General Chat

Just looking in to wish you all a happy, healthy and peaceful New Year <3

Well chit chatters, 2024 is nearly here. So whatever you are all doing to celebrate, just take care and look after yourselves if you are out & about.

My migraine has finally begun to ease and my neck is less sore so thank goodness for that. My temp is down now too at 37.5 so slowly getting back to normal!

I may stay up to watch the fireworks from around the world on the BBC news but shall go off to bed afterwards.

Hope Joan all is well with hubby and you got to see him today.

Linda hope you enjoy the family gathering with your daughter etc.

AnninGloucs not sure if you are home yet but hope you too enjoy your evening.

JustGinnie, good wishes to you & hubby and hope all is progressing well.

ArgyllGran our wind has gone right down so flat calm but very cold here. Hope you have a good evening too.

And to anyone else looking in tonight, have a good one and we shall be here tomorrow to hear about all your celebrations.

Florence in the hebrides

I don’t think that it has stopped raining all day here. Not torrential, just a steady drizzle, it is very cold as well. I haven’t been out all day. I have been working on the top of my family tree and have managed to add another generation. Tonight I looked at the results for the Ancestry thru lines, where the DNA shows definite matches and realised that there is quite a lot I can safely add in lower down the tree. I haven’t done much in the last couple of years when the girls where living here, but now, there are a lot of good DNA matches to catch up on. That should keep me busy during the winter.

Quite a bit of Covid around too, although if people don’t test they will just class it as cold or flu.

Sorry you fel rough Florence hope you feel better soon.

It is very wet, cold and blustery here but no snow shores.

We had the gale and heavy sleet earlier in the day, Florence, but now it's calm and wet - and actually not raining at this moment. I've just poked my head out to check!

I hope your power stays on, and that your bug clears soon.
There seem to be a lot of cold, cough, and fluey type bugs around at the moment.

Afternoon all

Well...... its atrocious weather here. Storm 10 winds and sleety snow showers!

I woke with a bad headache and a temp again yet hands are freezing.

So sitting with a blanket over my legs and a warm shawl over my shoulders. Had some chicken cup oi soup and bread and that warmed me a bit. Im expecting the power to go off anytime but my torch is in front of me so well prepared.

Hope everyone's else weather isn't too bad.

can't stay on very long as it's hurting my eyes.

Take care all

Florence in the hebrides

I'm a big fan of internal pockets, too.

Zipped pockets are the ideal, but any internal pocket is better than none.
I try to only buy coats/jackets which have them, but if they don't , I add a simple patch pocket, and occasionally I've added a zip to that.

I had a waterproof coat which had a zipped internal pocket - away down below hip level; most inconvenient. However, I was able to relocate it higher up, which was much more useful for credit card and keys when out shopping.

That sounds interesting Linda, having a pocket added. In the summer I use a ‘bum’ bag rather than a handbag. It sits on my waist in front of me and I always hold it over the top to protest the zips from wandering hands but it doesn’t feel as safe as a zipped pocket. I do have a billet with a zipped breast pocket though that I use.

I remember the old GR parties as well Ann, they were fun. We are going to our daughters tomorrow afternoon and will stay overnight to see the New Year in, so I won’t be around much.

I like coats with internal pockets so I can carry my phone, a small purse and my keys. That way I don’t need to take a handbag. As I tend to do a lot of walking around rather than using the car, I had a a waxed cotton Barbour jacket with lots of internal “poachers” pockets, I could stash lots of things inside. When I lost all my weight, it was far too big, so I went to the Barbour factory shop which isn’t too far away. They didn’t have a suitable waxed one, so I bought a smarter padded cloth one which is still very waterproof. It just had two small external pockets on the side at hip level , ok for hankies and gloves but nothing else. . It had a small zipped internal pocket at breast level running along the line of the main zip. That was ideal for my phone and I could get to it easily by just pulling the main zip down a little way. There was no where for my keys and small purse, so I took the coat to a local tailors and they put another internal pocket in for me. It is just below the bust line, but well above the waist. Even though the coat is quite fitted , nothing shows and everything is safely tucked away inside , so I don’t need a bag.

