General Chat

I think I gave the wrong impression Anne as the little pup is only put outside for a few minutes, probably to encourage her toilet training and she has a thick tartan coat on. They've also got a new patio heater they leave switched on for her. She would be over 12 weeks old I would think as she had her last innoculations about a fortnight ago. Ruby isn't keen on her antibiotics then! I can remember stroking our poodle's throat to get tablets down when I was a child. It was to give her Bob Martins I think.....do they still have them?

Mandy the buckets sound as if they will look lovely and colourful next Christmas and something very different. I bet hubby could fit you a gold watch in one!! lol :-D

My Hubby has gone very quiet.........he must be doing his tax return! ;-)

Poor Em waiting for those results of her scan Mel. I bet she was relieved when she got them and saw she was ok. Her poor MIL still doesn't sound good with having pneumonia now and needing help with her breathing. I bet you are chuffed about finding your gold pen. It's amazing how you can look for something and it's there all the time.

I do hope you and now Gill as well, aren't getting the nasty cough and cold that Jane has had. Gill, I'm taking my camera when I go on Friday so fingers crossed Cleo will be around and not mousing! I must try adding to my tree and see what happens.

I wonder if those old charm bracelets will become trendy again? I have a silver one that my first OH bought me for my 21st. Most of the charms opened and it's a shame it isn't used. I might dig it out and remove the charms and just wear the chain with the padlock! :-D I bet it needs a good clean as well!

Afternoon Everyone
Thanks for James's Birthday wishes. He is 33 today !! I hope he can get away from work at a decent time tonight .The slow cooker has been on since 10.30 . It's strips of Beef with a Lemon and Chilli sauce ,tin of chopped tomatoes,tin of Black beans,Chopped Coriander Stalks ,fresh Lemon Thyme and a Bay Leaf(off the tree).Celery and Carrots . I shall do Basmati and Wild Rice and a mix of Green Veg.

I had a phone call from Frank just now. Poor thing thinks he has cracked some ribs this morning after falling and crashing against the chest of drawers. Ros rang the ambulance and I think he said a Paramedic came but said they don't actually treat fractured ribs and to ring his GP . So Ros did that and the DR was supposed to come out. It turned out he was given the wrong name and address so went to the wrong person !!!!!. What a farce. The GP is now to visit tomorrow.In the meantime Ros has to go and pick up a prescription for strong painkillers. Frank says he is in absoute agony and can't take a deep breath . I asked him to let me know how things go and said i would let you all know what has happened. He has no idea either when he will get his laptop back. Lots of love to our Frank <3 <3 <3

I havent had chance yet to read all todays posts properly and have just skimmed through them.

Love the sound of that little Tea Shop Ann
:-D

Glad you found your pen Mel

Gill that chap sounds an ignoramous , rude, and irresponsible . Have you been able to maybe speak to the new owners about all the things that the builders have done to your property? I hope your sore throat doesn't get any worse and develop into anything worse. Chris has had to have another afternoon kip today.He did do a few jobs this morning and one was getting the Xmas decs back in the loft,he chopped a few logs ,went to Waitrose and that is as much as he can do today.

Anne ,you must dread it when it is time for Ruby to have her tablets . I use to wrap the pill in a bit of ham when we had Chester,then hold it high above his head so he was looking up and then I would tease him a bit until he was ready to grab the ham and when his mouth was open enough I would drop it in his mouth and it usually went straight down :-D. Sometimes though after I thought it had all gone down I would find the pill spat out somwehere on the kitchen floor LOL

It is really cold today.I lit the fire at lunch time and seem to be getting through a lot of logs. We have a delivery of logs on Friday so will be all stocked up again . I will be helping Chris get them all stacked away even though I know he will say he will do it on his own. The way he is at the moment he will need a hand whether he likes it or not :-D

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAMES. Hope you have a good day,

Mel that was a relief finding your gold pen these things often turn up in the most obvious place. I hope you haven't got the bug that is doing the rounds, you too Gill

Ruby hates taking those tablets it takes two of us , like your cats Gill. Her mouth has to be held open by one and the other one pops the pills as far into her mouth as possible while stroking her neck to make her swallow, they are only tiny and supposed to be palatable. I 've tried covering them in pate and Dairy Lea but it makes no difference

Ann I feel sorry for that little pup left outside I'm sure the RSPCA would take a dim view of it.

