General Chat

Afternoon All,

Sunny here with a few spots of rain but dry again now.

Mandy I remember my Aldi geraniums you told me about before being really good and maybe after our holiday I may be venturing in the new one about 5 miles away and further away from the city when it isn't busy. I could see what fat quarters they have as well. :-)

Chelsea will be pleased to see the results of wearing the brace even if it is for such a long time. I was never taken to a dentist as a child but started going myself at age 15 and had braces when I was age 19. I hated wearing them as then they were bulky and had hook things around some of your teeth and screws to tighten! I was naughty and took them out if I was meeting friends as I couldn't speak properly. My top teeth have never been good, but they were much improved by the brace. Of course, my mother seeing the improvement took my much younger sister to have hers done and being younger the results were better for her.

Our toaster has had more crumbs since OH retired. I tell him to tap the slices of bread over the sink before putting them in the toaster, but does he remember?? I have been looking for a small tray that it could sit on and do have a metal one. I must see if it fits the length.

Reading about your little garden party Vera, I could feel my waist expanding! I bet it was nice to have a relaxed chat even if it was chilly.

The rabbits and deer seem to think your garden is their greengrocer Mel. Is there anything they won't eat? I love Freesias and used to buy a small bunch every week and have them in the bedroom for their gorgeous scent. I have never tried to grow them. Jane keeps popping into my head too. I still can't believe she has gone from our lives. I still haven't emailed Fitz so must do so. We are trying some lamb loin chops tomorrow now we can't seem to get the shanks. There are only the twin lamb shank sin minty gravy as an omnline option showing now, yet there were single large ones before and also one with redcurrant.

I've had emails from the petrolprices website mentioning road tax going up AnnG. It's to do with climate change measures but they are loading most cost against the vehicles that are the big polluters with highest emissions. I've read that since the car charges for going in London meaning less car usage there, pollution levels are now rising as there are more buses to take their place which are more polluting! Before many more years we will have to change our gas boilers and they say that all the woodburners have increased pollution levels too. It seem we can't win whatever we do!. I bet you are glad to be getting your hair cut! :-D

It's a shame Sandra is in limbo too just like yourselves waiting to hear about things! I bet it was a shock her getting engaged. I might be more worried depending on what he was arrested for and whether he's likely to get in more trouble. Does he have a job? Good idea to top up the builder's skip with some of the rubbish you need to clear. I hope he can make a start soon. Your garden must seem bigger all the time as you clear the things you don't want. I hope the man who digs all the roots out for you can take them away for you too as they may be heavy.

OH can't be bothered to go to a footie match after all and is watching one on tv. He's felt very tired the last day or two so I wonder if it is the vaccine affect.

Afternoon all

Nothing was put in writing about the furniture in Sandra's flat so there's nothing she can do about it being empty AnnG. At least she'll have a few things off us and she'll have money left over from the sale of our old place to buy everything else she needs. I see you're having your hair cut, it'll feel much better after all this time. What is the dressing for? Sorry I haven't been able to catch up with all the post yet so I was just wondering what had happened to you.

Yes Mandy Sandra is still with her boyfriend and they got engaged the other day, it was a shock to hear with them only being together a short time, but she's very happy with him. They used to date years ago but we moved to Wales so the relationship came to an end but now she's back with him things seem to be going well, so I hope it stays that way. You made me laugh when you said you've given the fridge a good birthday ;-). Have you thought of putting your toaster on a tray, I do that and it's so much easier to clear the crumbs away.

You sound busy Mel in your garden, I hope the rain doesn't ruin anything, it looks like the west of the country is in for quite a downpour, so you and I are going to get the worse of it. To be honest I don't mind a good bit of rain as trying to keep on top of watering our pot plants isn't easy with them all being bunched up together and only having a watering can and bucket to use. We tried attaching the hosepipe to the kitchen tap but it sprayed watered all over our washing machine, which is why we can't use it and we don't have an outside tap yet.

