The Lockdown Gang - still chatting ?

Sorry I haven't felt up to posting and as you know, reading all the back posts to catch up is not something I can easily do.

I don't have much to tell you.
Dgs came to stay and I showed him how to dry washed lettuce the old-fashioned way - by whirling it around in a dry tea towel.

He didn't quite understand the concept so his first two experimental whirls were in the kitchen - soaking me to the skin! Hilarious.

Phil's moved to the rest home in this part of the city. It's unsettled him but I'm hoping he'll feel up to a visitor on Sunday.

I wonder if anyone remembers late last year, a neighbour offering to give my kitchen a thorough clean? Cupboards, pantry, fridge and oven.
She's finally got round to it and will come on Saturday. I am tremendously grateful.

I think I read Grammaretto at last has a working stove - I hope so.

I wish I could see the ponies but just knowing Jan made them happy is heartwarming.

Very cold here - fingers too cold to work brain too.

There must be some atavistic, evil, mid-winter angel abroad that sucks the joy out of living, even in the mild-climated Far North. I have never spent so many hours being support and listening ear for so many people as over the last couple of weeks, ever. Is there some prescience of what awaits us in the next few decades, in a world that will never be the same again? Close friends and family members who are suffering badly from anxiety, depression, an inescapable feeling of doom. Perhaps it's purely seasonal, and when the days lengthen, the rain ceases and the cold mornings warm, more perspective and reason will prevail. My French group huddled together this afternoon, a bulwark against the deluge of bad news, and what's happening out there in terms of house prices, interest rates, food costs, and just enjoyed our time together. "The highlight of our week" as they describe our tea, cakes and chat. I'm still catching up, with great interest, on your posts of the last week. Will be back soon, fully flu-vaxxed and ready to face Australia in 3 weeks' time.

Hello Kiwis!
Very glad to see you again despite the doom and gloom
You are far too empathetic BJ to let yourself be burdened with the woes of the world.

My NZers are leaving today on their European adventure. DGS has even started a blog "travels with a 10yr old" and I have had a lesson on the Colosseum. Their first stop bis Rome. It will be the heat of hell after Wellington I imagine.
I cooked lunch for DMiL yesterday plus a vegan crumble in the new oven. I didn't read the instructions and the top burned.
I am downloading 11 pages of instructions.,...
Oh dear. I have never cooked in anything that wasn't either hot or not quite as hot.
I could forget I'd put something in the Rayburn to warm and find it several days later rock hard but not charred.
I took the in-laws for a drive to visit a churchyard where her suffragette gt aunts are buried. Ofcourse we couldn't find the stones but we had a good jaunt.
I heard about these women who were both unmarried teachers and decidedly racy
They were followers of Marion Grieve an Edinburgh Suffragette, famous at the time.

I hope you manage to visit Phil Kaimoana as I am sure you will bring him great comfort and cheer.
I laughed at the spinning of the lettuce! That's how I was taught too.
Love the gang of ponies Jan
Happy days ahead Lobstars. I miss our Welsh contingent. Cwtches all around.

Hello long lost pals. How are you?
Dear Kaimoana you sound a bit down. You must be worried about your friend Phil. I do hope you get to visit him soon.
I hope your time with your DGS lifted your spirits a bit.
Wow someone to clean your kitchen. That’s a nice thing to do.
I would send you some sunshine if I could. It’s hard to imagine it being cold where you are.
Boadicea I hope peoples spirits left when the weather gets warmer. I wonder if what’s happening now is some kind of post pandemic anti climax. We’ve all been through such a worrying time. Your French group sounds like a beacon of light for you little group. You obviously have the touch when it comes to teaching.
Hope all your vaxxing goes well.
Grammaretto will your NZ family be visiting you on their travels? Your DGSs blog will no doubt be of much interest to you.
A new oven will take a while to adjust to. Was your vegan crumble a main or dessert?
Have you got another helper coming soon?
Went out for our usual walk today and stopped for an ice cream half way round. We had only just started eating them when torrential rain started. We hid under the shelter of some trees until it lessened. At least I don’t have to water our baskets tonight. They are full of petunias and blooming well.
Yes I miss our missing gangsters too. I wonder if Missedout has been off boating again. If Nortsat and all the Molls are ok. Cherry you see you are missed.
Hope everyone is ok.

