General Chat

I have got a lot of red admiral butterflies all over the place at the moment. Lovely to see as last year there were not many at all.

I have sent some photos out, hope they arrive OK.

Its out again

Morning all,

I have not been able to get on the net this morning and have just tried again and got here.


<3 <3 <3 HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANN. Hope you have a lovely day <3 <3 <3

Pc is saying morning rain 15 degrees and mostly cloudy.

As I am finding Ann, the loss will never be easy but everyday life is a bit easier to cope. Not sure what my role in life is now, still a day at a time.

Morning all,

<3 <3 <3 Happy birthday Ann <3 <3 <3
Hope you have a lovely day ,are you out for a birthday lunch.

Ann the compost I use is from our Roys store ,it's Multi purpose compost ,I don't like the peat free its very dry when you open the bag and dries out to quickly.

Vera hope you've managed to go on the trip this morning and your back stands up to it .

Mel hope your aches and pains are a bit easier today ,how's the bite ,I usually get bitten at night as we have the windows open .
Suns out and I have one lot of washing out on the line and another lot in the washer just spinning.

I am not sure it ever gets any easier Mel/Island you just learn to live with it I think.

Thinking of you today Mel. x
I can't say it's easier but it is different in this 2nd year.
<3

good morning all sunny and 15 degrees this morning, I slept well and woke at 0630. Hairdresser this morning that means a walk fighting my way across the road that is having a large cycle/pedestrian path added so is full of barriers and traffic lights for pedestrians that have been moved several times so it is a new game of 'hunt the crossing'.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANN <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3
And many more of them :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D

The return from the cafe was partly the same and quite a bit different.the idea is to stick to three miles but already there is one in August that is four miles. So I will have to see.
That is a shame about your cues but the same happened to mine last year and I have not grown any unisex year. I am getting a few tomatoes now though, enough for a meal for me.

Mandy what compost are your cues grown in.

Vera hope you have a good coach trip out.

What a shame you lost your toms Ann and now it looks as though your cues and possibly the courgette are going the same way. It’s so frustrating when that happens. I’ve just got cherry tomatoes this year - one each of 5 different varieties. I’ve always grown my own from seed but this year I bought some tiny plantlets and they’ve been doing well. Nothing has ripened yet but there are plenty of tomatoes on the way.

OH picked our first bowl of blueberries today. We now only have 2 plants in big pots but usually get plenty of berries. Today’s bowlful was not far short of 2 lbs. so there’s some in the fridge to dip into - we usually top our cereal with them - and the rest is in the freezer.

Our friend was pleased with the flowers we took her. I got a lovely bunch of white roses and she has arranged them in a deep blue glass vase and they look far more expensive than they were. She’ has a really good eye and makes everything look good.

I’’m now going to sort out clothes for tomorrow and get ready a few other bits as I won’t have time to faff about in the morning. I think I’ll take an umbrella and I want my kindle so I can read on the coach coming back as OH is sure to fall asleep. He always does.

Afternoon Everyone,

You sound as if you are being plagued by bits that hurt Mel. You might have to take it a bit easier for a while and concentrate on the Tudor lady instead. It will be interesting to see how she looks once she is made.

I had to look up Syon House Vera and it looks like there is plenty to see. I hope you had a smooth journey to help your poor back with all the sitting and look forward to hearing about it.

AnnG that was good you had a cafe stop midway in your walk. Was it to the cafe and then back or did you come back a different way? OH used to drive me mad with circular walks as we would go wrong and end up walking so much further.

Mandy, OH laughed at the 'cough, cough trombone' and then said 'wait till next year it will be your 'sunset strip' birthday then!

Well after saying yesterday how well my 2 cues were doing in the greenhouse, when I went to water them this morning, 1 had gone limp and was sprawled on the soil and the other was halfway there on it's knees and mostly wilted! The soil was still mostly damp so it wasn't lack of water and they looked perfect yesterday. The courgette in there looks like it may go the same way, but those in pots outside look good and are in old compost.

We've just had a sharp shower which decided OH to miss a match he was going to tonight. Sport on the telly instead I expect! We went to the chemist for our meds today to find they hadn't arrived yet, but they tested my BP monitor and although my first reading was quite a bit higher than their monitor showed, the second reading was only 1 point different so it is still accurate which is good. We then went to the factory shop and OH got new slippers as he keeps scuffing the floor with his old ones as they are loose now. He usually has M&S ones, but decided they last no longer than cheaper ones so got some nice dunlop ones. I don't usually like artifical plants, but saw some small, very realistic, succulent type ones in little white pots I can put on the bathroom window cill.

We had fishcakes with salad and coleslaw for lunch but my avocado from the Asda delivery last Sunday was a strange grey in the middle, so that went in the waste bin and I asked for a refund!

It was rubbish bin day today and they arrived in a new, shiny, brightly painted, ELECTRIC bin lorry. I wondered what it cost and thought there goes our council tax! I suppose there will be savings in running it though and less fumes.

