General Chat

Just come in from the garden and read your posts and see I missed Mandy's post this morning as it must have jumped in as I was typing. Now I would put a ;little note on your table mandy saying that there is a cctv on the table so you know who has been and who has paid. Thank you. That could put a lot of people off from helping themselves. Also put a label on your money tin saying HONEST BOX. I hope you can catch her when she comes past again. When I had the barrow out when we did veg there was always things missing and once I had £24 worth of homemade jams and chutneys pinched and I was in Les's cottage at the time right by the barrow.

BIL called in just before I went to the shop this morning bring me two cans of diesel and 4 boxes of fat balls so now I have 200 fat balls to get through that should last most of the winter. Paid for the fat balls but not the diesel as I had'nt enough money in the house.

After the shop I got home just before 1pm and went out in the garden to start scraping the left hand side of the road. I came in at alsomst 6pm. All I have had today so far is a milky coffee when I got up and a big glass of water to take mym pill and about 20 blackberries off the vones growing through the Rhodo in the west lawn. Now I am ready for a nice BIG salad tonight as sI bought some of the lovely ham at the shop and I have home grown cue tom, a big one, cheese coleslaw lettuce, beetroot and a slice of new granary bread to mop up with. Luverly.....

Afternoon All,

A nice, sunny day here and I expected to hear and see old planes fly across to the airshow and re-enactment at the Yarn Bomb village this afternoon. It's good to see the old planes airborne, but not one has flown over, so perhaps it will just be tomorrow now unless they have cut back on the cost this year. All the lanes nearby have cones along them now to stop people parking and getting a free view and for few years now they have grown the hedges around the farm tall, put up taller metal farmgates and covered them in green plastic to stop anyone seeing in. I remember young boys from the village used to get a free view through the gates. People will be climbing Croft Hill where the quarry is to get the best free view of the planes in the air though.

Oh Mandy, that's awful to have your lovely makes just taken like that without paying for them. With the lady having bought bits before it's not as if she didn't know to pay. I hope you catch her soon and ask if she forgot to pay. It's a good job you have the camera. When I told OH he said we need to get one!

That's good you went out with friends for lunch AnnG. Hopefully you may sleep better tonight after all the chatting. OH wore me out yesterday when he chatted all the way to lunch at the carvery (17 miles) and then all the way back. He laughed when I told him there was no chance to have a thought of my own! lol. Still I'm lucky he still wants to chat to me, as some men are almost silent.

Gwyn I was saying to OH that it's a good job he's retired from his main job if this govt bring in pay per mile, as he would do as much as 29,000 miles or thereabouts with football plus work some years. He says if that happens, he will ditch some of the schools that are furthest for him to travel to. I think a lot of business meetings may go online with Zoom or Teams if that happens. I used to go blackberry picking with my mother too and she would make crumbles or pies with apple added and I loved them. We also used to go mushrooming too and she taught me how to check the smell. She also picked a fungus called blue legs I think, but I have never since risked picking and eating any, just in case!

It sounds like the show was good Vera and I hope you find some 'Fireworks' online! I looked at some at a garden centre this week and they do look impressive in white and purple.

Well I have spot weeded an invasive cloverlike weed with tiny yellow star flowers that has invaded our front and back garden from nextdoor. (It's Wood Sorrel)and hard to get rid of and fires it's seeds up to 16 feet as well as having creepers!) I only managed the front garden today before my back shouted and did under OH's car while he was out, the driveway, gravel and even some on the edge of the road. I also washed the shower curtain, did the food order for tomorrow and forwarded a load of spam emails.

Oh Mandy, that was mean of that lady, or do you think she just had a senior moment and simply forgot to put her money in the box? We all have those daft moments don’t we and you can understand something like that, but it’s awful to think someone feels it’s OK to just help themselves.

I’m pleased your lunch went well AnnG. As Gwyn says any scars or bruising are probably far more noticeable to you than to other people.

As I said in my email to Gwyn, the photo search feature her daughter told me about won’t work on my phone. It is a smart phone but very old so it now only receives bug fixing updates. However I had a photo of that plant on my iPad so wondered if the photo search would work on there and it does :-). It operates very quickly I can either take a photo of whatever I am looking at with the Google camera thingie that comes up onscreen or I can upload something I’ve already got on file. I did that and the system came up straightaway with Phygelius. I expect the rest of you know about this picture search but I am delighted to have learnt something new, thanks to Gwyn’s daughter.

