Val's Cafe

bosh

Hi toady

how are you?

a bit of back pain for me

plus stomach playing up as I made myself take an iron tablet 🤷‍♀️

well the GP knows best allegedly- angeblich in German - sorry just educating Mr Physio lol

i got to town early so didn’t bother with the “ghost group” today

de - grump I like that - I may have to plagiarise you there lol

bye toady tc xx

bosh

Morning everyone

wppl xx

ps pic - bills dieting again ooky 😱

frogmorton

Morning everyone

should really be 'Hoppy' day!

Morning Joan how are you this sunny day? Is Sue coping ok with her sore ankle? I bet it isn't making life any easier for her. Love to you both ((())) xxx

Morning Reshmi how are you? Did you melt? I hope not! Your house is really a proper sauna surely the heating is switched off now?

Good to hear your Mum is doing ok.

Foot painting eh? Sounds like messy fun!

What on earth can we do about the blocked doorway?😮 I would be rather terrified to cross the boundary who knows what might happen if I tried? No protein shakes for that boy agreed!!!!

I am at lucy's flat feeding Min and Win and someone has parked in Lucy's spaces actually over both. I have left a note asking them not to park in the spaces belonging to this flat please, with a smiley face. Hope they don't turn nasty😥I hate hate hate conflict.

I am volunteering at the foodbank this morning.

Did you get to the group yesterday I forgot to ask?

Have a good day if you can ((()))

Morning Toady another lovely day here today.

Gosh yesterday was a bit manic! I actually painted one of our village planters and did a litter pick. No valuable crisp packets located sadly just a few **** butts mostly nasty polystyrene drink cups and McDonald's debris🙄

We were all (those of us who care) out and as far as I know we looked pretty good although the Church grass isn't due a cut until this weekend🙄typical.

The judges for Best Kept Village arrived and were nice (I have judged with them myself in the past) but had already been to our rival neighbour village where there is a posh hotel. The one I had a posh meal at for my birthday. They also don't have 4 working farms and have paths throughout their village and have had their verges cleaned by the council twice already this year. Their paths are newly done as well and look all lovely and black. Ours get driven over by tractors and are damaged😕 ENOUGH Toni! No more moaning!

I did manage to do something for myself too I potted on my tomato plants and guess what? The arch is here!😊It's extremely heavy in it's parts so hope that bodes well.

Well done you if you managed some shed painting that's great. Very impressive.

dachshund

Good morning everyone

Kitty (()) Thinking of you. Love to Anita (()) and Val (()) and Emily (()) and your Dad (())

Toady (()) I’m pleased de-gumped is a good thing. We have the sun I’ve put washing out. Have a good day that’s nice you’ve seen Mrs B.

Barbara (()) Have a good day love to Mr B (()) and your son (()) and Niamh (()) and your brother (()) and his girlfriend (()) and your niece (()) and her fiancé (())

Toni (()) Sue is up and on her scooter this morning she has cream and painkillers. I hope the car did not stay to long in Lucy’s space you need that. You have to be careful what you say to people these days (()) you’re a kind person but some people fly off the handle quick. Love to Paul (()) and Charley (()) and Annie (()) and the carers (()) and Lucy (()) and Tia (()) and Kari (()) and your friend (()) and your lovely neighbours (())

Reshmi (()) sorry you have backache (()) love to your mum (())

bosh

Hi Toni

how are you?

I did come close to melting actually 🥵🥵

mum feels cold quite a lot so 🤷‍♀️

low pollen count today and yesterday - I almost danced

back not too bad thanks

just need to have therapeutic hot shower soon

mums ok thanks

LA goes to drama club but doesn’t reveal what he does there - training to be mr physio junior?

hope not lol

iron tablet messed up my stomach again

someone on fb has a Guinea pig named neemo - I almost said no, it’s mimo of course he’s a footballer who eats pickled beetroot with a dressing of ferrous fumigate lol

more details later, bit tired

bfn Toni tc xx

bosh

Hi Joan

how are you and Sue doing today?

