General Chat

Frank,I have just peeled carrots ,parsnips baby turinp and leeks too. But I am going to roast them. I took the sliced beef in gravy (that I did before Xmas ) out of the freezer so that can reheat at the same time as the veg. I'm doing mashed potato as i just cant be faffed with doing roast ones tonight.

That is great your results were all good Frank. I did google Dry Mouth and that is where I saw about antidepressants being a possible cause.

Gill I still have lots of bits in the freezer from Xmas. I say lots but actually it is not too bad.I definitely didnt buy as much as last year.So I am quite pleased .I had to get rid of the last of the second gammon today. We couldnt face any more plus I think it had been in the fridge long enough.

Yes all Xmas things packed away now :-D The boxes and bags are piled behind me ready for the loft tomorrow. I have kept my garland and lights though on the mantlepiece as it looks so pretty .I shall keep it there for the winter :-D
I dont know if Fitz managed to keep the lights in his kitchen. I must remember to ask him.
Best get these veg in now.I see it is 5.30 !!

That's good news that your results were all clear Frank, good news that you're not drinking as much too and that you don't fancy an alcoholic drink. It looks like you are finally moving forward, especially now you have some of your appetite back, some beef stew will do you the world of good. I'm sure you'll feel a bit better day by day <3

I've just noticed that Vera is starting again on Sunday for those who like to watch it. Sandra told me it's on at 8pm and finishes at 10pm on ITV, she likes that programme too, so will watch it on her TV while OH and I watch something else.

Better go and check my oven, I've done some small pizza's for Sandra and another one of her mince pies is in the oven as she fancied one and all the small quiches are done, I'm just waiting for the sausage rolls and the mince pie, then I've got some sticky chicken on sticks I'm doing too. It smells lovely in our bungalow now :-)

I love sticky chicken on sticks Gill :-D. I have something very similar in the freezer but not on sticks. They are bits of chicken with a sage leaf and a bit of Parma Ham wrapped round. I think there is a little sachet of a buttery sage drizzle to go with them too.
I found my stalk of sprouts that I bought before Christmas in the garage !!!, But when I took the plastic wrapping off there were some tiny bug things so they have gone outside and reasy for the compost tomorrow :-S :-S

We were trying to think why there seems to be a big space near where the Xmas tree was. Then we realised we havent moved the settee and armchair back into the usual places !! It does look strange without the tree,but I am glad now that it has gone. It still looked so good too with hardly any needle drop even after pulling all the decs off.
Xmas seems a long time ago now. The Easter bunny next :-D :-D

Anne how are you today? Hopefully you are beginning to feel a bit better and have a bit of appetite now. Has Ruby finished her meds now?

I like Vera Gill.Brenda Blethin plays that part brilliantly :-D....
Did anyone watch Piers Morgans interview with Caitlyn Jenner? I thought it was very good but Piers kept asking quite inappropriate questions and was put in his place :-D

James has arrived and looks a bit rough. He said he has been ok but found it a bit hard concentrating .I still say he should not have gone in today. At least it is the weekend now and he can do nothing .It is his Birthday on Tuesday 32 YIKES ! Hopefully by the end of next week he will be fine as Hannah has organsised some kind of Crazy Golf thing for him ,Jess her and Gareth in London and a meal.I think it was last year she booked that Axe Throwing thing for his birthday. I doubt we will be doing anything special .. Maybe a takeaway.
He has just told me it is not next weekend he is going to London for his Birthday surprise but it is in Feb ! He is just going down to Jess next weekend.

Thomas went out at 5.30am and I didnt see him until about 3 when he came in for food and then vanished again . I would love to know where he spends all his time out. He is in now and had another pouch of food so I think that he hasnt had a good 'catch' today :-D

I am so hungry . Looking foward to my dinner now. It smells soooo good :-D I am slavering .

I was tempted to leave some of our Christmas lights up as they looked so pretty Jane, but didn't in the end. I said to OH the other day that I might see if I can find a light up ornament or make something to put on our fireplace as it looks very bare now with having the light up village there since last October.

