General Chat

I think that is a good idea Ann, I am sure she would prefer to be remembered with a smile. Maybe buy yourself some flowers in memory of her as well. <3 <3 <3

Afternoon girls, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY MANDY"

Sorry I haven't beed around again, but with not feeling great I haven't been near my computer. This morning I had over 40 Emails to delete.

Bright sunny day here. Eos changed the bed, and washed the sheets and pillow cases. They are on the line, with strict instructions to "KEEP MY EYE ON THE WEATHER" while she is at Tesco getting veg, and odds and ends. I noticed rain on the conservatory windows, so wet to get the washing i. IT HAD STOPPED. So I have left it on the line.

This storm has BLOWN Pam and Denis;s fence down on Ros's plants and shrubs. He hasn't bothered to try to pull them back on his garden, so it looks like I will have to see if I can move them. He has mentioned, that the panels need replacing. WELL THEY CERTAINLY DO NOW. lol lol He has also had a couple of roof shape there this morning. It looks like a couple of tiles have come loose and one of the coping slates on the apex has blown off.

I am sorry that I haven't read the posts, and replied to anything said. All I want to do is sleep and stay right away from everything thats going on. Ros has been a real brick, cooking and making sure I am taking my meds.

Is it today that JANE was having more treatment . I trust it all went off O.K. and that she is comfortable.

Will look in again either later today or tomorrow, until then, tae care and keep safe.xxxx

<3 <3 <3 :-D :-D HAPPY BIRTHDAY MANDY :-D :-D <3 <3 <3 <3

Enjoy your lunch and teatime cake and let everyone spoil you.

We had a lot of heavy rain yesterday but so far today it’s dry and sunny. It’s still quite windy though. The bird feeders keep getting blown off the trees. I see OH has put the peanuts back again this morning but they’re swinging about like mad so I think they will be down again soon.

I hope Fitz has made it to the hospital and is keeping you company now Jane. It’s a pain that you have another long day tomorrow but it will be worth it if it stops you feeling so poorly this time around. I like the sound of your jelly babies. I could just fancy one now.

Ann, a bittersweet day for you. Treasure your happy memories and do whatever feels right for you. You probably know the poem that starts “You can shed tears because she is gone or you can smile because she lived” and ends “You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back or you can do what she’d want, smile, open your eyes, love and go on”. That says it all really.

Mel, I hope you are pleased with your work tables when they are set up. There will be no stopping you now.

Still no Frank today. I hope it is just internet problems keeping him off the thread.

At the moment I am bored out of my mind. OH won’t let me do anything! I had a lounge in a warm bath this morning and then OH put a hot patch on for me. I’m not sure how long I am going to keep it on as I am finding it a bit uncomfortable. I’m going to try and do a bit of ironing this afternoon as that is not one of his skills and there are a couple of my shirts in the pile that I really don’t want ruined.

Oops, better go. He has just bought in some lunch on a tray.

Afternoon all,

Thank you everyone for all the lovely cards ,Vera yours arrived today so no need for apologies :-D
Sandra's card is really pretty and she has put a lot of work into making it with butterflies and pretty gems .

We had a nice lunch ,i had Buttermilk chicken in a bun with chips ,Colin had a mixed grill ,son had a curry and DIL Scampi and chips ,we were all full so no room puds .

Jane i hope the day is not dragging for you and that you've had some company with Fitz coming in to see you ,sounds as if you have a good supply of things to occupy you in your bag ,is it to noisy on the ward to have a little doze :-D i'd be to nosy watching people to doze off i think .

Vera i hope your back soon eases ,perhaps putting the patch on after a hot bath was a bit to soon and that's why your a bit uncomfortable ,the Ibuprofen should help if you keep taking them regularly .

Frank i hope you soon feel better glad to know your ok just pop in when you feel like it .

Gill how are things going ? how did OH's job interview go ? fingers crossed it went well and he gets the job .

