General Chat

Morning all well ,spring HAS arrived in the north east,Fred Has been working out back this morning trimming the fushia and a few roses at the back of the garden next to the hedge ,ready to get the first two screens up this morning.
I noticed that the apple tree is showing blossom [yippee] this means apples again this year yum,so all i need now is the plum tree to do ditto and i will be well happy.
I am off outside again now ,to sit with Hissy while i have my cuppa,before i restart.
The missus has beaten me to the lawn cutting ,by hanging the washing out ,grrrrrr ,lol, so that will have to wait until this afternoon ,so i may go into the greenhouse later ,and get it all tidied up ,and the growing benches organized ready for the off.
Catch you later this afternoon all,Fred.

Morning all,have a few errands to do today and some sorting out when I get home,I have to decide what is going in the new cabinet,and get them put away as they are in boxes in the dining room.
Weather is ok and is supposed to get better.
Hope you are all well ,See you tomorrow ,Take care ,brenda

evening folks,My friend and I had a lovelly day on friday ,the weather was really good,and we had a good few hours wondering round the market,I got a handbag from one of the little stalls they have up and down outside the shops and some chicken from the fish market. We had a lovelly lunch and cup of tea at Katsouris and then had another walk round while my friend looked for a few things ,which unfortunatly she did not find.,and had another cup of tea before we went home.We had a smashing night at my other friends,so we had a good day.Glad that you had a good visit Dorothyand hope your grandson is ok with the results from the MIR.
Fred you certainly do deserve a break fred and hopr the weather stays good for you.
Going for a bath now as I have been aching all over all day so will see what a soak does.
Brenda

Fred is still around,Dorothy,just rather busy in the garden ,and had company is all.
My garden veggie patch is now ready,and the greenhouse is cleaned out ready to go ,all i need now is the tattie barrels seen to and thats the lot for the new season.
With any sort of luck i can get the first grass cut done tomorrow ,and then i can start getting ready for our first break of the year ,which we need badly ,it's been a long ,hard winter.
Even the missus has given me a hand today ,cleaning the dead plants out of the tops of the four troughs we have out front,and trimmed off the dead wood off the big Mum in the urn which has just started throwing new shoots,a nice dressing of plant food on it and ,and tha'ts another job finished.
I am watching the unfolding story in Japan with trepidation ,the workers getting on top of the reactor fires okay ,but the poor people with little food ,and what they have being radio active ,seems the poor perishers can't win with this one ,and yuet still the possibility of yet another big quake lurking on the horizon,we in this country are indeed blessed.
Hope everyone has had a good weekend,mine was made even better by my son arriving last evening and fixing that front gate for me ,smashing now that there is no chance of getting loose dogs in my front ,and making a mess on my lawns,don't get me long peeps ,i love animals ,but only wish people would consider others ,and take their pets out on leads ,and clear up after them.
Be back tomorrow all ,Fred

goodmorning it seems ages since I was last on but I had isobelle staying with me since wednesday we had a good visit and overdosed on the tennis the final is to-day her son picked her up early this morning so I am back on my own again, she is having touble with the arthritis in both legs ie. her knee's so I managed to get her to rest while she was here. I see brenda that you were planning a busy day on friday so hope you had a good time with your friend and had a good visit in bury, is fred away or just busy. bryan goes on wednesday to get the results of the m.i.r. andrew is flying east this afternoon and I think that is all my news at the moment . I have been catching up on the bbc news the world seems to be in a right mess at the moment take care bye for now dorothy

