General Chat

:-D <3 <3 HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MANDY AND COLIN <3 <3 :-D I hope you have as nice a day as you can planned and get some of the sunshine that's appeared here now. :-D I'm glad you were able to sort your plug and find the bit that dropped down the drain!

Mel, I have ordered the duaphinoise potatoes and broccoli bake to go with it and will let you know what it is like..........IF they don't substitute! It's a bit hit and miss with their stock and I never managed to get any more of the Betty Crocker lemon traybake since the first time. The Shepherd's Pie doesn't sound so good.

I hope you have received your order and it is all wiped and put away now AnnG. It wasn't just me that found the beef strips chewy then. The slow cooker would be good to do them in as well as you say. It was the phone landline that was down in the end and not the internet itself. It seems to be fine this morning so they must have got it fixed. We are stuck without the internet aren't we, and even more so for those trying to work from home as you say Mel!

I find pots dry quite quickly Vera and have put bits of slate chips on the top to help stop some of the water evaporating. The rain misses some of mine that are next to the arbours and greenhouse. I think the angle it blows across misses them. I have just looked on zoom and noticed my meeting is showing a little way down the first page that comes up and has a box with 'start' next to it to click on when I am ready so it all looks straightforward. That's good you are ready with your quiz questions.

Well I had better tidy up in here a bit so my friends don't see the sorting I am doing. I think I will just plonk the boxes on the floor out of range of the screen. BBL

Your stitches weren't in long Frank, I hope she managed to get them all out and you don't have to go back. It must feel much better now and once it's cleaned up you'll feel even better.

I see you've done all your wiping down now AnnG, I bet you'll glad that's out of the way. We've got lovely sunshine now, but it is forecast to rain again sometime today and tomorrow, hopefully it'll green the grass as it was starting to go yellow. OH cut our lawns before the rain came so the garden looks much tidier now and the border looks better without all the Red Robins leaves everywhere. We were getting ourselves into a routine of picking the leaves up so it seems strange now we don't have to do it anymore. I can't get over how much bigger the garden looks now.

I forgot to mention before OH's boss has told him he can have another permanent contract in 4 or 5 weeks time, so he's chuffed he'll have full time work again soon, in the meantime she's giving him as many shifts as she can on his zero hour contract, so hopefully we'll be able to pay the bills and buy food again, it's been a bit of a worry as he never heard back from any of the jobs he applied for. So that's one less thing to worry about now if she sticks to her word.

We've just had a letter off our PPI with the option of cancelling, so we've cancelled it, that is one less bill to pay. Apparently the bank had put our over draft up by £1000 and we didn't even know, the bank never told us. We try not to use the over draft if we can help it, but it's nice to know it's there if we need it.

The winds picking up here, they said it was going to be up to 60mph so I hope it doesn't blow my pots over. At least it's sunny now, so we can't complain.

Glad your feeling better today Gill. Now don't forget to eat something regulary. I was never sick with my migraine but got numb places and the dreaded fuzzy patch and it got bigger and bigger till I could only see a dot of the thing I was looking at. I used to go and lay on the bed with my head hanging over the side near the floor which seemed to help.

Glad all the wiping is now done AnnG. You feel better when you get towards the end and think to yourself, only a few more things now. I must admit I don't think I wipe quite as well as I did at first but we both seem to be ok. Also how do you wipe ham when it comes in a paper bag in a bit of polythene????????

Must get some lunch now.

Phew, well that was two hours wiping down and splitting the meat for the freezer. And about another half hour to go of things 'resting' in the corner of the ining room. He was dead on 11am so we must be the firts on the list again. Just a couple of subs which were fine and saved me £1.50.
A couple of things where DiL was not a good mind reader and one where she ordered one instead of two of one thing that is not important. I thought I had checked her list so my fault as well. £193.70 so about average for almost three weeks food etc.

Sun is shining here now but not too warm. Dry and OH has cut the grass and he found something to do all morning (keeping out of my way.
Re wiping down, Vera and Mandy yes you wonder if it is worth it but I would only worry about it if I didn't do it. I don't think I do it as thoroughly as I did at first but it does all get wiped.

Happy anniversary Mandy and Colin have a lovely day.

Afternoon to you all,

I had my stitches out yesterday afternoon. She did pull a bit on the stitches, and snipped them with a small scalpel. She thinks she might have missed one or two that are covered by the CRUST OF BLOOD. If when I bath the scar I find any, I have to go back. I was the only one in there, as Ros stayed in the car.

