General Chat

Good morning all

Richard has just let for work and I am having my first cuppa before doing some jobs around the house.

We also watched The Secret Life of dogs, some of them were amazing I liked the one who had all those toys and knew them all by name, also the Great Dane helping the little girl to walk about. Paul O'Grady for The Love of dogs is on tonight on ITV.

Mandy have you tried Accessorise they may have the tiaras? I have just looked on Amazon and they have so many on there you will be spoilt for choice and not expensive either

Gill my birthday is a few days before Franks on 16th December. Please will everyone let me know their birthdays too, just to remind me.

A pity about the cable Mel but at least you know what the problem was and it can now be fixed

Morning all,

Bright and sunny morning here so far. Lets hope it stays that way.


frank you will have to try what I do when I can't sleep. It may be harder for you if you have street lights but I just think black and with my eye closed I look up. They do say that if you look up it makes to go to sleep. It dos'nt always work for me but does most of the time.

Anne my birthdays next Tuesday but Mandy's is on the 11th which is Saturday. Yes I am a true Love Child <3

Morning my dear people, Evening Kim,

Mel I don't know about a love child. More like a GODESS.

Finally went to Bed 3.30 am. Slept until 8.00 am. Got my shower which bought me back to life. I will try that closed eyes and see if it works for me. We are at the back of the bungalow, so no lights to distract me. I do all I can to stay awake during the day, so that when I go to bed I am tired. So why do I not sleep even with my sleeper.

Real dull morning here, looks like rain will be with us later.

Ros has gone to Tesco for some bits. She will come back and get on with more blanket making. She tries to make 12/15 a month to take to LINUS. From what she says these groups of women are all round the Country doing the same thing.

I am going to have sausages, fried cold potato and eggs for lunch/brunch. Tonight we have lamb cutlets with all the usual Veg. Mash or roasts I haven't decided yet.

I did enjoy Robson Green and Martin Clunes, they both come over so well on their sort of programmes.

Afternoon all

The sun's out here to Mel, but it's very cold. I've just measured my garden, with cutting everything back last year I wanted to see how much space I'd gained and it's almost 85 foot long now, so I gained around 5 foot in length. I also gained about 8 foot in width so not bad for a years work. It looks so big now we've taken the garage down. We bought a new shed and put that at the bottom of the garden behind some plants so it's out of sight and I laid a lot of flag stones as a pathway to it from the main pathway that was already here. This year I need to add a few more flags as we seem to be walking on the grass in one particular area and it's wearing away I can then use some of the grass to replace some grass we had put down last year as it's a completely different shade of green and stands out. We're also going to take the big apple tree down as it blocks the sun to the conifers behind it. So plenty to keep us busy this spring. Sandra has just recorded all her flowers in the greenhouse as they are starting to bloom now.

I've PM'd you my birthday Anne, I didn't want to put it on here so hope you don't mind. I've also told you my real surname as I don't use it online anymore after having a problem with a Genes member a few years ago.

It sounds like you had an awful night last night Frank, maybe it's time to see the doctor about it, you must be so tired all the time. I thought of nice things last night as Anne suggested and it worked, so I feel as bright as a button today ;-) ;-)
It sounds like Ros is busy with her blanket making 12 to 15 a month is a lot isn't it?

Oh is still fiddling around with the two tellies. If the one in the kitchen works the one in the bedroom dos'nt and if the one in the kitchen works the one in the bedroom dos'nt he is getting so cross because it is a multi hib and they should all work.

The hunt has been around the back this morning so I shot out with my camera when oh told me and I did'nt see a thing or hear the hunting horns and dogs. So thats something else I can't send you. I did take a pic of a bird right up the top of a tree far over the back and then a shot of the tree from where I was standing. I tried to get a better one and the bird flew off so I wondered why I could'nt focus on it!! Doh....

Gill the garden sounds huge now. I wish you could send us some pictures of it now it has'nt got the garage in it.

The honds have just been through our orchard!!!! The pheasents all came out of the hedge and into the box hedge for safety. I heard them as I was typing so shot out. A rider came along the back field at a canter but I missed him to. He was in the hunting pink so showed up against the dark trees.

Those dogs moved so fast I only got a pic of one dog in the orchard.

No pictures this end Mel, did you send them or have I got that wrong? You did make me smile when you said you tried to take another photo of the bird and it had flown off without you realising. I'll have to see if I can take a photo of the garden on Sandra's new video camera and then somehow get it onto my laptop so I can send it to you all. I'm really rubbish at that sort of thing, but I'll have a go when I get five minutes.

Has your OH got the two TV's working yet? It can be frustrating when things like that happen. Hope they're up and running for you both now.