Gill I think you should definitely take advice about the builder's attitude towards your property, heart breaking, as you have put so much effort and money getting up to such a good standard and with no guarantee that he will put it back to how it was

Paul was on a course yesterday and the chap sitting next to him had a really bad cold and every time he blew his nose, chucked the tissue under the table, The course is on for a week so hopefully he can avoid sitting next to him again. It's an Electricians' course to ensure their knowledge is kept up to date, this is held in Slough about 30 mins away.

Mandy no Em had to have a scan as she passed out one night when she got up to go to the loo. The MIL is still in a coma and has had pnemonia and they are thinking of opening up somewhere so she can breath more easily and not have to put the pipe down her throat. Her sister who is older than she has been to see her and I was told that she had her hand squeezed when she was there. Its over two weeks now and she does open her eyes occasionly but not for very long.

Yes the little buckets were on the Chataeu program. Mandy you will have to make a paper pattern round the buckets

I noticed the thread about the family trees as well Mandy and posted on it, not that I was any help as I was just as confused as Nicky. I haven't tried to enter anyone on my tree for a while so I don't know if the problem is sorted yet or not.
I can't imagine how the little buckets can be an advent calendar, do you have a picture? I got a bit confused on how it can be done.

I've been sneezing all afternoon and have just started with a sore throat, I hope I'm not coming down with a bug. How are you feeling Mel, hope the sneezing and coughing is better for you now. Pleased to see everything was okay at the scan. I thought you meant Em's MIL to. Hope nothing has happened to Em as well. I see you've found your gold pen, that'll save you having to buy a new one now.

Oh the poor little puppy being stuck outside Ann, I hope it wasn't frosty like it was here. Did you manage to get a photo of the cat when you last went? I'm the same as you and prefer to do jobs when OH isn't around, it's much quicker to.

Afternoon all,

Lovely and sunny here today with a beautiful blue sky and not that cold .

Happy Birthday James hope you enjoy the day <3

Hope you can get the broken concrete post fixed Gill how rude was that chap ,he's very young to be a boss and won't get very far talking to people like that .
The little buckets i've bought are to make an advent calendar i saw on the Chateau programme ,Angel had them and they looked so pretty with christmasy pictures stuck on them .
Oh i see what the Sausage bake is now it's like the sausage tray bake i do with lots of peppers , potatoes and herbs ,it's nice and easy with not a lot of washing up.
It does look like others are having problems with their trees too as there's a thread about it .

The little buckets are painted Ann there's twelve colours so two of each colour as i ordered twenty four .

Mel you said Em's scan ?did you mean her MIL ? i was going to ask how she was after her fall and if she had come round ?

Morning Gill and all,

Happy Birthday James. Hope its a good one.

We have sunshine again today. I have at last got into my emails and had one from Em about her scan she had and everything is ok.

IV'E FOUND MY GOLD PEN it was on my desk all the time I just saw the end sticking out from some papers and I had already looked there!

I am sneezing and coughing this morning and my nose keeps running.

Now going to clean the bathroom and strip the bed and wash that.

Morning All,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO JAMES! How many is that now?

Sunny and chilly here, better than I expected from the forecast! OH has gone to a briefing at Beaumanor Hall, which is a lovely old place with very decorative ceilings and stairs. I went to an Art Deco Fair there once.

While he is out I have managed to hoover the kitchen and steam mop the floor. If I do these things when he is here he is bound to find a reason to be plodding over the newly mopped wet floor.......especially if he thinks I won't notice!!

I hope Ruby is soon on the mend with more antibiotics Anne and that you feel a bit better today with taking it easy yesterday. A bit of rest helps your body recover and is the best thing to do at times.

I would be interested to see the wands you are making Mel. How annoying your sharpie hasn't come to light yet though. The nights are drawing out a bit aren't they.

Are the little buckets to make an advent calendar Mandy and are they painted? It sounds as if they will be lovely with the pictures when you have done them. I would like to see a pic too. The cowl you have knitted will be more useful in a neutral cream as you say and be really cosy.

