General Chat

Morning All,

I love that Mel, the forget me not blue sky! It is the same here too and no wind now.

Yes, I did sleep well last night and my side seems better but the knees start to get sore if I stand for long, so although I wanted t get the French Marigolds all planted out, I just did one tray for now and also planted a few self set Snapdragons that had seeded themselves at the edge of the gravel. I don't think they will flower till next year, but they had red tinges on the leaves which usually means the flowers will be red and we are short of red in the garden with not being able to get the geraniums. My rooting powder I ordered has come so I shall take some cuttings from the now straggly alpine pinks on the front. It isn't the best time of year to take them, but I might be able to get a bit of root with them which will help them to grow. OH has planted out the runners and watered everything and the ground is like rock, even though we have good soil. I noticed the japanese onions are growing now but I can't find the lettuce seeds that arrived last week! I moved them as they were in OH's way where I left them and now they have disappeared.........I don't seem destined to grow lettuce this year! :-(

How soon the lockdown is lifted completely depends so much on people following the rules like you say Gill. I just can't understand anyone wanted to visit beaches where there are crowds either, yet there they are with their children too and far too close together. That was good how you dealt with the plumber and I think a toilet is very essential! We are still doing without our main telly and tap in the uti as they aren't essential.

Ham, chicken and pasta ready meals for our lunch today with fruit after. OH is chuffed we can eat outside again today as he loves sitting watching the garden with the insects and birds.

Good morning to you all, The screen is dashing around all over the place, for some unknown reason.

Anyway, had a good night last night, was in bed before 9.00 pm and only got out once in the night, then slept until 8.00 am

We have one of those folding sack barrows, which we find great. Ros uses it to move her sewing machine, from the car to the chapel, for Stitchery do. also we move sacks of compost down the garden.

Conrad and Jan rang last night just as I was going to bed. Ros said they were on the phone for over an hour, giving her a tour of the garden on their camera. It seems they have done lots of work on it, since he has been home. They have redesigned parts of the garden and planted lots of new bushes and plants. When he goes back to SPAIN in a week or two's time, he will order the tiles they want for the patio. They will be shipped over on a chaps lorry, who does regular runs between the UK nd Spain. Then MAX (Jan's BIL) will lay them. They also need new chimney pots, as the old ones are broken and falling of the roof. They won't be cheap, due to the type needed in keeping with the age of the property. MID 1800s. He has ordered them from a reclamation dealer somewhere up north, who will deliver to Devon. Max will then get the scaffolding erected, and he will fit them. So a lot of expense going on down there.

It's Harvey and Julia's wedding anniversary on Wednesday. Lewis is driving up today, to pick up their present. If he has time, and we are out of the way, I might get him to set up "ALEXIA" that Ros has bought me for our anniversary on the 3rd June. As you know I bought her that DYSON AIRWAVE with all the attachments for our Anniversary, last month. I have ordered a nice bouquet of flowers for delivery on the 3rd, and a surprise pot plant for the patio. Her card his all written, and sits on the top tray of my computer table.

Mel, with me being colour blind, I wouldn't know what a FORGET ME NOT sky would look like. But yes. we also have a lovely blue sky, with no wind, which will make it feel very warm outside. tt's where I am going after I sort out dinner for tonight, and put the bins out.

Have a great day, whatever you might be up to. BUT PLEASE STAY SAFE. xxxx

Love your description of the Sky Mel, the Sky here is lovely and blue, the weather is really warm today, I've just been sitting outside watching the birds, it's so quiet out there today after a bit of a noisy start with the neighbour's. The one over the back is building something at the bottom of his garden, he backs onto Mr Grumpy, so to the side of us, it looks like a summer house, it's very big, but luckily we can't really see it from our side. Mr Grumpy is still not at home, he's been staying with his daughter for well over six months not. We heard he wasn't very well, so whether he's still with us we don't know. If he is and comes back home he's going to have a shock when he sees what the neighbour has done to his lovely conifers, he's had someone chop off about 8 foot off the top and took all the branches away on his side, it doesn't look very nice and I'm sure Mr Grumpy will have something to say about it.

It sounds like there's lots of work going on Frank, I should imagine lots of people are doing more gardening and DIY with being in lockdown, I know we are. I'm pleased you had a very good nights sleep last night, you must of needed it to sleep that long.

