Val's Cafe

Skinny Keef

Anyone for a brew??

kettle’s on 😁

frogmorton

Keef I am definitely up for a cuppa anytime. Good to see your name and that you who started the new page as per. I have had to start the last two on my own!

Sending some ((())) your way

Morning Joan 28 years old! Wow! I am not surprised it's giving you some gip now it's done so very well. Thanks for asking well my friend is doing 'ok' more or less. She is going up to Northumberland to open up the caravan next week that should do her good. Love to you and Sue ((())) xxx

Morning Reshmi Hope you are ok a little post MTXy (I am with you today) bloomin' tree pollen. Grrrr..... I don't know which eye drops to put in when. The ones for dry eyes or the hay fever ones?

Glad to hear your Mum is ok😊

That poem was spot on! Sad isn't it how little boys are so happy to play with little girls until at about 5 something clicks in and they become all their own gender? Still at least he still loves Mima his Granny and his Mummy. In time he should like girls again. Most boys do.

I do believe that BR is a braver little soul than LA only because he has LA ahead of him to make him feel safe.

Glad to hear it was safe to leave your garlic at home, that the nurse was good at his job and that no raucous non-vegan celebrations were going on at the dentist. Wouldn't want the dentist under the influence of anything stronger than a decaf before she looks in your mouth😮

No EF this weekend will it be next weekend after the children break up so LA can stay over? I wonder when BR will start asking to stay too? That would be a lot for your Mum and you. Maybe they could take it in turns though I very much doubt LA would be happy to 'share' his holiday venue.

BTW was the chicken recipe one of BIL's?

Have a good day my friend.

Morning Charlestown

While you are sitting with your feet up you can peruse online seed suppliers and look at other people's gardens. That should occupy you for a while.....Was the photo of your GC? If so they have a fabulous display. Is it cheating to buy your veg half grown? I usually go from seed to be fair, but well why not?

Do you have hanging baskets? I love mine although watering can be trickier can't it? very time consuming and high up even though we live in a bungalow.

Interesting that your inflammation bloods were low yet you have visible inflammation🤔 well as long as it settles in time and your GP seems happy enough with your progress.

That carrot fly hmmmm last time I grew carrots. I haven't forgotten and to be honest I tend to grow what I know I will use. So onions, garlic, kale, cabbage, lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber. I'd like to grow spring onions too, but they are always an epic fail for me🙄

It's all good fun isn't it?

Morning Toady

Well two days running being early was pretty good I think. You were entitled to be later yesterday.

I am happy to go with answering plant gifts with something positive but not actual thanks. That is a lovely tomato plant. I must tell Kari as I always start hers off as well as my own and I think she does thank me😯. Ok just googled it I will be very careful from now onwards.

Going to a book sale this afternoon which is good as I have very few pages left in my current (small) tome.

Having finished my blanket I am not sure what to do if I finish my book too. Given I rarely garden in the dark even underground veg. I do rather like that though

'plant below ground crops by the waning moon' 😁

Have a good day there is rain on the way apparently. Well who would have thought of that?🙄

bosh

Good morning everyone wppl xx

dachshund

Good morning everyone

Toady (()) have a good day whatever you do. Yesterday when we were coming back from our walk we saw a funeral there was four black horses with mauve plumes pulling the cart it went right past us.

Toni (()) have a good day . That is nice your friend having the caravan it will have a lot of memories for her (()) Is it next week we change the clocks. Love to Paul (()) and Charley (()) and Annie (()) and Lucy (()) and Tia (()) and Kari (()) and your friend (()) and your lovely neighbours (())

Reshmi (()) i hope your blood test comes back ok. Have a good day love to your mum (())

Skinny Keef (()) nice to see you on here I hope you feel a bit better (()) love to Sucr’e (()) and Loanda (())

Charlestown (()) have a good weekend. I was going along a road when it was windy the wind took my had that does up under my chin a lady who was stood waiting for a bus ran and got it for me. I try not to let that happen again.

