Good morning Saturday from Mick

You’re very welcome ?

Oldbutstilluseful, I've just shown DH your tip! Many thanks!!!

Good afternoon from North Hampshire where the sun is bobbing in and out.

Marydoll, I had composite decking laid 2 years ago so I just had to make a suggestion. Because I have 3 large fir trees in the garden with the resultant problems with their needles, I asked the fitters to lay it, what they considered, upside down for easy sweeping. It is just as non-slip as the so called right side and the fitter liked it so much he wished he’d laid his the same way. It’s proved to be a great investment and I know you’ll be very happy with it when done.

I’ll try to attach photo, and would apologise for it not being cleaned yet. It will come up like new when jet washed.

Good Morning to Mick and all and thanks to MawBe

Brrr. It's feel so chilly after the lovely hot spell we've had. Drizzle here in Cornwall and more rain expected. Uz green-fingered folks don't mind a bit of rain.

Confined to barracks today but will pick some more strawberries. Picked just over 1kg yesterday. Jam making is on the cards today.

MrM and myself woke up at 4:30am to hear Mya retching. She hadn't eaten yesterday. I now think she found something to ^nibble* on whilst I was busy with the raised beds. She's quiet at the moment and not touched her food yet.

GrandMattie Praise indeed for Iris and hope she raises lots of money for that charity. It's one close to my heart. Have a lovely picnic.

Urm Dinner sounds perfect especially the pud. I always look forward to our Sainsbury's delivery at the weekends. Try and order something delish for our dinner but always fearful that it will be out of stock

Jax I do like that wisteria arch. Gorgeous photo. Keen to see the striped courgettes when grown. I tried a striped beetroot last year. Not totally successful. It was more a 'blotchy effect'.

Take care of that back Gingster. A little and often. I hear myself talking to myself with that phrase.

fiorentina51 What uplifting news about the forest work and the DoE scheme. My eldest granddaughter has done the bronze and silver and it does wonders for the youngsters. We could do with him to help us plant our 50 saplings.

GagaGran Your DH is a man of steel.

BlueSapphire I've jam packed hanging space and drawers overflowing at the moment. A week or so of summer clothes are now back in hibernation. I'm in long trousers, long sleeved top and my winter woolly today.

Baubles. It's good to hear people wanting the tea sets. I sold a lot of old cutlery over a year ago to a lady setting up a tearoom and she wanted a variety of styles. She was looking for any odd china sets. Nothing had to match!

Marydoll. What an awkward so and so that fitter was. Can't believe he left it an hour to tell you about his dried fruit phobia. We had an email yesterday from a building company we are using for our build. Warned us of delays and price increases for such a lot of items. (Caused by Covid) Some price increases will be more than 10%. It's a good thing that you've bought your decking already. We are now ordering the wood, cement and black limestone slabs we need later in year.

I had a glass aqua globe Nannagarra for about 20 years and was so disappointed that it didn't survive my move 6 years ago. They are really beautiful.

Hope those nerves are too jangled GrannySommerset. The garden is a calming place despite your National Collection. I'm glad it's raining at the moment. I'd planned to make a start on reducing my collection. We have something called a brushcutter that MrM uses . I then rake and collect.

A cup of coffee then off for a walk (plus raincoat) with Mya. Perhaps it will perk her up and she will try some food.

Hope everyone has at least one moment in the day that makes them smile. It may be a call, visit, reading GN posts or a book, watching TV programme or listening to the radio, being in your growing gardens or someone else's or perhaps finishing a task or project.

Good morning everyone from a sunny, breezy corner of the Algarve. What a lovely day yesterday was. We went shopping in the morning loaded the car and then my husband said “Shall we stay out for brunch”, so we did.
Such a lovely feeling to see people relaxed and enjoying themselves and behaving normally even if socially distanced.
We are even thinking of going out to lunch today. If we do it will be to a local cafe bar that we haven’t visited for over a year and the clientele are mostly local and extremely careful to take strict precautons.
Have a good weekend everyone.

GrannySomerset

Good Morning all from Sunny Harrogate. yesterday managed the shops in town which I enjoyed
Glad you've got your conservatory doors sorted Marydoll your workman sounds a bit like my DH, everything's too hot, too cold, too big, too small, too new, too old, etc. No wonder he's underweight!!
Thank you for opening Maw, glad you are OK Mick
This pm I have a friend coming round for a cuppa in the garden. She refuses to have the vacc so I find it difficult, but her ideas have always been different from anyone else's.
You have a very brave GD GrandMattie
Have as good a day as you can folks!

