The Lockdown Gang - Just chatting ⭐️

Even back in the days when I ate meat I couldn't face brawn, potted hough a Scottish picnic food made from beef shin and boiled head or anything vaguely resembling tripe or offal.

My jaunt yesterday ended at a food festival in a very windy Edinburgh open space. I chose a vegan flatbread stuffed with tasty roasted veg, with the emphasis on stuffed. It looked like a work of art but the contents were dripping out the bottom as I was trying nibble it from the top. I resorted to picking it out with my fingers and embarrassing my friend who had wisely chosen something more elegant. I needed a bib
The rest of the day was very enjoyable - strolling around the botanics, a gallery and shop.

Your day sounds most interesting altogether Kaimoana. Do we celebrate the Queen's birthday?

I am glad you remembered MrM Mamissimo what a relief and just in time. . Are you pleased with the haircut?
As for the tale of the night camera! I won't bother. I thought you just hung it up outside and could sit inside watching your garden as if on tele. Like on Springwatch.

Today's job is to find and buy paint for the flat. The painter will do the work next week but he rides a motorbike and can't carry paint. First the chiropractor.

I tried reflexology years ago but I was being used for practice for someone learning. I don't think she still does it but I could ask. I think the best bit for me about alternative therapies is having time to talk and have someone work on your ailments who believes in what they are doing and you don't have to wait months for an NHS physio appointment.

I hope you don't still suffer from anxiety attacks Doodle?
Thanks for sharing the lovely letter from Panache

Hello Doodle - what a very moving response from dear Panache. It's probably the worst thing she's ever gone through and my heart aches for them both.

No, it wasn't a counselling session and there were 6 of us. The maximum is 10 but there are only 8 regulars and I'm not one of them.

It was just talking, in general, about self-esteem, what it is, how it's affected by negativity and so on. Not specific to any person there, just generally swapping ideas. Useful.

As usual we ended with food and the vegan facilitator brough freeze-dried pea pods. Do you have them in UK?

They were absolutely delicious and are now on my next shopping list.
harvestsnaps.com

By contrast......

After todays' waiata (singing) kai was also served and I tried brawn. - remember that?

To tell the truth, I couldn't quite see what I was picking up from the buffet but everyone seemed to be jostling enthusiastically to get a piece.

My Mum used to make potted brawn and it was lovely spread on her fresh bread, so lulled into a false sense of security by the name…decided to try.
But Maori brawn is very different.

Should you have the urge to make some: it’s pork, 1/4 meat, a few chopped but semi-raw onions and the rest is big lumps of unsalted pork fat in jelly.
Sounds yummy eh?

I’ll stick to the freeze-dried pea pods.

Hope you survive the picture

On route to waiata, the sun came up as a fiery golden wash which woke the sky and gilded the still-wet trees. Truly beautiful.

Doodle thank you for the update from Panache I think about them constantly.

Also sending love to Cherry.

Kaimoana your hui sounds interesting. Does it take the form of group counselling? We’re there many people there?
I once went to a CBT group on anxiety (for my claustrophobia)
There were about 12 of us and I felt such a fraud because all the others had such terrible problems. Not being able to get in a lift seemed so trivial. Nice bunch of people though.
Mamissimo. Right choice. Hair first every time. Glad to see MrM stepped up to the mark. ?
I wonder if MrM’s hearing aids ever get turned off by design?
?
I hate buying things that come with instructions that are either too small to read or incomprehensible. I wonder if your photos will come out upside down too ?

I sent our dear Panache a PM yesterday and had a touching reply from her this morning. I am sure she won’t mind me sharing bits of it with you.

MrP has a very sore mouth and the steroids he is on give him hiccups which frighteningly affects his breathing.
Throughout it all he is still trying to smile and is a favourite in the ward. He is waiting for a cancer bed in another hospital as he now needs one to one care.

Hope all the gang members (once a member, always a member ?) are getting on ok. Cwtch for Cherry

Good morning ?
Gentle readers.....I did get my haircut.....I had forgotten Mr M a man take care of the windscreen professional. Can't think how he slipped my mind. ? today we will deal with Specsavers the incompetent mob who "forgot" to let us know on Friday that Mr M's new hearing aids were not after all ready for collection.

