General Chat

Had BIL here this morning and he brought me some more bird feeders for spares. He only wanted the poles out of the box of feeder bits so I have plenty of spares now if the squirrel takes one away which they have done many times in the past.

Save me a bit of lamb please Vera. I have ordered myself some lamb chops this week.

Fed BIL and he came in as it had started to rain so we had lunch together I just hope I hav'nt given him this blasted cold back. I'm sure thats where I got it from.

Well I better go and corn the chickens before it gets any darker and they go to bed.

Good afternoon all

After all the rain we’ve had recently it’s a dry start to 2023 for us, though the rain is supposed to be back this evening. We didn’t see the New Year in though we might just as well have done as we didn’t go to bed till 11.30 pm and I didn’t turn the light off till 12.30 when the fireworks stopped.

I got a bit of energy and mojo back yesterday and got on with several jobs in the house and then potted on 9 geranium and a couple of argyranthemum cuttings that have rooted. There are some other cuttings that look healthy but don’t seem to have roots yet so I’ll keep an eye on those.

I had a letter on Friday from our doctors’ surgery. I have to make an appointment for a blood pressure check or email them some readings from my home monitor, which is what I will do. I know I’ve said it before but our surgery is very good and keep a good check on their patients.

I didn’t realise you were an Essex boy William. We originally came from South London and Kent but moved to North London, then to two different places in Essex, then to two different places in Suffolk. It would be great if you could write a Suffolk poem. Sadly I’m not on Facebook so won’t see an illustrated version. There are some beautiful places in Suffolk and there seem to be lots of people moving here. Having moved from Essex to Suffolk in 1986 I don’t want anyone else to move here and spoil it!!

Our roast lamb is ready to carve and veg is almost cooked so I’d better get the gravy sorted before OH comes into the kitchen looking for his dinner.

Good morning all on the first day of a new year. Always the thought on this day as to what the year will bring. Hope it is all good or at least not bad. Just as well we don’t know I think.
We stayed up until 22.30 after watching the New year come in on the TV with the fireworks. There were some around here but not many and it was pouring with rain.

I think it is a stay indoors day today and now I had better get dressed. I didn’t get to sleep until way after 3am.

Morning Will and all and a Happy New Year on this first day opf January 2023.

I slept right through last night did'nt get up for the loo at all wwhich is quite unusual for me. Felt fine when I got up and came out to put the kettle on, drunk a glass of water and made my coffee and then the sneezing and coughing started. Siutting here and nose is still running.

Lavenham is a lovely little village with many wonderful timbered building.

Its a bit brighter here this morning and the suns trying to shine but pc says cloudy o its just changed to rain coming so that will make a change I don't think. The poor big girls are paddling around in an inch of mud. 9 degrees and now it says mostly cloudy.

Good morning and a Happy New Year to all GR folk on this thread. We all hope for good health as a must, would you believe I woke up at 5am this morning with chronic backache!. I couldn't go back to bed and rubbed Volterole on my back to ease it. About half an hour later I heard Carmel calling out and I went in the bedroom to find that her right calf muscle was going into cramp! A fine start to the New Year"

As I mentioned Suffolk as a subject for one of my poems I have been doing a bit of research and wishing that on the times I visited the county that I had taken more photos and done more sketches. I find my only artwork is of Lavenham but I'm sure I can do more sketches with the help of an artist friend. My only drawback is that folk on here won't be able to see my illustrated version unless they visit my Facebook site.
It's heading towards breakfast time and an easy day with several ideas for future poems. Have a nice day folks.

Happier New year to all on this thread and hope 2023 will be a good year for all of us God Bless all. <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

I won’t be staying up to see the new year in; I leave that to the grandchildren these days. A healthy, happy New Year to you all and I wish you everything that you wish for yourselves in 2023 <3

Thank you Mandy and I too wish you all on here a Happy and health New Year and those that are missing.

Just went out on the patio and had the light on and looked in the pond and there floating on the top was Crazy Fish. Oh thought it was going to die in the summer but it kept going doing all these funny swims up to the top and then going down to the corner again. It did'nt have proper balance and oh said it had something wrong with its swim bladder. I had to reach the BIG net on the roof of the filter shed and lift it off and it weighed a ton without the fish in it. I did managed to get it out and have put in in a bin bag to deal with in the morning. Now why could'nt it have floated to the top during daylight when I could have buried it then.

