The Lockdown Gang - Carry on Regardless.

Steady on Doodle, let’s keep all limbs intact, as far as possible please.
I agree plasters are impossible at the best of times, without gushing blood, tremors and laughter ... ?
*Mammissimo’ I can imagine Honey Beagle being on full alert for uneaten/unattended lunch trays ...
Cherry wishing you a peaceful night.
NfkDumpling I’ll bet your DGS had a lovely day.?
Sleep well all ?

Oh Doodle that is more than a mishap but I sensed the love in the laughter you and DH had when placing the plaster. I hope your finger mends soon.

Cherry hope you feel better soon xx

I've snoozed the day away and am just beginning to feel more the thing. DS will apparently get his results within 48 hours so we're still on the edge of our seats. Speaking as an experienced mother I still reckon a man flu cold at worst.

I took some lunch up earlier and he didn't hear me announce its delivery....(we are leaving his meals outside his bedroom door)....Honey Beagle was quick off the mark ....?

Sleep tight everyone

Cherry not another seizure. Hope you are ok. You must be worn out.
That’s a bit of a problem with your car, last thing you need with lockdown coming back. I hope you’ve got enough provisions to last. According to Bradfordlass you could go out and pick some lambs ears to use instead of toilet paper. Useful tip in case you run out ?
I agree it’s lovely to see Dragonfly back. I hope you have a peaceful and uneventful night and we look forward to hearing your achievements another day.?
Panache you seem to be having better weather than us today. It’s been sunny but such a wind.
I think caring is a certainly a vocation and you seem to have devoted your life to it. It’s a wonderful achievement.
Glad you are still free from full lockdown.
NFK ? and how is little Bottom this evening?
That’s certainly an interesting idea for your DHs Xmas press ?
I hope your DGS had a lovely day. 7, I bet you can’t believe how the time has gone. That’s what I always think when one of mine has a birthday.
Now follows a long story about my mishap today. Don’t bother reading it all if you’ve got better things to do ?
I am cross with myself tonight. I have been very silly. I have been crafting for many years and have always taught my DGDs to be careful when sewing. Put pins and needles back in their cases. Close the scissors, put everything away safely. Then this afternoon while I was sewing I put my hand in a bag I keep my bits and pieces in and felt a sharp pain in my finger. I was oozing blood and thought I’d stabbed myself with a pin but it turns out I had put my rotary cutter away without putting its safety lock on and I had sliced a big bit of my finger. I shot into the kitchen to run it under the tap and dispensed DH to bring me a plaster.
What a performance. DH has essential tremor, it took him 5 minutes to get the plaster out of its wrapping. He ended up cutting all four sides off before he could get the plaster out. Neither of us could believe how difficult it was to get one plaster out of its wrapping. We were both laughing about it in the end it was so ridiculous. Plaster didn’t stop the bleeding so I had to wind several more round the outside. I am now completely plastered ( ? Yes that too) on my ring finger and unfortunately can’t do the washing up ! On top of that I went and had my flu jab this morning and they gave me my shingles one in the other arm so I have been well and truly ‘nockerlated’ ?

Well... I hoped to return a write a long post. Thwarted! I ended up back in bed, had a dozen and had a seizure, drat! If I wasn't on a go slow before I am now ?. Hopefully after taking my additional meds and a good night's sleep I'll be in much better fettle ?

Take care gangsters, I'll say goodnight (even though it's evening) ? ?

We went to visit DGS this morning with his birthday present. He's seven. He'd already been over with his dad to visit his cousin on our side of the family, then we visited and his aunt and cousins on their side of the family are visiting this afternoon and the other GPs have their slot tomorrow morning. Only the afternoon party today gets birthday cake though! It was so much easier last year when we all came together with some of his friends. And we all got cake then!

Doodle

Oh your little hedgehog is being well looked after. ? have you given it a name?

I think he should be named Bottom since thats about all I've ever seen of him. I'm assuming he's an only one and hasn't brought a friend to the feast. I hope he hangs around as he's solved my What to Buy DH for C*******s Conundrum. A remote wildlife camera.

Just had to pop by and find out those results Mamissimo and it does seem that all maybe well after all,though certainly not without causing you all much heartache............hopefully the results will not take forever.
It is a ridiculous situation,sometimes one wonders if this pandemic is but a farce ..................oh that it were!!

We are truly enjoying beautiful blue skies and warm sunshine,although yes certainly cooler than last week,our morning walk was most enjoyable............the forecasters did say "West is best"........aand it seems so.

