General Chat

We're on a yellow warning of heavy rain and storms for all of today and tomorrow but we're still waiting for them to arrive. All we've had so far is 3 or 4 short, light showers but the atmosphere is still very heavy.

I'm glad you are safely home AnnG and hope it's not too waterlogged round your way.

As soon as you mentioned your dancing dream Mel I thought of the Frank and Peggy Spenser Formation Team. Anyone else remember them? They always seemed to be the winning team on the early TV series of Come Dancing. I remember that being presented by Angela Rippon and Terry Wogan. I think there was another pair of presenters before them but can't for the life of me remember who they were.

Gosh, you had a noisy night Annx. It's horrid when you hear bangs and have to investigate them. You are never sure quite what you are going to find. Picking up those crates and maybe twisting his body with them could well have caused OH's pain. Could you ask the delivery drivers to carry them in for you? BothTesco and Sainsbury drivers carry ours through to the kitchen and usually help us to unpack the stuff straight onto the work surface, Every so often we get a small lady driver who looks as though a puff of wind will blow her over and I feel a bit guilty that she's carrying everything in but she seems just as strong as the men.

I've had a really bad back day and OH is nagging me to make an appointment with the doctor but I don't think there's a lot of point. I've seen doctors and physios and I know what the problem is. I was very disheartened this morning. I've been trying to limit the painkillers I take. I have 30/500 co-codamol and I can take 1 or 2, depending on the level of pain. I've been limiting it to 1 at a time but this morning I took 2 and they hardly had any effect. If it's as bad tomorrow I might fill in the doctors' online form where I can just tick that I want advice and ask if there is anything else I can do to help myself.

I remembered today that weeks ago I booked tickets for a show at our little local theatre. I checked the diary and found it is this coming Thursday. The seats aren't very comfortable at the best of times and we are in the middle of a row so any fidgeting will disturb those around us. I shall really have to dose myself up for that.

I wish the storm would break as it is getting really sticky and sweaty here but I hope you all have a calm night and all sleep well.

Afternoon Everyone,

It was so dark this morning I was convinced I must have taken my pills too early but no, so I had a lie in too. Well the rain finally stopped at lunchtime. I've never seen anything like it and it carried on raining all night with rumbles of thunder and worse lightning again this morning. I've never known a storm last that long before and the PC says more heavy rain is expected in an hour. The main road into the city from here was flooded almost knee deep at the city end near where mum used to live. Most of those old houses would have cellars like mum did so I think some of those may have flooded. Last night just after OH had gone to bed there was an almighty bang in the bungalow and the lights went out and I thought we'd been struck by lightning! I managed to switch my craft light on and that worked and OH appeared with his torch. Some of the lights worked and others not so OH went to check the fusebox, thankfully now nice and accessible in the new position and he found 2 fuses including the main one had tripped. Lighting was restored again and it turned out to be the lightbulb in the study where I was sitting that had caused it. We hadn't been in bed more than an hour when there was another bang to investigate, but that was my new backscrubber falling in the bath! :-D

I don't know what dirty eggs are Mel? Is it the brown ones? I remember enjoying scottish country dancing at senior school. Strip the willow was one I remember and also eight men of moidart! When we were in our mid teens my friend persuaded me to go to an afternoon tea dance with her, although neither of us could manage more than a very basic Waltz. We were asked to dance by two spotty youths and mine had wandering hands I had to keep moving, so we made our excuses to powder our noses and did a runner instead.

Glad you are home AnnG and at least can relax a bit now. It's good the blocked drains aren't affecting you.

Your poor back isn't liking the 'keep moving' treatment is it Vera, but it's what they recommend as you say. Maybe you will have to slow down a bit. OH is thinking he will have to make an appointment at the docs on Monday as he's had a bad pain in his ribs and abdomen the past week or two, with the skin sore on the surface. I think it is the way he picks up the pile of Asda crates s and twists, but I get ignored when I say anything, so will see what the doc says to him.

Yes it's good there was no problem getting them to do the door Mandy. We've had it over a year now and I thought they might think we'd done the scratching with not saying about it at the start. It does have a 5 year guarantee though.

I need to start the Asda order now as I've had a reminder about losing my slot. The weeks go so fast don't they.

The gnomes are great is there anymore coming along or is that all the patterns? I have replied to your email.

Afternoon all,

Lovely dry morning we went to sons for a coffee came home and sat out for a while in the garden came in for lunch and then the rain started, just a little shower for a while but its stopped now .

Ann thats good you've got the men coming to sort the door out at last, that's a lot of money to pay out for something that's not working as it should so it's good they are sorting it out .

Glad your home OK Anng ,I expect it does seem quiet after a house full of people but I bet you'll find plenty to do in the garden if it is dry out.

Oh Mel the naughty rabbits eating all your plants ,what with the rabbits and the deer your poor plants don't stand a chance but it was good you've had a few runners before they eyed them up .

Vera your poor back the hoovering and dusting wouldn't have helped ,it's good you have the excersises to help you and as you say it's probably going to take time .