I have also been told today that the neighbour who lives up the top by where I drive into mine has passed away. they took him to hospital earlier in the week as he had a fall. My other neighbour up the top had keys to his place and called the doc who called an ambulance. His son lives in London and dos'nt drive. Les used to pick him up from Exeter when he came down here so I am not sure how he is getting down here now.

Evening all,

It's been a very wet day here I don't think it's stopped all day, I've been on the go all day as we have the family coming again tomorrow so I've been getting ahead with things ,it was decided that we would have a Beef Cobbler for lunch so I've cooked the beef and will do the topping in the morning.

Nice to see William popping in again :-)

I often wonder what happened with Gill too Anng I suppose with having all the work to do on the bungalow and garden she just gave up on posting .

It would be nice to hear how Frank is getting on too .

I don't think we'll be staying up to see the new year in so I'll wish everyone a Very Happy and healthy New year <3 <3

I think I remember William, maybe from when I first came on the thread but also from GR in general. Always good to see “old” members on here, it gets a bit lonely sometimes.
I still wonder what happened to Gill. Sandra did love Christmas. It was very strange that Gill just stopped after we were all always so supportive. Disappointing really. It would have been better if she had explained then we would not have worried.

We did get out to Maryport this morning, it was dry with no wind. We had a coffee and then a short stroll round the harbour. Sadly it was very low tide so not photogenic at all. It rained as soon as we got home at lunch time so in for the rest of the day. I am on my fifth book since getting here, quite thick books too.

Anyway I have a couple of breaks to look forward to now when I get home. One for coming up here, then a week in the Isle of Wight in July and vague plans for October but nothing definite yet. At least it is a start!

So lovely to see you on here again Will. I love your poems so I think one about Suffolk is on the cards now if you can manage it please. I came from Suffolk so would be interested in one from there. I wish you and Carmel a Happy New Year and many more of them. Take care the both of you and sending love and wishes. <3 <3

Its raining here but its not so cold out but pc is saying heavy rain soon so I am glad I have fed the chickens, phil pheasent, the bantam and the wild birds and both Robins have been this morning for mealworms and did'nt fight because my shed one came when patio Robby was away. He came and sang to me while I was out there and it went on for ages. I just have to stand there and listen till he's finished.

Just to say 'Hi to SuffolkVera, yes I eased up with all the caring I had on here but I have always kept on my GR account and still treasure my GR friends.
I think Suffolk is one county I haven't written a poem about even though my native county of Essex bordered Suffolk. Cumria, Scotland, Cornwall and Essex I have done. These were supported from some of the artwork I have in my on-line 'Sketchbook' (also on Facebook). We have such a lovely country and I often wonder why some folk need to go abroad. Of course the answer is always, 'The Sunshine!.' Meanwhile I say abou Suffolk, if it was good enough for John Constable, it is certainly good enough for me.
It's a shame these posting don't have the facility for graphics, it would mean that we could share so much more.
When I started this thread my wife although I was her carer, was still pretty mobile. Three years ago she had a fall and broke her femur which has resulted in a progressive loss of mobility and when we go out, I have to push her in her wheelchair. Still we manage, we have a bigger car so the wheelchair will fit in and in better days, we still manage the occasional day out when the weather and her health are for the better.
Oh, well I've rattled on long enough. Time for a some breakfast. I think a spot of simple cereal's is in order after some of the richer festive fare.
Although this started out aimed at Suffolk Vera, I hope all have had a chance to have a browse. This is my best time, early in the morning with no demands on my time. Bless you all.

Good morning Mel and all that cold is certainly hanging on Mel. But good that the cough didn’t wake you.
It is really dark here this morning, it was like night time aT 0815 when I woke up. Slept all night except for one trip to the loo.

Might go to Maryport for coffee if it is not raining later it would be good to get some air.

