The Lockdown Gang - 🦞 Lobstars Unlocked 🦞

That's a great idea, Doodle, to park up on the doorstep for hospital visiting. Hopefully you can leave the car at your lodgings (free?) and walk in to visit. If so, you will have time to reflect a little and maybe pop back, for an hour or so, for a rest during the day if the time is appropriate

Getting ever closer, Grammaretto🛫. I hope you'll still be Wordling from the other side of the world. I'll miss you otherwise😉.Please have a safe journey and a lovely time with family. Remind me when you last met up?

Hope you got through and were able to sort your probate, Nfk. Keira is still very clingy? How long do you suppose it will take for her to be more accustomed to being left? At least it means that she has totally accepted you and her new home.
Photo for you.↖️

Is Aoife's popper jacket off yet, Mamissimo? Was it worth the replacement forthe Collar Of Shame? I hope healing is going well.

Good luck with the driving, Jan! Tho' not an ideal time of the year to venture out solo.

You know you are getting old when -
I had to pay an additional £3 for two smaller bags of washed gravel at the Garden Centre. I just couldn't struggle with one larger one anymore.
Not enough of the coal whipper genes left, I reckon. Sorry, ancestors.

I await to hear if Cherry is match fit for tonight. I will excuse her from pompom shaking, if she is still indisposed. You can cut up the oranges at half time instead, as a lighter (and warmer) task. 😍

ixion you lift my heart with your humour.

It's currently 24 degrees and fine in Windy Wellington and we are ^supposedly in the hottest 2 months of summer in NZ.

However, this is an El Niño year and that racally boy is up to no good and totally unpredicable:
Auckland is at 22degrees and looking at the next 10 days of rain.

"There is a 90% likelihood El Niño will persist throughout the southern hemisphere summer."

Doodle I'd already earmarked a Trevor for you, don't worry.

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Good evening 🙂

I am still Mistress of the Wardrobe to Aoife! The vet wants it kept on for a further four days so we've booked our favourite local restaurant for a celebration dinner on Saturday. If I ever have to go through this again with a frisky beagle I will replace the poppers with Velcro. Photo is her watching David Attenborough on TV tonight from her favourite perch.

Not being able to walk the dog has been a blessing in this cold weather but it's meant us accompanying her when she wishes to commune with nature......we have the retired sheep in the back field for the winter and she likes to go and look at them.....in the dark. She also like to see the horses, the geese.....the neighbouring farmer who is muck spreading.....she loves yomping all over the snow drops, stealing onion sets.

I've been ordering the veg seeds for this year and the hot gardener will be here for the day on Friday to do all the fruit pruning for me. I reckon Aoife will want to help with that too 😉

Spud has begun real food - DD2 selected 🥦 for his first taste. The guide she is following has all the greens this week and next......including kale....and avocado with peanut butter! Poor Spud. Wasn't like that in my day!

Hope everyone has a peaceful, restful night.

Well, if that's the look that greets a plate of broccoli and kale, I'm mega-impressed!

Bon Voyage Grammaretto!

Hoping all Lobstars have had peaceful or positive days - here's Spud and his greens! I'm going to have grow more!

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What lovely photos Mamissimo.
My DD2 loved 'little trees' from about Spud's age too and still does. He now eats Kale but it was animal food in the old days. Being an avid cook he has the genius to actually make it taste good (no cream or wine), so Gubbins likes it as much as Spud seems to. What a honey he is.

As for that character Aoife - I'm sure she's thinking I'd love to get at those gazelles

Grammaretto you'll be flying towards us on International Winnie the Pooh Day. So here are a few pictures for you.
Those of us who grew up with the original will accept no Disney substitutes.

Shephard's drawing were eventually coloured and in 1979 The Year of the Child (and mine, DS2) the originals were honoured by Royal Mail stamps.

Bon Voyage!

Still thinking of Doodle & MrD xx

Winnie the Pooh in Latin.

