General Chat

Afternoon All,

Slept well again and it is dull and 10 degrees here.

Lovely to see you here again Will. I can't believe Carmel will be 90 this month and I expect she can't believe it either. I look forward to reading your poems. I don't know how you manage to come up with them all. Campers Cafe is well worth a visit for those who are on FB as are your other sites! Very best wishes to you and Carmel too.

A visit from Gill too which is good! What I did to level a step in the wall at my old house was to use a piece of wood a couple of feet long, one end on the high edge and the other on the low part and scrape it down over the filler to taper it from high to low. Any imperfections left can easily be patched once it's dry and then all sanded smooth. We bought most of our bathroom suite at different sales so have a look at B&Q or Wickes if you have one near you. Sometimes they are half price. It sounds like another busy year for you with still clearing some of those trees, but at least you are making progress and the bungalow is coming along nicely. Poor Sandra having to wait so long for her boiler to be fixed! I bet she iwill think she's in a heatwave once it is done now.

So you have it all to do again on Monday AnnG with your tooth. At least it isn't giving any pain though. I never trust alarm clocks either and never sleep well if I have an early appointment the next day. I have 2 small alarm clocks in the bedroom and often set both of them now!! lol.

I'd better go and see if the pork chops are ready and get lunch next. Not sure what to do this afternoon yet but I wish the sun would come out and tempt me into the garden for a stint!

He pushed and prodded it and said it was 'safe' and firm, then he Xrayed it. didn't take it out today, As I have to be without a denture overnight while the new one is made I didn't want to do that today as I hope to go out tomorrow, so I have an appointment at 0900 Monday (and I thought 0930 was bad enough! and will be gummy until 11.30 Tuesday when he will take the tooth out and put the new denture straight in. (always assuming it fits unlike Tony's when it was done two years ago.

Pity I didn't know that he would not take it out today I would not have been so nervous..

Morning Gill and Anng and all,

Another grey day here but its not windy which is good.

I am having to type with wrong fingers as my index hurts when I hit the keys. Only a very slight sign of grey on the nail this morning so I am hoping it is'nt going to go black.

Hope you get on ok at the dentist this morning Anng and it all goes to plan thinking of you.

Good morning all. Up early, as I didn't sleep well. totally predictable as I was worried about oversleeping. Never entirely trust the alarm. Appointment was put forward to 0930 so an extra 15 minutes to wait. Not looking forward to this at all, extractions are so unpredictable.

Hi all, we're still busy at the moment I'm sorting out the bathroom wall, where we had it extended using part of the hall we've noticed there's an inch difference in plaster thickness between the original bathroom wall and the hall wall so I'm trying to fill it to make it more even, where the wall was taken down, to bridge the gap. I asked OH to chase a bit of the wall out for me but he got carried away and made a massive hole, so last night I had to make a start fixing it while he was in work. Hopefully it won't take me to long to sort the walls out then they'll be ready to either paint or tile. I took a look online at the bathrooms and kitchen, and they are very expensive so it looks like it might be a while before we can have them both done. We'd like the bathroom done first, I don't mind waiting for the kitchen as we still haven't worked out how we'd like it yet.

OH is still clearing the roots out in the garden, doing an hour a day before going to work. All those hours have built up and he's almost finished one side now. As for what we're going to do with the garden once it's all cleared is anyone's guess as we keep changing our minds on what we'd like. There's still a lot to clear and I can't do the trees on the other side until the spring otherwise with them all being bare I won't know which ones I want to keep and which to cut down.

Hopefully the garden will be cleared of everything we don't want by the summer then when we can see the garden as a whole we might have some fresh ideas of how we'd like it. With being surrounded by fields it's very windy so we'll have to think about that as we don't want any plants we put in dying.

You asked about bulbs coming up Mandy, funny you should ask as I took loads out of the ground when I was clearing two boarders last year and popped them in empty pots that I put on our kitchen window sill and today I noticed they were showing signs of growing, so I'm going to have to plants them in pots for now until we've decided where to put them. If memory serves me right I think they were bluebells, we must have a few hundred of them.

