General Chat

thanks Mel that sounds nice, I have made a note.

7 degrees here. Just had my plumber fit a new toilet seat for me. He also checked the cistern was working ok as Grandson had to fix it when he and the boys were here. One of the boys jammed the mechanism.

Its now 10 degrees and pc says rain showers.

Creamy leeks

Gently fry the leeks in a little olive oil after cutting them into shortish lenths.

Place all in a small roasting tin and sprinkle with pepper and pour over double cream

and sprinkle grated cheese on top to your taste pop in a hot oven till cooked and bubbling.

Went up the post van to get some money out and popped in the shop for sausages and the first pack I picked up had no price label on it so I took the other one and went to the counter and said I'll have that one please putting down the one with no price on it. She turned it over and took the priced pack from me and charged me for that one and said take the other one too. I was delighted a free 12 pack of chipolats.

Its also raining like anything here and it started just as I got in the car to go up the village with no coat on so I got a bit wet.

Its now 9 degrees and grey.

sounds like a lovely meal Mel. What is your recipe for creamy leeks please.

I am afraid the long term weather forecast I saw on TV yesterday said rain well into next week. We can only hope for a few breaks in this horrible weather I think.

I was wrong when I said earlier that it was 7 degrees. 7 is the warmest it’s going to get today. At the moment it’s only 5 :-(

Your meal with Stu tonight sounds tasty Mel. Enjoy.

Morning girls,

Sunny at the mo out the back to the south but grey out the front to the north and its 8 degrees and pc is telling me rain within the hour. Are we ever going to get a nice day without wind, rain or hail ?

I have Stu coming for dinner tonight and I am doing roast chicken. I have a nice chciken crown and I'm doing my creamy leeks roasties, carrots and broc. I may even do pigs in blankets and make it a bit like the Christmas dinner we did'nt have together. First I need to do a good clear up fo the kitchen table where I work on the miniatures.

Good morning Ann and all

7 degrees and wet and windy again. Good that you rescued your kittens Mel. I don’t use softener in the machine either and my washing seems soft enough. I believe it’s bad for towels as it coats the fibres and makes them less absorbent. Going to our Thursday coffee meet this morning. Have a good day whatever you are doing.

Good morning all 7 degrees and dull, showery and windy. Slept better last night, probably because I put ibuleve on my achy leg before I went to bed.

For quite a few years now I have not used any softener in the washing machine at all since I read an article saying it was unnecessary. I have not noticed any difference in my washing.

Mandy I dropped two of the kittens on the carpet but got the super torch out and found them with that. They are so very tiny.

I am going to try white vinegar in the washing machine to soften the clothes instead of fabric softener.

I like your long posts Vera and you got a lot done today. I am just about to cook dinner tonight I am having an Angus beef burger mash, carrots and more broccoli. Only got to cook the carrot and broc as I had mash over from yesterday and then do my burger.

Heads a lot better thanks Vera ,it's a bit woosy until the tablets kick in about mid morning so the tablets are helping .

I just had another look on line and I've now found out I don't take the top off the tube ,I fill the yellow pot pull back the sticker and push the white top of the tube into the hole in the yellow pot and it sucks the liquid into the tube ,now do I send in both pots or is the yellow pot just to fill the tube, there's nothing on the paper with it to say .

That's good you've heard about your glasses Vera you'll be glad to get them at last.

Oh Mel thats good you found the little kitten and it hadn't dropped on your carpet .

We seem to be having similar weather Mandy. It’s a bit warmer than yesterday, was cloudy this morning but we have seen a bit of sun this afternoon. How’s your head now? Are you still woozy? I hope your blood test results are good. I now have a picture in my mind of you trying to fill a tube without taking the lid off.

Good that your bp readings and blood test results were normal AnnG. It is sometimes difficult to work out what the results are actually saying. The last time I had blood taken it was tested for 14 different things and it took me ages to look up what all the different abbreviations meant. You did well with your shopping in M&S. I do wish we could easily get to some of these shops. We don’t have much in the way of shops anymore in our town and even Bury, Ipswich and Colchester have lost a lot of their lovely shops. Sometimes, like M&S in Colchester, they have moved to an outlying retail park which isn’t so easy to get to as the town centre.

My goodness, that was a drama at the hospital when your OH was there Annx. That poor lady. It must have been frightening for her. Thank goodness she was in the right place to get help quickly. Good news about OH’s eyes; that must have been quite reassuring for him. As Gwyn said, it’s a good job you didn’t have to go today with all the cordons and closures. Now there’s another family grieving tonight.