The week’s holiday we booked a couple of months ago has suddenly rushed up on me and we go in a few days time so today I have cleared all the washing that was hanging around and sorted through our clothes to decide what we are taking. I also had a Tesco delivery so I can come back to fully stocked cupboards and freezer The driver came 40 minutes early and there was nothing missing and no subs.

It’s not been a very nice day. It’s been warm but hasn’t felt very hot as it has been so windy. Even OH remarked on the way the rotary clothes line was whizzing round. The washing dried well, lol. It’s also been grey and overcast all day, not a sign of the sun. I’m glad my trip out was yesterday and not today.

I’m going to be lazy tonight and have a ready meal from that nice Mr Tesco. I’m off now to make a couple of phone calls. Enjoy the rest of your day.

Temp is supposed to be 20 degrees but it doesn't feel like it. It is grey we have had no sun all day and it is a bit misty.

I remember Gwyn blackberry picking when young, it would always be hard to find places where others were not picking. Very few people do it these days.

I have olbas oil by my bed and use that but the best help it to rub Vic on my throat.

Afternoon all. It's got quite blustery here, but is dry after a dull and damp start.

Glad you were able to help Vera to identify her plant. Daughter uses a feature on her smart phone, which does a photo check online.Vera, your garden visit sounds really interesting and enjoyable.

Hopefully your nose will clear, as time goes on and the tissues settle after your op. Ann.
When I'd had facial surgery, at the check-up they asked about any numbness and got me to smile broadly, so they could see how everything was healing correctly.
It must be a nuisance in the night, but it seems you are doing what you can to help the situation. Would it help to have Olbas Oil or menthol crystals in hot water in a bowl in your bedroom to release vapours, while you sleep?
I think you will be more aware of your scar,than people you might meet. I hope you enjoy your outing,when you go out

What a shame that someone took your craft work without paying Mandy. It seems strange if she has paid in the past, so must know the set up. I hope you are able to get the money owed to you soon. It will be good for her and others to know that you have a camera checking.
I love a homemade Lasagne and like you haven't made one for a while, so may be that's something to add to our menu soon.
When the children were younger and all at home, they often asked if I would make moussaka. I often did, but it seemed to take ages, what with one pot with the main meat mixture, another pan cooking courgettes ( as an alternative to aubergine layer) and yet another pan to cook the topping sauce layer.
It was all gone in minutes, after an afternoon's work :-0

Annx your OH certainly has put the miles in over the years following his interest in football. He could do a lot worse and I always think it's a healthy mix to have some separate interests. You have shared time too, so that sounds good to me.

Mel, I hope the weather is right for you doing more of your tidying outside.Don't forget to eat and drink, when you are so busy. You certainly have a lot of ground to care for, so it's great that brother-in-law comes so often to help you out. It would be
hard to manage everything without him.

Picked some blackberries for daughter yesterday and I might go out and pick some to give to our son, as we are seeing him later. It won't take long to pick more for ourselves later in the week, when I've got some apples to go with them in a crumble. Not many people bother to pick them round here, but growing up with a country-bred Mum near open land, it's in-built for me to go blackberrying, at this time of year ;-)

Just got in. 7 of us for lunch so an awful lot of chatting. I feel quite exhausted, not spoken to anyone except a couple of friends for an hour or so and Cynth on the doorstep for almost 2 weeks. Nice light lunch. I had smoked ham and cheese panini and rhubarb and ginger crumble and ice cream. The rhubarb was really sharp.

I make sure I bring the board in late afternoon and I empty the tin which I attach to the board with a reusable twist tie .

Clouded up here now and the wind seems to have got up a bit which helped to dry the washing .

I made a lasagne for tonight and there will be enough for tomorrow too we haven't had ones for ages .

Mandy that was not good. Make sure you empty the tin regularly. I hope that you can catch the lady. Perhaps say she could always knock the door another time if she doesn't have change to pay.

Mel, no the reason I was waking is because my nose is so blocked even when on three pillows, I have to stay up until it has cleared. I thinit may always be like it now because of the narrowing of the nostril on that side.

Morning all,

Per haps the day out was on your mind and thats why you had a broken nights sleep Ann. Hope you get on ok and have a nice time at Wallsworth Hall.

