General Chat

Looks like you have conflicting advice Gill so you will have to decide which is best for you. :-)

I’m here. Thanks for your concern. I’ve just been going through a few “off” days. I feel generally unwell but I don’t have anything specifically wrong with me. I’m not sleeping much and don’t have any appetite and just have no energy for anything. I did 2 loads of washing today and popped to the nearest supermarket for some fresh veg and milk but that’s all I have done for the last few days. I must get my act together tomorrow as the place looks like a tip.

OH was getting on well but strained his ribs again while showering this morning. It isn’t too bad but he’ll need to take it easy again for a couple of days.

fwiw Gill, I wouldn’t say anything to your Mum about driving as I suspect it might cause a family argument and you don’t need that, but only you can decide the best thing to do.

I have read the posts but there are too many of them for me to comment on them all. I hope James got on well at his interview and I hope you start to feel a lot better soon Jane. Thinking of you and sending positive vibes your way <3

Sorry to have been such a moaning Minnie. I am sure I’ll be back in a more cheerful mood in a day or two.

Morning all,

Awoken this morning by the man with the chain saw cutting some of the branches off the trees over the back.

We had hailstones last night before I went to bed and then when I went to bed and this morning they are all built up on the front of my car. Over the back they look like snow and it must be cold for the fella working on the trees.

Skies are grey and it looks like there could be more on the way but what its like outside our walls I do not know.

Not moaning Vera just voicing your feelings and we all understand. YOu go ahead girl and let it all out because we are all here for each other. Hope hubby's back is better today after he strained his ribs in the shower.

Shopping day again I can't believe how quickly they come around lately or is it just me?

Good morning, bright sunshine here but apparently 2 degrees outside Brrr!

Mel nice of the man with the chain saw to act as your personal alarm.

Vera sorry you have not been feeling well, hopefully just a mild bug that will clear. And if you are not eating the maybe bonus of losing a bit of weight. as long as you keep drinking it will be OK. Hope you feel better today and that you get some energy back and that your OH's ribs are not so sore. I don't think all this dark gloomy weather we have been having helps, or the unease caused by all the worry of this new disease.

Anyway as Mel says, you 'moan' on we have broad shoulders. <3 <3

It just came over very dark grey and we have had hail and sleet. Oh says I may be grounded today.

Now as I typed that there is blue sky..........................whats going on for it to change so very quickly?

Morning all

We have lovely sunshine but it's very cold. We had hail last night to Mel, but it didn't last to long.

Sorry to hear you're feeling under the weather Vera. We're all here for you, like you were for me the other week. Hope you managed some sleep last night and feel better for it today and your OH's ribs aren't to sore.

I got a reply for a message I sent to a tree match 5 years ago last night. It took me a while to work out who she was talking about, but I've replied and hopefully she won't take another 5 years to reply back.

I hope the weather stays bright enough for your donkey day Mel and you don't end up being grounded. Nice of the man with the chain saw to wake you up.....not.

Suns still out here at the mo and I am having some toast and going to chance it. They say we are going to have 40 mile an hour winds later so I want to get out early and get back.

Frank should have seen the doc by now so I hope he gets some good advice as to why he is feeling so awful.

Hope jane is getting over the dizziness and is feeling a little better today. <3 <3

It has been beautifully sunny all day here so far. Cold though. We went in to town on the bus, it was quite quiet, except for Wetherspoons which was doing well as it is steak day. We did succumb to 8oz sirloins and in my case with jacket, peas a half each of tomato and mushroom. OH had chips with his and we each had a glass of Shiraz.

We had a voucher towards sleepwear in m&S so I got a pair of pyjamas and then we went into M&co as they had a sale and i got a blue sweater reduced from £22.99 to 10.99.

Been back about an hour and all unpacked. I did'nt have a car in front of me all the way there and all the wasy back.

It was'nt that busy in Morrisons today either AnnG.Seems funny to be back so early and we had a Long Taioled Tit attack so I had to fill all the feeders up again as they are going crazy for food so I think its going to be a hard night for the little birds tonight.

Afternoon to you all,

Vera, Like you, I haven't been eating and sleeping well, but after seeing the Dr. two weeks ago, and two added medications, I have been eating a lot better, and sleeping a lot better.

