General Chat

Yes, I've enjoyed a few baths now and it's lovely, although the bath is a bit small so we're going to buy a bigger one when the bathroom is extended and use the smaller bath in the loft conversion as it won't be used that often. It's a good job we had the boiler put in when we did as the shower broke a few days before and kept going boiling hot, then freezing cold. I also coloured my hair as I couldn't do it with no hot water, my hair is down to my waist now so I have to rinse it in the bath, so I look much better now without all the gray.

I think we're going to need more than one skip, OH thinks about three or four to finish the rubbish as we ended up with lots more the other day when we were clearing another part of the garden. The lady next door is the one who said she'd help us fill our skip and if there's enough room over on the last one we're going to see if she'd like to throw anything of her's in there as a thank you, plus a bottle of wine lol ;-)

Happy birthday to Inara, it sounds like she's seen a lot of her family and a trip to the zoo too. Sorry to hear your back is sore Vera and hope it feels better soon. Sending a gentle (((hug)))

Signing out now as I'm shattered, I'll try and come on here more often if I can.

You are getting there Gill. As Ann says have you enjoyed a bath yet? Still a bit of a way to go yet but you will get there. Will you have enough to fill a skip? Of course you can get different sizes. It will be good when finished though.

Thanks for all the good wishes for Inara. No party of course but she was happy with a visit to the zoo and she has her Grandma visiting from Devon and she also went to see Nanny and Grandad (daughter) for her presents.

Glad you all like the colours if the baskets. Vera your favourites are in a tub, I like that combination too, a new one for me this year.

Good you did the walk but the cooking might have been a mistake Vera. Hope your back soon eases.

I have just lost a post but will say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Inara. I bet she will love deciding how to spend her money gift AnnG.

It's all go now then Gill but will be well worth it and it won't be long before you start unpacking those boxes. :-) It's good your neighbour offered to help fill the skip when you get it but did he mean with his own stuff?? Have you both enjoyed a nice bath yet?

It's good you managed a walk Vera, even with your hand on your back! I like the sound of your roast cauli and must try it sometime. I made (Packet) a lemon drizzle cake but it was a bit tasteless and OH didn't want any more he said. He soon changed his mind when I cut a slice later, spread some lemon curd on it and topped it with squirty cream. He said how nice it was then. Surprising how you can tart something up and make it nice! lol.

Lovely pictures AnnG. The flowers look so fresh after the rain and the colours look extra bright. I particularly liked the last one with the red and yellow striped peturias with the acid yellow ones. The colours are really zingy.

Some of our plants took a bit of a battering from the heavy rain yesterday but I think they will pick up again. Having said that we are apparently due more rain overnight and tomorrow and Monday so the poor plants will probably get hammered again.

I can't believe Inara is 5 already. I am sure it was only a couple of years ago you were telling us of her birth! Doesn't time fly? I still talk about our old house as though we've only recently moved but we will have been in this house 8 years in September. Snap, we're having roast chicken as well tomorrow. Ours is quite a big one and will easily do 3 days for the 2 of us. Like you, we'll have it hot on Sunday, cold with salad on Monday and probably in a stir-fry with veg and noodles on Tuesday. I don't like curry so poor OH doesn't get it either.

Keep an eye on that tick Mel as you don't want it to turn nasty like the other one you had. That's the problem with living in a rural area with grassland and woodland - you get all the nasty bugs as well as the lovely wildlife. You'll have to do your gardening dressed up like an astronaut so they can't get at you.

I did walk this morning and managed about a mile, though I must have looked weird walking along with one hand behind me holding my back. It's a bit less painful if there is support in the right place even if it is only a hand pressing on it. When I got back I did just a little bit of gentle deadheading and then came in and made a banana loaf as I had some squidgy bananas. The trouble is I always forget how long it takes lining the tin, getting all the ingredients ready and actually mixing it. The worse thing for my back is standing. Having stood at the work surface getting the banana loaf ready, I then stood at the stove stirring soup. By the time I sat down to lunch it was really painful again.

