General Chat

Good afternoon. thank you for the good wishes Frank. Pleased that you have had your stitches out OK. did they say why it bled so much?

Today is sorting stuff for packing tomorrow. and following my list of things needing doing before we go.

What is going on now AnnG. Three posts all the same. It must be them.

It is cooler here today but its also still hot if you see what I mean. No fans on indoors soit must be cooler in here.

I have to ring Mole Valley with an order and am just rying to think what else I can put on the list to make it worth their while delivering.

Had two rabbits in two days so thats two more that won't eat my plants.

My fingers and palms have started peeling again and round the base of my nails. Shall have to start with the ointment again. Oh's are doing the same.

Frank did the nurse say why you had that bleed in the night? and is it more comfortable now without the pulling of the titches? <3 <3

I don't know what is happening Mel, as it is not happening to anyone else I am wondering if my mouse is the problem it has been a bit over sensitive lately so will have a look at getting a new one.

Been very quiet on here today.

It’s been much cooler today thank goodness but it’s still very humid. I didn’t get much sleep again as just as I was drifting off around 1 am the thunder started. That carried on till about 3 am though I didn’t see any lightning and there wasn’t much rain. By then I was wide awake so I read till 5 and dozed off sometime after that. At 8 am I was woken by thunder again and then we had an almighty storm. I don’t think I have seen so much rain come down so fast. The poor garden has taken a real battering but I expect it will pick up again.

How are all your bites and itches Mel and Mandy? Why do they always seem so much worse at night?

That was a long wait in the docs Frank. I hope you are more comfortable now the stitches are out. Are you still getting headaches or have they eased now?

I’m glad Fg is OK and hope her problems are soon resolved.

I think you’ve got hiccups AnnG. You’ll have to take more water with it, lol. I saw on another thread that your posts were showing two or three times. How long will you be away? Are you staying with your daughter?

We had our Tesco delivery today. There was just one substitution and that was an acceptable one. However I had made a mistake on my order. I wanted a piece of root ginger so I entered one and later put a note asking for a small to medium piece. When the order came I had a large paper bag full of small pieces of ginger!! When I checked the website I found I hadn’t read the blurb properly and had ordered .7 kg and it cost me £3.15. I may never need to buy ginger again.

I’ve ordered 4 Gaura plants which are being delivered next week. They’ll be fairly small at the moment and we will probably keep them in their pots over the winter and plant them out next year. I have a taller white one and two medium size pink ones for the garden and a slightly smaller pinky-white one that I thought might be nice in a pot at the front of the house.

Has anyone else been picked to do a self administered swab test? If so, how easy is it to do? Apparently the powers that be are trying to see how much of the virus is floating around among us, even if we aren’t showing symptoms. If the virus shows up in your swab you and anyone else in the house has to quarantine for two weeks. It’s not compulsory and it’s tempting not to do it in case you end up in quarantine but that seemed selfish so I’ve agreed. My kit should arrive after 24th August so I’ll let you know how I get on.

Here’s hoping for a thunder free, cool night for us all. Sleep well everyone.

Sorry to hear the shop wasn't open AnnG such a disappointment, but at least you went out and wasn't stuck in doors like a lot of other people in lockdown. I see you treated yourself to a few nice things. You did well for cards, thanks for letting me know mine arrived on time, I was worried I'd posted it to late.

What a shame you didn't have your water butt in place Mel, you would of had lots of rain water by the sounds of it.

Sorry to hear your granddaughter was one of the children to have their A level results downgraded Vera, I hope she wins her appeal.

That was a long wait Frank, at least it's all done now. Poor Ros must of been boiling sitting in the car for that length of time.

I hav'nt seen Baby Bob for two days now.............boo hoo. I think it since the thunderstorm we had.

Morning all,

Cloudy dull and drizzley this morning and its still hot!

Usual things this morning, shop for bits and Em's for egg delivery.

Vera oh was only saying the other day that what they have done with the results is just not on. They will be putting those who do do well down like your grandaughter and those that don't do so well will be even worse. Its just not fair at all when people have worked so hard to get good results to have their hopes dashed like that. Its just not fair.

