General Chat

Glad you arrived safely and have a little friend on your lap. Have a nice rest there with your daughter and SIL.

No the mower is still there at the mo as the winch arrived and oh had to fiddle with it as it would'nt unwind. In the end he took it apart to release the wire rope bit so he decided to leave it till tomorrow when he has more light as it was nearly 5pm by the time he had it working.

The deer have been over the back field and when I went to have a look at the mower I frightened them and they ran into the wood.

felt a bit dizzy after lunch so hav'nt done anything since. I think I ate too much. \need to go and shut the chickens in now and then I am in for the rest ofthe night.

Chinese tonight and oh cooks most of that sonice and easy.

Well done getting your new lap top ready for tomorrows class Ann. It will be nice not to have any interuptions.

Mandy how sad for the children that their cat died but it was a very good age and I suppose it had been there all their lives. Do you think they will get another one when the time is right?

Aawe Mandy, he had a good life but the children will be sad of course.
Hope it warms up a bit here.

Anne well done setting the lap top up is it a class tomorrow?

Oh dear Mel was it a bit early to cut that lawn after all the rain? Hope the mower has been rescued.

Frank it always takes a while for backs to recover, try a heat pad or hot water bottle on it. Hope it improves soon.

Afternoon all,

Glad you've arrived safely AnnG have a nice rest and make a fuss of those lovely cats.
Hope the weather warms up a bit for you it should be 17 degrees here at the weekend .
Oh dear Mel I hope OH can get the mower out of the mud ,your flowers are lovely in the vases .

Son just messaged their cat has passed away ,he was very old 21 I think , son said DIL let him out ,he laid down on the patio and didn't move for ages when they went out he had gone bless him , son buried him in the garden ,poor little Lacey was so upset ,the others are not to bad ,they all fussed over him and they will miss him.

Afternoon All,

It's a bit brighter and warmer here today, but no window cleaner again. Yours seems more reliable Vera.

It's good you are there now AnnG. I see Millie has soon found a new lap!! We haven't had any rain here but everywhere looks damp.

It must be miserable with your back hurting Frank. Being as you are going nowhere, could you try a hot water bottle or one of those wheat bags across it?

I have been sorting more on the new laptop ready for class tomorrow. I've managed to load Zoom and can access my courses now so that's all good and ready for tomorrow. It will be more relaxing without having a camera and laptop that keep going blank.

That was a shame OH managed to sink the mower to it's axle Mel. I hope he's managed to winch it back out again now. Glad you finished the wipe down!

I've sorted the refunds from Asda now, no quibble so that's good. We had F&C with peas and spinach and cheese bakes at lunchtime. The bakes were ok (subs) but not as nice as the cauli cheese bakes I had ordered.

Got here at 1.35 left home a 0837 stopped for about half an hour altogether, two stops so good timing. Raining and an icy wind up here but was also raining when we left home. Both cats were pleased to see us Millie is not tiny any more and she is asleep on my lap.

The corvid is not going to be over for a long while yet Frank. I have emailed you.

Nice to hear from our Shirl. I emailed her before Christmas to make sure she was ok as I did'nt have a card from her this year and I sent her one.

afternoon all,

Back seems NO BETTER. every time i tried to turn in bed, it made me yelp, like a puppy. Ros had put another heat pad on it, it seems to ease a bit, but then goes back to hurting.

I have been trying to concentrate on reading my book, but it's very difficult. I've got the walking out of the machine and put it round the rads. It's only my joggers

The weather here was RAIN first thing, now just drab and cloudy,

I hace clear instructions from Ros. Do not get dinner ready for tonight. She will do it when she gets back from seeing Carolyn.

Martine and had some very bad news. Their alsatian was very poorly and had to be put down, last week. So yesterday they went and got another, seven years old, and has settled down with their old Labrador perfectly. They are both sleeping in the baskets, next to each other. If one moves the other one follows. They took them for THREE WALKS yesterday, and they stayed together, when off the leads. As Martine said "A MARRIAGE MADE IN HEAVEN" Lets hope it continues.

Nothing happening this end. Still waiting for Harvey to come and fit the shower glass. But I don't think he will do that until this COVID is over.


