General Chat

Hope you have a lovely lunch Florence. I enjoyed my fish and chips yesterday.

Off out in 15 minutes for an unexpected lunch date with my school colleague. Asked me last night. Hopefully nothing will go wrong between then and now after last week.

Shall be back later and tell you me yarns

Florence in the hebrides

Afternoon peeps
Showery, chilly day here but breaks in-between and the sun is there. Daughter hung out washing, the shower came but the wind then dried it very quickly so worth it.

Had a lot to sort out with Br Gas and my mum's account! Totally useless they are. They sent a bill add to me with both my Christian name and surname spelt incorrectly. There is no excuse for that.
Wait for it though.... with it a letter welcoming me to my new home and hoping the unpacking is going well!! I kid you not.

Honestly, we paid mums bill up to date, read the meter and then requested a new account opened in my name. Where is the difficulty in that?

So, they kept mums account open, charge us a daily chg. and then my new account started 8th Aug with an estimated bill of £78!

SIL read meter today. Since 24 July only 8 units have been used so I reworked both the bills and tomorrow, someone will get the sharp end of my tongue.

I am so glad I'm all electric as generally have not had a problem once I sorted out a switch to Utilita.

Grass cutters coming for the last time tomorrow, so typed up an invoice for their office and enclosed cash to settle for the year.

Having been coughing a lot over this weekend and not feeling too toddy so drinking plenty and just nibbling lite bites.
JustGinnie, sorry to hear you had Covid and hope you are getting over it now. The jabs will hopefully protect you for the winter.

Sorting out an estate is a job in itself with all the paperwork etc but once the basic stuff is done, it becomes less as time goes on.

Joan, you have been a busy lassie today! I'm sure you will be starving, and your roast chicken will go down a treat no less.

I'm actually feeling quite drained this afternoon as was busy yesterday dusting for Scotland! So, no more chores this weekend.

Florence in the Hebrides

Hello all,
I'm still popping in now and again just haven't been posting. Still sorting out things re my sisters estate.
Wasn't very well for a couple of weeks as got the dreaded Covid it was like having flu but the cough lasted longer. everyone seems to get it differently. I had had my booster and flu jab about a 10 days before so hopefully won't get it again but we never know.

Weather quite good atm hope it stay this way for a while. I like to put the washing out on the line not dry it in the house.

Hope you all are well.
Take care
Ginnie.

Yes, that is usually the case. We don't have an ICU here or an MRI scanner, hence that's why he was flown away.

They have been trying to raise funds and get funding for an MRI scanner to reduce the number of patients who have to travel to Glasgow for a scan. But a Dr told me recently, it's not just the funds, it's finding a qualified consultant to be permanently based here to read the results.

Trying to attract people to come and live here and work in hospital, social work etc is proving very difficult. It's the same with the dentists. They take contracts for a year and then return to the mainland.

According to Police Scotland website (and others) , the 60-yr-old man is in a "serious condition" in hospital in Glasgow.

Usually when a road is closed for so long, and investigators are called in from Glasgow, it means there's been a fatality at the scene. I'm glad to know that's not the case this time , and hope the man recovers.

Morning peeps
Well not a bad day although looks like it may have been raining perhaps early morning as the paths are wet looking.
I went out to the bins to get rid of various rubbish and oh boy, it was soooo cold.

Cold enough for hailstones or snow but very sunny for now.

I've been busy doing housework. The dust in this house even though it's new is terrible. All my shelves and bookcases have dust on them, so the pledge got a squirting!

Daughter bought me a bunch of carnations 10 days ago from the coop. She got them for £2 reduced. Well, they are still flowering, and I refreshed the water twice and put sugar into the vase. They really are the best value and better than Tesco.

Joan you are lucky you don't have a fussy husband! Makes life much easier when they eat anything you make.

No word on the poor man in the accident yesterday but the road reopened last night about 6pm.

Right coffee and a quick sandwich and then the hoover needs some exercise and for that matter so do I :-D :-D :-D

Enjoy your Saturday everyone

Florence ion the Hebrides

Ooh Joan, Fish & chips is what I would have had for my lunch out.

