General Chat

I'm not sure if you see my posts on the thread Mel :-S

Afternoon all. what a dank day
Haven't done anything noteworthy yet today. Plans seem to have withered away :-(

Seeing anng's pics had reminded me that my pink Michaelmas ones are out now and I have meant to keep posting it and kept forgetting.

Malcolm is still in the same place this morning under the little sink.

I had to rush off this morning cos I wanted to find the chicken carrier for this afternoon and it needs a good clean out so thats something else to do today.

I must get down the shop for the paper and some bits too and pop into Em's for my winnings.

Mandy you have been busy with all your cakes for the school do. I bet they don't last long on the stall and wish I lived nearer so could go and buy some. They should make a tidy sum for the school you're such a good girl doing all that baking.

Oh came out this morning and told me of a toy he had when he was young and it was called a Pop Pop Boat. We looked it up and they still make them. Bit dangerous for children though and oh said they always sunk. He used to make them too out of a foil tray. We were surprised to see you could still buy them and they do make a pop pop noise and run by steam. Have a google and you will see what I am talking about. I wonder if Frank ever had?

Sorry you had a bad night Anng and I hope your arms feel a bit better today.

Love to Frank and Island <3

Good morning all, couldn't sleep well as I expected. difficult to get comfortable with two achey arms. They seem a bit better this morning though. I woke early as usual then dozed until just before nine. For some reason I wrote that first bit and didn't post it. Went downstairs at 0945 and made myself eggs on toast so a bowl of home made soup for lunch will be enough today. No Tesco this morning, tomorrow instead.

Mandy those cakes made me feel hungry they all look so good, I bet they soon sold out of those. And beautiful sunflowers as well.

I forgot to say Ann that I used to oil my teak furniture but eventually stopped and at over 40 years old it is still looking good. I still have some teak oil, used for the bench in the garden. Or it was when T was alive and had more time for such things.

Morning all,

Cloudy morning but bright and breezy I've just cut the tallest sunflower stalk so the wind doesn't snap it off I'll send a photo of all the flowers on that I now have in a vase ,also picked a handful of runners I thought they had finished so it will be nice to have some with the roast chicken tomorrow.

Ann I'll send a photo of the cakes I made ,Colin wants to know if I saved a few for us but I didn't :-(

Hope your arms are not to sore this morning after your jabs yesterday Anng.

Oh coffee just been made so BBL

Morning all,

BBL.

Island, lovely to see you on here. Our vaccination centre is doing both at once, one in each arm. However not all places are doing that, it depends on their vaccine stocks. Chemists/pharmacies are doing walk in flu jabs if you ar eligible for the free jab or a small charge if you are not. Boots are doing jabs by appointment for flu. Daughter will get hers separately as she can't have an injection in one of her arms as she has lymphodoema (not sure of the spelling) relating to the treatment she had for her breast cancer. almost ten years ago.

Evening all

I don't like to start with a moan but..... I haven't heard a dickie bird about my flu jab never mind the booster. I hope they aren't planning on doing them both at the same time - I can't sleep on my back! I didn't bother with the flu jab until about six years ago when the ra doc told me 'it really would be a good idea' being as I'm immune suppressed. I'd never caught anything doing the rounds but thought maybe I'd pushed my luck so now have it every year.

Mel, I'm sorry you lost your chooks but hope the new girls will settle in nicely. I hope you are better from your fall on the decking.

Mandy, I only get the disappearing text on GR. It's disheartening when you've typed up a chatty post. I'm afraid I get the hump and give up for a day or.... more! LOL. We pay for GR so I don't see why we should faff about with c&p on a word doc.
Where is your scarecrow living now?

Annx what sort of paper are you using with acrylics? I use acrylic paint for mono printing so use thick cartridge or fabric - whatever is to hand as I play rather than aim for finished pieces. One day I'll do something with them.

Anng, you've been a busy bee with the HW - can you do us please? LOL As I've taken up residence on the sofa too much lately it looks like a teenagers bedroom with bits and bobs close to hand. I've even got my bins on it for a chance bit of bird watching in the trees across the road.

I had a problem just now with genes safari couldn’t open it so maybe there was a glitch.

Ann yes I am sure the ache will wear off, I was just so surprised that it was so painful when flu jabs have never bothered me.before, it was so painful I couldn’t pick anything up with that hand. But it has worn off a bit now.. I was expecting a long wait there but it was really quick. Last week it was taking oveR an hour.
We don’t expect miracles we know it is all new to you, must be fun finding out.

Mandy I bet the cakes sell well you are good with helping out.

Mel well done on the win. Looking forward to hearing the names of the new crooks.

