The Lockdown Gang - Keep Calm and Carry On

Hello! The trees are up, the mantle dressed, wreath hung, and the santons arranged in their very French stable. My late DM collected these on many trips to Provence and every year I arrange them with the odd salty tear.

My caring skills are still being fully stretched. Cellulitis hit me last night with a thwack but I'm now staggering around organising drugs and phone consultations with the GP for both myself and Mr M, who seems no better. I tried being nice to him yesterday and he asked me why I was acting peculiar so today I'm back in Colonel Mustard Mode.

We get lots of dragonflies bellypoppers here because there are quite a few ponds around. Every summer we get the occasional stray one flie into the kitchen and then get stuck in the lantern light over the kitchen table. They sound like small helicopters. When DDs were toddlers one came running to tell me that there was a bellypopper in the kitchen, and the name stuck.

I shall now take the beagle for her fresh air and stuff!

I wondered about bellypopper Mamissimo till you explained. That is so sweet.
I hope you had a good walk. I did and there was a big bellypopper flying noisily overhead I met the lady who had left the handmade wreath on my doorstep. It's been gracing my front door ever since.
I was able to thank her in person and she even told me she looks across to check there are lights on and she's been keeping an eye out for me. Isn't that lovely!

I phoned MiL and found, amongst other things, she was fretting about running out of food (Brexit). I told her we wouldn't starve but I may take her a tasty food parcel sack of tatties.

I am glad Panache that your establishment is looking good - dressed for Christmas and let's hope the dinner will be OK too.
Only very sad that MrP and his dear wife are not doing so well. xxx

Good afternoon Grammaretto, I have not posted for a couple of days, so am somewhat late in offering you my condolences following the loss of you FiL.

I can’t imagine how battered and sad you must be feeling, as a family. My heart goes out to your poor MiL too.
I am so sorry.
All good wishes and sincerest condolences. x

Good afternoon gangsters, I am sitting comfortably, thank you Doodle but sans feline company.
Mamissimo, I hope both you and MrM have had a reasonable day.
Cherry a better day? I hope so.
Panache you and your dear one are certainly on a rocky road. You must both be exhausted.
So pleased to hear the Christmas decorations caused a smile.
I am now determinedly building a treat into each day. I ordered extra treats with my groceries. I am also using Amazon Prime to buy little extras.
Bradfordlass what a beautiful brooch. I love the colours ( is it enamelled? ) and I love dragonflies. Are you going to buy it? I would. Then you should wear it around the house, as well as for any social occasions. I should like to see a photo of you wearing it, quite possibly whilst you eat your stand pie and pickles on Christmas morning...
I love the art and designs of the Art Nouveau and you see dragonflies represented in much of that. We had a lovely holiday in Nancy, Alsace Lorraine a few years ago, touring the museums and looking at the Art Nouveau architecture. We particularly loved the Musée de l'École de Nancy, musee-ecole-de-nancy.nancy.fr/accueil-2676.html which has beautiful furniture, stained glass and paintings.

All good wishes to Nfkdumpling, Missedout and Doodle.
Have a pleasant and peaceful evening, gangsters.

Thankyou Nortsat Things happen so quickly around here, I find it hard to keep up so I wouldn't expect you to.
I loved the tour of the gallery in Nancy.

I've been having a bit of a disaster in the kitchen. My supper involved opening a jar of tomato pasta sauce. I could not! I tried inverting the jar over heat. I tried two jar openers, specially designed for the job. Neither worked. Eventually, using brute force and some extra heat, it reluctantly released. Meanwhile a bottle of fizzy fruit juice exploded in the fridge so there was a lot of sticky liquid and broken glass.

I told you cooking for one was going to be problematical.

Grammaretto do you have 'Cook' north of the border? You can order their meals online and have them delivered frozen to your door. It's recognisable food like homestyle cooking and a few in the freezer makes the world an easier place. Might be good for Panache and Mr P too. My DD uses them for easy (!) entertaining. They do vegetarian as well as all other delicacies ? not a bit like home farms and the Wiltshire mob.

