General Chat

I had just remembered that the shop was duee between 3 and four and went in the front room to fetch the cool bag, it was 2.45 and there he was outside. Had to move fast then. something really strange in my order that I had not noticed when checking it. Two very large packets which when I looked were lots of cup a soups in the original packi ng. when he checked the order said 21 packets I can only think that I changed from one to two and the number one didn't delete. anyway he has taken both lots off the order for me. I thought the bill was high. Most of the order was for the finger buffet for tomorrow lunch time.

Afternoon All,

It sounded much brighter where you are earlier AnnG but I see it has changed now. It is another gloomy day here and raining hard most of the day. PC says 15 degrees. :-S No walk or doing anything outside although I could turf out what's left of the toms in the greenhouse later if it stops raining.

Other people's standards will always be different Mel and I think he's a star to have taken it on and sorted a problem for you which as you say is the main thing. I expect your BIL may have to work quickly as he must have jobs at home waiting for him too. As AnnG says hopefully it won't be long till the grass stops growing now.

It sounds like tomorrow will be a noisy day with the young boys AnnG. Sister's 2 boys were just the same when they were young and competing and argueing and tormenting each other all the time. I must get my thinking cap on now you have reminded me that Christmas isn't far off. The garden centres and where we went for lunch yesterday all have their trees up and decorated now.

visiting tomorrow, I thought I had said. sorry. Eldest grandson and wife and two great grandsons age 6 and 9 who fight and squabble all the time and are very LOUD. Coming to bring the Christmas presents that have to go up north for Christmas.

Yes he is Anng I usually give him some money when he get petrol for the mowers. It raining here too I just got soaked feeding the chickens and bantam.

Whose visiting tomorrow?

Legs are all wet think I need to change my trousers.

Well after the blue sky and white fluffy clouds earlier, it was all downhill from about 0930. It has not stopped raining since and at the moment it is bucketing down and is so very dark. I had intending taking some books back to the charity lady and posting a birthday card but I am not going out in this.

I have a Tesco delivery today at 3-4pm. different this week as I needed to get stuff in for the family visiting tomorrow.

Mel, yes I suppose you are right, at least it is eventually getting cut and maybe he will soon realise that he needs to slow down. I assume he is funding the replacement parts himself. Hopefully it will stop growing soon.

Gave up on the first post as I lost most of it.

Morning Anng and all,

Very wet and windy here this morning pc says rain to stopand 16 degrees.

Had a bit of a lie in this morning and arose at 9.24am. Just been out and fished all the leaves out of the pond and am sitting here thinking I must get dressed.

Anng BIL has all good intensions but drives the mowers too fast to get the whole job done in one day. Oh never did it all in one day and took time to get the lawns outside the bungalow looking beautiful as you will have seen in past pictures I sent. He also goes too near to the bushes and over the fallen branches off the trees which I think is a lot of the trouble. Anyway he comes and does it and thats the main thing. I do feed him well when he comes to keep him going.

good morning all. blue sky and white clouds here and 13 degrees. Looks quite pleasant.

Mel BiL doesn't seem to be having much success with the mower? Is it because he is doing something wrong? Or is the mower just old? Maybe you could do with a couple of sheep! :-) :-)

Well so much for my good day. He did the mower that pulls the trailer and used the newer one to cut the grass and half way through the west lawn he managed to lose the belt that drives the brushes which then pick up the cuttings. He found the belt (broken) and then found that the bearing on the end of the brushes had sheared off so now the younger mower dos'nt work. It drives and cuts but dos'nt pick up so now he has to get a new bit for that and a new belt.

I brought about 6 or 7 big cooking apples down to the house, just windfalls and cooked them in the micro with some demerara suger and a few sultanas and I shall have those with some nice custard and put some in the freezer for another day.

I cook a big pan of mince carrot and onion, two beef oxo cubes some black pepper and a teaspoon of bovril and put that in boxes in the freezer then in other boxes I put mash and green so it makes three or four dinner and I don't waste the veg on the chickens.

With BIL coming today I keep thinking its Saturday.

Last on of All Creatures tonight, I have been enjoying them with these new characters. I wonder if we will get a Christmas special?

Thank you for the extra info on the auto setting and it does sound useful Vera so I will check if the model I fancy has it. It is a good idea to cook your casserole in bulk like that. I want to get into the habit of doing some things too as it saves so much work and thinking what to eat on future occasions and is much more economical. I hot up portions of frozen cooked mince with veg in the microwave and you can have a meal ready in no time. OH will peel any root veg which helps too.

