# Mark Twain for Sandra and Jan



## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

I am glad to hear you are at least getting back your mental strength which you lost during your illness.

Hans had a favourite saying:- 
"Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience."
and he stuck to that during his lifetime with me > no he didn´t think I was an idiot, but we have come across a few, one is next door and I do as he did and ignore her.

The reason I thought you enjoyed it was, you will always come back using the same arguments etc. I would have given up a long time ago because if they haven´t understood what you have been tell them by now they either don´t want to understand you or are as Mark Twain suggests. At times I have been tempted to knock heads together, but I would probably only inflame thing even more and I do have a temper when I am riled so best not to say owt.

Your area you describe, obviously it wasn´t like that all those years ago when you moved in and unless you decide you have had enough and move away it is something you just have to tolerate because its not going away.

You know last year I was thrown into a quandary about my future here and was so sure I would have to move because I couldn´t live here alone, but after 3 months with Heike I was home sick and couldn´t wait to get home, I then realised just how happy I am here with and without him and couldn´t think of moving. Last month I was with friends near Hannover, at first I thought I could rent a place there and share my life between the two places, after over 4 weeks I was home sick again. I don´t have any what you could call real friends, I talk to everyone (and anyone :grin2 they are all friendly, but not my friends. There no doubt will come a day again when I feel I need to be with people and go on another trip only to find out I want to be here, in this house in this area. 
I am not going to make any suggestions about your situation Sandra, you have to decide for yourself what you want to do, but maybe you have worried and talked about it for so long it is overtaking the people and places that you really care about and of course the terrible situation all of you have and are going through doesn´t help anyones mental state, it must have been terrible not being able to see family and give them a cuddle, I hope thats changed or are you in the new lock down area?

So if any of your opponents are reading this, back off, read between the lines and at least be a little understanding. I know Sandra is a tough old bird like me, and its no secret we have also had our disagreements, but there comes a time to move on when enough is enough, keep your fisty cuffs for the real argument there are plenty of them elsewhere.

Good morning everyone, blimey I´ve been at it for nearly an hour trying to find the best way to put it, hopefully I haven´t offended anyone.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Nope we are lockdown again Jan 

Most of the North is and if I’m honest I haven’t a clue what the imposed restrictions are

Having been shielding for so long it didn’t really matter except my kids and friends can’t visit and I was hoping that would change 

I think visits could take place in the garden but now they can’t and I thought we could not leave the area of lockdown or have anyone enter it from another area

My daughter says that isn’t the case and I think that it’s much like the circle of life, if you stay still long enough it will come back round >

I’m glad you found your home 

I’m really too old to start moving house and anyway we are quite centrally placed for all our family and for supermarkets, doctors etc 

We are unusual in that all our kids are within a short driving distance away from us 

If I moved Id want to live out in the country which wouldn’t be feasible now anyway 

We are intending to get a stair lift fitted soon, or were as soon as shielding finished which will make life a bit easier if only because we can send things upstairs 

Neither of us find the stairs easy, and it’s almost impossible if we need to carry something

Albert really needs to get a referral as his knees are now so bad, poor Shadow only gets a short walk around the cemetery each day, mind you he’s no spring chicken either( the dog that is)

It wasn’t as much a problem pre Covid as our grandson frequently called round and would run anything upstairs, literally :grin2: 

So I’d just put clean clothes ect in a basket and he would whip it up When he came round 

If we put a shower in the utility room we could ,as we get older, if we get older, live downstairs and convert one lounge into a bedroom 

As to your earlier discussion I did not raise the subject of where I live, it was referred to yet again by another 

We are thinking of having our hedges reduced in height as long I can’t see over them from in or out I’ll be happy with that

I hasten to add that’s nothing to do with wHere I live, I’ve always liked my privacy at home 

Also as we live on a main road the hedges serve as a sound baffle to traffic noise

A fence would be easier but as we live on a main road there is a height restriction for fences but not for hedges 

I tend to get up whatever time I wake now as I need to regulate rest with mobility

So I potter around doing housework for an hour or so, maybe clean a window or two, then rest, if I do too much on a good day it b****rs me up for the next couple of days 

No fun getting old :frown2:

I really must get a cleaner once this Covid scare settles if it ever does

So it’s been nice to have a chat Jan and I’m glad it wasn’t your back that caused you to rise early, still pretty cloudy here , that weekend of hot sunshine skipped us although Friday wasn’t too bad 

Stay well 

Ps what’s all this news about protests in Germany against the wearing of masks and other Covid restrictions?

