General Chat

Good morning all 7 degrees and dry so far but going to a large garden centre instead of Croome which is a bit of a wide open space in which to get caught in a heavy shower.

Yes Vera I was thinking something like that with Mel. Sometime with my keyboard on the main computer I knock my wrist on something so must activate a key, not sure which one but one of the two lower rows on the right. When I look up to check what I have written a bit later, it is blank and I can't work out what I do. which is why I type into word if I want to type a long piece, or check after every sentence. But Mel at what stage does it disappear? After you have typed and are ready to post? Or mid typing the post?

Good morning

It looks as though it’s going to be a bit warmer and dryer today, a combination of sun and cloud.

I had a fairly good night but was awake very early. I’ve not got much to do this morning, just shower and tidy up a bit and lay the table nicely for our afternoon tea.

I wonder what is happening with your posts Mel. The way it disappears mid-sentence it looks as though your cursor is in the middle and you somehow press one of the delete buttons so everything one side of the cursor goes. It’s very odd and very frustrating for you.

nd he said he looked but did'nt know what I wanted.

Got on well with my craft this afternoon
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOI give up........................

Vera ??that does contour up several picture sequences. Maybe he said ‘give me a hint when I am getting warm’. Can’t really see how he could know where to massage.
I can)t be too high or too low on a pillow. If I am too flat I get reflux. Too high a stiff neck. Holiday places are always difficult.
Yes I feel very pleased that I got things done and I actually began to feel like 'me' again, the independent me that I was before T died and Covid and I lost confidence in myself

Me too with a new pillow AnnG! It's the same with pillows when I'm on holiday as well. I swapped for a thicker one as my top one had got thin and I couldn't watch tv in bed easily. I might change back though or just remove the third thin one. I have to have mine on a slope too with the bottom ones a bit further forward. To think in my 30s I slept without any pillow. OH gets bad necks if his pillows aren't just right. I recall many years ago him at the side of me in bed and him muttering and complaining and pummeling his pillow...........until I told him I'd had enough of his 'pillow talk' which made him laugh. :-)

I see you braved the rain too Mandy and did some shopping and an errand. I smiled too about the blind man as it reminded me of a joke OH told me years ago about a nun having a bath when someone told her a blind man wanted to speak to her. She thought it would be ok and said 'tell him to come in' and when he did he said 'right, is this where you want the blind fitting?'. :-) That old doctor reached a good age at 100 didn't she. It sounds as if she was good and you could trust her.

Vera you made me chuckle about the blind masseur! lol. Perhaps your dad had to guide his hands to the right spot to start........the mind boggles!! It isn't surprising you have been so down, but your tasty sounding meal for M & V tomorrow has perked you up. Just don't do too much too soon will you.

Just half a mile away towards the south they are to build 50 new houses on the only patch of green between us and the next village in that direction. It doesn't seem suitable to me, At the bottom is Narborough Bogs next to the river......they don't call it that for nothing.

Remember how pre pandemic some of us joined a craft course where we did tie dying etc ? Well ithe same people who ran it started a craft club at the same place a few months ago and a few of the same friends have started going. One of them didn't feel very well there last Monday and tested positive for covid when she got home. She thinks she may have got it from family who she had over the weekend. Of course now the friend who told me is having to keep testing!!

OH's meeting at the school today was fine as they have kept all the precautions including windows open, spacing etc.

Nobody will blame you for being down Vera, back pain is very lowering but well done for pulling yourself back up today. Maybe try and see your agap and see if they can offer anything other than physio.

I suddenly felt really tired but have no idea why as I have done very little today to make me tired. Just some admin jobs on the p c like ordering ink for the printer, sorting my ISA which reaches maturity this month, washed my hair. Did have a short chat to Cynth as I got her to get me a £1 bunch of daffy when she went to Tesco.

Going to a different garden centre with Anne tomorrow instead of Croome as the weather is not looking good.

I know I’m not the only one with aches and pains so I hope you are all taking good care of yourselves.

OH, bless him, has cleaned the two most difficult kitchen cupboards for me. They are big, corner floor cupboards. As you open them baskets swing out so you can get to the foodstuffs but it is so difficult to reach right inside to wash the back and the floor area. Of course he took everything out, cleaned the cupboards and put everything back without checking dates etc but a lot of it is tinned stuff anyway so should be fine.

