General Chat

Yes the gardens were lovely, even though there were a lot of people there we were all well spaced out, it never felt too crowded. It was such a peaceful gardens quite strenuous if, like us you want to see it top to bottom, there were lots of seats though as well and among the plants there were some lovely sculptures. It is still hard not having T to discuss things with when walking round but I am never made to feel like a spare part both daughter and SiL are very good, very thoughtful. It has helped that T and I had never Ben to this part together.

Oh Mel it's not your day today is it! It's partly because of the effort changing duvet covers that I use a sheet as well and then change the cover less often as it is like an eiderdown then. Also cooler in summer to just leave the sheet over you. Have you tried turning the cover inside out to put it on? You just slide each hand up inside to the two corners, grab each corner of the duvet through the cover and let the cover slide down your arms over the duvet. Even if you are small like us it gets it mostly on and just needing a shake. What a shame you broke the fairy wing.....will you be able to stick it back on with something?

I have phoned someone recommended for replacing our misted windows and he is calling later on his way home to give us a quote. It is the windows across the front and the study on the side at the front that we are doing where the sun moves around. It will be great to be able to see through them properly again. More need doing in the conservatory but we haven't decided whether we are altering that yet.

OH has put the pots on the back wall so it is beginning to look more colourful out there. A bit of weeding has started his back off so he's left that for today.

My switched 3 way plug adapter arrives and is in use now and much better as I can switch my pc plug off at night on the adapter instead of having to pull the plug out every time since we have had the SKY booster to plug in as well. I hadn't even realised you could get them before.

Sorry you have had another fall Frank and aren't feeling too good. I know you must feel you are always phoning them, but I think you should see the doc about these falls. It might be your meds that need tweaking that are causing them. I hope you feel better soon.

I wonder how Gill is getting on now the alterations are happening at last. From what I remember from doing similar things, a dustpan and brush and damp cloth are always to hand. I hope Sandra is getting sorted out and that Gill found someone to take the furniture to her flat.

It sounds like the gardens were still nice to see Anng but a shame about the que when you returned.Everybody must have had the same idea with it being a nice day to walk around the gardens.

Well another disarster this afternoon. You know I said we had a baby bunny down here over the last week. Well I have just gone and looked at my plants outside the shed and it has eaten off my lovely campanula AND my new achillia the one I have had on the patio all winter and repotted this week and put it down outside the shed. It had 6 lots of flower umbels coming up on it and I bought because the bees and butterflys like those flowers. It now has just about two flower stems on it. Its just not my day today and I shall be glad to get in bed tonight.

That’s a real shame about your rose bush Mel. Why do deer always eat the plants you like and ignore the ones you dislike? We don’t get many cobwebs here, or maybe I just don’t see them. Anyway I hope your day has got better.

I’m having a bit of an “ off “ day as well. I put bags by the door ready for a Tesco delivery this morning and got a bit worried when they didn’t turn up. I went online to check if there were any delays and discovered that I’d booked an afternoon slot and they were coming between 4 and 5 pm. I was sure I had booked this morning,

Then I decided I couldn’t waste the good weather and I must do some gardening but my back wouldn’t let me hump heavy bags of compost about and I wouldn’t ask OH while his neck is bad so I couldn’t do everything I wanted. I did manage to plant up two pots with nemesias and a variegated geranium and cut back a few plants. I also got our little sack barrow out and moved some pots around to different positions and I gave several plants a bit of a feed. But, oh boy, my back was so sore by the time I came in and OH put a heat patch on for me.

Finally I went to wrap a birthday present. First the roll of wrapping paper that looked quite full was, in fact, almost used up and there wasn’t enough to do the present, then I found the birthday card I wanted to put with it was missing it’s envelope. Oh well, these things are sent to try us .......and they do.

Thank you for OH’s and dil’s birthday wishes.

I hope you enjoy your garden visit today AnnG. I don’t think I know that place so please tell us what you thought of it.

Love the cow Ann. How do you get the hairs on her face so realistic. I feel I want to give her a stroke.

Not another fall Frank. I hope you haven’t done much damage and will feel better after a good rest.

Island, you will never stop missing your little fella. 25 years on I still miss my old girl Tess. But the pain of losing them does ease and you just remember how many happy years you had together and be glad for those years <3

Mr Tesco should be here any time now so I’d better get the wipes and spray out ready. I’m going to be more selective this time and only wipe down stuff I’m going to be using in the next couple of days instead of wiping everything as I usually do.

