General Chat

Yes the pink top arrived but its very cheap looking, I thought it may be but it is cotton and much too long really. I think its going to be a trip into Barnstaple for a look around. The lady who did the alterations moved away to Newton Abbot I found out on Wednesday so not sure what to do now. May have another look at some more velour trousers and see if they have ones with slim legs and a length of 27 or 29 inches.

Don't feel like doing anything again today as its so miserable and raining.

I sold two lots of things on Ebay yesterday and one lady paid and the one who bought three lots did'nt pay. In my ads I put that I will combine the postage but if they are bidding on another thing at a later date I am willing to wait but they must message me to let me know. I sent the invoice again tis morning and asked if they would pay before 10.30am or I would miss the post van. They did'nt so I only posted the one parcel to the lady that paid. When I got back after being held up by the man cleaning the drains out and then I could'nt drive in my driveway as Simon had his van parked there but he came and moved it when he saw me. They were having a skip delivered and the roofer was there too. When I eventually got in the person had sent me a message saying he has bought something else and could I add it to the parcel. I said no as there was'nt any room left in the box I had done up anyway so I asked him politely to pay for it seperately and he did and paid the postage. I did up the tiems and put a ;little extra something in as he paid more postage. I do try to be fair with people.

Well I walked down to Irenes to get some books, unfortunately I met a friend there and was chatting so from the 6 books I chose, four have to go back tomorrow as I have already read them. I can never remember the ones from my favourite authors that I have read so have a list that I check them by when I get home. I am usually quite good but was not concentrating this morning. I will re-read one as I honestly can't remember reading it but I see I read it in 2020, my guess while T was in hospital and it obviously didn't 'go in'.

My leg ached in the night again last night, actually it was my ankle. In the end I got up and put some Deep Heat on it and that must have done the job as I went back to sleep. I have a suspicion that it is just age related and sometimes, best ignored.

I have actually come to quite enjoy sitting down in town and watching the people. usually there is a seat near where the buskers sing or play instruments so on a nice day it is quite relaxing. Different if I am in a hurry of course

Mel, I think because you have been listing what you have eaten you have not mentioned things like chops so yes, your diet is fine for protein.

By the way, did you get the pink top that you had ordered? If so was it OK?

Hope tomorrow is dry for the fete then Vera, so disappointing for people after all the planning if they are rained off. Do they have any tents or marquees?

Ah, it is not the granddaughter that you saw recently that is coming, it is the one who said she was hoping to get down to see you. Nice to have something to look forward to.

Good morning all

What a cold, wet, miserable day again. It’s 13 degrees at the moment but is supposed to get up to 17 or 18 later.

Tomorrow it’s not supposed to get above 15 all day and to be wet and quite windy and tomorrow we have our local annual fete. People won’t come if the weather is lousy and so much work goes into the preparation that you need the crowds to come to recoup all the costs, let alone make a profit for the community.

You are doing well with the sales of your miniatures Mel. Well done. Well done too on the weight loss. As AnnG says it’s better to lose the weight gradually as then you are more likely to keep it off. Did you decide to get the trousers you bought for the wedding altered to fit you or are you going to wear something else?

I hope your leg pain is easier today AnnG. When pain wakes you at night it is so hard to get back to sleep. You do seem to be doing really well with the amount you are managing to walk and it must be tiring. I have to admit to making use of a bench in town when walking back from the pharmacy to the car park the other day. That’s the first time I’ve ever had to sit down en route.

Annx, I was the inefficient one when I went to vote. There was a steady stream of people but no real queues. When I got in the polling hall there was a board with a very long list of roads on it and a tall, broad man dithering about in front of it so I ignored it and went straight to the desk. I had my id checked and then moved to the next lady on the desk and gave my address only to be told I should be at the desk the other side of the room. Once there I had to go through all the process again. Serves me right for not looking at the board.

Our sitting MP, a conservative, was re-elected though with a greatly reduced majority. He’s been the MP here since 2015 and I was pleased because, regardless of his party politics, he’s been a good constituency MP and got very involved in local issues.

