General Chat

Oh Vera, just as you want to get on, extra jobs turn up! I expect your neighbour is very grateful for you doing some shopping and you are a good neighbour to help, but I'm the same about night driving for the same reasons and avoid it if I possibly can. Speaking of eyesight, how is your eye now?

Mel I think I upgraded to W11 just after OH had his new laptop and he upgraded first and had no problems so I did too. I remember there were a few glitches with W11 when it first came out and which had been sorted by the time we uploaded it. I think it was a bit different but not difficult. I think you will find your OH's PC much better. The candle decorations sound nice. Do you keep a wreath and candle for yourself each year?

AnnG I'm getting on quite well with the painting, better than I expected after all this time. I want to try and do a bit each day this week, but it has a more tricky sky than any I've painted before. I must get on with the bathroom this week too and hope the painting break has helped me regain some enthusiasm! I want to call in the bathroom shop tomorrow and see if two colours I've chosen look ok together.

A wet, windy and very gloomy day; we've had the lights on pretty much all day. I've been chasing my tail all day again. Just as I start something there is an interruption. At one point I had to cut short a phone call from daughter as my chicken was cooked and I hadn't even got the roast potatoes in the oven. Everything was cooked in the oven today and very nice it was too. We had roast chicken and stuffing, potatoes, parsnips, carrots and cabbage wedges, followed by odds and s*ds oaty crumble. Basically I had 2 small cooking apples and quite a few oddments of fruit in the freezer so they all got chucked in together.

We had just finished that when next door neighbour rang to say her OH had to go back into hospital last night. She doesn't drive but when she rang she was on her way to visit him with a friend taking her but the friend couldn't bring her back. I think she wanted my OH to collect her but he will only drive after dark in an emergency which she knows but I had to explain again that with his eyes and modern car lights he is not safe because he cannot see properly. Anyway I've agreed that we will do a bit of shopping for her tomorrow. Then in the next breath she told me that she was late going to the hospital because she had to wait in for a Sainsbury delivery! She clearly didn't order all she wanted if she needs me to shop tomorrow.


I was a bit confused about your computer problems as well Mel but I understand now that you've explained about Windows 10. What a shame you didn't upgrade from 10 to 11 when it first came out as it was free, easy to do and didn't cause us any problems. Never mind, what's past is past and hopefully you'll soon be all set up and problem free.

I hope Katie has had a lovely birthday with lots of treats. I don't know why but 16 always seems to be a bit of a milestone birthday. I expect she seems quite grown up now.

OH is calling that a friend is on the phone so I'd better go. Hope you all have a good night.

I had mentioned before a while ago that I was still on windows 10 as when oh put his pc on windows 11 he asked me if I wanted to go on it and I think at the time Annx had gone on it and was finding it a bit different. I maybe wrong but perhaps I should have gone on it when he said. I think I had this pc in 2009 so it is very old.

I have had Aaron here today he is trying to fix the chicken run where some of the wooden frame to the run has rotted. He's coming back tomorrow to finish it off as it had come over rather dark by the time he had one nice klong peice of wood on over the door into the run.

I have done the bows to the two arrangements I made the other day so thye are finished and I have mossed a wreath for my friend Phylis and I have done some of the greenary and the yellow stuff ready to go in and the ivy so its just the bows and the holly to get on there and wire up the flowers and that will be done.

Then I can start on another couple of arrangements with big candles in. I have prepared the big candle for the one I did the other day . I have to stick cocktail sticks round it to fix it in the oasis so it dos'nt fall over.

Sold another pair of things on Ebay so I think I will parcel those up now ready for posting tomorrow.

Bet Katie loves her cushion. She'll be able to put it on her bed so she can either watch telly or read in comfort and be well supported.

I hope Katy has had a lovely day, quite the young lady now. I met T just before my 16th birthday,

Ann it is such a pity as to many people the receiving of Christmas cards in the post is something they look forward to. Especially as we get older and try and keep in touch with friends from the past.

I hope the painting is coming along nicely and that you are enjoying doing it.

It was a shame that the music didn't seem to be right for Lewis's dance last night He was very good but the spark was missing. At least his marks were OK but it all depends on how the public vote now.

