General Chat

Mandy I have to admit looking at the good ens and thinking I would have made pillow caes and pram sheets out of that. Then I remembered I have a drawer full of pillow cases so put that out of my mind.

Just planted up the plants I bought on Monday. Seemed a lot when I bought them but they don't go far when it comes to planting out. Still got loads of gaps in the garden.

Hope you get the washing dry Mandy as it should if its as warm as it is here.

Morning all,

I think we had a little rain in the night the road looked damp when I got out for the loo just after two ,never heard any thunder or saw any lightning,I just nipped up to boots for my tablets and there was just a few spits so I took a brolly but didn't need it
I stripped the bed and have the bedding in the wash ,don't know if i should hang it out or not as the sky looks so grey but I don't think it would take long to dry .

Oh Ann not more books :-D I'm itching to have a look in our Works but it's only a small shop and really tight for passing other people so I haven't chanced it yet .

Vera you might be glad to sit out in the garden with your friends this morning as its so
muggy ,enjoy your coffee and chat.

Anng your friend will probably be glad of the old sheet as sheeting makes nice cleaning rags ,I can remember if mum had a split sheet she would make pillow cases with the good bit :-)

Right off to hang this duvet out its brightened up a bit now .

Morning Anng and Vera and all,


Grey morning here and we had a tiny amount of rain in the night but nothing to write home about. I could hear a few drop falling on the patio roof when I put something in the bin last night.

I hope you enjoy your visit to friends today Vera and as you say it will be nice to be able to go inside for a change. Enjoy your coffee.

Anng I am sure you neighbour can put to use some cleaning cloths if she helps in an animal centre as they always need stuff.

No plans for me today so I shall just muddle along and do what I feel like. Must cook a dinner tonight htough. Maybe meat pie as I have been fancing one of those. Oh won't eat shop bought pies so I always make my own.

Good morning all

We had rain during the night and heard a few distant rumbles of thunder but the forecast storms seem to have missed us. It’s very grey out there so plenty more rain to come I reckon. We are going to friends for coffee this morning and would normally walk but I think we might be taking the car rather than risk a soaking.. At least we no longer have to sit in their garden but can go indoors.

Otherwise we have no plans for the day.

good morning all. Despite the weather forecast we had a short shower of not very much rain at 10.20 last night then nothing as far as I can see all night. So it looks like watering again this morning.
I slept really well last night from 11 until 6.30am, must have been all the fresh air.

I love the rockery type campanula and do have some, one of which doesn't seem to be flowering this year. But I also have at various parts of the garden, the tall type which is mostly self seeded, It is a bit of a nuisance, mostly white and needs staking as it flops because it is tall and thin so doesn't support itself. T used to like it so encouraged it.

Not got anything planned today so more gardening if it is dry and HW if not.

I have to see if my neighbour wants a white fitted double sheet. I may have told you that when I went to straighten it yesterday and pulled it, it ripped as if it was rotten. A large part of the sheet is fine so, she volunteers at a cat shelter, I shall offer it as cleaning rags.

Ann I shall look out for the postman tomorrow or the next day. Can't wait to see they fit me. Thanks for sending them.

I bet the children will love their new clothes Mandy and fancy Lacey being 9, I can remember being 9.

I also got the seven pictures Vera and I can see why you fell in love with the heron he's beautiful. Oh won't have Heron's in the garden as we get the real ones and he chases them away. They come and sit on the frame of the netting on my pond. we often see them fly over the garden as they nest over the back to us in the evergreen trees.

I have the bloue campanula too but not the white one. The pheasents used to eat mine and cut it right back but not this year as Ralph at the big house has'nt put any pheasents down during lock down and I think the fox had most of our females that used to visit. We still have Phil and he's still limping. I threw him some corn today as he was round by the big girls when I corned them.

Took a few pics today while we sat at my pond having a coffee. I was trying to get pics of my little fish as they are growing now but they move so quickly. We've sat there twice today just resting in the sun.

We had F & C tonight so I did'nt have to cook and I went up earlier today as most people come for their orders later on. I was the only one there at just after 6pm so I did'nt have to wait long.

