General Chat

Yes Jane, all in all I think we are very lucky Mums! Your flowers sound lovely from your two thoughtful young people. I think 'L' may feel a bit miffed at being, as she will probably see it, upstaged by her brother!! All their lives there has been very slight rivalry for my affection, not Ian, just me! I love them both equally as I'm sure we all do, but at times chopping myself into two equal parts can be a bit tiresome!!!
Ian will do a lot of the barn himself, we have got some help from the chap who rents one of our outbuildings for his workshop, but apart from that it'll just be us! It's not that big and Ian's very practical, and has always done things like this himself. The stable at our last house he built from scratch, all in timber, so renovating a barn doesn't hold ant terrors
I'm now going to watch catchup on my Kindle while I've still got some peace!!

Lovely Cake there Mandy :-D :-D..You need a bit of cream in the middle LOL.Just to make it really unhealthy ;-).It has risen so well.My sponge cakes used to come out about a couple of inches high :-S :-S.Lower on one side too and burnt :-S :-S
I don't do sponge cakes now :-D
These Florentines should be a lovely golden brown.But they are still in and looking a bit pale still :-S Smell good though.I think it's the Orange Zest :-D
It's only egg whites ,icing sugar and Flaked Almonds with Orange Zest.So it was easy to do.Oven pinging so I will see what they have turned out like.

I love florentines and mum did too.

Have we a pic of Mandy's cake?? I shall have to go and have a look.

Turned grey here now but still a breeze so my washing may dry if I'm lucky.

Saw the fox slip out the orchard last night into the field bit next door. Not a chance to get a shot at it to scare it away I did that by turning the outside light on.

Iv'e no pic of Mandy's cake..................................or has she eaten it all already?

Oh yes a bit of cream would be nice ....but then we would have to eat it up quick before the cream went off , not that they hang around for long with hubby :-D

Burnt on the side !! Was it because you put both tins on the one shelf Jane ,i use to do that so they were in the middle of the oven ,now i use top and bottom shelves .

My friend wants a recipe for Scottish Paradise cake ,her daughter had some and said it was delish !! i found two recipes one with sultanas in and one without ,it also had walnuts ,cherries and ground almonds in and has a pastry base .

Fires lit now as it's turned really cold .

I have sent it Mel

Well I'll try again. Have moved the MOUSE out of the way. !!

Ros had a box of flowers from Conrad yesterday afternoon . They came from NEX# with choc's as well. He must have done the ordering on line from Spain. His card came in the post this morning, postmarked DEVON. Jane must have sorted that side out.

What a cold horrible day it is. I only went to the car to get the bags in and that North Easterly wind nearly blew me over.

Ros and I was talking last night about buying presents. I never EVER had presents from my Mum and Dad. and she never bought my children Birthday or Christmas presents, even though I always bought something from the children for her both Birthday and Christmas. Lewis gets presents from us all through the year, even though he doesn't expect them. That's what Grandparents do, isn't it ????

I didn't go out last night or at lunchtime today. I will be at the pub tomorrow for 1.30 K.O. Chelsea V Southampton. I will get something to eat down there, they do an excellent CURRY so I have been told. (Indian Chef)

I just turned my head to the conservatory and the sun is SO BRIGHT it's made my eyes go funny.

Jane that feeling you get in your ears. We call it "MY EARS ARE LAUGHING" it's a funny sensation isn't it ???

Not sure what we will have tonight, I leave that to Ros. I just order it and pay for it !!

Might pop back later.

That is terrible Jane. The people who do these things should have their HANDS DROP OFF or CUT OFF. I can not a abide these types. How they can live with themselves, I just don't know.

Mandy I can't remember the last time Ros made a sponge. They tend to be shop bought.

Hope the car was O.K. Gill and that the viewing went well too.

Mr Fox won't give up will he Mel, One of these days you will get him !!!

Frank I don't call my itchy ears Laughing ears..Just bloo** irritating ;-)..Trouble is you can't scratch the inner bit of your ears :-SI do something with my tongue on the roof of my mouth (which makes very weird noises) to help the itchy lugs.But it drives me bananas.
I have had to draw the curtains because of the sun.I can't see the tv screen properly because of the dust :-S :-S

The sun was so bright on the rail of the hostess trolley that I couldn't see a thing. Ros had to draw the curtains at the back. It's a beautiful sky out there at the moment. I am sure it will lead to a frosty night.