my mum is ok today thanks 🙏

Thanks about my back isn’t too bad atm thank you

because I had a hot shower and rested a bit 👍👍

My stomach seems a bit more settled too thanks 😀

I hope you both have a good afternoon/ evening.

bye tc xx

ps mount snowdon n Wales near where I used to live long ago xx

toady

Hello everyone 👋

Can I have a hot very sweet tea please 😬 lovely day, but it was very nearly not Hoppy! I was in my shed corner finalizing measurements for the arch, when I noticed something at the bottom of one of the large bottles I'd used to keep the sides of the holes 'open' - the only bottle that had its bottom cut off, from using it as a cloche last year - and what was in there? A toad!!! 😱 After the first surprise I thought oh no what if it has met its end 😖 . Got the bottle out, dribbled a little water in and put it in the shrubbery, hoping it was just a bit torpid but didn't look promising - left it for just a very few mins, came back to check and the little blighter had gone 😮 It may have waited to be alone to 'leg it' but I wish I had watched to see what happened. I'm assuming it revived, no other explanation really, so will look out for it again; wonder if it was the little one from last year. When I have calmed down from the vapours in a min I'll see if the pics I have are ok. No more bottomless bottles! I'd thought it through as far as being satisfied it wouldn't fill with water, but was too dim to think of the danger of it being empty 🙄. Gosh the relief of not being a toad murderer, would never have been able to look at the arch, and I would have had to change my name 😂. Hope your arch installing is less fraught frog! Very glad it's arrived 😀 look forward to next update. I never even got to the shed yesterday, I 'wandered' 😄 but I have done some more obelisk. Well done potting on the toms, I have further gardening chat, but will do it tomorrow or this will be essay sized. Glad the BKV is done for that stage, sorry if 'they' have better verges & paths than you, do they have pickled beetroot though 🤔. Love to all & have a good afternoon/evening :) xx

Hello Joan, glad to hear Sue is up & doing and getting around ok, hope she does not need too many painkillers. Lovely day here today too, apart from giving myself a fright with a toad in the hole! Got itself into one of my auger holes that I marked with a lemonade bottle, I was so worried it had been stuck there but it was ok just quiet I think. The neighbour was here yesterday (well my previous neighbour's son, it is) mowing the front lawn, then did one strip of the back and left 🤨 very mysterious. Have a good evening love to both and the dear dogs :) xx

Hi bosh, glad to hear the pollen count is down for you 👍️ hope the backache easing up as well after the shower & rest. Sorry about the iron though 🙄 I take an iron type tonic but I know the drs always want you to take bigger doses, mixed blessing in the short term though if you can't tolerate it very well. Having skipped the other group did you get to the Weds one or maybe not? Glad the kids are still ok at the moment btw. I haven't done much today apart from gardening and giving myself a scare with a toad 😬 hope you don't mind toad pics. Will try and have a walk later I had a decent one night before last but not yesterday. Lovely pic of Snowdon I lived near Wales for a little while but a long time ago. I only remember Cardiff and Penarth and not very well. Hope you have a good evening 👋 :) xx

Love to everyone 😘 xx

toady

Toad in the Hole 😮

bosh

Hi toady

I survived the toad pics 😀

yes went to group

and RR said to eat food with highest poss G index lol

sorry toady just tired plus back is hurting a bit

good night tc xx

ps bills extra healthy crumpet ooks 😱😱xx

frogmorton

Morning Joan. That's great that Sue is coping ok with the pian bless her. Did you tell her she needs L plates🤭 Hopefully the car won't park there again she can't drive but when she has a flat mate she probably will. I don't like arguments and you're right some people are scary! Take care ((()))

Morning Reshmi how are you doing today? Hope your back isn't too bad. At our old house we had a lovely shower which jetted out at the side and I could fire it at my back. Oh well can't have everything can you?

LA is going to be an 'Act-torr' (please read in a very posh voice) is he? Now you can read in a normal voice! I bet he is great at that and loves it.

A guinea pig named Neemo indeed! Nope we know it's Mimo!

Glad to hear you haven't melted and yes the pollen count was low here too👍️

Aww your Mum gets cold does she? Bless her it's not nice being cold but i thunk it's worse to be too hot - you can only take so many clothes off can't you?!!