Good to have you visit again Cherry...sorry hearing you have had a few struggles again, and Dragonfly.........a wonderful achievement for your dear Mum.
Also thinking of you Norstat trusting you are better now.

Hopefully both Mr G and Mr D are in reasonably good form ,very ably cared for by their dear wives of course.

I am not prone to offer up much about myself,but on reading of our gangsters stories of such achievements,it got me wondering where on earth I fitted in............because there are so many areas where I have very little interest!!
Yet then I realised the time and effort I had put into different aspects of caring,enjoying every single moment of it,obviously my vocation!

Hoping you are all having an afternoon of peace,with the days ahead looking hopeful.
Certainly it seems as if many wings have been clipped, though as yet our county has escaped further regulations.
Do keep smiling and staying safe.

Afternoon gang ?.

It's so lovely to see you back posting dragonfly. I was over the moon when I saw your morning post. What a milestone for your mum! You look well in your picture and your hair seems to have grown back nicely ?. I echo your sentiment, good friends are precious. I hope the weather holds and you are able to enjoy a walk with your friends.

Great news about your DS being able to have a test in a much better location Mamissimo ?. Now ? for him for a negative result. Rest and chillax today, give your robotics time to work. I hope this latest bout of cellulitis clears quickly.

Thanks for being so understanding gangsters. Your little ditty has put a smile on my face BradfordLass ? I'm having a 'jami' day today . We didn't manage to make it to the supermarket after all Doodle. Our car wouldn't start, again! There was nobody around to help either and it's stuck in the garage dead as a dodo. We've got it booked in for an MOT and service on Thursday too, arranged weeks ago, but if we can't get it started we can't get it sorted ? ?. Something strangely ironic about that. Our area is also in lockdown as of 6pm tomorrow too ?. No car, no much needed provisions, oh heck ? . The sun is shining though ?

Hope all goes well at Potfest (groovy man✌️- sorry, I can't help myself either) Grammaretto. Hope Mr G is doing okay.

Nflk, perhaps you're right ?

Nortsat, I hope you continue to feel better ?

Panache I hope the new 'lumps' turn out to be nothing more than benign swellings. I am concerned that something might have been detected on your lung, I hope that that too is nothing sinister. Take care of yourself and Mr P of course.

I hope to return later if weariness doesn't get the better of me. I might even unveil ? my accomplishments meagre 'doings' in life ?.

Dragonfly I spotted a lovely picture of you and your mum on the GM thread earlier. So pleased you’ve popped in here to see us too. We have missed you.
Congratulations to your mum for yesterday. 100 years old. Wow.
Hope you enjoy your walk this afternoon. If I knew you were coming I’d have baked a cake (well I’d have got Jeeves to make one). Hope things are going better for you. Please pop in whenever you feel like it. ?

Good morning everyone - just thought I would pop in and see how my fellow lockdowners are doing.
My Mum's 100th birthday yesterday spurred me into positivity so here I am.

Not much on today although may go walking with friends if the weather holds. I have realised in the last year how precious my friends are - you included.

I am sorry I have not been able to read all your news but so lovely to read some of it. I love Panache's accounts of her achievements and Bradfordlass's stories.
I gather your DH is not too well Grammaretto I am sorry to hear that and hope you are coping.

Sending love to you all and thanking those who sent some lovely PM's when I was struggling.

Oh your little hedgehog is being well looked after. ? have you given it a name?

We bought some (expensive) special hedgehog food Doodle. Then DH came home with a tin of cat food and decided to made a cat proof shelter out of an old plastic box and a few strategic bricks as per Google instructions. We also learned that Chicken cat food is a no-no for some reason. Guess which cat food he bought!

Ah. Crossed posts Mamissimo
Thank goodness your son has got a test locally at last.
Hopefully it is nothing worse than a cold.
Sorry to hear you have the cellulitis back. Having seen DH with it recently I now know a bit more about it. He had it very mildly compared to you so I hope your robotics kick in soon and ease the pain.
A rest for you I think rather than the gardening. ?

