General Chat

ArgyllGran, yes ONE day of summer was last Saturday. The only day we have had too. In 30 years i have lived here, this has to be the worse summer ever.

The bin lorry has been & gone and wasnt the nice chappy today so i shall have to don my waterproof and go and put them away before a heavy shower comes as the clouds look very heavy!

How is your hawthorn doing, Linda?
Is that where the fence is going?

My younger son came over from Perthshire yesterday, to repair my carport, which he erected nearly 20 years ago
A couple of the horizontal beams had rotted and were threatening to collapse, so he has replaced them.
He also cleared out the guttering at front and back of the house roof. The back one had been overflowing almost constantly for weeks, with all the heavy rain we've had.
It was raining yesterday too, unfortunately, and midgy, so not a pleasant day for such outdoor work.
He's a good soul, and I'm very grateful!

We did have ONE lovely WARM sunny day with actual blue sky - Saturday.
That was summer.
Since then we've been back to heavy grey cloud, and rain.

You have a good week to look forward to Florence and it is good news about your polytunnel
I keep wondering how Sylvia is getting on as well

It is the first day of term for Eve, although she only goes this afternoon, for half a day. The majority if the pupils are boarders and they already there. They have a few days of fun activities settling them in, so the day pupils join in for half a day wearing their own clothes before the term proper starts tomorrow. I think there is a bbq this afternoon, so parents of new pupils can go along and meet everyone. The school bus doesn’t start until tomorrow,so her mum is taking her in, but I am picking her up.
Esme doesn’t start until Wednesday, but she is happy at home until then.

It us very autumnal this morning, but looks like it will be hotter at the end if the week. OH has gone off to buy some wooden planks to construct a fence on the side of the back garden. There is a hedge there which is made of mixed trees, but it is full of ivy which we are removing before it kills the trees. That has left the bottom of the garden fairly open to the public footpath which runs down the side of the house, hence the need for a fence.

Morning everyone

Rather overcast & grey here and I think a "midgy" day as there is now no wind!!!

I got great news yesterday about my Polycrub, its going to be put up on the 23 September, so I will be counting the days lol They are behind because of the awful storms we had as although the tunnel will withstand winds up to 130 mph, its no fun trying to erect the tunnel in a force 10 gale!

I am off out on Fri evening to another local Bingo session. heres hoping we are as lucky as last time and then on Saturday, a friend is taking me to a farm day some distance away for a spin and refreshments so a trip out to look forward too.

Linda well done on winning the treasure hunt. Glad you had a lovely day out with the girls. They are lucky to have such an active grandma.

Hope all is well with Sylvia and her moving. If you are looking in Sylvia, hope everything is ok.

What's everyone else up to this week?

Florence in the hebrides

I was really hot yesterday when we were out. The girls enjoyed themselves, but it was much harder work for me than when I just take Esme on her own.
While we were out, I got a phone call from the local heritage centre to say that I had won the competition for the history treasure trail which I did with Eve a few weeks ago. We only got one question wrong I had to go to collect the prize this morning, it is a family ticket for Mother Shiptons cave. It is three years since we last went when they were just deciding where to buy a house up here. It was a lovely summers day and it was beautiful down by the river. That was when they decided on Knaresborough The only problem is that being a natural site, it isn’t wheelchair friendly. There are three sets of steep steps. I remember OH and my daughter hauling Esme up in her large buggy. She can walk much better now, so should be able to walk up the steps herself and we can carry the wheelchair up .

It is very sunny here today as well, so apart from going into town, I have had a fairly easy day and just done some cleaning.

Afternoon all
Well its been a sunny and bright day but the wind will not die down grrrr I went out to water some pots in the shelter as they were very dry and the wind was sooo strong and very irrritating.

My local forecast shows very little wind but couldnt be more wrong.

Very quiet here just now but my neighbours are back and my other neighbour i was chatting to them in the front garden for awhile so that was good having a catch up.

Apart from that, no post or any other deliveries today.

As for me tea tonight, no idea yet but will russle something up soon.

