General Chat

Yes i think it will be all done by tomorrow afternoon Jane but hubby's going to take the car tomorrow ,he's only working for the morning as son had the dentist in the afternoon and hubby won't work up on the roof on his own

Yes i saw the road runner LOL :-D boy could he run !! they are never going to catch him are they ,they said they thought he should be left alone ,he's managed all this time on his own ,he escaped nearly a year ago .
Imagine driving along the road and being overtaken by that !! :-D they can run up to 40 miles an hour !! :-D

Evening all

Looks like you've all got snow and we're still waiting. I hope you get more snow Mel, I know how much you wanted some when we got it on Boxing Day. We did have a bit of snow and hail earlier but nothing at the moment. Sandra is still hoping we get some soon and enough to make a snowman.

No Mandy, it's not ok to re-freeze anything unless it was raw first then frozen again after cooking it. I made two large apple pies and 12 small ones but haven't put them back in the freezer. I'm trying to empty my freezer so I can de-frost it and had some frozen stewed apples which I used to make the apple pies.

I make Victoria sponges mainly but have made a Dorset Apple cake, I can root the recipe out and pass it onto you if you want it. I'll need your email address though. I also make gateaux's and chocolate cakes, then there's flapjacks and biscuits and of course sausage rolls and quiche's. I make pretty much anything and love making up recipe's for dinners.

I started cooking in school then went onto a YTS scheme when I was 16, then in my 20's I made cakes and pies and sold them at craft fairs and I also made celebrations and novelty cakes for neighbours, family and friends. I just love cooking and baking.

Almost finished all the washing, just a few more things to dry so better get back to it before OH get's in from work

These are some lovely, cheery Daffs I bought at the farm shop.....only 89p and they all opened from bud the next day. :-)

A good soak in the bath and an early night will be good for James Jane. What time does he have to get up for work? Is Chris going to an Art Exhibition tomorrow? As you say, it's nice to have a bit of time to yourself. I'm looking forward to OH going to a clerks' meeting in the morning so I can get on with a few things!

Like your mum, it's the mess and faff that would put me off having a woodburner Mel. They reckon so many people are buying them now, they have already put air pollution up by 13 percent in 10 uk cities!! :-S Some of the few that don't pollute have catalytic converters like diesel cars!

I bet Sandra has already decided where to build her snowman!! I might do one too if we get enough snow and send her a pic!!

Mandy it seems that garages don't stock parts as much as they used to, so often you are told they've had to order a part. I suppose there are too many parts these days for them to be able to store them all. It is annoying though when something arrives and isn't right for some reason. That Rhea bird seems to be doing well.....I wonder what it eats? I suppose it's safe from most predators with a turn of speed like that.

I can remember starching first OH's shirt collars!! I just had a carpet sweeper when I was first married.....no hoover, then I think we bought a secondhand one. I lived about 4 miles from mum and dad when I was first married and my sister who was aged 13 used to ride her bike over to see us on Saturdays at first. She wasn't keen on exercise and I think it was the furthest she rode her bike. She used to ask to get the carpet sweeper out and do all my carpets for me and did a good job. Mum was quite miffed as she wouldn't do it at home!! lol. It was the novelty I expect.

No talk of hassleback potatoes or slabs of roasting beef from Jane now? I wonder what she's eating?

Ann.I had a ready meal 300 cals :-S :-S.Chris had something similar...me no likey :-S
Tomorrow I think we will have a decent meal :-D
James leaves for work just after 8..He just said he doesn't want to go to work tomorrow
lol
Chris is going to the Fitzwilliam Museum .It is an exhibition of the history of Manequins (artists dummies )..I think you can get a better idea Ann if you have a little Google on that one !!!..Function to Fetish is mentioned !!! I think it actually might be pretty boring .
I will be off up the stairs shortly.Just started another good gruesome book :-D
No Snow.

Evening all,

You should see me sitting here in my underpants with head phones on, I have the WEST HAM match on the radio. ONE NIL UP at the moment.

The bungalow is so warm, It's driving me mad. If I get to hot, I get very bad tempered, I have let off steam already !!!. Now I am out of the way.

