General Chat

Good morning allm2mdegrees here, it was just 1 degree ten minutes ago. I couldn't see a frost but there may have been one earlier. A warning to people to not plant ot young plants yet.

I am out to lunch today but, unusually have to get the bus as the friend who usually drives decided she was taking the bus. the 'minus' for me is that it entails a walk to the bust stop as the one nearer me doesn't go in the right direction. We are going for sunday lunch to somewhere we have not been before. Have to leave here about 1205 for the bus at 1224.

That made me laugh about my knickers falling down as I had a very old pair of jim jam bottoms on today and when I came out of the bathroom what happened ? yes they fell to the floor and I doubled up laughing. It put me in mind of an old chap who rang at Okehampton church one eveing. He was on the tenor (the biggest bell) and his trousers dropped to the floor whilst he was ringing and there was nothing he could do about it till the ring finished.
Another funny thing that happened to a friend of mine was she wad walking along Colchester high st when a pair of knickers dropped down her trouser leg she just shook them off and walked on. They must have been in there when she undressed the night before and she put fresh ones on but did'nt notice the pair in one leg of her trousers. She said she felt such a fool.

I think it was me that that got confused AnnG as your post was clear when I read it again. It's good anyway that Bon Marche do 25" lengths! Yes I was glad The Works stores will still be open. We both like to browse there too......me the art things and OH the books.

I'm off to bed now. OH has already gone. He had a good journey to the match and was there quite early, so he went for a walk around the village and said his legs ached a bit tonight as he walked around the ground a couple of times too.

Yes I saw that about the works, just shows people like to browse in their type of shops I am pleased that they are keeping their stores.

The 25 inch length trousers are not M&S they are Bon Marche. I probably confused you.

Vera a shame about Granddaughter developing a cold but sensible not to bring it to you and OH. Must have been lovely then to have a call from your other granddaughter.

You really must try and not get carried aw2y doing the garden to help your head and back. Hope the gardening will help you sleep tonight.

Mel hopefully when your body adapts to your life style change hopefully your weight will stabilise. I am still chuckling about Ann’s consolation.

I see The Works are stopping selling online, although you can still see what they have on their website. Sales will all be through their shops.

The soil at my last house had a lot of clay, especially where a sewer pipe to an estate beyond a playing field at the back of us had been buried deeply through our garden. We never knew about it till we wanted to build a brick garage (naughty solicitor hadn't found out when we bought). I used to try modelling with it! First OH brought dozens of bags of mill waste he bought from where he worked to improve it, but it never was very good like it is here. We are trying to get our garden bin filled to put out next week too Gwyn and I think it is half full now so we are getting there.

Yes it's the same every Spring as you say Mandy! We always feel we could do a bit more and then wish we hadn't. :-S I hope you haven't set your back off either.

I did suggest to him a while ago that OH could use one of our small wheeled holiday cases (we have one each) as I used to use one at work to help my back. It was still heavy when you had to go upstairs at places though which he has to do sometimes and he does tend to walk fast, even now, and I could imagine the wheels falling off bumping up the kerbs!! He's mostly emptied his briefcase now, but even empty it's heavy. He seems more keen on getting a lighter one if he can. I think we need to look at what's available, even a manbag might do.

AnnG I haven't fancied much that M&S have had this year. It's good they stock trousers in 25" length though which is what I have. I tend to wear my old stuff round the house, unless expecting visitors or workmen. It always reminds me of a schoolfriend whose parents moved from a modest semi to a quite grand detatched house that the front door opened onto a big hallway with a fancy staircase winding up the walls. She told me her mother once opened the front door in her cleaning clothes and the person asked to see the lady of the house!! lol. That was good getting a refund and still keeping the goods.

What a shame No1 granddaughter has a cold Vera and won't be able to see you. Sensible to keep away though as your OH has only just got better from the nasty infection. It was good you had a video face to face chat with the Hong Kong granddaughter. Is all going well with the shows she is in? It must be a great experience and building her confidence. Sounds like you may need a rest now to help your back and head.

It's not been a good week for you has it Mel! Still at least you know with a few extra pounds put on your knickers are secure and won't fall down. :-D What makes your leccy keep going off, as I've never heard of it happening to anyone else and have you managed to speak to the water people yet?

I will be glad when this week is over ................Iv'e just put the washing on the line and fed the big fish and noticed their pump is not working again so now I have to go and hang out the shed window and grab the robe with the pump on it and give it a jiggle about and see if I can get it going again....... It did this to me the begining of the week.

