The Lockdown Gang - Just chatting ⭐️

Hello wonderful Lobstars,

What a stoic you are Kaimoana. I shouldn't laugh when you say the new Help doesn't demand money and knows how to make a bed and how to prepare vegetables. You set the bar nice and low so as not to be disappointed.

The housework is in honour of the agency person who is due on Monday to inspect the flat I wish to rent out.
The last tenant had a shower curtain with semi-naked ladies on it so it is things like that I have to remove. naked would have been better

However before that, ie now, I am preparing to host brunch for my niece & clan and DS & clan as DN is returning south after her Scottish island holiday. The rain has hardly stopped since they arrived in Edinburgh yesterday.

I don't know about cabbage art either. What is it?

Knickerbocker Glory. Wow doesn't that sound wonderful - the extreme ice-cream decadence.

That was good of Waitrose Doodle. I haven't tried online shopping yet. I think I would be hopeless. I can't even make a shopping list. I'm going to make pea soup from frozen peas.

Have a happy weekend everyone.

Stay with us nanna8, we're all old hands at lockdown and sudden jail time and all the angst that brings. We'll cheer you up.

It's incredibly sad when something special is planned and has to be shelved at the last minute. I feel sorry for the couples whose weddings and honeymood holidays are affected.

The fact is, this Delta variant is more deadly and more easily transmitted and you simply can't take chances with people's lives. I have friends in Melbourne and a son in Sydney and fear for them all.

Mamissimo it's probably as well your DS can't smell anything if MrM has been wearing the same pair of shoes for decades.

Is cabbage art a thing, Doodle?
At my Sil wedding, held in Wales at some sort of stately home-castle with gorgeous mediaeval architecture, one of the side table settings was an ornamental cabbage with a circlet of white roses and daisies. It sounds peculair but looked beautiful.

I think Grace may have given notice. She has not been with me for 3 weeks and Mape from Tuvalu has been substituting.
A nice lady - who knows how to make beds and prepare vegetables and doesn't demand money.

nana welcome. Sorry to hear you are in lockdown again.
Glad you got to see your grandchildren if only for a short time.
Grammaretto, you are right, my DGD had a delayed celebration the other day. Her high school prom. A low key event not like the usual one but she enjoyed it anyway.
I remember how relieved all the gang were when MrG was finally allowed to come home to be with you again and have that precious time together with the family.
You have done your bit to keep others spirits up too. Don’t forget that ? You’re not really doing housework are you? ?
Mamissimo my home is too untidy to have a lady wot does so I am the lady wot does it
Your Sainsbugs substitution list would make a good comedy sketch. Some of the choices are bizarre. Can’t fault Waitrose yesterday, they didn’t have their own Waitrose vanilla essence so they substituted a larger bottle of expensive vanilla bean essence at the same price. I’m going to have to do a lot of baking.
Hope your DS starts to improve soon. I see he’s coming home to be looked after by his mum. That’ll soon sort him out ?
Nice to see your DD2 visiting as well.
Oh Mamissimo I love a knickerbocker glory. Any going spare? ?
Look after yourselves lovely gangsters and sleep well ?

Housework Grammaretto? I'm enjoying watching mine be done by the wonderful lady what does....?

My Sainsbugs delivery is due any minute and I've just checked the substitution list.....What lunacy it is today....I ordered mushy peas ....and they're sending Heinz spaghetti....it's not even a vegetable! And a four dip Yorkshire pudding tin has become a silicone muffin tray.....

DS has been signed off for a further two weeks and our lovely GP sorted him out and said he would turn a blind eye to him having left home.....however I now have to go and collect his certificate and sort out his employer.....

Mr M has taken the beagle for a walk to escape from the chatter of the cleaner.....I like the chatter in the house. DD2 is breaking her journey home from our non event holiday which will be lovely. saves her cooking Sunday lunch and Saturday supper !

DS's partner will return to work on Tuesday so she's going to post him through our letterbox for a couple of days so that he doesn't go stir crazy......I'm more than happy to practice my nursing skills. I need to check him over thoroughly ?

This afternoon I will poach peaches for a knickerbocker glory - Mr M will then be nice when I want to go shopping...man management skills ✅

Love to all

Good morning Gang,

It is a shame when your plans are dashed and your world seems upside down nanna8 but we are still in a pandemic and have to accept a certain amount of disappointment.

I hope you can have a delayed celebration and it will be just as much fun maybe better.

