🦞 Locked down no longer but still firm friends 🦞

Don't worry Jan I can always get my Screen Reader if all else fails. Trouble is, the darned thing reads everything including everyone's name, time and ate and even "Add comment | Report | Private message | Quote "

Because we have suddenly been hit by a new rule that any elderly or disabled person mustn't be helped when getting into or out of a vehicle (how do paramedics get round that?) I've been looking for devices which will do it instead.

I immediately thought of Doodle & DH when reading about those which help people get into cars, even from wheelchairs.

Handy swivelly things or, for bigger vans like the ones we use, an elevating platform which folds up after use (as most do) for for easy stowage. I'm fairly sure they won't be NZ exclusive.

I've had a truly horrible week: every day something upsetting has happened but that's as much as I want to remember or tell.
Tomorrow is another day.

Hope Keira and Aoife and Grammaretto are all recovering.
Spring is on its way which is bound to help.

1st award results out today - Trevor didn't make it but its still a well-received book I'm told from all sides, so I'm 'appy.

Welcome Zip & NotS - curiosity forces me to ask, if you're Not Spaghetti, what are you?

Ray came for Sunday lunch and we had a good old chat about our respective childhoods. I'm glad to say Waipaeira have taken him under their wing and he'll now, finally, be getting the care he needs.

Right folks. Here we go again! Just completely lost my message to you all - I could scream!!
“Nfk”. Hope Kiera has had her op and is recovering well bless her. Remember my minature Schnauzer having her hysterectomy. Keep her quiet says the vet. Right. Al ok the first evening she is home but next morning- “hello Mum. I’m fine now. I’ll show you how I can jump and run upstairs”. Futile attempts by me to keep her quiet but no damage done!
DH is going to be sent out to the shed - except we haven’t got one so he will have to use the garage- to build an Ark! The rain is relentless. Theo is wandering around like a lost soul. He’s already been out to do the necessary but now wants to go out again but doesn’t like getting wet!
“Doodle” sorry about DHs scooter. A friend of mine has one and it’s huge but she is a very large lady! Has a hoist fitted in the car to get it in and out. Hope you find one DH is happier with.
We are off later to the local pub with friends for Sunday lunch except I never eat Sunday lunch so will probably have fish! I’m not a great meat eater.
Hello “Not Spagetti” think that’s the right nam! Love the story about rescuing your daughter and family from the mud! Daughters know who to call in an emergency don’t they?!
Better stop running on now! I have boring exercises to do! 🤦‍♀️
By the way I’ve obviously missed the story about typing in bold print. Sorry will try and remedy that next time.
Have a good weekend everyone

Sorry ixion I did my best but simply don't have those icons available on my system.
I also assumed everyone would Bookmark the page, rather than go look for it each time.
Fàilte dhachaigh Grammaretto.

NotSpaghetti that sounds very muddy indeed. Today I have filled the washing machine twice with the contents of my suitcase but forgot it was raining here and won't dry in 30mins in the Wellington sun and wind.

I went to bed about 4pm and am now awake so maybe this is jetlag?

DD and the DGC and possibly DS and his 2 are coming tomorrow so I'll see if they notice my bashed face. I brought gifts but fear they are the wrong size. Children grow too fast. Luckily there is chocolate .

I have resorted to my landline which charges £££ for every call but should probably get a temporary phone or resurrect an old one. Any advice? I managed to speak to most of my DC.

A candlelit dinner sounds very romantic, ixion. In valentines week too.
I see that Ancestry.com is offering free access to newspapers on line until tomorrow in the cause.

Thanks for bringing back our lobster Doodle. Did Jeeves come back too?

My lodger and potters left me flowers and raspberries. They also left a veg box, milk and bread.
The rasps are finished so what now?

PS How is Keira?

Welcome home Grammaretto, we've missed you but I see you have been posting at odd times in the southern hemisphere. How is your nose? Hope the flight didn't exacerbate the 🩸 . The trauma of the 🦌 must have all but finished you off after such a long return journey.

