General Chat

Afternoon All

What a depressing day.Dark,foggy,rainy,and thoroughly miserable.It is enough to make anyone feels depressed .Even thomas has had a face like a wet weekend.He only went out at 4 when it stopped raining.I had to push him in the end as he was just sitting on the mat inside the back door and it was cold with it left open.
We certainly haven't had a day like this since I don't know when.

I did venture into town this morning but only got as far a TKmax and Holland and Barratt.I couldn't face going down to M&S to take something back so that came back home with me.I got a nice jumper for Gareth and a top for Hannah and some Xmas Wrapping Paper and Crackers.

Frank that sounded a lovely meal yesterday :-D..Did you have crackers?
So it is Christmas down in Devon for you.It would be nice if you could all manage to get together down there.How many would that be if everyone went? I suppose everyone would muck in and help with the preparing and cooking food.
It will just be 5 of us on Christmas day.Us 2 ,James and Jess and Hannah.Gareth will be at his parents then but coming up to us on the 27th. Then I think Janice and Larry will be coming for a day too :-D

That is good you have an appointment quickly now with your Surgeon.He will be able to tell if things are ok with your knee . Hopefully you won't need anything doing and it is just a matter of time for it to improve.

It seems like we have all had a filthy day weatherwise. Lets hope tomorrow is different :-D
I am just doing the left over beef from yesterday in gravy, mash,and the rest of the carrots,parnsips and baby turnips, plus greens... But I have just made a right old mess.I wanted to put fresh Thyme in with the root veg but haven't any left so i got the dried Thyme in a jar and went to sprinkle it but I opened the wrong part of the lid and emptied half the lot over the veg.Not so easy to get rid of it as the veg were all covered in Olive Oil...Good job you couldn't hear my language.It wasn't terribly Lady Like LOL


Oh Mandy you must try and get a pic of Max with the Dummy LOL I have seen pics of dogs before with them and the look so funny :-D

Oh no Jane, I've made that mistake myself and it's no joke is it? It wouldn't of helped with the olive oil either. Did you manage to get some of it off?

So you kicked Thomas out with him taking so long to do it himself, I bet he wasn't pleased with you LOL Has he forgiven you yet? ;-)

You were brave going out in the rain, if it's anything like here you'd of got soaked. I've just noticed outside that we have a river of sorts on the patio flags we had re-done. At least they didn't flood straight away so that was money well spent, I think it's happened now because the rain just hasn't stopped and there is no where left for the water to soak away. I believe the rain is going to be with us until around 9am in the morning so I dread to think what is going to greet us when we get up tomorrow. I hope the level of water doesn't go to high and come into the bungalow. Luckily there is a step up to our back door but the front door is at ground level so who knows what might happen in the night. :-( :-(

One of the little ones has been and had its fill but I hav'nt seen the really tiney weeny one yet. They left a bit of food in the bowl last night so I did'nt put tons in tonight but if it has all gone I can always pop out and refill the bowl.

Max must have looked really funny with that dummy in his mouth Mandy.

I have spent the last two hours trying to do a Freecell game and do you think I can do it?????? Its driving me nuts because the only games I hav'nt done are when the leccy goes out and thats only 11 games so if I can't do this one it will be 12.

Mel ,at least you know where little Hog has a nest ,and he is not far from your food.I hope he keeps stuffing himself until he is big enough to have his winters sleep :-D Not just him of course but all the others :-D

As for Kippers !!!!!..I couldn't have them in this house .. All cooking smells go straight up through the ceiling into my bedroom. When I went up to bed last night it was if I had cooked the Roast Beef in there :-S :-S..It was horrible. So Kippers are a definite NO NO. I think I might have done Kippers once(in a bag) and that was bad enough.
I will stick to Breaded Haddock or Cod :-)

Ann will it be a big task to change beading on the bracelet ?Does it mean unthreading loads? Can't wait to see it once it is finished :-D

Morning All

Am I the first today??? Another murky day here but at least not raining.
Chris is in Northampton at the Garage with his car so while i am on my own I need to order a couple presents on line for him,then I am going ot make Salami and Pesto Puff Pinwheels.(watch this space)
I can't go out anyway as a parcel is due to be delivered sometime this morning.

What is everyone doing today?