Bradfordlass it’s nice having you the other side of the world as it were. You are talking of the early summer sun and breezes and here we are talking about putting our heating on as autumn sets in. I remember sitting here in brilliant sunshine in the summer while you were talking about having frozen hands ?
I’m afraid the credit for the photos of Bray go to DH. He is a keen photographer and it is his main hobby.
I’m sorry I am not wiping my bottom with a lambs ear, poor little lambs ?Baa.?
Your meatloaf sounds nice. I might pop over for lunch.?
NFK your weather sounds a bit rough. Winter is certainly coming. What do you put out for your hedgehog?
Grammaretto hope you and MrG are ok.
I like the idea of turning the monkey cage in the zoo to a climbing frame for children.
Pandas are such reluctant breeders or is it just that they know their every move is being watched.?
Nortsat sorry to hear you haven’t been well, glad you’re back with us this morning.
Living by the river we have lots of geese too. Noisy aren’t they ? I love hearing them. I have seen a few gulls recently which means they are on their way back here. Do you have them near you too?
Take it easy today and hope you feel better soon.
Mamissimo how is your son doing? Any news on the test?
DH and I are off to have our flu jabs this morning. So must dash. Back later. Have a good day all.

Good morning all. DS has a test in a neighbouring town this morning ? I think it's a cold because he's far too jolly and hungry to have Covid. I however am smitten with yet another episode of cellulitis so another course of robotics for me.

I wanted to get out in the garden today as it's lovely and sunny but I will probably snooze the day away instead.

Am I the only one getting irate at students on the news? The universities do seem to have been rather naive in thinking they'd stay in their rooms and work. ?

I shall now go back to doing nothing.....

Good morning gangsters, I have missed you all for a couple of days, not being well. But I am brighter today, I have my coffee and I am sitting comfortably (thank you Doodle).

Bradfordlass, I need a few verses of your version of ‘Turn, turn, turn’. Haven’t done any housework the last few days. Also, I fear garden centres may have a run on Lambs Ears ...
By the by, your meat loaf sounds delish ... We could just do with two portions of that here for our supper.
I loved the thought of your boys making toast on the wood burner, I imagine that was the bestest toast ...
Missedout, what an interesting post about your life in engineering. I enjoyed reading about your change of direction into mathematics and the ‘beauty of numbers’. I have heard mathematicians say that before, but sadly it’s a closed book to me.
Panache thank you for sharing some of your experiences in developing and supporting the Cancer Care Centre and the creation of a hospice. These are significant achievements, of which you must be justly proud. Hundreds of people’s quality of life has been enhanced by your commitment and dedicated hard work. That is wonderful.
Grammaretto looking forward to hearing more about the Potfest (yeah man -sorry couldn’t resist) and also about your Open Studios Festival, if you feel like sharing.
You mentioned the geese flying over, that is one of my favourite sights and sounds. We seem to see quite a lot of geese going overhead here in east London, we are near some wetlands and near the Thames.
When we were on holiday in late September in Alsace, a few years back, we were walking in the town square, when the largest flock of geese I have ever seen, flew overhead. They were in a huge V formation and there must have been at least 50 of them. The sound of their calls was extraordinary. Everyone in the square just stood still and watched in wonder.
Mammissimo I do hope your son is comfortable and his cough is no worse and that you and your DH are ok.
All this hassle to get a test is beyond comprehension. Surely GP’s surgeries could have administered them. They have all our patient data and links with pharmacies and hospitals. It’s madness.
Sending you all good thoughts, ?
Cherry sorry to hear that you have been having a difficult few days. I can’t post on GN every day, some days I simply can’t manage it, so I understand your position and sympathise. I think we just need to post when we’re up to it.
Nfkdumpling if you are borrowing Jeeves once a week to sort the housework, can you please do a rota for him and send him to me next ... since we can’t have a cleaner in the house, I keep noticing cobwebs in corners ...

Have a good day, all. Apols if I have muddled anything up ... I am still a bit rocky today ...

G'day gangsters,
I think all good zoos have conservation programmes nowadays. Edinburgh has been trying to be less cagey too for at least 40 years. When the last elephant died they put up a statue of one instead and no giraffes.
The old monkey cage was turned into a childrens climbing frame for a while with homo sapiens on the label.
The penguins are very happy there (our weather is perfect) but they have had no success at all breeding the pandas.
I had better get going. See you soon.

We've had a couple of relaxation days too Cherry, I think its natural in autumn when nature seems to be slowing down before the long winter sleep. Except that outside, here in Norfolk, its still blowing and gusting and some giant somewhere is spraying an enormous hose around. After weeks of drought our water table is being replenished. The hedgehog dish was still emptied last night so it's still out and about despite the weather.

"Early summer fragrance ... " Bradford. Thank you. It's so 'orrible outside here, that vision, my nose can smell it!

If you like otters, there's a few minutes fun watching them (play, fight, mate?) here:
youtu.be/BWGyFvylxTQ

Start at 17:50 (before that, the pool is empty) and most of the action ends at 43:05.