I slept quite well last night Mel, the first night in a while and feel much better for it today. Did you go up your boarder or was it to hot, it's quite hot here today so I'm not doing any gardening, not that there's much left to do after doing some re-potting yesterday, just a few weeds that can't be seen as they are right at the back of the boarder, so they can stay there for another day.

Pleased to see you had a good nights sleep to Ann and that your side is feeling a little better, let's hope your knees feel better soon to. Yes, toilet's are essential, especially with us as we only have one. I watched Boris Johnson last night and he's backing Dominic Cummings, he just wouldn't say what he did was wrong, everyone else can see it but Boris. I hope it doesn't encourage anyone else to break the rules, especially if they have Coronavirus symptoms, it's so irresponsible.

I've finally found a few people for my family tree, so I'm going to carry on with them before I lose my good luck, I've not found anyone lately and was about to give up.

Gill as its a bank holiday did'nt Ancestry have theier records open?

I can't believe Dominic Cummings got away with it either, even allowing for the newspapers exagerating things. I don't see why a relative couldn't have come to their house to help and to self isolate with them if it became necessary. He should have been self isolating with his wife anyway. Lots of other families must have been in the same position. We were always told as Civil Servants that we should set an example. I wonder what he will say in his statement this afternoon?

My Grumpy will get a shock about his trees by the sound of it Gill! I wonder when he will be home as his garden will be getting overgrown after all this time. Good luck with your tree. I haven't had any emails to say Ancestry is available, which is unusual when it is a Bank Holiday.

Frank it sounds like Conrad has been taking advantage of the lockdown to work on the garden and make some improvements! With the new shrubs too I expect it is beginning to look really good. Have they finished the inside yet? I'm glad you had a good sleep too. :-)

Good afternoon all. phew it is warm out there. We have just been very brave and walked down the road of the estate to the post box. first time out in almost 10 weeks. had to cross the road a couple of times to avoind people, both cases one sitting in their car talking to somebody in their front garden. Fell as if we have waked at least 3 miles but it must be about half a mile if that.

OH was in the garden all morning and I spent half an hour out there dead heading roses. A lot of themare going over ow after the rain.

I wonder if Ancestry didn't have a free offer this time as it is so close to the last bank holiday.

Gill strange that your grumpy neighbour has not come back to his bungalow. Has nobody even been there to check if it is all OK? Having said that, if they are his trees his neighbours are in the wrong for cutting them down, he could take them to the small claims court for damages.
Sounds as though you are getting on well at the moment with your research.
good to re-pot the conifers, they will do better in good compost.

Annx I really think Cummings should resign. He has messed up, he has set a bad example, no matter that Boris has defended him he was wrong in what he did and has possibly undone all the good done by the advice of the scientific advisors.

Your not kidding its hot out there. I had a mishap this afternoon withthe bantams and let one out by mistake. She was so quick I could'nt catch jer so oh said to let her peck around and she will go in later. When I looked in the run there was a lot of the polythene bitten off. I only had a rat in there so no wonder they were kicking up a stink. I managed to sht the bantams in their run and close the bedroom door so it was shut inthe bedroom. OPh came down with the gun and we divised a way for me to open the nest box and he would shoot the rat. He shot it and it was'nt dead so he shot it again. This time we had to wait to see if it was dead as it was behind the nest box front and we could only see the tail which looked like it was moving a bit. I shut the nest box and we went round to the front and oh possitioned himself with the gun loaded and I opened the door and it was still alive but not moving so he shot it in the head and that was the end of that. I raked it out onto my shovel and threw it over the back field for the fox or the buzzard or owls to clear away.

Then I had a look around the run bit and found that there were two holes in the wire netting which need to be mended but before I can do that I had to clear all around the back so I have now a barrow load of weeds and leaves and stuff the bantams had scratched ar0ound in and got through the wire and cut off all the weeds around there so there is nowhere for anything to hide around there now.

I am hot sticky need a shower and have to cook dinner now. We are having a chicken and broccoli plate and I am doing a light cheese sauce to stick the chicken and brocc together with. New pots and green beans.

Dear All

Hello

I do hope you are ALL keeping well and taking as much care as possible
during these difficult times.

