General Chat

I remember my first day at school, hated it. So much that at play time (?)

mid morning when we all in the play ground I dis a runner, straight home.

Was taken back immediately.

My first OH did that too David. He lived nextdoor to his first school so the temptation was obviously great. He hid in the garden shed but the school must have alerted his mum who found him in the shed.

My little brother started school at age 3. The next morning I heard him say to mum 'I don't think I will go to school today'. What a shock it is when you realise you have to go all week once you start!!

I wonder now what happened to all my childhood things over the years! I know my little trike had to go back to Santa for another child when I had my bigger 3 wheeler. I remember saying to mum that I wanted to keep both. But what became of things like my dolls' pram and why didn't I seem to notice it had gone? I expect mum sold or disposed of things while I was at school.

I am pretty sure that all my toys were sold. My Dad made me a fantastic dolls house but in my early teens (I assume she decided I was too old for it) it disappeared.

Gill if they are quarantined people in the area should be OK. They will have no contact with any of the hospital staff. It all seems to be under control. I did see on TV that you catch it by direct that is up close contact and not by passing somebody in the street,

It is of concern though I agree.

The Doctor's who had observed the progressive worsening of the King' health

due to lung cancer had it in their power to ease his pain with morphine.

Good morning all,

A pinch and a punch for the first of the month.

We have a bright morning for a change with some blue sky and fast moving whitish clouds. Lets hope it stays this way ad I can get the girls cleaned out today.

Must ring about eggs and go to the shop for the paper then the rest of the day is mine and I may do some painting or modeling.

Oh has just asked me when his sisters birthday is?? He said he hates February because its his two sisters birthdays and it was his mums and its mine too.

It is also our Mandy's.

And Vera's!!
Sunny so far here but we are only just up, showered and hair washed. No idea what we are doing today, waiting for OH to make a decision.

Did anyone stay up and watch TV last night at 11pm? Gosh what a lot of people in Parliament square to celebrate leaving the EU.

Good morning to you all,

YES, I was sitting waiting for 11.00 pm. Raised a glass of SCOTCH to celebrate our leaving of the EU. Then went to bed, and slept like a log. Ros woke at 9.15 in a mad panic, she meets Martine at 10.00 most Saturdays

I did a long post last night, then out of the blue the screen went blank. After checking around, I found I had knocked the plug loose with mt foot.

Like you Mel, we have a bright sunny morning. But with a lot of wind, which looks a bit chilly. I am only just out of the shower, and dressed.

I have offered to run the Dyson through the bungalow, while Ros is out, So BROWNIE POINTS for me.

Booking a table for lunch out tomorrow, it's becoming a habit with me. NO COOKING AGAIN.

What are you up to this weekend, anything nice ??

Sept. is our month of a lot of Birthdays, which Ros. dreads. We have heard the Julia's Sons wife Is exception, with the baby due AUGUST/ SEPTEMBER, so it could be another. Sept. B'day. lol

I think I will get myself a Bacon Sarnie, and a coffee. That will see me through until Ros comes home with lunch around 1.30 pm.

Have a good weekend, see you soon. xxxx

Good morning to you all,

YES, I was sitting waiting for 11.00 pm. Raised a glass of SCOTCH to celebrate our leaving of the EU. Then went to bed, and slept like a log. Ros woke at 9.15 in a mad panic, she meets Martine at 10.00 most Saturdays

I did a long post last night, then out of the blue the screen went blank. After checking around, I found I had knocked the plug loose with mt foot.

Like you Mel, we have a bright sunny morning. But with a lot of wind, which looks a bit chilly. I am only just out of the shower, and dressed.

I have offered to run the Dyson through the bungalow, while Ros is out, So BROWNIE POINTS for me.

Booking a table for lunch out tomorrow, it's becoming a habit with me. NO COOKING AGAIN.

What are you up to this weekend, anything nice ??

Sept. is our month of a lot of Birthdays, which Ros. dreads. We have heard the Julia's Sons wife Is exception, with the baby due AUGUST/ SEPTEMBER, so it could be another. Sept. B'day. lol

I think I will get myself a Bacon Sarnie, and a coffee. That will see me through until Ros comes home with lunch around 1.30 pm.

