Hi Hicky.

Hope your BBQ party went well?

Bit windy and drizzly here.

Enjoyed watching the last DOI. Torvill and Dean were fantastic in the Bolero. Just as good as 30 years ago.

Evening Emptybox.

Day was great, had sun and no rain.

Had brekkie out with O/h and my lad and hie lads

Had a BBQ this afternoon, the unit works great in the Gazebo as your not outside at all.

Enjoyed DOI, thought they were all very good, but Ray is in a league of his own.

He deserved the Trophy.

Evening Everyone.

Not too bad a day, taking O/H to the opticians in the morning as they say she can't drive back, i'll go and get brekkie at Morrison's while i wait.

Forecast says sunny with no rain, great.

Might do some work on the next table if i get time.

My neem oil came today, you add some soap with it so when you add warm water it mixes.

Going to list what it protects against so i can spray the plants in question.

It's a natural product so it should be ok.

  Good evening all

Hicky

so pleased your first BBQ at the gazebo went so well.   The good weather has been timed well for you finishing the gazebo. Good idea to treat yourself to a Morrisons brekkie whilst you wait for OH. That is good that you are able to get a natural product to spray the plants.

Emptybox

hope the nicer weather has arrived for you too now.

Any work contemplation today?

I managed to watch DOI and really enjoyed it too.   yes Hicky, well done to Ray, a well deserved win, what a great skater he is.

And I agree Emptybox Torvill and Dean were great too.

We really enjoyed the concert on Saturday. I had to LOL emptybox how you remembered the girl who was on BGT a couple of years ago, but had forgotten these 2 guys who were on last year.  

I think Charlotte came 2nd with Jonathon on BGT, but is on her own now and acted as support singer. Here is the press report..

http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-...tains-talent-3103393

and the 2 young brothers whose show it was, came from North Wales, their nan had encouraged them to sing and they were great. Their nan, grandad and mum were in the audience and their dad did one song on stage with them. Amazing to think they were helping their nan in the family sandwich shop a year ago and now have a sell out tour, with a successful album.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/w...richard-adam-5584632

I thought of you this weekend Emptybox every time we drove down the seafront, as it was Celtic weekend. there were a group of fellas in kilts playing bagpipes on the seafront and after they were all outside the pub enjoying a drink.   

OH felt a bit off today.... achy, nausea and very tired, so had to stay home. At least the weather was nice, so he was able to get out in the sun for a rest though. He feels a bit better now, so will go to work tomorrow, but I told him not to go at 4am, just to go in for the afternoon, as getting up that time when unwell is not good for you.

Goodnight all xxx

Evening all.

Yes it was nice weather here at last today. 0 degrees tonight though.

I got some work done in my own garden.

Cleared all the old grow bags out of the greenhouse, and dug over the patch where I'm going to plant my potatoes.

Also I took all the remaining fronds off a large pampas grass that we have. The wind had put paid to most of them anyway.

haven't decided whether to grow tomatoes again this year. They were very disappointing last year.

It's a bit worrying if you think of me when you see men in kilts Mollie.  

Never worn one in me life.

Sorry to hear your OH has been off colour.

But glad you enjoyed your concert.

Hi Hicky. Glad your BBQ was a success.

Haven't heard of that neem oil. I'll look it up.

Evening Everyone.

It's been great today, sun all day, brekkie out went well while waiting for O/H.

Went to recycle place to get rid of more bits of wood and rubbish,

Went to see the Tyre place, they have my size secondhand ones at £35 each, i need a couple, he said they could change my wheels around.

I'll see if he will give me something in partex for the 2 new M&S tyres i had left over from the other car.

Worked on more of the 2 remaining tables, joined the tops and planed and sanded them.

Ready for the legs to be sorted later in the week, need more stain also.

Sprayed all the trees with the Neem oil mixed with some soap.

Mollie, looking foreward to many more BBQ's now.

Going to get some containers to go under the bench seats so that we can put the equipment needed to eat out, and keep it handy.

Shame you O/H wasn't feeling too good, it can come over you very quick.

Hope he's ok for work.

