General Chat

It's been another hot one here again ,we sat out and had coffee after popping to the
Coop for the tele book and then on to tesco to the hole in the wall to get some cash.
On the way back I managed to park in town and popped into boots for our tablets ,I had a word with the pharmacist as Colin has had itchy fingers ,he had antihistamine tablets and tried e45 itch cream but that didn't really help so she said it might be a fungal infection and suggested hydrocortisone cream ,he's put one lot on and said it feels a lot better .
Just done some watering as I don't think we'll get any rain and the pots soon go dry and then the water doesn't go into the soil just runs off .

I meant to say has anyone used one of the African wash cloths ,I sent for some from amazon and I love them in the shower ,I usually use one of those scrunchies in the shower but these wash cloths are brilliant as they are long and you can hold them over one shoulder and do all your back in the shower and your skin feels lovely after .

Have a safe journey Anng and have a lovely holiday .

Yes it feels much hotter here today and airless. I've had to put a strappy top on with my shorts today,

Gwyn you are right about smells. I used to hate that stale, oily smell on buses as a child. Cigarette smoke at work or in the cinema when it used to be allowed would give me awful migraines and I wouldn't eat out anywhere busy when smoking used to be allowed in restaurants, Even now going into hospitals where people smoke at the entrances I hold my breath as I walk past. Mum would never smoke in my car because of it. Hubby used to sometimes smoke those thin, black cigars when I first knew him, but soon stopped when he thought it might be me or the cigars!! This talk reminds me I read that insects don't like the smell of Lavender, so I must pick some from the garden and see if it will keep the pesky flies out that are a nuisance this year. It's since they mowed the field.

It is interesting our different washing practices. Annoyingly my machine doesn't have a 30 degree cycle, which lots of fabrics advise, but does have 40 degrees as well as 20 degrees and hotter ones. What I do is do some washes on 20 degrees but add laundry wash to disinfect it. I use vanish sometimes and washing up liquid on stains. Spits of grease on cotton get dabbed with a special cleaner for it. It was doing a 40 degree wash that I have trouble with the pods sticking to the clothes Mel.

I have my MMR jab in the morning and still don't fancy it as I've read about side effects up to a fortnight later. OH seems like he either has hay fever or a cold/covid starting since yesterday. His eyes are puffy, he has a headache starting again since one he had during the night and his voice sounds awful, but no sore throat yet. He wasn't entitled to the last covid booster, so is less protected than I am. At least we have a covid test I got a little while ago and I will test him if the hay fever tablets don't seem to be helping.

I hope you have a good journey and a lovely time AnnG and will have some photos for us of the wedding when you get back.

23 degrees here now and its been hotter but we are lucky really as being between two sea it seems to keep it cooler sometimes.

Anng I posted your card today as I did'nt know you were going early in the morning, sorry I meant to do it yesterday and I put a first class stamp on too.

I have been faffing with the ponds again today. Cleaned my pond filter out and then had the big pond scimmer on as there was loads of green fluffy stuff coming up I think the fish have been sucking it off the sides so after having the scimmer on nearly all day and fishing some out with my little net I gave it a blanket weed treatment again hoping that will kill it. We will see once the pond clears again as it goes all misty with this stuff. Iv'e just fed them and am about to go and do the chickens corn and then do my salad. Iv'e had it soaking in cold water since late morning. Now what shall I have with it Tuna or salmon????? Iv'e some nice coleslaw with cheese, beetroot, celery, cue, toms and spring onions and I may boil an egg.

I usually use Fairy powder but thought I would try the liquid but never had the measuring thing to put it in so used the top of the bottle but not sure if that was enough. I don't like to put it in the draw as I think when the drawers out and you pour the liquid in and then push the draw in you're pushing it over the liquid Anyway thought I would try the pods. Perhaps they are better on a hotter wash as I usually use 40 and no spin but then do a drain and spin as my machine won't do a 1400 spin on a coldish wash.

Thanks Vera, It is 28 degrees here PC says it will be 29 and mostly sunny.
I never use consitioner these days.

Back again. Sainsbury came a bit earlier than I expected but everything is now sorted and put away. I will be emailing them later with a couple of complaints but I won't bore you with those.

Re. detergents: Like AnnG I always use Persil non-bio liquid. It's a bit pricey compared to some detergents but I find it the best all round one and I buy 2 or 3 when I see it on special offer somewhere. We have a Farm Foods shop near us and they often have giant sizes at a very good price. I never use Vanish or anything else with it and only use conditioner for the odd woolly jumper. Things like towels get a longer, hot wash but everything else gets a short wash at 30 degrees and it all seems to come up clean and fresh.

