The Lockdown Gang - still chatting ?

Yes!! Progress at last Grammaretto - what patience you've shown. It must be the calmness of Quaker meeting which helped.

We are all quiet aren't we? Except in my house where despite the taxi fiasco, we're having fun.
Yesterday we downloaded pretty, cute and/or educative skeleton pictures, laminated them and now have a set of new placemats.

We made chicken and camembert filo parcels yesterday and hope to make chorizo sausage rolls today with baked doughnuts for dessert.

He leaves on Friday.

I am so sad and cross on your behalf Kaimoana that you missed your dinner out and karaoke with dgs. That would have been such fun.
I have two rather exciting things to report:
Firstly I now have a stair carpet again. It's thick and fluffy but so thick I can't close the loo door anymore.
And the gas hob now works on the "new" cooker so I made my hot choc on it tonight for the first time. The oven isn't working yet but hey, some progress. Thanks to sparky and the gasman.
How is your house getting on muse? actually don't answer that as you are in the Scillies.

I hope all holiday-makers are having a fine time.

Any news of other, quieter Lobstars?

Apricot?

Guess what... I promised mydgs we'd go out for dinner and karaoke (he's only 12 and likes a laugh). We booked the taxi for 6:50 and at 7:20 rang them to be told, 'the next available cab will be with you shortly.
We're still waiting.

We gave up at 8:30pm and made supper.

Needless to say, the Compliance Manager (what a misnomer) got a phone call from me.

It's extra galling when it's my dgs whose evening was spoiled. Grrrr.
Trouble is, all the taxi companies at this side of the city are a co-operative, using several names but the same outfit.

Ah well, I guess this is the price I pay for daring to complain.

Ooh!! Leg o lamb on its way Mamissimo
Cheeky besom is MrM. can you be male besom?
Brunhilde has left but only after missing her bus as they wouldn't accept her card and asking me to swap 5 euros for £5. I did but she had woken me from a deserved nap deep sleep
The carpet is now laid so I will have to take my shoes off.
What is an Archie Bott tree? Mamissimo

Good morning ?

I thought you would all love to share the joy that my celeriac seeds have germinated at last! Carrots not so good, broccoli going great guns.

I am however in some distress over the Achey Bott tree which seems to be struggling after a random frosting at bud break. It's a very special type, recently bred specifically for the UK and Canada. Mr M says it was too expensive to replace with another one and I'll have to have something normal.

I pointed out to him that he wouldn't like to be replaced with something normal to which he replied that I'd be lucky to attract any 'replacements' as I'm a tad damaged myself!

Where's the leg of lamb? The holiday is over......?

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Oh no! Someone please help Kaimoana.
You and DGS do have fun together and I suppose selling lime loo fresheners could be a thing. It would certainly test your sales skills.

Brunhilde and I had a bonfire yesterday but had to stop PDQ when we disturbed a blackbird's nest. I doubt she will return. blackbird not Brunhilde
Sparky was here again, a little more progress but I had to remind him I have tenants when his saw was still going at 11pm.
How's the cruising Doodle?

Dgs and I saw an 'invention' online whereby you cut one end from a disposable face mask and add the rind of citrus fruit into the bag it makes.

You then tie the cut end with the spare elastic and hang it in your loo.

According to the blurb it clean the loo and makes it smell delicious.

But this is Kaimoana's house where anything which can go wrong, will.

As we lifted the cermaic top of the cistern, we somehow managed to dislodge and break a plastic widget inside.
It's a Public Holiday.
We need and emergency plumber.
There's a Salvation Army property inspection tomorrow.

So at dawn tomorrow, dgs and I will heading for Argentina where we'll assume false names and sell limes as toilet cleaners.

What and where is your facebook page Kaimoana? I must thank sparky for the pizzas if I ever see him again.
He was supposed to meet the gasman here but the gasman didn't show up.......

The stair carpet is being fitted tomorrow. I've been putting up with cold stone stairs all winter and at last the carpet is coming. Life doesn't get much more exciting here!

