The Lockdown Gang - carry on chatting ⭐️

I just wrote a long post, and suddenly, ((poof)) off it went. I suspect that the long day doing the round trip to the Big City again had something to do with my fumble fingers, as well as the 5 am start to let the over-enthusiastic kittens out. These glorious early summer mornings, first light, birds singing joyously, and the little felines are desperate to escape the house-a whirlwind of fluff and lots of chasing games.
I’ll briefly recap what I wrote, because now the chickens are telling me that they have laid me a gift and what am I going to do about it? They need feeding and being let out of their house/luxury hotel to get stuck in to the newly dug soil in their run. I was commiserating with the general air of despondency abroad - Cherry-you are a brave and stalwart woman, and I hope things are coming right for you. I appreciated the match report, even though it might just as well have been in Swahili, for all my understanding of football. It was, at least, a lot less painful than witnessing the agony of the All Blacks defeat at the hands of Ireland and France! Nfk - I hope you are over your “chistiness”(love the word!), and Kaimoana that you’ve recovered from the tooth and eye, and that your elders’ meeting went well, despite being crammed in a can/van in a most unsocially-distanced manner. Doodle, I hope that the engine troubles are being repaired as we speak – it would be terrible to be taking the slow boat to …wherever it is you are going! Grammaretto-you’ve had a busy time with your French girls and your hill walking-such energy! It’s getting too hot here now for walking, other than at this time of the day, and in the evening, after 7 pm.
Good luck everyone with the shopping – all the grandchildren here are now bought for, thank goodness – 9 grandies, plus 5 gt-nephews/nieces, and one little orphan who is our honorary gt nephew…that’s it now, as we no longer buy for adult kids, though I always give them money for a few treats. MrJ and I have bought a new barbeque as a shared gift for ourselves, as we use it every day in the summer, so our old one took a pounding.
That’s it, I can’t stand the clucking any longer! Must go and admire their …ermm..handiwork. Take care folks.

Morning All

Trying not to listen to the radio about the new variant. It just adds to the weather outside this morning. Dark, wet and thoroughly miserable. We've always tried to get away for a couple of weeks to somewhere sunny, preferably a safari joggling around the bush, and I love Africa. I so feel for those poor guides who were doing so well and doing so much for their environment. Without tourists bringing money in I fear for the wildlife.

I would take to cruising, but my love of food (which listening to our cruising friends seems to be an important part of it all), would be just too frustrating. All those lovely things which I shouldn't eat would be purgatory.

Anyway, thank you all for your good wishes re my bunged up head and doze. Its much better thank you, I'm just left with the cough which for me will hang on until the new year. I'm inclined to be what my Nan called 'chisty'. I had to eat humble pie as I'd teased DH about having man flu when he took to his bed - but I did the same! I did lateral flow tests on several mornings as I feared the worst but they were all negative.

I really don't like football Cherry but love your match reports - especially when your team wins. Potted football is perfect!

We're off with DS and DGS to the town lights switch on this evening. I hope the rain stops!

How was Yorkshire Jan?
You probably told us but I didn't realise you were home.
The days rush by and the weeks.
I'm like you about C'mas. I cannot get excited.
I have decided to send a few cards this year just to tell people about DH and that I'm still here.
I'm off to a memorial service tomorrow.

Engine trouble Doodle! that does not sound good at all.
I hope you sight land soon. Ahoy there!

The one week I did my homework the Gaelic class was cancelled. Too many had called off. probably hadn't done their homework

The French girls are thoroughly enjoying their Scottish tour. The white beaches of Morar and the Glenfinnan viaduct of Harry Potter fame were their highlights today.

My highlights were a haircut, coffee with a friend and Lidl to buy milk wine

Just realised more posts have come in since I started this. Hi Cherry was that something about football

I love that the food was good Kaimoana

Doodle ask the staff what brand of ice cream they have.
There's rarely ice cream in my freezer other than, very occasionally, Zilch which is only 4% fat & sugar free. It's also 4 times the price of any other brand which is why it's seldom in my freezer.

I'm sorry the ship has engine trouble; I do hope they throw the rowers a few scraps from the buffet.

Jan16 Maybe a light-lamp would help? That sounds a bit like SADD, which I used to get very badly in UK.
We're lucky here that even in winter we have few days without sunshine...although with my eye problem I'm supposed to keep out of the sun!
DIYD-DIYD eh?

