General Chat

Morning girls,

13 degrees here and pc says rain coming. Slept quite well up in the dark for the loo and then again at 6.15am went back to bed but just tossed and turned so I got up.

I have a friend coming this morning so I better get ready. am hoping he may take me down the post van as I have two cheques to bank and a parcel to post.

Good morning all. quite bright again today. 12 degrees so we are definitely getting autumnal weather.

Not sure what I am doing today. I have got a wash load in, so that is something done. Also need to wash my hair. Other than that, who knows. I can' work out if my leg is better rested than used, it seems different every day.

Vera, just checked and swans typically only have and raise one set of cygnets. I wonder if the small one has been rejected from another pair of swans?
Vera yes hang on to the car as long as you can but be honest with yourselves when it is time to give it up. Are there any campaigns to start a bus service in your area that is better than the one you have. And do age concern have a bus service in the area? I think they do in our area but I only see it when it calls in to a small culdesac on bungalows and flats for older people. I suppose that also has to be going where you want to go. The problem is that when you would like lifts to various places, friends are likely to be the same age with the same problems. The friends that usually give me problems are all younger than me (late 60s/70s) excepte one who is just in her 80s. But they all have active lives so not instantly available for me.

Ann I would miss my large airing cupboard I have to admit. although it could probably do with a clear out as it is also shelved and used for storing towels and bedding.

If we gave clothes to the rag and bone man we usually got a goldfish. I remember having one that lived for several years when I was little.

If we gave the rag and bone man things sometimes we would get a shilling and sometimes a goldfish!! Mum would also by cotton rags off him for dad as he was a painter anddecorater.

Evening everybody

It has been a beautiful day here; mostly sunny and warm but with a slight nip in the breeze. I should have been trying to get a bit more done in the garden as the forecast is for rain tomorrow and for the next few days but we spent the time doing other nice things. I had to go into town again so OH suggested he came too and we had lunch out. We went to a Turkish place we know and had a nice lunch but far too much of it. OH did manage to finish his but even he was struggling and I couldn’t possibly get through all mine.

When we came out the weather was so nice that I suggested a little stroll so we had a walk through the meadows by the river. It was so peaceful and we only met a couple of other people. We did see something that struck me as strange. It was a small swan family of the two parents and two cygnets but the odd thing was that one cygnet had not yet got the white plumage but otherwise was nearly as big as the parents. The other one was small and fluffy and only looked 3 or 4 weeks old They couldn’t possibly have been born at the same time. Do swans ever raise a second brood? I’ll have to do some googling. We should have taken a photo but didn’t think of it at the time. We walked just over 2 miles along by the river and back to the car. I get very frustrated as I expect most of you do. I still expect to stride out but my body no longer lets me walk very fast. Strolling slowly really pulls on my back muscle and is tiring.

AnnG, we are trying to hang on to the car for a while longer but I don’t think it will be long before we have to stop driving and then it will be a nightmare to get anywhere. I can’t even get a bus to the chiropodists which is no more than 1.5 miles away but there is a busy road to cross and there and back is a walk too far for me now. They are supposed to be improving the bus service but I haven’t seen signs of it yet. I hope you get to your blood tests without too much hassle tomorrow.

I have to go into town again tomorrow to take some information into the surgery and go to the pharmacy to pick up my script. When I can I try to only go once a week or the parking charges add up but sometimes we’ll have an appointment 3 or 4 days a week.

I’ve never seen a machine that takes your old clothes and gives you a little cash. It’s a sort of technological rag and bone man. I remember when I was little a chap used to come round with a horse and cart and occasionally my mother would give him some old clothes or bedding and be given a couple of cups and saucers in exchange.

You didn’t have to wait very long for your car tax refund Mel.

OH is calling so I’d better go and see what he wants. Have a good night’s sleep ladies.

Dull and raining here now just as I was going to go and corn the girls. Its been a miserable day all day not a little glimmer of the yellow stuff.

I have not seen one of those machines for clothes with payment Ann. Good isea though.

Yes the bus is to go from the bus stop about five minutes away to the one near the surgery. Not very far, only about 5 minutes by bus (as long as the lights are green. I used to walk down that way frequently about 5/6 years ago continuing on round part of the village and back again. In fact the last time I had a covid booster I did walk back as the bus was not due for ages. I think it would be painful to walk back now. So I will wait for the next bus. At least it is not school time, that bus does get crowded then.
I think I may have said it is not having to catch the bus, it is having to cross quite a busy road when I get off the bus. traffic regularly goes over the speed limit there and I don't move that fast these days. :-(

Shopping came and is all put away. I nearly sent the broccoli back as it is not at all fresh so I will have to cook it and put it in the freezer. This is the second time that its been really out of date and you can see by the cut stalks which are a greyish colour instead of green. Now we don't have sell by dates on a lot of things I think they get away with it if they can.

G's new shirt sounds nice Annx and a new cap too lets hope it stays on in the wind.

Posty just came and I had the refund on my car tax I got £125.41 back so that was good but the leccy bill came in today for £100 something.

