General Chat

Ann thats no good then putting the bin there if the drive has a slope ,maybe a few good old tin tacks to give him a puncture.
Colin's favourite biscuits too custard creams ,I quite like a ginger biscuit and the Oatie biscuits.
Oh yes Garabaldy biscuits or fly biscuits as we use to call them .

That's good they are checking you out with a blood test and scan Mandy and that she has prescribed some better painkillers. I didn't know you could get diarrhea with gallstones. We are a lot aren't we with one thing or another. I thought about a nice icecream while I was out today and then remembered they have sometimes upset my tum in the past, so swerved by them quickly!

Yes, I have wondered about sticking the wheelie bin in his way, but then I'd have to keep moving it when I want to go out and our drive is quite steep near the bottom and not great on my knees, especially if the bin is heavy. I'll get OH to put it in his way on bin days though as the bin is usually emptied before I go out and then OH goes out and fetches it straight after, as one of our neighbours is prone to taking our, cleaner bin than his up his own drive, despite our number being on it. lol.

I like malted milk biccies with the cow on too. I don't see them often now but I used to love the sports biscuits years ago that had different sports on them. OH's favourites are custard creams.

First OH loved garibaldi Mel, but they and jaffa cakes are two things that never tempt me! The lemon drizzle cake does though. Could you just get a much newer, but not brand new mower? As Mandy says, the cost of the new parts mounts up. It sounds like you need one of those harrow type things to tow with the mower round your trees before mowing to scrape up the twigs. It will be nice to see your bearded Iris if you can get some pics. I don't have any now, but I love the flowers.

Mandy I still buy Malked milk and eat all the edge of, you just have to. Asda do sell Rich Tea but not the fingers which are the ones I like. They changed the flavours of the Iced Gems. They used to have lo9vely scented tops but they're not the sam anymore.
I bought a packet of Garibaldy (sp) down the shop the other week as I had'nt had those for years. Just the same as ever.

I have tried to light a bonfire but its not working so shall have to go down and try again. Iv'e potted up a couple of plants and done a little weeding. I must go up and take pics of my Bearded Iris as they have been in bloom about a week now and I shall miss them if I am not careful.

Better go and dive down the freezer for something for dinner as I don't feel like cooking now.

Gave BIL more eggs today as Em's not buying so many cos Sam has gone off his plain buns. I shall have to buy a couple of lemons and give her some eggs and ask her to make me a lemon drizzle cake as her are delish.

She just said that the iron tablets don't agree with everyone but I stopped taking the new iron tablets when the diarrhea started again ,she did say you can get that with gall stones .
That's odd that asda doesn't have rich tea biscuits I thought they were one of the more poplar ones, we like the malted milk biscuits I can remember having those as a little girl and I always use to bite round the cow lol another one mum used to buy me was those little iced gems I use to eat the little bit on the top and leave the biscuit.

Pleased you have seen the nurse practitioner And got some stronger pain killers. Did she say anything about the new iron tablets you've been taking? I hope you can now get some comfort tonight without pain.

Got back from Holsworthy just before 4.30pm. I think I remembered evrything today. Got some potting grit which I badley needed, bought myself a new Rosemary plant in Waitrose and some Rich tea fingers as I can't get those in Asda so I bought two packets. Posted a little parcel and went to the library for my book and found another one too so plenty to read now. Also got some peppermint creams in the Factory shop so all set for the week now.

Now I need to do a bit of sowing aand potting on.

Suns lovely now so warm.

The paper man doesn't sound as if he's taken any notice of you waving him off your drive Ann could you stand a wheelie bin out so he can't turn .

That's a lot of money for a new mower Mel but if your having to buy all these spare parts perhaps you'll have to bite thd bullet .

I saw a nice nurse practitioner she gave me some strong pain killers and I also had blood taken to test activity on the gall bladder ,she's also getting me a scan organised so hopefully we can see what's going on .

Done some weeding and dug up my snowdrops by mistake but will sort tthose later. Done the big pond filter and had to muck about with the skimmer and then I realised there was'nt enough water in the pond for it to work properly so had to turn the pump on from the well. Did that and now I am having a rest and something to eat.

nother belt

BIL got the mower going ok but has now heard a strange noise and had a look and the drive belt has now split so has to buy another belt. He wants me to buy a new mower but they are £5,000 and I don't want to pay out that sort off money especially as he drives over all the branches that fall off the trees and dos'nt pick them up first.

