General Chat

Afternoon all, Yes I had my stick with me, but certainly jolted my hips. I can't even be bothered to go to the pub tonight to see WEST HAM, even though Ros has offered to take me.

Jane we just had the biggest downpour here also. thought it was going bust the conservatory roof.
I must have missed the bit about the new Carvery Ann, is it as good as the others you use ??

Do your meal works come live Mel, ??Cheeky little shrew helping himself without asking LOL

Jane your ear ring didn't end up in your mouth did it ?? and you swallowed it. It's strange where it could have gone. KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN LOL LOL.

Roast leg of lamb tonight with Roasts, parsnips, Broad beans, runner, sprouts, peas and carrots. Ros has stewed plums this afternoon and made three lbs of JAM. Plus she has made two more quilts for the children.

Just going to put the roasts in, and check the meat.

Ann,I have soooo much needing sorting here. I am so untidy it drives Chris nuts.He is a neat freak .Especially when it comes to his study. Everything in it's place all papers shredded . I only need to use a pen or the phone on his desk and he knows I have been there LOL. Especially the phone as it is a copy of the old fashioned ones (with the numbers dial) and I put the hand set down the opposite way to him (being left handed).He will say "who have you been talking too?" :-D
Being left handed I always put thing down with the top of whatever pointing to the right.It is the same with the cutlery .He then turns things the other way around.
I have never eaten left handed (knife in left hand and fork in right) ,but he still sets my cutlery for left handed :-S

Gill,I haven't done a good old home cooked Chicken Casserole for ages.I must do one.
I always do loads of mashed potatoes with it.But it tends to be more of a winter meal here with maybe dumplings on top.

James has a quick meal tonight before he goes to Jess .So I will do his first and then do our dinner ... Youngs Lemon and Herb Basa(Anne :-D) Chips ,and Runners and Peas.. I am not doing anything cordon blu LOL as cotton gloves just get in the way.
The skin on my thumbs and tops of 2 fingers are a right mess again with skin peeling :-S...It is just all a horrible side effect of these tablets. I will be glad to see the Dermatologist on the 2nd Oct as I will need to discuss other side effects.

The sky looks like it might be getting lighter (but not holding my breath for now)

OH has just come in and said he heard on the car ratio that there is a severe weather warning for the Wirral for tonight and tomorrow. Very high winds, thunder and lightening and power cuts. So if we do have a power cut, you know why I won't be on here.

Sorry to hear you have jolted your hips Frank. Shame you can't make it to the pub to see West Ham. Can you watch it on your own TV? Hope they win, that'll cheer you up.

I've made more of a stew than a casserole I think, as I've added the potatoes to it Jane. We've just eaten some, it was lovely and warmed us up a treat :-) OH fancies fish and chips so that's next on my list of things to do.

Evening all,

Very windy here today with heavy showers and thunder ,i think tomorrow should be windy too.

Frank it sounds like you had a nice day yesterday on the canal even though it was rainy ,i just think its so lovely that we can now hear you say " with my son " some thing that a few months ago you didn't think would happen <3

Oh Mel the little Shrew must have thought all his Sundays had come at once ,i bet he filled his belly and came out much fatter than when he went in . :-D :-D

I nipped to the post office this morning to post off Colin's form for his driving license,he will be seventy next month so it needs renewing .

Max had his Wormer tablets this morning they soon go down if i wrap them in a little bit of ham ,if i didn't wrap them he'd spit them out , then in a few days he'll have his flea treatment .

Oh Jane your poor fingers again ,i thought they were really getting better .

Just made a cheesecake, I'm getting through all sorts today :-D :-D :-D

I had to re-new my driving licence the other week too Mandy, but I had to try and find a post office that took the photo and sent it off electronically, it took me a few days to find one. Apparently there is only one on the Wirral that does it now.

I seem to have been busy all day and hav'nt had a mo to sit down.

I don't know if you remember me telling you I had the man down from Anglian Windows to see about my back door and he quoted some rediculas (sp) price and I said NO. Well they rang today and offered me 55% off so I asked 55% off how much? He said he could'nt tell me that till he had been and had a look. Anyway he is coming at 12 noon tomorrow. If you recall I only wanted a new door handle and new rubbers fitted to the existing door and they said they could'nt do that as they don't do these doors anymore. We will see what price he comes up with.......

