General Chat

Good morning all. Dry but quite dark with grey skies. Rain forecast for today so a shop visit planned to keep dry. So far we have had three dry days so can’t complain.

Its been quite nice here today but it did start to rain about 5pm and is stil raining now.

Iv'e been fishing leaves out of the big pond many times today as the breeze has been bowing them the wrong way into the pond. The fish think every time I fish them out they are going to be fed.

Paid the leccy bills today but spoke to someone to do it.

I have done some painting of 6 mini loaves of bread, two leaf dishes and a wheatsheif today so feel I have done something. I also put the shopping away and emptied the rabbit trap, third one in two weeks.

Going to have a salad tonight with nice boiled eggs, beetroot, cue, lettuce, and toms from the garden.

Your meal sounded nice Anng and daughters and SIL's. I hav'nt had fish and chips for ages now maybe treat myself tomorrow when the van comes.

Today we drove out to a car park at Hengistbury point visitor centre and had a coffee before walking almost to Mudford Point and back via a lovely woodland walk with views across to Christchurch. We had a good look round the visitor centre and part of the museum, although we were tired by now having walked just under two miles.Drove the car back to the barn and then walked round to The Woolpackfor a lovely meal I had slow cooked bridket on mashed potatoes with a nice sauce, followed by bread and butter pudding and custard. Everything is cooked fresh on the premises with as far as possible locally sourced ingredients. It was really nice as was, apparently Daughters liver on mashed potatoes with greens and gravy. SiL had fish and chips.

Thank you Vera for forwarding the photos.
The church is very impressive and I love the picture of the amazing ceiling.

That's lucky AnnG that you were able to get some photographs for November's subject.
I remember visiting Exbury gardens when they were bright and colourful with azaleas and rhododendrons, for which they are renowned, I believe.
I look forward to reading about more of your days out.

Quite a pleasant day here, bright and dry. I've looked out for the comet on several evenings, but haven't been lucky so far. Too much cloud most days.
Maybe tonight ?

Good afternoon ladies (and men if any look in)

A grey, mizzly day. It’s that rain in the air with an occasional light shower so you get soaked if you go outside and the paths are permanently wet. I hope it’s nicer where you are AnnG.

OH has steam cleaned all the tiled floors for me which is a big help. When the light catches them I can still see marks on the kitchen bit of the floor but I don’t think any amount of cleaning will remove them now. The dining section and the hall are OK, as are the uti, little cloakroom and conservatory. I’d really like to have new tiled floors laid but it involves such a big area that I don’t think I could justify the enormous cost and I don’t want the upheaval. I have wondered whether to talk to OH about having a wood floor laid in the hall which would match our lounge but that would be an expensive option as well. I’ve just got him to agree to getting a bit of work done on the outside of the house and getting it repainted in the Spring so I’d better not suggest too much at once ;-)

I’ve had an easy morning while OH has been cleaning so I’d better spoil him a bit and get him something nice for his lunch

He's been so lets see if we have no leaks this time. Kitchen stinks of oil again so I have the window open. He went at 9.22am.

Morning all,

Very overcast and dull this morning but so far its dry .

Vera thanks for Anng's photos, I thought what a big church it was too ,I wonder how many went or should I say were put on the ducking stool .

I want to go into Bon Marche today and get a couple of pairs of jeans as mine are a big big since I lost a bit of weight they have 20% off everything for the next three days so that will be a saving .
I had a better night with no fidgets ,I think I was just so tired I went out like a light .
I enjoyed the Owens too ,I wonder how much has been done as that was filmed last October.
A new series of Ben Fogle life in the wild tonight ,we like that so I've put that to record.

Just had an email to say I have one sub and its my loaf they have sent Hovis wholemeal uinstead of Warburtons and I find Hovis sweet now so thats going back.

Morning Anng and all,

Yes I was going to say that was a big church it looked huge but very clean lines.

Pc is saying expect light rain about 5.30pm and its 13 degrees.

I have very stiff fingers this morning on my left and right hands.

Going to get dressed now before the boiler man comes.BBL

Good morning all.
Many thanks Vera for forwarding the photos for me..

