Hobbies and Crafts

Hello all

Bright and dry but chilly and very seasonal this morning. I have been and cleaned out and refilled the bird baths, I hope the pigeons don't poo in there as they often do.

Ann, are you and OH back home yet? You will find a drop in temperature after Lanzarote. I hope the strong winds while you have been away haven't caused too much damage to your garden.

Vera, the asters look lovely! You and OH sound to have had a good day out. The nights are definitely getting colder. You will be pleased to have your mini green house to shelter tender plants. A few brownie points for your OH fixing it securely.

Gillx, your OH must be fed up of scraping the ceiling by now, not the easiest of jobs to be doing and messy too I would have thought. Sandra is enjoying her TV programmes. I have lots of programmes that I have recorded but just no interest in watching anymore. I am seriously thinking of deleting a lot of them.

I bought the garden compost and nearly all the bulbs are planted out. Just few daffs, tulips and anenomies left which will all go in a large tub that I have in the back garden. Lots of colourful Spring flowers back and front to cheer me up early 2019.

OH gave up on scraping the bathroom ceiling Kandj, so it's been filled and sanded. If he'd of carried on, because of the state of the ceiling, it would of needed plastering so he thought it best not to go any further. The problem with the sanding is all the dust. I've just finished hoovering and polishing as you could write your name in the dust. It'll need doing again next time it's sanded, but hopefully with there only being a small amount left to do it won't take as long to do.

Not a bad day weather wise for gardening, I see you have bought your compost and made a start on your bulbs, it's going to look lovely next year. I think we've all had the same idea, I finished planting my bulbs last week before all the bad weather started, I'm so pleased I did it then as it's quite nippy out there now. At least it's dry and the wind has gone, so I'm thankful for that.

Yes, Sandra is enjoying her programmes, we are both into the Circle at the moment. At first we thought it was going to be silly, but it's actually really good. I do need to watch Big Brother with her from last night though, before it's back on again tonight.

I'm quite dusty so I'm off for a bath then we'll watch it together before dinner. I had to delete a lot of my programmes with being so busy, I just didn't have the time to watch them. I don't think my Sky system has a very big hard drive on it, so it fills up very quickly. Never mind so long as Sandra has her programmes that's the main thing.

We have just got home this evening. Flight was on time and we cleared passport control quickly and amazingly the luggage was off quickly as well. Tomorrow will be washing and shopping for food. Not seen the garden as it is dark but our neighbour says there is no damage.

Welcome home Ann, it sounds like you got through the airport quickly. That's the problem with going away, all the washing and ironing when you return home. Hope your neighbour's right and your garden survived the bad weather.

Good afternoon Gill. Just back from Tesco shop and one load of washing now in, just about to finish unpacking the case.

Garden looks fine, very autumnal but no damage and fuschias and Dahlias among others flowering really well One thing that still looks really good is a large red Coleus, must make a not of it and grow it again next year. haven't had time to do any tidying up out there yet but we will get around to it soon.

That's good news about your garden Ann, you must of been a bit worried when we told you about the bad weather. It's lovely and sunny here today and warm with it, with a slight breeze. I've just watered my plants in the greenhouse as it's quite hot in there and I don't want them to dry out. If you have the same weather as us your washing will be dry in no time.

I've just Googled your Coleus, as I didn't recognise the name, I have seen them before but didn't know what they were called. They are a lovely plant, pleased to hear yours is doing well, good idea to buy another one. My fuchsias are doing well too. Your garden sounds lovely and colourful.

I tend to buy more than one of the same plant if it does well, I find it looks nice if it's repeated a few times throughout the borders.

I've just finished the last of the filler on the bathroom ceiling so it'll need sanding smooth in a day or two, then OH can paint it and that job will be out of the way. He's out today so it'll be a nice surprise for him when he comes home. We'll then move onto the kitchen. We put a new one in a few months ago but got distracted with the gardening, especially creating a new front garden, so the draw fronts were never finished. I'd like to finish off all the small jobs before the winter sets in.

I think OH will be cutting the lawns later while the good weather's here. They could do with a cut as they're looking a bit shabby after all the rain we've had. This week is going to be good, weather wise, so you'll be able to tidy up your garden Ann. I've done all my deadheading and when I looked this morning nothing more needs doing at the moment and I've got rid of all the weeds.......well for now anyway ;-)

That's ok then Gill, you could come and start on mine now while I finish the washing. I don't hang it out, too many years of doing that I find it less tiring to use the tumble drier. :-D

I love gardening and really miss being out there doing jobs. I've just ran out of things to do.
I would love to do your garden Ann, it would be a pleasure to wander around it and do a few jobs, it's beautiful. Pity I live so far away.

