The Lockdown Gang - 🦞 Lobstars Unlocked 🦞

ixion - one sure way to get Our Team moving is for you and Cherry to cavort nekkid. And as Bacchus is the god of wine, take some with you to keep you warm

Thanks for that fascinating info on Buffalo plaid Cherry it seems somehow tied to John Bunyan (I;m told) and a bloke who traded plaids for buffalo hides with American indigenous tribes.

Now can you tell me why Buffalo chips are so called? Did someone sell chips to First Peoples as well?

Wow! Tramadol Doodle I've several friends who, after hip or knee operations were given it and felt "spaced out". Amazingly, given my history of reacting adversely to drugs, it didn't make me spacey at all. Pity

Another busy day for me (as Mondays always are) and 26 degree temperatures do not make me feel lively. However Karen and I got everything done.

Then I spent the afternoon variously knitting and listening to an audion book; wrapping presents & ditto and now I'm about to do the cryptic clues for DGs treasure hunt.

Karen was jubilant today as her daughter, who has lived for the past 10 years with a multi-millionaire, is engaged and will be married in early 2024.
Years ago, this girl used to take me swimming as she was training to go into the Police who demand expert skills in water. Later under pressure she changed direction and trained as a pharmacist instead.
Infinitely safer.

Grammaretto be careful walking in that icy weather.

Grammaretto you sound tired but happy. Your stint looking after the stall sounds fun. We once had a chap come and mend our blinds, he wore shorts and had tattoos over every inch I could see including love and hate on his knuckles. He had a big ginger beard and long hair with rings through his nose. He was quite charming and very helpful. Can’t judge a book as they say.
We’ve had a strange day. DH took a tramadol last night for the second night running. Apart from being asleep most of the day he’s been very unsteady in his feet and talking rubbish, with great authority, in his waking hours. He was convinced it was early morning even though nighttime. Fortunately it seems to be wearing off now and he’s more like himself. I will remove the tramadol for a while.
Oh ixion, I’ve done the same thing in reverse. I was woken at 7am one morning. Staggered out of bed only to find Sainsbugs trying to deliver my shopping that I was expecting at 7pm 🤣
Cherry, Waitrose have a lovely store near us with free parking and just outside of the main high street. So easy to park there. I get lost in the bigger supermarkets. Too much choice and too many aisles.
Are our team playing tonight? Hope you’ve got your PomPoms ready (I nearly said maracas 🪇, now that would be something different)
Kaimoana I can remember the first year that tracking Santa on the internet became known. My DGC were quite young and Daddy used to help them every night. Magical times

Of course elders get a visit from Santa, the oldest of us all That's why he and the reindeer need frequent and preferably alcoholic sustenance at each house.
You can check his geriatric progress from 24th on www.noradsanta.org/en

I remember those days Doodle and sitting on the floor in the lotus position and being able to leviate whilst doing so, sadly no more 😥. Ah well. Sounds like you quite enjoyed your trip to Waitrose, we don't have one anywhere near us we're not posh enough. It can be quite nice to pick your own groceries sometimes, as long as it's not too busy. We like to mix it up and go to the supermarket sometimes as I do like to select my own veg according to my WP I'm too fussy 😁.

I hope you are suitably refreshed after your long day yesterday Grammaretto. It's funny you should say that about the young man with the tattoos (etc), he sounds like the young man who works in a local shop, striking clothes and make-up, so helpful and such wonderful manners 😁

😬 ixion! Frustrating ... but nevermind, you'll probably still be waiting for our match to be shown on MOTD2 anyway 😂. I love your GSs question 😆 ... and what did you answer may I ask? Have you been good enough for Santa to visit 😉.

Looks like it'll be a late one tonight☹️.

Where is my food delivery,?, I ask the Customer Services lady. I ALWAYS book the 10 - 11 slot on a Sunday.

Ah, Madam, she replies.
You did, but 10 - 11 pm.

I am all discombobulated now.

Well DO old people get visited by Santa? When is the cut-off? 😊

I sent a secret Santa gift today. It was quite fun signing it from Santa. 🤣

I am tired after my long day. I did a lot of chatting. I was sitting and knitting and watching over the crafts all afternoon. The Saturday staff are mainly youngsters who are fun and get on well together. One has rather alarming makeup, jewellery and tattoos. But when you speak to him he is lovely and kind.

