Val's Cafe

hi Toni

How are you today?

Thanks so much about mums friend at the flowers, that was very kind.

Mums bs is ok thanks

I’m ok too but I really struggled with getting out of the house this morning I was feeling so sluggish and didn’t sleep well as it was too stuffy - but am feeling like a human being now, or at least like a Vulcan.

Booked a hospital blood test (routine) but if it’s too late for the Rheumo guys I’ll just push them into the biccie cupboard whilst toady bricks up the entrance lol.

Yes BB is quite unkind these days unfortunately.

Yes Bill is the ultimate biscuit(s) - taker I agree

Bill said this morning he went to work late as he was taking his friend to the bakery!
he was worried because there was a camera crew filming something for news and he’s concerned that the camera might have been pointing in his direction and that his boss could have seen him stuffing doughnuts into his mouth when he was allegedly cooking breakfast from scratch for his sons or something like that.

What a character, I hope it gets caught 😂

Oh my goodness- The S*docrem Chronicles- I will warn my sister!

I think I’ll leave it there for now Toni

Ablutions are calling

Bye for now tc xx

hi Joan

How are you?

Mum and I are ok thanks 👍

You’re absolutely right, all my dad’s friends are more important in his eyes, it’s not fair at all.

Have a good afternoon tc xx

👋Vulcan toady

Doing my Usain Bolt run to the shower

Will report properly later

bye for now tc xx

Afternoon all 👋 sunny for now have been trying to get on with my jobs dependent on dry weather as it's going nasty later I think.

Ooh aren't your chaps getting on well frog 😀 I would not have liked to see that nasty situation under the tiles, I'm glad it's a case of being able to take it back to a sound surface & start over. Nice to have a break before next stage too 👍️. Hope you like all your new kit when in situ, if you aren't too sorry to see the corner bath go that's something. Yes I do hope all your parts are there too🤞. Sinks with legs I always feel I'd spend all my time kicking them & apologising 😂😂 nice look though. Thanks for the guided tour 😊 ok have added mini pic of my smallest room 🤭, nothing glam but bear in mind it had a makeover of £20 tops, all in, inc new seat which was a 'second' 😄, it all needs doing from scratch so no point fussing. I do love my nice eco bleach I must say, sad though that is 😂. Hopefully leaving the seat in pic is acceptable it is brand spanking new out of packet honest and I couldn't show how the colours go otherwise, ie not meant to match more a complementary, but the worktop & cupboards in utility are in that new grey oak I did, so it does sort of tie in vaguely as you 'go through'. I wasn't even sure grey suites were a thing but yes apparently, so it can't look too odd I guess! For those not interested in my downstairs loo (& excuse loo roll sitting on cistern btw; took old holder down not done anything about it yet), my sweet little asparagus pea flowers are out 😊. The polygonum is pink, yes, don't know about the pachysandra, for 50p quite happy to have it surprise me. Will still add a pic in of all the plants, I did take one it's on the comp somewhere 🤔. Oh hollyhocks are out round your way, lovely, yes perhaps not inc the churchwardens numberplate 😬. Mine are only in bud, I have new little ones for next year if I can get them all to thrive. My dwarf peas have outgrown 2 sets of bamboo canes do I pinch or is it too late 😬. The broad bean flowers are going over, & making pods now. Much going on in your veg dept? 😊 Hope everything else ok with you today :) btw my work quote came in before 8am this morning so they've redeemed themselves! 😮 xx

Hello Joan thank you my parcel was picked up in yesterday's collection so it's got on much better than if I just rebooked for today 👍️. Yes I like Ken he was one of a kind wasn't he. I remember reading how his stage shows went on & on and he just sort of kept audiences there til the early hours sometimes 😂. Brilliant comic timing he had. I love your story about you & your Dad and the curlers 😄. Hope you have had a good day I'm so sorry you have a drip, for all this time, anything plumbing is bad enough but the worst sort is not knowing where the problem is 😣 I hope someone who knows what they're doing can diagnose it properly for you! My day has been quiet apart from grocery delivery, I ordered custard doughnuts this time but didn't get them 🤷‍♀️ never mind there are things I would have minded more. Take care :) xx

