The Lockdown GangSTARS still going

Good morning ?

Mr M and I have been married for 46 years today so we will dine indulgently tonight and snore sleep well. We have decided to go somewhere we've never been before for our trip - as long as we can pull it all together. We tend to organise our own holidays as Mr M is convinced that packages and travel agents are beyond the pale so as his PA I'd better get on it today! He fancies Brazil, I hanker for Italy, but Brazil is on his bucket list so I'll play nicely.

My running beans are coming to an end - did I tell you that they're award winning beans? We won the class for 6 runner beans at the village show. There was stiff competition3 ?
I also got a sniffy comment on my runner up shallots that I would have won but that the pink sand I used to prop them up wasn't the right colour - we only had kinetic glitter sand! I thought they looked jolly compared to the others. Village life is special!

To work.....

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202209/medium-818663-p1000547.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202209/medium-297350-p1000557.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202209/medium-301461-p1000549.jpg

Morning All

I do hope you're feeling ok Grammaretto. From friends and relations, I understand it either hits hard or is an inconvenience as they feel obliged to cancel everything. I hope you have the latter! Neither of us have had C yet and I can't understand why. It has to hit sometime. DH has had the summons for his jabs in October, but I'm not on the list yet. It'll be a year since my last vaccine in October, but I'm not too concerned as I feel the later I have it the better chance of still having anti-bodies during the wintery winter when there's more of it about.

I thought I'd share pics of our trip out on our little boat on Saturday. We took ourselves by surprise and just went! It was a lovely day and we dropped a mud weight on Barton Broad for a snooze in the sun. It'll probably be the last time we can do that this year. I do hope next year we can get out a bit more - which won't be difficult! I'm glad you had a lovely break Jan. Horning was in a national paper a little while ago as one of the prettiest villages in E Anglia. Just a nice place to Be.

On Friday I nagged Best Beloved into a trip to Caister on Sea. Very different to neighbouring Gt Yarmouth it has flattish access to the beach, and I was able to paddle for the first time this year! We could have gone before but it's really much nicer after the school holidays! We had the beach nearly to ourselves.

DH had an appointment yesterday with his heart consultant (phone of course) and is now looking to have an ablation to trim off a few stray bits which are giving him a heart flutter (didn't know about a heart flutter), hopefully this will moderate his atrial fibrillation to a manageable level. All these big words I'm learning. He's got to wait a while as he came off the blood thinners for the haematology tests and needs to have four weeks on them before the operation. (I can even spell haematology now!)

I'm happy to hear our poorly Gangstars are feeling a bit better.
As you may have heard the NZ govt has now abandoned the 'traffic light system' which no one used anyway, other than by wearing masks, which still applies in public areas.
It means unrestricted gatherings can take place for various celebrations, including, thank goodness, Christmas.

I can remember riding on a mechanical elephant when I was very young and feeling a bit cheated because it wasn't real and had very wrinkly legs.

cyberneticzoo.com/walking-machines/1947c-parradine-mechanical-elephant-parradine-british/

Jan Maybe I can compensate by telling you I haven't looked at or read anything at all about HM or her funeral. In fact I didn't know she'd died until an American friend told me.

Oh dear Mamissimo, having lost 3 friends myself, I do know how shocking it is.
I was wondering only this morning, how you were.
I hope your soul-building holiday helps - where are you going?

There used to be a wonderful website Grammaretto with the history of all London's famous places and how they came to be named. Fascinating stuff.

One of those disgruntled children on the elephant may well be me

I missed seeing you Mamissimo with your sad news. You will be bereft I am so sorry for you.

That is so terribly sad Jan about those untimely deaths.

I tend to agree about the wall to wall coverage.
A tad mawkish imo.
Tonight I heard that there are people queuing from over a mile away for a chance to get to say goodbye to HM. This is Edinburgh - goodness knows what London will be like.
Was it Eleanor of Aquitaine whose grieving husband King Edward erected all those crosses at the places where her coffin rested? Charing Cross, Waltham Cross etc

A week on the Broads sounds lovely.
I've just had to put off a helper who was due this week. I am unclean!

