General Chat

That'll be nice if you can look at the cattle in the field Ann. A good lookout post.

Well I hav'nt sone anything much today but we had a nice steak siner tonight and a nice bottle of White Greneche. Strawberries to follow oh has had icecream with his and mine are waiting for a little later in vanilla sugar befor eI put the cream on them.

Hope the heat patch helps your side Ann even if it does make you hot. I am still using my wheat bag n my knees at night asit seems to help. I can always put my feet out of bed to cool those down.

My cutting from my old fashioned rose I took two years ago is flowering in a pot down by my shed. That too smells of Ponds Cold Cream as many of the old roses do. It came as a cutting from my cottage in Suffolk. I shall try to take some more this year and if I get lucky I may send you some.
I only got one out of four cutting I took and I have to wade thriough the stuff up the top garden o get to the big one thats up there.

I used to love to smell mums Ponds Cold Cream in her makeup drow in her dressing table whn I was young. The little white jars with the pink lid and a bee on top.

Hope Vera is feeling better now and has a good night tonight and that Frank can get a good nights sleep and all other who find it hard to sleep.


Hope Jane had a good day with Hannah and Gareth and had her feet in the paddling pool to cool down.

How too that Vera gets more sleep tonight and dos'nt hurt so much in the morning from her fall yesterday.

Where Frank? Sending love and wishes for a speedy recovery. <3 <3 <3

Morning all on this gloreous day,

I can't believe its the end of May where has this year gone? Bit of a breeze today but still lovely sunshine.

I have just looked at my arm and don't remember catching myself on a thorn anywhere and I think it may be a tick!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

good afternoon, another hot day but rain forecast for tuesday. It will be a shame if we go from this to wet and windy again, as we often do in 'flaming June'.

I have prepped the veg for this eveing, OH has done the downstairs floors (I dusted yesterday), and he cleaned the cloakroom. Now he is out in the garden.(for a change). I am messing around on the PC, probably just going to catch up with the news. I have some bits stamped and coloured ready to make a card so maybe ought to do that. Keep intending to make a cake or more scones but the will isn't there at the moment (maybe if it rains!!)

Hope everyone had a good sleep, it was hot but I dug out my PJ shorts so was quite cool and slept reasonably well.

Afternoon all

I haven’t had time to put my nose out of the door yet this morning but it looks a lovely day again, although quite windy. My iPad has just changed “my nose” to “moose” :-D. I definitely haven’t put the moose out today!

I hope the weather doesn’t change this week as we have arranged for two local friends to walk round to us on Wednesday afternoon, come in our side gate and sit in the garden for a chat. We’re all looking forward to it as we’ve all been staying home and not seeing anyone.

I’ve just had a lovely long phone call with grandson. He’s not as good as the girls at communicating so I was really pleased he called for a chat. He’s started doing a bit of gentle archery practice with a very light weight bow - he calls it a bent stick - but he doesn’t think the shoulder injury he had will ever recover enough for him to get back to the top level of competition. It seems such a shame but there it is.

We are supposed to be having a 2 o’clock dinner so I had better get on. Pot roasted brisket of beef today, done in the oven as I didn’t have time for the slow cooker, and lots of veg, followed by vanilla ice cream with a raspberry sauce.

Enjoy your afternoon everyone.

Afternoon All,

Phew it was hot again when we had our Lamb Shank lunch outside, just 4 veg today and I must stop adding a potato or two to my plate as my weight has started going up! The trouble is if I cook them I want some!

I still feel quite lethargic, but after taking paracetamol last night and rubbing in the gel and turning over carefully, I had a reasonably good night, just waking a couple of times. I rubbed more gel in this morning and got OH to bend down to get the steamer out and put plates in the warming drawer and my side is much better and on the mend I think. I'd better still be careful for a day or two though. OH even got the hoover out and hoovered around so that was good.

How nice to hear from your grandson Vera. It is a shame he won't be able to do his archery to the same level anymore. My friend who's husband's funeral was a few days ago got shoulder arthritis from archery and couldn't do it anymore. It must be hard on your joints.

Oh Mel I hope you managed to remove the tick if it was one. I've read they need to be attached for 24 hours to be a risk for Lyme disease. There are warnings here at Bradgate Park where there is a herd of Deer and they do come in your garden. Not all the way from Bradgate Park though! lol. :-)

I am just messing around today too AnnG. I might do a bit of painting and I need to order a new picture card for my camera..