Have a good weekend, see you soon. xxxx

Morning all

Bright and sunny here to but it's windy and not very warm, at least it's not raining.
Done the usual picking up of the Red Robin leaves this morning. We bought two very large ones and they are losing their leaves so I don't think we're going to have them much longer. There is new shoots on them but only on the tips. I wouldn't mind but they cost us almost £700 for the two so that was a waste of money as we've only had them just over a year. All the other Red Robin's are doing the same, so it looks like we're going to have to replace quite a few plants this year. I'm thinking of replacing them with some Viburnums as they don't seem to mind the wind.

Yes, we watched the TV at 11pm last night with everyone celebrating us leaving the EU, although I'm not sure how that's going to effect the way we live yet. We've noticed over the past six months lots of things have gone up in price, that's if you can get hold of them in the first place. I hope that's not a sign of things to come. I guess none of us know exactly what's going to happen yet do we?

Thanks Mel for the purse clip it's just arrived. Sandra said thank you for the stickers, she was running out of pink diamonds so is thrilled with them and of course she loves the snowmen ones <3 <3 <3 <3

I've just rang mum and mentioned about her driving, she said she's not driving much and that she can see okay to do it, which is what I thought she'd say. I just asked her to take it easy as she needs to rest her eye, whether she'll listen or not I don't know. I also asked her to keep away from Arrowe Park Hospital if she can over the next 2 weeks, apparently she's had lots of phone calls off family members saying the same thing. She doesn't seem bothered about that either. She can be so stubborn sometimes, but then I suppose with her heart the way it is she might not have a choice and end up in hospital anyway. At least they are keeping the people separate from the main hospital and also have separate doctors and nurses looking after them, so they are at least trying to keep the general public safe.

I'm hoping to hear back from the tree match today, she said she would look into my Australian relatives for me this weekend, so after 5 years I might be able to finish that bit of my tree off soon.

Yes, there are three birthdays on here this month, Sandra has made everyone's birthday cards so I have three of them waiting to be posted. I might post them all at the same time so two of you will need to put them to one side ready for your special days.

Nothing much planned for today, so I think I'll catch up with a bit of TV I've recorded a few history programmes I wouldn't mind watching and I might take another look at my family tree later, making sure I don't have to much screen time though as I don't want a migraine. I've noticed since I've stopping looking at screens so much I haven't had another migraine, so it seems to be working. I must of over done things when I was doing OH's tree. I don't have much left on his side to do, just check his direct line with the tree match I have, then it'll all be finished.....well as finished as it can be at the moment.

Going to get another cuppa now, I've been very thirsty so far today and can't seem to quench my thirst. I also need to put the bird seed out. I hope you don't have the wind we have Mel so you can sort your girls out. Be careful with the hoovering Frank, you don't want to trip and have an accident. Yes Brownie points coming your way later. lol ;-)

Thinking of Jane, hope she can make it back on here soon <3 <3 <3

Not too windy here, sun still in and out and not too cold but we have just had a slight shower.

We went round to tesco for the paper and then down to the community centre for coffee and a shared sausage roll. Bought some chips in Tesco which are kept in the fridge, not frozen so will see what they are like, not seen them before, Community centre was really busy with something on in the main hall so no parking spaces. We had to park out on the road, it is a side road, a bit busy but ok to park.

Frank where are you booking for lunch tomorrow. We have booked next Sunday for the Beefeater as son and daughter in law are going through Gloucester on their way to Hay on Wye for a couple of nights. Be nice to see them.

Gill, the people in quarantine will have no contact with people outside. They won't see many people as they are not ill. If they go down with the virus they will be moved to another hospital. I believe they also have a place fenced off so they can get outside. I did see that all sorts of things have been taken in for them like TVs X boxes etc and they have Wifi so that some of them can still work via the internet. So really no need to be concerned.

Afternoon All,

Very breezy here but it seems less chilly. OH was coughing last night but perked up for footie today.......no surprise there! He left his navy blue long johns off for footie so I hope it isn't too cold where he is!

