Gran Chat!

[Gemini]

Good morning Lizzie.
We cook with chicken thighs quite a lot, they are tasty!

[Daisy]

Good Sunday morning, everyone.

Nanto, Happy Sunday to you and your cuddly friend. Yes, Eva did go for a walk, and very luckily the wind dropped for a while, so she was ok. I like braising steak and onions, but mine always seems tough, no matter how carefully I cook it. I'm not sure where I go wrong.

Oma, the leaves will be a losing battle for a while. I fished a lot out of the pond this morning, and by tonight it will be full of leaves again. Enjoy your lunch out with the family.

Gem, I'm so glad you're feeling better. I hope you're all packed and ready to go in the morning. Have your cat sitters met Poppy and Moses before?

Lizzie, I nearly always get chicken thighs rather than breasts. I think they are much tastier. Interesting to hear you have the same parking problems. It's all very well for the planners to say 'cycle to the station', but it doesn't work if you've got say a heavy brief case and a laptop, or other things you need to take with you, or when the weather's bad, or you're just late. There were some retirement flats built in our village a few years ago and the planners would allow only one parking space between two flats. They said it was to encourage use of public transport, which for local journeys doesn't exist, or cycle. Theses were retirement flats for people over a certain age. I don't know many pensioners who can cycle to our nearest town. It's difficult to know which half of your car to put in half a space!!

It's dry and less windy today. I've got a load of washing on the line, so hoping it dries. No particular plans for today. OH isn't feeling well after his flu jab yesterday. I haven't booked one yet. I'll talk to the Consultant on Tuesday as I'm already on loads of anti viral and antibiotic drugs and it feel like a bit of overkill to have a flu jab as well!

We're going to make a lamb casserole in the slow cooker today - another first for my OH's cooking repertoire.

[Lizzie48]

Daisy, it is the trend here at the moment to build apartments, close to stations etc with no parking place whatsoever! What visitors do I do not know!

[Gemini]

Daisy, no they haven't met P and M before. They live in Stratford with no car so it's not possible to have a pre visit unfortunately! Our other cat sitter is only an hour or so drive away so was able to come over a couple of times before our holiday. I was keen for them to come today so the cats met them before we leave.

I hope your OH's lamb casserole is a success Daisy

DD3 think she has either covid or flu We haven't seen them for over a week so no danger of us having caught whatever it is .

[Plantaholic]

Oma, Have a lovely lunch with the family. I hope you have the sunshine we have here.

Lizzie, Bit late with my Covid and Flu injections but decided to get it done.

Gemini, You are busy making preparations for your house sitters, pleased to hear the virus is clearing up and that S managed to dodge it.

WG, Can’t wait to hear your exciting news, I think we have half guessed what it will be.

Nice and sunny so far. Still haven’t seen Sil for days, he is a day or so behind DD, she isn’t feeling great still. We have so many eating apples on the ground.

[Daisy]

Plant, I was reading something today saying that apples this year are much sweeter than usual because of the warm weather.

Gem, your cat sitters are going to fall in love with P and M. They are both gorgeous and full of personality. Poor DD3. I hope she's soon better.

Lizzie, I suppose being close to a station helps to encourage people to use the train, provided the trains go where you want and run frequently. It seems mad no make no provision for parking though, and as you say visitors aren't catered for.

OH's lamb casserole smells good.

[Nanto2girls]

Thank goodness storm Amy has finally gone.
Wind calmed down late yesterday afternoon.

Hope all of your family members are feeling better.

Oma, hope you had a nice lunch out yesterday.

I think dinner today will be some form of mash, veg and I have got an Aunt Bessie frozen toad in the hole, so I'm sorted.

[Oma]

Morning Nanto, Ladies.

Nanto
Those aunt Bessie toad in the holes are really nice aren't they,
I often buy them and a good price too.

We had one of the best lunches yesterday,
Just a out of the way pub but they did a 3 course Sunday lunch for £25 per head ,
Everything was cooked to perfection and the biggest lightest Yorkshire puddings ever.

I started with olive oil , balsamic and soda bread,
The oil was warm and so good, then I had the turkey dinner with all the trimmings I couldn't finish it it was so much and I wanted to treat myself to a dessert,
I had a mini slice of Bakewell tart with a cup of tea, the tart was still warm it was delicious.

