General Chat

Morning All,

Dull here with a white sky, but it seems slightly warmer.

Mel, we find the Magpies make a right racket on the roof here and we find clumps of moss on the drive too. You wouldn't believe birds could make as much noise would you. That's a good idea to put something extra in the parcel for the lady. She will appreciate that.

AnnG we need to clear the old raised beds we had and the shed to be dismantled and taken away and an arbour that's rotten first, but I have the name of someone who would do that. Also someone to cut right back the the high brambles coming over the bottom fence. I've also got the name of someone the next door neighbour used who could do that for us, so that would be a start. OH can't face anything major being done at the moment or I would get on with the bathroom being done. He's needing a lot of help with the pain he has at the moment, so I'm getting little done inside too. Now the little walk we did yesterday has set my left knee off aching. It will improve though. I'll be glad when we get all his results within the next fortnight and know what can be done for him. You make a good point about gardeners getting busy soon though, so I think we need to stock up on weedkiller for now! I was reading that vinegar, salt and washing up liquid mixed are good for killing moss on driveways and slabs, so I might test a patch! It's frustrating not being able to do what we could once do so easily.

Magpies throw moss down off our roof too and if it raind before I can get to it, it is horribly sticky. We don't have as many magpies as we did have. Just a couple I think. the very large older one facinates me, he comes right up to the house looking for food and I can see him watching me through the window when I am sitting having coffee or lunch. He keeps his eye trained on me and only flies off if I move to stand up.

It sounds as if you have got all the jobs on a list and lined up Ann. It is a pity that OH is not up to people doing jobs at the moment as now would be the time to get the dismantling out of the way.
I feel that you are having a job stopping your OH getting depressed, which is what happenes when pain goes on for a long time without knowing the reason. I hope he can get answers soon. Somehow you need to guard against you, yourself getting depressed about the situation. Are you able to perhaps spend some time on some simple painting, perhaps when he is sleeping? <3

Mandy I think it is probably not liking working with meat but not liking how hard they have to work. Well done Jake for seeing the value in a worthwhile job.

Another dark, wet, dreary day and the forecast is for heavy cloud and on/off rain for several days yet. The miserable day follows another bad night. It was too much to hope for two good nights in a row but I do get so cross as there doesn’t appear to be a reason for not sleeping.

Annx, I agree with AnnG. It might help if you could take just a little time to yourself to paint, read, watch TV or anything that you enjoy doing. It will take your mind off your problems for a short while and help guard against depression and anxiety. You seem well organised with your lists of jobs to be done and people who might be able to do them. I am ready with the name and phone number of a gardener who comes recommended but I think we can manage for this year.

Mandy, Jake will go a long way. He reminds me of a young chap our village butcher took on as an apprentice many, many years ago. Once he was fully trained the butcher offered him a job as his assistant. Then he managed the shop when the butcher semi-retired and when the butcher fully retired he bought the business from him and expanded it. It’s now flourishing. I can see Jake doing something similar.

Mel, we end up with lots of roof moss and lichen on the paths but the noisiest things are pigeons on the conservatory roof. It sounds as though there’s a troop of tap dancers up there.

Better go and turn my lamb over and sort out the veg and then I might pour myself a pre dinner glass of rose :-D. I also want to try my son again. There’s no land line in the house he has moved to and the mobile signal is very weak there. I’ve tried his mobile twice this morning and just got “call failed” so I’m hoping it will be third time lucky.

Vera Ooh roast lamb sounds lovely hope that you enjoy it and that you managed to get in contact with your son Technology can be so infuriating sometimes. :-)

Decided I had done enough on the PC for today so came downstairs to watch some TV. Hmm! Rugby then later football. It is that season again.so I am watching old recordings of Death in Paradise as I don’t want to start watching something that is two hours long

Did a bit today, one load of washing, dusted downstairs. Then had another go at deleting the files that were corrupted. Actually so far I seem to have managed to download uncorrupted several of my most used files so things like address labels, Christmas card list, holiday list (for packing). And the list of books that I have read over a long time. So I am well pleased about that. I have a poussin for my dinner tonight, that will cook in the air fryer. I have left over mash which I will brown with cheese on the top and tinned sweet corn and broccoli.

I did think about doing some painting a week or so ago Vera and AnnG, but my hands were still too shaky then to control a brush. They aren't now though so I might see if I can do a little painting. I could start knitting a jacket I've had a pattern and wool for for ages too. I've been shredding more papers today and filled a black sack, so that made me feel I was making progress with something.

I think OH would be much better if he didn't have all this pain. He's very resourceful usually and not one for moping, but he hasn't had a proper diagnosis yet, so I think that doesn't help when you think about your future or for him to know what he can do and what to expect.