Good afternoon from a chilly day here in Manchester,started out ok but the sun thought it was a wee bit cold yet and went in again,It was trying to rain at about one oclock but was only drizzle really.Had to take the vacuum apart this morning well John did as it had got blocked,you should have seen the small piece of plastic that had been sucked up and caused so much trouble???
Had a good day with my sister yesterday ,she got a great outfit for the wedding,so is a happy bunny....
Going out tonight with some old work friends ,we try to meet up a few times each year but do not always manage it due to varying reasons,normally to do with their children...Hope we manage ity tonight ,really looking forward to it.
Have a busy day tomorrow as my friend will hopefully get down this time from Stockport so we can meet on the tram to Bury.,She will come back here for tea as in the evening we are meeting our other friends at one of their houses,and seeing as its only 5 mins from here its silly for her to go all the way home and come back again,!!!!!!
Hope you are all keeping well,take care ,Brenda

Morning folks,bit cloudy and grey here today,not the weather to sit out with your cuppa Fred.
Hope it stays dry as I am out with my sister later ,she wants an outfit for a family wedding next month,and i am helping her look.
The unit/bookshelves we bought the other week has been delivered really early 9.10am so i do not have to wait in like I was expecting!!
Hope you all have a good day ,be back soon,Take care ,Brenda

Afternoon all,its been a great day here today ,got some errands done and some housework ,then had a cup of coffee and finished my library book.
Glad you found the tennis Dorothy and enjoyed it.
I have never had much luck with snowdrops they just dia pear in our garden ,even in tubs ,we do have some crocus coming up.
Well Fred not much longer now till your holidays!!looking forward to seeing you both
better get tea finished now Brenda

Morning all ,,the virus warning you passed on Brenda ,i have now checked on ,and can say it is yet another spoof ,but as you said ,better safe than sorry,and i did pass it on just in case it was real.
What a complete reversal here this morning he he ,damp ,misty ,drizzling,and completely yuk, lol. def' a stay indoors morning.
I have just taken two large pieces of cod loin out of the freezer for the dinner [or maybe tea] which i will cook up in a home made Parsley sauce ,a tad of pepper,and a few peas ,put in a dish ,to top with creamed mash potato before shoving in the mice ,and nuked for thirty minutes .
I thought that something simple and fat free was in order after yesterdays repast ,which was lovely none the less.
After seeing Brenda's mention of fish yesterday ,Fred makes a mental note to add some sweetcorn to the mix,can't be bad that ,peas and sweetcorn go together nicely. yum.
The lonely snowdrop sounds about right Dorothy i put loads in last September,along with dozens of mixed crocus,and only one snowdrop has come up,and all the crocus are blue , grrrrr,still they do look nice ,and my dwarf daffs are coming out too,and ,at last i have bluebell coming up ,which i thought i had lost again,so things are looking up.
Not very keen on the tennis this early in the year ,but i will be watching a good bit of the rugby later today our local team getting revenge on the Harlequins after three years he he ,must remember to send a note to Strump to rub it in ,he he,but i bet we will get OUR butts kicked again ,next time the teams meet later on in the season.
Off to do some work now ,this housework is never ending this time of year with this plurry pusser cat leaving paw prints all over the floor.but she takes no ruddy notice when i tell her to wipe her paws ,sigh.
Catch you later all,Fred.

hi its monday evening glad you all seem to be having some nice weather isobelle phoned me to-day to say at long last one of tesco's bulbs ie the snowdrops she suggled a few years ago has raised its head through the snow she is very pleased . but the others areas till buried, 0h yes yesterday I found the tennis on from indian wells at about 4-15 it was not advertised anywhere but it was still on at 11-45 so I had a good evening of viewing to-day the sun was shining and it was a titch warmer I had all the windows open and it smelt so good, things in japan seem to go from bad to worse one can only hope they do not get hit again bye for now dorothy

hi its monday evening glad you all seem to be having some nice weather isobelle phoned me to-day to say at long last one of tesco's bulbs ie the snowdrops she suggled a few years ago has raised its head through the snow she is very pleased . but the others areas till buried, 0h yes yesterday I found the tennis on from indian wells at about 4-15 it was not advertised anywhere but it was still on at 11-45 so I had a good evening of viewing to-day the sun was shining and it was a titch warmer I had all the windows open and it smelt so good, things in japan seem to go from bad to worse one can only hope they do not get hit again bye for now dorothy

