General Chat

Afternoon All

We finally have the heating back. The engineer hs been here all day today and has virually rebuilt the boiler!!. It was a much bigger job than expected. At least it means we dont hve to have a new one. Poor chap had ot drive all the way to Leicester at lunch time to pick up a spare part .

Mandy I hope your throat soon gets better and you have no more symptoms.

Everywhere is shutting down now. All our theatres and I think cinemas have shut.I see the British Library too has closed now.I can see before long we will all be under house arrest .

Vera you got the day after us for the Tesco shopping delivery :-D. We are going to keep checking to see when we can book further weeks.Chris did his last shop at Waitrose this morning . He got there for 8 when it opened .Lots of loo rolls then but 20 minutes later he said the shelves were empty again!. We have plenty now :-D

Mel thanks for the pics of poor little Robbie (RIP)

I have to start my wee collection in the morning ( must remember ) When I tale it in to the hospital on Friday morning I am going to take a disposable mask with me .I know they say they dont do much good but even if I am protected for the short time I will be there I think it will be worth wearing. I see in the news one poor man who had Motor Neurone Disease has died and he was from here. He was only 45 :-(

It is miserable outside with heavy drizzle mizzle .Thomas came in all wet had a wash and is now back out sat hunched up on the summerhouse step. Silly thing.

Good morning all, a very grey day here, not really cold 12 degrees out there but not pleasant like yesterday and the day before. OH is working in the greenhouse, he has taken some of our old baskets and painting them blue with garden paint. He did a couple last year and is now doing a few more.

we seemed to have a late start today by the time that we had showered and washed hair etc, then we decided to use some oldish bacon up in sandwiches for breakfast so I have not done much except answer emails and messages on the computer.

Not much washing in the bin, bedding was done yesterday but I must shift and clean the bathroom. I can see 12 weeks being frittered away doing nothing at all really!!!!

Annx I said bracelet on my email reply to you, I meant necklace of course. If you don't like what you are doing best to stop and start again. Yes, good idea to canncel that appointment, awkward if you can't get hold of them, sounds as if they have disconnected the phone.

Mel, it rained here overnight but not much looks a bit brighter out there now.

Mandy we have been on statins for many years now and never had any problems with them. So you should be fine.

Morning All,

Dull here and it was rainy first thing.

That was a good idea for the man to sign Mel. I think I will order those beads after all and ask the courier to do the same if he isn't already doing that. I think the beads were about 84% off just now. It's Nosek's Just Gems if you wanted to look but stock is very limited now. Yes, I do freeze cooked rhubarb and freeze cooked apple so I could do that and add the crumble after. I needn't take up freezer space with the crumble if I just make it when I need it as well.

I hope your throat tickle soon goes Mandy. We will all have to do the same now just in case it is the virus. OH still has a bit of his cough. I bet your jeans will soon dry in the breeze.

Yes, I think all my beading friends have become a bit addicted to making different ropes now! I'm not sure whether I like my flat bracelet I've started Mel and it isn't easier at the edges, so I might do a rope one like the necklace after all. The pattern is very easy to follow on youtube. You just need size 11 seed beads and superduos. (these are what I have been buying at discount on the site I mention ).

I have just rung the hospital booking number to cancel my appointment on the 30th with the knee surgeon and the line was completely dead!! There is an email address to use as well so I will send an email.

Sainsbury's are going to make their first hour of the day for the elderly and vulnerable from tomorrow. One of our garden centres that stocks food as well sent an email saying they are doing the same yesterday.

My other 2 workshops with the lady that was on Kirstie's Christmas progs is taking precautions with sitting arrangements, but has offered refunds now or vouchers for future workshops with an extra £15 voucher to use. I think with things being so uncertain I am just going to ask for a refund.

The trouble with rationing is that people will have to go out and mix more if they are shopping for others as well as themselves. The greediness of some does need stopping though.

Shower next as it doesn't look like a day to do the garden first.

Hi Mandy. Hope the tickly cough improves soon. You should get on ok with the statin but remember you can't eat gratefruit anymore. That was my favorite fruit and I look longingly at them in the supermarket especialy the red ones. I used to drink the red gratefruit high juice too.

Ann just love the rope necklace and as Mandy said will go with a lot you wear. Be interested to see the flat braclet to go with it. Will a flat one be easier to make?

Morning Mel, morning all,

Very cloudy here this morning and there's quite a wind so I have just hung two pairs of jeans out so hopefully they will get dry before we have rain later .

I expect a lot of the delivery drivers will be asking if they can sign and it's a good idea as it means people won't have to hold the machine that the poor chap will have to hold after they sign .

Oh Ann I think that necklace is my favourite one of all the ones you've made and you've made some lovely ones ,I love the colours and it would go with any thing you wear and a matching bracelet will be nice too.