It's now 27 degrees but I've just been out to the garden and it feels a lot hotter than it did earlier. The weather app is telling me it is cooler than yesterday. I was wondering why we British discuss the weather so much. I think it's because we never know what to expect so any change in the weather comes as a surprise.

OH is supposedly watching Olympics but I suspect he is watching them with his eyes closed

In case I don't post again before you go tomorrow AnnG I hope you have a safe and comfortable journey. Have a lovely time while you are away and tell us all about the wedding when you come back.

I think it's just very slightly cooler than yesterday but it's still 26 degrees and, like Gwyn, we have a yellow warning of thunderstorms.

That's a shame about the pod outer not dissolving properly in the wash Mel.

Oops Sainsbury's have arrived. BBL

It is 23 degrees here and humis.
For many years I have used Persil non biological liquid. Had to use that or similar when daughter lived at home as she is allergic to bio washing liquids. I use the little cups and put them in the machine but only use about half the amount suggested and add vanish powder to the cup. If daughter is here when I do washing (which is very rarely) I omit the vanish.

I have nothing extra on my hair, nothing after the wash and conditioner before cutting and no spray afterwards.

Better crack on Daughter is at Hilton Services so about an hour and a half away,

Thank you Mel and Mandy for sharing photos of your garden.
Lovely to see the results of all your hard work.
I don't know how you keep going some days Mel with so much ground to care for, but you've done really well with making the tree area neat and tidy.
I really like Mandy's high troughs. What a lovely display of geraniums. The lilies are doing well too. What strong colours :-D

Laptop is telling me it's 24 degrees and partly sunny. We have a thunderstorm warning for later, so that might cause some problems, if the rainfall is too heavy onto hard baked ground, so it doesn't soak in easily. :-0

Washing load finished and ready to hang up.
Interesting isn't it how we all favour different products.?
For years I have used a Tesco washing powder suitable for colours, but now I think it may have been discontinued, so I am going to have to change to pods or liquid or a different powder altogether. I have one box unopened, then it will be 'all change'.
Like Mandy, I often target stains with washing up liquid, especially if they are greasy, but I rinse the area well before putting the item into wash.
I use Vanish on top of my powder in the drawer too to remove general marks.

Mel
Do you have a handwash programme on your washing machine?
I have used that successfully on mine many times without harming the garment.

Another thing I do is lessen the spin speed of a normal wash, but when the programme finishes, I take everything out, fold all the clothes and respin on maximum speed (1400) to get more water out.
By doing this and using fabric conditioner, I almost never need to iron anything if items are shaken out and dried correctly.
I know Mel in particular can't cope with particular smells, so we all do what suits our individual circumstances.

Morning All,

My hair sticks up like that after I've slept on it AnnG and it didn't used to do it as much and I don't always put hairspray on. My hair is more wiry now and shorter than it used to be so I think that must be the reason with mine. I hope you get all the bits and bobs done today. I always worry I'll forget something.

Mel I'm glad I'm not the only one that has happened to with those pods for the washing. I don't use them now, but it's hard to find the tablets I used to use, so I've sometimes got the big bottles of liquid like Mandy. I'm the same and guess how much to use instead of putting those measure pots in the drum. :-)

I slept well and need to pop to the shop today. I need some coleslaw to go with our jackets with cottage cheese and salad today and other bits that take my fancy. Hardly any sun breaking through here and 21 degrees so quite pleasant. I flung all the doors and windows on the back open at 7.30am to cool the bungalow.

Toodlepips for now.

Morning all,

The sky looks a bit hazy here this morning but the sun is shining and it feels very humid .

Anng do they put hair spray on your hair after a cut ,it might be that that's made it stick up this morning, I don't have hair spray on now as I find it makes my hair quite stiff and I have fine hair .

Mel I've never used the pods I use to use powder but now I use the liquid and I like that better than the powder the piwder was making the dispenser draw quite rough and hard to clean now I just pour the liquid in the drawer don't even use the little plastic pot things that you put straight in the washer .
Plus I find you can add just what you need and even pour a drop on a stain although I like to add a drop of washing up liquid on any stains .

Must do some ironing now before it starts heating up .

