The Garden Fence - help and support in tough times

camelot1001

Softstuff, hope FIL continues to improve, shocking care though.
burtha - Sounds like you are saving a community, what a wonderful job you and your OH are doing, I wish you every success.

Woke up feeling quite a lot better this morning - the conservatory has had a big clean, it ends up being the dumping ground for everything. Bits and bobs taken to the shed/cellar, windows cleaned inside and out and the floor has had a much needed hoover. There are still 2 wash hand basins and pedestals in there for the new bathrooms but they will have to stay there for a while as there's nowhere else for them to go. I will, however, be able to sit out there when the weather is nice to have my tea.

There's no sunshine today, the sky is quite overcast but it's dry and mild so the washing is blowing away and the house having a good airing.

I desperately need to go shopping but don't have the energy at the moment, I'll have a rest and go this afternoon.

I spent an hour or so outside yesterday planting some more seeds and hope to do some more later.

I have heard from my Oz friend who is on the south coast staying with her Dad, she's flying up here next Tuesday so that's something to look forward to. DD comes home from SA on Thursday so it will be all go!

Hoping everyone is well and you are all cheered up by a bit of sunshine.

mardatha

Went to the seaside today to try and get cheered up - lasted an hour then came home with hypothermia lol. That wind would take the skin off you.

[Deleted User]

Hi fencers, back home after a hellish journey which started with getting on the train to find that out of 3 carriages there were only 2 unreserved seats, I was lucky and got one of them. Surely the train operators must know how many people buy tickets to use the trains, it was very busy and ,most of the reservations weren't used but people were wary of sitting in those seats and the luggage racks were overflowing which meant huge cases in the corridors, the spaces between the seats , anywhere there was a gap really. The chaos was when the trolley lady needed to pass or the guard needed to check tickets and at every single station more and more passengers got on the train, awful, crowded and dangerous the rail operators should be ashamed of themselves, even cattle class isn't that disorganised! Home now and grateful to be here and a cuppa has made me less grumpy. Docky was pleased to see me and He Who Knows is out processing more wood he's been given so my world is back in place, Lyn xxx.

ivyleaf

Oh Lyn, how awful a journey was that! thank goodness you got a seat. I know of someone on another thread who had to spend an hour sitting on the floor by the door of the carriage on his journey home after Easter. Glad you got home safe and sound anyway.

Savingqueen How lovely to "see" you I understand why you stopped posting, but we do miss you.

Camelot Glad you feel a bit better today

burtha So glad it went well :beer:

I'm a bit weary, sorting out loads and loads of old paperwork and the only place big enough to lay it all out is on the bed, so I now have backache. I'm doing it in 15-minute bites though.

Mrs_Veg_Plot

Good afternoon fencers. The good weather arrived with Easter and is still here today.

I'm getting about much better on the crutches. The cast will be on for another three weeks.

OH came home from work this afternoon and took me out for a coffee which was very nice as I was going a bit stir crazy. Have come home to find DD1 doing the ironing which is even nicer.

Oh is going to pick the first of our purple sprouting broccoli to have with tea tonight. I'm looking forward to it. First home grown produce of the year. :j

Floss

Mrs VP we have been on our PSB for a few weeks here in Blackpool - it's scrummy steamed & then grilled with camembert or brie on top till it melts.

FairyPrincessk

Evening all,

Nice to see some familiar faces popping in over Easter.

Another nice day here, although most of it was spent indoors. I put in a wash had a quick tidy and headed to the gym this morning while OH did a bit of work. This afternoon we got about half of the painting done, in spite of forgetting things and having to go back to the shop, breaking a roller and a particularly grumpy Maggie the Cat who escaped a couple of times and wanted to inspect the paint. She was very cross with us about her jabs this morning and was a bit more moany than usual and very indignant that she was not having her way. I think I've won her around with a few dreamies and a romp in the garden while I brought the washing in. She now weighs 3.8 kilos, which the V-E-T says is a very healthy weight for her.

Spag bol for tea tonight made with YS mince from the freezer and well-padded with plenty of veg--not just to stretch the mince but to make it a bit healthier. Half of a pineapple for pudding as they were reasonable in Aldi and substituted the citrus I had priced that was out of stock. It was very nice and we'll look forward to the rest tomorrow. Tomorrow afternoon we're heading to a local museum that has recently reopened after refurbishment. It also has a nice park around it so we can enjoy some sunshine and then we're meeting a friend for a drink. He's recently finished his degree and we were unable to make the celebratory drinks. As he is mostly living in Wales at the moment we have to take the chance to congratulate him when we can get it.

We'll finish the painting on Thursday--or at least do another room. We ended up with more paint than expected, so we may do another room or two later this year, but I don't think we'll manage it before both of us head back to work. At some point the magnolia walls were touched up with a different colour magnolia so it is looking much nicer with a fresh coat.

Just a tip--I've watched Timeshift Series 14, episode 6 on catchup today and found it very interesting. The topic was on food, particularly restaurants and the advent of foreign food in Britain. It started with a discussion of wartime British restaurants which I've only ever heard mentioned in other places and I've been very curious about. It had some fascinating footage. I know some of you enjoy food history and thought I'd mention it.

nursemaggie

Sounds like you had a normal peak time journey Lyn which is why the majority of regular train travelers would like the trains re-nationalised.

What the railways really need is lots more line not the electrification of the west coast. When DS was at Chichester college there were two carriages for over 600 students every morning. They were so jammed in that when they arrived in Chichester some of the students would fall out of the carriage onto the platform when the doors opened.

I used to experience similar traveling back from my oncology appointments every month as my appointments were always late in the afternoon. I find if I have to travel at peak times it is just as bad on Norther rail as it was on Southern rail. At least the Southern rail carriages did not come out of the ark.

Floss

Nurse Maggie if the West Coast line is NOT electrified then we are stuck with ancient rolling stock. Living in Blackpool we have recently got back a direct service to London albeit once daily leaving at 5.30am :eek:

Mrs LW as Nurse Maggie says, that is commuting-norm for a lot of people, it is normal life at weekends to & from Blackpool on the "party trains" full of visitors and for those travelling into Manchester at any time. The North is not going to immediately benefit from HS2 or major rail investment in the lifetime of the next Parliament.

What is needed is a system that sells a seat, not a hope of a space to stand on a train. But that would demand a massive hike in prices to keep up the income necessary to run the services, if only the available seats were to be sold so that ain't gonna happen!

Toomuchdebt

Feeling really stressed today as I got a letter yesterday and Housing Benefits have totally messed up my payments this month due to my move. I will have to see them but am going to Birmingham today for a training course so not a chance of getting back in time.I will go tomorrow but it just means I will worry all day today. There's no chance of me finding an extra £300 towards the rent a week before payday.Sigh.
Also feeling a bit ...hard done by maybe? A friend(not a good friend) of mine has been going through some health problems and everyone in the playground has been helping her(inc me) and we all got an email(from the class representative) about a meal rota. All of which is fine. Except that when I had MRSA a few years back and had just had a baby and was struggling nobody helped me with anything. Not even a meal or an offer to get some shopping(I was not able to drive for 5 months or do anything and had 3 operations in that time as the MRSA I had was the skin type and I had huge painful boils everywhere some of which were growing inwards towards my spine rather than outside(sorry TMI?).I feel as if I don't fit in with any groups of friends really. I only have 2 real life friends and I wonder why people don't like me.
Ok enough of the feeling sorry for myself. Off to Birmingham(getting a lift thankfully as there's 3 of us going from work).Hope everyone has a good day.