General Chat

Its falling out of the sky as hard as it can.

Good morning all

We always seem to have different weather to everyone else. At the moment the iPad is saying it is 19 degrees, feels like 21 and there’s a moderate breeze with just a chance of rain. I must be on a different planet as it is actually quite chilly, pouring with rain and the wind is getting stronger by the minute. I don’t think I’ll be venturing far today.

I’m not really sure what I will be doing all day. There’s always cupboards to clear out but I’m not really in the mood for that sort of job and it’s not the weather for going out or gardening. I’m not an arts and crafts person and I don’t even feel like cake making. I’ve been up since 7.30 and am not dressed yet so I’d better snap out of this lethargy and get myself doing something.

EDIT. Sorry Mandy, I missed you there. Our car’s a manual one. I’ve never had problems with a handbrake before so I didn’t know about pressing the foot pedal down but I’ll remember it in future!

Morning all,

Well I have washing out ,it's bath mats and towels and they are blowing away lovely but how long for I don't know ,its sunny one moment and black clouds the next I will have to keep an eye out .

Got to have a hoover through and I also want to make a cake ,probably a sponge .

Vera I didn't know about that pushing down hard on the brake which would help to release the hand brake ,is it an automatic car you have or a manual .
Would it have anything to do with you having to brake hard because of that near miss with the biker ,there's certainly some bad drivers about good that your reactions were on the ball ,he obviously didn't look very well before coming out between the cars

Mel the shop people know you well after going every week ,they know who will pay .
I can remember when I use to shop with my mum we had a shop called Flats ,mum would go in and shop and they would write everything down in a duplicate book with the carbon paper between the pages ,she had the top copy and would get a bill sent ,if there was lot of shopping a chap called Bill would deliver it on his trade bike.

Right better get hoovered now .

Morning Anng and all,

Bright and sunny here too this morning but how long will it stay? its 15 degrees and still very windy.

I wonder if BIL will come today? I have the shop to do for my paper and bread and I owe them for a pie I had yesterday as I did'nmt have enough money in my purse I had forgotten I bought stamps at the post van and thought I had a tenner but only had a fiver. Thats the good thing about a local shop they know you so well they let you put it on a tab.

Need to hoover and do a bit more HW.

good morning all. sun is shining, wind is really blowing and 16 degrees. Not sure about gardening as it is all still very wet. Anyway, I have the bedding in the wash and Tesco expected 11-12 this morning. So I will see what else I am doing.

But I am all steamed up for you Vera :-D oh dear what an awful time you had. Sounds like that young motor cyclist was not paying attention. What a good job you were. It is not even the thirteenth today either. I hope your back is no worse for all the stress and the fact that your body must have been tense. And hope tomorrow is a better day. What a strange way to get the handbrake released I would not have known that.

It has rained, either drizzled or poured all day today a really horrid day and we really don’t need it now everywhere is soaked and roads are flooded.

Had a nice afternoon friend took me round to Norton garden centre to buy a gift card from our group for the man who let us see his oriental garden. So we stopped for a cup of tea and a chat.

O dear Vera I could have told you that about putting your foot hard on the brake but you will remember it for if it happens again.

This morning I dusted the hall and all the things on the plate rack and clean my little loo. Since then I have had some lunch and tried to do a bit of sewing on the machine. First off it mangled the tiny bit I ws trying to so so had to cut that off then the bobbin ran out and somehow the threading of the cotton from the spool went wrong. After three attempts and three times having to thread the needle which is not easy I managed to do it. It took me nearlly all afternoon so I switched it off and went and corned the chickens.

I am right fed up with myself today and my arm is now starting to ache again and my hips no better.

Shame you had such a wet trip to town AnnG. We’ve had plenty of rain today as well but I’m quite pleased to see it as we’ve not been getting much at all and everywhere is so dry.

I have not had a good morning. I may have gone a bit mad with the h/w yesterday as my back is really sore today and not responding to pain killers. Around 11 am, just as it was starting to rain I got in the car to go to town. Drove out of our cul de sac into another one and at the end of that turned right into a narrow road with parking all down one side. Just as I was turning a young lad on a motorcycle came out from between 2 parked cars. I don’t know how I missed him. Thankfully I was going slowly and hit the brake pedal hard and he slithered round me but I felt a bit shaken up.

