General Chat

There's always something going wrong is'nt there?

I don't seem to be able to get going this morning I am all behind like a ducks bottom.

Hi all,

As I said Ros is out, so I am in charge of the washing on the line including the Sheets and pillowcases. I didn't know she had changed the bed.When the towels were finished in the W,M. I went to take them out and put them in the Tumble Dryer. Do you think I could get the W M door open, NO WAY. So I put it on again on the SPIN Cycle. Low and behold it opened when it was finished. I kept an eye on the weather, and thought I felt a spot of rain. So out I went, with the Basket and TRIPPED down the Bl@@dy step. No damage done thank goodness. !!!! Anyway I got all the washing in, folded it up ready for ironing. I also emptied the T.D. and folded the towels and put them away.

Have carved the cold pork, and done the chips. So nothing to do until Tea Time.

It is nice to go back to places you like. We have SALCEY FOREST quite close to us, where we took Lewis very often when he was young. There was/is a Forest TOP walk way, which he loved to climb. We haven't been back there for years. But it is a place very close to my heart. <3 <3 <3

Some really BIG BLACK CLOUDS all around here. So it might mean we will get something later.

Surprise phone cail at Lunchtime. CONRAD. There are no flights from Manchester to Alicante or to Exeter on Saturday evening. So he took the train from Manchester to Paignton FIVE AND A HALF HOURS. He is catching a flight back to Spain early tomorrow morning. So will ring his Mum later tonight.

I see the ANY OLD IRON MAN has been visiting the SKIP outside Lynn's. He has had a field day, Washing machine, Fridge, BBQ old bikes and bike racks. No end of stuff. His lorry was full to overflowing.I hope he roped it all down safely, or he will be in trouble. :-| :-| :-| :-|

The SUN is trying to make an appearance, through all these clouds. !!!!

Afternoon Everyone
I have just sent you some pics of the big work going on across he road.

Frank is it that same step you always trip down when you carry the wash basket? Good job you didn't hurt your ribs. You have been a busy boy wit hall the laundry today :-D. I havent had any to do today(just for a change). I bet the basket will be full though by the morning.

Ann,it would be funny if the new people got locked in if the new gate fails :-D. It would be just being behind bars LOL Well our windows cleaners turned up this morning just as I was about to have a shower.Luckily Chris shouted up they were here as he was leaving for one of his long walks. Our cleaners use one of these long pole things now for some of the windows that are difficult to get a ladder to. So we are done now for the next 2 months. They do always do a good job and do all the sills and frames too.Well they do the downstairs ones. I am not sure about the top ones if they just use the pole thing.

AnnG where is Hidcote? I have heard of it but just can't think where it is. We are NT members .But I think our county probably has the least NT properties in the country :-S.. We will be visiting a couple of NT places though when we go to Yorkshire in May. Crumbs,poor OH having to carry his golf bag .It must be quite a weight. Are golf buggies allowed when the ground is wet and muddy? I hope his ankle held out.

Nothing yet from Gill today? I hope her tooth is ok and that she hadn't had the dreaded visit to the Dentist.
I have my Dental check up in the morning at 10.Then on Wednesday it is my eye test at Specsavers.

Frank it the tree top walk open again at Salcey Forest. It was closed because of safety or something a year or so back.I bet Lewis had lots of fun there when he was a young boy :-D Conrad had quite a journey then !!! and is going back already. He hasn't had long at home.

DEboned Chicken ,tonight. Mandy that recipe I did last night was rubbish :-S :-S.. It was bland so I won't be doing it again.

Mel my friend who has 4 rescued battery hens says they have finally laid her 3 eggs
:-D.They must be feeling settled and are getting good food and a good life now ,and all their feathers have grown back. She has had them for 4 months.

Jane if they were in a bad way when she got them and did'nt have many feathers thats probably why they did'nt lay. Also the days are now getting longer and usually chickens only lay when there are 11 hours of daylight I think. Its nice she has her first eggs though and I bet she's thrilled to bits.

Poor Conrad all that trveling time makes you wonder if it was worth it. He must be shattered. Now what have we told you about minding that step Frank? :-| you silly boy but I am pleased you did'nt hurt yourself. You got a nice lot of work done today so lets hope you get a good nights sleep tonight.

I am making a Sheep Sh*t pie for tonight as I just fancied one. Not put it together yet but its not far away.

