General Chat

Afternoon all.
Just back from the hospital and am pleased to say, my bone man was very sympathetic towards me today and agreed to give me the steroid injections into both knees. It was quite painful but you just have to grit your teeth for a couple of minutes.

He said could take up to 2 weeks but if after that you feel no relief, then it wont have worked. So we shall see in a few days if any difference to my pain levels.

Another beautiful sunny day, a little breezy and a change on the way. The back end of a hurricane apparently. Def more clouds about today. i shall have to move the little pots and tuck them in the corner to protect them. Blooming typical as some are just blooming now!!

My Joan, you dont do things by halves do you? Glad your grand daughter helped with the painting though, that was good of her.

Quick tea tonight, pizza, chips & salad as too tired to make a proper dinner, shall have something more substantial tom evening.

Hope all's well with everyone else looking in.

Florence in the hebrides

Afternoon folks
Wow another beautiful day and still plenty of sunshine. After the sunset last night, it never got dark and was still daylight after midnight. Just a huge blaze of orange right across the sky over the sea...was lovely.

I got up early as nurses were coming today. Was showered and dressed before 9am. Then I waited and waited. The grass cutters came, the bin lorry came but no sign of the nurses.

So about 2pm, I tel the surgery. Got fobbed off and told to phone a different number! The nurse said we dont cover your area, you need the other number. Oh my was sent on a wild goose chase and said nurse promised to tel me back.
Within 20 mins, a nurse was parked outside, how very strange me thought.

She said it had been one of those days. Hmmm However my BP was awful 170/105...boy it was unusually high. Anyway she did bloods, peak flow and asked a few questions then rechecked BP.

It had gone down to 160/90. It was probably high due to the excitement of getting a visitor lol as I hardly get any!

So off she went. I now have to wait until 21 Jun to get my results...a long time worrying!

So by the time she went after 3pm, I didnt feel like doing much so have just pottered on the PC. Daughter went to town and not home so no idea whats for tea.

Hope everyone else ok who looks in.

If your weather is like ours Joan, Im sure you will have been busy in the garden

Florence in the hebrides

Hello all,
Well it hasn't been a good weekend weather wise here and today has been rain and more rain not very warm either. The Jubilee picnic in the local park had to be cancelled :-( shame for the children.

Been catching up with some tv that I recorded as tv is boring atm.


Take care all.

It isnt warm here today Florence, it is cloudy and windy. Luckily the sun came out yesterday afternoon just in time for our street garden party. It went very well and there was lots of food. Everything I made was eaten thank goodness. The only thing that was left over was some of the rice salad, but we have just eaten that for lunch with a ham joint I cooked this morning
Eve and I watched the concert on tv after we came home. She enjoyed it, but was almost asleep by the end

Well the sun is still shining :-D

The plants are drinking the water so quickly that we are watering twice a day just now but the display of flowers is lovely.
My purple dwarf geranium showed it first bloom yesterday and plenty more about to open.

Made a buffet yesterday and plenty left over for today so no cooking...yay..its too warm anyway for a cooked dinner.

Tomorrow nurses are coming to give me an MOT and getting bloods done.

Bin day too so shall have to get up before 8am and be organised..

Hope everyone elses weather is holding out as heard thunder & lightening down south somewhere!

Florence in the hebrides

Hi Linda,
Hope you have a lovely party. What a good find in the charity shop and a bargain for £1 as Pyrex is expensive. Yes some people seem to think a few crisps and biscuits is ok!!

We used to do a staff buffet at the end of each term. I would do a fruit crumble in a huge rectangular dish, tuna pasta plus cheeses and dips. Some just bought a bit of fruit and some juice!

Anyway hope the sun stays shining. Daughter on her way now so my peace and tidy house will be shattered with 5 minutes of her arrival lol but i have missed human interaction. I havent seen or spoken to anyone since last weekend except parents on phone and that always is a one way conversation these days, they talk and i listen...thats how it is now.

Enjoy

Florence in the hebrides

Oh dear Florence, you did have a day yesterday.

