General Chat

Awful weather in Europe.
I'm so pleased that Vera and her OH are safely home and were not caught up in the flooding.
Devastating for so many people over there though <3

Good morning all, very bright and sunny here. A bit chilly though. As far as I know just a trip to Tesco this morning and coffee while out. When I visit of course people are also working although son just has a few business calls to make. Grandson is working from home for four days before going back to Leeds as he has to spend one day in the office. Granddaughter has several different jobs, one in a theatre and one dog walking, not sure if the others. DiL is a therapist and has two or three days in the office. Works from home as well. I just fit in with normal life.

Morning all,

Sunny here but a bit nippy at the moment, should be a nice day and we want to get a bit of tidying done in the garden .
Bedding in the machine and just spinning so I'll get that hung out and I must get Max's bedding washed too.

Morning girls,

Nice bright morning gain but it feels chilly its 14 degrees and pc says cloudy so maybe the sun won't last long. We had a shower of very fine rain last night before I went to bed but nothing much.

Slept right through last night but I was late going to bed as I was watching a film.

Hope you all slept well and I wonder if Anng is going anywhere nice today?

But when I eat I eat a lot..................If i'm busy in the garden on a nice day I take my 1pm pill with a large glass of water and that keeps me going. I find if I eat breakfast |I don't want to do anything but can get on with things if I don't. Sounds silly dos'nt it. I did have one slice of toast yesterday morning before doing the washing and filters and feeding the girls and fish but once I had eaten at lunchtime I did'nt want to do anymore which is why I had to cook the strudel today.

I took a pic of a brown moth feeding on the flowers of the mauve million bells, can't remember the name they have given them now, it had pretty marking on its wings and a fluffy body and beige legs which looked like tiny deer antlers. I'll send a pic. I don't know what moth it is but it ws out in the day.

Glad your journey was trouble-free Ann.
Enjoy spending time with your family.

Mel, your strudel sounds delicious and looks so good. I don't remember ever making one, although I've made many other apple recipes.
Every day sounds so busy caring for your garden and grounds, but you worry me going without food for so long, especially doing manual work. I would feel ill and light-headed. I only have a light breakfast, but have to have food with some of my medication and I find it suits my lifestyle best to get them taken at breakfast time, then I can forget about them until the next day.

Annx It sounded as if you needed your rest rather than a visit to the retail park. ;-)

Got here ok only took two hours despite the traffic being really heavy. Luckily no hold ups. It only takes an accident to snarled the whole system up. Nice to see everyone, clothes hung round the bedroom as no wardrobe to use. Still it is only a week.

What a shame that got broken Vera. We had several days which were very blustery, while you were away. I'm glad that you managed to see so much and that the weather was kind to allow that.

Mandy, your chimney sweeping brings back so many memories for me. My parents never had central heating and relied on the coal fire to heat the bungalow. Dad had a set of brushes and before he started to sweep, all the picures, ornaments etc had to be taken out and as you say, the furniture was covered. My sister and I would run down the garden path and each hope that we would be the first to spot the brush coming out of the top of the chimney.
..........being called to help with something.....

Vera we had very high winds in the week here but I'm a long way from you! Such a shame about your lantern can it no be fixed with some new glass?? or will it still work without the glass?

BIL mowed again today and picked it all up as just mowing over it again did'nt work. I have just come in from the garden as he was going and I made him a coffee. While I was out there I was cutting all the brimbles out of the Rhodo on the west lawn. He had asked me to do it and when I got to it I had'nt realised just how much of it was growing over the poor bush. I also pulled up oone ~Ash tree and there's a Hawthorne under it too and a bigger Ash tree but I had backache so came in and left those to another day.Not had anything to eat yet either just a coffee this morning and a drop of water with my 1pm pill and a tea with BIL who only drinks coffee like oh.

Right I am now going to make an apple strudel. I part cooked the apples yesterday so they are cold to put on the pastry.

Afternoon all,

Nice sunny day here and quite warm ,son came and swept the chimney ,hardly any soot at all so thats a good job done ready for the winter, little bit of dust in the room but I have some big plastic sheets that I cover all the furniture with and i take all my nik naks out so it doesn't take to long to get sorted .

Oh Gwyn well done to your daughter for raising all that money ,I don't know how some of these charities would manage without all the good works from people raising money for them ,I hope she's not to sore or blistered from the walk .
I see on the news today more people drowned off the French coast last night Gwyn .

Vera we did have a bit of wind here last week as we were going to take our runners down but left them until later in the week because of the wind ,shame your lantern got broken .

Ann I have got Chelsea some new pj's and some chocolate but we will give her some money too as I've no idea what clothes she likes.

I have just hung some old sheets on the line that we use for dust sheers, hope they dry quick so I can get them in don't want people thinking they are our bed sheets they have a bit of paint on them and one has a big hole in :-D

Anng you'll be well on your way now , hope the traffic isn't to bad and you have a lovely week with your son and family .

Afternoon All,

A miserable, overcast day here with heavy rain forecast. Although the PC says it is 18 degrees it doesn't feel that warm.

Oh well done to your daughter raising all that money for Cancer Research Gwyn! How sad she lost her friend and that the little boy was left without his mother.

Mandy we gave up on the idea of an early rise to go to the retail park as we were both so tired when we woke up! I wonder what young Chelsea wanted for her birthday other than money! I remember it was all I wanted at her age.

I hope you have a good journey and stay with your son AnnG. It's a pity they don't empty a drawer for you, but at least you know what to expect when you go. They probably don't even think about it. It's good you have got your jabs booked.

Very well done Gwyn’s daughter. She has raised a good amount and it will all help with research to find a cure.