Like the old days on GR Florence?

Good morning all I bet my house at home is cold as the boiler has apparently stopped again.

I like to have a pocket or two as well. My big gripe is casual coats that don’t have a zipped breast pocket. As I like to keep my phone in there and when in town, if a coat has two zipped breast pockets I put my small purse in the other one. It feels safer than in my bag.

I always wear cardigans, long ones. But you can get small round LED torches that have a hook on them and I used to hook it over the waistband of my trousers if no pockets so i never got caught out. Was handy to hang it anywhere on cupboard doors. bathroom handle etc. The LED is very bright and lights up the room.

Cold day here and recently I was hearing hailstones on the back door. So hope it doesnt snow although on my own, I have no need to go out anywhere. I have plenty of food and milk for several days.

Had the heating on my bedroom for 3 hours as was onlly 14 degrees but have kept the doot shut so it will be warm. The good thing with these houses is that, the rooms retain the heat hours after it has gone off. In the mornings, my lounge is still warm from the night before and bedroom will keep warm all the next day too.

Nothing exciting happening here. neighbours away(well 1 couple) and havent seen the others for 2 days. Daughter away now until next Friday so......anyone up for a party?

:-D :-D :-D

Lets get dressed up, lippy on and put on our dancing shoes and fav music and party on down :-D :-D

Well the thought is there anyway ;-)

off to make myself a drink.

Hope everyone ok and keeping cosy.

Florence in the hebrides

Me too! I need somewhere to put my hands - or at least a hankie!

I am just the opposite Joan, it really annoys me if clothes have no pockets

Good morning.
Well I was about to say that we have a nice day here, nice & briight as the sun is shining, & very calm, the temp is up as well, however as I started to write this the sun has vanished & it has gone quite dark, with what looks like a wintry looking sky !
The nice morning didn't last long.

Re the power cut & getting to the torch, I don't have any pockets in my clothes Florence, lol, I can't do with them especially in trousers, bulky even before anything is put into them.
When buying clothes I just don't buy them if there is a pocket. !

Fish & Chips for tea, fingers crossed the power stays on for when I need to make them !

Do take care if out & about, looks like the weather is going to turn nasty......again.

Joan.

Oh dear Joan, being on the stairs was probably the worst place you could have chosen to be for a power cut. We get lots of power cuts here and there are no street lights, so it is pitch black at night.

There do seem to be some bad flu bugs around Florence. I was talking to my brother last night and they cancelled Xmas for the second year in a row because of illness. His son lives near him and he has had a really bad flu type virus. He has been in bed for about ten days only got up yesterday for a couple of hours. He had taken two weeks holiday and had plans to do all sorts of things, being so ill wasn’t one of them. My brother caught it , he has a hacking cough as well as the high temperature, his wife now has it as well. They were all supposed to be spending Xmas day together, but they cancelled the plans and froze all the food. Last year they all had a vomiting bug, so postponed Xmas day for two weeks until they were better.

My daughter, SIL and the girls stayed in Liverpool last night. They went to see grandpa who is in a care home there. He will be one hundred in March . He has to have thickener in his drinks now, but he still enjoyed the cider they took him. He has a few lucid moments, but they are very rare now, so he may not have known who they were which is very sad.

Oh, the sun has suddenly come out from behind the dismal clouds, I hope it stays s it has been so dreary

Oh dear Joan, glad you are ok. When its wild and windy and we have had power cuts, after dark, I always have my small LED torch in my pocket as getting caught out suddenly is not funny and can cause you to trip over!

If my tel had rang at 12.30 am, I would have thought my dads taken a turn or worse and would not have been amused for electricity company ringing me at that time of night! How inconsiderate. Why ring to say its been restored when of course you would know that doh!!!

Both daughter & I were feeling a bit off this evening so took out temps, Hers was 38.2 and mine 38 so on 100! I also started coughing again tonight so i hope we havent got the virus my son has although he doesn't live with me. he is really not well and has lost 1/2 stone. Aches all over, no appetite so isnt going back to work until he feels ok.