I've given up caring for today....I've just been told that I have no idea how ill he feels.....possibly not....but having spoken to his doctors this afternoon I do have an inkling that if he doesn't begin to improve soon I am free to borrow the leg of lamb! I blame his mother.....

I'm off to eat chocolate...lots of it!

Sorry gangsters. Cant stop. DH fell down the stairs in our apartment block earlier and is in a lot of pain. I don’t think anything is broken but obviously very badly bruised and any movement is extremely painful. I’m waiting for the 111 doc to phone so am just keeping an eye on him at the moment.
Be back to catch up when I can.

It's me again. I'm sorry, I haven't posted but I haven't felt too well. It hasn't helped that my usually efficient GP practice didn't follow up on my hospital results from last week and get me on antibiotics sooner. However, I keep a small stock of antibiotics (prescribed) for emergencies and I made inroads into them this weekend. Luckily, I chose the right ones and am beginning to feel a bit better.

Grammaretto, I'm so sorry to read of more sadness for you as well as having to break bad news to your DS. My thoughts are with you. BradfordLass seems always to be able to give such kind and wise condolences.
As you are struggling to cook for one, perhaps you could cook larger meals, enough for several people, then divide them up into single portions and freeze them to be eaten without any further preparation other than thawing/microwaving them when you feel like it. It's cheaper that way too.

Mamissimo, I'm not sure which is worse, Mr Mo is a real stoic. He doesn't mean to but he makes me feel guilty about whining because I don't feel well. I try to be brave, really I do. But sometimes I'm my own worst enemy, struggling on, saying I don't need help when I do. Mr Mo then gets exasperated with me for not leaning on his manly shoulder!

NfkDumpling, what have you done to your wrist? Perhaps we should get together, we'd at least have two good hands between us. Seriously, I hope your wrist improves soon. I'm still struggling, it's been 10 weeks now, there is improvement but it is really slow. I can just write my name on Christmas cards. (I have loads of address labels printed off).

Cherry, I hope your seizures settle down.
Are your neighbours up to anything interesting? We don't see our neighbours from one month to the next, not since cheering for the NHS on a Thursday evening stopped.

Panache, I'm also wishing for improvement for you and Mr P. I know that when I was supporting my mother, I felt I was continually going into battle. Nothing has changed since then by the sound of it.

Yes, I was wondering how dragonfly, is getting on too?

Oh Doodle, I'm so sorry that Mr D has had another fall. Fingers crossed that no major damage has been done. Take care of yourself too Doodle. I think Jeeves needs to step up.

Good night all, stay as well as you can be.

Oh my poor friends, what a catalogue of disasters and upsets for you all. Funny how they seem to happen for everyone at once - sun spots?

I reiterate Missedout's wise words Doodle whilst looking after your DH, please do not neglect yourself.

Missedout I'm so sorry to hear you're not well. It would be a huge favour to both of you to lean on his manly shoulder - think how lovely and protective he'd feel.

I can just imagine you and Nfk shackled together like people in a 3-legged race, trying to negotiate the Christmas cards. 'You write, I'll stamp.'

Grammaretto ducking your exploding bottle, I followed your link and had a wonderfully nostalgic wallow time at Porthcurno. Thank you so much.

I loved Cornwall for its own sake but also because it reminded me of NZ for which I was pining.
This beach at Porthcurno could be anywhere in Aotearoa, couldn't it?

The story of the museum reminded me of 'Bay Tree Cottage' by Anna Jacobs in which a secret WW2 communications bunker is found and turned into a museum. I wonder if she based it on that valley?
One link led to another and I found a blog about Cornwall's fungi. I'm a fungus freak and have loads of slides. What joy. Grammaretto you're good value

Nortsat I'm fairly sure I'll buy that brooch. whether anyone will take a photo of me wearing it is a moot (gemōt - that's yer actual French ducky) point.
And then I went even more French, to Nancy and what a marvellous site, I LOVED it!
Sadly, it tempted me into illegal ways, I could not resist stealing pictures of the splendid windows - sssh, tell no one.

