General Chat

Morning all,

Quite bright this morning but it has been raining too pc is saying high winds today and
9 degrees.

Not sure what I am doing today so will see how the day pans out.

Hope you all slept well and that Mandy and oh are on the mend by now.

O dear Vera what a mess to have to clean away and I hate the smell of thinners. When I was looking for some varnish for my miniatures they all seemed to use thinners to clean the brushes so I kept clear of those. You can't get the watercolour varnish I used years ago which you clean the brushes out with meths which I can just about stand the smell of.

Brrr - it was a very cold night and we woke up to quite a heavy frost. It’s been a chilly day as well and now it is all drizzly with more showery rain promised for this evening..

I don’t seem to have done much today apart from cook our Sunday roast dinner. We had a huge chicken that I decided had resided in the freezer for far too long. It cooked beautifully and was very tasty but it was so big I think we’ll be eating it all week.

AnnG, I try to keep a record of what’s in the freezer in the garage. I don’t bother with the one in the kitchen as I’m going to that all the time and can see what’s there but I have an exercise book for the outside freezer and mark what goes in and out. So why, when I occasionally do a ‘stock take’ does my book never tally with what’s there? I know OH sometimes forgets to tell me if he takes something out, which doesn’t help.

This business of forgetting to tell me something nearly led to murder being committed yesterday. I went into the garage to find my Christmas wrapping paper, climbed on the steps and found it sealed in a black bin liner on top of some cupboards, so I climbed down and plonked it on the white painted work bench while I put the steps away. Picked up the package and found it, and now my hands, covered in white paint. I had to carry it in and drop it across the sink and draining board in the utility, so splodging them with paint, and try and cut away the messy bin liner without getting paint on the wrapping paper inside. Dear OH had a tiny bit of paint left from a job he had been doing so repainted the bench and forgot to mention it!!! I had to clean the sink, draining board and me with cellulose thinners so the uti stank and I washed my hands so many times to get rid of the smell it’s a wonder I have any skin left. I did make my feelings known to OH and he has been ultra nice to me since then, lol.

Both my kids have phoned today and I’ve had a nice chat with them which always cheers me up. I also had a couple of glasses of wine with my roast chicken so I feel quite mellow :-) :-). I’m now going to try and write a few more cards. Have a good evening and stay warm.

raining here now. I have done a bit of admin on here, answering emails etc. And I have also done the stock check on the freezer. and bagged up a few things for the food waste bin that seemed too old to eat. Present wrapping this afternoon.

Been writing my cards.

Morning Ann and all,

No frost this morning either and the sun is trying its hardest to shine so its quite bright.
7 degrees here today and pc says partly sunny.

I may do a bit more washing today and some ironing and then go in the garden if it stays dry and start cutting down the budlia.

Good morning all. not light enough to see what the weather is doing yet but it is not frosty it is 1 degree. Some of the frost yesterday didn't melt even though it was sunny so was obviously very cold.
No plans at all for today except I should really do a stock take on the freezer. Although I try and keep running lists on the drawers, things do get missed so it becomes a bit of a lucky dip and needs sorting.
Mel lets hope for some good dry weather then so you van get your grass cut and I can get stuff transferred back to the shed from the garage. Because it has been so damp lately the grass and soil down to the shed is mucky so I don't want to be training back and forth with things especially the mower.

Vera you got a few things done yesterday. Hope you enjoyed your casserole. Looks like that repotting is quite a heavy job which presumably needs two of you. Careful you don't hurt your back.

Mandy hope you and Colin have continued to improve and are beginning to feel better.

Hope you enjoyed your casserole Vera.

BIL came today and took the mower box off and the cutting gear so I can now tow the big trailer with it as the old mowers steering has gone all stiff. Now I can cut down the budlia and other big shrub on the west wall and he will empty it for me next week. Now I just need some dry weather to be able to do it.

It's been a bright, sunny, crisp day but sooo cold. We had to go out this morning and although I was well wrapped up I developed a really painful headache from having to head into an icy wind. It has eased up now. The iPad is telling me that currently it is 4 degrees but feels like 1 degree because of the wind from the north.