This group of virtual friends have kept my spirits up throughout what was possibly the worst year of my life.
I have a photo of DH being wheeled onto an ambulance because I was sure I would never see him alive again.
Due to our lockdown, I couldn't go with him nor could I visit him in hospital.
Luckily, after emergency treatment he was able to come home and died at home with all of us beside him a few months later.

What today for light relief.
Housework?

Thankyou friends/gang/lobstars and those who seldom write

We are now in hard lockdown number 6 here in Melbourne. I kid you not, we are all so,so over it. It always seems to stem from a particular part of our large city, too. Grr. Holiday cancelled, all social events cancelled because a handful of people can’t obey the rules. We had just 4 hours notice this time and had been planning to celebrate our 54 th wedding anniversary that evening. Well we went 2 hours early and left just before the jail gates clamped shut so at least we got to see some of the grandchildren. I feel so sorry for all those young ones who have had their lives ruined including my grandson in his last year of school and not able to even meet his friends or attend classes.

And just sneaking in behind me comes Nfk ?
Cabbage art now there’s a thought.
I haven’t seen that ad you mention. I wonder what it is.
Hope things are ok in your part of the world ?

Grammaretto I am still laughing at myself that I could really imagine you would be collecting a new sofa from the chemist. It sounds ludicrous now I think about it but with some shops taking in Amazon orders I suppose that just made me think it was possible. I did wonder how you planned on getting it home though ?. I love cheese scones. DH always likes his with jam and cream but a lovely savoury cheese one I really enjoy.
Kaimoana what a lovely post ?. That really made me laugh.
I thought the sentence you wrote about Panache was so lovely and so true. You have a lovely way with words.?
Well done Mamissimo hope you had a lovely time.
Your story about MrM and his shoes reminded me of Trigger in Only Fools and Horses who had the same road sweeping brush in all the time he worked for the council……many new heads and handles but still the same one brush …(only makes sense if you watch OFAH ?)
Glad your son is a bit better. You are right to make him take things slowly. Your chat with your DGD sounds lovely. Peppa Pig I can cope with. When mine were around that age it was Igglepiggle and Upsy Daisy in the Night Garden. I didn’t have a clue what they were going on about until I watched it.
Oh for the days of Andy Pandy, Muffin the Mule and Bill and Ben the Flowerpot Men ?
Jan you are being good. No cream scones. Nice to meet up with your Dd and SIL Sunday. Hope the rain doesn’t spoil it for you.
Not surprised you have cancelled your cruise. Things are very unsettled at the moment. I have heard from others that holidays in the Uk are costing a lot more this year as there is so much more demand. £1000 a week ?. That’s a bit steep. Glad you’ve found something that will suit you.
Dragonfly always nice to hear from you. Hope you are keeping the ants at bay and whatever problems you have are resolved soon.
I hadn’t realised till Kaimoana mentioned it that we were anywhere near the end of yet another thread.
I’m just going to carry on and open up another one but will quite understand if any, some, all (?) of you feel you want to drop out. It’s gone on far longer than I ever thought it would and I have enjoyed your company more than you can imagine.
Always pleased to hear from you whenever you feel like posting even if it’s only now and then, that’s fine.
Take care all ?

I just hit the 'I'm on' tab and the page refreshed with Euro Active Retrofits. And a picture of this shiny orangey brown object. What the heck I thought! I think they're for car tail lights, but why?

Kaimoana, your way with words is perfect.

Cabbage art is something I have dabbled in, but book writing is way out of my league.

Kaimoana you know me well!
I feel as though I have been carrying a sofa around Scotland.
My walk today was lovely but long and my legs are aching.
We had freshly baked cheese scones in a cafe in Gifford at the end. They were gorgeous. I am becoming a connoisseur. The cafe is called Lanterne Rouge which reminded me of our recent conversation
I also hope Panache is sipping tea in the sunshine.

I am sorry your DS is still not well and feeling responsible for his team Mamissimo But I am so glad you are now free.

Little people are so wonderful. I miss mine a lot despite seeing them last week for a morning of pea and bean podding. They are both to be tiny bridesmaids at their auntie's wedding this weekend. They are super excited.

I hope your problems are little ones Dragonfly

Yes we have very nice smelling ants here!
Not been around for a while as I have problems at home but hope to be back soon.