I'm going to renew my efforts to contact our holiday agent tomorrow. I think with the situation we should ask for a refund and not rebook next year as we planned to do now. If I still can't get through I will contact the credit card people about making a claim. I think it is called a section 75 claim or they can do a reverse charge or something.I am concerned now about them going bust and us losing all our money! I don't know at what point our balance we paid gets transferred to the site owner, but, as the last communication from the agent was to rebook or transfer our booking and they were not answering the phone, I assume they are still holding our money. :-S

I had some squash seeds come from China the other day for the yellow Patti Pan squash. On what appeared to be the customs declaration on the front they were declared to be pumpkin earrings! Was that to avoid some regulation to do with importing seeds I wonder? I just have a suspicious mind as to why call the contents earrings?

Ann perhaps they did'nt have a passport to send seeds through the post.

Tick is still on my arm. I have smoothered it in Vasaline as they breath though their skin. It has swollen up a bit now, my arm not the tick. Its stinging a bit at the mo.

Potted up 8 self sown bunny rabbits this morning. Seedlings off the big one that been on the aptio growoing in the gravel about three or four years. The stem from the root is over an inch thick.

Oh has just removed it for me and got the lot out. It was only tiny and I have washed my arm and put TCP on it and now I stink.

Well the garden is finally finished for now, we've put a tall conifer where one of the big Red Robin's was and it looks much better there rather than where it was before. We've been in the garden since 6.30 this morning as we were up earlier than usual with going to bed before 9pm last night. It was a lot cooler so we got quite a bit done. OH is hoping to get rid of all the rubbish tomorrow if the queues aren't to long at the tip just in case his boss rings with some shifts for next week, or he hears back from the jobs he's applied for. I can't believe how much rubbish there is and it'll probably take him all day to get rid of it.

I'm absolutely shattered now, OH is watering the garden and then we'll both have another early night.

I still haven't caught up with the posts so hope everyone is okay, I'll try and catch up with them tomorrow as I could fall asleep on a washing line right now lol.

That's good the tick is out now Mel and that you have disinfected the site! :-) It will be good if you can get some cuttings going of the Pond's Cream scented rose. I see you are potting up self sown seedlings too. I must see if I can do a bit more planting tomorrow, but we are at last taking those paper shreddings in the morning so I hope it won't be too hot by the time we are back. Maybe they didn't have a passport Mel....bit naughty though if that was the case.

Blow me when I looked at the holiday agent's site on line they had changed the rules about rebooking without sending us another email with the changes on!! We can now use the voucher they sent to book holidays on line next year now without having to do it by phoning them!! Great I thought and decided to go ahead and rebook for next May. As we get a discount through a small health insurance we pay I tried to do it as I would usually through their site, but there was nowhere to put the voucher code in. I then went through it all again on the booking agent's site and spotted where to enter the voucher code. However, because I couldn't go through the other site no discount was applied so it is showing a balance to be paid. I just hope when they email the invoice in a few days they will have sorted that out or it will mean more hassle and trying to ring them to sort it out as they promise to match the price you paid. :-S

I have done nothing this afternoon and am still ready for an early night again. It must be the heat sapping my energy.

Mel good that your OH got it all out. Not sure my OH would cope with that. Hope it is not too painful for you and watch out for ticks wherever you got it from.

Gill wow you were up early. I don’t think I hacpve ever been out in the garden at that time. However it is good to hear you happy with what you have done together. Hope you can get rid of all the rubbish. Our garden bin is almost full again, collection day Tuesday.

Ann glad your back/side was better today hope you can have a good sleep tonight again.
Also hope you can get your holiday sorted. Such a problem. We still have a week in September booked, no idea if we will be going but only the deposit paid so far.
I did make almost one card today just needs finishing off tomorrow.

Sounds like things may be getting sorted with your holiday site Ann. I hope you can get it worked out so you get your voucher. You have been going there a few years now so are a good customer.

Yes oh got his glasses on and we went out on the decking in the sun so he had good light and some directions from me as to where to postion the tweezers and pull straight up steadily. I must have picke dit up up the border as thats the only place I can think of where the foxes and deer go and of course the hogs so I hav'nt done too bad considering and am surprised I hav'nt had one before.

You got on well in the garden today Gill by the sounds of what you have done. It sounds to me as though those Red Robins were dug up from the ground and put in pots with all the soil around them with it being clay. Now you have your conifer where they were and thats nice.

Shame you did'nt get the card finished but I expect you will get it done tomorrow.

This week has flown by to me and I only have tomorrow and then its wipe down day again. We are trying some different ready meals so we can go in the garden and I don't have to cook too much.

Not done anything this afternoon just flopped about here and there and not achieved anything. Played cards on the pc and had a day off really.

Hope you all get some well earned sleep tonight and see you all in the morning.