Shawl update: I couldn't bring myself to keep it but I spread it out on the couch, just to get the joy of it for a few days. That'll do.

Where are you Mamissimo? And so many others are missing too - it's not the same without you but I guess, coming up to Christmas, you're all so busy.

We elders went to a live AGM on Wednesday night. In two large rooms we were strictly socially distanced and masked for he Zoom event.

But to get there, we used the community van and you couldn't have got a postcard between us <sigh> does that make any sense at all?

Delicious catered buffet though! so if I get Covid, at least I'll die 'appy. Hee hee.

Quite tired this evening so I'm just popping in to give a Match Report ?

Match Report - Europa Cup competition

We 'came out of the blocks' strongly. Much the stronger side in the first few minutes, a delicious ball in and soooo close to an opening goal. Drat! We kept the ball though and could they get it off us .... No! Tick tock, tick tock - that's us passing the ball around and .... unfortunately half hour played but nothing showing for our dominance ?. We're giving them hope and now they have the ball ?. Not for long! A beautiful ball to our winger, a beautiful ball from him into the box ... on ya head son ... Goal! Forty minutes in, not long before half time ?. On we play. We've got the ball and our player makes a nippy turn inside the box. He's clipped. Penalty! Up steps out captain to take the shot. Can he score? Never in doubt! Two nil to the Irons ?. It's half time.
Second half. Again we start strongly, playing with poise now. They force the ball ... they're driving forward. Can the score? Am I nervous? No, they couldn't score. It's all getting a little bit patchy but we're still well on top. Tick tock, tick tock. Not much time left ... we might as well blood a debutante. Woooo ... in a 'one two move' he's on the front foot straight away and comes sooo close to scoring. He's only been on the pitch a minute! Not to be though. Attack, after attack, after attack. The story of the half but we couldn't score again.
Full Time.
We win and top the group! Knockout stages here we come ?.

I'll pop back tomorrow ?
Jeeves, can I have one of your delicious hot chocolates please. Thinking of you all, night night everyone ?

“Kaimoana” 25 degrees?!! I wish! It’s turning cold here with gales forecast over the weekend. And it’s sooo dark. Dark in the mornings and dark again by 4 pm. Never usually bothers me but for some reason I’m fed up with it all already!
Have got 1 Christmas present simply because eldest daughter told me what to get her! Can’t say I feel very Christmassy. Lots of people round here have lights up already!
Pleased “Doodle” is enjoying the food on her cruise. Find I have to be strong food wise on a cruise or I would come back a stone heavier!! Luckily I’m not much of a foodie. My DH lives to eat while I eat to live!
Hope all lobsters are keeping well and those with problems will soon be on the mend

Kaimoana I love your humour. Only you could come up with the squash joke
No Grammaretto no land yet. We had some engine trouble with the ship so have been travelling slowly but hope to reach land on Saturday. Sea a bit bubbly but not to bad. Food good. Ice cream exceptional ?

Hello my lovely Gang-STAR friends.

Doodle I'm glad you're having a good time, choppy dolphins and all.
My son in law collects owls and for years owls in various materials was all he got from me on birthdays & Christmas. Maybe that’s why he’s so wise?
I’ve nearly always shopped early for Christmas but not, alas, because I’m organised. The fact is, struggling round shops in 25+ degree heat with everyone else in Auckland is not conducive to a happy and charitable Christmas spirit.
Rather it is designed to drive you utterly mad. So the moment festive things hit the stores, or even before, I get it all done ahead of the crowds.
This year, even in August, because Auckland was isolated, it was all done online but even then, so many ‘sold out’ or ‘not available’ notices popped up against Christmas stock.

Grammaretto I fear keeping out of trouble is a vain wish. It seems to shadow me like a vaguely disreputable old dog, waiting for the moment I relax so it can leap onto my lap.

Cherry I actually like semi-precious stones better than diamonds. I once had a silver, mediaeval-style ring made with a rectangular stone of moss agate. It’s probably the most beautiful ring I own.

My dgs told me the other day he was going to be in a class of his own – due to social distancing and many parents refusing to allow their children to go back to school.

When is a capsicum not a capsicum?
When it’s in BJ’s garden and becomes squash(ed)

Hello Doodle!