Mamissimo your sneaked in behind me. How lovely to see you.
I’m so sorry about your news. You must be so shocked all coming at once.
Nice idea to have people over. I hope you get away somewhere nice and enjoy the rest.

Ooh Jan nice to hear from you. We were missing a bit of company.
Glad you had a nice time in Norfolk. That is us done till next year too.
DH had both jabs at the same time with me. He has been fine.
Seems to be a lot of coverage that’s repeated about the Queen. Lots of television coverage . So sorry to hear about your friends. Never know what’s going on in someone else’s mind.
Daren’t think of Christmas yet but did notice when I went into the card shop the other day that Christmas cards were the predominant feature. I must confess to having 3 Icelandic decorations on my sideboard for my DGC. I bought them in June. Afraid to put them out of sight as I’ll forget about them.
Went to get DHs prescriptions this afternoon and was surprised how hot it was out. Quite exhausted when we got back.
Have a good evening all.

Good evening friends ?

Please forgive my lack of postings - we have suffered three bereavements in the last ten days and are struggling a little to think about anything else. the TV doesn't help to distract us and nor do the papers We have both lost our closest friends with no warning and are all at sea.

Mr M and I have invited all our family to watch the Queen's funeral with us on Monday and we will eat Coronation Chicken and Platinum Jubilee Trifle to book end it. We are then going away for a week or two to patch up our souls. Back soon. Do take care of yourselves! X

Hello Everyone. Grammaretto. Sorry you’ve had Covid. It’s not nice is it. It took me 10 days to get rid of the red line but by then I was starting to feel practically back to normal. Yes I was bored too. Couldn’t be bothered to do anything except just sit and watch rubbish tv!
We had a great week at the Norfolk Broads but that’s the last holiday for this year and I don’t think we will be having so many holidays next year. I’m quite horrified by how quickly the days seem to fly by. It will be the “C” word before we know it!
Doodle. Sorry to hear your arms have been painful. We have our 5th jab next week. Hope my arm is ok afterwards! Don’t fancy both jabs at the same time so will wait a bit for the flu jab!
Kaimoana Gubbins looks absolutely gobsmacked at the size of the elephant bless her. That’s a lovely age.
Hope Boadicea Nkf and everyone else are all ok.
Does anyone else think the tv coverage of the Queens death has been overdone on tv? I feel it’s too much and obviously will carry on into next week. I think that for people on their own it must get very depressing just seeing the same thing over and over again. So sad that our lovely Queen is no longer with us but it sounds as if she had a peaceful death and she was a great age. I have 2 friends who have both suffered dreadful bereavements recently. One friend heard that her son who lived in Australia and was almost 50 had hung himself. No note left. He was apparently living the dream in Australia with his wife and 3 late teenage children. No obvious reason. Then another friend found her 44 year old daughter dead in bed. There has to be a post mortem to find out what happened. So sad. No one knows what is round the corner do they?

Grammaretto glad you are feeling a bit better. We noticed as we felt better the red line got paler so hope that is an indicator you are on the mend.
My friend went to Windsor yesterday to look at the flowers. Lots of people about.
DH and I managed to see the GP this morning. Good appointment and she was very thorough. DH is being referred to the Falls people and for physio which I hope helps. Also had some of his medication changed.
It is quiet here. We miss Boadicea and the rest of the gang popping in. Hope everyone is ok.
Kaimoana love that photo of Gubbins and the elephant.
I did feel sorry for the poor thing in such a small enclosure until I realised it wasn’t a zoo but a museum ?
Don’t think I’ve even been on an elephant but I can still remember riding on a donkey on the beach. I always wanted to have a pony. Bit too old to have a go now. ?

Hello Lobstars,
Very quiet on here . I hope this means you are all just too busy to post.
I'm feeling a bit better today. I took another covid test and it is positive but fainter so the virus is on its way out. I'm also pleased that the Kiwis haven't caught it.
I was brought tissues and flowers today. People are kind.

