General Chat

I have to say recently Halloween and Guy Fawkes seem to be the same thing? Halloween was trick or treating where mostly you got sweeties given to you.

Guisers were those who go round collecting what we called "a penny for the guy". The money would be used to buy fireworks for bonfire night. We also made a guy and either pushed it in a pram or on go cart.

So, Guisers at Halloween?? Is this something new? And why are fireworks being let off at Halloween?

I had no idea that jokes and singing were part of it. Never heard any singing at any neighbours.

The kids don’t even Carol sing at Christmas nowadays. The last few just sang ‘ we wish you a merry Christmas. We used to go round and sing proper carols and that song was a thank you as we went back down the path.
I remember one year when the kids at he door demanded a donation in both collecting pots. So their own charity? ;-)

Sorry peeps, phone rang so had to dash off.

Yes, it was considered begging knocking on the door and expecting something in return, so we were not allowed.

I was hearing on the radio yesterday of someone in Wales who turned their garden into a Cemetry I think with really disgusting gory ghoulish things and people drove 50 miles to come & view!!! Would scare the children to death and not just the children. So over the top and yes, The Americans are to blame for that.

Look at Dundee last night and trouble the youths caused there. Throwing fireworks at police etc and burning bikes causing roads to be closed, what a disgrace! The locals are dreading Bonfire Night.

I had bought a tub of sweeties too but shall keep them for xmas now.

Think I may go outside for some fresh air as still lovely day. My head is so sore as sinuses are dreadful.

Florence in the Hebrides

No guisers here last night.
I don't blame them - it was far too wet.

Not that there are many normally now in any case.
Parents don't want to let their children go wandering around in the dark these days, nor knocking on random doors.
We used to enjoy hearing the children's songs and jokes before they were rewarded with apples, sweets, etc.

I greatly dislike the American "trick or treating" which has taken over.
It's unfriendly and threatening, demanding money, with the threat of retribution if you don't pay up.

When I was young in S W London Halloween just didn’t happen except for one birthday party where we just did things like apple bobbing. No ghoulies or Ghosties.

But there would be lots of ‘penny for the guys’ a few days later and fireworks in the garden.

I still don’t get involved in Halloween - a money making event for some.

Good afternoon all
Like you Joan, its turned out to be a lovely sunny bright day with a small breeze after the gales over the weekend.

Yesterday I made some chocolate muffins and decorated them encase a few kiddies came trick or treating. There are just about 5 or 6 nearby but it wasn't a nice night as was raining.
So, when the lassie next door comes home from school, I shall pop round with a few for her and her mum.

We have been busy planning for the craft fayre mid-November after our break away. So yesterday, daughter went up the ladder into the loft and got the....xmas tree plus decorations down!! Yes, earliest yet but the tree isn't going up, we just wanted the little lights for the craft table to make it look Christmassy when the time comes.

Found new packs of batteries in the kitchen drawer so replaced the dead ones in the lights.

Printed out my booking for the Premier Inn and the flights too.

I also found my old taxi driver although retired he still is licenced and has agreed to pick us up & collect us for a reasonable fee. So was very pleased with that.

Linda re your Halloween trail, oh my sounded quite a trek and also nearly dark. Not sure I would have fancied that. But glad you did something with the children.

I wasn't brought up to celebrate Halloween as my granddad was a church minister and he said it was worshipping evil which went against his teachings. My mum also wouldn't let us dress with a sheet over us and then go scare old people to death knocking on their doors. She said it was also begging.

Yes all well here Joan. weather is more like April than November 13 degrees at the moment and sunshine but all day we have had sunshine then very heavy showers and blustery wind so no gardening today.so a bit of housework done, hoovering and dusting and wiped down the kitchen surfaces. Then back to making my Christmas cards.
I certainly don't envy you all the leaves Joan. Florence those cakes sound Mmmm!

We have been lucky with the Halloween weather. On Friday night we went to a Halloween trail arranged by one of the local primary schools in the grounds of a local activity centre, they were splitting the profits between them. It was a bit odd as it was t Halloween characters,you just had to follow a plan to find small boards stuck in the ground and solve clues. We went at 5 pm and it was still light enough to see the boards which were not lit up, any later and it would have been impossible to find them in the dark. Part of the trail was a very rough path around a lake. With all the leaves on the ground, it was difficult to see where the path stopped and the water started. I wouldn’t have been happy attempting that in the dark. Luckily Esme had given up by then and her mum had taken her into the canteen to get a hot dog.
Last night we went trick or treating around one of the estates in town where there are lots of families, so there were plenty of houses with pumpkins outside. The girls came back with a reasonable haul of sweets :-D

Good afternoon from a wet, windy and very dreary village.

