General Chat

Afternoon All

Just sent a pic of Ivy :-D..She is such a lovely pup but is wearing Norma and Colin out .She is so lively and is on the go non stop. She picks everything up she can get hold of and especially SNAILS . You should have heard the crunching :-S.

Poor Ros,having to do more samples Frank.It must all be getting a bit of a worry for her. Also your Sister must be exhauseted with all her trips back and forth from hospital.
I don't think you said where she actually lives other than .

Are your new specs just reading ones.If they are then no wonder everything is blurry when you stand up and look around.

The GRange sounds a lovely place William for Carmel.She will feel so much fresher too now that she has been able to have a proper shower.It will be nice for you to bea able to have a meal with her at the weekend. I used to be able to do that when my Mum was in residential care up here.

Frank you will have all the birds feeding from you soon LOL. Is it usual for a Blackbird to be so tame? I know Robins are.

No pics yet Mel !.

Oh Oh someone is at the front door.Parcel I reckon.

MEL !!!!!! Just found your pics in JUNK :-S :-S :-S..I don't know why it went in there .

What a super present for Sandra.You did well there :-D :-D

Evening All,

The home looks a really nice place William and it will be nice for you to have Sunday lunch with Carmel. I think OH was asked if he'd like to stop for lunch with FIL and they gave him lots of COT. Carmel will feel so much better for her shower too. I saw your pics on FB and she looked really good. I take it you never got my Get Well card then? :-S It had a lovely teddy on it with a head bandage and I posted it a few days after Carmel had her operation. I remember Mel's parcel not reaching you so maybe there is a stash of post for you somewhere. :-)

Frank you will be becoming the bird man of your close with all these birds queuing up to be fed! It is a lovely feeling when they trust you enough to land on your hand. Some of my canaries would eat from my hand , but most preferred their perches!! I bet Ros was a bit fed up having to have more tests, but it's best to get to the bottom of things (sorry, pun not intended!! :-)) Your glasses don't sound quite right, but don't they correct your sight after cataracts so that you only need glasses for reading? I may well be wrong though as you need those prisms. When you picked your glasses up, did you have them on when they asked you to look at something in the distance?

Mel your OH did well to manage all that so I'm not surprised his back was playing up. He sounds like he needs a good soak in a warm bath. I had a chuckle at your 'prayed' and thought your OH must be on his knees!

We had a drive out this morning (not far) to see exactly where the restored Arts and Crafts house Stoneywell is. You have to book to go and see it and it is a NT property. Well it was in a nice area we have often driven through and visited open gardens in and there are some very posh houses built of the local slate with gated drives where you have to punch security numbers in to open them. One had a lovely spinney behind it with drifts of golden daffodils and we saw a handsome pair of Jays in a tree by the roadside. No camera with me though!! :-S I went to the farm shop later, but their caulis weren't reduced because of the glut! OH has cleared out a caseful of his books and taken them to a charity shop.

Got most of the patio sorted this afternoon. Three lots of washing on the line and nearly dried if I had taken them in earlier but it all got the dew on it.

Oh mowed more grass and did something up the top but I hav'nt been up there so I don't know what he has done but he came back with my old table that fell apart, that I used to put my eggs on. I had tucked it behind the small beech tree at our gateway into the gardens. He brought it down in the trailer. Have put my new trellis things up on the patio to stop the pheasents coming up there as they poo all over the patio.

Took a look at my Lily of the Valley in a tub and the blimmin vine weevils have eaten the roots off most of them. I took out what was left and repotted it. I must buy some more. I don't really have a place that they would like in this huge garden believe it or not. Oh took away the spot I had them round buy the bedroom when he took those trees out there. I had them in another plae and he decided to build a bonfire there and that place is now covered in weeds and I have bonfires there now.

I fed the vine weevilsl I found to the bantams which gives me great pleasure!! :-P :-P

Anyone watching the Jack Whitehall program on tonight? I watched the first one last week and thought I would have a go at the second on catch up.

Off now to see QI.

Fancy the pics turning up in your Junk Mail Jane! I knew I had included you and could'nt understand why you did'nt get them when everyone else did.

