roy & Marjorie

We only ask you to leave your email address when leaving a message, or a piece of work, poems, etc. Other visitors will not be able to see this information! It would only be needed if you wanted to leave your contribution to advise you that your submission has been published. Unfortunately, it is necessary to vet submissions first to delete junk, obscenities, scams, etc., before it is published. Just so you know, you will be notified by email as soon as your submission or any replies have been published.

Yesterday Was a Hard Day.....

We have a big round tub in the middle of our front garden, containing a Rhododendron plant and a weed with a pretty purple flower! This weed has grown and grown - and grown!! We decided to get rid of it and reshape the shrub!!

We got a big piece of green tarpaulin and tipped the tub onto it. It was a miracle that the plants and soil landed easily where they were meant to!

The tub was clean, so we were able to begin refilling it..... I had cut the shrub, reducing its top stems and removing the dead flowers and leaves..... I put the heavy-weight block in first and then began filling the tub with compost suitable for the plants, with some help from next-door neighbours - who live in Spain - but they come here for a couple of months when Spain's summer gets too hot. I was happy they did, because they have been a big help to me today.

I have ordered 4 Azaleas, which are lovely bright colours. Once they are planted in the round tub, they should be the "Crowning Glory" of our front garden, which is mostly slate, with a nice dull purple colour.

     I hope your garden brings you a lot of pleasure, just as mine does for me.    Love, Marjorie xx xx

21st Aug: Message to a Dead Cactus. Marjorie Lacy

21st Aug: Born in the 1940's-1950's You need to read this.

Older adults learned to use more new technology in their lifetime than any generation in human history. Let’s look at their journey:

1940s-1950s: The foundation years
They grew up with rotary phones, radio, and basic electricity. Television was revolutionary. They learned how to live with and without technology. They enjoyed the convenience and connection + they also understood how to fix things when there was a problem.

1960s-1970s: The building blocks
Touch-tone phones, colour TV, cassette players. Each new device did ONE thing well for many years. You bought it once, learned it once, and used it for decades.

1980s-1990s: The acceleration
VCRs, personal computers, mobile phones the size of bricks. Technology started changing faster, but still followed predictable patterns. Each device had physical buttons and clear functions.

2000s: The digital shift
Email, the internet, digital cameras. Suddenly technology became invisible, abstract, requiring memory of complex sequences rather than simple button presses.

2010s: The smartphone revolution
Everything changed overnight. Suddenly one device did everything - but only if you could navigate invisible menus, remember gesture commands, and adapt to constant updates.

They adapted to more technological change than any human in history, but each new era required them to unlearn everything they knew about how technology works.

Today's 80-year-old learned that:

➡️ Technology was stable (now it updates constantly)
➡️ Devices had clear purposes (now phones do everything)
➡️ You could see how things worked (now everything's hidden behind icons)
➡️ Mistakes were fixable (now they might be permanent and public)
➡️ Help was local (now it's online or outsourced)

When we say "just learn it," we're asking them to abandon 60 years of learned patterns about how the world works.

The problem isn't that older adults can't learn technology. The problem is that we stopped designing technology that works the way brains actually learn.

➡️ Real learning builds on existing knowledge - current tech ignores everything you already know
➡️ Good design creates predictable patterns - current tech changes the rules constantly
➡️ Effective tools have clear purposes - current devices try to do everything at once

Modern technology needs to do much better. We at Chatsie are up for the challenge - more on that below.

Chatsie update. Last time we mentioned we've updated our subscription offering - introducing: Chatsie Assure. Alongside the phone, Chatsie Assure customers have a scam checker, 24/7 phone customer support, and their families/carers have a discreet dashboard to make sure they're OK. You can read about it here: https://www.chatsie.com/blogs/why-we-built-chatsie-assure, and we'll be in touch very soon with guidance on how to upgrade to Chatsie Assure or purchase it from scratch.

Thank you for your continued support.

Romanie & The Chatsie Team

Marjorie has a Chatsie Phone. We reproduce for you an excellent (like their phone) e-mail they sent to Roy

17th Aug Sunflowers, when is a poem not a poem?

Being dyslexic, I have never thought myself capable of writing poetry, but a life of salesmanship has taught me how to put together a descriptive sentence. Here is my actual sentence used by AI.