I don't always use my washing line as I find if I only have a small amount of washing it's much quicker to pop it in the dryer. I do put large items outside, like the bedding etc... I like the smell of washing dried on the line. Of course that's not possible if it's raining.

Are you all unpacked now? Hope all your washing is nearly done. You'll be glad of a sit down. Thank goodness for automatic washing machines :-D :-D ;-)

It's gone lovely and warm now, I've just been sitting outside watching the birds. We did have squirrels in our garden, one in particular with a deformed arm, but we haven't seen them for ages now and think maybe they have moved on. Our neighbours have had trees taken down so they may have lost their home. The one with the funny arm I named "Rosie", she became so tame and would come to call when I went outside to feed her....I do miss her and often wondered what happened and why she no longer visits our garden. I had been feeding her for almost 10 years, she was such a character. I've got a photo of her when she jumped up onto our living room windowsill. She used to do that if I didn't notice her in the garden and she wanted feeding.....like I said, she was such a character.

That squirrel sounds a charcter gill, shame she has disappeared maybe she was quite old so died, or maybe, as you say, their home was removed.

Unpacking is done but some of the stuff is still sitting waiting for a home! It will get done eventually. Two loads of washing done fourth drier load in now. Most of it didn't need ironing when it had been through the drier (another reason for not line drying). the ironing will be done by OH tomorrow.

Welcome back Ann. You've timed it just right and got some good weather, at least I hope it is good where you are. A warm, sunny day here.

Isn't it funny how we all have different ideas and likes/dislikes. I much prefer to dry stuff on the line (except towels) and find clothes crease less than in the tumble dryer. I do hang things very carefully as I am not a fan of ironing and do as little as possible.

I had other things to do for much of the day but I did get outside for an hour or so and did a lot of dead heading and tidying up while OH at long last finished painting the fence.

We have new neighbours who moved in over the weekend. I haven't met them yet though OH has met the man. I must make the effort to knock and introduce myself. Today there has been a lot of banging and hammering from their garden so I am intrigued to know what they are doing. I had a crafty peek out of an upstairs window a short while ago and there is a short ladder against their shed but no sign of anything else. Perhaps the chap was putting together something for indoors.

Gill, your squirrel sounds a real character :-D We don't see them much round here but we used to get them in the garden of our old house. There was a very big, old walnut tree next door and they used to bury loads of the walnuts in our garden and then forget to come back for them. OH used to get very fed up constantly pulling up little saplings where the nuts had germinated.

Vera maybe it depends on the drier. I have to say I have been very pleased with mine as it rarely creases anything.

Pleased that your fence is now finished well done OH I expect he is pleased as well.

Hope your new neighbours turn out to be nice. Always a gamble isn’t it?

Ann. I'm pleased that you and OH are back safely and not had too much damage in your garden from the strong gales force winds we had whilst you were away.

Vera, I painted the garden fence earlier. It took me a long time but looks better now.
I hope your new neighbours will be friendly, it makes such a difference I think.

Gill, I wouldn't like squirrels in the garden. I am a real wuss, .I don't like birds that fly out of trees near to me or furry creatures and definitely NOT MICE, as others know

Lots of bulbs planted again this year to give colour to the border and several tubs next Springtime. My hard work reseeding the dead patches on both lawns has been rewarded too as the back and front grass is looking as good as new again now.

Oh good news about your lawn Kandj so pleased your hard work paid off.

I've put a picture up of Rosie the squirrel who used to come to our garden. This was taken when she was on our living room window sill.......bless her.

Pleased to see your OH has finished the painting now Vera. I bet it looks really good. I wonder what your new neighbours are doing, I'm sure you'll know soon. Hope they are nice people and you don't end up with anyone grumpy, we have a Mr Grumpy next door to us and it's not pleasant. You're not on your own though as the neighbour on the other side of us has had to go into a home so her place has just sold and we've been told they are having an extension built, so fun and games for us soon....not.

I'm like you Ann when I use my dryer and it doesn't make creases unless I leave things in for to long, so it really cuts down on the ironing. It doesn't have the same smell as drying it on the line though, which is quite a nice smell I think. You're lucky your OH does the ironing, I think my OH is allergic to the iron LOL.