Emptybox, it's good to get your old stuff cleaned out, it hold all the nasty insects that have been overwintering.

I'll show you what the Neem oil is.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=...f=pd_sl_2prk1c6c7p_b

How to Use.

http://www.motherearthnews.com...il-zw0z1304zkin.aspx

Guide for aplication.

http://www.plasmaneem.com/neem-oil-guide.html

It's important to get it mixed correct, need warm water and add the soap first before the oil.

You have to warm the oil as it's hard at less than 18C,

I put the plastic bottle in some hot water from the tap.

I think i can use it every week, will be ok if i can.

Well I did not actually think of you because of the kilt.

my thinking went something like this....kilt....means Scotland....Scotland means Emptybox.

Good evening both xxx

Emptybox

Glad you got the nice weather too.

Sounds like you got a lot done in the garden.

Hicky

that is good you too got the enjoy the good weather out in the garden.

Bet you enjoyed your Morrisons brekkie.

I took my mum a little walk to the park today, so I am done in, it takes ages to get her ready to go out and then we walk at a snail's pace with her walker thing. So after I had to rush to do her jobs and go food shopping, but at least it did her good to get a bit of sunshine sitting in the park.

Forgot to tell you about when we went to the theatre...... Daughter had told me to behave as she was not coming with us, so would not be around to keep an eye on me, I do these ditzy things all the time you see.   Anyway me and son went for drink at bar in interval, and I looked in my bag and found a sausage wrapped in a serviette.   I told son I had forgotten to give other son the sausage OH had saved for him from our brekkie out that morning. Then when we went back in the theatre I forgot about the sausage as the lights went down.  Then I decided I needed a tissue to wipe my nose, and dug into my full handbag (always full with make up etc), and grabbed out a nice big tissue. As I wiped my nose I realised it stank of sausage and I had unwittingly grabbed the wrapped up sausage in the tissue and lost the sausage in the theatre.  I could not stop laughing. We were real close to the stage on the front row and OH said he bet it was the first time anyone had thrown a sausage at the singers.   

Oh and I had only had one glass of wine.

Goodnight both xxx

thought you might be interested in reading the latest story showing what the storms have uncovered....

an 800 year old monks legs poking out of a cliff face...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/ear...t-of-cliff-face.html

Evening guys.

Started off frosty, but a lovely sunny day.

I see the temp is -1 at the mo, so more frost tonight.

Got a phone call today from a customer wanting her grass cut already, so I guess the season is starting.

Hi Hicky. Hope you get a good deal on the tyres. Thanks for the info about that oil.

You're not wrong about the insects in the greenhouse. When I lifted the growbags there was all sorts underneath, including a huge slug.

Hi Mollie. That's a funny story about you losing a sausage in the theatre.

What intrigues me is, would your other son really have thanked you for a sausage that you'd been carting about in your handbag all day?

That's interesting about the 800 year old monk's legs, that were uncovered by the storms.

There was another story about the storms uncovering the earliest human footprints in Britain (in Norfolk). These were 800,000 years old though.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/scie...environment-26066386

Watched the detective series set on Shetland tonight (BBC1).

Afternoon All.

Mollie, it would be slow going with your mums walking frame but nice for her to get out of course.

Can't believe you had a sausage in a tissue, in foil would be bad enough.

we know why daughter doesn't want to go with you.

Read that link about the Monks legs, another one who was legless.

Emptybox, All the neighbours have ben cutting their grass, O/H did ours last week but it's still so wet.

It is very cold over night but not bad by the mid afternoon.

I noticed the Vines bleeding yesterday. thats a good sign and a month earlier than last year.

The insects have been either hibernating or hatching but they will be out in force soon.

A lot wait for the blossom to be pollinated so they can attach the growing fruit.

I will be putting traps out on the plums & apples in may.

bosses gone to a funeral i think.

Not long now, an hour and i'll be going.

Evening both.

Very frosty this morning. The windscreen was still frozen at 10am, but a beautiful afternoon.

I got my first paid work done in a while. Cutting hedges and pruning apple trees. Sweating I was in my winter jumper.