I was back to see the Doctor this morning. She was very pleased with how I looked. She is sure the new tablets have a lot to do with it. So I have been put on them permanently, and she wants to see me in TWO MONTHS. So I am well pleased. !!!

Ros has gone out with Carolyn as usual on a Tuesday. We need very little in the way of shopping, but I bet that won't stop her bringing two or three bags af shopping home.

Yesterday afternoon, we watch the farming programme about the two farmers who produce their own crisps. Under the "TWO FARMERS" brand. Also the lady who grows JUNEBERRY, and puts it into flavouring GIN. I looked at the website of the two farmers, and found that AMAZON had the CHEESE AND ONION flavour crisps, which happen to be Ros's favourite. So like any good husband, I ordered her a box of 24 PACKETS. They will be here Friday. As for the GIN I thought it a bit expensive, so didn't order any.

I have done a beef casserole for tonight, with mash, Runners, French Beans, Carrots and peas, and Sweetheart Cabbage. So there's our 5 a day. lol lol



Been a very bright sunshiny day today, but cold with it. I expect a good frost for tonight. It won't bother us, as we have nowhere to go.

I have managed to forward the SCAM letter regarding a TAX REBATE, to HMRC and BT.So hope they can trace these B@@@TARDS, and take action against them.

I must try to get to Wetherspoon's one of these Tuesdays and try their STEAK OFFER. I sounds nice AnninG and from what you have said good value.

How did "DONKEY DAY" go Mel, I hope you didn't forget anything, and the cold wasn't to bad for you.

We have decided we won't go to the wedding in June in CORNWALL. It's just too far to go, plus it will interfere with the dates we go to Spain to see Conrad. Likewise, I don't think we will be going to my Nephews 70th Birthday bash in Southend-on-sea. in March.It's a long way to go for dos having to drive, p[lus it's almost certain to be an overnights stay in a hotel, which will make in a dear night out. It looks almost certain that Simon and Sally won't be going, what with her having to rest up for 8 weeks. I will get Ros. to get a card, saying we are sorry, but won't be coming.

I hope our Jane is feeling a little better today, as I do wish, all you other dear ladies good health, and that you are all keeping nice and warm against this cold spell.

Going to have a COT and a read of my book before Madam comes home. xxxx

Its good the doc was pleased with you Frank. I don't blame you not wanting to travel all the way to the 70th or the Cornwall bash.

Yes got the shopping done and we had one hail shower while I was in Morrisons other than that the sun has shone but there a bit of a very chilly wind.
Did'nt forget anything and they actually had my hash browns in today as they hav'nt had them for the last two weeks. No cornish Pastys though so none for an easy lunch tomorrow. I had asked the butcher to save me a pack oof ox kidney but he forgot so hopefully next week he will remember.

Evening all,

Cor blimey what a cold old day its been ,the wind goes through you like a knife ,it's one of those days that when your inside looking out at the lovely sunshine you don't realise how cold it is out there .
We had a couple of chaps here ,friends who Colin worked with, to put a new strap round the television aerial on the chimney as it had slipped over a bit ,we still use that aerial for the television upstairs
While they were up there on the roof Colin got them to take the cowl off the chimney pot and put the sweeping brushes down the chimney my goodness the soot that came down and the cowl was so blocked round the edges it was a wonder any smoke got through it ,hopefully the fire will be better now .

Ann good job you had the fleece under your coat not good sitting in a nasty draught.
So your jigsaw is done ,ours is getting there slowly :-(

Vera sorry to hear you've been feeling under the weather ,hopefully it's just a bug that you can shake off and be back to your old self .
Your poor OH hurting his ribs again ,does he use a shower stool ? might be worth a try if he hasn't ,might save him over stretching again

So you had an early morning call Mel with the tree man ,that was good you managed to get your shopping done and got home early ,when we get hail on the roads it soon becomes slippery on the edges and makes driving a bit dicey.

Frank that's good news you had from the doctor ,she must be pleased if you haven't got to go back for a couple of months ,keep it up.
I saw the programme with the two farmers and their crisps ,they sold a lot didn't they ,i thought the Gin was a bit pricey but people were buying it .

Anng i like some of the things in M&co ,you got a nice bargain on the sweater :-)

DIL said the girls had dusted and polished their bedroom yesterday after school ,they nearly used a tin of pledge !!!!! :-D :-D

That room will have Been well polished then Mandy. Yes M&co had some nice stuff in their sale good reductions too. I guess like the other shops they are suffering.

