General Chat

Afternoon everyone

Yes Frank we picked up the 'rug'.They have done a good job :-D.I now have to keep it flat so it is under my bed in a big plastic bag.It is actually meant to hang on a wall as it has 2 tabs for a pole to got through.

Your nights should be fine now then Liz.Cassie is a good little girl :-D

Fiona I just see Sofia at the front of the class doing her language lesson lol.Bet she felt like the Bees Knees :-DI remember when our 2 were little they went to French lessons for a while at the local community centre once a week.I can't think now how long they went for.Also James's english and spelling were very bad when he was at the top end of Primary we had a lovely elderly man who came to the house once a week for an hour to help him with grammar and spellings.Mr Rawlings was his name and he always had a packet of Rolos with him.When he arrived my old dog Dodger would greet him at the door with a big waggy tail and loving eyes.....It was because he knew he was going to get a Rolo :-D :-D

Hope you aren't over doing thing today Mel with hips and backs.
My toe has stopped throbbing now.Still looks angry but is heaps better.

I am experimenting again on the culinary front.Last nights dish went down well :-D
Tonight it is Lamb Neck Fillets (fat cut off) cut into chunks.All wrapped in a foil parcel with red onion wedges chopped garlic,juice of 1 lemon,dried Thyme and Oregano and a tiny bit of olive oil.It is in now for 3 hours..
Oven cooked new potatoes with cherry vine tomatoes and Basil.Asparagus and Broccoli....There is a nice smell now starting to come from the oven.I just hope the meat is tender.

The sun has been a bit awkward today.After a very windy morning and rain first thing it now seems to be showing its face nicely :-D

Frank that top wasn'tTHAT SHORT !!!!! as if I would want to show my tum. :-P
I just want something long enough to cover my bum and lower bit of tum.That hanging bit !!!!!.Hope that isn't too descriptive :-).I took back those 3 things this morning and did find another top which just does the job perfectly :-D

I attacked the stair carpet just now with a big grouting brush :-D rather than the hoover
it looks so different.I don't think it has been done since the decorator was here.Tut Tut :-S..Besides lots of fluff and bits there was lots of teeny weeny bits of flaked paint.I think it must have been from when the paintwork was rubbed down.I hadn't noticed them at all as they must have been right down in the pile,and with the brush it brought it all to the surface .So job well done.

Ann you are always out and about finding lovely interesting places to visit :-D

Going to watch the Boat Race now :-D

Itchy hands not too bad today thanks Ann. Still looks a bit angry though. I took a picture of it but it dos'nt look as bad as it is on the photo.

Well I hav'nt done much today at all and oh's back is still bad. I gave him my bean bag monkey hot pad behind him in his pooter chair this morning.

OH cooking supper tonight as I'm baby sitting!! We went to the garden centre this afternoon and bought four more fruit trees, Two Apple, a Pear and a Plum, so they should fill a gap and break up the garden a bit. OH has put them in place and will plant them tomorrow. The wind is really cold although the sun is bright.and it's all set to be warm next week!! Tomorrow Son is coming to meet Cassie and give his seal of approval!! Nothing on TV tonight so a recording for us or a DVD or a wild 'China'. We really enjoyed Grif Rhys Jones's train journey through Namibia. Fantastic scenery and an incredible adventure. We were very slightly bored with Banished on Thursday Mel! Last one next week, maybe it needs a rest!!
Suppers ready so must go and sit up!!

Liz I have to admit I will be watching the start of BGT tonight much to OH's disgust !!!!

Oh Oh Dinner is ready

That sounds as if your itchy palm is improving Mel. I have taken it easy again today. I got 4 begonias at the garden centre and they had some 10 day old little chicks there which were so sweet. I saw a parking space at the reservoir but decided not to bother with a walk as my legs and hips were still a bit achey. The grounds of Newnham Paddox are open tomorrow for the daffodils and we will probably go as I am curious to see the grounds. If you remember I spoke about the Earl of Denbigh's son, Rollo, that a boyfriend introduced me to as a teenager. These are the grounds of their family mansion which was demolished in the 70s and a smaller place built. Anyway, I am saving my hips and knees for walking around there!

