General Chat

Good afternoon all,

Had a terrible night last night. Was still awake at 4.00 am. I have been sitting in the conservatory rating a new book, about a SPY.

Ros went to meet Martine at 10.00 am and took some books I have read to Brian. Not sure if he reads or not. If he doesn't, I told Ros to bring them back as Jonathan will read them.

Bright, dry, sunny day here, which is so nice. I wish I was stronger on my legs, as I would love to have a walk round the block. Never mind, I should be getting my scooter any time soon, then I can get out a bit more.

I hope you are all well,and enjoying the sunshine, (if you have it.)

I had two toasted hot X buns this morning. They have left my mouth so dry. All I am doing now is drinking loads of water.

Take care all, see you later. xxxx
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I'm so sorry I missed your birthday Mandy and didn't send you a card, I've had so much on my plate with Sandra sleeping rough and then my mum was taken into hospital with a suspected silent heart attack, thankfully it was the after effects from her having Covid and she's okay now and back home, but my mind's been all over the place lately so I forgot to send you a card. Happy belated birthday, I hope you had a lovely day. That was a long way to travel for your vaccination, I don't blame you for waiting a bit longer so you can go somewhere nearer. I hope it's not to long before they call you.

Sandra is staying back with her original friend now and is looking at renting privately in the area, she's viewing a flat on Monday. She doesn't qualify for a council flat as she's not lived in the area for six months, so renting privately is the only option for her at the moment. At least she's off the streets and also out of the hotel where there were undesirable people living, the last thing we need is her mixing with them, she could get herself into all sorts of trouble.

Some of the family have told her not to have contact with the fella she was living rough with, but she won't hear of it and has said he's allowed to ring her from prison and she is now on his list of contacts. We're not happy about it but there's nothing anyone can say to make her give him up, she's even got hold of his stuff with the intention of giving it back to him on his release. It's all a worry. I rang the woman who is helping her with a flat just to make sure the story was true and it was. I feel awful not believing Sandra anymore and having to check out her story, but she's lied so much it's hard to know if she's telling the truth or not now.

I see you've had your eye done Frank and can now see without your glasses, that's brilliant news. Enjoy reading your next book, I hope it's as good as the last one.

Thanks for the pic Mel, I had to look pretty hard to see it, it was well hidden.

How lovely AnnG to receive the box with all those photo's, letter's and a cuddly bear. What a lovely thought. I'm pleased everything went well for the funeral.

I didn't sleep very well last night so I'm really tired now. I think I'll get myself a drink and have a lie down, I don't fancy having another headache, forcing myself to stay awake.

Morning Anng and all,

Wet and grey and a bit snowy here but they are only small flakes. Shan't leave it too long before I go to the shop this morning. I need a few bits of veg and the paper and some bread.

Just written the little shopping list.

Anng what a lovely gesture from all the family and I am sure you will treasure it. Teddy would be nice to cuddle up to in bed. Mum had one who went to bed with her and she said he was a real comfort.

Its snowing quite hard now and oh says to leave the shop till tomorrow.

Good morning grey, dry and -3 degrees. I think daughter has told me we are starting on the garage today. (think I might go back to bed :-D :-D :-D

It does feel a sort of relief that the funeral is over, it was quite a strain with everyone wearing masks (even little Inara wore one for the service)

After the service when everyone but family had left, they presented me with a largish box. Inside was a beautiful 10 inch when sitting soft grey cuddly bear. He has a smock on that says 'A massive hug from all of us' and with him were various envelopes. Inside each envelope was a message, drawings from the littlies, a letter fro 7 year old Luke, and various bits and pieces from all of them. And a set of photos from each family (4 families, three grandchildren, son. daughter has still to do hers because it was started before Tony died and she was already here when he finished his trip round the families. It took longer because he was quarantined for three days before being sent on.). It was such a lovely thing to do and I shall treasure him.

I had a second letter as well two weeks after I had had the jab but it didn't offer me a date, told me a number to ring.

My pc tells me what day it is down at the bottom where the time is if you put the cursor over the time and date it tells you its Friday.

