General Chat

Evening All
Busy day here so just a quick post now. I have finally got dinner prepared and i now smell of fried onions, spices and gawd knows what else. I don't think spraying perfume on will do any good.
Lovey visit to Boughton House with Fitz. It was very interesting ,but would have been nice to have had a few more hours there. That will habe to be another tme now.

So you had a good spin in the Jag then Frank :-D. It does sound a fantastic car ,but I just can't see the point in spending so much money on a car that will just be used for driving around the country roads. Good meal last night I see :-D

Anne, poor Abbie must have felt quite desperate to go into Foster Care Voluntarily and then be put up in a Hostel. Such a worry for you. Living in the Hostel might seem good to her now but it is not the best kind of place to live. At least she has her own decent accomodation so no need to share with others who might not be the best (if you know what I mean) I do think her Mum sounds a rather selfish woman if she is putting her partner first rather than the girls.

Sorry not to comment on other posts but I need to crack on H&G have left London and are on the way.

Morning all.

Yet another sunny day!! What have we done to deserve this I ask myself.

The squab has just hit the window again as I was typing!! I am sure it dos'nt see very well the silly thing. It must be the light reflecting on the windows and it thinks it is flying away into the sky.

Dog show weekend so oh has been making the top field look nice for them as the grass is growing like stink.

What a cracking picture of our little Ruby, thanks for sending it Anne.

Morning to you all,

We had rain in the night, but nice and bright now.

I booked Sunday lunch out for tomorrow. I am using the Tesco vouchers as you get four times the voucher value towards the meal, so a cheap Sunday lunch. We aren't going until 4.00 pm as Ros wants to do some jobs earlier.

The old boy at the bottom of the garden saw Ros cutting branches off the apple tree yesterday, so offered to come round with his telescopic lopper. He had them off in no time. No we have a big pile of branches to dispose off. The green bin won't be emptied until Tuesday week, and the bin if full already.!!!

Those baby Squabs seem to have a death wish Mel, flying into the windows all the time. LOL

Didn't have the best of nights again last night. My right HIP is giving me a lot of discomfort, I can see I will have to go to the Doctors, to have it seen too. I hope I don't need a replacement. My knee is bad enough as it is. !!!

Who's doing what today ?? I as still reading my book, so that's me sorted. LOL LOL.

Afternoon All
Thought I would pop in now before I start cooking again. Hannah I just dropped Hannah off in town where she is meeting all her girlfriends and Gareth has gone on his new bike for a 50k ride !!He has an app on his phone and is following a route. Good job really as he doesn't know this area at all

Mel what are Squabs? That one that keeps flying into the window must be feeling a bit battered and bruised by now.

Chris just told me that 8 people have been killed on the M1 somewhere not far from Northampton !. 8 people including a baby :-( :-(

Last nights meal was a big success :-D. We were still sitting out until about 11 and then finally got to bed sometime after midnight.
Tonight we are having Normandy Pork (which is what I am about to start.I had hoped to have had it done by now but Gareth cooked breakfast for us all,so the kitchen was not free .It was more of a Brunch really as it was about 10.30.He did Poached Eggs on Sourghdough Toast,with strips of crispy Pancetta on the top of the eggs, and fried mushrooms and tomatoes. Very nice it was too :-D.

Where are you going to eat tomorrow Frank. My Sister uses those vouchers from Tesco to take the Grandchildren out to eat.
I hope your hip is less painful now. You don't think you did something to it when you took that tumble at Dartmeet?

Right I need to get my apron on and start cooking. It feels too hot really so I will have the fan on the worktop in the kitchen :-D

Jane, squabs are young unfledged pigeons. If you Google it you can see the definition.
Lovely day here, we're sitting in the sun and the 12 acre is nearly cut, so tonight Cas can have a change in her evening routine.
OH is putting a few garden bits and bobs on eBay, which will give us a bit more room in the barn, just hope it all goes!
We saw a beautiful Dragonfly last evening, we haven't seen one for ages so it was quite a treat.
Yes that's an awful accident Jane, those poor people. Glad we're not going out this w/end. One of our neighbours said the motorway traffic was hideous! best to stay put till next week!