After voting we went on to the Thursday coffee meeting; 7 of us today but while we were chatting another lady came in that the others knew from an indoor bowls group they belong to. She was invited to join us and as she left she asked if we were there every Thursday so I guess she might be joining us from time to time. She seemed very pleasant and with a good sense of humour.

Yes, I am looking forward to seeing granddaughter next Friday as I haven’t seen her since the beginning of October and goodness knows when we’ll next be able to see her. Annx, she will stay for a night or two with family in Yorkshire on her way down and back. Most likely she’ll stay with my son, her uncle, as he has the most room but she might stay with her brother.

I’m rambling on here rather than doing any h/w. I am just not in the mood for doing anything much. I think the next thing might be to make a coffee. Perhaps that will inject me with a bit of energy to get going and do some work.

Morning girls,

Very grey skies here today and its 14 degrees and pc says heavy rain later. What a start to July? I hav'nt had a summer top on yet its been so cold here, never known anything like it. Today I am going to go back into my cotton polo neck tops cos if my necks cold then I am cold and I have a bit of earache this morning in my left ear and sort of up the side of my face and my glasses are annoying it.

I do have my protein I make sure of that tonight I am have two small lamb chops and a green salad. I used to have milky coffee in the morning but now I am having it black or half and half.

Kept thinking it was Saturday when I woke up but know its Friday as I have to go to the post van aand it dos'nt come on a Saturday.

Good morning all, very grey here, I think it possibly rained a bit overnight but dry at the moment.
Well done on the sales Mel, your little miiatures are giving somebody else a lot of pleasure.

Cutting down on the 'bad' things you eat is the best way to lose weight. from what you have said I thought you had actually given up milk but it looks as though you still have some. I really lost weight when I gave up bread, potatoes, biscuits (I rarely have cake in the house) and also checked packets for carbs, but I can't keep that up indefinitely You do need to eat some protein, so occasional meat or fish but yesterdays meals seem fine. All the exercise you do in the garden should help.

Really I am just not eating as much as I used to. I do have a little milk on my cornflakes or orange juice. I had mac cheese tonight followed by pineapple and strawberries out of the garden shed and my small dark kit kat and a glass of water. I don't eat breakfast just lunch and a dinner in the evening. I did'nt buy any milk this week or bread but I do have a loaf in the freezer which I can take a couple of slices out if I need it for a sandwich. I have broccoli, greens and sprouts and the usual salad stuff. I have cut out biscuits and cakes except for a weekly doughnut on Saturday.

Washing did'nt really dry today with this awful fine rain in the air.

Sold three lots of stuff on Ebay to one lady today and I sold the scallops on the dish I showed you so its a thank you to Gwyn for send me the tiny shells.

The last time I had physio at the hospital for a bad back I was worse after than before. I have wondered about seeing a chiropractor trouble is I can do without more appointments at the moment.

Dieting is very hard the more you tell yourself you can’t eat something the more you want it. Be careful with the fruit Mel there is a lot of hidden sugar in it.

Afternoon All,

A pleasant sunny day here and we were a bit later than usual going to vote so thought there might be a queue, but no. A man at the door this time was checking our ID before we could go in and no doubt turning away anyone who hadn’t got theirs. There was just one person ahead of us, but it was unbelievable how long it took the first of the row of four to deal with him. All he had to do was confirm our name with us against the ID we brought and find us in the list by asking our address. OH is not the most patient at the best of times and I daren’t look at him, expecting any minute he would say something like ‘I hope you don’t get a rush later’. OH was ahead of me and as the man finished with him I quickly said ‘same address’ before he lost his place in the list again! Even the man’s three colleagues were looking towards him and gave me a weak smile. When we got outside OH said ‘ they didn’t pick the best man for that job did they’.

That will be an unexpected nice treat to see your granddaughter Vera! It’s a long trip from Edinburgh so will she overnight on the way?

It might be worth seeing your GP about your leg AnnG. Something like physio might help.

I got a text from the surgery this morning with a link for the form for home BP readings I need to do like last year. The first date they gave me for the blood tests yesterday was on my birthday! The receptionist laughed, but I said I would still take it as it’s first thing in the morning. Gone are the days when a nurse would do them for you there and then.

