ArcherphileApril 19, 2026 at 3:38 PM Reply to Miriam, from the 17th. Thank you so much for asking. I didn't find the wheeled Zimmer frame useful, so that has gone to a. Charity shop for the local hospice. The little 3-wheeled walker is OK but only on flat, solid ground. It digs into the lawn and has to be lifted over the stepping stones or any bumps! But I can at least sit under the pergola and look at the garden on warm days. My breathlessness is considerably worse and I have to stop frequently both indoors and out. I can only sweep half the kitchen before having to rest! But I have a lady coming to do a bit of basic housework for me for an hour on Tuesdays starting this week so I'll see how it goes. And I actually have a face to face appointment with my GP tomorrow afternoon, the first since before Christmas, so I can report the changes. The new drug (Spironolactone ) I was given then has almost miraculously lowered my blood pressure to normal or below. But some side effects are painful and distressing. Cant have it all ways I suppose!
REPLY
MiriamApril 19, 2026 at 4:36 PM Lovely to hear from you again with an update. Now sit quietly + jot down things you want to talk about with your GP and take this with you. If you're anything like me, I need my notes to remind me about what I want to ask + talk about and Dr. never has a problem when I refer to my scribbled thoughts. Make the most of a face-to-face appointment and don't feel rushed, as after all, it's all about you. 😍
AmbridgesMrsPApril 19, 2026 at 4:49 PM AND …….ARCHERPHILE
Might you ask about Nitrates, such as have been a help to me for the breathlessness. They may not be suitable for your condition, but worth asking and finding out I would think. Good luck with your GP tomorrow.
MiriamApril 19, 2026 at 5:06 PM Why oh Why, at 6.00pm on a Sunday night, is the sun now shining brightly + the strong wind has finally dropped. Far too late to make the most of it! At least I did some batch cooking and made my normal weekly loaf of granary bread - all looking good + tasty 🫰
MiriamApril 19, 2026 at 5:10 PM Made a pork casserole in a cider gravy with lots of veg. plus a chilli using chicken mince. Am thinking low cholesterol as my blood tests are now due! 🙀
Cheshire CheeseApril 19, 2026 at 8:52 PM It sounds like you've had a busy day Miriam. I enjoyed today's Countryfile about the Peak District National Park, a landscape that I love and am so familiar with.
Must share that I’ve actually had a good nights sleep. A rarity for me. I went to sleep immediately after turning the light out, deliberately didn’t turn onto my right side and as a result, no pain from my carpal tunnel wrist/ hand, and no bathroom visits either. And woke early ( early for me ).
Yes, the GP actually gave me about half an hour of her time. Gerald came in with me so I wouldn't forget to ask anything. She was delighted we seem to have found the right combination of drugs (4 different ones) to control my BP at long last. But we are going to try reducing the new one to try to control the distressing side effects. She said I could take one of those new weight loss drugs if I wanted but she couldn't prescribe them on the NHS & I'd have to buy them myself. I need to lose about 5 stone which might help my walking but I could have unpleasant side effects so I shan't bother. Too late for me to go on a diet now, I want to enjoy my food for my remaining years!! Nice bit at the end ...she complimented me on my dress ( a tent shaped shift with flowers on) which cheered me up a bit.....clever doctor!
Good to hear that your GP consultation was so positive AP. And also to hear that your making decisions for yourself choosing which parts of advice to implement or discard. Your life Your choices
Of course you had a lovely dress on Archerphile you are the queen of them (which is how I recognised you at Hinton Ampner all those years ago now 🫢) 7 of them this September in fact according to my photos and iPad diary entry of September 18th 2019 - yikes. Little did we realise what 2020 had in store for us all…… So glad you had such a well deserved successful and unhurried Dr appointment!
ARCHERPHILE. What a lovely GP you have and glad she spent so much time with you. I was diagnosed with v. high blood pressure about 14yrs ago now. I take 3 BP meds daily and also a statin, as my cholesterol is always classed as borderline/slightly high even though I eat a low-fat, low-salt diet, well most of the time. I admit that this is not quite the case in the winter months, when I enjoy comfort foods. Who doesn't love a beef pie with a suet crust pastry top, dumplings in a stew of beef + guiness, and not forgetting a hearty belly pork dish I love, plus another favourite -Lambs liver + bacon... It's things in moderation I always do, and last year I refused to increase my statin dose for being just slightly over the upper limit - my choice. I'm lucky as I still only weigh 8 1/2 stone on average and never go above 9st. and I eat very well... However I don't eat sweet things - cakes, biscuits etc. as I basically just don't have a sweet tooth, preferring savoury things. Mind you I do like my chocolate, but it has to be dark chocolate, particularly a peppermint one, or fruit and nut...😋
What a fabulous sunny + warm day it turned out to be, after a cool start. I did the big weekly shop this morning (no bargains) and this afternoon, my front garden got the works! It was slow going, purely as I spent so much time chatting with neighbours, who appeared at different times. What a difference a wonderful afternoon working in the sun-shine makes. Tomorrow, it's the bigger back garden's turn, but there won't be anyone around to distract me, but not sure if this will be a good or a bad thing though.. My garden bin gets emptied on Friday, so I'm determined it'll be full to get my moneys worth out of my permit!
Another fabulous hot + sunny afternoon here. As usual did yet more work in the garden, but the end is finally in sight! What a shame though the mornings are still so cool even though sunny. This reminds me of last year, when I couldn't get the garden under control for various reasons (one was a heart scare but all OK), so paid someone to do it for me. This was done in early May and by then, the ground was so dry and it was hot, that this person and son, really struggled! Thanks to this person's brilliant clearing borders, sorting out + cutting back, I had MY Garden back again and so it's remained...
I planted some tomatoes in the greenhouse yesterday and a courgette outdoors. My daughter in law likes to celebrate the day she first met Dan as well as their wedding anniversary so we went to a nursery a couple of days ago and I came away with some nice plants. There is a garden seat in the front garden and I am trying to turn it into a little oasis of fragrance. Have planted several dianthus/pinks to the left of the seat and to the right of it in blue pots I now have a red erysimum and a yellow and orange very pretty one. The gate is almost beside the seat and I want the fragrance to hit people as they walk in.
I do have someone who comes to cut the grass regularly now, and there is a lot of it, which has freed me up to do the nicer things. Last year I had a nice person who was supposed to do it but he was, and still is, involved in a custody/access battle over his young son. So far there have been 9 court sessions and he was so distracted by it all he often didn't turn up and I spent more time cutting grass than actually gardening. I think prior to having children young couples should have it drummed into them that parenting is for life and a child needs two parents no matter what happens to a marriage.
We have recently bought a small patch of land from a neighbour to improve the shape of our rather irregular plot clearing the old border has involved sacrificing a couple of rather untidy lilacs. I made MrNuts wait until they were in full bloom, I now have two very oversized arrangements in the lounge, and it smells wonderful.
I’ve had an exciting phone call this morning, a follow up from a freecycle offer of Bullrushes. I’m to collect them on Wednesday morning when they will be dug out of their stream. I’ve always wanted a bog garden and I intend to make one in an old plastic dog bed. I already have three lilies, two of which are in flower now.
I love lilac and am enjoying the different colours of several trees in the local Parks Walk.
My wonderful standard Azalea, now almost 38yrs old, has come into bloom. It's bright pink and scented, and is a pure delight to both see + smell. PS A final couple of hour's work in the garden, has got it as good as ever and how I and want it to be! It's neat tidy, the plants are thriving and I revelled admiring it, whilst having afternoon tea and relaxing in it this afternoon. Mind you I had to air the cushion for my favourite garden chair, which smelt a bit musty this morning when I got it out in eager anticipation of use...and it has been. Aah the aroma of BBQ's is starting..
Today we are going on a little jaunt over to “Lancashire!” to visit our son and his wife’s new house. Then for the next couple of nights we are staying at a spa hotel before heading home. Really looking forward to it all. Taking the rest of Sam’s stuff over there now they have a bigger home. Dogs have gone into kennels on their hols as they don’t get on with their dog. It was very strange being at home with no dogs last night.
The Spa sounds lovely. Today we are going to the Wadebridge car show that apparently has lots of " high energy action" and a fairground. I'd rather go and look at horses but little Max is in a liking cars phase, and on the plus side it means I don't need to cook Sunday lunch and the sun is shining again.
I’ll think of you relaxing in the spa’s jacuzzi, a glass of champagne in hand . Hope you are enjoying yourselves P2BY. There is so much to do in the garden so I’m doing absolutely nothing. I fear that this year it is going to be search for the plants among the weeds. Can’t seem to generate the energy somehow. I hope I’ll be telling you a very different story by the end of the week. At least the roses and clematis are doing their own thing .
I sympathise Soz. Mine is going to be a Forth Bridge job, but I’m learning to do small amounts at a time as well as moving from job to job, but I do feel as tho’ I’m achieving something, albeit incrementally.
Soz + Mrs P. As have already said, my back garden a year ago was a mess. I spent out on a true gardener, who I found on my local community page with before + after photos, along with other local residents recommendations, who came + completely cleared all the weeds, chopped back overgrown shrubs, re-edged the lawn and sorted everything out, well above my expectations. It was a bit costly, I admit, but even now what she + her son did is still there, as it was so well done. My point is, a one-off payment to get things completely sorted which can then be far more easily maintained, is well worth the cost. Also I found a gardening trowel + fork which have 18 inch handles and bought a hoe, all of which suit me and makes my gardening so much easier.
To clarify - the long handled gardening tools are to do with my glaucoma + the constant bending over, esp. as things are getting borderline again. I'm just waiting for my next hosp. eye clinic appointment, which is now overdue!
The latest photo of my OZ neice is amazing. She was the one who had a total thyroidectomy in early February. There is no scar to be seen and finally her thyroxine levels have been sorted. She looks + feels totally normal again. It's a massive success for her and her family.
MrNuts’ niece followed in her uncle, father and brother’s footsteps today by completing the London marathon. She was raising money for diabetes uk as her elder daughter, now 4 yrs, was diagnosed aged 2, she had a second baby last year & then her training was majorly hindered as she needed surgery to remove a benign tumour from her shoulder…… I think it’s amazing that she got round at all.
Well done that woman. A local mother here who has never been a runner until this year, ran to raise funds for the school to support the children still suffering from the after effects of the coach crash. Her son was on the coach.
I've been trying to improve my birdsong recognition recently. When we were on a walk at Quarry Bank today I heard one I didn't recognise which my app said was a Rose-ringed Parakeet. I was a bit sceptical at first but then saw it, it's the first one I've seen in this area.
The first place I saw parakeets was in Studland Dorset but in the last few years they have appeared in North London where my daughter lives. The ones I’ve seen are very colourful but make quite a raucous noise.
Thank you Miriam for your suggestion of paying a gardener for digging over the plot etc. I think it’s too late this year for that. Also I would be a dreadful ‘backseat gardener’ telling them what not to touch and what to do my way! I can remember my poor father being constantly chastised by my grandmother whenever he tried to help her with the garden. I’m going to do what I can, slowly working my way round . It will be a mass of colour and perfume in June when the roses will smother the unsightly bits. I can see the point in employing someone to rejuvenate the plot so you can start again and I’m glad that it has worked for you Miriam. Maybe in the autumn…..
