General Chat

Hi everyone once again I must apologise for not coming on and leave a message after reading ones left Did have a bit of trouble with messages disappearing before being finished but think that was more down to me than technology
Not much been going on really , Hope everything is ok with everyone else.
Will be back during the day tomorrow to see how things are , take care
Brenda xx.

hi to all where Fred is very busy getting on with the radiator shields after cutting and shaping them to the required sizes ,i am now on to painting the wood to seal them before sticking the foil to the side which will reflect the heat back into the room.
I have ordered the rolls of double sided foam which will help to keep the foil in place ,helped of course by staples so that the shield dosn't loosen when they get hot.
The quote i got for the windows is very good ,as is the whole job build ,and i am now awaiting the form in the post ,without which the installer cannot order the materials to start building the frames. ;-).
Time to lift the onions and get them into the greenhouse to dry out and ripen ,but boy ,i have some biiiiig ones this year well over two pounds in weight.so i will make sure i get some of the same seeds for next season.
So cold here in the mornings now ,that the tomatoes are dying pretty early ,so it's as well i have had a good year for them ,despite the shorter season ,which has been a lot colder and wetter than the south of england.
Have to go now ,i have a treat for tea ,a lovely Golden Trout, which i know i will enjoy ,the wife being a fish hater will have to have a cauliflower cheese i am making up for her ,serves her right as well ,she dosn't know what's good for her ,lol :-).
Catch you later all ,take care ,Fred. :-D.

evening all. well Fred's as busy as ever, putting us all to shame with all his hard work.
Hope he enjoyed his trout .Made a lovely chilli con carne for tea, and have some left to freeze for David to have while we are away,

Have had some bad news about friends daughter who has died from cancer at an early age, of 55 My friend phoned her brother who lives in Ireland to tell him and he had to tell her that his daughter who was 48 had also died two weeks ago again from cancer, he did not want to tell my friend as he knew how ill her daughter was.
His daughter was ill but died unexpectedly.
\then to cap it all they have just learnt that another member of the family has been diagnosed with cancer as well!!
Makes my aches and pains seem trivial by comparison.!!

Hoping for some sunshine next week on my holidays.
Have a few more things to iron and pack.so better get on with it,
take care
Brenda xx

evening all. well Fred's as busy as ever, putting us all to shame with all his hard work.
Hope he enjoyed his trout .Made a lovely chilli con carne for tea, and have some left to freeze for David to have while we are away,

Have had some bad news about friends daughter who has died from cancer at an early age, of 55 My friend phoned her brother who lives in Ireland to tell him and he had to tell her that his daughter who was 48 had also died two weeks ago again from cancer, he did not want to tell my friend as he knew how ill her daughter was.
His daughter was ill but died unexpectedly.
\then to cap it all they have just learnt that another member of the family has been diagnosed with cancer as well!!
Makes my aches and pains seem trivial by comparison.!!

Hoping for some sunshine next week on my holidays.
Have a few more things to iron and pack.so better get on with it,
take care
Brenda xx

evening all. well Fred's as busy as ever, putting us all to shame with all his hard work.
Hope he enjoyed his trout .Made a lovely chilli con carne for tea, and have some left to freeze for David to have while we are away,

Have had some bad news about friends daughter who has died from cancer at an early age, of 55 My friend phoned her brother who lives in Ireland to tell him and he had to tell her that his daughter who was 48 had also died two weeks ago again from cancer, he did not want to tell my friend as he knew how ill her daughter was.
His daughter was ill but died unexpectedly.
\then to cap it all they have just learnt that another member of the family has been diagnosed with cancer as well!!
Makes my aches and pains seem trivial by comparison.!!

