Val's Cafe

toady

Hi all 👋

Ooh a cup of tea and a sit down, thank heavens 😊 boilerman was here for about 4 hours 😬 but everything fine thankfully has had a really good looking over. It's a mercy that he is a nice chap I can stomach him in the house for that length of time no problem in that sense, it's just the sheer fact of not being able to get on with much but can't really go & relax either. He will be popping back quickly tomorrow but not for long & not early. Remember I had a sneaky drip from the washing machine area frog? well like your fridge it had refused to misbehave lately so I thought I couldn't really mention in to him if I couldn't demonstrate where it was from 😣 but today it was damp to the touch again so I braved myself to ask and he will do that too when he calls 👍️ it will be fab to have that off my head. Sun even shining now so all's sort of right with the world for now anyway. Have you been out yourself today, seen the baby coos maybe? I'm glad it held off from being too wet yesterday for you. Ah Convoy, the words, yes well better not test me on them I would fare badly too worse probably 😄. Yes mindful driving probably the best possible thing in the circs, if you can do it, well done. What a super little car love its headlamps 😊. Hope all's well with you and of course the frog family-to-be 🤞 love to all 😘 xx

Hello Joan, I don't think the work next door is the chap's fault it's not really anything to do with him if he's temporary. My guess is that the owners have decided they would do better doing the house up a bit before putting it on the market again, it will all be old & need doing so it's fair enough. Hope you are having a good day, I am glad to be done with the boiler by this time, that's what I was mainly hoping , that it would not be a long job. I would rather someone call twice than be here all day 😱. Sunshine here for now just a bit chilly though. Take care have a good evening love to the dogs :) xx

Hi bosh, nothing much doing with me I may try and have a quick walk later but I am going for the afternoon rest option for now 👍️. Haven't had a chance to escape from the gasman's clutches til now so to speak, well not clutches exactly but if you go off into another room to start anything or go online he asks you something or wants something so you can't settle to anything. I forgot to sign his cheque after all that 😳 have I learnt nothing from all the recent banking talk 😄. He'll be back tomorrow but hopefully I can revert to my usual untidy ways after that and talk to myself and so on 👍️. Hope your day is ok see you later maybe 👋 :) xx

Love to all ☕️ xx

bosh

hi toady

how are you?

This is the security question
Who wrote ‘love is not love when it ALTERCATION finds’?
Sorry about caps - Answer - The Phantom Neighbour

Hi toady - missed post - itis - I’ll respond properly later lol

Ok it’s instalment day

So bye for now tc xx

toady

Waves goodnight 👋 oh I love the Phantom Neighbour security question 😂😂 very apt and a very nifty tweak of the quote. Said neighbour is currently putting together furniture or some such thing in a very unphantomlike manner 🤨 but as he's been out most of the day he can get on with it with my blessing, no altercation tonight I would be too tired for one anyway. I have al fresco and the return of the gasman tomorrow I do hope they don't coincide 😬 don't really want him hurdling over a hallful of grocery bags like an obstacle course made of R Brek boxes. It has been known 🤨. Have a good night catch up tomorrow hope everyone well :) xx

bosh

hi toady

Glad you escaped the gasman’s clutches lol

Thanks about security question

I heard a joke but people may take it the wrong way on a public forum so I’ll keep it on my head

BR has a new favourite food - raw “marrots”!
Thank goodness it’s not hot sauce

Also both the littleys have lice - oh dear

I’ve got another security question, which poet wrote those lines from ‘The Raven’s Birdbath’ (Ok ‘The Raven’ if your being pedantic)

‘While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a gasman tapping’?

The answer is of course your good self, no Freudian Bank has ever been this secure 🤥

You may want to stash some cash (as well as R Brek of course) under the mattress

Have a good night toady take care xx

👋good night everyone tc xx

ps bosh’s handy tip number 666 - remember to sleep on a bed, not a keyboard xx

frogmorton

Morning Joan

I will PM us all an update about the baby😊 It's all so exciting! I really don't like driving on motorways, but as you will understand having my sister with me helps a lot. Paul seems to have good and bad days bless him some are really bad and also he's coping better with his neck now I think. Take care Joan have a good day. ((())) xxx

Morning Reshmi

How are you today? Hope your Mum is ok too?

