Good Morning Monday 14th April 2025

Good morning Mick and everyone from grey, damp Carlisle where it has been spotting with rain.
Yesterday's forecast rain didn't happen, it was mostly a bright sunny day but with a very chilly wind so no sitting out.
I went for an early walk and was surprised at the chill of it.
I'm walking faster now but keeping within the same pulse range as before so must be getting fitter. Don't think trekking the high mountains is ever going to happen again though!

Today's tasks...break the back of the vacuuming and laundry followed by an afternoon on the computer and some reading. I'm re-reading some old tomes with a view of passing them on to the charity shop.

Have the best possible day everyone.

Good morning all from the Scottish Borders. Back to cold and wet.
I have just hauled my overfull wheelie bin out to the roadside. I do hope it will be emptied. I feel for the poor folk of Birmingham.

I forgot to ask my Helpers to do the work but they don't appear until midday.
I held a work party here yesterday to clear my studio. The helpx couple brought us down tea and cake.

Exercise class this morning. Not on a beach. I should stick to the boring thread!

Glad you're getting that phone sorted Mick

Hope everyone has a really good day.

Good morning all from a sunny Black country, NannyJan we have had no rain seems to have passed us by.
General tidying up and I have one more wardrobe that needs sorting might make a start on that.
Enjoy your day everyone whatever your plans and may you all find some ☀️.

Another here who is looking forward to lots of cruise photos this week (10 days?) … I’m happy to go ‘virtually’. 😁

GrannyIvy I've heard people put their bedding in the freezer to get rid of biting insects. I'm not sure if that was just a story though. It's worth trying.

GrannyIvy you can buy bug bombs on Amazon, they have various options, and the ones used by DD on her flat after purchase were effective.

Getting to the point I will try anything😂😂 Not heard that one before though!!

Good morning from Nerja not far from Malaga. The weather has been a little disappointing with spells of heavy rain. The sun is just up and it's looking bright out there.

Yesterday was lazy after the chaos which is Manchester airport at the start of school holidays. My friends have been close to me and my sister since childhood, so some tearful memories, but also some laughter at things we did as teens, e.g. screaming at the Beatles' arrival at the airport!

They bought fish and prawns from along the coast where it was landed, and I don't think I've ever had seafood like it.

Have a good day everyone. Kind thoughts to all with worries and sadness.

I’m just looking at bug bombs now as my sister used one successfully when her cats had infested the house with fleas. I always worry using things like that tho 🙈.

oh no GrannyIvy, I wonder if it could be bed bugs, they hide in corners, under matresses and by skirtings, could have been picked up anywhere, even from cloth bus seats. Do you wake up with the bites or do they appear when in a different room?

Bedbugs are attracted to warm bodies at night. I had the bites overnight after staying in student accommodation, when on a course. Horribly itchy

Good morning. As Maw says it is bright and sunny here in N. Bucks at the moment.

Lots of jobs to do this morning , friends are arriving after lunch . Tomorrow we are off to the Isle of Man.
Wishing all a good day.

Good morning from South Lanarkshire. Normal service has resumed with regard to the weather. It’s a Marti Pellow day as they say in Glasgow.

Our Palm Sunday service was lovely, started off in the church garden and carried on inside. I do like our current priest and really hope he gets to stay as he has been filling in for the best part of a year now.

From there I went to help stick our crochet flowers on to fallen branches which had been collected after the recent storm. We will put them into empty flower tubs in the town later this week.

I’ve got a charity shop shift today, changed my day to cover someone who is on holiday.

Sending best wishes to all those feeling unwell or generally under par today.

Three burly builders are now at work on the roof - just hoping the promised showers will hold off until they have finished. Will be glad to have the job completed before the weather breaks and normal service is resumed.

Other than that and the gardener later, a domestic day beckons. After what feels like an early start for me I may need a snooze later.

Good morning Mick and all GN's on a bright dry but cold morning in North Yorkshire.

Another frustratingly slow morning, struggling to get moving and so flipping slow I am sure I saw a tortoise racing past!! I had intended to do some jobs and rather ambitiously thought I might manage to dig an annoying clump of grass out of the border this morning. Well that is going to have to wait. I actually do need to get my prescription put in, as I suddenly realized that with easter there might be some delays, and also need to get the car filled up. So when I can get myself sorted plan to go in the car, and combine a bit of pleasure with jobs. Shall drop off prescription and then drive down to Thirsk where the Tesco has a garage. They are very good there and know me well. On a day like today, cant stand for a long time filling car, so I drive to pump, hold up my blue badge and give a little beep. Then someone will see me and come out to fill the car for me. I leave them to do that and it takes me so long to walk to the shop and pay they are often back as soon as I get there. My exercise for the morning! But I can get one or two essential things like milk there too .

So they get the business and I also check the receipts, as I am going to the same garage, I occasionally look and see what the mpg is etc and if it suddenly drops it can be a sign of a problem that needs checking. After this mammoth effort I shall treat myself to a coffee in Cafe Nero and see some of the regular dog walkers who meet there. Havent seen Scotty dog owner lately, and hope that he is ok, and I have just missed him. What an hectic morning - I bet you all wish yours was so exciting!!