Liz you and me both. I have been watching a lovely blue and green Dragonfly flitting from one pond to the other and it hovered just in front of me for quite a time. The big ones remind me of helicopters.

Done the shop and lunch and washed up so now I am going up the border as the edge needs cutting and I forgot to take the shears up yesterday.

On the way into the village this morning a woman I know to speak to had a load of stuff outside her gate Free to anyone. In brackets don't take the table! I came home with two hoses on reels, a shovel a straight edged garden border spade two baskets a wooden trug brand new, various tools for oh two pairs of secateers (sp) a pair of Wolf shears and a 2 pint new pyrex measuring jug. They are moving but hav'nt got the house up for sale yet. She said there would be more stuff when they get round to sorting it. Not bad for a Saturday morning going to the local shop for the paper.

Oh is mowing the top feild for Mondays Dog Show and I am going back up the border.

Brunch sounded nice Jane.

Ah! thanks Liz. I had heard of Squabs but had no idea what they were.
I have made a right boob boob with my Normandy Pork. I don't know how it will turn out now. I should not have added Creme Fraiche,Cornflour and the Mustard until the last 15 mins of cooking.But I put it all in and now it is cooking for 2 hours. I am guessing it is all going to thicken up really quickly ,so will have to keep having a look and maybe adding a bit more stock and cider. I was doing so well too. :-(
If it is a disaster I will just have to get the frozen Youngs Basa Lemon and Herb fish out of the freezer and maybe have sauté Potatoes .Chris has just sliced the Runner beans for me,but I made him slice them thinner LOL . Cruel aren't I :-D :-D

Liz i think it was people in a mini bus that were killed.Chris said it was in the early hours of this morning. It is just so terribly sad. I just wonder if it might have been a family on their way to Luton airport . No doubt I will see more on the local news tonight.
Everywhere seemed very busy here today,the roads,and shops. I am just glad I am not going anywhere. H&G go back to London sometime tomorrow afternoon,and i am not sure if James is home tomorrow or Monday. I must find out.

Mel it doesn't seem a year ago that it was the Dog Show. Was it last year it poured with rain and all the field was so muddy?

Jane I think it was. Fancy you remembering that.

Well I have come down from the border kn***ered and am just having a cot and a Kit Kat. I was so dry I had to come down and get a drink. I never remember to take one up with me.

Oh has mowed all the lawns within the wall and lost the end off the handle you pull up to raise the blades. Now the arm is sharp on the end. We have both looked all over where he mowed and we can't find it so he will have to make one.

Steak for us tonight with the usual, brocc, aspargus, toms and mushrooms with chips.

O meant to say I hope your Normandy Pork turns out alright after you're blunder. I find I do things like that sometimes so you're not the only one. I did it with cakes I made not long ago.

Evening All,

Well doesn't Miss Ruby look a bobby dazzler in her lovely harness in matching colours with the smart paw prints on!! lol. She looks a picture of health Anne and is looking quite grown up now.

I hope Gareth won't be looking at his phone while he's riding his bike Jane. (just thought it probably 'talks' the directions to him!) Did he bring the bike to yours in his car? He did well to cook you all breakfast in a strange kitchen with a strange cooker he's not used to. I don't think I would like to do that even now! It sounded just my kind of breakfast too, very nice. :-) OH mentioned about that accident Jane. Pretty awful that 8 were killed, I wonder how many others were injured.

I think your Normandy Pork should be ok if you keep adding liquid so the sauce doesn't dry out or start to burn. I do silly things like that without thinking or when I get distracted.

