The Lockdown Gang - 🦞 Lobstars Unlocked 🦞

Kaimona, you are a brilliant raconteuse ⭐️. I so love your stories - my life seems so pedestrian in comparison☹️. I loved your non-Christmas tree, bravo.

🤫I see Grammaretto has joined the ranks of Real Tree owners🤫. Welcome. I hope decorating it will be a pleasure and hold fond memories for you as you do it. I am fortunate in that I have a nimble gym-orientated DS who can crawl under the branches of ours, commando style, jug of water in hand, to give it frequent watering.

Doodle, so sorry that neither the boot nor the patches are providing Mr.D with adequate pain relief😢. Are his chosen analgesics the ones with the dodgy side effects? Please, no.🙏

Good news that both you and Cherry got out for that last minute shopping.
Tomorrow I am in hunter gatherer mode.
Hunting, as in off to Waitrose to pick up the meats, Gathering as in standing by to gather in the final Sainsbury's delivery before the festivities commence (I have checked and double checked I have the time right this time).
What I am fighting against is the household already breaking into the choccy tubs and nibbles. Not the game plan😩.

Had an excellent escape from the dreaded phone call. After 45 minutes, DCousin announced that the sound was terrible, as it sounded as if I was munching through crisps.
😳. Oops.
To reciprocate, I said that the sound at my end was pretty terrible too, so we agreed to part. Such sweet sorrow😜.

I have had an upsetting afternoon, watching from the kitchen window a large, stricken pidgeon, fluffed up and wretched, unable or unwilling to move out if the rain. I was out every few minutes trying to tempt him with anything I could think of - crushed Shreddies, leftover mashed potato, bird seed. When he aimed for the step, he couldn't manage. As darkness fell, I couldn't find him.

Why am I such a Hard Hearted Hannah where humans are concerned, yet totally go to pieces when animals are in distress?😥

Meant to say -
Reporting on the BBC Sport section this morning -

The footballer, who had been diagnosed with A-Trial fibrillation ...
😁
Doodle😍

A-Trial fibrillation 👋👋👋

Ixion I like it. 😍

You are such a tonic Kaimoana with your wonderful/awful stories. Thick women indeed🤣

I shall decorate the tree today. I was too tired yesterday after my early physio appointment, a busy shift at the store and a walk with my walking df.
I'm to join a class of fellow sufferers in the spring. It's called the Escape Pain group so successful apparently that some people cancel their hip and knee replacements!!
She also gave me a raft of exercises to do 3 times a week.

My lodger has gone away for a week leaving a scrumptious present for me having agreed we weren't doing presents hmph!!

I am so sorry to hear that neither the patches nor the boot are helping the dude Doodle. It must be hard for you keeping your spirits up.
I've been prescribed one neat codeine pill to take at night separate from paracetamol which it seems you can have quite a lot of. I slept a bit better.

Days are getting longer Hooray!
In Gaelic the name for the winter Solstice translates as the night of the seven suppers presumably because there's time to eat 7 meals

That seems so unfair that neither the boot nor the patches helped your DH Doodle, I'm sending cwtches.
Did you manage to get the raisins sorry I couldn't do swapsies for the coffee and a cake for your guests?
Oh, our team won again today 👍, even though one of the pom pom shakers went awol 😉

Britain's finest sloped off and left you I a dog attack suit Kaimoana 😱. I've heard that the military like to play these sort of tricks, I hope they drank their coffee swiftly! What?! Chased up the stairs in a guest house by a strange man shouting at you that you were thick 😳. Sounds like it would make a great scene from Fawlty Towers 🤣. I hope your family arrived well before midnight! I hope you all had a lovely time together 😊

ixion 😱 Your DS goes commando style! 🤣
I wonder why there was a munching through crisps sound whilst you were on the phone to your DCousin 😉 ... and still she kept you talking for 45 minutes! Such a shame you couldn't talk for longer 😂.
I'm not a great lover of pigeons because they scoff all the food we put out for the smaller birds but I wouldn't hurt one, a neighbour (sadly no longer with us) used to call them flying rats. I wonder what happened to the injured pigeon, I hope it's ok.
I hope you still have snacks and chocolates left 🤔