I noticed today that a lot of the oilseed rape fields are starting to show yellow. I wonder how many more fields of it there will be this year as more and more of it is grown around here. :-S

Is that Rollo who died young Ann at a party or something?Shame the old house still isn't there.ButI bet it will be interesting for you tomorrow :-D..We all seem to have achey hips at the moment.My right one when walking suddenly has a sharp pain and nearly goes :-S.I have just had a good old soak in the bath with some salts that Chris bought.Not sure I feel a new woman but it was very nice :-D
Dinner was delicious(much to my surprise).Chris said it was the best Lamb I have done :-D.I'm happy to do that dish again.It was dead easy :-D

Oh no not Oil Seed Rape already !!!!.I haven't seen any yellow appearing yet Ann but then I haven't really looked.Must have a look tomorrow.Last year we were absolutely surrounded by the horrible stuff :-S It made me feel quite ill :-S

BGT on now so I have one eye on that and one on here.Chris has vanished lol
I posted our request off today for Postal Voting for the Election.Never done a postal vote before but we are off to Paris that day so no time to nip to the village hall.
I know who I won't vote for but still bit torn between 2..Just had a Labour leaflet through the door !!.I have a little pile of leaflets now lol

Yes that's him Jane. I think it was crippling death duties that meant they couldn't maintain the original house. I think there is a bit of a classic car display as well tomorrow and some other things. I think the grounds may have been a Capability Brown design but I'm not sure! It should be interesting anyway and good to take the opportunity as I think they only open one day a year. It's good when a meal turns out well, another you can add to your repertoire!!! :-D Lamb neck I did once was very fatty, but the fillets with it removed sound good and that slow cooking must have made it very tender.

It will be nice to have some apples, plums and pears of your own Liz..

We,ve just seen three hedgehogs in the garden!! :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D

I,m sure you will find it very interesting tomorrow Ann. Always nice to have a good look around someone elses garden. It should be lovely if it was the garden to a la\rge house originally. Wonder what the smaller house is like?

I think I'm first on here today!!! However, Cassie has just woken up and OH has just taken her into the garden in his dressing gown!!! She slept in her bed from 10pm till just after 6am and didn't make a murmur all night!! OH will now feed her and make us both a cuppa before starting our day!
The grounds where I went to school were laid out by Capability Brown Ann, and they were beautiful, with sweeping lawns, going down to two lakes(out of bounds!!) and a huge Cedar tree which was part of a collection of flora brought back by a crusader from the holy land when the Priory was first built in the 12thc! I remember there being a large Monkey Puzzle tree which seemed vast!! It was like.the grounds at Blenheim, in miniature!!
COLD here this morning, but at least it's fine!

Morning Everyone & Evening Kim,

Pouring down here so giving church a miss, Going to have a lazy day, OH not in till about 3, and Katherine & Jake are going camping IN A TENT, !!! for the next 3 days probably get washed out if this rain continues, never mind, you're only young once :-D, rather them than me, never was much of a camper, only time I slept in a tent was when I was with the guides, They don't do that now, they are inside and sleep in a dormitory like building. It's all for health & safety reasons now.

Victoria has her in laws , Daniele brother Gino & a friend of Daniele staying, the 3 men are traveling back to Italy tomorrow and Daniele mum is staying for another week, good job they came over the easter holls, means she gets lots of time to spend with Sofia & Matteo. so their will be no family for dinner tonight, , there's beef the slow cooker and I will just have to peel a few spuds & some kind of veg.

Morn ing al and evening KIm,

Well I nearly beat you on here this morning Liz. I went to bed at 1.30am and lay there till 4.55am when I got up to get a drink of waterr. WEnt back to bed as it was very cold otherwise I would have sen t a message. Lay there and lay there. My feet felt a bit pins and needley and my eyeballs feel like someone has their fingers round them trying to pull them out. I have a neck ache too and a headache.

It was light when oh got up and that must have been when I dropped off. Woke at quarter past ten. Feel like a really wet week so I shan't be doing much today and it's Poldark night........................

Oh dear Mel, you do sound poorly. I was cold too when I woke up, so tonight we'll be putting a blanket on the bed. Just come in from helping OH put up the runner bean contraption, and from a bit more weeding round the back! I think I've finally cracked it, so we can now get some sleepers to hold the soil in.
Nice sunny day but the wind is like a knife!! Must start lunch!! Baby asleep!!

