General Chat

I'm late on parade today. I've been busy all day but don't really seem to have done much. I did manage to do a little bit in the garden and a bit of gentle dusting.

I was hot and fidgety and just couldn't seem to settle last night. My leg kept jumping as well and sometimes the only way to stop it is to get up and walk around. I did that 3 times last night In the end I gave up trying to sleep and got my book out again. I think I eventually fell asleep around 4.30 am but I was still awake before 7.30. I'm not feeling very optimistic about tonight as it is apparently still going to be 20 degrees in the early hours - too hot to sleep comfortably. There's also a yellow warning for thunderstorms but they do sometimes seem to miss us.

OH had a doctor's appointment this morning and came back with forms for various blood tests. They used to be done straightaway at the surgery but we now have to ring a number and book an appointment either at our local health centre, about 2 miles away, or the hospital which is about 20 miles. When OH rang the earliest appointment at the health centre was 11th September and we are away then so he was offered the 19th!! He asked about appointments at the hospital and was given one for this afternoon. It does seem stupid to have to do a 40 mile round trip to get a blood test.

I went with him and we went on to Dobbies as that's near the hospital I managed to find a small gift to give to a friend at her birthday lunch on Monday and we had a pot of tea in the cafe. I didn't want anything sweet or creamy but there were just 2 fruit scones left in the dish on the counter and I fancied one of those I was out of luck there. The man in front of me in the queue bought them both :-|

I'm going to close the computer down now and maybe go to bed early with the radio or my book. If I'm already in bed it won't matter if I doze off. Night, night all. Sleep tight.

Fortunately it stopped raining in time for me to walk round in the dry. And was dry to walk home too so that was good. It was dry most of the afternoon but is raining again now. Goog to get my hair cut anyway.

Rang about the car and it was done but Stuart was out so I had to wait for him to come back. He did and rang me on the landline but I was in the garden!!! Must give him my mobile number. Anyway I eventually got it back and then his wife brought the car back to me and I drove her back to pay. It did'nt cost as much as I thought it was going to as I had had a new tyre a new bit on the exhaust and a few other bits. He forgot the back screen wiper but I don't use that much. I took them 4 cans of lager as a thank you and now I am £260 odd pound lighter.

Rang the docs and the doc is going to ring me on Monday morning. I need to look up now when I hurt my arm so I can then tell her how long thats been.

Done a lot of waiting around today and not got anything much done. I have some ironing to do but don't want to do it. Now I have to feed the girls and sort something for dinner, think it will be salad again as I have a couple of new pots cooked and a nice tin of boneless salmon so nice and quick. OR it could be beans on toast with an egg on top and strawberries for sweet.

Get your hair done ok Anng. I bet it feels nice now.

Morning all,

Dyull and miserable here this mroning and I have a wether alert on the pc. Better see what it says. O it says thunderstorm warning its 17 degrees and cloudy.

My car could be done today and if it is I can get an appointment with the docs this afternoon. While the backs not too bad I am going to wash my hair.

BBL.

Good morning all. been up an hour, couldn't sleep. Washing in at 0715. raining and 16 degrees, it was 17 earlier. I am hoping the rain eases off as I have a hair appointment at 12.30, a good 20 minute walk with all the roadworks so I will get wet.

Just back now. Had a really nice lunch, Stilton and red onion quiche with a few cut up new potatoes, green salad,cucumber tomatoes celery and apple and coleslaw.
the photography exhibition was very good, some beautiful wild life photos. And, of course we could also look at the more permanent exhibits in the art gallery, Afterwards as it was a lovely afternoon we walked round the gardens.

Had lunch and watched the news and had a look round the garden. I did think of cleaning the bird baths and doing a bit more tidying up but it is so hot out there now. It's apparently 22 degrees but it feels a lot hotter than that to me. Maybe I'll see if it's any cooler late afternoon/early evening and do a bit then before we have our dinner.

Our car came back around midday. It's had a complete overhaul and service and has been MOT'd so that's all done for another year, and OH's pocket is a bit emptier now. So all that's left to do now is the external damage. The new doors and side panel are on order but I think it'll be the end of September before the work is done.

Think I'm going to find the coolest spot in the house and read for a while. Hope you are all enjoying the good weather and not getting overheated.

Thanks for the email Mel. I have replied.

I often keep the little baby potatoes in the fridge and some of them do say to refrigerate for freshness, but I've never kept main crop spuds in there. Like Mandy I keep them in a dark cupboard. They go in a basket with a bit of black plastic over the top.

