General Chat

I was going to pm my blog address but Jane got there first. When everyone has made a note of it Jane would you do me a favour please and delete it. Thanks,

Evening all,

Well we had decided to go out on the garden this morning to do a bit but after hanging out the washing i came in chilled to the bone so no gardening got done ,i did get the washing dry.

Glad to hear you nice and warm now Frank ,you might have lower gas bills with the new boiler .
I think Ros is right in saying you should leave the meal for a while

Oh dear Gill that polystyrene can make a heck of a mess and i suppose the wind has broken it all up ,they must have known it would blow all over the place in the wind .

So you got your love of gardening from your Grandad Mel ,how lovely that he made you the little watering can and bucket,
I remember having a little plot to plant some seeds although it seemed to take for ever before they came up :-D

Ann fancy the chap not giving you the leaflet last time you went for your injection ,you might have been more prepared for the side affects if you'd had that to read .
I hope it doesn't happen again this time , how does the knee feel now ?
So you'll be ok this summer if you get any wasps :-D
Will be thinking of you tomorrow as you say your goodbyes to your sister <3

Oh poor James so much going on for him at the moment i hope the time off work can help him have a nice rest and sort things out ,he has a loving mum and dad there for him .
I've heard of MineCraft Jane ,it's a game i think Jake likes playing .

AnnG i like all the cards you've made ,there's some really pretty one there .

O Ann I will be thinking of you tomorrow if its your sisters funeral and I hope you don't get the red face. HOw does the other knee feel now?

Don't feel like any dinner tonight as all so oh has said he will have toasted cheese snadwiches so that will save some money.

Jane they did talk about stopping our mobile library and we all had to fill in forms about it and they are not going to stop it now. It only comes once a month now though so you can see why I was upset at missing it last month.

I want to see AnninG's cards please?

Afternoon All

What a horrible day it has been .Strong winds again and plenty of rain this afternoon.

Fingers crossed you don't get the red face again Ann,especially for tomorrow (I think I am right in saying it is your Sister's Funeral). I will be thinking of you.So you have been told how get rid of Wasps nest too :-D.That could come in very handy.Mind you I think I would rather get someone who knows what they are doing especially if the nest is in a high place as ours always seem to be.

AnnG. Lovely Cards.You have quite a selsection there. The Dragon ones are unusual.


So Frank,a good job done with the new boiler and the old one has been taken already :-D.I think Ros's idea of not inviting the others for lunch on Sunday is a good idea.You still need to take things slowly(even though I know how difficult that is for you :-D)
Conrad seems to be doing really well with the sale of all these Viilas :-D

Oh dear Polystyrene Gill. Its horrible stuff.Is it sheets or the beady things? This wind wont help blowing it all out of the skip :-S. As Ann said they will be a day nearer finishing the job.You will hanging out the flags when it is all finally done and life can get back to normal for you .

All set up with your books Mel. You are lucky to still have the mobile library. I think they stopped the one that visited Cranford a long time ago .

I may not be around quite so much for a few days. James has been given 5 weeks paid leave.He is not really in a good place at the moment. Hopefully these 5 weeks will give him chance to really get searching for a new job and also get his head together.
He looks so down and its awful to see :-(..That is all I can say right now.

Hannah and Gareth are off in the morning to Venice. Hopefully the wind will have calmed down by the time they fly.

The man who stole the Dysons and Sprayed that obnoxious spry has been jailed for 12 months. Not long enough for me. He will be out in a few months no doubt. He is appealing his sentence too !!!!!!. I can't really see him getting anywhere with that.
It was in todays paper. I think he was lucky to just get 12months.

Slow cooker meal tonight. Its been cooking now for 6 hours .I will give it another hour and it should be done nicely. I will just have to cook the Basmati Rice.

