General Chat

I have just read the day's posts but, after another hectic day, I am too exhausted to write much now, especially as I know that I will go on for far too long. However, I will try to find time over the weekend to tell you the saga of my hospital trip today. (Hint: shouldn't a bus driver have a sense of direction?).

Sleep well everyone.

I'm glad you liked the painting Mel and I hope your BIL will like my effort with his photo too.

I think you are right that people may be reluctant to send cards as much in future AnnG, espcially if they are so late getting there. I was shocked at the cost of sending them abroad this year. E cards can't be displayed as Vera says and I think receiving and displaying them can help people on their own and older people still feel connected to others at a time of the year when they may feel more lonely or depressed. Cheerful cards and messages can lift the spirits. OH hates taking them down, so they stay up longer than the christmas decorations.

I thought OH could get me some of a favourite perfume for christmas too, but it's been discontinued!! Luckily a few places have some left so I'll order it myself to be sure it's the right one.

We had our bin collection details for next year this week. No garden bin collection now till the middle of March! I wonder what happens with all the extra bin lorries they won't be using till then?

Off to bed now and I hope you have a better night AnnG.

Edit: Oh Mandy what a shame. I hadn't thought of that, but a lot of charity collections will find the same now I expect.

Oh thats good then Gwyn I hope ours taste good too ,I think Chelsea is the only one who's not keen on Christmas pud , Lewis absolutely loves it and has seconds .
It's Christmas jumper day at school for Lewis next week ,dil bought him a new one and the label on the neck was itchy so son decided to cut it out ,what did he do but cut a hole in the jumper so I had that to sort out this morning .
Son said the children from one of the classes in school had been in The Range singing carols ,they collected 4 pound I felt so sorry for them ,as son said not many people carry cash these days .

What a masterpiece. That makes up for not having one for a long time Annx. Its great.

That's a shame, Ann. I hope they turn up soon.

We had several cards today, but none yesterday or Tuesday, so perhaps we're on a Monday/Wednesday/Friday system here?
I remember the days, when having delivered all his round, the postman would open the post box to take anything back to the office for sorting, to get it on it's way.
This would be in addition to the regular published collection times.

When I used to deliver Christmas post as a student, we always took out 2 full post deliveries a day, so that each morning could start afresh.

Afternoon All,

It was supposed to be a dry day here, but we've had a lot of drizzle and gloom! I took a paracetamol last night and slept well and was up much earlier today. I went to a garden centre and had a coffee and bought some parcel tape and some small stick on hooks I wanted, so I can hang things on the inside of cupboard doors. It was quite busy by the time I left and a big delivery lorry had parked behind me when I left, just like last time I was there. I managed to get out with a few shunts, but there's no rear screen wiper on my car, so I will try and remember to reverse into a space next time. OH walked up to the village to get his orange juice he likes and has been catching up with some work and phone calls since.

I finished my painting today and have emailed it, except to AnnG and Mandy who have seen it already on FB. I hope your BIL likes it Mel as it is not an exact copy of, but is based on his lovely photo I really like. No the stick has never turned up ....yet. OH is wondering himself now whether it was him that hid it somewhere. I thought those little books the lady made were fantastic and looked so real.

Gwyn OH has been the same with blood tests and repeat blood tests this year and was put in mind of Tony Hancock and his 'armful' they took too. I hope your finger is less sore today.

I decided to check the whether the spare key to my car that was lost would still work. The engineer who came and programmed the new one in may have changed things.Well it doesn't work, could just need a new battery, but the key itself will work anyway so it still works, but just not remotely.

Finding papers is no joke Vera. It is so easy for papers to get mixed up or picked up with others and put away, even with a filing system. I did sympathise with your young son and the present that was the last thing a young boy his age would want, even worse two left hands. Credit to you and your OH though that being nicely brought up he behaved so graciously and politely. I have to ask, what happened to those bloomers? That was good you found a jacket so quickly for your OH. Your friends M & V are not having an easy time, but at least the oxygen means he can go out and visit people for a while. I wouldn't have thought about notifying the Fire people either. Dad had a huge oxygen cylinder for welding in the workshop he rented and I can't remember us ever notifying anyone, but perhaps we should have.

I'm glad the meeting went well and that people helped to put the chairs back AnnG. The Christmas decorations the lady made sound interesting and I expect all the mince pies and shortbread were much enjoyed.

