General Chat

Yes it is worrying AnnG. Have a read of this report a fortnight ago.

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/worry-black-south-asian-hospital-5004747

It's a reason I'm not keen on going into the city hospitals! I wonder what will happen as lockdown eases and these people start travelling to countries to visit their families where there is more of the virus?

That sound a good idea Anng then you won't have to worry about mowing over the lead. Nice you're getting some pension of T's too it all makes a difference.

Oh is cooking tonight a sausage casserole so I am going to do some ironing now.

That sounds worrying in your area Ann doesn’t it. Do they have anyone working with the ethnic minority groups to encourage them. It must be frightening if you don’t understand things if there is a language problem

T’s shirts take up two double wardrobes one in ‘our’ bedroom and one in the spare room with jackets sharing one of them and trousers the other. I did manage to give his only suit, only worn once and not cheap, to second eldest grandson for weddings etc. Sadly none of the boys wear proper shirts, only T shirts and even worse now they are working from home. Otherwise I could have passed some on as he always bought good modern shirts.

Afternoon All,

I slept well again but it's been quite dull again today but a bit warmer.

i think a rechargeable mower is a good idea AnnG. We had a lightweight aluminium petrol rotary when we moved here, but sometimes you were worn out just starting it. It was OH's mower but had spent a few years keeping my big lawn in order at my old house. After a few months here, just as we were weighing up whether to keep a lawn or not, it packed up and made the decision for us! Every spring OH looks at the garden and says how glad he is we don't have a lawn to mow! I think even OH has less shirts than T, but he has virtually no jumpers, perhaps just a couple of fleecy sweatshirts. After decades of wearing suits at work. he still prefers a shirt and jacket and will crank the heating up rather than put a jumper on! He says they are too restrictive, but it's annoying if I am trying to get jobs done while sweltering, so I often switch the heating off again or tell him to get warm by doing some jobs too! :-D It's good knowing T's clothes will be benefiting others though and also his golf pals. Your wardrobes must also be gaining more space. I remember when I was little that bedroom suites had much smaller wardrobes for men and dad would never have got OH's shirts in his!

I do feel sorry for those who have lost their jobs but don't forget AnnG that we had our pay reduced n the Civil Service to cover our pensions so they are well deserved despite much of the public seeing them as a free perk! What I would inherit from OH's pension is only paid provided I don't remarry, so I'd have to find me a rich man wouldn't I? ;-) ;-)

What colour are you painting your shed Mel and will Vincent be obliging with some decor for it?

I've ordered some more art stuff and tried to get some from the Works yesterday as I like their paper pads and there was a 25% off offer for just yesterday. Sadly when I went to pay, the pads were out of stock. Miraculously, when I looked today they were back in stock again!! Makes you wonder!

I think your comment about things starting to get a bit stale now is right. We both said that while we are in no rush to go anywhere, we could do with a bit more variety. We still have no big tv and haven't been in a food shop for nearly a year. It is OH's birthday next Wednesday and last year that was the last time we ate out. I've only filled my car up twice and OH his 3 times in the last year.

That's good you have news about your colonoscopy Vera. The private hospital may be a much nicer environment too. I have had an appointment to see the new knee surgeon (the old one retired ). It is in August so I will see what the situation is in the city by then. At the moment there is a worrying swathe of the city with far less take up of the vaccination than elsewhere and they think as they move down the age groups they say it it will only be around 50%, not enough for herd immunity.. They have even started vaccination clinics for women only.

I hope things are ok with Gill too and her mum and Sandra.

Edit: for those that enjoy jigsaws have a look at ........
https://im-a-puzzle.com/ You can even load your own photos to do a puzzle from.

Yes feel I have got a few bits done including cutting down some of the clematis that is on the fence by the patio, it had grown over the side gate to the storage area down the side of the house covering the plastic roof cover that .tony had erected. I also got the water feature half going, have to look tomorrow to see if it needs more water.

A big step forward was a letter from .T’s employer to give me the share of his pension that I will get (for the rest of my life). Although I have my own company pension it is gratifying that they will continue to look after me. It is very humbling when I think of those people who have lost their jobs etc in the pandemic.

My mower is quite light, electric but I would like to get a rechargeable one so there is no lead to drag round.

Afternoon all

Another cold, grey day here. There were a couple of gleams of sunshine this morning but they soon disappeared.

You’ve been busy doing all the sorting out AnnG and someone will be thankful for T’s shirts and things. It must be useful to be able to take things to your charity lady. I’ve got loads of stuff to go to the charity shops but none are open at the moment. If you do get round to cutting your lawn, don’t overdo it as you don’t want to strain your back or anything else. Like Mandy we had a big petrol mower at our last house and I could never start it. As the garden here is small we left the petrol mower for the people who bought our old house and bought a little electric one. I think we only used it twice and then we got rid of the lawn altogether. We ought to offer it for sale as it is just gathering dust in the garage. I expect you’ve been thinking of your mum a bit today and I hope all your memories are happy ones. Happy birthday to your grandson.