Mandy, Janice did William a MineCraft costume for world book day today.(I think Minecraft) I have no idea what that is though.
Did anyone watch MotherFatherSon ? It was good. Bit of full frontal in it too !!(man).I haven't seen that in a long time...I don't mean THAT lol ,but on TV.I think this is going to be a really good series.
May be back later.

I loved pottery at school but mum would'nt buy what I made so I only had a little vase in blue with palm trees on. I was made about palm tree when I was young. Not the foggyest notion why.

My camelia down at Prickly Bottom is pink and flowering lovely but has one albino flower on it of pure white. I think it did this last year but this year I have taken a photo.

Its been dry most of today but the wind is really bitter and blowing quite hard. Oh got on well today and I see I have the pop hole ready to take a door as the sliders are in. He has also boarded the other end to the nest boxes. He came in looking very cold so I made him a coffee and when I corned the girls I shut the garage doors so he dos'nt have to go out anymore.

I shall go and get F & C tonight as I don't feel like cooking. I don't feel like doing anything.

Its getting cold in here so I must tell Echo to turn the heating on and make myself a drink.

My forsythia is flowering.

Afternoon All,

Very cold here, windy and several sharp showers. I returned some of the surplus trousers and I've had the injection. I told the chap what had happened before and he gave me a leaflet he said he should have given me last time. Apparently the red face is to do with female hormones as men don't get it! To be on the safe side he told me to sit in the waiting room for 10-15 mins after, which I did. He also told me how to get rid of wasps nests, so that was handy too!

Mel it sounds like you had a great time gardening with your grandad and riding in his bike trailer. How lovely that he made you those tools for gardening too. I remember mum and dad grew lots of veg and flowers and I was given some of mum's annual flower mix to sow in my little patch. My first FIL was a really keen gardener and had a huge garden and greenhouse that I loved wandering around. People used to stop and photograph their front garden which would be a narrow mown oblong with a big flowerbed in the middle. The top, bottom and side borders and the middle bed would be edged with white alyssum, then deep blue lobelia, then taller salvias called red blaze. He also grew those incurved Chrysanthemums in white and lemon and I remember them being covered in paper bags till they were ready to cut. We always got a bunch at Christmas. Also one of those plants with bright orange berries like small tomatoes that he grew as well.

That's good you are all toasty with the new boiler Frank! It's good there wasn't any mess left as well. The old one soon disappeared didn't it, especially as you live in a close where there's not much passing traffic.

Gill, that polystyrene blows all over the place it's that light. You'd think he'd have the sense to weigh it down properly wouldn't you. Still, each day they work is a day nearer to them finishing isn't it. You have reminded me that our bathroom needs a lick of paint, at least on the ceiling as we have some paint flaking off above the shower.

OH is always impatient queuing in shops and gets irritated if the checkout staff stop what they are doing while they chat, but we generally split up and get some of the list each and he adds what he fancies and I do the same.

Apart from Sunday roast and the leftovers in some form the following day, my parents didn't have set days for any meals. MIL and FIL did though and even did the same on holiday. It's perhaps as well we eat out more now as we never know what we might fancy till the day and even then we might each fancy something different.

You make some lovely cards AnnG. I would be afraid of marking and spoiling them just as they were finished!! I've seen a free 2 Saturday session on pottery for beginners about 18 miles away in tonight's paper that I'm thinking of doing. It's on Fridays again though so I would miss beading. Decision to make!

Hi Mel and all, Siill a filthy day out there. Rain and wind. I can't see BARRY coming tomorrow to cut the lawns. It will be far to wet and with an electric mower. NO WAY

Ros popped in after S. D. and dropped of her bits, she has gone to pick my denture up. and then onto Tesco for fresh Veg and milk.

All I have done today is prepare the meal, and read my book. I finished a new one I started this morning. Now on another 99 p one from Amazon. It looks quite a long one, mystery and murder. Just up my street.

I have the heating on low and t seems much warmer than the old boiler. Mind you that was 15 years old, so I can't complain.