Frank good that doc was pleased with you so keep taking the tablets. Wise not to go to Cornwall it is a long way, better to concentrate on Spain.

Good you got out and back quickly Mel..always good to get the shopping out of the way..

I forgot to tell you that daughter has got another cat. After Luna was sadly put to sleep, Molly was lonely so they have now adopted another tabby, called Mandy. She has been so named because grandson previously had Milly, sadly no longer with us. Sooo Milly, Molly Mandy! :-D

If I remember rightly I think Mandy's board name used to be Milly Molly Mandy or Milly Molly Amanda. Is that so Mandy????

Aunty Joy had a dog called Molly and when she passed she had a cat called Milly. After her she now has Lily who is ginger and white short haired and is a real character. Lets you know just what she wants and when or for how long.If you are stroking her and she has had enough she gives you a little bite or she goes and looks at the cupboard where her food is kept.

Its so cold in here tonight and I have the heating on so I think I shall watch a bit of telly wrapped in my heated fleece oh bought me for Christmas. Its my knees that get so cold but tonight my feet are also cold.

Oh has the docs in the morning at 9am so I will have to be up early to take him. Will see you all later int he morning.

Night night.

Good morning all. Hope all went well with OH at the doc Mel. Cold again here but sun is shining. BBL.

Morning AnnG, morning all

Another sunny cold day, but no frost this morning for a change.

Your heated fleece sounds great Mel, where did your OH get it from, I'd like to get my OH one but have never heard of them before. Is it a blanket or an actual fleece you wear? How does it heat up? Hope all went well for your OH's doctor's appointment.

So you have a clean chimney and the girls have clean bedrooms Mandy. Nearly a full tin of Pledge, I bet it smells lovely in there. Hope your fire works better for you now and you have sorted the aerial out for your TV.

How are you feeling today Vera, I hope you've managed some sleep and are eating better now.

Thinking of Jane and hope she's back on here soon.

What a great name for the cat AnnG after the names of the other two, how old is she? Yes that is Mandy's name on here. I see you got another bargain with your sweater.

Good news from the doctor Frank, pleased to hear the meds are working for you and you are sleeping and eating better now.

Did anyone see the crescent moon with Venus to the side of it last night? OH and I have been watching Venus for a while now, it's very bright and looks like a big star. We were surprised to see it on the news though.

Morning all

I am feeling a bit more cheerful today though still "off-colour". I am wondering now if it is a virus of some sort as I have been like this since last Friday. I slept a bit better the last couple of nights - between 4 and 5 hours each night and I managed a proper dinner last night, albeit a bit smaller than usual. Like most people I do have occasional down days but I usually snap out of it pretty quickly. Yesterday OH said he wanted to get rid of all our Japanese Anemones and I burst into tears :-S How stupid was that! I'm getting angry with myself now and have given myself a good talking to! I'm turning into a right old misery guts. Sorry about that.

Yesterday I decided I must occupy myself so I decided to pot on some Penstemon cuttings I took a while ago as they had rooted nicely. I had about 20 but had to come in after doing 12 as I was so cold even though I was working inside the garage. Even with gloves on my hands had gone numb. I put the pots inside my mini plastic greenhouse and came in. Just before midnight I suddenly started wondering if I had actually closed the zipped front of the greenhouse so out I went in my nightclothes armed with a torch to check. Just as well as I hadn't closed it. Boy, it was cold out there but a beautiful clear night with a sky full of stars.

A friend called unexpectedly yesterday afternoon. She was feeling down because she had one of her cats put down the day before so we were able to cheer each other up a bit. The trouble is she is a lovely lady but very loud, particularly when she laughs which is more like a prolonged screech. I have to admit that after sitting next to her on the couch for an hour, with her screeching in my ear, I was thinking "When will she go home?" Still, I am grateful she took the trouble to call.