Back now and all packed up for tomorrow. Marwood Hill garden was very good even if it was miles off the beaten track down single track roads with very few parking places. It is a private garden originally started by a plantsman. Not a lot of formal garden but lovely (steep) woodland walks with three lakes and a large bog garden. The camellias were finished and the hydrangeas not yet out but lots of box plants and rhododendrons, bluebells and wild garlic. Lots of trees including large Eucalyptus, Redwoods etc etc. The only problem there was the cafe was very small, ok when we first got there so we had a coffee on an outside table, there was only one inside that we could see, about six outside fir take away coffees. Lyn wanted a cream tea but when we got back at lunch time there were loads waiting fir tables. We ended up at the Old Station Inn again where she and Joe shared a cream tea and I had a lovely prawn sandwich. I couldn’t face a cream tea as that would have been T’s favourite. It was a good day out. Tonight we have a meal out at a local pub called The Pack if Cards.

O( I forgot to say belated birthday wishes to your oh and dil too Vera.

I have had a horrid morning. I did all the cobwebs in the bedroom and kitchen. It took me ages to half make the bed then It took me ages to get the bl**dy great cover on the silly little line, Also the rose bush incident and then blow me if I did'nt break my faries wing off that was the last straw. The good news is that I remembered in time that it was the library this morning and got 5 new talking books. I had to wait ages as it was one person in at a time and Les bless him took yonks.

Did lunch and have the blimmin HUGE cover to get onthe quilt now and then maybe I may get int he garden after putting the second wash of towels on the line.

Afternoon all, SORRY I haven't beed posting,but I am not feeling to good. Had a fall this morning, and shook me up.

Morning All,

Sunny here too but I do feel weary today. It must be the stuffy Midlands air.

Belated Happy Birthday to your OH and DIL Vera. I must say I sympathise with him as OH had a stiff neck before and while we were away and was fed up with it. Some ibuprofen did the trick once we were home.

Glad you like the cow, which turned out better than I thought it would in the end. :-)

Island I expect you are bound to come across things your little doggie left or hid that will be upsetting. They are signs and reminders of his happy times though. When I moved into my previous house, for years I would find bits of bone as I was digging that the previous owner's dog had buried.

Oh Mel, what a shame about your lovely rose. It was looking so healthy from what is left too. It can be soul destroying to see your hard work spoiled like that. I wouldn't have thought they would bother with roses and their thorns but the shoots are soft and tender I expect. It's a pity you couldn't fence to keep them out of some of your borders and save your plants. It must be like a posh restaurant to them with the variety of plants they like. You need OH and his digger to build a moat around your garden!! My runners didn't grow and I had to buy some plants and my Nasturtiums took ages to come up and I only have about half a dozen. I don't know if I said, but I sent off for some cue seeds yesterday and they should be here by Saturday.

I hope Lewis's test result comes today and that Mandy hears about her second jab and that her tum has settled down now.

I hope you enjoy Marwood Hill Garden today AnnG. It is a lovely day for it and maybe less strenuous than yesterday's garden.

OH said they sat apart at individual tables well spaced last night which is good and there was sanitiser on each table and everyone was masked.

Better look at how lunch is doing now. A strange mix today! Old potatoes used up as wedges with a garlic crumb on them, mediterranean roast veg, scampi and cauli cheese bakes.

Good MOO--rning! How good is Annx's mook! Brilliant.

Wall to wall sunshine here at last. Veg plants are out for the day.
Found three more doggie biscuits. Missing my boy :-(
Gardening day I think with some sitting out at last.

Enjoy your day out Anng, I hope your back is more comfortable.

Mel, I feel your distraughtedness < not sure if that's a real word but when the blessed deer eats your favourite plants :-| I love orange roses, we have one so I hope it's survived the horrible weather.

Sent pics.

Just went to look at my lovely orange mini rose on the rockery as it was so full of bud and now most of them have gone. Eaten by the deer!!!!!!!! I am so upset. :-|

Have a lovely day Anng and let us know what its like tonight please.

Suns out here and I have stripped the bed so that in the machine and I just have to make it now. I have been round with the duster in the kitchen diner and bedroom so after I have made the bed up I am going in the garden.

Good morning all been brilliant sun here since 0730, lovely blue sky too we are going to Marwood Hill garden today, it has been recommended by somebody in the Lynton tourist centre. Not far from here.

Morning All,

Misty moisty morning here and more like a September morning. I'm hoping the sun will burn the mist away later on so we can both get out in the garden and do our thing. He with his mower deck and me with my plants.

Want to strip the bed before I go out there though and get htat washed and on the line.
Sould have a bit of a dust too but that will still be there tomorrow so if it turns out nice I may even be up the border, who knows?