I'm not surprised that you were too tired to decorate the tree yesterday, you packed a lot of physical activity into one day. I hope you've had a more leisurely time decorating it today 😊.
I hope the exercises the physio has given to you to do help ease things somewhat. The exercise class in the spring sound promising if they are helping others by that much, I'd rather you reach the top of the waiting list before then but if not I hope that when the time comes they help you 🤞
So solstice is the night of the seven meals, interesting. I hope it means small meals as I don't think I could manage that many mains in the space of 16 hours 🤢 😂

Kaimoana, the things that have happened to you in life. 🤣🤣
I hope you’ve had a lovely day with the family.
Cherry, a spaceship is what it looks like too (as long as little green men don’t come out at night 🤔) I will post a picture when I get it set up.
We once had a huge loft hatch in the place I worked. When down it hung to about 18 inches off the floor. Every time I walked under it I had visions of it becoming undone and knocking me flat or if you had to get from one end of the corridor to the other you had to limbo underneath it.
I did my shopping too. It was actually quite good. Not many people about and the car park was half empty. I didn’t go till 4.30. Lots of Turkey and trimmings still for sale.
Got my cake too so all set now I hope.
Well done our team. I think the other Pom Pom shaker was too busy munching crisps and protecting her supplies against invading nibble stealers.
Ixion, DH is back on cocodamol so hopefully ok. He was in a lot of pain last night so I put an ice wrap round his leg with the idea of make something else hurt to distract from the source of the pain. After 20 minutes it seemed to help …either that or his leg was frozen 🤔
Oh poor pigeon. I hate to see anything suffer too. Hope he managed to make a get away.
A Trial Fibrillation, wonderful 🤣🤣🤣🤣.
Grammaretto, Hope you managed to get your tree done.
Oh your gift from your lodger sounds nice. Any left to share….ever hopeful.
Yes the codeine should help you sleep and help the cough. **Hope it works as well tonight.
Cherry, ooh that could be painful for Ixion’s DS. 🤣

I hope Kaimona is having a grand family get together, and that Grammaretto is going to find her exercise regime helps, tho' it is a poor substitute for the Real Thing, surgery. Are you able to get a nice young man who doubles up as a personal trainer? From my study (eyrie) at the top of the house, there's not a lot I miss, I am always bemused by the activities of my neighbour opposite.
She has two young and active dogs, ably cared for daily by a Barbara Woodhouse-type lady who comes every day to drive them out to wear them out. Said neighbour also invested in a home gym-y thing, for which she invests in a rather nice physical specimen who comes to train her.🤷‍♀️.

How is Mr.D doing? Would Oromorph be faster acting for his pain than waiting for the patch to build up? I can't begin to imagine how you both cope - you are never far from my thoughts.

I have finally pulled up the drawbridge for the festive season. Supplies to withstand a siege, as Mr.I helpfully points out, hence not being available to sabre pom pom rattle this afternoon. I did leave my Match Buddy with a huge bag of comestibles, so as for not being to manage a night of seven meals, 🤔🤔.

I need an early(ish) night, as, doubtless, there will be a Hey Nana call tomorrow as the smalls bed down for their Christmas eve. They are still tickled that there is an English Santa as well as an Ozzie one.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202312/medium-194386-anzac-trees.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202312/medium-638703-percy-pig-sweets-2ct767b.jpg

In answer to your question Hard Hearted Hannah it’s because in fact you’re a lovely person with a caring heart.

I got a mere two hours with the family - it's complicated and I'd only sound like a B-with-an-itch, if I told you why.

I am so sorry you and your DH are still in pain Doodle - I hope codomol helps

Cherry Sometimes I think my whole life is written by Fawlty Towers.

Family arrived about noon and Gubbins made us smile by being so delighted with her treasure hunt.
There was an angel or two in every room & garage and a battery tea light nearby as an extra marker and she dashed about, fizzing with excitement and claiming the gifts beneath.