Doodle, please don't tell me you are still struggling with that box. Have you managed to reschedule your cardiology appointment? Don't let it slide! Do you feel that an April date is reasonable and attainable for Mr.D?🤞
Thinking of you.

NotSpaghetti - that was your day taken care of then! Lucky you were contactable. Mr.I still hasn't really come to terms with the life enhancing properties of the mobile phone, especially when driving unaccompanied. Of course I won't breakdown - it's a Volvo🤷‍♀️. Did you drop your passengers off or are they staying with you? (Just thinking of the bathroom and the laundry...)

Our excitement tonight was a village-wide power cut at around 6pm. The major irritation was the fact that, for once , I had cooked a respectable two course meal. Eating by candlelight, I could have presented my usual any old thing.
Our little WhatsApp group went into overdrive. There was an open invitation to muster at one neighbour, bring what you have plus candles. We had envisaged an evening of board games and drinking but power was restored far more quickly than first threatened.

Lucky, cos all I could readily put my hands on was the Junior Scrabble we use during FT sessions with the GC.

Mamissimo, wow you will be having quite a lot of decorating done
I wonder what colour Aoife will end up at the end. 🤔
Hope your son has a good trip.
Gramaretto welcome home. Hope you had a fabulous time with your NZ family.
Hope your nose is alright and you are feeling better now. It was a long journey home. How upsetting about the deer. Must have been a shock to you both
Notspaghetti oh I hate to think of the state of your car when you got home. Your DD and friend must have been grateful you picked them up…….perhaps they should offer to clean your car😊

Ah, we are jumpy tonight.
I shall revert to a draft copy and return to bore you to catch up later

Ooh, straight there, Doodle, like an arrow to its

I have some spent time today rescuing my adult daughter, her friend and a dog from a muddy field- they had taken a bus to the "middle of nowhere" and found the footpath so muddy that they got bogged in (up to their knees)... consequently they didn't get back onto the road till the (only) bus had gone.

...now I know what I will be doing tomorrow- cleaning the inside of the car - towels and old sheets were just not enough!

GNHQ thank you for responding to my request and giving us back out lobsters 🦞 🦞*
ixion I hope you can find us now 😊
Back later for a catch up.

Hello Lobstars

Your new thread has already attracted newcomers Kaimoana

Hi NotSpaghetti and Ziplock

Your messages on our old thread certainly showed the way!

I made it home this morning and am quite pleased with myself disorientated

I had a nasty bout of vomiting, a fall on my nose and a considerable nosebleed the night before I caught the plane which, if I've googled correctly, could be caused by anxiety.
any number of things and we did go out for a Syrian meal with red wine that evening

The family looked very worried when I told them and were relieved that I felt able to fly.

I waved to you Kaimoana as I left Auckland

The plane was incredibly long - at least 24 hours and I almost missed my connection in Doha as I was busy trying to chase up my lost phone. to no avail There was a final call and I was still looking for the gate which was miles from the main concourse.

My df met me at the airport in Edinburgh as she had tracked the plane's progress. No public phones anymore even at the airport. Sadly a deer jumped in front of her car and was killed on the journey home.

Sorry about the scooter Doodle. I hope no serious damage has been done to your back/heart by putting it back in its box. I am glad you have managed to get out to church and for walks.

Nfk I hope Keira's operation went well?

I had better stop now . I have 850 emails in my inbox to look at delete

'Evening Doddle - you must be wrung out after that day! Don't you try to wrangle that box - let them sort it. Your back is too precious!

The only excitement here is that the decorators are booked for April to do the kitchen, utility, loo, hall, stairs and landing, front door, our bedroom and all ceilings! Mr M thinks it will see us out but I have other ideas! I refused to have new carpet without dealing with chipped skirting and found a lady decorator with a good reputation who can fit us in before he changes his mind 😄

DS is off to Lisbon for a long weekend to recharge his batteries. He last had a break six weeks ago! We must have been doing something wrong when we were in our yoof!

If anyone is hiding Jeeves please send him round to Doodle to give her a martini hand with her box.

Hello to you too
Have you had a good day?
Gramaretto are you in your way home yet. I e pectoral it’s hard leaving your family behind

No, not new, just never noticed this thread! Hello!

