General Chat

Cold and dull this morning with some very light showers. We have to get ready shortly to go to a funeral. OH is feeling so much easier after 4 doses of his tabs that he reckons he can manage the short walk to the church and sitting in a pew for a little while. We should be back by about 2 pm so we'll have a late lunch then.

I can't seem to settle to anything much today. I didn't sleep well and felt cold till I realised that I was probably hungry as I didn't have any dinner so at 3 am I got up and had a cup of tea with a slice of bread and jam and that seemed to settle me down. I've been doing a bit of general admin type work and getting a couple of cards ready for the post and just generally fiddling around at this and that.

AnnG, as I think I said we were surprised about getting OH's pills off prescription. I think they may be the sort that can only be sold if the pharmacist is in the shop as I was asked questions about who and what they were for. The price point would put anyone off buying them if they didn't really need them but I do wonder what someone on a low income would do. Presumably if they couldn't afford them they would have to stay in extreme pain until they could see a doctor and get a prescription.

Better go and get changed I suppose. I don't think we need to be all in black but I'll wear something a bit more respectful than the tatty old trousers and bright red jumper I'm wearing at the moment. OH must be thinking the same as he hasn't dressed this morning in his "weddings and funeral suit" but is wearing a white shirt and black tie with dark coloured trousers and jumper.

Morning all,

I slept well last night so that was good. Its 5 degrees here and cloudy out the front and sunny out the back. I can see a tiny bit of blue sky between the clouds to the north.

Nothing planned for today so I may do a bit of HW or paint some more mini bread.

Hope Gill slept ok so she's bright and breezy this morning.

Think I will go in the shower and do some washing and then feed the girls and do my minitures.

Good morning all nice ans bright here this morning so far only 1 degree but it is only 0720, no frost though.
Vera your tea sounded very good, I am sure they are used to people having a take away box as they have so much per two people, and i suppose it is paid for. I am sure OH enjoyed his scone.
Surprising that those pills are off prescription, maybe the price gives security for them. Hope they do the trick anyway.
Yes hard to believe Maya will be two, time passes so fast and my newest great grandson is already 6 months.
Yes it was probably sensible to cancel the walk although I was surprised that, as the walk also included lunch (as usual for our meets), she didn't suggest just meeting for lunch somewhere local. Never mind it was not really a problem

Gill your OH has done well to still be working at the care home if he has a bad back. That must make his work hard. I hope that you had a good nights sleep last night.
Good you got the quote, hope it is not too long before it all gets done.

Mel, hope your cold is better today. wonder where you caught that.

Ann good that the boiler cover is fixed now.
I often wonder how people with hearing aids manage these scans. The aids would magnify the noise but if left out I would not be able to hear instructions. I hope I never have to find out the answer.

I missed your post Vera, yes OH is still working at the care home and seems to be doing okay, he's told his boss about his Cancer and back and she's been really good about it so he does what he can. He's on painkillers he got off the doctor which helps and he starts physio on 24th March, so hopefully he'll feel a bit better after that.

I hope your OH's back feels better soon those parking bays sound very small, no wonder he twisted his back getting in and out. It's a good job you managed to get some painkillers for him

Your afternoon tea sounds very nice and what a lot you all got. My mouth was watering reading your post :-)

Max sounds so funny Mandy, not wanting to go outside in the rain so holding himself, does he do a little dance ;-) How cute waiting on the mat till you dry him....bless. Yes I'm hoping to sleep a little better tonight.

I forgot to mention earlier we finally got the quote for the grid, path and chimney all three jobs for just under 2k we thought that was a good price so I've asked him to let us know when he can start. When he came to look at the jobs he did say that he was busy all through March so I assume he'll start sometime in April. I'd given up on him texting me the quote as it's been almost two weeks since he was here. He did apologise for taking so long to get back to me, so that was something. With a bit of luck all three jobs will be done by the end of April.

Going to do a bit on my tree now before bed. I found a cousin I didn't know about the other day and she has 4 siblings so 5 new cousins in total. She's the daughter of my dad's half sister who was adopted as a baby, I didn't know her adopted name so never found a marriage or children for her, so now I have all the information and just need to put it on my tree.

I’m not surprised you didn’t sleep well last night Gill. I expect the previous night’s shenanigans were playing on your mind. I hope you get a better night tonight. Is your OH still working at the care home? That must be difficult with his back pain.

A lock on your shed door’s a good idea Mel. You were probably right to put Stu off this week if he hasn’t been well and you’ve got a cold anyway. I hope you feel better soon.

You’ve been busy Mandy and got lots done. I hope you get your plastic box for the chair cushions. I’ve been looking for some sort of wooden chest or similar that’s big enough for our garden cushions but could also be used as a coffee table in our conservatory. At the moment ours are stored in a wardrobe in a spare bedroom. They used to be in plastic bags in the garage till a mouse got in and made a mess of 2 of them so I had to buy 2 more.

