General Chat

good morning all 6 degrees here and grey but dry so far. Wonder if I will hear from the hospital today? Slept Ok last night but woke 0530 and couldn't get back to sleep.

Not sure if this will work but take a look. Its tiny baby animal someone raises.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/BL7uZO8kwm0

Afternoon Everyone,

We had more rain last night but it is lovely and sunny today. I saw my first Brimstone butterfly in the garden thhis morning and we had a visitor in the garden while we had lunch. It's a pure white cat we have only seen once before, so it looks like it has taken over Hello Kitty's patch! We haven't seen the 3 legged cat since Christmas so are wondering if he's ok.

Oh AnnG why do things seem to happen at once, now it's a bulb in your lamp gone! Yes I've changed to more things in pots as they are easier to look after and I think you actually see more of smaller plants and flowers when they are higher up.

It sounds like M is doing OK Vera, but it will be good when they have fitted the heart monitor and got more results. They wouldn't have let her go home if they were concerned.

You have reminded me how my patch of aconites have spread when I saw them yesterday. In fact there are a few clumps of things that have outrun their space and need reducing in size. You did well finding out how to download those instructions for your ipad. I know if I buy something new it often stays in the box a few days till I can face the instructions!! Dinner sounds nice.

About the contraption Vera and Mandy and yes it is a spinning scrubber Mandy. It one you can adjust the angle of head on and has an extending pole. I just used CIF on the bath and basin and it certainly saved all that bending and my back to do the majority of the bath. I could have swapped to a small brush for the fiddly bits, but just used a cloth as normal this time. I think it will be good on the floor tiles in the kitchen where it can get a bit greasy just in front of th cooker. The steam mop I got rid of made no impact and the flash mop that has wipes isn't perfect on that area either. It looks clean enough but when you walk on it your slippers stick a bit!!

Your bakes sound really nice Mandy and I bet your kitchen smelled lovely cooking them. I bet the family will love them as home made is usually best. I wouldn't be surprised if covid was still affecting you, but as you say the blood test may show if it's anything else. We think our memories have been worse since covid as it seemed to happen to us both at the same time. I think the lighter mornings have helped me feel a bit more active, but we are often in bed early now.

Mel doesn't your heart sink when your car won't start. Was it the battery nearly flat do you think as it did eventually start? If it's a diesel and it chugged a few moments when it started, it might be a failing glowplug. No doubt your man will be able to sort it for you, but use your battery charger first and see if it starts up smoothly once the battery is charged as it may be that if it sounded nearly flat. I do much less mileage now but do a little detour on my way to the shop or back at times to keep the battery charged. If not I don't use 6th gear, so the revs are a bit higher to put more charge in. I expect trouble from my battery now it is nearly 9 years old.

Today's food delivery had 6 things out of stock and a sub I gave the driver back, so we'll be shopping in the morning. I find I need to order some things well before we run out now as the shop's stocks seem to run out as well.

O my gosh that time was way out poor V having told her it was 1 and not 11. I bet she's pleased to be home though even if she does look tired.

As to the things getting more complicated it happens with everything these days. Why can't they just keep some things the same for us older people. My tete e tete are just starting to go over and I am picking off a few heads each day now and once they are completely over they will go back behind the shed.

I have done a bit of painting this morning but not a lot, put another coat on some moulds and cleared some things out of a draw in the spare room. Done the big pond filter too. I think I have a frog about somewhere in the garden as I keep hearing it but I hav'nt come across it yet. I hear it mostly at night when its dark but doing the filter I heard it during the day. Must go down and feed my fish and perhaps have a good look in the pond.

I better go and get myself something to eat as all I have had today so far is a milky coffee this morning and a glass of water with a pill.

Had one short sharp shower this morning and then the sun came out again and its been out all day so far. Its 11 degrees and the pc says cloudy.

