The Lockdown Gang - on parole!

Yesterday, yet again, I had another problem with my credit card not being accepted for my Sainsbury's online shop (it only happens with Sainsbury's). By the time I had gone through all the verification processes with the bank then returned to the app to pay before checking out, the app had frozen. I'd spent a good hour ordering a shop to last DH and me for 2 weeks, and the thought of starting again really stressed me out. In the end, I had to just shut the app down. When I opened it again, my trolley was still full. I went out for a walk!

We had the food delivery today but were charged for a couple of items that weren't delivered and the driver's drinking flask had found its way into one of our bags. It was so difficult to get hold of Sainsbury's to let them know that we had been charged for items not included. The 'Contact us' link took me round in a big circle, back to 'Contact us'!

In the end, I found a way to tell them about the missing items via Facebook. I also told them that the driver had left his flask, a separate process. This shop has been such a hassle.

Yesterday, I also posted on the GN thread about cycling for health. One of the posters gave me a link to the Bikeability scheme (it used to be Cycling Proficiency). I emailed them and had a reply this morning offering me some training. So I hope that I will get some help to gain confidence. At least my helmet (small size) has arrived although it is in quarantine at the moment (along with a drinking flask).

I'm so enjoying the stories about New Zealand.

I keep thinking of the Dreamkeepers, and wish them a comfortable night.

Doodle, I'm just going quietly to bed. Apart from GN, I am going to avoid all online transactions tomorrow. I hope you all sleep well.

Dreamkeeper I’m so glad Mr P was well supported but you won’t stop us worrying about your own wellbeing. I do hope you can spend some quiet days together now. Be assured you’re amongst friends here. We even have Bradfordlass on night watch!

It’s Cherry season here and we can go to the back door of the big grower in the village and buy them direct. I collected a kilo and a half this morning and I may need to go back tomorrow because we’ve kept going back to them. They bring back memories of elderly men hanging pairs of cherries on my daughters’ ears at the Sunday markets in the Midi. .....and that sounds a tad creepy now but it was charming at the time!

I’ve just been watching the news and I reckon they are going to make it compulsory to wear a mask when you’re out - and I think that’s a good thing. Having a mask on is the simplest way to make you remember that there’s still a pandemic going on. I think that as shielding comes to an end it will help us to gain confidence if everyone is covered.

I’m off for an early night because it’s pizza day tomorrow. ? Sleep tight

grammaretto hope tomorrow’s party goes well. I’ve never been anywhere near an earthquake (fortunately) . Is it something you get used to if you live in certain places?
You’d be a good tour guide for NZ, it sounds wonderful.
Dear panache I have sent you anywhere between one and three PMs. One to panache, one to dreamkeeper and then a third to dreamkeeper explaining why I’d sent the other two. I think lockdown has addled my brain ?
So good to have you back and like I have said to others before, don’t be afraid to post here if you are not feeling the life and soul of the party. Good and bad things happen to us all and we are here to support each other during good and bad. So, post whenever you are able to do so or feel up to it. There’s a lot of people on this thread that care about you and Mr P as we do for all members of our little gang.

That's lovely news both for you and for Mr Dream Panache
we have all missed you in here. xx

Rushing to go out. Back to post later. Just to say glad you’re back and I have PMd you panache x

Just to say I am back home,though possibly only for now.
Pleased to add the Hospice at Home Service and local McMillen Nurse has well and truly looked out for my dear man and that helped ease nmy mind.

It seems there is much jolliness and light heartedness going on in here,whilst so pleased for you all, I will keep my nose out until hopefully someday I will regain some of my lost mojo.

Take care and stay safe.

Unfortunately no party this year. It was to have been a big one with our NZ family there even. However with his parents plus brother and our eldest son and his family (incl the one who became a teenager recently) it will be small and sweet. No littlies this time.

I see on the GM thread that Marydoll's DD's wedding is going ahead in August. So exciting.