Also greatly pleased that my bin was emptied! Due to strikes and holidays it has been a long time.

DGS cycled down to watch the cortège go past Holyrood yesterday.

I loved the photo of Gubbins at the museum Kaimoana with the elephant. Am I right to think it was at Wellington zoo where I rode on an elephant back in the 1950s? the bad old days
It's quite boring isolating but having no energy. How are you today Doodle?

PS. I partially (10 seconds) watched one of those intrusive videos. As expected, utter rubbish, useless nonsense, total waste of time.

I concur with the hope some of our Lobstars post soon.

Jeeves, assemble a search party and hold yourself in readiness please.

Grammaretto and Doodle - I do hope you get over your aches and pains quickly, it's miserable when one feels ill or under par.

If I were you, Grammaretto I'd move into the flat, in fact that's pretty much what I used to do - live in one room when winter came along, venturing out only for essentials. But then I'm a hermit at heart.


DS is coming soon with the grand-children but meanwhile, Gubbins went to the museum yesterday.

Yes one in each arm. It’s not too bad but my arms really ache. I had a panic a little while ago when I felt my arm on the Covid side and realised I had a huge lump in that arm….? panic subsided when I realised I’d forgotten to remove the cotton wool pad the doctor taped to my arm ?
I had soup when I had Covid too. I think it helps as it’s warm and soothing. Are you taking some paracetamol or something before you go to bed. Might help keep temperature down and help you sleep. I hope you’re ok.
Yes I wonder how everyone else is too. Be nice to know.
I hope you sleep well.

Doodle Two sore arms? Did you have flu in one and covid in the other? I hope it eases

I am ok. My appetite has gone but I am cooking some wholesome soup. I hope it doesn't end up on the compost.
I also hope I've not passed covid on to others. It would be such a shame if the Kiwis get it now.
There are several missing Lobstars. It would be lovely to hear what they are up to.

Grammaretto hope you are not feeling too bad.
I have two sore arms but nothing to complain about.
I was suddenly thinking of Missedout and realised we haven’t heard from her for a while. Hope all is ok and for the rest of the gang too.

Early afternoon here. Overcast and looks like rain. We are off for our Covid flu jabs (or jags for those uuup north ?)
Kaimoana I might have known you have your own special remedy for fixing your heel. I hope it works and relieves the pain soon.
Shame there weren’t more Maori elements to your friends funeral but glad you and your friends were there to support her husband as well.
Thanks for the translation. I hope your hirple is soon mended for your dog walking test.
I will watch the video soon.
Grammaretto sorry to hear you have Covid. So glad it didn’t happen when your family were with you and spoil the visit. Hope it is a mild version and you soon start to feel better. Do you have anything at hand for the cough (whiskey?) .
Sorry your lodgers are going. Bit of a dilemma about what to do. Each idea has its own merits. Could you try looking for new lodgers for a while and if no takers, move into the flat yourself for winter?

It is covid! At least I know why I feel so rough now.

Hello Gang,

Thanks for the beautiful video Kaimoana
I hope your salve does the trick and clears the abscess. As you say the timing is terrible.
Thanks to you and Doodle for suggestions about avoiding RLS. If I do go again, I will take your advice.
I have been staying in feeling wretched this morning coughing and spluttering The lodgers are moving out so there are comings and goings. I will miss them. It will be strange to be on my own again. I am happy that they have bought a house which they like.
I haven't decided whether to move into the flat for the winter to save on heating or to try to rent it again.
At least the sun is shining.
How are you all?

On the scale of things Doodle an abscess is minor, it's the timing which annoys me just when I needed me feets.

I have some home-made salve which works better than anything I've ever received from a doctor over the years, so that will put me right.

As to the funeral:
When we old ladies go en masse to a Maori funeral (tangi), we look like a flock of crows in our traditional Bible black.

But kindly crows, to those who know why we're there, and always requested as a comforting presence and sign of support.

But very few New Zealanders know anything about Maori, or traditions.

Although Derek, the husband is Maori, and we were there for him and at a Maori funeral home, his deceased wife, Lynette, was not.

