CHATTERBOX LXXXVII Xander

[cyprusmoira]

Good Morning Wild Ones, I have been listening to the news of the flooding in South Yorkshire and the North of England generally.
Sunny here, we are a too high to be flooded here, we just get earth tremors

Moira

[Busybee]

Yes, the rain has been something else around here although we are much better off than others.

A lake has appeared in a nearby field, I fully expect to see wildfowl on it today. Last time this happened, four winters past it hung around until May.

BB

[icelesley]

Good morning wild ones. I hope everyone is safe and dry, there are some horrific floods all over the country. it eventually stopped raining here around 3am. I am surprised the garden isn't under water, it seems to have mostly drained away.

[suffolk]

Good morning all

The morning has started dry and frosty, a bit overcast but the sun is trying to break through in the east.

I hope everyone’s had a restful night ... we’ll wait to hear whether our friend did have to evacuate or whether he was able to remain at home ...

Today I need to pop down to Wrose and collect my prescription and get a few supplies for the weekend ... we need potatoes, milk and Sunday’s supper.

[earthmaiden]

Morning all! . News a bit grim with the awful rain in the North and horrible bush fires in Australia . Counting my blessings that it is just damp here and so cold that I had to put the heating on and go back to bed until it warmed up a bit.

Hansard from the National Theatre was very good last night with doses of dry humour which had everyone laughing and some sadness. The audience was made up mostly of rather 'nice' over 60s which was slightly depressing. The group next to me had brought china plates of smoked salmon sandwiches for each person. They sat untouched on laps until the performance began and were then eaten elegantly once it had started.

Out for a good walk this morning, must get ready.

[suffolk]

Friend is ok so far ... the rain stopped about 2am and the water got into his porch but stopped at the 6” front doorstep. Phew! He says he was up all night trying to save bits of his garden/greenhouse etc but in the dark he daren’t go near the stream which is now a rushing torrent of course. There are some branches blocking one part and of course all sort of detritus building up and making the flooding worse so he’s going to see if he can clear it and then go to bed and try to sleep. Hopefully his wife will be able to get home tonight. She spent last night in a hotel.

[liketocook]

Good morning everyone,
Some dreadful weather across the country, we've been very fortunate and it's crisp and sunny here. It was very icy earlier but a lovely day now.
My son arrived safely and has popped out to run a couple of errands, he brought with him a fore and back leg of roe deer, a chap he works beside gets 2 or 3 at this time every year and offered some to my son at a very decent price. They're in my fridge at the moment and a bit of freezer re-arranging will be needed but I certainly wasn't going to say no.
my elder son and his fiancee arrive this afternoon and we are off out for dinner to celebrate her handing in her PhD thesis yesterday .
The first hurdle in the making the birthday cake was passed and the cake itself seems to have worked out well. After my I'm off to play with fondant
Have a good weekend everyone.

[Ratatouille]

Moring everone

Hope everyone is dry and safe. The rain which lasted all day eventually stopped last night and there was thick fog this morning.

I'm still feeling pretyy wobbly and don't seem able to shake it off

[Seatallan]

Morning Wildies

Actually, not much in the way of rain here in Cumbria. A few heavy showers but we missed the deluge.... so no MeadowHell for us thankfully! Sun is out (though it's very chilly) and we're off to Ambleside to do a raid on Gaynor Sports (I shall also do a raid on a very nice deli that happens to be just around the corner ) followed by lunch at a pub we know nearby. Hurrah!!

Suffs, your meal sounds wonderful...

Rats, hope you come out the other side of the lurgy very soon.

[earthmaiden]

Well, the weather forecasters really got that wrong! It was supposed to drizzle and then rain this morning. I went out dressed appropriately and had a lovely walk round a local lake in sunshine. It looked so pretty and we seem to have attracted a whole extended family of swans - there were at least 20, all interacting with each other. I also watched two happy heron ducking and diving their way along. They do stay underwater a long time.

So sorry the lurgy is still around Rats, it can take a long time to get over these things .

ltc - everything sounds wonderful! Did you manage to replicate the cake?

[cyprusmoira]

There is a demo today in Nicosia by Cypriot Goat and Sheep Farmers, it is because of the delay in getting a PDO for Halloumi. In fact what has happened is that they cannot agree on the recipe, whether cows milk is permitted, is so in what proportion. This from a group who, last year lost the right to copyright the name Halloumi because they could not get their act together and produce the correct paperwork. There was very cross High Court judge who reprimanded the lot of them, including the Cypriot government.

Moira
Edited to add that I have just about the Deep Fried Quality Street Apparently you do not know which sweet is being battered. I bet I would get the ***** Orange Cream

[scullion]

you would know - anyone daft enough to do that would probably leave the wrapper on!

