General Chat

Good morning all, 7 degrees here now, very windy and there was drizzle ealier, it is sort of grey with patchy sun. The wind has a chill in it. I have been down the garden planting sunflower seeds and I was quite cold.

Vera you asked if I knew Rob well. He and his family were there when we moved in 34 years ago. In all that time I have onle ever got a grudging grunt good morning/hello when face to face with him. He was not at all a friendly person. when we moved here there were three teenagers in the house, very loud and rough, two boys and a girl, all married with families now. Ann, his wife is very very quietly spoken (I have trouble listening to her, she also talks very fast). She is very pleasanr and does chat. She, poor lady has MS and also is lately diagnosed with breast cancer. I would guess he and she are late 70s.It is very sad for her. She does drive or did, not seen her driving since they had a new large car. He was a very keen gardener, grew lots of veg etc, has a greenhouse. Not sure how she will cope with that. Life is very cruel sometimes, she had more than enough to cope with before.

Anyway, I have got to get some stuff sorted for packing. Have done a towel wash as well.

Morning all,

Cloudy and dull here and we should have rain later .
Yesterday I pricked out my cucumber plants into bigger pots , the toms plants are still small so they need a bit longer .
Still having a good day then not so good so I'm just taking things easy today .
I sent for another knitting book and that çame yesterday so might have a go at something from that later but I need to read it though first .

Just looked at the email ,thanks Anng for passing it on , Mel that looks really pretty .

Thank you AnnG for forwarding the photos.

Lovely Easter / Spring display there Mel and your flowers look really pretty and sturdy too.

11 degrees and a bit cloudy, but no rain here yet.

A few jobs to do, but I'm gradually ticking a few more off from my 'To do this weekend' list.

It's been sunshine and clouds today but it has stayed dry and, although it has been cooler than yesterday, it's not been really cold.

You're right about all the spring blossom and the trees starting to look green again Gwyn. It does lift the spirits. I feel for your daughter if she was affected by oil seed rape, as my son was too. I used to dread April/May as he was miserable and every other day came home from school with his shirt covered in blood where he'd had a nosebleed. I was told that hay fever is allied to migraine and son was diagnosed with migraine at the age of 5.

It sounds as though you may have overdone it a bit when you put your greenhouse up Mandy so I hope you have been taking it easy today.

AnnG, it might turn out to be handy having some extra meds if there are any shortages. I was pleased when a mistake was made with mine a while ago and I managed to build up a little stash as spares. There's just one tab that I have no spares for now. It's sad that you've had another death in your street. Did you know him well? Oh, you brought back some memories with your mention of lardy cake. I haven't had any since I was a teenager but I used to love it.

You sound as though you have been busy over the last couple of days Annx. I am very familiar with the "I can't find it so you must have moved it" attitude. I came across our moisture meter by chance today. I always put it back in its box to protect the sensitive tip but there was no sign of the box and the meter was laying across some tools hanging on the side of a cupboard in an obscure corner. OH was sure he wouldn't have put it in such a silly place and I'm equally sure I didn't so I guess the naughty elf is to blame again.

I've probably said before that we have 2 en-suites with showers, basins, WCs etc plus a family bathroom and a downstairs loo. Normally I'll clean the downstairs 2 one day and the upstairs 2 another day but this morning I decided to tackle all 4. I did give them a pretty thorough going over but by the time I had cleaned them all I was exhausted. This afternoon OH decided to do a job in the bathroom that I've been asking him to do for weeks. Why couldn't he have mentioned he was planning to do it before I cleaned the bathroom? Now it needs cleaning again! Sometimes I despair of him though really I am grateful that he is still around and able to do these jobs for me. I did manage to do a little bit in the garden this afternoon and don't ache too badly.

I hope your leg doesn't give you any pain tonight AnnG and you can get more rest. Indeed, I wish you all a good night, me included. I'm getting fed up with only sleeping for about 4 hours and that split into 2 sessions. I am functioning still so presumably I am getting enough shut-eye but it would be nice to sleep through the night occasionally.

Yes it is good to have the meds in hand.

Just heard that the fellow on the other side of Cynth died yesterday.
In our little road of 16 houses. 15 people have died since we moved in 34 years ago. Most of those were people who lived in these houses before we moved in.

So this week one death and one birth.

aNNX THERE'S GOATS MILK AND CHEESE AND GOATS MILK AND CHEESE. i DON'T LIKE GOATS CHEESE BUT i HAD IT ONCE AT A DINNER WE WENT TO AND IT WAS NICE. iT CAN DEPEND IF THE PRODUCERS KEEP A BILLY GOAT OR JUST ON THE GOATS. mY kATIE GAVE LOVELY MILK AND IT MADE GREAT RICE PUDS. Sorry hit the cap lock by mistake.