Your pub crawl sounds fun nevertheless Grammaretto and how kind of Sparky.
(Look on my FB page for a dear wee Scots girl)

Great to see you posting Nfk but I can't decide if it was a good thing or not that you didn't meet St David.
I suppose he'll always be there with your friends, whereas an angiogram won't.
I very much hope the result is good. If you are suffering and your medication makes it worse, that's a dismal state of affairs.

I know this is one of my hobby horses but I actually persuaded one of the coffee stalls in the Mall to re-label their sandwiches correctly.

It's a world-wide mistake that people sell (and therefore encourage us to ask for) "a panini".
A sandwich, in Italian.
It's a panino. (singular)

The plural (sandwiches) is panini.
You wouldn't ask for "a sandwiches" would you?

So at least one outlet has seen sense - now on to the rest of the world

Oh dear goodness me NfkD what a time you have had.
I hope you get your Welsh trip sometime and BB feels better.
Mamissimo your holiday seems to have gone exceptionally well. Well done!

I'd love to see your holiday pics Doodle it sounds wonderful.

I'm just home from a pub crawl. Df, Brunhilde and I set forth to find some action on a Saturday night. We weren't allowed in the first place because Brunhilde had no ID and looks young.
Second pub was too crowded. Third pub was ok but with big screens and piped music. 4th pub was just right. It was the Sudents' Union.

Sparky had left us pizzas!

Guava jelly and membrillo, anyone? Voted by (the totally unbiased) MrJ the best jelly/jam EVER.

Hello all, a quick message from me. Hope it comes tHrough ok but internet is intermittent.
In Skjolden in Norway. The most beautiful place you can imagine. I will share photos when home.
Quiet beautiful sunny and tranquil. The most exceptional day.
Muse I hope you are ok and recover and enjoy your holiday.
Mamissimo I hope you had a good time with your family.
NFK so sorry your holiday plans have had to be cancelled.
Hope your BB is ok but can understand your concern about his health and well being. I do so hope he’s ok and the angiothing goes ok. Please let us know how he gets on.
Kaimoana and Boadicea thinking of you and hoping things are ok.
Grammareto hope Sparky gets you fully sorted soon.
Are you meeting with your yarn group this week.
PanacheCherry**Nortsat and Missedout thinking of you all and hoping life is ok for you all.
Much love to all xx

Good evening ?

We are safely home from Devon and have done three loads of washing, Sainsbugs has been.....I need another holiday!

It was a precious time of cooking meals together, draining the wine lake having long chatty evenings with loads of laughter, walks, beaches and seafood! Smashing!

DD1 and her family will move into their new house on Thursday and we will get some peace our space and routines back. Living together has been fine but it will do us all good to run our own establishments again.

The veg all survived so I must go and water the greenhouse.....

Well done BoadiceaJ what a mammoth rescue job on your glorious fruit. I love the idea of having membrillo on toast through the winter.
Feijoas are delicious too.

I am glad things seem to be working out well for you and dgs Kaimoana I hope you have a great time together and I look forward to hearing about your trip to visit BJ whenever that happens.

Sparky turned up last night and did a few more hours and he has arranged to meet the plumber here who will fit the cooker before it runs out of guarantee I am not holding my breath.

Brunhilde wanted to find some action in a pub! I and df spent ages persuading her there wasn't any locally unless she wanted to watch football, and she decided she wasn't up to going into Edinburgh and coming back on the night bus since she had walked in the Pentland hills earlier in the day.
When she leaves here, she is going to be in Edinburgh for 2 months so plenty of time to play.
She got very tearful listening to the news yesterday. I forget what it's like to be a teenager.

Sparky has arrived. Wonders will never cease.

Morning All

I've just popped in before Best Beloved surfaces to say that I am still alive and have been lurking occasionally to keep up with things (I hope you have a wonderful holiday Muse, I will look up Bryher!)

