General Chat

Mandy yes, I am mostly staying away from where things are blowing in the wind. I intend making some tomato soup and maybe a small amount of sauce for the freezer, then I have a new baby card to make in anticipation of September when great grandchild number 5 is due, and then maybe start on Christmas cards.

Morning all,

Very windy here this morning but not cold ,I was warm in bed last night I had shut the window because of the wind and it was supposed to rain but it didn't until just as we got up ,I have just hung some washing out but must keep an eye on it or I could be chasing it round the churchyard .
I'm glad you all like the poppies ,I like to help people out if I can and it will be nice to see them displayed on ths netting .

Hope all goes well at your hospital appointment today Vera .

Oh Anng do be careful in the garden especially with the wind it could easily blow something into your face .

Hope you can get your parcel posted again Mel what was wrong hadn't you printed the address plain enough .

Ann I'm not sure when I shall get the poppies to the lady there's only a two hour slot when the crafters who will take them in for the lady are there in the library and I keep missing it ,I get busy doing jobs and then the time has passed .
Hooe OH got on ok at ths dentist .
I have found another book on amazon with little knitted gnomes so I'm going to get son order it today.

Morning all,

Yes good luck with the eye appointment Vera hope its good news.

Quite bright here this morning but its only 15 degrees here and does feel rather autuminal out there.

I have to try and repost this parcel today so I am not hanging around but will be back later.

Good morning all slept well once I got to sleep but woke early at 0620. My nose was blocked, and of course I can't blow it, so I got up as it clears then. 16 degrees now but feels a bit nippy.

Friend came round yesterday afternoon for 2 hours chat so that was nice.

Mandy all those poppies, they look great, well done.

I think I am going to start on making my Christmas cards today, that will give me something to do to pass the time. Plenty to do out in the garden and that is hard to ignore but I can't risk it. I did sneakily get a few branches down yesterday off one of the buddleias but had to be really careful.

Good luck with the eye appointment Vera.

You are a little devil Mandy the picture you sent of all those poppies and you're going to make some more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There's no stoipping you is there?

I had a thing in the post today asking me to send back something to do with the phone but I never had the new one when I changed to EE and then cancelled it. I had to ring BT again to ask if my package contained an antivirus as nothing was mentioned about that. Anyway it was a very nice chap called Phil who was very clearly spoken and he told me I have antivirus and to ignore the return package that came to me. He also is going to send a man round to check my pc and make sure everything is running ok and its free so He is coming on 2nd Sept and will come annually. Now thats what I call good service.

Afternoon all,

We had a shower of rain first thing and it's been dry since ,well until I now got the washing in as it really clouded up and I could feel a few spots when I went out to pick some runner beans for tonight , it's very windy too.

Son took me shopping as they are still using our car ,they are waiting for a part to come for his which should be today or tomorrow.

All this talk of scones makes me want one now with some lovely cream and jam ,might have to make a few tomorrow.

Poppies all done 100 ,but I still have some red and black wool so I'll make a few more ,something for my fingers to do while watching the tele .

O gosh I have just had a parcel returned and it was a signed for one. The address has been scribbled through and Tim the postman has been asking all the houses round me if they sent it!! Luckily I always put my post code on the back.

What a todo... There's always something that makes me stop what I want to do. I'm glad you liked the Little Tacker expression, its strange how these little things come back to you with just a few words. I envy you your scones...... may have to treat myself to some and some clotted cream and my homemade plum jam.

Mandy since the op my legs have gone back to where they were in June, quite stiff and achy which shows the lack of exercise. Although I do make sure I mover around, walk down the garden a lot. Maybe I should have some of Max's tablets.

Ann Yes I have liquidised the whole tomatoes in the past so will probably do that. I am hoping my friend is calling round tomorrow and have asked her to get me some basle. I might make some soup, not sure. I have also got some shop tomatoes, bought before I went to daughters and they are ok so might liquidise then too.

Mel you just made me smile, a blast from the past, you mentioned a little tacker. I have not heard that expression since many years ago from T's father in Buckfast. Love it. Pleased that you had a nice evening.

I have two scones and cream etc left to eat today, the scones are not huge and are very light so I am looking forward to them, one lunch time and one around 4pm I think.

Vera hope all goes well with the eye appointment tomorrow. And enjoy your coffee meet this morning. :-)

Morning girls,

I had to read all your post from yesterday as I turned the pc off to do some painting yesterday and then had to get ready to go to Stuarts for dinner last night.