You can even make goats butter but I can't remember ever making that. I don't like yogurt so I can't tell you what that was like but I sold an awful lot to Susan Langham in our village. She was the wife of the chap who owned a resturant well known.

Well with the shortages with some items it's not a bad thing to have some meds in hand AnnG. It was a good idea to catch the bus some of the way home with your leg not happy. I did some more cutting back this morning and got a few weeds out as well and OH cut down another shrub. His legs were aching then with the stooping and my back started to twang so we called it a day outside. After lunch I cleaned the bathroom window and door and hoovered the floor tiles. Now more paperwork and to do a fresh list of tasks from all the little notes I have on my desk and lots of emails to delete etc.

Mel I've never had goats' milk, but I dislike the taste of goats' cheese, so may not like it if it tastes the same. I'm sure one of my old school friends gives her elderly dogs goat's milk. I remember in the book Heidi I read as a child they had goats' milk and cheese. :-)

Gwyn yes goats milk is a lot different to cows milk. My 1st hubby could'nt have a lot of cows milk but he could have loads of goats milk. I had goats when we lived in Suffolk. Katie and Barny brother and sister I raised from the day they were born as they were going tpo go to the butchers for meat. Katie was a maiden milker and I used to sell the milk in the pet shop frozen from the freezer. I used to make hubby yoghurt to and sold it outside the cottage. Still got my milking bucket in the loft.

Goats milk provides slightly more calcium, potassium, and magnesium, and less lactose than cows milk. The fat globdules are smaller in goats milk making it easier to digest.

The meeting yesterday was a garden one. it was crowded and noisy with chat. A lot of it garden chat. I was pleased it was dry as they walked round the garden and it is looking quite good at the moment. There were 11 of us at the meeting. good job I have a dishwasher.

Prescription was ready as the message said. I laughed and told the lady I had not ordered it. She laughes as well and said 'We are getting a lot of that this morning. As (to me) it is a couple of weeks early I now have enough meds for 14 weeks.
I walked round but I didn't have a good ight with my leg so was pleased to be able to get the bus for two stops, particularly as it was chaos on the way round with 4 way traffic lights and no pedestrian temporary light.

I was very naughty and treated myself to a piece of lardy cake. It was really nice. Don't want any lunch now. :-D

Morning All,

Another sunny day here now, but a bit cooler. We are fine and I thought I had posted yesterday, but see I hadn't. We were busy in the garden yesterday. Years ago I tried to get a mix of evergreen shrubs in the border facing north, but some are crowding others out or are too vigorous and taking off. Things I bought as 'dwarf' aren't dwarf in our good soil here. So we have started to sort out what to keep and have made a start on cutting others down first. OH has been cutting the cut off branches making them smaller and topped up the garden bin now. As we do the rest we can put the cut smaller branches in some humpers till the bin is emptied next week. As you say Gwyn, it's best to do it while the weather is fine! As we are getting older we are planning a few changes out there! Between doing the usual, getting lunch etc I was filling in holes in the bedroom wall where the old cupboards were taken out and replaced recently and yet more paperwork with finances.

This morning we went to the farm shop and stocked up on meat, eggs etc. Another bill that keeps increasing every time we go. We also called in the bathroom shop for their new catalogue, no doubt with new prices to match!

I had a chuckle at your OH's antics Vera! OH has to go back to the garage that replaced his tyre recently as it looks like they need to reset something as he keeps getting messages saying something needs 'initialising'. Yesterday, as he usually does, he took his thing he plays his CDs on in the kitchen while he washed up the few things we need to use every day. Later in the afternoon he wanted to check one of the tracks, but when he fetched it, no CD was in the case. I don't know if you find this, but my OH's first thought with anything he can't find is that I must have moved it, borrowed it, put it somewhere else! Anyway, he found it still in the CD player! He couldn't believe he'd actually put the empty case away without putting the CD in it because he's never done it before!

Mel, OH has that habit of putting things like jars of tartare sauce or pickles back with half a teaspoon left! I have managed to get him to put them back in the right place and with the label at the front though!

Take it a bit easier today like you say Mandy. It was good to get the greenhouse up so you are all set for another season. I have watched the chapel prog now and enjoyed it!

