General Chat

Gill I have a plastic roof over te patio outside the back door and my washing lines are there. I don't use the dryer unless I have to.

Well I have worked myself to frazzle. I have picked TWO BOWLS of Apples peeled and cored them, sliced and stewed FIVE SAUCEPANS Full. They are now sitting in TWO BIG mixing bowls cooling down, then they will go in bags, and in the freezer.

Yes Gemima ,I will keep an eye on Lewis my Grandson. He always asked me for advise before he does a lot of things. OLD HEADS store a lot of information. lol lol When we mentioned to him, that he would inherit a third of the property we live in, as and when. he remarked that he wouldn't let his dad and uncle sell the bungalow, as he has so many happy memories of this bungalow. We virtually bought him up here, as both his mum and dad worked full time. He would be with us as a baby from Monday to Friday. I think he still looks upon this place as his 2nd HOME. As you can imagine being Ros's only grandson, he is spoilt, he never expects any special treatment, and we are always as pleased as punch, when he drives up to visit us. Not as often as Ros would like, but he is a lad of almost 21. so we can't expect too much from him.

Regarding Tumble Dryers, Ros only uses hers for the Towels, and when she washes our winter dressing gowns. On the odd occasion she will finish off the sheets in it.

Your Robbie is a cheeky little blighter, coming into the kitchen, looking for food I expect. Ros has a little bird, (I think it's a Dunnet) or maybe a finch of some sort. He/she comes down and sits beside her when she is weeding. Ros has now started putting meal worms on the steps to the lawn. They seem to go in no time, so someone is finding them.

Gill I will ask Ros where she bought the HORSES COLLAR. You might be able to get one where you are.

Madam is just back from having her nails done, so I expect she will want a COT. See you later. xxxx

Friday 6 September. Had breakfast at Marios then walked out to Playa Bastion. Cloudy but warm today, had a sprinkle of rain just before we came out but it didn’t come to anything. Some people didn’t even leave their loungers. Sat for a while at PB overlooking the sea and the beach before walking back to the restaurant on the promenade for a coffee and sat people watching. Walked on back round the sea wall hoping to find a table at the Dolphin cafe to get a G&T but the tables were all full. Went to the Waterfront cafe bar instead and had a pink gin which was strawberry flavoured, as was the straw with it. Very strange straw made is a sort of polystyrene type of material and really strawberry flavoured. Decided to walk across the beach to the centre which was very pleasant as the tide was out, still not sunny but not cold at all. Called in to the supermarket as we needed pegs and bread. Got back to the apartment having walked 3.7 miles, had a sandwich, checked emails fighting the internet and read.

Evening all,

I can see lovely blue sky out there now but a while ago it was pouring with rain , we had a nice sunny morning and i got all my washing dry ,we nipped out to get some bits that Colin needs to put our new security light up ,i think this one will be really bright as it's LED our old one is nice and bright but it doesn't come back on now when you move around in front of it so it was time for a new one .

It will be good if you can get the two escapees's Mel it will keep you going until the next lot are ready to come .
No Katie didn't pick the wool it was some left over again that i'm using up, i'll send a photo of the purse when it's done .
Fancy little Robbie hopping in :-D he wanted to come in before the rain started :-D

Ann i think animals much get itchy as Max always comes in here and lays on his back on the rug twisting away as if he's having a good scratch , i brush him regularly but there's loads of hair every day i should think you could easily fill a mug every day with his hair that i brush out ,his coat is so thick .
The rope necklace sounds nice ,i'd love to see it when it's finished .

Gill i suppose your neighbour is still getting things sorted in the garden so the noise is to be expected until he has it as he wants and with you having the elderly neighbour for several years it must be strange hearing the noise now as you've not been use to it hearing any thing .

Frank you have been busy with all the apples ,wish i was nearer i would have had some .from you .
That Shaped hot water bottle sounds just the ticket for your neck what a good idea i hope it can give you some relief from the pain .
Colin and the grandchildren are fine ,all back to school ,well not Colin :-D we'll see them all tomorrow when we take them their fruit .
That's lovely Conrad has Lola back i bet she's one happy little dog now .