We should have been in South Wales right now and heading towards St Davids in our camperbubble but BB had an appointment with the cardiac consultant (by phone of course) three weeks ago and it was made very clear we should cancel so he's available for a angiograph. The medication he's now on is making him feel worse than he was before but he has an appointment now for a pre-op check on Monday followed by the angiothing ten days later. So, a good thing we didn't go. He'd been all fired up and ready to ignore the doctors and go as the GP meds he got first made him feel so much better! Men!

So, hair/dentist/osteopath appointments have been moved and meeting friends cancelled and we're in voluntary lockdown. Tesco order comes tomorrow. It's just like old times!

Today I shall clean the windows. I will try to be more positive and communicative!

So, in the kitchen all day, dealing to fruit and veg which require urgent attention. Here is my beyond-heavenly avocado soup, with homegrown cilantro, lime juice, spring onions and garlic, with cumin, sour cream and toasted sunflower seeds.
in the slow-cooker are the quinces and sinful amounts of sugar, which I hope will transmogrify into membrillo after a ridiculous amount of cooking time. In a colander are draining guavas, which will soon, as if by magic, be guava jelly, the food of the gods. MrJ promises to convert the feijoas into feijoa fritters this evening. A friend has just been to collect a big bag of mandarins and limes, thank goodness.
Back to the membrillo, everything crossed.

Don't worry BJ plans are in train (or coach and car) but it depends now on DS schedule. He won't let us down - but it'll take a wee bit of time.

Meanwhile, start looking for chutney recipes

DGS arrives early tomorrow so I've been baking today.
Made a splendid apple cake and 2 banana loaves (one for DiL to take home and share)

Spoke to one of the organisers of the ANZAC Day non-parade today and explained I'd be challenged to stand an hour in cold rain, he said, 'Just come at 7am for breakfast then, no problem.'
Magic words.
First time I've ever known breakfast not to be free but Covid has changed so many things.

Still, at $10* a head and a huge selection of items from the bains-marie, we are sure of a feast. DGS will appreciate it.
*£5.25

I would have liked to hear you sing Grammaretto - it sounds enchanting.
muse do you remember actor Clint Walker who played Cheyenne Bodie?
He was my heart-throb and it was reading about his wholefood diet which included pumpkin, sesame and sunflower seeds (none of which I’d heard of) which began what became a life-long, if gradual change of diet for me.

Lovely to hear from you Doodle and sweet about the ducklings.

What an amazing harvest Boadicea!
I hope your precious tree survives.
My little plum tree is covered with blossom. I have to keep an eye on her as she caved under the weight of fruit and had to be rescued 2 years ago.
I hope the cruise is going well Doodle
I gave sparky a prod yesterday. I asked him if he needed me to get him help to get things moving. As a result he is coming each day this w/end and he has asked his friends to help!!

Brunhilde put another coat of paint on the garden chairs, made a poster for the open studios, shopped and cooked us a lovely supper. I am definitely going to miss her.
I managed to make some pots.

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G'dday everyone, and I hope that everyone is feeling a little less stressed and unwell...though we know who will be on top of the world-well, on top of the waves, don't we, Doodle....hope your holiday is going well, and you, too, Mamissimo.

I've had such a busy day in the garden, trying to rescue fruit from my poor mandarin, which is so overloaded as to be in extremis. I can't believe one young tree can bear so much, and she's being so brave in the teeth of the gale. I cut over 20kg of fruit off the two branches which are at severe risk of being torn off, and it looks no different. Now I've got to find a home for all this produce - feijoas are not everyone's cup of tea, guavas take so much work to make jelly, quinces too, and there are only so many limes any one/two person/s can eat. Kaimoana - time you were up here to help with eating them.

I'm having a little pitter-patter with my A.F. so am taking a bit of time out just now. Excuse the brevity of the post.
Take care xx

Fruit rescue...high winds...