I hope AnnG is enjoying her lunch and then the photography exhibition.

My headache eased off yesterday but I seem to have brought it back with another long walk in the sun. I had to deliver something to a house a short distance away and the car still wasn't back so I walked there and back. It's only about 1.5 miles but it was so hot and sunny and I am out of practice with walking. Still, I must try and do a bit every day now I've made a start on getting more exercise.

OH has just yelled lunch is ready so I'll bbl

Emailed you

Morning all,

I had a lie in today. Its 16 degrees here and pc says mostly cloudy.

I have never kept potatoes in the fridge until now as they start to grow otherwise now there's only me even before I kept them in a growing bag in the corner of the kitchen but still had problems. Mum used to keep them under the sink but they still sprout there with it being warm because of the hot water going through the waste pipe.

Gosh I have been bitten all over inthe night, I know I had one on the front of my neck and at the top of my arm where my strap goes but there are more this morning. I shall have to get the Anthisan cream out again. I must get a new one as I think the date has run out of this tube.

What you been up to Mandy?

Good morning all bright and 17 degrees now but I got up for the loo just before 7 and went back to bed. woke at 0815,

Out later to lunch and then a photography exhibition on wildlife. Being picked up at 1140.

I have to say there would not be room in my fridge for a bag of potatoes, even a small one.

Morning all,

Dull and overcast here but it should be a nice day .

Mel I never keep my potatoes in the fridge I put mine in a cupboard so they are in the dark to stop them shooting ,in the winter we have a sack of potatoes and they are kept in the shed and covered over to stop the frost getting to them .

Not sure what we're doing today ,there's always jobs to do so I'm sure we'll gind something to do

Vera hope your headache eased after your walk home in the sun .

Mel I have to watch my fridge as the thermostat seems to have gone. If I don’t keep an eye on it anything on the bottom shelf freezes. And frozen strawberries last week, they were ok when they thawed but I only ate them with my yoghurt. Why did you put the potatoes in the fridge? :-S

BIL has just gone. He';s been here most of the day. Made a ramp so he can back the mower up to empty the grass cutting and cut the lawns. His wife is away at the mo but comes back tomorrow. He only just told me that before he went or I could have made dinner for the pair of us.

I did a silly thing yesterday, I put the potatoes in the fridge and must have changed the setting and when I went to get my cue out for my salad it was frozen. I checked other things and my tatoes have gone soft so I have ruined a whole new bag of Maris Piper. Dread to think what else has had it but my strawberries were ok on the top shelf and it was mainly a lettuce which the chickens had this morning and I think I have got away with the new pots.

glad that you managed it Vera, I hate walking into bright sun, as you say it gives you a headache. It is 23 degrees here, I did potter a bit in the garden but it was just too hot so I came in. got a couple of small jobs done though so quite pleased. Then I walked to the post box and took four books back to Irene for the next book stall, which I will miss as will be at daughters. Oh yes watered both gardens pots this morning as well.

Afternoon all

You're right Mandy - it is hot. 24 degrees at the moment but feels hotter as there is bright sunshine and hardly a breath of wind.

Have you got your car back yet with its new tyre Mel?

I think clothing manufacturers and shops make up sizes as they go along. I am 5'8" and fairly slim and need a 12 or a 14 depending on the make but I can seldom find stuff that fits me well. Trousers are the worst. If they are long enough and comfortable round the hips they are way too big on the waist. If they fit on the waist they are too snug on the hips for my liking. I haven't had a dress for years. I keep trying them on but if the top fits, the bottom doesn't and vice versa and the waist is never in the right place. The "quality" expensive brands tend to be a better fit but if something has cost me an arm and a leg I don't want to wear it for h/w, shopping or gardening so it only comes out "for best".

I got the 8.15 bus into town today. It's hardly any distance so I was shocked to find a single ticket was £3. As it was so early for my haircut I wandered up one of the side lanes to a little enclosed garden area and wandered about looking at the plants and watching a large dragonfly sunning himself on a huge cactus dahlia. There were lots of big dahlias and sunflowers and I sat on a bench with a drink of water and soaked up the atmosphere.

After my haircut I was back at the bus station by 9.40 am and the next bus wasn't until 11.20. I dithered between lingering over a coffee in one of our dozens of coffee places and then waiting for the bus or getting a taxi. In the end I did neither. I decided to walk home. We always used to walk to town and back and it would take no more than about 25 minutes each way but I am not as fit as I was even 3 years ago. As I was only going home I had no deadline to meet and could go at my own pace so I set out. I managed it OK and didn't take too long but I had a stinking headache by the time I got back. For a good part of the way back the shady side of the road has no footpath and it is a busy road so I had to walk on the side with a pavement which was in direct sun, it's uphill and I had stuff to carry. Also I had drink but I hadn't eaten since the previous evening, so I was a bit shaky. But I did it so I feel quite pleased with myself.

