The Lockdown Gang still chatting

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It's 10.30pm and I am just back from the Matariki Festival. All went well and (of course) we kaumatua were treated like royalty with a cafe all to ourselves!

Although we could order anything we liked for free, I knew Waipareira would be putting on the usual gourmet foods, so stuck to decaf coffee.

Because the cafe was sound proof (it's on a busy main road, closed and lined with stalls) the high decibels cacophonous racket music from the nearby stage was mercifully muted.

The baking was picked up at 10am; I was picked up at 2pm and able to sit, knitting, in a warm cafe, with friends and food until 9pm.

The maniacal look on my face shows Marge and I were enjoying ourselves.
I was able to knit a pair and a half of slippers as the gaiety went on around me.

Apart from a little seafood and avocado salad, didn't eat the many delight set before us.

My digestion is very slow these days and I knew I'd suffer if I ate more - and a lot of it had a wheat component (mini croissants, bagels, ciabatta topped with salmon, salad, pate etc).
Don't you admire my self-control?

We were each given a hangi to bring home. That'll keep me going all weekend.

No, Jan I am always active in some way. Now of course, activity is a relative term; I no longer rush about "like scalded lop" as Mum used to say. But I'm rushing about in my head!

I think the tingling is a good sign Doodle & Jan. With pins & needles it's the blood rushing back, isn't it? So I would imagine with rehabilitation exercises, it's this process. Keep going, slow but sure.

I had an apologetic letter from the publishers. I think one pedantic person sends demands and another comes in, like the good fairy at the Christening, to soften the blow!
They'll still have to wait until the weekend for my proofs approval; I'm hoping family will come Friday.

Your knitted booties look very cosy Kaimoana
I hope the Matariki events go well.
Your publisher sounds very annoying.

I am feeling extremely lazy today.
The funeral was rather sad. I didn't attend the wake. DCuz has gone to the Lake District.

My next helper phoned me an hour earlier than I expected due to the time difference. I asked her if she had any experience of construction as I was hoping to fix a garden structure to hold a climber.
She said at her last place in Switzerland she and the farmer built a stone barn for cows! 😂
I warned her about Scottish summer. She says it's 35° in Germany right now and humid.

Sorry to hear of your tingling hands and fingers Doodle and Jan. I hope you do manage short walks.

Have a lovely day Lobstars. I'll pop in later.

Boadicea how lovely to hear from you. Wondered where you had been and what you had been up too. As for Kiamoana do you ever sit still?! It wears me out just reading of all you’ve been doing but then I always was a lazy so and so!
So sorry about your hand Doodle. Mine is very similar. Fingers are so stiff and tingles too but it’s more like an electric shock with me. If I grab or sometimes just touch an object the tingling comes just like a shock. Think that’s more to do with the stroke though. I’m impressed you managed to walk a mile. Pretty certain I will never do that. But never was that keen on walking but of course now I can’t walk I really want too.

Boadicea how lovely to hear from you. Hope you and MrBJ are ok. As Grammaretto says we have missed you and your tales of the Mean Girls.
That kumara is enormous. Have you checked the world record? Best wishes to you both and hope to hear from you again soon.
Kaimoana those slippers are lovely. I especially like the multicoloured pair. They look very cosy.
You’ve done a marvellous job with all the cooking as well. Is it time for a rest now.
Your publisher sounds a real pain. That woman should write her own book and leave yours as you wrote it, Hope you get it sorted out ok before it goes to the printers.
Grammaretto hope the funeral went as well as is possible.
You had a lovely day yesterday. How nice to sit in your favourite restaurant and chill with a glass of bubbly and chat with your nice cuz.
Been to church today for the first time in weeks. I miss it.
Nice to catch up with everyone. Short walk this afternoon, neither of us have the energy really. Sunny but blowy. We managed a mile. Remembered the days three miles was fine but can’t do it anymore. Must get on the treadmill.

By jingoes that's a heavy ole kumara BJ. I hope it's as good inside, quite often these super-big things aren't. Nice to see you posting again.

Too late Doodle I did overdo it and I'm worn out now but 'appy.
Today it was savoury muffins (bacone, onion & cheese) so a bit more fiddly than just throwing a few ingredients into a bowl for a batch of buns.

