General Chat

What a cold horrible day it has been. Ros came in at lunchtime FROZEN. She said as they came out of Tesco the wind just hit them. Poor Carolyn, after all that warm sunshine. Needles to say we haven't moved this afternoon, and I won't be tonight.

The lamb shanks are cooked and the meat is falling off the bone. I put them in the oven in our big casserole pot with carrot, onion, celery, leeks, bay leaves, various spices that are in the rack. Left it on a low heat for three and a half hours. The bungalow is full of the lovely smell. Veg are Mash, cabbage and spouters , and carrots. I will thicken up the gravy with a bit of corn flour. It's all drained off now, ready to dish up at 6 ish. Mel, it doesn't appear to be difficult, but I do like the pre-packed ones.

Ann do you buy any beads/gems from the Jewellery channel ?? As you know Ros buys a lot from there. They have had a big clearance sale this week.

Hair dryer just gone off so I can sit down again.

Evening all,

It's been quite a bright day here although we haven't had any sun ,now the wind has really got up and it's turned quite cold so the fire is now lit .
Colin has been outside cutting some wood and the blooming sawdust has blown every where ,i think i have some in my eyes as they are all itchy .

Good to hear Carmel is coming along ok William ,it's still early days for the getting out of bed but i'm sure she'll soon get there .
The hospital parking is a nightmare here too that's why i did the hospital park and ride .

Thats good Liz is doing ok i did wonder as i sent the email of Max and i hadn't heard any thing from her .

I'd love to see your bracelet Ann , do they give you all a list of beads to buy for the things you are making each week ? it must be nice to see what the others buy and see how their bracelets turn out especially if they buy different colours to yours.

My sister rang last night they had been to see a golden Lab puppy she is eight weeks old and they are having her :-D :-D :-D they have to wait for the kennel club papers to come through and then they will pick her up ,i think the name Molly was mentioned :-D
Sister was writing a list of all the things they would need and was shopping today for them as she said she doesn't have a thing ready.

Family are coming tomorrow so i expect we will hear all about Chelsea's trip , i think son is going to sweep our chimney as it wasn't done before we started having a fire in the autumn .

Freezing as you say Frank! I was boiling when I set off this morning after my shower and buzzing about getting ready, my palms and neck were dripping so I set off in just a short sleeve top. By lunchtime when I came out from class I dived in the car boot for my coat!! I have cooked lamb shanks from scratch many years ago when we used to buy half a lamb for the freezer. I did mine sitting on a trivet in the pressure cooker. It was the quickest way as they need quite a long cook to be really tender. I have some ready cooked ones in the freezer too and might have them tomorrow now you've put me in the mood for one! :-) No, I haven't bought anything from jewellerymaker yet but keep intending to as I love the Laboradite and would like to do a beaded pendant with a stone. Thanks for mentioning the sale......I will have a look to see if there are any! :-) ;-) I hope the Robins haven't been scared off. Is the Blackbird still there?

I might wear something Jane. (just reread this and I mean JEWELLERY. lol) I have a nice necklace that would go with a top I might wear. It is in the pile to finish off at the moment and is quite intricate, but if I set my mind to it to get back into the pattern it would soon be done! I must have a look at the menu..........tooth seems to be a lot better today! I woke up yesterday morning feeling weird too. I sat up and felt disorientated but not exactly dizzy and sat on the edge of the bed a few moments before getting up. It seemed to wear off and I checked my BP which was fine, but as soon as I lay down in bed last night it seemed to come back again till I propped myself up. This morning I was fine again. How is your finger now? Are you itching all over?

I wonder if Jess's mum will mind looking after the puppy once it's older and house trained? I suppose it's a bit of a handful at the moment.

Mel, did you know chocolate and chocolate drink have a bit of caffeine in too? You will get used to water after about a month. I only drank a small fresh orange juice just in the morning, otherwise only water for the 3 years before I had a hysterectomy. I'd probably still be doing the same now only the nurses kept plying me with tea and coffee like I was being deprived or something and in the end I had some and then carried on when I went home! One of my beading buddies only drinks water.

Liz if your looking in i have sent Max's email again .