Have a lovely time at your son’s AnnG. I hope the weather is kind to you and you can get out and about. It’s lovely here at the moment, 19 degrees and sunny. It’s supposed to get to 21 by 3 pm but cloud over.

Did we have any high winds while we were away? I suddenly noticed that a nice solar lantern that sits on a garden table was missing. When I went to check I found it had crashed down on to a chair and the glass had smashed. I can only think it was blown over by the wind. It’s disappointing as it’s a particularly nice one that my daughter gave me.

Our friends are coming at 2.30 pm so I’d better make a quick sandwich. These are old friends that we know well but OH is acting as though the Queen of Sheba is coming. Chairs have been rearranged and coasters put by every place and I only just stopped him putting on 2 electric fan heaters in case they feel cold. I don’t know what’s come over him - I think he’s aiming to become The Host With The Most! ;-)

BIL is here to pick up the mowings from Friday as it was quite long and now they have dried out a bit it will be easier to pick it up.

Thanks Gwyn. Well done on that great amount raised. I bet she will be tired today. Quite nice here, some sun but cloudy 16 degrees though so not cold.

I have got my covid and flu jabs booked now for 26 October.

What a lovely amount to have raised for Cancer Research you must be very proud of her. what a lovely thing to do. I too lost my best friend from childhood with cancer at a very young age.

Still sunny here and 16 degrees now so lets hope it stays that way. It makes you want to do things when the sun shines and not endless rain. I am doping ironing at the mo but just popped in to see the posts.

I have a parcel to do up later on ready for posting tomorrow.

Another beautiful morning here in the far south east, after a really lovely day yesterday.
16 degrees and sunny here so far.

It was very clear across The Channel, when we were there early evening and the great sadness is that often means migrants will try to cross, while the weather is good. We wake up to the news that many have lost their lives overnight.

Thank you for your kind thoughts for daughter on her Thames Bridges walk. They could nominate which charity they were raising money for and she chose Cancer Research. Today is the anniversary of her losing a very dear friend she'd had from childhood, when Rachel died from Cancer leaving a 3 years old son.
Daughter hoped to raise £250. She completed the walk, 25 Kms and so far her total is over £500 Haven't spoken to her yet, but she's OK and been messaging her sister, but hasn't moved yet much :-)

Ann, I hope you have a lovely time with son and family.

Another busy day, but I'll try to get back later.

Morning girls,

Nice bright morning here and its 14 degrees and pc says mostly sunny.

Do have a lovely rest while away Ann and I wish you a sae journey.

BIL said he may come again today and pick the grass cuttings up but I don't hod out much hope.

Well off to wash my hair now and have a nice long showers.

good morning all. a bit grey here this morning 10 degrees so not too bad, hopefully the sun will break through. I am being picked up by son at around 12.30, he will do a quick loo stop and turn around to get straight back on the road.

Oh I had forgotten it was the Thames Bridges walk this weekend ,I hope Gwyn's daughter has had lots of sponsors and hasn't got to many blisters .

Vera I don't know what we would do without son and dil's help at times ,he does things so much quicker than we would and as you say we do help them .

I forgot to say when we went shopping on Friday we were loading the conveyor belt when Colin dropped a pot of cream ,the top flew off and the cream splattered everywhere so we had to wait while this very happy chatty lad cleaned it all up, he said cream was the worst to clean up, as we came out the shop Colin said we'll it is Friday the 13th :-0 I didn't let him touch the replacement pot .

Ann hope you managed to get out early and get your errands done before it got busy ,we try not to go out on a sat as the world and his wife seem to be on the roads ,but on saying that we did go to see my sister and bil this morning as they had some wood they wanted to get rid of and we can use it for sticks for the fire once its chopped up , luckily where they live is not the side of town where the super markets are .

Good afternoon all

Are you all packed now AnnG? Is it tomorrow that you go? I think I remember you saying that your son lived in the Milton Keynes area. Have a lovely time.

Your son is good Mandy to do the different jobs for you but you seem to do lots to help them as well so it’s swings and roundabouts. It’s a good idea to get the chimney swept before the cold weather sets in.

Your bil is good as well Mel. It would be difficult for you to manage everything by yourself with all your mowing and pond maintenance.

I hope Gwyn’s daughter has managed her Thames Bridges Walk without too many blisters. I think it was about 25 km so it’s good that it hasn’t been sweltering heat. Was it in aid of a cancer charity Gwyn? I am sure that you told us but my memory is getting terrible these days..

My back seemed a little better this morning so I tackled the ironing. Not a wise decision! Now my back seems worse than ever. I did a couple of other small jobs, had lunch and had a shower but just couldn’t manage to sit on a stool and wield the hairdryer so my hair has had to dry in it’s own higgledy-piggledy way. I’ve only taken 1 pill today but I will probably need a couple later.

OH went out this morning to get some new black shoes to replace the ones we dumped in Vienna. He went straight to the Clarks shop as he always ends up there anyway. He finds buying his shoe size in Clarks extra wide fitting suits his foot and he got a nice pair of black lace ups. I didn’t ask the price but this is turning out to be quite an expensive holiday.

We have our friends M & V and another lady friend coming for tea and cakes tomorrow afternoon. I haven’t got time (or energy) to make any cakes so asked OH to buy a couple while he was out this morning. Bless him, he remembered but bought 2 the same. I was thinking a creamy cake and a plain one as not everyone likes the same but I’ve got 2 squidgy, creamy, lemon Swiss rolls. I’ll have to put out a few plain biscuits.

Well, I’d better move myself off this bed and start getting our meal ready. The older I get, the lazier I get and I find it hard to motivate myself, though once I get myself going I usually work quite hard.