General Chat

Morning All,

Sunshine at the mo, but I expect it will rain later.

You have been busy! My first job was to unblock the ensuite toilet.....nice!! OH offered but I like to rinse the plunger well in a few flushes after.....not sure OH would. We are off to the Sunday carvery later as it will be far less busy today so the change of day has thrown me out already. I think I will be doing the same as you later AnnG although I need to go back to the village shop with my wire ring and get the one with room for pompoms instead.

Some of the work the teacher showed us (not sure if it was stump work or another skill!) was a small pot of flowers and not flat. The flower petals were made of wire with embroidery silk wrapped round them and the middles of the petals were caught between the edges with stem stitch. Such fine tiny stitches I know I would struggle to do. I look forward to seeing your latest makes Mel and I bet the Witch's ball makes a lovely smell. Did he manage to mend the pump?

Thanks Mandy I have recorded both now! I enjoy them too like Mel. You have reminded me I need to plant up my pots with the violas so I might get on with that later.

Jane Hannah is very disciplined to keep up with the gym while she stays with you. Does she pay per session or is it part of the same group she usually uses? I expect Hannah noticed a change with not seeing you every day and is trying to get you to eat more as you say. I suppose you are being bombarded with ideas, but OH has found his nights have been good since he stopped eating much after teatime, so that might be a help. I hope you find some nice slippers at Next. I think mine are beginning to fall apart. I must go and get a nice thin Kimono in Primark that I saw in a magazine. It would be good as a thin dressing gown for me.

Better get cracking and get showered now.

Morning all,

Slept late again!! I do wish he would wake me and I am cross with myself because I looked at my watch at 25 to 9 and then fell asleep again.

Lovely bright sunny morning today with lts of blue sky. Oh has been sucking all the leaves out of his pond with the pond vac but has now come in for a coffee. Its very hard to move the long pole around in the water so he does it in stages.

I of course have shopping day and it always falls on a lovely day and then when I want to do some craft work later in the week its always dull and dreary. Makes me so cross. :-| :-| :-|

Hope you find your new slippers girls. I don't where slippers as such but shower shoes most of the year unless its really cold and then I wear my fluffy boot type slippers oh bought me last Christmas they keep my ankles nice and warm.

If our loo is blocked I never use a plunger but mix a bucket of washing soda up with boiling water and bleach chuck that down it and it will clear its self. you need about half a packet of the washing soda and a good sqeeze of bleach but put them into the boiling water and give it a good stir with something then let it do its job!!!!!!!! (pun)

You can also do all your drains with it and they will smell as fresh as a daisy.

I have taken pics of the pencil wands, well 4 of them I still have to silver the last one yet, also a pic of the witch ball.

Glad to see Hannah is trying to build you up Jane and hope she is suceeding. Little and often is good so keep it up. Sending you love and wishes again this morning.XX <3 <3

You have all been good doing tidying in your gardens but I hav'nt done any here, well I jhave put a couple of bits away that oh left out like the strimmer and some tools but no actual gardening. Everywhere is so wet you just can't work in the soil.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I have just realized its MONDAY and I don't have to go shopping!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What am I like I never know what day it is....................................... :-S :-D :-D

Sent the pics.

Thanks for pics Mel, you are building up a lot of stuff for the sale. When is it? I do like the ball, is it pot pourri inside it?

Afternoon all,

I see you have all been busy chatting. lol

I was awake again at 4.00 am Couldn't get back to sleep so got up around 5.30.. I had my Aspirin and tablets with a COT. Ros came out around 8.00, made her own tea and got my cereal for me. "Biggles" was round with us at 10.30. At 11.00 a woman called JENNY came to take him for a walk. Ann had arranged it with her, to walk Biggles twice a day.

He's geen in and out as Ros is gardening in the back. Cutting back bushes etc.

I have prepared dinner for tonight. Cold sliced lo in an onion grave, Swede and carrot mash, sweetheart cabbage, with roasties, and parsnips.

Glad that Hannah is looking after you well Jane. Did you get the card from Sandra this morning.