Doctor rang and he's put me on a Statin, the scrip should go to boots so will get DIL to pick it up for me , I've still got my tickly cough so haven't been out and will keep in as they say for 14 days .

Morning all,

Its another grey and windyish day with pale grey sky and not very nice at all. It rained last night too so I expect the chicken run will be very wet again.

Hope you all had a better sleep last night and are feeling better today.

I was going to say that rhubarb freezes well cooked and apples do too so you cuold freeze just enough to make your crumbles and then you only have to put the crumble mix on top before cooking them.

Ann no not actual buns but small cakes with mixed fruit and mixed spice in. The second lot I baked I had put demerara suger on the tops. Forgot to do the first lot. I bet there's a lot missing in the morning as oh has to eat in the morning and he won't eat cereal or any brown bread only white. Oh is also on bisoprolol so he can't take Ibuprofen either.He will only take pain killers when in bad pain and he had taken some so I had to hide them from him. The thing is with him he won't be told, he always know best!!

Why do we get one lovely spring like day with sunshine and then we are back to grey sky and rain?

Oh had a parcel delivered today and the man asked me if it was ok for him to sign for it and I said yes as I did'nt want to touch the stick thing they have. I never sign my own signature anyway just put a squiggle.

Good idea to freeze the crumble separately Vera! Why didn't I think of that. Your buying for the birds reminded me of OH spotting some fat balls I had bought for the birds that were next to a box of our extra foods. The silly so and so asked if they were faggots!!!! We are just as bad as you as we had I think it was called a Diamond card that gave us a discount at certain restaurants and we only realised just before the one that we used to go to closed. Good idea to get your meds delivered. We were talking about it yesterday as we always seem to be picking prescriptions up. I think OH needs to drop his in this week so I'll get him to pick a leaflet up.

That's good that it isn't Hannah that's had to self isolate after all Jane. She's sensible to keep you safer by keeping away as she's had contact. The trouble is we don't know who is in the early stages as we go about and some will go out to get food even if they are unwell. I said to OH that we should perhaps arrange an online food order for about a months time in case we aren't well then as we don't have anyone to shop for us. Others that might do it could be ill themselves too. It's all very uncertain how things will progress.

A bit of telly now and an early night again I think. :-) I hope everyone has a good sleep.

That's good the shelves are getting restocked AnnG. Well done the people who are working flat out to keep us all supplied. Yes resurrect your Wii, but make sure you have extra batteries for it. I need to replace our 2nd remote which seems to have packed up. Doing the garden is good exercise and fresh air, but not when it rains as you say. I can't take Ibuprofen either with being on a beta blocker (bisoprolol) as it can interfere with the effect of the medication. I wonder what will happen about your Cornwall payment, but at least you could reschedule the Dorset holiday so that's good. I've thought about reading the papers on line instead before now, but we sit and do the crossword and puzzles together after lunch usually and it is easier with the actual paper. It might be time to change though.

I read that it can be viable for hours or for days Mel, but that food is safe if correct hygiene rules are followed. I did a whole order of some beads that were 84% off if you ordered over £20 worth. I changed my mind though because they send them to be signed for with those pens used on screens!! :-0

It's quite windy here again as the letterbox is rattling and chilly too.

Mmm Spicy buns sound nice. Are they like hot cross buns?

Frank, it sounds as though you had a lovely weekend. I bet you are pleased you went now, though it was a shame you didn’t get to see your sister. You did go a long way round to Woodford Bridge, lol. Mind you, if you had ended up in Woodbridge you would have seen something new. We go there from time to time. It’s nice walking along by the river there.

We have discount vouchers for our paper as well Ann, together with a card that gives us discounts in various places. There is a pub that we often pass if we go a certain route to my brother and other places so we often get a bite to eat there. I only discovered recently that all the times we have eaten there we could have got a 25% discount with our card. Grrr! I’ve never tried freezing a ready cooked crumble but rhubarb and crumble mix both freeze well so I would freeze them separately and assemble the crumble and cook it as and when required.

Talking of cooking, your spicy fruit buns are making my mouth water Mel. They sound just the sort of cake I like best.

I hope you can get your boiler fixed quickly Jane. We could still get some very cold days and you want to keep warm. What a shame that Hannah has to self isolate for a couple of weeks. I hope she doesn’t have the virus. I had also read that it is not a good idea to take Ibuprofen, though up to last night it was still being suggested on the NHS site.

What a shame about your holiday AnnG. I hope you get some money back. We were on the verge of booking another trip to Vienna when all this broke so we decided to wait a while and see how it went. I am really glad we did. Like you, we have thought about getting exercise. We have one country park about 5 or 10 minutes’ drive away and one about 20 minutes’ drive. They are seldom busy and we ought to be able to get away from other people there, unless the world and his wife have the same idea.

