General Chat

Afternoon everyone.

Well i hope you enjoyed your xmas feast yesterday. Daughter and I had a lovely dinner and was too full for the pudding lol.

Today we have been busy prepping for the lunch buffet tomorrow at 12.30 for 7 of us.

I have made tuna pasta with sweetcorn, potato salad with spring onions etc Cheese & pineapple, sausages on sticks, sour dough crusty baguettes, plus ham, dips, Indian selection, homemade coleslaw too. sausage and cheese rolls, pizza, snacks.

For desert there is a mixed berry fruit crumble topped with granola, peanut butter caramel cheesecake and ice cream for those that just want something plain.

Should be something for everyone lol and if not too bad! noone ever goes hungry in this house and there will be left overs for tomorrow for me. Out left over turkey, i bagged and put in the freezer for another day. i didnt over do on veg etc so there wasnt any leftovers there.

Joan, hope you enjoyed your dinner and managed to watch the tv.

I enjoyed call the Midwife followed by Eastenders.

Linda, the squirrel seems to have made itself at home but it needs to go back into the wild. I hope someone on FB can help you.

Sorry the girls are not well and hope you dont catch the bug. My brother was ill last night several times and now nephew is coughing and so is his wife! Also my son has a flu virus which has flawed him and he hasnt managed to eat anything for 2 days :-(

So it seems, bugs are everywhere. i had my fair share 3 weeks ago with a chest infection.

So as my legs were aching with all the standing since morning, Im now sitting awhile with a well earned coffee. Just the cheesecake to make.

AnnG, glad you are enjoying time with your family and you had a lovely xmas dinner. Sprout mousse eh? new one on me but it sounded quite nice.

Just Ginnie, hope you and hubby enjoyed your day. Glad he is getting on ok with his knee and making good progress.

Argyll Gran, finally stopped raining and the wind died down yesterday but now at 3 degrees today, its brrr and the wind sadly is picking up again as i think another gale coming tomorrow....whats new up here lol Glad you had a good day too.

Well better crack on as want to finish in the kitchen and clear up before it gets dark.

take care all

Florence in the hebrides

That's a serious feast, Florence!

I always like leftovers. Today I've had carrots , roast potatoes, and pigs in blankets, all leftovers reheated with gravy.

Not that I've been very hungry, with this cough. As you know only too well, a cough can be exhausting, and I'm sore with the effort.
I've had enough of it now, and really need a less disrupted night's sleep.

But yes, the rain stopped, thank goodness, and most of today was sunny , though cold.

I hope everyone else who's unwell is reasonably OK - Florence's dad, Joan's husband, Esme and Eve.
How's the squirrel? Can't the RSPCA help?

Good morning to all.
Well def not a good day. Blowing a severe gale of 60-70 mph here and friends that are coming later have lost power several times.

But i got up before 8am and finished off cooking the crumble and baguettes etc so all the food is laid out ready to eat.

Argyllgran, yes, the coughing was awful when I had it and I hope it clears away from you soon, just so exhausting isnt it.

Oh dear Linda, the pesky squirrel, so hope someone can help. Cant the RSPCA come?

Spoke with dad last night and he's getting on ok. He loves the book my daughter bought him all about Eastleigh. it has bought back childhood memories of when he lived there. So glad we got it for him.

I got 3 books by Richard Osman, The Thursday club etc, Fancied something different but these books are set in & around where I used to live in Kent! So can't wait to read them end of the week.

Well time for shower and get dressed now before the guests arrive about 12.30.

Hope everyone else safe and ok. Joan hope you and hubby are ok?

Florence in the hebrides

The rain is horrendous here as well Joan, it has never stopped since last night. I went out early just to get weighed, 1.5lbs on :-( Not bad really given al, the naughty things and alcohol I have had over the last few days. The roads are incredibly flooded, even in places where it doesn’t normally gather.
I had to go out again to Tescos because we have no tins of chopped tomatoes and I need some for the dinner recipe tonight. It is the sort of thing which I normally have lots of, but I had been running down the stock of tins in preparation for moving and hadn’t realised that they had all gone.
Your buffet sounds good Florence, I hope you enjoy yourself. I am sure you will have lots of left overs to keep you going for the next few days :-D

If your hubby is grumbling Joan, he must be getting better. I hope he doesn’t have to wait too long for a move

I hope your cough gets better soon Argyll gran, the lack of sleep really wears you down.
The squirrel trap should be arriving today, but I haven’t heard anything yet

Very wet here too, and blowing a gale earlier, though it has died down now, thank goodness.
The wind was from the east, which is very unusual for us.

The cough seems to be improving slightly today - fingers crossed..
I'm glad it has coincided with this week, when there are absolutely no social events, and I can just cough at home without disturbing or infecting anyone else!