I'm getting used to not having central heating and hot water Vera, I thought it would be really bad so I wasn't looking forward to it, but with the electric heater and shower we can at least keep warm and have a wash. As for doing the dishes I just boil a kettle. It shouldn't be to long now before we can have the boiler put in, we're just waiting for a date for the builder to take down the chimney in the kitchen first and extend the bathroom then all the dusty jobs will be out of the way so the boiler shouldn't get to dusty then. We thought it best to have the messy jobs done first then the boiler put in. At least we're coming up for the summer so it's a lot warmer than it was when we first moved in and had snow....that wasn't fun as we were freezing cold all the time.

OH has gone back in the garden to make a start on cutting down the next big plant, he's finished cutting the branches off the first one, so we can see more of the wooded area behind it now. He's found another smaller plant that needs cutting down so once all three have been done we should be able to see the wood better. We've decided not to bother putting a fence up as we can't work out the boundary line, plus it'll look like our garden is much bigger even if we're just borrowing the wood and fields behind it. We'll need to clear all the rubbish away at some point though, or that will end up our view, which won't be pretty. We're hoping when the builder has finished putting the rubbish in the skip from the chimney removal they'll be enough room over for some of the garden rubbish.

I asked OH if there was anything I could do to help but he said he wants me out of the way as the branches are around 20 foot high and he doesn't want them falling on me. There's nothing else we can do in the garden until all the rubbish has gone as I did everything I could last week, so I'm going to catch up with a few programmes. I'm running out of space on the planner and the F1 is on later which I need to record for OH as he's back in work tonight.

Morning AnnG, Mel and all,

There was a frost this morning I noticed it when I came down to make a cuppa so I was glad I had covered a few bits in the greenhouse ,by the time we got up the frost had gone as it was raining and we've had showers off and on .

Poor Sandra must be getting fed up now but these things take time ,what's happening with the boyfriend is she still with him.

You'll feel better when you get your hair cut AnnG, my had got so long it feels strange being so short again and a bit draughty round the neck when its chilly.

Yes poor Frank he has been in the wars lately, hope he managed to get some sleep .

I have given the fridge a good birthday, its surprising how mucky it can get so thats a good job done ,I also moved everything off the work tops and you should see the crumbs under the toaster and I only did that the other day .

Oh Colin's in for his coffee BBL

Hope Frank's not too bruised today and he managed to get some sleep last night.

Morning Anng and all,

Bright morning after a frost earlier but blue sky and it dos'nt seem like there's any wind out there.

I think the tax goes up with the budget and I have my tax not long after but the V11 form comes before.

Just have to go and get the paper today and a few bits and then its back out in the garden. I bet by the time I have finished these pots and want to go up the border it will start raining. Its not just doing the pots I am still cooking lunch and dinner and if I could walk away from that like oh can I would get on quicker.

What are they doing with poor Sandra's Flat? They need to get their finger out and get things moving including Sandra!

Not looking forward to Monday as they say heavy rain and winds. Wonder if the plastic greenhouse will be there after it?

Good morning, up early as the dressing that was curling a bit - actually it was the extra bit she put on to secure the main one - stuck to my pyjama top so I had to sort it out and thought I may as well get up. I woke at about 5.30 so slept reasonable well.

bright morning 1 degree, not sure what it will do later. Hair appointment at 12 and not a day too soon. (more like 4 months too late).

Vera that sounds a lovely tea that you had, I am pleased that you were actually able to meet with your friends again, I bet you didn't stop talking. Pity it was so chilly though but sounds as if you were well wrapped up. (winter woolies on).
Yes I enjoy egg on toast when I don't feel like a full meal.

Gill, oh poor Sandra, that is really not good enough having to wait all that time for her flat. Sounds like the vendors solicitors are being very slow. I am still not sure how the vendor has been able to sell off everything if they said they were leaving it. The estate agent should have sorted that. (Unless Sandra misunderstood).

Mel, you were busy yesterday then. Should have a good show of freesias if that lot come up.
Why had the tax gone up from the form? Was there an explanation?

Sorry it thought I'd mentioned it earlier, no Sandra is still waiting to complete on her flat, she's getting really fed up now but apparently when she rang the solicitor she was told they're still waiting to hear from the other side about a charge that might have been paid in full as Sandra will need to pay some back to the vendor. It's all taking such a long time just to get an answer to one question, so it's anyone's guess on when she'll be moving. We're giving her some pieces of furniture so at least she'll have something as the vendor cleared the flat after saying she was leaving everything to Sandra.

