General Chat

Just got back from the hospital from 11.15am this morning. Carmel's rehab is on hold as two ladies at the home are waiting for Social to put there needs into place before they can go to their homes.
Carmel has been moved across the corridor to Victoria ward and has her own room now - lots of sleep whenever she needs it without all the disturbance of a 6 bay room! They needed her slot a serious fracture case that had come in needing a lot of care but this has done Carmel a favour. The staff on the new ward are great (so far) and she has some privacy and peace and quiet. She is still progressing with her frame 'plus one' walking and the staff are pleased with her progress so far.
Let you know more as and when.

Afternoon All

That is a pity Carmel's move has had to be delayed William.Hopefully she will be able to go soon. But it will be much better for her now to have her own room for a while and a bit of peace and quiet.

So all systems go again Mel :-D :-D.OH did well there didn't he.

Gill,all those poor families having to be rehomed !! The council have certainly taken their time in agreeing to help.Someone is for the high jump then for making an almighty cockup.I wouldn't want to be in their shoes.

Anne,I am wondering if Shadow is up to Thomas's tricks and has found Rabbits somewhere nearby. I am sure he will be back soon.It is always such a worry when they are away for so long. We just had a headless rabbit brought in :-S :-S..Back door is now firmly shut. Thomas was an absolute nightmare last night.He came in about 7 but then was just pestering continually to go out again. I was determined to keep him in for the night,but after hearing him scratching at the doors and meowing most of the night I had to let him out just after 3 as I couldn't stand it any longer.
Chris was not amused having his sleep disturbed so often and says that I will just have to let Thomas out tonight if he is still anxious to be out.I need to do his flea treatment as he has been scratching his ears.Bet there are some fleas in them :-S :-S

So Frank,it sounds like you have steam coming out of your ears today! Keep calm,you don't want a big falling out with Ros.She probably didn't expect you to be doing the panes of glass and needing the clips today.

D Day tomorrow here.Doggy Day lol .I bought a ball on a rope for Benjy ,although I expect Jess will be bringing a few of his toys. I just hope he doesn't find a way out of the back garden (like under the hedge).Jess will have t o keep a close eye on him.I think he is still only about 5 months old so will no doubt be full of mischief.

It has been so warm today ,but sitting outside was just so noisy with all the traffic noise and the machinery racket from the works going on on the other side of the A14.You can't hear yourself think ! :-S :-S It is dreadful.

Chris is off to a Council meeting in a minute.Fitz should have been going with him but has had D&V since Monday :-( He is feeling a bit grim.

I think there must be a lot of pollen flying about.My eyes are so itchy and skin too. Lots of grass cutting going on. You can smell it in the air.In fact today I was just thinking it Smells like Spring.

James is out for dinner at Johnny's Mums tonight,Chris has a ready meal for when he gets back from the meeting and i bought myself a M&S Meatball and Spaghetti meal .So no pots and pans needed tonight :-D

Evening All,

That's good Carmel has her own room now especially as she can't be moved yet Will. More peaceful and private as you say. It's a pet hate of mine when you see headlines about the elderly 'bedblocking'. It's disrespectful and incorrect because, as you say, it is Social Services and their delays that are really the cause.

Please send us a pic of little Benjy Jane.......I would love him and he would fit nicely in my car!! lol. :-D I think Thomas will cuff his ears and then be respected by the little pup. Your poor hands do sound a mess and now your scalp driving you mad too. :-S I think I shall be on the hayfever tablets soon as we have some yellow showing in the fields of oilseed rape round here. Poor Fitz, I hope he soon feels better. OH has been at a meeting giving advice tonight so it was a suit and tie job and trim of his beard.

I hope Shadow has turned up Anne. You must think the worst when a cat doesn't turn up at food time.

Frank I hope you have been counting to 10!! Poor Ros has done well with all the driving and can't be expected to remember everything. I hope JJ has cheered you up. I went up the garden today and noticed a pretty red flowered Potentilla that was maturing nicely now has been cut down to within 6 inches of the ground. OH asks me what he can cut back, then leaves it a few days and had obviously forgotten what I had pointed to and thought it was a Fuschia he was cutting back!! No pretty red flowers there this summer and he's made a big gap for weeds to grow now!! :-S The cats are playing havoc with more plants which will need digging up, sometimes I wonder why I bother!!

