I don't rant on FB, too many family members on it. I save ranting for here

batty, glad you are throttling back. It's not selfish, it's important. Keep it up and be good!

Amica, I'm trying to cut down a bit atm too - but got hijacked at work today cos it was somebody's birthday. You can't say "I'm not having any of your birthday cakes, I'm trying to lose weight", can you, that's just miserablist! Soups sound yummy!

hello all, Laura dont deactivate your facebook account

Today I am mostly ranting about HSBC and their stupid call centre. Over an hour in our local branch trying to sort out a new online banking digital secure key for my daughter. During this time they managed to deactivate mine and force me to re-set all my security details, and she has yet to receive the activation code for hers... so we're back in there on Thursday - just warning you so when you hear about the explosion you know what it was.... grrrrrrr.

LL - deactivation is tempting but you'd be missed, don't do it!

Batty - I think you need more cake xx

I agree, laura, don't leave FB. How am I going to spam you with pics of Melony if you don't have FB ????

Fell asleep at quarter to ten, woke up fully clothed on the bed at 11-30, found Mr M asleep in the chair downstairs. Then wasn't tired for a while. Am now though. FFS.

Night night lovelies...

Night Handy

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
still not been to bed

Hope you got a bit of sleep in the end, Laura!

Here it's a sort of duvet day - Mr M's day off has coincided with mine and Melony has kindly gifted us both with a mild tummy bug. She had it at the weekend, now we've got it!
So we're going to snuggle up on the sofa and watch telly all day - as soon as Mr M comes out of the loo...!

Get better soon, Handy got a couple of hours as the cleaner arrived so shattered doesn't cover it but there you go.

Happy Grumpy Hump Day!

Laura: don't you dare quit Facebook! You've got Facebook Purity and AVG Privacy (you were the one who told me about them) so have you actually been hacked? If not, stop worrying about it and enjoy being able to keep up with your friends.

I think Mr. Home wants admission to GOW. He's on a whole new level of grumpiness today. He always gets like this when there's major gardening work to do. We've (actually it's me) got a big project ahead for the next two days. How it works is that I give the instructions (orders ) and he does the work. This is the preliminary cleaning, hauling (part of a fence needs to be thrown out) and digging. Then after that it's all my baby including the grass cutting, pruning, planting and watering. The sun is playing silly beggars so it's not a great day for it but it's dry and that's all that matters.

BG and Twingle: I've had some very bad experiences with BP medication/beta blockers. It affected me more mentally/emotionally than physically and scared the shit out of me. Plus it gave me the headaches I never had before but was supposed to have according to God (I mean my doctor ) because my BP was at "stroke level". 15 years on and I'm still here without the medication. I don't exercise because of my illness but I didn't have the other factors (weight, etc.) so the cause of my ultra high BP was a mystery.

Difficult day today - trying to cast a play. If you get it wrong , it buggers up the whole thing. And I'm hungry. This dieting lark is rubbish. I want wine...

Aw go on Amica! Have that glass. You probably burned a considerable amount of calories today stressing over your choices. There, it's justified.

We got through part 1 of our gardening project today and we're still speaking. Mr. .Home did have a rough time with a small tree, though. He prevailed. We're enjoying the view from the balcony now and some of the neighbours have already congratulated us. We've put down cocoa shells to keep cats and slugs out and I can smell the chocolate smell from here. Yuummm.....

Me@ not I wasn't hacked it was facebooks doing it I would not have minded if everyone else had to give photo id and their birth certificate to them, when I joined facebook with the rest of the grumpies we didn't have to use our real names or give photo id or mobile numbers, would not mind if I had said or done something to warrant it but I hadn't, asked them will everyone else have to give photo id and birth certification to use facebook and what about the spam bots that make folks life a nightmare and who is to say that John Smith is John Smith they had no answer. I am delete everything from the account I might just read and see how I get on, no doubt the message will be read also, George Orwell was right just got the year wrong.

Laura please don't give up face book. I love our chats about crafting

I wrote a big long post last night and DS froze on me before I posted it grrrr. It happens a lot to me Anyone else? I guess you get what you pay for re internet access and set mine at a very cheap rate so bet the buggers kick me out every so often HA

Handy I started off on beta blockers too and taken off them not gradually as I should have been. Heart was all over the place for months. But it figures as my whole family have high BP including cousins etc and some of us are thin and fit and some of us are fat and couch potato ! So I think in my case it is hereditary although you can still do load to keep of the buggers that are the pills . Brother been on them since he was 20 and recently aged 63 been taken off them and BP perfectly fine but he is one of the fit and slim ones

watched lots of telly and was really lazy - feeling better.

Night night my loves!

I'm glad that the amazing healing powers of telly has made the Melons better.

Laura: I did a google about Facebook locking accounts and demanding documents to prove who yourself to get back in. It's real and many people have been shagged in that net. Could be any of us next it seems for whatever random reason they come up with for the lock out.

