General Chat

Morning Anng and all,

Sunny here too again but still chilly. Woke at 8am and it was cold and oh had'nt turned the heating on so I went back to bed.

Oh bought me a rechargable hoover yesterday which should arrive today. I went for the Hoover one with lots of attachments. We will see how I get on with it.

Morning AnnG, morning all,

One minute it's sunny next minute it's raining here this morning and I was hoping to get my towels and the towels out on the line for a nice blow too, I'll hang on and hope it might get out later .

Vera your poor foot ,who would have thought you could do all that just stepping up onto the kerb ,I hope you hear soon and it can be put right so you don't need an op .
Hope you enjoyed your afternoon with your friends .

Not a lot happening here we both feel quite lazy today ,we had a busy day yesterday ,I went shopping and Colin stayed home it's getting a bit chilly for him sitting in the car while I shop so he hoovered while I was out .
I came home did the wipe and then we went to get petrol and then some eggs.
After lunch we went to Mole valley for dog food and I bought two big 5lt comforts for £4 each one is for DIL ,then we loaded up five big tubs of garden rubbish and the old metal poles from the green house into the car and took them to the tip,so we had a busy day.

We have four shops closing in town ,Peacocks, M&Co, Edinburgh wool and Ponders where they have nice bedding and curtains so well miss that nice shop ,it's going to leave the town short of shops ,we'll soon only have charity shops and estate agents left.

Morning Mel
You popped in while I was typing, I think you'll like the new hoover ,it lovely not to have to keep plugging and unplugging as you go ,you can just move from room to room nice and easily.

Morning All,

Nice and sunny here at the moment. I could be sorting a bit of the garden tubs but have the photography course soon till lunchtime. Then lunch to get and before you know it the day's gone again! :-0 I slept well last night but was woken at 6.30am by the floodlight (sorry security light) opposite ay Mrs Os. I got up to look through the window and she came outside and started picking at and fluffing up her wall basket plants by the light of the floodlight. Then she moved off in the darkness to go up the close again? I must try and check if this happens every day......got my Miss Marple hat on now!!

Mandy, you are showing me up again with all the jobs you are getting done! You have reminded me that I must get a new birdfeeder though.

Mel you will love your cordless hoover! Mine is a dyson and has some attachments. They are brilliant for sucking up things you spill on the floor or the worktops too like toast crumbs or flour and for doing the car inside. I like the look of the Shark one too. Mine isn't as powerful as my big corded dyson, but I just get that out occasionally now.

Good afternoon Mel, Mandy and Annx still bright here some weak sun and 11 degrees, not too cold although OH is feeling the cold so we do have the heating on for him. Dread to think what our bill will be like but he needs to keep warm. I have just done another half to three quarter hours stint in the garden. seven of the hanging baskets are empty now, three have fuchsias in them still flowering and six I can't quite reach. Pulled up a few more dead rudbeckias and cut back two of the large hardy fuchsias.

It must be training day at the airport as ther are a lot of helicopters flying around there is a helicopter flying school there. A few of them have been military ones and there was definitely a Chinook around, no mistaking that sound.

Annx hope your class went well was it a good one? How many have you got left.
That Mrs O is a strange one isn't she? Maybe she is another one who can't sleep.

Mandy we have all three of those shops in our area M&Co shut just after the last lockdown which is a shame as tehy only opened in Gloucester early this year. Edinburgh wool and Ponden are both in one of the garden centres so not in the town. I think we still have a M&Co in Cheltenham but I have not been to Cheltenham since February.

Mel hope you like your new cleaner.

Good afternoon all,

No improvement with my ANXIETY/PANIC attacks. I have spoken to the Dr this morning, and she is concerned that nothing is being done to help me.She is putting out some tablets for me to take Morning and evening. I will ring to see if they are ready to collect.. She is a locom, and seems to be taking an interest in my condition.

Dennis next door has come to say our back tyre in FLAT. I have been out with the pump that runs off the charger. So I have pumped that up. Ros will need to go to the garage to see if we have either a slow puncture or something stuck in the true. Sooner Rather that later. We have a QUICK FIX as we go inyo town, so she can do that tomorrow.