Mel a place where we stayed in Anglesey a few years ago had the oil boiler in a room just off the kitchen and it smelled awful in there. It does make you feel ill after a while as you say.

Gill I can't imagine what it must be like to lose your home in an explosion like those poor people. All your possessions, photos etc just gone!!

I have been sorting out more of my wardrobes and drawers under the bed today and have filled a couple of bags for the dogs' home tomorrow. There is still more to do but my back had had enough, but it's looking a lot straighter now. It's amazing how many things you find that you've forgotten about and some fit as well!! :-D

Shadow turned up about 2.30 to eat some food, she is now sleeping upstairs well away from Ruby, Toby mostly prefers going out at night but is happy to go in and out via the cat flap.

I would love to see a photo of Bengy when you take one Jane. Thomas will be wondering how long he is going to stay, My niece's 4 month old spaniel puppy just pinched a hard boiled egg from Roxy her 4 years old daughter who was about to eat it for her breakfast, I don't think she was amused

Carmel should have more rest having a room of her own and a good nights sleep as well will help towards her recovery and more privacy when you visit her William it's good to know the nurses are pleased with her progress

So glad to see Shadow came home Anne.I can sleep now tonight :-D. Thomas is in for now.I did his Flea treatment and he has disappeared upstairs. He normally sleeps a lot after the spot on,so I am hoping for a peaceful night. I will find out later lol

I am sure to be getting plenty of pics of Benjy so will send some on. Had to laugh Ann at you saying Thomas will cuff his ears :-D.Benjy has BIG ears.

I am off to bed now .Just need to apply all this gunk first.I have done my head stuff,so that is one thing done.

Nght Night xx

The oil smell has gone now from the kitchen as oh took all the dust sheets out and the newspaper that was underneath and put all the bits back onthe boiler. Then he said to me "have you got any of that magnetic strip that sticks on things to keep the door closed?" The boiler door has been open for years now. Well as I was in the kitchen on my own this evening getting dinner I had a sneaky look at the boiler door. Found the catch but could'nt see any of it broken and pushed the door shut about half way down and it shut perfectly. Went and told oh who took a look and then opened the door and closed it again and it did'nt shut!!!!!!!!!! I said to him to push it lower down and bingo it shut again. It is surprising how quiet the boiler is with the door shut.

I do hope Thomas gets on ok with Benjy and you don't have trouble.Is he house trained now? I do hope so as I know some of these tiny dogs just don't care where they go. Hope he dos'nt put his scent down when he comes in.


I am so full as we had sausages, mash, swede, cabbage and yorkshire puds o and onions tonight and I wish now I had'nt eaten so much........ :-0

I hope Shadow comes in Anne please let us know as soon as she turns up.

I had some more of the plate rack down and washed it all today as I was enjoying the hot water. You should have seen the cobwebs behind some of the plates. Mind you that shelf it over the radiator.

Off now to have a shower and get into my jim jams and then watch The Last Kingdom.

Morning all

I've just seen the most beautiful rainbow as the sun shone through the rain. The rain's stopped now so it's nice and sunny again.

Pleased to hear you have your hot water and heating back and can shut the door to the boiler Mel. Your OH is very good at things like that isn't he?

So today is Doggy Day Jane, hope all goes well and Benjy doesn't escape from your garden. Looking forward to seeing some photo's if you take them.

Pleased to hear Shadow came home safe and sound you must of been so relieved Anne.

Sorry to hear there is a delay on Carmel's move to the home William, hope it isn't to long for her, at least she has a room of her own now so plenty of peace and quiet.

Hope you have a better day than yesterday Frank. How is JJ, it's so nice to have an animal around, they can be so funny and good company too.

I bet it feels like Christmas finding all those things you've forgotten about Ann. What a pity about your plant, will it come back next year? I hope it does as it sounds like a nice one with the red flowers. Isn't there anything you can buy to stop the cats ruining your garden, it must be awful to see everything dying. We haven't seen the cat in our garden since we cut the big apple tree down. He used to hide behind it and watch the birds and squirrels and I'm sure he had something to do with half the Hebe dying back. Is there any plants you can put in that cats don't like, to protect the rest of them, at this rate between your OH and the cats you'll have no garden left. Hope something can be done and you have a nice pretty garden this summer.

Morning Gill and all,

We have sunshine at the moment and I am hoping its here to stay for today as I want to do some wahsing.