Next week I'll be going over to Edinburgh to attend a funeral, and I would have loved to fit in a haircut before then, but haven't been able to try to get an appointment because of the cough - and probably impossible at short notice at this time of year in any case.
I'll just have to go looking like the Wild Woman of the West!

Good afternoon all. Very wild wet and windy here today. We just drove out to local Curry’s for daughter to look at computers with her youngest son who works in IT. Then to Asda to replenish the food cupboard. The three youngsters eat well!,
Now the three of them have gone out and peace reigns for a while. I did manage to get a top in Asda reduced from £9 to £5.

Hope the squirrel problem is soon solved and that hubby soon gets his move to the local hospital Joan. I assume they are waiting for a bed to become vacant.

ArgG. Good that the cough seems to be better. Son in law
S daughter works in a care home, she was supposed to come over today to see us but two days ago she tested positive with Covid.

Blowing wildly here, but it's dry.
Daughter is just back from meeting a friend and taking a walk near the coast. They checked to see where the tide was first, but it was far enough out so that the wind didn't blow spray at them. She said it wasn't too cold, just blustery.
I'm staying indoors ;-)
Joan, I hope hubby can be moved nearer home, so that you can then visit him. It's good that you can have a chat together though.
Aryllgran
I hope your cough gets better soon. Mine starts up if I go into different surrounding temperatures. The more one tries to stop coughing, the more the tickle develops :-|

I hope the squirrel situation is resolved soon, but sadly, I think it's days are numbered.....You are not allowed to cause suffering to an animal but......
(Copied from online......)
The grey squirrel is regarded as an invasive non-native species following its inclusion under Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Country Act 1981. Under Schedule 9 of the WCA, it is illegal to release a grey squirrel into the wild, or allow one to escape, without a license granted by Natural England. This means if you trap one, you are obliged to humanely dispatch it.

The family will want to check where it got in too, to prevent another squirrel getting in.

We saw that as well Gwyn. It must have come down the chimney, there is a cowl on, but it has gaps so obviously isn’t squirrel proof. Our next door neighbours just put in a wood burner. They took off the cowl which is the same as ours and put a much more solid looking one on.
The latest news is that the trap is inside the wood burner, but the squirrel is show no interest in it

Squirrel update, it is out. It went into the trap, so they took it outside and released it. My daughter looked into the legal side. It is fine to trap them and release them in situ. It is only illegal if you trap them then take them elsewhere and release them.

Oh, that is good news about your husband Joan, especially as you will be able to go and see him regularly. I hope you are warmer now

Afternoon all.

Aw Joan just seen your post. How wonderful hubby will soon be nearer to you and you can then go and visit him <3

It has been an horrendous day with winds of 60-70 mph and torrential rain. when my visitors arrived at 12,30, we had to close the inner doors and then the loft trap blew open with the draught but friends son who is 6 ft 3 managed to sort it out.

They all enjoyed the buffet and tbh there's not a lot left but what is will do us for lunch tomorrow. We had a couple of general knowledge quiizzes that daughter organized and we all got a "booby" prize.
Was hilarious, one got a bauble of my tree, one got a toilet roll, some got a packet of biscuits etc it was all soo funny and we all laughed :-D :-D

So dishes all washed and away and now sitting as im feeling sore from all the standing in the morning and bending for the oven! Friends asked if this was going to now be a regular xmas buffet and they are coming next year :-D :-D :-D

You never know it may be!

neighbours bin had broken free and was blown down the back garden. he then had managed to retrieve it but I have seen it again against the fence and now its pitch black so who knows if it will still be there tomorrow.

AnnG, you got a good bargain there in the sale. Glad you are having a good time away.

ArgyllGran, I often call myself the wild Woman of the West as my hair is right down my back and i did cut it recently but it has grown already.

Linda, something tells me the squirrels days are numbered after reading Gwyns post sadly. but it cant remain where it is and has to go by whatever means.

Power didnt go off here but had all my xmas lights around and candles. However its still howling so every chance it could still go off. Glad Joan you got your power back.

Take care everyone out & about

Florence in the hebrides

Linda, just seen your last post. Thank goodness squirrel is out and back where he belongs and def not in a wood burner!

Good bits of news, Joan and Linda!
Good to know your buffet went well and was so much fun for everyone, Florence.

One of my neighbours' bins blew over today, too, and now there are clumps of sodden Christmas paper all over the place.

The lid of my compost bin blew away in a westerly gale last week. It would have been nice if today's easterly had blown it back again!
No such luck.

Afternoon everyone.
Well its dry, calm but very brrrrr. However, I ventured outside this morning to plant 30 small spring bulbs I had bought ages ago and when i took them out of their netted bags, they were sprouting! So all planted in the large black tub that has been emptied of last years bedding plants so just perfect.

