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General => The Stay Safe Board => Topic started by: Mowsehowse on Wednesday 05 May 21 07:43 BST (UK)
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Had my second vaccination yesterday. Very slick set up, and thankfully, no after effects apart from a penny sized bruise, so far.
Afterwards went for a stroll around the farm shop nearby, where they have animals in enclosures from all over the world. It was still hugely windy though, so we didn't hang around for long.
Had an outside coffee date with the usual Tuesday crew and then a brisk walk along the sea front after lunch.
Watched a very strange Richard Gere film later, where he played the Baddie. I never expected to see such bad behaviour from him!!
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Hope you continue to feel ok after your jab MH... my daughter had her first one yesterday...
Well done for braving the elements!
I had been woken in the night by the wind rattling round the house and I opened the blinds in the morning hoping that the leaning tree from next door was still standing... thankfully it was!
We decided not to have our usual Tuesday coffee as sitting outside would have been cold, windy and a regular douching of rain!
I made another face covering as I thought my winter one with skiers on was probably out of season now.... although given the weather outside I’m not sure... who would have thought that last year the temp was in the 20’s C and now we’re in fleeces and the heating is still coming on!
Later I did some washing and hung it out thinking it would dry in the wind and in between the rain! Had to bring it in eventually as it was wrapped round the washing line!
Had a conversation with our V Hall chair about giving the hall a good deep clean as it’s been shut for over a year, apart from a short time in the summer ... it seemed odd to be discussing v.hall business... we’re going to have our fist meeting after May 17th...
More paperwork to do re the new subs coming in for our village lottery... good job really as we’ve not earnt any money over this past year!
Late afternoon we had a game of scrabble which I won... used all my tiles scoring 84 on one go...OH not too happy 😢😀.
He’s still busy trying to finish 1500 piece jigsaw it’s a real hum dinger and best lest with no distractions!
Dinner was chicken stir fry...
Usual tv... nothing very exciting....
Caroline
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Very pleased to hear that you haven't been badly affected by the jab MH, I remember that the first one made you feel very unwell. Good to be able to meet your friends even in the windy conditions.
A shame about your get together Caroline, what I'd like to know is what you did with all the goodies you'd baked. ;) ;D Good news about your village hall reopening, a step towards normality. Keep it up with the scrabble!
My day:
A wet day from the start and forecast to continue for most of the day. Did a few of those jobs that I struggle to get round to like turning the mattress around. Was expecting a parcel between eleven and one ,after lunch the rain stopped so I went out. Was walking through the woods when it started again, heavier as I crossed the field so I was soaked by the time I got home. Felt unsettled all afternoon, did some cleaning and checked a couple of things on the laptop.
I don't know if I have blackbirds nesting in my pyracantha, I saw a female carefully making her way in while her mate watched from the lawn. I'll make sure I don't trim it, don't want to risk anything.
My friend J and I had arranged to have a weather check at 4.30 to decide whether we'd be going for a walk about 5pm. By that time the rain had stopped and the sky was clearing but according to the Met Office it was raining heavily and set to continue. We decided to trust what we saw and go out. It was breezy but stayed dry and sunny, we bumped into my friend A as we walked into the village, she'd been to the beach with the dog but hadn't stayed long. Not surprising, when J and I got further towards the sea the wind was quite strong, we turned into a side road where it was more sheltered.
Felt better when I got home, I think my unsettled feeling was simply that I was a bit fed up. More rain in the forecast for the next few days although some sunshine too.
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"Late afternoon we had a game of scrabble which I won... used all my tiles scoring 84 on one go....."
Epic!! GO Caroline!! :D
Thanks Roobarb. Yes fingers crossed, all ok so far. Where we sat for coffee alongside the library building is not very scenic, but was sheltered from the wind yesterday.
Glad you got a dry walk with your friend later.... it would have been horrid to be drenched twice in one day.
I shall hope you have blackbirds nesting.... that would be so lovely to watch. Where I lived when the boys were young, we had wrens outside the back door one year. It was beyond amazing to me having been more used to city life.
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Oh “ Trees with blackbirds nesting in their hair”!
How lovely.
Lovely walks you have been taking
I should do one today to the Post Box as my sister in law’s Birthday is soon .
