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Life outside Ambridge
Life outside Ambridge
Life outside Ambridge
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Life in Ambridge
THIS POST IS CLOSED "longer off topic comments" - Episode 14 Life Outside Ambridge Have a seat and let's chat.
*** FROM PREVIOUS BLOG ***
ReplyDeleteLanjan.June 24, 2020 at 7:18 PM
We went into a shop today for the first time since 17th March.
It was a small Tesco and when I told the Shop Assistant that it was the first time I had shopped for over 3 months she sympathised and was amazed when I said that were it not for the sadness and worry about the virus and the fact that I haven't been able to meet close members of my family I would have had a perfectly enjoyable period.
However it must be terrible for people who live in crowded high rise flats in the middle of large towns and cities and I really do sympathise with them.
Lady R - June 24, 2020 at 7:25 PM
Archerphile - in settings under Display & Brightness on the right hand side is Text Size also Bold once tapped a slide bar appears maybe that will help...🤔
Yes I agree re weather as posted earlier for both of us it is appalling hot and sticky!
carolynJune 24, 2020 at 7:46 PM
Gary, glad you've arranged your annual ( or bi-annual ?) trip to the Cairngorms - what a tonic that will be !
Autumnleaves -June 24, 2020 at 7:53 PM
Don't forget Gary as Mrs Slcombe once said "it can quite chilly up th cairngorms"😁😁😁
Autumnleaves - I wouldn't care if it was 10 degrees below freezing!
ReplyDeleteYay you could enjoy a nice cosy fire then Gary 🤗 👏
DeleteOff to the Île d'Oleron Tues, not a little trepidation. Only 5 nights, stocked up on masks. Us at least.
ReplyDeleteHurrah for ANYWHERE that isn't your house, that's what I say! Enjoy.... (Had never heard of the island parsley, but as always Mr Google told me all about it!)
DeleteWhitecurrant jelly tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteAnnual goosegog & mint jelly already on the shelf.
Ongoing battle against blackfly on beans this year...
You should cut off the tender tips of the plants cos that the bit the flies like. According to monty don and Alan titchmarsh.
DeleteGG.. have a wonderful time tl2 😙😙
ReplyDeleteGary - that’s it! The new picture at the top is the very same edition as my beloved copy of The Enchanted Wood! Thank you so much for finding it, with Joe, Bessie & Fanny on the front. You can tell how long ago it was published.....in the days when little boys only ever wore shorts with a shirt & tie, and not jeans!
ReplyDeleteI still dress like that on occasion...
DeleteNot sure whether to take that seriously Gary! ☺️
DeleteThe illustrations on these books are lovely!
ReplyDeleteRe black fly, I had them on my broad beans but managed to keep them under control by pinching off the affected parts and yes I did take off the tips and used soapy water but never completely eradicated them. They then spread to my runnerbeans but hope again to keep them minimal. There was a ladybird on them yesterday and they enjoy blackfly for lunch so that might help! The only foolproof method is spraying with killer stuff but prefer not to because of bees! Oh, well. Onward and upward!
Yes, broad beans eaten long ago, it's the French beans under attack. Spotted 2 ladybirds & a few wasps... keeping on with the soapy water...
ReplyDeleteBasia. Thank you for the correction my fingers didn’t coincide with what was in my brain.
ReplyDeleteTuesday's bread delivery turned up in silence, the claxon on her van was b. gg... d. Today she announced her arrival with a hunting horn!! 📯📯📯
ReplyDeleteWe still get a fish van & a grocery van where I live.
DeleteAs I am still castaway on my Desert Island, my 5 films have been chosen, accordingly. These are ones, that I can watch over, over and over again. They will keep me entertained, making me laugh, smile and weep.
ReplyDelete1) Summertime (1955) Kathryn Hepburn. Rossano Brazzi.
This is just light-hearted and set against the lovely back-drop of Venice.
2) Indiana Jones - The Last Crusade (1989) Harrison Ford, Sean Connery.
This is the action packed film (there had to be one) and the bond between the two main
characters is superb.
3) Nights in Rodanthe (2008) Richard Gere, Diane Lane.
I had to include RG, and this is the film I enjoyed most. It is also a Nicholas Sparks story.
4) Gnomeo + Juilet (2011)
The Elton John music is great and the cast doing the voice-overs, is just brilliant. It is too
good for children, IMO.
5) What We Did on Our Holiday (2015) Billy Connelly, David Tenant
Pure British comedy, which I find very funny ( but that's my sense of humour).
The meal I have put together, is for warmer climes. It will be eaten on knees, sitting on the trunk of a palm tree, which was blown down in a tropical storm, last week.
a) Crostinini with various toppings
b) A lasagne, made with lightly smoked salmon steaks, asparagus, with a cream, parsley and dill sauce, served with a crisp green salad.
c) A tangy lemon cheese-cake, which has an oaty biscuit base, and decorated with strawberries.
My only worry is, whether the Desert Island supermarket, will have all the ingredients.
Thanks Miriam!
DeleteI actually re-watched the Indiana Jones one a few weeks ago - I had forgotten how good it was. Not seen any of the others...
I think you've mentioned your delicious sounding salmon lasagne before. I'd like to give that a try at some point. And I will!
Well ,Ev you can always buy some ladybirds.
ReplyDeleteI was sceptical when my son told me how amazing they are for clearing the beans of black fly.
However he reckons there was a transformation over night.
He got some for us and yes the green and black fly did vanish.
Mind you they are not cheap.
They are baby ladybirds when they arrive and look little more than black dots
I looked at the website and there were plenty of 5*
Archerphile could go into Business when she gets her swarm.
Great idea Lanjan. I was out reading under a tree in the garden yesterday and several ladybird larvae fell on me from above!
DeleteAmazing what you can buy online nowadays! 🐞🐞🐞😁
DeleteThanks Lady R for your suggestion re the problem I’m having with these blogs. Altering the font size doesn’t help because everything else on my iPad is the correct size - it’s only the Archersfan blogs (both of them) that are coming up so enlarged. I’ll have to investigate further, now I know it’s just me!
ReplyDeleteHere's staring out at you!
