General Chat

gosh he was early for a Sunday Mel.

Morning Anng and all,

Yes i did enjoy my egg and curried beans with toast last night thank you. I use half a tin one day and put the rest in a plastic box and have those with something the day after so I don't waste the other half. Always liked beans on toast from a really

BIL is here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and I sm not dressed

Good morning all. 6 degrees so far but it is early. I woke early and couldn't get back to sleep so gave up. Not dressed or washed yet though.
Gwyn that was good to see the swans back nesting as usual. Hope there are babies later for us to share.
Mandy that was frustrating, hope we didn't miss anything important were you on a tablet? Sometimes if you touch near the edge of the screen something appears on the screen and it is as if you have lost what you were doing but if you cancel what is on the screen, sometimes what you were doing is still there. anyway, glad that you are ok as we had missed seeing you for three days I think. We can't afford to lose any more from this thread, it is a lot smaller than it was as it is.

Mel I assume that is tinned spaghetti and tinned curried beans? Strange, I have not had either for years. Probably because I wouldn't eat a whole tin. Hope you enjoyed it anyway.

Nice to see you pop in Mnady and its so annoying when you write a post hit something and it diappears. Glad you are alright.

Changed my mind I am going to have poached egg and curried beans on toast.

Evening all ,

I'm OK just fed up as I've just lost two posts so I'll keep this short and sweet .

Vera glad you enjoyed your trip away despite the weather and how lovely to have pressies waiting for you on the step when you got home and then the win topped off the day nicely .

Anng nice to have a day with the grandchildren, bet the cat didn't show up with the dog there .

Gwyn are the swans nesting ealier this year I thought it was a bit later when they nested last year.

Right I'm posting this before it goes again .

How nice to find more pressies on the step Vera. You have had some lovely things and a good win on the draw too. Lucky girl.

Gwyn I'm pleased your swans are back as you were a bit worried as to whether they would come back this year but now they have. Great idea to put the hazel fencing up to give them a bit of protection as well.

Been doing a bit of painting of my minitures. I was going to sort out the clematis on the left of the steps down to the garden but there's been an icy wind blowing across the front today and its north facing so feels really cold. The sun has come out now after a grey day with rain blowing in the wind and it certainly makes you want to do things. I just wish it would warm up a bit and I can get some jobs done in the garden.

A big branch fell off of one of the old apple trees in the orchard yesterday so I walked over to have a look but I don't think I could lift it. I'll have to ask Jonathan if he wants it for firewood. It was a dead branch and in the way of mowing so its no great loss.

I had a big hot pasty for lunch from the shop so I am going to have spaghetti on toast tonight and the last bit of coffee and walnut cake that'll do me.

Its 11 degrees here now and pc says mostly sunny!!!! which it is.

And more presents Vera, and bottles too!!! Well done.

Had a nice day with the grandchildren and got a lot of jobs done too which was good. and they also went away with a couple of suitcases out of the loft so that is a bit more gone now. The only downside is they bring the dog. she is lovely a cross with a bit of Alsatian, a bit of lots of other dogs including a foreign hunting dog but althouggh not very big she is very boisterous and not trained so wants to play and jump up all the time. she is a Romanian rescue two years old.called sigfried.

Lovely to hear about your special meals and time away, Vera. It's a shame about the weather, but you certainly didn't let it spoil this special celebration for both of you.
How lovely to come home to even more presents too.

A bit calmer here today. Yesterday was grim and the weather was wild for most of the day. I did manage a short walk, when the rain had at last stopped and it was great to see that our annual nesting pair of swans are back and have rebuilt their nest in the usual place. It always amazes me how close they are to the footpath ( about 1 foot away ) but some countryside project workers always make sure there is a hazel paling fence between them and the path....Great for a bit of protection, but it still enables really close-up pictures of the young cygnets, when they hatch.

Afternoon all

Another morning of rain and it's been surprisingly cold as well. The computer is saying it is 9 degrees but it certainly doesn't feel anything like that. I think there is a big wind chill factor at the moment. It has stopped raining now but is due to start again later.

We haven't seen Mandy for 2 or 3 days. I hope she is OK.

Mel, your bil is good to visit you so often to sort things out but it must be a bit annoying if he is spending money buying tools and parts that you already have.

I hope your grandson and family arrived safely today AnnG. Enjoy their visit.