I think BIL would love the crumpet on the right😂that made me laugh! RR isn't 100% right about the glycaemic index but that was funny.

Funny you should post a pic of a Tardis I dreamt last night I was (with two friends - don't ask me who they were🤨) being chased by Cybermen and Zombies😫

Take care and have a good day

Morning Toady how are you and your Toad today?

all ok now have you recovered from the shock? A very good job he is is or you would certainly have had to change your name and you'd never have looked at your arch the same again either😕

How lovely and I am so glad he is ok. Have you got a pond for him? You might to make him a small one in case he wants to stay at yours❤️we don't want any repeat (ribbit) performances do we?

Are you ready for pic of my arch????

and no blood was shed!

Will leave planting the passion flower until we get back from Luxembourg as it will need much watering and Tia is rubbish at that. All being well it will fill the gap lower and above so that we see less of next door.

Ah yes the next village are far tidier but not as much fun or as rustic as us lot! My pickled beetroot will stay in this village!!!!

Take care!

No more frog food pics after today.

far too healthy!

dachshund

Good morning everyone

Kitty (()) love to you and the carers (()) Love to Anita (()) and Val (()) and Emily (()) and your Dad (())

Toady (()) Mr toad came looking for is namesake. Now he’s deciding if he wants to live there. Have a good day

Barbara (()) love to you and Mr B (()) and your son (()) and Niamh (()) and your brother (()) and his girlfriend (()) and your niece (()) and her fiancé (())

Toni (()) Your arch will look lovely with the Passion flower around it. Yes Lucy pays for the parking space. Have a good day (()) love to Paul (()) and Charley (()) and Annie (()) and the carers (()) and Lucy (()) and Tia (()) and Kari (()) and your friend (()) and your lovely neighbours (())

Reshmi (()) You are doing well we did our schooling in Cwmbran South wales. Love to your mum (()) I’m sorry she’s cold I have the same problem.

bosh

Hi everyone

wppl xx

Have a good morning- or to put in Bill’s language- may your cheese sandwich always contain some pickle lol xx

bosh

Hi Toni toady and Joan

how are you all?

im ok thanks

I’ve got covid jab later on today 3 - ish

before I write proper posts

a little poetic offering from me called

Ode to Mr Physio - thanks 😀

Dear Mr Physio, this carob bar is a manifestation of a choc

without the glycemic index shock

unfortunately you’re not the best incarnation of a physio professional

and I must confess I’m glad you’re contract is not full - time, but merely sessional

please confess your lack of empathy to your priest at the confessional

it’s really not necessary to assume that your patients are dense

otherwise their banana consumption will become exponentially immense

I advise you please to revise your grammar,

I want you to start with the subjunctive and pluperfect tense.

ps pic of dumbledore the physio lol xx

toady

Hi all 👋

No garden traumas today, & am recovered from yesterday thanks to timely application of the smelling salts frog thank you 😄. Your arch is fab, and from a trailing start you have still nipped ahead & beaten me to the putting-up✌️. How did you get your holes in so neatly in the lawn side 🤔 & haven't you done well getting one the perfect width for that position. Full steam ahead the neighbour-screening 😀 mine is currently neither up nor down, a la Grand Old Duke of York 😄 pic to show I have done something to it today though, tomorrow I hope to be finished. And on the left the first one I put up, to show you how nicely it's getting ivy-covered for my woodland path bit. Glad yours is nice & sturdy and the lattices will be a big help for climbing support. Was the pic so 'live as it happens' that those are still the instructions strewn around 😄. Your trompe l'oeil window always catches me out, so good aren't they. Hope you have had a good day & maybe done some other bits & pieces. No sign of toads today, though there wouldn't/shouldn't be in the daytime (I will have a think about watery pond areas & whether it's do-able. 'Ribbit performance', groan, btw 🙄😂 ). Bees are v interested in my dug earth holes so will check they aren't miner or nesting types - I don't think so. Hope everything else ok in garden - was going to mention that one thing (hopefully not only!) I'd learned lately was about toms having the ability to root from the stem - when the time comes do you do any earthing up or planting sideways with yours or any of that type of thing? I also watched another youtube gardening vid which depressed me haha because it went from an unassuming start (a not-young couple pottering round a modest garden, plus nice old dog, kind of thing) - then checked the rest of their channel, full of every project under the sun 🤨 farming, horses, a therapy centre, craftmaking, ironmongering, travelling.. 😱 really brings home that I just don't know what it's like to have that energy, & I do think I never really have had, in the proper sense. I would really love to know exactly what governs that because something to point at & blame would be lovely 🙄. Do what we can with what we have I suppose! In other news, my broad beans are looking nice, pic if they ever do anything 😄. Have a good evening :) xx

