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🦞 Locked down no longer but still firm friends 🦞

(1001 Posts)
Kaimoana2 Wed 14-Feb-24 01:09:31

A supportive thread begun during Lockdown and which now continues to be a daily treasure (even an addiction!).
All welcome.

Grammaretto Wed 05-Jun-24 18:21:50

I shall also be thinking of you on Friday Doodle dear.

CherryCezzy Wed 05-Jun-24 16:18:34

Thanks for telling us when Mr D's funeral is Doodle. It's understandable that you don't know how you feel about it and that you're a bit all over the place atm, it's a reality hard to cope with. I'm sorry to hear that you're not sleeping well but I'm pleased you're eating better now. We will all be thinking of you on Friday. I'm sending you warm heartfelt cwtches ♥️ x

Doodle Wed 05-Jun-24 12:54:49

Sorry i didn’t manage to bold everything

Doodle Wed 05-Jun-24 12:54:19

Mamissimo Spud is lovely. Thanks for sharing the photos.
I’m amazed you can eat 40 different plant foods a week without a problem. I suppose I stick to what we’ve been used to.*
Is that all your decorating done or is there more to do. Be nice to have your bedroom back
Ah now I understand about your new diet. If it’s for your health it makes a lot of sense. Good you have enough space to grow your own veg.
*Kaimoana, there’s always someone who thinks they know best isn’t there. I would never have the nerve to pick anything and cook it I’m sure I’d poison myself.
Jan, I’m not sure how I’m doing to be honest. Up and down all over the place. Not that DH was very noisy but it’s so quiet here. Also my tinnitus is playing up a lot it’s at really high pitch at the moment.
It’s surprising how the smallest change in routine can have an effect on your energy levels. Obviously Theo is still full of beans.
Hope you manage your trip ok. Perhaps you could do the bits no in the motorway. Just swap more often. Hope you have a good time
Dhs funeral Friday (have I told you that already?) Not sure how I feel about it. Take care all

Jan16 Wed 05-Jun-24 09:54:36

Hello Lobstars! Mamissimo my goodness Spud is sooo gorgeous. What amazing hair too. Would love to give him a cuddle!
Hope everyone is well and Doodle beginning to smile again bless her. Living on your own takes a lot of getting used too when youve been married for so long. Sending love Doodle.
Been a shattering few days here. Had friends we used to cruise with here for 2 days. They didnt actually stay with us but we had a couple of meals out with them which was great. However how can 2 meals out be so exhausting? I was so tired by the time they left it was unbelievable. I never realised stroked had that effect.
Physio came yesterday so that was more energy spent and could hardly keep awake for dinner last night! However after a good nights sleep - must have been good as I apparently slept through Theo cat deciding 2am was a good time to get up and race around the house like a maniac!!! Ooops!!!
At last we have sunshine. Can’t believe how wet it has been. Last night it was really cold as I grumpily went upstairs muttering “its just like b….y winter!”
We should be off to the Yorkshire Dales next month although Im having doubts about the journey. Normally we share the driving and although Im driving around locally Im not sure Im up to fighting with lorries on the A17 or dicing with death on the A1 which means DH would have to drive 170 miles himself which apparently “is no problem”. Mmmm! So the debate rumbles on!
Hope everyone is well. Will catch up on everyones news with my coffee in a bit! Have a good day all!!!

Mamissimo Wed 05-Jun-24 07:43:24

Good morning 🙂

Kaimoana, the 40 plant foods interest has come in response to all the research that is going on into the positive effects of maintaining a healthy gut.

In a nutshell it is a simple way to focus on increasing gut bacteria diversity. All bacteria need different foods to live off and eating as wide a range as possible makes a difference. The Zoe research, headed by Tim Spector, is spearheading this.

