General Chat

Good morning all, another bright one but cooler at 5 degrees. I don't know if we had a frost, they did say we might. No sign when I got up though. Nothing planned for today, better get the 4 plants in I bought though so that is a pot of two to prepare.

Gosh what a thing to put on a dreary card Vera!

As to yesterdays washing up Stu did it all before I left and dried it off so I came home with one big ceramic pot I put all the veg in one basin I had had the chicken in and a enamel tray I did the creamy leeks in and the pot I took with the broccoli in which I forgot to dish up. I'm having that tonight with my stew and dumplings meal for one.

I have done a lot of ironing today, cleaned the sink and washed up yesterdays baking tions I cooked the chicken and veg in so just the two to wash. Spied that the rabbit trap ws closed so walked up the garden to that after corning the girls and there was no rabbit in it but a female pheasent. Poor girl she had broken most of he lovely tail feathers but I managed to let her out and she ran off as fast as she could to the big arch to escape me.

Annx I was wondering if I should cut my bottle brush back a bit as it hanging over the lawn and BIL moans about having to duck under thing when he's on the mower. Mum planted it so I don't really want to lose it. At the moment my Magnolia is in full bloom and looks wonderful.

Better get dinner now.

I hope the bathroom fitter due today turns up on time Annx as the other one doesn’t sound very reliable. One of my aunts always had sterilized milk as well and I didn’t like it either. Oh, I’ve just remembered OH’s mother used to have a bottle delivered 2 or 3 times a week just for making custard.

My goodness Mel, wasn’t it a bit of a performance taking the meal to Stu last night? As AnnG said, what did you do with the washing up? You certainly fed them well and it sounds as though they enjoyed it. You’re probably wise to only garden on alternate days and let your hips and back recover on the in-between days.

The forecast seems to be for it to get warmer and be dry next week so you’ll probably be able to finish painting your fence then Mandy, but don’t get tempted to carry on painting for too long or you will make your back painful again.

I wonder if it is hay fever you are getting AnnG. I love the smell of daffodils but different people are affected by different plants and smells. Our son used to get dreadful hayfever when oilseed rape was in bloom. We lived in a very rural area then and were often surrounded with rape fields. Poor lad. I was told that hay fever is connected to migraine and son was diagnosed with migraine at the age of 5.

I had a dreadful night again. I turned the light out at about 11.30 and just lay awake till 2 am when I got up and got a mug of hot milk. That didn’t help at all so I lay there awake till 4.30 when I got up and took a pill, eventually falling asleep sometime around 5 am. The trouble is I was still awake at my normal time and up by 8 am so I feel a bit like death warmed up today. This morning was sunny though not as warm as yesterday but this afternoon the wind has got up and it keeps coming over very black though it hasn’t rained yet.

On Wednesday I went to the pharmacy to collect my script to find 1 item there but not the rest. As we only get 28 days at a time and I collect every 4 weeks on a Tuesday or Wednesday, everything should have been ready for me. The assistant went to check and said that the 1 item comes on a different prescription (why?) and the doctors hadn’t sent the other prescription through to the pharmacy. So I had to ring the surgery pharmacist who gave me a complicated explanation about their end date being different to the end date of the pharmacist I use, blah, blah, blah. It made no sense to me at all but I pointed out that, in spite of all she was saying, I (the patient) was left without necessary medication. I told her I would completely run out of one of my pills on Friday morning. She said she would get the doctor to sign everything off and get the script to the pharmacy on Thursday. I went in again this morning and she had done as she promised but I was still one batch of pills missing as the pharmacist is having trouble getting hold of them and has no idea when they will be available. I was given a sort of IOU but I can’t swallow that! Of course, the pill that is missing is the one I have run out of, and is probably the most important one for me to be taking at the moment. The really annoying thing is that for years there was a wonderful system in place that was easy to use and never seemed to go wrong. Then some administrator decided to “improve it for the patient’s convenience” and it has been a pain in the proverbial ever since. He or she needs to write out 100 times “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Rant over.

While we were out we popped into a couple of shops and in one I was looking for a birthday card for our grandson and saw what I thought was a very strange card. Would you send this to anyone? The card was completely blank. The front was coloured grey and in black print, in the style of handwriting, it said “Glad to see you are still existing”. That was it.

Cup of tea time now I think and then I may try to get an hour’s rest before cooking our meal.