Our peaceful week is over as they are on the way back now :-(

Tomorrow we are having a jubilee party in one of the gardens opposite. I am making a couple of quiches, some potato salad, rice salad and a green salad. I will also make a big batch of scones tomorrow. Everyone is supposed to bring something, but some people don’t seem to have got the idea, one woman said she was going to bring some crisps and biscuits :-0. A couple of us are bulking it up, I don’t mind because anything uneaten will come home.

The only problem I had when I went shopping this morning was that I couldn’t get everything in one supermarket, I ended up going to all three before I could get any clotted cream.

I realised this morning that I only have one flan dish as I had to throw one away last time I used them because the crack it had for a long time finally got all the way across. I thought Tesco would have one, but they didn’t, so I have just had a walk around the market square. The only shop which would probably sell them was closed today, but luckily I thought to look in the charity shops. The Heart Foundation shop has a 50p table and on it was an ideal Pyrex flan dish. I thought I couldn’t just give them 50p, so I paid a whole pound.

I also bought a few more plants for the tubs, so I will go and put them in now as the sun has finally come out.

Well good afternoon peeps from a very sunny village. This has to be the longest spell of sunny and dry weather for ages, this year even. It really is quite warm too about 16-17 degrees so very pleasant.

Yesterday morning, i wasnt so well. Had a bad migraine upon wakening and later after lunch was sick twice and then had the auras. My sinuses have been pretty bad all week so no surprise i got a migraine. Anyway later on I was feeling hungry so to settle my stomach I thought I would make an ice cream cone with some strawberry sauce.
I couldnt face anything cooked.

Well what a disaster!!! The ice cream was very hard in the tub, so had to wait until it softened to scoop it out. I then opened a new bottle of the sauce and turned it upside down as its sometimes difficult to squeeze it out.

Eventually put a large scoop of ice cream on the cone and pressed it firmly. Opened the bottle of strawberry juice and before I knew what was happening, the sticky juice had run down over the cone, down to my hands and wrists. Was all over sleeve of cardigan (clean on yesterday!) and then even worse as i leant to try and lick the ice cream to stop any further drips, my hair was in it too!!!!

Oh jolly dash it, I said lol what a blooming sticky mess I was in. It was all over the work surface and also on the floor.So I demolished the cone quickly and then washed hands etc and then set to clean up the units etc.

Hair was all matted together but wasnt going to wash it . Oh my and all in the name of a headache cure....what next. However I did decide to make some oven scones as they are good for when the stomach is upset and i enjoyed them with a cuppa.

So feel better today although migraine not quite away, lurking still in the shadows. But I showered and washed hair thoroughly and all back to normal.

I have stripped my bed and laundry on now. Daughter coming back later so hopefully can get the bedding outside on the line to dry. Got to make the most of the free"wind" and save the electric when we can.

Have a good weekend all

Florence in the hebrides

Just popping in the the milk discussion. When it is hot I find the fridge doesn’t cope with the 4 pint bottles and I start buying the 2 pint until the weather cools down a bit. Everything else in the fridge seems to be OK.

AG didn’t mention the school milk being left next to the radiators to thaw. Yuk. I couldn’t drink Milk for years and hot milk made me….K!

Nowadays I use soya milk, which is long life and keeps for months unopened.
Once opened it's fine for about 5 days, which is how long it takes me to use 1 ltr. on my own.
I only use it on my porridge, as I don't put milk in my tea (decaf green tea, and redbush)..

I very seldom use cows' milk these days. I keep one of the smallest size bottles in the door of the fridge, in case of any visitor wanting milk in tea or coffee - and if unopened it always lasts until its use-by date.
If there's any left by then, I use it up (augmented by soya milk if necessary) by making a rice pudding, or sometimes by baking something, which I can freeze if I don't want to eat it immediately.

Years ago, when I lived even further from a shop than I do now, I used to freeze milk, and it was fine.
It's best to let it thaw gradually in the fridge - which does take some time!

I remember the little 1/3 pint bottles of school milk, supplied for drinking at playtime.
It was left in crates outside the school building, for children to help themselves.
In warm weather it was often sour, and in winter it was frozen solid.