AND WHERES OUR FRANK? Hope he is ok and Jane had a nice day with Hannah etc. <3 <3 <3

Morning all,

Another beautiful morning here and once again a forget me knot blue sky and not a cloud in sight.

So what are you all planning for today? Iv'e nothing planned but want to do a bit of tying up today. The clematis on the patio needs a bit of TLC and so do the ones out the front of the bungalow in big concrete syterns. All heavy with flowers and not much stems.

Got up at 9.06am and went back to bed for an hour. Just had some toast amd marmalade so all set to start the day off now with osme work.

Arm just looks a bit bruised this morning but all the swelling has gone down.

I must take a look at Anng's blog as the day she put picks on there I could'nt get he internet to find her address for it.

Morning All,

Another sunny day and my plans have been scuppered already. I got the veg ready for lunch, then went outside and planted the the new tomato variety I got in the last remaining greenhouse pot. It's small but we should at least get some tomatoes later to test them out. The gardener's delight we also have and love tend to have an orange patch at the top near the stalk lately so it would be nice to have some without if these are okI I was outside with my gloves on and ready to start planting when the window cleaner arrived!! I had to dash inside to help OH shut all the windows and doors before he came into the back garden. I just hope the young plants I left in the greenhouse don't wilt before I can rescue them. OH put his money in an envelope, but after saying to me he would leave the money outside for him to pick up, he handed the envelope to him over the gate which I thought was stupid, even though he said they were both at arm's length, when the man was mixing with everyone going house to house.

OH has a webinar now and then I need to get lunch before we go out so the planting may have to get done when it cools down later.

I had forgotten about the hogs getting ticks Mel and know the ones I have seen in the past often get them on their heads poor things. Ticks have become more widespread so they say and when we used to go walking I always wore socks and boots with my trousers tucked in even though I would get hot. I'm glad we don't get leeches like in the jungle though. The weeks do go by quickly as you say and I must plan out our meals ready for our next delivery next week. I ordered a few more ready meals with our last order for the same reason, otherwise you are stuck in the kitchen too long every day! Asda don't do many that I like with me not liking beef, but there's shepherd's pie and I could always get some of the weightwatchers ones for me. OH particularly loves their beef lasagne one and we are trying the toad in the hole with some baked beans this week. I rarely have sausages , but needs must at times!

Oh the window cleaner has gone and OH has wiped the door handles in case they were touched so I'm off outside again now.

good morning all, lovely day again.

Mel let me know if you can't get on the blog and I will check you still have the right address.

Ann we have just had the window cleaner. I handed him the money, he would have to stand close for 15 minutes and talk if your OH were to catch anything and it doesn't spread as easily in the open so I am sure he will be OK. Ours doesn't touch any door handles so nothing for me to wipe now he has gone.
Just had the confirmation from DiL of our shopping list and found two errors. Good job I check carefully, it is so easy to put the wrong thing. I did spot another she had got something slightly different but I will leave that one. Expensive one this time but it includes 4 bottle of wine, one of sherry and one of Gin plus dish wash tablets, and a large cod liver oil (for OH) which is £9 and will last a long time Oh and a tin of vanish Gold powder. Might as well get it all while not spending a lot else.

Hope the toms were ok Ann after leaving them when the window cleaner arrived. If you mena the top of the toms was orange give them a good tom feed. I use Maxi crop and tomato fertilizer and sometimes miricle grow.

I'm coming to yours Anng for the gin and sherry. I hav'nt had a glass of sherry for yonks and now I fancy one with you talking about it.

Thinking of Jane and hope she had a lovely weekend with the family calling in at a distance. Its so good they have a huge garden. Her scan results should be soon. xx

Ann I have one dinner thats coming thats ham hock and leek bake which sounds nice so I hope it comes. We ordered them on the two mains, one side and one dessert for £8. Don't know what oh chose for his but we doubled it up so two lots of dinners for two days. They do a medley of green veg or Mac sheese and I can't remember what else. We also ordered on that deal one profiterols and one choc dessert as the lemon cheese cake was sold out.

Afternoon all

Lovely and sunny so I've washing my bedding and it's now on the line.

Sorry to hear about your fall Frank, it sounded quite bad, I hope you're feeling a little better now and not to sore. Take it easy and relax until you're better.

Sorry to hear about your fall Vera, I hope you are starting to feeling a little better to and not so sore. Keep the graze clean the last thing you need is an infection.
Your neighbours sound like ours, having people around. I felt bad having OH's friend around the other week to fix the toilet, but because it wouldn't flush and we hadn't had a toilet for a few days I counted that as essential and we all kept our social distance like the rules say. I even gave him a drink out of a mug we don't use, but some people just don't care do they? I'm listening to the news and they are saying that people who are shielding can now go out and visit another household. Not sure I'd want to just yet, if it was me though. I'd rather stay put and see what happens over the next few weeks first.

