General Chat

Good morning AnnG and all
It’s cold here today, 3 degrees and drizzle. Only a week to go now till the shortest day. I slept better last night so am a bit more “with it” today. I’ve not got much to do, just a bit of tidying and then our friends will come for lunch.

good morning all. 4 degrees here this morning still darkish outside with heavy cloud cover but not raining. Not that I am going anywhere today. Meeting here this afternoon so a bit of tidying and chair shifting this morning. sort of slept ok but still woke three times.

Sound like a nightmare journey in both directions Vera. Hope you had a nice time with your friends anyway,

Strange isn’t it that so many of us have trouble sleeping. If I remember correctly my sleepless nights only started after zcovud. But I can’t think that had anything to do with it. Maybe it is an age thing. Which it could be for me and maybe Vera but not Mandy

Sorry to hear you’ve been having bad nights as well Mandy. I hope you sleep better tonight. I wonder why several of us aren’t sleeping well at the moment. I had 2 appalling nights which meant I had a stinking headache all yesterday. Last night was just slightly better so I’ve lost the headache and just feel tired and zombie like.

It’s a shame you have such an expense just before Christmas but the rotten wood would have made your decking unsafe Mel. We don’t want it falling to bits and taking you down with it.

Weather here has been much the same as Mandy’s, not very nice at all. Yesterday it poured all day and we had arranged to go to Southend. Our normal route is cross country through the back roads to join the A12 just south of Colchester. As we were driving along a bus came round a bend and flashed its lights at us so OH slowed down. Just as well. Round the bend there was a small queue of cars stopped by a long stretch of flooded road. The driver at the head of the queue wouldn’t venture into the water so had just stopped. Everything else had to try and get round her in a narrow road with cars coming through the flood in the other direction. I don’t know if it’s right or not but I was taught that driving through water you keep the revs up and the speed down but some people seemed to think you had to get through as quickly as possible and cars were aquaplaning and sloshing waves of water everywhere. Anyway we made it through and drove on.

Next problem: coming over a bridge we could look down on the A12 and it was at a standstill. We got to the roundabout where we move on to the A12 and the slip road was closed. No diversion signs or indication where we could join it. In the end, having driven south, we had to go a long way north again by a different road in order to get us on to another route to Southend. The journey normally takes one and a quarter hours. It took two and a half.

I won’t bore you with the saga of getting home again except to say OH planned a route carefully to avoid all the known hazards and delays. Unfortunately for us so did everyone else so for at least half the way we crawled along bumper to bumper in an endless parade of cars. It took another two and a quarter hours to get back.

When we got home our friends M and V phoned and OH blithely invited them to lunch tomorrow. Guess who’s the one sorting out the lunch? They won’t expect a full meat and 3 veg type dinner but I must give them more than a crumpet. So as well as the other jobs I had planned I’ve had to dash to the supermarket and make some soup. I’m giving them soup with sourdough bread and then salad with sausage rolls. We can finish with coffee and cake.

All this talk of food is making me peckish to I think I will go and prepare our dinner. It’s salmon tonight and that’s always one of my favourites.

I thought he was coming today to screw the boards down but he never came and I have had a day of doing nothing except feed the chickens and the wild birds which are eating me out of house and home.

I took the bin bag up a little while ago and thought I would drop off Hazel and Jonathon's present so parked in the car park and went to ring them and after faffing about becuse the phone kept giving me up strange colours and only my favorite number I at last got into contacts and rang Hazel as they keep their big gates locked because of the dogs, anyway what did it do to me? rang my SIL and when she answered I said Hi its me I'm in the carpark!! Hello said Heather are you here? then i clicked and had to say sorry the phone had rung the wrong number. We chatted a bit and by this time I was at the gates to Hazel so said bye and rang Hazel. Had a lkittlke chat with them and a couple of choccies and came home. So all in all a real nothing day. Now its time to cook dinner.

Its been a dry sunny day today but there's been a bitterly cold wind and I expect frost tonight cos the sky is still clear. Pc is telling me its mostly cloudy so its got that wrong, so much for technology (sp). its still 7 degrees.

Afternoon all,

Dull cold and wet here today but it should turn a bit milder later in the week.
Went shopping this morning got a few christmas goodies some cheeses as they had a good date on them ,we do like some nice cheese and biscuits.

Mel it sounds as if it will be a good job done on the decking ,you could have really hurt yourself on the rotten wood ,the trouble is with decking is you can treat the decking but you can't treat the wood underneath so it does rot .
Hope you can sell the fishing gear would your bil have an idea on prices for it .