Nfk you’re right it is freezing. Hope you and Keira are getting on ok. Nice to snuggle up with in the evenings.
Grammaretto hope you had a nice meal with your lodger. Must be good to know there’s someone in the house while you are away.
Jan, scan results were fine thanks. Still big problem with infection markers being high. DH desperate to go home to the point it really affecting him now and he’s becoming anxious at night. Good luck with the driving. I am a reluctant driver but having lots of practice now.
Kaimoana no such place in this hospital nor payment for rooms. The place I’ve chosen is about 2 minutes away. So not much driving involved,
Cherry thanks for your kind thoughts. Sorry you are struggling. Sending you a big cwtch. Hope things improve soon
ixion, room is quite close to the hospital thank goodness. I have extended my stay for 5 nights as DH is struggling and it helps to be closer psychologically.
Kaimoana, love that picture and words. 🤣 thanks for keeping Trevor under lock and key for me. 24 degrees….oh I wish.
Mamissimo your nighttime meanderings with Aoife made me laugh. She is gorgeous and obviously has her special cushion person at hand for a spot of TV.
Cant believe Spud is so grown up. Lovely smile and obviously a veggie.

Well Grammaretto, it's only a few hours to go and you'll be on your way. I hope you have a fabulous time with your NZ family.

Siwrne dda!

Tapadh leat 🍒

I hope I get away tomorrow but only realised today when I tried and failed to check in online, that I'm supposed to have an entry visa which should be obtained 72 hours before departure.
I have now applied so fingers 🤞 that I'm allowed to board. I'll try to get to the airport early and check in there.

I had a gut feeling that there would be a hitch. DS is horrified but neither of us have come across this before.

Nothing I can do now . I'm packed and df is driving me to the airport.

Spud is a star. How can he be so grown up already!

I am hoping DH can come home very soon Doodle.

Pleased you are closer to your man now, Doodle❤️. Hoping you are getting more rest now?

Keeping everything crossed for you, Grammaretto, for a successful get away and a wonderful family time.

Keep us posted!

Thanks ixion. The permission came through! But I've lost my wordle streak. I can bear that 😊

Grammaretto so pleased for you. What a relief. Have a wonderful time

Thanks Doodle. I see neither of us had much sleep.
Thinking of you

For Doodle and her dear DH

Phew, I'm pleased that the entry permission came through for you Grammaretto.

Thanks for the cwtch Doodle, it's very much appreciated. I think I'm over the latest bout of seizures, my back's improving daily too.
I am glad that by booking that room that you're closer to Mr D for a few days but I'm concerned that you're still not sleeping much. I do hope you have a better night tonight. I've still got my fingers 🤞 that Mr D can come home soon.

Despite my still dodgy back, I've been out with my walking group 😬 ... because we didn't plan to do any walking 🤣. We met for lunch for one of the walker's birthday's. Nice little restaurant, lovely food --but I wish someone hadn't kept opening the side door letting in the cold air.

Good afternoon 🙂

Just popping in to check on everyone as it's oh so quiet shows that Grammaretto is the chatterbox in this Lobstar Pot and when it goes quiet I sense ‼️ I think it's because being a mother of twins has taught me that quiet spells mischief afoot....and don't get me started on Beagles, or sheep or Mr M when they're quiet.

Poor Aoife is under the weather following her spay - we are having to trot back and forth to the money takers vet everyday because although she's healed well outside all is not so well inside. She was scanned yesterday and they're not too concerned but I think it will be anti robotics today.

Hoping everyone is doing as well as can be expected!

Thank you for the lovely flowers Kaimoana 😊
Cherry glad your are starting to feel better. I had a really good nights sleep last night. Cosy and warm. I’m pleased not to have to drive in this icy weather we’ve been having.
Hopefully warmer tomorrow
Glad you enjoyed a nice meal out. I can feel what you’re saying about draught. It’s like that here….. but I’m right next to the radiator. Good the meal was nice
Mamissimo oh dear poor Aoife. I hope the bank robbers can find out what’s wrong and make her well again.. Hope the robotics help and she’s soon back to her usual self.
DH had more positive news today. Chest x Ray much improved and things progressing better
Gramaretto hope the journey goes well.
Take care all have a good weekend

Good to hear that Grammaretto got away successfully.

Excellent news that Mr.D is making baby steps progress🥂.

I didn't realise you had twins, Mamissimo. There was a trio of gorgeous identical twins + 1 on the box the other day.
Baby A, to distinguish it from Baby B had two teeny nails sporting pink nail varnish.
Gratifying to know that I wasn't the only one incapable of recognising their own. I shocked the nursery when final DC was born, by wandering up and down and having to ask which one was mine. 🤷‍♀️
I hope Aoife is soon back to her happy self, thereby giving your bank balance a rest.

Hoping Cherry is getting back to normal. Nippy weather for all but the most ardent walkers, methinks.