I was having a look in some other gardens to see if the grass needs cut yet. A couple looked like they could do with a cut, but most were fine as yet.

Also I planted some tomato seeds out in a propagator. May only decide to have a couple of plants in the greenhouse this year?

Glad to hear your vines are bleeding Hicky (I think? )

Yes the insects seem to be waking/hatching early here as well. Quite a few swarms of tiny flies, and I had a butterfly in the house the other day, and moths about as well. Mind you, I suspect the frosty nights might have put paid to some of them?

Think I'll watch that thing about Astronauts on CH4 tonight?

BTW I've made a new post in dialog (top right).

Evening Everyone.

I've cure the problem of hitting the 'Caps Lock' key and 'Insert' key by mistake, i've taken them out, could still operate it of needed by using a pen to press the sunk key.

It's ok planting seeds ina propagator as long as they will get plenty of light once they break the surface or they will be leggy and worthless.

The vines bleed to seal all cut ends so the liquid will be used for growth.

I saw my first Bee the other day, not much pollen around here yet.

With it not being as cold a winter as normal here i think a lot of insects have survived that wouldn't have.

Hope Mollie isn't doing too much, well i say that, but, as we know, she has so much to do.

That seems a bit drastic for your keyboard? Right enough though, I keep hitting Caps Lock by mistake as well.

Makes sense about the vines. Don't think I've heard that before, though i might well have done at Uni? I remember learning about plant hormones (auxins and cytokinins, gibberellins etc*), and xylem and phloem etc. I remember learning about them....but not the details.

* edited after a bit of googling

Good evening both x

Emptybox

hope you are not too exhausted now you have moved on from contemplation to real action work wise.   Gosh it must of been cold if you were still frozen up at 10am. Thanks for the fascinating footprints story.

Hicky

Glad it is looking hopeful for your vines this year.

I don't have too much trouble with the caps lock, but today I couldn't connect and son eventually fixed it, he said it had been disabled. Not sure how that happened though???  I know it did do this automatic windows update thingie, can that make your connection to wifi disabled?

I too noticed the early arrival of the insects. As you say we have had a mild winter, not that we really noticed though, with all those strong winds.

This morning it was thick fog here, cleared up, but stayed as a deep mist over the coast all day. But at least it is dry at last.

I took mum out a walk again yesterday as it was nice weather and today she said she missed her walk but I really can't do it every day as it takes at least 2 hours out of my already busy day to get her ready and out for a slow walk. I told her she wouldn't of liked it today as it was chilly in the mist though. (true).

Looking forward to Hotel Inspector now, think Alex is great.

Have a good evening both xxx

LOL......  

Well the idea isn't that the sausage should be carried around all day in the serviette in the handbag...this is what should happen...(me being such a good mother!)

Me and OH go out for brekkie on a weekend....OH leaves his sausage so his big bellie doesn't get any bigger.  So instead of "wasting" it, OH wraps it in the supplied serviette and I put it in my handbag to a little bit later present to unsuspecting son, by offering him a nice sausage sandwich for his brekkie. I make him some toast and unwrap the sausage from the serviette and put it on his toast with some ketchup and son eats in, not realising it was left overs.

Oh heck doesn't this sound awful.

Except now son has cottoned on now that when his mum offers him a nice sausage sandwich at weekends, she has not made it fresh, so he says no way does he want a sausage sandwich off me again.   So that is the end of the special handbag sausage sandwich now.

Oh by the way, the serviette it was put in was a clean one.

Evening Everyone.

Emptybox, It's been dull and chilly all day, not what was forecast.

Been working on the tables for the gazebo, cut, trimmed, sanded & ready for fitting, made 4 corner ledges for the gazebo, they have been fitted by the rail that runs between each post.

Bought another tin of stain from B&Q.

Had a Hotdog while there, when i got in O/H said shall we go for a meal as i'm starving.

We went to the Greave in Greasby, got a soup and battered herrings, lovely, didn't eat too much, O/H said, what you been eating, had to tell her about the Hotdog.

Got my Holiday insurance, cost me £150 with being old and falling to pieces.