Also, though I can easily bypass cupcakes, I find savoury stuff a little harder to resist so lunch was a muffin, a tomato and an avocado.
Well, I had to make sure they were edible didn't I?

I'm beginning to get cross with Scholastic. Late yesterday they sent the inside pages of Trevor but being flat out baking I quickly advised them I'd get to it as soon as the Matariki holiday (Friday) is over.

I'll be out all day tomorrow and the family are coming on Friday, so evaluating the pages is not a priority. To me.

Back comes a letter by return saying they want to send it to the printer before Matariki!

I was so tempted to tell them they should have sent it earlier in that case. Cheeky beggars, do they think I sit here just waiting to make up for their inefficiency?

Needless to say, I had a quick look, saw the editor had, against my express wishes, added things I disapproved of ages ago. Is this why they sent it so late, so I wouldn't be able to object and make them correct it ?

Then I heard from another author that they have a very poor reputation as they treat authors badly.
I'm beginning to see that.

But I shall enjoy the rest of my week and to Rarohenga with 'em.

I will not be pushed by idiots who wanted to name my book The Stuck Duck. Quack!

When you enter the Wharenui (carved house) on a marae, you must remove your shoes, so these slippers will keep feet warm. I've attached a non-slip sole as most wharenui have polished floors.

I'm writing short posts because the Aldi troll is back.
We sheltered from the showers in a bookshop yesterday where I bought myself a Gaelic dictionary. Then I took cuz to a favourite vegetarian restaurant.
I told the patron how we were celebrating my late DH birthday and were treated to a glass of prosecco!
We ate enormous amounts and talked about our early boyfriends. I hope DH would have approved.

A funeral today sadly.

Kaimoana you are living in the fast lane- I can't keep up. I'd like a photo of those slippers. How can you knit so quickly?

Doodle pins and needles sometimes means a trapped nerve. I hope the physio didn't make it worse.

How lovely to see you BJ but that monster Kumara is too big for the scales!
Tell us more about your goings on, please. You've been missed

Rushing through just to say hello and hope all are well and apologies for being a slob about communicating (I have good reasons). Kaimoana!! Trev is in da house! You go girl! I've only read through the last page - will go back and catch up with everyone's doings. In the meantime, enjoy the weather, whatever it may be.
Attached is Samson Rex. 4.426 kg. A record kumara I believe. (Same weight as DS2 at birth!! Ouch!)

Cherry glad you’ve had such a lovely day today. 😊

Cherry when DH and I went to look after our DGC once when they were young, mum and dad decided they should get a nice new toilet seat fitted in their bathroom for us. The DGC chose it. One with sea creatures on. It frightened the life out of me every time I went in the bathroom at night 🤣
Hope you had a lovely birthday. Are you going to tell us what your surprise gift was, I think you said it was something to use on your walkie talkie?
I am exercising my hand more but it is sooo stiff. Still very numb but I suppose it is only 8 weeks.
Good advice from you and Kaimoana I might slow things down a bit and see how I get on.
Kaimoana thank you for your wise words. Yes I will be careful. My hand doesn’t really hurt it’s more very stiff and tingly. Like pins and needles all the time.
Goodness baking cakes and goodies and now knitting slippers. You have a little cottage industry going on. Could we see a photo of your knitted slipper please?
Matariki sounds a lovely time to remember loved ones and friends.
I’m really pleased you are keeping busy but please don’t overdo it. As usual you are doing your best for others, 🤗 (that’s a hug by the way in case you can’t see it. Not a decapitated head)
Grammaretto I couldn’t manage a 3 mile walk these days, you must be worn out. You should have asked your cuz for a piggy back.
Hope you find something nice to do tomorrow. Glad you will see your cuz again before she goes home.

Your poor hand Doodle. It sounds like the physio was too much of a taskmaster 😕. I agree with Kaimoana about a good physio. Stretching you is one thing but overstretching you is quite another and not a good thing, I'm concerned that the physio might have pushed you too far. I understand that there are only so many sessions they are willing to provide, s/he was possibly rushing things with you. That might be fine if you were an athlete there with a sports injury but you're not and the physio needs to set things at a reasonable pace for you. I hope you're not in pain today or your hand feels even stiffer as a consequence.

