Chatterbox LXXXVI : Willow

[StokeySue]

Good morning
Cool, cloudy, light rain so far. More rain forecast all day

Got a meeting at 10.30, would like to walk back but won’t if it’s tipping down

I see it’s Mary’s birthday today (FoodMary) but it’s over a year since she checked in here or on Facebook, does anyone have any news?

Have a good day everyone

[suffolk]

No news Sue, no Christmas cards or acknowledgements although I included our address just in case someone was helping with her post. Phone numbers unobtainable. Searches online indicate that her flat has been sold. I’m presuming she’s with her family ... or possibly with her dear Brian and causing heavenly kitchen mayhem with dear FCQ, Jim and other friends ...

The last I heard she was making plans for a trip here with her son to scatter Brian’s ashes, but then all went quiet and that was a long time ago ...

[earthmaiden]

Morning all! . Gosh, the boards have been busy since I last looked! The rain, as forecast, has set in for the day. I wanted to clean out the car this morning .

Congrats to the Rats' GD. Such an exciting time of life when so many opportunities lie ahead if you play your cards right.

The piece about the chips was clearly the result of a slow news day but I have noticed that both chip shops and seaside type fish and chip cafes do seem to be serving smaller portions of chips these days (I don't go to either very often!). I'm not complaining, portions used to be stupidly large - there must have been a lot of waste.

I wonder how much the total tomatoes grown by Wildies this year would weigh. They seem to have done well. My two little plants have not been over spectacular but there's enough for GD to be able to pick her own for lunch.

I'm sure we shall all remember Mary fondly today, wherever she is .

Time to get moving - shopping to do all over the place and DS is coming round later to print some stuff off. He is in the process of moving house and called yesterday to say he was leaving some things at my house (I had said he could). I hadn't expected a large chain saw and leaf blower to be left in the room where GD plays though - I think we will have to move them elsewhere .

[cyprusmoira]

I too had wondered about Mary .
Deb had to go down to the pharmacy in Erimi, it is next to a bank, she says that is was chaos, parking was stupid even low by Cypriot standards. The "old men" were in the pharmacy expecting to be served first.
She called into Pet food shop for dog biscuit, tomorrow is a BH and Shirley is closing for a much deserved long weekend break. Deb mentioned the now almost grown kittens that play in the garden, Shirley suggested that Deb do the socially responsible thing and get the young cats neutered. Some of the local vets do the operation at a reduced rate for semi feral cats. The cats come into the garden for water, there are several bowls around the garden. The cushions have blown off the sun lounger giving kittens some where to lie in the shade.

Moira

[liketocook]

Good morning everyone,
Congratulations to you GD on passing her driving test Rats
LOL re the chips, I always think chippy portions are far too big and what a lot of waste must be generated. That did look on the small side though but it was part of a kiddie meal.
Rain here again, I'm hoping it goes off as I have to head to the dentist soon. It's just for a check up but I know I've chipped a filling and possibly a bit of the tooth so I'm not sure if they'll fix that today or not. I'd rather they did if there's time and save me making another trip. I made a pot of courgette and potato soup yesterday evening in case I need to eat carefully for the rest of today.
My younger son arrives tonight on a "hi & bye" visit either until tomorrow night or Friday morning. I'm not expecting to see much of him as he'll mainly be working, he's here for the bed/food rather than to see his Mum

[icelesley]

Afternoon I was wondering about Mary too. Also Sian and Ianinfrance don't seem to have been around for ages.

[StokeySue]

Sian is on Facebook, and unfortunately still going in and out of hospital

Ian and Jacqui I’ve heard nothing of for some time, but their website indicates that they are still operating their gîte

[suffolk]

When Ian and Jacqui gave up running their B&B he decided on a change of lifestyle ... more time doing fun things together and less time hunched over a keyboard ... he seems to have stuck to his decision ... last I heard ... a good while back now ... they were both well and enjoying life ... but he did say he didn’t enjoy the feeling of being ‘talked about’ so I hope he’ll forgive me for this little aberration.

Sian did post not that long ago ... I think she uses Fbook more frequently.

[Seatallan]

Sian posts on FB from time to time. I often wonder about dear Mary. I hope someone was available to take care of Lou Lou Belle if Mary has passed on or moved into residential accommodation.