Its 14 degrees here and pc says sunny so perhaps we are in for another lovely day like yesterday. I will have another go at my road edges today and sweep up the weeds I strimmed down yesterday and have a bit of ascrape and see if it looks any better.

Iv'e got a couple of red roases out on the wall and lovely Rudbeccia daisy's and Helleniuims out on the border and a pink Phlox and yellow evening primrose that the deer has'nt eaten yet and the ice plants are coming into flower which the bees love.

Morning all,
Bright morning here with sunshine and should be another nice warm day .

Vera I saw a bit of the show you went to on the local news last night so uou never know you might have been on there in the background, they were talking to Adam Frost.

Anng enjoy your lunch out today perhaps you could find a table so you could sit with your back to people although you shouldn't have to but people do stare they did when I was all bruised from my fall that time.

I had my board out yesterday with a few bits on to sell and a lady on a mobility scooter helped herself to one of the little rabbits a little elephant and a Teddy face and didn't put any money in the tin ,she has had a few bits from me before and has always paid so next time I see her I'm going to ask her if she's going to pay for the bits she took ,I know for certain she didn't as I checked on the camera to see who had bought the rabbit when I saw it had gone ,everyone has been honest and paid one lovely couple even put extra in as they said I wasn't charging enough .
I was charging 5 pounds for a rabbit so with the other two bits that wax 6 pound fifty pence she had , she comes up the road every week so I'll catch her one day ,knocked me a bit thinking someone would do that ,if someone said I can't afford it I'd willingly give them something but to openly steal ,well .
I did leave the board out incase she didn't have change and was going to put it in the tin on her way home ,I made sure i took the other rabbit off the board in case she took that on her way home, sorry rant over :-(

Good morning all. strange night's sleep last night, 2 hours then awake for a while back to sleep, awake at four, couldn't get back to sleep so up and walk around and sit in my 'office' and look at the computer for almost an hour, back to bed at 5am and sleep until about 7.

Glad you found the name of the plant Vera, it is attractive. And the garden show you visited sounded a lovely day out. A smaller version of the large garden shows like Malvern.

I am being picked up for lunch at 12.30. Going to Wallsworth Hall (Nature in Art), for lunch as a pre birthday celebration for a friend. Not sure of the age but could be 80. She has also just completed RT the final treatment for the breast cancer she had so it has been a not very nice year for her. She persuaded me that I can go. Just hope people don't stare too much.

Not sure what to do with myself until then though. Sure to find something.

I'm glad you managed to get your hair washed without getting the wounds wet AnnG. You probably feel better for that. You did well to get a walk as well and your legs will ache if they haven't had as much use as normal. Just don't be tempted to do too much.

What a to-do getting a bit of compensation for your internet problems Annx. Talk about getting blood from a stone! What happened to customer service? While I've been out today OH has been arguing with our car insurance company who have really hiked our premium up this year. Yes, we are pretty elderly now but we do a lot fewer miles than in the past and what is the point of insuring us for work journeys when OH has been retired since he was 63 and I left work at 65? OH did get them to drop the premium by nearly £100. We used to shop around more but new companies don't want to take you on when you reach our age so we think we had better stick with the company we've got.

I have replied to your emails about my plant. Thank you all for your ideas. As I said in my replies I am opting for Mel's suggestion of Phygelius.

I have had a very nice day at the Gardeners' World fair at Audley End. Some of the people from the TV programme were there and giving talks or doing Q & A sessions but they were mostly doing them in a marquee that was only open to subscribers of the GW magazine or members of English Heritage (Audley End is EH) so we didn't hear any of them. There was, however, loads to see with all the different plant stalls and specialist nurseries and all the peripheral garden things. There were also a few small show gardens. We certainly didn't get round to every stall, there was so much there. 3 of us went round together. I was very taken with a white and purple agapanthus called Fireworks that I want to get, There were some beautiful big specimens for sale but they were pricey. The same stall had packs of 3 small plug plants for £12 but they were quite tiny and probably wouldn't get to bloom for 3 or 4 years so I'll see what I can find online. By the time we got back to the coach to come home I was tired and my feet were aching from strolling around in the heat for a few hours.

I'm feeling a bit peckish and have just realised that all I've eaten all day is 2 ham sandwiches at 12.30 so I am going to go and find some food now.

Glad you managed to get your hair wshed without get the wound wet. It must feel nice now and you also had a walk.

