The Lockdown Gang still chatting

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Jumble sales, you will remember, relied on a LOT of volunteer participation to set up, sort and sell (even wash and repair in some cases) plus the expense of possibly heating a church hall. None of these resources exist much now so it all goes to the Op Shops, which on balance, channel the money to worthy causes: Oxfam, Hospice and Red Cross.

The only time I ventured into overseas online buying was about 14 years ago when I sent to Roamans, for 3 bargain nighties. I chose a size too big but that didn't matter I'm still wearing them and an M&S black, lacy nightie I bought in 1979 to take to hospital when DS2 was due. Nowt wrong with it

Last week, being unable to find a simple winter dress which didn't end mid-thigh, or had a 'cold shoulder' or frills, I looked again at the US supplier and found the perfect garment (see pic). $67NZ (£33) but postage was $55.50NZ. No longer a bargain.

Going through my wardrobe now to change from summer to winter, I see my beautiful 'best dress' is now 25 years old but still going strong (I wear it so rarely) and apart from a soft grey jumper ( see pic) purchased a month ago, everything else is almost the same vintage.

So I move from a variety of plain T-shirts in all colours, to polo necks all colours with the same skirts plus petticoats, in winter. I can't really see the point in buying new, especially at my age, when these are still serviceable and still fit me.
Apart from underwear of course

I understand some women pay a fortune for professionals to give them wardrobe advice. Crazy.

Met up with a dear old friend last night: Prof. Sir Pita Sharples. He was so frail but still full of jokey humour bless him.

I am eternally grateful for all his support when I was a nervous 'Pom' in a male, Maori world.

Last night when we were reminiscing and I thanked him anew, he said, 'You were one of the best.'
I was certainly the first woman and English woman at that, ever to be allowed to learn bone-carving on the Marae, in NZ.

And to be chosen by Papa Pita to be carver-in-residence at the huge Te Koanga Festival of Maori Arts was an astonishing privilege.

Many wonderful memories renewed last night so still nostalgic (and a wee bit tearful) this morning

Grammaretto good to hear you have your cousins for company for a while. Lovely fresh sounding meal and then a night out at the folk club. Bet they enjoyed it, have they stayed with you before?
Cherry I bought a little plastic house at a jumble once. It cost £2.50 and was the best toy my grandchildren had. They all loved it. It had four different colour doors each with a coloured key. Four coloured people and four coloured chimney pots. They played with it at all stages of their childhood and I was loath to part with it when they got too big for it. I gave it to a friend for her little ones.
Gracious you are right. I’d completely forgotten about jumble sales. They used to be everywhere but now you don’t see any. Do you think they’ve been replaced by car boot sales.
I’m ok with the splint thanks. It’s more comfortable than the cast but psychologically I have a phobia about taking it off. I feel certain the bones will move out of place ( I’m sure they won’t) I’m hoping the physio will give me a bit more confidence.
Glad you had a good walk yesterday. It was very cold here today.
Hope you’re not having more trouble sourcing your meds.
Kaimoana hope you are ok. How are things in NZ?

Silly me. I didn’t realise there was another page of posts and you were hiding there Kaimoana 😊
You have found some internet bargains. If things are still wearable why not keep them
Nice dress shame about the delivery cost. Jumper is nice too.
What a lovely evening you had with a dear friend.
I remember you have shown us pictures of your carving before. Very beautiful and so cleverly done. You must have shown great skill to have been chosen. 😊

G'day Lobstars,
Surrounded by NZers here. I took my cousins to the community lunch yesterday and we found NZers on every table.
My neighbour has her DGC from NZ staying with her, one of the staff is an Aussie but wants to move to NZ.
We were in our element.

The good old jumble sale. They took a bit of organising but were great fundraisers. All those pennies added up.
Once I had to disown some clothes I'd donated when a snobby woman picked up a garment at arm's length and said "who would donate this!"

I didn't wash with Daz

We have a date for the funeral and I am to make a cake from DMiL recipe collection. We are going to do as she wanted and have a wake back at her house.

What a happy meeting with your old friend Kaimoana it will have brought back such good memories. You should be rightly proud of your skills.