Kaimoana you do make me laugh! Sadly Jan has not been out to lunch this week ?. Have had 2 coffees out though but no cream scones or biscuits! Being very good diet wise! We will be out to lunch on Sunday though. As we are meeting my daughter and son in law at a half way point between her house and ours.
Beautiful day here but rain is forecast for the weekend.
Doodle we have cancelled our cruise and rebooked for next February in the vague hope that there won’t be so many restrictions about then. But who knows?
Decided to book a cottage in the Cotswolds instead. As I said to Mr J we don’t actually want to buy a cottage just rent one for a week! The prices are astronomical. Talk about cashing in! After much stress we have found what looks like a dolls house!
Looks like it was an old folks bungalow - very appropriate that! Think the whole thing would fit in our lounge but looks clean and has everything we need and we won’t have to re-mortgage our house to pay for it! Some people were charging over £1000 a week for a cottage that slept 4 people!
Anyway we have friends that way so can have a catch up with them.
Hope all Lobstars are well and Kaimoana is not getting too fed up with her pot noodles! Love to think of Panache sitting in the sunshine and talking to the shadows. Such a lovely sentiment and Panache I hope you are doing just that.
Love to all

Liberation day for us! ? - so we are going out to lunch....and to collect Mr M's favourite shoes from the cobblers where they've been for a full service and MOT. It's their third re-sole at £30 a pop.....I tried to suggest it might be time for a new pair but apparently these will see him out! He also has three identical pairs of varying antiquity.......shows a distinct lack of adventure!

DS is still ??? and not smelling anything but otherwise fine. One of his staff at work entered his own non COVID symptoms into the COVID app and the entire management team was pinged.......it's caused chaos as track and trace are insisting that they all do their ten days even though the culprit tested negative. We had trouble in persuading DS that he was unfit to drive/zoom manage or to get involved in any way! Stupid boy!

I had a lovely Skype with youngest DGD, aged 2 next week, who is on my cancelled holiday in Wales. DD2 has taken her paddle boarding and apparently Peppa Pig was there! At the moment anything exciting has a Peppa Pig in it. Strange creatures, toddlers!

Glad rags time.......?

We're galloping towards that 1,000 post marker.
Grammaretto is carrying a sofa around Scotland.
Doodle is at the bottom of her laundry basket from where she fights the dragons of insurance and vanquishes them to obtain The Magic Suitcase.

Mamissimo is girding up her loins to go jump up and down on DS's bed and tell him he does NOT have post-viral fatigue but is merely a lazy boy. MrM is already reclining in one and mutters agreement. They are then going to strangle pigeons for a little light relief.

Jan16 is out to lunch, or morning tea or afternoon tea with her many friends, rampaging across the county demanding cream scones and Fig Newtons (a regular treat).

Missedout has been invaded by The Norther Clan and is fixing blackout blinds so they can tell the children it's wartime and there's no sweeties, only Woolton Pie and Snoek.

muse is still holding her breath for her tomatoes and is pretty much the same colour by now.
Breathe out muse

ixion is cheering for the Hammers, blowing bubbles towards Cherry and missing her like the rest of us.

dragonfly is dancing round the room gaily broadcasting talcum powder onto importunate ants but at least they all smell nice, even if her living room looks like Scott Base in a whiteout.

Nortsat Nipping in every now and then with ever the kind and comforting word.

Nfk is drawing ducks and curtains, the latter across her garden.
She may be about to write a book “Cretonne and the Art of Cabbage.”

Panache is sipping tea in the sunshine and talking quietly to a dear shade who is ever at her side.

And here in New Zealand, where we all live on pot noodles and only the rich eat cake....I Skype with Gubbins and the world seems a wonderful place.

Dear Gang,

Well done to you Doodle an apology and a refund
You all inspired me to phone the electricity people who keep sending final demands to a former tenant for a property he must have once lived in. I was expecting to hang on the phone with music for hours I was hoping for Wet Wet Wet but someone called Ben answered immediately and said I will get no more letters.

When I collected it (the cover) today the lady in the chemist was doing transactions for the first time too so, thinking of you Doodle I said "It's a good thing it's not a sofa - just a cover!"
I am still struggling to put it on the sofa.
DH must have done far more DIY than I ever gave him credit for
I also dismantled a cot today which is going to a new home. My youngest DGC is nearly 4 so does not need a cot.

Men and doctors: DS1 has had a headache for months and was persuaded to phone the doctor today, famously impossible to get an appointment. He had a telephone consultation, the first for 5 years and was told to see an optician....

I'm off for an early night.
Best wishes to you all.

