Val's Cafe

Music keeps me going these days. Without that I don’t think I’d be able to carry on.

Hi all - well it's been dark cold windy and wet, what more is there to say. 🙄

It might be going to stop raining one day frog, but the dullness, well anyone's guess. No use starting any project today it would have been like doing things inside a molehill or in a tunnel. Hope there is light at the end of your tunnel, on all fronts🤞. How is your friend at the moment? Hope all family ok. I have not seen Mrs B, the original (and best), to speak to, today but will keep watching. The 8 legged person had its revenge in that the throw I left pegged to the line was on the wet grass this morning, and I (being lazy) slung it over again to dry off before dragging it in to wash, then looked out later and the weight plus wind had snapped my poor old wooden washing prop. That's what you get for helping 🙄. No other news with me, really - I have £5 off at (2nd largest river) shop, it was on the home page not in the have we got a surprise for you bit, if you have it. Perfect timing for me as I have radiator paint & a couple of odds in my basket. Btw I have selected 'mint cream' for my/our nails, or maybe 'fairy dust' if the mood takes me 😂 but perhaps after I've finished sandpapering things would be best. Sorry about your hair appt 😞 I do hope your test line is going to buck its ideas up very soon (I would be more than sorry for myself at this point!). Love to all and hope Annie & Charley's jobs turn out to be a positive turn of events 👍️.

Hello joan, yes I wondered if Mr B had ideas of having more than one family but I looked it up and they are one of the few monogamous birds apparently 🤔 so it will be one or t'other. The other possibility is that this is not my original Mr B, and he may have brought in his mate - hard to say. I hope they won't think of nesting too soon I need my trees trimmed before they start 😬 but it's so cold that they won't make an early start hopefully. Horrible day today, hope tomorrow may be nicer! Love to both & the dear dogs :) xx

Hi bosh, ooky weather, I'll say it is! Ugh. I go along entirely with your Dino in the sky theory, I think it/they think it's amusing to scupper people's outdoor plans and maroon them among the kale lattes 🍵, it's just too often to be a coincidence. Haven't got anything done hardly today, I really hope it's better for you tomorrow for the group🤞. I'm not sure if I have been sufficiently peculiar today 🤔 but there's still time 😉 you're quite right, most people pretty much are, odd. I mean, 'trouserless tube day' on the underground 😱 yikes, I ask you (a bit of fun is one thing but based on the pictures I saw, erm, not for me ta). No peculiar nosegay customers for me, in fact no customers at all 😂 thankfully no callers either. Funny about your Mephistophelian teacher btw 🧙‍♂️ I had a music teacher that wore one of those billowing teacher's black robe/cape things, whatever they are, so there was definitely something of the bat about him 🦇 maybe he roosted upside down in the sheet music cupboard, who knows. Sorry your knee is not too fab today and hope it's better tomorrow too, and that the ferrous fumigate went down the little red lane as they say and behaved itself when it got there 🙄. Hope your evening is allright and if I go for a walk I know where to come for a toad lifeboat 😀 xx

Hi to keef and sorry about the cutlery drawer (done for, by the sounds of it, like my washing prop 😕). Wow, fab guitars! 😍. Which is the newest? Is that a bird's eye maple veneer on the right.. or walnut maybe 🤔 and (shows ignorance) how do you tune it? They are lovely. Are you self taught btw? Thanks v much for posting 😀. Hope you have had a better day - kettle is on ☕️ :) x

Love to Barbara and Kitty as always 😘 xx

Hi Bosh, my son is 2. He was a lockdown conception lol. My wife and I had given up hope of having an offspring as we’d been together for 17 years and then he came along. He was born 2 months prem and if it hadn’t been for my medical training I would have lost them both. Fortunately I spotted the signs of high blood pressure and grabbed my friends tester as our house was being renovated at the time in readiness for the new arrival and we were living with friends and her bp was 200/110. So after 24 hours of trying to stabilise her in hospital the doctors said it wasn’t working and he had to come out so it was a quick dash back to the hospital in the fog on my motorcycle as they’d sent me home for the night and he was born by c section at 00:13 hrs on 8 th November. Funny enough my first son was born on 9th November 23 years earlier.

His name is Sucré and he’s the happiest child ever. He’s always smiling and laughing and has slept through the night from 6 months old. He’s normally dressed in some goth outfit or glow in the dark ghost something or other thanks to my wife’s choice of stuff. He sits on my lap at the piano and we play various games or rather he thinks he’s playing a game but really I’m starting him off learning early. He can sing a note a correct pitch and to him it’s all just fun which is what it should be. Then he’ll slam his hands down on as many keys as possible at once and jump off my lap and run off when he’s had enough laughing as he does so. He’s great.

Good morning everyone.

Nice cuppa Halloween Tea to start the day. 😁

Morning Frogmorton, no all 3 bikes sold about 18 months ago on doctors orders. 2 were mine and one was my wife’s. Really hard to let them go, we had a lot of good times on them.

