General Chat

Afternoon all from sunny Norfolk,

Blue sky as far as the eye can see and just a slight breeze.
I liked Islands cartoon too :-D ,Vera Colin has tried to use the phone to turn the telly over it must be a man thing :-D
You've been busy washing to Vera yesterday i washed the bedding from the single bed in the back bedroom thought I would just freshen it up ,when I looked at the duvet it had a stain on so as it was an old one it went in the bin so next time I shop duvet will be on the list .

I have stripped the bed and got the bedding all dry ,did two more loads and thats now on the line ,I've potted my Dhalias on into bigger pots I see Monty did his and he said he plants his out the beginning of July so I have a few weeks before I'll plant them out, I think I counted 24 Dhalias some dwarf and some pom pom, I also potted up some Lupin plants too.

Anng not to long to wait to see the nurse then ,fingers crossed its now healing better .

Mel sounds as if OH has quite a job with all the mowers to mend ,did putting the barrow save your plants a bit .

Hope Ann and OH enjoyed their lunch yesterday and managed to find a new television they liked .

Wonder how Gill is ,hope we hear from her soon I expect she's busy .

Hi everyone, sorry I haven't been on here for a while, we've been busy helping Sandra with her flat and OH is still taking the hedge rubbish down the tip. He's hoping to have that finished today though. We had his friend around over the weekend to chainsaw some plants down but he broke the chain and has to come back this weekend to finish it. At least we can see more of the garden now although there's still lots more clearing to do as all the hedge roots need digging out. His friend is going to look into hiring a digger then he'll dig it all over for us.

We gave Sandra some furniture on Saturday but the van broke both our gates posts, luckily we wanted them out so all OH had to do was cut them off, so they're going down the tip today as well.

The grant people have got back to us and we're getting everything they said we could have so the underfloor insulation is going in on Friday followed by the boiler and central heating the follow Tuesday. We're still waiting for a start date on the cavity and loft insulation but the fella said that should be in two weeks's time, so everything is starting to come together at last. The chimney has been taken down in the kitchen and the plaster has dried so I'm going to get in touch with a kitchen place for them to do us a kitchen plan then the electrician can sort the electrics out as he only put them surface mounted until the chimney came out.

All we'll need doing in doors then is the bathroom extension into the hall and a staircase in the living room going to the loft and of course a new living room doorway made as the staircase is going where the original doorway is. I can't wait for all the jobs to be done then we can decorate and order new carpets then finally unpack everything. With a bit of luck we'll have a nice cosy home by the time the winter is here.

Sandra is enjoying her new flat and has almost bought all the furniture she wants, she was really pleased with the sofa, cupboard and fire we gave her as she said the living room had nothing in it, she's bought a table and chairs and some lamps so it's looking more like home now. I still haven't seen it yet as I only had my second vaccination a couple of days ago and I didn't feel right going out until I'd had them both, so in a few weeks time when I'm almost 100% covered from the virus, the nurse said it'll be 95% I'll be able to visit Sandra and finally see her flat.

You've been busy this morning AnnG. We don't have any grass here at all so no mowing for us. The community centre just down the road from us had a couple of book shelves where you could take books home or donate others but since Covid the centre has been closed for normal use. Currently it's being used as a Rapid Test Centre.

I have done 3 loads of machine washing and also washed 3 bits by hand and they are all drying on the line. I also changed the bedding on 2 beds. I didn't do the duvet covers as I didn't feel my back was going to stand up to wrestling with king size duvets, but the ones on the bed already were both reversible so I just gave them a bit of a shake and turned them over. I haven't hoovered yet but I've paid some bills online and written a birthday card for our youngest grandchild which I am about to go and post. She turns 15 on Wednesday and I meant to post her card a bit earlier but forgot so I hope it arrives in time.

Island's cartoon amused me as well, particularly as I have my own Mr It's My Remote. It also reminded me of the occasion of my son's 2nd marriage 5 years ago. I wrote a 3 page document about the wedding which one or two people on here will have seen on another thread at the time and this is a little excerpt from it.. To put it in context we were staying at my son's house with his 3 daughters and various other people. It was the night of the wedding, we hadn't got to bed till about 1 am and had not had much sleep for other reasons. ".....the phone rang at 7.30. I knew there was a handset on the table on OH's side of the bed so I am hissing at him "answer the phone before it wakes everyone". Him: "I am trying to but I can't find the right button to press". Me: "I am not surprised. Why are you trying to answer the TV remote?"

OH feels his back will allow him to stand long enough to make us a lunchtime sandwich (this is code for "I'm bored" ;-) so I'll go and post my card while he does it.

The sun came out again so I have walked down to post a couple of letters and took some books (and found some more of course). then I mowed the lawn, might do the edges later, I will see.

I don't really know how my back is healing Mel, I can't see it, daughter thinks it looks ok when she changed the dressings but as I have been away, I have not seen the nurse for over a week, next appointment is Wednesday.

Morning Anng Vera and all,

Beautiful sunshine here and blue sky so I'll send some your way Anng. How's the back now is it healing at last? You hav'nt mentioned it lately.