Hello joan, I would love Mr Toad to come and live, and I would love to know whether he was the little one I saw before. I don't know what if any water or ponds anyone has round here, but I wonder if there is something not far, because of seeing the heron sometimes. Hope Sue is doing alright :) xx

Hi bosh, super poem 😂😂 must say I wouldn't actually like someone to surprise me with a question about the pluperfect tense on the spot either 😳 . Lovely structure and use of words 😀 it's a nice mental picture/daydream to imagine delivering it to him, too 😄. Glad group was ok and no-one actually plied you with crumpets and butter by the blockful, even if the dietary advice going round would not stand up to close inspection 😬. All quiet here today apart from a van parked outside neighbours but seemed to be actually to do with the next door but one house 🤔 v odd because at one point a workman was lounging on next door's lawn with a can of drink, very dejeuner sur l'herbe, no idea what that was about. Then they went at some point leaving only some litter behind 😠 shall be picking that up with my grippy stick and putting it in neighbour's bin 😉. Hope everyone ok today🤞have a good evening :) xx p.s. I learned yesterday that Poe's Raven was originally going to be a parrot 😮 would have been a very different poem altogether!

toady

Arch no. 1 (bit overgrown at the moment) and arch no. 2 just going up. I still have a third as well; where to put it 🤔😄

bosh

Hi toady Toni and Joan

sorry I didn’t write a proper post today

it’s been quite busy really what with covid jab on top of walk and usual activities

the c vaccine took place in local chemist - I think at hottest part of the day 🥵

I could’ve done without that

mums well thanks but she’s been frying things all day 😱🥵

I think it’s high glycemic index - chapati - esque foodstuffs destined for bills stomach lol -

oh well if it makes her happy 🤷‍♀️

dad asked me to put his phone off silent - and he acts like he’s M Zuckerberg or something lol😂

BR can sing twinkle twinkle little star now - bless

Noel - or his parents- have officially declined invitation to LA’s party 😱😱

i saw a boy on bus who looked so like LA and he was eating a massive ice cream in true LA - style!

he even had same name as him - I think his origin was Middle Eastern- sounds like one of bosh’s flights of fancy but absolutely true

his mother was calling him

as for glycemic index of that ice cream - I’d better not put it on here - you never know who’s listening lol 🤫

Thanks about poem toady and nice pics 👍

sorry you feel cold a lot Joan

I think I’ll stop there as I’m somewhat tired but I won’t collapse in an unsightly heap on my neighbour’s lawn toady 😂

have a good night everyone tc xx

ps pic of one of LA’s fave carbs lol xx

toady

'night to you too bosh 😴 and sorry that I skipped so airily fairily straight to your poem in your post that I missed altogether that it was jab day today, hope you feel ok especially after being in the hot chemist.. out of the frying pan and back into the frying pan at home as well 😱 enough to make anyone weaken & have ice-cream. Noel not coming to a party?? these are strange times.. 🤔 Have a good night I hope :) xx

Love to everyone 👋 xx

Hope Kitty's garden is taking shape & things are all ok 😊

Love to Barbara of course 😘 xx

'night all

dachshund

Good morning everyone

Kitty (()) thinking of you (()) have a good weekend. love to Anita (()) and Val (()) and Emily (()) and your Dad (())

Toady (()) you have nice arches thank you for the photos of them. I hope you see the toad again. Have a good weekend they come around quick.