So excited! Finally have working washing machine, tumble dryer and dishwasher!!! I also have half a Welsh dresser but that's another story.....

[Ratatouille]

Afternoon everyone

It's good to place derrier on seat after an impossible morning in the suoermarket. It's a BH here tomorrow and everything will be closed so there were twice as many people in there plus all the tourists and none of us could move because of the shelf stackers and the huge piles of goods to be stacked.

The temperature has finally reached a sensible level and sleeping comfortably is now possible. The weather often breaks spectacularly around the 15th. We'll see.

Wherever thos Wildies we no longer hear from now are I hope it's a good place, on this earth or elsewhere.

[cyprusmoira]

The Lakeland catalogue has come, hurrah, I know that I get regular e mail updates but it is not the same. We have managed to convince ourselves that we do not need new baking tins but do need more almond essence, Dove farm yeast, freezer bags and a Julienne cutter.

Moira

[liketocook]

Phew trip to the dentists was far less traumatic than I feared! What I thought was chipped filling/tooth is in fact a "wear erosion" giving a slightly rough edge. It's had a smooth and no other treatment needed. Also managed to avoid the heavy showers.

[Busybee]

I also miss Spotted Dick’s posting- let’s hope that they are all healthy and happy wherever they are.

Didn’t someone say that Ian had put his place on the market?

I’m currently laying on a sun lounger in the shade, the heat is brutal so much so that I have changed plans. We were due to be touring Pompeii on Friday but it’s just too much in 40+ degree heat. I will just have to come back again in winter.


BB

[cyprusmoira]

I think that there may also be a Brussel Sprout shortage at Christmas https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-49330210

BB; very wise, we do everything first thing in the morning or in the evening at this time of year. Mad Dogs and Englishmen rtc

Moira

[earthmaiden]

Spotted Dick is sometimes around on FB. He appears well and happy.

Very sad about the cauliflower. Since the popularity towards plant based diets they seem to have become a real 'thing' and I imagine much was invested in them as a result.

Talking of food and farming, there is a farm near here which is an attraction for visitors to see the animals, especially during lambing. They have a small farm shop. A friend was telling me that their excellent sausages and other pork products are half price this month. Apparently the boar managed to break into the ladies area and before he was discovered he had done the rounds! The result is a glut of pork this year.

BB - your trip looks wonderful but it must be hard to really do the places justice when it is that hot.

[Ratatouille]

I gather there is a severe shortage of both cauliflower and broccoli in both the UK and Europe. To be sure we have not been able to get broccoli for several weeks. It is apparently due to the severe heat and /or the heavy rain. Who knows?

[Grasshopper]

Suffs - chips that taste of POTATO?????
Scandalous!!!!!


Grasshopper

[StokeySue]

Bizarrely I can usually find tenderstem broccoli except in expensive pre-packs but yesterday I got a big bunch of slightly wonky but beautifully fresh tenderstem held together with a rubber band from over the road. Yum.

[cyprusmoira]

Good Morning Wild Ones, Cyprus is closed today, not quite as bad as Easter, the banks will be open tomorrow. There will be a lot of barbecues lit, there is a local joke that the island is covered in a pall of smoke from all that grilling
Vegetables are difficult at this time of year, basically any that you buy have been heavily irrigated, there are the usual salad vegetables plus courgettes, no broccoli. The fruits are various melons and grapes. We had a beautiful Cantaloupe melon yesterday

Moira

[Busybee]

I didn’t have any choice in the timing or destination on this trip We are away celebrating my sisters 50 th birthday and my nieces 18th - hence we are tied to school holidays.

I have been to some of the itinerary before, but one place which is now on my list is Montenegro. Stunningly beautiful and friendly people

A rest day today - thank goodness.

BB

[icelesley]

Good morning wild ones. There doesn't seem to be a shortage of broccoli or cauliflower here, I might update that later when I have been shopping, like Sue I can only find tenderstem broccoli in expensive pre packed packets.

[earthmaiden]

Morning all! . I think you need access to markets or small shops before you find interesting unpackaged veggies.