I have a nice piece of beef in the oven for tonight meal and it's beginning to smell good .

Glad your home safely Ann. You'll soon get back into your garden and cards to occupy you. :-D

O formation dancing I think. It was years ago but it has stuck in my memory as I was never good at dancing.

Had a little break in the weather so I shot round to feed the chickens but they had loads of food in there but the bread I took round was very welcome. Iv'e got a nice lot of mash for them later as I had a good picking of runners yesterday for my dinner with beef and roast tatoes cauli cheese and a yorkshire pud.

I now need to make some more miniatures as I only have three things left at the moment. I need some pretty things I think. I have got a Tudpor slipware pot varnished and a large slipware jug and some slipware made as I put 4 things together of that. Not the big jug though I put a wheatshief with that.

O time for a pill....... :-)

sequence dancing Mel? or formation dancing?

Since my last post its been chucking it down here and hardly any breeze so its coming straight down.

Just a quick visit to say that zi am home now got here at 1050, less than two hours so good timing. Son has gone straight back. I am missing them now. However it is nice to be in a slightly less chaotic environment.

Morning all Threadateers,

Miserable, dull, dreary, dire, dingy, dark and grey here this morning. went to the bathroom earlier on and decided to go and have a lie in sothats what I did as nobody calling in today.

You talking about people talking in different languages reminded me of a dream I had once I was talking french but I did'nt take french at school and I was dancing in a show in a beautiful pink and black long flowing gown. I can remember it was like, O what do they call it when you dance to a pattern with other couples? anyway it was like that. What brought that dream on I have no idea but it was many years ago but I can still see myself in that dress as if I was watching the telly.

Iv'e been putting off doing washing thinking Stu was coming to do the drain for me so I now have a load to do and there rain in the air today and it 16 degrees and pc is telling me there heavy rain on the way if so it will be dirty eggs today. I had another brown one yesterday in with the other three.

Just a few spits and spots of rain here today but it is still quite warm and heavy so it wouldn't surprise me if we got a bit of a storm during the night. I think we are forecast to get thundery rain tomorrow. It certainly sounds as though both Anns have had a hammering.

Finding the rabbits have been at your campanula must be frustrating Mel. I reckon the animal grapevine is working overtime and the word has gone round that Mel's hotel provides the best meal for miles around. Take it as a compliment - you clearly grow very tasty plants. I'm glad you've managed to get some beans at least.

That really was a light bite Annx. I often have a "small plate", particularly if I am out with the ladies and can pair with someone as they are often 2 meals for so much, but I don't think I've had one quite that small before. It's good that you are getting your door sorted at last. The speaking a different language thing is interesting isn't it but I've looked into it a bit more and I think what I originally heard had been a little exaggerated. There is a theory now that the person's natural accent or speech has been changed as it often is by a stroke and the language they speak has often been learnt, in at least a basic way, at school. The change in their accent makes them sound more fluent than they really are, though I would have thought it would be easy to test someone's level of fluency.

I did some hoovering and cleaning this morning which hasn't helped my back pain at all but we are always told we should keep moving. I've also been very good about doing the exercises the physio gave me a while ago. I guess I just need to be patient, it will get better in time, but it's hard to be patient when there are so many things I want to be doing.

All you petite ladies make me feel like a giraffe. I haven't been measured since we moved here 11 years ago and I had to register with a new doctor. I was told then I was 5' 8", about the same as when I was 15. I don't think I've shrunk much at all, though several of my friends have and OH certainly has. Where we were once just about the same height I am now a couple of inches taller. I don't mind being tall but I wouldn't mind putting on a little bit of weight - not round my middle but I wouldn't mind a bit of flesh on my arms and even my face and neck. The trouble with being tall and thinnish is that you can look a bit scraggy.

Here I am rambling on as usual so I'd better stop typing. I've done enough moving for one day so I'm going to get myself into bed with my propping up pillows. Now, shall I read or watch something on iPlayer........decisions, decisions. Sleep well everyone.

Phew what heavy rainfall that was, it was hammering on the conservatory roof and like a river down the road but it's eased off a bit now. Some dazzling flashes of lightning with immediate loud claps of thunder......I hate it. You would have been soaked if you'd tried to get back to the car AnnG. Hopefully OH was in one of the stands, but he will get soaked getting to his car.I hope the rain's washed off a splat from the geese on my car. They managed a bullseye hitting the filler cap which is on top of the wing at the back.

I have to have 25 inch length in trousers and out of curiosity just measured me using a T square against the wall to be sure I marked the wall properly level. I was a bit shocked to find I am just under 5 foot now so have lost nearly an inch and a half. Looked it up and it says most women lose 3 inches by age 80. Vera you obviously don't have the same trouble reachinng shelves and the high clothes racks in supermarkets like I do. :-)

That is fascinating about language when someone can suddenly speak a different language that they never knew before. There are so many things we still don't understand.

I've never seen a black Squirrel either, but some red ones we saw I think at Formby were a very dark red. We keep seeing young grey ones here, some getting run over as they forage for winter food stores. It's amazing how they know to do it, unless they just copy the older ones.