Still no sun today but we're getting on with part 2 of the project which is setting up my veggie patch. First I have quite a bit of cat shit to remove. It's war and there will be some nasty surprises for them if they dare foul my garden after today.

Very interesting, thank you. And I'm very glad you're okay. Now that I've seen my readings come so far down just by being aware that I've let life slide me into permanent stress mode and doing something about it, I'm going to carry on with that rather then even think about medication. I was pretty against it to begin with. Fine if needed but if BP is simply a symptom of something else then treating the something else makes a bit more sense!

And I'm going to try cocoa shells in my garden - never heard of it before! There's just one cat around here but he's very keen on our garden and I'm not keen on it. So far, I've tried a product called 'Get Off' or something like that but it stinks worse than cat pee, so not ideal.

Amica - how did the casting go? I know how 'political' it can get, so definitely have some wine.

LL -

Happy sunny Thursday. Mum coming home today. Don't know if said her pulse rate was all over place and gave her dioxin which made her sick so she refused any more anyway upped her other meds and it is now under a 100 so they happy and getting out today.

Which means the heating has to go back on Sheesh!! But at least mum isn't house proud as house like a tip . Unusual for me as I am the houseproud one but hayfever really kicked off. I have beautiful big full red lips red eyes and nose Actually say hayfever but more an allergy to pollen me thinks

Bats glad the bp coming down and hope can stay that way. I know it can if it isn't genetic as have two other friends who have got it down through diet and exercise. Beetroot juice is supposed to be good for it too !

Hope you all have a happy stressful day (mwah)

Afternoon all
Me@ hope you manage to get the garden sorted, cd disc are meant to be good and plastic bottles with water to keep cats off the garden.
Bats good luck with the bike ride and swimming you will get there.
Twinge sorry about the hay fever I have to take antihistamines every day all year
Handy hope TV and duvet day help you both to feel better.
Have a good day all.

Hello peeps.
Hope all are well.
I take my glasses off in the house Twingle, so I can't see the mess. Works for me.

casting wasn't great. have decided to do it as I go - a shortish play so I will allocate some parts as and when and if they work - great- otherwise I can change them. better than issuing a formal list I can't change. Don't usually do it this way - but am late starting due to staff absence.

I have found an interesting job vacancy at a school near me which I didn't even know existed as it's on an industrial estate. It's a school run or the Plymouth Brethren. Does anyone know anything about them. I'm wondering if they are conservative Christian or more like Jehovah's Witnesses. Their website says the former but I need to be sure before I apply.

Please say if you know anything - or know anyone who knows anything about them. Although some extra knowledge about anything at all may prove useful!

All done all clean and lock away, no doubt be on their servers somewhere but hay ho.
Never heard of the group Amica have you done a google search? personally I use duckduckgo you will be surprised what you find if you start to dig.
Me@ hope your all done and both still speaking I never ask OH to do anything cause it a moaning match and i cba to put up with it so now it doesn't get done.
Hope all good and enjoying the nice weather its suppose to change for weekend.https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Plymouth+Brethren&ia=about

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...test-sect.html

I have searched them LL and what I'm read about a group that seems a bit like the Amish doesn't tally with the school pics I'm looking at with loads of computers.

Keep delving go by gut instinct nothing ventured nothing gained good luck whatever you choose.

Amica Plymouth brethren are VERY VERY STRICT Christians. No smoking, alcohol, make up sex outwith marriage and gays are a no no. etc. Although like a lot of very strict Christian branches they are moving with the times in some places. They broke away from the Brethren church as they weren't strict enough and brethren are pretty strict

ETA they are only like the amish in that (not sure still true today) if you married outside you were shunned by whole community and women didn't cut their hair and wore hats

Evening, all...

batty - I keep intruder cats out of our garden with a powerful water-gun - doesn't hurt them at all but they run like buggery and it's quite entertaining! Orange peel is good, they don't like the smell, although you obviously have to renew it reasonably regularly, and they also hate the smell of peppermint. You could try making up a mix of citrus or mint essential oil with water and squirting it about the place. Would smell better than your current stuff at least! oh - and I have been known to pelt the odd cold soggy teabag at them, too - nice and squishy so no damage to puss, but also cold and wet if it hits. And biodegradeable!

Amica, twingle has described what i know of the Plymouth Brethren; might be worth ringing and asking them can you go for an informal look round? It probably depends very much on how the head operates, and the governing body...

twingle, glad to hear your Mum is on the mend and I really hope you soon are too, that sounds awful! I'm feeling pretty much repaired today, aided by some nice sunshine

Finally, on a totally childish lever - me@h, did you spot your excellent typo in this sentence: It's real and many people have been shagged in that net
>fnarrrrrrr<

*ahem* - nighty night...