Blocked loo, Better you than me, sorting that out. That's a good old method Mel, It seems that lots of old remedies are better than the modern ones. Mum always rubbed Camphorated oil on our chest and feet when we had a cold. I don't know what modern Mums do now. lol lol

I am finding the EYE is affecting the vision in my other eye. I seem to be spending more time with my eyes closed. Roll on Wednesday week. !!!

Pleased to see you are all getting out and about, shopping, eating and visiting family and friends.

I'm off to rest my eyes, see you later. Nothing happening here for me to report on. xxxx

Afternoon all

Sunny here today, they forecast rain, so I was surprised we had nice weather, having said that it's starting to get a bit cloudy, so I expect we'll have the predicted rain soon.

We had a laugh yesterday, there were a few squirrels in our garden trying their best to get to the bird food on the feeder, so we put lots of vaseline over the top of the feeder and moved the dish with the water in closer to the one with the food, we even put a bit of vaseline around the rim of the water dish. It did the trick and the squirrels kept sliding off the feeder, it was so funny to see. We weren't sure if the birds would be able to get to the food with the water dish being so close, but they managed okay, much to Sandra's delight. So that's that problem sorted for now.

The squirrels had managed to chew their way through the other feeders we had hanging up so we're hoping to find some squirrel proof ones to replace them with. OH said a squirrel jumped onto our living room window sill this morning, but then fell off and ran away.

I'm hoping we can still go to the Garden centre this week for the Christmas event, but somehow I've managed to hurt my knee last night. I don't remember doing anything but walk from one room to another so I don't know how I've hurt myself. OH thinks I've twisted it somehow, but like I said I don't remember doing anything like that. So last night and today I've not been able to bend my knee properly, which is making walking quite painful, I hope it doesn't stop me going to the Christmas do as I've been looking forward to it for ages. OH will take Sandra on their own if I can't make it. To top that all off I've got a sore throat, so I'm feeling a bit fed up at the moment. At least I can do some more of OH's tree with not being able to walk around, so it's not all bad.

I hope you've managed to eat something Jane. How nice of Hannah to try and sort out food you can cope with. Little and often is the best way by the sounds of it.

Love the pics you sent Mel, are they for the craft fair? You are making quite a variety of things lately, so should have a good display when they're all finished. It sounds like your OH is busy in the garden again. I haven't done much actual gardening this year. After doing so much these past few years I just wanted to potter in the garden for a change.

We're still brushing up the leaves, they're mainly off our own plants, but very soon they'll be a lot more once the leaves start falling off the neighbours trees, they are around 40 foot tall so plenty of leaves to blow off yet. I've taken some cutting of Penstemon's which are growing nicely on the kitchen window sill. We bought a pink one for Sandra and somehow one of the branches broke off so I cut it up into a few pieces and potted them up a few weeks ago, hopefully we'll have some more plants by next spring/summer.

I re-potted two of my conifers the other month, they were cuttings off one my sister gave me 5 years ago and now I have 6 good sized trees, I love making new plants from cuttings and it helps fill the borders and of course they are free.

I'll let you know when "Home is where the Art is" is on Ann, I think it's on next spring and my aunt is the 10th one on the show, at least I think that's what my mum said. I watched it when it was on last and OH and I think it's a brilliant show. It's about people who want some sort of art in their homes and there are three artists making things, then the people choose which one they want to buy. It's very good and well worth watching. It sounds like you're learning lots of new arts and crafts lately, I'd love to see some pictures of the things you make when they're finished.

Frank, it sounds as if you are straining your good eye because it is having to work twice as hard so it is better if you can just rest. At least Biggles entertains you.

Gill My knee hurts today as well. I think I slept awkwardly with it although it is a bit iffy and does hurt sometimes. however that is partly expected at my age but not at yours, look after it it has to last you a long time yet.

Well I got up fairly early and put the bedding in the washing machine, It was all dried by 1pm and in the airing cupboard. Then OH comes in with muddy trousers from playing golf, puts a large load of outer trousers, thick sweaters, ordinary golf trousers, thick socks, even a cap into the washing machine and didn't take it out until I went downstairs to check. So now at 3pm we have another 2 loads for the tumble drier. This time I showed him how to run the washing machine (he always ran the old one but had not tried this fairly new one, and now I have showed him how to run the drier as well. Noy that I hold out any hope that he will remember next time :-D

Gill don't cut your penstemons down till April.