For me it's vital - my doctors can see if I'm eating the right stuff because the inflammatory markers in my blood increase/decrease in line with my dietary performance. My daft body fights itself and if I don't manage my inflammatory levels I get very ill indeed....kind of deadly 😷

It's one of the reasons we grow so much fruit and veg at Mamissimo Mansion - it keeps me well and I can pick, pull and dig up little bits of all sorts on a daily basis. As my late MiL was wont to say, I'm not as daft as I'm cabbage looking 🤔

I grow the favourite veg of each of my grandchildren and if they demur from eating veg their mothers tell them that it's Granny's veg and they cave in - mind you my olive tree doesn't produce edible olives so one day I'll get found out. Hopefully by then the veg and gut diversity habit will be ingrained in them

Kaimoana2 Wed 05-Jun-24 03:22:44

Love that mischievous look and the artistically touseled hair grin He's adorable.

Kaimoana2 Tue 04-Jun-24 23:18:04

Never too much of Sweet Spud!

What's this 40 plants a week business - surely not another food fad? hmm

I don't need to count, that's pretty much all I eat these days.

I suppose if I were bothered, I could count all the diferent grains in the gluten free bread grin

Grammaretto when I was young, we (Mum, me & Auntie) used to regularly gather such foods.

Nettles were good for almost everything, including beer, delicious even before fermentation. Yummy as a vegetable.

Mum used wild garlic and pretty much every edible plant she could find in her cooking and salads.

I notice Borage flowers on my meal at the Filipino restaurant recently. Everyone but me left it on their plates.

I learned early to tell wild Fennel from Hemlock and once offended a woman who most officiously and in public, stopped me gathering the former, announcing to her audience that it was ignorant people like me who caused poisonings.
I mentioned the relatively safe identifying aniseed aroma of fennel which was among us in clouds but she still stalked off saying I'd die and it would serve me right.
I didn't.

There's a Wild Foods Festival in the South Island every year. Very popular.
wildfoods.co.nz

Mamissimo Tue 04-Jun-24 20:53:15

Good evening 🙂

I was concerned that I was giving you too many Spud pictures but in response to your blandishments I offer a small selection.

He's now cruising around the furniture and into everything. DD2 has been lucky enough to be able to reduce her teaching hours to part time and she goes back to work in July. Spud is going to nursery while she works. One of the pictures is of Spud doing some 'work' and one of him with his 'pay'. DSiL thinks it's important to have a work ethic!

Mr M and I are logging all the plant food we eat and it's surprisingly easy to achieve the new wonder target 40 different plants a week. The dear man wasn't too keen on Jerusalem artichokes but is loving the fruit salads. It does strike me that this may be harder to achieve in the winter!

ITwo more sleeps till we have our bedroom back....and carpet on the stairs!*

Can Jeeves bring me a Horlicks please?

Doodle Tue 04-Jun-24 20:24:59

Grammaretto I am eating again now. In fact I find i get quite hungry. I wish I could sleep a bit better. When I wake up about 3.30 my mind won’t stop going round. I’ve taken to going to bed with the iPad watching something uninteresting until I fall asleep. When I woke up at 3,30 I wondered who was talking to me. The iPad was still chuntering (is that a word?) away in the background.
I’m amazed what you eat from your foraging. Do you ever get a stomach upset? Sounds like the sort of tea they’d have in Wind in the Willows 🤣*
Ixion I bet you had a shock when you thought a new baby’s had arrived 🤣. A body board is much easier to cope with 😊

ixion Tue 04-Jun-24 15:39:43

Books?📚
I am a self-confessed BABLE.
Book Accumulation Beyond Life Expectancy.

Recent news from Up the Amazon -
Did some suturing but had to make do with what I had, so the sutures were much too big because that's all there is.

Interesting holiday postcard received from the DGSs this morning.
'I have got a new baby undecipherable'
My heart lurched. I contacted DS toot sweet - what had I not been told?
No worries, I was told.
He has a new body board.

Grammaretto Tue 04-Jun-24 11:13:36

I don't know Doodle. It looks like no work will start until next month but I shall leave a few big pieces of furniture and take the opportunity to move or get rid of smaller stuff and books - at least some books.

