General Chat

Oh Vera you got in chapter two before I posted this and I didn’t see. That all sounds lovely but you didn’t say what you had to eat. Lots of lovely presents though and a great time had by all.
This rain has been awful for everyone so disruptive although we were lucky with drier weather yday.

Vera I think we have all agreed that we enjoy your long posts. What a lot of chairs I can just about round up and find space for twelve people to sit. My lounge is not that big.

It has been mostly dry today although while we were in our photography meeting I guess there was a shower as the roads were wet. It is bitterly cold though so wintry again.
Photography was interesting. The topic was alleys. Surprising the variety of alleys we were presented with. And even more surprising that three of us produced photos of alleys in Gloucester and Tewkesbury towns and there was not one duplicate alley.

Chapter 2

First those extra guests on Wednesday - while it would have been nice if J had mentioned it to me before inviting them it isn’t quite as bad as it seems. They are all ladies that I know well from the two clubs I belong to and they’ve all been to my house before for other events. They were very appreciative and between them brought me a big bunch of yellow tulips, some tete-a-tete daffs in a pot and a large home made coffee cake.

I was well organised and had everything ready by the time J arrived at 11.30 with the cakes she had bought. We sorted them out on cake stands and plates and, with J driving, we set out to pick up another friend and get to the restaurant where we had a table booked for 12.30. Oh dear, we hadn’t bargained on all the roads that were closed because of work being done or floods. Needless to say, it had been pouring all morning. Having tried two different routes and J having to turn round in a narrow country lane we ended up going in a large semi circle to get where we needed to be.

The meal was very good. As there were 12 of us we had pre-ordered so we didn’t have a long wait for food. Everyone seemed to enjoy their meal, helpings were generous and it was all very tasty. Then we started off in the rain to get back to mine. We all got wet just going from the restaurant to the car park. We came back the way we had eventually gone as we knew those roads were open.

It’s a good job I have a tiled floor in the hall as I had dirty footmarks everywhere with a pile of wet shoes and wet coats draped all over the place. It didn’t take long to make a hot tea or coffee for everyone and the cakes and cheese and biscuits went down very well. As J’s birthday was last weekend she had already had most of her cards and pressies but I was given mine which I opened there and then so I could thank the givers face to face and show everyone what I got. People are very kind and generous. We usually spend about £10 on each other and I had 3 £10 notes to put together and buy something nice for myself, a garden gift voucher, a plant mister for indoor plants, some stationery, 3 hollyhocks for the garden and a nice ceramic pot, plus 13 cards. I’ve kept 9 or 10 cards that have come in the post to open tomorrow.

As you can imagine it got quite noisy with all the chatting and laughter but it was a really pleasant afternoon. After they had all gone I cleared up but it hardly took any time at all. All the crockery and plates went in the dishwasher and it went straight on and I only had a couple of odd bits to wash up and work surfaces to wipe down. By this time OH was back and helped me move all the furniture back to the right places and that only took a few minutes between us.

OH had taken our friend V out for a pub lunch. V has a number of disabilities and mustn’t drive so is reliant on his wife M who was out with us. After their pub lunch they went back to V’s house and watched snooker on the telly till they both dozed off in their chairs. M & V are good friends of ours and the men get on well so we all had a good afternoon.

Looking at the time I had better post this and go and prepare some veg to have with our meat pie. Chapter 3 later, if I get around to it.

Good afternoon ladies (and any men looking in)

I’m sorry to hear your hip is still bad Mel. It’s a balancing act, isn’t it, between resting it and keeping moving so that you don’t seize up. Just be very careful. You too Mandy. Don’t overstretch and strain any muscles. On the other hand, if you feel up to it, perhaps you could tackle the cupboards in my kitchen and utility when you’ve done yours, lol.

Mel, I haven’t had the eye injections for some while now but I didn’t have to use drops after them. In fact I wasn’t allowed to wash my hair or shower for 3 days after in case I got water in my eye.

These warning lights are a worry Annx. You never know whether it’s a minor blip or something serious. I hope your tyres are OK. When I was on my own in the car recently a message came up that the ABS system wasn’t functioning properly and to get it serviced, then that changed to ABS system temporarily turned off. I drove home so carefully thinking there was a braking fault and OH rang the Volvo place we use. They said we only need worry if the message stayed on the screen. It probably came on because with all the wet weather it was a bit damp. You mentioned the number of chairs needed at my “do” on Wednesday. Well, I have more chairs than I know what to do with (terrible English but you know what I mean). There are 10 in our kitchen/diner though 4 are currently being recovered. There are another 4 in bedrooms, plus of course the 3 seater settee, 2 of the big leather reclining chairs, 2 separate matching footstools that can be sat on and a dressing table stool. If I were really desperate there are 6 solid metal garden chairs with cushions plus...well I won’t go on. I am definitely not short of chairs, lol. Luckily we have fairly big rooms.

