General Chat

All that work Gill just to be washed off in the rain. OH must have been gutted.I am sure there is no rush to get it all done. Maybe best to wait until when we know the weather is going to improve. . There are plenty of things here you would love to get your teeth into :-D. But I think you have needed a bit of time just doing nothing just to rest up and let your shoulder and foot settle down.

Pippyn ,that noise of a thump on the window always gives me goosebumps as you never know what you will find. It is surprising sometimes how the little birds do survive if just left somewhere to recover. I don't know if you have said ,but do you have a big garden? We dont have any fruit trees other than a couple of Apples .They never do well here for some reason.Always have those scabbie bits on the skin :-S. Neigbours both sides had Damsons that hung over our garden for years.But there were always so many and they would fall and rot ,we cut down all the over hanging branches in the end.
Thomas has just has his supper on the patio. It looked like a massive mouse.He was very keen to bring it in !!!! Not blooming likely thank you. We need to order logs . The Woodburner had its yearly MOT the other week so it is just a matter of restocking logs. Chris always has to split a lot of them though to fit in the burner. I must say I love it when the nights draw in and it gets cold enough to get the fire going again :-D Not that I am wishing the year away,but there is something nice about drawing the curtains ,having a roaring fire and feeling cosy :-D
It was different when I was little . Lino floors, 3 bar electric fire and maybe a coal fire. Nothing too cosy back then ,but we knew no different .Hot water bottles,plenty of blankets and nice warm PJs

Sorry Gill. I didn't see you there! I know what you mean about painting ! My OH had hoped to continue with the painting of our fence today but the weather has just been too wet and much too windy, so it will have to wait! How disappointing that your paint didn't have time to dry, after all that work!!! Still I'm sure we'll get some more fine weather before the winter comes! The little bird has flown -hooray! Suppers ready! better go!!

Very, very windy here today, with heavy rain last night. We've spent some of the day tying up escapees in the garden ie: the hollyhocks! OH has also split a few logs to add to the pile we're getting ready for winter! I've stewed some plums that have blown down which will do for a pudding tomorrow after our roast chicken.Apart from that we've spent the day reading and watching a wild life prog this afternoon!
Oh dear, a little bird has hit the window of the sitting room! Its still alive so OH has popped it in the house on the bird table. This is always happening, but often they recover and fly off, so fingers crossed!
O.H is getting supper! Only cold meat and salad, nothing to get too excited about!!
;-) ;-)

Poor OH, he was doing so well with the painting and had almost finished when the heavens opened and washed the paint off, all over the ground, he had to get a sponge and wipe the paint off the gate before it made more mess. It's all cleaned up now, but he'll need to do the second gate again when the weather is better, then it's just around the back that needs doing. It looks really good, I'm so pleased the paint dried on the walls before the rain arrived, or we would of had even more mess to clean up. I tried to help but my foot and shoulder wouldn't let me do much.

How lovely to enter things in a village show Ann, that was nice of your friend. What are you going to enter, or haven't you decided yet?

It sounds like you had a nice time at the show AnnG, you were lucky the rain stopped in time.

That was lucky for Katie, being able to go to camp Mandy, it sounds like she's really excited and looking forward to it. Let's hope the weather improves by then. Have you got anything planned to do with Chelsea when she stays next week? It didn't rain again after OH cleaned up the paint, but he didn't do anymore painting just in case it happened again, it's such a waste of paint and time. I'm not going to do the screening until I'm total pain free. I helped OH clean up some of the paint before and now my foot is hurting again. I'm sitting here with a hot water bottle on it, which seems to be helping.

I've been feeling a bit fed up not being able to do anything and it hasn't helped with OH being busy with the painting for the last few days and Sandra busy with a book she's reading in her room. I've just been sitting in the living room all day on my own. When OH does come in he's so tired he falls asleep on the sofa. I'll be glad when I can do some jobs, it's very lonely sitting here with nothing but the laptop for company. I've watched all my programmes off the planner and there nothing else worth watching on TV. OH's nipped out to his friends now.

