General Chat

Well I got some admin done although this room is very hot I managed to stick it out, Both were quite long letters to friends but that is done now. wouldn't you know I had to change an ink half way through.

I have also washed the new duvet cover, sadly it looks as though that is one that is going to need ironing The ones I already have don't need it if dried in the tumble drier. so that is waiting to be ironed. I also did a large load of tee shirts etc. I had 7 tee shirts and all of them dried on hangers hanging in the conservatory with the door wide open. And none of them need ironing.

We're melting here. Depending on which of the weather apps I look at it's anything between 25 and 27 degrees and feels a couple of degrees hotter. I got a little done in the garden, mostly deadheading and a bit of weeding. I also emptied and washed out a big terracotta pot. Then I came in and did about half the ironing but I couldn't manage any more than that in this heat.

No builder today so I hope he turns up tomorrow. We know he had ordered some spray stuff which he said he would collect from the builders' merchants today and we assumed he was coming to us after that but obviously not. I hope he turns up tomorrow. I feel sorry for him as his mil died in the last week or two so he is involved in all you have to do after a death and his brother is very seriously ill as well, but it is difficult for us to plan ahead when we don't know when the job will get done.

The speaker last night didn't talk about Ickworth House as such but about the Hervey family, the Earls of Bristol, who owned it. He wasn't exactly boring, though I've heard more dynamic speakers, but he tried to cover too much so didn't give enough detail about anything. He went from the Norman conquest up to when the house was handed over to the National Trust in the 1950s. The speaker's only mention of the Herveys after the NT took over was that the family continued to live in one wing. In fact we all knew that the 7th Marquess of Bristol, John Hervey, born in 1954 inherited a very large fortune and died in poverty in 1999. His dissolute lifestyle (drug addiction, gambling etc) ate through the inheritance. Some of you may remember his antics as he was always in the papers in the 1980s and 90s. All in all it wasn't as boring an evening as we feared and we all managed to stay awake.

O and in the pics I sent of the Swallows you can see the horse hair hanging off the nest.

Sorry to tell all you hot girls but its nice and cool here at 19 degrees and pc says partly sunny but its been out all morning so far and its warm out.

Put all the shopping away and fed the fish. Had a visiter this morning, Bridget with the news letter and she has put BIL's picture of the white pheasent on the back and I got a mention. I must fill the bird feeders and then I am going to potter.

You were working early this morning Annx. It was a very hot night again, I had the fan going the whole night so I didn’t sleep well. I’m not good first thing in the morning anyway but I ought to get myself moving earlier while it’s so hot. I was planning to go into town to get my script and pick up some bits from Boots and Iceland but I can’t face trudging around in this heat. My other jobs for today are ironing and gardening and it’s too hot for either. I have washed the sheets and they are on the line..

The temperature is already 22 degrees so goodness knows what it will be by lunchtime. Better get on with something I suppose. Stay cool and keep hydrated.

Morning all,

Phew it was hot yesterday we got a few bits done in the garden early I needed to tie up the cucumbers as they were taking off and get some canes in the tomato pots ,they look really healthy this year nice strong plants with flowers now showing ,after that I just did some sewing on dil dress got one sleeve done one more to go , by that time I wasn't feeling to good my energy levels dropped again so today will be a lazy day ,to hot to do any thing anyway we should get to 27 degrees .

Ann I didn't know about the flea stuff killing the baby birds ,I wonder if that's why we haven't seen so many in the tree near us ,they all use to nest in the tree and when something scared them they would all come flying out there must have thirty or forty in there ,I know we sat in the garden one year trying to count them but we've hardly seen any this year.

Right I'm going to get some drink ,got to keep the fluids up in this weather ,hope everyone can keep cool and enjoy the sunshine .

Missed you there Mel. Yes I think I would have chuckled at seeing the nest with horsehair hanging down! It would have been a good photo! It's reached 19 degrees here now, so I'll get changed and shut everywhere up and we can do our errands. I found those bags we did the printing and painting on at the craft course in the wardrobe and had forgotten all about them. OH won't let me take them to the charity shop and I was a bit relunctant so they are back in the wardrobe now!