Yes, I remember that frozen milk as well Joan, but that was in the good old days. Nowadays milk is homogenised so it is an emulsion and the fat droplets don’t separate out. Freezing milk works fine for me. I hadn’t thought about it, but if you remember Tec from the Aussie and Welsh thread, he used to freeze his milk all the time as he drank lots but lived a long way from a supermarket
With the girls living here we get through at least four four pint bottles a week. Even when it is just me and OH, we get through two of the four pint ones
It is much warmer here today thank goodness, though we had a very cold night, so I hope my little seedlings are OK

Well folks, I am having a brilliant day today for a change.
The whole day was sunny, warm but not hot and only a little breeze. I managed to carry 4 hand towels round the back and hang them on the line(l cant go out the back because of the step)

Next I set to work on my pots. I rearranged them all symmetrically....my OCD! Then took my seeded lobelia and filled 5 other pots.Next was a job and a half...watering them all. The jug holds 2 litres but holding my stick as well was awkward and involve lots of trips to the sink but eventually all was done.

Really pleased now with how the pots are all arranged and look colourful.

So in the afternoon, I sat down on the computer and was checking my emails when i got the surprise of my life!! On Monday, I wrote a letter to the author Peter James who wrote the Grace series that was brought to life on tv recently. I told him how I knew all of the places in his books as I was born in Shoreham By Sea. The books bring back many childhood memories of places i know well.

I asked him if I could have a signed copy of the next book due out in September. i did offer to pay for it as wasn't just wanting a freebee.

So around 3.30pm today, i got a personal reply from him. Was such a lovely letter and he will send me a signed copy in September for free. I told him he is not allowed to retire Roy Grace lol and he said he has no plans to!

What a lovely man considering he must get hundreds of emails and requests and I only mailed his press office on Monday.

Im still on cloud none hehe.

Linda, do you think your hubby dripped some water in the toaster when he was cleaning it maybe?

Oh Joan, hope you find a new fridge. Mine is a black fridge freezer as was only space for that not fridge and a freezer. Our shop is Euronics, think they are all over. It was £270 and has 4 freezer drawers.

Decided to make a mushroom curry tonight, added grated carrots and sliced onions with loads of mushrooms. Mixed in the rice when cooked and had naan bread. Just needed a good blow out tonight.

Still bright and sunny here, hope it stays fine tomorrow for the jubillee celebrations all over.

Florence in the Hebrides

You can freeze milk, so if keeping it for a whole milk is a problem, you could try freezing some .
I decided to wash down all the kitchen cabinet doors and tiles today. OH decided to clean all the worktops and polish all the chrome bits and bobs including the toaster.Goodness knows what he did to it, but when he used it at lunchtime, it promptly blew up :-( I have spent ages this afternoon reading reviews to buy a new one. I got one in the end, but am not sure if it will be large enough. We only need a two slice one, but we do toast pitta breads, so it needs to be a longer slot one. Trying to find the dimensions in all the blurb is nigh on impossible

It has been cold and rainy here today. OH put some seedlings out in the garden yesterday as I couldn’t bend down, so I hope they will be OK

Joan,
If it only seems to be a problem with the milk, maybe it is the position in the fridge ?

I was reading recently that the door is not the best place for milk to be stored, because of course with the opening and closing of the door, the door items would be most exposed to room temperature and would not keep as cold.
I don't have a large fridge, so the door is the only suitable place to store milk in our household, but I think if I had to keep milk there for a whole week, as you do, we too would have problems.
Do you buy the large bottles of milk?
Might it be worth trying perhaps at least some smaller bottles within the body of the fridge rather than the door to see if that makes a difference.?

Oh well, neither of those in my last post is frost-free - so no use to you.

But this one is:

https://www.appliancesdirect.co.uk/p/eqfs50152ffb/electriq-eqfs50152ffb-freestanding-fridge-freezer


Also:

https://www.currys.co.uk/products/logik-lfc50w20-5050-fridge-freezer-white-10210730.html

Both in either white or black.

But I'll stop now - let you have the fun of searching for whatever's in your price range!