I have told madam to wrap up warm tomorrow, as she is going to watch Lewis play football before going either out to lunch or back to Harvey's.

There must be a lose connection in the overhead light fitting as the bulbs keeping going out then on again. Once you touch them they are fine again for an hour or two. We only have them on when Ros is sewing.

Off to Ebay now, as I have to find something for Martine's birthday (SMELLY) stuff.

Children have always done well in our family on the present front Frank! Adults a bit less as so!! My parents and grandparents always gave me what they could, which wasn't a lot just after the war as there wasn't much to have!! My Granny was a great improviser making dolls beds out of shoe boxes complete with bedding, dressing dolls, even turning a girl teddy into a Scottish boy, complete with tartan trews and a tamoshanter!!!!! (spelling?) I remember her making a very natty hobby horse, out of a bamboo cane with a stuffed sock for a head, complete with button eyes and a bridle and reins!! She made lots of toys and clothes including knitting! I'm afraid Im no good at all with my sewing needle, but I do.like knitting and am not too bad at it. 'L' is very good at sewing and soft furnishings and an excellent cook, so she has inherited what clearly bypassed me!!! Later on things improved as more goods came onto the market. My parents were always very generous to our two children, as Ian and I try to be to our three grandchildren. Yes it is what grandparents do, at least I think so!

Afternoon all

All the presents the mum's are getting, how lovely. Sandra bought me some flowers the other day and said she had something else for me tomorrow. Michelle said she'd got me something but it's glass so she's going to bring it with her next month. She did send me a card which Sandra has and is going to give it to me tomorrow. We're all very lucky aren't we.

How low can people get, stealing from a grave. That poor woman, how must she of felt visiting her parents grave to be confronted with that. Some people have no shame.

Sorry to hear your ears are itchy Jane. Hope they get better soon. Your new dress sounds nice and such a summery colour too. Hope you have a lovely day tomorrow with Hannah.

Great news the car emissions test went all the way back to normal so we don't need a new exhaust after all. There is just rubbers on the exhaust and a back break hose clip, which is only going to cost £50 and once the little jobs have been done we'll have an MOT on Tuesday.

I'm so pleased, we can take Sandra out for her birthday now without having to borrow mum's car and we can also run Michelle around to see her friends when she visits next month.

I had some more good news with the viewing. When the viewing was booked the couple weren't in a position to buy, but when they arrived today they told me that they were under offer. Well, they were negotiating with their buyers. They seemed keen on our place and kept talking about all the changes they would do.

Our kitchen and bathroom aren't very big so they were talking about knocking through from the bathroom into Sandra's bedroom to make one big bathroom and to have an extension built onto the existing kitchen to make that larger too. They said they had been looking at the plans of our bungalow online and once they saw the property they could see how all the work could be done.

They were really excited and the lady apologised to me saying that she shouldn't tell me of how she was going to alter our home. I didn't mind as we had already thought of these things ourselves over the years, which I said to her and they left happy.

While I was near the end of the viewing my phone rang and it was the Agent. I asked if I could ring them back in 10 minutes which I did and it was for another viewing. I said I could do it now as the couple had just left. I think it took the Agent by surprised but he organised it and within 20 minutes the next couple were here. By then OH was back from the garage so I didn't have to do the second one on my own.

They only put their property on the market yesterday but were also keen because of the transport links around here. The lady works in Liverpool and there is a direct bus to Liverpool at the bottom of our road which the lady was really pleased with as she doesn't drive.

So all in all we're had a really good day :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D.

And to top everything off Lewis Hamilton got pole position for the F1 race tomorrow. I'm so happy after all the bad luck we've had lately. I think it's the first time I haven't felt stressed for quite a while now. :-D :-D <3

Mum's just rang, her neighbour is giving a freezer away and she's said I can have it. The draws broke on ours so it's needed replacing for a while, now we don't have to buy another one. Today is just getting better and better. :-D :-D

I remember my Hobby Horse that my Dad made.It was a beauty :-D..Oh Liz you have brought back a few more memories now :-D..He also made a Garage,Dolls House,Go Cart,Stilts,Rocking Horse,Puppets on Strings ,and I'm sure there is more....He must have spent hours and hours in his garage making all these wonderful things for me :-D :-D

Frank ,I think Ros might need a Brolly too tomorrow..It's a bit hit and miss with the rain .But better safe than sorry :-D

Evening All,

I know exactly what you mean Jane and the itching is awful! I do that with my tongue at the back of my throat as well and also rub each side of my neck below my ears as the itching seems to go down there too!!