Morning all,

Still dull here and not very nice at all and pc says rain coming so thats something to look forward too as if we hav'nt had enough recently of the wet stuff. Pc is saying its 13 degrees and thats quite high. I just wish it would stop raining......

Still got this horrid cold.

Did you all sleep well last night. I don't remember getting up for the loo in the night at all so must have slept right through.

Good morning everyone (oops, got distracted and it's afternoon now)

I had a better sleep last night so was awake and up a bit earlier. Seeing the weather I think I should have stayed in bed. It's not really cold in the more sheltered areas but there is a bitter wind blowing and it is very wet. It's a pretty miserable day altogether.

I've done some ironing and a few other jobs and OH is cleaning the bathrooms for me. I can't complain - he's very good about helping if I tell him what needs to be done. He just never actually sees for himself what needs doing.

I've spoken to the eye treatment centre at the hospital and the lady I spoke to said they are running a week to 10 days late with appointments but she checked and said I was definitely on the list and they would be phoning me with an appointment soon so that's OK.

I hope that cold starts to clear up soon Mel.

I'd better go and find a couple of jobs to do until we have lunch as I can't really be sitting about while OH is doing h/w.

Good morning all, sorry you are still under the weather Mel, I do hope the cold improves soon. Hoping I don’t catch one but it is not worth staying in, in case. Today is very wet, cold and windy so not going out. Seeing that I didn’t finally wake until 0915 and was first up it is just as well we are not going out.

Vera yesterday was just not your day by the look of it, hope today is a better one. That was a lt of cards that man was buying. Maybe he has a small shop somewhere or market stall. (Or a large family). Hope today is a better one.
Mandy hope you have got Mr Owl finished now.


Hope all who look in are well :-)

Morning all,

Dull wet and quite windy again today, makes you want to go back to bed and sleep through it.

Still coughing in the night and sneezing again this morning and I wish it would hurry up and go away.

What are you lot up to tday? I shall be staying in in the warm with a hot drink.

You would really think they could ring you to make your appointment when its something like eye injections would'nt you? I don't know what the world is coming to. Its all so impersonal now. I had another email from the bearevment place still asking me to send documents so I just sent the same things I had sent three times before.

still coughing and sneezing and my nose still keeps running. Getting really fed up with it now.

Good to “meet” you Will. I think I started posting about the time you were easing up so we didn’t really have any contact.

We had several cards yesterday and another 3 today which included one from you Mel. Thank you very much.

It’s been sunny for a lot of the day but with a really cold wind and I’ve had quite a frustrating day. I didn’t sleep much and got up with a headache. After a bit of a slow start I got my act together and got a stew for 2 days in the slow cooker. Then I hoovered through downstairs, wiped over the hall floor where various people had walked with wet shoes and cleaned some sinks.

After lunch I went into town. I needed to go to a place that used to close at 3 pm, so made sure I was there just after 2 pm. Grrr...they now close at 2 pm. Then I went to the pharmacy to pickup my meds and they seem to have changed the system, supposedly to improve things. It is only an improvement if you need the same items every month. I have 3 lots that I need all the time but I only take the other 2 things when I feel I need them so just get them occasionally and the system doesn’t work as well then.

Next I went to the card shop for 4 birthday cards. They were selling Xmas cards etc at half price and the man in the queue in front of me had bought 3 boxes and about 50 single cards which all had to go through the till individually. There was only one till open so you can guess how long it took.

All this and the extensive roadworks with 3 way traffic lights didn’t do my headache any good at all so I arrived home very irritable. OH made me a cuppa and I’ve calmed down now.

I must ring the hospital tomorrow as my next eye injection is due in 2 or 3 days and I haven’t got an appointment yet. I’m just concerned that there may be a letter from them still going round the postal system.

You'll have a lot of opening up to do when you get home Anng.

I had a card yesterday posted on the 17 Dec but still not had one from aunty Joy and she said she posted it. Nor my cousin Ann both live in Bideford.

Mandy I know you like a bit of glitter on your cards thats why you got that one. Shame it did'nt arrive till after Christmas day though. Postman came today but only with a cotton traders half price book.Looking forward to seeing the owl and what did you just finish? Can't remember now.

I have been doing a bit of crafting well casting some new moulds.