General Chat

Morning all,

Dull and overcast here but it should be a nice day .

Mel I never keep my potatoes in the fridge I put mine in a cupboard so they are in the dark to stop them shooting ,in the winter we have a sack of potatoes and they are kept in the shed and covered over to stop the frost getting to them .

Not sure what we're doing today ,there's always jobs to do so I'm sure we'll gind something to do

Vera hope your headache eased after your walk home in the sun .

Mel I have to watch my fridge as the thermostat seems to have gone. If I don’t keep an eye on it anything on the bottom shelf freezes. And frozen strawberries last week, they were ok when they thawed but I only ate them with my yoghurt. Why did you put the potatoes in the fridge? :-S

BIL has just gone. He';s been here most of the day. Made a ramp so he can back the mower up to empty the grass cutting and cut the lawns. His wife is away at the mo but comes back tomorrow. He only just told me that before he went or I could have made dinner for the pair of us.

I did a silly thing yesterday, I put the potatoes in the fridge and must have changed the setting and when I went to get my cue out for my salad it was frozen. I checked other things and my tatoes have gone soft so I have ruined a whole new bag of Maris Piper. Dread to think what else has had it but my strawberries were ok on the top shelf and it was mainly a lettuce which the chickens had this morning and I think I have got away with the new pots.

glad that you managed it Vera, I hate walking into bright sun, as you say it gives you a headache. It is 23 degrees here, I did potter a bit in the garden but it was just too hot so I came in. got a couple of small jobs done though so quite pleased. Then I walked to the post box and took four books back to Irene for the next book stall, which I will miss as will be at daughters. Oh yes watered both gardens pots this morning as well.

Afternoon all

You're right Mandy - it is hot. 24 degrees at the moment but feels hotter as there is bright sunshine and hardly a breath of wind.

Have you got your car back yet with its new tyre Mel?

I think clothing manufacturers and shops make up sizes as they go along. I am 5'8" and fairly slim and need a 12 or a 14 depending on the make but I can seldom find stuff that fits me well. Trousers are the worst. If they are long enough and comfortable round the hips they are way too big on the waist. If they fit on the waist they are too snug on the hips for my liking. I haven't had a dress for years. I keep trying them on but if the top fits, the bottom doesn't and vice versa and the waist is never in the right place. The "quality" expensive brands tend to be a better fit but if something has cost me an arm and a leg I don't want to wear it for h/w, shopping or gardening so it only comes out "for best".

I got the 8.15 bus into town today. It's hardly any distance so I was shocked to find a single ticket was £3. As it was so early for my haircut I wandered up one of the side lanes to a little enclosed garden area and wandered about looking at the plants and watching a large dragonfly sunning himself on a huge cactus dahlia. There were lots of big dahlias and sunflowers and I sat on a bench with a drink of water and soaked up the atmosphere.

After my haircut I was back at the bus station by 9.40 am and the next bus wasn't until 11.20. I dithered between lingering over a coffee in one of our dozens of coffee places and then waiting for the bus or getting a taxi. In the end I did neither. I decided to walk home. We always used to walk to town and back and it would take no more than about 25 minutes each way but I am not as fit as I was even 3 years ago. As I was only going home I had no deadline to meet and could go at my own pace so I set out. I managed it OK and didn't take too long but I had a stinking headache by the time I got back. For a good part of the way back the shady side of the road has no footpath and it is a busy road so I had to walk on the side with a pavement which was in direct sun, it's uphill and I had stuff to carry. Also I had drink but I hadn't eaten since the previous evening, so I was a bit shaky. But I did it so I feel quite pleased with myself.

The annoying thing is that when I got back home the car was still there so I could have taken it. The service centre were supposed to be collecting it between 8 am and 11 am but they had some sort of emergency job that had to be done so they didn't collect it till 1.15 pm. I doubt if we will get it back tonight.

It's unbearably hot upstairs here at the computer so I am going to go downstairs and get a cold drink now. I hope you are all having a good day. Stay cool.