I timed it so that I ran out of fresh veg and salad stuff before we went away so I had to pop to Sainsbury's this morning to stock up, then I made some soup for lunch and did a few other jobs. After lunch I booked a slot for a Tesco delivery on Wednesday and got that order more or less sorted out. So it's a normal day today and I've come back to earth with a bump. I did tell OH that I had got used to being a lady of leisure and suggested to him that he might like to provide waiter service at the breakfast table and then make the bed and clean the en-suite but I won't tell you what his reply was ;-)

I had a nice surprise in the post when we got back yesterday. The old girl's association of my old school run one of these schemes where you can pay so much to be entered in a draw for money prizes. With ours we only pay £12 a year. Half the money raised goes to the association and the other half provides prizes for a draw two, or it might be three, times a year. A couple of times in the past I have won £25. In the post yesterday was a cheque for £35 from the draw at the March AGM. That was a lovely extra anniversary gift.

Then today as we were finishing lunch, a Royal Mail van arrived with a parcel for us and it was a bottle of Champagne, and one of the top brands. It came with an anniversary message from OH's sister and bil. It meant a lot that she remembered as she was a 7 year old bridesmaid at our wedding (OH was 18 when she was born).

I think we had better have a party as we have now been given 2 bottles of champagne and 2 bottles of wine. People are so generous and kind.

I still have jobs I want to do this afternoon so I had better get on Enjoy what's left of the day and sleep well tonight everyone.

Morning Anng and all,

It WAS a bit brighter here this morning when I woke up but now it clouded over and is raining I think.

BIL may come again this morning to start sorting the garage. He will keep buying things to use on the mowers when we already have them but he has'nt looked properly. He wanted some kind of lifter so bought one, not cheap, and then looked in one of the tool drawers and low and behol;d there sitting in the tray was a lifter!!

Good morning all 8 degrees but really grey here so far and rain forecast. Last time Grandson and wife came here it snowed and they took ages to get here, just hope the rain doesn't delay them today.

So pleased your time away worked well for you Vera, the meals all sounded lovely. Sad that the weather was not kind but it seems that it didn't spoil it for you. and lovely to come home to flowers etc. Back to normal now and, no doubt, it is still raining.

Sounds like you enjoyed your time away even though it was very wet. Its nice to just get away sometimes and this was a special time for both of you. The soggy box was also a treat to come home to how thoughtful of son and DIL to send that. The hyasinths will smell wonderful when they come out. Mine at the bottom of the patio steps are giving off a wonderful scent when the wind blows or I walk past them. Glad your home safe and sound and hope you sleep well tonight.

Last night we had another very good meal with a bottle of wine. OH had scallops as a starter, then pepper and honey glazed duck. I started with smoked duck breast with a blackberry, walnut and radicchio salad, then baked salmon fillet with a Parmesan and herb crust and a spinach veloute (a fancy name for a creamy sauce with green flecks in it :-)). A light desert for me and cheeseboard for OH. We both slept a bit better last night.

It was raining when we left the hotel at 10.30 am. We decided to drive to Woodbridge anyway and spend some time around town, have lunch there and then go on to the big Nottcutts garden centre just outside town. Well, it rained all the time we were in Woodbridge, not heavily but constantly so we got pretty wet. After buying a couple of things in the shops we went to get lunch. We decided on a restaurant we had been to a long while ago which was just out of the centre but on the way back to the car park we were in. Restaurant was still there but changed hands a couple of years ago and now only does spicy food such as Thai, Burmese, Malaysian. I chose a small plate of the least spicy thing on the menu, sweet chilli beef. I managed most of it but I did struggle as I’m not a fan of chilli and I’m not a big meat eater.

By the time we got back to the car it was pouring so we gave the garden centre a miss and started driving home. I don’t know how OH managed as, with the rain falling down and the lorries and other traffic throwing up spray, we couldn’t see a thing. As we neared Hadleigh it suddenly stopped so we stopped there for a nice pot of tea. Then the rain started again :-(

We arrived home to find a large, soggy box on the doorstep. Inside were 18 pretty pale pink tulips and 12 hyacinths, not bulb plants but cut stems. They aren’t opened up yet so I don’t know what colour they are. There was also 2 bottles of wine, a red and a rose, and a box of chocolates. They were from son and dil.

So that’s our big celebration over. Back to real life again now

BIL came today and we just talked. Em came later for eggs and took three dozen which has left me with one. I also gave BIL six so I hope they lay well tomorrow.

