General Chat

Evening all,

Suns out but we have had a little rain this afternoon, I had just sat down with my book when I felt a few spits on the back of my neck ,came in and blow me ths sun came out again .
Hoovered through and stood and ironed my pile of washing that has been giving me the eye ,so all put away and tidy again .
Just watched our weather and we should have more showers tomorrow and it should be windy and muggy .

Vera sorry your day yesterday was spoiled by that scone ,perhaps it was made with some milk or an egg wash that was off .
Sounds as if you've had a busy day in the house and it's lovely that your friends are ringing to see how you are .
Lovely photos of your garden ,it's all looking very pretty.

Oh Mel she will need some draws :-D or she'll get cold in the winter .
We very often have beans on toast or tomatoes on toast ,Colin will sometimes have poached eggs but I don't like eggs ,it's since I had that very bad food poisoning bout when we we're abroad ,I had had an Omelette and haven't had eggs since .

I wonder how Anng got on looking round the Japanese garden ,hope it stayed dry .

I think you have earned a quiet evening Vera with all you've done today.

I have been having a go at my Tudor woman but am not getting on very well. I cut out a skitrt for her but did'nt like it so cut up one of oh's old short sleeved shirts I had'nt put in the bag for the hospice. Made the kirt but hav'nt covered her legs in anything and she will need a petticote and she must have draws even if they did'nt wear them in those times, I am not having her leave here withot her draws.

I hve done a little weeding but my back and hiip are playing up so I just worked on the wall where the rockery is raised up. Emptied my barrow from the other day over my little bonfire and picked up a lot of sticks that the wind had blown off the ash tree.

Only fancy beans on toast tonight so thats what I am going to have.

Hope it was Dry for Anng and her group today.

Well, we have had a real h/w day. Apart from my back still giving me gyp I feel fine now. So I thoroughly dusted the whole house, hoovered downstairs and cleaned my en-suite, while OH hoovered upstairs and cleaned his en-suite, the bathroom and the downstairs cloakroom. I also tidied up my tomato plants and OH did a bit of deadheading. I didn't manage to go and get my meds so I shall have to do that tomorrow.

I seem to have spent half the day answering texts and phone calls, all asking how I am after yesterday's sickness but from people who weren't on the trip. The grapevine certainly works overtime in this town.

I'm now going to get our dinner cooked and then have a quiet evening.

Morning all,

Pc playing up again this mroing so this will be a short sharp post.

Arm always feels better in the morning but I am now having hip problems when standing up or bending over or putting my socks on. Its the right hip and not the bigger one which I have had for years.

That was a nasty experience Vera with the scone a shame it must have spoilt the trip somewhat. I went to Syon park with mum and dad years ago in fact I think that is where they had an orchid display on at the time and dad bought mum and I an orchid each. We both had no idea how to look after them at the time.

Must get up the post van with a parcel this morning so I am going to post this while its still here.

Good morning AnnG and all

Sunshine and showers promised for today. I hope it stays dry for your Japanese style garden visit AnnG. I got your photos thank you. Lovely clear pictures as always.

Ann, like Mandy I use Roy’s multi purpose compost. It seems pretty good and is one of the cheapest around here. That’s not much use to you if you don’t have a Roy’s handy but probably any basic multi purpose would do the job.

Mel, are you feeling any better yet? Has your bp settled down a bit now Mandy? Take care, both of you.

Well, I am not sure what to say about yesterday. The organisers of these trips changed coach company a while ago and I find the seats on the coaches we use now to be very supportive for my back which stood up to the journey well, though it aches this morning. But I had other problems. I was up at 6.30 and hadn’t eaten so took a couple of buttered scones on to the coach for breakfast. About 9 am I started eating and immediately said to OH that these scones were incredibly sweet but with a slightly odd taste and I only had one. Half an hour later I started being sick - luckily quietly and using a plastic carrier bag I had in my handbag. I’d stopped being sick by the time we got there but felt very weak and wobbly for the rest of the day. I can’t say it was the scone but that was all I had eaten since my dinner the previous day. Needless to say, the rest of the pack went in the bin when we got home.