When we get going today I think I will take my cousins out again . Yesterday, our trip to Biggar was a big success. They leave first thing tomorrow to stay with their son who lives in the north of Scotland.

Evening all.
Remember the tale of the knob off the pepper mill? Well it didn’t end there. Today I had a Waitrose delivery. On the order was a two pint container of skimmed milk. It’s on the order, we’ve been charged for it and I can remember taking it out of the delivery box and putting it in a bag (I can picture it in my mind and am absolutely sure it was delivered). We can’t find it 🤔. Not in the fridge or freezer. Not on the worktop or in the cupboards. Not in the hall. Vanished. I’m beginning to wonder if we have a poltergeist. 😱
Grammaretto how funny you met so many from NZ at your lunch. I bet thé cousins felt quite at home.
Nice to follow DMILs wishes. It will seem strange being in her house without her but at the same time be a personal event with her presence in every room I imagine.
Hope the cousins enjoy their visit. They certainly had a good time in their stay with you.

What a lovely catch-up with your old friend Kaimoana. I remember the pictures you shared with us of some of your wonderful carvings 😊
Ridiculous postage price for that dress! Nice dress but they can't be selling many because of the postage they expect people to pay. The jumper looks lovely and soft.
Yes, some people do pay a fortune for so called professional wardrobe advice. I've seen adverts on line offering personal shopping services and increasingly even in a few stores. There's an advert in the window of two local clothes shops in the village telling customers they can book a slot to have the shop to themselves for an hour, with or without a personal shopper. I think it's ridiculous.

I think can understand why you feel like you do about your splint Doodle, it's a cosy protective barrier, it's safe inside your wrist can't fall apart. I'm sure the physio will give you huge confidence.
That little plastic house you bought sounds very much like something my own niece1 had when she was little, not identical but similar. She loved it, just like your DGC loved theirs 😊
How very odd about the milk 🤔 🤯
No, no further problem getting my new meds yesterday. Yesterday I visited three pharmacies because had to get my old ones from the local one and the new ones from the village one. Then we had to go to another pharmacy to get one of my WP's meds 😂.

Are you sure the community lunch was in Scotland Grammaretto 🤣. Your NZ cousins must have felt right at home. I'm glad they enjoyed their trip to Bigger and I hope (and I'm betting they did) enjoyed themselves wherever you took them today and will be able to tell their son tomorrow about the lovely time they had with you ☺️.
Having your DMiL's wake in her house as she wished is a lovely thing to do. My own DM wanted the same and what she had too. It felt right too, it suited who she was. I think it's such a lovely thing for you to do too, to make a cake for the wake from her own recipe collection.

We went to a well known supermarket today and we're greeted by an assistant offering a dozen eggs for 50p or a half for 26p as their shelf life was up today. Nice to get a bargain and we carried on shopping. When we got to the checkout we saw a man with a trolley full of the 50p eggs. I was astonished and thought it a bit selfish. I joked that he was going to make a giant record breaking omelette. He said that he owned a restaurant and they used a lot of eggs 😡. It's funny because only this morning on the Jeremy Vine show they were asking the question - whether it was selfish or not for one person to take advantage of an offer and clear the shelf in the supermarket, then I see someone in the supermarket doing just that.

Cherry you’ve summed it up perfectly. I like my protective layer and get anxious when I take the splint off.
I do wonder about that man with the eggs. If their shelf life was up today I wonder what he’s going to do with them. I realise that use by dates are only a guide and things can be used after that date but I wonder how long it’s going to take him to use all those eggs.
I’ve heard of people doing a pub crawl before but a pharmacy crawl is a new one on me 🤣

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Pictures to show you the beautiful carved house, named Tumanako, where our metting was held last night.

Beautiful indeed Kaimoana
What wood do you carvers use?

I'm a bone carver, not a wood carver so not very knowledgeable about that side of it but from what I understand, modern carvers are moving away from traditional kauri, rimu and other natives Grammaretto, to sustainable or managed woods, like pine.

If there is already a seasoned chunk of kauri, it will be blessed and used. It will be up to the elders to decide, in consultation with the carver.

