General Chat

Yes Ann I hope so.

I went in the bedroom to change the solar light to the west facing window and saw something on the grass by the chciken pen aand it was plucking something. I took a few picsand I think it was a sparrow hawk but it looked bigger than one of those. When I went round there it had had a blackbird as there were only black feather left.

I can't believe how much weight I have put on so its no cakes or biscuits and hardly any milk or bread so I have ordered lots of fruit.

I now have my tom plants in the little greenhouse with the cue. Don't know if they will be any good this year as I sowed them so late. I bought the cue plant and one of the toms which is a Shirley. I sowed two of the seeds from the great big tom my neighbour gave me last year and three seeds of Sungold to which one came up. Taped all the canes together in there to hold them up. That took me back to the polytunnel when I used to do that in there. Oh always taped the canes up he said its quicker than tying each one.

Evening all,
Phew hot again I was glad son had the air con in his car so I wasn't to hot for my appointment, they did a full abdomen ultra sound she said she could see my gall stones then she had a look at my liver which she spent ages on ,I was told by the doctor that I had the on set of liver disease so I hope it hasn't got worse, the results will be sent to the doctors and they said if I hadn't heard from the doctor by Thursday to give them a call.

Mel the trousers sound just right for a wedding and the top sounds nice to ,I hope they are just what you want and fit ok .
I'm glad your feeling better today, yes get more water into you ,I think people think the more water I drink will mean more loo trips but it doesn't work like that as you sweat it out in this heat .

Oh Ann I hope there's no chocolate dropped on the bed or you'll have more washing lol
We had a nice pack of lollies from aldi they were fruit sorbet on the outside and ice cream in the middle they reminded me of the Mivi's we use to have ,I liked the strawberry and the pineapple mivi .

Anng you've been busy filling your brown bin ,have you tried putting a pillow under your knee at night it might help your leg as your leg wouldn't lay so flat in bed .

Vera hope you managed a little sleep in the end ,I would be like a zombie if I didn't get my sleep ,I have been waking more and find a do wake once its light as I open the curtains to let some air in over night and the birds start up to once its light .
Still waiting to hear what happened to the trousers :-)

They sound nice Mel. Hopefully they will be alright!

Afternoon All,

It's reached 24 degrees here, but the sun isn't as bright as earlier and there is a very faint breeze making it more pleasant. Yes, I was up late last night as I had the bedroom windows open before I went to bed and was waiting for it to get cooler in there. I even pushed the sheet off me last night. I keep waking up between 5.00am and 6.00am bcause it's so light by then, but wasn't up till 8.30am this morning. OH was already up and had watered the pots again, opened the patio and back doors and was doing some of his work.

I popped out to the shop and got a punnet of perfect nectarines with a good discount on their bargain shelf. They have some great bargains with veg too just because they are a day out of date. I've just eaten one and it was so juicy. I brought OH a white Magnum back which made his eyes light up and he's flopped on the bed reading and eating it now. I also got some coleslaw to go with our salad. Silly me though came home a different way and forgot they had gravelled the dual carriageway one side. At least everyone was crawling along though, but my car is covered in that dust now.

I've paid the home insurance having found nowhere else is much cheaper and most are dearer.Then I did an ISA on line for OH and filed stuff away. I noticed through the window that the plants I put in the front wall pots are definitely on the their way out as well and they are Cali (you know what I mean!) so it's not just the marigolds. I think I will just have to empty every bit of the compost out of the pots, even though it was mixed with some old compost and start again, if I can muster some enthusiasm!

Yes, more water Mel! When I had the chest infection a few years ago and my heart racing, they told me in A&E it was due to being dehydrated. That decreases your blood volume so your heart rate has to increase to keep your blood pressure up. I didn't know that before. I was glad to see you were ok today. :-) My word I see the extensive housebuilding has reached you as well, which surprised me. When we moved here there was a 17 year restriction on building in the old strip system fields at the back of us. That has ended now and we fully expect if the warehouse hub gets built further along, that they will apply to build more of the same behind us. Since the farmer that leased the fields passed away recently, there have been no cattle so it has become a meadow like it used to be again. We have even seen the return of a Kestrel recently and years ago they would be there every day when it was hay fields.

You have been tieing up a few loose ends with jobs too AnnG. It's good to not have them hanging over you though. Do you think your leg is gradually improving as the days go by, or might it need some physio? It's a nuisance when these things interfere with what you want to get on with as I know too well. I hope you get that appointment soon.

Well I'd better go and see what to have for tea now!