I can just smell that Lamb with Mint Frank Mmmmmm Luverly :-D What a day . The wind hasn't eased off at all.Its bonkers. I send Chris out just now as I heard a bit of a clatter but he couldnt see anything in our garden that had gone over or blown down . So it must be in one of the next door neighbours .

I feel for Ros having that journey yesterday Frank. I did worry about her after hearing how bad it was around Luton. I sitll think it shoild have been Harvey to go and get Lewis rather than Ros

Who in their right minds goes to Tesco or any shop in their blooming PJs !!!. I have seem people do this before but not for a long while. It is ridiculous ,slovenly and down right common (I think ) .Not that I am posh :-D I can understand a Mum maybe driving and just dropping off children at school driving in nightclothes (as long as they don't have get out of the car) .. I have to own up and do remember once.and I cant remember why I had to do it but I did keep my nightie on BUT put clothes over the top and I never left the car :-D

Oh Katie is going to have fun on her few days away Mandy :-D That was a bit of luck someone dropping out :-D Chelsea to will enjoy a bit of time with just you and OH . Put your feet up tomorrow Mandy :-D :-D

Got to go now . Will try and get back later.

Mel did you manage to see Gone Fishing?

Afternoon all,

The wind is still blowing, but it's not cold. I am sitting in shorts and no top. I went down to dig some carrots earlier, picked a few beans for tomorrow and picked up some windfalls.

The match was HORRENDOUS I think West Ham stayed in the dressing room. !!! FIVE - NIL to Man City. Absolute disaster.

I have been so bored this afternoon. I have prepared all the veg for tomorrow, and covered the lamb in mint dressing, in the roasting tin, and sitting in the oven out of the way, ready for tomorrow. Only the Yorkshire, Cheese sauce and gravy to do.

It's stayed dry here, so hopefully the crowds did come to the festival, Ros didn't want to go this afternoon, so will see about a trip down tomorrow morning, if it's fine and dry.

Ann, I'm glad you enjoyed your trip to the show, i am with you regarding what a perfect VEG should look like, A ONION IS AN ONION as far as I am concerned. It's nice the the parents explain to children why they didn't win this or that. It might encourage them to try harder another time.

Gill you oh was lucky with the weather, to get his painting out of the way. I bet it looks nice and fresh now, and put the neighbours noses out, that theirs is dull and dreary/

As it was dry and not cold, I gave a serious thought about doing the step. It didn't take long to decide it can wait for another day, when I don't feel so achy. lol lol

Ros bought an Indian takeaway from Tesco, this morning, but instead of getting popadoms, she bought the Chinese crispy things instead. Can't think what they are called at this moment in time. But it will come to me. (NOT RICE CHRISBIES) (sp) lol lol

I expect T.V. will be rubbish as usual tonight. Thank goodness for SKY. We can normally find "FOYLE'S WAR" or Midsummer Murders to watch, until I go to bed, then Ros watches her Jewellery programmes. I know you are thinking :WHAT AN EXCITING LIKE WE HAVE. ;-) ;-) ;-) ;-) I should be so lucky :-D :-D :-D

I hope you all enjoy your evening, whatever you might be doing. !!!! xxxx

Still blimmin windy but the suns out now so thats a change from grey miserable skies.

I feel if I just shut my eyes I would soon drop off.

Em and the boys were out when I called this morning but I did'nt leave the eggs incase they blew away. Em's road to the bungalow was littered with leaves, heads off the hydranga's and twigs. I drove over one large twiggy bit hoping it was'nt going to get stuck under the car.

Went to the hsop after that and spent much more than I needed to. At least I have two nice brown loaves in the freezer now. I but a large one and cut it in half as its only me who eats wholemeal bread as oh will only eat white.