Afternoon All,

Lovely sunshine here now although there is still a chill in the air. We both went outside and filled a medium humper each with cutting back overgrown shrubs. The tall bottlebrush died over the winter, but was producing less, smaller flowers so OH has been cutting that right back and we might be able to get the root out easily eventually.. I might get another, different and less vigorous variety of it as it does look splendid when in flower and is evergreen so no winter leaf drop to clean up. I cut more back the other side of the garden and the rock edging can be seen again now. I have some Disco Marigold seeds to plant tomorrow. :-)

I hope the 2nd fitter comes today as well Mandy! If not we might have to let the shop's own fitters do it even if it means waiting till autumn. It's good to wait a bit longer to carry on with the fence painting till your back is ok.

I shan't bother getting a quote from the first fitter now AnnG unless he has a really good excuse for not contacting me. Your tickly cough might be hayfever. I have had a tickly throat and runny eye a few evenings and thought it was pollen. What is the subject for the photography group this time. I know I thought you had some interesting subjects coming up.

That was quite a big meal Mel and I would have enjoyed it! Wish I was like James though and could eat what I like without my weight changing. :-S

A memory came to mind this morning lying in bed. My grandmother (maternal) born in 1877 who wouldn't have the electric put in. She always had sterilised milk in the taller, different shaped milk bottles and wouldn't drink any other. I hated the taste of it, but I suppose she'd lived through a lot of TB outbreaks and it was safer to drink than pasteurised milk.

That is quite a performance mel to do a meal for Stu, having to transport everything to his place. Did you take all the dirty pots home or wash them up there?

the north west wind has come up again, it is till sunny but with cloud and 11 degrees but that wind is cold.

Morning all,

It was bright and sunny when I woke at 6.50am so I lay a while and must have fallen asleep again. Now it partly sunny with blue sky inbetween big white clouds, Its 11 degrees. It rained here quite a lot last night. so the grounds wet this morning.

Meal went well last night I fed Stu and his son James. I took it round to them in a big enamil pot the tray I cooked the leeks in and I put the chicken in a pyrex bowl with one of those stretchy lids on top. Stu made one of his sauces and I mixed the chicken in that and there was plenty for everyone and I could have fed James friend who was there fitting new tyres to his car but he did wnt any. I had one disaster though. When I got the potatoes out of the fridge I had turned the fridge up the other day by mistake putting the spring greens in there and froze the milk in the door. Did'nt think about the tatoes and when I went to peel them they were black inside and a couple in the bottom of the bag were going soft so they all hade to go in the bin so I roasted new pots and they worked out ok and Stu commented on them about three times. I did pots, carrots, parsnips, and creamy leeks and a bit of broccoli. No room in the pan for the chicken so I cooked that in another one. James ws the first one finished and he had the biggest dinner. Stu said he can eat whatever he likes and dos'nt put on an ounce. Anyway I got home about a quarter to eleven full to the brim.

Morning Anng, morning all,

Anng can we have a little of your sun please its very dull here and I could feel drizzle on my face when I went out to the bin ,it might get out a bit brighter later .

Ann I hope you have better luck with your bathroom fitter who should come today .

Mel how did your tray bake go down with Stuart, hope you both enjoyed it .

Hope you had a good night's sleep Vera after your bad head .

Hope Gwyn is ok, and Gill too ,we haven't heard from them lately .

Back feels a little easier today but I'm going to take it easy today and were leaving the other bit of fence till next week as it's looking to be nice and dry next week.

Right going to have my cuppa and then sort out some washing .

Good morning all. The sun is shining, no sign of rain yet although it was forecast to rain overnight. Maybe we had a shower, I can't tell yet. Alexa is telling me it is 9 degrees.

I am another one who dislikes hats. I really don't think they suit me and never even wear them to weddings. If it is sunny I wear a cap or I have got a wide brimmed sun hat for the garden,

Ann I don't think it would be a good idea to take on that fellow who seems to please himself if he visits when he saiys he will. Better if the other one is reliable to stick with him.

Hope all slept well, I didn't last night, couldn't settle for some reason.
And yesterday evening I seemed to develop a tickly cough, I am wondering if it is hay fever as I could smell some daffodils I have in the lounge (a bunch I had with the groceries last week, the £1 marie Curie ones.

It is photography this afternoon so I am hoping this cough doesn't develop into something worde.

I love a traybake, you can do different assortments of veg and chicken is nice in one. I do mine in the convection oven in the microwave in a round tin. That's a nuisance the new way of dealing with your parcels isn't working now Mel. I hope you can sort it out as it was much easier for you.