Just going to watch a couple of programmes Sandra likes. We've just finished watching a film she had me recording the other day, it was really good. it keeps us out of mischief ;-) ;-)
I can't believe I'm not feeling tired as I usually do this time of the day, so glad Anne gave us that tip on how to get off to sleep, it worked a treat for me.....thanks Anne <3

I've PM'd you Sandra's birthday Anne, silly me forgot to put it on my first message to you.
I'm not tired, honest, LOL :-D :-D :-D

Did any of you watch 'A Yorkshire Vet' last night on channel 5 ? It's about the veterinary practice that James Heriott ran all those years ago. It's so good and the scenery fantastic. Last night we had piglets, a parrot who needed his beak and claws trimmed and was very vocal!!a pipistral bat, and numerous 'other animal stories! Well worth watching!
Today is quite a bit colder and its now raining!! Had a long chat with daughter who seems much better! she and her hubby seem to be getting their lives together, so hopefully everything will work out. They're coming over here for the day next week as it's half term, it'll be lovely to see them, with that cake!! Just about to start a new book I've bought on Amazon!
Hope your TV'S are up and running Mel!

Afternoon All
Brrrrrr! It is getting really cold now.I lit the fire a few hours ago so it's nice and warm in here :-D
I didn't see the Vets Programme Liz.I am afraid I don't watch any programmes like that as I dread it when something sad happens :-(. Now I will watch anything medical when it involves humans :-).

Mel ,I would have been horrified if a pack of hounds came rushing and trampling through the garden.Does that often happen when you have a hunt nearby?

Fingers crossed that your Daughter and Hubby have managed to sort themselves out Liz.It must be a big relief for you.I can't believe half term has come around again.
I think my Sister said she will have all 3 of her Grandchildren several days next week.
Then a couple of weeks after that she will be off on that cruise. I reckon she will need that LOL

Gill,your garden must look so much bigger now ,especially with the Garage gone.
and when the Apple Tree has gone it will seem even bigger !!

Frank, have you managed to stay awake? :-D.it seems like you did manage a good few hours sleep once you went back to bed at 3.30.It is really weird that so many of us are having disturbed sleep at the moment.
I lay on the settee just now to try Mel's suggestion of shutting my eyes and looking up.
I found it impossible to make my eyeballs look upwards beneath shut lids.

Anne ,I imagine you keep looking at all of Ruby's things now and just counting the days down until she is there :-D..Not too long to go :-D :-D

I hope the Tvs are sorted now Mel...Or is the air BLUE ????

The fire needs another log.

I just rang Fitz,to see how he is as he has the dreaded lurgy.. He asked if we had had a visit from the police at all over the last couple of days. No we haven't.But they called on Fitz to say that they didn't want them to be alarmed to see a Police Tent in the field just below them where Anglian Water are digging and putting Water Pipes in.Apparenty something of interest had been found !!!!!!!. When Georgette left for the Gym at 6am yesterday there were big lights around and in the tent. It surely has to be bones or something like that if the Police are involved. I know Roman Skeletons have been found not far from here in Burton Latimer fairly recently .So I wonder if it might be something like that.How exciting !!!!!.

Oh Jane, it's such a fab programme, the two vets are such lovely guys, going out to the farms in all weathers, as well as the day to day things at the practice. Yes, you do get fatalities, which are sad, but that's life!!
We get the hunt past here quite often, not in the garden though! We did in Somerset too. Not keen on stag hunting, but foxes! too be honest I don't have an issue with that or shooting/fishing! After all, we do eat meat and that was once running about!
Duckburghers for us tonight, smash and spinach!

I have never heard of Duck Burgers Liz.

Well my telly in the kitchen is working but I don't know about the other one.

The hunt parks all the horse boxes up in the village hall car park which is next to our land. The hunt usually goes from the big house to which we live in the walled garden so its not far to trot down the road with all the horses and dogs. I only wish I had known sooner and I could have gone up the big house and taken some pics.

Gill I hav'nt downloaded the pics yet but have also taken some of the snowdrops in the orchard and some close ups with the bees, yes lots of bees on them. The sound of the buzzing made me look closer and one had those pollen sacks on its legs and they were bright orange.

Then I clean the big girls out and then both bantams houses so everyone is nice and clean tonight. Tattian has finally lost her last remaining tail feather and you can see the new ones coming through now but she is completely bald and bright pink on her little bum with just the tips of new feathers appearing and she laid an egg yesterday too. I know hers as she has this sort of white speckles over the shell and the egg was small so the first ones are small and every fourth egg is bigger.

I am post ing this as I have to go and get my solar lights and take the food out the bantams run. Its nearly dark.

After I had done the chickens I came in and put an irish syew on which is now smelling nice. I must remember the dough boys tonight as I forgot them last time we had it.

