General Chat

good morning all 11 degrees here and blue sky and sun. when I got up at 0545 this morning for the loo there was a huge supermoon but it was hard to see it through windows that were already misted up on the outside so I guessed it was quite cold out there. then got back into bed and woke at 8am.

Hope you do get a good nights sleep tonight Vera. Will keep my fingers crossed for you.

Mel it could be that your towel rail is costing a lot of money if on all the time unless it has some sort of thermostat. You don’t need it on unless you need warm towels or need to dry damp ones.

Vera your lunch sounds lovely, glad that you enjoyed it.
Your poor neighbours they do suffer a lot don’t they?

With all these needles and jabs you'll soon have more holes than a colander Mel. We have our Covid and flu jabs on Saturday. I had the pneumonia one about 16 years ago but kept missing out on the shingles one as they kept changing the age at which they would give them. When our surgery finally offered me the shingles jab I was 1 day over the age limit so they wouldn't do it. I have had shingles but luckily it was caught early so I could have the anti-viral drugs and so I had a comparatively mild dose.

We had a very nice birthday lunch The pub we went to is in a beautiful position with lovely views and they had given us a round table in a private dining room. There were 9 of us today. The table was beautifully laid with linen napkins and lovely glassware. I suspect the owners expected us all to have 3 course meals with wine and coffee. In fact, we usually just have a main course and a drink if wanted and then go back to the birthday girl's house for dessert or cake afterwards. I had a very tasty chicken supreme with hasselback potatoes, creamed leeks and tenderstem broccoli with some sort of crunchy almond mixture sprinkled over it. It was lovely. I also went mad and had half of bitter shandy.

Afterwards at the birthday girl's house she put out a bowl of tinned peaches and a bowl of stewed fruits with a jug of cream and 2 flavours of ice cream, plus tea or coffee.

I nearly didn't go as I had a very bad head last night and wasn't too good this morning but I'm glad I did as it was a really nice afternoon. My "chauffeur" dropped me back home just before 5 pm.

When I got back OH told me our next door neighbour had knocked early afternoon to tell us her husband was taken into hospital again this morning.and had already had another blood transfusion. She doesn't drive which means she has to pay for an expensive taxi if she wants to see her husband so we help by taking her to the hospital sometimes, but of course we are carless at the moment. OH told her that we are happy to help in any other way that we can and I texted her to say much the same. I feel so sorry for them. Husband is in and out of hospital and wife also has to go in for a couple of nights every so often. They are both only children, so no nieces or nephews, and they were never blessed with children themselves so they have no family, just a few friends. It makes me realise how fortunate we are.

I haven't used much energy today but I am yawning away and feel really tired, so I am hoping for a good night's sleep. I hope you all have a good night too.

My towel rail is on all the time and I never thought to turn that off!!

I have filled the oven with dinner and some sausge rolls and I have apples on with brimbles for a crumble.

I don’t have a heater at all in my bathroom, if it is really cold I can put the towel rail on but I try to avoid that.

O and the bathroom heater would'nt turn on this morning so thats another thing to get fixed. :-( :-( :-(

Sorry about that first post I had to rush to the loo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Had more needles put in today and it felt like a lot more but she did put some in where I tod her it all seemed to be coming from and she said that was where two muscles cross over each other. I have another appointment for Monday an appointment for the shingles jab on the 11th and one on the 23rd for a Pneumonia one as I asked her if I had had one and she looked through my records and said no. I should have had that when oh was alive.

The deer have eaten off all the flowers on my kafia lillies and I thought they looked so nice on the rockery bit by the box hedge. There is only one flowering today so I went and looked and all the buds have gone. They ususally last a long while and in water too if I pick them as new flowers keep coming out but they won't this year.

I have had four deer coming in the garden and there's not many fallen apples for them this year as I think a frost got most of the blossom.

Not done a thing today only fed the chickens and fish and been out and then Jonathon rang me from up the top to ask if I knew where Les's meter was as he had been asked to read it and which one was mine. I told him mine is painted blue and he said he had taken a reading from that one but he could'nt find Les's. The estate agent had asked him to do it. The bungalow needs a lot of decorating and it has a kitchen lounge two bedrooms and a bath shower and loo. Wish I had the money to buy it and do it up as its only £210,000 and theres a good bit of garden.

Back from the docs at 1.23pm been in there just over an hour. More needles and another appointment and two more appointments for pneu jab and two weeks later schingles jab. I feel like a pin cusion......... :-(

Morning all,

The sky today is such a funny colour, its cloudy but the sky has a yellow glow to it ,I think it should be dry with the odd sunny spells, I haven't got going yet I feel quite lazy with no go in me.

Mel your email you sent first thing had nothing on it .
Did you have any damage with all the wind .

That will be good if you can get the car back sooner Vera ,enjoy the birthday lunch today .

Sounds as if you enjoyed the brunch Anng and you got some nice goodies to eat too .
Hope you manage to get to the hairdresser and back in the dry .

Well I suppose I better get myself into gear and get some jobs done.

Sorry about that I had to go.

Dull and dreary this morning but the wind has gone it 13 degrees and miserable.

Lots to do today so I better get on.

I'm pleased someone had a good day yesterday and that Anng did'nt get the storm force winds like we did.

