General Chat

Morning everyone.
Your pie sounds great, Mel and perhaps something Stu would not make, so all the more pleasing to him.

AnnG, That sounds a good plan for today's jobs.
I did notice on the TV weather map, that your area is likely to be hit by heavy rain, so I think it's just as well you have plenty to do indoors.
I will probably be doing just the same jobs in preparation for a family meet, when we exchange cards and small presents, when we meet for a pre-Christmas meal together in Hampshire soon.

Hoping that Vera's op. went well and she is having a chance to rest.

Keep safe from 'Claudia' everyone <3

Morning Anng and all,

The pie was great last night and Stu thourgherly enjoyed it and so did I you can't beat a homemade pie. Poor chap is still suffering with his back so I sent him home with heat patches to stick on during the day and told him touse a hot water bottle at night.
Whether he will do it or not is another matter.

Its 13 degrees here and pc says light rain but its been raining in the night so everywhere is wet wet wet.

Good morning all, no two days alike here, yesterday morning bright and sunny and temp up to 14 degrees, this morning dark and very wet and 11 degrees.

Jake is coming to offload stuff into the garage (which is mostly empty) in preparation of when they can start on the roof next week.
Otherwise I think I will wrap a few presents and write a few cards. I do have a wash load in so that is a start on a bit of H/W :-(

Do hope that Vera is OK after her op and that it all went off OK. I expect we may not hear for a few days.
Mel how was the pie. I do like a nice pie.

I have just been watching Talking pictures about Tichard Burton. Loved him when I was younger. I didn’t realise he was only 58 when he died.

Also started writing my Christmas cards. And I realise I am five people. Signing cards as, Mum, Ann, Nana, great Nana and Aunty Ann. Sometimes have to stop and think before I write.

I was lucky with the weather dry so the 20 minute wait for the 94 which turned out to be a 95 didn’t matter that there is no shelter.

I organised myself so that I was quite early so wandered round the shop.

It was basically to re tube my main aid but the. Took most of my spare one off me as you are not allowed to have four aids. He did leave me with the ear moulds which could be useful I suppose but now like having a reserve. Anyway he was very thorough and only doing his job. He suggested another hearing test which he will organise for about 8/weeks but made note of when I am away for Christmas and new year. (18th December to 5 January.). He also promised to arrange the hearing test for earlier in the day, so hope he does that. He remarked that he knew that I. An only get to GRH so that must now be on my records. Wish ENT and Dermatology were as aware.

I came out at 4.15 and it was twilight. A very good not too long walk via the very smart well lit and safe feeling tunnel to the bus hub. But then the bus was late so had about two bus loads of passengers crammed in with people standing. Bus driver just waved as all on just showing passes, then suddenly cursed and raced upstairs after two young boys who obviously sneaked on with no passes, and got them back down to pay. The main queue had already blocked this little gang from sneaking in ahead of the queue from the side with men pushing all us females forward and blocking them. We had been waiting a lot longer than them of course, By the time I got off the bus it was pitch black but it is only a short walk and I had put a torch in to light the path in My road.

I used to be given a bunch of 4 of the big white ball Chrysanths at Christmas Mel. The do last ages as you say Mandy. I remember they had paper bags covering the flowers till they were ready to cut. I can still smell them now with that distinctive smell. That was a good way to grow some potatoes from the peelings. I remember first MIL telling me that in WW1 everyone in the road kept a pig and, each time one was slaughtered, the whole street would have it shared between them. Good idea to do an easy meal for yourself for tomorrow too.

Yes I was reading about the frosts Mandy and reminded OH we haven't covered the outside tap yet. You've done a marathon making three of the blankets, so I bet it will be nice to make something else next once you have finished the remaining 12 squares! It will be nice to see what the other ones in the different colours look like once you have finished them.

I hope Vera is resting at home now and that AnnG is home again with her hearing aids working properly again.

I need to clear the worktop under the boiler for the service to be done in the morning now and then to bed, so night night and sleep tight everyone.