DeleteI'd wolf down that delicious meal, Miriam, but could I have the sauce for the salmon on the side, to use as a dip ?( don't like much cream in savoury food)
ReplyDelete'Fraid I haven't seen any of the films...
The one that attracts me most at first glance is the Connelly/Tennant one. Will look up !
Miriam, I haven't seen any of the above, the only one I recognise is Indiana Jones and many of the actors of course. I'd gladly partake of the lasagna if there's enough to share.
ReplyDeleteThe "Awful" Tower is open again, I've never visited but I'm glad it's there.
ReplyDeleteJust to say, my new profile pic is where we went for a walk at the weekend. About a mile from our house and not another living soul in sight. So peaceful!
ReplyDeleteI've seen Summertime when it's been on the telly. Same era as Roman Holiday with the other Hepburn. I'm not a fan of Katherine but this film is good. A holiday romance.
ReplyDeleteIndiana Jones is great. Haven't seen the others.
The food sounds delicious. I think I'd have to loosen a button or two at the end of it though.
I did consider Roman Holiday, but the choice was:-
DeleteWhich Hepburn
B/W or Colour
Rome or Venice.....??
There was no contest.
Venice everytime. A brillant place.
I don't think I've seen any of your choices Miriam.
ReplyDeleteI'd enjoy the crostini and the dessert sounds wonderful.
I've only seen The Last Crusade, and will start off watching the comedy one and Summertime.
ReplyDeleteThe meal sounds great, all of it. I very much like the salmon and asparagus combination (have started a little bed of asparagus this year) and anything lemony is good by me.
I am not at all surprised, that the majority of my flms are unknown, I truely expected this.
ReplyDeleteI wrote this choice (my 1st and only list) , whilst in deep lockdown.
Instead of choosing 5 top favourite films, of which there were far too many to chose from, I chose in a very different way.
These are the films that give me a feel good factor, as they are light-hearted, humerous and cheer me up!
I came across some of these films by accident - an impulse DVD buy in a shop, or watching with the kids or other family members.
The Billy Connolly/David Tenant one (set in Scotland), was watched with my 2 sisters, via netflix, on a catch- up break together. We were 3, over 60's, all together on a settee, laughing out loud.
My youngest niece (who was also staying) + my bro-law, went into another room, to escape from us!
Every film I mentioned, I have a copy of, be it a DVD or on HDD, so I can rewatch easily, whenever I want to.
Perhaps my choices, were also influenced by when, how and with whom, I first watched them.
DeleteA sub-concious influence?
The orchids, which I had cut back, nutured on my ktchen window sill, are now flowering.
ReplyDeleteTwo had produced some new growing spikes, which gradually showed a lot of new flower buds.
The heat + humidity has done wonders. I now have two orchids in bloom, with new flowers opening, in my lounge,
They are just gorgeous.
Miriam....only seen Harrison ford film. It was good. Intrigued with Katherine Hepburn film, sounds just my cup of tea.
ReplyDeleteLove the grub. Cheesecake would deffo be on my list.
Just googled Richard gere film. Will be watching it very soon somehow.
ReplyDeleteRossini Brazzi was my mother's dreamboat⛵⛵⛵
ReplyDeleteRossano
DeleteIs it tomorrow Archerphile ventures to the opticians?
ReplyDeleteIf it is, then I wish her well and I hope that the new glasses, will not too expensive.
They will be worth it, regardless..
Miriam, I love What we did on our Holiday.
ReplyDeleteI watched it with my teenage daughters and almost from the first scene we looked at each other and said 'Outnumbered!'
Then when the credits rolled, saw it was written (or partially written) by the same person, I think it was Andy Hamilton.
Yes. It was influenced by Outnumbered, and it shows.
DeleteUs "oldies" did the same, as we all watched + loved, that TV series.
DeleteWe loved Outnumbered too 😀
ReplyDeleteMy daughters were just a little bit older than the Outnumbered kids.
DeleteI am just so VERY angry with the bl—-y stupid people out and about today especially at Bournemouth - to be honest words fail me. Travellers from Birmingham, Derbyshire and of course London. So the next wave of CV will be all over the country again. Pub openings etc yet to come😱 why do we seem to have the monopoly of crass behaviour at home and abroad.Amazing most of these idiots even complied with the lockdown even at the beginning.
ReplyDeleteAs for the rubbish left behind 😮😮😮
Totally agree 100%
DeleteSo many just choose to ignore the current guidelines.
I could give my true thoughts, but this is not the place.
All I will add is, these persons, will start spreading this deadly virus again, affecting those who have, and still are, abiding by the rules.
I am sticking to my once a week shopping trip.
This is EXACTLY the place Miriam! Feel free to vent your frustrations!
DeletePS I read an article about the same problems in Swansea. The local residents cleared up the rubbish, esp the many empty bottles of alcohol, discarded.
DeleteWords fail me!!
GG I could but won't. I feel very strongly about this situation, and those who just don't seem to care.
DeletePerhaps it is due to my previous work life, and so I understand about the transmission of "bugs"...
...and this one, which is still very.prevalent, everywhere.
DeleteAgree 100%. I am steaming at the moment. My daughter went for a 2 hour meeting at the holiday park today, to discuss their approach after July 4th when we are expecting the hordes to descend on Cornwall. The main organiser and employer of the rest of the team was happy to wait until September to restart their work managing the site, despite having taken quite a hit this year, but she has been inundated by many of the chalet owners who are demanding that they restart immediately from July 4th because they want their chalets (holiday homes) making money as soon as possible. Also when she explained she would be following government guidelines and leaving a 72 hour gap between the Lettings some of the owners have promptly taken their chalets to a less conscientious rival firm ( they call them the Cleaning Goblins but that isn't their real name!) who will put their cleaners in straightaway so that there is no gap between visitors. When she phoned up the official tourist advice centre here she was glibly told not to worry about the 72 hours and that 24 hours would be fine.
DeleteSo here we have a conscientious employer trying to protect her workers and follow government guidelines, and she is being hammered by greedy chalet owners who won't wait and and having government advice flatly contradicted by the tourism advice centre.
I would like to say a lot about our government's too late approach to lockdown, but won't or Gary will ban me, but I do recognise government can't be blamed when people deliberately disregard the sensible guidelines they do issue. How on earth can people be so stupid.