Welcome back to the hearing world Gwyn. When it’s getting close to your next ENT appointment it must be quite a strain trying to listen to the youngsters reading in school, particularly if there’s much background noise. I remember the system of paying in the Co-op. We had a Co-op food store fairly near us and my mother sometimes shopped there. I used to be fascinated watching the little cylinders of money rattling around the cables and coming back with mum’s change and “divi” in the form of tin coins, which I assume were saved up and spent much like loyalty points these days.

Mel, I like the sound of your lamb shank. We have them from time to time but I’ve never done them in the microwave. I’ve always put them in the oven and, if the oven is on, I roast everything else as well. Broccoli is one of the few veg I don’t much like roasted so I would probably have done either cauliflower or wedges of cabbage with the spuds and carrots.

We were going out to the opticians this morning but I decided to give them one more phone call and nearly collapsed with shock when somebody answered. I have to forgive them as apparently they rang on 29th Jan and left a message on our answer machine to say my specs were in. I couldn’t understand why we never received the message until I realized that 29th was the day Openreach was here and switching our phone over so I suppose the message was lost in the switch. Anyway I am going in on Friday morning to sort my specs out.

We had a local artist talk at the Ladies Club meeting yesterday. She has tried many things but seems to have decided that her talent lies in sculpture. She was certainly very gifted. She had several pictures of her pieces with her and had brought along two small pieces. One was a model of her dog, a cockapoo, and this was made in aluminium and resin. The other was a small bronze and resin statuette of a horse. I loved that. Unfortunately she was a better sculptor than she was speaker. She explained how she made the moulds etc, but her explanations were not very clear, and she also showed a few people sitting in the front row some pictures but those of us behind couldn’t see them. After a few minutes she ran out of things to say. One or two ladies prompted her by asking questions but after about 20 minutes it all ground to a halt which was a shame and a bit of an embarrassment for everyone. However she has agreed we can visit her garden in the summer to see a lot of her work in situ. I know she has a full size horse sculpture out the front of her house. I shall look forward to that as her work is really good.,

I am still not sleeping and must be running on adrenalin I think as I seem to keep going. As well as some basic household chores I have done the ironing (not much of that) and cleaned the inside of the kitchen and utility windows. The kitchen is a real pain. Whoever designed it didn’t think of the poor person trying to work in it and keep it clean. There is no splashback to the kitchen sink, the window sill is directly over the worktop the sink sits in. There is a largish 3 pane window. The 2 outer panes open so I can swing them wide to the outside and clean them from the garden, but the middle pane is fixed. I do have some very sturdy kitchen steps and I have to put these in front of the sink, stand on the upper step and lean right across the sink to the window. Stretching to my limit I can just reach the upper corners of the glass to clean it. And don’t start me on the position of the sink in relation to the cooker…………..I’d like the kitchen to be completely redesigned but it would cost a fortune and at our age we don’t want to go through all the upheaval.

I’ve also done some admin work, filing, paying bills etc and plenty of odd jobs. OH is now cooking us egg and chips which should be ready any minute, so I’ll come to an end. If you have managed to plough through this lot you deserve a medal.

Painted some bits today mostly black light light fittings and a candle holder I am making and then a parcel arrived so I opened that and the first little bubble wrapped parcel came out and it stuck to some tissue and the whole lot went on the floor. The pack had tiny kittens in it and I couold only find two on the floor. It took me ages to find all the tiny things that had exploded from the paper. I knew I had bought the parcel for the three kittens and was so worried I would tread on the third one but had to give up in the end. My kitchen carpet is a devil if you drop things on it as there is so much pattern and colours. Good for not showing the dirt though.

I unwrapped all the other little wrapped parcels in the box and the last one had the third kitten in it. I was so pleased.

Wish I lived nearer you Mandy as I would have lots of bits for the little children at the school and coloured soft card too as oh had loads of it for printing thing.

Afternoon all,

We've had a little sun this afternoon much better day than yesterday as it was so cold only 4 degrees but it felt much colder .
I had my blood taken yesterday and she told me she would do the extra one ready for the yearly review which I have an appointment for in March.
She gave me a urine bottle to take back with me in March and I heard her say something about keeping ths white lid on the tube ,I didn't really take a lot of notice as I was getting the prescriptions out of my bag to put in the box as I forgot when I went in the door ,when I got home I could see they wanted two urine samples the usual yellow round little tub but the other one was like a tube so I have no idea how I fill it if I have to keep the lid on , anyone had one of these ? I shall have to ring the surgery and find out if I can get through to them.