So what are you all up to today?

Hope Mandy feels better this morning and those nasty aches have now gone and that you all slept well.

You've had a busy day Vera but it must be nice toget out and have friends in for tea and cake. Hope hubby sleeps better tonight and dos'nt wake grumpy again. The tea party must have cheered him up.

Another winner from our Ann with her cow picture. Those eyelashes are to die for.

Hope the tummy is better tomorrow Mandy and you feel better in yourself.

We've had a beautiful day today. Did'nt so any more to the cobbled frame but its in position waiting for its netting to be put on but I want to get the netting on the strawberry barrow first then cable tie the frame net to it. That green net has'nt arrived yet.

Planted 4 of my cabbages in a big pot stillhave two more to plant into something. Potatoes are coming up well, I have three lots of them all planted in different things. One lot in one of those tall growing bags I used to put the beans in, one lot in a compost bag turned inside out and some in a big pot. Two of my saved runner beans are up but none of the Streamline I sowed the same time. Beetroot are up but need to go in a big pot and I still hav'nt sown any peas. I have sown the short beans.

My nasturtiums have two showing out of 15 pots. I have moved them to a lighter place. Perhaps I should have kept them in the shed till they germinated.

Going in the shower now and then to bed. Night night sleep tight.

Happy Birthday to your OH Vera and your DIL , tea and cake with friends cheered him up then .
Hope you can get a better nights sleep tonight cramp can be very painful and you can still feel it the next day like a bruise .

Much drier and a bit warmer today but I haven't been able to get into the garden at all.

It's OH's birthday today (and our dil's as well). It didn't start well as my back had kept me awake for a lot of the night and then I got cramp in a calf muscle that I couldn't shake. I said a few choice words. Then OH got up quite grumpy with a painful neck. He must have slept awkwardly or in a draught but he just sat around feeling miserable all morning. In the meantime I dashed to town and bought a little iced fruit cake and a lemon cream sponge, came home, did all the tidying up and did the ironing. Our close friends M & V came at 2 pm for tea and cake. They had to come early as they had to leave at 3.30 for a doctor's appointment.

Thankfully OH cheered up when our friends were here and has been OK since. I spoilt him with a nice dinner with the good china, cutlery and glasses, scented candles and the works.We had it at 6.30 as we are both quite tired and didn't want to eat too late. Our son rang about 20 minutes ago and is still on the phone to his Dad and daughter is ringing at 10 pm, the earliest she is available today, so I think OH has had a nice birthday in spite of the grumpy start and his sore neck.

Life has seemed almost normal this week with friends calling and being able to come in and have a cup of tea with us and on Friday I am going to another afternoon tea in someone's garden to mark their birthday. We are all still being sensible and sticking to the rules but I really feel things are looking up at last.

I hope your dicky tum is feeling fine now Mandy. With luck your son will get the result of Lewis's test in the next day or so and it will be negative so that they can stop isolating again.

It sounds as though you had a good day at Rosemoor AnnG. We have been there but it was donkey's years ago and I expect it has changed and developed a lot since then.

We haven't heard from Gill for a few days now so I hope she is OK. I expect she has got her hands full with all the work in her own house and garden and helping Sandra get settled in to her flat.

I'm going to go and have a read now or maybe I'll have a look at today's crossword. Good night all. Sleep tight.

Evening all ,

It's been a bit drier today just an odd shower after lunch but still chilly out .

I have had a dicky tum today but i think it might have been some dip i had that had garlic in .

AnnG that statue is huge but not a very nice looking thing is it ,sounds as if you've had a good day today with much better weather after all the rain .

No news on Lewis's test ,they are all still at home ,i got some test kits from the library a fortnight ago so that we could test now and again , Boots have them too as they asked if i wanted some when i picked our scrits up ,i'm still waiting to hear about my second jab it's eleven weeks today so i should hear soon .

Yes I had been to Rosemoor before but about 20 years ago. A lot more to see now though. It was a glorious sunny, blue sky day and warm as well. Lots of photo opportunities. The Azaleas and rhododendrons were lovely and there were lots of other things to see. We spent two and a half hours there and walked 2.5 miles. Would have liked to buy plants as they had a fantastic huge selection of plants not seen elsewhere but with the luggage for the three of us there is not really room in the car

Afternoon all
Just popping in between pottings....
Suttons have a £1 only all packets of seeds offer for 48 hours ends midnight tomorrow 27th.
Personally I prefer premier direct as they are quicker and you don't pay for fancy packets.
We all have our favourites.

~~~~~~Von. I know you like to lurk