General Chat

I haven't seen the little hoglet since but the rest of the food has gone, as Cynth did catch a glimpse of Skinny earlier I guess it might have been a four legged hog that cleared the food up. Unfortunately we found before that cats like hedgehog food too.

I spent half an hour in the garden cutting down as far as I could, the three Buddleias. I had to use the pruning saw on a couple of branches and some were even too thick for that so I will have to wait until another dry day and get the tree lopper on them. At least, even if I did no more, they are ok for this year's growth to start. when I came back indoors I hoovered and dusted the lounge and dining room and cleaned the inside of the lounge window so with having done bathroom and bedrooms a couple of days ago the house is more or less clean all at once for a change.

Did you get your walk in Ann?

Morning All,

Slept well eventually as we had really squally strong winds earlier. I got up to look at our pine tree a couple of times and it looked like a tall can can dancer ruffling her skirts with the wind.

Neighbour called round earlier to say she is completing the new fence down our side tomorrow as the wind has blown one panel out next to our patio. She did halfway along our side last year, lowering it a bit and with open trellis at the top and I'm wondering if she will complete the length now with the same. If she does we will lose the privacy on our patio next to it and her security light will dazzle even more. She seemed to think it funny when she told OH it will be bark, bark, bark tomorrow with her dog at the workmen who will be doing it.

It's lovely and sunny here at the moment, no hint of the storm to come so I will do another short walk soon, perhaps around a churchyard that I know has snowdrops. :-D OH is in meetings all day so can't come with me, so I don't want to go wandering off the beaten track anywhere on my own.

I hope you've got your logs stored away now Mandy. What have you and young Katie been doing/making while she's been staying with you?

Sounds like you had a bit of mess to clear up AnnG but at least the bulbs weren't damaged and now everything is safe before the next storm. I bet that little hedgehog was grateful for the food and if it was a small one it might be best to keep feeding it if you can.

Better get changed and get going now before Eunice catches up with me!

I have just had to clear up the patio. the box containing the growbag ane sticks etc for tomatoes against the wall had blown off the bricks with the white board behind and the pots were upside down on the patio with all the bamboo sticks. One had a herb in but the other two had bulbs just coming through, just the tips and they didn't empty and the tips are not harmed. I have also put the two chairs and table from the patio into the conservatory and turned the other ones on the lower patio so they are laying down. Jammed the wheely bins (all almost empty into corners and hope they are safe. I hate wind

I had a small hoglet in the garden this morning. Gave it some hedgehof food which was quickly eaten then it scuttled off. Have no idea how it got in the garden, no gaps anywhere as far as I can see. Not sure it should be out and about this early.

Morning Anng Mandy and all.

Much brighter morning here too but its only 10 degrees here but the wind seems to have dropped a tiny bit, just a tiny bit.

Hoping to get on with the craft today once Iv'e done some washing.

Had news this mroning oh's neice has got engaged. He looks a lovely hap a bit like her dad.

Morning Anng,morning all,

I haven't been on here because we've had Katie staying the last couple of days .
The wind has been blowing well in the night and tomorrow looks really bad so its batten down the hatches I think.
Suns shining and it does seem a bit cooler than yesterday which was 14 degrees .
We have a load of logs coming this morning so hopefully we can get them all away in the dry .
Hope everyone's OK I'll catch up with all the posts later .

Good morning all bright and sunny here and 7 degrees. Truly the calm before the predicted storm. I might have a look and see if I can nip a bit more off the buddleia if it stays fine.
I got quite a few more pieces into the jigsaw yesterday but not in the sky, still it is growing and I quite like the challenge.

Evening All,

I slept badly last night and felt off the pace today so I've done little other than get lunch and walk up to the post box.

OH's new car is ordered from Milton Keynes now. We have had new cars or pre registered or ex demonstrators for over 20 years now. I always do the haggling for both of us and get a few thousand knocked off the price each time. It means we get a new car for the price of a 2-3 year old car without suffering the high depreciation for the first few years. Car salesmen have targets to meet, so the end of a month is a good time to haggle if they haven't met their targets, particularly January when sales are slack. Because my own present car was a model being discontinued, I got it for £5,000 below the retail price and they threw in fitting parking sensors for me as well. The market has changed now and because of the delay waiting for a new car, (shortage of chips for them), the price of a like for like second hand car can cost more than buying a new one simply because it is available! It's a crazy world. It seems that younger people mostly lease rather than buy these days, having a new car every three years. It costs more though and so much for the young saving the planet!