By the time I got to town and parked it was pouring. I had an umbrella but it was a real pain keep putting it up and closing it down for every shop. Anyway I went to Boots and was able to get what I wanted there. Hooray :-). Then I went to the chemist where I get my meds. Boo :-|. A while ago I was bragging how good my chemist was compared to other people’s but over the last 3 months they have really gone downhill. Today it took 2 assistants 10 minutes of rooting through drawers and checking the computer to discover my prescription hadn’t been made up, even though it should have been ready Tuesday. Then it was another 15 minutes wait until the pharmacist was free to do it. During this time 2 other people came in for their meds and both had trouble getting the right stuff.

Next I went to Waitrose. I wanted either rocket or watercress but both had gone up so much I refused to buy them. Everything else had gone up as well but we had to have some food so I got the minimum and went to the checkout. Everything was fine until the girl tried to price the final item, a red pepper. Her till would not weigh and price it. After moving everything near her till and cleaning every surface she had several more attempts. No luck. She called for a supervisor and we waited and we waited. By this time the queue behind me was getting restless and I was apologising to them, so I said to the girl to just total the bill and I would leave the pepper.there. At that point the supervisor arrived and was another 5 minutes fiddling about with the till and eventually my pepper was weighed and priced. I breathed a sigh of relief and left the shop.

Are you all still with me or have you dozed off from boredom? It gets worse :-(.

Back at the car I put the shopping and my wet umbrella in the boot, started the engine, put the car in gear, released the handbrake and ............the handbrake is stuck and won’t move a millimetre. I nearly broke my thumbs trying to press the knob in. I tried pulling it up, pushing it down, moving it from side to side and it wouldn’t budge. In desperation I rang OH and luckily the rain had driven him indoors so he heard the phone. He suggested all the things I’d already tried and then said I should ring the breakdown people. I knew it might be ages before they could get to me so I wasn’t happy but was just ringing off to call them when OH said there was one more thing I could try. I had to put my foot down hard and fast on the brake pedal, then try to release the handbrake. It worked :-D. Of course I was terrified to use the handbrake on the way home and was very relieved when I reached our house.

What a morning! Sorry if I’ve bored you all but I feel better now I’ve got it off my chest. This is a very good thread for letting off steam.

Caught the 0950 bus in and got home at 1215. a very wet trip to town. Never imagined wearing my winter wet weather coat and boots in July but that is what I did to stay dry.

Morning girls,

Its wet here too and 14 degrees. I was hot when I went to bed last night but soon dropped off to sleep.

Its so dull and dreary it dos'nt make you want to do anything.

Not sure if BIL is coming today but it won't be to cut the grass its too wet.

I better have a tidy up incase he comes as I have material all over the place and miniatures.

Arm still hurting and back and hip too.

Good morning Vera and all. You beat me this morning Vera although I was around at 0700. Very grey and damp here at the moment. I have to go into town for my chiropodist appointment so I guess it will be a wet walk to the bus. According to the weather it is forecast to be very wet here. it is 14 degrees though, so a warm wet.

Good morning all

It looks as if it’s going to be a sunshine and showers day. I must go and collect my meds this morning before it starts raining, and I need to decide where to put the 8 plants that were delivered this week. One is an alchemilla (sp?)and we have already got lots of that so I’ll ask my daughter if she can use it. Two of the plants will be fine in pots but I’ve got to find somewhere suitable for the other 5. Apart from those jobs it’s a do nothing sort of day :-)

Had a good afternoon at the Japanese garden. We were lucky with the weather there was a shower just before I was picked up and one just after zi got home. The garden was great, everything was made by the fellow himself and most of the stayed, ornaments etc were bought at car boot sales etc. I took photos so will send some over the weekend. We had a great afternoon one of our ladies had made a cake and Paul provided tea for us. We were all very impressed with the garden and it was a different type of meeting.

Evening all,

Suns out but we have had a little rain this afternoon, I had just sat down with my book when I felt a few spits on the back of my neck ,came in and blow me ths sun came out again .
Hoovered through and stood and ironed my pile of washing that has been giving me the eye ,so all put away and tidy again .
Just watched our weather and we should have more showers tomorrow and it should be windy and muggy .

Vera sorry your day yesterday was spoiled by that scone ,perhaps it was made with some milk or an egg wash that was off .
Sounds as if you've had a busy day in the house and it's lovely that your friends are ringing to see how you are .
Lovely photos of your garden ,it's all looking very pretty.

Oh Mel she will need some draws :-D or she'll get cold in the winter .
We very often have beans on toast or tomatoes on toast ,Colin will sometimes have poached eggs but I don't like eggs ,it's since I had that very bad food poisoning bout when we we're abroad ,I had had an Omelette and haven't had eggs since .

