General Chat

So many times we are hearing about what is actually total incompetence by these people. I wonder if they still have performance records and how good they are. I know the NHS is pushed, beds are blocked and nowhere to put people going in to A&E in ambulances, causing long waiting times for ambulances. But I do wonder if anyone has really looked at the system right from the start and traced through where the real problems are. It is so easy to blame too many people blocking beds when I could be something further back in the system that needs sorting. Maybe they should look at why and when care homes closed and would funding have sorted that? If people could be moved to re-habilitation nursing homes the main hospital could free up beds. Sorry but I get so cross as T was virtually bed blocking in the three weeks before he died.

Mel I am sorry that your OH is still not well. Has he seen his GP\/ \maybe I have missed it but it seems it has gone on too long now and needs sorting.

Ann I bet you will soon be sparkly clean. :-) :-)

Mandy, sneezing!! Cold or hay fever?

Lemon drizzle cake tastes yummy doesn't it. When I did the power washing I used to wash the mess off the doors and windows as I went as I knew it would only be another job for me if I didn't. I thought things were going too well, the generator they use has a faulty connection and it kept stopping. The 2nd man came back and has gone to get a new connector for it while the man who has been pressure washing is brushing sand between the blocks. There is still all the back to do yet so goodness knows when they will finish. Without the power washer working everywhere is still caked in dirt. Oops I hear water running.

Sorry your OH is off colour Mel and I hope he soon feels better. What a palaver with your scripts again. It's a good idea to check they have been sent to the shop in future, but it isn't your job to do that really, it's theirs. I just rang to arrange my blood test which should be done first thing in the morning when I have it and the earliest they could give me was the 18th August. The form from the Thyroid Register I have to take said it should be done after 1st July, but I had to chase that up or still wouldn't have even had the form yet.

The lemon drizzle sounded nice Anng.

The other day I was thinking about when we were in lock down and was wondering how the homeless got on?

Well I have had theusual mix up with our scripts again this time. I ordered them online on Monday last week so they should have been at Shebbear shop on tuesday this week, no not tere. Thoguht I would wait till Thusday and see what happened then and then I forgot so I went to the shop today and they only had mine and no sign of oh's so off I set for Black Torrington. Give his name and they don't know why they did'nt go to Sheb Shop with mine but the person who did them could'nt have seen deliver to Sheb Shop........ Told me to ring up next time and make sure they are marked to go to Shebbear Shop. They have now changed the amount of days you order from 3 days to 5 days working which is pest as I have to remember a good week in advance. and I had this time and still they get it wrong.

Right moan over, hows the paving looking Ann? I do hope he washes the door down for you whne he is finished. I know when oh does ours the doors adn windows are filthy.

Oh is still off colour and not his normal self at all.

Whenever T used to power wash the drive paths and patio it always made a mess on windows, doors etc and I would wonder if it was worth it.

Just back from town Other than going to the chiropodist in a couple of weeks time (when I remember to make an appointment), I won't be going in too often before September. It was OK on the buses but there were a lot of young teenagers roaming around bored in the shops. I didn't even venture in to Primark.
Still I did get a few bits I wanted a couple more Tee shirts in Klass all the same (that is five I think ) but all different colours good value at £10. A bit sparkly. some shower Gell in TKMax, base and top coat for nail varnish. Some Naan bread fro m&S to go with my curry for tonight and some mini sausage rolls from M&S for my lunch.
I did stop for coffee but M&S was heaving as was another cafe in the centre. Then I found a community cafe run by Mission to Gloucester for and by the homeless and vulnerable. It was doing well but it had empty tables and was nice and cool (it is 25 here), I had a filter coffee and a large piece of lemon drizzle cake for just over £4. And it was really nice. I will certainly support them again.