Afternoon All,

Happy Birthday to Katy. I bet she's been hugging that cushion! <3 <3

It's rained and is still gloomy here, but there's always things needing doing inside. I couldn't get to sleep last night and was still awake at gone 3.00am so lay in this morning.

You are not alone regarding cards AnnG. I have only had Mel's out of our group up to now. I have a feeling most people will get some cards after Christmas this year. Most parcels seem to arrive the quickest now. How nice of your son to bring some white Chrysanths with him. I felt sorry Lewis didn't do as well in Strictly this time. Being so near the end of the competition you don't want low scores. The music didn't seem good for the dance they were doing, but he seems fearless with the things he attempts. He would be a natural even if he hadn't got dance experience.

Lunch is over now, chicken breast with cabbage, broc, onion, carrot and parsnip and now I can pick up my paintbrush for an hour or so before the food delivery arrives. They have the salads we want this time after 3 previous deliveries were without them and just one sub.

Misunderstandings come from the explanation Mel if several don't follow you. It makes more sense now and if you'd said you were still on W10 it would have explained some of the problems you have been having. It sounds like BIL has copied eg your pictures to an extended plug in drive which I also have and use as a 2nd copy of my FH pictures and notes. It will be good once you are all sorted and rid of the problems. I was told last year that my 5 year old laptop was 'getting on a bit'.

Glad it arrived OK nice to know people are getting cards even if we are not.

Son arrived at 11am and left after a chat and a coffee at 12. So he is now on his way home. And he brought two bunches of lovely whie chrysanths to add to the remains of the bouquet he sent last week.

nd I love the snowman.

Just on the end of my post it went!!!

Morning girls,

Happy birthday to Katie hope you have a lovely day <3 <3 <3

Raining here this morning and pc is telling me its a record high today, its 13 degrees and raining.

I think you have all misunderstood me about oh's pc. He has never had a laptop. He bought a new pc in January of 2022 and he died in the August so it was only used for 8 months. BIL is putting all myuff on it so I can have it in the kitchen instead of my old one which is giving me trouble as its too old to be put on windows 11 and 10 is not supported by some things anymore.

He has put some of my things from my old pc on a mobile hardrive which oh bought me a few years ago. This pc I am on kept telling me to make more space and all my pictures disappeared with only their numbers on so I could'nt see them unless I clicked on them. It made it very hard trying to put things on Ebay.

I put up a few decs last night so it looks a bit more festive in here but I had a job to find my tinsely bobbley strings to put the cards up. Found them in the end in a box of decs I had looked in four times.

Anng thanks for your card and I love the snowman.

Right posting this before it goes again.

Good morning all very wet again and dark so all lights on, but it is 11 degrees.

Son should be well on his way now so I won't be happy until he gets here. then I can worry as he drives all the way back again.

As I have said to Vera, I like lol g posts.
Could you hear that you have had a go at painting.

Strange that you had a problem with Fitz’s emails and then something strange with Terry’s face book.

I have put photos of the cottages on Facebook and tomorrow will add some close ups of the figures.

Mel Why are you having the laptop fixes as well as OH’s computer. Why don’t you just get everything g transferred from the PC to the lap top? Or maybe I have. Issed something if misunderstood.

As I have said to Vera, I like lol g posts.
Could you hear that you have had a go at painting.

Strange that you had a problem with Fitz’s emails and then something strange with Terry’s face book.

I have put photos of the cottages on Facebook and tomorrow will add some close ups of the figures.

Mel Why are you having the laptop fixes as well as OH’s computer. Why don’t you just get everything g transferred from the PC to the lap top? Or maybe I have. Issed something if misunderstood.

Evening ladies and Gent!

Here I am Mandy and yes, it's been a bit busy the past two days. I don't usually like to post when it's late as they don't always get read. My word Katie 16 tomorrow! How the years fly by now. I bet she will like her cushion. Does it have a face? What a shame and shock that Colin's brother had the same happen in the shower. Much as I'm not keen on them, we will certainly be having one of those mats in the new shower when the bath is taken out.