The Helper is a librarian who knows what kind of books people borrow -novels mostly.

I'm also taking my shrunken clothes to the charity shop. 😂🤣

I hope you are eating again Doodle and that your family and your friends are looking after you.

Sending hugs.
Ps. The food we ate was hogweed and elderflower fritters and a tea made from sweet cicely and pine leaves.

Here is a photo of the deadly poisonous Hemlock water dropwort which looks exactly like parsley

Doodle Tue 04-Jun-24 10:20:02

Grammaretto, glad your new helper is nice. Do you have to clear everything out of your sitting room? It’s difficult to find a place for big items like sofas and chairs. Be careful you don’t hurt yourself moving things. Could you not just cover some over?
Kaimoana, sounds like you had fun 😊

Kaimoana2 Tue 04-Jun-24 06:18:29

Quote from one of our kaumatua today. "Chocolate makes your clothes shrink" grin

I did some finger painting which also resulted in table painting, jersey paintin and "How can I get all this stuff off my hands?"

shock
grin

Doodle Mon 03-Jun-24 20:53:45

*Grammaretto lovely spot for your picnic. So you’ve been foraging again. What did you find?
Mamissimo, I was wondering how out little Spud was doing too.
Kaimoana, how that girl loves her daddy 😊

Grammaretto Mon 03-Jun-24 07:20:21

Hello lovely Lobstars!
That Trevor t shirt was quite a find ixion!

Reality setting in sounds very sad Doodle. Thinking of you xxxx

The French helper has arrived, she is very nice, and we will begin to clear the sitting room in preparation for a new ceiling. I don't know what we will do with everything. I suppose pile it high in another room or take some things to the charity shop and the tip.
There will be nowhere to sit apart from the kitchen. I'm being forced to live in a smaller space which I'm sure is good for me.

Gubbins and daddy -- lovely cuddles Kaimoana.

Pictures from Saturday's picnic and foraging in the sunshine.

Kaimoana2 Mon 03-Jun-24 05:48:19

Cuddles with Daddy smile

Kaimoana2 Sun 02-Jun-24 22:22:00

What a kindness Mamissimo Thank you SO much. I'll PM you.

And please post more photos of the superb wee Spud smile

Mamissimo Sun 02-Jun-24 21:04:54

Kaimoana - if you would like one for Gubbins I can get it for you and post it - like you posted me the book for Spud? Would be my very real pleasure so please pick your colour and size and it will be done!

Doodle Sun 02-Jun-24 21:04:32

Love the T shirt Ixion. What a find.
Your cousins daughter is certainly having some experiences worth including in a journal.
i suggest you tie up your physio with the resistance bands and have a cake and cup of coffee 🤣
Kaimoana an unexpected treat to see your son. I love the idea of Gubbins doing Face time with you. She’s really growing up now.
*Grammaretto hope your walk and picnic went well. Any photos. It’s been a lovely day here. Quite hot I. The sun when I went for a walk. I got a bit miserable this afternoon. Didn’t feel up to much. I think reality is slowly dawning and I don’t like it.

Kaimoana2 Sun 02-Jun-24 09:11:51

That's great ixion but they won't ship to NZ unfortunately.

ixion Sat 01-Jun-24 22:29:45

www.amazon.co.uk/Trevor-Niue-Pacific-Island-T-Shirt/dp/B0B55TJ7XT/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_2?crid=2F3LS8WZ0PTTQ&keywords=Trevor%2Bthe%2Bdaring%2Bduck&sprefix=trevor%2Bthe%2Bdaring%2Bduck%2Caps%2C73&th=1&dib_tag=se&customizationToken=MC_Assembly_1%23B07536XX75&tag=gransnetforum-21&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.T1Odiy85G-cHUaz-7MAl4zcf7Q4PmHYPSMjSl6EAHDSQKPzwuX1vKb59Ll8sA7twRUoqxG5sUiwHz7wy_3Ck9vvIquUXRxFuklmhVjoW5p4.plX4tOU6jrSeKpQ7yiLZ-2aCfTMdFu_HXoo3rea7KZA&qid=1717276956&customId=B07536XX75&sr=8-2-fkmr1

