Good Morning Monday 17th August 2026

Good morning from Bristol. It’s still dark, but dry and mild.
Yesterday was quiet; I made another batch of marmalade as my stock is low.
In the evening, I wrote a letter of complaint to the Teflon administration of our estate, which is getting worse, with some shocking revelations. The most important is that the empty resident managers house, last used by the same person for over 20 years was left in a disgraceful state of dirt and neglect. Apparently, it is the financial responsibility of the residents to make good before renting/selling. This has just been revealed to us, after being empty for a year and endless requests for cleaning etc.! We are in a state of shock.😳
Today, I’m going to the Cadbury garden centre for the day with our (not) WI. I’m heartily glad that it’s not going to be hot!
Have a good day. Carpe diem 🦩🦩🦩🦩

Good morning Mick and followers.
It’s lovely and cool at the moment, still no rain and the paltry forecast for Tuesday has evaporated so it’s looking like no rain this week 🥺
I tided out the medicine shelf in the kitchen cupboard yesterday 🫣, let’s just say there’s very little left!
I’ve been meaning to do it for ages, so pleased it’s done.
The fridge is tidied too, well-stocked and I have planned meals for the next few days.
I need to phone the surgery, I’m coughing and not sure if I’m brewing something……🙄
Anyway, zilch planned for today so I can sit and read and potter in the garden with my secateurs as the roses need deadheading and I need to keep moving!
Take care x
🌹

Good morning all from Polmont where it's currently 9° and dry, although rain is forecast. Rosesandlilac best get it seen to. GrandMattie enjoy your day out.
Yesterday I did some housework before the tesco delivery. I had just sat down when the door flew open and in came the boys and dd for a visit. It was lovely to see them. After they left, I couldn't get myself motivated to do anything. So the ironing is still waiting! Dd messaged me later to tell me that, when she was reminding dgs2 about today's arrangements, he said,"I love grandma days." I was very touched.
Today is early childcare day. I'll head to dds shortly. I will drop off the boys at school, hopefully without incident then home to make cookies for them and soup too. I won't be in the school library today as it's being used for photo. Then it will be pick up and back to my house for a couple of hours. Dinner will be chicken salad. Have a good day all.

I age wholeheartedly with batty, do get advice asap regarding your cough, r&l.

Good morning from Malta where the forecast is for a sunny day with a high of 38°C.

Didn’t do much yesterday but enjoyed long FaceTime chats with my pal in Leicester and, later, DD2 and DGD in the US. They had been to softball practice. I don’t know how they play in the heat which was extreme according to DD2.

This morning I am expecting a call from my UK bank. Something to do with safeguarding. I loathe phone calls as I usually can’t hear what they are saying so I’ll be glad when it’s over and done with.

The boys will be back from Gozo later today and I will be delighted to see them. I’ve missed them but am happy they have had such a good time.

Milo dog will be glad to have them back too. I think he has missed them as he’s been more subdued than usual.

Grandmabatty that’s so lovely to know how much your little DGS loves coming to you.❤️

Take care RosesandLilac. I hope your cough isn’t an infection.

Hoping you all have a good day☀️

Good morning from a cloudy cool Morecambe Bay. The blisters on my back has woken me up. I’m not sure why it’s gone so sore after a week of healing. We are off to Blossoming’s part of the world this morning to take the car for its service.We will walk round the dock and hopefully find a cafe while we wait. Our local main dealer has lost its franchise so we have to travel to get it serviced and MoT’d. We would take it to a local garage but we want a main dealer check before the warranty runs out next month. We are not even sure if the local garage can do a full service as it’s electric.
Do get checked out earlier rather than hanging on R&L
Take care everyone 🌸

Good morning everyone from Belfast.
Looking out the weather is overcast looks like rain. Did not do much yesterday we went to church.
We went to DD for lunch. She then came to ours much later.
Tomatoes are doing well will have to start giving some away.
One of the ladies I usually give some to has gone into care.
Nothing planned for today always housework.
Take care everyone.

Morning all from West Oxfordshire.

Our cleaner should be here this morning and I will do the usual Waitrose shop.

I have done all I can on my enormous quilt. I thought I had enough fabric for the backing but I haven’t. I’ve ordered some beautiful Liberty fabric off eBay for a very good price.

Have a good day everyone. We have hot weather here for at least another day with the possibility of rain tomorrow.

Good morning from s somerset, we have drizzle at long last and it is cooler

One last de-clutter and clean-out from the garden yesterday morning and I got rid of five fig plants and their pots, I don`t like figs and could not take any more watering. It is looking so much better outside and I don`t have any awful winter prep ahead of me. I may not even need to trim my ground sedum as it will provide winter cover for tiny creatures.