The last two nights I've had terrible nights sleep ,taking ages to go off and waking up again after a couple of hours ,laying for a while before going off again ,we even had an earlier night last night but it didn't make any difference.

Good morning, 7 degrees here as well dry and very cloudy so rain coming I think. Strange PC is telling me it is sunset. Must have missed a day.

Although it is to cost quite a bit Mel, it will be worth it. Sounds as if it was very unsafe and now will be safe. Not only is that a good thing it will keep up the value of the bungalow. If the wood was rotten it would only have got worse. Three years ago when having the roof of the conservatory done, one long piece of wood cost £40.

Morning all,

Dry this morning and no frost but only 7 degrees at the moment. Builder coming back today to screw the decking down and do the bit by the filter shed. The wood alone was over £300 so a smal job that I thought it was going to be is going to cost a lot. Most of the boards he took up were rotton and the other that arn't will go to mend patches.

Slept right though to 7.10 am this morning and had a little lie in and got up at 7.58am.

Have to get up the post van again this morning so better get dressed.

Morning all,

Its 10 degrees here too and dull and looks like rain to the west and pc says rain so that will be it all day once it starts I expect.

Shopping coming today and builder this afternoon I think anyway he will turn up at some time today. He may be interested in oh's fishing rods as his wife wants to start fishing with him. Thing is I have no idea what they are worth. Iv'e had a look online and nothing makes sense to me. There's loads of stuff up the caravan a seat box with all draws that pull out full of floats and places to put your bait boxes etc.

Anyway I am going to attempt to make a couple of table arrangments for the shop at some time and I still have presents to wrap.

I can't understand why but this keyboard is working perfectly since the new one arrived, sods law I suppose.I fell asleep at the table last night watching the telly so went off to bed quite early for me and slept through till 7.35am but went back to bed where it was nice and warm for a while. Not even had a drink yet so I am going to do that now.

good morning all. Mine last night Vera was a night of two halves. I slept really well until just after 3am then didn't sleep much at all the rest of the night, finally got up at 8am. I don't know why I didn't sleep as i had been out in the air and walked quite a bit around town. Good job nothing is planned for today.
It is very dull here and not very hopeful looking. But it is 10 degrees.

Evening everyone

It sounds as though getting your decking sorted out is quite a big job Mel. I hope the rain holds off for a while so your builder can get on with it.

I'm very late on parade today. I had a dreadful night last night and didn't sleep at all till about 5.30 this morning. I woke again at 7 and then dozed off till 9 am when I got up. That's late for me and, not having slept much, I found it hard to get going with the jobs I wanted to do so I've been chasing my tail all day.

I changed the bedding and got all the washing done. I hung most of it out and there was a bit of a wind so it was nearly dry when I brought it in. Then it was more present wrapping. We are going to Southend tomorrow and will be exchanging presents. When I couldn't think of what to buy someone I decided on half a dozen small things instead of one more expensive thing, but it meant half a dozen things to wrap. It seemed to take me ages. I also had one last thing to be posted and I also got that wrapped and ready to go tomorrow.

Then I showered. Without thinking I got in, stood under the shower, shampoo'd my hair and then remembered I'm getting my hair done first thing tomorrow anyway

As it stayed dry for most of the day OH got a good bit of sorting and tidying done in the garden. We've got 2 Physocarpus shrubs that are growing too big for our little garden. One was cut back a bit last year and still grew like mad through the summer. I happened to say that if we can't control them and keep them a bit smaller they will have to come out. Next thing I knew OH was out there with the electric trimmers and they are certainly a lot smaller! Mr Crewcut has been at it again. He never checks so I am not sure if this is the right time to cut them anyway. Well, we'll find out when spring comes whether they are going to survive or not.

As I said I'm getting my hair done first thing, then we are going straight on to our friend at Southend so I might not be posting tomorrow. Right now, I am going to get ready for bed and hope for a better night.

Hope you got your tree sorted Mandy and got more presents.

Builder left about 5pm. He took all the decking up that was rotten and cemented some old blocks I had lying around the garden as all the wooden ones had rotted. He had to go and sort out something for his elderly mum who had got in a muddle with some of her finances, shes 93 and while he was away I cleaned the chickens out so they are all nice and clean for now. He will get some new decking for me but he has bought my cement mixer off me and he cemented a couple of stones that had fallen out of the wall where the rockery bit is outside the kitchen window. The mixer was going a bit rusty so I only got £30 for it and he will take that of the bill.He offered me £50 at first but seeing the rust he dropped the price still it gets another thing out of the leanto where the mowers are over the west wall. I sent him home with a can of lager and a Bass beer.

