General Chat

Mandy, I hope you soon feel a lot better. It does sound sore.

I have had a croaky voice since last week, but it was only a little bit sore for about half a day. I have been having lots of warm honey and lemon drinks and have sucked Hall's menthol sweets or honey and lemon Strepsils and have managed to ward off any further symptoms.

I had a busy day Mel. I went round the little church and put away all the chairs after yesterday's Christingle Service. Yesterday was horrible weather and it was more important that people got home safely, before it was completely dark, so I said I would tidy up today. On going to put away the few coffee mugs left overnight in the draining rack, I noted that several already in the cupboard had nasty stains in them, so I had them all out and rewashed several. How do people think it's OK to leave them like that :-0 I don't have a dishwasher, but I can't stand stained cups. Anyway, they are already to use now.
Brought the teatowels and a couple of hand towels home for washing and sorted the out of date posters for recycling.
On the way home, I delivered some magazines to a friend's house.

I passed the narcissus garden. At least 9 stems have muliple flower heads on them now, so pretty.

Vera thanks for your card it arrived today and is hanging up with Anng's in front of my pc.

Done a bit of painting today just two very fiddley things. Swept the leaves away from the back door and now I am going to get some dinner. steak and kidney pie sprouts and new pots.

What you all been up to today? I know Mandy was going to take it easy today.

Vera and Gwyn thank you for your cards. I had a little bundle today so the post is looking up.

Oh dear Mandy. I do hope you feel better soon. drink lots of liquids to help your throat.

Just when I was getting sorted with the things that need doing today I get a message from my surgery to say I am due a blood test. I only had one in September so I don't know why that is.I checked the dates available and there is nothing after the 4 January so I will have to sort that as I will still be away then.

Oh glad your back online Mel ,sorry I couldn't talk but my throat feels like it has a razor blade in it when I talk and swallow and all the coughing doesn't help.

Morning all,

I have just phoned Mandy for her to let you know I have no internet this morning and then I clicked on What kind of things and got right in. Mandy has a really nasty cough and I hope she can get rid of it for Christmas.

Have to try and mend the fence round the big pond today if I can find some small cable ties and need to find a bit more of that fencing as its split on the end that keeps it to the filter shed.

Morning all,

Showery here this morning, not feeling to good I keep cough cough cough.,I did a covid test but that was negative so that was good.

Mel just rang me to ask if I could tell you all that she hasn't got any Internet this morning so obviously can't get on the thread

Good morning all. still grey here and 7 degrees but the wind seems to have dropped and, as far as I can see no damage in my garden, looking out of the window.
Just general pre holiday packing to do today I think. Oh yes and a walk around the close to deliver some cards.

Evening All,

Just wrote half a post, the food delivery came and I accidentally shut my screen and lost it! Silly me I should remember to paste in a word doc first. A few subs as usual and I've claimed a refund for a very dented tin of toms.

The rain was lashing down again all morning and still windy, but it's dry and calmer again now. I must go up the garden in the morning and see if anything's blown down in the greenhouse. We are lucky to be able to keep our bins at the side of the bungalow between it and the neighbour's tall wall by her footpath. The gate is at the back of them, so they are sheltered, but only till we push them down the drive for collection. They are on a bit of a slope there and blow over more easily.

I hope with some rest and paracetamol your throat and cough soon go Mandy, but better to have it now than it spoil Christmas. OH has dosed himself up with Ibuprofen for his back today and we just carried the food delivery in from the crates, rather than carry the crates.

That was a good idea to have a door visit by your son rather than risk you getting a cold just when you will be going away AnnG. I make sure OH washes his hands when he gets home from meetings and he's really got into the habit now.

It sounds like you have quite a bit of clearing up to do once the weather improves Mel and an apple tree to dispose of as well now. Would a lumberjack firm do it for you? For our Pine tree and our neighbour's Pine tree to both be cut down as well as shredded and the stumps ground down below the soil surface cost £650 for the two and they even swept up afterwards.

I was watching Love Your Weekend earlier and they were at a Christmas Tree Farm talking about looking after them. They actually prune them each year to get a good shape which stupidly had never occurred to me and sow clover in the grass pathways between the rows that acts as a fertiliser. What was lovely was that they put Shropshire sheep where they are, as they have soft mouths and will eat everything except the Christmas trees, so they effectively weed round the trees including the baby ones without damaging them and get nice and fat on the clover too.

Windowcleaner is due tomorrow. We'll have to be up early to shower before he arrives, but who knows whether he will come. He might decide to do our close as it is all bungalows and no climbing up ladders.

Cynth just rang the door bell to say she just rescued my green bin which had blown over and skidded across the drive. It is almost empty so very light.We have wedged it into a corner now with the blue bin. Hope this wind drops before tomorrow evening when all the green bins will have to go out. The wind has really come up since this morning when it was very calm.