Your chicken sound nice, I've not seen any of those. The sticky chicken I've got is only in Iceland at Christmas so I bought a couple of packets. They have all gone now as we ate the last of them before. They weren't out of the oven long, just long enough to cool down a bit, then they were all gone. Sandra ate all her little pizza's, I was surprised as there were 6 of them, she also had some chicken and some sausage rolls and little quiches so I doubt she'll be hungry again for a while. She ate so much so left no room for her mince pie, so if she doesn't eat it later she'll have it tomorrow. My fridge is as full as it was at Christmas now ;-)

Sandra is 33 this year, so I know how you feel, it doesn't seem that long ago she was a baby, where have all the years gone? It sounds like James has some nice things to look forward to for his birthday, lets hope he's feeling better by then.

It's our wedding anniversary on Wednesday, 31 years, I met OH when Sandra was 5 months old, so we've known each other quite some time now.

I often wondered where our cats went when they were out. I watched a programme once that followed some cats, they put a camera on them and apparently they take the same route each time they go out, it was quite interesting to watch. There was one cat who went to other people's houses and was fed, it would then curl up and go to sleep, before returning home again. Talk about cheeky.

What is that saying??

Dog's have owners,
Cat's have STAFF

How true is that LOL :-D :-D ;-)

Frank you can get some gel for a dry mouth so ask the doc if that will help you. I must see the doc myself and get myself some as sometimes I wake up and my tongue is stuch to the roof of my mouth. Its the pills I am on that is doing it to me.

Oh has put up all the spotlights in the kitchen today but has'nt wired them up yet in the loft as he had had enough. I think I told you he had an accident with his shouder getting out of Woolworths in a fire. He hit his shoulder on the till bit where they have the pay machine. He has had trouble ever since. He just could'nt hold his arms up any longer today.

I WROTE THIS THIS AFTERNOON AND HAD,NT POSTED IT!!!!!!!

Evening All,

Another miserable drizzly day here. It was nice meeting up with my 4 beading pals this morning and there were 2 of the fattest squirrels upside down on my friend's bird feeders!! lol. She showed us a lovely silver enamelled sovereign holder she had treated herself to for Christmas. I'd never heard of them!

The biggest thing I remember about the year I was 32 was that it was the year my dad died and that my brother was only 16 and still at school. I was working full time, we were gutting our house to renovate it, but we had to drop everything of ours to help mum who needed things doing in her house so it could be registered as a home. She didn't drive so needed running about everywhere too. Three months later my first MIL was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Hannah has some interesting ideas for his birthday Jane......I think the golf would be less strenuous than the axe throwing!! lol.

It's good your results were clear Frank. :-) How about trying some chewing gum and that lemon barley water, being a bit tart can make your mouth water and might help? We are all thinking about you and hoping you start to feel a bit better soon. Remember the doctor said 'gradual' though as that is to minimise the withdrawal effects. <3

Mel, is your new loft ladder one that is in several sections that slide and click into place with lugs that locate on each section? I only ask just to warn you to make sure it is pulled right back into place each time you climb it. Ours is like that and has the flat treads, but because our hole into the loft is a bit small with the ladder in it it is possible as you go through the hole and ease your weight off it to lift the ladder slightly by catching the top section with your knee. It can move slightly each time you go up without you noticing! If you remember I did that just after my operation and the ladder shot forwards away from me and I was hanging in the air with an elbow resting on each side of the loft hole. OH couldn't understand how I managed to do it..........till it happened to him as well and broke the loft door off!! It was properly fitted, but there is just enough movement upwards with it when it is all clicked into place to allow it to swing forwards away from you, even though there seems enough angle on it for that not to be possible. I expect yours will be fine, but it's worth checking if there's a bit of movement on it as it's no joke if that happens!! Is it those recessed ceiling spotlights dotted all over the ceiling that your OH has been fitting? I would like those, but we just have 3 where there are no other lights near the door to the porch.

OH has tomorrow all worked out starting with cleaning the end of the bathroom ceiling, then he's watching a match on tv before going off to watch another footie match! I need to go and pick a top up from a shop in Nuneaton so need to be up early.

Ann we have quite a big loft hatch and it sounds like the ladder is similar to yours. It cost me £200 odd so I hope its a good one. It feels much sturdier than the last one which had sort of trellis sides and just bars for your feet to go on.

