The Lockdown Gang - Keep Calm and Carry On

Greetings from a dry but rather bleak corner of Wales.

Thank you for the beautiful bouquet Bradfordlass,flowers certainly reach "that" point and proved most uplifting.
Indeed although we did absolutely zilch for our Anniversary, being together was all we needed.
Sadly the day ended abruptly with my dear one in extra pain.
However today was a day of surprises with yet another delightful bouquet,a poinsettia and a sleigh filled with pressies of every shape and size........so we shall be busy on Christmas morn!!.

We are most certainly walking a tightrope,and also with covid rife within our county this time, vigilance is the name of the game.
There is far much to much to-ing and fro-ing here at the moment.

Feeling so very much for you and the gross anxiety you must feel Doodle regarding your dear man there in Hospital,and your inability to communicate,to be there alongside him.
It is such a cruel time,and though we well understand the need,the aches within remain.
Sincerely hoping there will be better news very soon.

Again sending best wishes and every blessing to you all
Keep smiling and please do stay safe.

Nortsat I like the gang of lobsters theme ?
I’m a bit like a lobster at the moment. I’ve been cooking things for the freezer . I think I might have mentioned before that I forgot to amend my shopping order until it was too late and we have oodles of turkey, stuffing and sausages. I have decided to cook and freeze as there is only so much my fridge can hold.
I too am selective where I go on GN. If people can’t be kind and tolerant then I would rather not know.
Your afternoon tea box sounds nice. I’ve never heard of one of those before - a bit like a DIY kit ?. I wonder what Missy thought the bread was. Another strange white and lumpy cat in her kitchen maybe ?

DH has had improved a bit today. The Sargent Major physio had him marching walking round the ward today.
The pain relief has helped and so he is a bit more comfortable.
The pain management lady came again today and was very apologetic to DH about him being in such pain over the weekend. She and her colleague had left requests to be actioned in their absence, none of which happened.
We had a brief Face time but it was very stilted so we went back to the phone call.

Panache I am sorry your special day ended with MrP in pain. I hope up until then you had enjoyed a day or fond memories of healthier times.
How exciting to have all these gifts arriving and a lovely poinsettia too. ?
Thank you for thinking of my DH amidst all your own pain and troubles. I think there is improvement today so fingers crossed it continues.
Thank you for your kind wishes to us all. Please keep yourselves safe too. x

Well I said I’d show you my family heirloom and here it is.

This vase (?) and another smaller one have been in my family for as long as I can remember. My father acquired them from somewhere. They were always displayed on the sideboard but I’m not sure my mum was that keen. I was a family joke that when my mum and dad passed, my brother and I were expected to take ownership of one each. The smaller one for me and the the bigger one for my brother. Whether we wanted them or not we were getting them ! ?.
Until my brother died, a couple of years ago, this one stood on a specially made shelf at the top of their stairs for many, many years. My nephew was not over enthusiastic about keeping it, so rather than let it be disposed of, it now lives in my hall. Most people think it’s an umbrella stand!
It is quite big, comes up just past my knees. I thought the potters and artists among you would like to see it
It probably came from a flea market at 5 bob. ?

It’s lovely Doodle. It looks like later 19th century Japanese Satsuma wear, to my untutored eye.

Are you going to show us the other vase?

Oh yes if you’d like to see it. Much smaller and has broken handles. I’ll do it tomorrow in daylight. It’s too dark now.
I have just spoken to DH. For the first time in 7 days I’ve said are you ok and he said yes. Hopefully he will improve from now on..
DH sends all the gangsters lobsters his best wishes and says you’re all very kind to ask after him. ?

Two wines down I'm picturing a gangster lobster.....obviously shades, manicured claws, an oily sheen, a violin in a case.....and speaking cod Italian ?

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202012/medium-954884-bread-flowers.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202012/medium-283280-bre-flowr.jpg

Nortsat what a wonderfully funny story, I was laughing out loud at Missy's reaction to the white bread - thank you for a happy start to the day.
I agree with her, the only thing it's good for is making flowers as if it's pressed, moulded, dried, painted and varnished it can look quite good.

Doodle that vase is lovely, I wonder where it came from?

Where is everyone? I hope their absence is simply Christmas busyness nor under-the-weatherness.
Please write a word or two, you know how this old biddy in NZ worries about you

Panache your sleigh full of goodies sounds a joy and there's nothing brighter than a Poinsettia on a bleak day.