Sun's out now but it's cooler today. It's good you got an appointment Mandy and I hope they can give you something to help. It's horrid being in pain and I understand gall stones can cause bad pain.

Mel I bet you were surprised to see BIL's car when you thought he would be working. Farnborough is a long way for him to travel if he lives at Barnstaple, but maybe he works at various places with his job. With him fiddling with the mower it sounds like he was keen to do more mowing which will be a help.

Gwyn I must look out for Craster as I record Countryfile but am a bit behind catching up with the episodes. I imagine it must smell kippery and smoky around that shed.

I didn't get any plants for the front wall pots and think I might be better trying another garden centre for those. I did get more French Marigolds tor fhe pots either side of the arbour. These are red centred with a yellow border. I usually have violas in those pots but thought we'd have a change this year.

I need to ring the other location for the bathroom people now as I want to look at the shower cubicles and their place near here has them upstairs and no lift. I thought shops had to be disabled compliant these days. I hope they are all on one floor at their other place. Washing will need putting out then.

Morning all,

Little bit of sun peeping through the clouds I think it should be a nice day .
I managed to get an appointment with the nurse practioner for 10 30 so hopefully she can give me something ,son is going to take.

Thank you Ann for forwarding AnnG's photos. What a vivid colour on the peacock!
Although the sun was not shining for the walk, the light mist somehow adds to the atmosphere of that ancient place.
It was interesting to see Craster featured on Countryfile yesterday. They were focusing on the kippers mainly and the smoking shed still used in the same traditional way as past 3 generations of the same family.

A bright and breezy day for us today. I have just done a bit more dead-heading and weeding and the bin is now out for collection.
It looks as if it might be wet again tomorrow :-(

Morning all,

YOu are an early bird tis morning Ann hope you find your plants for your wall pots. I was woken at 8.28am by a car driving down here and when I got up and looked out the window BIL is here. Now he is supposed to have gone to work in Farnbough at 12.30am last night and I hav'nt been out there yet but he is fiddling with the mower. I shall have to investigate. He's not in the works car either he's in the Duster so wife must have taken the little fusion.

Had my COC so better go and say hello.

Morning All,

Dull and overcast here but dry. That annoying asian man woke me at 6.00am with his car on our drive again! I'm so fed up as OH seems to keep putting off/forgetting to keep trying the number for the company that delivers it. The longer it goes on the more he will think he can please himself. That's my moan for the day. lol.

At least I'm up and showered now ready to pop to the shop and call at the garden centre for some plants for some of the wall pots. OH is out at a council meeting this morning.

Yes Vera, that book shop or any book shop would be like honey to a bear for OH. He'd be making a bee-line for it. :-). Your OH did well getting a gold star for his work in the garden. Mine announced he had cleared the front border yesterday afternoon, which gave me a nervous twitch when he said all that I'd told him had gone! I confess to tiptoeing to the front window to look what he'd done from there and was relieved to see the cotton lavender and euonymous were still standing. I'll have a closer look on my way out today.

I've had my pills so better be off now. BBL.

Thanks for sending on AnnG's pictures Annx. They brought back some memories. That area is one of our favourite parts of the country and I think we have had 3 holidays around there, one staying in a fisherman' s cottage in Craster. We have walked along past Dunstanburgh Castle to Embleton and sometimes further many a time. I certainly couldn't do it now. Alnwick is lovely too. I assume the bookshop you are talking about is Barter Books in the old station. I could have spent the whole day there. I bet Annx's OH would love it.

Poor you Mandy. You are in the wars and just as you seemed to be improving. Thinking of you <3

OH got a gold star. All I have to do is slightly adjust the position of the pots as they aren't quite in the right place but only a few inches out.