I have been cleaning the kitchen room divider thing this afternoon. You should have seen the dust! It all wanted washing and I hav'nt done the top shelf yet. The plate rack is the next thing to do as I hav'nt had that lot off since Christmas.

Its now getting dark so I will go and shut the girls in and then I don't have to go out there anymore.

Evening all,

It's been a lovely sunny day here ,we've had quite a busy day ,,we went to the bungalow that's up for sale where my friend lived ( it should all be signed up by the end of the month ) i emptied a few drawers and i'm going again on wednesday to pack a few more bits ready for thursday when her gardening chap will hire a van and move more of the furniture down to her daughters ,i'll be glad when it's sold as i've been going each week to keep an eye on the place and it's been about eighteen months i've been going there now.
There is a Miele washing machine a tumble dryer and a Miele dishwasher that has to go and the daughter doesn't want them ,i think i might have the dishwasher as it's like new .

After doing that we went off to Makro to stock up , we always buy for son and DIL so we dropped their bits and pieces off and then came home .

Frank carn't you have some thing done to those steps or have a rail put up to help you down the steps ,you always seem to be tripping there ,i hope you haven't caught your ribs again .

Oh dear Jane it's a shame about the recipe i thought it sounded quite tasty
Goodness what a trench they are digging for all those pipes it's a wonder the poor horses don't get spooked .

Mandy I hope your friends family appreciate all the time you have taken in keeping an eye on and sorting the things in the bungalow . 18 months is a long time to have this responsibility .I bet you cant wait now to be relieved of it. Go for the Dishwasher.I assume it will be free!

That trench has gone right through Badgers Setts
:-S I had a good look whilst down the lane and could see what looks like still fresh tracks from Badgers.So I just wonder if they are still there but just having to make new setts across the lane and into the field the other side of the lane. I just don't know .I know Badgers are hated by many people but I would like to think they are still safe.
The Horses seem quite unaffected by all the going on Mandy.

That's a heck of a hole isn't it Jane!! :-0 :-0 They are certainly getting on with it at a pace now. It's looking like the development with 4,250 houses they are building on the edge of our village. In our case its huge mounds of soil we can see. Today's paper said the Primary school they are building there will be open in September. I remember that nice little lane up to Fitz's where I saw the Red Kites when I was with you. What a shame so much countryside is being lost. Once it's gone we never get it back. A shame about the recipe, but you have to try them all to find the good ones. I liked the pole thing this window cleaner was using as it had a motorised brush on the end that he was scrubbing the frames and sills with.

Frank how many years have we been telling you to do something about that step! It's a wonder you haven't knocked your brains out, the times you have fallen. Put a rail up like someone said, or even a post to hold onto if it is one step. A gentle slope might be best, but I think you said once that you couldn't do that.

I thought with the long train journey that poor Conrad was soon winging his way back too!

It will be good when the bungalow changes hands Mandy. It's quite a responsiblity keeping an eye on a place and checking everything's ok, especially when there are frosts.Good idea to make use of the dishwasher if it's in good condition

Yes, I hope Gill has managed to see a dentist if her tooth didn't settle down. Toothache is horrid.

We saw the DogWash van in the drive next door so it looks like Fleur has been pampered in the dog parlour!! It comes the other side of us too for the little Shih Tzu.

I think it will be an early night for me tonight as I was up at 7.00am this morning. I can hear it raining heavily now. :-S

Jane those holes are huge they must be huge pipes to go in them. Horrible what is happening to all our countryside. But people need somewhere to live and 35 years ago where we are was all orchards so people must have hated these houses too.

Gosh that is a big trench. It must be the sewer pipes for all the drainage from the houses they are building.

Mandy that will be good if you can have the dishwasher for nithing for looking after the place for 18 months. I think you really need mor ethan that though for all that time.

Going to watch Shetland now.

Jane you still watching Baptist? Its got really good now has'nt it? Last one next week.

Ann your work on those items is superb and I love the stripey camelia.

Jane I forgot your question sorry. Hidcote is National Trust, a garden no house and is near Chipping Camden.

GOOD MORNING, I decided to recall HARRY and watch it todty So was in bed by 9.00. Read for awhile and settled down, Madam came in at 11.15 and disturbed me, so I got up read my book. I have now decided to look into the where about's of my Grandsons, The way i am typing tells my i an too tired. But I will put a few feelers out.

Morning all

The sun is trying it's best to make an appearance, not sure if it will though as we have lots of clouds, it's a lot warmer than it has been lately so that's good.

