General Chat

It's grey, wet and windy. Apparently it's 9 degrees but feels a lot colder to me.

For the last few weeks I've been generally sleeping better but now I seem to be going through one of my periodic not sleeping sessions. I've had very little sleep over the last 3 nights so now my head is aching all the time and, although I am wearing plenty of clothes, I can't stop shivering which I think is down to tiredness. I'm a right grump at the moment :-(

I am interested in your geranium problem AnnG as I discovered yesterday that I have lost all my geraniums in the mini-greenhouse. The cuttings in the unheated conservatory seem to be fine and look green and healthy but it's a couple of dozen mother plants in the little plastic greenhouse that have given up. I looked at them a couple of weeks ago and they looked OK but the soil in the pots seemed very wet. I normally keep them dry so I asked OH if he had watered them and he said he hadn't touched them. On days when it has been a bit warmer we have opened up the front of the greenhouse to let in some air but we have closed it again late afternoon. Yesterday I found all the plants brown and wilted and it looked as though they had some form of mould or mildew. Good job I've got a few cuttings.

I can't understand why the plants were so wet. They haven't been watered since they were lifted in November. There doesn't appear to be any water or even condensation getting in the greenhouse - the inside walls are bone dry. I've never had a problem with geraniums before. It's a complete puzzle.

Lunch now and then I'm going to stay off the screen for a few hours as it's not doing my head or eyes any good at the moment.

It is a fairly unusual name, at the moment I can't recall where in the tree it appears but I think it is other half's tree so would be somerset, Dorset or Devon I think. Yes it would be a coincidence.

Checking the geraniums in the conservatory which is not heated at all, several of the larger scented ones have been hit by frost even inside there, not sure whether to leave them or throw them out.

howling gale and pouring rain here. 12 degrees.

Anng I have just spotted the names you are reserching and see you have a surname Tamblyn. Thats my neighbours name the ones that live up the top who took me out with them to the garden centre. Would'nt it be funny if they were related to you.

Morning Anng and all,

We have sunshine here at present but how long it will last goodness only knows. We had lashing rain and high winds last night and it was a wonder the things were'nt blown all over the garden. Well they may have been as I hav'nt ventured out yet. Not been up long and I went to bed earlier last night.

Not sure if BIL is coming today but I think not as he will want to go over Exmoor to take pictures. Suits me as I may be able to do some craft stuff.

We,ve not heard from Mandy for a while now so I hope all is ok and she's just busy with the children and her knitting.

good morning all. up at 0630 this morning to see daughter and SiL off back to the LD. Pouring with rain here and still very dark. And now I have to start to put the decs away.

All the people and cottages and snow stuff are back in their boxes and in the cupboard. It took about an hour all together. tomorrow the rest will be put away it will give me something to do to keep my mind off the empty house. I don't look forward to it, yet it will be good to get back to normal.

Morning anng and all,

Its quite bright at the moment here and pc says rain afternoon and 9 degrees. The sky has long whispy thin white clouds but I can see a little blue and plenty to make a sailor a pair of trouser,

Eye are a bit swollen today so I hope its not the telly which BIL changed yesterday. He changed the settings as I had had a go and messed it up. Had a very strange dream too about my new neighbour up the top and her two sons were curly haired and ginger but they are not they are both dark haired!!

Don't envy you having to put all those cottages and people away Anng.

Good morning all, grey but dry here and 7 degrees. daughter and SiL still in bed so I have put a load in the washing machine. another two loads at least to go, the only down side of being away for two weeks.

I will start to put the cottages away today then all the decs tomorrow can't really do it while they are here but it will help to have them assisting with putting the cottages in the cupboard.

Gosh I had'nt refreshed the page!!!

Not done any crafting today as BIL came and he sorted iout the telly for me. I had had a go at it and had a terrible picture so he and me found out how to change it all and now its not too bad.

I have also made another bid on ebay and won it and there's another coming up later early evening in about an hour.

Not had the heating on since this morning as I hav'nt needed it.

Em rang to see if the shopping had arrived so that was good.

Fancy having all those cards to open Anng and read the letters within them. All takes time. Glad you had a good journey home.

So nobody posted today yet?

Had BIL here. He came while I was in the library.