Ann i was only thinking the other day it must be nearly a year since you lost your dear sister as i knew it was some time near my birthday .
A bit of shopping sounds just the ticket if that's what she enjoyed with you ,make it a happy shopping day to remember her <3

Mel i can see you nipping round the shops quickly so you can get back to load up your craft things onto the new tables :-D

Pleased you had a lovely day Mandy. Did you enjoy the cake? That would be nice with a cuppa in the afternoon after your meal out.

Ann I think retail therapy is a good idea for you today and remember the good times with your sister. <3

Vera I hope the back is easier now after your nice relaxing bath. I think you must have caught a chill in your back potting up those cuttings in the cold garage. I hope your patch is not next to your skin Vera. You need to have a nice long t shirt on and stick it on that.

Hope Jane had a good day today with her treatment but its a nuisance to have to go back again tomorrw for the magnesium treatment. as she said three days on the trot. It takes alot out of the week that. Lets hope its better for her this which will make it worth it.

Gill have oh heard whether he has the job yet? Is he signing on at the job center?

Nice to know Frank is ok and not having to do much cooking. I am sure you will get used to these meds Frank and they seem to be helping you sleep better.

Oh has had the tabels in different positions for me in the corner of the lounge. First he had them together long way but that meant I would be working with the light from the patio doors behind me so then he has put them in an L shape and I think thats much better. Then he wanted to buy me a small set of drawers or two to go on the top but I don't want those as you can't get much in them anyway. O think tomorrow he will move the little bookcase next to the table against the wall. Thats where I keep all my bits and pieces in A4 deep plastic boxes. They are great and I have most of them labled on the fronts and they take a lot of stuff and are easily put away and sit well on each other and when you open them you can see everything thats in them. I would definately recommend them to Ann for her beads and small materials, even small amounts of needle felting wool.

Good to see you posting Frank but I’m sorry you are not feeling too bright. Hopefully you’ll get a good night’s sleep and wake up feeling a bit better tomorrow. I hope Ros’s plants weren’t damaged by the fence panel blowing down on them. She seems to work so hard in the garden that it would be a real shame if anything was spoilt. Whatever you do, don’t try and move the panels yourself. We don’t want you straining something or falling over. Let Dennis sort it out. I had a good giggle at the “getting older” cartoons in the email you sent, till I suddenly thought that they were starting to ring true :-D

Your lunch sounded nice Mandy. Was the cake yummy? What sort was it?

I hope you are OK after the chemo Jane. I expect it leaves you a bit drained and now you have another long spell at the hospital tomorrow. Rest as much as you can.

Gill, I hope you have had a better day and your OH’s interview went well. Keep your pecker up, as my Dad always used to say. Things can only get better.

No, Mel, I didn’t have the patch next to my skin. I remembered I had some vests at the back of a drawer somewhere. I bought them some years ago when we were going to Fort William for a week or two in the middle of winter and I thought I might need an extra layer. Since then they have only been worn a couple of times when I have had to be outside on a bitter cold day. A long, but close fitting vest turned out to be ideal. The heat pad, the Ibuprofen and OH not letting me do a thing seems to be working as the pain is a bit less at the moment. I’m feeling optimistic that I’ll sleep more tonight so I am going to watch something on my iPad for an hour and then have an early night.

Hope you do manage a good nights sleep Vera, good there seems to be some improvement, hope it continues.

Oh Vera reminded me. Loved the jokes Frank, some of them laugh out loud funny and, yes, rather familiar.
Hope with Vera that the fence has not damaged Ros’s plants too much. Annoying when not your fence.

Mel sounds like you have created a fair bit of space for your craft corner.

Jane another long day over and no rest tomorrow.I hope you won’t feel so poorly this time. <3

Just about to go to bed after finishing the craft applique and framing it! I would do a few things differently another time but it's how you learn isn't it. I See you have been setting out your new tables Mel. Best to get things in the best position before you add your craft stuff. Like you I keep most things in clear plastic boxes with labels on. It saves a lot of hunting doesn't it. I have 2 wooden billy bookcase type of CD storage size shelving that go floor to ceiling and have most of my beads stacked up on the shelves in those and also have baskets full of labelled smaller boxes on 3 shelves of a bigger bookcase. Doing other crafts means I need more storage really, but maybe with a clearout there will be room for what I need and you can't have everything for every craft or have time to do every craft, so I think I will stick mainly to 3.