Kaimoana what a lovely post to Panache
For a minute there, I thought you’d crept into my bedroom and taken a photo of me asleep ?
Ah well my dear you haven’t seen me on full rant (polite but firm). Had phone call from lovely lady today. Profusely apologising for all the hassle I’ve had about my suitcase and they are going to cover the full cost. Very pleased about that.
Grammaretto I am sorry, until I read Kaimoana’s post I had thought you were going to collect a sofa from the chemist.
I did think it was odd. How would you get it home for a start ?. I completely missed the word cover
Glad your enjoyed yourself at the Botanics with your friend.
I hope you have a nice time with your niece and her family, are they staying long?
What is it with men and Doctors ? ?
DS 2 has just phoned to say he’d like to take us out to lunch before they go on holiday. Be nice to see him so looking forward to that next week.
Take care all

Hello my lovely Lobstars,

Oh Panache. My heart goes out to you. It truly does.
Have plenty of rest and don't do anything you don't want to do.
When people say "Look after yourself" I never knew what that meant but now I think it is just that.

Kaimoana has said just the right thing - as she so often does.

I had a great day out at the Botanics, chatting, walking, sitting. We talked so much that when df suggested lunch we realised it was 3.30pm and time to go our separate ways.

Grr the sofa cover. I have now had email number 4 telling me it will soon arrive at the collection point in the distant town.
I know why I hate on-line shopping now.
The agency isn't visiting until next week so there is bags of time.

My niece is coming here at the w/end with her family returning from their Scottish highland holiday. She says it's been warm and sunny and they've been in the sea every day.
She has had covid, (and both jabs I think) and it left her very tired and without taste or smell. she can't be too bad can she!

I hope DS recovers soon Mamissimo.
DS1 fell down a flight of stone steps in the ice when he was at uni. What did he do? He phoned me!!
Somehow he got to hospital. It was a drama though as the nearest A&E - he was at St Andrews - was in Dundee and the Tay bridge was closed due to high winds. I believe on my advice he called the police who drove him there safely.
He had broken his nose which had to be pushed back into shape and was bruised etc but I don't think he registered with a doctor. He is married to a nurse so in good hands now.

I love the tattie goddess Kaimoana.
It's time for another cuppa. See you later.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202108/medium-363751-1-img-1374.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202108/medium-887783-1-img-1375.jpg

For the delight of those who grow vegetables - and the surprise of those who don't.

"The Reclining Goddess, Ipomoea batatas"

Mamissimo NZ has adopeted-adapted the UK guidelines for post-viral fatigue, if it's any use to your DS.
www.rcot.co.uk/how-manage-post-viral-fatigue-after-covid-19-0
The NHS even has free apps to help - wow!

Neither of my sons registered with a doctor until well into their 30's and when I asked the elder why not..."because I'm not sick"
Why didn't I think of that?

Grammaretto that run-around would have annoyed me - bussing from town to town. You are a patient soul.
So how will you get the cover?

Have a happy time with your friend

Gosh Doodle you are a wee minx fighting an insurance company . They'll fudge and cheat you if they can. That's why they all have huge, glass tower blocks and you have to battle for a new suitcase.

Panache you good reason to be disorientated and a little lost.

You have been through so much and that sort of struggle (how long was it, more than 2 years?) doesn't fade away in days or even weeks.
Plus you have lost your beloved, your rock and comforter - and one does not learn how to manage life after love quickly.
It comes in tiny steps of learning: new thoughts, new ways of coping, new pathways forward.
Don't plan more than you have to beyond looking after your physical needs. Try to stay well but don't push yourself.
This is a time of HUGE transition, a long and shaky bridge to cross, so be kind to yourself. [flower]

I get a new Maori word each day too, Repeat them, use the sentence perfectly the first week and may recall the meaning on week 2.
By week 3 I’m dredging the memory and at the end of the month I have absolutely no idea what they mean or how to use them.
e hiahia ana tetahi ki te roro whati?