Good morning all. grey here and 17 degrees, I am moving so fast I shall meet myself coming back soon. So difficult to choose the right clothes as it has been so hot yet I know it is likely to be cooler up there. (and wet too probably.

packing is half done now, working through the list but have so many odd bags with incidental things in. Good job we are not flying!

Vera we are staying with daughter. She has a four bed house with two with en suites and a separate bathroom. we will have a bedroom and en suite. downstairs is quite big and airy large kitchen/dining end and bifold doors across the dining end. in the lounge we are not on top of one another, at least 2 metres apart. And a large garden. there are lots of places around Maryport and Workington to walk where there are not many people (apparently the main lake district is really busy, really crowded so we won't be visiting the beauty spots. On the way up we will use a service station for the loo only and take our own coffee.

Gill yes I did very well with my birthday cards. doesn't really matter that the shop was shut it was a nice day out.

May BBL.

Mel, your card has just arrived thank you. The book mark will come in very handy. <3

BUM, I have just lost a very long post that I started at 11.50am. I am not going to sit and go through all that again, so BYE for now, I might try again later. Xxxx

Afternoon All
Just a brief post now as Hannah is bringing me a McDonalds Cheesburger!
I really hope I can manage it.I never eat the bun but will have a few fries.

Anng have a lovely break away with your family.Im sure you will have packed enough for every kind of weather :-D How long are you away for? Did my card arrive too?You just can’t rely on Royal Mail at all these days.
Probably be back later.

Grey and drizzly here all morning and still very humid but the garden looks happier now it’s had a real soaking.

Another post lost Frank, this site can be a real pain in the proverbial at times. I know how you feel as it happened to me recently. I generally type my post elsewhere and then copy and paste to Genes but occasionally I’ll do it straight on to the thread and sometimes it just disappears. Very frustrating!

AnnG, in case I don’t get on to the thread early enough tomorrow I’ll wish you a safe journey now. Have a lovely time with your family.

I picked up a banana this morning and found it was all soft and squidgy. I hate wasting anything but one banana isn’t enough to make a nice banana loaf so I’ve made a “throw together cake”. Normal amounts of fat, sugar and flour and then throw in anything suitable from the cupboard. I put in sultanas and glacé cherries and the mushed up banana and a large beaten egg mixed it to about the right consistency. I had to guess at the oven temperature and the time but it’s come out of the oven looking and smelling good.

Just going to have lunch now - a cheese and ham pasty thing, followed by a big slice of cake. Yummy.

Afternoon All,

Quite dull here but pleasantly cool so the strappy top has been replaced by a short sleeved T shirt and knee length shorts today.

Vera I had to laugh at all your ginger!! :-D You could have slung some in your cake, which sounds very nice by the way. I did the same with some cheese once and had 7 slabs of it arrive. About the random Covid tests, it's too long ago to remember but I said in June about OH having his and making a pig's ear of doing it, as he was wrestling his thumb I was holding and squeezing to watch himself, while I was trying to get the drip over the small tray!! It is easy to do but my advice would be to lay it all out ready and not let your OH help! lol.

I used up those substituted dates they sent yesterday by making a date and walnut loaf. We had some today and OH said it was delicious and wouldn't last long. As Vera says it is good to use things up somehow. I also did 2 recipes of pickled cucumbers, one a fridge pickle that lasts a few weeks and the other a long store australian recipe.

I wonder whether Frank's Lewis is still in France with his mum or whether they got home before the quarantine rule started?

I hope you enjoy your break with the family AnnG. Yes I think a bit of everything clotheswise is the order of the day! It sounds a lovely roomy house for you which is good and it will be nice to see some new scenery and places off the tourist track to go. I have been to Workington a few times with OH when he went to matches there. There and back in a day which was quite a trek! I seem to remember that somewhere a mile or so out to the right as you face the sea there was a nice big retail unit that sold everything. It used to be very quiet there, even on a Saturday, but may be different now and I used to go there while OH was watching the match.

I am going out to plant some of the plants we bought this week up by the new steps next. The soil will be easy to dig just now after the rain we had a couple of days ago.

