General Chat

You have a lovely display of Snowdrops Mel, so pretty in those drifts.

So no change then with T AnnG. I'm glad he got his oranges. Getting them would have been a nice surprise and treat. I'm glad your arm has been ok, but it's good you aren't doing long stints in the garden to set it off. Your easel cards are really nice and quite unusual.

Well done with your masks Mandy, they seem to go like hot apple cakes .I bet you didn't save me a slice! lol. It is very thoughtful of you to make them and people seem to really appreciate it. I'm glad you liked the crocus picture, I think it's grown on me a bit too now. Yes they do show photos people send in on Love your Weekend don't they. We would have a nice view from the window now as OH has just fetched me to see the snow! There's enough to over the ground properly but I expect it will be gone by morning.

Everyones geting snow but we only get sleet and hail.

Glad you all liked the snowdrops I thought they may cheer you all up to let you know that spring is just around the corner. My pink hellibore is blooming too but the flowers have been damaged by the hail and wind and I had'nt cut the old leaves off.

Ann I meant to ask you if you planted those wild garlic bulbs I sent and did you sow the seed? In the ground I hope as they don't do well in pots. They will spread though so keep them confined if you can.

Good morning all. Thick fog out there, a hard frost and 0 degrees, will be no gardening today if that doesn't lift.

Vera I am careful not to overdo things in the garden which is frustrating as I can see what needs doing but some of the things are higher than I can easily reach. I know I have to watch my back, shoulder and arm as there is only me to look after me now.
The only treatment, as far as we know, that T is receiving is a morphine patch for the back pain which does seem to work. He still has a catheter because of the UTI so there may well be something for that, although I doubt it; the reason he has the patch is because he refuses to take tablets because of his swallowing problem.

I think it is best to keep wiping down. I have read several times lately that it is sensible, all the stuff delivered is taken from a shop, people are still using the shop and, no matter what they are told, some of them can't resist taking things up to look at them and putting them back on the shelf. I can understand that too as, if the shops always kept the stock in order so that older dates didn't get left on the shelf (with fresh good), people wouldn't have to pick things over so as to get an older sate if wanted. Not everyone want meat that has today's date on.

Annx As he is not getting treatment or physio we expect that no change means no change for the worst. So we are grateful that he is being kept comfortable. And, as UTI can make people confused, when they say he is settled I take it to mean he is not agitated or confused. I hope he was able to eat his oranges but I know that he will have been pleased to get them.

Mel we have not had any real snow, a light dusting one day but that soon turned to rain.

Yes your snowdrops are very pretty, a real tonic to see that spring is around the corner. We have a couple of Helebores out, a pink one and a white one and another white one in bud. We don't seem to have so many this year, I think T must have dug some up.

Morning Anng and all,

Very frosty morning here too Anng and its 1 degree out there and there garden patterns all over the car windows. Iv'e taken a pic.

I have to go up for the paper and our scripts today so shall have to run the car for a while to defrost it thats if the battery will start it in this icy weather. As you al know only these short journeys don't hel;p to charge the battery and mines been just hanging on in there as it only does 4 miles a week thats to the shop and back.

Just had the car insurance in and its gone up again and I now have a £20 set up charge on it too.

The chickens water will want defrosting this morning and the bird bath.

I still wipe everything down and shall do for a long while. Any carrier bags I get from Asda go in the plastic boxes till the next week when they go in the cupboard. I don't get many now just for the milk and frozen food.

Its good to know T is comfortable and the patches seem to help him a lot.

Just seen a fox run down the close. We have seen a lot at night but that is the first time I have seen one at 10 in the morning in daylight. It actually looked scared as it ran first one way then the other, Quite a young clean looking one.

Good morning to you all,

We are both well, Simon my son, has COVID. Sally his wife and Nathan her brother are both Para medics, so could have bought it in on the cloths. All three are now in LOCKDOWN for 10/14 days. Conrad and Jan are fine in Devon, as is Harvey, Julia and Lewis in Toddington.

Against my concerns, Ros has gone to get the weekend Veg and odds and sods. I said we would be able to get by, without her having to go out. She does take extreme care and uses TWO FACE COVERINGS as well as a PLASTIC SHIELD, over her face.