toady

Morning all 👋 well nearly lunchtime I suppose, but tea & custard creams in my case, who cares 😄

Sun was shining when I woke up so I thought, 'going to rain, is it frog? I refuse to believe it!', but give it 10 mins & it clouded right over in my face 🙄 has dried up again now, that's something. More seedlings today I hope and more to sow, thank you I shall remember Sleek can be a little heavy-handed with watering 😂 but I do like her little watering can, I keep meaning to get one like it. Her shopping is all here, I have kept one spare treat back for when she has the trip to the you know where. I'm sure it's best doing what Sue does with Joan and the dentist, only tell her on the day 😉. 15? Never 😮 I must find out her secrets, does she use protect and purrfect? 🤔. A few cat hairs in the crochet, well that's a plus surely, like being 1% angora or something. Has Sleek put in an order for you to start one for her, that would solve what to do now you've finished 😬. Well done I bet it's lovely 👍️😊. I caught up on Monty and watched last night's on the actual TV so I'm ahead now. Lovely inspirational things as always. How is the garden furniture coming along? I hope you find some nice things at the book sale. I think I know the little catalogues, are they the ones with a million gadgets to open grip peel chop dice and serve stuff? among other things. Yes quite fun 😄. Have a good day love to all :) xx

Hello Joan, yes I expect it is clock changing day next week 😮 ooer that came round quick. Two bank hols as well I suppose, not keen on them myself 😕. The price you pay for the extra daylight. Oh an old-fashioned funeral procession, gosh, rather a spectacle, were there walking mourners going ahead with top hats? All quiet here today not much to do, have seen Robin yesterday & today, and the magpies. Love to both :) xx

Hi bosh, hope things ok with you today 😊 I had another late walk yesterday, remind me sometime I have to somehow wash out my coat pocket where a bit of mars bar melted into it 😣 I keep forgetting. I went to the little local shop too which is not deeply exciting by anyone's standards. Talking of choc, I see (about the Easter thing), oh very nice, yes BR will have to reach man's estate or whatever it is before he can go too. Fab VC poem I love it, especially the oops moment where our hero trips up over the lady scientists 😄 and the male mafia mosquitoes haha. Glad to hear the blood nurse revelries were not in full swing, it's not quite full moon til Monday so you probably had a narrow squeak there. Hope everyone well and all EF, is Bill all done with as far as drs and tests are concerned and just a matter of dietary management (🐖 might fly I suppose but you never know 😬). Have a good afternoon :) xx

Lovely array of things in that picture Charlestown, all look nice & healthy I could fancy some of those but ought to stick to my guns no more purchases, my seed potatoes were meant to be the last. I am sorted for containers now but will need more compost. I tried carrots once a long they were 'James Scarlet', I don't think I will this year. Beetroot again though, they did ok last time 😊. Do you grow veg all in containers or anything in the ground? I have bought seeds off Am*zon if I couldn't get them elsewhere but usually v pricey, same seller wanted £4+ for something I bought off their own site for 99p (I know there's postage etc but still works out better). I also once bought some white scabious plants & they came pink when they flowered 😣. I know, I know, the school books, I should part with, but... (there's always a 'but' with hoarding isn't there 😄). Illness has made mine worse I think, old things are a reminder of when you were well (& your brain could do geometry &stuff!), if I'd stayed well I wouldn't have the same relationship with them maybe. I have a charity bag collection Monday I will find them something I expect, good luck with yours. Have a nice trip to the garden centre if you go 😊. xx

'Lo SK ta for the tea 👍️ cracking brew as always 😊. Have a good afternoon hope everyone well :) xx

Interesting stories about people's blood groups. My Dad used to donate they wouldn't want mine whatever it is 😬 shame.

Love to all 😘 xx

bosh

Hi Joan

how are you both doing today?