NZ is a very shaky country. When I was at primary school there we had to dive under the desks on occasions and once when we emerged we found a huge crack had opened in the playground. Most of the houses were single story in those days before they learned how to build them on flexible foundations - earthquake proof. At the museum, te papa, in Wellington there is an earthquake simulator!
The Pacific Ring of Fire runs through NZ.
It is indeed a beautiful, breathtaking country for scenery as well as for bird song and incredible seas and skies.
When I was being shown the Scottish Highlands for the first time, I confess to being a little disappointed.
I have grown to love them for themselves but for sheer drama - inaccessible snow capped mountains and true wilderness, it's New Zealand/Aotearoa every time.

grammaretto are you having many over for your DHs birthday? ( it is his isn't it ?) hope the weather stays fine for you. Have a good day ?

cherry yes I love mint sauce with lamb but I actually put it on peas whatever meal I have them with. The reason I have 5 jars is that living in a flat we have limited cupboard space but have an outside cupboard (in the main hallway) where we store thing. During lockdown we have started using this cupboard to store food in different carrier bags. We seem to have over ordered on some items ?. That’s a nice compliment about your cooking.
Weather a bit better today so hopefully a walk later.
grammaretto another who is interested in ancestry tests. I have heard of one or two people doing this but don’t know much about it.
bradfordlass thank you for your tips about cooking with mint sauce. I particularly like the one with the chopped onions. Will give that a try, and the lassi. Not heard of that before. ?
Sorry to hear about your homegirl. Hopefully all will be ok.
Have you ever been near places where the earthquakes are? Must be frightening to be close to one.
Hope you all have a good day. ?

Morning gang!
Freezing here and it's supposed to be Summer.
Some great recipes for mint sauce Bradfordlass can I pinch them please.
We have mint in the garden and horse radish. Do you have any ideas for that?
I keep meaning to pick the elderflowers to make champagne and cordial but then it rains.
Pity as it would have been perfect for the birthday tea tomorrow.
Today I must clear a hazard free route between garden and sanitised loo for any visitors who have to "go".
Time for a coffee.
How's everyone today??

It's stopped raining so I'm hoping at least one rack of laundry will dry.

Things to do with over-abundant mint sauce:
Add a spoonful to coleslaw along with whatever dressing you prefer.
Add it to chutneys when you make it with that summer glut.
Use it to make mint and onion 'jam'.
Saute finely chopped onions in a little butter or oil, add tsp brown sugar and mint sauce. Turn down the heat and put a lid on the pan. Allow to cook v. slowly until caramelised.
Beautiful with lamb.

Mix with mayo for a minty dressing on salads, or a dip for roast vegetables.

Make Lassi by adding plain yoghurt and sparkling soda.

Blend strawberries and yoghurt with a little mint sauce and top up with sparkling soda water.

Pineapple on pizza began in the early 60's when a Greek-Canadian restaurant owner added it on a whim (and on a pizza) but originally only with ham.

My pregant homecare girl wasn't at all well today and kept having tummy cramps.
She's already told me there's a history of miscarriage in her family. Nevertheless, I gave her the 3 little baby suits I bought online.

When looking for some envigorating face masks, my eyes nearly popped out of my head when I saw a pack of 10 for
£320. Who is stupid gullible enough to pay that?

Yes, Doodle we get a lot of volcanic activity here - and earthquakes.

Grammaretto the only broken down old boiler in this house is me.

Gosh Mamissimo that must have been a bombshell!
I did an Ancestry DNA test to confirm some family legends, which it did. Not that it changed anything except I like the idea that I'm living close now to where my gt gt grandparents were born.
Just today I was asked to help with a research project called Coronagenes, helping to understand coronavirus, using DNA.
DH hoards capers and oatcakes.
I would hoard chocolate but it never lasts long enough.
Good night lovely cellmates. Sleep tight.

Mamissimo I don't get the chicken & pineapple combo either, pineapple is a strong flavour and chicken (unless zinged up) is a milder flavour - all you'd taste would be the pineapple surely.
That's some revelation you unveiled on someone today. Understandable that you felt awkward, but he was obviously investigating his true ancestral roots, an intent action.

Grammaretto, it's not surprising that your mother wasn't adept at cooking, having grown up having a cook. Having said that, usually most of us have our own cook in childhood - usually our mother. My mother was a great cook and for day to day cookery she never had me in the kitchen helping, her choice. It's a wonder how I picked up her way of cooking but it must have been by osmosis. My niece1 and nephew1 both say my food is like "nana's" ?

