General Chat

Like you AnnG I slept better last night but woke early, just after 5 am. I didn’t get up right away but lay daydreaming and thinking. When I did get up and went to open the blinds I could see my neighbour across the courtyard gardening at the front of her house, so she’s another one who was up early today. She’s a lovely lady with lots of medical issues. She’s very short and as wide as she is high and she looked so funny as she was wearing a heavy winter anorak and a sun hat. I had to smile.

Yesterday was a lovely day again and I managed to do some gardening. I have bulbs by the hundreds. The ones in the garden just stay in the ground but I have loads of pots full of bulbs. I had lifted all the earlier ones and they were drying off so I got those packed away for next year and lifted all the rest to get those dried off. That left me with several large empty pots so I got one of them cleaned up and planted it up with some geraniums. I also did some general tidying up around the garden. Lots more to do but we’ll get there eventually. While I was gardening OH cleaned out all the gutters so that’s another job out of the way.

Enjoy your open gardens event today AnnG. We haven’t been to one for a while now but I used to like nosing round other people’s gardens and picking up ideas and tips.
Sorry to hear about your son’s diabetes. I am sure he’ll get used to managing his food intake with a bit of encouragement.

Youngest granddaughter (17 in a couple of days) is FaceTiming us this afternoon so we’re looking forward to that. She is very funny and always makes me laugh.

I've now been up a couple of hours and I’m still in my dressing gown and not yet had breakfast so I had better get moving. Have a good day everyone and enjoy the sunshine while we can.

Good morning all. slept ok last night but woke up early. 10 degrees here and sunny at the moment. This afternoon going with friends to Frampton on Severn where they have open gardens in the village. The village will bring back memories as it is on part of the walk T and I used to do from the canal, right up until July 2020. They are beautiful memories though.

Did'nt do the washing in the end.

Hope you all sleep better tonight.

Night night see you in the morning.

Been to Hatherleigh for deisel at last. Angela and Adrian called round with the news letter and had 6 eggs off me so that was good.

Not done a thing in the garden today. Its 20 degrees here now so cooling down a bit now. I may go out and pressure wash the decking.

Afternoon all,

Oh its warm out today ,we've had a good tidy up in the front garden and Colin has painted the fence down one side ,ths other side he'll do in ths autumn as the white rose is now so big he can't really get behind it.

Belated birthday wishes to your OH Vera I hope he had a nice day .

We've just had a Fish and chip lunch so all we'll need later is a sandwich or some salad .
Someone asked me the other say was I making any hair scrunchies this year to go on my board outside so I think I'll get a bit of sewing done this afternoon .

Morning Anng and all,

Bright sunny morning here today and pc says 11 degrees and sunny. Woke this morning and saw a big buzzard settle in a tree out the back. Had to put my glasses on to see what it actually was. Don't mind him out there as we are overun with baby bunnies at the mo.

Don't think BIL is coming today as he mowed all the grass yesterday.

May do some gardening later as theres always plenty to do out there.

Good morning all. Despite being up early I did have a better night's sleep last night. This was surprising because son decided to e mail me quite late in the evening with the news that, at his company health insurance check up, he has been told he has diabetes type 2. Not quite the shock it would cause some as my daughter has had it diagnosed for over ten years now. Apparently he contacted her first and she has been giving him 'tips'. The diagnosis is not really the concern, more how he will manage it properly. Daughter is quite strict with herself but son is still working and is a workaholic so is often travelling to Scotland or Bournemouth from MKeynes and not eating regularly.

It is clear and sunny here this morning and 7 degrees. Like Vera said, yesterday was lovely but there was still that nip in the wind. I think I heard a weather forecaster say the wind was from the North which explains it.
Tesco due today instead of Sunday when I am going out to Frampton on Severn as it is open gardens day.
At least Cynth is back from her break so no basket watering in there to do. I don't think I have ever had to water baskets and pots so early in the year before but it is ages since we even had a quick shower.

