General Chat

Morning Mandy and all,

We have a windy day today and a grey one to go with it. The wind came up last night and has'nt stopped since so I was glad I did the big girls yesterday.

Not much in the way of aches and pains this morning which I thought there may be after everything I did yesterday.

Getting ready for the big wipe down. Three subs today and they did'nt have the sweet and sour chicken we like so I had to have the ordinary sweet and sour chicken IN the sauce. The one we like is the battered chicken but it was out of stock.

O well hey ho and on we go.

PS not found the zips yet but it sounds like you are managing with the sip roll Mandy.

Love to Gill and Frank and hope we hear fromt them soon.

Morning all,

Nice bright morning here the wind should get up a bit later so there will be a nice blowfor the washing ,I want to make some marmalade later and get on with tthe girls pencil cases .

Hope we hear if Frank got his scooter today and how he got on with it .

Just having a coffee and then I'll get on .BBL

O I had'nt realised it was for people with benifits.

Lovely interesting coastline Anng. Lovely blue sky too same as it was here all day.

Where's our Franky boy. He has'nt been on for a couple fo days since he lost his post. Hope he's ok and enjoying his scooter. <3

I just checked our area out of interest Mel and apparently we qualify round here for a payment for 6th-12th Feb. You have to be on benefits to claim it of course so no good to us but I might ask around and see if any of our friends know anyone who would qualify. You’ve both been busy today. I wish my OH would pressure wash sometimes but he won’t. He has a thing against pressure washers – another of his little foibles. He does go over all the paving with a sort of wire broom thing and once a year he does it all with Wet & Forget.

Lovely photo AnnG. I could almost smell the sea and feel the breeze and what a lovely blue sky. Unfortunately here it was grey skies and showery this morning with very grey skies and lots of rain this afternoon. My back has been playing up for a couple of days and I didn’t think it would do it any good to get cold and wet so no walk for me again. OH’s back is also giving him a problem at the moment so we are a right pair of old crocks.

As OH and I flit between beds I always have two to change so OH did one and I did the other but, thinking of our bad backs, I decided to leave the duvet covers another week. I’ve turned them over so what was underneath is now on the top of the bed.

The Marmalade Loaf Cake turned out OK. It’s not too sweet so suits our taste. If I do it again I’ll put in another spoonful of marmalade and set the oven to a higher temperature than the recipe said. I’d have liked it to rise a bit more and I think the oven wasn’t hot enough.

I seem to have been busy all day but I can’t see what I have done apart from 3 loads of washing. I had a shower this afternoon just to wash my hair. It didn’t really need washing but it was driving me mad. My hair is also quite thick, particularly on top, and as it gets a bit longer it goes into waves and curls. Reminds me of the old fashioned Marcel waves. I hate it. My hairdresser loves it because she says my hair stays where she puts it but I do have it cut quite short with her. Mel, I wouldn’t dare cut it myself. I am not joking when I say I can’t cut a straight line in a piece of paper. With my odd eyesight and hands that can go into tremors whenever they feel like it. I’d probably end up looking like Worzel Gummidge.

Did your scooter turn up Frank? I hope it gives you the chance to enjoy a bit of the great outdoors but do take care when you use it.

I’d better go and find something to do with a bit of cold roast pork. I expect I’ll just do some little potatoes or some chips and beans with it. Sometimes we have our cold roast with a salad but I’ve had a bit of an iffy tum as well so don’t want things like lettuce and tomato. Poor old thing, ain’t I? Getting old is definitely not for cissies. I should be thankful that my mind is still vaguely in working order even if the body is falling to bits.

Mandy did you check the cold weather payment for you and Colin? You had a lot of snow for a while and may get one if you have the winter payment anyway?

Doing pasta for tonight so nice and easy only have to make the cheese sauce and add some mushroom, toms and frankfurters and leek.

Evening all,

It's been a nice dry day and i got Max's bedding dry on the line .
Been shopping ,Aldi was nice and quiet ,Colin came and sat in the car he said it was nice to get out ,
All wiped and put away again .

AnnG sounds as if you enjoyed your walk today it must have been nice to have the sea air and see that lovely blue sky after all the wind and rain , you'll sleep well tonight .
It was nice to see the two cats ,they sat posing for you :-)

Mel you've had a busy day and your right when the sun is shining you do feel like getting lots done .

Ann was it today you were painting the primroses , it must be really annoying to have the dog next door barking when you have meetings ,you'd think they would take it in when it keeps baring like that .

How was the Marmalade cake Vera hope you enjoyed it .