🥲

Good morning everyone

Kitty (()) Have a good day (()) I hope everything is going has well has it can for you. Love to Anita (()) and Val (()) and Emily (()) and your Dad (())

Toady (()) how can you tell the difference between the Mr birds. Have a good day.

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

Toni (()) that’s good your symptoms have gone (()) has your energy come back you need a holiday all you have been through. Love to Paul (()) I hope your friend does ring the Doctor she needs something to help her (()) love to Charley (()) and Annie (()) and the carers (()) and Lucy (()) and Tia (()) and Kari (()) and your lovely neighbours (())

Reshmi (()) that’s not nice your Dad saying that to your mum she does a lot does she take notice of him (()) have a good day take care

Keef (()) you must be a good musician to play them. I used to play the organ. Yes I’m pleased I found this forum everyone is so kind and helpful. Have a good day

Hi toady 🐸

how are you this afternoon?

I see you too had a diabolical teacher, that music cupboard sounds scary 😟

I hope he’s not in the airing cupboard too! I’ll check when I next get a clean towel 😂

went to group but now getting tired there was a tiny bit of drizzle but came home just in time it’s raining clocks and cogs now

bfn Tc xx

Hey @bosh a little better this morning thank you, back to laying on bed this afternoon waiting for tram to kick in no doubt done too much this morning.

love that pic.

the one i posted is actually my morning tea on the radiator next to my chair at 4am lol.

Hello all 👋 well it started grim and got steadily grimmer today, very windy indeed frog, hope not causing you or anyone any problems. There was a tiny window of brightness round midday and I got my hair washed, and it didn't even go as horrifically as last time, so I am a slightly less frizzy orangutan myself today 😄. Tiring though! shan't get much else done. Yes the wind would have done for anyone's hairdo today 😕. The painting is 'in hand', just needed to pick up some more masking tape and I will be on it. Hope you keep improving as you are doing and by ekeing out the tests you'll definitely get a good'un next time. How is Paul will he be able to go in to work at all before you go? Hope of course that your friend managed her phone call, & it will be helpful, an awful lot depends on the calibre of her GP of course. How long is it an option for her to not to go into work? hopefully not too short a time. Hope everything else not too bad with you today and sorry no interesting chat but it's a bit 'did some dishes, had a doormat in the post, put the kettle on, er nothing riveting happened'. Must do a grocery shop but when 🤔. See you soon :) xx

Hello joan, yes good question, not easy at all to tell Mr blackbirds apart unless they have a distinguishing feature! Occasionally one will have a loose or ragged feather or something but pretty hard otherwise. I will look at some of my pictures to see if there's anything I can go by. Too horrible today for them, they are staying well roosted into the trees. Have a good evening :) xx

Hi bosh, oh good it didn't rain on you hardly, coming back, well just the odd little cog from a little wristwatch, not the great big grandfather clock cogs 👍️. Really horrid out there now though I don't see me going far. I look forward to the ooky weather poem (assuming it's not work in progress in which case if & whenever). Lovely owl candle, could I light it though 🤔 I have a tortoise somewhere I've never been able to bring myself to watch it melt 😂 silly, I know we are all meant to live in the transient moment & not cling to things, I find it impossible. Hope you have a good rest of week what with a party in the offing 😬 good luck with all of that. The eccentric music teacher was actually fun so he wasn't a scary bat so you will fine should you come across him, the headmaster was the scary miserable one I wouldn't want to run into him in the airing cupboard or in a dark alley or anywhere else 🙄. I will go and fix myself a hot drink now or a nice potion, whichever I have handy in the cupboard 😀 and see you later sometime :) xx

Thanks for the info keef, very interesting about the guitars, I hadn't seen anything like the built-in tuner system (not that I am musical especially unfortunately - I did have slightly musical parents but not in any way that was passed down). Glad music is such a help to you 😀. Btw v typical of me to ask about the guitars rather than your son, non-parental-type priorities I'm afraid 😂 having said that, gosh what a story and what a truly miracle baby! How extremely fortunate indeed that you had the knowhow that you do have, in that situation. So pleased he is a happy healthy little one give or take a little goth paleness haha✌️I love your skulls (wallpaper?) it took me a second but then they snapped into focus. Hope your afternoon has been a little better for a rest - the overdoing it, comes back to bite us all sadly 🙄.