I hate it too Mel and it does throw the day all out as you say. They turned up about 20 minutes late and we think they must have thought we'd gone out as they got cracking and didn't ring the doorbell, so I left them to it for a while. It is quite a big company looking at the jobs they've done online. Once everything was set up, one went elsewhere and left the other to it. It's beginning to look so much better, but the windows and the door I cleaned yesterday are waist high in the muck from the drive. The chap was quick to assure me he would clean up after so that is good. There's just the back garden patios, paths and path down the side to do now and the chap hasn't even had a break yet. Oh to be young and fit! It's 23 degrees here now.

Morning all,

Hope you man has turned up by now Ann after all the moving about you've both been doing. I hate it when you have to wait for someone to come, you cna't get on with other thigns and it throws our whole day out.

Sunny here this morning and I hope it dos'nt get too hot. Pc says partly cloudy and a high of 24 degrees I wonder how right thats going to be? Its 19 now .

Having a sneezing fit so have to go...

Morning All,

Just waiting for the men to arrive now. Everywhere is clear for them and that took a while to move bins, cars, even the outside doormat! I didn't sleep well which is always the same when someone is coming early in the morning.

That's a good idea having a kettle and ginger teabags in the bedroom AnnG. When are they coming to put your gravel down? Those biters are a nuisance and I never seem to feel them either. A break from the garden sounds like a good idea.

They've just started harvesting the corn in some fields here Mandy and I think the huge vehicles were to do with it. They looked new and shiny and not often used! They couldn't have got down the road with the big combines with all the cars parked each side. They are enormous close up aren't they. Yes it's overcast here but doesn't look like rain, at least not yet! That was handy being able to have the wood from the school. It would be nice and dry as well, even if it had been outside.

Vera I've noticed the shelves are a bit thin in the co-op I go to. It seems that every food delivery I get now, they advise of price increases on some things before they get delivered. It's not a few pence either, some increases have been 50%, but might be because an offer has ended. I envy your young folk living in Yorkshire as it is an area where we have spent many lovely holidays and has lovely scenery.

Well no sign of the men yet, but when they last rang they said between 8.30am and 9.00am so they aren't late yet but with the children off school now the roads shouldn't be busy.

good morning all bright and 13 degrees. I have two more bites this morning. I expect them when working in the garden, I never see the little blighters and how do I get bites behind my knees and on the back of my thighs when I am wearing trousers? and covered at night. I didn't get any at night when it was hot and I was throwing the sheet back.
Toying with the idea of going into town, mainly to make sure I don't start doing things in the garden again which I will do if I stay home. The gravel bit is as much done as I can do I think anything else is too hard for me to shift but that doesn't stop me trying. I think I need a break away from the house but inertia is much easier to follow. :-D

Mandy I looked into the compost bin from the toP and it looks like there is a pile of leaves heaped up there could be a hog under it. I don’t like to disturb the pile, it could be sleeping in the day there.

Vera the plan is pots on the gravel I hope to find drought tolerant plants.

Ann I am not touching the lawn. The gravel is for the large patch of ground that was where T had his dahlias. The lawn is basically two 3 foot strips either side if a trellis and small gravel patch with pots on.

Evening all,

It's been nice here today quire warm and we've had a busy day ,son had some wood at the school that Colin could have for the fire it will make some good sticks , so we went and collected that then we took some garden rubbish to the tip, I came home and walked to town to get a few bits and called to get some F&C so no cooking tonight ,then zfter lunch I gave the car a good hoover out because putting the wood in the back it left a lot of bits .

I see you were going to have F&C to Ann and they were closed good old freezers what would we do without them .
Hope the chap turns up tomorrow to do the drive ,don't think there's rain forecast is there so you should be OK.
Not good those tractors driving like that they could have had your wing mirror off , I suppose they will soon be cutting the corn then it will be those big combines on the road .

Enjoy your lunch tomorrow Vera .

Anng is there any sign of the hedgehog about perhaps its left the compost bin now the summers here and you could use some compost from it now ,it might have just used it to hibernate for the winter.

Right going to put the kettle on now I'm really thirsty .

