General Chat

Oh I used to have the Mary Mouse books for Christmas, I loved them.

Mary Mouse - that was her name. Thank you Gwyn :-D

That's a good idea too Mandy and I think we have a couple of blowlamps somewhere in the garage. I'm not keen on using things like that though since I had trouble lighting a Tilley lamp years ago and it became engulfed with flames after pumping it up. I sold it at a car boot sale in the end.

I was thinking of you moving your furniture around today Vera. It's emptying and moving all the bookcases here that would be a nuisance. I dread what I will find too when I move my lounge cupboards and they will be much the same with webs and dead things. Nothing got moved or cleaned properly during the heatwave but I like to clean under everything in the lounge before Christmas. At least you are all ready now and have got your washing done. Is the painter coming early?

A few subs I didn't want in the order like fishcakes with salmon that is smoked so I'll get a refund for those and will manage with the other things. The drivers seem to get worse and today's who I have never seen before.

Looking forward to Frozen Earth again tonight.

Vera, Your post stirred a distant memory about children's books.
Was the mouse perhaps called Mary?

I don't usually go for Wiki sites, but may be something here will help.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Mouse

Bread and pullit was on the menu in our house too ;-)

Sometimes an alternative was bread and cheese and an onion.
"A hot dinner with no cooking ".

Maisie is a real cutie Mandy and I just love the little sneakers. You are so clever. You’ve reminded me of some books I had as a child. They were very small. My memory may be at fault a bit but I think they were only about 4” x 2”. Each page had a couple of pictures with a few words underneath and they were about a mouse. I think she was called Maisie as well. Does anyone remember them? I’ve googled but haven’t come up with anything.

Bread and pullit, Mel, that’s another blast from the past. It was my Mum’s stock answer whenever we asked “What’s for dinner?”.

Two loads of washing done, dried and put away. There’s only a couple of bits that need ironing. The house is all ready for the painter now, though I may never find anything again. OH moved the grandfather clock in the hall and a corner unit in the kitchen by himself and we moved the big, heavy sideboard between us. You should have seen the number of dead flies and all the muck underneath them. I felt quite ashamed but they all fit close to the floor and you can’t get anything underneath them to clean.

It’s not been a bad day but it’s cooling down now . The forecast for the next few days looks quite autumnal. Perhaps we’ll have a lovely Indian Summer in October.

If we have some weeds come through the brickweave or slabs Colin uses his paint blow torch to burn them which works just the same as a flame thrower :-D

We're catching up with some Chateau diy and I'm doing my knitting I have to keep saying pattern row don't talk to me .

Mandy she is so cute and her clothes are great. and the shoes too, thanks for the photo.

Talking of Photos, that was a good idea of Vera's about cancelling me from your contacts. Wait a day or so then try re-adding you could try using a different name for me (make one up).

Ann Those flame throwers are quite efficient, I only had a short try when Andy was here and they dealt with some weeds better than others. they are really like a much larger and more powerful version of the type you can buy to light a gas hob or barbecue (or candle). you can apparently buy them on line.

Mandy she's fantastic! I love her patterned dress and all the shoes. Can't wait to see the mouse if you do that next. :-D

Afternoon All,

Sunny here and 14 degrees. I didn't sleep so well last night and got up to see what the door banging at 3.00am was. It was people up the close coming home from somewhere.

Oh yes Mandy, I could do with a flame gun for the gravel and drive! lol Don't give me ideas as OH would run a mile if I was waving one of those around. :-0 :-D How many jars of picallili will you make today?

The Sheep's Head Roll doesn't sound a bit appetising Gwyn, so I'd give it a miss as well. It reminds me of when I used to buy half a pig for the freezer when I was first married and cooking tongue and also making brawn. The process and smell in the kitchen would put me off eating it. I still have the Mrs Beeton book I bought with greenshield stamps when I first got married. It is falling apart now though, but I still use it at times.

Yes the lavender pics were lovely AnnG, but a shame they didn't have much smell. Come to think of it our bush didn't smell much this year either.

Is the old mower just a bit unreliable Mel or is BIL not used to it yet. I remember how disappointing it used to be when mowers conked out. Poor chap getting attacked with all those thorns too. It must be impossible to keep them all under control though.

Mandy, Thank you for the photo of Maisie and the shoe collection. No wonder you couldn't resist making all the different styles. Good luck with the cardigan, I hope it works out well this time.
Mum used to dry lavender from the garden and make little bags of it to hang on hangers for the wardrobe and to put with clothes in drawers. Everything was natural fibres back then and so was more prone to moth damage.

Afternoon all,

15 degrees here so not to bad and we've had some sun .
I made my piccalilli this morning and made a stew for later now I'm going to have a another go at Maisies grey cardi and hope I can get it right this time .

Anng I suppose the Lavender needs rubbing with your hands to release the oils then you'd get the aroma of the Lavender.
My nanny always had a Lavender bag in her chest of draws and wardrobe .

I have sent a photo of Maisie and I tried to get her curly tail in the photo you have to button her french knickers round the tail :-D

Morning all,

Sunny and bright this morning and 12 degrees by the pc and expect partly sunny skies
9 and feels like 6.

Got arm ache after cutting all those brimbles out the plum tree on the top wall behind the caravan. I also took some off the forsythia and walked futher along the border and down the west wall cutting as I went and they were up high some of them so I expect thats why.

I have a little bit of steak for dinner tonight which I shall have with tomatoes and maybe a jacket pot. Certainly don't fancy the sheep's head roll I'd rather have bread and pullit as mum used to say.

good morning all 6 degrees here, that is the lowest yet. Tesco this morning last week he was 15 minutes early, bet if I am prepared he won't be this week.

