General Chat

Glad you got 2 packets of stamps AnnG. I am sure it is OK for them to be sold to you at a discount because Tesco will cover the difference when they make their payment to Royal Mail or whoever their contract is with.

The Tesco saga goes on but now it's my fault. When I went to take the lamb shanks out of the box I found I'd got a single serving. I must have clicked on the wrong button and I didn't notice when it was delivered because the box is the same size as the 2-serving one. I'm not a big meat eater so I'm OK with sharing it between us but it doesn't seem much to give OH who likes his meat. The funny thing is I asked him to chop some mint for sauce and he's made up the sauce and done enough for 10 people. So lots of mint sauce and not much lamb to put it on.

Vera yes sometimes you think 'but just WHY?' However this time it is ok.
Sister is at Lake Garda and has been shocked to have temperatures 33+ and, she says very sticky.

I stand corrected. just rechecked that and I am wrong, they have sent two 1st class books so I will keep those. (for the price of the 2nd class, not sure they are supposed to do that.)

Sometimes you wonder what some of these pickers and packers are thinking. I saw an even better one on their website the other day when I was putting in my order. It was a plastic pot with 3 types of cabbage and smoked bacon and was out of stock so underneath it said why not substitute with.............wait for it.......... a pack of sticky toffee puddings. There'll go well with meat and gravy!

Sorry Mel it's wall to wall sunshine here and 25 degrees. There is a slight breeze but my phone app is telling me it feels like 30. I suspect it's similar where Chelsea is. It might be just a little cooler or cloudier but it should stay dry for the music festival.

I've just looked up the 10 day forecast for where we are going next week. OMG, they have a severe heat warning!!! The temp there yesterday was 34 degrees and feeling hotter and it is supposed to be in the 30s most of the time we are there. I think we'll be dashing from hotel room to air conditioned cafe and back, maybe taking a look at a nice, cool stone church on the way, lol.

Mel, I am sure it can't be good for you to go without food and drink for such long spells. I know when you're working you might be quite a way from your house but could you take a little mini picnic with you? A bottle of water and a couple of cream crackers would do to tide you over till you eat in the evening. At least make sure you are drinking plenty while you are doing all that physical work. I do admire you being able to keep at it for so long. These days I think I've done well if I manage an hour outside.

I've got some birthday cards to write for people whose birthday is while we are away so I must get those done and walk to the post box with them. We only have one collection a day from the box and it is at 9 am Monday-Friday and 7 am Saturday so I have to try to remember to get anything I want to go in the box the day before. I'll get that done now and then get our lamb shanks in the oven. They only take about 45 minutes as they are the pre-cooked ones

Just had the invoice through for Tesco order. 2 subs. One is fine but the other leaves me speechless. I ordered two books of 8 second class stamps. Not available, subbed with one book of 8 first class stamps. What am I supposed to do, cut them in half? If I order 16 stamps, why would 8 be a good swap? :-S :-S

22 degrees here but just low cloud, no rain as yet. did a bit more clipping back as it is garden bin say this week. Mine is three quarters full.

Well I hope the weather stays nice for them as the rain here is so heavy at the mo they won't be playing anything here.

I have the BT man coming tomorrow to check my pc is ok and I am hoping Stuart can come so he can check the blokes details as he knows how to do that. Trouble is he is coming between 12pm and 2pm but not a definate time. Why is everything so hard to do these days? or is it just that I am getting old....... :-(

Its chucking it down here.

Morning all,
Sorry ladies we have the sunshine but we also have a little cloud ,should be a nice day .

Anng that was good you had a better night it was probably going out that's why you slept better .

Mel we had the Maui Waui festival here on the outskirts of the town last weekend and last year we heard the music when we sat out but this year the wind must have been in the other direction as we didn't hear any .
The Sundown music festival is on the norfolk showground this weekend, Chelsea went with her friend yesterday ,her friends mum took them and son picked them up last night ,he said it had cost him as as well as ths ticket they had to give her money for food and drink as they weren't allowed to take anything in with them ,she's going again today as it was a two day ticket.

Morning all,

Cloudy here and the temp is 16 degrees and pc is sying heavy rain soon so not the lovely weather we have had over the last two days.

Glad you had a better night last night Anng. It helps if you can sleep through for a couple of hours. I only had to get up once for the loo at 6.23 then went back to bed until nearly 8am.

Surprisingly I don't ache too much this morning. The old knee is a bit stiff but thats about all. I did keep getting cramp in my left hand last night whilst watching the telly and the fingers feel a bit strained today but not too bad.