What did you make at beading this morning? Something new?

Good morning on this cold and frosty one.

Everywhere is white this morning even the black netting around the ponds.

The frost on the top of my car has little places where it is sticking right up.It looks really strange.

Usual visit to the shop at some point this morning for the paper and egg delivery to next door. There is not so many eggs this week as the girls have had such wet feet plus I have eaten some.

YOu lot going anywhere today? and hows our Frank this morning?

Morning Mel, morning all,

Frosty here too , l looked out in the night and there was thick fog but it's all clear now .
We're off to get fruit and veg from the warehouse and then onto sons for coffee and take fruit in for the children .
Suns trying to peep through the cloud and i can see blue sky .

We have one of those loft ladders that you pull down in sections , you just have to make sure that each section clips in as you pull it down or it can be a shock if it drops in place as you get on it .

Suns just gone in and now its quite bright out to the north but in the south there are clouds.

Just filled all the bird feeders up and we've had 6 robins, blue tits, great tits,3 long tailed tits. black caps, dunnocks and a blackbird and chaffinches. The pigeons are in the orchard. I have had to put a bowl of water on the bird bath as its concrete and frozen solid.

Good morning you lovely people, Evening Kim.

I have just got up, after a very disturbed night. I didn't have a drink last night, and was in bed by 9.30 pm. Got out at 1,30 and sat and watched T,V, Ros said I had a very disturbed night as I kept waking her up. I woke at 9.00 and got Ros up, as she was meeting Martine at 10.30. I dropped off again.

I have had my tablets ant two COT. Ros is bringing rolls home for lunch. So it will be a different taste in my mouth.

All our Decs are stacked up ready for packing away. She will start on them after lunch. I feel such a waste of space as I am no help to her. !!

Pleased that everybody is getting over your ailments, and getting back to normal. All this food that's still hanging around. !! Ros has cleared all the meats from the fridge and taken them to Martine for her dogs. I think it will be fine, it's just like you we are fed up with it by now

Our lock ladder is just a two part one. which only get used once in a blue moon.

Tomorrow when Ros goes to Carolyn, I will have myself another small bowl of stew. I could no more look at a ROAST DINNER than FLY THE MOON.

I have tried drinking Lime juice in water. It's very sharp, but my mouth still dry's out. Like you Mel, my Tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.

I have sold my old computer on Ebay. Conrad put it on before I left Deven. It's just finished in the auction. It had 70 odd view and 20 odd bids, and made £70.00. So that better than a kick up the backside, and another thing out of the way. !!!

Take care my friends, I might try to ge back later.

After I posted the clouds came over all around and the frost disappeared just like that!! A breeze from the east and now its all dull and dimity.

Had lunch and done the egg delivery. They were out but left me the boxes on the door handle and Em will pay me next week. Went and took the snow off the post box on my way back from the shop. When the postman came I asked him if he like the Christmas post box and he asked me if I did that? Its in a bag outside the back door ready to go in the dustbin.

Frank it sounds like you had quite a bit of sleep last night even if it was a bit disturbed. You sound brighter this morning though so are you feeling a bit better?

Afternoon All,

It's been sunny then dull here but is so cold now! No frost this morning though. I've been to collect the top I ordered and was surprised to find some 'end' parking so I could open my car doors to get out. Nuneaton is usually very busy on Saturdays but maybe everyone is spent up with Christmas and the sales.

It sounds like you have plenty of clearance around your ladder to get into your loft Mel so you shouldn't have the problem. :-) We have a job to squeeze the box with the Christmas tree through the hole, but with the joists running the way they do it isn't easy to make the access to the loft bigger. Mandy, OH did that with ours when we first had it and had it click after he stood on it. He's made sure since though.

I was trying out a pattern for a 2 row blue pearl necklace Mel that has crystal bicone beads in between. I decided it looked a bit too blue though and have started it again and changed the bicones and seed beads. I'm trying to use up some of the pearls as we always seemed to need them at one point at the classes and now I have quite a lot of them.

