General Chat

At least you can be warm then Mel if your oil has arrived.

Day has not gone well so far. Dishwasher man phoned at 0910 to say his van wouldn't start and he was waiting for the AA man. He also said he'd phone again to let me know what is happening. Nothing so far. so that has really cheered me up. I have resorted to writing my Christmas cards.

Oil has arrived and I have ordered more fish food for the winter.

Morning Anng and all,

We have a bright and sunny morning at the moment but rain is forcast and pc says cloudy and 10 degrees. Must ring BIL today and tell him a mans coming tomorrow to see the lathe and tools.

May have a read of the slow cooker book today and see if I can make some soup in it to start me off.

Its good you have the hospital sorted out now Vera and can get your eye seen to at last after a very long wait. Hope all goes well .

Love to all those not present at the mo. <3

Good morning all 7 degrees here and still black outside. Thought I had better not go back to sleep as the dishwasher man said 9-12. Probably won't be 9 but couldn't risk it.

Vera, how strange getting your rewards via email. I assume that means you having to show them on your phone? did you maybe join on line and not in store?
Pleased to hear that you have got your eye appointment sorted. sometimes I despair ar the incompetence of the admin areas of Hospitals. I know we all make mistakes but they do seem to make more than most. Our booking office used to be awful, not used it for a while but it did improve under a new manager.
You must be nearly there with your bulbs.
I am hoping for another dry day so that I can do a walk round the garden and check it is all ready for winter.

I wasn’t sure what you meant about the rewards either Mel. How do you get rewards for any retailer if you don’t shop with them?

AnnG, my Dobbies rewards come by email and I got mine on the 11th. I don’t remember asking for them to be sent by email but that’s how they come. I don’t get as many as you as we have 2 excellent garden centres nearer than Dobbies but I do buy bits there from time to time. We usually go there when we have a hospital appointment as it is only 5 minutes drive from the hospital.

I know just what you mean about Co-op vouchers Ann. I go there specially for Branston Pickle as it is the only place that seems to sell the medium size jar I like. If they have got it in I usually get 3 or 4 jars and I invariably get a voucher for money off the pickle after I’ve paid. It usually only lasts a week as well. You are right – it is difficult to remember to keep checking when vouchers expire. Tesco email a reminder for theirs.

Your slow cooker arrived quickly Mel and you’ll soon get the hang of using it. You can cook most things in it and it sounds as though you have lots of recipes to try now. Our Bolognese yesterday was delicious; even OH said how tasty it was. The idea was that I would have at least one portion to freeze, if not two, but I had a bigger helping than normal and OH went back for seconds. I’m doing a stew for 2 days in it tomorrow. I’ve got the meat out of the freezer and prepared the veg so I can put it on first thing and it c an have a really long slow cook. Mine has a ceramic pot and lid too Mandy and the pot is heavy when it’s full of food.

Your X-rays show just what a nasty fall you had Mandy. It’s good that you have been discharged but be very careful. You have done so well that you don’t want to have any set-backs.

It was a really wet morning today. It dried up a bit this afternoon but it’s raining again now and the forecast is for lots of rain over the next few days. With that in mind I decided I’d better do a bit more bulb planting this afternoon. I got 2 large pots filled with daff bulbs. This one is a double called Tahiti. I really prefer single flowers but they should provide some good spring colour. I still have bulbs to plant. I hadn’t realized how much the bulbs had multiplied over the years. I think I’ll have to lose some next year.

I’ve also spent a lot of the day on the phone. One call I made was to the hospital as I am still waiting for an eye appointment and I was suspicious that I had slipped the net. The optician that referred me 3 months ago said I would be seen fairly quickly. When I rang about it in September I was told they were a bit behind and to wait until I was contacted; they would get around to me. I thought at the time the girl I spoke to seemed very vague about it. It now turns out that I was put through to the wrong department. I should have been put through to the Eye Treatment Centre but instead I was put through to Opthalmology Outpatients. They are booked up for a little while ahead but they had a cancellation for next Wednesday so I have been given that slot. Within minutes I had a confirmation email and about an hour later I had a letter with all the information emailed to me. I think they realized someone had made a booboo and rushed about to put it right. I wish I had rung earlier but at least it’s sorted now.

There are some very strange noises coming from downstairs so I think I have got to go and investigate what OH is up to. It sounds as though he is moving house!

EDIT: Apparently all that racket was OH emptying the dishwasher and putting everything away in the cupboards. How can someone make so much noise doing that?

Have you not got a booklet for your cooker Mel? It should tell you what the hob is.

Can I put the pan on my cooker as it has a glass top? is that an inductiuon hob??

I do AnnG, so there's no problem and I've sent you a PM. Yes, I find that happens with coupons too. I bought a magazine at the Co-op this week and with my receipt I got a coupon for the magazine I'd just bought! :-S. Also why, a few days after a purchase, do Amazon bombard you with emails advertising the same thing you have already just bought? OH was complaining about it this morning. I seem to have 8 or 9 reward cards and my credit card gives points too. It's hard with some to remember to use them before they expire.

Those glass lids on their own are quite heavy aren't they Mandy. Mine isn't too heavy empty but I bet it will be when it's got food inside. Then again, my pressure cooker is much heavier still. I hope your first stew in it is nice and it's handy having the auto function like Vera's has. I might try mine on Friday. Just be careful with your wrists now the hospital has discharged you and I know you will be careful with the bed. Do your wrists look straight again now?

OH is at a meeting now so I'll pop to the shop for a few things and a paper.