Evening All,

Another good sleep and I'm glad you slept well too Mel. That was quick getting your hip appointment so quickly! Your parcel was posted today so look out for it! :-)

Vera, I threaten OH with the shed sometimes, but I don't think I would get inside ours and the roof leaks a bit now! Sorry your back is playing up! My word I love your Heron! There aren't many garden ornaments that I like but I love him. A great position near the bronze foliage as it enhances his colour. The Campanula are pretty as you say and I must get a shot of ours in the front if it has survived the heat. It has golden foliage. What a splash of colour those Portacula are making too.....beautiful!

You have had a great day AnnG. The grounds sound lovely and it's geat you all got on. I'm fancying a jacket potato now!!

Mandy the clothes for the girls sound great and Lacey 9 years old!!!!! My goodness where did those 9 years go. I think OH has the hose out now, no sign of rain here and the ground is so parched.

We decided to go out early to the farm shop, but that plantar fasciitis was back with a vengeance so I told OH to hold fire while I dressed and hobbled about to see if it would ease up! Well it did at least enough to go out and my sandals seemed to help. There was only 1 other customer and there was a big bucket size of sanitiser with wipes soaking in it that you pulled through the lid and ripped off to clean your baskets/trolleys, also hand sanitiser so that was good. It was nice to get some meat and fresher veg and big black cherries, asparagus and we got 2 of their nice ready meals for today and some of their free range eggs. Then we called at the pharmacy, then went to a garden centre and noticed there were few cars parked so went to look around. I got 6 plants for the wallpots at the front, a rock plant with orange flowers and a type of house leek I haven't got. OH got 2 books from the Works!! and I spotted some soft pastels with colours I don't have so got those. The car R brake light warning came on on the way back so I think a bulb has gone. We'll go out and check when it gets cooler and darker.

Sorry to hear you are getting the shakes Frank, but seeing Lewis will have helped to take your mind off it. I rather like a tidy, trim and well washed beard, which is just as well with OH having one! Any more news on John?

Thanks Mandy and AnnG. It sounds as though you got them all.

I had the same as Mandy Vera.

Vera I got seven photos ,two were of the Heron and five of the plants ,my word i and see how you fell for him he's a beautiful boy .

Glad you had a nice day out Anng sounds as if you had some good company.

Phew still hot ,I've given the tons and cues some water but I'll leave the pots as we should have rain later .

Now I am really flummoxed. The draft email I had given up on and deleted has suddenly reappeared minus 1 picture. I pressed Send and it went. So you won't get the photos in 2 lots after all. I'd be interested to know what you actually receive.

Grrr.....I think I am going mad. I've tried unsuccessfully to send you some pics. Yesterday when I closed the computer it did an update and that seems to have messed up the system of attaching photos to an email. It's taken me a couple of minutes to work out how to do it now but everytime I try to attach a picture, even just one picture, it says the file is bigger than the server will allow and I should post it to a shared link. No....I just want to attach a photo to an email, I don't want to sort out shared links.

I will get to grips with it but not tonight as I am getting really fed up now :-|

Well Vera, you and Mandy have had a good spend up. I like the sound of your Heron. and why not treat yourself? Think of all you have not spent over the past year plus.

Croome was lovely. We left here at 10.30, three of us (all widows), and got back here at 3.30

The house is not brilliant, in fact there is hardly anything in it as it is undergoing renovation but you can see the bones of it. But the grounds were beautiful. It is a very large expanse of grassland which was mostly covered in large daisies (Ox eye?), And the trees gave a lot of shade. All along the path were dog roses, bushes of pink ones with a few white.

We walked a lot further this time than I did when I went with Tony. This time we walked right round the beautiful Lakes and even saw a swan sitting on her nest. and a small Heron. And then walked back towards the house along by the river, with the Chinese bridge in the background. The lakes are man made and the river is diverted off a main river and drains into the lakes. All designed by Capability Brown.

After seeing the house two of us caught the buggy with another couple and Anne walked back, He wouldn’t let five on the buggy.

We all had jacket potatoes and a bottle of Elderflower for two of us and lemon for Anne. We ate outside in the shade under canvas. I bought Anne’s for taking us. (towards the petrol.)

It was a lovely day and the company was great, we had a laugh and got on really well

You're right about the heat Mel! Phew!!

Sorry you are not feeling brilliant Frank but I hope you are enjoying Lewis's visit.