I don't usually get up as early AnnG but the thought of trying to do anything in the heat there will be later spurred me on to get the watering done. A bonus is I saw my neighbour fetching her bin in so no watering for OH to do today. Since I came in and had a sit down I have finally sorted out the bottom of the last wardrobe which has plastic boxes to roll in and out as the carpet goes inside. It was built in when the bungaklow was built. Well I found plenty of new sandals, shoes and slippers in there so don't need to buy any and a couple of pairs sandals that scratch and have a bit that digs in my foot have gone in the charity shop bag. I got the stick hoover ready to hoover it out but waited till OH woke up, which he just has, but needed a sit down for a bit. I'll do it now and put things back and then we can pop out. I shan't be doing much the rest of the day.

Morning girls,

Nice morning so far but not quite as warm here as with you Anng its 15 degrees and pc is saying warm treand over the next few days.

Shopping comes today and I need to get in the shower and dressed so I am ready.

I had'nt heard that about the blue tits and great tits. I have noticed not so many babies this year so perhaps thats why. It tickled me that the swallows had horses hair hanging dowsn from their nest this year I have never seen that in there before.

Good morning all, sunny here ans 16 degrees. I suppose I had enough sleep last night but it was in one or twoo hour 'bits' No idea why I kept waking up, or why I was dreaming so much. I can't remember what about but it was just dreams not nightmares). Fimally woke at 0800 so forced myself out of bed then and have put the new duvet cover in the washing machine to get the dressing out of it.

I had not seen that about blue and great tits Ann, some of my favourite little birds and I had been wondering where they have all gone, usually loads around here this time of year.. What a shame that something to protect one animal has killed off another species. I hope they are working on finding a replacement.
Goodness, even if I get up early I don't do as much as you have done when I get up, I just come on the PC and while away the early hours. So well done for that. I have a small bite on my arm and it really itches.

Morning All,

I wasn't too hot but just didn't sleep after 4.00am so got up at 6.30am, opened the patio door and back door wide to cool the bungalow and went outside and watered all the new plants I planted and all the pots. Then I got a small humper and half filled it mostly with little weeds in the gravel. My back and knees were starting to ache then so I've come inside for a rest. I need to sort something out with Octopus and then we will take a few things to the dogs' home charity shop in the village. The one we went to yesterday doesn't take clothing and this one doesn't take books.

Mel I've only recently started using QR codes as we have to use them at my hairdresser for their loyalty scheme. I'm wanting to sell a few things on ebay so it looks like I will have to use them on there like you! I hate all these changes when what we had works fine, but I suppose we have to keep up and not get left behind. Have you got windows 11 loaded yet only I read the other day that windows 10 won't be supported after I think it said September.

I expect we may not see as many Blue tits and Great tits this year. Isn't it sad that the chemical in some pet flea killers means that the fur these birds use to line their nests is killing the baby birds. One check of some nests found it was present in all of them. I suppose the fact that there are so many more dogs now since the pandemic, particularly those with longer fur like Cockapoos must have made it worse.

Tablet time so I'd better do that next.

I love solar lights and need to put new ones round the little fence round the patio behind my pot plant garden. I have some ohj bought me ages ago there was about 6 lots in the box and I have used some and they conked out last year.

I did manage to wash out the big pot for the courgette but thats all iv'e done apart from the chickens today. I put something on Ebay and they now won't let you put your postage on and say that private sellers should do it through a QR code and take it to the post office and get their tracked label. It all makes it harder for me as I don't understand these QR codes and its all something lese to do.

Its been a lovely day here without much in the way of a breeze but its been comfortable and at the mo its 16 degrees and sunny. Washing dried ok so that can come in now.

Hope you all get some good sleep tonight and poor Vera dos'nt get too hot and dos'nt fall asleep with the boring speaker.

That's reassuring that the fluid is reducing Gwyn and that you seem to be feeling able to do more as well. It sounds like you just need to pace yourself for a while and forget doing much for the time being. Will they be checking you again in a while? My word I wouldn't want those seagulls nesting on the roof! They must be noisy and are such big strong birds. Fancy them coming in the house bold as brass and they could cause some damage inside if they panicked. They make our Magpies seem well behaved!

Phew is the right word Vera and we are only one degree behind you! No rain due here for the fioreseeable either and 29 degrees expected at the weekend! I hope your talk isn't as boring as you expect. We have that option to be rung back when we ring the doctor to make an appointment as well now. We didn't expect it to work, but it's been good, just like you have found. I hope your OH's ear problem soon gets sorted. It sounds like you are busy with work being done now.

