General Chat

Morning girls,

Nice morning at the mo and its 14 degrees but at least there is some sun with the clouds.

Lovely photos Anng is'nt he lovely love his shirt with the tractors on. He looks a happy chappy. Sorry you have a bad back and hope it eases so you can look around the garden centre for your plants.

I have just watched a lovely Thrush batter the life out of a snail on the little wall by the road down to the banty house. She actually wiped it from side to side to get the last bit out. I often get a mas of snail shells down that bit of the garden it must be a favorite anvil.

Don't know what I am doing today so will just see how the mood takes me.

Morning all,

Nice sunny dry morning but I think it should cloud over later, I have just hung some washing out as there's a lovely blow so hopefully they will son dry, its quite chilly but it is still fairly early .

Anng hope your back soon eases for you and you can manage to get all your plants ,lovely photos .

My knee is still painful so I have put a stretchy knee stocking on this morning see if that helps .

Vera well done to your granddaughter what a lovely job to be working at Disney World Hong Kong I hope she has a fantastic time .

I have sent a couple of photos, let me know if you have not received anything.

Good morning all. The sun is shining and it is 8 degrees. I didn't have a good night and am less than impressed that i have developed a very painful back. I seem to have pulled (or something) the muscle on mylower left back. One I have pulled before. Hopefully it will ease soon. a result of sittin 4+ hours in the car and then several hours here just talking and watching Cassian. We are going to the garden centre this morning so that I can get plants for my pots etc so I will have to hope it eases. Also have quite a busy week ahead.

I have uesed Ibruleve but usually Deep heat works for me. I have not used that in deference to my daughter and son in law as it is not a nice smell for other people.

O Vera thats wonderful. What a great chance to get spotted I wish her all the luck in the world (Disney World) I'm sure she'll have a wonderful time and an interesting country to work in.

The cake was well worth the mess. I made it with a sponge mix from Asda and you add 10 tablespoons of water so I did a tablespoon of coffee in a tablespoon of hot water and 9 tablespoons of water. The frosting was 1 and a half tablespoons of coffee in a tablespoon of hot water 100g of butter or marg and 225g of icing sugar. I used decaf coffee Azera Americano. I took a pic so will send it tomorrow.

Save me a bit too please Mel. I'll have mine without walnuts. I did have a little chuckle at you making a cake and spring cleaning the kitchen. Thanks for the idea of coffee cake as I have to make a cake for a coffee morning next Saturday and was wondering what to do. I must go through my recipes and see if I can find a good coffee cake one.

AnnG, I am sure you enjoyed your grandson and family visiting and the baby sounds a bundle of energy.

We had quite a bit of thunder though no lightening, and the heavy rain went on for some while. It's all calmed down now and everything has a new-washed look.

I've just had a text from one of my granddaughters telling me that she has been offered a 10 week contract with Disney Hong Kong to sing as Cruella de Vil (the baddie in 101 Dalmatians) in their daily shows. I don't know all the ins and outs yet but it's decent money and good experience and who knows what talent scout might spot her? I could see her name in lights in the West End yet ;-)

Mel are you all white too?
I like coffee cake.

Vera we had a terrific rain storm no thunder and lightening though. Grandson waited it out until the rain eased off a bit and they got home OK

Cassian was very good but does like a lot of attention He is not crawling yet but sits and bounces up and down, very energetic and on your lap he is still jumping up and cosmic. Lovely to see him, and Mum and dad of course.

I have just finished making a coffee cake and never again. Cake was ok but when I made the frosting it covered the kitchen in white dust. I used butter but if I do venture to make it again I shall use the soft marg.I covered the bowl with a clean dish cloth but it still managed to get out so the cloths gone in the washing machine with other things. Now all I have to do is clean all the windowsill and plate rack as I am sure its managed to get up there too.

I must admit it does look good. The postman told me he liked coffee cake and hated walnuts so I shall give him a chunk when he comes on Monday. May put walnuts on my bit and cherries.

Vera we had thought of that but nobody seems to want them now I suppose they like going to the gym, it's all in bits now a few bits have gone in the bin so we'll gradually get rid of it ,as you said Ann it's the fly wheel that weighs the most ,no way would we have got that whole bike down the stairs

Steady rain here but not that heavy ,its a shame when it really drops out of ths sky as it bashes all the poor plants about and breaks bits off .

My goodness, we've got the thunder and rainstorm now. It's coming down in solid sheets of water and I've just been reading that red hot poker plants don't like to be in soggy soil. I might be losing my plant to root rot then :-(

It rained quite heavily while we were having lunch. There are weather apps on my phone, my iPad and my computer and they all say different. One of them has a storm warning for this area but at the moment it doesn't feel or look stormy. After we'd had our sandwich and cuppa I used the most reliable way of judging the weather - I put my nose out of the door. I decided it was OK to do a bit in the garden so I got some deadheading and a bit of weeding done before the next shower.came.

I might go and look at the paper for a while now or do the crossword before I have to get our dinner ready.

The flywheel makes those exercise bikes really heavy Mandy. We took mine to bits during the pandemic and put a bit in the bottom of the rubbish bin each time to get rid of it It was in the conservatory though and we certainly wouldn't have got it down any stairs. I remember Jane trying to give hers away but no-one would take it. I have a treadmill that I think may be hard to sell or give away as well. I've done a wash as well but haven't hung it out as we keep having showers.

It will be nice to meet up with your grandson AnnG. Does he have far to travel to see you? You may have said but my brain isn't reliable.

