General Chat

They are five and eight boys. Not here yet probably will be very soon.

Morning two Ann;s and all,

I say and all but there are not many of us about at the moment are there?

I really miss Franks posts and Gill's too.

May have to pop out today to pic something up not sure yet. Grey and dull again here today and we are not having a very good August, still it will soon be gone the rate the days are passing at the moment.

Hope Island posts today and lets us all know how the shed is prgressing with its coat of paint.

Morning All,

Slept well and we are both up and showered. OH is waiting for a work phone call and I have my clay bead course later this morning. My clay doesn't arrive till tomorrow though, so I will just be listening, watching and making notes! It's better in some ways as I will be able to do it later and take my time. I've only ordered enough clay in 3 colours so if I don't fancy doing more there won't be waste.

That has happened with some of my courgettes in the past Mel and towards the end of summer. Mine look ok at the moment but the leaves on the runners are turning yellow now.

All quiet today with no electric saw or hammering so maybe the noisy work is finished. I was pleased with my two t shirt type tops I opened yesterday. One is navy with a yoke of summer flowers and the other grey with dark bluey purple shades of butterflies and flowers on the front.

Better tidy my desk now and put fresh newspaper down. I put that down to put all my painting or craft stuff on so any mess is easy to clean up. Paperwork and magazines seem to be piling up too and with zoom people can see around you so now is the time to sort through that!

Hope you have a nice time with your visitors AnnG. How old are your gt grandsons? Boys seem to be the worst for fights and arguments don't they, all that competitiveness comes out!

Hope we hear from Gill soon and that her alterations are under way now.

Good morning all grey here at the moment it would be nice to see a glimpse of the sun again.

Got Eldest Grandson and his family coming to visit for the day. Look forward to seeing them but not the noise, arguments and fights of the great grandsons.

O dear little Pickled Onion shme he is not house trained and dos'nt like being outside . Someone will give him a good home and lots of love and kindness and get him into a routine.

My toms are still doing well and I picked some today and yesterday. The courgette is'nt looking good as the leaves have gone all mouldy but it still has a fresh courgette on it. I hav'nt let it dry out either and its been fed.

Couldn't you just fall in love with Pickled Onion? He looks a real little character but if he is already a year and not very well trained I think he will need a very firm hand, coupled with a lot of love and kindness of course.

It sounds as though you had a nice morning out AnnG but it was bound to bring back memories if you had been there with T. I'll echo what others have said - you are doing so well but it is still early days so be kind to yourself.

I'm sorry to hear that your OH seems to be getting more migraines Ann and cutting down on the cheese may help. Are there other foodstuffs that affect him? I have to take great care with chocolate, cheese, oranges and red wine. In fact I haven't touched red wine for years, apart from an occasional sip of OH's as I still prefer it to white or rose. I don't know how old your OH is but the doctors generally say that migraines will ease as you get past 60. I was about 65 before mine started to ease up a bit. Now if I get one it is nothing like the horrors I used to have.

Thanks for letting us know about Frank Mel. It's good to hear he is OK and a break in Devon and possibly Spain will do him and Ros both good.

I had quite a busy day in the end. I started with the ironing and then, like Mandy said, one job seemed to follow another. I didn't get into the garden at all. It rained all morning and by this afternoon I had got involved in other things in the house. It has been really cold here today. OH and I are both in thick woollies and a friend said she put her electric fire on this afternoon.

I had a nice long phone chat with daughter and granddaughter just before cooking our meal tonight. Then, with his usual lousy sense of timing, son rang just as I had started cooking a stir fry. After a couple of minutes of me trying to juggle a wok, a couple of stirring/tossing utensils and the phone, he said he would ring back tomorrow for a chat.

I think it's time for a cup of tea and a few minutes relaxing before going to bed with my book. Here's hoping we all have a good sleep tonight. Night, night and sweet dreams.

You're right Mandy, jobs just seem to pop up from nowhere every day don't they! OH has emptied one of our waterbutts now so I will have a look and see if it's sludgy at the bottom. Yes, Pickled Onion is a little love isn't he. He just needs someone to spend a lot of time teaching him and getting him used to everything then he would be a super little dog. :-) We looked at our cues again today and there's not much happening! I could see OH is ready to hoof them out. The toms are still doing well but still with tough skins. :-S

He's actually gone to a match tonight. It's nice not to have any interruptions for a few hours.

Evening all,

Been a bit wet here today, rained most of the morning but dried up by lunch time so I went shopping .

Oh Ann Pickled Onion is a little dear I bet he won't be at the rescue place for long someone will soon train him up he just needs plenty of one to one and he will make a lovely pet he has a sweet little face .