You go on all you like Mandy, it is not nice having so many health problems.probably a good idea to stop the iron and see if you can stabilise your system

Thank you Ann for passing on Anng's photos ,what a beauty of a peacock that lovely blue on his chest really stands out .
Anng I'm not sure really what started this off I did wonder if it might have been the first lot of iron as it really upset my system and all the upset in my tummy might have upset the gall bladder and made it produce more bile .
I've been in the loo again which could be the gall bladder but I've also stopped this lot of iron just in case it's that again .
I just had a piece of Bassa and green beans and rice ,it's so hard to know what to have ,no fats and nothing stodgy and the rice was a little ,I only had half but at least it's something as I only had two weetabix yesterday .
All I seem to go on about is my health ,sorry

Smashing p[ictures from Anng and thanks for forwarding them on Ann. both Ann and Linda look well and rested and the castle is beautiful. They have peacocks a little way away from me and I can hear them calling. They always sound to me like they are calling for HELP.

Done a little more weeding but can't bend like I used to and I also used ot kneel to weed but those days are now gone but I must go and pick my mess up.

Goodness it’s hot. 22 degrees here at the moment and not a breath of wind. I haven’t done anything in the garden today apart from pull a few weeds as I walked by but OH is out there now. I laughed at Mel’s bil and Annx’s OH not really listening to your gardening wishes. Mine is currently supposed to be putting a couple of my argyranthemum cuttings into two large pots and putting a potted grass and these cuttings by the front door. At the moment there is a Christmas box there and that will be moved to sit inside the side gate. That’s the plan but he’s already been in again to ask where the Christmas box is supposed to go and what pots he’s supposed to be using for the cuttings. I’ll probably find he’s potted up 1 geranium cutting and a tomato, lol.

I wish I had your energy Mel. You are so good to keep all your land going and look after the wildlife and the chickens, even though you have problems with hips and knees etc. The smallest of jobs seems to exhaust me these days.

I hope your cough clears up soon AnnG. My daughter had a cough a while ago that just seemed to go on and on. Fingers crossed that you lose yours quickly.

Take it very easy Mandy. You obviously know what affects your pain so try and avoid those movements and treat yourself gently.

Did you find anything exciting in your cupboard Gwyn? I agree that spending time with family is a lovely thing to do, particularly if, like us, you are unable to see them very often. It’s a coincidence that it has been mentioned on here today as I was talking to dil on the phone this morning and asked if there was anything special she would like for her forthcoming birthday. She said there was nothing she really needed or wanted except time to be with family.

Sadly we have the funeral of another friend to go to tomorrow morning. We seem to have lost so many friends and family members over the last couple of years but that’s what happens as we get older.

Well, it’s been very quiet outside for a while so I had better go and investigate and see what OH has planted up. Will he get a gold star or a dunce’s cap?

I've sent them on AnnG. The Peacock is beautiful isn't he. These days if I get a cold or cough, it seems to affect me so I can't hang on like I used to either, so I know what you mean about toilets! It's good you have still felt well enough to enjoy your break. OH is glued to the tv sport too, so I'm glad I can escape in here! I bet Alnwick Gardens tomorrow will be good. OH and I went over a decade ago and it was so well kept.

It is 12 degrees here so a bit on the cool side. I have sent a few photos via Ann. Could you pass them on Ann please. Many thanks.
I don’t think daughter and SiL will catch the cough now, I guess it is just a left over from the cold which started over a week ago. It is aggravating rather than anything and inconvenient for the usual knock on effect from a cold if you are like me. Need to keep fairly near a loo or keep my legs crossed when I cough. At least it has not stopped me enjoying my break.
Today we drove to Craster, about five miles. Home of kipper baps and smoked kippers. From Craster we walked across NT cliff paths to where we had a good view of Duntisburgh castle on the hill. It is just ruins but impressive from a distance. It stayed dry but dull, quite good for a brisk walk. I think we walked about two miles No shops in Caster, just a smokery and a small coffee snack bar. We stopped at a nice hotel on the way back for a drink and to check out their menu for the future then drove back to our lodge for lunch. And SiL is a rugby and football fanatic so that had been on TV for three hours now.
Tomorrow we have booked to go to Al wick gardens, and afterwards hopefully the book shop.

Mandy, hope the pain soon passes. I see you say it is gallstones, I might have missed what has caused the flare up I assume it is. nothing to do with any medication or change in diet?

Vera I hope you have confiscated the secateurs and your garden is not too naked.

Mel hopefully your arm is ok now.
Hope any other aches and pains are recovered.