I think while your system is adjusting to the changes Frank you may well have some disturbed nights to start with, but hopefully it will soon improve. I wonder if some fruit iced lollies would help your dry mouth or sucking some ice cubes? Anything's worth a try.

Well I'm going to be like Gill now and get back to sorting the pile of stuff that's accumulated in here. I usually end up chucking most of it out so I don't know why I don't do that when it comes through the door!

Afternoon All this very chilly day. There was quite a frost this morning.The sun is so bright that I have had to draw the curtains so I can see to type.
I just got back from Next as i took back that pretty padded jacket I bought for Freya and have exchanged it for the sweetest dress. I spotted it straight away . I will take a pic of it before I wrap and send it off to Brussels.

Frank maybe you should have had a drink last night. You need to dod what the Doc said and reduce it gradually. Martines dogs are going to have a feast on your left over meats :-D :-D. Better that than having to bin it.I am sure you will soon start to feel more yourself. Patience young man :-D :-D That was good to sell your old computer for £70 :-D Bit of money in your pocket and not having an old pooter cluttering up the place.

Ann ,I think Hannah is good finding all these different things to do for Birthday presents .I suppose London has anything and everything . For Xmas she got James a voucher to go to one of these old fashioned Barbers where they do the full treatment. Hot flannels ,cut throat razor, beer or a glass of something,I think she is hoping that something can be done to soften his rather odd beardy thing he has LOL .It is just not smooth and the hair is kind of coarse. Not one I would like to stroke really .
He is having a quiet day just chilling.He says he probably wont be going out this weekend as he needs to recharge his batteries after being so poorly.He is heaps better but still looks blooming pasty.

Mel you have had a lot of birds ! We still have lots on the window feeder and a fair bit of squabbling going on too these days .It seems to be the big bossy Blackbird taking over ,or the Robins and Chaffinches scrapping. I tell them there is enough food for all.They just need to take their turns :-D :-D

The wind is really getting going here !!!I didnt think it was going to be as windy as this.

Its ever so quiet here. James upstairs,Chris reading the paper in the study, me here and Thomas in the Summerhouse. All I can hear is the woodburner. I think I might have to put the tv on.I dont like it this quiet. Well for a little while is ok but not hours.

I love the quiet oh has to have the telly on.

I have been trying to make a pattern I took off the net. When I traced around it and folded it in half it was all out. I had to redo it by keeping it folded and then matching up where the holes should go and rubbing out the pencil lines. I had forgotten just what a mess a rubber makes!!!!!!!

I thought of something the other day you don't see a lot of now and thats the old tea chests people used when moving house. I think they use cardboard boxes now or plastic ones.

Mel I like a bit of background noise. I think I might ask James if he will bring down Alexa :-D Chris is still in the study but going through the seed catalogue and making a list of what he will be ordering. A very important job , he hates to be disturbed when doing that :-S
James says he is popping out later to see some mates.I think probably it is an early birthday get together. But he wont stay long.I suggested that he has his Curry before he goes.He agrees that is a good idea.

Mel I havent seen an old Tea Chest for many years now. Didnt they have rope handles on the sides?I think the last time I would have seen them was back i nthe 80's when we moved. But even then we had cardboard crates, boxes and even strong cardboard wardrobes from the removal firm. We used the 'wardrobes ' for 3 months while we were in temporary accomodation and they were a Godsend I can tell you as there was nowhere to hang anything in the house we were given. It was when we moved up here in January 1985 . Chris was needed quickly to replace a GP who was off on long term sick.The council found us a house in one of the dodgiest roads. :-S. We arrived when it was dark and snowing.There was one light bulb in the whole of the house,no carpets ,and the bathroom that had just been put in still had all the wrapping on the loo,bath and sink. I just stood and cried while Hannah crawled on the floor in her Onesuit ,the cat was wailing in the cat basket .I just wanted to go straight back to Bristol LOL.
But we had the Cardboard Wardrobes :-D :-D

Just had a very handsome Male Pheasant in the back garden.

Good Evening all

I haven't been on here for a couple of days still feeling very unwell at.least I have managed to start eating a little now, I haven't felt this ill since I had Asian flu in the late 50's so I don't think the flu jab has helped me much this time

Ruby got the all clear after her little Op they were very pleased with her so that was a relief, she is cuddling up by me on the settee it's as though she knows how I feel.

