General Chat

Linda from a suit to shorts and a t-shirt....that made me chuckle.
Well what a busy day daughter and I have had. We decided to clear all the weeds, thistles etc from inside the fence on our service rd. The council do not come and strim it at all and now some of the thistles are a foot tall.

So armed with long handled shears, large hand shears and a fan rake we set to work.
It was a misty murky day, small breeze and a little chilly but tha's ok for working outdoors. I managed to do a lot as holding the shears gave me a good balance and I could stop and start when I felt like it. Daughter raked every now & then and after an hour we stopped and went indoors for a drink.

My finger joints were aching so needed a break. In all there were 11 fence panels and we cleared 1 at a time until at the entrance to our rd, there were a group of large thistles which we chopped. We carried on until 3.30pm, took a step back and now it looks how it did when we moved here 2 years ago.

We actually both felt good for doing something useful for everyone and also getting fresh air and exercise.

My treat for tea was something naughty but nice. A large chip sandwich with lots of brown sauce and a summer fruit crumble with ice cream. Thoroughly enjoyed that treat.

So how was everyone elses day today? Can you get the sun back now up this way please?

Florence in the hebrides

It is very quiet here, they left at 11am. I have been tidying up and cleaning since then. I just have the last load of washing in the tumble dryer. I should have hung it out I suppose, but I can’t be bothered. I just want it out of the way quickly.

I have no idea what we are having for dinner tonight. I usually plan the meals for the week on a Monday, but as I want sure when they were going, I only did as far as last night. I will have a rummage in the freezer, I am sure we won’t starve.

OH went to a funeral this afternoon,just someone from his Probus group. He was very smart in his suit, but is now in the garden sunning himself in shorts and a tee shirt.

Afternoon all
Sun has eventually got up and is now shining away.

Linda I hope you are enjoying your 2 days to yourselves whatever you have decided to do and you can look forward to using that voucher another time.

I'm having a much quieter day here today after yesterday's mammoth computer session! We are just awaiting the arrival of Tesco which I hope isnt too far away as i am starving and want me goodies :-D

Chopped up some apples today that had been lurking in the fruit bowl for a few weeks and decided to give the birds a feed. So put all the bits in a bowl and headed out to the bottom part of back garden. Neighbours cat followed and when I threw some down he pounced on it except, he sniffed it and then walked away lol. I said well that's all there is take it or leave it haha

Got a line of washing out and the breeze is drying everything nicely. Electric bill for this month is well below the £100 as no heating, less oven cooking etc.

Hope you have a sunny day Joan and managing to get outside in your garden.

People in Skye are being asked to conserve their water else the wells will be running dry. Our local lochs water levels have dropped quite a bit in the last few weeks. So likewise we shall have to be extra careful and not waste any.

Have a lovely afternoon everyone

Florence in the hebrides :-D

You have had our good weather, it has been cloudy and chilly here for the last three days. It is supposed to be better tomorrow, we shall see.

We will be on our own for a couple of days from tomorrow as the others are going over to Liverpool for two nights to visit the girls other grandpa. He is ninety nine and not very with it, although he does have his good days, so hopefully he will be on good form this weekend

For Mother’s Day my daughter gave me a voucher for Sunday lunch at a swish hotel not far away. As they will be away, we wanted to use it this weekend, but of course they are fully booked. Never mind, it is valid until next year, so we will get to use it at some stage.

I am pleased you have your hot water back Joan. Over the years, we have had to replace a couple of hot water tanks, so last time we changed the boiler at the same time and opted for a combi boiler, which meant we could do away with the hot water tank.

Im getting Tesco delivered tomorrow...goodies here we come :-D :-D

Hello everyone.

Oh yesit is sooo good to have hot water once again, all seems well with new tank, it is very smart looking, really hoping this stainless steel one will not be affected by our well water in the same way as the copper ones are.
Since moving into our current house (1985) we have had 4 or maybe 5 hot water tanks replaced, the plumber came reccomended & he was very pleasant, arrived on time & got on with everything & very clean worker, just waiting for the bill now.

The day started off dull & a bit of a chilly breeze, the sun has just appeared but a bit late in the day for me, we have had a wee visitor to the garden for 2/3 days, a baby Hare, very cute but I would rather he moved on, there are plenty of fields & a wood all around our property, lol.
He hasn't touched my flowers/plants so that's goood.

I was out with daughter for the weekly shop this morning so the cupboards etc are filled once again.

Joan.

Good afternoon all

Joan so glad you got your new hot water tank all sorted, i had actually forgotten you were without hot water. Such a bother boiling kettles isn't it, but all back to normal now.

Well i spent most of the day from 10am until just now on the computer filling out forms to do with the sale of mums flat. oh my it went on & on. You have to answer questions about the history, repairs, neighbours. shared pathways and so on and on.

Plus I had to scan 14 sheets of various things for the Solicitor like. Probate, deeds, Plan of the land, roof repairs, insurance etc

I have finally finished it all thank goodness, my head is most def scrambled and if I was allowed to drink, a very large glass of Merlot would be very welcome lol

I seeing finally the sun has come out so I may pop outside for some fresh air and stretch me legs a much needed.