It's been so dull all day it's like daybreak hasn't come yet and it will be getting dark soon!

So busied with a pile of ironing, shredded a basket of paper, and other chores.
Decided an hour ago to make some chocolate cupcakes. (Size of muffins) They are cooling down but couldn't resist eating one whilst it was still warm. Oh my, they are yummy and don't think there will be many left by tomorrow lol

Just waiting on them to cool so i can decorate them.

Not sure about tea yet, got left over pasta bake anyway, so that will do, I think.

Hope everyone else ok.

Don't think we will get many trick or treaters tonight as far too wet but I have a tub of sweeties just in case.


Florence in the hebrides

Our day started off very wet but has brightened up again, so managed to put my washing out. Even if it is still a bit damp it's better than having it on the rack in the kitchen. It's breezy so hoping it will just need to be aired when I get it in.

Yes the probate takes a while to be done, we hope sisters house will sell quickly but you never know what will happen with the mortgage rates changing .Looking difficult for a lot of people at the moment.

Still plenty of leaves to be swept up then Joan , keeps you very busy in the garden at this time of year. I love autumn with the colours of the leaves etc but I don't have the clearing up to do.

Take care all.

Ginnie

Morning all
It's another very wet day here and no ferries again! (that's another saga!)

Yesterday, I was outside for a bit and to my surprise my fuchsias have all started growing, my carnations from seed are blooming lovely and many more roses are still growing. My lovely blue lobelia is in full bloom still as are the hydrangeas and dahlias.

Never known the garden to be so full of flowers nearly in November but it looks lovely.

Kitchen looks like a bombsite this morning! daughter leaves a trail everywhere and has gone off for another day of volunteering. However, it will keep me busy til the afternoon. Some ironing and 2 loads of washing to be done.

I decided to make a chicken sweet & sour today with naan bread, basmati rice and my home-made dip. Daughter couldn't get the puff pastry so haven't been able to make the broomsticks yet!

JustGinnie, it is very time consuming, all the paperwork and clearing a property so it can be sold takes forever too. I hope once we get probate through(soon) that my mums flat sells quickly as its costing me money paying for the utilities etc.

Latest gas bill used 3 units and the bill was over £30!! The daily standing charge racks up so quickly. We also have free council Tax until January and then if it's not sold, I shall have to pay that too.

Hope everyone else is well and ok

Florence in the Hebrides

Hi all,
Hope your weather isn't too bad Florence, Our day started with rain but it's brighter now but chilly.

I am getting back to normal now after all the sorting out of the paper work etc not to mention the house and contents but it all gets done in time. I just hope sisters house sells quickly when the time comes.

Hope everyone is well .

Ginnie

Afternoon folks.
Well the day is showery & windy and later on going downhill as severe gales hit us around tea time.

Everything outside is sheltered for the winter anyway and bins now secured to the fence with bungees which are so useful.

Saw a great recipe online yesterday for pastry broomsticks and a dip and hopefully if daughter comes home with puff pastry, I shall make them. They looked so easy and very tasty too. Shall tell you how they went later.

Polished and dusted today and all ironing up straight so a gentle afternoon, I think.

Hope everyone else well and ok

Florence in the Hebrides

Good afternoon peeps
Well, a very damp, misty kinda day and showers too. It was bin day so not long been collected and bins all secured back in their place.

Quiet weekend really although, daughter managed to have a misdemeanour with the hoover! I had been crocheting and left the wool down beside the sofa out of the way. Daughter on Sun morning decided to hoover the whole house. Once in the lounge, she never noticed the hoover sucking up the wool and unravelling the square I had made until it stopped working!!

Turned the hoover upside down and had to spend 1/2 hour cutting and unwinding the wool. Boy was I cross as I had to restart all over again. Honestly, thought it was out of anyone's way but obviously not!

Headache eventually cleared over the weekend but was pretty horrendous.

Oh, was rudely awoken at 7am on Saturday by the landline ringing. Thought I was dreaming and then half asleep realised it was ringing! I said hello and the man said he was looking for a man, but I said noone by that name lives here and do you realise its only 7am? I was still half awake, and the man said he was from the local police station!!! Oh, my I said really? well you have the wrong number I told him still not quite believing he was a policeman so having now woken up properly I did ask him again to make sure and it was def a policeman.