Well done negotiating some sort of reprieve from the heating it was a bit much I think. I'm glad at least she is reasonable.

Sorry about your Dad though. The sooner the cultural society meetings are over and things are back to normal the better. Normal might not be great but it's been awful lately at home for you and your Mum.

Please check for a PM from me.

Oh dear we must stop Toady drinking coffee or at least convert her to decaf😯

What a brilliant security question! I love it. Your brain is so clever☺️ spot on for our dear Toad.

Keyboards are ideal pusskin sleeping places😁

Have a great day if you can ((())) xxx

Morning Toady

Please check your PMs. I will be PMing in a bit with the latest baby news.

Well done coping with the central heating man and knowing all is safe for another yer is such a relief isn't it? You must feel much better for that. Hopefully he won't be there too long today. What a bonus! He will look at your washer too😊 I hope it's easily solved. How good of it to misbehave at the right time and how unusual!

I love our decorator, but just having someone in your space is awful isn't it? I am far too private a person honestly it isn't normal is it? Or maybe it actually is🤔 Maybe everyone feels this way?

The MX5 I took a photo of (BTW that is Kari in the background!) was gorgeous, obviously not as gorgeous as Penelope but who is?

Did your CH man realise Sleek was chatting away to him so much? Did he let her pass his adjustable wrench? She has bought you some decaf coffee and tea having seen the cartoon Bosh posted she is quite concerned😉

Have a good day and don't forget PM!

Hallowe'eny ready brek!

I do miss @Skinny Keef 😓

bosh

good morning Toni and toady Joan and Stuartknee

Wppl xx

dachshund

Good morning everyone

Toady (()) Did you know stamps are going up. That’s good your heating good for another year for when you need it. And he can fix your washing machine. Yes I can see him doing the obstacle course around your shopping. Nice to spend time on your own after being in with the boiler man for 4 hours. Have a good day.

Toni (()) It’s very exciting for you and Annie and Charley I wish them all the best are you going to be there when it’s born. You will be a lovely granny. Have a good day we have thunderstorms here. Love to Paul (()) and Charley (()) and Annie (()) and Lucy (()) and Tia (()) and Kari (()) and your friend (()) and your lovely neighbours (())

Reshmi (()) have a good day I hope your mother is having a good day (()) so far.
Stuartknee (()) how are you today

bosh

hi Toni

How are you this afternoon?

Mums ok 👍

I’m ok too thanks

I had a bit of a cold yesterday so I stayed inside today

I’m feeling better for It thanks 👍

BR’s favourite food is raw “marrots” now, he was so happy eating his raw veggies in the pic saw, what a healthy little chap, aww ❤️

I put another poem in the bank and have already withdrawn it lol

This is a poem about all of us in VC🙏
Bye for now tc xx

This poem by me is called “It’s time to rise and shine” or “All hands on deck, it’s time to prepare the R Brek”
It’s early morning, time to rise and shine
I smell the morning silence, its heady like perfume or fine wine This is my time and mine alone
No need for texting, I’ve switched off the phone
R Brek and tea are all we need to sustain us
Even though the heating and family rows do their best to try and drain us
Brown sugar cubes cause ripples in my cup, but I have no mug cosy
But never fear toady is knitting me one and the flowers in a posy
Come from lovely Toni’s garden, that’s right
And Joan provides cheese and onion pasties in advance, that non - vegans may eat at night
Also there’s a new baby in Toni’s family
So we all eat some celebratory cake
Oh and hide the hot sauce in case Bill comes over with his steak
Also welcome to Stuarknee
Who is always free to pop round for coffee or tea

ps special cake for Toni’s granddaughter - I baked it myself 🤥 xx

bosh

hi Joan

How are you?

Sorry to hear about the thunderstorms

mum is doing ok today 👍

I’m staying at home today as yesterday I had a cold

But I’m feeling better now thanks

I hope you have a nice afternoon Joan

Bye for now and take care

bosh

greetings toady

How are you?

Have you escaped the gasman’s clutches now?

Did you have thunderstorms like Joan?