I could just fancy your roast lamb Vera! I hope you've made contact with your son now. I know a lot of people don't bother with a landline now, but I still prefer using it.

BIL turned up this morning with the wife and had a coffee with me but he only came to pick up some bags of rubbish which he takes to work and gets rid of that way.

Then I put the wash on the line but it has'nt dried much even though the sun was out this morning with a bit of a blow. It does smell nice though and its on the airer in front of the rad so will be even nicer when I turn the heating on.

I have finished painting and varnishing the new little pot and lid for the lady who did'nt receive it and shall just have to wait a bit for the varnish to completely dry and I can dend it to her.

Just getting myself a nice drink now and at 6pm I am going to watch my nice little couple on you tube. Living the Skye life. He's a musican and she's an artist and her painting are out of this world. She used to have a channel called She Walks She Paints where she would take the dog for a walk and find something to photograph and come home and paint it. She does notlets and cards and Christmas Cards and calenders with her work on. Its all so detailed Annx would like her paintings as she likes to use a lot of detail. She did a wonderful picture of a Highland Coo.

Cuppa time me thimnks and maybe a biscuit. :-)

Pain does drag you down Annx, and the not knowing is the worst thing. We all cope better when we know what it is we are coping with. Fingers, and everything else, crossed that you will get some answers soon.

The roast lamb was delicious. I had made little slits in the meat before cooking and pushed in slivers of garlic and tiny tufts of rosemary and it was really flavoursome. With lots of veg and a strawberry cheesecake to follow it was a good meal.

I have sort of contacted my son in that I have now got through to his phone and was able to leave a message. I wasn't concerned as there are other ways he can contact us if anything is wrong. It's just irritating. I like to use the landline but my daughter is thinking of getting rid of hers as she says hardly anyone uses it now. Everyone rings her mobile.

I've been wasting time at the computer looking at photos of our old garden. See what you started with your before and after pictures Annx. Looking at them now I wonder how we ever coped but I suppose I could spend 3 or 4 hours gardening without even thinking about it whereas now I'm lucky if I manage half an hour without ending up with a painful back. Oh, the joys of getting old!!

I suppose there must be some compensations for growing old but it is a struggle to find them. Ooh that lamb sound delicious.

Yes its an awful long time since I tasted roast Lamb and it sounded great.

I meant to say that when I came back from feeding the chickens this morning there was a Heron by my pond it made me jump as it flew away. They are so huge close up.

watched my you tube Living the sky life they went to look at Dinasaur footprints this week and found some. They do lovely arial shots with their drone so you can see all around the coast.

I had another brown egg yesterday morning and I was so surprised to see another this morning so now I have three nice brown ones.

Its been really bitter out there today even though the sun was out most of the morning and then it clouded over into the afternoon.

Morning girls,

Its another dull and dreary day after a nice bright start yesterday. Pc says 4 degrees and cloudy and its dead right.

I,m cross cos I have made my coffee too hot and I want to drink it.

Now how did you sleep last night? I woke with a very dry mouth but I did have cheese and biccies for tea quite late last night and probably did'nt drink enough water.

My bottom eye tooth has just fallen out. :-(

Morning Mel,
Can you not cool the coffee down some way, perhaps with cold milk or cold water?
I have to do that at school break times sometimes, when by the time I get along to the staff room, there is not time to drink very hot coffee. I just add some cold water, either when making it, or by tipping away some of the hot coffee and topping it up with cold liquid.

How lovely to have another brown egg, especially when it was unexpected :-D

Oh no Mel :-0
Was that the loose one?

Good morning all. 3 degrees here and dark and gloomy again. dom is calling round later to see if he can find out why the Wifi is so bad on this PC. At the moment I can't download Facebook which is odd. Trouble is there is no way of knowing if it is my PC?Wifif or Facebook itself that is the problem.
slept well last night and it was so dark when I finally woke around 7 that I didn't want to get up into another gloomy miserable day. I pity people who suffer with SADS this year, hardly any brighter days at all.

Oh dear mel, although if that is the loose tooth it will save paying to have it taken out.

Morning all,

Another dull dreary day ,I think its drizzling but its so dark its hard to see what it's doing .
Oh no Mel ,has the tooth come out cleanly or is there any root left in .

Anng hope Dom can get your Pc sorted for you today .

I think i might do a bit more sorting out in the wardrobes and draws upstairs ,I had made a start on some before Christmas but then stopped so I must make a start again

Morning All,

It's dull and raining here too and forecast for the rest of the day. At least it means the windowcleaner won't be coming today.

Hopefully the whole tooth has come out Mel. Your mouth will be more comfortable eating now and no need for the dentist to do it. I often add cold water to hot drinks I need to drink more quickly as well. Well done whichever of the old girls is giving you the brown eggs.