Hi to bosh, having a quiet day hope you are too 👍️ and a not too bad post mxt day. How are brother LA and brother BR 😄 very funny I like them having their own little 'chapter'. Hope sis is coping too 😬 will the guest be gone by her birthday it would be a near thing by my calculations but they are never very reliable tbh. I loved the running frog and actually very true, frogs would be a different matter altogether if they ran, not like the pic necessarily I mean but even just on all fours like an animal, quite odd to think of! Well toads crawl rather than hop, so I think there's even less chance of them suddenly up & running 😄. Hope your mum is ok today and not feeling too bad after her sad news and an unsympathetic BB, I know some men don't like tears & all that but still 😕. Love to all have a good evening :) xx

Ooh I have found Colin's post now, back where it would have been, nice to see updates; what beautiful views and lovely sunsets 😊 that weather sounds just about perfect. All the best to everyone and hope your joints & skin are behaving as well as poss, hope all arrangements go well too 👍️ take care :) xx

Wave to @sandeelilly and anyone passing :) xx

Kettle on I think ☕️

hi toady

How are things?

Mum spoke to her female friends on the phone today who also knew the lady who passed away, so that really helped her I think 👍

BB comforts no one.

I think the guest will leave before the birthday extravaganza- I certainly hope so anyway, my poor mum will be cooking for more than enough people as it is 😱

I’m a bit tired now which is of course understandable but I had a good rest after the morning walk and felt better thanks, but the house was extra stuffy this morning and also it was stuffy outside I purchased M***er Brunch crisps of the Sickled Bunion variety - sorry for the unpleasant image, just trying to find a rhyme lol, which was very unhealthy but an enjoyable “one - off”

The abbots, or monks or whatever, lol, are fine thanks.

I don’t know if you read it already, but I mentioned to Toni that Bill went to the bakery when he was supposed to be working and there was a tv news camera around and he’s worried that they might’ve filmed him stuffing his face with doughnuts and that his boss may have watched it on the national news! I doubt he’ll really appear with hamster - esque carb - filled cheeks mid face - stuff on tv - but I kind of hope it does happen lol - what would the brudders say about that I wonder?
I think a Brother Lord A - what a title - may take this a licence to eat doughnuts with cheese and pickle for breakfast and to be honest I would be very scared to try and stop him 😂

The filial doughnut - tradition- oh dear.

I’m about to face - plant the why? - pad 💤

so have a good evening toady tc

👋Good evening also to sandee and Colin tc x

Hi bosh, no I didn't see your afternoon posts, I just clicked mine and walked away with a toss of the head and nary a backward glance, in a very JA style 😉 ooh yes that would put the wind up Bill wouldn't it, oh dear well it could happen 😬 not that his boss would see it necessarily anyway but then again in these modern times someone would probably post it on something and before you know it it would be a doughnut face-stuff 'mash-up' set to music and become a meme and everyone would have seen it 😱😂. Sickled bunion, yes well, maybe not for me thank you 😂😂 but as good a rhyme as any. I see I might be called upon to get my brickie's trowel out again to deal with any 'difficult' rheumos, well that's fine by me as I can unbrick my workmen now they're back in my good books, and it will be good to keep my hand in as they say. Blood is thicker than mortar you know 😉 to coin a phlebotomist themed but not entirely relevant phrase. Hope the tests are good and the waiting room not too full of trainee vampires 😬👍️. Have a good night :) glad your mum was able to have some nice phone calls today xx

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/comment/724464#Comment_724464

‘blood is thicker than mortar’! 😂😂

Thanks toady good night haha xx

good morning Toni

wppl xx

Morning Joan I hope you are doing ok? Your leg are you coping at least? My arm is the same thanks for asking though. I have physio on Wednesday hoping he'll agree it's time for the injection. Well done putting the wheelchair in the paper fingers crossed for you. Unfortunately my day turned out a bit differently Lucy had 2 seizures one outside and bashed her head. So I spent quite a bit of the day there except when her flatmate was around. Hope your day is a good one ((()))

Morning Reshmi I hope you and your Mum are well and that she isn't thinking about her late friend quite so much today. Honestly BB does not help he has no empathy.

