General Chat

In case photos have continued going into spam Vera and Gwyn I sent out phoyos this morning. :-)

Had a good day if tiring one. I have got my little 3 foor tree up and managed to get a hundred red berry lights on it and it is now decorated. then I have filled a few bowls etc with coloured baubles round the lounge and dining room. Used to do this when T was alive so I thought Why not this year. I still have the floral decoration to do but that will be tomorrow now I think my back has had enough. Pleased so far with the lights. red berry lights 100 for £8 from Tesco.

I also walked down with some stuff for Irene and posted the first batch of cards.
Going to have a cup of tea now and prepare veg for this evening's meal.

Your tree sounds lovely AnnG.
You've worked hard to get that all sorted and those red berry lights will look good, I'm sure.

No photos have arrived from you, either in mail or in spam :-(

While it’s not cold it has been raining more or less non-stop since about midday so the fuchsia OH moved is getting well watered in.

Your photos are in my inbox AnnG and I’ve just had a look at them on the computer. They must make your room really Christmassy and they give off a nice warm glow. I love the cyclists and the little notice advertising photos with Santa. It’s a lovely collection. You’ve worked hard at getting your decorations done. The house must look a picture. We won’t put anything up for quite a while yet but I must get the big box out of the garage and see if anything needs replacing. I like the sound of those red lights from Tesco. I might have a look at those. Btw, have you heard anything from Jake yet?

Mel, I’ve also received your photos in my inbox, thank you. I have just been looking at them. The finished wreath looks as good as ever and the Church must be pleased with it, but I was also interested to see the other pics which gave me a good idea of how you build it up. I wouldn’t know where to start. You have also reminded me that I have a wreath for the front door somewhere, not a nice fresh one but an artificial one I bought last year. For years we had a lovely big garland which I hung all down the side of the door but last year it eventually started to fall to bits. OH shortened it and adapted it to hang in a loop on a side gate and I bought the wreath for the front door. Now where on earth did I put it after Christmas? It’s possibly somewhere in the garage. I’ll have to go on a hunt for it.

Annx, granddaughter didn’t even hire a gown, she just went without. Luckily her boyfriend was graduating at the same time so she borrowed his hired one for a photo. She met boyfriend when they both started at uni and over 3 years later they are still together. As for the garden bins, ours are collected all year round apart from 2 weeks over Christmas and New Year. As they are emptied fortnightly it means we just miss 1 collection. Perhaps your charges are a bit lower than ours. I’ve just had our invoice for next year and it is £65 which is a 10% increase over last year. It’s worth it to us as we would otherwise have to constantly take stuff to the tip.

I’m glad you enjoyed the Christmas tree display Mandy. I don’t think we have had one in town this year. If we have I don’t know where it was held. I suppose the different organisations use artificial trees as they don’t drop their needles and probably work out cheaper as they can be reused, but I love to see a real tree as well. Apart from the look of it you get that lovely piney smell with a real one. You are right about the change in decorations over the years. I expect we all remember making paper chains with strips of gummed paper. My Dad also used to buy a couple of rolls of silver foil, a bit like rolls of sellotape in size. We used to twist long strips of it which Dad would hang over things and round mirrors etc. The stuff was lethal! The edges were like razors and if you didn’t handle it carefully it cut your fingers to bits and the cuts were sore for ages. Those were the days.

Our roast was delicious; one of those rare days when everything cooked to perfection. We had lamb, roast potatoes, parsnips and carrots with cauli and broccoli. We followed it with lemon cheesecake. I knew I had a large one in the freezer that I made for an event in June and then didn’t use. I got it out, cut it in half immediately and put half back in the freezer. My label on it said “Might be squidgy”. I think that was my code for “Only use for close family”. In fact it was perfect. No idea why I thought it might be squidgy.

I might not be posting tomorrow as we have a busy day. I must do a couple of jobs in the morning and also go into town to pick up my scripts. In the afternoon we are going to visit my daughter and her partner who is poorly at the moment. So you might get a day off from having to wade through one of my long posts.

BIL turned up about 2pm just as I was going to have something to eat. He did'nt come in but I gave him coffee and he sat out on the patio and we had a nice chat. He has had a bit of trouble with his eyes and wanted to see if he was ok to drive.

I did manage to renew my licience online today but what a lot of questions you have to answer. It said for me to send back my licience cut in half. The photo on it makes me look like a right miserable so and so and down in the mouth.

Going to watch my little couple on Youtube now Living the Skye Life. Really look forward to Sunday's at 6pm to see what they have been up to and thier two dogs Jack Spaniels and Nori. She does the most wonderful painting and he's a musician.

Vera it does look Christmassy here now but it is only done early because of going away for Christmas. The berry lights surprisingly can be used outdoors although the transistor and plug must be inside.
No I have not heard from Jake but that doesn’t surprise me I will know more tomorrow,

Gwyn I will send again tomorrow when I get back on my PC sorry you have not got it.

