General Chat

Evening All,

Slept well last night and got everything sorted for the plasterer this morning then Ben the painter rang me to say the plasterer wouldn't be here till lunchtime as he still hadn't finished the job he was doing. OH went out and put the washing out and 20 minutes later the heavens opened! :-S. We decided to have a snack at lunchtime and have the tray bake later. Joe was still a bit later still but Ben the painter let me know and said he would still get the work finished today. The plasterer brought a long, wide roll of plastic with him and covered everything, even the walls in the ensuite so no plaster would get on them. He didn't need to board the ceiling after all and has made a really neat job, better than I expected and very little mess which he cleaned up. Now it has to dry out.

We both did a bit of weeding and some paperwork and I cleaned the back door which the window cleaner had left with dirty runs and drips from his cloth.

This morning when I went in the conservatory a poor Bumble Bee was slowly and weakly trying to climb up the window from the sill. I tried to move him away from the window to scoop him into something and he just lay still for ages, I think after a night in the conservatory he was weak and dehydrated as it was hot in there. I went and got an small old mustard spoon and dropped some grains of sugar in it with some water and took it to him. He slowly turned away from the spoon, then just stayed still so I dripped some of the mixture on the shelf so his front legs were in it. After a few minutes out came his tongue and he drank it and then slowly moved to the spoon and started drinking the rest. Then he just stopped and stayed still again for ages while we watched and we thought he was a gonner. After about a quarter of an hour he started cleaning his sugary legs, so OH fetched a glass and beer mat and scooped him in and took him outside to put on a flower. He didn't get chance as he flew out of the glass and over the fence at speed. My good deed for the day.

Sorry you haven't slept so well and not felt well AnnG and Vera and hope you are both feeling much better now nd will have a good sleep tonight.

Yes didn't some of them get a good fit with the dresses Mandy. I liked several of them too including the garment of the week and agree some need to speed up a bit. That's good Colin got his aids sorted. Yes, the dust is so fine and settles everywhere and reappears after damp dusting. I keep thinking there are bits of grit in the bed as well!

What a shame the broody hen managed to break two eggs Mel. I hope she doesn't break any more. I thought when you said BIL had got the mower out for you, you were going to do some mowing. I expect BIL will be glad those branches won't be hitting his head now and you have cleared them out of the way ready to be burned.

I'm off to bed soon to watch some TV.

Sorry to hear you didn't feel too good overnight AnnG. Losing sleep and feeling poorly does drag you down. I hope you get a better night tonight.

I had a bad night too and am having a "not feeling well" day. All I want to do is lie on top of the bed propped up with pillows. I can't even be bothered to read. I did make myself go into town with OH and picked up the stuff from the pharmacy that the nurse practitioner ordered for me yesterday.. Walking from there to the library the heavens opened and we were drenched. I did have an umbrella but not a coat so my head and shoulders were covered but the lower part of my cardi and my trousers got soaked. I stood in a queue at the library dripping water everywhere and then the weird shapes and lines and colours in my vision started - an ocular migraine; just what I needed. I would have fainted if I'd just stood there so I left , put my dark glasses on and looked very stupid walking through the rain back to the car which was in Roys but right next to Waitrose. I decided I would manage to go in and get some fish from Waitrose while it was 20% off. OH made me push a trolley for support even though a basket would have been fine. By then we'd both had enough so abandoned the rest of our plans and came home.

AnnG, it's good to see the book thread moving a bit again. I'm not going to look at the screen anymore tonight but will add my tuppence worth to the thread tomorrow.

Before lunch I pottered out in the garden for half an hour dead heading and cutting more ivy down and a few low branches on the buddleija.

Vera, quite busy on the book thread today.

Been cutting down the lower tree branches that get BIL on the head when he's mowing. and cut down the weeds along the edge of the sunflower garage. BIL got the mower out for me and the trailer and I drove the mower and he picked up all the branches and stuff I had cut off and stood on the trailer bar while I drove round to where I have a bonfire outside the wall. That was a good job done this morning before he left. He's coming tomorrow too or so he said.

I am now going to have a quick bite and then go and clean the nest box out as the broody has broken two eggs in there today. I was going to do it when I fed them but BIL came down so it did'nt get done.

Mandy the scones would be nice with walnuts and cheese I may have a go at those myself. Did you know that walnuts will digest anything. Thats why in olden days they had walnuts after a meal. I used to loved smoked Mackeral but they gave me indigestion but now having walnuts after eating the fish I am ok.