Sounds like your garden will be gorgeous. I just wanted to give you the benefit of my experience and how well it all worked out. I knew the moment I met the lovely lady who I asked for a quote, that we'd get on well and she went round the garden with me, to get my wishes and what I didn't want touching. She did exactly what I wanted and although I left her + her son to it, she called me out a few times just to check on a few things. I struck lucky!! I enjoyed replanting things last year, which was this time and are doing so well now. I looked back to the photos from last year, and what a difference...
Frost and very cold nights but beautiful warm sunshine by day here in the Midlands. I’m still wearing woolly jumpers but the sun does make you think summer is coming.
We are stuck without a gardener again as our chap has had to go & care for his mother, with dementia, after his father died recently. Very sorry for him but we have several large jobs coming up which Gerald cannot cope with. Tried advertising in local parish mag & on Face book. But only 2 replies are from big property maintenance companies who will mow lawns, cut hedges but not do any 'proper' gardening. . There seems to be a lack of anyone locally and I envy Miriam on her good fortune
Sorry to hear about your gardening problems Archerfile. It is difficult to get good gardeners these days. Middle daughter inherited hers from the previous owners of the house and he can't get his head round doing the garden the way my daughter wants it rather than how he's done it for years. He's also pretty clueless about plants! I'm lucky to have one who knows what he's doing but he struggles to find people to work for him.
I sympathise. The one in charge of the little group who have recently started cutting my grass is s gardener and does know his plants but he has had to have an op on a leg he broke playing football, and the two he sent along last time definitely aren't gardeners! I asked them to leave the three cornered leek outside the kitchen because we use it in cooking ( things like chopping it up in mashed potato) but to mow over any anywhere else, and lo and behold after they had gone I came out to find they had mowed down my patch of lilies!! 🤨
Our gardener is an absolute gem, very knowledgeable and can do more in the garden in two ours than I can do in two weeks (probably two years, to be honest)! As a general rule, we just let him get on with it. My main input is providing cups of tea and asking him to plant out the sad looking seedling or plant that has been languishing too long on my kitchen windowsill. That said, two weeks ago I gave him two sunflower seedlings that I had actually taken good care of.... The slugs ate them
Happy Mayday everyone! We are off to Padstow as usual, but sadly not daughter as fridays are one of the busiest days at the holiday park. Mabel has made a picnic which we will eat in Prideaux Place gardens where one of the teams of dancers and musicians come at midday to dance the "Oss" through the grounds and house.
Encountered the ‘ Hobby Horse ‘ on its first outing last night. For several days now it will be parading through different parts of the town with the drum banging away, the OSS dancing along the route, and the followers on foot.
It doesn’t feel or look like summer this morning. We don’t seem to have had much, much needed, rain but it is cloudy and cold - jumper back on. I am enjoying this year’s Race around the World ; I like the people and getting a glimpse of places I don’t know much about.
Such torrential rain over night, and woke up to a very gloomy day. No more rain today, but very grey skies , very soggy, but still warm. A shrub is now flat on the lawn, as has been totally battered down I'll try + sort it out tomorrow. If I can't get it upright again, then it'll be chopped right back to root level! It will survive, in time! I knew the rain was awful as I not only heard it, but I also had to dash out for milk for breakfast at 9.00am, (no idea why I hadn't any!) and the water + puddles on the roads were very extensive.
24hours or therabouts later, that shrub is doing, as the song says:- "Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start all over again"! It's better than it was as no longer flat on the lawn, but might still need to be cut back a bit..
Is anyone watching Race Around the World - this time through the 'stans' all the way to Mongolia. I think they are very brave tacking such remote and wild country with such difficult languages, where few people speak English. I feel sorry for the Irish daughter who is given very little responsibility by her overbearing father. The two young lads from Liverpool have very sad back stories but really look after each other. I hope they do well. Also the young brother and sister are learning to understand each other, another good side effect of spending so much time together. Scenery has been stunning so far.
As PtbY and I said a couple of days ago, it’s interesting to see places we are unlikely to visit ourselves. The competitors seem genuine and there’s no arrogance. I don’t know why they have to lose one team along the way. I’m sure the 2 girls could have kept up with the others.
My eldest great-nephew, now 12yrs, and his mum, spent the BH weekend at Butlins, Minehead. It was a rugby tournament over the weekend, and out of 30 teams, they came 2nd. A great achievement. Other news not as cheery, as B-I-L learnt today he needs open heart surgery to repair or replace the mitral valve in his heart. Another valve is also now starting to show signs of deterioration, so this will be fixed at the same time. This will be done in December! He's under a specialist cardiac centre, and this is the best option, unless can afford to pay privately, which they can't. It is what it is, and they've 'phone numbers in case of problems.
I can report that the Rugby Tournament at Butlins in Minehead this last weekend was not a trouble to the town, as some weekends are, so perhaps you would like to pass on my congratulations to your relatives Miriam and I’m glad they had a good time.
Sorry to hear that your B in L has further heart problems. If that time comes to me I shall take matters about my future into my own hands, nevertheless I wish your relative the very best outcome.
He is taking matters intodhis own hand, by agreeing to the surgery. His heart problems can be reversed, so he can continue with his life, doing things he's not allowed to or can't do at the moment. He gets out of breath quite easily with a lot of excercise/walking particularly up hills, but he's not allowed to do any heavy work, such as gardening with hedge cutting etc. and can't play golf! He can mow the lawns as has a ride-on lawnmower.These he should be able to do again and at the moment he's getting very frustrated with an imposed more sedentary life, as he's normally so active.
I have been so opinionated + vocal recently, that I'm doing my usual, that is to step back for awhile. Hope everyone stays safe + well and all just enjoy whatever you're doing and with whom. Back shortly..maybe a week?
Just been down to vote and I was very annoyed with our polling station. As usual it is in the village hall, up a longish drive next to the school. Very unusually - there were no signs "To the Polling Station" anywhere visible from the road. Just one small sign right at the top of the drive.
Second, there was no access provided for disabled people, there was usually a ramp up to the door. A sign pointed to the disabled access, round the back. But on hobbling round there the door was locked!! I remonstrated with the returning officer & his deputy. Turns out they had never done the job before & didn't know the rules or where anything was. As a former returning officer myself - I soon put them right! Funnily enough I had had an email from the council yesterday saying all polling stations would be accessible to disabled and wheelchair voters, with ramps and low booths provided. Pity they didn't inform the staff!
That's so frustrating Archerfile. We normally have postal votes but there is no voting in our area this time. We went to RHS Bridgewater to see the candelabra primulas but there were fewer of them and we couldn't get close because of the building works on the Chinese streamside garden. Still, we got close to coot, duck and Canada Geese chicks wandering around with their parents.
Janice, do you speak Cornish? There was an item half-way through PM yesterday on its revival, which is a current trend for local languages, at least in Europe, as many are dying out.
Not properly Basia. Years ago I went to a Cornish language course, and at that time woke up one morning and realised I had been dreaming in Cornish, but those days are gone. Possibly because of not having anyone I could speak it with I seem to be limited now to simple phrases like Dyth da, Nosta, and Ollangwella ( all the best), Nadelik Lowen ( Happy Christmas). 99% of any passwords I use are Cornish words. My father and the other older ones in our village spoke a very distinct dialect with words originating in the old Cornish and "outsiders" had great difficulty deciphering it, and because of the dialect pronunciations I know how the old Cornish language should sound. For example in Nadelik Lowen the Lowen is pronounced Laawen. I have two ways of speaking, King's English with most people but I revert back to broad Cornish when with other older locals. I was with some friends from up country who were visiting and unintentionally slipped back into the broad Cornish accent and realised they were staring because they couldn't understand me. I am pleased that it is taught in some schools here now. Lose your language lose your culture.
That's interesting Janice, Nadelik is from nativity, like in some languages, natale etc Nosta for night, again similarity; ollangwella looks very much like all's well though doesn't sound like that. Thanks.
There are similarities with Welsh too. I wish my son-in-law law "Penblwydd happus' on his birthday and I have noticed several other words with slightly different spelling between the two languages.
Looks like we are in for a lovely day again. Anyone watching Amandaland. Just binged it. Love it. Joanna lumley is perfect as her mother and I love the little Irish mother. Must get subscribed to Disney for a while as Jilly Coopers Rivals series 2 starts on Friday. Can’t wait.
Just a short look in and so glad all seem OK. Niece No#3 did the MacMillan marathon walk on Saturday, along the Norfolk Coast. She and her group of four, did the walk in 9hrs 15mins, which was great. Their actual time was longer as, as it was so well organised, there stops along the way, where they could stop, get a meal, go to the loo etc and relax where she and her friends, made the most of these! So proud of her achievement and the photos she sent, showed the fabulous views of the coast walk, along with the villages, harbours, windmills etc. they saw en-route, along with lovely blue skies.
I was wrong about the lovely day. It was absolutely freezing. A right north wind. No gardening for me today. Had to bring all my plants in tonight as it’s due to go down to O degrees.
MrNuts and I went to see Rory Bremner last night, very good. Lots of theatre and opera booked this year, couple of nights up in Stratford next and then The Grange, Glyndebourne and Chichester through the summer. No big holiday this year, as the garden takes the budget but not a hardship and with the current international situation home seems a good idea.
Has anyone notice the new trend for ladies wearing very heavy black framed glasses? Is it the new fashion in eyewear? On TV, the Education Correspondent Branwen Jeffries, has always worn over-large spectacles but how they are heavy and black. The Countryfile presenter Charlotte Smith now wears them too and they overwhelm her face, in my opinion. An MP was on the news today wearing such large black frames they all but hid her face This is not a trend I shall be following! 🤓
The problem with these type of fashions, is trying to find glasses frames which are not these huge big ones, but those preferred by others. I hate having no choice to what I prefer and being dictated to by current trends. This is the same with clothes and particularly underwear. I know what I like, but to find these..🤷♀️
Same here in W. Cheshire! I was in my kitchen this afternoon and suddenly there was a cacophony of sound accompanied by a sudden gloomy light. It was hail stones hitting my north facing kitchen window. This was immediately followed by a noisy cat flap, 🐈⬛ quickly shot in.😸
Even we in Minehead had a few seconds of hailstones yesterday afternoon. Really very very brief tho’, and the accompanying rain also lasted only a few minutes. BASIA - your French description sounds very romantic.
It's Ascension Day - a day off here and raining. Pity as many shops are open and there are street activities. I'm not complaining about the weather, the heat always arrives, but now everything is lush and green. Our street is dug up as they're installing geothermal energy from which we will benefit, as we live in a building. The access by car is affected, but I only walk, so can always get through.
My front garden is now absolutely.perfect but it took many hours to totally get it ready for the summer planting, plants to be bought soon. Thanks to the awful rain, which actually woke me up as so bad, along with the gale force winds over the last two days, the back garden is still waiting for it's next make-over. It's never ending at the moment, but I'm so enjoying keeping things under control though, just getting frustrated when the weather defeats me.