Gill, I love to do traybakes too. You can do all sorts in them, they are usually very tasty as you say and less to be washed up after! :-D I have my fingers crossed the workmen will be more careful now you have mentioned a few breakages. The boss needs to be more apologetic doesn't he. It may be matter of fact to him but not to his customers.

We enjoy Call the Midwife and I love Silent Witness too. I have been catching up on old episodes of Vera and like that as well. I think the prog on the 4 year olds is on tomorrow and they will be watching their reactions to robots that talk to them.

I like Dunelm's bedding ranges Jane. They have some nice designs at reasonable prices. I know what you mean about the pillow protectors as they go so dingy with washing even though they are clean. It's the same with mattress protectors as well. I hope you are on the mend now, but Chris sounds quite poorly still.

OH made me laugh when he'd been back to Mr Tyre as he said he realised the poor english was more due to lack of communication skills,mumbling and the awkwardness of the young men, not that they weren't english! The boss, who you usually deal with had popped out when he went the first time. Dealerships often take customer's cars to specialist places for work unbeknown to the customer. OH's Citroen garage certainly does for tyre work and MOTs, I've known others do it for paintwork. The chap who took my locking wheelnuts off said the dealerships brought cars to him if they needed any removing. In my case the dealership wanted £100 more though, just to deal with it and take the car to him.

The new puppy was barking after being shut outside this morning. For a moment I had a nightmare vision of us being in the middle of a yapping contest between the dogs either side. :-S I do hope not as we moved here because it was so peaceful. It's early days yet though, but I don't think they have ever had a dog before. When she is on the lead they are letting her lead them wherever she wants and seem to pick her up and carry her rather than call her to them.

Is anyone else having problems with their Genes tree not saving anything? I tried to save something on my tree and it didn't save. :-S :-S

Morning all

<3 <3 HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAMES <3 <3 Hope you have a great one.

Frosty here today. There's a workman next door at long last, I think he's taking the rest of the rendering off around the back, it's very noisy.

OH had a word with the boss this morning about the broken concrete post down our drive. He's only a young lad in his 20's with a terrible attitude, he was in his van when OH spoke to him and all he said was "Its alright it'll be fixed when we do the drive" then drove off, no apology or anything. OH is fuming and said he's going to ring the council. I think it's time we got some legal advice before they break something else. The boss has the attitude that he can break anything and just fix it when he feels like it......not a very nice man at all.

So you haven't found your gold sharpie then Mel, I hope it hasn't been thrown out by mistake like you thought the other day. Looking forward to seeing the wands you've been making, you've been very busy. Yes, it was nice to have a day off yesterday, although if I have to many I get bored, but at the moment there's isn't much to do now the gardens are finished.

What are the little buckets for Mandy? I seem to have missed a post about them :-S :-S

The sausage bake is just sausages potatoes an onion and a leak in one roasting pan covered in oil and seasoned with garlic and the like, you then roast it until it's all cooked. It's a quick and filling meal and not much washing up afterwards. Sandra loves it. I sometimes add other things such as mushrooms, but I suppose you could put anything you like in it, maybe even peppers, or anything you fancy really.

How are you feeling today Anne? Hope the second lot of antibiotics work for Ruby, is she okay taking them? I remember when I had to give our cats tablets, what a job that was. It took two of us to do it and we had to wrap the cats up in a towel so they wouldn't scratch us, it was quite a palaver.

I'm feeling very anxious now the workmen are back, I was okay with the work next door until things started to get damage, now I'm a nervous wreck every time I hear them, wondering what's going to be broken next. I think I'll go and get a cuppa and find something to do to calm myself down.

Ann the tea room sounds nice with all the old fashioned china etc. Shame its got such a long rough road to get to it though. I am sure you will go again.

Poor Chris still has a bad cold I see. I hope he is now on the mend. Has James escaped it? You seem better with all th ethings you have done today Jane.

Did the shopping and got home before it was dark. Its surprizing how the night are getting lighter already. I told oh before I went I would corn the bantams and completely forgot so I was pleased to get back before they went up to bed. The banties don't like oh so he won't corn them. He is so big I think he frightens they.

Sorry you were'nt feeling well yesterday Anne. Hope you feel beter soon. Give Ruby a hug for me and hope the next lot of meds clear up her poor bottie. <3

So Mandy you now have your little buckets. Send a pic please when you have sone them. Are you going to use the pic of the two children dressed in misletoe and holly? That was one of my favorites too.