???

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/9321450?clickPR=plp:10:218

No personal experience of this.
It's basic (not frost-free) , but it has mostly good reviews, and is the right width.

Or a more expensive one:
https://www.argos.co.uk/product/8449319?clickPR=plp:12:218


What make is your present one?

Just popped back on to say....well the sun has got his hat on..yay!!! At last it is dry, sunny and no wind all we need now are the dreaded midges lol.

I was out 1/2 hour ago watering all my pots. The plants i put in are settling nicely and have some lovely colourful flowers. Brightens up the front of my house all along.
I never realised how big your garden was.Joan..sorry estate lol It sounds huge.

Gosh you are so hardy keeping on top of everything, just be careful and have regular breaks too. I shall now send over the sun for tomorrow so hopefully you get outside.

Good news on Patient Travel, got through late morning eventually. Turns out, they were exceptionally busy, that was all. But all booked now, such a relief.

Community nurses coming in on Monday to do full set of bloods, BP, Asthma check etc as I cant attend the surgery. Looks like a busy week already next week plus grass cutters on Monday as well.

Hope you found something nice for tea. Havent eaten yet but def yoghurt and fruit tonight.
Have a good evening all

Florence in the hebrides

Good morning peeps and to everyone looking in today.
Well its overcast and showery although the wind has dropped, so thats something.

Still trying to get through to Scottish Ambulance Service to arrange my transport buts its still engaged. I tel my Drs surgery and they said also the care homes were having trouble too so at least its not my phone. But how does one find out what the problem is?

I tel the hospital but they didn't know anything and were of no help at all.

I shall wait until Thursday and if no luck shall ring my GP and see if they can help..

Was up early today and have done a basket of ironing so all up straight from the weekend now.
I might have a friend later today for coffee or tomorrow so thats something to look forward to.

Joan you are always busy in your garden so im guessing its quite a large area to keep under control?

Used up a cauliflower, mushrooms & onions yesterday. Made a cheesy bake with it all and had some of my fishcakes I had frozen the other week. Was a nice change.

Not sure today maybe my greek yoghurt as didnt have it yesterday, was too hungry lol.

Hope everyone ok

Florence in the hebrides

Good morning all
Sorry Linda to here you have Vertigo, that really is unpleasant. Hope you get the ENT appointment/referral sorted out. Its just awful isnt it with appointments etc.
When I was waiting for my Neurology referral appointment, I had thought about going private but the downside to that here is the local health Board wont pay your flights and expenses if you go private. So they have you in a corner dont they!

Been trying to get through to book Patient Travel for my hospital appointment on 7th Jun at 11.45 but its constantly engaged so shall just keep trying as its always busy.

Daughter has gone elsewhere for a week so the house will be very quiet but....tidier and far less washing lol I have a few things to get on with as well as my book and a huge family tree which i have neglected recently so need to get back on track.

Its very cold and overcast and about to downpour here...just for a change. Hope everyone else has better weather. What's yours like Joan, similar to mine?

Oh well going try phoning again and hope i get through.

Hope anyone else looking in is well and ok.

Florence in the hebrides

I had my hair cut earlier this week Florence, it does make you feel better.
It is so quiet here because my daughter took the girls down to London yesterday for half term. It will probably take me all week to clean and tidy up, just in time for them to come back
I bought plants yesterday for the hanging basket and various pots. I was going to pot them up today, but I woke up with a bad vertigo attack, so they will have to wait until tomorrow.
I had a hearing aid appointment at 10am today, about half an hours drive away. My left hearing aid wasn’t working, so they sorted it out.She also took a fair bit of wax out of my right ear. Given all the symptoms I currently have, she couldn’t understand why my GP hasn’t referred me for an MRI scan, so she is going to write to them. I don’t suppose anything will happen as the preliminary appointment made after their urgent ENT referral in mid April turned out just to be a nurse led clinic in mid July. That was then cancelled and I haven’t received a replacement appointment yet. So much for the NHS. I am trying to go privately instead, but my doctor messed up the referral for that as well, so it will probably be about June 8th before I can see someone in that route