General Chat

I was going to suggest one of those cheap, stiff glue brushes Mel. I use one for brushing between my keyboard keys after turning it over and shaking it. I also use it to clean a crystal waterlily candle holder.

That was a long wait at Dobbies Vera, but ours is not good either. They have the menus on the wall behind where they either serve you or you order, so you queue there while some people can't make their minds up what they want or are served if it is something on the counter. They write what you are having on paper they give you, then there are drinks being served both to your right and left, so you decide which queue to join and people flit from one queue to the other carrying their trays if they think one queue is moving faster than the other. Once you have your drinks you move to yet another queue to pay. Then you find a table and wait. Of course after all that queuing, you don't have to wait long for your meal.

Speaking of food and having said how much more expensive the carvery is now, we both got a 30% off email today, so we'll be taking advantage of that next week. :-)

I managed to cut two draught excluders from the old fleeces and have pinned them ready to sew tomorrow when OH has lifted the sewing machine out of the cupboard for me. I think we are going to need them after looking at the forecast. After Sunday it shows the next 3 days frost as -2, -4, and -6 degrees round here. :-S We've covered the outside tap and just need to see how hot the outlet pipe from the boiler gets and lag that if we can. It's never frozen yet as it's in a sheltered spot, but you never know.

Vera yes I do appreciate the fact that I get taken to spend time with daughter. I think it is possible that I won’t see them until May now . Son I only see about four times a year. Sometimes only for an hour or so.

It is strange how all Dobbies restaurants are different. Our nearest one we go into the restaurant and are seated (this is if we are eating a meal). Our order is taken and paid fir at the table and delivered to us quickly as the order goes straight through to the kitchen. The one near Carlisle we go to has allied on display which you order and get on the plate but you are still in the queue to get drinks,then to pay by which time the food is cold,

I did'nt get my shower earlier but have had one just before it got dark and after I had corned the chickens. It was lovely and I was in there quite a while. The down side is that I forgot to turn the heating back on so felt quite cold when I came out.

Mandy the best thing to dust your little cottages with is a paintbrush because it gets into all the little creases. If they are really dusty have the hoover going at the same time with the snout on it. It dos'nt have to be a big brust just a stiff artists one.

I have a nice piece of smoked haddock out of the freezer for tonight which I will have with new pots, a nice fresh poached egg and maybe sweetcorn or peas.

You must be pleased as punch to have a decent water flow at last Mel. I bet you enjoyed your shower. Yes, it’s worth asking for some compensation for all the hassle you have been through. They can only say ‘no’. At the very least they should adjust your bill.

AnnG, it is bound to be quiet now you are on your own again but be glad you are able to spend time with your family. I only get to see my son and family 2 or at most 3 times a year and it is usually just for a weekend. I know I am seeing son and dil in March but I think they can only stay one night. I haven’t seen the 3 girls since October and have no idea when I will get to see them next. I’m jealous but aware that I still have OH so I am pleased for you that you can spend a week or two with your family every so often.

It’s been dry today but very overcast and cold. The window cleaners were here early this morning before I was dressed and when they had finished we went into town and got my glasses adjusted again. They seem much better now. We then went on to Dobbies at Bury St Edmunds. They had a lot of pre Christmas stuff they were selling off cheaply but nothing that I wanted. I did get 3 packets of seeds that were going half price and OH picked up some plant supports he wanted. Unfortunately they were full price and expensive. We then decided to have lunch there as well. Their prices seem to have gone up a lot in the last year and they no longer have the special offers they used to have. The worst thing though is the system. You find a table and decide from the menu what you want. Then you have to join a long queue at the counter where there is one girl. She makes all the drinks, takes the food orders and takes the payment. When OH eventually got to the front of the queue he ordered ham, egg and chips for me and sausage and mash for himself, only to be told they hadn’t got any sausages. The only other thing on the menu he could remember off the top of his head was lasagne so he ordered that. It took half an hour from him joining the queue at the counter to him walking back to the table. To be fair, once the order was placed it wasn’t long before the food came up and it was very good but I do think they need to sort out their system.

We are now back home and I am wondering what to do with myself for the rest of the day.

Afternoon All,

It seems to be a very dull day here and cold as well. Today's Normandy pork type dish done in the slow cooker yesterday went down very well with OH. The addition of some low fat fromage frais after heating it up makes it very tasty. Mel I add butter beans or red kidney beans sometimes too if I don't have enough veg, as OH loves them and they are good for us to have. I put gravy granules in at the start and usually use the high setting. OH has been beavering away all morning doing reports and notes and this afternoon will be the same.

That's a shame about Jake (I got it right this time!) AnnG. These things can take a while to heal so I hope he hasn't done too much damage to it and will be able to get back to some kind of work before long. I expect being home after a break does seem quiet at first, but you will soon be busy and meeting friends.

