Not Locked Down but may need to be locked up

Hope all goes well tomorrow, Doodle💐.

ixion, I too have a beautiful skirt which was half a size too small... it's been waiting for it's debut many a year... 😕 unfortunately it's now 2 sizes too small. Unless it's shrunk in the wardrobe (like several other items!).

Grammaretto, Do you miss things once you've parted from them? - yes, occasionally, but only fleetingly.
I know they had to go...
I do have lots more that must go too.
Dozens of boxes of things in fact!
I have found it easier if I took lots of photos of everything first. Sometimes the things I most wanted to hang on to were ridiculous. I wanted to save a broken mug my dad used for tea because "one day" I'd incorporate it into something lovely- or maybe use that Japanese technique to mend it - or I could use it to hold (more) paint brushes or pencils or whatever- except I've got other (broken) treasures doing those jobs!

I started taking photos a few years ago and have a folder on my laptop with them all in. The more recent ones I've had a good idea about and now I've written a note to go in the photo with them - eg. "Lace collar from mum's red velvet "Christmas" dress - 1970s. She loved this dress but Dad always disliked velvet" or simply *My favourite trousers 1970 or "hideous wedding present vase!"

My youngest daughter flicked through some recently and spoke to me about things she remembered when prompted by the photos. - nobody wanted the items but the photos, a snapshot in time, hold memories that some of my children might like to have a record of

I hate clearing stuff out. 😭

Grammaretto your German girl sounds a good sort, you must have a full house now. Do you still have the same lodger?
Glad the open studios is going well. Wish I was closer, I would visit. Have you sold much?
Good news about the taxi Kaimoana. Hope now you get to your appointment on time
Im off to hospital in the morning for an X-ray to check how my dodgy lung is doing. Hope all is well I don’t fancy an operation
Ixion DH’s hobbies were photography and reading.he was an avid reader of all sorts of things. I’m afraid at the moment I struggle to read one page let alone a book. Mostly we just liked going on walks together and pottering about. I miss the quiet companionship and the laughter. Thanks for the ideas though
ive just picked up my new laptop. Hopefully it’s all been set up ok. Went to visit other grandma on my way home.

That's really good news for you, Kaimoana, I'm really pleased.
Did I know which was your trip to Auckland?🤔Was it the end of the month one to your new GP practice you waxed lyrical about? Sorry for being so dense.

Pleased that your open day went well, Grammaretto. Were your sales based on what was on display or have you taken orders and created a mighty 'to do' list?
I hope your homeless friends are settling in, do they need 'entertaining'? I expect you will miss your helper when she goes. Anyone else lined up to take her place?

Wondering how Cherry's cough is and whether she has stormed the surgery defences to get to see a proper doctor? i.e. one who is useful. It must be very wearying.💐

Doodle, how's it going? There was a nice (I thought) recent suggestion on the 'Missing Someone' thread about picking up a hobby or pastime of a dearly beloved and, in 'walking in their footsteps', this helped create, or reaffirm, that spirit of creativity and provided a connection.
Would this help?

More decluttering today but with the odd uncertainty.
To keep, for yet another year, the beautifully cut plain black linen calf length skirt from Hobbs - a bargain at the time from a local charity shop- and which I purchased intentionally a size ( and the rest😉) too small as an incentive to lose weight?

Dear reader, it still sits in its dry cleaner's bag. I can feel it looking at me reproachfully every time I open the wardrobe door.
Will I ever get there?

Good old Waipareira came through I got my taxi chits for the trip to and from Auckland hospital.

Don't worry about being Bold I have my methods Watson Lobstars.

Do you miss things once you've parted from them?
I am going to attack the attic tomorrow and be ruthless in my clearing out.
Sparky was here today,to fix some light fittings, he who knows better than the roofer where water is still coming in. He says I must remove part of the plaster in the attic and get to see into the space behind.
I think he's right.

My temporarily homeless friends have moved in with me so the German girl has had to give up her room and move upstairs. She's done this, uncomplaining.

Another good day of open studios and a good film tonight.