This is the link for the UK t-shirt, Kaimoana. Can we not sort something out between us to get purchases over to you? (As you did for our Trevor copies).
The red one is, I think, attractive. ?Gubbins?😉

Kaimoana2 Sat 01-Jun-24 22:11:54

I loved the t-shirt picture ixion and put it into Tin Eye; which locates similar images online; to see where I could buy one - alas it found nothing, even on 67 billion trawled websites! We do have a shop in the Mall which will print bespoke designs but it's not cheap.

You are the 2nd person this week to mention a book launch/signing but no, there never was one, even at our local library where I have been infamous well known for nearly 40 years.
Nor any overt advertising either as the publishers rely on self-promotion.
Fair enough, I guess 99.9% of authors can see to do that and have transport to get to various venues.
Ol' Trev seems to be doing all right without it smile

How lovely though if that dream of yours was true. smile A Lobstar party sounds wonderful. Bring the pom poms and you and Cherry can chant. "Ra-ra Trevor - we are proud of your endeavour!" grin

Oooh Doodle jam and cream scones (drool) how delicious.
Very occasonally I indulge in an Orange & Ginger scone, no jam, no cream but as it's wheat, I suffer for it afterwards! wink

I hope your picnic went well at the Firth of Forth Grammaretto - are there seagulls there to grab your food?

It's a long weekend here, the official (as opposed to the actual) King's Birthday.
June was chosen because there's better weather for celebrations.
Chosen by UK politicians who had no idea that rain, hail, wild winds and 4 degrees was the norm in some parts of the Commonwealth. Buffoons.

Unexpected visit by my dear boy yesterday; couldn't stay long as he was taking Gubbins for her swimming lesson - but lovely to see him anyway.

Gubbins wanted to FaceTime with me (my first time but she's an old hand) so we chatted.
"We go for ice creams after swimming" I was told.

I sent the pink balloons home along with a Mille feuille I'd just finished making.

Is it bluebell time in the UK yet?

Love to all xxx

ixion Sat 01-Jun-24 20:56:49

I hope you had a lovely day out, Grammaretto.
Yes, Cherry, Dear Cousin's daughter is having the experience of a lifetime. She sent me a photo of the consulting room. The side of the boat hung with sheets for privacy, a small Formica table and 3 plastic 'garden chairs'. It'll make her own crumbling hospital back home seem quite palatial. I did send her a Very Nice journal when she was first planning to go, and ditto pen. Unsure whether this would seem an old dear's idea of a suitable gift for a young gal of modern times, I was thrilled to hear that she had taken it with her after all. Just as well with dodgy internet in the swamps. Another day, another tribe.

I looked up Trevor on Amazon UK. Yep, there he was, with only 3 copies left. 🥳. Consequently, I dreamt of same last night. You were at a book signing, Kaimoana, and we were all there behind you, sporting, in a shameless display of promotion, your book, whilst wearing 'Team Trevor^ corporate T shirts. This must have also been prompted by the wall to wall election news, where potential leaders stand before serried ranks of silently nodding acolytes holding up placards of support.

Must away to do my next 7 sets of exercises, set by Aw-Gready physio. (This week's encouraging phrase). Well, only 5 thus far until my resistance band (sic) arrives. According to DS, this is what they are called after my tortuous description. As I didn't know to ask which level of resistance I was working on at the time, DS has encouraged me to buy the full set of 5😳. Won't be wasted, apparently, when I give up, as he will put them to good use🤔

Doodle Sat 01-Jun-24 20:39:24

Grammaretto you picnic sounds lovely. Any photos
I have had my hair cut at last. My head feels so much lighter, 🤣

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