Please take extreme care folks, if you are out. Will try to get back later. xxxx

Morning all,

We have snow ,when I woke about two o'clock every where was white and it was like day light out with all the snow this morning lot had gone .

We just went to get some eggs from the farm shop nobody there so soon got the eggs in and out and back home.

When we went to bed last night I couldn't settle my knee was aching so I got out and put some cream on it ,went to get back in bed and then saw these bright lights out side ....it was only a morrisons van delivering at quarter past eleven, that was a late delivery .

Oh Frank hope your son soon feels better ,I wondered if Conrad had gone back to Spain ,did he go back after Christmas .

AnnG fancy seeing a fox in day light ,I've seen one go down the road in the night here but never in the day .

Just had a word with son they are all fine ,he told me DIL had her jab yesterday its because she works in the doctors that she got hers early .

O Frank poor Simon, sally and Nathan I hope they are all ok and don't get it too badly.

All the frost has gone now and the suns shining well.

So you have seen a fox Anng. We've had one deer int he garden this morning and oh thinks its a young stag as its on its own.

Last night while he was out havcing a ciggy he asked for the torch. I gave it to him and when I went out there there was screams coming from over the back field. We think it could have been otters.

Frank, at least Ros is taking all the precautions so hopefully she will stay safe. sorry to hear your son has covid, must be difficult if his wife is a paramedic to keep their clothes germ free. Although I think if they are collecting known covid patients they will wear PPE, it is those who don't know they have it that could cause a problem for them. Pleased that the rest of the family are safe.

Mandy yes quite unusal to see a fox in daylight, although I know they are getting more adventurous.
Good that DiL has had her jab working in the surgery is a risk so that is good news.

Brilliant sunshine here at the moment still only 2 degrees so very cold but it looks good.

Morning All,

Bright , dry and frosty here, but no more snow. I slept well and no dreams! Glad I didn't have one like our Mandy's! Her's sounded like it was a bit of frustration coming out about careless shoppers!

We are having ready meals today, mine a WW chicken and leek and OH Toad in the Hole, with added frozen peas and frozen carrot and swede mash. OH is in charge of the oven. lol

My watercolour pads and OH's diaries are due for delivery in the next half hour, although I think they may be a bit late today with the snow. The Works are very quick sending things. Oooops he's here and within time.....OH has gone to the door.

I still wipe everything and will carry on for the foreseeable till more is understood about the new variants and vaccines. It is still early days. If I was going in shops in normal times I would be picking some things up to look at labels to check fat and sugar content and calories and I expect some still do now and I bet not everyone sanitises their hands.

Mel I put the garlic bulbs in pots, but the bit of foliage and root had dried out by the time they arrived. I thought they might still thrive but they didn't. I planted the seeds in the back of the border where it doesn't get disturbed , but I haven't noticed any fine baby shoots. Maybe they will still grow though once the weather is warmer in the Spring.

We have a small patch of Aconites too Vera. I must go and see if they have appeared. I think they are double flowers and are so bright as you say. One plant appeared in the middle beds so I'm not sure if a bird or mouse dropped a seed there from the others. My friend who's husband passed away almost a year ago had a very simple ceremony with few people and everyone socially distanced. She is hoping to hold a celebration of his life at some point. It's very difficult with funerals at the moment.

Fancy you seeing a Fox AnnG and a youngish one at that! Maybe he was out in the day because he was hungry.

Better dish up now!

Hope you enjoyed your ready meals Ann. Fish pieces and chips for me tonight. I had better check my Tesco list to see if anything is missing as I have a delivery tomorrow.

I think the fox must have stayed out too long and got a bit lost, he headed back the way he had come which would take him to the golf course.

Mandy thanks for the photo, That is very clever, is it knitted or crochet I couldn't quite see. I thought it was knitted.

It's crochet AnnG you make four strips then plait them and crochet over the ends and add a couple of buttons , I'm going to make the next one a bit longer as that one will only be big enough for Lacey.

We're having some chicken strips in a wrap with some salad .

All the snow has gone now but it's really cold not far off freezing .