Barbara (()) take care and have a good weekend. Love to Mr B (()) and your son (()) and Niamh (()) and your brother (()) and his girlfriend (()) and your niece (()) and her fiancé (())

Toni (()) I think of Lucy (()) needing an ambulance and there not being room to park. How are your hips today (()) have a good weekend. Love to Paul (()) and Charley (()) and Annie (()) and the carers (()) and Lucy (()) and Tia (()) and Kari (()) and your friend (()) and your lovely neighbours (())

Reshmi (()) that’s good you had the injection (()) have a good weekend. Love to your mum (())

bosh

Hi toady and Joan

How are you all?

wheres Toni?

I hope she’s ok

i don’t really like this weather so I will re - grump to paraphrase toady lol

Thanks Joan and toady vaccine went ok 👍

Tiny arm pain but only when lifting v heavy things like the complete and unabridged work of the g index expert lol

Mum is ok thanks 👍

toady I like frying pan to frying pan v apt lol

toady good point what is Noel doing?? Has he hijacked the ice cream van? The mind boggles

good afternoon- well almost afternoon- all, I would write more but cleaners are coming

so bfn tc xx

ps beetroot and horseradish potato cakes xx

toady

Afternoon all 👋.

Yes, no Toni today bosh, I think the 'non-post' issue was passed on by Joan and it's Toni's turn 😔

Hello joan it looks like Toni has had the posting issue too it it is the week for it apparently, I will double-check I've clicked mine! Thank you about the arches 😊it's nice to see the one getting covered over, they were a good purchase, very cheap and they come to pieces so you could even make a different size or something else out of the bits. There are plenty of things that have not worked well in the garden they are out of shot of the picture haha 😉. I almost felt a spot of rain out there a minute ago it doesn't seem to have come to anything though but it is overcast. I forgot to say about your mentioning Cwmbran, I wonder if Toni has any Welsh connections, that's 3 of us so far. Have you ever been back? Hope you are having a good day so far yes nearly the weekend 😬!

Hi again bosh, oh no, re-grumping, I had not even thought of that possibility I will be alert for that! Hope things other than the weather not too bad. Glad the jab side-effects are minor today, did you say your mum had had hers recently too I forget sorry, if so did she go to the chemist too? Interesting beetroot and horseradish dish, have you ever had horseradish is that the thing that's v hot? I don't know what I imagine it's like, a bit radishy I suppose 😄 . I saw this and immediately thought of your (bill's) green diet/dye-it cookies, you were ahead of the trend obviously https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-65572068 👍️. Maybe one day it will come to light what naughty Noel has planned that is more alluring than a party 🤔 time will tell. Hope there is a good take-up of invitations otherwise or you may have to make up the numbers 😱. Have a good rest of afternoon & hope the cleaners are not making cat's cradles around you with hoover flexes &c 🤞bye for now :) xx

Wave at frog for the time being :) hope all's well xx

bosh

Hi toady

that’s a good point could be a forgot to post type error 👍

I spoke to soon about vaccine side effects though

feeling a bit ooky really 😱🤢

Oh well it can’t last forever

have a good night

ps pic more Spock of course xx

frogmorton

It's FRIDAY!

Morning Joan I don't think Lucy has had any comeback from me popping a note on the car. The spaces are actually numbered according to the flats so it shouldn't happen really. Thanks the arch will be lovely covered in 💐. Hope Sue is healing up a bit ((())) xxx

Morning Reshmi how are you today? I hope no consequences from your jab yesterday. No news here yet we are often behind. Although we were super-early with the original roll out. Sounds as though it was a little too warm for you. It was wasn't it in the afternoon? I had to change out of my jumper.

Like BIL's cheese buttie! I prefer some onion (although stomach doesn't) or a little (I promise) vegan mayo and lettuce tomato cucumber etc😋

Brilliant poem! Ooh I really do wish you could read it to that physio!!!! Very very clever👏

Awwwww!! BR can sing twinkle twinkle! Bless him did you see him singing it on facetime?