Good morning from a gloriously blue-skyed West Sussex. A cheeky little white cloud is peeking through the trees in the garden behind.

fiorentina what a lovely way to spend time with your GS.
Marydoll that is true hospitality!

Lovely photos of gardens, plants, and GDs and happy news of visits and outings. Hope campa is soon fixed and ready to take you travelling Gelisa.

Thoughts for Auntieflo, Cherry, Harrigran, GrannySomerset and those I’ve inevitably missed, who have health problems of their own or of OH.

We have 3 dogs to look after today while our friend is away for a family occasion - we haven’t had them for a long time so I hope they will settle and not disturb the neighbours! They are two chihuahua/yorkie crosses and a bigger (and older) terrier - I can’t remember type. I may post a photo tomorrow for the dog lovers ?

Good morning Maw and all who follow thanks for opening up. Glad Mick's blood test ok.
What lovely hair Iris has GM mine was that length until DS arrived and it's been short ever since.
Had a nice day yesterday DS arrived earlier then expected so we spent a couple of hours in park with DGs then home for tea, DiL came after work great to spend time with her have only seen each other in passing since xmas.
Well have just finished my full English will catch up with everyone's news now along with my cuppa.
Have the best day you can all may you all find some?.

Why the taut nerves GrannySomerset? Have I missed something? Hope all is getting easier anyway.

Off to do the postponed Tesco shop since there is little to eat and we don’t do starvation. Nerves like piano wires just now so have persuaded DH not to come with me since he complicates everything and I will have a toddler style melt down if he comes too.

Another lovely day so will enjoy the garden later, trying to ignore the bountiful weeds. I think we have the National Collection of nettles, goose grass and dandelions, all escaped from the field onto which we back. The price of our nice green outlook.

Good Morning All x.
Sun streaming in and warming up as it went quite cold cool last night and the same first thing.

A lovely surprise visit last night, early evening, from Ruby-Lou, who immediately flung her arms around me bless her. D was with her obviously and she'd arrived about 2.30 yesterday after her carers had driven her from Durham. The child has grown so much and is happy in her own little world.

RL was looking forward to the twins Birthday tea today----a BBQ in the garden with their friends, with D supervising.
Yesterday after arriving D took her to Liverpool for some new trainers and other goodies so she was showing them off and chatting ten to the dozen.

More excitement when I got an email from D in Oz to say that my GD had got engaged. No other details as yet as I can imagine D being overjoyed so she just wrote a line and included a photo of the happy couple---ring and all I could have cried quite honestly, missing out on the occasion.
Ashamed to say, I've been trying to fathom out her age, she's either 25 or 26, I'll have to look it up. Same partner from college days.

This calls for a nice card and present to send, but first I'll send some flowers while I have a think about a present.
It's all go here with one thing and another.

Garden sitting and chatting later on if this weather holds. I can't see me doing much else really, apart from eating as well.

So lovely to see Iris doing so well. A strong and brave child indeed and lovely flowing locks too---what a beaut.

Glad they managed to get some blood out of you Mick, now they'll be able to see what's what and you can only go upwards once you're sorted. Take it from me.

Had to smile at Urmston's " that's the way to do it "-----they used to scare me as a kid, I don't know why Enjoy your time with friends.

I can smell the fish and chip shop firing up in readiness for the onslaught. Not really the smell I would go for at 10am but this slight breeze must be carrying it a fair way up here as every opening is open and wafting it inside here. Doesn't blend well with the crumpets and cocoa.

Right, must move myself to the shower for a quick drenching to set me up for the day, so take care everyone and stay safe.
Usual thoughts go to those who are struggling with illness or worry xx.
Enjoy the day those of you who can.

Good morning all, a lovely sunny day, such a joy after the miseries of yesterday. We had planned a barbecue with the friends who had kept us company online through lockdown, and of course it was teeming. Nothing daunted, I made the salads etc, and we placed the Ninja Foodi on the table beside us in the garden room and used that as our 'indoor barbecue'. DH enjoyed himself cooking steaks, chicken and sausages, beer in hand!

Today I might finish painting the arbour, and get ready for having DS2 DDiL, and 2 DGC over for Sunday lunch. The first time we will have eaten with them since Christmas 2019, they have been badly hit with Corona virus fear. They will only come if we eat in the garden, so fingers crossed for the weather. And I have been told exactly what to provide! Roast chicken, no potatoes, plain pasta and peas. And to follow chocolate cake with no icing and raspberries! A wistful DS added 'though if it was left to me, I would have loved some of your lemon and sherry ice cream' so I will make him some - and the roast potatoes he loves!