Sounds as if your filling your day AnnG , e used to like people watching ,oh my goodness you do see some sights :-D

Yesterday we saw the Air Ambulance flying round over the town looking like it was trying to land ,it seems some elderly chap had a heart attack in LLoyds bank, his wife was giving him CPR until some one got one of the defibrillators that are in the town and got him round ,latest news is he now doing fine in hospital, with out his wife and that defibrillator they said he would be here ,one very lucky chap.

Hope Jane and Chris have arrived at the cottage ok and have now settled in for the week.

O Mandy what good news for the man and his wife. Just as well she knew how to do it. Did he go in the air ambulance in the end?

Good you have the new security light. We have one of those LED ones and they are great and don't use so much leccy so he tells me.

It was nice to see a Robby in the kitchen again as my old one used to come in and eat all the crumbs dropped on the floor. sometimes he would sit on the wellies or under the chairs on the strectures.

Have been to Holsworthy this afternoon for chicken food and I bought some ribbon and braid for my collection. I have so much now I shall have to find something to make to use some up.

Cooking a nice quiche for dinner as oh did'nt want much. I think his back is bad again. He will do these things with the mower and its all bending and lifting.

Evening All,

It's been cooler and breezy here so I had my full length jeans on and shoes instead of sandals. I was just going to slurp my COT and spotted a fat fly had landed in it. Yuk! Shan't be having that now.

Yes Frank it would be lovely if you can find a photo of him. Did Ros manage to find a signet ring he would like for his birthday? My word you are so industrious doing all those apples! I still have some left to do as well as the glut of toms and runners! How wonderful that Lola is back with Conrad! I bet she was beside herself when she saw him again and it's nice to hear the story have a happy ending. :-)

Mel, a lot of the beaded ropes are quite straightforward. If you look on youtube and search for Jill Wiseman and look for Daydreamer rope, that is the one I am doing. The only other kind I have done is a Dutch Spiral rope. I will send a pic when it's done Mandy. I hope those 2 naughty hens escape again too so you can have them. :-) Fancy the Robin coming in the kitchen. Mum used to have one come in the conservatory and sit on the grapevine.

They were preparing for the WW2 re-enactment show in the village where I went to beading this morning. Cones all down the lane and people camping in the fields opposite. I also followed a huge low loader carrying 2 tanks. When I nipped in the co-op for the papers they had camouflage nets on the walls and signs up to say the blackout starts at 10.00pm. They had masking taped the windows in a diamond pattern to stop broken glass falling like they would during the war. They really enter into the spirit of things.

Mandy it's good you have the security light now. I think they are a good deterrent. That man was so lucky wasn't he. Hopefully he will be fine now. His poor wife must have been so worried.

OH is calling......

Morning all cloudy here at the moment but still warm enough for people to be laying out on the loungers by the pool. Just watching an official looking person taking towels off unattended chairs that is first.

Morning AnnG, morning all

Sunny and reasonably warm here today, next door is out making noise again, I don't know what he finds to do all the time. He was out with a torch last night even though he has about 10 security lights around his property, (he put another one in yesterday) The two of them were panicking over something,he went to his shed flashing his torch around, but there was nothing there. He's back drilling again this morning. They are very strange people.

I've never heard of anyone taking towels off chairs either AnnG. It sounds like you're having a nice relaxing time.

Thanks for letting us know about a possible land tax Jemima. We are thinking of moving and one of the things we wanted was a bigger garden. I don't think I fancy one now if there's a possibility of a land tax.

That's a good idea Mel having a washing line under cover, I was saying to OH the other day when the washing was blowing around the line that I wish I had an undercover washing line, it was a nuisance having to untangle the washing all the time. Once it was to windy to peg the washing out and it was a lovely sunny day to.

I mentioned the horse shoe hot water bottle to OH Frank and he said it would be lovely to have one, thanks for asking Ros where she bought it from, it'll really help OH when the cold weather arrives.

How frightening must that of been for his wife Mandy, I'm so pleased he is okay and in hospital now. Yes, we thought the new neighbour is just getting everything the way he wants in his garden but with all the security things he's got we're also wondering if the man child boss that was in charge of his extension has threatened him in some way as they had a big falling out over the drive and the boss had to pay 16k rather than the neighbour, apparently the original bill was 8k which the neighbour had already given him, so when the police were called they told the boss he had to pay the bill. If you remember there was almost a big fight between the boss, the people doing the drive and the new neighbours and not long after someone got into the neighbours bungalow and set the kitchen on fire, so I suppose he must be very worried something is going to happen, hence all the security lights and camera's everywhere. Hopefully it'll all calm down soon especially with winter on it's way and the darker evenings. Hope everything is better by you now, the new security light should help. Have you found a new swimming pool at a bargain price yet?