Sadly due to the sea mist and dampness, our special tea was enjoyed inside but we did enjoy it all and a few chicken wings left for tea tonight with some salad.

Hope everyone is having sunny weather elsewhere. Think wales was very warm and Ayrshire and then it went luke warm :-(

Florence in the hebrides

Hi to all.
Our weather was not so good first thing, not cold but a bit of a damp feel & rather dull, but since dinner time the sun is shining & it's really pleasant, very still which is a bonus.

Daughter came over so as to talk to the plumber should it be necessary, but all went well & we now have a new & rather smart looking HW tank in place.
All seems to be working properly & it's good to have hot water coming through the tap again after having none for about a week ( oil boiler playing up,so switched the hot water part off ) trying to wash the pots with a kettle full of hot water is a nightmare, lol.

Whilst daughter was here I roped her into sawing offf a few tree branches, unfortunately I couldn't reach them comfortably whereas daughter could, though they took some sawing through !!

Enjoy the sunshine etc Florence, but take care, & I hope everyone else is having some nice weather.

Joan.

Yay summer has arrived :-D :-D

Good morning all...just The sun is shining, it is warm well actually at the front very warm. A sea breeze at the back but thats keeping the midges away.

Daughter and I will have our Alfresco tea tonight as its 2 yrs ago today that we moved in to this lovely new house. Can't believe how much has happened in the last 2 years!
I'm making a dish of chinese chicken wings, onion bhajis and a bowl of salad with a few chips..should be tasty.

Joan your old bench sounds fab, you are really handy with a paint brush. Hope your daughter hurries with the straps and then you can enjoy your new seat and relax.

Linda, that app sounds really useful. if my dad would get a smart phone, he could have that app instead of describing the plant over the phone and expect me to know what it is :-S :-S

I have finished the ironing for today as my knee is pretty sore now, steroid injection not until the 12th so shall get some pain relief soon but until then, I have to do little and often with standing etc.

My roses are almost about to open on several plants and cant wait. I love seeing the garden spring into colour, looks so pretty.

A gentle afternoon tidying up and preparing our special tea for later.

Enjoy your day everyone, whatever you are doing and hope the sun is shining for you :-D :-D

Florence in the hebrides

I am glad that you finally have good weather and have been able to get out Joan. It was cold here yesterday and this morning, but the sun came out this afternoon. I went for a litter pick this afternoon and collected another bag full.

I have an app on my phone which immediately tells me what a plant is when I point it at the plant, it is very useful.

You sound rushed off your feet Florence, you seem to be kept busy most days doing one thing & another, I hope you manage to rest inbetween chores etc.

Our weather has certainly picked up these past few days sunny & warm & not too much wind, so I am pleased to say I have been outside quite a lot.
I shifted am old wooden bench yesterday from where it was to another spot, I was going to break it up but decided against that, as old as it is it is still sturdy & safe to sit on & so it got a lick of paint instead ( 2 coats) & it loooks great.

I have a lot of benches scattered around the garden so no excuse not to sit down at regular intervals when I am outside, LOL.
The new gliding seat is in place & just waiting for our daughter to attach some straps to the legs so that the wind won't blow it away,
I have tested it a few times & it's lovely to sit on.

I have had to water my new plants several times due to no rain for several days, I must say all the new plants are looking lovely & have put out a lot of flowers, the Roses are nice & bushy & budded, the Crocosmia have put in an appearance but their flowers will be a little while yet, the Potentillas are looking good & well flowered, our Red Poppy has shot up & there are 7 huge buds on it, it didn't do so well last year with just 1 flower so I am pleased to see it looking so good this year.

I am really pleased with how the main / our best part of the garden is looking at the moment.

Spotted a Roe Deer & her baby in the flield next to the house yesterday, not seen one in a while, such a lovely animal.
Hubby is not too bad, eating better at the moment thank goodness but not as much as he used to !

Got the plumber coming tomorrow to put in a new H W tank, I hope it doesn't take to long to do as the tank cupboard is in the bathroom & we only have the 1 toilet !!

Well I better go & make a start on hubbys tea, he's having a Bacon & Egg pie, he used to enjoy one of those so I'm hoping he will enjoy one today.

Hope everyone is having a nice day & all is well.

Joan.

Well sorry about dashing off but 2 phone calls and someone having a meltdown(no not me)
Honestly, just because i'm retired and home all day doesn't mean, i'm free to sort out everyone elses problems does it? I've sorted today, an electricity bill, a gas meter not taking readings, looking up plants online for someone which took ages and how to locate a phone that has been lost with a flat battery!

In between that, I have taken in two bins, fought off the midges, stripped and remade my bed, 2 loads of washing and I haven't had anything to eat yet or my shower :-(

Why do family members get so annoyed when you cant answer your phone because you are either in the bathroom or in the middle of doing something that prevents you from answering? They seem to think you are available 24/7 and never mind I do have a life too.

Gosh,I def need to get my shower to feel refreshed and then made a sandwich before I keel over and a good strong coffee too.