Getting a new Gas Boiler tomorrow, my lad is installing it.

The one we have is getting old and out of date and it keeps losing pressure.

It's so easy to remove the key tops off the keyboard.

It was driving me mad having the Caps |Lock key coming on.

Hello.

No frost today, but cloudy and dull. We were spared the fog though.

Had another phone call from someone wanting their grass cut.

Thanks Mollie for the sorry saga of your son sussing the surreptitious slipping of the sausage from the serviette into his sandwich.

If the Windows Update included an update to your network driver software, then it might have left the wifi disabled afterwards. It shouldn't have done, but it happens sometimes.

Glad your son fixed it for you.

Sounds like it's a lot of work getting your Mum out for a walk, but it probably does her the power of good.

Hi Hicky. Do you have to pay for the new gas boiler, or is that covered by insurance?

Very handy that your son can fit it anyway.

Pity your holiday insurance is so high.

Hope you enjoyed your lunch out with your OH, even though you'd been eating between meals.

I'm recording this Astronauts thing, but haven't watched any of it yet.

Evening Emptybox.

Just buying the boiler ourselves, they are cheaper at the mo.

O/H just fed up with the other one.

Meant to tell you, my lad in Oz has got his GF over there with him now, they are working for the same company as you know but she's been waiting for her Visa or whatever, think they may be on the same job together for a while.

Watched it takes a thief and The Hotel Inspector Celeb Juice anything really.

Evening Everyone.

A rather cool day here, no sun, but it had been forecast.

got 3 tyres changed and another tyre had a faulty valve replaced.

Finished building the tables, stained them, need another coat tomorrow.

Got the boiler fitted, all good.

Made brekkie for my and my lad.

Had a beef & mushroom tonight, with half & half.

Not much on TV, watching the SS now.

Good evening both x

Hicky

how nice your lad and his gf are working for the same company. Is she  a girl he met whilst in England, or an Ozzie girl? Sounds like you are making good progress on the gazebo table.

That is so funny how you got caught out eating about the hot dog. Sometimes when I make tea and OH doesn't eat it, means he has been at the biscuits, but last Sunday I got it all wrong and he didn't eat his dinner because he was unwell. Luckily it didn't last long though.

Shame your holiday insurance is so much. Mine was expensive toojust to go away for a weekend in Belgium, because I now have this bleeding abnormality.

Hope your gas boiler has gone in problem free. That is handy that your lad is able to put it in for you.

Emptybox

sounds like that is what happened then...., my lappy was disabled when my windows updated.

That is good that your clients haven't forgotten you, and are chasing you already to do their lawns.

We got the dull chilly foggy weather all day today, but hopefully the forecasters have it right and the sun is due to shine tomorrow.

OH's 6 months contract finished today and they said they wanted to offer him an extension but they left the paperwork right till the last minute, before he was due to leave today. He had decided he didn't fancy another 6 months, that is a long time when you are having to work away, but they offerred him 3 months, which after some consideration he decided to take, as there are 3 bank hols within that period, meaning he can spend some extra time at home. After that he will try and find something closer to home.

Looking forward to Gogglebox tonight.

We had tea at the local pub tonight, I had a lovely mozzorrella/mushroom burger with coleslaw, salad and mash.   And a large glass of rose.

Have a good evening both xxx

Evening Hicky.

Cold, windy and drizzly here.

I did go out, intending to cut some grass, but it turned out too wet.

No point doing a first cut when it's wet.

You've certainly had a busy day, what with getting your tyres seen to and finishing the tables. And no doubt supervising the fitting of the new boiler?

Glad your lad and his girlfriend are now working at the same place. makes it easier for them.

I like the idea of beef & onion. But not sure what you mean by "half & half"? In Scotland that would mean a large whisky (half gill) followed by a half pint of beer, but I'm sure that's not what you mean?

Think it's Gogglebox on telly tonight? Not sure as I'm at my upstairs computer just now. Just about to go down to get something to eat, but i haven't decided what yet.

Hi Mollie, we posted together.

That's good news about your OH's contract. At least he has 3 months to look for something else.

