🦞 Locked down no longer but still firm friends 🦞

Oh Doodle, I completely get that panic. What a wonderful son you have ☺️. Great news that the antibiotics are working for Mr D, you're probably right that when the infection is under control he'll start to have an all round improvement.
I hope today has been a much better day for you both x

The 80th birthday party sounds like it was good fun Grammaretto. How's the roof holding up, no more leaks I hope 🤞.

I see you've enjoyed your latest break away in the camper bubble Nfk, despite from the sound of it some, ahem, variable weather. The bluebells are well and truly out here too and as for the grass - I'm convinced it's growing faster than normal.

Shame you will miss out on the joys of Whanau day with your friends Kaimoana but it will be even more wonderful to see your DS2 😊

Sorry you seem to be having a bit of a set back atm Jan, you've had one or two or three and you pick up from them. I'm sure you will this time too. I hope you managed the step into your friend's bungalow and had a lovely time with them.

I hope you and Mr I are having a peaceful time ixion 😁.

🤞 I've recovered from the latest bout of seizures, I've got my walking group tomorrow. I've missed out on the last few meet ups because of clashes with dental appointments 🙄. I might just find out where the stop for lunch is and meet them there 😁.

Yes it is at the Dovecote NotSpag. It's on until 18th May.
dovecotstudios.com/whats-on/andy-warhol-the-textiles

Doodle you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers always.

Vascular surgeon seems very positive although DH had rotten night of pain and isn’t feeling great. I didn’t sleep much either wondering how he was.
Grammaretto DH and I want to an Andy Warhol exhibition of his paintings at the De La War Pavillion in Bexhill years ago.
We were on holiday there and it was on. Not our sort of thing at all to be honest but it was an interesting afternoon. The Pavillion itself is very interesting and I remember going there myself with my mum and dad on holiday when I was 5, 6 and 7. They had tea dances and a band and I used to dance with my dad. I thought it was so exciting.

Sorry to hear that the dude is in pain Doodle but glad that the surgeon is pleased with his progress.

I wasn't expecting to like the AW exhibition but it was his early work and showed his subtle lines and unusual colour combinations.
A bit like when you see early Picasso's and realise he could draw!

The insurance assessor came and was here ages studying the dreadful ceiling and photographing the roof.

Tonight Gaelic begins again so I must learn to say sorry the dog ate my homework 😅

I hope you've enjoyed your walk Cherry

I hope Mr. D's pain has been reasonably and sensitively controlled today. Stuff like this causes so much distress to those nearest and dearest too, doesn't it?

I rather like the idea of a walking group like Cherry's, driving to the lunch venue😆. What has the weather been like for it in 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿?

I hope the insurance chap looks favourably on your damaged roof, Grammaretto. Anything to do with house insurance reminds me, with a smile, of my DM.
Recently widowed, she was instructed to get in touch with her insurers when several tiles came down in a spate of stormy weather. Ringing her insurers, she had difficulty in communicating with the man on the phone, who was heavily accented and, undoubtedly, outsourced to a foreign call centre.
^But you must know about the recent storms,^she insisted. You are the Norwich Union, after all. Just down the road from me^

We are order restored here now, Barney glad to be relieved of his ear-defenders. (Only kidding).

Permit me to bring a moment of levity to the proceedings. Mr.I is not known for his expertise in ordering on line, due in part to his fat fingers, his inability to find his glasses or, truth to tell, his unwillingness to seek assistance.

Imagine the scene. We sit for a civilised breakfast with his sister 👿, when the postman delivers an M and S parcel. Ooh, he says, that'll be my shirts and jumper.

Er, no. Out falls a very risqué black lacy bra as well. (That's the photo attached, K, btw).

I've no idea how that got in there, he insists.
Dear reader, should I have believed him? 😉

ixion Tell him you believe him absolutely - then insist he wears the garment

That is too funny 😁 ixion!
What did his sister think? I'd love to have been a fly 🪰 on the 🧱

* does it fit? *

Thanks for commiserations. Gratefully received. about my ceiling

I have no funny insurance stories to relate but I'm with your DM. Ofcourse he should have remembered those storms. 😂

Gaelic was hilarious as ever. Our teacher is American, but in a rather unexpected way, is very concerned about grammar and pronunciation.

Late dinner for me tonight with a nice red wine. I cooked spaghetti bol yesterday so I heated it.

I hope you have a good night's sleep Doodle. 😴 sending healing thoughts.

I hope Mr D's pain has subsided today and he's had some restful sleep Doodle. A positive from the surgeon is good and bodes well. I so hope you can have a better night tonight.