She is going to be staying with him over new year and leaving here tomorrow. She's going to get him some Lucozade sport and some ice lollies. Thing is, he has never been off work sick in 6 years! So he must be bad.

Linda, fingers crossed for an offer. Hope you dont have Eve's bugs but you were in the house with her so quite likely.

Well I'm off to make a hot drink as been feeling so cold and shivery all day and my back is cold too even though I have my dressing gown over my legs at the computer.

Nite all

Florence in the hebrides

Good evening.
Well a much better day for us today, brighter dry & MUCH calmer after yesterdayts terrible storm.
Our daughter took me for my usual Thursday shop at Morrisons this morning, I didn't need much & as it was still early we decided to pop round to the local Cottage hospital to see my hubby, (24 hr visiting) he should have been having the mid morning cuppa (10-00 ish) but when we got there he was about to be taken for a shower, we stayed a few minutes & then left them to it, daughter went back this afternoon to take him a couple of things.
So much easier having him closer to home.

I got a bit of a shock last night when in bed, sleeping.
The phone was ringing & as it was 1/2 past midnight I was worried, thinking it might be the hospital !
It was actually the power company informing me that power had been restored to my area !!!! this call was some 8 hrs AFTER our power had been restored, as you can imaging I was not pleased to get a useless automated phone call at the time of night !!

The another incident came earlier this evening I was on my way upstairs when the powere went off ! it was pitch black & I didn't want to move, eventually I made my way back downstairs & groped my way into the living room to get the torch, I couldn't see a thing & it took me a time to get to the torch.
Once I had the torch I lit the candles & said a few choice words, 2 minutes later the power came back on.
I have enough to deal with without things like this happening so often,

Linda, I do hope someone comes along soon & snaps up your house, you are also having a rough time of things what with the house & your busy times helping with your family.

Just had sandwiches for my tea tonight, I couldn't be bothered making a full blown meal, I will be making Fish & Chips tomorrow so that will more than compensate for todays light meal, LOL.

Joan.

I was just watching the news about the mess the storm has made in Scotland , so I am pleased to find that you are safe Florence. I too hope Joan is OK.

My son went home this morning, he sent a text to say that he had got there safely. OH went out walking, it was extremely muddy and rained a lot, so he wasn’t happy.

I had a house viewing booked in this morning, they had just left when the estate agent rang up to say there was someone else in the office who would like to view as well, so they came round. They both seemed to like it, but only one couple had buyers for their house, so I m not hoping for an offer.

I have a cough and my chest feels very night, so I think I have Eve’s bug

:-(

Afternoon everyone.
Well its dry, calm but very brrrrr. However, I ventured outside this morning to plant 30 small spring bulbs I had bought ages ago and when i took them out of their netted bags, they were sprouting! So all planted in the large black tub that has been emptied of last years bedding plants so just perfect.

There are bluebells, miniature hyacinths and narcissi plus some others i'm not sure of their names, But the tub will look pretty if they all grow.

Grand clean up today and washing tablecloths etc. Actually got them out for an hour and dried them a bit before into the tumble. Fridge full of leftovers for tea but only 1 triangle of the caramel cheesecake left as that proved popular yesterday and 1/2 my berry crumble left.

I'm seeing on the SSE power track map, hundreds in Scotland without power . So hope Joan isn't one of them else she will be cold. There was loads of snow on the A9 south of Inverness and loads of cars etc stuck yesterday, was terrible.

Also was a lot of flooding in Scotland too!

Hope everyone is safe & well and keeping warm.

Florence in the hebrides

Good bits of news, Joan and Linda!
Good to know your buffet went well and was so much fun for everyone, Florence.

One of my neighbours' bins blew over today, too, and now there are clumps of sodden Christmas paper all over the place.

The lid of my compost bin blew away in a westerly gale last week. It would have been nice if today's easterly had blown it back again!
No such luck.