It’s a shame your walk was cancelled AnnG but it wouldn’t have been very pleasant in the snow and whoever organized it couldn’t have known that the weather would improve in time. How can Maya be 2 already? Time is going by too quickly for my liking.

90 minutes is a long while to lay still Annx so hopefully they will give OH a break between each of the 4 scans. The staff doing the scanning must be used to patients with back problems so I’m sure they will do their best to make it as easy as possible for him. It’s probably a good idea to take painkillers before the scan. They may help him to relax a little bit. Enjoy your lunch with Fitz tomorrow.

OH’s back problems are long standing (an injury 60 years ago). A lot of the time he has no problems with it or just a bit of an ache but sometimes a slightly awkward movement will throw it out again. He was aching anyway from the gardening he had been doing a few days ago but that was bearable and was improving. However, when we went to Colchester yesterday we parked in a multi-storey where the slots are quite narrow, there are big square stone pillars every 3 slots and we were parked next to one of the ramps so there was also a low wall. OH parked well but with the pillar and the wall he could only open his door a few inches and had to twist and wriggle his way out of the car and back in later and seems to have twisted something in his back. He had very little sleep last night and this morning rang the surgery to ask for his usual prescription. He was told that, as he hadn’t had the tabs for quite a while, he would need to see the doctor again and, of course, there was no appointment available at any of the 4 or 5 surgeries that are part of this practice. Then he was told that he could buy these tablets at a chemist’s. This surprised us both as they are quite strong. Anyway I got in the car and went off to our nearest pharmacy and managed to get what he needed. On prescription OH gets 100 of the anti-inflammatory/painkiller tablet to take 3 a day and I think it’s 35 of another tablet to take 1 a day. The first tablet I could only have 48 which is a reasonable amount but the other one I could only have a box of 7 tablets. They were pretty expensive as well. Anyway, after 2 doses OH is already looking a bit more cheerful.

As he was happy to be left I went to my afternoon tea. I did a couple of jobs in town first and left my car there and walked down to the hotel. It’s only about half a mile but there was a bitter wind blowing and a few spots of rain. The tea was very good though we had a long wait before our food arrived. Each tiered stand was for sharing between 2 people and there was plenty on it; 2 each of 4 types of finger sandwiches, 2 fruit and 2 plain scones with 2 pots of jam and clotted cream, 4 cakes, 2 chocolate tart thingies, and 2 blood orange possets in little jars. No-one could eat all their share and some people asked for a little box to take the rest of theirs home. I didn’t do that but I did wrap one of my scones in a serviette and bring it home for OH. I haven’t had anything to eat since then but I had to feed OH so I cooked a dinner and put half the meat and gravy in the freezer to be a single portion for another time.

We have a funeral to go to tomorrow. I don’t know if OH will make it but it’s local so I can easily go on my own. It’s just a church service which is being followed by an “unattended cremation”. I don’t think there is going to be any sort of wake or reception.

I’ve been rabitting on again and I have several jobs still to do before bedtime so I had better come to a close. Sleep well everyone.

I hope so to Mel we won't be outside painting until the weather gets a bit warmer .
No Max doesn't like the cold and if its raining he will hang on and on before he goes out ,I open the door and if it's raining he'll back away ,if he does get wet he will come in the back door and sit and wait on the mat till I dry him with his towel . :-D

Ann hope you enjoy your lunch with Fitz tomorrow .

Gosh Anng I can't believe Maya will be two where has that time gone .

Gill hope you sleep better tonight .

90 minutes is a long time Ann, I hope it's not to painful for him.

Sorry to hear your plans were cancelled because of the snow AnnG, you're not having much luck lately, I hope it changes for you soon.

Lovely poem William. Pleased to hear you and your good wife are okay.

You've been busy today Mandy, you got lots done by the sound of it. The plastic box sounds like a good idea.

I hope you get over your cold soon Mel. Good idea to put Stu off, the last thing you need is to catch anything he's getting over. A lock sounds like a good idea, it'll give you peace of mind too. No my neighbour doesn't live on her own thankfully.

I had a bit of trouble sleeping last night. OH was on nights again and the same tonight. I did have a bit of sleep today, but hopefully I'll sleep better tonight.

I hav'nt been able to fet into anything todayid a little apinting of the things I made yesterday.

Hope the weather improves so you can get the fence painted Mandy and get the box you need for the cusions. Does Max mind going out in the cold? or does he rush out and in again quickly to get back in front of the fire?

I think 90 minuets is an awful long while to lie still for and I do hope its ok for him and the suggestion of ear plugs is a good idea.