I have my OUtlander season 3 onthe telly tonight and a new episode every Monday for a few weeks so I am looking forward to that. Not sure if I shall watch Liar.

Morning all,

We have sunshine and showers this morning so what's it like with you?

I wonder if the door man will turn up on time today. I hope so as I want to get off shopping earlier so I can get back earlier.

Had our usual reminder of the order of oil from the shop this morning and Keith always writes a funny little story or reminds people that all enquiries should go to the oil company and not the shop. Well this month he did something different. Its a tale about something that happened in the shop with a lady and the ATM machine.

Morning All,

Just sunshine here at the moment Mel. OH is in the garden digging up the lovely shrubs that have berries on, 2 are red and one a lovely salmon pink. They grow so fast in our garden it's a job to keep up with the pruning and they are smothering everything else!. They are supposed to reach 2 and a half feet, but these reach 6 feet easy, even after we cut them back by half last year. When it rains the berries weigh the branches down and they flop all over everything else. I will look for something more suitable to replace them now.

Someone at the door!!

Morning sweet things, Evening Kim,

Not much to report from here, as I haven't done anything but shower and shave this morning and had Weetabix for breakfast.

Water sample ready to go to the Drs. Them on for my X ray. Will pick up Ros's new glass's on the way back. Then the rest of the day to ourselves.

Ann we have a couple of bushes like that. They are always in my way when I mow the lawn, either catching me in the face or a branch getting caught uo in the mower.

Any news on the ear ring Jane. ?? I too am left handed but have never eaten left handed, but I do place glass's on the wrong side of the place settings.

We are off now, see you later.

What a shame you can't find your earring Jane. I panic sometimes when I've gone to bed with them in as I worry that they or the butterfly that holds them on will end up right down my ear in the night!! I hope it comes to light soon, perhaps when you change the bed or underneath it.

Sounds like you have a medical day Frank. I hope you don't have to wait long for your xray and that Ros's glasses are spot on this time.

I have frozen more toms this morning and cooked, packed and frozen some more apples. Then I used a load of runner beans I picked and veg in the fridge, carrots, onions and a potato and made runner bean soup. I didn't think it was something OH would like but he tasted it and wanted some for his lunch! The rest is portionned and ready to freeze now. I used my pressure cooker for the soup, but I think it may need new parts as the steam pressure built up but seemed to leak instead of popping up the steam valve, which wasn't stuck as I always test it before I start.

OH says his back is playing up after getting the roots of the shrubs out so he has taken a break now. At least they are all out and packed into bags ready for the tip tomorrow. :-)

We think the second bungalow the builder is just finishing may be sold as it isn't being advertised any more. The 3 bed house he squashed in is still for sale though, despite him dropping the price by about £40,000, but then we always said it wasn't in a good position.

I slept like a log last night and was up quite early. I think these darker cooler nights are suiting me far better.

I have just had a call from the man that is supposed to be coming to say he is running really late and he asked me what it was I wanted looking at and could he come tomorrow? I thought he would know! I said the back door and I was told there could be 55% off and he told me it was'nt on front or back doors. II told him not to bother calling at all.

That has now set me back and I am just going shopping now.

Afternoon Everyone

Ann,you have been busy in the kitchen today with all your tomatoes and Apples. Your freezer must be bursting .Has OH had a nice soak in the bath to ease is aching back?

Frank, do you know how long you have to wait for the results of your urine test?Hopefully not too long,and the same with the Xray. I expect Ros will be happy with her new specs now. When do you go to Devon again?It will be nice if all the high winds have gone before you get there.

The trees seem to be swaying a bit now so the wind is on its way. I expect Chris has checked the clips on the plastic greenhouse ,but some will probably not hold firm if it is really bad. I think it is an Amber Warning for tomorrow. I shalln't be going anywhere thats for sure.

