General Chat

It is summer here, hot and sunny. I have just had a good prune of nmy outdoor tomato plants. I have cut lots of the leaves off, to expose the tomato as much as possible.it is going to be very warm all week, so fingers crossed some of them will ripen.

The girls and their parents are out today at a nearby children’s farm. My son bought Esme a family ticket for her birthday, so they are using it before school starts. Eve goes back on Tuesday and Esme on Wednesday.I am looking forward to some quiet days

Afternoon everyone looking in.

What a change in the weather! The storm clouds are gathering and its blowing a hooley. I went out to the bin with a bag and oh my I nearly got blown over it was awful.

I think later tonight we are due a deluge of rain too. However looking forward the weather next week is looking great with high temperatures so summer is not gone yet, just a wee blip today maybe lo

Well I made soup in my newish big black pan. It is a huge pan like a le Crueset one but with handles and was far chepaer! Its tasting good.

Lentils, onions, turnips, my own carrots, plus stockpots and pepper. The carrots were a disappointment but I did get a few small chunky ones. Cant wait to have with some nice bread later for tea.

So glad we got all daughters clothes washed and dried yesterday, just a basket of ironing for tomorrow now lol

I bought some chunky wool. Different shades of cerise pink, orange, flecks of green. Really lovely and soft. Going to knit a scarf and see how it turns out. I'm using 6mm needles but have ordered some 8mm.

Nice to see you posting JG and hope your planters look good when they come.

Linda, good news re the house for your daughter, fingers crossed.

We have a viewing today, so hoping they like it and put an offer in. The market is really slow what with interest rates rising recently.

Having a lazy afternoon as after the work we did in the garden yesterday, my fingers are aching in the joints using the trowel and my hip is aching too with all the bending I did!

Hope everyone is well today :-D

Hello all , weather ok today cloudy but not too chilly and I have been able to put the washing out thankfully. Yesterday I had to dry the towels in the dryer as it decided to rain almost as soon as I put the washer on..

I have ordered 2 xl raised planters for the veg end of the garden, got them at what I think is a good price OH priced up what it would cost to buy the wood etc to make them himself and decided it wasn't much more to get ready made and less work for him.
Linda pleased to hear things are hopefully being sorted for your daughters house move , you will miss them of course but having some time to yourselves will be good as well. They will miss you as well.

Not ready for it to be Autumn yet. lol. This year has flown by, must be getting old . I bet the C/cards and decorations will be on sale soon if not already. Don't bother with halloween except to buy a few sweets for next doors children if they knock the door..

Doing pizza tonight for tea with some salad ,haven't had for ages so quite looking forward to it.

Take care all.
Ginnie

Well, things are looking up. My daughter just had a phone call from the estate agents to say that the land registry have redrawn the map, so that the property border no longer goes right through the middle of the large out building they want to convert to a home office. Hopefully they will be able to complete and exchange quite quickly now. At least the girls have been here for the school holidays. Eve isn’t a problem, but Esme needs to play and that is difficult as they are both working full time. If I wasn’t here to play outside with her and take her out, she would just have to play around them as they work, but that isn’t ideal.

So there is light at the end of the tunnel and we may get our house back soon after two years of them being here. Of course we will miss them dreadfully and I have given up most of the voluntary things I did, somI will have to think of new things to do.

It is cloudy and cold here, there was a lot of rain overnight. The garden plants are starting to fade fast. I have three outdoor tomatoes which have lots of green ones on them, but they haven’t ripened at all. We are supposed to be getting good weather next week, sonI hope that will help

I am with you on the ironing Joan, I never iron sheets, towels etc.I, or rather OH irons shirts, trousers etc, but every else just gets folded and put away

Afternoon all.

We have brilliant sunshine and warm too so a fab day for washing which is just as well as daughter came home last night! 3 loads for the machine in all, one out on the line so far and another nearly ready.

She enjoyed the trip but was very tired as not used to "rushing in the city,"

So all the bags emptied now and things everywhere but getting through putting it all away.

Tesco coming between 2-4 pm and 4 things substituted one of which was my smoked haddock...again! So its gonna be cod instead. Its ok but not as nice as the haddock. My fridge is so empty and the freezer too so it needs restocking.

Linda, oh my. You need a medal! But what will happen when they move? Mum & dad will surely have to look after Esme not you? What did they do when they lived in London? Hope the house move is progressing anyway.

Daughter and I are going outside to deal with all the plants and see which ones are finished and some need a bigger pot etc. Really want to make use of the good weather before Autumn settles in properly.

I was always taught that the 4 seasons were as follows:
Spring 21st Mar
Summer 21st Jun
Autumn 21st Sep
Winter 21Dec

We never thought 1st Sep as the beginning of Autumn??

Joan, I'm sure you are busy too in the garden? Hope your B12 jag went ok.

Well a quick sandwich for lunch then off outside.

Happy sunny afternoon to all looking in.

Florence in the hebrides

I think it is Van Dal shoes Florence, my mum always used to buy them as well. I have really wide feet, so have to try shoes on in a shop to make sure they fit.

I am shattered after my day out with Esme. We got there earlier and stayed until after the last show. She had a lovely day, but is tired now and asked to go to bed. Oddly, she didn’t do a lot of walking today, she wanted to be in her wheelchair most of the time. That meant I got to push her. Being a child’s chair, it isn’t very high, as I am tall, it makes it tiring to push.

She won’t go on scary rides thank goodness, but she won’t go on the small children’s rides on her own, so I have to go on with her. We went in the carousel three times. Climbing up onto the horse is no mean feat at my age. Most of the rides are fine, but we went on a canoe ride. I had great difficulty getting in and even more getting out. I had to crawl out on my hands and knees, I must have looked like a real prat.

