Gransnet forums

Chat

New to Gransnet from Canada

(35 Posts)
BookieGram Thu 11-Oct-18 22:15:25

Hello all! I have just joined Gransnet today. I found the site when I was searching for advice and decided to try it out. I am a 74 year old self-employed grandmother (hence the odd username). I have two wonderful sons, each of whom has two daughters, ranging in age from 7 to 19. I'm not busy with my bookkeeping every day and do not like being idle, so I was hoping to make contact with others who may have similar interests. Looking forward to chatting with some of you.

BookieGram Sat 13-Oct-18 17:55:49

Good morning Izabella and Craicon. Nice to hear from you. I'm so glad to hear you visited our great country and enjoyed your experiences. I've always thought how lucky we are to live here. Although some of the winters can be a bit brutal (and you wish you could be somewhere warmer for a bit), it will always be home for me. In turn, I wish I could visit Ireland and a few other countries. Have never had the finances or the opportunity. I've spent most of my life working, and not much "playing". But, we have to play the cards we're dealt, right?

Craicon Sat 13-Oct-18 11:01:08

Hello BookieGram. Greetings from Ireland. ☘️
My middle son and DIL have just returned from a wonderful trip there and showed us their stunning scenery pictures when they popped over here for a visit recently.

Izabella Sat 13-Oct-18 10:31:01

Welcome. I have wonderful memories of a coast to coast across Canada, up to and including Churchill a couple of years ago. Stunning scenery!

BookieGram Fri 12-Oct-18 21:19:10

Hello mumofmadboys! I love your user name! I have never been to Central Canada (haven't travelled much in my own country except the western provinces!) but I've heard how beautiful the Lake District is. I have a niece who lives in Northern Wisconsin, and they have visited the great lakes a couple of times. I'm so jealous!

BookieGram Fri 12-Oct-18 21:12:43

Hi Purpledaffodil! Canada is a beautiful country, I agree! It's rather funny; so many people in the US (just across the border) who have never been to Canada are so uninformed about our country. They think that it is snowy and cold here year round, some think we live in igloos and we don't have any large cities. My city alone has a population of more than 1 million, and that is relatively small by world standards, but we have lovely summers, and often beautiful weather in the fall. We can even grow gardens! For some reason not much is taught in the US schools about Canada and our history.

BookieGram Fri 12-Oct-18 21:04:01

Hi Greyduster! My daughter-in-law brought me back some soap from the Goat Mountain Soap Company and I loved it. I just have to figure out how to order some more. I don't know where you live, but I promise not to send you our snow!

BookieGram Fri 12-Oct-18 21:01:26

Hi Treebee! I'm glad you enjoyed your visits to our beautiful West Coast. I have a bookkeeping client out there on Saltspring Island. They have a small resort with five cottages and their main house. It is a long way from where I live in Alberta but we make it work with email/scan/courier/text etc. The islands out there are so pretty and there is so much to explore. The Canadian Rocky Mountains are along the border between British Columbia and Alberta, and that is also a wonderful area to visit. There is nothing quite like being in the Rockies, summer and winter.

Greyduster Fri 12-Oct-18 19:32:37

Welcome, bookiegram! Our young neighbours have just come back from a Canadian holiday and are still raving about it! They brought me back some soap from the Goat Mountain Soap Company called ‘Raging Elk’! They promised it would not turn me into one. DH told them it was too late! grin. Please do not send us your snow too soon!!

Treebee Fri 12-Oct-18 19:01:40

Hi Bookiegram. My grandparents emigrated to Toronto in 1930, but they came back to th UK with my Canadian born mother in 1935. As we have other family in Ontario and on Vancouver Island we’ve visited several times and love it. Sometimes I wish they’d stayed, but then I might not exist...

BookieGram Fri 12-Oct-18 16:31:57

Good morning new friends! Thank you for all the lovely greetings. I live in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The weather today is grey, gloomy and very wet. I had been hoping for a nice fall but, oh well, this is Alberta after all. If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes and it will be changing! And if you like the snow, we have already had two snowfalls in September. That's very early, even for Alberta. And for "Cangran", tell your grandson that we still have the tiger ice cream.

Willow500 Fri 12-Oct-18 12:49:46

Welcome from me too. Canada is a place I've always wanted to visit - my dad was sent there during the war for 6 weeks while the ship he was travelling on had to be repaired - he often mentioned it with fond memories. I have a cousin who lived there for many years too until she returned to the UK a few years ago.

Mapleleaf Fri 12-Oct-18 12:43:16

Welcome, BookieGram.

BBbevan Fri 12-Oct-18 12:05:29

Morning BookieGramand welcome. Horrendous weather here in SW Wales. Rain and wind. This is a site full of interesting people with loads of experience and helpful advice, should you need it

cangran Fri 12-Oct-18 10:18:19

Hi BookieGram - welcome from another Canadian (although I have lived in London, England for 50 years)! Where do you live? I grew up in rural Ontario (Grey/Bruce counties) and still consider it 'home'. My 7 year old GS has become fascinated by Canada and says we have to go when there's lots of snow, and eat tiger tail ice-cream (sure hope that flavour is still being made!).

mumofmadboys Fri 12-Oct-18 07:48:57

Welcome from me to BookieGram. I'm from the Lake District.

Tea and cake Fri 12-Oct-18 07:46:08

I prefer argy Barry!! ?

ninathenana Fri 12-Oct-18 07:30:05

Welcome Bookiegram

tanith Fri 12-Oct-18 07:24:03

Argy bargy that should say, predictive text argh!!!

tanith Fri 12-Oct-18 07:22:16

Welcome from me too Bookiegram nice to meet you. Enjoy finding your around this lovely interesting and supportive site most people are friendly and helpful but if you like argy Barry debate you’ll find that also. Keep posting flowers

Tea and cake Fri 12-Oct-18 07:09:54

Nice you've joined the 'chatting over the garden wall' Bookiegram. Canada and New Zealand are on my list of places to visit when I win the lottery! Until then there's always Google maps. ?. I visit Gransnet most days but am more a lurker than a poster. You will soon get to recognise names, and make up mental pictures of everyone. It's addictive!

Purpledaffodil Fri 12-Oct-18 06:27:20

Hi Bookiegram and welcome. Recently been to Vancouver Island to visit relatives who emigrated from the UK nearly 30 years ago. What a beautiful country you live in!

BlueBelle Fri 12-Oct-18 06:17:12

Hi Bookiegran and welcome from me too ?

BookieGram Fri 12-Oct-18 00:45:19

Hello Apricity! Australia is one of the places I have always dreamed of visiting. Getting a bit late in life now for that dream, but thanks to the internet we can experience some of these places virtually.

Thank you for your message.

BookieGram Thu 11-Oct-18 22:51:16

Hi Marydoll! I knew someone would think that. I have a bookkeeping client who calls me "his bookie" so I thought it would be a cute username.

Thank you all for your warm welcome.

Apricity Thu 11-Oct-18 22:46:44

Welcome Bookie. ? You will find Grans from all over the place including some of us from the Antipodes. GN is a great place to discuss Life with all its joys and tribulations.