Thanks for the prawn and hot sauce pic it made me smile☺

Oh gosh I do hope BIL wasn't on TV really if he was telling porkies to his boss. You can't pretend you are late cooking breakfast for your boys while you are really be at a bakery😶

Hope your sister is coping with her latest guest too.

Good girl booking your bloods in. Mad isn't it how getting blood tests in time is so tricky these days I'm sure it was easier years ago. Toady can easily brick in the rheumatology lot if they cause you any hassle at all.

I'm glad you said you've been too hot! So have I isn't it odd how muggy it's been considering how little sun we've had?

Your sister's birthday is nearing have you located a present for her yet? It's my niece in laws 30th on 14th I am hosting a party for her to celebrate here.

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

Morning Toady

I hope we have sunshine today well at least a dry day like yesterday. It's been way better than predicted. Although I didn't get outside as Lucy had two seizures yesterday one in the street on the way to work so not good.

Yes they did have to remove everything in the bathroom and start again where it's more or less undamaged luckily it's cement now and all good. Tiles arrive sometime on Monday so work recommences on Tuesday, after the new saniflo man fixes the other loo. I hope your quote was reasonable? I am pleased with them again now. They have indeed redeemed themselves.

Your loo looks fabulous! Well done I like the new seat as well and the colour is great grey is very 'in' atm and I hope will stay that way being pretty well neutral. What is the bleach? What is it? Might I want it too? I use splosh refills it's just a loo cleaner and percarbonate of soda, but I have to mix that up every time yours is ready made!

The asparagus pea flowers look adorable so pretty! Yes pinch the peas out do it quick today! Did you watch GW last night I only managed last week's yesterday whilst ironing so well behind. Odd Frances Tophill being 'in charge' last week. Not much doing in Frogs patch ATM mostly clearing as i am hosting Kari's DIL's 30th here a week sunday. Help!!!

We both need to take some plant pics asap. I promise to get on to it this week without the Church warden's numberplate this time!.

Best get on running behind today for some reason.

Love to Sandee and Colin ((()))

dachshund

Good morning everyone

Toady (()) that’s good your parcel went then. Yes we used to go to see Ken Dodd it never finished till gone 11-00. Sorry you didn’t get your doughnuts. Have a good weekend

Toni (()) sorry about Lucy having the seizures and hurting her head. I hoped they had stopped but I suppose you never know. Have a good weekend. Good luck on Monday with Skeek and the vet. Love to Paul (()) and Charley (()) and Annie (()) and Lucy (()) and Tia (()) and Kari (()) and your friend (()) and your lovely neighbours (())

Reshmi (()) that’s good your mum had her friends to talk to they will help and another. Have a good weekend

Sandee (()) have a good weekend

Colin (()) how are you love to Sue have a good weekend

hi Toni

How are you?
mums ok 👍

I’ve got a bit of a stomach problem

Not in a lot of pain but feeling run down

Didn’t walk

Just watching tv

Bye for now Toni tc xx

Ps me as a cool student lol xx

Thanks Joan I was hoping the seizures would have eased off by now too. At least she's OK that's the main thing. I'm dreading the vet Monday but best done while she is healthy I'm sure you'll agree. Take care Joan ((())) xxx

Reshmi l do hope you feel better soon watching TV is probably the best idea when you feel rough.

Get you in your fancy outfit!!😂😂😂

See you later ((())) xxx

For Toady

hi toady

How are you today?