Meant to protect her workers and the visitors coming to the chalets
DeleteJanice.It is so frustrating and frightening.
DeleteIf I said what I honestly think, I too would be banned, as I could not keep a civil tongue in my head.
I had to choose between the two Hepburn actresses and was aware that two of my films were set in Paris. Pure coincidence though.
ReplyDeleteI have not seen one of your films Miriam but will watch, if I can find them, in due course.
Of course I echo Lady R and Miriam in their anger re the ignorant crowds causing havoc on the south coast and in Brixton and other cities.
I wonder when people started to think it was OK to leave their rubbish on beaches? Disgusting behaviour.
ReplyDeleteI am praying that the mob situation does not worsen.
Think I’d be banned off this site if I aired my opinion of all these beach goers. Not to mention the carry on in Brixton and the injuring of so many police.
ReplyDeleteI had my first zoom session today organised by the Watermill in Posara. I should have gone there early this month but.... It was a painting session from a photograph and the artist took us through in 4 stages so we did the painting with him. I found it a good way to learn and this is my painting! Some improvement needed but was quite pleased! We followed it up this evening with a takeaway Italian and Pinot Grigio Rose. There were 100 people on the painting course from USA, UK, Dubai and even Israel so a very interesting experience!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds a wonderful, and different, experience.
Delete👍👍😁
Oo....I like your painting, Ev - especially the shadows behind the washing on the line. Well done, you ! What a great zoom initiative. Will there be other sessions ?
DeleteWow Ev, that's lovely
DeleteI've always wished I could paint and draw. I started working through an 'absolute beginners' guide early on in lockdown, but haven't kept it going 😕
Note to self - keep working at it!
Yes, Carolyn. One next Thursday and one the Thursday after that with diff event subjects. The photos are e mailed a few days before. Zoetrope, I’ve always been able to draw but find painting more difficult. At school we were never taught to paint, just given powder paints and told to get on with it. I have had classes over the years but have never been completely satisfied with results but as I said this way, actually doing the painting with him was a revelation. The fact is though that you have to keep on practising and I haven’t been good at that but have now resolved to try my best to do so!
ReplyDeleteRe the shadows, Carolyn, having a dark background to in this case the washing on the line throws it forwards. I am learning to be bolder with these darks as it is a bit frightening initially to apply them! In this case because of the bright Italian sun, the shadows thrown on the building are very obviously dark. It’s not just shadows of course but extremes of light and dark and naturally dark backgrounds.
ReplyDeleteOmg. Ev that painting is fab.
ReplyDeleteI can only manage a tin of delux and a roller.
I haven't seen any of your recommended films,Miriam but I must say I fancy the David Tennant one if it is anything like Outnumbered.
ReplyDeleteApparently that was largely unscripted so that the children would sound more natural.
Take note Archers Editor.
Never heard of starter Which sounds Italian and I am sure would be lovely and will pass on your main course but I do like a cheesecake .
LIVERPOOL ARE THE CHAMPIONS
ReplyDeleteOh Ev that's lovely, so envious. As well known, can only draw a horse's head facing left.
ReplyDeleteMiriam, know the Indiana Jones film v well, D Tennant /B Connolly to be followed up, not seen the others.... yet.
Would eat the crostini.
LJ.. 👍👍🥂🥂
ReplyDeleteThanks Parsley.
ReplyDeleteI am staying up with a glass of Arran malt whisky watching a programme about our fantastic Season
Southern husband in bed.
OOOH I think that's below the belt LJ.
ReplyDeleteYou tell us your usually in bed by ten.
Southern husband indeed !
I've been to local NT woodland and lakes this evening.
No swimming allowed, but it's THE place to go apparently. And of course to swim.
Hordes of youngsters there and it's been pretty raucous earlier i was told.
The amounts of rubbish and discarded towels and clothing was disgusting.
Many responsible young people, mainly young men were collecting rubbish into sacks and carrying them away, but there was still plenty left.
Main reason for my visit was to tempt lady into the water. She managed once and came out immediately but couldn't be tempted twice.
But she did get an extra supper. Three sausages and two burgers.
Ev
Your picture is very good.
I'm sure you will improve even further since you obviously love painting.ive never wanted to paint, but I have always wanted to draw.
Buildings only though.
Parsley 16, a horse’s head is quite difficult to draw so well done! Mrs P, have you tried pen and ink drawing? Buildings can be difficult with perspective in mind and for me trying to do straight lines! Glad you had a nice trip out with Lady. I can’t imagine getting our three into the water. I’m not even sure Shih Tzus can swim but maybe Buddy has enough terrier in him! He did once sniff out a rat on one of our walks which must have been the Jack Russell in him!
ReplyDeleteThank you all for your encouragement over the painting! Next week is a busy market scene so that should be fun!😊
Ev, do hope that you will continue to show us what you've done on your profile. Your decision, of course, but so interesting - a market scene sounds challenging !
Delete✔️✔️✔️
DeleteThanks Ev😉! Bon continuation...
ReplyDeleteHad a first choir rehearsal via Zoom last Wed. Bit of an experiment with a small group, not too bad, good to see everyone again...
Choir picnic on Sunday, chez Marc, one of the tenors, outside only, absolutely no sharing...
Parsley, that’s great news about your choir. Enjoy your musical picnic. I imagine it will be quite emotional to hear live music again.
ReplyDeleteI see UK government is moving tentatively towards outdoor performances.
Ev, your picture is beautiful and despite lacking your talent it’s made me think about having a go. I dipped a toe in to a watercolour class early this year after a few drawing classes, but having been told at school I wasn’t any good...I don’t think I can get far, but I am starting to enjoy it a little bit. It’s great you can connect with your lovely holiday venue.
Miriam, I haven’t seen any of your films but I can imagine they would keep up the spirits on a desert island. I will look out for the first one - always wanted to visit Venice. I like the sound of salmon lasagne, minus the cream for me, and although I am not a fan of cheesecake, the lemon and strawberries would make it light and fresh and summery. Is the starter similar to bruschetta? I do like that with lots of tomatoes...😋
Enjoy your holiday when it comes, Gary...sounds perfect for peace and quiet and no crowded beaches.
