Chitchat thread #24

[Florence Fennel]

Good Morning All Drizzly again here. I've just done the usual patrol of the garden for windfalls. Grory Hop on the way. I made orange curd a few years ago, but like Snoop, I couldn't get past the feeling that it ought to be lemon!
I too remember the rag and bone man, he used to give out goldfish in plastic bags, or 6 wooden clothes pegs. I used to beg my mum to let me have a fish. When that practice ceased, the exchange was for a balloon and a stroke of his horse!
Have a good day

[Bren In Pots]

Morning

I don't mind spiders we have a rather large one that comes out from under the sofa what I don't like are those long legged spenders with the tiny body. They can make a web across the stairs in the time you go to the loo and back. Horrid things.

MH I've not tried curds apart from lemon but they do look interesting and pretty in jars. Enjoy your new car, ours took some getting used to we went from a 20 year old Berlingo that had a tape player to a Vitara that lit up like a cockpit

A break in the rain so I'll nip out to pick raspberries.

enjoy your day

[greenishfing]

We always had a goldfish in a bowl on the kitchen windowsill as a child. It/or they (I don't know if it was always the same one) was a prize from the local fair. I was always so excited when the fair came to the next village. The other prize you could try to win was always a coconut. Unfortunately, when the M1 was built, the field that the fair came to halved in size and the fair never came again.

[bramble]

Good morning all la little on the dull side but its dry,
I remember the rag and bone msn, he used to give us plastic toys of balloons.
Yes Nicos, I also remember the coal man, such a hard job carrying sack of coal on his shoulder in all kind of weather.

Lottie, so sorry to hear you're in pain again, hope you get it sorted before your holiday,


Snoop, not a fan of spiders especially large ones so bravery award to you for killing it.
Hope Mr Snoop gets good news from the doctor.

I have never made lemon curd jam so can't comment on it but will be interested to know how it turns out,
Have a good day all,

[mothhawk]

Gold star for bravery, Snoop, particularly for taking off a shoe to hit it with and exposing your foot to the creature!

I too remember the rag and bone man with his horse and cart, the coalman (Mum always stood and watched the sacks to make sure they were full and the right number), Mr Whippee, and the Corona pop man. Fond memories of dandelion and burdock, and strawberry cream soda, and getting thrupence (threepence) back on the empty bottle.

For the curd, I'll try what I have most of, which is blackberry, then if it doesn't turn out it's not so much of a loss. Also, the blackberries were sieved so there will be no bits to sieve out first.

On the subject of spiders, in the garden there never seem to be any about all summer, then come September there are huge webs strung across every gap and pathway, and they all seem to be face height. I've taken to waving a stick up and down in front of me when I first go down the path every day, probably look crackers!

[greenishfing]

I had got two separate texts this morning to book covid jabs for Mr GF and his brother. I have booked them for separate days as I think both of them will need to use a wheelchair to get in as they are not at the surgery, but at a local rugby club. I don't think they make tandem wheelchairs and queueing up twice in one day is not ideal.

I'd also had a text from the surgery to book a medication review. I'm presuming that it is for me. They have now got a new AI service which "supposedly" is quicker than waiting on the phone to talk to a receptionist. I decided to give it a go. Quick it is NOT. The automated voice talks to you as if you were an idiot, and does not have enough options for replies. I will now wait and see if I get a callback at some point. I'm not holding my breath.

[greenishfing]

My dad was the coal man when I was very young. I used to love it if I could convince him to let me go on his deliveries with him as I loved his red lorry and most of his customers were surprised to see him with a toddler and gave me all kinds of goodies.

[mothhawk]

I made apple and rosehip curd after all. The recipe is for a small quantity and only called for 170g jam so as I had an 8oz jar from 2022 that's what I used. It was simple to make and impressively it took me less than 10 minutes start to finish. I really like the flavour, it will go very well in a sandwich cake or as a topping for ice cream. The recipe made enough to fill a 12oz jar not quite to the very top.

[Containergardener]

Managed the shopping, then opened that stupid plastic packaging andbmanaged to cut my thumb open . It took ages to stop bleeding then I hoovered and set it off again

[Nicos]

That looks interesting MH…are you able to share the recipe please?

[Bren In Pots]

Managed the shopping, then opened that stupid plastic packaging and managed to cut my thumb open . It took ages to stop bleeding then I hoovered and set it off again

CG those type of cuts open up again with the slightest of pressure so they seem to take ages to heal.

[Nicos]

^^^^ yeh…they are as bad as those cuts you get from corned beef tins with the silly keys which wind around the tin.
can you get hold of steristrips from the pharmacy to hold the sides together?

[greenishfing]

Ooooh! The corned beef tins are absolutely lethal. Surely there must be a better method these days. I know that I was once given steristrips for something for Mr GF but he has had so many accidents over the years that I can't remember which of his mishaps they were for.

My interaction with our surgery's AI tech system appears to have worked as I have had a text with a telephone appointment for next Tuesday. I don't mind the impersonal nature of the AI but it is so slow, and only has one script. In other words "bloody annoying". I will try and avoid it, if possible, in future.

My pudding basins have arrived. This year's are gold coloured.

[Snoop Puss]

Gold! That's very festive.

Here's a confession: I have never opened a corned beef tin in my life. And for sheer heresy: I don't even like the stuff. I do like tinned sardines, though, and would probably eat more were it not for the cans and those awful rings that make the contents nigh-on inaccessible.

[bramble]

Talking of sardines,my father loved them.
Years ago they had what appeared to be a key, you wound the top of the tin back with it,
I can remember it breaking a few times and the mess to get the sardines out