Good Morning Sunday 16th August 2026

Happy Anniversary Melanie61 enjoy the day🥂🍾.

Morning all from a cloudy, cooler S Hants, such a pleasant change.
Good you got out Madeleine
A big step Gingster handled so well 👍
Day at a time R&L you’re doing very well, keep resting.
A quiet day ahead, daughter and children back from Turkey tomorrow, MrJ collecting them from Gatwick.
Roast chicken for dinner, a favourite here.
May those struggling have a better day.
🦩🦩

Good morning Mick and everybody from damp Carlisle where there's evidently been a shower or two overnight.
Yesterday I paid an early visit to Sainsbury's for a few items, the only essential one being some jam sugar for the making of some crab apple jelly, then back home for a long phone chat with my sister.
Later I went out and picked the crab apples, I really have too many and am thinking of removing one tree. After lunch, I cut them up and reduced them to pulp which I then strained. Today I will be boiling up the juice and hopefully getting some lovely jelly.

I've been out for an early walk, all is very quiet and still, just a few dog walkers. All will be quiet here, after the jelly making I plan to do little else except read the papers and my book.

I've been wondering about those barrel trousers all season Marzipan, who are they for?! Many of us may have barrel shaped trunks but I fail to imagine barrel shaped legs!
I wonder what silly name they will think up for next year...
It hasn't been a good year for buying trousers in M&S for me, so many wide legged ones in which shorter me looks terrible.

Wishing you all a pleasant Sunday.

Good morning from Morecambe Bay where it is cool and cloudy. The odd shower is forecast but nothing much.
This is my second attempt at posting as I touched something and my post disappeared again.
Yesterday, the magnesium sulphate paste worked its magic on CDog’s paw and an enormous seed popped out. The paw healed quickly over the day much to both his and my relief. I really didn’t fancy another large Vet bill. The insurance has just paid up from our last claim when he was stung by the bee and went into shock. The fees for an emergency out of hours vet are ridiculous!
I wish the blisters on my back would heal as quickly.
Yesterday, I didn’t do much as we were both tired after our travels, but today I will crack on with cleaning the camper and sort out the washing. A trip to the supermarket may be needed as the cupboards are bare. First we will walk CDog in the woods and I should be back in time for church.
Take care everyone 🌸

Happy anniversary Melanie

Good morning, Michael and all GNs from an overcast South Yorkshire. Rain today? Who knows🙄! I took myself off on a longish walk yesterday and the trees on the Transpennine trail look very autumnal and local pasture which is usually flooded, or at least muddy, is bone dry and the ground cracked. I didn’t see or hear a single bird all the way round.

I have no intention of doing much today other than reading, giving the rest of my lilacs a haircut and filling up the bird feeders. I am delighted to say that we have two fledgling blackbirds following their parents round the garden this morning. This is the second or third brood I’ve seen this year.

Have the best day you can, folks.

Good morning all from a wet Glasgow, where it is 12°C.

Last night was a bit hectic at Mass. We have a young Mexican seminarian staying in the parish. I introduced myself in Spanish, the PP now thinks I am multi lingual. I can actually only remember a few words. 🤣
As usual, the P.P hadn't thought about vestments for him. MD, find O something to wear.
Where?
Everything is over in the actual church, which is out of bounds. I remembered I had washed a spare surplice and went to find it. It had been thrown in the wardrobe, by one of the servers. Three irons later, none were working I ended up in the presbytery, where I had no idea how to work the iron, which had a tank.
Then I stole a cassock, belonging to one of the taller altar sellers, it had no buttons. MD will pin it with safety pins, said the PP,
Remember, we are in a church hall, with a minimum of items.
Of course, I produced two safety pins! 😉
My mother's button box is at the bottom of the linen cupboard, I am sure to find the appropriate buttons.
The only problem, it is filled with suitcases and my present boxes. I dread going in that cupboard. 🙈

I have a busy day planned. I am off a journey, the next stage of rectifying the dreadful hair cut I had.
Then I will pop into M&S food hall, for a few bits and pieces for DH..
I plan to make Steak Diane, to tempt him to eat, although, he does not deserve it..

I spoke to DS1 at Mass last night. He had asked DH how had got on at the doctor's. DH must have been at a different appointment from me. He lied by omission to DS1.
I put DS right on a few things, I'm weary of carrying this burden alone.