You are sounding very springlike AnnG with talk of baskets and plug plants I bet your baskets will look lovely in the summer. I need to have a think about what to put in my pots when daffs and tulips are finished. Maybe I ought to be thinking about some plugs.

Mel, it sounds as though the chickens have got into egg laying mode now. You are getting a fair few. It’s always lovely to have new laid eggs. Sadly mine all come from the supermarket these days though I do insist on only having free range. We’re still all waiting to see what you are making.

I’m looking forward to seeing Lewis’s hat as well. I hope you are going to send us a picture Mandy, if possible it would be good to see Lewis wearing his titfer.

As for pillows OH and I both prefer just one for sleeping. I find if my head is too high or too far out of alignment with my spine I can wake with a terrible headache.

Like Mandy, I had a smile at your blind man measuring up Ann. I not only pictured him with a white stick but in this modern age I wondered if he had a talking tape to tell him the measurements :-D. It reminded me of my Dad talking about his very first job at age 14. He was employed to collect a blind masseur from his home each morning and lead him around to his different appointments in people’s homes. I never said anything to Dad but I often wondered how the chap knew where to put his hands when he started massaging.

Tomorrow is the diamond wedding of our friends M & V. They are having a buffet do for family and friends in a local hotel on Sunday but were doing nothing on the day itself so we have asked them to join us for afternoon tea here. We had a voucher at Christmas for tea for 4 to be delivered to our home so I ordered that. The company said they use couriers and they deliver anytime up until 6 pm and very occasionally it might be the next day, so they suggest you order for the day before if you want it for a special occasion. Therefore I ordered a delivery for today and it arrived about 2 pm. It was superbly packed and with instructions on how to keep the food overnight and refresh some of it in the oven just before you want it. No sandwiches obviously but 4 each of mini-quiches, scotch eggs and large pastry rolls, like long sausage rolls but filled with cheese and pickle. Then there were 4 large scones each with a pot of jam and carton of cream and eight yummy looking cakes. The cakes are all large rectangles and would easily cut into 16 squares. Finally there were some “posh” tea bags. I am very impressed. I shall lay the table with the best china and linen napkins and try to make it look lovely and we’ve bought a bottle of fizz to toast the diamond couple.

As usual I have nattered on and it’s time I stopped resting and did something active again so that I don’t seize up. Have a good evening and a restful night everyone.

It’s a horrible, wet chilly day here which doesn’t do much to lift the spirits. I think my dressing gown day yesterday helped me more mentally than physically. I just kept getting up for an hour, then back to bed for an hour all day long and I was very down. Apart from the occasional better day it’s been going on for 11 weeks now and I thought I might never see an end to it.

Today I gave myself a good talking to and determined to be more positive, keep active when I can and get back to a more normal life. The pain is still bad but psychologically I feel happier. I managed most of the ironing by walking about between each item, I’ve prepared tonight’s meal, placed an order with Sainsbury for delivery in a week’s time and paid some bills. I was going to try a very short walk but the rain put me off so I’ve done a few more exercises. I am resting at the moment but will get up soon and do another job.

As I’m doing this straight on to Genes rather than typing it elsewhere and doing a c&p and I don’t want to lose it I’ll post this bit now and then carry on.

Ann I find it very difficult to adjust to a new pillow. I have two pillows but they had to add up to a certain height. the bottom pillow is fairly thin and the top one medium, any thicker and I get a stiff neck and shoulder. So I am convinced that pillows must affect your back and neck. so Mel have you also changed a pillow?

Mel you are doing well with eggs now and how nice of your BiL to bring you wine!

Mandy You were out and about in the rain I see, I think covid and lock downs have made the rest of us soft. Still I plead the lack of a car it is not so easy to pop to the shop in the rain when you have to walk.

Afternoon all,

It's been a light steady rain here all day and chilly too, we had to go and get some wood Colin wanted and then I went and got my shopping by the time I hit it all away it was lunch time .

Mel there's a new series starting which is a spin off of Father Brown ,it about a moped riding nun set in the sixties she's a bit like father brown sloving murders , she has been in one of the Father Brown episodes.
It's on Drama on Friday 11th It's called Sister Boniface Mysteries.