I ordered you a hot chocolate, don’t worry, it’s not too large lol

Have a nice afternoon toady and take care xx

Stuartknee

Hi everyone,

Went for a walk today around the block. but now I have ice pack on my knee!

bosh

hi Stuartknee

Sorry to hear that

Make sure you rest properly

Bye for now, tc x

toady

I have had a very trying day 😬 let's just say all my worst prophesies about gasmen and al fresco came horribly, improbably, farcically true 😱. I will be in tomorrow with the whole story, for now I am going off to bed early and if anybody tries to get me out of it again woe betide them (too private a person frog? no no there is no such thing said Toad feelingly 😣😄). Thank you & Sleek very much for the decaf I think it will be a very good idea! PMs duly checked 😀 love to all and many many congratulations 😘 catch up soon :) xx

Love to Joan, heating & washing machine all done thankfully, very glad to close the door behind the chap (and even then he came back because he thought he'd forgotten something 😱😣) will tell you the full tale tomorrow. Yes I've seen about the stamps they are pricing themselves out of all reasonableness, I don't think we'll have a letterpost service for long at this rate 🙄. Have a good night it will be dropping cold at night round Thursday 😬 xx

'night bosh, yes I escaped from the gasman finally but he was wearing very thin by the end 🤨😄. Hoping for a quiet night now, certainly didn't get one last night, the 'PN' carried on being noisy last night til well gone 10, and unlike the gasman, he of The Raven's Birdbath 😂, was not faintly tapping or gently rapping 🙄 so my gracious tolerance of his inconsiderateness quickly turned into wanting to go round there & do him a mischief 😒😄. All quiet so far 🤞have a good night yourself I hope, proper reply tomorrow 👍️ :) xx

Hope the knee improves overnight @Stuartknee , not quite the weather for ice packs is it at the moment supposed to be minus -1 on Thursday night (maybe you are somewhere slightly warmer) - but if it helps that's the main thing :) xx

Love to all 😘 xx

bosh

hi everyone

I’ve got group tomorrow

So I’ll say good morning in advance in case I don’t have time tomorrow

Bye for now all tc xx

Laura_

Hi everyone ☺️

Room for 1 more?

Just Joined, I have suffered with Psoriatic Arthritis for 23 years and started Methotrexate yesterday.

Thought I'd see if I could find some peeps who understood the 'Arthritis' life. 😄

Hope everyone is okay.

Stuartknee

Having trouble sleeping I sleep a lot on my left side but always wake up on my right side with a throbbing muscle just behind my knee cap. Then decide to stand up & hobble to the loo, when I'm up my ankles start becoming painful always reaching for painkillers either to ease my ankles or my shoulders which are now aching.

frogmorton

Morning everyone

PLENTY of room for one more @Laura_ lovely to meet you. welcome to the café just a small group of us chatting rubbish to each other lifting each others spirits. I hope you understand some of hwat we talk about we have a lot of 'made up' words for shops 'Al Fresco' Tesco 'Nosegay' Ebay etc Hope you understand it all if you don't just ask. I have a cat called Sleek she is quite elderly now, Joan (Dachshund) has two dogs you can guess what breed. Toady has a wonderful garden and garden birds who visit her regularly as does my cat Sleek (well in our imaginations at least). Reshmi (Bosh) has two beautiful (and funny) nephews called LA and BR a brother in law called BIL (or BILL). Hopefully that's enough to get you and possibly @Stuartknee started.

Feel free to pop in any time to chat, all food and drink consumed here is calorie free so enjoy it all! No obligation to reply to each message individually either.😊

Stuartknee it's tough to get enough sleep when you're in pain. Have you tried sleeping with a pillow between your knees it might help. Might stop you rolling over too. Also maybe your Dr will prescribe a slow release painkiller which should last longer overnight? I have had them they do help. Patches and a 24 hour anti-inflammatory (())

Morning Joan the baby is here!! I sent you a message yesterday, you know where the envelope sign is at the top of the page? There's a photo too😊 Hope all is well with you and the dogs? Lucy is now Auntie Lucy and very excited she is too. All is very well here😊 very very well😊 ((())) xxx

Morning Reshmi

Thank you for the cake it's just gorgeous!!! I love it😊You won't believe it when I say that a neighbour made me a real one and also had her first Grandchild less than half an hour before me! Darn it she won! I had made her daughter in law a blanket for her baby too.

