General Chat

it is saying ot is 10 degrees here but it is very dull with a cold breeze and doesn't feel like ten. I have just done another three quarters of an hour out there and it is quite cold. I have 'found' the sweet peas I planted before we went away and sorted them out and weeded around that part bu the fence but one of the penalties of growing wild flowers is you can't weed until the seeds grow. Next job is to sow my Cobra bean seeds. I think I might have them in the conservatory.

Oh yes I remember that Vera. I don't think anyone reads that board now.

So now not only gill and Frank missing but Annx too.

You are right about the thread being slow AnnG, but it's not just this one. Do you remember when you, me, Jane and Gill among others were regularly posting on the gardening and the wildlife threads. They have pretty much ground to a halt now. I wouldn't like to see this one go the same way. When my OH was taken ill abroad and I had to try to get help for him and get him flown home everyone on here was so supportive and it was such a help to me to be able to offload some of the problems on here. I think the pandemic has not helped. At times there hasn't been much to write about.

I hope Ann is OK. It's not like her to be missing for so long.

How lovely to see the wagtails Mel. It was sensible for us to move near town when we did but I do miss the birds and other wildlife we used to see in the very rural little hamlet where we used to live.

After lunch we are going to a friend's for an afternoon cuppa. I hoped we could sit in her garden this afternoon but it is another grey day here and not all that warm. We have to leave her about 4 pm and go straight to the surgery for our 4th Covid jabs.

Enjoy the rest of your day whatever you are doing.

How lovely Mel. What a lovely place you live in you see so many lovely things.

I have just spent an hour and a half re-oganising the greenhouse and put a small occasional (very rough) table out there from the conservatory that gives me a bit more room on the bench. So later on I will go and prick out some rudbeckia seedlings,

I have bought two strawberry plants. Can they go outside now or should they be protected?

this thread is very slow these days. I was just thinking back to when I joined and there was Gill with all her tales of Sandra, Frank with his stories of his family and Ros, lovely much missed Jane who made us all laugh with her sense of humour as well as Vera, Mandy Annx, Mel and myself. Now sometimes there are only four of us on here, sometimes five. I have to say that the thread played a huge part in keeping me going the last 18 month (thanks Mel), I would hate to see it disappear. We have lost so many people on Genes, I have been on here 19 years now (joined 2003) it has been a big part of my internet life.

I was just dusting the spare room and glanced out as I saw a flash. It was Willy wagtail and the Mrs. who was presenting herself to him with her tail right up in the air. He fluffed himself up and put his wings down and did a little dance around her three times and then mounted her. I have never seen that before and it was so lovely to watch I could go and get the camera incase I missed it.

No plants in the conservatory now Mel so that may be the answer but it does get really hot in there, unlike the greenhouse which is shaded by the shed. I will have to have a sort out and a think.

Morning Anng and all,

Nice and sunny here this morning and its 8 degrees at the moment.

Went off to sleep the moment my head hit the pillow last night and have just got up and made my coffee.

Anng do you have plants in your conservatory too? Perhaps a little space on the windowsill for your plants?

I have nothing planned for today but oh may have something planned for me!! to do with the pond perhaps. He's gone back to bed for a while as he was up very early this morning as usual.

Good morning all sun and cloud and 4 degrees at the moment but early yet. I slept well last night and woke at 6am.

Vera, looks like you got a bit of your energy back yesterday which is good. hope you didn't overdo it.

I think my plans for today all centre around sorting out the garden. I do need to pot on some seedlings but that then brings a space problem as my greenhouse is really full at the moment with plants potted on and baskets not ready to go out just yet in case there is a frost I suppose the best thing to do is see if I can create extra space in there first before potting on.

I seem to have spent all day with my delivery today as it was very late so it clashed with lunch and I carried on afterwards. I did'nt sleep much last night so had no get up and go today at all. I did do a little tiny bit of craft after I had put everything away.

Did'nt get anything done in the garden today but oh did lots to my pond. He took out lot of overgrown weed and got the tiny waterlily back in the pond but its a job cos its in a big cement pot and he took out the terracotta pot in the corner as it had nothing much in it and the frost had had a good go at it and the rim had fallen off. Then he treated the whole pong for bindweed.

You seem to have been quite busy today AnnG. I've had a busy day too; washed and dried some bedding and a mattress protector, hoovered through downstairs, did the ironing, dealt with the Sainsbury delivery, prepared veg for dinner, and potted up 10 seedlings. Oh and I also paid some bills and did a few emails. I feel shattered now but just have dinner to cook and then I can relax.

I hope everyone has a good night's sleep tonight.

Five, now six posts from me today. Apologies for that. But somebody has to keep the thread going.

Well I think I have done enough for today, after not sleeping I am feeling weary. But I have cleaned the bathroom, had Tesco delivery, done two lots of washing and washed the bedding from the spate bed and remade the bed. I have sorted new plants I bought down into the greenhouse and filled two small square tubs and planted two cucumbers. I didn't have any success with them last year so trying again one ordinary and one mini.

i had forgotten that I orgainised my order wile away and, as I didn't know if daughter would still be here I arranged it for an hour earlier than usual so he quite took me by surprise when he was (to me) an hour early. And, yes they do send a reminder but I had not read it closely. Still it was not a problem and good to get it out of the way.

