General Chat

I got some of the plants in Mandy, then it started raining, plus my arm and head were aching so I came in then. I have positioned them all so OH will put the rest in tomorrow. The fridge pickle recipe I did said to slice the cues thinly then put in a colander with salt sprinkled between and put a weight on top for 15-20 mins. Then rinse and pack into sterilised jars. Warm the vinegar with sugar added to dissolve and allow to cool before pouring in over the pickle. I added a bit of sliced onion to mine. It said to leave it 24-48 hours before eating so I haven't tried it yet. I thought it was very similar to the long store recipe except that one said to soak with the salt overnight and to bring the sliced cues to the boil in the vinegar and sugar. I must look up some piccalilli recipes as I might try to do some if I have enough jars. I love it! Oh heck, lots here needs a good dusting too. I did make a start on the conservatory windowsills inside, but there is fluff and webs appearing everywhere.

I hope you have a good journey AnnG. I bet Inara is looking forward to giving you her card!

Has rain stopped the artist Mel? How many of these sunflowers is he painting? It will be interesting to see and I can't wait like Mandy! :-)

I hope you enjoyed your cheeseburger Jane and some fries. When is it you get your last scan results? I bet you and Hannah are having lots of baby talk!

Ann I think he said he is up to 50!! They are right across the shed side in a sort of wave. He did some leaves yesterday but rain stopped play today.

I hav'nt done much today at all. Just the ususal Saturday things this morning and then I could'nt get into anything. I went in the craft room and had a bit of a clean up on the tables and looked at some of the stuff I have made and tried to put a ring in one thing and managed to scratch it so that needs painting and varnishing again now. It was the raven head pendant. I think it will be much better with just a leather cord through it.

Morning all,

A little brighter here this morning to the south but dark grey clouds to the north but there is a bit of blue sky and its not raining so that must be good.

I must do the two big front tanks today. I have 6 little violas to go in them, three in each jut to brighten them up a bit as the clematis in them are looking awful. After that I may clean the girls out and then do a bit of craft if I feel like it.

Hope you all slept well or as well as can be expected and that Anng and T have a safe journey.

Morning Mel and all
Hope you have a good journey today Anng and that there are no hold ups on the way.

My word it feels very muggy here this morning.I feel sticky already.Fitz is popping up for half an hour at midday.Then I think H&G will be here too at some point.At least there is no rain at the moment so it will be outside.

Mel I sent you an email last night.

James is just going to run me to the co-op for some eggs and bread.

Jane I have replied.

Very muggy here to and I too feel sticky already.

Its quite bright now but not extremly sunny just about right.

Very muggy here too and it’s also very grey, no sign of the yellow stuff. We’re promised more thunder and rain from about 2 o’clock till late this evening. I hope Ann & T don’t have bad weather on their long drive.

Enjoy your visits from Fitz and H & G Jane. It must be lovely having them so near now.

I’ve given the bathroom, the two en-suites and the downstairs cloakroom a bit of a clean. I’ve disinfected and cleaned the loos and cleaned the basins but haven’t bothered to wash floors and clean all the bits and pieces. Now I’d better think about dinner. We’re having some roast gammon. I think I’ll stick a tray of veg in the oven to roast as well and I’ve taken out of the freezer a red cabbage dish I do. I’ve got some nice Bramleys so pudding will be a crumble or pie or maybe just stewed apple and custard.

I love stewed apple andx custard Vera. I did some blackberry and apple yesterday to make a crumble for tonight or tomorrow.

Its come over very grey here and the grey is dark and its just started raining. All dull and dismal indoors now too.

I have fed the birds and the girls and am just about to clean out a watering can and then get lunch for the GP this afternoon.

No Gill for a day or two?? Hope she is ok and that her oh's mouth is better now.

AND WHERE'S FRANK?

I"M HERE MEL, Anyone need a headache, ?? I seem be getting more and more these last few days. Eos want's me to contact the Dr tomorrow. But it's like trying to talk to the POPE. Our SURGERY is going to the dogs, why I do not know. It was such a caring, friendly place, but when the best doctor retired, everything has gone from bad worst. Our trouble is to change Drs. will mean travelling 7/8 miles to a new practice, and at our age, I don't think it will be a wise move.