We get a list of the beads for the following week's project Mandy, but often other similar beads will do. It can be tricky sometimes though as, although there is usually eg a bracelet sample for us to see, we don't often get the pattern till on the day and it isn't always easy to know which beads go where and plan the colours beforehand! I tend to use my phone to photograph the sample now. Everyone's efforts look completely different and we all troupe around the big table to look at each other's work! How exciting.......another puppy!!! :-D It sounds like Max will have a lady friend........Max and Molly! Young Chelsea will have lots to tell about her trip won't she! :-)

Another puppy to get pictures of how nice. My aunty Joy had a dog called Molly. I think thats a lovely name. She then had a cat called MIlly and now her latest cat is called Lilly!

Made the lemon mangue pie and we have eaten half of it. It was smashing. Must make some pasty cases for the freezer so I can do more and some quiches too now I am getting more eggs.

Glad Liz is getting on ok and sending wishes to her and Carmel. I hope there is not a third person.

Morning all,

Cold very windy and wet..........................

Just the shop to do today for th epaper and deliver Em's eggs. She had a girls night out last night I wonder how she feels this morning?

good morning all

Very wet and windy here at the moment, Ruby is fast asleep and Abbie has gone to meet Brandon her latest boyfriend. One of our neighbours has a sheepdog named Molly she always makes a beeline towards me as I always gave her one of Amy's treats when we out.

So Max is going to have someone to play with Mandy that will be nice for them both to help burn off some energy. I expect Chelsea will be looking forward to telling you all about her adventures.

Paul is taking Abbie & Becky along with Brandon for a visit to Windsor today It only takes about 20 mins to get there depending on the traffic, it's an enjoyable journey as it takes you through the Great Park with a lovely view of the Castle.

Pleased to hear both Liz and Carmel are doing well, it is a good idea for Carmel going into respite care for a little while, my Mother did this after her operation for bladder cancer, she was well looked after and it was a lovely place.

I like lemon meringue pie too Mel, I remember making one at school but after Domestic Science we had an away hockey match with another school and were going home straight after so the wrapped up pies came with us, unfortunately ants got in among them and so we had to throw them away .

I always keep lamb shanks in the freezer but buy the ready prepared ones, yours sounded really appetising Frank, I don't eat them myself but they come in handy when I'm not sure what to cook for Richard or unexpected visitors and being able to cook them from frozen is an added bonus.

Morning my fair friends, evening Kim.

Still overcast and windy here. I have just been to the freezer in the garage to get a piece of beef out for tomorrow, and it was cold round my legs, with only my dressing gown on . ;-) ;-) :-0 :-0 :-0

That's not very kind of Jess's mum is it. What harm can a little puppy do, if you keep an eye on it. Most parents would be pleased to help !!!

Martine is still not well it's been SEVEN WEEKS now and she still has this cough. The doctor has given her more antibiotics, but nothing seems to work.

Carolyn bought Ros a beautiful top and over top if you know what I mean from Tenerife. it looks an absolute picture on, she will wear it for Mother's day.

Madam is going to get some bits and pieces from Morrison's then call in to see Martine, and drop of some flowers. That will cheer her up.

Glad to hear Carmel and Liz are making progress. Lets hope it won't be long before they are up and doing things again.

No sign of bird life in the garage. Just one nest and another part built. What a shame.

Time for shower and shave and get myself dressed. Nothing planned this end for the weekend.

Poor Martine being ill that long. I think I could be catching her up with my itchy skin. I don't know how long I have had it now but I woke itching this morning again. I only took one antihistamin yesterday so I expect thats why.

Anne it was me who made the lemon marangue pie not Liz.

Mandy I meant to ask about your little Queen. Has she gone to school as the queen yet and if not when is it please?

Morning all

Wet and windy here today, no signs of the snow for Sandra yet, I don't think it would settle if it did snow as it's to wet with all the rain we've had these last few days. Doesn't look like OH and I will be doing the front garden this weekend as planned with the weather the way it is, so we'll stay indoors and keep warm instead.

Sorry to hear Carmel couldn't make it out of bed Will, I'm sure it won't be long though. At least she didn't need the extra pain killers so that's good news. Hope the parking isn't to bad over the weekend for you.

How mean of Jess's mum not to look after the puppy Jane. Maybe she will when the puppy is older.

So another new puppy to see pictures of now, Sandra will love that Mandy <3 I bet Chelsea can't wait to tell you all about her trip, hope the weather wasn't to bad for her. Love the email you sent about the seeds.......very funny LOL.