Good morning all.
Ann, I'm so sorry, yes your card did arrive I've just checked, with all the coming and going sometimes I lose the plot! Yours arrived and Mel's card and lovely little Shamrock brooch arrived safe and sound. Because she has had so many cards she asks me to bring them home and display them around our fireplace for when she comes home. I leave them at the home till the next day then bring them back and put them on display.
Yesterday (for those who don't see the FB photos) I took her down to the lovely little secluded garden and we had a while down there enjoying the warm sunshine, and eventually having to move into the shade!
With half term here, Dorothy is taking g-granddaughter Grace to see her on Monday so that will keep her busy for the morning. No doubt Grace will have a multitude of questions, she doesn't miss a trick and is becoming very artistic.
Must shower and get some jobs down before my next visit. Who said T M I ??

Good morning all, The sun has got his hat on, Evening Kim,

Ros, went to Delapre Abbey with Julia for afternoon tea. It has just reopened after a complete renovation. She said it's beautiful, and that we should go there sometime. Can you see me sitting there with my "little finger cocked round the cup"

My glass's as purely for reading. I walked to the kitchen with them on yesterday and almost walked into the door.
;-) ;-) ;-)

As she isn't out with Martine, she is going with Carolyn this morning. There is a new Garden Centre opened out Buckingham way about 20 miles, I think they are going to make for that.

Was still awake at 4.00 am Just couldn't shut down. I was awake by 7.30 and got up for a COT. So I won't be in a party mood tonight !!! We will goand show our faces about 8,00 pm and get away again around 9.30 pm

Hope you all enjoy this weather, see you soon.

I think the Robin has babies. We stood and watched one of them go in this morning with a tiny worm. Do you think I should take up the dries Mealworms ?? I would hate for them to be fed them and do DAMAGE. But there again Mum will know best. <3 <3

I will be going to the pub to see SPURS play at 12.30 but I will go for a nice walk before going there, It's such a beautiful day, it will be a pity to waste it. I might get my lounger out this afternoon if it stays as warm as this, and get a bit of sun to my body.

Afternoon All,

That's good that my card did arrive after all Will. I just thought with you mentioning Mel's that it must have fallen by the wayside. I can quite understand 'losing the plot' with the whirlwind of activity and concern about Carmel. :-)

Frank that sounds lovely.........relaxing on your lounger with the warm sun on you. I hope you enjoy your walk too. I hope there are some little Robin babies. You will be topping up the mealworms more often if there are. I must look up that place Ros went to. It's good to have made the offer to go and see your sister. It may be a bit much for her at the moment but at least she knows you would be there doesn't she.

OH has gone to a match at Shepshed so I think I will find a garden centre to go to and take my camera as it is such a lovely day. Jobs need doing, but they can be done another day when it isn't so nice!

Good afternoon all

Ruby is fast asleep so I have a few minutes to spare, we went to the puppy classes again this morning and Ruby had a lovely time, there were a lot more this week including two little dachshunds who were brother and sister.

On Thursday I had a visit from my younger SIL and her husband they had come up from Hastings on the way to Leominster to visit my elder SIL until Sunday, their little Scots Terrier, Angus wasn't too keen on the very lively Ruby he is 7 years old now,

Loved your photos of the Amsterdam barge ginger cat and Ivy who looks a real sweetie, Jane.

Abbie & Becky are staying over for a long weekend, I think they maybe going home on Sunday evening but not sure about Abbie as she has fallen out with her mother again, they came to me on Thursday.

Richard is on holiday now with his usual group of friends, he didn't leave until 6 pm as Caroline had a teacher's meeting at the school she teaches at. They have booked a large house in Devon, Berry House, in Batherm Valley on the edge of Exmoor it sleeps 16 and has its own pool and snooker table so they should have an enjoyable week.

I haven't had chance to read all the posts yet but will catch up later when I get another peaceful moment

Afternoon all,

Beautiful day here again today and so warm. Went round to deliver the eggs this morning to Em and oh gave me a tent for them. They had to put it up straight away so I was there quite a while. We were not sure if it was all there but it was. The only thing wrong with ti was that the zip had corroded so would'nt do up but the boys thought it was great. It was really a beach shelter I think sort of windbreak that you could get changed in but they played in it all the time I was there. First little Sam went and got his electric tractor and got mum to put the trailer on it so he could take it round the back to where they were going to errect it.