Always good to see you. Are you enjoying land as well as sea?
The glass owl sounds pretty.

I hope our Tigger is keeping safe.
Kaimoana out of trouble.
NfkD feeling better
And Panache bearing up.

Hello all. Just popping in to check up on you all.
Nfk hope your cold is improving and you are feeling better.
Kaimoana I’m glad the extraction went well and you weren’t in pain. You are well organised. I haven’t got any Christmas presents yet. I’m hoping inspiration and opportunity presents itself soon. Hope you are keeping well.
Grammaretto nice though it is to have visitors, it’s nice to be free to do your own thing again. I wonder if they will get to see Nessie ?. We have dolphins here. A bit hard to spot especially as it’s a little choppy at the moment.
That’s annoying about your radiators. Why do people let you down like that,
Are the girls coming back to you after their trip to Scotland?
muse glad your DHs ulcers have healed and no longer need treatment. Sorry your DH is needing more medical intervention. Hope he gets his hernia op soon. Is the house build still ongoing, is the outside finished yet?
I love series set in picturesque locations, increases their interest to me.
Boadicea Thank you for your good wishes, we are having a good time. The history of your ancestors arrival from Scotland is interesting. Have you lived in NZ for a long time?
It’s a shame you can’t get to see your regular GP. but hope the locum can help out with you and your DHs health problems. Oh poor you fainting in the garden and squashing your plant. Hopefully it assisted in a soft landing. Take care.
Cherry glad to hear you’re feeling a bit better.
How old will your great nephew be, do you know what you are getting him for his birthday?
We have bought a lovely glass owl for our DGD. She loves owls and this one is lovely. No colour but lovely shaped glass. Hope she’ll like it.
You are definitely in a class of your own, you’re our very special Tigger and much valued because of it. ?
Sorry this is short and sweet. Hello to all the other gangsters.
I’m posting now while I still have connection. Take care all.

Hello Lob-stars,

I have just put "my" girls on the bus for their next adventure. It was raining, naturally, and still dark but they were smiling. They have great plans, and a map, to see a lot of Scotland in 5 cold/wet days. They have promised to send me photos of the loch ness monster interesting things.
Meanwhile I do have a lot to occupy myself.

Cherry The person did not turn up for the radiators Grrrr.
I wandered into the world of trying to give things away and met a brick wall. The Sallyarmy will only take tables if they have matching chairs and no single armchairs what is a single armchair? even zero waste has a strict policy. No MDF and anyway it's miles away, they wont collect nor will things fit in my car.
I promise you nothing I disposed of at the tip is anything useful. Old packaging, moth-infested horsehair from an upholstery project, smelly rags I was given for the pottery (I have enough).
The only possible success are some rather beautiful, steel and wood, stacking chairs we rescued years ago and an architect friend thinks he knows someone who would like them. The girls took photos for me to share.

no diamonds here

I am sorry for Mr Muse but at least his ulcers are gone.
Miss Muse has my warmest wishes too.
Master Grammaretto is suffering from a similar condition.

Nice to see BoadiceaJ and imagine her healthy, sunny if dangerous, life. Squashing the poor capsicums!! How careless. I hope you or they aren't bruised.

The gt uncle who has an army record was Herbert Hamilton but now I am not so sure he was at Gallipoli. I was getting confused not for the first time He certainly sent a postcard home to his family from Glasgow in about 1917 because I have seen it.
DH's DGF was in North Africa and returned a hero. That is a fact.
Your Jane was indeed a brave young woman. Reminds me of the film "The Piano". It wasn't all adventure and romance.

Bedding to wash, emails to write, bills to pay. I will see you all later. Take care!

Not much news from Cherry Cove but the nasty after effects of the booster jab have gone ?

I hope your told in your doze is gone Nfl, a snuffy doze is warful. I remember one Xmas both me and my WP had horrid snuffy dozes and a ... tasteless Xmas dinner ?. Well, the dinner might have been tasty but we'll never know ?

BoadiceaJ, hunkering down sounds like a good plan. You're obviously self sufficient so it makes sense if you can do it. A three hour round trip to a hospital for scans or treatment on a regular basis sounds miserable when there's no alternative. Doing so to access specialisms isn't so bad if other services can be received locally, I've been in that boat --a lot- and that's fine, not perfect but fine.