Unfortunately, it was a very serious motorbike accident!
Investigators from the mainland have to travel here later by ferry to inspect the road etc. Problem is no carers can get to patients, nobody can get to town or the hospital for appointments and it probably wont reopen the rd until tomorrow!!
No further updates on the patient.

So, I decided to make some more xmas cards as I had ordered more accessories and they arrived yesterday. I have made 4 so taking a break to make some lunch. Think crumpets and some of my lovely cranberry bread with some brie...sooo lovely.

It is such a lovely day now with lots of sunshine but very chilly but at 6am it was torrential rain which actually woke me. Might have to put on the heating about 4pm.

Right ladies, tummy is rumbling so food is calling me

Florence in the Hebrides

Glad you water pump is working Joan, fingers crossed it stays that way.l

Oh what a shame Florence. Still better a day out cancelled which can be rescheduled, than a day ruined by being involved in an accident or worse. Hopefully the road is closed to recover vehicles and not because it was a fatality. I hope all involved are ok. Seems like that is one of the penalties of living where there is only one route in and out. You now have to think of something nice to do to pass the time to cheer you up. <3

Oh dear Florence, that is a shame about your day out, but I do hope that the people involved will be OK.

I have just cleaned the bathrooms and am having a cup of coffee before I tackle the supermarket. It is a sunny autumnal day here, so I will try and get a walk in this afternoon

Morning all.

Well, what a day so far!

I got up before 7 to get ready for my day out. Was all dressed and ready to go when the phone rang at 7.45am. My friend said there had been a serious accident and she was stuck in a queue of traffic and helicopter landed on the rd. This is the only road out of the area to me, so no other route.

My heart sank firstly wondering who was seriously injured as being a small place, may be someone I know and 2nd my heart sank as I had been looking forward to going out for the day and for lunch.

2 more tel calls to say, rd. closed ufn for investigations!! So, traffic had to turn around on both sides and go back to where it came from. Completely cut off!

No more news about it yet, so hope they make a full recovery.
I am now at home pottering about wondering what I shall do to fill the day as hadn't planned to be here!

Something spooky happened to me yet again in the kitchen this tine., as I was making a cup of coffee, something patted the back of my calf. I jumped and looked behind me, but no one was there! Not the first time this has happened as someone quite often pats my shoulder. I think it's a loved one letting me know they are still around.

Doesn't frighten me, just makes me jump sometimes.

Hope everyone else's Friday is going well so far.

Florence in the Hebrides

Linda, at the top of the page I get a "renew" come up when it's due, however I'm not on automatic.

My subscription is on auto renewal and Yes, I used to get an e mail to say it was due.

..but not any more......

Linda, as it is on automatic renew you don’t get any notice. That only happens if they put the price up.

Names

I just got a notification from PayPal and j5 seems that I have just renewed my GR subscription. That is fine as it is on auto renewal and only £8.96 for the year, but I never received any notice that it was due. I think I used to get an email, but not this time

It is very sunny here this afternoon. I started out for my walk, but realised there was a lot of litter in the street, so I came back and got my litter picking stuff. I collected a large sack full including lots of glass bottles. People throw them from cars into the hedges.
Eve’s school is an international boarding school, the boarding fees are astronomical, so having to buy suits for the boys doesn’t matter to that sort of parent. The local day pupils aren’t as well off, well most if them anyways

Afternoon from a very wet and windy village!
After the glorious afternoon yesterday, I didn't take too kindly to be waking up to gales and torrential rain.

However, my Tesco order came and fridge full once again. I love this cranberry bloomer bread with some brie cheese, so delicious for lunch.

Linda your poor SIL, how awful to have that happen and sounds like a very long recovery. Hope things improve soon for her.
What a lot of rubbish you collected, 47 bags, oh my!! Hard to believe really but I guess lots of lazy people in this world who can't be bothered to either find a bin or take their rubbish home with them.

When I was working in the school, we did a village clean up every year. A circular walk of about 3 miles. Lots of empty booze bottles found in the drain, hidden by long grass etc, cans of juice drinks, crisp packets as well. We also probably collected around 30 black sacks. With long grass around verges, quite often the rubbish is hidden from sight.