I hope you sort out your prescription AnnG. It's a nice day for a walk and to see what is flowering in gardens you pass. I hope your meeting was good yesterday......was it a garden one?

Better go and do a bit in the garden now as OH wants to show me what he has done out there!

Good morning everyone.
7 degrees here, so much cooler than the last couple of days, when it has been over 20 degrees. I might go in the garden and put more in the garden bin. It won't go until the week after next, but as it's been dry,for some time, it will be better for collecting stuff together. The digging of weeds can wait until we have had a shower.
Next week, I am busy, so it won't get done then, so it's a case of crack on, while the sun shines....or even if it doesn't, but stays dry.
Also, I want to see if the seagulls are thinking of building on our kitchen roof. If they are, we might try to discourage them, but we can't do that if they are already nesting, as they are protected.. I don't wish them any harm, but they are a nuisance and very territorial about what they consider to be 'their' garden space.!

Everywhere is looking so much greener, in the last couple of weeks, as the trees get their new leaves.
Daughter and I were driving across Kent yesterday and the amount of blossom was amazing. Lots of blackthorn in the hedgerows and fields of bright oil seed rape. The pollen from the latter used to affect daughter badly, but she says she is much better now that she doesn't drink cow's milk. ... perhaps goats' milk is different :-S

good morning all. 5 degrees here at the moment, that is chilly. No we didn't see AnnX yesterday so hope she is OK. Nothing planned for today except a walk round to the pharmacy, Had a message to say my prescription is ready which is off because I have not put in for one. PC must have told them it is due.

Morning girls,

Bit grey at the mo but its dry and thats the main thing. Its 6 degrees and pc says mostly cloudy.

Not sure if BIL is coming today so I will just have to wait and see.

Hope you all slept well.

Did we see Annx yesterday?

I do love your posts Vera and I had a good laugh at a couple of the things you have said. I think all men came out of the same mouldas I can relate to most of the things you have said about your oh but I would give anything to have mine back with me doing just those things that annoy us so much and I expect Anng would say the same.

Mine would also use something up and put the empty bottle or jar back but if he used soemthing and it was'nt empty he would never put that back where it came from. it ceases to amaze me how mens minds work.

Lovely to see Robbie looking after his wife Mel. I am getting concerned about Hippity who has been coming round our garden pretty much every day for a couple of years now. He has a problem leg or foot; perhaps he has broken it at some point. He puts it to the ground now and then to balance himself but quickly draws it up again as though it is paining him. He's fine flying but it is funny to watch him land on the fence and try to turn round. I don't like pigeons much but I've got quite attached to him and we haven't seen him for 3 days so I hope nothing has happened to him.

It's warm again today but cloudier and sort of heavy. I've had one of those days of getting nowhere fast. The window cleaners came this morning which threw me out of gear a bit as we were going out for our Thursday coffee meeting and I didn't want to go until they had finished. That meant we were late getting there. Then we did a bit of shopping in Sainsbury's. There were plenty of self-service tills open and 3 members of staff just standing around waiting to help anyone in trouble there, but only 2 manned checkouts, both with very long queues. We joined one of the queues and, of course, that was the one that moved at snail's pace so we were ages getting out of the shop. Why couldn't the management open another manned checkout with one of the staff standing around by the self service tills?

Anyway, we got home for a late lunch and OH said our front tyre was down again and he was going back to the place that was supposed to have fixed it. He suggested I went with him and disappeared upstairs to find the invoice and receipt from last time. After some while he came down and I got the usual "I can't find it". It must have taken me a whole 10 seconds to locate it and bring it down. Off he went to pump the tyre up with the foot pump and I went around locking doors and shutting windows etc before getting my bag and putting my shoes on. Then he came back in and said "I think I've been a bit silly. There was nothing wrong with the tyre that was fixed recently. It was the other front tyre that was down looking a bit flat but I haven't put air in it for ages. We don't need to go to the tyre place after all". Give me strength! Is it just my OH or is it men in general that drive their partners mad?

Things didn't get any better. I wanted to water an orchid so brought it from the hall into the utility and as I got hold of it my hand slipped. The bark it was planted in went absolutely everywhere and I was left holding a bare rooted plant. I was tempted to dump it as I'm not that keen on orchids but a granddaughter bought it for me and I have really looked after it. It was just coming up to bloom for the third time. Goodness knows if it will survive my rough handling today but it has been repotted and is back in the hall and I have swept the floor, wiped down all the surfaces and cleaned out the sink in the uti. How can a small pot of bark spread so far?