Hope they fit ok then. Let us know when you get them.

I have looked at Cotton traders, damart, daxon and ebay and Bon Marche and bought both things on Ebay.

Bought velour black trousers and a pink tunic with a lacy top bit long sleeved.

Which ones have you looked at Mel?

I have been looking through catalogues all morning trying to find a suitable top.

Well the brown bin is absolutely full now ready for collection tomorrow. I would really miss that bin if I didn't have one. I have just come in from cutting back the Valerian out the front that was going to seed. I don't want it to spread any further if we get a strong breeze. So that was done, some weeds pulled up in the gravel out the front, a couple of long 'suckers' cut back from the rambling rose and, earlier all the pots were watered. I have also done the accounts for the end of May which have been hanging around staring at me from the dining room table. Just going to do some shredding now.

O I forgot Happy Midsummer Day everyone. Its Di's birthday today so I muat give her a ring. She has'nt been here much since oh went.

Morning all,

Dull and grey out there and pc says high pollen and 16 degrees. Not a breath of a breeze to speak of so I think its going to be another of those silient days.

I feel better this morning and ready to face the world again. Going back to drinking I have never drunk much during the day but I suppose I should now I am getting older. I'll give it a go.

Ann your neighbours do sound very strange with what they get up to. Its such a shame they went and built those extra houses at the end of your close. Do they still use the gates? When I first moved here there was no planning permission granted in our village for ten years as we are a place of natural interest but as soon as the ten years were up houses started appearing everywhere in places you would'nt imagine. They are going to build more houses on the fields before you get into Shebbear and on the left after the crossroads they have bulit about 5 or 6 all squeezedin to one of what was the villages strip fields. I can remember at one time when someone owned this field they applied for planning permission and were turned down saying the land was too wet. I wonder what it will be like now there are houses on it. Nobody has moved in yet as building is still going on right up to the road.

Good morning all, a bit grey looking out there but I don't think we will get the much needed, now, rain. It is 0650 and 14 degrees.

I could have posted before you Vera, I went to sleep about 11 and was awake again before 2, leg started hurting again and I couldn't settle so came in here to my 'office' and had a look on here, read Ann's very late post. Then went back to bed and slept to around 4 for the loo, then dozed until 6am so not a very good night for me. It was hot but not that bad here.

Nothing planned for today. My leg does seem to be fairly ok during the day but doesn't like being in bed for long stretches at a time. Almost like cramp would be.
I suppose the only thing I must do this morning is water all the pots.

You were posting late last night Ann and I’m early today. I thought I’d be the first to wish you all good morning as I haven’t been to sleep yet. At 2 am I got my big fan out as my bedroom was so unbearably hot. It’s much more comfortable now but I am still wide awake. Looking at a screen won’t help me sleep so I had better put my iPad down and come back later today. I hope you’re all having a better night than me.

It has been hot hasn't it. Apart from getting lunch, wiping the fridge out and fetching the groceries in and put them away we've done nothing today. OH went out early to put the small load of washing out and fetch it in later and watered 6 pots and then did some of his work inside.

Mandy could be right with the long hours you spend in the garden on the hot days Mel. When OH doesn't eat or drink much after lunch till he gets back late after a meeting he has had shakiness in his arms sometimes till he's eaten and had a drink. You should be feeling better by now hopefully.

Yes, I spent hours digging with a trowel to get the rocks nice and level when I set out the borders 24 years ago and now they are higgeldy piggeldy where the man drove over them. Luckily we intend to replace them with bigger slate rocks as we redo the front garden, but I hope he doesn't think he can do this when they have been replaced. He bought the house that is at the end and after building a lean to across their drive, they have now had a big extension built in the back garden and the sons are banging away early and late doing something else now. The sons always seem to be working on cars in their parents' driveway. We see bonnets off etc and sometimes breakdown trucks come to tow them away. We don't know how above board it is, but they and the bungalow either side of them had the sliding security gate that's locked put across the opening from the end of the close into the narrow road in front of them.

Vera I still see a glimpse of my OH in a suit sometimes, as he wears one to the council meetings and to give talks and for things like school exclusions. When I first met him he was really slim and always smartly dressed for work. He would usually wear black or navy blue double breasted suits with fine pinstripes and a matching waistcoat. His trousers had turnups and he wore well polished black doc marten shoes with thick crepe soles. The polish doesn't get an outing so often these days though. Our standards have both slipped, but it's nice not to have to make so much effort, or so often now and can wear what is comfy! I remmber stockings that would mysteriously twist and tights whose crotch was determined to distance itself from your own and both would produce annoying ladders that needed clear nail varnish. Skirts were fine till you sat down, then would crease across the front, underslips that would slip below your skirt hem prompting 'charlie's dead' from your colleagues. By the way, have your OH's missing trousers turned up yet?

