General Chat

Afternoon all,

Cloudy here but very bright even though we've just had a few spots of rain , it's very muggy today too.

Anng it is always a battle with the duvets trying to get the cover on is a nightmare, this time of the year we don't have the duvet in the cover I just lay the cover on the bed and its enough ,some times we don't use a cover we just have a sheet over us .

I had to smile at your buying all your stuff back again Vera :-D :-D but at least you have a chit chat over coffee a day cake .

Better make a cuppa my mouth and throat is so dry .

Walked down with two carrier bags of tee shirts and sweaters for charity. Sun is not really shining but it is bright and 22 degrees, It was about 20 when I walked down.
Came back, had a coffee then I have just fought the duvet cover back on the duvet and I am not sure who won me or the quilt!! But I am shattered and hot. A long rest now while I sort out the Tesco shop for tomorrow. Maybe a bit of gardening later this afternoon.

Morning Anng and all,

Grey white sky here too but there are tiny patches of blue between the clouds and its 16 degrees and pc says mostly cloudy. It looked like we had a tiny shower in the night as the road was wet when I got up. Yesterday we had about 10 spots of rain and then nothing which I was'nt pleased about. I really thought we may get some.

Arm still giving me pain but motly when I am on the pc. Its a bit like RSI but from my shoulder and neck down to the muscle in the top of my arm and into the elbow which then shoots down to the middle two fingers on my right hand. Yes I am right handed which is a pain in itself.

Glad you had a nice time Anng and now you have two gardens to water.

Vera I hope you can get sorted with your glasses as I was thinking if its over your bad eye that could be the casue of all the pain you've been experiensing (sp). Hope you can get sorted quickly now. Enjoy your coffee morning and don't eat too much cake. Does your neighbour still bring you cake when he bakes with his grandchildren?

good morning all another sticky restless night. It is already 16 degrees here. We have just had a few spots of rain on the windows. difficult to know if we will get more which will mean only the baskets need watering and the pots will cope. The sky is very grey/white.

Not going out and a duvet cover is in the washing machine.

Vera yes I had a lovely morning with my friend. Her mantra is ‘we are still here’. She is two years older than me, our OH’s played golf together until her OH died twelve years ago. We then used to take her out regularly until Covid. Cynth drove me there and I walked home, it took me 20 minutes about half the way was in shade and I had a bottle of water with me. I felt hot but ok when I got home and even pottered in the garden late afternoon.
Yes two gardens to water. Although I usually when it is hit, do mine twice a day I think Cynth only does hers once. I just water when they need it whether that is once or twice remains to be seen.

Hopefully the optician will do as the hospital asks now then. It will probably help when you have glasses, hopefully ease the pain in your head.

Yes we had rain last weekend.

Hope the fundraiser goes well.

Good evening

Sorry I haven’t posted for a day or two. Life seems to have been a bit hectic and by the time I’ve been free it’s been late evening and my eyes have had enough so I haven’t gone on the computer.

It has been so hot again today and it has felt very humid too with hardly a breath of wind. It’s still 22 degrees but feels a bit cooler than it did a couple of hours ago. I think it’s going to be another sticky night.

I hope you enjoyed visiting your friend for coffee yesterday AnnG. I think you said you had a lift there but would have to walk back. Was it very hot? I bet you collapsed in a chair when you got home. Now you have 2 gardens to water. That will take you a while won’t it? I think you said you had some rain recently so that might have helped the plants a bit. We are desperate for rain now. We MAY get a few showers on Sunday if we’re lucky.

How’s that arm now Mel? Have you rung the surgery yet?

OH had to go out for a couple of hours this morning so I tacked some h/w. I vacced and dusted all the downstairs and did a few other jobs and by the time he came back at 11.30 am I was very hot and shattered.

My head hasn’t been too bad for the last 2 days. I think I may have worked out why I still had the severe pain on the left side of my head and face when the migraine itself had gone, though this is my own non-medical view. My migraine is always centred above the left eye and is caused by blood vessels narrowing and constricting. I think the vein behind the retina in my left eye may be causing the same kind of pain as it is blocked and swollen so also causing pressure. I could be wrong but it seems a possible explanation.