Mel, that seems pretty bad that the man had no idea what you were after regarding windows/doors,and if there is no discount on doors then surely you should have been told that. I bet they were just hoping to persuade you to have more done. !! This business of 55% off too is often a load or rubbish. They give you an extortionate price and then comes the battle of getting the price down and them ringing the office to speak to the boss and say the customer will only want to pay so much.It is a right old game and I hated every minute of it when we had the rep out .I think we had a reasonable deal in the end and that was every window in the front of the house.If I remember correctly the price started off at something like £16.000 and we paid just over £8.000

James and Jess have arrived in the New Forest ,and he sent a pic of a load of Donkeys out the front of the cottage .Jess was giving one of them a pat. I hope they don't all start braying in the night or early morning as J&J will not be amused LOL.
James said the Ponies are EVERYWHERE !

Chinese for us tonight.We really enjoyed the one we had last week so thought we would have another.Plus it will save me cooking as I still have the blasted cotton gloves on. I did pick a load of Sage earlier ans have backed the leaves and put them i nthe freezer. I will pick more and put them in a kilner bottle(small one) with Olive Oil so I can have sage infused oil :-) Trouble I have no idea how much sage to put in the bottle !!

Mel, It's always the same with these "OFFERS" 55% off but not on what you want.

Ann you have certainly been a busy girl, I have never tried Runner bean soup, I think someone mentioned it a few weeks ago.

Medical day over THANK GAWD. We popped into Tesco then on to the hospital. I sat for an hour and a half to get my X ray. It was all over in 3 minutes. It took me longer to undress and dress again. LOL LOL. There was only a tiny feet in the cubicle, and I had a hell of a job getting my trousers off and on. I could almost hear myself call to Ros to come and help. :-( :-( :-(

The glass's were spot on for Ros, she could read the bottom line on the card, which the girl said was unusual. So she is beavering away with more quilting. I have been reading my book, but my eyes wanted to close, so I gave up.

Have spoked to both my sister and SIL this afternoon. Not good news from either of them. Fran my SIL has had a fall in the bedroom, and smacked her head. Her son was home at the time, so he was able to help her. My sister however is going BLIND. Her left eye has packed up completely , and her right eye is almost gone. She is going the Moorefield's Eye Hospital later this month. Her hearing is almost gone. She had a perforated eardrum from a beating from her OH years ago in her left ear. So now she can't read, watch T.V. and very difficult to hear the radio. She isn't able to sleep even with two sleeping tablets at night. She says she lays and cry's the nights away, She even told me she took a carrier bag and put it over her head to try to finish her life. I think she should have constant care in hospital and kept on suicide watch. I have told her to get her son to ring me. I need to let him know just how serious this is with his mother. She has rung the doctor for a home visit, and gets palmed off with "WE ARE TO BUSY" for home visits.

Sorry folks but I am at my wits end, how she is being treated by her medical care.

I can see me ringing the Police, for them to get the medical attention she needs.

God Frank, your poor Sister. I think you are right and she needs to be somewhere where she can be cared for 24hrs a day now. She really doesn't sound safe now and the fact that she is talking of taking her life is really sad.

Those changing cubicles in hospital are small aren't they and quite claustrophobic if you have to stay sitting on the uncomfortable bench for ages until you are called through.At least the Xray is done now . Ros must be chuffed with her new glasses especially if she can read the bottom line on the chart !!!. I don't think I managed that with my new specs.

Ann I meant to ask about Runner Beanm Soup. I have never heard of it .Or even thought of making a soup from them.Peas yes but not Runners. I think if I suggested I made that I would get turned up nose from Chris,and James never ever eats soup.So I don't think it is going to be on the menu here anytime soon :-)
I borrowed a recipe book off Fitz's OH as I had seen the book down at their place,but there wasn't really much I fancied in there. I did find 3 though that I have copied intop my recipes notebook. One is a Sprout Risotto !!!!. Sounds horrendous but I think could actuallt be quite tasty
:-D

We are having a battle over the heating here. Chris is cold and keeps turning it up ,and I am boiling and sneakily turning it down. It is back up again now so I am going to have to and cool off outside.

Evening all

It started off sunny here today but has gone cloudy now, thankfully no rain but the wind is picking up and supposed to be bad between 12 midnight and 4am. OH has just tightened up all the screws on the side gate as the lock wasn't lining up, that's sorted now so hopefully it won't blow open if the wind is bad.

We've taken the Hebe out of the front garden so that is tucked away in a corner of our back garden in a pot for now. I thought it best not to put it at the bottom of the new border tonight incase it got blown over.