I had some rather unpleasant stomach issues for most of the day but am feeling a lot better now 😂

Mums ok 👍

I was really laughing about mortar etc 😂

Also the doughnut face stuff mashup lol

Ok I’ll stop for now as still not 100% better and doing some unbalanced hatter - like multitasking lol

Bye for now toady tc xx

Ps bill again in escalator - form haha xx

dachshund

I went to the chemist for some Gaviscon got home and dropped it my neighbour swept it up I went back to get another bottle. You have to laugh

I hope everyone has had a good day

hi Toni

How are you this evening?

I was really feeling rather ookey for most of the day,

Suddenly got a burst of energy at about 5.30 pm lol.

But before that just showered slept, sat in front of the tv for a little while, but was feeling rather un - mima like.

Mum is ok 👍

I think she also felt better after talking to her friends - thanks for asking.🙏

Nice scary marrot - sorry -carrot lol.

I’m not sure what caused the stomach thing but at least as feeling 75 % human now

You’re welcome about the pic

No I don’t bill was on tv luckily lol, but yes, that man is bakery - mad, I wonder what would happen if he lived here right next to cake coffee and 2 bakeries more or less?

It doesn’t bear thinking about really lol

I think the reality is that I’d better stop here as still not feeling 100%

Have a nice evening tc xx

Ps young bill lol xx

Hi all 👋 has been a bit cold & grim & drizzly til later, but for once can't grumble if only because of how much of a close call it was to almost get a nasty day like this instead of the one I had for people to look at the job on Thurs, never say I don't look on the positive (occasionally) 😉.

Little trayful of the plants for you frog 😊 sorry about all the bits of boiler &c in pic, didn't want to cut off the polygonum's fuzzy little head 😄. I could get 2 out of the alchemilla already I think but division is supposed to be spring or autumn, so might hang on. I have pinched the peas thank you so they should be better off for it. Too wet for outdoor pics today. I am so behind with GW I daren't even look to see how far 😳, a couple at least, maybe I could do a session tomorrow. Hope things have been ok as poss with you today, so sorry to hear about Lucy, for both of you, after your week of builders &c life could have let you have a quiet day or two; no such thing apparently 😔 did she have to be looked over after the fall in the street? Hope she's been ok today, good that it's the weekend I suppose, hope her flatmate is around. Hope everything goes as well as can be on Monday, Sleek mostly ofc 🤞, and your tiles for next phase of work on Tues. Oh my quote is fine thanks about what I expected, just a couple of little things to firm up on. Thank you for the thumbs up for my little bathroom, I've looked at it so many times, like you do mid-project, you start not to know what you think yourself. At least it's respectable now. (The bleach brand starts with D then rhymes with elf plus 'is'. You may well have come across them already actually, stocked various places, mine was from catazon. It's for wc & limescale rather then general bleach but they do other stuff. Vegan friendly plant based etc, hope there aren't any downsides I haven't spotted.) You can see my grey oaky worktop in the plant pic btw. I am excited to get on with the wardbrobe now; possibly slightly overexcited, I am mentally styling it with nice baskets & things forgetting the fact it's half full of stuff that must be turned out yet 😣. Quite like the little handles I've bought although I really am still quite tempted to those cast iron rabbit ones I posted 🤭. That breakfast looks so nice, might try that! unusual. Oh dear you have to be on hostess duties soon, eek, can you get away with pineapple hedgehogs and twiglets? 😬 Love to all and take care 😘 xx Ooh hollyhocks! just spotted them. Thank you 😊 lovely pink!