I succumbed last week and bought one of those night cameras to film the wildlife rave in our garden but fell for the blandishments of Am**on and bought the cheapest one available as I wanted to see how useful it was.

The instruction book was written by a creative soul in a foreign land and it was unintelligible. Mr M thought he'd help me to fix it up. After wrestling with straps and stuff he found that we had fixed it upside down. He dared to suggest that I hadn't read the manual properly. I left him to it.......but at about 11pm last night I was kneeling in the dark with a small torch trying to unscrew the top-that-is-now-the-bottom of the camera to turn it on.

This morning I will review the footage......if I can get the micro storage card out of the camera while laying in the beansvegetation.

My trials are small fry and my thoughts are with those who need sandwiches, peace and a hand to hold. ?

I loved York Museum Doodle and in 1979 took a party of Vietnamese refugee there.
When we came to the mock-up of a 18th-19th century carpenter's workshop, Xai Phun said, 'This is exactly like my own workshop in Vietnam.'

Another man told me he had chosen England as his 'place of refuge' because it was an island and thus he could follow his trade as a fisherman.

In Vietnam, he'd had a small skiff from which he threw a net.
He knew nothing about - and never in his wildest dreams could imagined - the huge commercial trawlers of the UK.

Today's mental health seminar was interesting. Setting boundaries; how to say "no" effectively; building self-esteem and understanding the psychology of why we blame ourselves unnecessarily.

I now need brain food so will make myself fish in parsely sauce for tea.

Hoping everyone is feeling better.

Mamissimo Please, PLEASE tell me you went for your haircut and left their rep old George Clooney waiting.

Grammaretto What a dear friend you are; those flowers are just beautiful. So kind.

Off to a mental health hui (why did they invite me? Don't answer that! )
Back later.

Nfk I’ve never had reflexology though know others who swear by it. Do you feel it does you good?
I laughed at you running round cleaning up as your DD was coming. It’s usually the other way round. Mums checking up on their daughters. ?
Mamissimo, we can always rely on you for a good laugh.
Oh dear the seagull should know nothing comes between Honey beagle and her chips. ?
Kaimoana. I used to love Tales of the Unexpected when I was young but many of them frightened the life out of me. ?
I went to York museum years ago with my dear SIL. We had a lovely time but got completely lost and wandered round for ages before we found our way out.
Those muffins and scones look delicious.
Grrr Mamissmo ? why do companies do that. What happened in the end, hair or windscreen?
Jan feel free to mention what you like on here. Hospital trips or whatever. I expect it takes a lot out of your day, it’s quite a journey. Ah your DH argues with the sat nav too ?
Hope you had a nice meet up with your friends first.
Grammaretto those are lovely flowers. Are the yellow ones the Welsh Poppies? I’ve not seen those before. Very pretty.
I can’t sleep sitting up, I just slide down the bed till I’m so uncomfortable that I wake up. I’m a side sleeper but in the morning I love a good stretch on my back.
We went for lunch with friends today for the first time in 15 months. Lovely to catch up but now I’ve got a sore throat from talking too much
Panache Cherry much love x

I love your stories hilarious life Mamissimo

Either your hair will remain long or your windscreen shattered - which is worse?

I believe the sleeping upright was to do with fear of dying in their sleep, so not much has changed Doodle

I picked a small bunch of lily-of- the- valley, other things and a couple of Welsh poppies for Panache and for Cherry

Oh Mamissimo What a dilemma? Who won - the chipped windscreen or the haircut?!!
We are off later to meet friends for a coffee and then the dreaded journey to the hospital. Sorry I won’t mention it again! Lots of people are much more to struggle with.
“Nfk” Have been meaning to ask you for ages is your local stately pile Blickling Hall by any chance?
Kaimoana Journey from our lunch stop back to hospital was on track for even more stress. Satnav “take the next left”. DH Well I’m not going that way. Me “ do what you b….y want then”. DH “ perhaps I will go that way”.

Good morning ?
Pop your fingers in your ears while I have a rant.....

I have a small chip in my windscreen so I booked a morning slot for today with a company forced on me sent by insurance company. I chose between 8 and 12 and they promised me a rainbow superb communication, easy tracking, a smiley George Clooney professional service.

They sent COVID information, they rang yesterday to take their small fee and to say their man would txt exact time within the hour.