Kaimoana I’m sorry I keep forgetting to check my bolding (becoming emboldened, being bold…. No idea what the right wording is) Hope things are ok with you. x

Ooh Grammaretto I love that puppy. So sweet. Glad the pottery showroom went well and you enjoyed some good company
Well Ixion what can I say. I did my best but sadly not good enough. Instead of cheerleading I think it might be a good idea if we went and played instead,
we declutterred a lot when we moved here and a lot of our China and glasses had to go.
*Notspaghetti I can’t decide whether to get thermals with sleeves or not. Sometimes I get a bit hot and don’t fancy the thought of stripping off in public (don’t think the public would like it much either)
Hope the new glasses are fine. I’ve got so many pairs now for different things but never have the right ones where I need them *
*Nfk I’ve started taking stuff to our local hospice who sell it and raise money that way. DH supported blood cancer research (just one of his many ailments) .
I’ve been to church this morning then met up with DS1 this afternoon for a coffee and chat which was nice. Take care all

What a sweet little puppy Grammaretto. I love other people's puppy's.

I need to be inspired to have a clear out. So much Stuff. The trouble is how to and where to dispose of it. Some is worth a little and it would be nice to raise some money for blood cancer research. First though, I have to sort it out!

Doodle I have today dug out my thermals and decided I need some without holes in!

ixion how lovely to complete the daisy set ftom your wedding. And how fitting to replace the no longer required items with something that makes you smile.
I felt very excited when we had our new cuttlery last autumn - it was the set we picked out as "favourite" when we married and amazingly, in spite of all the different options out there now it's still the one we liked.

Yesterday MrSpaghetti and I collected our (very) old glasses frames which we decided to put our new prescription lenses in... Today our daughter didn't even notice. I suppose she remembers us wearing them so we still looked just the same!

Gorgeous puppy, Grammaretto!

That looks ideal, Kaimoana. Keeping one's head warm/covered is highly recommended in the cold weather. I always notice the chill at this time of the year after exiting the hairdressers!

How is your exhibition weekend going, Grammaretto? I hope the turnout is good for you. Is your German visitor helping out or holding the fort back home?

Well, Doodle, we were hardly at our best today. That's an understatement. But the crowd loved your solo rendition of Show me the way to go home with each goal we conceded.Stole the show, to be honest

I have been decluttering today, inspired by a thread here on Gransnet. Boxed Minton, Dartington, all sorts of wedding gifts which haven't been used for ages if at all. One would think I hosted a cast of thousands. Soufflé dishes - not my forte. Retro (now) grapefruit and avocado dishes which had marked the transition from student Vesta meals to new housewife hostess.

The largest fruit salad bowl of punch bowl proportions, goodness knows how much fruit I would need to buy (and prepare😫) to fill it. How many sets of pastry forks does one need these days? 🤷‍♀️
Umpteen items out, just the one coming in. A Dartington Daisy Deep bowl, to match the six individual ones we had as a wedding present. Half a century on, my cup runneth over set is complete.

Forked lightening, rain of biblical proportions and drumrolls of thunder this evening. My menfolk, two and four legged, have slept through the lot.

Thinking of absent friends tonight.

Nice gentle day for you Doodle!
Mine was good too.
The pottery showroom was a lovely sociable place out of the rain.
Lots of chats and quite a few sales.

DD and family called in to collect birthday prezzies on their way to pick
up their puppy.
It's a wee bundle of fun.
A corgi/Jack Russell Cross.

Thats a good idea Kaimoana . I’m off to buy my thermals soon.
ixion 🤣🤣🤣
Grammaretto have you been doing more clearing out today or was it a pottery day?
I went to church breakfast and had an interesting talk. Today was with friend doing some craft work.

Doodle & ixion you're a great double act

Last year, one of my most useful purchases was light headgear which has numerous names.

You'll find it on Amazon Uk for £3.99 in various colours under 'Modesty bonnet'.
Because it's so light, it can be worn indoors and when you're outside is neat and barely visible under a woolly hat and scarf.
It bridges that gap where wild cold winds and rain always get to your neck.

It gets even better.🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷
Thank you!

Gosh, Doodle, that's a big one. Lorry is approaching, I hear on the local radio, with a police escort, due its size...
You'll have a great time, you're welcome to sing the lyrics. The official version or Cherry's after the hip flask has been drained?
Get ready to boo the ref, with the refrain ^Hey ref, should've gone to Specsavers.' That's a clean one.