Mel another lovely advent ring for the church they should be pleased with that .

It's been raining quite hard all the afternoon and been so dark we've had the lights on most of the day .
We had a lovely roast chicken tonight and like Vera everything cooked just as we liked them , we had the chicken, roasties ,roast parsnips and roast carrots, sprouts and green beans and cauliflower cheese , no pudding as we were both full.

Tomorrow I want to write my Christmas cards and we hope to get the tree in the stand outside and get the lights on .

Evening All,

Yes, first of the month and the start of our chocolate advent calendar and my turn today. :-)

Gwyn that sounded a nasty message and I would have reported it. If you get one again forward it to [email protected] as they take these sites down where they are trying to make you pay money. There are some lovely things at these Christmas fairs and it's tempting to buy things, but often expensive as they are one offs.

The cottages are lovely AnnG and like Vera I liked the photographer taking photos of the children visiting Santa, but it made me realise the days of sitting on Santa's knee are no more! I liked the children throwing snowballs at each other too. The red lights sounded a good buy for the tree. I hope you hear from Jake tomorrow.

Ah yes it was the boyfriend's one he hired that she borrowed from him now you have reminded me Vera. My brain must have been tired but it was an even better idea to wear it for the photo. On the subject of your and Gwyn's emails, the past few weeks I have had several unpleasant ones telling me women are waiting to hear from me, ie women in very provocative poses!!. I have never looked at any sites like that, so don't know what's prompted them starting to be sent to me!!

We often get our A5 week to view diaries from The Works Mel. Oops, the fireworks have started outside!! I wonder why?? Your Advent Ring looks great with all the different greens of the foliage with the red and white. It brightens up the church. I had to do the same when I applied for my last new driving licence. I was surprised they used the old photo though.

I think I would have liked the interesting Heritage tree too Mandy. It's a shame there were no real trees though to give out a lovely smell of pine. You've done well getting your christmas puddings all done now.

It's amazing thinking back to the decorations we used to see at Christmas when we were children like you say. Crepe paper cut into strips and twisted and pinned to the ceiling corners and light fitting in the middle and they were always falling down! Those tissue paper bells, christmas trees and balls that opened and had a flat metal bit you folded over to hold them open. The tiny tree had branches that looked as if it was made of brushes you clean bottles with and each branch was tipped with one red berry. Little mesh bags of chocolate coins covered in gold foil, to decorate it with as well as the baubles and obligatory fairy for the top. I don't remember seeing trees with stars on the top till I was older. I did see a pack of the sugar mice with string tails that I would always get at Christmas as a child at a garden centre recently.

I'd better get to bed now as we are up early tomorrow to see if The Works have one of those Gibson puzzles I want left. OH wants to come, but I think it's the Cafe there that's his main interest although he likes looking at the books. We might go on to the bigger garden centre with a bigger Works if there are none left.

Morning all,

Nice morning and when I got up the sky to the east was pink bove the trees. What is it they say "Red sky in the morning a sailors warning". It was really lovely behind the fir trees but by the time I had boiled the kettle and made my coffee it has gone just as I went for the camera.

Tis 5 degrees out there and it looks very wet.

Hope you all had a good night.

Good morning all fairly bright out there and 7 degrees. Riley said they would be back (providing he has found out where Jake was and all is OK) today around 12 so I shall see if that happens. Yes the photographer in the little models is great. You may not be able to see but I also like outside the church there is a bride and groom.

Morning all,

A lot milder this morning and we have blue sky and sunshine ,a good morning for us to get the christmas tree up and the lights up outside .

I've done a few jobs already ,got some things out of the freezer,wrapped up the Christmas puddings and put them with the other two and emptied the dish washer .
Just having a cuppa and then we'll get outside and make a start must get my garden gloves on as the Christmas tree always makes me itch .

Quite nice here at the moment 8 degrees so not gone up much. I have the bedding in the washer and must re-make the bed. I have also got a couple of more decs out and also the stuff for doing the floral display. (all artificial).

Trees in the stand but I think we need son to level it up we've tied it to the house wall but it doesn't seem to be upright enough ,doesn't help that the path along the front is on the slope anyway rain has stopped play so we've come in for coffee.

I had a feeling that Jake was not going to make it today as I had not heard anything but he does have a good reason. I didn't know but his partner apparently has a brain tumour which she has had for three years she manages it but it does make her poorly sometimes and at the weekend she had a bleed so had to go to hospital and Jake had the four kids to look after with his partners Mum as well as visiting her in hospital. I get the impression she is home now but he understandably is exhausted and couldn't manage working today. (Just as well he is working with sharp tools I don't want an accident because he is so tired. anyway he is coming on Thursday now.

