General Chat

good morning all, we were 'promised' grey skies today and that is what we have although it is already 15 degrees out there.

Poor Vera, tummy problems are horribly debilitating. I hope you can get them sorted. Was it the two procedures that started them off? And is your back pain connected do you think? Just take it easy and I hope it all eases soon.
BUT please don't be put off coming on here because you feel miserable, we are here for you to lean on when you feel down as well as to smile with you when you are 'chirpy'. Daughter gets tummy problems sometimes due to her diabetes meds, she seems to have solved that problem at the moment by cutting out all carbohydrates and increasing her meat/cheese, fat intake amongst other things. So no bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, ice cream and many other things of course. She has stuck rigidly to the diet (well a couple of lapses on holiday -pasty, fish and a few chips and a cream tea- and the plus is that she has lost weight. Which is good for her diabetes type 2.

Better get dressed now, I have got the bedding wash in the machine as I have been up since 7am.

It’s all systems go at your house then Gill, but it must be great to see things moving at last. Good news about the grants as well. It sounds as though Sandra is getting nicely settled in too. Hardy geraniums are just that – hardy. You can take them up, split them, shove them back in the earth, cut them down and forget to give them any water and they just keep bouncing back.

Your Sunday lunch sounds good Ann. It must have been a treat not to have to cook. My neighbour was saying today that she is fed up with cooking. I know how she feels. I love your boat picture. The sea under the pier or landing stage really looks as though it is churning round those posts and I do think you are good at painting grasses. How’s your knee now? Sorry to hear your OH’s neck pain is arthritis and he also has tennis elbow. My OH had a similar thing many years ago when he used to play a lot of squash.

Nice garden pictures Mel but naughty bunnies and deer eating so many of your plants. It’s disheartening when you spend time and money on making a lovely garden only to find you’ve provided a banquet for the local wildlife. OH is doing a good job with his mowers. I hope he can remember how they all go together again. I hope you don’t have any infection or after effects from that tick. Have you found any more?

Your veg are looking good Island. Can I come to dinner please? I am so jealous. I do like a plate of nice fresh veg. I hope everything went well for you at the eye clinic.

I bet you feel good after your haircut AnnG and it sounds as though your back is healing up nicely now. It has taken a long while hasn’t it?

I didn’t post yesterday or earlier today as I really am struggling a bit healthwise at the moment and didn’t want to come on here moaning and being a misery guts. I’ll just say my “works” aren’t working properly, I can’t shift the pain in my back and I’m only getting about 3 hours sleep a night so I feel dead on my feet. The final straw yesterday was hearing that my cousin in Cornwall had died. She was 87 and had been getting more and more frail over the last few years, so it wasn’t totally unexpected but it was still upsetting. For the sake of my mental health I am continuing to do as much as my innards and back will allow so I spent the morning doing silly little jobs such as descaling the kettle, generally tidying and sorting and preparing our meal for tonight. OH is much better so, while I was doing that, he unpotted a tatty grass, split it up and repotted a couple of the best bits and moved it to a better position.

After lunch we went into town. I collected my meds and managed to get the pharmacy assistant that’s most “with it” as I wanted to try and rearrange collection dates. Because the doctor added another tablet to my script halfway through the month I needed to go in every two weeks for different things but with a bit of date fiddling and me getting one lot of tabs earlier than I should, we managed to sort it so I m back to going in once a month.

Than we went to a specialist place for window blinds. In our lounge and bedroom we have vertical blinds but they are old and need replacing. We had a look at vision blinds and think they would be good for our needs but the area to be covered at one end of the lounge might be a bit big for them to be suitable. Anyway the boss man is coming on Friday to have a look and take some measurements and talk the options through with us.

Then it was B & Q and Homebase and neither of them had the plastic window sill edging we wanted for the conservatory but I got two more packs of million bells plants in Homebase. On to Sainsbury’s for a bit of fresh veg and a couple of birthday cards and home. We were out two and a half hours and it’s a long time since I’ve ventured into so many shops and in the middle of the afternoon too. What with one way systems round shops, masks and sanitizer it could hardly be called normal but it still felt good to get out and go shopping.