It been sunshine and very heavy showers here today and just before lunch we had a huge double rainbowover to the north east. I tried to get a pic but don't think the reflection one came out.

Not sure if the witch balls would sell at the craft fair for the children in the village but they may sell in the shop in Torrington along with other things I have made sort of witchy and pagan. I just need to get there with some things.

Anng its not pot pouri in the ball its mostly things out of the garden. Yarrow, sage, bay lavender,rose petals, sprigs of lavender and cinnamon sticks and dried mistletoe leaves. I may make a Yule one next without the crystals in it.

Well i never got out into the garden as it started raining and then turned to a drizzle so i found some inside jobs .

I should think little and often would be best way for you to eat Jane ,is it better if you have more of a puree of your food rather than any thing that's a bit lumpy or would repeat more ?
Hope you managed to get some slippers from next ,i never seem to be able to have slippers very long before the bottoms get thin ,mind you i do tend to nip out to the bin in them which doesn't help.

Oh not a very nice job to have to do Ann ,i hope you've cleared it ok now .
When our drain got blocked outside under the kitchen window Colin bought some stuff that you pour down .... well it goes off with a bang and a puff and clears it lovely ,it did make us jump though as we we're both leaning over to see what it would do :-D
I had a google at the Stumpwork ,it does look like it would take quite a while to do as it is very fine work but all the bits i saw did look lovely .

Mel the pencils look nice they will sell well i should think and the ball is nice too with lots inside which i should think smell lovely
When you mentioned shopping i thought you'd decided to change your day going out .

How long is Biggles with you Frank i must have missed you saying he was coming again .
Do you have a patch over the eye ? it might rest the eye better if you had one .

It must have been funny watching the squirrels tying to get the food on the feeder Gill
Hope the knee is feeling better ,perhaps you turned funny in bed and strained it some how .

Your OH has had a sort out of his clothes for the wash AnnG ,Colin usually finds some thing that needs washing just after i've turned the machine on which is annoying .
Hope your knee is feeling better too .

Evening All

A message for Sandra Dear Sandra ,thank very much for your special card you sent me.It is so pretty and it has cheered me up so much <3

Thanks too AnnG for your card that also came today :-D.

I got the slippers and also a fleecy throw that I am thinking may be very handy in weeks to come.I have had soup tonight and James is cooking dinner for the rest of them.I have to say it does smell good. I havent felt like much at all today but will have a hot chocolate in about an hour. I am ready to settle down and watch some tv on the laptop.

Love the pics Mel and I bet no-one else makes such unusual things to sell so you should do well with them. I wear beach shoe things that just have a velchro strap across in the summer as my slippers, as I find anything else too hot. In winter I have mule slippers without backs as they are plenty warm enough for me. I have to check the soles before I buy though as some are quite smooth and slip on our hard floors. It's only the ensuite toilet that blocks as there is a length of level pipe to the outside so there are angles on it. Your tip about washing soda is a good one to bear in mind, but a couple of plunges clear it if you do it as soon as you notice it. Come to think of it, we've never had smelly drains at this bungalow. There are no pipes on the outside walls into the 2 outside drains by the bathroom and ensuite so I can only assume they emerge below the water line in the drains? Goodness knows where the uti and kitchen drainpipes go as there are no visible outside drains for those. I think they may need the washing soda treatment if they get blocked!!!

There you were thinking the washing was all done AnnG! OH sometimes fills the laundry basket as soon as it's empty. I didn't realise golf was such a muddy game. OH gets soaked and shoes all muddy watching footie. At least after many reminders he swaps hs shoes to drive home in now, but of course his pals who sit in the passenger seat don't and leave clumps of mud and gravel where I sit. It's a good job he has rubber mats. :-(

That's good that you have Biggles to keep you company Frank. With trotting in and out it sounds like he couldn't decide which one of you to be with!! :-) I think if one eye is affected it can affect the other, so all you can do is just rest them till you are seen. Your new Dyson sounds as if it does a brilliant job!