Good afternoon all

We had some rain overnight but could do with a lot more. It seems to keep missing us. It’s very warm again but there is a bit of a breeze so it’s bearable.

Oh dear Mel you do seem to be in the wars with your back, arm and hip. I hope all the aches and pains start to ease up very quickly. I look forward to seeing your Tudor lady. There is quite a lot online about ordinary people’s dress at that time. I put “Tudor labourer’s wife’s clothes” in the search box and quite a bit came up. One site you could try is www.cardinal-creations.com but there are lots of others.

Lovely to see your post Ann and to catch up with your news. You seem to have had a very busy time lately. Are you still finding time to paint? I laughed at Mandy’s cough, cough trombones. It made me think of my Dad who regularly sang “102 trombones led the big parade”. Now that would make you feel old ;-). I may not be on here tomorrow so I’ll wish you a very happy birthday now.

The reason I might not be on tomorrow is that we are on a coach trip to Syon House and have to leave home soon after 8 am. I was looking forward to it but my back has also given out again over the last two days and the thought of a couple of hours in each direction on a coach isn’t very appealing. OH won’t go without me so I shall just have to take some painkillers, grit my teeth and put up with it. I’ve done a load of ironing this morning and am paying for it now so I am resting on the bed with pillows behind me. Oh, the joys of getting older!

I need to go to the Co-op for a couple of bits this afternoon and I want to drop a few flowers in to a friend who’s unwell and a bit down at the moment so I’d better get off this bed and sort out some lunch or the afternoon will be gone before I get out.

Good afternoon all. very grey here and 18 degrees. Still it has stayed dry which is good because I am just back from a 3 mile walk (done in two halves with a coffee stop in between. My legs know that I have done it and I am ready for something to eat.

Morning all,

Not very nice out there this morning its all dull and dreary again and pc says 15 degrees and cloudy so its right this morning.

I must have been bitten on my wrist inthe night as it itches like anything this morning. Back is still bad and arm and my right hip. Its all ok when I first get up but after I have made my tea it all starts to kick off.

Right I am going to put some cream on this bite.

Hope you all slept well.

I make a big batch and freeze it so I have it for about 4 weeks on a Monday.

It was really windy today but the washing dried ok even though there was no sun.

Watch this space for a Tudor lasy......... if I can get one right. Do you know they don't really know what the ordiary people wore in Tudor times as only the gentry had pictures of themselves painted. I can't find anything on the net about ordinary people in those times. I shall just have to go with what I have seen on films.

Yes I like to see what you make Mel. Dinner sounds tasty and good for a rainy day.

Ha ha Mandy, you are right it's the cough cough one this year! I must tell OH you said that! OH actually said he is going to have another sort of his books and take quite a few to the charity shop. (maybe he already has his eye on some replacements?) The man who came told him to get a Kindle! :-D but he likes the feel of a book and I must agree with that. Kindles are good though and much lighter to carry if travelling.

Those BP readings should help them sort you out with your tablets which will be good.
You are way ahead with your cues and your toms won't be long. I must look for tiny beans tomorrow!

I must change this avatar now.........it kind of smacks you in the eye doesn't it!

Lots of lovely news from our Ann. Its so nice to see you posting. You have been a busy girl having all those things done but they will make life so much easier for both of you.

Its been raining on and off here all day and I have been dodging the showers as some of them have been quite heavy.

Its been a nothing day for me today as I could'nt get into anything.

I did go to the post van this morning to post two parcels and the only other thing I have done today, apart from feeding the birds and chickens is feed myself.

Over the weekend I made a tiny plate of mussles for a tudor feast to go with a chicken on a dish and a boars head dressed with apples and mushrooms. If you want to see pics let me know.

Mince and mash for dinner with greens I think. One of my favorites. Could'nt have it before cos oh did'nt like it. I found out from his brother they used to get that at home. BIL loves it.

I'm not surprised AnnG, I think I've got writer's cramp now! Yes the Pigeon did fly off. I stand at the conservatory door and clap my hands, but the wise little beggars often ignore that now.
Yes there should be a record of the delivery driver and I gave the neighbour a copy of our order from Amazon to prove he delivered here. Most of these delivery drivers are self employed though and this one was driving a tatty vehicle, not the smart grey vans you often see. I would think the Police have enough info, but I don't know how long these things take. The neighbour is fed up with the pile of rubble and wants to get it repaired.
Yes the compost was the peatfree one. After seeing what happened with the toms I mixed it with the existing compost in the tub for the beans and they seem to be thriving.
I meant to add to my embarrassingly long catchup how nice the Tudor man was Mel. I loved his boots and cap. Will you sell him or will there be a Tudor woman next?
I hope it stays fine for your amble tomorrow AnnG. Patchy rain here just now, then dry tomorrow morning with rain late afternoon if they are right!