Heck, your dil was lucky Kaimoana. My WP didn't lose (and fortunately find) anything as precious as a diamond - it's a lapis lazuli. Ah, yes a good idea to wrap gifts away from inquisitive 12 year olds! I haven't got going on xmas plans or pressies this year yet, I've thought about it but that's it! I can't seem to muster any enthusiasm. Perhaps when my eldest great nephew has had his birthday (end of this week) ...
I hope you sleep better tonight and that your eye is no longer sore.

Good news about your DD Muse but I'm sorry to hear that things are not so good for MrMuse. I haven't had my consultation yet, I'm over due one but haven't received a letter. If I haven't heard anything by the beginning of December I'll be ringing his secretary. It's a frustration, forget covid be great if we could, things haven't been the same since my previous consultant retired ?

I hope you're right and have found a new home for your old radiators Grammaretto. I'm wondering now whether you took other treasures to the skip that you could have sold ... ?, one person's junk ... and all that.
The french girls will remember the time they've spent with you, I'm sure. They'll be gone by the weekend won't they? I hope you're going to be alright this weekend, will you see your MIL do you think?
You're not wrong ... I'm definitely in a class of my own there's only one Tigger and I'm the only one ?.

Well, it seems to be all go in the LDG's world. And that world has expanded even further with the Croosin' Doodle. I really hope that she is enjoying the sun, sea and snoozin' , and those of you left behind in the November grey are keeping busy and happy with Christmas preps. I always loved November when I was working in boarding schools in the UK - despite the Norfolk sea frets and the chill, there was such an air of anticipation of Christmas and holidays. And when the Tree went up, the lights were lit, little faces, pink-nosed from the frost, were so full of joy. It must be such an ancient and atavistic instinct, to feel awe for light in the midst of darkness and cold.
Muse, Thank you for your lovely comment. You have been having a rough time of it...perhaps a little treat might be an antidote to worry and stress? if a visit Down Under is on your bucket list, then you must make it happen! We would love to show you around Northland, my turangawaewae, my special place, rooted as I am by my Scots ancestors, who arrived here 160 years ago. I can't imagine what it was like for Jane, 18 years old and married to a 48 year old, sailing from the Isle of Arran to the absolute unknown. Those old Scotsmen liked their women young, it seems - thinking here of John Knox, one of whose wives was barely adolescent, I seem to remember.
Grammaretto - this would be your area of expertise, I should imagine! You have had a busy time with all your sorting and disposing, French visitors and hosting, cooking and being nice - it's all so strenuous, trying to keep that smile going 24/7. Well done on scoring the gorgeous flowers! So interesting about your relative at Gallipoli, and also in Africa. Do you know which outfit he was with at Gallipoli? It would be so strange if he happened to be in the same unit as my grandfather and his dearly-loved brother, who was killed at Hill 60, a particularly stupid and ill-thought-out attack, which caused the decimation of the Canterbury Mounted Rifles. I have a photo of them, just before they left for Egypt and training, the group of handsome, bronzed, fit young bushmen and farmers, tall and straight and clear-eyed, mounted on their own horses which they took with them. Devotion to Mother England was the motivation for the New Chums, less that 10 years out from "Home", the Great Adventure for the rest. None of those horses went back to NZ - they stayed in Egypt and met an awful fate. Thank God for Dorothy Brooke. So very sad for the men - those horses, and their dogs, were their only companions and friends in remote and lonely outback blocks.
Kaimoana - I agree with NflDumpling that you must keep the shawl. You deserve it, and it gives you pleasure. It really is so beautiful. Have emailed you-will chat later.
Just off out in a few minutes to the doc, for MrJ and self - double appointment, with ((sigh)) another locum. Heart meds need tweaking for me, MrJ has ...stuff. I was a bit silly, and fainted in the garden while weeding the tomatoes in the very hot sun. Bummer-I squashed a capsicum plant on the way down.
Right. Off, over and out. Take care, everyone, and keep warm and cozy.

Since my last post, a week has flown by and I wonder what have I been doing.

I have had lots of merriment: swapping news and gossip with friends over the internet. Been uplifted with news from DD that she is continuing to improve and talking of a phased return to work. Helping MrMuse through his worries and anger about getting old and being ill. He is currently having tests to ensure that he is fit for a hernia operation but the blood test showed up arrhythmia and the CT colostomy scan may show a twisted or kinked intestine. However, I rejoice with him as his ulcers are well healed. In fact, they are no more ?. He has strict instructions to keep the compression stockings on for a year.