No snow here, but it is very cold outside.

All this washing has bought back the memories. When we moved to Barton in 1964. My fried who worked for the Co-op WON a Hoove# front loader washing machine He already had one, so I bought it from him, way behind retail price. So that was our first Auto

Hope you all stay safe if the weather changes tomorrow. I have my injection at 10.40 am so I will walk up to the doctors, whatever the weather

See you tomorrow.

Stay cool in those underpants Frank....chill :-D...Don't let any more steam off !!!!
I get very irritable too when I get too hot.
Just had a weird problem with the laptop .It said my keyboard wasn't connected !!!!,and I couldn't type anything.Chris has managed to sort it out ,but it took a good 20 minutes..I have no idea (and he doesn't either) what caused that to happen.Never had happen before :-S :-S
Just watching the end of 24hrs in Custody and then I will be away.I thought I was going a while ago :-S

Night Night xx

I have sent the recipe for the Dorset Apple Cake to your Genes account Mandy. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Thank you for the recipe you sent me.

If anyone else would like the recipe please let me know and I'll send it to you.

Night all ;-)

Morning all and evening Kim,

Sunny here this morning but the hail is still hanging around on the grass in places the sun dos'nt reach. We had so much thunder and lightening last night and the leccy kept going out I went to bed at 1 am which is early for me as you lot know. I see Gill was still up at 1.23am to post her last message.

They said on the weather forcast last night that it is unusual to have thunder and lightning with hail or snow and I certainly had ever known it before in my 66 years.

Hope oh gets the van done today Mandy and that son gets on ok at the dentist.

Ann it was a bit messy, the woodburner but I loved it so. It opened up like a real fire as the doors folded back and it had a sort of hearth of about 8 to 9" wide and the arm fitted on the side so you could put the cast iron pot on it and push it over the fire.

Morning all

Lovely sunshine today, no sign of snow, maybe the weather forecasters got it wrong for this area, or are they famous last words lol

Sounds like you've had some bad weather Mel, at least you have the sun now.

Yes I was up late last night Mel, I watched some programs off the planner and lost track of time, then decided to send the recipe to Mandy before signing off.

I've got a bit more washing to do today then I might bake again this afternoon, I've been promising OH and Sandra I'll make some cakes so I'd better keep to my promise.

OH is only working till 2pm today, unless, of course he's asked to stay till 8pm which is what normally happens, so it'll be nice for him to come in to some home baked cakes. He doesn't like apple pie like Sandra and I, so I really should make him his cakes which is loves.

I also want to make a chicken casserole using the chicken I de-frosted last night. I've almost emptied my freezer now so should have it de-frosted and cleaned out soon, ready to stock it all back up again later in the week.

Better get the washing out of the way, then I can start the baking.
Be back later

Morning All,

Bright sunshine here now but the car windows were covered in frosty fern patterns earlier and it was too thick to scrape! I spoke too soon about sleeping well......I was awake all night last night!! :-S Still, I watched a few progs I'd recorded! I had a bit of a scare at 6.15am as I heard footsteps in the drive outside the bedroom wall. I woke OH and then nextdoor's dog started barking. We went to the front door and there was the explanation...... the newspaper was on the mat.........it was the paper boy at that ungodly hour!! The dog was also in the garden at the same ungodly hour!!

We were up early after that and OH went to his meeting while I took some tops back and called in Bo*ts opticians down the road. The bits of my specs that rest on my nose had cracked and gone discoloured and rough. Luckily they were able to do them while I waited and no charge so that was good. :-) I got to the retail park just as the shops were opening and drove along and signalled my turn into an end space on the right. A young woman tearing along in a car turned in facing me coming the opposite way, drove past me and as I was turning into the space on my right behind her as she passed by she slammed her brakes on and started reversing into me! :-0 A load of hooting and waving from her followed and I'm glad I couldn't hear the expletives to be honest. It appeared she wanted to reverse into the same space despite the carpark being nearly empty. She seemed to think I was in the wrong for wanting to turn right into it despite me signalling I was doing that and was there before her. As she seemed to be a nasty piece of work I left her to it and parked elsewhere. As I walked to B*ots there was a massive queue waiting for them to open. Then the penny dropped. The woman was in a tearing hurry to get in the queue for their 70% off sale!! Once I got inside it was bedlam around the sale aisles. By the time I get my specs done I couldn't get out of the opticians section for the crowd blocking the way. Some were just sweeping goods off the shelves into their trolleys or baskets with their arms. Trolleys were piled high and some had big blue store bags full of things as well. Don't get me wrong, I love a few bargains myself, but the grabbing of anything and everything to excess just looked like greed. :-S

