General Chat

Its now 7 degrees here and its blimmin cold.

See what Mandy made!!!! Its great and I love the colours.

Its now 8 degrees here and I am cold round my back.

Morning Anng and all,

Very misty moisty out there this morning and its 9 degrees here too. I think the sun is trying to come out and burn the mist away so we shall see.

Enjoy your garden group meeting this afternoon and all have a good natter. I wonder what they will thik when they see your tree gone?

Might make a meat pie today for tonights dinner as we have,nt had one for a long while.

Good morning all Still dark out there and 9 degrees. Clearing up this morning for garden group meeting this afternoon. Otherwise nothing else planned.

I have done two lots of washing and a load of ironing and some oher tidying up and putting things away.

F& C was nice tonight and we had a taster of roe but I was'nt keen on it.

Now watching Ridley Street.

Ah there you are Vera, glad you are ok and you had a successful shop too. Hope all the exercise helps you sleep well tonight

Snap AnnG. We posted at roughly the same time. Yes I'm here. Not sure if I will be here tomorrow or not as we have another busy day.

No Ann, Vera, Island, Frank or Gill we are shrinking. Hope all are ok.

After a pretty chilly start with some frost it has been a beautiful day, not hot by any means but lots of sunshine. I slept well last night so felt a lot livelier today. My flu arm seems fine now and my Covid arm is still a bit uncomfortable but improved from yesterday.

Ann, your picture was up to your usual high standard. I sometimes wonder if you need these courses – perhaps you should be teaching them.

I am glad the deer haven’t had a go at your Nerines yet Mel. Let’s hope they leave them well alone. They’re lovely flowers and I had a patch at our old house till OH managed to dig them up by accident and dispose of them. I still sometimes wonder how much of an “accident” it was as somehow my Alstromeria (sp?) went the same way the following year. I am very fed up with your OH!! Ever since you told us he was singing Soldier, Soldier, it’s been going round and round my brain.

I hope your new meds work well when you get them on Friday Island.

We’ve had a hectic couple of days. We did get to the shops yesterday and I intended to buy some milk, bread and birthday present gloves if I could get some. We were in and out of various shops in town and my hands have never had so much sanitizer slurped on them. I forgot the bread but remembered the milk. I also got some nice, fluffy, warm gloves. They weren’t as expensive as they looked so I also bought the birthday girl some Bailey’s chocolate truffles. Then I got a pretty pink scarf ready for the Secret Santa at the Ladies Club December meeting. After buying 3 cards and a calendar I was ready to go home. Not so OH. He decided while we were out we would just pop to our local garden centre for some Round-Up. Well, you can’t go in a garden centre without spending anything can you? We came out with Round-Up, Slug Pellets, 4 little skimmia plants, 3 6-packs of violas and a bag of 10 white tulip bulbs.

Today I changed the bedding on 2 beds and washed some towels and after both showering we went into town to meet friends for coffee. It was back for a quick snack and then I had something to deliver to a house just under a mile away so I walked there and back to get some exercise. Then I cleared two big pots by the front door which each had an enormous Argyranthemum plant. I’d already taken cuttings from them for next year but I’d noticed they were all brown underneath and no more flowers were coming as I was deadheading so I dug them out. I then topped the pots up with some fresh compost and a bit of fertilizer and repotted one with 3 of the little skimmias with a few white violas round them, and potted the other one up with a purple viola. By the time I had put away the tools, washed pots and swept up a bit round the front it was time to start preparing dinner which we had about 7 pm. OH said he would clear up (i.e. shove everything in the dishwasher) and make a cup of tea. Well, the tea hasn’t appeared so I think I will go down and make it myself. He’s clearly got into some TV programme and forgotten all about it.

I feel shattered now so fingers crossed that we all sleep well tonight.

WE have just watched William Shatner go up in space and come back down again.

Morning All,

Bright and sunny here today after a misty morning start adn pc says 10 degrees and fog.

Ann the your latest picture is wonderful and the sky is just right as is everything else and you certainly have caught the mood. To my mind you don't need anymore courses as all your pictures are marvelous.The deer hav'nt touched the Nerines this year yet so I must go up and get a picture of them before they do. In fact I may get one through the kitchen window so I shall try.