High winds and bad weather can result in "branchers" (young birds who have all their feathers but still can't fly who sit on branches close to the nest) falling out the tree. My daughter recently found a very poorly young rook with an injured leg in our orchard. She looked it up online and it said take it to a wildlife centre. She phoned up two, and neither were close to us. One said they were full to the rafters, and the other said they were only taking in seabirds and were full anyway. Someone we know said he took an injured rook somewhere once and he was shocked when he went back for it to find they had put it down.
So for over over a week we had this young rook living in my greenhouse during the night ( and squishing my tomato plants!) and in a small aviary I once bought for an injured pigeon by day. My daughter cared for it very well but it was down to me to feed it while she was at work. We tried it with various things, very lightly scrambled egg, raw mincemeat, sunflower hearts, and dried mealworms, and it seemed to prefer the first two. I drew the line at digging up worms I'm afraid. The ungrateful little thing as it got livelier would peck like the devil so we had to wear gloves, but the thing I found strange was that if you put it on your lap it became totally docile and seemed to like being stroked. I suppose the warmth reminded it of being back in the nest. It had a lump on the part of its leg where the bend is but didn't actually seem to be broken, and was having trouble putting weight on it and couldn't curl its claws around for perching. By the end of a week it was beginning to be able to perch on the cross pole of the aviary and fly up and down to it.
We also used a mini dose of some leftover old antibiotics for 3 days in case the lump was infected. Managed to get it down its beak in water in a plastic syringe. I had just made up my mind to phone our vets for advice on Monday when my daughter who did the transfer from greenhouse to aviary in the mornings before work, came in to say when she went in she only left the door open a crack but it flew over her shoulder and out the door, went high in the air did the circle birds do to orientate themselves and then came straight down into one of the nests of the little rookery in the trees on the track. So hopefully the parents will continue to feed it, and hopefully the lump on its leg will keep on subsiding. At least it can perch again now, and can fly.
Alresford watercress festival yesterday, fortunately the weather held and I was able to buy lots of tasty treats. It’s a good day out although I feel a bit sorry for all the dogs, lots of intriguing smalls and small children with ice creams, and not able to act.
CAN I warn everyone not to order anything from a company called Arthur & Violet London.
They advertised last Autumn on Facebook, a range of really beautiful dresses & other clothes, available in standard and large sizes. Photos of a smart looking London Boutique-style shop. Dozens of positive reviews. So I I did order 2 dresses. They took weeks to arrive. I Really like one of them but the other dress is not flattering at all. I want to return the unliked dress for a refund. Have been trying to contact the company, who are still advertising and still have their website up, but it has been impossible. Emails returned undelivered, phone number no longer available, Help page inactive. So I checked the company on the Govt. Company website...to find the original Arthur & Violet went bust several years ago. But the name has been taken over by some shonky Chinese company with a terrible record and hundreds of complaints. So I can't return dress (charity shop will benefit) and I shan't get my money back. Also explains why the dress took so long to arrive. Be warned!
I have been caught out once, a purchase from what seemed a very reputable company where the so-called quality goods, actually came from a factory in China and was not fit for purpose. To return it, it had to be returned to China + was not worth the postage, which these sites know. It's a form of scamming. What I do now is google:- Is ××××× a safe site. The answers often tell the true set-up and if can be trusted.
I've been impressed with my surgery. My usual hypertension check + blood tests were due and bang on time, I got a message to book an appointment. Two choices were given, to ring reception or use link provided. I decided to use the link. After identifying myself there on screen, was my name, what the appointment was about, who I'd be seeing, along with a list of dates + times to choose from. It was so easy and only took a couple of minutes, but this was a routine check-up, not an urgent request for an appointment - which is a very different story!
I no longer buy anything online after break-up because of unreliable delivery and surcharges. I mainly ordered books, but now read what people lend me and even joined the local library for €5 per year for the seniors. As a result I read more in French and why not and if there's a book in English that's a real treat. What I find irritating and that's a trend everywhere that I have to verify as a human.
I've recently listened to the two new episodes of Life Lines, back to back. For anyone who knows this programme, it's a great listen but do what I did and listen to both one after the other.
We got back from a visit to youngest daughter in Edinburgh yesterday, the renovation of their house is nearly complete and we were able to stay with them this time. It was lovely to spend time with all of them and see the children's school. Now I'm looking forward to a break from sewing on Rainbows badges and playing hide and seek.
Sounds like you had a lovely time in Edinburgh CC. It is somewhere I have always wanted to visit but never been. Are Rainbows now the very young Brownies? Seems to me you were being the perfect Grandma!
Yes Rainbows are young Brownies Archerfile. There were 9 badges to sew on to a red sash. The material was slippery so it wasn't easy to get them straight! I'm not keen on cities but Edinburgh is one of the nicer ones that I've visited, mainly because it doesn't take long to get to the coast or the hills!
PtbY, you mentioned Amandaland a while ago. I had coffee this morning with the mother of the composer of the music for the series. He was at school with my daughters and was the drummer in the band that they were all in.
I watched a bit of Amandaland recently, not usually something I would find interesting. However I then decided that I should watch Motherland in order to understand the genre. I have always admired Anna Maxwell Martin and enjoyed her work, but realised that Motherland was such a different direction for her to take in her career that I was intrigued. So now I’m binging three series of this strange ( for me) new country of life among younger women today. Then I shall be on to Amandaland next.
Small world isn’t it!! We are just bingeing motherland again after finishing new amandaland series. All the characters are brilliant. ( I love anything with Diane Morgan in it) It’s so true in the popular, trendy mums group then the misfits who gravitate together. Needless to say, at the time, I was in the misfits group! lol.
My old and tatty plastic patio table, down the side of my house is now fully laden with plants. I had a lovely drive through the lanes to my favourite farm shop and plant place. It was surprisingly quiet but I got all the plants I wanted for my hanging basket, window box, tubs etc. All are looking good, but some are tiny esp. the trailing Apricot Frills trailing begonias, which will need a lot of TLC. Hopefully the compost I bought will be far more water retentive than the one I bought last year so plants will thrive better. That's my days planned, gardening and creating - it won't be quite as grand as RHS Chelsea, but it'll suit me. To add, I also got two packets of yeast, which for a strange reason, gives me the best bread, which I make every week. Why this brand works so well, no idea, but it suits my baking!
Finally have woken to sunshine. Making a gravel path down long side of garden today. Only having to do this to stop husband treading on plants when he paints the fence!
Well that's me dirty, hot + sweaty. All the plants bought yesterday, are now all planted up. It'll take awhile for them to bush out, but they're strong + healthy. If the forecast is correct and it's going to be hot + sunny for days, then I'll be constantly watering, but small price to get the effect I want. My window box is on the front of the house which is south facing so gets the sun all day, resulting that it can dry out quickly. Runner beans were planted as well, my favourite variety - St. George - a heavy cropper with long straight, stringless pods, with red + white flowers that the bees absolutely love.
Although the window box is outside my lounge window, my lounge is cool, as at this time of year the sun is too high to shine directly in through the window. I have to plant the box carefully, so I can open the full side windows wide, without damaging any plants.
I've made a start on my pots and troughs but it's going to take a few days to get them all sorted out. My pelargonium cuttings are growing like Topsy now. The vegetables have made a slow start but I'm hoping that they will get going with this wamer weather. We've enjoyed sitting and eating outside for the first time this year.
Does anyone else get irritated by new words and phrases that are being used. Tonight on the BBC’s Gardeners World -programme someone said that Cornish people were being “upskilled” - what’s wrong with “ being taught new skills”?
Message from.ARCHERPHILE. She can't get on this site at the moment as is having problems with Google. She wants you all to know, she'll be back as soon as things are sorted.
Well here it is the dreaded ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️ and even earlier in the year in its intensity! I always dread it so much, and difficult to manage for so many. Fortunate to have a shady sitting room properties opposite get it full force. However for those of you that do enjoy it and can carry on life as usual I am pleased for you - after all Autumn will come 😀 a week tomorrow will be the 1st June the month that contains the longest day, we have only just had Christmas how can this be!!
I also can't believe how fast time seems to pass nowadays. My son has suggested we all have a barbecue on a beach today, so I shall definitely be taking a sun hat and be in and out the water paddling. May is normally my favourite month when everything is fresh and green but we do seem to be getting hotter Mays now. There seem to be a lot of rats around this year, probably because we are not having the cold winters which would slow down the breeding rate and kill off a number of the rats.
My first job this morning was to do some ironing. I put my lightweight summer trousers away last year, un-ironed. There were two pairs missing though, which were found screwed up at the bottom of a wicker basket in another bedroom. This shows what my love of ironing..🤣
It's last night's left overs for tea tonight, but that is roast pork, cider gravy, stuffing + apple sauce. Just need to do some pots. + veggies. As I was up early and dressed in my newly ironed summer trousers, I cooked. It was my turkey meatballs done in a lovely tomato/stock gravy, with celery, onions, leeks, mushrooms, carrots with lots of herbs. That'll do me for the next few nights, plus a couple of portions to go in the freezer. My kitchen is lovely in hot weather as it never gets any direct sun, plus the ceramic tiled floor is so cool and lovely in bare feet. Pusscat hates the hot weather, as she's totally black so her fur gets hot. She's been under the hedge all day, probably the coolest place for her. Off to start the nightly water, as I'm determined to keep my new plants thriving and establishing.
My very black cat turned conker colour earlier in May when we had those few hot days. He is currently spending his time under his whicker chair on the deck of the summerhouse.
I admire your enthusiasm Miriam and wish I could eat this kind of food. My sister and I have widows in their late 80s for neighbours and we don't like the wafting kitchen smells, but both agree that if at their age they still enjoy cooking and eating then so much the better.
Me again!! Just watching Countryfile weather. The highest recorded temp.for May to date - was May 2nd 1944..not sure what is was. Perhaps others saw this.
Hello again everyone! At long last Google are allowing me to post again. They kept wanting me to sign in, then prove I am me! Every time I tried it got worse & worse , ended up with over 30 emails from them...then told to wait 72 hours before trying again. Ridiculous!
During all this I also got rather ill. Started shivering uncontrollably on Thurs evening, tried to go up to bed but my legs just wouldnt work. Gerald had to haul me up from the sofa and literally push me upstairs. Felt very sick (but wasn't). Couldn't undress myself so he had to find my nightie & try to get me to bed. I was so very unsteady it took 15 minutes to manoeuvre me the very short distance between bathroom & bed room. He wanted to call ambulance but last thing I wanted was hospital again Daughter insisted I call 111 & they were marvellous, arranged for a Dr to phone and assess me. He also said I should have gone to hosp because I must have an infection which people with heart failure can be prone to. Anyway he arranged a home visit (!) from a GP who was wonderful, diagnosed a severe UTRI which I'd probably had for several days & had got to my kidneys - hence the lower back pain I'd been having. Now on antibiotics (delivered by our pharmacy an hour after the doctor left!) & hoping they put things right So hopefully back to normal with both blog and health. 🤞
So sorry to hear about your woes Archerfile. I hope that the antibiotics take effect quickly and you feel better soon. Your problems with Google are so frustrating 🤞things stay settled for a while.