Jane you don't have to look right up just as much as you can manage comfortably and hold it for as long as youcan till you just want to look normally but with your eyes shut. It is the one thing that works for me but I have never tried it during the day as I don't usually have a doze in the daytime at all.

I did'nt see the vet program last night but I enjoy that kind of thing on the whole. I used to work for the PDSA as I have said before. I was the telephonist so had my breaks and dinner after everyone else had theirs so I used to go in the clinic after eating and help out in there.

Glad your daughter seems to have settled a bit now Liz. Perhaps it was just the Winter Blues. Hope they can work things out.

Jane the tent in the back field sounds intrigueing (sp) let us all know whats been going on when you find out please?

I bet Sandra is counting the days down to her birthday now Gill only two months away.

Liz it is the fatalities I just can't cope with seeing owners upset :-(
I haven't seen a hunt here for some years now. There used to be hunts from the Stables down the lane.Lots of horses and hounds would come up the road outside our house and then go down the lane for the start of the Hunt.There would sometimes be an odd hound that would wander into our driveway for a quick sniff around and then join the pack again.

Evening all,

Brrr it's been like the arctic here today so cold ,i now went out and i could feel some thing on my face not sure if it was sleet or drizzle ,they say we might have snow flurries tonight .

Oh Mel what a shame you missed seeing the hunt with all the horses and the dogs that must be quite a sight .

You are all having bad nights trying to get to sleep ,i never seem to have trouble getting off to sleep but i do wake in the night a couple of times either to go to the loo or because i'am hot but i usually soon nod off again

Oh Liz we love the Yorkshire Vet ,we recorded the one on last night ,i love the couple with the farm ,Green i think their name is ,the lady has lots of jewelry ,did you see the christmas one where she had made the vet the christmas cake ? she just bunged it all in and cooked it but it looked ok when she cut into it .

Gill the Claire's shop is in Norwich we don't have any thing like that in the town and if i order from Amazon Anne it might be to late now as she needs it for Friday so i think it will have to be the hat .

I have cut out the Mop Caps and the Pinafores from the white sheet ,i have also cut the skirt it has eight panels so i have four panels for each skirt so tomorrow i will get my sewing machine out and start stitching ,they don't have to be perfect i might add a little lace if i get time i'll just see how it goes .

Oh Jane how exciting ,i wonder what they have found , now if you had a dog you could have sauntered down with it and have a nosey :-D

Yes Mandy, we did! It was a natty cake!!! Aren't they a lovely old couple? OH and I wonder if Peter once lodged with them as they are clearly so fond of him and he is of them. You'll love the parrot! I'll say no more!!
Duck Burghers are just duck meat minced up, like beef or lamb! our local butcher where we get all our meat, sells them. They're very good!!!
Suppers ready according to OH!

Evening All,

I love the Yorkshire Vet prog too. My friend had her photo taken with Julian at the NEC last year.

That sounds interesting over the road Jane. Good point about having a dog Mandy............she could always pretend to be looking for a dog couldn't she? ;-) They found Roman skeletons when they built the Park and Ride down the road from here. It sounds like you have the costumes well in hand now. Pity I don't live nearer or Katie could have borrowed the tiara I made as her crown! I hope there will be some photos! :-)

I slept well last night, I consider 6 hours good these days, but the night before had a weird dream. I dreamt I was at my own funeral in my coffin and felt quite well! It was quite light in the coffin and I could hear what was being said. I was worried though about what would happen to all my 'thoughts I'd had throughout my life' once I was soaking in the ground as ashes........where would they go as they had existed, but would no longer have a brain to exist in? I saw them as a whirling ball above the coffin. When I told OH he said it gave him the creeps. :-0 lol.

Better be off now........OH wants to watch something so will catch up with the posts tomorrow. :-)

Gosh that was a strange dream Ann.

Mandy the toy shops do fairy outfits with tiaras or have you tried the hospice type shops as they have them sometimes. I wish we had known earlier as I could have made her one. Have you got an alice band you could cover it in foil and a little diamonte necklace that would do the trick. If it had been a little longer I could have sent you a diamonte broach I had to remember first hubby's nan by.

Morning all,

Another very very frosty morning here but the sun is shining and the washing machine is on.

Oh greeted me this morning when he walked in the kitchen with "Now what have I done?" followed by "I can see a moan forming on your lips". It did make me laugh.

He comes out with some good things sometimes but I can't remember them.

Nothing planned for today so I may get round to a bit of crafting or I may go out in the garden and chop down a few brimbles.

Lovely pics,thanks Mel. Very dull here and cold! OH has gone to the farm shop to buy some Seville oranges for our annual marmalade making! Should keep us out of mischief for a day or two! I'm having 'another' clear up, then I shall take Cas out.
Homemade soup for lunch, chicken korma and rice tonight - nice and easy!