I really hope I can go north in a month or so but I am scared about the journey and crowded service stations 😱. At least I don’t have to book anything so I can just wait and see what happens in the next few weeks.
Miriam. I haven’t seen any of your films. Although I have indulged on one of the Indiana Jones. But can’t remember which one. Definitely not yours.
ReplyDeleteI couldn’t eat any of your deliciously sounding food, am not a fish lover and too much cream and sugar. My pancreas wouldn’t cope.
I do love lemons in everything starter, main mail and cocktails.
Ev. I love your painting, including the washing on the line.
I’ve had to resort to accessing our blogs on my tiny iPhone which is screening them at the proper size. My iPad, which I normally use, is showing them at a big magnification which makes them very frustrating to read and to post on.
ReplyDeleteI can’t get to the bottom of the problem so please excuse me if I don’t post or reply very much at present - the keyboard on this phone is tiny & so easy to make mistakes.
But I’d like to congratulate Ev on her lovely painting. I used to be a very prolific watercolourist but my deteriorating eyesight prevents me doing landscapes any more.
So I went on a botanical painting course (at a National Trust property) and concentrate on that now. When you have to examine a plant or flower very minutely it is an advantage to be short sighted! I particularly love painting pansies and sweet peas as the colours are so vibrant - also autumn leaves as you can graduate the colours beautifully after masking out the veins.
I knew I was getting it right when my daughter asked for one of my leaf paintings to be framed for her bedroom! What a boost for the morale that was.
Now, back to picking goosgogs, before the storms arrive, topping & tailing and filling the freezer!
I wish I could offer some advice to help fix your viewing problems AP - sorry!
DeleteHave you tried a reboot AP? (Not just a switch off and on)
DeleteSeasider, teachers can be the most discouraging people so ignore what you were told at school. Practice is the thing! Also the fact you enjoy it is the main thing!
ReplyDeleteThanks Ev, I am trying to hear what the watercolour tutor said in the spring when she told me “you can draw”. It’s difficult to believe at the moment after half a century of believing otherwise, so I have one of my pictures on my mantelpiece, of a local folly, to try to convince myself. Nothing of your standard or complexity but a personal achievement. I agree, it’s practice and patience and enjoyment of the process that matters.
DeleteWell done Ev.
ReplyDeleteI am most impressed.
At the beginning of lockdown I decided to try acrylic painting.
I mainly do trees and flowers .
Been a bit busy with pond and garden recently but if and when we get rain I plan to have another few sessions.
Gary -
ReplyDeleteDreadful news from Glasgow this evening.
So sorry to hear this from your city.
Trust you are not too nearby the Park Inn.
Seasider do please tell me the name of the folly.
It's bound to be the name of one of my mum and dad's courting spots.
And congratulations for managing even one drawing.
Ev, not tried pen and ink, not even had the courage to pick up a pencil.
For the very first time today, Lady was reluctant to be moved from her cool spot to leave home.
I needed to do a little shopping at the Deli before presenting myself at the surgery for my B12 injection strict timed appointment and couldn't be sure of how long I might be. We have got to a firm half an hour now, to leave her. I felt it possible that she would be fine today if I was gone for a little longer, but not for perhaps an hour.
She happily laid down in the shade outside the door to such an extent that the reception staff were delighted at the change in her anxiety.
I think it's now up to me to extend the time beyond the half an hour, but don't know where to go, since all I've done for over sixteen months is to go out with the dog.
Yes dreadful news from your part of the world Gary! Looks like we are going back to the old world fast now ☹️
DeleteThe forecast storms have not happened.
ReplyDeleteI woke up, this morning, to heavy rain, but since mid morning it has been hot sunshine again and so very humid.
Mrs P.
What a result with Lady. You must be so proud that all your hard work, is showing such fruition.
Well Done. 👏👏
Mrs P you must be pleased with Lady. It’s quite a leap for a dog to be content when left outside and of course you couldn’t do anything else. It does take time to get a dog like her or our rescues to bond with you and fit into your life. You have done so well with her!
DeleteYou can get a drawing pen from art shops or just use an ordinary felt tip type. Of course a pencil has the advantage of being erasable if you make a mistake. I have just been trying to draw a boat. On the island of course we have lots of them but you can never quite believe what you see when they are foreshortened. How does it all fit in? However, whatever happens I don’t have to show the finished result to anyone! This is my second attempt! Same goes for you, Mrs P and if you have the inclination give it a go! Oh, the eraser has been used a lot on this picture!!🤔😊⛴
This time we are living in, is getting surreal.
ReplyDeleteI am not liking it, and dread to think, what wiil happen next. 😣😣
It frightens me, in many ways...
PS A plant which was burnt to the ground (due to the fence fire) has survived. I didn't dig it up, as the ground was so hard, I couldn't put the fork in deeply enough.
DeleteIt is thriving, new leaves + flower spikes. It is a purple heuchara. The rest of the partially burnt plants, are still just that - with no sign of regrowth. I will leave until next year, just in case. My lovely blue bird hibiscus, still has green leaves + flower buds, but only on about the 3rd of the plant. It will be better than nothing, but sad.
🤗🤗🤗 Miriam some good news anyway!
DeleteMiriam, I’m glad not to be at the top making the decisions. No-one knows where this will go but hold on to the thought that a drug has been found to work on the worst cases, a vaccine is in progress and like other diseases before it it could possibly burn itself out or at least become less lethal. It will be a long time though before we can get back to normal and we have to face that. You can get some solace in your garden and am so glad some at least of your plants have survived the fire!
DeleteMrs P, Severndroog Castle. I believe they put a cafe inside when they restored it a while ago. I still haven’t been, but it’s visible from the heath, as I am sure you know.
ReplyDeleteWell done with Lady, and well done Lady. She’s come on leaps and bounds.
I re-watched The Birdcage yesterday and highly recommend it if you need a laugh, and who doesn't in these times! It still makes me laugh and I've seen it many times. It stars Robin Williams and Nathan Lane and is quite brilliant IMHO.
ReplyDeleteAh no Seasider, not where I was thinking of.
ReplyDeleteBut I have been to the cafe, when on a walk ( I was not the walk leader on that occasion ) some years ago now.
