General Chat

I missed you there Annx. It's good to hear that your OH is doing so well now and hopefully he can get some physio sorted out quickly. Your family tree does sound interesting. I shall have to practice bobbing a curtsey in case we ever meet ;-)

I'm pleased to see you had a good day today Mandy and I hope you feel better with each day that passes.

I also had a giggle at your legless fairy AnnG. I hope your garden interests group went well today.

Going out to do your shopping rather than having it all delivered sounds a good idea Mel. As you say it gives you a reason to go out and it gives the car a run. Did Stu cook you a nice meal tonight?

It's not been a nice day here at all. There hasn't been much sun but the biggest problem has been the wind which has been really strong and cold. I came out of Tesco's holding a small empty plastic bag, the wind whipped it out of my hand and when I turned to see if I could pick it up it was just disappearing over the roof of the shop. We were very low on fuel and needed to get some cash and had a bit of a shock to discover that Tesco had no diesel and no cash in the ATM. So it was a drive around to find a fuel station with diesel and then a stop at Sainsbury's to get some money from their ATM.

Sometimes when I am having back problems the pain eases after a couple of days but sometimes it can go on for a long while and I think this is one of those times. It just doesn't seem to want to get better at the moment but, my goodness, I've had my little problems put into perspective over the last couple of days. The granddaughter of our good friends M & V is in a life threatening condition in hospital. She has sepsis stemming from a kidney infection and her parents are with her. M & V are looking after the family's dog. As you can imagine they are worried sick. The young lady in question is in the same age group as my granddaughters and I know just how I would feel in their position. I have been trying to be supportive and texts have been going back and forth between M and me all day.

That's not a very cheerful note to end on but I think I am going to close the computer down now. I hope you all have a restful night.

Good to see you pop in for a few moments Mandy and know that you are ok. Sorry yesterday was a bad day, but it's good today was better. I expect you have been given a follow up appointment and advice so hopefully you will feel better soon.

OH had his first annual review with the nurse today. He's still just in the prediabetic range, but his weight is perfect and his blood results are all good now since halving the statin that caused so much trouble and adding a different one. He got a pat on the back for exercise and his diet. He also asked and found out that he can have physio on the NHS as his other ones he had have finished a while ago. Now why didn't they suggest and tell him this a year ago when he was diagnosed?

My book arrived but I wasn't impressed Royal Mail just shoved it through the letterbox, despite us being in, to land on a corner on the hard floor! It's a hardback but luckily the stiff cardboard overlapping the ends crumpled instead of the book. It's the only book that details the daily life of a Tudor gentleman who is my direct ancestor about 16 generations back in the 1400s. There is a family tree going back about six more generations than I've traced in the book so should be interesting. I just looked at his son I descended from's FIL who was a knight and apart from the history side of battles he fought in, he had 15 children and there is an alabaster plaque in a church up north depicting them all and a photo of it. Amazingly the first 13 children were all boys, followed by 2 girls.

Mel I can only see the Asda annual deliver pass going up to £69.50 a year which is about £5 more. It's cheaper than the other supermarkets. I looked because mine is due renewal soon as well. I might change mine to a mid week delivery instead of weekend and which is only £39.50. I won't be cancelling as I don't fancy carrying the heavy things that two of us need and all the loading in and out of the car. We manage fine with a fortnightly delivery and BOB milk lasts that long as well and I just shop for some of the perishable foods in between. I think it's good to go out more and some longer journeys will help your car battery as you say, but it would be good as well if you knew someone who doesn't drive that would enjoy going with you sometimes.

Evening all,

Just thought I'd pop in still trying to avoid to much screen time, yesterday wasn't a good day but I've had a good day today so hopefully I'm getting there ,back when I can .

I did'nt know I had untill I looked this morning Anng.

I am going to cancel my delivery pass with Asda as now I don't smoke I am getting a back log of food building up. If I need it delivered I shall have to pay the £4 or whatever but if I go shopping one it will get me out more and get the car charged up on a longer journey and 2 I shall save money stock piling tins and freezer goods. It finishes on 9th April and its now £83 something.

Ooh Mel, I think I am too nosey, I couldn't go all day ignoring/not opening e mails.

Still windy and 11 degrees here too.

Just thinking what to have for lunch and it will probably be a ham sandwich and a cups soup.

I did reply to Annx that I had'nt opened any emails yesterday being into mky miniatures so I do apolagise (sp) for saying I had'nt had the email when I had. A bad senior moment I think.

I have just had an email from EDF saying the leccy is going down but the standing charge is going up!!!! so I still pay more than I did before the decrease.

room is all ready floors vacuumed and chairs in position, tea mugs all washed and ready on two trays, two teapots waiting and two kettles. and me sitting down for a rest.

