General Chat

Yes they have smart meters for water but they don't give them a reading which I think is a bit stupid. My meter is always fully of water and really sloppy mud which has to be caled out before you can see the meter to read it.

Well done getting the bulb changed AnnG. I dread getting down on the floor as I can't kneel with my knees needing replacing. To get up I have to roll on my tummy and walk my feet towards my hands to stand up. Yes sitting for a long time does make us stiff, especially if we have been doing more exercise than usual. You have got quite a lot done today though.

I'd like to at least paint the bedroom skirting boards, so a new carpet could be fitted, otherwise I expect it means waiting ages as the decorator I want to use will be busy now.The rest could be painted at a later date. Oh how I wish I could still do these things as I did the walls with two coats of paint in there in a day last time. I rang a place that I know will do a bed base with continental drawers that have side latches to connect the bases today as well as supply the carpet I want and they have said if we empty the bed drawers we have and can move the mattress they will move the bases themselves to fit the carpet. They have an offer on just now where they pay you a small sum for your bed base as well as take it away free of charge. Young folk these days don't seem to buy secondhand, so it would save us paying for it to be taken away instead.

I filled the little humper again today, some prunings and some grandmother's bonnets that were trying to establish in the gravel. I have some with lime green foliage in the border that I love, but these have reverted to to darker green so I hoof them out anyway so they don't take over. I also sat and went through the drawers in a small plastic cabinet so I can put it back in the porch cupboard on the new floor in there. I couldn't believe what was crammed in it that's of no use now and managed to throw a lot out.

That's good you have a new knitting book coming to make some more things Mandy. You've been doing quite a lot lately so it's not surprising you are tired. Having a rest to do some new patterns will be good. I had to smile at the thought of Max showing off his nice teeth! :-D

Vera you've had a washathon with four loads and I don't think I would have fancied pegging it all out either. I still use the airer for some things as well. Fingers crossed all goes well with your meds at the new place tomorrow.

Mel I didn't know they had smart meters for water.

I think we are all stocking up on stamps. I got some with my last Tesco delivery and will order some more with my next one.

There’s not been a sign of the sun today but it’s not really cold and it has stayed dry. I changed the bedding on the two beds and got that washed as well as all our clothes for the past week. It took 4 loads. I should have hung it out but there was no sun and not much of a breeze so I was lazy and some went in the dryer and other stuff on the airer.

Since lunch it has been one phone call or text after another, all of which needed a response. I had thought I might clean the bird baths this afternoon but time is getting on now and my motivation has gone to sleep again.

You have done well to dig those clumps out AnnG and change the bulb in your fire. I hope the digging and kneeling doesn’t set your leg pain off again.

Mandy, you have been quite unwell so it might take a while for you to recover fully. If you feel tired don’t struggle on but rest as much as you need to.

Yes, Gwyn and Annx, don’t do anything to hurt your backs or anything else before your appointments this week. It seems to be a medical week as I think AnnG’s appointment is this week too and I should also have had an appointment at the eye treatment centre on Wednesday but it was cancelled and I am still waiting to be sent a new date. Tomorrow I am going to walk up to the new pharmacy for my meds. It will be the first time getting my tablets from there so I will open the pack in the shop and make sure I have everything before I leave.

Time for a cuppa and a biccy I think. Then I shall read a chapter or two of my book before it’s time to get our dinner ready.

Just managed to get the bulb in the fire changed. The only way to do it is to actually kneel down on the floor, Not something I do these days if I can avoid it. managed to get up again and that is done now for a few months.

I also added two books of stamps to my shopping list as well.

Mandy is that the one with the badger and duck on the cover?

Not got out there yet. Rang the water board again and it seems they read the meter in Feb (that must have been when BIL saw someone doing it) and the new smart meters don't show the waterboard the meter reading so all the bills from Feb 2024 had been estimated. I am giving them the benifit of the doubt and am going to pay it but I still want to see the meter reading now to see if its going round when I am not using the water.

Also had to send my solar reading in and thats a faff too.

I am now going to get myself soemthing to eat as my tummy thinks my throats been cut then I may venture outside a do a bit.