I watched a programme about Andy Warhol a couple of years ago Grammaretto, it looked at his life and work from his teenage years until his decline and death in 1987. It was fascinating and despite not considering myself a fan of his work I realised that he did create some quite outstanding art.
Those insurance assessors are thorough aren't they, I hope yours assesses favourably for you 🤞.
How did your Gaelic class go I bet you weren't the only one who's had their dog eat their homework,?

😱 ixion, my mind boggles at Mr I, that's an interesting shirt🤣.

I did have a nice not much walking time today Grammaretto. In the end my WP didn't drive me to the lunch venue, ixion 😉 and the weather was great for it. Nice lunch too 😁.

Oh no, Kaimoana
With Mr.I's tendency to be carted off to a chorus of blues and twos, I'm not having him exposed in women's underwear 😱.

With Mr.I's tendency to be carted off to a chorus of blues and twos, I'm not having him exposed in women's underwear 😱

Er…..whatever does he get up to Ixion ?
I hope the insurance assessor is generous Grammaretto and you get reimbursed for your leak
Your Gaelic class sounds such good fun. I’m amazed the *Teacher is American though. Are you learning Gaelic with an American accent.?
Wish I could have joined you for the spag Bol and red wine.
Cherry pleased you had a good walk and a nice lunch.
*Kaimoana I too think Mr I would look very fetching in that nice lacy top 🤣
Poor DH is swollen with fluid. Having spent all day yesterday telling him to drink they now want him on restricted liquids and diuretics. He is very puffy all over which isn’t much fun.
He did sit in the chair for a few hours today but has been asleep most of the time. I’m worried he won’t sleep tonight but I can’t wake him up.

I hope the diuretics are helping Mr D, Doodle. It's good that he did manage to sit in a chair a while, even if he then or since has been asleep most of the time. I'd be the same as you, I wouldn't want to wake him. I hope he does still get some sleep tonight and I hope you get some sleep yourself x

Your Gaelic class does sound like a lot of fun Grammaretto -an American teacher who's concerned about pronunciation I'm saying nufink 😉.

We did a good deed today it's helped us anyway , we took a big bag of books and another of clothes to a charity shop in the village. Having disposed of several, we only have one more box of books to go 😁. Now to sort out the other chest of drawers and .... 😬. Is this what happens when originally only intended to empty a bureau? 🤦.

Oh, poor Doodle and poor, poor Mr D. I know life isn't fair but this is beyond unfair. Hopefully he'll turn a corner soon as his body heals after his op. I hope you're managing to recover and look after yourself too. Thank goodness you have your lovely sons to support and help.

I love the vision of the risque underwear muddled in with respectable shirts and jumper ixion. Had he ordered the right size?

Andy Warhol and modern art reminds me of our visit, many years ago, to a small art exhibition in northern Spain mostly of the Salvador Dali sort. It included a very small Picasso. A horizontal pencil line. That was it. In a frame. A light pencil line. Not even two lines, just one. He was obviously having a laugh, but the blurb said how much had been paid for it. Basically, a great deal of money had been paid for a signature. Like Andy Warhol, Picasso's early work is really good. I much prefer it!

Nfk I used to know a man called Tom Keating who was once accused of forging art works.

Fortunately, he was wise enough to mark all his work with 'This is a Sexton Blake' which he knew would show up under ultra-violet light if art 'experts' did their job properly. Many didn't.

I have a letter from Tom in which he tells me he once watched a very well heeled young couple pay a vast sum for an equisitely framed piece of soiled toilet paper.

ANZAC Day today and I'm just back from a very moving Remembrance Service.

So sorry to hear about Mr D, Doodle.
I hope the diuretics are helping by now and he is getting back to health.
It must be exhausting for you both.

I recommend sitting in the sunshine.
I have been eating my breakfast out listening to the birds only for 10 minutes and found it very peaceful and cold

Sparky is going to help to find a good plasterer. It won't be quick but he's on the case.

I remember Tom Keating, Kaimoana.
Not least because his partner in "crime" was my namesake and several people asked if it was me!

My DGS begins his Highers today. These are the Scottish equivalent of A levels taken at 16 or 17. Then you can choose to go straight to university for a 4 year course. The first year of which is flexible so you don't have to settle on your final degree subject.

I'm impressed Cherry that you only have one box of books left!
I could open a bookshop tomorrow!
* perhaps I should *

Miserable night last night. DH in lots of pain for about 5 hours until he finally fell asleep. By then I was too het up and anxious to sleep myself so I’ve been yawning all day.
Everyone is so kind to him but he’s uncomfortable and exhausted most of the time. Just hoping he starts to improve soon.
Cherry getting rid of all those books means you must have gaps on your bookshelves. Please let me know when I can deliver a box (lorry load) of books to replace them 🤣
Thanks Nfk I do hope so. Yes sons being a real support,
Kaimoana you meet the most interesting people 🤣
Grammaretto I know what you mean. I love watching the birds an hearing them in the morning. Is the plasterer for the roof leak repairs.? Have you heard back from the assessor yet?
Does your DGS have an idea of what he wants to do at university? My DGD is just at the end of her A levels. She doesn’t want to go to university but has her eye on the same college her dad went to.
Take care all and thanks for your kind thoughts x

Oh bother Doodle. I was hoping DH would be making some progress.
I pray he'll have a better night tonight. 🙏

A plasterer came to quote for a new ceiling. I was pleasantly relieved as I had dreaded it but he did say I shouldn't be sitting here with the dodgy ceiling above. He said they could fix it in 2 days and I wouldn't have to remove the books.

