General Chat

Afternoon Everyone,

A good sleep here too and I got off to sleep quickly for a change! :-)

Island those faces remind me of the Easter Island statues! :-D Glad you were able to slither from your bed ok today and that you are a bit better. Oh yes I'd forgotten about the agony of coughing with rib pain!

I see you have Ros's birthday in hand Frank and it will be nice for her to get something Spanish that catches her eye. We are eating up some of the older things in the freezer this time.......some home made 'bit too spicy' chicken meals I froze a while ago we can have for tomorrow. There is some veg in them, but I'll add more stock to 'cool them down', together with roasted peppers, onion and courgette and have them with some wholewheat rice or cauli rice.

We keep our very thin 3.5 tog duvet all year round like you Mel. I do use a top sheet though so that makes it a bit warmer. We never leave heating on overnight, but, if it gets very cold, I have a mock fur throw I put on top. It is getting very autumnal now and I said to OH today how the trees in the back field are changing colour. Very unusual these days we saw a Kestrel hovering while we had lunch.

Just had a pause and picked a basinful of toms and a courgette, shortened some of the leaves on the toms, then grabbed the secateurs and filled 2 big humpers with more prunings from the bottlebrush and Viburnum. OH came out to empty them for me and filled another humper with high up bits that were harder for me to reach. Then it started that fine rain so we came in.

OH had found a match to go to tonight but has decided to stay in now it's rainy and watch one on tv instead.

I think I have spotted another online painting course for me that starts next month so will check it out. It's a different teacher, but is improvers watercolour so at least it would keep me practising and I may learn some new things. :-)

February is supposed to be the coldest month of the year.

I don't mind Feb as my birthday is right in the middle and then its March and its getting near spring. Thats the way I look at it anyway.

I do love it when Frank posts.

Good you feel a bit better today Island and sorry about the C word. I do love Christmas though with all the lights up and running and the cosy feel. I hate it when the decs have to come down even though we only put things in the kitchen as thats where I am most of the time even in the evenings watching the telly.

Have to finish off the wipe down as he came just before lunch time so I only did the fridge and freezer stuff and got lunch as I was hungry and oh has to eat at regular times anyway.

Good Morning to all,

Fine drizzle here also this morning.It's BIN DAY today. Our Green Bin was filthy so after it was emptied I got the hose out and gave it a good clean inside and out. It's now on it's side drying out.

Ros had gone our for the usual Tuesday shop with Caroline. We have so much food in the fridge, that I told Ros not to BUY any food. We must get what we have, eaten, as I hate to see food wasted.

Looking forward to the weekend,and a nice break in Spain from next Tuesday. I will get Ros to have a good look around while we are there, to see if she likes anything, that I can buy for her B'Day. I've got her card, which I must pack. I expect we will stay the night at Jans , and drive back on the 19th , her Birthday.

I trust you are al well, I can see you have been very busy posting on here yesterday and this morning. Take care, I will pop back later. I'm going in the conservatory now with my book, for a quiet read for an hour or so. xxxx

Morning Ann and Mel and all

The C word already Mel? :-0
I quite like January, it always feels more promising - then comes February to spoil it LOL
Our light weight duvet is only a double so it's easy to slip out from under if it's hot. The winter weight is a king size so it hangs well down at the sides.

The sun is making an appearance! :-D

What a lot of cards Anng and hand made too.
Do you think all those lovely lavender scents made you sleep well?

Vera, I'm glad your OH was able to have his blood test and that his result is favourable. This bottle shortage is a shambles, especially when they have been booked to tie in with a consultation. I can't re-book until I have a date for my next consultation as bloods have to be done no more than a week ahead. There must be a lot of patients in the same position which will be chaotic.

Sorry to go on but, my pain has reduced to a smaller area so getting out of bed was easy today. The down side is, because I'd been stifling coughs etc I had a 'croak' last night and have now lost my voice! Aaarrrgh!!
I've realised that those knitted faces reminded me of something so I'm about to look through an old work photo album...... look out for email :-)

Gardeners, as a precaution check this out.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-9940783/How-scratch-bramble-cost-woman-hand.html

Morning Anng and all,

We have that very very fine mizzle this morning so I shan'nt be up the border today but perhaps it will give me a chance to finish the last project I started.

Enjoy your coffee and chat this morning Anng.

I wonder how its going with Gill's bathroom this week?

Slept like a log last night just up once for the loo but we did have a nice bottle of red wine with dinner last night.

Good morning all, another grey 13 degrees morning here.

Mel, don't wish our lives away, they are short enough as it is. It is three months yet until Christmas so you have plenty of time to think of something for your OH.

In some ways the past year since this time last year has gone quickly. (We drove back from our diamond wedding celebrations last year on 30 August), but this year since the end of January has not passed quickly for me.

However, even if three months to go that time will probably go as quickly as ever as I have 80 cards to make and presents to buy for the family. And that, at the moment will be the next time I see daughter when they pick me up on 19th December for three weeks up with them in Cumbria. (hoping the snow stays away).