That's good there is a helping of your soup for tomorrow as well AnnG. OH would be dunking some bread in his! :-D

Yes Liz Truss was totally unsuitable wasn't she. You need a thick skin for a start and she always looked scared to me. OH said Boris couldn't do worse too. We are in a mess and if it came to an election soon for the first time in my life I wouldn't want any of them. :-S

Not sure, he is off making money but if he did I don't think it would make things any worse.He might just be strong enough to get us out of this mess. I can't think anyone else will manage they just go round in circles and if they don't get their own way they throw their toys out of the pram and leave.

Do you think Boris will throw his hat back in the ring?

Yes no surprise as you say Ann. What a mess it all is.

Still very grey and very, very wet. It’s just falling out of the sky at the moment.

:-D :-D :-D Well done Mel :-D :-D :-D

I have spent half the morning chopping stuff for a red cabbage casserole. I use a Delia recipe that suits our taste and I use my huge casserole and make about 12 good helpings and freeze them in portions of 2 helpings. We probably only have it once a month so that’ll keep us going for 6 months. It only needs a couple of minutes reheating in the microwave. I did think of doing it in the slow cooker but it does need a stir from time to time and you shouldn’t keep lifting the lid on the slow cooker.

Ann, the auto setting is for cooking rather than just heating up. The book says:

The slow cooker will automatically begin cooking in high temperature mode until the cooker reaches a temperature of 96-97 degrees C. At this point the cooker will switch to low setting. Temperature will be maintained and if necessary high temperature will be reselected depending on changes in ambient temperature etc.

It’s supposed to be more economical than having it on high all the time.

Inevitable wasn't it? Just really not up to the part of the job that meant taking on all the bitchiness. How can anyone do their job in the face of all that I wonder?
the soup is very nice, enough for tomorrow as well and the veg would have been thrown out otherwise, basic taste was carrot as there was more of that but the leeks are in the background as well, it was very smooth and nice and thick.

I love fish fingers in buns/sandwiches.

Suns been out here which I did'nt expect. Popped down the post van with a parcel.

15 degrees here and still sunny at the mo.

BIL has the mower going hooray now I can use the big trailer when I cut stuff down. I hav'nt asked him about the pond yet..... but he's not the BIL that knows about ponds.


I wrote this this morning beforeI went to the post van and did'nt post it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Of course as you rightly say AnnG, using a smart plug would likely mean it would be on a timer. Mel's OH was a whizz with setting things up on Alexa so may even have had voice control on the smart plug. It's good you have got it all working again Mel and it must be a weight off your mind.

We had a job to get to the restaurant today! First, one road was closed due to some sort of maintenance so we had to follow a diversion for a few miles, then the road ahead was closed off with a police car and policeman standing in the rain!! To top it off OH noticed there was only 99 miles before the fuel tank was empty and the figure seemed to be dropping faster than the miles we were doing. We had a nice chat with Sharon when we got there but there was only one other customer so still not much trade and they still haven't put the carvery back on. We both had a brioche bun with fish fingers, side salad and coleslaw, but there was plenty and it was very filling. We called at the first garage we saw on the way back to fill the car up and it did seem empty so it wasn't the guage. OH was ok driving, so will drive himself tomorrow which will save me taking then fetching him.

That's a good way to use up the veg AnnG and will be nice being as it's a bit chilly today.

I see Liz Truss has resigned.........no surprise there!

surely Mel if the smart plug was in it would only have worked at the times set for the plug so a good move to remove it. I have done the same here as I have not a clue how to access any instructions given by T.

well done for getting it all sorted. On to the next job now. No sun here all morning although it is beginning to look a bit brighter and I think the rain may have stopped. Just making some soup for lunch got rid of some tired veg.

OOOOOOOoooooo I have the pump working and the scimmer. I don't know what I did but I tried some more switches for the scimmer and got that working I was so pleased with myself I turned around and the big filter was working. Pleased as punch now!!!! :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D

BIL has the mower working and is cutting the top field AND the suns still shining and its warm out there. There's been the dragon fly around the ponds too.

Chuffed to bits. I must admit I took the smart plug out which the scimmer was plugged into and just plugged the plug in the socket and knocked the leccy out so had to come in and put that back on but it was worth it. HOORAY...... :-D

Morning All,

Raining here and only 13 degrees, a right miserable morning!

AnnG the one on display was red, but I think it may come in other colours too......I will check as there's nothing else red in my kitchen.

Vera that was useful about the settings on your slow cooker, particularly the auto setting. Is that one just for heating up and keeping warm?

Better go as we are going out for lunch, just a jacket potato I think, and OH is ready to go.

Antique even Vera? :-D

Ann I had a senior moment with mine, it is white, my previous one was red but that had a heavy china type container and couldn't be used on the hob to brown. This one is much better and yes it is M Richards.
Still pouring with rain here.