General Chat

Another dark, wet, dreary day and the forecast is for heavy cloud and on/off rain for several days yet. The miserable day follows another bad night. It was too much to hope for two good nights in a row but I do get so cross as there doesn’t appear to be a reason for not sleeping.

Annx, I agree with AnnG. It might help if you could take just a little time to yourself to paint, read, watch TV or anything that you enjoy doing. It will take your mind off your problems for a short while and help guard against depression and anxiety. You seem well organised with your lists of jobs to be done and people who might be able to do them. I am ready with the name and phone number of a gardener who comes recommended but I think we can manage for this year.

Mandy, Jake will go a long way. He reminds me of a young chap our village butcher took on as an apprentice many, many years ago. Once he was fully trained the butcher offered him a job as his assistant. Then he managed the shop when the butcher semi-retired and when the butcher fully retired he bought the business from him and expanded it. It’s now flourishing. I can see Jake doing something similar.

Mel, we end up with lots of roof moss and lichen on the paths but the noisiest things are pigeons on the conservatory roof. It sounds as though there’s a troop of tap dancers up there.

Better go and turn my lamb over and sort out the veg and then I might pour myself a pre dinner glass of rose :-D. I also want to try my son again. There’s no land line in the house he has moved to and the mobile signal is very weak there. I’ve tried his mobile twice this morning and just got “call failed” so I’m hoping it will be third time lucky.

Magpies throw moss down off our roof too and if it raind before I can get to it, it is horribly sticky. We don't have as many magpies as we did have. Just a couple I think. the very large older one facinates me, he comes right up to the house looking for food and I can see him watching me through the window when I am sitting having coffee or lunch. He keeps his eye trained on me and only flies off if I move to stand up.

It sounds as if you have got all the jobs on a list and lined up Ann. It is a pity that OH is not up to people doing jobs at the moment as now would be the time to get the dismantling out of the way.
I feel that you are having a job stopping your OH getting depressed, which is what happenes when pain goes on for a long time without knowing the reason. I hope he can get answers soon. Somehow you need to guard against you, yourself getting depressed about the situation. Are you able to perhaps spend some time on some simple painting, perhaps when he is sleeping? <3

Mandy I think it is probably not liking working with meat but not liking how hard they have to work. Well done Jake for seeing the value in a worthwhile job.

Morning All,

Dull here with a white sky, but it seems slightly warmer.

Mel, we find the Magpies make a right racket on the roof here and we find clumps of moss on the drive too. You wouldn't believe birds could make as much noise would you. That's a good idea to put something extra in the parcel for the lady. She will appreciate that.

AnnG we need to clear the old raised beds we had and the shed to be dismantled and taken away and an arbour that's rotten first, but I have the name of someone who would do that. Also someone to cut right back the the high brambles coming over the bottom fence. I've also got the name of someone the next door neighbour used who could do that for us, so that would be a start. OH can't face anything major being done at the moment or I would get on with the bathroom being done. He's needing a lot of help with the pain he has at the moment, so I'm getting little done inside too. Now the little walk we did yesterday has set my left knee off aching. It will improve though. I'll be glad when we get all his results within the next fortnight and know what can be done for him. You make a good point about gardeners getting busy soon though, so I think we need to stock up on weedkiller for now! I was reading that vinegar, salt and washing up liquid mixed are good for killing moss on driveways and slabs, so I might test a patch! It's frustrating not being able to do what we could once do so easily.

Morning all,

No frost and it's a little bit brighter than yesterday, don't know how cold it is as I haven't been out yet ,nothing planned for today I just have a little sewing job to do ,Katie has a jump suit that needs the legs turning up as it's to long and she needs a bit off the sleeves too ,it looks so tiny ,it's a size 8 .

Mel the birds can make a heck of a mess when they get the moss off the roof , they have a go here sometimes and then if Max sees it he brings big lumps of it in .

Ann you asked if ths butcher has a van ,yes they do so Jake might do delivery's, he does walk delivery's to the local pubs sometimes if they are getting short of something .poor boy now has to train another boy as this latest one has now left ,I suppose it's not everyone's cup of tea handling meat and they don't know until they try it

Morning all,

Nice bright morning so far today unlike yesterdays dull and dreary cold weatherpc is saying mostly cloudy and its 4 degrees and expect light rain tomorrow.