Oh Panache how you try, you poor soul. I suppose the people losing loved ones is an illustration of just how desperately overworked the health system is. Humans can do only so much and we all want priority care for loved ones suffering.

Nice to hear about the gorgeous Christmas trees and the dressed windows. It's these little joys which keep us going, isn't it? Like dear Nortsat, building a treat into every day...an excellent plan.

Mamissimo I was going to suggest you take MrM to a pantomime to cheer yourselves up but Radio4 News just told me they've been cancelled as Tier 3 starts.
Oh no they haven't - oh yes, I'm afraid they b-well have

With so many trials for you all, I hardly dare admit I've had wonderful time with my friend Kathy.
We got lost on a one-way system but it had us in fits of laughter at how dozy we were.
We cooed over pics of Gubbins (who is still not sleeping and I suspect crying from hunger); we indulged in the alcoholic beverage in an airy restaurant, safe from the 26º temperatures outside.
As Kathy dropped me at home she said, 'Will you have a granny nap now?'
'No, I have far too much to do with the family coming Sunday.'

Hah!
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Twenty minutes later the brandied cherries I was trying to dip in chocolate, swam before my eyes and fell from my hands and I stumbled to my bed.

So when you are all having your leisurely breakfasts, I'll be catching up by making the cheesecake base, then Palmiers and decorating the Licitars for dgs's stocking (it's actually a pillowcase) although I know I won't make as good a job as this picture shows.

Love to all.

Hello folks,

How alarming for you poor Doodle! How is the patient now?
So many injuries in the gang. What's say we wrap up in cotton wool (or warm duvets should do) and stay like that for a day at least - and that includes you Cherry
Missedout and NfkD

I slept very little last night so perhaps it's only me who feels I could do with a night's sleep.

Thanks for the tip about "Cook" Mamisssimo. I see we have a shop not too far away - next to Waitrose which also does ready meals.

I am glad that your day out went so well BL I can feel your joy.

The weather must be gorgeous there now. I get sent pictures of deep blue skies and pahutukawa trees and a not-so -wee boy dressed as Tangaroa, god of the sea.

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First it loses my post.

This time, no pictures included! Sheesh, what's happening to GN?

Speaking of Pohutukawa, there's one right opposite my front door, holding hands with a very English Elder Tree.

Bradford what a clever talented lady you are. Not only do you express perfectly, and much better than than I can, what I'm thinking after reading all the mishaps befalling everyone at the moment - but you cook wonderful things as well! Its taken the nine months since our first lockdown for me to be able to turn out reasonably successful bread consistently - and yesterday DH came back from the shops with two loaves, as there's no way I can knead dough at the moment. Its my left wrist which is beggared Missedout so perhaps we could make a pair - unless you're left handed!

My elbow is hurting now in sympathy as I've been walking round holding my hand up. Elbow RSI methinks! My hand is still swollen, but this morning I can wiggle my fingers so I'm on the mend. I think its tendonitis as I would have remembered hitting it hard enough for a break - wouldn't I?!

I think Bradford may be right about sunspots - there do seem to be a surfeit of falls and injuries of late. I hope Mamissimo that Mr M is being a better patient so and your cellulitis calms down.

I too remember the battles when I was supporting my parents Panache. How you're supposed to be able to cope when you need support yourself I don't know. I did get some helpful advise from Age UK so I knew who to shout at - and that I needed to be helpless. Bursting into tears on the phone to social services did get things happening! They were tears of anger and exasperation, but they had the desired effect! It doesn't do to be efficient and cope when it comes to getting support!

As Missedout says Grammaretto, batch baking my be the way to go for you. Lots of frozen ready meals sitting in the freezer.