I hope you are enjoying your book Frank. I started a new book on the kindle last night but I’m struggling to get into it. I’ll give it another go later but if I still can’t get on with it I’ll give up. It’s not often I fail to finish a book but I am really struggling with this one.

I wonder how things are with Gill? It’s not like her to be missing from the boards for quite so long. I hope things are OK with her mum and with Sandra.

I had a reasonable night last night. At least I was still in the same bed this morning. I ought to be feeling more energetic after a decent night but I am having a really lazy day. I don’t seem to have done anything very much, just fiddled about. I had a phone call from the hospital today saying that there will be quite a long wait for the colonoscopy the consultant booked for me, but they can get it done on the NHS at a private hospital on 17th March if I am happy to go there. Yes, please. So that has been booked for me. I’ve got to go to our hospital on 14th for a Covid test and then we both have to come straight home and self-isolate until I go for the colonoscopy. I can’t say I am looking forward to it but at least I am getting it done.

I’ve got an easy meal tonight. Shop bought Mediterranean vegetable quiche with a few little potatoes and some salad, followed by banana and custard. We don’t always have a pudding but there are some bananas getting a bit past their best so I need to use them up.

Afternoon to you all,

Nothing going on here, Ros has just come back from shopping with Martine. and is now getting a bit of lunch.

I Have been sitting in the conservatory reading most of the morning. Very cold and dull outside. So not going out.

Lunch is now being served. !!!!

Yes Happy birthday to your grandson Anng. Someone will be very pleased withT's shirts and I am sure they will go to deserving people. Don't forget to keep the nice ones for the cushion and the bears.

Still not got the washing out.

Oh is clearing all my plants from the front of my shed so he can pressure wash it today ready for repainting.

The hog should'nt have been out during the day but they do start to come around in March. I expect he was hungry and he had a good snuffle around everywhere up the orchard under the gras cuttings so should have filled his belly.

Just taken about 14 shirts to the charity lady with some other bits including a lot of silk ties, golf caps etc and I have counted, in the two wardrobes there are another 67 shirts, two jacket, numerous pairs of trousers and in an adjoning cupboard there are 16 sweaters (all good ones) and then there are all the T shirts. I have kept the sweaters that fir me (wearing one at the moment, can't even remember him wearing this one.)

Morning Mel you popped in while I was typing :-)

Happy Birthday to your grandson AnnG.

It would have been my Mum#s birthday today (112 years), and it is my second Grandson's birthday as well. <3 <3

Morning AnnG, morning all,

Dull morning here and so cold , Colin is out finishing off the pressure washing ,I don't think he will be out there for long in the cold but he only has a little bit left to do .

Mel is that hog about early ,with still getting frosts you would have thought he would have stayed curled up ,perhaps some thing disturbed him or he was hungry .

AnnG sounds as if you have a big job sorting through all T's shirts but his things are going to good homes by the sound of it .
Do you have a light weight mower so you can manage the lawns ,we use to have a petrol one it was a devil for me to pull the cord to get it started ,the one we have now is electric and so much easier to use.

I had my letter to book my vaccine jab but I will hold on for them to ring me as the appointments are miles away .

Vera that was a lovely thought to buy your neighbours some flowers I bet they were surprised, I hope the poor man is soon feeling better .

Still no Gill ?

Morning Anng and all,

Nice bright sunny morning here too after a hard frost which is still around in places the sun has'nt reached.

Shop for the paper this morning and drop some eggs off at em's.

One lot of washing to go out on the line and then another lot in to take advantage of the sun.

I put the solar lights around the patio wire yesterday with pegs, 35 of them and they looked ok when it got dark so today I have to wire them on the netting 35 ties to get them to stay where I want them and its a back breaking tasdk so I shall do it in stages.

Hope you get your lawn cut today Anng and the garden will look nice and tidy then.

Good morning all, lovely sunny morning out there but still -2 degrees so not sunbathing weather yet. Hoping it will stay dry and be a bit warmer. Would like to give the lawn a bit of a cut.

Your getting there Anng. A bit each day is a good thing to do.

That was nice to give your neighbours flowers Vera and I bet they really appreciated them and the thought that went with them.

Hope you all sleep better tonight.

Vera that was a nice thing to do, buying flowers for your neighbours. I am sure they appreciated the thought. I hope the infection and confusion doesn't lead the poor man in the same direction it took T. He too got confused thinking day was night in his case.

