General Chat

Make sure you wrap up well for the garden visit to your friends as it can get colder inthe afternoons and especially if there's that wind.

Was hungry so came in for toast Oh wanted it too so we are having a toast party .

Morning AnnG, Mel and all

Blue skies, fluffy white clouds and sunshine here and it is a beautiful day until you step outside. There is a really cold wind - one of those lazy winds that can’t be bothered to go round you so it goes straight through you. It could be chilly having tea in my friend’s garden today. I think I’ll be wearing several layers.

I hope you manage to find some gloves for OH Mel. It’s really frustrating when you’ve bought something before, then can’t find it when you want to replace it. Been there, done that, got the T shirt :-)

At the moment I am in the conservatory with a cuppa and looking out on our crab apple tree which is covered in blossom. Looks gorgeous. We’ve got 2 ball shaped box shrubs in the garden and OH said this morning that he was going out to trim them but I think he’s forgotten as he disappeared into the study over an hour ago.

I must go and sort out my order for Tesco who are delivering on Sunday morning. I wouldn’t normally have the delivery till Thursday but I’ve got my scan then so I had to bring it forward to Sunday.

Morning Anng and all,

Oh had to do an update for me on the pc. Anng I will send you some sunshine as its a beautiful morning here with a lovely blue sky.

I don't know where this week has gone but I suppose its cos I have been busy all week. It only seems like yesterday I was watching Gardeners World and its on again tonight!!

I bought some gloves for Oh a while ago for when he is doing greasey things and he liked them because they fitted!!!!! Do you think we can find another box the same. I have bought him many over the years and ended up using them myself or giving them away because he has quite broad hands (or fat hands) these ones were just right but we can't find them on Amazon and I think thats where I bought them. It may have been from Stuart though so I may ring him.

How did you all sleep last night? well I hope.

Love to all. Must get on. <3

Good morning all from a grey Gloucester. 3 degrees out there, no rain but very dull.

Friend coming at 0945 to change my dressing and Tesco 11-12. Bedding in washing machine so an early start this morning. Found a crate for some of the shopping so will see if that works better. I suppose it is still easier than trying to pack at the check out with queue waiting behind you.

Hope you did,nt get that migraine Vera and you have done a lot today to be proud of.

As to your pastel and watercolour pics I think they are both wonderful. The bark on the trees in the pastil one is just right you can almost feel it. The carpet of bluebells is just perfect. I love bluebells through a wooded area. The watercolour too with that flowering tree/vine with all its flowers is amazing. Never been abroad so can't say what its like but I see anng said it was like her holidays.

Hope you get your plants tomorrow so you can do your pots.

I am nearlly through my pots now and I had a good sweep up round the strawberry barrow this morning as there was all moss growing on the tarmac. Can't find my Ericaious compost so must have used it all to top the blueberry tubs up so shall have to use some peat which I don't really like using but I have some so that will have to do.

Hope you all get some ZZZZZZ,s in tonight to feel refreshed and ready for tomorrow. Hope its nce for your garden tea on Sturday Vera, fingers crossed. :-D

It’s a funny old day. Grey and chilly one minute, sunny and warm the next. We had a short shower this morning and another one just now but if you blinked you missed them. The rain didn’t even wet the path, let alone the garden.

We really could do with some rain now as everywhere is so dry but I am hoping that it will hold off till Saturday as tomorrow I am going to tea in another friend’s garden. It’s her birthday on Sunday and she planned to have half our group to tea next Tuesday and the other half on Wednesday, but as I have to self isolate next week she has brought the first group forward to tomorrow so that I can go.

I hope they are managing to contain the Indian variant in your area Ann. It makes you realise just how careful we must still be. Your pictures are so good, as always. I love them both but fractionally prefer the bluebells one. I like seeing the artistic work and all the crafts you all do but you are all so clever that you make me feel useless. Perhaps I have a talent for dusting ;-)

It’s good your roof is leak-free now AnnG but a shame Charles couldn’t get all the marks off your carpet. Our conservatory is tiled but so is most of the downstairs of our house. It was how it was built 11 or 12 years ago and the same tiles go right through except for the lounge and our bedroom which were carpeted. We’ve since had a wood floor laid in the lounge.