So the majority of the sizeable congregation stared at us as if we'd walked straight out of Macbeth and would be muttering curses.

There were few of the typical Maori elements in the funeral. No prayer (karakia) at the beginning, no practised speakers, no Maori language, no waiata (songs in Maori) and only one favourite Maori hymn** which Derek hurriedly insisted on just before the end. It obviously hadn't been included.

So that's why it seemed unusual, but people got a tearful chance to speak about Lynette and her wonderful impact on their lives, that's what matters.

**Whakaria Mai – though I have to say we sing it more like the beginning part, rather than the jazzed up bit though I like that too.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqoG-znXf7I

'hirple' is a Scottish word which means hobble or limp.
Many Yorkshire words are Scottish, we are only 200 miles apart, so I was brought up with them.

Grammaretto sorry you aren’t feeling well. I suppose it could be Covid as you’ve been away. Whatever it is I hope you feel better soon. You must be feeling a bit dejected now your family have gone. So lovely for them to visit. I do hope you get to visit the, next year. That would be something to look forward to.
Perhaps you could get some medication from the GP for the restless leg syndrome if you were flying.
Kaimoana you are quite right dehydration can cause problems with restless legs and with cramp. Dh who suffers with both always drinks lots of water and if for some reason (going out for the day) he doesn’t then he knows he’s going to have a problem. DH takes quinine for his cramps but magnesium is supposed to be good too.
Hope the funeral went as well as possible.
Oh no not another problem affecting your walking. It’s not fair that all this should happen now when you are trying to get your dog. Hirple ? Yorkshire word?
That’s upsetting about your photos. How did you find out? Can you fix the problem?
Jeeves I’m sure will be happy to help out. It does him good to keep busy.

Grammaretto old news but probably still valid. RLS on flights is mainly due to dehydration, not helped by cabin pressure.

I was advised, when we flew to the UK and back in 1997, to constantly drink, even if it meant haunting the loo ever 30 minutes.
Cabin staff filled my sipper bottle with drinking water and grinned as I went past the galley to the Necessary.

It worked though and still does for night cramps, although now I take chelated magnesium as well You might give that a go too.

Even if your test proves negative, it sounds as if you need a few days looking after yourself - after all, it's the symptoms which make you miserable, not the diagnosis!

The funeral today was unlike any I'd been to before. We didn't go back to the house as invited. The chapel was full and we know the house is small.

The lady who is assessing me for possible dog ownership is going to ring me next week to come over and watch me walk. I'm being optimistic for a change but wouldn't you know it, I've had a sudden recurrence of a wretched abscess under my heel.
It is so painful.

I'm seeing the podiatrist on Monday afternoon and will ask her advice. Meanwhile, I hirple on.....

Both Alexa and my Google Assistant decided to be stubborn today, which meant going into the settings and then my Wi-fi connection to tutu (fiddle) with the innards. All working now.
Wish I could say the same for my printer.

To my chagrin I learned that photos sent between my son and self are not secure. These include pics of Gubbins, who, as you know, DS and WP did not want online with any way of identification.
Oh, rats!!

It's quiet in here today so maybe Jeeves will make me a very large mug of sugar-free hot chocolate and make a note to go look after my friend in Scotland.

Hello Lobstars,

I have woken up with flulike symptoms. I may test myself with an old covid test kit before I go back to bed and cancel all commitments.
Someone is coming to quote for a wood burning stove this morning.
I am still flying the Maori flag but not at half mast because I don't know how to. Changing the flag is a job the DGC like to do.
I am seriously thinking I will visit them next year or sometime although I get restless leg syndrome even on the short hop from France so I may have to sail!

Grammaretto I’m finding it hard to take in too.
You must miss your Nz family. Any chance of you going to see them in NZ?
At least you know they had a wonderful trip and catch up with the family. So nice for them all to see each other. Do you Face time or similar often?

I am glad the Dude is feeling a bit better Doodle
Sad to hear about your driver's wife Kaimoana but glad there are signs of Spring and that you are walking