Sorry to hear about Martine Frank, hope the cough clears up soon. What a shame about the Robin and Blackbird, it would of been nice to hear about the babies. Let's hope you have more luck next year. Do you think it was the cat that frightened the birds away? Carolyn's top sound a bit like a twin set that my mum used to wear, they do look pretty on. Sandra and I had lamb shanks the other day, I buy them in Rosemary and mint gravy they boil in a bag but are really tender and just enough for the two of us. OH doesn't like Rosemary so we have them when he's at work. We've got a lovely piece of lamb in the freezer for Mother's Day as OH is off work that day, we'll do ordinary gravy as OH likes that.

For those of you who are interested I think Vera starts again tomorrow at 8pm. Sandra mentioned it as she likes to watch it and if I remember correctly a few of you have mentioned it too, so I thought I'd let you know.

So the lemon meringue pie went down a treat by the sounds of it Mel. Sorry to hear you're still itching, maybe you're right and should of taken more tablets, let's hope they do the trick today. Are the spots still healing?

If you're looking in Liz ,Sandra and I send our love <3

It sounds like you're busy at your beading class Ann, I'd love to see a picture if you take one.

Hope Abbie, Becky and Brandon have a lovely day today Anne. It sounds a nice journey to get there.

OH's off work so I'm going to spend some time with him and Sandra today, not sure what we'll do yet, but Sandra will be happy as she really misses her dad when he's in work.

Gill I keep meaning to ask if Sandra has made anything else on her machine yet?

No not yet Mel, she's hoping to make a cushion for her bed, then help me make a bedspread for the spare bed, not sure if that's going to be patchwork or one large piece of material with a nice boarder yet. I think one large piece of material might be easier for her to help me with, then she can do some patchwork once she is more confident.

Just running a bath at the moment, not sure what we're doing after that yet as it's pouring with rain very cold and really windy, so none of us fancy going out. We'll probably watch something off the planner, there's plenty to choose from and that way OH can have a relaxing day without having to drive anywhere. He's been so busy with work lately it'll make a nice change for him.

Afternoon Everyone
Oh how exciting another puppy to look forward to seeing :-D.My friend has a Border Terrier called Molly.

I have never been to Windsor Anne although it is on my list of places to visit.Hope the girls have a lovely day and that any rain won't spoil things.
It is raining here a little . Chris has spent the last 4HOURS power washing the patio !!!!!. I bet his arms will be aching as well as vibrating .Thomas is in the Summerhouse and will no doubt stay there until the washer is put away.

The big roundabout up the road for the A14 is closed today .It is causing havoc .The slip roads are shut off .The A6 the other side of the roundabout is closed too.It is all to do with the works on the new industrial estate being built.I got caught up in diverted traffic coming back from Tesco.Glad to be home now :-D

I just had a message from Janice to say they had docked in Southampton and are now on the way by train to London to her Son Matthew where they left the car.So she will be giving me a ring later. Can't wait ,as I have missed our chats and I want to know all about the cruise :-D.I don't think she was impressed to arrive back in England to rain LOL

I hope Carmel had a good night last night and is able to be up and have a little exercise .The confussion that she had is most likely to do with the effects of the anaesthetic. My neighbour down the road was quite doolally for several days when she has her knee replacement.

Better get my shopping unpacked and in the fridge and cupboards. I hate this bit

Jess's Mum is not like most .I think a lot of it is to do with control over Jess :-S :-S.
I still say she should never had had the dog right now.But it is not my place to say.

Right I need to get a move on. BBL

Frank ,Martine's cough must be wearing her out .Is it one of those that keeps her awake at night?.Some coughs go one forever :-S

Mel have you tried the one a day antihistamine. You can buy the ones same ingredients as yours.It might be worth trying .I take one every day now and they don't make me drowsy .it is weeks now since you started with the itchies .

Chris has finally finished doing the patio and my windows are a right blooming mess :-S.I know it can't be helped but they were only cleaned a couple of weeks ago !!! All his waterproofs are in the washing machine now. Hopefully he will sit and just read the paper this afternoon.
I just had a look at where my cyst was on my finger and it is almost completely flat now :-D.I think that steroid injection is still working.Chris said it can for maybe up to six weeks.So i am really glad I had it done.

Eyes rolled when I said I was going to try another Cauliflower recipe today(how rude LOL ).James won't touch Cauliflower,and also the recipe has parmesan that is another no no for him. Fussy man. This actually looks a really tasty meal as it is a risotto ,Baked Cauliflower,Sage and Walnut Risotto :-)
You might like this Anne as it is a meat free dish.

They reckon we are 15 degrees today.It does feel very mild but I wouldn't say 15.