Poem of an elderly couple in the sunset years of their lives, wandering through a large field of sunflowers in full bloom

Is AI creating the end of personal, scripted poetry, or is it opening a new world of poetry based upon a well-thought-out sentence?

What is your opinion? Roy

10th Aug Do I need to know the name of every star in the night sky

Do I need to know the name of every star in the night sky to be astonished by the wonder of it?

4th August 2025. Poem: Swaying trees

Hello, it's me - Marjorie - My goodness we have some swaying trees behind our house - and the NOISE they are making. Have you a poem you can write? Do you like trees? I do - but not when they as wild and noisy as they are today....... love Marjorie xx

1st August  Friday afternoon at the Garden Centre.

As we are too old now to be driving - we sold our car, leaving us with an empty drive! Our daughter Catherine, takes us for trips out now and then... Usually to a garden centre!! Yesterday, off we went.... I was looking for two small shrubs to fill the places of 2 that died in the this summers heat and - no rain!

We went to Markham Grange, which is close to us. Armed with a trolley off we went, almost immediately we found a display of small shrubs - one caught my eye because its multi coloured leaves - Leucothoe Keiskei. I had never seen these plants before....I had to have two of them!! The only drawback is they need very peaty soil.... Roy was telling me, but I wasn't listening!! So, today we have to buy some!!

27th July. It's quiet at last! 

It’s the weekend - so no workmen - except their piles of rubbish! They are nearing the end of their job…. Monday and Tuesday should see them finished. We will have a lovely new drive.

What they have done up to now looks very smart! That is the outer edgings - as well as all the ex drive gone away…..

I don’t know how they have worked so hard every day! They have worked an hour before we even get up!! There are two young men and two older ones….. The bits of garden that have suffered are our blue slate areas….. They may tidy them up before they go, or Roy and I will have to do it when they have gone away. But, they have earned their money!!

Roy and I are giving the back garden a tidy up, we gave a long thin rockery garden, I began sweeping the path that goes between the rockery and the lawn - one of our workmen said, “Come here Lass! I’ll do it for you” and he did - he did a much better job than I could have done!”. So, our back garden is looking good….. Next week we start in the front garden!

Do you get Hay Fever, Roy and I have been coughing and sneezing…. It’s not surprising with the workmen's dust….and the 100 plus trees in the field behind the house…. I have had hay fever since I was 22 years old, but it is a new experience for Roy, he had it last year and now this year….

Time to say goodbye…. Have a good Sunday…. You can tell us about it - If you feel like writing something!!    Lots of love, Marjorie xx

22nd July. Drive full of workmen

We were up early today - for us, 7.30am the men were already here to take up our old concrete drive and replace it with a lovely new multi-coloured Resin drive - I can't remember exactly which!! There was such a big choice....

But, they were here and immediately set to work - The noise that they made!! I was surprised how quickly they worked!!

Diagonally opposite us, is a house that we know as "Sybils House" is now a home for maybe 4-5 elderly ladies. They have Gardeners come every couple of weeks to keep the lawns and hedges in good order..... I was surprised to see 'our' workmen sit down to watch their gardeners.... It amused me......

I shouldn't comment really on 'our workmen,' they have worked today..... The concrete is up and piled, ready for the lorry - the big lorry with the grabbers on - it is amazing how quickly the  piles of concrete are disappearing!

                           ----------

I have been told that the job will be finished on Monday, then we will all be smart...... More to say next week! Love from Marjorie

Roy has added an image of our choice!

19th July Towards Sunset by Lynda Flint

Thanks to Linda for the lovely poem shown below in the Visitor comment area.

14th  July Cleaning Day

Guess Who??? It's me..... I am in a good place, sitting in my chair talking to you - and two ladies doing our cleaning!! They are good - they talk like budgies as they are working .... when they have gone - the house gleams!! I also have lady who comes and collects our 'heavy washing' she takes it away - it comes back washed and ironed!! Roy gets an allowance from the government to be my Carer, and he spends it too!! He has looked after me for the last few years - I am so lucky!!

The weather has been too hot for me - I have been staying inside, I use my computer, fall asleep a lot - but at least we are getting through these hot days!!

Our Daughter Catherine, comes and takes us out - it usually means a garden centre because there is always something to look at..... most of them have furniture departments to look around! Catherine likes them as she has a new house and is still furnishing it. She has bough a big Gazebo for outside to make her dog more comfortable. It looks comical, they have shortened is legs... to dog height. It is a big, heavy dog! But loves to sit on the sofa between Roy and Me, then she tries to roll on us - very uncomfortable for us, but it is a loving gesture!!