Vera that was a lovely quote and summed up what I felt very well so thank you for putting it on the thread. I hope your back soon eases. I have always put the patches on my skin but they can get quite hot, so putting them over a long vest was a good idea. I find I get the best benefit after a few hours when they seem to help me move about better. A hot water bottle can help too, but you can't go out wearing that like you can a patch! :-D Enjoy being waited on!

We had a good day and OH is improving now with less coughing. It was bitterly cold in Nuneaton so we didn't hang around too long and OH had his scarf over his nose and mouth. It was a bit sobering to see even more homeless people than usual huddled under dirty duvets with cans and bottles of beer. It seems the more shops that close, the more people are on the streets. I did buy 4 tops though and they all fit and OH found himself a book in Waterstones to get for his birthday next month. We then got our free drinks in Debenhams with our Telegraph cards and, as he was feeling ok' we called at the Citroen Garage on the way back as he is interested in having another as a possibility.

Sorry you are so down Frank. Maybe a bit of sunshine is what's needed or longer on the new meds. I too hope Ros's plants were ok after that fence came down. Our neighbour's old fence was always falling our way and we ended up wedging a post against when it was windy to stop it wrecking our young shrubs.

Glad you had a nice birthday Mandy........did you have candles on your cake?? :-D :-D. It's not often there isn't room for puds so you must have had generous helpings and I could just fancy a chip or two now.

I hope your leaks have gone now AnnG. You'll be watching for them next time it rains. It's good when people turn up on time isn't it and do a good job at a reasonable price. I will send a pic of the framed applique tomorrow......don't expect too much as it's a first attempt. lol.

I wonder how Gill's OH got on today and hope Jane's appointment isn't too early in the morning.

Better go now as it's a 9.30am start for the craft course.

Morning All
The sun is shining and I hooked up once again.Yhis drip will run over 4 hours so I should be ready for home about 2.30
Am in a little room on my own at the moment and there is a tv which is nice.There is one more chair in here for another patient.

Ann that was a good idea yesterday to go and do some retail therapy like you used to do with your Sister.I was so surprised when you said it was a year since she passed away so suddenly.
I hope Vera that you managed to gat a decent night last night and that your back is less painful this morning.
Frank I hope you are feeling ok today .Fingers crossed Ros ‘s plants are safe after the fence panel landed on them.Hope Dennis will sort it out.You really shouldn’t be doing it.
A cup of tea and Bourbon biscuits has just arrived so I am going to enjoy that and watch This Morning
Hope Gill is ok <3

Good morning bright and cold here, early frost but gone now. Lovely moon last night...... snow moon apparently.
I have an appointment at 11.30 for a doc to look at the BCC on my wrist. She is the one at our surgery who does minor ops. As far as I know this is just to look at it :-S It usually takes a while before an op can be fitted in.

Mel, have you got all your stuff sorted.

As I share my 'craft room' with OH's TV room I have had to put up with him moving the TV and box etc around lately, yesterday was yet another altration. However although annoying because I have to vacate the room while he does it, I have gained shelf space as he needed to put in an extra shelf. Strangely it didn't take me long to fill the space:-D :-D

Annx Look forward to seeing the new picture, OK may be a first for you but I am pretty sure it is a lot better than I could do. When in my 20s/early 30s I belonged to a very young WI (I was treasurer actually), We used to have a table to sell stuff and I used to make wall hangings made of hessian hung on a stick like a parchment. The pictures were in felt and all of Magic Roundabout characters. Very basic and stuck on but they sold well, children loved them (easy tp please children then). I actually also use to make ponchos (children's) and other clothes on my knitting machine to sell.
The leaks will be fixed this afternoon. The weather is dry at the moment so hope it stays that way.

Jane you sound comfy so just relax in that chair and you will soon be home. Good to have a TV if you are on your own.