What a big trench that is Jane, I thought Badgers were protected, if they are I'm surprised they were allowed to dig.

Sorry to hear you've had another fall Frank, like the other's have said it might be time to address the issue now, it can't be doing you any good tripping up all the time. Good luck with finding your grandsons.

18 months is a long time Mandy, you are a good friend keeping an eye on the place. Good idea to have the dishwasher, especially if it hasn't been used much.

My tooth was okay yesterday, until the evening when it felt a bit sore, I put some Bonjela on it and took a painkiller then went to bed, this morning I woke and it was really hurting, as I was waking up my jaw jolted and my bottom tooth hit my top one, the one that's been sore, so I've just taken another pain killer which seems to have helped. I still haven't got the courage to go the dentist, I really am terrified at the thought, so I'm hoping it'll pop soon and clear itself up. I think I'd have to be in agony before I'd trust a dentist again. I wanted to loose a bit of weight and only eating soup and soft things is helping, so with a bit of luck by the time it clears up I'll be able to get back into my jeans again.

OH noticed a workman this morning, it's the one I helped when he had an accident on site, so he went over to him for a chat, he's only young and is in the middle of buying his first house, the owners have been dragging their heals on signing the paperwork and emptying the property but that seems to be speeding up now, so hopefully he'll be able to move in soon with his partner and little daughter.

While OH was chatting he asked why there hadn't been any workmen next door for over a week, apparently the boss took a week off. The owner was ringing the boss every day wondering why no one was at his property, but the boss dug his heals in and wouldn't do any work. Apparently the boss is helping the workman put the laminate flooring back down that they had to take up to put the under floor heating in, so at the moment all we can hear is bang, bang, bang. The workman also said the kitchen was going in this week and the last of the electrics finished, then there's only the toilets to plumb in as the owner didn't want them doing until he was ready to move in and of course the dreaded drive that we're not looking forward to. I'm still not sure if the owner will move in this month though.

We had a nice surprise yesterday, Michelle turned up for a visit to give Sandra her birthday presents, she didn't take her coat off or have a cup of tea, but at least it's a start. I don't like her boyfriend after the way he treated us a few years ago so he wasn't welcome in our property and he stayed in the car, OH spoke to him outside where he asked OH if he could marry Michelle. We've just found out that Michelle's boyfriend is being made redundant at the end of the month so of course OH was concerned how he was going to support her. Michelle is working, but it's not fair that she should pay all the bills and rent. Apparently her boyfriend has been offered a few jobs but he's refused them all. OH was very concerned about this, but said yes to them getting married as the boyfriend did say he was hoping to start up his own business, but like OH said he would of married her anyway no matter what he'd said and the boyfriend said yes he would marry her anyway, so I didn't see the point in asking OH in the first place if that was his attitude.

Sandra was pleased to see her sister, but we're not sure when she'll visit again, she only came around because she was in the area visiting mine and OH's mum's. She visits them quite a lot and up to now has never come around to see us, but like I said it's a start I suppose.

Morning All
I hope you have luck Frank in finding your Grandsons.I hope too that you haven't stayed up half the night !!!!..You'll be fit for nothing today.

Ann you have made some pretty amazing things there!!!. That necklace with the beautiful blue gem is stunning. Your Camelia is lovely.Did you know it would be striped? My little one in the pot on the patio is just coming into flower now.

I am just going to give my teeth a last clean and then its off to the Dentist :-S

Morning all,

Sunny morning here and only a slight breeze. It would be like this today when I have to go shopping. If I go any other day its so busy. Today is market day in Bideford so everyone goes early and its more or less over by the time I get in soits nice and quiet in the shop.

Gill it must have been lovely to see Michelle after all this time and I bet Sandra was over the moon especially as she brought her birthday presents.

You must go to a dentist as I can tell you from my experience that its not as bad as you think its going to be nowadays. I had'nt been to a dentist for twenty odd years because the last time I went my dentist had retired and I had trusted him.. I had a nasty time as a child with one who got the thing they poke around your teeth stuck in one of my teeth and then he got this hook thing in the side of my mouth. When we moved to Suffolk I never went and when I moved down here I never went until oh made me go. My dentist now is lovely. He is very gentle and chats away to you all the time to take your mind off what he is doing. Please go as I lost a lot of my teeth through not going. This could have been avoided if I had gone on a regular basis.