It was not an onerous job and neither was the trip to the skip but I did follow up with a visit to my allotment and have uplifted my dwarf beans to the compost bins. They were a waste of time but everyone had bean failure this year, my beans set pods but they were all too stringy. Next job will be to twist the auger into each compost bin, lift, shake a bit and pull the auger out, this will add air to the mix and my compost may well be black gold by next season. I always knew it would take two years

My brassicas are also devastated, flea beetle has ruined many crops and I will probably have to compost all mine, flea beetle are even getting down to the cores and the plants were incredibly stressed, so have no resistance. Veggies are going to be expensive and in short supply

I rested a great deal yesterday and watched a rather nice film on youtube and ordered a hot water bottle. Today is a normal and easy day with craft group later and I may even put the summer duvet back on my bed

Good morning everyone from a cloudy cooler Northampton. Up earlier as it's yoga first thing and need to get the bus.

Enjoyed the screening of Turandot at the cinema yesterday, filmed in the open air on Sydney harbour. A spectacular and dramatic set and glorious singing. A new opera to me and not one I'd rush to see again - in my opinion the wrong girl got the guy! At least we got to hear Nessun Dorma in its rightful context, as part of the story.

Must get to a pharmacy today as I've run out of low dose aspirin; neither Boots nor Superdrug had any yesterday. There's a chemist near where we have yoga, so I'll try there, if not it'll be a trip to our nearest Boots on the bus, or the chemist at our surgery.

Some washing waiting to be done after yoga, then an afternoon catching up with the weekend newspapers.

Wishing all a pleasant day.

Good morning all from the Scottish Borders where it's 11° but due to reach 17° and rain later.
I enjoyed my birthday with lunch at DS and a Fringe performance later. More plans today as I will go to the Book Festival with a friend who has her birthday.

I can understand your frustration gMattie with the "management". Could you enlist councillor's support or MP?

Aw Grandmabatty 😍

Rosesandlilac make sure you are resting enough. Remember your body needs time to heal.
Hope everyone has some joy today.

Good morning, Michael and all GNs from an overcast, uniformly grey South Yorkshire. We finally had some rain overnight but very little by the look of things. It is cooler though. Yesterday I managed to put my back out getting half a chicken out of the bottom drawer of the freezer so I did very little except for some ironing because it was more comfortable standing than sitting. At least I feel as if I achieved something! The pain is still hanging about this morning, but is bearable.

At teatime my neighbour’s son came round with a cake his mother had made as a thank you for giving him DH’s golf bag. He’s getting a lot of use out of it already. I’ve frozen half the cake and will work my way through the other half this week!

Last night, to cheer myself up I watched my favourite John Ford western, “She wore a Yellow Ribbon”. It’s a complete load of tosh, and I know the script by heart, but thoroughly enjoy it every time I watch it.

Chiropractor appointment this morning, but nothing else of any note.

Have the best day you can, folks.

Good morning from a sunny S E Essex, with a high of 25° forecast.

I am going with DD and her boys to Lakeside shopping centre today. School shoe shopping, along with school bags, pencil case etc. it is going to be a long day.

You are meant to be resting RosesandLilac don’t over do things.

Good morning from Shropshire.Sun and light rain forecast.We’ll see!

We caught up with housework, laundry and admin yesterday morning then a relaxing afternoon.

Today we will go into town and then out for lunch.We also need to go to Argos to buy a new microwave.

I hope you get advice from the GP Roses.Keep an eye on your weight loss Mick.

Enjoy your day out grandMattie.

Wishing everyone a good day🦩🌻

Good morning from a sunny W Kent where it has rained overnight, how beautiful the puddles look on the garage roof opposite!
Cleaner this morning and a load of ironing. Not sure about later yet
R&L hope you can get to see someone, enjoy your day out gM
Best wishes to all

Good morning Michael and all GN's on a still, grey, but blissfully cool morning in North Yorkshire. I am pleased to have all the windows open and letting in some clean cool air.
I am still having these very broken nights, and I have little rules for myself, so if it is before 5am I do try to go back to sleep, and only allow myself a drink of water if thirsty. The idea is not to get into the habit of making drinks or eating at 4am as I dont want my body to get used to that as it will continue the pattern I dont want, but gave up about 4.40 today as wide awake and no chance of further sleep.

Yesterday, I began very slowly restoring some of the chaos after my trip to the coast. It stayed grey and cooler, but still no rain, boo hoo! But that was probably good as we had the Jurassic day with dinasaurs in the town. It is quite a well run thing, and gives people a chance for something to go to that costs nothing , apart from a couple of charity stalls holding tombolas . So the high street is closed to traffic, and there are some really good things, wonderful large different dinasaurs come into the ring, with commentary, and a bit of the Panto or punch and judy, getting the children to join in, with responses, and being able to pat and meet the different ones as they slowly go round the ring. Then there was a giant chess board and a mini clock golf etc etc . all very well produced and there were a great many people there, ranging from children in buggies , to that young teenage group that tried to look nonchalant and not interested, but deigning to accompany younger siblings, (and actually enjoying it!)

