General Chat

It rained heavily almost all day here. In fact still raining so I gave the greenhouse a miss.

The dressings finally arrived and friend came and did the dressing but they are still not as big as we need so she has used three so hope it stays just until tomorrow afternoon.
Annx how do you sleep going to bed this early?

Yes, with OH not going to matches on Saturdays at the moment, I don't even know when the weekends are! lol. :-) I hope your Amazon delivery has arrived with your dressings AnnG. Good idea to try bigger ones and it might be easier to reach and keep them pressed on in place.

You sound like me Mel! I've repainted the faces on Christmas tree fairies before as they weren't very well done. OH hates them on Christmas trees so we have stars instead now.

It's raining and blowing so hard in gusts now I've just been and added water to the front wall pots to weight them down more. Some we had a few years ago that had bushy, trailing plants and needed watering blew down in the wind and smashed.

Early start for the pastel class in the morning so I'm off to bed now, OH has already gone. Hope we all get a good sleep and hear from Frank and Island soon.

Ann I hav'nt started painting my fairies yet. Oh painted the big one for me while I was doing plants. Thats now back in place over his pond. Still can't make up my mind whether to paint the white one or not. I did buy a small one last week and when it came it is so badly painted that I shall paint that one but indoors as its only about 10 inches high but she's quite cute and in a sitting position so sits nicely on a rock or the stones round the patio.

Like you we had forgotten it was a bank holiday and oh put the recykling bin out yesterday. He did check them earlier this morning and they had'nt blown away.

My two blueberry bushes blew over so I put one behind the shed and I just propt (sp) the other bigger pot up with twl large heavy pots.

Its been lashing rain since lunch time and I got soaked corning the big girls.

Annx easy to forget when every day is a holiday :-D

Lunch sounded nice.

I am waiting for an amazon delivery, I always seem to get my deliveries late and this time I could have done with it earlier as it is a new pack of dressings in a larger size, the smaller ones keep pulling off. Hopefully he will be here soon.

Afternoon All,

It was fine when we got up but has rained quite a bit since and got windier. Now it is just very dull, but the wind's getting up again.

I did the lamb mince concoction we have with rice today with tinned tomatoes, mushrooms and onion and any veg to use up thrown in for good measure. OH loves it.

I still haven't been in the greenhouse and feel quite lazy and weary today.

Oh I was hoping it wouldn't be the regime with eating this time Vera. I suppose the dye shows up your 'entrails' better. At least it's a bit less strict this time and it will soon be done now. Is your son going to put another garage up in a better position? That asbestos seems to be something we all had once. We put it on our garage roof at my previous house and there was an asbestos shed we removed after we moved in. I bet some do ignore or don't know the rules about removing it as you say. They might still struggle to dispose of it though as you can't put it in skips or take it to the tip. Some would dump it anywhere though. :-S Peach muffins sound yummy!

You've been busy Mel having a great sort out and tidy up of your plants, pots and trays. I have now replanted my pebble plants into the pot I painted last year and that has more room for their roots. They seem to like it and are growing better I think. Have you finished painting your fairies now? I fancy some quiche now.

It's nice you liked my sketchy type of little painting. Sometimes simpler things are just as nice! :-)

That was lucky the glass didn't smash with your little alarm clock AnnG. You wouldn't want glass in your bed or over the floor. You have done well with making your cards today.

I was a right twerp earlier! I was having a moan to OH about no-one answering the phone at the dentist's in the middle of the afternoon, as I want to get a checkup booked. He looked up and said 'it is a Bank Holiday'. I'd completely forgotten! :-0

It is like a blizzard outside. The wind is gusting and all the apple blossom is falling like snowflakes very pretty but I hope the blossom has had time to set. Funny I feel much more concerned for the garden this year (being head -only- gardener),

those muffins do taste nice. I hope your neighbours grandchildren will remember him always for his cookery lessons and I hope they remember what they are taught.

Ann I said in the email how much I like the picture, so bright and cheerful, do try turning your paintings into cards.

Glad you enjoyed the quiche Mel

I have made five cards today so that has kept me occupied.

