitane do a wonderful leg cream for weary legs.

Hi, Polly.

Sorry to hear you're not feeling so good. I'm aching a bit, as well, but that's down to my exertions of the last few days.

I haven't started a new thread yet, but will do so in the next few days, when I can find the time. I've an awful lot of work on, though, between now and next Tuesday, so please be patient. I will try to set the rules and guidelines down as clearly as I can. They were all implicit in the original thread, I think, but people try and take advantage of the fact that they weren't stated explicitly.

I had a quick look at the Poet Tree yesterday and wondered what was going on. It seemed like there was a new Nazi/Soviet alliance. Of course, what had happened was that one of Frank's posts had taken three weeks to arrive! I'm afraid I had a bit of a go at him a while ago on account of his making random posts on the Tree. That's when I started the other thread, for people to post whatever pieces of poetry they like. I think Frank may be a bit of an anarchist - hence the title of that thread - but he does seem to have taken on board what I said.

Here's the link to el D's stuff on poemhunter

http://www.poemhunter.com/les-derbyshire/

Now I understand why he calls himself el D.

Take care.

Hi Polly,

Frank has set up a new Tree for Poets thread. I think some more guidelines may have been useful regarding potential problem areas, like the posting of song lyrics and self-quoting, but let's see how it goes.

Have a good weekend.

Well, what a gossipy kerfuffle!

All the insults have been at me, not from me - I have tried, with good humour and the patience of a saint to ask W4T for an explanantion of his harsh and unfounded criticism of my posting in the way others - yourself, Polly and W4T included, as I took pains to explain, or just an apology. W4T's angry retorts cut deep. He seems like a child lashing out because he knows, deep down, he made a mistake.

The bullying is something esle, Polly. (I don't think I have ever accused you). The bullying is the deliberate disruption that certain members created on any thread I started - bullying just to show me that they could disrupt my threads. I am afraid, Polly, that there is no other word for it.

It seems this clique has its own rules - the main one being "everybody else is wrong".

Don't worry, I will not be posting here again, but I feel you all need to know how hurtful and unchristian you are in your constant search for any mistake I make, and, (in W4's case, attack even when I just behave like everybody else), and in your sniping (and here gossiping behind my back).

MC is a humour board - all I ever do is contribute with humour, sometimes overcontributing, as I can no longer get out and about - some of it may not be to your taste (but many from your clique here lack taste too, you know) - but, on MC humour is the key - when you have lost your sense of humour you have lost everything - I have learned that much, at least, in my 80 years of existence.

So, in leaving you all back to this garden fence, I ask you to take an introspective look at yourselves, and ask yourselves "Am I being fair?".

I ask only fairness - I have no need of empty love and affection delivered via a meaningless message board.

Bye

My apologies, W4aT, for my behaviour tonight! I've had a few glasses of wine too many.....

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Oh dear! Oh dear, oh dear.........

Oh! dear, it sounds as if I've missed a party. Isn't that just typical? I'd better go and count the empty bottles and make sure no-one's been sick.

How nice of you to look in, AHL. When I have a little more time to spare, I will endeavour to address the points you raise as fairly as I can. This certainly seems a more appropriate forum in which to discuss such matters than the MC board.

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Good morning, dear W4aT.

Where has the sun gone? I've looked at the weaher forecast and heavy rain is on the way for mid-week.

I hope you and your family had a lovely Mother's Day.

Have a super week.

Polly


xx

Oh dear - W4 really does not want to face up to his mistakes, does he?

It was I who zapped that miserable post, AHL.



W.H.Davies' 'To Sparrows Fighting' :

Stop, feathered bullies!
Peace, angry birds;
You common Sparrows that,
For a few words,
Roll fighting in wet mud,
To shed each other's blood.

Look at those Linnets, they
Like ladies sing;
See how those Swallows, too,
Play on the wing;
All other birds close by
Are gentle, clean and shy.......