Time to love you and leave you!! Remember, you can tell us about your day....???

14th July Towards Sunset by Linda Flint

Towards sunset
The grey has merged
Turned a pleasant hue
Has made pleasure like
Child's play dough. Moulded
A better end to a difficult day

Lift
Lift the corner of that sheet
it covers too much. Negativity
Hides. Dormant. An adversary
Do battle. Do nothing. Wait till
A new morrow. A new being...
You
And
When that sun sets. Golden clouds. Pink
Peach. Imagine this world
As a poem. As a statement
Of kind. And promises. you
Can make. The badness to
Break...
Smile
A dream awakening
There
Beneath the sheet
Beneath the waves of blanket

And the water is calm
You are safe. An angel watches over you
From somewhere safe. From somewhere
Else...
Sunset
A beginning going towards
The new day. May love and
Hope be your companions

With kind regards and thankfulness for friends

11th July 2025.

9th July   A sunny Day - in the Garden. 

8th July Happy Birthday Marjorie

2nd July 25 Coach trip to Hull

Hello, It's Marjorie  again...... On Wednesday I went on a days outing ....... I joined a group called Friends, they are a religious group who take the elderly on an outing once a year - through the year, they hold fortnightly meetings for the elderly in our village...... We were on our way to Hull, the Bus Company have a lift so that the ones with 'dodgy legs' can get on board the bus without any trouble..... then, its finding a seat to sit on!! The seat that I sat on with Roy on the last trip, was empty, so I sat there!! This time I was on my own, Roy was not well enough was not well enough to come, so it was little me on my ownyoo!!

Our first stop was at Brigg Garden Centre for our mid morning coffee..... The place was huge..... so were a lot of the plants!! Also very expensive!! I headed up in the lift to the Cafe...... The Cafe was huge - I got my coffee and scone, I didn't want to walk too far on my legs - carrying my tray - so I sat at the table nearest the counter! Nobody from our group came to sit with me, but a nice lady joined me and we talked while we munched!! There was a viewing balcony you could stand on to look at the floor bellow. I went to look - underneath was a huge - department shop - selling clothing!! Time to return to our Coach again - we headed to the Humber Bridge.

What a sight meets you as you approach the Bridge and the Estuary! As we crossed the Bridge, I was too busy looking out to sea to feel nervous on the Bridge...... But I did feel safer when the coaches wheels were back on roads again!! Then we pulled into Hull Centre - We were told we had 4 hours in Hull - and to make the best of it!! I wandered off on my own, up one of the main streets, looking for another cup of coffee!!

This street led me into a lovely town area, with trees, seating area, in the middle was a huge fountain area, the fountain was lots of jets coming up and down - little children and dogs were having fun jumping up and trying to catch the water!! Lovely - What fun!! There were hundreds of pigeons to watch, they were begging for crumbs, or, stealing them if they got the chance!!
I found myself an empty table, a waiter took my order and brought it out to me. The sun was just warm enough, to sit and watch the Hull world go by......

I was joined by a couple from the bus, I knew them by sight - they said they were going to the Transport Museum, would I like to go?? I did. and off we went.... It was quite a long walk for me, pushing the walker in front of me - it helps me walk. I went around the displays quicker than them, so I sat in the garden, while they collected me..... It was time to go and find our Coach - I am glad they could use the map on their phone to take us back to the to the Hull Truck Theatre to where we could join the Coach again, I was relieved to be with them - I would have been totally lost on my own!! Oh! Were my feet happy to get back on the Coach, I am so small - I can dangle my legs and feet and cool them down!! When I got back home to Roy, I took my watch off me to check how far I had walked - he said I had done 7,500 steps = four and a half miles --- my poor feet were sure it was more than that!!

If you get chance to visit Humber Bridge and the City of Hull -- Take it!!

You can also add your visitor comment or contribution here

We only ask you to leave your email address when leaving a message, or a piece of work, poems, etc. Other visitors will not be able to see this information! It would only be needed if you wanted to leave your contribution to advise you that your submission has been published. Unfortunately, it is necessary to vet submissions first to delete junk, obscenities, scams, etc., before it is published. Just so you know, you will be notified by email as soon as your submission or any replies have been published.