General Chat

So we are at the hotel. The weather has been glorious today. Blue sky and sun. We drove up the waste water area and had lunch in the Saw Mill cafe then on to the Irton Hall hotel. Sat in the sun for a couple of hours making friends with Milky the sheep dog and a very friendly young cat. Had a glass of white wine to get us in the party mood.. the bar opened at five but we changed in time to meet other wedding guests in the bar at 6pm. SiL and his ex wife bought first drinks for everyone in the bar with our group. I had met ex wife before and now proceeded to meet all the rest of the family, some of whom live more towards home in the Stratsford area. But this is very much a mix and match family with several ex and current partnerships. A very modern wedding and step great granddaughter the only child there. At 7.30 the three of us moved into the restaurant and had a very nice meal of fish and chips which was so big daughter and I were unable to finish.

Got it back and it cost me £360.97 they welded the subframe and two more bits and a new starter and Stuart came round with it and drove me back to his place to pay. I have also been asked to dinner with him on a Wednesday night as his son is out that night and his daughter goes to stay with her mum that day too. He said he would cook me a roast beef dinner so I am looking forward to that. He also told me to get in touch if I need anything done and he may come and pressure wash the patio roofing for me or any odd jobs. I have known him since he was a kid and he's such a lovely chap and he has just bought his wife a house as they have parted a while ago £180,000 he said he still loved her its a shame when people you know break up we rang for his wedding in the church but they were very young. His youngest daughter was 16 last week and he had older twins a boy and a girl. He is good to me cos he dos'nt charge me much for labour. He got on well with oh and they would always have a good chinwag if he went down for some red deisel for the big mower.

Lasagne for me tonight and I must get my things ready for tomorrow I am just sorting out my handbag making sure I have tissues and the camera and spare shoes if I go down to the beach.

Afternoon All,

Sunny and 22 degrees here now. I cut OH's hair, showered and nipped to the shop first thing. He's started moving the rocks off the front borders now, so I weedkilled the invasive yellow flowered clover like weed in the gravel on the front. It all came from nextdoor's lawn which he's now replaced with chippings, but I noticed their chippings aren't deep enough and it's growing there again.

Then I helped OH sort some paperwork and I've dusted the main bedroom. I was boiling after doing that so have come for a sit down.

I'm glad you are both not too bad now Mandy and that Colin feels his legs are improving. I must admit that we seem to be getting very tired lately and I wonder whether the weather is affecting some of us as well. We've been sleeping well, but seem to need a rest by the afternoon. We'll be wanting a nap next! lol. :-)

I bet Wast Water will be nice AnnG, especially in the sunshine. Fingers crossed it stays sunny for the wedding tomorrow as well and that you all have a lovely day.

I didn't know your car needed work Mel, I thought it was just the MOT, but sometimes they find work that has to be done in order for a car to pass. I hope you get it back soon and that isn't expensive work. I'm glad the chickens are laying well now and earning their keep! Are you all sorted for tomorrow? I hope you have a nice time.

Your platter sounds delicious Vera so can I come? I hope you manage to find a bowl for your trifle as it would be a shame to risk the expensive ones getting broken. Like you say it's different at your own house as you can keep an eye on things and be the one to remove it eventually. Then lovely tea and scones on Monday, you are becoming a social butterfly with all your outings! :-)

I know just what you mean Vera.

I just rang about the car and its been MOT'd but when he went to start it the starter moter would'nt go so he ordered a new one and James is just putting it on and it will be about an hour. So MORE EXPENSE as our Frank would say. I wonder just how much this is all going to cost me. I thought August was quite a cheap month but I have had the leccy bill and the water bill and now the car and then my phone its all getting a bit much. BIL said diesl was going down but thye hav'nt reduced the prices in the shops have they?

I am so cross and I told him I have a wedding to go to tomorrow.

Good morning all

Oops, a higgledy-piggledy post there AnnG. I wonder how that happens sometimes. I haven't been to Wast Water for years but I remember liking it there. Enjoy your stay in the hotel and have a wonderful time at the wedding on Saturday.

Mandy, I've seen things like the revitive machine advertised and often wondered how effective they are so it's good to hear Colin is finding it helpful. I hope he continues to improve.

Do you think your car will be back today Mel? Will you need it on Saturday to get to the wedding? It's hard to manage for long without a car these days, particularly in rural areas.

Yesterday we went to our usual coffee meet and afterwards I shopped for stuff to take to the summer party on Sunday and a few bits for us. I'm taking a platter of shop bought bits for one of our items. I've got mini egg balls and chicken balls and little sausage rolls and I'll add some little tomatoes and greenery to brighten the tray up a bit. However I've let myself be talked into making a trifle for the sweet I'm supposed to be taking but can't find a suitable bowl. I've got 2 beautiful cut glass bowls; one is Waterford Crystal and I forget what the other one is but it is similar. I'd use those if I was doing it here but don't want to risk them being broken if I take them elsewhere. I'll have to have a good hunt through the cupboards and see what I can find. It's supposed to be very hot on Sunday and my weather app is saying it will be 31 degrees on Monday but will feel like 37. On Monday I've been invited with a few ladies to someone's house for tea and scones. I think we'll all melt!

