General Chat

Mel, it becomes personal when you give random things names. T and I used to call our Sat Nav lady Gladys.

Just in from seeing SIX. I am mentally physically exhausted and horse. N Not that we were moving around or singing you understand. It was not as long as we expected, went in at 2pm and came out at 3.50. and that included a short narrative at the beginning explaining how the musical was thought of and made. I have to admit that the singing of the lyrics was very fast, it was almost rap in places so I think everyone just got the gist. Some of the spoken words you could make out I suspect with perfect hearing you would hear it all. But I really enjoyed it, it is so clever, the dancing, the coreography is excellent,fast and 'foot tappin' good. The costumes are great and the lyrics very witty. It was fun.

BIL has just called the older mower Aunt Agatha so now she has a name!!!! I think he said when I asked him what was he going to call the new one then, Jemima. He's nuts....

Just had a sandwich and am going back out there now.

BIL been here all morning and mowed. I have just strimmed al the back garden down to Prickerly Bottom and round my pond and just started on the side of the road along the back garden grass and the strimmer ran out of battery so thats now on charge.

Better see where he is and if he wants a snack and a drink and I want one too.

Glad you managed to get one of your grassy tussocks out of the raised bed Ann. They are a nuisance when they get into where you don't want them. I'm going to have a go at the great thistley thing in the back lawn this afternoon.

Morning All,

Sun's out now but it was chilly earlier in the garden. I have a busy day, but was determined that I would attempt to dig up a horrid weed tuft, a bit grassy, but not grass that has mainly appeared in one of the island beds. There are about 3, one foot wide mounds of it tangled with a huge variegated thyme. I thought if I remove one a day, it shouldn't make my back suffer! With the aid of my lightweight border fork I eventually managed it by prising it up all around it several times and it was very satisfying that it came out more easily than I expected. Once the other clumps are out the Thyme that has spread is going to need a severe haircut or replacement. There are seedlings of this horrid weed sprouting in the gravel too, so they need to be whipped out smartly as they appear.

OH managed to see another doctor yesterday and they'd caused him worry for nothing, as the text they had sent him before about being seen about his bowel test was wrong as the result was clear and all the other Dr had wanted to say to him was that she was referring him for a liver scan, which he already knew she would do. They really should be more careful. He's been to the first appointment with the physio this morning and he managed the exercises he's to do every day.

I have an appointment at the surgery this afternoon to see how I'm doing now and then we are off to the big co-op as they stock more things.

I've tried to order a skip by email now as their phone is still saying 'unavailable' so hope I get an answer that way. Now for some admin and bill paying before a stirfry lunch with chicken and veg.

Have you had the 'doorknocker' photography meeting yet AnnG? I thought that sounded a really interesting one. I had a sporadic night last night too, kept waking and thinking it was much later. I hope you enjoy the screening and must look it up. Yes I had some awful peatfree compost that nothing grew in a couple of years ago. Even when I mixed it with existing compost things didn't do well.

Vera I agree with you about spring cleaning and forth bridge as I never seem to complete what I start anymore! You did get your conservatory done though and that was a huge task with all the frames and windows. What a shame for that poor lady at your meet yesterday with all the health troubles. I'm sure your kindness and concern were a comfort to her and I hope she can go ahead with the operation she needs.

Mandy and AnnG thank you for your thoughts on tumbler toms and my wall pots. The wallpots at the back are bigger than my others on the front, so it might still be worth a try and I have tucked polythene around plants when I've gone on holiday to keep moisture in before so I could try that as well. I suppose it depends how hot or dry it gets this summer too. Another experiment for me!

thanks for explaining about the mower deck Mel. I had thought the mower towed cylinder blades behind it like my first BIL had, but I saw the council using a posh new mower the other day and that was a rotary with the blade between the wheels. What a shame Stu wasn't well and didn't have his pills with him. I hope he's better again now and able to enjoy your meal he took with him.

Morning All,

Sun's out now but it was chilly earlier in the garden. I have a busy day, but was determined that I would attempt to dig up a horrid weed tuft, a bit grassy, but not grass that has mainly appeared in one of the island beds. There are about 3, one foot wide mounds of it tangled with a huge variegated thyme. I thought if I remove one a day, it shouldn't make my back suffer! With the aid of my lightweight border fork I eventually managed it by prising it up all around it several times and it was very satisfying that it came out more easily than I expected. Once the other clumps are out the Thyme that has spread is going to need a severe haircut or replacement. There are seedlings of this horrid weed sprouting in the gravel too, so they need to be whipped out smartly as they appear.

OH managed to see another doctor yesterday and they'd caused him worry for nothing, as the text they had sent him before about being seen about his bowel test was wrong as the result was clear and all the other Dr had wanted to say to him was that she was referring him for a liver scan, which he already knew she would do. They really should be more careful. He's been to the first appointment with the physio this morning and he managed the exercises he's to do every day.