I like Call the Midwife, Vera and Father Brown and tonight I watche dthe new Silent Witnes thye are always good I think.

Gill it does you good to have a day off once in a while as you are always so busy doing something. No I hav'nt found the gold Sharpie yet but it will turn up when I am looking for something esle I expect. I meant to but anothe rtoday but forgot. I will see if its light enough tomorrow to take a pic of the wands I have finished.

Evening all

Haven't done much today wasn't feeling too well yesterday so I thought I would take it easy today,

Went back to the vet yesterday, Ruby has another weeks worth of antibiotics to take she doesn't want to see her again unless we are concerned about her, in 3 weeks time she is due for her usual appointment with the nurse.

Jane you certainly got through a lot of tissues, sorry to hear Chris isn't completely better yet, It's a shame charm bracelets are no longer in fashion but as you say Hannah will maybe want to keep some as they are gold, I did have a silver one once but don't know what happened to it. Is she feeling better now?

You asked if Bruce was an Old English Bulldog, he is and is a very placid boy.

I to have been watching Father Brown and always enjoyed it . Like Sandra I am also a fan of Vera, I like Call the Midwife as well, I read the books before it came out on TV but I think there were only a few written. We have recorded Les Mis so will get to see it soon. It was always very popular when it was shown as an Opera where I worked the company was Park Opera and it always sold well for an amateur production.

That was nice finding the 50's style tea room Ann somewhere else to visit for a snack when you are out and about I remember wearing those dresses when in my teens so many layers and net petticoats, my wedding dress was the same style one of my friend's made the petticoat and sewed blues ribbons through it, my bridesmaids also wore the same style in pale blue.

Evening all,

It's been a lovely sunny day bit chilly and windy, i stripped the bed and got it all dry by lunch time ,doesn't linen smell lovely when its had a good blow out in the cold .

Ann the tea room sounded interesting just the sort of place for an afternoon tea i should think.
So nothing to serious with OH's car although the cost of a new tyre is not some thing you want to have to pay out to often ,there are lots of pot holes on the road we go on to the egg farm ,we're getting to know where they are now but i did see last time a few had been filled in .
I forgot my pin number when we came back from holiday once ,your mind just goes blank .
I still haven't sewn the cowl up yet ,it's done in a nice cream wool as i thought that will go with any thing .

It's a shame Charm bracelets seemed to have gone out of fashion now Jane ,i suppose it's because they are a bit chunky to wear ,Hannah might find a few charms on it that she might like ,Pandora bracelets and charms are all in now .
Goodness that's a lot of tissues you got through ,just think yeas ago it would have been hankies !!!!! they would have needed a boil wash .

That's good you've had a relaxing day Gill your always on the go it will have done you good to have a rest .
What is a Sausage Bake ?
I did see that Call the Midwife and Vera were on next week we like both of those

Shopping day tomorrow ,we've still got loads in the freezer so we'll only need a few fresh bits and bread .
My little Buckets arrived they are so sweet ,now i need to print a few bits off to stick on them .
We've started on one of the Jig Saws son bought us for Christmas ,only a 500 piece one so not to bad to do .

Evening all

I've had a lovely relaxing day today, just made a sausage bake and made a picture for our living room as I wasn't keen on the last one I made, then I decided to have a look at the origami kit Sandra and OH bought me for Christmas, although it's quite confusing for someone whose never done it before. I had a Google on Origami and there are a few diagrams so they've been bookmarked for the future. I'm sure I'll get the hang of it in the end. It was nice not to do much for a day. I'm so glad our garden is finished as it's gone quite cold out there now, it was nice to see a bit of sun today though, I'm just glad i wasn't out in the cold.

The tea room sounded lovely Ann, I love that sort of thing, a bit of a problem finding it by the sounds of it, but well worth it in the end though.

Isn't it awful when you forget something important, you were lucky you had another card you could use. Maybe you were just a bit panicky, which wouldn't of helped and once you had paid with the other card and had a chance to relax you remembered the PIN. At least you managed to pay so that was good. Pleased to see it was only a tyre in the end your OH needed to buy and it wasn't anything more expensive. OH said it might of been him accidentally hitting the kerb which caused the tracking and balancing problems, it's easily done isn't it?

