General Chat

Morning All,

It's only 5 degrees here but the fog has gone. Mr O's van hasn't been here for a couple of days now and they had a food delivery this morning, which we've never seen them have before, so with his wife wearing her mask and not inviting her MIL inside we wonder if he is isolating? He has a company van which I expect would be needed for someone else to do his job.

How is the packing going AnnG? I stopped having potatoes when we used to go out for carvery lunches a few times a week as my blood sugar levelchecks tended to be a bit high. Even OH has joined me in not having potatoes most of the time now and just has extra veg instead with most meals. We have a jacket potato with salad sometimes and rarely F&C, but will have roasts on Christmas Day! I often do extra veg for just me in the microwave to add to a soup. A chopped up leek and peas are quick to do and add to my Weightwatcher meals as well. A small wholemeal loaf lasts me a fortnight, wheres OH gets through a large loaf a week.

I forgot to say that I had a card and note from Fitz yesterday. It looks like, covid permitting, that we MIGHT consider a visit to Luton Hoo for a meal in the late Spring. A lot could happen before then though, so we'll have to see nearer the time. It would be lovely to meet up with him again though, but strange for Jane not to be with us. :-(

Fancy you getting an egg as soon as you decide to get some Mel. They must have read your mind! I hope your earrache soon goes and that you keep the cold wind out of them with a hat. It seems odd to see a bumble bee in December.

I misread Vera and thought you said your OH was UP the tree!! lol. It sounds a nice bushy one and will keep you busy with the baubles for a while. My OH was in the loft again and came down with 2 wreaths but not the lit up one for the front door. Just like a man he asked me where it was and I replied 'how would I know, when you put it up in the loft?' He decided to put the wreaths he did find on the inside doors, but brought a woven wood one with a bow on to ask which way up it went. Well when a bow has the ends hanging down from it it's pretty clear that the bow is at the top. What is he like. The little tree looks nice now and the lights on it work which is good. I'm glad I sent the ones I got to go with it back now as they weren't as realistic.

Gwyn, how nice to make a Christmas Pud! I have only ever made a couple I think, many years ago. We found we never had room after lunch, so I buy a small one each now and we often have it on Boxing Day.

I hope Mandy is ok and getting better.

It wouldn't dry here Mel as it's wet again. Sorry to hear you've got earache again. I hope it clears up soon. I've had to start using the olive oil spray in my ears again today as I am going to the health centre to have them cleared of wax next week and you are supposed to use the spray for 5 days before you go.

OH has put the tree up this morning. It's quite large and very bushy which is nice but it more or less covers the front window in our lounge and takes a bit of the light. Good job the other end of the room has big, double patio doors so there is still plenty of light coming in. OH has put the lights on the tree but I haven't decorated it with any baubles yet.

He has found the missing garland and the wreath now. The garland is a bit past its best so he has hung it in a sort of loop with the wreath in the middle.

Just to add to everything else, yesterday we had a letter from the council to say there is a case of Avian flu locally and we are in the 3km exclusion zone. It told us what we had to do if we kept birds ourselves or if we found a dead swan, goose or duck or a bird of prey. All good sensible advice. Today we got two more identical letters so, to notify us, they have used 3 sheets of paper, 3 envelopes and 3 lots of postage, plus an employees time printing, folding etc. That doesn't sound a lot but multiply that by the number of houses in a 3 km circle and the wastage is enormous. No wonder the council keeps putting up our council tax. The letter also said that if you kept birds you should go online at a certain address or complete the form attached to the letter. Not one of the letters had the form attached! Doesn't it just make you despair?

OH has just called that lunch is ready so I am going to go and enjoy my sandwich, cake and cuppa :-)

That's interesting Mel.
My daughter and I saw a huge bumble bee last Monday. It was very mild and the bee was busying itself in a garden in Canterbury, when we walked past.
There are a lot of summer flowers still out around here and I have self-sown marigolds in my garden that flower virtually all year, so I hope the bees found something to feed on.

I hope your earache is better soon, - such a horrible pain.
Would it be worth ringing the out of hours doctor to get some medication to help before the holiday shutdown?

Oh has just been outside and saw a big bumble bee. I don't think we have ever seen one in December before. I have had a couple over the last few weeks but the wind is bitter today. He said he dos'nt know why it should be flying around today with this high cold wind.

The washing is blowing nicely so lets hope it drys.

I had an egg this morning. I think they know when I am going to buy eggs as they did this before when I bought some.

Morning Anng and all,

Very grey here now but it was brighter earlier on for a bit and its 8 degrees here so on;ly 1 degree warmer than Anng.

Have to go up the shop for the paper today and I must rememebr butter and I think I should buy some eggs as I don't lilke being without over Christmas and mine hens hav'nt laid for a few days now. I have 5 but four of those go on Sunday breakfast so to be safe I think I shall get half a dozen.