Later, we are off to see Babydoll and her parents to deliver Dollie's old balance bike and a few other bits and pieces.
I shall make strawberry tarts to take, with little baby ones for the Duracell bunny. She is particularly wild just now.😱
DH will not be driving, I will!

Finally, reading about customs at JFK reminded me of our experience. We were standing in a very long queue with toddler Dollie and her parents.
I was quite anxious, having had a recent heart attack and carrying a large bag of medication, including a Fentanyl. I was sure I was going to be arrested.
I spotted a customs officer, standing at an empty station. I went over and asked him, what I should do about the CD.
He had just come on duty, asked me to wait, while he sorted his radio etc.
Then asked to see my boarding card and escorted me through customs, without searching my things. A similar thing happened on entry into the USA.
Safe journey home, ma'am, he said. My family were still in the long queue with a very vocal Dollie calling for her gran.

Good to hear you quite upbeat R&L.

Buona Domenica, everyone.

Happy Anniversary, Melanie🥂💐

Happy Anniversary Melanie 🥂💐

Good morning all from a cooler North Leicestershire.

Today we are taking DGD2 (15) birthday shopping and then for lunch - wish us luck.

How good to read a proper Madeleine post this morning - very impressed by her positive approach and resolve to learn from it and use my energy for things I like rather than things I ought to do.

DS left yesterday morning having sorted out the plug in the bathroom handbasin. For such an academic man I never expect practical proficiency and was thrilled and impressed at the outcome. Small pleasures!

Church in the next village and then an empty day with newspapers and phone calls. It is currently cloudy but still sticky and I yearn for rain.

Just come for a break from jobs and been catching up on your posts. Lovely that so many of us are able to enjoy a cooler morning, however it changes later on. I am about to get some meat out of the freezer, to defrost and make the most of the cooler morning to cook something, that will give me a meal for today and something cooked to put back in the freezer, for a day when it is too difficult, or too hot to stand cooking. Quite looking forward to a hot meal to enjoy for a change.

Thankyou for all your kind wishes , and am pleased to have enjoyed a good day, and it will be something to remember, if we get another heatwave and I am stuck in. I have felt that lately I have been rather a misery, with everything seeming a great effort. It is good to see that you have all been making the most of the cooler weather too, and lets hope for a few more days like that and maybe those rain clouds may come our way soon, and give us a much needed downpour.

Karmalady you sound as though you are like the farmers round here and are well organised and into autumn mode in your garden. A good compost bin is a joyful thing to any gardener, sort of brown "gold" to be hoarded, and treasured. When it is well made it even smells good doesnt it? Bellasnana, how sad to read of the murder, we never know what may be happening around us, until something so shocking happens. Ginster, sounds as though you got quite a bit done with your helpers. It is always sad when you give up your car, but after the first getting used to it, which I think includes the different time taken on public transport, you may actually be surprised as some of the unexpected benefits too. A friend who recently gave up driving, was struggling a bit, and I suggested that she write down the cost of running her car for a year, ranging from the depreciation and cost of the actual vehicle, MOT, insurance, new tyres etc. Then to look at a years average cost, and add to that , no longer having to look for parking places, sometimes being called upon to drive for someone elses benefit, when she would not have chosen to go out. So then with a combination of her bus pass at the ready and permitting herself to use a taxi - which she used to see as an extravagance- she is now getting used to a different way of going to places, and has already said that the frustration of not being able to just walk outside and go somewhere is very much eased by feeling much less stressed when she is in towns; not clock watching for the parking or driving round and round looking for places. Hopefully you will find ways of still going to places that matter to you , and enjoy not being the one responsible for all the driving and keeping up with costs.

Well still cool and still and grey here, but no rain. Time to firstly get the kettle on for a much needed coffee and get that meat out of the freezer. By the time I have had the coffee and made the bed etc., I will be ready to concoct a meal and stew some bramley apples I have, as I have one of those boxes of long life custard that I won at the whist drive, so thought I could put it in the fridge to get very cold and give it a try with the apple. Goodness, actually thinking of something , rather than standing in front of the fridge wondering what I can be bothered to eat!

Have a good day all

Happy anniversary Melanie

Happy Anniversary Melanie

Happy Anniversary, Melanie61.
Our new walk in shower was completed in two days. DH wasn’t keen as he likes having a bath, but he realised the sense of it when I fell almost eight weeks ago and badly hurt my knee and was unable to climb into the bath for two weeks. On the advice (instruction), of dd1 we had a fold down seat attached to the wall. Most fortuitous as I twisted my left ankle the morning the bathroom work started and can barely hobble with a stick.
Madeleine, Saltburn was a favourite place to take our girls when they were young.
Wonderfully cool and damp here in Co Durham.
Hope today is good to everyone.