When I woke this morning I was convinced someone was outside as I could hear a few bangs and crashes. I went to the loo and when I washed my hands I thought I saw something come off the roof. I listened and it carried on and all the time stuff was falling off the roof then I realised it was a bird on the roof turffing the moss off. I don't mind that but I have to sweep up after them. I did see a Woodpecker fly away so perhaps it was that.

Hope you all had another good night and are well rested for the day ahead.

I have to paint this pot for the lady to replace the one I sent to the wrong address and I'll put some extra bits in to compensate for her wait.

Good morning all 2 degrees, no frost butmaybe a bit brighter than it was yesterday. I don'r mind cold (rather have warm), but yesterday was really horrible. So dark all day that I had to have the lights on all the time.

I had a couple of books for Irene but didn't go down yesterday as it was so raw so will probably take them down today.

Otherwise it is back to the list of jobs on the new PC.

Ann, if you are looking for a gardener, don't leave it until the summer. keep an eye out from now on. Do you have any local facebook or 'Next Door' sites. It is best to try and get somebody recommended by someone else in your area. I wouldn't call Jake and his Dad proper gardeners, they know nothing about plants but that is fine, I just need them to do the heavy work under supervision..That is fine by me, I and T survived 60 years doing our gardens without knowing the latin names of plants. All they need is clear instruction. So start looking casually now. Good luck.

I bet the apple cake would be lovely as a pud with custard! Well done Jake on doing so well with his driving. At this rate he will be ready to take his test sooner than usual as well. :-) Would Jake be able to do some driving for the butcher if he has a van?

Ouch Mandy, I bet your thumb is sore after doing that and bending it back so far as to crease it! The plaster will help protect it as you say. Some of my toe and nail are slowly going back to a pink colour, but half of the top of the nail is still dark, so I hope that gradually grows out pink as well and that the nail doesn't come off!

They have turned our city Homebase store into a Range too Mandy and it opened last week. It has a big carpark so I want to go and see what it is like. There is a smaller Range store further in the city, but it is hard to park there.

We will have to get a gardener this year Vera once we have had the front garden made easier and someone has sorted the back garden better for us. I thought when we moved here it was small enough to always be able to manage it. Like you I loved my garden at my old house and grew lots of veg and fruit. It wasn't as big as your garden was, but it was about 3 times as big as what we have now. It's a shame, but I will still be able to plant up some pots of colour.

Evening all,
Cold and dull here again ,no frost but it's been one of those days I can't seem to get warm .

We went to sons for coffee and I took the cakes ,they were going to have the apple cake with custard tonight for a pud .
When we hot home I took my trainers off and when I put them in the cupboard I caught my thumb nail on the shelf above and it pulled my thumb nail back so I now have a white crease line across my nail and blood under the nail ,I put a plaster on as the nail is split and I thought I might catch it ,it's to sore to cut it at the moment .

Ann how's your toenail now ,that looked really sore .

We have the Range opening a store next Friday in the old Homebase store ,I use to like looking round the one in Norwich so looking forward to seeing what this one is like ,it won't be as big as the Norwich one so probably won't have as much choice .

Jake came back from his second driving lesson and he's really getting on well the instructor told him he's at least three lessons ahead of where he should be , his next one is next Tuesday again .

This is why Wifi is difficult to understand. Since 11am this morning Wifi has been working perfectly. Wonder if everyone has finished downloading for work!

Afternoon All,

It feels very chilly still, but the rain we had earlier has stopped now and it's been a dull day. We popped to the shop before lunch and decided to do a short 15 minute walk in the village. We hoped to go further but my left knee was playing up and OH's hands were so cold. I had to brake a bit harder at one point on the way home and it really set OH's back off so it was painkillers, tv and rest for him this afternoon.
You are right Mandy about him having a big change to adjust to. If he didn't have the pain, I think he would be much brighter. He was always on the go and his diary was full of things he's had to cancel now. He was always very good at dealing with all the changes in his job in the past, but it's different when you have to stop.

AnnG it would be a good idea to email Dom, especially as things have slowed down as well. It could be like you say with more people using wifi where you are. Maybe you just need something like a signal booster.