Mel, your water pressure is back at last! It does sound as if they make a cock up of fixing things before as well as the leak causing such a big bill. Was the water meter they'd fitted causing the problem? I bet your shower felt wonderful :-)

I need to sort some financial stuff next and then make these draught excluders for 2 of our doors ahead of the cold weather we are told is coming shortly. We both have tatty grey fleeces we were throwing out and I thought they could be cut, sewn and re-used.

Afternoon all,

Not so cold here today we have had a very light drizzle first thing then the sun came out ,its now clouded over and looks very black in the distance .

Mel thats good you now have a good water flow, you'll be able to have a lovely shower, it's been several weeks now that you've been waiting for them to put it right I'd definitely ask for some compensation, you know what they say don't ask don't get .

Got a sausage casserole in the slow cooker for tonight ,will decide later if I do veg with it or we have some rice .

Anng it must take a while to dust all those little cottages and figures before you pack them away ,my little Lilliput Lane cottages get dusty and they are so fiddly to dust .

Thanks Mel, I am not too bad as I have been busy but after 3 weeks it takes some getting used to. I have just spent two hours taking down my little tree and packing away all the cottages and figures. Takes a while to sort out how they all fit into the two over the wardrobes cupboards but I have done it now. Just going to jave another coffee then I will clean the room. It looks bare now of course.

Great Mel that you now have water. It was obviously their fault then. As I said you should get some compensation. :-) :-)

they have just gone and guess what? I NOW HAVE LOADS OF WATER COMING OUT OF ALL THE TAPS. They disconnected the meter thing they put in last time and dug another hole outside the bathrrom where the water comes in and put a log wire thing up the pipe turned the water on again and it came out how it should so now I am going to have a nice shower I hope. We will see....... :-D

Don't feel on your own Anng we are all here for you so just post if your feeling lonely. <3

Good morning all. It sounds as if they really don't know what they are doing Mel. I can see some compensation is needed.
I have started on putting the decs away, halfway through the cottages now. This is the hardest part as they are stored in the cupboard over the wardrobe in the spare roo so the stool/step ladder is involved. so onwards and upwards (literally(.

Daughter and SiL left at 0730 and it feels so empty without them.

Good luck with the Waterboard MEL !
I didn't think things could get any worse, but it seems they have :-0

You haven't had a decent reliable supply for ages now. I hope that fact will be reflected in any of your bills.

Morning a;ll.

Waterboard woke me up at 8am knocking on the door.They did something and now its worse than it was before!! They are going to take the new stop cock out and put the pipe straight down here to see if that works.

BBL.

Vera yes zi will find it strange at first and it is probably a longer break this time until May as nothing planned before.

Ann unfortunately Jake won’t be here tomorrow now to plan jobs as he has broken his hand and has to have an op on it tomorrow. (A log fell on it when working).

I hardly think of my hearing aid these days once they are in and would not be without them

Evening All,

Good to see you Gill and belated Happy Anniversary. It sounds like you are getting on well with finishing the bathroom and now just the finishing of the kitchen and two of the rooms with most to do will be done. Have a go with your slow cooker. Mine is on as we speak with pork, lots of veg, apple and mushrooms. Enough for 4 meals so 2 portions will get frozen.Yes get off to bed. Banging your head when you have a migraine is the last thing you need.

I had to look hard to see the fairy in the glass Mel, but think I saw her. What a nuisance Richard catching your car, but at least it wasn't dented. It isn't as if you don't have much space to turn either.

I often find glasses need adjusting Vera. In the shop they feel fine, but once you have them on for a while they dig in somewhere. It is good the hospital are monitoring you for longer. At least you know they will spot any change and it probably takes a while for them to be sure.

I see you are home again AnnG and have started packing Christmas away and have the boiler fixed and warming the place! You soon got Jason booked for some jobs.

You are right Mandy it does make your neck ache leaning over the bigger jigsaws. I still haven't started mine yet. As it's a Christmas scene I'm wondering whether to swap it for one of the others and save it till next Christmas.

We both went for hearing tests yesterday and were much the same with slight hearing loss, except mine was a bit lower still with one pitch in the left ear. They suggested I go for a full assessment next week to see if it could be improved at all and to rule out any other possible cause, but thought I probably wouldn't need anything yet. Later at home I was imagining the old days of ear trumpets like people used to have and made OH laugh when I wondered whether you would have two ear trumpets if both ears were bad. At least they have come a long way and are very discreet these days and it's best to have them if needs be, although I still don't like wearing glasses.

Fetched our meds today and they were all there for once, although I asked for more of one thing, but as usual, they ignored that and just prescribed the same as before. Even the leaflet with it says to use more than they give me. :-S

It’s certainly not your day Gill. I was surprised that you find a hot water bottle helpful for migraine. Most people are the opposite and want something to cool their head but we’re all different, aren’t we. I remember from before that you get a lot of bad heads. Do you have anything on prescription to help prevent them? If not, have a word with your doctor. I have a beta-blocker which can be prescribed as a migraine preventative. If it’s any consolation they do get better as you get older. I still get a lot of headaches, some quite bad, but seldom get a full blown migraine nowadays. I hope you feel better soon.