I'm a shoplifter! I had to pop to my nearest S/bury's this morning as I'd somehow run out of pots. and was short of milk + carrots. I got my trolley and on the way in I got side-tracked by the plants. I picked up a tray of 4 beautiful double yellow begonias, perfect to fill in some gaps in the back garden. After getting my self-scanner, picking up the items I needed and home, I realised I hadn't scanned the plants! Oh well, as a regular shopper there, I deserve a freebie. PS at 9.15am it was busy..
I walked out of my local food shop a couple of times without paying for individual things and on taking it back the following day they were surprised and sometimes didn't charge the full price. On one occasion in another shop I just walked in and put the items back. The trouble is if you do that you may be charged with shoplifting, so you can always make up for it in some other way - you said you put some items in the charity bins Miriam. Whenever I see a sign shopfitters - I always read shoplifters and others do, there's a scientific name for it.
We get our veg box on Tuesday. We leave the outer door of the porch unlocked so that the delivery man can leave the box inside but he always rings the bell and hands it over if we are in. Today we were on the patio in the back garden so didn't hear the doorbell and he brought the box round explaining that he was looking for some shade to leave it in (the front of the house is south facing and the porch door glass) "so that the bread wasn't toasted and the onions fried". He's a lovely man and very friendly but I thought that was so thoughtful of him.
New potatoes, new carrots, cauliflower, asparagus, lettuce, vine tomatoes, peaches, strawberries and raspberries. We get an extra small fruit and veg box and can make up to 4 swaps from what's on offer. We can also buy extras and I ordered eggs and a rye tin sourdough loaf which makes the most delicious toasties and is just the right size for our toastie maker.
Sounds delicious. I was curious as I'm having trouble buying good fresh veg. at the moment, even from farm shops with their own home- grown veggies. Not sure why though.
I’ve spent several periods of time today sitting in the shade and watching bees collect pollen. Amazing how many on flowering hydrangea petialaris which is a mass of blooms of creamy white lace. I’ve also been fighting against sleep in this soporific weather.
The heat has really got to me today MrsP so I'm glad of the fresher breeze on the patio where I'm sitting now. The bees have been very busy in the herb garden on the sage and thyme. The orange thyme especially is covered in flowers this year.
I've also been watching the bees. I have a small tree/large shrub in the corner of the garden but no idea what it is. It is has tiny little white flowers and it's been covered in bees. A lovely site.
My ankles are swollen tonight, but it's only the side-effect of the vasodilator tablet I take for my BP. This only happens in extreme weather and by morning, my lovely slim ankles are back again.
Finding these hot nights unbearable. Even with fan on in bedroom all night it's like an oven. The only thing that's helped a bit is a cold wet flannel on the bedside table with which to swab.
Wishful thinking as temp. has shot up again and breeze has dropped. After a busy morning out + about, my plan was to mow the lawns this afternoon. By the time I'd had my lunch, it was too hot again. I did go out and trim all the edges of the back lawn ready in anticipation. For some reason I'm making turkey curry tonight!! 🙀
Fortunately I’m able to keep cool. I have the front door to the house open, with my own door nearby ajar and the window hallway up the stairs to the upper floors open too. Inside my flat I have the front window open as well as one window in the bedroom at the back, and then the back door open as well. Since the back of the house is north facing the shadow of the house means that the nearest part of the garden is in shade for much of the day. It’s much fresher here today as well.
I went to the surgery earlier to have my six weeks B12 injection and some bloods taken. Lady is being walked in the cooler evening.
Ankles have swollen up again so thinking sensibly (?), I took an extra diuretic. All I can say is - if there was a "peeing" contest in the Olympics, I'd be a forerunner for the 🥇 Perhaps though this might be better, as I was up about 3 times in the night, last night Luckily the loo is close by.
I challenge you to that contest Miriam! My usual number of nightly visits to the loo is 4, but can be 5 on occasion. Very often I find it impossible to get back to sleep after the 5th trip! That's the trouble with being on 2 different diuretic at once.
I was woken up in the night by really loud thunder and torrential rain in spite of not having my hearing aids in. It didn't last long and at least the garden has now had a much needed drink.
I can’t resist posting……… welcome to my club ladies. I have actually slept over recent nights, but would just like to confirm that I toss and turn - and visit the lavatory up to four times in one night - from the time of getting into bed around midnight until six or seven in the morning. This means that my current waking time is between 11 am and one o’clock in the afternoon. Today it was 12.20. pm. Even so ….. I’m sorry that your all having sleepless nights.
What horrendous storms last night. They started at 11.00pm and ended at 2.00am. To say they were violent is an understatement! At one time when overhead and so the lightning and thunder were simultaneous, one was like an explosion and I swear the house vibrated. I got up to look outside as I thought there was a lightning strike nearby. Mind you the torrential rain has done wonders for the garden and it's so much fresher today.
Hope your garden did not get too much of a battering Miriam as much as the rain was needed. Still baking here in Hampshire but should be cooler tomorrow we shall see 🤞🏼
My wonderful poppies and other plants were battered down, but thankfully have almost recovered. As cooler today the lawns were finally moved and now have stripes! 🤭 If only the inside was as satisfying, instead of the well lived in look and the - I'll sort it tomorrow - mentality!
Hats off to Kings College Hospital for their rooftop garden designed for use by their Intensive Care patients to enjoy flowers and herb smells and scenery from their beds, and especially fresh air - their equipment can be hooked up to the units provided. This is a mental game changer 👏🏻❤️👏🏻❤️ Well done to all who contributed to the 2 million pound build be it by Will donations or via fund raisingwhich is why it took a decade (I think) to come to fruition.
Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it. When listening to the news I was imagining being up there and looking down onto the surroundings, particularly the very close by park and the trees wherein. My eldest G child was born there and I went to school near by, so know the area well, and before I left London I was volunteering there too.
Having grown up in that neck of the woods it was where I ended up after various scrapes & assorted out patients appointments. Not sure about the air quality though, although I thoroughly approve of the idea
The idea, though is not so new. I have memories of the open air hospitals, some of which were still functioning in the London area when I was young. Though obviously this is a huge leap forward from those hospitals of old which i believe were mainly for tubercular patients.
ArcherphileApril 19, 2026 at 3:38 PM
ReplyDeleteReply to Miriam, from the 17th. Thank you so much for asking. I didn't find the wheeled Zimmer frame useful, so that has gone to a. Charity shop for the local hospice. The little 3-wheeled walker is OK but only on flat, solid ground. It digs into the lawn and has to be lifted over the stepping stones or any bumps! But I can at least sit under the pergola and look at the garden on warm days. My breathlessness is considerably worse and I have to stop frequently both indoors and out. I can only sweep half the kitchen before having to rest! But I have a lady coming to do a bit of basic housework for me for an hour on Tuesdays starting this week so I'll see how it goes.
And I actually have a face to face appointment with my GP tomorrow afternoon, the first since before Christmas, so I can report the changes. The new drug (Spironolactone ) I was given then has almost miraculously lowered my blood pressure to normal or below. But some side effects are painful and distressing. Cant have it all ways I suppose!
REPLY
MiriamApril 19, 2026 at 4:36 PM
Lovely to hear from you again with an update.
Now sit quietly + jot down things you want to talk about with your GP and take this with you.
If you're anything like me, I need my notes to remind me about what I want to ask + talk about and Dr. never has a problem when I refer to my scribbled thoughts.
Make the most of a face-to-face appointment and don't feel rushed, as after all, it's all about you.
😍
AmbridgesMrsPApril 19, 2026 at 4:49 PM
ReplyDeleteAND …….ARCHERPHILE
Might you ask about Nitrates, such as have been a help to me for the breathlessness.
They may not be suitable for your condition, but worth asking and finding out I would think.
Good luck with your GP tomorrow.
MiriamApril 19, 2026 at 5:06 PM
Why oh Why, at 6.00pm on a Sunday night, is the sun now shining brightly + the strong wind has finally dropped.
Far too late to make the most of it!
At least I did some batch cooking and made my normal weekly loaf of granary bread - all looking good + tasty 🫰
MiriamApril 19, 2026 at 5:10 PM
ReplyDeleteMade a pork casserole in a cider gravy with lots of veg. plus a chilli using chicken mince. Am thinking low cholesterol as my blood tests are now due! 🙀
Cheshire CheeseApril 19, 2026 at 8:52 PM
It sounds like you've had a busy day Miriam.
I enjoyed today's Countryfile about the Peak District National Park, a landscape that I love and am so familiar with.
Must share that I’ve actually had a good nights sleep.
ReplyDeleteA rarity for me.
I went to sleep immediately after turning the light out, deliberately didn’t turn onto my right side and as a result, no pain from my carpal tunnel wrist/ hand, and no bathroom visits either. And woke early ( early for me ).
Did not do well with Wordle though.
Sorry I missed your birthday - hope this coming year is a healthy, rewarding one.
DeleteDidn’t manage today’s wordle either.
Another cracking picture KP 😂🤣😂
ReplyDelete⭐️ Archerphile do hope your GP appointment today goes well and to your satisfaction, often think of you and Mr AP 🥰
Yes, the GP actually gave me about half an hour of her time. Gerald came in with me so I wouldn't forget to ask anything. She was delighted we seem to have found the right combination of drugs (4 different ones) to control my BP at long last. But we are going to try reducing the new one to try to control the distressing side effects. She said I could take one of those new weight loss drugs if I wanted but she couldn't prescribe them on the NHS & I'd have to buy them myself. I need to lose about 5 stone which might help my walking but I could have unpleasant side effects so I shan't bother. Too late for me to go on a diet now, I want to enjoy my food for my remaining years!! Nice bit at the end ...she complimented me on my dress ( a tent shaped shift with flowers on) which cheered me up a bit.....clever doctor!
DeleteGood to hear that your GP consultation was so positive AP.
DeleteAnd also to hear that your making decisions for yourself choosing which parts of advice to implement or discard.
Your life
Your choices
Of course you had a lovely dress on Archerphile you are the queen of them (which is how I recognised you at Hinton Ampner all those years ago now 🫢) 7 of them this September in fact according to my photos and iPad diary entry of September 18th 2019 - yikes. Little did we realise what 2020 had in store for us all……
DeleteSo glad you had such a well deserved successful and unhurried Dr appointment!
ARCHERPHILE.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely GP you have and glad she spent so much time with you.
I was diagnosed with v. high blood pressure about 14yrs ago now.
I take 3 BP meds daily and also a statin, as my cholesterol is always classed as borderline/slightly high even though I eat a low-fat, low-salt diet, well most of the time.
I admit that this is not quite the case in the winter months, when I enjoy comfort foods. Who doesn't love a beef pie with a suet crust pastry top, dumplings in a stew of beef + guiness, and not forgetting a hearty belly pork dish I love, plus another favourite -Lambs liver + bacon...