It should be better roiund the shops if the children have gone back to school in your area Ann. I hate it when all the teens are about in the town when I go in. They've no manners these days and look at you as if you should'nt be there.

I have been strimming and sweeping the road each side but I am worn out now and I don't know what to get for dinner. May have a couple of boiled eggs I think and some plums and custard for sweet. How does that sound?

BIL cut all the lawns and went off about 4pm.

No sneezes today although to a certain extent they help clear my nasal passages a bit while I can’ blow my nose

That's good you managed ok without wetting the wounds AnnG. I bet it was nice to have that walk on a nice day after not going out. It's not surprising your legs were tired as they haven't been used to going out for a while, but they will soon get stronger. We ate out at the carvery for lunch yesterday and there is a long uphill slope to it from the carpark and even walking slowly I was a bit puffed by the time I got to the top as it is a while since we've been there. I hope you haven't had anymore sneezes.

Ann yes I probably could do that with a mask. However I managed to wash it over the bath without getting either wound wet so that is ok. I walked down to Irene’s with charity stuff this morning and my legs are really tired. First time out if the house except for the hospital in eleven days.

Morning All,

Sunny here and OH is out weeding the front again. He has found and dug up some more Chionodoxa bulbs with the pink flowers I like, so he hadn't thrown them all away after all! Next he'll be moving the other plants I want to keep.

Just a thought AnnG, could you use a covid mask covered with clingfilm or put the mask in a small plastic bag to wear over your nose while you wash your hair to help keep water off it?

The schools here went back on Tuesday this week. so OH has already been to two meetings. This term up till Christmas always seems busier for him.

Gwyn OH only travels a fraction of the distances he used to travel to matches now. In the past, I would often go with him before my knees got too bad, and visit NT places or garden centres, shops after dropping him off at a match and pick him up to go home afterwards. We have gone to Workington, Leigh, Scarborough, Ellesmere Port, Benendon.etc. Other times he'd take pals or they'd take him to cut the cost. He still thinks 50 miles is 'just up the road to him as before he retired from his full time job, he was based in various offices in Derby, Northampton, Luton, Stoke upon Trent and commuted every day.

I had another phone call over an hour yesterday to find out what is happening about the compensation for lack of service I was told we were due after losing our broadband a few weeks ago when they used our line to repair next door's broadband. At first they said we didn't meet their criteria for any payment, which is not what I was told at the time and would really annoy me as our neighbour got compensation from their provider for the time they lost service while they were transferred to our line. Anyway I was quite firm, explaining we never had an error and the issue was caused between them and Openreach taking our line (OH could hear and said I'd got the bit between my teeth!) and we had suffered the inconvenience as a result and should even be considered for compensation for that error as well as loss of service. Eventually the matter was escalated higher up while they discussed it and I held on. The outcome is that yes, we are due compensation for loss of service and this will be calculated in a week's time and they will also consider compensation at that time for the fact we should not even have had an issue. They also immediately sent another £20 goodwill payment. Fingers crossed it works as they have said this time.

Mel, you are more than welcome to the heat we've had here this year. I don't think you would have got so much done outside as you have in some of the temperatures the rest of us have had. I am fine with 20/21 degrees or a bit warmer if there's a breeze, but once it's above 24 degrees I wilt and am useless.

Vera I've answered your email and am envious you have my favourite Gardeners Delight toms ripening now.

Mandy your crops are all doing well too and you must have have quite a few beans, which I love.

Better make another phone call now about the front door lock yet again! I nearly got locked out the other day! I wish they'd send someone other than the grumpy one that's been before.

I'd just check that he likes anything spicey Mel.
Did you notice Doctors was back on this week Monday to Thursday.

Zzzzz I played near a river with a bog which my mum went into up to her knees and I had to run and get my dad to pull her out, everything is for health and safety now and someone might sue.

Well I cut a lot of leaves off my toms so hopefully they'll get more sun and start to ripen at last, didn't get round to hoovering and the ironings still looking at me :-D

Yes I asked him and he said he eats most things I did mention a meat pie but am now thinking a chilli and rice as thats easier and I can put some of the chilli in the freezer.

ZZzzz I think we all played in what would now be called dangerous places. We used to play and paddle in the river Roding and get leeches on our legs so always took some salt with us to get them off.

BIL is mowing and I now need to do us some lunch as he is in the front garden and I can gatch him while he's down here.