You have had a busy day AnnG. It’s nice to get help with your jobs. After spending a couple of weeks with family you will feel a bit strange being on your own but I am sure you’ll soon get back into your own routine.

I hope you enjoyed your dinner Mel. It sounded good though I’d have left out the barley which I really don’t like. I’m not all that keen on butter beans either but I’ll eat them if I’m given them. You can cook most things in a slow cooker but they are perfect for stew type meals and economical too. Give yours a go Gill.

Mandy, it’s amazing how the time goes when you start doing a jigsaw. You think I’ll just spend five minutes and before you know it an hour’s gone by. I haven’t done one for ages but you’ve started me thinking I ought to get one going.

It’s been a very cold day again and not nearly as sunny as yesterday. We went to our Thursday coffee meet with the group as we haven’t been for a couple of weeks - 7 of us there today. After lunch I fiddled about doing things on the computer but I felt really cold and decided I might warm up if I moved around a bit. So I gave OH’s en-suite a bit of a spring clean . By the time I’d cleaned the loo, the basin, the shower, the window, the mirror and washed the floor, I was very warm.

I think I’ll have a go at the crossword now and then maybe watch something on iPlayer. I hope you all sleep well tonight.

:-( Mel you think heating problems and a fridge that freezes and now Jake has broken his hand so not sure when he will be round, is not unlucky?

I am not a bit superstitious I was born on the thirteenth :-D

You should leave your decs up till next year now Anng or it could be unlucky.

Well I have had a little fiddle with my new Tudor man today but I am not getting on very well. I am having a job with his boots they are not going how I want them and I have glue everywhere.

I need to thicken my stew do you think it will be ok to put gravy granules in it as it is bubbling a bit as I had it on high.

I should go to bed Gill, it doesn’t sound like it is your day todsy :-)

Yes I wish I knew what caused the boiler to stop. So far so good so fingers crossed.
Happy anniversary and now you can have a double celebration with your new bathroom.

Do use the slow cooker they are great and easy to use.
We have been busy today, we went to Tesco and I got enough to last a week without having a delivery. It is so nice being able to choose my veg. We also went to the local garden centre and I bought two reduced Helebores. Daughter bought two wooden tubs to match two they already have. At home we checked out various Alexa plugs to see what they did and pulled out that were not doing anything. Then daughter put up some hooks in the new shed and they carried twi lots of shelf units from the garage to the shed. I removed all the fridge magnets from the fridge with a view to getting a new fridge. Must be 100+ magnets there. Loads from America mostly Disney. And too, the remainder of the cards down. Decs still up and also all the cottages. They will go away tomorrow,
Jake is coming tomorrow to discuss further jobs.

Gill there's a programme on channel 5 tonight at seven called My Drean Kitchen for Less I think its bathrooms they are doing too , a bit late for you but it might give a few tips that might help you .
I had a slow cooker in the cupboard for a while before I used it now I use it regularly, so easy to bung it all in and let it do the work .

Thanks for all the anniversary wishes, we ended up making a start on the bath panel and never went out in the end as it was far to cold. All I need to do now is silicone around the panel and the bathroom is finished. We had another look at the kitchen today but didn't do any work, we just talked about what we were going to do as I had a migraine and didn't fancy listening to the jigsaw OH needs to use to cut the side panels to the right size. My migraine was just easing off then I banged my head, I then decided to make a hot water bottle to put on my head as that always helps with migraines and scalded myself pouring the water into the hot water bottle. I seem to be having one of those days so have decided not to anymore work today.

Well Genes have sent me a receipt for my subs so that went through okay and now I've got access to Genes for another year. I haven't tried to get onto my emails again yet, but hopefully it'll work properly and not have a repeat of the last time I tried.

Your meal in your slow cooker sounds lovely Mel. OH bought me a slow cooker last year and I haven't used it yet. You mentioning yours reminded me about it.

I'm like you Mandy where the snow is concerned, it's lovely to look at from indoors but not so nice to walk, or drive in it. I don't think we're forecast for snow here, but did noticed down south are in for some snow which I was quite surprised about and of course Scotland, but then they always have snow, so no surprise there.

Pleased to see you made it home okay AnnG. Hope your boiler doesn't stop again, that's the last thing you need with the cold weather, I wonder what caused it to stop in the first place.

Going to check my messages on here, then try to check my emails.

Iv'e got the slow cooker on with lots of veg and some cut steak but I forgot to order butter beans but it has some barley in it too with onions carrots parnsnip and spring onions and a bit of tom purea and stock cubes, pepper and parsley.