Morning all,

We have a bright sunny morning with lots of blue sky with occasional wispy clouds.

Jane its nice to have a telly to watch to pass the time. It must be so boring just in a room on your own. What did you bring to eat today?

We had very heavy hail showers last night which covered all our road so when I went to shut the big girls in it was like walking on gravel. It all lay on the gazebo roof and is still there this morning in piles on the floor.

Ann you should'nt put those patches on your skin you naughty girl.

Hope Vera's back is a bit better this morning and that she got a good amount of sleep last night.

Frank funny things you sent and like AnnG said some made me laugh out loud.

Morning Jane, morning all

It’s nice to have a room to yourself Jane, especially as you have a TV, otherwise it might seem a long day with no other patients to talk to.

It’s lovely that you got four tops that fit Ann. I wish I could enjoy a bit of retail therapy but I really hate shopping. I used to enjoy looking for bits for the grandchildren when they were little but I really detest shopping for me. I always get depressed as I can never find anything that I like and is a good fit. I do need to go out and try and get some new trousers, shirts and jumpers but I keep putting it off. One good thing these days is that they are making trouser legs and shirt sleeves longer. Am I the only tall lady on the thread?

I hope your man has turned up to fix your flashing AnninG. I think you said he was coming on Wednesday. I hope it’s dry down your way so he can get on with it.

It’s supposed to be dry here all day and at the moment it’s sunny and windy. I’ve had a king size duvet cover waiting to be washed for a couple of weeks so threw it in the machine this morning and OH hung it out for me. We have a rotary line that lives in the garage when not in use and slots into a hole in some paving outside the kitchen when we need it put up. I instructed OH to use plenty of pegs and to fold it in such a way that it wasn’t hanging too low and trailing on the small shrubs that are in pots round the area. Well, you should just see it. It’s pegged with one side of the duvet on the lowest bit of line and another side on the highest bit so it’s hanging like a sort of giant hammock. Every time a gust of wind catches it, it billows up into the air like a great galleon sail. I can see the whole thing taking off and sailing away soon :-). Why can’t men seem to see the simplest way of doing a job like hanging a duvet :-S? (I am sure that you are an exception Frank).

I hope you are feeling a bit brighter this morning Frank and had a good night. I didn’t sleep as well as I expected last night, I was reading from about 2 am till 4, then dozed off till 6 and lay there till I heard the paper girl come around 7, then I got up. I’m going to put a heat pad on now in the hope that by mid afternoon it will be having a good effect. I want to be able to stand at the work surface and make a cake. I’ve got some over ripe bananas so I thought I would make a banana loaf.

I hope you are OK Gill and things are getting a little easier for you.

Good afternoon Vera and Mel. Man is not due until 1.30 but it is dry and the sun is shining.

Sorry you didn't get a good sleep Vera, maybe you are tense in case you make your back hurt when in bed.

I am certainly not tall, 5 foot 2.5 inches. So it is the opposite problem for me. M&S short trousers are too short for me as I have long legs and short trunk. Waist is always in the wrong place. M&S regular or medium trousers usually fit although a bit long sometimes. I can usually get tops that fit although do tend to vary between 16 and 18 if it is a tight fitting top (40C bra fitting)

Just back from the doctors to have the BCC on my wrist looked at. Very nice female doctor who will remove the BCC on 26 February! This is one that needs quite a large cut so stitches. (And probably a keloid scar.)

Not only that she made me strip off so she could look at my back and check for potential BCCs and found another 5!!!!! But I am very surprised as she wants to try Aldara cream on those so I will be doing that after she has done the wrist one. Aldara cream takes 6 weeks and I was told at the hospital that they wouldn't prescribe that any more about 5 years ago because it was too expensive. Chemist only had one pack but more coming tomorrow so can pick that up on Friday so have an IOU. The trouble with the back is you don't know they are there. And the other problem is that I can't do it myself so OH will have to do it for me. She drew round them all and he has photographed them. (not a pretty sight).

Oh well these things are sent to try us. She says they will just keep coming so have that to look forward to!

