General Chat

Afternoon All,

It's been 9 degrees all day here till now but has dropped to 8 degrees.

I have wondered about trying those eco balls too Mandy. I thought it would be cheaper and less chemicals and they do a lot of washes. I have never used fabric softeners, just water softener for our hard water, but since doing some 30 degree washes I have added laundrywash to kill bacteria which I read could survive in a 30 degree wash. I hadn't heard of the shampoo bars, must look them up.

I've no idea what my cholesterol levels are now. I used to get them checked regularly a few years ago when the chemist in Sainsbury's used to do free annual tests. I never needed statins then but our surgery doesn't seem to do any regular routine checks. OH doesn't take them either.

Yes I envy Gwyn's early bulbs flowering. It must make you feel winter is on it's way when you see them.

That's good your shopping is all put away and you are back to normal Mel. Some soup sounds nice with some of your fresh bread.

That's good you got a walk in and have taken some things for the Charity shop AnnG. I need to keep up with my sorting and clearing out now I've started. I think my automatic has a cycle where it will pause before the rinse cycle. Not sure it would let you open the door though!

doesn't sound very convenient does it?Not sure how you can stop an automatic before rinsing either. and my washes are usually at least an hour.

Hm not sure as I have read some reviews on Amazon and its talking about washes at 30 for 30 mins. It also says to take the egg out before rinsing so that means you have to be around and can't leave it to go up the garden and have the washing done by the time you come back to the house.

I think its too much faffing about for me.

It doesn't say they are biological, they have mineral pellets that you put in the ball and they are suppose to last for 70 washes from 15 degrees to a 60 wash .
The refills are £4 for a fifty wash, I expect they are on amazon too.
Also I was looking at the shampoo bars,they are bars of soap ,I wonder what they are like and how long they last .

Just walked down to the post and to take the charity lady a couple of sweaters and some books. Not at all cold out but very wet under foot.

PC says 10 and Alexa says 3 still so something wrong with that one.

Are they biological things Mandy? I have never heard of them so wil have to look them up.

Shopping came early and its all wiped and put away. Back to normal in the kitchen and diner now as I have put the telly stand away we have the tree on and put my filing cabinet back next to my desk.

Put some papers away and now I need to sort my desk out and I must renew my driving licience.

Going to do some soup now for lunch with the nice fresh loaf that came with the shopping.

Its 10 here by the pc and says FOG but the suns out over the back. Echo says its 8 degrees and the weather station says 11 so I don't know which one to believe but its not cold out.

Has anyone tried the Eco Eggs in their machine ,I am tempted to try them Wilko has them for £8 and they do 70 washes then you buy new beads to go in them ,they do fragrance free ones too

Morning Mel you nipped in as I was typing

I actually stopped using softener at all in the washing over two years ago.

I think alexa's temp must be wrong as my PC still says nine degrees and cloudy.

Morning Anng,morning all,

Nasty old day here really dull with drizzle I think they said showers today and about 8 degrees .

Anng I was on Atorvastatin ,I can't remember what he said these new ones were but hopefully they will suit me better .
That's good you've lost a pound .

I definitely need lists ,I usually have a shopping list on the go and another for odd bits I need .

Moning Anng and all,

Dull and dreary here again this morning pc says 9 degrees and outside one also sayts 9 so I suppose it must be. Only just turned the heating on as oh was sitting out here without it on. He was wrapped up though in a big fluffy dressing gown I bought him for Christmas.

Wipe down day and I have two subs which are acceptable if I can get on with Dettol Lavender anti bac laundry cleanser, never tried it and never seen it in the shops either. I can use Asda softener in lavender and something else so maybe it will be ok. I like the cotton fresh one as it smells like the outside when wshing has been in the wind.

Nice to hear from Gwyn.

sending Love to Island. <3 <3

Good morning all, I was in bed before 10.30 last night, woke once, didn't get up and then woke at 0650. I must have needed that. 3 degrees here although the computer is saying it is 9, I guess that is monitored in another part of Glos.