Hope everyone else is well and ok today

Florence in the hebrides

Good morning all. Pleased that you had a good day out Florence. Yes those magazines are very expensive now OK if you only buy very occasionally but otherwise best to take out a subscription if you really want them. Maybe just buy one next time. I did buy Gardeners World a couple of months back but that was to get the 2 for 1 offer that lasts until April.

Lynda, wow, I was awful at Physics and Chemistry and dropped both before O level. But Well done for teaching it.
Hope you have a good day with the girls and family.

I taught Physics at GCSE secondary school level Florence and obviously general science for the lower years.

It isn’t a bad day here, so I have taken down my summer hanging baskets and put up the winter ones. They have an ivy plant a little conifer plus a heather plant. I have a couple of old chimney pots out the front as well, they have a plant pot in the top. I have taken the summer ones out and put a winter pot in with heathers. It is early to put the winter pots out, but the summer bedding was looking really tatty.

Tomorrow I am taking Esme to Lightwater valley, but for once Eve is coming as well. That is because we are meeting up with my niece and her two girls. They are eleven and six, so they should enjoy it as well

Afternoon all

Well I had an enjoyable day out albeit raining hard and blooming midges grrrr!

But i had a good mooch around the shops & bought a few xmas presents. we enjoyed a lovely lunch and finished off getting a few bit & bobs in the supermarket.

Got a bit of a shock though as I picked up a gardening magazine with some free seeds and a xmas food one with food for xmas ideas.
Was only when I got home and went through the bill, I suddenly realised how expensive they both were. One was £6.99 and the other £7.99. Oh my goodness, i thought they were around £4-5 so last time i buy one.

The district nurse came this morning as arranged and remeasure my legs without the wraps on but as she was only a relief, she didnt had the previous measurements so i have no idea if they had improved or not but this time i took a pic with my phone of the measurement sheet today so have that in my records. Shall have to wait now and see what happens next.

Anyone watching the drama Platform 7? Its jolly good and gripping with the last episode tonight.

Another good watch coming on Sunday by my fav author. Grace is on for 4 weeks covering the next 4 books in the Grace series by Peter James. They are 2 hour episodes 8-10 pm ITV

Linda, how very sad about your hairdresser. I didnt realise you were a teacher? What did you teach?

I have been working on the last twig of the family tree branch today but no further afield in connecting my DNA match, very frustrating especially when you have messaged several others and they dont reply grrr.

Hope everyone is well today

Florence in the Hebrides

I hope you had a good day Florence. I went to get my haircut this morning and felt very sad because I had decided that it would be the last time I went there. I first went when I was expecting my first child and he is forty five now.
The hairdresser used to have a shop in town with lots of people working for him. Over the years, it whittled down to just him and Lesley who did all the shampooing and blow drying etc. A few years go they gave up the shop and continued working from her house, turning one of the bedrooms into a salon. They were living together long before that. They didn’t advertise or take on any new clients, just taking their long term clients with them. I kept going because he really is excellent at cutting, people always ask me where I get my hair cut. It was only half an hours drive from Thirsk, so that was fine, but it is over an hour from here, so I don’t want to be doing that in the winter.

I feel awfully guilty though, especially as Lesley is so ill. Last time I went five weeks ago, she asked if I could shampoo my hair before I went and they would just wet it. She had just had a hysterectomy, so couldn’t do the shampooing. I was worried because she seemed to have lost a lot of weight, but today she was skeletal. It turns out that she has pancreatic cancer and is just about to start chemo which is only to try and buy her some more time.
He is going to continue cutting just to try and keep his mind off things, but he is hopeless at blow drying, I will need to wash my hair tomorrow to sort it out. After all this time, it is so sad to leave,I used to teach Lesley’s children, so know all of the family as well.

Morning all

I'm off out today with a friend to the "big city" lol Shame about the weather as its raining...what's new but nevermind looking forward to a mooch around the shops and a nice lunch etc.

Had a mild migraine yesterday but managed to stave it off getting any worse and feeling ok today. Think my neck was sore as stood too long doing ironing in the morning and that may of triggered it perhaps.

