General Chat

Mel, I have had a chickle at the first line of your last post, not quite sure what was on your mind when you wrote that!!! :-D :-D

That great Anng for you to have found such a helpful willing couple of chaps to do the heavy work for you.

Hope Vera has a nice lunch and chat and that the birthday girl likes her presents. Yes it is nice for men to have time together too. OH used to love having a chat with Phil on a friday when he was doing his garden and oh was mowing the field outside the front. Phil is Em's dad.

Suns still mostly out here but there are clouds passing over. Its 15 degrees.

hope you have a lovely time with your friends Vera and a nice lunch too. And hope your OH enjoys his too, such a good idea for the men to go out together as well.

Yes, Jake was a good find. Just by being on the local Next door site (which is rubbish a lot of the time but paid up here. Andy used to be good but he was a bit unreliable and didn't really know what he was doing, very willing but really quite bossy about what he 'knew' I wanted done. Jake listens, repeats what I say, then takes me to the spot and asks exactly what I need doing and then does it (at speed). He seems to work well with his father as well who is also a grafter and I had two of them working today. The big plus is that they take away all the cuttings.

It's wet, wet, wet. Again!!! The local paper has several pictures of the floods round here and we are supposed to be in the driest part of the country. It's pretty chilly this morning as well.

Your Jake sounds a treasure AnnG. We could do with someone like him.

I hope your washing machine man turns up soon Mel.

I am being picked up just before 12 to go to friend's birthday lunch. We usually just have a main course and then go back to the house for coffee and either desserts or cakes. OH is going to pick up the husband of one of the ladies and take him out to lunch somewhere. This chap has serious health problems and isn't allowed to drive and is reliant on his wife. He gets on very well with my OH so it's good for them to have "man time" together when we ladies are out.

I have showered but need to dress and tidy myself up so I had better go and do that now. I hope the weather stays dry for the rest of you.

When Jake cut back all the roses etc I asked him about other jobs and he said he would call round 'sometime'. I thought that wou;d be the last I heard of him but just after 10am this morning he rang the bell. His Dad was with him and they checked over the drive, decided that it needed more sand which they will do next week. Then asked about what I wanted done in the garden. I told him to reduce the holly tree in size, he then asked about all the stuff covering the conservatory and said he could cut that back which I agreed. And then he pointed out the pyracantha which I had not noticed has really grown high and thick so cut that back too and take out a smallish self seeded holly which drives me mad under the pyracantha. Said they could do it now for £200. so that is what they are doing (and taking all the stuff away. I also asked about the shed. He will quote to demolish shed and greenhouse and erect a new shed in January/February. I have yet to mention power washing the back patio.

Morning all,

No fog this morning but it's really dull and we should be getting heavy showers today.

Anng thats the sort of lunch the grandchildren like and they like cucumbers too they eat it in chunks like sweets .

Off to get shopping and a bag of spuds and eggs for the family before the rain starts .

Morning all on this bright morning at the mo. i wonder how long it will last today? It 10 degres and pc says once again mostly cloudy.

O dn't know when this man is coming to look at the washing machine. Its horrid when you just wait for someone to turn up.

Those little boys of yours sounds as though they have hollow legs. It was a lovely buffet you did for them I expect they put it all away in no time at all. Young Sam next door is eating much more now. He was a picky eater at first but he still won't eat a lot of things but what he can eat or does like soon disappears and he's ready for more.

Good morning all very grey out there but dry so far. Nothing planned for today so probably H/W and card making.

Mandy, as Vera said jake must have worked hard and made a good impression, but what a good employer to recognise that. a good incentive for a new lad to continue to work hard too.

You did have a busy day Vera but sounds like a very satisfying one. and it is always nice to find just the right present for somebody.

Mum and boys got home safely and seemed to make good time. Goodness I was tired though, mentally more than physically as those boys keep up a constant chatter. They are fun to be with for that short while though. Both have good appetites, I do a buffet lunch for them ham sandwich, sausage roll, small tomatoes and slices of cucumber. Strange they have both liked cucumber since they could chew solid food. Oh and extra pieces of ham and cubes of cheese. finished with mini gingerbread men and an apple.

Vera the toilet roll was a very old Andrex one from years ago. we can only use Andrex as all others bock our sewage sytem up. and I used to save the middles to sow seeds in and they are bigger now so you got much more actual toilet paper. Mums been dead 13 years now so it is old.

Well done Jake; he must have worked hard and made a really good impression and it's lovely that the firm have recognised that.