Stay safe. xxxx

We know your safe at the moment so let us know when you get there please.

Done the big wipe down and fed the chickens and the wild birds. Watched Percy Pigeon having a bath in the bird bath and the water was going everywhere. He lays on his side in it first with his wing up in the air and then does the other side. He's really funny to watch.

Whilst oh was mowing yesterday he had done the big west lawn and the one in front of the kitchen window and then went round the back and did one strip down the lawn off the patio and out through the gateway into the back field and along the edge of the field and got the mower stuck in the muddy ground so it had to stay there all night. He has a winch thing coming today to pull it out as the deck is stuck in the mud and the front wheel is burried up to its axel.

He does one job and makjes himself another!!

Halfway up the M6 now lyn driving now not much traffic

Morning Mel and all

Grey and wet here but much warmer. I think it’s about 9 degs. The window cleaners have been this morning and I’ve got some bedding in the wash but I haven’t decided what to do for the rest of the day.

Safe journey AnnG

BBL

Morning All,

Grey day and a bit windy so no change there then.

Getting ready for the big wipe down.

Hope Anng and family have a good journey today and its not too tiring.

See you all later.

Evening All,

What a day today! The window cleaner didn't turn up.....no surprise there! We then went to the chemist for the rest of my prescription and OH went in. The chemist is also a post office and when he got back ib the car he wasn't happy at all! A middle aged, Hippie kind of woman was trying to get served at the post office counter and wasn't wearing a mask. The chemist said she had to wear one as it was the law, but she argued it wasn't. The chemist then asked if there was a health reason she was exempted and she told the chemist that her health was nothing to do with her and promptly started filming the chemist on her mobile. The chemist asked her not to film her and she refused saying it was 'evidence'. OH at the pharmacy counter said under his breath 'dreadful woman' but she must have heard and turned and started filming him then. As he left he said he thought the chemist was phoning the Police. I said to him that if he went viral no-one would know him anyway in his lockdown joggers, with cap and mask covering his face!

Then my old laptop played up and I thought I wouldn't be able to join my course. I managed to log on again with 15 minutes to spare and found the teacher had changed the picture we needed to draw ready to paint! I had only drawn the old one, so panic stations while I printed it off and tried sketching the new picture quickly. I logged on anyway as we don't usually start for at least 10 minutes after the start time and I thought I could carry on. Blow me the teacher had started early so I was on the back foot from the start. Then my laptop camera kept going off, my internet failed for a while and I had to start things up again. then it went off just before the end! After the class I decided to get my new laptop set up if I could. Well it took me ages, but it's mostly done now thank goodness.

I looked up Arger Fen Vera and imagine it would be a great place to walk and see Bluebells with it being ancient woodland. We have some bits of old hunting forest that has nice Bluebells but not big patches of them. I think those little Iris are lovely and the snow must have been like a cosy blanket for them as you say.

I expect you are all set ready to go back with daughter AnnG. It is understandable that you have mixed feelings and I'm sure it will be like that for some time. It is a big adjustment after years of always having someone you were so close to. He's only ever a thought away though isn't he. I was wondering if that pretty kitty who must be grown up now will be there to sit on your lap? :-D We will want a photo if she is.

You will just have to wait for your back to ease Frank and keep warm and take the painkillers.

I'm sure the girls will love the bags Mandy and the Disney fabric will be nice. We all seem to have been wiping down the past few days! I'm asking Asda for a refund for the bread and yoghurt as well as the bags we didn't get. They do seem to be getting worse. I think I will mix in a few Sainsbury slots. The good thing with Asda is not having to book slots when you have a recurring one.

It's good your thumb has healed Mel and how nice to find some pics for your family tree. That is always exciting! It's good the mower sprang into life ........as well as your OH. Did you sing 'One man went to mow?' I bet it is looking better out there after a mow.

Early start again tomorrow to open the side gate in case the window cleaner turns up. :-S

Glad you liked the flowers I have shared with you all.

Vera that is one thing I DIDN’t miss, Tony was with your OH with valentines.

Lovely rises Mel.