I feel for your friend AnnG. Crohns is horrid. I hope all goes well with her second test. Yes, I do have to go through the starving and gunge drinking again but the preparation is different for every appointment I have. This time I can eat normally till Tuesday night. That’s a first as usually 2 days before I am only allowed small portions of a very restricted list of food. Wednesday I can only have clear liquids as usual but this time they have included milk which I have never had before. On that day I also have to drink 5 little bottles of gunge which appear to be a combination of a laxative and a dye, and a measured amount of any liquid I like every hour. It’ll be another day of not moving far from the bathroom.

That’s enough of my problems - on to nicer things. Your boat picture is as good as ever Ann. I can see why G. likes it.

Our neighbour just left us peach muffins on the doorstep. He does cook nice things with his grandchildren and we get the benefit :-D

No rain yet but the wind is really getting up now. I think the crab apple, which is full of blossom, is going to be bare tomorrow.

It was lovely you just can't beat a homemade quiche.

Winner again with your picture Ann. So fresh looking and sirine and cool. I can see how hubby liked it.

When mum had the potting shed re roofed they had asbestos tiles all on the roof all 95 foot of it. The builder took care of those so we did;nt have to worry about that.

On the big barn in oh's bit that too had an abestos roof but he sold the cowsheds along the front and the barn with it so who he sold it to had to deal with that.

Made coleslaw to go with the green salad and quiche and am just about to dish it all up.

Mel it is quite windy and we have just had a heavy shower. garden is now looking very windswept.

Vera, no as I said I have moved it but from the shelf it was on it would not have landed on me.
Have you got to take more gungy stuff this time?
I have a penfriend who has to go for a repeat for what sounds like the same problem as you. She has Crohns and the endoscopy also irritated her condition so she was quite poorly she is dreading the second one now.

Morning all

Just got back from having my Covid swab done, now we both have to self isolate until my scan on Thursday. The nurse who did this one put the swab so far into my throat that I thought it would come out of the back of my neck. My throat is really sore now. This is the 3rd one I’ve had and the other two were fine so I think I just got an over enthusiastic nurse.

It’s good that you have space to have a bonfire Mel and your OH knows all about fire safety so no worries there. You are good to stay out gardening so long. If I do too much at a time I end up with pains in my back and just about everywhere else too. At the moment my garden just looks a mass of green spikes as the daffodil leaves haven’t yet died down but the alliums, day lilies and grasses are all growing well.

It might be lightweight but if that alarm had landed on your head AnnG I think you might have had a bit of a bump. I don’t think you’ll be keeping it on that shelf anymore.

My dil has emailed me a couple of photos and a short video of their garage coming down. I don’t know what numpty put the garage in but it was absolutely useless. It is a big old house built before the days of cars. Round the side of the house there was a set of concrete steps going up to a first floor window (presumably there had once been a door there). A previous owner had built a garage under these steps. It’s awkward to drive round the side of the house anyway but even if you do there is no room to turn forwards or in reverse to get into the garage!!

Son had done a bit of exploratory work to check this garage out and found it contained asbestos so they made enquiries about how to handle it and they had to buy a large plastic sheet of a specific weight and double wrap the asbestos in this and then take it by appointment to a special unit in Leeds. I wonder how many people would bother to find out about it or whether they would just knock the whole thing down and let the asbestos dust float round the neighbours.

I was going to do an hour in the garden before lunch but the wind is really getting up now and there are some black clouds overhead so I don’t think I’ll bother.

Stay warm and dry and don’t get blown over.

PS It was morning when I started this but OH kept interrupting me so I’m only just getting around to posting it.

Made a quiche for lunch. Still in the oven at the mo.

Winds stronger how is it with you Anng?

Got windyier here now too and it is in a safe place surrounded by old breeze blocks which are also surrounded but nettles and butterburr and not much else. Its the peat in the old pot content I threw away that burning as I went and had a look. I remember you saying you had bought a travel alarm Anng.


Dead headed lots of daffs in the orchard.

Just going to feed the big girls as I have done the bantams.

Luckily it is in a safe place Mel, that is the gdanger when bonfires are left smouldering when in a dangerous place.

Lol the alarm clock is made of very light metal and is 2 X 3 inches in size, it is very light and would not have done any damage even if it landed on my head. Ideal as a trav el alarm clock becuae it is so light but I only bought it last month.

