Mary Jo was surprised I'd managed to did the lilies and their massive root systems out as well JACKIE. Took me 4 days on and off and was hard work. I'm still stiff from all the digging. MJs decided to dig hers out as well and she's got a much bigger garden.
It's really chilly here today. I'm wearing a padded jerkin and shivering even though the furnace keeps coming on. Its still raining. Bean is fast asleep burrowed deep under her blanket.
Back to lilies. I've got a mound of roots and leaves outside the garage door because the garden refuse
bags I ordered on last weeks grocery list had all sold out.
Brrrrrrr. Anne.

Hello. I am freezing here as well. Rain, wind and very cold temperatures. Farmers are starting to get quite worried. They have not been able to start planting yet and last year, the corn was pretty much all planted by this date. Wet ground, soil temperatures still very low. A few warm sunny dry days could really change things but unfortunately that is not in sight for the upcoming week.

Patsy, are you talking about Merry Berry and her show “Country House Secrets”? Highclere was one of the featured homes. I didn’t sleep much last night. I don’t know why but I sympathize with John. I was asleep about an hour and then woke up and was unable to fall asleep again for hours. So, my tail is dragging today. Warm quilts sound quite attractive.

Anne, oh gosh, the store was out of bags! I have been looking online for some additional bags of potting soil. Pretty much sold out everywhere. I still have some left from an order late in the season last year but I do not think it will be enough. But it will have to be until I can find more. 😄 Very nice lunch with Mike today. He must be feeling better to come over and walk in the rain with the Bean.

Jackie, I have seen many photos of this year’s lambs between Amanda Owen and Angela Irwin. I see there is a new Dan family YouTube video but it’s a half hour long I believe and I haven’t tackled it yet. Does George actually sleep when he’s off on his own? Good Betty staying close!

Sandy, once again, your schedule has me boggled. I will just take your daily check ins as they come. Good luck in getting in touch with Joe. Hello to Babe. Your daughter asked for a list and you are definitely providing the details. It is good of her to make sure she has food that you like and will eat.

Be safe everyone.

Lin🙋🏼‍♀️
❤️❤️



And it is May Day. Unfortunately we never had dancing around the Maypole.

Just having my porridge and blueberries and feeling a whole heap less stiff. Jilly has gone back to bed after chicken and sweet potato or yam.
Did John go back to bed and start anew PAYSY?

I was telling Mark about Mike spotting the wild turkey and he said in the pouring rain his lawn was covered in ducks feeding on the grass seed he sowed yesterday! Poor Mark and Mary Jo! They have had Hobbes the giant puss staying with them for four days whilst Derek and Bev were in Ottawa helping Bevs parents move to the Toronto area. Poor Hobbes didn't want to go back to their small apartment after following MJ around like a dog for 4 days! He IS huge and loves three storeys to move around in.

SANDY, I know you love your hectic social life and its perfect for you, but you make me breathless just reading about your travels and agenda. Different strokes for different folks which makes the world a very interesting place. I want to plant my seeds and thats excitement enough for me! Just wandering down my small garden dodging all the emerging bugs makes me feel as though I am in darkest Africa!

So far, my only appointment JACKIE in May is tottering to the Docs mid May if I haven't keeled over in the meantime. I pleased the sons and started taking his pills on Saturday.
Golly is Mary Berry my age! Beautiful talented lady indeed.

Thats Okay LIN, I never WANTED to dance around a maypole being somewhat of a tomboy but was FORCED at school just like eating cabbage at home. Today I LOVE cabbage and wish I COULD dance around a maypole!
We are supposed to have rain all week. Late spring sowing this year just when we are all rarin' to go.

Clean the house day I guess,
Anne.

Good morning! Looks like we might have a partly cloudy day. It is somewhat warmer this morning. I do see some dark rain clouds to the southeast. But we have trouble afoot here! A gold crown fell out of John’s mouth yesterday. He did take a nap and during dinner….ooooooopsy! Out popped a golden crown. On a Sunday, of course. We left a message on the emergency number. We are anxiously awaiting a callback with an appointment. John also suffers from hypoglycemia and that is a struggle to keep it under control. With a sensitive tooth issue, it is hard to eat or even drink anything. So far he has decided on melted ice cream! (?)

