General Chat

good morning all, grey and dry (nothing new there, still no real rain) this morning and 18 degrees already. slept ok woke at 2ish and put Ibruleve on the leg that was hurting, then soon went back to sleep. finally got up at 0800.

Hope that you were not too itchy overnight Mel, and that Vera and Ann have slept away yesterday's tiredness.

Vera have a lovely time at your daughter's, you are having a bust time lately, good job it is a bit cooler than it was a couple of weeks back.

Mandy did you manage to buy a crab yesterday?

You are gettting a lot of bites lately Mel.

I picked 1lb 4oz of blackberries and got a horse fly bite on the side of my right hand.

Good luck with the show Mel and enjoy the weekend.

Vera enjoy your weekend too, and safe journey there and back.
Ann pleased the electrics are all done.

Good luck with your Tudor couple Mel and I hope you have a lovely weekend too Vera.

I wonder if Mandy got a crab this time?

I feel worn out so am off to bed.

I,m back there was'nt a lot of stuff in the hall and my Emlyn and Gwain were the only things under 182 but I bet there will be much more in the morning.

Came back and put the trailer in the garden and picked a load of blackberries hav'nt weighed them yet but I pick 8 oz of blueberries this morning. I have two toms ripening and more cues coming along. Theres rain in the air now.

Right time to find something to eat now.

You too Vera. I am just going to the village now with my tudor couple and I will take my camera.

Mel, I always feel exhausted just reading about all the work you do on your land. Good luck with your miniatures at the show. It's good to have a bit of flavour in your meal but doesn't Stu find that one ingredient cancels out the taste of another when he adds so many? I use tomato puree quite a bit (not ketchup, I can't stand it) and garlic and ginger are quite good together so I generally shove some in a stir fry or similar. It's good that Stu is a bit adventurous with his cooking and his meals seem to turn out well.

I have read all your posts but it's been a busy couple of days for us so I haven't managed to respond. We had an enjoyable day in Frinton yesterday although the weather was dreary. It was grey and drizzly all day so I was glad I had taken a lightweight rain jacket and a brolly. It was quite a long walk from where we stopped to the front so, in view of the weather, we didn't bother to go and look at the sea. We wandered down the main shopping area and then 6 of us lunched together in a pub we found. It was all basic food and I chose sausage and mash. None of us were very impressed with either the food or the service. The show was excellent and we all enjoyed it. One of our group couldn't make it at the last minute so we asked the driver if he would like to take her place and see the show. He was well pleased as otherwise he would have been hanging around on a wet day with nothing much to do.

Today has been hectic. I've shopped for stuff to make my desserts to take to daughter's tomorrow, have made a large fruit salad and I doubled up on the ingredients for the Mandarin Cream to make a big one. They both look good. We're only away one night but we still have to take nightwear, washing gear, medication and clean undies and shirts for the next day so that's all sorted. I've also wrapped gt.granddaughter's books and written her card and another birthday card to take for someone else. I've got ready a bolognese type sauce to have with noodles for our meal tonight and at the moment I feel shattered. Oh, I also tried to ring the surgery to sort out an appointment only to get a message saying "This telephone number is temporarily out of order. We apologise for the inconvenience". That was it, nothing to tell you what to do if you needed to see someone urgently. No wonder so many people just go straight to A&E.

Eldest granddaughter and her flatmate moved to another apartment yesterday and to save money did it all themselves. It involved carrying all their belongings down a flight of stairs, packing everything in a hired van and driving for just a few minutes to the new place and carrying everything up a flight of stairs. They made 6 trips like that, finishing at 1 am and she couldn't go to bed as she was catching a 6 am flight from Edinburgh airport to Stansted where my daughter picked her up. She sounded shattered when I spoke to her at 10.30 this morning.

OH got a phone call late this afternoon from our painter. He is starting painting the outside of our house at 8 am on Monday so AnnG might want rain but I'd like good weather till the painting is done please.

I must get on now. I'm unlikely to post while we're at daughter's house so have a good weekend everyone.

I've been looking at some reviews for those washers Mel and they do suggest they are ok for car washing and watering but they vary a bit so I'll give it some more thought.

Well you got some more done in the garden, but it's been quite muggy here. OH dug out a stripey grass I had in a tall pot that was too vigorous and had crowded out everything else and was wedged in tightly. He used a pruning saw to split it into clumps, so I will try that when I split the Hostas that are wedged in their pots! I need to get to some green branches in our variegated Holly too. They always seem to be right in the thick of it and harder to reach.