There's a happy, Christmassy video here from Pentland Plants showing how they grow them. They come in many colours which I didn't know until I saw this.
www.facebook.com/113240915353099/videos/434750604175138

Grammaretto Do you have anything for the Tooth Fairy yet?
I hope your DD is feeling a little better, she's had so much to cope with over these last months, poor lassie. I think about her a lot and pray her youth and optimism will get her through it all.

I managed to persuade the homecare agency to change the days Hanna comes for the next 2 weeks, so I didn't miss out on domestic support. She'll be in today at 3pm. I wonder what fresh hell she has in store for me this time

Love to all xx

Good evening lobsters,

I am so glad you were able to speak to MrD Doodle. It seems criminal to me that you are separated.

I think your vase is wonderful . Did you read about the pot being used as an umbrella stand which made £millions at auction? It was a rare Chinese piece and returned to China.

Ah Caroline Spray at Pentland Plants. The poinsettias are amazing. One year 2010, we (the development trust) held a NYE ceilidh in a freezing paper mill. Caroline gave us dozens of leftover poinsettias to decorate the space . They made it look warm.

I still have the tooth but am on antibiotics for the abscess. My dentist has gone private and wants to charge me £370 for an extraction and a filling.
I'm going to look for another dentist.
I might pull it out myself

Good news my DS is out of quarantine as he tested negative and can go home.

Such a funny pussy cat Nortsat i wonder what the attraction of the white loaf was. DS's puppy ate the tinsel so they were waiting for sparkly poos.

Panache you certainly do things in style. the sleigh filled with presents. How gorgeous.

Good night my dearies.
Sleep tight.

I've just finished the last of the trifle made for Sunday. The fresh berries were fizzy and fermenting - does that mean I'll be a trifle drunk?

BradfordLass groan

Well Bradfordlass nobody will ‘trifle’ with you today, if you are ‘berry’ slightly tipsy ... ?

Hallo everyone. Popped in to say I hope Mr Doodle is feeling better.
I didn’t realise you were married on the same day as us Panache. I remember it being a crisp cold sunny day.

Sorry your tooth is still painful Grammaretto not something you need right now.
This is the first year I haven’t had a Poinsettia.

Bradfordlass.

My DD daughter has set up a screen in her house so we can spend Christmas together on Zoom, even Christmas dinner! We are having a practice run today.

Good morning!

Hope Mr Dood is continuing to improve and will be able to return home soonest....but Doodle if he does get liberated get him to sign a contract! You should insist on having both care and control! I was awoken by a strange smell this morning....Mr M, he of the low fat diet, was making himself a fried egg sandwich because "I don't think it will trigger a gallstone attack if I eat it in the morning" !!!!

I couldn't put my hand on the leg of lamb but the frying pan was handy ?

Dragonfly we have decided that this would be the ultimate opportunity to pass onto my DDs all my Christmas lunch tips. We have all bought the same sized ostrich turkey etc and we are going to cook together on messenger video because we can pan around the cooking area then. I am going to channel my inner Fanny Craddock as I will have had a glass or two....Mr M will be on hand like Johnie...

DS has found an escape room game we can all play on zoom in the evening. It bodes well as the TV looks dire!

Hope everyone's day is kind

Good morning all. A belated thank you for all your birthday wishes. I loved the colourful pottery photo and my flowers.

I'm not well again at the moment. I finished my week of robotics, felt fine for 3 days and the uti has returned with a vengeance. I asked the GP if I could have a longer course at the time but she said I wouldn't need it! (I said I usually do but obviously don't know what I'm talking about.)

I like the idea of BradfordLass' fermented fruit tipsy trifle. I immediately thought of the video of the drunken squirrel that did the rounds on the Internet recently.

I still have to ice the large fruit cake that was destined for our family 'oop t'North'. We'll probably still have some left to share with them when Covid is a grim memory and we can meet up again.

I hope Mr Doodle is beginning to feel a bit better and the Panache's are comfortable.

Mr Mamissimo's logic made me laugh. At what time during the day does a fried egg sandwich suddenly become inadvisable fare for someone with gallstones? Mind you, DH gets very twitchy if he doesn't know what he will be eating for a few days in advance. He is definitely ruled by his stomach.

Usually this time of the year is frantic, in 40+ years of marriage, we have had just one Christmas (away in a hotel) when I didn't cater for varying numbers of visitors. It seems really strange to be to just be planning a quiet meal for 3 on Friday. Perhaps, given the way I feel at the moment, it's just as well.

Look after yourselves, gangsters.