Hello Joan, 'what a beautiful day, what a beautiful day for dropping your Gaviscon and saying how's that for making the medicine go down ..' oh dear it's not easy to write your own is it Ken! The chemist must have thought you got through that bottle quickly 😄. Yes 11pm sounds about right for one of Ken's shows if not more, is it true you were more or less forbidden to leave early 😄. Hope your day is going ok we had a lot of rain earlier. I have enough alternatives to doughnuts thanks, that's the main problem with online shopping you have to allow for maybe not getting everything so you add extra in, you could end up with too much. I get a mix of fresh and things that keep longer or you would have everything going past its best all at once. I had a cinnamon bun today. Have a good Sunday :) xx

Hi bosh, glad I amused you, I will restrain myself from any trowel puns today it might be sensible saturday 😂😂. Hope your day has been ok but if your stomach has been a trouble then not the best 😔 glad it's turned around a bit now. Joan would have loaned you some Gaviscon I expect 😬😄. Hope your multitasking has been going ok 👍️ I've been mostly fiddling with my new phone which developed a bit of an odd issue probably because it's not very up to date, so I think it's trying to contact the mother ship for updates that it isn't going to get unfortunately 😂 never mind worst comes to the worst I've got another newer one, I'm just experimenting at this point. The fibre broadband salesman did look at me very oddly the other day when I sent I was having a non-fibre setup, I think he thought I was making it up to get rid of him haha. That escalator is a bit hypnotic isn't it, would be if you were standing there watching it in action definitely. Ok sis should have a breather then before her b'day, that;s something 👍️. Have a good night :) xx

Love to everyone 😘 xx

hi Joan

Thanks about mum

She’s is ok 👍

I’ve got a bit of a bad stomach

Have a good night tc xx

good morning Toni

How are you?

I’m not too bad

Mum is asleep 👍

Wppl xx

Morning Joan just a quick hello as I replied yesterday and nothing much has happened since…..🤭 xxx Apart from that Lucy is ok and is being a Godparent today.

Morning Reshmi

I hope that stomach of yours has eased off by now? Very un-Mima-like I agree you must have felt rough yesterday.

I also hope that your Mum is ok today and not quite so sad about the loss of her friend. I do feel for her - when my friend died I was so upset even though she was very ill and it was better for her it was so sad for me😕

There's another marrot for you today a rather handy one! I know i couldn't eat it I'd feel sorry for it!!! Anyway how would you peel it?!

Where did you find that pic of BIL as a baby eating a 'slice' of pizza😂 He could not live where you do gosh no that might be why they live where they do? Perhaps your sister chose their house due to it not being too close to any bakeries? Wise woman your sister.

Take care and I hope your day is good ((())) xxx

Morning Toady

Lovely photo of your plants😊(LOVE the worktop👍️) I also have some polygonum kindly donated by my lovely neighbour who has recovered well from that dose of covid. he was thinning his out and gave me some looking really poorly but they bounced back. Yes you could divide the alchemilla, but i agree timing is key. Thank you isn't the hollyhock just beautiful? Today I leave this house with MONEY for I am going to open gardens near here and there might be plants mightn't there? I will not be caught out like you were. I'm so excited and will come back full of ideas no doubt.

I know the make you mean for your loo cleaner. Yes it's good good for the environment too. Actual bleach though has to be the percarbonate of soda which is really good but hard work having to mix it from powder every time. I use splosh which are refills you keep the bottles and a concentrate comes through the post the pouches go back and they recycle them too.

I hope you do get chance to sit and watch GW soon I am one and a half episodes behind I think.

If we get some more rainy days you canstart turning out that wardrobe and then you can paint it. I think it should look great - a before and after pic needed. Oh you'll get that of my bathroom all being well once it's finished

Lucy doesn't like hospitals so I kept her at home just watching for signs of concussion you know the usual, but chances are she fell softly as she wasn't expecting it.

We went to Shrewsbury yesterday and I had vegan mac and cheese for lunch it was splendiferous😋 Frog is still full up. The breakfasts I am posting ATM are all vegetarian I know you prefer that and Reshmi likes veggie food too.

Have a good day the sun is out here.

A quick wave to Sandee and Colin if they happen by 👋

and a cuppa for anyone else who fancies one:

dachshund

Good morning everyone

Toady (()) thank you for the picture. Who did the song (when you come to the end of your lollipop all you got left is the stick ) no it would not be bad manners to go out I couldn’t have done it. Have a good day I heard we have rain next week.