Eek Grammaretto, you virtually did the 5k without setting out to do it 😬. When my walking group did 5k a few weeks ago not only did we set out to do it but we stopped for a long lunch halfway. You must have been worn out by the time you got home! I hope you decided on a suitable place to go on your trip today to commemorate your DH 's birthday 💐

Your Marae slippers must be lovely to be in so much demand Kaimoana 😊. I'd love to see what they're like 😁. Crickey, four dozen cupcakes! That's a lot of batter to have made up. I know I've said it before but you really have been working so hard for this fundraiser. I'm incredibly proud of you 🤗

I've been to a couple of museums today and out for lunch with an epilepsy charity group. There was a brilliant exhibition on a changing Swansea throughout the 20th Century. It was a real trip down memory lane for virtually all of us, we had a great time 😄. Lunch was good too and I had a free coffee I forgot to pay for it 😱 😁

Doodle Listen to your body. Once my back injury was made a lot worse by a young whipper-snapper who insisted I do sit-ups! Had I followed this up at home as ordered goodness know how I'd have ended up.
A good physio will show you the exercises then caution you to do it steadily and regularly but never causing yourself more pain. Pain is the body's way of telling you something is wrong. And it knows whereof it speaks

Busy day for me. While the other kaumatua continued making poi to sell on our stall, I knitted Marae Slippers and got several orders for more.

Got home about 2pm, switched on the oven and made 4 dozen cupcakes and while they were cooking (and cooling) got on with the crafts and listened to "Murder on the Orient Express".

Will make a mound of butter cream icing on Thursday morning to decorate the cupcakes before I'm picked up at 3:30 for the Festival..

I've made some Tamariki Packs for the children with colouring sheets, word search and cookies. I'm half-way through making a mobile of Matariki (the Mother of the Seven Sisters) and her brood.

More of the same all day tomorrow.
Why did I ever let myself believe I could do nothing?

Matariki is a time of new beginnings but also gratitude for our loved ones and honouring those who have gone before.
Hard to believe it's a year (12th July) since Philip died.

I'm very grateful for my Lobstar whanau. Thankyou everyone. E aroha ana ahau ki a koutou katoa.

Yes I agree with Doodle that is a very good likeness of us Lobstars Ixion.
I am knackered this evening.
The day began well but I hadn't checked the return bus times and there wasn't a suitable one no wonder people rely on cars
So after waiting almost an hour for a bus as there had been a problem with a driver not turning up in the right place, we found it didn't go through our town so we had a 3 mile walk at the end!
DCuz is young and fit so strode on but I struggled.
We have another trip tomorrow as it's DH birthday we shall do something nice in his memory buy a toilet seat?
We'll think of something. She is coming back here before I leave for my trip to the Isle of Skye.

I am sorry for your poor hand Doodle. Are you sure it has to be pummeled so?
or is this physio a sadist
I still think the best treatment is gentle kneading of dough.

Thank you, my lovely lobStar pals, for all your lovely birthday wishes 🤩

Jan I used to post on the gm thread, and sometimes on other threads, but don't anymore I don't get up early enough .
I'm surprised that you found it difficult to find a plain toilet seat, when we went to buy ours we couldn't have bought anything else even if we had wanted to 🤣

Doodle, why is it that when things fall on the floor they end up in places that are infuriatingly difficult/impossible to get to or not worth trying to get to 🤷
I'm pleased that the Epsom salts baths are working 👍, a great tip from Kaimoana 😊

Your book looks amazing Kaimoana, I love the little story teaser on the back cover. Great to see it published, well done 😊. What an interesting opportunity for all of you that the owners of the dogs you sit for are publishers.

It sounds like you had a lovely, if not rather tiring, day yesterday Grammaretto 😊 Did you and your cousin manage to go on your bus ride today?

Thanks for the disgraceful card ixion 😁

Kaimoana love the book cover. Hope it’s published soon. Like Grammaretto says, so proud of our friend. 😊
I’ve been to physio today. Had so many exercises to do I’m worn out. Push it, pull it, stretch it, bend it …..poor hand doesn’t know what’s happened to it. It will be glad to be strapped up in its splint and go to bed tonight I think.
Grammaretto so you’ve got your cousin making paper. I bet she’s enjoying her stay and the visit to the gardens too.
Hope she enjoys the Lake District. Is she coming back to you after?
ixion I might have known you’d be handy with a camera. Fancy showing a picture of me with bottle in one had and glass in the other. What about my reputation 🤣.