I expect more vaccine is available in some places and I don't know the life of the Pfizer one with the storage requirements. Now though, if you are aged over 65 or clinically vulnerable and therefore eligible, you can use Accubook and book yourself online without waiting to be contacted if you wish. This will be either at a larger vaccination centre or pharmacy that is doing them.

This is what our surgery website says:

If you're invited to have your vaccination at a larger vaccination centre or at a pharmacy, you may get a letter.

If you're invited to have your vaccination at a local centre such as a hospital or GP surgery, you'll usually get a text or email. You may sometimes get a letter.

You can choose to go to a larger vaccination centre or pharmacy, or wait to be invited to go to a local NHS service. More places are opening all the time.

This probably explains why Mel and I got second invitations!

Mandy yes you need a link and I was convinced I had sent it to everyone on here.

I am pleased everything went off well for you today AnnG. You do pay extra to have the webcast of a funeral available for longer. My brother's is available for 28 days. Brother's partner dealt with all that and did tell me the cost which I have forgotten, but I don't think it was very much.

You get some wonderful wildlife in your garden Mel. I've only ever seen snipe in pictures.

That's great news about your eye Frank. You must be feeling on top of the world.

I hope you can get yours sorted soon Island and they don't see you in June and then stick you on another waiting list.

You do wonder how the admin works with this vaccine don't you Mandy. Most of us around here had a phone call from our surgery and went there for our jabs - in our case, just a 10 minute walk. One friend, a patient at the same surgery, didn't get a phone call but had a letter telling her to ring a certain number to book her appointment. When she did she was offered Cambridge (about 50 miles each way), Kings Lynn (about 60 miles away) or Peterborough (about 80 miles away). When she said she couldn't get to any of them, she was eventually offered an appointment at a surgery 5 miles away which she accepted. But why wasn't she sent to our own doc's surgery like the rest of us locally, or at least offered the one 5 miles away first. Ours not to reason why. Perhaps I am being a bit unfair. Vaccinating so many people is a heck of an undertaking and some errors are bound to creep in.

Nice to see you Gwyn. I know what you mean about one day being much the same as another. I have to keep checking the newspaper to see what day it is.

I see it's coming up to 9 pm so I am going to go and watch the programme about Stonehenge and hope I don't doze off in the middle.

Sleep well everyone.

Thanks Mel didn't see you there til I posted ,shop bought I think ,I'll leave it here in the conservatory then .

Glad every thing went off ok today AnnG ,I don't know how to watch a live streamed funeral as Ann said I should think you would need the link to watch but it's good that it can be done like that as mourners are now limited .

Thanks Ann I did wonder if I should put it in the shed ,I should think she got it from Morrisons or Tesco as that's the only places about here that have plants a lot of the garden centres are finding it hard to keep going ,not enough people going in during lock down.

Son has just messaged me he has his jab booked for next Tuesday ,don't know if it's because he is at the school and testing twice a week or because he's diabetic .

Oh I quite thought I had sent out the link to you all, maybe .I forgot. Yes that was the same thing but as far as I know not available that long. Maybe you pay for extra time.

Mandy if you put it in a pot it has to have ericasias compost. Only feed it with ericasias feed too. I would put it in the conservatory for now till the weather warms up a bit as you don't know if it came from a garden center or a shop. If its been in a shop it may not be so hardy.

I hope the Fox keeps going Mel and doesn't scare your girls! :-0

Mandy I remember that striped ticking material for pillows.......and the sharp ends of the feathers poking out and scratching you! Your snow has been topped up a bit now then, so it's not surprising the binmen left things today with it being so cold and icy too. As it's so cold at the moment and not knowing if the Camelia has been kept outside to harden it off or not, I would be inclined to put it in the shed at night and keep it out of the wind with the pot and roots covered to protect from any frost during the day. Sorry, I see you were asking Mel! I have 3 of them now and want to get another. They are so easy to keep tidy and don't drop leaves. Your pink one sounds pretty! :-)

Glad it went well AnnG. It was good you could chat to family too. Now it is over you can do everything else at your own pace. Did you say where the funeral was being streamed, I can't remember? When I watched my friend's OH's funeral she gave us a link to an obituary website and a password to put in. It was done through the funeral people I think and it stayed available for a couple of weeks. Was little Inara ok?