Its nice to get up and have hot water too wash in instead of having to boil the kettle.

Oh is now putting new barings (sp) on the mower deck on the blades so thats another job for him to do and perhaps that won't make the horrid grinding noise it was making last time he used the mower.

Think some ironing is on the cards for today too and I need to clean both bathrooms.

Good morning to you all, Evening Kim,

So Carmel is better off in a single room. I know when I had my knee done, it was nice to just close your eyes without any noise around you. Hope she soon get a place for convalescence.

SODS LAW. After I ordered more Z clips. Ros went into the garage and found the ones I bought a few weeks ago. So if anyone needs any Z clips I have plenty ;-) ;-) ;-)

Well fancy the boiler door shutting as easy as that Mel, how long had it been left open ??

I didn't know your cat went walkabout Anne, Glad she is home Safe and Sound.

I had a phone call from the Doctors last night to say I was late for my injection. I should have been there at 7.00 p.m. and this was 7.45 pm. I went straight up and have a sore left cheek this morning :-| :-| :-| :-| :-0 :-0 :-0 :-0 "MUM MY BUM'S NUMB"

Was hoping to get more glass in the greenhouse and get the front lawn cut. We had rain in the night so it will have to wait.

All you gardeners out there. HELP. I found a bag of MARIS PIPPER Potato's in the back of the veg cupboard, full of shoots. WILL THEY BE ANY GOOD FOR SEED POTATO'S ????. If so, I will put them in bags, around the greenhouse.

Tracy next door has called in to see JJ. She's been here an hour, and can talk a "hind leg of a donkey."!!!!

I'm going to have a "BRUNCH" today. Bubble and squeak Eggs and Bacon. Not sure what I will do for dinner tonight, but with such a selection in the freezers, I am sure we won't go hungry.

Not sure if I can be bothered going to Town to get my glass's today. Might leave it till next week, I am not missing them.

I have had potatoes with shoots on them before Frank and so long as the potato itself isn't green you can plant them, they will produce more potatoes but not as many or as big, they still taste nice though and are free so you might as well have a go, rather than throw them out. :-) So you were late going to the doctors, at least it's done now I'm sure you won't be sore for long.
Isn't that always the case, you find things after you gone and bought more. OH has lots of extra clips etc...for our greenhouse, maybe you could keep them as spares, they are so little and can get lost if you drop them when the glass needs sorting.........just remember where you've put them though LOL.

So lots of hot water now Mel, much better than boiling kettles all the time. Is the boiler door still closed? We've got the sun now, but keep getting the odd small shower of rain so no washing going on the line today.

I've got OH's mate coming round tonight to put the new battery he got me into my laptop. I'm hoping he can take a look at the laptop as it keeps overheating and turning itself off.

Has anyone been watching Masterchef, it's started again and has been really good? Sandra and I like that programme.
Does anyone know when Poldark is back on?

Afternoon Gill, and all,

Well I have managed to cut the front lawn. It had dried out and I got a full box of grass off of it.

Ros is on the phone to Carol down the road. The chap she has been seeing (Old family friend) died on Tuesday. He has been ill for some time, so she's on her own again. That's her husband and "boyfriend" gone inside 18 months. I think I will stay away from her, I would hate to be the THIRD :-( :-( :-( ;-) ;-) ;-)

Gill, your laptop shouldn't keep over heating and shutting down. There must be a problem some where.

It's a beautiful SPRING DAY out there now, all doors and windows open. JJ is in and out like a"Fiddlers elbow" He should sleep well tonight. <3 <3

I said to Ros, if I could find a dog like him, I would have another. The good thing is I can give this one back after a week.

Enjoy the rest of your day. Might see you later.

Yes Frank you can sow those potatoes and it dos'nt matter if they are GREEN. All seed potatoes are put in the light to chit and they are always green because of this.

The only thing about potates is that you should'nt EAT green ones as they are poisonous. Even if you eat potatoes every day with a bit of green on them it builds up in your body and can be lethal. Don't forget the seed pods made on the plants are very poisonous too.

Well I have made a start on the patio plants and oh said to take them all off so he can pressure wash it ready to put the Wet and Forget on when we get a dry day.

I planted up my little violas in my nice pot and they look great.

I have cleaned the shower and the two bathroom basins, one in the bathroom and the one in my little loo. Washed up after lunch and brought the washing in as it started raining and now I am going back out again to move more plants and put the bulbs in pots round the back of my shed as they ahve finished flowering now.