Then I went to the shop where Ann showed me the Bunny Bags she had been making. Little drawstring bags with big ears on one side. She sells them in the shop. She had put a little choc bunny in front of every one in theri packets she puts the makes in. She does them up so nicely.

Oh washed all the decking and the big seat that goes on it this morning. He also knocked over a pot I have in a stand that has had lettuce growing in it all winter. These ones were self sown!! so I had three freebees, two green and one red.

Ann the place Richard is staying looks really lovely. I had a look at the video. I am sure they will have a very relaxing and enjoyable stay there.

Wonder what Ann is going to buy at the garden centre this afternoon? What pics will she take ?

Sorry to hear you had another bad night Frank but enjoy your walk in the sunshine and the match. Then back home for a laze in the sun.

My shed Robin has just gone off with a great beakfull of worms so he has babies too.

Afternoon All

A perfect day for getting the lounger out Frank. I bet after a couple of pints and the footie you will be on it :-D :-D
I have not been to Delapre Abbey.I must mention it to Chris and we will have to go.

We are going to the Theatre next week with Fitz to see Death of a Salesman .But yesterday the lead actor passed away.Tim Piggot Smith.It must have been very sudden as the play opens on Monday. How sad. I think the 'show will go on' as they say,but I don't know who his understudy will be.

Anne, Berry House looks amazing. It is only a few miles from Mel I think.What a great idea to rent a big house like that.My hairdresser and all his family and extended family do something like that once a year.I have a feeling that there are more than 20 !!
Sorry that Abbie and her Mum have had another falling out.It is a shame that they seem to have a difficult relationship.I wonder if it would be like this if her mum was on her own? She is lucky to have you so close by when times are a bit difficult for her.

So all the little baby birds are arriving :-D :-D. Frank ,you could try the dried mealworm, and I am sure as you say Mums will know if it is safe to feed the babies with them.
I expect there are a few nests with babies in our big hedge...I just hope Thomas stays well away.
It must be a week now that he has not eaten any of his own cat food.I have been putting it down but have ended up just chucking it out. The rabbit population surely must be going down now LOL

Going to sit outside now with a book.I have been waiting in for a phone call from the fund raising chap from Cransley Hospice as he was needing bank details for setting up a DD for the Hospice Lottery.He was at the garden centre this morning trying to get people to join,but I only had cash with me and no purse/bank card (I had only gone to get a bag of bird food.I have always put money in tins etc for the hospice but now it will be nice to know I will be giving a certain amount each month.It isn't a lot but well worth doing.

Is it time for a glass of chilled wine :-D.. I think so. Just the perfect weather for it . I will take Chris one.He won't turn it down :-D.He is taking it easy this afternoon after a heavy week .He says everything is hurting.

I think Hannah and Gareth are back home tomorrow. What weather to come back to :-D.

William ,I think the little secluded garden at The Grange looks so pretty, and a perfect sun trap.Was it just you and Carmel enjoying the peace and quiet there?
I 'm off now.. Get my vitamin D topped up.I have a strappy top on so plenty of skin for the sun to get to :-D :-D

Evening all,

What a lovely day it's been ,blue sky all day and really warm ,we have been sitting outside most of he afternoon ,Max sprawls out in the sun and then moves into the shade when he gets hot , he just gets settled when a bee or fly comes whizzing past his nose and he just has to get up to chase it :-D

Thats a lovely ginger cat on the house boat ,i take it he doesn't come with the boat that Hannah was on and that he was from another boat , i wonder how many boats he's got into when some one has left the window open .
Oh the little puppy is so cute ,a handful , but i bet they will miss him when he goes home .
Nice photo of Thomas on the bed , well he must be getting plenty of rabbits and mice if he's not eating the food you leave out Jane .

Hope you enjoyed your walk today Frank and your trip to the pub for the match ,i bet you had a doze on the lounger this afternoon .
I should think the meal worms would be ok for the babies ,the birds wouldn't give them to the babies if they couldn't have them they know what their young will eat .
It will be lovely to see the little ones ,lets hope the cats keep away from them .