OH came home last night with the head pain again so took some ibuprofen which soon took effect and he’s fine again today. We tried to pick up his new meds this morning but they won’t be delivered till later and now he isn’t sure whether one is beta blocker or not.

You are doing well Mel, but we usually lose more fluid than fat the first week or so, so it may slow down a bit now. You were actually drinking more milk than both of us before, but we do also have yoghurt. I wouldn’t cut it out altogether as our older bones need the calcium. Broccoli is another good source and I know you like the tenderstem sort. I have to watch fruit because of the sugar, which is carbohydrate. Diets have to vary a bit as long as we include enough nourishment. I have never been successful with 3 meals a day, it becomes just an extra meal and calories! I need to eat less and cut out the naughty extras I add in like chocolate which is my weakness when I see a bar beckoning me!

I do believe my sickly French Marigolds may be starting to thrive at long last as the remaining ones are all flowering and look a bit healthier.

Just going out in the garden did the pond filters and then it started raining so Iv'e come in.

Done two lots of washing and fed the fish.

Janine's been down for eggs.

Mel what do you have on your cornflakes? you said that you have given up milk. Or do you eat them dry??

Just having a small bowl of cornflakes and a big bowl of fresh fruit.

Morning all,

Had a lie in this morning Its a bright morning with some sun and clouds but they are grey. Its 15 degrees and pc says partly sunny.

I have a neighbour comeing down for eggs today so I better go and see whats been laid.

Ann I have always had semi skimmed milk and I have 4 pints a week but did'nt buy any this week as I had 6 last week and not even opened the 2 pint.

If it stays dry and brightish I may go out in the garden again today and do some more onthe border.

good morning all Slept quite well although leg did wake me around 2am so I gave in and took a pain killer. Too much walking yesterday I think, I had forgotten how spread out from the bus Cheltenham is. 11 degrees sunny and blue sky so back to watering today I think.

Well done on losing some weight Mel. do it gradually though or it will all go back on. Not sure about giving up milk. did you drink a lot of it? Maybe try skimmed as you need calcium.

Vera, nice to have a visit from your Granddaughter to look forward to.
Both the town centres are losing shops Vera and we do have a lot of coffee shops and a few pound shops. I suppose if we didn't have the good bus service in both directions, we would not go into town much as car parking is expensive. Cheltenham does have a good park and ride though. One thing I find I am grateful for these days is that both towns do have a good number of seats (both are pedestrianised in the centres), and I do make use of them.

You'll be glad to see her Vera It will make your weekend.

The new doc sounds very good Ann and thorough as you say. I have lost weight just by cutting out bread, milk and biscuits although I do have a 2 bar dark Kit Kat in the evening and as much fruit as I fancy. I bought another pineapple this week as they are only 99p and a good slice of that and some grapes satifys the sweet craving. Ive had cherries again this week and grapes. I was just under 12 stone and now I am just over 11 stone.

Oh Mandy, that did make me laugh. What on earth is the thinking behind that age restriction? What dreadful exploits are youngsters going to get up to with an ashpan and brush?

I’m not a fan of soaps. I always think they begin well, then run out of storylines so they start getting sillier and sillier. Tbh, I don’t watch a lot of TV at all, mostly the news and the occasional documentary or history programme. I do use the iPad quite a bit and am catching up on Countryfile programmes at the moment.

I envy you your bus service and shops AnnG. We have very little left in our small town. Every time a shop closes it reopens as yet another café/coffee shop or as a charity shop. In theory we should be able to get a bus to three bigger towns between about 15 and 20 miles away but the buses are so infrequent and take so long to get there that it’s not worth the effort. I’m getting now that I don’t want the hassle of driving to one of the towns and coping with car parking etc.

Sorry you had a trek to different places before you had your meal out yesterday Annx. I hope you enjoyed the food when you eventually got some. It sounds as though the new doctor you saw was quite helpful and I hope the dietitian can help as well, though when you mention food you’ve eaten it always sounds healthy and non-fattening. It’s good that your OH had his scan results and has got beta-blockers to help with his head pain. I hope they do the trick. I have had them for 22 years now and the dosage level has gone down and up at different times. It has just been put up a bit again.