Afternoon all,

We've had a little sun this morning but it seems to have clouded up now ,I hung a towel wash out and just got it all in as it was all dry .
Son took Max for his yearly injection ,we were a bit late doing it so he had one injection today and has to have another in four weeks ,I don't know how we missed it ,we also got six months flea and wormer tablets too, vet was happy with him and said he has some lovely clean teeth :-D
Not such a good day today feeling tired but I have got tomato seeds ,cucumber and some peppers sown so I've done something .

I have a new crochet book coming today called Woodland whimsy's so something new to have a go at .

Well I did half an hour, took me that long to dig out two clumpd of some sort of thug lilly from the cleared patch. Have just informed Jake as I don't think they have dug it all out. They have to come back to do the water feature so they will clear that patch again. I had to actually cut the tap root off one clump I reckon it is almost as thick as my wrist!!

I must get out in the garden now after typing this. the sun is shining and it is 12 degrees. I have washed the bedding and dried it and the bed is re-made with clean sheets. I have also wriiten the four Easter cards I send so those will need posting soon. I too have added stamps to my next shopping list, I would not be surprised if they have actually sold out by the time they are due on my order. I have got a few books put by already so not too much of a worry. I have also done my next order for Saturday So a few jobs done and I can get out in the garden for a short while now.

Yes the pain could have been the walk although it is more likely to have been sitting for a long time over lunch witout moving.

Oh one horrible job I need to do is to replace the bulb in the fire. I can't remember when I did it but it was lot long ago so looks as though the new bulbs are not going to last long I must make a note of the date of changing it this time.

Morning All,

Sunny here so we were up and showered at 8.00am and were at Costa for a coffee at 9.00am. OH dropped me off at home after and carried on to a meeting and I went to the shop.

Gwyn I seem to be following in your footsteps as I got two books of stamps last week. I also have a doctor's a[ppointment coming up shortly and was thinking I mustn't set my back off with gardening as I will need to climb up on the high bed things they have for my checkup. Being quite short it is hard enough to scramble up there normally without adding a back impediment! I might do a bit in the garden like weed the big tub the runners go in as that is higher off the ground and doesn't involve bending much.

That was a long night without much sleep yesterday Vera and what a palaver with Genes. I had frustration moving money the other day and where I wanted to move it to involved me having to send several messages at each stage so I gave up and moved it elsewhere in the end where they took care of everything without me needing all the messages. It takes time doing these things though doesn't it.

Sorry you had those horrid leg pains AnnG. Maybe it was the walking yesterday that caused it, but it's good it went off with taking the tablets. I think lamb is my favourite meat too, but it is expensive now like you say and you don't often see it in restaurants. I don't know why it is so expensive as there seem to be plenty of sheep around this area.

I see Mel is doing some gardening too so it looks like we are all trying to do some before the next rain comes!

Morning all,

Was up for th loo at 6.23am and went back to bed as it was dull and dreary and I think there may have been a frost. Then woke at 9.26am and got up. I had 15 spam emails this morning.

I may be able to get in the garden today if I'm lucky and I need to go up to my neighbour out the front and take the new drinker for him to drill a hole in a ucket for me to fit this new drinker in. Then I need to worm the chcikens. I have to do it in fresh water everyday for three days.

I want to tidy up the front of the bungalow and cut some bits back on the clematis in the tubs out there. Sweep up the moss off the raod and cut back the ladies mantle thats taken over the front.

Good morning,
Sunny and bright here, but with some mist hiding some of the distant hills, although that is slowly being burnt away.
I would like to do a bit more in the garden, before the next rain comes, but I am due a medical fitness M.O.T on Wednesday and I don't want to appear even more of an old crock than usual ;-)
Maybe I'll find a gentle standing up clipping and trimming job out there rather than bending over too much.

Yesterday, I took a walk to our next to nearest postbox to post a birthday card.
Our nearest box has been out of use and wrapped in black polythene for weeks now awaiting 'automated system coming soon'.
When is 'soon' though? :-S
Is it really necessary for such a delay in replacement.?
I can walk the distance to the next nearest postbox, but there are many round here, who would find that too difficult.

I did go into the post office last week and bought myself a supply of stamps, before the price increases. I bought a small book each for daughter and I to keep in our handbags and a sheet of 50 to have in the house.- Quite an outlay, but it will save in the long run.