I'm okay with most furry things in the garden Kandj, although Rats are another thing altogether, I am terrified of them and run away like a child. I'm so pleased your grass is back to normal now after all your hard work and now you've done some painting.......you have been busy. :-)

Aaw Gill, cute.

My OH retired before I did so took over some of the housework and all the ironing. He just continued doing it, he was in the RN so used to ironing his own shirts etc. On the other hand he doesn’t cook except maybe a fry up or a curry occasionally.

You are lucky Ann, although my OH does some of the heavy gardening and a bit of DIY he doesn't do much around the house as regards housework. He does cook sometimes, so I suppose it's not all bad, but ironing is definite no no.

I don’t think my OH would know which way up to hold an iron, though he does vacuum if I ask. Doesn’t think to do it without me asking. He also cooks from time to time.

I am missing all the good gardening weather. We were out all Thursday. Yesterday I was at a birthday lunch and not back till 5 and today we are just off for an overnight stay with OH’s sister. I hope the weather stays good next week so I can get some jobs done.

Yesterday I came back to find OH had repainted a wrought iron side gate with black metal paint which has improved the look, but he has run out of black now and plans to paint the other one with some green paint he has. I’m not at all sure about this but the two gates can’t be seen at the same time so it might be OK. I’ve told him he can do it as long as he realises he will have to repaint it black if I don’t like it ;-)

Yes, I'm missing the gardening weather to Vera, it's very overcast and cold today. With not having much rain lately OH has just finished watering all our plants, they were quite dry and were desperate for a drink, so that's all out of the way now. That reminds me I haven't watered the plants in the greenhouse so must do that in a minute.

So your OH has been busy painting gates now, I did smile when you said if you didn't like it in green it'll need re-painting in black to match the other one. Did you like the green or has it changed colour now?

Hope you had a nice time away and the weather was okay for the journey.

No Ann for a couple of days, hope everything is okay with her.

sorry. Sorry!! I am fine, just too many other things going on, was out most of Friday and Out almost all Saturday and don't often come on here weekend evenings.

Just been to a garden centre to catch up with winter stuff and spent £50 on bulbs, plants for winter pots - mainly grasses and sedums etc, and violas, also for winter pots. Now I need the sun to come back so I can plant them. It is very grey and cold here today.

Vera hope the green worked, depends what shade of green really and if it was metal paint. Hope you enjoyed your overnight stay.

Gill you will be getting cabin fever if you can't get out in the garden!
I haven't forgaotten that I promised some card making bits for Sandra, give me a few more days to get sorted.:-D :-D

I read the posts out sometimes to my husband and daughter and was reading your last post Ann, luckily I stopped reading it out when I realised what you said about the card stuff for Sandra, so she still doesn't know. I've told my OH so he can keep an eye out for it arriving, he'll then pop it in the car until Sandra is safely out of the way so it can be brought in as a lovely surprise for her.

You're probably right about me getting cabin fever ;-) ;-) We never got around to making the planter in the end as the weather turned very wet and windy and now it's really cold, so that's been put on hold until probably next year. I think it might of been to cold to plant it up as the nights are really cold here, so it would of stood empty until next year anyway.

I'm pleased to see you're okay. I've been busy these last few days helping OH sort out the bathroom ceiling, it just needs the painting finished off so he's doing that today, then we'll finish off the kitchen. We put a new one in a few months back but got distracted with the gardens so still have four draw fronts to put on, then I think I might change the handles as we used the old ones and they're not very good anymore.

I'm going to take another look at my "Allen" family this afternoon. I thought I might put a few names into a search engine to see if anyone else has the same brick walls as me, you never know someone might have broken a few of them down. I managed to do another part of my tree the other day so that's a bit more done.

Going to check on the roast, we're eating early today so we can get everything out of the way before the F1 race comes on. OH wants to finish the painting so it'll give him a bit more time without having to stop again. I'm trying my best to avoid the news so I don't hear the results of the F1 as it's only the highlights this weekend.

Oh, meant to say Ann, do you have a greenhouse, you could sit in there out of the cold to pot up your bulbs? Its sounds like you have lots of work still to do. When I did the last of my bulbs it was quite windy so I did mine in the greenhouse and it was much better. My Sedums are a lovely purple pink at the moment. My mum called around the other day and said how nice they were looking. It's nice to have a bit of colour when everything else is starting to die back isn't it? It sounds like you're going to have a colourful winter garden too. <3