Mandy I think the hot weather had taken a lot out of the lavender as it didn't actually smell that strong unless you got down really close to it. Yes I have a large lavender in front of the house and several small ones growing in the gravel out there too which all flowered beautifully this year. and that one does smell strong. It is very old, over 30 years as it was here when we moved in. I don't think the hybrids have such a strong scent.

Good morning all

9 degrees at the moment and a clear sky, though no sun yet.

Thanks for the lavender pictures AnnG. The fields look lovely. Mel, have you tried deleting AnnG from your list of contacts, leaving it a while and then putting her back as a new contact? Maybe that would unblock her so that you could receive her photos.

Sheep’s Head Roll? It sounds delicious. I’m thinking of having it for next week’s Sunday dinner. On second thoughts perhaps I’ll stick with roast beef ;-)

I’ve no special plans for the day though I might do some washing instead of leaving it for the next few days when the painter is here.

Ann I now have a picture of you with the big guns out lol A flame thrower :-D

Lovely photo of the Lavender Anng the smell must be amazing ,you had some Lavender in your front garden didn't you .

Mel thats good BIL got the mower going ,his poor head will be sore those old brambles pull at your skin .

Oh I think I would give the sheep's head roll a miss too :-0 one of the first cookery books I had was a Marguerite Pattern and its got a loose cover on that has got very tatty now but I did use it a lot when first married.

I thought it better to take the toms than let them get thrown away if it had been earlier In the day I would have taken some up to the community shop ,I do hate waste .

Raining again now buf we did see a little sun for a while .

BIL came and got the od mower going so mowed the back and down by Prickley Bottom and then did the front lawns with the newer mower . I went out and started cutting down the fern by the steps off the patio and was going to carry on cutting the mollis off and was filling the trailer as the old mower pulls that. He went to do the front grass and suddenly he was walking towards me. Where's the mower? I asked and he said its done it again and konked out up the top. So I now have a full trailer and nothing to pull it with. I nearly asked him if he could empty it for me before he carried on mowing but did'nt. He had also had an arguement with a brimble cutting the top lawn and had blod all over his forhead and brow. I said I would go up and cut them off and by this time the old mower was going. I went up and cleared the plum tree on the wall of brimbles and carried on along the border and down the side so now I have to go and pick it all up in my wheelbarrow but I am tired now so having a sit down before going out there again.

Gwyn I don't blame you giving a miss on the 'Sheep's head Roll' but it did make me laugh. I have some old books of hers that mum had and there are some good recipes in them but I don't think they are as old as the ones you have been looking through.

How strange that both you and Cynth are going to the IOW in the same month. ~At least you can water her plants while she's there and hopefully she will water yurs when she gets back and you go!!

Could someone please send me the pics of the lavender fields, thanks.

You'll be sick to the teeth of tomatoes soon Mandy but it was nice to give some to yur sister on the way home. I used to sive some of mine and make tomato juice.

Well better go and pick up these cuttings.

Thank you for the lavender photos AnnG.... What a bee heaven that must be.
I love the rich colours contrasting with the creamy white and especially like how the land gently undulates highlighting this.

Mandy, What a shame you had to unpick your work, but like you, I would want it to be right. Maisie is going to be so smart.
That was a bonus getting the spare tomatoes. The school where I help sometimes has spare fruit and veg. on a Friday, but as they have quite a few animals, nothing goes to waste if nobody else wants them
Talking about no waste, I have been reading some wartime recipes in a set of books I bought in a charity shop yesterday. They are by Marguerite Patten and she states that no food must be wasted. She even gives suggestions re. what to do with the oil from a tin of sardines.
I might try some of the recipes, but will definitely give the 'Sheep's head Roll' a miss :-0

I have sent (I hope) the two lavender photos that I showed at photography. Both got good comments and no criticisms for once.

That was a surprise bonus getting the tomatoes Mandy! You can blitz some to freeze to do sauces with and I bet your sister was glad of some too. OH often says overordering means leftovers are given away at the schools he goes to. Sometimes it is easier to start again when knitting goes wrong.......I should know the times it has happened to me. ;-) lol It's good you have the buttons now and it sounds like she will soon be finished. It sounds like we are all either vaccinated or booked in now. My shoulders are still a bit tender but nothing much.

Afternoon All,

It's saying 15 degrees and rain coming here! It was lovely and sunny earlier so I did my 1 lap of the park. OH burnt the rest of his old papers and did a bit of weeding while I was out. I've weeded another small patch but the creeping yellow clover is becoming a problem and spreading everywhere. If the weedkiller we put on the gravel in the front garden doesn't start to work in a week we will have to bring the big guns out! I can't remember what I used at my old house to get rid of it, probably something that is banned now.

Lavender fields are something I've always wanted to photograph AnnG, so I bet the photos you took were good, especially blown up on a big screen. My word you have worked hard today so a rest now is a good idea. We've managed without any heating yet, but next week's chill that's forecast will probably change that.

Vera watch your back moving things around ready for the painter. As you say, grandfather clocks like to stay put! There's nothing wrong with magnolia, at least it goes with everything. Our bedrooms and study are creamy shades with the porch pale grey, lounge is white with end walls a pale mushroom, and white with 1 grey wall in the kitchen. It's the white woodwork that looks shabby now, the walls are still ok. At least you will be freshly painted ready for Christmas which is nice.

We had a second visit by a squirrel in the centre rockery this week. The little beggar is digging up my alpines to bury peanuts from next door's feeders! We haven't started putting peanuts out yet so it's not ours.

Best finish the food order now and I might clean the kitchen floor while OH is out.