Well it seems my double win on ERNIE was a computer glitch I read in the paper the other day! Still, one small win is better thane none!! lol. :-)

OH has had a harrowing day. It took him days to sort out an important meeting that is to take place tomorrow, then while we were having our carvery lunch he got a call to say it was all off as someone couldn't be there!! When he got home he started contacting people to let them know it had been cancelled, then he got a call to say it was all on again as someone else had been found to stand in and he had to start contacting people again to let them know it was still on! Then blow me he got another call to say the person who was to fill the gap had changed their mind so it was all off again!! He doesn't know if he's coming or going so he's gone off to another meeting now with a headache.

When I came home from the craft shop in the village, Hello Kitty's foolhardiness had reached new heights! It was dusk and he was sitting further into the middle of the road, further down the close on the bend so you didn't see him till it was nearly too late!!! :-0 I had to drive onto the pavement on my right slowly to avoid him, but he never moved an inch.

Gill I did something with my knee in the night like AnnG a few weeks ago and was limping for a few days. It sounds like you have twisted it somehow and weakened it then perhaps lay on it a bit funny. I hope your sore throat doesn't get worse. You don't want to be missing the night at the garden centre. I remember seeing a previous series of that prog Gill now you have described it and really enjoyed it. :-)

Good evening everyone

Not very nice weather today. Lots of rain and no sun. It was dry for a couple of hours this afternoon but the ground is sopping wet so I couldn’t get any gardening done, not that I would have had much time. As I was too busy on Thursday and away all the weekend I needed to shop for food etc, then I did four loads of washing, some went in the drier and some is hung around the house. Then I decided I had lots of carrots that were past their best so I made carrot and ginger soup. It was very nice but I think I overdid the ginger a bit. Good job we both like ginger.

We had a good journey back from Yorkshire. We didn’t leave till 6 pm and there seemed to be a lot of traffic out for a Sunday evening but it was all moving well and there were no holdups so it only took us 3 hours to Cambridge to drop off granddaughter and another hour to get home.

It was lovely to see everyone and dil fed us very well. Their house is amazing now. It all needs decorating and carpeting but the work they have had done in the last year is wonderful. You may not remember but about 18 months ago they bought a 6 bedroomed Victorian house that was definitely a project. It had big rooms with high ceilings and lots of original features, even servants’ bells but the tiniest kitchen you have ever seen which led into a large breakfast room with a shower room with WC in the corner! The original kitchen is now a utility room and the breakfast room and shower area is a large state-of-the-art kitchen with a dining area and a seating area with corner sofa, TV etc. The kitchen has a huge quartz work surface with an induction hob and sink built in and there are three eye level ovens which all cook in different ways. They wanted a granite work surface originally but couldn’t get a big enough piece to have it without a join so they went for quartz. There is a new downstairs cloakroom in the large hall, and the original sitting room and son’s office stayed as they were.

There were originally four bedrooms and a cramped bathroom and separate loo on the next floor. There are now 3 bedrooms but the master has a dressing room and en-suite. The bathroom and WC have been combined in one larger room. On the attic floor there were 2 bedrooms and a great deal of wasted space. There are now 3 bedrooms and a bathroom. Son’s 3 girls share this floor.

I’ve gone on a bit about the house but it really is quite something. Now OH is calling dinner is ready so I’ll post this and come back later.

Glad you found some slippers Jane and I think Thomas will be competing with you for possession of the fleecy throw. :-) One of my beading friends always finds her cats curled up on her soft beading mats. lol Small amounts of pureed food like Mandy says might be the way to go as you can thin it down more with some gravy to make it like soup. It must be hard when you just don't fancy anything though. How nice of Sandra to make you a card.........I bet she will be so thrilled you have it now. :-D

Oh it does sound quite a house Vera! I would love the new kitchen with dining and room for a sofa.....it is on my wish list! Mum's old house was victorian and had lots of original features the same including the servants' bells and a big hall with Minton floor. They have something else I would love too.....a dressing room. How nice to have all your clothes and shoes so you can see them all. It sounds as if the work they have done has made it fantastic and imagine it when they have finished decorating it. :-D

I’m pleased you found some slippers Jane and that fleecy throw sounds very cosy. As Ann said I bet Thomas will be sharing it with you. How long will Hannah be able to stay with you? I expect she wants to spoil you a bit so let her. She is being a loving daughter. When you don’t feel like eating much soups and milky drinks can be quite nourishing. Just keep having a little of what you fancy as often as you can. I am sure Chris is keeping a good eye on you.