Morning all,

Phew hot here today I think it should go to 26 degrees .

Very hope you manage OK with the buses ,I don't know why they have to make the timetables so hard to understand.
I meant to say what a nice name for the new baby and wasn't she a good weight ,hope they get settled in the new house ok .

Anng I think the sizing on clothes has all gone to pot each shop seems to be different, I like the jeans from Bon Marche and they do lots of lengths in them too ,I need some new ones for the winter as one pair I cut all the knee when I fell over and they had to be the newest ones I had too .

Mel hope you get the car tyre sorted out OK more expense as Frank use to say.

Colins watching the women's football so I'd better make the coffee its usually his job .

Morning car goes in today so I will be back later.

Hope you all slept well.

good morning all 10 degrees here at the moment so cooler than the last few days but it is bright and sunny.

Vera hope the buses work well for you and you get to the hairdresser ok. (And home again).

I actually like shopping for clothes but have been fed up with trying to buy jeans. For at least fifteen years I have needed to buy size 16 regular being overweight for my 5 foot 2.5 but with short top, long legs for my height. But (and this is M&S), sizes seemed to change and the legs per type got slightly longer in trousers and the waist (without my size actually changing as I measured new against old) got about an inch smaller. I then had to make sure there was some form of stretch in the waist band and they didn't do many types of trousers like that. so my existing jeans are years old. Anyway yesterday I gave in and tried on a size 18 short and they fit. And I have actually lost weight (9 pounds) in the past 4 months. I am convinced that they have been playing around with sizes again. In the spring and summer I bought several pairs of Cargo trousers and shorts, all size 16 and all do up easily.

At least they have found the leak isn't in your property Mel so that's one good thing. Let's hope they can do something about it quickly.

It sounds as if you had a nice shop AnnG. I really hate shopping for me, partly because I always have trouble finding anything to fit. I would have enjoyed your quiche lunch.

I decided not to risk walking to the hairdressers tomorrow as it is supposed to be hot and, while I am coping, my back is still not very good nor is my head. I had a look online at bus timetables. Good grief, you need a doctorate to make sense of them .There are 2 possible buses. I could understand the timing of one of them but the route has been changed and it no longer stops where I would want to get on. I'd have to walk so far to pick the bus up that I might as well walk right into town. As for the other one - well!! Basically it runs every 2 hours during the day on Monday to Friday but all the times have different letters next to them. Sometimes the same time will appear twice but with different letters next to each entry. There are 6 different categories of how and where this bus will run. I think I sussed out that there is one at 8.15 and one at 10.20 from the stop I need to use so I rang the hairdresser to see if she could change the time and she can squeeze me in at 9 am so I shall aim for the 8.15 bus. Not sure what I will do about coming home as my cut and blow dry will only take 30 mins so I'll be out around 9.30 am and the next bus back is 11.20. You'd think we lived in some tiny hamlet somewhere but we are on the outskirts of a town of 25,000 people.

I went to the chiropodist today but because I was able to drive I was there and back in 45 minutes.

Anyway that's quite enough about my travel woes. After the chiropodist I did the ironing and then spent a while in the garden, tidying up and deadheading. We also took down the sweet peas. They started off well but by this month were looking very tatty and dry, in spite of them having plenty of water. Once they were down OH painted the fence panel behind them. He did all the rest a few weeks ago but had to give that one a miss because of the sweet peas growing on netting against that panel.

Phone went ping just now and it was my daughter with a new photo of grandson, his partner and the new baby; and the news that they are moving into the house they are buying tomorrow. I've sent grandson a text wishing them luck and telling him he must make sure his partner doesn't lift a finger less than a week after a difficult birth.
I must now have a hunt for that "New Home" card I bought a few weeks ago. So I'm off now on a hunt for a card and a trip to the post box with it. :-)

Mel let us hope you can get it sorted now. Glad it is not in the house so not your responsibility. these water companies have so many leaks.