2 Dec 2024 16:33
My gas plus electricity bill for November was £172. don’t usually have the CH on between 10am and 4.30 pm and usually run it at about 16/degrees until I might turn it up to 18/19 around 7.30 pm. But we had some cold days in November when the heating was turned on earlier. Most cooking is done in the air frier but I did use the oven a couple of times.el prices have certainly increased.

Got in just before it was really dark. Poor chickens went to bed with no corn but I expect they had plenty of pellets left from this morning as there's always a lot in there when I give them their corn.

I have been in Bideford all day. First I went to Morrisons and then on to Lidl. I spent £75 in M and £76 in Lidl but I now think I have all my Christmas presents and Christmas food and sweets. It was so nice to walk along the meat counter and choose my meat instead of having it just given to me with the shopping. I did'nt do the High St asI wanted to get home before dark as you can't see the potholes in the dark and I hit a large one on the way home and the lights are so bright coming towards you in the dark and some are super bright now too.

It 7 degrees here now and pc says mostly cloudy we have had a shower before I left and one tiny one while I ws out.

Got a nice bit of gammon a good size piece of beef and a pie for tonight with pots and purple sprouting broccoli.

Poor Jake must have been tearing his hair out with worry about his partner. He certainly did have a good excuse for not turning up.

Going to have a well earned cuppa now before cooking the dinner.

Evening All,

We went to the garden centre at teatime instead of this morning as OH had a bad night with his back and also one of his headaches so had a lie in. No puzzle that I wanted so I may have to order online. OH's fine again now but was glad his meeting tonight was cancelled due to various illnesses. His Friday one about 100 miles round trip is cancelled as well now and he was pleased not to be travelling that far on a Friday with all the traffic. I thought he'd be glad of a rest, but no, he's going to another Friday meeting more local that he'd had to cancel before as it clashed!

AnnG poor Jake and what troubles some have to cope with, especially with four children to look after as well. It can't be easy for him so you can understand him being unable to come to you. Maybe he forgot to let you know with all he had on his mind. I must have another look for the bride and groom as I missed them!

I just looked at our gas and electric bill for the month to November 25th which includes the date the new boiler was fitted so lots of testing and running it that day. Our gas was £76.12 and electric £58.42, so a total of £134.54. I changed ours to a fixed rate in June that lasts till next June so might be why ours is a bit lower cost? Also a bungalow has no stairs and landing to heat and lower ceilings than a house, so less space to heat. Like you though we have cut down our use in various ways. If we get up and go straight out we don't put heating on and the conservatory, uti and ensuite have the radiators switched off. The shower is gas heated, but we keep them short! There's not a lot more that we can do. An old schoolfriend wears a fluffy onesie over her day clothes round the house to keep warm. :-)

I saw a skinny young Squirrel today on next door's feeders. The fat balls on ours are lasting longer now they are out of easy reach. The Blue Tits were getting a share in peace today. :

I see you have been busy Mandy and at least got your tree almost in position till your son helps level it. I was surprised today when we were out to see how many people have got wreaths on their doors and have put lights up already. I think we all need a bit of cheer after watching the news lately! :-)

You've had a busy day spending today at Bideford Mel. I bet you had more to show for your £ at Lidl! It sounds like you got a lot sorted though which is good. I so agree about the potholes in the dark and the bright headlights. It was dark when we got home too and I was saying to OH how the cat's eyes they used to have on most roads were much better than white lines that get covered in mud or wear off quickly. I bet the chickens will be pleased to see you in the morning! :-D

good morning all only 2 degrees this morning, what an up and down type of weather we have at the moment.

Hopefully going into town this morning to the post office to post a card to Iceland. Just don't want it to rain. didn't sleep as well as I have been last night. No idea why.

Ann it is always the way when looking for something particular. No doubt once you have bought it you will see it everywhere.
Vera hope your back isn't suffering too much after your busy day yesterday and hope that you managed to get to see your daughter and her partner as well.

Morning all,

Its 4 degrees here at the mo and the suns out so far today but there was a frost. Pc says mostly cloudy.

Slept like a log last night and got up at 7.58am for the loo and went back to bed as it was cold but only lay there a little while, got up to turn the heating on for a bit. Cars still covered in frost.

When I was coming out of Morrisons yesterday I looked at who was on the tills and saw Kath who used to be on the ciggy counter so I went to her till. There was a lady there who was taking ages to get he shopping in the trolly she had her son with her who did'nt seem to do much but did lift all the bags in the trolly for her and there was 4 of us behind her. After waiting ages for her to get the shopping put in bags and then in the trolly she paid in CASH all new notes so lots of them had to go through the machine and that all takes time. I could hardly believe it there must have been hundreds there.

Stripped the bed and washe dit now its on the line after a fight. Just got to wrestle with the bottom sheet and quilt cover and thats another job done. Dusted the hall and windowsills in the bedroom but need to clean the windows in there and thats hard for me as they are so high up. Oh used to do those for me as theres furniture under each of the two windows in there. Shall have to get the window thing out and see if I can reach with that.