Apart from getting things for Dave like the extention lead for the cement mixer and showing him where the blocks were in the orchard and going to the post van where there was a huge que this morning and talking to Graham from across the way from car to car Iv'e made Phyl's wreath today so thats ready to go to her in the week. Had some lunch of a nice ham and lettuce sandwich and I am going to have egg and bacon tonight so thats been my day.

Still 10 degrees here at the mo and theres been no wind.

Morning all,

It's was nice and sunny a while ago when we had breakfast now its gone all cloudy and looks as if it might tip down .
More present wrapping today and I still need to buy a few more ,we also need to go out the front and stand the Christmas tree up straight it was so windy saturday night it lifted the tree up so the stand is all on the wonk ,yesterday was to wet to go out and do it .

good morning all. yes thanks Mel, son got home safely. quite bright at the momentt here and 8 degrees slept well and didn't finally wake until gone 8am. No plans for today so I will see what happens.

Morning all,

Not sure if there was a frostbut the car is all wet so it must have rained.

Pc is saying mostly cloudy and 9 degrees.

Dave is coming today so I better get ready. Slept well as I hope you did.

Hope son got home safely Anng.

Its blowing a hooley out there tonight and wet with it sometimes. I hope it blows out by tomorrow as my man is coming to do the decking for me tomorrow morning. The supports have gone under it and there are only two planks I can walk across to get to the filter shed. D is going to put some old blocks I have under it for more support. He is a good builder who did the porch roof for me years ago it was a shame he did'nt do flat rooves or I would have liked him to do it.

Vera it has been a very sad year for you this year and I hope next year will be easier on you both.

I did manage to unblock Aunty Joy from the landline phone yesterday and we tried it today and she came right through to me. I can press 2 and can then answer any calls from her without her having to go through the answer lady who asks if I will accept the calls. So that made me quite pleased with myself and was worth the £1 I paid for someone to tell me how to do it.

Well I had a roast dinner today, roast parsnips, tatoes and carrots with broccoli yorkshire puds and beef and it went down really well and I don't want any tea now.

roast sounds very nice Vera Hope you enjoyed it. I was going to have the lamb shank that is in the fridge (It has a very long date on it. However the beef mince I ordered came with a shorter than I wanted date although within the time they promise, three days if I remember correctly so I am having cottage pie with a swede topping instead of potato and the mince is slightly curried for a change. Half the cooked mince will be frozen for another day.

I am so sorry to hear about your friend. I know we expect these things as we get older but you do seem to have had more than your share this year.

My son arrived at 12 o'clock and had a coffee (He never eats when he comes on this trip). We had a good chat catching up with family news. Apparently they have two cruises booked for 2024 and one for 2025. It is only 18 months since they did their first cruise and now they love it. He left here at 1.30 to get home before dark. He should be home by 4pm so I shall be worrying until then.

Good afternoon all

The day started dry but it didn’t last long :-(. It’s been raining heavily for some time and is really dark out. It’s not too cold at 10 degrees and yesterday’s wind has dropped a bit.

AnnG, I didn’t know that Royal Mail was (illegally) prioritising parcels but that might explain how a parcel I sent second class to Stockport arrived the next day and a letter going to the next town took a week.

We had more bad news yesterday. Our good friend M came round to tell us that her husband V had just received news from the hospital that no more can be done to relieve his various illnesses and the prognosis is very poor. We are all devastated and OH and I are doing our best to support them. The last 6 months have been one thing after another and now I just want this year to end.

On that cheerful note, I’ll leave you as our roast dinner is nearly ready. I have a roast most Sundays as OH enjoys it so much. Today I’ve done a piece of gammon in the oven with a tray of roast veg and some of the braised red cabbage I cooked yesterday. Fresh fruit salad and cream to follow.

Morning all on this dull and dreary wet day but pc says rain to stop and its 10 degrees. I suppose we should be grateful for that.

I have a parcel to do up today. Don't think BIL will come today as he goes back to work tonight.

I shall also wrap more presents today for Di and I must ring her to see how she is.

Glad it got there ok Gwyn after reading in the paper that the Post office was now prioritising parcels over cards, despite the fact it is illegal to do so.

Good morning all, dry so far and 8 degrees. Son coming today to pick up their presents. He will insist of doing the journey all in one day so I worry until he gets here, then worry again until he gets home as it is not a nice journey.