Linda, glad you enjoyed a few days away and all your dishes sound scrummy with all the fresh produce.

i shall be back later with my tales!

Florence in the hebrides

Pleased that you had an enjoyable break Linda. Sounds like you returned ready to cook!! Lovely to get fresh fruit and veg from somebody else's labours in the garden.

I am back after a nice few days away. It is raining and cold today. I have just changed the duvet and put the winter one back on the bed instead of the summer one.
I brought lots of garden produce back with me. I made a rhubarb crumble with rhubarb from my son’s garden. My sister has a poly tunnel as well as a huge veg plot. I brought lots of tomatoes and courgettes back. The courgettes are more like marrows because she didn’t pick them in time . I made a very large pan of pea and courgette soup, that is all in the freezer now. I made a spicy Moroccan dish for dinner which had courgettes and onions from my sisters garden, spinach from mine and tins of black beans from Aldi :-D

Andy's mum, I'm not fit to drive. I take irregular drops in BP which is why i had to give up driving as I took a turn and nearly crashed the car. But with no feeling in my left leg either couldn't drive.

In the beg, daughter & I used a taxi to town & back and used my PIP to pay for it, but that was when it was only £30-35 each way. In the last year that has now increased to £60-70 each way and I refuse to pay that much.

Sometimes its hard and i do feel isolated and quite lonely but I have to accept my situation and that i am reliant on others to take me out. Even if i could get a bus, I cant be out on my own in the town as not hugely steady with my stick and my BP can drop at anytime and i could fall.

But there are people much worse off than me and my brain is in perfect working order so use that at home to do various hobbies, family tree etc and that keeps me busy.

As long as my friend can come once a month and take me out for the day, i appreciate that.

Florence, I think you've said before that you get PIP. If so are you eligible for the Motability scheme? I have just been looking at their website and it looks like a good idea if you are eligible.

Have a look at the website, the section headed "how it works", which explains it all very well. :-)

Aw thats a shame names :-(

My other good friend that used to take me out now & then is now working 5 days instead of 3 so haven't seen her for weeks.

My problem is, is that i am several years older than my friends and they are all still working whereas I'm now" retired" Having said that if I hadn't of had my heart surgery and other health problems, I would have still been working until I am 67!

Retirement would be ok if I could drive a car, use a bus or had a partner that drives.

I'm only using the wraps on left leg today as the right leg seems fine so making some progress.

Well the sun is now pushing through the mist...yay. Bin lorry came and the nice young chap put my bin back for me. Note to remember him at xmas with a tin of choccies for being kind!

Grass cutters...no sign no matter as it doesnt need a cut anyway.

Back to the laundry now

Enjoy your day out. It is so difficult here to plan as so many roads are getting fully shut for roadworks and the go- rounds can be quite long.

Morning all
Well the day started off ok early morning but now the fog is coming in and rain too so very damp and dismal. No sign of the grasscutters, not sure where they are today?

No sign of the refuge lorry yet either. maybe they are all on a go slow Monday lol

Stripping beds today and 2 loads of laundry to deal with plus usual chores.

Going out for the day on Wednesday, so looking forward to that. Shopping, lunch and the garden centre, Im going to see if i can get any early xmas presents...yep i know its early but if i don't get organised before I know it, it will be October and I cant do it all in one go. Much prefer a few at a time spread out.

No Aunty this year, so the list has shrunk a little.

My chicken hot pot yesterday was so delicious, i shall make it again sometime. Made a change anyway.

Hope everyone is well and ok today

Florence in the hebrides

I think that the month of August rainfall figures record that in the south east corner, we have had 19% of the usual month's rainfall, whereas up near you Florence, there has been over 200% of the usual figure.
Even within those figures we have huge variation within a few miles. This is particularly noticeable with frost and snow. We hardly had any last winter.

Bin day tomorrow for us too (Garden waste ).followed by recycling on Tuesday. Normal collection sometimes changes slightly over Christmas, but Bank holidays are treated as normal collection days.

It’s not just you. Our regional forecast comes from the coast and we are well inland - so very different temperatures and weather.