Gill, I bet your kitchen will have mouthwatering smells this afternoon! I love apple pies too. I bet Sandra looked out of the window for snow as soon as she woke up this morning. I hope she gets her wish in the next few days.

Mel, that was very versatile and useful to have an arm you could put pots on over the fire. My grandma did all her cooking on a black leaded range that seemed to fill most of a wall. She had a gas cooker as well but I never saw her use that. She had hooks that the big kettle handle rested on over the fire. That was used to fill the tin bath every day! Daily life was so time consuming in those times!!

Afternoon all,

Late today !!! Nurse Frank has been busy. Had a reasonable night, but was awake a 6.00 am. Ros was snoring, and breathing very deep and heavy. So I couldn't get back to sleep. When I got up I showered and shaved. Got tea and arranged Ros's breakfast. Got washed up and prepared dinner for tonight. Then off to the nurse. The roads and paths were very iffy where the sun hadn't got to. Had a half hour wait to get to see her, and another 20 minutes to make my next appointment. The receptionist was on the phone the whole time. and no other staff bothered to help out. So annoying, when they are standing around in the background. !!!! MOAN OVER.

You were late to bed last night girls (MEL AND GILL) I know Mel never goes to bed very early. Lots of hail then, Jan just Skype# and they had it last night also.

Ann, You did the best thing to walk away from that WOMAN (being polite) there was trouble waiting to happen. Like you, I can't understand why people clear shelves in a sale. HOW MANY of ONE ITEM do you need ??? More money than sense comes to mind.

Madam is still poorly, she rang the doctor, who rang her back. He is leaving some stuff out for her. One of the girls who works there is dropping it off later, saves me another walk.

Jane, I have never experienced anything like that with my laptop, how weird !!

Got washing in the machine that needs to go in the tumble dryer, so onwards and upwards.!!!

See you later.

I have cleaned out the big girls as they were so wet and muddy and their run is still covered in water. Nearly all the hail has melted now so they are paddling. I got myself covered in mud all over my knees so I better go and change my trousers as I have only just seen it as I sat down.

Have another big pot of soup on the go and oh will want lunch in a min.

Cold beef for us tonight with chips I think so I may get time to make som more sausage rolls or cakes like Gill.

Ours was a Stovax Regency woodburner.

Regency Wood Burning Stoves & Multi-Fuel Stoves

Originally patented in 1742 by Benjamin Franklin, the Stovax Regency enjoys a pedigree unmatched by any other stove. It was designed at a time when America was still a British colony and its proportions were undoubtedly influenced by Franklin’s extended visits to Georgian London. With the doors open and a fire burning, the Regency’s large firebox produces the atmosphere of a traditional open fireplace.

The Regency stove is supplied in three sizes. A pair of polished brass balls are supplied with each stove and a brass rail set is available as an optional accessory. Cast into the side panel of every Regency stove is a support bracket into which an optional barbecue or bean pot may be fixed. Both of these are manufactured from cast iron and the bean pot is supplied complete with a swinging arm which fits into the support bracket.
http://www.stovax.com/stove-fire/regency-wood-multi-fuel-stove/

We did'nt have the brass rails on ours but if you look at the pic with it in the fireplace thats what it looked like in my cottage but my bricks around it were tudor bricks one side.

Afternoon everyone

One of my Victoria sponges is baked and the other one is in the oven, the smell is lovely and making me feel hungry.