Have my dratted earache today in my left ear. Had it yesterday too and thought it would go over night but it has'nt. Had it in the week too. Must put my hat on today and keep it warm. I used to get earache when little and mum would take me to the docs to which I was given that HORRID thick pink stuff in a brown bottle that was supposed to taste like strawberry but it did'nt. I can remember the smell of it to this day. I suppose it was penicillin.

Then I shall be doing up a few more pressies and putting the stuff on the tree.

Good morning, colder today 7 degrees. still very dark outside. Still only3 days to the longest day then we start moving forward.

Slept quite well again but woke up early. a bit of a clean up today and also, I think starting to pack.

Happy pudding making Gwyn. I can honestly say I have never made a Christmas pudding. for the past 25+ years our lovely neighbour has made one for us. (she makes a lot and gives them to friends every year.) before that I used to buy them, or we would go to daughters where we would have some of one made by her mother in law.

Lovely photos Mel... Thank you for sharing.
A lovely variety of foliage including the almost lime green against the dark other leaves makes them really stand out.

Lovely sunset.... It didn't show itself here today, although it was reasonably mild.

Maybe Christmas pudding mixing tomorrow.
Takes me back to grating carrot as a child to put in the pudding that Mum made.We all used to have a stir, even if not otherwise involved in the preparation.

Vera yes ,other than Christmas Day most of the food at daughters is healthy although her own diet is quite restrictive if, like me you like potatoes, bread etc as she is on a very low car. Diet. Part of my problem is cooking veg for one so that is what my diet is short of.
She will take my BP while I am Up there but she says not to be too worried about my readings which were all three very close at 153/75 apparently the second figure is the important one and is not that high.

I don’t put a wreath on the door as it is composite

You mentioning your door wreath has reminded me I haven't seen ours amongst what OH brought down from the loft Vera. I must ask him. I got a big plastic sucker thing to put ours up with as the top half of the door is a glass panel. It might not hold on a wooden door though. Before I found the sucker, we tied string around the letterbox on the inside and passed it over the top of the door to hang the wreath on. We have lots of squashy rubber round the door though so it didn't damage anything.

Lovely pictures Mel. The wreaths and flowers look so fresh and the sunset is amazing.

We haven’t seen the sun at all today. There was fog this morning, then thick cloud and a little rain this afternoon.

Most of you are ahead of me with trees and decorations. Our tree (a real one) is still sitting outside in a bucket of water. I am hoping to persuade OH to set it up and put the lights on it tomorrow, then I can get decorating with baubles etc. Can anyone tell me how we can have lost a long Christmas garland and a wreath? Our front door isn’t suitable for a wreath really and anyway OH doesn’t want to drill a hole in it, so the garland goes along the top of a wooden side gate. After Christmas it gets hung on a hook in the garage. OH has a vague recollection of moving it because he kept brushing against it. Now we can’t find it anywhere! We also both think we hung a wreath under it last year but neither of us can picture what this wreath was like. I am sure we are both going doolally.

I hope your bp comes down soon AnnG. Your daughter will see you eat good, healthy food while you are with her. I have to do my bp at home - once a month now - and send the readings to the doctor at regular intervals and it’s a real pain. Sometimes the cuff gets so tight I wonder if I’m cutting my circulation off. Is your arm bruised from the blood test?

Mandy, try and rest up as much as possible. It’s exhausting when you are constantly coughing and you want to lose the cold before Christmas. I do hope your OH doesn’t catch it.

My daughter broke up from school today and had planned to go off at the crack of dawn tomorrow for a 3 night break in the Lake District. I rang her to wish her a nice break and she told me that in view of the current situation she had decided not to go. I was very relieved. I didn’t feel I could say she shouldn’t go but was pleased she thought better of it. Because of her job she tests a minimum of twice a week anyway and is triple jabbed. Granddaughter has so far had two jobs, so I feel comfortable going to them for Christmas.

While he was in the garage today OH lifted down a couple of boxes that have sat on top of a unit in there since we moved here and we had no idea what was in them. One turned out to contain lots of paperwork that he had to deal with when his parents died, one in 2000 and one in 2004, so he has started going through it all and has so far dealt with his mother’s documents. Nearly all of it is now for the bin or the shredder but we’ve kept death and probate certs and her will which he says I can keep with my family history stuff in case any of our descendants get interested in genealogy. I can just imagine someone in about 2095 poring over the will and thinking “gosh, so that was great-great aunt ‘s middle name”.

I’m rambling again aren’t I. I’d better stop before I think of something else to write about. I hope you all sleep well tonight.

The different foliage types and colours you use really make your wreaths and flower displays lovely Mel. That was a brilliant sunset. We haven't seen the sun here today. I love those long tailed tits, but they don't hang around long do they!

Yes, it was Mel's suggestion AnnG and he does look better than the previous snowman avatar!

Good photos Mel, pretty wreaths. And lovely sunset. My favourites are the long takles tits.

Tree is still naked apart from the top as I have been doing other things. Still its all lit up and will be nice tonight to watch the telly without the big lights on.