I hate hats too Vera as they flatten my hair! I'm using a cowboy style one at present with a wide brim and it has a chin cord I can tighten so it doesn't blow off. A scarf is a good idea too as I think with bending over what we are doing in the garden means our necks are exposed a lot too.

I'm not happy as one of the bathroom fitters who forgot to call me back before, then remembered and rang me and arranged to call today after lunch or early evening seems to have forgotten again. I've even moved my car closer to the garage to make room for him on the drive and had to stay inside this afternoon to listen for him. I think he's blown it now as I don't want someone this unreliable or the work could take twice as long to get done. I hope the one due to call tomorrow will be better. :-S

It's another beautiful day but tomorrow is likely to be cooler and wetter so we'd better make the most of it.

It's a great pity that the inflammation your OH has wasn't diagnosed a lot earlier Annx. Then he wouldn't have had to go through so much over the years. Let's hope the treatment will help and he will start to feel a bit more comfortable.

I hope your wi-fi booster will help AnnG. Touch wood, our wi-fi is pretty good here.

Enjoy your meal with Stu tonight Mel. It sounds tasty. I like a tray bake and don't do them often enough.

I'm not surprised you ached after fence painting Mandy, particularly if you were working down low. I hope you can rest up a bit now.

Yes, you are all right. I should wear a hat in sunny weather and I do have 2 or 3 hats for the garden but I absolutely detest wearing a hat. I find them a pain when gardening as they catch on twigs or blow away if there is any sort of breeze. I never even wear a hat in the depths of winter. What I should do is have a scarf round my neck and wear sunglasses as it is really the heat on the back of my neck and the bright light in my eyes that cause the problems. I had a very stressful day yesterday and I think the real cause of my bad head was stress. It's still there a bit but I am sort of functioning now.

I've had a fairly easy day today. We went for coffee this morning - just 5 of us today - and I've cleaned the other birdbath and done a bit of gentle tidying up in the garden. Now I'm going to have a cuppa and sit down with my book until it's time to cook dinner.

Mandy yes I am doing a tray bake tonight but Stu will be later as he haas to go to Barnstaple to see a car his daughter wants to buy and its a good price. A BMW. I am going to do carrots, parsnips, celery, roast pots, creamy leeks, onion and chicken and I have picked some wild garlic out the garden to put on the chicken and veg too. May even make yorkshire puds as I have so many eggs and I have tenderstream broccoli too. That should fill him up and there should be enough chicken and veg for me for tomorrow too.

Went up the post van this morning and just as well I did as its not there on Friday or Monday. I must ring the PO and see why I can't use the collection service where they bring a label. When I try to do it I get to the end and it won't let me put my 6 digit number in for the payment to go through.

Hope Vera's headache is better today and she can get the jobs done she wants to do. Horrid when you have a bad head. I too think she should wear a hat in the garden when its sunny.

Anng were the plants you bought inside a greenhouse? cos they should be harden off if they were'nt.

Thjink I will go and wash my hair now after I have corned the girls then I do't have to go out there anymore. No gardening today one day on one day off is my motto lately with my hips and knees.

I actually moved the plants back out before I went out this morning as my conservatory gets really hot when the sun shines. It is cloudy today but there has also been a lot of sun so it was wise to move them out. However, I am sure they could well do without the rather chilly wind that is also blowing. I think they will survive but I will bring them back in later. Ar least they will be hardened off.

I went to Cheltenham on the bus, the roads are atrocious and it is a wonder that bits are not falling off the buses. It is not a comfortable ride. Anyway had a look round before meeting friends for lunch. I didn't buy anything. M&S had new material cargo trousers in but didn't have my size in the colour I like.
Four of us met for luch. I had tuna jacket, a really good portion of tuna and a large potato. However, the potato was very dry and floury. It was OK but I have had better.

Morning All,

Another chilly and misty start, but the sun is shining now. OH had a dentist appointment first thing and there is still a little amount of healling to go, so the dentist has booked him 2 more appointments in about a months time to sort out the extra teeth for his denture.

The MRI scan at OH's appointment yesterday showed the inflammation in his spine and pelvis and the surgery physio he first saw was right. It isn't curable or reversible, but like other inflammatory conditions treatment is to damp down the overactive immune system. Only the NHS do the treatment which will be epipen style injections and also physio. The rheumatologist said it was very unusual to be diagnosed as old as OH and thinks he has had it for decades and that it could be the cause of what was diagnosed as sciatica, his osteoporosis, numbness he gets as well as causing his recent cardio vascular issue! What a pity the cause of his eye inflammation wasn't investigated in the 80s like it should have been and early treatment given then before all the further health issues it has since caused him.

