The Lockdown Gang - on parole!

Missedout I have been shielding too but started to reintroduce myself to the world about four weeks ago. It’s s shock when you start but if you will find that in the main people are being sensible.

When we go out I don’t wear gloves at all, but they may be useful for toilets! I do carry tissues and a full bottle of hand sanitiser at all times - and a plastic bag to put tissues into. I push doors with my elbow and if it’s a pull door I use a tissue. When safely outside the toilet I then use sanitiser to double up!

Most buildings have their doors open for improved ventilation - and small shops are very careful - I think of you avoid cities it’s rather noticeably quiet and controlled outside. Everywhere is taped to help you to keep your distance.

With my GDs we make a game of the sanitiser and we use it often - when we arrive wherever we are going we all sanitise then I can hold their hands etc. My family have all been working from home and having shopping delivered so their contact with the outside world has been very managed.

We take picnics out rather than buy food, but it’s reassuring to see the systems in place to get coffee etc. I don’t take the small people to the toilet but their mum is on it when it comes to hygiene.

I would take some little outings to acclimatise yourself to the new normal or it will come as a shock - I find myself becoming more confident about going our safely when I need to but I remain very aware.

Share your worries with your family - if they know how you feel they can help to make you feel safe.....and enjoy the feeling of those hands in yours. Life has to begin again, carefully, but with joy!

Doodle, I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate your reasoned reply to my last post. It has made me feel so much better. I'll have a chat with my DIL later, bearing in mind your comments about safety.

I don't know anyone who is shielding so it really helps me to post here and see from the responses that we all have similar worries.

Thank you.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202007/medium-254336-rose-and-fern.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202007/medium-844583-cyclamen.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202007/medium-24651-masala-dosa.jpg

My turn to have a post go missing

But by the looks of this thread, not many people feel up to posting anyway. I do hope you all feel brighter soon. The wretched virus has a lot more to answer for than infection.

Doodle I went out and photographed my Crepuscule roses especially for you. The leaves are a bit scrubby but the flowers continue to bloom. In the other pic you can see my cyclamen plus Basil and Parsley.

It occurs to me that if you make glam-masks, it would encourage more people to wear them. I'm sure you'd find a market if you added lace and bling
My dil is very envious of my crazy patchwork knee blanket because it's multi coloured and includes satin and silver lamé !

Grammaretto Down to 10 º today, dull and low cloud - do you want it? Hahaha!

Ah, so that's what you were doing Mamissimo 'helter-skeltering' with Jeeves

I had a lovely day out with friends and thoroughly enjoyed my Masala Dosa, seen here on its hubcap plate.
Two of our party hadn't been told it was a vegetarian restaurant so searched the menu for meats! They settled for vegie burger and chips.....in a restaurant which specialises in an extensive range of delicious foods from South India.
No sense of adventure some people

mamissimo sounds like a lovely but exhausting day for you both today. We have been out too. Back to Cliveden again for our booked NT slot. It’s amazing how busy it was. There were more cars there than on a sunny weekend during school holidays. Good job it’s a really big place so avoiding people wasn’t an issue. It was a perfect afternoon. Warm enough not to need a jacket but not too hot. Flowers and views were lovely. Lots of little people running about or learning to walk. I love watching those chubby little legs when they first venture forth.
I think you may be right about missing these GP and hospital visits mamissimo. Our little gang seem to be suffering.
missedout glad you are still with us, hope you are feeling a bit better now. That list of Sunday chores would be enough to wear anyone out. Glad school days are over now. ?
A difficult situation with your DIL. Longing to see them on one hand and the possible problems if you do.
First things first. Will there be toilets open in the service stations on your route there? If not, I doubt you can go.
Have your son and his family been isolating or have they been going to work or the children going to school or mixing with friends? If they have been self isolating it’s probably ok I would think.
Going to the park with the children should be ok but perhaps not without their mum and dad. If you wear a face mask and gloves when you are out that should be ok and you could wear disposable gloves whilst holding the little ones hands. I think your son or DIL should take the little ones to the toilet not you. If you went over a weekend so that your son and his wife would be there too and you stayed in the house and garden or went to the park but no restaurants perhaps that would be ok.
Really hard decision but I think only you can decide. If you don’t feel you can do it now can you ask if you can do it in a few weeks time. If you try and reschedule a date they will know that you want to come.
Hope the lesson goes well.