Spatchcock chicken was very nice last night, enough left over for a sarnie in a mo.

We have also had rain this morning, and is very grey and chilly outside. Ros. has put the heating on low, as she feels cold. FLAMING JUNE. !!!!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MANDY AND COLIN. Not too long till the GOLDEN ONE.

I had a couple of crumpets for breakfast, but feeling peckish now. So will finish off that chicken and some B & B and a coffee.

Will get back later this afternoon, STAY SAFE. xxxx

<3 <3 <3 HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MANDY AND COLIN <3 <3 <3
Hope you both have a lovely day despite the rain.

We've had some heavy showers of rain, so the plants are loving it and OH watered the tomatoes in the greenhouse. The wind is starting to pick up now and it's not very warm. OH said we had hail earlier. I wonder if Scotland had the snow they mentioned on the weather.

I've feeling much better today, I forgot OH was sick the other night, so maybe I caught the bug off him. He's in a bit of pain at the moment with a bad tooth, it's been sore for a few weeks so he'll be glad when the dentist open again so he can have it sorted. His chest is playing up to, so it looks like he might need some more antibiotics. He thinks it's all the dust off the plants we broke up the other day that's caused his cough and sore throat.

I think you might be right about being sick with migraines Vera, although the sickness came first then the migraine. OH think's my migraines are connected with the weather as every time it's low pressure, for instance a storm is on the way, I end up with bad headache's. Not sure if he's right, but I'll be keeping an eye on them and comparing them to the weather from now on. I'm just glad I'm okay now, as I'm not good with sickness.

I wonder what was wrong with your phone line and Internet Ann, I hope it stays on for you as you'll need it for all sorts until lockdown is completely over. I hope you can find a more suitable hot water bottle from Boots.

Hope all the wiping down is finished now AnnG, it's such a job isn't it?

Good morning all

:-D :-D <3 <3 HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MANDY & COLIN <3 <3 :-D :-D
I hope you have a lovely day in spite of the weather

It rained during the night and again this morning. It's dry at the moment but grey, cold and very windy. The garden desperately needed the rain but I will still have to check the pots later as the rain doesn't always seem to get into the pots, particularly if they are close to the wall and under the eaves.

Good luck with the wiping down AnnG. I was talking to a friend the other day and she said she now only wipes down the milk bottles that are delivered 3 times a week. I'm still doing everything but it is a real pain in the wotsit and you do wonder if it's worth all the effort.

I hope your internet holds up for your Zoom meeting today Ann. I haven't set mine up yet but I have now sorted out all my quiz questions and hope I've got the mixture of easy and more difficult about right.

I hope you're feeling better now Gill. If you don't know what caused your sickness have you considered that it could be to do with the migraines you get? Things eased when I reached my mid-60s and nowadays I just tend to feel nauseous and my digestion is all up the creek, but when I was younger I used to be very sick, usually for about 24 hours. Mind you, I always knew it was migraine because of the excruciating pain that went with it. You do seem to be sick quite a lot so it might be worth asking your doctor if it could be associated with your migraine. If it is, there is medication that could help you.

Going to make a coffee now or it will be lunchtime before we get it. Might bbl

Morning Girls and Frank.



<3 <3 <3 Happy Annivesary Mandy and Colin <3 <3 <3

Have a great day whatever you are doing.

Its bright here today but the sky is grey out the front to the north and some watery sunshine to the south. The roads dry so not much rain inthe night.

Its not nice when the net goes out for a while is it? It puts everyone out especially thoe who work from home like G with his meetings.

Going back to pocket watches I have my gt grandfathers gold pocket watch. I don't remember my grandad ever showing me it and mum only showed me it when I was down here. she had the chain made into a necklace with the bloodstone fob on it. The other sid eof the fob has carnielian on it. I have worn the necklace at mums funeral.

Anng hope the big wipe down dos'nt take too much time. Its such a chore when you don't really ant to do it.

Ann I did'nt get the Wiltshire Ham Hock bake so had to order the shepherds pie instead. It was'nt bad but very sloppy. The cauli cheese was nice though and the Dauphinoise potatoes were nice and we had those the next day with something.

Will try again for the dish we did'nt get though as I really fancied it.

Morning all,

Rain has stopped at the moment but it's been dipping it down at times ,not a very nice day for our wedding anniversary, 44 years ago it was a lovely hot day .

Ann I hope the line keeps working OK for you today for your zoom meet at least you managed to sort your Asda order .

