General Chat

Two busy days there Vera. Good your teeth are ok. So pressure washing everywhere while you have it.

Little miss chatterbox will be round on Sunday for the Easter egg hunt, hoping it won’t rain.
I am wondering if Gill’s membership has lapsed. Hope they are ok anyway.

You had a nice little spend up yesterday AnnG and it sounds as though you’ve had a relaxing day today. You probably needed a bit of a break after spending a couple of days with Little Miss Chatterbox.

You’ve got a quick appointment for your cataract assessment Ann which is good but it’s not so good about your doctors giving you incorrect test results. I am glad you have your paints out again as I am looking forward to seeing more of your pictures.

Is Lewis still spotty Mandy? I expect he’s feeling a bit better and looking forward to Easter eggs now.

The last couple of days have been quite busy. Yesterday we both went for our check ups with the dentist. Everything was OK and next checkup is booked for October. The dentist is in the same town as the physio I had to see last week and I remembered that when I was trying to find my way round the diversion I turned out of the industrial estate by a garage. So we drove there and, hooray, they had fuel so we can drive to the Celebration of Life for my brother on Saturday. I had started working out how to get there without a car (2 taxis and 3 trains!) and whether we could get back the same night, but now that’s one worry out of the way.

We got back from the dentist at midday and daughter and granddaughter arrived at 12.30 and stayed till 6 pm. We had a lovely lunch and afternoon together. It got quite lively with lots of laughter and noisy discussion, particularly when it got on to politics. I had quite a headache when they went but it was worth it.

Daughter brought her pressure washer for us to borrow. OH doesn’t really like using them but I have issued an ultimatum or two. This morning he used it to really clean our garden table and 6 chairs as the birds had left plenty of messages over them and they were still covered in Sahara sand that had been rained on and had set in all the crevices. I washed some bedding and towels and did some ironing and then tried a bit of gentle gardening. I was only outside for half an hour as I could really feel it pulling on my back but it’s a start. This afternoon I had a Tesco delivery to deal with. Only one sub and that was to my advantage so I was pleased.

I’ve been wondering how Gill is getting on. I expect she’s busy still getting her house and garden in order but she was popping in to update us on her progress from time to time. It’s been ages now since we heard from her. I hope nothing is wrong healthwise or familywise.

I’ve nattered on for long enough. Time to think about getting our dinner in the oven. Sleep well tonight.

Afternoon all, this morning it was very misty and dull but the sun is out now. I have been for my mother’s’ day present from daughter. A lovely facial which is about an hour and a half and vp o ers arms and hands, shoulders and neck and head. Very relaxing and luxurious.

We then went for lunch at a nearby restaurant. This is in old railway carriages which even have a steam engine on the front. The carriage used for the actual restaurant was used to film Murder on the Orient Express. So we had a really nice morning/afternoon. Daughter and son in law had a swim and went I. The jacuzzi. And my skin is so soft and smells lovely. Sadly the Wrinkles are still there.

Well it's turning into a real medical day. I got a letter just to say my thyroid medication needs reducing, which has never happened before. Then I need another blood test to see how the levels are in a few weeks. It may be due to losing a bit of weight, but less medication will make it harder still to lose weight. I rang the surgery a few weeks ago for the results and they told me everything was ok!! It's the second time they've given me wrong information about tests recently as they told me my scan was satisfactory just after christmas then sent a letter to say I needed to see a doctor! Not good is it.

I now have my paints out and have sketched an idea for painting a card so I will see how it turns out. I just hope the card won't warp too much with the amount of water I will use. It will be good to practice anyway, whatever happens.

It's still dull outside but has gone up to 14 degrees now.

Morning Mel and All,

Dull here and PC says light rain but 12 degrees so quite mild. I checked the greenhouse and one of the cues is poking through at last! I planted more Nasturtium seeds and need to do more french marigolds later. I wish I'd bought some single flowered ones as well now or got a mix as the butterflies love those. If you buy the mix though you can't tell which is which when you plant them out and the single flowered plants grow so much taller.

I got a phone call from the private eye hospital in the city at 8.30am this morning to book me for an assessment for my cataracts in just 2 weeks! That was a shock as 2 days ago the optician said it would be at least 6 months. I'm not expecting they will do them yet, but the optician wouldn't have referred me if there was no chance at all.