I'm signing out now as I'm shattered. Sorry to hear you've had a fall Frank and hope you feel better soon.

Egg on toast always goes down well when you don't feel that hungry. I like to have a boiled egg too. Jane used to like a boiled egg if the boys were having soething she did'nt like. I have been thinking about her a lot this week and I don't know why. Even if it was a bit chilly you must have enjoiyed yourself as you wrapped up well and it was nice to see your friends.

Anng I hate it if you have a plaster on and it rolls up a bit on the edge and starts sticking to things you touch. I try not to wear one if I have a cut but sometimes you just have to.

Got on quite well in the garden with my pots today and turfed out a window box thing I had plants a load of Freesia bulbs in and only one came up. WEll when I had it all out (it had a great bunch of violets on the top ) there were loads of bulbs in there so they went into two big pots. Em also bought me a pale green jug from M & S in 2019 and that had freesia to plant in it there were loads in that pot too so the big ones are in one pot.

Had to tax the car today and did it online. Gone up £5 again from the v11 form they sent me. It always happens to me.

Turned really cold here tonight after a resonable day with only a little chilly breeze. Iv'e got the heating on now to warm up.

Gill still has'nt told us whether Sandra has got her flat yet.

It would have been my 52nd wedding anniversary today if I had stayed with him.

Oh dear Frank, not another fall. I hope you are not too bruised and sore. Do you keep a stick or a walker near you so you can use it if you get up in the night? Rest up and take care.

I’m glad OH’s shoulder wasn’t as bad as first feared Gill. It looks as though you might have found a helpful builder at last. Without proper heating and hot water I would have gone barmy by now. You’ve coped really well. Your bit of woodland with the bluebells sounds lovely.

Gosh, Mandy, that’s a long while for Chelsea to have to wear braces but I expect she’ll soon get used to them.

5 of us had a lovely afternoon at my friend’s house but I was glad I wrapped up because it was really chilly in her garden. She had made us up individual trays with a big scone and little dishes of jam and cream, and some lovely cupcakes with fancy toppings. These birthday teas aren’t doing my waistline any good at all. I had planned to have meat pies tonight with various veg but didn’t feel like preparing it when I got home at 5.30. OH said he was happy with a pizza and I got myself poached egg on toast.

I had cod baked with courgettes and baby plum tomatoes, sweet corn, jersey royal potatoes and white sauce (packet)

I have some of those Spanish bluebells in the garden planted by the orevious people I have got rid of a lot but can’t shift them all the roots spread so much.

Back is ok dressing is a nuisance the edge keeps rolling and sticking to my top luckily it is where I can just about reach

Nice to hear from Gill and hear what they have been doing this week. Good too that G's shoulder is better so he can go back to work. Must be lovely to have a bluebell wood at the bottom of the garden. I have a small wooded area and its covered in primroses at the mo and I have bluebells but they are not the lovely wild ones. I bought them iin the market years ago and planted them in the wood and then found out they were the ones that cross with our antive bells. It would be a devil of a job now to digg them all up as they have spread enormously. The rabbits eat them too.

Frank not another fall. You must be more carefull when you are half asleep going to the loo. I hope you soon feel better as your going to have some nice bruises on your back.

Hope the backs ok Anng and not too weepy. It could just be a healing process as you heal from inside out.

Lamb loin chops for tonight with new pots and something??? probably peas and broccoli. Better get the spuds on.

Evening all,
It's been a bit of a chilly day here with sunshine this morning and hail this afternoon ,i did manage to get a few little plants pricked out and i also potted up my Begonias as i could see some shoots on some of them
The runners are going crazy and will soon want to go in the garden but we need to make sure there's no frosts or they will get nipped off .
I have just been out and covered my plants up as we might drop down in temp and have a frost

Ann as soon as i saw your lovely pictures i thought of our Greek holidays with the Bougainvillea and the white washed buildings with the blue paint work ,they are both lovely ,you know i like your trees too with the carpet of blue bells .
I managed to get some Geraniums from Aldi this week ,i bought some Salmon pink and some white ones but they also had the nice red ones too.