Hope Frank has had his scouter delivered today and that his back pain is easing so he can have a little ride on it .

I do hope Gill is ok and that Sandra has settled with her friend again ,its been a while now since she posted .

I made Lewis his pencil case this afternoon ,i did take a photo but for some reason my tablet is playing up and won't let me send emails ,so until son can sort it for me i won't be able to send photos from it ,it's saying the pass word has changed and to put in the new pass word,but how can i when i don't know what it is ,it's odd as i can still see emails and send them my lap top ,but i take photo's with my tablet and then email them on .

Check your cold weather payment in your area.

https://www.gov.uk/cold-weather-payment

put in your post code and it will tell you.

Done really well today and so has oh. Its funny how a bit of sun gets you going. I cleaned out the chickens this afternoon and swept up all the muck from under the bird feeder, pulled the grass up inbetween the pavers outside the chicken house and filled a dustbin bag with leaves oh swept up on the decking by my pond. Took some pics of my crocus. Washed the bedding and put that out and I have just brought the two pillow slips in but the cover and bottom sheet are still damp.

Oh pressure washed all round the pond and he has cut all the old netting off the sides of my pond and put the new plastic netting around but not fixed it yet as we want to cut the plants back around the sides. He then made a drink and we had that with a piece of cake. I still have to go up and bring the boxes down from the top.

It was so nice to drive about two miles and have a walk along the cliff path, the tide was out but the sun shone and the sky was blue. I have sent one photo taken on my phone as can’t download the photos from my camera. We didn’t go into the actual quay this time as we did in August but sat looking out over the sea to Scotland. The walk was only about two miles but it was so good to get the sea air in our lungs.

Afternoon All,

A good sleep last night but an early rise in case the window cleaner came (he didn't again!) and OH is on a virtual meeting. It's an all day appeals one he is on the panel of so I can't do anything noisy. :-S My course is this afternoon so I shall be quiet doing that. I hope the neighbour doesn't leave her dog out to bark though. OH has had people ask whose dog is barking when he's in virtual meetings before as people can't concentrate.

That's good your fish will be nicely protected from the Heron Mel, especially after you seeing those nice babies last year. I hate changing duvet covers too. Now I use a top sheet under the duvet I don't change the duvet cover every time, which helps a little.

I wonder if Frank has had a scoot yet? :-) It will give him so much more freedom.

Sounds like another nice walk AnnG. I don't think I have ever been higher up that bit of coast than Workington.

Better get set up now and clear some space.

Everyone must be really busy.

I have hoovered the hall bedroom oh's study and the kitchen diner. Changed the bed which is a feat in itself and washed the bathroom mats. Swept up under the bird feeder and around the drain hole out the front and now I am going to do lunch.

Wonder if Frank's scooter has arrived yet?

Half way through changing the bed only the quilt cover to fight with now. If I'm lucky oh may help me with that as he is in at the moment. He's been pressure washing the decking round my pond as he has bought new mesh to put round the outside to keep the Heron out.

Good morning all, having a cup of tea in my room. Letting daughter get on before doing her hour of yoga.

The cats might look cuddly Mel and Millie is willing to sit on a lap for a stroke, yes she is very soft. You would have a job to catch Molly though, it is only in the last year she has even ventured on daughters lap and that is usually only for treats, she is about three, she was the one taken in from a rescue place when Lucas got run over and has always been nervous
S.

Looks nice and sunny today Maryport is just up the road and is the place they go for exercise by the sea so I think that may be the plan for today. Nice place, been there once before and plenty of space to be away from people.

Morning all,

Bright and sunny this morning here in deepest Devon and I hope it stay all day to cheer us up.

Strip the bed today and see if I can get it dry outside for a change as I don't like to use the dryer if I can help it. Nothing like bedding thats been outside in the air. Smells so good then...

What are you all up to today? Frank should get his scooter so I hope we'll hear about that later on and if he's had a little go on it.

Perhaps Vera will get her little walk today that would be nice for her.

Anng may have one too.

Those lovely cats are in tip top condition Anng. They're very soft looking and nice to cuddle.

I have had a bit of a tidy up on one of the kitchen counters and it looks much better now and room for oh's cornflake packet and his all bran. the amount of dead spiders I yanked out from behind the trays over there put me to shame!!!! It is where I kept the cd player that dos'nt work very well so thats been thrown out as it was taking up a lot of space. Now if I clear out the bottom cupboard I should be able to get the cereal packets in there.