Easy lunch of crumbed fish, leeks, beans, carrot and cauli with a white sauce today. Then the rest of the day is mine and I might get my paints out.

Morning Al,

Dull and grey this morning here. Nothing planned for today soo will se how I g.

F & C's tonight so no cooking.

Still not potted the toms on so thats one job for today and to sow some cues.

Coffee now so be back later.

Hope you all slept well.

Oh you had a nice little shop for a few things AnnG. Sizes of clothes do vary a lot don't they. I suppose they use more suppliers these days and each has their own idea of sizes. We each have a smallish roller case too and they fit nicely in the car without taking up much room. As you say, you can get a week's clothes in one and if you are like us you don't wear a lot of what you take away for a week anyway. I really cut back the last few years of going away and take clothes that will all go together.

Mel that does sound fiddly making those tiny things. I think I would need a good magnifying glass. It is nice when a young couple knuckle down and save to get a house and then enjoy getting it just how they want. Too many won't go without anything to do it though. I waited 4 years for my first house and we really cut back and scrimpted to do it.

I keep meaning to ask Mandy if she got one of those ECO BALLs to try.

A good spend up then Anng and some nice things to wear and keep you busy with your craft when you get home.

I have done some minituring this afternoon. More onions and garlic. It takes so long to make the roots unpicking two strands of tapestry thread from the canvas.

Fancy forgetting a tom plant when you went to the garden centre but a nice lot of other stuff you will be needing soon.

Afternoon all. We went to Car.isle but it was very wet so we couldn’t look at the cathedral or castle. Still I did have a good spend as I bought a small roller case in TKMax. I have benn looking fir one this size fir a while, plenty big enough for a week and easier to fit in the car. I bought a sweater, a summer top and jeans in M&S but the jeans have to go back, no way could I get them done up and yet I am still wearing 16s. Goodness knows why the sizes vary so much. Smame as they were pinky lilac, very pretty. We also stopped in Hobbycraft and spent money there. Then we stopped for lunch on the way back and I had very nice toasted BLT sandwiches and a glass of wine. Went out at ten and got back about four.

Afternoon All,

We were up early for the garden centre this morning. I got a Bishop's Form alpine and one or two other plants, 3 strawberry plants, some compost and tomato feed. I forgot to see if there were any tomato plants though so I hope mine come through soon. I also got some brush pens in greys and black from The Works there.

I mixed a humper of compost Mel some old from the pots, some from last year's bags and a bit of soil all mixed together. I've used it for planting all my seeds and everything else looks healthy so I think it must be the bean seeds. I might get a photo and send it to them once I check who I had them from. I might get an obelisk for my sweet peas which will go in a big pot if I can find one I like that's easy for the peas to latch onto. Some have big gaps and you have to use lots of ties.

I sounds like the talk was interesting Vera. What a nuisance trying to get fuel though and then the card machine playing up when you did find some. I hope the dentist didn't find any work to do!

I hope you get to Carlisle today AnnG and find something nice to buy. The weather's a bit overcast here but dry so I hope it is nice where you are.

Better check the greenhouse now.

A tad patronising there Mel re the delivery driver.
:-S

Suns out now and its really warm out and pc says 10 degrees.

Done the wipe down and it was a nice driver this week our little young Dan who has just bought his first house with his girlfriend. They have just done a new kitchen and its in duck egg blue and he showed me a pic of it and they have made a lovely job of it. So nice when you see a young couple setting up home together. They waited a long while for this little house in Bideford.

Only one sub and that was my cut rolls for their scotch white rolls which we don't klike so they went back. I have 4 for Saturdays burger so that was ok. I thought they would be out of those with the children on holiday.

I'm hungry this mroning too early!!

Morning All,

It rained last night after that nice day with the chilly wind and everywhere looks wet out there this morning so I suppose it rained on and off all night.

I washed the pots out for my tomatoes yesterday but did'nt get them potted on and thye badly need it. That will be one job for today and I must also sow my cues!!!! Must top up the swwet pea tub and get those planted in there and cut down the dead Achimilla out the front as its growing again.

You talk sounds like it really interested you Vera and I am glad you leant something aboiut her too.

Anng enjoy your day at Carlisle and have a spend up.

Good morning AnnG and all

It feels quite mild at the moment and it’s supposed to be a lot warmer today. Yesterday was a nice day but with a very strong wind that made it feel quite chilly. All the washing dried well.