Obviously the hunt was the thing and not the present as they were quickly put aside in the eagerness to find another angel.

One of the treats we had when we went on holiday, was a packet of pink pigs so I wrapped those as well. Her joy at seeing these, obviously a highlight of the weekend break, was touching. ‘My piggies, my piggies!’

The first and only time I had a real Christmas tree, it was billed as a ‘non-shedding pencil conifer’ and about 45cm high in its pot. In the New Year, I planted it in our garden and if you look to the left of the picture you will see it, like a dark finger amongst the autumnal deciduous.

This was in the garden of our previous home where we were happily surrounded by fields rather than barking dogs, loud music and traffic noise.
All we heard was birdsong, the sheep on the hill or our calves yelling to reminding me to make their milk bottles.

I do so miss all that.

Well my dears, it's 6 o clock on Christmas Eve here and you'll soon be woken by grand-children or dogs.
I wish you all a truly lovely Christmas and a pain-free New Year.

I am still looking for the Christmas tree 🎄 decorations and will now give up. I can only think blame one of my helpers in their absence for tidying them away. The loft is packed to the gunwales with broken chairs and the like so all can stay where they are for now.

I found the tree lights. My room light bulb died so a kind man who was playing the piano at the community store, came over to climb a ladder and change the bulb.

A df who was to come yesterday told me that her dad had just died. It wasn't unexpected but always sad especially at this time of year.

I am so glad you had the treasure hunt with your own little treasure Kaimoana. What lovely memories for all of you. 😍

I sat and wept with Jimmy Stewart in it's a wonderful life yesterday.

I hope you all have a wonderful time with no disasters.
🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲

*So you do have a spaceship then Doodle 🤣.
I think that was an inspired idea with the ice pack as they numb an area so are quite good at easing pain - just remember not to put one directly on bare skin. I hope that being back on the cocodamol helps a bit.
That loft hatch sounds like it had the potential to be lethal 😬, I'd liked to have seen you limbo underneath it though 😄

ixion, I think it would be good, well interesting, if your neighbour swapped the training personnel around the other way 😜
Like you, I think we too have enough provisions for a siege, especially since you kindly added to it - and no I haven't eaten and drank it all yet! I hope you found your present and haven't opened it yet 😁
I hope you enjoyed your Hey Nana call 😊

Oh Kaimoana what a glorious picture you've painted of Gubbins enjoying her treasure hunt 😍. You've given her something wonderful thing that will stick long in her memory. That conifer is definitely pencil shaped - not sure it's a traditional looking xmas tree though 🤣. That is a beautiful looking garden and I have to say that the pencil conifer is perfectly placed.

Shame you didn't manage to find the decorations Grammaretto but the tree looks fine with just the lights 😊. *So sorry to hear about your df's father, you're right it is sad to lose a loved one at this time of year.
Drat, I missed it's a wonderful life, I haven't seen it for years and I'd resolved to watch it this year 🤦. It's a lovely film, sad and uplifting in equal measure and yes a real weepie.

I can't believe it's only 5 hours to xmas day ... I could have sworn that only a couple of weeks ago it was half the year away 🤣.
I hope all the lobStars have an enjoyable xmas 🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁

Kaimoana, I’m so sorry you had such a short time with your family. It sounds wonderful though with a little lady dashing about the place finding her treasure and her little piggies.
Made the effort worthwhile I’m sure.
Not surprised you missed your garden it does look beautiful.
An oasis of peace.
ixion, we have two neighbours who also employ a personal trainer and they do their workouts in our communal garden. I often stand in the window and watch in awe at the contortions they get into whilst lifting weights and pumping iron.
We have had our first Christmas dinner today. I decided to cook the Turkey today instead of tomorrow and then it only seemed sensible to taste it, just for the purposes of quality control. We are relaxing now and unwinding after a busy afternoon.
Grammaretto, your tree looks quite pretty with just the lights on.
That was nice of the store man to help changing the bulb. *Glad you didn’t get up there yourself.
Those old films were tearjerkers weren’t they. They don’t seem to make them like that now.
Sorry about your friends df. That is sad.
Cherry, the ice pack has a fluffy sort of lining on one side and I put that against the pyjama leg so not on bare skin no.
I used to be quite supple in my youth but not now. No limbo dancing that’s for sure.