OH is doing the second coat of paint on the concrete posts in the front, he's not been able to do it over the last few days with all the rain we've had. It's come over cloudy now so I'm in two minds weather to make a start on the screening or leave it for today. Once I start to put it up I can't stop until each piece is done and I don't fancy getting caught in the rain if I'm in the middle of doing it.

I might check the weather to see if rain is forecast for today and take it from there.

Good Morning AnninGlos, and to all my other friends. xxx

I have baged up all the apples this morning, and they are now in the freezer. Some little bags for Apple Sauce, and larger ones for Crumbles etc. Ros used some last night to make her Blackberry and Apple pie.

These LED lights are just the ticket, they do seem to be very popular. I still have the old tube ones that light up the back garden, so I will leave well alone. ;-) ;-) ;-)

Ros found a SIGNET RING and it's gone off to be resized. He is only size "M" but I don't know what finger he had measured. So lets hope it will be what he wants.

Again a nothing sort of morning here, overcast with no sign of the YELLOW THING.
I will not be going out at lunchtime, as the pub doesn't seem to have SKY so can't watch football. England play later today, so I can watch that in the conservatory with the blinds down.

I hope the weather is fine for our Jane, even if it's not, it will be nice for her and Chris to get away for a few days. I think James and Hannah are away in GREECE as well. That should be nice, I can honestly say, going away with my Twin sister, was very nice when we both had our two youngest children. There is only A WEEK between the Birthdays. We both rang my Mother the same day, when we found that both girls were pregnant. Would that be something TWINS WOULD DO. ???? Very strange !!!

Simon rang yesterday to invite us out to lunch next Sunday, for Ros's Birthday. Unfortunately, Jan has already told us she is taking us out to lunch that Sunday. I suppose I could ask Jan, if she minds Simon and Sally joining us, as they haven't seen each other since my 80th. and it would be nice if I can book another two places. I will see what Ros has to say, and then check with Jan, and then Simon.

Conrad will drive down from Birmingham on the 19th Ros's birthday, and Harvey and family will be back from France on the 18th, so can come up on the 19th. I will need to get a table booked for that evening. MORE EXPENSE. lol lol

I have got a nice piece of leg of Pork out of the freezer. I am about to start preparing the veg, So tomorrow, I can have a nice relaxing day, with my paper and book.

Mel, You certainly are getting a collection of ribbons and bits and pieces. I hope you will know where you have put them, when you need to use them. lol lol.

Vals son has just started drilling and banging on the patio. So no peace for the WICKED. !!!!

See you all later, with a headache no doubt. ;-) ;-) ;-) ;-)xxx

Morning all,

Grey here today and there is a bit of blue sky so I am hoping it may get better later on.I have the egg delivery this morning and the usual shop for the paper.

Frank I have loads and loads of trimmings which mum had as she used to do a lot of sewing for charity when she was able. she made things and sold them for guide dogs for the blind and raised enough money to buy two dog to be trained, £2000 each. I have nearly every colour of cotton you could imagine but when I am making things I always need another colour!!

You have been a good boy doing all those apples. You can have some now with your pork.

I must take Emm some more damsons today and apples if she needs them.

Afternoon All,

It's very dull here now and a bit breezy.

Gill if there's room in your greenhouse you could always put some clothes on an airer to dry and pop it in there. I do it sometimes in the winter with the small stuff, but my greenhouse is always empty by then as I don't overwinter anything anymore.It sounds like your new neighbours are like our new ones here that have some lights on all night now. One of the things we loved when we moved here was that it wasn't all lit up, but after the hot tub being pinched it is a deterrent. We just have a security light over the front door and drive, but the cats trigger it the most or cobwebs over it.

AnnG it sounds much warmer where you are today than here! Do they remove the towels to stop people saving the loungers? I've heard of that being a problem in some places.