I didn't know you could get the radiator grills off the top of radiators either Mel. It sounds like it was a bit of a game getting the plate out but you did it in the end. It will be good to get back to making more of your miniatures.

It sounds like your rhubarb is doing well in the tub Gwyn and you will have some pickings this year.

I'm going to see what else I can shred now.

Easy day then Vera. I think that is a good idea about the rhubarb. I think mine was on its last legs last year so, if it doesn't appear this year I won't replace it. Planning 3 years ahead gets a bit uncertain at my age. Although I won't stop planning a year ahead with the garden.

I have filled my day with small jobs, mostly admin. I did change my bed and washed the bedding. I also wrote a letter by email to a penfriend. (we have resorted to email with expensive poatage and dodgy post it is easier and safer. I have atarted to sort the recovered files. So far two that I would say are important to me have recovered ok so they have been re-saved on USB. A lot that was really only useful last year has been deleted. I was pleased to find that the master for my address labels, so useful at Christmas, was OK. I have also just sorted an A4 sized plastic drawer that sits on my desk It was full of off cuts of card meant to be for my card making. so useful that I really had forgotten what was in it and I can guarantee it had not been opened for over 5 years. So most of the card bits have gone in the recycling bin. On top of that drawer is a basket weave 'pending' tray and that could be next.

I have put away the Tesco shop. He was early when I opened the day I had to smile he said'afternoon.... crappy day!'. It really is horrible out there with the sort of cold that seeps into your body. I felt sorry for him. He was really cheery though and very helpful. When he saw me chacking the BB dates, he took over and checked them all for me.

Thanks for the rhubarb advice ladies. Mel, my garden is very small and there is not a free corner to pop a rhubarb plant in. I had a large garden with a big vegetable plot in our last house and there I used to grow Timperley Early and a later maturing one whose name I have forgotten. On a good year we would have more than enough for pies and crumbles etc and I would make rhubarb and ginger jam and rhubarb ice cream. I do miss my veg garden, though I don't miss the work involved. At the moment I have several pots of herbs on a pebbled area, blueberries and guava in pots and I put half a dozen pots of tomatoes in a sort of alleyway between the house and the garage. Having said all that, I am thinking twice about having rhubarb now. You shouldn't pick it the first year and only pick a limited amount the second year so we'll have to wait three years for a reasonable crop. By then OH will be 90 and I'm only a few years behind. Will we want to be doing much in the garden by then? I suspect we'll be doing a bit of gentle dead heading and getting a gardener in to keep everything weeded and tidy. I think in rhubarb season I'll keep my eyes open in the shops and the market and if I see some nice looking rhubarb that isn't too horrendously priced I'll buy a load and freeze it to use as I want.

I've had an easy morning. I did get a load of towels washed but otherwise I've caught up on several silly little jobs - tidied some plants overwintering in the conservatory, descaled the kettle, went through some old emails and deleted most of them and got some paperwork up to date. I'm not sure what I'm doing for the rest of the afternoon but it won't involve anything very energetic. I'm following the easy morning with an easy afternoon ;-)

Good morning all.
Gosh yesterday the wind was bitter, but I needed to go to town, so wrapped up warmly and managed to get back home before most of the rain came.
We had overnight rain, but today doesn't feel quite so raw.
We seldom have frost here and haven't had one lately.

We have rhubarb growing in a tub.
It came from an established crop growing in the garden, where daughter works, but had to be taken out to make way for out-buildings. We planted it about a year ago.
I went out just now to give you up to date information. It has survived the winter well and has many sprouting areas and some small stems(about 6 inches) and new leaves. :-D.
The tub has been out in the north facing back garden all winter and the only 'care' it's had is daughter tipping water out of the top, after particularly heavy deluges and on one occasion she picked off some thin ice.
I would estimate that the tub is roughly 18 inches across the top and about 20 inches deep, shaped like a large flower pot. We did put some rubble at the bottom for drainage, but our winter rainfall was extreme for these parts hence the need for a bit of manual tipping.
Although it grew well in it's first season with us, we knew to leave it to establish itself, but hope for a usable crop this year.

Morning girls,

Its so nice to hear that Vera and Ann had a really good night last night. It makes the world of difference to your day.