I had a quick look round M&S, nothing there to tempt me, had a coffee (because I was due a free one) in the usual cafe plus a pastry and a very quick look in TK Max. It was very busy in town, even at 1030 it was full of young teenagers. I think that must be due to the fact the new part of Gloucester Uni is now open and there are I think, a lot of student accommodations in town. No bad behaviour just a lot of laughing and talking, brightened the town up. I ended up in Bon Marche and bought another pair of the lightweight pull on trousers I wear around the house and locally (25 inch). so that was my lot, my legs were tired by then so I unfolded my stick and made my way back to the bus hub. I was home just after half twelve.
Tesco took me by surprise. Door knocked at 2pm, my slor 3-4pm. Mr Tesco asked if it was ok if he was early. so that was well out of the way before time. He did ask if it had inconvenienced me at all which it had not. And, he nooticed that the raspberries were dated tomorrow, and I noted something else the same so I have had over £5 refunded but kept the goods.

Sorry to hear that you have got mower trouble again Mel. Is the mower under guarantee or will it mean more expense for you?

I know exactly what you mean about the clay soil Gwyn. Our last house was on London Boulder Clay and, like you say, it was either a bog or dried out and cracked open. The good thing about clay is that it is generally fertile so provided plants have got good strong roots when you plant them they usually grow well. We often grew plants on in pots for a couple of years before putting them out in the ground.

No.1 granddaughter is down from Edinburgh for a couple of days and staying with daughter and they were coming for Sunday lunch tomorrow but rang this morning to say granddaughter had woken with a streaming cold and doesn’t want to risk infecting us, particularly as OH has only just got over a nasty infection. We appreciate her concern but are disappointed not to see her. However I did have a nice surprise yesterday - a video phone call from granddaughter no.3 in Hong Kong It was lovely to chat face to face for half an hour.

I have slept quite well this week until last night when I couldn’t settle at all. Then as it was dry and bright this morning I decided to risk doing some gardening. I won’t bore you with all I did but I was out there nearly 2 hours. I feel I achieved something but, although I was careful, I think I overdid it a bit so I’m lying on the bed again. Back’s OK, just a bit twingey, but my head isn’t good. I am going to try and have a little snooze now.

Afternoon all,

Lovely warm sunny day here it was very very foggy first thing but it soon cleared .
I have a couple of loads of washing on the line and I should think its all dry with the sunshine.

Anng hope tye mist learned so you could get into town .

Mel that was good you've sold the cockerel sounds as if it was just right for that ladies market with the tudor house.

Gwyn hope you can get the ivy cut back so you can fill your garden bin ready for the emptying this week our bin goes out tomorrow ready for Monday morning and we got our grass cut last Wednesday and it was a lot longer than we realised so the poor mower struggled a bit but we got it done .

Ann we never learn do we ,when we start the gardening in the spring we all seem to get the twinges as we try and do to much ,I lifted the mower out of the shed and got the boxes with the green house bits in off a shelf in the shed and now my side keeps twinging .
Would one of those small pull along cases help OH ,he could pull it instead of carrying his bag and laptop , one of those small ones you can take on the plane ,you can get pull along bags too .

BIL has been mowing the top field and came down about half an hour ago and said the new mowers drive shaft has gone. Its now parked in the garage and he will ring to have it collected which means I can't go out if I wanted to cos I don't know when they are coming and it also means I shall have to push it up the ramps into his high van.

MEN!!!!

A lovely morning here and now about 9 degrees.
The sun has been shining since early morning, certainly it was full-on before 7 a.m, when I went to put the kettle on for a morning cuppa.

That sounds a good home for your cockerel, Mel.
What's the nexr project or is your garden making you too busy now?

I remember those mists AnnG from when we lived in Swindon Village near Cheltenham. I hope you enjoy your trip to town. I will be thinking of you on Wednesday.
I have an outpatient appointment at Canterbury and I've just realised that is the day that all the big-wigs and important guests will be descending on the city for the installation of the new lady Archbishop. The hospital is not to near the cathedral, so hopefully it won't affect us.

Garden bin will be collected this coming week, so I need to tackle the ivy etc. in the back garden to justify collection cost.
Daughter says she will gave the grass it's first cut, now that we have had a few days of better weather and it's had a chance to dry out. We are on heavy clay and it's either like a squelchy bog or like last summer, dry with huge deep cracks :-0

Morning All,

Another sunny morning but both of us have back twinges after the bit we did in the garden yesterday. OH has also been carrying his briefcase and laptop to meetings too, so is being careful with his back today. He is off to a match this afternoon.

I'm off to the shop shortly and need to do a wash when I get back and get the pork chops for tomorrow out of the freezer. I'll see what I will do after that.