Good m orning I don't think,

Still a little rain in the air here and it is so wet underfoot. There is a mole in the big girls run and it has gone all around their house and past. It came up by the gate last week where oh has put three paving slabs for me but I went in the run to feed them this moning and my boots sunk in the mole run. I was nearly stuck in the mud. Chickens don't like this rain either. They told me by only laying two eggs a day and eating one of them. Bu**ers.......

Morning all, Evening Kim,

What a day yesterday !!! Ros dropped me outside the Drs while she parked the car. I stood under the porch to shelter from the rain, but the wind was so strong I got soaked. I was 7 minutes early, and the wouldn't open the door.

I did walk straight in when the nurse come from her office. She was new to me, but I told her how the injection is given in my buttocks. She went off to get her needle, while I dropped my trousers.She put the needle in up to the hilt (THAT'S HOW IT FELT) I am having a job to sit on that cheek thi s morning !!!

I am at the hospital at 2,15 pm today regarding my eyes. I am a little annoyed as when I had my test. The optician said "ALL IS FINE, See you next year. Within a week I got this appointment to see the specialist, I will be asking questions this afternoon that's for sure.!!!!

It's hissing with rain here AGAIN, so you will get it later Jane.

When I came out the rain was even heavier. I got soaked again getting to the car. When I got home I got changed into my Dressing Gown and stayed like that until bedtime.

I cooked two big chicken breasts on a bed of various root veg, as well as Roasts and cabbage and more carrots. Ros decided that she wanted a syrup sponge for afters, so put a small one in the micro wave. As she turned it on it went BANG and all the lights went out. I found a torch and the steps and managed to get up to the fuse box to set the trip again. SO NO MICRO WAVE IN USE. Ros is looking at prices while she's out this morning. MORE EXPENSE

I have sent an Email to Conrad in Spain. putting my thoughts to him regarding Christmas. I have just totted up, there will be TWELVE in total for Christmas Dinner.If it happens some will have to sit in the kitchen.I think the Table will take 10 at a pinch.

Morning All,

Another wet and rainy morning here. I started with a horrid cough yesterday (caught from OH again!) and was awake till 4.00am, then only slept till 5.30am so feel a bit ropey today. I took some paracetamol and showered and crawled to the hairdressers with achey arms and back. My hair really needed doing or I'd have cancelled I think. Anyway, that is done now and looks much better. OH is listening in to a HMRC webinair on line. It's the first time he's done this.

It rained so much yesterday and in the night there are puddles on the gravel in the back garden. My hairdresser lives in the village where I lived as a teenager and she said the fields there were close to flooding. :-S I was going to have some poached eggs on toast, but think I am up to going to the little cafe in the village. They do nice little home cooked roast dinners with a pork chop or chicken breast with carrots, cabbage and roast potatoes. I just fancy that and then I shall stay in in the warm. OH has 2 meetings this afternoon and tonight.

The rain seems to have eased off now.

Good Morning everyone

Not a day I expected yesterday in the afternoon I had a very tearful Abbie on the phone asking If she could come and stay with me as she had fallen out with her mother [again] as she lives the other side of Bracknell I told her to take a taxi and I would pay the driver when she arrived, anyway she chose to walk which took her over an hour. I rang Paul but as he was at work he couldn't help although he texted her mother in case she didn't know that Abbie was coming here. Fortunately we were having a chicken crown for dinner so I just cooked some chipolatas to go with it and I've always got plenty of veg. Later on in the evening to make matters worse Aiden rang her to tell her he didn't want to see her anymore as he thought that Dorchester was too far away for them to keep seeing each other. So we had a very tearful evening as she didn't see it coming, to make it worse it's her 17th birthday on Monday and she was looking forward to seeing him for that. This morning she caught the bus into college and having talked to her Mum she will be going back to her own home this evening .

Morning all

It's finally stopped raining here but there is water everywhere, we had so much of the wet stuff it overflowed the new border we made and some of the soil is now on the patio. I'll have to wait until the water has drained away then brush the soil back into the border. Luckily it's not much soil, but if I do it now while there's still water around, chances are it will come back out again as the water runs towards the grid. I was expecting a lot more standing water this morning so I can't really complain. I saw the news this morning and there are a few places that have flooded, so we're one of the lucky ones.

So you have a mole running around, that's the last thing you need isn't it Mel? I can imagine the chickens not being very happy with all the rain around and it can't be much fun for you either :-(

Nothing much planned for today Jane, we might nip out to the shops later if the rain stays away but only the local ones, it's still a bit to wet, so I should imagine lots of puddles to contend with. We'll do the rest of our Christmas shopping once all this water has gone and the weather dries up a bit.
Good luck with your pinwheels.