Well it did stop raining and the sun came out (still windy though), so we popped down to the horticultural society show. We had a good look round although didn't really look at the veg as we don't really understand what an onion should look like!! enjoyed looking at the plants and flowers though and the few flower arrangements too. I always feel sorry for somebody who comes second when there are only two entries. The cakes were well supported and the photography groups although I didn't honestly think the photos were that good. That is the trouble with digital photographs, once printed off they never look as good as on the computer screen. I was especially impressed with all the children's entries, the poems by the 10-12 year olds and the colouring by under and over a certain age up to 10 I think. The smaller entrants all had miniature boxes of smarties. and impressive was the father who was looking with his little girl in the under 6 class colouring, she had not won, the winner was 6 with a beautifully coloured picture. When she pointed to hers and it didn't have a red card her dad said. Oh yes look you have got a box of smarties and explained that the other one was better and why. I like to see these children go in for things and accept when they have not won.
After we had seen enough we didn't stop to hear the results but went through to the cafe at the back of the community centre and had coffee and shared a piece of cake.

Afternoon all ,

No rain here just very windy ,i think it's rougher now than first thing this morning ,i did get my washing dry though ,had to use plenty of pegs to keep them on the line :-D

Frank Ros did well to drive in those conditions i bet she was glad to get home and Lewis too after getting so wet .
What a shame the weather is like this for the Festival weekend when so much planning goes into it .
I don't think i would want to be in a caravan with this wind ,i should think it would be rocking about well in the wind .

Your lucky you don't have all the wind Gill so OH can get the painting done ,i bet it all looks nice and clean now .
That's good your foot and arm are starting to feel better ,don't try doing the screening just yet i'd give it another day or two to really feel better .

AnnG i thought i read some where that the super markets were stopping people going in the stores in their PJ's .

Oh that's good Ann :-D looking forward to seeing what you make with it ,there's more here if you need it .
Our poor beans are being battered a bit now ,i should see if there more beans ready to pick .
I bought a big Marrow today at the fruit and veg place where we get the children's fruit for the week that will be for my Piccalilli when i get round to making it .

Do make any jam with the plums Mel or just stew them ?
I hate it when the doors keep rattling and have to get up and close the window ,oh the bathroom door upstairs has just banged shut .

Katie has had the chance to go to the Adventure camp on Monday for a couple of nights ,its the camp she went to with her school ,she goes to a little club once a month and one of the girls couldn't go on the camp so they asked if she would like to go ,it's all free so they couldn't say no to it ,she is so excited and has packed her bag already :-D
Chelsea is coming to stay with us on Monday for a couple of nights while Katie is away so i think i will have a relaxing weekend as she wants to be on the go all the time .

I am pleased ros arrived home safely and that must have been a horrid journey for her with all the rain and wind and land fall. I bet there's also a lot of trees down over the country. Our garden has lots of twigs come down off the ash tree and leaves and apples in the orchard which the deer will like.

I have been up the shop and meant to pick some plums off the tree on the top field but drove back down forgetting all about them till I reached the bungalow. May go up this afternoon and pick some. The wasps had most of the ones on the little old tree on the south wall this year. I should have kept my eye on them better.

AnnG enjoy your lazy day and pizza tonight. Oh would'nt think that was a meal but we do have it for lunch sometimes.

Better go and get some lunch now as I am really hungry today.

Afternoon All,

We had rattling doors all night Mel, even with the bedroom window only open an inch or so. It woke me a few times but I was able to drop off quickly again so that was good. OH said the beanpoles were ok this morning so I'll go and pick some soon as there should be more after last week's first pickings. OH is off to a match so I will make me a sort of ratatouille to have on it's own. I have a load of courgettes from my friend yesterday and can cook them in chopped tomatoes with onion, butternut squash few runners and peppers, basil and garlic. I might do enough to try freezing a portion as well.

Mandy the parcel has arrived!! Thank you again and I am so chuffed with the variety of colours and can't wait to start my next project. :-D :-D

When I joined in the 70s AnnG, we were in an old shoe factory with painted brick walls and concrete floors. We didn't get the swivel chairs till much later. The old plastic covered chairs we had then began to crack and you would snag your tights on the sharp edges behind your knees. Instead of us having new chairs we were issued with the most awful psychedelic patterned stretch covers for them (that never fit properly!) in combinations of pink/orange, purple and turquoise. I saw a woman in our Sainsbury's in black fluffy mule slippers the other day and wondered if she had corns or something, but haven't seen anyone in PJs yet! I've read of mothers doing the school run in PJs though. I would feel too self conscious and my hair is a mess till it's washed or at least wetted through.