If you have to go out, travel safely and wear mask and gloves.

Please take gentle care of yourselves and your families
Lots of love
Elizabeth, EOS
xx

Thank you for your message EoS. All good wishes to you and your family. Take care of yourselves and stay safe.

Gosh, it has been a hot day. It’s felt much hotter than the previous couple of days because the wind has dropped. I love Mel’s forget-me-not blue sky. It described the sky this morning perfectly.

That was a bit of a performance with the rat Mel – it gave me the shivers just thinking about it. I really do not like rats and I am not good near chickens. I’m a bit of a wuss really aren’t I?

I’m pleased you had a good night Frank and hope you get the same tonight. I’m still not sleeping very much but as long as I can get through the day without a migraine coming on I don’t mind too much.

No Gill, we didn’t win the quiz. Usually I do well in quizzes and have been asked to join teams because I have a fairly wide general knowledge and am quite good on history and literature but granddaughter set some really hard questions e.g. what’s the formula for the quadratic equation, or how many tanks did the UK manufacture in WW2? Our real downfall though were the rounds she set on music and TV and film, because it was all modern stuff. Still, it’s good fun and at least I get to see some of the family, even if it is only on a screen. Next week’s quiz is being organised by our youngest granddaughter – 14 next week – so goodness knows how well we will get on with that. Your neighbour has been a bit naughty with Mr Grumpy’s trees. I am sure you are not allowed to lop the tops off someone else’s trees. You are allowed to cut anything overhanging your side of the boundary but even then you have to offer anything you cut off back to the owner.

I expect you enjoyed your walk AnnG. Haven’t you been going out for exercise at all? OH goes for a short walk early every morning, usually before 8 am, and I’ve been going for a walk in the evenings, though not tonight. Most people seem to be pretty sensible, though I think Bojo was an idiot to say he could rely on the public’s common sense, as some people seem to have been born without any. I am a bit concerned about my neighbours. She has some health issues but he has serious issues and is on the government vulnerable list and is supposed to be shielding, but I don’t think they understand what it means. They go out regularly for walks and I suppose they can distance themselves fairly easily but they also go to the various supermarkets. At one point when the woman was telling me (over the phone) that they had been to Tesco, I asked if she thought that wasn’t a bit risky for her husband, and she said it was fine because he stayed in the car. She clearly didn’t understand that she shouldn’t be going to the supermarket either because of what she might pick up and pass on to him. The husband offered to bring OH back from the workshop if he took the car in for service and to take him back for it in the evening. He seemed amazed when OH thanked him for the kind offer but said he felt that was a risk the neighbour shouldn’t take. Perhaps I am being a bit over-cautious but they do worry me.

I have had a busy day today. We managed to turn the mattress on the other king size bed we have and I had forgotten how heavy that mattress is. I washed all the bedding I stripped off including the mattress protector and washed a week’s worth of clothes. I’ve done a bit in the garden. I moved one of the new troughs I bought over against a side fence and filled it with penstemons. They were cuttings I had taken but they are several inches tall now and bushing out a bit. The trough is quite big and I think tiny plants would look silly in it but the penstemons will grow tall and I think will look OK against the fence.

We also had our much anticipated trip to the recycling tip. The appointment system worked brilliantly. I said to OH that it would be good if they could keep it but I expect it will be back to a free-for-all before too long. Our tip is in quite a narrow lane. A little way into the lane, there was a chap who stopped us and checked our number plate against his list, then told us to move up the lane to the next sign and wait there. We were only there a couple of minutes before someone appeared further up the road and beckoned us forward to the entrance, asked if we were both getting out of the car and we said it would just be OH, so he was all smiles, waved us into a spot for the car and OH got rid of all our stuff, got back in the car and drove out. We got a smile and a wave from the various staff round and about as we went and it was almost a pleasant experience. We then went round to 3 friends’ houses as they all have birthdays in the next 2 or 3 days. I knew one would be on her morning walk but I know her well so I went round her side gate into her garden and popped her present into the summerhouse and then phoned her mobile and told her what I had done. I phoned another one from outside her house and she was in so I put her pressie on her doorstep and told her to pick it up after we had driven away. The third one was only getting a card and as I went to pop it through her letterbox, she opened the door and I put her card on the doormat and she put down a cheque for me. She organises a lot of the local outings and this was a refund for the one that had to be cancelled this month. We were going on trips with her in September and October but she has decided to cancel everything for this year which I think is wise.