I haven't caught up with any of the posts so hope everyone had a good new year.

Evening all

Really cold here today but it's been dry with a bit of sun. I noticed the Anemones Sandra and I planted last year are starting to flower, it cheered Sandra up as she was very upset over something my mum said and had been crying so I thought I'd show her to make her smile again.

We are thinking of moving again as we're fed up of the arguments my mum keeps causing. She used to just pick on me but now I ignore it and she's not getting a reaction from me anymore, it looks like she's trying the same trick on Sandra. OH and I have had enough so think moving away will stop it before Sandra is really hurt by her actions. I wouldn't mind but mum can be nice when she puts her mind to it, but she seems to love drama's and causes so much trouble in the family. Apparently she's also fell out with a couple of her sisters too, but wouldn't say what has happened. After she mentioned they weren't talking to her I asked her why and she told me in no uncertain terms that she wasn't going to tell me as she didn't want to and it had nothing to do with me. I was quite shocked at what she was saying as I only asked because she brought the subject up and I thought she wanted to talk about it, she didn't need to be so rude to me.

Sandra doesn't want to talk to her anymore and quite frankly I don't blame her as my mum is saying Sandra is a liar, a sneaky person and a trouble maker, when it's mum who is all these things. Needless to say I've spent all day trying to cheer Sandra up. She said she'd like a big bedroom when we move so I've asked her to have a think about how she would like her new room to look. I thought I'd give her something positive to think about, rather than thinking about mum's horrible words.

I haven't had a chance to catch up with the posts, so hope everyone is okay. I see you're still under the weather though Anne. Do you think it's time to see a doctor as you've been quite poorly for some time now? Pleased to hear Ruby is back to her usual self and got the all clear after her operation. I hope you start to feel better soon <3

Morning all

Very frosty here today, the grass is white.

Sandra was still upset when she went to bed last night, which was very late. I stayed up with her as she wanted to talk. I hope she feels a bit better today. She's still sleep at the moment so I've leave her to wake herself up. I'm hoping she didn't have a bad night's sleep.

I see you've been talking about loft ladders. I finally tried to climb ours the other day but it's very vertical so OH had to support my back to keep me from falling backwards. I'd never be able to get into the loft but managed to climb far enough to be able to see the empty boxes so I could choose one for all the Christmas wrapping paper, then OH went into the loft to bring it down for me. Our ceilings are very tall so that's probably why the loft ladder only just touches the floor.

You've had lots of different birds around your bird feeder Mel, it must be lovely to watch them. We've noticed the ducks are still flying south, we're quite surprised as we'd of thought they'd of all gone by now.

You did well selling your computer Frank and like Jane said you won't have it laying around now and also have a few bob in your pocket. How are you feeling today?

Mornin g Gill and all,

I do hope Sandra feels better when she wakes up Gill. It seems she recieved some very harsh words from your mum. Have you heard from Michelle lately?

Well no frost this morning but the wind would cut you with a knife and seems to be coming from the east again according to the clouds passing across the sky. We have some sunshine, blue, grey and white sky.

I had more emails from my cousin in the USA yesterday and another picture of her as another bridesmaid at my uncle and aunts wedding, Jim and Evelyn. I used to take my nan over to their house as they lived with Evelyns mother , nan's sister Florence and her husband George. They (Evelyn nad Jim) did'nt have any children so I come to a halt there with my tree. Evelyn was the last surviver and she died in 2006. They all lived in Leyton, Frank will know that, Leyton I mean, just along the road from Leytonstone.

Well anyway she kept telling me a Bob was my nan's brother and nan did'nt have a brother Bob. She then emailed me that when David, the son of Bob and Nellie got his dad's death cert he was registered as Albert Edward Martin and not BOB Martin. David never knew his real name as his mum always called his dad Bob and dos'nt know why. So there could be a dark horse in the family once again!! anyway I then managed to find their marriage and the births of both their children and the wifes maiden name. David now lives in Cambodia. So I have another pic of some of my family and more info and people on my tree.