Morning Just everyone. evening Kim,

You all seem to be getting out and about, buying up things to cover bums and bellies. (Jane)

Those fruit trees sound just what we could do with Liz, Our Granny Smith is almost 15 years old and not producing loi8ke it did. The birds eat all the cherries, before we can get to them. I was thinking of the miniature type that would go in pots on the patio. BUT I am not sure Ros has left any space for anything else. :-( :-( :-( :-(

Ann it will be lovely having a walk around the grounds of the Manor, but that wind is enough to cut you in half ;-) ;-)

Yes Fiona, that was a favourite saying of my Mum also. These old sayings do stick don't they ?? Must be very proud the G'daughter is a TEACHER in class. LOL I hope she doesn't get BOSSY like the real teachers :-D :-D :-D

Mel, I didn't go to bed till 1.00 this morning. I sat and watch the "A FOR ACID" on ITV 3. The life of GEORGE Hughes the ACID murderer in post war London. Martin Clunes played the lead. If you get chance to watch it on Catch up, I think you will enjoy it.

Have spent over two hours in the kitchen getting everything prepared. With the WHOLE ROAST LEG OF LAMB. I am doing Roast Pots and Parsnips, Honey roast carrots, Broccoli Cauli, Runners, & French beans, Mangetout, baby new potato's and Yorkshire puddings .and Asparagus. So they shouldn't go hungry

I am still in my dressing gown, now I can relax and get showered and shaved and sit with the paper
Have a nice day, with whatever you are doing. Will try to get back this evening.

Well I am on top of everything. Just sitting down for a rest, before all Hell letting lose in an hour or so.

Practise makers perfect to they say. So things should go according to plan. The wine is open and breathing. (I might have to give it the kiss of life) :-D :-D :-D Bottles of soft drinks out of the fridge for the girls, I have put a few beers in the fridge in case John wants one before dinner.( I certainly will)

It's lovely out, but that WIND !!!!

I enjoyed part of BGT last night. The choir were very good. It was a shame for the girl who got buzzed out and her brother got the "GOLDEN BUZZ" He did have an unusable voice, and Simon certainly liked it.

Beans are getting high in their pots, so might put them in next week, I have the fleece in case it turns colder. I see we are in for THREE MONTHS of hotter than average weather, so my shorts will be at the ready.

Afternoon all,

Lovely sunny day again but the wind !! it's so gusty out there, it has blown over one plant stand and blown the empty watering cans over too.

What a little dear you have there Liz ,she is so good settling so soon, it usually takes them a while to adjust after leaving mum , i just love the smell of a new puppy :-D

Frank, i don't think they will go home hungry if they tuck in to all that lovely food and drink :-D do you make a pud as well ?

We nipped out this morning to the Ra*ge i needed some new table protector , all the people about ,we thought we would go early and i think everyone had the same idea !!
Lots of people buying pots , plants and all sorts for the garden .

We watched BGT last night ,i thought the choir was good ,and did you see the french chap with the dog :-D :-D
Hubby's watching the race on tv or i should say the back of his eyelids at the moment !! :-D

I have just got up again.

Had a cuppa and oh told me to go back to bed so I did. He came and joined me for a while and I did sleep. Feel bit better now and am going to have another cup of tea and get him something to eat.

A lovely sunny day here in East Sussex. Have managed to do a bit out in the garden. OH has mowed the grass.

Roast Pork is done, as are crispy roast potatoes... now waiting for families return from pub... if not here soon the potatoes will be crispy black :-|

Hello Carol, welcome to our thread,

Weathers turned out nice this afternoon, Hope you are feeling better Mel, glad you had a nap.

Yes Mandy, she's a little star and at the moment fast asleep in her cage!! We're leaving her on her own for a few minutes now and again to get her used to it, also I've started brushing and combing her, cleaning in between her pads and toes, brushing her teeth and wiping the insides of her ears. These are all things that I used to do for Millie, and it's all so much easier the younger you start!
Vera tonight, hope it perks up a bit! We shall record Poldark which is brilliant! No Jane I didn't watch BGT! I'm afraid I don't like anything like that! which is fortunate as OH simply wouldn't wear it, along with soaps, casualty and anything else of that ilk!! Luckily it's never been an issue!!
Must attend to my baby!!