Frank it was good of the neighbour to use his loppers and come and help Ros. Whatever won't go in the bin this week can go in next time. We often can't get all the recycling in our big bin with all our newspapers. Sunday will be busy everywhere so it will be far better to have lunch at 4.00pm. We are planning to get to our usual place by 11.15am tomorrow. We expect them to start serving early at 11.30am as it's a Bank Holiday, which will suit us fine and we can be out before the masses arrive. It sounds like you had an excellent meal the other night but the noise of 4 hen parties going on would be our worst nightmare. I hope your hip soon settles down as you don't want problems to start with that do you.

That was lucky spotting those items being given away Mel. It sounds like you were one of the first visitors with all the things you got. Those pyrex jugs are good and I use them a lot in the microwave. Two of mine need replacing though as they are quite scratched now and worse, the measurements have faded so much it's hard to see them or how much liquid you are pouring in. It will be a busy weekend with the dog show on. Do many people come to it? With grandad racing pigeons I knew what squabs were. :-)

Morning all on this lovely bright and sunny morning.

Oh has been a bought petrol for the mowers and has just arrived back.

I expect we will get a visit from someone on the village hall commity to set the field up for the show tomorrow. They put up a ring with benches and chairs around it. Funny thing is I have'nt seen any posters around advertising it.

I want to get on with my border while the weather holds.

Anyone doing anything special today? or are you just all doing the usual for a Sunday?

Good morning to all my friends, evening Kim,

I think I am going SENILE. I walked down to the pub yesterday lunchtime to watch the match. I picked up my phone from the table and put it in my shirt pocket. As I walked across the Village hall car park, it bleeped, I took it out of my pocket only to find it was the HOUSE PHONE. !!! so had to use the pub's phone to ring Ros when I was ready to come home.

I goy to play with a beautiful Brown Lab. He had his ball in his mouth and kept coming to me, and I would wrestle the ball from his mouth and roll it across the floor for him to fetch. He was back before you could say "JACK ROBINSON" I haven't seen the owner before but got chatting about various things, including how long I had been a West Ham supporter. When I told him over 70 years, he said I don't believe that. I thought you might be 62 or 64. Did I feel chuffed or what. ;-) ;-) ;-)

I came home and told Ros, her remark was "it's the way I dress you and look after you" how very true.xxx

Ruby is looking a real LADY now Anne, I do like her harness. What a shame about your young relative wanting to leave home like that. Poor girl. :-( :-( :-(

The accident on the M 1 was a mini bus of Indians driving from Nottingham to visit London, apart from the eight dead there were three seriously injured. I see a lorry driver has been arrested on Drink Driving. He should be put away for life.

Jane I have never tried your Somerset pork, I hope it turned out alright in the end. We are going to "THE GREYHOUND" at Milton Malsor about 5 minutes from home. So we won't be getting stuck in any traffic.It's the place I have mentioned to you before.

Mel the DOG SHOW should be a great success if this weather holds. They are saying it will be 80 degrees in the shade tomorrow. It's getting very warm here at the moment. I am in shorts ready to go and sit out when finished on here. Madam is already out there doing things.

Harvey is 52/53 today. Ros rang him on "What's Ap" and had a good old natter with him. He was still in bed at 9.30 am. Good luck to him, he works such long hours over here. Him and Julia will go out for a meal together this evening. We still haven't seen Lewis. When Ros spoke to him on Friday. He said he is working everyday until next Monday, and he gets fed at work,so doesn't need to cook at home. He has managed yo do his own washing and ironing, and loves having the house to himself.

It looks like Ros is picking more apples, so I had better go and see if I can help.

BBL, have a pleasant day, what ever you are doing xxx

Morning all,

Beautiful morning here not a cloud in the sky .

Son and family have gone to Pensthorpe today to see all the wild life ,they take a picnic with them as these places know how to charge for food and drink.

Lovely photo of our Ruby she looks as bright as a button bless her , i love her harness.
I hope poor Abbie can settle in her new home the poor girl must have felt really down to want to leave home like that.

