General Chat

You jumped in there Vera while I was writing my post. I think the garden will look tidy for the summer but it still depends on the weather if it looks a picture. Easy to put plants in containers, harder to keep them alive.

I balance my accounts every month. I keep a book and balance the book with the bank statements. It drives me mad if I am even five pence out and have to work at it until it is balanced. (Or I can identify the error). It must be to do with the two jobs I had working on pay, first for the admiralty, then for local government and then working as training liaison officer and having a budget, and last but not least working in housing rents for local government. Come to think of it personnel office included some finance. As well. Oh was cashier in the local gov finance department as well. That large old cash machine had to balance every night.

You did have a long sleep Mel but sleep is the best thing when you are not feeling well. I am pleased you are feeling a bit better now. That is wasteful of your surgery to give you two bottles of skin stuff if you didn't need it when the NHS is supposed to be so strapped for cash.

You've been busy in your garden AnnG. It will look a picture this summer.

When your runners are ready to harvest, Mandy, please invite me to dinner. Fresh picked runners are one of my favourite veggies. The ones you buy in the supermarkets aren't the same at all. I think they've usually been hanging around too long. I've been meaning to ask you about window blinds for ages and I keep forgetting. I hope I haven't got it wrong but if I remember rightly you bought some blinds online a while ago. Was it easy to get the measurements right and were they easy to fit? I'm asking because I want to replace the roller blinds in the conservatory. We have a couple of good blinds companies locally and we used one to make new blinds for our lounge and OH's bedroom a couple of years ago.. We were pleased with their work but they were expensive and there is a lot of glass to cover in the conservatory, so I thought I'd see if I could find a cheaper way online.

Annx, my creeping weed has small leaves and a tiny white flower with a very pale lavender tinge to it. I try to get it up before the flower opens if I can. I haven't managed to get into the garden today and won't tomorrow either so by Monday it will probably have covered the area I've recently cleared.

I had a bad night again but this time it was because of pains in my feet and ankles. I expect it's a rheumatic or arthritic pain and I'm probably lucky to have got away so far without much in the way of arthritis but I am wondering which bit of me is going to give up next. Oh, the joys of getting old ;-)

I decided that as I gave the upstairs a good clean yesterday I'd better tackle the downstairs today so everything got a good dust and vac. and general tidy up. After lunch we went into town as OH wanted some more weedkiller stuff to spray between the cracks of the paving stones as he had run out, and I needed a birthday card and a couple of other bits and pieces. We were able to get everything we wanted in Roys so we weren't out very long. I got busy again when we got back with some other jobs and preparing our meal. I decided to prep tomorrow's veg as well and save myself a bit of time in the morning.

Daughter texted yesterday to see if we would be home for a visit this weekend and is now coming for Sunday dinner tomorrow. We hadn't expected to see her over Easter so her text was a nice surprise and I'm looking forward to seeing her. She's bringing us some rhubarb from her garden.

I've just looked at the weather apps. The computer says it is 8 degrees but feels like -1, the phone says it is 7 degrees and feels like 5, and the iPad says it's 8 and feels like 2. It would be more useful if they all just said it's not very warm and there's a chilly wind.

I'm feeling tired and grubby so I am going to have a nice wash now and get in my PJs and dressing gown and maybe read for a while. I hope you all sleep well tonight.

Evening All,

I was going to say it was dry here but just looked outside and there has been a short shower. OH managed to pull a few big weeds up on the front and went to footie with his friend and has sawpped some books with him. He went to physio this morning, but the man he saw had a good chat with him as he found the exercises he was given for his back were too painful to do yet. He told him he should focus on walking for now till he gets some treatment and is going to look at what he can get bedwise to help him sleep.

I popped to the shop and have done admin since as my accounts didn't balance! lol. It reminds me of work and how those that worked in the heavily secure finance office couldn't go home till everything balanced at the end of the day. I dreaded being moved to do that work. I expect it's the same in banks and building societies.

I managed to contact the skip man and hopefully booked a skip after sending him my details by text. I did ask him to confirm, but he hasn't yet, so will ask again after easter if I don't hear from him.

