General Chat

Jan 21st Jane. R will stay in NZ till the end of Jan/first week in Feb I think she has an open ticket. I should know more on Sat when we see M. Mind you, he's a man, need I say more!!!!
No snow here, and I don't think we shall be seeing any. How is it with you Gill?

No snow here either Liz.

I don't use quilted toilet roll either after watching a programme about things that people put down their loos. Quilted paper and baby wipes were the worse for blocking drains.

Evening All,

No snow here either, but we did have sleet and rain this afternoon. I had a 6.00pm appointment at the hairdressers and it was 7.50pm before I walked out of the salon! She does do a good job though, but I think I shall need a scarf on to go to class in the morning or it will be chilly round my neck.

It would be a pity if your son's wife missed seeing her grandchild before she comes home Liz. Hopefully she won't!

Drains aren't a nice job in this weather Mel.........I hope it's sorted now. We can get problems with the en suite toilet at times as the pipe has a right angle on it. Any sign of trouble and a couple of plunges with those plungers you can buy free it up. I remember it costing about £60 to call someone out the first time it happened. I've never been tempted to use quilted paper because that happened and nothing else ever goes down the loos.

I must check what time La La Land is on that starts tomorrow as we want to see it at the cinema. It has good reviews and we could go after lunch.

Jane I watched the first of The Hospital progs and it was quite an eyeopener!! I hope you're car's ready tomorrow.

Gill I thought you were making a pocket to sew onto something!! Your book looks good as does Mandy's website. I saw the necklace and bracelet yesterday Mandy and thought I would have another look at it and decide whether I want to make it, but thanks for saying about it as I'm sure I miss things turning 2 pages sometimes!! I like mushroom soup, especially with some crusty bread!!

An early night for me now as I need to be up early for class and to see if I need to defrost the car!!

Surprise, It's me !!!!

Have just spoken to my Nephew John. One of my other Nephews is in hospital with lung problems. It was touch and go during the week, but seems to be improving . I have tried ringing his Mum, but no reply. Perhaps she was at the hospital.

No snow here this evening, perhaps we will wake up to it in the morning.

Dinner was a great success. Not enough Chicken for a curry tomorrow, just enough for a sarnie for me at lunchtime.

Ros is on the phone to Jan, it's on her mobile, so that's going to cost a few bob.

I'm just having a beer, then off to bed.

We keep getting little showers of heavy snow and it has settled a bit on my car roof but not on the ground.

We have the drain rods easy to hand down the garden but the half a pack of soda and some bleach and boiling water cleared it without either of us getting mucky. It just disolves anything in its wake.

Sorry to hear about your nephew Frank and I hope he continues to get better. Was it a chest infection or bronchitis (sp) or something else?

Morning All
I have just sent a pic of the snow this morning. It has stopped now and i think the sun will soon be out !!!

Just off to collect my car.It won't have been cleaned though as the cleaner hasn't turned up for work.I'm not bothered about that ,plus by the time I drive it home it will be filthy again wth all the slush and wet.

Frank,I hope your Nephew is still improving in hospital.Did you manage to get in touch with his Mum last night?

I hope Ann gets to her class ok this morning if it has been snowing.

I see my next door Neighbours are home from Australia..They must have a bit of a shock coming home to this weather !!

BBL

Morning all,

Thanks to Liz and Jane for the snowy pics. This morning we have sunshine and not a flake of snow in sight. Beautiful blue skies with small white fluffy clouds and a strong wind!!

Slept like a log last night but still my hands ache this morning from the thing I have been making.

Our son comes back today too Jane, as you say a significant difference in the weather!!! The sun's out now so I think the early morning dusting will soon disappear! Hope your car is now back to its pristine state!!
Must decide what to do with the washing? Out on the clothes horse under the overhang I think, then tonight it can go in front of the log burner!
OH is making a cuppa coffee, we'll then decide what we're doing today!

Morning toy all, Evening Kim,

We had the snow also this morning, but now the sun is out so I expect it to clear soon. The wind is getting stronger, I see they want to evacuate Jaywick. If you don't know it it's close to Clacton and built from Beach huts and add ons. It's below the sea wall, and I expect it will flood with the lunchtime HIGH TIDE.