I have an appontment at the surgery this afternoon to see how I'm doing now and then we are off to the big co-op as they stock more things.

I've tried to order a skip by email now as their phone is still saying 'unavailable' so hope I get an answer that way. Now for some admin and bill paying before a stirfry lunch with chicken and veg.

Have you had the 'doorknocker' photography meeting yet AnnG? I thought that sounded a really interesting one. I had a sporadic night last night too, kept waking and thinking it was much later. I hope you enjoy the screening and must look it up. Yes I had some awful peatfree compost that nothing grew in a couple of years ago. Even when I mixed it with existing compost things didn't do well.

Vera I agree with you about spring cleaning and forth bridge as I never seem to complete what I start anymore! You did get your conservatory done though and that was a huge task with all the frames and windows. What a shame for that poor lady at your meet yesterday with all the health troubles. I'm sure your kindness and concern were a comfort to her and I hope she can go ahead with the operation she needs.

Mandy and AnnG thank you for your thoughts on tumbler toms and my wall pots. The wallpots at the back are bigger than my others on the front, so it might still be worth a try and I have tucked polythene around plants when I've gone on holiday to keep moisture in before so I could try that as well. I suppose it depends how hot or dry it gets this summer too. Another experiment for me!

Morning girls,

A nice bright sunny morning here and its 11 degrees and pc says mostly sunny.

Poor Stu was having one of his bad days yesterday and could'nt eat his dinner so I covered it in cling film and he took it home with him to eat later. He had forgotten to take his pill and came round in the landrover to pull the ancient mower out so BIL can take the deck off. Anyway Stu went home with his dinner, a oil painting box for his daughter and a jumper. On all his other cars he has a fob with his pills in but not on the Landrover key ring.

So now I have the ancient mower abandoned in the back field behind the garage I hope its not in the wrong place. It will have to stay there till next week when Stu said he would free up the front wheel and see if he can get the brakes to work. You can't steer it at the mo.

Poor Anng had a bad night but Vera had a good one!! I too could'nt drop off last night it took me ages.

I have to have another look at Asda today cos I did my delivery pass last night and think I have done it wrong or can anyone tell me what the going rate for a years pass is now midweek please?

Good morning AnnG and all

Sunny this morning and 7 degrees. The forecast says it might get as high as 21 degrees. I’d better dig my bikini out. I slept fairly well though I was awake before 6 am.

I haven’t got any real plans for the day. The whole house needs a good spring clean but I struggle to find any energy these days. I shall have to do one little job at a time. It’ll be like painting the Forth bridge, by the time I get to the end of the house it will be time to start at the beginning again.

Enjoy the screening of Six AnnG. I’ve seen a couple of excerpts on television and it looks interesting and a bit different. You’ll have to let us know what you think of it.

Good morning all sunny and 3 degrees here. Sleep was a bit sporadic last night, no idea why, too much sitting around in the day and not enough exercise I think.
This afternoon I am going to a live screening of Six The Musical matinee. I will go into town late morning. It is at the Guildhall cinema, a small screeen studio, seats about 70 people. It is on at a LOndon Theatre, not sure which one.

Vera I have heucheras in the garden but also in pots. I have planted the latest two in the new planter I am not sure where Jake got the soil for that one but it looks and feels just like peat. I must ask him.
By the way the heuchera I bought yesterday is cherry truffles (not ruffles)

It has been another glorious day today. I got some of the plants in as it was a quick task to get ready for the meeting as there were only four of us. We did cove some gardening particularly the failure of seeds germinating in the horrible compost without peat. One person who has always been great at providing us all with plants has not managed to get anything to germinate either in her greenhouse or a propogator.

Good afternoon

The weather is much like yesterday, grey and cold all morning but sunny and warm this afternoon. I had a restless night again as every time I turned over in my sleep I lay on the arm that had just been jabbed and it woke me up.

This morning we went for our Thursday coffee meet. This time there were 6 ladies and 3 men. I felt so sorry for one of the single ladies who looked very pale and strained. She has had just about every illness going, including breast cancer resulting in a mastectomy, thrombosis, and a number of other disorders. Now she has been diagnosed with cancer of the bile duct. She is having tests at the hospital tomorrow to see if her body is strong enough to cope with surgery. What can you say to someone in her position, apart from assuring her of your love and support?

After lunch I thought I should do some gardening but didn't fancy the sun on my head so I worked in the conservatory with the door open for air There were a couple of long troughs of geraniums in there and one was looking a bit sparse so I filled in some gaps with cuttings that I took last year and are well rooted. These troughs are a mixture of pink and white but I have half a dozen red cuttings that can go in a smaller trough or a big pot.