Morning Anng and all,

Its dull cloudy and very wet and very windy here this morning 9 degrees and it says rain coming soon. I think its a bit behind as its been raining since 7am when I got up for the loo. No heating on so I went back to bed.

Had an email from SWW this moring which made me laugh. This is what it said.

Hello,


Our water resources are under increasing pressure

Thank you for everything you’ve been doing to help reduce demand since last summer and save water. The South West remains in drought following some of the driest conditions in nearly 90 years. A continuing lack of rainfall means our reservoirs have struggled to recover to the levels we need going into the summer. As of the 29th March 2023, Roadford reservoir was 63.7% full. For up-to-date reservoir levels, please visit our current reservoir levels webpage.


Now more than ever we need your help to Save Every Drop

To help us maintain and deliver the water you need, we continue to offer a wide range of support, everyday tips, advice and water saving devices that can help you reduce your usage at home with minimal effort and change.

What’s more, if you’re on a meter then any further savings you can make at home will result in savings on your water bill. Using less hot water will make savings on your energy bills too.

Small steps can make an extraordinary difference and we continue to ask everyone to save every drop by reducing their water use.

Thats only the first part but its the bit that made me laugh because there are water leaks evrywhere down here and you see the water running down the roads but they don't mend those leaks. If they read the meters every 6 six months like they should they would detect more leaks to fix and save water. With all the rain we have had lately you can't tell me the levels are down in the reservoirs they should be overflowing.

Moan over..... I have to go up the post van again today as I sold the Easter Treats yesterday so need to post them to Belfast.

good morning all. 9 degrees and a bit grey here at the moment. Nothing planned, if it stays dry I need to get to the post box but other than that there is a fairly long list of bits needing doing before next week when I go away.

Vera, I guess I would not have slept well either after a heavier than usual meal in a strange bed. But you seem to have had a good day out and I hope the meal last night was equally as good. And make the most of that view before you leave it today. safe journey home. :-) :-)

Thank you all for your anniversary wishes.

Dinner last night was good. Tiger prawns for OH, followed by breast of guinea fowl while I had chicken liver parfait with spiced fruit chutney and toasted beer bread, followed by grilled hake with veg including asparagus and a cream and tarragon sauce. Then a light but fancy desert for me and cheese board for OH. The wines were very expensive but we had a very palatable bottle of the house white between us.

OH didn’t sleep well, which is unusual for him, and I had a dreadful night so we were both a bit grumpy this morning. Not a good start to our day but once we’d got ourselves together and gone out we perked up. We had a nice drive around and then went to Snape Maltings and wandered in and out of various art and craft shops, galleries etc and had a short walk across the reed beds by the river. However we didn't go far as the paths you must follow were very boggy from all the rain that had fallen. It was also very windy. After a sandwich we came back here and walked up to look at the scallop shell sculpture on the beach and then back, hoping to go into the medieval Moot Hall which contains a local museum but November to April it is only open at weekends. Next it was a walk up to the parish church. There is a lovely stained glass window which was installed in 1980 as a memorial to Benjamin Britten. OH took a photo and I bought a postcard but it doesn’t really show the depth and intensity of the colours.

We got back to the hotel about 4 pm and had a toasted tea cake and pot of tea. Since then I’ve had a lovely shower and am now sitting up on the bed watching the sea washing up the pebbly beach. It’s very relaxing.

We have to check out at 11 am tomorrow but we probably won’t go home till much later in the day . We want to make the most of our time away.


,

Morning Girls,

Windy wet and very cloudy here this morning and pc says 10 degrees. I am going to attempt to post myarcels today and hope the van turns up, we will see.

Its also library van today so a lot to think about and get done this morning.

Happy Anniversary Vera and hubby for your diamond wedding. May you have many more.

Must get myself ready to try the post van.

Sending very best wishes to Vera and OH hoping you have a very special Diamond Wedding Anniversary today.
I hope the sun shines, so that you can really enjoy your holiday.

good morning all. sort of cloudy bright and dry so far here 9 degrees so not at all as cold as it has been. I think forecast is for rain though.

I hope you enjoyed your meal last night Vera and that you were able to have a good sleep in that big bed. Oh and lovely to wake up to the view of the sea. I would enjoy that. sounded a bit 'brisque' yesterday though. Still, no doubt it blew a few cobwebs away.

If today is your anniversary, Happy anniversary and enjoy reminiscing. Have a great day, nothing planned for today except doing a load of washing.