General Chat

I do love your posts Vera and I had a good laugh at a couple of the things you have said. I think all men came out of the same mouldas I can relate to most of the things you have said about your oh but I would give anything to have mine back with me doing just those things that annoy us so much and I expect Anng would say the same.

Mine would also use something up and put the empty bottle or jar back but if he used soemthing and it was'nt empty he would never put that back where it came from. it ceases to amaze me how mens minds work.

Lovely to see Robbie looking after his wife Mel. I am getting concerned about Hippity who has been coming round our garden pretty much every day for a couple of years now. He has a problem leg or foot; perhaps he has broken it at some point. He puts it to the ground now and then to balance himself but quickly draws it up again as though it is paining him. He's fine flying but it is funny to watch him land on the fence and try to turn round. I don't like pigeons much but I've got quite attached to him and we haven't seen him for 3 days so I hope nothing has happened to him.

It's warm again today but cloudier and sort of heavy. I've had one of those days of getting nowhere fast. The window cleaners came this morning which threw me out of gear a bit as we were going out for our Thursday coffee meeting and I didn't want to go until they had finished. That meant we were late getting there. Then we did a bit of shopping in Sainsbury's. There were plenty of self-service tills open and 3 members of staff just standing around waiting to help anyone in trouble there, but only 2 manned checkouts, both with very long queues. We joined one of the queues and, of course, that was the one that moved at snail's pace so we were ages getting out of the shop. Why couldn't the management open another manned checkout with one of the staff standing around by the self service tills?

Anyway, we got home for a late lunch and OH said our front tyre was down again and he was going back to the place that was supposed to have fixed it. He suggested I went with him and disappeared upstairs to find the invoice and receipt from last time. After some while he came down and I got the usual "I can't find it". It must have taken me a whole 10 seconds to locate it and bring it down. Off he went to pump the tyre up with the foot pump and I went around locking doors and shutting windows etc before getting my bag and putting my shoes on. Then he came back in and said "I think I've been a bit silly. There was nothing wrong with the tyre that was fixed recently. It was the other front tyre that was down looking a bit flat but I haven't put air in it for ages. We don't need to go to the tyre place after all". Give me strength! Is it just my OH or is it men in general that drive their partners mad?

Things didn't get any better. I wanted to water an orchid so brought it from the hall into the utility and as I got hold of it my hand slipped. The bark it was planted in went absolutely everywhere and I was left holding a bare rooted plant. I was tempted to dump it as I'm not that keen on orchids but a granddaughter bought it for me and I have really looked after it. It was just coming up to bloom for the third time. Goodness knows if it will survive my rough handling today but it has been repotted and is back in the hall and I have swept the floor, wiped down all the surfaces and cleaned out the sink in the uti. How can a small pot of bark spread so far?

Next I thought I would check how wet or dry some of my pots in the garden are. We do have a moisture meter which OH won't use but I do sometimes. Can I find it? No, I cannot. I haven't used it for a while but know exactly where I was keeping it. I spent another 20 minutes hunting round the garage and I can't find it. I came in to ask OH where he thought it might be and he was sound asleep. I was very cross by then and tempted to wake him but decided to leave him alone. He might know exactly where it is but I suspect he has got rid of it because HE never uses it.

So it has been a time wasting day. I'm now going to print off some banking documentation that I have downloaded. If anything goes wrong with the printer, ink running out, paper jamming or anything else I shall give up and go and put my head in the gas oven. Hang on, I haven't got a gas oven so it will have to be Plan B which is to open a large bottle of wine and get quietly sozzled ;-)

Afternoon all,

Bit more cloud today ,yesterday was so warm and we got the greenhouse up but my goodness was I tired last night ,I also had a very muzzy head and think I did to much so today is a lazy day , we usually go shopping on a Thursday but we'll go tomorrow instead.

Ann I recorded the Chapel programme so haven't watched it yet.

Oh Mel dear little Robbie is looking after his wife well .

Just looked out the window and caught Robby on the bird feeder feeding his wife.

Morning all,

A grey day here today too Anng and its 11 degrees and pc says cloudy.

Nothing planned reallly but I may go and pick up the ring I had reset before Easter as the jeweler rang me to say it was ready before Easter and Iv'e not been yet.....

As to the mistery plant Vera I still say its an antirrhinum as mine on the patio look just like it and have been thereover a year. They get woody at the bottom.