Are you replacing all the lawn AnnG? I must admit we have never regretted it and gravel is easier to keep looking good all year round. I still think a well kept lawn is lovely and restful to look at though, but it does take a lot of work to keep it looking good.

I saw a farmer with a tractor cutting cutting a roadside hedge today. There was a green verge by the roadside and it wasn't growing into the road. I thought they weren't allowed to cut them when birds might be nesting. While I was parked outside the co-op 3 massive farm vehicles drove through (cars parked both sides of the road). They came through at speed with wheels higher than my car. The noise as they drove past me was deafening and they were so close to the car. How stupid, as there would be no way they could stop if child ran out between the cars and they would have terrified a horse!

I had a call from a building society this morning to discuss a request they said I'd made. I was about to eat lunch, couldn't remember any request that needed an answer and when they started asking me for bits of my password before they could discuss anything at all with me, I felt uneasy and refused! I said I would ring them later because 'how do I know who you are?' When I rang after I'd been out, they had a note of the call and the lady I spoke to agreed with me that there had been no need for a phone call at all. I only wanted to transfer something to a better paying account with them, had given them all the information they needed to do it and their own website said it could only be done in writing!! She did it there and then. If these banks and building societies wanting to talk to us just left us a message to phone them and told people to put the phone down on anyone trying to discuss anything about their accounts I think it would stop a lot of people getting scammed.

It sounds as though you have been busy getting prepared for your gravel garden AnnG. Will you have plants in it or pots on it? You'll be able to choose drought resistant plants that will be able to withstand the heat of future summers.

I didn't get out till 2.30 and changed my mind about going into town. Instead I just went to Sainsbury's. They usually have a reasonable selection of cards and I decided on restaurant vouchers from Red Letter Days for the couple of pressies I needed. I've bought that sort of thing before and they usually go down well and they also offered me 20% off, so that was a bit of easy online shopping.

There weren't many customers in Sainsbury's which pleased me but unfortunately there wasn't a lot on the shelves either, and what was available was very expensive. There was very little veg which I needed. I managed to get a head of broccoli but they only had a few organic ones which are usually dearer and I got a pack of runner beans that will barely do 2 small helpings and that was £1.50. I really don't know how people on a low income and with a family to feed manage.

Our friends M & V rang to ask if we fancy going out for lunch tomorrow. There's a nice pub about 15 minutes drive from here and it has a good outdoor dining area and lovely views. I expect they will have raised their prices quite a bit as well.

My grandson moved up to Yorkshire at the weekend so that's another of the family moved up North. He loves the area so wanted to move up that way. He's found himself a job, which turned out to be in the same area my granddaughter (his cousin) works. They're the same age and have always got on well together so they've found themselves a nice flat to share.

Plumber has just been to tighten up a connection which was just weeping a tiny bit so fingers crossed everything will be OK now. We were also supposed to be having a painter coming in August to repaint the kitchen, lounge, hall, stairs and landing. He's just emailed to say a brush with Covid has put him all behind. We can't have him early September so it looks as though it will be mid-late September before that gets done now.

Sun's out at the moment though it has been cloudy for most of the day. Still no sign of rain :-( I'm hoping for another coolish night.

I have a kettle in my bedroom and just take up a cup and a ginger tea bag at night so have a cup of ginger tea made by me.

I have almost finished clearing the piece of garden rady for the gravel bed. Just a couple of bits I am not strong enough to dig up. I have tried transplanting a couple of things but with this very dry weather I don't hold out much hope.

I have two compost bins in the garden supposedly one for currently putting in stuff to compost, the other to use the made compost. Luckily I had used most of the compost when I think I told you it seems that a hedgehog has made a nest in there so I can't use it. I love hedgehogs but I am annoyed to have a whole bin taken out of use. :-(

Morning All,

Yes, you were an early bird this morning Mel. We both slept really well with feeling weary after being so busy. I often find things don't go to plan these days, but I've warned OH to make no mess until the men have hopefully been tomorrow now we have cleaned up ready for them as they will need to come inside. Not that he's at all untidy as he isn't, but he still manages to make mess! lol.

