General Chat

Just you and me so far Mel. What a quiet little thread we are today.

Best to try not to spend too much time in wellies Mel. I know you can't not look after the chickens but try not to be on your foot without the sandal for too long.
Hope everyone has had as nice a sunny day as I have had (and Mel has too).

Lucky daughter Anng. Its 8 here also . I have done a whites wash and its all out on the line. I have been saving it up so I can give a good wash with quite a lot in it.

I still sleep ok if I get up late. I did'nt mean to sleep that long this morning as I could see it was going to be a nice day again. My mistake was turning the heating on at 7.07am got cosy and dropped off again. I think it has done my foot good though. I have nice black toes now and some of the swelling has gone down from the instep but think its the tendons that are giving me gip now and then and they take a long while to heal.

Mel, that is a quarter of the day gone by the time you got up!! I try not to go back to sleep after 0630 as I then seem to not sleep so well the next night if it is late when I wake up.

A beautiful sunny day here it is 8 degrees at the moment. When I got up around 0700 it was -1 and there was a light frost. It is warm in my back garden and I have just spent half an hour out there cutting back the ever growing ivy. bin day tuesday for garden waste so I will do some more this afternoon.

Heard from daughter and it is 20 degrees in Lanzarote.

Morning Anng and all,

Got up at just before 7am for the loo and it was thick frost so I turned the heating on and went back to bed. Beautiful sunny morning now with plenty of the blue stuff and no frost now. I woke again at 10am.

Good morning all sunny but -1 and a light frost. Hopefully it will be a nice spring day.

Vera I have always liked shopping (I think I take after my Mum as she liked it too, even when they dit have a lot of money to spend). I enjoy looking round the shops to see what is on sale even if I am not buying. And love hunting for bargains. Not at real sales though never go to those. Not that they happen often these days but I/We were never the ones to get up at sill hours to go to a big sale.
These days I am so glad I don't have to look for a car park and pay while I wander round the shops. I mainly go into town to be with people, often just wander round back alleys to the cathedral, sometimes to the docks. I do appreciate my bus pass and a good bus service.

Once the fog cleared it turned into a beautiful day, sunny and bright. It was still cold but without the bitter wind of the last couple of days so much more pleasant.

I did my friend’s shopping and took it round to her and spent a few minutes chatting with her. I put a bunch of pretty pink tulips in with the shopping which pleased her. I didn’t stay long as she looked exhausted and was clearly in pain.

When I started the car to go to the shop a message flashed up to say the battery only had a low charge. For the last month or so we’ve only used the car to pop in and out of town. It needed a longer run to charge it up so this afternoon we did a round trip of about 25 miles to a big garden centre we know. OH wanted a new garden sieve so we got that and I had a good look round the gift section. Lovely things and lovely prices too!

AnnG, at the moment parking is quite cheap though it adds up if you pop into town several times a week as we have done in the past. My concern yesterday was that I had paid for 2 hours which should have been ample but with delays everywhere I went I was getting pushed for time and I didn’t want a fine. I HATE shopping anyway and am not into browsing round the shops if we had any. Our town was a lovely little market town with an independent department store that we all miss and several little independent shops. They have all closed and we have a town full of coffee houses and charity shops. When parking was free for 3 hours people from outlying villages would shop here but if they have to pay they might as well drive to one of the bigger towns with more shops. Our narrow medieval centre is constantly clogged with traffic as well. We desperately need a better bus service then we could keep our cars off the roads. Shopping in our town is a necessity rather than a pleasure.

Anyway, that is more than enough of my moans. I’d better go and give my casserole a stir and get some roast potatoes in the oven. I hope you all sleep well. There’s a cold night forecast here, -4, so I’ll be snuggling under the duvet.

Mandy yes that is probably what it is but I can't think what caused it. probably something simple. it is still there today but doesn't look so red and isn't sore. Just leave it for a while I think with rings off.

I walked down to Irenes with a book and a couple of bags of bric a brac. I went round the house a couple of days ago and scooped up several small ornaments that had been there for years but I didn't see them any more (if you know what I mean). Some I didn't even like some presents received years ago. so much stuff in the house it was good to get rid of some of it.

Morning all,

Lovely sunshine here now but very foggy and frosty first thing .

Anng could if be a bit of dermatitis, I get that under my rings where its all red and itchy ,if I dust or when I empty the hoover I have to wash my hands really well as the dust can aggravate it.

Better get on got a few jobs to do .

Foggy this morning and only 2 degrees again. I’m just off to the shops again, this time to get some shopping for a friend who has just had a knee replacement op and isn’t mobile yet. Hope the redness and itch has gone from your fingers AnnG.