The roads are shocking with the humps and potholes aren't they AnnG. The lanes round here have all the edges broken away by the bigger lorries and farm vehicles we have now as well and so you can drop off the edges if you aren't careful. The heavier EV's are wearing them too and so making making tracks in the tarmac and goodness knows what the roads will be like as the tarmac softens more in the heat. I can only carry half filled watering cans now or my back plays up, so I do some with the hose as well. It's not ideal as we are on a water meter. It's nice you got so new tops to wear though and some solar lights..

Good to see you posting Gwyn and good that you have had the scan. It is certainly a slow job and you are having to be very patient. Although, it does seem as if you have not had the energy to be otherwise. At least you are moving forward so I hope that continues. big projects I am sure can wait. Meanwhile take the time, as we all should, to look at the small things that please you and smell the roses.

Vera hope the speaker is not as boring as promised, you will have to pinch yourself to stay awake. I am sure that doing three lots of washing is tiring anyway.

I had pate on crackers for lunch Mel but it was not low fat. It was Duck and orange, my favourite.

Phew, it is hot now. For once all the weather apps agree that it is 25 degrees and feels hotter. I changed the beds and got 3 loads of washing done. There’s just the sheets to do tomorrow. The chap doing the outside work for us turned up and has cut out various bits of wall and measured up for the stuff he needs which he’ll pick up on the way to us tomorrow. We’ve had to keep the doors and downstairs windows closed because of all the dust so it’s been like being in a sauna. At least the work is underway now but goodness knows when the painter can fit us in as it was originally planned to get the outside walls painted in April.

We’ve also heard from the gardener we asked to do a bit of work for us. We thought he had forgotten us but he is coming on Wednesday. It’s all happening at once this week.

OH has been having some ear trouble so rang the surgery this morning. To get an appointment you need to ring at 8 am and we are told not to ring earlier as the line won’t be open. A minute to 8 he started dialling expecting to be told he was umpteenth in the queue only to hear a message saying the appointment list was full and to ring later. He tried later and got the same message but there was an option to press a key for a call back so he did that, not really expecting to hear from the surgery. However an hour later he got a call, explained his problem and said he was happy to see a nurse practitioner or a paramedic. The lady who called him has in fact booked him in to see a doctor on Wednesday morning which is lovely for us as it’s a doctor we like and he’ll be at our local surgery so OH can walk. Our doctors are very good but the system isn’t so good and they are overwhelmed.

It’s good you had a nice trip to town AnnG and have got 2 nice new tops. I would use the buses more if they were more frequent. Rest your back and be careful lifting those watering cans. It’s surprising how heavy they get when they are full of water.

I’m beginning to doze off here so I’d better go and shower to wake myself up. We’ve got a club meeting tonight. I think the speaker is talking about Ickworth House which isn’t too far from here. I’ve been told by someone who heard him speak elsewhere that he is boring so I hope I don’t doze off there.

EDIT Sorry Gwyn. I overlooked your post. I am so pleased you are improving. It’s been a long haul for you. It must be frustrating not to be able to do much but be patient. Every little step takes you a bit nearer full recovery and you don’t want any set backs now.

Gwyn I do hope you continue to improve and future tests have good results.

Well I hav'nt done a bl**dy thing this morning only fed the fish chickens and wild birds. I need to get into gear and wash the BIG pot I am going to put my cvourgette in and get htat out pof the way and then cut some fern back outside the bungalow and get rid of some weeds. Washing has nearly finished os that can go on the line before I go and do other things.

O I have had a nice luch of pate' on toast. Low fat pate'.

Afternoon everyone.
What a shame the pigeon broke such a special vase, Vera.
Birds that think they are trapped can do so much damage, when they panic.

We have to be careful with open doors and windows here or else seagulls will be nosey and walk in. We have a nest with at least 2 babies on our kitchen roof.
Our neighbour was telling my daughter yesterday, that she had her kitchen door open and in walked a seagull and helped itself to her cat's food.
They are well known locally for stealing food from the hands or plates of people eating outside and have even been known to swoop down and steal sausages actually cooking on a barbeque :-0
No wonder they are so big. :-|

Another very sunny day today, although there were a few dark clouds earlier, which soon blew away. The heat is building, but I think I will stay indoors now with the curtains closed on the sunny side of the house. We manage to keep the temperature down that way and only open the windows, when the full heat of the day has gone.