What are you going to do with 5 jars of mint sauce Doodle. Are you storing lamb like my WP accuses me of doing ?
Sorry you missed out on your walk today, where has the summer gone?
Nothing wrong with patchwork, can you match the patchwork so they are identical or is it too late? It doesn't matter really as they will be bespoke ?

Going to put my little feet to bed I think, night all, sleep well.

mamissimo we should have teamed up at the start of lockdown. I had to wait ages for my mayonnaise. I couldn’t get it from Sainsbury’s or Waitrose and I wanted peas too. I’m sure I could have swapped those for something.....toilet rolls perhaps ?
No I wouldn’t have chicken on pizza. I like the pineapple with ham or pepperoni.
Do you have your DNA recorded on a website then? I have no idea how it works either.
Hope the bean picking goes well.
I am sewing two matching pillow covers but don’t have quite enough material. I have spent some time tonight trying to squish the pillows into a smaller shape so I can just about stretch the material to fit. ? cross with myself because I should have thought about the shape before I cut the material.
Oh well, it will be even more of a patchwork cover than I thought.?
Yes thinking of the panaches and marydoll too.
Sleep tight all.

Oh Doodle I too have amassed security purchases.....3 bottles of Franks Hot Sauce, (enough for three summers), 4 jars of lighter than light mayonnaise.....6 kilos of frozen peas....?

OK, OK....I get the pineapple on pizza.....but I don’t get the chicken and pineapple combo! Now I do a nice line in banana, chocolate and peanut pizza for desert....

Today I inadvertently told a DNA innocent that I am seriously related to him......I feel awful because because the poor lamb was given the test for Christmas, knew he was adopted but didnt realise that his DNA profile on Ancestry could be cross matched. I felt really awkward but he seemed pleasantly gobsmacked to learn that he’s also closely related to Henry Ford.

I take a 7.5 in a glove and an 8 in hats.......but I haven’t bought a hat by size for many years. I do go to Dents however to buy gloves. They make them in Warminster and you can get every colour imaginable in the softest buttery-est unlined leather for about £20. I buy them for weddings ?

Tomorrow will be a great day....first picking of the french beans......the day after we will be awash in them and asking for french bean chutney recipes!

Love to The Ps and Marydoll - I do hope you’re improving.

Sleep tight

Hmm ? no perhaps licking the toilet is not a good idea cherry . ?
Glad you are flushing on all cylinders now,
I like pineapple on my pizza too.
You are all very kind to give advice on my Indian take away. If I’m still in a fit state to post after I’ve had it, I’ll tell you what I think ?
I have a large head I think and long fingers and feet. Hats don’t suit me so having a big head only causes a problem at Christmas.?
grammaretto that’s interesting about your mother. Cooking isn’t my strong suit either. Funnily enough, both my sons cook so they must have inherited that from their grandmothers who were both good cooks.
We didn’t go for a walk today. It’s been raining most of the day so we have been sorting out our own personal supermarket in our outside cupboard. Things we have ordered in lockdown where we haven’t been sure of supplies. It’s like a little Aladin’s cave out there. DH found a packet of toilet rolls, a jar of pineapple and a large bag of oats which had fallen behind one of our outdoor chairs. We’ve had a good tidy and made a list of all our extras. Quite what possessed me to amass 5 jars of mint sauce I don’t know ?

I have a large head. I went to a high st shop to buy a sunhat and was told, as I tried on a few, that they were all one size! How absurd I thought. You don't go to a shoe shop and expect the shoes to be all one size.
In the end I found a nice one in an outdoor shop at a high price
This was in the olden days
At least cycle helmets are adjustable.
Good luck with your cycling Missedout
You are brave to be learning a new skill.

So glad the toilet is fixed Cherry

I thought I'd broken the shower this morning but it seems fine.

My mum grew up in Burma and considered herself knowledgeable on the subject of Indian food. She never drank water. it was something you washed your hands in so coconut milk or yoghurt may have been served. They always had an Indian cook. My mother never learned to cook. Incredible really. She taught herself when she had to but it wasn't her strong suit.