Gill, I am sorry you have a bad knee, and AnnG as well. I hope the pain is easing up for you both now. I am having problems with my back today. Our car is comfortable but I sat in it for 4 hours yesterday and kept turning round to talk to granddaughter in the back seat. I was also a bit cold in the night and think I probably scrunched myself up in a bad position. We are a sorry lot aren’t we what with knees and backs and Frank’s eyes (I hope you are keeping them well rested Frank). Part of the problems of growing older I suppose, although that doesn’t include Gill of course.

I hope your knee problem doesn’t prevent you going to the Garden Centre Christmas event Gill. Sandra will be disappointed if you are not there too. I hope your Penstemons work out OK. I’ve got cuttings of some of mine as well that I hope will root and I agree with Mel. Don’t cut them right down till spring. Mine are quite tall now so I do take a bit of them at this time of year, but no more than a third.

That moon was amazing AnninG. I had seen something on television about it. Even though I am not particularly in to the planets and stars, I would love to see that.

Oh dear Ann, a toilet blockage, yuk. You are very good dealing with it. I would have just yelled for OH and kept well out of the way. That stump work sounds interesting. I am going to google it in a minute and find out exactly what it is.

I like that Ivy necklace Mel. It would make someone a lovely gift as it is original and different. Your pencil wands and witch ball should do well on craft stalls as well. Did your OH repair the pump? Replacing equipment like that can work out very expensive. When we had to get rid of our koi we put our pump and some other equipment on ebay and could have sold it 10 times over. The people who bought it came from the other side of the country and it must have been a day trip for them just to come and collect it but they were so pleased to get something at a sensible price.

The granddaughter we went to see in Tommy sometimes does a bit of photographic modelling. The lady who got her into it is a local GP and F. models for her for free. Other photographers asked her to do a bit as well but she charges them and has a very strict contract drawn up by my son saying exactly what she can and can’t do and insisting she is chaperoned (she was only 16 when she started, 17 now). One of the pictures taken by the GP has just won an award because of the way the picture is lit and she sent F several mounted copies of the photo. She has given us one which is quite big, 20” x 16” and I have tried to photograph it on my iPad so I can email it round. I haven’t made a very good job as I couldn’t find a position where either the window light or the house lights weren’t shining on it or it wasn’t too dark. I also have problems with something called intention tremor which sometimes makes my hands shaky so it may be slightly blurry. Anyway I will send it round. See what you think.

I have written reams today so you have probably all dozed off by now so I’ll say night, night. Sleep well everyone.

Wow what a great picture of Vera's grandaughter. She is beautiful.

I agree Mel, she's a real beauty Vera! Is it grandma's genes she has? So talented too.

Good morning all,

Remember remember the fith of November, gunpowder treason and plot.............

Nice morning with sunshine blue and grey and white sky so how long the sun will hold out I don't know. Oh's new pump arrived late yesterday so he is out there getting it in the pond. I on the other hand had a good nights sleep and have to go shopping today and I am sure its today now.

Its oh's birthday tomorrow so I must do his card and present tonight.