It is windy hear no,had a few spots of rain mut nothing much.

Just weent out the backdoor and its still alight like a volcano with a whisp of smoke coming out the top!!!!!!!!!!

Morning Anng and all,

Dull and grey here this morning but not much wind yet as you say Anng. We are back to turning lights on and oh just went put to the workshop and said he was turning the lights on in there. I have to wait by the fuse box and turn the leccy back on afgter he's turned the lights on in the workshop. They always knock the leccy out as the box is so sensitive but he won't have it any other way being an X Firefighter, he says its a good thing.

Just having my first coc of the day and then I am going to get on outside while I can.

Anng you were lucky if the clock hit your bedside table that it did'nt land on you let alone your glass of water!! That could have been really nasty. I don't think you will be puttig it there again.

Last night after doig the pots etc I had dumped all the moss and old dirt out of pots over my bonfire sight. As oh had said it was going to rain I put one tissue under it and set it alight and walked away thinking it was going to fire up as it did have some soil in the last bucketfull. Went out late last night and saw a glow. It was still alight when I went to be at nearly 1am so I will be going over to have a look and see how much burnt away. It was only smouldering with a little burst of sparks now and then. I couldn't believe it when I saw a glow as I never expected it to light.

good morning all, a bit grey here but no wind or rain yet.

Slept until 0430ish, woke and went to the loo, then woke at 0700 with a jump. I have a new travel alarm that I had been testing, it is a buzzer and vibrating one (to put under the pillow). It was standing on a small glass shelf, top of 3 shelves in a small alcove by mu bed. I must have left the alarm switched on. I woke when it fell off and hit the bedside table (how it missed the glass of water I don't knoe). That was dead on 0700 so I guess the alarm worked in not quite the way I need it to. I did test it last week under the pillow but was awake when it went off but I think it would wake me.

Forgot to say looking forward to the boat picture tomorrow.

Yes I have been in the garden again nearly all day. We did watch the race but I went out after and got lots done and tidied away. I got the old dirt out of a wirte planter thing that had been in there years with just a pot of day lilies on top which of course had rooted into the soil in the planter. With it being dry I lifed the opt and the whole lots came out in one go and not too heavy as it was dry. I them had to cut it up with my little spade and cut the roots off the bottom of the pot to take it away for repotting or planting somewhere. I emptied the aquarium that has also been in the garden for donkeys yonks and that will go behind my shed in the storage area. Moved his fishing trolly with the block on it that he puts against my runner bean tub and moved that behind my shed. It has a puncture in one wheel. Bagged up all the old compost into two big bags and a tub and had a sweep up. Washed teo ssoak trays and got one in my shed and put the big one in front of the shed and tranfered all the plants into it. Put away anything that is likely to get blown around if we get this wind they keep saying we are going to get tomorrow. Came in at 8.8pm. Forgot to buy the pasties for tea tonight yesterday so we had a cake party instead. Battenburg and sultana and cherry cake.

Thats about it for today I am now going int he shower and then watch Call The Midwife on catchup and then bed.

Hope you all sleep well tonight after all your work in the garden today.

Wonder how Frank is and hav'nt heard from Island lately. Just let us know your both ok please.

I just wipe all the fridge and freezer stuff and things we want within 72 hours. The rest, tins, biscuits, sauces, packets, cleaning stuffs etc get put in a plastic crate and are left for 3 days, then OH puts them away. It saves some time. It's the same regime here trotting in and out with plants Vera. I have left the runners and french beans out now, but in a sheltered spot.

It's nice lying in sometimes isn't it Mel? You will soon catch up. Do you have an old sheet or strong polythene you could tie over your greenhouse to take some of the wind force?

I still haven't started my pricking out yet, but did transplant my handful of Cosmos. There were toms, lettuce and snapdragons growing in the same tray that I hadn't planted, so I potted some of those too. Then I had to dash in to deal with lunch. The lamb steaks were lovely and tender and the roasts nice and crunchy.

I did get a load of washing dried but had to fetch it in while still damp as it threatened rain. Then I did a little painting with fishing boats. It was a homework suggestion and OH really liked it so I did my own version of it for him. I'll do a pic tomorrow

No class tomorrow with the Bank Holiday so no early start thank goodness and an early night tonight for me.