The annoying thing is that when I got back home the car was still there so I could have taken it. The service centre were supposed to be collecting it between 8 am and 11 am but they had some sort of emergency job that had to be done so they didn't collect it till 1.15 pm. I doubt if we will get it back tonight.

It's unbearably hot upstairs here at the computer so I am going to go downstairs and get a cold drink now. I hope you are all having a good day. Stay cool.

Morning all,

Phew hot here today I think it should go to 26 degrees .

Very hope you manage OK with the buses ,I don't know why they have to make the timetables so hard to understand.
I meant to say what a nice name for the new baby and wasn't she a good weight ,hope they get settled in the new house ok .

Anng I think the sizing on clothes has all gone to pot each shop seems to be different, I like the jeans from Bon Marche and they do lots of lengths in them too ,I need some new ones for the winter as one pair I cut all the knee when I fell over and they had to be the newest ones I had too .

Mel hope you get the car tyre sorted out OK more expense as Frank use to say.

Colins watching the women's football so I'd better make the coffee its usually his job .

Morning car goes in today so I will be back later.

Hope you all slept well.

good morning all 10 degrees here at the moment so cooler than the last few days but it is bright and sunny.

Vera hope the buses work well for you and you get to the hairdresser ok. (And home again).

I actually like shopping for clothes but have been fed up with trying to buy jeans. For at least fifteen years I have needed to buy size 16 regular being overweight for my 5 foot 2.5 but with short top, long legs for my height. But (and this is M&S), sizes seemed to change and the legs per type got slightly longer in trousers and the waist (without my size actually changing as I measured new against old) got about an inch smaller. I then had to make sure there was some form of stretch in the waist band and they didn't do many types of trousers like that. so my existing jeans are years old. Anyway yesterday I gave in and tried on a size 18 short and they fit. And I have actually lost weight (9 pounds) in the past 4 months. I am convinced that they have been playing around with sizes again. In the spring and summer I bought several pairs of Cargo trousers and shorts, all size 16 and all do up easily.

At least they have found the leak isn't in your property Mel so that's one good thing. Let's hope they can do something about it quickly.

It sounds as if you had a nice shop AnnG. I really hate shopping for me, partly because I always have trouble finding anything to fit. I would have enjoyed your quiche lunch.

I decided not to risk walking to the hairdressers tomorrow as it is supposed to be hot and, while I am coping, my back is still not very good nor is my head. I had a look online at bus timetables. Good grief, you need a doctorate to make sense of them .There are 2 possible buses. I could understand the timing of one of them but the route has been changed and it no longer stops where I would want to get on. I'd have to walk so far to pick the bus up that I might as well walk right into town. As for the other one - well!! Basically it runs every 2 hours during the day on Monday to Friday but all the times have different letters next to them. Sometimes the same time will appear twice but with different letters next to each entry. There are 6 different categories of how and where this bus will run. I think I sussed out that there is one at 8.15 and one at 10.20 from the stop I need to use so I rang the hairdresser to see if she could change the time and she can squeeze me in at 9 am so I shall aim for the 8.15 bus. Not sure what I will do about coming home as my cut and blow dry will only take 30 mins so I'll be out around 9.30 am and the next bus back is 11.20. You'd think we lived in some tiny hamlet somewhere but we are on the outskirts of a town of 25,000 people.

I went to the chiropodist today but because I was able to drive I was there and back in 45 minutes.

Anyway that's quite enough about my travel woes. After the chiropodist I did the ironing and then spent a while in the garden, tidying up and deadheading. We also took down the sweet peas. They started off well but by this month were looking very tatty and dry, in spite of them having plenty of water. Once they were down OH painted the fence panel behind them. He did all the rest a few weeks ago but had to give that one a miss because of the sweet peas growing on netting against that panel.

Phone went ping just now and it was my daughter with a new photo of grandson, his partner and the new baby; and the news that they are moving into the house they are buying tomorrow. I've sent grandson a text wishing them luck and telling him he must make sure his partner doesn't lift a finger less than a week after a difficult birth.
I must now have a hunt for that "New Home" card I bought a few weeks ago. So I'm off now on a hunt for a card and a trip to the post box with it. :-)