I put Stu off this week as I have a bit of a cold and he's just got ove an ear infection and then a headache and sore throat and I did'nt like the sound of that.

Rang BIL and told him about someone being in the potting shed and he said he would buy a yale lock to put on the door. I told him we would have to clean all the ivy off first as its grown all over the frame and into the shed.

I am going to do my cheesy leaks tonight with a couple of roast tatoes and carrots and brocc and two bacon sausages. I just fancy that so I better go and get it started.

Earplugs might help AnnG, so I'll mention it to him. but he will still need to be able to hear them speak to him He would have had trouble with his back normally with all that time in the scanner and of course his back is much worse now. They told him it will mean 4 scans of the different sections of his back so maybe he can have a breather and change of position between them. It is a tube one I think Mandy and he hates enclosed spaces as well. I'd not heardof an upright one before. He's had a text request and made a phone appointment to speak to a GP now about the blood test he had on his birthday.

Jake has been and with a few adjustments the boiler now has a cover to hide those ugly pipes. It is easier to move to the side for topping up the boiler than the old one as well. I need to paint it once we fill the holes in the wall where the old boiler fitted and redecorate, but it's another job off the list.

Mandy you have got a lot done inside today. Those boxes are good for keeping the outdoor cushions in aren't they and keep them clean and dry. I hope you manage to get one from Aldi.

The alarm man will be here early tomorrow so I will have to be up really early for my shower. I'm meeting Fitz for lunch tomorrow, so I'd better check the weather, decide what to wear and charge my phone. OH will be at his cardio rehab most of the afternoon.

I don't know where I saw it now Anng but they looked like they had a strap round them but the bed was tilted slightly and it was like big sides but open over the top if that makes sense , probably private only.

Black as your hat here with odd showers .

Ann would it help OH to wear ear plugs to shut out some of the noise.

90 minutes is a long time, I would find that difficult for my back. Having said that I lay on my back for my nose op and was not allowed to move and that was 90 minutes. I was surprised that my back coped. so your OH might find if he tries not to tense his back he will be OK. Hope so anyway as it is important he finds out the cause.

Mandy upright scanner? does that mean standing for 90 minutes, that would be tiring.
You have been busy, I am ashamed to say I did not put the unexpected free time to good use for H/W. I spent my time after walking to Irene's and then having a coffee in making a card for two year old Maya.
The sun has shone most of the afternoon but I bet it is still cold out there even though Alexa says it is 7 degrees.

Afternoon all,

We've had a little sun but loads of really black clouds and the odd shower, I think the painting outside will have to wait even if it was dry its to cold to do anything outside ,we just wanted to get it painted before the plants get more leaves and cover the fence a bit .

Lovely to see you posting William and with one of your poems too ,glad your both well ,hope you can pop in again soon.

I thought of you this morning Anng when they said Gloucester might get some snow ,that was a surprise when you pulled the curtains back .

Oh no Mel hope no ones been poking about in your shed ,is the much in there they could help themselves too , you need a padlock on the door .

Oh Gill it's a good job you didn't know what was going on in your garden you wouldn't have slept that night , I expect they were just jumping over fence after fence to hide but those helicopters have powerful lights on them to light up gardens and heat sensors too to help find anyone hiding .
That's good Sanra is settled in her flat and is happy .

Oh no Vera poor OH with a poorly back and no tablets to help ,now how has he started it off again ,to much bending in the garden .

Oh dear Ann poor OH it can't be pleasant having to be in the scanner all that time ,is it the full scanner like a tube or the one like a doughnut ,I don't think I could go in the tube one I would have to be put out I think ,I don't like enclosed spaces .
I did see the other day where they now have an upright scanner ,that would be better as so many people can't be enclosed like that .

Well I have had a good morning doing my jobs ,I dusted upstairs and had a hoover then I hoovered the stairs and gave the hoover a good clean out ,it has a sponge filter so I washed that and I also washed two throws .
I wiped all the woodbiurner, cleaned the glass in the door and mopped the hearth, the fires now lit as its chilly .

Shopping day tomorrow, we want to see if Aldi have one of those big plastic boxes that you can have in the garden ,they should be on offer tomorrow and we thought we could store the chair cushions in one ,leave it out for the summer and then put it in the shed over the winter, we have one of the bigger garden storage boxes we keep all the chairs in ,this one in Aldi is smaller just right for storing the cushions .

Afternoon All,

It's a nicer day than I expected, but the sun's gone in now.

I hope your OH's MRI scan goes well too Gill. OH is worrying about his as it's going to take 90 minutes and he gets claustrophobic and hates the noise. Also he's worried about lying down with his back for that length of time. I think he will have to make sure he's taken painkillers beforehand. Oh that would have been scary to find out someone had been in your garden when you were at home alone! It sounds like they may have been trying to run away from being seen by the police helicopter if they broke the fence though. Was it your fence or the neighbour's? I can understand you worrying your OH might have walked into something if he had come home though and I wouldn't have been able to sleep afterwards. I'm glad Sandra is happy where she is now.