I mentioned about inviting Julia and Harvey up for lunch on Sunday as a "THANK YOU" But Ros seems to think it will be too much for me, as she feels I am not yet fully recovered from my broken ribs. So will take her advise and do it another Sunday.

Conrad rang from Spain last night. Eos put the phone on "SPEAKER" so we has a three way conversation. He had sold THREE VILLAS. One Monday, Tuesday and yesterday. So he is keeping himself busy.

What type of books/tapes do you like Mel ?? It's nice that you have them come to your village. Is it a weekly visit or less often.??

I've got a cup ready for Ros when she gets in, I just need to reboil the kettle. She nearly always brings back a cream cake, so we can have that with our COT. M mmmm

I'm pleased you are now all nice and warm Frank. That was a nice quick job too and to leave no mess was a bonus.

BEEN to the library and got myself all stockd up. Julie had saved me the books she got for me last time so that was good. One I did'nt like the look of so left that one behind and chose another as she was on a different van so she had things I had'nt seen before.

Making soup for lunch and must get the rolls in the oven.

Afternoon all,

Yews are like the BUGS IN THE RUG. Nice and warm with hot water. I rang Julia to thank her for sending Brian up to replace the boiler. He's made a great job of it. He didn't leave any mess for us to clear up. He left the boiler outside the drive for the RAG AND BONE MAN. Well "ANY OLD IRON MAN" When I got up this morning the boiler had GONE.

Yes had a good night last night. I did indicate to Ros that I was going to have a lie in. So she got up without disturbing me. But I was still up by 8.00 am.

She's at Stitchery Do today, so should be home around 2.00 pm.

Horrible cold wind here again. I have managed to clean the outside lounge window and the two kitchen windows. The kitchen windows were in a state from all the trick dust from drilling the walls yesterday. Ros will be pleased, as they looked a right old mess.

Lamb steaks, news potatoes, brussels, runners, Peas and Carrots for dinner tonight followed by a Bread and Butter pudding. I must get it cooked a bit earlier tonight, as Ros has Choir Practice at 7.00 pm. So I will record her soaps, and watch my Police Programmes.

Have a safe afternoon, whatever you might be doing. xxx

Yes, AnnG I was surprised to see a pot of Tulips flower so early in the year, it's only one pot the rest just have buds up to now. Maybe the one that flowered was more sheltered as I had them all in the greenhouse over winter to keep the squirrels off them. It sounds like your OH has been very busy with the seeds, you're going to have lots of colour in the summer months.
OH's just had to clear the front garden again, there was so much rubbish (polystyrene) everywhere, he put it in the skip and weighed it down with some wood. The boss is there on his own so OH thinks he has just thrown some rubbish in the skip and it's blown out over our garden. The bit OH weighed down before is still there. I hope the rubbish doesn't damage the little flowers that are starting to grow, thankfully some of the polystyrene broke, but the wind is very strong and it's still raining so OH isn't to happy at having to go out all the time. He's doing the second coat of paint in the bathroom now. I love your cards AnnG, the ones you sent Sandra were brilliant, she has kept them and put them away safely. So most of your grandchildren are all grown up, I bet it's lovely to see your little great grandchildren to, they are such lovely ages.

I sometimes watch the clouds Mel, especially in the summer when I'm sitting outside having a cuppa, I see lots of different shapes around. No, don't forget the library again. Pleased to hear you haven't got constant rain like me, it's coming down really heavy today with no signs of it stopping anytime soon and the wind has really picked up again.

I love Gardeners World, you know spring is on the way when it's on. I think it repeats on a Sunday morning AnnG, I normally record it on that day as it clashes with other things I watch on a Friday, but this year it doesn't so I can record it on time now.

I have put some of the cards I made recently on my blog if anyone wants to see them.

Thanks for the photo Mel, what a cute hat I bet they get some comments when he wears it out.