I’m not too bad thanks had a nice walk in the morning👍

Mums blood sugar is okay too thanks and she’s not in too bad mood at the moment🙏

Thanks about the blood test results. One of them is just normal rheumatology blood test. The other one is for my mental health med lithium

Hope you both have a nice day take care xx

ps bills recipe lol xx

hi Toni,

how are you doing today?

mums okay thanks and I am too, went for a walk, it was a bit windy other than that, not so bad thanks - but ookey pollen I agree 😱

ive got my rheumatology appointment at the hospital on Monday of next week so just preparing for that really

LAs for not coming this weekend but he is coming soon you’re right I have to check with mum.

Yes the last thing we need is a raucous non-vegan celebration by any kind of group of healthcare professionals haha

I did properly read what you wrote but I’ve just thought I’ve got all sorts of things in my head right now not major things just things relating to rheumatology appointment.

Yes BR is brave because his big bro to help him out. 👍

LA was watching Netflix on his own recently. He wasn’t supposed to be, Needless to say he chose the time when his dad went to café Eyebrow Plucks and mummy was cooking and looking after BR, what a naughty child but at least he was only watching cartoons my goodness he’s too clever by half that scientist

sorry I realised that I haven’t answered everything properly at all but I need to do a few things before energy runs out. Yes feeling better than yesterday though, when it comes to MXT hangover thanks

how’s your post - mxt situation?

okay I’ll go for now Toni. Sorry this is a bit rushed, but I will write again very soon, bye for now take care xx

ps bills recipe as is the burned chicken lol xx

Skinny Keef

There is a rumour that SK has just got back from a bass guitar safari 😳

bosh

Hi toady

how are you?

glad you liked the poem

Bits of Mars bar in your coat oh dear, don’t tell Bill, he’ll try to bid for the coat on eBay lol

its very stuffy in here currently

yes a flying bill needs to control his diet lol

my sis went to her school reunion and seemed to have enjoyed it, well good for her of course, but the very idea of me attending one of those reunion type ordeals fills with me with dread, the so - called pleasure of meeting up with all those bullies and snobs, just to find out whose husband carries the 22 karat bottle of hot sauce to work in his briefcase- no I think I’d forgo that pleasure lol.

The sky clouded over in your face, how very typical, when i walked the temperature wasn’t too bad, apart from Arctic gusts of wind that kept occurring- I almost said, “ Look weather, it’s not me that’s suffering from hot sauce side - effects, please go to MH”.

have a good good night toady take care xx

bosh

Hi again Toni

BR has already expressed a desire to go to Reading on holiday, but he’s still a bit too young and also hasn’t spent as much time as LA did here at a comparable age, so in reality he’s still a bit shy of us sometimes, yes LA doesn’t like to share generally lol, would be hard too you’re right 👍

my mum said LA is coming here on Easter Monday, what’s happening the previous day etc I didn’t dare ask as she was in a bit of a mood, but not an extreme mood thankfully 👍

yes it’s funny how little boys only like to play with each other at that age

yes eyedrops, I still haven’t worked that one out either at the moment I’ve got a bottle of both types, but they are from “loots”, I go through the expensive ones so quickly you see, I agree my eyes are itchy and dry and “hay fever- ey” and sensitive and the list goes on lol, nothings ever simple is it?

ok I’ll go for now Toni have a good night tc xx

ps bill again lol xx

bosh

Goodnight SK Charlestown and everyone else take care xx

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Skinny Keef

Good morning you lovely café peoples.

just having a morning cuppa as I slept right through from midnight, woohoo!!!! Lol.

hope everyone ok. Or as ok as can be expected. I am in the latter category.

did a small trip in Loanda’s car and am still paying the price headache wise. We should have done car and bike but I wanted to use the journey time to be with Sucré. They both currently snoring in the other bedroom. He was poorly again with cold whilst we away and I had to go on a special solo mission to secure supplies of calpol and Vapor rub. (No we didn’t pack any. Mistake noted and lesson duly learnt.) How did we cope before satnav talked us through journeys step by step? Although the built in one in Anda’s car had a hissy fit at one point and we ended up down a cul de sac on a housing estate. Think it needs an update. Mind you, so do I! Skinny Keef 2.0