I've just finished my hoovering and I've also done a bit of gloss painting in the front bedroom, I didn't think that room needed doing until I took a proper look at it last night, there's only a small amount of work to do in there so it should be finished by the end of the day :-) :-)

Going to get a cuppa now, I'm thirsty <3

Oh poor Abbie, Anne, 16 is a hard age isn't it? I hope things get better for her soon and she has a nice birthday on Monday.

Everyone sent posts while I was writing mine so I missed them all.

Sorry to hear you're not feeling very well Anne, hope you feel better soon. The dinner sounds nice in the little café in the village. At least you managed to get your hair done, it does make you feel much better when it's looking it's best. I saw some flooding on the news this morning, I do feel sorry for people living in flood areas, it must be awful having to go through that over and over again and selling your property in a flood area isn't going to be easy either, so not much chance of moving. It always seems to happen around Christmas time too.

So you've sent the email about Christmas Frank, lets hope it all goes to plan. Who will be doing all the cooking, 12 people is a lot to cook for?
Hope all goes well at the hospital today. That must of been a shock when you both heard the bang, let's hope Ros can find a new microwave. There are some good Black Friday deals around at the moment and I think Curry's are starting early with their deals so you might find a bargain to keep down the EXPENSE ;-) ;-)

O goodness me fancy leaving the poor girl just before her birthday. Some mother do have em. I hope she feels better soon and tell her there is someone special out there just waiting to meet her. Sweet sixteen I remember it well.............

Happy birthday for Monday Abbie .x in case I forget by then.

Shopping day for me today. Yes thats what I shall be doing. See you later.....

OH has just booked me on a dressmaking course for beginners, it starts tonight and there was only one place left. It's the best birthday present I've ever had and I'm so excited. I just feel a bit odd with going on my own as I'm so used to having Sandra with me everywhere I go, so it's going to feel a bit strange having some ME TIME. I'm really looking forward to it and OH has said even if he has to work on a Tuesday night he would be able to come out of work to take me and then he'll take Sandra to work with him for an hour and a half then pick me up later, so I don't have to worry about not being able to go every week.

OH enquired about Sandra doing a beginners course too as my mum has bought her a sewing machine for Christmas. The course Sandra will go on doesn't start until next year and they can do a one to one with her being special needs, so at least OH and I don't have to worry about her fingers going underneath the needle of the machine. I do feel a bit guilty going on my own tonight but at least I know Sandra will get her turn soon :-) so I'm just going to enjoy the course OH has kindly booked for my birthday <3

Afternoon all,

Its been a nice dry morning but i now looked out and its raining ,strange as i can still see blue sky up there .

Gill what a lovely present from OH , i'm sure you'll be fine on your own ,you'll soon make friends with the others and it will be lovely for you to have your me time ,i bet Sandra will be looking forward to her classes too.
I wonder what you'll be doing this week , do you have to take any thing ?


Oh dear Anne poor Abbie ,falling out with mum and now no boyfriend ,at that age it
feels like its the end of the world .
Its good she has made up with mum now and is going home this evening .


Frank that will be lovely if you can all be together for christmas ,lots to cook for but
i'm sure everyone will soon muck in together , could they get another table in to add
on for extra seating ,we have even used the outside garden table for extra seats once the table cloth is on you'd never know .
Hope you get on ok at the hospital this afternoon.


We went to Tesco's this morning as the toy offer was on or so i thought ,three for the price of two , apparently it had finished but i saw a sign in the shop that said all toys three for two , so as the sign hadn't been taken down i got the offer :-D
You should have seen him whip the sign down !!

Oh poor Abbie Anne, a fallout with her mum and then her boyfriend finishing with her just before her birthday. :-S At that age it does feel like the end of the world as Mandy says. That's just how life is sometimes, your head really knows it's not going to work, but your heart still wants it to. It's good she has made things up with her mum.

That's a great present from your OH Gill! :-) Don't worry about being on your own. You are a nice friendly person so have a smile on your face and you will be fine. :-D You will soon make friends when you are looking at what the others are making. that's what I found with the beading classes. It will be good for Sandra to do it as well, help her confidence. I can just picture the 2 of you in a few months whirring away on your machines. :-D

I hope you got on ok with your eyes Frank. I expect they want to keep an EYE on you!!