You have been busy Jane, I bet you were glad to be home so you could have a sit down. That is a lot of tissues you've both gone through. Sorry to hear Chris is still unwell, hope he feels better soon.

Have you found the gold sharpie yet Mel? I bet you find it when you don't need it anymore, isn't that always the case?

Sandra has just told me that Vera starts again on Sunday on ITV at 8pm. Also Call the Midwife on the same day and time but BBC1 if anyone watch's them. Sandra watch's Vera and I watch Call the midwife so it works out great for us with them both being on at the same time as she has her own TV to watch Vera on :-)

Afternoon Everyone
I have had quite a busy day today .Took a Goose feather and Down Duvet to recycling ,popped into Tesco to get Beef for the slow cooker tomorrow, then it was onto the Jewellers with Chris's Mum old Gold Charm Bracelet .It is for Hannah and I was going to get it cleaned but the lady suggested we just give it to Hannah as it is as she may well not ever want to wear it but might just wish to keep a charm or two.I can't really see Hannah wearing it and she might want to sell it It is probably worth about £7-£800.
After that it was Sainsbury to take back a jumper and then Dunelm to get a new Duvet.I also found a lovely double duvet cover and pillowcases ,possibly for James's bed.The cover was £30 instead of £60 and pillowcases £15 instead of £30.They are Dorma so a good quality. While I was there I decided to get some new pillow protectors as some of ours are looking pretty disgusting even though clean.
So after all that I could hardly hobble as my hip was really giving me trouble. I was glad to get home.

I hope OH has managed to get that tracking sorted now Ann. What a pain having to take the car back again this afternoon. Something has to be off somewhere.There really should be someone there who speaks English !!. My car is going in later this month for its first service,Mot and a Software Update. I always go to the Renault place which is where I have always gone . I don't think I have ever heard a foreign member of staff there. Even the Mechanics I have seen have always been English.

I bet it was chilly down on the Quayside in Bideford today Mel. Do you ever get to walk along there or is it just the Morrisons shop?

Chris and i were just trying to think how many boxes of mansize tissues we have got through in the last few weeks. We reckon it is 12 !!!!!!!. We like the Kleenex Balsam extra large ones as they are a bit softer on the old nose. But at £2 a box that is £24 so far :-0 :-0 I just can't believe how much mucous and snot is produced :-S :-S. I've never had this much for so long.
Its gross
:-S Chris too is still not great. He has no energy at all and has to have a nap eveey afternoon at the moment which is not like him at all.
I have just done James's card and wrapped the couple of presents. Nothing very exciting ,just some trainers that he wanted and a nice Merino /Cashmere jumper ,plus some money for a nice meal out in London at the weekend with Jess.

Ohh those teeth being pulled in Les Mis !!!!!!!!!!!. I felt so sorry for her and seeing the beautiful hair being chopped off too :-(. I actually felt it quite difficult to watch and was quite emotional . I am really looking forward to next week. I am enjoying this more than the Musical I saw in London .Saying that ,that was brilliant too.
Time to think about dinner now.

OH had to buy a new tyre when he went back as it was misshapen when they checked and that was what was causing the problem with the car pulling to one side. I bet he'd hit the kerb or dropped in a pothole......there are plenty of them.

This afternoon we decided to go to a tea room we'd never been to before, just for a COT and to see what it was like. We thought the sign for it pointed to Desford Hall which has a business park there now, but there was no sign of it there. As we drove out, we saw the sign was pointing down a rough track at the side of the Hall. Well we drove for ages down this track to the middle of nowhere and would have turned back if we hadn't kept seeing signs to carry on! lol. We even passed a derelict farmhouse on the way. It is a vintage tearoom, very 1950's and the 2 ladies running it were dressed accordingly in headscarves and the sticky out skirts of 50s dresses. Lacey type tablecloths and bone china, gold rimmed cups and saucers with roses on! They have a top hygiene rating displayed, which is always good to see where you eat, and vintage mirrors and knickknacks about. We wondered how much trade they got being so far off the beaten track, but they do all kinds of events and parties. They even have an under 3 years old Primary School Readiness class one day a week teaching numeracy and literacy and it is free if parents buy food/drink and is run by a qualified teacher. Over 50s get a discount one day a week if they wear vintage clothes! Also cooking classes for children as well as adults and things like lolly making and painting ceramics.