I am still lurking Doodle , Jeeves' has obviously been very discreet when he has spied me ?. It was lovely to read that you and Mr D*/*The Dude had a lovely family day on his birthday ?

One part of the Welsh contingent here Grammaretto ? I must say I'm relieved that Sparky finally got your oven up and running! I'm pleased that you are now able to burn bake until your heart's content.

Kaimoana, as Doodle has said, you do seem a bit down. I hope you can manage to visit Phil on Sunday and maybe laugh together - at your DGS soaking you with a wet lettuce (a spinning one no less) ?
Boadicea many a mid-Winter malevolent daemon shrink and wither as the season is superseded by the brighter Spring, I hope that's true for the people around you ?

I hope you are fairing well enough Jan ?

Night GangStars x

Ooh Cherry what a lovely lift to the spirits to see you posting.
Yes Jeeves is very discreet. Comes from when he used to work for ? as head butler before his fall from grace just don’t mention the parlour maid ?

Doodle no haven’t seen the ponies yet. Sadly they have a birthday week while we are in Norway next month but hopefully will get to meet them this year.
Cherry lovely to hear from you. I did hear a rumour that Jeeves had seen you but been sworn to secrecy. I actually heard he worked for Royalty many years ago till as Doodle said there were whispers below stairs!
Do hope Boadicea and Kaimoana are ok. Sad times for many people at the moment

Lovely to see you Cherry What a nice surprise.

And Jan, off to Norway soon.

I hope NZ son will come here Doodle. He is borrowing my car while he's in the UK so he'll have to. He/they are taking me to France with them in late August.

Meanwhile English son is arriving tomorrow for the weekend. I still haven't made up all the beds.
I am tired after a pottery class. It was four vets this time. They were so quick to learn - amazing.

It was a burned rhubarb crumble

Wonderful to see you Cherry I do hope you are doing well - big, warm, soft cwtchs to you dear girl. ?

*The positive side*: the sun IS shining most days, even when it's cold here.

My dgs is coming back soon because another holiday is due.
I have my kaumatua group which I enjoy. An this uplifting thread of friends.

Phil, despite the grief surrounding his situation has 1st class care and is in a lovely, warm place.

My freesias are poking above the soil, so I have them to look forwards to.

My darling son got top marks in his Cyber Security papers, despite all the very many challenges in his way when studying.

It cheers me a lot to think the very talented young man who is Grammaretto's dgs is writing a blog, I would very much like to read it, or part of it if I'm allowed. I'm a great fan of his writing.

Sorry to have missed your DH's birthday Doodle must have been away with the fairies. It sounds to have been an ideal celebration and very happy.

BJ the warm, cosy haven which is your beautiful home and your ever-welcoming presence is bound to be the high spot of anyone's week. I'm glad they enjoyed it.
No malevolent spirit - the world was ever thus…worse in fact. And at least we live in Aotearoa.

Say, 'Yes Pollyanna Kaimoana'