I wonder how Anng got on looking round the Japanese garden ,hope it stayed dry .

I think you have earned a quiet evening Vera with all you've done today.

I have been having a go at my Tudor woman but am not getting on very well. I cut out a skitrt for her but did'nt like it so cut up one of oh's old short sleeved shirts I had'nt put in the bag for the hospice. Made the kirt but hav'nt covered her legs in anything and she will need a petticote and she must have draws even if they did'nt wear them in those times, I am not having her leave here withot her draws.

I hve done a little weeding but my back and hiip are playing up so I just worked on the wall where the rockery is raised up. Emptied my barrow from the other day over my little bonfire and picked up a lot of sticks that the wind had blown off the ash tree.

Only fancy beans on toast tonight so thats what I am going to have.

Hope it was Dry for Anng and her group today.

Well, we have had a real h/w day. Apart from my back still giving me gyp I feel fine now. So I thoroughly dusted the whole house, hoovered downstairs and cleaned my en-suite, while OH hoovered upstairs and cleaned his en-suite, the bathroom and the downstairs cloakroom. I also tidied up my tomato plants and OH did a bit of deadheading. I didn't manage to go and get my meds so I shall have to do that tomorrow.

I seem to have spent half the day answering texts and phone calls, all asking how I am after yesterday's sickness but from people who weren't on the trip. The grapevine certainly works overtime in this town.

I'm now going to get our dinner cooked and then have a quiet evening.

Morning all,

Pc playing up again this mroing so this will be a short sharp post.

Arm always feels better in the morning but I am now having hip problems when standing up or bending over or putting my socks on. Its the right hip and not the bigger one which I have had for years.

That was a nasty experience Vera with the scone a shame it must have spoilt the trip somewhat. I went to Syon park with mum and dad years ago in fact I think that is where they had an orchid display on at the time and dad bought mum and I an orchid each. We both had no idea how to look after them at the time.

Must get up the post van with a parcel this morning so I am going to post this while its still here.

Good morning AnnG and all

Sunshine and showers promised for today. I hope it stays dry for your Japanese style garden visit AnnG. I got your photos thank you. Lovely clear pictures as always.

Ann, like Mandy I use Roy’s multi purpose compost. It seems pretty good and is one of the cheapest around here. That’s not much use to you if you don’t have a Roy’s handy but probably any basic multi purpose would do the job.

Mel, are you feeling any better yet? Has your bp settled down a bit now Mandy? Take care, both of you.

Well, I am not sure what to say about yesterday. The organisers of these trips changed coach company a while ago and I find the seats on the coaches we use now to be very supportive for my back which stood up to the journey well, though it aches this morning. But I had other problems. I was up at 6.30 and hadn’t eaten so took a couple of buttered scones on to the coach for breakfast. About 9 am I started eating and immediately said to OH that these scones were incredibly sweet but with a slightly odd taste and I only had one. Half an hour later I started being sick - luckily quietly and using a plastic carrier bag I had in my handbag. I’d stopped being sick by the time we got there but felt very weak and wobbly for the rest of the day. I can’t say it was the scone but that was all I had eaten since my dinner the previous day. Needless to say, the rest of the pack went in the bin when we got home.

Syon House was well worth a visit. We had a good guided tour that lasted an hour. It is set in Syon Park so after the tour we had a wander round a lake and through a bit of woodland and saw no-one other than 2 ladies by the lake. The house itself doesn’t have a cafe but there is a Hillier Garden Centre there with both a restaurant and a coffee shop where OH got a toastie and coffee, though I stuck to sips of water for the rest of the day. There is also a Lakeland shop and one or two others. The only thing that spoilt it a bit was constant, loud, low-flying planes in and out of Heathrow which is quite close. They seemed to be coming over every 1-2 minutes.

Today is going to be a quiet day I think. There’s a bit of h/w to do and my meds to pick up and then I think it will be a lolling around sort of day.

good morning all 15 degrees here and so far a bit drizzly. This is supposed to be the best day of the week for us. I hope it is dry this afternoon as our gardening group is going to see a private garden that has been developed Japanese style. It is in the village so not far away.

Ann have you had a good birthday? What did OH give you? Or have you said and I missed it. It has not been very good weather for going out and about today here dry patches and some weak sun then heavy showers. Seems like we are back to our normal summers this year.

Hope Vera had a good day. Hope the coach has not made your back worse.
I know Mandy got the photos but did everybody else?
For those on Facebook I have also put photos on there.