I rang off wondering who on earth they wanted at this early hour from this village and why my number. After thinking awhile, it came to me, I did know a person of the name they wanted and their tel number is 2 digits different from mine so can see how it was misheard.

I immediately messaged a friend who lives next door to this person to see if everything was ok and they said it was and no police at that house. So, none the wiser. They are decent people, and I knew the kids well so heard nothing since.

Just having a slow day today, bit of tidying up and planning my time away next month. There are many shops so have gone through the floor plan of the shopping centre and written down the shops we want to go to, to save time when we get
there.

Hope everyone else had a good weekend.

Florence in the Hebrides

Evening folks.
Since last night I have had a terrible migraine which I had all day today. Pain over right eye and back of head behind right ear. God soooo miserable. I tried to sleep but because of the pain, I couldn't get comfy.

Anyway, I sat in my comfy chair with a blanket as was shivery for most of the day. I had some nice brown bread with cheese spread and marmite around teatime and think it's finally going away.

Haven't had a migraine for a while so guess I was due one!

Going to bed about 10 although that's early but I'm feeling very drained so hoping I will sleep well.

Hope you enjoyed your fish & chips Joan

Ann, I have now made about 15 cards, but I have around 60 people on my list. Not all will get a handmade one just a select few.

Right, I'm off here as the brightness of the PC will not do my head much good.

Nite Nite

Florence in the Hebrides

Good afternoon all, it is a horrible day here 16 degrees so not cold but very dark and wet. It has rained constantly since 0930. So, indoor jobs today, not that I can raise much enthusiasm for that so might just make a few Christmas cards.

Pleased you had an enjoyable lunch Florence.

Linda Oooh not a good day for rambling then, or driving from the sound of it. Torrential rain was forecast for your area I think, so they were right. what a long way to go for a part. Does he get discount there? At least you got the grave cleaned up by your little helper.

I am glad you enjoyed your da6 out Florence despite your dizzy turn.

I had to drive about thirty miles today to collect a new fan for the boiler at the cinema. The plumber we use always uses this firm for his spare parts, I am sure that there must be somewhere closer he could use. I had to pay for it, only £369. The money will be transferred back into my bank account as soon as I hand the bill in. I don’t mind as the Mastercard bill isn’t due for a couple of weeks and as it is aTesco card, I get Tesco vouchers, so the more money I put on the card, the more vouchers I get.

Eve came with me and we went to the cemetery, so we could change the artificial flowers I have on my parents ashes grave. I take a cloth and some water, so she washed it as well.
It was only raining slightly when we did that, we just had time to do a little shopping before it was time to come home for lunch. I did offer to go to a cafe, but she didn’t want to. The rain was torrential on the way back, so I was glad to get home.

My OH is out walking today with the Ramblers, he is going to be so cold despite all his wet weather gear

Good morning chit chatters
Well overcast, grey and not a nice day here at all compared to the beautiful sunny day we had yesterday.
A friend messaged me late on Tuesday offering to take me out for lunch. Of course, I said yes and yesterday about 11.45 she picked me up.

There is a local small cafe and going early was well thought out as within 10 minutes of arriving, the place filled up. I had a lovely cheese ploughman's which was delicious.
Unfortunately, in the middle of lunch, I took a dizzy turn but thankfully my friend didn't panic but the waitress noticed and came over to see if I was ok. Friend said it's just a small dizzy spell, she will be ok in a minute. It passed within a minute and then I was back to normal. Sadly, they happen on a daily basis in any place, no rhyme or reason to them but I just get on with it.

So, after lunch, she took me for a lovely drive to a couple of places where the view is stunning as it was high up looking down onto the sea. Thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon and then she came in for a coffee for an hour.

Have to say, did my mental health the world of good and feel uplifted today. She does try to see me often, but she works, and her MIL just passed away too so has that to deal with.

Anyway, glad it was yesterday as I think it's going to pour down so better make a start on tidying up as didn't do anything yesterday.

Joan oh my! What a busy day you had cleaning all those windows. Make sure you are less busy today. Don't want you keeling over! You have an awful job sweeping up those leaves, but I guess the amount will be less once the trees are bare soon.

So off to be busy now, may pop in later this afternoon

Florence in the Hebrides

It must have been a window cleaning day yes Joan as I did most of the inside of mine as well. I just have some of the upstairs ones left. The window cleaner turned up today and did the outsides, he comes once a month.