Good to see you pop in Will. I hope Carmel's health soon improves and didn't realise her hospital visits had been so recent. The stairlift will be a big help and handy for things you usually carry up and down too! We have a just 2 of us Christmas too, but we enjoy it now after years of going here, there and everywhere and then the return invites while we both worked full time. We were glad to go back to work for a rest.

I don't know if others will be the same but the village Co-op I usually go to have had a revamp and it's been chaos in there the past few days with gangways blocked with goods while they move almost everything into new positions, so no-one can find anything or walk down the aisles! They've even taken down the plastic counter guards put up for covid which seems silly just as we are starting a bad flu season. They have stupidly moved the newspapers and magazines next to where people queue past for the tills. People were getting in each other's way, and the newspaper getters were not realising the queue was building up behind them and jumping the queue. I told the girl on the till it didn't seem a good idea and she said they had told 'them' but 'they' wouldn't listen! She also said they would be stocking less things now as well. Methinks I could be one of the customers they will lose in that case as I will go to the big Co-op instead.

I had my hair cut and lowlights on Thursday and they have a new shampoo girl, a very pleasant gentle sort of girl with long, wavy blonde locks. Well she was anything but gentle and as my head rocked violently back and forth it reminded me of the ladies who would scrub their front steps with gusto years ago. Thank goodness when the rinse started, but no, she then applied more shampoo and had another session! It's a wonder I had any hair left to cut off!

We are the same regarding no post for days and I must get the rest of my cards written tomorrow and posted Monday. With so infrequent post you wonder if they will arrive before Christmas otherwise. Students often worked delivering at Christmas AnnG but these days they don't seem to need the money. Your meal yesterday sounded lovely and my mouth is watering. I hope your ankle has improved with having some rest.

Mel I can't keep up with your pc saga. I don't follow why your emails needed transferring unless you mean a list you type out. Mine go with me whatever PC I'm on.

Vera it must be frustrating when your hands are shaky for writing your cards. We seem to have less to do each year which is a sad reminder of people we have lost.

Yesterday's heavy rain had flooded the fields again this morning but it was quite warm and still today.

I have managed to do some painting today and it seems to have gone quite well, which will encourage me to carry on tomorrow.

I have had trouble contacting Fitz by email for a few weeks and ended up with pen and paper to contact him. My emails were undelivered each time and a complicated instruction taking half a page that only a geek would follow was coming back that suggested 'security' was blocking emails from some provuiders. Anyway I was gritting my teeth to phone my provider and try to follow fast instructions from a call centre abroad when I gave it a last try and it worked. They never tell us when they fix something they have caused do they?

Then yesterday I had a Facebook friend message from Terry and accepted. I got messages then asking me things and thought it didn't shound like the Terry I know. The Avatar was one of him playing his keyboards, but all the posts were of him playing and the same as on his piano FB page. So I emailed him to let him know I thought it was a fake and I think he must have reported it as it's gone now!

Well, sleep tight everyone, especially AnnG. We are glad we don't sleep on the back as one of our neighbours decided to add to their green lights which I don't mind, by surrounding their summerhouse in the back garden with powerful dangling icicles of lights that have the brightest white flashing I have ever seen.

PS I will try to keep posts shorter! You must all have nodded off with this one!

Hopefully she has got engrossed in her painting again. She was thinking about it.

Evening all,

I don't know where the day has gone I have got loads of odd jobs done and made a sponge to take to sons tomorrow ,it's Katie's birthday tomorrow she will be sixteen , we've bought her one of those big cushions with arms for one of her presents and in the morning we have the job of wrapping it up ,I think its going to take a whole roll of paper lol

William lovely to see your post this morning and hear how things are going with you both ,sounds as if your getting the help you need and having the aids to help make things a bit easier for you both too , Happy Christmas to you both <3

Vera thats not good finding the orange juice with a November date ,someone whos in a rush will pick that up if they don't take it off the shelf ,it probably would be OK I've had orange juice a few days over the date and it goes a darker colour.

That was a mess to clean up Mel but I don't suppose the chickens will mind a bit of grit off the floor .
Its a nuisance when you lose posts after typing a lot ,I've had the error page a few times lately when I first come on so don't know what's going on there ,I just try again and it comes up OK.