Going back to recipes being wrong I had one for a Bara brith. It said to put the mixture in a 1lb loaf tin but there was no way all the mixture would have gone in it so I put it in a 2lb loaf tin which was just right.

Did'nt get the chickens cleaned out this morning as it started to rain and I had to get the breakfast. Shame as it was'nt windy today.

Your walk sounds nice AnnG. It’s been sunny here since mid-morning so I really should have gone out to get some air but I fiddled around with that cake and cooked a full roast dinner and then just didn’t feel like it as I am so tired. I compromised by having my cup of tea in the conservatory with the door open :-).

Had an interruption here- an hour’s phone call with my daughter which was good. We put the world to rights.

I’ve had my detective hat on today. A day or two ago I had a late sympathy card which was signed Pat. I know 7 Pats! The frank on the envelope said Royal Mail Anglia which covered them all. I eliminated 2 as they are married so would have included their husbands’ names, and 1 lives in our Close and would have popped a card through the door rather than posting it. I thought 2 others were unlikely to have sent a card even if they had heard of my brother’s death so I have narrowed it down to a choice of 2 but I have no way of knowing which of those it was. Well, it was a kind thought whoever sent it.

I hope you are feeling better today Frank.

It would be good to hear from Gill, just to know she is OK.

OH has made yet another cup of tea so I’d better drink it before it gets cold. I hope you all get a good night tonight.

That sounded like a nice little walk AnnG. To be able to see Scotland too! I must say it will be nice to be able to see further than the MI over the back fields here once we can hopefully be off on our travels again. I think the 12 mile trip to the vaccination centre is the furthest I've been in the last year.

Vera I thought it was just me that had those recipes with bits missing. It sounds like your tasty sounding cake will be ok though! I find it's the same with some beading patterns that I end up puzzling over for ages!

We had a bit of sun in the end Mel, but it's gone again now. That was a lucky turn of events that you only need to go to Great Torrington to your doctor's now. Did you know that Great Torrington is supposed to be the healthiest place to live in England! :-) The doctor should be healthy if he lives there.

AnnG my hairdresser gets those pinking shear type scissors to my hair after cutting it. It alarms me a bit sometimes with the clumps of hair falling on my shoulders!

Interesting fact: our electricity provider site says that before the invention of electricity, we all slept 90 minutes longer. Must be why I can't get up on dark winter mornings.

Mel, if I cut mine like that it would stick out. It has to be cut properly, it is not the length, I could cope with that, it is extremely thick, always has to be thinned out when cut. Daughter says it still looks ok though.

Vera, hope the pork was nice and I am sure the cake will be fine. Glad you liked the cats, cute aren’t they?

We went for a lovely short walk this morning down the lane behind the house, if it had been clear we could have seen the Isle Of Mann, we could just see Scotland.

Ann yes it will take some adjusting to I know. I will get there <3

Don't you just love these recipes that have ingredients missing or wrong oven temps. Hope it tastes ok Vera after all your effort. Stick to a recipe you know next time.

Suns out here and its quite pleasent so now we have had lunch I may go and clean the girls out when lunch has gone down a bit.

Good afternoon all

Oh dear Ann, I think there must be a lot of lost posts floating around in the ether. Frank’s lost a few as well and we’ve all managed to do it from time to time. Frustrating isn’t it?

AnnG, i’ve gone all gooey at the cat pictures. They are gorgeous. I do miss my Mitzi and Molly but OH doesn’t want more animals now. I’ve told him that if he doesn’t behave himself I’m replacing him with a cat lol.

I had another dreadful night but decided to get moving this morning and DO SOMETHING so I started by making a cake. I found a recipe online for a Marmalade Loaf Cake and started getting the ingredients out. While I was getting butter from the fridge I thought I’d get the eggs out too. Carried on through the list, got to the end and realised eggs weren’t among the ingredients so I put them away again and started mixing. It seemed odd as there was only a tiny bit of milk and no other liquid but it definitely didn’t list eggs. Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy - check. Now beat in the eggs till creamy. Eggs? What eggs? Got eggs out again. No idea how many to use so I started with 2. That made the right sort of consistency so I added the rest of the ingredients and put the mixture in my tin and into the oven, preheated to 170 degs, as instructed. According to the recipe it would take 35 to 40 minutes. As my oven is quite fierce I checked after 30 minutes. Barely started to cook. After 40 minutes it was a pale gold but still raw. In the end I put the temperature up to 190 and cooked it for an hour! It is now cooked and a nice colour but gawd knows what it tastes like.

Our roast pork is “resting” so I need to get the broccoli in the steamer and sort the gravy. Will probably bbl.