Chitchat thread #24

[Snoop Puss]

Morning all.

Special delivery of tea and biscuits for GF. Lots more for anyone else who wants one.

Visitors leaving today. We will all really miss them, especially Jack, who has enjoyed the freedom of going up to see them in the little house 100 yards from us where they are sleeping. More hands for fuss, more legs for walks. They've been lovely company.

Better get the day on the road.

Have a great day, everyone.

[Nicos]

Mornin n’alln’all
I was planning on doing a bit more gardening before the rains arrive this afternoon- but woke up to hear it splattering on the window
So…plan B ….more clearing up in the house…mostly upstairs and in the kitchen.

I had my eye on an apple bun/ biscuit type recipe but I’m only getting one egg a day at the moment. We only have three chooks these days…one only lays occasionally as she’s pretty old - one daily - and one is in full moult . I used my eggs up making a double batch of Parkin and a double batch sticky chocolate slab cake - for freezing.

It does very much feel like a ‘reading a book in front of the woodfire’ sort of day though.

Hope you managed to sleep GF- I’ve been thinking about you x

Enjoy your day peeps - a good day to count your blessings and share smiles….

[Nicos]

Morning Snoop!…didn’t see you there

Tea?…ooo, yes please! I’ll never say no to a brew
Its harder work but uplifting having guests isn’t it? Glad you’ve had a bit of a break x

[mothhawk]

Morning all.

Tea for me too, please, Snoop. Lovely with my new favourite breakfast - an oat flour, apple, blueberry and pecan muffin. Porridge as a cake!

How's Mr Snoop doing these days, Snoop? Have the doctors sorted out what was wrong? Hope he and everyone else who is ailing is on the mend.

I have a two hour window now before the predicted rain so I shall go and cut down more of my small hedge in the back garden. Next door have a big shed backing up to it, and every autumn rats move in under it. I'm tired of spending money to get rid of them, so the hedge is coming out and a solid fence will replace it. It won't solve the problem entirely, but it will make the blighters feel more exposed and I'll be able to spot the signs sooner. I hate losing the hedge, it is so bird friendly and green (well, variegated) all year, and I know a dunnock has been sleeping in an old nest in there recently, but needs must.

[Florence Fennel]

Good Morning All Hope you got some sleep GF. Cloudy here. About to start cooking breakfast. Have a lovely Sunday

[Bren In Pots]

Morning

GF its good you got to see MrGF awake xx

No real plans here apart from I've got my dehydrator filled with apples they should be all done by 6 ish this evening. Heavy rain due soon so i'll probably spend the day indoors, I've plenty of hobbies and domestics to keep me occupied.

Enjoy your day

[greenishfing]

Good morning.

I have slept! I managed a solid four hours, woke up for a few hours and then fell back asleep, to be eventually awoken by the phone a couple of hours later, at 9am. My sister, a nurse, calling to ask about Mr GF. I did manage the homemade potted meat sandwich last night and it was lovely with some olives and cherry tomatoes. In fact I have just given the recipe to my sister at her request, as although she is pescatarian, makes chicken liver paté for her partner. So food and sleep.. Shower next.

I hope everyone else is okay. Look after yourselves.

[Snoop Puss]

^Great news, GF.

And now a shout out to lottie dolly. Hope you're doing OK. xx

[Nicos]

That’s great news GF…you need to be strong for when your OH comes home again!

Bren….what temperature is your dehydrator set to? I’m thinking of trying to do a large batch in my oven.

I can’t stand seeing so many perfectly edible apples go to waste - any spaces in all three chest freezers are packed with cooked apples and there is at least as much again needing something doing with them.
Chilli apple jelly, mint apple jelly, apple cider vinegar, frozen cooked apples, frozen Dorset apple cake, apart from juicing them ( we are still drinking last years) …people just don’t want any more as they either have their own glut or friends and neighbours have shared their glut…so maybe dehydrating some might be something else to try now I finally have my second oven shelf!
At least some went for our neighbour’s juicing and they are wanting a load more in November for cider etc, but not even half of what is left.
I guess the trees will be needing a rest next year after producing so much fruit?

