General Chat

Anne ,I heard that too about the young Ice Hockey team in that terrible accident in Canada. How tragic and sad . So many young people(I think they were boys/young men)

Mandy your Cramp sounded a nightmare!! and to have to use a crutch to walk too :-0
Shame the Buscapan didnt help that. At least you got the relief of pain from between your shoulder blades. I wonder why you had such severe cramp like that which left your foot puffy. :-S

That was certainty swift service with the trolley Frank :-D. I am sure it will make things much easier for Ros now with the sewing machine .

Al next door has been up on his roof today. I did notice that there was a tarpaulin on part of the roof (nearest the neighbours the other side of him) So I reckon there must have been a leak there ,probably when they were away in Australia .

I must do more Jacket Potatoes Mandy. I just never think to do them. Cheap and easy too.I bet your dinner will be delish :-D
As it is just us two here tonight I am going easy and doing Tesco Finest Beer Battered Cod from the chilled fish bit (it is just wonderful) ,McCains triple cooked Gastro Chips, Cauliflower Cheese and Peas. Those chips are the best. NO pudding though after that lot :-D

O Gill not another leak. I hope the chap can sort it for you quickly.

My ear has eased off now but I have had my hat on most of the day to keep it warm. I had been laying on that side when I woke up so maybe I bent it up a bit. I hope so anyway. I have been sneezing a lot lately and think I may have a funny sort of cold. I used to get ear infections when I was small and had to have that horrid pink medicine, all thick and gloopy with a nasty taste.

I was in the mood for baking today and thought I would make some sausage rolls. I decided to get mums Kenwood mixer out to make it easier to make some pastry. WELL it came out of the cupboard in the uti room and oh said to me you'll have to give that a dummy run before you use it. When I took the cover off it was filthy so instead of cooking it took me all afternoon to clean the whole thing up. I have never usedit as I always used my little hand mixer oh bought me. Mum must have never cleaned it properly each time she used it. It is now white and grey again as I had to clean off all the ciggy smoke of many years it sat on the kitchen worktop under its cover and mum never wiped it down well after using it and it had old cake mix up the top of the blade. It had also dripped a bit of oil in the bowl and the three blade things were dirty too.

So no baking done and I really felt like doing some today.

Thats a nasty cramp you had Mandy and dos'nt it ache and feel stiff the next day? I had it a while ago when I stretched my leg and foot out in bed one morning and it shot right up my calf.

Oh the stew was so good and there's enough for us for tomorrow, just have to do more veg and it's an easy meal .
We don't have many puds but i did make a Bread and butter pud with some hot cross buns the other day ,that was tasty .

That's good your ear ache has eased Mel ,i find in the winter if it's really cold and windy when i walk Max my right ear get painful ,i'm not one for a hat i just don't look right in one so i usually pull my scarf up and the collar on my coat .

Poor OH i bet he was looking forward to the sausage rolls but you've done a good job cleaning the mixer , i hope you made sure it worked before you cleaned it or all the cleaning will have been for nothing .

When Chelsea came the other day she wanted to do some knitting so she went into the box where i keep the wool and at the bottom she found a pattern for an Elf ,goodness how long that has been in there as i don't remember it ,it was cut out from a magazine , so i'm now knitting that for her but i can see them all wanting one.

She's found you another job then Mandy. Bless. It will be nice for them to have some Spring Elves. I had a pattern somewhere for some Elves and they were really cute but I never made them. How big are the ones you have the pattern of Mandy? We shall want to see a picture of them please.

I have been out in the garden as the sun came out and it was quite pleasent out there. I tidied around the bantam pen and then started to cut my strawberry plants down. What did find but they were all eaten away by vine weevils. The bantams had a feast as I EMPtied a pot of compost in their tray and they were all fighting over who had the tasty morsals. The pot I emptied in the barrow I picked them all out and put those in the run too but scattered those ones about so they all got some.