Hope you are well and your Mum is too. I also hope it's not raining and you get to the group with no trouble at all today. Looking forward to reading one of RR's epistles.

On the subject of creative writing another fabulous poem Reshmi thank you so much I loved it☺️Absolutely all of it is spot on I do hope BIL does not turn up with his hot sauce and ruin our cake. Even worse if he turns up with one of LA's junior mafioso clan to lick it before any of us get a slice😁

The new family arrived home late last night and are now hopefully safely tucked up together. I am sure they are much happier there. I will be visiting much later on this afternoon I am so lucky they live 7 minutes drive away in the same town.

Take care my friend and have a good day ((())) xxx

Morning Toady!

Oh dear me did you get a gas-man and al fresco clash?!🙄 typical. I hope you didn't have to share any of your cakes or treats though😮 Did he have any luck with your washer? Oh I see he did in Joan's message from you. Whatever happened he is a good bloke I think?

Sleek was muttering about it all. All she wanted was a cup of tea and a sit down on the sofa with you and what did she get? Nothing but hassle still at least she's popped the blankies in the washer now….

We are all private in my family always have been Kari myself and even my brother. I do not like unsolicited callers and as you know really struggle with work-persons who need to come in especially those who are here for days on end🙄 Bless you you did well it's done and I hope you slept really well.

Here's to a good day all round☺️

dachshund

Good morning everyone

Toady (()) I’m so sorry that happened to you it’s just what you didn’t want to happen. You coped with it I’m sure. Nice to have a quiet day today have a good day (())

Toni (()) thank you I couldn’t find the envelope I found the emails down the bottom. Lovely photo Ayala looks so contented. Were you there when she was born. Lovely thank you for sending me the photo. We got soaked yesterday. Have a good day. Love to Paul (()) and Charley and Annie (()) and Ayala (()) and Lucy (()) and Tia (()) and Kari (()) and your friend (()) and your lovely neighbours (())

Reshmi (()) have a good time at your club love to your mum (())

Stuart (()) are you taking your painkillers every 4 hours that keeps the pain under control. Have a good day

Laura (()) nice to meet you where about’s do you live i’m in Wiltshire. Have a good day

bosh

greetings Toni Joan toady and everyone else

Hope you’re all well?

Mums not too bad thanks 🙏

Her bs is ok currently

Toni glad the baby and her family are doing well

I’m ok thanks

Group was ok

I was a bit late so I missed any juicy gossip lol

But to stay ok I need to vacate cold room asap

And do ablutions too of course

So bye for now all tc xx

toady

Hi all 👋 gosh so tired still after the last couple of days 😣 and I was only having my boiler taken to bits at 11.59am on Thurs, so I got off very lightly!! 🤭 Some of us have actual good cause to be tired 👶! Home so soon frog, gosh, hope family doing fabulously I'm sure they are 😍😊. Love to all, and Sleek of course, how is she with small persons, come the day they can visit? Fine I expect if not there is always a bed or a cushion under the bed here, she knows 😉. Yes nothing but hassle here yesterday she was right about that 😣 if we had left things as of end of Thurs I had nothing but good things to say as you know, but gasman's more annoying side was to the fore yesterday and al fresco didn't help (see my bit to Joan for more details!). Yes he put up with Sleek's chat very nicely probably because she didn't say anything he disagreed with (he is 'always right'..) as to handing him his spanner, er no, no chance, her or me 🤨. So yes no treats for him yesterday we kept them to ourselves for when he'd gone 🤭 still, all water under the bridge and better than water under the washing machine 😱 - he is genuinely a good sort and would always help you out, fairs fair 👍️. No news today mercifully quiet, have had a halfhearted poke around the catazon prime day deals but nothing grabs me. Oh Sleek's fairy lights are here, pics to follow, one day 😊. Have a good night :) (how is the naughty shoulder?) xx