Well it's getting near paracetamol time as the aches are coming back so I'd better go and get some. I recorded Judge Rinder earlier so will have a watch of that too.

Oh dear, poor Abbie.It probably feels like the end of the world for her right now after being 'chucked' as we used to say(in my day).Long term relationships at that age are often doomed. I am sure she will soon have another lovely young boyfriend. I hope things are smoothed out now with her Mum and that she is happy to go back home.I hope it wasn't to do with her stepdad again :-S.It is nice though that she knows that she can come to you when she is upset.You must be a wonderful Grandma
:-D

Not another cough and aches Ann :-S.. You probably haven't even managed to fully get over the last episode.At least you know where this one has come from !
Did you enjoy your lunch?

Not moles Mel :-S.I hope it isn't going to become a big problem. We have been very lucky here over the years and have not had them,although some of my neighbours have had real trouble over the years.

How did it go this afternoon Frank?..I wonder if the optician after saying all was fine took another look at your results last time and then decided you needed a referral.Fingers crossed it is nothing too bad.

Gill,what a smashing birthday present from OH. You will enjoy your classes.It will probably be good for you too to do something on your own and make some friends too along the way :-D :-D..No need to feel guilty .Just enjoy :-D :-D.
Sandra too I am sure will love to start next year and to have one to one will be perfect for her.I am sure just having a little 'me time' for you will be just the thing.I bet you will be turning out some great things before long :-D

My pinwheel thingies are delicious.The only thing was they are a bit on the squashed side and not the perfect round shape they should be.But by the time I had faffed about the pastry was a bit soft and a bit awkward to roll.It kept sticking to my fingers :-S
I can't remember if i said what is in them.. But it was a layer of Green Pesto ,then a layer of Milano Salami,a thin layer of finely grated mature Cheddar and then shredded Basil Leaves..Then rolled up and cut into slices.The recipe said to cut 18,but I thought that they would be too thin so just did 12. The only thing I didn't do was a bit of Balsamic Glaze drizzled on. I have had 2,Chris had 3.I can see James taking a fancy and taking the rest to work tomorrow to share LOL

Mandy that was really lucky you managed to get the 3 for 2 toys still. I wonder if anyone else did too. Someone would have been for the high jump not taking the sign down !!!. it makes me laugh this Black Friday thing....It used to start on the friday.Now it is all week !!!!!!! There do look to be some great bargains out there.
Hopefully a nice new Microwave for Frank :-D :-D :-D...One that won't go BANG !!!

No Mandy I don't have to take anything with me it's all included in the price. I think the course is more learning how to read patterns and basic sewing so they provide all the materials. There maybe a course after it to make the clothes in which case I should imagine I'll have to buy my own material, but the courses are held in the shop so they sell everything I will need so no need to go anywhere else to buy the items. It says on there website that they teach you how to shop for everything so you know how much material and what type to go with the pattern you have chosen, so all good information. I'm getting quite nervous now and have butterflies in my tummy, silly I know, but I'm so used to doing thing for Sandra and have done for the last 31 years so haven't done anything for myself, so it feels a bit strange. I'm sure I'll be okay after the first night. It starts at 6.30 and finishes at 9.30pm and as far as I know there is only six of us in the class.

You did well at Tesco's today, I bet they were annoyed with themselves for not taking the sign down, but good on you for spotting it and getting your bargains ;-)

Hope all went well with you today Frank.

Well, I'd better go and get ready and wouldn't you know it, after a lovely sunny day, it's just started to rain so I'd better take my brolly with me and of course my glasses or I won't be able to read anything ;-)
If I don't get back on here tonight I'll see you all tomorrow.

Didn't see you there Jane, glad to hear your pinwheels turn out okay.

Must go I don't want to be late

Your Pinwheel things sound nice Jane ,are they some thing you thought you could do at christmas and this was a dummy run?

I keep wondering if i might have a go at cooking the Gammon in Coke this year ,i might get a small piece and have a dummy run with that just in case we don't like it ,it would be such a waste doing it on a bigger joint .

O what a lovely birthday present Gill. I know you will be at your class now and hope you are enjoying it. It must have been a complete surprize and just the ticket for you. Sandra will enjoy hers too when she starts next year.

Have to go as dinner is ready and I am behind today.