I’ve managed to rake up three massive piles of leaves from the driveway inbetween showers and stocked up indoors with wood for the fire…so the casserole is slowly simmer in away…a lovely gentle Sunday!
No domestics so far…we’ll see,..

[rary]

Good afternoon, good afternoon, a very wet day here today, I actually got woken up by the sound of the rain hitting the windows this morning, so it must have been very heavy for that, mind you I never got up to check just went back to sleep once I was up daughter phoned to let me know that the fields where I normally walk the dogs was flooded so Poppy who has been staying with us for the past week was I think quite happy with that, as I opened the back door for her to go out she just about turned a went through to her bed in the livingroom and went to sleep, I didnt go to church this morning as I decided to listen to it via the internet as I can hear the service clearer, still not got my hearing aid and OH is going on about buying a digital hearing aid , which I am now considering, unfortunately the only outlet near me is Specsavers and I dont know how good their product is, however I will try and find out, and yes I know I can Google ? it but the internet like paper can take on anything
Those with health issues whither their own, partners or friends I wish you all well and know that people are thinking of you, so now the challenge is to go and find something to smile about then pass it on

Just an update, I have just been asked by OH why I woke her this morning ti ask about rain and how could I hear it when I cant hear her talking, now trying to work out how to let her know I have difficulty hearing her when she's telling me what to do

[greenishfing]

Well, an update, Mr GF evidently had a good breakfast, and managed to walk around the ward. When I got there he was sleepy again. He didn't eat much lunch apart, obviously, from ice cream. I left about 1pm, I'll go back for when they bring him his evening meal, in about an hour. At least he is relaxed and stress free at the moment.

[Bren In Pots]

Nicos I set my dehydrator to 60c it usually takes between 8 to 10 hours.
Talking about trees having a rest one of our apple trees had lots of blossom but not a single apple (:

Hope MrGF continues to improve xx

[Florence Fennel]

Good to hear that news GF

[greenishfing]

Evening all! Mr GF is now wide awake and planning his escape. The staff on the ward he is on at the moment are, without exception, excellent. Amazing what 2 days worth of antibiotics can achieve.

I have not long been home. There was another man, maybe in his 70s, brought onto the 6 bed ward this evening. His family, including his wife, came shortly afterwards. He seemed reasonably normal at first, until after his relatives had gone, then he kept standing up and taking his hospital gown off. I was the only visitor left by this time. He then started shouting at me for no good reason. I couldn't tell what he was saying. When I kissed Mr GF goodbye and started to leave, he hurtled up the ward and started having a rant at me. Evidently, I was his wife, even though his real wife had been with him earlier, and I shouldn't have been kissing that man (Mr GF). I should have been kissing him. By this stage, I was nearly backed up against the ward door, which was locked. One of the nurses got to the door unlocking mechanism and said, "Run!"........ I did.

The staff must have to have a good sense of humour at times. I don't know how they cope with up to six elderly men, many of whom are displaying the behaviour and toilet habits of overgrown toddlers.

I think a large glass, (bucket, vat) of wine is now required, while I have a quiet giggle. It reminds me of the time, when I was in my late 50s, when I was standing on the steps of our hotel, just off the Ramblas, in Barcelona. It was late evening and a man walking past asked me, in Spanish, if I was "working". I think he should have gone to Specsavers!

Good night.

[Snoop Puss]

^That's the Mr GF we know and love. Brilliant.

Hope you enjoyed the wine.

The 'working' ladies on the Plaça Reial side of the Ramblas were often very 'normal' looking when I lived there. You wouldn't have looked at them twice were it not for the fact that there were quite a few of them all gathered in a small area.Those towards the bottom of the Ramblas on the other side were often of mixed gender and far more glamorous than the other ladies. I once had to rescue Mr Snoop and a Japanese friend from the clutches of one by insisting they were with me and already taken.