Loanda says she thinks they both have long covid with this re-occurring cold/flu thing. They both caught covid together a while back and ever since have had symptoms on and off. No one could possibly contract so many infections, so I think she is right.

okay, that’s it wppl 😉 xx

frogmorton

Morning Joan Hope you and Sue are ok? I am hoping it will be a bit easier for my friend this year it being the second year she's had the caravan without her wife. The memories are bittersweet as you can imagine. Hope you have a restful day ((())) xxx

Morning Reshmi hope you are ok today your Mum too of course. Maybe she's in a happier mood today. I am alternating eye drops it seems to be ok but i suppose i could ask the pharmacist his opinion maybe? Loots are fine for eye drops they are the same thing anyway just cheaper.

Of course you'll be thinking about your Rheumatology appt I always think about them and start making notes nothing worrying you just want to be prepared don't you?

BR is shyer yes that makes sense with a character as strong as LA leading the way. I wonder if he might cry if he was left without his mummy🤔 But the two of them would be so much for your Mum to cope with. You would have do a lot of it so let's hope that doesn't happen anytime soon.

Right so Easter Monday is the arrival date for the tiny tyrant. I'll be ready. I'll send over any cheese I have at my disposal.

Time for you to look at your parental controls on the TV!!

I see BIL enjoyed the 'all you can eat' buffet on his cruise🤣 Erm thanks for the ice lollies they look er lovely!

Take care ((())) xxx

Morning Skinny Keef. Are you back yet from the bass guitar safari???

Morning Charlestown Charlotte spuds eh? I grew them one year they were the sweetest whitest new spuds I ever tasted. You'll love them. Don't forget your cherry tomato plugs😊

Your garden centre has loads.

How lovely your boy is getting into gardening too. Maybe he'll be really good at it? I do hope so. Good luck with his (shoe box😂) spring onions. I am thinking of getting Paul to dig some of my soil out (it's a bit manky) and replacing it with some of my home-made compost. There isn't that much but what there is is really rich and smells lovely. That might improve it enough.

I have indeed made a blanket I will try to post a picture if I can.

Take care and don't forget - feet up!! Drs orders😉

Morning Toady

How are you. Rain is due anytime well it is on my phone app in the next village.... But dry spells which I will try to take advantage of. Paul cleaned some of the decking which caused me to fall and it seems much better. Thanks I finished the garden furniture. Looks much better for now.

I must dig you out some pics of Sleek drinking from my old (leaky) watering can. Used to be my Dad's. I wish i could get a decent non plastic non leaking non rusting one (or two). Yes she is rather heavy handed and hers is the right size for indoors.

She does indeed use protect and purrfect😃 and plenty of it! and she does face yoga. This is a clip from the video she watches:

there are other exercises of course and some chin slapping involved too....

More seedlings coming up hoorah! See we've already done better this year.😊

I bought 10 books at the book sale and not many my usual genre so a good variety to try.

Kari says a hair crocheted in is good luck as is a mistake of which there are two (phew!) so now I am quite pleased with my blanket. I must try to get a pic up but the phone link doesn't seem to want to play today nor yesterday. Not sure why.

Sorry about the ☔ Maybe it will dry up again enough to get outside.

Take care

Sunday breakfast from the IVY!

Skinny Keef

Oh almost forgot, cold snap coming tonight and tomorrow so gardeners beware and cover up any vulnerable plants that think the frosts had finished.

Skinny Keef

Hi Toni, yes back home now thanks.

going to be cold tonight so if you’ve any plants that don’t like it don’t forget to cover them up.

frogmorton

Thanks Keef!! Will do👍

bosh

Good morning everyone wppl xx

dachshund

Good morning everyone

Toady (()) Have a good day. I read yesterday a 12 year old boy stabbed someone. I could not find anything about it has it came up on my iPad. I hope you have a good week.