I don't blame you Ann for finding another parking place, people like that aren't worth the bother. 70% off sounds good, did you buy anything. The way I look at it is if you don't need it then you're not saving yourself any money and buying in bulk, I don't get that either, but if it's something you actually need then the discount is brilliant.

The stove looked lovely and cosy Mel and being able to cook on it is a bonus especially if your leccy keeps going off, at least you wouldn't go hungry. Pity you don't still have one. What cakes are you baking Mel. You can't beat home cooking, cakes don't seem to taste the same shop bought. Although I did find a lemon drizzle cake in Ald* once which tasted home baked and was lovely, unfortunately they don't seem to sell it anymore :-( :-(.

Just took the second Victoria sponge out of the oven, so the two of them are cooling ready for the cream, OH doesn't like jam so I leave that out. The chicken breasts are now in the oven cooking, not sure what I'm going to do with them yet, I have a few ideas, will be using some of them to make a casserole for tomorrow. Will be defrosting the freezer and cleaning it tomorrow as it's finally empty apart from a few sausages which I can put in the fridge, OH likes them so they won't last long.

That was nice of the girl to offer to bring Ros's medication round for her. Shame you didn't receive the same attention when you went to the surgery. The waiting times are getting ridiculous nowadays, they are so understaffed. I feel sorry for the receptionists they never get five minutes do they. At least they are polite which is nice.

Well, I did a pile of washing this morning so need to go and put it all away now, then I might have a nice hot bath once the chicken is cooked.

I was so busy yesterday and Sandra wanted to watch a load of programs she had recorded for herself, we didn't get time to watch the Christmas films, so we might watch one this afternoon, now most of my work for today is finished.

I nearly forgotten Jane. I find on my laptop there is a little area at the top left and if you double click on it, it freezes the mouse and nothing will work until you double click again. On mine a little orange light appears that's where you double click and then the mouse works again. Do you think this might of happened to your laptop. It stops the keyboard working as well. Sorry don't know what the area is called, it's the bit you use as a mouse if that makes sense. I hope this helps if it happens again.

Better go and check my chicken
Still no snow yet
BBL

Our sunshine seems to have disappeared now and the sky is grey.

Finished lunch and I still have the washing up to do so better get that done and do a bit of ironing as the machine is on with yet more ironing!! A womans work is never done comes to mind.

May not make cakes now as we still have some Chirstmas cake left and mince pies.

Have to pop up the docotrs for part of my prescription as they gave me a different symferstatin and it made me itch all over so I have to take those ones back and collect my usual kind.

New front door is on and very smart it looks too but poor son said he couldn't feel his feet or his fingers by late afternoon and you wouldn't believe the hailstones that came down at lunchtime yesterday he had to prop the old door back up and hold it till it stopped but there was still a big puddle in the hall.

I think that actor won an award for his portrayal of Stephen Hawkins and the film is up for an Oscar too.

I read somewhere years ago that they used to give those chimps chewing gum and that's how their mouths would move making it look like they were actually speaking, don't know if it's true, wouldn't be allowed these days.

You must like the Great British Bake Off Gill, I love the programme and I can't even cook, well I suppose I could I've just never had any interest in cooking, my cakes tasted alright but looked a disaster.

My goodness William those pics look like something out of a horror film, I hope all your girls are feeling better as each day passes. I guess it's just a question of time.

I'm glad we haven't got any snow, hope it stays away from here, hate driving in it and the whole country seems to come to a standstill when we get just a few inches.

Hope Mateos is enjoying nursery Fiona, it does take them a little while to settle in and it's so upsetting for mum, I know I was in tears leaving mine so upset but they were fine after a few minutes, it was me that was miserable for the rest of the morning.

Back to reality for James now Jane but like Hannah a great experience, I would love to see the Northern Lights but they would have to appear somewhere like Spain :-S

Eddie Redmayne you mean Maureen. He was in a lot of things quite recently like pillars of the earth or something like that and I saw him in the Boleyn girls film the other night. He's a good little actor.

I do hope James gets those pictures of the northern lights from the guide as I would love to see them.

It's horrid going back to work after a holiday. then you really know it is all over until the next time.