Hoping for some sunshine next week on my holidays.
Have a few more things to iron and pack.so better get on with it,
take care
Brenda xx

Hi everyone - an occasional look to see what's happening here. We have had a lot of wet weather and last weekend [20-22 Sept] was wet during the day with rain later in the evening. That particular weekend I was away with the family at a church event with the new General of the Salvation Army.
Aches and pains Brenda - I have that in my only good ankle I think I need to see my doctor at some stage about it other than that I am ok.
I hung out my washing and had to move it to the inside line due a heavy shower that seemed to be hanging around, forecasters says its clearing - as I type this its quite overcast and yes its raining again.
Take care
John

And a good morning to him ,lol,just happened to come to genes as i was updating my toshiba ,which seems to be poorly ,looks like the hard drive is on the way out ,which happens a lot with this make of computer.
I will take it into Curry's next week and have them put a new drive in ,plus more memory ,but will be telling them to make sure the hard drive they put in is not Toshiba ,and to put a larger on in while they are at it :-).
\well ,the big garden clean up has started ,all the troughs in the back cleaned out ready for the spring.the tattie bags covered in a large tarp' until i decide to use the tattie in them ,nearer Christmas i reckon ,as prices go up :-(.
\the bay tree ,now fully established is now out in the front garden in the circular border ,making more room in the back to spread the other bushes out ,noticed that i have loads of olives on the tree ,but they will be too small for use this year.the pear tree has one pear on that is of usable size.but i still have no figs at all ,but the tree is doing very well ,so there is hope for next year. :-D.
The apple has 14 lovely apples on ,which will land up in a pie no doubt ,to make up for the lack of plums this year ,lol,so if i want plum crumble ,it will be off to the market to buy some he he.
Wow ,i just got that Bay tree planted in time because the rain has started and so that's the end of the gardening for today.
I bet my grandson has just landed off the ferry and rain is welcoming him back home lol,he is on leave for 10 days :-D and will be chomping at the bit for a decent pint and pie before the next home game.
all my tests at the hospital were fine ,including the eyesight.and bloods ,so i am quite happy at that ,next is the flu jab at the end of this week .
The wife isn't doing too badly,as regards the breathing but isn't so lucky with her sight ,the cateracts in both eyes are spreading quickly and she will have to put up with failing sight until they ripen enough to remove :-(.
Well ,thats it for now folks ,time to sort some dinner out before the grandson gets here ,one of his favourites ,home made meat balls ,with spaghetti ,which he dosn't get at home ,his wife being Polish ,and the polish don't do pasta it seems .
Catch you later all ,take care ,Fred. :-D.

Evening all,just back today from 11nights in Ibiza , had a lovely time did not do much just had a really relaxing time.
The weather was fantastic and we all had a lovely tan, we did not normally bother wanting to look "tanned" but the weather being so hot we had to make sure we had the proper protection .
Now have to sort out the washing and then get it dried.!!
Have a few appointments over the next few weeks ,teeth eyes and doctors so that's a few days earmarked.
have a few social things on, a christening on Johns side his great niece , a friends
70th birthday and a get together with some former work mates,(didn't want to say old!!).
Will be back in a day or two when I have caught up with my work, Brenda xx

Evening all,just back today from 11nights in Ibiza , had a lovely time did not do much just had a really relaxing time.
The weather was fantastic and we all had a lovely tan, we did not normally bother wanting to look "tanned" but the weather being so hot we had to make sure we had the proper protection .
Now have to sort out the washing and then get it dried.!!
Have a few appointments over the next few weeks ,teeth eyes and doctors so that's a few days earmarked.
have a few social things on, a christening on Johns side his great niece , a friends
70th birthday and a get together with some former work mates,(didn't want to say old!!).
Will be back in a day or two when I have caught up with my work, Brenda xx