De nada. Didly Squat.

I used their tracking service to discover that he's coming at 15.32 (!) and I have a haircut booked at 15.30......

Thank you for listening.......I feel better now ?

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Oh dear, Doodle, I watched the same film with the same results too but a couple of glasses of wine helped.

Jan16 What is it about some men and maps, or nowadays GPS?
My husband once got us lost for ages in a vast housing estate and wouldn't listen to directions.

Ever afterwards if he suggested 'a little run out' one of us would say, 'that's nice which housing estate are we visiting this time?'

Grammaretto I first heard that ancestors slept sitting up when I visited Bolling Hall (see pics) as a schoolgirl. I thought it was a joke.

York Museum has exhibits of clothing which show even the wealthy, well fed were much smaller than today's strapping folk. I still don't know the truth.

Yes indeed, Queen's Birthday was traditionally wet. Ironic really when it was decided to change the date to summer so people had better weather to celebrate. Didn't the monarchy know it's winter down here?

Nevertheless, I was able to celebrate at a local cafe, where all the staff wore tiaras (even the bearded boys) and a special Queen's Morning Tea was being promoted.
Blueberry muffin, cinnamon scone, Lemon Curd, cream and a hot drink.
It was yummy too. (see pic). The cafe has an overhanging canopy so we sat outside.

Mamissimo you live in an art-house film

As always, my fondest thoughts go to Panache and Cherry, who deserve better days very soon.

Good Evening ?
These are dark days indeed Panache and I am holding you both in my thoughts.

Today included the sun,the sea, the beagle, the seagull, Mr M......and the chip ? I bet you think you can guess what occurred.....and you'd only be half right. Mr M was standing at the rear of the car with the hatch open ready to feed his left over lunch to Honey Beagle. Yes....the seagull swooped but Honey bit it on the underneath and got the chip....and we had a squawking seagull in the boot.

I suddenly remembered how to run ?‍♀️ ? it was a miracle!

Nfk it was Surlingham! Well done. Lovely spot to watch the boats and such a beautiful day! One drawback - those wooden benches are really uncomfortable!!

Just past 40 is far too young to end a life Grammaretto. It must have been very hard for you and your family.

Love the bed too, some four posters are quite spooky and like to make you think they may just eat you, but that one is a lovely friendly one. I hope Mary felt comforted sleeping in it. I know they did like to sleep at rather an angle. Loads of pillows.

I've just realised I've got a reflexology appointment tomorrow morning. A home visit. Its a good thing I cleaned the house today. We'd gained a smell. Somewhere around the kitchen area, and I'd spring cleaned the place before we went away as DD2 came to refill the bird and hedgehog feeders. Her house is immaculate so my cleaning demon runs riot before she visits. So where the smell was coming from goodness only knows. It seems to have abated now thank goodness, but I will get the Febreeze out tomorrow just in case!

Jan that was not a long boring post it was lovely. So nice to hear of your travels and thank you for sharing such lovely photos.
DH and I have done a few sat nav variations on one track roads. Passing other cars with inches to spare. I’m glad you ended up somewhere nice and had a nice lunch.
Oh lovely little swan family. We haven’t seen one this year yet, We have the 28 gosling group another with 2 and the duck family with two tiny ducklings.
Grammaretto that is some bed. I agree that a lot of 4 posters look very short.
DH and I once went to a hotel in the Peak District. As they didn’t have many guests they upgraded us to a four poster ?
Nothing wrong with the bed at all but I spent most of the night thinking about an episode of Tales of the Unexpected where people who stayed in a certain room kept being found dead in the morning. Turned out that as they slept at night the top of the four poster slid down and suffocated them. I must have watched it over 50 years ago but it stuck with me ?
Sorry to hear your DF died so young. Sad when people lose their mums or dads at a young age.
Perhaps our ancestors suffered the same fate as me when they got older and lost inches in height.
Nfk hope you are doing ok.
Going out to lunch with friends tomorrow. First time we’ve seen them since March of last year,
Been to the recycling place today and got rid of all the electricals that have packed up in the last year or so.
Sad DS and family have had to cancel their Portugal holiday which was carried forward from last year. Don’t think they will get their deposit back as it was a private rental. Hope they will be able to do something with the flights.
Thinking of all the lobstars and sending love and cwtchs.