Not doing anything special today but still have the accounts to do and a bit more putting presents away

Just got on the scales for the first time since before I went up to daughter's. And I have lost a pound!!! Need to try and keep that off now.

Gwyn, yes lovely to see signs of moving forward. I remember that you usually see very early flowers on your walks.

Mandy, those pencils etc sound a lovely present for Lewis.
I have been on Simvastatin for over 20 years and never had a problem with them T was also on the same ones with no problems at all. You do need to try and bring your cholestrol down though so try another sort.

Ann lists can be compulsive but I am sure my needing them goes back to working days when I had so many different jobs to do every day that I couldn't function without a list. Now I need a calendar and several lists.

No Ann I haven't but I think I'll wait a while as you have to pay for it ,I want to know where my dad was living and who with as Queenie his mum didn't look after him as a young boy and we've no idea who he lived with .

Mel yes its the two tier box with the pencils and pens ,he loves drawing and colouring.

Ann I've just crocheted a tube just big enough to go round my neck and hang a bit loose for the cowl and just done it in a pattern I saw on you tube .


Well all this going on in Downing Street last May !!!!! When we were only allowed to meet one other person they were meeting up there and taking their own booze .

Lovely to see your garden flowers AnnG... such a welcome show of pretty colour.

I went for a local walk yesterday and saw my first daffodils of the season, in the garden where they always have the earliest ones, so I purposely routed that way to see if they were in bloom. In a different garden,narcissus were started to open and lots of buds on that plant, so I will enjoy watching for them too.
Our own bulbs, in pots outside the front door are about 9 inches tall, but no buds showing yet.

It's interesting to read of people's experience with statins.
I am hoping to avoid them and will endevour to improve diet and exercise before another blood test in about July. The nurse at GP surgery has agreed this course of action. The trouble is that as we get older, the same blood results have to check against different criteria and so we have to try harder to not have to require more medication..... more walks it is then.
Cheese is my weakness and I think being home more in recent times, I have eaten more cheese in one form or another.
At one time,in the past, I decided to buy a low fat hard cheese... can't remember what now, but it was horrible, so I decided that just a small slice of 'real' cheese, but very seldom ,was the way forward combined with a sensible diet and so far I've managed to avoid statins this way.
I think that's why the nurse is willing to let me try self help again, with the proviso that we check levels in the summer.

I took a quick look for my paternal grandfather but it said there was'nt any person called that so I changed to his wife who had a son in 1921 but I think the census was before August. She hsould have had one son by then uncle John who died at sea on the day after boxing day off the coast of the Isle of Wight.

I am sure little Lewis will love his box of pencils etc. I always loved boxes and still do. Was it one of those wooden ones with a little catch on it?

Colin takes those Mel, I take Lansoprazole because my Arthritis tablets give me indigestion.
Had my phone call and he said the statins they gave me last time were standard ones they start everyone on and that they don't suit everyone , they were 20mg so now he's putting me on some that shouldn't give me indigestion and its a lower dose of 5mg ,he said the first lot were cost effective so cheaper than the ones I'm now going yo try .
He's going to ring again next month to see how I'm doing with them and I've got to have a liver function test in the first three months of taking them .
My cholesterol had gone up slightly from the last blood test 6.7 this time ,last time it was 6.1 he said round about 5 is where they like you to be so he said your not to far over.

I'm a list person too AnnG! I think it followed on from work when we had shifting priorities. Often I have 2 lists, one jobs and the other things to buy or phone about. Your Clematis and Jasmine pics are very uplifting to see and made me think Spring is just round the corner. I must look at my snowdrops tomorrow and see if they have appeared yet.

I expect you are right Mandy and the charity shops have had a lot of donations since Christmas. The box of pens and colouring pencils sounds good for Lewis's birthday and The Works does have some good things. The cowls are a good idea and nice and cosy.......we will want to see a pic when you have finished this one. :-) I know what you mean about liking to have something on the go and I have started knitting a hat. I've done the rib and the first bit of the pattern, but it is entrelac pattern, which I did a hat in about 50 years ago, but this pattern is a bit misleading so I need to check some videos on youtube next! A friend of mine couldn't get on with statins either and had to stop them. They made her muscles ache.