Yes, looking forward to gardeners world Gill, we record it and watch it at the weekend when nothing else is on.

Morning Gill and AnninG and all,

I was lying watching the clouds this mroning. They fasinate me as the big white ones were'nt moving but the lower cotton wool grey ones were rushing past and it looked like you could reach out and put your hands between them and the white ones above.

AnninG I have sent on Buddie in his hat.

Suns out a bit today but we have had rain too earlier on so I suppose its going to be April weather again today. Well we are through the first week of March.

Library today and I must'nt forget.

Yes looking forward to Gardeners World on Friday Gill.

I have all the Chateau programs to catch up on this week too as I hav'nt watched any. I have been watch some other programs.

Your tulips are early Gill aren't they, no sign of ours flowering yet but all the daffs are in flower. He planted (as far as I can remember: Cosmos, calendula, French marigolds and a basket sweet pea. He has also pricked out from the little packs we bought, petunias and geraniums. We try not to grow many seeds as they are a bit of a pain to prick out and then plant out, especially as we go away for almost two weeks in April.

My grandchildren are all adults except our granddaughter who is 16, the men are 22, 27, 29 and 30. The great grandchildren are 5, 3 and 2.

It is partly selfish making cards for charity as I love making them and would make too many to send to friends and family.

Mandy, yes it is relaxing, you tend to concentrate on what you are doing so can't worry about other things. I don't make very ornate cards, some that I see on craft sites and in a craft group are very complicated to make. I tend to concentrate on colour themes.

we never fall out when shopping, we both know what we are looking for and always work as a team. In fact we rarely fall out at all.

Love the sound of the Wonky donkey although don't know the book.

Jane we had a fridge freezer many years ago, when freezers first became fashionable. I am not that tall (5.2.5) and couldn't reach what was in the bottom.
Hope Chris is ok today. I had a really bad night again last night second this week, saw every hour on the clock and felt really nauseous. Wish I knew what was causing it. We were supposed to be going to Cheltenham today about our ISAS but OH is going on his own as I don't feel like being bumped around on the bus. I am strange because I don't like him going on his own!!!! worried about him I suppose, daft isn't it?

Frank hope you are warm today.

Annx pleased you now have trousers to wear and hope the injection goes well today. I am sure that you would be good at card making as you are at other crafts.

Anne there are lots of people around who make cards so it is very hard to sell them unless you work and have colleagues.

Mel could you send me the photo of buddy please. :-) :-)

Morning all

Raining again here, OH is going to sand and paint our bathroom ceiling, we noticed yesterday it's starting to flake above the bath, he's also going to do the gloss painting on the door and skirting boards. Another day where the plants are being watered and so far no workmen, so it's looking like a good start to the day, apart from a bit of polystyrene that had got blown down the side of the neighbour's bungalow, the boss put it there yesterday and only put one piece of wood to weight it down, so OH has left it where it's landed and added more wood, hopefully it won't be blown around again. He also had to pick up yet more rubbish out of the front garden, not a pleasant job in all this rain, but it's done now. We don't think we're going to see anymore workmen this week, so hopefully it'll be nice and quiet again over the weekend.

It sounds like your son is getting on well with Lewis's bedroom Mandy, he's going to love his new grown up bed, how old is he now? I'd love to see a pic of Lewis in his donkey outfit if you take one, that was handy there already being one made, it'll save you a job. Love Chelsea and Katie's rabbits names.

What a funny conversation at the shops Jane, I don't think I could have the same meal on certain days of the week, what if you fancied something else. Sorry to hear Chris was feeling queasy, I hope he feels better today and wasn't ill in the night. Good idea to sleep elsewhere though, just in case.

I bet your bungalow is really toasty today with your new boiler Frank, much better than the cold yesterday. Did you have a better nights sleep last night?

