Idle chat

Last post 21-05-2013 7:07 PM by Valerian. 6913 replies.

• 14/06/2012 06:24 PM

  In reply to

  sue1002 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk Joined on: 06 Sep 2005 Posts: 9,466

  Reply | Contact  Hi all, that's me finished at work for this week, it was a rather quiet day there today. Hope you managed to get outside in the sunshine lillyrose. What are you planting in the half barrels Susiq?  We've got lots of baby birds in the garden too with the majority of them being the house sparrows. Sorry Richard, I have been slacking in the sarni department lately, it was haslet today.  Enjoy your venison burgers, they sound good.  I fried some onion, mushrooms and a carton of chopped tomatoes, then added some Swedish meatballs to heat through which we had with rice for our dinner tonight. sue1002

• 15/06/2012 12:19 PM

  In reply to

  Susiq Location: Northumberland Joined on: 16 Feb 2008 Posts: 3,125

  Reply | Contact Hiya all - what a thoroughly miserable soaking wet day here! That primula is beautiful Richard, I think thats my favourite variety. Your troughs and pots in the background are coming on well too. Your meatballs sound yummy Sue Ha, re the barrel, I only planted one up - it took 100 litres of compost to fill I put in petunias, trailling blue lobelia and (can't remember the name) but they look like minature carnations in the centre. Well we had a fantastic day yesterday, the police escorts were brilliant, they all honked their hooters and waved back, some of them stopped to let us know what was happening, we must have looked bonkers - about 8 of us at a table on the side of a country lane in the middle of nowhere waving our flags. The sunshine was a godsend too! A really uplifting type of day Off to the flicks tonight to see that Daniel Ratcliffe horror film - told you things took ages to get up to us - it's out on dvd next week

• 15/06/2012 02:11 PM

  In reply to

  richardpeeej Location: Leicestershire Joined on: 22 May 2009 Posts: 3,498

  Reply | Contact  Hi all and thank you for the sarnie report Sue. Hope you are enjoying your Friday we had a little rain here earlier this morning and a storm last night but the sun is out now for a while. Hope you didn't get too much of a storm last night as it was forecast to be worse down the south and south west. Hope you enjoy the film tonight Susiq. It sounded like fun on the picnic table yesterday with all the merriment and flag waving.Glad you liked my new petunias. Cheryl and her friend  were in fits of laughter here this morning, I bought a new wireless doorbell from the internet and once it starts it doesn't stop until you take the batteries out. After the ding dong it yells out "Somebaddy kams". I suppose I should have spent a bit more than £3.99 for it hahaha. Nicola's boyfriend said to me "Ah well buy cheap ...buy twice" -Richard

• 15/06/2012 02:39 PM

  In reply to

  sue1002 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk Joined on: 06 Sep 2005 Posts: 9,466

  Reply | Contact  Hi all, it's been a mix of sun and cloud here so far today and it's just started spitting with rain, that will water in the black hollyhocks, that my colleague at work had grown from seed and left for me, which I have just planted in the garden Wow Susiq, that is one huge barrel but it sounds like it's going to look good when everything comes into flower.  The window boxes here are filling out nicely and the double Petunias and trailing Lobelia have just started to come into flower. We had a storm during the night here too Richard, I heard a couple of people talking about it when I was in town earlier and OH said he had driven through it and at one point he couldn't see where he was driving as all he could see was white, I never heard a thing though as I slept through it all.  It sounds like your new doorbell will make a few people laugh  I've only ever had one wireless one (and that was quite a few years ago) and that didn't last long here at all - whenever the washing machine got to a certain point or someone turned a light on, it would set it off and Sam would start barking thinking someone was at the front door and then wonder why we never went to answer it.  Needless to say, once we realised what was happening, we stopped using it and now rely on the door knocker. sue1002