What have I been doing today? A bit of gardening and cleaning the bathroom. breaking the shower

Love to Panache

I will get there .....

Thinking of you and your DH Panache ?

Hope you are okay dragonfly

I also meant to say, Missedout I too have a small head. I have small hand and small feet too - I won't say anything about any other body part ?
Sounds like you are getting more confident on the bike ?, hope you do manage a little journey ?

Marydoll, delighted you’ve had a hug with the wee girl!

Drat! Posted too soon again, at least it didn't disappear ?

Fantastic photos again BradfordLass ?. I haven't been to New Zealand but my niece1 said she loved it there as, minus the volcano I'm guessing, much about the landscape reminded her of home.

? Missedout. Even if Doodle didn't I got exactly what you meant. Thank you, I'll have a birthday card for Christmas ?

Grammaretto I really don't think you are a bit simple , on the other hand... do you play on silly jokes ?.... Yes ?
I bet your children did enjoy having a hand in making their own ?. Children do generally enjoy getting
messy involved in the kitchen, especially when they can really enjoy the end result ?

Marydoll, gentle ((hugs)). I'm very pleased that, like Grammaretto, you have now hugged your DGC and glad to hear you will be forming a bubble with your DS and family ?.

Ker-ching ? the toilet is fixed ?. Simple job he said, that must have been true - he was only here a few minutes.
I'm not going to lick any part of the toilet though Doodle ?

Mamissimo, I hope you are finding your things. A good sort out often turns up something you thought you'd lost, it least it does in our case. Having said that, on one occasion last year I found some paperwork I was looking for in a place I didn't expect, promptly put it in an old empty file and my WP threw the file out thinking it was junk ?.
Like Doodle I too am selective as to which threads I go on. Recently it has meant I haven't chosen to contribute to many. I've even shied away from seemingly innocuous threads as some unnecessary unpleasant comments have been posted. There was even unpleasant comments to someone about pineapple on pizza. I like pineapple on pizza but apparently it's taboo because it's a fruit ?. So is an olive and a tomato. Anyway, enough said.

BradfordLass, you are a tease. Did you not note I said nothing about wet legs .. ?
I'm glad your heater is working fine and your tank will be okay for a couple of years yet. I hope it won't be an expensive outlay when you need to replace it.
Ooh.. that Masala Dosa looks good, haven't had that for a couple of years. One wonderful local restaurants does it (currently closed, no takeaway service) but the takeaways don't tend to do it. Good tips for Doodle by the way ?, many people still don't realise drinking water with spicy food is not the answer.

On a further note Doodle, as you don't normally "do" Indian food because of its spiciness and I don't know what you would order as a consequence, may I suggest a Makhani, a Diawala or a Nawabi (the latter depending on whether you tolerate nuts). My WP has to be careful with Indian food because if it's too spicy he suffers. He always has a mild dish, Makhani is his favourite, whereas I go for something quite spicy. I love a Ruby ?

Good lick with the flushing! ?

Yes Doodle, I'm okay. The plumber is due any minute now....? I'll be back for a "chat" and an update with you all later.

bradfordlass, right milk it is. Now all I’ve got to do is find somewhere local that delivers curries. ?
What lovely pictures. Such a beautiful place. Is there much volcanic activity in N Z? Unlike you, I love the snow but I expect there’s a big difference between holidaying in the snow and living with it on an annual basis.
grammaretto sounds like your DGS is another snow lover?
What are you up to today?
missedout ah that explains it. I was beginning to get a bit worried about you ?
marydoll those side effects sound painful but at least GP thinks it will pass. I gather DHs pocket will be suffering a bit with all this consoling shopping.
A hug, how wonderful. I bet you are still on cloud nine.?
cherry hope you are ok and the panaches
Have a good day all. ?

Hello Marydoll. Wonderful isn't it and a real tonic! We had a first hug on Sunday. My goodness how they have grown too. What you don't see on the video link.
I hope you will be able to establish the bubble. Will the other DGP be OK with that?
Sorry you are still suffering the side effects of the new medication.