Cherry I'm ashamed to say I hadn't heard of Buffalo plaid! I love that I learn so much from the Lobstars.

Ixion, once I stopped crying and gesturing to the guard to open the train doors while it was still stationery he shrugged I got off at Berwick and caught the next train back. When asked for my ticket I exploded with indignation. "You're the third person today" I was told. 😮 Now there are gates to prevent non paying passengers but I had been used to helping DM.

Beautiful decorations Mamissimo. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas 🎄

How are the Doodle household today?

Mamissimo, I love those lights. I wonder what Spud wil make of them. You sound as though you are going to have a busy but lovely family Christmas.
Grammaretto, looking at the GM thread I think you’ve had another busy day. Cake making and making table decorations.
Our son and family like novelty Christmas pyjamas. They get a matching set every year.
Cherry, you and Kaimoana have untold information at your fingertips. Always something interesting to learn from you both.
Went and did a Waitrose shop today. I was in there ages buying bits for this one and that. It was quite nice to actually wander round the store and pick up my own things. Usually we have online delivery.
Lovely young DN came today to treat DHs feet. They all seem quite happy to kneel on the floor to do so even if you offer them a stool. I am tempted to tell them I used to be the same. I used to kneel on the floor and play with the grandchildren and sit with my legs bent under me. Now I couldn’t kneel down if I tried and certainly couldn’t get up again.
Ixion my DIL makes wonderful roast potatoes.We will miss them this year but I expect DH might be well enough for a visit after Christmas, I know she’ll spoil him then.
Your cousins daughter sells children ….noo. 🤣
love your DGSs phone call 😊
Nfk hoping your weekend goes well

Aha, the Great Hall candles are back again. Many thanks, Mamissimo : do your paintings turn to follow you as you pass by as well?😉.

Doodle, that's a b**mer about the AF. Let's hope you adapt to the new regime without problems. As for Christmas roast potatoes, 🤫🤫 You can buy part prepared and cooked ones in a foil tray. Bung 'em in the oven with the other food, remove when cooked🤫🤫.

I take on board your Saturnalia suggestions, Kaimona - tho' initially I had read it as Bacchanalia. Well, I thought, too damn cold here for cavorting in orgiastic frenzy.
Well, not intentionally, anyway. And I'd have to keep my clothes on.

Grammaretto, you are always so busy - and positive with it. How did you extricate yourself from your DM's train? That did make me smile. I have just received a lovely bowl from my cousin's daughter, who to me at least seems most accomplished, having first set out as a silversmith. Busy time of year for her as she loads up the car with child and pottery for sale and trundles most weekends to Christmas fairs and draughty halls to set up shop.

Hope Nfk's antibiotics are making her entertaining weekend, well, relatively, pain free.

Cherry, hope you are practising your routine for Our Team's match tomorrow. Could do with a win at home, even tho' we are Big in Europe still.

Facetime with the GSs this morning.
*Hey Nana, Does Santa come to visit old people as well as children?*
Grrr.
Mais oui, mes chers.

Maybe Grammaretto will come along and correct me Kaimoana but I think it's Buffalo plaid that's used in xmas deco. It's the plaid that was adorned by Scottish pagans to keep out the cold of the winter solstice. It started to be used because of its colour for decoration at xmas in the 1800s I think.
I have a picture in my mind of Gubbins enjoying the lights you've done 😊

Drat, I can see why after having your pacemaker fitted you're frustrated, your diagnosis doesn't seem fair Doodle. I don't think anyone is keen to take any medication are they, I think it would be weird if anyone did but there are some weird people around, if blood thinners is what they want you to take then you know you should. Not always easy to reconcile though is it 💐
Yes, to be fair we were provided with bottled water whilst the water was off 😁, but of course we had no means of heating it up to have a cup of tea 🤣
Like you, we've simplified our xmas menu - no 🦃, to be fair I'm not overly keen anyway. There will be roasties - why - because we like them at any time.

You and your df had just my kind of supper Grammaretto, I love fish pie and you can't go wrong with an apple crumble in my book. Sounds like you were all rushed off your feet at the community store 😬. I hope today's shift wasn't so hectic.

That's a bit of a disappointment Doodle to find you will need blood thinners and medication but at least you will be able to live normal life as they say

Your Christmas food sounds perfect.
Df came round tonight for supper. I made fish pie and apple crumble. We had a good catch-up as he'll be in London with his dB for a week or two.