Yes, lots of celebrations on tv but also a source of much worry for many people and their future livelihood. Border check delays incurring extra cost for the car industry, UK fishermen are worried they will be put out of business, who will pick the farm produce cheaply now? All I can see at the moment is everything costing more. :-S

Since my bank branch is closing in a few months I was thinking of changing to another bank in the next village.........now I hear that is closing this year too. It was always busy there, so that will mean less other shopping being done by the customers that will go elsewhere. They had to remove parking charges after the old Waitrose went, to try and encourage shoppers for the remaining shops, but now Iceland have opened in the old store they have put the charges back on again.

Gill, I'm sure your mum's eye will be okay now after this time so try not to worry. Does she need the other one doing as well? Your Red Robins, do they have spots on the leaves that are dropping off as that could be a fungus causing it? They need the sun too as they don't like the cold so you could try putting them in your sunniest spot if you haven't already.

So many birthdays this month! FIL's would have been tomorrow and he would have been 99. I can't believe it is 4 years now. This month will be the first anniversary since my sister died too so I think I will get a pot of snowdrops to plant in the garden in her memory as she would like that.

Mel your hens seem to be laying well now. Have there been anymore soft shells lately? I wish I lived nearer so I could buy some from you. :-)

I thought of you this morning AnnG as we tucked into poached eggs on toast at a garden centre. Pleased to say the yolks were nicely runny, although we weren't sure about the garnish of pea shoots!

Cleaned the big girls out first this morning. The wind had got up a bit so there was a bit of sawdust flying around and whe I went to the shop I still had my hat on and when I came home it had bits of the shaving on it!!!! That'll teach me to change my hat.

Gazebo sides arrive today so we spent a lot of time fighting the wind to get them on. Oh has screwed the legdown to the decking. He was'nt happy with all the foot of material on the bottom so we have raised it up to its full height. It has now blocked out all the veiw out the back. Not sure I like it now........... Its a bit imposing and I feel very closed in on the decking and the patio outside the back door.

After Em's and the shop I did lunch and then thought I would have a go with my new coloured poly clay. It is so hard it took me ages to knead it into a workable texture. Not really liking this make after the Fimo. I may have to put a little oil with it to soften it futher.

The big breakfast is on at the village hall tomorrow but we don't go as we have our own big breakfast o a Sunday.

I like pea shoots. You can growo your own if you buy those Bachelours dried peas. I did it once and they were good. I do buy them for salads and sandwiches in the summer.

I suppose they thought it gave the plate a bit of colour Ann.

You'll never guess what we've just seen, the neighbour is having a BBQ and we're only just in February......talk about daft. I always thought they were strange, now they've just confirmed it lol :-D :-D :-D What ever next :-S :-S :-S

Yes, I Like pea shoots if they are in salads when we eat out as they taste the same as uncooked peas which I also like. They didn't seem to quite go with poached eggs somehow. They were only a garnish though, even though I ate them! :-) OH forced himself to eat a bit, but he doesn't even like uncooked peas! lol

Fancy going out with a hat covered in wood shavings Mel. :-) I hope they didn't blow all over the inside of your car when you got in and out. If I get some clay I think I shall stick to the Fimo as this other one sounds like hard work.

Oh Gill, is it a new barbecue they are trying out do you think? It's a bit cold for sitting outside! As you say, whatever next.lol Our neighbours moved theirs next to our fence a couple of years ago which was a bit of a concern. It is also nearer our windows and the wind always blew the smoke in our bungalow anyway. They never seem to use it since they moved it though, so I must get OH to peer over the fence when they aren't around to see if they still have it

Since OH came home he's done nothing but hack and cough, so I'm giving him a wide berth!! :-S I got a cold off him before Christmas so I don't want this with how these things turn nasty if I get them. :-S

I think Jane said her daughter would be moved from London to near her by now so I hope it went well.