We had our flu jabs last Saturday AnnG and they were just as usual for us ie a bit achey for a day or so and the skin warmer where the needle went in for a day or two. I'm glad the booster jab was ok. We haven't been contacted about our booster jabs yet. That is a good idea with the cloth and polish as it would stop the dust flying around too. I use a damp cloth if it is very dusty. I had some teak furniture in the 60s when I first got married and I seem to remember using oil on it to bring out the grain, so it is a thirsty wood.

Well done getting £25 for a second time this year Mel and it's a good idea to get an extra chicken. I still say to OH how lovely your eggs were. :-) I expect you will get more eggs without Mona breaking them as well. All I have done outside today is cut 2 more courgettes and take a photo of the Michaelmas daisy in flower.

Vera and AnnG I am feeling my way with acrylic after not using it for nearly 2 years (and just using watercolour ) and don't expect very good results with trying to do things so differently. I will see how it turns out and may send it and also some of the pictures the others have done so you can see how different and abstract most are. Ihave made a start, but I think I will use different paper in future.

I found DWP took over 3 weeks to answer my letter, sent when I switched Vera so I would still try a few more phone calls. They have been inundated with all the Personal Independence Payment claims resulting from covid and I have read that people have experienced delays in getting those payments. Many staff were furloughed too. If you switched banks as I did, my bank said they automatically send any payments to your new bank account for a certain period and notify the recipients about the change. If yours is the same I wonder if they should have done this as well? Might it be worth ringing your old bank to check what they have done with your pension payments, as presumably they are now sitting in your old bank account.

Lovely photos of your sunflowers Island. It's a shame one snapped but you can enjoy it indoors now. I see your shed is painted now ready for winter. I hope the sciatica is easing a bit now, it's a horrid pain to have.

That's so frustrating Mandy! I seem to lose more post these days too. I hope the cake sale goes well and that the weather doesn't spoil the day. What did you bake for it?

Evening all ,

Just lost a whole post all I did was scroll back up the posts and it was all gone so short and sweet now as I can't do it all again.

Anng thats good your all jabbed now ,my arm felt bruised for a couple of days and ached a little but all good now.

Mel sorry you've lost some of your girls but I see your collecting some new girls after your nice little win .

I've been busy baking cakes for the school they have an open day tomorrow and craft stalls in the afternoon but the weather doesn't look good for it .

Thanks for the photos Island .

I'll post this now in case it all goes again .

Gwynn that is almost what I think that it was thre actual injection but that said she also did the Covid and I didn’t feel that one. Hopefully it will get easier over night. I have had the flue jab for 20 years now,

Ann
I have never had the flu jab, but thought I should do so this year.

It is as if it never happened almost.
The actual injection was painless and apart from the very slightest sensation at that site the following day ( no way could it be called pain )I haven't had any feeling of discomfort since.
I expected to feel at least a heaviness, when I used that arm, but no.

Although I take a blood thinner, there was no blood loss whatsoever, so I think I was lucky with who administered my vaccine.

Vera I have to say that I do have quite a high pain threshold for most things (except teeth) , but I have never had an arm aching and stiff with such pain as I have with this flu jab. So far no pain at all with the Covid one.

I think Mandy had the flu jab. How was your arm Mandy?

I have won first prize on the 100 club at the village hall, £25 I think thats the second time this year. I must be following in Ann's footsteps so I'll carry on.

Took another pic of Malcolm today on the drain pipe under the little sink in my loo.

Been sunny here but Istill did'nt go outside and do anything till I corned the bantams and potted up a couple of plants.

I am picking up two very expensive new girls tomorrow at 5pm. Same farm I had them from before and now I have won that money I may just treat myself to another one.

It was Mona I lost who very old and I had had for years and the other one was May the first lot I got from this farm and she had dropsry. Her legs were getting wider and wider apart.

Must start dinner now we have minted lamb leg steaks new pots tender stem brocc and mushrooms.

What a shame you have lost a couple of your girls Mel. Was it old age? I hope you can get some new coopies soon.

So, you are all jabbed up now AnnG. Fingers crossed that you don't have any side effects and your arms don't ache much. Your neighbour Cynth is very good to drive you.

Will you show us your mono work Ann? I would love to see what you produce. Re taking tablets, I do have one friend who runs to the pill box at every tiny twinge but I think most of us on the thread probably only take them when they are really necessary but my OH will seldom accept they are necessary. If the doc prescribes some and says he must take them for a good medical reason he will do so, but he won't take pain killers unless he is desperate. His argument is that the tablets mask the pain and you can then make a wrong move and do more damage. I tell him if he deadens the pain he will be able to move more freely and that will help his joints to keep moving which may in turn ease the pain. But he has to do what he is comfortable with.