I hope you are all well. xxxx

Good afternoon all

The day started off dry and bright but by lunchtime it was raining again. It doesn't feel very warm to me either but perhaps that's because I am not moving about very much.

I am a naturally chilly person and do get quite cold but I have noticed in recent years that OH seems to wear jumpers more than he used to so perhaps it's something to do with getting older. AnnG, our downstairs heating went on some days ago and now won't go off at all until about May. We've found it the most efficient and economical way to use the underfloor heating and ours is zoned so we can set different rooms at different temperatures. Upstairs it's radiators so we just put them on when we need them. Pressing "Boost" on the system just brings the rads on for an hour which works well if I want to be on the desk top computer for an hour or two.

OH knew I was fretting a bit about the garden so while it was dry this morning he went out and cleared some more troughs and planted the rest of the wallflowers in them. He trimmed back some lavender which I had left when I did the rest of it because it was still attracting lots of bees, and he swept and raked up a load of leaves. There's plenty still to do but that's a few more jobs out of the way, bless him.

How did the photography course go this morning Ann? I do admire all the different things you ladies do. I don't feel I do anything very much. Perhaps I should write a book as I am good at putting lots of words on paper as you'll know from the length of some of my posts ;-) I'm not sure I could invent a plausible plot though. It's a shame about your school governor friend. Your Mrs O. sounds a very strange person.

You seem to have been busy Mandy and you have reminded me that I need to book an appointment for the tip. We still can't just turn up at ours. It is a shame so many shops are closing. I have never heard of Pondens but Edinburgh Woollen Mills and M&Co closed a while back here and I suspect Peacocks will go soon. I think the EWM group own them as well. Our only department store, which is an independent, is closing by Christmas too. However another coffee shop is about to open and there are rumours of another restaurant coming soon. That's just what we don't need. Our town is now all coffee or charity shops.

I'm sorry your back is still not good Mel. I am sure you will love your cordless Hoover. For one thing it is much lighter to move around so that might help your back a bit. I've got a Dyson cordless with several attachments. I don't know what one or two of them are for. I wanted something that would be easier for me to use on the stairs and the hand held section works well for that and is a lot safer than trying to balance the big vac. on the curve of my stairs. Like Ann we kept our big Dyson as well and OH does have a good go through with that from time to time but I love my cordless.

I hope Frank is OK and has managed to get hold of his doctor to sort out tablets for him.

I hope Jane is comfortable and pain free. Sending love as always <3

Our friends came yesterday afternoon and stayed a couple of hours so we had a good old natter and a bit of a laugh. The husband has quite a dry sense of humour which appeals to me.

I haven't had a phone call from the fracture clinic yet and I have a feeling they aren't going to ring today, so I'll have to get on to the surgery tomorrow to see if I can chase them. My son and dil rang this morning and I was amazed to learn that she did a very similar thing a few years ago. I am not sure why I didn't know but it was news to me. All she did was stand on tiptoe to reach something on a shelf and felt a pain go through her foot. Like me she assumed she couldn't have done anything serious so left it too long before seeing the doctor. Hers had almost healed when she saw the doctor and she was given the choice of surgery or steroid injections in her foot. She opted for the injections but stopped after one or two because they were thinning the fat cushioning her foot. Isn't it strange that we should both get a fracture from such a slight movement?

A couple of people on this thread (AnnG? Jane?) might remember me talking in the past about son's dog Buster on another thread. Apparently he had a funny turn the other evening. It was like a stroke but he recovered very quickly. They got him to the emergency vet but it was a struggle to get him inside because son and dil couldn't go in with him and he wasn't going anywhere without them! The vet gave this condition some long medical name and said he may never have another turn like that or he may continue having them but take longer and longer to recover. I know it is not funny but I had to laugh when son was telling me about it. Buster is an English Bull Mastiff and is 10 stone of solid muscle but he is such a wuss. The vet wanted to take some blood. He wouldn't let the vet do it until he had the spot frozen with some local anaesthetic and then cried non-stop. He was supposed to stay inside till the tests on the blood were completed, which would have been about half an hour, but they had to take him back to Mum and Dad waiting in the car. Even the vet commented on what a baby he is. No way was he going to let them do a urine test. Dil had to collect that at home and take it back to the vet. Buster is six and a half now and, sadly, such a large breed doesn't often survive beyond eight.