AnnG, I hope your meeting went well even if you were down in numbers. I like your choice of plants. I love heuchera but they don't grow well here. I have a few scraggy bits I keep nursing along but I might be giving up on them soon. I've never tried geums but I like salvias and argyranthemum. Argyranthemum cuttings root easily in water so you can have plenty in future years. I usually have a couple of big pots of yellow ones by the front door but I shall have to buy some this year as I didn't take cuttings.

Mel, if you get rain can you send some this way please. The garden is desperate for it and OH has had the hose out a couple of times to spot water some of the plants.

I see there are a load of letters piling up on OH's desk that need going through and shredding or filing so I'd better get on with that next. I wonder why I'm the only designated filing clerk in this family?

7 degrees here pale blue sky with clouds. Tesco 10 - 11

Morning all,

Cloudy here this morning which is a shame but it is dryand I don't htink there is any wind.

Annx you asked about the mower, it has the deck fitted underneath between the front and back wheels. Its driven by thick belts and it will fit the old mower so that can be used on the front field and down the edges of the road. Its a mulching deck so it dos'nt collect the grass cuttings.

I am doing a nice easy dinner today may even put it in the slow cooker chicken mini fillets with carrot leeks celery and cooked in a mushroom soup. May have pots may have rice hav'nt made up my mind yet.

Pc is telling me expect 5 rainy days in a row which is'nt good as once it starts here it dos'nt know when to stop. When I first looked it said 7 degrees but its just changed to 9 degrees. O its just brightened up a bit wwith a little sun, I hope it stays.

Morning all,

Cloudy here but I dont think we had any frost this morning , shopping day and we have several places to go ,Boots for our tablets, butchers for meat ,Roys for some bits ,I thought I might get some cosmos seed and Aldi so that will be a morning gone .

Ann I had tumbling toms in wall pots on the fence but they were small pots and they did better last year when I put then in my planters ,I had three plants in one long planter ,I think the pots on the fence were to small and they soon dried out .

We had our brown bin delivered yesterday and it's full already as we had filled tubs so I just tipped them in .

Anng thats a nice assortment of plants ,is it the garden club meet today .

Better get on we want to go a bit earlier than we normally do as we've more places to go to .

Good morning all. 1 degree here at the moment just gone up from 0. Sun is shining though.
Meeting this afternoon out of our total of 11 people it looks like there will only be 5 of us. We have two fallen with leg and ankle injuries, one on holiday, two have family things and one with a virus. At least that is fewer chairs and cups to get out I suppose.
No less work to do though really. I am sure that we will still have plenty to chat about.

The tumbler is to go in a basket as last year it did very well the. So I hope to repeat it.. I can’t see why it shouldn’t do as well in wall pots.

I meant to ask you what you had bought too AnnG! I have had Fusilier before and it has pretty I think red flowers. I must look the others up as I particularly like Salvias and Heucheras. I am in two minds whether to put tumbler type tomatoes in my two wall pots at the back instead of flowers this year. I'm going to be busy with changing things indoors and outdoors but it would be nice to grow a few things to eat.

I meant to tell you the plants I bought.

Heuchera cherry ruffles,
Geum double blazing sunset
Salvia caradonna purple
Salvia marvel rose
Argyranthemum white
Miniature dianthus Fusilier
Courgette
Sage
Tumbler tomato

Yes this covid jab is for the over 75s Mandy, as OH checked when he wasn't called and I was called. You are right OH doesn't need more worry, as there seems to have been problems to sort out every step of the way and with pain as well I think it would wear anyone down if you thought there were more problems before the current ones were sorted. As you say they ought to explain why more tests are needed and what they are for. Not so long ago we were being told we should be involved in decisions about our health and treatment, but it isn't quite working as it should. No, I didn't see the Camellia there either. I think I will look online and see if I can spot one and make a note of the name of it to ask for.

Yes, OH has aspirin in the morning now so has to have breakfast. One of mine taken in the morning doesn't get absorbed properly if you eat or drink anything with calcium in at the same time so I've carried on not having breakfast, or have it later.

Yes that covering 2 months with the HB1Ac test stops the last minute diet doesn't it! It's a shame you didn't fit a lunch in with your friends today, but it was a good day with what you managed to buy. I remember when OH had his cataracts done and looked in a mirror the first thing he noticed was how many wrinkles he'd not seen before!! lol.

Vera your OH's cataracts will soon be sorted at this rate and it's good he doesn't have to wait long. You are to be a chauffeur or is it chauffeuse? for a few weeks like I was recently then. My word your surgery are quick getting your next jabs booked!

Mel what will you be cooking for Stu this time? Is the mower deck the bit with the blades that attaches to the mower itself and can it be attached to any mower?

Doc sent me a text about booking a covid jab but I am over 75 now and also being on my own I am on the list for one anyway.

Iv'e just come in again from the garden after lighting another bonfire and now I stink so I am going in the shower and then having scrambled eggs on toast.