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed our little trip round and then, the cherry on the cake, I had a quick look at the Tesco site and some slots had appeared that were unavailable earlier, so I managed to book one for 9 June. I already have one this coming Thursday so I know I’ll be OK for what we need for the next 3 or 4 weeks.

Thinking of you Jane.

I see it’s now turned 10 pm and I am beginning to feel a bit tired so I’m off to get a drink and then go to bed with a book. I hope you all have a good night. Sleep tight, sweet dreams.

Good morning all

I think it’s going to be a lovely day. There’s a pale blue sky covered with wispy white clouds; it looks as though it’s been tie-dyed.

I slept a bit better last night. I hope you all slept well.

It’s OH’s birthday today and I lay in bed in the early hours wondering what food I could find to make it a bit special. I thought I could do a sort of Black Forest Gateau, which was very popular in the 70s. I can make chocolate sponge, I’ve got cherries in the freezer and cream in the fridge so I hope it will be OK.

It’s dil’s birthday today as well. I’ve ordered her a fancy box with red and white wines, chocolate truffles and chocolate mints and asked for delivery today. I’ve just had a text saying David from Parcelforce will be delivering between 9.49 am and 10.49 am. How precise is that!

OH is out for his morning walk so I had better get on.

<3 <3 <3 HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OH VERA <3 <3 <3

Hope the cake turns out well and can I come to tea please?

Morning Vera and all.

Vera it seems we have the same sky this morning as you have in Suffolk.

I slept well last night too and I am just getting ready for the big wipe down as the delivery comes this morning. I hate this bit.

After that it will be get the lunch and then the rest of the day is mine to do as I please if oh dos'nt find me something to do straight away.

I need to get on as I want to water my pots before it gets too hot and I hav'nt let the chickens out yet.

BBL

Happy birthday to your OH Vera and hope the gateau is a success.

My turn last night, I slept really badly but it was my OH keeping me awake with his tossing and turning and fidgeting and jumping all night.

No vera, we have not been going out for exercise, relying on the garden for that (except both times I put my back out when I didn't do anything.) Plus all the turning out of cupboards I did in the first couple of weeks too. Our area is not an easy one for either of us to walk around alone at night, rather to near to an estate where quite a few undesirables live I'm afraid. OK in the day and our estate is very quiet. It is the large ex council estate that is the problem. Not as bad now though as it was when we moved in as there were two huge council blocks that they knocked down and re-housed the inhabitants.

Our sky is much the same as yours, Oh is watering the garden at the moment as it looks like being another warm day.

Son has got me a further Tesco slot for 22 June which is almost 3 weeks after the last one we have which is 5 June. Still it is better than nothing. He couldn't work out why he was not finding slots at 12 o'clock then he found that he needed to oog on a 11.50 and go in an electronic queue, when it got near midnight he got a slot.

Mel, hope the food delivery goes ok. By chance I discovered ours tomorrow has changed time from 11-12 to 10am to 11am.

Morning all

Happy birthday to your OH and DIL Vera. Hope they both have a lovely day. I remember Gateaux and made quite a few years ago when I had my cake business.

It's very cloudy here today, but not cold so that's good.

No Mel, Ancestry haven't got their records open for free at the moment. It's probably because they've not long done it for VE Day, so maybe it's to soon to do it again.

I think Mr Grumpy's nephew is looking after his garden Ann, so it's not to bad, although the hedge is looking a bit wild and could do with a good cut.

Sorry to hear you had a bad night last night AnnG, I hope you have a better one tonight. Good job you noticed your food slot had changed times, so you'll be ready for it now.

OH's out looking for work, there was a note when I got up, not sure how long he's going to be, so I'm on my own again now listening to the noise from next door, it sounds like they're moving something around outside. He was up on his flat roof yesterday covering his lantern window from the sun, it must of been very hot inside his place if he had to do that. I'd of thought having blinds on the inside would of been easier and a lot safer to.

Afternoon All,

Thank you for your good wishes EOS and best wishes to you too and I hope you keep well!