I bet the boys loved the tent Mel ,just the right thing for boys to play in ,i bet they will want to spend the night in it when the weather gets better .

Anne thats a lovely big house they are all staying in ,they have had a good start to the holiday weather wise ,lets hope the rest of the week is good too.
So Ruby is loving the puppy classes ,is she liking her walkies better now ?

So it's a day off from the sorting then Ann ,you sound as if you've made a good start and you've even got OH having a clear out too.

William how lovely that you can have a meal tomorrow with Carmel and also sit out in the garden it will all help Carmel on the road to recovery .

Been out all day today, then when we finally got home we decided to take all the flowers out of the greenhouse. OH said it was getting to hot in there for them now as they were wilting, so after we moved them out we spent the next hour watering the whole garden. We have so many pots plants, around 200 or more, it takes ages to water them all. My sister rang just after we'd finished then I rang mum, we're just watching the end of the F1 qualifying which I recorded earlier and we've watched the Grand National. Tomorrow we are going to re-pot some of our plants as mum came round while we were out with the free pots she promised us, she'd left them outside the front door. So quite a busy day all round........Oh and OH put some stones down under the bedroom window. We'd taken up the old ones hoping to flag the area but then changed our minds as the job would of been to awkward to do as it's only a small area, so we put the stones back and added some more to top it up, so that's another job out of the way.

I'm shattered now so will have an early night. I haven't caught up with the post yet, so will do that tomorrow.

I have had another go at my tree this evening and added a few more names. Had a contact this morning from someone who has the same gt gt grandad as me. He is connected to another child of his though.

Morning a ning ,

Another lovely start to the day but oh tells me this is the last one for us so make the most of it. I shall be out in the garden trying to get things in order. I hav'nt touched the border yet this year. I have had a few looks at it but thats as far as I got. I need Ros down here to give me a hand.

Emm has seen groups of deer over in her dad's field opposit their bungalow two groups of 8 and a group of 10. Ed showed me more pics on his phone yesterday of them.

I am just sending someone some pics from my tree so see you later.

Good morning to you all, evening Kim,

What cracking day it is. Ros has changed the bed and washed the bedding. That's now on the line. Another wash is in (colours) That will go on the rotary line as the big line is full.

Rang my sister this morning. She had a blackout on Friday afternoon (after I rang) and hit her head on the stone fireplace. Blood everywhere and a throbbing headache. Paul's wife a hairdresser has cleaned the head as much as possible but not right down to the scalp. I have told her SHE MUST ring the doctor tomorrow for a visit at home, to check everything is alright. I have also told her TO RING Age Concern, as I know they can/will be a great help for her getting help around the house, with thinks like washing and dressing, the District Nurse should be calling as well. I will be on the phone to her tomorrow, and if things aren't happening, I will step in and get the ball rolling.

W went to Martines 60th bash last night. We could a table right away from the DISCO which was so LOUD you could hardly have a conversation. We stuck it out until 10.00 pm and said our goodbyes. It was lovely to get home to peace and quiet.

Nice to see everybody has been busy doing things that need doing. Today is the BEST DAY, tomorrow is cooling down for the Easter weekend. TYPICAL EASTER. !! Needless to say where her LADYSHIP is. In the GARDEN. She came back from the garden centre at Buckingham with more bits for the garden and hanging baskets. KEW GARDENS WE ARE IN COMPETITION WITH YOU <3 <3 <3 :-S :-S :-S Can't use the patio table, even if I wanted too. Full of plants !!!!

Tomorrow I have to be at the eye dept. at the hospital for 8.45 am so will need to be up by 7.00 am That's going to be a blow to made. ;-) ;-) ;-)

I expect you are all sitting in the gardens drinking coffee, or in Jane's case WHITE WINE :-D :-D :-D :-D only joking my sweet. <3 <3 <3

I couldn't believe the number of "CAULIFLOWER EARS" we saw last night. These blokes are built like the BRICK @@@@ HOUSE. I wouldn't want to fall out with any of them.

