General Chat

Evening all

I am about but I think I've had reaction to my jab as I have felt so tired and lifeless just like last time so I hope tomorrow will be better.

Ann wow that's a beautiful painting I love it.

Early night now ,hope I'm more with it tomorrow.

You were a very early bird this morning Ann! I could have joined you in a conversation as I was awake from 1 am till turned 5 again, and then up at 7.30 am. What a chapter of accidents your poor OH had yesterday. I hope he suffered no ill effects from the bump on the head and what a shame about your Chinese vase. Is it in many pieces? If it isn’t smashed to smithereens could you get it repaired by someone knowledgeable about these things? It won’t be quite the same but perhaps someone who knows what they are doing could make a decent job of it. In one of our house moves a very fine porcelain Japanese cup got broken and an antique dealer friend of my brother repaired it beautifully for me (and at no charge, which was a bonus). I hope your window fitting goes well tomorrow. AnnG’s post suggests you have emailed a painting round. I haven’t looked at my emails since this morning so haven’t seen it yet but I shall check them as soon as I have finished this post.

I hope your headache is better Frank. It could well be the humid weather causing it. Make sure you stay hydrated.

The weather today has been a bit more comfortable here than the forecast suggested. It hasn’t been quite as hot as yesterday and it’s been cloudy with the occasional sunny spell. In fact around 5.30 this evening the breeze started to get quite chilly and we had to come in from sitting in the garden.

Did the weather stop OH getting the mower painted Mel? Did you cook a dinner tonight? We were supposed to be having meat pie (shop bought) and veg last night but it was so hot and I was so tired that I couldn’t face cooking and eating a meal so we had a tuna salad sandwich. However the pie was “Use By” today so we had to have it tonight. It was OK but I feel a bit overfull now. By the way, I hope your twingy (is that a word) knee is not giving you much pain.

I hope everyone who hasn’t posted recently is OK. Has anyone seen Elizabeth around recently?

After another bad night with very little sleep I was a bit grumpy this morning and faffed about with one little job and another but I have had the best afternoon I can remember for a long time. For the first time since the first lockdown everything seemed almost normal. I think I told you that my granddaughter had been given an appointment to give blood at the Centre 2 minutes away from us. It was a 50 mile round trip for her but she accepted the appointment as she could visit us at the same time. Her appointment was 1.35 pm and she arrived at ours about 1 o’clock. Just to be able to have a hug made my day. We chatted till 1.30 when she went for her appointment. As it was her first session it took a long while so she wasn’t back till after 3 pm but stayed till 6.30. She is currently filling in between projects by working in a baker’s and she arrived with a freshly baked loaf of wholemeal soda bread and 3 enormous triangles of shortbread. We set the world to rights and talked and laughed so much that my voice is now quite croaky. Another hug when she left set the seal on a perfect afternoon.

I feel very tired now so I am going to check my emails, make a cup of tea and have a quiet read. Sleep well everyone.

Thank you AnnG. I would like a shower overnight too, otherwise I think it will mean watering the garden tomorrow night. A nice pork chop, very tasty!

Mel I have PM you.

Mel there is only one post from Frank isn’t there?
I would like a shower over night if possible. It was sunny and hot at 6pm so I took mr drink down the garden. My pork chop was in the slow cooker, very nice it was too.

As I said in my email I love your latest painting Ann well done.

Hope all goes well with the window replacement.tomorrow. So OH has got the clearing out bug now then.

Yes, it could be the heat Frank, although it's been a slight breeze here today and not as hot. Make sure you are drinking enough too.

We are all ready for tomorrow now but I have only just noticed that the man quoted for 7 windows not 8. I'd marked them all with masking tape as well. He may have to order that one and fit it later. Hopefully the fitting won't take long and we plan a relaxing day tomorrow. OH has been through a lot of his T shirts and thrown quite a few out. I couldn't help but notice he has a stash of books in his wardrobes as well now!! I think it really is time he got rid of some so where are the thumbscrews!

We had a quick look at the obits as we thumbed through the local paper at lunchtime. One was the name of my old neighbour for years at my previous house. I'm sure it was him as he had an uncommon surname and had died at a nursing home down south and I remember him moving to a house there with his wife to be nearer his daughter. I remember he had retired 2-3 years after I moved in and OH calculated that would fit with him reaching age 65. He was age 107 when he died!!!!

You can have our showers Anng. Its been doing that fine stuff most of the afternoon.

I like it when we get more than one post from Frank during a day. <3

Afternoon Frank, it is very humid and close isn't it, yes probably that causing your headache. We need a shower to clear the air.