She will be 83,a year younger than I.
The only girl after three boys she was cherished by them and I always felt my other sisters in law and myself benefitted from the boys ‘ loving care of their little sister.
Bright and very sunny with a blue sky and a few cotton wool clouds but a cold wind.
Carer just calling to neighbour , I do think they are brave going into other’s
homes when as yet they may not visit family.
Hope son comes tomorrow would like him to post FH’s present on the other hand it is heavy and he will have so much anyway ,it will get to him one way or another and the postage which will be about £15 I should think is better going into his little bank account I have where I put all the loose change when I do a purse tidy .
Might strip the bed today ,a good drying day .
Really need to do kitchen cupboards out and check dates etc.
It is hard to be tidy on the surface when behind the scenes is as my mother would say say” like a dog’s dinner!”.
No sign of Nasturtium seeds having germinated yet.
Patience patience!
I never thought we would see in the news that a British Policeman would
SEEM,to have acted like an American one did not so long ago.
We don’t have all the details but the length of time the offender was Tasered
was excessive it has been reported.
What a shame on all counts ,an experienced officer pushed beyond limits and an offender with mental health issues due to a physical condition.
Our Police are wonderful ,having to go among stupid demonstrators when they have not been a priority group for vaccinations.
They are constantly being pushed to and beyond limits and are at least I believe 20,000 fewer than a short time ago!
Well ,must get busy , the work won’t do itself!
Cheerio.
Viktoria.
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There must be something wrong with me - I cleaned the microwave - as in a good clean not just a wipe round , including using a wooden cocktail stick to get into the corners. Then I cleaned the oven door glass! Not the whole oven mind you, but the glass door you can see through it beautifully now.
Think I might have shocked myself.
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;D
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The Spring cleaning bug has bitten me too!
Kitchen done and utility room ,that never looks any better but things have been moved around a bit!
As soon as it gets warmer inside can go blow!
I will be up my elbows in compost etc.
Can’t see my goldfish today, did not come to be fed when I ,as usual, topped on the side of their pond .
Perhaps they can’t be bothered as it is so cold .
Friend in Wales sent some Aloe Vera offshoots and Spider plant babies.
A little Thankyou for the earrings I sent her perhaps but she likes to share plants ,has a lovely garden,on The Gower peninsular .
Oh the laughs our two families had when kids young .
Her OH very explosive,mine cool and calm,but each liked the other.
It was their dog that followed the window cleaner up the ladders!
No idea what to have for tea ,but a fridge, freezer fulland cupboard full so won’t starve will I!
Well a cuppa and then think about what to prepare.
Hope the weather warms up soon, it is really cold here.
Cheerio.
Viktoria.
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Steady on ladies! :o Hope you've got over the trauma Candleflame. :D
How lovely of your friend to send the plants Viktoria, a nice personal present.
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I cleaned my microwave this morning too! I also emptied the cutlery and kitchen gadget drawers and cleaned them along with the plastic liners. Did a laundry and dishwasher load, stopped short at giving the dog a bath. He has to have one soon, will be going to vet for his annual money grab, oops, I mean check-up! I wonder how much we have spent on this little beast, a small fortune.
Yesterday I cleaned out a bunch of genealogy mags, all British, earliest about 1997, latest 2018. There are about 130 in all, and I have kept another dozen or so to read again. I offered them to a family history friend, her roots are entirely English - she said yes, but she doesn’t know how many I actually have. We are going to phone chat tomorrow, so I will let her know.
Have also been cleaning up in my office. I plan to buy a new computer desk and get rid of a lot of stuff. It must be spring, cause I hate cleaning and sorting!
The weather here is coolish, about 9 today. We finally got some rain they had been forecasting for a few days. Says it will not go much above 16 or so for the next two weeks. Good.
Went for a walk in the park a couple of hours ago, OH went on his merry way, walks faster than I do (long legs) and I had my hiking sticks. I headed back to the car on a man-made path, saw two geese a few yards away, drinking from a large puddle, 6 goslings with them! They blended in with the water and were dirty but still very cute in their clumsiness. The parents didn’t seem to mind me, but honked and chased off another goose.