Might be back later.

Morning all,

Another hard frost this morning and now the suns up and the skies blue with a vapour trail to the north. Its 3 degrees and once again pc is telling me partly sunny. I hope it stays all day as can always get on better with jobs when it does and I need to get the cobweb brush out. The little blighters are invisable whenit dul;l and dreary even with the lights on.

Hope you all slept well. I did just up once in the night then went right off again.

Good morning all, another very frosty one and still minus two here. Lovely sunny morning with pale blue sky. Nothing planned today except for Tesco this afternoon 3-4.

For many years I have worn 4 rings on my right hand with no problems. Yesterday evening I had to take them off (tight mut manageable) because around the rings and between my fingers it was all red and sore. Trying to think if I have used anything that could have irritated them but the left hand is fine and there are four rings on there too. I shall have to leave the rings off for a while now until the itch goes away. Strangely I washed my hair yesterday morning and it was a new bottle of shampoo, but the same make I always use. I will have to check if any of the ingredients have changed.

Mel that was a lot of walking around on your poorly foot. Has the swelling gone down?

Vera it must be a bit of a rush trying to fit everything in to one trip to town because of the car park fees. Is it really expensive to park now? I am just wondering if it would be better for your health to maybe accept it and pay up and enjoy your visit to the shops.

I hope you can get a plumber to come now. They do seem to be able to afford to pick and choose jobs these days.

Well I wonder where that birthday card has been hiding Vera!!!! It was posted a bit late and I asked Em to post it for me. O well at least it arrived better late than never. ;-)

BIL ended up looking for the battery charger he bought but could'nt find it in his car or in the garage so he has taken my old one.

I cleaned the girls out this morning and then late afternoon after BIL had gone I did both ponds I must admit they hav'nt been done for a couple of weeks.

Iv'e had this boot on a week now and they said to keep it on for 2 to 4 weeks. Its so annoying because I can't gp round to the chickens with it on and have to put my boots on for that. I also am gpoing to need chickens food soon and a bale of woodshavings so I am hoping I can drive soon.

Mel, thank you for your lovely birthday card which arrived at lunchtime today. It hadn’t even been franked so goodness knows where it has been. Bil does seem to have problems with your mowers but it’s good that you like the way the new one is cutting. I like the sound of that sausage and cranberry wreath.

What a strange thing to happen to your washing machine Gwyn. The gremlins have got at it. Enjoy your Welsh cakes. After my cousin died some years ago her husband married a lady from Wales and she always brings a big tin full of Welsh cakes to any family gathering.

Could you please come and tidy my garden when you have finished yours Mandy? It has been so neglected over the winter and really needs a good sort out.

After a cold, frosty night the sun came out and it has been a beautiful day but really chilly. I had to go into town for a haircut. I had saved lots of jobs to do in town. As we now have to pay for parking I try to do as much as possible in one go but what a frustrating morning I had. I drew some cash at the bank and went to the counter as I wanted £10 of the money in £1 coins. Would you believe a major bank could only rustle up 8 £1 coins so I had 4 x 50p as well. Then I went to Boots with a list of 3 things and they hadn’t got 2 of them Next it was Roys. They had what I wanted but there was only 1 checkout open and the queue snaked halfway round the shop. It was just a young lad there and he kept using his tannoy to ask for any trained colleagues to help at the checkouts and just as I got near the head of the queue 2 arrived to open other tills. In the queue I was watching the minutes tick away and thinking my parking ticket would be expiring. In the end I got back to my car with just 2 minutes to spare.

When I got home I asked OH if the plumber had phoned. He said no and he would have to go back to the original one. That’s when I found that this time he had contacted a more local, cheaper plumber. The one who came in originally was pretty expensive but it will be worth paying his prices to get the job done. Added to that we now have condensation between the panes of a double glazed unit in the kitchen so we’ve had a glazier in today to look at that and give us a price to replace it. He did one for us a few years ago. The windows have a semicircular strip of metal near the top between the panes which gives an arched effect so he’ll come on Monday, take the window out and put a single sheet of glass in temporarily and will take out the metal arch bit from the old window and put it into a new double glazed window. Then he’ll be back to take the temporary one out and put the new one in. What with loft boarding, plumbing and glazing and we have also agreed a price to have the outside of the house painted, I shall be doing a Frank and screaming MORE EXPENSE from the rooftops.

I feel a nice hot cup of tea or maybe coffee calling me and then I have to go on a computer hunt for a file that I seem to have accidentally moved. I know it is on the computer still but I think I’ve somehow shunted it into a different folder, It’s that sort of week, lol.