Thanks to all congratulations re Lady.
It's her that's made the progress.
I've been the enabler.
And later this afternoon I went to sit on her terrace with a neighbour and left Lady for fifty minutes. She didn't come to the window to see me go but was there when I returned.
As well as the time she is left, is the amount of neediness on my return. One is supposed to not make or allow a fuss on ones return. I hold out my hand palm down and command sit. It works, but of course the objective is a waggy tale and a calm pleasure, but not more.
Gary where are you? Hope all is well!
ReplyDeleteHi Lady R! Just lurking in the background as always...
DeleteThat’s ok then 🤗
DeleteI was concerned after hearing of the bad time in Glasgow
Today I have been mostly cooking... French beans.
ReplyDeleteToday I have been mostly doing nothing. Nothing at all.
DeleteJoin the club 🤣
DeleteToday I finally got out of bed at 1.15pm. But I didn't get to sleep until 5.30 am.
ReplyDeletePhew! Got my view of these blogs back to normal at last. Tried rebooting the iPad as Lady R suggested but it made no difference.
ReplyDeleteSo I drew a deep breath, crossed everything I could cross and uninstalled Chrome from my Pad.
I realised I was stepping over the edge of a cliff and might never get back to you all, but on re-installing Chrome, I was able to get here quite easily and all is well, everything back to the correct size. Thank goodness!
Now I’ve got a lot of catching up to do with all your posts, but off to make dinner for Mr A and I first, so I’m going to do a Miriam and tell you my menu for tonight......
Sliced Avocado with pesto dressing
Ravioli stuffed with goat’s cheese & ham, with home made tomato sauce
Fresh picked raspberries and whatever ice cream we have in the freezer.
All washed down with a perky little Sauvignon Blanc, courtesy of Lidl! 😋
Nighty night all.
Cor blimey AP!
DeleteWell, we've just finished chicken stir - fry with oyster sauce, including..... French beans.. 😉
Now happily ensconced devant re-run of 2018 Tour de France (G's year), glass of red in hand.
DeleteGG, I see that Nessie has been officially spotted for the 5th time this year.. 😊
I’ll join in. It’s Saturday so it’s Mr PtbY “cooking” a pizza from Lidl!
ReplyDeleteWatched Casablanca for the first time today. Yep, can see why it’s a classic.
Deffo, but still can't stand Ingrid Bergmann....
DeleteWell we really lived it up this evening.
ReplyDeleteUbereats -Great chippy nearby -Haddock and chips.
I had a gin and tonic with angostura bitters.
Parsley, what has Ingrid Bergman done to you?
I don't think I ever saw her in a film but as a young girl I used to get Film Annuals and she was one of the most beautiful film stars around .
The Ingrid Bergman dark red rose in a garden Is a beauty too.
Oooohhhh Haddock & chips last eaten in Feb or maybe early March bet it was yum LJ!
DeleteI've binged most of today away on episode after episode of Vera.
ReplyDeleteOh, and I had two boiled eggs with bread and butter after collecting the eggs from the lady down the road.
What a life of glamour I lead !
Sounds just great to me Mrs P 🤗
DeleteOur Chinese takeaway reopened recently and tonight we had spring rolls, chicken with cashew nuts in yellow bean sauce, sweet & sour pork HK style and special fried rice accompanied by white wine ( Soave). Gosh,folks we’re getting as bad as Facebook telling each other what we are eating!! All good fun! Prompted by Miriam’s La Hepburn choice we watched Adam’s Rib with Miss Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. Quite an up to date power struggle between the sexes! She must have been one of the first feminists!🥢🥢🥢🥂🥢🥢🥢
ReplyDelete✔️✔️film choice!
DeleteLJ, IB OK in soft focus, till she opens her mouth, but mostly she just tenses me up!!
I am only now up to date reading all your very varied, interesting posts after a busy, happy week looking after my grandsons each day and falling into bed exhausted no later than nine every evening.
ReplyDeleteOne morning the little one had dozens of mosquito bites, mainly round his ankles. They had been out the previous evening for an icecream and the mosquitoes are back in their multitudes now. The rice-fields are perfect breeding grounds despite many various attempts by local authorities in recent years to reduce numbers.
It is the time of year when normally the "sagre" would be starting although I imagine this year they will not take place. Villages all over Italy hold a sagra, a festival, where one eats (naturally, being Italy!) and dances. They are organized by the local parish or council and last anything from a few days to a maximum of two weeks. Marquees or gazebos are set up, with trestle tables and benches and the locals of all ages volunteer to do the cooking and serving. Often there is a particular culinary theme, for example the "Sagra Della Lumaca", ( Festival of the Snail), gorgonzola, goose, apple, rocciata (a kind of strudel), sausage, bollito ( boiled meat - yuk!) and so on.
A different band/singer is hired each night and people dance, mainly foxtrot, waltz, mazurca, etc. but also line dancing.
The only problem in this part if Italy is the mosquitoes. People bring along their dishes of lemongrass candles or green spiral fumigators or douse themselves in repellent but the mosquitoes are at their most active at sundown and only ease off much later in the evening.
I think I mentioned this a few months ago but try Avons Skin So Soft. It works miracles.
DeleteThank you, Autumn leaves, for your suggestion. I will try it.
DeleteI remember you recommending that when I was in such difficulties with mosquito bites in Dubai at Christmas. I bought some when we got home but haven’t had to try it yet! In the end I had to get a prescription for some really strong anti-histamines and gel to calm the irritation and inflammation.
ReplyDeleteNice to have you back Hilary after your hectic week with your grandson.
ReplyDeleteSome of us are more susceptible to insect bites than others, and your grandson might be one of them. My attraction for them started when a small child, but then accelerated during my first pregnancy.
It's the hormones !
Ev -
I seem to remember from reading her biography years ago, that it was KH mother who was the feminist, and I suppose influenced the daughter.
I know it was scripted but she did seem to mean what she was saying! I know that she wore trousers at a time when it was virtually unknown for women. I still remember trousers for women having a side fastening which was very fiddly at urgent times!!😉
ReplyDeleteTrousers with side zips - I remember them well. These were all I wore, as a child growing up and then in early teens. My Mother was a great sewer, who made all our clothes, and I learnt from her, making a lot of my own clothes, until well into my 30's. There were wonderful patterns to buy (I Loved Vogue designer ones) and shops, which sold such fantastic materials with so much choice.