Today something strange happened. I was cooking our Christmas Turkey and, having got a bit dressed up for Christmas, decided to wear an apron so that I didn’t splash my clothes with the fat.
I got a clean one out of the cupboard and spent a happy afternoon in the kitchen cooking and washing up and tidying away.
Come 5 O’Clock I decided a Sherry was in order and went to ask DH what he would like. I was smoothing down the front of my pinny, when I felt something small and hard in the pocket. I put my hand in and pulled out………….. the lid of our pepper pot that you may remember vanished into thin air some months ago.
It must have been through a wash cycle and been ironed and put away without being found.
I never thought I’d see it again.
I tend to hang my apron from the tall radiator by the kitchen sink. The top must have somehow got knocked off and rolled into the pocket. 😱

Wow, Doodle. Your Borrowers have had their conscience pricked!
Reminds of the Christmas in our early days when we hosted my parents for Christmas. Mr I. bought me a pinny, a large, functional (themed?😉) one. It had, writ large and very legibly across the front - CRUMPET. The air was heavy with disapproval ...
I hope you enjoyed your early Christmas.

You know, Kaimona, the memories you make for Gubbins will stay with her forever. Just talking with DC, I am amazed at the little inconsequentials that they remember fondly. And you are making precious memories for yourself.

Grammaretto,, your tree looks lovely where you have placed it. I hope you have a lovely day tomorrow with your son and that your hip behaves. As for seasonal weepies, I could have gone a bundle today - but didn't, not good to wallow. Getting good use out of my £5.50😱 Radio Times, I could have gone ➡️ Charlotte's Web ➡️Goodbye Mr. Chips➡️Goodnight Mr. Mister Tom, and I would have cried all afternoon🤫.

Hey ho. Back later as 🕛 approaches and I'm still up.

A peaceful Christmas to you all!

Replacing the usual greetings card, I offer this, and letting Mamissimo know I am still 🤔 getting my DNA investigated!

I love your card ixion! What a laugh.

I'm busy juggling my gift pile and changing my mind about who's getting what. I must have too much time on my hands.

We knew the lid of the pepper pot would turn up Doodle! After all that cleaning and bending you needn't have bothered. 🤣 Glad to hear you're enjoying your 2 turkey dinners.

I hope all Lobstars are having or have had a great time with friends and family either in person or on-line.

Well hello All. Just when you thought you had got rid of me I magically reappear! Ixion I love your Christmas card sooo funny!
We are having a very quiet and boring Christmas! Should have gone to friends yesterday evening. I walk out to the car and next thing Im lying in the drive with a bumped head and sore arm. Managed to haul myself up but was a bit shaken so the evening ended then and there! What I didn’t realise until this morning is that I obviously bruised my bum and my ccoyx is flipping painful.
Youngest daughter and partner were supposed to be here today but has got a bad cold so she has stayed at home! Hence the quiet Christmas!!! Eldest daughter and son in law arrive at the weekend- thats if they stay healthy!
Sorry to hear so many of you have aches and pains especially Doodle and the Dude. Really hope someone can help his painful heel - somewhere there must be an answer for the poor man.
Ixion you sound just like me. Hard with humans but tearful if I hear of any animal suffering. Will go to any lengths to rescue a ladybird let a fly out of the window or even a wasp.
I have a new private physio. He charges an eye watering amount for an hour but boy is he good. Hes only been 3 times but made a difference which has now gone to pot after my fall yesterday.
Grammaretto good luck with those knee exercises. Ive had a dodgy knee but apparently the wait to see an Orthopaedic consultant is 30 weeks!!
Sure you are getting bored of my ramblings now so will leave you all to enjoy the rest of this somewhat strange Christmas Day! Even the King seemed to be finding conversation difficult and kept his Christmas message very short! xx

Jan I've been thinking about you and hoping you'd post and it's so good to hear from you, though I'm sorry that you're not having the xmas that you planned. I'm sure you can have belated xmas celebrations with your youngest DD and partner when you've recovered and your DD is over her cold. A gentle cwtch is wending its way to you 💐

Yay Doodle, you found the lid of pepper pot 😁. I'm sure you enjoyed that quality control tasting as long as you didn't pepper it up too much and I hope you've enjoyed your second xmas dinner today.