AnnG another wipe down day for you I see it's just not worth risking not to do it but I bet there is a lot that don't.

Oh oh it's brightening up and her comes Colin with a coffee.

good morning all. Kitchen all ready for the delivery between 11 and 12 today so that is how I shall be spending a couple of hours today.

Sun is shining but there is a strong wind and it is not very warm OH is out there but he has a fleece on. Hope your internet holds up Ann, do you know what the problem is/was?
BBL. :-) :-)

Morning All,

There's been a good shower of rain in the night and the soil is wet so that is good.

I have a similar memory of my grandad David, but of the performance with the pipe he smoked! I didn't know anyone then who smoked a pipe and I would watch intently as he would clean the bowl of it out, tapping it to get the last bits out before packing it with fresh tobacco and lighting up again. It didn't seem to last very long before the performance was repeated and even at that young age I remember thinking it was a lot of bother!

With the landline keep failing last night, which meant the internet was down, I realised later that if it wasn't back on by Saturday I wouldn't be able to do my Asda order in time! So I had a restless night and was up at 6..00am to check the phone which luckily was working again. I decided to do our order there and then in case it failed again so that is now done.....phew!! Half as many items as last time so the wiping down won't take long. I got one of those deals this time Mel so that will be a day with less time spent cooking. Of course OH leaves these things to me and slumbered all through it! Hopefully my zoom meeting will be ok this afternoon now.

I think bedchanging and dusting for me this morning as the dusting badly needs doing. No sign of that huge spider yet, so I hope he found his way back outside through the window.

OH has half filled the watering cans and is doing his notes now. With the internet keep going last night he had to get someone to record the meeting so he can do the notes from the recording!

The new hot water bottle I ordered came the other day, but I don't like it. It has ribs both sides so won't be as warm with not being able to flip it to a smooth side as it cools which I usually do. Also the stopper is tiny and doesn't seem as strong as the old one. It's the only trouble with ordering on line. IT has the BS mark on it but I think I will order another from Boots and keep it as a spare.

Better get cracking now and I hope everyone is feeling refreshed and motivated today! :-D

When I was a young boy I remember watching my Grand Father winding his pocket watch, a ritual that always impressed me. One evening I said to him "Grand Dad when you die can I have your watch" Can't imagine why I asked that, but I did, children are sometimes like that.
Anyway, fast forward to 1994. My Father and my Mother have passed and it falls to me to dispose of their clothes and furniture and return the keys of their rented house to the rent office and arrange Mother's funeral.
Under Father's bed was a small case containing GF's birth certificate, GF's death certificate, GM's death certificate and GF's pocket watch !!
I gave it to my Aunt May.

I'm off to bed now, I'm feeling much better, so it must of been a 24 hour bug, not very nice though, I ended up with a migraine but have drank plenty of water all afternoon so it's now finally gone. I'm so tired, hopefully I'll have a good nights sleep and be able to catch up with all the posts tomorrow. We're due some more rain tomorrow, so at least the plants won't need watering, apart from the ones in the greenhouse, but they don't take long, OH said he'd do them, he'll probably forget so I'll probably end up doing it.

See you all tomorrow. I hope everyone sleeps well.
Night Night

That could be inconvenient Ann if the internet goes down when a meeting I’d due. Lucky it came back in time.

I always find those beef strips chewy, I don’t like tough meat. The slow cooker might tenderise it though. The actual meal sounded very tasty?

No clapping tonight, I missed it but OH and I and Rio others did go out as we had arranged last week and had a chat for fifteen minutes.

You seemed to have a busy day Ann I cleaned the bathroom but otherwise did nothing.. we have two home made face masks each but OH decided, as they will be compulsory on public transport, he would order one each on line. So he ordered a couple with filters..

We have only just got the internet back since earlier and just in time for OH's meeting at 5.30pm! I was checking this, that and the other, then wondered if it was the phone line down and it was! OH has kept me too busy today, first with getting lunch, then the printer needed cartridges replacing and new ones ordering. Then the internet and I just had to make him a coffee as he hadn't time with his meeting starting. I hope I get some 'me' time tomorrow to do what I need to do myself. Was it Vera who said all sorting out and organising seems to be down to her........well she's not alone! lol.

Sorry you have been so sick Gill and I'm glad to see you have picked up a little today. I hope it isn't a bug and that your OH doesn't get it if it is. Incubation can take a few days.

I forgot to say HAPPY ANNIVERSARY Frank and Ros! I lost my post with it on earlier. The mobility scooter sounds a great idea to get you about.