Oh Vera i would have loved to have seen the look on your face when he said “Who have you ordered those for?” :-D

I never got flowers either but i had bought some spray carnations a couple of weeks ago and they are still flowering so they look nice on the side .

Yes Mel i'll make a pair of mitts for the chilly morsel :-D :-D

Thank you Mel. They’re lovely. I’ll pretend they are mine :-). OH has lots of marvellous qualities and I wouldn’t change him but the occasional romantic gesture wouldn’t go amiss.

I'm going to do a curry tonight, chicken one with pomps and rice.

Vera you can share my red roses I'll send you a pic.

My second lot of roses arrived and there's 12 so two lots sitting where I can see them on my desk and filing cabinet.

It’s much warmer today and most of the snow has now thawed though there are still odd little patches here and there. We had a fair bit of rain this morning but it's been dry this afternoon. Some of the plants in the garden look a bit bedraggled but I expect they will pick up. What amazed me was a pot of those miniature purple iris. Before it started snowing there were none in bloom but now the snow has cleared from the pot there are 4 or 5 in full flower. They must have come into bloom under the layer of snow. It probably kept them warm.

Hats, bags, pictures – what a talented lot you are. I love them all. I love the colour of Inara’s hat and your girls must be the envy of their friends, Mandy, with all the lovely and unusual things you make them. I think your bluebell picture is great Ann. I love to see bluebells en masse. We are not far from Arger Fen and we usually go for a walk there in bluebell time as it is beautiful then but we couldn’t go last year because of lockdown and it’s looking doubtful for this year as well. I’ll just have to look at Ann’s picture and imagine I am there.

I understand how you feel torn two ways when it comes to going away AnnG but, as others have said, T. isn’t in the bricks and mortar, he’s in your heart so will be with you wherever you are. Have a week or two of getting yourself together and, hopefully, being a little bit spoilt. Safe journey tomorrow.

Frank, rest your back as much as you can with just a little bit of gentle movement so you don’t stiffen up too much. Do you know how you tripped?

I’d be inclined to try another supermarket Ann. I’ve heard a number of people complaining about Asda. I find Tesco best but getting a slot can be a bit more difficult with them as they are the most popular but Sainsbury’s is OK too. Our Sainsbury’s only books a week ahead but I don’t often have a problem getting a slot.

I am very impressed with all your Valentine cards and flowers. My dearly beloved could take a lesson from yours. He wouldn’t know a Valentine card if one leapt up and bit him on the nose and on Saturday I said jokingly I hope I’ve got a dozen red roses being delivered tomorrow and he looked at me vaguely and said “Who have you ordered those for?” and he wasn’t joking. I’m not sure if I’ll get a birthday present from him or not. He asked what I wanted and I said I need trousers and I want to replace a couple of worn out cardigans. To give him his due he had a look online for trousers and did pick a pair out but wanted me to check he’d got the size right. Just as well I looked. They were very high waisted, with a waistband at least 3” high, and were very wide legged in this soft drapey material. Let’s just say they would have looked beautiful on my tall, willowy, 20 year old granddaughter. On me they would have looked ridiculous. I had to veto them as tactfully as I could. Perhaps I should be flattered that he thought they were suitable lol. I’ve since had a look online myself and haven’t found anything I like and that fits me, unless I want black or grey.

My neighbours are at it again. Today we were having a sandwich when a van from an oven cleaning company drew up outside and the chap disappeared into their house. There are so many people in and out of that house that it’s like Piccadilly Circus at times. I worry for them as they are both clinically vulnerable and at one time were supposed to be actually shielding, though I don’t think they ever did.

I’m now going to have a nice cuppa with a biccy and then have a think about what to have for dinner tonight. We didn’t have our usual roast yesterday so I haven’t got any leftover meat. Might be something with eggs again.

That backs going to take a a while to ease off Frank. Keep taking the painkillers and get back to your book in the warm.

Mandy thank you for looking for me and if you got some Disney ones for the girls thats good so not a wasted journey.

When you do those mits I sent you the pattern of can you please make me a pair for my friend Di. She is such a chilly morsel and the pair of fingerless gloves I bought her a coupl eof years ago are nearlly worn out. She told me she'd sewn them up three times but she wears them all the time.