I delivered Phyllis's wreath and took a look at the shop and they seem to have sold one of my arrangements but the bigger one is still there if that dos'nt sell I shall take it down the church as they are having a Christmas day service.

I put mums flowers on her gravestone and there's people in the big house so I had to walk to the church over the grass away from the house. I usually go past the side of the house and under the yew trees in the back way.

Just remembered I did'nt send the pics of the advent ring in the church with its candles in so will do that. I also took the sunset today as when I came back from the church and down our road it was just going down and was beautiful and very gold.

Will do it now before I forget.

thanks for that Ann I will check that out next time I do an order. Good to see that happy chappie as your avatar.

Vera will be back for a new series on 9th January 2022.

Your daughter will get you back on track with your food while you are away then AnnG. Some ready meals are worse than others for salt, so I check the labels now and you can avoid the worst ones then. We keep some ready meals on standby as they are so quick and convenient. You use Tesco.........have a google of Tesco low salt ready meals.

i have to say I have missed my tree this year and envy you all yours. However it would have been silly to get it down and not have the benefit of it and I know daughter has one. she is now in Winchester so that is one journey over for them.

Yes high BP is a nuisance, I have no doubt he will put me back on the 10mg and I do have some but don't dare do it without his say so. I am sure the reason is for several reasons, Covid and the general pressures and worries about is Christmas going to be ok, not so much exercise as when all the gardening was being done and a poor diet with a lot of ready meals which, I believe are high in salt. so I have to take myself in hand if I want to get it back down. High BP could explain the occasional 'eye' headaches I have had the past 3 or 4 weeks. I always have a good diet at daughters as she is very strict with what she eats because of her Diabetes type 2 so that should be an improvement.

Afternoon All,

More 'dull' here and now it's started to get foggy. :-| I don't think OH will be going to any matches tonight or tomorrow, as the ones he had planned have called off due to covid in the players.

What a blow getting a cold just now Mandy, but better than next weekend I suppose. I hope the headache soon goes. Just keep warm and drink plenty.

I rather like the Christmas dinners that some are having and were mentioned on Morning Live. Steak and chips is not one I would choose, but pizza, or pasta would be ok. It takes the pressure off the day and makes it more relaxing and a Christmas dinner a couple of weeks later would be even more enjoyable then when you aren't full of choccies and mince pies. :-) OH didn't look too impressed.........but he doesn't do the cooking or serving. :-S

We shot off to the farm shop first thing for when they would open, but did a quick U turn and left when we saw the queue that had built up and all the cars that were parking. I shall add things to my food drop on Sunday instead now. As we set off from home, Mrs O was outside cleaning the front door and the sill with gusto again. It was only the other day that she was doing it!! This afternoon she had a relative visit that comes quite often. (we know it is a relative as all the family have personalised numberplates ending with the surname letter). All the time through the pandemic she has had family come inside, no social distancing and whatever the rules at the time. This time she stood talking at the door, didn't ask them in and was wearing a mask.

We set to and finished cleaning under everything in the lounge when we got back and had a good dust of everything and hoover. I cleaned the window too. Some protest from OH as usual saying things were good enough, but he soon got reminded it hasn't been done properly for many months with my knees unable to stand for long. He then put batteries in what needs them and set things out and it looks quite Christmassy now.

Thank you for all your cards if I missed anyone. They are all lovely and make a nice cheery group together. :-) I had a card from my old schoolfriend today, the one that has the New Forest ponies. She said her stables burned down last May, but luckily none of the ponies were inside! Her field and stables are down a lonely lane, but goodness knows what happened, she didn't say. She has never smoked, so I hope it wasn't done deliberately. The timber buildings were insured so will be rebuilt in the New Year.

Not the news you expected at the surgery AnnG, nor the pain! OH has had to keep readings like that before, and wear one of those Holter monitors for 24 hours. His goes up as soon as he steps into the surgery, but is usually normal if done at home. Packing day tomorrow then. I expect it might be a degree or two cooler further north and breezier near the coast.

Oh, thanks for letting me know Mel. I think the same size should fit me as well then, so I'll have another look! It's a good idea to do the tree top beforehand so you don't need to climb. I used to always put my star on top first as it needed wiring, but never thought to add a few baubles.

Ann aprons arrived and it fits fine .

Tree is in position and now sall I have to do is put all the baubles on. I put the fairy on the top first so I dos'nt have to climb on the steps and a few small baubles on the top too.

good afternoon all, 10 degrees here but no wind and a bit brighter than it has been but still no sun. Had appointment with the nurse this morning to have BP checked etc for my prescription. After many years of BP being low it was fairly high today so I have to take it twice a day for a week Shall have to talk to daughter about that as no point with taking it over Christmas with being so out of routine. Has blood test as well and, I have had many blood tests over the years, this is the first time that it has hurt and she really did hurt me. good job I have a fairly high pain threshold.

hope you can snatch a bit of sleep Mandy and hope you feel better soon. I expect you caught that cold in the supermarket.