I shopped today and bought some funny Christmas pyjamas for the girls.

I also did a shift at the community store. It was busier than I'd ever seen it. We ran out of plates, scones and tables. I'm there tomorrow too.

Cloves and mistletoe! What a combination. Cloves make me think of toothache.

No cloves for me please Jeeves

Oh Ixion I share your pain! I am making 2 dry coats for the DGDs, breaking in a new dog, hosting the world and his wife and children and dogs for three days at Christmas.....the office PC has gone flop bot......my overlocker needed rethreading....

And then DS dropped in to do this for me.....and suddenly tonight there's peace and Christmas 🙂

Kaimoana I’m sure your lit bottles will be lovely. I’ve got one I made last year on my window sill.
Cloves always make me think of my mums apple pies. She always put cloves in them.
There’s some mistletoe in the trees opposite my window Kaimoana. If I could shimmy up 50 feet I’d get you some

Another manic day today. 2 hospital appointments for me and DH stayed home with a friend. Fortunately I made it there on time but I had a 2 hour wait for the second appointment. Then they said they wanted me to collect a prescription from the pharmacy. Another hour apparently. I told them I’d come back another day.
Grammaretto, I’m glad you enjoyed your coffee and chat and the company was better than expected. U3A quiz too. I wouldn’t be any good at sport either. Your fire sounds cosy. Much nicer to look at than a painted radiator.
i must do my cards over the weekend too.
Nfk, so sorry you’re in such pain. Hope the antibiotics soon help and it doesn’t spoil your weekend.
Kaimoana, what a shame you missed your swim waiting for the teacher to come. I do hope you can manage on your own. What a lovely gift it will be.
love the picture of you and your friends 😊. A good time was had by all, by the look of it.
Cherry, I’m a bit miffed to be told I have AF now. I thought my pacemaker had sorted me out but apparently my heart is still misbehaving although the pacemaker is working fine.
They want me to take blood thinners and I’m not keen but I suppose I will have to.
glad you’ve all got your water and power back now. Did they make any provision for you and your neighbours while it was off?
Hope your neighbour is being looked after properly now. Mind you, I also hope she stays away and gives you some peace.
DH and I are having a really quiet Christmas. I am not buying all the things I usually buy, no ham, no roast potatoes, no parsnips. Just going to keep it very simple……….apart from the clementine and Cointreau double cream I’ve bought for the Christmas pudding 😋

Actually, Nfk, I wasn't suggesting you take TT internally, just rub it into the gum regularly (I do it at night when I need to), especially at the top of the tooth where gingivitis can hide. Clove oil is good too and not nearly as fierce; glad you have some.

And yes, you are correct, a gift made imperfectly with love is fine. Thank you

Christmas doldrums ixion? I like Ruth Downie novels about ancient Rome and she's just reminded those readers who, like Pliny, just want to hide until it's all over, that the goddess Angeronia can be celebrated on 21st December Saturnalia and, if you make a sacrifice to her (mine will be a McVities Digestive ) will relieve you of anxiety.

Every year I bemoan the fact that I can't get mistletoe, real or artificial. It's such an important part of the holiday. I tried making some but failed.

I looked on AmazonOZ but they all had red berries!
and does anyone know why plaid has become part of Christmas decor? That's Hogmanay. I suspect our American cousins got confused yet again. and we all followed them over the cliff

I've just finished all my bottles with their LED illuminations inside, I'm sure Gubbins will enjoy turning them all on.

Hee hee = Alice

After your 'orrible day yesterday Doodle, how did your hospital appointments today go? I hope you were seen to promptly and efficiently and they were helpful for you. It wasn't just our house that was without water and electricity, it was the whole street - courtesy of some eejit with a digger hitting a water mains pipe 😤

I'm pleased that the coffee with the gym ladies was actually quite enjoyable in the end Grammaretto. The bailiff's letter was quite scary even though I knew it couldn't be for us could it. The weird thing about it was that there was no name, no address just a reference number on it, I didn't think they could do that. When I rang the number I wangled the house name/number the reference number related to but the one they said doesn't even exist in the street I live on. Very curious 🤔.