My DD being vegetarian had the Wild mushroom wellington with red wine , I tasted it and if we went back I would have that it was so nice,
All in all a good meal we came home about 4 and couldn't even face a cupper till 8 o'clock 😁

It's a nice dry morning, I need to pop to Iceland for a few bits,

Gem
Safe journey we will see you on Saturday xx

Daisy
How was the lamb casserole was it as nice as it smelt? 😁

Lizzie
I think living near a train station or metro must be a nightmare with people parking just anywhere.

Plant
Any sign of this baby yet? I bet GD is a bit fed up waiting now, how are the family are they over the virus?

[Gemini]

Good morning everyone.

All calm here too Nan2.

That sounds a lovely lunch Oma. Looking forward to seeing you on Saturday

We had a lovely meal, as always at that restaurant, and a good catch up. It is over two years since we last saw these friends.
We will spend a bit more time with our friends this morning and remind them about things in the house. They have an air fryer too so were glad to know we now have one.
Wi fi should be good where we are going so will keep in touch. Maybe not so much the first couple of days when we have A and G with us though.

[Plantaholic]

Gemini, Have a lovely restful time with your friends, so good you can meet the Oma’s.

Oma, Your post has made my mouth water and what a bargain. Due date for baby is about a week away and I think first babies are more often late. We are pleased he hasn’t come this week with DD and Sil being so poorly.

GD1 is at my GS’s looking after their 2 year old as both GM’s are poorly and both parents are working. this virus has really hit them hard.

My dinner today is going to be, fingers crossed, stir fry veg and prawns. The eating apples are falling off the trees, must find a home for them. GC prefer the supermarket ones. I only have one quince fruit but loads of pears. After the bumper crop of plums, it has been a very good fruit year. The birds enjoyed the cherries. No sign of squirrels this year, I think there has been plenty of food for them in the woods we back onto.

[Lizzie48]

Hallo everyone, I was feeling heady the last few days, eyes hurt etc, I thought I had a cold, DS1 just phoned and DIL has the same, some allergic reaction to the nature!! It often happens, with both of us.

Oma, your pub meal sounds delicious!

The station's here in the village are for the metro, not trains, the streets closest to the stations are either permit or 2 hour maximum stay so not used for parking. In fact, parking in the village is mostly in the underground parking , the same story, max 2 hours. At the main stations in towns and cities hardly any parking, only for the cycles!!!!

[Oma]

Well my day didn't go as planned,
We were in Iceland getting a little shopping when my elderly neighbours rang,
Their cat wasn't well and needed to go to the vet,
She has sprained her knee and can't walk and he is frail and unsteady on his feet,
So we dashed to the checkout then to theirs to pick the cat up and off to the vet,
Cat was fine just bunged up so laxatives were prescribed and cat is home again.

Then my hairdresser rang, could I go in for 12 today instead of 9 tomorrow,
So coat back on and off we went to have my haircut.

Had just came in put the kettle on and the neighbour three doors down knocked,
He wanted to know if we knew our next door neighbour with the mental health issues was kicking off again.

We did as the ambulances and mental health nurses had been the past few days.
He stayed for a cupper and a chat and has just gone home.

The restful day I was hoping for didn't happen, we will try again tomorrow 😁

[Nanto2girls]

We sometimes have days when things don't go to plan,but hey ho.
Your meal yesterday sounds lovely, apart from the first course.
Sorry to hear your neighbour is kicking off again.

What a difference a day makes. Weather has been lovely.
We have had all our cuppa's sat out in the garden. I didn't need a jacket on,so it must have been warm.

Changed the bedding and cleaned upstairs. The washed bedding dried in no time.

Gem, have a good holiday.

[Lizzie48]

Oma, I often have days like that! Prefer them to doing nothing at all!!

I told you about the new bike I went for with GD2, we have to get rid of the old one, it needs repairing etc, but, is still a good bike, my neighbour mentioned about the scheme our AA have, I had read about it but never give it another thought. It is all run by volunteers, you can get in touch with them and they will pick the bike up, the only thing is, as it is all volunteers it could take a few weeks, I had a look on the site and there are garages, locally, that you can take the bike to and they will see that it gets to the AA. Sometimes they are repaired, other times used as spare parts, when the bike is road worthy they go to children that need the bikes to get to school etc. I phoned the garage today and I can take it in tomorrow, I am the one with the carrier (still) on the car!

[Oma]

What a good idea Lizzie,
Saves going to scrap.

Nanto
It was warm hear as well, never two days alike are there.