I mean, I spent ages looking up a ground cover plant for someone, then located a local garden centre where it could be purchased. person went and when they discovered the price refused to pay that much. So they told me they had gone online and found it a lot cheaper and its getting delivered in 2 days free of charge!!

So why couldn't they had done this themselves in the first place? Because they make out they are a lot busier than me and I have all this spare time.

Right rant over as I can feel me BP rising far too high.
Joan hope you and hubby are ok and your weather has enabled you to get in the garden.

AnnG, Just Ginnie and Linda, hope all's well with you all today.

Florence in the hebrides

Good morning all.
Well its a bit nippy outside but no wind so that can only mean one thing at this time of year.....Midges grrrr.

Daughter put out the bins late last night and came in saying the midges were bad and she had been bitten.

Thats the thing here you cant win. In summer no wind=midges.

No sign of the heat wave we were promised. Its misty out to sea so a chill in the air.

We were hoping to have tea alfresco but no chance of that.

Back later, sorry need to go.

We have several Face book groups here where you can give things away, ask for them or buy and sell things cheaply.
I have done quite well this week. The projectionists in the cinema want a bench making in the projection room, so I asked on the sites if anyone had an off cut of kitchen worktop we could have as we only needed 1.25 metres and if you buy it new, it only comes in much longer lengths. Someone did, so that was sorted.
I also got a really good office chair for free. My daughter is working from home in our study and we have a good chair, but now son in law is here more or less full time, he was using the good chair as he has a bad back and she was using a smaller one which came from Eves bedroom in London. It isn’t very good, so I was pleased to pick up this free chair to use until they finally move into their own house.

Well, we have found new homes for all 4 carpets :-D
Daughter advertised on a local group my neighbour told me about and FB and today, all the carpets are going to new homes.

So chuffed we have helped 3 people and they are not going to landfill and i dont have to pay to get them taken away.

Always feels good knowing that the person in need has been helped for free.

Florence in the hebrides

Years ago, when I lived in a "larger" household, yorkshire puddings were served with every roast not just beef as the kids loved them.

Once I changed the Sunday menu and made a chicken lasagne, oh my thought WW3 was going to break out! I, just fancied doing something different but the following Sunday, the usual roast was cooked else I would have had a riot on me hands lol

Well the hot pot is all ready and smells fab. I tasted a wee spoonful and its very tasty, have to say, although daughter isn't sure as its a new dish and she def doesnt like change. She may just eat a chicken breast and some sliced potato!

I just checked on the new" ice cream" but not quite set yet, another wee while yet.

Just realised, my computer says the temp here is 22 degrees :-D :-D :-D 12 morelike ;-)

Your strawberry experiment sounds nice Florence. It is really chilly here today, a huge change from yesterday. We normally have chicken dinner on Sunday as that is what Esme demands, but we are having a change, so are having tofu and mushroom pad Thai. It has lots of chilli in it, so Esme won’t have that. I have some cooked chicken breast, so I can knock her up a pretend chicken dinner in no time with just a frozen Yorkshire pud, peas and gravy, she doesn’t like mash, so won’t miss that

Afternoon chit chatters.

I hope you enjoyed your BBQ Linda and the girls sound like they had a lovely time in the pool and their mum too.

The wind has finally abated but still grey and gloomy here, however we ventured outside and gave the plants a good watering so that should keep them growing. I'm seeing some petunias have bloomed, purple ones and they look lovely.

I decided to christen my Hot Pot dish today and make a chicken hotpot. It took ages to heat up as it was so big so the veg although in small pieces took ages to soften.
Added stock and a tin of chopped tomatoes, some herbs, black pepper, Worcester sauce. I have now added 2 chicken breasts and transferred to the oven.

Will leave 3/4 hour before adding the sliced potato on top for another 45 minutes.

Cant wait to try it later.

As daughter bought a glut of things, I realised the strawberries were already going a bit soft but we decided to experiment. I had 3/4 tin of evaporated milk needing to be used so poured that into a blender with a load of chopped strawberries. Blended for a minute, poured into a plastic dish with a lid and its now in the freezer,.

Daughter also did one with a banana and some raspberries and lactose free milk.

Cant wait to see later what the concoctions will taste like.

A very different Sunday tea for a change.

Hope everyone having a peaceful, sunny Sunday.

Florence in the hebrides :-D

Well next week, we are promised a heatwave up here... watch this space lol

Pigs might fly too :-D :-D :-D

Your weather sounds dreadful Florence. It has been a lovely day here. It was really sunny this morning and was supposed to get up to 22 degrees, so we got the the paddling pool out. It is the type where an adult can lie down in it and the side come up to just below my knee.
We don’t have an outside tap, but have a hosepipe which attaches to the tap in the utility room.We filled it with hot water, so it was like a hot tub. Both girls have been in it for much of the day. When Esme went to have a rest in her bed, my daughter was stretched out in it reading a book.
The only problem is emptying the thing. It does have a plug in the bottom, but the weight of the water means it doesn’t run out. We get a couple of large buckets and pour most of the water on the plants in the borders

We decided to have a bbq, so it was nice to have spent most of the day in the garden.
The next couple of days are supposed to be cloudy and cooler, so I am pleased we made the most if today.