I had better go and start the vegetables for dinner tonight a nice piece of LEG of Pork. with Apple sauce. See you all later Have a good day.

Afternoon everyone
This is a smashing day,Wall to wall blue and a fair breeze which is nice and keeping me cool. I am sitting at the patio table with the laptop now with a glass of Prosecco :-D
Cheeky FRANK :-D. I am going to make up a jug of Fresh Mint,Lemon,an Lime with lots of ice.That will be nice and refreshing later .

Oh Frank,your poor Sister did have a nasty tumble didn't she.Hopefully no lasting damage.But you are right that she should get checked out tomorrow.I wonder if she stood up too quickly and her BP dropped or something.

Why did so many of the men have Cauliflower Ears last night .Were they Boxers/Rugby Players? It sounded a really noisy do.You did well to stay until 10 :-D

Mel is is usual to see such large groups of Deer now?.They must have been a wonderful sight. God it is so noisy sitting out here.The traffic sounds like it is in the garden.It used to be so peaceful before the A14 and now it has been widened it is even worse.I think the wind is not helping either today.

Gill,200 pots !!!!!.Good grief that is a lot. Our garden is so big.I would actually be quite happy with a little walled garden and courtyard with potted plants. Not sure Chris would want that though lol.

It is my Sisters birthday today.She will be 58 so still a youngster .I sent her a pretty silver bracelet and a small wind chime. She has sent a message to say she loves both.
She will be coming to stay again for 3 nights soon. We are going down to meet up with Gareth's parents ,Hannah and Gareth and Janice and Larry on the 23rd for lunch and then Janice will come home with us then. Then on the 26th we are off to Hay on Wye so will be able to take Janice almost home and just meet Larry at a service station .That will save him a long drive up here and home again. So it all works out very nicely :-D

Mandy, Binky the Houseboat Cat actually belongs on the boat .The owners live at the other end of the boat from where Hannah was.It is all completely private .But when you think how long these boats are it must be easy enough to divide it up into 2 seperate living quarters.I spoke to Hannah last night and she said that they made a great choice in staying on the boat.They loved it. No doubt Binky will be greeting the next couple now LOL.

I hope William is enjoying his Sunday Lunch with Carmel at the Grange.I expect they might sit out in the lovely little garden this afternoon :-D

Well my poor finger tips are beginning to suffer now with all this typing so i will go and slather the cream on and put those cotton gloves on for a while.

Well now Sunday afternoon has been made even more annoying .What with the traffic noise.Next door has a Metal Grinder or something going ,so I have had to come inside.I can't stand it any longer :-S :-S :-S...I think I might just watch Casualty on catch up. I missed it last night as I watched Take That in Concert. Chris gave up and went to bed.I don't think he could cope with me singing and waving my arms around like some young teenager LOL. Mrs Brown was great too last night :-D

Thomas has just walked in .He probably can't stand the noise outside either.We just want a bit of peace and quiet here.I don't think it is too much to ask for on a lovely Sunday afternoon. Full of grumps aren't I :-D

Just sent a little recording of the noise

Jane, I forgot to say that Martines party was held at the RUGBY CLUB that Brian her OH use to play for. The Club laid it on, thats why there were so many Cauliflower ears. All friends of Martine and Brian. Didn't get the recording just the DAFFS. Hope you enjoyed your wine. !!!

Not good having all that noise on a Sunday afternoon, do they work all week, and only have weekends to do jobs. Still not good.

Oh what a twerp I feel. The leg of PORK turned out to be FOUR BIG PORK CHOPS. So I will cook those with skewers through them, I am sure they will be fine. Just extra thick slices lol lol.

Ros is still beavering away down the garden. She has dug out a root ball from the bush she cut down. I tried to help but was as much good as a CHOCOLATE TEAPOT. So came away and left her to it.

Her little blackbird it right behind her waiting for the worms she keeps finding . He is a great companion for her, and she keeps talking to him. I've just called her to come in. LATER WAS THE REPLY.

Well the day has been an absolute beauty. I think it is starting to cool down a bit now. So I think I will par boil the pots, and parsnips, and get dinner on the go. Then she will have to come in !!!!


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