Eight chips each wasn't very many Mel. Oh no not the rabbits now!! You'll have to devise something to protect your campanula now! It does sound like the after effect of the injections doesn't it, but a good idea to not risk you catching something by coming round. I cook extra veg with our sunday lunches and freeze them to add to soup or another meal too.

O dear Ann it sounds like a childs meal but thats about the size of a piece of cod down the chip van as a smal;l cod and chips. Can't remember how much it was but you got a nicelots of chips.

Well Stu messaged me to say he was'nt feeling well today so I said don't worry he also said his girl was'nt feeling too good either so he thought it best not to come round and give anything to me. He's taking his children to Mexico soon and when I went on Thursday he had had two jabs so perhaps they made him feel odd.

I am gpoing to do myself a little roast tonight as I have not had one fr a while and I will do extra veg to freeze for another day. I have my first picking of runners after putting an assult course down there so the deer don't eat anymore of my lovely beans. Just went down to feed them and I had a nice campanular that I had repotted down by the shed and it had filled the pot nicely and as its evergreen I was going to put it up on the patio for the winter for a bit of colour when I looked it has been eaten down to about a quarter of an inch all over. Bl**dy rabbits.

Afternoon All,

Sunny and 21 degrees here now. OH has gone to a match at Loughborough. A very posh sports complex he's been to before, so it won't be cheap to go in!

I wrote a post about the door man but can't have posted it. Yes it was Grumpy who has been 3 times before for the letterbox and door lock. Well, he was like a different man this time, actually cheerful and agreeable!! I was all psyched up to be assertive but pleasant, expecting disagreement, but no! Of course the lock behaved perfectly for him as I knew it would, but he said straightaway that it would be the metal strip along the opening edge that holds the linkages to all the bolts that go into the doorframe that needs replacing and not the actual bit where the key turns. Good news as we won't need a new barrel or to buy new sets of spare keys that cost an arm and a leg! He used some special cleaner he had on the white sill at the bottom and it did look much better, but this time he said it shouldn't have had deep scratches like they are and which he couldn't remove and said he would have to pass that to the bosses to decide what to do, as it looked like the door and frame may have to come out to replace it. Yesterday the company rang and have booked an October appointment to come and do both jobs, so that was good. I was beginning to think they might see me as a difficult customer after having them back 4 times before, but when you pay more than £2500 for a door you want it to be right don't you!!

We ate out at Ullesthorpe Court yesterday which is an old haunt and Sharon gives us extra little biccies and teabags. We decided to treat ourselves to a light bite portion of F&C which we've had before and is a little treat without too much diet damage! It should now be renamed 'very light bite' as, although it was nice, all we got was a strip of battered cod about an inch and a quarter wide at one end tapering to half an inch and six inches long with no more than eight chips and a spoonful of peas with a pot of tartare sauce on the plate to help fill the space. After such a small helping, we decided to have the pud off the same menu, which was a small creme brulee. Not wise in my case as I forgot it would probably have double cream in and so I had further proof I have a degree of lactose intolerance later. I don't think we'll be paying £35 for that and a COT again! We are convinced a lot of places are passing every increase in cost to customers so they can maintain their profits. The place used to be busy, especially on Fridays, but there was only one other customer there while we were there.

Switching off now thunder and lightning!!

It was dry and warm then an hour ago, still warm but thunderstorm, it lashed down. We were at a small tea room cafe, out in the countryside couldn’t leave to get to the car as it was so heavy had ham eggs and chips and the ham was home cooked, really tasty.

17 degrees and the suns out.

Morning girls,

Ann I am 27 leg and 5' 2" or I was may have shrunk a bit with age. Grey morning here so we may have rain later but the roads dry at the moment but the car looks a bit damp probably dew.

Don't worry about the spelling Ann we always know when your on the lPad.

I am supposed to remind Stu today about rodding my drain for me. Apart from that I may hoover and go to the shop for the paper and do some painting as I need to get stuff on Ebay. Sold loads this week.

Good morning all, dull and dry so far. But I have heard there is local flooding at home with heavy rain and blocked drains.
Why is it the time I don’t check what I have written that finger trouble gets the wrong key always when on IPad. Trousers 25 27 and 29 lengths. In Bon Marche. Although I am 5 foot 2 so not very tall, M&S short length trousers are too short for me. I buy regular but they are actually a bit long,

my dad made my stilts, I loved walking around on them. When I was bigger he mademe another pair a bit taller. That brought back the memory you mentioning stilts Vera.

My right hips playing up today, having trouble going up and down steps it really gives me whatfor.

With BIL here today I forgot my toenail appointment at 2.30pm, blast shall have to ring on Monday and apologise and make another one. Will probably have to pay for the missed one too.

Yes, when I googled black squirrels the Letchworth area was mentioned.

39" trousers? I'd need to be on stilts to wear those :-D I do however need 31". It's funny how smaller ladies often have trouble finding things short enough and taller ladies struggle to find them long enough.

Typing this has reminded me - we had a pair of stilts once. I wonder what happened to them. I'll have to ask OH.