My youngest granddaughter is 15 today and I have just realized that the last time I saw her she was 13. Isn’t it awful the way this pandemic has kept families apart?

As usual this is far too long and I am feeling very tired so I am going to get a drink, find my book and have an early night. I hope you all sleep well.

Had my hair cut, so hot sitting there with a mask on. My next appointment is the 6th July but not with Tracey as she is on holiday.

Saw sister ane, she was 20 minutes late. She said I looked well and that she thinks the break did me good. She also said it is healing it is almost flat and there is no packing in this time. She booked me two more appointments with her, one next Monday and then one Thursday. Cynth took me today in case parking was difficult but today there were no vaccinations and the Dr's car park was empty. Trouble is you can never tell. It looks such a large car park but half is taken by staff
Just started to spot with rain, I hope it is a decent shower then I won't need to water this evening.

I must feed the tomatoes, I think the rule is not to feed until there are four flower trusses and three of mine have that now.

Glad you are OK Frank.

Tony had that injection in his elbow when he had golfers elbow.

Good to see you are ok Frank. Enjoy your book.

Mel I think you sound as if you have been quite busy! I found some of my knee rub for OH to use on his neck as the doc said he could use the same kind of gel. We had lunch then went out to put in a few bedding plants. I put a few more in my pots including a few Nasturtiums and OH planted some French Marigolds and a few Cosmos that I laid on the surface of the soil. We were both boiling with the heat then so came inside after sorting a few plastic cracked pots to throw out.. OH has a short meeting soon and is off to Loughborough to watch a match later.

Now I'd better get some more painting done after I've loaded the washer. I thought there would be much less washing once I retired with all OH's shirts, but there still seems to be lots.

Its so nice to see Frank posting so thanks for popping in Frank its good to know you are both ok and what you are up to. How's the bruising today?

Well all I have done this morning is wash out all the chicken drinkers, had a little walk along the back field. cleared out the net on oh's pond scimmer as those dead leaves off the red tree keep blowing into the pond and brought some things up to thehouse to wash. Three troughs, a lid to a probagater and some square pots. Now its time to get some lunch. O I did one lot of washing and thats on the line and we've had a sprinkling of fine rain.

Afternoon all, HOME ALONE Ros is out will Carolyn.

Just going to sit outside to read my book. Eos has just walked in .

All done with in one day though AnnG which is good! I hope the nurse tells you that you are healed now and no need for more dressings to get put on. You will feel nice with your hair done too.

I like taking photos of boats on the beach and harbour too AnnG, especially the little old fishing boats. I'm glad you liked the painting.

I nipped up the garden once OH was up and found 3 pots he hadn't watered last night, which he denied of course but they were dust dry! I fed the toms and beans and lettuce while I was there. My knee is much better again.

The doc's verdict for his neck is arthritis and the bump on his elbow that is painful is tennis elbow and he has to have a steroid injection for that next week. I did us bacon sarnie when he got back. The tv has been delivered now ready to be set up on Monday so things are going to plan up to now. Hope I haven't spoken too soon! At least the rest of the day is ours now.

I'm glad you like the boat Mel, the teacher finds some interesting things for us to paint! We've given up ironing our old things. Our bodies stretch the creases out of the T shirts!!! lol. :-0

Meant to say hope the delivery of the new tv comes earlyish as there's nothing worse than waiting for things to arrive.

As I said in my email relpy super painting of the boat and I love the sea and the splashes of foam in the little waves. Lovely subject.

Morning two Ann,s and all,

Dull morning here after the lovely sunny ones we've had over the last few days. The sky is really grey out hte front and htere's funny patterns in it. All the trees look really green against it.

Not as achey this morning as I thought I'd be but I hav'nt moved around much yet.

I see Anng is going to be busy today with her air appointment and then the nurse. Hope all is well with the back now and you can get back to doing more things. Horrid when you want to do something and you must'nt for various reasons. Good luck I shall be thinking of you and hoping its now all healed up. <3

As you can imagine I have a lot of washing to do since we have both been doing dirty jobs. Trouble with that is it brings the ironing with it and I already have a pile to do in the uti room after clearing it all up the other week but you have to take advantage of the nice weather to get things dry.

good morning Ann, Good morning all

I have been up but not washed/dressed since 7am. Sun is very bright although thunder storms have been suggested, Your poor OH, sore necks are so painful, hope it eases soon.