Been up the shop and the farm I pass just before the crossroad has a building down where he parks some of his tractors. It has'nt had sides since they had a fire there years ago when I spotted the smoke and told oh I thought it was Diamond's and he went up there and helped them get the cows out into the field. One of the tractors (a new one) had caught alight. Anyway it is now all lying on the floor blocking an entrance into the farm. They have two other entrances and two big sons and a daughter to help clear the mess up.

When I came back from the shop my potting shed door was open so the wind had blown that open and stuff inside that oh had put up in the rafters has blown down. I don't know half of what is up there as he did t when he first moved in and I think its a lot of his stuff out of his house when he sold it.

When I got back as the decking was dry I went and did both pond filters and fished all the leaves out of the big pond and fed both lots of fish. The wind had blown the filter shed door shut so tight I had to get a crowbar to it to get it open. It must have slammed it shut and the door was stuck on the cable to the skimmer pump which is rubber. Took me a while but I did it in the end.

Now I am hungry................................

Son has been and gone, just have to wait now until he lets me know he is safely home. His cough is not too bad but he is right, I don't want it. Hopefully the bugs were blown away.

Morning all,

It was quite a blowy old night with lots of rain ,still a bit rainy this morning .
Think I have a cold coming I started with a rough throat yesterday and this morning I have a cough too, I have been taking paracetamol so hope I can get rid of it .

Mel be careful out there on those cou try lanes there might be lots of debris on the road with all the wind .

Anng Hooe your son has a good journey to you ,a chat 9n the doorstep is best you don't want a cold for Christmas.

Oh Ann poor OH I hope his back soon eases ,I can't see him going up in your loft for your decorations its not easy trying to get through the loft hatch.

Not doing a lot today I have just put the second lot of washing in but I'm not doing anything else just having a rest .

At least you will see him Anng. its 7 degrees here and still windy. Just going to go up the shop for my paper.

Good morning all, grey here still but looks a bit calmer, only 4 degrees though so colder again.

Son is coming today to pick up the presents for their family. good job he doesn't mind driving but it will be a short visit as he has a cold/cough and won't come into the house as he doesn't want to give his cold to me. so it will be a doorstep visit. :-(

Morning all,

There's a glimpse of sun this morning and not so much wind 7 degrees and a yellow wind warning on the pc.

The leccy must have gone out in the night as when I went to the bathroom this morning the towel rail was cold so I went and turned the leccy back on and went back to bed. Then after a while my phone beeped and it was a message from Em to say the Carol service and party tonight had been canceled and would be resceduled.

That was at 8.30 and I thought I was going to have a lie in this morning.

Vera yes we got to our meal it actually was not bad here, drizzly rain and a cold wind with a few gusts but not really bad ones. Nice to have 7 of us for the meal. Sadly the meal was not as good as it has been before. It felt like an inexperienced chef was standing in, it was all there but tasteless and maybe over cooked. Still we enjoyed ourselves. And had a laugh.

No alarms here although they had them in South Gloucester.

Ann I will be very surprised if Pete does go out this evening. All his fans are lined up with fingers on their phones.

It's blowing more and blustery here. I could hear it so tried to look up the close to see, but they don't seem to light the close at all at night now, just the Christmas lights I could see at a couple of places.

Mandy I see this IT is far too clever at secong guessing what we are writing! I have heard that dogs can get fatty lumps and suppose you just keep an eye on them. My word it was a shock to hear Katie is fifteen today!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATIE :-D Don't children grow up fast, yet it seemed ages from one birthday to another when we we children. It sounds nice and Christmassy with your tree and decs all put up.

OH has aggravated his bad back rummaging in the cupboards over the bed, so he's had to rest it since propped up with pillows Mel. No red alarms or advice not to go out here and it's really not been very bad, not even any branches down in the lanes like in the past or any flooded roads.

I'd better finish the food order for tomorrow next and an early night to watch Strictly. Surely Pete will go out this week.

It sounds horrid down your way Mel. That’s a shame about your apple tree. I like a russet apple and, as you say, it’s good with a bit of cheese. Batten down the hatches tonight and keep yourself warm.

As to that phone alert I thought I’d better check my phone. It seems it can receive the alerts at the moment and they are switched on, but OH’s phone which is the model before mine is too old and can’t receive the warnings

I wonder if AnnG got to her lunch today.

Annx, I don’t blame OH for having a bit of a duvet day. I expect you’ve had your share of wind and rain as well. I was very surprised to see you had received my card as I didn’t think I posted it till yesterday and we only have one collection a day so it couldn’t have gone till today’s collection at 7 am. The only thing I can think is that OH maybe posted a few cards on Thursday.

Katie must be quite grown up now Mandy. It’s hard to believe that she is 15 already. Where have the years gone?

Though not nearly as bad as the western side of the country, it has been very windy here and very, very wet. At one point I thought it had stopped so went out to get some bits from the freezer in the garage, only to find it had changed from bucketing down to a heavy but much finer rain. I got soaked. It sounds as though the wind is increasing a bit again now.

Just looked out the back door and the blimmin dustbin is over again and oh's chair is right across the patio. Perhaps I did'nt put the brakes on!!!