We nipped to B&Q this morning for some compost but the one we normally have was sold out, they had smaller bags and because some of them had holes in the bags the fella said we could have them for £2 each for a 50 litre bag, so we had 5 in total, which worked out £4 cheaper than if we'd bought 2 of the larger bags we originally wanted, the weight worked out the same too. The fella also let us have a large pot for £4 instead of £8.36, so all in all we had good bargains there. We also found some Cyclamen plants for £1.29 each at Home Bargain so I bought three of those, which are now in amongst the plants we've got in the new border, it really brightens it up as they are a lovely red colour.

It sounds like you've been busy today Ann, working away in your kitchen. I also fill my freezer with all sorts of things and also meals I make. I try to make more than I need and freeze half of it. It saves me cooking if we've been busy all day, it just needs heating up then.

Hope the clips hold on your greenhouse Jane, we're hoping ours doesn't get blown around again like it did when storm Doris hit us, that was a scary day so I'm not looking forward to tonight if the winds get up again. Sorry to hear about your fingers playing you up again, let's hope something can be done about them so you don't have to wear the gloves for long.
The donkeys sound lovely and the ponies too, it sounds like James and Jess are having a great time with them. I haven't had a Chinese for ages, it's nice to have a treat every now and then isn't it?

I'm so sorry to hear about your sister Frank. I think the same as Jane, she should have more help. Good idea to let her son know how she is feeling, then he can keep an eye on her. Did you manage to watch your West Ham last night. I hope they won. How is your hip today? Hope it's feeling a little better for you.

So you didn't bother with the quote then Mel, I don't blame you. It was naughty of the man to give you the impression you were going to have 55% off the price of the door you wanted, knowing full well there was no discount on doors. Good on you for not letting them come round and waste your time tomorrow. I hope you caught up with everything after waiting in all that time today.

Just watching Gardeners World I recorded the other day.

Oh Frank, no wonder you are worried about your sister. The poor thing must be so depressed with not being able to even enjoy the radio and now another fall. I agree too that she really needs more care now. Has she been assessed by Social Services yet? I would think her son really needs to let the doctor know she is suicidal. Busy or not, I think they would be obliged to act on that. Do you think she has let her son know how bad things are or has kept it to herself? It's good she has been able to let you know how she feels. What a long wait you had for your xray, then in and out in a few minutes like you say. I hate those cubicles too and they are usually stuffy and too hot for me.. You wait on tenterhooks thinking every sound means they are coming to get you and after a while you wonder if they've forgotten you!! At least it is done now and Ros' new specs sound great. Like Jane I don't think I can read the bottom line, even with my specs on. I bet she is enjoying doing more quilting with better vision.

No bath for OH Jane.........he shot off to collect his pal at 4.00pm to go to another match at Coventry! He's beavered away today so I think he's been wanting to make sure I didn't think he was 'slacking' getting things done and going to footie instead. lol He picked all the beans I couldn't reach and washed up the pressure cooker and pyrex jugs I used and the liquidiser parts. I bet his back will be stiff tomorrow though. I was quite surprised about the soup as it didn't really taste of runner beans at all. It was a WI recipe and had a bit of mint in it and I put 2 veg stock cubes in. It was just like a vegetable soup. As runners are so low calorie I thought it would use them up and help my waistline a bit at the same time! Well I can hope can't I!! :-D What a shame your fingers have broken out again, just as things were going so well with them too. I bet you were hoping you wouldn't need the gloves any more. t
I would love seeing all the ponies and donkeys where G & H (Ooops! it should be J&J) are in the New Forest and would be clicking away with my camera!

Well, fancy messing you about wasting your time like that Mel. They should have told you doors were not included before they arranged to send someone shouldn't they. I hate these salesmen that like to give you the impression they are giving you a good deal and keep dropping the price too, but I think it's the way most of them operate in selling windows. When we had Dolphin to give us a quote for the bathroom 10 years ago, she came at 7.00pm and was still with us and ringing her boss at 11.00pm!! Even then the quote was still around £11,000 and we got local people to do it for about £7,000 including all the tiling. Some folk must pay their prices though mustn't they or they'd go out of business.