Shame you missed out on your swim Kaimoana. As for your pendant - yes the jewellery teacher may have made the completed work neat and perfect but that ilk can be bought, what can't be bought is something made, as ixion says, by your own fair hand and love

Oh ixion, you sound despairing 😕, do you need to buy mountains of food, do you need to be especially artistic and creative at xmas? Do you feel like it's crept up on you before you've crept up on it? That creeping seems to happen to me every year so I've decided that in the end it's one day; just contact those you love is my motto

As you've all been asking, well Grammaretto and ixion have, I thought I'd better answer about my neighbour as I keep forgetting to. I'm pretty sure she's been detained Grammaretto. I've no idea what's happening with the house ixion, it's her ex's and as far as I know he hasn't been there since she was taken left it.

I think I have peaked too early for Christmas😩. A definite case of the doldrums. I have folk I want to get in touch with, lists of food galore, buckets of asparagus fern and mistletoe waiting for my artistic creations - although the star anise have found their forever home finally.

I am avidly reading all your posts. Doodle, look after yourself too. Nfk - I am told that it is OK not to imbibe, safety first and all that. Kaimona, your pendant is special 'cos it was made by your own fair hand. **Well, that's what I tell myself when I hang the vintage kindergarten decorations on the tree each year. Cherry, my heart missed a beat when I saw the word Bailiff. We would all be fighting over which of us would bagsie you to come and stay. What is happening to Problem Neighbour's house while she is out of action? Peaceful, I hope.

Hoping I feel a tad more, er, buoyant, tomorrow- I shall sign in then.
(Actually, I think I might be 'going down with something'.
Alice?😉)

(Surely Kaimoana, your jewel should be made by you with your love in it. It may not be quite as perfect as it would if your teacher and her expertise had finished it, but it's you. Unique and individual. And I'm sure it will look lovely with its own character and much nicer.)

Oh, Thanks Kaimoana, I'd forgotten - I have a small bottle of clove oil in the cupboard which a friend had made up for DH.

I also have tea tree, but I didn't know it could be used internally.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202312/medium-947222-stone.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202312/medium-384899-prom3.jpg

I've been laughing at comments made by Doodle and Cherry - how I'd lover to share a meal with you two

Nfk as you might guess, I use natural remedies for teeth and still have all but 4 of mine. One split from top to bottom very dramatically and had to be extracted. Most galling of all was that the dentist showed the tooth was in good condition ie no filling or decay.

I use diluted Tea Tree or Manuka oil (much milder than Tea Tree) or sometimes Clove oil I made a while ago.
A good, regular massage of gum and tooth stimulates blood flow and all 3 oils have anti-bacterial/biotic and healing properties.

Whilst the last official day of Kawhe Kaumatua was the Prom, we all met today, informally at the pool for a swim and to finish off some stone pendants we began 2 weeks ago.

I took my cozzie but my priority was to finish my pendant as I want to give it to my DGS but I needed help.

Most kaumatua went water walking first but I chose to wait for the jewellery teacher, fearing that if I went swimming, I'd miss her.
Sadly she turned up just as we were all leaving at 2pm so I didn't get a swim or my lovely Tiger's Eye stone finished.

Not an entirely lost cause because I'd done the netting and can complete the plaiting myself by feel and make a pig's ear of it But she could have done a 4-plait and made it look neat and perfect.

The picture is not my taonga. Second pic is me and friends at Prom.

This evening has decided me. Co-codamol has hardly touched the suffering tooth. I'll start the antibiotics tomorrow and forgo booze! I'm nervous of penicillin and alcohol. In the past it's made me sleep and I don't want to end up with my face in the soup. Like your DH Doodle, my Best Beloved used to drink regardless of the cornucopia of medication he was knocking back with no apparent ill effects.

I think I'll off to bed. I just nodded off over my laptop!

Oh dear, your poor teeth Nfk. I'd steer clear of cocodomol and antiBs whilst drinking alcohol.
Paracetamol and ibuprofen would be ok.
It's up to you ofcourse but I would forgo the drink and make sure the teeth are ok.

I made the supreme sacrifice in France last year. No wine, no coffee whilst on antiBs. 😭

The coffee and company was fine. The 2 ladies who I thought were snooty are very funny. One is definitely aristocratic but she can't be blamed for that. The other, in her working life, helped to get equal pay for women.

We had a quiz at U3A which our table wasn't too bad at. All the travel they bore me with paid off and they knew the currency of all the countries but sport wasn't so good nor was space.

