General Chat

William,lovely pics there .I especially like the London Pride :-D.That is something we don't have in our garden .But I always remember it in the garden at home when I was a child.
As for family.I am sure Ann didn't think you were being critical at all.Even when you do have family you can't always rely on them for help .As you say just a call to see how things are would be good.I hear too many times of people struggling to cope with looking after a loved one ,or even an neighbour ,yet the 'family' are jut not interested.
The lady down the road who had all her money stolen and other things is being looked after so well by 2 of her neighbours.She has carers each day coming in but the day to day things are looked after by these neighbours.She has 2 Nephews ,and they have been informed about the theft and the fact their Aunt is suffering from Dementia.But they are not interested at all.My friend(one of the neighbours said that one of the Nephews just said What will be will be :-S :-S :-S :-S..It makes me so angry,as those Nephews will be just sitting waiting until their Aunty dies and they will then inherit everything...That is my little rant over too now William.
I don't like Cornish or Jersey Potatoes.They are too earthy for my taste .I prefer Charlotte or any waxy type of potato ,and then to Roast I like the good old Maris Piper.

Now Thomas has been truly told off .......I caught him on the worktop in the kitchen lapping the beef juices I was cooling off :-S :-S :-S..He actually ran off and sat in a corner looking at the wall LOL(knowing he was naughty).He has since been outside and hasn't dared come in yet.He is sat on one of the Sun loungers looking very sheepish.So he should .

Mandy I keep meaning to ask how Toby is.You said last time he sleeps a lot now.Is he OK?He must be 15?? or 14??

Hi all,
I've just sent out an email with some photos from the garden that I took this afternoon. I actually did the wardrobe tops this morning (cough, cough) and it's taught me not to leave it so long next time!!! So that's the upstairs all spick and span, hoovered and dust free, for the time being anyway. As we all know ( and Quentin Crisp taught us) dust doesn't disappear, it just relocates and you can only have X amount of dust!

So I did a bit of 'hedging and ditching' this afternoon and nearly filled the green bin again. There is always something to do in a garden - I find I can only truly relax in SOMEONE ELSE S garden, as I don't keep getting up to do this or that when I spot it. Hence I managed the few photos, as the weather seems to be on the change here now.

Ann, I hope you didn't think I was being critical, of course I don't know you and OH's personal circumstances. But believe me, families aren't all they're cracked up to be when it comes to offering help. We have Carmel's family living in Coventry but if we see her daughter once a month, then we're lucky. They never ask "are you coping, is there anything we can do - etc etc". I believe they think to themselves "She's got Will, they can cope". And of course we do. While I can keep going I wouldn't dream of calling on them and half the time they don't know about any mini crisis issues or medical appointments. If they did, they would probably just come to the conclusion that we are becoming hypochondriacs!

Rant over, and looking forward to our dinner later today. We have a nice chicken (which will probably feed us for a few days ;-), we'll have roast spuds and some mixed veg. We have a choice of 'puds', so watch this space! Talking about spuds (lovely word, yes?) has anyone ever had any Cornish potatoes? We called in the farm shop (yes, a proper one, not one of these pseudo ones) on Saturday and I got some there. I had come to the conclusion that all spuds were tasteless these days, but these Cornish ones are really tasty me handsomes.

Well, that's me little bit for today. Will check in again soon. Meanwhile, all try and have a lovely day. TTFN

Oh Oh the suns nearly out ,the wind has got up so i've hung washing out, just need the rain to stay away.

Naked bike rally :-0 :-D the mind boggles :-Dsounds as if Hannah is really seeing the sites :-D :-D

All our get up and go has gone too Mandy lol..Funny weather now.it is really warm and like you the sun keeps trying .It has managed a few times but then the clod comes over again.
I have just shelled a big bag of peas and now my thumb nails are green :-D.I got the peas in Ald* and they look very young and tender.So they will be one of the veg tonight.I have a very small joint of Beef and a Buttered Turkey Breast.So for a change it is going be a nice Roast Dinner.It has been a few weeks since we had the full works.

Hannah has been to one of those Huge Stadiums in San Fransisco to watch the Giants play Baseball.(I think it is baseball).Polly said she just to experience it :-D.They had HUGE Hotdogs and these big foam Hands with pointy fingers.It all looked great fun.I imagine at these things the atmosphere will be electric.I don't know what else she has done .There has been some street festival and I think she said a Naked Bike Rally !!!eek what a sight.
She will be flying back to San Diego tonight for another week at the Uni.

I bought Thomas a toy.It looks like a fishing rod with feathers on the end of the wire.Well he has been leaping around the garden trying to catch the feathers.Really having fun.But then a little Wag tail started to fly all round Thomas and looked quite agitated.I think it must have thought the feathers were a bird in distress and that the cat was after it.It might have been trying to warn Thomas off.I don't know really but I put the toy away and the bird disappeared.

James is busy trying to write a Press Release thingy for some company.I was hoping him and Jess might have gone out somewhere ,but he says he has to get this done today.This last week or so at work has been quite stressful for him I think as they are a couple of staff down and haven't found the right applicants yet to replace them.He looks rather pooped.