I then went up the slope where they have planted yet-to-bloom flowers and there are a couple of benches so I sat down and saw a couple of chipmunks running around, then a grey squirrel came up to me at the end of the bench and I thought for sure he was going to jump up and sit next to me. I talked to him and he stayed for quite a while. Then a groundhog came along, got very close to my feet and sniffed my hiking sticks. Looked like a young one. Wish I had my phone with me, but if I’d tried to take a picture they prob have run off. They are usually very shy.
We are still in lockdown. Next big excitement is grocery pick up on Friday.
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Thanks Roobarb ,we knew each other as girls but different schools,and she lived across a very busy main road ,also she is three years older than me and at eleven or so is a big difference.
I passed her first home after she married on my way to and from my parent’s home after I married .
My son was six month’s older than hers .Her husband was in The Navy, on an Aircraft Carrier, and away from home a lot whilst mine was travelling to the Near and Far East, Scandinavia and Europe for his job so she and I were alone a lot .
We teamed up ,just park walks ,day trips to the seaside etc.
Never in the evenings .
When I and the children and all our pets were leaving England to join my husband who was already in Belgium, we were alone at M/c Airport ,but they came to see us off ,I have never forgotten that kindness as it was upsetting - I was leaving my Dad ,a widower ,but had to keep our little family together.
We never lost contact .Her husband died a year or so after mine such opposites, he very quick tempered but up and down in a minute ,mine always calm ,but they liked each other.
Such funny stories with our four little boys ,she is Rhesus negative so only two children ,the last weighed 12 pounds!
A huge lad,great at Rugby.
Never had the little girl they would have liked to have had.
But such Happy Days!
Cheerio.Viktoria.
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Dear me, I'm exhausted just reading about all this spring cleaning! I'm sure you'll consider the money spent on your dog well worth it Diana, you obviously treasure the little guy. :) Your park sounds like a great place, full of wildlife. I don't know anything about groundhogs other than the film, had a look at some images, they look to me similar to a beaver but I've no idea how big they are. Rabbit, cat or larger?
What a good friend you've had all these years Viktoria, reflected in your remembering her kindness all those years ago when she came to the airport to see you off.
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Roobarb, groundhogs are about the size of a cat but more rounded. This one was small, I am guessing a year old? Beavers are a bit bigger and have that flat tail they can hit on the water. The groundhog tail is not very long or flat. The park is wonderful, am not sure if the Parks department relocates skunks. There must be rabbits there, too, haven’t seen any recently, just a large one in the backyard the other day.
The Groundhog Day observance was brought to NA with German settlers, but don’t know what creature they had in mind, none in Germany. Just looked it up - badgers.
Yes, every penny spent on that silly dog has been worth it, I was just kidding, but I do think vets overcharge!
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Just doing a bit of catch up on the diary threads -
It’s good to hear that you are feeling ok after your second jab MH.
You must all be pleased with talk of the hall reopening Caroline, despite the prospect of some hard work to get it cleaned.
I love the thought of baby blackbirds Roobarb. I do find baby birds quite a worry - there are so many predators around, and fledglings always seem to get themselves into some kind of dangerous position.
You made me smile with tales of your cleaning efforts candleflame. ;D
Viktoria, you are a lovely person and a lovely friend. :-*
Diana - I sympathise re the vet bills. I used to call my previous dog a “money pit” - she was at the vets a few times every year for various ailments, with expensive medications prescribed, and also had ongoing health issues (bad knees) which needed more meds. She was gorgeous though, and they’re always worth it. Current dog is cheap to run thank goodness, so it’s just the annual check and jab for her.
Tuesday was so long ago that I can’t remember what I did. :)
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Lovely that you had such close encounters with nature Diana. Sounds really enviable.
Well done with all the clearing and recycling, great job. Your new office will be very posh I am sure.
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Well, peeped out of the bedroom curtains this morning to a garden covered in ice!
Frost on the utility room roof(single storey) but bright sunshine!
How lovely to see so many wild animals.
Just grey squirrels here ,birds and ducks on a pond ——- another poem springs to mind- something like “five ducks on a pond ,what a memory for years ,remembered with tears”
I will have to look it up now.No other wildlife ,
Just phoned my husband’s sister 83 today.