Judging by these winds we have been warned about tomorrow I could come out of the hairdressers at lunchtime and look like I've been dragged through a hedge after 5 mins in the wind! :-S I've done washing to go out as well??

I hav'nt read Ann's post yet but all the rest.

Jane I hope you can get some more treatment for your poor fingers. It sounds like they are going backwards now after getting a little better a while ago.

Frank I do think you should get something done about your sister. it sounds like she really need 24 hour protection under sheltered accomadation where they have a warden who looks after them.

Did the shopping and got home quite early and put it all away. Had a dreadfull drive home at 20mph all the way. There were 20 cars following a tractor and huge cattle trailor. Lost him at stibb cross and then a huge lorry turned into the road I was going down also doing 20mph. I was glad to get home.

Oh is making himself a pouch in leather to put all his chisels in little pockets and then you can roll it up.

You had some some good bargains at the shop today Gill. Makes it nice to use things you get cheaper and thinking how much you have saved. I'm all for that.

Thing is about the phone call I had from Anglian he said I could have the 55% off the door so why did the man who was going to come say it was'nt on doors???

Yes by the sound of things we are in for a battering from this wind coming from the west. It's blowing quite badly here with a good driving rain. So watch out Mandy it's coming your way.

Ann, it might be a good idea to cancel your hair do. As you say it's going to go through it, when getting to the car.

I spoke to my Nephew this evening about my sister. He is on top of everything. A lot that is going on with her is in her MIND. He said he often goes in to see her during the day and she is fast asleep in the armchair. When he goes back an hour or so later, she says she must have been resting her eyes LOL LOL As he said if she sleeps on and off during the day, that's why she can't sleep at night. I feel a little more relaxed about what's going on with her. The other son (Michael) called late afternoon and bought her an M & S Beef casserole with dumplings, which she cleared. So not all bad.

Going to catch the Lifeboat programme, so see you all tomorrow.

Morning all from a very messy Devon.

Gosh did it blow last night? Our front lawn oh mowed yesterday is littered with the leaves off the trees. It seemed to be coming from all directions and not only the west cos when I looked out at a hog feeding the big ash tree and the beech down by Prickley Hollow had their branches sort of swirling around and they were making such a noise. The hog turned from the bowl and headed straight for the decking and cover.

Its a shame none of the big trees out the back came down to give us our view back but things you wish to happen never do, do they?

Hope you all are safe this morning and that Gill's screening is still up.

Frank it can be strange the things your sister tells you and nothing like it at all. When I used to visit my nan in the home where she was she would tell me my dad and Edgar had gone to football so she was here on her own. She was sitting among many others in the day room and grandad (Edgar) had been dead for years and so had my dad, Frank. She introduced me to the other residents as her neice Doreen, her sisters child, my aunt. She was talking quite usually and nayone would think it was all right and normal to hear her words. Then she would suddenly drop off to sleep.

Good morning to you all, evening Kim,

I see no one posted after me last night, and I wasn't that late.

Not the best of nights last night. Back has been playing up around the kidney area on the left. I hope it's not stones again. Very painful to have them blasted. Or it might be from that jolt getting off the boat on Sunday. Will see how it goes during the week.

Not heard from Jan yet, to say when she is coming to pick up Alexander and us up. I was going stay at home this time, but it is Ros's birthday next Tuesday, so I will have to go regardless. The journey is getting too much for me sitting in one place for so long, even with stops.

We have a little friend with us today "BIGGLES" the miniature Snoucer (sp) He is such a treat to have, he loves his strokes and tummy rubs. The conservatory door is open so he can come and go as he likes.

Ros is off to get her nails done at 11.30 am. The girl Anna (who Ros thinks might be pregnant ) isn't there and won't be for a few weeks, so I think Ros might be right. !!!

We certainly had the wind and rain last night. This morning it's white clouds being blown on a strong North Westerly wind.So with a bit of luck it will keep the rain away.

Ros has also offered to go round Carolyn' and John's to de-head his roses, while they are in Tenerife . They can't get a flight back until the 30th Sept. Then they are off to Australia for 5/6 weeks. Oh to have MONEY ;-) ;-) ;-)

The cloud is really building up now and the wind getting stronger, so I will button down the hatches and get my book out.


See you all later.