As you could see that was o days visit to Christchurch. A pleasant little town with a very large church.

Monday we visited Exbury gardens, not far from Southampton. Lovely trees to see and November photography is fungi so got a few photos of that. Went out at ten and got back at 3.15. Dry all day not too cold but only a very little sun.
Daughter went in the hot tub. Not really my scene might make an effort one day.

Today I am awake quite early but not yet dressed. Not driving too far todsy, just visiting somewhere on the coast for a short walk. Yesterday was 2.5 miles.

Vera thanks for forwarding Anng's photos.

Ann thats not a good policy to not let oh know when they cancel something and put it to a later date. As you say its not only that place he works for but others too and may have a appointment booked for the day they pick.

Enjoyed the Owen's family program but what an awful lot of work its going to take. I did'nt think it was a good idea to let the smaller children go in with all those huge loose slates.

I missed you there Vera. We have lost EWM in some of the garden centres too, so I am glad we still have two left with one only half a mile away. I'm surprised that one has survived till now as it is tucked away in a corner and not very visible and so not very busy. My Bank Branch is now a Trendy Barbers that does those fancy carved hairstyles young men have, the old Santander branch is Domino's Pizza and cafes seem to be springing up in all of our local villages and being used instead of dearer restaurants.

Mandy I can understand you not wanting both jabs at once after your nephew's experience. I don't know why but our jabs this time didn't even give us an achey arm or a hot bump where the jabs went. We forgot we'd had them the day afterwards.

Yes Mel the tech changes all the time are such a nuisance. I have at last managed to disable my adblocker for just the Youtube site so I can keep watching Terry and other videos. I have to have an adblocker since the data breach with my provider as it was loading adverts so fast my emails wouldn't open. There must have been a glitch they've now sorted as following the instructions hasn't worked until today. It isn't safe having just one password as anyone who manages to work it out can enter everything and empty your bank account, buy stuff on amazon and ebay etc. Having a little book helps, but where do you then hide it when not in use in case someone breaks in and when yu are on holiday. There are password managers online where you can save them, but it must be a faff to open that site to find them when you are ready to enter a password and have limited time before they time you out. I defy any youngster to remember all my passwords! I expect most use password managers. I find it hard to remember reams of instructions for the next time and have to write things down. I wish we still had paper instruction books for things so you could have it open at the side of you.
I did see a good app on tv this morning. A father whose daughter was murdered had been involved in developing it. You enter people's phone numbers who you would want to notify if you felt unsafe anywhere, particularly at night or if you were on your own. If you then found yourself in an unsafe situation you just pressed an alert button on your phone and it would not only let them know but it would show them a map and highlight your exact location. It said some of the Police were using it for their own safety too.

That's annoying about the changed phone number Mel, but there seems to be more incompetence than ever these days. OH is supposed to take part in a meeting this Thursday, but had heard nothing more, so he had to email to see if it was going ahead. He had a reply to say it wasn't, but that it had been rebooked for a future date, but they never said what the future date was, so he then had to email them again! This not only happens all the time, they never consider that he could have booked other work for the day, if they'd kept him informed that they'd cancelled a meeting or that delaying to notify him might mean he is no longer available for their new date.

I'm getting the new beads out now and have decided to start the it again with other different beads to go with the new ones.

I hope AnnG had a dry day and was able to enjoy the garden visit today.

I know why they want to put a new meter in its for the potting shed and I never go up there anymore and don't use any leccy and each time I send the meter reaading in its the same as last time and they think its gone wrong and I have credit on that account too..

AND it has now just got worse!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have had an email to say they want to put a new leccy meter in and to book an appointment and given a number to ring. Guess what? They have updated their site and that number is no longer used, so why send it to me then? The automated voice said the number so quickly and I had'nt got a pen handy and she repeated it and still I had'nt got a pen so now I don't know who to ring. Why not put the new number on the email instead of putitng the old one on there?????