Good evening all

Sorry you didn’t sleep well again last night AnnG. I slept better last night. I hope you have a good night tonight. How did the photography group go?

Shame your bil didn’t manage to get photos of the barn owl, Mel, but nice for you to have a chat with his wife.

It’s been a nice sunny day but there’s still a nip in the breeze. At the moment it’s about 14 degrees but the breeze is making it feel cooler. Today is OH’s birthday and also our dil’s. Son and dil are in Italy but son phoned this morning to wish his Dad a happy birthday which made OH’s day. We went to a very nice restaurant for a birthday lunch and I’ve done nothing but yawn since we got back. That’s what 3 courses and a glass of wine at lunchtime does to me. I haven’t done a thing since we got back just after 4 pm so I must try and get on with some work in the garden tomorrow

I’m now going to go and investigate some hammering noises I’ve been hearing for the last half hour. Window is open so I hope it’s just noise carrying from somewhere over the back and not OH deciding to do something like rehang a door. He has been known to get an idea in his head and just go full steam ahead regardless of whether it’s sensible or convenient. Still, I mustn’t moan at him on his birthday.

BIL came this morning unexpectedly.

Morning Anng and all,

Nice bright morning again 13 degrees and sunny buy the pc.

BIL came yesterday late afternoon with his wife so it was nice to have a natter to her. He came hoping to get some pictures of the barn owl but it did'nt put in an appearance but he did get the song thrush which was in the big ash tree singing its head off for ages. We sat outside listening to all the different bird song. We heard the blackbird and the wood pigeon the thrush and the robin so it was nice to heard lots of different ones all together. He did also get a nice pic of the deer. He told me that the deer over Exmoor are nioulting and look all tatty but mine have moulted out and have their summer coats of a lovely rusty colour. She was out the back in the long grass by the trees but as he took pics of her she went back into the wood.

Good morning all, last night was a bit better but still not a good night's sleep. Never mind I will no doubt keep plodding on. Photography group this afternoon, that will keep me awake.

I’m glad you enjoyed the live screening AnnG. We’ve been to a few now. We’re booked next to go to Life of Pi which will be from the National Theatre. It will be interesting to see how they stage that.

Evening all

I hope you have all had a good day. It's been dry all day here but a bit overcast and with a chilly breeze.

I managed to do a little bit of hand washing and do the ironing early today and then I went for a birthday lunch with half a dozen ladies, just to a local pub. Today they were trying an experiment and had a singer in. She was very good but her strong voice and the amplified backing nearly deafened us. It was impossible to chat across the table. After we left there we went back to the birthday girl's house for tea and cake so there was plenty of chatting going on there.

I've mentioned our friends M & V before. M was with me, in fact she does the driving while my eyes are bad. My OH and V decided that as we were out to lunch they would go off together for a pub lunch. Apparently they enjoyed it so much that they are going to do it every time we ladies go out for a meal..

OH and I are out to lunch together tomorrow as it's his birthday so we have booked a table at a rather nice restaurant The trouble with all this going out and about is that nothing is getting done in the garden and we have so much weeding, planting, tidying up etc to do. The upside is that in the last 9 days I have only had to cook 2 dinners.

Not sure I want anymore to eat but OH has just called out that he has made a sandwich so I had better go and eat it. I hope you all sleep well tonight.

Morning all,

I think i TOOK A LEAF OUT OF YOUR BOOK TIS MORNING aNNG AS i GOT UP AT 10AM. wENT TO THE LOO MUCH MUCH EARLIER AND THOUGHT i WILL HAVE A LITTLE LIE IN and thats what happened. Sorry caught my finger.


Must have a drink as the kettle has boiled.

Had a phone call this morning and when I answered it she said you have a tellyphone call from and then it went blank so a hoax call probably.

