General Chat

Good gracious Jane with a sewing needle :-D :-D :-D
You had a good choice of colours for the lounge Jane , i like the ones you have picked .
I for got to take the camera with me to get a photo of the bunnies ,i'll try to remember tomorrow ,there's quite a few holes where they've had a go at burrowing out , i noticed the daughter had laid a few logs of wood in the holes :-D and the hole where they escaped has been covered with a piece of wire mesh !!

Yes i'll be a happy bunny when the kitchens all done ,glossing all done now , we have the kitchen doors off ready for painting and staining so hubby has put chairs and steps in the doorways so Toby doesn't push his way through and get covered in gloss !!
There's new kick boards to go on and the new socket fronts too ,which the electrician said he would come and do last week ,but we're still waiting !!
Then i think that's it ,we just need to buy a couple of tall stools to go under he breakfast bar bit.

Did some weeding and cutting back a bit this afternoon ,it was so hot out there i came in and got in the shower to cool off, fancy dong that in september !!
It looks like it will be a nice all next week too.

Mel ,why carn't you take your own car tomorrow if your worried about
driving OH's ? hope all goes well for his op on his hand tomorrow .

Looking forward to the new series of Downton tonight :-D

I'm glad Fiona managed to stay till 9.30 and enjoyed all the tim eshe had at the party.

Did the chickens ......gosh you should have seen the red mite in there. Frank will know what I mean with it being so hot and dry for a long while they have run rife in there. I had to paint the perches with sunflower oil and especially the ends and the piece of wood which makes the nest boxes darker. Took all the wood shavings in a bag over the side of the orchard and set fire to it so burning them all up..........good. :-D

Maureen I have a set of curtains my sil brought down for the caravan. They all need shortening. Why can't one of the others do it????????? I have already made them when we first had it. Think I may just bung the old ones in the washing machine with a dye and hope they stand it. Tjhe only thing that is wrong with them is they have faded in the sun as the caravan faces south.

Yes I'm with you there Jane, no matter what the weather we'll be on holiday, no cooking, no ironing, no cleaning for a week.

Blow a bit of the sun this way would you it's really dull here.

I don't know where I got the knowledge for sewing, certainly wasn't from school, the sewing teacher didn't like me, well I did use to play up a bit ;-) all she allowed me to do was knit dishcloths on those great fat needles and what looked to me like string.

OMG I am so hot.(sorry Maureen but the sun is shining and it's boiling).My Bird feeder that is stuck on the window just dropped off.I think the heat has made the suckers lose the suck .All the Fat sticks scattered everywhere.I had to sweep them up as I don't want the mice and Rats after it.The Patio thermometer is showing 40 .I know it is in a bit of a sun trap but that doesn't sound quite right to me.
Maureen it does look like we will be getting just the same kind of weather.But then Chris looked up on one site and he said it looks dry !.So who knows .Just wait and see I think. :-DI don't care what it's like...I will be on holiday :-D :-D

All you people who sew!!!!! I'm just about to try and sew a button on a shirt :-S .Have to find the eye of the needle first :-| :-|

Poor you David, I hope now the fluid has drained you will be feeling a lot more comfortable, I guess the older we get the longer things take to heal.

Phew Frank, you must be bursting at the seams with all that lovely food, glad you are having a good time, lots of cake today at the party.

So you've got all the sunshine Mandy, I wondered where it had gone, it was supposed to be sunny here today. Your hubby is so good, doing all that work, my friend's husband is a builder and she says their house is always at the bottom of the list.

Please keep sending me photos and e.mails, I can't see them at the moment but I will get this hotmail sorted eventually, and would love to see the bunting Ann when it's finished.

Katherine must be feeling happier Fiona even though it's just a few hours a week it will give her a bit of structure to her week and help in future job interviews. To think when we were her age we could walk into practically any job, although my mum always instilled in me you never leave one job until you have another but there weren't any shortages of jobs around.

I have the sewing machine out, I bought some material at the boot sale yesterday and am making curtains for the art room and some different material for the spare bedroom, all for a few quid.