It is exremely windy here today and we have just had a showe still 11 degrees though.

Morning All,

Very windy here but dry. I have sent you Vera's email Mel and she did include you when she sent it so perhaps it didn't reach you or you deleted it by mistake. I wonder what Stu will be cooking tonight.

Glad the fairy is behaving herself today AnnG and it will be good when Jake gets the water feature going again for her. I must check my little waterfall is still working ok. It will be good meeting with your gardening group now everyone will have started looking forward to what they will grow this year.

I have just rung the garage to cancel imy car going in next Wednesday, as it has started up perfectly for quite a few days now and must have been some sediment in the fuel pump partly blocking the injectors I think and now it's cleared itself hopefully. Any more trouble and I'll book it in again. OH has a few trips to make so an easy soup and sandwich lunch today. I have defrosted a pack of chicken thighs so will cook those and freeze some. Plenty of H/W as always so I will start with the cobwebs and work down. I think I am turning intoi Morticia from The Adam's family with my web decorations!

A COT next and get started I think.

Morning girls,

Its 10 degrees here and very grey such a difference from yesterays lovely bright sunshine and its a bit windy here too this morning o feels colder.

I think I must have missed out on the photo of Vera's great granddaughter as I did'nt recieve it.

Stu's for dinner tonight so no cooking this evening.

Hope you have a great meeting Anng and a nice chat with your friends this afternoon.

Good morning all 9 degrees, it was sunny when I woke finally at around 7am but is grey sky now.

Vera chuckling at all those suits, I don't think T ever had that many all at once even when working. Although after he died and I was left having to dispose of all his clothes, I was amazes at how much there was. and they say it is women who buy lots of clothes.

Mel that was annoying that you have to make a second trip for the inhaler, as Ann says, can you phone before you go to collect it just to make sure it is there?

Ann Yes I was chuckling to myself after I wrote about the legless fairy. So far she is sitting soberly by her little pool, which has no water in it because it is still in the conservatory. Where I guess it will stay until Jake and Dad can fix the water feature, by which she usually sits.

Have to get on now as I need to sort the room for our garden interests meeting this afternoon. 9 of us due to attend I think.

Reading through my email with the photo I can see I didn't word it very well. For those of you who were a bit confused, our grandson is the adult Daddy. It's his little girl (our great granddaughter) who is dressed up as The Gruffalo. My fault for not explaining it clearly.

I started on sorting out wardrobes but it is not easy getting OH to agree to get rid of anything. Why does he need 5 suits when he only ever wears a suit for weddings or funerals? 3 of them were suits he used to wear to work and he's been retired 25 years. He eventually agreed to me taking 3 pairs of shorts to the charity shop as he never wears shorts these days and they are in good condition. I am not looking forward to the arguments we will have when I start on the rest of his clothes.

I'm now going to check the fridge to see what shopping I need to get tomorrow. I know we are nearly out of salad stuff again and expect there are other things running low.

Evening All,

Another sunny day here but it turned a bit chilly by teatime. It's another day I haven't done anything outside, but I did sort something a bit complicated needing quite a few sums and a calculator but it's all sorted out now. Then there always seem to be bills to pay and papers to shred. I popped to the shop and despite checking my little shopping list when I went in I still forgot the main thing I went for! They told me that people are not liking the self service tills. They have 3 tills they stand behind and 3 new self service ones are attached to the front of the old tills where you queue. They are good if you only want one or two things, but there's nowhere to put things out of yiour basket or even to pack your bag if anyone is being served by the staff as they put their shopping in the only space.

Mel our patio badly needs washing as it is like a skating rink when it's wet so I know what you mean about your decking being lethal. I have to warn the windowcleaner. That was a nuisance having to make a second journey for the inhaler. Would it be worth phoning the chemist before you go tomorrow to make sure they have it before you set off?

I had a little chuckle at the thought of your legless fairy AnnG, but well done for sorting her out and you got quite a few things done as well. I must look at my pots first I think when I go out in the garden as they are mostly tall so will save my back from bending too much.

It's good you had a better night last night Vera. I keep waking too hot and having to shove the throw off to the bottom of the bed and OH says he is the same as well. You've been busy today and your OH has done wonders! Tell him OH and I want some of hils pills!!! Those choisias get thick at the bottom don't they. I remember OH digging ours up a few years ago. I still miss it and am tempted to get another but ours grew much bigger than the label said. That's another similarity your OH has with his twin here........not pacing himself and doing things at speed!! Thank you for the photo which is lovely with your little grandson in his outfit. He'll probably want to put it on again tomorrow. :-D

Back from the docs now after seeing the nurse and she took bloods and was going to give me an inhailer and showed me how to load it on the pc with a video not too sure how to do it but she said theredss good instructions in pictures etc. Its a powder inhailer and when I came out to get it from the pharmacy they had'nt got one so now I have to go all the way back there tomorrow to pick it up.