It has actually been a nice day today, a bit cloudy at times but it has stayed dry and is 15 degrees, very warm when the sun is out. I have washed off some of the pots that got plastered with dirt when the power wash was done. I was going to leave it for Jake but I decided to get it done and then I moved the pot off what should be the hosta bed, although I am not sure the hostas will have survived this year with the power washing. I also cut back some more ivy, I am sure as soon as I come in it puts a spurt on, there always seems to be plenty needing cutting. then I just generally pottered. I have spotted the next part of the garden for a blitz so hope for another dry day.

Vera, pleased to hear that M doesn't seem too bad. Oh dear I bet V was not popular having got the time of the Dr's appointment wrong.

I do hate having to get used to new tech stuff, sometimes wonder who writes the instructions.

The garden centre we went to yesterday had loads of really nice plants. I have to keep telling myself 'for pots only'. And have to resist quite a lot. One thing I spotted and still ight get one later was a white non climbing clematis. I reckon that would work in a pot. It was £10.99 can't remember the name of it though.

And now the bulb has gone in my desk lamp so I am not sure where to get the tiny bulb, that will have to wait until I am feeling athletic as I have no idea where it is plugged in, the lead goes down behind the desk which is against the wall.

Rain, rain, go away
Come again another day…la,la,la

Good job you can’t hear me singing. My voice would be enough to frighten anyone away. Unfortunately it’s not working on the rain. I think we’re all getting fed up with it now.

You got some nice plants at the garden centre AnnG, I love this time of year with new plants in the garden centres and nurseries. I was looking out of the window at our little garden this morning and thinking it’s a shame my daffs are going over now and I’ll soon have to pick the heads off but a lot of the earth that was bare is now covered with little white anemones which we put in 7 or 8 years ago in 3 clumps. They have really spread well and will have died down by the time other plants are growing through.

What a nuisance your car wouldn’t start Mel. As AnnG says it does sound as though the short runs aren’t charging the battery up. I know if we haven’t been out and about for a while OH will take our car for a longish drive. I wonder what M’s car will be like when she is allowed to drive again. I wouldn’t mind betting the battery will be flat. Your bil is good to come so often to help with your jobs, isn’t he.

Mandy, I suppose you wouldn’t like to move closer to me and cook my cakes for me, would you? We always used to have home made cakes but for the last few years we’ve mostly had shop bought. I did make a big fruit cake a week or two back but that was mostly because I had a load of well out-of-date fruit and thought it needed using up.

How did your new cleaning contraption work Annx? I’m all in favour of anything that makes h/w a bit easier.

Yesterday we called in to see M & V. M isn’t too bad at all although she looks tired. She had an appointment at the surgery on Friday and V had looked up the time and told her that it was 1.30 pm. When she got there she was told that she should have been there at 11.30 am! V had just not seen the first 1 of the 11. She’s got a new appointment for Wednesday. She hasn’t got the heart monitor yet. Apparently it will be fitted in Outpatients at the hospital and they will send her an appointment to go in for it.

After a hunt around online I found the instructions for my new iPad and it is about 450 pages long because it has different sections covering all the more recent iPads. I found the section for mine and bookmarked it so I can get to it easily next time but I really wanted to download it. I couldn’t find any way of doing this so I had to ask good old Mr Google again. I then got on to a YouTube video which showed me how to download it through iBooks which I do have on my old iPad. I’m taking my time doing this as I tend to have most free time in the evening when I am getting tired and I don’t want to make a mistake because I am tired. Why does everything have to be so complicated these days? Ah well, I’ll get there in the end.

Now I must go and parboil my pots for roasting and baste the chicken in the oven. Have a nice day everyone.

Well that did'nt last long I now have grey skies with just a touch of blue.

Morning all,

Cloudy here and yes its raining here too ,I think the weatherman said rain until lunchtime then brightening up .
I've been feeling washed out again the last few days I've been like it off and on since I had covid I have four or five days of tiredness and then it eases off ,maybe the blood test I had will show something .

That's a devil about your car Mel ,I suppose it's only getting a short run to the shop and it doesn't help if you have to have the lights and wipers on if it's raining as its all extra work for the battery .

Anng I like to bake cakes and now we don't eat so much cake I like to bake for the family but when I bake for them I have to do bigger amounts ,I usually double up on things for them .