Morning girls,

Another nice morning here in deepest Devon. Its 18 degrees and pc is saying Mostly sunny but thunderstorms too. So I really don't know what that means whether its jus thunder and no rain or if it will pour down and ruin all the garden flowers.

Hae a bit of hand wshing today and then I will see how the day takes me and how hot it gets. Washing dried well yesterday and I remembered to bring it in before the dew came down and got it ironed. I had a bit of trouble with the washing yesterday. I tried the new Fairy pods for the first time. All was fine and the washing smelt nice but when I put one of my vests tops on the line I noticed a huge sticky something on it. It was the outer copating of the pod which had'nt disolved but made a dreadful mess of a favorite coloured top. I put it under the tap right away and it seemed to come out but when I took it off the line it was very stiff so its gone back in the linen bin. I wondered what on earth it was when I saw it.

Good morning all. I got up when I woke as I didn't want to go back to sleep with the window cleaner coming around 9-9.30. Have to be up tomorrow too at this time as we leave early. It was another hot night although maybe not as hot as previously. I slept quite well. Isn't it annoying when you have your hair cut then sleeping on it makes it all stick up. My hair is wiry and very strong so I looked like a relative of a hedgehog this morning.

13 degrees here (0630) and feels very humid. Got a small wash to put in but other than a general tidy not a lot to do today indoors. some bits to do in the garden. fill watering cans for Cynth etc.

It sounds like you have spent the day with the pump Mel, but at least it is working now and won't need you to dig into your pockets for a repair. I hope it was shady where you had to work.

OH has been fine today apart from being tired all day, but this heat is tiring anyway. The thermometer in here is still reading 28 degrees so it's hotter than yesterday. Yes, the cramp made my leg sore this morning and I was walking a bt more carefully with it, just in case it started again but it didn't. It must be annoying in your fingers like that when you are doing your miniatures. I used to drink soda water for the quinine years ago when I used to get leg cramps, but I have to avoid quinine now I have thyroid issues. For the same reason, I also can't have calcium within 4 hours before or after my thyroid tablets either, as it can stop my medication being absorbed. So no milk, cheese, yoghurt or broccoli till lunchtime. It's lucky I'm used to mostly not bothering with breakfast and it's a brunch with poached eggs or a small english rather than cereal with milk.

It's late for me so I'm off to bed. Sleep tight everyone if you can.

Yes I did Anng I could'nt beleive the little Speedwell flowers had those tiny white bits sticking out of them.

Not done any gardening today but did do some water gardening. It all started with me getting stuff out of the scimmer which is attached to my pond pump. It did'nt seem to be sucking stuff in it very well so I had the inner basket out which is a so and so to get back in in the right position and when I had it still seemed not to be working properly so I had moved the stone in it to a different place and I think it somehow got under the flap that lets the water into it. Anyway I turned it off and when I turned it back on the pump was'nt wrking I gave it a shake in and out of the pond and I could hear it whirring so I turned it off and on again and still nothing. B*m I thought I shall have to take all the fence down round the pond and get the pump pout which I did. There are umpteen cable ties keeping the netting over the franmework and round the sides so off they all came and I took the pump apart and put it back together and tried it again..........still nothing. Out it came again and I took it right apart this time and plugged it back in to see if the impeller was working which it was so I put it all back together again put it back in the pond squirted it with the hose and still nothing so I thought. Pulled a lot of weed out and dead stuff while I had the fence down and looked round to see water coming out of the infill pipe so the pump had started working thank goodness. I thought I was going to have another bill from the pond man. I just had the bill for the loo and that was £156.

Anyway now I have completly bored you with my fatefull day I hope G's migraine is better now. Dos'nt your leg ache all day after having cramp. I did say the other day I was woken with it a couple of days ago. Last night I kept getting it in my index finger and thumb on my left hand and the finger shot out straight and the thumb and I had to push them both back down. It happens soemtimes when I am holding tiny things to paint. I must admit I drank quite a lot of tonic water last night to stop it. Oh always drank it for cramp and it works a treat as it has quinine in it. Same with bitter lemon I think.

Its still 22 degrees here now at 7.14pm.

I better get some dinner on, sweet and sour chicken tonight, I like that followed by my fruit again I have some nice pears come today and cherries and grapes or I could have a nectarine.

Did you get my photos Mel?

OH is lucky in that he doesn't get the awful headaches anymore, but his sight is affected with all the visual things and sometimes numbness and he feels washed out the same afterwards. He always wears a peaked hat in the sun, but he forgot to wear his sunglasses at the match.