I too hope everyone has a good night.
cherry, the panaches and marydoll thinking of you all.
nfk dragonfly and any other poppers in Hope you are ok too.
bradfordlass Hope things are fine with you. Please keep watch on the night shift.
Take care all.

Hello gang, I'm sorry that Cherry has to take a break too. I guess we are all used to hearing something about our health from a doctor that we need to think about quietly. Best wishes to her.

Thank you all (especially Doodle) for excusing my Sundayitis. It's true, Sunday evenings alway used to get me down. Cooking Sunday lunch, followed by ironing multiple sets of school clothes (changed twice a week but I don't know why I bothered ironing), DH's work clothes and mine, mending snagged jumpers, replacing missing buttons, letting down trouser hems, finding missing sports kit, cleaning out lunch boxes I forgot and so on, followed by vast quantities of Sunday tea and home made cake. Then the thought of all the hassle the following morning...that leaves an impression that will always stay with me although, looking back, I wouldn't have had it any different.

I have a dilemma, my DIL (over 200 miles away) has asked if DH and I would like to go and spend a long weekend with them (DS, DIL, & 2 small DGC) in two and a half weeks time. I'm desperate to see them but it seems too soon. Like everyone else on here, I've hardly been out since early March. I know I can't do the journey without a toilet break. DS's house doesn't have a lot of room, we won't have privacy. We usually take the little ones out but I don't know what we will be able to do or where we can go at the moment and how I will cope with little hands holding mine when I have seen where they have been (and taking my DGD to the toilet when we are out). I've got myself tied up in knots. I don't want to turn them down, and have them think I don't care enough. I know I have to find a new 'normal' but would like to do it slowly. DH says he is happy to go along with whatever I decide. I need to talk to my DIL but am putting it off.

I have a cycle lesson booked for Thursday - that will be interesting. I will have the chance to cycle in a straight line!

Goodnight all. I hope all reading this have a good night's sleep although appreciate that BradfordLass is on the night shift.
Again my thoughts are with those of our most sick parolees.

Good evening.....I’m all here but somewhat snoozy. My DD and both the small people dragged us round the lakes at Painshill today and were not used to three hour walks at slower than snails pace. Our hips are creaking and our feet throbbing tonight.

We really enjoyed our outing though - Painshill is a beautiful garden and park with lakes and gothic follies, a crystal grotto and the very important ducks and tractors.

I’m wondering if we are like so many whose medical treatment hasn’t quite been what it would have been in pre Covid times. I’m especially thinking of not seeing GPSs as much and waiting and seeing. I may be wrong but we seem to be rather crumbly as we exit shielding.

Cherry you will be missed, The Ps are in my thoughts and Marydoll and and....do sleep tight!

No grammaretto, no censoring here ?
Maddening when your posts go missing isn’t it.
A hair appointment, fantastic. DH has said I should be able to make one for August some time. Will I be able to see enough to get there I wonder. ?
Yes Maw’s Hattie has been poorly. I hope she’s on the mend now.
Dear cherry so sorry you have been unsettled by your GP consultation. Hope you are ok. We will be looking forward to having you back with us again but in the meantime will be missing you and thinking of you ?
Marydoll hope things will be better for you soon too. I know from the GM thread how poorly you’ve been feeling. Hope there is an improvement soon.
Yes there are lots of poorly gang members at the moment.
You are all very special and we will be thinking of you and wishing you well. Take care and keep safe.
Back later to check up on mamissimo and bradfordlass and anyone else who pops in.

Oh dear me Cherry. Sorry to hear you have had worrying news. Sending healing vibes your way.
I will try to remember to mention your absence on GM tomorrow.
See you soon. xxx

And you Marydoll . I was hoping to hear the magic cure had been found but not quite yet it seems.

Cherry, I'm so sorry to hear that you have had worrying news. Take care.