Jane i hope the Normandy Pork turned out ok in the end ,
Did Hannah and Gareth come on the train ? I just wondered as there's so much disruption with some of the trains this weekend.

Frank your not the only one to take the house phone out with you Colin has taken ours to work with him several times :-D he's even picked up the sky remote and taken that with him !!

Nice weekend to have the dog show Mel ,hope it doesn't get to hot for them ,they'll need lots of water bowls out for the dogs.

I've just made a nice coffee cake ,just got to spread the coffee icing on top when it's cooled down and cut it into fingers .

I love coffee cake can I have a piece please Mandy. Has it walnuts in too? There will be lots of nice cake tomorrow at the dog show as the village hall puts on lots and burgers too so the smell of onions will probably find its way down here. they also do a breakfast of bacon sarnies or sausage ones or egg. There will be a big raffle and sometimes they have stalls in the hall too.

Oh has been mowing this morning.

The young pigeon has been on the feeder outside the kitchen window with the parent bird and been fed by the parent too . I watched as I was at the sink at the time.

I am sure the family will have a lovely day out today and enjoy their picnic.

Yes I'll have a slice of that cake too Mamdy. LOL

I'm glad to see i'm not the only silly person on here, but I haven't taken the remote for "WALKIES" :-0 :-0 :-0

Ann while I was round John's yesterday he told me about those cat scarers. He had four in his garden and open fronted garages. He says he hasn't see or smelled a cat for over a month, so it appears they work. Will keep you posted. We will soon know as the border won't have all the earth scraped off it, and spread all over he lawn.
What made me say Somerset pork?? I told you I am loosing my marbles. LOL LOL.

I am lazing around reading. Ros is stripping all the leaves off the apple branches so she can get them in the bin, The branches will be good supports for things in the garden, providing they don't grow, and give us more apple trees. LOL LOL

Tried to ring Simon this morning, but no reply on his or Sally's phone. Perhaps they decided not to take them on their trip.

Sun is still very strong with loads of heat in it.

Looking forward to dinner, as neither of us have eaten today. Roa hates gardening on a full stomach, and I just didn't feel hungry.

taAfternoon All.

Bright sunshine here, but OH has a migraine so has gone to lie down till it passes. He thinks it is the strong cheese he had last night! I think he's right.

You aren't losing all your marbles Frank. I sometimes do Somerset Pork and it is quite similar to Normandy Pork except you put apples and cider in instead of white wine. I often stick white wine in it if I don't have cider! Both the Normandy and Somerset versions are delicious. I hope Jane's turned out ok. The cat scarers sound as if they might work ok then. Keep me posted! I've never taken the tv remote out with me.....yet, but I have tried to change the tv channels with a calculator once! I hope you enjoy your meal. We found it quieter than usual today so perhaps a lot of people have gone away with the weather being good.

Coffee and walnut cake is one of my favourites Mandy. I saw some at the Village Show I went to yesterday and my mouth was watering! :-) I think a picnic is a much better idea for the children. At least you know what they are eating and can do things they will eat up. Much cheaper too as you say. I bet they will love seeing the wild life.

Mel it sounds like the dog show will be good and I bet they appreciate your OH getting it all nicely mowed for them. Some things you go to have such long tufty grass it is an effort just to walk through it. They had a dog training club doing demos at Nuneaton when I went the other day. I thought of Cas as there was a young working Cocker Spaniel going through her paces and very enthusiastically too!! :-)

We have been out for lunch and then bought some new pillows at TOF'S, but I might pop to a nearby village where there is a scarecrow competition, just to see them. A few of the local villages have them this time of the year. OH is out for the count so he won't be coming.