I hear a song coming on ixion .... 🎶 watch out where the huskies go, don't you eat that yellow snow 🎶 🤣. You can probably tell I'm loving that card.

I hope you sorted out your gift pile just the way you want it Grammaretto, I'm sure everyone will be happy with their presents

Well, we're both stuffed silly with about 7 meals worth of food and we've still got pudding to come ... I might just have a doze 😁

Sending xmas wishes to all the lobStars

ixion, same here. I’m always amazed by the things our DGC remember. Even now they’re all grown up they can still remember the daft, funny and inventive things we did together.
Love the card 🤣🤣🤣. Merry Christmas to you too.
*
Grammaretto, Hope you got all your presents sorted out and have a lovely day.
Jan, how lovely to hear from you again. Ouch 😩 that sounds painful. So sorry your evening was spoilt. Hope the sore nether regions are on the mend, so painful if you can’t sit in comfort.
we are having a quiet Christmas too, just the two of us. Shame about your youngest. So many colds and coughs around.
Hope the rest of the family turn up ok at the weekend.
i too have booked a private physio to get DH walking again. I’ve had to postpone the appointment as he’s not able to walk much at all at the moment. Good to hear yours has been helpful
Merry Christmas to you and yours
Cherry, like you we are full and still have pudding to come. I did enjoy it though. Hope you’re enjoying a restful day.
Merry Christmas to all. Hope it’s a happy one.

Love the snowmen cartoon

Good to see you Jan - did the MSM do your knee any good?
Arnica cream for your sore botty. Ask your new physio to rub it in

Yes, ixion I'm sure Gubbins will remember it, if they continue to do treasure hunts after I've gone off to help Santa in his workshop.

My abiding Xmas memory is of seeing Santa walking down our curved staircase, having left me a rabbit glove puppet. The real Santa, not Dad dresed up.
I think I've probably told you all about this before because as an adult, the memory of what I saw is so vivid and yet it must have been a dreaming illusion.

It's rained for 3 days and there's more to come - 100% humidity and 24 degrees.

Just eaten the left over pulled lamb and salad - deee-lishus.
Cherries for dessert.

Took the decorations off my Manuka Christmas tree and, having cut it into small pieces, boiled it in my cauldron
It'll make a wonderfully soothing, healing foot bath.
Am I an eco-warrior at recycling or what?

I made such a pig's ear of the slipper I was knitting, and on it's final leg too (can slippers have a final leg? Final foot perhaps?) that it irked me slightly to pull it all out and begin again.
But as I had nothing else to do and my audio book was Martin Jarvis and wife Rosalind Eyers in Oscar's "An Ideal husband", at least I had splendid entertainment.

Our library has a huge selection of audio plays from the BBC and L A Theatre Workshop, so I am lucky indeed to have free access to these goodies.

'Othello' next. though nothing can beat Laurence Fishbourne and Kenneth Branagh DVD version. Genius direction and perfeck performance.

Someone asked me the other day (in a quiz) who I'd like to share a meal with. Undoubtedly Quentin Crisp, an unbelievably brave person in his day.

Who would you choose? (living or dead - that's the guest, not you, though it may enhance the meal if you were still on the lively side).

Please excuse the 'greengrocers' apostrophe' It's after 11 pm and I lost track of myself.

Good Morning 🙂

I love Boxing Day - we survived! Nothing destroyed by dogs, all children happy, --all adults mellow--slightly sozzled. No accidents, alarms or excursions.....and today is the furthest we can be from next Christmas 😁

Ixion I am delighted that your DNA may be about to be untwiddled......you may yet be my fourth cousin once removed from my Cork Donovan's or my Kerry Sullivan's.....