No one would dream of cutting down a kauri these days, except Auckland City Council who recently felled 40 ancient, native trees (including one very rare Rimu) because a developer wanted to build poky townhouses.

Of course gathering more Rates is a far better deal than saving arboreal heritage, isn’t it? and it also meant breaking the law which would have had a private person in court faster than you could say ‘conservation’.

The carvings in Tumanako need refurbishing, being over 40 years old now and worn with reverential touching . Each of them represent an ancestor and as this is a pan-tribal marae, each carving represents the main tribes of NZ, including mine with Captain Cook's waka carved just inside the door.

You can just see it if you locate a man sitting alone in the background. ‘Endeavour’ is to his left.

I've just been to a Repair Cafe - it was great fun!

Kaimoana what a beautiful place to meet. Looks like quite a a number attend.
I get so cross when healthy trees are felled to make way for more housing. We keep being told here there aren’t enough houses for people but in the last few years they must have built hundreds of new flats near us and are still building. All well and good but where is the supporting structure for all these people. No investment in the schools or doctors surgeries.
Went for lunch today which was nice. Had a short walk after which exhausted me so much I came home and fell asleep 😴

Thanks for the explanation about bone carving Kaimoana. You probably told me bef, I but I had forgotten.

I am never usually bothered by neighbour noise but there has been screeching and laughing from the next garden since I came to bed.
I am getting intolerant.

I also sympathise with Cherry

I went to a fibre festival today and bought some more wool.
It was a very hot for us day . Lovely .

Grammaretto "I am getting intolerant."

en Franglais:
"I am getting into le rant." oh la la

Hello lobStars

What stunning carvings in Tumanako Kaimoana. Very special in what they represent too. I'd never even heard of a Rimu tree until you mentioned it and told us about the disgusting felling of one to make way for townhouses and then on the very same day I see one on the Gardener's World programme. There's a man somewhere in Scotland (help me out Grammaretto) restoring a woodland which has one. It's a magnificent tree.
I'm glad you enjoyed the Repair Cafe 🙂

It imagine it has been a bit difficult having all that building work going on not far from you Doodle. Have there been many road closures and detours put in place? Yes, I think it's true that there isn't enough housing in the UK to house everybody but you're right about supporting infrastructure - it seems to be being left out.
I'm glad you had a lovely day out yesterday. I know what you mean about going for a walk afterwards - I do try to stay awake 😴

Oh, how I empathise with you Grammaretto. Noise is one thing in the daytime and I can be intolerant of that too sometimes but late at night and into the small hours when you're trying to sleep 😤

I had an unexpectedly lovely day yesterday with my niece1, who rang me late on Thursday to see if I wanted to meet up. Very tired by the end of it all she has boundless energy. Of course my neighbour just had to keep me awake again 😤. I finally managed to fall asleep about 6am was it worth it and woke up to find myself battered and bruised, obviously having had a seizure, probably because of lack of sleep! Sorry about the moan everyone. Hope she's quiet tonight 🤞

Hi All and greetings from very sunny and warm Norfolk Broads. We are here for a week and hoping the weather doesn’t change. We sat outside our favourite pub - obviously with an alcoholic drink! - and watched enormous yachts taking part in the 3 rivers race. It’s the oldest inland river race and although we had no idea what was happening it was a really good atmosphere and we enjoyed it. It lasts 24 hours so the yachts will be coming back tomorrow but not sure we will get a seat as it was absolutely heaving this morning. Luckily when this old lady tottered it with her stick a really kind lady gave up her seats. It was kind but how I hate people feeling sorry for me.
I must introduce you to our new best friend Charlie! He arrives every morning for his sardine or pilchards and is a very determined bird. If we don’t provide his breakfast on the dot he stares in the window! There is another heron that patrols the pub alledgedly called Henry but I am suspicious that Charlie and Henry are the same bird!!
Anyway enough of Charlie/ Henry. I have to confess I haven’t read everyone’s posts for a couple of days. It’s been too nice to sit indoors on my iPad so I am now going to catch up on all your news!

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Why do no messages on Gransnet ever go through correctly?! There should have been another Charlie/ Henry photo!

