General Chat

No Jane or Frank today ?

Poor Brian had to go really as he stumbled and he was doing so well too ,I think James is going to win .

The wind has really picked up now it's whistling down the chimney .

That's a pity Mel, I would of liked to have seen them.

Love the picture of Jilly, Jane. What a good idea, much better than the lamp shade :-D

Just watched Dancing on Ice, what a shame about Brian and he was doing so well to.

Can't seem to get them to go any way I try.

No pictures here Mel.

No pictures here Mel, unless you've sent them to my old email address.

Sorry to hear of the strong wind by you, I know how frightening it can be, I hope nothing is damaged, especially the roof of the new chicken house. Best not to go out in it if it's that bad, you wouldn't want to be injured if anything blew on you, or if you got blown around.

Yes, you're probably right Mandy, I'm sure they will be careful with the fences, I can't see them wanting to replace it all. Our only worry is if they damage the fence the screening is attached to as that is a big job to fix, plus we have two 12 foot Red Robins there, which we can't move. OH had to ask 2 men across the road to help him move them last time they needed moving. I just wish it was all finished so we can get on with our lives, it seems to be going on for an awful long time and if they're only working a couple of days a week it's going to take a very long time before they're finished.

I have sent two lots of three pics but don't know if they have gone or not.

I have sent some pics of what our top garden used to look like. Can you let me know if you have them please and I will send three more.

Its really rugh here Mandy. We have had a little sun here and there and some glimpses of blue sky but they don't last long. Its started to get dark here so only one more trip out to shut the girls away for the night.

Chicken and ham pie for tea tonight and cheese and olives and a scotch egg for oh and some grapes.

I should think they will be careful when they do the drive Gill ,they know you have been keeping an eye on them and after all if there was any damage they would have to put it right and if the money is getting tight they wouldn't want any added expense.
Did Sandra have her eye on the pink and purple cushion cover ? :-D

Batten down the hatches Mel it sounds as if it's getting rough your way .

Well its blowing a gale here and thigns are falling over one way and then the other. Oh went out because the new roof to the new house blew onto the west lawn. He could'nt pick it up because he would have set sail so he put a big block on it. The winds making a lot of noise and then it suddenly stops and then starts again. I shold be going round to corn the girls but I asm not sure if I will make it but get blown away myself.

Which reminds me oh ent out to sercure the roofing board and get me corn for the girls . He went out with the bucket but came back in without it!!!!!! :-|

Of course Mel, I didn't think about food being close to the nesting box, it would encourage other birds..........silly me. It sounds like Robbie will probably build his nest at the back of your shed. OH and I have just been watching a Blackbird taking bits and bobs for his nest, we think he might be making one in the hedge behind the screening, but whether he'll use that one or make another one with the workmen coming and going we'll have to see.

Yes, we were thinking the same Mandy, hopefully there won't be as much noise now they are working in doors, apart from maybe the kitchen as it's where the bi-fold doors are. The problem with do have is they do a lot of cutting and various other things in the front garden so most of the noise seems to be there, plus it gets very dusty and when they put rubbish in the skip they tend to throw it rather than putting it in so sometimes it ends up in our front garden. I think the worse job is going to be the drive and the block paving right down the side of the bungalows as I think they'll be using a digger to take the old one away, there's a chance they could damage our fences if they're not careful, so as you can imagine we're not looking forward to that job, but these things need doing. Hopefully it won't take to long and they think about the boundaries while they're working......we can only hope, can't we?
Pleased to see DIL's father is home now and that it was only a migraine, it must of been a bad one though for him to end up in hospital. Let's hope it doesn't happen again. I haven't had ham and chips for ages, I used to have a bit of Branston Pickle with mine, it was very nice. Mum's picking her cushion covers up sometime next week, she's hoping to embroider something on the plain white one, I suggested maybe using the same colour as the purple and pink in the other cushions so they all match, she said she's not sure what she's doing yet but it was a good idea. She's having her sofa and chairs recovered at the end of the month and the cushions are to match it. I think it's going to look very nice when it's finished.

The rain is starting to ease a bit here, I think the plants and grass have enjoyed it, although the grass is probably going to need cutting again soon. The wind we had yesterday didn't amount to anything in the end so that's good as it's the one thing I really don't like.

Afternoon all,

Light rain here all the morning and it's still coming down so no jobs done outside today
son and family came this morning for coffee ,DIL'S dad is home i think they are now thinking it was not a stroke but a migraine so that was good news .
We're having a nice relaxing afternoon and an easy meal tonight of ham and chips tonight so nothing to prepare .

Your little Robbie will soon find some where to nest Mel he's not going to go far when he knows there's plenty of food nearby .

Gill it shouldn't be as noisy now the work on the bungalow is all inside work that needs doing ,you've had a noisy few weeks/ months so it must be nice to have the peace and quiet .
You've done well to stitch all the cushion covers by hand i bet mum will be pleased with them .

The wind seems to be getting a little stronger but i think we might be on the edge of the really strong winds that are forecast for over night .

If I put s nest box on my shed it would have to be on the back as thats the way that faces north. He would'nt probably make a nest in it anyway as someone else would nab it.

You never put food by a nest box either as it would encourage other birds and the nesting couple would'nt like that.

He usualy builds behind my shed as there is holly there and behind that the laurel all along the side of the garden and orchard.

We've still got the rain to Mel.

Have you thought of putting a bird box on the outside of your shed, then Robbie can build his nest there. If he's used to going in your shed for food then it makes sense that he'll probably want to build a nest close to the food. If his nest was just outside then you will be able to close the door properly. He can still go in from time to time for food when you want him to, or even put a bit of food near the nesting box. Just a thought but that way you are both happy. It would be a shame if Robbie nested somewhere else, as I know you like to see him.