I rang the hospital today about not being able to get the damaged lens in my glasses replaced. I wasn’t sure who to speak to so I explained the situation to the receptionist at the eye treatment centre and she said the doctor I have seen the last couple of times wasn’t there but she’d ask one of the specialist nurses to ring me when they were free. The nurse rang shortly after. She said I should ask to speak to the manager at the opticians and tell him that, while it is acceptable in normal circumstances to insist on another eye test before putting in a new lens, these are exceptional circumstances. I am under treatment at the hospital and the doctor wants my damaged right lens replaced with the same and the left lens not touched. When I went in on Wednesday I told them all this but I didn’t speak to the Manager, though I did speak first to a junior and then asked to see a more senior person. I shall have to go in on Monday ready to fight my corner. I refuse to believe that a computer (or the techie who programmed it) can decide my medical needs. There must be a way to override it.

I also asked about driving. The nurse says that once I’ve got the damaged lens replaced I’m OK to drive as my right eye is quite good and I should be able to meet all the DVLA requirements. Then it’s up to me to decide whether I feel comfortable driving.

This is getting a bit long and I have to go anyway and sort out cakes, plants, raffle prizes etc for a coffee morning tomorrow. It’s the main fund raiser for one of our clubs. It’s a bit daft really as members provide stuff for a plant stall and a book stall, provide raffle prizes and cakes and then we go and buy it all back again! It would be easier just to raise the price of the annual subscription or meeting entry money but it’s more fun to all meet for coffee and cake. So I’d better go and get my banana loaf out of the freezer and let it defrost overnight.

Morning Anng and all,

Its 19 degrees here at present and pc says mostly sunny.

Arm still niggling this mroning and no I did'nt ring the doc yesterday as I forgot. Slept well but had a strange dream that I cna't remember all I knoiw is that it was odd.

Hope Vera is ok as I missed her yesterday too.

Good morning all 14 degrees here at the moment. Another hot night but I slept quite well just under a sheet.

Mel did you ring the GP about your arm?
Didn't see you yesterday Vera, hope the heat has not given you a headache.

I woke early so up but not dressed. I have two gardens to water for nine days now as Cynth is away.

Morning all,

20 degrees here at the mo and pc is saying again a record high and is goping to be 26 degrees again.

Arm still hurts so I think I will ring the surgery today and see what they say about it.

Leccy went out as I was typing at 8.13 so I am now finishing the post.

Have a nice day looking at your friends garden Anng. I wonder hwat changes she's made since you were last there.

Good morning all. 13 degrees so more or less what is normal for this week. Which means another hot day to come.
One good thing, I think I may have said I was going to a friend's for coffee this morning. we don't see much of each other these days, she is 2 years older than me and doesn't drive. so I am making what seems to be a more or less yearly visit to her on foot. Well it was intending to be and I was not looking forward to it in this heat. However the problem is now halved as Cynth will give me a lift down there this morning so I only have to walk home afterwards. Anyway I am looking forward to seeing her garden.

Well done on the weight loss Mel. Definitely cutting down on bread and potatoes will help but all that exercise in the garden helps too.

Yes I feel the same Vera but my bungalow is very cool so I stay in when I can. Its quite chilly out there now and pc says mostly cloudy but 23 degrees. Theres a breeze now which is why it feels colder as I have just taken the washing in.

Well done on the weight loss Mel.

Just done the ironing as it is fractionally cooler than it was earlier. I feel shattered now. The heat does seem to drain me of all energy. I expect most people feel the same.

Yes the farm shop sis sound good with the buy what you want in the frozen stuff.

Arm has been hurting on and off all day when I use the pc so I ma not staying long. I did a bit of weeding on the patio pulling out mainly foxgloves and bunny rabbits. I did a bit of hoovering in the kitchen but the cordless ran out so that told me to stop. Got another thing on Ebay. Did a bit of casting but not much.

Pc is saying record high and its 23 degrees by the pc and the other one is saying the same.

Chicken salad tonight. I had two scrambled eggs and four tinned tomatoes for lunch no bread so I shall have a slice with my salad. Made coleslaw so nice and easy and strawberries for dessert no sugar but a little single cream. I am nearly down to 11 stone from nearlly 12 so I call that good.

Another hot sticky day. It was ok all morning as were in the garden centre all the time where it was cool indoors. Coffee first, then a look round the franchises. Ok I admit it I bought a top I. Edinburgh wool and another one in Klass. Friend also got the top she wanted. I then bought a purple Salvia to replace the Rosemary I had to throw out yesterday as it had a disease.. next we had lunch so I don’t need to cook tonight next we drove to our local garden centre where I got another 10Kg bag of compost and a couple of plants to replace a couple that have died, no idea why but I think some plants can’t cope with peat free compost. Home then.
Men came to check and clear the drain which for some reason had something in it that didn’t belong there which was blocking the main pipe. Anyway they were not here long and it only cost £10,

A bit of a mix of a day for you Vera. You would think the optician would be able to use discretion wouldn’t you. Seems like they don’t want your. Obey. The farm shop sounds good.