ReplyDeleteI haven't sewn for very many years, as garments became so much cheaper to buy, than to make. This became more cost effective and far easier.
Perhaps this is why, I have so enjoyed watching "The Great British Sewing Bee", which ended last week.
The change came about in two ways;-
DeleteMore casual clothes being worn on going out for the evening....and also..
The introduction of garments made from stretchy materials..
Quick extra, before I go and start preparing my evening meal. I am not doing a "Miriam" by telling what it is 🤣
ReplyDeleteI was sitting, having elevense's, along with a slice of friut tea loaf, when cat flap went and cat came, sitting beside me, purring away. As I went to stroke her, it was not my cat 🙀 but one who lives, a few houses away.. and did not like me shooing it out. 🙀😼
Miriam, perhaps your cat was visiting the neighbours.
DeleteAll the best to your nephew.
I like trousers with side zips, more feminine instead of all these unisex clothes.
I prefer side zips too Basia. I find them more comfortable and more flattering to the stomach area.
DeleteI am following my lovely nephew-in-law, the cricketer, who is batting from 8.00am until 9.00pm, to raise money for his local cricket club. He is emunalating the innings from Michael Atherton, in the S.Africa series in 1995, who batted for 643 mins.
ReplyDeleteI believe he is going strong, even in heavy rain. 🏏🏏😣
I believe I mentioned some time ago that I was struggling with probate because the family record-keeping had been a little - shall we say - haphazard. When I realised that I couldn't find the deeds of the house, in desperation I took up the offer of handing everything over to a cousin-by-marriage who is a solicitor specialising, would you believe, in wills and conveyancing, only to discover that he can't find them either! (and no, the Land Registry is no help, because in 1971 when we bought the house, registration wasn't a legal requirement. Now I CAN'T register it because we can't find the deeds... ...)
ReplyDeleteI remember that due to a relentless string of takeovers, the course of the mortgage repayments passed between 5 or 6 different building societies. However, for quite a number of years our savings have been with a different one entirely, so as we can't find any of the correspondence, until P writes to them to find out, there is no way of knowing if that is the one we finished up with. As it stands, there is no evidence that we ever owned the house in the first place, never mind whether I inherit all or half of it.
Now that is what I call frightening!
This is a total nightmare...
DeleteHow do you now try and sort it all out. There must be a way - but how???
Surely the mortgage providers, might be able to provide some information, as to who was paying for it at any one time...There has to be some sort of way of finding this out..to give a trail of ownership.
Alas, the original mortgage providers ceased to exist decades ago, and until we get some replies to P's letters we don't actually know in which year it was completed or with which building society. The receipts are incomplete after a brief tenure with the Leeds, which turned out not to be quite as Permanent a building soc. as was originally intended! Records are few and far between after 1973, one or two from the 1980s and nothing at all after a single document from the Halifax in 1996 when, interest rates having hovered around the 16% mark for most of the time, we still owed about 2/3 of the original purchase price!
DeleteI have every confidence in Mr S's cousin's husband, which is more than I could say for my own.
Sarnia often when a house is bought the deeds are left with the solicitor who dealt with the sale. The owner would normally have a copy as well. Do you remember who your husband 's solicitor was? It is perhaps easier for us to locate things as we have tended to use the same family solicitors down the generations. I am sure though that your relative has the experience to sort it out for you.
DeleteThe solicitor who dealt with the sale died years ago. If you substitute 'became' for 'begat', the genealogy of the string of building societies reads like a parody of the opening verses of Matthew's gospel, except easier to pronounce! I'm sure P will get to the bottom of it - eventually.
DeleteGlastonbury....
ReplyDeleteI will enjoy it, even if only on TV.
..and performances from previous years.
DeleteLove it!!
Sarnia - I do feel for you in your current predicament.
ReplyDeleteDealing with probate can be a long, frustrating and very worrying affair as there are so many different ‘bits of paper’ to chase up and so many banks, building societies and solicitors have changed over the decades.
Having had to deal with my 91 year old brother’s estate when he died, and spending weeks, rifling through mountains of paperwork he had accrued though his lifetime, faded, handwritten notes on scraps of paper, bank accounts going back to the 40s etc etc I can imagine the problems you are having
The one thing it did teach me though, was to ensure that our own affairs are all recorded exactly where I can find them, that I understand my husband’s accounts and know who to contact if I ever have to carry out probate, should I have to do it again.
Once this mess is sorted I shall certainly make sure that my own affairs are in order; I couldn't bear the thought of leaving my son and daughter this kind of chaos to deal with.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm positive that it WILL get sorted out Sarnia, but what a tangled mess it sounds! It seems to me that some people are reticent about putting their house in order as they feel that thinking about these things somehow hastens their demise - something MrGG and I discussed a few years back & sorted out ASAP...
DeleteSarnia, all the best, I hope the person who's dealing with it will get there eventually.
ReplyDeleteI don't have much to pass on, but like Archerphile I have sorted everything out and have a list of accounts etc so as not to be a bother to the family. I keep reminding my sister where the "safe" is, with the money for my funeral.
*** THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVOURITE THINGS ***
ReplyDeleteParsley. It's your turn now. Enjoy!
Sarnia, firstly I have to say that I am really pleased that you are blogging again.
ReplyDeleteSecondly (and I dare say Stasia will know if I am correct ) I always think that a strong woman with a sense of humour has more chance of coping with a difficult situation than someone who has no sense of humour and is totally dependent on others .
Therefore I am sure that you are going to be fine and P will sort things out for you.
Sarnia, I hope this can be sorted out soon so that you can go forward. The trouble is we all think there is all the time in the world to sort things out. Some years ago my husband and I made a will taking into account the then limit before having to pay CGT which meant setting up a trust. As time went on, both partners in marriage were given the same limit each which meant our estate including the house would be well within the limit. We knew the wills were outdated and he said several times we would have to make a new, simpler one. This didn’t happen for him and after he passed Katy found anomalies in it and we had to get it sorted. This cost over £1000 in solicitor’s costs but all was well and subsequently I made a new Will thinking I’d better get on with it and also gave power of attorney to Katy. It is so easy to put things off so best to get sorted early! Best wishes to you and I’m sure you’re in good hands and will be sorted soon!