You'll be finding a recipe from your book to do now then Mel

Our stew is smelling good I got OH to lift the lid but it needs a bit longer so I might leave it and have it tomorrow as I just fancy a salad tonight .

It looks very nice but its huge!!!! so I shall be able to batch cook in it. The box was a bit bashed and when I opened it it had no packing around the box inside so it was just moving about and the box it was in (the outer one) only had one piece of tape holding it closed of which came off so easiely I could.nt believe it!!

O Mandy you were lucky to get pictures of your exrays. When I asked if I could see my hip exrays the doc said she did'nt even see them. I asked when I had them done if I could see them and that lady said no too.

Its arrived so I am just going to open the box.

Afternoon all,

Nice and sunny but a lot colder so we have just lit the fire ,when we got up it was quite wet and looked like we'd had some rain in the night .

I have a stew in the slow cooker ,first one I've done in there as I usually use the pressure cooker ,mine is a Russel Hobbs and is a ceramic one so is very heavy ,just the lid weighs a ton ,like Vera's mine has an auto button .

We striped the bed off this morning so that needs remaking later I like to give ths bed an airing before remaking ,it's one job I can't do with my wrists as I can't tuck the sheet in but I can now manage to get a pillowcase on .
I went to the hospital and he has discharged me so that was good and I got some photos of my xrays my goodness my left hand was so twisted.
He told me three surgeons did the op on my wrists as I'd made such a mess of them .

Not sure what you mean Mel. I only get reward points for retailers that I have shopped with, sometimes they are on line but more often in the post and for firms I have a loyalty card with.

I have never understood rewards points. I have had £4 something come up but when I had the rewards card it was for Next and other shops like that that I never buy from.

Just had a leccy man come down from Seeka or something like that and he wanted to chefk the meter at the potting shed. We don't use any electric up there and if we do its only a light but I suppose they wanted to check the meter as the bill is only for the supply of having leccy up there. Anyway he gave me a letter to say the meter is ok and I have filed it in with the electric bills and bits.

Why do coupons and rewards points etc always come the day after you have spent money in the shop. I spent £75 in Dobbies yesterday. Today in the post I have a rewards voucher for £3.50 and a 250 points if I spend over £50. :-( :-(

11 degrees now and feels warmer now the sun is out. I have spent an hour in the garden, I have now cut down the three large fuchsias in front of the conservatory and mulched them with spent compost. I have wrapped a cordyline with fleece and brought in the large saucers ready to move in the geraniums in tubs when frost is forecast. The geraniums in baskets are also ready to move inside. I think the garden is almost ready to be tucked up for the winter, although it will never be as good as when T was alive. Still I am doing my best.

Ann it always comes over that you enjoy researching costs of things. Hope that is not my knuckles rapped for not thanking you, I can't remember if it is likely but if so I apologise.

I really should walk down to the charity lady with a large bag of things from one of my wardrobes. Mostly tops I would have worn in Lanzarote and Tenerife. Not likely to wear them in England. I don't think I will though as I am tired after all the pruning and need a bit of a rest. I also ought to start to write my Christmas cards.

Yes it is the accountant and his wife coming on Friday. I also did'nt thank you for the advice you gave me about the slow cooker so I am doing that now. Sorry I just got myself in such a muddle as when I tried to order it from Morphy Richards it would'nt let me in. It seems it took me to ebay and it would'nt accept my password that I have used before.

Enjoy your course today and I am awaiting the results!!

Morning All,

Bright sunshine here and it felt quite warm outside but the PC only says 8 degrees.

I usually go to bed about 8.00pm Mel but needed to get my painting done to send in so was up late last night. As it was I didn't get to sleep till after 3.00am. Pain is a great depriver of sleep so early nights help me catch up if I do get to sleep. I'm just thankful I don't have to be up at 6.30am for work anymore. There are easy ways to check the prices of things, but OH told me off yesterday and said I spend far too much time trying to help people for not even a thank you. Is it the accountant and his wife coming to see the things and have you mentionned a Robert before as I must have missed that.

It sounded like a good trip out to Dobbies AnnG and it's good when you come home with some purchases. I think I might have scampi and chips for lunch.....you have made me fancy some!

Better get set up as my course is due to start now.

Morning Anng and all,

Bright sunny morning here and now its 9 degrees with blue sky and grey and white clouds. The barometer has fallen though and it was quite cold last night.

I have a man coming on Friday to look at the wood turning stuff, chisels and the lathe and dust extracter so I need to know how much they are now worth and thats going to be a problem. Robert may be here on Friday but may not arrive when the mans coming at 11.30am. I shall have to tell him today so probably ring him or text.

You had a nice visit to Dobbies yesterday and sounds like you really enjoyed your day out.

Better have a tidy up and get dressed as I am still in my jim jams.

good morning still dry but very cloudy here and only 6 degrees. I think it is time to start bringing in the tender plants.
Nothing planned for this morning but U3a meeting this afternoon.
Yesterday's visit to Dobbies was good even though it poured with rain most of the morning we didn't need to go inside. There were 15 of us for coffee and we managed to get two tables put together and all got round the one table. After a good natter we broke into smaller groups (4 of us who had all travelled in one car) then went round the store. I managed to get lots of small things I had been looking for to make up Christmas presents. (mostly chocolates. This is a big new Dobbies and has an in store Waitrose plus a small Hotel Chocolat area. We four then met up for lunch and spent another hour in the restaurant. (we all had Scampi and chips and a free desert cake). got home about 2pm.

Glad you got your order sorted Mel and the recipe book sounds good too.

Ann oh poor little kitten, Hope somebody takes it to the vet to be looked at.

I missed you last night as I switched off at 1030pm without checking. :-)