Having an early night tonight. We had booked a collection from our fave charity to pick up a tv. Large and largely incomprehensible, to be replaced by a 'better' (I am assured) and more up to date model and one which lets us see amid the encircling gloom.
^You will be second on our round^, the voice mail told us.
^Collection between 7.00 and 7.30 am^😳

I hope Mr.D continues to improve and keep his pecker up.
I will await Kaimona overnight to tell me which bit anatomically one's pecker is, how one keeps it up and whence the phrase derives!
She's good at that 🌺

I log on every morning hoping for those two magic words, "He's home!" It'll happen - I accept no substitutes

A photo for you ixion but I know you knew anyway

Long before the US vulgarised it, pecker, quite obviously and for generations, has meant beak, nose etc.

In British idiom it is to throw back the shoulders with determination, keep your nose up and remain cheeful.

It constantly dismays me, loving English as I do, how phrases are debased.

In NZ when a cellphone inadvertently dials, we call it a 'pocket dial'. Not sure what the UK term is but in the USA, it's 'butt dial' - yuk as well as inaccurate on all counts but now slavishly copied by all.

I don't wonder Trump has high hopes of getting back in this year.

Dear Kaimoana thank you I do hope so too.
don’t think I want to be phoned by anyone’s butt. ugly phrase
ixion I will be up around 5 ish. Do you want me to give you a wake up call. Hope you like the new TV.

Morning All

Good news that Mr D is mending. Little steps. Hopefully they'll speed up a bit now.

And a gentle cuddle for Aoife. I hope she's being sensible and not trying to do too much. Keira is booked in to be spayed at the end of February. She had to go through another season so the vets could get the timing right. It had crossed my mind to leave her as she is if she didn't have much disruption, but she seemed to have managed to make her season last a full month! Not good weather for washing towels and throws! (And she did make her feelings plain by sitting firmly on her tail whenever a male dog even looked in her direction!)

I'm now feeling quite smug that Kaimoana confirmed the meaning of pecker. It's not often I know something or get it right!

I know those random calls as pocket calls too - butt dial sounds awful and has set my mind off - posteriors with numbered buttons? An old fashioned round phone dial? And then .... No, I'll think of other things - like de-icing the bit of the pond to prize out the axe I'd left there in order for the wooden handle to swell. DSiL is coming this morning to split some firewood for me. The axe just bounced when I tried!

*Hope Grammaretto's getting on ok (are we there yet? 🤣)
*Nfk I hope you get your firewood. You need it in this weather.
Your description of Keira sitting on her tail made me laugh. Good girl.
Thank you, yes I do hope DH has turned a corner and is in the mend. All these days in hospital are taking their toll on us both.
Hope all have a good weekend

Hope Grammaretto landed safely - it'll certainly be warmer; Wellington is predicted to be 26 degrees today.
And like me, she probably woke to the musical trill of the Tui.


I like Wellington, it's compact and friendly, a City of Culture, far more arty than crass Auckland, which, despite its many theatres and galleries, still comes agross as a City of Avarice.

I can't remember the last time I went there to simply look around as my son (and others) warn me its no longer safe to do
so.

My plan today is to get another stored box sorted and catalogued. But first - breakfast on the deck

Kia pai ou ra everyone!

I'm really pleased that Mr D's chest x-ray is showing that he's improving Doodle 😊. I'm also pleased that you've been sleeping better, being cosy and warm certainly helps - helps with keeping one's spirits up too. I hope the positive progress is helping in that regard too, for both of you.

Fancy not knowing your own child, that's shocking ixion 🤣 - a relation of mine did more or less the same thing when her daughter was born and she was convinced the nurses pointed her in the direction of the wrong baby.
I hope you weren't still in the land of nod when the charity came to collect your old TV 😉.

What a horribly crude phrase butt dial is Kaimoana, would it be wrong of me to say typical Americans.
Now I've got to scratch that image of the old fashioned round phone dial on someone's bottom 🙈 out of my mind Nfk 😬😂.

Sorry Nfk but I couldn't help but laugh at the idea of the axe just bouncing off the wood when you tried to split it .... I have visions of you using a rubber axe 🤣. It's a harder than it looks job. It's something I could do when I was younger .... but not anymore. I'm sure your DSiL did a much better job.

I spoke too soon on Thursday when I said I was much better 🤦. Yesterday me and my WP went scouting for a new (to us anyway) car, we're sick of ours not starting. We walked into the first showroom ... and walked out again 🤔. Apparently (I have no recall) I went down like a sack of spuds, I do have the bruises. We came home. I'm not tempting fate again until next time 😉.