Haven't spoken to SIL yet I will do that this morning, when I finish on here.

Clever clogs Ros, took a photo of the snow falling and sent it to Jan (Devon) and Conrad (in Spain) they were both replying to say how PROUD they are of her doing that. BIG HEAD !!!!

I hope you get your car home safely Jane. ;-) ;-) ;-) Watch Barton Hill ??

Ros has showered and washed her hair, now doing her hair, and soon the dreaded Hair dryer will be on. So I think I will go in the shower while she does that.

Had a nice bit of Bacon and Tomato on toast this morning. That will see me through until tonight.

Did you get any SNOW Gill.???

We have hail stones that have settled a bit in the back field and some in the dips in the chicken run.

I hope Gill is snowed under and thats why she is not on here and is making a snowman with Sandra!!

Afternoon all,

No snow here over night ,it started about eight this morning and was quite heavy for a while ,Max went round the garden like a mad thing skidding all over the place i had to get him in as i was worried he would hurt his self .
Lots of the snow has gone now and you can see the path and the road looks a bit slushy.

Thanks for your snowy pictures Jane and Liz ,we had a little bit more snow than you but as i said a lot has gone now and the suns now trying to shine.

Hope everyones keeping nice and warm ,we're not going any where today ,don't need any shopping so we're keeping in near the fire.

I hope Gill has snow so Sandra can make her snowman.

Good Morning All

Just seen the snow photos from Jane & Liz we had about the same amount yesterday afternoon it had cleared off the road very quickly but is still on top of the sheds and on the garden, the cats are not impressed. It was snowing again this morning with much bigger flakes but didn't last long, it's sunny at the moment but with a very cold wind. I have been busy doing housework this morning including the bathroom and downstairs loo.

The girls are coming later after school and college, they are staying over until Sunday as their Mum and stepfather are having a weekend away in their caravan, I don't know If the weather will make them change their plans the site they go to mainly is in the New Forest not too far from here, the name of the site is Sandy Balls which everybody finds amusing

That's what we're doing Mandy! Cas has her favourite bone so she's happy. She didn't take any notice of the sprinkling we had! OH took her in the field and she had a big race round for about 10 minutes then went to her crate for the rest of the morning. She's out now sitting by the fire chewing her bone!!, I shall take her up the road after lunch, then that's her exercised for the day!!
The wind has really got up here, and the snow has completely disappeared!! OH is making beans on toast for like lunch!

SNOW all gone from here, but very cold.

Have spoken to SIL this past hour. Nephew had a car accident a few weeks go. The doctors said he had low oxygen in the blood which caused him to black out. He smashed into a tree, nobody got hurt as he was on his own. He was kept in hospital for over a week. Then he and his family went down with A BUG. Everyone recovered but him, hence another week in hospital. It's hoped he will get discharged over the weekend.

She tells me that she is selling up and buying into SHELTERED ACCOMMODATION. In a place could Loughton. (Mel will know it) As she is frightened of living alone. Her daughter Susan and grandchildren take turns in sleeping at her house. She has had a number of Strokes and can't do anything for herself any more. It will be the best for her in the long run.

I had a CUP OF SOUP at lunchtime, and there will be enough Chicken for a Curry tonight.

Sounds like a good idea for all concerned that she should go into sheltered accomodation Frank. They keep their eyes on them all the time which is nice if you don't feel safe on your own. Yes I know Loughton, or I did years ago. That where my nan lived at one time in her young life.

Been sunny here all day so far but with that strong cold wind Liz was talking about and it's freezing.

Made sure all th ebird feeders are filled up and given the chickens some greens and lettuce to the bantams to keep them occupied.

The snow has just about gone now and we've had a dry afternoon ,tea tonight is the rest of the Shepherds Pie from yesterday with some more veg , we liked the Curly Kale what did you think of it Frank ?
The sheltered accomodation will be good for SIL if she's not happy being on her own, it will give her peace of mind knowing there's help when she needs it .
My aunt and Uncle lived in Loughton before they died , Felstead Road , we use to go and visit ,when my uncle died his ashes were scattered in Epping Forest .


I made some Sultana buns this afternoon the little ones like them i keep getting the smell of them as they are cooling they smell good.