The long range forecast is doing the same with Granada Jane, at first it was showing 26/27 for beginning October now it's gone down to 22/23 and possible rain somedays, don't know why I'm bothering to look :-0 Oh well we can always do some sightseeing on the rainy days.

oh oh dopey Mandy lol.I don't think I have done that before.I know I have forgotten to turn the machine on a few times,and then wondered why they felt so dry when I went to take the clothes out.
Have you blocked up the holes the bunnies dug? They might be busy burrowing away again :-S :-S.Friday is still a long way off before the owners get home.Fingers crossed all will be fine until then :-D

I have a hungry hoard here champing at the bit for food.But as i say every time .It will be ready when it is ready :-D.It takes longer with Hannah here as she doesn't eat Beef ,so I have a small Turkey Breast for her but it is cooked at a different temp .They will just have to be patient. Chris is going to drive her back to St Albans later to save her getting the train to London and then another to St Alb.

Mandy you be as happy as Larry when you finally get your kitchen finished.I'm sure it is going to look great.Will you be happy as a Pig in Muck ? as the saying goes :-D
I am really not looking forward to all the mess again with our decorating.Just seem to get straight and then it all kicks off again .

I must start sorting clothes tomorrow .I need to make a list :-D.Hannah is surprised I haven't already started.She said I used to start packing a week or so before ,but as I said that was when I was packing for her and James too(years ago).I never have anything to do with Chris's packing.He does his own.

I think food is just about ready now :-D

Afternoon All,

Been busy this morning and am just going to clean out the chickens.

I have to drive oh's car back from the hosp tomorrow and I am not looking forward to it as I have never driven it before and it's huge compared to mine.

Afternoon all,

It's just like a summers day here ,lovely warm sunshine.

All present and correct on the rabbit front this morning !! no more holes dug thank goodness , think i'll have to send Toby round to keep guard !! LOL ,they come home on friday so not to long to go .

Frank what a spread !! shouldn't think you'll be wanting much to eat today :-D :-D have a good time at the party .

We wondered where you had got too David ,dear oh dear not another hospital stay, i hope they can get you sorted out, you really have had a time of it haven't you !!

Ann, i'am looking forward to seeing the bunting , it will be interesting to see what each person comes up with :-)
How is OH's tooth ache now ?

Fiona you did well to stay till 9-30 you must have been enjoying your self ,fancy him remembering all the names of the children .

Hubby is painting , nearly done now , gloss going on !! :-D then i can have one good clean up and get things back in place .

Well i did a daft thing this morning , i put the washing powder and comfort in the drawer ,turned the machine on and i thought the washer was making a real sloshing sound :-S ........... i then realised why ......i hadn't put the clothes in :-S :-S :-D :-D

Parties all round at the moment lol
Ah bless him Fiona.He is going to remember that special party :-D.Good that you managed to stay longer than you thought you would too.He must have been very touched to have been given such a lovely gift.

Frank you will soon be worn out with all your galavanting .It sounded like a smashing evening ..Lewis and the Jam making kit made me chuckle lol
It's a lovely day now for another party.Hope you all have a nice time :-D

I have had to get the fan out again and put on one of my tops I had all ready for Venice.It was hot in bed last night too.(not in the naughty sense either) Just had the sheet on top and the duvet was turfed right off.

Mandy I hope your Sister's last night at work wasn't too emotional .She will be feeling like Chris now .I suppose it is just a bit of time adjusting to a different way of life.

I'm worried now that we haven't heard anything from William for so long :-(.It's not like him to be away for so long.

afternoon all

Sunny here, and mild,

Well I had a lovely time at the 90th birthday party last night and even surprised my self that I managed to keep going till 9.30pm and then phoned OH to come and get me. Mr Thompson (nursery Caretaker ) was delighted with his photo frame and childrens pictures, he rattled of the kids names as so it was only yesterday,
He recognised us all by name and loved all the hugs we gave, But his body is slowing right down and where once he was a very agile (?) man is now bent and slow in moving, though he did do a turn around the floor with his daughter, he was always dancing with the children, and liked to show us his Scottish dancing at our ST Andrew's Day Parties, (brings tears to my eye's when I think how fast life goes) but he has done very well to be here at 90 <3 <3

Morning all/Evening Kim,

You lot don't half natter when I'm not around :-D :-D

Can't remember all that's been said, Could be I'm a bit hazy.

We had a great evening, our table was ready when Conrad and I arrived, we ordered our drinks, as Harvey Julia and Lewis arrived. They had just ordered their drinks when Jan and Ros arrived.