Good morning all, 10 degrees here at 0730 but rather grey. For me (and I love the sun), yesterday was too hot too soon. It is the lurching between high and low remperatures that saps the energy I think, so I am not sad really that today should be more 'April' like
I slept a bit better still woke once to walk around to ease the leg pain. finally woke and got up at 0645.
Meeting here today so a quick tidy round and sort out 10 cups, teapots, kettles etc. A friend is coming early to help with lifting chairs around which is good.

Vera I hope you have no ill effects from your gardening yesterday.
That talk you had sounds really interesting, what an interesting life he has had.

I did quite a bit of clearing and tidying in the back garden this morning while OH had a go at a strip along the side of our garage which we can't see but a couple of the neighbours can so we try to keep it looking reasonable for them. I was very careful how I bent and stretched but I got quite a lot done and enjoyed being out in the fresh air and sunshine. I seem to have been busy all afternoon but I am not sure what I was doing. I did sort out a file and prepare and cook a lemon and garlic chicken tray bake for our dinner which was very nice.

I had an odd night last night. I had been out to a Ladies Club meeting and felt wide awake when I got back. I went to bed but watched a programme on iPlayer and then read for a while so it was turned midnight when I turned the light out. I quickly dozed off and went into a lovely deep sleep, the best I've had for ages. Then at 4 am I was suddenly woken by an excruciating pain in my upper arm, shoulder and neck. Having woken from a deep sleep so suddenly I was completely befuddled and didn't know what was happening. When the pain had eased fractionally and I had got my wits about me I decided that I must have turned over awkwardly in my sleep and somehow twisted my neck or shoulder. I mostly sleep on my right hand side but I couldn't lay on that side at all even though the pain was on my left side. In the end I had to lie on my back and just doze a bit till it was time to get up. By the time I was washed, dressed and breakfasted the pain had eased quite a bit and I felt I would be OK to carefully do a bit of gardening. Now it is only a slight ache but I certainly don't want to be woken up like that again.

We had a really interesting speaker at our Ladies Club last night. He had gone into nursing as a hospital cadet at 16 in the 1960s. At this time there were few male nurses and most of those worked in mental health. I won't go into his whole story but he worked his way up and up till he was running A & E as a sort of nursing manager. But he kept thinking they ought to be doing things better and in the 1980s he won a scholarship that funded him to travel to the US and Canada to see what they were doing in their A & E systems and it was an eye opener. They had a system of triage so that those most in need of care were seen quickest, their ambulances had up to date equipment to keep patients alive, they had proper trauma rooms and trauma teams to deal immediately with serious injuries, and helicopters to get the most sick and injured to hospital quickly. We had none of this. When he came back he started getting something similar set up here, obviously backed up by a whole lot of people to whom he gave credit. Eventually he was awarded the CBE. There's quite a lot about him online. If you are interested google Gary Jones CBE. I was very impressed with him as a speaker.

I'd better come to a halt or I shall ramble on all night. Sleep well tonight, ladies.

Yes Ann I usually print back to back, as you say less to file. Yes a nuisance not being able to get. Friday slot. To me the odd thing was that every single slot was for ‘collect’

It was too hot for me to do any gardening today too, over 20 degrees and no wind. I did sit down I. My happy place in the shade of a tree, reading.

Thanks for the photos Vera pots are very pretty. That lovely daff. And I do like white tulips.

Pleased that you seem to have solved your plant mystery.


Oh yes, the number of times I have to rush downstairs to get my phone for the special security number. I never carry my phone round the house.

Mel the pond takes a lot of looking after doesn’t it?

You do keep busy Mel with all your land and ponds. Where do you get your energy from? Could you send a bit my way please. It's a shame not many of your seeds germinated. I've not sown any tomatoes this year but I'm hoping daughter might have a plant or two to spare. Thank you for your suggestion of antirrhinum for my mystery plant. I agree the leaves do look like one but I think it is too woody and shrub like for that. I might have found the answer myself. A few years ago we had two ball shaped box plants in different parts of the garden and they got box blight so had to come out. To replace them OH bought two slow growing Japanese holly plants. They never grew well and always looked a bit tatty so a couple of years ago they came out. I now think that maybe a piece of root was left in and has taken off. It could have been growing all last year but hidden by other plants. Anyway we are going to leave it in for now and see if it produces any flowers this summer.

