Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 21 April 2019

Ooh! - Those Lamingtons look so good, I must try and make some, sometime. (I thought AQs birthday was tomorrow, but then she is ahead of us, so I'm confused. ....)

Good Morning All. Welcome rain here yesterday, and even some thunder as there was a big thunderstorm in nearby Manchester. My OH kept putting off going out with Bonnie all afternoon, then left here just as it got darker. Ten minutes later, the heavens opened! - two very 'drowned rats' appeared later, and had to be towelled dry (no coats on, either!). Why he didn't go earlier I don't know!

Glad your plumbing is being sorted at last, Annette. Our petrol prices have gone up, they go up much easier and more often than they go down, much to consumers annoyance.

Good morning!  Very little rain last night and another sunny morning – hopefully more rain after 4pm.

ANNETTE – glad the toilet was not a major issue!  Our plumber is also going to redo kitchen and family shower room seals when he comes to do my new wetroom floor – replacing my tiles with sealed vinyl.

AQ – are you attending any Anzac Day commemorations?  Birthday wishes for tomorrow – or is it later today?

LINDA – sorry your OH and Bonnie were out in the storm!  Nothing like that here – yet – could get heavier showers this evening.

OH was trying to do newsletter run on the church printer and the toner has run out.  He phoned to tell me the box for replacement toner contains an empty bottle labelled “for the old printer – may be useful”!  I said to come home and we’ll home-print and charge for the ink – we can set it up on our printer and Jonathan’s and wouldn’t need to stay and watch the whole time!  Everything is so rushed this week – that’s why he was getting it done today because we are busy tomorrow and there is an event in the church Saturday.

Hope the new mini greenhouse proves useful, OG. Our Youngest has one of the tall ones against the wall, by their back door. They grow some veggies in raised beds they inherited with the house, so they start some of them off in there, plus the sunflowers ready for their annual, family, sunflower competition :-)

My hay fever was really bad yesterday and by the time it rained, I was already in a state with puffy eyes. It was too late to give me relief, when it finally rained. Today I'm on a regime of regular eye drops to keep it at bay, as we're going out this evening to a relative for a meal. I was recommended some medication yesterday but although I will try it, I fear it will just send me to sleep! (Annette, I used to suffer every spring when a teenager. Then after becoming a mother, it changed to an autumn event <shrug> Then, after menopause it ceased altogether, hurrah! But in the last couple of years, it's returned. It may be the warmer drier weather, or it may be the new crops being grown, I don't know)

Fuchsias moved out of main greenhouse to make room for Tomatoes - I have suggested to OH that herbs could come out now, but he seems reluctant. He's out there now making space!

Sorry the hay fever is so bad this year LINDA. I hope you can get to - and enjoy - the meal out this evening.

Hello all
I've been out today - in town. First ,hairdresser then a browse around the shops. Didn't buy anything except food. I could do with a new pair of super comfy everyday shoes.
Weather here is dry, bright and reasonably warm.
I have a glass greenhouse but haven't used it properly since OH died. I had great ideas of growing tomatoes and cucumbers etc but after the first year I have given up. There is still a small grape vine in there which I do look after.
There are herbs in the herb bed that I hardly ever use. Rosemary, bay leaves, chives, oregano/marjoram , mint and thyme. The family use them more than I do! I'm afraid that I am turning into my father. His mantra was ' I eat to live, I don't live to eat'. He was over six feet tall and always slender. I never thought that I would find myself feeling the same way. However, I did buy M and S luxury hot cross buns, today! So I am not quite a lost cause :-)

Happy birthday, AQ!

LINDY - I'm sorry about your severe hay fever. I used to suffer terribly but things have got better in latter years, I can't think why, though.

AQ: Happy B'day - whichever time zone you happen to be in.

DIANE: I could probably manage a piece of the Lamington cake. I had to Google it to find out more. We have a bakery here that makes the most wonderfully light cakes (their chocolate cakes are never too rich), with real cream and fresh raspberries or strawberries. I prefer the white cakes. Anyway, I used to get them for special birthdays when the family lived nearby. But a very close second is carrot cake. Daren't ever buy even one of the typically huge slices available. I treated myself to one when was in AZ last summer and would have to lose about 5lbs before I risked another one.

LINDYBIRD: I didn't develop allergies until I was in my 30s; haven't noticed any waxing or waning of symptoms over the years. Do hope yours settled down a bit and that you aren't all puffed up for dinner tonight.

OG: How many copies of the church newsletter do you print? Hope the alternate set up worked.

OH and I have to sort out the fountain again. I can usually clean out the filter with a toothbrush in between major cleanings, but the pump moved position after we assembled it last time and the filter isn't readily accessible. What's worse, found bits of someone's innards parked on the lip yesterday and when I investigated further, someone's tail - apparently a hapless lizard. These crows really are taking liberties....

AQ - Happy Birthday!! Hope you have a lovely day.

bjane: So good to see you! Let us know how things are going when you have the time/inclination.

Sorry to hear you are suffering the hay fever lurgy Lindy, do hope the weather relents for some relief for you.

AQ - that sounds familiar - whenever its a holiday where the shops close even for just one day, people go mad and stock up to the nines as though they were going to starve. We don't know what it is to starve.

All these moans about petrol prices going up, I think Trump wants to get his act together and think of the ordinary people of his country and how much it is costing them. At least he does'nt have to worry about expense, does he!! ha. ha. Hope the prices level off for you or even come down a little in due course.

County cricket gets underway tomorrow and OH is doing his bit by commentating for the blind at our local County Ground. Got quite a few dates penned in so will be on my own on those days - mind you I like it as I can please myself what I do.