🥳HAPPY BIRTHDAY 🍒

We're on our way😂

Such talent!! Kaimoana the book looks great and how serendipitous that the lovely dog people are also publishers. You couldn't make it up.

I am so proud of you and I am sure we all are.

Cherry many happy returns of the day to you although I hope your new toilet seat lasts a bit longer. An interesting choice of birthday gift.😉🤩

The only thing to do to impress the physio Doodle is to turn up in an E type Jag. I'm sure your DGD can arrange it

The arms in my papermaking picture are American cuz. She's a youngster. My arms are covered in midge bites.

I am hoping to take her on a bus ride today but depending on bus times I may drive
DS brought the DGC plus dog for brunch and then drove us all to the open gardens. It was very nice but quite a lot of walking. The village is so much bigger than I thought!

Dear cuz is going to the Lake District overnight later this week on her own. She has a df there. I opted out of that jaunt.

Jan I post on the morning thread and sometimes poke my nose in on others. I have met a few grans in real life thanks to the meetup threads.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR CHERRY

We are a tough lot. We fight back valiantly against those slings and arrow of outrageous Fortune.
Grammaretto the open garden schemse sounds lovely. We have them here too but (as always) you need transport to get to them. I miss being able to get to the festivals and events I used to enjoy so much.

I did cooking of a sort Doodle. Made Rice Krispie Bars. Melt butter, add marshmallows then Rice Krispies and put into a dish to set.
I'm sure you all know what I mean.

I made them with sugar free mallows so dgs could enjoy. I'll be making the regular ones today to be wrapped up for fundraising.

As you were the first ones to know when the book was accepted, you can also be first to view the cover. It was sent in case I wanted to change anything but I don't.

I also found out that the lady who owns the dogs, also has a publishing business and her DH told me they would have publish a Trevor version in Niuean. But I'm happy with this outcome and they said they'll look at my next children's book in the pipeline.

Beware ixion you may find yourself staring in "It's Funny Being Old" if its daft owner ever gets round to finishing it!

ixion I have 6 little ducks which my DGC used to play with when they were younger. The other 3 were sleeping 😊
Ooh my DH loved the E type Jag. His favourite car of all time.
I am quite ungainly in my efforts to get around.
DH has just pointed out that the pea that fell off my plate at dinner has travelled across the floor and is now under the sofa. Another esca-pea.
Kaimoana what joy, a visit from your DGS. Bet you had the best of times. Did you bake anything?
Grammaretto so pleased you are having a good time with your cousin. Sounds as though the paper museum was a big hit. Hope you enjoyed the gardens
Jan I agree I love our DGC coming round. Our youngest popped in today to show us her first car. She’s thrilled.
I’m a couch potato too. Probably a mashed couch potato. I’ve spread out and so exhausted after dinner I don’t move.
I post on a couple of threads. We have our lurkers too. People who read but don’t post. Don’t think that’s a problem unless someone says something nasty as was the case on the GM thread yesterday.
Ooh Cherry happy birthday 🥳 🎈🎈🎈🎈🎂🎂🎂💕💕💕
Glad you had a nice day. Your WP certainly knows how to treat a girl. Nice lunch out and an exciting trip for a new…….toilet seat. 🤣
Epsom salts have helped though I think I’m in for a telling off at physio tomorrow. Being in the cruise meant I didn’t do all my exercises every day and I’m very stiff.
Good idea for a book. Kaimoana could write it and I could post for the photos. 🦒

Cherry so sorry. I meant to ask how you were and it completely slipped my mind. Too busy rabbiting on about me again. I never used to be like this.
I am sorry but pleased things seem to have improved for you. Must be horrendous to never know when you are going to be poorly.
Breaking the toilet seat?!!! 🤣 sure it was nothing to do with how heavy you are. You probably just sat down awkwardly. The last time ours broke we had difficulty getting just a plain lid. No I didn’t want one with fish swimming around all over it or seaside scenes! Its amazing what people like in their bathroom!
Yes we are off on Friday Cherry. Thanks for remembering and fingers crossed for a long spell of good health

Hello lobStars

Thanks for being so caring gang 😊. I think my giddy spells are over 🤞, I was fine yesterday and so far so good today.
I had a lovely birthday, thanks for the balloons they didn't deflate, party hats and cake Doodle. I didn't think I was going to have any but I had a lovely Persian lemon cake 😋. I received lovely letters from my older two great nephews and a handmade card from the youngest (aged 5) and a promise to catch up during the upcoming school holidays 😁. We had to rejig our day slightly as the evening before I broke our toilet seat I didn't think I was that heavy , going somewhere to buy a toilet seat hadn't been in our plans 🤣 We also went out for a meal and were served enough food to last two days so we brought home a doggy bag! I have a belated present of cream tea to come, I've been spoilt 😁.