Grammaretto I hope this is not a normal occurrence from your neighbours. Are they usually quiet?
I’ve never heard of a fibre festival. Do they sell fabrics as well?
Kaimoana on the ball again 🤣🤣
Cherry no not really any problem here. The main building sites are more into the town although we did have a big estate of very expensive houses built in the opposite bank of the river a few years ago. That was noisy.
How lovely to see your niece. I know how much you care for her. Oh dear. Did you fall out of bed? Hope you are ok? I too hope you have a quiet night tonight.
Jan so nice to hear you are enjoying the Broads. Your pub sounds well positioned for watching the boats. Hope you get to see them again.
Lovely photos. Charley/Henry is obviously very tame and well fed.

Jan what a joyful post from you - how nice to get up to your old tricks and sit outside a pub imbibing. LOVE Charlie heron!

Please don't assume anyone who does a nice thing, is feeling sorry for you. Often, usually in fact, it's politeness and good manners and should be encouraged, lest it disappears.

Oh Cherry how patient you are; I'd be round there with a baseball bat and yes, I'd end up in pokey but at least I could be sure of a good night's sleep in jail

I have been reading Icons of England Doodle and one of the contributors mentions a bugbear of mine. Why do Councils allow developers to take good, potentially food-growing land when there are dozens of unproductive brownfield site available?

In my suburb, we had prime orchards, producing huge amounts and varieties of lovely fruits. No longer. Now in every one-house footprint there are 3-storey apartment blocks and townhouses. No gardens, no carparks and nowhere for children to play. Crazy.

Is it any wonder cities cause mental health issues?

Grammaretto Perhaps it was a special celebration for your neighbours? Or was it a case of ‘When the cat’s away, noisy mice will play’?

It's a long weekend here, King;s Birthday and I'd hoped for a family visit but its not looking likely

Tuesday I'm up before dawn again for some sort of 'do', not sure what but I'll step up as long as I am able.

Stayed in bed until 9am today, listening to an Agatha Christie book. Lazybones

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It sounds blissful Jan!!
Great photos too. Unless you see both birds together I think I would assume Henry is Charlie.

The man who takes us foraging ( that's where I went yesterday) has many wonderful things to tell us about nature.
He gets angry at East Lothian council whose idea of growing wildflowers is to first kill every "weed" in sight, sow the ground with imported seed (ie poppies native to California) and finally soak it with more roundup so it looks tidy.
Then we were shown a proper meadow.
Left to nature there were several tiny oak trees sprouting up in the grass. I asked if they had been planted. Yes he said by the Jays
These clever birds dine out on the first pre leaves of the oak and so they plant acorns.

The fibre festival was mostly a wool fair but with an exhibition room showing the work of the textile students at Heriot Watt university's Galashiels campus.
www.tangledgalashiels.com

The photos are of a tiny oak tree planted by Jays and some white petalled flowers. One is stitchwort and one saxifrage but I can't remember which

Ooh no the top one is bitter cress the other greater stitchwort

Kaimoana people need greenery and trees to thrive. We are lucky at least where we live we have two parks. One with a large field for the children to run round in. The other with streams and flowers and places to sit for picnics. I hate to think how people manage in the cities where it’s all concrete.
Sorry you didn’t get the visit you’d hoped for. You must miss seeing the grandchildren and I know how you love chatting to your son. Hopefully soon.
Ooh I wonder where you are going Tuesday. Do let us know.
Grammaretto your trips with your forager friend must be interesting. Who would have thought about the Jays planting trees. Left to its own devices I suppose that’s how plants and trees thrive. Love the photos especially the delicate little flowers.
We went for a walk by the river today. Did too much in the hot sun and now DH has bad back and my wrist aches. I’m going for physio Thursday. My hand feels really weird. Tingles all the time and my knuckles still feel grazed even though they are not. I can move my fingers much more now. Can’t grip well but it’s coming and my thumb is more mobile.
I’ve been having trouble sleeping as I can’t seem to find a comfy way of stretching my arm out without it falling off the side of the bed. Last night inspiration stuck and I put a chair by the side of the bed with two pillows on it. I sleep on the bed and my arm sleeps on the chair. Blissful night had by both of us 🤣
Also managed to do some sewing today. I have 3 new T shirts. Not expensive ones but the colours I wanted but they are so long. Don’t know why the fashion is for such long ones these days. I’ve had to take 4 inches off the bottom of one of them.