It's things in moderation I always do, and last year I refused to increase my statin dose for being just slightly over the upper limit - my choice.
I'm lucky as I still only weigh 8 1/2 stone on average and never go above 9st. and I eat very well...
However I don't eat sweet things - cakes, biscuits etc. as I basically just don't have a sweet tooth, preferring savoury things.
Mind you I do like my chocolate, but it has to be dark chocolate, particularly a peppermint one, or fruit and nut...😋
What a fabulous sunny + warm day it turned out to be, after a cool start.
ReplyDeleteI did the big weekly shop this morning (no bargains) and this afternoon, my front garden got the works!
It was slow going, purely as I spent so much time chatting with neighbours, who appeared at different times.
What a difference a wonderful afternoon working in the sun-shine makes.
Tomorrow, it's the bigger back garden's turn, but there won't be anyone around to distract me, but not sure if this will be a good or a bad thing though..
My garden bin gets emptied on Friday, so I'm determined it'll be full to get my moneys worth out of my permit!
Snap Miriam. I did my weekly shop this morning and spent the afternoon in the garden.
DeleteA glorious day here today. We had a lovely walk with friends along Rudyard Lake and a tasty lunch at a café on the lakeside.
ReplyDeleteAnother fabulous hot + sunny afternoon here. As usual did yet more work in the garden, but the end is finally in sight!
ReplyDeleteWhat a shame though the mornings are still so cool even though sunny.
This reminds me of last year, when I couldn't get the garden under control for various reasons (one was a heart scare but all OK), so paid someone to do it for me.
This was done in early May and by then, the ground was so dry and it was hot, that this person and son, really struggled!
Thanks to this person's brilliant clearing borders, sorting out + cutting back, I had MY Garden back again and so it's remained...
We had a frost this morning, followed by a much warmer day than yesterday. Keeping the temperature in the greenhouse right is challenging.
DeleteI planted some tomatoes in the greenhouse yesterday and a courgette outdoors. My daughter in law likes to celebrate the day she first met Dan as well as their wedding anniversary so we went to a nursery a couple of days ago and I came away with some nice plants. There is a garden seat in the front garden and I am trying to turn it into a little oasis of fragrance. Have planted several dianthus/pinks to the left of the seat and to the right of it in blue pots I now have a red erysimum and a yellow and orange very pretty one. The gate is almost beside the seat and I want the fragrance to hit people as they walk in.
ReplyDeleteI do have someone who comes to cut the grass regularly now, and there is a lot of it, which has freed me up to do the nicer things. Last year I had a nice person who was supposed to do it but he was, and still is, involved in a custody/access battle over his young son. So far there have been 9 court sessions and he was so distracted by it all he often didn't turn up and I spent more time cutting grass than actually gardening.
DeleteI think prior to having children young couples should have it drummed into them that parenting is for life and a child needs two parents no matter what happens to a marriage.
We have recently bought a small patch of land from a neighbour to improve the shape of our rather irregular plot clearing the old border has involved sacrificing a couple of rather untidy lilacs. I made MrNuts wait until they were in full bloom, I now have two very oversized arrangements in the lounge, and it smells wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI’ve had an exciting phone call this morning, a follow up from a freecycle offer of Bullrushes. I’m to collect them on Wednesday morning when they will be dug out of their stream.
ReplyDeleteI’ve always wanted a bog garden and I intend to make one in an old plastic dog bed. I already have three lilies, two of which are in flower now.
I love lilac and am enjoying the different colours of several trees in the local Parks Walk.
My wonderful standard Azalea, now almost 38yrs old, has come into bloom. It's bright pink and scented, and is a pure delight to both see + smell.
ReplyDeletePS A final couple of hour's work in the garden, has got it as good as ever and how I and want it to be! It's neat tidy, the plants are thriving and I revelled admiring it, whilst having afternoon tea and relaxing in it this afternoon.
Mind you I had to air the cushion for my favourite garden chair, which smelt a bit musty this morning when I got it out in eager anticipation of use...and it has been.
Aah the aroma of BBQ's is starting..
Today we are going on a little jaunt over to “Lancashire!” to visit our son and his wife’s new house. Then for the next couple of nights we are staying at a spa hotel before heading home. Really looking forward to it all.
ReplyDeleteTaking the rest of Sam’s stuff over there now they have a bigger home.
Dogs have gone into kennels on their hols as they don’t get on with their dog. It was very strange being at home with no dogs last night.
The Spa sounds lovely. Today we are going to the Wadebridge car show that apparently has lots of " high energy action" and a fairground. I'd rather go and look at horses but little Max is in a liking cars phase, and on the plus side it means I don't need to cook Sunday lunch and the sun is shining again.
ReplyDeleteSounds lovely PtbY and good weather too. We've still got some of our children's stuff, I think an ultimatum is needed!
ReplyDeleteI’ll think of you relaxing in the spa’s jacuzzi, a glass of champagne in hand . Hope you are enjoying yourselves P2BY.
ReplyDeleteThere is so much to do in the garden so I’m doing absolutely nothing. I fear that this year it is going to be search for the plants among the weeds. Can’t seem to generate the energy somehow. I hope I’ll be telling you a very different story by the end of the week. At least the roses and clematis are doing their own thing .
I sympathise Soz.
DeleteMine is going to be a Forth Bridge job, but I’m learning to do small amounts at a time as well as moving from job to job, but I do feel as tho’ I’m achieving something, albeit incrementally.
What style you have PtbY !
Soz + Mrs P. As have already said, my back garden a year ago was a mess.
DeleteI spent out on a true gardener, who I found on my local community page with before + after photos, along with other local residents recommendations, who came + completely cleared all the weeds, chopped back overgrown shrubs, re-edged the lawn and sorted everything out, well above my expectations.
It was a bit costly, I admit, but even now what she + her son did is still there, as it was so well done.
My point is, a one-off payment to get things completely sorted which can then be far more easily maintained, is well worth the cost.
Also I found a gardening trowel + fork which have 18 inch handles and bought a hoe, all of which suit me and makes my gardening so much easier.
To clarify - the long handled gardening tools are to do with my glaucoma + the constant bending over, esp. as things are getting borderline again. I'm just waiting for my next hosp. eye clinic appointment, which is now overdue!
DeleteThe latest photo of my OZ neice is amazing. She was the one who had a total thyroidectomy in early February.
ReplyDeleteThere is no scar to be seen and finally her thyroxine levels have been sorted. She looks + feels totally normal again.
It's a massive success for her and her family.
MrNuts’ niece followed in her uncle, father and brother’s footsteps today by completing the London marathon. She was raising money for diabetes uk as her elder daughter, now 4 yrs, was diagnosed aged 2, she had a second baby last year & then her training was majorly hindered as she needed surgery to remove a benign tumour from her shoulder…… I think it’s amazing that she got round at all.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fantastic achievement in those circumstances 👏
DeleteWell done that woman.
DeleteA local mother here who has never been a runner until this year, ran to raise funds for the school to support the children still suffering from the after effects of the coach crash. Her son was on the coach.
Only just managed 6 today!!
ReplyDeleteSo did I - on verge of giving up!
DeleteI've been trying to improve my birdsong recognition recently. When we were on a walk at Quarry Bank today I heard one I didn't recognise which my app said was a Rose-ringed Parakeet. I was a bit sceptical at first but then saw it, it's the first one I've seen in this area.
ReplyDeleteThe first place I saw parakeets was in Studland Dorset but in the last few years they have appeared in North London where my daughter lives. The ones I’ve seen are very colourful but make quite a raucous noise.
DeleteLondon's the only other place that I've seen Parakeets Soz when our daughter was at university there.
DeleteThank you Miriam for your suggestion of paying a gardener for digging over the plot etc. I think it’s too late this year for that. Also I would be a dreadful ‘backseat gardener’ telling them what not to touch and what to do my way! I can remember my poor father being constantly chastised by my grandmother whenever he tried to help her with the garden.
ReplyDeleteI’m going to do what I can, slowly working my way round . It will be a mass of colour and perfume in June when the roses will smother the unsightly bits.
I can see the point in employing someone to rejuvenate the plot so you can start again and I’m glad that it has worked for you Miriam. Maybe in the autumn…..
Sounds like your garden will be gorgeous.
DeleteI just wanted to give you the benefit of my experience and how well it all worked out. I knew the moment I met the lovely lady who I asked for a quote, that we'd get on well and she went round the garden with me, to get my wishes and what I didn't want touching. She did exactly what I wanted and although I left her + her son to it, she called me out a few times just to check on a few things.
I struck lucky!! I enjoyed replanting things last year, which was this time and are doing so well now. I looked back to the photos from last year, and what a difference...
To add, the "before" photos were horrendous, far worse than I remembered!
DeleteNice to go away but , goodness, it’s even better to come home.
ReplyDelete😊
That's why you have to go away to appreciate how nice it is to be back.
DeleteLovely sunshine again, but at 5.30am there was ice on the car!
ReplyDeleteI even went out to check it was..🤣
Nice sunshine but very windy here, my emerging spring plants are getting battered. Still, the washing dried quickly!
DeleteFrost and very cold nights but beautiful warm sunshine by day here in the Midlands. I’m still wearing woolly jumpers but the sun does make you think summer is coming.
DeleteWe are stuck without a gardener again as our chap has had to go & care for his mother, with dementia, after his father died recently. Very sorry for him but we have several large jobs coming up which Gerald cannot cope with. Tried advertising in local parish mag & on Face book. But only 2 replies are from big property maintenance companies who will mow lawns, cut hedges but not do any 'proper' gardening. . There seems to be a lack of anyone locally and I envy Miriam on her good fortune
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteSorry to hear about your gardening problems Archerfile. It is difficult to get good gardeners these days. Middle daughter inherited hers from the previous owners of the house and he can't get his head round doing the garden the way my daughter wants it rather than how he's done it for years. He's also pretty clueless about plants!
DeleteI'm lucky to have one who knows what he's doing but he struggles to find people to work for him.
I sympathise. The one in charge of the little group who have recently started cutting my grass is s gardener and does know his plants but he has had to have an op on a leg he broke playing football, and the two he sent along last time definitely aren't gardeners! I asked them to leave the three cornered leek outside the kitchen because we use it in cooking ( things like chopping it up in mashed potato) but to mow over any anywhere else, and lo and behold after they had gone I came out to find they had mowed down my patch of lilies!! 🤨
DeleteOur gardener is an absolute gem, very knowledgeable and can do more in the garden in two ours than I can do in two weeks (probably two years, to be honest)!
DeleteAs a general rule, we just let him get on with it. My main input is providing cups of tea and asking him to plant out the sad looking seedling or plant that has been languishing too long on my kitchen windowsill. That said, two weeks ago I gave him two sunflower seedlings that I had actually taken good care of.... The slugs ate them
Happy Mayday everyone! We are off to Padstow as usual, but sadly not daughter as fridays are one of the busiest days at the holiday park. Mabel has made a picnic which we will eat in Prideaux Place gardens where one of the teams of dancers and musicians come at midday to dance the "Oss" through the grounds and house.