Morning Gill and all,

Been very windy and the winds made the rain lash against the bedroom window. Its still raining now and I don't think its going to stop all day.

I really don't want Robbie nesting in my shed as it means leaving the top door open and then the rain will get in so it is gooing to be shut from now on. I keep the bantams food in there just inside the door so I can swop from the mornings pellets to their corn in the late afternoon. I also used to have a bowl of mealworms just inside the door for Robbie and Jenny Wren who both go in there for them. They will have to do without that now too.

Morning all

Raining here today, I think we've got the weather you had yesterday Mel. OH and I have just been chatting and said we don't mind the workmen doing a 2 day week as we've enjoyed the peace and quiet and it's less stressful. Plus we're getting used to not having neighbours next door lol :-D So they can take as long as they like if they carry on working the way they are, we like 5 days of peace and quiet each week.

Yes, I was thinking of you Ann when we were watching the programme and wondered how far away the properties were to you. We both liked the bubble house, as we called it. We thought it was a brilliant idea rather than having just a plain window to divide the rooms. The ceilings were a bit high though in the dining and living rooms, I should imagine you'd need scaffolding to paint them, I doubt a normal ladder would be long enough. Some of the properties were a bit loud on the colour front though and the end terrace with the vintage furniture and the pink and orange wallpaper was definitely not to our taste, we were surprised it won it's category.
I know what you mean on the jeans front, some of the legs are far to skinny. At least you found some baggier ones. Good idea to leave the legs baggy for now to accommodate your dressing should you need to. I'm looking forward to seeing the picture of your necklace. I love to see the beautiful things you make.

Going to watch the Gladiators with Sandra now, she looks forward to it every week. Then we'll watch the 60 minute makeovers after that. We seem to have got ourselves into a routine now, with those programmes on a Sunday.

I should imagine the workmen will be back tomorrow morning, so we're going to enjoy our last day of peace for this week. OH thinks he saw the kitchen being delivered the other day, so I think that might be the next job being done.

I like trousers that are stretchy like my jeans Gill, but the 3 pairs I got the other day were that tight on the legs they wouldn't fit a stick insect's leg! The pair that will do are a bit baggier than I like and I thought about sewing them as you suggest as I have often done that before, but then thought I may need something baggier over the knees when they have dressings on if they operate, so I may leave the width and just shorten them. I'm like you AnnG in that the ankle grazers are full length on me! M&S used to be pretty consistent on size, so it's a nuisance if they've changed. I stick with one place for my stretch jeans as they stock a short 25 inch length that is just right. I have always had to shorten ones from elsewhere. These are things that annoy me when men can buy any trousers in the exact length they want, as they also can with shirt neck sizes.

That was nice for you to see Robbie Mel. I wonder where he was taking the grass? You will have to keep watch another time to see where he goes.

I managed to finish another necklace today, also a bracelet so I must take photos tomorrow. I still have a few more things to finish though.

I've been watching that prog Gill, especially as all the homes were not far from me!! I loved the one with the bubble wall. Some were a bit cluttered for me, but there were some good ideas in all of them. I couldn't cope with all those cushions on the bed and chair in one of the houses. It did make me want to get the decorating brushes out and I might just have a go with our small inner hall this year if my knees let me.

Jane its just a thought but Ihave a covered roaster which cooks meats ok without splashing the oven. Its enamel and works well. You could get yorself one of those.

We hav'nt seen the sun since this morning.

Jane do you often sreak with your dinner???? :-D

Its raining her and windy too. I have just shut the girls in and got soaked.

If the trousers fit well on the waist and hips and are just to baggy in the legs Ann, could you not take the legs in? I remember when I was in my teens, I was so skinny that all my jean legs were massive, so I turned them inside out and sewn along one leg and down the other, it worked a treat. I do remember my sister sewing hers, somehow she managed to sew them while wearing them, gawd knows how, but at the end of the evening when she went to take them off, she'd sewn them so tight she couldn't get them off over her feet, I had to help her unpick her stitching to she could get changed for bed. Needless to say she never took another pair of jeans in again ;-) ;-)
I still take jeans/trousers in that way now. I did have a pair of jeans that were slightly to big around the waist so put a bit of elastic in the waistband, just at the back, that worked too.

So you're OH is looking at buying you a new phone AnnG. I did smile when you said you were being dragging into the 21st century as I still have my very old Nokia from, I think the 90's, it's the only phone I've ever had and it has a green screen.....talk about old lol, but it does the job, I can text and call people so I don't see the point in getting a new one, as I hardly even use it anyway. I don't have an ipad, kindle or any of those sorts of things,to be honest I wouldn't have a clue how to use them, I've just got my old fashioned Nokia, a laptop, which is also old, and an old camera I've had for years. Do you think I should drag myself into the 21st century LOL.

How lovely to see Robbie Mel, when you mentioned the strawberry barrow it reminded me that I need to sort out Sandra's strawberry plants and put them in the greenhouse so the birds don't get to them before her. I'd forgotten all about them as they are down the bottom of the garden out of sight, so I must see to them soon and look for the stand I put them on. It's gone very cloudy and windy here now, so it'll be done another day when it's not so cold.

I saw the programme on Parkinsons advertised Jane, but forgot to watch it. Hope all goes well for James and Jess and that Hannah and Gareth enjoy themselves at the play. Good job the glass of wine was white, I was also wondering if that was the first glass of wine you'd poured yourself lol A self cleaning oven sounds just the job, so you can cook your roast potatoes without any worry now.

Going to watch "Best House in Town" now with OH, we love programmes like that.
It's gone all orange here with the sun going down, it's very pretty.