Gill, it sounds like you have RSI in your shoulder from putting all those screws in! The small drills with screwdriver bits you can fit are good when you have a lot to do like that, but aren't really worth it unless you do a lot of jobs needing them. We had another downpour last night but it is sunny and dry again now but still windy. Good luck with doing more of your OH's tree. The more you do, the more you find and need to do! :-D

Frank what a horrid journey for Ros and Lewis must have been perished standing in the rain. Good your shower is holding out though. Fancy Conrad's metal gate blowing down, but lucky no-one was hurt or their cars damaged.

A beading friend gave me an entry form yesterday for their village show as she knows I have entered things in my own village show before and this one is good in accepting entries from any of the surrounding villages. I might enter one or two things, although there are far less classes at this one.

Going to venture up the garden now to the greenhouse.

It sounds like you have terrible weather Frank and AnnG. I'm half expecting it to reach us up here later by the sounds of the strength of the wind. We have lots of cloud and a slight breeze but no rain now, the sun made a brief appearance a few minutes ago, but it's not very warm out there. I think we may of had strong wind in the night as I've just noticed one of my pot plants had blown over, it's now been moved to a more sheltered spot.

OH is getting on well with the painting and is thankful it's not to hot so he can work quicker. He's painting the gate and fence now and will do the other gate and fence after he's finished that one. The wall is finished down the side, but whether he'll do around the back of the bungalow today I'm not sure. It's such a big job he might want to leave that bit for another day. Time will tell.

What a journey Ros had Frank, I bet she was glad to be home. Enjoy your football later, hope you get the result you want.

Fancy that woman going shopping in her PJ's and dressing gown AnnG, it's not the norm for sunny weather, let alone pouring rain. I bet she got quite a few funny looks. Good idea to stay in doors if it's raining that badly. Enjoy your pizza later.

good morning all. Been raining here since yesterday lunch time. Very windy too although the rain is more heavy drizzle and does have occasional rests. We drove to the local Tesco for the paper and bought a pizza for tonight's meal, feeling lazy today.

Would you believe there was a woman we saw going in to Tesco (in the rain) who was wearing PJs, dressing gown and slippers. where is the sense in that, I suppose she will get indoors and keep them on and they will be very damp. Ugh!
Frank poor Ros, what a horrible journey. I think I would have preferred to give him money for the taxi if his father couldn't collect him.

we were going to go to the local horticultural society annual show this afternoon (indoors) but not sure we will go if it keeps raining.

Morning to you all,

We have had the STRONG WINDS all night, and this morning. I was in bed by 7.20 pm last night. I ached all over and felt I just needed to lie flat. I propped my book up so I could read for a while, not really comfortable, so gave that up. The Radio was complete rubbish with all this THUMPING MUSIC (thats what the youngsters call Music) They can keep it.!!! Got up again around 11.00 pm not been able to sleep. So I read my book until 1.30 am and went back to bed. Got some sleep, but by no means a good night.

Ros said it took over an hour to get to Luton Airport. On the road from the Mi to the airport, the banks on the side of the road collapsed and TWO FEET of Earth and water flooded the road. Lewis was standing out in the rain when she got there. He was soaked through. She phoned when she was leaving Harvey's so I cold get dinner started.

Yes, what a BLOOMER I made in my reply to the lady about the bracelet. We have been in touch a few times now, and she accepts that it was not meant as an insult, and have parted, without any animosity. So I will get the bracelet packed and posted next week.

Goodness knows how, (f the Festival goes off today.) they will cope with this weather. I don't think I will be venturing out to see anything. West Ham hosts Manchester City today at 12.30 pm kick off on BT SPORT. So I will be glued to the T.V. As the pub doesn't have SKY and the football club won't be open. And anyway, I don't think I fancy walking anywhere, in this wind.

Jane is was over 60 years ago when my sister lost her baby, might even have been 65 years ago. How is James coping with all his upsets. ?? Give him my regards.

Conrad and Jan rang last night. The wind has blown off their big METAL door that they have on the patio area, where they park the car. Good job no one was around it at the time. They hope to pop us sometime next week to see us. I will book a table somewhere when I know. I hope it's not next weekend, as it's SALLY'S 50th Birthday Party at a venue in Daventry. I haven't meet any of her family, and I son't know if any of my side of the family have been invited. Will wait and see, when we get there.