Your lovely card arrived late yesterday Mandy, so thank you! I see everything went to plan yesterday and you just need some salt for the dishwasher now so that's good. Yes I've seen a few with masks on here lately and our A&E in the city was on the news yesterday with the amount of Flu admissions. Many of the ethnic minorities in the city won't have vaccinations so viruses spread more in the city. It happened with covid and I think we had the earliest lockdown then.

Frustrating apparently Christmas cards from my sister and daughter both stuck in the post somewhere. So annoying. People won’t send cards next year.

Lol, AnnG... Yes, I did think of Tony Hancock back in the summer, when I was so frequently tested, at the hospital :-D
They were looking for 'markers' to try and work out why I was having such lingering affects after pneumonia.
The annual review always requires a drop more, as I think they test to see if one of my tablets has an adverse effect on the kidneys.

Just got in and read the posts.

Been up the shop with two more post arrangements I made today so they have 5 up there now and it looks a bit more Christmassy along their windowsill where I put them. Also dropped off Phyis's ring and she was in so she paid me and gave me a card and I had hers but do you think I could find it?

I corned the chickens before I went and just as wqell as Phyl talked for quite a while. She told me she had been to Merry Harrieras on the ring and ride bus. She gave me all the details and thye charge about £14. something for most places but a bit more if you go to Barnstaple or Bideford. They pick you up and bring you back to your door.

I am now going to have a nice cuppa and a biscuit and see what I am going to have for dinner. I have been having the sausage rolls for lunch I made in the week so hav'nt had to make any lunch.

Annx I forgot it was the stick you hid when you went away so that has'nt appeared yet then?

Mandy I need to get a few more decs up and some lights on the garland along the windowsill and my red berries. It looks dreary without them.

Have any of you been watching the miniature programs? I have watched two now but to me they cheat as a lot of the stuff is laser cut so not starting from scratch. But the library lady made 3,000 tiny books.

Mandy I did read that this years jab against the new flu version gives 40% protection. However zI could just as likely see somebody else in a few days giving another percentage so best to just stay away from crowds of people. I think it is mainly said to wear masks when asked to and to edsr them if you have bugs like flu. I am sure they have done this in previous year’s flu outbreaks.

Gwyn you seem to have a lot of blood taken. Thoughts of Tony Hancock :-D

Went into town for my annual medication review.
It was a bit chaotic there as 'the system' was down and the receptionists were having to keep a pen and paper log of who had arrived for their appointment and ask who they had come to see and at what time.
Of course, they couldn't make future appointments either.

When I went into the nurse, she had no computer screen to read my notes, so she didn't even take my blood pressure, but was grateful for the readings I had taken since last weekend, which she said were fine. Just some more blood taken, but what they will test it for is anyone's guess :-S

Yes, Mandy, our trial run Christmas pudding turned out just fine and the same texture as it usually is, so daughter now feels confident in cooking her usual pudding mix in the slow cooker for the family to share at Christmas.

Afternoon all,

It's been a very dreary day but dry the sky is now turning pink its so pretty.

Got the tree decorated yesterday and dishwasher came in the afternoon ,today son came and plumbed it in ,I forgot to get some salt to go in so it won't get used until I do .we had haircuts this morning and after lunch I did a bit more Christmas decorating .
There's a few more bits I need to bring down just bits to stand about .

Oh Vera I had to laugh about the gloves your poor boy did so well to be polite about his present, I wonder if she bought two pairs and they got muddled up ,someone else probably got two righthand gloves.

Ann thats good the car key has turned up ,perhaps you need to have a look in there for the stick thingy that you've hunted high and low for lol he might have hidden that in there too .

I see the masks are coming out again with all this flu about , so glad we had the flu jabs which should give us a little protection.

Gwyn I keep meaning to ask how your Christmas pudding came out ,did you eat this one and make another .

Morning girls just,

Its sunny here today but the temp is only 7 degrees. Iv'e been up the post van with a parcel which cost me £7.80 which I was not very pleased about but it had to be sent.

Vera I did laugh about your strange presents, I expect the gloves were given to her and she passed them on to your son. I wonder if she remembered they were both left handed or jus thought they were a pair of gloves. I can imagine your sons face when he opened the present poor boy.