As for me, I would enjoy a larger social life. John is the one that is content with a smaller more regimented life. Covid has driven him crazy. He worries about bringing anything home to me but I think we are as safe as possible. 2 boosters and two vaccine shots. We wear masks when out and about. I still use a lot of hand sanitizer. Our cases are still exploding. More each day!

We have had such cold wet weather, it is hard to think about outside work or gardening. Maybe soon. I am not a very good gardener. I have a difficult time getting up from the ground and I use a little wheeled garden stool to sit on as I push along among weeds and flower beds. I can struggle up from my kneeled position….but it is not a pretty sight. Exercise keeps me sort of mobile. Otherwise I am sure all my joints would rust shut.

Damon comes this weekend for Mother’s Day. I would love to see Andrea. She might drop over. But as I have said before, she has huge responsibilities. Maybe a zoom call, I wish I had more children. But in truth, I had all I could do to raise and educate the two I had. They are my full-on cuties!

Enjoy the day, inside or out. Be safe and keep a reasonable distance. You mean the world to me!
Patsy☘️😷😘☔️

It’s a Bank holiday but very quiet everywhere so I wonder if the price of fuel is putting off families visiting the area. Our usual stroll across the moors was in a cold breeze and when I got home a message from Linda arrived to say she was on her way to the allotments. We had agreed to meet there to swap plants… a rhubarb crown from my plot to hers and a Verbena Boriensis for my garden. We sat for a while chatting then I tidied a few more areas of my plot by removing canes and wood but there’s no rush since my required 2 months notice to quit takes me into mid June. It’s looking beautiful with seeded veggie plants and wild flowers. Not what our bully will like but it gives me a smile. 😉
I was back home by mid afternoon and spent time with a cup of tea in my greenhouse potting on tomato and bean plants. It’s supposed to warm up by the end of the week by which time some will be ready to plant in the raised beds. Today I heard it could be 18c (64f) but don’t think it got much above 12c…. Brrrr 🥶
Linda stopped off with a couple of homemade gooseberry fools which were left over after her son’s birthday party on Saturday so I’m now enjoying one after a small salad and smoked mackerel for my evening meal.

Lin, I’ve watched Dan’s you tube video and am guessing he’s running out of ideas to record. Another walk in the local woods where he didn’t recognise the Bluebells! Good news they have found somewhere to live but I fear their trip to London will be frustrating if they think our appalling bureaucracy will allow the family to settle without several hiccups. I hope I’m wrong!
I haven’t had time to set and light a log fire so my evening will be wrapped in a throw with an electric panel heater for company! George is already settled on the bed in my spare room! He does snooze Lin but I can tell it’s not a deep sleep because he’s quick to react to the slightest unexpected sound.

Stay safe everyone.
Jackie 🥰

Oh dear LIN, your active friend has obviously never heard the expression about sitting and smelling the roses, or read the poem "Oh what is life if full of care, we have no time to stand and stare". In other words life as a buddhist monk or meditating in a monastery garden is not for the likes of her, lol.

You can guarantee one day if she lives long enough and outlives her friends she will be sat wondering how to enjoy her own self not having had the time to cultivate hobbies, listen to wonderful music or even how to cook if she's out eating lunch in restaurants every day.

I personally dread being in one of those senior homes where everyone sits in chairs in a circle doing arm exercises or is expected to stare at a piano being played by someone with a dreadful voice singing equally dreadful oldies. Being jollied along and regimented for pill taking and queuing up for the highlight of the day meal time. Her mom had the right frame of mind taking delight in her potted plants and books.

Get off your soapbox you old misery,
ANNSIE BABY! LOL.

I frightened Jilly to bits in bed last night. A very funny memory came into my mind from when the sons were toddlers and sitting on a beach in Cornwall. I had the best belly laugh for ages. It involved a seagull.