Interesting pictures of the loo rolls Mel but are you sure that they are the same type of roll? The bigger ones look to me as though they might be the maxi roills which are quite a bit bigger than the normal ones. I often buy those.

I was pleased with the shopping we did after OH's blood test. I wanted some de-ionised water which I use in my iron and my steam floor cleaner. I usually get it in Roy's and they had it on offer today so I bought 2 lots which saved me a little bit of money. I also managed to get a birthday present for the friend whose birthday lunch is tomorrow. Our group doesn't spend large amounts on each other and some will give a £10 gift voucher or even just put a £10 note in a card but I try to put a bit more thought into it. I managed to find a nice ceramic oil burner with 3 different fragranced oils in a gift box. It's just the sort of thing the birthday girl will like so I was pleased with that

We got quite busy this afternoon. OH hoovered right through while I did the ironing and a bit in the garden till my back started hurting too much, then I came in and completed my Tesco order and cooked our dinner. I also got several odd jobs done.

It's getting quite cold again now so I shall be taking a wheat bag and a hot water bottle to bed with me shortly. I find my back is less painful if I can keep it warm. I hope you all stay warm and sleep well tonight.

Yes Mandy they do grow fast and the ten year old seems more grown up each time I see him.

Afternoon all,

Very foggy start here this morning ,it took until mid morning before it went and then the sun came out .
We've had another trip to the tip with hopefully the last big lit of garden rubbish ,we had an old rug and the old fan to take too .

Son rang to say Jake had his first wage packet today ,he said they had paid him for three weeks in stead of two because they were really pleased with him ,how nice was that .

Oh no Mel I hope you haven't done any harm to your arm putting the string on the pipe ,I'm sure the chap would have soon done that for you to save you struggling.

Nice for you to see the ex granddaughter and the boys Anng they grow so fast don't they.

Well of course I do Mel, otherwise it would not be the same price.

Ex granddaughter in law has just left. Always good to see them and sad to see them got home but it is nice not to have to keep up constant chat. She had to go now as it takes over 2 hours to get home and her parents are left looking after the two dogs.

But do you look at the amount thats in both bottles to see if you are getting the same amount as in the others.

I have just had the cupboard out under the sink and tied two long pieces of string on the [pipes to the washing machine so he can get them back through if he pulls out the machine. Now my arm is begining to ache again as its a struggle to tie the pipes as they are right at the back.

I have had a walk right round the garden and the top field so think I have done enough exercise for today.

still only 8 degrees here. Mel I try not to buy the smaller sizes but buy a medium size of the persil I use than keep that bottle and buy a large one when on offer to fill up the medium bottle. Shampoo I usually buy a large bottle but then have to find a bottle to put some in when I go away. However, this time the two smaller bottles came to the same price as a large bottle. That was the benefit of actually shopping in store instead of on line.

10 here now and the suns out, sorry Vera. How lkong it will last I don't know.

Rung the waterboard again this morning and they say they will ring me today. They said they rang on the 21st but I did'nt here the phone ring but I may have forgotten to take it out in the garden with me.

Just going to feed the girls and then do some ironing.

Don't know when the washing machine man is coming but I am ready if he calls.
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9 degrees and very wet again. There was also fog around earlier but that seems to have lifted a bit now.

We’re just off for OH to get his blood tests and then we’ll get a bit of shopping. I’ll probably be doing h/w this afternoon. Boring!!!

Enjoy your time with the boys AnnG. I haven’t even thought about Christmas yet but I do need to start getting a few bits.

OH has called out he’s ready so I had better go. Might bbl

Morning Anng and all,

9 degrees here cloudy and cold and I think theres rain in the air but Iv'e not been out yet.

I wonder if any of you have noticed the size of the fairy washing up? It used to be 433ml for the small one but its uch smaller now. I buy the bigger one and fill up the small bottle as my hands don't like squeazing the big one.

Nothing planned for today but I do need to do some ironing as I still have piles of it.

good morning all, 7 degrees here this morning, getting more like winter is on its way.

I have Ex Granddaughter in law coming with the two boys today to see me so that till be a 'loud' few hours. She won't get her until lunch time though so I have plenty of time to get ready. Her main reason this time is to collect their Christmas presents. Early but half term and the easiest time for her to do it.

:-D it seems the only things that don’t shrink are us!

It must cost a lot when things shrink if they also make packaging smaller and all the printing of labels because they must all have to be redone if the amounts have to be changed.
Have you got a home for all those plants Vera. They sound lovely.