I found out today who was making the rings for down the shop the last few years when they told me someone else was doing them for them now. Its their daughter in law so you can't blame them really. There'#s none down there today and Keith said he will have to chase her up. If she's not doing them again this year it dos'nt leave me a lot of time to do any. So I am going to do some little arrangements without candles that will go on graves.

Pc is saying rainy days ahead so I better go out and pick some stuf.

O Annx after all this time you or G has found your lost car key you hid before going away all those years ago. Always good for G to have a spare too though. I need another for my fresh cara but I know its going to cost me a lot! How's the painting coming along I am dying to see it as we hav'nt had one from you for ages?

Good morning all wer this morning and 11 degrees. I have nothing planned just a bit of a clear up after yesterdaays meeting.

the meeting went well, thankfully nobody was coughing or sneezing as we were packed into my lounge like sardines. One of our members gave us a demonstration on making little Christmas table decorations using material grown in her garden. - lots of little seed heads which she had painted with 'airfix' type paints. Another member broguht us each little tree decorations she had made from dried orand slices. And we then had a question and answer session as another member had a pack of cards with garden questions on them. We enjoyed mince pies and shortbread with our tea and a good chat as well. And I was lucky as they all mucked in and put the chairs back where they belonged to save me carrying them.

Vera, yes it was good to get that post. However somebody, who gave in and went to the sorting office to collect her mail said there was a heap of 2nd class mail in a corner of the office waiting for sorting. And I know my sister posted her card on the 4th. so we just have to wait and see what happens now and prepare for returning to a large pile when I come back from daughter's
Sounds like your OH is going to be cosy with his nice warm coat Vera.

Ann, great to find the car keys, that is the trouble with cupboards and drawers that we don't use regularly, I can imagine we will all be having a check around now if we have lost anything. since T died I think most of my cupboards etc have been emptied and tidied but a couple over the bed are difficult to reach, I will have a think. Probably get daughter to help sometime when they have a longer stay.
Yes, I too hope there doesn't have to be a further op. However I will be expecting the BCC on my face may be referred early when I come back as it is a bit sore and I don't think it will go until March.

Her's hoping at least some of us sleep well. Night night.

Evening everyone

It’s not been a bad day today. The temperature reached 11 degrees though it was quite nippy in the breeze but I don’t think we could expect it to be much better in December. It has stayed dry today which is a bonus.

I’m sorry to hear that some of you have got my disease of not sleeping much. We could form our own group. What name shall we give it? How about Insomniacs Anonymous?

Annx, I’m glad you, or rather OH, found your spare car keys. He couldn’t come and find all the papers that we had in a file marked Gas, could he? When I asked OH where I was supposed to file a letter from British Gas, he rather smugly said “We do have a file marked Gas in the filing cabinet”. He’s right, we do but it is completely empty. The only thing I can think to do is go through every single file in a 4 drawer cabinet till I find where dearly beloved has hidden the stuff. I’ve done the obvious ones, that is the files either side of Gas and the file marked Electricity. No luck there.

I had a chuckle at the shaving cream for the bearded gentleman and shampoo for a bald man and it put me in mind of some of mil’s wonderful presents to me. How about these…..in my very early 30s I received a pack of ladies white wincyette bloomers from Help the Aged, complete with elastic round the knees. Around the same time I received a lurid pink jumper, size 20. I was a slim 12 at the time. Then she got into craft work so my next present was a knitted and stuffed wonky, white cat sitting on an overstuffed cushion so it kept falling off the unit where we displayed it when she visited (and hurriedly hid it when she had gone). There were many more but mil really excelled herself with a present to my son. He was about 8 years old and excitedly unwrapped his present in front of her. You could feel his disappointment but he politely said “Gloves. Lovely. Thank you Nanny”. Then we noticed the packet said Ladies’ Gloves but he manfully tried them on and that’s when he discovered they were both left-handed. Isn’t that what every 8 year old boy wants; a pair of left handed ladies’ gloves!

Gosh AnnG, you’ve got post at last. I hope your garden meeting went well. I’m lucky in that I can muster seating for 19 without using garden chairs or dressing table stools etc.

Did your dishwasher arrive on time Mandy? You’ll be pleased to have it going now to save you washing up so much.

I hope your swollen finger has gone down Gwyn. Sometimes these little cuts and knocks are the worst. Keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t get infected.

