General Chat

Thank you all for your support. It is much appreciated. We are such a close family that I can only imagine how difficult it must be to be estranged from your child so my heart goes out to you Mel. I know two other people in the same position as well.

It's been quite a bright day again but so cold and there was a light dusting of snow overnight. At the moment it is 1 degree but feels like -2. Apparently on Sunday it will reach 15 degrees but I won't be getting my sundress out as it will only feel like 7.

Thank you for those funghi photos AnnG. I had to show OH as I thought they were so good. I have seen the red one before. I think it's Fly Agaric but I hadn't seen the other one that Annx mentioned. Your subjects certainly make you use your observation skills and I'll look forward to seeing the different door knockers you find.

Gwyn, I think I shall start calling you Goldilocks as I now imagine you going round the school trying all the chairs in turn until you can say "This chair is just right" ;-)

It's been a busy day. I've done the ironing and washed towels and bath mats. I had a Sainsbury delivery with 2 subs, one of which went back. I had plenty of brown skinned onions so ordered just 1 red onion. Well, I had to laugh when I saw it. It was the smallest red onion I've seen, about the size of a tulip bulb. You can guess how big it was when I tell you I was charged all of 7p for it.

This afternoon I've had a frustrating time doing admin on the computer. I was registered with our hospital "patient portal" where I could see test results, read appointment letters etc. It was efficient and easy to use so, of course, it had to be changed. It mustn't be allowed to be simple. It now has to be done through an NHS system and I had a text to re-register and giving the website link to do it. I didn't want to do it on my phone as it's an old one and I find the little keyboard bit on it quite small for typing so I entered the website address on my computer.

So far, so good. I entered reams of information they wanted but I was getting along quite well till they wanted an ID photo and I ticked the box for taking it from my passport. Got out my passport, read the instruction and took the photo which then had to be uploaded. That's when I realised their upload system was directly connected to my phone and I couldn't upload the picture to my computer and send it from there. A few choice words followed and I started all over again doing the registration on my phone which I had been trying to avoid in the first place. Then, would you believe, I had to take a video of myself saying 4 numbers that they had texted me and upload that. Eventually I was told I had completed registration and sometime in the next 24 hours I would get an email telling me whether it all checked out or not.

I have just had the email and the photo doesn't check out. In the instructions for taking the picture it said to make sure it fits within the frame. I assumed that meant the actual passport photo but no, it meant the whole passport page. So I've now got to do it again :-| I'm reasonably competent using technology but it's a mystery how these website writers expect someone less confident to manage.

Having got frustrated over that I turned to registering as vulnerable (or in our case ancient) with the company who own the pipes supplying power to our house. We are registered with British Gas who supply us with gas and electricity but this is a different company. To be fair, the form was not difficult to fill out once I found where they had hidden it. I used the link on the card they sent us and I got in to a page which did say Priority Services Register, exactly what I wanted, except it also said Page Redirect - Do Not Edit. I tried everything but couldn't find the page anywhere. Eventually after scrolling through all the small print I found something that said Help for the vulnerable so clicked on that and there was my form, but what a waste of time. It should have taken 5 minutes, instead it took me 30 minutes.

You can tell I'm frustrated can't you? It just doesn't seem to have been my week. Oh well, things can only get better. Onwards and upwards. Sleep well tonight ladies and stay warm. I'll be wearing my socks in bed.

I think the last one looks like bean shoots.

Been doing up a parcels of 5 lots someone bought. BIL has been here and tried to fit the new grill element but thinks he has to pull the cooker out and as he wanted soup we thought we'd leave it for now so we had lunch together a couple of rolls and a big bowl of soup and a bit extra for BIL so need to start again now. I have had to boil out the soup sausepan as the barly caught on the bottom but I managed to rescue it in time before it tainted the soup.

Then I just got settled in when I heard another car draw up and it was Em come for eggs but I only had half a dozen and three. She said thats ok cos she had two over for the last time. Then I did up more of the little parcels and here I am.

There are so many fungi around here with the forest over the back. and they come up in my lawns a lot and some are so pretty and almost translusant.

I like the idea of door knockers for a subject and yes I can see how you would have to do the seasons ones in your garden Anng.

I remember you had the topic of reflections once and was it ripples?

There were very few repeats among the seven of us which is surprising.m there must be hundreds ov different ones.

Oh they have some interesting topics AnnG! Yes for the four seasons you would need to be sure you could be in the same spot each time. I like the funghi and door knockers ideas.

Just checked your email and like I said I have never seen one of the spotted ones or the one like grass. It's fascinating how varied they are.

I have sent them let me know if you don't get them please.

Our subject this month was Funghi. There were some very interesting funghi on dosplay and not a lot of repeats. We need to show 5 photos each. I will send out the photos I showed today.