Afternoon all, Still nought to report, apart from I have a STINKING HEADACHE. I THINK IS DUE TO THIS HUMID WEATHER.

Ros is round Carolyn's helping her make New Curtains for the lounge

No more news about John, Tos will fill me in when she comes home.

Afternoon AnnG and Mel,

We had a panic this morning when a big white box van pulled up outside our bungalow. I quickly roused OH as I thought the bed had arrived and they hadn't rung us beforehand. It turned out to be something for Mrs O opposite, Phew! We got up and showered anyway as we were wide awake by then. The bed is here and made up now but new mattresses are so heavy these days we are exhausted. The fitted sheets don't fit as the mattress is deeper so I need to order new ones.

Yes AnnG, I had thought about getting the vase valued as you never know do you. I still have the base with the chinese maker's squiggles on it and a side of the vase with one of the ladies in relief so I could still try and do that to at least find out if it had any value. I must look online to see if I can find any maker's marks that match. I think OH is worried it might be MING!! lol. That is nice you have a new companion in the same situation as you will understand each other.

I have started clearing the window sills where the glass will be fitted tomorrow. I don't think we have ever had so much stuff lying around in boxes! I'm having lunch before I finish it though as we are both starving now.

I like my cabbage too Mel, but we are having something quick today, Maybe fish with mash and cabbage and other veg tomorrow. :-D My toms have flowers at last and I spotted some on the runners yesterday.

Rain in the air. Oh is cross because he was trying to paint some of the mower.

Where's Mandy and Island hope they are both ok?

Knee is playing up a bit today.

I'll try again.

Morning two Ann's and all,

Much the same weather here I think Anng as the skies are grey and the ground wet as it rained quite a bit yesterday.

Ann if you have kept the bits of your lovely little vase you could take it to The Repair Shop I am sure they could mend it.

I should cook a dinner today as we had F & C yesterday and sauasage sarnies the other day too and only a chicken stuffed with cheese and ham sauce thing the day before with chips so I may make a sheep sh*t pie tonight with spring greens. I have been dying for some sort of cabbage.

MY POST JUST DISAPPEARED AS I WAS TYPING.

Good morning all. Ann I do hope that you managed to eventually get to sleep for a few hours at least.
what a chapter of 'accidents' Oh how sad that the little vase got broken, now you will never have the dream that it might be worth something, even if you had no intention of selling it. Something you treasured and your mind will be full of the 'why didn't we move it?' Hindsight again. And I do hate knocks on the head after Tony hit his head when the garage door came down on him last March, we will never know what damage that did to him. so keep an eye on your OH for head aches etc. Especially with his eye problem.
Good that the stuff was collected early anyway and fingers crossed the engineer can make it Saturday instead of Tuesday.
Yes it was good to have a chat, she (another Anne), is a relatively new friend from U3a more or less thrown together being in the same boat, so to speak. Both new widows and she was a help to me when looking for things to help Tony when we thought he was coming home. and good to have an outing to look forward to. Also trying to fix a date to visit my other (more long standing) friend for coffee but she is back to being out on Monday, tuesday, wednesday mornings (Zumba and walking).

Bright but full cloud so far this morning still 17 degrees though. Tree man this morning to quote and nurse this afternoon.

Morning All,

Can't sleep so here I am! No trouble with Curry's or quibbles. OH explained the situation and their response was to immediately offer a replacement TV. That was quickly sorted and we were told it will come on Saturday and the engineer would be arranged for the same day if possible. Someone else did the booking of the engineer and that took three-quarters of an hour as he couldn' use their software!!! We had to go and sit down as we couldn't stand any longer. OH muttered to me 'why do we always get the duff one'. Slots were full for Saturday so the engineer would come next Tuesday. They wanted us to bring the old TV back, but I didn't like that idea with our backs and knees and what if we dropped it, so I suggested they pick it up when they brought the new TV and they agreed.

