The Lockdown GangSTARS still going

Yes I really did. No idea where the photo is or I’d show you.
Yes you really do need those deeds…..
Jeeves is on the case. Oat milk coming up.

Talking of knitting - I must get back to crocheting Mark. He has been bodyless for too long and I’ve only done part of one paw, he won’t get far like that. Sorry Kaimoana I think you asked a while ago if he was a cuddle cat. No he’s a sleepy cat who is supposed to sit on a shelf or bookcase with two of his paws hanging down. He looked cute in the picture but my MArk has quite a big head ….he may just fall off the shelf. ?

Hot choc made with coconut milk powder (Maggi, £1.85, Sainsbury's) is much nicer Grammaretto - that's if you like the taste of coconut and hot choc.

I don't wonder your poor DH is exhausted Doodle and it'll get even more tiring when the physio cracks the whip (as they did with me).
What your DH needs is a holiday here:
www.heritage.org.nz/the-list/details/7403

It's about 8km from my house and I am proud to say that 28 years ago, I 'found' this building, a forlorn and forgotten wreck (but still beautiful) down an obscure alley.
I notified our then Mayor, with whom I worked and who was as keen on heritage as I, and he spearheaded a campaign for its restoration and eventual re-siting.
It's now one of our local treasures.

I know what happens if you wear a knitted cozzie and it gets wet, the weight of the water/wool makes it fall down to 'inappropriate' levels.

I used to wear my Mum's old one and swimming lessons were very embarrassing once I was required to get out of the water.
I don't think they were designed for actual swimming, just for lying around and displaying the Body Beautiful. Something I never had anyway

Long weekend here, not sure if family are coming or just flopping, exhausted at home.

Hope you all have a restful and enjoyable weekend.

Kaimoana that looks a lovely place. What a beautiful building. You must be pleased you played such a big part in its restoration.
DH is recovering today despite having a flying saucer strapped to his chest. Well that’s what it looks like to me. It makes no noise but emits a flashing green light every 4 seconds. It’s stuck on with big sticky pads. I have to take it off tomorrow. Not sure either of us are looking forward to that. Cardio monitors have come a long way.
I don’t think I had a body beautiful when I had my knitted cozzie. I was only about 3. Big mop of curly blonde hair. I looked very cute then. It’s been downhill ever since ?
Hope you get to see the family.
Grammaretto have you been in the cafe today practising your skinny lattes and your flat whites let alone double shots.(that is the limit of my coffee knowledge. No idea what they taste like as I only have instant ?)
Boadicea don’t know if you ever get round to reading the thread but just want you to know I’m thinking of you both and hope things are ok. You too Nfk and all the gangstars.
I’m a bit like the mafia once in you can’t escape. Take care all.

I will look out for that powdered milk Kaimoana
Meanwhile I'm absolutely stuffed after an apple afternoon at df garden. We pressed apples for juice and then added spice and heated it over a fire. Everyone brought homemade apple something. Mine was apple shortcake from a recipe in the Edmonds NZ cookbook. Df, who's Irish, made potato apple scone/bread.

I wonder if Mark is growing a body now Doodle?

How proud you must be of that campaign you spearheaded Kaimoana.

I have much paper/online stuff on my to-do list so I may just go to bed
.
Night night gang

Wow what rain and thunder we have had today. Not been out.
Been painting rocks……..badly. I have decided I have no artistic talent whatsoever. My best success today was in pouring acrylic paint over some pebbles. It seems if I don’t actually try and paying anything the results are quite good. ?
You had a lovely apple inspired day yesterday Grammaretto .
Never had apple shortbread. Is it nice?

Painting rocks Doodle ! What are they for?
Maybe they don't need a purpose.
I completed one of my urgent tasks but there are several more to do. I got sidetracked by my df family tree which I am finding very satisfying as so far it's easy.

I have toothache so have gone to bed wishing I hadn't left my dentist and tried to enrol with another.
How are the Lobstars? Drenched?

You give me far too much credit for the beautiful Falls Hotel Doodle. I found the building many years before I worked with the Mayor and used to take DS to see it, saying what a shame it had been left to rot.

Only much later, when I was working with the eco-Mayor, Bob Harvey, and realised he was as passionate about saving the heritage as I, did I show him as well.

He contacted people I could not and persuaded them to help. That's all the part I played but I was glad to see the Old Girl air lifted from her enclosed alley and given her spirits back.

How's robot DH doing today? Flashing lights sounds very dramatic. I hope he's not intoning "Exterminate, exterminate"

I'm sure you were apple-cheeked after your day Grammaretto - I make a nice apple cake which my family enjoy.