I laughed at you leaving your card in the card reader and then hunting for it Annx, as that's just the sort of thing I do. Whenever I do online banking I always forget that they will send a one time code to my phone and I never have my phone with me at the computer so it's a panic to go downstairs, hunt for the phone, get back upstairs and enter the number online before I get timed out.

I'm going to post this as I've done what I keep telling Mel not to do. I've typed in straight into the Genes reply box and I don't want to risk losing it. I'll be back with a bit more in another post.

Done my parcel up and renewed my library books by ringing the library.

Can't get the pump to work that brings the water up from the well to both ponds. Shall have to clean the plug I think cos it did give a spurt then went off again. It nnoying because the lead on the actual pump is'nt very long and dos'nt reach the patio it has to stay on the side of the pond decking.

I have just come in from the garden been doing the big pond filter and I have mended the long handled net by putting a much smaller one on it and got lots of leaves out of the bottom of the big pond. That takes a lot out of me lugging the net out full of leaves but it has'nt been done all winter cos the BIG net broke.

I had some breakfast, just cereal and now I am peckish again and need to take some pills so thats what I shall do next.

Then I need to do up a parcel of two lots to the same lady and see if I can get that down the shop and post it.

Afternoon All,

Lovely sunny day, but too hot for me to do anything in the garden till later. Yesterday the man came and cut the bottom hedge lower again and cut the brambles back that had crept under and over the fence and cut down two tall shrubs that were past their best. He unearthed our old wheelbarrow which is only fit for the tip now and now we have the garden bin, we doubt we will need one again. We have a trolley thing in the garage and sack barrow that was FIL's we can wheel compost bags on, but we just get small bags now as OH shouldn't really do any heavy lifting. OH has managed to shorten the branches on one he cut down and put them in the garden bin. He'd already shortened them last year, but they soon put on lot of growth. We called and had coffee and an egg and spinach bap this morning, called for OH's meds and needed milk and orange juice, so got those too. I've ordered some ink for the printer and added printer paper to the food order as I forgot to put it on last time. Now I need to order a battery for my alarm clock, ring the surgery and see if they can do my HBa1c jab near the time of my covid one to save two visits. More financial stuff to sort and update as it's the new tax year, so plenty to do!

It's a shame more of your seeds haven't germinated Mel, but that's how it is with gardening isn't it. Fingers crossed the latest sowing will be quick to show some leaf now it's a bit warmer. We have a tall pot that had a nice grass in it, but was wedged tight by last year and very whispy so I dug it out which took a few inches of soil with it. Now it has yellow Violas in it that have never been planted there! I bet BIL was glad to get rid of the branches that were in his way when he was mowing.

Good luck getting your greenhouse up Mandy. It's certainly been very productive with all you grow. I didn't get chance to watch the Chapel prog last night but it's recorded and I want to watch it tonight. They are a great couple together and I'm looking forward to seeing what else they've got done.

Gently does it with the garden Vera. I'm trying to do some every day, but short stints and OH is the same. We don't get any more done sticking at it when we then have to spend a few days recovering!

That was a nuisance not being able to get a Friday slot AnnG. I was thinking of changing our regular slot to Fridays as it would be cheaper than Sundays but hadn't thought of it being so popular. So you will soon be packing for your trip to your son's. At least you have got a lot of your garden jobs done beforehand so that's good. Yes after realising there was so much to print of the rules, I did download and save the other things. I always print both sides, it takes less space to store things like beading patterns, but OH prefers single sides printed which he finds easier to use at meetings, but he forgets to change the printer back sometimes.

After thinking I'd lost my car key I had a similar experience yesterday! My bank has changed their website layout, which I hate, as they have removed columns and headings and rows are just floating on the page as if in a white cloud now! I was trying to make a payment and I've made it before but the name appeared to have disappeared from the list and wording had changed, so I ended up phoning the bank and following their instructions. Well I had to use my cardreader (which I have hardly ever needed to use ) and don't like it. There's a pin, I keep wondering if it has a battery that will fail, whether the main site will log me out any minute, you know how it is! Anyway, all went well without mishap and I finished what I was doing and started to put the papers etc away. I noticed the card reader and couldn't see my bank card anywhere, so checked my purse in case I'd already put it away.....no! I searched on my desk and under it and was getting papers out again in case it had slipped between the pages....no. I decided I might as well put the card reader away in it's box and suddenly saw my card was just visible in the end of it, so I hadn't actually removed it !! I told OH I must be losing the plot and that if I start dribbling he'll have to book me into a home! :-S

Tempus fugit so I'd better get on now.