Afternoon All

Well the intoductions have been done.Thomas was asleep in the Summerhouse ,so Jess carried Benjy in .Thomas took one look and was up on the back of the settee lol,but soon came back down to have a sniff nose to nose.No hissing or slapping.So then we just walked off down the garden with Benjy on the lead and soon Thomas was following.He stayed a safe distance behind us. A little later Jess let Benjy off the lead and he was running around,,,then came a bit of a scary bit.Thomas chased him !!!!!
I think it was just being playful but Thomas is so much bigger and Benjy is a bit bigger than a rabbit,so Jess grabbed him up swiftly just in case .So I am hoping it is all going to go smoothly.Thomas sat and washed himself on the patio which i thought was a good sign,but he has now disappeared .Fingers crossed not for too long. I had to let him out at midnight last night and he didn't appear again until getting on for midday.

How was Shadow last night Anne? Was she in this morning ?

FRank we are going to have to give you reminders about your injection each month !!!
At least you have been and had it done.Hopefully it isn't going to be too sore for too long.

Gill have you tried one of those Cooling Mats for laptops? I hope that the problem is something easy to be soretd and OH's friend can fix it for you. Maybe just having the new battery will do it.I wouldn't know where to begin if my laptop went wrong.


Mel ,isn't it typical you have put up witht he noise fro mthe boiler all this time and all it took was pushing the door in one spot LOL.

Jess has taken Benjy upstairs so he can have a sleep.I think it must have been quite an eventful day today for him with 2 trains to get here.Probably a bit stressful too.

I see my battery is on red now on the laptop so I must find the lead and get it plugged in.

Good afternoon all

It sounds as Thomas is ready to accept Benjy Jane, I wish I could say the same about our two cats and Ruby, I think the terrier in her makes the chasing part of her make up and the cats aren't very laid back. Shadow is back to her old routine she is in the conservatory right now along with Toby and Ruby is sleeping in her bed.

Gill I hope your OH's friend can fix your lap top it is worrying when things over heat.

Evening all,

It's been a nice day bit cloudy at times and windy but not at all cold .

Oh Jane Benjy looks a dear little thing you'll just have to keep an eye on him when he goes out in the garden ,he's so tiny i can see why Thomas would go for him
he's just like a baby bunny in Thomas's eyes .

Gill lap tops do get quite hot when i sit with mine on my lap i can feel the heat on my legs ,perhaps when you get the new battery in it might help ,i wouldn't leave it plugged in when you go out just in case it over heats .

Frank we planted some potatoes that we had that had shoots on ( not seed potatoes )and got quite a few new potatoes from them ,so i'd give it a go better than throwing them out .

I bet the little Violas look nice in the pot Mel ,i was looking at some in Homebase they looked just like they had little faces on the petels ,so pretty .
Thats good you sorted out the boiler door so it closes now ,see us ladies are not just pretty faces we can get things sorted ;-) :-D :-D

Oh dear Anne i suppose Ruby is a little live wire and the cats are not ,they just want a quiet life ,i'm glad Shadow came home it's a worry when they are out longer than normal .

My sister had to take Molly to the vets as she has a nasty cough ,they were worried that it might be kennel cough but the vet said she had a throat infection so she's now on antibiotics .

I see it's the Boat Race this weekend .

Evening All,

That's just what I thought Mandy.......Benjy must look like a bunny to Thomas and he has such a strong prey drive and is used to eating fresh meat! I don't think Thomas chasing him is a very good sign. He's a sweet little dog and should sleep well tonight after his busy day.

Mel, where did you get all your energy from today...........can I have some please? :-) Fancy you shutting the door just like that after all this time!! lol. I bet your OH had to see it to believe it. I bet the mower will cut better once the bearings are replaced too as there must have been a bit of play with them being worn. When dad had his business, he never advertised the service, but people would bring their mowers to him to be sharpened. A lot were in an awful state, neglected, badly adjusted etc but when he'd finished with them, his final test before he was happy was that they would cut paper.