I had my broken tooth built up and refilled this morning so that’s another problem dealt with. While we were there we were able to go into the Co-op and get half a dozen eggs and a couple of packets of tea. We also went to QD where I managed to get a very large bag of sunflower hearts for the birds. OH’s eyebrows went up when he saw the price but I told him I get pleasure from watching the birds on the feeders and right now I need every bit of pleasure I can get.

I’ve had quite a frustrating day. Hughes have warehouse people off sick so couldn’t deliver our dishwasher and that is now rescheduled for Friday. Then I thought that I had better get another Tesco delivery slot booked. I normally have them every 4 to 6 weeks but thought I had better go for 2 weeks as I may not be able to get out to shop. No chance of 2 weeks! I got the first available slot on 6th April. Though we can manage with most things I will have to go to the shops before then for bread and milk and, hopefully, fresh veg, so I will have to try to pop to our nearest supermarket, which is Sainsbury’s, and get there when they open before it gets crowded.

I am going to ring my hairdresser in the morning and see if she can fit me in in the next couple of days rather than wait for my next appointment in nearly 2 weeks’ time. I also want to go to the pharmacy that deals with my repeat prescriptions to ask about their delivery service and maybe get something set up.

Tonight OH is going to ring his sister again and put her off coming this weekend. It is a shame as she and her OH were coming last July and we had to put them off because my OH was so unwell and immobile and my brother was having his last operation at the same time. We really don’t think it would be wise to entertain them. They would have to be so careful as bil has had recent treatment for cancer and is the same age as me so is quite vulnerable. Also if either of them were unwell while here all four of us could end up in isolation here. I’ve said OH must promise to telephone for regular chats as he is quite bad at keeping in touch with his siblings.

He has been out gardening this afternoon as the weather was so good. Now he has come in expecting food and I haven’t got any ready yet so I had better go and start preparing and cooking our dinner.

PS I see there are several more posts appeared while I have been typing. Won’t stop to read them now or we will never get our meal.

I got it wrong with Hannah self isolating for 2 weeks. It is the 2 work collegues who are doing that. She said that she just wont be coming to us for 14 days as she has been in contact with them.

We have registered now with Tesco on line shopping.First available date for delivery is April 5th. That is fine as we can add anything we want to Hannahs Morrisons on line shop.

What a thoughtful Lewis Frank :-D As Mel says he may not come in especially if he has been in contact with anyone who might have been ill.I just spoke to Hannah through the open window just now as she dropped a few bits for us.

The boiler is working for now. There was a leak and everything is furred up so the chap is coming back tomorrow to drain the system ,blast it through and replace all the furred and corroded bits in the boiler.It will take at least all morning.

Frank you know Lewis may not be able to come indoors if they put a ban on. He wold have to leave your shopping outside as he has been in contact with others. I have heard said that the virus can live on items fr half an hour. I wonder if that is right?

Still been mistle all day and really grey but not much in the way of a breeze. Looking really dark out there now.

I am just about to start cooking the dinner now. oh is asleep on the bed. I just went in to change the solar lights round to the west window and he was snoring.

Just made 27 spicey fruit buns.

Afternoon to all my lovely friend,

I have had a really lazy day. After my shower this morning, I got into JOGGERS and T shirt, slippers, and lounged around all day.

Lewis rang to say that he is available each Wednesday to go hopping for us. I hope we can get everything we need ON LINE. But what a lovely offer from a young man, who as you know we LOVE most dearly.

Conrad rang earlier from Spain. The Government out there has really clamped down on people who are out without a good reason. FINDS from 600 euros to 1000. if you don't have a valid reason to be out. They will only allow TWO PEOPLE TO BE TOGETHER ALSO.

I see the number of cases of Coronavirus has reached almost 2,000 in the UK. with more expected. I have made it quite clear to Ros, that I will not be going out anywhere, until this lot clears up. If it takes three months so be it.

I do hope you are all taking every precaution possible, to keep safe. Thinking of you all.


I am feeling very tired and lethargic, so after dinner I won't be long before I am in my little bed. A good nights sleep would be wonderful.

Keep safe everyone, GOD BLESS. xxx

Good afternoon all. Gosh what a lot of posts today so far. Had better have a proper read before I reply.

We got all we wanted at our small Tesco local store this morning. We went at 0915 and as we started looking they were gradually restocking the shelves, by the time we finished they had filled up quite a few shelves including meat, no eggs though. People seemed to be shopping responsibly but nearly everyone in there was over 60ish. and there were packs of 4 toilet rolls.

Knowing that we will need exercise when cooped up in the housewe have worked out a couple of places we can walk here but they will probably attract other people as well. I suppose we could always resurect the Wii which has not been used for several years now.