Thank you for MrMuse's good wishes Grammaretto and the link to those beautiful house designs. We did look at kit houses but they are quite expensive. Not sure if I missed it in your posts, but did you get the cooker installed?

Kaimoana. What a beautiful view and Mary Branson's work is too. Thank you. I have now sold all my glass but did once try stained glass work at a local studio. How materials can change and be shaped has always fascinated me. That's why I took to fused glass.
I took Mya to the dog creche in St Columb last week. It was a positive hive of activity. Apparently a German film company have been there for three weeks filming "Rosamunde Pilcher's Cornwall".
Warm scones - now you have me wanting to bake tomorrow. I have everything in I need.

NfkDumpling. It never ceases to amaze me how little oaks keep springing up every where in my rockery. I'm sure the multitude of squirrels in our woods bring them in.

I'm a Shetland watcher Doodle. Love any dramas with a northern setting. Vera is another.

You can't win Cherrycezzy but I'm glad the booster happened. MrMuse and myself are getting more actual face to face consultations these days Mamissimo. Hope your's was positive Cherry. ??

I do so enjoy your posts BoadiceaJones. Your U3A group French group meetings sound brilliant fun and in such idyllic surroundings. I bet the cafe have increased their coffee and cake sales?! I'd love a touch of your 'paradise' please. One day perhaps, we will pack a case and fly out there. It has always been a dream of MrMuse and myself.

Thinking caring thoughts of Panache as I finish my post. Hope we hear from her soon.

Enjoy that cruise Doodle.

Me too MrMuse I send my good wishes and healing vibes.

Grammaretto Well done for selling your antiques . I thought earlier, when you said you were going to the tip with a car full of trash, it would be someone else's treasure and a market stall might have served you well.

I am a long-time insomniac so it doesn't bother me. Depending on my mood (and the weather) I either listen to an audio book - or get up and work at my computer.
After posting here, I did the latter and got back to bed just after 4 but was still up and working by 6, so clearly I'm getting enough sleep .

Today, I shall wrap some Christmas gifts, principally so that a nosy curious 12 year old GS does not discover what he's getting, if he comes over at the weekend.

I will miss the girls but on the other hand I will only need to feed and entertain myself in the evenings.
I took them to Abbotsford today, the home of Sir Walter Scott.
Only the 3 of us and 3 guides.
On the way home there was a glorious sunset. I can try to post a picture of it.
I may have sold my 2 old radiators. they had the very same ones at Abbotsford If so I think it will be the first time I have ever managed to successfully sell any of our treasures junk
No counting chickens

Sorry you are not sleeping well Kaimoana DMiL has requested a wee willy winkie night cap the woolly sort She hopes it will help her to sleep better. At least her head will be warm.
I saw on another thread that Mr muse has had a medical procedure. If so, I send him good wishes for a speedy recovery..

It's 2am and I can't sleep.
Hope your code id da noze has gone Nfk its miserable when you're all bunged up.

BJ I wish I were nearer - spinach is one of my favourite vegetables.

Grammaretto it'll be quiet when your lovely French friends go, you'll miss them.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful flowers.

I was told today that we elders are to get together (carefully spaced of course) for the AGM on Wednesday. I'm being picked up at 3pm and wonder how they are going to 'socially distance' us in the van!

Dentistry today was painless and such a relief to get this tender tooth fragment finally extracted. The gum can now commence healing over.

I celebrated with a cream cake

Fare thee well, Bon Voyage and Haste Ye Back Doodle and the Dude

I don't know if the girls helped at the class as I wasn't there. They said it was fun and everyone was kind to them. I have let them off tonight. They are at the Christmas market in Edinburgh. They are only here until Wednesday so I must make the most of their help.

Thanks for leaving Jeeves a key. A large cool white for me in honour of your cruise.

Grammaretto are the French girls helping out with the class?
Must be a good idea to have two “proper” French speaking people to help out,
I am excited about the trip. All the packing is done, hair washed and now just waiting till tomorrow.
I too have back pain due to my yoga bending down packing and re-packing the suitcase .
Congratulations on the new arrival. What a big boy ?
The flowers are lovely. Well worth saving.
I have been a bit naughty. I belong to the online library Libby which you may have come across. I joined when Lockdown started as all the libraries were closed.
The ship normally has its own library but doe to Covid they don’t have any books in it at the moment. I downloaded some books to read on holiday. Started one yesterday and got so engrossed that I’ve been dipping in and reading several times during the day instead of holiday preparation. At this rate I will have finished it before we go.