Morning all

We've just had a bit of rain, but thankfully it has stopped now as OH said he'd tidy up his friends garden for him, it shouldn't take him long though, just a bit of weeding and of course rake the leaves up. Apparently he's get quite a lot and at 80 odd years old can't manged to rake them all up himself, so he'll be pleased with OH's help. Sandra wants another book ordered off Amazon and we've decided to buy two more lights with them being so cheap and good. We don't need them at the moment but you never know and knowing our luck if we decide to buy them later the price will have gone up. OH's also going to order two more double connections, so while he's there he can sort out the shopping to lol :-D

Sorry to hear you have a bad knee to AnnG, it's no joke is it when you can't bend your knee properly. Mine is feeling a little better today so with a bit of luck it'll be okay for me to go to the garden centre later in the week. I hurt my knee in my 20's and have had a lot of problems with it for the last few years, but this time I didn't even realise I'd done something to it, it just started hurting and swelled up a bit. I've been resting it as much as possible over the last two days, so if i keep doing that I should be fine to go out. If I can't make it OH is going to take Sandra and I'll stay here.

I noticed your post late last night Jane as I was closing my laptop down, I was very tired so thought I'd catch up with all the post this morning, I did however pass on your message to Sandra, she's chuffed you like the card and pleased it arrived okay. I think she still has the delayed parcel Mel sent her on her mind, so now worries a bit incase anything she sends doesn't get through, but she went off to bed a happy bunny in the end. Pleased to see you got your slippers and the nice cozy throw, that'll keep you warm by the sounds of it. Hannah's being very helpful, she's a good daughter to you, you must be so proud of her.

I sorted the Penstemon cuttings out a while ago Mel when it was still warm, normally I do them in the spring but the branch broke off and I didn't want to throw it away. They seem okay so hopefully next spring I'll be able to pot them on and have four new plants. The same thing happened to a climbing Fatsia, so I have a cutting of that on the kitchen window sill to. I did have a cutting of the toxic plant but that didn't take and after when I realised it was toxic I would of thrown it away anyway. I did take cuttings of some Fuchsia's years ago around October, my mum's neighbour gave them to me so out of respect to her kindness I potted them up and popped them on the window sill, to my surprise they took and now I have a few of those plants which are becoming quite big now, so I guess some cuttings do work in the winter. I still prefer to do them in the spring though, just to be on the safe side as they work better at that time of the year.

Love the photo of your granddaughter Vera, she's very pretty, I thought it was a lovely photo. I hope your back is feeling better today.

How nice to have Biggles around again Frank, I know how much you enjoy his company. How long is it staying at yours? I hope your eye isn't giving you to much trouble today.

I did really well on OH's American rellies yesterday and think I've finished them now. Today I'm going to compare my tree with the one I've got access to, just to make sure I haven't missed anyone out.

Going to have a cuppa first. OH has just gone to his friend's and the sun is trying it's best to come out, the rain has finally stopped, so that's good.

OH I nearly forgot, one of the neighbours let off a lot of fireworks last night so we all sat on the bench and watched them. Sandra loved it, they were really good lots of rockets so plenty to see. It only last about 15 minutes, but Sandra thought it was great. She made us laugh saying she'd heard on the radio that they are going to make fireworks that don't make any sound (not sure how though :-S :-S) but her comment was, "They can't do that, it's silly, you can't have fireworks without sound" She's right though, it just wouldn't be the same would it?

Morning

Very misty first thing but that has cleared now and it’s just grey and dampish. No sign of sun but it’s not raining.

I had a sleepless night, mainly because of backache. I have done the little bit of ironing I had and prepared tonight’s veg. OH said yesterday that he would hoover through for me but there’s no sign of the cleaner coming out so I am in a quandary. If I don’t do it myself I know it won’t get done, but if I do it he’ll get grumpy and tell me he was going to do it later. Yeah, right, of course he was ;-)

I also need to get outside but don’t want to aggravate my back. There are troughs and pots that need clearing of begonias and busy lizzies, lots of dead stems to cut down and leaves to sweep up so I think I must try and do a little bit today.

Thank you for your kind comments about my granddaughter. She is lovely as she is slim and has good bone structure. She also has the fine translucent skin that often goes with reddish hair. I did tell Mel and AnnG that she has auburn hair. Sorry ladies, that isn’t true. I can’t think what made me say auburn as she is more towards the lighter end of the red spectrum. I think her colouring comes from her other grandmother who is Irish.

I’m off to the Ladies’ Club this evening. I don’t know who the speaker is tonight but I hope he/she is good or I will be falling asleep.

Have a good day everyone.