He did eventually get through to physio and spoke to a lady who said he had to fill in the online self referral form. He pointed out that the doctor had already referred him and they themselves had told him to ring for an appointment. She was adamant it had to be done this way so he has filled in the form and has now had an email saying he has been triaged but it will take 2 working days for the form to be processed and they will then ring him. So we're now waiting again.

Ann, I gave up trying to speak to the DWP and wrote instead. I have had no response so far and it will be a couple of weeks before my October pension is paid in. If that goes into the wrong account I will really be letting them know what I think of their administration, in no uncertain terms. I already have three months pension that I can't currently access. Without OH to support me I would be living on plates of fresh air! Let's give them the benefit of the doubt and hope they get it right this time

Oh no Mel you didn't tell us you had lost two of your girls Any idea what was wrong with them or was it just age. Hope you can get some more soon you will be missing the eggs.

Ann I don't actually polish as such, I follow a suggestion by my Grandson's wife who owns a cleaning business (not currently working due to pregnancy). She says spray your duster/cloth with polish and dust as usual, that way you don't just shift the dust around and you get the nice smell of polishing. I have a teak table and highboard (as it was called when we bought it in the late 70s. I use pledge on the cloth and the teak seems to like it because it still looks like new.

When will you be doing your painting. I tend to think of mono as black and white but, of course it can be all of any other colour. But, to me sepia is different although I know it is all shades of brown. I do like mono pictures with one article in clour, such as all black but with a red umbrella.

Yes both jabs done now. Hardly any wait, got there at 2.15 for my 2.30 appointment and was home by 3pm and that included the usual 15 minute sit down afterwards.

No paperwork for the flu jab just some questions asked and side effects for both explained. Flu in the left Covid in the right and likelihood of side effects no different for both. It poured with rain this morning but has been sunny all afternoon, a bit frustrating as there are things I could be doing in the garden but I don't think that would be a good idea. I can actually feel an ache in my left arm and I felt that needle go in although not tremendously badly. I think I usually have an achey arm with the flu jab. Cynth next door took me and waited in the car for me. If I was too long she was going to go and I could either catch the bus or ring her and she would come back for me.

Afternoon All,

Last night I was the other way around and couldn't get off to sleep till about 3.00am. I lay in till 9.00am this morning though so don't feel too bad.

Mel that's good that Malcolm is still around. Keep sucking up the spiders so he doesn't end up as dinner! I meant to say that we like watching the Space Station too, so I must check when it will be visible from here. The thought of human beings up there is amazing. Sorry you have lost 2 of your girls, Mona wasn't one was she? I hope some more will be available for you soon.

That's a nuisance about your scripts and the ticks not coming out.......you will have to make them huge and very black next time. Actually you brought back a memory and made me chuckle. When OH was working full time and visited one of his offices, after seeing the managers he would always go and see the staff afterwards and chat to them. One day he wandered over to someone's desk and noticed a piece of paper with marks on and said to the woman ' my word those are big ticks'. Those sitting near thought he had said something else and he had to hastily explain himself, which caused a lot of laughter.

I hope your OH gets an appointment soon Vera, but things that were easy to do once get harder with all these organisations through cuts. Did you manage to get hold of DWP in the end about your pension? We are the same as your OH about taking tablets unless they are necessary. I was looking at my Geraniums today and like AnnG I have some bedding ones bought in a mixed batch that I will mostly throw out. The rest will be cut back and put in the greenhouse and I'll see if any survive.

I hope your jabs go well today AnnG........one in each arm. You did well with all the cleaning you did so can afford to rest up if your arms ache. I hope you don't get wet as we have had a few heavy showers this morning, nice and sunny now though. I must confess I haven't used polish for many years, but I don't have any shiny furniture now and just wipe down. I like mono photography too. Some of the suggested photos to use are sepia and then he was suggesting hints of other colours, so it can be a very limited palette as well I think. I was thinking I might make some veg soup after we go to the farm shop on Monday. We've both been fancying soup this week and many of the bought ones are so salty.

We had another rainbow this morning when I went out to feed the girls.

I don't think I told you but I lost two girls the week before last. I am now down to 4 but one dos'nt look good and its not the oldest one.

Ordered the scripts this morning and still had trouble. The docs rang me as my ticks on the boxes had'nt come out just deliver to sheb shop! I could'nt do oh's online either so it was good they rang and I ordered his from the receptionist.

Done the Asda order for next week and tried to ring about some new girls but they were'nt available, probably out on the farm, left my number for them to ring me if they will. Hope they do.