Afternoon All,

Nice and sunny here now but still quite chilly. I didn't have a good night, was awake right until 5.30am so only had 3 hours sleep. Then when I woke up at 8.30am I had to rush round to shower, wash my hair etc to be at class for 9.30am. Just what you don't need when you are stumbling around half asleep. :-S

Mel, the Deep Heat patches I use say to apply to clean, dry skin, but maybe yours are different. though. Have you got the furniture just where you want it in the lounge now? Today we made fabric flowers at class, although I only completed one, a suffolk puff I think the teacher called it. Some made a rose and others did tulips and chrysanthemums. A friend did tiny suffolk puffs she was going to stick on hair slides for a little girl. I wondered whether whether I should make a second one to match mine and maybe stick a tassel on each? :-D lol. Wouldn't that be a Valentine surprise for OH, but it would only send him into a bad coughing fit !!

Vera my OH hangs washing any old how, despite me explaining the drawbacks with his methods. The only thing that he took notice of was me telling him to put tops, shirts and t shirts on hangers and double peg those on the line and they may not need ironing, which he usually does so he saw the advantage in that!

It's good having a telly in your room Jane. I know when I was in hospital you could lose yourself in progs for a while and it helped the time pass.

I couldn't see anything on Frank's email and clicking on the attachment just showed a tiny pic of a logo. :-S

AnnG that was good to gain some shelf space and I'm not surprised you soon filled it!. I hope they soon get you an appointment to remove your BCC so it's healed up before your hols.

I will send the pic of my applique now.

Afternoon to all you lovely people.

I see you have all been busy in your own ways, shopping, washing, cleaning etc.

I stayed up until 10.30 last night, was out to the lounge at 11.45 I just couldn't drop off. Ros was just going to bed, so she turned off all the side lights, and just left one by the lounge door for me to turn off. I sat and watched some RUBBISH on the tele till 2.30 and crept back to bed, without disturbing madam.

We were woken up by a Telephone Call from the Doctor at 8.15. regarding my blood tests.I am short on vitamin "D" which she told me about 3 weeks ago, Ros bought some tablets, which I have been taking. The doctor is prescribing a much stronger dose, so as to give me a boost.

Ros has been ironing all morning, from the washes she did yesterday. I have prepared a chicken casserole, that is sitting on the side, ready to go in later. I have also done the potatoes, and made a Rice pudding. So I have nothing more to do till later this afternoon.

I also wonder how Gill's OH got on with his interview. I hope he got the position he wanted, also I am also thinking of Sandra, and hope things are going in the right direction.

I see Jane has tea and biscuits, and a Tele, to keep her company. She should be finished by now, and be on her way home. Thinking of you my love.

We have a clothes line that goes from the Garage to the LAMP POST (old victorian one at the bottom of the garden) We also have a whirley one, that only gets used on rare occasions.

Well I think I have bored you all long enough today, so signing off. See you soon. xxxx

Annx loved the picture, so neat and pretty.

You may have missed seeing that I have an appointment to remove the BCC on my wrist on 26 February. That one will need stitches apparently.

The ones being treated with Aldara cream will be done after I have had that op and will take 6 weeks. sometimes the cream works, sometimes not. Apparently it can make you feel fluey. I don't remember it doing so before.

Well he was 15 minutes early, flashing replaced, leaks fixed and outside roof glass cleaned. He is very pleasant, very accommodating and appears to be hungry for work. tomorrow morning he is coming to replace the front barge boards (we have had two people say they will do them and then not even given an estimate and never came back.) Barge boards including the materials will be £200 which as that involves two men and tall ladders we are happy to pay.

He is booked up the next two weeks but will then hopefully be able to replace the glass in the patio door. He says he can't understand people turning down work. He used to live in Exeter and his mate lives there, he used to run a business with him so he is going back down there to do a job with him. It is payment by cash or bank transfer but he does give a receipt so I don't think it is tax avoiding. So we are pleased with that

sorry Frank, I missed you there. oh dear another sleepless night. Hope you have a better night tonight. Your brain is obviously over active as soon as you get into bed.
That was not very thoughtful of your doctor to wake you by ringing at that time. a lot of older people wake up later than that.