Her son had just called so will phone back later.
Yes dogs are expensive,our little Patterdale/ Jack Russel was very hardy but now and again needed treatment .
I was with Pet Plan which started if at£15 a month in 1994 but as she got older got to £49-99.
Cross breeds are cheaper to insure than pedigrees but now genetic faults are manifesting themselves with Labradoodles,Cockerpoos ,etc and the man who started the cross breeding to try to eradicate inherent faults admitted he really regretted it.
The yearly vaccinations are never on the insurance.
Are you still O.K Mowsehowse ?
Baby birds, what a privilege to have them in your garden, hard to leave them alone as you do worry about them, but never interfere is the golden rule I think.You obviously adhere to that.
I must get on with my kitchen ,where do the crumbs come from in the cutlery drawer?
I don’t like this kitchen/ diner!
Thought I would get used to it but to see the sink when eating Christmas dinner, >:(
Not a real problem at all I tell my whingeing whining self!
A clip round the legs that would get me in my Mum’ s Day!
Oooh she was ‘ard! :D
Hip somewhat better today up to now.
Must uncover the Sir Tom Rose, I protect it from the frost at night.
Next but one neighbour was busy with a strimmer in his back garden yesterday, he has it all paved abd gravelled but the flippping horsetail weed flourishes,he does not use weed killer.The thought of all those little bits that
can regenerate !I only saw three bits in my garden last year as I am obsessed with eradicating it,he is OK and we have a laugh but the best thing he can do now is to sprinkle garden lime liberally ,it hates that.
Hope everyone is well, lots of Spring cleaning and reorganising going on,is it a custom peculiar to Britain? In Belgium it was Het groot schoenmaak ,every week! .
Most houses had tiled floors and the skirting boards were tiles ,like a shallow paddling pool- so a bucket of very hot water with “ soft soap “ was flung down and swished around and then dragged our with a “ trekker”,a heavy duty squeegee on a broom handle
which effectively pulled or “trekked “ the soapy water out leaving an almost dry floor which could be buffed up to a soft but safe sheen.
All pouring over the step.
The floor cloths are huge and can be folded over the trekkers and the floor is “ zwabbed “to the soft sheen.
Phew, and we lived next to the owners of the house we rented ,there were friendly “ visits” ie inspections .
I always left a key when we went on holiday but she had one anyway as of the two sets back and front we only had two each lock ,there are three keys to a lock .I could tell she had looked under beds etc as being a typical Belgian huisvrouw ,she was a big girl and needed to press on the beds to get up — leaving her hand impression on the covers.
Never mind ,I was not going to let England down was I!
No fluff was ever found.
Well must phone sister in law back and friend in Shropshire ,have to time that, her son stopped the cares out of concern so he does all she needs and I try not to phone when he is busy or having a sit down .She likes Yardley’s
Lavender ,so refreshing I think when you are ill in bed.
Her Birthday 29 th May.
Thanks for the news everyone,things are getting better generally but Hyndburn is very high at the moment
T
Wonder what will the result be of the Elections?
I am supporting the candidate who will endeavour to halt the building on green belt land which in our borough is almost almost always Ramsbottom and is transforming it from a little market town to a suburb of Bury .
I won’t say more as it would be political.
Cheerio, thanks for the news .look after yourselves
Viktoria
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Lovely that you had such close encounters with nature Diana. Sounds really enviable.
Well done with all the clearing and recycling, great job. Your new office will be very posh I am sure.
Thank you, MH, I have more to do in the office, but I figure if I take one step at a time it will get done. Problem now is our lockdown, I want to call Habitat for Humanity to pick up the unwanted furniture and rug (I bought a lovely IKEA rug, Pennsylvania Dutch design with a black background, about 6 years ago - It’s just a magnet for dog hairs), but as we are in lockdown, doubt if they are doing this.
Had a close encounter with nature this a.m., took dog out, he was leashed, long, he was having a very intense sniff around one area of yard, I wandered over and could see a large calling card of some critter - most likely a raccoon, too large for anything else. Ick. I left the plastic marker for OH to pick up later 😁. Not the encounter with nature I enjoy!