This evening we had a vegetable quiche with roasted cauliflower. I tossed the florets in oil, lemon juice and garlic before putting them in the oven to roast and they were pretty good. Even OH remarked how flavoursome they were. We also had a rice pudding to follow. I haven't made one for so long that I'd almost forgotten how to do it but I just fancied it today. That was yummy as well but I now feel bloated.

I am now going to do an online donation to the Royal British Legion in memory of my cousin who died recently and then I am going to close the computer down for tonight. Sleep well folks.

Hi all

Sorry it's been so long since I was last on here we've been so busy and still are as we're in the middle of emptying the loft ready for the loft insulation, it's a slow process as OH is now on days for the next few weeks as they're short staffed so he's not here to empty the loft and I can't do it on my own. The grant fella rang me yesterday saying the job has to be done no later than 28th June........no pressure then lol.

We now have running water and central heating, not that we need the heating at the moment as it's been really hot. The underfloor insulation needs sorting out around the traps as the central heating men cut the net to get underneath the floor to put the pipes and didn't replace the netting so the insulation let in the draft. We also need our pipes lagging too. it's silly the way the grant works, you have to have the underfloor insulation done first to qualify for the central heating and boiler, but the insulation gets damaged when the next workmen gain access, so I hope they come back and sort the underfloor insulation and not leave it the way it is.

We've had the cavity wall insulation done and they did a bit of the pointing that needed doing, it's only a temporary measure so we'll still need to have the whole place re-pointed at some point.

We're still waiting for the builder who took our chimney out in the kitchen to do us a quote for the bathroom extension, he's told us twice he's doing it but so far we're heard nothing, so yesterday OH asked the workmen who were doing our neighbours garden patio if they did loft conversions and bathrooms and they do so they gave OH their boss's card. I rang the number and he's coming out on Monday to don us a quote, so with a bit of luck the loft conversion and bathroom will be done soon then all the structural work inside will be done and we can finally decorate, order the carpets and unpack. At the moment most of the spare rooms, well all of them apart from the bedroom and kitchen are almost full of filled boxes and we still have at least another quarter left to bring down from the loft.

I'll be glad when it's all finished as the dust is starting to get to me now, as soon as I clean it away it's back, I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle. Never mind it'll all be worth it in the end.

We've been working really hard in the garden but there's still a lot more rubbish to get rid of. We're thinking of ordering a skip and our neighbour offered to help us fill it when we're ready, how nice was that?

I love all the lovely pictures you've all sent, the painting of the swan is really good and all the flower photo's are such a pleasure to see. I hope you are all keeping well, I'm just grabbing something to eat then we'll get back to taking some more stuff out of the loft. I think we're meeting ourselves coming back at the moment we're so busy. Hopefully I'll have more time to come on here soon. Take care everyone.

Lovely pictures again Anng. I have those lovely campanulas that are evergreen but the bunnies eat them up the border. I have a couple in pots down here on the patio so I can enjoy them and don't they flower for a long time too.

Its been sunny but now its clouded over a bit and there's a bit of a chilly wind.

We had a huge salad for lunch and I am feeling stuffed but need to go down the shed and do something and the sweet peas need tying up so I think I cna manage that.

Mandy, yes there were seats along most of the paths, all except the stretch along the river where there was only one and that was occupied. But we were OK.

Your meal tonight sounds nice. I have got cauliflower cheese tonight. I have a chicken to roast tomorrow, that will do me three meals, (roast, cold with salad and curry with jacket.

Afternoon all

Our garden is well watered too I think it rained most of the night and this morning finally easing up just after lunch ,the sky is still very grey so the washing hasn't gone out its drying on the airer .

Anng I meant to say how nice the photos were on your blog it looks a lovely place for walking ,was there a few seats here and there to sit and enjoy the views .