O I forgot to say the blimmin docs did'nt send my script down on Tuesday to the shop so I am out of one for the whole weekend.

Morning all,

Well its ususally me complaining about rain but this morning we have wall to wall sunshine blue sky and lots of wispy clouds but that could all change but I am enjoying the brightness as we've had so many dull and rainy days lately. Pc is saying high pollen and 11 degrees and near high for this time of the year.

Maybe I will get in the garden today but I do miss doing it with oh mowing the lawn and then him bringing me up a cuppa via the mower.

good morning all, I thought the forecast said it would be dry today but somebody forgot to inform the rain man. Yep, raining again, awful weather, I really wanted a gardening day today.

Mel, it sounds like the short runs are not charging your battery. But I know it must be difficult to take it for a long run.

Have you googled to see if there are internet problems still. These things are sooo frustrating aren't they.
Yes I liked the picture of the Lysimachia and liked the sound of the spiky fronds in the autumn too. Pleased to hear that yours has survived in a pot too. At the moment I have kept all four of the plants I bought in the conservatory I will plant them out when we get a warm-ish spell.

Mandy you put me to shame all that baking!! I have always liked cooking but not really baking. I made cakes when there were four of us but can't remember the last time I baked. Certainly before T died.

BIL did come and we sorted a couple of things in the workshop and had a wander up the caravan to look at the fishing tackle. I did lunch as usual and I checked online that I did have a TV licience as I had another email telling me my licience was running out. I thought it ended on 30th Nov and I was right so be careful if you get a reminder and check that it is not for the date mentioned.

Then in the late afternoon I had trouble with the pc. when I went into my emails and clicked to read one the slider bar to the righthand side was going down and it gave me emails from years ago. No way could I get o the recent ones so I turned the pc off in the end disgusted with it. Came back on just now and it seems ok fingers crossed X.

Blasted car threw a wobbly when I went to the shop and would'nt start so I tried it again and again and eventually it went. I even tried to ring BIL but my phone would'nt work so whether the net is still mucking about in Shebbear or ot I don't know. Anyway got back home and did our lunch.

I think I have that Lysimachia Mine are white and blue. I only had the blue and the seedling cam out white. I love it and also its spikey and I like spikey flowers. I think its the same but its not coming up yet. If it is the same I have one thats been in a clay pots for years so it should do ok in a pot Anng.

Evening all,

The day started off with lovely sunshine and we went to sons this morning for coffee when we got back we sat out in the sun shine and it was really warm ,this afternoon it clouded up and we've just had a few spots of rain .

Anng I read on the BBC news that both Tesco and Sainsburys had trouble with delivery today seems it was because of software updates .

Ann did the new contraption work OK in the bathroom ,is it one of those rechargeable scrubbing things .
Hope you can get on a painting course again it will be nice seeing your paintings again .
Mel did you make your cakes ,I made son and family some nice cheese scones and a jam sponge cake ,I also made some hot cross bun muffins ,a recipe I saw in a tesco magazine, they should have had some custard piped into them before cooking but I left that out because I thought it might make the centres a bit doughy, they looked OK.

Ann I have to admit that I didn't recognise the name Lysimachia but liked the look of it. Just hope it will be happy in a container.
Would you believe I have the book for my phone but it doesn't mention changing the batteries at all.

Yes our photography group motivates me to get out with my camera. I am going to have a problem with the next one though, going to take a bit of imagination as it is 'fun'.

Afternoon All,

Lovely sunshine here but a few degrees cooler today. I popped to the shop for some bits including some baby sweetcorn to include in our salmon traybake tomorrow. Now I see we need to use the cottage cheese up, so it looks like it will be a jacket potato with salad tomorrow instead! OH and I did some weeding and cutting back in the garden and the garden bin is full now ready for collection on Tuesday. We were glad it was full as we'd both had enough by then. lol

Next I need to do some admin and finish the food order . Then I might try cleaning the bath with my new contraption now it's charged up. OH is at a local match.