We thought we'd still have F&C today, so OH went to the village chippy, only to find they are closed for a fortnight for holidays!!! The other local ones don't open at lunchtime now, so a quick root in the freezer and we will have our own F&C instead. He's then out again to finish off another interview notes!

We were both up so late this morning I didn't get my COT in bed Vera! AnnG my first OH always brought me a COT in bed too and I missed having that when we seperated. You could do what I did and get a teasmaid. It was really nice not having to get up and make it in the mornings. :-)

I need to clean the front door next. I noticed how mucky it was when I opened the door to the neighbour. We plan to get a new one and it won't be a white one next time!

I need to clear some of the inevitable pile up of magazines/mail etc in the study but might pop out with my camera this afternoon and get a few shots of the lovely cornfields.

Still no rain here.

good morning. I was up at 0630 but couldn't get on anything as my wifi was down. so difficult if the wifi is down you can't go on to Virgin on line to check. Then when it reached a reasonable time I managed to send daughter a whats app to ask what I should do and she talked me through it so finally got the internet back at 0845.

Vera I envy you your cuppa in bed, one of the things I miss. (there are many).
Enjoy your shop, hope you find lots of pressies.

Window cleaner coming today (Cynth had an email to confirm) but not sure what time.

Hope you get what you want at the shops Vera.

14 degrees here now and sunny.

Morning Mel and all

You’re an early bird this morning Mel. It sounds a bit chilly where you are. It’s overcast but quite warm here, 17 degrees.

I didn’t sleep too badly so feel OK this morning. I must do a little bit of h/w today and also go into town for a few bits. I’ve several birthdays and anniversaries coming up in the next month and, not being clever enough to make my own cards, I need to stock up. I usually either go first thing in the morning or around lunchtime when the shops aren’t quite so busy, so I’ll probably go out around 12.30. It’s market day today and most people go in the morning so it will be quieter then.

OH gave me a cuppa in bed a while ago but it’s now time I was up and about. Have a good day everyone.

Morning all,

Bit cloudy this morning but there's plenty of blue sky inbetween to the north 12 degrees at the mo so I hope it warms up a bit.

Nothig planned for today so see how it takes me.

Is'nt it always the same when you think you have everything planned out for these workmen something throws a spanner in the works. I hope it dos'nt rain for you on Friday Ann and you can now get that job done.

Just finished our F & Cs we had'nt had it for a couple of weeks with oh being under the weather the other week and last week I did'nt fancy it.Just potted one plant on today and then played with my poly clay and stuck the toadstools on the leanto.

Anng you don't need a licience for an air rifle.

Evening all,

Now there’s a blast from the past; wasn’t it Dixon of Dock Green that opened with that?

Your OH is a hard worker Ann but the important thing is that he carries on enjoying what he is doing. That’s annoying about your drive being put off for another day but I don’t think you need to worry too much about rain if your weather is anything like here. We had a couple of showers yesterday but they were over in the blink of an eye and in a couple of minutes the paths had dried out again.

I think I might have visited Trago Mills at Falmouth as well. We were staying at Falmouth and I vaguely recall popping in there on the way back from a trip but not really looking round much as I was with 3 men who kept looking at their watches and sighing a lot. I think it must have been getting near wine o’clock.

I seem to have been busy all day but it’s been a bitty sort of day. I’ve done a bit of ironing, a bit of gardening, a bit of stuff on the computer and a very little bit of h/w. I must try to motivate myself to do some h/w tomorrow before it starts getting warmer again.

I slept quite well last night, probably because it was a lot cooler and I managed without the fan. I’m feeling optimistic that it will be as good tonight. I never sleep late and am usually awake before 7 am but as long as I get about 6 hours I’m bright eyed and bushy tailed in the morning instead of a grumpy old misery-guts. Here’s hoping we all sleep well tonight.