Thinking of those with worries or battling with ill health, and random pink flamingos for everyone!

Good morning Maw & Mick. Glad all is well.
Suffolk is sunshine and clouds at the moment which is a definite improvement on yesterday! At least the garden had a very good watering and the water butts got topped up!
DS and family come back from a camping holiday today and have asked if we will have the DGC tonight and tomorrow. They will have a chance to unpack, wash and generally get ready for work/school next week. Tomorrow we will cook for them all. So, beds, tidying up and baking today.
I hope the day is kind to everyone.

The temperature fluctuations have affected me too Ekwa, I wish it would make its mind up!!

Maybe you know them by a different name.

Thanks Marydoll. That is what I feared, that I can't do a Luc Picard, " Let it be so," and I'll get it done this summer. I am a very impatient person! I will ruminate on it.

Morning everyone, hoping to have a trip out this morning. It's sunny in the Scottish Borders but cooler than it has been. Wishing everyone a good a day as possible.x

Grandmattybatty, the new deck will be composite, as we are looking for low maintenance and a safer surface. The old one was wooden, cost a fortune to treat each year and is at the end of it's life and slightly dangerous!
Composite decking is in very short supply at the moment, so it had to be ordered and paid for weeks ago, despite us not being ready to start the work.

Gelisajams

What are aqua globes Nannagarra ?
Where do you get them from? I’ve not heard of them but they could be just what I need, thanks.

These are made of glass but I’ve bought the plastic version in the £ shop in the past.
Can’t post pix atm!

What are aqua globes Nannagarra ?
Where do you get them from? I’ve not heard of them but they could be just what I need, thanks.

Good morning from a grey skied Colchester. It rained all day yesterday so I have a backlog of laundry to get dry.
It's DS's birthday today. He is home for the weekend but won't be out of bed until lunchtime. We have no plans as he's a play it by ear type, so we'll probably end up with takeaway as everywhere indoors is probably booked up because of the bad weather.

Good morning, Mick, I hope you are now sorted or soon will be, and Good Morning, All. It's another lovely day here in Carlisle. I glad my blinds are now fitted in the bedroom as I'm now not awakened at silly o'clock by the sun blasting in. I was grumpy all day on Thursday because it wasn't, it was grey and the temperature had dropped at least 10 degrees. It was back to socks and a sweater. I have a very narrow range of comfortable operating temperatures!
That photo of Rosie was funny, Mawbe, that dog knows how to luxuriate. Ashcombes suggestion of sending it to Dyson is spot on, I think they would love it.
Lovely to read about your theatrical exploits, Ashcombe, I should certainly like to have been able to attend to see.
I'm still dithering about going anywhere. Just as I was beginning to think I might dare a train trip down to my Surrey family, another variant springs up. As it seems to be spreading amongst children, I am not sure about close contact with my GCs. I don't want to risk even a mild dose of the virus. I will wait and see how it goes for now.
I need some potting compost but I doubt I can visit the garden centre without leaving with other things. My back garden is a green stretch of grass at the moment but I haven't exactly planned what to do with it yet. I usually let things evolve but feel that's too slow a method at my age. Might go and have a mooch though...
Still thinking of those too unwell to post at the moment and hoping you are progressing.
Have a good sunny weekend everyone.

Good morning Maw, Mick and all from Anglesey, a little bit overcast but warm and dry. The fields around us are full of tiny energetic new calves skipping around their calm and plodding mothers.The farmers have done some bailing so lots of enormous black plastic clad Swiss rolls in other fields.
Great picture of Iris grandMattie, wonderful progress and beautiful thick hair.
Love the pic of Imogen Jax, another youngster with lovely long locks, pretty setting too.
Lovely to hear that everyone is enjoying the garden, getting out and about (safely I hope) or just chilling out.
Sending good wishes and hope of some respite to those with pain and anxiety.
Keep looking for a random pink flamingo large or small and keep smiling everyone.

Good morning from the Sefton coast where another beautiful day dawns.
Yesterday morning’s planned cycling was very short-lived. I only got to the pavement in front of the house, met a neighbour and chatted for two hours. ? Refuelled by lunch, I sped off in the afternoon. Normally I swim daily so I intend to return to the pool. My family tell me to just go for it.
In the evening two friends and I had a lot of fun comparing mystery bags we collected. It was just like Christmas! One of them seems to be hooked so there’s lots of oohing and aaahing in our WhatsApp group as she posts.
Gelisajams - if it helps I use aqua globes to keep plants watered when I’m away.
Have the best day you can everyone.