L'été s'impose et contraint toute âme au bonheur."
- André Gide (1869-1951)
This quote arrived, attached to something else, this morning. Gide = strange man, telling us that summer imposes itself upon us and forces every soul to be happy.
Well, that's a sign, if ever I saw one. A jest from the universe. After all, winter does most of the imposing….L'hiver s'impose et contraint toute âme au malheur."
Anyway, it cheered me up, just thinking…what a strange bunch the French are… (just joking, though MrJ has never forgotten Trafalgar, and Agincourt, and Crécy…, so I have to live with it.)
Well, my cousin is coming to visit, which makes me happy, as she has had such a wretched time since her ex-husband died during the last lockdown. There is nothing truer than “where’s there’s a Will, there’s a war.” Her ex’s brothers, having left her to look after him, and to do everything for him during his last illness, to organise his cremation and all the concomitant paperwork and legalities, have booted her out of what was their matrimonial home where she was caring for him. He had left her the house and property because, although they were divorced, they remained very close friends and cared very much for each other. The brothers claim that the will is no longer valid because of the divorce. They refuse to release the ashes…it’s all very sad. She has no immediate family, and we have always been whanau. Court case coming up… Did I ever mention that I have 41 first cousins? Yes! 41! A prolific bunch, those old Scots/Welsh settlers. Some I haven’t seen in 40 years, unsurprisingly.
My lovely French students are mostly from Europe, and so the recent developments and sabre rattling are very unsettling for them, with family still back in Germany and Holland. My Polish doctor has gone back for a couple of months to try to sort something out for her family…I sure wouldn’t want to be in Warsaw just now.
I started this last night, but fell asleep before I could finish, so here it is, 5.30 a.m. having lit the woodburner and put the kettle on the cooktop, I’m sitting with my first cup of tea, cats fed and purring happily, and at least an hour before the chickens are tapping at the glass. Black Dog has trotted off for now. Today, despite the fact that the cortisone shot in my shoulder has worn off, I’m resolutely going to sort the garden. No rain forecast, and it’s supposed to be reasonably warm. No worries about meal preps, as MrJ has taken the doc’s admonitions seriously, at last, about his diabetes and other issues, and has gone keto. So yesterday, he made soup to last 2 days. Not just any soup, but MrJ Soup. Cauliflower and blue cheese soup. Soup of the gods. Lots of butter and cream, garlic and a whole cauliflower. And of course, the blue cheese. A whole lump of it. So filling, it’s actually three days’ worth. Kaimoana, I wish you were here to tuck into it, and MrJ’s other keto recipes! You must have had such a great time with DGS. I can just imagine the Kuia making a huge fuss of him, with their loving hearts for the young. I do hope that you are able to see Phil and be a cheering light for him – but remember, you must take care of yourself, first and foremost. Loved your photo, BTW! Isn’t your DS a clever man! To achieve that standard with all the other distractions and demands on his time…speaking of which, how is the sleeping??
So much going on with you lovely people on the other side of the world. Grammaretto - how wonderful that Sparky finally made it to get your cooker operational. However have you managed to cope for all this time? You have been so busy with all your work and family too. How fantastic about the blog! You DGS is just the age to soak up so much of the wonders of the world. You must be so excited about the French trip! You really have such an interesting family…the suffragette gt aunts sound so interesting! Racy teaching suffragettes sound the perfect material for a novel.
Dear Doodle, with your warm and calm voice, you are a tonic. I hope all is well with you. Not too hot, I hope! Your baskets sound delightful. One of the most beautiful features of Britain in the summer-the baskets everywhere, with tumbling masses of gorgeous flowers.
Cherry - I didn’t realise you were from God’s Own! Greetings from the North Welsh (Southern Hemisphere branch) I appreciated your kind comment about the midwinter daemon…so very true.
Jan - lucky lady, off to Norway! Someday, you really must whisper the secret of Jeeves’ (ahem) indiscretion…
I must finish this as it has gone on far too long and it’s now 6.45. Yikes! The day is well under way. Big hugs to everyone, and keep safe and warm/cool.

May one join you? Jeeves let me down again this evening. Still no cocktail on the tray at 6. Pimms with a tennis catch-up later. Been looking at a 'dream' house. Thought I'd share (not my budget, nor area, but one can look). www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/61251891/?search_identifier=dee796768f685419d6fc4b134dfee2f7 Apart from the lack of door on the main ensuite (!!!) it's super - and eco.

Wow, Sandelf - that's quite the place. Beautifully done. BUT! Sooo expensive! Specially when Stampduty added. Tiny little plot, and looking in to someone else's window??I thought house prices were ridiculous here now, and they are, but Lincoln (which I know well) is kind-of the equivalent of Palmie-with-a-cathedral...damp and cold, windswept...Though I have to confess, the cathedral, my absolute favourite, would be a big draw. I should explain that Palmie is, well, one of a kind. It was the obvious choice as the hometown of Dame Edna Everage's bridesmaid, Madge. Still, if I won your house in a lottery, I'd be super-pleased!

www.oneroof.co.nz/lot-59-centennial-park-hokowhitu-palmerston-north-city-manawatu-whanganui-1753639

www.oneroof.co.nz/lot-59-centennial-park-hokowhitu-palmerston-north-city-manawatu-whanganui-1753639

Palmie properties around same price. On reflection, I see I'm behind the times...there's not much difference!