Hope your chickens weren't to wet with all the rain yesterday Mel and it's drier for them today. It sounds like you used to have a great time with your Granddad, that was nice of him to make you a watering can and bucket. It's lovely to have some good memories isn't it?

Pleased to hear your trousers are all done now Ann, I remember taking some trousers up for my mum's friend and I was concerned the legs wouldn't be the same length, luckily they were and he was really pleased with them. I didn't tell anyone I'd never done it before. To be honest I was quite chuffed with myself as they were lined, so I had to sort the lining out at well. I was also nervous when it came to cutting them, so you're not on your own there. Good luck with your injection today, I hope you don't have a reaction like you did last time.

Gardener's World starts again tomorrow for those who want to watch it. I'm looking forward to it. I love Nigel and Nellie, I think those dogs are the stars of the show :-)

O good luck with the injection tomorrow Ann. I hope it all goes well like the other one did and you don't get the red face this time. Perhaps your body will now be use to it. Hope this one works to and we shall see you running around like a two year old!! I keep twisting my knee a bit and it gives me what for but I know now how I do it but sometimes forget if I am rushing to get something done.

Lewis will be so pleased with his new space Mandy and its a good job you hav'nt had to make the donkey outfit. Well done DIL for keeping the one from last time it was used.

Em sent me a picture of George after one of his rugby matches. You should have seen the mud on him but he did score two trys so Em was pleased with that. They must have showers there as I can't see them going home caked in mud like that.

Anne I thought I would forward the pic of Buddie as I read your post so I did it there and then. I hope we get some more pics of him in his hat.

Mum always knew what they were having for dinner when she was young as nan cooked the same meals on the same days. Roast sunday and cold meat Monday with chips as it was wash day. rissoles on Tuesday etc etc. They always had kippers on a Saturday night when I was young and we used to go round there after going for a look around the shops in South Woodford. Grandad would be down his allotment under the flyover and I would be dropped off to help him and keep me occupied with the veg and loading up grandads little trailer behind his byke. Then it was a ride back to the house on the saddle while grandad stood on the peddles. I even went in the little trailer when I was small. I loved it. Grandad was a sheet metal worker and he made me a small watering can and bucket for when I helped down the allotment. I think that must have been when I started to like growing veg. Grandad also grew the most amazing mop head Chrysants with the incurve petals.

Evening All,

Happy Birthday to your grandson AnnG. Making cards was my sister's main hobby too. It's something I have never really tried apart from one or two painted ones a few years ago.

Very cold and breezy here and not much sunshine today again. We did a bit of shopping too after lunch and it poured with rain while we were in Sainsbury's. We only went in for a few bits and bobs and came out with a trolley load! I hate all the loading and unloading too but OH comes with me for the big shopping trips now my knees protest and today he put it all away as well, so I might be hunting for some things later!

Are you SWELTERING yet Frank? :-D I hope so!! Well done on getting the mower and Harvey is good doing the running about to fetch it for you. Is it far away from him/you?

Gill you have been busy as usual. I don't know how you get it all done! Lucky the rain has watered all of your pots though.

I can just imagine Lewis being excited about his bedroom 'growing' Mandy. It's surprising what difference a little extra space can make to a small room. It's lucky your DIL already has the donkey outfit. I wouldn't know where to start with that! I bet she keeps all the childrens' costumes, just in case they can be recycled! How lovely two of the girls have bunnies Mandy. It was the only pet I was allowed after battling for ages to be allowed to have one. I loved my bunny. She was so snuggly and nice to cuddle. If you lay them back in your arms they seem to freeze like that till you move..

The poor chickens having to paddle again Mel. They must be fed up with the wet.

The new people have been moving into Jean's bungalow today. I think they have been doing a few trips with a smallish van as they seem to have been toing and froing all day. I expect they will be shattered by now, but judging by all the cars parked higher up the close they have had some helpers.

I bet Naomi is glad to be going home Anne. Fancy it having started a long time ago and I wonder how they can tell that.