Only a week to go now before the shortest day - the sun is practicing her return this morning. I must away, get dressed and take myself off for a walk to post local Christmas cards before she sets again!

I do hope Dragonfly is ok and will pop by soon.

Oh dear, Nfk, I am left handed, and it is my injured hand. Hope your wrist/hand continues to improve quickly.

I'm another one who uses 'Cook' meals. DH and I clicked and collected several meals for two from them yesterday. They are a treat that I look forward to.

Oh gosh, Missedout, it must be driving you to distraction! At least I'm right handed. Its stupid things causing problems - like buttons - and remembering to allow extra time to go to the loo

Hello again,

Beautiful photos BradfordLass Those biscuits are a picture to behold.
Far too good to eat.

I drove round to drop some things off with DMiL this morning.
She and her other son are out of quarantine now but I wasn't to hug her. She is the most optimistic person I know but looked defeated today. She was asking if there could be people back to the house after the funeral. I don't think we can although we were told hotels were still putting on socially distanced teas.

Now DD is not feeling well....

I'm off to do some pottery. They say that's therapeutic.

Just popping in between these two Hospital visits to at least catch up on the news,although no time to write at length.

I was truly shocked hearing of your dear man`s accident Doodle.........one moment one can be sailing along,the very next disaster.
This is the happening too often and you must be weary from worry.Please know we wish you both well and seriously trusting it really is a shock and bruising rather a fracture.
Such rotten luck,and it happens so quickly.
Sending best wishes and some

Whilst Mamissimo I would be interested in hearing more about this meal service although again,living at the end of the County and Country often means these treats are just not available.

Must dash,take care and keep looking out for those little treats.

Oh you lovely lovely people. I am sorry not to have popped in recently but I have been so busy doing nothing! I did take a few boxes of food that I had collected to the Food Bank and posted some presents.

Thank you for your concern. I think I am okay - a bit achey but put that down the weather. I think I need to move to warmer climes!!

Doodle your DH does need to be careful. Falls happen so quickly. I hope it is only his pride which is wounded.

I laughed out loud at your leg of lamb comment Mammissimo. I am not a good carer either and do not offer a great deal of sympathy. Why aren't men as brave as us? My DH is complaining about his hip and I wonder how he would be if he felt like me.

You are constantly in my thoughts Grammaretto. I hope as the days lengthen your spirits do too. I have always cooked for one most meals as my DH has such conservative taste and I have not managed to change him in 53 years. I love cooking and eating different things. I tend to make double quantities and freeze half for the days when I am feeling lazy.

Oh dear I do hope those of you with poorly hands get the full use back soon.

And Panache I think of you and your DH often and hope that the situation improves somewhat. The health service does seem a little dire in your neck of the woods. I have a friend on the Gower who is waiting for radiotherapy after finishing chemo but it does not seem very forthcoming and with Christmas coming I imagine it will happen in the New Year.

My young friend had her operation today and they managed to remove most of the tumour on her spine. Apparently she is weak on one side but hopefully it may improve. We hear more tomorrow from the surgeon.

I have been busy packaging up the DGC's presents having convinced my son that it would be against the rules for them to come up and see us. He is very disappointed but there is nothing to be done until the vaccine is readily available.

Your biscuits made my mouth water BradfordLass.
Hope your DH is okay Doodle.

Take care every one not forgetting Cherry who I have not seen around for a while.

I'll be back later to comment - I'm off to yet another party lunch - but I must correct the assumption that the photos of the Croatian licitars are the one's I made. There's no way I could produce anything as professional as that.
I've done mine and dgs will appreciate them but I'd be ashamed to post a picture here