So not long to go before that new baby comes and I hope the painkillers do their job for her and she's not in too much pain for the leg of the journey.

Gwyn nice to see you on here again keep it up please we like to hear from you all and know you are all safe. I think this good weather must be our St Lukes little summer which we usually get in October.

What a nice thing to look forward to Mandy your trip to the tip! but the rubbish will be out of the way which must be good. What are you making with the felt?

Hope our Vera got a bit more sleep last night than the night before.

Oh came out this morning singing Soldier soldier won't you marry me now where did that come from. He said he had'nt sung it since he was about 8 years old but I am sure he sung it a little while ago and I joined in.

I would love to go to a garden centre and have a look around thats one of the things I really miss. I shall have to make do with my bulbs from years ago which are in small troughs behind my shed and come out each year with the tete e tate daffs in. There may be some hysinths too and frits.

Good morning Mandy and Gwyn
Yes not long to go now and they won't let her go more than 6 days over as she had pregnancy diabetes and Inara was a very big baby.
She has not been actively cleaning for the past 6 weeks but has people 'sitting in' on her clients. They also have another business which Grandson runs, he has a quite successful sandwich shop, also doing buffets for small evenng dos.

Good morning all

Good gracious Mandy, I hadn't realised that there were frosts yet, although daughter and I had warming porridge for breakfast, so feel that the seasons are moving on.
We have brilliant sunshine, so I hope to do more in the garden, before next week's predicted rain.
Enjoy your trip to the tip !

AnnG
I do hope your grandaughter-in-law is not in too much discomfort until the baby is born. Not easy for her to cope with that pain and a lively youngster and try to run a business. I hope all will be well.

Morning Anng morning all,

So not long to go before the baby is due then Ann Hope the pain killers have helped her a little .

Another lovely painting from Ann again ,Ann how big is it its hard to tell the size of them ,you seem to do them so quickly I won't know where to start with painting some thing like that.

Grey morning here and we have a trip to the tip this morning to get rid of garden rubbish so that will be exciting .
Oh I meant to say sharp frost here this morning the car was white but all gone now .
BBL

Good morning all very dull and grey sky here so far 10 degrees so warmer than yesterday morning. Nothing planned for today.

Ann she has painkillers for her back and baby is due 28th of this month. The back is a long standing problem which has not been helped by the business she runs (cleaning), pregnancy has aggravated it because of the strain on the spine.
Hope the local GC has Michaelmas daisies for you. I don't remember seeing any on Sunday but I didn't really go right out to the plant section.

Mel is there no way you could put chicken wire round the Nerines just while they are flowering?

Evening All,

Another good sleep and we were up early to go to the garden centre out in the country that doesn't get busy. We were the first customers and wandered around The Works in there first. OH got 2 diaries he wanted (no books though!) but I found 2 books he got me for part of my Christmas present. One was by David Attenborough and the other was 'How Animals Saved Me' by Noel Ftzpatrick. As there still wasn't a soul about we had a quick breakfast in the cafe. I was hoping to see some more smaller Michaelmas daisies but they had none. The garden centre in the village may have though so I might be up early again to try there this week. They still have all their trolley sanitiser and paper towels plus hand sanitiser and request to wear masks.

That was worrying about your grand daughter in law AnnG. I hope she is ok again now. What a fright for her, it's not surprising you had a restless night. When is the baby due?

I hope your arms will be more comfortable tonight Vera and did you find any gloves for your friend's birthday? They sound like an ideal present for her. Fancy the book shop having a notice like that. You'd think with all the sales they have already lost with the pandemic, they'd want a sign saying the opposite to make people want to go in.

Mel I remember the deer getting your Nerines before. It's a pity you can't protect them somehow but it's probably and impossible task, maybe spray them with something the deer don't like the smell of? They are such a lovely flower too.

I am like you Island, the garden is partly ready for winter! It's good your PSBs are doing well so you can look forward to them next Spring and Im certainly going to try the climbing beans next year! I still have a red dog collar and lead from donkey's years ago.