I

Kaimoana sounds as though you have quite a gale going over there. Glad to hear you are safe and cosy though.
I still watch the Dean every day while I’m having lunch. I so like his gentle manner and interesting stories.
I’ve been doing battle of my own today. One of our suitcases was badly damaged on our holiday. These things happen so thought dealing with the insurance company would be straight forward. Far from it. I have been trying to sort it out for days. Today I sent a long (very, very long) email to the customer services department. I’m a very docile person normally but when I get my dander up……stand back ?
Grammaretto I am seriously impressed with your DGS. 150 words. Wow. Somewhere else on GN someone mentioned an app called Duolingo. I had a look at it and decided I would try and learn some French. I didn’t do French at school and don’t know many (half a dozen) French words, so thought I would give it a go. I have been doing it all week and have just passed (with a gold crown ?) the first Basics session. I probably know maybe 20 words now. I obviously have a long way to go.
Hope you had a lovely time in Edinburgh with your friend.
I think using an Agency is a good idea for renting out your flat. Makes it more formal and keeps you from getting too involved.
I had to laugh at your morning. The thought of going to a chemist to pick up a sofa amused me no end. Shame it doesn’t come on prescription or I would have one too. ?
Mamissimo you too have made me laugh. I have an image in my mind of you out in the garden in tracksuit, headband, trainers and a stop watch, jogging on the spot and encouraging your bean to go the extra mile.
Had you though of hiding the remote control to get MrM out of his armchair ?
Mamissimo your son needs to see a doctor. Even if he isn’t registered surely there must be a local GP who can take him on. I’m glad he has a partner and isn’t on his own but he seems very lethargic. Does he seem any better?
Dear Panache lovely to hear from you. I hope your friends are still around and keeping you company. I suspect you also need some quiet time to yourself. Please take care of yourself too and keep in touch whenever you are able. You are always in our thoughts. x
Also in our thoughts are all the other gang members who might be missing at the moment. Take care. You are all very special

Just dropping by to say a warm Hello to you all.

Am in the land of the living,appearing now to be in a sort of confused state.
Having joined, making an appearance in differing places but just not able to set any pattern for my life up ahead as yet.

Thinking of you and just hoping you are all coping whatever life throws into the mix,surely at some point we shall all end up in a good place......sometime.

Take good care and keep on making the most of whatever life throws in your direction.

Good morning ?

Kaimoana your DS has good advice. As this is to be a campaign of Olympic scale I have decided to grow my bean as a single cordon and train it like you do tomatoes. I need to get all the energy of the plant going into just the bean......I will then apply the same logic to Mr M who needs an energy booost.....he watched eight episodes of Mash yesterday and was no use to me

I wish we could form a possie and get on our broomsticks fly to DS's sickbed and torment him! The stupid boy has failed to register with a GP ......since going to University ten years ago! What is it with boys? I've asked him many times and received the standard either way grunt. Apparently he paid for his jabs for India and Turkistan privately and hasn't needed a GP! Well he does now!

I face timed him last night and he fell asleep halfway through a sentence. He says he feels like a phone that only ever reaches 7% charged. Dr Google says he may feel like that for more days yet. I feel very sorry indeed for his partner!

I wonder what joys today will bring?

Sunflowers are amazing!
I never can get them to grow tall and straight so I don't try.
In France they grow like weeds. Tournasol

My DGS learned 150 French words yesterday. I forgot to ask which ones!

I am going to meet an old friend in Edinburgh today. That will be fun.

I set things in motion with renting out the granny flat yesterday so it's being inspected next week by an agency.
We haven't used an agency before but now I'm on my own, I am trying to be sensible or I am less brave and bold.

In preparation, I decided to buy a new sofa cover from IKEA on-line. There was an option to pick it up from a local chemist but when I went there they said they hadn't offered that service for years. I then looked at the email and realised it was another branch in another town. So I hopped on the bus and tried the next town. It wasn't there either.
I was supposed to wait until I had confirmation from the delivery company. "How to waste a morning" by Grammaretto

That was my urgent housework Kaimoana
I miss Cherry a lot. Are you listening Cherry?

Mamissimo my dgs who could almost quote the Guiness Book of Records by heart at 6 years old (he's since graduated through QI to The Knowledge Web) says you must start with the right seeds.
blog.mr-fothergills.co.uk/runner-bean-guinness-record-leads

Doodle the photo snuck on to the next page...

I haven't been to see the Dean for ages; always so much to do and the time and energy (this latter especially) doesn't stretch.

Wild, wild winds and lashing rain last night, so I was very glad I'd had the (rare) foresight to bring in the drying laundry from the deck before I went to bed.

The big recycling wheelie bin (just emptied so still at the kerb) went bowling down the street, sounding like stampeding horses.

When Tawhirimatea calms down from his tantrum, I'll go retrieve it.
Hatches still battened down and I'm cosy.

Hope everyone else is too.

Ta da! .