I am glad you are getting out in the sunshine Doodle the Riverside walks sound lovely. I hope the physio helps your aching arm.
Poor Cherry too but I'm glad you had fun with your niece.
I'm awake much too early after strange dreams.
I had to leave the cinema at the interval. The movie won Oscars galore but wasn't up my street! Relentless stupid violence
who is this Oscar!
It's called Everywhere, everything all at once
I had a very nice letter from a past French Helper who may visit me next month. He was here when he was having a pause in his studies but has returned and finished. He's now working in a job he likes.

I wonder how Mamissimo's DD is getting on. That babe will be born soon.

The foraging and riverside walks both sound wonderful. The violent film doesn't.

We've had our first really nippy day: 8 degrees but Karen and I got everything done.

She's still not smoking, having stopped on 17th May after years and years of desperately trying every remedy on the market.

She says she's not had one pang of craving and feels great. Long may it continue.

Doodle yes I do miss the family but it's so hard for them. When Eric came to take me to Repair Cafe, it took him almost an hour to travel 11km.
My son must travel over 30km to get to my place.
Then 30km back.

The problem is permanently busy roads, detours and roadworks which never seem to stop.
Even at night it's nose to tail almost to midnight.

If only DS could travel at 2am, which seems to be the only time the roads clear. Then at 4am it begin again as people leave for the city.

He's going to try and get over next Thursday to sign the EPOA and, if we have the chance, see the solicitor. It'll be a miracle if we do.

Up betimes tomorrow, my chariot arrives at 6am, still not sure where and what I'm going to.

I too have been thinking of Mamissimo's grandson and Mama.

Hello 🙂

DD2 is blooming big thank you! - and so is Spud. We went to Canterbury to view his 4D scan and were amazed at the detail this type of scan provides. He was upside down and playing with his feet near his mouth. His mother was forever chewing her toes, so all normal there! He's also def. a he 😂

She's over 30 weeks now and so, if all proceeds to plan, Spud will be with us in eight weeks time. I don't know about you but I'm not good at coping when DDs are in labour so I'll rest easier once it's all done and dusted.

She and DSiL have started their NCT classes - I'm amazed he agreed to go as he's not good at mushy stuff scornful of meditation and wellness talk. Maybe, just maybe he's gently having his eyes opened.

Mr M and I have been busy getting the estate back into order after our holiday. DS very definitely didn't follow all the watering guidelines I left but definitely found the gin 😬

I'm missing H Beagle a huge amount and the other night, when there was nothing on the telly, I did one of those quizzes about 'What dog would suit me' - the answer was a Beagle! We are mulling this over.......

Charlie/Henry is lovely Jan but what is more lovely is that you've been having a wonderful week in Norfolk 😊

I hope you and your DH have recovered after your riverbank walk Doodle. I'm glad you've managed to have a good night's sleep after you created a bed specially for your arm 😁.
My hand felt very strange, and stiff, after the burns, the physio helped so much. Not too long to go before you start your physio, I really hope it helps you.

It's a shame you didn't get to have the family visit you hoped for Kaimoana, I hope your DS does manage to visit next Thursday.
Not sure if it's meant to be but it sounds like you're off on a mystery tour. Very intriguing! I hope it's a nice 'do'.

I love the sound of your foraging group Grammaretto, the man who takes you sounds very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the subject too. It's all so interesting and you seem to be enjoying it 😁 I think it's something I'd enjoy too.
Sorry to hear you've had strange dreams. The subconscious does weird things doesn't it, more so when we're experiencing emotional distress - a consequence of losing your DMiL perhaps?
That's so nice to receive a letter from a past helper, I hope he pays you a visit.

Not had the best couple of days because of dratted seizures but I've got an appointment with the epilepsy nurse tomorrow perhaps she'll recommend reins to stop me falling out of bed. There's a man coming to see about the back garden fence half hour before it and I'm meant to be going on a walkie talkie half hour later. Why, when there are many hours in the day, does everything have to happen at more or less the same time 🤷