General Chat

I'm not surprised your arm hurts Mel if you have been digging out those big thistles. Perhaps you should have a rest day tomorrow. It sounds as though you and AnnG have both been busy outside today.

It's been a funny day here again; alternately sunny and cloudy but still with that cold wind. Every so often it came over really black and looked as though the heavens would open at any minute, then it would blow over again. We were supposed to be getting rain this afternoon but we only had a few spits and spots. At least the wind and sun dried the washing well. At the moment phone is saying it is 12 degrees with a gentle breeze and computer is saying it's 13 degrees with a gusty wind.

I managed to get out the garden as well. I cut down all the penstemons which are all showing new growth now. It might be just a touch early but I have to do these jobs when the weather is reasonable and my back isn't too painful. The penstemons are in a semi circular bed round one of the bird baths and there are other plants in the bed as well so I went all over it with a hoe which took up all the little weeds and broke up some of the wet earth.

Runner beans are one of my favourites as well but I rarely buy them now as, like you all say, they tend to be old and stringy. There's nothing like growing your own and picking and eating them within an hour or two. We moved from our old house 10 years ago and one of the few things I miss is my big veg patch as I grew nearly all our veg but I don't miss the work I had to do to get the fresh veg.

Now I need to go and decide what to do with yesterday's cold turkey. It will be something simple as I'm not in the mood for doing much cooking.

I too miss our Jane a great deal and remember her bean recipe and had made it for oh. I never buy long beans in the shops as they are alway stringy as you say Ann. Going through the freezer the other day I found a bag of my beans in there I was saving to cook on Christmas day the year oh died. They look a bit freezer burnt now but won't be wasted as the chickens are not fussy what they get in their mash.

I have just come in from the garden and am going to have a cuppa. I have been digging out huge thistles that have sown themselves round the back of the bungalow and right up my road on the edges. I am hoping they are only annual ones and I know where they came from yes over the back field on the big houses land. They are really prickley so I hav'nt picked them up yet as it started raining. I got so hot out there I was puffing for breath. I had my phone in my jogger bottoms pocket and it kept pulling my joggers down so had to move it to my gillet. My arm is hurting a bit now the one that was bad last year so I am glad I stopped when I did.

I find Christmas puds have really good dates on them and have even kept them for two years before as oh loved his Christmas pud so I used to stock up.

Now for my cuppa and then get my veg donw for tonight.

I just thought I would go down and tie in some of the rambler and climbing rose branches to the new piece of trellis I got about six branches tied in and then got rained off.

Took a few photos as I like to keep references of the garden through the year.

Well I got a bit more donw. I sieved a lot of my own compost from the bin and mixed that with shop bought compost and potted up two plants I bought a week ago. Then I planted out two Helebores that I had kept in their pots while flowering. they have gone in the earth behind the first lot of gravel I had done. Sieving the compost I realised there were a lot of woodlice in it so have put some stuff on the top of what is left hoping I can get rid of them. Always have a lot of woodlice in this garden.

I have ordered some copper tape on line as I don't know when I will next get to a garden centre. I also ordered a tub of Gro more. Need to do that about every three years.

I sat out on the patio to eat my lunch. It was lovely and sunny, it then clouded over a bit but has cleared again now.

Jake has said he hopes to get there this week but not sure when, he is better now.

Mandy I am sure that pudding will be all the better for keeping.

I was slow posting so didn't see yours Mandy. The christmas pud you remembered will be a nice treat if you have it. OH loves them and we often buy more than one at christmas so there's one for him for later. It sounds like you are feeling a little better again which is good and you should hopefully be able to get your tablets tomorrow. Might be worth ringing them first though to check.

Afternoon All,

Quite bright but very cloudy here and not inviting to go outside. I went off to sleep quite quickly for me but woke at 1.00am and didn't get back to sleep till about 4.00am. I ended up doing some Sodukos! My back still feels sore but I can walk more easily today. If it's not much better tomorrow I'll slap a heat patch on it as we hope to go for a brekkie at a garden centre in the morning and look for some of the copper tape. OH is now watching a match on the telly. No meal to cook today as OH will have the corned beef cobs he was taking with him to Spalding and I have some garlic chicken for mine. I can add a bit of mixed salad.

I think runner beans are my favourite vegetable and like your OH Mel, I would eat a lot of them! Remember how our Jane (I do miss her! <3) would do that recipe with them in a tomato and garlic sauce to eat cold. I must do some this year if my beans do ok as they are very slimming!! :-) I find the ones you buy in shops can tend to be big and a bit stringy which I hate, so I have to grow them if I want young tender ones. Our garden bin will be repaired or swapped tomorrow, so we can start filling it again and there's plenty out there to fill it with!