Suuns still out here but its bitter out there so I had to wear my big thick coat to go up the shop.

Well what a pretty ear warmer Mandy Lacey is going to love that. Did you say you make four strips and plait them????? Could you not do the plait and then twist it like the ones you made before? I do like the little buttons though.

We mostly see our foxes in the day time and if its been a really hard frost and sunny day afterward they lay in the sun which shines through the top arch.

Ann those bulbs should have been ok as they were dying back when I sent them so they should start growing this year. Their season was over when I sent them. Hopefully the seed will come up but ours is'nt showing anywhere yet it was just I thought of it.

Not a lot happening here, I have been reading a new book and Ros is reading one of her Magazines. We have decided on a Chinese tonight, so will phone in the order later and go and collect.

I see there is football match on BBC later, so might well sit in the conservatory and watch it. That will leave Ros to watch what she likes.

No news from any of the family, so assume all are good. Stay safe. xxxx

Enjoy your Frank.

Just corned the chickens and its bitter out there. Had a look at my special snowdrops from down the church and some of them are ordinary ones but I have at leasdt 5 or 6 of the broad leaf ones.

What a lovely texture the pattern gives the ear warmer Mandy and a pretty colour too! I bet she will love it. Thanks for sending a pic!

We had some more snow, but it has stopped now and is melting fast.

I'm still hopeful the garlic will come up Mel. It's always the same isn't it. In the wild things survive any hardship, but when you try to grow them it's another matter!

It's good to know you are ok Frank. Enjoy your book and your takeaway.

I'd better sketch out the picture for Monday's class now. Some couldn't keep up last week so she has sent us a picture to sketch roughly before the class to save time. It doesn't get any easier, Daffodils on a bank!

Mandy, as I said in the email, I love it, very attractive.

Frank enjoy your Chinese meal. You wouldn’t want to sit out in our conservatory, it is glass and not heated.

Annx As I said in the email I love walking by canals that is a very attractive picture, I could walk there.
She is pushing you hard, I am not surprised some can’t keep up. But you do have to spend a lot of your own time on projects don’t you. You seem to be learning a lot anywatpy. Are the dads separate or a large mass

That's good the 'special' Snowdrops were still there Mel. OH went out to the bin just now and said it is bittter too. He said my windscreen is frozen solid! Brrrr.

Yes she does push us hard AnnG, but I tend to procrastinate, so it's been good for me to to have to make quick decisions in some ways. She is quite laid back though, it is up to us whether we show her what we've done, so you could just sit and watch the lesson and have a go afterwards if you wanted. I think your last sentence was asking if the courses were different days?? The answer is yes, one is on Monday afternoon and the landscape one is on Wednesday mornings.

I put that it was the Rochford Canal on my email, but should have put Rochdale. It is a canal I really would like to have walked along. In it's 32 mile length it had 92 locks originally but they merged 2, so it has 91 locks now. Imagine how slow that 32 miles would be!! Still, when it was built the horses would have welcomed having lots of rests!

I have the washer on now, have dusted and tidied the bedrooms and baked a victoria sponge to use some eggs, so that is cooling to sandwich together. I left doing my drawing till tomorrow, as I thought it was Sunday today earlier.

I must do a more thorough check of the use by dates on the cauli cheese in future. Neither of us can read the date on the one I put in the fridge, I've even tried taking a photo and blowing it up, but it is just 2 black squares where the number should be. :-S
Mandy had you seen they are looking to introduce white tailed Eagles in Norfolk? It's to keep the numbers of rabbits and Canada Geese down. They are huge, with an 8ft wingspan!

Good morning and we have snow, a fair amount from looking out from upstairs so i am wondering if my Tesco delivery will be cancelled. Oh well I won't starve, probably wouldn't affect me too much at all.

I slept Ok until about 0430, then it was just cat naps, seem to have got into the habit of these short sleeps.

Ann That canal would be an interesting walk. I am wondering if it was one of the canals that has featured on canal journeys on TV. The one with Prunella Scales and ? West.

what it is to have a four year old when it snows. 0825 and little Georgie and her Mum opposite are out in the front of their house making a little snowman. :-D