The electrician has been and worked very quickly to get everything done. The shaving point has been re-fitted, a new, very quiet fan and light fitting, a new light fitting in the kitchen, a security light outside the back door that shines on the back gate and a nice long LED strip light in the garage so I can see better in the freezer in the garage at night, especially in the winter.

Not sure what to have for tea so it may be cheese on toast and then some black cherries.

Been up the garden till about 5 mins ago. Between us we got the green out of the varigated holly out the front. I strimmed a bit and BIL cut off all the brimbles sticking out when he mows and emptied the trailer and brought it to me he cut the big green bit out the holly and got rid of that on the bonfire and gave me back the trailer and then announced he was going!! I thought he was here till late afternoon but no he had to pick up a script for wife and collect her. He left me with the trailer by where I was working and I cut down more brimbles from the holly and some small branches off the cherry tree against the wall which were hanging over the holly. Got hot and hungry so I came down stripped off the wellies and shirt and came on here. I have left the trailer out the front and will get it in later and hopefully do a bit more tomorrow.

He's back.

Be careful of those ads as they show two on there and one is much better than the £45 one.

Yes Annx I bought one as I thought it would be good for doing round the back of the bungalow and the car. I have a BIG bucket from the fish food which I used. It did get the green off some of the filter shed but its not as good as the actal pressure washer and it seemed to use more water than the was in the buck but I think you can attach the hose to it.

BIL has mowed and I think he said he was going to strim but I have not seen him since he went out agaian.

I have cut down some of the blessed Ladies Mantle flowers and a Spirier (sp) and then I got a cut on my left hand just the side of a vein that runs up my thumb so of course I managed to get it on my shirt so that came off and it would'nt stop bleeding so I had to come in till it stopped which I think it has now so I may go and find BIL and see just what he is doing.

Morning All,

Warm and sunny here and we both slept well last night. We've prepared for the electrician this afternoon again, then showered and OH went for a short walk while I went to the shop. Easy early lunch, breadcrumbed cod with roasted peppers, courgette and red onions and with mashed potato for OH. I want to do a bit of weeding later.

Mel I thought I was one for adding bits to sauces but Stu leaves me behind! It does add extra flavour though and I would have enjoyed your meal. That's good you have entered some of your miniatures in the show. It's good to meet some people with interest in making things like yourself. I wish we still had shows and fairs round here but I haven't seen any advertised.

We might get a 30% chance of a short splash of rain tomorrow AnnG but nothing is forecast then till 3rd August! We've got a Karcher washer that plugs in for the patio, but do any of you have the cordless ones you can now get and are they any good? You can drop a hose to it into a water butt to use them and I thought one might be useful for watering from our water butts rather than carry watering cans.

Mel I think Gwyn is OK she was on MTG's thread earlier and says she is very busy.

Mandy, in answer to your question. No, even though the flamingo is in the water it is actually the main subject of the photo, the water isn't. Hopefully it can be used in a subject some other time.

Morning Anng,morning all,

Nice bright sunny morning off to town later to get our tablets and see if the fish man is there for a crab .

Mel sounds as if you had another nice meal at Stuart's he does like his spices in his dishes doesn't he.

Anng would your reflection of the Flamingo in the water be in your choice for the photos for this afternoons meeting that was a lovely one .

Morning girls,

Lovely morning here and its 16 degres but the pc says expect three rainy days starting tomorrow.

Don't know if BIL is coming today but the only thing I have to do today is take my little figures down the show tonight between 7pm and 8pm.

I would really like to get in the garden and cut down some stuff outside the wall. Theres lots of nettles up the side of the wall and the holly growing there, a varigated one has a huge leader that is green so that need coming out and the red Hazel has only one bit of live wood on it so I need to cut the rest down and its as tall as the wall.

Hope you all slept well.

Sending love to Gwyn hoping shes ok as we hav'nt heard from her for a while.

Good morning all, sunny and 14 degrees. I checked the forecast for here and there is no rain forecast at all until Sunday week. I hope tey have got that wrong.

Photography meeting this afternoon but nothing planned for this morning so might potter in the garden.

Not that I know of Annx but iv'e not been up there for quite a while now. BIL had put a padlock on the front door anyway.

Stu cooked his usual chicken dish but it never comes out the same each time. It depends on what he puts in the sauce. Tonight he put mustard, mayo, barb q sauce, wholegrain mustard, ginger, paprika, garlic and ginger in it and a bit of thymne chicken leeks and bacon. He did roasties in goose fat and I think they were the best he's ever cooked me. I told him I bring the potatoes up to the bil before roasting them and I think he now does that. Gosh it filled me up.

Just watered all the pots on the patio and now I am going to watch a bit of telly.

Hope you all sleep well tonight.