It feels so much cooler here today I have put my jeans back on instead of my three quarters .

Mel I hope this tick doesn't turn nasty like the other one .

Vera thats good the doctor rang hopefully a change of tablets will help and the swelling will go down .

We're having a nice meat pie to night with new pots and veg ,not home made like Mel's a shop bought one ,it will be nice to have a gravy meal as we've had a lot of salads lately.

Afternoon All,

Well our garden has had a good soaking and it's cooler again today, so I sucked up the dead flies on the conservatory shelves this morning. There have been no cattle put in the field at the back this year so we are wondering if the farmer's lease period is up. I hope there aren't building plans on the horizon. He did use a harrow thing on the field in the Spring though so maybe it will just be for hay this year.

That's a nuisance getting another tick Mel and it sounds like it had a good feed from you. I hope it doesn't turn nasty like the last one. You will have to start wearing Deet in the garden!

Thank you for your kind offer to send me any of your photos AnnG. I would like the two I mentioned please, the one with the grassy spikes in front of the river and the one with your two friends walking ahead of you. I expect I would change it with the clothes and add or take away things, but it would help me to practice getting proportions and postures right! Your garden is doing very well but as you say, peonies do seem to come when it's rainy. I can't believe how the toms have shot up since we got back from Cornwall. I keep having to pinch out side shoots and lots of flowers now. I need to get more of the Livingstone daisies planted out at they are flowering now. I think I'd better pop in the greenhouse to see if the cues need some water as well as check the tomatoes.

That was very good service from your doctor Vera! I can't imagine any of ours phoning at that time. Hopefully the change of tablets will stop your ankles swelling. I think that some people, once they are twice jabbed themselves won't be bothered about sanitiser and protecting everyone else or stopping the spread. I couldn't believe it when a friend said yesterday that she thought the covid figure announcements were just scaremongering!

Just done a tour of the garden, certainly doesn't need watering today, except the three tomatoes in the box by the house wall. I couldn't believe how much they had grown since the day before yesterday. I had to take off some of the lower leaves which were huge. Loads of flowers so hope they develop into tomatoes. I also watered the plants in the greenhouse. I have actually put the tomato hanging basket on the shelf in the greenhouse to protect it from the promised storm, it already has loads of tomatoes on it (tumblers) T always hoped to pick the first ripe ones early July.
The cucumbers have flowers so I hope that means they will develop into cues.

Yes Vera it is best if you can keep moving but know when to stop of course. Hopefully a little walk will help.
It is Inara's fifth birthday today. she has money to spend from me as it is easier than posting parcels and these days children have so much stuff.

I have noticed fewer people using hand sanitiser in the garden centres. At the doctors surgery they can't get away from it as when you walk in it is on the reception desk and whoever is on duty watches you do it.

At Croome you were not allowed on the truck until you had used the sanitiser (a gigantic bottle).

Mel you need to keep an eye on that tick as I am sure that you are doing. good luck with it.

I am hoping that today stays dry as we are told tomorrow is going to be very wet all day. The garden does look refreshed from the rain yesterday but why does it always rain just as the peonies have all come into full flower?

It does feel strange here today, I am used to at least either Phil ot Cynth nect door being in, he never goes very far at all but she is often out and about. today they will be out all day as they have gone to a wedding down near Bath.

Morning Anng and Vera and All,

Cloudy here but still quite warm at the mo but it is dry and we did'nt get the promissed rain. I'm glad I watered last night as oh told me it was going to rain.

Bad news this morning. I have another very small tick on my arm on the inside of my right one and this one is blood red and the skin around it is swelliong. At the moment I have put vasaline on it in the hope it may losen it a bit and oh will pull it off for me later. It does look as though this one is going to swell like the last one on my arm did.

The one I had behind my knee the other week was fine but thast one was'nt blood red but grey so I don't think that had been there long.

I shall be up the shop for the paper later on and a few bits and thne pop into Em's.