Re shoes, my grandmother use to buy 3 pairs, one black, one brown and one navy blue to cover all outfits made by Van Daal (sp?) They would last her 2 years and then she would buy another 3 pairs. She said if you find a comfy pair, just buy 3 colours and you wont need any others! But at £75 a pair, they were not cheap but were good quality.

:-D :-D :-D :-D just a stones throw then!

That's good to know, Joan - re fit , etc.

Maybe I'll give them a try.

Your nearest, Florence, is 107 miles away, in Inverness!

:-D :-D :-D Hate to think how far one is from me!

I got quite excited when I read your post, Joan, and had a look at the Shoezone website.

Unfortunately the free returns are only for returns to a Shoezone shop.
Other return methods cost £2.50.

The website says cheerfully, "We have over 450 stores nationwide so there's sure to be one near you!"

No, the nearest one to me is 54 miles away.

Hope you B12 jag goes ok Joan. Mnnnn fish & chips sounds fab..yummy.

I have done all the ironing and housework so sitting with a cuppa now.

I do iron everything Joan, even the towels and socks lol Daughter does have OCD so makes more washing than I do.

Sun is coming out but I stuck my head out the door and brrrr its really chilly, quite a drop in temperature and NE wind which is cool.

Might just have beans on toast tonight with grated cheese, old favourite never fails.

!st post of the week and i got 2 exciting letters. Tel monthly bill and bank statement :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D

Nothing exciting at all :-(

Morning all
Was up early today and managed 5 hours sleep without waking so feel good for that.

The ironing basket needs my attention, so thats my 1st job of the day, then hoovering throughout. Remake daughter's bed so its all fresh for her return tomorrow.

Cant wait to see what "souvenirs" she brings home lol probably had to buy another suitcase to fit them all in lol

Its a grey cloudy day with a bit of sun peeking through and the wind has dropped but think the midges may be out grrr.

The bread was lovely last night but my chilli not so! Wish I had stuck to soup now but never mind.

So off to shower now and then get busy.

Have a good day all

Florence in the hebrides

Gosh Linda, what a lovely grandmother your are <3

I have a bread maker, but haven’t used it for a while. When it was just the two of us, I just made one small loaf a week as we don’t eat much bread. My paddle doesn't get stuck in this machine, but it used to in a previous type. We get through a fair amount of bread with them being here, so I just buy it.

Oh joy, I am taking Esme to Lightwater valley on my own again tomorrow. Hopefully it will be the last time as they go back to school next week.

Its just one paddle Vera but next time, i will oil it and see if it makes a difference.

Forget to say earlier, family members were sitting on tarmac for several hours in Cyprus but they were very lucky and landed back in Gatwick around 9.30pm and were home by 11pm,

Some were not so lucky!

mmmn, just had a slice of me brown bread and blackcurrant jam and was delicious. That reminds me , need to put jam on me Tesco list for Friday.

Florence, have you tried greasing the paddles? I usually use a little bit of butter but I should think you could use oil. It doesn't always work, sometimes one paddle gets stuck in the bread and the other one doesn't but it might be worth a try. The bread machine manufacturers obviously expect the dratted things to get stuck as my machine came with a little hook implement for getting the paddle out of the bread.

Afternoon all.
Well its another showery day but the sun is trying to come out and its not cold. I managed in between a shower to get outside and de-head some roses and other plants and they look tidier for it.

Daughter is having a good time away and today she was going to a garden centre of all places, hope she brings me something nice back lol.

Anyone have a bread maker? Every time I use mine, the paddle gets stuck in the loaf and I have to try and cut it out!! its such a nuisance but not sure how to fix the problem. Anyone else have this problem?

Making a veggie chilli with rice tonight. haven't made one for ages so something different for a change.

So 1 1/2 hours of family tree stuff then tea time.

Hope everyone else well and ok

Florence in the hebrides

Afternoon all looking in

Well Joan, its not rained but still overcast. At least its dry and i managed outside for some fresh air for 10 minutes.

Im seeing my bedding plants starting to die off, lobelia along with some other small plants. So if its brighter tomorrow, i may go and tidy them up, hate it when they are left to die!
Family members went to Cyprus and were supposed to return to Lodon Gatwick this afternoon but there was a major problem with the Control Centre and hardly any planes were landing or taking off. Last message at 2.30 said sitting on the plane and no idea if or when we will fly. No drinks or food being supplied as they said ut of their hands!!! Blooming awful especially with young children.

So I tried to look at flight radar but cant see anything yet! So hope they get home tonight.

Joan, I'm going to make lentil and veg soup tomorrow and a crusty loaf. Its not cold but i'm feeling it a bit chilly and soup makes everything better.

Daughter not far off her destination, about an hour to go and she's fine, such a relief for me!

I have carried on with friend's family tree this afternoon and made good progress without the usual interruptions lol.

Well better crack on

Florence in the hebrides

Morning everyone looking in today

Its overcast and about to rain here, so gloomy looking!

Daughter away and we were up at 4.30am :-( But she's on the other side now and on her way to the "Big City."

Just pottering around here doing bits & bobs, nothing too strenuous.

Joan, glad you got your internet sorted. When it stops working, we are so lost now without it aren't we? My master socket is in my lounge where the computer and landline are but its the only socket. To be honest we both have mobiles so don't need another socket in the house.

Linda, I hope you & hubby enjoyed your break and never mind if Esme woke them all up, you do your fair share! Never mind the diet either, your time away is a treat for you both.

Well I have some paperwork to sort out and then clean the bathroom so may be back later this afternoon and look in again.

Have a good day all

Florence in the hebrides