[earthmaiden]

I hate orange creams too.

[suffolk]

[scullion]

someone must like them - or are they like the jokes in christmas crackers, designed to unite people in derision of them‽

[cyprusmoira]

Good Morning Wild Ones, is the rain going away? are the flood levels going down?
We are going out for breakfast

Moira

[icelesley]

Good morning wild ones. I hate the Orange an the strawberry creams too o we have a hard frost this morning, everywhere is white and frozen.

[earthmaiden]

Morning all!
I dislike most creams but orange and coffee are the worst. I can never understand why Revels are so popular, they could be so nice! I think it was Quality Street that used to contain a gooseberry cream. For some reason I quite liked that. Back on topic though, I have never had a deep fried chocolate anything and don't really need the calories.

There may have been a light frost but it's sunny now. Expecting a weekend of walking, Photoshop and pootling around.

[cyprusmoira]

[suffolk]

Good morning all
Went to bed early and slept late ... must’ve needed it ... and unusually OH has the whole weekend at home
OH will be painting most of the weekend, but he’s been out and raked the fallen leaves and cleared the netting over the pond
My plans today include setting some more yoghurt to ‘brew’ and making a Cawl for supper ... I have some stewing lamb, a ham hock, a Swede and some leeks to use up ... perfick

[Seatallan]

[suffolk]

Now we know where to send them ... if anyone makes the mistake of sending a tin of QS this way. Not our favourites ...although I do like the toffee penny ... but will my fillings cope

[Seatallan]

[Ratatouille]

Afternoon everyone

I slept much better last night, so much so I didn't even hear Mr R getting up to go to the market. I have promised us a cheese souffle for supper. He wasnts to rake me out for lunch tomorrow. I am pretty sure I can cope especiall as you cab eat a la carte and the portions are sensible in size he has private insurance
DS and D-I-L have to fly to London tomorrow so hae can have the scan which in not avaialble on Jersey. Thank goodness he has private insurance so it's all arranged at the London Clinic where the specialist is a Jersey man. I would be very worried if he had not been reassured that they know what it is but it must be confirmed. The company they both work for has been wonderful and is even paying for their accommodation

I'll pass on the QS and the Roses if you don't mind. I just find them all nasty. I never liked selection boxes either. There was always coconut lurcling somewhere.

[Busybee]

I have been busy arranging a holiday for next year. Mum has expressed a desire to go to Cornwall, first stop was Truro hospital who have been marvellous in fitting in six sessions of dialysis for her, a converted apartment in St Agnes (all on one level) booked for the fortnight, insurance taken out, all that I need to do is book accommodation to break the journey on the way down and back. Now what have I forgotten?

While Mum wants to go to Cornwall it’s Dad who really needs the break. My sister is going down for the first week and us the second. Fingers crossed for decent weather, it’s the first two weeks in September.

We are cut off from our nearest town due to flooding but we can still get out the back way towards York, but boy we have had some rain although today has been lovely, bright blue skies but cold. The fire has been lit for the first time this year.

BB

[scullion]

[Busybee]

It’s called Sea Thrift, we can’t quite make out if it’s a converted house or maybe an old mill or similar. Would love to meet up, it’s a new area of Cornwall for us, we have always stayed in a Gorran Haven but we needed something all on one level and within a reasonable distance from Truro for dialysis.

BB

[scullion]

i know it.
i think it may be converted to holiday accommodation from ordinary flats. very convenient for the beach, the costal path - and the driftwood!

[suffolk]

The first fortnight in September is always gorgeous weather in Cornwall.

[Busybee]

[suffolk]

Not this year unfortunately ... we’ve booked for the end of May/early June
But you’ll have a wonderful time

[cyprusmoira]

Good Morning Wild Ones, well done BB for making all those arrangements.
The weather is still good here, any day now I am expecting drought warnings

Moira

[icelesley]

Good morning wild ones. We have another hard frost, the car is solid BB. I loved Cornwall, we went playing golf, some years ago now. You have something lovely to look forward too.

[earthmaiden]

Morning all! . A bright start for Remembrance Sunday. I hope it stays that way for all taking part. No frost here but it's quite chilly.

Wonderful organisation BB! What a nice thing for your mother to look forward to.

Hope all goes well for DS Rats. .

It'll be a quiet morning here with a nice walk later. I stayed in yesterday, the weather was awful and I enjoyed pootling about.

[Cheezy_Jazzy]

Morning all

I love strawberry creams and orange creams just don't put anything coffee flavoured near me

I am going to cinema later this morning and I will have to allow extra time as my car does not like cold weather.