We had an enomous pasty for lunch between us.

The weather has turned really nasty now with grey sky and it been raining for about an hour. I washed to knee blankets this morning hoping they would dry but they hav'nt.

Nice work on the picture Ann. You will have to find somewhere to hang that as its so good. I did mine on a light peach felt background. It was a victorian gentleman with his top hat held in one hand by his waist and his cane in the other hand. He was wearing a brown felt long tailed coat and grey felt trousers with black felt shoes. She was wearing a shot silk dress with a bustle in burnt orange and green with green lace around the hem. Big leg of mutton sleeves with lace cuffs and holding a furled umbrella also matching the gown with lace trim. and bonnet of the same fabric. They were sort of back views so no faces to do. The blimmin moths got in it though and ate great holes in it so I threw it away. None of it was stitched it was all glued. Then I started a mushroom house picture but did'nt finish that. I think some of it is still in the old felt box. I had cut out the red roof and the white house bit and made the round windows with latice work across them. It was backed on scrim and had ivy leaves above it. It was in an old bok I have somewhere. If I find it I will send a pic of it.

Sorry you did'nt get much sleep Frank and Vera o and Ann. Perhaps tonight will be better I hope.

I think I may have caught another cold. I keep sneezing and bowing my nose and I am having coughing fits. I feel very cold too.

Love to Gill if she looks in and hope she has heard fro Sandra if Michelle has bought her a phone.

Shame your weather has turned horrid Mel. It’s still bright sunshine and blue skies here, though the wind is cold. The duvet cover dried quickly and smells very “fresh”. I hope you haven’t got a cold coming and feel better again soon.

It sounds as though you have struck gold with your workman AnninG. You must be pleased. Will your op and stitches be on your right or left wrist? I hope it doesn’t prove to be much of a problem for you. We both have our 6 months check up at the dentist on 26th so I’ll be thinking of you while I’m lying back in the dentist’s chair.

If your doctor knew 3 weeks ago that you were low on vit D, Frank, I wonder why she didn’t give you a prescription there and then. I had a similar thing some months ago. Blood tests showed I was very low on vit D, so my doctor called me in and prescribed 40,000 units a day for 2 weeks. When I got the tabs each one was 20,000 units and I had 2 a day. The leaflet with them said the normal dose was 1 tablet a week!! I should have been swinging from the chandeliers :-D. I now have a maintenance dose of 2000 units a day. Our docs try to save the NHS money where they can so I was asked if I would be able to buy these myself. I agreed to do this but they would have prescribed them if I said I couldn’t afford it. If you need to buy any Frank go online to Healthspan. I find them very efficient and reliable and usually a bit cheaper as they are based in Guernsey. If you take any of their supplements regularly they have a subscription service which saves another pound or two. I get Omega 3 oil capsules for both of us and Selenium and Vitamin D tablets for me from them.

That’s a lovely little picture Ann. Is that really your first attempt at appliqué? If so, your 21st attempt will be out of this world :-). The Deep Heat patches do say something like “apply to clean, dry skin” but they also say “on delicate or ageing skin apply over clothing”. I think I definitely count as ageing, if not positively aged lol

When I had a bath yesterday I took a book with me. I didn’t have my glasses on in the bath so I tilted the book a bit to read it more easily and managed to dip the two bottom corners in the water. When I came downstairs I put it to dry off in a hall cupboard that has pipes and valves for the underfloor heating, so gets warm. OH saw it this morning and asked me what a book was doing in the cupboard so I explained. He thought it very funny but I soon wiped the smile off his face. It was one of his books lol

OH is supposed to be reading now but I’ve just glanced across at him and he appears to be reading the back of his eyelids. The book’s on his lap and his chin’s on his chest. Time to wake him with a cup of tea I think.

Bookcase is in place and I have labaled all my boxes and they are on the top shelf for easy access.

Laughed Vera about the book. That soon took the smile of his face.