Yes AnnG and Mandy, you wouldn't get me going away so soon either till I knew what the cause was. I hope they let their travel insurance know. I don't know how old she is, but she is slim and has so much energy, was up ladders cleaning the windows recently and we see them both cleaning both their car and their son's car. The man is a couple of years older than me.

I bet it was lovely sitting outside with a nice glass of wine! I used to enjoy that till my meds meant no alcohol. I think I will get some alcohol free though. In a nice wine glass it would still be nice to do.

Mel it sounds as if you needed water and food. It must have been a long time since lunch when you woke up. Why was your ankle swollen?

I thought that too Ann. No way would I travel abroad if zi had had a funny turn and needed tests. She might have had a minor stroke.

Those people at the end of your road are a real pain aren’t they?

It was great in my early teens as there were loads of young Navy boys at our church and in the youth club.

It has been a pleasant day here. Some sun late afternoon otherwise cloudy. Temp around 20/21 warm but not too hot. I sat out on the patio with a glass of wine at 8pm and it was lovely.

Evening all,

Phew it's been hot here ,we sat out this morning and it was lovely under the gazebo I the shade so nothing done today except a few more poppies glad you all liked them.

Mel do you think you might be a bit dehydrated or your suger levels might be low , you spend a long while out in the garden ,I know you haven't been out there today but dehydration can creep up on you , the ambulance woman that came when I was poorly said at least two litres a day and more when it's warmer weather , its so easy to keep going and not realise the time you've been out , hope your feeling better now .

Oh no Vera I'm glad I'm not the only one who does things like that ,I've found peas in the fridge instead of the freezer .
Our neighbour gave me some lovely Rhubarb yesterday so I chopped it up and put it in a couple of bags in the freezer it will make a couple of Rhubarb crumbles .

Ann what is it with all these drivers that keep going over your drive and borders they seem to be drawn to them like a magnet ,that's something that would annoy me .
You would think your neighbour would rest up a while if she had a funny turn and their not sure what's wrong ,don't think I'd want to be going away .

Got my appointment for my ultra sound tomorrow, hope it's not to hot a day .

Phew it is hot. Computer is saying it is 23 degrees and feels like 27 but it feels more like 37 to me. I've just had a shower and put all clean clothes on and already feel like I need to shower again.

This morning I changed my bedding and put a lightweight duvet on the bed but I suspect I might be chucking that off tonight. I also made a couple of lemon cheesecakes but they don't seem quite as good as my usual efforts. We had a piece each as a dessert with our dinner and we'll have another piece instead of a cake later and the rest is in the freezer.

I cooked a Sunday dinner but made it a bit lighter than usual. I did chicken breast and OH sliced it thinly and I put potatoes and steamed veg with it. There was a bit of chicken left and I also have a couple of slices of ham in the fridge so I'll put them together with some salad and that's tomorrow's dinner sorted.

I had a real senior moment on Friday. I got a pack of peas and a pack of sweetcorn from the bottom drawer of the freezer, took out what I wanted and put the packets back. Today I went to get some veg from the bottom drawer of the fridge and there were the peas and sweetcorn. After 2 days out of the freezer they had gone soggy and mushy and went straight in the bin. I'm sure I am going doolally in my old age as I'm doing these stupid things more and more often lately.

I like a man in uniform or a suit too. These days OH's suits only make an appearance at weddings and funerals but he does look smart in them. When I first met him he had a couple of italian styled suits, narrow trousers, short jackets, narrow ties. My Dad hated them and thought OH was some sort of teddy boy. We were introduced on 18th December 1960 by a mutual friend at her house, all very proper. I didn't like him that much at first but he belonged to a jazz club I wanted to go to but didn't want to go on my own so when he asked me for a date and suggested the jazz club I jumped at the chance. The rest, as they say, is history. I must ask him if he remembers when we met. I bet he won't even remember what time of year it was, let alone the date.

OH has got the hose out and is watering the garden and will probably be ready for a sarnie and cuppa when he comes in so I had better go and get that ready. Stay cool and sleep well tonight everyone.

Not dne a thing today except do lunch and then my ankle was swollen so I threw my self on the bed and have just woken up. Don't feel right somehow. A bit shakey and energyless.