Not Locked Down but may need to be locked up

Sorry to hear of your awful day Kaimoana. Things can only get better!

I'm on Skye looking across what should be the Sound of Sleat. Visibility is only about 50 yards so I won't bother to take a photo. Last year it was like the Riviera here. At least there are no midges

My DM smocked silk dresses for DSis and me when we were babies. I dressed my DS1 in one but he was constantly mistaken for a pretty girl so I stopped before he had an identity crisis.

It was OK to call a girl pretty but boys were more likely to be told they were strong, clever or smiley.

Finding the Deeds was a bit of an anticlimax since I now have photocopies of the original documents. Maybe my missing teeth will turn up. 😬

NotS - I've just looked at hand-smocked baby dresses (non-vintage) here - $300 and I'd like to bet you could add something to that for a heritage one.

I've had such a horrible and frustrating day, so awful that I'm not going to tell you about it.

Karen has just booked an appointment to have her waist length hair minimally trimmed, coloured her usual dark, rich auburn with a few highlights. $520.

Must have money on my mind today

DS is coming up tomorrow with Gubbins, to put a new SIM card in my phone....and share a meal.

Chicken, mushroom and leek with a mashed potato topping, then creamed rice pud for dessert. All home made and served with veg (excep the pud .) DS will probsbly hunt out the jam for that.
Nursery food but just right for sold weather

It's nearly 6pm and temp never got higher than 8 degrees today so I'm going to bed to keep warm. I have an excellent audio book, 'The House Beneath the Cliff' by Sharon Gosling. Very predicable but an easy-listen.

I hate winter, there's no excuse for it.

Doodle I'm glad MrDoodle is back home. ❤️

My husband is waiting for the pre-op towards the end of the month - he's told them he can go in for any cancellations so 🤞

My baby dresses and dungarees were worn by my own children - I had my first baby during my finals at university so was quite young. My mother had wanted a big family but just had me so I suppose the baby dresses and the "special" outfits had been saved in the hope of more babies.

I had inherited my own (childhood) clothes from my mum when I was pregnant and I did used some of these and some toddler clothes (up to about age 5) for my own family.
I had had made/bought some for my own children. There's a dear little hand smocked outfit I made in about 1982 and a broderie anglaise one that I also made - and some Clothkits items from the early 80s too.
There are dungarees for toddlers from our time in America as well

My parents were both heavily invested in clothes. My mother was a trained tailor and my father had a ladies "occasion wear" shop and had served an apprenticeship as a milliner. I remember him coming back from London fashion shows with new ideas and often he'd been somewhere and bought me something new to wear. I confess I often didn't like these gifts as they were always very striking and different

It was actually my dad who chose and bought mum's wedding dress in 1950! He apparently said "it's SO fabulous and SO you you just have to have it!

Nice to hear you had a good day with the boys. My DS arrives on 19th August and has booked hotel accommodation until 26th. Then he'll move to family in Deptford.
I'm glad he'll be with them; they love him very much.

NotS It sounds as if you have vintage clothing there - very trending, costs a bomb to buy

Notspaghetti fancy you keeping boxes of clothes that long. I’ve got nothing from my childhood and only one or two pieces from our sons. How logged does your DH have to wait for his operation? Hope he’s not in too much discomfort.
Kaimoana I loved Spot the dog walking too. And I liked Trumpton.
When is your son coming over? Glad he’s got someone to stay with. It will be strange for all of you living so far apart.
I had a good day today. Church this morning then out with our sons this afternoon. Feel very flat and down now. I get like this every day. Sometimes worse than others . I know I’m so lucky to have so many people helping me and being so kind. Just wish I could have my special person back.
Grammaretto hope you’ve arrived safely and everything is going well
Cherry and ixionhope you’ve had a good day too

Spotty dog always made me laugh with the funny way he moved. I used to watch on my next-door neighbours TV.
Life was so much simpler then but still, in the 1950's this was cutting-edge technolofy. I used to love Trumpton as well.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEgg0h2FvFY (Woodentops)

ixion where on earth are you going to find 50 men who all want their shirts washed?