That's good Ros found him a ring Frank. I expect it will fit nicely once it's resized and will go on another finger if not. It's a good present as he will think of you and Ros every time he puts it on! <3 OH doesn't have a signet ring, but always seems to wear his wedding ring, whereas I don't always and never have. We both take them off at home as well. You seem to have a lot planned so it would be good if you could get everyone together for the meal. As for meals at home.........pass the apple sauce please!! :-D

Mel that was great of your mum to make and sell things for the Guide Dogs for the Blind and make enough to pay for two of them to be trained. It is a charity dear to my heart and I have left them money in my will. I remember us saving milk bottle tops for them at work! It's good to have all these trimmings and things when you do craftwork. I had to ditch a lot when I moved here as there wasn't room for it all and to be honest I did have too much!

I expect I won't be able to park anywhere but I'm driving past the village show in the new village hall now in case I can park near as it is the show today that I didn't enter in the end. I'd like to see the new hall inside and see what the competition was like though as I hope to enter next year. :-) I noticed this morning at the next village where we bead and the reenactment is that they have coned off far more of the roads than in previous years. There are sandbags outside some doors now and the staff in the cafe and co-op are dressing the part too, with the women with scarlet lips and the men in camouflage gear!

We used to save bottle tops for the PDSA when I was little.

Have a ice look around the show Ann and see what the standards are for next year.

When I delivered the eggs this morning Fred their dog had had a bath and was all fluffy even though he has a very close coat being a sort of greyhound type. He has gone deaf now but we still all speak to him as normal. It makes you wonder if dogs can lip read!!!!!! I must say there is a bit of sign language that goes on with me and him and he usually comes to greet me when I drive in and leads me indoors. He is such a dear and goes to work with Ed each day.

I have had a squirrel in the garden today busy burying beech masts in the lawn in the orchard. They have had all the hazelnuts off the tree and made a dreadful mess on the ground of all the nut shells.

It's gone quiet next door now so he must be finished Ann. That's a good idea to have a look at the show so you know what the standards are like for next year. Hope you found a parking space.

I didn't think about putting the washing in the greenhouse Ann, I have an airer so it would be great if it's to windy to peg on the line and I don't have any plants in there either with putting the big climbing bluebells outside. That's the problem here, the wind is very strong and really blows around the garden since we've taken the garage down, at least I don't need to worry about my smalls blowing into the neighbour's gardens now lol :-D :-D

Talking of squirrels Mel, OH told me a squirrel had managed to unhook the coconut off the bird feeder and was making his way across the garden with it, when he saw OH he dropped it, so I've put in on the bird table at the bottom of the garden, he can eat the stuff from inside it then without disturbing the birds on the feeder. When OH told me what had happened I noticed the holder for the nuts wasn't there, so OH had a look in the border underneath the feeder and it was on the floor empty. It looks like the squirrel has worked out, if he takes the bits off the feeder no one can see him when he eats it amongst the plants......talk about clever. Luckily the two things he's tried to take the birds didn't eat off anyway. I must keep an eye out now though.

I see you've found the signet ring Frank, much easier than the bracelet you were trying to find Ros. It'll be nice if you can all eat together for Ros's birthday, she'll like that.

The weather brightened up but when I mentioned to OH that I'd like to make a start on the screening he said I couldn't as he wanted to do the bricks with red paint, he'd caught them in a few places when he was painting the pebbledash white. So I ended up doing some more on his family tree instead. It's nice and sunny here so the paint shouldn't take to long to dry.

I found another interesting story about one of OH's ancestors. Apparently this woman was the only baby to have been born in a castle her parents were renting in Niagara Falls, so she ended up with the nickname "Princess" What a lovely story.

I've been given so much information for various parts of OH's tree it's going to take me a while to find my way through it all. It's different parts of the tree so each time a new bit of information comes through I'm having to flit from one part of his tree to another. Luckily they're not far from each other and I think connect somewhere, so that'll be another two parts done soon. I've still got lots more to do until his side is finished, so that'll keep me occupied for the next decade lol :-D :-D

Well I was right, there was no parking on the car park next door to the village hall, even on the rough extension they had opened up, so I carried on to the next village and parked up to watch the aeroplanes doing their display at the re-enactment. If I lived there now I would have a superb view from the upstairs windows. It was noticeable this year there were no bombs being let off, so I don't know if there were complaints last year. (they were really loud!) To try and stop anyone watching without paying, the farm itself have let their hedges at the roadside grow tall and they have fastened frames in their gateways that are covered with green fabric. Well 3 young lads were flattened against this fabric in one of the gateways so they had either managed to push the joins back or had made peep holes in it so they could watch! People were everywhere with binoculars and all along the main road walking or on bikes.