No rain here today, but it was certainly chillier this morning. The sun has come out now though. I saw a huge frog on the gravel this morning. He must have squeezed or dug under the gravel boards I think or come from on the front as there are the concrete boards all around at the bottom of our fences so not easy for anything to get in.

I used one of the beef strip packs today by frying them with onions and mushrooms, then adding diced carrot, swede, green beans and cubed potatoes that needed eating up. In went some water with 2 beef and 1 veg stock cube, garlic, soy sauce, tomato paste, pepper and some whole milk powder. It turned out a bit like ragu and the gravy was very tasty. I don't like beef though (OH loved it) and found some a bit chewy, so I think the other that I have will go in the pressure cooker as that makes most meat very tender.

They have had to shut a car park attached to some playing fields in the city due to people gathering and making noise at night and fighting! Also a beauty shop has been reported for not operating social distancing and for insisting on cash only payment. HMRC would also be interested in that!

Did you see there is a suspect in the Madeline McCann case in prison in Germany? It does sound promising that it may be him.

I hope you found some good questions for the youngsters Vera! If you have any difficulty with using the emai I sent, it might be specific to my email account. Try putting your ID in the box and if that doesn't work, go to the Zoom site and follow 'schedule meeting' on there.

I must make sure I do our food order tomorrow. I won;t need much freezer stuff as there isn't room for much and I'm hoping it will just be mainly perishables.

I wouldn't get too excited about post Gill. My daughter posted a normal envelope to me 2nd class over a week ago and it still hasn't arrived.

Hope you feel better soon. You have been sick several times this year I wonder if you are eating something that you don't tolerate. It seems strange for you to have a bug when you have not been anywhere to catch it.

I'm still feeling a bit under the weather and very tired, I was just dropping off to sleep before when my phone rang, it was the doctor to see if I was okay. She's had an email sent her off the people I have phone consultations with, I miss my appointment yesterday. With being so ill, I didn't realise my phone battery had gone flat. Apparently they tried to ring me a few times and they were concerned when there was no answer, so I have to ring them within the next week to arrange another appointment. I told the doctor I was ill and she asked if I was the only one in the family feeling ill, OH is okay so it can't be something I've eaten, as we ate the same things, so I must have some sort of bug. The doctor didn't seem to bothered, I'm drinking cooled boiled water and only eating light things, hopefully I'll feel better soon.

I've got a headache so haven't caught up with the post, I hope everyone is okay. OH is in work today so I'm going to have a lie down and see if I can catch up with some sleep, I didn't sleep very well last night.

Just noticed your post about the parcel Mel, let me know when you post it then I'll keep an eye out for it. There's no rush, so don't worry, I just don't want to miss the post then OH doesn't have to go to the post office to pick it up, it's quite a small place with lots of people around, which isn't safe at the moment, so I'd rather have it straight off the post man to save OH going out.

Mandy, that sounds as though it could have been expensive, had you not got COLIN there, to do that job. Calling an emergency plumber could have been far more, than he will charge you. LOL LOL

Yes the shooter sounds just the thing, I will be able to DRIVE to the Football Club for a pint, as and when they open.

So much for me offering to prepare the veg for dinner tonight. Ros has done them, and made stuffing to go under the chicken. So she is making me redundant until my head and shoulder improves.

It's turned really GREY outside now, so I expect it to rain, just as I go to the Surgery. SODS LAW. !!! I don't feel too good at present, so will not bother putting a shirt and trousers on. I will go as I am, in joggers and top.

I am going to have a le down and try to get a few zzzz before I go to the nurse. See you later. xxxx

Thank you Ann and Vera i had a look and it looks like you can't find out until about a week before so will a look then .

Frank the Motorbility scooter sounds ideal for you it will give you a chance to get out and about .

We've had a little drizzle but nothing to really wet the ground ,wind is still strong .

I gave the bathroom a good clean this morning and decided i would unscrew the plug bit in the basin ,it's a bit of a devil as when you unscrew it the middle bit is on a bit that if your not careful it drops down the pipe so you've guessed it it dropped right down so Colin had to get the trap off to get to it ,i made sure i got that bit on again before he put the trap back as you could be sure it would drop again , so one job led to another .

suns been out here and still is but its still chilly in the wind.

Glad you have got the MOT sorted then Vera.

Hope Gill feels better today.

Hope Jane also feels a bit better after her bloods. Sending love and thinking of you Jane.

Must get some lunch now.