Hi Notspaghetti, we have been a group of friends chatting
about our daily lives on GN since the start of lockdown
Are you new to GN?
Been a day of phone calls today. Trying to sort out the return of DHs scooter. They want me to turn the box it’s in upside down so that the bottom (which is separate) becomes the top.
Quite how they imagine a decrepit old soul like me is going to do that with a box that is over 3ft high and weighs 40 kilos I don’t know.
Booked physio (private as no access to NHS) to come and help DH with his balance and toe walking.
Phoned doctors and chemist to sort out medication order
Had phone call from hospital cancelling my pacemaker appointment and re booking on a day I can’t go 😡
Phone call from hospital giving DH date for his op in April
In between these calls and looking after DH I’ve managed to clean the kitchen and just finished washing the floor at 7pm.
Now enjoying Caesar salad. DH is having remaining Christmas pudding after with cream. His all time favorite.
How have the rest of the gang been?

Where have I been? I've only just seen you!

Hi Ziplock we post in bold as one of our gang has difficulty seeing and the bold text makes it easier for her to read our posts. Thank you, yes I hope my new bin has a more reliable lid,

Hello everyone,
I will likely contribute to this thread now and again 😁. Just wondering why everybody’s post seems to be in highlighted text, but as I’m typing mine, it is in normal type. (Perhaps when I press post, it will change?)
Hope your new bin is fit for purpose, Doodle, and the lids flip as they should 😊.
I also hope Kira’s op goes well, NfkDumpling.

NFK hope Keira’s op goes well tomorrow and she comes home to lots of cuddles and pampering.
So pleased to be able to go to church again. I don’t like leaving DH on his own for long as he’s completely stranded without me but the Wednesday morning service isn’t too long and if I don’t stay for coffee after I’m not away too long.

We are sending the mobility scooter back. DH wasn’t comfortable on it as it felt too unstable.
So this afternoon, I have tackled the scooter to the ground, then fought as it refused to go back in its plastic wrapper. I managed to stuff its arms back in their respective cardboard containers and then put them back in their slots in the polystyrene packing. Finally, after much effort I managed to entice it into its box where I quickly rammed in the bits of polystyrene, charger, keys and instruction manual before ramming the lid closed and sticking it down before it could escape. I’m exhausted tonight and k expect my back will let me know it’s unhappy tomorrow but at least I can get the box collected now and sent back within the 14 day trial period.
I’m also awaiting the arrival of a new kitchen bin. Our old one, which was quite expensive, is a dual bin with flip up lid that stopped flipping up. It has a 10 year guarantee and the manufactures are sending a replacement. Now I’m left wondering what I do with the old one 🤔
Tomorrow I have to do battle with the podiatry department as the DN say they won’t come to the house anymore and we have to go to podiatry one week and the surgery the next for dressing change.

Well, Hellooo

Thank you so much for the link Kaimoana. Satnav brought me straight here.

Lovely news that you got to church to be ashed Doodle. A bit of welcome normality!

I've had rather a discombobulating day and my plans for a dog free day went awry. Poor Kira went without her breakfast this morning as she was due to have her hysterectomy, which had been rescheduled from next week due to the vet being sick. But, on arriving, it turned out she's booked in for tomorrow. I KNOW the message had been for Thursday and not Friday, but I also know the upheaval of trying to rearrange appointments when something unavoidable suddenly turns up. An easy slip up. So, no breakfast again tomorrow morning!

Fingers crossed!

Kaimoan love the new thread title. 💕
Ixion I have asked GNHQ if they could add the 🦞 for you. We will see what they come up with.
Had a good day today. Went to church for the first time in ages and had lots of lovely hugs from some of the regulars
Got ashed (as in Ash Wednesday) and communion then home to DH. Had a Valentines meal courtesy of Waitrose and now he is snoring gently in his chair. 😊

Well, I am going to come over all pathetic, but please could you reinstate the two lobsters in the title?

It is sooooo much easier to get straight to the thread from the list, with those eye-catching icons🤣.

Thank you❤️

Well done on all fronts Kaimoana 💥💝🙂🌈