That boat was a lovely subject for a painting. I am always trying to find boats on the beach to photograph when at the coast. You painted a lovely little picture.

Hope the TV comes early rather than later, nothing worse than waiting for deliveries. Can you track it?

Salad for lunch sounds nice as does tuna jacket. When we were away I had a really nice prawn jacket in a pub, really generous portion of prawns, son in law had a tuna jacket and his potato was huge. we went there again later because daughter wanted a cream tea and I had prawn sandwiches and they were equally good.

I have the air appointment at 12 today and nurse appointment at 2.05pm so all go today, all come at once.

Better get dressed then BBL.

Morning All,

Yes it's me up already. When we checked the delivery time for the tv, although they said 8.00am till midday, the receipt said from 7.00am!!! OH had a bad night with his neck pain, so I am on 'duty' while he catches up with sleep before his doc's appointment this morning. It is just the delivery today, so a quick job, so I need to hear the doorbell. I've opened the patio door and window in the lounge ready and have a nice COT.

Mel it sounds like you will be taking it a bit easier today with your aches and pains from yesterday's efforts. I can imagine you checking out every itch and tickle since getting that tick!! Horrid things aren't they. That's progress your OH getting the other mower started and I expect he will remember what goes where as he puts it back together. At least the old mower is keeping the grass down in the meantime. You need to have a spare mower when there's a lot to cut don't you. In fact as time goes on I realise you need spare most things!!!

I think we will have a nice salad and tuna jacket lunch today in case the delivery is later. I can get it ready in advance and pop it in the fridge till they've been.

More painting to finish now! I'm pleased you liked the boat. The teacher finds us some different kinds of things to practice painting. :-)

Been up the border and underneath the magnolia tree. It has all brimbles growing under it and oh had put some myplex down but they have still managed to get through it is several places and by where the trunk of the tree is. I kept gettting my hair stuck in the branches so tied some of them up when I came round the front. It has all twitch there too but I am leaed with what I got done today but I am now paying for it with sore knees anda bad back and tummy muscles.

Oh Mowed with the old mower that dos'nt pick the cuttings up and then fiddled with the newer mower and actually got it started. Goodness knows if he will ever get it back together again as he has taken so much off of it.

We had sweet and sour chicken for dinner tonight with egg fried rice and chow mein noodles. Oh had some onion bargees with his. He found them inthe freezer while I was in the shower. I keep thinking I have got more ticks on me at the slightest twing or prickle. Going to watch a bit of telly now and then I shall go to bed I think. I am worn out tonight.

Morning All,

More lovely garden photos from Mel and Island as well as AnnG's. It's lovely to see everything growing well. Poor Mel though with everything eating her efforts!! It's a pity you can't spray things with something they hate the smell of but is harmless. I hate those ticks and what they harbour so keep an eye on it.

Frank I hope you are telling the doc about these falls as it may be something simple to sort out. Poor John in Hospital then. It sounds like he was lucky to get it treated quickly or it could have been much worse.

My knee was much improved this morning so my excursion today was to the hairdresser, so I am all shorn like the sheep now. I was the only one there today but the carpark was full of the gym bunnies nextdoor. We have watered a few of the pots and had our lunch outside but it is too hot out there so we had to come in.

OH had a chat with a nice old couple up the close when he went to post some letters and she said they had had to have their little dog put down. She was a rescue dog, sort of border terrier corgi mix to look at and was 19 years old!!! We never, ever heard her bark although I expect she did sometimes. Unlike the pest nextdoor that drove us mad while we were trying to enjoy our lunch outside today. His owner has gone out without him now and I can hear him barking inside. He's about 11 years old now and breathes very heavily but still barks non stop.

Gill I thought the same as Mandy about you checking the regulations for a loft conversion before you start. Do any of the other bungalows have loft conversions?
I bet the garden is beginning to look clearer now most of the hedge is cleared away and this year you can start saving some of the plants that will need to be moved as you say.