Mandy, not too enthisiastic to get out in the garden but I have put the last wash in and will go and do a few easy jobs out there. I made a list of things needing doing so I will see what I can clear from the list. We badly need some rain as the cornflower and poppy seeds are not growing.

I don't know where Ann is Mandy, probably busy with her new course. I am a bit out of touch as I was only skimming posts while I was away so don't know if she has any scans or anything. Not like her to just not come on though.

Morning all,

Nice and bright here but a lot cooler ,I have stripped the bed so thats all blowing nicely and remade it as I hate getting up stairs for bed and then realise I haven't put the clean bedding on .
Yesterday we had a good tidy up in the garden and took some bits to the tip ,we're gradually getting rid of things ,we had some of those white plastic garden chairs that we keep moving from one place to another and we never use them ,don't even know if they would be safe to sit on now as we've had them for years so the three of them went .

Anng I hope your cough soon clears up and you feel better ,don't suppose you feel like doing much in the garden after a bad night .

Where's Ann ? hope she's OK I was reading the posts as I didn't post yesterday and she hasn't been on for a day or two .

Think we're having a F&C lunch today as I need to pop into town so I can pick them up after I've shopped .

Mel thats quite a few subs for you today ,do you think it's because they pick your order on a Monday ready for today and perhaps the store hasn't restocked after the weekend .

I spoke to her yesterday for a catch up mel, we stood well apart across the gap between the houses. It is her swimming day today, tomorrow she is driving up near Worcester to meet a friend for lunch and Thursday is swimming again. She is a busy lady again now.

One of my other friends is away in Cornwall but I am keeping away from all of them anyway. :-)

Morning Anng and Vera and all,

Sunny here too and 11 degrees so hope it stays that way.

I have six subs this morning on my order and I am not too pleased with the one for a piece of beef which they had subbed and no chesnut mushrooms so they have sent white ones. I don't like white ones but oh will eat them but they come in such a BIG box it takes up a whole shelf in my fridge nearly. The bread I can cope with as its a big Hovis instead of a small one. No cut white rolls so they send their ones which we don't like and soreen lunch box loaves instead of hot X buns. The rest we can put up with.

Will you see Cynth today Anng for a bit of catch up?

Waiting for my Tesco delivery just one sub one set of throat sweets for another so no problem. (I will stand well back when they deliver.) I have stripped the spare bed and done a wash load. and cleaned the bathroom. I am not planning on doing that much today as with the cough I had a rotten night. I do just feel like I have got a cold like the ones that normally hit me around October each year but of course have not had one for over two years.

It is a cold Vera and daughter and son in law both have/had colds when they tested positive. I tested negative twice but I think the cold is connected with covid, too much of a coincidence not to be, I have not got or had a temperature. I am not planning on seeing anyone or going out until the end of the week. I will take a test probably on Friday. I think the new advice says to count 6 days from the start of symptoms and then, even if positive you can go out as will not be so infectious but try and keep away from people. so there will be people going back to work who have not tested negative. My cough started last Tuesday.

Good morning all

Sunny here at the moment. Sorry you are still not feeling up to scratch AnnG. Are you sure it is a cold? My daughter apparently had a heavy cold for 10 days before she tested positive for Covid - of course, we don’t have to test or isolate much anymore. I hope you feel better soon.

No plans for today except a Sainsbury delivery this afternoon. It’s a big order and there is nothing missing and no subs. I’ve just had the emailed receipt and it made me smile as it starts “Good news, we’ve got everything you asked for “ :-)

Good morning from a very quiet empty house. Daughter and son in law just left for home. I am not dressed but was up to see them go, am going to miss them. So nice to have somebody around. still only just over a month before we all go to Dorset for a week. Just want to get rid of this cold. Not sure if it was the cold or hay fever yesterday evening but I kept sneezing which I have not done much since the cough started. Plenty to do here, starting with throwing their bedding in the washing machine.

Have a good day everyone.
:-( :-(

nd back in

Its done it again.............

Iv'e had quite a busy day today. I have been in the garden and dead headed more daffs in the orchard and cut down the hydrangers and some of my plants in pots on the rockery bit. Did two lots of washing and got it dry and back in before we had big spots of rain but they did'nt last long. Added more to the shopping list and hoovered the bedroom.

Well we got a lot of jobs done today, Joe cut the lawn and Lyn strimmed the edges. then Lyn put a string of solar lights up for me round the trellis outside of the conservatory and she also checked some more solar lights in the garden and adjusted them so I will see if they work. then she adjusted the bolt of the shed door which was not working properly. Yesterday she drilled into the brickwork and mounted a key box for me. I have tied up some clematis a white Montana which is flowering, the pink one os too. And I cut some bits back and pulled up some weeds. I bought a new umbrella which can be wound up instead of having to push it up which was too difficult as I am not tall enough. So all sorts of outstanding jobs done and the rest can be done in June.