Don't feel too bad considering so I must have rested enough even if not sleeping. Strangely my leg is not too bad today but my ankle is playing up again, it all takes turns. Anyway I 'limped' slowly down to Irene to take a couple of books back and get my monthly quota of six. Do you know how heavt six books are to carry?

envied you the crumble Mel and Tony would have been your friend for ever, he loved plums. This time of year we used to visit the country Park at Evesham and round the outskirts were wooded areas with old plum trees that we used to pick plums from.

Mandy, as you said not like you to run out of milk. Walnut and date scones sound rather nice, very unusual have you made them before?

All I have done so far besides the walk to Irene's is to print off the bank details so that I can balance the monthly accounts and to update the shopping list for Tesco tomorrow. A bigger shop this week as I want some stuff in hand for when I return from son's.

Morning,

Raining here and earlier it just tipped out of the sky ,oh well its good for the garden,
We were hoping to walk the cakes over to the school as son is working then son could take them home today but they will have to wait until tomorrow as they are coming for coffee.
I can't make the scones as we haven't got a lot of milk when I went to the shops the other day they didn't have the one I wanted and then I forgot to get some somewhere else .

Sorry you had a bad night with not much sleep Anng have an easy day today and hopefully you'll get a better night tonight .

Oh Mel did you do the Tinker,Taylor, Soldier, Sailor with the plum stones :-) always did that at home when we had stewed plums , as soon as I read about the stones I thought of it .

Vera sorry no scones instead of the fruit I was going to do date and walnut for a change ,but not enough milk ,not like me to run out.
Thats a good idea putting the doughnuts in the freezer as they soon go stale I shall have to remember that

Ann Hope the plaster has turned up and is beavering away ,soon be finished so you can get back to normal.

Just gave the upstairs bathroom a clean and did the ironing and I think Colin has just put the kettle on , oh yes here comes my coffee .

Morning girls a pinch and a punch and all that.

Mostly grey and white clouds here this morning with a little blue here and there and its 16 degrees pc says partly sunny.

Sorry you had a bad night Anng its not like you to not get enough sleep. I hope you feel better now your up and about. Take it easy today and let the day go by without much help from you.

Mandy sorry no crumble left we had half each as it was only a small one I think it had 10 plums in it and Stu had the most stones.

Not sure if BIL is coming today but the grass dos'nt really need cutting so he may give it a miss.

Tomorrow will or would have been our 28th anniverary so a sad day for me and also it would have been my ads birthday. :-(

Good morning all 13 degrees light cloud, no rain.

I had a really bad night last night, hardly slept at all, no reason at first but the longer I laid there because I was so tired I felt queasy. Can't see much being done today, luckily nothing planned. I hate those nights and have not had one for ages. Got up at seven ish in the end because I was feeling worse laying there.

I'll have a fruit scone please Mandy. You are so good to do all this cooking for your family. I bet they all love your cakes. You are doing really well with your cues this year and it sounds as though your tomatoes are coming along nicely too.

Your bathroom is dragging on a bit Annx but there must be a lot of waiting for bits to settle or dry before the next bit can be done. It sounds as though you are on the last leg now but you might find it's a week or two before the dust finally stops settling.

Although we were on a yellow warning for thunderstorms all we have had was a very heavy downpour about 10 am when they rain just fell down in sheets. The rest of the day has been dry. It would have been a good afternoon for gardening for with one thing and another I didn't get out there.

At one minute to 8 am I dialled the doc's number and the lines weren't yet open. I redialled immediately and was 49 in the queue! To be fair the receptionists were getting through the queue quickly and I only had to wait about 15 minutes for my turn. I was offered an appointment with the advanced nurse practitioner for 11 am at our local surgery which suited me fine. I only needed a prescription which she could write. In fact she was very thorough and cleared up another query for me as well.

This meant we didn't get to our coffee meet till 11.45 and I had to do a bit of shopping after that so it was a very late lunch. I then had a hassle sorting out a Tesco order (I won't bore you with the problems there). I seem to have been chasing my tail all day. Now mentioning lunch I've remembered I bought a pack of 5 doughnuts and we had 1 each at lunchtime. I meant to put the other 3 straight in the freezer and forgot. I'd better go and do that now as they can go stale quite quickly, so I'll say goodnight, sleep well and sweet dreams.