Yes Annx, CT scan was last week.
They offered a choice of 3 hospitals and we opted for Canterbury, because the day and timing fitted in best with daughter's commitments.
It's quite an old hospital and I followed instructions given over the telephone and presented myself, after quite a trek inside the corridors, at the correct department, where she took my name then handed me an A4 piece of paper, which gave printed directions to go to a waiting area right at the other end of the hospital near to where I had entered :-|
Others were sitting there clutching their own copies of the A4 sheet and nodded knowingly, as new people arrived after their own trek.
Eventually a radiologist collected me and we walked outside to a parked mobile scanning unit. This was last Monday and I am still sporting a large yellow and purple bruise, where the dye was pumped into my arm.
The scan showed fluid still present and I have been back to my usual hospital this morning, but their ultra sound scan of my back today showed there is a lot less fluid than there was, so things are improving and in general I am finding it easier to involve myself in day to day tasks. Major projects, which I had hoped for around the house will just have to wait for a while until I am more able.

It's lovely to hear of all your garden and outing activities. It feels such a long time since life was 'normal' here, as it was 10th May that I went to A & E and it's been one long saga of hospital visits and tests ever since.
All the staff have been lovely and very willing to explain their interests and various tests. At least they are being very thorough and I can't fault their care.

Mel, I don't know about enjoying the bus ride. Not sure that is a thing. Fairly new buses but awful pot hole covered and traffic calming hump roads. My back is playing up again (carrying watering cans I think and lifting them to water Cynth's baskets which are grouped on a table. The bumping and juddering of the bus didn't help my back.
Still I enjoyed a couple of hours in town which included stopping for a coffee and pastry. I did get two tee shirt tops, many of the ones I have are getting quite old so I need to go through them. Also bought some other bits and pieces I needed plus a string of solar lights I didn't need in what used to be the pound shop but these were only £3.00. Hopedully they will work.

Better get lunch now. It is 21 degrees and very humid, not a lot of sun plenty of cloud, nor rain forecast.

Morning All,

It's heating up here now and is 21 degrees according to the pc but the car was showing 27 degrees while we were out. It's strange as I had to pull the duvet over me last night. After showering we went to the charity shop in the next village with a pile of OH's books and a CD or two, then on to the Post Office to drop my parcel off and get some of their nice cobs for tea. Then the pharmacy for some meds and then the shop for the paper and some english strawberries, tomatoes, eggs, milk and other things. We did some watering when we got back and I sprayed some more of the nasty weed that has popped up on the drive and gravel. I'll get lunch next, fresh salmon with a traybake of peppers, courgette, toms and onion and a handful of low fat thick chips.

Oh Vera, Pigeons are not the sharpest birds but what a shame your ginger jar was broken! I remember how upset I was when OH knocked over and broke my chinese vase moving a mattress. We've talked about replacing one of our leather settees with two leather reclining chairs as I think one would be better for OH's back. We are similar in each using different rooms, OH the bathroom and me the ensuite. I'm dreading sharing with him while the ensuite is being done as I use so much different stuff to find space for. Also the bathroom door lock doesn't work which isn't ideal with workmen around! I might have to make an 'ENGAGED' sign to hang up!

I hope you have a nice trip into town AnnG. There should be some new stock to see after three weeks away and the shops are cooler these days. Once you finished the watering it would be a nice change.

Better get lunch now then some admin this afternoon.

Morning girls,

Bit cloudy here at the mo and its 17 degrees. I did decide to have a lie in this morning and got up at 10.40am. Wish I had'nt now.

I have lots to do in the garden today so I'm hoping it dos'nt get too hot.

Vera gosh the pigeons wingspan is so big its a wonder it didi'nt do more damage but its always something which gets broken that you really liked. I had Robbie in looking at my a few weeks ago but only in the kitchen and I managed to open the window and he flew out. Thing is with my kitchen I have lovely plates all around on a plate rack and the room divider with lots of jugs and things on. I expect you'll be finding little bits of china for a long while now as its surprising just how far they can travel.

Enjoy your bus ride into town Anng and do a bit of retail therapy.