I turned up both pairs of trousers last night and they are fine. I panic a bit doing these things these days as I do so little sewing now and think I will forget what to do or make a mistake, or cut into something I shouldn't. It puts me off making a start. :-S

I have my injection in the other knee tomorrow afternoon, so we will take some of the trousers back as we can eat near the factory shop then and then call in the surgery on the way back. I hope I don't have another sleepless night and headache this time, or the bright red face!!

Good evening all

Happy birthday to your grandson AnnG hope he has a lovely day. One of my old office friends does home made cards and sells them on line she makes them in her spare time as she is a registrar as well.

Hope you are nice and cosy now Frank and Ros with your new boiler. Mel very kindly forwarded the photo of Buddy in his hat, Ros was clever getting such a good fit for him.

I agree with you Jane about preferring to do your shopping on your own, it's good when chatting to other people and hearing different points of view, I can remember years ago when the meals were always the same each day of the week. I have my Sainsbury delivery coming tomorrow much easier way to shop and to compare prices over the week. I hope Chris doesn't need the sick bucket tonight.

Your poor chickens Mel getting their feet wet, I now keep thinking about Mandy's comment about them wearing Wellie boots.

Gill you have been a busy bee today, I wish I had your energy again.

It sounds like it won't take too long then Mandy for the wall to be put up.Lewis will be a happy little boy with his new room :-D

Wonky Donkey :-D.. I just love the way that trips of the tongue . That is lucky that your DIL already has the Donkey outfit . Janice had a call yesterday from Michel to say William needs an outfit too. Talk about leaving it a bit late. But she said not to worry she would sort something . Good Grandma :-D

I meant to say in my last post Anne, that is is good Naomi will soon be home again. So they think the MS could have started all those years ago !!. I think sometimes there could be a symptom but then it can lay dormant for many years. It is not a diagnosis that anyone would want and at such a young age but I expect she is going to be ok for a long time yet .

Mel I have never wanted a Chest Freezer simply because of all the rooting around and not quite remembering what might be lurking deep down .We dont have room for a Chest one anyway so have the tall freezer (7 drawer) in the garage and a 3 drawer in the fridge freezer. At least the girls will enjoy those apples when you manage to dig them out :-D :-D

I never go food shopping with Chris .I think we would fall out before even getting to the second isle :-D. He goes to Waitrose once a week for certain things he likes there and I get him ot get me a few bits I can't get in Tesco. Fresh Lemon Thyme is one of the things. I use that in one of my slow cooker recipes. No where else sells it . I shall make sure that will be one of the Herbs to plant again.
When I was in Morrisons last week there was a Husband and Wife in front of me at the till and I could tell by the ladies face she was exasperated with her OH. We had quite a funny conversation ,and she was saying she always did the shopping on her own and now for some reason he thinks he needs to go with her, and she is always finding extra things in the trolley :-D.. Then a man behind me joined in the conversation . He has done the shopping for him and his wife for 30 years and also does all the cooking.
He showed me all the things he had in his trolley and told me they had exactly the same meals week.He was very proud of himself LOL . The women in front then said remember in the day when we knew exactly what we would have on each day. The other man must have got stuck in the past I think :-D I just love conversations like that and I was in stitches. Chris would really hate it (one reason why I won't have him with me doing food shopping. He would not want to get into conversation with strangers about their food habits :-D :-D
He is useful though when I get home as he come out and get all the heavy bags out of the boot and helps with the unpacking. I like to put away though as I like things in the right place
:-D

Where is the cat when you want him? There were 2 big Rabbits cavorting around the lawn this afternoon :-S :-S.

I picked up my prescription and booked a long over due blood test ,put some diesel in the tank and that was my day out today. No shopping :-0. Chris has said he can't face dinner as he is feeling a little queasy :-S. I have suggested he takes a bucket to bed tonight (just in case) . I will NOT be sharing the bed.