I like the tie dye sky too! :-) That was some day you had with the rat battle Mel. The way OH performs with anything long under his arm (think to me to you and The Plank film) I wouldn't get anywhere near him with a gun! It's good none of the chickens were harmed by it though. Good luck with the wiping! We were wiping the bins this morning after they were emptied.

Glad you slept well AnnG. I wouldn't walk around here once it is dark, unless it was down the main road. We have had new social housing built near since we moved here and the addresses are always in the crime figures for the area.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to MR VERA! The cake sounds really nice Vera so I hope it turns out well. I have made them in the distant past and they are nice and moist. Good heavens I had forgotten all about quadratic equations! I would have been stumped too. Will you get chance to get your own back with some questions they won't know the answer to? lol. Filling your trough with home grown Penstemons was a great idea as it will look good and very colourful. We are concerned at the way some of our neighbours are behaving. Mrs O was in the front garden planting this morning and had clearly just had her hair cut and it isn't a style you could do yourself being quite short and layered. Then a chap in a van drove onto their front (using our drive to do so) and had come to collect their car (possibly for a service). OH said he and Mr O were standing with their shoulders almost touching so no social distancing. Did you see where a hospital in Somerset has had to close it's doors as it has become overwhelmed with a resurgence of the virus? Locals think it is from all the bank holiday day trippers swarming on the beaches last Bank Holiday.

I planted out another tray of French Marigolds and also planted 3 courgette plants I had grown on the old soil heap that was the raised beds. I also adjusted some one of the rock steps I made lower so it is easy to step up. I started lowering another, but the slate and granite is so heavy and my side gave me warnings so I stopped then. I was outside at 8.00am before it got too hot. We just had poached eggs on toast followed by a hot cross bun outside for lunch and just managed the word wheel and crossword before his meeting started I'm sitting with my feet soaking in the low plastic humper I keep for the purpose. I have renewed OH's car insurance for him after adjusting his expected mileage for the coming year (much less with the lockdown and no holiday yet!) and for business use, protected NCB, courtesy car and legal protection it was £50 less than his renewal quote with his existing company and was £285.

Done the wiping before lunch but have all the bags to do yet. corned beef toastys for lunch followed by a yog for him and a fromage (sp) frais for me. I get the little asda ones 12 for 80p so I can have two at a time if I want.

Do you remember we gave Em and the boys the pool we bought when oh made the pond deeper. The one we kept the fish in at the time? They put it up at the weekend and we can hear the boys playing in it. Its so nice to hear them and good they are using the pool as we would never have used it again.

Oh said he had a look at the price of pools and paddling pools and our hot tub and the prices have gone sky high. Our tub cost us £250 and now they are £600 and something.

Oh ground the top of his finger this morning so it was an emergancy plaster and finger stall as we can't find the latex gloves I bought his for working on the mower. He has ended up with a big plaster wrapped around it and a finger stall I had in the cabinet and I gave him one of those plastic gloves you get in the garage to put over the lot. As always there was lots of blood as he is on asprin. It was a bit hard to tell which was blood and which was red oxide paint he had been using and I am never aloud to see what he has cut etc to see how bad it is.

So now he is having chinese curry and rice tonight and I am having a couple of boiled eggs or egg and beans on toast don't know which yet will see what I fancy later on.

I am now going to was up the lunch things and then wipe down all the carrier bags and the three plastic boxes and then go out in the garden and cut down some docks.

Its 30.4 outside and 21.7 inside at the mo. I may have togo and open the car windows as its in full sun.

Wondering how Jane is today? Hope she is not dizzy and feeling the heat too much and sending her hugs and wishes. <3

Good you got another slot Anng.

Vera how did the cake turn out?? Was it a great success? Save me a piece please? Yum...

You got a good amount off oh's car insurance Ann. I bet G was pleased with that. Now don't overdo it with that dodgey back stay safe its not the time you need to be going to the hospital.

Where our Franky Boy?

O and I keep meaning to say it was so nice to hear from Elizabeth of the seasons and blessings to you and yours. You stay safe too Elizabeth. I keep meaning to ask where abouts you are in the country please?