I'm glad you are feeling better Mel and you must have needed all that sleep. Little Red sounded a pretty pony, so how big was he and how long did you have him? Similarly my Ivan was roan, only a blue roan yearling foal costing £34. I was told he was the only christmas present I would get that year at age 16 but that didn't matter to me. A year later I ended up paying dad a £1 a week till I'd bought him anyway, when he tried to tell me the pony was my sister's as well. Mum was disgusted, but knew better than to argue with him. I also paid my mum half my wages for my keep and I paid 10 shillings a week to graze the pony. I bought a headcollar and saved up for a bridle and an old saddle that cost £6. I'd chosen a small pony foal I was strong enough to manage to break to riding and then I sold him for more money to buy a bigger pony a better size for me. I still have the U.S Civil War cavalry saddle with wooden stirrups I bought for him for £20 when I was 18. I had a 72 year old American pen friend at the time who told me what it was. She lived in California and was trail riding in the hills well into her 80s. I was still writing to her when she passed away with a stroke aged 89.

I see Mandy and AnnG have been busy in the garden today. I must see if I can buy some compost next week and get a few plants for the outside pots to grow on a bit in the greenhouse. I might see if I can do a bit more weeding tomorrow as the forecast is dry.

Off to the land of nod now. I want to watch Elton John a bit later or record him if I might fall asleep.

That is annoyong ans wasteful of them Mel. Does it keep? Must be difficult to store. Is it one that can be bought without a prescription? If so maybe you know somebody else who could use it.

I did another 40 minutes or so out in the garden tidying up the geraniums overwintered in the conservatory and just pottering doing odd bits. There is an annoying, although not cold, wind so it is not very preasant gardening.
Might walk down to Irene's in a bit with the tops I took out of the 'summer' wardobe.

You've had a busy morning Anng so enjoy your rest.

Been to the shop and got my bits and remembered to ask for my scripts. I had a huge bag and wondered why. They have sent me two lots of dry skin cream and I only wanted one Doublebase. I now have three big bottles of the one I don't get on with and I can't send them back because once they have left the surgery you cna't return them.

The wee posty is here and I may have a parcel!!!

Just spent 40 minutes in the garden. sieved some come grown compost and mixed it with the peat free stuff and made up a basket for the tumbler tomato. That is in the greenhouse now. also potted on a couple of plants a friend gave me. Then sorted out a terracotta large bowl that had crumbled and put the pieces for Jake on Monday. Washing in the drier, so have come in for a coffee and rest.

Morning all,

Thanks Mandy I am feeling better this morning after a very long sleep. I went to bed at 12.30 slept through till 7.25am and went to the loo. Thought I would have a lie in and fell off to sleep right away and woke at 10.39am so you could say I have had a really good nights sleep and don't forget I slept a long while yesterday afternoon too.

Its 10 degrees but dry and cloudy here this morning and the sky is all greywith that strange yellowish colour to it. Weird....

Just the shop to do this morning if its open for my paper and my scripts.

Morning Anng ,morning all,

Cloudy here but bright hopefully we'll see a little sun .
We want to dig where the runners go in ,we have a bag of manure to dig in ,the runners are getting tall now and I need to get them harden off a bit so we can plant them sometime next week ,we can get the canes in ready so thats ons job for today .

Hope your feeling better this morning Mel.

Good mornng all. slept well last night, got up twice but straight back to sleep. Nothing planned for today just tesco this afternoon. It is 10 degrees, a bit dull but dry at the moment. Hopefully it will not get windy so I can get out into the garden. I want to put my tumpber tomato into a basket although it will then come into the conservatory for a couple of weeks.

Hi I am feeling a bit better now as after my lunch (cuppa soup and bread and butter) I threw myself on the bed covered myself up fully dressed and fell asleep. Woke at 5.28pm so got up. I arose and loked out of the window and all the chickens are waiting for thier corn.

