The Lockdown Gang - Indomitable Lobstars ?⭐️

Dear Lobstars,

At last Oscar and the frog! Thanks Kaimoana Sometimes I have to resize photos to send them. Sometimes I give up.
The crowded beach was a dystopian view of what beaches will look like again if the public are denied summer holidays abroad
wherever it is they go
I can't use my kitchen garden until at least July due to the dust from the sandblasting of the next door building. I picked all the daffodils yesterday and had to wash them under the tap.
(I told them it was rain).
Don't feel too sorry for me as there are plenty of parts of the garden I can use. I can't hang out the washing or tend to my veg garden at least during the week.

Poor Missedout curled up under your throw. It doesn't sound like you at all. I always imagine you on board the boat, busying yourself with boaty things - a Swallows and Amazon type person in shorts and deck shoes.
Congratulations on your wedding anniversary.

Losing your mum is momentous. My Dsis is writing about our DM. She keeps asking me for my memories so I have been thinking of our mum a lot lately. She also used to answer "I'm still here" if asked how she was but also asked us why?

Being unable to help our families due to the lockdown is tough and them unable to help us. I have booked a decorator to paint the room where the ceiling fell in but I need help to move the furniture first and still nobody is officially allowed indoors.

On the plus side: DD has booked a holiday cottage on a Scottish island, for June and invited me to go with them. meet them there Scottish school holidays are earlier than English so it won't be too crowded

About bloomin' time as well!

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202103/medium-899906-new-oscar.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202103/medium-200227-nrw-red-hat.jpg

I won't give in - resized Oscar with frog

And resized Red Hat Ladies

And fingers crossed

Nope, it still hasn't accepted my photos! Grrrrrr

Maybe with a shorter message?
Oscar & frog

dragonfly what a sad time for you; it's something we dread all our lives, losing our mothers.

Nortsat Lovely to see you posting again and I'm very glad to hear your health and that of your WP is improving. Yes, hang on in there
We have a frail lady of 98 in our group and frequently people come over and asked, concernedly, 'How are you?'
Her answer is always the same: "Kei konei ahau". I'm here with the implication I’m still hanging on! !

Doodle the problem with the photo yesterday was that GN wouldn't let me post it. In fact it refused my whole post and I had to come back later and try again. I’ve been trying all day today to get it online but it’s almost 6pm and I haven’t succeeded yet.
Yes, I saw the wee piglets - they quite took my mind off all the Dean was saying

Grammaretto that surely isn’t a recent picture of a crowded beach? Or maybe the site of the new community garden?

Jan16 Some years ago, my friend gave me a print of a famous painting (I think she saw us in it ) and your trip to the river bench reminded me. (see picture) It sounds a lovely way to spend time with friends.

You'll remember my saga of the plumber who came back 4 times to fit a new plug hole in the bathroom sink, 3 times bringing the wrong fitting?

Last week, I discovered water in the cupboard, conveniently soaked up by an 18 pack of posh loo rolls.
Today a new plumber arrived (about 50 years younger than the other decrepit duck egg) who discovered that all 3 seals had been fitted incorrectly.

Mamissimo Sorry to hear about your DH's deafness, maybe you could tell him you’ve ordered ‘a device’ and show him pictures of the 'newest' extra-clunky ones, then remind him where the porch is?

As for you, well there's only one thing to remind you about: per adua ad astra

Love to Mr & Mrs Panache

Missedout look after yourself a little better please

Stay well everyone - I'm coughing like an old dray horse but it won't last.

I'm sidling in quietly, I'm aware that I haven't posted lately. To be honest, I haven't had much to post about, but I follow the Lobstars every day.

It was our Wedding Anniversary last week. DH and I celebrated - I cooked him his favourite meal! Our ACs sent good wishes (one a day early - there was a lot of good humour about that - they made us laugh). I reminded them that, if it hadn't been for a chance encounter at a dance so many years ago, they (the AC) might not have been around to tease us.

DH really enjoys going for our daily walk. However, I overdid it yesterday. We walked our furthest (so my phone app says) in a big circle so no short cut home. I suddenly tired. I haven't felt very well since then. It has made me realise that I am not as robust as I think.

I had some dubious blood test results recently too and am a bit worried. I have a telephone appointment with one of my many 'ologists' coming up this week. At least I can get some advice. I don't expect any reassurance though regarding the likelihood of gaining any protection from Covid via a vaccine.

DH and I have seen all our DGC via video calls. I'm sad tonight although we will be able to see our nearest DGD in the garden at Easter. I can't imagine being able to spend time visiting our Northern branch any time soon.

Our DS (who moved house recently) also looks so tired. We would normally have been there for them. DH is handy around the house and could have made a real difference and I would have helped my DIL and to keep the little ones entertained.