Mandy, I did laugh at your girls and their polishing. I wonder how long the enthusiasm for h/w will last? It reminded me of when my son was about 12. He had a friend W. whose parents were quite strict and would only have in the house friends of W. that they approved of. My son often had a meal with them and one day W's mother told me that he was one of the few boys allowed in to eat with W as he always said please and thank you and always offered to help with the washing up. It didn't sound like my boy at all ;-)

Isn't it strange how we all have different attitudes to bringing up kids? That lady vetted her son's friends so he didn't mix with anyone who might lead him astray. My house was always full of the riff-raff of the neighbourhood as I worked on the basis that, if they were in my house and garden, at least I knew where my son was and what he was doing.

Gill, 5 years is a long while to wait for a reply! Shows you should never give up hope. Fingers crossed that you get a quicker response this time. I did see Venus last night when I went out to check the greenhouse. Venus is the one thing I can always recognise as it is so large and bright and often quite low down in the sky. You said it looks like a big star. Did you know its other name is The Evening Star?

Frank, that's brilliant that the doctor doesn't want to see you for 2 months. The new meds must be doing some good and the news must have cheered you up. I bet Ros was pleased as well. I think you are wise not to go to the wedding or the 70th birthday "do". It's a shame to miss these events but it would mean a lot of driving for Ros and would probably be tiring for both of you.

Good to hear your daughter has got another cat AnnG. All these Mollys and Millys and now Mandy took me back to my childhood. I used to love the MillyMollyMandy books and wanted a name like that. I also had a cat called Molly and her sister who was called Mitzi. Our Molly was quite a small sleek black cat but otherwise very like Jane's Thomas in that she was a hunter. We got very used to finding half a bunny on the patio. Molly didn't like it when we moved here as she no longer had all the fields to roam in.

OH says he is feeling a lot better this morning and reckons another day or so of resting up and he will be able to start doing a bit more. I have suggested we get a shower stool, Mandy, but Mr Stubborn won't have one.

I hope Jane isn't feeling too rough. Sending love as always <3

It was still morning when I started this but I see we're into the afternoon already so time for me to go and prepare a bit of lunch. Have a good day everyone.

EDIT: PS Mel, I keep meaning to thank you for the latest pics of the dragon eye set in the clay. I think it's amazing and quite intricate. You are so clever. I'm looking forward to seeing the completed project

Gill We had cloud last night when I looked out so didn't see the crescent moon but I have been watching Venus as, like Vera, it is one I always recognize by the location and brightness.
As Vera says 5 years does show you should never give up with genealogical searches. Hope you get more info from that one now.

Vera, good to see you are picking up a bit, I am sure it must be a virus, you meet quite a lot of people in your friend groups, do you know if anyone else has been under the weather?
If you were already feeling down I can understand you bursting into tears at the thought of losing your pretty Japanese anenomes. Why does he want to get rid of them they are lovely?
That was naughty going down in your nightie into the cold garage although I can understand why you did it. I hope the cold didn't give you a chill.
Pleased to hear your OH is better. What is it with men who want to remain Macho when there is a solution to a problem? I can see my OH ending up needing a shower stool. Our shower is over the bath and if he gets unstable it will be difficult. And presumably for me too. There might well be a need for us to convert the bath into a walk in shower.
Daughter said it was obvious that she should be Mandy. She is a year old and was in a house with 8 other cats and an owner (don't know if male or female) who became ill so all the cats were taken to the shelter. Mandy was originally Prancer, daughter also met Donner and Blitzen so we can guess what the others were called!! She looks very sweet and is very much like Luna and Molly but is still extremely timid, although is approaching Molly. When we were first married we had a neighbour who has a tiny poodle called Mitzi. Our poodles were called Minty (she was a miniature crossed with a toy, and Gemma. Our cats were Josie, Sammie and Holly and all our animals were female. No pets now but never say never.

Today we have been to one of the ex Wyvale garden centres that has been taken over by Webbs. The only Webbs we have come across before is their flagship store near Droitwich which we like a lot, this is a smaller version but seems as if it will be a good one to visit.

OH has decided that, as he no longer is happy carrying his golf clubs and each winter sees the no trolleys rule extended. (so far ir is in the third month), he is going to change his membership and after February will join the point system. That means he buys so many points and games cost so many points so he can play when he wants and not feel he has to play when he is not feeling like it or the weather is bad. It does mean he will be under my feet a bit more but it will soon be gardening season so we will work something out. Also between May and September we are away for 6 weeks so he won't feel we are paying for something he is not using. We shall see how it goes.

I have already taken a few 'Texture' photos I may put them on my blog later to see what you think.