You’ve been busy in the garden Mel. We need to get busy in ours as it’s been a bit neglected this year.

It’s a shame about your beans Ann. I’m having trouble with tomatoes as the few that have come up are still only tiny.

We are having trouble getting fuel. There are half a dozen petrol stations around town and only two had any fuel yesterday. One is near a roundabout and had long queues stretching on to the roundabout and we didn’t think it wise to join the end of that queue. The other was Sainsbury’s. It’s unmanned and a pay at pump place. The pump wouldn’t accept my card even though I had used it five minutes earlier in the shop. I hope we can get some in the next couple of days.

It was a really good talk at the Club last night. The speaker had a good clear voice and spoke without notes and showed plenty of slides. I already knew Josephine Baker was an American born French entertainer who was rather exotic, married several times and that she adopted loads of children. I didn’t know how much she had done with the French resistance and the American Civil Rights movement. She was apparently asked to lead the movement after Martin Luther King was assassinated. It was very interesting.

We have to leave for the dentist just after 9 so I had better stir my stumps. Have a good day everyone.

Good morning daughter has drs appointment this morning just a check up, not sure if for breast cancer or diabetes. Hopefully won’t be long and we may go to Carlisle. Just going to have a shower and wash my hair.

I just thought I would share the song with you so I was'nt the only one with it all day.

Shame about the beans Ann was it fresh compost or some you had over from last year? Sometimes it gets stale and makes the leaves yellow its something to do with the change of the elements in it. When I had the nursary we had a whole batch of pansies that went wrong and it was the compost.

Well I have been out in the garden this morning and cut down the dead clematis that I had cut off earlier by the steps down to the garden and the one on the end of the patio where it meets the decking. Then I cut back my pink aster at the end of the box hedge on the rockery and all the dead bits of the geranium that has covered most of the space up there. Did a wahs and got that on the ine and it was blowing well in the wind. Still very chilly in the wind so I had a fleece scarf over my ears with a fleece hat on the top of that. I was lovely and warm and my ear is a lot better today. This afternoon I cooked cabbage \and potatoes for bubble and squeak tonight with a taody in the old hole and baked beans which we both enjoyed.

Now I am going to watch Gentleman Jack and then go to bed.

Had a piece of chocolate cake made by Grandson with mushrooms instead if flower and it was really nice.

Mandy yes she likes bubbles but she would get through them quickly. Nanny (daughter) took her down to the park just down the path from here and there were other children her age she could play with they apparently had a great time.
Annx yes Keswick was very busy the world and it’s dogs were there. I went in Mountain warehouse and came straight out and waited for the others outside. It was safe enough in the street but nobody was wearing masks in the shops at all I was really surprised.

Annx, what a shame. Contact the company, return unused seeds and a photo or sample of an affected seedling with some of the growing medium. I'm sure they would want to know. As I've said before, I've never had a problem, so far.
I've sowed mine today so I'll let you know how they get on.

Evening all,

Phew I feel whacked I went over the school to help tidy up their gardens where the children can sit and read ,did a lot of digging and pulled up lots of old nettles .
Then after lunch I went shopping came home and cooked a chicken and hoovered through ,think I will sleep well tonight .
The bird table over the school looks a bit tatty so I think Colins going to make a new one for them .

Anng Inara sounds full of energy does she like bubbles perhaps get a bottle of bubbles so she could chase them .

Oh Ann what a shame your beans are like that ,I haven't planted mine yet so I hope they aren't the same ,could you take a photo and send to the seed company might be a batch of bad ones ,you never know they might send you another lot.

Oh Mel that tune will go round in my head too now I had one going round my head the other day ,you just keep humming it .

Oh my bones I think I'm stiffening up .

What a bundle of energy young Inara is! Running and jumping and ready for more and chatter in the car too. She sounds like OH in the car and I love driving on my own sometimes for the peace and quiet without all the questions I have to keep answering. lol. Was Keswick very busy or is it too early in the year yet?

I think there is a problem with my climbing french beans which have all germinated now. There is some wrinkling on the leaves on some and yellow spots on others which looks like a virus to me. What a shame and I don't think I'd better plant the rest of the beans as they are likely to be the same. I think I'll bin them and the soil they are in and order more seed from somewhere else.

I've recorded Gentleman Jack which is back on Sundays on BBC1.