General Chat

Your meal out sounded a bit of an adventure Ann :-). I am more than ever convinced our OHs were cut from the same cloth. I hadn’t thought of the Mr Bean comment but I am always telling mine that it’s like going out with a child. He’s always the one to drip gravy down his shirt or knock his wine over. Our neighbours have asked us to go out for a meal with them on Saturday night and I just know he’ll knock something flying. I would rather go midweek when it will be less busy but I keep putting them off and I don’t want to upset them. We’ll just have to manage the risk as best we can and take our chances.

I’m not surprised you got chilly AnnG. Even when it’s a reasonable temperature it can get nippy if there is no sun and you are sitting still.

We’ve not had a good day really. My back is quite painful again today but I’ve plodded on and got all the washing done, cooked our main meal at lunchtime, dealt with the food delivery and sorted through some more photos. I am resting now and OH will get us a snack around 7 pm.

This morning he went off early to the optician’s. I expected him back soon after 10 and was getting a bit worried when it got to 11 am. Soon after that he arrived back and apparently had rung and left a message on the answering machine. I don’t know why I didn’t hear the phone. I think I must have been in the bathroom with the water running. Anyway when he got back to the car park he found a nearly flat tyre - he’d picked up another puncture. He had to stand in the pouring rain using the foot pump to get enough air in the tyre to drive a short distance up the road to get a new tyre fitted. Another expense we could have done without :-(

Think I’m going to copy AnnG now and sit and read for a while.

Well I was feeling chilly indoors but looking at the PC it says it is 15 degrees.

I have been lazy and just sitting reading.

It's 11 degrees and dull here now AnnG and no more rain.

I decided to go to an Italian restaurant a couple of miles away at 12.00pm when they open, as a late birthday treat for OH. Mondays are usually quiet and we last went 2 years ago on OH's actual birthday. Well we ordered and they brought this massive tray of dishes and were trying to squeeze them all onto our table when I realised it wasn't all our order! There were 4 dishes of chicken in a tomato sauce with oregano instead of 2 dishes and chicken on skewers, salad etc as well as other things we didn't recognise. We finally sorted out what should be ours and I said to OH they must have thought we were greedy with all that lot!! OH then managed to tip some of his deep fried cubed potatoes on himself and the floor, nearly knocked over a bottle of water, then spilled some milk. I said 'honestly, it's like being out with Mr Bean'. :-) He couldn't help but chuckle.

Greenhouse next to plant more seeds.

it actually has not rained most of the morning and is 12 degrees out there so not too cold. Most of my plants are now in the greenhouse, Just the two seed propagators to go down.

Morning All,

It's 9 degrees here now but doesn't seem that warm. It was raining when I woke up, but very, very fine drizzle when the windowcleaner came. I decided to risk my walk and was surprised to see a few other brave souls. A strange sight greeted me as I walked onto the park, a bright blue tent was pitched next to the circle of fenced off trees in the middle of the park with a canvas holdall bag placed next to it. It looked like a toilet tent as it was tall, but was just about big enough to sleep in! Goodness knows why that was there?

Mel I do have a propagator, but it is too small to put much in. I also have a lot of clear lidded food containers our meals came in, but they are too shallow for the pots I sowed seed in. It doesn't help that a piece of the greenhouse glass has slid down leaving a gap either. I have found some more bubblewrap from the new blinds now so will be able to cover things better. I could have covered the tomato plant with one of my covers I made by cutting the base off some big plastic pop bottles but I thought it would be ok as the big pot it was in had soil well below the sides. I still might look at a bigger propagator though as it would be easier. Have you been watching the prog Sandy Toksvig presents about the dolls house people are doing tiny makes for?

Island my climbing french beans are through, so I must look after those and will bring them into the conservatory if more frost is forecast. I will be interested to see what the beans are like and fancy not having to bend down so much to pick them!. :-)

No subs and just 1 thing out of stock is very good Vera. I have wet washing to dry too.

It's a shame you can't get the lawn mown before you go AnnG, but at least you got the edges done.

Morning All,

Its wet and grey here today too so it looks like we all have a horrid day.