We're due sunshine and no rain today! Better get some washing out on the line. Busy day today getting ready for going away, Wildie picnic, GD plus meals tomorrow, GS's never ending accounts and going to see about changing my car. Whilst working I enjoyed the luxury of swapping my car every 2 or 3 years on a scheme where you swap or keep at the end of the period. The current period is up and I plan to hand the car back and buy a used one - possibly something which could be used for camping with a tail tent. Depends on availability and cost.

I'd better get moving. Have a good day!

[suffolk]

Good morning all ...

I think it’s the winter cauliflowers that are going to be in really short supply. The plants had recently gone in and were small when the bad weather came ... many were damaged or destroyed ... the same with winter cabbage and sprouts. Life will be hard for the Fenland farmers ...

[StokeySue]

Good morning
Yes, I understood that it was mainly the winter brassicas that were affected, but there may well be local shortages, as I doubt harvest has happened as planned during recent weather

Sunny here which is good as we are doing the footpath walk to Alexandra Palace that was deferred from the hottest day of the year.

Have a good day everyone

[Ratatouille]

Morning everyone

Well. No1 GD has jst dropped a bombshell. She got A^ 2A's and a B but she decided over the summer she no longer wants to do medicine - she only tried because that's what she knew her dad wanted her to do. Sh'e taking a year off and then wants to read English. Given that she has had a tough year, being head girl and her brother, at the same school ,having a meltdown we think she is being amazing. It's her life and she will make it her way. The A* was in English!

We haven't heard from No 2 yet. Who'd be 18 again?

There is no broccoli to be had for love nor money here.

Holiday here too today i assume the same as yours Moira - Feast of the Assumption? Sees the end to the main summer sseaon so some sanity may prevail from now on.

[Ratatouille]

Update
Jersey GD got A, B and C which means she's off the Keele to read English and American literature. I have also just seen that the top grades are well down on last year.

[cyprusmoira]

[liketocook]

Good morning everyone.
Sounds sensible of your GD rats to have a year off, a lot can happen in a year at that age, before she commits to another course. I still wish my elder son had done that rather than start a course that he got "talked into" by his school which I was never convinced about (Business/IT). Needless to say a few months in he quit and then trained as a chef before heading back to uni a few years later to study maths before heading of to do a Masters.
Dry but very overcast, chilly and windy here today but it looks as though this could be the only dry day for a bit. I need to pop to the library and then I want to get as much done as I can in the garden.
I made a huge pot of pesto yesterday to tame my rampaging basil plant, there's still lots left but my friend will take some at the weekend. Stuffed pasta with a chard, calvo nero & pesto sauce for dinner tonight .

[Seatallan]

Morning Wildies

I quite agree with LTC. So sensible to have a year out and to then do whatever it is she really wants to do. What clever grandchildren you have Rats! You must be so proud of them.

Hope you all have a truly lovely time at the picnic by the way. Will be with you in spirit.

[icelesley]

I am back Morrisons have plenty of everything at the moment. If it's the winter crops that will be short, maybe it is prudent to freeze some of the summer stock available now. You can't have Christmas dinner without sprouts

[suffolk]

Congrats to the grandchildren Rats ... good results and good decisions = clever young people
I’m sure all this year’s exam takers deserve congratulations for the efforts they’ve put in ... I do hope they’ve been rewarded ... sounds like the changes have made it a very tough year.

[Ratatouille]

Thanks everyone on the Gds' behalf. I honestly don't think I was as sensible at that age

I have the feeling that, yet again , the yound people are being used as guinea pigs in political interfering.

[cyprusmoira]

I have just been reading Lidl's online leaflet listing next weeks special offers, theY are selling Flamingo Nuggets Have they been poaching on the Larnaca and Akrotiri Salt Lakes

Moira

[Pepper Pig]

I’m not worried about a shortage of sprouts. Mine have been simmering for the last couple of weeks.

Well done to all the A levellers. The only one I know personally is one of my old cello pupils. I taught him cello between the ages of 7-10. Not sure what his grades were but his dad has tweeted that he’s won a place at Jesus College, Cambridge to read History. He always was such an all rounder and a lovely boy. Well done Xavi.