OH is out in the garden again. the crunch will come when we get several wet days.

we also this morning called in to the pharmacist and got OH's prescription, I had got mine last week but his on the Pathway had expired so we had to get a renewal from the doctors which I did when I went to get my stitches removed. And we checked with the hairdressers and they are being very careful. they have a large notice on the door asking people not to enter the shop if they have a cold or cough. I said did that apply to the staff and Matt said it did.

We have cancelled Dorset and rebooked for September (25th). We have tried to cancel Cornwall but the Valley are being awkward. We are due to pay the balance on Friday. They say we can only get a refund if we can get a doctors letter to say we have underlying health problems. We haven't so we can't and anyway no way can we go to the doctors They have our card details so I guess they will try and take the money anyway. But it was OH's card used and he is waiting for a new card to come. It will be the same number card and pin number but will have a different expiry date and security number. Wonder if they will get the money?

Frank you do seem to have had a lovely break with a nice B&B as well. hopefully you will have managed not to get near anybody as you picked a table away from the crowd. We lived in Essex from 1968 to 1973. We lived in Great Baddow near Chelmsford. You certainly got around but a shame that you didn't get to see your sister. Glad you got home OK anyway, back to normal now then.

I saw that newspaper offer Ann but I think I will stick to reading on line, that will save me a bit of money
good that your OH's meeting is cancelled I don't think they had any choice really did they?

Yes Jane I saw that about Ibrofen too. I don't take it as I was told it should not be taken with my medication, but I don't know which one in particular which is a little confusing. Sadly it was always the only drug that worked if I had a headache. But thankfully I rarely get headaches in the 20 years since I left work.
Is that people Hannah works with that have gone down with the virus. that is a good start.
Well done James and good luck with the second interview.

Annx at least your OH seems to have plenty of admin to keep him occupied so he won't get bored.

Well done on finishing the rope bracelet, look forward to the photo.

It sounds like you enjoyed your trip Frank, but it would have been nice if you could have seen your sister again. What a nice view from your room as well. I would have loved that.

I hope Hannah doesn't start showing symptoms too Jane. I think the trouble is, you can have it without showing symptoms too. No more popping over for coffees for a while.

Mandy, what I read after seeing Jane's post was that Ibuprofen/anti inflammatories are thought to depress the immune system in some way which is why it isn't being recommended. Your blood results sound good which is always good to hear. I haven't had my cholesterol checked for a few years now, they don't seem to do it routinely at our surgery. Yes OH will have to build a barrier when he goes in the front garden next time and he will need to as there is plenty to do out there! Oh I'm wanting some of your apple cake now. Have you ever tried freezing apple or rhubarb crumble? I noticed the rhubarb has enough to pick some now and wondered if the crumble would freeze ok and whether or not to cook it first?

OH is at last catching up with more of his notes now and we had another short session in the back garden after lunch had gone down. All the remaining humpers of soil that were in the green house are now tipped in a space on the island beds and OH has cut back some of the Fuschias. I found some 'past their best' looking pretty violas that never got planted up, so I have planted them in the front wall pots and, fingers crossed, they will be nice for a few more weeks. :-)

I finished the daydreamer rope last night so will send a pic.

I hav'nt got round to any cakes yet Mandy.

Jane that dos'nt sound good for Hannah to have had two cases. I do hope she is safe. I did wonder when you said she had a sore throat the other day.

Sounds as if you really enjoyed the weekend Frank that was a big party .
I wondered if all the things Ros goes to would be cancelled but i'm sure she'll find plenty to do in the garden .

Jane i was reading that about taking Ibuprofen ,i wonder if it also includes Arthritis tablets as they anti inflammatory .
Fingers crossed Hannah does't come down with it

Ann OH will have to take a wheel barrow and maybe a few tubs out in the garden with him and stand them between him and the neighbour if he keeps coming across to talk , some people seem to need to get up close when they talk to you and with things as they are at the moment it's not a good idea to do that .

I had my phone call appointment from the nurse with the blood test results ,kidney and liver functions are better than last time ,Cholesterol is down but not as much as they would like so i might have to take some Statin she said she would have a word with the doctor and if he thought i needed them a prescription would be sent to boots for me to collect .

Washing all dry and folded up ,Apple cake all cooked just got a Quiche to make for tea later

Morning All
Glad you had such a wonderful time Frank :-D How lovely to be able to see so many relatives after so long.That was a huge party!!!

Just had a message from Gareth to say his Brother in law who is a consultant has said for people NOT to take Ibuprofen or any anti inflammatory tabs As these could make things worse should anyone have the virus especially younger people.
Hannah is going to have to self isolate now as 2 people have gone down with symptoms.So we won’t be seeing her now for 14 days :-(