Kaimoana does that mean your grandchildren will still be in NZ until your son comes back? That will be hard for them all.
For a minute I misunderstood what you said and thought you were going to dance outside in the rain. It’s not been so nice here today and the dark days are being reflected in my mood
Grammaretto what have you and your helper been up to today?
Nfk, like you I can get lost in FB. I’ve only been on it a few weeks
Ixion there is a lorry load of Pringles being delivered to you tonight. Please make room for them. The tanker of red wine will be along later. 😊

Kia ora Doodle, there are about 2, 200 km between my house and where my son is working.

The flight across (not including the hour's drive to Auckland airport and then another from Sydney to Sally's Corner), takes about 3 hours.

This is why Kiwis hide a smile when people think Aotearoa-NZ is a little island off the coast of Oz.

Yes, my son will come back to help his partner pack but that's likely to be late 2026, if then.

Oh my goodness, I don't speak all those languages only the shortened greetings.

Nfk I speak the barest minimum of French to get by and was lucky enough to have 6 weeks in Paris during which I learned a lot more - and the confidence to speak it aloud

Having heard Mrs Thatcher's version of, 'jus swee trez hooroh detre,' I determined to say my words as closely as I could to correct local pronunciation.
After all, why learn a language to communicate if you're going to mangle it so severely no one has a clue what you're saying?

It's a confidence thing though, knowing how to say it is one thing, actually speaking out to native speakers is very much another

Fortunately, in Maori culture no one laughs or ridicules even if you make a total hash of it.
They encourage you and say it's brave to even try.
As with everything in Maori culture, there's a spiritual aspect so if you have respected the language enough to try and learn, you've brough honour to it.

I'm sure my te reo Maori will sound like 'broken English' does to us but I've been told I say the words beautiflly

I'm hoping this early morning rain, complete with crashing thunder, will abate so my laundry can enjoy itself by dancing on the outside line.

I remember that too Ixion
As Cherry’s not feeling too great I am ready to be a stand in for this weeks game. Now what did you say the lyrics were?

Oh Cherry so sorry. Seems a slightly haphazard way of going about things at the surgery. I hope they get in touch with you either way.
Im glad Jeeves is keeping an eye on your
You’re very precious to us and we want you to be feeling better soon
NFK I would imagine cutches are the same as cwtches. Different words for different areas but a loving hug just the same.
Grammaretto are there different types of studios open at the weekend?
We had an arts festival here last weekend and I went to various places looking at pottery, paintings, glassware etc. It was lovely to see what people produce.
Please make sure your teeth fit well and don’t be fobbed off until they do. I had my front two teeth crowned and have felt like a rabbit ever since, unfortunately that doesn’t extend to eating only lettuce and salads.
Kaimoana excuse my ignorance but how far is it from Australia where your son is to your part of NZ?
I do hope he can make a trip home to see you soon. Surely he will have to come back and pack up their old home?
Your mastery of the different dialects is amazing. No wonder you get on so well with your Māori friends and neighbours,
I went to art this morning and had a good time. I might even be improving a tiny bit. Sleep well all

My contribution to the Maori Appreciation Group.
All set to lower the tone here.

We all adora Kia-ora 🎶
It was many years before my mother explained the derivation of the name of my favourite squash drink, complete with its own ditty.

youtu.be/ZJ2lkhN3_qE
My DGS sang this to me when he was about 6.
I love the Maori songs. Though this in is a mixture.

I really like Talofa. It does all sound very complicated. English being the common language does make me very lazy. I know a bit of French but have never needed it on my travels. Even in France as the accents are so various. Plus, apparently my Norfolk accent translates my French with a German accent. Even now it doesn't go down well away from big cities.

I've just spent the last ten minutes scraping burnt plum from my best non-stick pan. I fear I've become hooked on Facebook. I knew when I walked out of the kitchen to put something away I should go back directly, and not look at my phone when it pinged. Nearly an hour later I came out of the Neverland of Facebook 'stories'. The trouble is that I have several friends who only keep in touch via FB. I have the will power. I can do it!