Vera I hope your back is a little easier today .

Ann I hope you had a better night's sleep last night , I had to smile reading your post about the blind man coming to measure up I had an image of him coming in with his white stick :-D

Anng your getting your plants sorted out for your baskets I see ,I must get ordering the seeds we want we're now into March and it won't be long before the little greenhouse can go up again .

I see in the deaths in our local paper that one of our old doctors has died she was 100 she was a straight talker no nonsense doctor but people loved her .

Afternoon All,

Slept quite well, but woke about 6.00am. We were up early anyway to go to the farm shop as it's the only morning this week something else wasn't happening. It's rained most of the day here, so no walk, although my back is still a bit achey so it's perhaps as well.

I haven't been able to get on with anything I wanted to do today either! When we got back from the farm shop I did a small salad to go with the lasagna I had frozen which we had with garlic bread today. No sooner had I sat down when OH said he couldn't print with his new laptop. That took a while to sort out, then next thing he was interrupting me again saying the black printer ink had run out! He's watched me change it a few times now, but guess who was left to sort it out while he was able to get on with his work!!! :-( Still, at least he washes up what doesn't go in the dishwasher and will drop me off at the surgery in the morning for routine blood test, so I don't have to try and find a space to park 'big doors'.

Mel I haven't opened any of my clay yet so fingers crossed it won't have dried out much. I'm sure on that session I did online the teacher gave tips for softening it or storing it in the fridge? I will see if I made a note and check my clay when I find it?? I hadn't thought about it changing like that so thanks for mentioning it. That was nice BIL came bearing gifts. You are making me wonder now if a thicker pillow I've been using is affecting my back. I see your food at least gets put into your boxes you leave out. It sounds like your hens are doing you proud with eggs now.

AnnG you are so right about having to be 'in the mood' for some tasks, even pleasurable ones and things do go wrong if you try to force yourself, either that or they take much longer than they would if you were 'in the mood'. :-D

OH will be out at a meeting soon, so I'll be able to sort some things out. With the possible Luton Hoo visit on the horizon, I thought I might make some new jewellery to go with a top. I really need to wait till nearer the time though and see how the weather is to know what I will wear.

I wonder how Lewis' easter hat is shaping up for Mandy and whether the bed rest has helped Vera's back.

It has not stopped raining all day here. no gardening today.

BIL turned up so nothings been done this morning but I have fed the chickens and wild birds. We are now two bottles of wine up and he brought me a big bag of suet pellets for the birds.

Morning Anng and all,

Yes you,re dead right there Anng its funny how it happens like that but if the suns shines I get on really well. It rained most of the day yesterday but its dry this morning at the moment.As I don't have to cook tonight I am hoping to get on well today I have a little painting to do and then maybe I can get on.

Hope you all had a good night with enough sleep to be able to get on today.

I woke up with neck ache and back ache again and I am sure its the new mattress. Hope you all feel a bit better this morning.

Good morning all, quiet day here, not got anything planned and it is pouring with rain so not going out either.

Mel it is strange how some days no matter how much you tell yourself to get on with whatever you need to do/make or craft, if the enthusiasm is not there you can't make yourself do it. and if you do, it usually goes wrong anyway. :-)

We had an early delivery this morning and it was Dan driving and he's a good lad. Just bought his first house in Bideford with his girlfriend. When they come with my shopping I have three plastic boxes I put on the porch step. All the drivers bring the black crates up to the porch step and put the shopping in the three boxes for me. Oh goes out when the driver has gone and puts the boxes inside the front door where I pick them on on my sack barrow and wheel them through to the kitchen one by one. I only had one sub today and that was baby plum toms instead of the arimato ones.

Did a bit of crafting this morning but none this afternoon as I just could'nt get into it. I kept trying but did'nt achieve anything accept cut a bit of cardboard. Oh has ordered F & C for tomorrow so no cooking and I should get on with something. I did hoover the kitchen and little loo this morning while oh wa sup the caravan making something else to get in the way but its keeping him quiet and out of the house but it was too cold and wet for him to go up there this afternoon so perhaps thats why I could'nt get in to anything.