It's the magic hour again. DH will 'tut' at me for being late to bed and he is right - I'm not doing myself any favours by sitting up late when I have spent the day wrapped in a throw feeling so weary.

I just hope that you are all OK. It's nice to hear from Norstat. I'm sorry Cherry's tigger tail is a bit droopy.

I also send my condolences to Dragonfly. Being there for your mother means so much, I couldn't get to mine in time.

Panache, my thoughts are with you.

Doodle, best wishes to you and the 'Dude'.

Good old Jeeves! Hot chocolate for me please! I will drink to your DS Doodle and to MrM hope the lobster was good
Lovely to see you Nortsat and glad you are feeling better.
I hope you have a peaceful night Cherry and no vaccine after effects. Sounds like a good match.
I am chuckling at the idea of my dog taking pictures. I found that photo of the crowded beach on t'internet, I think it dates from the 1950s.

Love to the Panaches and all strength and gentle hugs for Dragonfly

Night Night everybody xxxx

? He, he, he, he, he ?, I didn't know that either Doodle! I'm definitely not calling Grammaretto's dear friend anything other than df!
Hot chocolate was delicious, settling down now (I hope).

Ah cherry you always make me laugh, wondering who MrM ate for dinner. ?
Thank you Cherry, yes my son did have a good birthday. Seemed only right to drink a toast to him ? ......a few times.
Wow I didn’t realise Grammaretto had a dog, let alone one into photography ?
Was your team playing Cherry, did they win?
Jeeves is running up the stairs now.

Evening gang ?

Battery operational at 50% but rising, so I'm getting there!
Quick visit to say a Happy, if belated, birthday to Mr M and say hope he enjoyed his birthday and the lobster I'm trying to work out which one of us you ate... Nfk is missing ?. Ah, the simple pleasures in life, the joys ? that putting together flat pack furniture keeps giving, and giving, and giving and giving ... I remember when Mr M started on the porch, he will finish without a leg of lamb being required won't he?

Happy belated birthday to your DS too Doodle, I hope he had a nice day. Sounds like his tipsy mum may have done ?

dragonfly ?. Sending you strength and my sincere condolences. I hope you can take comfort in the fact that were able to be with your DM by her bedside in her last days, that she knew your love and care until the last.

I did exactly that Kaimoana whilst sitting opposite the Callous, Obnoxious Woman. It was helped by the fact that my WP didn't recognise her and was in one of his frivolous moods where he teases and entertains me (nicely I may add) ?

Grammaretto, was that picture taken by your dog yesterday? What the heck is wrong with people? It beggars belief!
I hope you can persuade the people who live near the area you've identified for the community garden that it's exactly the right thing for the area ?.

Glad that you and your partner are hanging in there Nortsatand that your health is improving ?

The weather may have been cold on your trip by the river yesterday Jan but chatting with friends and "putting the world to rights" warms the heart doesn't it ?

I'd give a match report but I'm rather weary now so I'll refrain. All I'll say is it was played at a frantic pace and one commentator said it was the best match he'd seen so far this season!

Off for an early night, Jeeves where's that delicious hot chocolate ?. Night night all ??

Evening all.
Kaimoana I think you forgot to include a picture of your cousin Oscar and the frog. I used to have a neighbour who was terrified of frogs. She wouldn’t go in her garden for fear of treading on once.
Hope you found the piglets. They were on Saturday’s post.
Grammaretto thank you for letting us know about Dragonfly’s mother. I posted my condolences on the GM thread.
Nortsat how lovely to hear from you. Glad you are feeling better and the Molls are doing well too ?
Mamissimo sorry I didn’t make it over to share your festivities with you on MrM’s birthday but I was over at my son’s celebrating his birthday ?
Hope MrM had a good day. Please pass on my belated birthday wishes.
Ah the joys of flat pack furniture ?
I hope you have good soil for your trees. The part of the world we live in had very chalky soil. Years ago we bought a couple of trees for our front garden. It took DH days with a pick axe to dig a hole deep enough to plant them in. It’s amazing they survived actually.
Oh I remember the day MrM started on the porch. It does seem a while ago ?
Good luck with the vaccine. Our second isn’t due till late April.
Jan I am so jealous of your haircut. I’ve not had mine cut for over a year. As soon as I’ve had my second jab I intend to try and book an appointment.
Glad you had a nice time at the river. Do you find, like we do, that the weekends are a lot busier than weekdays?
Grammaretto since lockdown began I’ve started wearing my jersey jog pants most of the day. I never used to wear them to go out but now I can’t be bothered to change
I hope you find a place for your garden and get permission to use it.
I would love to go for a walk on the beach but certainly wouldn’t like to go and sit with all those crowds. It makes you wonder if some people think COVID will go away if they ignore it,
Panache I hope MrP is getting continued support for his care and pain relief. Are you managing any sleep for yourself?
Much love x

Hello gang,
I was saying last night on our family zoom call that there are compensations with the lockdown: No stress about making appointments or having to get to places on time properly dressed. My DB said "it's called being retired DSis, nothing to do with the lockdown"
Such a beautiful sunny day here for a change.
My walk included identifying somewhere for a new community garden and I think one is found. Long story but we had to relinquish our last one as the landowner wanted it back. Now we just have to do a neighbourhood consultation and persuade the people who live near that they want and need to overlook an orchard, a polytunnel, a hut, fruit cages and raised beds.

