Chitchat thread #24

[bramble]

Good morning all.
It's another cool day here with a temp of just 14 degs.
Having a donestics morning and then off for a visit to IKEA this afternoon.
We havnt been ince before the pandemic.

Snoop, I hope it doesn't rain on Mr. Snoops parade. 🤞🤞

Have a good day all and glad to her the smiles are having fun.

[Snoop Puss]

Snoop, I hope it doesn't rain on Mr. Snoops parade. 🤞🤞

Thanks. He doesn't want rain and I do... I shall just have to wait.

And yes, Nicos, thank goodness for the well indeed. Be interesting to see what happens this year, whether it will dry up or not. So far it hasn't, even when every other well in the municipality has. But there's been a breach in the vein lower down, we think, following very heavy rain a couple of years back. If it does dry up, I'm scuppered...

[Snoop Puss]

Morning all.

Bit surprised I'm the first in. Hope you're all doing well and being busy.

Off into the village very soon for a freezer organise and visit to the proper butcher's counter. Will try not to gasp too loudly at the prices. A while since I last bought meat, so I'm expecting a shock. Last time I looked in a supermarket, a while back now, chicken was twice the price per kilo than the time before that.

The smiles set off ages ago. They got a bit bored waiting for a trip round the veg patch, but I did all the watering late last night so it didn't happen. Bet they'll be glad to see you, seeing as I let them down.

Have a great day, everyone.

[Nicos]

Afternoon n’alln’all: D

I was sure I’d posted here earlier Snoop! Clearly not sorry!

Mrs Mop this morning - last minute booking at 10 pm last night. Keeps you on yr toes doesn’t it?

All good here. The temperature feels lower - probably because of the blustery winds. Heavy dew and 10C this morning. Deffo Autumnal feel. No doubt it’ll hot up again over the next few days.

We were chatting about hobbies and how they have changed over the years and it got me thinking about my grandparent’s hobbies.
Kniting and helping out at the Old Folks Club for one grandma and helping to run the Boy’s Brigade when she was younger. My grandpa played golf virtually every waking moment (and had a handicap of 1) and gardening ( for which I thank him for encouraging me)
My other grandparents - grandma used to like to plan and travel with grandpa throughout Europe with their motorbike and side car. He also used to love just sitting and smoking his pipe.

They didn’t have much spare time but clearly made the most of it.
Can anyone recall what hobbies their grandparents had/ have?

[Snoop Puss]

On my mum's side, gran used to knit a lot. But I'm not sure it was a hobby, more of a necessity for cheap clothes. Granddad did a lot of hiding in his shed when we were visiting. So I suppose you could say pottering was his main hobby. Either that or keeping out of the way!

On my dad's side, my granddad used to make bread, garden and keep hens, wartime necessities that he kept up (couldn't serve as he had very bad asthma). I didn't really know my grandmother as she was extremely quiet and shy and died when I was quite small.

[nick the grief]

Mrs G does a bit of knitting but during Lockdown she taught herself to Crochet ... cumlmanating in an 8ft Dragon called Desmond for our Grandkids Christmas pressie it took 3 double duvets to stuff the damn thing (cheaper than buying stuffing) and weighed a ton Now she's making re-usable makeup pads, facecloths and shower poofs for christmas pressies for our daught and daghter in law and one of the ladies she worked with has just ordered 10 for her relatives ...

Grandparent - Never knew my dads mum she died before I was born but his Dad and my mums dad were both miners and gardeners ...I have happy memeories of sitting with a bag with sugar in it and a stick of rhubarb ...

My Nan was a keen knitter and great cook (she taught me to cook) and she could make a meal out of a paper bag to your imagination. SHe was the eldest of 10 kids and had to leave school to look after all her siblings when her mum died. I have great memories of my nan.

[bramble]

Nicos, what a nice topic. Brings back happy memories
My granny on my dads side started crochet as a hobby when she was school age.
She became so good at it people paid her to crochet lace collars and edging for hankies.
My granny on my mothers side was a great lady for doing patchwork.
We all had home made patchwork quilts on our beds when we were children.
Both my grandads were extremely keen gardeners and kept poultry.
A hobby and a way of earning an extra income I guess.

[Bren In Pots]

Evening, my Maternal Gran died when I was very young I remember she wore a pinny that wrapped around and was tied. Other than that her tablecloth had tassels and was great for hiding under.