Ros is out shopping with Carolyn, as Martine and Brian are down at th caravan. I hope it stays upright, in all this wind. I would have thought, it was the last place you would want to be, in this weather.

I have to go down the garden to dig some carrots for tomorrows dinner. I will take a couple of carrier bags, and pick up any windfalls from the apple tree, whichh I expect will be a lot.

Shower still working this morning.

Stay safe, in all this weather. xxxx

It must be quite windy Mel if the doors to the lounge are rattling, good idea to close the bedroom window to stop the draft.

Yes, we've been very lucky with the weather, especially with OH painting the outside of the bungalow. I must admit his painting is looking good and makes the property look nice and clean, after all the dust from the work going on next door. OH's friend said it looks posh and should he bow when he see us now lol :-D :-D

Sounds like you have been lucky with your weather Gill not like us its been raining here on and off for days now and some really heavy downpours too.

The doors to the lounge are rattleing today so I better go and close the bedroom window.

Morning all

Cloudy with a tiny bit of fine rain. OH is just about to finish the painting down the side of the bungalow. It's peppledash so it should hold the paint if it rain harder. He's only got a little bit left to do. We don't have the peppledash around the back, so that bit of painting can wait until the weather is brighter.

It looks like we've been lucky and had better weather than you all, we've had quite a bit of sun these past few days and it's not been windy, although it's a bit breezy today.

You were lucky the woman understood what you meant in your email once you explained it to her Frank, what a shock it must of been to read it though. Sorry to hear the bracelet didn't fit Ros. Have you found another one yet? Hope Lewis made it home okay and the weather wasn't to bad for Ros to drive in.

I heard on the news last night there were power cuts in Cheshire, which isn't that far from us Mel, luckily our electric stayed on. Hope the weather has calmed down a bit by you and you haven't had anything blowing around.

Pleased to see your hip isn't hurting now Jane. How long will it be before you can drive again?

I did really well on OH's tree yesterday and hoping to have another good day today. I have everything I need to finish off the screening but think another few days rest should sort my arm and foot out, they are slowly starting to improve, so i don't want to make them bad again by doing to much to soon. Besides with OH painting in the same area, I'd only get in his way.

Morning all,

Very windy here last night and this morning and there's loads of leaves all over the lawns. They say we have this wind till about six o'clock tonight. Rained loads last night but I still had two hogs come to eat at the bowl of food I put out.

I shall be staying in as much as possible today but have toget my paper from the hop and I will have a dozen eggs for Em.

Slept well even though oh had all the covers. I had to get the extra throw to cover myself in the night.

We had a power cut this afternoon and oh came out and asked me what I had done to knock the leccy out. I said I hav'nt done anything and had'nt realized it had got off. It was out for quite while too. Then you have to wait for the internet to kick back in. Not even the phone worked.

O Frank what an awful mistake you made putting I hope you die!! Its a chame the braclet was too small for Ros so now you will have to keep looking. Did Ros get back safely from picking Lewis up? Its a bit naughty of Harvey to let his mum pick Lewis up as you say he is his own boss and it would'nt have hurt him to collect Lewis. Its years since I had proper cod roe. I did see it in Morrisons once but it was so expensive I did'nt get it.

Holiday sounds good to me Pippyn I hope you have good weather and a lovely time.

We've had a lot of really heavy showers today and the wind is still blowing. The beans have been safe though and we have had one picking this week too Mandy, on Wednesday with our lamb chops.

Annx way back you were talking about hierarchy with chairs at work. Working with the military there was a lot of hierarchy but I don’t remember there being any different with chairs. Maybe when HEOs and Wing commanders got their own office they may have had chairs with arms but mostly we had typists swivel and wheels chairs. The teams in the open plan office used to have an order of seating with EOs nearest the window and AAs at the end of the row of desks. That was in my last position and was high grade too heavy as it was a main office (HR). We spent all our time fighting for recognition for our grades to be accepted with equivalent ranks.