There are bluebells, miniature hyacinths and narcissi plus some others i'm not sure of their names, But the tub will look pretty if they all grow.

Grand clean up today and washing tablecloths etc. Actually got them out for an hour and dried them a bit before into the tumble. Fridge full of leftovers for tea but only 1 triangle of the caramel cheesecake left as that proved popular yesterday and 1/2 my berry crumble left.

I'm seeing on the SSE power track map, hundreds in Scotland without power . So hope Joan isn't one of them else she will be cold. There was loads of snow on the A9 south of Inverness and loads of cars etc stuck yesterday, was terrible.

Also was a lot of flooding in Scotland too!

Hope everyone is safe & well and keeping warm.

Florence in the hebrides

I was just watching the news about the mess the storm has made in Scotland , so I am pleased to find that you are safe Florence. I too hope Joan is OK.

My son went home this morning, he sent a text to say that he had got there safely. OH went out walking, it was extremely muddy and rained a lot, so he wasn’t happy.

I had a house viewing booked in this morning, they had just left when the estate agent rang up to say there was someone else in the office who would like to view as well, so they came round. They both seemed to like it, but only one couple had buyers for their house, so I m not hoping for an offer.

I have a cough and my chest feels very night, so I think I have Eve’s bug

:-(

Oh dear Joan, glad you are ok. When its wild and windy and we have had power cuts, after dark, I always have my small LED torch in my pocket as getting caught out suddenly is not funny and can cause you to trip over!

If my tel had rang at 12.30 am, I would have thought my dads taken a turn or worse and would not have been amused for electricity company ringing me at that time of night! How inconsiderate. Why ring to say its been restored when of course you would know that doh!!!

Both daughter & I were feeling a bit off this evening so took out temps, Hers was 38.2 and mine 38 so on 100! I also started coughing again tonight so i hope we havent got the virus my son has although he doesn't live with me. he is really not well and has lost 1/2 stone. Aches all over, no appetite so isnt going back to work until he feels ok.

She is going to be staying with him over new year and leaving here tomorrow. She's going to get him some Lucozade sport and some ice lollies. Thing is, he has never been off work sick in 6 years! So he must be bad.

Linda, fingers crossed for an offer. Hope you dont have Eve's bugs but you were in the house with her so quite likely.

Well I'm off to make a hot drink as been feeling so cold and shivery all day and my back is cold too even though I have my dressing gown over my legs at the computer.

Nite all

Florence in the hebrides

Oh dear Joan, being on the stairs was probably the worst place you could have chosen to be for a power cut. We get lots of power cuts here and there are no street lights, so it is pitch black at night.

There do seem to be some bad flu bugs around Florence. I was talking to my brother last night and they cancelled Xmas for the second year in a row because of illness. His son lives near him and he has had a really bad flu type virus. He has been in bed for about ten days only got up yesterday for a couple of hours. He had taken two weeks holiday and had plans to do all sorts of things, being so ill wasn’t one of them. My brother caught it , he has a hacking cough as well as the high temperature, his wife now has it as well. They were all supposed to be spending Xmas day together, but they cancelled the plans and froze all the food. Last year they all had a vomiting bug, so postponed Xmas day for two weeks until they were better.

My daughter, SIL and the girls stayed in Liverpool last night. They went to see grandpa who is in a care home there. He will be one hundred in March . He has to have thickener in his drinks now, but he still enjoyed the cider they took him. He has a few lucid moments, but they are very rare now, so he may not have known who they were which is very sad.

Oh, the sun has suddenly come out from behind the dismal clouds, I hope it stays s it has been so dreary

I am just the opposite Joan, it really annoys me if clothes have no pockets

Me too! I need somewhere to put my hands - or at least a hankie!

I always wear cardigans, long ones. But you can get small round LED torches that have a hook on them and I used to hook it over the waistband of my trousers if no pockets so i never got caught out. Was handy to hang it anywhere on cupboard doors. bathroom handle etc. The LED is very bright and lights up the room.

Cold day here and recently I was hearing hailstones on the back door. So hope it doesnt snow although on my own, I have no need to go out anywhere. I have plenty of food and milk for several days.

Had the heating on my bedroom for 3 hours as was onlly 14 degrees but have kept the doot shut so it will be warm. The good thing with these houses is that, the rooms retain the heat hours after it has gone off. In the mornings, my lounge is still warm from the night before and bedroom will keep warm all the next day too.

Nothing exciting happening here. neighbours away(well 1 couple) and havent seen the others for 2 days. Daughter away now until next Friday so......anyone up for a party?

:-D :-D :-D

Lets get dressed up, lippy on and put on our dancing shoes and fav music and party on down :-D :-D

Well the thought is there anyway ;-)

off to make myself a drink.

Hope everyone ok and keeping cosy.

Florence in the hebrides