I would say it's blooming cold. I walked to the pub to watch the football but was out voted in aid of RUGBY. So I had a couple of pints and read the paper. Rugby has never been my thing, being bought up with football.

No rain over this side of the County, the sun is trying to come out with little success. !!

Martine had to go to the EMERGENCY doctor today, so Ros took her. She needs a chest x ray and must go through her own doctor tomorrow. Dos has offered to take her.

I forgot to mention that the lamb shanks were perfect. If they are on offer again, I will certainly try them again.

I have decided to take Ros out for lunch tomorrow. I have booked a table for 2,30 pm at the Cromwell Cottage, a lovely pub/restaurant in a village only 10 minutes away. Jane as you are so close I would recommend for you to try. You won't be disappointed.

It's well worth a trip to Windsor Great park. I took Ros and the boys there a few years ago (MANY YEARS) We all enjoyed the day out. Try it you will enjoy it. !!!

Getting really dark overhead, so thanks Jane. !!!

Still raining here and now its another day I hav'nt cleaned the chickens out!!

Had a bit of a tidy on my desk here as I had loads of craft stuff spread all over it. It still needs some things put away but I don't feel like soing anything now.

Oh likes a risoto but I don't so he dos'nt get one.......... :-P

Afternoon All,

That's good about your finger Jane. It must feel much better without the nuisance of the cyst. I like the sound of your recipe too! Doesn't Chris lift the pressure washer lance to be a few feet from the windows and frames and doors to clean them down as he goes? It's what I do when I do the patio as it does make an almighty mess on them. I've done it with the garage door on the front when I've done the drive too. I can imagine Janice's face at seeing the rain here!

What a shame the birds have gone Frank. :-S Poor Martine must be sick of her cough as it is exhausting when you cough all the time. The flowers from Ros will cheer her up as you say. (just seen your post and hope Martine is ok and there's nothing worrying the matter. Ros is a good friend staying with her and running her about.)

We are a bit concerned about our neighbour across the road and a bit further along. She's aged about 86 now, still has a little car and with a little help from a gardening firm manages to keep her bungalow shipshape. She's always been a gardener and grown veg and has a small greenhouse. Anyway, we were driving up the close to go out yesterday and she was slowly walking right in the middle of the road up the close away from us and we've never seen her do that before. There were vehicles parked on the edge of the pavement one side to do with the building going on but there was still plenty of room to walk by or on the pavement the other side of the road. OH drove gently towards her thinking she would move onto the pavement, but she obviously couldn't hear the car and carried on up the middle of the road to the nasty blind bend that people who don't live down here hurtle round also in the middle of the road!! Eventually she moved onto the pavement, still without noticing us, and still didn't seem to see us as we drove slowly past her whereas she normally waves. We had to wait at the end of the close before pulling out and she caught up with us and walked round the corner, still without seeming to have seen us or her nextdoor neighbour who by then had pulled up behind us. I hope she is ok, but it got us thinking how she doesn't put her car away in the garage anymore and seems to drive it less, but then again it is getting harder for any of us to park in the village with all the extra people from the extra houses being built.

Then this afternoon I was driving along a busy, narrow bit of road in one of the villages nearby and a silly teenage girl was riding her bike heading straight towards me my side of the road!! She was wobbling about as well because she had just one hand on the handlebars due to the other hand holding her mobile phone clamped to her ear!!! Where was her common sense?? :-S

I'll send a pic of the bracelet soon, there's just a bit to finish off.

Mel ,I have so much Risotto!!!!!. I just followed the recipe without looking to see how many servings ...It is for 6 !!!!!!. If I was near you I would be running over with a dish for your OH :-D :-D.I just need to put it in the oven later for about 15minutes. Might just add a little bit of water in case it is too dry. I thought it looked a huge amount LOL

Frank I will look up Cromwell Cottage.It is always nice to go somwhere new :-D

I would have thought that Martine could have just gone to the hospital for a Chest Xray Frank with a letter from the Emergency Dr.Maybe just not on a weekend though.

James will be having a Pizza tonight as he has turned his nose up at my wonderful new recipe :-S.. I have added some extra toppings(Mushrooms and Salami and fresh Basil ).I quite fancy a Pizza :-D
I have just taken a joint of Beef out of the freezer for tomorrow. Thought it was time we had a good old roast.It has been a while.
I might try and ring my Sister .I can't wait any longer for her to ring me
:-)