Gosh, the gang aren't doing too well at the moment, are we?

Hi gang
Just popping in quickly to tell you all I am taking a leave of absence for day/days. I had my GP telephone appointment and it didn't go too well. I need time to digest.
Grammaretto, you post on the morning thread so if you could be so kind to let people know I'm taking a break ( I do know some people do read this thread so it may not be necessary ?), if you remember it would be much appreciated.
❤️ to you all.

I just wrote something but it vanished. Are you censoring our posts now Guv? It wasn't that bad. It was mainly shouting about how I have managed to get a hair appointment for the 27th July with the hairdresser who has his own shop and no employees apart from a very large dog, so no worries about covid hygiene but maybe dog hygiene.

How is Dexter now Dragonfly? and I hear Maw's dug is poorly.

Morning all.
grammaretto I hate seeing all these places closing, especially those with a long history. Such a shame.
Sorry about the porridge, I was distracted by the sight of someone trying to climb back in the window. ?
I spent 10 minutes this morning watching the antics of two pigeons outside the window. One landed on the bracket holding the hanging basket the other kept swooping around until it landed on an adjacent bracket. The new arrival seemed to be doing all it could to attract the attention of the other who remained aloof looking in the opposite direction. No matter how hard the other tried the aloof one stayed still resolutely staring away. In the end the second one flew away and after a second or two the other flew after it. I wonder if they’d had a tiff and he/she was trying to make up ?
Thinking of you all especially the panaches and marydoll. Hope you are ok cherry
Back later

G'day inmates or is it outmates any absconders!
I have only just read your tales from yesterday, which were far too amusing. The hair issue is far from funny A health hazard when you trip over eachothers' locks or get it caught in your shoe laces/specs/facemask/tea.
The porridge was burnt this morning. The grub in here isn't improving . It may kickstart a healthy eating regime. my hair can't weigh a stone surely those carrots looked lovely.
Our wonderful Edinburgh vegetarian restaurant has permanently closed, blaming the covid. It has been such an institution. I first came to Edinburgh in 1965 for the festival and was taken to Hendersons. It was the in place. Later my DS worked there after school and at weekends. End of an era.
www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/people/hendersons-vegetarian-restaurant-edinburgh-set-close-after-58-years-2911818

mamissimo you made me laugh. Your poor pruned husband ?. I’m sure he looks extremely smart and tidy now. My DH is rather straggly round the edges but is waiting for another 3 weeks in the hope he will be allowed to go to the barbers then. I don’t think he trusts me with a pair of scissors ?
I hate walking round shopping centres when the shops are closed or boarded up. So depressing.
Our Sainsbury’s delivery man brought everything to the door tonight (came up in the lift). I must say it made it much easier than me bringing it in from our reception hall. Everything washed and tidied away. Forgot to take anything out of the freezer for today so we had a rare treat for dinner. Bacon and egg omelette. Delicious ?

. bradfordlass hope we don’t have any absconders tonight. I have made the hot chocolate and everything is ready in the kitchen for Jeeves to serve (or should that be buttle ?) .
Sleep well all ?

I could make you a face mask Doodle I have elastic!! I also have loads of scrap fabric, from fine cotton to curtain weight. I made 2 more today. PM me if I can help.

Sorry to hear Marydoll still isn't feeling better.

I'm sure having a loving aunt and gt aunt is very precious for the younger family members. You are all lucky to have each other.

Just had my hot chocolate. I have put on a stone, at least, during lockdown.

Evening all! I’ve been here all along hunting for my other slipper and the cord to my pink dressing gown. I think Jeeves has probably forgotten to bring them in from the Helter Skelter.

What a strange day! I cut DH’s hair and it was immediately obvious that he needed a full groom....with shorter hair his beard looked like The Twits so he had to go trim.....it took so long to prune him that we were late going to the frame shop.

We hadn’t been to our local market town since March and it has brought home to me how much our retailers have been going through. Gone are Monsoon, Accessorize, Moshulu, Carphone Warehouse, the patisserie, a betting shop, an old fashioned gents outfitters.....