Just back from Cheltenham. Had a good run, left here on the bus at 11am and got home at 2.40p, Had lunch of quiche and salad in John Lewis. the quiche was lovely Not good for a low carb diet but the best they had. Best anybody had.

Spent a fair bit in M&S. The bill came to over £70 but I had a 20% off any clothes over £50 so the bill was just under £60. Thay included Lavender handwash, knickers (5 pack), jeans and ywo tee shirts one Autograph in the sale and one Per Una. Both really nice soft material. couldn't carry any more so I came home and as I got off the bus it started spitting with rain.

BIL is here now.

Just had the man from SWW down to see where my leak is. Its not in the house thank goodness. They are going to send a man down to dig the grass up and under the big arch as the man thinks its there somewhere. He had a meter thing and headphones and a thing that went on the ground to listern. They will ring me when they are coming.

After they have done the leak they must take a meter ready for me and I have to take one a week later and submit it to the water board. Now why coud'nt they have done that in the first place months ago when the other chap came and looked at the meter he did'nt come down here and turn the water off to the house lkike this man. It would all have been over by now.

17 degrees here too. I think, as I have nothing else to do, I might take the bus into Cheltenham for a look round. Probably BBL

Done the pond filter nice and early and have fed my fish but not the big pond yet.

Its now 17 degrees and mostly sunny but I did have a few spots of rain when I was doing the filter.

You can feel the warmth in the sun today which makes a change but there are a few grey clouds up there.

good morning all bright here. some sun pale blue sky with white clouds and 16 degrees. Up a bit late this morning and just going for shower and hair wash. Nothing planned though so will see what happens.

Morning All,

Nice bright morning here and pc says 13 degrees and mostly cloudy.

Shopping coming today and I have one sub on my marmalade I ordered the three fruit one and they have sent orange so that can go back as I am not in any rush for it.

I must ring the garage too about hi getting me a new tyre in as I don't want to be without a car for long.

I can't remember if I like them or not as its so many years since I had one off the tree.

The sun is out now and its a lovely evening.

Time for more painkillers now.

Figs look good Mel. I love figs but I’m not supposed to have them :-(

A hot, sticky day here with mixed sunshine, grey skies and sudden, short showers. Weather app is telling me it’s 22 degrees and feels like 26. After putting the washing out and then having to dash out in the rain to get it all back in I gave up. Some is draped over a large clothes airer and the rest went in the tumble dryer. I try not to use it much as it’s bad for the environment and bad for my pocket but I occasionally give in if I’m surrounded by piles of wet washing. I had done 3 loads which was all our clothes for a week and 2 lots of bedding.

Between showers I also managed to do a bit more in the garden and I’ve done a bit of h/w indoors as well and made some phone calls. OH can sometimes be very helpful but today isn’t one of those days. All he has done today is read or doze in front of the TV but he admits he slept well and feels fine. That’s men for you, lol.

I’ve just discovered that the car is going for a service and its MOT on Wednesday and I am due a haircut that day. I can’t rebook it as my hairdresser is going on holiday and buses round here are atrocious. OH said to book a taxi but that seems extravagant when it’s only about 1.5 miles. I am very out of condition but it is downhill going so I think I’ll walk it. I just need to give myself more time than I would have done a couple of years ago.

Mel, did you ring the doctor? You can’t go on in pain. You either need a different pain killer or anti inflammatory drug or you need some proper physiotherapy.

I’m waiting for Tesco at the moment. They are supposed to be here between 4 and 5 pm. The order covers 3 weeks.so it will take me a while to sort it all out and put it all away. There’s nothing missing and no subs. The order contains a ready meal that I can just pop in the oven. I know some of these ready meals aren’t really very healthy but I do most of my cooking from scratch so I don’t think it hurts to go for convenience foods occasionally.

I hope the weather’s nice where you are and you’re all having a good day. I think I’ll go and look at the paper while I’m waiting for Mr Tesco.

Figs look good. what will you do with them?