Good news for Sandra, she's finally getting her boiler done on Friday, she's been without hot water and central heating for about 8 months now. She'll be complaining she's to hot next week lol. ;-) ;-)

My sleep pattern has been all over the place lately and I find I'm awake at night and sleeping during the day so I'm going to watch Coronation Street now as I was asleep when it was on. I've just had to watch Emmerdale on my laptop as it failed to record on Sky for some reason. I'm looking forward to the Winter Olympics starting on Friday, both OH and I prefer the Winter one to the summer and are looking forward to watching it.

Well I'd better go, hope everyone is okay. <3

O Will its lovely to see you pop in we still miss you you know. Sending love to you both. <3 <3

Whilst doing the dinner tonight I shut the cuttlery draw and my finger was in it so I now have a very sore index finger on my right hand and I think it its going to go black just above the half moon on the nail. That'll put my project back and its already hurting when I type. I shall have to cut the nail off I think. It is rather long.

Good evening all, a blast from the past, for those who remember me and my wife Carmel. Some of you I still cross paths with on Facebook which is nice, Ann is regular caller at the 'Camper's Corner Cafe' that I blog on Facebook twice a week. The pandemic has kept our heads low plus my caring duties for Carmel are much greater now as she has even more than her share to cope with these days. She will be 90 at the end of the month so all things being equal, she still has plenty of go in her yet.
I have missed all these chats but I don't have as much time as I used to have, needing to drop everything at a moments notice. The pandemic did bring a new hobby to me which has been writing poems (verse really) and so far I've written 105 since January last year. In September, I self published a booklet of them containing a selection of 39 poems, all that I've illustrated myself. I have done some short stories too, here and there. So that's kept me busy but most of them I seem to write in the middle of the night as I'm not a good sleeper since all the Covid scare started. My poems I post to a page I run on Facebook called Will Roe's Rhyme and Reason which I keep up to date each time I write a new poem.
Anyway, I just wanted to make contact for a change as I do still think of you all, especially at Christmas time when a good few of you send us cards. I'll sign off now as it's getting late but not before I wish each and everyone of you the very best of everything.

Evening all,

It's been sunny so Colin has been pressure washing the slabs they do look a lot better ,they were getting a bit green in places .

Ann you missed a night's sleep so no wonder you had a better sleep last night you must have been so tired .
Nice to get your hair cut but don't you feel chilly round the neck after .

Oh dear Mel its annoying when you can't find what you want and you know you have one somewhere in the house as Anng said it will come to light once you've got the new one .

Anng hope all goes well tomorrow at the dentist ,will you set an alarm as its an early appointment .

Hope you managed to get to your club today Vera and that it wasn't to crowded ,I should think the talk about Romania was interesting so hope you enjoyed it .

Katie called in after school so she took her gloves home they fitted her a treat she said she'll wear them when she goes to school tomorrow.

It sounds as though your hairdresser is very well organised Ann. I have a hair appointment tomorrow as well. You have done well in your garden today. I keep looking at ours and thinking we must tidy it up but at the moment I don’t want to risk setting my back off again, not now it is finally getting better.

I can’t guess what it is you are making Mel but I bet you are going to keep us on tenterhooks till it’s finished.

It is nice to have a younger member at the club AnnG. She also goes to the social club we belong to. I know she has tried to get friends and mothers from the school her son attends to come along but with no luck. The local garden club has closed because they have lost a lot of older members and younger people aren’t interested in joining.

The talk was really interesting. She’s never done anything like this before and had put a lot of work into it. She brought along blouses, pottery and even food she had prepared and talked about the history and politics, the culture and traditions and everything in between. I found it fascinating hearing how it had been a monarchy and then a republic and what life was like under the dictatorship of Ceausescu. He and his communist policies turned a reasonably prosperous country into a poverty stricken nightmare. Our speaker said that till she was 12 (she’s only in her early 40s now) she hadn’t seen an orange or banana. Electricity was only on from 7-10 pm and there was no hot water. She didn’t feel deprived as she had not known anything different but her parents had known a better life and found it very hard. Anyway you’ll have gathered it was a very interesting afternoon.