Seeing the swans flying must have been lovely AnnG and it's good that Gwyn has seen her swans around. I hope they have a better breeding year in 2024. As far as I could tell ours successfully raised 5 of the 7 cygnets that hatched. I haven't been to the river recently to see if ours are still around but they sometimes move further along the river in winter.

OH decided that my 2 blueberry plants need repotting and they like the soil to be on the acid side so we bought 4 big bags of ericaceous compost while we were out. The plants are years old (around 20 years perhaps) and are already in my biggest pots so they will have to go back into the same pots. I top the compost up each year but they could do with a more thorough overhaul.

I got some more cards written and typed letters to go in 2 of them but I am not even half way there yet. I posted son's birthday card today, a week before his birthday, but the way things are going it might be there by Monday. I haven't posted any Christmas cards yet.

I bought one more Christmas present while I was out and I am now going to order another one I have seen online. Then I need to climb up in the garage and see if I can find wrapping paper on top of one of the tall cupboards. I am sure we had quite a bit left but I can't find it indoors anywhere. I need to wrap some presents for grandson to take back to Yorkshire next weekend.

Just seen the time and it's later than I thought. I want to get a casserole in the oven so it gets time to cook slowly before we want to eat tonight so I'd better get my skates on.

Keep warm everyone.

You are welcome Mel.

Anng thanks for your lovely card which arrived today.

That would be nice Gwyn after the disarster of this year. I have my little skinny deer in the orchard this mroning. Its been coming in with no mum for ages and dos'nt run off when I go out there. It just looks as if its not that right if you know what I mean but I think it feels safe in here and it eats the leaves that have fallen off the apple trees as you see them disappearing into it mouth as it munches them. There's not much in the way of apples left now so its good it eats the leaves and there's still some on a few trees.

Tha would be nice Gwyn after the disarster of thhyear. Yvn thouug's i have t oe dee'ntom in lo

Blast

I think our south east corner must be a bit warmer.
I fully expected to see frost this morning, but there was none. The sun is shining strongly, but it is probably quite nippy out there.
Yesterday was lovely and bright but breezy, so I wrapped up warmly and went for a walk with a friend. Still quite a few trees holding onto their autumn leaves, so it was quite colourful.

Ann, How lovely to see the swans flying like that. I see ducks locally, but not swans flying.... quite a sight.
I saw what I think are 'our' swans, when I was out yesterday.There were just the 2 of them together on the water's edge. I do hope they have better luck raising a family next spring.

Saw a beautiful site about half eight. Looked out of my kitchen window and saw flying in formation against a clear blue sky, five beautiful swans. heading south. What a lovely way to start the day.

Morning Anng and all,

The frost here arrived quite early last night as my car roof was alll white at 9.30 and it looked as though it had been there a while then. It now sunny and the temp is 1 degree with a clear blue sky. where the sun has reached across the garden there are patches of green and white.

Just the shop to do today and I expect BIL will be hedre today after a morning over Exmoor with his camera.

Woke late again this morning so I better get on.

good morning all, half an hour ago it was -3 here but it is now -1 so that is an improvement. There was a hard frost last night, the first real frost of this autumn.

Not sure what time they will arrive with the shed but I am up and dressed ready. also have a load in the ash which is a good start to the day, thought it might as well go in early.

It doesn’t make sense that all your cards were posted together and it seems the further away you are the quicker it got there. My sister in Hampshire has also received hers. I really thought they would take up to a week to arrive.

Vera I paid £2.20 for a card to Iceland as well.

The was a good idea for your son’s birthday.. I rarely had a problem buying presents for T connected to golf.

You have been busy crafting Mel. Have you seen my post on tax. And the need to keep accounts of your craft selling.?

Good job you were able to keep out of the way of that tractor.

Vera I have tried to keep on top of the garden by popping out for short periods to cut things back. Spent 45 minutes this afternoon giving the Rosemary a hair cut and cutting down a large Secum. Also cut back a jasmine that has been out of control. And, as usual loads of Ivy.

