General Chat

That was a great welcome pack Anng and a good journey down now a nice dinner this evening and you've started your holiday.

Annx my top decking is really mossy and I too think its because of all the rain we've had this year. I did'nt get it pressure washed but BIL did manage to eat two large bowls of homemade soup with bread. I have tried puttig salt on the decking but that dos'nt work and I can't keep boiling kettles but I do for the weeds on the patio as I can't put any weedkiller down anywhere near the ponds. Its good you have found some more people through the DNA and were abe to help someone too.

Picked about the last of my beans and have 3/4 of a lb. so they will go down well with a dinner or two. Cut some of the leaves off a few strawberry plants and thats about it for today.

May have salad tonight don't know yet.

Oops I missed you there AnnG. Glad you are there and all unpacked now. The Lodge sounds very nice. We prefer them to cottages now and only had one bad one that was next to lakes and we were plagued with mosquitos. Yours is quite big with four bedrooms isn't it as the one we have been to for years has just two bedrooms, one ensuite, a utility and big kitchen, dining, lounge area. It sounds like you will be very comfortable for your stay and what a good welcome pack! I look forward to hearing about your travels. :-)

Afternoon All,

Lost a post earlier so trying again. It's been a nice sunny day here so hpefully AnnG had a nice journey with a stop for lunch on the way. I can remember being squeezed in a corner of our previous car when we hd a big load for the tip!

That's good your sn got his car back ok and shouldn't have to pay Mandy. My goodness fancy a burst main causing all that trouble and people queuing for 4 hours! Imagine you food all defrosting in that time. Your Spring bulbs you've planted will be lovely after the Winter.

Vera and AnnG I had to laugh myself at me trying to get the stockings on! I had another wrestle with them today and even though they are the least tight ones equivalent to the ones for flying they are so hard to get over your heel and stretch up your leg. In fact stretching them so hard to get them up, they flip out of your hand and you are in danger of knocking some teeth out! They don't seem to be working but I'll carry on with them for now. I wondered whether the flight ones tend to drop down few inches as these do after wearing them for a while?

Gwyn that is interesting about your meal cooked by the college students. The Domestic Science College here was providing meals you could go to their restaurant for before the pandemic. I hadn't been but a few friends who went said how good they were. I wonder whether ours is doing takeaway meals? I'll have to check. :-)

I hope they managed to squeeze you in the car AnnG! I used to be squeezed in our old car surrounded by bags of rubbish for the tip before we had the garden bin! I hope you had the sunshine for your trip and enjoyed a nice meal on the way.

I think badges for the PAs is a good idea Vera. Apparently they are supposed to explain their role to you but ours didn't! I have found my DNA matches useful in confirming some links to my tree that I couldn't be sure about. I've also helped someone who was a match to me and was adopted to find which family in my tree she was likely to be related to as her surname was the same. I have all sorts in my tree from Knights to gipsies who were always in trouble with the law, highwaymen cousins that were transported to Australia, generations of hatters and I'm a direct descendant of Early Quakers who settled in Pennsylvania. Plenty of coal miners from Wales and farm labourers too. No murderers as yet though! The only thing that bothered me a bit was all the marrying of cousins in the gipsy families!!!

Mel the chemists round here have an awful job getting our medications. Sometimes we have had to go 3 times while they try to get some and they've told us they spend a ot of time ringing round to try and get things. One medication can have tablets from 2-3 manufacturers and we can't specify a particular one. They never have our tablets made up ready to collect anymore either and I think it's because they rarely have everything we want in stock.
Our drive is getting mossy at one end. I think it must be all the rain we have had this year making it so damp. It's the shady part.

Hello all we got here ok, traffic heavy but no problems. All unpacked now. This is the largest lodge we have had so far. 4 bedrooms, two double one with two single beds and one with one single bed so sleep seven. Dining room two kitchens, lounge one utility room, two large shower room/toilets both next to a double bedroom..
And a large welcome pack, Prosecco eggs, milk, chocolates flowers, orange juice. Seems very nice for the three of us anyway.

Yes it was good you did your shoping the day before Mandy you would'nt have wanted to get stuck there for hours on end.

BIL has been and gone never looked at the mower but helped me do the pond filters. I hinted I needed the top decking by my pond done but there was no response. Its so mossy I have never in all the years we've had that decking seen so much moss grow on it.

Suns out now so I think I may venture out and see if I can do something out there.

Son finally picked his car up late evening ,he went to customer services and registered his number plate with them and they said it would give him a days exemption so hopefully he won't get a parking ticket .
Some people were stuck in the queues for nearly four hours trying to get off the car park ,it was all caused by a burst water main and they put extra traffic lights up beside the normal traffic lights so traffic just kept building up , I think the police were called but that didn't seem to help either ,so glad we did our shopping the day before .

Morning all,

You'll be on your way now Anng but safe journey ,hope you have a good week together.

No frost this morning and everywhere seems really still with no wind .
Got a bit of hoovering up and a bit of ironing to do and then I think its just a restful day after a busy few dayx in the garden .
Might finish off Bumblebee today .