Ah must just be I am late trying to book a slot. I have had Friday deliveries before but usually book earlier in the week. It is not a problem I have a Saturay slot, I was just puzzled as there is not one delivery at all, all collect. on Friday.
I didn't sleep at all well last night and when asleep was dreaming so feel very weary today, not helped by being 20 degrees. I have washed bedding and changed the bed, vacuumed downstairs and the conservatory and done some admin. I think that is my lot for today.
Vera don'y overdo it in the sun out there.

AnnG, I don't usually have a Tesco Friday delivery as I know it is the most popular day for deliveries. I have occasionally had a Saturday delivery but normally it's Tuesday or Wednesday. However I just logged in to see what it's like round here and it is the same. All the home delivery slots are filled but you can book a slot to go and collect your goods. I know a couple of people who do that, one always has a 12-1 pm slot on a Thursday and goes after meeting the gang for coffee. No good if you haven't got a car or can't drive.

I've just come in from the garden and feel shattered now but we've got to make the most of the good weather. OH is just making us a sandwich - oh, he's just called out it's ready.

I thought with being away next week I would have a Tesco delivery at the end of this week with stuff that will keep and other stuff I need like printer paper. I have never had this happen before, I decided on a Friday delivery, when I looked there is not one slot available, all Friday slots have been marked 'collect'. I can't believe that all those people want to collect a delivery on Friday. Vera, I know you have Tescos delivery, has that happened to you? I did manage to book for Saturday when every slot was free.

Morning girls,

Sunny and bright but pc says temps to drop but at the mo its 14 degrees. I had a lie in this morning.

Yes it was quiet on here yesterday and here BIL arrived. He wanted to cut down the branches stickingf out from the fig tree that catch him when he's mowing and the rose round the back. So he did tha\t and I really don't know where the rest of the day.

As I said in yesterdays post I had that nose bleed in the morning so did'nt want to do much bending down yesterday I had a look at the seeds I sowed on the 18 of March and lots of the Gardeners Delight toms hav'nt germinated just one has come up out of eight seeds sown. The Sungold has spaces too just three out of eight of those came up but the beefsteak toms ( Burlesque) Only one failed. None of the 16 sweet peas have come up and neither have to cues but I did have those in the shed but the runers are showing signs of shooting.

Think that may be a job for today to sow some more seeds.

On the patio in a old cast iron trough I have a whole bunch of seeds come up but for the life of me I don't know what they are. They look a bit like Marigold seedss leaves and I hav'nt sown those for years as with all the snails and slugs they don't stand a chance in this garden. I must take a pic as its obviously a seed pod been put in there by a mouse. It will be interesting to see what they are like.

Good morning all
It certainly was quiet on the boards yesterday. People were probably gardening or taking the opportunity to go out while it was sunny. I can’t post much now as other jobs are calling but hope to bbl. Have a good day whatever you are doing.

Good morning everyone.
I hope you get the greenhouse sorted, Mandy.
With it being so cold and windy lately, I expect like you say, many people will have been busy in their gardens, now that the weather is brighter and warmer.
I went out early, before 8 o'clock to get a bit more in the garden bin, before they came yesterday. It was about 3 quarters full, by the time they came, so it earned it's keep ;-)
It sounds as if you were busy too AnnG.

Another busy day today.
I have daughter's coat in the wash, while the weather is good. She wears it often, but working from home mostly and not needing it this week, it is in the wash with hat , scarf and gloves, which she seldom wears, so they will be put away during the warmer months.
Elder daughter is off work until the new term starts, so she will come this afternoon, after her dog-sitting duties and then go back to walk him again early evening.

Right, must get some breakfast...

Good morning all good morning Mandy. yes wasn't it quiet on here? I kept peeping in and nobody arrived. I did a bit of pot clearing on the patio and even had to water my Geums in pots, they are starting to look sad and last week they looked really good. Geums hate being dry, hence the watering. I don't actually remember what I did yesterday, the day passed quickly but I think I just enjoyed the sun wandering round the garden. Although I did do some admin jobs. today I have stripped the bed and that is in the washing machine. it is forecast to get0ver 20 degrees so warm again but tomorrow it is going to drop and rain and tomorrow is the meeting here.
Anyway hope all is well with Ann, Vera and Gwyn. I am assuming the gardens called.