Hello all from a calm and beautiful day at sea.
Such a relief to pass the covid test and be onboard.
Had a nice meal last night and relaxing reading today as it’s a sea day. I bought a new top in the shop onboard. I will avoid the jewellery shop……too expensive. ?
Hope all the gang are ok.
Kaimoana you made me laugh about covering the grid to save the ducklings. DH and I once spent hours in the dark rescuing about 8 ducklings who had got stuck in a hole and couldn’t get out and back to their mum who was going demented running (waddling) round calling for them.
We didn’t touch them but built a sloping walkway to get them out of the pit and back to mum. Some got up straight away but some didn’t catch on we were trying to help them.?
Boadicea how are you and all the girls? Hoping your aren’t being blown away.
Muse how are you feeling now. Are you still testing positive? Hope you get to go in your holiday.
Grammaretto I bet your duet was well received. Wish we could have had a video of you and Brunhilde.
I would send Brunhilde round to March Sparky back to finish the work. Hope you have a lovely time with your yarn group.
Mamissimo hope the holiday is all going well and ……peacefully.
Take care all. I will be thinking of you x

Hello Lobstars,

Good times are being had by the sounds of it.
Kaimoana
muse I am glad you and Mr muse will be well again and able to enjoy your Scilly holiday.

The day has begun chilly and I am watching over the seedlings and plantlets in the greenhouse like a mother hen.

I had tea and bubbly with DMiL and the inlaws yesterday as it would have been DFiL's birthday. He was the same age as the Queen.

Ha ha muse these pumpkin seeds wouldn't be nice in Coleslaw as they have their hard shells on, straight from the middle of the punkin.

I too use them in salads, bread and snacks but these are shop-bought ones, already peeled and ready to eat. I usually add some freshly chopped mint to my coleslaw too.

I hope your holiday on Bryher is wonderful and the sun shines to your delight.

I had an unexpected but very welcome visitor from Brazil this afternoon. He's a dear friend and I used to teach his little daughters who are now married and working in high-flying jobs. I can't imagine them as anything other than cheeky little beauties.
We reminisced about good times and bad. Lovely.

Nice morning with the kaumatua as well and in addition to a splendid lunch we had Birthday cake as two member were celebrating their 80's.

A good day

Good Evening Lobstars. ?

I've done my usual napping and snoozing this evening. My energy level drops dramatical after 4:00pm even when I've done very little during the day. MrMuse and I tested last night and he is now -ive. My faint line means negativity is on the horizon. The cough lingers Grammaretto but I'll be glad when I get my energy back. I miss it. ☹️

Farewell Doodle and the Dude. You are leaving lots of sunshine behind. Hope that alarm is set ! We must swap holiday snaps on here when we both return. My bag is waiting to be packed on Sunday. On Monday we will be taking a car journey ?, flight ? and a boat ? to reach our holiday destination, Bryher, which is a mere 90 miles from us as the crow flies.

Cooking on holiday Mamissimo . No. Have fun looking for lots of lovely eating places. The sun is set to continue into next week.

The word is brood Kaimoana. I rather like chickadees but that has another meaning. Pity. I'm rather partial to toasted pumpkin, sunflower seeds and pine nuts. Whilst they are still warm in the pan I sprinkle a generous amount of soya sauce on them. I can eat them as a snack but they make a lovely addition to a coleslaw just sprinkled on top.

I must sneak out in the car tomorrow and drop a card in the post box. It is my DD's birthday soon. We are so looking forward to her visit at the beginning of June. GDD and dog are coming too. Neither of them have had covid and I have my fingers crossed they don't get it just before they come. They are both in contact with so many people most days of the week with travel, work and college.

Take care Lobstars.

Good morning ?

I am jolly good thank you Grammaretto. It's a glorious morning and I'm eating toast and honey. H Beagle is catching crumbs--sunbathing at my feet. Mr M is --hiding in the bedroom still asleep and I'm confident that he will appear as soon as we've cleared up breakfast ?

Today I'm taking him to see a couple of churchyards with plenty of my DNA in. He seems happy to tag along as there's a pub beside the church......it will be a good day!