At the moment I'm waiting for my daughter and her partner. They were going to be here at 11 but she texted to say they would be late and she'd ping me a text as they were leaving. I haven't heard anything yet and it takes about 45 minutes to drive here so it's clearly going to be well turned 12 before we see them. It's hard to settle to do anything much when I don't know when they are arriving.

That'll be for the wedding then Ann. Hope it all goes well and you have a nice time.

Had a shower this morning just as I went to the post van. Em took me in the end so thats out of the way. Suns out at the mo and pc is saying 18 degrees and partly sunny and the suns out at the mo.

Good morning all. Off to near Wast
Weather ok so far some sun, light wind and dry.Water later, we have two nights in the hotel.

Morning all,

The suns trying to come out now but it was very grey when I got up. I have a feeling BIL and SIL maybe coming today.

I need to get a parcel up the post van and still not got my car back yet. It just needs its MOT done after the work they did on it.

I'm pleased the machine seems to be working for Colin and hope it improves his walking. Enjoy your shopping!!

Morning all,

Very grey when we got up and we've just had a little rain ,now I can see blue sky and the suns shining, shopping day today so I Hooe it keeps dry .

We're not to bad now Ann ,I still feel tired at times but I just stop and rest ,Colins using his revitive machine and he thinks it's helping his legs ,he does seem to be moving better.

Right better get sorted so we can go a bit earlier before it gets busy .

Evening All,

It's been cooler and a bit windy here today, but OH surprised me as he got up and put the washing out at 7.00am! At least he would hve been in his jim jams this time Mandy! lol. It was good that he hung it out as it was dry and brought in before we went out to do some errands and it started raining before we got home. It wasn't forecast to rain here until this afternoon.

We managed a lap of the little park again and I only needed two sits for 5 minutes this time. I was hoping to see ducklings and moorhen chicks on the pond like in the past, but there wasn't even one! It was awkward parking as some had parked down the middle making it hard to get in and out of spaces either side of them. More space has been marked as disabled parking too. It will be worse when the schools go back as extra markings preventing parking too close to the school near there has made parents use the carpark as well. I spent the afternoon on admin and OH added to it by adding a couple of his things for me to sort out as well.

Thanks fr the update AnnG and it's good you have managed to get back Mel, although I don't really understand what you explained. I can't order from Asda on my usual browser anymore as they use 'cloudflare' that asks if you are a robot. Clicking on it sends it into a loop where it times me out eventually, so it sounds like something similar. I have to use another browser now to do my food order and it works fine on there with the robot question. Did your car pass the MOT ok? Edit, just seen your post there Mel!

Mandy OH was saying this morning how so many of the roads round here either have roadworks or are being resurfaced. Some people just don't slow down on the loose gravel either and they took weeks to put the lines back on the main road where it is 3 lanes wide each side. I hope you are both feeling much better now and that Colin is walking a bit better again.

Was trying to do a post but all sorts of weird things are happening on the computer so I am giving up for tonight Have a good night everyone and, with luck, I'll be back tomorrow.

I hate it when they do the roads round here with stones as it seems to take ages before most of them end up at the side of the road.

Been doing the dreaded HW today I have had the kitchen out washed all the windows inside and out and just haave to finish hoovering and dust my desk and the chairs and that will be it.

Still not got my car back and I should post a parcel tomorrow but I may ask Em if she will take me up there.

Chickens are laying well I've had 4 eggs two days running so I think they must be over their moult.

Hope Ann had a good day out at Whitehaven. Iv'e been there when I was young as an uncle had a big boat there and he used to go fishing in it and come back with lots of spider crabs and fish.

Evening all,

It's been quite a nice day here today ,we sat out and had our coffee and then the hairdresser came to cut our hair ,it clouded up this afternoon but its still warm even with the wind ,there was a few spits of rain but that was it .

Glad you got sorted out in the end Mel and thanks Ann for letting us know or we would have wondered if you were OK.

Oh Vera what a shame it rained on your strawberry teas but it sounds as if you had fun in the rain with the brollies not so good you got soaked though .

It's all going on in your close Ann with the neighbours, you don't want that to often so it disturbs your sleep.
I had to giggle at your OH's plodding through in the altogether and the neighbour was at the fence ,I bet it was the quickest he had moved in a while :-)

Shopping day tomorrow, I just hope the traffic isn't to bad as the town seems to be closing roads for resurfacing without any warning and its tarmac with the stones so if someone whizzes past to quick it could send the stones flying.

Good you fixed it Mel. Was it an update on Firefox that caused it? Good to see you back anyway. Hope the wedding goes ok on Saturday.

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 HOORAY I'M BACK <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Morning all,

Here at last and I have missed being on here it such a nuisance when the pc won't do what you want it to.

Third attempt this morning and went into something else and bingo here I am. I felt so isolated without you lot at the touch of a few keys. Anyone would think I was trying to spend loads of money but it was'nt a large transaction.

Its dull dreay and raining here and I can't tell you what the temp is cos the pc won't tell me.

