Evening folks,

Been a nice afternoon, sorted out my washing, just got to iron the stuff that needs ironed. Ordered Davie's trainers and school shoes, been up to the shop, ostensibly to get beans but ended up getting pens and pencils for Davie for school too, and blue tac for my Munro log. We've just had dinner.

Going to watch a bit of TV then get going on the ironing. Looking forward to getting back to normal.

Gary had to come off the meds, Jenny. After three months they were still giving him bad headaches and his mood was terrible.

Lynn, when we bought this bungalow it was one of a lot we had looked at. This one was bottom of the list and had been thrown off that list a good few times. I really couldn't see how we could make it work and basically didn't like it at all.

When we finally sold, it was the only one left that hadn't been sold!

From the day we moved in, however, it has felt like home. It's the best home we've ever had. In fact, it's the only one I've had (and we've had a few) that really does feel like a home and not a house (or bungalow in this case). I have a feeling that this one I'll be leaving in a box - that's how much we love it.

Misgivings are normal - especially when you are moving out of area, but things can work out for the best - honest!!

Hi Sally the beans have been very poor this year with a lot of blackfly and I have only managed to freeze 3 portions so far

Evening everyone.
Joel and Owen here had tea and playing Othello with Gorden.
We walked Dillon down to theirs to walk them up to ours it helped and promptly gave him a marrow bone. Had one naughty session where he was jumping at the boys and just got over a naughty barking session. If it says dry we may take the boys and the dog out for a walk later the boys want to see if we can see any wildlife.
Hopefully then the dog will be totally worn out and sleep and be calmer tomorrow when they come down in the morning and I am trying to do a roast for 2.30 for when Mark, Tracey and George turn up.
Good job I have wine for tomorrow evening I think I'm going to need it.

Hi June, glad Mabs lets you deal with that foot even if you can't get a cover over it for taking her out. I can't believe how good Zena is for me to do everything with, I never thought this day would come looking back to how she was as a youngster.

Dave needs this collar to relieve his neck pains having fitted new clutches each week. The car is always up in the air on a ramp, most clutches take 7 hours to fit Can you belieeeve that So he's constantly, not only looking up, but fiddling, lifting and cranking his neck here, there and everywhere. He tried it on, it's a perfect fit, bit uncomfortable, but I'm sure he'll get used to it and it'll give his neck a long earned rest over the week-ends when he sits in his chair. That's the aim anyway, cos he's got yet another 2 cluthes this week

Oh how I admire you for what you did and all on your own back then June, some of us women are made of strong stuff aren't we. My mum did that when she left my alcoholic father, we were under 10 at the time, she left him and fended for herself and she could hardly speak a word of English (she was Polish and had been brought here by my father when they got married in Italy cos he was a Captain in the army during the war). I suppose my dad did the same as your o/h, drank it all away, but thankfully, my grandparents helped her out to buy her own little guesthouse and she never looked back. You weren't lucky enough to have had that help, hats off to you June!!

Helena Sorry ive made you spend all that money but yes those sketchers are a good bargain I usually pay about £40 for them & love them - so comfy The both pairs ive just bought have been the right size & the delivery is brilliant. I got an email this morning to say they had been dispatched & they were delivered by courier at lunchtime. Ive thrown my old dog walking ones out cos they were split so one pair is to replace them. When I used them yesterday they were like slippers but my calves were aching a bit with them being those tone up ones. I sprayed them with water repellent spray first just for a bit more protection on them.
The rain stopped about 6-30 here so i had to bring my washing in that had been left out all afternoon & stick it in the spinner again - hope its a bit better tomorrow. Then I took Taff out for a run with his mates.
Nice to see you back Chris, you've been missed Sorry Gary is no better.

Evening everyone, the promised rain has only just materialised here - I was beginning to worry about not watering the tubs etc. and thinking that I might have to go out to do it this evening but all is now well!

H you will be having nightmares about those wretched boilers - it's so annoying when you do everything right and have them serviced etc.; perhaps you have a poltergeist It's good to hear that Zena's foot is not looking too bad, but you won't be happy until it is fully cleared up will you. You will become like me..........obsessed with paw checking

Lynn, I hope that Dillon behaves himself tomorrow, with any luck he will totally surprise you and be a model dog! Have that wine ready just in case though.

Mini, now blackfly is the one problem we didn't have this year! Usually we have loads of the things, which lead to ants, which lead to wasps, but no.........this time it was a question of not that many flowers, and many of what there were did not manifest themselves into beans. Not a clue why.

Taffsmum - are those sketchers hard to walk in initially? I have often toyed with the idea of getting some

Hi Brierley, good to see you again

Jenny, I hope you find something really nice in M & S; usually I only see things when haven't time to stop and shop, and when I go back there is nothing I want That voucher needs spending though.

Nothing much on telly tonight, except Casualty a bit later, so I suppose I will just have to get on with my research Not really in the mood, because last night I spent hours trying to find interesting things to write about this particular country house in Herefordshire, and mostly came up with a blank. Will try again tonight - most of them have skeletons in the cupboards, it's just a question of putting the right search terms into the newspaper site. Wish me luck, I am going in..........

7 Hours to fit a clutch
I've had automatics the last 3 cars, but if I ever go back to a manual gearbox, I will be extremely kind to it after learning that some poor guy is quite literally breaking his neck to mend it!!!!
Yeah Helena, well I thought I'd got there, but then again this barsteward of an ex-son that I brought up in spite of everything, that I got a motorbike for his 16th birthday because I knew thats what he wanted in all the world, has brought me down to my knees, but I'm down but not out, and will rise again, and the Lawd help him if I catch up with him, or anybody else catches him for that matter.
That little chat I had with his mate yesterday, well did he give me some good info. This poor woman he has been seeing and where they found him, well she is a director and share holder of a large truck company, so that is the attraction (hate to say it, but even his mate said to me she would have been grateful for the attention) he apparently doesn't behave well towards her. I am so totally utterly disgusted with his behaviour, his mate said its the drugs June, thats what it does. But after what he saw me go through to bring them up, and then he tries to do the same to me, and then I find he is up to all this as well, well I am mortified I gave birth to him.

I am not surprised it takes 7 hours to fit a clutch. No wonder it does damage to the neck.
June don't know what to say. To think he has done this to you after all you went through to give them a decent life and upbringing.

So far so good Dillon seems to be tiring now he had settled in the kitchen to go to sleep but we decided to have a yoghurt and he likes the pot to lick round when we have finished. He was in his element having 4 tonight.
No walk out looking for wildlife tonight as it is tipping it down and very windy.
Gorden and the boys now playing draughts.

No Sally I found them easy to walk in. After about 1/2 hour I could feel my calves aching a bit but I suppose they were doing me good They feel just like ordinary trainers.

Dont know what to say about your ex son June You think you bring them both up the same & doing your best for them for one to turn out so different (((hugs))) He'll get his comeuppance.

I got Taffy a Hoof this afternoon - he thinks its his birthday now