General Chat

STRIKE'S back on Monday and Tuesday 9pm BBC1

Now you've got me wondering what the small Christmas present was you gave oh Vera. Please let us know?

Just checking in for another flying visit. Where are the hours and days going? I can’t believe it’s 10 years since your daughter lost her first husband AnnG. Although I wasn’t on this thread that long ago I remember it from the threads on the Hobbies Board that we both used to post on. It will be a time of memories for you all but it is good that your daughter found happiness again.

Mandy, it would be a good idea to see the doctor if you can. You don’t want to be feeling grotty over Christmas.

Annx, I also read your haircut story out to my OH. I could hardly finish it for laughing and OH thought it hilarious.

Keep an eye on your toe Mel and get someone to look at it if it doesn’t get completely better. Mine is still sore and every time I moved in the night it woke me up. I think I can shower tomorrow so I expect the dressing will come off and I can see what it looks like.

I’ve got rid of several jobs on my to do list so I feel quite pleased with myself today. Of course, I have also added a load more. I was particularly pleased that while cooking our Sunday lunch I managed to make a mince and apple pie as well. We find mincemeat a bit too sweet for our taste so I use apple with it. If I can just find time to make a cheesecake I’ll have got the pre Christmas cooking done.

It’s another busy day tomorrow. Amongst other things I must do some washing and some shopping. OH had a small Xmas present from me early but I want to get something else for him and I need to sort out some food for a Club Christmas “do” tomorrow night.

Time to get on with the next job on the list. Enjoy what’s left of the day and sleep well tonight.

We got to daughters at 2.30, left home in the dark at 0735. Traffic was heavy but no delays we stopped 3 times, first for the loo, about ten minutes, then for coffee and a sausage bap, then at Trebah services on the M6 to get stuff from the farm shops. Soon unloaded the car the boot was full of Christmas presents. Then unpacked half my stuff as on Thursday we go to Far Sawrey for a week over Christmas. A sort of memorial week for daughter’s late husband who died in the apartment they owned there ten years ago on the 37th. We will also visit the woodland where he is buried. So, many memories for us as OH and I were both with them that Christmas.

When we came away this morning I still have about 30 cards to come, if they do. I have had at least 30 sp far, marbe more. The card I sent daughter took over a week to get here

Afternoon All,

It's 12 degrees here but feels much colder. Just had lunch of pork steaks, cauli, broc, brussels, parsnip, carrots and onions. I have also parpoiled potatoes and parsnips, roughed them up, cooled and bagged them up in a zip bag with a drizzle of cooking oil and popped them in the freezer ready to defrost on Xmas Eve. A great idea from Mandy!

You would never have guessed in a hundred years that your ganddaughter wanted a chainsaw or contribution to one Vera! I remember asking for a sewing machine from my first husband one Christmas soon after we were married and a Kenwood Chef another time. We were short of money like many others when we were first married and these were things that made life easier for me. He always wanted tools and had a workmate bench one year. Woodwork was his hobby as well as his job so it had plenty of use. Your poor toe must have been very sore so I hope it is better soon after the treatment by the chiropodist.

I hope you start to feel better and less tired soon Mandy. It might be an idea to see the doctor to check you over as you are so tired.

Mel your kitchen is going to smell good with a Christmas Cake cooking. I don't know where you find your energy and enthusiasm to do these things. I haven't made a Christmas Cake for years since living here, but always made one at my old house. I used to enjoy decorating them most as I don't really like such a heavy fruit cake, but my OH's have always loved them. We just have a small bought one for OH now and he always saves it till after Christmas.

My piano friend Terry is playing later today. He hasn't been around as much lately as he's been busy doing other things like touring with Alice Cooper and doing demos for electric pianos and playing church pipe organs and pianos.

Better write the rest of my cards now so I can post them in the morning when we go out.

Morning Mandy and all,

I should do that Mandy as its been going on a long while now. Perhaps they will give you some antiiotics so you can be clear for Christmas.