Not much happening over this long weekend for me. Of course my 3 hours home care was withdrawn, the agency won't pay staff extra for holidays, whatever the clients' needs but I had allowed for that and made sure I had milk, eggs and a cauliflower.

I'm sending off a Chapter and Synopsis of my latest book to Random House my old publisher, on the basis that if you never try, you never get.
I'll let you know.

DGS paints pebbles, Doodle, or used to.
He writes messages such as, "Have a Happy Day", and "Smile, this Rock loves You" - and leaves them in public places.

Hoping all our Quiet People are doing well.

Psst. ?. Mark here. Great news. I have a paw……but only one at the moment. Sigh. She’s very slow. ?

It's a very pretty paw Mark. I think you are a lucky pussycat so please do not complain or you may not get another!

The toothache has got worse so I spent hours on the phone getting nowhere so now must return to my old dentist with a mouthful of humble pie.

Grammaretto so sorry about your tooth. I hope you are taking whisky pain killers. Hope you get it seen to soon.
DH and I have been back to hospital to return his flying saucer (cardio monitor) then into town for a walk round. We resisted the fish and chips but bought some chocolate eclairs. ?
The painted rocks are just a craft idea really. Something to do just for fun. I did an acrylic pour on some of them and they are very pretty. I painted an owl on another and that is not pretty at all ?
Kaimoana DH is fine today thank you. His device has been returned and we await news of results. I think many people do pebble painting. It’s jun just to have a dabble with craft things.
I’d love to do pottery like Grammaretto but judging from my crochet, knitting and painting skills I would end up with an unrecognisable, unusable, and unremarkable blob.
Is it a bank holiday weekend for you? Sorry you’ve got no care. Back to normal tomorrow.
Mark here Grammaretto I will not complain because I don’t just want 1 other, I would really like 3 otherwise I’ll be a bit wonky. Mind you there’s not much chance of her indoors crocheting 4 paws the same size anyway so I will probably be wonky ☹️

Now listen here Mark, you are jeopardising your 9th life criticising our Doodle.

She's new to this and doing her best, it's you who've been awkward.

So as Grammaretto says, stop miaowmoaning or something might come unravelled.

Marama?

Hmm. Snot my fault. You try getting around with only 1 paw. Mind you I suppose I do have two ears now and whiskers which is an improvement. I’ve just seen my next paw being unraveled ……it’s not going well. ☹️

Hello Gangstars and Mark,

I forgot you need 4 paws in total Mark. Sorry. Just you be nice to Doodle - she's my friend.

Been to the dreaded dentist and am on antiBs but will have to have another tooth out. I don't know why he keeps taking my teeth out as when I have none I will have no need for him.

I am waiting in for a collection. Hans borrowed a pile of books from someone while he was here and this chap will collect them. I don't have a doorbell since Sparky disconnected it, months ago so I keep missing people,
I will call him and demand he come and fix it.

I am glad that the Dude is perky and hope everyone else is too,
NFK ? BJ ? Cherry ? and all you quiet ones.

Quiet gangStar here Grammaretto ?
I vaguely remember you telling us that Sparky had disconnected your doorbell. I assumed that'll teach me to never do that that he'd reconnected it. To say I think that Sparky was a bit unreliable and/or slapdash is an understatement. Your dentist sounds a lot like mine, obsessed with pulling teeth out. D'you think they might be trying to reduce their patient numbers bu stealth?

Aww Mark, I am starting to feel a little sorry for you but do blame our Doodle, she's working very hard on your behalf. We'll stand for none of your moaning here!
How's the Dude doing without his space invader Doodle?

What a lovely building Kaimoana. Definitely worth preserving and whether you played a large or small part in that it is still the case you played a part!
I have (hope I have) attached a photo of a building I loved when I was younger that virtually everyone else saw as an eyesore. There was a small group of people who didn't want to see it demolished but the campaign fell on deaf ears. In it's place is a soulless Sainsbury's building ?

Our team played last night and .... We Won 2:0! ?

Oh, Doodle, all this time and I never suspected you were a Mafia boss ? ?
I wonder how the gangStar molls are doing?

