General Chat

Been potting up courgetts, the nemesia that arrived in the post and had to come in for the silly little labels I bought online. They are so small I shall have to use both sides just to get what they are on there.

Had to come in for a drink anyway.

Posties just been and I had forgotten I ordered 6 plug plants of Nemesia and two are the same as the ones I bought up the shop this morning. There should have been a pink one in the six.

Just been up the village to post a parcel and outside was all new plants and I just could'nt resist three lavender and pale yellow Nemesia at £2 each. They are nice bushy plants and I may be able to get some cutting off of one of them. I'll let you know.

Morning all,

Quite bright here this morning and its 12 degrees and no wind to speak of. Stu was really hungry when he arrived yesterday evening which was good cos I cooked loads and a pineapple upsidedown cake for sweet.

It sounds like Vera and Annx had really bad parts of their day yesterday. three hours in a hairdressers would drive me barmy. The trip out and home sounded awful with all the holdups but it sounds like you enjoy the house with it not being too busy inside. I always think May is such a good month to visit gardens with all the fresh green trees and spring flowers out.

Annx your hairdresser sounds like she had things on her mind yesterday leaving you all that time with the silver foil on your head. Did she realise she had left you all that time? Glad I don't have to go through all that, I would be bored out of my mind.

Mandy it sounds like the funeral went off ok and when you mentioned about the two young boys it put me in mind of William and Harry all those years ago.

Did I say BIL came and mower twice yesterday? he cut the front lawns with the mower that dos'nt pick up then with the mower that does. This time too he did the orchard which was about nearly a foot high as he's left that for weeks. It dos' nt matter as I don't like all the bulb leaves cut down till June so the leaves help with next years flowers.

Well I think I have bored you all enough with my writings so I will now leave you to the rest of your days.

Good morning all, 8 degrees and bright but quite a threatening sky. I slept ok, a bit disjointed with dreaming, a bit of leg pain (expected because of all the walking yesterday) and knowing I mustn't oversleep because oj Jake coming. BUT.....

My plans have changed, Jake has cancelled as he has been at the hospital all night with his young daughter, this has happened before, she seems to suffer badly with colds, coughs etc (sounds like asthma actually) Anyway he has had to cancel as he has been up with her all night. (Can't say I want him up the ladder having had no sleep.) Annooying but can't be helped. Hopefully he will come tomorrow morning.
That sounded a bit of a nightmare, tiring journey on your trip out. Traffic is so bad these days I wonder we ever get where we are planning to go.
Nice to meet with your friends and wow, you have been busy in the garden again, must be some energy there somewhere.

ann that was a bit of a long hair appointment. I am glad I stopped having colour on my hair. Actually it is more or less now the colour I was lways hoping for.

I wonder what is wrong with your PC, It sounds as if something is downloading on start up and stays running on the background. Hope somebody can fix it for you.

Evening All,

I'm off to bed soon as It's been one of those days! lol. Up early and showered ready for my hair appointment at 9.00am. Somehow she got confused and I didn't say anything, but she was cutting and shampooing my hair first before putting colour on instead of colour first and I just thought she was trying something different as she sometimes does. Her next lady arrived and she sorted coffee for her and then remembered about colouring my hair, so off she went to mix the colours (3). She put the foils on then moved me to another chair and started on her next lady. Well the time passed by and another lady came for a different hairdresser and sat next to me. After 2 hours I was getting bored and uncomfortable and starting to worry whether the chemicals should be on my hair that long and having visions of my hair coming off with the foils!! She actually finished the hair of the lady who came in after me first, then she came and removed the foils, etc. She usually puts a treatment on. leaves it for quarter of an hour and then does a head massage, but I made an excuse I needed to be somewhere else and it was still just under three hours by the time I got into my car outside as it was. She does a great job with my hair, but my goodness!!

I then dashed to the shop and I was so late there was just the last, tatty copy of my paper but no WW magazine like yesterday again, so I asked the girl at the counter. They have now moved the magazines from the top shelf where I and others couldn't reach them and have put them on the bottom shelf where half are out of view under the shelves above and you need to get on your hands and knees to look and it's alongside where people queue for the tills. She said she'd put them out yesterday morning so they must have all been sold. She added that when the information from the tills fed through, more would get sent. I couldn't help but say that by then, customers would have gone elsewhere and she agreed and added that they could see the problems but weren't allowed to change anything. So off I went to the 'little' newsagent the other side of the village where it's harder to park to get one.