No fused glass course today as I got a call at jewellery class yesterday to say the tutor is ill. :-S It's been re-booked for the 18th April now.

Mandy that is a beautiful sponge, so nice and evenly risen too. I started by cooking them in the oven side by side, but changed to one on each shelf after them burning one side! I used to do lovely sponge puds in the microwave with fruit in the bottom. They rose beautifully and only took a few minutes, but didn't brown but that didn't matter with lashings of custard on, the taste was still good!

We visited MIL yesterday. At last they'd been to the doctor again about FIL falling and his BP was still very low. No wonder, as the doctor said he'd forgotten to tell him to stop taking one of his tablets last time they came!! :-S Hopefully he should feel a lot better soon. OH also asked them where their microwave was. (the one we bought them a couple of years ago to make life easier!) I think MIL had forgotten we had bought it for them as she said they'd got rid of it! OH asked what was wrong with it and MIL said nothing, they'd given it away because they couldn't get on with it and were too old fashioned. :-S

Well, what a good day you have had Gill, things are looking up for you aren't they! Good news on the car, the viewings and now you have a new freezer. :-D

It was bedlam with all the traffic in the village this morning with people shopping for Mother's Day! OH was chuntering they should ban it when he was trying to find somewhere to park! lol. When I called to get a magazine later the lady who serves who I know well has a good idea for the day. She said they got fed up with going out for a meal on Mother's Day as it is always dearer (rip off she said!) packed and service is slow, so now they book the cinema for the family and have a buffet ready to come home to afterwards. Someone in front of me in the garden centre yesterday paid £99 for their Mother's Day present (garden ornaments). :-0

Mum didn't like flowers or plants, preferred them in the garden. She used to say just get her a card. In her bay window that was halfway up her stairs she had a lovely arrangement of artificial flowers and one year I sat and crocheted a cream 18 inch circular mat to put under the vase. I think that was one of the few times she was really pleased with a present.

O Gill you have had a good day with the two viewings and a fresh freezer on the way and the car passing it's emitions test. You will be all set to go when Michelle comes next month.

Ann I do that with my ears too if they itch, just under the lobe and wiggle the old finger about to get right down inside to the itch.

I don't get anything for mothers day as I don't speak with my son. :-( :-( :-(

I always cooked a sponge on one middle shelf but turned them round after a few mins as my oven was'nt level, it tipped back a bit. This new one tips forward a bit but I hav'nt cooked a sponge in it yet.

Pasta for dinner tonight and I must get it on.

That's really good news all round Gill , I'm so pleased your car is ok, it's a real pain when they play up. I haven't got your email address so I haven't been able to send you a pic of my mother's day loot! If you pm it to me I can then send you anything that might be of interest.
My S.Father used to be great at mending broken toys, I would just leave whatever it was on the bench in his workshop, and a few days later it would reappear mended as if by magic!!! I inherited a lot of my uncles toys, (my mother's younger brother) he was 15 years older than me and quite a lot of his toys had been stored in the garage. A milk float (a brilliant dolls pram) a Fort complete with soldiers and Indians, which was a present from an aunt who'd married an American and gone to live there. A Noahs Ark, a tricycle even a big rocking horse, which my G.Grandfather had given to my mother and her elder brother in 1924!! That finally went to the local hospital, where I expect the children loved it.

Great sponge Mandy. I could just go a slice of that.

Florentines look good too Jane are you going to put chocolate on the bottoms.

You must be so pleased Gill ,a light at the end of the tunnel after all the bad luck you've had recently ,fingers crossed one of the two viewers from today will make you an offer on the bungalow :-)

Ann, that was bad of the doctor forgetting to tell FIL to stop his tablet ,poor man i hope he soon feels better .
Fancy them getting rid of the microwave after you bought it for them .
Did you see the little crochet lamb in the Wom*ns weekly this week? i thought i might make that for Lewis for an Easter present .

Just off to bed for a read. Good night all, sleep tight.

Sorry to hear you don't get anything for Mother's Day Mel.

<3 <3 <3 <3 HAPPY MOTHERS DAY <3 <3 <3 <3

I know I'm not your daughter, but I thought this might cheer you up. Keep a smile on your face you've always got us lot.

It's been a long day so I'm off to bed now. I've PM'd you my email address Liz.
Night Night <3

Good night all see you in the morning.

Thanks Gill.xx