Jan are you off to Norway next month? How lovely. Are you cruising?
The ponies look carefree and happy. Hope you get to see them soon.
Grammaretto I bet you can’t wait to see your NZ son. Be lovely to go to France with them for a break.
Ooh I love rhubarb crumble what a shame it got burnt. If you try again I will have to pop up and do a tasting…….just to make sure you’ve made it properly you understand. ?
Have a good weekend with your son.
What did the vets make, little pottery animals?
Kaimoana another lovely visit from your DGS. That will cheer you. I’m so pleased Phil is in a nice place. Have you been to see him yet. Your son must be very good at what he does to get such good marks. You must be so pleased for him.
Yes DH had a lovely birthday thank you and two cakes !
That is a rather large piece of gravel ?
Boadicea so sorry for your cousin. Having lost her ex to then be so badly treated by his brothers. I’m sure a visit to you will cheer you both up.
I’m glad the black dog has wandered off. Let’s hope the Mean Girls keep him away. Wow I love the sound of that soup. I’m not sure it would last a day here. DH and I would soon polish that off.
Hope you had a good day in the garden just don’t go overdoing it especially with that shoulder.
sandelf you are welcome to join us. Sorry Jeeves has let you down he’s been a bit lax recently.
I will have a look at your dream house in a minute. Are you a tennis fan? Not so much here but I understand others excitement.
Been an at home day today trying to get some work done.
I have been round the skirting boards with my sonic scrubber….got enough fluff to make another carpet.
Then an hour of ironing and now relaxing. DS 1 off on holiday very early tomorrow. Hope their flights take off ok.
Have a good weekend all.

Where we are in the North, this is what is available for around 800,000 pounds:

www.trademe.co.nz/a/property/residential/sale/northland/far-north/kerikeri/listing/3649063373

Or just a building plot?

www.trademe.co.nz/a/property/residential/lifestyle-property/northland/far-north/kerikeri/listing/3630320818

or for pennies...doer-upper

www.trademe.co.nz/a/property/residential/sale/northland/far-north/opononi/listing/3659867789

Welcome Sandelf I hope Jeeves starts behaving himself.

Oh my goodness, we've turned into a Real Estate thread .

My uncle and aunt used to live in an identical house to the one pictured, and that's my dream house.

Small, cosy -livestock in the thatch-- full of character and history. Poifeck.

Phil isn't at all happy at the new place unfortunately which is sad, especially as he moved from a wonderful hospice so I could visit.
He says "the food is c**p" and yet their website says they will provide anything you ask for (residents pay a LOT of money for this and other services) so maybe when he settles in he'll be asking for champagne.

It's way past the time the cleaning lady said she'd be here (changed the time twice already). I hope she turns up as everything from the pantry is now stacked on the dining table so she can clean.

BJ those houses are nowhere near as lovely as yours.

Now THAT's a house, Kaimoana! Though my sons would never be able to visit, on account of the fact they're both 6ft 4.
What a shame about poor old Phil...he should put in a standing order for cream doughnuts every day, and wave the small print in the faces of the people farmers owners.

Do you remember that I told you about how the kumara plants were taking over the garden? Long, strong vines covering the entire area, and all of them from little shoots on sweet potatoes I had bought, and saved, and planted. Well, today I went out to dig a couple of new potatoes (MrJ, being a bloke, has a much easier time of it, losing weight, so the spuds weren't for me...). I accidentally uncovered some of the kumara which I was sure were not yet mature. Out of curiosity, I dug one up, only to find that it was one of a cluster, all attached to one little shoot. In the cluster, there were FIVE absolutely enormous kumara, each one weighing well over a kilogram, and all snuggled in together. The biggest, Joe the Great, came in at 1.6 kg. All up, 8 kg of yummy eating. There are literally dozens, many, many dozens of plants still to be dug, eventually. I've found a delicious curried kumara soup recipe, and another for roasted kumara, sage, chilli and crumbled feta ...

Oh, no BJ, they're not people farmers at all; it's a beautiful place.
www.bupa.co.nz/care-homes/find-a-care-home-near-you/auckland/glenburn-care-home/

I think Phil was reacting to change, which he doesn't like and, of course, he's on large amounts of morphine.

He's just asked me to take a salt&pepper grinder as all foods are cooked without. It's little things like that which cause dis-comfort.