It's a nice day for going to a garden centre AnnG and I see you got some nice perennials. I hadn't seen that Lysimachia before so looked it up and I like it's delicate plumes. Good to have a chat with your friend too. Disapointing to get home and find your delivery cancelled, but at least you can manage. I think your experience with your phone has made me decide when we change our phone to ask them to show me where the batteries are and to demonstrate how to access and change them! Everything we use these days keeps being changed so often, no wonder we have problems.

Vera I wish the same too regarding there being only online instructions for a lot of things now. Far easier to use a booklet. It's good that M is back home with V again and that the hospital are doing more checks.

Mel I think your BIL is an angel. He can't have much spare time with his own home to look after and a job, so I expect he comes when he is free and perhaps doesn't always know when that will be. How are the latest makes coming on?

It seems the year long art courses can't have gone down well with most people as the teacher I was with before has gone back to doing 10 week ones. Sadly no landscape ones again, but the beginners portrait one he is doing says in the notes that it is for beginners and improvers now. He's running 2 so there's a choice of Friday afternoons or Wednesday mornings. The morning one would suit me as my eyesight is far better in the mornings so I might join. It would motivate me with having to send a painting in every week!

Had a good morning at the garden centre and a good chat over coffee. Managed to spend the gift card I had from daughter for Christmas. and bought four small perrenial plants for £10. 2 Salvia Caradonnas, I ruby red Aquilegia (In Tony's memory) and 1 Lysimachia Ephermerum. So a good morning but came back to an email from Tesco to say they are unable to deliver my order this afternoon. Not my week for promised events is it. I have re-ordered for Monday but to be honest it is not really a problem I have plenty of food in the freezer.

Morning all,

That will take your mind off the appointment Anng thats it go and have a spend up to make yourself feel better.

I'm glad you have some sunshine cos theres none here its 9 degrees and pc says mostly cloudy.

I wonder if BIL will come today? The grass dos'nt need mowing and its a bit wet anyway. We'll see. I may make some cakes today as I have'nt for a long while.

Good morning all, sunny and clear here at the moment but temp dropped to 4 degrees again. gosh it is up and down a lot. I think I am going with Cynth to a garden centre this morning so that will be good.

I am guessing that they have to wait until an appointment becomes available which is fine. However I have noticed there is an email address on the latest letter as well as the phone number so, If I don't hear today I will email them on Monday to see where I stand. there is always the worry that you have fallen through the net so I won't wait longer than that.

I hate waiting for phone calls and people to come and then not turn up.

I have had Richard dowon here thie morning just as I was doing the chickens. He';s the man who bought the fret saw and he came back becasue a piece I thought went with it and he said did'nt did and he came to pick it up as he had down loaded the instructions and printed them out and there was a pic of this piece on the instructions. He said it worked ok and was going off to make a new stay for a bell in Meath. He brought the stay and I told hiim it was made of wood from a tree branch which is always weak, it has to come from a main trunk so the grain is straight.

While he was here the oil lorry pulled in with my oil and pulled across Richards car so after he put the oil in the tank he asked me if I had any eggs for sale as his wife makes cakes for a living and is alway after fresh eggs. I told him I could let him have a dozen and when he went to pay me he only had £2 so said he would drop the other money in later when he was back in the area. I don't think I will see that 60p.

He also made a terrible mess of the grass just through the arch so thats got to be sorted now and the bit where he backed up and turned around at the top of the garden but that bits not too bad.

Then Richard and I gave his two little dogs a run around the garden and then off he went. Its begining to be like Paddington station here with all the callers and the postman had just been before Richard turned up. Now I can go weeks not seeing a sole.

Its good dear M is back home and its also good they are monitoring her heart. It must give her and hubby a bit more peace of mind. I hope she is ok now as it such a worry for them both and you Vera.

Anng hope that phone call arrives today or could you not give them a nudge by ringing them yourself. You could always say you need to go out to an appointment.

Well now I am hungry from all the walking around the garden and the visitors so I am going to make a nice salmon and cuecumber sandwich. Salad tonight so no cooking apart from a few new pots to go with it.