Frank your potatoes will grow fine as the others have said, but I think the practice has been discouraged so viruses and disease don't get introduced from abroad. I see you have managed to do your lawn. Is your knee getting easier now? Fancy finding the glass clips! Still, they do rust eventually and fall out so they will keep you going a long time. JJ sounds like he's enjoying his stay!! :-)

Gill, OH is very willing in the garden, but not very knowledgable about the plants!! When he first used to come to my house before we got together he did some weeding. I had an old metal bucket that the bottom had rotted out of and had planted some mint in it as the bucket stopped it spreading and had sunk the bucket in the soil. The mint had just got nicely established but OH thought it was weeds and cleared the lot!! It was the same with my snowdrops in the front garden. I told him to pull up the grape hyacinths as they were spreading like mad and out came the snowdrops too!! I hope your laptop is ok once the new battery is put in.

Anne,I expect the cats are finding it strange to have such a lively pup around,after Amy.I hope that they can soon all get on together.

Mandy ,I think I have fallen in love. Didn't think I would . But Benjy is a real little character .I bought a ball on a rope and Jess just lost in it the hedge !!!
She has found it now...Got a great pic of James lifting her up to search for it.

I hope that it is just Kennel cough and nothing worse for Molly. Antibiotics will clear that up. I remember Chester having Kennel Cough and it sounds so awful. He got it from where he was staying for a break when we were away. The owner had to do a deep clean of all the areas she kept the dogs

Dinner is reay here now. Probably won't be back again tonight .

EAST BLOODY ENDERS ON, Talk about depression I feel like committing suicide after watching it. What with that and Corry. I don't know who writes such rubbish. I blame the public at large for watching it. Give me David Attenborough anytime. MOUN OVER.

I haven't looked at my Emails yet, so hope to see BENJY in a minute or two. My brother Ted had a Cocker Spaniel called Benjy, He was a delight to be with. When we stayed with them in Potters Bar, I would take him for walks all the time.

Anne Your OH sounds a bit like me, Ros won't let me near the borders as I would be pulling things out !!! Thanks for your advice on the Spuds. Dos can get some grow bags tomorrow. I have big bags that I grow potato's in, so I will do them over the weekend, together with putting the glass in the Greenhouse. I HOPE !!!

My left cheek is still a bit painful. Hopefully it will ease over the next couple of days, The knee is a lot better, but still have to use a stick when I walk. The pain is now under the knee going down the shin. So I expect it's the healing process.

How did your OH fried do with the laptop Gill. I hope it's all sorted now.

I noticed that neighbours CATS are still using my front flower bed for a toilet. I have just put a load of broken glass in the BIN, so some of that will be coming out tomorrow and stuck in the border. A cut paw or backside might deter them !!!

I trust all the cats and dogs are getting along O.K. Once they get use to each other I am surety will be fine. We had cats and dogs for years, and they got on so well. My Golden Lab would lie in front of the fire, with the cat tucked into his tummy. They slept for hours like that. It's an old wives tale about them being enemy's.

See you in the morning.

I know you wouldn't really put broken glass in your borders Frank !!!!!! However much you hate those cats.
I have just picked up half a baby bunny on the patio and after putting the bin almost stood on a big Hedgehog ! :-0 :-0. I wasn't sure what it was so came in to get a torch. It had moved a little way and was just about halfway under the side gate where the bins are.I think I am done with live and dead wildlife tonight so am off to bed. Thomas is still out.I think he will have to stay out now.I've put some food and water in the Summerhouse .

Pinch Punch, first day of April - Happy Easter in advance etc.
Carmel is living it up in her own room now, hope they don't have to move her. She had a great nights sleep and the staff have been great to her on this new ward. I hate to say it but it seems a far more efficient ward. Sister came in yester to she'd been in touch with Linden Lodge and it seems now it will be later in the week before she moved. However, with the aid of her 'turbo' walker and the physio she is walking a bit further everyday - plus they have got her the ripple bed (to prevent bed sores) that should should have had since day one.
Daughter Dorothy took over from me at lunch time and was able to shampoo and dry her hair now that she is in her own room, how great that feels. When I came up on my evening session, I met the chaplain going in the opposite direction so I hi-jacked him to say a prayer and a blessing for Carmel. He turned out to be Father Moses from St Elizabeth's in Coventry, which is where grandchildren Craig and Siobhan where christened.
Carmel ex neighbour and our long term friend is visiting Coventry today to lay her Mum's ashes in her Dad's grave at the cemetery and she is going to make a detour to call in and see Carmel. They used to run a hotel down in Boscombe and we had some great holidays down there with them. More tomorrow.