Shopping day tomorrow they keep coming round , I've just sorted out a load of bits for the school ,they want lots of bits for the little ones so I've sorted out lots of the card both plain and patterned ,ribbons ,material, sequins and stickers .

Better drink my cup of tea .

Just back from town where in M&S I spent a christmas gift voucher, another £5 voucher and there was 20% off sweaters and bras. I got two lightweight sweaters and a bra so the total came down from over £50. to just over £13.. And, the sun is shining and it has been dry all day so far and not cold. And I have a lot of small natrilised crocus up in the garde.

I had my blood test results on the NHS App, all satifactory and waiting for daughter to sort out what they actually mean. I also had a contact from the pharmacist nurse re the BP readings I took in which are within normal for me. and satisfactory.

Gwyn I think the British restaurants closed around 1947.

My Mum would take me for lunch if shopping to one or other of the department stores (not that frequently. It would either be Handleys if shopping in that area or maybe Landport Drapery, usually poached eggs or whatever was cheap. In Southampton we would eat in Edwin Jones.

This really made me laugh.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/lRaWRs972to

Annx will be glad they've not got to go to the hospital today.
Much has been cordoned off....

Morning girls,

We have sunshine this morning but there has been a frost its 6 degrees and pc says mostly sunny. I dar'nt look at it further incase it says rainy days ahead.

I started messing around with another tiny porcelain doll yesterday but did'nt get very far.

I cancelled an appointment with the dentist for today as I did'nt feel like being poked about. Still not feeling 100% after the flu still sneezing and coughing but thats got tight now.

Hope you sleep better soon Anng, it horrid when you keep waking and lay there forever. Vera too. <3 <3

I do recall a trip to London, as a child and visiting a Lyons Corner House, but not the details, - probably a glass of lemonade and a cake?

What an interesting discussion on British Restaurants. I'd never heard of them, so it was all news to me.
We lived not far from Portsmouth in 1950s, but I don't remember hearing about them.
I don't recall going out for a meal locally as a whole family, when I was young.
The nearest we got to that was if Mum took my sister and I shopping and it turned into a prolonged trip, we would sometimes go to the main Co-op in Fratton, Portsmouth and have egg and chips for lunch there. They probably sold quite a variety of meals, but that would be relatively simple and affordable.
That shop fascinated me because they had a system where money was handed in by the assistant and disappeared up a sort of vacuum shoot contraption, then any change due would come clattering back down, the little door opened and the assistant would hand over the coins.
All very amazing to a small child back then!

Goodness Annx, what a drama at OH's appointment.
It sounds awful for the poor patient.
Good that your husband was offered a further appointment, but feels he doesn't need that now. Some departments seem better than others about after-care, I find.

I hope Mandy that you are feeling rather better and your blood tests are satisfactory next time.
I'm due one soon, so before then I must eat a bit more healthily to counteract the increased amount of Brie and chocolate I've consumed since Christmas :-0

Vera, What a wasted journey you had.
Everything stops it seems if the computers fail.
I remember going to the GP surgery to see the nurse for an annual review and their system was 'down'. Nobody knew who was due an appointment, who to see or what for.
No patient notes could be read onscreen. I had taken blood pressure readings with me and told the nurse I usually had a blood test at the review and was later told the results were normal.
What they tested for is anyone's guess...
How much worse if the problem was in a hospital setting.
I hope you are better rested today.

AnnG, It's always interesting to hear where you go on your outings locally. I used to live near Cheltenham, but not long enough to explore much, as I was only there a few months, when newly married. We did visit some Cotswold villages though, which were lovely, but I can imagine that tourists now might be rather overwhelming in the summer months.

Mel
Your meal sounds lovely and easily prepared. Just what you need if you are busy.
Any more miniatures being made?
I thought of you recently, when I saw a miniature table set with candelabras, tiny cutlery, plates and bowls of miniature fruit. So clever.

The sun is making a welcome appearance :-0
We haven't seen it for days. Yesterday was particularly gloomy, when we visited the hospital for my routine visit to the ENT nurse.
I'm back in the hearing world for a while :-D
On the way home though, I did notice many trees laden with long bright catkins, another sign that Spring is on it's way.