If it comes to it Cherry once in our gang you can’t opt out. We care about each other too much.?
In all fairness to Mark, he has been waiting for new parts for a while. When it comes to completion, I expect his head will be too big for his body……serve him right for complaining so much.
I am a bit squiffy tonight. DH wanted to finish a bottle of wine and I had a teensy drop more than usual so I am very mellow.
That nearly came out as meow. ?
We won ? Hurrah our team. Told you we only lost the last one because we felt sorry for the opponents. I hope you and ixion were cheering like mad.
Grammaretto sorry you are having tooth problems. I don’t think I have a single whole tooth in my head. They are all crowns, bridges or missing teeth. Hope the antibiotics are helping and you are not in pain.
Sparky strikes again I see. Working cooker, working boiler but no doorbell. ☹️
I’ve been busy today doing bits and pieces. Very tired tonight but got to get up early for church. DH is snoring quietly whilst watching his iPad. I wonder if he’ll remember any of it when he wakes up ?. Poor man, with all his meds he gets so tired.
Meeting up with friend tomorrow afternoon for another craft session. Painting this time I think.
Kaimoana what are you up to today?

Well hello All. Am giggling over poor Mark who really needs 4 paws! Come on Doodle get going! Bless him. At this rate Mark will get to 100 and still have wonky paws!
Such glorious weather the last couple of weeks. Our garden seems to think Spring has come and a lot of plants are flowering again.
Just had a gin and tonic. DH finished the gin bottle up. Mmmmm! Think it must have been half full - feel a bit tipsy - again! Sure I’m getting a reputation of the alcoholic of this group but I’m really not! Honest! Lovely to hear from CherryCezzy. Do wonder how Nfk and her DH are

Hello Jan yes I’m feeling guilty about Mark. I must crack on tonight with at least 1 more paw.
No way are you the alcoholic or this group (it’s me giggle hic, oops ?) nice to feel a little tipsy and mellow though isn’t it.
Yes I was thinking of Nfk and her husband too.
We have had good weather today. Been bright all day. Lovely trees opposite with glorious golden glow.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202210/medium-312871-paper989-da84ff41b2-b.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202210/medium-100428-3-legg.jpg

That building, is absolutely gorgeous Cherry, with its classical neo-Georgian proportions and beautiful arched windows. Designed by François Hennebique (cute name) a man familiar with Parisian architecture. Its demolition was sad on multiple levels.
Another building I fought for was The Paper Hall in Bradford. It was built in 1643 but neglected for generations. As a teenager I wrote to dozens of people, begging them to save it. No one even bothered to reply but long after I'd left for New Zealand, someone finally did and it was restored.

Poor Grammaretto I hope the anti-bees soothe you. Why don't you make a melodious ceramic bell (or 3) and hang them by your door?

Jan I had to laugh at your boozy post (and yours Doodle) I'm envious and wish I could join you.

What have I been doing, Doodle?
Racing against time trying to get these books in some sort of shape.
Scholastic have already said they'd like to see my 2nd children's book but that's quite short and just needs tweaking.
The other is a full-length non-fiction and happily I've been able to work undisturbed all long weekend but yesterday I ran out of steam about 2pm, after only 6 hours. . My brain simply stopped working.

I'm back at the typeface today though, so better get on with it.

Second photo is to show Mark - if he begins to moan again.

"Ran out of steam .... afteronly 6 hours". What do you mean only Kaimoana? Six hours is hardly an insubstantial amount of time. I find that if I've been working on something as involved as you are doing as long or longer than that for a few days in a row then my brain freezes and becomes cranky. Another beautiful building! I looked up the restoration and it looks wonderful. I wish someone had had the vision to do that with the Weavers building. As you said the demolition was sad. What made it sadder for me was that Swansea docks was heavily bombed in WWII because of the shipments of copper, zinc and munitions. So much of the docks and surrounding buildings were destroyed but Weavers stood tall and survived. It's destruction, because that's what it was, was a case of knowing the cost of everything area of land ripe for retail and the value of nothing.

How's your tooth Grammaretto? I hope the 'biotics are working. I had something stuck between my teeth last night which took a heck of a job to get out and this morning I woke up with what felt like an abscess ?. I really didn't want to ring the dentist and thought I'll give it 24 hours and see if the swelling goes down ... and it has ?. Will you really not have any choice but to have the tooth out? I'm crossing my fingers you won't ?

Jan and Doodle , both tipsy and why not? You naughty pair ?.
Jan, snap! Our garden is doing exactly the same thing. In fact, I think we've got more roses out now than we did in the summer.
Doodle, are my WP and the Dude related by any chance ?Increasingly regularly my WP falls fast asleep mid-evening in his recliner. To be fair he's got heavy medication too. It's hardly surprising but can be concerning can't it?

Been out with friends today, which was nice. Very tired myself after it all now though. No stamina, me ?

I am so glad you saved those buildings Kaimoana and Cherry. That was a wonderful thing to do.