This morning I am going just round the corner to a friend's for coffee.

I actually slept very well last night for almost 8 hours (with one break at 0515.

Hope all the aches have eased this morning. :-) :-)

WE don't change our duvet it stay the same all year round but I add a top coat. It does feel a bit autumnial though.

Its a shame the year has to come to an end and it seems to have passed very quickly this year. Soon be Christmas and I have been looking for things for oh but not with much ,uck. He seems to have everything he needs.

I am watching Leonardo De Vinchi on Prime and its quite interesting. The music is like Poldark and its Aiden Turner playing Leonardo. Coincisence or what?? I don't think so.

It feels like autumn :-0 :-| We'll soon be closing the warm air escape aka the loft hatch - it was a good wheeze, don't know why we didn't think of it sooner - and it won't be long before the thicker duvet comes out.

I certainly admire those faces Island. They are so full of expression and everyone so different but I have to admit that they are not really my thing. Even so, I think it is a very clever idea. Ribs are horrid places to have pain as you can't really not use them. I hope they feel easier soon.

You had a bad night then Ann. I'm not surprised you forgot it's a bank holiday today; one day is much like another at the moment and we all get a bit brain fogged when we are tired.

Yes, the floor did get steam cleaned but not by me. OH said he would do it. The cleaner is very light to handle and it didn't seem to hurt his arms and shoulders, which he says are quite a bit better now. He says he will ring the surgery tomorrow to see if they have got the results of his blood tests yet. At least our health centre still had the bottles so he did get the tests.

While OH was doing the floor I spent an hour in the garden. Like AnnG I cut all the flower spikes off some lavender plants, deadheaded all round and pulled up some annuals that seemed to have come to the end of their life. It wasn't very warm out there and I had to put on an old anorak that I use for outside jobs.

My neighbour went away this morning for a few days and I felt obliged to offer to water her pots for her. She has loads and tells me that she now has a lot more down one side of her house. She also kindly told me that I could get the hose out if I felt like it. No way! The borders and beds will have to survive without my help. Otoh if the weather stays like this with no sun I might not even have to do the pots.

Going to ring my daughter now and by the time we have finished chatting it'll be time to get dinner ready. Easy meal tonight, ham from yesterday's gammon joint with salad and possibly a few little potatoes.

There's some very clever people about is'nt there? Those faces are just lovely and so colourful. Its always surprising what people come up with.

Glad you found out what your little bird was Ann. Now you can make its head darker and it will be just right.

Done one wash our clothes from yesterday then I watered some of the plants on the rockery bit that are in pots as they were extremly dry and oh brought the big trailer round and picked up what I had cut off the rose on the box hedge days ago and then I swept that area up under the bird feeder and swept off the strimmings on the corner of the lawn he had cut down. He has the old mower going but its still not right really but its pulling the trailer sothats good.

Had lunch and a rest so now I am off up the border again.

Afternoon All,

Still awake till 3.00am this morning so I don't feel frisky at all! I have done a wash, cleaned the inside of the study window, sucked up some Harvesters and cleaned a few marks off the study walls. Thankfully, as I don't feel like doing anything outside, the garden bin is already full to the brim, but will be emptied tomorrow. I'm losing the plot again as I told OH he would hear talking this morning when I rang the garage and hairdresser.........forgot it is a Bank Holiday!! :-D

That was a pricey meal for something not special Frank, but a lot of places hike prices up on a Sunday. Our £13.60 carveries are cheaper on weekdays. So you have a few more days to get into mischief before you go on your hols, so do be careful won't you. What are you/have you got Ros for her birthday this year? You have bought her some lovely jewellery in the past.

Ouch Island! I managed to tear the tiny muscles between my ribs a few years ago, just with twisting and turning and bending down in the garden. I could hardly breathe or turn over in bed and it doesn't help when you have an OH keep making you laugh!! The doc said it would take a long time to heal and she was right. I still get twinges start if I'm not careful so you have my sympathy. The Booby turned out to be a Dartford Warbler and I need to darken the head on my little painting. I love all those knitted faces. Very clever to get all the expressions!!

Mandy, we grow the toms in pots now and this year I just emptied out half the old compost that had a lot of root in it, topped up with Westland Multipurpose compost and added a handful of Growmore pellet fertilizer in the cardboard box to start them off. The toms were very slow growing at the start but have done well since. Your pasties and veg sound nice and those security cameras sound good. I expect they have to be wired in. Save me some coffee cake! lol.

Hope you got your steaming done Vera. I often think I will do just one floor and end up doing them all while the steamer is out, but we have a smaller area to do than you. I quite fancy getting one of those that hoovers and washes, two jobs at once and less backache!! :-)

AnnG you have been busy finishing getting your Lavender cut back and more weeding to tidy up. If you know the make of your security cameras you might find instructions on checking the footage online. It's something I think we should get.