Good idea not to do too much out there today AnnG, but you are really getting on top of what needs doing and I look forward to seeing the summer photos and flowers in a few months. :-)

Well, I'd better do some tidying in here I think. I ordered 2 Seasalt tops last night and had already saved a handy telescopic little gadget with a microfibre pad on the end for reaching all over inside the car windscreen as the bottom is hard reach with a cloth. Blow me it isn't available anymore!

Afternoon all,

Nice and sunny here now but first thing it was very overcast and raining and I thought it was set in for the day .
We were late up this morning I think we were catching up with losing the hour ,I've hoovered through and got some mince out for a spaghetti bolognese tonight.

Vera I had to smile at your making of the paper hat for OH :-D sounds as if you made his day .
It reminded me that I still have a Christmas pud down in a plastic tub in the shed ,I kept them down there in ths cool ,might get that out later.

sunny here and 12 degrees. Just did half an hour out there, in for a rest as my back was stiff. Warm in the sun.

Morning all,

When I got up it was raining but I think its stopped now and the sun is trying to come out. There is a bit of blue sky out the frontbehind the grey clouds. Its 10 degrees and I overslept.

Both hips ache today it must have been the bending and gardening yesterday so I thinkI will rest them today.

Got the foot docter on riday so must'nt forget.

Good morning all, 6 degrees and very pale blue sky and white clouds so far but it is only 0730 so very early. Slept ok but woke very early around 0500.

My Poussin and roast potatoes, both cooked in the air frier were lovely last night with steamed runner beans and broccoli spears.
With using the slow cooker and Air Frier my oven is still sparkling from its clean in January. I think I have only used it two or three times, and that only for pizza

I must have a look at that copper tape too. Most of my Hostas used to be in the ground under slate chippings but I have gradually lost them the last few years, not sure why but they must have been there over 20 years so maybe just age. I do have some in pots though.

I had that copper tape round my runner bean tub but it needs replacing now. Not sure if I will grow long beans this year. Oh loved them and would eat a whole plate full if I put in in front of him.

Did'nt do the roast veg in the end I am going to do it tomorrow instead and have got some chicken out of the freezer to go with it so it can all be cooked in the same pan.

That didn't seem the the most sensible thing for the King to do as you say AnnG. He may have put antibac stuff on his hands, but anyone could cough or sneeze close to him. Maybe he is so used to shaking hands everywhere he forgot.

Thank you Vera. My back has gradually improved today with not doing much, but I shan't go to the bead sale tomorrow. Just scrambling into my low car could put things back to square one. After seeing the weather forecast for tomorrow, OH decided not to go to Spalding and offered to take me. Looking online at their beads there is nothing new so I shan't bother. He may go to a local match or watch a match on the tv later.

Both of your meals sounded really nice and I would have enjoyed them. Fancy you making a hat for your OH! :-D lol. I'm wondering what sort it was now, it obviously caused much laughter, so it would have been good to get a photo! Today's meal sounded good as well, as did AnnG's poussin! We had pork chops with carrots, cauli cheese and spring cabbage and I did roast potatoes to use up some potatoes that weren't going to last much longer.

The copper tape sounds worth trying so I will look for some next time we go to a garden centre.I think I may have introduced the ones in our island beds as some snail eggs could be in the soil in bedding plants we buy couldn't they. I bet all those pots of Hostas look lovely in the summer.

That does seem odd AnnG. I understand about avoiding infection and shaking hands with all and sundry doesn't seem like a good idea but sitting apart from his wife?? I should think in their private quarters they are not kept apart.

I hadn't heard about garlic water for hostas but I know garlic is often grown around rose bushes. We stopped growing hostas in the garden and put them all in large pots with copper tape round them. We have 9 in groups of 3 along a narrow strip between the side of the house and the fence between us and next door and 2 or 3 in pots on the patio. Slugs and snails won't crawl over the copper tape and we have found it very successful. The only thing is you have to make sure the pots aren't too close to the fence or the snails crawl up the fence and come down on the pots from above. Crafty creatures. My problem is with some mini hostas that I have in troughs along a strip the other side of the house. They are up against the fence and I can't move them forward very much or we won't have room to walk by and get to the back door. I've got 19 or 20 troughs along there and only 3 have the mini hostas so I might replace them with something else. I haven't tried porridge oats but I know the pigeons would clear them before they could do any good. If I put any out for the birds, nothing else gets a look in. The pigeons are straight on them.

AnnG and Mel, you have both been busy outside today. It's been too wet here to do much in the garden. It's not actually raining at the moment but the air feels damp and there has been no sun today. Computer is telling me it's 10 degrees but I've just been out to put something in the garage and it feels a lot colder than that.

Sorry your back is still bad Annx. I hope it eases up soon.