Thank you for posting that AnnG. Poor Mel. She must be feeling frustrated.

We're just off to our Thursday coffee meet and then I have things to do this afternoon but I might bbl. I hope you all have a good day whatever you are up to.

From Mel

Morning Ann yes I tried again this morning but it keeps saying Firefox is not responding.

I am ok and have read the posts yesterday but I shall have to ask BIL when he comes if he can sort it out for me.

This morning I could enter everything but when it comes to confirm it puts up the box with the green dots and then nothing in the box and the pc wers away and then it says timed out. Its 17 degrees here and raining so I am hoping its going to be a nice day for the wedding and yours too.

If you can copy and paste this message on GR I would be grateful.

In the meantime I will keep trying.

I just had a look at Whitehaven AnnG. I think I took the car there once after dropping OH at a match at Workington, but I just parked at some shops and never saw the harbour. It's quite a big harbour isn't it and I see there is a lighthouse there too. Nice for a walk and look around at the boats. Fancy being able to wave to your grandson on the bus as it went by!

Vera, my hair is my biggest expense, but I tell myself the same that I don't spend much on the rest of me! The hairdresser always does a good job of keeping my now wiry mop in order so it's well worth the cost! Isn't it a faff nowadays trying to spend your own money though! More and more it seems when we spend, our banks require us to use a code they send us before they will release our money. How long before they add more hoops for us to jump through that will be beyond our aging brains to cope with. :-S

According to OH there were shennanigans again at the new house at the end of the close in the early hours! I slept through it this time but he said there was shouting going on and he heard 'mum' being shouted, so he went to look out of the window and eventually saw the floodlights come on at the house that was built at the end with locking gates across. Our neighbour had gone out in the front garden in his PJs with shorts to look and his wife was calling something to him about 'this way' as well. Last time we were told by a neighbour opposite that it was one of their 5 sons who was drunk. That time we wondered what on earth was going on as he was doing his best shaking the iron gates across the end of the close to try to force them open. It may have been him again as it was one of the sons shouting 'mum'. OH thought the neighbour had seen him go in his garden to perhaps climb over his fence with what his wife was shouting to him. The district inspector overode the council and our objections to building a house there with the two bungalows in a close with all bungalows, but we thought it would be ok with the elderly Sikh couple that moved in. Their sons don't live there, but speed up and down the close far too fast and dangerously with music blaring and seem to use the place for mending cars.

I've put the washer on as it is supposed to be dry here tomorrow till mid afternoon. OH is at a match about two miles away so won't be late.

I'm surprised we haven't seen Mel post yet, so I hope she gets sorted soon.

It's been a "not" sort of day - not hot, not cold, not wet but not sunny, just warmish and grey.

Thanks for letting us know about Mel's payment problems Annx. I think we would all have been concerned if Mel wasn't posting and we didn't know why. I laughed at your OH's rapid exit from your conservatory covered in blushes if not a lot else, lol. It's just the sort of thing mine would do.

It sounds like a nice jaunt around Whitehaven AnnG.

OH went for his blood tests this morning while I went to the chiropodist. Her price has gone up from £41 to £43. Between the chiropodist and the hairdresser it's getting an expensive business just keeping my head and feet comfortable. It's a good job I don't spend much on the body in between. I rarely buy make up or clothes so don't spend much on myself.

When I got back I tackled a large pile of ironing. I do as little ironing as possible but there always seems to be more in summer, even though we're wearing fewer clothes. Since lunch I've done admin work, prepared tonight's dinner and made a shopping list for tomorrow. Usually I just need to top up salad and veg but on Friday daughter and partner are calling at ours for a bit of lunch on their way up to Yorkshire for the weekend and on Sunday we have a Club Summer Party and I am supposed to be making something savoury and something sweet. Daughter is going to Yorkshire for her granddaughter's (and our great granddaughter's) 1st birthday and will collect some bits and pieces from us to take up with her.

I was trying to make an expensive purchase online this afternoon. Normally we would use our credit card but OH had said to pay with the debit card which I did. Up came a message to say there was a problem and to try again later. Two minutes later our landline phone rang and it was our bank's fraud department. Alarm bells had rung and our card been blocked because it was such an unusually large amount for us. Then I had to go through a load of security questions so they could be sure they were talking to me and then the chap from the bank sent a code to my phone which I had to read to him. He didn't ask what the money was for but I told him anyway and he was more than satisfied and immediately unblocked my card. It all took around 15 minutes and could have been irritating but I was pleased to see the bank's security was on the ball and protecting my money. My card was blocked and I got the phone call within a couple of minutes of trying to make my purchase.

I've just noticed the time - it's a bit late for an afternoon cuppa. Do you think it's too early for an evening glass of vino? There's no sun so I can't tell if it's over the yardarm but it must be somewhere in the world.

I think she had a problem before. I expect that she has changed her card.

We are just back from Whitehaven where we spent a pleasant morning after coffee, walking out round the harbour to the watch tower. And then up into the town through the shops before going to a restaurant for lunch. Just walking along the road and we were able to wave to grandson as he passed on a bus, he was standing near the front as he was training a new driver.