Toni (()) I hope you get some plants at the garden you’re going to visit good luck. It can’t be nice for Lucy having the seizure’s (()) she could think why am I different to other people.Toni good luck with sleek tomorrow (()) love to Paul (()) and Charley (()) and Annie (()) and Tia (()) and Kari (()) and your friend (()) and your lovely neighbours (())

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

Sandee (()) I hope next week will be a bit calmer for you. have a good day

Colin (()) thinking of you have a good day

hi Toni

How are you?

Mum is ok 👍

I’m ok thanks, thank goodness, a lot better than yesterday 👍

I wrote a little poem based on the reality of LA and BR being naughty, well mainly elder brudder lol

They got up early and my sis said they should play in their room, but LA sneakily led BR to the kitchen where they open and ate a whole box of chocolates!

What naughty monkeys 🐵🐵

Bye for now Toni tc xx

👋 toady

👋 Joan

Will try and post again later bye for now tc xx

Thanks Joan yes Lucy has had more than her share of bad news hasn't she? Still she is a bit of a coper so just gets on with it. These are the plants I got it's all for the hospice the same one P died in. ((())) xxx

A poem about the brudders and their antics Reshmi! Yes please I'd love to read it😊

Ah right a whole boX of chocs…..I am not at all surprised although i am surprised they weren't sick!!!!

Hi all - just a quick one hoping to get in the garden for a while as it's dried up 🤞

Nice haul frog 😊 let me see what I can recognize without cheating 🤔 er not much 😳 what's the tallest spindly plant at front? Well anything interesting to tell about any of them is welcome ofc. Hope you had a nice time it's been fine here 👍️. Bit of decent daylight so on with the wardrobe, right here you are, a montage of what I'm dealing with 😬 . I actually can tolerate a bit of brown furniture and it might be ok in another setting, but it's not got a lot going for it and by the time there are chips & damage as you can see a facelift is its best hope. Plus it's a bit of a dark looming presence in that room so will be better lighter I think. Of course the whole thing may be a very bad idea, I rely on your honestest opinion as to end result 😄 it's been marked down to go for ages really but if it doesn't look awful then even just as a useful-ish carcass it saves taking it to bits or else someone would have to come and get it down the stairs 😱 (and would anyone want its poor plywoody self tbh). Both doors are off so I will try & crack on with it. Water based paint anyway it can come off again if needs be. I thought you would likely have seen the eco brand sorry for raising your hopes of an interesting find, I also didn't really notice they don't do an actual bleach, but it's always worth passing info on in case. I like my 'minimal' (without the a) vinegar spray as well. I will look into the percarbonate thanks 👌. Glad you had a nice trip out to Shrewsbury yesterday too and hope all goes well tomorrow 🤞 :) xx love to all hope Lucy ok.

Hello Joan, thank you about the plants, it was kind of you to sympathize when I couldn't get them, I should grumble less about small things but sometimes they come at just the wrong time after other difficult days &c. The lollipop song is also Max Bygraves apparently but I had to look it up I didn't know that one 😂 then I wandered off down the highways and byways of the lyrics to other songs, that were on the same page, like 'Kirkcudbright Centipede' never heard that either I don't think. Hope you have had a good Sunday, yes rain to come, but after that a decent looking bit of sun again with a bit of luck 🤞. Love to you & the dear dogs :) xx

Hi bosh, oh illicit boxes of chocolates, I have no words I can merely roll my eyes 🙄🙄 I would never ever have dared, well unless I'm forgetting all my misdemeanours as a littley, who can say 🤔. Look forward to the poem. I have not done much useful so far today though I did make myself a homemade cottage pie with actual marrots, lest I forget how. Hope your day has been ok glad your mum is alright all things considered. See you later quite likely, bye for now 👋 :) xx

Love to everyone wherever you are at present 😘 xx