Evening all,just back today from 11nights in Ibiza , had a lovely time did not do much just had a really relaxing time.
The weather was fantastic and we all had a lovely tan, we did not normally bother wanting to look "tanned" but the weather being so hot we had to make sure we had the proper protection .
Now have to sort out the washing and then get it dried.!!
Have a few appointments over the next few weeks ,teeth eyes and doctors so that's a few days earmarked.
have a few social things on, a christening on Johns side his great niece , a friends
70th birthday and a get together with some former work mates,(didn't want to say old!!).
Will be back in a day or two when I have caught up with my work, Brenda xx

just noticed that my last message has been posted 3 times ,not sure what I did to do that .!!
Weather is getting very grey and colder down here not sure what it is like for anyone else. It has rained on some days and then we have had some great sunny bright days when it has not been as cold.
We have some painting to do in the next few weeks want it done before the next holiday as it will be to near Christmas when we get back and I want to get my carpets cleaned professionally..
David is still getting some tomatos from his couple plants, We have cooked them as they are a little hard but have been ok.
Hope everyone is ok and keeping well and happy.
Take care Brenda x

Good Morning to Brenda ,and anyone else who looks in,and yes Lass ,our tomatoes are about done too ,we have put them into newspaper and put them on the window sill to ripen.
It's now time to empty the greenhouse for the winter ,finishing off with a fumigator bomb to kill all the disease and bugs from the growing season.
The beans are are still hanging in ,but the next hard frost will see them die off but considering how late they [and everything else] was put in we have done very well this year.
The Bay tree is now in the front garden in the round border up near the top of the lawn ,where it will be fine ,it now being fully hardened.
My Olive tree is now showing some actual olives he he [too late was the cry],but it should be fine for next year. :-D.
My brassica has done very well ,the cabbage are now ready to use ,and the calabrese main heads long gone [yum] is now throwing side heads ,so we will be okay for a few weeks before we have to start buying again.
The potato sacks are now covered with a huge tarp,waiting until we have used the barrels out front first ,and all the soil from said bags will be stored in the tarp as we empty the bags ,so that i can reuse it next year after adding Dried sea weed and manure to it .
The grandson has been out and about a lot while he is on leave ,and will go back to Germany on Sunday afternnoon,catching the ferry from shields over to the continent,where he has another two years to serve before coming back to a home posting.
His C O is so pleased with him with his studying and work load that he has put Sean in for promotion to sargent 12 months ahead of time which is a bonus ,it adding to his pension pay out in three years time.
We are now awaiting word from the builders for a start day for our new doors and windows which will make the house a lot warmer ,and snug ,but in the meantime ,the reflectors behind the radiators that i made ,are working well and the house is already warmer by far with the heat being thorwn back into the rooms rather than going out through the walls. :-).
Doing wraps for the dinner today [one of Seans favourite meals] and will be doing a chicken dish with mash and veggies for our daughter when she comes for tea.
Off to do a bit of work now ,gatch you later peoples ,Fred. ;-).

HI Fred and any one else looking in, good to hear that all your hard work has paid you back with dividends.David was pleased with his first attempt at growing veggies but like John he says we need a green house. However where we would put it has always been the problem.!!!
Glad that your grandson is enjoying his leave and so pleased he is doing well in his career.
Bet he is loving having all his favourite foods cooked by you and Liz of course.
We had lots of different olives on the buffet at the hotel, John had some of them but I am a little "reserved" when it comes to things like that.
I am trying to make dishes for us with no or less meat and also using more fish.
some things have been ok but others haven't.
Bought some ink for the printer I got of you ,I have been getting the proper stuff but Sainsbury's had their own on offer so I thought I would try it. It was a lot cheaper Hope its ok/
Have finally managed to get my pictures from the camera on to the lap top/Just have to print some of and find out how to attach them to emails. They do not seem to have the same system.
Will send you a couple when I manage it.
Have a good weekend Take care
Brenda x