I dashed to the phone earlier thinking it was the expected hospital call and it was a blinking spam call in a foreign accent as usual! We seem to be getting more of them lately.

I have another pile to shred now, so will do that and then might do like Mandy and make a start on sorting one of the bedroom drawers. I hang on to far too much stuff for years that I will never wear again. I feel a bit brighter after quite a good sleep last night.

OH's car has had a factory recall we need to do something about soon. As he can't drive and couldn't give me a lift back home either, I think I will ask them if they can collect the car and bring it back in the circumstances, after all it isn't our fault it needs something doing.

I don't know if it's all the tablets but OH's appetite isn't good the last day or two and he doesn't seem to fancy a lot of things. I know he needs to lose a little weight, but slowly. Back permitting he needs to start having more walks and that may help his appetite too. He never used to do anything slowly and I could never keep up with his normal brisk walking pace. He has an online short meeting about a council case this afternoon, so that won't be onerous and be some normality for him.

It's good you have Dom calling round today AnnG. Hopefully he will identify what's wrong and will be able to fix it for you.

Well Dom has been and adjusted several things. He checked use of different frequencies in the area and there was somebody very near on the same frequency so He has found a different one for me. Hopefully that will solve the problem. I think it is the girl over the road who works from home. It seemed odd that I had no problems all over the weekend then they started up again this morning. I think that was too simplistic for Dom at first but he did listen and I am hoping he has solved it. He is off to America for about ten days so If it happens again I will just have to stay with the Ipad.

It is difficult with your OH's appetite, are there any foods he finds easier to eat, maybe things that don't need so much chewing (energy). like mashed potato with plenty of butter and maybe grated cheese. Just maybe offer small plates of food. I know how difficult that is. Scrambled egg (with cheese?). Home made vegetable soup blended to be smooth with a piece of bread and butter to dunk. Hope that you can find something. Is he drinking plenty. He doesn't need a UTI to add to his problems. It is all adding stress for you though. Hopefully his 'meeting' will buck him up a bit.

Mandy yes, I am sure that some of my drawers will be ready for a clear out again.

I have had a busy morning. I changed the bed but Emm rang me to say had I any eggs to which I replied yes loads. put the bedding in the machine and started that. Then I dusted the dining area chairs and gosh they were dusty. They have carved backs with lots of holes in and I don't always do the holes.

When Em came we had a chat and she helped me get the cover on and do the buttons up and she gave it a good shake for me and that was finished. Its a great help with the bed as being small I must have walked around it 50 times putting the pillows in their cases and pulling the bottom sheet of and getting the fresh one back on as it comes off one side I have put it on so its round the bed to put that one back on again. I must invest in another 10" deep fitted sheet as I only have one and thats not too bad to get on. My other three are all too short round the edge really.

I have fed the birds and the chickens and had another brown eggs today. Done my daily challenges and now it lunchtime so I must get myself something to eat as my tum has been rumbling all morning.

Gwyn I do do that sometimes to cool a drink down but it usually cools down quite quickly as I do other things and then come back to it.

My tooth has come out complete so there is no worry about having some root left in. It makes me so cross because there is nothing wrong with these teeth that keep falling out. No fillings in them or hole they are just perfect. I am thinking of cutting this one off and sticking it to my plate so I don't have anothe hole showing. I have bone degeneration which is why they fall out and recedeing gums.

Posties been today and I have had four cards which I shall save for the right day. Yesterday I had a parcel delivered and I think its from my SIL oh's youngest sister who always sends me something for my birthday.

I need to sweep up more moss the birds have had off the roof too but its really cold out there today.

Yes there are some ideas there for him AnnG. He will be able to eat better when the tooth is out that is hurting, but it mainly seems that things don't taste the same to him. I could put some grated low fat cheese on some potato, but use spread instead of butter as he needs to be careful of saturated fats. He's been eyeing some anchovies he bought, but they have 3 times the salt any of us should have in a day, so he can't have those. He enjoyed some tomato soup today and has eaten more. I thought about an omelette tomorrow with mushrooms and some grated low fat cheese on it and grilled tomatoes. He is drinking plenty and I keep reminding him as well.

He enjoyed his chat with his colleague at one of the council's this afternoon.Then he got a text about repeating one of the blood tests he had the other day, so that's another appointment, also he had a request from someone else at the surgery to come for an annual review, so that's yet another appointment. The cardiologist never rang back today as was promised.

I did another half bag or shredding, but had to sort out some admin then so never got as far as doing any drawers!

Yes looking at the old photos of the garden made me think just the same Vera and your garden was much bigger as well. I was working full time, but still made cakes to freeze and other meals and made jam with the fruit we grew. Mum had the home for day patients then and we kept her supplied with runners and tomatoes as well as other things when there was a glut. I still played Badminton several times a week as well and found time to clean the house, which I seemed to whizz through then!