ReplyDeleteLanJan, that is very kind, thank you. The Covid 19 situation hasn't helped because it has forced me to be too dependent on others, with the inevitable infantilising effect which is difficult to pull out of.
ReplyDeleteGiven all the gardening I now need to do, a week or so ago when I found little silver trails all over the hall carpet tiles I thought I was developing molluscs on the brain. In fact, once or twice during the monsoon season I'd picked off a tiny slug or two from the cold water pipe, but in the midst of all the other chaos it didn't really register. This time I investigated to find that the panels on the shabby, peeling front door, so charmingly described by the estate agent as an 'original feature', had shrunk and split, advertising 'open house' to slimy invaders.
New front door/glass panels in 6-8 weeks time', like the new stove an expense I hadn't bargained for, but in truth, like the stove, should have been dealt with years ago. So, goodbye to a very lot of money, but also the thick curtain needed to keep the draught out, and Christmas cards squashed in half for the postlady to feed through the pea-sized letter-box!
PS. It wasn't a case of leaving things until it was too late - Mr S always insisted that there was no need for me to be concerned about anything because his affairs were already in order. That was even after I'd had to track down our original wills through two different companies via London, Liverpool and Plymouth!
ReplyDeleteYou were just left with the consequences of not having everything in order, Sarnia. I was just saying in general the easy way is to put off until too late but I’m very sure this won’t be the case with you!
DeleteI have just returned from my long awaited eye appointment. A very strange experience! Total distancing marking all through Boots to the rear of the shop where the opticians is located.
ReplyDeleteThe entrance to the department was all blocked off but when I approached a man in full PPE came out and asked if I was Mrs A and took me in. Not another customer in sight! The eye test was performed with the optometrist sitting at the far end of the room, me in front of a new machine which she operated by remote control - very clever and installed especially to meet COVID19 restrictions.
Anyway the upshot is that the difference in my eyes is now so big that they can no longer make glasses for me that would give binocular vision. (-8 in one eye, +2.5 in the other!). I also have developing cataracts.
So the solution is another referral to the Hampshire Clinic to see an eye surgeon, to have both lenses removed and replaced with ones that will bring my eyes to the same focal length and deal with cataracts at the same time. Apparently they can even fit Varifocal lenses in you eyes these days (if you can afford it!) and for the first time, since I was 10 years old, I shall not have to wear glasses.
So that’s where the refund money from our cancelled cruise will go and I look forward to being able to use both eyes at the same time.....and buy smart sunglasses for once!
Very interesting post AP! Very soon you will be a completely new woman and as with your knee the HC a good choice cannot spend your money better than on your health. This op will be your easiest as those of us that have had cataracts 👀 removed can testify.
ReplyDeleteHip/Knee/eyes 🤗 anything else on the list😉
Just catching up : solidarité Sarnia.
ReplyDelete& apparently it's me up next!! it'll be in a bit... 😙
So pleased things can be sorted so easily and hopefully the wait won't be too long.
ReplyDeleteThe only problem with your "new" eyes will be, seeing every speck of dust!!!
Sorry AP, I'm not saying your home is dusty, just that your new vision will be so sharp. I could have phrased that in a better way. 👀
DeleteI'm not sure I would want varifocal lenses. I tried varifocal contacts once, and couldn't cope with them, so reverted to standard ones and reading glasses.
Archerphile,I have had cataracts apparently for many years.
ReplyDeleteEach year I am referred to a Consultant and each year I am told that they were not ready to be operated on.
I have to say that I was not experiencing any problems.
However last year I decided to go privately to see a Consultant and he said they needed removing
I received a letter from the Private Clinic with the eye watering (sorry about that) amount I would be paying.
They wanted the money up front.
Canadian medical advisor suggested I got a second opinion I went back onto the NHS waiting list and eventually saw a Consultant at an NHS Hospital who again said I didn't need to have them removed.
We had a long chat and he said that suddenly they may get worse and I would notice the deterioration but maybe they would never get worse.
Apparently I passed the number plate test with flying colours.
I know what you are experiencing is not the same as my situation.
You are not just talking about cataracts.
It sounds from what you say you are having to pay privately.
It is nothing to do with me of course and I would not have posted this comment had I been able to contact you privately
All I would say is that before you definitely decide to go ahead with your operation that perhaps you should get a second opinion.
I apologise if you think I should have kept my big nose out.
I will delete this post if you wish.
No, no, I am not upset at all by your post Lanjan, I really appreciate your interest and advice.
DeleteMy main problem, for most of my life, has been this huge difference in the focal length of my eyes, which has increased over the years. Up until a couple of years ago it could be coped with by glasses, albeit rather strange looking ones because of one lens being so very much thicker than the other. Eventually, to stop the glasses dropping on one side because of the weight difference I had to opt for very expensive ultra-thin lenses which looked and felt much better.
I am unable to use varifocal lenses because of the eye difference, and so, since middle age, have had to have three pairs of glasses made with each new prescription; distance, (driving) mid-distance (computer, cooking, shopping) and close work/reading. Two years ago, these 3 pairs of specs with ultra thin lenses cost close to £1000!
I constantly drive myself and Mr A mad, always searching for the correct pair, they never seem to be located where I need them!
So my main reason for considering this option is to correct the difference. The cataracts, which aren’t all that bad yet, are just a side benefit.
My next door neighbour had the same operation, at the same clinic, with the same surgeon, a year ago and her sight, and life has been transformed. She had the added problem of having glaucoma, entailing more appointments and drugs, which I dont have, thank goodness.
I have been considering having this treatment for some time and today’s appointment confirmed that it could be the answer for my particular problems. I have a very good idea of the costs involved so it won’t come as too much of a shock! But, as Mr A says, the savings in what I have had to spend on prescriptions these days will go some way to offsetting operation fees.
Any way, I shall go for the initial consultation, see what transpires and take it from there.
Thank you for your input, it is very much appreciated.