Morning all,

Wishing you a good journey and a safe one Anng. I am sure they will make room inthe car for a small one so you won't get left behind.

No frost this morning but it was very misty which seems to have cleared while I read Vera's post and drank my coffee. Pc says 10 degrees amd partly sunny so hopefully another nice days.

Talking of Gerainiums over winter, years ago mum used to put them bare rooted in paper carrier bags (yes remember those with the string handles) and put them in our loft of the bungalow. It was well lagged as dad was a builder and then pot them up in the spring.

Safe journey AnnG. The forecast is for slightly warmer weather next week.

Good morning all, got a fast moving hour or so now while we sort everything out, pack up the car and hope there will still be a seat for me. clothes a bit of food and Christmas presents for two+families.
Leave here about 0945. only about 2.5 hour journey altogether but breaking it near Winchester for lunch in a familiar (to us) garden centre. Hopefully BBL if Wifi is ok there.

Like most of you we had a cold night and woke up to some frost though it wasn’t as bad as I was expecting. Later the sun put in an appearance and it was quite pleasant out though I was glad of my warm jacket.

I think you’ve mentioned those college cooked meals before Gwyn. It’s a very good idea – they get a chance to practice their skills and you get a decent meal at a reasonable price. I hope you are getting somewhere with your puzzling DNA match. I think the DNA story is fascinating but I am always a bit wary of doing a test as you never know quite what you will find out!! I do know someone who discovered the man she had called Dad wasn’t her father and, because of other discoveries that were made following on from that, there was sadly a rift in the family.

I hope your son has managed to retrieve his car and get it home by now Mandy. I hope he doesn’t get a fine but if he does I think he should appeal.

I’m glad OH has managed to see a doctor and get blood tests done Annx. The doctor is clearly trying to get to the bottom of his problems but it is a bit concerning that the PA said no further action needed. It doesn’t give you a lot of confidence in his judgement, does it. I think I read somewhere that the government are now saying that they must wear a badge that says they are a Physician Associate and make it clear that they are not doctors. Those stockings sound as though they are a bit of a struggle. I know it isn’t funny for you but my imagination worked overtime and I had to smile at the thought of you becoming a contortionist to get into the things and no doubt saying a few choice words as well. Btw, I frequently make overnight oats and I enjoy them but you have to experiment a bit to see how you like them best. I use a screw top jar and put in the amount of oats I want, pour in some milk till I just reaches the top of the oats and add 2 or 3 spoonsful of Greek style yoghurt. I am naughty and add just a very little sugar as well. Give it a good stir. If I’ve got something like blueberries I stir in a handful of those too, but quite often I’ll use frozen fruit and put some in a bowl in the fridge overnight to thaw. In the morning I just put my oats on top of the fruit. I quite like mango or cherries.

Mel, you have had a frustrating day. I hope tomorrow is better for you. I had another terrible night but have managed to get through the day reasonably well. I got the ironing done at last and also went into town to pick up these other glasses I need to have and also got my tabs. The pharmacy was hectic with people queuing for flu and Covid jabs and queues of people waiting for their meds. The GP surgery had reissued my script and sent it to the pharmacy as they promised but it hadn’t been made up so I had to wait. I was glad I got them as I took the last of my bp pills this morning.

I wasn’t very successful using Mandy’s method with the geraniums last year. I put them in a plastic mini greenhouse which is behind the garage and they may not have got enough light. We don’t have a shed, we use half of our large double garage but it has no windows so no natural light. I don’t have time to lift and pot them all up individually but OH has managed to put 2 large troughs of geraniums that were down the side of the house into the conservatory. When my back feels OK and I have time I’ll cut them back and tidy them up a bit and they can stay there till the spring. There are still 2 large pots in the garden. I might try and get the plants lifted and brought into the conservatory as well.

I think this post is more than long enough so it’s time I said goodnight. Sleep well everyone.

I have just about had it with today........................................

Did a wash first thing and got that on the line and a BIG pot of veg soup on the stove. A good start I thought to myself but then everything went wrong.

I went down the shop for my scripts which should have been there yesterday afternoon, no scripts. Fed the chcikens and the birds and fish and thought I would put together a job lot for Ebay but was waiting to see if BIL was coming today. He did'nt turn up so huge pot of soup and no BIL to feed. Had a bowl myself and then thought I better go up the docs to see if they have my scripts as I hav'nt had one for a few days now. Well the lady explained to me they could'nt get the one I had asked for but woud I take the Bisoprlol instead. I said yes and could they order my usual ones ready fr next month. She said they can't order them if they are out of stock!!!!! How silly is that? anyway now home again after taking my neighbour some eggs and they onlky had a twenty pound note and I had no change with me so they will pay me when they have got change.


I must put Annx and Anng on my posts so they know who I am taking to.

Now the sun has gone in and I don't fee like doing anything now but I must get the washing off the line before it takes up the damp.

Yes Gwyn I have thought of that loved it there when I last went many years ago. New forest area was always family's go to place for days out in the car instead of going away on holiday. Just hope it stays dry. :-)

Good to spend some time... and money :-D together AnnG.