My cleaners arrived and did a good job but also told me (as Gary the electrician has already twice pointed out to the Sallies) that it has perished seals and is rusty inside.
It will be nice to have a new cooker

BJ You either need a stall in the market or a garden gate table. That 1.6 kg would cost $5 down here.

Coincidentally, I was just given one by one of the cleaners and will enjoy that tomorrow with a biddabudder

Evening all.
DS1 and family safely arrived at holiday destination so huge sigh of relief from me. Third time lucky to get there.
Had a chat with elderly friend this morning who asked me to hold while she went to answer the door. Trouble was she forgot I was holding and didn’t come back to me. I could hear her chatting to someone else, making coffee, turning the radio on. Trouble was I was concerned her family would panic if they couldn’t get though as she’d left the phone off the hook. Tried to ring her mobile to tell her but she didn’t answer (in her handbag and she never uses it). In the end I had to phone her daughter who went round to sort it all out.
Just ordered two pairs of trousers in a larger size. The diet isn’t working !
Wow Boadicea that’s a beautiful house and location. You wouldn’t get anything like that near me for that money.
Wow I thought my sons were tall but 6ft 4 is certainly head banging height. Are you and your DH tall too?
Sounds like you will be writing a book on 101 ways with a kumara soon. ?
Kaimoana I’m not surprised it’s your dream house. It’s beautiful. Oh I’m so sorry about Phil. At this stage of his life he could do with being somewhere he was happy. As you think it’s a nice place I hope he settles in soon and likes it more.
Glad your cleaning lady turned up. Are you all spick and span now?
Go on, I’ve got to ask …what on earth is a biddabudder?

Duh ?! As the youngsters say. I have just figured out what the biddabudder is. In fact I gave DH some with his asparagus tonight. ?

Hello all, you've just reminded me of kumara. I remember having them and they are so very filling and so versatile.

Hello again fairfraise glad you're still with us . I love kumara too.

Doodle I think 'biddabudder' came from an advert or one of the Geordie sit-coms perhaps - The Likely Lads? I forget now.

Spent all afternoon with Phil, talking technology and Artificial Intelligence.
He's looking and sounding well, if cadaverously thin. I have a list of things he needs and will get them tomorrow when Karen comes.
I now know there is no company in Waitakere City who can guarantee a taxi within a hour from calling, and often longer.
After waiting 55 mins for an 'on its way' taxi which clearly wasn't, I went back to Phil's room: 'Can you arrange a bed for the night?'

He rang for an Uber (something I can't do without a cellphone) and I was on my way home in 8 minutes.
Only trouble is (to me, Phil doesn't mind) he has to pay in advance and won't take anything from me.

He was eating a roast lamb lunch when I arrived which looked and smelled delicious but he has a strange diet it seems and eats only once a day and never vegetables. He ate all his trifle.

Grammaretto Many thanks

Kumara don't grow here though we can buy them in the shops.
When we first went back to NZ for a visit in 1997 everywhere we went our hosts baked kumara for us. It's nice yes, but it became a standing joke

The DS and family are away home again now leaving me alone but not for long as DH American cousin comes on Wednesday. She isn't staying with me but in an airbnb which is quite unnecessary since I can put up at least 4 with ease.

How great that Phil was able to get a taxi for you in 8 mins Kaimoana I wouldn't worry about the money - I'm sure he isn't. He'll be glad to be able to help his dear friend.

I am pleased that your DS arrived at his holiday destination Doodle. Your df leaving the phone off the hook! At least she wasn't talking about you or was she?
8 of us went for an Indian meal last night. so I won't need to eat again for a week! although I have just gobbled up the rest of the Czech chocolate Zuzie left me. It was really tasty. British chocolate used to be lovely but it is far too sweet now. or is that just me?

Might have left the shores years ago but DH very risk averse! Agree about the price of those 'dream homes' - we shall see if they sell at that..? Sight of the day Elephant Hawk Moth just as I was finishing pruning a cistus that is right AT the kerb of our road (a quite busy A road). Such a surprise it gave me a bit of a shock. Near me is a lowered section of promenade (seaside) called 'The Hidden Beach' by locals. Yesterday I took a stroll - in the space of 15 minutes walk - 3 weddings, 5 DJ's discoing in different styles of music, so much brilliant wall art - hardly believe I'm in England.