Vera I dread losing our transport too. I was watching Jane MacDonald in Bucharest and they had some marvellous little one seater cars like our dodgem cars for driving around the city and were great for seeing the sights. They were quite nippy and you wore a helmet and I thought one would be great if they made special road lanes for them. I was fancying your blueberry cakes, but I expect they soon all vanished. It's nice you have a lovely, clean oven now, but like AnnG says I never want to use mine after.

So many new road laws are coming in and more soon. I see dogs in public places are going to have to be on leads no longer than a metre which is quite short, I expect it's because people don't bother with training and their dogs lunge at people and traffic. Sadly our rescue centres here are beginning to have young dogs, obviously bought during the pandemic, that are described as excitable, some tending to nip, destructive if left, strong and needing training, even house training! :-S
I'm off to bed now to see if I can catch up with some sleep. Hope you all sleep well.

Not got on at all well today. I have manage to go a bit of painting and thats about all.

Hope you now have a gleaming cooker Vera. You won't want to cook in it now and make it dirty again.
I do watch the soaps, well Emmerdale, Corrie and East Enders. I have watched Corrie since it started in December 1960 when we were first married. I am pleased that I watch them as, stupid though some of the story lines are, they have been a boon in the past year making me feel things are normal as I settled to watch them at 7pm onwards. T didn't use to watch them once we had a second TV, so probably for about 20 years, he would watch his sport upstairs. People are very disparaging about the soaps but there are actually some really good actors in them. and for the past few years they have covered all sorts of health problems (breast cancer, depression, alcohol dependence, gambling) and the storylines have been realistic and I am sure will have helped some people. I have come across people who try and make those who watch them feel guilty "because they are rubbish". I have no problems with people who don't watch them, that is fine we are all different. I also watch Call the Midwife, good Karma Hospital, plus re-runs of Morse, lewis, Midsummer Murders and other similar Oh yes, Hearbeat. And of course I watch other things as well. Mainly these days, anything familiar keeps me company.

Pleased that you had a good chat with your friends Vera sounds like it was a good afternoon.

I cleaned the bathroom and cloakroom and dusted the bedrooms. I also had a walk round the garden, quite breezy out there now. And I have crocus and Tete a Tete daffodils in flower as well as 8 Narcissi and three patches of snowdrops. the tulips in tibs are just showing as well, just the tips.
Oh I also sorted through the large number of CDs that T had in his office and they have migrated into my office.

Good morning everyone

Gosh, it did rain yesterday. Today it’s dry and there have been a few gleams of sun and it’s very mild but the wind is really getting up now.

I’ve got a cooker cleaning man coming any minute but OH can see to him when he arrives. We always cleaned the cooker ourselves but had someone in to do it just before the first lockdown and decided then to have it done regularly but Covid put paid to that. i always wipe the hob down when I’ve used it and OH cleans the oven a bit after the Sunday roast but it will be good to have it thoroughly cleaned again. My man arrived while I was typing this bit so I should soon have a gleaming cooker :-)

I had a nice afternoon with my 3 friends yesterday. Lots of chatting. Even the muffins I made in the morning were perfect and you can’t always say that about my cooking lol. As for the toilet arrangements, it’s funny but I never thought about keeping us safe, which of course it would do. I have only been concerned with my guests feeling safe and comfortable in my house.

Getting a new car will be nice Ann. I’d really like a new one, perhaps a bit smaller, but OH has decided our current one will “see us out”. I suppose he’s right. I hardly drive at all now and he’s not getting any younger so we may not be driving for all that much longer. I dread being without a car.

I’m not a fan of soaps and don’t watch a lot of TV at all. I did often see Doctors as it comes on after the lunchtime news and we are usually having our lunch then. I quite liked it at first but it seems to have got more far fetched and silly so I turn it off now.

I’ve already received a few birthday cards and 2 presents but are keeping them to open on my birthday. One that came yesterday had an Exeter postmark so I guess that’s from you Mel so thank you.

Morning Anng and all,

Still wet and windy here and grey skys so very dull. NOt a nice day at all.

Hoping for a bit of craft today but I should do some HW too as when I am into a project the HW goes out the window so to speak.