Tired now so I am going to get dinner. Steak tonight and this week I bought rump. I don't think the fillet has any flavour anymore. This bit I have has a nice bit of fat on the edge so that should make it tasty if I frizzle that up first. Chip mushrooms and asparagus and a tomato for me. Oh dos'nt like tomato with steak but loves it when we have the big breakfast.

Good Morning all,

We have sunshine, hooray.

Oh is out working on another mower part. I think it the deck off the other mower. Not quite sure as they are all the same make and colour till he has done them.

I may do a bit of craft today or I may not. See how I feel after breakfast. I need to clean the big girls out so I just may do that instead or I may go in the garden and do some gardening. I could'nt sweep for long yesterday as it did my back no good at all and today my knee feels like its going to go if I turn on it too quickly.

Frank did you have a good night??????? I do hope so.

Mandy how are you getting on with the elves??




Sorry about the long pause as I had to blow my nose which keeps running at the most inconvenient times.

Had a lie in this morning............

We were up betimes as it looks as if it may be the last fine day for a day or two!! OH has been laying the willow hedge at the top of our paddock yesterday and this morning, it looks really good and well worth doing. Now he's using the long arm hedge cutter to get the ivy away from the back of the workshop, Merlins stable and the two big barns. I think that'll be it for today as it's trying to drizzle!! Tomorrow is a Waitrose shop and on the weeks go!!
Duck breasts for lunch with a nice orange sauce, cauliflower, roast spuds, oh, and a white sauce!! (no cheese! OH isn't allowed cheese anyway!)

Morning Mel and all,,well it is afternoon now
Rain here Mel and it looks set to stay :-S. Its not too heavy but just persistent .
Knitting needles out I see Mandy :-D. I bet like you say all the girls will want an Elf now LOL
I love it when there is enough leftovers for the next day ,especially a casserole. I often think it is nicer the second time around.
I am doing another small Rack of Lamb as I bought a couple more the other day as there was still 25% off. I also have a Chicken in a bag to cook as James hates Lamb. I have just peeled the spuds and got the Carrots and Parsnips ready.Bit of stuffing to do in a minute .I dont make my own .Good old Paxo is good enough :-D

Frank are you still asleep? :-D. I do hope you had another good kip last night.

I have been looking on line for a special card for H&G to put the cheque in .I wanted to find a card with something to do with Paris and that I can have their names on. I have found a few nice ones but it is deciding which one now. Oh decisions decisions!

Liz I might just try an ice pack and then the heat one for my back . It is worth a go as you say. Pack of peas first maybe :-D :-D. No-one will fancy having them after they have been tucked down the back of my trousers :-D

Gill I hope the rain you have had has not made the damp patch on the ceiling any worse over night.
I will be back as Arni wotsisname said :-D

Jane, you can buy a pack called Steroplast which can be used for either a heat pad or ice pack. I got two (on line!) when my leg was so swollen and painful after the hip saga. I only used them then for ice, but with this wretched sciatica (more painful than the hip!!) I used them for ice and a wheaty bag for heat. Peas are fine though, perhaps as a temporary measure!!!
Hope you've decided on a card!!

Thanks Liz for that info. I will certainly keep that in mind . Today hasn't been too bad so far.
Yes I have just ordered a card. But I decided not to get one with a Paris theme as they werent that special .I have taken a pic of it off the screen on the laptop so it is not great but will forward it on. I have changed the words slightly. It is pretty.

Still raining here :-S Chris said it is supposed to get heavier this afternoon :-S

Well here I am. Good afternoon to you all,

I slept like a LORD last night. Was in bed before 10.00 and soon sealed down. I woke at SEVEN yes 7.00 am for a wee, went back and slept until 9.30. So I can't complain today about feeling tired. ;-) ;-)

Rain here also this morning, so Ros never got into the garden. She has been painting the cupboard doors. She has paint over the handles. I said you should have taken them off. She said it doesn't matter as I have bought NEW ONES. I'm always the last to know !!!