Well dear gangsters, I will be thinking of you while I’m away and will be in touch if I can.

Jeeves has the key to the wine cellar (oh dear ?) so I’m not sure how much use he will be while I’m away.
Take care all and keep safe x

Here are the very bright flowers rescued from destruction

Saturday morning here. The French girls are doing their own thing today (they are dropping into the French conversation class) so I can catch up on here and do my own thing.

You will be getting very excited Doodle. I can't wait to hear all about it am a bit jealous

I have a sore back today after all that yoga taking carloads of stuff to the tip

The baby, my niece's, eventually arrived yesterday. He is a big boy at 4.5kg. 10lb to you and me No name yet . They gave his brother such an odd one that I am agog to hear what this one will be. His DF is from the Faroe Islands so perhaps we can blame it on that.

Terrible to hear of the bad side effects effects from medicines Dude, Kaimoana, Mamissimo, Cherry

Although you Cherry are in a class all of your own!

Sometimes the cure etc. One of the chemicals DH had to take turned his hair pure white. It was rather attractive and better than losing it.

BoadiceaJ great to hear from you. How wonderful to be self sufficient. I broke into my home grown onions. They wouldn't last long if I had to depend on them. I have taken to helping myself to food from the community fridge. M&S and other big stores send their leftovers to the food banks and yesterday I picked a loaf of granary bread, a lemon, a salad which was best before Thursday, and a bunch of flowers.

I am on a NZ genealogy messaging board where there are some experts on soldiering and WW1. I found one of my NZ relatives who fought at Gallipoli and survived, and another who died in the Boer war. A cousin died in the Pike River mine disaster 10 years ago.

That walk along the pebbly beach sounds magical NfkD

Hello again Boadicea . You certainly have been busy.
That is quite a round trip for the MRI. Hope the scan results are helpful in resolving your DHs spinal issues. Is he in much pain?
Don’t blame you trying to avoid the masses. Being reasonably self sufficient is a good way of keeping safe.
Your U3A French group sounds hilarious and is obviously very popular. If any of the others in the cafe have a smattering of French, perhaps they are wondering who the dashing Jean-Claude is. ?
Have fun in the garden and enjoy your books.
NfK oh sorry you’ve got a told in yor doze. ? I am keeping clear as I’m hoping to remain cold free for a while.
Do hope it’s not one of those drawn out things and you feel better soon.
Your description about you and DH arm in arm sliding down the stones sounds very much like us. Hanging onto each other is the only way we stay upright when we’re out ?
Hi Kaimoana, no DHs consultation isn’t until after we’re back.
Hope your eye is starting to feel better and not so painful
Now you’ve got the dentist on Monday. Poor you, it’s all coming at once. Hope the tooth comes out without a problem
Take care all

Oh Doodle you do make me laugh.

Your packing saga, or packing for Saga, had me smiling. I can just imagine you, 'This jumper? Thats skirt? No, this one, that one.' Have a lovely time. Will your DH have his consultation before you go?

"Wow, wow" indeed Cherry that's incredible and matches my dil experience of losing diamond from her ring, searching high and low (including vac bag) then sitting on the couch in defeat, only to see the stone next to her on the cushion.

No, she doesn't know about the shawl but if I keep it, can I wear it without guilt? Ha ha.

The eye reaction has lessened somewhat. It's due to 12 years of injections; scar tissue and an allergy to the anaesthetic drops.
Therapy was making a batch of Lemon Curd from Boadicea’s lemons yesterday

So glad MrM is back to his 'old' self Mamissimo even if it means charging around .
Oh dear, your poor DD2 and the lovely dog. Yes, our animals are indeed like family.
Good luck with the childcare!

Not looking forward to a tooth extraction and filling on Monday but needs must when pain and the devil drills.


Put another log on the fire Jeeves and bring me a bowl of gruel.

I too am amazed Boudicea that so many men came from so many different countries around the world to support us. I knew the loss for New Zealand was especially bad and the selfless courage is quite overwhelming.