Mandy we were amazed there was much less traffic this time! Oh your poor back painting the fence! Did you find something to sit on to do the bottom part? Good idea to give it a rest today before you do any more and do shopping instead. I've been watching the batch cooking programme as well and want to do some more of the recipes. I did a fish one and we both liked it but I hadn't realised she'd written some books. I like how she uses the zip bags and flattens them to freeze so they don't take up much space!

I hope the wi fi booster works when it arrives AnnG. At least it should be an improvement. It was best to protect your new plants rather than risk losing them. It's quite hot in our conservatory now so I've left the door open so the heat comes inside. :-)

Vera I have to be careful early in the year when we start to get bright sun as I have ended up with bad heads. I always stick a hat on now. I hope your poor head is much better today.

Morning everyone,

Foggy here now it was clear when we got up about half seven but we should be having a sunny day with temperatures of 17 degrees.
Shopping day today, I'm feeling ths effects of bending down painting the fence yesterday my goodness I'm stiff as a board this morning and my side is a bit painful so it's good were having a bit of a rest after doing the shopping that will take most of the morning ,we also need to put the prescriptions in to the doctors and get some money from the hole in tgs wall st Tesco's.

Ann I hope OH''s appointment went OK yesterday and the traffic wasn't to bad on the journey home .

Vera hope your bad head has eased for you and you managed to get a decent nights sleep .

Anng better to be safe than sorry with the plants, if you hadn't brought them in they might not have liked the colder night and when you pay good money for the plants you don't want to lose them.

Mel have you decided on a tray bake for your meal tonight with Stuart .

I have been watching the Batch cooking lady she has some nice recipes I might have a look for her book she's done several books .

Morning Anng and all,

Same here this morning grey and dry and its 8 degrees here, O it just gone up to 10 degrees and mostly sunny on the pc.

Need to go up the shop this morning sometime for my pills and then wash my hair and get dinner ready for tonight for Stu and I. He has been on a course for MOT testing which he has to do every couple of years I think to be able to get his certificate to do the MOT's.

Good morning all. A bit grey here but still dry.and at 0730 it is 7 degrees I did put all the new plant I bought in the conservatory over night but I don’t think I needed to. Slept ok but not really well so still feel tired this morning. Not helped by the Wifi on my desk top playing up. Dom is sending for something to boost the Wifi so hope that will work.

Oh dear Vera that sounds like a hat was needed. That is the trouble when our weather changes so frequently and we are not ready for hot sun. It was hot here too this afternoon but after walking to and from the hairdresser I was too tired to go out into the garden except to plant out the six lettuce plants.

I came on to the thread meaning to do a post but I've got such a stonking headache that looking at the screen is making me feel nauseous. It was a very frustrating morning; problems with my script and meds and satnav guiding us to the wrong place in spite of being programmed with the correct postcode. This afternoon I've tried to catch up with some more gardening. The sun was hotter than I realised and was directly overhead.

I'm going to take a migraine painkiller and lay down for a while. If it eases I'll post tonight, if not I'll see you tomorrow.

Afternoon all,

Lovely day here and we've been out in the front painting the fence ,we got all down one side done so a good start the other side of the pickets are facing the neighbours and shs has lots of shrubs against the fence so that will have to be left ,tomorrow is shopping day so it will give our backs a rest and hopefully we'll be able to do the other pickets down the path side on friday but they will take longer as we have both sides to do and the front gate , we had a bit of a fight with the white rose as its quite big and it gave us a few scratches but it's better to get it done before it gets into leaf .

Afternoon All,

A misty and chilly start this morning, but at last the sun is out and making the conservatory warm.

We were up early and went to a bigger garden centre further away that we haven't been to for a few years. We passed what was a big aquatic place with a lake of Koi carp that people would feed and were very tame and it's all gone except the lake and the land is covered with hundreds of houses now. So many other big estates of houses are being built on the route now as well, gone for good are the views of the lovely country fields. The garden centre was good with some nice shrubs and pots, but we need to catch up more with the garden and make the changes before I can plant much. We saw some of the little greenhouses that I think will be big enough for what I will want now and the lady there will post some brochures to me. I think we will still need a small shed (OH thinks not, but the garage is still a third full of his and his mum and dad's stuff). They didn't have any maintenance free sheds but we know another garden centre that does, so will pop along there another day. to see what the options might be.

I've sorted out some more things that have gone in the bin but we will be setting off for OH's appointment with the Rheumatologist shortly. I just hope we won't be crawling home after in the rush hour.