Hope Ann's OK she hasn't been on for a couple of days ,perhaps she's just been busy .

BIL gone now after putting the chicken corn and pellets in my bins for me. He had a slip up, opened the sack on the wrong end to which I usually tell him to and after about 5 mins of trying to open it the way it says on the sack he picked it up and grabbed the other end only to open it the way we usually do and it alll went on the garage floor. So them we had to pick it all up with a dustpan and I swept it with a broom head.

Just lost the lot again but I had copied the first bit.

He has put my docs picture and something else on my mobile hard drive and we have managed to get my email address on oh's pc. Thats as far as we have got so far and he had to get back to pick his wife up from work.

Its just as well I have been copying this post as I have lost it twice.

A couple of the newspapers posted about delays in post in 25 postal areas in England GL3 and GL4 were the only two areas of Gloucester to be mentiend. Apparently it is 'staff sickness and resourcing'. Royal Mail words. I did al;so see that somebody has found out that the mail only gets delivered in the two problem areas if somebody is happy to work overtime. I would have though that being close to Christmas surely they would all welcome overtime but it seems not. the daft thing is, the longer it is left the worse it is when somebody does want to do a round as it will have stacked up. last saturday I had 10 pieces of mail.

Hallo William, I didn't know you well but I do remember your name and it's always good to see former posters on this thread popping in. I hope you and your wife have a peaceful and happy Christmas together and wish you all the best for 2026.

Your lunch out sounded good AnnG. I hope the soreness in your leg is easing. What has happened to your post? We've had 3 deliveries this week and I am sure I saw the postie in our Close yesterday though there was nothing for us. When you think of the cost of postage and the service we are getting for it is it any wonder that people are sending emails or using other delivery companies?

I hope bil can sort OH's computer out for you Mel. You are getting on well with your Christmas flowers that you do.

I managed to write another 5 cards this morning. The first one wasn't too bad but by the time I got to number 5 it looked as though I'd written it after having one over the eight. I'm about 2/3rds of the way through so I posted all that I have done. I had to go to the PO and wanted to go to the Co-op for a couple of bits so we carried on to FarmFoods as I buy a couple of things in bulk there which saves a bit of money. Today I got 24 tins of baked beans. In the Co-op I picked up a carton of juice and luckily checked the date on it. It was best before 23rd November. I know Best Before isn't the same as Use By but I don't think it should still be on sale so I told the girl on the checkout as there didn't seem to be any other employees around. She didn't seem to be bothered but said she would go and have a look.

I still have lots of jobs to do so I'd better get on. I could do with a house elf or a fairy with a magic wand ;-)

Well no post again today. The ;ast post was last Saturday and that is not just me it is the whole post code.

BIL is here and he's just cleaning up oh's pc.

Good morning Anng and William,

I was just thinking of William the other day and wondered how Carmel was getting on. Its so nice t hear from you and know your news. Keep it coming please.

Its 10 degrees here this morning and very windy not a nice day to be outside so you lot stay inside nice and safe and cosy.

BIL is supposed to be coming today to fit the new pc up for me as this opld one is getting harder to use.

I also have to go to the shop and do the flowers for them. So I shall be back later I hope. I don't know how long its going to take him to do it all. He had to buy a new laptop ashis old one was on window 10 and I think he was also having trouble with that.

Good morning William Good, as always to see you on here and to know that, for once I am not the oldest one. Well done for keeping fit and active. Sorry though to hear that your wife is not as active and often poorly. It sounds as if she is getting the help she needs which is good. I hope that, together, you will enjoy the contented company of each other at Christmas. And that 2026 will be kind to you both.



Good morning all from a very wet gloucester where it is 9 degrees. I am not going anywhere today which will hopefully give my ankle a bit of time to recover after a rather active week.

Not that it was very active, but lunch yesterday was really nice, there were 7 of us. the roast turkey was really tasty with lovely roast potatoes, stuffing pigs in blanket, and plenty of veg all beautifully cooked (sprouts, red cabbage, broccoli carrots and parsnip. followed by Christmas pudding. The staff were welcoming and pleasant, it could not have been better. A relief as we had not been there before and last year was a bit od a disaster.