I do hope your eye is better soon Kaimoana, I think you are incredibly brave. Just the thought of having anything done to my eyes turns me to jelly. I would keep that lovely shawl if I were you, you deserve it. Can you get another one? Are they horribly expensive? That one looks as if it should be.

I've dot a told in by doze. DH developed it after we got really cold and damp bringing the boat back last Saturday. Now I've caught it and I'm coughing and sneezing all over the place. He's blaming me as he says its my boat!!

We did go down to the sea this morning as the sun was shining for a breath of ozone. The tide was out so we slid arm in arm down the pebble bank onto the sands. Having four legs between us kept us upright! I don't know what the other walkers thought of a doddery old couple staggering over the stones when there was a nice promenade we could have walked along. But it certainly did clear our heads. Just a short walk but I then spent the afternoon in bed! I'm feeling a bit old!

Greetings, all, and thank you for the enquiries. I haven't yet caught up with all your news, though I have skim-read posts from time to time, trying to take in the frenetic activities you have all been up to, and the sad health issues. I really hope that the dire predictions of the winter of discontent that awaits will not come to fruition. I was listening to a Guardian podcast in the wee small hours about Germany's plight, which though sad for them, will probably not be replicated in the UK owing to your greater exposure to the virus earlier. This Delta+ sounds pretty nasty. It's great for Aucklanders to have more freedom from 15 December, but I dread to think of the consequences of throngs of tourists on our whanau in the Far North. I see some of the iwi in some tourist areas are closing the roads, highly illegally, of course, to protect the elderly from infection. We have decided that after the borders open, and Aucklanders start flooding into our beautiful, plague-free area to their holiday homes, we are going to hunker down with our cats, chickens and vege garden, and live off what we can produce and what we have in the freezer. MrJ cannot afford to contract covid with his array of health issues.
Speaking of which, another 3-hour round trip yesterday to the nearest Base hospital for an MRI on his spine. One of the penalties for living in paradise is the distance from major hospital facilities. Another trip next week - that will be 3 in three weeks-luckily I had a delivery from the Book Depository and am ploughing through the last of the library books before starting on them...it's like a little secret stash of chocolate, the thill of knowing treasure awaits, and I only have to find the time to get to it.
Now that my U3A French group have demanded (in the nicest possible way) that rather than meeting once an month, then once a fortnight, now it's to be every week. We meet in the Packhouse Market cafe - was formerly a huge shed used for packing kiwifruit, now it's a deliciously scruffy cafe, selling wonderful coffees, artisan breads, pastries made by the (rather cute) French pâtissier . So on Thursday we met for an hour of conversation, coffee and much hilarity, as I got them spreading gossip about the luscious (and fictional, bien sûr) Jean-Claude, coureur de jupons (skirt chaser) extraordinaire. You would be amazed how much practice drilling of the passé composé and indirect speech one can do by the simple practice of spreading gossip - to say nothing of falling about laughing. I'm sure the neighbouring tables thought that our coffee and pastries were laced with the local wacky baccy from the uproarious time that was had by all.
The weather has been beautiful, and the nights very hot and sticky. I've had to use some of our carefully-stored rainwater from the tanks to irrigate the veges. It looks as though we will be having our own sweetcorn, tomatoes and new potatoes for Christmas! My cousin brought over an enormous pork roast from one of her piggies that she hand-raised, and had slaughtered a couple of weeks ago. Christmas dinner sorted.
In the very little spare time I have, what with gardening, pruning, chainsawing, teaching and preparing for teaching, driving MrJ all over the country, I've been continuing with family research, particularly WWI connections. I'm amazed that tiny little NZ, with a population, then, of just on 1 million, had 10% of its population overseas fighting for Mother England, and lost more men per head of population than any other combatant nation. I mean, we were 12,000 miles away from anything.
I really have to stop now and get to the garden before it gets any hotter. I have so much spinach about to run to seed that I'm going to make a huge creamed spinach dish with cream cheese and olive oil (keto, of course) to go with the locally-caught fish for dinner. Kaimoana - I've emailed you - I wish I could get some of this asparagus to you...it's a right pain that the couriers are so run off their feet.
Must dash-enjoy your sorting, gardening, entertaining of French girls, and commiserations for the painful health issues and other troubles. Bye y'all, keep well xx