We went for the" eat as much as you like "Menu. I thought they had gone mad with all the starters they ordered, You couldn't find a spot on the table with all the dishes. But they all got EATEN

Then we started on the Crispy duck as the second course. Must have been TWO DUCKS loads of cue and spring onion, plumb sauce and two box's of pancakes. Conrad had Lettuce wraps with mixed veg, as he can't eat pancakes.

The main courses were huge, many of which were the sizzler's, and the smell was everywhere. Again I was surprised by how much was eaten. But I give the restaurants TOP MARKS for leaving us time between courses, to pick at what was left on the table.

We were left to sit a natter, and didn't leave till 11.00 pm.

Ros had presents to open from Harvey and family when we got home. One was a massive solar light, that changes colour every few minutes. Lewis (little Bugg##) bought (yes he bought) a JAM MAKING KIT. He loves his nan's jam, and thought this presents would be ideal for her to make Jam JUST FOR HIM in his own jars <3 <3

Must away to get dressed, as we are off to another Party, and have to collect Julia by 12.45 pm in Toddington. It's the babies 1st birthday. !!!

Morning/Evening All
from a worn out me.Chris had real trouble sleeping last night which meant I too hardly got a wink :-S.The thought now of cooking a big roast is making me feel a bit queasy .Everything stinks of Curry from last night so it is good that the weather is nice and I can have all the windows and doors open.

David I hope you have had a comfortable night and that there is no more build up of fluid in your leg.I imagine you will be on IV antibiotics .

Hope your evening out was a good one Frank and that everyone had a great time.

Ann I remember you saying about those railings before.I wonder if the will be replaced AGAIN or whether they come up with something different !

Must go and buy some fresh veg and potatoes.The potatoes I have are growing eyes and ears :-S

Oh dear David, more setbacks for you.......2 steps forward and one back. I was beginning to wonder if you had perhaps fallen or something. You must have been in a lot of pain if all that fluid needed draining off. I hope it feels easier now. I bet neither you nor Ellen will forget this year in a hurry!! I hope you are soon able to go home again, you must be sick of that place by now. :-) <3

Fiona, that is good Katharine being offered a couple of hours a week to help out. It will give her a bit of purpose and sense of usefulness as you say. It will be more experience to go on her CV too. ;-) When I used to interview people for jobs, some of those that hadn't worked for a while got the shock of their lives when I asked them to describe what they did in a typical day, and what skills they were gaining while not working ;-) The things she is doing may not seem much, but they all count.

Mandy........your kitchen nearly finished........ :-D :-D!!! I loved it when mine was finished and I'd got it how I wanted. I bet you can't wait to get all straight and clean up in there. Our neighbours are having their kitchen done and I had to run out yesterday and ask a big Aga lorry that had just pulled up to back up so I could get my car out to go to my class. I bet your sister will be fine after a week or two when she starts enjoying doing things she hadn't time for before. It will be seeing the old folk get upset at the prospect of her not coming anymore that will be hard. When mum retired and her ladies had all moved to new places, after a few weeks one of them packed her suitcase, got on a bus and came back. Mum was shocked to see her, but she said she liked it better at mum's so had decided to come back!! lol. Mum had a devil of a job convincing her that she had now retired!!!!

Well, when I went to P*World to ask them for new ink cartridges for the new printer because of all the ink it used just getting it to work, they tried to fob me off saying they would only be able to give me a discount on some new ones. I'd taken my camera and showed them a picture I'd taken to show the nearly empty levels, but this young girl then tried a different tack and said the manufacturers sent them out without full cartridges anyway, so they could still only give a discount on the price of replacement!! I asked her how that was possible, when the customer opens and puts the cartridges in themselves.......and could she show me where it said that in the literature. She beat a redfaced, hasty retreat then to speak to someone else and then came back to say we could have free replacements. Do people think you are simple when you get older? I shall turn into Victor Meldrew at this rate!!

Well, the railings on the traffic island down the road that they repaired after about 9 months battering and twisting with cars are flat again......we knew it wouldn't be long before it happened!

Yes, I'm still here Jane and Mel.Some sort of inflamatory infection amid the broken bones :-0

David how long do you have to stay there this time? I hope they get you sorted as you must be in so much pain, poor fellow.