I hope Frank earned his brownie points with the dyson and that he has a nice lunch with no complaints tomorrow. It will be good for him to look at some different walls for a few hours. :-D

An early night for me I think and see if I can get up earlier tomorrow. I hope we all have a good sleep. x

Good evening all

Thank you for your kind words. They cheered me up. I’m not quite 100% yet but am feeling a little better each day and the last two nights I’ve had between 4-5 hours’ sleep which is a big improvement on the couple of hours I was getting. I’m aiming high – I’m going for 6 hours tonight.

Mel, I hope the ache round your eyes has gone now and you are feeling a bit less “flat”. I had to laugh at you going to the shop in your hat decorated with shavings.

Ann, I remember my brother had a gold coloured coronation coach and horses. I don’t think it was ever taken out of its box which sat on top of the piano in the seldom used “front room”. I must ask him what happened to it as I think those original ones are worth a bit of money now. Your poached eggs didn’t sound very nice. I like mine a bit runny too. I quite like pea shoots and they look pretty with the little tendrils but they do seem to be used to decorate everything now. Oh dear, I hope your OH isn’t going to pass his cough on to you. Poor man, he probably isn’t a happy bunny right now. As a cough and cold is obviously not enough to make him miss footie, you’ll just have to insist he wears his thermal undies.

AnninG, I have had a look at your texture pictures now. Like everyone else I like the one that looks like rope and I also like the bubblewrap one. The only other texture I thought of was a sponge or loofah but you have a few to choose from already. You asked me why OH wanted to get rid of the Japanese Anemones and I forgot to answer you. It’s not that he doesn’t like them but they like our garden too much. He does have a point. They are so invasive and every time he digs one out, another two seem to grow in its place! They are growing under shrubs and everywhere. However, we have reached a compromise; in other words, I have told him what is going to happen, lol. I am keeping one batch in an area of the garden where they aren’t doing so much damage and having a couple in pots. He can take out the rest and we will try and replace them with something that is a similar height and flowers at a similar time and is preferably pink. All I’ve come up with so far is a pink Michaelmas Daisy.

It’s a shame about your Red Robins, Gill. We had some in a mixed hedge in our old house and they didn’t seem to be affected by the wind. We had open fields behind us and the east and north winds used to howl across there. Perhaps ours were OK because we didn’t want to block our view so we kept the hedge quite low, only 4-5 feet. Yours do sound very tall. I thought of you this morning while we were having our Saturday coffee with friends as the chat turned to driving after cataract operations. Several people mentioned that they knew others who were able to drive within a few days, so I wouldn’t worry about your mum. You’ve done the right thing and let her know you’re concerned. A BBQ in February? Your neighbours really are something else.

Enjoy your meal out tomorrow Frank. Have you booked somewhere you usually go to or are you going somewhere new? We had a veggie meal tonight; cheese and onion quiche and a big pile of stir fried veg. Very nice it was too. Tomorrow I’m doing a pot roasted brisket of beef which will please OH as he does like his meat.

David, you’ve started us off thinking of our early memories now. Mine seem to be involved with clothing. I have a very vague memory of being a toddler and having a pink coat and hat and falling flat in a muddy puddle. I remember my mother nearly in tears and being very cross with me. When I was older I found out she had saved up all the clothing coupons to get this for me and I had ruined it on its first outing. I also remember having to sit on the table with my legs out straight in front while my mother put leather gaiters on me and used a button hook to button them all the way up. At the age of about 4 I also had a brick red coat and hat and I hated that hat with a vengeance. I did everything I could to lose it, leaving it on buses and in shops but somehow my mum always noticed and retrieved it.

Daughter arrived at 5.30 pm as planned yesterday and we left straightaway in case we got stuck in a rush hour traffic jam. In fact, although there was a lot of traffic, it all kept moving at a good speed so we were in Cambridge quite early. Just as well, as I thought we would never find our way out of the car park! If you know Cambridge we parked in the Grafton Centre as that is only a few minutes’ walk from the theatre we were going to. It’s a shopping centre with cafes, cinema, gym and the multi-storey car park. As we were early we grabbed a quick drink in one of the cafes and then tried to get out. Loads of signs saying things like “No Pedestrians Beyond This Point” and “Do Not Walk Down The Ramp” but nothing pointing to a way out. As it was quiet at that time in the evening, we ended up taking our lives in our hands and walking down the ramp the cars drive up. When we returned we found the way in easily only then we couldn’t find the pay machine. Eventually we saw a couple of lads going back to their car and asked them where it was and they directed us. I really think a few more signs wouldn’t go amiss.