'ere, I thought you might have mentioned the alliteration in my post yesterday? Took ages to think of all those esses.

That sounds like a nice meal as well. I'm hungry now.

  LOL

that is brilliant how you got all those "S"'s in there.

Very clever.

I had noticed and thought the "S";s great, so meant to quote it direct, but when I came back to do so, you had cross posted the same time as me. 

Our posts came on exactly the same time.

hope you enjoy your tea. What are you having tonight?

hi Hicky

just noticed you posted the same time as me and Emptybox too.   Well only 1 minute before us.

As they say "great minds think alike".

I see you have had another busy day.

Glad the boiler went in well, bet it is nice and cosy in your home now.

Emptybox

yes I guess it will take awhile for the grass to dry as it is so early in the season.

Gogglebox time.  

have a good evening both xxx

Evening All.)

Mollie, My lad was working with the girl on a job in another country, they were working shifts, they are both doing similar jobs as Engineers, on Mining projects i think.

The firm has given them some time in the office for now to let them settle in.

He's been on Holiday a few times with her.

Yes, the boiler is great, he's refitted the wireless thermostat controller which is set up as we want it.

Hope your O/H is able to get a local contract soon, would be so much better.

Emptybox, The meal was Beef & Mushroom, the half and half is (Chips & Rice)

Have had it for a few weeks now.

Am struggling to find things to watch on the box so watching video's of grafting and tre logging and big machines.

Hi Mollie. I like a bit of alliteration, me.

I just had a ready meal chicken tikka masala in the end, as it was late.

Made a nice side salad, just so it had the appearance of a healthy meal.

Hi Hicky. Don't think I'd have guessed that half & half meant chips and rice? Is it a Liverpool thing?

Wonder what happened to this flippin' plane??

Hi Emptybox.

Not sure about the half & half, it's been here as long as i can remember.

Chicken Tikka Masala is nice, it changed after the food colouring scare, never been the same since.

Watching channel 4 The Floods

Evening Everyone.

A rather coold day here, had some sun but it stayed cool.

Gave the tables another coat of stain.

Not going for breckie in the morning, going out for lunch instead.

Gave my lad & his lad breckie this morning as he was round here checking the heating.

Enjoyed the Voice, pity so many had to go home.

Hi Hicky.

Rather cold windy and cloudy here as well.

Enjoy your lunch tomorrow.

Just watching my recording of the Voice now. Doesn't sound like, from Ash's twitter, that her friend Leo made it through?

Good Afternoon Emptybox.

Went out for Lunch, beef roast.

Cool today although it says 14C.

Rain later.

Am going to make a log box next rather than buy one as i can make it the size i want.

I see Part 2 of The Voice is on tonight, but to keep 3 from each 7 is a blow.

Hope Molly is OK and not rushed off her feet.

Hi Hicky.

It was a sunny start here, but a bit rainy this afternoon, when i went to the supermarket.

Hope you enjoyed your roast beef lunch?

I watched a bit of The Voice, but Aisleyne was a guest on the Sun Bingo programme, hosted by Brian Dowling, so I watched that instead from 8 - 9pm (online only)

Hope you had a nice weekend Mollie?

Evening.

It's been a reasonably nice day here.

I got my first grass cut. It was one I haven't done before, and it was very long and tussocky. Unfortunately the mower's drive didn't stand up to this, and I had to do another repair on it, so I don't see it lasting very long.

Luckily the mower is not too heavy to push, without the drive, but it's bloomin' annoying.

Not a lot on TV tonight, that I can see.

Good evening all

Hicky

that's nice how you lad and his gf have been given some time in the office to help them settle in. Is she an English girl?

As your heating is wireless now, does that mean you have a remote control for it?

Bet you enjoyed your beef roast eat out?

I too enjoyed a Sunday dinner out... but mine was all the trimmings minus the beef.

Emptybox

Oh no, not trouble with the mower again and so soon into the season. No wonder you were annoyed. Sounds like you are going to have to fork out soon for a new one then?

Had mum over to our house Sat and Sunday as it was sunny.