You bought a lot for the children Mandy. I bet they'll be thrilled to see their new clothes.

We got out fairly early this morning as I wanted to get back before it got too hot. OH wanted a bag of cement from the builders' merchants - would you believe, they had no cement. As it was on the way to Bury St Edmunds we carried on to Dobbies garden centre there. Here he wanted garden wire, large plant supports and a piece of flexible tube that goes on our water butt. Well, he got the wire. The plant supports he wanted were such a ridiculous price that we refused to pay it and they didn't have the tube. In spite of this we managed to spend a fortune, though not on plants. I only bought a pot of chives and a small pot of lavender for granddaughter but we did see a little solar lamp that was perfect for our patio table so that went in the trolley and then I saw this bronze heron and fell for it, looked at the price and walked quickly away. OH said he quite liked it too so if I wanted it we would buy it but I still felt I couldn't really justify spending that much. Then I remembered that in my bag I still had 2 garden gift cards from my birthday and both still had some money on them. When we checked we found they covered half the cost so that clinched it. Heron came home with us :-D I'll email a picture and a few garden ones.

We also had a coffee in Dobbies - the first coffee out since before the first lockdown. It felt both normal and strange.

When we got home I said to OH that I had hardly felt my back all morning. Why don't I keep my big mouth shut? It's been giving me gyp for the last couple of hours so I am now going to go and do the exercises that sometimes help and then sit on the bed with pillows behind my back and read for an hour.

It must be so nice to see Lewis Frank as its a while since he came to visit.

Gosh the suns come out here and its hot hot hot.


The mice dug up some of my beetroot seeds the night before last and oh spotted something had been digging in them so we covered them up last night and he took the box off this mroning. There's a lot more up today. I have just gone and looked at my peas and they have done the same with those but I think thye have eaten most of them so I am going to sow some more in the shed. I may take the canes out and cover that big pot too to see if anymore do come up. Cabbages are doinng well in their big pot and are reaching over the sides now.

My toms plants are flowering just and the smallest one has three trusses of flowers on it and the two big ones only have one. I knew that small one was going to be good as there was'nt a lot of room between the leaves. The one on the end is not doing so good and has been left behind by the others. I think it got a bit burnt before I put fleece on the house.

Courgette vis doing well too and showing some female flowers coming.

Oh Frank hope you feel better tomorrow, having Lewis with you will cheer you up .

Afternoon all,

Phew another hot one think we might be in for heavy rain and a bit of thunder and lightning later ,although not to heavy I hope as it will batter all the plants ,I might take down a few baskets and lay them in the greenhouse to save them getting damaged .

Mel I hope its not to long before you get your results and I see you have to go for your hip xray soon too that was fairly quick for both considering how the hospitals have been with the covid .

Ann two more little beauties, what a good selection of things you have had to paint and draw ,they have been good course's haven't they..

Vera I bet you had a good spend up at the garden centre :-D we never seem to come out of a garden centre without buying something.

Anng you've got a lovely day for a NT visit hope you've managed to find some shade when having a good walk round.

Yesterday I went to Norwich with dil , we only went in one shop Primark oh no I lie we went into Greggs for a bottle of drink .
It was lovely and airy on the bus all the windows were open and coming home we sat right at the back and there was only about three other people on it .
We had a good spend up :-D i bought the children lots of clothes it seems ages since we spoilt them .
I also got clothes for lacey its her birthday soon she will be nine ,I got her a couple of those all in one shorts and top she likes those one is floral and the other one is black and white ,a nice pair of shorts and a pretty peach top that is all ruched and stretchy they have some nice children's clothes .
Got a pair of sunglasses for £1 and some stretchy net looking trainer socks .for myself, oh and a pair of sliders for just nipping out in the garden instead of going out in my slippers .

We have been to Mole for dog food again that little so and so Max will not eat the lite food we got him so we've been out and got the food he was on again.
Also got the food shopping and called at sons for a coffee .
Colin is now looking at the back of his eyelids and I'm keeping in the cool here near the fan.

Good afternoon all,

Not in the BEST PLACE (health wise) today. Shakes and shivers.

Lewis is with us, he came up this morning. So nice to see him. He has grown a beard, which suits him, but I don't like beards anyway.

Hope post more later or tomorrow. xxxx