Ooh I have lots of catching up to do
Panache I’m glad Mr P was pleased by the sight of the Christmas decorations and the poinsettia. Your trees in the diningroom and grounds sound uplifting. If only the food was too. Your Christmas meal sounds nice but it needs to be of decent quality for you to enjoy it.
Surely there must be more than one palliative care person who can help you. Someone somewhere is letting you both down badly. The steroids should be supplied without you having to chase them down however it seems that unless someone is keeping an eye on things they get missed.
Hope the hospital visits and the scan go ok. Take care and thank you for your kind thoughts,
Dear Bradfordlass there is no end to your talents. Cataloging dragonfly’s, photos and sketching. I don’t think I have ever sketched anything in my life that bore any resemblance to the subject matter, ?
Oh dear, gubbins is making her presence felt. Perhaps she needs a hug from her gran.
Sounds like you had a lovely time with your friend Kathy. Lots of laughter is what we need.
Your Christmas food sounds lovely I bet they all enjoy it. DGS is a lucky boy to have such a caring Gran.
Lovely photos. If that orange thingy is fungus/fungi/ fun guy, they I can see why you’d be interested. It’s beautiful.
Off to another party. Hope you have a good time.
Oh go on, post your photo of your DGS licky things. I bet he’ll love them more than the ones in your photo because you made them for him.?
Grammaretto I love Conrnwall too. We have been a couple of times and really enjoyed it. The coastline is spectacular.
I find it nice that your neighbour who made the wreath is keeping an eye on you. Nice to have good neighbours.
I’m sure your MIl would appreciate her food parcel.
I can tell you how to open a stuck jar but you must be careful. Hold the jar in a tea towel or something then take it outside and give the rim of the lid a bash on something hard like a step or paving. Just the rim or you’ll end up with a broken jar. The knock will break the vacuum seal and allow you to open the jar. I’ve done it hundreds of times but make sure you don’t bash the glass jar itself.
Mamissimo glad you’ve got your decorations up. Sorry to hear you’ve been hit with cellulitis again. That’s the third time recently isn’t it. From the one occasion DH had it I imagine it is very painful for you and you trying to look after MrM at the same time cannot be easy.
We have ‘Cook’ near here too. Not tried them yet but my friend has and enjoys their meals.
Oh dear is MrM misbehaving. I haven’t got a frozen leg of lamb but I do have a large bag of frozen chicken breasts you could use to thwack him with ?
Nortsat sorry you haven’t been feeling quite yourself for a few days. Hope you are feeling better now.
I like your idea of buying little treats for yourself.
I hope the gangster cats are ok and giving you lots of purrs.

Missedout sorry you have been unwell too. It seems we all have to keep an eye on our medical situation at the moment to get the care we need. Good job you had a supply of antibiotics to get you started. Hope you are feeling a bit better now.
I expect MrM would be happier with you asking for help rather than trying to plod on by yourself. DH is constantly apologising for all I am doing at the moment but the poor man is in pain so I want to help as much as I can.
NFk I think somewhere along the line I have missed what you have done to your wrist. Whatever it is it sounds painful.
Would it help if you held your wrist in a sling do you think?
Have you asked the Gp to look at it? I hope it gets better soon.
Grammaretto sorry your Dd is not feeling well. Hope it isn’t COVID related. Your poor family are certainly going through it. I hope the pottery is calming.
dragonfly lovely to hear from you. Good to hear you are ok if a bit achey.
Good your young friend has had her op. I hope it is successful in removing much of the tumour,
It is disappointing not to be able to meet up with family but hope you get to see your son and DGC soon.
I am missing our Tigger. I hope you are ok Cherry. If you are missing it usually means something has happened. I’m hoping that’s not the case and you are back with us soon.

Thank you all for all your kind thoughts about MrD . We finally had the ambulance people in at around 11.30 last night. They were so kind and nice to him. They think he has cracked ribs but not pneumothorax which is what the on call doctor was worried about. After a bit of discussion we all agreed he would be better off at home rather than going to hospital. He has pain killing meds and I’m hoping they will start working soon as he is in a lot of pain. I am blessed in that he is not one of life’s complainers. I think having had so many operations and hospital admissions he is a good patient but I do feel sorry for him as he is obviously in agony when awake.
Our trips to the loo take about 30 minutes by the time he psyches himself up to move and then walks at a snails pace to the bathroom and back.
We are lucky to have some lovely neighbours who are all offering help and both our sons have been phoning all the time to check on things. I am hoping his latest batch of painkillers work a bit better.