ReplyDeleteEncountered the ‘ Hobby Horse ‘ on its first outing last night.
ReplyDeleteFor several days now it will be parading through different parts of the town with the drum banging away, the OSS dancing along the route, and the followers on foot.
Happy BELTANE to all.
Thought for a minute you were here at Padstow. Didn't realise Minehead had similar.
ReplyDeleteIt’s Beltane an ancient pagan custom to welcome spring.
DeleteFortunately quite a few places still hold true to the tradition.
On my local SM someone commented that Minehead was not as good as Padstow, and was shouted down with fury.
Summer!
ReplyDeleteYes Janice SUMMER ………
DeleteMia Culpa
It doesn’t feel or look like summer this morning. We don’t seem to have had much, much needed, rain but it is cloudy and cold - jumper back on.
ReplyDeleteI am enjoying this year’s Race around the World ; I like the people and getting a glimpse of places I don’t know much about.
Same here re Race around the world. Great to see places that I’ll never get to see in real life.
DeleteI like the brother and sister.
Such torrential rain over night, and woke up to a very gloomy day. No more rain today, but very grey skies , very soggy, but still warm.
ReplyDeleteA shrub is now flat on the lawn, as has been totally battered down I'll try + sort it out tomorrow. If I can't get it upright again, then it'll be chopped right back to root level! It will survive, in time!
I knew the rain was awful as I not only heard it, but I also had to dash out for milk for breakfast at 9.00am, (no idea why I hadn't any!) and the water + puddles on the roads were very extensive.
24hours or therabouts later, that shrub is doing, as the song says:-
Delete"Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start all over again"!
It's better than it was as no longer flat on the lawn, but might still need to be cut back a bit..
If this is of interest to anyone:-
ReplyDeletea new series of Conversations of a Long Marriage, started today.
You beat me to it Miriam.
DeleteIt might just be of interest to us two only.
Nope. I’ve listened to it too. Roger Allam could talk to me all day long. 😍
DeleteMe too! My daughter put me onto it. Thanks for the info Miriam. I agree about Roger Allam’s voice - also Joanna’s silky drawl is easy on the ears.
DeleteMe four! Thanks Miriam.
DeleteIs anyone watching Race Around the World - this time through the 'stans' all the way to Mongolia. I think they are very brave tacking such remote and wild country with such difficult languages, where few people speak English. I feel sorry for the Irish daughter who is given very little responsibility by her overbearing father. The two young lads from Liverpool have very sad back stories but really look after each other. I hope they do well. Also the young brother and sister are learning to understand each other, another good side effect of spending so much time together. Scenery has been stunning so far.
ReplyDeleteAs PtbY and I said a couple of days ago, it’s interesting to see places we are unlikely to visit ourselves. The competitors seem genuine and there’s no arrogance. I don’t know why they have to lose one team along the way. I’m sure the 2 girls could have kept up with the others.
DeleteI enjoy this too, also like the brother/sister, very grounded, and the Liverpuds, but wish they would stop the 'bro' stuff.
ReplyDeleteMy eldest great-nephew, now 12yrs, and his mum, spent the BH weekend at Butlins, Minehead. It was a rugby tournament over the weekend, and out of 30 teams, they came 2nd. A great achievement.
ReplyDeleteOther news not as cheery, as B-I-L learnt today he needs open heart surgery to repair or replace the mitral valve in his heart. Another valve is also now starting to show signs of deterioration, so this will be fixed at the same time.
This will be done in December!
He's under a specialist cardiac centre, and this is the best option, unless can afford to pay privately, which they can't.
It is what it is, and they've 'phone numbers in case of problems.
To add - he'll be 78yrs in a couple of months. Interestingly both his parents died young from heart problems..🤔
DeleteI can report that the Rugby Tournament at Butlins in Minehead this last weekend was not a trouble to the town, as some weekends are, so perhaps you would like to pass on my congratulations to your relatives Miriam and I’m glad they had a good time.
DeleteSorry to hear that your B in L has further heart problems.
If that time comes to me I shall take matters about my future into my own hands, nevertheless I wish your relative the very best outcome.
He is taking matters intodhis own hand, by agreeing to the surgery. His heart problems can be reversed, so he can continue with his life, doing things he's not allowed to or can't do at the moment. He gets out of breath quite easily with a lot of excercise/walking particularly up hills, but he's not allowed to do any heavy work, such as gardening with hedge cutting etc. and can't play golf! He can mow the lawns as has a ride-on lawnmower.These he should be able to do again and at the moment he's getting very frustrated with an imposed more sedentary life, as he's normally so active.
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DeleteI’m with Kirsty Young as far as Anthony Claire is concerned - just to alert any one else to these repeats of the stand apart broadcasts if interested.
ReplyDeleteI have been so opinionated + vocal recently, that I'm doing my usual, that is to step back for awhile.
ReplyDeleteHope everyone stays safe + well and all just enjoy whatever you're doing and with whom.
Back shortly..maybe a week?
I have replied to your similar post on the other blog Miriam 😉
DeleteYour posts are just as valid as everyone else's Miriam.
ReplyDeleteJust noticed “life lines” has started a new series today if anyone is interested.
ReplyDeleteThanks PtbY. Just the treat to look forward to once I'm up to date with Conversations from a Long Marriage 😊
DeleteYes and we know that Miriam listens.
DeleteI usually eat around that time but this one is so tense, playing havoc.
Just been down to vote and I was very annoyed with our polling station. As usual it is in the village hall, up a longish drive next to the school. Very unusually - there were no signs "To the Polling Station" anywhere visible from the road. Just one small sign right at the top of the drive.
ReplyDeleteSecond, there was no access provided for disabled people, there was usually a ramp up to the door. A sign pointed to the disabled access, round the back. But on hobbling round there the door was locked!! I remonstrated with the returning officer & his deputy. Turns out they had never done the job before & didn't know the rules or where anything was. As a former returning officer myself - I soon put them right!
Funnily enough I had had an email from the council yesterday saying all polling stations would be accessible to disabled and wheelchair voters, with ramps and low booths provided. Pity they didn't inform the staff!
That's so frustrating Archerfile. We normally have postal votes but there is no voting in our area this time.
DeleteWe went to RHS Bridgewater to see the candelabra primulas but there were fewer of them and we couldn't get close because of the building works on the Chinese streamside garden. Still, we got close to coot, duck and Canada Geese chicks wandering around with their parents.
Janice, do you speak Cornish? There was an item half-way through PM yesterday on its revival, which is a current trend for local languages, at least in Europe, as many are dying out.
ReplyDeleteNot properly Basia. Years ago I went to a Cornish language course, and at that time woke up one morning and realised I had been dreaming in Cornish, but those days are gone. Possibly because of not having anyone I could speak it with I seem to be limited now to simple phrases like Dyth da, Nosta, and Ollangwella ( all the best), Nadelik Lowen ( Happy Christmas). 99% of any passwords I use are Cornish words. My father and the other older ones in our village spoke a very distinct dialect with words originating in the old Cornish and "outsiders" had great difficulty deciphering it, and because of the dialect pronunciations I know how the old Cornish language should sound. For example in Nadelik Lowen the Lowen is pronounced Laawen. I have two ways of speaking, King's English with most people but I revert back to broad Cornish when with other older locals. I was with some friends from up country who were visiting and unintentionally slipped back into the broad Cornish accent and realised they were staring because they couldn't understand me.
DeleteI am pleased that it is taught in some schools here now. Lose your language lose your culture.
That's interesting Janice, Nadelik is from nativity, like in some languages, natale etc
DeleteNosta for night, again similarity; ollangwella looks very much like all's well though doesn't sound like that. Thanks.
There are similarities with Welsh too. I wish my son-in-law law "Penblwydd happus' on his birthday and I have noticed several other words with slightly different spelling between the two languages.
DeleteLooks like we are in for a lovely day again.
ReplyDeleteAnyone watching Amandaland. Just binged it. Love it. Joanna lumley is perfect as her mother and I love the little Irish mother.
Must get subscribed to Disney for a while as Jilly Coopers Rivals series 2 starts on Friday. Can’t wait.
Just a short look in and so glad all seem OK.
ReplyDeleteNiece No#3 did the MacMillan marathon walk on Saturday, along the Norfolk Coast.
She and her group of four, did the walk in 9hrs 15mins, which was great.
Their actual time was longer as, as it was so well organised, there stops along the way, where they could stop, get a meal, go to the loo etc and relax where she and her friends, made the most of these!
So proud of her achievement and the photos she sent, showed the fabulous views of the coast walk, along with the villages, harbours, windmills etc. they saw en-route, along with lovely blue skies.
I was wrong about the lovely day. It was absolutely freezing. A right north wind. No gardening for me today.
ReplyDeleteHad to bring all my plants in tonight as it’s due to go down to O degrees.
MrNuts and I went to see Rory Bremner last night, very good. Lots of theatre and opera booked this year, couple of nights up in Stratford next and then The Grange, Glyndebourne and Chichester through the summer. No big holiday this year, as the garden takes the budget but not a hardship and with the current international situation home seems a good idea.
ReplyDeleteSounds good KP. I agree on the holiday thoughts.
DeleteSounds good to me as well KP. We're sticking with the UK this year.
DeleteHas anyone notice the new trend for ladies wearing very heavy black framed glasses? Is it the new fashion in eyewear? On TV, the Education Correspondent Branwen Jeffries, has always worn over-large spectacles but how they are heavy and black. The Countryfile presenter Charlotte Smith now wears them too and they overwhelm her face, in my opinion. An MP was on the news today wearing such large black frames they all but hid her face
ReplyDeleteThis is not a trend I shall be following! 🤓
Yes AP I’ve noticed too.
DeleteI gave up following trends before I reached thirty !
Dark frames don't suit me and I always choose lightweight ones as well for comfort.
DeleteThe problem with these type of fashions, is trying to find glasses frames which are not these huge big ones, but those preferred by others.
DeleteI hate having no choice to what I prefer and being dictated to by current trends.
This is the same with clothes and particularly underwear.
I know what I like, but to find these..🤷♀️
It's the middle of May and we've just had a shower of hailstones!
ReplyDeleteCC You are half French? In France this year (always in May) 11-13th are les saints de glace or the ice saints!
DeleteI never knew that Basia, thanks for the info.
DeleteSame here in W. Cheshire!
DeleteI was in my kitchen this afternoon and suddenly there was a cacophony of sound accompanied by a sudden gloomy light. It was hail stones hitting my north facing kitchen window.
This was immediately followed by a noisy cat flap, 🐈⬛ quickly shot in.😸
Even we in Minehead had a few seconds of hailstones yesterday afternoon.
DeleteReally very very brief tho’, and the accompanying rain also lasted only a few minutes.
BASIA - your French description sounds very romantic.
It's Ascension Day - a day off here and raining. Pity as many shops are open and there are street activities. I'm not complaining about the weather, the heat always arrives, but now everything is lush and green. Our street is dug up as they're installing geothermal energy from which we will benefit, as we live in a building. The access by car is affected, but I only walk, so can always get through.