I still have reading glasses, and a pair only for driving. My normal vision is 100%, even reading the smallest print in TV ads! My eye "prescription" now reads - neither short nor long sighted. Amazing as I was -7 and -9.5.
DeleteOn the subject of vision + glasses:-
ReplyDeleteOnce Lockdown has ended, I will be going to my opticians. This is to arrange for a pair of sunglasses with my reading glasses prescription. I have struggled in the hot weather, whilst sitting in the garden and reading a book. This was with normal sunglasses on, along with reading glasses, perched on top. I will go for the cheap option, this time. I have sunglasses with my driving prescription (£199), which are brilliant when out driving. It does not need to be sunny to use them, as I wear them in most normal weather conditions, as these are not dark and reduce any brightness.
😎
I am off to wash my "Lockdown Locks" and then try to blow dry it, in some sort of style. It takes a while to do this now, and once completed, a can of hairspray is put to use! It does help, but only for a day.
DeleteHow I envy you, who have hair appointments booked in...
I still haven't heard from mine, and think that they might not re-open. It is a waiting game.
Sarnia. What a time you are having with sorting out probate. Lanjan has a point, this is a journey that will hopefully enable you to be confident in the future about how you take control and manage your own administrative activities. Perhaps when all is sorted you will be able to laugh at the ups and downs of how the decisions made by an other can produce so complex a situation.
ReplyDeleteIn any relationship its easy to slip into the, ‘you do this and I’ll do that’ with routines that in essence become habit. Documents get filed somewhere and then forgotten, laws change, as you say takeovers happen, and suddenly life isn’t so easy when the one person you trusted wasn’t able to organise and maintain keeping up with ever changing processes.
1971 was a very long time ago and if you have inhabited the same house then those fifty years aught to enable you to submit a claim for ownership. Perhaps that is something you could discuss with the solicitor if all other avenues have been explored.
Although I’m sure your solicitor will have thought about that angle. Certainly it used to be the case that after squatting continuously in the same house the occupiers could claim ownership.
I’m not of course suggesting that you spent 50 years squatting in your own 🏡 house.
I do wish you luck with sorting out the probate.
In March, when things started to get really awful, I sorted my study + files out.
DeleteAll my documents re house, a copy of my will +power of attorney (with where the originals are), finances etc. are all in place. It was awful sorting these things out, in a "just in case" frame of mind.
At least if anything happens to me, all the required info. can easily be found + sorted, by my next of kin. What an awful thought! 😣
Mr LJ hates the internet and phoning any Banks or Building Societies .
DeleteI don't mind at all and he is happy for me to do it for him.
We are each other's Attorney and I often used to mention that when trying to phone on his behalf
When we went through the process of getting the forms I thought that I would just have to say that I was his Attorney ,quote a reference and that would be that but apparently we have now to register with every single establishment we want to get in touch with .
For example we have to go in person to the Bank to do so.
Good for you Miriam for getting everything sorted out.
I am a client of a brilliant finance company, and I talk to my personal FA every 6 months. This year it is different, due to my state pension starting, later on this year. I trust them entirely, to keep my investments, ISA's SSIP etc doing the best possible, in this worrying time.
DeleteI could not do it on my own.
The problem is, I cannot draw any capital out, as it needs to stay invested, for the short term. It is so mind blowing, but hopefully not for long.
I am planning a new car - but it is when? It will happen, and will it be as planned in September, probably not. 😣😣
Oddly enough, Miriam, when I came to change joint accounts to my name and rationalise our savings structure, I found it quite an interesting exercise: planning what to re-invest (on a short-term basis given my age!), how much to leave as easy-access funds and what could be safely left maturing for future projects. Particularly intriguing was the juggling of old/new accounts at one building society in order to ensure maximum interest (as it was at the time) on interim payments made at time of death when I still had another to sort out because I couldn't find the relevant paperwork.
DeleteSwitching 'old money' to a new account and replacing it with 'new money' so as to a) take advantage of the older, higher interest rate and b) ensure I didn't fall foul of ISA rules was really quite entertaining. My son was astonished to hear that, when I can pin him down for long enough to add his name to it, there will be a joint account for him to draw on for general expenses when my turn comes. The staff were very helpful.
It's been an uphill struggle getting my head around the gradual realisation that Mr S was not the organisational master that he always appeared to be.
ReplyDeleteIt took me YEARS to realize that I was brilliant at organising work based stuff but was absolutely appallingly bad at dealing with things in the real world!
DeleteAnd when I say "years" I mean decades!!!
DeleteThank you Archerphile.
ReplyDeleteYou made Stephen Booth sound to be the sort of author I wanted to read so I sent off for "Black Dog".
I started it this evening and so far I am enjoying it.
I have a feeling that Mr Booth from Burnley is not a "Creative Writer"
Well he isn't so far ,thankfully.
Sarnia ,I listened to Mr LJ a few years ago when he suggested that we should buy some Saga shares!
ReplyDeleteNow I am my own financial advisor .
Well, it's been the usual mayhem here chez Parsley getting ready for a mere 5 nights away...
ReplyDeleteAnyway, here are my 5 film choices... :
1 : Singing in the Rain.
Singing along with me mam.
2 : North by Northwest
The wonderful Cary Grant, James Mason thrown in, so to speak, or at least his voice.. 😍
3 : Once upon a time in the West, 1968
Had to have Leone /Morricone,, wonderful score, + Henry Fonda at his most menacing. Final duel....
4 : A Matter of life and Death. Fascinating.
5 : Gladiator.
Well, it's "our" film. We were in Valetta at the same time as it was being shot, & Oliver Reed fell off his final bar-stool.
Shadows and dust.
Toss-up between 3 & 5, Gladiator wins tonight...
Could also have chosen The Third Man, Pan's Labyrinth, Les Triplettes de Belleville /Belleville Rendezvous, Once upon a time in Hollywood, Barry Lyndon, The Thomas Crown Affair......
Anyway, to eat :
1 : the very best Lincs Sausages with the smoothest mash & me mam's onion gravy, washed down with the perfect pint(s) of Batemans XB.
OR
2 : A bowl of mouclade, perfect spicing, mussels just right, with a well-chilled Entre Deux Mers.
Take your pick, bon appétit!
Bonne nuit, RV demain.
Delete