For once those of us on buggies were top dogs! Well only because no traffic was allowed and there were diversions, but I was able to go on the yellow peril and went the whole length of the high street, meeting and greeting friends, joining in with cheers for the dinasaurs etc etc. I had actually made an effort and saw the flags were up to greet me as I had put a dress on and for once was looking quite tidy , (but perhaps the flags were for the day!). Anyway it was good to see everyone joining in and talking to each other, instead of staring at their phones constantly. I ended up treating myself to a coffee at Cafe Nero, and they are so used to seeing me in trousers , that the lady serving said how nice I looked and was I going somewhere special!!

So I then wended my way home, got changed into shorts and T shirt and did a bit more restoring order , but there is plenty left for me to do today. Firstly this morning I need to check on any shopping needed and get off to the doctors to arrange a longer appointment as they have sent me a letter saying it is time for my diabetic check up , but it has been so hot that I have not been to organise it, as the surgery has no aircon and is very hot normally. dont know what it would have been like on the hottest day. Will have to take my own advice and carry water and a cold wet flannel in a bag, to survive the waiting room.

S
Then it will be plodding along, and making the most of this cooler weather to do a bit of cooking , so that I can have a "proper" dinner and some spare to freeze. I have such a little freezer here, miss my great big upright one I used to have at the house, but it wouldnt have fitted in here. But it really suited me, as I would wait until the spirit moved me, and my back wasnt too bad, and would have a baking spree, and then put lots into the freezer. My cunning plan, when I had my husband and son at home, was to make up portions for 2 and for 1. That way if we were all at home I would get out one of each, or had individual and amounts for two people if I had a visitor for lunch or whatever. I do think when you are in the right mood, you do make better quality food, and it was wonderful for those days where you just cant decide what you want to eat!

Then , if the cool weather stays for the day I have a cunning plan - as Baldrick used to say- to get some of my paperwork more organised. I just found a medium size notebook, that I had stuck in a drawer, and I have decided to go through all the paperwork, like insurance and MOT etc, and I am going to write the name, email, and phone no of each different one, with up to date information, such as date due for MOT, or advance notice of passport renewal date or guarantees etc. Then I will be able to flick through that much more easily , than grovelling through the actual paperwork of each thing.

See , the cooler air is letting me begin to use my brain!! Whilst I am doing that I shall also try to throw out older paperwork, but I tend to keep letters and documents for too long, as no matter what companies say about it all being on line,if you have any query, they then tell you that they have lost a document or tell you the wrong date - always in their favour of course. When it comes to dealing with even quite reputable companies I prefer to have my own back up!!

I did notice how much earlier it is getting dark now, and we are half way through august already. Having been a lecturer and teacher, the latter half of august was starting to collect things together that I had made or done ready for the school opening , and I do always have that second "beginning of the year" sense, and must make the most of the willingness to do something.

Do hope you get some cooler weather and begin to feel a lot better Mick, and hope you have a good trip and see some friends today. GrandMattie I was reading of your marmalade making and could just fancy some right now.Your Teflon lot sound a total useless bunch, and what a pity you cant take a brillo pad to the lot of them!! I hope you have a pleasant day today and the weather is comfortable for you .RosesandLilac, you sound as though you are doing very well, but definitely check out the cough and also do have some rests . So pleased you are beginning to be able to do things, and get back to being able to choose what you want to do. Grandmabatty, what a lovely thing for your dgs to say, and great that your daughter thought to tell you. Little unexpected sayings are lovely and can last in the memory for many years. When my son was about 3, we had just finished a meal and he looked up and said "That was my flavourite dinner" and I loved that combination of flavour and favour and it was something to remember on the days that you were not thrilled with your cooking. He is 50 now but I still remember that occasionally.

Well I have just enjoyed my Bach before 7, the weather is still cool but the sun is beginning to get up, so I need to get cracking, check shopping needs and get off to the surgery, so that I can get back before it gets too hot. Hoping everyone has a cooler day and does well with their plans for the day.

Good morning from a cloudy Cornwall where rain is promised. I live in hope.

My young grandson stood on a weever fish yesterday while he was surfing. He's a very resilient little chap, good at gritting his teeth, but he screamed for 20 minutes. The lifeguards treated him, along with a queue of other excruciatingly pain-ridden young people, with his feet in extremely hot water for as long as he could bear it. The heat deals with the venom. No lasting damage, though wetsuit boots may be a wise purchase for him. The fish are coming to our coast in hoards because of the hot weather.

Meanwhile I lounged on my patio in the deliciously cooler weather listening to one of the books in the Shetland detective series via Borrowbox. My sun umbrellas are sheltering me from a plague of miniscule caterpillars parachuting down on threads from my wild wood above. Apparently they swing from tree to tree and provide food for birds in the process. Nature never fails to amaze me.

Today I must ring my surgery and talk to my doctor about my breathlessness which is becoming a nuisance. After that a bus trip somewhere will do very nicely thank you.