DeleteFor those of you who are interested I've noticed that there's a new series of Canal Boat Diaries starting next Monday on the Yesterday channel.
ReplyDelete👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 cc 😊
DeleteMy front garden is now absolutely.perfect but it took many hours to totally get it ready for the summer planting, plants to be bought soon.
ReplyDeleteThanks to the awful rain, which actually woke me up as so bad, along with the gale force winds over the last two days, the back garden is still waiting for it's next make-over. It's never ending at the moment, but I'm so enjoying keeping things under control though, just getting frustrated when the weather defeats me.
Goodness me….. we’ve just had thunder overhead, a heavy downpour and more hailstones.
ReplyDeleteWhat a surprise !
High winds and bad weather can result in "branchers" (young birds who have all their feathers but still can't fly who sit on branches close to the nest) falling out the tree. My daughter recently found a very poorly young rook with an injured leg in our orchard. She looked it up online and it said take it to a wildlife centre. She phoned up two, and neither were close to us. One said they were full to the rafters, and the other said they were only taking in seabirds and were full anyway. Someone we know said he took an injured rook somewhere once and he was shocked when he went back for it to find they had put it down.
ReplyDeleteSo for over over a week we had this young rook living in my greenhouse during the night ( and squishing my tomato plants!) and in a small aviary I once bought for an injured pigeon by day. My daughter cared for it very well but it was down to me to feed it while she was at work. We tried it with various things, very lightly scrambled egg, raw mincemeat, sunflower hearts, and dried mealworms, and it seemed to prefer the first two. I drew the line at digging up worms I'm afraid. The ungrateful little thing as it got livelier would peck like the devil so we had to wear gloves, but the thing I found strange was that if you put it on your lap it became totally docile and seemed to like being stroked. I suppose the warmth reminded it of being back in the nest. It had a lump on the part of its leg where the bend is but didn't actually seem to be broken, and was having trouble putting weight on it and couldn't curl its claws around for perching. By the end of a week it was beginning to be able to perch on the cross pole of the aviary and fly up and down to it.
DeleteWe also used a mini dose of some leftover old antibiotics for 3 days in case the lump was infected. Managed to get it down its beak in water in a plastic syringe.
DeleteI had just made up my mind to phone our vets for advice on Monday when my daughter who did the transfer from greenhouse to aviary in the mornings before work, came in to say when she went in she only left the door open a crack but it flew over her shoulder and out the door, went high in the air did the circle birds do to orientate themselves and then came straight down into one of the nests of the little rookery in the trees on the track. So hopefully the parents will continue to feed it, and hopefully the lump on its leg will keep on subsiding. At least it can perch again now, and can fly.
Well done Janice, 🤞it goes on and survives.
DeleteThat is lovely Janice.
ReplyDeleteA fantastic start to my Saturday Janice, thank you
DeleteYou and your daughter Janice, must have a wonderful sense of achievement.
ReplyDeleteWell done.
And thank you for such a heartwarming story.
Janice, it may now join the ranks of perchers who wait for you each morning to be fed.
ReplyDeleteYes indeed Basia. I just hope they don't cut down any more trees at the house along the lane.
DeleteAlresford watercress festival yesterday, fortunately the weather held and I was able to buy lots of tasty treats. It’s a good day out although I feel a bit sorry for all the dogs, lots of intriguing smalls and small children with ice creams, and not able to act.
ReplyDeleteCAN I warn everyone not to order anything from a company called Arthur & Violet London.
ReplyDeleteThey advertised last Autumn on Facebook, a range of really beautiful dresses & other clothes, available in standard and large sizes. Photos of a smart looking London Boutique-style shop.
Dozens of positive reviews.
So I I did order 2 dresses. They took weeks to arrive. I Really like one of them but the other dress is not flattering at all.
I want to return the unliked dress for a refund.
Have been trying to contact the company, who are still advertising and still have their website up, but it has been impossible. Emails returned undelivered, phone number no longer available, Help page inactive.
So I checked the company on the Govt. Company website...to find the original Arthur & Violet went bust several years ago. But the name has been taken over by some shonky Chinese company with a terrible record and hundreds of complaints. So I can't return dress (charity shop will benefit) and I shan't get my money back. Also explains why the dress took so long to arrive.
Be warned!
I’ve just looked them up AP, there is an awful lot of stuff describing the company as very bad, including all of your complaints and more.
DeleteI have been caught out once, a purchase from what seemed a very reputable company where the so-called quality goods, actually came from a factory in China and was not fit for purpose. To return it, it had to be returned to China + was not worth the postage, which these sites know. It's a form of scamming.
DeleteWhat I do now is google:-
Is ××××× a safe site.
The answers often tell the true set-up and if can be trusted.
My son tells me not to trust reviews. He thinks a lot are made up.
DeleteI've been impressed with my surgery. My usual hypertension check + blood tests were due and bang on time, I got a message to book an appointment. Two choices were given, to ring reception or use link provided. I decided to use the link. After identifying myself there on screen, was my name, what the appointment was about, who I'd be seeing, along with a list of dates + times to choose from. It was so easy and only took a couple of minutes, but this was a routine check-up, not an urgent request for an appointment - which is a very different story!
ReplyDeleteI no longer buy anything online after break-up because of unreliable delivery and surcharges.
ReplyDeleteI mainly ordered books, but now read what people lend me and even joined the local library for €5 per year for the seniors. As a result I read more in French and why not and if there's a book in English that's a real treat.
What I find irritating and that's a trend everywhere that I have to verify as a human.
I've recently listened to the two new episodes of Life Lines, back to back.
ReplyDeleteFor anyone who knows this programme, it's a great listen but do what I did and listen to both one after the other.
We got back from a visit to youngest daughter in Edinburgh yesterday, the renovation of their house is nearly complete and we were able to stay with them this time. It was lovely to spend time with all of them and see the children's school. Now I'm looking forward to a break from sewing on Rainbows badges and playing hide and seek.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you had a lovely time in Edinburgh CC. It is somewhere I have always wanted to visit but never been. Are Rainbows now the very young Brownies? Seems to me you were being the perfect Grandma!
DeleteYes Rainbows are young Brownies Archerfile. There were 9 badges to sew on to a red sash. The material was slippery so it wasn't easy to get them straight!
DeleteI'm not keen on cities but Edinburgh is one of the nicer ones that I've visited, mainly because it doesn't take long to get to the coast or the hills!
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DeletePtbY, you mentioned Amandaland a while ago. I had coffee this morning with the mother of the composer of the music for the series. He was at school with my daughters and was the drummer in the band that they were all in.
ReplyDeleteI watched a bit of Amandaland recently, not usually something I would find interesting. However I then decided that I should watch Motherland in order to understand the genre.
DeleteI have always admired Anna Maxwell Martin and enjoyed her work, but realised that Motherland was such a different direction for her to take in her career that I was intrigued. So now I’m binging three series of this strange ( for me) new country of life among younger women today. Then I shall be on to Amandaland next.
Small world isn’t it!!
DeleteWe are just bingeing motherland again after finishing new amandaland series. All the characters are brilliant. ( I love anything with Diane Morgan in it)
It’s so true in the popular, trendy mums group then the misfits who gravitate together.
Needless to say, at the time, I was in the misfits group! lol.
Liz is definitely my favourite character amongst them all.
DeleteMy old and tatty plastic patio table, down the side of my house is now fully laden with plants.
ReplyDeleteI had a lovely drive through the lanes to my favourite farm shop and plant place.
It was surprisingly quiet but I got all the plants I wanted for my hanging basket, window box, tubs etc.
All are looking good, but some are tiny esp. the trailing Apricot Frills trailing begonias, which will need a lot of TLC.
Hopefully the compost I bought will be far more water retentive than the one I bought last year so plants will thrive better.
That's my days planned, gardening and creating - it won't be quite as grand as RHS Chelsea, but it'll suit me.
To add, I also got two packets of yeast, which for a strange reason, gives me the best bread, which I make every week. Why this brand works so well, no idea, but it suits my baking!
Sounds perfect Miriam, food for body and soul.
DeleteFinally have woken to sunshine.
ReplyDeleteMaking a gravel path down long side of garden today. Only having to do this to stop husband treading on plants when he paints the fence!
Ah, the compromises!
DeleteWell that's me dirty, hot + sweaty.
ReplyDeleteAll the plants bought yesterday, are now all planted up. It'll take awhile for them to bush out, but they're strong + healthy. If the forecast is correct and it's going to be hot + sunny for days, then I'll be constantly watering, but small price to get the effect I want.
My window box is on the front of the house which is south facing so gets the sun all day, resulting that it can dry out quickly.
Runner beans were planted as well, my favourite variety - St. George - a heavy cropper with long straight, stringless pods, with red + white flowers that the bees absolutely love.
Although the window box is outside my lounge window, my lounge is cool, as at this time of year the sun is too high to shine directly in through the window. I have to plant the box carefully, so I can open the full side windows wide, without damaging any plants.
Delete🤞🏼regarding any possible garden watering bans Miriam!!!
DeleteI'm lucky as there's never any bans in my area - our water comes from the river Dee.
DeleteI've made a start on my pots and troughs but it's going to take a few days to get them all sorted out. My pelargonium cuttings are growing like Topsy now. The vegetables have made a slow start but I'm hoping that they will get going with this wamer weather. We've enjoyed sitting and eating outside for the first time this year.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone else get irritated by new words and phrases that are being used. Tonight on the BBC’s Gardeners World -programme someone said that Cornish people were being “upskilled” - what’s wrong with “ being taught new skills”?
ReplyDeleteI do. In fact I’m sick of all these new wokey words. My pet hate is pollinators. What happened to the words bees and insects.
DeleteExactly Soz. "Upskilled" makes us sound like illiterate peasants and the educators arrogant.
DeleteI should think people in the areas like Cornwall have always lived close to the soil and could teach those UPstarts ;) a skill or two!
DeleteMessage from.ARCHERPHILE.
ReplyDeleteShe can't get on this site at the moment as is having problems with Google.
She wants you all to know, she'll be back as soon as things are sorted.
✔️ 🤞🏼 Back soon
DeleteShe wants you all to know she's alive + kicking and she's missing due to a technical hitch.
DeleteThanks for letting us know Miriam.
DeleteWell here it is the dreaded ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️ and even earlier in the year in its intensity! I always dread it so much, and difficult to manage for so many. Fortunate to have a shady sitting room properties opposite get it full force. However for those of you that do enjoy it and can carry on life as usual I am pleased for you - after all Autumn will come 😀 a week tomorrow will be the 1st June the month that contains the longest day, we have only just had Christmas how can this be!!
ReplyDeleteI also can't believe how fast time seems to pass nowadays. My son has suggested we all have a barbecue on a beach today, so I shall definitely be taking a sun hat and be in and out the water paddling. May is normally my favourite month when everything is fresh and green but we do seem to be getting hotter Mays now. There seem to be a lot of rats around this year, probably because we are not having the cold winters which would slow down the breeding rate and kill off a number of the rats.