Dull and wet looking out there this morning pc is telling me rain on Wednesday and its 11 degrees here this morning. well I suppose that will be this afternoon.

Nothing planned for today so may mix up my Christmas cake. I made spicey buns yesterday 21 of them. Some for the freezer if they get that far.

Morning all,

No sun this morning it's very dull but dry.

Still don't feel to good ,my energy has just dropped again ,think I'll see if I can get into the doctors tomorrow.

O Vera that made me laugh too. Thats the kind of thing I would have wanted a few years ago and I got one. I have a lovely Ryobi electric chain saw and its really great. As to your toe about a week or so ago I had a sore toe the second one from the little tor on my left foot. I was very red and swollen and I put it down to a sock seem rubbing on it. I'm till not sure what it was or whether it was a chillblain and it took a long while to go and is still red now but dos'nt hurt anymore. It did'nt itch like a chillblain that I had when I was young and I don't sit in front of a fire so what was it????? Perhaps you got a splinter in your sock while out in the garden??

I have remembered what that round thing mum bought me as a child. It was to stop the shampoo going in my eyes when she was washing my hair. I do remember it was pink. Anyway it did'nt work.

There seems to be so much going on at the moment and I keep running out of time. Apologies if I am not commenting on all the posts but I am reading them and enjoying everything you have to say.

Thank you for your card Annx which arrived yesterday. You have given me a good giggle today at the story of OH's haircut. You smiled at my OH and his weights. All I can say is his daughter takes after him. I asked her a while ago if she wanted anything particular for Christmas and she didn't have anything in mind so a few days ago I got something that I thought she would like. Yesterday she sent me a link to an item she really wants and said she would be grateful for anything towards the cost. What is it? Perfume, jewellery, pretty clothes? No, it's a chainsaw!!

Mandy, make sure you don't overdo it. You want to be fully fit for Christmas That was a good amount raised at the school fayre.

Glad you and bil enjoyed the big breakfast Mel.

Safe journey tomorrow AnnG and have a wonderful time with the family.

I am trying to dash around doing a dozen things at once, except I am hobbling rather than dashing. I've been having trouble with a big toe for several days. It was red, swollen and quite sore. The chiropodist had a good look at it and said there seemed to be quite a bit of dead skin there so she scraped and cut away at my poor toe and eventually (painfully) pulled something out. We couldn't work out what it was or how it got into my toe but it looked like a long, thin splinter of some sort. The chiropodist was very good and didn't even make my toe bleed but I now have an iodine plaster covered by a dressing on my toe. I mustn't get it wet for 3 days so no showering, and if it isn't better in a week I must contact her again as I might need antibiotics. I am wondering what part of me is going to fall to bits next.

Sleep well tonight everyone.

Nearly fell off my chair laugh at the antics of the hair saver. If I remember rightly my mum had something like that when I was young and I did'nt like that either. I hated having hair cuts which is probably why I have nearly always had long hair. I know what G means about the smell of things too. Can't stand anything that smell strange.

Someone asked what I had for my big breakfast so here goes. 2 bacon 2 sausages 2 hash browns beans a huge spoonful of quartered mushrooms, half a large tomato (I could have had 2 of those too) and a fried egg. 2 slices of brown toast with butter and one with marmalade and one with strawberry jam. Only eaten two homemade cakes since and not really hungry now. :-D

Oh Ann that was so funny to read ,I had a job to read it out to Colin I laughed so much especially the end bit ,Max had a plastic shield round his neck when he had his op but he wasn't having any of it and by the morning he'd chewed it off .
It could have been a child's one they sent lol

Perhaps they didn't have a pharmacist so couldn't open this morning , hope it's third time lucky for his tablets .

Afternoon All,

It's been really chilly here today so we were wrapped up well when we went out. We did a few errands and called to collect the rest of OH's prescription only to find they were closed! They used to be open Saturday mornings, but it looks like they have reduced their hours. So a 3rd trip on Monday for him to get the rest they owe him. At least it's only about 3 miles away. In all the surprise of finding the chemist shut he forgot to get some money from the cash machine at the shop as well. He's had his long johns out for the match today and hat and scarf. He said the M9 and M6 traffic was awful. I suppose it's Christmas Shoppers out and about now.