• 15/06/2012 03:01 PM

  In reply to

  Susiq Location: Northumberland Joined on: 16 Feb 2008 Posts: 3,125

  Reply | Contact Ah there you are Sue and Richard - I was beginning to feel like 'billy-no-mates' on here today Ha ha ha looks like you are going to be looking for yet another doorbell then Richard! Ours is just an old fashioned 'press and it rings' one. Mind you, - P&P are the best doorbells going, they go mental as soon as anyone pulls up outside, I'm sure Sasha does the same for Sue! Oooh those black hollyhocks sound great Sue, that was nice of your colleague. Will they flower in the first year? If they do, would love to see a pic. That storm your OH encountered sounds terrible - I haven't put a foot over the doorway today, its truly horrible out there. I keep meaning to go up to the poly, then 'chickening out'! I'm really bored - I know there's loads of stuff to be getting on with, but I just can't seem to get any motivation at all today

• 15/06/2012 03:33 PM

  In reply to

  EvaInNL Location: Holland Joined on: 25 Sep 2009 Posts: 1,758

  Reply | Contact Allo allo, don't panic Susiq, friends are in da house!  Sorry, still a bit dazed after yesterday's dentist appointment, it all went well, implant step 1, but its very unnerving to hear the sound of somone drilling into your jawbone brrrrr. No pain afterwards tough, nothing an aspirine or 2 can't surpress.  My 2 favourite plants, the vialli and the black hollyhocks (hollyhocks in general). Love em! By the way has anyone ever tried to spray the leaves of the hollyhock with florist wax? Wouldn't that help against rust?  It was raining cats &    here before lunch but it's slowly clearing up. I'll skip the allotment today, have to finish installing one of those curtain rails with panel curtains. The classroom in the building across the road can look up into my dressing room since I made some changes. Not good for their concentration, hahaha...  Anyway, just thought I'd say hi, HI, and log off and go home.  Have a lovely weekend and good luck tonight with the football!  x

• 15/06/2012 05:27 PM

  In reply to

  lillyrose Location: kent Joined on: 02 Mar 2010 Posts: 2,973

  Reply | Contact  Here I am, at long last. Sainsburys this morning then looked after GS for couple of hours then Son and DIL came round and only just gone. Hardly had time to catch my breath lol. We had a wireless door bell too Richard but it didn't work half the time and would often go off by its self sending Khan and Ishy rushing to the door. Soon gave up on that idea and like Sue went back to the good old door knocker. That Primula is very pretty and your potatoes are looking really good. Mine are looking very sorry for themselves, combination of snails and heavy down pours. I would like to see a pic of the hollyhocks too Sue, when they flower. Didn't buy much in Sainsburys this morning as only needed a small shop. Did get a fresh leg of lamb though as they are half price this week. Sounds like you had a nice time yesterday then Susiq, bet it was nice being a part of that. Hope you enjoy the film Well we have had mainly sun here with just a light sprinkle of rain which soon cleared up.

• 15/06/2012 06:40 PM

  In reply to

  sue1002 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk Joined on: 06 Sep 2005 Posts: 9,466

  Reply | Contact  I don't blame you for not wanting to go outside when it's bucketing down Susiq, hope it clears up before you set off for the flicks.  Yes, Sasha certainly does let us know when someone is at the door but if I'm out in the back garden and she's with me, she doesn't always hear them.  I don't know if the black hollyhocks will flower this year or not, the plants are quite small and about the same size as some pink ones that I planted in the garden about this time last year that I grew from seed and those didn't flower last year but they are a lovely size now and should flower this year. I don't envy your visit to the dentist Eva but it's good that you haven't had much pain from the treatment.  I've never heard of spraying hollyhocks against rust, I just pick the 'rusty' leaves off.  Good idea to put up those curtains if people are able to see in Thanks for letting me know about the half price lamb lillyrose, my shop tomorrow will be a basic one too.  I won't be getting any freezer stuff as I still have loads of things in the freezer to use up before getting new bits but I will make an exception and have a quick look in the special offer freezer on the end as last week they had the 3 pack Magnum ice cream lollies half price and I'm sure I can find room for half a dozen boxes or so  sue1002

• 16/06/2012 10:17 AM	In reply to
  sue1002 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk Joined on: 06 Sep 2005 Posts: 9,466	Reply | Contact  Morning all, it's sunny but very windy here today and that wind is getting stronger! I picked up some of the half price lamb which will be tomorrow's dinner but the offer on the Magnums had finished... sue1002