Grammaretto I'm pleased that you're enjoying your American cousin's company. I saw the photo of of you, or was it your cousin 🤔, making paper on the gm thread. It triggered my memory I had totally forgotten and I realised that I've seen it being made in exactly the same way, I don't remember where I saw it though 🤭. It sounds like your cousin drew everyone around her at the museum and held court 😁. I hope you managed to see some lovely gardens today, and worked up an appetite, you'll have plenty to eat when you come home by sound of it.

It's not long before your second break in Norfolk then Jan. I hope you enjoy it as much, if not more, than the last time and that you are able to get about a bit more 😁

How are the Epsom salt baths Doodle, your friends look like they're enjoying them 😁. Are they helping do you think?
A third of a tablet every three days is a minimal dose. I don't see any reason why your DH shouldn't be able to stop it soon. I was warned by the epilepsy nurse that I might have giddy spells, and possibly experience extreme tiredness, as the dose of my new meds increased. She also advised me to ride it out as it's temporary - nearly everyone experiences it on this medication apparently.
I hope you've got all your holiday washing done now and have been able to relax.

Me rambling ixion 🤔, the only rambling I do is on paper when I open my mouth 🤫😁.
My WP has exactly the same problem with low slung vehicles as Mr I. A prerequisite for any vehicle we have is a high seating position, and good head clearance as he's tall. Wooed in an E-type jag', lucky you! I had to make do with a column gear Bedford campervan 😁

What a lovely surprise to have your DGS request to stay*Kaimoana*, I know you always have a good time together ☺️. Lovely to have been dog sitting again too I'm sure. You've already done so much for the fundraiser and even though I know you've been enjoying it it would have been good for you to take your feet off the treadmill for a bit.

I echo what everyone has said about my walking group, they are a lovely lot. I echo too what has been said about our Kaimoana, she is a great font of knowledge and always looks to use that to help any one of us. ixion your great idea for a publication called Manoeuvering for Seniors* could easily be written by Kaimoana, our ^resident author 😁.

Im impressed by how busy you all are. Kaimoana sound like you had a great time with your grandson. It’s lovely when kids/grandkids want to come and see the old folk!
*Gramaretto” I dont think you can ever sit still - unlike me. Must get myself going. Ive turned into a couch potato! Mind you its not that easy to do anything when youve got a stick in one hand and the other hand os b….y useless and liable to drop anything you try to pick up.
Doodle how is your hand? Are the epsom salts helping? Mind need to get some if so.
Do any of you post on the chat bit of Gransnet? I read it but have never posted until today when there was talk of “lurkers”! Put on my big girls pants and metaphorically put pen to paper! No one has shouted at me yet! Mind you I didnt give anyone anything to shout about - I hope!

How lovely Kaimoana such a treat.
I'm sure noone will mind you taking time off the treadmill. 🙂

Dear Doodle nice to see your arm and the animals enjoying the epsom salts! They are so versatile!! ducks and salts
American cousin continues to be great company. Because of the time difference, she gets up late and stays up until midnight when I am rudely yawning.
I cooked enough for a family of 6 last night.

We helped at the paper museum and once they heard her accent, the visitors all came out with an American story of their own!

I'm hoping after brunch we'll go to a village where the gardens are open to the public under the Scottish garden scheme.
I have invited DS to say hello but they have their own occasions. DGC are away at summer camps.

Hi Gang,
Hope you are all well.

Unexpected delight when dgs rang to ask if he could stay over Friday. He ubered over and of course we had the usual great time.
Hope your vdgs is doing well Doodle

Had the dogs today and both events meant I had to stand down from my fundraising duties of making crafts. So a margianlly restful weekend. All good.

Back on the treadmill tomorrow