Mandy your plants in the greenhouse must get just the right mix of sun and shade to help them do so well. I think my greenhouse would be better if it was in a shadier spot. Your Cannas are lovely colours and the sweet peas look so healthy with none of the mildew mine always seemed to have. I love the perfume from them. That was a brilliant idea for your OH to make the trough and your Geraniums are a picture in it. I bet a lot of people comment on it. My cramp was in my right leg. I said to OH 'imagine if you got it in both legs at the same time!!'

The PC says it is 26 degrees here now, but inside where it is much cooler the thermometer says 28 degrees so I shudder to think what it is outside.

The internet was off here a short while ago but it's back on now, so I think the men have finished laying the final cable. I noticed last night that the pavement where they were working must have been wide enough as they hadn't put up any traffic lights.

Hallo all

Just a quick post as, for various reasons, I have had to be on the computer a lot today and my head and eyes are both painful. I am not sure how much is due to my normal migraines and eye problems and how much is due to the heat and lack of sleep. I hope your OH's migraine has eased Annx and you don't have any more of those very painful cramps. That goes for you too Mandy - I hope you stay cramp-free.

I have received the pictures from both of you Mel and Mandy. Your jobs look like a lot of hard work Mel. I don't know how you can keep going for so long, especially in this heat, and going most of the day without food can't be good for you. I wish I had half your energy. Mandy, your flowers are lovely and the sweet peas look better than mine did last year. I decided not to bother with them this year.

It feels a little cooler indoors today but you don't want to venture outside. The weather app is telling me that it is 29 degrees here but feels like 35. Too hot for me and the fans are working overtime.

Afternoon all,

Phew hot hot hot today so we've kept inside in the cool .
Son and dil called in,its their wedding anniversary today so they were over the school doing a few jobs and then home for the rest of the day.

Gwyn that's the best thing to do keep in the cool and have plenty of drink .

Ann I had cramp to in the night mine was in the back of my left leg ,I was still awake at twelve o'clock not only had the cramp but fidgets in my knee , must drink more water today.
My little plastic greenhouse gets the sun most of the morning through the door as I roll it up but later it's shaded a bit by next doors fence ,the plastic isn't see-through so it does give a little shade.
Poor OH with these migraines, it must take him while to get off to sleep again especially in the heat .

Oh Anng that was a hot walk back from the hairdressers but your all done now ready for your holiday.

Sent a few pictures of some of my flowers ,the sweetpeas are now starting to flower and have a lovely perfume, the Geraniums were quite punny looking when i planted them but have come on they are three years old ,the red Cana is a couple of years old and the peach one is the new one I bought this year.

Back from hairdresser. No rain full sun so very hot walking. Not a lot of shade but it is done now 25 degrees so not a day to be outside. I wore a hat round but not coming home. I suspect your OH wishes he didn't go to watch the match in the sun now. hope his migraine is soon better.
Ouch that cramp sounds nasty, more water today then.

Afternoon All,

I got them Mel. That's a big Ash tree isn't it, but I must have missed why you want to cut it down. I suppose you need to keep the apple tree branches clear so BIL can mow underneath them. I would have to start at 6.00am and come back inside by mid morning to do that in this heat. I think there is less breeze here in the midlands though. I must get some cherries from the farm shop. I love the big black ones.

We didn't have a great night. OH went to a match yesterday evening and thinks the sun caused the migraine he had during the night and I had the absolute worst attack of cramp in my leg that I've ever had as I moved in bed to nip to the loo. Each tiny move I made seemed to make it worse and it seemed to last ages. My second toe felt as if a string was pulling on it!

I agree Gwyn and it sounds hotter where yu are as well. OH is catching up with his reports today and I am sorting some financial stuff and and throwing out some art magazines etc The recycling bin was emptied this morning, so some old jars of well expired food can be got rid of too. A nice easy day while it's hot. I have some cooked chicken thighs so lunch will be those with some salad.

I'm glad Colin is improving Mandy and I looked up those instruments which sound as if they will hopefully help his walking. I noticed there is one for knees too so will bear it in mind. Your homegrown beans and cues are doing well. Do you grow them where it's shady or in full sun? Your produce always seems to do better than mine.

I hope you have managed to avoid the shower going for your haircut AnnG. As you say we really need some rain now and I must do the pots I managed to plant that are now thriving.