I had one egg this morning and three this afternoon so that was good, two big ones and to little ones again. The first one this morning was lovely and warm when I picked it out of the nest.

Cooked a roast chicken tonight so that will do another dinner for Thrusday cold with chips so another easy meal.

Hope all the aches and pains are easier tomorrow. I have had a backache all day too on my bad hip side.

Anng I see you have started your gardening with your plug plants. They will soon get away in the conservatory.

Ann you shoudl really use that poly clay you bought as it goes off you know. It get crumbley and you have to work it a lot to mix it up again.

I bought two ivy geraniums for one basket then million bells, surfinia petunias , petchoas ( a cross of calabrochoas and petunias). They had a reasonable selection of the varieties that are always earlier. On sale. But they also had verbena, begonias and other basket type plants. I am sure I will get more later. At the moment I am limited by the space in the conservatory. Once these are potted on I will be able to see more.

What kinds of plug plants did you get AnnG? I need some fresh plants for my front pots which are getting past their best now. Breakfast with your friend sounds like a nice treat and is always always good when cooked nicely.

Apart from doing lunch I've been lazy and keep yawning! I ought to do something, but it looks quite tidy in here now and a shame to 'untidy' it.

Afternoon All,

I did a post earlier but it ended up in the ether! I was awake from 4.00am, probably due to needing to be up early for the blind man. I hate it when they give you a 3 hour slot. As you say Mel you can't get stuck into doing anything else.

Your poor back Vera, I do sympathise. It might be an idea to see if you can get more physio in case something needs 'righting'. I can't take Ibuprofen either, but can use the rub on gel. I still swear by the deep heat pads when mine plays up.

Regards Asda, it's the bending up and down/stooping to empty the crates we struggle with with my knees and he has to be careful with his osteoporosis. The crates are awkward and impossible to carry through our narrow porch when they are full. I just don't see why the latest drivers won't follow the request on the order and decant the food into our bags we leave out for them like they always have before. Maybe I should make them come weekly so there's less to do and will mean they have to come out twice as often at no extra cost to me!! The driver arrived before our slot on Sunday so it wasn't that he was late. We always used Sainsbury's before the pandemic, but at the start of it our Sainsbury's would only deliver for NHS staff and the vulnerable and we didn't want to click and collect so we used Asda. We actually like a lot of their food now and value is good, but there are too many subs.

Well the blind man arrived mid morning, impressively masked and put on shoe covers to protect our floors. The thick, vertical blinds I wanted don't come in a slat size to fit our awkward corners and an alternative doesn't match the ensuite blind colour quite as well and is white one side and a rougher texture that wouldn't be as easy to clean. Still a blackout blind though and far cheaper. We are going to sleep on it. :-S

Last night I discovered that last year someone had applied for planning permission for the 'nicely done up' former, retired headmaster's house and the huge new house that was built on the big back garden to it and is opposite the entrance to our close. They were wanting to turn it all into a Children's Home with the garden behind turned into parking. It would be dangerous anyway with all the deliveries and transport going there smack opposite our junction and traffic queues from the island up to our close these days. The council have refused it, but I wonder if they will appeal.

A neighbour told OH that the asian family in the house at the bottom of our close are extending the house at the back, but have had to stop as someone had reported them for not applying for planning permission! OH thinks 2 of their 5 sons have moved in there as well now as their cars are always parked there. We are hoping it won't mean more noisy, late night gatherings outside, but at least it would be a bit further from us.

Good afternoon, I was up early and convinced I had checked in on here, but checking back I was chatting by email to daughter and checking my end of month accounts, well printing them off so I can check with my book. I am a real belts and braces person where the bank is concerned. Happy to do it on line but still keeping an accounts style book.

My friend picked me up at 1045 and we went to Dobbies to get my loyalty card sorted out. That done we went to the restaurant and I bought Anne's breakfast as she had taken me to several places recently while insisting on buying coffee. Breakfast was very nice, well cooked. then we went round the garden centre and I bought the plug plants for my baskets so they now have to be potted on I usually pot them on into small pots before transferring them to the baskets end March early April so need a warm day to get them into pots as I do that outside. Luckily this is one job I have always done myself so do know what I am doing.