Anng thats good you got yourself out and busied yourself ,you've done so well much better than i could have done ,your bound to have down days especially after being with the friends that you both enjoyed being with together .
Walking sticks are handy for grabbing long stalks ,we have one of those grabs and use that quite a bit in the garden as well as in the house.

Oh thats nice we've heard from Frank and a nice trip to Devon will do them both good ,hope he can get to Spain later on too.

The walker is coming in handy then Mel ,a bag on the handles for the plums so you don't have to carry them.
I have a vision of OH fitting an old mower engine onto it and you whizzing round the garden :-D

Our runners are now getting a bit thin on the ground and haven't been as long either ,I wondered if it was because we used last years seed from last years beans perhaps we need new seed .
The greenhouse is looking sad too I cut two little cues today and I think I can see one more tiny one .
Tomatoes there's about three or four to ripen and thats it in there ,the greenhouse will be down early this year .

We spent yesterday clearing more bits from behind the shed ,Colin wants to get to the guttering round the back of the shed to give it a good clean and also clean out the water butts ,I tuned one on and a load of old black stuff came out so they do need a clean out.
We certainly find plenty to do each day .

That's good you have heard from Frank again Mel. A stay with Conrad and Jan would be a pick me up for him and Ros..

You are bound to be sad AnnG, but that was good to get outside and do something. I think you lose your purpose when you are suddenly alone and it is easier to do things together in some ways. It is very early days yet, but you will find the right way forward for you in time. Be kind to yourself. It won't always be so difficult and upsetting.

I had another invite yesterday to join a zoom focus group at the Hospital from the really nice lady who organises these things. She is as fit as a fiddle, cycles the 24 miles there and back to the hospital each day, has had her jabs, but caught COVID 3 weeks ago doing voluntary work. She said she has been really ill with it and even now could do with a third week in bed!!

Afternoon All,

I slept well last night but OH had another migraine and had to take tablets. We think it may be that he has been eating more cheese lately so he's having less for a while to see if it helps. I had a call from the hospital this morning to arrange what phone the surgeon is to call me on next Monday. This was the appointment I cancelled over a week ago as it is the same time as my course! :-S The department hadn't been told, so another appointment will be posted to me now.

I must say I find FH research fascinating and hearing about your FH finds is too. I have no family to pass my findings on to but I do enjoy it and it follows nicely on from my investigative work I did in my job! :-) I am leaving my tree to the local Records Office as they told me I could. Others can then hopefully benefit from my efforts which I'm more than happy to share. My searches in those early hours led me close to where my mother went to a convent school as a girl and then worked later. It was Hawkesyard Priory and Spode House a mile or two from where she lived in a humble mining household. I looked it up and was surprised how grand a place it was and found that Spode House was lived in by Josiah Spode, grandson of the Pottery man, Josiah Spode! It explains my mum's love of grand houses!

I hated those hard to read microfiches too AnnG and you are right about much more being available on the internet now making it easier for people new to FH.

You had a nice walk this morning. It is strange for quite a while to come home to an empty house, it happens when partners split up as well. I used to put the radio or tv on. After our neighbour lost her husband she got the Shih Tzu for company, but she spoiled him and he is the one that barks all day now.

My bank switch is now done and I'm just waiting to be sure my pensions get paid into it! I still need to set up things like phonebank. Next my Asda mobile provider EE is to be powered by Vodaphone and they have sent me a new sim. OH has done his, so he can help me do mine to save time.

There is a cute little dog for rehoming at the rescue place in the next village. I only windowshop! He is only a year old and is a Chihuahua Jack Russell cross called Pickled Onion. He would be hard work as he isn't lead or house trained, spoiled, not used to other dogs or people, scared of the outside world and tends to bark! I have emailed a picture. OH said 'you'd have to clean up if you get him!!' lol. So not a 'no' then! lol. :-)

Glad your OH seems a little better with the medication Vera and you are right about one good body between us! I hope you get some better nights' sleep soon.

Mel our runners seem taller this year but the amount of beans has been very disappointing. Nextdoor's are usually good, but I notice those don't have any big beans on either. I see your Asda is getting as bad as ours for subs. Perhaps they carry less stocks than the other supermarkets. I hope the trusty walker will help you to be able to do more.

Pleased Frank is OK, good to hear from him.
have just spent 40 minutes cutting down some of the very long branches of the rambling rose. surprising how useful a walking stick with a hooked handle is. Won't be nearly as bad now in the autumn because I got a lot of them, also cut down a lot of ivy. I had to get out there because I was getting sad sitting here thinking after being with everyone

From: Frank

14 Aug 2021

Good morning my love, How are you keeping. ?? I have just heard from Shirl. in Canada. She's fine apart from getting older.