Hi everyone,had a lovelly day weatherwise and got some jobs done in the house,was going out with my friend but we changed our plans as she had to wait in for someone coming about her leak.So had another lazy afternoon,and smelt the coffe Fred.Havibgan easy tea oven fish from Aldi and new potatos and sweetcorn.See you all tomorrow.Brenda

afternoon all,well Fred has had his first real sit in the garden with the sidekick ,lol,two whole hours sitting in the sun ,warmth on the face and arms,beutiful ,the cat was going mad because the patio door was open for the first time since last October.
Did a little shopping this morning,and got another weeks supplies in,no special cheese, but i did find a nice tea of chicken sweet and sour ,and chicken in black bean sauce,with four spring rolls ,egg fried rice ,and prawn crackers ,complete with two Naan breads,for £4.88,our treat for the week.
specials too on most veggies so we have enough stuff now to do a couple of other soups,for east teas.
Glad to hear that the car passed it's examination okay Dorothy ,you must have been well pleased over that ,no more worries for another year for you as regards transport.
The situation gets worse by the hour in Japan,and now the reactors seem to be an ace from going out of control,,time they were shut down all over the world ,coal is so clean and plentiful ,a far cry from what it was thirty years ago,and just think of the jobs that would be available ,miners ,power plant operators construction workers,and railway jobs ,enough to do away with all the people in dole queues ,and no radiation to worry about,and a far less reliance on oil,makes sense dosn't it ? .what with wind power ,wave power and solar energy we don't need nuclear power at all.
Hope everyone s going to have a nice week,and you take it easy Brenda ,he he ,you may be retired but you are still doing too much leg work as you shop and do house/garden work, time to slow down and smell more coffee ,or tea,Know what i mean 'arry..?
Catch you all later ,Fred.

Evening all,had a lazy day really just cooked ,breakfast and lunch and having sandwiches and freshfruit salad for tea.should have done a bit of house work but felt really tired for some reason.Glad you enjoyed your girls night Dorothy.
See you all tomorrow.Take care ,Brenda

good sunday morning sorry your friend had to cancel brenda but you and john sound like you had a nice time, that cheese is actually quite good but I only find it over here at christmas time for some reason, great that the car passed its m.o.t. my lience has to be renewed in may but this year I don't need the emissions test once every 2 yrs for that, still strange weather it wanders between snow and rain, went out last evening for a while for a meal with lindy and laura(just the females) the boys and andrew went to toronto he had tickets for the hockey game toronto needed a win to stay in the chase for a play off position and they did win a few more games to go to cinch the deal I am sure the boys were pleased. sleepy this am the hour ahead does make a bit of a differance but will be ok to=-morrowtake care bye dorothy

Evening all,Hope your grandson is ok with the MIR tomorrow \Dorothy.Must be worrying when medical things are so dear,as bad as it it sometimes the NHS is still ok.
My friend text me on Friday morning as cancel going to Bury,She had a leak from hertank in the Airing cupboard. And had phoned a plumber so was waiting for hime to turn up between 10am and 12pm I went to the Lowry instead to return something to M&S which I had bought last week and was wrong size.
Went to Bury today with John ,had a little walk round but did not get much just some meat and chicken from the fish market.Had a look at the cheese stall,and saw a cheese with Guinness in it !!It did not look very good and I was not even tempted.!!!
Saw a handbag I liked ,so might go back next week to get that.!!as we have a wedding next month.Also saw some great bedding ,but we are ok for duvet covers ,.
Glad you are getting your garden sorted Fred,and that you are keeping your furry friend happy!!Hope the weather stays ok for you .and you get to enjoy more cuppas in the garden.
I did enjoy the meal out the other day but they play havoc with my diet,so will have to watch what i have ,
By the way the car passed the mot.but I was told a few jobs need doing in the next month or so,not sure if I have told you that before.
The news from Japan is not good at all,what and where will be next !!
Going for my fruit now see you tomorrow and hope you all enjoy your weekend.Brenda
Since we decorated,we have been having a move round with some furniture,but ended up back as we started!! long story to explain but we now have a new bookcase/display cabinet coming on Wednesday,for the living room.