I heard on the lunchtime news that Essex is going into Tier 2 and so two families can't meet together indoors. I hope that doesn't last long or for the first time ever we will be having Christmas on our own. Either that or eating our Christmas dinner in daughter's garden. I know we've all got to do our bit to get to grips with this virus but it is disappointing. Daughter only lives a 40 minute drive away but over recent months I have only seen her and eldest granddaughter for two garden visits and, of course, haven't seen son and his girls for a year now and I have only seen grandson on one garden visit in July. I must just be grateful that we are close in spirit and all keep in touch.

What was that I said about being able to produce lots of words? I had really better come to an end before you all collapse with boredom or throw me off the thread for overusing it. Have a good evening and sleep well tonight everyone.

Good afternoon Frank and Vera. At least you have managed to speak to a doctor Frnk. OH has spent ages trying to make an appointment on the phone and gave up when he was 8th in the queue for ages. I despair of it as it used to be such a great pratice. the econsult form doesn't fir what either of us want. I will end up emailing them if I can find the address.

Vera I have said it before, I love your long newsy posts and feel quite cheated when you put up short ones. Yes I remember Buster. It is sad but true that the breed is short lived, I hope he goes on to live much longer.
Hope you can sort the fracture clinic out soon, you don't want to be waiting around too long do you?

Well done your OH doing his bit in the garden, I am trying for little and often and I will get there although the garden bin is full until next Tuesday so can't do a lot more at the moment.
Glad that you enjoyed your chat with your friends. I envy you that, no friends as such to invite round and with OH wouldn't be practical anyway. And most of the time he is lying on the bed easing his back or his headache (which seems to have come back today which is a nuisance.

Better go and see what he is doing I can hear movement.

I have made 6 cards for my friend who sells them for charity Christmas ones this time. :-) :-)

Oh Vera i love your chapter and verse :-D i'm not very good tying out what i want to say ,takes me ages to type it and i have to change some of it as it doesn't read right if you know what i mean .
We feel the cold more now ,we have had the heating on once so far but we do have the wood burner going which heats right through the house and we don't like to much heat in the bedrooms .

AnnG you've done well making the cards your friend will be pleased with them ,i haven't done much ,did watch a little television and knitted a poppy .

I so enjoyed your nice long post Vera and laughed at Buster's antics with the vet. I don't know how you manage to write so much as I can never think of much to say.

6 cards Anng is good your friend will be pleased with those. Were they using the new machine? The foil thing? or just plain Christmassy cards?

Well my back had eased up and I have played with my new hoover this afternoon. You should have seen the fluff that came out from under the bed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It filled the little container right up. The bed has been in the for 10 years and I have never been able to get a hoover under it unless I got down on the hands and knees with the Henry and then the pipe kept coming off so it has been left I am ashamed to say. Now its all nice and fluff free. Even oh said how clean the carpet looked in there when he brought out the solar lights.

Hope Frank did'nt have any more attacks today and just sat and enjoyed his book. I wonder if Ros has all her bulbs in now?

Mandy you've been busy today too by the sound of what you and Colin have done today. Good buy those Comfort 5 litre bottles. I can't really use that one as I can taste the smell of them. I have the lavender one and can only use a little or my tongue starts to sting and my lips.

Backs a bit better today and I am wondering if its cos I have been moving about more than just sitting peering a the telly or the pc.

Sorry T's headaches are back I hope it goes by tomorrow.

Sending wishes to Jane for a comfortable day and night. I do mis hearing about Thomas and what he gets up to. <3 <3 <3

We would not normally have the heating on all day but because he is sitting and laying around he really feels the cold more.

Mel just normal Christmas Christmas cards as they sell them quite cheaply mostly to farmers’ wives and families. But they raise quite a lot of money.

Morning all,

Not such a sunny day here today and we have grey skies with some patches of sun and little blue bits.

Slept well and the backs a bit better. I did thinkit would be bad today with all the hoovering yesterday but I think moving about helped it.

So what are we all up to today?