I think your right about the hot cross buns they were much more spicy years ago. I quite like Asda ones as they are spicy. My dad always did the buns on Good Friday and we too had them in bed with a cup of tea. I saved my pocket money in a money box like the old pay phones it had a button A and a button B and you put the money in the top slot and if you pressed A it went in the box but if you pressed B it came out in the little tray. I used that money box right up until I was 16 and went to work where I earned £3 a week at the PDSA. I gave mum £1.10s for my keep and I had the other £1.10s to save up for my pony.

I used to go down a stable just up the road from where I lived and a bit further on was where I worked. A man called Mark owned the stables and his son had a couple of ponies there and let out a couple more of the stables. Mark bought this nice red roan pony and he was just like the one I had dreamed about, three white socks and a lovely whited blaze down his face. I asked Mark how much he was selling him for and he said £100. I think I have told you the rest before but I did have that lovely pony called Little Red. I still have his saddle up in the potting sheds bought at Batchelers of Epping for £19.19s.6d. I was given £20 by my parternal grandfather when I left school to buy clothes with.....guess what I bought instead? and I still had 6d to put in my money box.

Sorry to hear you are not feeling well today Mel. I hope you feel better soon. Hopefully it’s a cold that will pass quickly but I agree with the others; because of that tick bite you should get advice. If there isn’t a doctor or pharmacist available to speak to you ring 111 and just ask for their advice. I’ve found them very helpful when I’ve used them. Thinking of you as you remember your father.

It’s been quite a warm, sunny day here with a strong breeze but more from the south so not quite as cold as our usual north or east wind. This morning OH cleaned out 2 corner floor cupboards in the kitchen for me which was helpful. I went through everything in them and only had to get rid of some very dry, wrinkled sultanas and half a tub of glacé cherries. I then gave the upstairs a really thorough dust and hoover and a good tidy up and cleaned down to the bottom of the stairs. I hope I’ll have the energy to do downstairs tomorrow. This afternoon I’ve put some red geranium cuttings in a big pot in the garden. I thought I should make the most of it being dry. I’l keep an eye on the forecast and if it looks as though we are going to have any very cold nights I’ll stick a bit of fleece over the pot. I managed to sleep from midnight to 5 am last night and it makes such a difference to my energy levels.

You ladies have brought a few Easter memories to light for me. Nowadays so-called hot cross buns are available all the time but once we only had them at Easter. On Good Friday morning my Dad would bring us a warm bun and a cup of tea in bed. This was a real event as Dad didn’t normally give us tea in bed and we weren’t usually allowed to lie in. Hot cross buns had a special flavour back then. Now they are just buns with a cross on the top. I found an old traditional recipe some years ago and made some and the taste took OH and I back to our childhoods. I seem to remember they were spiced with nutmeg.

One Good Friday memory I have is just after I had been confirmed. I think I was 14. Being an important religious day I thought I must go to Holy Communion so I got up at the crack of dawn and crept out of the house without waking anyone. When I got to the church there wasn’t a soul around and I was puzzled but just walked back home, cold and fed up as I had got up so early and not even had a drink. Of course I later learned that most Anglican churches do not have a Eucharist between the day of crucifixion and the day of resurrection but I don’t think it was ever mentioned to me.

As for pocket money, I don’t remember ever having any as a child apart from the odd 6d from grandparents when we visited. I did get 2/6d a week from the age of about 14 to 16 when it was increased to 7/6d. I thought I was wealthy but I was expected to do a lot with it. My parents bought necessities for me but anything else I wanted had to come out of that 7/6d.

I am now feeling in need of a cuppa so I think it is time to put the kettle on. Enjoy the rest of the day and sleep well tonight.

Afternoon All,

Warmer and less windy today, but still no rain.

Yes don't leave it long Mel and as Mandy said it could be related to the tick bite and also having the tick attached so long. Did the nurse check you over, ears etc? With Devon having above the England average for tick infections you need long sleeves and something like Deet on in the garden as they are most active now. You were lucky as I only ever had just one easter egg. OH, whose grandmother lived with them, said they had several they all shared, so he didn't have his own.