Toni (()) have a good day. It must be different having 5 at a meal and now it’s two. Yes I hope your friend has a good time in the caravan. She must be feeling more relaxed than last year.if that’s the right word. Love to Paul (()) and Charley (()) and Annie (()) and Lucy (()) and Tia (()) and Kari (()) and your friend (()) and your lovely neighbours (())

Reshmi (()) love to you and your mum (()) have a good day.

Skinny Keef (()) have a good day that’s good you had a good nights sleep. Love to Sucr’e (()) and Loanda (())

Charlestown (()) have a good day. We have the sun at the moment. I have cappuccino coffee pods.

love to Barbara and Kitty and anyone else who’s in.

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toady

Hi all 👋

Chilly start but has been really nice all day since, not a spot of rain. Cue the lawnmowing brigade, I swear there are only 3 people left here with any grass, but at least 5 people have been out mowing today 🙄 and I'm not counting the horrible strimmers twice, so I have no idea.

Some quite good sun for seedlings frog, until we get SK's cold snap which we could all do without 😔 have not done much today as I have some packaging to do and am writing Easter letters, one minute it was early but allowing for Good Fri they have to go off by Tues/Weds. Still managed a bit of clipping and tidying though. Watering cans are tricky 🤔 I have an old family one in the garden too but yes they do rust in the end. I've found myself looking at small ones sometimes and they are not functional, or meant for planters etc, yes all you need is what you say. I need a new mister too mine is a hopeless sprayer. Do hope the decking will behave itself now and not try and inflict GBH on people 😣. Yes a picture of blanket anytime please 😊 I learnt a new word this week, 'orts', the bits of thread you snip off when doing needlework. Not sure if this goes for wool ends too, Kari probably would. Glad you got some nice books, anything suitable for the cats' book club? 😸 Oh jaw slapping, yes I think that's what I'm missing, would Sleek be able to do me too I feel she would have the right firm touch 😬. Have a good new week, some fine weather I hope :) xx

Hello joan, hope you have had a nice fine day too. I am packing a parcel for Germany today, nearly done, then must go to the postbox too. How awful the stabbing incident, they seem to get younger and younger, horrible times to be growing up in 😕. Love to both and the dear dogs :) xx

Hi bosh hope your Sunday is going ok 😊 how are the temperatures for you, it's a bit variable isn't it. I love the Noah's ark pic, that's hilarious, 'I tried 2 of everything' 😂 so funny. School reunions, omg no, not for all the tea in China and VC combined 😱. I don't even keep up with what's happening to old schools of mine except I think most of the ones I went to have been knocked down, there's only one of those I'm quite sad about. Good luck in advance for the rheumatology appt 👍️ probably quite handy not to have LA this weekend. Might try a postbox walk later I'm afraid bill will have to go without my chocolate-trimmed coat it's my only suitable mid-weight one and even bill could probably only get so enthusiastic over the remains of a fun-size bar (not sure where the fun is at the price they are now and that's own brand I might add). Have a good evening 👋 :) xx

Hi SK, well done getting some decent sleep and on the various stuff you've got done 👍️ not good if family have got the long covid though, stupid covid, what a mess it's made for people. Hope the effects lessen maybe in the summer will help too. Hope you have a good evening, I will be having cold apple crumble at some point, home made of course 🤥 enjoy anything you're cooking. What did you bag on your guitar browsing/shopping, anything? or was that rumour fake news 😉 xx

We can all get on with our spuds now @Charlestown 😀 it will be interesting for me first time, and to hear how we all get on. I envy your garden centre, not that there aren't any near but not driving puts a bit of a crimp in things. It annoys me when sometimes I google a product and it's at a place that turns out to be a fairly small business that delivers only within a certain radius of where they are, but very often free local delivery 🙄. Well I've got several places in this area but none of them are ever free delivery 🤷‍♀️. Hope you get some good compost, reviews are often mixed online and I don't want to get the dreaded fungus gnats if I can help 😱 but you have to take your chances I suppose and anyway won't be using for indoor purposes. Glad you got some nice decorative things as well 😊. Hope the ankles are not too bad today🤞xx