ReplyDeleteThinking of you paddling in the shallows Janice with your straw hat atop !
DeleteMy first job this morning was to do some ironing.
ReplyDeleteI put my lightweight summer trousers away last year, un-ironed.
There were two pairs missing though, which were found screwed up at the bottom of a wicker basket in another bedroom.
This shows what my love of ironing..🤣
It's last night's left overs for tea tonight, but that is roast pork, cider gravy, stuffing + apple sauce. Just need to do some pots. + veggies.
DeleteAs I was up early and dressed in my newly ironed summer trousers, I cooked. It was my turkey meatballs done in a lovely tomato/stock gravy, with celery, onions, leeks, mushrooms, carrots with lots of herbs.
That'll do me for the next few nights, plus a couple of portions to go in the freezer.
My kitchen is lovely in hot weather as it never gets any direct sun, plus the ceramic tiled floor is so cool and lovely in bare feet.
Pusscat hates the hot weather, as she's totally black so her fur gets hot.
She's been under the hedge all day, probably the coolest place for her.
Off to start the nightly water, as I'm determined to keep my new plants thriving and establishing.
My very black cat turned conker colour earlier in May when we had those few hot days. He is currently spending his time under his whicker chair on the deck of the summerhouse.
DeleteMiriam …. .?
DeleteCould you send some of those meals down south ……. Please.
My Sunday meal is from Tescos ready meals.
I admire your enthusiasm Miriam and wish I could eat this kind of food.
DeleteMy sister and I have widows in their late 80s for neighbours and we don't like the wafting kitchen smells, but both agree that if at their age they still enjoy cooking and eating then so much the better.
Me again!!
ReplyDeleteJust watching Countryfile weather. The highest recorded temp.for May to date - was May 2nd 1944..not sure what is was. Perhaps others saw this.
Yes I saw that Miriam
DeleteOoooh !
ReplyDeleteJust got Wordle in two.
Can’t get it at all. Have given up for now.
DeleteI was very lucky with my starting word as it had the same first letter as the Wordle had, plus two other letters in the wrong spot.
DeleteHello again everyone! At long last Google are allowing me to post again. They kept wanting me to sign in, then prove I am me! Every time I tried it got worse & worse , ended up with over 30 emails from them...then told to wait 72 hours before trying again. Ridiculous!
ReplyDeleteDuring all this I also got rather ill. Started shivering uncontrollably on Thurs evening, tried to go up to bed but my legs just wouldnt work. Gerald had to haul me up from the sofa and literally push me upstairs. Felt very sick (but wasn't). Couldn't undress myself so he had to find my nightie & try to get me to bed.
I was so very unsteady it took 15 minutes to manoeuvre me the very short distance between bathroom & bed room. He wanted to call ambulance but last thing I wanted was hospital again
Daughter insisted I call 111 & they were marvellous, arranged for a Dr to phone and assess me. He also said I should have gone to hosp because I must have an infection which people with heart failure can be prone to. Anyway he arranged a home visit (!) from a GP who was wonderful, diagnosed a severe UTRI which I'd probably had for several days & had got to my kidneys - hence the lower back pain I'd been having.
Now on antibiotics (delivered by our pharmacy an hour after the doctor left!) & hoping they put things right
So hopefully back to normal with both blog and health. 🤞
Good grief. But what good service from the nhs, for a change. Hope you recover quickly. 💐
DeleteSo sorry to hear about your woes Archerfile. I hope that the antibiotics take effect quickly and you feel better soon.
DeleteYour problems with Google are so frustrating 🤞things stay settled for a while.
Good to have you back with us AP and hope the infection clears up very soon after antibiotics kick in.
DeleteSounds very frightening Archerphile, hope you feel much better very soon.
ReplyDeleteArcherphile, hopefully with the right medication and our company you'll soon regain your balance.
ReplyDeleteI'm a shoplifter!
ReplyDeleteI had to pop to my nearest S/bury's this morning as I'd somehow run out of pots. and was short of milk + carrots. I got my trolley and on the way in I got side-tracked by the plants. I picked up a tray of 4 beautiful double yellow begonias, perfect to fill in some gaps in the back garden.
After getting my self-scanner, picking up the items I needed and home, I realised I hadn't scanned the plants!
Oh well, as a regular shopper there, I deserve a freebie.
PS at 9.15am it was busy..
Temp. here is now 32C and I'm "up north".
DeleteI expect many of us have been that forgetful at some time Miriam.
DeleteI walked out of my local food shop a couple of times without paying for individual things and on taking it back the following day they were surprised and sometimes didn't charge the full price.
DeleteOn one occasion in another shop I just walked in and put the items back.
The trouble is if you do that you may be charged with shoplifting, so you can always make up for it in some other way - you said you put some items in the charity bins Miriam.
Whenever I see a sign shopfitters - I always read shoplifters and others do, there's a scientific name for it.
Mrs P….. 3 today.
ReplyDeleteWell done PtbY, four for me.
DeleteWe get our veg box on Tuesday. We leave the outer door of the porch unlocked so that the delivery man can leave the box inside but he always rings the bell and hands it over if we are in. Today we were on the patio in the back garden so didn't hear the doorbell and he brought the box round explaining that he was looking for some shade to leave it in (the front of the house is south facing and the porch door glass) "so that the bread wasn't toasted and the onions fried".
ReplyDeleteHe's a lovely man and very friendly but I thought that was so thoughtful of him.
.
That's service.
DeleteAs a matter of interest, what was in your veg. box..
New potatoes, new carrots, cauliflower, asparagus, lettuce, vine tomatoes, peaches, strawberries and raspberries. We get an extra small fruit and veg box and can make up to 4 swaps from what's on offer. We can also buy extras and I ordered eggs and a rye tin sourdough loaf which makes the most delicious toasties and is just the right size for our toastie maker.
DeleteSounds delicious.
DeleteI was curious as I'm having trouble buying good fresh veg. at the moment, even from farm shops with their own home- grown veggies.
Not sure why though.
I’ve spent several periods of time today sitting in the shade and watching bees collect pollen. Amazing how many on flowering hydrangea petialaris which is a mass of blooms of creamy white lace.
ReplyDeleteI’ve also been fighting against sleep in this soporific weather.
The heat has really got to me today MrsP so I'm glad of the fresher breeze on the patio where I'm sitting now.
DeleteThe bees have been very busy in the herb garden on the sage and thyme. The orange thyme especially is covered in flowers this year.
I've also been watching the bees. I have a small tree/large shrub in the corner of the garden but no idea what it is.
DeleteIt is has tiny little white flowers and it's been covered in bees. A lovely site.
My ankles are swollen tonight, but it's only the side-effect of the vasodilator tablet I take for my BP. This only happens in extreme weather and by morning, my lovely slim ankles are back again.
DeleteFinding these hot nights unbearable. Even with fan on in bedroom all night it's like an oven.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing that's helped a bit is a cold wet flannel on the bedside table with which to swab.
A much fresher day here today, I've opened all the windows to blow that fresh air through the house. Here's hoping for a better night's sleep.
ReplyDeleteWishful thinking as temp. has shot up again and breeze has dropped.
DeleteAfter a busy morning out + about, my plan was to mow the lawns this afternoon. By the time I'd had my lunch, it was too hot again.
I did go out and trim all the edges of the back lawn ready in anticipation.
For some reason I'm making turkey curry tonight!! 🙀
Fortunately I’m able to keep cool.
DeleteI have the front door to the house open, with my own door nearby ajar and the window hallway up the stairs to the upper floors open too.
Inside my flat I have the front window open as well as one window in the bedroom at the back, and then the back door open as well. Since the back of the house is north facing the shadow of the house means that the nearest part of the garden is in shade for much of the day.
It’s much fresher here today as well.
I went to the surgery earlier to have my six weeks B12 injection and some bloods taken. Lady is being walked in the cooler evening.
Ankles have swollen up again so thinking sensibly (?), I took an extra diuretic.
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is - if there was a "peeing" contest in the Olympics, I'd be a forerunner for the 🥇
Perhaps though this might be better, as I was up about 3 times in the night, last night Luckily the loo is close by.
I don't know if you listen to What's Up Docs on Radio 4 Miriam but the latest one on the lymphatic system might be of interest to you.
DeleteI challenge you to that contest Miriam!
DeleteMy usual number of nightly visits to the loo is 4, but can be 5 on occasion. Very often I find it impossible to get back to sleep after the 5th trip!
That's the trouble with being on 2 different diuretic at once.
I was woken up in the night by really loud thunder and torrential rain in spite of not having my hearing aids in. It didn't last long and at least the garden has now had a much needed drink.
ReplyDeleteI only managed to get to sleep last night after I got a couple of ice packs out of the freezer and put them in the bed.
ReplyDeleteI can’t resist posting……… welcome to my club ladies.
ReplyDeleteI have actually slept over recent nights, but would just like to confirm that I toss and turn - and visit the lavatory up to four times in one night - from the time of getting into bed around midnight until six or seven in the morning.
This means that my current waking time is between 11 am and one o’clock in the afternoon. Today it was 12.20. pm.
Even so ….. I’m sorry that your all having sleepless nights.
What horrendous storms last night. They started at 11.00pm and ended at 2.00am. To say they were violent is an understatement! At one time when overhead and so the lightning and thunder were simultaneous, one was like an explosion and I swear the house vibrated.
ReplyDeleteI got up to look outside as I thought there was a lightning strike nearby.
Mind you the torrential rain has done wonders for the garden and it's so much fresher today.
Hope your garden did not get too much of a battering Miriam as much as the rain was needed. Still baking here in Hampshire but should be cooler tomorrow we shall see 🤞🏼
DeleteMy wonderful poppies and other plants were battered down, but thankfully have almost recovered.
DeleteAs cooler today the lawns were finally moved and now have stripes! 🤭
If only the inside was as satisfying, instead of the well lived in look and the - I'll sort it tomorrow - mentality!
Good to hear Miriam. Your lawn is ready for Wimbledon it seems 🍓 😊 I do a lot of mentally tidying up too 🤣🫢
DeleteHats off to Kings College Hospital for their rooftop garden designed for use by their Intensive Care patients to enjoy flowers and herb smells and scenery from their beds, and especially fresh air - their equipment can be hooked up to the units provided. This is a mental game changer 👏🏻❤️👏🏻❤️
ReplyDeleteWell done to all who contributed to the 2 million pound build be it by Will donations or via fund raisingwhich is why it took a decade (I think) to come to fruition.
Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it.
DeleteWhen listening to the news I was imagining being up there and looking down onto the surroundings, particularly the very close by park and the trees wherein.
My eldest G child was born there and I went to school near by, so know the area well, and before I left London I was volunteering there too.
Having grown up in that neck of the woods it was where I ended up after various scrapes & assorted out patients appointments. Not sure about the air quality though, although I thoroughly approve of the idea
DeleteThe idea, though is not so new.
DeleteI have memories of the open air hospitals, some of which were still functioning in the London area when I was young.
Though obviously this is a huge leap forward from those hospitals of old which i believe were mainly for tubercular patients.