After the trouble yesterday with the surgery refusing to book OH's covid jab, and not phoning him back like she said she would, last night he he found a text from them couple of months ago telling him to come and get a covid jab once he started treatment! The woman never rang him today or apologised, but this morning he had a text 'reminder' for an appointment he was never given and it's for tomorrow!! They had obviously never sent him an appointment like the reminder implied as she'd have seen it on his records yesterday. What a disgrace, never apologising and then trying to cover their tracks.

My PC's on such a go slow and I've checked it has all the recent updates and have scanned for viruses, deleted loads of things, so it looks like I'll be phoning someone tomorrow. You'll know why if I'm not around.

Lovely that your son has invited you back for another visit soon AnnG and it’s good that your hearing aid is fixed now. It sounds as though the girl you saw knew what she was talking about. I hope Jake and his dad are able to get your roof work completed tomorrow.

Annx, I wish shoe companies would standardize their sizing. I have EEE in one pair of shoes, H in another and other weird sizes. I have shoes where insoles can come out and others where I can add a shaped ¾ insole that I got from the chiropodist. I also go for adjustable straps. Part of my problem is having to wear various toe props and separators which really need to be worn with socks or tights to keep them in position and I prefer sandals with bare feet. I might stick with wider trainers for general wear but get the recommended sandals and wear them without my various toe bits on the rare occasions I want to look more respectable. I apparently need width 2V which means it adjusts between EE and EEEE. Isn’t life complicated! It’s good that OH managed his injection so well and I hope he can get his Covid booster sorted out soon.

Mandy, the funeral for Anna sounded as lovely as these things can be. It must have been hard on the little boys and you wonder how much they really understand but it might be important to them in the future to know they were able to say goodbye to their mummy. RIP Anna.

Mel, I’ve learnt something from you about nemesia. I like them and can usually keep them going for 2 or 3 years but I’ve never thought of taking cuttings from them. I have some little glass pots that I use for rooting cuttings in water so I might give it a go. You have been busy lately with your ponds and plants and miniatures. It must be quite tiring. Does your inhaler help with your breathing?

We had a good day out yesterday though the journey wasn’t much fun in either direction. I don’t know if there was a problem on the A12 but our driver went all round the houses to get to the Dartford crossing and then we had to join the M25 which was living up to its reputation as the biggest car park in the world. Coming back we hit a very slow moving, at times stationary, traffic queue about 10 miles before the Dartford crossing and it turned out to be the sheer volume of traffic funnelling in from the roads leading to the crossing. We had about 5 hours at Polesden Lacey and, although there was a chilly wind, the weather stayed bright and dry for us so we were able to walk around the estate a bit and see quite a bit of the gardens and lawns and walks. We also spent some time in the house. It wasn’t busy at all and often we were the only people in some of the rooms which meant the guides had time to chat to us and tell us all sorts of anecdotes. On these trips there is always a raffle with 3 prizes. The money collected covers the cost of the prizes and a tip for the driver. I won one of the prizes yesterday; a beautifully packaged set of bath products. We were both tired when we got back home and forgot to put our bin with the general rubbish out so it will be another 2 weeks before that is emptied. Luckily there wasn’t very much in it as we recycle as much as possible.

Today I did a couple of odd jobs and then went for our Thursday coffee and chat. This afternoon I’ve managed to plant up a couple more troughs and cut down the rest of the penstemons. We also walked down to the polling station, only just down the road, and we met our neighbour there so we walked back together and stood chatting outside his house for another half an hour. Before I knew it, it was time to cook our dinner. I’m sure the hands on the clock spin round faster these days – time certainly flies.

I reckon it’s time to have a drink and the last tabs of the day, make myself some overnight oats for my breakfast tomorrow and then take me and my book to bed. Sleep tight everyone, sweet dreams.

Stu came and I did pork bacon and maple syrup sausages, broccoli, roast carrots, roast pots and onion and a big yorkshir pud. I also cooked a pineapple upside down cake which we had for sweet with a little cream. I could'nt at all my dinner so I have a sausage a couple of roast spuds and a bit of carrot for tomorrows lunch. Been very aquiet on here today. I also had to go and pick up my scripts I ordered 2 weeks ago!!! They like you to give them 5 days but thats silly. I had forgotten all about them till I went to fill my pill holder up.