Love to everyone 😘 xx

Skinny Keef

I got a new bass. Traded some gear and a bass i wasn’t really liking playing for a signature bass I’ve wanted for about ten years. Finally got one, from last years batch, the new ones are 50% more expensive now from this years stock so i figured it was now or never, plus it’s a good investment. I asked my local dealer in Colchester to get me one but he said they are all sold. He also thought I wouldn’t lose money on it as they have gone up so much, so that’s what finally tipped me over the edge to buy this one I found about two hours drive away.

Sucré wasn’t well when we got there so instead of staying 2 nights we just came home the next day. Terrible drive home, lots of pain and headache. Stopped a few times and stretched neck out, but it was a real endurance test to make it home. Went straight to bed when i got in. I still haven’t even got the bass out of the case yet.

bosh

Hi Joan

how are you both doing today?

Mum is ok thanks

im not too bad thanks I’ve just got a bit of a cold

have a nice evening tc xx

ps green matcha tea pudding xx

bosh

Hi Toni

how are you today?

mums bs was ok and she’s generally ok thanks

That’s a good idea about alternating eye drops

yes maybe ask the pharmacist but I can’t imagine it doing a lot of harm, making a cocktail of the two different drops and applying them simultaneously could be harmful lol, but in my opinion at least alternating days is probably ok

Yes just preparing for the rheumo appointment 👍

sorry Toni I’m very tired, think I have a bit of a cold, got the layers wrong this morning, should’ve worn an extra cardigan

Mum lovingly made some savoury Indian mini fish pastries, I didn’t eat much of them, but what I did eat did did upset my stomach, but never mind

When BR wants to get changed he says to his mum, “I need to get back to nature, boy” - what a funny child, he must have heard it at nursery lol

LA was sneakily watching NF cartoons on his mummy’s “why? - pad” I think, but yes parental locks and possibly new passcodes all round I think - hopefully nothing that can be guessed by the scientist haha

I have a feeling BR would cry, he gets very upset if my sis goes anywhere, even for a minute, also BR himself doesn’t always feel comfortable here, not even with his granny, not compared to LA

Yes all unwanted cheese is gratefully received thanks Toni, I may have to start a Cheese Aid appeal- what do you think? Maybe SK can write the tune for the appeal?

All cheese goes to a good cause, feeding a (very) young scientist who hasn’t eaten for 20 minutes- or something like that haha

have a good evening Toni take care xx

bosh

hi toady

you how are you today?

” 2 of everything” that’s a good one. I didn’t think of that haha

temperatures are a bit variable. I agree this morning I got the layers wrong and went out without one of the extra cardigans. Never mind I’ve got a bit of a cold but nothing extreme Thank you

I see a medium warmth coat infused with chocolate of any kind will be a great temptation to Bill I’m sure. Oh yes, I agree about fun size chocs, normal people would not be tempted by just a trace of chocolate very true.

It’s been an okay Sunday thanks well compared to how bad it could’ve been haha, dad went out for a walk but not a postbox walk though, I like that term “postbox walk”, it Reminds me of the term “letterbox hampers” and “letterbox chocolates” that you can sometimes get on nosegay, but I’m not really sure what the point is of those because some of those things seem quite expensive considering that the quantity is only big enough to get through a letterbox, Very strange.

My rheumatology appointment is at 4.00 pm tomorrow so it’s really not a great time. I hope my stomach settles fully before then it’s just an odd sort of time really, morning would be no problem, lunchtime not ideal but okay, I guess I’ll just be waiting around all day and controlling food and hoping that there’s no gastric incidents - now there’s a name for the novel we may write together “ The mysterious expired chocolate infused coat and the gastric incident” lol. Oh well we can only do what we can do I guess

hope you have a nice night. It’s going to be cold one I hear so wrap up warm Have a good night toady

👋good night also to SK and C

Take care everyone xx