It was fine in the hall. Most people were wearing masks and windows and a door were open and I felt OK being there. I am careful but am beginning to see more people now. We have had an active social life with a big group of friends and it has been hard giving that up over the last 2 years.

Well, I’d better start cooking or OH will think I am starving him. Good luck at the dentist tomorrow AnnG and sleep well tonight everyone

Yes I have a dremel he bought me for Christmas. I did have a little 6 inch tenon saw which I leant him once but did'nt get it back. The other saw I was looking for is a mini circular saw thing that I bought for mum years ago. I did show him that when we were first together and he said it was too dangerous for me to use and it was put away. I can't remember where though.I have had the cupboards out in the uti room and made more mess and its not in there but there is one other double cupboard in there that I hav'nt looked in and a small cupboard in the corner that I hav'nt looked in but have a load of stuff for the charity shops in front so I can't get the door open. I had just started clearing things out when the pandemic hit us so the bags and boxes of stuff have stayed there in my way.

Still not finished all the wipe down as he came late today and then we had lunch so still some to do. I think I will do a salad tonight so not much cooking just a few new pots for a pot salad but all the cutting up which seems to take forever.

Sunny Afternoon All, :-D

I slept like a log last night and we were up early and showered ready for the alarm man to do a service and change the battery. He's a nice man and it's good when you find tradespeople that are good and that you can rely on. He always arrives exactly on time as well. He was saying about his Christmas and how they delivered presents on the doorstep and retreated without going inside. Christmas morning he got a call to say they couldn't go for Christmas Dinner as planned as the son of the house had tested positive. He said he and his wife had to stay at home and eat snacks for Christmas dinner instead!!! A friend of his delivered presents on the doorstep the same and didn't go inside, but did stay chatting at the door with just one of his relatives. He said the relative was a teacher so testing for covid every day and she tested positive the next day and so did he 2 days later.

I was the only one in the hairdressers (I try to have the first appointment in the morning) and they always put me on an island seat so I'm never near anyone else anyway. They are still wearing masks etc same as before. It's a small salon (one of 6 that Barry built up from his grandma saving money for him from when he started work) and it is inside a gym building. I did wonder whether it was a salon he might close first if he had to because of the pandemic, but he has signed a 5 year lease which was good to hear as it is only a couple of miles away and his other salons are in the city or outlying towns like Ashby de la Zouche. They had just had new sunken emergency lighting put in and I was asked if I could see any fingerprints round them. My hairdresser said she needed to clean any off as Barry would be visiting on Friday and he would be bound to notice them. He keeps high standards of everywhere being immaculate.

After lunch, as it was mild and 13 degrees I went in the garden and filled the big humper 5 times with prunings from shrubs that had grown right over the rock edging. OH came out and emptied for me and did some tidying up himself. Then I took dead leaves of the geraniums. They are really dry but looked ok so I didn't water and am keeping my fingers crossed. ;-) ;-)

Good luck with your early visit tomorrow AnnG. At least with it being early it won't be on your mind for hours and the rest of the day will be yours. :-) I do miss the hikes I used to do, but even years ago it used to put me off joining a rambling group in case it was too hard to keep up, especially with tall men with long strides! My first OH was 6ft and I could never keep up with him.

The talk at your Ladies Club today sounds interesting Vera. I feel I know very little about places like Romania and was fascinated to see another place I knew nothing about, Croatia, on the David Attenborough programme. Good idea to sit near the door where you can discreetly nip out if it gets too crowded. I have a pile of art magazines for the husband of a friend I went to craft workshops with before the pandemic. I was going to leave them on her doorstep, but she has suggested we meet up outside somewhere and are socially distanced. I haven't met up with any friends for about 2 years now so might do that later this month now cases are dropping round here....... if I can think of somewhere we could go.

Mel, that is one thing I am looking forward to with having a clearout and sort out........that we will hopefully be able to find things more easily afterwards. Is it another circular saw you are getting or just the blade you can't find? My Dremel has little saws with it, but maybe you need something bigger.

Mel, the minute that saw arrives you will find the other one.
Vera, how nice that you have a much younger member to carry on the group, maybe she has some friends who would join. U3a does have younger members than me, some just over 50 but the majority are probably in their 70s, I wish it had started up here earlier than it did so we could have taken better advantage of it. In our 60s we would have loved the walking group but they just walked too far for us when they started 6 years ago.