I found myself quite subdued yesterday and I'm sure that I'm not the only Lobstar whose table was surrounded by the loving ghosts of `Christmases past. I also privately was celebrating that it's ten years since the awful Christmas Day when there was no electricity and all the family here and I ended up being blue lighted to intensive care. I'm very happy to still be here!

A cold collation for us for lunch - all local artisan cheeses -yum -followed by a walk in the parkland at Chawton House, home of Jane Austen's brother. Then sleep.....😴

Mamissimo. I’m like you in that I find Christmas difficult at times. This year has been worse than normal somehow. Can’t wait for 2023 to be over and hoping for a better 2024 for all the Lobstars whose year has been affected by illness or loss.
It has been a glorious day in the wilds of Norfolk today. Blue skies and glorious. Yesterday the car registered 19 degrees and today seemed the same. As the forecast is for rain rain and more rain it was good to have a dry day today!
Kaimoana. I haven’t started taking the MSMs yet as feel I need to check with my GP as to whether they will affect the other medication I’m taking. Will see him in a couple of weeks so will find out then. Sod’s law in that knee hasn’t been as bad recently.. Tempting fate to say that isn’t it?!!
Hope you have all had a good Christmas. I have eaten far too much and very probably drunk too much alcohol too!
We are at friends tomorrow for lunch but after that the diet starts!! On second thoughts eldest daughter and husband are here for New Year so maybe the diet starts on 3rd of January!!

Glorious sunshine that post should have said!!

Sounds like all the brave Lobstars have survived the Christmas circus
Hooray!
Only another 364 days to go.😉

Thanks to you all for your friendship this past year. Even when things have been low for you, this place has always felt safe, supportive and happy.

All went well here thankfully. Mild weather and blue skies. Delicious food, fun and games. DGC growing up fast.
I had nothing to do apart from eating and drinking.

Stomach Ease tea for me Jeeves.☹️

Kaimoana, you are the goddess of recycling. My tree just gets put in a bag till next year.
I love Martin Jarvis and his wife. Such a lovely couple. I enjoy anything they are in
I can never do those who would you have to dinner things. The thing is I think I’m so boring and uninteresting that I can’t imagine any of them would come to dinner.
Bizzarely, perhaps Esther Ranzen. I met her once on a cruise. She was the most wonderful story teller.
We had a wonderful couple of hours with our older son and family today. So nice to see them. Our DGDs are such lovely and charming young women. We spent a happy time talking over the things we used to do when they were young.
I’ve been watching the first series of Shetland. I never watched it when it first came out. I just love the scenery. So different from where we live. A beautiful but remote place.
Mamissimo, what a lovely photo of a contented dog. 😊
Pleased you had a good time with the family
We’re just pleased to be at home and not hospital too
We also had cold today. Delicious
Hope Spud enjoyed his first Christmas
Jan glad you are enjoying yourself. Yes easy to overindulge isn’t it. Have a nice time at your friends tomorrow. I am contemplating the diet too
Grammaretto, thank you for your company too. Our little gang have survived a lot of things. Who would have thought we’d still be going post lockdown
I too appreciate all who post. It’s been a bit of a year for many of us.
Jeeves will be round with all manner of concoctions for headaches, stomach aches, botty aches. All needs catered for.
Just don’t talk too loudly……..he’s got a hangover too 😩

I think I am increasingly identifying with Dave.
⬅️
😩

Ooh, good question Kaimoana. not something I have really thought about. I'd love to sit down to dinner with my brother again but if it had to be someone I don't know or never knew there are a few but no one stand out 🤷.

Enjoy the lunch with your friends tomorrow Jan

I'm glad you had such a lovely time with your older son and his family today Doodle 😊

Grammaretto I'm glad that you've enjoyed your xmas with your fast growing how does that happen, eh DGC 😊.

I've definitely overindulged on the nibbles and chocs today 😬, I'll have some peptac liquid with my cuppa please Jeeves