If Beaulieu is on your list to possibly visit have you thought of nearby Bucklers Hard too.?
Quite picturesque on a sunny autumn day

Good afternoon. Had a good long morning at the Quays. Money spent by all of us of course, lots to see (and buy) When we came to leave the multi storey the ticket machine wouldn't take the car number more than once. So we drove to the exit and daughter used the phone and they just opened the barrier. They think the car number must have been auto entered incorrectly. Just hope there are no repercussions from that.

I can just visualise you struggling to get those stockings on Ann. :-D
I think my geraniums will be taking a chance until I come back on the 20th.

Got caught up yesterday trying to find the link with a DNA match. :-S
It's all a bit of a mystery, so more work needed.

No frost here, but it was certainly nippy first thing. Lovely sunshine has warmed us a bit gradually.

I hope the blood tests give OH some answers Annx. The pain must be hard to cope with, when he is so busy.

Mandy, I do hope your son is not fined for something quite out of his control. He was bound to try to get back to work.

This year's agapanthus seeds are only now just starting to open. If anyone wants fresh ones, just say :-)

We looked out hoping to see the northern lights, but there was only the slightest hint of colour perhaps, certainly nothing like the lovely views online. There is too much light round us though.

Tea / meal this evening cooked by college students training to be chefs :-D
Before lockdown, they ran a restaurant and trainee waiters would serve us, but now it's run as a take-away service. We select our choices from the online menu earlier in the week, then pick up on a Friday. It's a very reasonable proce for a 3 course meal, so we sometimes buy a meal,which is always delicious.

Yes, he was lucky Mandy. It's all the jabs being done taking the nurses' time up. I think they must have to do it if it's really urgent though, but who knows with how things are. He said he never even felt it done today, so that was good. He said the nurse said they are getting a lot of people just not turn up and some of the appointments are half hour long ones, which isn't fair as they could do three 10 minute appointments in the same time.
So your geraniums are all snug in their winter quarters now! I have only grown gladioli once I think so don't know what you do with those in winter either. I hope the Agapanthus Gwyn sent grow ok. A FB friend sent some pictures a friend who lives in Hunstanton had sent her of the Northern Lights this morning. I was surprised how vivid the colours were. Will there be another chance tonight I wonder. I have never seen them.

I put those blooming stockings on this morning! What a job it was with my bad knees trying to bend them enough to reach and then trying to straighten my leg pulling them up! Even OH couldn't manage to help much. They feel a bit tight round the tops but otherwise they feel ok. I think the wraps I have seen that adjust with velchro might be better, but I'll see how things go.
Oh your poor son having to leave his car and walk. I don't think they should charge him as it wasn't his fault he couldn't leave the carpark. I suppose he will have to go back after work to fetch it now.

Son messaged to say he was stuck in Tesco's carpark absolutely gridlocked because of a burst water main further down the road, some people have sat there an hour and a half and still haven't moved ,so he left the car parked there and walked home at he has work ,he'll probably get a parking ticket now as you can only stay on the car park for three hours :-0

OH was very lucky to get that appointment then Ann ,let's hope he soon gets the results back so he can get treated .
Yes my plants looked very bedraggled but soon picked up and I had a lovely show of flowers ,this morning I got them all together in a tub and an old washing up bowl and they are all tucked away now for the winter ,pulled up my Gladioli bulbs and put them in a bucket I must see what I have to do with them as to cutting off the long leaves or leaving them to die off and then cut them ,I planted a few little mixed daffs in the troughs and picked all the toms off the tumbling toms which I had outside .
Tomorrow I'm going to sow some of Gwyn's Agapanthus seed in a big pot.

I looked out last night for the northern lights as there was lots of lovely photos on fb ,the sky did look a bit green at times and there was little flashes of colour at times .

Morning All,

No frost here but condensation on the front windows so I knew it was chilly. Lovely sunshine and dry now though, so the shower towels are on the line drying.

Mandy, I found that method with the geraniums worked well too when I did it, although they looked a bit bedraggled by Spring. Mine kept flowering so I just cut them off.

I'm getting confused which Ann Mel is talking about?

OH has managed to get an appointment for his blood tests this morning as mentioned in my post yesterday, but it was a lucky cancellation and they told him the next appointment available would be in November. He's quite sore from the pummeling and moving his leg about yesterday. He said he had really jumped when she found a particularly sore spot.

I've had my laptop upside down and given it a shake in case debris is affecting the No6 on the keyboard and was amazed how many bits fell out. Fingers crossed it will have disldged something causing the problem.

Have you tried green fried tomatoes Mel? I kept meaning to but don't have any toms this year.

AnnG I hope it is sunny where you are as it will be nice at the docks if so and you managed to go.

I feel peckish, as I didn't eat much yesterday and OH won't be back till late lunch time ,as he he going from the docs to a school to have a chat with someone, so I might have some porridge soon. Has anyone tried doing those overnight oats? I haven't as yet as cold oats, even with fruit, don't appeal somehow?