Good morning to you all,

Gill I was the worlds worst person for going to the Dentist. it all changed when I spent a month camping with my ex and the children. I had tooth ache for the whole time I was away, and lived on ASPIRIN and Spanish BRANDY, swilling the brandy around my mouth helped a lot. When I finally got home I went to the dentist, and within a minute or two the tooth was gone and so was the pain. JUST DO IT MY LOVE. It will be over before you know it.xxx

Jane, that is one hell of a development that is going on around you. I heard on the news this morning they are building another 30,000 properties in BASILDON, ESSEX that was a NEW TOWN in the sixties, I would have thought it was big enough without more development, but as AnnG said people need a place to live.

Mandy, what a great friend you must be, looking after that house for the pass 18 months. It has taken a longtime to sell, hasn't it. ?? I think you deserve the fridge or whatever you have your eye on.

Yes Annx, those jewellery bits are very nice to look at, Will that be for you or a present for someone.??

Mel, I expect where you live, makes it difficult to POP to the supermarket as and when you need some bits. I hope you remember all your needs today. ;-) ;-)

Not a bad morning here, the sun is out, and seems quite warm. I went to get the bins in earlier and the sun felt nice on my back. Tracey was out at her car and came and pulled my green bin down the drive, she is such a nice girl, Well lady she is in her 50s, lol lol. Her mum and dad have had so many things done to the property and gardens, so that if and when she is on her own, she won't have anything to worry about. Hopefully it will be many years before that happens. Her dad is 85 and her mum 80. The same age as me.

I promise, I will get Harvey to look at putting something for me to hold onto when I go down the steps.

Conrad rang to speak to his Mum last night, he was catching the 7.00 am flight from Exeter this morning, so Jan had to be up early to take him. She told Ros she has caught SHINGLES, She is in a lot of discomfort, and has to wear very loose clothing so they don't rub against her skin. I remember Conrad having it when we lived at Gayton. Not nice. !!!

I think if it drys out a bit, I might get the new mower out nd give the lawns a cut. We will see. !!!

I have a Tesco Finest meal for ONE tonight, as Ros will be out at the Village hall for Mothers Club GOLDEN Anniversary. She has been asked by Val next door if she can take her, so she will be nurse maid, to her this evening.

Ros has done a big basket of ironing this morning, while watching T.V.

I have put a note on FB asking if anyone knows the whereabouts of my Grandchildren, I will have to just sit back and wait. The chances are I have been blocked, so won't know.

Just back from a pleasant trip to Hidcote. It was mostly cloudy but dry and not cold. Lots of Helebores, some Magnolias and lots of spring flowers (daffs, primroses forget me nots, anenome Blanda etc. There were 7 of us, we met in the restaurant for coffee at 11.30 and by the time we got back there just after 1pm it was really crowded. So we had a bit more of a look round and T and I decided that we wouldn't have lunch there (the other 5 did), so we drove back to Cheltenham and had lunch in the beefeater. I had a very nice Sweet potato and feta cheese lasagne (and chips and a small piece of garlic bread. OH had fish and chips. And we got in about 3.30 so a good day out with a pleasant drive across the Cotswolds. Until we picked up a learner driver (Male with female instructor), not far out of Cheltenham who didn't seem really ready to be in traffic. Stopped at a large cross roads - 4 way lights. Lights went green, he stalled it and didn't get going again until the lights had gone red again Huge queue behind us by then. She appeared to use the dual controls when they went green again and we followed him slowly round the winding road. got to another mini roundabout. He stalled it again, so we changed direction, didn't follow him but went right at the roundabout. Wonder if they ever got home?

Hope you can get a lead on the whereabouts of your grandchildren Frank, it is sad that you have no contact.

Gill, good that Michelle came round today, I am sure it was lovely for Sandra to get to see her sister. I assume it was just a formality her boyfriend asking if he could marry her. Keeping up with tradition. Hope he is serious about setting up a business and doesn't intend to live off her money.
You really should go to the dentist, bad infections in the gums can cause all sorts of other problems, even possibly Sepsis. Why not see your GP and ask for a sedative to take when you go to the dentist. Or ask the pharmacists advice. There are things you can take that are natural sedatives and don't need a prescription, just something to calm your nerves. It is not setting a good example to Sandra either, you will be passing your fear on to her. I actually hate the dentist, am really nervous and always tell them I am nervous when I have a different dentist. They are used to it.