• 16/06/2012 03:10 PM

  In reply to

  Susiq Location: Northumberland Joined on: 16 Feb 2008 Posts: 3,125

  Reply | Contact Hiya all, The weather doesn't know what it wants to do today, we've had a mixture of allsorts! Sue - you've got an icecream maker now, so you could make your own version of magnums Probably a bit too 'faffy' to do I must admit! Please take some pics of the pink hollyhocks when they flower, I would think those and the black ones mixed together would look striking, once the black ones have had another year. Whoa Eva, that sounded like a very heavy duty session at the dentists How many more will you have to have? I know implants can be a lengthy (not to mention costly) business! Ha ha ha, I've got a mental picture of a classroom full of kids, seeing far more than they are meant to Sounds like your GS has got you on your toes Lillyrose, hope you have a more restful time this weekend! Well, I've finished the cleaning, just waiting for the new guests to tip up. OH meant to say, that film last night (woman in black) was one of the bestest scary films I've ever seen, it really makes you jump - A LOT! (a lot of LOUD shreaking from the audience at times!) Was quite shocked that it was classed as a 12A, I wouldn't have wanted to watch it at 12 years old, but I guess times have changed!

• 16/06/2012 04:00 PM

  In reply to

  sue1002 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk Joined on: 06 Sep 2005 Posts: 9,466

  Reply | Contact  I hadn't thought about putting the black and pink hollyhocks together Susiq although I have 'plonked' one of the black ones in amongst some pink foxgloves. Yes, I think making the equivalent of magnums in the ice cream maker would be a bit too faffy to do when they were on offer, it was for £1.24 for a 3 pack.  Never mind though, I'm doing a raspberry ice cream today though to go with the pear and raspberry crumble that I've just put in the oven. sue1002

• 16/06/2012 04:38 PM

  In reply to

  miranda Location: Oxfordshire Joined on: 17 Nov 2004 Posts: 4,072

  Reply | Contact Hello everyone. Windy here too with some very strong gusts - we went out to a nursery and nearly all the plants had blown over and it was all looking very windswept. Not much to be done about it in this weather though.  Ooh yes, the pink and black hollyhocks together would be amazing, Sue. Go for it.  All the rain we've had has made the Lupins grow in funny shapes. They're all bent and twisted. Anyone else seeing that?

• 16/06/2012 04:57 PM

  In reply to

  Susiq Location: Northumberland Joined on: 16 Feb 2008 Posts: 3,125

  Reply | Contact Oooh, pear and raspberry crumble - save some for me please Sue Hiya Miranda, not seeing twisted growth with the tall specimens, our lupins seem to be very behind so far this year - am only seeing my beloved delphs having their heads snapped/bent over Hey ho, always trials and tribulations in british summertime! I saw some owners of garden centres on the local news saying just how terribly down they are in sales this year, definately the weather has been a major factor, you can't help feeling sorry for them, especially the independant ones.

• 16/06/2012 06:22 PM

  In reply to

  sue1002 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk Joined on: 06 Sep 2005 Posts: 9,466

  Reply | Contact  No, I haven't seen any Lupins growing into funny shapes this year Miranda.  The first spike to flower here was floppy to start with when the flowers first opened but that was due to the amount of Lupin aphids on it and since then the rain has sent them packing (or the birds have eaten them) and it's now standing upright again. Hope you don't get too much damage to your delphs Susiq.  We had garden centres/nurseries featured on our local news a few days ago too where their plants are ending up in the compost because they're not being bought, it seems people round here haven't been buying the plants because of the hosepipe ban although now that's been lifted, people have still got time to go and get some plants in. sue1002

• 16/06/2012 07:52 PM	In reply to
  Phot's-Moll Location: The sunny South coast. Joined on: 06 Jan 2007 Posts: 4,547	Reply | Contact  OK, who's nicked summer?I'm seriously fed up with this weather. Whether you think you can do a thing, or think you cannot, you are right.