Morning to all ,from a ruddy cold north east of Blighty ,i even had to put me coat and hat on to go out to pick the calabrese for the dinner today ,brrrrrrr :-) which is ,two large fillets of Cod ,placed in cook bags with the herbs ,salt & pepper,tomatoes and veggies such as peas and french beans yum.
Don't see as a greenhouse is a must even in a small garden Brenda ,i know i have one for some tomatoes ,and for starting veggies sooner ,but you can buy a collapsible one ,weigh it down on the inside with paving slabs ,and use it to grow your seedlings in,and then collapse it and store as you put the veggies into their growing positions. ;-).
A lot of my tomatoes ,as the veggies [all of them] are grown in buckets and if you use the cherry variety ,they grow well ,and give lots of cherry size fruit ,sweet and firm ,just right for salads as well as cooking.
y actual growing space is no bigger than 6ft x12ft and i get loads of fruit and veg from it,not of course counting the urns and tubs growing fruits and herbs that are set on the paths around the garden front and rear,but more than enough to give variety ,and give me something to keep me interested ,lol :-D.
Still busy with the stripping down of the garden for the winter ,and ,i have the puters and car cameras to update ,and the dinner needs started,so i had better get the old butt in gear ,he he :-).
Catch you later people ,Fred. :-D.

Morning peoples ,where ever you are ,lol, from Newcastle in the wet and windy north. :-).
No chance of outside work today even though the trailer has gone off the drive ,away down south with the eldest son ,and partner ,no chance of us going away with a caravan in this weather ,collapsable or rigid ,he he ,i likes me comfort these days.
\at last ,the council have been in touch about the lift and bathroom ,and we have asked them to organise the contractor for us .
This has come at the right time too ,seeing as the wife's eyesight is failing and she will be needing help to get into the shower to her seat ,the bath ,at the moment being a big obsticle to both of us. ;-).
Anyway ,they ,and the contractor are coming out this week to get everything finalised [i hope] :-),so with any luck it will all be done by Christmas ,and it will be our best Christmas present ever.
The new portable fire has arrived ,both a gas fire and a halogen fire ,meaning ,no matter what with the power cuts ,i can at least keep the missus warm in the lounge until the power comes back on line. :-D.
I am going out back while the wind is low ,to pick all the apples off the tree ,and will spend some time this afternoon making apple pies ,a crumble and other goodies to put down in the freezer ,and will make up the sundried cheese and tomato bread while i am at it.
will take a pic of the little greenhouse when i put it up Brenda ,and give you some idea of the size,big enough to put 10 seed trays in to give you an earlier start in the garden,and collapsed and in the box ,it can be stored in the broom cupboard ,or in a shed.
y garden such as it is ,will be all change next year ,the potato sacks at the bottom next to the greenhouse and back fence ,all the other gear rearranged as needed.
need to be out front this week too ,the stump rooted carrots on the patio are ready to crop,one trough at a time i think,which will save us buying carrot for a few weeks at least.
Making a chicken sand leek dish for the dinner today with small roast tatties ,and some steamed veggies ,nice for a chilly day. :-).
Catch you later peoples ,take care all,Fred.

Hi one and all
Posts appearing several times - happened to me on here but I managed to delete them. Have just renewed membership for another year. Waiting for a bus to go shopping missed the earlier one.
The weather like elsewhere on this planet is forever changing with disasters thrown into the mix. The spring rains at times have a wintry bite with fall of snow in the mountain areas of the country. All we say is roll on summer and to expect high temperatures once again. The fires in Australia are terrible and weather forecasters say to expect some of the smoke cloud to drift over the Tasman Sea to New Zealand.
Catch up another time, John