Afternoon all

Lots of gardening going on I see, getting ready for the winter sleep
I cleared the beans and made a start on the toms yesterday. The sunflowers will have to wait a bit longer, I plan to have a go at printing with the stems so I'll have to find my junior hacksaw. Likewise the sweetcorn, cobs stripped but half the stems still in place,
Plans for winter veg went awry but the PSB which I sowed in April is still ok so we look forward to that on our plates any time from March.
We had the last of the fresh French beans yesterday but have two portions each in the freezer.

AnnG good to know that you are starting to look forward after such an unenviable year and feeling that the garden is ready for winter - you have worked so hard on it,

Vera, the 'wee scots songstress' is quite a gal from what I've read so perhaps the song is about her LOL

I'd gradually moved the doggie beds away from where he languished in them and put them in a pile out of the way at the weekend ready to go to the rescue centre.
I'm keeping his lead and harness which he looked so smart wearing and his two favourite toys because each has an amusing memory for us.
Annx, I vaguely hoped but have to be practical :-(

Had the 'all important' phone call today. I'm picking up the new meds on Friday, they will take a few weeks to kick in and I might be a bit green round the gills to start with but fingers crossed......

How are Pansy and Tansey Mel? Any thank you presents yet?

Vera I was thinking of Frank and Gill today. I do wish he would post just to put all our minds at rest. It only has to be a Hi each day. :-D

The wipe down took me ages today as oh decided to ordered the fish and chips online today instead of tomorrow. We had a bit of trouble working the site out again so it took longer than expected but its all done now and I don't have to think what to have for dinner tomorrow just go and fetch it. My problem now is what do I cook tonight? I hate having to think about meals.

We had the deer in the garden this morning and now they are both in the orchard feating on the few apples on the grass. Not the piles which usually get them through the winter. I even put the apples peelings in the orchard when I made the crumble the other day. I suppose I was thinking they would eat those and not my border flowers.

My Nerines are out and really look lovely. I hope they don't get a taste for those as they have in previous years.

Morning everyone

It’s a nice bright day but not very warm. It’ll be scarves and gloves out soon.

Now that’s given me an idea. We have a very active friend who will be 89 on Saturday and I’ve been trying to think of a present for her that doesn’t cost too much. I think a pair of warm, woolly gloves might be the answer. We’re popping out after lunch so I’ll have a look around then.

I’m sorry you had a bad night AnnG and I hope your granddaughter-in-law is OK and not in too much pain. Enjoy your coffee and chat with your friend. I didn’t sleep well either but mine was due to sore arms. I couldn’t easily settle on either side but it should be better tonight. OH has had nothing more than a very slight ache in his arms.

Ann, I think everyone reacts differently to the booster jabs. My arm is very achey but I really don’t think it is as bad as the previous two jabs and my flu arm is much improved since last night. I know what you mean when you say dropping mask wearing has probably increased infection rates. On the whole, people round here have been pretty good but I have noticed more under-50s leaving the mask off and men seem to be more casual about it than women. Our dentist is in a different town some miles away so when we go I take the opportunity to look in some of the independent shops along the High Street there. There’s a lovely little book shop that I usually pop in but when I reached it there was a large notice on the door saying “This shop is a mask-free zone”, so I walked away. I wonder how much custom he has lost through that attitude.

Island, I was thinking of the Scottish singer when I mentioned Lulu. I’d forgotten that old song Don’t Bring Lulu but if the cap fits……..lol. It’s hard getting rid of doggie’s possessions but think how much pleasure his beds will bring to other dogs. Our last cat died quite a while ago now and we lost her sister a year before that but I’ve only recently passed on their bits and bobs. Pet carriers, litter trays, unused feeding bowls all went to a Stray Cats Home and a friend had a scratching post.

It would be nice to get a short post from Frank again just to know he’s OK and I hope Gill is getting all her work done before the cold weather really sets in.

We’re having an early lunch today so I had better go and explore the inner reaches of the fridge to see what I can find. Have a good afternoon everyone.