We’ve had rain overnight and it’s been on and off showery all day today. It hasn’t been very warm either. Both OH and I had to put jumpers on and when we popped out this afternoon I put a fleece on as well. I’ve been struggling to get my act together today. I had very little sleep again last night, got up at 7 am but was so woozy I went back to bed and sort of dozed till 10 am. I haven’t been able to get going on anything much, just fiddled around at this and that. We did pop out to the garden centre this afternoon as I wanted to get a gift token to put in with my daughter’s birthday card but I couldn’t even be bothered to wander around outside looking at the plants as I usually do. Hopefully I’ll be more with it tomorrow.

Eldest granddaughter who lives in Edinburgh rang to say she is coming down towards the end of next week to see her Mum and Dad (daughter and her ex) and would like to spend the Friday with us, so that’s something nice to look forward to.

The doc I saw was new, very thorough and thinks the problem is most likely a combination of extra weight and my having to spend too much time sitting due to my knees. He’s redoing the heart tests I had last year that were normal at that time just to be sure. I asked about referral to the dietician and it seems the county have a scheme you can refer yourself to instead now, so he emailed me the link for that as well.

OH had his scan results phone appointment yesterday and they think his head pain may be linked to his migraines and have prescribed a beta blocker. They did notice minor furring of some arteries, not of concern but yet, but he is to consider taking statins.

AnnG I often say to OH that many shops are disappointing now and I often don’t see anything I want to buy. It’s a good idea to use the big old empty store buildings that way though. We used to have a House of Fraser in the city that I liked. They have just demolished the old market in the city. They were going to build a new one but now they have put a hold on any new development until they decide what to do with it as it has opened up the view of the old Corn Exchange building (where I did PE and dancing at senior school for a year) and several other historic buildings. But now I expect nothing will happen for months. It’s not really fair keeping the old stallholders waiting wondering if it will become a market again.

Yes, the disruption with programmes seems worse than ever lately. I don’t know where I am with Corrie and Emmerdale and hadn’t realised I’d miss The Great Sewing Bee last night.

That was funny and made me laugh as well Mandy. Whatever next!

Well I've heard it all now someone wanted to buy a dustpan and brush set in tescos and apparently its now an age restricted item ,you've got to be over eighteen to buy one , I had to laugh as someone said its because the under eighteens don't know how to use one lol

Mel have you ever watched Hope Street it's on on a Friday about the time doctors was on although I think it's now finished but they are nice little stories, set in Ireland about a police force ,a different crime each week but also following the people that live in the town ,I think the last lot were the third series of it , uou might find it on bbc iplayer .

O blast its the only soap I watched with my lunch usually. I did see Daniel in another program this week, I'm sure it was him.

I cvan't get int o anything today and yesterday was so productive. Janine my new neighbour just rang to tell me they were having a skip delivered and it would be parked behind their bungalow but not blocking my drive in. I said she would have to get in touch with the parish council as it the village hall car park and not my actual driveway. She also wanted eggs but I can only do half a dozen. She's coming down tomorrow for them.

Afternoon all,

We had a little rain first thing then it got out a bit and I did manage to get two big bath sheets dry before it clouded over and we had a few spits of rain.

Oh the programmes seem to have all been pushed aside for the footie and now the tennis and I hate to say it but next week the women's football starts .
Last night it should have been the sewing bee but that was taken off and it's on tonight now .
Mel doctors has finished until the end of August and then it's on until Christmas or just after and then it finishes completely, they have finished the filming .
The lady who plays midwife Rhuma in doctors is now in eastenders .

hey, hey, leave Corrie and Emmerdale alone we have lost a lot of them already since the football has been on, now we have both football and Tennis. :-D

Yes it was the big store in Cheltenham (Cavendish House), lasted a bit longer than Debenhams but was similar. Yes in town. I think this is a temporary measure while they decide what is going to happen to the building.