AnnG, what a lovely surprise finding those notes in T’s passport. I expect the bank will change them for you. It’s strange how some people like wholemeal and others don’t. We have a lot of wholemeal bread as we like it and it seems to be better for my insides, though occasionally I get tempted by a nice crusty white roll or baguette. I don’t eat pasta so I can’t comment on that but I much prefer brown rice to white.

We started with sunshine and a very cold wind this morning but it’s been heavy rain and some hail this afternoon. OH went out to the garden after lunch to plant out some stuff in pots. He wouldn’t listen when I said it would shortly be raining and of course he got drenched.

Today is the 50th anniversary of my mum’s death and that awful week is so clear in my mind still. That memory has never faded. The funeral of my favourite aunt, to whom I was very close, was also on 23rd Feb. so it’s very much a day of memories for me.

I haven’t started on the last couple of days yet but it looks as though I’ll be writing a book again so I think I’ll post this first chapter in case I lose it and then carry on in another post. I hope you would tell me if you get fed up with my long posts. I know that once I start writing I don’t know when to stop. Take it as a compliment - it means I feel as though I am chattering away to friends.

Yes I thought of you when I was leaning into the cupboard to clean it so I was careful how I bent down.

Yes I've been watching Father Brown but I liked the old ones better.

Suns still shining but the clouds are looming and they are looking very black ,oh weatherman now mentioned there might be snow over Dartmoor .
I can remember when on holiday with mum and dad feeding the ponies on Dartmoor and driving past the prisoners doing work on the side of the road ,frightened me to death when dad said oh there's prisoners as wasn't very old.

Just having another heavy hail shower. Its all sliding down the windscreen of my car.

Iv'e done a bit of painting this morning and had a tidy up and made a big pot of soup and now I am going to get some lunch.

Mandy mind your back when you do those cupboards.

Are you enjoying the new Father Brown programs. Still think it was better with Mrs. McCarthy but was pleased to see Lady Felicia in one. Bring back the old cast is what I say.

Morning all,

Lovely morning here blue sky and sunshine but its a lot colder out .
Mel thats a lot of packing just for a little box of toothpaste, I suppose they wanted to make sure it didn't get squashed .

Vera hope your eyes are a little easier today ,was it just the drops they put in or did you need another injection.

Just turned out a cupboard in the kitchen ,I need to make a start on cleaning them all out really as I didn't do any last year and they all need a wash out .

I see there's a programme on tonight that might be interesting all about National Trust properties, channel 4 at eight o'clock.

Good morning all 6 degrees here but so far it is dry and sunny but with a really cloudy sky. Nothing planned this morning but photography group this afternoon.

Hail stones and heavy rain now and pc says light rain!!! :-(

Morning all,

Very dull and dreary this morning so much so that I have to have the light on. Pc says 6 degrees and heavy rain so no change there then. The ground is so boggy I don't think it can take any more water but it keeps coming down.

Hope Vera slept ok and that her eye is clearer this morning as the drops should have cleared by now. Do you have to put drops in your eye for a few days after the injection. I seem to remember I had to do that for mum when she was having the injections in the eye.

Can't believe its Friday again, the weeks are flying by.. Hip still really bad and I can hardly get out of bed inthe mornings I have to take it very steady and hang on to the chest of drawers and the bed bottom then the radiator and then it eases off a bit by the time I get to the hall.

Hope your eyes clear soon Vera so you can tell us all about your party.

Mel thanks for the photos. Amazon seem to send everything in those cardboard boxes even other boxes.

Sent pics. Did'nt get on so well this afternoon as I washed my hair. I have got the bottom parts of his boots on though which is one of the hardest parts.

Vera I hope you got on well at the hospital today. Rest up and come back tomorrow and tell us all about it.

I am going to send you an email. I bought my toothpaste online because I could'nt get it anywhere else. It came this afternoon and I am going to show you the packaging.

I was coming on to do a post but my eyes are still so blurry from the drops that were put in them this morning at the hospital that I really can't see well enough. Yesterday was a good day apart from the weather, today weather is even worse and the hospital wasn't much fun.

I'll try to come back later if I can see well enough.

