General Chat

What funny weather we’ve had today. There were only grey skies this morning but it was hot and muggy. It felt as though we needed a good thunderstorm to clear the air. When I checked the weather forecast it promised a few light rain showers this afternoon. “They” got it wrong again. It’s been raining heavily since midday and is still pouring. No gardening today but we won’t have to do any watering either.

I feel a bit better today. The back is still painful but I can put up with it with just an occasional pain killer and my insides aren’t so sore now. AnnG and Mandy, the recent probings and scans may have shaken things up a bit but I have had various problems since the age of 12 when I had my first lot of hospital treatment. The consultant is phoning again on Wednesday evening and I am hoping he is going to say that he’ll just carry on keeping an eye on things. That’s enough of my woes, there’s lots worse off than me.

You had a good sleep AnnG. You must have needed it. It sounds as though you had a nice walk as well.

I think you are right not to mix too much indoors at the moment Ann, particularly if you don’t know who your friends have been mixing with. It is difficult isn’t it? You don’t want to offend people and I think we do need to get back to some sort of normality, but we should still be cautious and I would never ask anyone to do anything they aren’t comfortable with.

You’ve been busy in your shed Mandy. Would you like to make a start on our garage when you’ve finished? It’s in sore need of a thorough clear out.

I’ve made a real effort to get my act together today and OH said he would help, so we had a real h/w day. I dusted right through the house, hoovered all the upstairs and cleaned all the sinks and basins, OH hoovered downstairs and steam cleaned the kitchen diner, the hall and the utility.

The man we asked to come and talk to us about new blinds has just been and I was right. The vision blinds that were recommended to us aren’t suitable for the big area that we need to cover, so we are having vertical blinds again. The blinds that were in our lounge when we moved in are heavy blackout blinds which we don’t need in there. We just need privacy so they will be made in a lighter material. We’ve just chosen a cream with a pattern through it for there and a plain cream in the blackout type blinds for the three windows in our bedroom. We were impressed with his prices as well as we had expected the bill to be more expensive. He does all the measuring up and fitting too so we were well pleased. We might gradually replace the blinds in the rest of the house. There are no curtains anywhere so we need the blinds to look right.

While I’ve been typing this I’ve been watching a pair of goldfinches and a pair of greenfinches taking it in turns on one of the feeders, even though it’s still raining. It’s good to see the birds coming back again.

Better get on with something useful I suppose. Maybe I ought to think about what we are going to eat tonight.

Just seen your emailed pictures AnnG, that’s a lovely spot for a little walk.

Another half hour in the garden but it is really too hot out there, still brilliant sun and 18 degrees.

Mandy that is another job that nees doing. I keep looking at the shed but it is a very daunting job for me on my own to do. But well done for doing yours.

Mel with the pfizer vaccinations we are I think about 85% protected so we have some protection, however it is the new variants that cause a bit of a worry. I do think though that eventually with injections and boosters we are going to have to get used to living with Covid19 as we do Flu. We can't stay isolated for the rest of out lives. We do just have to be careful and do what is best for us. I am happy to go to garden centres and even occasionally, shops but will stay away at crowded times like half term. We are just in the process of organising for some of our garden group (about 8 of us) to meet in my garden on 8 July. we are all double vaccinated and we will sit apart of course.

Rain has stopped plsy so I've caught up with the ironing pile all done and put away .

Anng that sounds a nice walk through the trees lovely on a hot day to have the dappled shade .

Ann your doing the right thing not meeting up with your friends just yet especially if one or two are mixing so much ,all these variants keep popping up you can't be to careful .

Mel there is so much clobber as I call it in the shed lots of stuff from when Colin was at work ,I can't tell you how many tins tubs boxes of screws and nails there are but he never seems to have the right ones when I need a job done :-D

Ann he's still working on the mower. Sort of doing a service on it while its all apart and today some new baring type things arrive. He rebuilt tow or three but one he could'nt get apart.

Clouded up a bit now and I need ot go to the shed and prick out my seedling dianthus. They came up so quickly.

Yesterday I put my runners in the tub and the short beans are up today and they will go in a big pot.

Mandy it must be nice to be able to see the grandchildren again and your son and DIL. What a good girl you are clearing out the shed and under the fridge. I try to keep my shed tidy but it dos'nt always stay that way for very long.

Ann I don't blame you not wanting to go to your meetings if other are out and about. Afterall the injections we've all had don't stop us getting corvid but we should'nt get it so bad as without them. I think a lot of people think they are protected by having the vaccine but they arn't.