There are lots of poorly gangsters at the moment. I hope you all feel better soon. I have tried to catch up but if I have missed anyone or anything please forgive me. I’m not firing on all cylinders at the moment. Like many of you, I could do with a good night’s sleep.
Take care dear gang,

Only now have I semi caught up with yous all only to discover that Mamissimo has cellulitis again, Missedout is still having having problems with her hand,* Nflk* has joined her and Mr D has had what sounds like a nasty fall. ?. ? all round I think.

Grammaretto a super super superking duvet sounds good to me. One with a nice snuggly cover with ? & ? & ☕ on and Jeeves on hand to bring us those same items to enjoy ?

Doodle I hope Mr D isn't badly injured, no broken bones ?. Please take care and think of yourself too ?

Good to know that your MiL and her other son are out of quarantine Grammaretto. I wish I wasn't saying this but your MiL probably does feel defeated right now. My mother was forever the optimist but I saw it in her after my brother died and that was one loss and we weren't living in the strange time we are living in now. My heart goes out to her, as it does to you. ?
You say that your DD isn't feeling well now either ... not the viral symptoms I hope or anything else major ?

dragonfly I don't think that radiotherapy unit is up to scratch on appointment dates at the best of times, if it's the one in Swansea she is waiting on, let alone at the moment. I went to have my radiotherapy in Cardiff instead. I remember you saying about your young friend waiting on her operation. I'm pleased that she has been now and I will keep my fingers crossed for her.

Thanks for the links Nortsat and Grammaretto I enjoyed having a good look around both museums ?

Wonderful photos BradfordLass, that's one beautiful bay. Sorry for mummy and daddy that baby Gubbins doesn't like sleeping ?. I'm happy that you've been having a nice time with your friend Karen though ?

Panache I think the NHS is really struggling here in the whole South Wales area at the moment, frankly it's pants! Covid cases in the Swansea Bay area (including Gower) have gone through the roof and other priorities are being side stepped. I don't know what the case levels are in your area but I think the whole service in South Wales is a CV19HS at the moment and nothing much else.
The snuggly duvet is nice ... ??

Night night all, Tigger's signing off ?

Names muddled up BradfordLass, I meant Kathy

Doodle, I cracked a rib about this time last year. Even shallow breathing was agony at first. Poor Mr Doodle, it's not something that goes away quickly, but it does go away. I hope you both manage to get some sleep.

I've read all the posts and most of you have said exactly what I would, so I shan't repeat it. I am thinking about you all.

Doodle I've just been talking to someone about her fractured ribs and she bought a wide crepe bandage and 10 mins before she needed to move (to the loo for instance), strapped a pack of frozen sweetcorn (though peas would do) to her chest after rubbing it well with Cryogel.
That way she minimised the agony. Is it worth a try do you think?

You could always use the frozen chook.

Grammaretto Tangaroa sounds very cute. Hope the potting helped a little. There's so much sadness around you right now. A Duvet Day sounds just the ticket.

Nfk how are your calcium levels? We can be prone to fractures even just moving normally if they are low. Are you taking your Vit D? Chomp on a few bones and feel better soon please.

dragonfly so relieved to hear the update on that young Mum. Let's hope and pray for a good outcome.
Warmer climes where I live and I have a spare room; nau mai, haere mai ki toku kainga - when can I expect you?

Cherry good to see you posting, I was wondering how you were.
You too Missedout how's the hand?

Mamissimo you must be feeling grim with this dratted cellulitis and MrM driving you mad wanting extra attention.

Doodle had the remedy for you - and how MrM would react if you said, 'Behave yourself or I'll hit you with Doodle's breasts' gives me a moment of fun.

Wishing better days and nights for you all.





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