The only thing I have sowed is the tom plants of last years seed so I was happy whne three came up out of four seeds. Three will do me fine in my little plastic greenhouse and give me room for a cue too. I have just ordered some cue seed of the small kind as I can use those in one or two goes and any left over the chickens like.

Island I am glad I am not the only one who has'nt sown seeds yet. I would sow my runners only I can't find them. I saved seed last year and put them in a safe place doh.

Got on well with my project yesterday so am hoping to get on even better today as its coming to gether well now. I shall need oh's help a bit with holding things for meor clamping then together with some of his clamps but still need to do a bit to it first and thats a fiddley bit.

Good morning all. Island I could not find any seed compost peat free or I would certainly have bought it. When buying it I was, of course reliant on my good friend getting me somewhere I could buy some. I will quite likely plant more seeds when I return from daughters. Mine are growing but more slowly than usual, could be the soil or could be the weather. Feast and famine is not good for seeds.

Vera it is wet here too which means I can't cut the lawn today and looks like being showery today and tomorrow. At least I got the edges done yesterday.

Good morning all

It’s very grey and very wet here. I’ve got quite a lot of washing to do but I won’t be hanging it out, that’s for sure. OH has an optician’s appointment this morning and I did think of going into town with him but I don’t think I will. I don’t fancy wandering around in the rain. This afternoon Sainsbury are delivering. I hope there aren’t many subs.

EDIT. Just had the receipt from Sainsbury’s. No subs and 1 product not available but it was just some spice so not important :-)

I have got on well with my craft this afternoon I just hope it all fits together ok. Time will tell I may have to find some of oh's clamps when I glue it.

Last night frost burnt off all the tops of my hydrangas and Monty told us on Friday to cut them down now. I am glad I did'nt do it so still have time for them to pick up again.

Ann you should get yourself a probagater to put your seeds in in the greenhouse it gives them a second protaction against any frosts. I have quite a big one that was given to me when someone moved. Also I have a tiny greenhouse in the shed I put things in for the winter or seedlkings which keeps them frost free.

I haven't sowed any seeds yet, mid April last year.
From what I've read on veg growing sites, peat free isn't very good.
I've gone for peat - the big manufacturers use it so why not.

Vera seeds are very slow growing this year. I don’t know if it is the weird changeable weather or I am wondering about the seed compost. The one I am using which is peat free is very heavy feeling with a lot of straw like stuff in it. I have potted on a few plants that have grown but I am not very hopeful.

I slept fairly well last night but feel really tired again now.

You all seem to be achieving much more than me, although I have been busy. Yesterday we went to visit my late brother’s partner and make final arrangements for a celebration of my brother’s life which is being held on Easter Saturday. His partner is doing all the organizing but is consulting with me as well. Yesterday we sorted through photos and catering arrangements. It is 15 months since my brother died but Covid restrictions were tight at that time and just a few people could attend the funeral and no wake afterwards, not even a cup of tea. So many people wanted to be there that we said we would have a Celebration of Life event when restrictions were lifted enough. It looks as though there are going to be around 85 people there but there is a large room booked with its own private entrance and big opening doors to a small private garden so, provided it isn’t snowing or bucketing down with rain we should be able to get plenty of air in the room. Several people have said that they will test before they come so I hope it is all going to be OK. It’s difficult to get the atmosphere right as we don’t want it to be a second funeral nor do we want an all-singing, all-dancing party, just a nice occasion where people can chat and share happy memories. The idea of having the photos around is to get people chatting and spark a few memories.

This morning I got some bread going in the bread maker and prepared our Sunday dinner and then did some odd jobs around the house. Today we had a gammon joint with lots of different veg, mashed potatoes and a cheese sauce. The problem was that everything was just about ready when I realized that I had forgotten to put the potatoes on to boil. Doh! I think my head is stuffed full of sawdust these days. It meant I had to keep everything else warm while I cooked and mashed the spuds and dinner was at 2.30 instead of 2 pm.

Then I got a text from Sainsbury’s to remind me they are delivering tomorrow which I had forgotten and all I had put in my order were a few oddments to hold the slot I had booked, so this afternoon I had to make a proper shopping list and get my order in.