OH is in Birmingham at a match today, so I got the fridge emptied and cleaned out which is good and has made room for some more of the beans!

I haven't seen the Squirrel we used to see going for next door's peanuts all summer. They are clever things as you say Gill and can work out how to get to food. I wonder if Frank has also got peace and quiet yet?

I expect you get lots of Squirrels Mel. Are the Swallows hatched yet? What a lovely dog, escorting you inside like that!

Evening all,

It's been another nice sunny day , a bit cooler than the last few days but i got all the bedding dry and ironed .

Gill i was going to say why don't you use the green house for your washing when it's to windy or wet out side but Ann beat me to it :-D

Shame you couldn't park Ann to see what was entered in the show it would have given you an idea of what sort of thing you could enter next time .
I expect they did get complaints if they let bombs off last year they would have made a few people jump when they didn't expect it .

The thing about here lately is Rock painting or pebbles really ,you paint a picture on the stone and hide it and then the person that finds it can either keep it or rehide it ,they post pictures of the rocks on FB ,some of them are really little works of art ,i also saw some little acorns that had been painted with little faces on them and the top bit of the acorn was the hat .

Oh Mel poor old Fred going deaf ,it's surprising how well they manage though ,our Toby got quite deaf in the end but he soon got to know a few hand signs ,i use to beckon him in with my hand and he soon got to know ,but he had to be looking your way to see you do it .

Lovely photo's of the cottage from Jane ,hope the weather keeps fine for them .

Annx My wwddingbring has been on my finger for 59 years I don’t take it off at all. OH has never had a wedding ring. I did once buy him a signet ring but he had to stop wearing it as when working on aircraftbetc in the Fleetvair arm it could have got caught and he could have lost a finger. He still has it somewhere,

There are not really enough loungers to go round (there never are) so it is unfair to put towels on chairs and not sit on them.

Yes, we are about 3 miles away but the bomb effect noises were deafening at home last year, so must have been even louder in the village where they were. I know they do mock fights etc so it might happen tomorrow on the last day. They have a dinner dance there in a marquee tonight, all in wartime dress. I asked the lady in the co-op there why they weren't playing Glen Miller instead of pop music today and she muttered 'Head Office' and rolled her eyes. lol.

I've been cutting some felt tonight to fit a frame ready for starting a felted wool picture. I always put things off like that as I'm always thinking I will measure something wrong and spoil it before I've even started. I was the same cutting material when I made tops or skirts years ago.

Early start tomorrow as we are off to a Bead Sale at Dunchurch. OH likes coming to this one as it's at a sports hall with a footie pitch next to it! He also brings the Sunday papers to read so is quite happy waiting. I think we may just pop into their Sainsburys after and I can have a salmon lunch there as most places will be very busy by the time we leave.

OH said they are doing the funeral service for his friend like a football programme is set out! Don't ask! He has had a brainwave and one of the folders he pulled out of the skip is his friend's book he started writing about the origins of the old club right from the 1800s and how it developed. There are some interesting facts that many wouldn't know and he thinks it would be nice to quote some of his friend's actual words from his book in the reading he's doing, as most of those attending will be fans of the old club. I thought it was an excellent idea. :-)

I've found over the years that most women are the same as you and don't take their rings off AnnG. I know my MIL never took hers off in 64 years but my mum did at home. Most of the time I wear my engagement ring and eternity ring as well when I go out but it doesn't fuss me if I don't. I would never make pastry with rings on and I couldn't sleep with any jewellery on. When I used to go walking in the countryside with OH or went shopping in the city on my own, I would always turn my engagement ring so the stones weren't visible in case I got robbed!! I guess this makes me not very sentimental about some things and a bit anxious too! My first husband had a signet ring and wedding ring and he never wore them to work because, like your husband, he worked on dangerous machinery. I've heard of people saving loungers for their friends too by putting towels on them. As you say it isn't really fair when they are in short supply anyway. This week you have been away seems to have flown by.

I have been dong crafts this afternoon so hav'nt posted as I was getting on fine and did'nt want to stop.

Shame you could'nt get parked near the village hall to see the show Ann. Maybe next year you can enter and get some prizes. I always think if I get a prize that someone thinks my things are good enough to win something. Its just the taking part that matters to me.

Someones up to sneaky tricks again..............