Sandra


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

I'm 79 and dreading getting old Sandra if thats what is in store....:surprise::wink2:

Ray.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Hopefully it won’t be for you Ray

I guess you have the usual bits of arthritic joints 

Not everyone has an inflammatory form of arthritis and I’m sure you’d know by now if you were to have it 

However if you don’t take more care on ladders you may well not get old enough to find out :smile2::nerd:

Sandra


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

There are idiots in this world and a few Fruitcakes, I don´t know which are worse :wink2:

I´ve taken all that in Sandra, now just don´t be dragged in again, you may not enjoy it, but I´m sure the others do, they don´t like it when we come out on top you know :grin2:

The Berlin business I know nothing about, the only time I have seen it was an English newspaper article on the internet. In this area we call them (Die Bekloppte Berliners) the insane berliners. 
I don´t watch the "News" in Germany, a quick glance at Skynews and switch off because its all Corona virus and very little else. I can behave like an Ostrich, non of it effects me and I refuse to worry about it. I am as safe as anyone can possibly be where I am, the only time I get close to anyone I don´t know is when I go shopping, for the past 2 weeks I have done my own shopping before that my neighbour did it and still would if I asked him, but I can´t live in a bubble for the rest of my days. I wear a mask of course and disposable rubber gloves when shopping, I also have the hand sanitiser in the car, in the van soap and water of course.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Yep Albert does the same when he shops

I didn’t see it on the news I think it was an article on the internet 

I must say it seemed very un-german like to me

But I guess you find pockets in all walks of life 

Masks are obligatory here in shops although not every one is obeying that rule

Sandra


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

What a refreshing and reassuring thread.

You "old birds" 🐣🐥 (spring chickens, but ours are not laying st the moment*) can breath the fresh life of experience into MHF, I totally agree with what you are saying and hope that you realise you BOTH have my full support.

*not surprising as with the temperature often around the same as body heat, there is little point in laying ready-boiled eggs 🐔 🤣 😷


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

The sentiment expressed in the opening post is very true.


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## caulkhead (Jul 25, 2007)

Penquin said:


> What a refreshing and reassuring thread.
> 
> You "old birds" 🐣🐥 (spring chickens, but ours are not laying st the moment*) can breath the fresh life of experience into MHF, I totally agree with what you are saying and hope that you realise you BOTH have my full support.
> 
> *not surprising as with the temperature often around the same as body heat, there is little point in laying ready-boiled eggs 🐔 🤣 😷


Sorry Dave, I have to disagree with you, in the nicest possible way of course. Jans OP should have been sent as a PM to Sandra because otherwise its very much a case of pot,kettle, black! Jan had a very public and prolonged falling out with Sandra, I think I am right in saying she put Sandra on "ignore" for some time, and now she is lecturing some of us on our disagreements with Sandra? John McEnroe, Wimbledon,1981, springs to mind:wink2:


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

caulkhead said:


> Sorry Dave, I have to disagree with you, in the nicest possible way of course. Jans OP should have been sent as a PM to Sandra because otherwise its very much a case of pot,kettle, black! Jan had a very public and prolonged falling out with Sandra, I think I am right in saying she put Sandra on "ignore" for some time, and now she is lecturing some of us on our disagreements with Sandra? John McEnroe, Wimbledon,1981, springs to mind:wink2:


To use a quote from a well known Brexit supporter on here;

"It depends whether your glass is half full 🍷 🥃 or half empty"

I find it better to be positive than negative, why should "You must be joking!" be appropriate ?


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

caulkhead said:


> Sorry Dave, I have to disagree with you, in the nicest possible way of course. Jans OP should have been sent as a PM to Sandra because otherwise its very much a case of pot,kettle, black! Jan had a very public and prolonged falling out with Sandra, I think I am right in saying she put Sandra on "ignore" for some time, and now she is lecturing some of us on our disagreements with Sandra? John McEnroe, Wimbledon,1981, springs to mind:wink2:


 And as I said in my opening post, it is no secret we have had our disagreements and yes I did put Sandra on ignore and she knew, because I was annoyed with her so gave myself time to cool off, which is what I think a few more people should do, I have no secrets.
I did think about sending it as a PM and then had second thoughts for, what are to me, obvious reasons, but maybe your eyes don´t see things as I do.
Howsomever as Mark Twain says and my very tolerable man used to say,---- I´ll leave the rest up to you :laugh:


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## Glandwr (Jun 12, 2006)

*With fond intent

*
When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick flowers in other people's gardens
And learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
Or only bread and pickle for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practise a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.
_ 
_
_ Jenny Joseph_

* 
*


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Which bit did you edit Dick?, that is so funny, I have never seen it before, but I expect Sandra has as she´s always on about wearing purple.

Now I am old, I can flirt with young men, they will never take me seriously.
I could stop in bed all day if I wanted to, but unfortunately alone.
I can go all day without eating anything at all, trouble is I like my food so that will never happen.
I sometimes think about this roll of fat around my middle, but then remember the shape I had when it really mattered.
I could treat myself to a really expensive holiday, but Motley couldn´t come so I wouldn't enjoy that.
There are all sorts of things I can or could do, but mostly I don´t.

There aren't many people who grow old with no health problems,
Some are old without a few shillings to buy a few luxuries,
even though I am almost 76 I don´t feel old *yet.*


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