Ann I hope you both manage to get a reasonably relaxed day today ,before the beginning of the new week.I know there will be so many things to start doing and looking into regards the In laws.
Hopefully this weekend might have given FIL chance to at least settle a bit.But I do think Gordon needs to be prepared that his Dad may very well not be too 'nice' if he is thinking Gordon has gone to take him home and then realises that is not the case.
Deep Breath needed and possibly a bit of the good old Rescue Remedy Spray.
Janice and i would often have a few squirts of that on our tongues before going into the home to see Mum (especially if we thought it was going to be a difficult visit).We would sit outside the home to gather ourselves for a while before going in .Then go in with big beaming smiles . :-D :-D

Just prepared all the big breakfast ready for when oh gets in so I can just put the cooker on after he's had a coffee.

Afternoon all,

Rain here first thing ,the sun keeps trying to break through but there's too much cloud.

Mel, it must have been nice to have a wake up call and see the Kingfisher ,not so nice if he had caught one of your fish .

Not a lot happening here today, but then not a lot happened here yesterday with the weather as it was, i don't have any get up and go today it seems to have got up and gone !! :-(

Nearly lunch time already ,hubby will be saying what are we having so i'd better go and see whats in the fridge .

The suns out here and oh went off ringing this morning first time for ages. I have washed my hair so thats a good job out of the way while I was on mu own with no interuptions and thats how I like it.

Gill the kingfisher would'nt be big enough to catch any of our fish as oh's are all over a foot long and more and mine are as big as he/she is. I only have a couple of tiny ones in my pond last years babies but there are too many in there anyway so if he were to take one or two thats ok with me. They all have to live and eat, the Kingfishers I mean.

Morning

Dull but dry here too

How lovely Mel to see the kingfisher you were lucky he didn't get your fish.

How are you in-laws today Ann. At least the care staff can see how FIL is now and will report it all to his doctor so he'll now be aware of his situation. I think by the sounds of it your MIL is finally realising that FIL needs a lot more looking after than she can cope with and if she can't stand for very long it's sounds like she might needs some help herself when she returns home. How are you and your OH it can't be easy for your two either? Thanks for saying my OH is a good carer, he was made up when I told him.

There are some bad ones out there but most of them are good and really care about the residence they look after. The care home my OH works in does all sorts of things for them, they put on film days and get them nibbles to eat while they watch the films and they are always encouraging them to sit outside if the weather is nice, with cool drinks and ice cream. It like one big happy family, such a lovely atmosphere. I'm sure once your FIL gets used to it he'll settle down and then your MIL won't worry about him so much. It's early days yet, give it time and I'm sure things will improve for everyone. At least then you and your OH won't need to worry all the time as well.

I'm going to have a relaxing day today after all the work I did in the garden yesterday. I've still got a few more cupboards and draws to sort out but I'm doing it a bit at a time as there is quite a lot to get through. It surprising how much stuff we've accumulated over the years and if we ever do sell this place I'd only have to do it then so now, once it's finished, it will be less to pack and if we don't move the place will be a lot tidier, so win win all round

Off to get a cuppa now
BBL <3

Morning Mel and All

Your wake up call was nice.How lovely to see the Kingfisher..I was woken at 4.45 again.It must be just the time puss wakes up and wants out.He got let in just after 8 and Chris give him his breakfast.But most of it is still in the bowl so I guess that young Thomas was a hunting and had a full tum :-S

Grey here too and very still.There doesn't seem to a breath of wind at all.I have been sitting here in bed catching up on Casualty and Stonemouth,but now it is time get get moving and into the shower.
Back later

Morning all and evening Kim,

Dry this morning but the skies are grey.

Oh got me out of bed at about 8.30am to come and look out the back door to my pond and there on the handle opf the rake leaning against my pond was the Kingfisher. We watched for about a quarter of an hour and it flew from my pond to oh's big one and settled on the rail and looked down into his pond at the size of the fish and then flew off over the back field. So that was my early wake up for this Sunday morning.

Night night..............

I think the tinsel must have come from under the big chest in the hall. I push the phone chargers under it and I suppose when they were pulled out to charge the phones it came to light. It was a bit from the stuff I put round the wall clock as it was gold one side and blue on the other and thats the only bit I have that has different colours on it. Must make a note to have the trunk out. It is full of material and is quite heavy.

Evening All,

Mandy OH rang the home to see how FIL was last night as he isn't ready to cope with another upset if he thought he was going home! The home said he was agitated a few times the same as at home and had packed his things one night as he thought he should be looking after MIL. When OH visited her yesterday, she'd convinced herself that FIL had 'tipped over the edge' because of her going into hospital and was talking about him coming home when she's out, but tonight she'd changed her mind again and didn't think she could manage. She can't even stand for long now.

William, not everyone has an abundance of helpers in their families. My hubby is an only child, as was his mother. My own brother and sister are both needing care and help themselves.