I have to say, in general, I'm not a fan of zoos but Auckland, as well as having animals which are photogenic, have an extensive conservation programme too.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202009/medium-678396-lambs.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202009/medium-337967-church.jpg

Doodle your photos of Bray Lock and surrounding were absolutely beautiful - another of your talents

I don't know if you heard on Gardeners' Question Time the humorous suggestion that we use Lamb's Ears as a substitute for toilet roll At least they're soft and can go straight on the compost heap!

Panache it sounds as if you and your DH have done more than your bit for the local community, work which will benefit generations to come. You must be so proud.
I'm sorry, I misled you.
No one spoke about St Isfael (a disciple of Dafydd. it's said) but this web thing leads you down one thread; in this case to Higgon's Well; and then takes you down another. Thus I came to the saint and his lovely old church.

I too am infuriated by the criminal lack of easy testing.

I was told, when I was seeking a home test visit that I should ring for an ambulance, as they'd test me at the hospital as a priority. I couldn't bring myself to do that just for the few symptroms I had, though if I'd developed a temperature and difficulty breathing.........

Cherry
"To every thing (♪ ♫ turn, turn, turn) there is a season (turn, ♪ ♫turn, turn) and a time for every purpose under Heaven. A time to clean rooms♩ ♬, a time to lie down, a time to go shop, ♪ ♫ a time to wash tins, a time to read and a time to post...♪ ♫ a time to feel...eeeeel wiped out ♪ ♫"
Hope your Tigger is back soon.

I have a quiet and easy day ahead. The sunny air is full of that early summer fragrance which is warm grass and growing things, with a gentle breeze from the North.

Despite the havoc the bat out of hell has wreaked on the world, I'm going to make meatloaf for Sunday lunch.

A little chicken and beef mince mixed with diced onion, capsicum, sweetcorn and courgette, garlic and spices. I'll have that with salad I think.

Wishing everyone a weekend where all things go RIGHT!

Cherry sorry your Tigger has gone missing for a bit, having a lounge day won’t do you any harm. I gather from a friend that toilet rolls have gone missing from the shelves again. Hope you got what you wanted on your shopping trip.
Panache that’s an interesting story about your early school days. Missing out a few years can’t have been easy. Good thing help was at hand in the shape of Captain Morris. He obviously recognised your potential. Your work in helping cancer patients and starting up the support groups and care centre are much to be admired and you should indeed be proud of what you’ve achieved.
Mamissimo I was talking to a friend this afternoon and she mentioned two or three of her family members have had colds in the last few weeks, I think it often coincides with the children going back to school. Do hope your son gets a test soon. I find it unbelievable that they expect someone with symptoms to go on a ferry to the Isle of Wight.
Grammaretto equally ridiculous is having to take a sick child to Dundee for a test. Fortunately your DGD was ok but had she been really poorly, the trip would have done her no good at all. I’m fuming too Cherry, what a system.
Went for a walk with a friend today and nearly got blown over. The wind was really gusting. Early start for us tomorrow as we are getting our flu jabs.
Hope you all have a peaceful night.

Oh dear Mamissimo can he do a postal test? I guess that is a tad slow with the turn around of several days but if the alternative is a long ferry journey when he isn't well, it may be better.
DD had to take her little one to Dundee for a test. 100 mile round trip but there were no slots available anywhere nearer. They got the results within 24 hours, by text, and it was negative which meant her sister could go to school..

Thankyou for your story Panache isn't it strange how life turns out? What a lot you have both done as helpers, carers and fundraisers. Something to truly be proud of. And you can ride a bike!

My sister and I used to ride our bikes to school in the summer. It was much quicker than the train. We passed our cycling proficiency tests (I'm glad to say that our DGC have to take these tests still) Then our DM read the statistics for deaths on the roads and forbade us.

Fume away Mamissimo! What a nightmare. Without getting too political, this world class test and trace is a farce. I hope the wind dies down and you can get the test tomorrow. You shouldn't be in this position though, how the heck are people meant to cross to the Isle of Wight when the weather this time of year is only going to get worse. Grr, it's made me angry now.

Just popping in to fume about the lack of testing! We've been on the website all day because the Isle of Wight test was ridiculous. You have to ring Red Funnel ferries and advise them that you're going for a test and then stay in your car for the crossing. With the winds as they are today we decided that was a bad idea so we are still trying to get a test.

It's been a peculiar day!