Good afternoon all. We had a very good uneventful trip home, left Lake District at 0800 in drizzly rain drove over Sharp on the M6 in mist/fog. It was then dull with some drizzle all the way home. We stopped once for the loo and for Joe to stretch his legs then had a longish stop at Webb’s garden centre where we had lunch, so a stop of about an hour and a l Alf and got home just after two.
I had 42 cards to open, several of which had letters in so it was a long session.

Vera, You've had a very busy and active day. Nice to get ship-shape again, but I hope your aches and pains don't cause another uncomfortable night.

Mel, glad to hear there is some improvement, but I hope that cold soon goes too.

I hope AnnG's journey is clear and uneventful.
She will have another mini Christmas opening all the late cards.

A mild overcast day here. Forsythia is still doing well and there are lovely large trees full of pussy willow over in the school grounds.

Good that you are stocked up with books now Mel. Has your shopping arrived yet?

OH took down some outside lights and the door wreath this morning and I took down the inside decorations and tree and rehung some pictures in the hall that we had taken down to use the space for card holders. We ended up with over 60 cards though we were missing a few we usually get. I think some people decided not to bother this year. Everything got boxed up and put away in the garage and then I hoovered through downstairs and got lunch. I’ve since prepared our meal for tonight and I’m now waiting for Sainsbury’s to deliver, so there will be 3 weeks of shopping to put away. They should be here in the next 45 minutes.

I didn’t sleep well last night so I feel shattered now and my back is aching from stretching and reaching over furniture to take down decorations. I hope you are all ache and pain free. OH has gone for a walk and the sky has come over very black. I reckon it’s going to pour at any minute.

I had an Amazon voucher for Christmas so I’m going online now to see what I can spend it on.

Done the library and got a nice klot of books to keep me going.

Been to Hazel's and gave her her Chirstmas present whioch she was delighted with. I put all the marzipan fruits I made them in a royal worcester dish with herbs on it. She said once the boys have gone she is going to ask me down for lunch and next time they go to the garden centre they will let me know so I can go with them again.

Morning all,

brightish morning here and 12 degrees and pc says cloudy.

My shopping should come today so we will see???

It is also library day so I hope it dos'nt come when the library gets here as its only here for half an hour.

What are you all up to today?

Still got this cold but not coughing quite so much and still blowing my nose a lot.

Its funny htis post lately. I don't know where they strike if its in London or anywhere but I have had none today.

Don't know what I fancy for something to eat tonight might just be a boiled egg or egg on toast, not so much to wash up with the latter. I had two good thick with ham sandwishes for lunch and a packet of hula hoops puffed so don't feel very hungry. Iv'e run out of butter so it will have to be spread.

Plants arrived at 6.30 pm. OH looked and said “How many are we getting?” and looked horrified when I said another 40 over the year. Goodness knows where we will put them all as some of them grow pretty big. There’s even a Choisya. They seem to love our garden and we struggle to control the 2 we’ve already got! I suspect we might grow that on for a couple of years in a pot and then see if daughter would like it for her garden.

The other plants are a potentilla, 2 centranthus, a lychnis, a musk mallow, a loropetalum and an aubrietia. I’ll have to look a couple up as I don’t know the names.
They all look healthy and have been well chosen to go together as they are all in shades of pink or white.

I am quite impressed but our pocket handkerchief of a garden is going to be stuffed to the gills.

Safe journey back AnnG.

What a pain of a day you’re having Mel. I hope your shopping turns up tomorrow. There’s no sign of my plants either. If they don’t turn up soon I’ll have to let daughter know so she can chase them. What did arrive today was a letter that I know was only posted yesterday afternoon.

I have been trying to sort Asda out all morning and in the end after yet another phone call it is now coming tomorrow......hopefully. I thought I would go up the top to see if the shopping had been left outside the potting sheds but the cars battery is now completely flat again. I tried ringing my little garage to ask him to get me a new battery but only got the answer phone so think they must be away.

Then I had to sort something else out that was outstanding and have something to eat and take my pills and now I think I have managed to get most things sorted there no time left in the day. :-| :-| :-|

Good afternoon all. We have the two girls today. So fascinating watching the 14 month old play. She is so intense putting cups one inside the other and she quickly learnt that it has to be a smaller cup to go inside a larger one. They have both been very good but Mum should be here soon to collect them. Daughter is going to meet a friend this afternoon and I have to pack.