You also all seem to be doing better with your plants than I am. I sowed a small tray of dwarf antirrhinums following the instructions to the letter and was really pleased that they came through and filled the tray. I was going to give them just a few more days to get a big bigger and then thin them out. Today they appear to have pretty much all laid down and died. I can’t work out why but I can’t sow any more as I have now lost the packet of seeds. I told you I was a sawdust head lately.

My tomatoes are doing badly as well. I did use old seeds so perhaps that’s the problem but none of the Moneymaker toms have germinated. I have 4 Gardener’s Delight through but they are only about an inch tall and only have seed leaves so far. It is strange as I don’t usually have any problems with tomatoes.

Mel, you are doing well with your eggs. Your coopies are obviously happy birds at the moment. We have a lot of instances of bird flu round here so all the chickens that are normally free range have to be kept indoors.

Talking of hot air balloons, I always wanted to go in one so my children bought OH and me a trip for my 70th birthday. It was cancelled 3 times because of weather but it was wonderful when we eventually got up in the air, floating gently along above everything. When we were just drifting it was very quiet but I hadn’t realized how loud the burner would sound when you were up close to it. I don’t think I would be able to climb into the basket these days.

Well, I still have one or two jobs I want to do before I settle for the evening so I had better get going. I hope everyone sleeps well tonight. If you look in at all Gill, give us a little wave. We miss hearing from you.

The changeable weather is no help as well. At least in December I knew I needed clothes for cold weather but who knows what it will be like in a weekd time.

It doesn’t hurt to do nothing and I did have the two hours with my friend doing nothing

You have put me to shame as well with all your jobs AnnG. I always have trouble sorting what top clothes to take when I go away.

Well, I have changed the bed and washed the bedding and dried it. Had a two hour coffee chat with friend then, after lunch I have sorted a lot of the odd bits and pieces pre packing tomorrow so it is mainly just clothes to pack now. then I took the shears and did the edges of the lawn. Hoping to get the lawn cut tomorrow. Tescos, also came this morning.

Afternoon All,

It's up to 8 dgrees here now but it was cold first thing. I slept like a log last night and feel much better today. Hope you did too Mandy after a night of the 'fidgets'. So you were tempted to have F&C too! lol. We used to see hot air balloons quite often here too, as they would set the noisy dog next door off. I don't think I've seen any since the pandemic either.

It must have been cold last night as my solitary tom plant has succumbed and the runners look even worse so I will plant some seed tomorrow, also some tom seeds. My Nasturtiums are coming hrough now. Mel the blinds are wooden venetian type so the widths are all wrong and the damp in the greenhouse would warp the slats. It's a metal greenhouse too so not easy to fix things to. It was a good idea though.

I did my walk first thing but as there were quite a few people there and they tend to block the footpath chatting, I went halfway round and then turned sharp left and walked through the old sweetcorn field down to the village through the churchyard and back to the carpark along the road. It was further than 1 lap but not quite as far as 2 laps.

You have had a busy time Mel getting things done. I have put the washer on, but that and my walk are all I've done as yet.

Its 9 degrees here and there's not much in the way of a breeze.

Washing is out and I have oput lots of bits away and done some plastering and thrown out a lot of empty bottles in the bin for tomorrows collection.

Emptied all the waste bins and shall burn that lot tonight when all the washing i in, its only hankies but I did sort out the empty loo rolls and took those down the shed for putting some sunflower seeds in. I need to pot on my tom plants too but now its lunch time and I need to get it on the go as I am hugry.

Love you all and waving to Island and Gill~~~~~~~~~~~~ <3

Too darn cold here as well, Mel, but it is sunny at the moment. There was a heavy frost this morning.

Was busy all yesterday so didn't get on the computer and busy today as well. have only stopped for a quick break. Might BBL

Nooooooo to blooming cold to go out Mel its only 1 degree here ,I've done the veg for later we're finishing off the stew as yesterday after reading Ann was having F&C we had the same so it's an easy meal tonight now .

Are you all out in the garden? Its a lovely day here. Just going to put some wahsing out.