Its so horrid when you get an itch you can't scratch but it is a good sign its healing well. Not long now before its checked out and you are managing enough sleep. As to your tomatoes I always think the best way to keep them is to freeze them and put them in stews and casseroles as Ann said. I used to cook them and pop them through a stainer and drink it as tom juice with a bit of Worcester sauce. A nice packet of crisps to go with it. A smashing suprise with the scones and jam,cream and shortbreads. What a nice thing for your daughter to do. You just enjoy being spoilt.

I enjoyed my night out at Stuart's we had pizza and beef dripping chips which was a change for me. The only thing was he left the pizza in the oven a bit too long and it was a bit hard on the base for my poor old teeth. His son (one of the twins) ate with us too and his friend so it was quite a party really. Then the other twin came down and chatted to us. She is nothing like her brother and I had 'nt seen her for years since she was a little tacker. His third child was at her mums for a sleep over so I hav'nt met Ruby yet.

Its supposed to be 17 degrees here and cloudy and they are just about right today but its been raining and windy and the rains blown all over the patio and its still wet.

Morning All,

Much the same here, 16 degrees and a bit windy but no rain yet, although the sky is very grey. Not sure if we are going out as OH is at the dentist for a check up at the moment.

AnnG after fiddling skinning tomatoes to freeze in the past, latterly in the pandemic I just washed them and liquidised them skins and all, very simple and froze them in portions for a sauce. You can't tell the skins are in the sauce and I used them added to lamb mince and rice or chicken or made lasagne. My tomatoes were the smaller than a golf ball gardener's delight. I'm glad you got some sleep again last night and hope the dressing isn't too irritating today. I could well imagine your SIL having been a rugby player in the past. We would love to make our garden walled all around, but it would be very expensive to do, so I am envious of walls too! They shelter as you say and hold the heat from the sun too which helps the plants. Your daughter does have a big garden if that is just a part of it.

Well done! You've made the 100 then Mandy! :-D :-D When will you give them to the lady? I bet her face will be a picture when she sees how many you have. It's good that vets can help ease things for dogs these days and I think I could do with something like that for my knees, although I do take glucosamine with chondroitin tablets. He's a bit older than I thought now, but the time seems to fly lately.

Vera enjoy your coffee meeting. You must be glad of it being a bit cooler after sweltering for so long. Fingers crossed you might be discharged from the eye hospital tomorrow. :-)

Morning all

There’s a real change in the weather for us today. It’s grey, wet and windy and feels cold although my iPad is telling me that it’s 16 degrees. I think you’re right AnnG about the temperature starting to drop in the early hours now.

I hope your nose isn’t too uncomfortable this morning. I’ve made tomato sauce with excess tomatoes as well and sometimes just frozen them if I am in a rush and then used them in casseroles. That probably wouldn’t work very well with tiny tomatoes.

Your tumbling tomatoes have plenty on them Mandy. Naughty Max, I shouldn’t think green tomatoes would be very good for his tum

I worked really hard at h/w yesterday so don’t plan to do much today. We’ll meet our friends for coffee as usual and will get some fresh veg while we’re out but that’s all I’ve planned. Tomorrow I have an appointment at the eye hospital. I keep hoping that they will discharge me. I thought the first appointment was a one-off to sort me out. I didn’t dream I would still be going 2 years later. They always put in several different drops so I may not be posting tomorrow. It depends how blurry my eyes are.

Good morning all. A mixed night and one time I was actually cold when I woke up so the temp must have dropped, around 3am I think. But I did get some sleep. My problem last night was waking and my nose was blocked as if I had a cold and my throat was dry as I had been breathing through my mouth. I do get a blocked nose sometimes and I can clear it by blowing my nose. something I can't do at the moment.

Mandy I will think about tomato soup but I may make a tomato sauce and put in the freezer, that is what I often do. I am not sure the tiny currant tomatoes would be any good for that though as they don't have a lot of pulp.(think red currants).

Ann yes Sil is very tall and broad, not really fat although he could lose a bit of weight. He is not a big eater though, was a rugby player in his youth (Rugby League). He is being trained to assist with gardening and has taken on the lawns. That is only about a quarter of their rear garden, they have a corner house with a large plot. And the wall (of which I am very envious), Because it is sheltered the plants do very well there and are often advanced on mine even being up North.