We don't meet in December because it is too close to Christmas and the hall we use will be needed by the church. Our January meeting is 'Four seasons. That is four photos taken in the same spot in Spring, summer, autumn and Winter. I have had to use the garden for mine. And then we have February 'old things' and March door knockers.

Afternoon All,

It's reached a heady 5 degrees here now and seemed warmer here last night too. Mel treat yourself to some bedsocks for Christmas! I have some pink fluffy ones handy for if my feet get cold! :-D My temperature control is poor with thyroid issues. If I get too cold I can't warm up easily and if I get too hot I can't cool off easily. Tomorrow is supposed to reach 14 degrees here!!

I hope your daughter is calmer after her chat with you Vera and she is lucky to have you to listen even if you can't do anything. Hopefully she will soon feel better able to cope with the help of your support.

I wonder what subject you have for your photography group this time AnnG. I hope it will be dry for your walk to it. Your daughter seems to do her best with watching her diet. I remember my SIL in my first marriage didn't and thought she could eat anything and just medicate it which isn't the idea at all.

The Royal Mail have tried to deliver the camera I returned but couldn't get an answer so will try again on Monday.

Gwyn OH has to sit and write notes at his school meetings which is more difficult from a tiny chair and he finds some meetings go on ages longer than they need to which doesn't help his back on a tiny chair. So he tries to get there before the others, so he gets a grownup chair, can sit away from the others who tend to think they can just help themselves to his own printouts he needs for his notes because they are too lazy or don't think to print their own and bring them. He wore a thick shirt last night in case it was cold.

Waiting for the boiler man now so had to have a quick tidy up and spruce up with the hoover.

Thank you for the snowy photos, Mel. Everything looks so pretty and almost magical. I particularly like how the photo of the really tall evergreen? tree shows all the branch and twig formations, where the snow has fallen on it.

It's supposedly up to 5 degrees and mostly sunny here at the moment, which is certainly an improvement on the early morning chill and frosty rooftops. Not looking forward to 'Bert' arriving, so I hope the rain and winds are not too severe.

School was marginally warmer yesterday, although the outside door was often left open. 2 classes have to use that door anytime they want to go into the main building, where the offices and toilets are located, so it does get used a lot and not always closed afterwards :-|


In the lower end of the school, the classroom doors to the outside are often open, as children are expected to be able to freely access outdoor areas in the secure section outside their classroom.
To answer Annx's recent question, my seat depends where I am. Yesterday I started out with my readers in an empty classroom, while that room's children were in the main hall, so I was on a child size school chair. As they are for children 9 -10 years old, they are junior size, but the larger version and not the really small ones like they have in the Early Years area.
When we moved into the main hall, the children and I each sat on one of the metal folding chairs used for plays, assemblies etc. when parents are invited.They are a reasonable size, but cold to touch and not overly comfortable, after a while. Sometimes in the hall I sit on a long aluminium bench at the long fold-up Go-Pak dinner tables... In the summer, I have even sat on the wooden picnic table/ seats out in the school grounds. I've got used to all this and dress accordingly ;-)

Morning girls,

6 degrees here this morning and sunny at the mo. Just as I got up I looked out of the window and it was raining but it did,nt last long. I am hoping the roads are clearer today as my parcel may be delivered now a lot of the snow has melted. Its still in the garden and going round to the chicken yesterday it was aboput 4 inches deep. It was coming from the east.

I wonder if BIL will come today? I do wish he'd let me know beforehand.

I have some tiny things to wrap today so that will keep me occupied for the morning after feeding the very hungry wild birds and the girls.

Enjoy your photography meeting today Anng.

Good morning all a grey morning here but 2 degrees, so not quite like summer but warmer than it was. But now we have warnings of storm Bert over the weekend which looks like it means constant wind and rain for two days and disk of floods.

But hopefully today will be dry so a walk to the photography meeting should be ok this time.

Mel I have visions of you now going to having to find 7 different ways to cook mince!! :-D :-D

Vera, It is true, once you have children you always think of them as your babies, whether they think they need you or not. Since daughter developed diabetes at the same time as breast cancer I have always had this little niggle at the back of my mind as to how she is. Even though the first has been more or less under control and the latter seems fine the niggle is there. And my anxiety went through the roof when she was bereaved and left on her own Then the worry of it she was doing the right thing marrying again quite soon (she seems to have been). And recently her switch from just medication, diet and watching blood sugar chart to insulin has increased my worry. But she rides with it and continues to 'look after' me. Bless her. And son developing diabetes hasn't helped much. I have to say that also continues (the 'my baby' syndrome) with grandchildren and Great Grandchildren. I guess parents were born to worry. Wishing your daughter strength to cope <3 <3.