Gwyn we use charity bags that are pushed through the door that we don't use at the time to carry clothes etc to the charity shop, as they have handles to tie as well. It makes the job easier doesn't it. Like you I can remember having sixpence a week pocket money that rose to half a crown by the time I left school. I remember at age 15 I would get an extra half crown by washing dad's car and the little van on Sunday mornings. I can remember me and my friend taking ages in the little shop near where we lived deciding which flavour penny chews we would buy. We would save enough to go to the swimming baths at age 11 though and then when older I would save mine for a fortnightly riding lesson. We would supplement our pocket money by collecting any pop bottles we saw lying around and taking them to the shop to get thruppence back on them.

It sounds like you are well stocked up with wood now Mandy and all stacked away by your helpers.

AnnG I was thinking once I got part way through some of my sorting that I should have ditched more things. Maybe next time! Behind the bed is a 9 inch wide shelf across between the built in wardrobes that lifts up to reveal storage I thought would be handy for spare pillows or duvet. Yesterday I found it was mostly full of more tops to sort, some of which I'm ashamed to say came with me from my previous house 25 years ago! I said to OH that I have far too much stuff to take with me if I went into a care home. We took yet another two bags to the charity shop yesterday, so it is gradually reducing. I've found some dinner plates to take next time as well. They haven't really been used but are much too large for us.

How lovely that you got those vouchers at your Thursday meet up Vera and seconds of cake as well! It's a shame about the friend with dementia. FIL became incontinent the last few months too and it is horrid to see the deterioration. He liked the home, but some were really anxious and stressed. One man would follow me around asking If I'd come to take him home. It was so sad. Your creeping weed doesn't have little yellow flowers does it? We have one that came from nextdoor's lawn when they had one and I've battled it every year since. We have some chickweed too.

Good idea Gwyn. I do urilise the bags that new toilet rolls are delivered in but I actually have some bin bags that don't fir my bin so that will be useful. Thanks for that.

Mel, I hope you soon feel more comfortable and more settled. It certainly might be worth getting some further medical advice.
You brought back memories talking about pocket money.
For a long time, I had 2d per birthday for pocket money given Friday or Saturday.This meant that even at 15 years old, I had half a crown, but soon I was able to add to that with a weekly Wednesday evening baby-sitting job looking after 2 little girls, who were usually in bed, but not asleep, when I arrived. I was paid 5/- for this and thought that was great.
We soon learned to make money go round.

AnnG,
For just carrying things to a charity shop, I use tear-off pedal bin liners with tie tops. They are large enough to get quite a few clothes etc. in and then hopefully can still be used for their intended purpose.

That is true mandy, well done for remembering. See how you feel Mel and consider if you need to contact somebody. Maybe a pharmacy that is open.

Mandy it is supposedly 12 degrees here but it has drizzled so is wet underfoot and when I went out into the garden it was really cold.

Afternoon all,

Nice and sunny here , the wood delivery came its all barrowed round and all stacked away.

Mel I hope you soon feel better but just keep an eye on how you feel as it could be related to having that tic , the nurse said if you have any flu like symptoms to go back ,

Nearly lunch time already where has the morning gone

Sounds like a cold affecting your stomach then Mel, hope it goes away as quickly as it has appeared. Stay in the warm and take it easy.

Vera, that was nice of the cafe to give you vouchers. they must appreciate your regular custom.Sorry to hear that your poor friend has deteriorated. sometimes getting old and having friends in the smae age group is a blessing, and sometimes it is just sad.

Drizzle here now so no gardening today I think. and I really, really don't feel like H/W. I have had a flick through the small wardrobe that has mainly summer tops and the few dresses I own in it, pulled out a few I am not going to wear but it really needs going through a bit more thoroughly. the hardest thing is locating carrier bags to put things in these days.

I did have Stu over this week and he kept wiping his nose. I seem to have a bit of a headache now and no energy and I'm cold. Got the heating n and pc says heavier rain soon and 9 degrees still.

Hope you can get rid of that bug soon Mel. Can't imagine where you caught that though as you don't really go anywhere. Any ideas?