Oh is out with the sick mower and I hav'nt done my hair yet so I better get that done and feed the girls and then I MAY BE ABLE to getup the border today.

Island loved the cartoon. Looks just like my oh who always has the changer in his hands. The only time I get it is when he's in bed.

Well we lost the sun by 0830 so back to cloud cover again, seems to be what we pay for living in the Severn Vale, plenty of fog in winter and misty days in spring/summer

Morning AnnG and all

I haven’t ventured outside yet but it looks a lovely day. It wasn’t a very good night again and I am still not feeling 100% generally and my back’s still sore so I don’t think I’ll be doing much in the garden today. I’ll do the washing and maybe push the vac. around then see how I feel.

OH tells me his back feels a little better but he doesn’t think he should take any chances with it (code for “I won’t be giving you any help ;-))

This is a miserable post, it’s all aches and pains. Never mind, the sun’s shining and that’s enough to cheer me up.

Enjoy the day and the sunshine everyone.

good morning all lovely morning with beautiful blue sky and sunshine. Long may it last.
Gardening exercise must have worn me out as I slept from when I got into bed at 10.45 until I woke at five to six. First time for ages that i have not got up in the night for the loo.

More gardening today I think but not quite as much as yesterday. Might give the lawn another cut.

Never got up the border this afternoon as oh had the mower on axle stands and was laying underneath it so I would'nt leave him alone. I had to help him out and he did'nt go under it again thank goodness. He thought he had found out what was wrong but after lots of undoing of nuts and bolts trying to get hte body off he gave up. He did get the old mower going though and did a little mowing but you can't turn the cutting blades off of that one.

I had a little sort out of my plants onthe patio and found a dead May Bug in one of the pots under a plant saucer. Last night they were hitting the window and thats the first time I have heard them this year.

I did have a little walk around the garden this morning and took a few pics which I have not downloaded yet.

Fed the strawberry plants and the tomatoes.

When I zipped the greenhouse up tonight there's a big split against the zip about a foot from the bottom. I don't think it will last as long as the tom plants!!!!

Vera, I think the lovely day yesterday was too much of a shock - we can't take the pace!
We were outdoors until 7.30 yesterday, pottering, no heavy graft, had a lovely catch up with family after goodness knows how long.
Today, not so good, the sun's shining but too much is just not right :-(

Lovely photos Vera, your plants look very healthy and the paving so clean! Ours had a pressure wash not so long ago but need another after having a mud shower from the rotovater.

I hope everyone's ok

I did another hour clearing around under the dreaded blackberry where hellebores had taken over that enabled me to get the last basket in position. At 5pm I took a G&T down to sit on my special patio, early as I wanted to watch Countryfile at 6 pm.

Wonder where Annx is still eating her turkey lunch?? :-D

It sounds as though you have been busy potting up AnnG and you’ve been busy too Mel. Is the mower feeling better now or is it still poorly?

We are both having a droopy day today. After 2 good nights I had a dreadful one last night and I think all the tossing and turning and lying awkwardly has made my back painful today and OH also reckons he went into a dead sleep in the wrong position so his back is hurting too.

I did manage to do a wholemeal loaf in the breadmaker, cook us a roast dinner with a pud and clean the bird bath so not a totally wasted day. I must get my act together next week as the house is in sore need of some tlc.

I tried to read a book on my iPad in the garden but even with dark glasses there was too much light from the sun to see the print so I've been reading in the conservatory. Even with the blinds drawn and the door wide open it’s like an oven in here. I shall have to move somewhere cooler.

I hope you all sleep like a log tonight. Hope I do too. Be back tomorrow.

Been helping oh with the mower and hav'nt ventured up the border yet.

Sun is very warm but when a cloud goes over it the stiff breeze is quite cold. Just spent 2 hours out there, mainly potting up all the plants I bought on Friday, good job I got a bag of compost, half gone already.

Morning Anng and all,

Beautiful sunny day here again today and still plenty to do inthe garden. Maybe today I could get up the border??????? we'll see. I must go up and take a few pics as thebearded iris are out and the big red poppy. I also need to take a look at my clematis I cut right back as I bet they have gone wild since the rain and I need to wrap one around the oblisk thing.

I sowed some diathus seed a few days ago and was surprised to see they are up already. They are in the uti room and I am hoping they are the ones I have had before and they seem to survive inthe border for a few years. Tehy flower for a very long while and are low growing.

Hope you all slept well or as well as can be expected. I sl;ept in a bit this morning but still managed to save one egg fro the fantom eggynoo eater. She was sitting on it. Whether she wil lay an egg or not I don't know but I left her inthe nest box and hope she was'nt just lurking till another hen came in.

Good morning all, it has been brilliantly sunny here since 0530, I hope it is going to continue as tomorrow looks like we are back under the cloud all day again. Gardening is on the list again today of course, and I have another small load of washing to do. I am showered and hair washed and pleased that I am exactly the same weight as I was before we went away (which is still heavier than I should be.