Still 2 degrees here now and its been like that mot of the day.

I cooked a load of mince this afternoon and have three lots for the freezer and saved some of the nice gravy. two lots of mash to go inthe freezer too.

Hope you all sleep well tonight. I had really cold feet last night and have put an extra thin quilty thing on the bed for tonight hoping they won't be so cold as it kept me awake for a long whle last night even with a wheat bacg on my knees and one on my hip.

Vera I still think of my son as my little boy at 55 so I know what you're going through. I still don't spak with him and its heartbreaking for me as he is the only one.

We’ve had our dinner now so I’m back but will make this short. It’s been quite a bright day but sooo cold. It didn’t get above 2 degrees all day. We went for Thursday coffee but there weren’t as many of us as usual. I also got an order done for Sainsbury’s to deliver tomorrow afternoon and got several odd jobs done.

Mel, thank you for the snowy photos. Doesn’t everything look lovely when the snow first comes down? I am confused about this strange tab you have related to this thread and muting. I have never seen anything like that.

Mandy I think it was AnnG that said she had just pulled up her bedding begonias. I did have some but pulled mine up a bit earlier.

That car key was expensive Annx. I hope your chap can sort your dripping tap out tomorrow.

I have had a text from the hospital to say I will be getting a letter in the post about my next appointment but no indication of when that is likely to be.

Without going into details, our daughter is going through a very difficult time at the moment. We’ve just spoken on the phone and shed a few tears together but there is little we can do to help her. All I can do is make sure she knows we are at the end of the phone day or night and that she has our love and support. I feel so helpless. She may be 59 but she’s still my little girl.

Enough of my worries, I don’t mean to depress you. Stay warm and sleep well tonight. “See” you tomorrow.

Bit of a busy day today so this is the first chance I've had to read the posts. Yes please Mel, I would love a few tomato seeds if you have enough. I did get Gwyn's email and mentioned something about it in one of the posts.

Must dash now as I still have our dinner to cook and I like to eat around 7 pm if possible but will try and get back later.

Thanks Mel! Posted the camera back (£10.35 postage ) and called in the shop. Got a nice large, perfectly fresh cauli on the reduced shelf for 70p.

I've had to phone Reilly, the boiler man as the tap is dripping again and worse than ever, so he will call round tomorrow afternoon and said it needs a different 'o' ring. There is a plumbing merchant in our village where he should be able to get the right one if he doesn't have one on his van. There's no name on the tap so that doesn't help!

Right thats three of you who will get the seeds in your Christmas cards. xx I wonder if Vera wants some as she gives tom plants to the fetes they have etc.

Oh yes please Mel. :-D They sound really nice.

Oh yes please Mel we love tomatoes

Yes please to the tom seeds Mel.
I didn't get that email at all so thanks for posting it.

What a way for the school to waste heat by having the door open. Hope it stays shut in the future.

I have just collected 126 seeds from the huge tomato I grew this year. They are not dry yet but if any of you would like some I will send you some with your cards so let me know. I was given the first big tom from my neighbour and it was so delish I saved the seed and that what I grew this year and they came out just the same. I think she said they were ones she had saved. I did'nt get mine in till late but they still produce some very large toms.

I always take my phone well most times anyway.

The post where Gwyn said about the doors being open was in an email Anng and when I had it your email address was on it and Vera's too.

Here it is:-

To: Ann Knight; melanie cowlard; Vera Martin;
20/11/2024 12:09
5

Morning everyone.
We had our first frost of the winter this morning, but the bright sunshine has melted that now.

Vera, I hope your hospital appointment goes well and the team are happy with your eyes.

Anng take care if you go out. I always think thicker new snow feels much safer underfoot than the thin light falls, which just bed down to make everything slippery.
I don't need to go out today, so will have a day doing this and that at home.
We'll have to delve in the freezer for something for our meal this evening. There is plenty of choice, but anticipating my annual blood test check coming soon, I try to think towards that cholesterol test and have so far managed to avoid taking medication, so will try to be good.
Yesterday's meal didn't meet those requirements, but it was a case of conjuring up a quick meal, so that I could go out to an evening meeting, but we also wanted to use the remaining part of a red cabbage. We ended up with shop-bought steak pie, red cabbage and carrots with some nice thickish gravy, - very warming on a cold day and soon prepared and cooked.

School again tomorrow.
I hope I'm in a warmer spot than yesterday. I couldn't understand why I was so cold at my table in the school hall and then I realised that the door on the other side of the hall, which I had my back to, had been left open. On going to close it, I saw that the door from that area to the outside was also open, so no wonder the cold air was rushing in.
I'll dress warmly and check before I sit down tomorrow.

Keep warm and safe everyone.

Gwyn