Better get some lunch and take my last antibiotic.

Afternoon All,

I slept through till 6.00am which is unusual but then watched last night's Emmerdale. It's more like a chilling murder mystery at the moment so I didn't watch it last night. I got up at 8.00am and we went to a garden centre that does breakfast baps with three items so we both had egg and mushrooms and had beans with one and tomato with the other and we shared those between us. Half the store was fenced off to make room for all the Halloween stuff. My word I thought families were struggling to pay bills! It gets more elaborate every year. Elsewhere they were clearing space for Christmas decorations and already have cards on display. We looked in EM who have a sale and OH bought a new, tighter fitting cap for footie as his current cap blows off his head in the wind. :-D He also bought a nice, mainly plum coloured tartan patterned flannelette, long sleeved shirt for winter footie. It's a nice snug fit and much smaller than his other shirts which are all too big now, although he still wears them. I bought a pack of tipped art pens in shades of grey, blue and black that were reduced from £3 to £2 in the Works.

They are digging up the other side of our close now and have filled in and finished the channel one side.

How annoying my monthly phone top up has failed, no doubt as I have a new card now. Another of life's complications we never used to have to sort out.

No rain here today and the sun is shining just like yesterday. I sprayed the nasty weed round the back again as the last lot of rain has started new plants of the weed appearing.

AnnG I do miss my airing cupboard at my old house. My then OH built it and put extra shelves in it for me so I could order things in it better. No tank now so no airing cupboard, a chest of drawers instead.

I meant to say I saw something I've never seen before the other day in a carpark. It was a machine you could place any clothes in and it would weigh them and pay you 40p a kilo!

That sounded like a nasty storm you had Mel. I hate them especially at night time and wouldn't like the leccy going off.

Is it to your doctor's you need to catch the bus Anng to get a blood test? Ridiculous as it sounds, although our surgery is only a couple of miles away, to go by bus I would have to catch two buses, one into the city and then one out again to the next village. There's no service between the villages.

Better get the stirfry started, later lunch today with eating earlier.

Feeling fed up. Blood test on Friday and am going to have to get the bus as nobody is available to take me down. Just goes to prove, hang on to your cars as long as you can. A couple who have offered in the past are away and the three that are very good at taking me usually are all three otherwise occupied. Just have to hope that the bus runs ok and I don't miss it. Have to be at the bus stop for bus that should be there at 10.03. So will be a bit early but not too bad. Bus runs hourly.

Morning Anng and all,

Woke early for the loo and went back to bed but just lay there I could'nt drop off again so in the end I got up.

Its 15 degrees here but feels colder and the pc is telling me its raining now but its wrong.

Shopping comes today and no subs again so thats good.

Good morning all. Slept ok until 4am then off and on and a few wanders around until I got up around 7.
10 degrees here so a bit on the chilly side but it does look like a nice bright morning. I think showers are forecast though.

The BCCs do give pain sort of like a boil would do a cramping type pain but I have never had one in this position and I think it is because my ankle flexes as I walk. That can make it bleed (they all do) and I want advice on how to dress it when or if it gets worse. And I will see the doctor about it.

It may have past you by Anng but I got the full force here. First there was a very long and loud clap of thunder and the leccy went out. I turned it back on and blow me down it went out again. Thats not all it went out for a third time with raging thunder and lightening so I left it off and went and stood in the porch and watched the storm. It seemed like it was never going to stop and I had theleccy off and came in the back door and there was a flash up by the spotlight in the kitchen strange I thought I've no leccy on. Anyway I waited what seemed to be ages for the storm to pass and the pond was was bubbling with therain hitting it and it was streaming off the cover over the patio and running down in lines of water. I must have waited about 15 mins for it to all pass and I was worried I would'nt have leccy when I tried to turn it back on and I had to flip the switch three times and on the fourth it came back on. Then the internet took ages to come back on but everything seems to beok. I was in themiddle of adding Vitalite to my shopping list when this all happened so had to go back into my order to see if it had added it and it had but I had'nt confirmed the order. Anyway its all done now and I was going round to corn the chickens just as the storm arrived at 5.15pm.

Now feel like its another day wasted but at least I got the washing out and under the patio roof it stayed dry.

I was interrupted before I finished posting, as OH suddenly decided he was ready for lunch after all, so I didn't post it till after lunch AnnG. I missed Mel's post as well.

That is a bit worrying about you having pain where the BCC is as well. I'd be inclined to see the doc. If they think it might be suspicious they would refer you to be seen within two weeks, but I expect that may clash with your holiday. Have you had pain with any BCCs before?

Just a few spots of rain here, thankfully after the washing was dry. I pulled up a lot more self set Foxgloves and some new weeds and cleared the big pot of the Petunias which were very bedraggled, OH pulled the straggly rhubarb leaves off and it has almost filled the garden bin which is on the front for tomorrow's collection now.

I'm logging into zoom from Benenden shortly as they are talking about Arthrosomid injections for arthritic hips and knees! I think they are supposed to last longer than steroid but are expensive, but I thought I'd learn more about them. You can ask questions and some people on there might have tried them.