Anng you must have needed that long sleep to not wake unti 10am. It must have done you a power of good though and you'll be ready for another good go in the garden.

Second lot of wshing just finished and its all the towels so I better get that on the line before I do anything else. I'll let you know if I do eventually get up the border.

Yes I am still around. It is hot today 17 degrees like yesterday but without the wind. I have just done a mile walk, down to post a letter and then walked across the park, hardly anyone in there I expected it to be full of teenagers but only a few parents with young children on the swings etc. I walked over into the woods that skirt the golf club and it was lovely and cool and peaceful in there with the sun shining through the leaves.it is not a long walk but it makes you feel good.

It was hot walking back down the road though

I did a short spell in the garden pulling up some overgrown stuff on the right hand border where the forget me nots were but it is really too hot to be working out there at the moment. I should have some lunch now anyway as my 'clock' is all out today.

Afternoon all,

Yes your right as its half term the family have been here a couple of evenings so thats why I haven't been on here .
This morning we have been having a good turn out in the shed ,you know how it is you only go I to do something and then before you know it its all upside down in there, we need to go right through it really I've only sorted out a couple of wall cupboards but chucked out all sorts ,then I cleared out the bits under the fridge ,the fridge stands on a low table so there's alsorts underneath, there's a big bottle of bubbly at the back its from son and dil's wedding , out went three lots of old boots that Colin used for work and some old vases .

Ann lovely painting again love the waves, your garden is looking pretty with all the plants .

AnnG thats good news from the nurse that your back is healing nicely ,you must have needed the sleep to sleep in so late but it does seem a short day when you sleep in .

Mel how us the mower has OH got it back together again it looks a big job with all those pieces laying about .

Vera I hope you soon feel better as Anng asked is it since you had your precedgers that you've had all the problems .

We are having the family here tomorrow evening for a Chinese takeaway as its our wedding anniversary 45 years where has the time gone .

Its looking very cloudy out now so I'd better get the washing in we should have rain later so that will save watering tonight and fill the water butt's up .

Oh there you are AnnG!! I think it's good that you had a good sleep like that. You must have needed it and been relaxed. Yes you are right though about half the day gone. We said yesterday with being up early how much more we had managed to do!! Will you be doing more gardening too?

Morning All,

Sun is shining and I slept well last night. Lunch is all prepared and we are trying some lamb leg steaks today to see what they are like. Carrots, brussels and sprouting broc to go with them.

Hubby has had his virtual interview for the Lay Observer volunteer work so he's looking smart today. He thinks it went very well, but should hear in a few days.

I need to get my Asda order sorted and I have a zoom meeting this afternoon with my friends. Not really looking forward to it as the one who lost her husband last year is too keen to get us all meeting at her house again and keeps on about it, when 2 of us have made it clear several times now that we aren't ready. The 3 that have met up a few times have always gone here, there and everywhere as much as possible, no wiping down ever mentioned. They visit big supermarkets, sometimes twice in a day and they have attended events where there would be crowds, so I wouldn't feel comfortable or relaxed with them or at their houses yet. Me and the other cautious lady are still being careful. The vaccines should make a greater impact in a few more weeks.

I hope you get up the border today Mel and that your OH makes more progress with getting the mower back together. We hope to get more plants in after lunch.
I'd forgotten that Mandy may be busy with it being half term. Yes where is AnnG this morning? She's usually an earlybird. :-)

good morning Mel, I am laughing to myself here as I can't believe this. I got up at 5am for the loo, went back to bed and woke up at 10am. I have never, ever, in living memory slept until 10 and even then I woke from a deep sleep, thought it was about 8 because of the light and looked at the clock. I did feel weary yesterday so was obviously tired but how strange, usuall even when tired I wake up no later than may 0 on occasiona. half the day gone already and nearly coffee time.

No Anng this morning???? Hope she is ok and that we hear from Mnady today. I expect they have been busy with the family as it a school holiday.

Morning all,

Beautiful morning here with wall to wall sunshine and lovely blue sky with big white clouds hanging on the breeze to dry. A proper Max Bygraves morning.

Can't believe it Friday again and the weekend tomorrow. hey seem to be coming around very quickly or is it just me?

Oh is watching the qualifying for Sundays race and I shall put some washing in and then go up the border. I am determined to get up there today without any interuptions or sidetracks from oh.