The production was very good, very moving and quite harrowing in places but with one or two funnier monologues as well. When we saw granddaughter afterwards she told us that she had auditioned a week earlier for an amateur production of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. The director is the chap she has worked for in the Shakespeare productions they have done for schools and he is into “gender fluidity” – is that the right phrase? Basically it doesn’t matter whether you are male or female you could be cast in any role. When I asked her if the audition had gone well and if she had a part, she replied “You are looking at Brutus”. Should be another interesting production lol.

I hope Jane is getting on OK. It would be good to hear from her but perhaps she doesn’t quite feel up to it yet. Sending love as always.

Well, I think I have found my talent. It’s an ability to type quickly which means I witter on for far too long because I don’t realise how much I have written. I hope you all get a good night’s sleep. Might see you all tomorrow.

There was only three bits of shavings Ann but that was bad enough. Fancy not liking raw peas!!!!!!! better than cooked ones. When we did the barrow outside and I picked the peas I had to hide the husks from the ones I had eaten. He was as bad so I was'nt on my own. I like to put raw peas in salads too.

Ann this clay is not a make thats mentioned anywhere but oh bought it for me as it has 42 colours. I shall add a tiny bit of baby oil and that will soften it up. If you buy some Fimo look on the back for the pack number as the last two letters are the year it was made. The sticky labels with the numbers on you can peel off and use to close the pack to keep the dust out. I keep mine that I am working on covered in cling film.

I think G should have worn his long johns today if he has come home coughing and sneezing. I think its been colder today than people realise specially in the wind.

Gill perhaps they wanted BBQ'd meat and did'nt want to fug the kitchen up so cooked it outside and took it in to eat it.

Glad Sandra liked the stickers. The snowmen ones were what I used last year to put on my card envelopes. They were just a few over but I did'nt see any like that this year. I knew she would like the pink ones and was saving them for her birthday but I could'nt resist popping them in the envelope with the clip. I thought they may keep her amused while you made her the purse.

We like you wittering on Vera so witter away to your hearts content please.

Jap anemones are deep rooted so if you put them in pots make sure they are deep pots. Mine have overtaken the front of my border up on the south facing wall. Oh planted them up there.

I recall as a young child getting out of bed in tears and going to Mother in
the next room. What's the matter she asked. I'm frightened of the dark I replied.
Go back to bed she said. There's nothing in the dark that isn't there in the daylight.

Morning all

Dull and damp here today.

I hope you've managed to sort out the clay with the baby oil now Mel. Yes, that's exactly what happened with the neighbour in the end, he cooked his food then went inside to eat it, but at the time we thought it was a bit strange doing a BBQ at 8.45pm in February. Thankfully there wasn't any smoke coming our way.

I know how you feel Ann when smoke gets into your property, we have a big problem with next doors wood burner, the smell that comes off it is terrible and if a window or door is open it comes right into our living room. It takes ages for the smell to go to. That was lucky your neighbour hasn't used his BBQ since moving it so close to your fence. Yes, the Red Robins have black spots all over the leaves and they are falling off quite quickly. I've asked numerous times at garden centres what's causing it but they just keep telling me they don't like being in pots, unfortunately I don't have anywhere else to put them and at the moment they're not in much sun, not that there's much around anyway this time of year, so it looks like I'm stuck with the problem and will just have to keep picking up the leaves everyday until they're none left. We can't even plant them in the ground as the pots they're in are about 3 foot wide and tall and are to heavy to move, it took all three of us to move one of them about a foot away from the other one, so we've got no chance of taking them out of the pots and planting them anywhere.

I did smile Vera when you said you were aiming high and hoping for 6 hours sleep last night, I hope you managed it though, it'll make you feel much better. Yes, I think you've got the right phrase, congratulations to your granddaughter getting the part of "Brutus"