Well, the salmon pie and rhubarb pie were delicious last night but.... the amount of pastry that I ate did give me terrible indigestion and I was up several times during the night feeling very uncomfortable. Probably because I ate so much more than normal, and stomach wasn't used to it.

I will say though, the salmon fillets I used were the cheaper frozen ones and not the 2 for £4.50 that I buy in the fresh section. The quality is far better and much tastier so think I will stick with these in future.

You get what you pay for but it's always worth trying new dishes to see what you can do.

So needed a sit down after putting away all the shopping with a cuppa so chilling on here now for a wee bit.

Enjoy the rest of your afternoon

Florence in the hebrides

Linda, that is a long time for your sister to have to rest until her ankles are healed, It must be so frustrating for her. I imagine it will be a relief when she can use crutches. I remember in 1959 my Dad broke his ankle and had to have a pin put in it. I can remember him using crutches but I don't remember how long that was before he could but I imagine not having a strong other ankle is part of the problem. That ankle always ached after that. He was 51 at the time.

Glad you are ok anyway.

Eve's class/age group are obviously treated like mini adults at her school. It must be expensive for parents, especially having to buy boys suits.

I have just read back, I am glad that everyone is OK.

I haven’t really been up to much, but I did go and get my hair cut today. I needed to take a dress back to Next as we ordered two different sizes for Eve who has a evening meal at school this week. The girls all have to wear smart dresses and the boys suits. We ordered two sizes on line as we weren’t sure which she would need. It is free to return to a shop, but you have to pay to return anything by post. I went to the large retail park near to where I get my hair cut. I wanted to go to M&S, but I can’t stand looking round because the lighting is so dim. I tried a couple of things on in TK Maxx but didn’t buy anything.

I had lunch out and then went to see my brother sister in law. They were half way round a months interrail trip round Europe when she fell over in Finland and broke both of her ankles. One was just put in a pot, but she had to have an operation to have a pin put in the second one. The hospital in Finland was excellent and if she pressed her buzzer, they were there in seconds. She came back on an air ambulance flight and went to the local hospital. The care there was absolutely dire. She is now back home and is just able to put weight into the less severely damaged ankle, but can’t walk with crutches yet.

The only other thing of note was the monthly town litter pick. There were ten of us and we picked forty seven large bags in an hour and a half

Morning all.

Yes, Ann its true, food has become a huge part of my life. Baking new things and trying to create new meals for tea etc take up a large part of my time. I used to also make a chicken pie instead of a roast years ago. I would cut up the chicken breasts into small chunks along with chopped carrots, peas and swede plus some leeks. Stew all of that in a saucepan with a stock.

Once cooked, I added some chicken Bisto to thicken a little and poured into a rectangular dish. Covered it with puff pastry and baked for about 40 minutes. Served with potatoes and gravy. They all liked the change.

I've cut up the salmon fillets. They were small frozen ones from Tesco. Placed in a rectangular dish with chopped onions, mushrooms plus black pepper, soy sauce, sesame oil and paprika. Gonna bake that later and then add some philly cheese on the top and then a puff pastry covering. Not made this one before so we shall see.

The fruit pie was just frozen forest fruits, tin of rhubarb and some brown sugar sprinkled and then the puff pastry on top and bake for 40 mins and that's it.

So, all of that is pepped and ready for the oven later on.

I do have R2 on all day. I like the music but also like listening to Jeremy Vine 12-2pm as this keeps me up to date with what's happening in the news and current affairs.

I think it's important if you are on your own to try and keep up with news etc and also to keep busy whether that's just chores or new hobbies. Years ago, when my daughter spent a year in hospital, I used to compile crosswords for the local paper and that kept me brain busy!

I've had to adapt to my new way of life, and I do still have days when I struggle with boredom but then it passes. This Friday, my pal is taking me to town and out for lunch. I'm so excited, I can't wait :-D

Well, the sun is shining after a terrible week and its stopped raining just now so off for a gander at the pots and to get some fresh air too.

Hope everyone having a good day

Florence in the Hebrides