Good morning from Shropshire.A cooler start today but the sun is out.

We had a lovely time with DD2,SIL and DGS1 yesterday.DGS had some new Lego which occupied him for a couple of hours.We will see them again in a couple of weeks when we will be looking after him as his school goes back a day later than DD and SIL’s.

Today is a day at home.Laundry to be done and DH has forms to fill in re the car accident.

A big thing selling your car Gingster.So many big changes in your life recently.I think you are dealing with it all so well.Change is hard especially when not through choice.My daughters would call you a warrior woman and I agree with them💪💐

Good to hear you sounding more upbeat madeleine.

Wishing everyone a good day🦩🌻

Thankyou Brook, Jaxjacky and Susan for the pats on the back and the kind comments. Warrior woman! Love that! 🙏

Good morning from a cool, cloudy Durham. There were a few spots of rain earlier.
Just a quiet day in for me - DD2 is poorly and I’ve offered to have the dog, but she says she can manage.
I’ll assemble another load of loft items to be collected for car boot sales - until it all goes (somewhere) I can’t get my car in the garage.

Best wishes to all. X

Good morning everyone from south Manchester where it’s noticeably cooler. I packed away my new Meaco fan yesterday for the foreseeable. Alexa says no rain today and 21°C as yesterday.

My plans for today:
Go over to see my stepfather taking him cash from the ATM and some top up groceries before I fly out on Wednesday to join my family in my happy place. Which is still so, just not quite so much. However that’s because nothing will ever be the same now, it can’t be, much as I wish it.

At 4pm I’ve invited my friend and neighbour over for a G&T (I can’t keep going to her although that’s how she prefers it to be honest, so this is just a token gesture which she’s accepted) then we are going out for a curry. I’d love to have one before I go away. The scales say “don’t be daft woman” sadly as I’m gaining weight these past six months, but my head says “sod it” so I’m going.

Finally, my Yorkshire Lass FaceTimed me yesterday suggesting she drives over this evening and stays for two nights as she has two WFH days and can just as easily do it from here, bringing her laptop. Plus she wants to go into the Apple Store in the Trafford Centre to buy a new one using her ‘blue light’ staff discount card.

Now those who know my daughter will be thinking (a) she’ll come as described (b) she’ll ring to say she’ll stay at home tonight after all and see me tomorrow or (c) cancel completely. She is SO different to her younger sister. They are like chalk and cheese. Funny that isn’t it, when you bring them up in the family home in supposedly similar fashion? 🤣

Happy Birthday Grammaretto 🎂🥳🥂have a lovely day.

Good morning from a cooler Co Armagh, the waterbutt at the back door filled overnight ! But I got up to Mass and home again , in the dry
A friend who has been missing was at Mass , she had been hospitalised with a UTI , was there for 3. Weeks having developed Sepsis !
A warning to us to never try and ride it out , but trot to the GP and get the right antibiotics,
Hoping for a pleasant day for all

Good morning everyone from a cooler west midlands. A rather mundane day today; I'm mopping-up elderly dog wee & DH has got his plunger-out in the bathroom, so we're both smelling delightful.
Wishing everyone the best day possible from Bodger towers.

Good morning from a mixed bag weather wise northwest coast. No rain.
Into the city with sister yesterday to interesting university gallery. She hadn’t been before and the architecture as well as the collection is very fine. There was a drawing group in operation and I plan to go to one myself. Parking was a problem, but my sister was driving so I left it to her.

Then to a hip part of the city which was heaving and I thought we would never get a meal, but had an excellent individual meal and I had two glasses of red wine (I don’t really drink) which affected me and came back tired and tipsy, but had an enjoyable day.
This afternoon we are going out to a farm garden centre and an open mic event tonight if I can find the energy.

Happy birthday Grammaretto and congratulations *Melanie(🌺

Indian meal!

Happy Birthday Grammaretto sorry I missed that.

Indeed you are Warrior Woman Gingster but I know it is not by choice. We have many things thrown at us and it is how we handle them that makes a difference.
I am full of admiration for you - I must admit I struggle at times with our changed situation.