We've had the Sheb Fest here over the last two days so at time we've had music float across on the breeze.

Good morning all. 15 degrees here but very grey, complete cloud cover and looks threatening. Slept better last night from 11 until 5, got up for the loo then dozed until 6.45.

Oh gosh, another month, this year is going quickly. To me it seems to have been all about hospital appointments, either getting or not getting them.

Mel, I don't know how you can go all that time without eating while doing quite hard work outside, it can't be good for your body not to have a break. I would start to feel ill if I kept going that long.

Ann, had to chuckle about you OH chatting in the car, that can be very wearing. Hopefully he had something interesting to chat about.
shame you didn't get to see any planes, maybe the flight path was in a different direction.

Vera, son used to have the app that he paid for to identify plants etc but it got too expensive. I was aware of other apps but not aware of free ones. Anyway, I am glad you got it identified.
Hope packing is going well, lovely to have a nice holiday to look forward to, hope all goes well this year.

Just come in from the garden and read your posts and see I missed Mandy's post this morning as it must have jumped in as I was typing. Now I would put a ;little note on your table mandy saying that there is a cctv on the table so you know who has been and who has paid. Thank you. That could put a lot of people off from helping themselves. Also put a label on your money tin saying HONEST BOX. I hope you can catch her when she comes past again. When I had the barrow out when we did veg there was always things missing and once I had £24 worth of homemade jams and chutneys pinched and I was in Les's cottage at the time right by the barrow.

BIL called in just before I went to the shop this morning bring me two cans of diesel and 4 boxes of fat balls so now I have 200 fat balls to get through that should last most of the winter. Paid for the fat balls but not the diesel as I had'nt enough money in the house.

After the shop I got home just before 1pm and went out in the garden to start scraping the left hand side of the road. I came in at alsomst 6pm. All I have had today so far is a milky coffee when I got up and a big glass of water to take mym pill and about 20 blackberries off the vones growing through the Rhodo in the west lawn. Now I am ready for a nice BIG salad tonight as sI bought some of the lovely ham at the shop and I have home grown cue tom, a big one, cheese coleslaw lettuce, beetroot and a slice of new granary bread to mop up with. Luverly.....

Afternoon All,

A nice, sunny day here and I expected to hear and see old planes fly across to the airshow and re-enactment at the Yarn Bomb village this afternoon. It's good to see the old planes airborne, but not one has flown over, so perhaps it will just be tomorrow now unless they have cut back on the cost this year. All the lanes nearby have cones along them now to stop people parking and getting a free view and for few years now they have grown the hedges around the farm tall, put up taller metal farmgates and covered them in green plastic to stop anyone seeing in. I remember young boys from the village used to get a free view through the gates. People will be climbing Croft Hill where the quarry is to get the best free view of the planes in the air though.

Oh Mandy, that's awful to have your lovely makes just taken like that without paying for them. With the lady having bought bits before it's not as if she didn't know to pay. I hope you catch her soon and ask if she forgot to pay. It's a good job you have the camera. When I told OH he said we need to get one!

That's good you went out with friends for lunch AnnG. Hopefully you may sleep better tonight after all the chatting. OH wore me out yesterday when he chatted all the way to lunch at the carvery (17 miles) and then all the way back. He laughed when I told him there was no chance to have a thought of my own! lol. Still I'm lucky he still wants to chat to me, as some men are almost silent.

Gwyn I was saying to OH that it's a good job he's retired from his main job if this govt bring in pay per mile, as he would do as much as 29,000 miles or thereabouts with football plus work some years. He says if that happens, he will ditch some of the schools that are furthest for him to travel to. I think a lot of business meetings may go online with Zoom or Teams if that happens. I used to go blackberry picking with my mother too and she would make crumbles or pies with apple added and I loved them. We also used to go mushrooming too and she taught me how to check the smell. She also picked a fungus called blue legs I think, but I have never since risked picking and eating any, just in case!

It sounds like the show was good Vera and I hope you find some 'Fireworks' online! I looked at some at a garden centre this week and they do look impressive in white and purple.

Well I have spot weeded an invasive cloverlike weed with tiny yellow star flowers that has invaded our front and back garden from nextdoor. (It's Wood Sorrel)and hard to get rid of and fires it's seeds up to 16 feet as well as having creepers!) I only managed the front garden today before my back shouted and did under OH's car while he was out, the driveway, gravel and even some on the edge of the road. I also washed the shower curtain, did the food order for tomorrow and forwarded a load of spam emails.