I like those big Chrysanthemums my sisters neighbour use to have them on his allotment and in his greenhouse and sell them in big bunches outside his house ,they use to last in the vase for ages .

Ann I have 11 more squares to do for Chelsea's blanket ,I have to say I'll be glad to get onto something else after all these squares ,with Lacey's when I laid them out on the bed to get the colours in place I realised I was one short, I'd done 12 of each in the four colours then realised i needed one more as its 7 squares by seven so I need 49 .

Mel I suppose as long as the peelings had an eye they would grow and in war time they were grateful for what ever they could grow.

Hope Anng is OK coming home in the dark .

Annx it was'nt Schizanthus they are Kaffir Lily I think and their name is Schizostylis something. My grandfather grew Schizanthus and geraniums and the mop head Chrysanthemums and toms in his little greenhouse. He used to come to dinner on a Wednesday and when I was working with mum I would go and pick him up and he would have a big bunch of Chrisanths for mum every week. They always went on the hall table. He also had an allotment and mum told me in the war he grew potatoes from peelings.

Had a good clear up and got the meat cooked for the pie pots peeled and hoovered the kitchen and clean the table. Just going to have a cuppa and then wsh up and I should be all ready to start dinner for 7pm. I am going to put a big jacket tato in the oven that I can stuff for dinner tomorrow.

My first FIL grew Schizanthus in pots Mel and used to give me them. They have pretty flowers and his were quite tall. He was a keen gardener and grew the big ball chrysanthemums, Pelargoniums called Grand Slam, those pot plants that were covered in what looked like little oranges. (forget the name!) and a what he called a string of beads cactus. He grew sweet peas on cordons and he had a relative who would visit who was a Sweet Pea judge. His garden was 100 yards long and he grew all sorts of vegetables as well as trays of bedding plants and of course tomatoes in his greenhouse.

I see we are due heavy rain and floods tomorrow so we got the gutters cleaned just in time. No chance of doing anything outdoors though. I still haven't removed the dead Hosta leaves which are now looking a mess.

How many more squares to do for Chelsea's blanket Mandy and is your arm a bit better today?

Afternoon all,

It's been a beautiful day really warm with the sunshine just like a spring day ,got the shopping all done and put away ,I was so hot in the shop and it was nice to get out in the air ,I think their heating was on full blast .
I have Lavender in flower and all the fuchsias still have flowers ,poor plants are going to feel it when we have a frost .

Mel how did the little bird get in the garage ,do you think its been shut in since you last went in or is there a gap he's squeezed through.

Ann that handy getting the cancellation and you'll have no trouble parking on the asda car park much better than a hospital car park with ths having to paying for parking .

Hope all went well with Vera's cataract op today .

Pasta in sauce for us tonight nice and easy and I usually add some chopped ham .


Hope you can get the busses OK Anng and get your hearing aid sorted be careful walking home in the dark .

Thinking of our Vera today hope she gets on ok.

I stillhave lots of things flowering in the garden theres a rose on the south facing wall and Shizanthas I think thats what they are called on the rockery bit in pink and coral. Even a few mauve primroses on there too. The pink Nerines are out up on the border and yesterday I spied a dandylion on the way to the girls and some daisies in the grass. Aslo a few Ox Eyed daisies along the back wall. Its crazy.......... :-S

Morning All,

Sunny here and quite mild at 15 degrees now. I've done another wash and booked my mammagram which was due. I was lucky and got a cancellation at the Mobile Unit outside Asda down the road for next Wednesday. Saves the time and driving so far and the cost of parking at the hospital. :-D

I hope you get your hearing aid fixed ok AnnG and that the journey turns out better than it sounds. The timing of appointments now makes a big difference to the ease of getting to them doesn't it.

A pie tonight sounds nice Mel! The Goldcrest is a pretty bird I've only seen a handful of times and they are very quick and hard to photograph. You still have Sweet Peas and we still have Fuschias and a few French Marigolds in flower.

Better get something for lunch now.

I keep meaning to tell you I picked three sweet pea flowers about three days ago. I had'nt cut them down and they were hanging right over having reached the top of the trellis.