Hope Frank got in touch with his doc and managed to get more pills.

How's T's back and head today? Vera I hope you get some results soon and they can do something to your foot without surgery.

Sending love to Jane. <3 <3 <3

Morning All
I am in hospital at the moment waiting for a blood transfusion.Had a blood test yesterday and o have a very low Hb again

Hello Jane I hope you feel better after the tranfusion. Its lovely to hear from you and sending love and wishes. <3 <3 <3 <3

good morning all and hello Jane <3 <3 hope the transfusion gives you a bit of 'oomph!'

Food shop was early, here again before eleven and all done and dusted by 11.45. Think I have gone a bit overboard on the milk. Can't really get the shopping sorted with OH's appetite varying so much, not in quantity but in what he chooses to eat. did quite well last night as he had one large sausage, an egg and a small jacket.

Sorry to hear you need another transfusion Jane but hopefully you will feel better after it. It’s great to see your name on the thread again. Sending love and hugs <3

Good news about my foot. Fracture clinic rang this morning to say doctor has studied the X-Rays and thinks it will be better to leave things as they are and I should carry on much as I have been doing, not using the foot more than necessary. They offered me a special shoe to support the foot but I told them I have been using a fairly sturdy pair of lace-ups (the only shoes I can get on at the moment). They said that’s probably OK but I can ring them at any time if I would like the extra support of their special shoe. They also said it will take 6 weeks for the bone to heal but several weeks longer for the soft tissue to recover so I have to be careful for some while yet. Interestingly, they said not to take anything like Ibuprofen or Nurofen as anti inflammatories will delay the healing.

Looks as though the garden’s going to go to pot this year. My Mr Crewcut will do what he can but he can’t do everything (and I don’t trust him with a pair of shears or secateurs).

Morning All,

A bit dull here and I was convinced it was Saturday today so I have gained a day.

Good to see you posting Jane. The transfusion should really help with tiredness and being out of puff easily so I hope you will feel a lot better after it. I have no idea how long a transfusion takes, but hopefully you will be home again soon. <3 :-)

Vera you paint a lovely picture of Buster with your words and I had to laugh at the big softy!! I hope you soon hear about your foot as it must be healing more every day. How strange your DIL did the same thing! It's good your OH managed to get a bit done outside. The photography course is going well Vera but I really need to practise what I have learned. The teacher is quite a character and has a campervan he travels to remote scenery in. He even lives near a beach famous for photography and has had an exciting sounding life doing all kinds of things with his photography.

Glad you managed to contact the doc Frank and are getting some more tablets and I hope Ros can get the tyre fixed.

You are doing well with your Xmas cards AnnG. The painting is going well, I think there are 6 sessions in all, but it is so different to my usual acrylic paint! I've nearly finished my homework so may send a pic later. I found myself writing a 'plan' for each step which I don't have to do with acrylic!!

Must break off now as lunch is ready!

Vera that was good news about your foot. you will really have to take things easy now then. Strangely it will be helped by the covid situation as there will be no temptation to go out.
Your garden will be like ours, the minimum done. to keep it ticking over.

Annx glad you are enjoying the photography. Your tutor is not from Dorset is he? Just a thought.

Yes, let us see a painting please. I have just not had time or inclination to do any painting lately, there is just too much going on here. Cards I can do because it is automatic for me but painting takes a lot more preparation and thought.

OH came out into the garden with me and showed me a couple of things he wanted me to do that he really can't do himself, I had actually forgotten that we had planted quite an expensive hardy geranium in a spot near the dahlias and hadn't noticed that the dahlias had spread over it. Saved it now and empied some more hanging baskets. 10 have been emptied now and the fuchsia ones all moved to the top of the garden, they will survive outside for a bit longer. We will get there, looks like a dry weekend so I shall have to try and cram a bit more in the bin.

I haven't tried this but I intend doing so when I get to Tesco to buy a swede.

Swede easy cook
cooks should simply place the whole vegetable into the microwave without piercing it and set it to cook for ten minutes.
Once the timer on the microwave pings, turn over the root vegetable and then cook it for a further ten minutes.
When finished, leave it to cool before scooping out the now soft centre and add your desired amount of butter and seasoning