<3

Sounds like you had a nice day AnnG until getting stuck behind the learner driver.Poor chap was probably a nervous wreck with stalling all the time and knowing he was holding up all the traffic. I remember feeling the same when I was a learner but my instructor said people just have to be patient as they were all learners once :-D. So true.

That was a nice surprise to see Michelle . It is such a shame her boyfriend sounds a bit of a waster and not a very pleasant person.It would be nice if maybe one day he could just drop Michelle off at yours for a while and maybe he could go off and see his Mum on his own. Sandra would have been pleased that Michelle remembered her Birthday (although I think it s not until next month?) .Do you think you actually might get an invite to the wedding???

Gill you say you want this thing to pop .It sounds like an abscess if it feels like that. You really do need to get it looked at.You dont want to take the risk of any infection spreading.The Dentist won't touch it until you have had a course of antibiotics.Please dont leave it. How can you want to lose weight ?????? you are so slim and weigh nothing already!!!!.

Mel do you ever have a pootle around Bideford Pannier Market these days?. I know I have mentioned this before but my Aunty Joyce always went there every Tuesday for as long as i can remember . Mum and Aunty Betty lived just around the corner in Pitt Lane when they were girls :-D

Frank you should come over here one day and see what is going on !!!!. You would get such a shock. If you ever do just let me know and you and Ros could pop in :-D

My Dental check went so well.I was in and out even before my actual appointment time!!. Nothing needing doing,not even a visit to the hygienist's .So all being well I wont need to seew him again until about September.

Ann, I have had a bit of a clear out of clothes today :-D :-D. Chris had 4 big bags to take to Waitrose in the morning where there is a Cransley Hospice Charity Clothes Bin.I have 12 extra spare hangers now plus a bit more space in one of my drawers. I am sure there is still an awful lot I really dont need to hang on to.

Southern Fried Chicken ,Potato wedges,Asparagus ,Broccoli and Peas tonight. Chris is just about on his knees now after a long day in the garden. He can hardly move bless him. I even bought some nice muscle relaxing bath stuff,but he wont have a bath :-| :-| Silly billy.It would do him good to have a good soak.
I thought it was tonight our water was being turned off but it is tomorrow night.


It is very still outside. Not a breath of wind at all.

Di called in this morning and we had a coffee and a good chat. She has a lump come up on the back of her neck which is very sore. She thinks its an abcess so she has to go to hospital at the end of the month to get it sorted. With Di coming I was running very late and arrived home about 5pm. By this time the sun had gone and now its all grey cloud.

It would have been a lovely day to spend in the garden but if I leave shopping till another day its puts all my week out.

I bought 4 pots of the mini daffs today to put in my big tubs out the front of the bungalow. They are full of Scilla's at the mo and the old tulips which have been in there for a couple of years. I shall have to have those out I think.

Sounds like you had a lovely time at HIdcote AnninG apart from the drive home behind the learner. No cooking for you tonight either.

I have sweet and sour chicken and egg fried rice tonight and oh has his usual curry.

Just about getting dark now so must go and shut the girls in.

Evening all,

It's been a nice day here ,bit chilly at times when the sun goes in but in the sun it's lovely .


Ann you've been busy finishing off all those lovely necklaces and the bracelet ,like Jane i love the necklace with the big blue stone although i love all the others too ,you finish them off with some nice clasps ,what's on the go now ?

Gill i think you should go to the dentist ,just explain how you feel they are so much more understanding now than years ago , just go so they can just have a look in your mouth and sit in the chair ,that's the first step just sitting in the chair ,they probably won't even do any thing ,they might just give you some antibiotics which will ease the pain .
You'll be so pleased with your self once you've done it, and you can ,you can do it
Get registered and go and sit for a while in the waiting room ,they don't have that smell like they use to years ago either i think you'll be surprised .
What a nice surprise you had with Michelle visiting today ,i bet Sandra was pleased.

Son was pleased today he went for an interview at the little school where the little ones go and has been offered the job as Assistant Caretaker ,he's been self employed for years and has never even had an interview for a job before so to be offered the job he was so chuffed .
He said the worst bit was sitting in front of the school council which was a row of the little ones LOL ,they had to ask him questions and one little boy asked "what's the best thing you have ever mended"" :-D

Sounds as if you enjoyed your day out AnnG ,that poor leaner driver though he was probably panicking when he could see all the cars building up behind him , the lasagne sounded just like my sort of meal.