Hello all. I slept well last night but seem to be a bit other worldly this morning. I put my breakfast raisins in my coffee instead of my cereal bowl.
Mamissimo you know our Bradfordlass , she’s probably on the internet looking for a photo of a lobster in dark glasses. ?
I see MrM is still keeping you on your toes. I can see that frying pan is going to come in handy.
DH is improving and his pain is better controlled but it doesn’t look like he’ll be home for Christmas. He still needs quite a lot of meds to get by.
I love the idea of you and your DD doing your turkey cooking together. (With your glass or two) I’m not sure I’d let MrM in the kitchen though.?
Bradfordlass I love you being a trifle tipsy. Hope you can still manage your Hanna ok and you are not being force fed vast quantities of food.
grammaretto thank you for saying you like my vase. I have added a picture of the smaller one as Nortsat wanted to see it. I wish my ‘umbrella stand” would raise a fortune at auction but I think it unlikely ?
I hope the antibiotics are working and your tooth is less painful now.
Good to hear your son will be home with his family soon.?
Dragonfly thanks for asking about DH.
I like the idea of your zoom Christmas dinner. Just make sure you don’t spill the gravy as you are passing it over ?
Missedout oh I’m really sorry you are feeling rotten again. Why won’t doctors listen. We do know our own bodies. Have you got more robotics now?
Hope you start to feel better soon and manage to enjoy your Christmas.

Afternoon. Just popping in to say I'm thinking of you a but can hardly move my hand and it's agonising - de quavains flare up, worst one yet ?. Take care all, hopefully back Christmas Eve!

Sorry to hear you are still not better Missedout Maybe the robotics should change?
I know what you mean about strange catering for so few. Make the most of it, I say.

Last year we had over 20 for lunch and the cooking is a logistical nightmare fun though

Another time the car broke down on our way to DS down south on Christmas eve and we were towed home only of course to find we had nothing to eat. Luckily 24hr ASDA saved the day and all the food was half price.

DS managed to invite the other DGP to eat their feast. It was a shame but quite enjoyable. Just the 2 of us watching the snow fall and not having to go anywhere.

You/we are a battered lobsters! So sorry about your hand Cherry

Bugger, Norfolk is joining the ranks of Tier Four. From Boxing Day - which I interpreted wrongly as after Boxing Day, so it means our walk and exchange of presents with DD2 and family has hit the buffers. Still we still get to spend Christmas Day with DS's small family. We nipped over today with the goose from our butcher and DGS is more than excited! DD2 is ringing this evening so we can sort something out. She doesn't finish work until late Christmas Eve, so I think we'll be meeting in a lay-by somewhere!

Anniversary Greetings to the Panache's and Dragonflys.

I felt so confident that after three hand injuries we'd be secure in that department. So sorry to hear you've had a flair up Cherry.

Oops - here comes my tea. I'm being waited on for some reason!

Oh dear cherry I’m so sorry. Poor you. Little cwtch.
grammaretto battered lobsters. Sounds like something you’d get in the fish and chips shop. ?
Nfk we’re already tier 4 so no Christmas get together for us or our family, DIL says she has a game we can play on face time Christmas Day. Will I be sober awake enough I ask ?
Hope you enjoy your tea

Yes Doodle we are very fortunate to have Christmas Day at least, the Tier change has been threatening for the last few days. It's good to know for certain when its happening and I'm very relieved its not today/tomorrow or we'd be left with a five and a half kilo goose!

(Scrambled egg on toast for tea. DH makes the best scrambled eggs!)

Especially for Doodle although I'm not quite sure why it's needed.

Well it's Tier 4 and a new shielding letter from little Mattie Hancock.....off we go again! Interesting that the letter says the shielding is until the 18th Jan in the first instance. Shall we all ask our gods for the Oxford vaccine for Christmas?

We had a Fanny Haddock warm up session this afternoon.....DD2 wanted to make my cheese and marmite sausage rolls....and DD1 wanted my vintage almond pastry mince pies. Now that pastry is a complete b'stard but she was so excited with the results that she said this is the best Christmas ever! Crikey....I was thinking it had touches of Armageddon.

I've managed to loose Mr M's favourite nuts and the lid to Chris Pot....but that's a story for tomorrow!

So sorry to hear Missedout is still feeling unwell and Cherry has a poorly hand. I really hope you both feel better soon.

Love your idea of cooking together Mammissimo.
We had our first meal together tonight with Zoom. It was fun if a little tiring. Tomorrow we are meeting up after dinner.

Sending love to all.