There are some bad care homes that make the headlines, but some are very good, my aunt, aged 90, loved hers. Many of the carers, like Gill's husband, are very good and the residents grow to love them.

Jane, it was hard to pick out Thomas's head in all his fur! He has a thick coat now so I wonder what his winter coat will be like? I was watching a cat prog on tv last night and when one owner put the box with cat treats in front of her on the table the cat repeatedly grabbed her hand in his teeth and dragged it to the box of treats to open it for him! Another had his bowl of treats on the kitchen worktop and was picking up and carrying treats to the edge and dropping them on the floor for the dog to eat. :-)

The garden has had a really good watering now, so that's a job saved for a while. :-) I did a load of hoovering today and took a big bag of stuff to a charity shop. I'm having a clearout like Gill. :-) It only seems 5 minutes since I did the food cupboards but I found stuff yesterday that was over a year out of date.

It's glitter that I find ages after Christmas. It seems to find it's way everywhere and doesn't always pick up off the floor. :-S

Mmmm home made strawberry jam sounds very nice. :-D

Evening all

We've had wall to wall sunshine all day so I took advantage of it and sorted out my pond and pots and OH cut the grass before he went to work. Good job we did as it's clouded over now :-(.

Yes Mandy we loved Mary Berry's Potato and Sausage dish and will be having it again ourselves at some point. It's so easy to do and makes a change from bangers and mash, plus hardly any washing with it all being done in one roasting tin......Bonus ;-) ;-). Sandra and I are just about to watch the next one I recorded so I'm hoping there'll be something else we like, we can try.

Better not let Sandra hear about your Strawberry Jam Mel, she loves strawberries and will be at yours in no time to eat some :-D :-D.

I loved the photo of Thomas Jane, although it took me a while to realise he was on his back, I could see his paws but couldn't work out where his head was with the photo being on it's side, once I turned my laptop round I could see him properly. He's definitely made himself at home and looks quite content <3. Bless him.

Oh dear Frank, so now you smell like brown sauce, that's the problem with the Brown one it's quite a powerful smell. Glad to hear you had a good nights sleep last night.

So you're sneaking parcels in then William, you are a naughty boy :-D :-D :-D.

I had to laugh when you said you found some tinsel Mel, that stuff gets everywhere and even when you think you've hovered it all up you can still come across some more.......but 6 months later I've never heard of anyone finding tinsel that late after Christmas lol

Hope everything is ok at your end Ann <3.

Off to watch Mary Berry now and relax. I'm shattered after being in the garden all day.

Mandy I often think the lights are dim and then get a real shock when I see all the dust inside the shades.These are upside down hanging ones in the lounge(they hang on chains).Also each one has 3 bulbs in and then we discover one has gone :-S

It certainly has felt like a very long day here too.Just cooped up and not really doing much.It is that horrible light drizzle and seems to be getting a bit misty.

Is there anything good on TV tonight? I love casualty but normally watch it on a Sunday morning in bed on my laptop.(no tv in our bedroom )

I had to resort to digging out an old walking stick this afternoon :-SMy hip was so painful.James laughed :-| :-| :-|..I nearly whacked him with it :-D

Dinner won't be too long now :-D

Mmmmm Strawberry jam ,i could just fancy some on a nice scone Mel :-D

I think the rain has just about stopped here ,it does feel a long day though , i think it's because we've had so many days where we've been outside doing jobs and now it feels quite strange being indoors .

I got hubby to get the light fitting down in the down stairs loo ,you should have seen the dust !! :-0 it's three tiered with glass droplets so i just dunked it in a bowl of soapy water and it really shines now ,the bulb was dusty too !!

Gill ,i cooked that Potato and Sausage dish tonight that Mary Berry cooked ,you said you had cooked it and liked it ,well we liked it too so we'll be having that again.

:-D :-D Mel..Not a drop believe it or not. But i am going to have a glass of wine now :-D
I can smell that lovely jam from here Mel :-D

My kitchen smells delish as I have just finished the strawberry jam and am now having a cuppa and a cake.

Jane you may HAVE a steady hand but have you been on the bottle lunchtime?

To quote you " I hand a very steady hand"?????????? Who are you handing it to???

Windy here and dull but still dry at present.

Ha Ha Mel .I am always coming across needles from the tree !!!.They get caught in the edge of the carpet .
Frank Thomas was lying upside down !!!!...His fur is fuzzy LOL.I hand a very steady hand I'll have you know :-)

Oh what day .It is horrible.We haven't had to stay indoors like this for ages now.
Frank you men are a messy lot with your Brown Sauce.Last night Chris managed to splash the wall next to the dining table with it :-| :-|

Ann,I hope you both managed to get a decent sleep last night..How is MIL?
and I hope that FIL has settled a bit in his new surroundings.

I think I might see if there is anything worth watching on TV...We have all had a selection of Tapas dishes for lunch.So I'm feeling a bit stuffed now.It won't be an early dinner tonight.
Pork and Apple Pin Wheels,Parmentier Potatoes ,Asparagus,Broccoli and Peas.