[greenishfing]

I have happy memories of my grandparents who all died when I was quite young. My dad's parents seemed ancient even when I was a small child but I remember escaping with grandad to his greenhouse at a very young age. It was only many years later that the amazing smell of
tomatoes brought these memories back.


Grandma, his wife, tried valiantly to teach me how to knit, crochet, embroidery and tat etc. I think in the end she decided that my left handedness just made me a liability and she gave up. Their daughter, my aunt taught me to read and write (gawky handed of course) instead well before I ever went to school.

My mother's parents lived next door to us and grandad used to lift us through his dining room window to share his breakfast. Grandma was an amazing cook who I wish I had known better.

[Nicos]

Mornin n’alln’all
Just listening to the 7am bells. Love hearing them .
Tell you what though…it’s getting lighter later isn’t it? I noticed it’s getting darker at night too. At least that means I don’t have to stay awake until midnight to get a decent look at the stars!

Its lovely hearing all these family histories- thanks for sharing. And I absolutely love your piccie gf! Love and happiness radiates from it.
Great outfit you are wearing too!

Nit sure what today will bring. An hour of ironing, but after that the day is my own. Sitting out reading comes to mind No doubt OH will suggest something like loading logs into the trailer - or splitting them in the heat of the day!

Time for a brew?….I’ll get that kettle on….

[cariann88]

Good Morning,

It is so lovely to read about your grandparents. My dad's mum use to make Irish bread for my grandad. I love the smell of Irish bread cooking and even better when it's been cooked and you cut a slice and put lots of butter on. I've not made any for a while. Might make some for my grandad.
My dad's step dad who turns 90 next year is still very active for his age. Loves to grow and look after flowers. He has plenty of pots in his small back yard filled with lovely flowers.
My mum's mum tried to teach me how to knit when I was younger, I even made a blanket. Shame I didn't keep it. She only use to know how to knit and purl my nan lol. I soon later when grown up that I decided to teach myself on how to knit.

Hope you all have a good day

[Nicos]

Morning Carrie - good to see you!

I absolutely love Irish soda bread. One of the best breads ever created!

[greenishfing]

Morning all.

Nicos you've just made me realise that I haven't heard church bells for years. As a child I would hear them regularly from the next village when the wind was in the right direction. Many years later a niece actually joined their bell ringing team for a while.

It's a very pleasant morning here, 15°C and sunny right now. Getting hot later in the week. No rain at all in the ten day forecast. Whatever happened to "Three hot days and a thunderstorm "?

Time for another coffee.....

[Bren In Pots]

Morning

We don't hear Church bells often either its usually weddings or practice time the church is only a couple of mins walk away so you couldn't miss them.
There's some Donkeys around mile away and they often sound like they're over the wall at the bottom of our garden, odd how sound travels.

Enjoy your day

.

[Snoop Puss]

Morning all.

Lovely stories about grandfolks. Really like the photo as well, GF. The smiles did too and left with a hop and a skip - no other way to describe it - and I think will make a special visit to see you to say thanks. Loved the tassels and Irish bread stories, too.

Guess what? It's cloudy... I don't know when we last had a proper cloudy morning. Such a relief for the eyes as much as anything. And a bit cooler. It was still 27 ºC when I went to bed at just gone midnight. The last few nights have been much too hot. I've been so tired though, I've had no trouble sleeping. A storm forecast for later but not much rain, so I've still done the once around with the watering can. I've had a robin keeping me vaguely company recently and today he was totally fearless, drinking from the puddles just after I'd watered plants. I'm still putting out bowls, but maybe the birds feel a bit exposed - Frankie would have them like a shot. He has amazing eyesight and hearing. He'll get fixated on ants from 2 metres away. So much so I have to go and check what it is. He once became aware of a number of ants round behind the fridge looking to nest between the floor and stone walls. The distance was easy five metres away and he was on the stairs at an angle. Anyway, Mr Robin clearly has a Mrs Robin and they've been flitting round my tomatoes. I hope they don't start pecking at them. I have had bird damage to toms in the past.

Right, on the show. Got the usual million things to do, plus another million more as I'm due to go back to Britain next week for ten days or so. Lots to get down before then.

Have a great day, everyone.