I had a chuckle at your OH getting some weights Vera. I have some light ones gathering dust and thought I'd try one of those kettlebell things till I found I couldn't even lift it of the shop shelf. I'm nervous when my OH gets a hammer in his hand and starts weiding it wildly and dread him saying 'can you hold this while I hit it?'

Mel it was poor if they didn't they let you know when they were delivering the mower as you could have been out. It sounds as if you had a bit of a game sorting getting it home and as if it is bigger than the other one. I bet BIL is keen to try it out. Yes the card is a lot like your garden wildlife isn't it. I used to make home made pizzas with lots of topping on them as some of the bought ones seem to skimp a bit on the toppings. They make a nice change and I like them though. It sounds like the big breakfast was good with a lot of people there that you knew.

I hope your voice is soon back Mandy and that you start to be less tired. These things can really sap your energy so keep resting when you can. That was a fantastic amount of money that was raised at the school wasn't it. I bet they were chuffed. Some may have been buying things for Xmas I expect.

I'm glad you got my card before you went away AnnG. I thought your chicken casserole sounded nice and have decided to get the slow cooker going tomorrow with some chicken thighs and root veg with onions. We can have it sometime during the week. It will be good seeing your little grandson as they grow and change so quickly.

Every winter OH can never decide whether to let his bit of hair and beard grow when it gets cold. I thought it was all getting too long now and took a photo and showed him. He was quite shocked how long the back was, so this morning it was like the dog groomers in our kitchen when I cut his hair. It was even more like the dog groomers when I brought out a new contraption I'd bought very cheaply on the Temu site. He eyed it very suspiciously when I opened up what looked like the lampshades the vet puts on pets to stop them biting wounds. It is thin plastic, circular and supposed to fit over the head with the stiff rim supported on cords in several places to hold it up and Velchro to hold it round the neck. A sort of dish round the neck that is supposed to catch all the hair as you trim and save having to sweep up the cut hair on the floor afterwards. A good idea I thought. Well his face was a picture as I approached him with it and couldn't decide which way up to get it over his head as it kept getting stuck, causing us both to be unable to stop laughing. I said his head must be big and he swore I'd got one for a small child! Then he started complaining about the SMELL. He said was just like smell of the pacamac his mother insisted he took to wear on holiday when he was a small boy and that made him feel ill. Then the velchro wouldn't do up round his neck without cutting off his air supply, so I had to leave it open which meant it didn't catch hair that went down his neck. His only comment after his haircut and I'd managed to prise it off his head again was 'That's going in the bin'. lol. :-D

Afternoon all,

Nice and sunny now after a dull start so nice to see a blue sky ,not sure how cold it is as I haven't been out .
Son and dil dropped a bit of shopping in but didn't stop as they didn't want to catch what ever I have ,they said it was the schools christmas fayre yesterday and they raised just over two thousand pound which is a lot considering its so near christmas and everyone's buying christmas presents, I never even had any raffle tickets this year .

Mel my card from Ann was like yours they are pretty ones as everytime you look at it you see another animal.
What did you have for the big breakfast you sound full up now.

Just got back from the breakfast. Did'nt win anything on the raffle but BIL did. He won two cotton printed hankies with foxes on them and gave them to me. They will go in next times raffle.

BIL rang me first thign to say he had had a bad night and his knee and ankle were playing up so he would'nt be coming. I said thats ok I shall find someone there I know and then he turned up a little while later so we did go together in the end. Lots of chat and saw people I had'nt seen for a long while so it was a good morning all round. Full to the gunnels now and shall only need a sandwich tonight.

I must go up the shop for my paper now.