When doing the Veg for dinner, I was only able to use one Carrot that wasn't going or gone all slimy on the bottom and sides.So they all went in the bin. and put on the list for shopping we need. !!! Roast leg of pork tonight with all the usual veg, and Yorkshire pudding. No sweet here either.

Martines Mother wanted Ros to have three paintings that she liked. Two are of TIGERS HEADS and one of a LION. All are painted on VELVET by a painter named G.E MEDLAND dated on the backs with 5/12/1983. I have looked him up on Google and it seems he was a prolific painter. Whether any were famous or worth any money I don't know, This is why I am so late on here today. INSPECTOR FRANK is a work lol lol

I have asked on FB for help in tracing his work. So will have to wait and see. Exciting trying to trace someone. Will look on eBay for any of his work. Trying to think where else to try, any ideas ???

Will try to catch up on the posts later.

Afternoon all

Been in the garden today with OH and now my back is very achy :-S. We have taken a couple of plants out of the ground and put them in pots as the border was getting flooded every time it rained. Hopefully they'll be okay now.

No more water coming through the ceiling at the moment as OH has put some plastic in the wet area. I'm still going to ring the roofer though as the plastic won't stop the leak.

It sound like you've had a brilliant night's sleep Frank. It must feel so good. I like the sound of the paintings that were given to Ros. I love Tigers and Lions. I can't help you with the artist though as I've never heard of him. I hope you hear back from FB.

So you're knitting Elves now Mandy, that'll keep you busy for a while as I'm sure they'll all want one :-)

How is your ear today Mel, hope you are feeling a lot better. Will you be doing some baking today now your mixer is clean enough to use. Poor OH I bet he was looking forward to some sausage rolls?

No Card picture here Jane :-( Pleased you found one though. How is your back today, hope it's feeling a little better for you?

F1 has just started so I'd better go and watch it before I lose track of what's going on.

Lord Frank :-D So glad you slept like a Lord :-D Slimy Carrots! I have just got rid of some too. Luckily I did buy some frersh ones yesterday.
I can't help you with this artist .I had a quick google for him but didnt see any Lions or Tigers on Velvet. Hopefully someone will be able to find something for you.

You have been lucky to get out in the garden today Gill. There has been no chance here. Even Thomas has not been keen to venture out. He has just used the litter tray :-S I only cleared out the last wee from last night an hour ago. Good job no more wet has come through on the ceiling. The pic of the card is not too good as there are lots of lines .I have altered the words from what the card shows. Chris bulked at he price LOL (said I was mad).
I am just listening to George Ezra on Alexa. I have just discovered him and love his style of music :-D
James should be home soon from Jess. He is later than normal. Hope he hasn't got held up in some traffic jam .

Gosh Frank that was a good sleep. What did you have as a nightcap?

The sun is in and out now as we have some clouds in the sky now.

I have pulled all the ivy off the big ash tree this morning but still have to cut it off at the bottom where it goes up the tree.

I can't do any baking as the mixer would make too much noise as we are watching the Grand Prix.

I hate slimey carrots when I find them in the bottom of my veg bag. I buy so much salad I don't have room for them in the fridge draw. Sometimes I put them in the fridge if there is room. I usually buy the bunch of carrots as they keep better and the bantams like the tops.

Card looks nice Jane but what a price :-0

Thanks for sending the pic of the card Jane, it's a BIT pricey, but hey, it's for a 'very special occasion' and we all like to push the boat out for our offspring at 'very special occasions'!! <3 <3
We've been watching Tess of the d'Urbavilles! It's very long so we've recorded the third part. I'd forgotten how much I liked it. It's a real tear jerker and no happy ending!! Don't think it would do for you Jane!!! :-D
Drizzling here. OH has just walked Cas while I cleared up the lunch things. Cuppa tea now and a piece of cake!!