My df went to the seaside yesterday and she said it was mobbed. It looked like a scene from those old photos you see before people had foreign holidays. Terrifying.

Good Afternoon Lobsters and a big hug for Dragonfly and Cherry.
Like you Mamissimo I’m waiting for a call from surgery as I’m about due for my second Pfizer*. Fingers crossed for both of us. Nothing much in my diary except hair cut on April 13th! I’m desperate!
Went down to the river today with our flask of coffee to meet some friends. Sat on a bench like the 4 oldies we are! It was lovely and sunny but the wind was very cold. Have only just got really warm but we had a good chat and put the world to rights!
Good to hear from Nortsat. Thing we are all hanging in there and hoping things will get better.
Hoping Panache and her dear one are getting some peace - so sad for them.

Good Morning chums ?

A sad time for you Dragonfly and a loss that I think you never quite get over. She sounded stirling. ?

We celebrated Mr M's birthday in DS' garden yesterday. We sat under blankets, with his french doors open, instructing DS in the dark art of IKEA furniture building......for five hours! I was stiff and frozzed. Mr M said he really enjoyed watching them struggle using the drill and hammer.

We came home for Lobster and stuff so I think he had a nice day.

It's tree planting week here so we have big holes to dig and to prepare. The trees come on their own individual pallets which a built for each tree.....they were supposed to be bare rooted but COVID meant that the grower had to pot them so that they could manage the despatch with the staff that were available. They couldn't cope with a big rush. So far I'm up to date on the bean seed planting and even the dahlias are potted up.

I'm trying to get Mr M to finish the porch.....you may remember that he suddenly did one day of work on it last year...but he seems deaf today! ?

I'm hoping for a call from the GP this week because I'm only 2 weeks away from my second dose of Astra. When I have nothing much to do I like to max out the anticipation of having something in the calendar ?

Have a gentle day

Good morning Gangstars
Dragonfly sincere condolences on your loss. Sending you good wishes.
Panache I hope your dear one is comfortable and that you are able to find some moments of peace. Thinking of you both.
Hope all is well with Doodle, Grammaretto, Mammissimo, Kaimoana, Cheery, Missedout and of course anyone I have omitted.
My partner and I are doing ok and I am making progress health wise. We keep reminding each other that we just need to ‘hang in there’, as things are getting better.
Wishing you all a good day and purrs from Missy, Minnie and Ollie.

I see from the GM thread that your mum Dragonfly has died.
I am so glad you were with her and have been the best DD possible.
Sending you hugs.
I would love to know a bit more about her when you are able. She sounds indomitable

When I lived in the country Grammaretto, I often helped at the local school.

I too made Roman food and drink; I have cookery books covering all eras; and took it into school for them to taste. They were fascinated and it brought the history they were learning, to life.
It was dormouse-free.

Frogs we had them in our rural area too and they sounded exactly like the off-road bikes some farmers used.

Here's my second cousin Oscar looking at a frog his Granddad caught recently. The picture was part of a mini-movie - he squealed with delight when it jumped back into the pond.

I’ve always loved frogs and was happy when they moved to the wetland and stream just beyond my lawn here.
Sadly they didn’t last long. Ducks, Pukeko rats and pollution got them.

I am so sad to read your post Cherry; I wish there was something, anything they could do to stop or at least severely reduce these seizures. Sending lots of big, soft, squashy cwtches.
I hope, when you sat opposite the termagant who caused you problems, you assumed an air of happy insouciance. That’d teach the B with an Itch.

Tipsydoodle I haven’t yet seen the piglets video but later, when my busy Sunday has slowed down a little, I’ll probably go look.

To all our missing Lobstars (maybe they don't need our support any more?) love and bright thoughts.

Oh Cherry cwtchs galore coming your way. Hope the headache is better now. At least your WP has his jab.
Hope you sleep well without interruption tonight. I will get Jeeves to give your tail an extra brush to make it nice and fluffy for tomorrow. ?

Evening LobStars ?

AWOL again, absent without operational lucidity ?, better descriptions are available! Yep, shed load of seizures again. I can't think straight and I'm got a headache, grr! I could have done without them yesterday anytime if I'm honest too as not long after I had one early evening we had to leave the house to go to the mass vaccination centre for my WP to have his jab. He should have had it at his GP practice 3 weeks ago but, in their own words, was "overlooked" ?. To make matters worse ... we walked into the centre behind two women, one of which had caused me quite a bit of grief several years ago. We had to sit on the other side of the corridor to them whilst my partner waited for his vaccination. On the brighter side of things though it does mean that my WP has finally had his first vaccine dose ?.

