Countdown to Christmas 2024: And So We Begin (Thread 1)

[NoWordForFluffy]

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It's a leap year next year, so an extra day to wait!

I've ordered 120 baubles today, as WeRChristmas sent me a 50% code for today only. Annoyingly I could get our new tree way cheaper today! 😭

I'm exhausted now I've finally had time to sit and relax. Tomorrow is a chill day.

I love peanuts, 70. I could eat way too many of them!

We've got two loads of washing dry today. It's even warm on the line, not just dry! 😱

I'm glad it's the weekend. I'm just about caught up from being off after my break last week.

Got my 2nd carpal tunnel injection appt today, for 13 May. That'll be both sides done then.

I am about just not posting. Signed off again today. Sigh. Occupational Health are saying I am too poorly to go back at the moment.

I do not like peanuts (nothing else to add there 😂)

I don’t like any nuts but I do like marzipan.

I don't like marzipan!

I am not keen on marzipan either.

Oh pistachios are the nut of choice in this house - but we can't have them because I eat too many
They're very much a Christmas treat food in this house!

I opened my washing line for the first time this year today. Had to shoo a spider away that's clearly been living in there for a while.

It's been so warm today😮 Got 2 loads dry - one on the line and one on the airer in the conservatory.

Also noticed the mint plant I thought I'd got rid of last year and that has been 3 leaves since Christmas has become a proper little mint plant now which I'm quite happy about as was going to replace it with a new one in the next few weeks.

Sorry you're still feeling poorly and are off work why, it must be very frustrating for you.
Is there anything they can do or it is a case of resting and waiting it out?

I could murder a packet of dry roasted peanuts now 😂

I also like marzipan (and pistachios) but I'm not keen on most other nuts.

Sorry to hear you are still poorly why.

I don't like it when spiders move into things.

My husband is paying for me to see a private rheumatologist, I have booked it and it is on 2nd May. I saw him last year via NHS but although I am on his list you have to go to the bottom and I think the wait is currently at the twelve month mark and I can't wait that long Meeces. The system is so disjointed. I have epic brain fog and my job is too risky to forget something I might need to back up in coroner's court, so occy health want me to rest.

We now have 6 (six!) cellar spiders in our downstairs loo. I'm not sure what goes on in there to attract them!

Some kind of spider disco Fluffy?

Potentially! 🕷️ 🪩 💃

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Morning!

We're up to 8 (that I can easily see, I've not gone looking) spiders in the downstairs loo now.

Apparently dry for all of today. Other than 10am! 🤷‍♀️

Are they indoor spiders Fluffy ? I find a spider in the bathroom sometimes and I'm not inclined to kill them or drown them , so I either drape a towel for them to climb or scoop them up on a bit of loo roll . Then I don;t want to throw them out of the window (in case they die ) .

The ones that are massive and fierce get caught in a glass and card and decanted onto the windowsill (with orders not to come back in)

I'd have thought our cats would eat them (but they are lazy buggers )

Apparently they don't like conkers but I've never tried -and it isn't conker time of year

They're indoor ones, yes. They eat the massive hairy ones!

I finally strimmed our lawn today. It looks much better! I can't mow as it's still boggy in parts, so not able to take a lawnmower.

I also ordered some herbs for a large pot (mine took against being moved) and sowed my tomato seeds (plants will go on the balcony). I ordered 3 dogwood bare root plants the other day to try to absorb some of the excess water. Hopefully they arrive soon.

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Dogwood is lovely Fluffy I have one which acts as a pretty good screening plant . At the moment it is very leafy with white flowers then in the Autumn the leaves go red , then you have the beautiful red twigs when the leaves fall .

This year it needs cut back or at least tamed a bit

Afternoon all! Also been in the garden enjoying some finally decent weather and also just planted some tomato seeds plus cucumber and various flowers (calendula, cosmos, viola, aquilegia, geranium, cleome). Agree re the dogwood - we've got some in a boggy north facing border and it loves it. The bright red branches in Winter are really lovely.🌼

Ooh, @Magnoliasunrise, you've given me great joy re the dogwood, as ours is going into boggy, north-facing, garden too! I was kind of hoping it would alleviate said bog a wee bit though!

70, my mum (the gardener in the family) said to cut it back every year else it won't go red anymore. I shall endeavour to obey!

I cut back a load of the woody looking stems in early Feb then I meant to cut more end Feb/early March but never got round to it

It is donkeys years old , it gives the lovely red stems still -and the red leaves co-incide with the 2 boston ivy going red (usually end October ) then the leaves all fall off .

I bought some tomato seeds , I have a huge tall pot in the garden , good sun but I'm at a loss what to plant in it . DD loves tomatoes and I like the idea of tomatoes fresh from the vine .
Any gluts can be roasted and made into soup or sauce .

Never grown tomatoes so this is an adventure into the unknown ...

I got about 40kg of 🍅 last year. Sooooo many! (18 or so plants.) I'm doing the same varieties this year, but I've only sown 10 seeds. So let's see how it goes! 🤣

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Morning!

Your mum is right Fluffy but I must confess to forgetting to cut it back the last 2 years and it still has the most amazing red stems and there are tonnes of flowers starting now. If you want anything else for a north facing boggy border I've got a chinese honeysuckle which grows a bit rampant and loves a shady border although its yet to flower 😐

Morning!

We thankfully dodged rain (being blown at 40+mph!) on the dog walk as it started when we got back! I think it's hailing now, actually. Lovely for the school run.

Grim old forecast today, but nicer for the rest of the week.

No sign of the dogwoods yet. Hopefully soon. I'll look into the honeysuckle. I know just the spot for it!

Weather is all over the place here. Was grey, windy and raining when I got up.
Turned to sunshine by 8:30 and is grey and windy again now 🙄

I weeded all my pots and planters yesterday and potted up my mini rose bush. Will see if it survived outside 🤞🏼

Am now considering what to keep and what to replace in my pots. We have several 'naice' pots that dot around the edge of the patio. It's south facing so they need to handle sun but also survive Welsh weather.
Currently have lavender, sage, rosemary, thyme and mint.
I want to keep the mint and rosemary.
Sage is dying so will get rid.
Not fussed about thyme or lavender.

I also have a giant pot I'd like to get a tree in but not sure what to go for. It needs to be relatively cheap because its survival odds are probably 50/50!

How about a cherry blossom? Can grow in a pot and once established pretty much look after themselves.

I bought a tiny forsythia , it's in a pot for now but it'll go out when it's bigger .
They seem to like our local clay soil.

And I have a buddleia Black Knight which is magenta not dark purple in a pot because these things grow in a brick wall if they are able , so I spoil it in a pot

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I was chasing my recycling down the street at midnight in a howling gale and torrential rain 🤦🏻‍♀️ I've checked the local FB and there's nothing from my neighbour's ring doorbell so I think I got away with it 😂

I'm tempted by a dogwood. We had one in the garden at our last house and it was beautiful. Still on claggy, clay soil here so it would be nice to have something that would help with the excess water.