Oh the Holly was tall then Ann sounds like a good job done .
Yes thank you Colin's aids are working again ,the lady took them and put new tubes and buds on them ,we had taken them in and they had put new buds on and we're wondering if the tubes were nipped when that was done as he's had trouble with them since then but all good now.
I think they are all good on the sewing bee but some need to speed up a bit ,I thought this weeks made to measure was a good one some of the dresses were lovely .
That's good the plasterer is coming a bit later gives you time to get up and get with it and hopefully you'll soon be all back to normal and be able to get your bedding changed ,I now have a vision of you getting into bed and a cloud of dust goes up lol

Oh swap you a cheese scone for some crumble and cream Mel :-D

Anng thanks for reminding me about the dolls house thred. I had to look through quite few to find it. Stu's been and gone full up to the brim and bursting. Rata was good and so was the crumble with a little cream.

save me a nice cheese scone Mandy please? I should make some really perhaps another day as I like a cheese scone. I like any scone really but I think cheese is my favorite.

The Holly is about 8ft high Mandy, but hadn't been pruned for a couple of years. I like to keep the shrubs at about a height I can reach to prune without needing steps now as it's safer for me. Gone are the days when i would get on the garage roof of my old house!! You have been busy baking and I bet your kitchen smelled lovely. I like biscoff and get the little biscuits with my coffee at the hairdresser's. I like the biscoff cheesecakes as well but they would be a shared rare treat now as too much saturated fat for OH and it's better for me. I like cheese scones too. The family will be pleased to have your home made cakes. Did Colin get his hearing sorted? The Sewing Bee has some people who are good and do neat work this year. Some different kinds of challenges too.

The painter let me know the plasterer won't be here till 10.30am tomorrow now. I think he has to finish off another job in the morning first. I'm quite glad as we can lie in a bit longer in the morning. With the plaster needing to dry, the painter thinks he will be able to come towards the end of next week to do the painting and, as it's a small job, will fit us round his other work.

How are those bites now AnnG? I hope they've stopped itching. I keep putting off doing the bedding with all the dust that's going to be about. Hopefully I should be able to do it this weekend.

Anng I hd forgotten all about them but have been back today after your prompting.

Suns shining, its a lovely evening , I've made two jam sponges this afternoon and a doz Biscoff and banana muffins ,one sponge is for us the other one and muffins are for the family , tomorrow I think I'll make them some scones ,cheese and some fruit ones.

Ann I think there's fourteen plants ,I have crammed them in a bit but all the seed came up and I hadn't the heart to throw them out I really must put less seed in then I suppose I'd only have a couple come through , also they were seed from last year so thats why I put extra in .
You did well lopping off the Holly it sounds as if it was quite tall.

Sausages for us tonight with beans and New potatoes nice and easy as I feel weary today after gardening yesterday and I didn't sleep very well last night I was still awake at one o'clock.

Afternoon All,

Dry and warm here, but a bit of breeze is making it pleasant. We both lay in this morning knowing tomorrow will have to be a 7.00am start. I nipped to the chemist for my meds and to the shop. OH got a load of cardboard boxes out on the drive by the time I got home and he'd packed some of his programmes in some. We sorted which can go to the tip and OH will take those tomorrow after flattening them. I need to remove our name and address labels off some first. The painter's here now and is removing the light fitting ready for the plasterer.

That's a fantastic number of cucumbers Mandy! How many plants do you have? Yes a plum crumble would be very nice. :-D

I used to enjoy the ratatouille they had as a veg option at one of the carveries we used to go to, but OH didn't like it with a carvery.

Together and with the big loppers we managed to cut back all the variegated Holly that was starting to hang over our neighbour's fence and now need to lower it by a couple of feet to the fence height and cut the part away at the back that's reverted to plain green. We want to cut it away from the fence at the back anyway like it used to be. It's a pity it isn't Christmas as I could have made a wreath with one of my copper rings.

Mel just checking out the hobbies thread and I noticed that you asked a question about dolls houses. there are several answers on there but sadly you didn't return to acknowledge them. Did you see them?

Rains stopped and suns shining, I've been out in the greenhouse cutting off a lot of the big leaves and it's let so much more light in ,cut 8 more cucumbers and there's loads more coming ,that's 38 I've cut now .
We've had a few toms ,the sun gold and all the others are getting really big but they need to start turning .

I haven't made a ratatouille for years but we use to like it ,enjoy yours tonight Mel with your chicken and then save me some plum crumble please .

Missed you there Mandy.

Still that fine drizzle here but there are sunny spells inbetween and its 19 degrees now but feels warmer.

Morning all,

Dull grey and very fine rain here this morning and its 18 degrees. Slept well and was awake early and just lay for a long while and got up at 8.44am.

Stu comes tonight for dinner and I really wanted to get some gardening done today but if it stays like this the fine rain gets everywhere.

Yes you guessed right I have made a ratatouille with chicken for tonight. Its got my first Courgette in it. I don't like Aubergine so none of that.