It'll be good when you get another car Mel. I hope you don't have to wait too much longer.

Ann you will see from my later posts that I found something to do as I walked down to Irene's with a couple of books (and walked back with a few more :-D

I have sorted out the Christmas cards I have made. I was waiting for glue to arrive from Amazon (ordered yesterday and here lunch time. so I can get around to making a few more.

I have also emptied the airing cupboard and put clothes away (two wask loads in there. And, after putting the bins out I pulled up a handful of weeds growing on my drive. I didn't finish as ther were three or four hugs claps of thunder, no lightening. although I think it was just passing by to the East of us.

Afternoon All,

It's been a lovely sunny morning, but it's cloudy now. I went for my blood test first thing and they have half the road in the close fenced off with orange barriers and a channel dug up along the pavement, it looks like the narrow internet cable channels. I hope they don't need to continue down to us. Then the traffic was busy with holdups so it's a good job we allowed 40 minutes to go 2 miles! The surgery was in chaos with the self booking in screen down and the doctors and nurses were having to come and call their patients as the screens were down in the waiting rooms as well. Apparently they'd had to cancel some appointments on Friday, but Karen said she was ok to do blood tests. She said only some of the rooms had internet working.

After my blood test we went to Morrisons at Hinckley and had poached eggs on toast. We did some shopping, then called in Wickes nearby to look at toilets and tiles to help me choose for the bathroom and I got their catalogue. OH had a panic when we got back in the car as he'd lost his wedding ring. He was so lucky as he got out and checked the car and found it. I've convinced him at last that he shouldn't wear it now till he get's it resized. He took painkillers for his neck and back and also had some head pain and tinnitus as well this morning so has been catching up with some desk work since.

AnnG I think we all have days when we think that but I'm sure you have things you can do. I think my life may be more interesting once I've sorted the jobs like the bathroom and made the garden easier. Knees slow me down with everything and I've done more cooking since covid (time consuming) and need to get into batch cooking more. We don't eat out much now as there are fewer places that do healthy enough meals for OH. I shan't see much of him this week. Footie tonight, Wednesday and Saturday, also meetings every day from tomorrow. It's a chance to get on with things uninterrupted though. ;-)

Gwyn that is a great idea to give old card fronts to schools for the children to use. I must ask OH to ask his schools if they could use them. It will be great meeting up with your OH's brother's wife and daughter from New Zealand and having a good catch up. My parents toyed with emigrating there when I was a child and looked into it, but never did.

It's crept up to 19 degrees here now and the sun's come out again so I will go and see if I can fill the garden bin some more as they collect it tomorrow.

Mandy I am amazed at all your produce this year! You must have grown more green fingers as well! lol. All those cues, fantastic and it's been good for tomatoes. Have you frozen any to use as sauce for meals? The first blanket is nearly finished now then. Did you crochet the squares together or sew them?

I wonder what Mel decided to do?

The BCC has already been seen by a doctor which is why I have the appointment in March. I just need to know how to manage it going forward, not a lot I can do but whatever, it can wait until after the holiday. If there were other appointments free I am sure I would have been given one.

Did a wash first thing and forgot to put it out. Done it now but as I was putting it on the line a huge purley grey cloud came over and there was a long clap of thunder. I still have a grey cloud out the front but past it is lovely blue sky and big white clouds. Out the back its lovely and sunny.

I am going to do some lunch and then pack a parcel up to post sometime this week when I can get to the shop or the post van. I don't like to keep asking people to take me up there.

You should get that BBC seen by the nurse before you come down to Devon Anng especially if its giving you pain. Right pill time and lunchtime.

It is 17 here now Mel and sunny with some clouds now. The forecast on BBC last evening said rain every day after today to the end of next weekend.

Gwyn how lovely to meet up with your OH's relatives. No doubt lots of memories will emerge in the conversation. As Mandy said don't forget a coupls of photos for the grandchilen as they get older.
Mandy I am still picking tomatoes, not a huge amount as I didn't have that many plants but enough to keep me going.

I did walk down to Iren'es with a couple of books, legs still painful One leg painful with Arthritis, siatica or whatever is causing it, the other leg is painful around the site of the BCC that is waiting for the appointment next March. And yes, it needs sorting which I will do when I have been away to Devon. I doubt they can do anything about the appointment but I will see if I can get the opinion of one of our nurses on how to manage it.

Morning all,

16 degrees here and sunny ,it was quite a warm and muggy night and I was glad to get in the shower this morning .
One lot of washing on the line and another lot in the machine ,nothing planned for the day but we'll find something to do I'm sure .
Still plenty of tomatoes ripening I've given loads away and the cucumber count is now standing at 88 .

Gwyn I hope you have a lovely meet up with the family there will be lots of chatting going on I'm sure ,don't forget to take lots of photos together something that you can forget to do at the time when there's lots of catching up to .

Anng I'm sure you'll find something to do ,how are your tomatoes ,are you still picking .