Morning all,

I did'nt sleep well either. went out like a light but woke at 4.48am for the loo and just could'nt get back to sleep. I even turned over onto my left side but still could'nt drop off again. Must have in the end and woke at 9.14am to sunshine coming through the bedroom window,

I must get on as I am not sure when BIL is coming as its big breakfast day.

Enjoy your visit with grandson and family Anng and give that lovely baby a cuddle from me.

good morning all. 4 degrees but fairly bright and dry. Not sure what time Grandson, wife and baby are coming to see us. sometime late morning I expect. depending on traffic. didn't sleep that well, could be due to prosecco and mince pies I suppose.

6 degrees with rain now and its quite heavy.We had a right fight trying to get the mower off its pallet as it was a metal one that the front and back tyres fitted into. BIL and I found some longish 4" x 4" pieces of wood which he said to get under the front wheels while he lifted the font up. Did this sucessfully and was going to do the back the same way. I said we should chock up the front wheels but BIL said it would be ok. It was'nt. Em came round to help and BIL said for her to push the other bit of wood under and me to guide it the other side to where we wanted it. She shoved it so hard it caught my finger and cut it just under the nail on my right hand middle finger. Would it stop bleeding.......no. Ed had come home from work at 1pm so he and Em came round to help. Ed's a tall guy and we had got two pieces of heavy planks ready to put under the wheels to get it off the frame but the boys gave it a push and knocked it off the 4 x 4 wood jamming the back wheels in the frame too. With that Ed picked up one side of the frame and swivelled it roung so the mower was pointing out of the shed it was in as we'de done everything else with it across the the shed. We put the planks down in line with the tyres and the boys li, Em and I lift it forwards and down the ramp it went. BIL was so grateful and then Ed told him he had a degree in engineering. It made BIL laugh and said why did'nt you tell me that in the first place? So Ed and Em went off for their lunch next door and BIL drove the mower down the raod to my entrance left me with it and walked back to get his car. . I drove the new mower down here from the village hall carpark so he could fix the grass box on it and then drive it back up to Phil and Val's shed where it just fitted through the door of the wood shed where it shall now stay till the spring. I drove up after BIL to bring him back sown here after stowing the new mower.

We both came in and had some homemade soup I had made to warm us up. He loves my soups I make, a couple of slices of bread and off he went to pick his wife up from work.

He will be back tomorrow for the Big Breakfast in our village hall in aid of hall funds. I am going to see if he will cut some branches off the tree that came down too.

Thanks for your card Annx it came today. I seem to have a lot of cards with animals and birds on this year. Annx's is lovely I think it has most of the things on it that come in my garden. There a Robin, a squirrel, an owl, a stag and a deer, a hare, hedgehog and a male pheasent.toadstools, trees and holly. A beautiful full moon in a dark sky with lots of stars and snow.

Afternoon all,

Thank you Ann for your card ,what another dreary dark day it is again ,just a little bit of sun would be nice .

Heads a bit heavy and throbby today ,throat not so sore but my voice has almost gone now .
Mel I can see bil will be playing with his new toy just need the lawn to be a bit dryer so he could try it out .

Heads had enough ,hope to be on tomorrow.

Thank you Mandy and Ann for your cards. arrived with a big batch of cards (none yesterday) this morning.

Washing load done. slow cooker on with a butter chicken sauce chicken mushrooms carrot and onions.

Lyn about an hour and a half away.

Morning all,

About the same here Anng dull and very grey 6 degrees and cloudy not very nice at all.

I know BIL has the docs this morning so he should'nt be here till after 10 something. I bet he goes straight over to see the mower and Phil. He won't come down to me first.

YOu asked what I had for dinner at Stu's the other night. We had pizza homemade with his chips. They are new pots cut up and roasted and he put a bit of garlic powder on them. He buys the thin pizze base and puts on red onion, tomatoes, pesto, cheese and what ever else he can find. I am not a great lover of pesto as I find it very strong but it all went together well even if the base is a bit hard to get your knife through. His dad was there and I had'nt seen him for years so that made a change. He also has parkinsons.

Better get in the shower now as I did'nt have one last night.