Jane, no sorry your card has not yet arrived. That will be something to look forward to when we come back. Post office is awful still isn't it?
Enjoy your cheeseburger.

Annx we are going for 2 weeks, almost completely packed now but need a trailer to put on the car. so many bits to take, especially as we haven't seen them and Inara since Christmas.

Just cooked up some mushrooms and onion and put it in the freezer. Also loads of tomatoes. I am going to try making chutney with them when we come back. It does say you can so we'll see. OH suddenly decided that this morning he would pick them all in.

Vera we will be leaving early in the morning, packing the car up tonight if it ever stops raining.

I,m pleased your card arrieved at last Anng and before you went away. I wonder why they are taking so long to get to you when the seeds you sent me came quickly on a 2nd class stamp. I shall have to get some 2nd class ones I think. Have a lovely time with the family and have a safe journey. You'll be pleased to see Inara and give her her little gifts.

Jane I hope you enjoyed your burger and chips. How are you feeling today? Have you had any results yet to see any progress? Sending love and wishes <3 <3

Vera cake sounds nice and I know oh would like that one. Did you enjoy your chesse and ham pasty thing? and your big piece of cake?

O Frank not another lost post please try again as we need to know what you have been up to. How is Ros now?

Are we going to be without you for the two weeks Anng?

Evening all,

It's been a dreary old day here ,don't think it's stopped drizzling all day ,we haven't been out ,I did some badly needed dusting upstairs ,hoovered through down stairs was going to hoover upstairs but I had to put the hoover on charge and by the time I had had a chat with my sister it was lunch time .
This afternoon we have caught up with a few tele programmes and not a lot else.

Jane hope you enjoyed the burger and chips ,has Hannah had any cravings ?
Hope she's keeping well and baby too.

AnnG have a safe journey tomorrow and have a lovely time with your family ,hope it's dry now so you can get the car loaded up.

Ann hope you managed to get your plants in ,best time to do it after a bit of rain has softened the ground .
The recipes using the cues sound interesting , what do you do to them for the fridge pickle ?
I keep picking cues and have made two lots of Piccalilli to use some up.

Oh Vera I had to smile about the over order on the ginger :-D
Hope you enjoyed your throw together cake ,they can turn out to be the best some times .

Oh Frank another post gone into the blue yonder ,I to wondered if Lewis w as still in France ?

Oh poor little robbie Mel hope he turns up .
How is Vincent master piece coming on ? I'm longing to see it .

It will be a nice holiday for you AnnG, even if it isn’t quite the celebration trip you planned for your anniversary. I am sure your daughter will spoil you on the big day.

I hope baby bob turns up again soon Mel.

Mandy, you’re right about thrown together food sometimes turning out well. My cake tasted lovely. I couldn’t taste the banana in it but I think it kept it nice and moist. I bet if I tried to do the same again it wouldn’t turn out half as good.

I picked our first five cherry tomatoes this afternoon. Not before time. They just don’t seem to want to ripen this year.

Ann, until you mentioned it I had forgotten your OH had done a Covid test but, if I remember rightly, he did the antibody test where you have to get some blood. The test I have been asked to do is the actual swab test where the swab goes up your nose and to the back of your throat. I understand they are trying to find out the number of people walking around with the virus without realising it. The letter said it would be uncomfortable to do. You have to ring a special courier and arrange for the swab to be picked up before you do the test as it has to be at the lab within a certain time limit. I just hope the instructions are clear and I can do it properly. I can still back out but the government and scientists need to know these things so I’ll stick with it, but I am not looking forward to it.

I’m sitting in the conservatory and the rain on the roof is deafening. It’s really coming down hard. Oops, just remembered there is a window wide open upstairs. Better go and close it pronto.

You can’t get rid of me that easily Mel. The benefits of Wifi and IPads. I will hopefully be on line during the two weeks.

Vera pleased the cake was a good one. We have been inundated with tomatoes. This afternoon OH Picked two large colanders full.. A bag full is going with us and a load is in the freezer. I will deal with them when we come home.

Mandy yes it rained here almost all day but stopped for O H to load up the car.