Also when BIL went in the garage last week opened the door and walked in and thought there was a butterfly fly around him. It was'nt it was a Goldcrest and he came in beaming all over his face as he said he had never seen one so close up before. It must have been looking for spiders in there.

Dpone some tidying and got the meat on for tonight done the spuds and carrot and done a wash which is on the line and the suns still out at the mo. Its 14 degrees.

nd some house work too as I need a good tidynt

Its done it again. :-( :-( :-(

Morning Anng and all,

Nice bright morning here witih the sun shining through the double doors in the kitchen and its 10 degrees. Window are misted up this morning too.

Stu comes to dinner tonight so I need to tidy up and do a bit of housework and make the pie, so thats what I shall be doing today.

Good morning all, dry so far and a bit cooler at 12 degrees. (it was 15/16 here yesterday,

You are probably right about the appointment. In my view it is just to satisfy the law that says anything mentioning cancer must be seen to be addressed inside of two weeks. My question if I get the opportunity will be. If my GP can feel the need to eliminate cancer on just seeing a photo of the lesion (talking about the specialist GP who was shown a photo by the GP I had the appointment with), why didn't Dermatology focus on the photo of the same lesion when it was sent to them by another GP at the end of June?

Today is the late afternoon appointment to fix my hearing aid. 3.45 no problem if you are driving there but, catching a bus at 2.30ish to get to town in time is right in the school ho,e time rush, so crossing local roads becomes a problem. The most convenient bus to the hospital area is from a bus stop further from home and one that has been waiting for its shelter to be re-erected for a year and, as it is likely to be raining???? Coming out of the appointment it will probably be almost dark so not a nice thought for walking to the bus station. Hopefully it will all work out ok.

I agree Mel as our 4% is on a much smaller amount than most people's wages are so is a lot less money. OH read out to me that more than half of households are receiving more in benefits from the government than they pay in tax so it's no wonder they can't afford our state pension rises.

Best wishes for tomorrow Vera! It will soon be done now. I hope the water tank problem gets fixed quickly on Friday.

I do feel sorry for Jake Mandy. It seems a bit harsh as things can happen so quickly. I had someone cut me up by driving almost into me from a slip road on my left. We were all going at a good speed on the dual carriageway but the driver was accelerating faster past me and never even slowed to give way and just barged into my lane. With traffic at my right and behind me I had no chance to drop back and had to brake hard as it was. I think my one hour driving lessons were 10s in 1965. I didn't realise they were so expensive now. I hope he gets a test more quickly so he doesn't have to do the written test again. OH says he read something about military personnel being used to bring down the waiting time for tests and that people were going to be booking their own tests online to stop these crooks buying up batches of tests and selling them at higher prices. I hope your arm soon aches less and it might be how you lay in bed as you say.

AnnG I may be wrong, but it sounds like your appointment at the hospital may be to look and decide what to do first and follow it up with another date for treatment. It does just say it is to 'help identify future care.' I forgot about it being hard to hear on the phone which must be such a nuisance. I have trouble hearing with the way some gabble fast or turn their heads away from the phone as they speak as it is. At least you are halfway through the deep clean now.

Mel I've wasted this afternoon trying to find where I wrote the title of a book I wanted OH to get me for Christmas!

Me too what they just said. Will be thinking of you and hope all goes well. BIL has had both his eyes done, oh only had one eye done I think and thats the one where he had a stone come up from the strimmer with a blade on it.

I don't understand how things keep going up. On the news there was something about people wanting a 4. something percent pay rise cos the cost of kiving has gone up so much but what about us pensioners on a low pension get a rise too? Our pension dos'nt go up with the inflation rate does it?

Good luck with the cataract op Vera hope all goes well. Try and have a good sleep tonight. Hope the water tank problem is not too serious.

Mel I think he paid just over 60 pound for the test and driving lessons are 80 pound for two hours .

Vera i hope your Cataract op goes well tomorrow and the problem with the hot water tank gets sorted out on Friday, take care and don't try to come on here until you feel able <3