Next I thought I would check how wet or dry some of my pots in the garden are. We do have a moisture meter which OH won't use but I do sometimes. Can I find it? No, I cannot. I haven't used it for a while but know exactly where I was keeping it. I spent another 20 minutes hunting round the garage and I can't find it. I came in to ask OH where he thought it might be and he was sound asleep. I was very cross by then and tempted to wake him but decided to leave him alone. He might know exactly where it is but I suspect he has got rid of it because HE never uses it.

So it has been a time wasting day. I'm now going to print off some banking documentation that I have downloaded. If anything goes wrong with the printer, ink running out, paper jamming or anything else I shall give up and go and put my head in the gas oven. Hang on, I haven't got a gas oven so it will have to be Plan B which is to open a large bottle of wine and get quietly sozzled ;-)

Afternoon all,

Bit more cloud today ,yesterday was so warm and we got the greenhouse up but my goodness was I tired last night ,I also had a very muzzy head and think I did to much so today is a lazy day , we usually go shopping on a Thursday but we'll go tomorrow instead.

Ann I recorded the Chapel programme so haven't watched it yet.

Oh Mel dear little Robbie is looking after his wife well .

Just looked out the window and caught Robby on the bird feeder feeding his wife.

Morning all,

A grey day here today too Anng and its 11 degrees and pc says cloudy.

Nothing planned reallly but I may go and pick up the ring I had reset before Easter as the jeweler rang me to say it was ready before Easter and Iv'e not been yet.....

As to the mistery plant Vera I still say its an antirrhinum as mine on the patio look just like it and have been thereover a year. They get woody at the bottom.

Good morning all, 10 degrees here at 0730 but rather grey. For me (and I love the sun), yesterday was too hot too soon. It is the lurching between high and low remperatures that saps the energy I think, so I am not sad really that today should be more 'April' like
I slept a bit better still woke once to walk around to ease the leg pain. finally woke and got up at 0645.
Meeting here today so a quick tidy round and sort out 10 cups, teapots, kettles etc. A friend is coming early to help with lifting chairs around which is good.

Vera I hope you have no ill effects from your gardening yesterday.
That talk you had sounds really interesting, what an interesting life he has had.

I did quite a bit of clearing and tidying in the back garden this morning while OH had a go at a strip along the side of our garage which we can't see but a couple of the neighbours can so we try to keep it looking reasonable for them. I was very careful how I bent and stretched but I got quite a lot done and enjoyed being out in the fresh air and sunshine. I seem to have been busy all afternoon but I am not sure what I was doing. I did sort out a file and prepare and cook a lemon and garlic chicken tray bake for our dinner which was very nice.

I had an odd night last night. I had been out to a Ladies Club meeting and felt wide awake when I got back. I went to bed but watched a programme on iPlayer and then read for a while so it was turned midnight when I turned the light out. I quickly dozed off and went into a lovely deep sleep, the best I've had for ages. Then at 4 am I was suddenly woken by an excruciating pain in my upper arm, shoulder and neck. Having woken from a deep sleep so suddenly I was completely befuddled and didn't know what was happening. When the pain had eased fractionally and I had got my wits about me I decided that I must have turned over awkwardly in my sleep and somehow twisted my neck or shoulder. I mostly sleep on my right hand side but I couldn't lay on that side at all even though the pain was on my left side. In the end I had to lie on my back and just doze a bit till it was time to get up. By the time I was washed, dressed and breakfasted the pain had eased quite a bit and I felt I would be OK to carefully do a bit of gardening. Now it is only a slight ache but I certainly don't want to be woken up like that again.

We had a really interesting speaker at our Ladies Club last night. He had gone into nursing as a hospital cadet at 16 in the 1960s. At this time there were few male nurses and most of those worked in mental health. I won't go into his whole story but he worked his way up and up till he was running A & E as a sort of nursing manager. But he kept thinking they ought to be doing things better and in the 1980s he won a scholarship that funded him to travel to the US and Canada to see what they were doing in their A & E systems and it was an eye opener. They had a system of triage so that those most in need of care were seen quickest, their ambulances had up to date equipment to keep patients alive, they had proper trauma rooms and trauma teams to deal immediately with serious injuries, and helicopters to get the most sick and injured to hospital quickly. We had none of this. When he came back he started getting something similar set up here, obviously backed up by a whole lot of people to whom he gave credit. Eventually he was awarded the CBE. There's quite a lot about him online. If you are interested google Gary Jones CBE. I was very impressed with him as a speaker.

I'd better come to a halt or I shall ramble on all night. Sleep well tonight, ladies.