Could you make some tomatoe soup with the toms Anng thats the trouble you either get one or two that ripen or a whole load of them ripen together you don't know what to do with them .
I can see mine all ripening together but I can pass some onto son and dil as the children will eat them and last year I gave some to a neighbour.

Ann Max is 8 and we've been giving him these flexi joint tablets for about a year and a half now since he pulled a muscle in his back leg ,these last lot are flexible plus with the green lipped mussel extract.

Two more poppies and that will be 100 :-D

Thank you for the photos AnnG. Your SIL is tall isn't he. I only came up to the chin of my first OH, so similar to your daughter. They have a nice garden and the flower border is very colourful. I like the landscape views too as it is years now since I went to the lakes. It is a strange dressing as you said, but smaller than I expected, But I would be worried about knocking it off as well. Your tomatoes look so good and plenty of them and grown outside too!

Yes OH is good on football questions, but he's good at quizes on tv on general knowledge, probably reading such a lot of variety helps. I can only stump him on nature and cookery!

You and Colin have done a useful job ready for the roof repair on the shed Mandy. It's supposed to get very windy, so it was good to get it done today. Your tomatoes are looking healthy with plenty to come as well. Is Max getting a bit creaky with his joints? I can't remember how old he is now.

OH rang me quite late to say he could be another two hours and to get my own lunch and he'd sort himself something when he got home which he did. Would you believe it he's out to another match tonight, which I'd forgotten. He said it was so he could take some of his football programmes to a pal he will see there and I thought he meant some of those from the garage, but when I saw them I told him they looked very new and made him smile and he agreed they were just ones from recent matches! The little tinker!

Yes but then I have the other problem of there being too many for just me and Cynth doesn't eat them.

Yes I am concerned at how the dressing stays on. I wonder if there is some typ of adhesive or maybe a titch through the back of it. I am very worried about knocking it off I have to say.

Sounds like you will be having a rest this afternoon after clearing all that behind the shed. down the side of my house is a bit like that all stuff dumped down there when T was alive.

Ann I think it is good for your OH to have an interest in something. I bet he is good at football questions in quizzes.

I have had one scone with jam and cream and it was delicious. Yes my daughter is good to me. She goes on holiday for two weeks to Santorini at the end of August. I hate it when they are out of the country.

Ann thats a lovely lot of toms ,mine are still green .

Afternoon all,

Nice sunny day here and we've been outside all the morning tidying up and pulling alsorts out from behind the shed ,there was a lot of down pipe and guttering that Colin stored there from his jobs when he was working ,the school had a lot of it a few years ago as the children use it for play ,Colin has cut it up ready to go to the tip , I had a good sweep so it's nice and tidy now and when son gets time to do the shed roof there's nothing in the way .
I cut a few leaves off the tumbling toms and Max went straight for a tomato so I'll have to move the tub down near the shed behind the gate out of his way .

Lovely photos Anng nice to see where you went while away ,that is a strange dressing on your nose when I looked at it I thought how the devil does it hold on as it looks just like a blob of clay on your nose ,I'd be worried of catching it and it dropping off .
That was so thoughtful of your daughter to send the cream tea ,you enjoy ,you deserve it after your op .

Ann that was good in and out before your time that's how I like it no hanging about .

We had a day yesterday of waiting for parcels to come ,both ordered from amazon at the same time and they usually come together but not yesterday one came mid morning that was my liquid talc and the other was Max's joint tablets they came through the letter box about five o'clock.
The liquid talc is nice for my hands when I'm knitting if they get a bit hot and sticky but it's also nice for your body too ,id never heard of it until dil had the children and we got some from mother care years ago.

Hopefully just going to send a photo of the tomatoes I have picked over the last two days. All outside in pots.

Afternoon All,

It's 17 degrees here now. Early start this morning as I had a thyroid blood test appointment at 8.40am. We didn't hang around once we were ready after our showers and set off early. I'd barely sat down when I was called in and was back in the car 10 minutes before my appointment was due, so that was good. Recently they'd made 9 of the 18 parking spaces just for the doctors, but today we saw only 2 are for doctors now. I think a lot must have missed appointments because of nowhere to park and we thought taking 9 spaces was excessive considering most of the doctors spaces were empty when we went and most of them work part time now. OH has gone 30 miles to a council meeting about a complaint so lunch will be late today.