Short and moaning sweet from me tonight as I'm deadbeat. I hope to be back with a bushy Tigger tail tomorrow ?.
I am thinking of you all and sending everyone a cwtch partly because I need some myself ?

Good evening all. Slightly tipsy Doodle here. We’ve had a busy day and I am tired. Feeling a bit mellow.
Grammaretto the Dean is a lovely person. Apart from the religious aspect of his morning congregation he delights viewers with tales of what happened this day in the past. His enthusiasm for all things historical, musical, arts etc is very infectious. Today’s service was read from inside the hut in the pigsty where he was sitting on the straw accompanied by Clementine the pig and her brand new delivery of nine piglets. No pomp of circumstance here ?
I have never actually been that fond of pigs but the last litter (is that the right word ?) were so funny. I loved their little tails wagging. They acted very much like young puppies do.
Sorry I’m rambling on. Went to see my son today. It was his birthday so we had a nice chat in the garden with him and his family. Back home for a quick walk and did the ironing before dinner.
Kaimoana the magnolia tree was lovely. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a big one. Did you see the piglets today?
grammaretto that’s annoying about the neighbour’s builders. That sort of dust hangs in the air and covers everything. Hope they’re not making too much noise.
A good teacher can make such a difference to a child’s life. I had two. A maths teacher that got me through my 11 plus and a science teacher who was strong enough to quieten the rowdy behaviour in class and instil an interest in the sciences.
How sad your skills weren’t put to better use by the second teacher.
Hope all the lobsters have a good weekend. ?

Hello Lobstars,

df sent a video of her amorous frogs. I am so untechie, I probably won't be able to share it but they made almost as much noise as the builders next door to me who use heavy machine
tools to degrout the stonework and spray my garden with dust.
There! I have got that annoyance off my chest.

The Dean must be a lovely person Doodle and Kaimoana prepared to make an idiot of himself for a worthy cause

It's so sad thet your efforts to improve your own and everyone's enjoyment fell on deaf ears. Kaimoana . It is too easy in these situations to stick to the status quo.

It reminds me of when I was a parent helper at our primary school. The first year I was helping an inspirational teacher who had me make murals, sew costumes, play with clay and paint with the primary 1s who were all absorbed and happy and learning things which they never forgot.
My DS knows all about the Romans and the Greeks still! What they wore and what they ate.

The next year's teacher was the exact opposite. She resented having a helper at all I think and never had a job for me apart from cutting paper into small sheets. After several months and enough paper to fill a classroom, she allowed me to listen to children's reading.

I've just been informed by a wonderfully dignified elder churchman that it is Red Nose Day in the UK (started by Lenny Henry years ago).

He advises us to do something to cheer one another up and I can think of nothing better than to show you what he was prepared to do at Morning Prayers.

Here is Dean Robert Willis in the Deanery Garden (see the magnificent Magnolia behind him?) celebrating Red Nose Day.

Good guess Grammaretto almost right ?

Cherry my soufflé isn’t fattening (much) it’s all full of hot air ?.
Ok, I need to know, how do you have a flat toe? Even the one I had that got squished by a shot put thingy isn’t flat.
My voice is back in full flow today thank you. In full nagging mode ?
Kaimoana what a shame your suggestions for Communicare weren’t incorporated into the meetings. It could be of interest to many. Yes country music is like marmite, you love it or hat it. Yee ha indeed ! I did watch some novice line dancers once. It was quite amusing they kept getting it wrong and falling over each other.
Glad you enjoyed Ducky. I did watch the video of when she baptised the Dean but he was very stoic. Didn’t move throughout the whole video even though she covered him in water almost all the time ?
Grammaretto I am intrigued, what sound do amorous frogs make. Curious I looked it up on Mr Google. You will not be surprised to hear that frogs make a noise from a high pitch whirring to a deep ‘bonk’ ?
That soufflé is my masterpiece, not matched by the rest of my cooking ?
Dragonfly how lovely to hear from you. Sorry to hear about your mother. I hope she is comfortable and not in any pain. 100 years, an amazing achievement. Take care of yourself.

Funny you should mention the kitchen phrase TOYA on this thread. I came up with that. There were so many posts in the kitchen that we couldn’t all keep up with each other so I came up with TOYA at the end of a post which means Thinking of you all ?

Hello Dragonfly I am so glad you popped by.
But sad that your DM is as that stage now. At least she has you beside her. That is precious.
Is TOYA Thinking of you always? or something more cryptic?

I am hoping to get out for a walk today. I missed yesterday.