Afternoon Everyone

Phew what a scorcher! It is soooo hot. Hannah and Gareth have just left. They are meeting at a pub in a little place called Boughton somewhere near Northampton(I think).
Yes he brought his bike in the car.Im not sure if he to dismantle it or not as it is a large blike and the car is a Renault Clio or Megane. They went for a run around Wicksteed Park early this morning and ran several circuits including around the 2 lakes there. Gareth is pooped after that long cycle ride yesterday so how he had the energy for a run I just don't know. I suppose just being very fit and yound helps :-) So Hannah is going to be doing the driving today. We will see them again next friday at the hotel .

LOL Frank,fancy taking the house phone to the pub :-D :-D. Did it not seem heavier than your mobile. You got a great compliment young man :-D :-D

My Normandy Pork turned out perfectly (thank heavens).It was delicious.I really thought it was going to be spoiled.

Mmm Coffee Cake. I love that Mandy. My Mum used to make a lovely Coffee and Walnut sponge.James always remembers Grandmas cakes :-D. I am hopless at cake making so I don't bother anymore. They do some lovely ones in the shops so if we do ever have one I rely on them.

Hope the dogs don't get too hot tomorrow Mel at the show.Its going to be another hot day.

I missed Casualty last night as Gareth was watching the Women's Rugby. He is such a massive Rugby Fan. Hannah went to bed and Chris did too.So I decided to watch it .I know nothing about rules of Rugby and ended up having a lesson . I think I just nodded a lot and said "oh yes". I went to bed at half time :-D

Well we are home well STUFFED. The greyhound has a massive lawned area to the front on the pub. It had a bouncy castle and a band playing. It was packed with families, all enjoying the sunshine. I recon there with be a few drink drivers on the road later. !!!

Ros had a prawn cocktail and I had deviled Whitebait. All very nice. Followed by the triple meat. Beef, Pork and turkey. Loads of veg and Yorkshire pudding. No sweets for us as usual. The restaurant was very quiet and nice and cool.

We are now home to relax and read the paper and my book.

Yes Jane BROUGHTON is near Northampton, not far from where Dianna was born. There is a nice pub there, so they won't go thirsty !!!

Enjoy the rest of this fine weather. See you soon.

Done a bit more in the garden but not up the border but down here as I look out the back door. Oh had mowed it ffor me again so I have to put all the hog things back.

Don't tell oh you had whitebait Frank as he loves that.

I have just washed my hair so am having a drink and a piece of cake but not coffee cake, an almond slice and a piece of bakewell.

That sounded a lovely lunch Frank.Cheap one too with the vouchers :-D :-D I don't like Whitebait,one thing I don't like is seeing their heads and eyes and the other I find the taste a bit too fishy.

We are just having a salad tonight.I feel I have done enough cooking and also it is too hot to eat much. So it is Ham,Chicken,Hard Boiled Eggs,Coleslaw and Potato Salad ,the other usual salad things and maybe a slice of Sourdough.Although I think there will be more than enough without extra bread.
I don't know what H&G would have had for lunch at the pub but there was a table booked for 2.30 with their friends. I think the pub might be called the Myrtle ? But not sure.

Did you enjoy your Almond Slice and Bakewell Mel? You won't be wanting any dinner after those :-)..Or have you had our 'BIG BREAKFAST ' today.

We had a shock early yesterday evening .A Fox trotted across the bottom of our garden !!!!!!. Never ever seen a Fox in the garden before.We will have to keep our eyes open and see if it is a regular .

I felt so tired this afternoon I had to have a lie down on the settee,and I dozed off .Not a deep sleep just a little rest :-D :-D. Thomas is pooped too. He is now just curled up fast asleep at the edge of the patio. Probably has a bit of heat stroke after lying indoors all afternoon behind the curtains at the patio door where the sun was streaming in.
A car woke me up about 4.30 this morning.I thought it was sounding like it was out of control because of the noise but I think it was just the engine and also the speed it was going.I ghot up to check it hadn't crashed and then wasn't able to get back to sleep properly so was up about 5.30. Probably the reason why I have been so dopey today.

I have a feeling there is a new Drama staring tonight.But can't think what it is .Will have to have a look at the Radio Times.