Vera, I had a chuckle at the bulbs your oh was binning. I bet he did the same as i keep doing, pulled them up when weeding.
It is strange being back on my own now and back to missing T so much, especially when I have garden questions that only he could answer. Still I am getting there, it was a jungle when we got back and I am still not supposed to lift or do anything that stretches my upper back. so even though it was damp, daughter strimmed the lawn and SiL mowed it, then we put the mower in the greenhouse so that I can get it out easily, couldn't before because of having to lift it down the step of the shed..

today will be more gardening I think, my garden bin is almost full but it will be collected on wednesday. The clematis seems to be growing a mile a minute as does the honeysuckle so I need to tackle some of that. then there are weeds I don't want in the wild flower beds to pull out and some of the forget me nots have gone over, so they can come out too. I think the problem with my baskets is that I didn't use the best soil for the job as I was unable to get basket compost so it is not quite loose enough. However, this year is very much hit and miss and experiments so hopefully I am learning for the future. (always assuming there is one, I have learnt the hard way not to assume too much!)

Hope you all have a good sunday. BBL

Good morning all

An overcast, nothing sort of day so far but we are supposed to be getting the sun in a couple of hours and then it should be bright and warm for the rest of the day. Apart from cooking a roast pork dinner I’ve no plans for the day.

What a to do with Lewis’s test results Mandy, but it’s good that it’s negative.

I hope you enjoy your Sunday lunch today Ann. It’ll make a change from cooking. We don’t usually have takeaways and it must be about 18 months since we had a meal out. I need to work up to it gently with just a coffee somewhere first. I hope your OH’s elbow isn’t too painful and his ear problem is clearing up. I laughed at you snapping OH in his slippers. What usually happens with my best beloved is that, if he wants to get rid of something, he just keeps niggling away at me until I can’t stand it any more and tell him to take it out. I honestly don’t think he knows he’s doing it. I did catch him putting some bulbs in the garden bin recently. He declared that he was sure they were alliums - they weren’t - grown from self seeding. Some had already made it to the bin but I made him replant the ones still in his hands.

As to slippers, we both have garden clogs ready by the back door but we’re both quite bad about going out through the conservatory door in slippers or even just socks.

I hope OH can get his mowers sorted soon Mel. With all your grass it must be a nightmare when they are kaput.

Thank you for your nice comments on our garden. Other people’s always look better to me. Ours seems a bit of a messy hodge podge. After 7 years I think I am still struggling with having such a small garden. Don’t miss the work in a big garden but there were enough jobs there to keep OH occupied so he left my flowers alone

VERa the garden is looking really lovely and thank you for the pictures as its nice to see where you have been working.

Mandy thats not really good enough with the test being lost and all the family being off work for a week or so. Just as well the postal test came back quickly. You'll know to do those in the future if it has to be done again.

It was really hot here today but the sky clouded over a bit late afternoon and looked like it was threatening rain. We sat out on the decking by my pond and had a coffee and a naughty doughnut and watched the fish feeding. I think thats the first time we have done that for years.

Oh still can't get the mower going or the old one. The only one that working is the zero turn and that has'nt got its mower deck on cos thats what oh has been doing up. So the grass is growing before our eyes and when you have as much as we have thats not funny.

I did'nt get up the border as when I looked at my plants outside the shed that bl**dy rarebit has eaten everything. He's had a joyful salad of michealmas daisys, campanulas, golden rod, my blue grass and the varigated one and the LUPINS which I thought were poisonous. I grew the lupins from seed and they have been in the shed all winter and I potted them on with the mother plants which I sowed the seed from and they have eaten that one too. I think it may have been the rabbit that ate the rose on the rockery now.

Ann its good the new bed will be arriving soon and fancy taking a pic of G in his new slippers outside. Caught on Candid Camera eh? He could'nt deny that could he?

My strawberry netting arrived today this afternoon so I can get that on the barrow now although the plants arn't up to scratch this year but we will get a few and oh really only likes the ones I grow.

Oh said to put some of the plastic netting aropund the plants outsid ethe shed but just as I got to the end he wanted me to turn the key on the mower so he could see if the pistons were moveing so I hav'nt been back to put it right round.

Suns shining again now and oh is going in the shower and I am going to do the burgers and there's a nice bottle of Rose' in the fridge.

Well I have rambled on this evening so I better go and get something to eat or we will both waste away, I don't think......... :-)

Lovely photos Vera it is such a lovely garden.

Well you all seem to have been lucky with the weather.I didn’t see the sun until about 4.30 this afternoon and then it was weak and warm not hot. It has been a warm day so I was outside until 5pm doing a bit of cutting back and a bit of weeding.

I am very bad at nipping outside with slippers on.

Evening all,
What a beautiful day lovely warm sunshine ,I have planted up another hanging basket and a couple of pots too.

Son messaged this morning he was on hold to the test centre for
Lewis's results ,seems they now think the test is lost !!!!!
Son messaged half an hour ago to say the postal result was back i only posted it yesterday after lunch anyway its negative so they are pleased I expect they will be here tomorrow now

Ann thats good you got your tests .
Oh you caught OH out didn't you :-D

Vera your garden looks lively ,yes that's an idea take some photos so you'll son know if he moves anything :-D