Ii would have thought I was nearer to you than Mandy and I have not had any post today.

Mandy I hope you both continue to get better now and don't feel quite as tired thats right stay in the warm.

Did a load of hand washing this morning and spun it in the machine and that seems to work ok but the only thing is I can't possibley wash my bedding by hand. It dried well on the line as there was a good breeze and the sunshine so I brought it in about 3pm and hung it on the airer in the uti room to finish off.

Went and picked up my codine patches this afternoon and nearly got pushed off the road by a huge tractor and trailer. They go so fast on these narrow rural roads.

Done some casting and a little bit of painting of wooden things today. Made a round board for a pork pie and painted a bucket brown and I will put a string handle on it and some metal staps. Then I dirtied up a rather clean looking basket to make it look old.

Shot a squirrel this morning first thing so that should be another one that won't be eating the bark off Ralph's tree.

Just had a hot cross bun and a mug of hot cocoa......mmmmmmm nice. I don't like hot chocolate as its too sweet for me but cocoa is just right.

I alos put a big stew on this morning so that will be ready for tonight or tomorrow and a few for the freezer. I just have to add the butter beans and pearl barley which I cook seperately as it stick to my pan otherwise. Not the beans they will go in.

Had a bid on one of my things on Ebay today too so thats good but it means a journey to Holsworthy as the post van man is on holiday for a week.

Think I have bored you enough now.

Thank you for my card AnnG. Like Mandy's, mine arrived today as well. It's good to get it early but Royal Mail makes no sense at all lately. Something sent 2nd class from a distance arrives the next day but something we sent 15 miles by 1st class post took a week to reach its destination. You've been busy with the garden again. We still need to get more done outside but whenever we have time to do anything it seems to be raining.

There's been a strong, bitterly cold wind today and the temperature hasn't got very high at all. At the moment it's about 5 degrees. The wind has blown the leaves all over the place again.

First thing this morning I sorted out a birthday present for our son whose birthday is coming up in a week's time. I couldn't think what to get him, then remembered he's been playing a lot of golf lately with his 2 stepsons and his nephew (our grandson, the new Dad). So I took out a 6 month subscription to Golf Monthly for him.

Then we went into town again. First it was to the post office to send cards to Australia. It's a good job we only post things to them once a year as it was £2.20 postage for each one. After that we went to a shop that specialises in upholstery and renovating sofas etc. They are only open on Fridays and Saturday mornings, otherwise you have to make an appointment. I wanted new seat cushions for my 6 Ercol dining chairs. The original foam cushions are now about 30 years old and have completely disintegrated inside their covers. I have a spare set of covers so took one of these in and asked if they could make cushions to fit and they can. It's not particularly cheap but it would be a great deal more expensive to buy a whole new dining suite. They said to take in the other 5 covers and they will make the foam seats, cover them and fit them inside my nice covers so they will look professional.

Next OH wanted something from a large builders' merchants out of town so we went there. By the time he had got what he wanted it was 12.30 and we weren't many miles from Long Melford so I suggested that, instead of going home, we had lunch there. There are plenty of pubs and eateries so we chose one and had a nice meal, both clearing our plates. A main course, a glass of wine and a coffee went down very nicely and I'm pleased as I haven't got to cook tonight.

Our friend with Covid is still not very well. She tested positive 8 or 9 days ago and we thought her husband may have escaped it but he tested positive yesterday. This is an extra worry for her as he is very vulnerable. He already has a portable oxygen tank that he has to use when they go out and he needs to walk at all but he is usually OK without it indoors. When I texted this morning to see how they were he was using his oxygen supply just sitting in a chair indoors. It is concerning but she will ring either 111 or the surgery for help if he gets any worse.

I'm going online now to try and get ideas for a few more Xmas presents as I still have a lot to get. I was going to write some more cards but my hands are a bit shaky tonight so I'll do those in the morning when I am less tired.