Sky looks black again now i hope we're not in for any more snow , no Gill ? i wonder if they busy making a snow man.

A real fire of dry peat turf glowing in the open hearth offers so much more. Yes, I know that burning fossil fuels is wrecking the environment & that it's terribly wasteful to have much of that heat disappearing up the chimney, but it keeps the crow's nest built inside the steep chimney cosily warm but more importantly, I love such a fire.

Nowadays, everyone is getting stoves & ranges instead that run for a month on a single organic crushed leaf mould briquette or something similar, but staring at a lump of black metal just doesn't do it for me.

My parent's house in Ireland was a three-bedroom bungalow built by my dad in the 1940s just before he married & while he still had a few shillings. With high ceilings of that era & additional cupboards for various uses, we who lived there made the house seem even more than just the home it was.

It was utilised as a meeting place for all our school pals & neighbours as of an autumn or winter's evening we would crowd around the fireplace, seeking warmth & listening to tales of ghosts & spooks till we were turning white with fear. Excellent homespun pre-television entertainment it was too.

For a while I lived in a London flat with no fireplace and boy did I miss it. Although it was a lovely modern place with swanky bells and fancy whistles, microwave and washing machine, it felt anodyne with no personality. That flat could have been in any First World country and, no matter how physically warm it was, it left me mentally cold.

Ah Dermot.I love looking at my big lump of black metal(Wood Burner). I know it is not the same as a Range. It has a big 'window' so I can see the logs burning away nicely and feeling the warmth .Much warmer than our old open fire.Cleaner too.

I do remember the 3 bar electric fire at home when a child and everyone trying to get as close as possible .Sitting in the chair nearest would almost cause burnt ankles lol
I lived in some very very cold flats/houses in my younger days.Some so damp that my clothes went mouldy in the wardrobe. Landlords were not at all bothered about the fact it was unhealthy for tenants.One place in particular I remember wearing a hat ,gloves and all the knitwear I had to sleep in. Plus several pairs of socks and a couple of hot water bottles.
You were lucky to have had a microwave and washing machine in that flat !!!!. I don't think microwaves were around when I was sharing flats.That was back in the early 70's.
I bet you miss your old days back in Ireland. Do you ever go 'home' ?

Well there is no snow left here now.It soon went. There are the biggest black clouds now.It looks really nasty.

Fitz has been for lunch and only left about 30 minutes ago.I did quite a lunch !!!.Bit like a banquet LOL ..All the things I needed to use up from Christmas .Cold Meats,Cheeses,Party food,a Quiche,and my homemade Pastry pinwheel things with Salami,Pesto,cheese and Basil. Fitz has gone home with a Doggy bag :-D,plus some of the Christmas cake that Chris made .
I am not sure if Chris and I will fancy a cooked meal tonight now !

LOL Anne... Fancy calling a Caravan site Sandy Balls !!!!....Men will grimace at that name !!

Frank ,Sheltered Accomodation sounds the perfect thing for your SIL. Still have independence but knowing there is someone to call on if needed.

Sultana Buns sound yummy Mandy :-D I can just smell them (in my
mind) :-D All your Grandchildren will remember your Kitchen and the things you have baked for them (when they are grown up :-D :-D )

Evening All,

Thanks for the snow pics Jane and Liz.......Cas looked completely unfazed by it! I looked out at 4.30am and no sign of snow but it was coming down heavily at 7.30am and I had to use a handbrush to sweep it off my car and lights before I went out. By lunchtime it had all gone! I wonder if Sandra got her wish?

I can just imagine Max charging about all excited by the snow Mandy! As you say, they can get carried away and slip and do themselves a mischief!! I bet your kitchen smelt lovely with the buns baking.

I had a chuckle at the name Anne. I've said before we were on a coach tour holiday in France once and there was a rather posh, well to do chap that would join us with his wife at the table we sat at for meals. We knew him as just Sandy, but when they called us by name to board the coach the last day, they shouted 'Sandy Dick' which was his name. It was so hard to keep a straight face!

Frank, it does sound a good idea for her to be in sheltered accommodation and will give her peace of mind to have people checking she's ok. Your poor nephew, let's hope he gets home soon.