AnnG it must be very awkward to see how your back is with the stitches ,i hope the soreness has eased a little and you can soon have the stitches out ,it was good of your friend to look at it and dress it again for you .

Oh dear Frank you just seem to be feeling a little better and down you go again and just as you were thinking of having a go on your scooter too .
You rest up and get yourself better so you can go to Devon ,as Mel said it would be nice if you could take your scooter as you could have a nice ride down to the sea front .

Gill have you asked the neighbours if they know where the boundries are ,they must know where they were before they took the extra land ,is it the neigbours next door or the ones that back on to yours that have taken the extra land .
Thats good you now have a builder to take the chimney down ,hopefully you won't have to wait to long and then you can get your boiler in and have hot water ,you must really miss hot water in the taps .

Son had to take Chelsea this week to have her brace fitted ,she has a top one it has to be on for seventeen months then she has to have a bottom one for seventeen months and then the top again for seventeen months so it's a long time ,she had a day off school after having it done as it was a bit painful but it seems to have settled a bit now .

First of May tomorrow ,first of May petticoat day ,second of May stinging nettle day ,boys would try and see your petticoat and stinging nettle day boys would try and sting your legs with nettles .

Vera i hope you enjoyed your chat and tea with your friends and it wasn't to cold to sit out ,you need a wind break like we use to use on the beach ,i think i might have taken a hot water bottle :-D

Yes I think you are right about us all being behind because of the late frosts. there have been years when we have gone to Tenerife in April for a month (I think it was actually only once as it was usually May), that year the baskets were all outside grouped together on the patio.at the beginning of April.

There's not much else you can do then is there AnnG. Even if you could bare your back a few hours indoors the dressing is still covering it so that may not help either. I understand the frustration as knees set me back outside and inside. :-S Hopefully you will soon be able to catch up with things. I think with the cold weather many are behind with their garden plans.

Oh dear Frank, I do hope you have not done any damage. Have you got a stick or walker by your bed, maybe you should use it in the night when you get up. Ros must be careful or she will hurt her back as well lifting you. You can call the paramedics to help lift you if Ros can't manage.

Annx I really have not done much that I shouldn't, not lifted anything heavy or stretched. Actually friend says it is not anything I have done, it is just because it is in a place that doesn't get exposed to the air this time of year. I did -very carefully and without lifting anything when heavy fill a couple of baskets a bit at a time on the greenhouse bench and planted two petunias in one (they were beginning to suffer in the small pots) and a tumbler tomato in the other bigger basket. They will stay there on the bench until I can lift.

It is all extremely frustrating I now wish I had waited another month before going to the doctor who sent me to the hospital. Not being able to do the garden as I want to really drags me down.

I didn't see your post till now Frank. So sorry you have had another fall and hurt your back again. What did you slip on I wonder, not one of those mats I hope as you should really have taken any of those up. I hope it soon improves with rest in good time for your trip to Devon.. Just as you were going to be trying out your scooter too.

Afternoon All,

What a drag it was getting up at 7.15am but it paid off with only 2 other couples at the garden centre at 8.00am. I suppose they hadn't room to do it any other way, but it was a one way system with no room to pass anyone with your trolley so it wouldn't be a place to go when it's busy! I got all sorts there but still no mini cues. We came home, dropped them off and put charity shop stuff in the boot and then dropped that off on the way to another garden centre and got a few more geraniums. Now I need to plant the wall pots and take stock of what we have.

When we first set off before 8.00am we we concerned to see an emergency ambulance parked further along at Jean's old bungalow. The couple who live there moved in over a year ago and have made lots of improvements, but the man was recovering from a stroke at that time. When we got home the ambulance was gone but there were two other vehicles in their drive. They have now gone so goodness knows what had happened and I hope the man is ok. I am assuming it was for him.

Thank you for your nice comments about my pictures, especially the bluebell one as I got frustrated with that one! I enjoyed doing the Bougainvillea and really like doing the pen and wash pictures. Vera, I think making your daughter's wedding dress makes you skilled at sewing! :-D It is sunny here but very chilly so you will need your thermals on to see your friends. Three of our Friday zoom gang are meeting in the garden of one this afternoon. Brrrrr!!