Good you now have your new front door on. Shame about the puddle but I expect you soon cleared that up. No drafts now though....... :-D :-D

How nice to have your smart new front door in place now Maureen even if the weather could have been kinder for your son to fit it. I bet the hall feels cosier already. :-) I would like a new front door at some point as the one we have is a bit boring. It's perfectly good and not draughty though so it can wait for now.

Mel your burner certainly was a Rolls R*yce wasn't it. I never even realised they did ones with barbeque racks and those arms for pots. It was certainly useful wasn't it and I can quite see why you would miss it. Being me always with an eye for the practical I like the fact it had no glass to clean as well and the way the doors folded back. ;-)

Hi all

I bet you're made up to have your new front door, lucky you had the old one to hand to stop more hailstones coming into your hall. Yes Maureen, I love the Great British Bake Off, it brings back so many memories of the kind of things I was taught years ago. I tend to stick to the same sort of things now like my Victoria sponges as my family love them. Although I do try out the odd new recipe every now and then.

Well, out of the two Victoria sponge's I made earlier I have just one left and a couple of pieces of the first one. OH came in just as the chicken was done so most of that has gone too. I still have one apple pie left for Sandra and I and three pieces of the other big one, which I'm going to give to my mum tomorrow when I see her.

I hope you manage to sort out your medication Mel, you don't want to be itchy, how awful would that feel. When are you changing it.

Well, all my jobs are finished for today and because I only have a small amount of chicken over I'm not making the casserole now, so will make a sausage casserole tomorrow to use up the sausages that are in the freezer, then I can de-frost it and give it a good clean, ready to stock back up again.

I'm off for a well earned bath now, my back and neck are a bit achy, so a good soak should sort that out and with OH and Sandra eating most of the chicken and cake they don't want anything else to eat at the moment.

Afternoon All

What a pity your poor son had to deal with all that hail just when he was doing your door Maureen.But I bet you are so pleased to finally have it now.Keep out that dreadful wind that is heading this way.

Gill now wonder you are always baking with the rate those cakes go LOL.Cakes are one of the things that I have never been able to do for some reason.I have made a few good ones in the past though.My Mum made the best cakes.Especially Coffee and Walnut.That is one of the things Hannah and James remember from when they were young and we went to stay with Mum :-D

Ann I hate people like that in car parks !!!!!!.Just so RUDE :-S :-S.She was obviously determined she was having that space ,come hell or high water.Stupid woman :-P

Not one flake of snow here at all.I was quite expecting to see at least a little covering this morning.I can hear the wind blowing now and think the temperature feels like it has dropped a few degrees.Brrrrrrrrr !!!!!!!

How strange to have all that thunder and lightening Mel.The weather seems all muddled lol

Well I have prepared dinner......Not sure how well it is going to go down though.
James said he fell in love with Lamb Soup/Stew in Iceland........He has never eaten Lamb here in his life ,nor soup.So I thought I would have a go at making it.
I have a feeling mine will be nothing like what he had even though I looked up the recipe.(shame I don't have Icelandic Lamb,as it sounds quite special).
The thing I hate with Lamb Stews is the greasy film you get on your mouth.Chris had eaten out today so he won't be having any..if it is dreadful and James hates it ,I have Meatballs on standby :-D....
All my clothes and hair now pongs of Lamb Stew :-S :-S..and it is not a good smell.I only washed my hair this morning too.

I have ordered a KIndle Paper White for Chris's Birthday.He was impressed with the one he bought me and was making noises about having one himself.

Yes I really hope James gets these photos of the Northern Lights.He needs to have some record of seeing them.He was saying that Jess didn't really take the right kind of trousers for Iceland's weather,and each day she had to wear 2 pairs of thermal leggings and then 2 pairs of Jogger type trousers on top of them ...She is a daft thing sometimes .You would have thought she would have realised she needed something a bit more robust and more suitable.

Frank that is really good of the girl from the surgery to drop off Ros's Meds.I hope she soon starts to feel better......and also that you don't get the same thing.

Chris bought Scrabble today...I suggested it after we finished the puzzle .Our old scrabble seems to have gone.Haven't played Scrabble in years !!!