hi fred bubble and squeek sounds good even if its only 9am here snowed all morning yesterday and then rained the afternoon and evening, yes mother nature is mad at the world I think the pictures from japan are shocking and so sad but to-day we are to have a break no snow in the morning to start again in the late afternoon so I shall rush out to the library 5 books in for me and do a bit of shopping and then straight back home, bryan has his m.i.r sunday evening around 11-30 pm he lucked into a cancallation so we are all happy about that the tennis is not on the tele till thursday though it was supposed to be televised from the 10th on so not pleased about that, to-night I have to remember to put the clocks one hour ahead glad to see that your garden is not hit by snow bye for now dorothy

Morning troops,and what a jolly morning [not],wet a little breezy ,but at least we are snow free up here ,and the gales have gone.
Looks like us peeps over this side of the big pond are the lucky ones,quakes in Japan,China,Volcanoes in other areas near America ,all in the golden triangle ,it looks as though someone ,or something has really upset mother nature big style.
Bad weather stops play here ,but the garden is well under way ,so i ain't doin' too badly,i even got my cuppa out back early yesterday ,with puddy tat sat under my chair looking smug after she coerced me to sit outside with her.
She had a nice piece of fish for tea last night ,best cod at that ,and it showed ,her having one of her mad half hours as i drew the curtains for the night,mock attacks on the boss around the curtains as i walked past the window sill,followed by thundering up and down the stairs ,tail up and ears laid back,am i glad she was just playing ,i reckon she could do a fair amount of damage to my arms if she got riled up.
We are having a couple of slices of streaky bacon with an egg ,and bubble and squeek for dinner ,more squeek than bubble but that way ,i can listen to it cooking .lol.plenty of soups for tea soa lazy day for cooking,lol.
hope every one is having a good weekend,catch you all later Fred

hi brenda it sounds like you had a good day out and the lunch sounds great have fun on friday when you meet your friend in bury (green with envy) stayed in yesterday (wed) as it snowed all day and then to-day it is pouring rain but it will clean up some of the old snow, Bryan saw the specialist again yesterday and has to have a m.i.r he suspects that there may be a tear in either the m.c.l or the p.c.l so we shall wait and see he still has a brace on and his crutches both mom and dad take turns driving him to and from school to avoid any more falls on the ice and snow, if it ends up being something that will heal on its own over time he will be using another kind of brace a bit pricey this 1380 dollars about 700 pounds good job andrew has good health insurance as it will cover some of the cost and the rest he can claim on his income tax next year, he has to fly down east for a couple of days around the 21st as his company is closing a dept, so about 6 people will be let go but as he said most are near retirement age and the package is good along with a good pension he is not involved with this dept but for some reason they are asking him to pass on the bad news I told him it is never easy I remember having to give the news to 200 yes 200 people in all depts at the hospital when the govenment made changes in health care and it did not go well I had police protection at a couple of the meetings I had with men who made awful threats, no wonder I ended up with high blood pressure. as for hair colour brenda every now and then Ian asks me are you ever going to put that stuff back on your hair grandma I take it my white hair is not a hit with him ever the diplomat he does follow that up by saying I like your haircut . so one out of two is not bad bye for now dorothy

Morning all,its still really windy here but the sun keeps trying to peep througth!!!Car has gone in for the MOT ,just hope all is ok with no work to be done.
Might get chance to put a colour on my hair tonight as its looking really tatty at the minute.!!
Have a few emails to reply to,and some ironing to do so better get going ,hope you are all ok and keeping happy.take care brenda