Did you get out for a ride around Frank? I expect you are looking forward to your trip to Devon. I hope Ros’s sore tongue is recovered by then. Will you take your scooter with you?

I cleaned all the upstairs this morning, made a couple of necessary phone calls and did some small jobs but I don’t seem to have done anything much this afternoon apart from repotting a houseplant that had outgrown it’s small pot. I had a really bad night last night for no reason that I could see so I have been very lethargic this afternoon. I had better move and go and do something or I shall just get heavy headed and end up with a migraine.

Thank you AnnG. I have never been to any of those places and didn't realise the subject of the picture was so true to life! Those places must be so pretty if they look like that though. Your roof has had a testing then and your carpet has done good service if it's been down all those years. We have a long mat down over tiles in our conservatory that is threadbare now with the sun and needs replacing. We can't decide whether to extend at the back so have been hanging on with it for now. We have misted panes too that are waiting for us to decide what to do. :-S

Annx as I said in my email response I loved both pictures in fact it is the first time I found it difficult to choose a favourite. I love bluebells and tou have the colours just right and the shadows picture is reminiscent of both Spain and Lanzarote/Tenerife.

They didn't get all the marks out completely in fact I knew they wouldn't it was like oil or paint. the carpet is 25 years old so it has done well being in the place that takes all the dirt from the garden. We had rain yesterday and no leaks, I am very pleased with the roof.

Hope you manage to get your plants tomorrow, I must try and get myself to a garden centre but having these stitches has grounded me this week and last'

Afternoon Everyone,

We had a good lie in this morning and got up with just time to shower before lunch. We just had a quick beans on toast with poached eggs. While we ate it in the conservatory, OH commented that it must be like having a baby bird to feed having him to feed all the time. I replied that I must have got the nest with the Cuckoo in it!! He had to laugh!

That's a good idea to get your scooter charged ready Frank. A little trip round the block the first time will get you used to the controls. I see you have a trip down to Conrad's in May too so that's something to look forward too. It will be 2 years in May since we went anywhere but we are looking forward to our holiday now and some nice sea breeze.

I hope Charles managed to get all the marks off the conservatory carpet AnnG. How is the new roof looking? We are due rain here so if it is the same with you it will be nice there are no leaks now.

We are hoping to be up early tomorrow to go and get some more plants, particularly Geraniums so I can plant up the back wall pots and some other pots. I plant big flowerpots that fit in the ceramic ones and can keep them in the greenhouse while it's frosty in the mornings for now.

Back to my latest watercolour picture now. I will send the pastel one, but it is the first actual picture we have done and I found it difficult!

Just went to go down to my shed and looked up the orchard and there was the fox laying behind one lot of daffs. I had left the camera in the shed so went down there and it did'nt even move a muscleand I got a couple of pics that arn't very clear as they were taken through the shed window.

Will send them later when I find where I have now left the camera!!

Oh's part for the mower came and he just showed me it and it different!! but he thinks it will be better because it sits higher than the old one and he can get to the alternater without taking the muffler off. He will have to fashion a couple of brackets for it as one part dos'nt line up. Bit cheeper than getting one from America at £400 plus carriage though.

Morning Frank nice to hear from you. Hope you can get your scooter out today. Will htis be the first time you have driven it or have you already had a go?

Been sweeping down by the shed and knocked the bee hotel down and out cake a leave sutter bees nest from last year I think but I shall put it back just incase there's something going to hatch. I'll take a pic of it first as its so beautiful.

Good morning fair maidens. lol. How the morning has flown by. I didn't have the best of nights last night.Laid awake for hours. Got up feeling tired.

I have showered and shaved, got clean shirt and slacks on. All dressed up with nowhere to go.

I have suggested to Ros that this afternoon we go for a ride out And stop somewhere for a drink and a meal. It will get us out of the four walls, and save one of us from cooking tonight. She doesn't seem too keen, so will see how the day goes.

We were all JAB UP WEEKS AGO. So hope it won't belong before you are all done.
We should count ourselves LUCKY having our wonderful NHS.These poor third world countries are having it so bad.