We queued to get into Waitrose because town was so quiet....we had each aisle to ourselves. We spent £60 when all I popped in for was a pork pie for my lunch tomorrow....so that hasn’t changed! ?

I felt safe, but came home feeling quite sombre. We saw plenty of people in masks and courtly dances Taking place to enable distancing but it was an alien world. This is one of those towns from the Sunday papers where apparently everyone wants to live and it used to bustle and be full of people. I think we took a trip to a new world today.

While I was typing this DH asked me if I’d watered tonight...I was about to say no when the heavens opened...I shrugged and smiled.

Sleep tight - and a distant hug for The Ps, Dragonfly, Marydoll and all the rest of us.

Evening all. I phoned the GP this morning about DHs feet and she asked if we could send her some photos which we duly did. She phoned back later and said it was the right thing to do to phone and she thinks he had Venous eczema. She suggested continuing with the Aveeno cream but in addition she is going to prescribe some steroid cream for the sore spots. I feel better having spoken to her.
grammaretto sometimes we all have an anti climax moment when something nice is over. Hope your DH is feeling more cheerful tonight having got a film to watch. Clever idea using Facebook to get the parcel back. ?. Glad you are going to see the consultant. These things are always worth checking out,
nfk nice to hear from you again. Hope you are ok.
cherry I’m so sorry you lost your brother and SIL. No wonder you have a bond with your niece and nephew. I expect you are more of a treasure to them than you realise. Surrogate grandmas are very important, don’t put yourself down. I have always had a bond with my nephew. Since my brother and SIL died I feel the need to check up on him and stay in closer contact even though he’s a grown man with grown up children of his own. How nice for your nephew and nieces children to have you around for them. No wonder you were so keen to see them ?
I haven’t got round to the masks yet cherry. What with the phone calls to the GP, a Sainsbury’s delivery and a walk plus cleaning the bathrooms, by the time I’d finished it was yardarm on the balcony time.
No I don’t think my alter ego from the Argy will be having a say in these masks ?. As a quilter, I have some quilting wadding and loads of scraps of fabric. I read somewhere that quilters batting made a good filter so my intention is to try and make a mask with a batting lining. I may well find it’s far too thick or far too hot but that is my plan at the moment.
Not sure if my alter ego would be into face masks but if she is it would be lacy and see through with a hole in the middle to insert a straw through which to imbibe the current alcoholic brew of the day ?
marydoll I see on The GM thread that you really are quite poorly and this may continue while your body adjusts to the medication. I do hope you feel better soon. Still thinking of you and hoping for some improvement.
No need to say that we are thinking of you too panache and hoping things are ok with you and your DH.
Be back later.

Ah there you are Nflk, I'd been wondering where you'd got to ?. I hope it's only t'net that's playing up and your absence has only been because of it or from been pleasantly occupied.

Mamissimo, that's what I call real carrots ? Supermarket carrots often have very little flavour anymore, even greengrocers can be hit and miss. We don't grow veg' and I sorely miss my uncle's.
Did your ? bring you the lost slipper, are you a princess now ?
Will your lithograph be ready from the framer's the same day (today)?
I used to teach, FE college and evening classes. Records of achievement in the manner you refer to weren't something I was involved in.

I'm still not really getting out and about either missedout, my day with my friend on Friday was my first venture and I haven't seen anyone else except my partner, certainly no family members. I don't have any children myself though so to some extent it is easier for me. I have my niece and her husband and my nephew, his wife and their three wonderful boys and that's it. My brother and his wife died many years ago now, neither lived to see either married. I feel like a surrogate grandma but of course I'm nothing like the real thing.
It must be hard for you as I am missing all of them so much.
Lovely to have the video of your DGD cycling and then compare notes on your relative successes ? You should keep that up, make her a diary of your progress maybe.

Sorry to hear you won't be seeing your grandson during the holidays BradfordLass. I love the present you bought for your little granddaughter, really pretty. I wouldn't mind a similar adult version ?