What a horrible MUGGY day it is. ALEXIA said we would get thunder storms later. I wish they would come, it might clear the air. I tried sitting out on the patio with the paper, but there was spits of rain, NOW the blooming sun is out. It can't make up it's mind. !!!

Poor old Ros has spent ALL MORNING doing our medications. She has a month to do for each of us, into daily doses. They are little box's for morning and night time doses. I don't know how I would ever manage to do it on my own. Lets hope I never have too. lol lol

I have stood and prepared the veg for dinner tonight. Roast pots and parsnips, podded peas, carrots, runners and cauliflower. Cheese sauce and Yorkshire pudding, gravy all made, just need to add boiling water from the veg.

I was hoping Jonathan would call round, to see how we are. Then I would get him to pick me more apples, to stew down. I hate to see them fall, and get worms and maggots in them.

Trust you are all well, see you later. xxxx

O good I'm glad you have posted. I wonder if the weather is giving you headaches Frank? Its very heavy out there today. Did you get any relief from having the titches out? Frank I have a nice long cane thats very fat and have put a net on the end made out of a sleeve from and old sweat shirt. The net bit is quite long and I use this to pick apples as I can't reach any of mine on our standard trees. I hook the strong wire under the apple and give it a good pull and the apple falls into the bag and dos'nt get bruised.

Watching the race.

Afternoon all,

Family have just gone they came a little later as son had an appointment to have his eyes tested at twelve, he wasn't looking forward to it as he had to have his mask on and he hasn't been any where to wear one as DIL has done all the shopping .
He picked new glasses ,he said after you had tried the glasses on they were then put into a tray to be sanitised, what a job that must be ,he said he looked at a lot but didn't like to try to many on with them having to go in the tray .
They stayed for some lunch I just did some ham rolls and then they had some of my coffee and chocolate sponges I made.

It's very humid here and I can now hear thunder in the distance,DIL was showing me all the rain they had had at the coast on her Facebook ,Sheringham I think it was the rain was running down the street and pouring onto the beach.

OH thunders got a bit louder better turn this off BBL

Afternoon All,

We had heavy rainfall about 6.00am, so no gardening or planting today. I had an awful night and could hardly get into bed with my poor shoulder. The pain was shooting up the side of my neck as well as in my arm and I had to give up on turning over in bed a few times. This morning it does seem a bit easier as long as I don't make certain moves. I had already got meat out yesterday for today so OH did most of the veg and lifting pans out etc. It would be on wipe down day as well. :-( I've suggested to OH that we only wipe down the fridge and freezer things today and leave the rest till tomorrow (or for 3 days when they won't need wiping!). He has offered to do it for me but I know he takes short cuts with everything so am reluctant so he suggested I watch him. I think we will see how much there is to do and he can take over if it starts making my shoulder hurt. He does the lifting of the bags onto the draining board anyway which helps.

I hope you have a nice time with Fitz and H&G Jane. It is dry again here so I hope it is the same for you. I thought it was muggy earlier and had the back door open.

Mel I thought Vincent was doing about 10 sunflowers, so 50 is a lot to have done!! Has he finished the flowers now and just doing all the leaves to finish it off? I bet anyone visiting will love it!! He could be starting a trend. lol. :-) I might do a bit of crafting today or sorting out some of my half done beading.

I had an email to say my little postcard of the Bluetits I painted and I entered has been included in their exhibition and will be for sale. :-) Now I wonder if anyone will buy it and where it will end up if they do.

Do they have a set price for the postcards Ann? Unless you go round the backside of the workshop you won't be able to see the sunflowers Ann. It faces the field thats behind us.

Vincent has just gone out again and round to the workshop.

Got a humdinger of a storm here now.I hope Thomas has taken shelter somewhere.

Good afternoon all just a quick post to say we got here ok. Rained nearly all the way drizzly at first and then on the M6 near Shap it poured, and was hard to see. We left home at 0745 and got here about 1.15pm. We had two stops for coffee from a flask in the car. I used the loo at Stafford and it was all very well organised with free masks for those who didn’t have one on. Everyone to wear a mask, someone on the door.

You all sound busy shame you can’t finish the garden Ann. Your arm sounds much like mine which has bothered me since April, so painful in bed. We both had bad nights last night as well..