Going to make myself a drink now and have another piece of bread, butter and cherry jam. Stewed steak tonight with new pots and broccoli and a dough boy.

Iv'e just come in from the garden!! been out there since I put the washing on the line.

Not eaten yet and felt hungry which is why I came in and I could'nt believe what the time was. Its right what they say "time flies when you're having fun".

I have taken down all the canes out of the little greenhouse as I hav'nt been able to get on the decking with it being so wet I dar'nt walk on it its lethal. cut off dead stalks off the verbena THATS IN POTS OUTSIDE THE SHED AND PICKKED UP MANY STICK OFF THE ASH TREE AND THERE STILL MASSES ALL OVER THE GRAS UNDE RTHE TREE.

Just lost a lot but I had copied this bit.

Divided a lupin thats been in its pot for about eight years and got four plants from it if they survive. potted up a gerainum that was shooting and had rotted off a bit so that went in a bigger pot. I also undid all the Advent Ring and put that away for next year.


Cut off the dead stalks of my favourite grass as there's signs of new growth and I must look at the ones on the patio and rockery.

Done more too, beddings on the line. and now I am going to post this as Iv'e lost it twice now.

Those little jobs add up Vera. I think your OH is saying 'there is life in the old dog yet'. Maybe being in hospital made him feel as if life was writing him off. Well done to him though and I too hope he doesn't put his back out again.

I had a morning of little joba. I spent quite a while getting the bathroom sink to be more enthusiastic when it comes to emptying, then I mended a garden pond ornament, a sort of miniature solar water ornament of a fairy. her legs got detached from her body. I am hoping I have fixed it now. then I moves a couple of empty hanging baskets from the top patio to the end of the garden, planted a thyme I bought last week in the space left by the Bay tree that died I was going to plant the heuchera that I also bought last week, in a pot but the soild felt very cold so I have just placed it in its little pot on top of the one it will go in. I also pulled a few more weeds from pots, printed off a list for one of the ladies coming to the meeting tomorrow and dusted the lounge and dining room

Not a lot done really but being up later than usual and then showering and washing hair.time seems to have gone quickly, it is cloudy sun and 11 degrees, but there is a chilly wind.

Afternoon ladies

It's been a partly sunny, partly cloudy day. It's nice when the sun is out but there is still a sharp nip in the wind. I don't know what was in the tablets OH got from the hospital but they seem to have kicked him into top gear. He was out for his walk just after 7.30 this morning and he has been working in the garden, apart from a short break for lunch, ever since. He has taken out a large choisya that was obviously dying. I don't know how he managed to get the roots out and the main stems were like tree trunks. He's now out there breaking the earth up with one of those pronged, twisty-turny tools if you know what I mean. I'm just a bit worried that he'll end up putting his back out again. He's not good at pacing himself. He just goes at everything 110%.

I feel a bit lazy by comparison with OH as I've had another odd job day. I've descaled the kettle, cleaned some mirrors, sowed some seeds, chatted on the phone to daughter for half an hour, got lunch and prepared tonight's meal. I'm now trying to decide whether to do the ironing. There are only a few bits and it wouldn't take me very long so I suppose I had better do it.

I hope you are having a restful day Mandy. I'm sorry to hear that Mel has got lots of aches and AnnG's leg has been painful. Take care all of you.

I had a better night last night.so I am hoping tonight is going to be the same. I've just decided to start sorting OH's wardrobe rather than do the ironing so I'd better go and get on with it. OH, I have just sent a picture round related to World Book Day that Gwyn and some of us were discussing recently.

Thanks for the photo Vera what a lovely photo :-)

Morning girls,

Nice bright morning so far today and its 10 degrees and pc says partly sunny which it is at the mo.


Washing in the machine and after this load I wantt o get the bedding in.

I have achy knees, hands and hips today and have just realised I hav'nt taken my Joint Ace for about three days. Must get a pack out of the bathroom and on the table and take some today as I am sure they help a lot. I have put in a bid for some more hens and cockerels on ebay so I may be doing another one in the future. I also want to have a go at a tiny bird cage and another style of chicken cage.

Washing machine has stopped so better get that lot on the line.

Good morning all. 7 degrees again and so far it is sunny, slept ok until 4.45 but woke with a real pain in my leg, I suspect it was from the gardening but it was like cramp down my shin to my toes. walked around until it eased then slept and dozed until 0815

I am pleased I am not alone in my lack of get up and go until the last few days. maybe it is not my age as I thought but the weather. We shall see.

. Now I had better go and shower and wash my hair.