Syon House was well worth a visit. We had a good guided tour that lasted an hour. It is set in Syon Park so after the tour we had a wander round a lake and through a bit of woodland and saw no-one other than 2 ladies by the lake. The house itself doesn’t have a cafe but there is a Hillier Garden Centre there with both a restaurant and a coffee shop where OH got a toastie and coffee, though I stuck to sips of water for the rest of the day. There is also a Lakeland shop and one or two others. The only thing that spoilt it a bit was constant, loud, low-flying planes in and out of Heathrow which is quite close. They seemed to be coming over every 1-2 minutes.

Today is going to be a quiet day I think. There’s a bit of h/w to do and my meds to pick up and then I think it will be a lolling around sort of day.

good morning all 15 degrees here and so far a bit drizzly. This is supposed to be the best day of the week for us. I hope it is dry this afternoon as our gardening group is going to see a private garden that has been developed Japanese style. It is in the village so not far away.

Ann have you had a good birthday? What did OH give you? Or have you said and I missed it. It has not been very good weather for going out and about today here dry patches and some weak sun then heavy showers. Seems like we are back to our normal summers this year.

Hope Vera had a good day. Hope the coach has not made your back worse.
I know Mandy got the photos but did everybody else?
For those on Facebook I have also put photos on there.

I have got a lot of red admiral butterflies all over the place at the moment. Lovely to see as last year there were not many at all.

I have sent some photos out, hope they arrive OK.

Its out again

Morning all,

I have not been able to get on the net this morning and have just tried again and got here.


<3 <3 <3 HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANN. Hope you have a lovely day <3 <3 <3

Pc is saying morning rain 15 degrees and mostly cloudy.

As I am finding Ann, the loss will never be easy but everyday life is a bit easier to cope. Not sure what my role in life is now, still a day at a time.

Morning all,

<3 <3 <3 Happy birthday Ann <3 <3 <3
Hope you have a lovely day ,are you out for a birthday lunch.

Ann the compost I use is from our Roys store ,it's Multi purpose compost ,I don't like the peat free its very dry when you open the bag and dries out to quickly.

Vera hope you've managed to go on the trip this morning and your back stands up to it .

Mel hope your aches and pains are a bit easier today ,how's the bite ,I usually get bitten at night as we have the windows open .
Suns out and I have one lot of washing out on the line and another lot in the washer just spinning.

I am not sure it ever gets any easier Mel/Island you just learn to live with it I think.

Thinking of you today Mel. x
I can't say it's easier but it is different in this 2nd year.
<3

good morning all sunny and 15 degrees this morning, I slept well and woke at 0630. Hairdresser this morning that means a walk fighting my way across the road that is having a large cycle/pedestrian path added so is full of barriers and traffic lights for pedestrians that have been moved several times so it is a new game of 'hunt the crossing'.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANN <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3
And many more of them :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D

The return from the cafe was partly the same and quite a bit different.the idea is to stick to three miles but already there is one in August that is four miles. So I will have to see.
That is a shame about your cues but the same happened to mine last year and I have not grown any unisex year. I am getting a few tomatoes now though, enough for a meal for me.

Mandy what compost are your cues grown in.

Vera hope you have a good coach trip out.

What a shame you lost your toms Ann and now it looks as though your cues and possibly the courgette are going the same way. It’s so frustrating when that happens. I’ve just got cherry tomatoes this year - one each of 5 different varieties. I’ve always grown my own from seed but this year I bought some tiny plantlets and they’ve been doing well. Nothing has ripened yet but there are plenty of tomatoes on the way.

OH picked our first bowl of blueberries today. We now only have 2 plants in big pots but usually get plenty of berries. Today’s bowlful was not far short of 2 lbs. so there’s some in the fridge to dip into - we usually top our cereal with them - and the rest is in the freezer.