Btw, the paper hat was a great success. I haven't seen OH laugh so much for a long time. He had tears running down his face and wore his hat all through the meal. I should have taken a photo but didn't think of it at the time.

Pleased. That you both enjoyed your anniversary meal Vera. And your meal today sound nice, I have a poussin to cook plus veg (runner beans and broccoli spears and maybe roast potatoes as well done in the air frier

I* totally agree Anng.. I would have thought that was worse than being with the family.

BIL and SIL came and had a cuppa and brought me a nice big Easter Egg a lindor one I opened the box and its all box and an egg and fifteen wrapped chocs.

Just reading the news on line and it shows The King attending church and says (quite correctly) that he will have to sit apart from his wife and family to avoid infection. And then there is a video of him leaving the church and shaking hands with loads of people. How is that avoiding infection?

You made me laugh Vera making oh a paper hat but dinner sounded lovely. I hav'nt eaten anything yet as I have been out in te garden since 11.15am. I thought |I was feeling hungry, came in and it was just after 2pm and I hav'nt taken my one oclock tablet cos I was lost in the shed sorting out and potting on some plants that were outside. I rescuedthree verbena bonariensis found a lovely cowslip all in flower so brought that up on the patio to enjoy and a plant I had on the patio as the rabbits eat it I took down the shed and split it into three. Its a white campanula and its evergreen and thats why I have lost it up the border. I had a blue one too, they were so pretty.

Anyway I am so pleased you managed to enjoy your Anniversary dinner Vera and may you two have many more of them. <3 <3

Right now what am I going to get to eat??????? May have a sandwich and do roast veg for tonight with yorkshire pud. I also have a couple of nice lamb chops in the freezer.

Weather is not very nice. It was misty first thing and it's been raining for the last hour.

Thank you for your anniversary wishes. I'm well aware how lucky we are still to be together. So many of our friends are either widowed or were divorced. I did buck my ideas up a bit yesterday as I thought OH had booked a table and a taxi to take and bring us back so the least I could do was make a bit of an effort. So I took a couple of my pills, had a good wash and changed my clothes and then put on a bit of make up and some pretty earrings. We had a very nice meal. OH started with a ramekin of baked brie with apple and ale chutney and toasted ciabatta bread and followed that with slow cooked lamb with mash and veg. He finished with apple and blackberry crumble and custard. I bypassed the starter and for my main I had fish pie with mixed green veg. I checked with the staff first that there was no shellfish in it or any chance of cross contamination from shellfish in the kitchen and it was fine and was delicious. I finished with vanilla panna cotta and berry compote. A couple of beers for OH, just 1 small glass of wine for me and coffees for both of us and we were well satisfied :-)

I didn't turn my light out till 1.30 am and was awake at 6 am but I feel more rested this morning so I must have got some good, deep sleep. Today I have managed to sow some tomato seeds and antirrhinum seeds and our Sunday dinner is almost cooked. We're having "Christmas" dinner to use the emergency supplies I bought in case we couldn't get to daughter at Christmas. So it's turkey breast with cranberry sauce (and a good slurp of port!) and lots of veg, followed by Christmas pud with either custard or cream. OH made a remark about he hoped I had crackers and paper hats so I am going to quickly make him a paper hat as a joke. Better go and do that now.

Just managed and hour and a half out there and was doing quite heavy work so tired now I have come in. I gave in and, as I still have not seen Jake I sorted out the mess he was supposed to clear up as it was on the slate bed under which my Hostas should be hiding I manually sorted out the bits of slate from the gavel and dirt that had washed over it and it looks a lot better now and I found one hosta tip just peeping through. Next I collected up all the rubble that appeared in the so called top soil in the planter and put it in an old bowl for them to take away when they do appear. It doesn't sound much but it all looks tidier and I am pleased with what I got done. Before I went out there I half made the bed and noww just have to put a top sheet on before I stop for lunch.

The red admirals were not fully grown, quite small and were flitting around celandines and other weeds that have flowers on them.

11 degrees out there now but no sun.

Morning All,

HAPPY EASTER :-D

I slept well too but my back is still playing up this morning. I hate this hour change too as it messes up my tablet times. I like to adjust the change with them by half an hour the first day and always have trouble working it out.

I hope your meal was nice Vera and hope you tell us what you had to eat! Hopefully your headache has gone now.

You have reminded me I need to paint the birdfeeder with some hammerite Mel. What were you painting, some of your makes?

I know what you mean by easy chunks AnnG. :-) It gets more done that way doesn't it. How lovely to see some Red Admiral butterflies! Did they seem attracted to any particular plants? All I have seen this year is a few sightings of the yellow Brimstone butterflies.

Better check on lunch now.