Good morning Vera and all. 5 degrees here, bedding is in the washing machine. Dry but dull so far, no plans for today plenty of small jobs to do though.
Slept for an hour then really bad cramp like pains in my leg woke me up. as they didn't seem to want to go I took paracetomol and then soon went back to sleep and slept well until 5am.

Good morning
It’s overcast and cool but it’s forecast to stay dry. I haven’t got any plans for the day apart from boring things like washing. Enjoy your day whatever you are doing.

That was odd Vera to have the similar problem in two places. At least you got it posted in the end.


No Mel I rarely have Turkey I am not keen on Turkey breast. Same with chicken. I usually go for beef pork or lamb but lamb is my favourite. However that is so expensive it rarely appears on the menu now. I do prefer beef to be pink. If it is cooked too much it is dry and tasteless.

Well at least you know what to expect there AnnG and could choose from the bar menu another time. OH would enjoy the beef crumbly I think as he doesn't like any with blood on it. I don't like beef so would have joined those having Turkey.

OH just passed me an article in The Telegraph about HMRC and online traders. They reckon it will be a gold mine for tax inspectors, so I'm glad I've finished work now as I expect it will cause so much extra work. Mind you, AI use is creeping in everywhere with the people OH deals with in his work, and he's been shown some ways he can use it in his work, so I expect it's inevitable it will be used everywhere before long.

We've both done a bit of clearing, weeding and pruning in the back garden this afternoon and our large garden bin is threequarters full now, so we should have it full for the next collection. At least we are a bit further ahead in the garden at the moment than this time last year.

I've been having trouble with Genes today and have been trying to post on and off since about 8 am. I type the post, press submit and get asked to sign in even though I am already signed in. If I sign in again my post disappears and I have to start over. This is going to be my last attempt.

I couldn't rest last night and was downstairs reading till gone 4 am. I went back to bed and slept for a couple of hours and then got up just after 7. I'm OK today but rather heavy headed. It's been one interruption after another this morning, mostly phone calls, but I didn't get around to serving up our lunch till 3 pm instead of our usual 2 pm on Sundays. No gardening done today. I've just spent best part of an hour doing some banking admin. which was a bit complex moving money around and I had a similar problem to Genes this morning. Every time I put a figure in a box and pressed Next up came a red exclamation mark with instructions to put a figure in the box. I think I did it 5 times before it accepted the figure and let me move on.

Sorry your lunch wasn't as good as you hoped AnnG but at least going out with friends will have broken the day up a bit.

Dear me Mel, you are having a few problems what with the mower and the pump and your leccy going off. At least you seem to be doing well selling your miniatures on eBay so that's good. I did have a giggle at the knicker stories. My OH has shrunk in all directions and I have threatened to make him a false bottom to go in his trousers as some of them now look quite baggy on him. I have persuaded him to let me send one good pair to a charity shop as they are baggy enough to accommodate two of him.

I'm glad you seem a bit better Mandy but be careful not to overdo things. You don't want to slip backwards again.

I am feeling very tired now but I daren't let myself doze off or I won't sleep tonight again. I think I'll just go and sit quietly with a magazine or a crossword. I hope everyone has a restful night.

HOORAY - It posted :-)

My oh always wanted stuff with a roast whatever the meat was. He just loved stuffing and would have eaten a whole platefull for his dinner.

Perhaps you should have had the turkey instead.

Suns closed up for the night now and the sky is whitey grey.

Not done a thing today except cook my dinner which was sausage egg and chips instead of a big breakfast. I just fancied that. It went down a treat. Now I want a nice drink of water.

Walk and bus were fine, an easy trip, five minutes. Lunch was ok, not fantastic, roast beef which had been cooked too long so just crumbled when cut in very thin slices, nice crispy little roast potaties, carrot and brocoli, stuffing? and yorkshire and a spoonfull of mash potatoes as well. We didn't have to cook it and plates were all cleared (2 had turkey.) I think If I went there again I would choose a bar meal off their menu.

Afternoon All,

Sun is blooming here too Mel and it's 12 degrees. Ha ha, OH has had that trouble with his jim jam trousers since he lost so much weight. :-D He's had to tighten his trouser belt two notches as well, so I hope he doesn't forget his belt to those when we go out. He's bought smaller jeans since losing weight so they are ok.

Enjoy your lunch AnnG, it's nice to try somewhere new. I hope the walk turns out to be fine.

Better get lunch now.