Morning AnnG and everyone

It's very grey here but not raining at the moment. It's not very warm either.

I have a Tesco delivery tomorrow but was out of potatoes and green veg so we went out at 8 am this morning to get some. We went to the Co-op as it is the least busy of our supermarkets but I was surprised how many people were there. What surprised me was that, apart from me, they were all men. A chap went into the shop in front of me and another immediately behind me and they both walked straight past the sanitiser. I think people are getting very complacent.

We have two family birthdays today - the granddaughter who came to see us last week and our step-grandson.

I haven't got any plans for the day. I want to try and find something I can do which doesn't involve too much sitting around and which won't make my back hurt any more than it already does. I want to keep moving so I'm going to start by walking down to the post box with a letter and then if I feel OK I'll continue the walk on a little bit.

Good morning all, grey here but so far dry. I think it is supposed to stay dry here and then more rain tomorrow which will be stormy. Slept quite well, woke at 0230 for the loo then woke again at 0700.
Tesco due at 10-11am. Otherwise not much else on. Have to have a look and see what yesterday's rain did to the garden and water the greenhouse.

Strange how time goes so fast that it skews the memory. I was trying to remember how long ago we had the new bathroom put in and thought it was maybe 3 years+. Found the final bill for it and it was December 2015 so over 5 years now. wow, it really doesn't seem that long.

That was a late call from the doctor as I think ours only rings up to 6.30pm. Hope the new tabs work fo ryou and take the swelling down so you are more comfortable.

Goodness that was late to be working Vera but good to know.. I hope that the new tablets work well for you and the swelling reduces.

Yes, it has turned chilly. I had to go and put a jumper on a little while ago.

The phone rang just after 8 and it was the doctor saying he had looked at the blood pressure readings I left at the surgery and to carry on with the tablets I’ve got and send him bp readings in about 3 months. It gave me the chance to tell him how swollen my feet and ankles are so he decided to change the tablets and I have to take more readings and send them to him in 3 weeks. With luck the swelling will go down and I can get some better shoes on and go out for some exercise.

I was surprised to get a call so late but our practice does seem to be trying to look after the patients.

If you want a copy of any of my photos to paint any time Ann just say and I will forward copies to you.
Yes another one towards the last one if only I knew when the final one will be. Good job I don’t have to pay for all these dressings etc.

Just a case of soldiering on then Vera.

Lots more rain here too, but not heavy. It's quite chilly now as well.

Another dressing nearer the last one then AnnG. I love your photos on the blog especially the one of the river with grasses in the foreground. It looks like they have some lovely meadows and your picture of your friends walking ahead would be an interesting one for me to paint! We have done a similar one this week with figures walking away.

It’s still raining! It’s not torrential but it is fairly heavy rain and it’s been going non-stop since some time last night. It’s done the garden enough good now. I want it to stop.

It sounds as though the nurse knew what she was talking about AnnG. I hope the steroid cream helps.

I had blue nylon sheets too. They were horrid things but were all the rage for a while.

As to my back I think they only x-ray if they think there may be a spinal problem and that’s not very common. Also, although my foot still pains me sometimes my walking is pretty much back to normal so I don’t think the foot has made my back bad. I think it is some sort of muscle strain or soft tissue injury that will get better in time. It is just taking a long time but I will plod on with exercises and get there in the end.

Better get on with cooking our dinner. We’re having a pork casserole tonight but I need to sort the potatoes.

Nurse was fine, hardly had to wait today, it was a different nurse. She said something like the reason it is not healing is because it has crystalized, at least I think that is what she said; she said it often happens. She has ordered some steroid cream from the chemist for next week (I have to collect it). and that appointment on Tuesday is with another different nurse. It is a little bit sore as it usually is after being messed around with.

Hope you are all enjoying the football!!!! Another evening watching recorded programmes for me. Although I will watch gardeners world and Death in paradise (repeat).