Yesterday morning I heard OH moving furniture in the 2nd bedroom so started to dress to help him. There was a large crash and an 'oh no' and his usual impatience meant instead of waiting for me to help, in moving the mattress across the floor it twisted and knocked my little Chinese cabinet and sent my antique Chinese vase crashing to the floor and smashing to bits. It was a treasured find with crackled glaze and Chinese ladies in relief around it, all beautifully painted. I have had it over 40 years and it appealed to me with the figures in relief which I have never seen since. He said he would buy me another, but I have never seen another like it. Having got the rest of the bed outside and our old TV I left him to fetch the printer for the chap to take as well. Next thing he comes to tell me it's leaking which he already knew having seen the drips from it on the mat under it when we got the new one. I couldn't believe he'd carried it across the kitchen, lounge and porch without putting it in a plastic bag, but luckily no drips. He stuck it in a bag then as I said it could drip on the blocks in the drive. I then left him hoovering where the bed was while I started lunch. Next there was a yell and I went to see and he was clutching his head having stood up without looking and caught his head hard on the corner of the built in cupboards. He's always banging his head because he gets up without looking and he's been told to avoid bumping his head because of his eyes! The bedding etc got taken away at lunchtime which was a nice surprise as the chap said it would be after 6pm. We then got a call from the engineer who connected up the TV the other day. (he had said he would to see what Curry' s would do). He said he was the engineer who would be coming again on Tuesday to connect up the replacement, but suggested he would do his best to come on Saturday instead after we have the replacement so we aren't without a big TV for a few days.

Some good news is that the window man is coming to fit the new sealed units on Friday but an early start at 8.00am!!

I see you have met up with a friend Anng and it is good you have an outing planned. Vera too has a trip to see her son in mind. I love Yorkshire and have spent a few holiday weeks in the Dales and visited the Yorkshire Show.

Mel it is surprising how much of an impression you can make in the garden, even with doing a little each day. I'm hoping to get out there and catch up a bit later tomorrow if it isn't too hot!

Poor John Frank. I hope he is soon well enough to come home. It must be hard to arrange visits too if everyone else is ringing to do the same.

Oh that is good news for you Vera I am so pleased for you.
And it will be nice to be taken out and about when with your so , I see now why you have waited.
It has cooled down here a bit now.

Was enjoying myself up the border and at 5 45pm it started raining.

Phew! It’s hot now, 25 degrees but to me it feels hotter than that. The humidity must be going up as well as it is starting to feel heavy, as though the sky is sitting on my head. I think it’s going to be a sticky night.

That’s good that you enjoyed your coffee out AnnG and it will be nice for both of you to have one or two trips out together. You are right in that since May 17th we have been allowed to visit the family in Yorkshire but the family, except the youngest who is at school, all work and if we go now we will hardly see them. Son has a proper office at home and has to shut himself in there for long hours or he is out all hours all over the country with clients. He suggested dates when he can take a couple of days off, dil can be available and youngest daughter will have broken up from school and they will take us out and about. There are lots of lovely places within an hour or so’s drive from their house.

You’ve been busy again in the garden Mel. OH just divided one plant that was getting out of hand but it’s too hot for us in the garden today.

I’m sorry to hear your friend John is so poorly Frank. It’s sad for Carolyn that visiting is restricted but it's necessary to try and keep everyone safe. As AnnG said there’s a lot of people who would have given their eye teeth for half an hour with their loved ones.

My consultant at the hospital was supposed to ring me at 5.15 but he called just before 4 pm. He asked if it was convenient which it was, so now I haven’t got to sit waiting for the phone to ring. He is a lovely man who is always prepared to spend time answering questions or explaining things. I am very relieved. It was good news. He couldn’t see any abnormality that he didn’t already know about, and I can come off his “Watch” list, though I am under instruction to contact my GP straightaway if I have any flare ups. So smiles all round in this house :-D :-D

Turned cloudier this afternoon and now I am feeling chilly. Still going up the border though. Every little bit Ican do makes it look much more tidier.

That'll be nice for both of you Anng. Something for you two to look forward to.

I have been up the border this mrning buit it is so hot up so I have come down to get some lunch. Got on quite well which I am pleased about. tied up my clematis thats on the frame thingy and managed to knock off a lovely white foxglove and a bit off the clematis but I know that will grow again.

Good afternoon Frank, I guess we rarely have anything interesting to report when we are all mainly at home but it is good to hear from you. That is an awful lot of operations. All I can say regarding the visiting is that I would have welcomed even half an hour when Tony was in hospital for three months.

Had a nice visit to my friends, she picked me up at 10.30 and I got home 12.20, it is only 5 minutes down the road but the parking is horrendous. She was widowed last February but she was a carer for her husband who was disabled in a wheelchair for quite a while. He was a gardener and she has a really big garden, although she does pay somebody to keep all the hedges and bushes under control. Her tomatoes are way in front of mine and she doesn't know what variety they are as she has grown them all from seeds she has collected from tomatoes.
Next Wednesday, all being well, we are going to Croome (National Trust) just the other side of Tewkesbury.