Hello Joan, no I didn't manage the boilerman clash well at all 😳 I expect the Fresco man thought I was rather bad mannered I was too busy trying to get the stuff unpacked so he could go. I will have to apologize if I get him again. The silly thing was I had moved my grocery slot from the morning because that was when CH man was meant to come, I should have left it as it was - and the delivery man was half an hour too early, outside his time slot, I've never had that happen. They must have arrived within seconds of one another 🤷‍♀️ it's like it was fated to be 😄. Never mind but I am never booking 2 people on the same day ever again. Yes it was quiet today 👍️ hope your day was ok we had heavy rain on & off, sunny all the way through to Sunday now they say, we'll see 😉. xx

Hi bosh, sorry you got to group too late for anyone spilling the tea as they say, not me of course, what would I know about gossip 🤥😉. Glad it was ok anyway. Super poem 😊 lovely image of the early morning, I will do my best with the mug cosy 👍️ can't have cold beverages can we. Not sure I could run to one the size for that cup of hot chocolate you kindly got me 😄 does look rather nice but yes rather bill sized! Hope there were no ablution conflicts this evening and everyone else as well as poss. As you will have seen the gasman was indeed trying to play hurdle the R Brek 🙄 not sure what the rules for grocery jumping are, four faults for stepping on a yogurt? Probably simpler than the rules for meatball football, who knows what they would be, especially if offside comes into it 😱😄. The PN has just got in, so the loud door-closing will commence in a minute I expect - as a phantom why doesn't he just walk through them? 🤔👻. Have a good night, take care :) xx

Sorry about the disturbed sleep @Stuartknee not nice 😔 hope you find some ways to help things. Does the weather make much difference to your joints, or any other factors? Hope you have a better night 🤞 xx

Hello @Laura_ nice to 'meet' you 😊 make yourself at home the kettle is always on ☕️. Very good luck for just having started the methotrexate 🤞 hope you get on well with it and it helps. 23 years is a long time before drug treatment or has your PsA been under good control for that time either on its own or on something else? I'm a seronegative RA person. Take care and have a good night :) xx

bosh

hi young at heart toady

Sorry about the boilerman (and al fresco) blues / debacle

I was late to the group because poor mum needed a new hair clip

She sadly doesn’t have much natural hair left these days due to the steroids so she uses a hair piece when she goes out, bless her, so I needed to get a new large hair clip and it took a while for me to find one that might suffice

so by the time I got to group RR had stopped his soliloquy lol

Nasty M gave a fake witch - like smile - or possibly vampiric of course

Bit of a tiring day really, more than usual, I think that’s because my cold hasn’t fully gone, but cold is definitely better than yesterday thanks

Have a good night toady and everyone tc xx

Ps toady’s gasmen or phantom neighbours keeping each other company waiting for spare parts, or someone to explain the offside rule or whatever, I don’t really know lol, football really isn’t my milieu of course haha xx

dachshund

Good morning everyone

Toady (()) I hope you have a good day today. I can’t find Toni anywhere or Laura or Stuartknee. Do you think they have gone to another cafe. It’s going to be colder.

Reshmi (()) have a good day love to your mum (())

Love to all missing people have a good day

bosh

Toni

Where are you?

Are you ok?

Xx

toady

Oh dear no Toni, I expect it's a post didn't take thing 🤞 will be in later myself love to everyone 😘 xx

bosh

hi toady Joan and Toni and everyone

How are you all?

Hopefully toady is right and it’s just tech issues with Toni

I’ve had mxt so I’ve felt better really lol

Seem to have slept on one leg as well so doing physio and saying “ouch” lol -

It’s actually not that bad, bound to feel in about 5 mins

I’m just in the post - methotrexate grump

Not to be confused with the boiler man grump

Or the phantom neighbour grump

👋Joan that’s a good joke about another cafe lol

No I’m sure it hasn’t come to that haha

It is cold isn’t it ?🥶

I wore my winter duvet - coat after a long time today

👋 toady my local shop has been renovated, basically it’s a bit bigger but still not much variety etc,

I went there today to buy a bit of mxt - chocolate but I couldn’t find single bars so I had to buy a multipack and use self - discipline 😱

I coped but the thing is I don’t have much self discipline left 😂

I can’t buy it in nosegay - it’s a discontinued product lol

Bye for now all tc xx