I helped to save our Town Hall but failed to save a lovely Victorian school.

What a day it's been.
I had news first thing that a friend had died and despite numerous phone calls I still don't know much about the circumstances. He lived alone. I just hope it was quick and painless.

I had my booster and flu jags this afternoon and then went to a meeting of the museum group. There is a paper museum in our town but it depends on volunteers to open it so guess what I have become one of the volunteers. The town was a centre of papermaking at one time but you wouldn't know it - until now

How is Mark getting along?
I knitted one row of the never ending sweater but forgot to decrease so now have to unpick it.

Jeeves, hot chocolate for me please. I am being abstemious. No alcohol while i'm on antibees and both arms full of vaccine. It was the pfizer this time.

Jeeves is making your hot chocolate with oaty milk as requested Grammaretto. Hope you like it he says he’s bought gallons so you can have one every night. ?
I’m afraid my only contribution to saving a building was signing a petition to save an historic cinema from being demolished. Nothing like the rest of you.
Grammaretto so sorry about your friend. Hope you find some more news. I’m sure you’ll be a wonderful help to the museum. When you say paper museum do you mean history of paper or newspapers (not toilet paper surely ?). Hope you enjoy volunteering. Do you know what you will be doing?
Well Mark is in a strop. He’s got one and half paws and now he will have to be abandoned for a bit because I’ve agreed to knit something for a nativity scene. He’s sulking at the bottom of my knitting bag at the moment (I don’t have a crochet bag) . He may come out at the weekend.
Glad you had your jab/jag. Hope you don’t have any bad side effects,
Kaimoana you sound like a very busy author. 2 books on the go. I can imagine you with pencil behind your ear and steam coming out of your keyboard as you bash away.
You asked me the other day if I’d heard anything about the Dean and I hadn’t but today someone on GN sent me a PM to say they’d found a recent link to a couple of new videos. When I’ve found them I’ll try and copy the link for you.
Cherry that does look a magnificent building. No Sainsburys wouldn’t be the same at all.
DH and I both have gaps between our teeth and sometimes something gets stuck between them. We have a selection of different size toothpicks but if you work at it too much then it can make the gums bleed or be sensitive. Gums can swell up quite quickly but also go down again which I’m pleased to hear is the case with yours.
DH is on so many meds with sedative side effects I’m surprised he can stay awake at all. I’m often mid flow in a conversation before I realise he’s snoring quietly in the background ?
So pleased you had a nice day out with friends. It is exhausting being sociable when you’re not out and about every day.
I’ve just ordered a pair or knitting needles from A. ( for the nativity knitting) only to find I had to order 2 as they sell them singly. How can you knit something with only one needle ?
I’m baffled.
Sleep well and peacefully all

www.youtube.com/watch?v=fed4Vy1n4T8
www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-fjpDPwdm0

These are the two links to The Dean Kaimoana let me know if they don’t work.

Really sorry to hear about your friend Grammaretto. Sending you a gentle cwtch ?

Thanks for the links Doodle I was able to see both
There's a product called Wrigley's Extra White Lemon Lime Sugarfree Gum (Amazon) which cleans teeth gently and alters the Ph of the mouth to kill bacteria. You could try that. And there's clove oil (I make my own) and Manuka Oil which is gentler than Tea Tree.

Have you heard more about your friend who died Grammaretto? I think you mentioned him before, poor soul.

Ha ha, the only time steam would come from my keyboard Doodle is if I spilled my coffee on it!

I normally work double those hours Cherry so 6 is nothing.
Before my eyes started playing up, I could go out to anywhere I wanted: see friends, to the beach, shopping, a cafe. I could also do lots of different crafts, watch a DVD in the evenings, curl up and lose myself in a good book.
All that's gone.

Don't feel sorry for me I'm not moaning (for a change ) it's just that there's nothing else to do.

I'm confined to the house but luckily almost addicted to writing and when it's not the books or articles, I keep a daily diary, now in its 43rd year.

It's the writing wot keeps me going dearest Cherry; without it, I'd just sit in my chair and stagnate.
I can listen to audio books but there's a limit to that...usually 10 minutes!

If I have visitors due, I'll cook or bake but that's a rare occurrence. So it's a jolly good job I'm passionate about writing.

The other benefit of deteriorating eyesight is that it's pushed me into offering my writing for publication, something I haven't bothered to do since my last book in 2004!

Today I got my pension worked out with the invaluable help and transport of Ruth who then took me on to an Old Codger' Lunch.

It's been a grand day, full of sun and bird song - and writing