Love to all and have a good evening 😊 xx

Hi Toni 🌺

im glad that you’re stomach is settling a bit👍

My stomach situation waxes and wanes like the moon I guess lol I mean it comes and goes much like yours is when things are “normal” as it were but of course these horrible iron tablets are making things a bit worse for me in some ways 🤢

I did try telling the fairly new GP that I’ve had these tablets many times before 🤷‍♀️

oh well if stomach pains gets extremely bad of course I may go to the GP surgery armed with a bat in one hand an owl in the other wearing my pointiest witch’s hat which cannot be used as a weapon unless dipped in soya hot choc according to the all knowing toads and LA 😂

I guess today was a bit of a treat day I had the aforementioned soya drink from the shop this time so no chance of me messing it up and that kind of stuff 👍

hope my stomach will be okay tonight but anyway I did what I did

I also felt better for walking

it wasn’t extremely warm at the group when I got there but I was feeling so nauseous as my dad was driving even faster than usual for some reason so I got squash not tea, it’s not a long journey either - much shorter than the trek to MH - he can be really annoying 😡

RR was there today as well as J the organiser, M the lady with diabetes and the fussy lady who has to sit at the end I’ll call her SM - hopefully I’ll remember my own code lol.

I felt sad as M was maybe feeling not quite on a “high” but perhaps not 100% balanced today as she’d bought a lot of expensive clothes, leather jacket etc while I know she’s not that well off at all after divorce and so on, oh well at least she seemed ok otherwise, maybe she’ll feel better next time 👍

my right knee is feeling ever so slightly ooky but in general a lot less pain than yesterday thanks 🙏

When is your trip to Cambodia? sorry I’ve forgotten already

one funny thing to report the queue jumper lady phoned my mum asking if she could borrow a fan because her son from America is coming to visit in June. What?!

I’ll go for now Toni I hope you feel better after a good nights sleep

bye and take care Toni xx

Morning Everyone

Looks like Miss Sleek is ready for the weather.

Morning Joan - my energy levels are definitely lower than normal, but I am hoping the holiday will do us both good. On the upside my test line was much fainter so it's going! How are you and Sue? and the carers are they all well? My friend did ring the Drs but all the appointments had gone. She is going to try again this morning. ((())) xxx

Oh @Keef that is just so sad losing your bikes like that😔 I am so sorry for you both. Do you have a car between you though? Or a scooter?

If you have any photos of you on them I think we'd all love to see them. Not if it upsets you to much though.

All those wonderful memories.

This is my car

Bit of a killer at times, but I have a special cushion which helps.

Morning Reshmi that drink still bubbling! I love it!

How are you doing today? Your dad is so mean driving fast (the would have meant lurching and braking I think?) I hope you have recovered now. Squash was very sensible I hope they had some plain biscuits?

LOVED the poem by the way!!!!!!!! Brilliant spot on😊

Ah that is a worry about M having bought so many new and expensive things😕 I hope J will have let her community nurse know so she is not unsupported. You are very empathetic picking up on that.

Imagine RR growing whole foot by going vegan (who eats 🧀). Yes you are an omnivore - one who who eats whatever her stomach will let her ((()))

I always feel better for walking too. It's been horrible being trapped inside with this covid rubbish. How is your knee? Not too ooky today I hope??

Iron tablets are terrible for stomachs Kari is on them too and has the same problem as us. I wish we could 'see' inside them without the aid of colonoscopies! That soya drink hopefully did you more good than harm🤞

Perhaps queue jumper lady is worried that her son is going to bring some excessive heat over from America with him😂 If its a hot summer like last year your Mum will need to hang on to her own fan she'll maybe need it herself. Cheeky lady she is that QJL!

We go on Sunday but I'll be in touch never fear.

Hope today is a good one for you.

Morning Toady how are you today?

My test is fainter!!!! definitely fainter! I am so 😊

Well done for getting your hair washed mine needs doing again soon, but the hairdresser is trying to fit me in on saturday if I get a negative test result🤞 Isn't she lovely? Not to orangutany is good🤗

Weatherwise I suspect today will be more of the same rain wind and if we are lucky some limited sunshine too.

My friend failed to get an apt they had all gone and the stupid stupid receptionist suggest the HRT clinic🙄 honestly receptionists ought to be medical professionals if they are triaging don't you think? My friend is in real trouble and it's not the bloomin change although that won't be helping. She will try again this morning so fingers crossed 🤞

Oh Paul is fine now no line at all! Some people eh?!😠 so he can go to work whenever he likes - on the upside though he can pick up anything we need too to be fair. So not too jealous.

My day was a bit like yours not much happened although i did start the packing. and felt sad for Sleek😓

I hope Mrs B (Mr and his floozy) and Mousie(s) are all well and coping with this stupid weather.

Take care

Love to all AWOL friends and any new visitors😊

Hi toady 🐸

good morning

how are you today?

yes letting things go is difficult I know what you mean, also objects are just that in some ways, but sometimes they remind us of happier times, at least I sometimes think so, is that the feeling that you sometimes have too?

im not bad thanks the right knee is just slightly ooky so I’m not walking today just to rest it 😀

instalment messages today I feel

how was your night?

too ooky to sleep much?

bye for now tc xx

ps another squash -related pic lol xx

hi Keef how are you?