I only carry half full watering cans now or my back or knees soon hurt, but I can probably poke the spout between the trellis a bit lower down. I think OH would struggle with his back and neck, so we will get the hose out if needs be. At least the beans have had plenty of water today with all the rain.

We've been chucking a few things out, some plastic cartons I'd saved as I used to store beading materials in them, but, as usual I kept too many. The same with a pile of jamjars. An old soft cool bag that now has a replacement has been wiped down and used to store things in in my car boot instead of a tatty cardboard box. My car didn't come with a spare wheel, but I bought one and keep it in the boot and this bag fits at the side of it better and has nice carrying handles to lift it out when it goes in for service or MOT. OH joined in and has started a pile of cardboard boxes and things for the tip. I have filled the basket I bought yesterday for under the sink so that is nearly straight now. I can't believe how much kettle descaler I've bought, then squirrelled away and then obviously couldn't find!

Like you Vera I should do something outside, even if i's just replanting the front wall pots in the greenhouse, but I'm getting a COT while I think about it first. ;-)

You say your cold Vera I have put my fleece trousers on this morning and a thin polo neck and a cardi.

BIL was here when iI got back from the shop and he's doing the UV light thingy, rewiring the two pin plug to a normal three pin.

Rain overnight and early this morning. It's dry now but more rain promised this afternoon though we haven't got any storm warnings. It is very chilly here; I've gone back into a long sleeved jumper and if it gets any cooler I'll be putting a cardigan over it as well.

I've finished all the ironing which always makes my back ache. I feel I ought to get out to the garden before it rains again but don't want to make my back worse. OH is just making us a sandwich so perhaps I'll get outside and do something gentle in the garden after we've had that. There's quite a bit of dead heading required and that shouldn't tax me too much so perhaps I'll have a go at that.

Mandy, it seems a shame to take a usable exercise bike to the tip. Have you thought of putting it on something like Freecycle or maybe a local Facebook group. We've got rid of a few bits on Freecycle including a big freezer and a lawnmower. People are always pleased to get a piece of equipment for nothing and it gets it out of your way.

I hope your grandson has arrived safely and didn't have a bad journey AnnG. Enjoy his visit.

Annx, do be careful standing on a crate to water your neighbour's beans. The last thing you need is a fall. At least at the moment the rain should be doing the job for you.

OH is calling that lunch is ready so I'd better go. Stay dry and warm everyone.

sunny here at the moment but we have thnder storm warning as well. Waiting fro Grandson to arrive now, hope the traffic is not too bad.

Its pouring here now and has gone so dark I nearly need the lights on.

Been fiddling with miniatures this morning but must go and feed the wild birds as there's nothing in any of my feeders and I hav'nt done the chickens yet either.

Where has our summer gone? I want it back even if it is harder work.

Good luck taking the byke apart Mandy. Hope you manage it ok so you can get rid of it.

Morning all,

We have quite a bright sky here but its raining ,I think we are on the edge of where the thunder storms could be.

Ann thats going to be quite a job to water over a fence if it's high the watering can is going to be quite heavy with the water in ,be careful you don't pull yourself ,I think I'd use the hose or hope it rains .

Anng sounds as if you'll be busy in the garden after your time away ,things seem to grow so quickly while your away especially the weeds .
When does your daughter go home ,will they stay over the weekend to miss all the weekend traffic .

I have washing in the machine but I can't see that going out on the line today , it will be inside jobs today I think ,we have an exercise bike in the back bedroom we want to get rid of, I have asked at the charity shops but they all say they won't sell so won't take it so it will have to go to the tip but we need to take it apart as it's so heavy to get down the stairs .

Morning girls,

Grey sky and very cloudy here this morning. It did rain yesterday evening a bit and I'm sure it did in the night too. Trouble with rain down here it never knows when to stop.

I think todays job will be to ct all the dead heads off the Rhodo on the west lawn if I can get out between showers. It feels so cold outside when its grey I may just stay indoors. Who knows?

Its 12 degrees and we have a thunder storm warning so thats some thing to look forward to. Light rain during the day.

I must'nt forget to go to the shop today for my paper anda few bit.

Morning AnnG and All,

Dark skies here, so I'm sure it will rain soon. OH has gone for his walk so I need to wait till he's back before I go to the shop as we are expecting a delivery.

I think I would find lots to enjoy seeing at that place AnnG. I wondered if you would find the weeds had grown since you went away as we have had a lot of rain. Our garden is lower than the neighbours where her beans are and she has a fence about 6 foot high with trellis on the top, so tall from our side. We have slate chippings our side so I will put a plastic crate we have that we can stand on, otherwise there is always the hose!

OH is back now so BBL.

Good morning all, slept well last night woke to persistent rain. when I went away I was wishing for rain. Now I am wishing for it to stop as the garden is now blossomed and over grown. Peonies that were in tight bud when we went away are now full bloom and so heavy they are falling over despite being syaked and even more roses everywhere than before we left and ther were a lot then.
Ann If it is the same there you won't need to give the neighbours plants much water. have you got a low fence beteen yo then, I couldn't water cynth's over the fence.

I am sure that we may have missed a lot in the mill but we were too tired to go on any more. I didn't add that in all the rooms there were posters and pictures and mosaics etc on all the walls to see as well.
One whole room was devoted to 'Peace' and had a lot about places like Greenham common and seemed to be linking the women who demonstrated against nuclear weapons as being equivalent to the sufffrogetes/ we actually just walked through that room.