I never know why when soemthing is working ok they have to improve it with silly things like apps. I try not to do things on apps and now today I had something about a voice recognition app. The leccy has changed its log in a bit too and it won't accespt my password so thats not being paid. Thank goodness BT take thier payments out and let me know when they are coming out and how much. Its all this finger print stuff and apps for you voice and I just don't understand it all. Its ok for the kids who are well into all this stuff but it takes the oder generation to try and remember simple things like all the passwords you have to have for various site. I have a whole little book of them cos I would'nt be able to remember which one went with which site!!! :-| I suppose it would be easier to have just one for all sites but now you have to have capitol letters and numbers and at least 9 things, it drives me up the wall.

Moan over I just had to get it off my chest. :-D

I had'nt read the post Mandy and put it up too and its the Hardacres tonight on Channel 5 at 9pm so two things to watch on Iplayer tonight.

For those who are interested in Amanda and Clive Owen and the children program on More 4 (124) tonight at 9pm about doing up The derilact house they bought.

I envy you your EWM Annx. Ours closed some while ago. I could never get trousers to fit me there but bought quite a few shirts and jumpers which have worn well. Our lovely market town has so few shops now. They close and then reopen as charity shops, estate agents or coffee shops. Of 3 that closed a little while ago, one has reopened as yet another coffee shop, one is a nail bar and the third which is shortly to open will be an Ann Summers. A company of that size must have done its research but I can't imagine it will do very well here.

Today I've had another example of "improvements". The NHS Trust covering our hospital operates an online "patient portal". Once you're registered on the portal you can get in to see things like blood test results, appointment letters etc. Today I got an email. The NHS Trust are sharing with me an "exciting update". A new version of the patient portal is being launched which will "improve your experience". It's working perfectly well and doesn't need improving, thank you very much. The whole thing is being closed down for 8 days in November as it will apparently take that long to get it up and running. Currently I login in with a username and password but, as a sort of afterthought, the email tells me I will now need my "NHS App login credentials" to sign in. I neither have nor want the NHS App. I'm really looking forward to my improved experience, I don't think.

I think it might be time to make a calming cuppa before I blow my top.

Afternoon All,

We decided to get up after the windowcleaner had been this morning as neither of us slept well...........he didn't turn up! So we were up late and just went to the chemist and shop. Not that we slept longer as for the past couple of months every weekday morning from 8.00am there is loud banging like the sound of pile drivers that goes on till about lunchtime. We can't work out where it is coming from, but think it must be to do with the new warehouses that will be built.

Yes Bumble was great Mandy as I said in my reply. Soon there will be Daffodil then, so that sounds lovely too. There is quite a little group now. :-) Thanks for the tip off about the progs which I'll make sure to record.

I've done some soup in the slow cooker like Mel and Mandy. I had leeks and potatoes to use up and added carrot and four chicken thighs and stock, so need to blitz it and freeze half now.

My beads came this morning so I might be able to finish something I started ages ago.

Well, it eventually stopped raining but it's still very grey and chilly and quite windy. I did loads of washing but didn't bother to try hanging it out. Some is on a clothes airer, shirts are hung on hangers in various places round the house and the rest has been tumbled in 2 lots. My tumble dryer doesn't seem to be working as well as usual either. I kept having to put stuff back in for longer because it wasn't dry enough. I've checked both the filters and they seem OK so I'll have to keep an eye on it.

Mel, I haven't had a Laxton's for donkey's years. They used to be one of my favourites but we never see anything like that round here now. It's all Gala and Braeburn and most of those are imported. Did your boiler man arrive?

Oh Mandy, I feel for you with your fidgety legs as I get them as well. Some 25 years ago a doctor told me I had irritable leg syndrome and to cut down on caffeine. It did seem to help. I cut it out as much as I could and then gradually reintroduced it so I now know roughly how much I can take. I have very little chocolate, decaff. coffee and decaff. coke on the rare occasions I have that (usually with a good slug of Bacardi ;-)). I can't cope with decaff tea so I still have my full strength Yorkshire tea. I still get jumpy legs from time to time and I always end up getting up and walking about for a few minutes. I hope you sleep better tonight.

I hope the weather stayed dry for you so that you could visit the gardens AnnG. It would be nice to see your photos and I am more than happy to forward them to the rest of the group for you.

I think I am going to submit this in case I lose it as Genes is being a bit funny today. I'll carry on in a separate thread.