Afternoon all. Ooh Island that must be so painful, hope it will ease up for you soon.
Really clever those knotted faces.

Mel you certainly got a lot done yesterday Maybe don't overdo it today.

Good to see you Frank, ah, you just said Sunday and Tuesday before, didn't give any dates so I assumed (wrongly) that it was this weekend So you still have it to look forward to. Yes that sounded a bit expensive for a 'not special occasion' meal.

Mandy Mmm coffee cake sounds 'moreish'.
I have security cameras here 4 of them, I can put them up on the computer but not sure how to do anything else like look back on them. T never actually told me what to do.

I finished cutting off all the lavender flowers this morning and weeded and cleared all round the bush so that is a bit more done out the front 2.5 hours yesterday and another hour today.

Afternoon all,

Really dull here today don't think we'll be seeing any sun .

OH Island pain in the ribs must be awful every movement even breathing as Mel said must hurt ,hope it soon eases off for you.
Love all the faces :-D people come up with some amazing things .

OH Frank I thought you were down in Devon, so it's not until next week that you travel .

Ann I meant to ask what compost you had for your toms they just look such healthy plants with all those toms on , made mine look really bad .

Bank Holiday weekends seem just like an ordinary weekend to us now we don't go out far, hard to believe that August has nearly gone and next Monday the children will be back at school ,well some of them I think its a staggered return again with some going Monday some Tuesday.

I've made a nice coffee sponge this morning put your orders in for a slice before it's all gone. :-D

We're having pasties for tonight with veg .

Son ordered another security camera for us yesterday it came this morning ,this one we will have out the front ,they have a lovely clear picture.

Lovely to see you Frank and I bet you're looking forward to next Sunday and the promiss of a different outlook and some lovely weather in Spain.

Poor Island when its the ribs you can't move anything without pain. It must hurt too even to breath as the chest expands with that. I hope you feel better soon. Did you look those hoks up I sent you? for your new shed?

Lamb leg steaks tonight so I think I will go down the shed and turf out another potato bag and see if there's anything worth eating in it.

Good morning all,

Nothing sort of day here, very overcast and I expect we could se some rain later. So much for a Bank Holiday Monday.

We went out for lunch yesterday, nothing out of the ordinary, apart from having a starter. Most surprised to see the the bill was over £55.00 so with the TIP £60.00.
Won't be doing that too often.

Sorry Girls, we don't go to Devon until next Sunday, and fly to Spain on the Tuesday, we will be back on the 18th, day before Ros's B'day. (21 again) lol lol

I thought we might go out for a ride round later. There isa place not too far from us called OLNEY. It's a village full of Antique shops. It will break the day up, proving the weather holds up.

The lady who runs the Choir, her husband died yesterday, so no Choir tonight for Ros..

Trust you are all well. Take care, see you later.

Morning all,
What a grey day! Did someone displease the weather gods?
Thank you all for good wishes yesterday. It's my ribs again :-|
RA can cause inflammation in the cartilage between ribs but in 20 years I have never had this so to get it twice in 2 months is a worry. I've never had pain for more than three days at a time before either.
I decided a week was enough so phoned the surgery - I didn't know they are a bank :-| :-|
I suppose the hospital is a bank too today so I wont bother phoning them re my blood test and phone call either :-| It's never just one thing is it!
Well that's my moan of the day, sorry :-( :-\

Oh dear Annx - is your little bird a booby? :-D

Anng I hope your ankle is feeling better.

Vera, put your feet up and have a coffee - the floor's not going anywhere :-D :-D

Morning girls and all,

Hope Frank had a good journey down here and is enjoiying his stay already.

We have blue sky and a huge bank of white cloud to the north and an easterly wind this morning and its quite chilly.

I had a lie in this morning as I was up the border yesterday and I got down a lot of the dead hydranga that been up the wall for years. One of the roses (Mascarade) had climbed right up there too and I had cut it off lower down but the dead bit was entangled in the hydranga. Still its off the wall now but still some to get down. deadhead too the mollis and the panstemon and pulled off the old leaves on the bearded iris and dug out a bit of twitch so all in all a good day up the border. I shall be up there again today if I can.

Good morning AnnG and all

I hope everyone with aches and pains is feeling better this morning.

It’s very overcast with little spells of light rain today. My weather app is telling me it’s 16 degrees but it certainly doesn’t feel like it.

The 2nd load of washing is just finishing and I have one more lot to do on a quick wash then that job’s done for a few more days. I’m not sure what I’m going to do today. It’s not the weather for gardening. I might try and get the floors steam cleaned. I think I’ve said before that there is carpet in a bedroom and a wooden floor in the living room but everywhere else downstairs is tiled and it’s a big area to do. I have thought of doing just the kitchen area but it seems silly to get the cleaner out and not do it all.

Sitting here thinking about it won’t get it done but I might just go and make a coffee first ;-)