Clearly cooking for appreciative men is what your Mum likes doing so yes if it makes her happy. I bet BIL will soon be pre-diabetic if he's not careful🙄

You saw LA's doppelganger 😮wow! can there really be two?!!!! and eating food with alarmingly high glycaemic index too😊

Naughty Noel can't come to the party? Gosh that surprises me they really must have something on because no way would he miss being with LA and Riley by choice!

Take care today while your body copes with the vaccine. ((()))

Morning Toady! How are you today?

The only thing I did not like about our arch was the nasty way the optional trellis is attached - with plastic cable ties so I have purchased some stainless steel wire to replace it.

Yours are fabulous! I love the places you have for them - so, so private! I can imagine lots of wildlife loving it in there (and me) the third arch can come here😉No wonder you have toads. Just lovely. Our garden was only grass bare grass when we came so we are trying to create something from nothing. Already we have bees so I know it's working 😊

How did we get it in so quickly? It came with a hole punch - well a pole with a hole that you bash in and Paul did the bashing Isn't the lilac lovely this year? Sorry to sneak ahead like that. All that thinking and then suddenly the job is done!

Yes it was an 'as it happens' pic for sure. Those were indeed the instructions - read by me not Paul as you can imagine! He wouldn't watch the video first either, but I did so it was all fine no arguing at all!

I do nothing at all special with my toms - just plant them in my reusable self watering thingys and stick a cane in and hope for the best. I think if I had the time or even the energy as you say. That is probably what those young people do for a living! They can make a lot of money that way. Genes blame it on good genes and good luck.

Go your broad beans! I hope you get more than one meal's worth unlike me!

Well have a good day.

specially low glycaemic ones😕

Oh dear....

frogmorton

It was indeed!!! I didn't press 'send' twice 🙄

Morning Joan exactly! Lucy's space is right by the door for any emergency vehicles to park. Thanks for asking my hips and back are pretty well ok hopefully the journey to Luxembourg which we satrt today will not set anything off. Painkillers are packed 👍️ Hope you and Sue are doing ok take care ((())) xxx

Morning Reshmi I do hope I didn't worry you yesterday? Sorry you ahve two posts to read today now.

How are you today? Is your Mum doing ok too and and how often must your dad's phone be ringing now with all his important acquaintances chasing after him?!!

I do wonder what Noel is doing....hmmm some importation cake licking appointment elsewhere? a rendezvous with one of their 'exes' from Nursery? Or something his parents have on more likely😉

A nice tidy clean house at yours then? That's lovely even if it is intrusive while they are actually there.

Today we leave to travel nearish to Folkstone ready to catch the 6:20 am train to Calais and onwards towards Luxembourg. I will keep in touch. Back in the UK on Thursday.

Take care I hope all is well no chicken pox and that your arm is even better today ((()))

Morning Toady so sorry to have worried you. I just wish the 'send' button worked first click🙄

No Welsh connections for me at all sorry Dad was Hungarian mum French so European really. I do love Wales though it's just so pretty everywhere!

I love our arches love them so much they add 'something' je ne sais quois exactly, but height maybe? or different viewpoints? Not sure I just know I love them.

Off to Luxembourg later today well at least as far as Maidstone as tomorrows tunnel crossing is ludicrously early 6.20 and we have to be there an hour before😣

Packing some Vegan food just in case.

Take care

for LA's party food!

frogmorton

Went first click today 🙄why?

dachshund

Good morning everyone

Kitty (()) Are you sitting in your garden 🪴 love to Anita (()) and Val (()) and Emily (()) and your Dad (())

Toady (()) Our dads family lived in Wales No we have not been back. Have you seen Mr Toad again. Have a good day.

Barbara (()) How are you feeling (()) have a good day. Love to Mr B (()) and your son (()) and Niamh (()) and your brother (()) and his girlfriend (()) and your niece (()) and her fiancé (())

Toni (()) and Paul (()) enjoy Luxembourg have you been there before. I hope the journey not too painful for you (()) sue hasn’t got so much pain now. Love to Charley (()) and Annie (()) and the carers (()) and Lucy (()) and Tia (()) and Kari (()) and your friend (()) and your lovely neighbours (())

Reshmi (()) have a good day. How are you feeling. love to your mum (())