[earthmaiden]

Reading of the Greek smoke makes me think of offerings in classical tales. I always find it amusing that at some stage they 'realised' that the gods were happy not to have the prime cuts . I thought that flamingo nuggets might be chicken coloured pink but was interested to read this from 2017 https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source= ... h4&ampcf=1 . so maybe they farm them somewhere and It's real

How fortunate that your GD is able to make choices Rats. An interesting life wins hands down over a safe one!

Busy morning, popped out to the shops and bought a car! I was in quite a quandary trying to work out what I wanted/needed in the used car line but the salesman was very slick and came up with just the ticket. I don't usually get excited about cars but I am really looking forward to this one . I have used the same garage for years, originally the manager was a friend of DS and did a fair deal. Because I just want a reliable car they have provided me with just that ever since. DS says they can see me coming a mile off but they are providing the exact service I want , I never feel they are taking the Mickey too much and as a company have a reputation to keep - so they get my support.

[StokeySue]

Congratulations to your granddaughters Rats! Do you know what the plans are for the gap year? Or will this emerge as she looks into her options?

Had a lovely walk along the disused railway lines that were converted into linear nature parks first to Highgate Woods, for a lunch stop at the Pavilion Café - a place I'd generally highly recommend but not during the school holidays , they couldn't cope - then on to Alexandra Palace where I think some walked a bit more in the grounds, but 3 of us came back home, having seen the revamped inside, which is stunning,

I came back via Lidl, so I have Mum's cloisonné dragon vase full of gladioli for her virtual 99th birthday today, a bit of a tradition.

[suffolk]

Goodness me EM ... you are enjoying yourself!!!

I bought a medium sized cauliflower from Waitrose this morning ... £1 ... it doesn’t have a label on if saying where it was from ... that info was probably on the shelf ... but at that price I guess it was from the UK ... thought I’d get one while I could.

[icelesley]

Evening All, (bends knees in the usual police fashion) Can anyone tell me where the waterway network is that is shown on the Coventry building society advert. I can remember seeing it on a TV series too but never registered where or what it is.

[earthmaiden]

Do you mean this? http://www.themill.com/portfolio/3681/-birds
If I've seen it before it didn't register. They don't give much info.

[cyprusmoira]

Good Morning Wild Ones, quiet here today, there were not many family parties here yesterday either, where did everyone go?

Moira

[icelesley]

[icelesley]

Good morning wild ones. It's raining again. Looks like its set for the day I am sure I can find some housework to fill my time

[earthmaiden]

Morning all!

The rain's not arrived yet but I think it's imminent. I've got 1001 things to do this morning before GD arrives for lunch, including having to to out and buy a large envelope to post DS's accounts as they don't fit in any of the large envelopes I have hoarded over the years .

Sue, your walk sounds so interesting. The flowers sound lovely too, what a nice way to celebrate.

I see that Mr Trump would like to buy Greenland from the Danes. I feel like a sitting duck.

[suffolk]

Good morning all

I think someone should suggest he buys Iceland ... opportunity for lots of fun to be had with that one ... the London Bridge Confusion springs to mind

A lovely morning here so far ... I think the rainwater butts will be filling later ....

[Ratatouille]

Morning everyone

It is so dry here - yesterday the humidity was 19%. As a consequence I have woken up with very gritty eyes and legs like a scaley lizard..

Lovely Sonia is here this morning . She has completed her cancer treatment sucessfully and is looking forward to spending a couple of weeks in her other house in Burgundy. She will be taking 3 of her foster children whith her though!

Have a very good Friday folks.

[liketocook]

Good morning everyone,
Back to wet & windy here this morning, I'm pleased I cracked on and got a good bit done outdoors yesterday.
Housework & cooking for me today as I've folk coming for lunch tomorrow. I'm just making a cold buffet type lunch but to make as much as I can today so I've just the salads to finish tomorrow. Six fat herring fillets are in the fridge to make baked soused herring later, I'll need to be disciplined not to eat one as I love them cooked that way
I'm debating if it's worth the effort to mop as well as hoover the floors as my friends are bringing their pooches and they'll have been to the beach first, I think I've just talked myself out of that chore .

[StokeySue]

[suffolk]

When you asked I assumed it was film of the Coventry Canal ... but I’d not noticed the ad

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coventry_Canal

[earthmaiden]

[Pepper Pig]

Panic-ye-not sprout lovers, https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/fo ... 12886.html