How awful to have a tick Mel, that was nice of your OH to get it out for you, good idea to put some antiseptic on it. I hope it's not to sore. Hope your OH is okay after his fall and isn't to sore either.

Love your roses Mandy, the white one is massive, I can imagine how lovely the scene is off it.

Love the card you made Ann, very pretty. I hope your side is starting to feel a little better now.

It sounds like you've had a couple of nice days with Janice and Larry then Hannah and Gareth Jane. Happy belated Wedding Anniversary, you certainly had the weather for a BBQ.

They say it's going to rain on Wednesday, I think the gardens could do with a good down pour after all the sun we've had lately. So long as the rain doesn't last for weeks on end though. They've just said on the news all the sun we've had lately is "Very Un-British" LOL :-D :-D :-D They also said it's about to end then it'll start to cool down a bit with more rain, but the rain will be hit and miss.

Yes the Red Robins were still in the pots we bought them in AnnG, the pots were 160 Litre ones, so very big, it was a job and a half to get the plants out of them and when we did it was just solid clay like concrete. Like it's been said on here when we watered them the water must of just run off around the sides of the pots and not getting near the roots, which would explain why they were dying. We won't be buying anymore plants from that garden centre again as they weren't cheap, £600 in total. I wouldn't mind but we told them we were leaving them in their pots and they never said they needed to be planted in the ground. Needless to say we're very disappointed. It's a pity we couldn't re-pot them like Ann said but it was just a solid ball of clay, so no way we could of done anything with them other than break them up and throw them away.

Has anyone seen the goings on in the USA, lots of protests over an unarmed black man who has died after a policeman knelt on his throat and neck?

My washing's wrapped itself around the line, so I'd better go and untangle it.

Ohh the ham hock and leek bake sounds nice Mel......I must put that deal on my list to look for later in the week. We don't eat any kind of burgers so they wouldn't be an option or any curry or spicy things. Today I baked some haddock with a squirt of lemon and pinch of pepper. I did a cheese sauce with it and mash for OH and peas, leeks and baby courgettes.

Gill you must have done a lot in the garden yesterday to end up so tired and with so much rubbish. It was a shame about the red robins but the conifer will do the same job. Have you kept Sandra's little garden you made with all the lights?

AnnG I think my shopping will be a lot less this time, but it is a good idea to get other things you don't need as often. I shall make sure I spend enough to get a free delivery. I hope you manage to finish your card.......will will want to see it! :-)

I think it is tomorrow that Jane has her scan results face to face at the hospital. It must be awful having to wait and worry.

I have something else to look at from the hospital research and I must chase up why we haven't had the new remote yet for the Wi.

Hope you got your tomatoes planted. Yes Ann, we've still got the little garden down the side of the bungalow and the lights are still in it. We lost the grass's so need to add a few plants to bulk it up again. I took a climbing Fatsia cutting about six months ago and that's about 4 foot high now, so I'm going to pot that up into a bigger pot and add it to the little garden, then I'll have a look around the garden centre's and buy a few more, once I know it's safe to go out.

OH decided not to go back to the tip today with it being so hot and having to sit in a hot car for ages in the queue, he'll take some more tomorrow early in the morning. The fella at the tip said the queue started at 6.30am and the tip doesn't open until 8pm, so it'll be a very early morning for OH tomorrow. The two Red Robins filled around 15 large bags and we already had quite a few bags already from all the leaves that had fallen off over the last few months, not to mention the grass cuttings, so I should imagine it's going to take OH most of this week to get rid of it all, if he can only take one load a day.

OH got a phone call off his old boss earlier and she's given him one shift next week, not enough to pay the bills, but better than nothing. He's gone to one of the places he applied to this afternoon as he knows they asked for references. When he called in last week he was told the boss was on holiday until today, so he's going to see how that's going. Hopefully he'll get the job as he hasn't heard anything back from all the rest and there were around 10 to 12 application forms sent off.

OH got some beer the other day at the leaving do at work for everyone the boss had to lay off, that was nice wasn't it, he got a little card to.

Going to finish making the bed now all the bedding's been washed and dried. I've done most of it but left the quilt cover until last as I was getting hot.

Good luck with your scan tomorrow Jane, I'll be thinking of you <3

Jane, hope you have found plenty to do today to occupy your mind. All the best for tomorrow, I will be thinking of you. <3 <3