Nice to hear from you Gill and I hope Sandra enjoyed her birthday. It will be a battle to clear your garden quickly just now as everything is growing fast, but each bit done is a bit less to do as you say. It's good your hubby is healing quickly now and that this latest builder is finding a date for you. It does sound more promising at last! Woodland at the bottom of your garden with bluebells is something I would love too and, as you say, you can 'borrow' it for now and see what happens in the future.

That's good you have nearly done your pots Mel and done some sweeping up. How many strawberry plants do you grow? I fancy your toast party too, we must have one I think!

I hope your back heals without needing to see the doctor AnnG. Difficult I know but you will have to try to do less or they may leave the stitches in longer.

OH has decided to go to a match about 40 miles away tomorrow. He rightly says he needs to start to get used to driving longer distances before we go to Cornwall. We took my car this morning and I noticed my arms getting a bit tired by the time we got home. OH was a passenger pain as usual and started telling me his 'best ' way to go, then arguing against my reasons for not doing! He got short shrift and me saying it was my car, I was driving and deciding the route, he wasn't helping, just distracting me, I didn't do it to him in his car and did he really want to WALK! :-D It seemed to do the trick, but he will no doubt need reminders another time.

Better get on and finish my other homework that has to be in today. The sun's shining again now.

Hi to you all,

Just to let you know I had a very BAD FALL DURING THE NIGHT. I went to go to the toilet and slipped. My legs went in the air and I came down on the small of my back.. I'm in a lot of pain and resting it. It took Ros and I over an hour to get me back into bed


Speak again soon. xxxx

Hi all, just a quick post before I go out in the garden again, it's so overgrown it's taking us ages to clear it. I think it's going to take most of this year to complete the clear out.

All we got off the solicitor was an ordinance survey map with the outline of our boundaries but with the neighbours taking some of the land at the back of their gardens, which are at the side of ours. it's difficult to work out where the shape of our boundaries are compared to the map we were given. It doesn't help with there being no measurements to guide us, so we've decided to clear the whole lot and not put a fence up, it'll make our garden look bigger but so long as we don't put benches or sheds on the bit at the bottom we won't accidentally find ourselves using land that doesn't belong to us. It's a woodland with bluebells so should look pretty once we've got rid of the nettles and rubbish. At least it'll be pretty to look at, at the moment it's covered in rubbish everyone else has dumped there, which isn't very nice to see.

On a positive I've just spoken to a builder who has done us a quote for the removal of the chimney in the kitchen and the coal fire in the living room. He's going to check his diary and get back to me with a start date. I just need him to keep to his word now and do the job. I've lost count of the amount of builders I've spoken to over the past few months, so with a bit of luck this one will do the job then we can move onto other jobs that need doing, like a boiler and central heating and the bathroom extended with a double walk in shower. Once those jobs are done we can start decorating and buying some carpets, then it might start looking like a home.

OH is feeling much better now and is going back to work tomorrow as his sick note runs out today. He's doing a bit of gardening and seems to be coping okay with it. He thinks he pulled a muscle, not torn it, with it healing so fast.

Well, I'd better go and help him before the rain that's forecast arrives. There doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day to get through all the jobs that need doing, we were working in the garden until quite late last night, but at least each bit we do is a bit nearer to it being finished.

I hope you are all keeping well, sorry I haven't had time to read all the posts yet. I'll try and catch up with them when I can. Love the paintings you did Ann, you are so clever.

Morning Mel and Vera. Yes the wind is a cutting one although I have not actually been out onle been to the door first chatting with my neighbour and then unloading the shopping. Not sure it is helping my back that though. Apparently when Joanne dressed it this morning it was seeping a bit, not infected though, tried to get an appointment at the surgery but just got an automated reply and an instruction to use econsult and they will get back on the next working day. So I will leave it and hope all is well.

Have you got a windproof padded coat that you can put on this afternoon Vera? and maybe gloves so that if your hands are warm that helps. did you see the pub that was hiring out hot water bottles to all their customers> enjoy your afternoon anyway.