[suffolk]

Good morning all

We have a beautiful sunny morning with wall to wall blue sky ... hope the weather is better for our friend near Sheffield ... at least his wife has managed to get home, but it was raining again there last night.

Today I shall watch some of the wreath laying at the Cenotaph on the tv and think of Pa and his younger brother who I never knew.

Other tasks on the To Do List are to move the big potted canna lily into the garage for the winter, inspect the veg plot and see if the broad beans are appearing. The white sprouting broccoli is looking very healthy so we’re looking forward to some deliciousness in early spring. DD gave me some kalette plants (she grew some last year and said the ‘sprouts’ were delicious, and after a shaky start due to flea beetles they’re looking promising.

Supper will be a chicken roasted in the domed enamel chicken roaster, with herbs inside and surrounded by carrots, onions and potatoes (cuts down on the washing up, keeps the oven clean and the potatoes soak up the delicious roasting chicken flavours. We have some ‘spring’ cabbage and purple sprouting broccoli to choose from to go with it.

Hope everyone has a lovely peaceful Sunday.

[scullion]

i am wondering why there were over 2300 guests yesterday, was a popular brand name mentioned?

[suffolk]

[Ratatouille]

Not.a very nice day - quite chilly and the fire has been lit since we got back from lunch. I ate a la carte and just had a starter - pate maison with a lovely quince jelly and a sharp apple sorbet and lots of lovely brioche toast. Mr R had all three courses - chestnut and wild mushroom soup and then fish pan - fried and served with a carrot puree. We bot had a vanilla poached pear with a caramel sauce.

It was absolutely the right thing to do. No cooking or thinking!

Hoping the weather is fine tomorrow so we can present ourselves at the vullage war memorial. It's a public holiday here

[Seatallan]

[Grasshopper]

Ellow!
We had roast chicken thighs, mash, veg and gravy for dinner today. I made it! And 3 empty plates - RESULT!
There's enough veg for tomorrow too.

I'm feeling a bit under the weather - a bit of a throat and a sniffly nose. I hope it doesn't get any worse, as we are busy at 'W' and everybode is needed.


Grasshopper

[WWordsworth]

Love chicken thighs
Best part in my opinion.

[Grasshopper]

They are DELISH deboned and grilled - YUM!!!!


Time to hop off now, as it's M****y tomorrow!
Nit nit

Grasshopper

[cyprusmoira]

Good Morning Wild Ones, another sunny morning with more to come
Remembrance Day does not seem to be celebrated here, I suspect that it has colonial connections.

Moira

[icelesley]

Good morning wild ones. It absolutely threw it down with rain at 4.30 this morning it woke me up, it was bouncing a foot high off the road it's stopped now but it doesn't look promising. Washing to do again today so that will mean ironing

[cyprusmoira]

I have been watching a kitten watching the washing going around the machine drum. One of the local kittens wandered into the kitchen, there are two of them, they are trying to convince us that they live here. They come in to drink from Lulu Pug's water bowl, there is water outside but they prefer to come inside and upset Pug.
There is some beef defrosting in the cold oven. I cannot leave it out as the cats will help themselves to it

Moira

[suffolk]

Good morning all

Damp and drizzly here this morning ... but I need to get out there and fill the bird feeders. I also need to send OH up a ladder to clear out the nest boxes ... but that probably won’t happen today .... I’ve just been informed that if definitely won’t happen today

Plans for today include using some of yesterday’s roasted chicken to make a chicken and mushroom pie for supper. There’s a lump of homemade rough puff pastry sitting in the freezer so really all I have to do is cut up some chicken, slice and cook the mushrooms and make the sauce

[earthmaiden]

Morning all! . Looks a fine day out there, nice for a walk.

Another day of this and that to do plus a walk and college later. I couldn't help but think, when watching the Remembrance ceremony yesterday and seeing the current leaders all together representing our nation, that it was about time that they and we all pulled together and kept going in a way that those who have had lives turned upside down or extinguished over the past 105 years would have expected. I hope that they thought so too.

[Gruney]

[liketocook]

Good morning everyone,
Back to "normal" after a hectic few days. The weather was glorious over the weekend really cold but lovely and sunny but it's foul this morning. I had planned to pop into to town and do a few errands but it's nothing pressing so I'm staying put! I've a huge mountain of washing to tackle and need to do some tidying so that will keep me occupied!
Our family party on Saturday was fab and my nephew loved his cake. While it was never going to win any prizes it vaguely resemble what it was supposed to be and importantly the cake inside was gorgeous a moist chocolate sponge filled with black cherry conserve and buttercream. UNfortunately I forgot to get a photo before the candles were added!