Just for a few hours, warm air arrived so even George and Betty were panting halfway round our morning walk. I brought them home, then dropped a box of eggs and a container yesterday’s gooseberry fool dishes arrived in, back to Linda. We drank coffee, talked about all sorts and now I’m home clouds have rolled overhead so it feels cooler and a jacket will be required to work outside.

To my mind solitude can be restful as well as creative with no interruptions; certainly not something to feel sorry about. Loneliness is a completely different thing but there’s a saying that if you are lonely in your own company then you are in bad company. I remember chatting to a colleague many years ago as he was about to get married for the 3rd time and I asked if he got lonely when on his own to which he responded you can be with someone 24 hours a day and still be lonely!
Different strokes for different folks and I know my friend Pat is always visiting, lunching or travelling and tells me she couldn’t live my life but guess what…. ? 😁. Wouldn’t life be boring if we all behaved and thought the same way!

A pretty teapot Lin and I especially love the little Ladybirds!

Now to find a spot to plant my new Verbena.
Happy Tuesday.
Jackie 🥰

Looks like everyone is on vacation. When I first returned to this group, I reported that I was down to 194.9 pounds from my starting weight of 200. Today I'm pleased to report that my scale read 191.6 - better than a 3 pound loss since April 24 - 9 days. I am over the moon excited because I know that sometime in the next few days I will see the 18? appear in the window on the scale.

Looking at my food journal, I can see that I am still eating most of my calories late in the day. That's something I have to work on. It won't be easy as I tend to skip breakfast most of the time. I need to eat a third of my daily allowance in the morning, and a third for my evening meal. The other third I will distribute between my snacks, and lunch. At least that's the plan.

Happy May, everyone!!

Good afternoon. Another cold, overcast day with periods of drizzle. In other words the same as usual. 😁 I wanted to work in the garage today, potting up the seedlings I am growing but it is far too cold today. Hopefully later this week it will work out.

My ex-coworker with the questions about the changes to long term care insurance was in touch with me again today. She returned home from out of town and the USPS informed delivery said her letter from the company about details of changes in premium and coverage was to be delivered but it didn’t show up. She called the company and they are resending the Information. Looks like another week of waiting for her.

I have been hunting online for bags of potting soil again. I thought maybe some stores were able to restock. Alas, I tried 4 local stores and no success, all were still out of stock.

Patsy, great that John was able to get the crown reset. Wonderful! And also happy to hear he is eating little bits every few hours. Excellent strategy to stave off dizziness and fainting. You and John are both staying on the path for good health. And in just a few days, Damon will return. Do you have lots of grocery shopping to do?

Connie, congrats on excellent progress! 👍🏻👍🏻

Sandy, how lovely that you were able to visit with friends you’d not seen for years. Happy happy! Happy times with the kiddos today and aha, bringing them treats they like. You are a great grandma! I hope the weather in Florida remains warm and sunny (at least while you are there.)

Jackie, ah, a bit of warm weather. Terrific! And yes, regarding loneliness, I think I am actually lonely at parties and celebrations most of the time. It is difficult for me to fit into little conversation groups unless some folks I know are there and I can horn in.

Anne, did you laugh out loud and wake little Jilly up in an unpleasant way? Yes, I don’t know about how I would adapt to a nursing/convalescent home situation. I have so many things to occupy my time here but if confined in a small area with few amusements, I don’t know. Our 4th Mah Jongg player who is now in an apartment or assisted living setting (don’t know what hers is called) is apparently happier than anyone thought possible. She goes on any/all field trips, plays cards, does crafts, attends concerts, and generally avails herself of everything that is on the calendar. So good for her.

Barbie, my friend could learn a lot from you!

Diane, Joy and the rest of our Sneakers, hello, thinking of everyone in our group and wishing the best to you and your families.

Lin🙋🏼‍♀️
❤️❤️

MAY THE FOURTH [force] BE WITH YOU........groan.
Anne.