Well all went well, it was a 20 minute service but that actually seemed adequate. I will try and remember to send out a copy of the order of service tomorrow as I have it in word. Did anyone watch it on the live streaming?
But it was freezing standing around outside the wind was bitter. No hugging but we did stand and talk, at least family members did, for about twenty minutes. Good to see them all.

Mel thanks for the photo of the Snipe ,never seen one before but as Ann said he's really well camouflaged you were lucky to see him .

Mel, sister bought me a Camelia for my birthday a nice pale pink one ,now what's the best thing to do with it , I'd like to get it in a big pot, can I put it out while it's so cold in the small pot it's in I can't plant it as every thing is still covered in snow , but should I stand it out or leave it inside and gradually ease it out in the cold .

Ann we had the fine feathers coming down most of the morning :-) stopped now but my goodness it's cold out there ,I went out to get the bin in they normally empty on a Wednesday but came today as the snow made the roads to dodgy for them .
I can remember mum turning the pillow cases inside out to shake feathers out that had come through the pillow ticking ,it was a stripy ticking and the feathers used to poke through some times you could get pricked in the face when you laid down.

Frank that's good the lazer treatment has been a great success for you ,you must be so pleased you had it done ,it sounds as if it's given you a boast you sound a lot happier.

I had a phone call about my jab today , Hello she said we've had a request from your doctor to see if we can ease their lists , it was only inviting me to go to Kingslynn, 28 miles there 28 back ,I said I didn't want to go that far so she said that's was fine she would inform our surgery so I expect I will hear from Swanton Morley now which is where Colin went and that's only three miles to go at the most .

A big fox has just come through the arch and trotted across and through the big arch. It was limping holding it left back leg up.

I know what you mean Mel. After OH got back we ended up having bacon and eggs with tomatoes and toast! He will get his scan results in 10 days. He checked my tyres then and they had only lost a pound or so, so he blew them up by a pound, but the warning light still stays on so it is either the cold or a faulty warning light. We went to the pharmacy then......silly people standing nattering for ages outside the door on the narrow pavement obstructing everyone so they had to walk in the road round round parked cars to pass by them. As usual we need to go back as they hadn't got one of my items. So much for staying in as much as possible. When we got home and I went to print off next week's painting pictures the printer ran out of the black ink, so I had to sort that. Then I got an email from OH's car insurance which is almost due, so I need to shop around for him. Both alarm clocks we have don't always go off so I need to look online for replacements and tomorrow I will be sorting my new laptop and so it goes on. Whatever made me think the lockdown would give me lots more time for crafts and time to catch up on all my jobs! lol.

I have cataracts in both eyes Island and they do make craftwork difficult. I make beaded jewellery, but can't do that with fine beads in the evening, nor painting! I hope they don't cancel your next appointment and that they can sort you out. By next Friday my vaccine should be fully effective, so I shall book an appointment at the Opticians as I should have gone last November. Then the dentist.......not so keen on that! :-)

Mel how nice to see the Snipe in your garden. I don't think I have ever seen one, but isn't he well camouflaged and matches the beige/browns in the picture. It was 1 degree here when we went out and no wind, so I think you still have it much colder where you are.

I wonder if Mandy still has all that snow coming down? I loved the description of the flakes! :-)

I'm fine, thank you Mel.

Had my vaccine last week, but other than that, I haven't been anywhere lately except for local exercise walks.

One day blends with another, so it's hard to distinguish the days.

Chinese New Year today, so we are having a stir-fry, when daughter finishes work ( she's only upstairs)

Nice to see you Gwyn in Kent are you keeping well and safe?

CAn't seem to get into anything becasue of thinking of Anng. I hope they don't have the biting winds we have here but the suns shining so I should be thankful for that.

Put a big pot of stew on so I can get dough boys in later on.

Trying to pluck up the courage to go and feed the chickens so I better get myself well wrapped up and go and do it.