Oh Mandy, that was mean of that lady, or do you think she just had a senior moment and simply forgot to put her money in the box? We all have those daft moments don’t we and you can understand something like that, but it’s awful to think someone feels it’s OK to just help themselves.

I’m pleased your lunch went well AnnG. As Gwyn says any scars or bruising are probably far more noticeable to you than to other people.

As I said in my email to Gwyn, the photo search feature her daughter told me about won’t work on my phone. It is a smart phone but very old so it now only receives bug fixing updates. However I had a photo of that plant on my iPad so wondered if the photo search would work on there and it does :-). It operates very quickly I can either take a photo of whatever I am looking at with the Google camera thingie that comes up onscreen or I can upload something I’ve already got on file. I did that and the system came up straightaway with Phygelius. I expect the rest of you know about this picture search but I am delighted to have learnt something new, thanks to Gwyn’s daughter.

The week’s holiday we booked a couple of months ago has suddenly rushed up on me and we go in a few days time so today I have cleared all the washing that was hanging around and sorted through our clothes to decide what we are taking. I also had a Tesco delivery so I can come back to fully stocked cupboards and freezer The driver came 40 minutes early and there was nothing missing and no subs.

It’s not been a very nice day. It’s been warm but hasn’t felt very hot as it has been so windy. Even OH remarked on the way the rotary clothes line was whizzing round. The washing dried well, lol. It’s also been grey and overcast all day, not a sign of the sun. I’m glad my trip out was yesterday and not today.

I’m going to be lazy tonight and have a ready meal from that nice Mr Tesco. I’m off now to make a couple of phone calls. Enjoy the rest of your day.

Temp is supposed to be 20 degrees but it doesn't feel like it. It is grey we have had no sun all day and it is a bit misty.

I remember Gwyn blackberry picking when young, it would always be hard to find places where others were not picking. Very few people do it these days.

I have olbas oil by my bed and use that but the best help it to rub Vic on my throat.

Afternoon all. It's got quite blustery here, but is dry after a dull and damp start.

Glad you were able to help Vera to identify her plant. Daughter uses a feature on her smart phone, which does a photo check online.Vera, your garden visit sounds really interesting and enjoyable.

Hopefully your nose will clear, as time goes on and the tissues settle after your op. Ann.
When I'd had facial surgery, at the check-up they asked about any numbness and got me to smile broadly, so they could see how everything was healing correctly.
It must be a nuisance in the night, but it seems you are doing what you can to help the situation. Would it help to have Olbas Oil or menthol crystals in hot water in a bowl in your bedroom to release vapours, while you sleep?
I think you will be more aware of your scar,than people you might meet. I hope you enjoy your outing,when you go out

What a shame that someone took your craft work without paying Mandy. It seems strange if she has paid in the past, so must know the set up. I hope you are able to get the money owed to you soon. It will be good for her and others to know that you have a camera checking.
I love a homemade Lasagne and like you haven't made one for a while, so may be that's something to add to our menu soon.
When the children were younger and all at home, they often asked if I would make moussaka. I often did, but it seemed to take ages, what with one pot with the main meat mixture, another pan cooking courgettes ( as an alternative to aubergine layer) and yet another pan to cook the topping sauce layer.
It was all gone in minutes, after an afternoon's work :-0

Annx your OH certainly has put the miles in over the years following his interest in football. He could do a lot worse and I always think it's a healthy mix to have some separate interests. You have shared time too, so that sounds good to me.

Mel, I hope the weather is right for you doing more of your tidying outside.Don't forget to eat and drink, when you are so busy. You certainly have a lot of ground to care for, so it's great that brother-in-law comes so often to help you out. It would be
hard to manage everything without him.

Picked some blackberries for daughter yesterday and I might go out and pick some to give to our son, as we are seeing him later. It won't take long to pick more for ourselves later in the week, when I've got some apples to go with them in a crumble. Not many people bother to pick them round here, but growing up with a country-bred Mum near open land, it's in-built for me to go blackberrying, at this time of year ;-)

Just got in. 7 of us for lunch so an awful lot of chatting. I feel quite exhausted, not spoken to anyone except a couple of friends for an hour or so and Cynth on the doorstep for almost 2 weeks. Nice light lunch. I had smoked ham and cheese panini and rhubarb and ginger crumble and ice cream. The rhubarb was really sharp.

I make sure I bring the board in late afternoon and I empty the tin which I attach to the board with a reusable twist tie .

Clouded up here now and the wind seems to have got up a bit which helped to dry the washing .

I made a lasagne for tonight and there will be enough for tomorrow too we haven't had ones for ages .