We have told "Biggles "owners that we can't have him anymore, and they will have to find someone else. Ros has enough to do, without clearing up after the dog.

Weathering is nothing special, considering it's August. We are coming down to Devon later this month, when Conrad comes home from Spain. Jan and Conrad want us to go back with them to Spain for a couple of weeks, but I don't think I am up to it.. We will have to see

Take care of yourself

Love Frank
xx.

Todays post from Frank I asked him if I could put his post up and he has said yes.


From: Frank

3:16 PM

Mel. there is nothing I wouldn't share on line, so feel free to post whatever you want.

We are looking forward to spending a little time with Conrad and Jan.They will be with us on the flight out to Spain, and Jan will be with us on out return. We will then spend a night in Devon, before Ros drives us home.

Stay safe and well.

Love Frank

xxx

Mel, yes I miss him a lot when I have to go alone to things we went to together (which is most things). It is hard but will get better I am sure.

I have not wiped my groceries down now for three weeks.

Sounds like you had a nice time and lovely lunch and a good natter. You must miss T so much after all the time you had been together. He's still watching over you Anng.

Had lunch and I still have tins to wipe down so that the first job of the afternoon and then I think I may try and get up the border as there's a lot needs cutting down and a lot that also needs to be tied up.

The walk this morning was very pleasant just under 2 miles. We were walking round a very large park (Pitville Park) in Prestbury, Cheltenham, not too far from home. The park has several lakes and a small river in it so there is boating and swans to see. There is also a huge children's play area with so many different things too be climbed on, swung on zipped across and slid down. And also an aviary. It was absolutely heaving with children of all ages. We were not near the children thank goodness. My thought was 'a good way to induce herd immunity. We had lunch at open air tables, just a snack, I had a cheese and onion pasty and a coffee. I was picked up at 10.15 and home at just after 1,15. It was good to have a chat but I did miss having T with me, he liked that park. And it is still not nice coming in to an empty house after being with7 other people all chattering. Never mind I will be fine!!

I have been up the garden with the trusty walker and picked the last 11 plums and some blackberries for us and some for the chickens which were small. A nice bunch of sweetpeas for the kitchen too.

Have you noticed things have grown a lot taller this year? You talked about things changing colour too and my spirea turned from blue to white this year.

The blackberries are small this year and there's not many apples on the trees.

We had the little stag sitting in the garden this morning and then he went into the orchard and lay down in there for quite a while.

Iv'e still got ironing to dotoo Vera.

Tracking the order it says 11am to 1pm so I hope its not too late and runs into lunch.

Morning AnnG, Mel & all

I hope you have better weather for your garden walk than we have here AnnG. It's cool, gloomy and wet :-(

Neither of us had a good night again last night. Pain in his shoulders and neck kept waking OH and I am just going through a sleepless patch again. In spite of the pain OH does seem quite a bit better. He's never been one for taking pain killers and decided that it was the Paracetamol making him so dozy so he has stopped taking it. I have to say he has seemed a lot more "with it" since he stopped taking them. He has had to take anti-inflammatory tabs on and off for donkey's years so his body is used to them and the stronger ones the doctor gave him 5 or 6 days ago do seem to be helping.

I hope your delivery arrives OK Mel. I see you have several subs again. I wonder why Asda always seem to have so many. My last Tesco order had 2 and they were both items I had ordered. I just got them in a larger size and as they only charge the cheapest of the two prices I came out the winner. Be careful not to put strain on your hip and leg as you are unpacking and wiping down.

I hope you had a better night Ann and your pain has eased. What a lot we are - we've probably got one good body between us.

I've just had a lovely shower and hairwash and had now better go and get on. Now what will it be - ironing, hoovering, washing the kitchen floor? I can see I've got another exciting day ahead of me.

Morning Anng and all,

Did we hear from Mandy yesterday too?

Dull and cloudy this morning and more like an autumn day than late summer.

I have my delivery today and Iv'e got 5 subs some of which I don't want like ruby cocoa bean Magnum instead of my raspberry ones Baked crisps Kingsmill bread instead of hovis and veg soup instead of Minestrone which is ok and something else that I can't remember at the mo, O yes button mushrooms instead of chestnut ones.

Have a nice day today Anng and enjoy your walk.

:-D :-D Vera, of course it is. See! brain dead.

I had a strange night sleeping and waking and dreaming. But didn't lie awake for hours which is good. hope all are well and relatively pain free today.

gill if you are glimpsing the thread please let us know that all is ok it is ages now since we heard.