Hi everyone I was sure I had done a reply to Fred's earlier message, but I have either sent it to outer space or intended to do it and did not.
Fred glad you are getting somewhere with your chair lift and having the bathroom done. hope like say its done for Christmas. I also hope Liz is doing ok.
We used to have a plastic green house ,in fact we have had two, one blew away
and the second was weighted down etc as you suggested .but somehow it was torn at the seams, David wants to try another next year ,but we will see if he still feels the same when it comes to it..
Nice to hear from you John ,hope your weather improves for you and you enjoy a good summer. we have had a real wintery day here in Northwest heavy rain very windy and the roads and pavements are strewn with leaves of all colours ,!!!
Not good for walking on ,very slippy.
Better get on with other emails
Take car e
Brend a xx

morning to Brenda ,John ,and anyone else who might look in :-).
Managed to get the garden battened down yesterday ,even the water barrels and their stands to prevent them flying about ,like they did the last time the October winds caught them ,lol,but the wind has only started picking up a little here ,and i hope it won't be as strong as it was earlier in the month.
I also got the apples picked this morning ,just in time i reckon ,as one had been blown off overnight and landed on top of one of the gas bottles,he he ,a little bruised but not too badly.
This is the first year the apples have been as they should be,and i had forgotten what type they were ,but i did have an inkling ,which turned to surity after i bit into the bruised one [my excuse ,and i am sticking to it ]they are Jonagold ,veeeeeery tasty ,yum,and i reckon some pies and crumbles are on the menu ,one thing is for sure ,no sugar will be needed at all.
We were hoping to get to the shops today for mini statements for the council people to peruse when they come ,but the darling son ordered a gas fire to be delivered here because he is on holiday grrrrrrr, the fire is well overdue and we can't really go anywhere until it arrives and is signed for,but if it dosn't arrive today ,we are doing the bank run in the morning ,and stuff his ruddy fire :-P,he can go and fetch it himself from the warehouse which is in south shields,lol.
Have to do a shoot ,the dinner is my chore today ,and i need to slit the legs from the breast of the chicken ,to make sure the heat penetrates the thighs ,otherwise they will undercook :-(.
Catch you later people ,take care in these winds ,Fred.xxx ;-).

Just a quick reply before I head back up to bed, been there once at just gone ten had a read for a while and just could not settle. So came down here had a hot drink and a little surfing on the lap top ..
Hope you get to the bank ok Fred and also enjoy the fruits of your labour with the apples.
You cook your chicken like we do ,making sure its all cooked.
Got two hospital appointments this week so had my wings clipped a bit ,but if John is not golfing tomorrow and will drop me of after the hospital ,depending how long I am there !!! I might get to see my mates for lunch ,
Weather was not bad here on Monday when you see what happened in other places.
Eyes are going now so I had better get back up stairs before they go altogether and I fall as sleep down here ,it has been known ,but I wouldn't want to drop the lap top like I did the book I was reading last time !!!
Take care ,hugs Brenda x

Morning to Brenda ,and anyone else who happens by,from a veeeeeeery windy Newcastle lol,been blowing a storm all night ,and has just this last half half hour started to drop a tad ,and i have just come back in doors ,after re tying the barrels ,but a different way.
Everything else out there has survived okay ,but two of the fruit trees look a little bedraggled to put it mildly,with the fig tree blushing after loosing all it's leaves overnight ,and is now butt naked ,he he :-).
Got the firm sorted out about the heating servicing ,after telling them that if they wern't out this next week ,i would not only complain to the gas regulatory body ,but they would also loose my custom waiting four weeks for service is unacceptable ,.got a phone call back within ten minutes to say the engineer would be here tomorrow morning :-|.
Yes ,pleased with the way things are going Brenda,we may have to wait until the new year to have the inside work done ,but at least ,we should have the windows and doors done by early December ,so the house should be nice and snug for Christmas,with no draughts coming in we won't know ourselves ,lol.
The email i sent to you via the net ,i sent to Dorothy as well ,but it bounced yet again ,it would seem she is having server trouble yet again,so pehaps ,if you phone her ,you could let her know that all is okay here ,and that i will try to email again mid week,we hasn't forgotten her ,lol.
time to go now ,and see to dinner ,now't posh ,a jacket tattie ,some meat out of the freezer and a small side salad,and for tea ,a mac' cheese ,and for the boss [the two legged one] a cauli ' cheese,yum.
Catch you later Fred. :-D xxx