Well hopefully with painkillers and effort I shall improve over the day. They say we shall have rain, so perhaps this afternoon I might feel up to doing a bit. There are plenty of things that need some attention, but at the moment I am not in the mood to do much. Yesterday my halo was shining as I read through a long insurance document, taking breaks at times. I know they have to cover all eventualities but am sure they bury important points in a lot of waffle so that it is difficult to see. Perhaps we should have a new law that says they have to highlight in bright yellow or pink the salient point of the paragraph such as if you do this or that you wont get paid. But the more pages there are the more I suspect them of hiding stuff. Oh how negative we have to become these days. I used to answer the phone with my name or number and in a pleasant voice. Now I just start with Hallo in rather a brusque tone. Mistrust anything purporting to offer something free and definitely look a gift horse in the mouth!!

Hope your trip is successful Mick and you get the phone sorted out with no hassle.
grandMattie Have a good time out with family and hope you get more sleep tonight.
Ladylfl congratulations to your husband on a great honey sale and hope you had a coffee from the proceeds.

Hope everyone has a good day, doing much or little.

Baubles if possible a photo of the flowers in the tubs would be nice.

Good morning from a cloudy and damp Glasgow, where it is 11°C.

Wishing the cruisers a safe journey and GM an enjoyable day.
Gingster, I am thinking of you and your DH, a difficult time for you both.💐
Grandmabatty I hope you are coping with everything.

Today, I hope to catch up on some of the tasks, I couldn't manage last week, but I'm still feeling pretty ropey. This seems to be my new normal and I have accepted this is the way it will be.
Also, I must finalise the parish rotas for Holy Week. It requires the patience of a saint and the services of the Vatican Diplomatic Service, to soothe egos of a minority of parishioners. 😔

To make matters worse, we ran out of palms yesterday and we
still had two Masses to go. (We have four at the weekend). We were overrun in the sacristy by angry, palm lacking parishioners. This deficit was due to our unexpected, swelling congregation.
Of course, I was the recipient of the complaints, since our young sacristan finds it difficult to interact socially.
I had anticipated this and was wearing my soothing and apologetic face. while biting my still painful tongue. 😉
A trip to our sister church in the next village for supplies saved the day. I can be very resourceful, in a crisis. 😉

Wishing you all a pleasant day and virtual hugs for those, who are struggling.

Good morning from a sunny Suffolk after a heavy unexpected and unpredicted rain shower early yesterday evening. The drive along the outside of the house is covered with what look like small lumps of moss which is on the pantiles on the north facing roof. Perhaps the rooks have been taking the moss to line the nests they are so busily making/ repairing. If so they are very welcome to it.

A late start for me today and DH is still in bed. I’m about to make a 2nd cuppa and then read nearly 40 posts. A daily treat to start the day.

I have a few pansies to pot up and primulas which I plan to do today and then think of tackling the ironing pile but that,as usual,can probably wait. It hasn’t toppled over yet.

Hope today is a good one for all or the best possible for those with seeming mountains to scale.

Sallyforth, I know what you mean. We once had freshly caught calamari in a fisherman's café in Cambrils. I had never tasted seafood like that, it was amazing.
Make the best of your rest.

Good morning from a sunny NE.
Yesterday SIL visited and brought a bulb for my fridge, at last I can see to the back of the shelves.
He sat with me while I did some financial transactions online, always good to have another pair of eyes.
We cooked dinner together, pork medallions with roast Mediterranean vegetables, carrots, green beans and mashed potato.
Nothing planned for today.
Happy holidays to those travelling.

Morning from S Hants, sun disappearing behind clouds, we had some lovely rain yesterday, I just avoided it whilst at a garden centre.
A late night for us yesterday waiting for Rory McIlroy to wrap up the Masters golf, gone midnight before we slept.
Phones today, quiz tonight, my daughter will come, it helps having a youngster.
Taichinan I wish I lived near you, that beach scene looked so calming.
Safe travels for the wanderers today, I have some seeds to sow at some point this week 🤞
🦩🦩

I love nasturtiums, jax, but in Kent they barely poked their heads out that caterpillars stripped them. I must try to plant some out here.

We eat the leaves and the flowers, do any of you?

Good Morning from a pleasant Co Armagh , the promised rain hasn’t arrived !
Off to search for compost today , some seedlings have failed others have thrived
I never say no to a visit to a plant nursery 😊
Enjoy the day , it’s bright and no wind

Good morning all.
A lovely bright sunny one it is, too. A bit cooler, but pleasant.
Wishing you all a good day.

I keep popping back to look for cruise photos! They’re either enjoying a cooked breakfast/still unpacking or at a ‘welcome’ group info thingy I imagine. 😁

Good morning from Sandhills northwest coast.
A quiet day yesterday doing housework, a little decluttering and making Easter cards. Couldn’t figure out why my printer wasn’t working, but eventually found a piece of paper stuck at the back…
Sat in the garden for a while but it became too chilly.

Off soon for my covid jab. Hope I feel ok afterwards as often have a mild reaction, sleepy and an odd feeling. I’m on the desk at the music club tomorrow,so fingers crossed.

Thoughts to Gingster Blossoming and to our merry cruisers.🌺