Forgot to say AnnG
Here is a link to a captioned photo of the planets.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/technology/astrophotographer-captures-rare-planetary-parade-as-7-planets-align-in-the-night-sky-photo/ar-AA1zQmsN?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=ACTS&cvid=fcf6722af6244d279eeb7b30e8bd0837&ei=12

Well that was odd with your washing machine display not lighting up Gwyn , good it's working again ,now your going to be wondering if it will do it again .
Bet its smelling good with the Welsh cakes cooking and yes Mel I've done them in my frying pan and they cooked fine .
I think they can be done in the air fryer too.

Mel you could make some sausage rolls with a little cranberry sauce mixed in with the sausage meat or just layed on the top of the sausage meat ,I cheat and buy the ready rolled puff pastry now when I make sausage rolls

Suns still shining ,its been a beautiful day for a change .

The only time I have had welsh cakes is when we went on the narrow boat in wales. There was a nice plate of them on the table with a small pot of cream and a jar of jam. I really fancy one now. Could I bake them in a big frying pan? as I hav'nt got a griddle.

BIL went up to get the new mower from by Em's in her fathers closed barn and it would'nt start!!!! He came down here and had been cutting grass with the old mower and he took the battery off that and took it up to the new one and it started first time so now the new battery is on charge. I must say that the new mower is making the grass look good.

I bought in LIdl at Christmas a sausage and cranberry wreath thing. It was all wrapped in puff pastry so I cooked that this morning and it was delish. We had some for lunch and I still have a bit left which I shall have tonight with salad. I like to cook in the morning when the suns shining as I don't use much leccy with having the solar panels.

I wish Lidl would do one for an easter wreath, I'd buy a couple. Wish I had bought two at the time now as there was two left in the cabinet. I should have known they would be good with only two left.

I cleaned the girls out this morning and when I went round there there was one of the old black ones inthe nest box and she then came out so I shut them all in the run and you should have heard the carring on she made cos she was shut out. anyway once I had done it and let them back in she went straight in the nest box so I thought thats another brown egg today.
Took BIL some luch round, a piece of the ring and a big cheese and pickle roll and fresh orange juice and while he was eating it I saw she was in the run so went to collect the egg thinking it may be a big one as she was disturbed. There in the nice clean nest was a brown egg but not even the size of a pigeons egg.!!! :-( Bless her she tried.

Its lovely out there in the sun but still chilly in a shady place. pc now says mostly sunny and 9 degrees. Better go and see if I can do the pond filters now.

:-D :-D :-D Vera. The area might be lively, but I didn't feel lively this morning :-|

I had gathered some washing together last night and loaded the washing machine ready to switch on when I woke this morning.This system works well for me and means I can do a wash load, while the cheaper overnight tarrif is still in play.
For some reason, I couldn't get the machine to switch on. I even tried taking out the plug and moving it to a nearby one,but still the display light was not lighting, so I switched it all off and went to sit in the living room and started to watch TV.
I must have dozed off and next I knew I was waking from a sleep and having a dream about living in a shared house and telling the other occupants that the washing machine was broken.
Back into the kitchen to make a cuppa and looked at the machine again. Switched on and set the programme and off it went all back to normal :-S
Goodness knows what happened earlier, as we certainly didn't have a power cut, but it obviously was playing on my mind if I ended up dreaming about the wretched thing :-| :-|
I can manage without some things, but the thought of doing all the washing by hand and then trying to wring it out dry enough to put on the airer was not good.

Anyway, beautiful sunshine this morning, although it is rather chilly. We've had no frost though.

It is good to get out Ann. I haven't been to Cheltenham since the early '70s when there seemed to be an upper part and a lower part. It has probably changed a lot since then. I used to catch a bus in from nearby Swindon Village, where we rented a bungalow, when first married.

Welsh cakes are being made in our kitchen :-D
Daughter is busy cutting them out, before a mammoth cooking session. As she says, it's not actually hard to make them, just labour intensive, as you have to stand over them rather than pop a batch into the oven and come back later.
Hopefully they are good and we will share some with son and elder daughter.

Afternoon all,

It's been a nice sunny day ,bit chilly first thing but I've been out in the garden doing a bit of weeding and tidying up, filled a tub and could have done a bit more but thought no think of your back so I stopped hopefully I can do a bit more tomorrow,if was nice to get out and be in the sunshine.
I came in for coffee then did a few indoor jobs .

Sounds as if you filled Stuart up with a good meal Mel , how's the foot now have you still got the boot on .

good job he was not early Mel or you would have still been in bed. :-D