Now we need to find out how William and Carmel are and it would be nice to know how Shirl is getting on and her son.

O h David ,are you still there?(in hosp) Hopefully the pain will have lessened now with all that fluid being taken off.You have had a rough old time haven't you :-(

Mandy it is boarded .I have been a clever girl and kept it going all afternoon :-D.I think by the time Xmas is here we will have got the hang of it.I can't wait now to get the room decorated,and the sides and back wall of the fire.It is going to be a real upheaval though.Hopefully the decorator will be ready to do it all sometime in October.I quite fancy being away again when it is done lol and leave James in charge.
Don't mention the flooded garage !!!!!! i still feel sick when I remember that lol.But yes that was a definite Aqua Alta :-S.That is 10 months ago now.
It will be hard for your Sister to do her last night tonight,and yes I'm sure there will be tears.But the time is right now for her like it is with Chris to say enough now ,and time to spend on themselves.Chris has to go back in on Monday to drop keys and other bits and bobs back.That will feel weird for him .I bet your Sister will pop into the home now and again :-D
I am sweating like mad now.It's that blooming fire and the Curry :-S :-S.I think i need to go and sit outside again.

Hello,I've problems with this wrecked left leg of mine.I've been back ln theRVI as an in patient since Tuesday.Had several needles lnserted to remove fluids :-(

I think the look on my face must have been a picture when i saw the rabbits out :-D
I'll have to get a photo of the little perishers :-D

Jane you had Aqua Alta when the garage flooded !! i seem to remember Chris having his trousers rolled up high then :-D :-D
I meant to ask you about the wood burner ,hubby wanted to know what you have at the sides of the burner ,was it plastered out or boarded ?
That's his next project the wood burner ,the kitchen is nearly finished :-D

Off to see sister in a while ,it's her last night at work tonight , i know she will be quite teary in the morning having to leave ,i know how much she has enjoyed looking after the elderly people in the home all these years , but i think she's looking forward to some free time to do what she wants now.

Ann your homework sounds interesting and a bit different :-D
Oh I can just see OH in your Bermudas lol .I must admit the thought of falling in a fishpond doesn't sound much fun :-S.Mandy I wish you had got a pic of the cat in the rabbit run and the rabbits munching away in the flowerpot lol
I was watching the Alsation next door this morning as he was running around the Chickens Triangular wooden hutch thing.He barks his head of and tries to bite the wire netting .Anyway I noticed that when the owner got there with the food he chucks in.He must given the a go ahead to the dog, as it pulled with its teeth the wooden sliding door that lets the hens out into the run bit.I did notice it has big chunks out of the top ,so he must have been doing this for some time :-S

Frank I hope you all have a great evening out tonight .Don't stuff yourself to much ,you don't want to be visiting your white friend in the night ;-)

Mel I bet those Pasties were tasty :-D Is OH just in as a day case for his op? It is a nuisance having to buy dressing gown and slippers just for that .But then they can be put away in case they are needed again at some time in the future

Hannah wanted to see the Wood burner lit.Now it is absolutely boiling in here :-S
I keep having to go outside...and its warm out there too.Plus I have the Curry cooking
in the oven !!.Just the smell of curry makes my face sweat and my throat goes all claggy to.I have the whole shebang ,Onion Bhajis,(sp) Veg Samosas,Aloo Gobi ,
Naans and Poppadoms and of course the rice.I feel full up already just thinking about it all.
It is turning out to be a lovely evening now.So bright I have had to pull the curtains.So it now like the black hole of Calcutta .

Fiona that is nice of the lady to give Katherine a few hours work :-D.Your cupboard sounds like it almost done.I would love to have one like that.

Been checking the weather again for Venice and it now looks like we might get a bit of rain :-S :-S.So little brolly will have to be packed.I wonder if we will get what is called the Aqua Alta (It means high water) when it's High Tide.St Marks Square can get flooded and they have to put up raised walkways when that happens.Wellie boots are always on sale then lol.We got caught out one year when we were there and had to paddle with trouser legs rolled up as high as possible.I thought it was great fun.You don't get that happen anywhere else like that .We also had a meal out one evening sitting out at a restaurant on one of the waterways.The waiters and waitresses were working in wellies and we had to try and just keep our feet raised up on the bars under the table to keep them dry.

Must go and stir the Curry now :-D