Good afternoon ladies (and any gentlemen looking in)

Technically it’s a degree or two lower than yesterday but there’s hardly any breeze and the humidity is high so it feels even hotter.

I hope you enjoyed your trip out this morning AnnG and didn’t spend all your pennies.

If your arm doesn’t improve soon Mel you may need to speak to the surgery. They may suggest some suitable exercises or prescribe you some medication.

My day has been frustrating and good in equal measure. We went into town this morning and started by taking 2 king sized duvets to a launderette place that wash them. That was fine except they have gone up from £15 to £20 each. But it’s good to get them done for me and have them all nice and clean ready for the autumn.

Next it was the chemist to pick up my meds. All ready and good there.

Then to the opticians and the fun started. I explained my problem with damaged glasses and being in the middle of treatment and told them the specialist doctor at the hospital wanted just the damaged lens replaced. Can’t be done, said the chap dealing with me. I stood my ground and he found a more senior colleague for me and I went through the story again. Yes, she said, it can be done and starts entering stuff on the computer. Sigh of relief from me. I sighed too soon. Computer said No. Apparently it wouldn’t allow the woman to order a replacement as the prescription was just over 2 years old and I would have to have another full eye test and a new prescription. I pointed out that I had a full test 10 months ago. Ah, but I wasn’t issued a new prescription because I was referred to the hospital. I felt I was going around in ever decreasing circles. The upshot is that I have to ring the hospital and find out if I need to get a test and new glasses at a cost of a few hundred pounds, knowing that they may need changing again after some injections, or can I stagger on with a combination of old glasses with an out of date prescription and correctly prescribed sun glasses. What sort of parallel universe is it when a computer programme can’t be over ruled but it can over rule a real live doctor?

Onwards and upwards.....it was off to the bank next. We needed cash but particularly wanted some pound coins so OH went to the counter to withdraw some money. No problem at all except a couple of hours later OH realised he had left his debit card in the machine at the counter and the bank had closed as it now operates reduced hours.

We move on to an upholsterers near the bank as we want some new seats for our dining chairs. They are working reduced times as well and don’t open Wednesday or Thursday now and they are the days it’s easiest for us to go to town.

By now we were thoroughly fed up so decided to cheer ourselves up by a visit to a lovely farm shop I used to use when we lived in our old house. That went well, thank goodness. I couldn’t take any more today. We had a nice drive through the country lanes, then had lunch in the cafe so I don’t have to cook tonight. The shop is expensive but the meat is off their own farm and anything they don’t grow themselves comes from a fairly local area. So I spent a fortune on meat, fruit including strawberries and some greengage jam. Next time we are going that way I’ll take a cool box and get some of their loose frozen stuff where you scoop out just what you want - for example 1 hash brown if that’s all you need.

And that was our day. I hope yours has been better. Now I have to make 4 phone calls and go over to chat with my neighbour. I don’t feel much like it but I promised I’d go over late afternoon.

PS. Just realised we forgot to get the cheese OH wanted in the farm shop. My head’s all over the place today, lol

Looking in......

Morning all lovely day again and its saying a record high on the pc mostly sunny and 16 degrees st the moment.

Enjoy your outing Ann and don't spend too much.

Still got the arm and I woke up this morning with NEARLY cramp but managed to lift my foot to stop it.

Good morning all, always seem to wake up early these days but at least I slept ok only needed a sheet over me. 12 degrees here now just hope the humidity has dropped today, it was so sticky yesterday.

Friend is picking me up this morning to go to one of our larger independent garden centres mainly because they have a Klass franchise there and she needs a new top to wear when she goes out with her family to celebrate her 80th.

The garden was really nice, they have lived in The house for 53 years and she has changed the garden over time from one with a normal lawn and beds to completely gravelled except for the patio. Then she has planted beds into the gravel, they had made a small waterfall and a stream water feature. This apparently attracts the birds. They have even had a kingfisher visit.. they also had professionally built a large circular bed ringed in decorative stone. That is not gravelled. It was all very informally planted with plants that intermingled like cornflowers and love in the mist and poppies. It all looks casual and unplanned and was very pretty. She also has a gate at the end of the garden that opens into her allotment plot. Lucky enough to be able to get the plot adjoining their garden. Although married she dies all the gardening. I think the group would love to see it.