No Mandy yesterday hope she's ok.

Sending love to all those absent. <3 <3

Good morning all. Hope you all slept well I had quite a good night. Dry here so far and a glimpse of sun and pale blue sky but, according to the forecast, it can't last.

No plans to go anywhere so a bit of HW, a bit of jigsaw and a bit of knitting. and maybe a bit of card making is in order.

~~~~~~ waving to Island, Gill and Frank. Hope Frank had got his PC sorted. :-) :-) :-)

Are there any young crops in the fields the pigeons visit Ann? They could be after young shoots. And could the ‘shots’ have been a bird scared?

Exciting getting a new car. Not that we ever had a brand new one, always went for older luxury cars that were in excellent condition.

Afternoon All,

Another wet and slightly windy day and so dull again. we were up late so it was a good job it was just fish cakes with salad today. Lots more Pigeons arrived while we were eating and spread all around the trees in the field. We heard a lot of shooting at the back a few days ago and thought someone was shooting them, but there still seem to be a lot left if they were.

Just some paperwork to do for OH's new car to be ordered now as the latest price is about £3000 off the new price and the offer for his old car is the best we've had. I sent photos of it, but we expect them to give less once they see it as they are sure to find some reason. Then a 4 month plus wait till he gets it! I will try and get him to get the aircon fixed next.

Then I had to chase up my thyroid blood test with the register holders at the hospital, as it is overdue and I wasn't sure if it was included in the last lot of blood tests recently and they hadn't sent me the usual letter and form to get it done. It wasn't and I wonder how long we are going to hear covid being the excuse that is trotted out. Maybe I'm just cynical but it is an easy excuse for everything now. Anyway they will send me a blood test form for the surgery.

I've also requested some blackout vertical blind samples to see if we can get the front and study windows done at last. I didn't realise you can now just buy the slats to replace and might do that for the study as it already has a vertical blind and the rail for it is fine.

We hardly ever watch daytime tv either AnnG unless it is a big event and would often be out like you and T. If there's something I want to watch I record it to watch later. I've never watched Doctors but I remember Jane was a big fan. :-)

Better to be careful and have peace of mind than wish you'd been more careful later Vera. You never know how particular others are and it does put me off going to friends' houses. I had to use the toilet last time we went to a garden centre but I carry my own sanitiser and open and close doors with my sleeve or elbow! I've done it for years to be honest to try and avoid flu and norovirus.

I have never ever watched that one. didn't get hooked on the daytime soaps as we were always out.

Glad you had a good chat Anng.

I have just watched Doctors and I think that has to be the best one yet.

I do let friends use the downstairs loo but don't do anything more than normal cleaning. I also use loos when out. As long as I wash my hands I feel safe.

That was a very wet trip out, we couldn't walk rounf outside in the garden centre and that one doesn't have a lot to see inside except for absolutely masses of garden furniture. Obviously that is what people buy from them the most.

We were there almost two hours so had a good chat there were about 12 of us on two tables so a good turn out on a bad day.

That'll be a nice afternoon for you three ladies Vera. Its not silly being careful so keep doing what you are doing and stay safe.

Morning all

Very grey, wet and breezy here too and only 7 degrees. The forecast isn’t good for the next few days. Why do we British always talk about the weather? It’s not as though we can change it.

I’ve got two friends coming this afternoon for a CoT and a chat. One is long since divorced and the other never married so I expect OH will retreat to the study rather than have his cuppa with 3 ladies. I’ve taken some shop cakes out of the freezer but I’ve also made a dozen blueberry muffins which OH is already eyeing.

If people are coming I always give the downstairs cloakroom a clean and disinfect and then we leave that one for the visitors use. I usually put a kitchen roll in there as well in case they would prefer to dry their hands on something disposable. I’ve only done this since Covid but, two years down the line, I am wondering if I need to be quite so careful. Still, I’d better go and do it today.

Waving to Island, Gwyn, Gill and hopefully Frank ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Morning Anng and all,

About the same here very wet and very windy and pc says 10 degrees but it dos'nt feel like it.

Hope you can cancel your hair appointment Anng as its not the weather to have your hair done and I am sure it will wait for a while.

Thats lovely about Cynth and the red roses. I have had them every year on my birthday for 25 years this year.

I have the big wipe down today...........