Morning

Good morning all grey here but very still and 12 degrees. I think storm Agnes may have bypassed us. Hope so anyway. Hair appointment 12.30 so hoping it doesn't rain.

Brunch and a good long chat went very pleasantly and a few things bought in the lovely farm shop. Although I am sure many people were just passing through on the motorway, I am sure that many were there just for a coffee and a chance to buy the lovely meat, cheese and cakes and pies. Hard to even remember we were in a motorway service station. Of course stuff was dearer but so it normally is in farm shops. I bought some very nice looking Gloucester sausages, yoghurt and a large Hog roll. (the latter for lunch today.) I also bought a few bits for Christmas presents.

You've got a good memory Mandy. We had forgotten about the car workshop people ringing until the phone went about 5.30 and it was them. Apparently the car is all stripped down and ready to go into the paint shop tomorrow. They said they will probably ring again on Friday so I'm hoping that means we might get the car back a bit earlier than we expected.

Evening all,

It's been a lovely sunny day here ,first thing I though it would pour with rain as the sky was so grey but the sun broke through and its been really warm .

Hope you enjoyed your brunch today Anng I saw the programme at the weekend all about the Tebay services it was quite interesting.

Glad you've got your freezer sorted out Vera did you get a report on the car today as its Wednesday.

Mel I would have had fishcake new pots and broccoli ,just to mix it up lol

It's a year today since I broke my wrists so last year at this time I was just home and trussed up like a chicken with my plastered wrists .

Thaqts typical Vera........ I am sure your friend will still love the gift card though.

I have to go to the post van again tomorrow and the docs.

Done a bit of painting today but feel very tired today. I am sending a parcel to the lady who has only just got her last parcel so I hope this one gets through ok and she dos'nt have to wait another 11 days.
Vera my car milage gage is like that the stuff in the screen for the digital display plays up.

Now what shall I have for dinner tonight??? I have some cod fish cakes or burgers. So do I have the fish cakes with chips and peas or the burger with new pots and broccoli??

It’s good that your parcel eventually turned up Mel, but it’s no wonder that fewer and fewer people are using Royal Mail. Even with letters it seems to make no difference if you use 1st or 2nd class stamps. Either might arrive the next day or might take 10 days.

I hope you enjoyed your brunch AnnG. No, my freezer man hadn’t put the Fast Freeze on. When I tried to set the temperature I could see the problem immediately. It was set to -18 but half the display was no longer illuminated so it looked like a capital E with the top bar missing. In fact that was part of the 8. If I go up close to the freezer and peer at the display unit I can see what it is reading, I just can’t see it from the other side of the room. I stupidly asked OH if it needed a new bulb or battery and got a very withering look and was told it’s all electronics. He did say he would ask our man if he could get a new unit for us and fit it but I have said not to bother while I can still read it as it will mean another call out charge as well as the cost of the unit.

My friend drove me to town this morning. I had my hair washed, cut and blow dried, went to the bank, did some food shopping, bought some daff bulbs and a garden gift voucher for tomorrow’s birthday girl and still got back to the bus station with 25 minutes to wait for the bus. I did consider walking but my shopping bag was really heavy so I waited for the bus.

We had a bit of sun this morning and it’s warm out but it’s very grey now and it’s got that “calm before the storm” feeling, though Storm Agnes is supposed to bypass us.

Time now for our afternoon cuppa. The kettle’s seldom off in our house lol

EDIT. I meant to say that when I bought the garden gift voucher I was offered a choice of 3 cards with it: a picture of a Christmas tree with the words Merry Christmas, a picture of a pile of gift wrapped parcels and the words Happy Christmas or a robin perched on the snowy handle of a spade. When I said I wanted it for a birthday tomorrow I was told that was all they had! I had the robin one as at least that didn’t mention Christmas but my friend will think I’ve gone mad!

Vera are you sure that the funny sign is not super freeze which the man may have put it on?

Morning all,

Dull and overcast here this morning and pc says mostly cloudy and 12 degrees.

Enjoy your brunch Anng and don't eat too much.

Going to try and do some casting and painting today so should be busy and I want to stay off the pc as I think scrolling through sites hurts my arm.

I am so relieved my customer recieved her little parcel eventually. It took 11 days in all but it was my fault as when I addressed it I left the R out in Wrexham but that was the only thing so it should have reached her by the clear post code..

Good morning all.Regarding freezer temperature. We had always kept ours at -18 until it went wrong a few weeks ago when the door jammed open until the alarm rang. Then it switched off. I for some reason couldn't get it to set to -18 only -16. It stayed at that for five weeks and everything was solid in it so don't worry too much Vera. After we had completely defrosted it daughter managed to set it to -18 again so it is ok now. However, she showed me what to press to set it and it is a button that I have to hold in. But there are several buttons and I am not sure, if it fails again, that I know which button to press :-D
Anyway Vera, glad he fixed it and at a reasonable price too.

Mel, that is good that your parcel eventually arrived. Just another hiccup by the Post office/Royal Mail.

Going out to brunch this morning so have to be out at 10am. Did anyone see the series on Gloucester Services on the M5 (between J12 and 11a/ 11a and J12). They are run by the same family as Tebay services in Cumbria on the M6. Everything, as much as possible, is locally sourced and their farm shops are great. There was a previous series on the Cumbria one a few years back. So, we are going to the service station for brunch.