Conrad is coming back from Spain in June for his 2nd jab.They don't seem to have any treatment in hand out there.

I'm going to put my scooter on charge today. Hopefully if this weather holds, I will try to get out for a trip round the block. All being well, we will be going to Devon on 17th May for a few days. I think Jan, Jo and Ella are coming up to see Kerry that following weekend for Alexanders 6th Birthday.

Nice bright sunny morning here, Hope it's the same for everyone of you. Take care and I will see you later. xxxx

Oh yes I see. The freezer is in the corner is.nt it?

Not the whole carpet Mel just the spots of stuff that melted onto the carpet when they did the work. I really want tochange the carpet )it has been there 27 years) for lino which will be easier to clean but it is an awkward job because of the freezwe and tumble drier.

Morning Anng and all,

Was tired again last night so did'nt post anything, sorry.

Nice top have the carpet cleaned in the conservatory then it will all be ready for use in the summer.

Bit cloudy here this morning but it is quite bright at times with it.

Nearly through all my plants yesterday but oh stopped me to do something else and then he wanted me to look at the muffler on the zero turn mower. It has a huge hole in it but nothing he can fix so he found one on ebay £150 but offered a cheeky £70. They settled in the end for £100 which oh thought was a good price.

Good morning all, a clear sky but 0 degrees out there. Slept untul 0530 then couldn't get back to sleep again so decided to get dressed as Charles is hopefully coming at 0930 to clean the carpet in the conservatory.

No I don’t think she has said she has.
I managed to find the details on google re the new infections, it sounded as they were adults who have all been self isolating and they have been tracking their contacts so hope they have caught it in time.

Those that have it could have children who are asymptomatic at the school AnnG. I thought they should have stopped travel each way sooner too. Too much was at stake to leave it as long as they have.

No, I shan't be continuing with pastels after the course. You even need special picture frames for them so that the paper doesn't touch the glass. There are sprays you can use to 'set' the pastel but the teacher said those can change the colours which isn't ideal.

I'm looking forward to the Great British Sewing Bee tonight. Another early night as I feel quite weary despite doing little today. We were going early to look at some tvs tomorrow, but can't face another early start, so will either go just before closing tomorrow night or go Friday morning instead.

Has Gill said whether she's had her jab yet?

Wrens have a sweet song don’t they I love them no flamboyant colouring but just cute. I often see one on the patio by the house searching the pots.

I don’t think I am encouraged to try pastels then it seems there are too many pitfalls.

That is bad news about the Indian variant. I do wish we had stopped them coming in or back before they did.. Let us hope the blitz of testing stops the spread but I wonder why the school does that mean it is children who have it.I wonder.

It's proving to be interesting about deeds. I remember years ago that Land registry started to digitally register new homes and any older homes had to be registered then when they changed ownership. Some that have been in the same ownership for decades still haven't been registered yet. I hadn't had a mortgage since my early 50s, but we had a mortgage for the first year we lived here, by which time we had paid it off. The Building Society advised us not to close the mortgage in case we ever wanted to start one up again and in which case they could store our deeds for free and that has been the position ever since. Our deeds contain various covenants so how would people know about those without the deeds? Ones I remember are that we can't keep poultry, we aren't supposed to keep a caravan on the property (nextdoor do!), we have to keep our garden tidy and mustn't do anything that causes a nuisance to our neighbours. I think there was something about not being able to have fences on the front till the 4 bungalows were all sold.and that the 4 bungalows are responsible for the maintenance of the private road.

AnnG I found the pastels better yesterday with using non pastel paper! The dust still affected me a little but not as much. I don't find it easy to work with them as are like big chalks and not easy to draw fine detail with. The colour rubs onto your fingers which you have to keep wiping as well as the end of the pastels as they clog up with other colours you use. Also you have to make sure your arm and wrist don't touch the paper or you get smudges where you don't want them.

OH read today that 3 recent travellers in the city are struck down with the new Indian variant of the virus and they have launched a blitz of testing at one of the schools. It hasn't been specified where they travelled but 28% of the city population is Indian.

We had a sweet little Wren singing his heart out on the bottom fence earlier. I'm always surprised how loud they are and I wish I could get a photo but they flit around so fast.