That photo has the look of Surlingham Ferry Jan, but they do all look very similar!

It's not boring at all Jan. I love Norfolk - I was at art college in Norwich - and those photos couldn't be lovelier. Country English pubs are the best.

I am sorry to hear you are not great Cherry I hope it's a temporary setback.
Such a lovely sunny day today. My DF birthday. He would have been 109. He hardly made it past 40.

Not sunny in NZ. I was sent photos of torrential rain by DS.
That was a rather unfortunate run in with a bed Kaimoana and glad you found the four poster.

There's a bed at nearby Traquair supposedly slept in by Mary Q of Scots. It is very short. Seemingly our ancestors slept sitting up!

Sending love to the Panaches

For goodness sake! Know I’m tired but didn’t mean to send the same photo 3 times! Should have been this one with the Swan family!

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Love to Cherry and the Panaches. Really hoping things improve for them.
We have once again been to Norwich for DH treatment but as we weren’t due there till 4 we decided to go further afield towards the Norfolk Broads for lunch. Decided to go to a waterside pub we had been to before. Great - except as we weren’t quite sure which way to go DH put the Satnav on. All great until DH like so many men decides he knows better than the Satnav. Result? We spend ages wandering round pretty Norfolk one track roads! However it was lovely sitting by the river and the food wasn’t bad either!
Kaimoana you are so funny and really give me a giggle! Hope all Lobstars ok and sorry for the long boring post

Kaimoana that made me laugh. Being knocked out by a bed wouldn’t have been the best start to a romantic holiday.

I have had a message from our dear Cherry this morning and unfortunately things are a bit difficult for her at the moment so she won’t be posting. I have assured her that whether she posts or not, like all our lockdown gang, she will be in our thoughts and hearts.

Take care all.

I was once treated to a posh holiday in the Cotwolds by (some of you may remember him) my Dutch lover.

We walked into the room, it had a glorious view, and as he was saying, 'Where's the bed?'
I was grasping a tasselled rope and asking, 'What's this for?'

Whoosh! Down came the bed and to my shock, almost flattened the poor guy.

When he recovered 2 whiskeys later he said, 'I'm not paying these prices for a damned camp bed!'

And off we went to an old country pub with low ceilings, sloping floors, lots of atmosphere, fine food .....and an oak 4-poster.

Ah Kaimoana I would never have got that link but yes of course I remember Swan vestas.
Glad you are coping well with your new device. No not heard of Walt Longmire. I will look him up. I am currently engrossed in the latest Lee Child book.
How lovely for your NJ friend to see where you live. Technology can be an amazing thing (in safe hands)
DH and I are both exhausted we have been shifting furniture (and boxes of wine) around all afternoon. Our home looks like a tip. We are collapsing our 6ft folding trestle table to take to my DGS so he can use it as a make shift table tennis table in the back garden while I am awaiting delivery of a fixed top 6ft table for my sewing room (DHs study but I am moving in) .
Ah nothing like a bowl of Punkin soup. ?
Oh Mamissimo that sounds very official. Do you have qualifications as a clipboard holder?
You made me laugh at MrM having his MOT week. Feet, hearing aids, car .........haircut?
Grammaretto I didn’t know they were called Murphy bunks either. 7 boys in your grandfathers family. My Dad was one or 7 but one was a girl. Hope your quiz went well last night. Do you really have daylight longer than us down south? I will check tonight when it gets dark.
No too sure about the chard but I love rhubarb and goosgogs.
So the no digging worked then. Will you try it again?
Dragonfly nice to hear from you. Yes it is lovely to catch up with family but I agree with you, I had boundless energy for running after them when young. I am pleased that when my DGC were little I was still reasonably fit and able to crawl around and play with them. No so now. I am at the stage that if I get down on my knees, I can’t get up again without heavy duty lifting gear. ?
Maw what a lovely post to Panache. I think only those who have been through something similar can really understand what others are going through,
That is so true Grammaretto. The price of love I think.
Cherry hope you are ok.
Take care all.x

Oh, Panache I keep typing words and then deleting them as I can't find the right ones.

Panache I have responded to your PM. My love and prayers are with you constantly. I am so sorry for all you are both going through. x