I had my present from daughter when I got here. A Gemini machine for foil pressing. Looking forward to trying that out.

Next to me on the settee I have the sseeest little kitten, Millie who is the same length as the TV choice mag she is lying on.

It’s a bit wild here too Jane. There hasn’t been much lightening but lots of thunder and heavy rain. I expect Thomas has found himself a sheltered spot somewhere.

50 sunflowers Mel? How big is the workshop? When you said what OH was painting I imagined something between 6 and 10 flowers. You realise he’ll now be known forever as Vincent :-D

EDIT. Missed you there AnnG. Glad you arrived safely.

Oh Ann are you now suffering from moving all the slates do you think , i hope you can get a better nights sleep .
Well done with getting the painting in the exhibition , will they tell you how much it will sell for ,it would be nice to know who buys it .

Wow 50 sun flowers that a lot to paint ,how big are they going to be ?i think it's going to be quite a painting what a shame it's facing the other way so you can't see them .

Jane i'm sure Thomas will find some where to shelter ,i bet he has a special place where he goes to when it comes down

Glad you arrived ok AnnG little Millie is so sweet and a lovely colour .

Vera we haven't had any lightening that i could see just the thunder rumbling on and on ,it's raining a little bit harder now.
Watton not far from us had water running along the high street like Sheringham ,i think we've been lucky not getting the down pours .

Son gave us an Alexa that they had bought Jake and he didn't really use it so he asked if we would like it so we've been playing about with it ,we sat watching the news when it turned on :-D i told it to stop ,five minutes later it came on again so this time i said Alexa off ......on it came again ....Colin went out and shouted at it LOL
I rang son and he said turn it off and on again ....so far so good :-D
We both laughed and said that's why son wanted rid of it as he couldn't shut it up :-D :-D

Yes, they are selling the postcards for £10 each Mel. If it doesn't sell they will send it back in the SAE I enclosed. I think now Vincent is in the swing of it he should carry on round the sides of the shed too! The Violas will be good for brightening up your tanks.

Well, we managed the wiping down we needed to do and have stored away the rest to sanitise itself. I wasn't so pleased they sent 2 lasagne instead of shepherd's pies as I don't eat beef and there were no wiltshire ham and leek bakes, The middle of the cabbage they sent was tiny as well. Still the main thing is we have plenty to eat! OH got a bit giddy and hot with all the bending up and down with the bags, so stood in the open doorway till he cooled down. We both have bites on our ankles and feet after doing bits in the garden and they keep having their itchy moments like Mel was saying.

That's good you have arrived AnnnG and managed with your drinks. I would have done just the same. It's quite a long journey from where you live isn't it. Now, about this little kitten Millie, what colour is she and is she long or shorthaired? I would be wanting to bring her home I think!! The gemini machine sounds interesting. We will want to see what it does.

That's good you managed to get some Gauras Vera. Something new to look forward to in the garden next year. I like stewed apple with custard too. It's quick and easy to do. I see it is a different test you are having. I have seen people on tv having them, but I think it would be better doing it yourself as you can be very gentle!

We have had a heavy downpour too, enough to make a little stream in the road and a few puddles in the garden on the gravel Still no thunder or lightning though.

Is your head less sore now the stitches are out Frank? I had a headache for 2 days this week and felt out of sorts, but if yours keeps persisting you should try to speak to your doctor.

Mandy it would put you off trying many pairs of glasses with knowing they had to clean them all afterwards, I hope he found some he liked! I bet the family enjoyed your cakes......2 choices as well. Sheringham must have had a lot of rain for it to be running onto the beach.

I had a count and there's 64 sunflowers. He's been doing some leaves today but has run out of green paint.

I have been pottering in the garden adn shed. I have pricked out 24 candlearbora (sp) primulas, 8 lupin seedlings off my mauve and yellow one, repotted a ????? it will come to me in a moment and two hosta seedlings found in another pot up on the decking by my pond.

Apparently daughter had to have a Covid test as she is going fir a chest X-ray. She said it is a bit uncomfortable but not too bad. She was negative. Millie is a pedigree British short hair her colour is lavender grey tabby I think, sort of a brownish grey ate the moment with the most lovely eyes. Yes she will be lucky to escape my case going home. I have not asked how much she cost.