The new phone we bought her got her even more confused, it was a retro one and I thought she might of remembered how to use those types ok but she still couldn't put the hand set back properly. So we had to drive over late at night again. Luckily I got it from amazon, so can send it back. We bought another simple one from Argos with big buttons and a red light that stays on until you put the receiver back properly, so hopefully that one will be better for her.

I thought of you again Emptybox whilst in the cafe this weekend......

...this time it was when we went for brekkie on Saturday morning. It was Wales/Scotland rugby so lots of fans around, and I saw a guy in a kilt with a tartan hat with a huge feather sticking up out of it. And he was drinking a can of beer at 9.45am with his brekkie.

Hope work was not too taxing today Hicky. Are you still getting away earlier? And how are your knees now?

think I will watch Corrie and the baby programme tonight, (well some of it inbetween getting son from college and other jobs).

have a good evening both xxx

Hi Mollie.

Hope the new phone works better for your Mum. I suppose if it's got a red light that stays on until it's turned off, then it might do the trick.

I imagine that kiltie would have sunk many more cans of beer, when he saw the atrocious scoreline, supposing he was stil compos mentis by that time?

Yes, it's very frusyrating about my mower. Obviously my repair wasn't any good. I shall persevere for a while.

Good Afternoon Everyone.

Not too good a day, dull and damp.

Am making some liquid manure for the weekend, going to make enough to give all the tubs some each.

Emptybox, have you seen Aisleyne's Boot Camp page, wow, been reading the different sections.

It sounds good, Here:

http://www.aisleynesbootycamp.com/

Bad luck about your mower, they just can't take it.

Mollie, My lads girl is from the Philippines.

The central heating controller is wireless with the programmable section being in the hall, so handy as well as you don't need any cables.

Thats a good idea having the light staying on till you replace the receiver.

Yes Mollie, getting away at 3pm is fab, it lets me beat the traffic, of most of it and gives me some time in the garden before dark.

My knee isn't too bad, still taking the tablets, went to get my tablets etc from Sainsbury's today, the woman wanted a review of my meds so i was there another half hour.

But it's handy as they have a 6 month supply of prescriptions which i got off the doc to save me going to west kirby.

Hi Hicky.

Wet and windy here, so I didn't get a chance to try the mower again.

Yes I've seen the press stuff about Aisleyne's Booty Camp. It all looks very swish.

Not sure how many customers she will get, but she's in amazing shape herself.

Quite a few of them have these boot camps now. I see Josie Gibson has one called the GI Jane Boot Camp (or at least, she's associated with it).

And Lucy Meklenburgh from TOWIE has her own Booty Camp, that has a very similar website to Aisleyne's, so maybe it's a franchise?

http://www.bootycampwithlucy.com/
Although it's held at a different place?

That's handy, if your Sainsburys has a pharmacy section. If it saves you making a longer journey. My Sainsburys isn't big enough for that, I don't think. You can buy asprins etc, but not get prescriptions filled.

Watched Kirstie Allsopp, then Shetland on BBC1.

Good evening all

Hicky

glad the knee is not too bad, and that is handy that you can get 6 months prescription from Sainsburys. 

Soon your 3pm departure will be even better when the clocks change next week.

That is interesting your lads gf is Philipeno. I was friendly with quite a few people from the Philipines when I lived in Oz. Very nice they were, and very polite.

Emptybox

  A booty camp... are you thinking of attending one? Much too strenuous for me,.... prefer a nice stroll with the dog.    (which is probably why won't I won't see a size 10 again).

Hope your mower keeps going when you do your next grass cut.

This budget today is complicated..especially pension stuff...but maybe you could put some of your wages into a pension now HIcky if you can take it when you want. At least your beer has gone down a whole penny too Emptybox.

I am pleased with mum's new phone. Cheap and simple idea with the red light and big buttons, but it seems to be an improvement for her.

After doing mums jobs, me and daughter took doggie down seafront today and we were surprised how cold it had gone today.   Wind real cold ... back out with the thick coat and scarf now.

Not sure what to watch tonight, might watch secret eaters.

have a good evening all xx