What a thoughtful and lovely surprise from your daughter AnnG! Just what you need a bit of spoiling!! It's good you slept better last night. Stitches can itch a bit as healing takes place, but, as you say, don't sneeze! OH only has to look at the sun and he sneezes!! I use SPF50 on my face now and used SPF15 all year for many years. I don't usually have anything on my arms and legs, but don't sit in the sun much or for long. I have pasty skin and a few freckles so am more at risk of burn. Someone I worked with years ago used to use sunbeds 2-3 times a week! I know 2 people who have had melanomas which can be more
serious. One was a very young woman and the other needed several operations. Hers was where you wouldn't notice it.

Yes OH does love his football! His dad started it by taking him to a match when he was 7 years old. He watches it on TV most days, has a newspaper and magazines about it, including football grounds and numerous books about grounds. I call it an obsession, he calls it a passion! lol :-D. He has a very active mind and does find it relaxing and some men have worse hobbies don't they! As long as he doesn't neglect everything at home I don't mind too much. I'm not mobile enough at the moment for us to do the walking and cycling we used to do and he never minds me doing whatever I want and if parking nearby is a concern for me will always offer to take and fetch me, I don't need to ask. Importantly, matches didn't matter to him when I was in hospital for surgery and he was there all the hours he could stay, sitting and reading and doing crosswords with me.

Mel what cute baby Swallows and they are already so big it's a wonder none have fallen out of the nest! Your tomato has made me wish I had grown some, but never mind, there's always next year.

No txt from OH to say he's on his way yet, but I think I'll get the plates in the warming drawer ready. I can do my scripts online too.

That was thoughtful of your daughter AnnG - what a lovely surprise. Don't worry about weight, just enjoy your goodies. You deserve a treat. Thank you for the lovely photos you sent. The scenery is beautiful. We do like the lakes but haven't been for a long while and these days I certainly wouldn't be able to tackle the fell walking we used to do. I still have my walking boots but they haven't been on my feet for years. OH managed to leave his behind somewhere when he was away on a men only jaunt. Now I think about it there are bits of him scattered round the world. As well as his boots, pyjamas have been left somewhere or other, a shirt somewhere else and an electric razor in Sweden (we paid the postage to get that back). You won't be surprised to hear that I wasn't there to organise him on any of these trips, lol.

That dressing looks quite uncomfortable Ann. It's in such an awkward place as you wear glasses but you look as though you are managing very well. I hope you continue to improve every day.

Mel, thank you too for the photos you sent. It's lovely to see the swallows nesting there again as they are losing so many of their traditional nesting spots as old buildings get pulled down and new houses get built. Your tomato made me smile. I know I shouldn't laugh but, as AnnG said, it did look lonely though I bet it tasted good. I have some tomatoes turning red at last. Mine are outside in pots.

The weather thingie on my PC seems to be stuck all day on whatever it says when I first open the computer. At the moment it is saying 14 degrees and sunny which is clearly wrong. My phone says 20 degrees with sunny intervals and a moderate breeze which sounds about right if you translate moderate breeze to very windy.

The car came back about 6 pm last night so it is now serviced, MOT'd and valeted at an exorbitant price, though Volvo do include their own breakdown cover for the next year so we don't have to join the AA or similar organisation. The electrician finished his jobs and I was surprised when I went into the kitchen to see how tidy it all was. Goodness knows what all the hammering and noise was about but I'm happy that I haven't got to clean up the kitchen. With the car and the electrical work yesterday was an expensive day and the bank balance has a bit of a hole in it now.

Today I have done the ironing and a couple of small jobs and, if I can rouse the energy, I'll clean the upstairs bathroom and my en-suite this afternoon. I had a good go at the downstairs cloakroom and OH's en-suite on Monday. We're waiting on a package that is out for delivery today but can come any time up to 10 pm so we won't be going out at all today

OH is getting lunch so I'll be off downstairs in a minute. We're just going to have some Boursin and I suggested that he got out some crackers. I want to use them up as they are just starting to go a bit stale but I'm sure he wasn't listening. I expect I'll get it spread on bread and put on a plate with some rocket and a few baby plum tomatoes. He can be very predictable Oh well, at least he tries to help. My neighbour's OH does a little gardening and that is about it. He refuses to vacuum or cook or do much else really so I'm glad I've got the OH I have.