I must get my paintbrushes out now and get on with 2 pictures I need to finish this week.

Island that area is very special to me, it is where T and I used to sit every early evening in the summer with our G&Ts discussing the garden and just chatting. I do still go down there early evening now and it is a place full of memories. obviously the whole garden is full of memories but we made that to be our place so it is special.

All wiped down and put away. Jo delivered today and nice young lad who is deaf as he has two hearing aids and talks like a deaf person. I asked him if he had a lot of deliveries today and he told me he was doing a 12 hour shift as they are short of drivers. He was doing 10am to 10pm and he looked very hot. He had one of thier jackets on and told me they have to wear some kind of uniform and his Asda t shirt had fallen to bits and it was very hot in the cab. You would think thye would give them more than one T shirt especially in this weather.

Well not too much time to go in the garden so I think I will water the plants down by the shed or whats left og them.

Island I had to have two lots of antibiotics for the last one I had on my arm from being up the border.

Lovely photos Anng and Mel. It's all on the move now isn't it?

It looks like you have a nice quiet reading spot among the hostas there Anng

Oh dear Mel :-0 Creatures not content with eating your plants, they're eating you too!
I had a tick in my back once, never known such a thing until I scratched the itch and a more rural friend identified it. Back home, I found two had hitched a ride on my legs - I knew what they were by then!

What a turn up to find you can get a grant Gill, that will be a great help. It all sounds very exciting what you are doing and will be worth the mess and upheaval.

must go back outside, only came in to put the kettle on

Good morning all, Another lovely day with warm sunshine.

I had a fall Saturday, and the bruises are coming out on my arm and leg this morning,

We went for a meal out yesterday, the garden area was full so we had to sit inside, which I prefer. No flies to worry about.

Ros is out with Carolyn soon. John her husband had TWO OPERATIONS to remove whatever it was that was causing the swelling. The Surgeon said it was a good job he operated when he did, as it was badly infected, and could have caused SEPIS. He is still in hospital.

Someone t the door, so will see you later. xxx

Morning all,

Another lovely sunny day here got the washer going with a load of towels and tea towels.

Gill thats really good news about your grant what a lot of money it will save you, you'll be able to get the place like a little palace.
Before you start getting a staircase in check on planning to make sure you can do it .

Lovely photos of your gardens AnnG and Mel its nice to see colour in the garden with all the plants shame that wind caught some of them Mel as for those pesky eaters they need a good talking too lol.

Right washer has finished so must get them on the line .

Morning Anng and all,

Looks like its going to be another nice day out there and I shall have to be in doing the wipe down and its quite a big one this week. I hope it gets here early like it did last week.

WEnt to have a look at my repotted plants last night and the fence around them did'nt work because I had 5 three inch pots with plants grown from seed of my pink iris Rose Queen. They were a good foot tall and I looking forward to them flowering to see what colour they would be. They are now chewed off to about four and a half inches. Also my Blue Veronica I spilt I did put three big pots onthe wall of the rockery but the one I left in the soak tray as they had'nt eaten it has now been eaten too. Its like Mr McGregors garden here at the moment. Think I will make a sign to Keep Out.

The other thing is after my shower last night I spotted a little something on my leg as I was dryig it. A tiny tiny ticks which I ran my thumb nail over as I thought it was a bit of fluff off the towel. Put my glasses on and looked at it on my thumb nail and it was moveing. Put it on the side of the cream handbasin and it had all its bits as far as I could see so I squashed it and it went down the drain. It has left a small red mark on my leg so I shall have to keep an eye on it as the last one I had turned nasty. O the joys of having Deer, Foxes and Hedgehogs in the garden........I don't think. Andf if that was'nt enough I chaanged out of my gardening smock last night and put my cardi on I was weeearing in the morning up the border and spotted something black on my left chest. Picked it off and put my glasses on and it was a vine weevil. These pest are sent to try us.

If they are hardy geraniums Gill, they are great for big gardens, we have a lot of different ones in our garden maybe split some into pots and then replant them in the back when you are ready, T split some of ours into pots and daughter has just taken them up to her house to plant in her garden.