He's a volunteer fire fighter and was rushing off to a memorial for a sadly departed colleague.

I think DGS is interested in history and politics but he may change his mind. 😅🤣
What does your DGD want to do?

I'm sorry that Mr.D is unable to have his intractable pain properly sorted in a place which, one would think, have every resource at hand to deal satisfactorily with it. Were you able to get a suitable reclining bedside chair for his heels, at least?
And you. When is your post op follow up? Don't neglect yourself.

We have been dodging the showers, trying to encourage two clematis to grow upwards around a couple of fancy obelisks, but they seem to prefer to shoot off to the inside of each, preferring the security of the insides. Maybe the type clem.claustrophobii . Just my luck to get two generous plants who keep their flowers hidden from view.

Mr.I is off for his respiratory appointment tomorrow- all this to enable him to be suitable for the surgery he so badly needs to function even at the lowest level .
I hope they realise how important this is.

Enjoy your time with DS, Kaimoana, and your IT upgrade(?). Your ceiling sounds decidedly dodgy, Grammaretto. Please ensure you have your mobile handy if you have to sit anywhere near it😉. How difficult was the decision making behind your book cull, Cherry? Is that it or are you on the proverbial roll?

Knowing Tom Keating? Wow!

Gosh ixion you've heard of Tom Keating! My turn to 'wow'

Sorry to hear that Mr D has been in such pain Doodle. You'd think hospital is the one place they would be able to keep it under control but despite all the pain killing medication at their disposal they have to pick the most appropriate one, not easy all round. I hope they've got to grips with it now, and the oedema too.
Oh, and ixion's right, please take care of yourself., it's really not long since you had your own operation x.

Good grief, what is wrong with some people Kaimoana assuming that the story Tom Keating told you was true 🤢.

Was the plasterer who came one found by Sparky then Grammaretto? If so, good old Sparky 😁. The plasterer's advice is eminently sensible - it's a nightmare removing books 😉😅.
Yes, I did think we only had one more box of books to dispose of ... but I'd forgotten about the two we'd put under the desk in the other bedroom 🤦 🤬.
Is it politics and history your DGS is studying for his highest then or what he thinks he'd like to study at university?

What is it with clematis ixion 🤔. Apart from honeysuckle, which we thought we'd lost but it reemerged 7 years later, they don't seem to like our garden. Eventually we even lost the honeysuckle as it came a cropper when the wall came down in a storm 😬.
Not sure we're on a roll but we seem to have started something that has now careered down the road, turned and run down the lane and is hurtling down the next street 😉🤣.
I hope Mr I's respiratory appointment goes well tomorrow 🤞.

Mais oui Kaimoana
We saw a documentary about him on the box when the children were small, and he had my admiration from then on in😍.

I think this quote from his Wiki page sums up his work beautifully-

* He claimed his aim was not material gain, but rather a crusade against art dealers he believed were only interested in fine art as a commodity, for which an impressive provenance, often dubious or wholly invented, always trumped the masterful artistry and intrinsic beauty of any particular drawing or painting. *

OK, so it's only through our cloakroom window and the glass is not super clean, but I hope this photo of early buds and blue skies will uplift folk, if only fleetingly!

Thankyou ixion! It does. 🌞
I am sitting out in the sun having completed my shift at the store.

The insurance claims dept phoned to say my claim had been declined. No surprises there.

^Natural decay of materials!^
I asked if I could appeal and was given a glimmer of hope. I'm to send in quotes and pictures of the ceiling. They definitely won't pay for the roof.

I'm going to a concert tonight in Rosslyn Chapel which will take my mind off my roof and I can admire that one instead

I hope that Mr and Mrs Doodle had a better night.
Sending hugs.

For those of us with a similar problem

Grammaretto my DGD doesn’t have any particular course although she’s thinking of business studies. She’s been doing geography, criminology and dance but hasn’t any fixed ideas as to what she wants to do. She’d love to continue dancing but realises it’s not a career choice so is looking for something more practical. Unlike her sister who had a clear idea of what she wanted to do she has no fixed plan.
Ooh a volunteer firefighter. Is he a match for Mamissimo’s hot gardener do you think?