Still no sun here Mel just that horrible rain that is not quite heavy drizzle but a bit heavier than that if you know what I am trying to say :-D

Yes the card is so expensive . I dont think I realised quite how much , then there was the postage !!!. But as I said to Chris it is a special one .It's done now . I just hope it is a good as it looks :-D.It better be .I just wanted something a little special.
After all this talk about squidgy muck in the salad drawer I have given mine a good clean :-D I do need to do the whole fridge though. Job for tomorrow.
James is home and it has taken him over 4 hours !!!. Crashes on the M25 and M11 :-S
He looks a bit pooped.Mind you that could possibly be to do with a late night out last night .
Thomas is in a huff. He has been sat on the mat just inside the back door for ages looking out at the rain. He has given up on going out for now has a right face on him .I can't see him going out again today.

I don't know if I said but my neighbours 2 doors along (we don't really know them) have a new dog. We think it is a Hungarian Vizsla.A very handsome looking dog Still very young. Called Hector :-D

I'll try this, to get on the thread. I have been trying for half hour.


Good morning all,

Another day in paradise, RAIN from when I got up, and it looks settled for the day, on and off.

I have had no response from anyone on FB about these paintings . I think the next step will be to take them to an Art shop. They may have heard of him.

Another TERRIBLE NIGHT. I was involved in a medie-evil battle. with swords and shields. !!! Then I was arrested at PADDINGTON STAION for having a forged Passport, and giving a false address.

Of course I haven't been able to read anything you have posted, not being able to get on the thread.

Morning all,

We have sun today and I wish I had known as they forcast rain yesterday for today. I could have put my boil wash on and put it out nice and early.

Nothing else planned for today but I may have the salad draw out and clean the fridge as everyone is talking about it and its shopping day tomorrow so it will be full up again.

Morning Mel morning all

Lovely and sunny here today and quite warm too, makes a nice change. I've watered the two plants we dug up yesterday and put in pots. I must remember to ring the roofer later, I keep forgetting now there's no more water coming through the ceiling, but the plastic that's up in the loft will start filling with water if we get more heavy downpours so I must get the roof sorted before that happens.

Love the card Jane, quite pricey though but like you said it's for a special occasion. So there's a new dog on the block, how lovely and a great name lol

I don't have the veg in the fridge long enough for it to go off, although sometimes I forget I have leaks which tend to go a bit soft on the outside, I just cut that bit off and use the bit in the middle.

Hair colouring day today, I was hoping to do it yesterday but ran out of time with the gardening I did as I wanted to watch the F1.

Did you see that poor mechanic have his leg broken in the pit lane Mel? They showed it again on the news and his leg was bent in a terrible shape. I think it's going to be a while before he can walk again. Didn't Hamilton do well to get third from ninth, mind you if it hadn't been for the accident in the pit lane he would of probably got fourth place. I don't think Raikkonen was to pleased when he was told to stop, but they had only changed three of his tyres so would of been in trouble if they'd of let him go back to the race.

I'm expecting the fella who's doing our gate to ring me today, I hope he doesn't ring while I have my hair colouring on, that would make a right mess of my phone. He's home from France today, so I'm hoping he'll ring me later today and not now, or maybe even tomorrow. It'll be nice to have a new gate and fence as they look terrible with them rotting. Mind you we have had them 10 years or more.

Going to get a cuppa now before I need to rinse my hair.

Well I finally got on. I think I posted on page 1026. What the HELL is up with GENES. I think they should offer all users a free year for our inconvenience. SOME HOPE !!!

Had a nice eggs, bacon, tomatoes on toast this morning, so nothing for me until tonight. I only ate half of my dinner yesterday, so I was hungry.

Ros is busy ironing, so I will go and get showered and shaved, and get dressed.

Afternoon all,

Dreary here today with light drizzle ,we popped out to get some milk and bread and Colin bought a couple of new blades for his saw we had lunch and now Colin has lit the fire as lt feels quite chilly .

Jane that's a pretty card you've picked out for Hannah and Gareth ,bit pricey but it is a special one ,i have all my engagement cards and wedding cards ,i even have the tags from the wedding presents .

Hope you can get in touch with the roofer chap today Gill before you get any rain in ,at least you have a dry day today .

Oh goodness Frank you had some strange dreams last night :-D