Its 3 degrees here and really very dull but no icy wiund as far as I can see, not been out there yet.

Just the shop for me to do this morning and then the rest of the day is my own as BIL won't be coming. Perhaps I can get some miniatures done as Iv'e not done much since before Christmas. Acually I dropped one down the back of the radiator yesterdayIt was one of the new largish earthenware pots. It did'nt fall out the bottom so I had to get a cane and poke it down the back till I thought I could feel it. Broke the cane and then got the old fishing net with the plastic handle. I have one of those radiators mop things but it does.nt go down the back of the new rad in the kitchen. Anyway I prodded nd poked and then I thought I would swish it from the side it worked and out it popped looking very battered and dented and chipped. Then I noticed as I had taken the end off and the top grill that all the little ripples between the double rad had cobwebs in the so out came the this garden cane again and I went down every hole collecting the cobwebs ont he sticck. Some fell down onto the carpet but I was so surprised at what came oput I must remember to look down it on a regular basis. I only found out last year when the plumber came that I could take the grill off the top of the rad.

Good morning Vera and everyone. glad you had a good night Vera, I did as well.

2 degrees here and very dull outside. No plans for me either today although still lots to do with the new PC. Bed has been stripped and bedding in the wash.

I do need to get this Wifi sorted. It is much slower now since dom installed the new PC and also put the printer onto Wifi. I can't see how that should slow it all down though as the printer is not switched on.

I will wait until Monday and send him the question re the Wifi

Tesco due this afternoon. I do have another book for Irene so maybe I could do that too. The time soon goes.

Good morning

It’s another grey, damp day but the wind has dropped and I think it might be a tiny bit warmer. It could be a lot worse. I was thinking of my brother’s funeral, 4 years ago today, when we were panicking that we wouldn’t get there because of the snow.

I slept well last night, 6 hours without waking at all and then I dozed for another hour or so. Why can’t every night be like that?

I haven’t got any plans today. Enjoy your day whatever you’re doing.

I think if the half barrel is fairly deep it would be worth giving it a try if there is no room in the garden Vera.

No, airplane mode was off Ann. My Briadband is via cable and
I did read on google that it could slow down the Wifi if several people on the same cable tried sending on wifi at once.

You m ay be ok if you plant rhubarb in a half barrel but remember it is very long rooted and you're not suppose to pick it he first year to let the plant get established. Why not pop it in a corner of your garden? It will need a nice lot of compost or horse exhust.

We had some wonderful rhubarb when we were doing the top garden. I had one that had lovely thich red stalks and I know we had one called Champagne and a Victria and Timberly early. It may have been the Champagne one that was really red all the way up to the leaves.

BIL popped in but did'nt stay he just came to pick up the strimmer. Its been bitterly cold here today not a day when you want to be outside for long and I have filled the birds feeders up twice today and when BIL was here we had the little Goldcrest feeding under the bird feeder picking up all the crumbs from the fat sticks.

Old school cake is just a tray baked sponge cake with icing on top and lots of sprinkles on the icing ,we had it served with custard at school and I think the icing was pink but I did just white icing on mine ,there were two pieces I couldn't get in the tub so we had them for pud .

Ann OH is usually so busy with paperwork and going to meetings etc so it must be strange for him to just have to take it easy and not do as much , it's probably the shock of what happened too, you can't go through all that and get over it in a few weeks

Vera I'd give the rhubarb a go In the big tub ,is there anyone you know who can give you a piece of their plant then you won't have lost anything if it doesn't work but I don't see why it shouldn't.

Ooops! I missed your post Vera.

I think Rhubarb would be ok in a pot or your half barrel with some good compost. The barrel might be best though as it can grow big, but then again, you could keep it smaller as long as there is enough for what you need. It's worth trying. The stuff I have for verrucas says it can take months too, so I hope it is quicker like yours was. OH did seem a bit down today I thought, which isn't surprising with all that's happened. It will help if he can get the tooth extracted next week and then get the blood test results. He had a nap this afternoon which was good for him to catch up on some sleep and has a football match on tv to watch tonight. It's good your daughter has no financial worries on top of losing her partner, as that is difficult enough for anyone. I think we are due rain tomorrow.