Wonder what the others have been up to today???

I didn't sleep too badly got up at 7.30ish as I didn't want to go back to sleep with neeidng to catch the bus to get to the hearing services appointment. The hearing aid was fixed. strangely it was a fault with the tube not the actual arm.speaker part. I don't know really what caused it but the tube was blocking any sound even when the aid was switched on. The audiologist thought the tube must have been stored for a long time before being used. anyway she changed both aid's tubes to be on the safe side. A young girl very interested in what was happening and answered all the questions I had.
Aftr I finished there I walked up to town, had a coffee and an almond croissant then looked round the shops, finally got home at 2,15. Our little cul de sac has traffic lights on the end. pavements being dug up in the adjoining roid, part of what is going to be a more wide spread disruption lasting 20 weeks. hopefully it will be done in sections and ours may be over first. Can't think what the company is called is it United Utilities? anyway a very large trench has been dug on the pavements where they duf a small trench for Wifi not so lung agao.

Morning Anng and all,

Quite bright here this morning and its 11 degrees and pc says sunny so maybe a good day.

I have a llittle parcel to do up today I think and I hope its paid for so I can get it up the shop.

I must do some baking today too and have a clear up incase Stu comes tonight for dinner.

Hope you all slept well, I did up at 6am for the bathroom and back to bed for another hour or so.

Good morning all 7 degrees and bright at the momeny. I have an appointment to get my hearing aid sorted this morning so have to walk to the bus stop on the next main road to catch a different bus in to town to get to the hospital. (10 minute walk not too far.

Jake and riley finished one sode of the roof repairs and will do the other side on Friday. A good job done so far but the other side is a bit harder to access as it is in the passageway down the side of my house fairly close to the house next door.

Ann hope you have sorted out the email problem now.
Pleased that your OH was able to manage the injection. sounds just like the injections daughter has for he Diabetes now that she has moved from type two to type 1.

Annx I only found them today so tomorrow I am going to sow some and will let you know and if any come up I can send you some back. How does that sound? Iv'e been in the shed and need to have a good sort out of the bench where I sow, repot and take cuttings.

Do you remember I bought some special Nemisia the year before last? I lost a few but still have one pink one and when I tidyied it up I cut two bits off I did'nt mean to. I stuck them in my tiny glass pot on the windowsill and in two weeks they have rooted. I'm so pleased but its a shame I lost the mauve and yellow ones. One Iv'e had for years and it must be 6 years old and its still flowering so I have taken a cutting off that one now.

It sounds like it was a nice service for Anna and for her boys Mandy. At least these days everyone has lots of photos to remember people by and look back on which is good.

Thank you for asking about OH. He was a bit apprehensive about doing the injection, so I sat with him and listened to the nurse Daisy in case I was needed. Well Daisy was really brilliant, had a sense of humour and explained everything and covered all the things we wanted to ask. He did his own injection, no needle shows and although she'd said it might sting, he never felt a thing and he thought he hadn't done it at first! It's fortnightly so not too bad.

What wasn't good was when he phoned the surgery after to book his covid jab she said he must have now which we knew. Despite him explaining, the surgery receptionist refused to book him an appointment because he isn't old enough to have the booster we have all just had, so he explained it all again to her that it was because he is having this treatment and has been told he now qualifies. It even explains on their waiting room screens that immunosuppressed people are included, as I saw it when I was last in the waiting room. In the end she said she would speak to a nurse and phone him back, but hasn't done today. How even older people cope these days I don't know. I had to make a 3rd journey to our pharmacy today to get the rest of my meds. Anyway, that's enough of our medical problems!

I hope they got on well with your roof today AnnG and made good progress. It's been dry here, so I hope it was the same where you are.

Well I have tried sending less photos with an email to myself and that didn't work, so I sent an email to myself with no photos attached and that didn't work either. Then I spent ages going through my trash, sent emails and spam and deleting everything I could, then my rubbish bin as well in case that was the problem, but no. Looking online it seems there have been problems with my provider in some parts of the country, but they didn't sound like my problems! It's odd that AnnG got my email ok, so it seems to me something happened with the system around the time I sent it. I'm hoping it was a glitch with my provider that they will shortly correct so I'll wait and see for a few days

It sounds like the good sleep did do you good Mel as you've been busy. It was a shame about your jug, but will you be able to stick the handle back on? I asked whether the Verbascum seeds I sent germinated yet? I saved me some seed but can I find them!