I like that AnnG about seeing where your brain goes! It's a good idea to keep busy and keep your mind off the hospital visit. Have you got a lift to take you? It will be good to get it sorted before you go away.

That was good you sold the cockerel Mel. It only needs one person to bid and it sounds like it will fit in nicely with her things.

fog gone sunny but 3 degrees.

Morning all,

No mist here Anng but Ithink there must have been a frost earlier as there patterns on my car windscreen. Its 7 degrees here and very sunny.

BIL is coming again today so I need to get showered and dressed.

Nothing planned for today.

I sold the Cockerel in its crate along with other things to a lady who has a Tudor house with a market outside. She was the first and only bidder although there were 9 people watching it.

that mist is now thick fog. The joys of living in the Severn Valley.

good morning all. a bit misty here this morning and 4 degrees. I think it is supposed to go up to 14 later. I may go into town on the bus. anything to take my mind off the hospital visit next Wednesday. I sort of feel I should be doing some more on the garden so I will see which way my brain goes after breakfast.

Yes a couple of hours in some garden centres is like spending a day in town shopping.

I have noticed though that annual plants, bedding, basket plants etc all tend to be identical in the large garden centres.

The tyre repair kits have an expiry date on them usually Mel which might be why it didn't work. Like I said to you before I won't use mine as you can't repair the puncture after using it. It's a temporary repair and you are forced to buy a new tyre. I just got a spare wheel instead. It's a pity Bill didn't think to ring the breakdown people first isn't it, but he may have panicked.

That was lucky you spotted BIL was filling the wrong car before he'd emptied all the diesel into it!!

I agree it is nice visiting the bigger garden centres when you want to have a day out AnnG. I do the same and it's like a gift shop, clothes shop, card shop. shoe shop, ironmongers, furniture shop, aquariums and cafe rolled into one and you can have a break with a drink and meal or snack as well. Round here though, there is only this one that is a proper nursery. and has unusual plants. The others just don't have room anymore to carry the same extensive range of plants.

O and I meant to say when I drove through the village by the bus shelter there's a new Cake Safe opened today. Its open till 7pm and has fairy lights round it. There a calulater inside and a metal cash box fixed to the wall you can paid by cash or phone. Lots of choice and some in plastic tubs with sealed lids. Most £3.50 some £3.00 I bought a chocolate browny with cornflake nest on top with three cadbury choc eggs in the middle Even a plactic fork sealed in a bag if needed. I only ate half as it was quite large and shall have the rest later.

I hope she does well, the lady in front of me said she is a local mum who child goes to the school and she makes smashing cakes.

Went to the doc for the foot doctor and it was his half day and he had gone by the time I went in at 12.45pm. As I went in there was an elderly man standing by his car and he had a puncture, he'd looked in the boot and there was no spare just a bottle of liquid rubber and a pump. I told him what it was and he had no idea how to use it so I tried to help him. So we opened the bottle of rubber and the pump which were both in poly bags got all the leads and connecters out and put them all together via the picture instructuions on the pump. Managed to get the rubber solution in the tyre but would the pump pump the tyre up???? NO. I rang Stu to see if he could come down and help but he was'nt acvailable and James could'nt leave the garage. By this time the man had told me he was disbetic and needed to eat at 1pm and take insulin. I went into the surgery to see if Kate, Stu's ex wife was still there but she had left as it was her birthday. I thought she may have known how to do this thing. So back out I go to Bill who had already rung his sister for her tocome and pick him up but her and hubby were in Launston. In the end he told me he had fully com cover and rang them us for breakdown assistance and they said they would come and bring a new tyre.

I had asked him where he lived and was going to run him home if he was local but he lived in Ashwater which is not really local to me. I had to go and get diesel as I was nearly out so knew I had enough to get me to Hatherleigh. In the end he was told the recovery people would take an hour to get there so what I did was offer to take him down the pub in the village so he could get something to eat to which he agreed. He even asked me if I would like togo with him and he'd buy me a drink. I declined. Came back home and rang Hatherleigh garage to make sure they had diesel and they had so off I went to buy some. It was 1.79 something a litre. BIL said it was 1.59 in Sainsburys to which I then replyed thats to far to go. He had brought down a can of diesel for me and he was putting it in my car when I happened to look out of the wind and had to bang like crazy on the window as he was putting it in my old car!!!!! He stopped but he thinks it was just under half the five litres that accually went in my fresh car. Anyway it got me to the service station and I got some fuel.

Now the day has gone and I hav'nt done a thing. :-( Another lovely day wasted.