How frightening Cherry to find the Bailiff's letter and a relief that it wasn't meant for you. What's become of your neighbour? I hope the mammogram brings good news. 🤞

I didn't do very well at writing cards so must try again tonight. I've lit a fire so I shall persevere while the room is cosy.
Jeeves could you please bring round the hot drinks.

Well today has been manic. Phone call cancelling my appointment at the hospital today. Phone calls with doctors about DHs prescriptions, phone calls with DNS about DHs dressings.
Phone call from different hospital re booking today’s cancelled appointment tomorrow. Phone calls with friend who is going to sit with dh tomorrow while I go to hospital for two different appointments. It’s all go and I’m exhausted..

We will have to get up at the crack of Dawn if I’m to get DH washed and dressed in time for me to go to my, appointments.
Grammaretto, well that’s good news you got your chiropodist appointment. Hope your tootsies are feeling better.
Funny how some classes gel and others don’t.
Glad the storms in Wellington have passed now.
NFK. Instructions are always hesitant about alcohol and certain meds. I’m afraid DH likes his wine and has it with co codamol and paracetamol and antibiotics.
He’s still here.
Im sure you can drink with paracetamol and some antibiotics don’t say avoid alcohol.
Hope you have a lovely time with your family. Hope the toothache doesn’t spoil things for you.
Hi Cherry lovely to hear from you
i haven’t had the parking ticket yet but it may well come as I know the car park records comings and goings.
Im sorry you’ve had no electricity or water. That can’t have been much fun with it being so cold. Was it just you or a local problem?
Hope the mammogram results are all fine.
Baliffs!! How dare they. What a shock that must have been. Thank goodness you were able to sort it all out.
(Doodle getting ready to set up barricade to defend your castle against invasion 🥖🪃🏏💪)

Hello lobStars

I go awol a few days and now I can hardly keep up --because I've got the memory of a guppy--

Big congratulations 👏 to you Kaimoana for getting another one of your works published, and being an honoured guest for the book launch. I'm really pleased for you ☺️

Result Grammaretto 👍, I hope you've got happy feet now 😄. I also hope that the after yoga class coffee wasn't as dreary and, ahem, the conversation, not as stilted as you thought it might be 🤞. I'm glad you clarified what the butter clarified or not you were taking to your yarn group was needed for although in the end you needn't have taken it at all, my mind was coming up with all sorts --none of them made sense 🤣

Sorry to hear that the podiatrist reckons your DH's heels will take so long to heal Doodle. Apart from honey, which has already been suggested, I have no idea how to speed the healing up 😕. Drat, if I read correctly you got a parking ticket whilst you did your shopping in M&S. If so - 😤. Pleased you managed to but up the shop get everything you wanted 😁

That's nasty, Nfk, your poor tooth 🙁. I have had endless trouble with my teeth this year and still have a wobbly one or three. I can't advise you on the whole antibiotic/imbibing thing as I'm teetotal but I always thought you take painkillers for a hangover rather than before it . I hope you have a wonderful weekend with your family though ☺️

You got your perfect tree then ixion 😁. You have left me wondering if the playgroup/primary school offerings are ones you made yourself are ones you've received this year or ones you've collected over the years 🤔

I've had an interesting week so far, started without electricity and water, had a nice (non turkey) xmas lunch out with my walking group, had my fourth post operative mammogram today and came home from the garden centre, where we'd enjoyed cake with our free coffee, to find a bailiffs letter had put in our postbox 😱. I was gobsmacked! I rang the number ... upshot they'd got the wrong house! Phew! Off to shake the pom-poms now we'd better do better than we did in our last match where we lost 5 nil as we're playing our European match 😁

My ** rather went astray there!

I'm feeling sorry for myself. A couple of days ago my teeth started hurting. I'd persuaded myself it was a sinus infection and antibiotics would sort it out. But no, and emergency dental appointment and x-rays show a hole in a filling. A deep hole. I half expected tentacles to appear from it. Root canal work was mentioned more than I felt was necessary.

*The question is: The family are coming for the weekend - early Christmas dinner - and I'd rather like to imbibe. I haven't for a while as I've been trying to lose a pound or two.
Do I put off taking the antibiotics? Can you drink with Paracetamol? Or, since I have some, Co-codamol? Advise would be appreciated!*