O and I worked on a tiny jug for two days and on the final varnishing I broke the handle off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so very annoyed as it was a new style I was trying out in the Tudor slipware. It has to be painted then varnished then painted again and then varnished.

No we hav'nt heard from Gwyn I hope she's just busy and now back to shcool after the May Bank Holiday.

13 degrees here now and we have a it of sun.

BIL has just gone and he put the new hose in the filter shed for me and dipped my oil tank before he left and I am hoping I can through another month before having to buy some oil. I only use it for the hot water at the moment. I did do the pond filter this morning as it was really dirty and I have treated the big pond with blanket weed killer.

I got pastry out the freezer this morning to make sausage rolls and hav'nt done that.

I have a parcel to take up the shop to post.

Not got round to eating anything yet so I am going to now have a pork pie and a small cue and anything else in the way of salad I can find in the fridge.

I think the good sleep has done me good as I have got a lot done today so far.

Afternoon all,

Very cloudy here with a few spots of rain ,it's not very warm either .

The funeral service gave Anna a good send off ,not a religious service just nice music and a lovely lady reading all about Anna's short life , we were OK until the two little boys went up to the coffin to lay something on the coffin ,I had to get the tissues then .
There was a lot of photos of Anna ,a lovely one of Anna in her prom dress with my sister and bil , everyone touched the coffin with a kiss as they went out ,she was loved by so many so fly high Anna and sleep well .

Anng looks like your roof badly needed doing and it's good you have the chaps there getting it sorted for you

Ann no photos here , hope all goes well with the meeting to show how to do the injections , will OH be OK injecting or might you have to do it .

Mel you had a nice sleep in you must have been tired out after your trip out yesterday .

Hope it stays dry for Vera's day out .

Have we heard from Gwyn lately ,hope she's OK.

Just checked the email that seems to be causing problems, can't see why it has not been delivered unless somwhere it has been scanned and rejected, but then you would have been told that. how strange.

I hav'nt received any emails from you Annx the first one or the second.

12 here now and BIL is here but up the top trying to mend the mower colecter.

Afternoon All,

I slept well last night and didn't wake till 7.00am which is unusual. I sent the email again to all except for AnnG as she received it the first time and replied. Has anyone else received it either the first or second time?

I have always had wide feet and a tendency to fallen arches and now find EEE fit are best for me or sandals with adjustable straps across the foot. I've been tempted to get Skechers as they have soft soles, but read the other day that as you get older shoes with more firm soles are best for balance. It's good you have seen some sandals you like Vera., so hopefully they will be nice and comfy. I hope you enjoy your trip.

It's good you can often watch funerals online now Mandy. It must have been very sad with her being so young and leaving young children too. Thank goodness there is family they know around who can look after them. I can understand Colin and the standing as I was relieved not to have to attend a funeral when numbers were restricted in lockdown because of my knees.

Better serve lunch now. BBL

We are having a veg traybake with sea bass and low fat chips for an early lunch as OH wants me to sit with him for a teams meeting on line with the nurse who will explain how to do the injections for the treatment. I'm glad we learned how to access and take part in these online meetings during lockdown, as even the NHS are doing them with patients now. More and more tech is creeping into our lives and it makes me wonder where it will all end.

Terry the pianist friend has bought an E Tricycle to take with him in his camper. It folds, has disc brakes, lights, indicators and a basket at front and back and goes up to 15mph. I said to OH that we should get them for shopping if the govt chuck us oldies off the roads at a certain age!

10 degrees here now, was 8 for ages and really cold outside. Jake and his Dad are here starting on the roof. they just went off to get some 'stuff', Jake said 'be half an hour' good job I have them worked out, their half hours have twice as many minutes as mine.

I have watered the Geums in pots and dorted out a sickly Heuchera, realised when a memory popped up on FB that the two Heucheras I have by the conservatory door are ten years old. The dark leaved one is big and healthy, the light green one has always struggled. I might get another dark leaf to replace that one.

I have also cleaned the bathroom and cloakroom. But I have no energy, so tired after not having a good noght.