I forgot to say I had one of those awful moments this morning when I filled my car up. The garage has 'pay at the pump' card machines, but won't take the fob type loyalty cards so I have to go to the kiosk to pay. Well, when I went to enter my PIN my mind went blank and I couldn't remember all of it!!! Luckily I had my other credit card with me and, even more luckily, I could remember the PIN for that even though I hardly use it. Of course by the time I got home I remembered the other PIN!!

Frank seems to be having a long wait for his laptop!! It's ages now since we heard from him.

Afternoon Everyone,

Some welcome sunshine this morning and the towels are washed and on the rotary drying, but I still haven't been out with my camera in case OH called me to pick him up. He took his car to Mr Tyre and they did the tracking, but OH reckons it was still pulling to one side on the way home. I asked him if they had said the tracking was out, but he said he never asked, as they seem to have just 2 eastern european chaps now who didn't speak much english! :-S He's taking it back again this afternoon, so it looks like I am going to miss the only sunny day this week to take my camera out!

Isn't it frustrating when you can't find something Mel! You sounded as if you were doing well with your wands. I was going to finish 2 bracelets that I started ages ago and they only needed a few beads to get the length right, but could I find the same beads again.....no! They are probably in my big box of unfinished things, having been borrowed for something else!! I shall be glad now when I have finished off more things so I can put things away where they should be. :-) I had to look away when they were pulling the teeth in Les Mis!! How awful the things that happened to women then and what they had to do to get money. People today don't know that kind of desperate poverty do they.

Yes Gill, I was quite bossy with OH when we put the drawers together. LOL :-) I wasn't in the mood for any faffing about and his chuntering and it went well. Maybe I should be more like it in future. :-D Mind you doing the drawers and grovelling around on the rug to do them yesterday has made him really stiff today and set off the nerve pain in his leg so he didn't sleep well. You must be a nervous wreck now when the builders are around with the damage they are doing. I do hope there isn't anything else and that they will soon get done.

Morning all,

We have a bright morning with some sunshine and it makes a pleasent change and is very welcome.

Shopping day again and I shall be going to Bideford.

Nothing else to report yet as nothing had happened yet. Heating still working ok.

Gill they should'nt have left the tiles in a dangerous place even if it was'nt windy when they did it. It must be a worry to you wondering what else they are going to damage.

Still raining here and looks like it is in for thenight.

Not found the gold Sharpie............ can't think what I have done with it or where I was when I last used it. I looked in the uti room and in the lounge and of course the kitchen but its still hiding. Why do things do this to us? :-| :-| :-|

I am now going in the hsower and then watching some telly.

I am enjoying Les Mis. too. Fancy having your front teeth pulled out like Fantane did?

You're doing well with your wands today Mel, I'm looking forward to seeing a photo of them when you take one.

Isn't it funny how OH's try to do flat packs without looking at the instructions then wonder why they have problems Ann. Good on you for reading out the instructions and making sure it's was done correctly, I bet it saved you both a lot of time?

I've never heard of a cat that doesn't purr, I hope you manage to get a photo, it would be nice to see him and I know Sandra would be thrilled.

We had a good sort out of our Christmas decorations and baubles a few years ago, we had so many we could of decorated three trees. Mind you I was looking for an angel and couldn't find it at Christmas, so we must of given that to the charity shop too. Luckily I had another one I used instead.

We heard a bang before and thought some of the tiles came off next door's roof so OH went and checked, luckily they hadn't fell so it must of been the neighbours cat jumping off our fence onto the boards on to the other side. The wind is getting stronger so anything could happen before the morning though.

I think if they hit the car Ann OH would be straight on the phone to the council to let them know of all the damage the builders are causing, it's one thing damaging a few fence posts and panels but not the car. When the builders turn up we park the car on the road out of the way but OH doesn't like doing that at night, so we'll just have to keep our fingers crossed the car doesn't get damaged. I believe they are taking all the slate tiles off the roof and putting new ones on. The soon they do it the better.