The troughs will look good in that colour Mel. Thank you for identifying the plant. It is such a tidy little plant too! Fancy you spotting the Choisya. I think I may lose it before many more years as it seems to be rotting at the bottom of the stem. It brightens the garden up especially during the winter. I quite fancy getting another as well with green foliage like Vera's.

OH has booked another Sunday lunch delivery, small plates this time, so I hope they aren't too small!! It is good as the food drop is due in the afternoon so less to do.

AnnG, yes those plants do resemble mesembryanthemums. I think they are called something like delaspermum?? They are tough as old boots and flower year after year and I have spread some around the garden elsewhere now.

Love all your pics and the choisia is looking good too. I like the aquilegia with the lime green leaves and the sun daisies.

Ann I have painted them the same colour as my shed, Wild Thyme.

Your little favorite new plant is a pholx the same as I bought up the shop and put in the front of the rockery bit with the iberis.

Afternoon All,

I was too hot last night and was still awake at 3.00am. We were up early too to go to the factory shop at Lutterworth as soon as it opened at 9.00am. We needed some new pillows and I wanted to see if they had small side plates and some tea towels. OH wanted joggers and there are usually bargains in the clothes. We got there just as they were opening and found everything had been moved around. It was a bit disappointing as they didn't have anything except the pillows we wanted. I would have got a new kettle but OH said to hang on while the one we have is ok. (it seems to be leaking a bit to me as the hard water scale is showing around some of the seams). We called at a quiet garden centre on the way back as OH wanted some academic diaries (they start from August) for his work and The Works sell them. They didn't have any yet but I grabbed an alpine erysium and replacement courgette for the one that is sick. They only had yellow ones left but that is ok. It does seem a palaver to go out and keep an eye on where people are as many just don't bother with social distancing now and the masks make your face so hot. I can't see us doing any leisure shopping for the foreseeable.

Sorry you haven't been well Vera, but I think with all our aches and pains you are in good company. I hope you soon feel a bit better.

I have spent all afternoon finding out how to replace our printer ink cartridges, ordering more of them and then how to use the scanner on this printer. OH needed to scan docs for his interview as a Lay Observer tomorrow. In the end I gave up with the printer's instructions for scanning and found a simple download on the internet that gave me a nice pinned icon to use, easy peasy.

That was a big queue for the F&C Mel! It's a wonder they didn't run out. Worth the wait though to save cooking and I bet you enjoyed them. Thanks for the carpet stain tip! What colour are you painting your troughs?

It's good your wound is healing well now AnnG. I expect it means more dressings though as she still wants to see you again. You have been busy today. I must put the washer on again myself as there's more to do.

I might do some more painting now as my knees had hardly recovered and haven't liked today's walking around. I'll set out more plants for OH to put in tomorrow.

Yes , no Mandy. I hope she and the family are all ok. Maybe she's been busy in the garden like the rest of us.

That sounds like you have done quite a bit this morning. More than Iv'e done anyway.

We've had lunch and I am going to put another coat on the troughs.

The suns come out here now so I may go up the border later.

Not doing a lot Mel, for some reason I have no energy today. I have changed the bed and washed and dried the bedding, written a few email catch ups and spent about 30 minutes in the garden cutting back a shrub (name escapes me), opened the greenhouse door as it tends to get too hot in there. Noticed the tumbler in the basket has a tiny tomato on it.

What are you all doing?

I have painted the two smaller troughs this morning and thats about all.

Carpet stain removal

In a bottle or bowl, mix two tbsp of vinegar with a quarter cup of salt or baking soda. Then rub the mixture into your carpet, ensuring it covers the entire stain. Allow the mixture to dry completely before vacuuming it up. The vinegar mixture should remove the stain, revealing clean, mark-free carpets.

Morning anng and all,

Grey sky her too and 16 degrees out there this morning too. Took the bin up when I went to get the F & C last night. There were so many there 13 of us queing. The girl behind me waiting to order went home for 35 minuets and came back and I was still there waiting. The lady on the van said she had never had it so busy before in the village.

Slept like a log last night and don't remember lying there when I got into bed so must have gone opff to sleep the moment my head hit the pillow. Hope you lot had good sleeps too.

It could be back up the border today, I shall have to see but I also want to paint those troughs I washed yesterday as they are a bit mouldy looking.

I have also had one of my girls off colour. She may be moulting but she stood around in the run for a couple of days with her tail dowon and her cone a funny colour. I gave them some poulty drink and she has perked up now and was eating yesterday and not just standing around in the run falling asleep.

I hope Mandy is ok and just been busy as we hav'nt heard from her for a day or two. Sending love and wishes. <3