Gosh Mel... There's hours worth of work in each of your little figures. :-0
What fun though and it will be lovely to see the finished result.

Dreary and cold now, after the sun half-heartedly made an attempt to shine about 12.30.
I managed to get to school and back in the dry, but we are forecast heavy rain and strong winds, so it will be an indoor day for me now.

Lots of children in their Brownie or Cub uniforms today as it's Thinking Day.
Lovely to see them.

Its better for you than white bread and gives you a bit of roughage.

I now have the bottom part of his boots on so now its just the top bits to do and the soles. Then I shall have to fight with his hair and then its the best bit doing a belt and purse and what ever else I decide to put on him. O and his hat, now do I give him a velvet hat or a big one with a feather in it?? I love making their hats, belts and purses and may try to do a sword belt as I have a nice little sword.

I do now eat wholemeal bread (Warburtons no added sugar) but it is the first wholemeal bread I have eaten that didn't cause me problems.

Morning all,

Dull and very dreary this morning and I was woken in the night with rain beating against the windows in the bedroom. Its so depressing out there I feel like going back to bed.

Don't know where this week has gone its passed really quickly up to now perhaps because I have been occupied a lot this week.

I don't like wholemeal pasta either and oh certainly did'nt. I usually buy the spinach one if I can get it. He would'nt eat anything wholemeal in the way of bread or pata but he would eat dark choc digestives.

Good morning all. 9 degrees and very wet hear this morning.

Ann hope you can get that warning light sorted. It is really worrying when those lights come on and you don't know why, or know there is no reason they should. It definitely seems like a fault in the car.

The chicken pasta dish sounds nice. I tried swapping to wholemeal pasta once but really didn't like it so hope that you can get on with it.

Evening All,

Woke to lashing rain and wind this morning, but it cleared up mid morning so I popped to the shop and that pesky warning light was still on, so I rang the Peugeot garage when I got home and they confirmed I can't reset it. Before I book it in and start emptying my pockets, I'll recheck all the pressures again just in case there is a slow puncture causing it to stay on. It's unlikely but you never know.

All this rain and more expected tomorrow won't help with finding that little boy as the waters are just rising more. They published a photo and named him today. Such a sweet, happy, little boy. The area where he fell in is nearer here than I thought, but the report says they were walking along the towpath which suggests the canal not the river, so that must be a mistake as the police would have been shown where he disappeared and the CCTV showed it as well. I know a lot of people don't like the idea of having reins on a toddler, but I think they were good and I saw a tot a little while ago with a new version where a strap clipped to the harness at the back between the shoulders. They can't run off then and if they fall you can lift them up. My little brother hated you holding his hand and started running up people's drives when he was walking with me and thought it funny when I kept calling him back. In the end I told him there might be a big dog living there........that worked!!

Vera I would have to empty the cane chairs out of the conservatory to seat all of those people. You are going to have a house full, but I hope that lady checked it would be ok to invite the extra people.

AnnG re the chicken, it was cooked yesterday afternoon to have for lunch today. We usually eat our main meal at lunchtime and as reheated pasta is best for blood sugar levels, it made sense to cook it all yesterday and reheat today. I wanted to use up the white pasta so we can swap to the wholewheat one which should be even better. I thought OH he may not like it with oregano and garlic in it, as he's funny about herbs and garlic, but I did remind him he eats lasagne that has the same in it. He got a small helping and said he couldn't taste the oregano and never even mentioned the garlic and helped himself to more!! Two more helpings are in the freezer now. I cooked it on high for 4 hours in the slow cooker, adding the courgettes and peppers for the last 2 hours.

It was sensible not to risk catching a bad cold and how thoughtful of your friend to wear a mask and stand well back when she called round. I hope she soon gets over it. Again you put me to shame with all you get done. I looked at the hoover and changed my mind and cleared out 3 shelves of the big bathroom cabinet instead checking the dates on things like creams and insect repellent. That was a nice surprise for you in T's old passport!

I've been trying to find out more about the camp where Dad's cousin was a POW in WW2 in Singapore. I'm amazed dad never mentioned it as both families lived in the same area. I found there were several camps in the same place, but oh the sad pictures of those poor men with legs and arms like sticks! On the first day of half term here, last Saturday in the early hours, 3 young teenage boys damaged 13 cars in the road that mum's old house backed onto. To think these men in the past risked or gave their lives at a few years older than these boys. They need their eyes opening as to how lucky they are.

Mel you are like me and don't like to give up! I hope the Tudor man turns out ok after having a break from him.