Did Stu come to you for his dinner Mel? It must make it quite difficult not always knowing till the last minute whether you are cooking for him or not.

The last couple of days have been very busy and I seem to have been on the go non-stop. I won’t bore you with everything I’ve been doing. As far as Christmas is concerned, I’ve made some mince pies and they are in the freezer, and we’ve started making the hall look a bit more like Christmas. OH put a wreath on the front door a few days ago and we’ve dug out a small artificial tree with little lights that sits on a round table by the front door. We’ve got 3 rather ancient round card holders and we usually take down 3 pictures in the hall and hang them on the picture hooks. We’ve put one up and that is nicely filled with 17 cards that we have received so far. It’s beginning to look more cheerful now.

I’ve also taken OH out to choose my Christmas present to him. I decided he needs something between the fleece with a padded quilted lining that is warm but is looking decidedly shabby, and the short leather coat that gets worn over suits for weddings and funerals. He had a hardly worn camel coat that he gave to a charity shop because he didn’t like it and has an old anorak that he keeps in the boot of the car for emergencies, so I said I would buy him a decent quality anorak type jacket. We went to a small local independent men’s shop which is a bit pricey but they sell good quality products and the service is second to none. They quickly found exactly what we wanted so we were both pleased.

No-one was going to our usual coffee meet today as some of the gang were on an outing with another club but our friends M & V were going to pop round to us for a coffee. Then they had a call to say that one of the medical people would be visiting them this morning to sort out an oxygen arrangement for V. He already has a portable oxygen pack but he is now needing more. After talking to him and walking him down the road and back they have said that he can carry on with his portable set for visiting friends or going out for an hour or two but tomorrow they are sending 2 larger devices for him to see which suits him best in the house but they will have long leads and he can also use them in the shower. V said he has to let someone know, and I have forgotten who he said, but that person or organization will notify the fire service that there is oxygen in his house. Of course, that makes perfect sense but it wouldn’t have crossed my mind that the fire service need to know.

Well, it looks like I have written even more than usual. It’s a compliment to you ladies as I go rabbitting on because I feel that I am just chatting with friends. I’ve probably sent you all to sleep by now. Hey, Vera Chat - that could be a new cure for insomnia. Now I really am going. Good night, sleep well.

Morning All,

It's a nice, dry sunny day here, but chilly too. I had even less sleep last night and was looking at the clock at 4.00am, knowing OH was getting up at 6.00am to go to a hearing at Coalville. He has to be up extra early now to get through his tablet regime with half an hour between some and one with some breakfast, before he can set off anywhere. Also he knew he would hit all the traffic. I have done some errands and posted the last of my christmas cards.

I forgot to say yesterday that OH was tidying what we call the clerking cupboard which is where he keeps most of his work stuff. He called me and was holding a pot of odds and ends and what should be inside it but my spare car key I lost and replaced some time ago! He thinks he must have hid it there when we went on hols as I never have need to go in his cupboard. He was equally sure he must have told me at the time, but didn't really sound too sure. So now I have two spare car keys I've told him to keep one himself in case he needs to fetch my car anytime.

So your next appointment will decide if you need more treatment then AnnG. I hope you don't need more taking away with more soreness and pain to follow. It is good that they are going to do checks on the rest too to make sure they are ok.

I hope the garden meeting goes well this afternoon and I'm sure the mince pies would be an added attraction. I know I would struggle to get 12 seats together and have to use the garden chairs. It sounds interesting if there's to be a demonstration.

I wonder if Mandy has managed to decorate her tree yet?

I'd better get lunch prepared next and a COT.

Vera. Mel, Mandy and Gwyn thank you for the pretty cards. They have just all arrived together with a few others. One of which had an actual post date of 1 December on it, so eleven days for second class post. :-D

Well, using all the chairs I have got plus a folding garden chaier I have just about sorted 12 seats. they will be a bit knee to knee but as we are watching a demonstration and will be standing for that I don't think it will be too bad. Last one in gets the garden chair :-D

Morning all,

Made my coffee too hot this morning and I want to drink it!!!!!

Pc says 9 degrees and partly sunny but at the mo itd dull and very grey so I hope the pc is right and we get some sun today.

You'll enjoy all the chat when your friends come today Anng. I expect they love to see your Christmas Village. Stu should be coming tonight but Iv'e not heard from him yet. Must have a clear up as I have things all over the kitchen table.