I have half filled another of the big charity bags this afternoon and OH has filled the rest of the bag with trousers he went through. He tried one pair on and made me laugh as he couldn't even get them over his hips! He also found a nice jacket he forgot he had and can wear as it fits ok. I've made a start on my main wardrobe now as well.

We are being affected by the delays in Royal Mail. I think some is due to staff having covid, but apparently there is much extra work delivering all the flow tests.

Has anyone else been looking at the 2021 census yet? I have bought my maternal grandparent's pages which have proved they did lose a first son called Thomas and named a a later son after him. It means grandma had 11 children. Mum did say that she had stillborn twins too, but there's no way of knowing. Mum was an Aunt as soon as she was born as her 2 eldest sibling had already left home and had children by then. The census does show the name of employers which is interesting. I shan't be buying much more till the census is cheaper or free though.

It’s been dry all day for a change but grey and cold again. It would be nice to see a few gleams of sun.

I did 3 loads of washing, prepared tonight’s meal, and did some filing and paper shredding. I also made a list of things I ought to do. I need to sort out all my Family History papers as I seem to have bits everywhere. Way back when I started researching I got a file for certificates and had a few other bits neatly filed but I didn’t realise then how much I would accumulate over the years. It really needs sorting out. I also need to start getting some exercise again. With my back pain and feeling so tired I haven’t felt motivated to go for walks but I must get going again. Then there are cupboards that need sorting and so on and so on......The list is quite long now.

Thank you for the photos AnnG. It’s nice to see a bit of colour in winter. When I went out to fill the bird feeders I had a look round the garden and there are daffodils poking through in one bed and buds on some hellebores that are showing colour so will be opening soon. There’s also a viburnum in bloom which brightens up a darkish corner.

I hope your blood test results were OK Mandy. Lewis will love his box of colouring things.

I’ve just seen the time. I’d better get myself moving as we usually eat around 7 pm. It won’t take long to cook as I’m doing a stir fry. It’s a good way of using up all the little bits of veg that are hanging around in the fridge and I’ve got some leftover chicken as well. Our neighbour had a Zoom cooking session with his grandchildren again today and has brought us in Chai Apple Cake which sounds interesting. We’ll have it as a pudding.

Mandy they put us on Omepprazol with our statins and we don't get indigestion much now at all.

I still have two black sacks of stuff I sorted for the charity shops from 2 years ago. I had just done them when lockdown started. I have been steping over them for two years now so goodness nows when I am going to get them out of the way. O and there's a big box of books too.

Just goibng to shut the chickens in and have a cuppa afterwards. Done quite a bit of tidying today and have at last got all the Christmas decs back in their boxes and out of the way.

Big wipe down tomorrow.

Afternoon all,

We had some sun first thing but it's now really cloudy and looks like it could rain any time.

Anng nice to see a little colour in your garden ,I must have a look and see if we have any snowdrops poking through and maybe a few daff bulbs .

Ann I expect the charities had a lot of stuff donated after Christmas so they are full again ,I noticed signs outside some of our charity shops saying not to leave bags as its fly tipping .
I went into the works this morning ,I bought a big wooden box with loads of colouring pencils and pens for Lewis for his birthday on Saturday .
I also went into our QD for a ball of wool ,I'm crocheting a cowl for myself ,well it's finished now but DIL saw it and said I could do with one of those so I got a nice ball of darkish red so I can now start that for her ,got to have something on the go .

Thats odd Vera it will be interesting to see if the tests turn up , I think someone said our library had some in the other day but they do seem in very short supply .

Just waiting for a phone call from the doctors about my blood test results ,I expect it will be that I need the statins again, I tried taking them the last time I had a blood test but they didn't suit me at all ,I've never felt so sick and had terrible indigestion with them so had to stop taking them .