Good morning all, a bit grey here but already 13 degrees. After all the excitement and loud music my sleep pattern was disrupted as I didn't get to bed until 11.30 and I had a really bad night for sleep. finally woke at 0845. up and dressed now but I think it will be a slow day. Luckily all the planting was finished yesterday so it is back to weeding and clearing old pots today.
glad you sorted the mouse Mel, I had trouble with mine the other day and changing the battery eventually solved it. always a good idea to switch the whole thig off and start again that often sorts out any updating problems. Yes I rely on the PC for contact with people as well.

The ballet was very impressive. The first time I have been to a live performance and uncanny to feel you are actually at the Royal Opera House as you can hear the buzz of the audience. In between scenes/acts we had Darcy Bussell and a man whose name I missed talking to us and explaining the meaning of parts of the ballet, the costumes, the dances and the miming, that was informative and interesting. The cast was huge and all performers were excellent The leading male was fantastic (Matthew Ball) and one of the three leading ladies was so very good (Kristen McNally). Her stamina and flexibility was unbelievable. I am not a ballet lover but I recognise skill when I see it. How she gets her legs to do what they do I have not got a clue.

Mandy thanks for the message from Mel, bet that made you jump at first!

I'm back!!!!!!!!!!!!! I managed to get the mouse to work again. It just would'nt appear on the screen so I changed the batteries in it and it still did'nt work so I did it again thinking they were no good. till no joy so I turned the pc off on the box and left it.

Turned it back on much later on after coming in from the garden and it worked ok. I was so relieved I can tell you as its my contact with the outside world. :-D

Hope you enjoyed the ballet Anng and that Vera's bruises are getting better.

Off now so see you all in the morning I hope.

Evening all,

Firstly I have a message from Mel she has trouble with her pc so don't know when she will be able to post as she said it just died on her ,hopefully she will be able to post again soon .
She rang me and just for a second I had to think who it was ,it was nice to have a chat.

Vera I hope your not to bruised after your fall ,how lucky you were not to break any bones .

Anng I hope you enjoy the ballet tonight and you've got your plants all planted up .
You asked if Jake has a girlfriend ,no no girlfriend that I know of .

It's been a very warm day here, I had to nip to town to put our prescriptions into boots and got a couple of things I needed from the pound shop then when I came home we put the canes in for the runner beans .
Got my line of washing dry and luckily there's no ironing that needs doing in that lot so all folded and put away in the airing cupboard.
I had some pots that had some small Lupin plants in but they died off over the winter so I emptied the soil out from the pots and they all had monkey nuts buried in them ,the whole nut with the shell not just the peanut ,so the Squirrel has been busy ,he'll have a shock when he comes hunting for his nuts

Morning all,

Bright sunny morning here in deepest Devon and pc says near record ?? 12 degrees and sunny. Echo says its 13 degrees and to expect a high of 19 degres

I too shall be inthe garden today and finish off what I started yesterday and maybe a bit more. I have to move a lot of pots that have dead flowers in but the orchids have come up in a lot of them and I don't want to throw those away. They have even come up between the decking round the big pond and the wall of the patio.

I don't think its going to be a very good apple year down here as there was'nt much blosome on my trees.

Enjoy your screening tonight Anng and be careful in the garden today. Don't overdo it so you can't enjoy your outing.

Good morning AnnG and all

13 degrees and sunny at the moment so it should be another good day.

Yesterday I spent the morning washing and vacuuming, then we went with 2 other friends to tea at someone’s house and I caught up with paying bills, answering emails etc in the evening. OH is shortly going to drive me into town for some shopping and a hair appointment.

Enjoy the screening AnnG. I was going to book for Sleeping Beauty but decided I just couldn’t fit any more into this week

Better get moving as OH is getting the car out. Have a good day everyone.

Good morning all up early as I had slept well and had enough sleep. sun shining so far although pc say mostly cloudy and 18 degrees. I assume that is the forecast as it is 9 degrees according to Alexa, Mostly gardening today until I go out at 6'15pm to see the live screening of sleeping beauty ballet with friends.