Our friend was pleased with the flowers we took her. I got a lovely bunch of white roses and she has arranged them in a deep blue glass vase and they look far more expensive than they were. She’ has a really good eye and makes everything look good.

I’’m now going to sort out clothes for tomorrow and get ready a few other bits as I won’t have time to faff about in the morning. I think I’ll take an umbrella and I want my kindle so I can read on the coach coming back as OH is sure to fall asleep. He always does.

Afternoon Everyone,

You sound as if you are being plagued by bits that hurt Mel. You might have to take it a bit easier for a while and concentrate on the Tudor lady instead. It will be interesting to see how she looks once she is made.

I had to look up Syon House Vera and it looks like there is plenty to see. I hope you had a smooth journey to help your poor back with all the sitting and look forward to hearing about it.

AnnG that was good you had a cafe stop midway in your walk. Was it to the cafe and then back or did you come back a different way? OH used to drive me mad with circular walks as we would go wrong and end up walking so much further.

Mandy, OH laughed at the 'cough, cough trombone' and then said 'wait till next year it will be your 'sunset strip' birthday then!

Well after saying yesterday how well my 2 cues were doing in the greenhouse, when I went to water them this morning, 1 had gone limp and was sprawled on the soil and the other was halfway there on it's knees and mostly wilted! The soil was still mostly damp so it wasn't lack of water and they looked perfect yesterday. The courgette in there looks like it may go the same way, but those in pots outside look good and are in old compost.

We've just had a sharp shower which decided OH to miss a match he was going to tonight. Sport on the telly instead I expect! We went to the chemist for our meds today to find they hadn't arrived yet, but they tested my BP monitor and although my first reading was quite a bit higher than their monitor showed, the second reading was only 1 point different so it is still accurate which is good. We then went to the factory shop and OH got new slippers as he keeps scuffing the floor with his old ones as they are loose now. He usually has M&S ones, but decided they last no longer than cheaper ones so got some nice dunlop ones. I don't usually like artifical plants, but saw some small, very realistic, succulent type ones in little white pots I can put on the bathroom window cill.

We had fishcakes with salad and coleslaw for lunch but my avocado from the Asda delivery last Sunday was a strange grey in the middle, so that went in the waste bin and I asked for a refund!

It was rubbish bin day today and they arrived in a new, shiny, brightly painted, ELECTRIC bin lorry. I wondered what it cost and thought there goes our council tax! I suppose there will be savings in running it though and less fumes.

Good afternoon all

We had some rain overnight but could do with a lot more. It seems to keep missing us. It’s very warm again but there is a bit of a breeze so it’s bearable.

Oh dear Mel you do seem to be in the wars with your back, arm and hip. I hope all the aches and pains start to ease up very quickly. I look forward to seeing your Tudor lady. There is quite a lot online about ordinary people’s dress at that time. I put “Tudor labourer’s wife’s clothes” in the search box and quite a bit came up. One site you could try is www.cardinal-creations.com but there are lots of others.

Lovely to see your post Ann and to catch up with your news. You seem to have had a very busy time lately. Are you still finding time to paint? I laughed at Mandy’s cough, cough trombones. It made me think of my Dad who regularly sang “102 trombones led the big parade”. Now that would make you feel old ;-). I may not be on here tomorrow so I’ll wish you a very happy birthday now.

The reason I might not be on tomorrow is that we are on a coach trip to Syon House and have to leave home soon after 8 am. I was looking forward to it but my back has also given out again over the last two days and the thought of a couple of hours in each direction on a coach isn’t very appealing. OH won’t go without me so I shall just have to take some painkillers, grit my teeth and put up with it. I’ve done a load of ironing this morning and am paying for it now so I am resting on the bed with pillows behind me. Oh, the joys of getting older!

I need to go to the Co-op for a couple of bits this afternoon and I want to drop a few flowers in to a friend who’s unwell and a bit down at the moment so I’d better get off this bed and sort out some lunch or the afternoon will be gone before I get out.