It's understandable that you have up and down days Grammaretto, you need health treatment and your DH is about to have radiotherapy. It's not easy. I hope he can go on a lower dose of medication or an alternative medication can be provided. A week's wait always seems a long time but I'm sure when he sees the consultant he will provide a solution.
What is it with these delivery persons? Postmen/women are often no better here, especially when they are "relief" covering a regular. To deliver to an unopen pub though? Mind you, we have received some mail - we had a couple of letters posted in our box last year meant for a scrap dealing business! Did the postman have eyes? Obviously not ?

Hope you have managed to make your masks Doodle. What sort of look are you going for, Zorro or Batman or something else.. ? I'm sure you'll go for something chic and sophisticated, even if your alter ego in the Argy may not ?

NfkDumpling nice to see you. I imagine you are on your boat floating around on the Broads.
Which reminds me - it must be G&T time. Sun's over the yardarm, somewhere.

I'm still around Grammaretto, just not where I should be ?? and the internet is very slow so posting is a problem! Back soon!

Mamissimo may still be out gallivanting?? Does this make us the ugly sisters? probably

DH has been a bit low today but I think it's partly because the birthday is over and he's a year older. I think it's wonderful he's lasted this long.
Hermes have again delivered a parcel to the wrong address. This time to a pub down the road, which is closed! Imaginative? Luckily the pub has a facebook page so we managed to get in touch and retrieved it. It was a film, a birthday gift from NZ. (he's now watching it - very sentimental!)

Thanks Doodle He has an actual appointment in a week with the consultant so we will probably wait. There was talk of a lower dose being available.

How quickly the days go by. Very little is achieved around here.

grammaretto sorry your DH is not feeling well and worried about the possibility of radiotherapy. Is it possible for you to get a telephone call through to his consultant to tell him how poorly your DH is feeling. I expect this is a worrying time for you too. It would be good if you could get some more support from someone, perhaps a cancer care nurse?
Hope today is a better day.

missedout sorry you’re a bit down. It’s hard not being with family but hopefully things will improve and if they do we will have done our bit to keep ourselves and others safe.
I am making some face masks today as if we start going out more I think we will need to wear them.
I think you may have had a touch of Sundayitis yesterday. I think because it was the day before going back to school (which I didn’t enjoy) I always felt miserable Sunday evenings.
It’s nice you are sharing memories of bike rides with your granddaughter. Something you can chat about. I think you’re doing really well to be having a go at it.
Thank you for your thoughts about my son and his job. I hope yours does well in his exam too.
bradfordlass what a beautiful top for your granddaughter. It’s very pretty, no wonder you couldn’t resist it.
Sorry your grandson can’t come over. Does he live far away?
Nice it is a bit warmer for you. What colour are your roses?

Morning all.
We all seem to be a bit up and down at the moment. So many worries.
panache I am so sorry you feel no better. I can understand your reluctance to return to hospital with your DH needing you so much. I do hope something can be done to help you.
cherry I will phone the GP about DHs feet. They have been like this for a while and do heal but I would like them checked out.
Sorry the footie team isn’t doing well. Hope you enjoyed your non art. Always relaxing working on a project....until it goes wrong ?
mamissimo (or should I call you Cinders ?) whatever could you have been up to that made you lose your slipper. Mind you I can’t talk, I leave mine all over the place.
Pizza night and Sunday lunch, you have been busy. Carrots look good. Hope you get a good frame for your lithograph.
I have never learned to ride a bike. I had one as a child but got another in my fifties to have another go. We lined at that time in a hilly area and I never felt safe so I gave it to my DIL.

Panache
???
Please get better soon.

So it was you Mamissimo losing a slipper on your way out! Did it turn up?
Sorry you are down Missedout

For me the feelings come and go and I can feel down for no apparent reason and really happy for no apparent reason either. I usually blame the weather.

DH is not too good. He has stopped taking the meds to see if this helps but is sleeping a lot and getting anxious about having possible radiotherapy.

I am very jealous of your 22 degrees in winter, Bradfordlass and our what, 12 degrees here and it's supposed to be Summer.

I'll call in later to check on you all. Special thoughts to those who haven't written for a while. Marydoll, Dragonfly, NFKdumpling and others I have probably missed.