Afternoon All
Sorry to have not been about lately but I had a real down in the dumps episode and real low spiritsYesterday was especially bad and I just cried most of the blooming day
I just haven’t felt up to joining in .Sorry

Happy Birthday to OH Vera and to your DIL too
Did you make the Gateaux? I do like a bit of Black Forest
My Sister and BIL are coming to see us for a few hours on Thursday.(in the garden of course)I can’t wait as we haven’t seen eachother since Xmas.

I have requested a face to face consultation next Tuesday as it will be the discussion about my CT and I didn’t want to do it on the phone.So it has been agreed

I can see the Butcher coming down the drive with my order so will go and get it.He will leave it in the doorstep

Jane a combination of being confined to the house and garden, not being able to freely see family and your health situation is bound to pull you down. I am sure like us your family and friends just wish for a magic wand and a solution to make it all better. Don’t worry about coming on here and commenting but do have a read occasionally so you feel in touch. We are all thinking of you and will be when you go for your consultation. <3 <3 <3

Oh Jane, you are bound to feel all over the place at the moment. You have had a lot to put up with and the waiting for results can be the worst thing. There’s nothing wrong with crying. It’s better than keeping your emotions all bottled up; tears can be therapeutic. I just wish there was something I could say or do to help but I am sending you love and lots of hugs.

Aren’t these Tesco slots odd AnnG? They seem to vary so much from region to region. Yesterday when I got another slot booking was only going up to 12 June, yet my brother in the next county got one for 14 June and your son was able to book as far ahead as 22nd. It’s a good job you found out about your changed delivery time. I’m sorry to hear you had a bad night yesterday and hope you get a better one tonight. Have you got a spare room you could go to if your OH is fidgety tonight? I’m in and out of our bed like a yo-yo. Of course the disadvantage is that at the end of the week you have two lots of bedding to wash instead of one.

Gill, how did OH get on with his job hunting? I hope he finds something soon.

Ann, I need to volunteer to organise the quiz if I want to get my own back with questions the younger ones find difficult. I am not sure I am yet up to actually setting up a Zoom meeting – I need a 5 year old to instruct me lol. If things continue as they are I might offer to do the quiz in a week or two.

I hope all the wiping down went OK Mel. It seems to take so long doesn’t it. I know a lot of my friends have more or less given up doing it. One of them only wipes down her milk delivery bottles now. How’s your poor OH’s finger now. It sounds quite painful.

I hope Frank is OK. I think we all miss him when he doesn’t post.

Thank you all for your birthday greetings for OH. In many ways I think he has had a better day than normal. As we are not seeing family or friends at the moment, everyone has telephoned. The phone hasn’t stopped ringing. Daughter, two granddaughters, my brother, various friends and early evening son rang and had all 7 in their house singing Happy Birthday to him down the phone. We had the Black Forest style cake as a dessert tonight and he was really surprised when I produced it as I had managed to make it earlier in the day and assemble it just before our meal without him even noticing. I decided to cut the sponge in half and only put the cream and cherries on half of it because it was quite big and there are only 2 of us, so it was a half moon shape. The sponge rose up really well and evenly so there wasn’t a dome in the middle or any cracks. The cream whipped to just the right consistency so I put a good thick layer in the middle with lots of cherries and more cream and cherries on the top. We had such a big helping each that I can hardly move now. There is still a piece left which I have put in the fridge because of the cream so we’ll have that tomorrow. The other half of the sponge is in an airtight container for me to do something with later in the week. It’s a shame all my culinary efforts aren’t as successful as this one.

I’m going to go and watch “A House Through Time” now so I’ll say Night, Night. Sleep well everyone.

I'm glad you have got a face to face consultation Jane. I was a bit surprised when you said it would be a phone one, but understandable in the current circumstances. It is easier to ask any questions face to face. You are bound to worry, but try to focus on seeing Janice and getting ready for her visit and just look in like AnnG says, even if you don't feel like joining in.

Another email from my hairdresser. So people can't just drop in, the door will be locked after you come in and we will need to bring a shopping bag with us to put our coat and handbag in. We will pay from our seat so there is less movement around the salon too. With paying a deposit on-line beforehand, we shouldn't need to enter a pin to pay the balance.

My side isn't happy, but I think it's more because OH keeps forgetting to only half fill the watering cans for me.

I hope you get a better night's sleep tonight AnnG. I am off to bed now as I want to be up early tomorrow before it gets hot!