Morning AnnG, Mel and all

It seems to have rained a bit overnight, now it’s just grey and a bit breezy. It seems quite mild.

I can’t believe it’s February already. Did I blink and miss January?

Ironing is the next job. I know how to have a good time :-D. There isn’t really very much as I iron the minimum possible.

This afternoon there is a meeting of the Ladies Club I go to. I didn’t go to the December meeting which was food, games and a Secret Santa as I felt it might be too crowded and I didn’t go to the January lunch for the same reason. I think it will be OK in our usual hall today but I’ll take a mask and sit near the door so I can slip out if I feel uncomfortable. Our “baby” member who is in her early 40s (mostly we’re 65 up) Is going to talk about Romania, her homeland. She lives here as she is married to an Englishman. It should be interesting.

Better get on. The jobs won’t do themselves.

Morning Anng and all,

Its dull and miserable here with a pale grey sky all over. Pinch and a punch for the first of the month always reminds me of my paternal grandad. It is also the start of the lunar new year. Its strange how saying and things can remind you of the past and certain people.

Big wipe down day today so no crafting this morning. Never mind its so dark I would have to have the lights on in the lounge.

Oh has ordered me a little saw I need to cut some wood up cos I can't find my tiny circular saw.

Good morning all, cloudy bright here PC says 8 degrees. Nothing planned except change the bed and wash bedding so a day of anticipating tomorrows early morning visit. If it was today I could just about get there in time. :-D

Thanks Ann that info is interesting. Amazing what they can deduce from these tests. Hope it all helps anyway.

When hormone release is normal, the foods shouldn't be a problem AnnG and some I had to avoid might be because they might distort/affect whatever they do the tests with. But, if your adrenaline levels are a bit too high anyway say, then too much chocolate or non decaf coffee could give you the shakes or a fast heart rate much quicker than if your levels were normal.

I haven't done much at all this afternoon,except watch Boris.........(will he last I wonder) and look at some cheap courses, but I noticed how the nights drawing out now. :-)
I think an early night to catch up with some sleep is what I need although I have to be up and showered before the alarm man comes at 8.30am.

Ah, I misunderstood that thought you were 'collecting' for 3 days :-D :-D
Interesting what they can tell from that Hope it is not the fact that those foods cause a problem and therefore you are unable to eat them.

AnnG the 3 days were the diet and drink ones before the 24 hour sample one. I would have needed a barrel too! lol. The 24 hour container was a half gallon size and the instructions with it said use a 2nd one if needs be only the surgery didn't have one! The tests on the sample will show if what they found is increasing the hormones produced by those glands after removing food and drink that will cause increases. My hospital appointment for April came today and says the building itself is 400m from the car park! Quite a way for me to walk, but OH will drop me off nearer. If I was on my own I think I would get a taxi.It makes you wonder how some manage.

That was good to get the dental receptionist with the clear voice and get fixed with an appointment to sort that tooth and with the dentist that knows your history. I know what you mean about the time and when you were at work. We say the same when we are out sometimes. It seems we waste so much time with getting up late now.

I've now had 2 COT Vera and a tomato with my pasta salad. ;-) The wind here last night came on so quickly and I know what you mean by 'disco' lights! It wasn't cats doing it last night was it. I bet the spiders are all busy building new webs!

I'd better get on with some more jobs now.

Ann I did wonder how they knew what size of container to provide for three days worth? How on earth can they estimate some 3 days I might need a barrel sized container, others a small bucket. :-D anyway enjoy the things you missed and I hope the effort has or will be worth it.

Vera yes I jumped in ahead of you. Although the remaining bit of tooth is not hurting it has made me re-think my menu for the next two days, can't easily eat anything that needs biting being a front or side/front tooth. so meal tonight will be scrambled egg with mushrooms, tomatoes and cheese and mashed potatoes (with carrots) maybe mashed in. And tomorrow probably savoury mince. ( sounds like I am practising for when I eventually lose all my teeth. The numbers are going down.