Our/my hellebores all seem to have lost their labels, there are two that lovely dark pinky red colour and they have held the colour for two or three years.

I noticed with the photos that the lawn needs cutting eugh!

Annx I think we are all getting stale and fed up now we have been incarcerated for so long. Hopefully not for much longer.
Yes it is getting rid of stuff but I have taken about 16 shirts out of roughly 100 so a lot of carrier bags to go.

A golf club friend of T’s came today and took three large coffee jars of golf tees and a large carrier bag full of golf balls plus a pair of golf shoes So that cleared another shelf in the garage.

Evening All,

Another good night's sleep and no rain today!.

Glad you liked my latest paint and brush effort and I had a chuckle at your OH's comment Vera! It was very encouraging to see it and would have been good to hear it. Good idea to get behind the wheel and I hope your foot managed ok. It was very thoughtful of you to get the 2 ladies some flowers and I must admit I love Narcissus flowers myself. That phone call your neighbour had at such an ungodly hour must have been alarming till she heard who it was. I hope they sort out her husband so he is back at home soon. I shall be glad once I feel comfortable visiting the farm shop for some really fresh meat and veg, your chicken sounds very tasty.

That's good to see one of your Hedgehogs around Mel, or should he still be asleep? He looks ok anyway.

i see you are getting things done AnnG, all steps forward in sorting things out and getting straight. The walk to the charity shop lady would be good too and it's clearing things you don't need too.

I still seem to be lethargic today. I caught up with friends in a zoom meeting, but none of us have much to talk about anymore as we aren't doing anything much. My hairdresser, who is also the salon manager, has contacted me on FB and has booked my hair appointment for the day after they open, before they open their phones and the masses start ringing as she put it! I think by then I will have mutton chop sideburns to go with the Marcel waves.

OH had to make an appointment to see the nurse again today as he has earache and some blood from the other ear now!! They squeezed him in so they could take a swab and send it off today, but the nurse thinks it is another fungal infection like the other ear had. :-( It's back to the eardrop regime again for now till the results are back).

AnnG, I forgot to mention your garden pictures last time I posted. Nice to see plenty of colour. We have a similar hellebore to your dark pinky red one which always blooms for weeks. I think ours is called Penny's Pink. The new yellow hellebore I bought in January hasn't bloomed yet but it seems to be doing OK. At least the leaves look nice and healthy. Perhaps it won't bloom till next year. Our daffs seem to be doing well this year. I have some later ones in pots but in the garden we have one called February Gold and they are a mass of bloom this year. I love daffs. They are my favourite flower.

Talking of flowers, I bought some tulips and some long stemmed narcissi for our two neighbours today and they were so pleased. One, a single lady in her 70s, has been really poorly with a spinal problem for a few weeks now and the other one is our next door neighbour whose husband is back in hospital and who has a heart problem herself. I thought they might both need cheering up a bit and the narcissi had a wonderful perfume. After I got back home I wished I'd bought myself some.

I was up for a lot of the night again and saw my neighbour's lights go on around 2 am and they were on for a couple of hours., Apparently her husband had rung her from the hospital under the impression that it was 2 in the afternoon. He was really confused and after she had spoken to him she had to wait till 4 am for the doctor to ring to tell her what was going on. He seems to have some sort of infection but they can't work out what the infection is so I think they are just gradually eliminating things.

I've been on the drag all day today. I didn't sleep much last night so I didn't get up till 9.15 am which is late for me. I sorted out a Tesco order for delivery Monday but then decided to brave one of the shops. I am fed up with eating out of the freezer and fancied a nice fresh chicken to roast for Sunday and I wanted to get some flowers. On the rare occasions when I have gone to a supermarket it has been the Co-op as that is never very busy, but they don't have such a good selection of products and I can't always get what I want so I decided on Sainsbury's. I went at lunchtime but it was really busy. People were generally being careful but it was impossible to keep much of a distance when everyone was trying to get to the same shelves. I was glad to get home. I did manage to drive myself which sounds stupid as it's only a few minutes in each direction but, apart from going to the bottle bank which is only a 1 minute drive away, I haven't been at the wheel of the car since breaking the bones in my foot.

It's been a cold, grey day again today and might get as low as -4 tonight!!! That'll mean a heavy frost, just in time to ruin all the new buds coming through :-(

OH is cooking tonight. I told him I wanted to use some eggs so I expect he'll just do eggs, chips and beans.

Stay warm and have a good night everyone

Sent a few pics.

Seen two things of interest in the garden this afternoon. The Long Tailed Tits looking for cobwebs and flying off with some and a hedgehog who worked its way across the border and into the orchard and I got a few pics in the orchard. They are not very clear as it was a long way away.