So your OH is a shuffle brother with mine now Vera! I keep telling mine he's going to make the floors slippy! That was a helpful person at the EE shop. I bought cloths especially for windows (bright orange ones!) that sound like yours as these are the best I've used for windows. No smears as you say and although thin they soak up the odd drips at the edges. It's a nuisance your OH has run out of his painkillers. I hope his back improves so you can go to the birthday event.

Nice to see you here Will and with one of your great poems too! They are always good to read and I always enjoy your artwork you do with them too. All friends are special as you say. :-)

Mandy I will look up those Marigolds. Because they have a strong smell they are supposed to put pests off too. I hope it's better weather and dryer where you are today so you can do some of the jobs you wanted to do.

Oh Mel it isn't nice to think someone has been in your shed. You might have to put one of those alarms on it.

What a surprise to have a blizzard AnnG and a shame your outing was cancelled. It's not turning out to be a good week for your plans is it! I must see if I can do some more sorting for the charity shop too. I've far too many clothes I just keep hanging on to but will never wear.

Well I walked down to Irene's with two large carrier bags of clothes from the wardrobe and a couple of books so that was my exercise for today. The sun is shining now, so frustrating it was actually a nice morning for a walk.

going to make a birthday card for Maya now.

Morning all,

I had a bad night just could'nt drop off to sleep I ept thinking of someone being in my potting shed and I think that maybe why.

What a pleasent surprise to see our Will on here and I had'nt read yesterdays post so that was lovely to see him posting and the added bonus was a lovely poem. Do keep well the two of you and give my love to Carmel please if you red this.

Got up late today but it was quite bright and sttill is but its 6 degrees out there and when I went out there was a few spits nd spots of rain on the pond.

Vera I hope poh can get some painkiller he relies on and that his back soon improves. Nothing worse than a nagging back ache.

Gill that was an unexpected thing to happen just after me saying I had had someone in my potting shed then you get someone up to no good through your garden too. I hope they caught him so you will all feel safe again. Does your neighbour live on her own? Hope oh gets his treatment soon.

Not heard from Stu but think I will put him off for this week to give me time to get things indoors sorted maybe I will feel better tomorrow, we'll see.

Mandy I hope it dos'nt rain too much so you can get your fence painted. and that will be another job out of the way and ready to get the garden up and running for the Spring.

Fancy getting snow in March we have had it here in June before now!!

Better get on as I have some hungry birds to sort out, domestic and the wildies.

Well the walk was predictably cancelled, and, just as predictably this time of year, it soon stopped snowing and we could have walked. I am annoyed as it is now a wasted day for me and I told Jake he couldn't come as I would be out.
Good morning william thank you for the poem, I have many valued friends who I have never met in person (even before the internet I always had pen friends from early teenage years) I continue to enjoy hearing their news.
Vera I hope your OH can get hold of the meds he trusts and that his back improves. such a lowering pain, back ache. Shame if you have to miss your tea.

We posted at the same time William. It’s good to see you on here again, particularly as I don’t “do” any social media apart from this chat board so don’t see your poems anywhere else. You are quite right - friends are so important at any age but especially as we get older. I didn’t know you as well as some of the others on this board but still think of you as a cyber friend.

Take care and keep posting from time to time

Good morning all. well that is a surprise. Looked out of the window 15 minutes ago to check the weather as supposed to be going on the walk with the small group of friends this morning to the airfield bar for lunch. and it is a blizzard out there. Two hours before we should be going so will have to wait and see. It is 0 degrees so it won't be melting at the moment and it is laying on roofs.

Gill that was a shock, it sounds as if the person was using the rear gardens to hide in and the helicppter was tracking them. As they seemed to have gone by morning they were possibly caught in the end. If you had anything to worry about the police would probabaly call and tell you. The main nuisance being a broken fence.

Yes the Wifi dropping out was a problem, it seems to happen sometimes and nobody can tell me why. Seems ok at the moment.

Good morning all

Another cold and dreary day. I slept reasonably well but was awake very early.

OH’s back is giving him a lot of pain at the moment and he is shuffling around. He had prescribed anti-inflammatories to take just when needed but ran out and didn’t see the doctor for more. He won’t take ordinary painkillers and doesn’t want a heat pad. He can be very obstinate.

I am supposed to be going for proper afternoon tea in our local hotel. It’s another birthday event for one of the “girls” and is all booked and paid for but I am wondering if I should leave OH. I’ll see how he is later.

Have a good day everyone.