Not nosy Cherry DS has booked accommodation for his first week then will probably move in with family in Deptford Wharf for the rest of the 3 months until Dil & children arrive.

Doodle It's good to read that you have kind and thoughtful friends who are helping you, what a blessing.

DS is a gentle person with everyone really. He's made a wonderful job of being a step-father to DGs who loves him.

Tomorrow a 'carpet lady' is coming to view what has been a dangerous piece of metal strip and a frayed carpet, since before Covid. Sallies have taken all this time to get round to it - meanwhile DS got his foot injured on it trying to prevent Gubbins doing the same.

Glad you're back with us NotS and that you've been swimming - I envy you

And our Scottish Kiwi has finally found The Deeds.

How does one untangle and loose the threads of 51 years, which bind one to all the financial and domestic minutiae of a settled life?

Well hello everyone- just a few words to touch base tonight as, like ixion, I feel I've also had a bit of a block.

In my case it's a "chat block" - I've been well enough to swim 3 times this week (though my husband hasn't as he's waiting for an operation and isn't very comfortabe) and have been out with one lot of very old friends. Also we have had visits from 3 of our adult children snd done some "work" in the gardenin an attempt to bring a little order to the chaos!

I've been doing some clearing out upstairs too and have found some boxes I'd thought had already gone... One is a box of dresses for little girls and the other is dungarees, t-shirts and (will patched) trousers. All were saved for my grandchildren. Some were actually mine, some were belonging to my five children. I'm so annoyed as they are probably mostly going to be too small now except for the very smallest granddaughter. I remembered as soon as I saw them what happened and why they hadn't been distributed around the family. I had said "OK I'll look after them 'till you're over all together and the remainder can go to Oxfam"

I've also found all my mum's wedding photos. How happy they look

I will pop back in due course but just wanted to thank you for thinking of me. I am interested to hear your news.
I need to water some tomatoes now... Thinking of you all.

Never thought for a minute that your dear son would abandon you Kaimoana
Its obvious he cares about you and his family so much
He is a big chap but so gentle with little Gubbins
Exciting times for your lodger Grammaretto. Will you get to see the new arrival do you think?
Hope you have a smooth journey and enjoy your Gaelic class. We want to hear all about what you get up to
ixion I am getting to be more comfortable at home now. At first I needed to be put all the time as the quietness and loneliness was too much to bear. It still gets to me but it is getting easier. I’m going out with our two sons for a bit tomorrow. Haven’t seen them since we collected DH’s ashes so be nice to catch up.
14 bath sheets!! 50 shirts, what do they think you’re doing, running a hotel?
I used to love the Wooden tops. Such a simple little story. And I loved the way they walked
Cherry as if I’d forget Spot the dog. 🤣. I have pained him but he’s more patch than spot.

Painting the Woodentops, Doodle.
We could all do with a Mrs. Scrubbit, could we not?

Woo hoo, brilliant Grammaretto, you've found your deeds!
Now, if only we could find my WP's degree certificate -, not that he needs to prove his credentials anymore but where the heck is it 🤔.
I hope you have a good week on the Isle of Skye and 🤞 the weather forecast is wrong.

You think it'll be some time next year when you move back to the UK if you do move back then Kaimoana 🤔. I may be presuming but I take it your son has some contacts in London, or is he targeting a particular area in his search for accommodation to have the best base for himself for his three month stay. Perhaps he already has? Nosey, moi?

ixion, 😬, diving into bins 😱. It must have been so frustrating when MrI remembered he'd been sent an email!

I love the idea of you painting the Woodentops Doodle 😆, I hope you remembered to paint Spotty 😁.
I dug one of my unfinished non artistic artworks out today but didn't get on very well, the composition was all wrong - probably why I abandoned it in the first place 🙄. It's in the bin where it belongs 😂.

How brilliant that your deeds have finally surfaced, Grammaretto. Perhaps they are pointing the way to an early house sale. Enjoy your trip away, is the enjoyment commensurate with the prep/homework you have put in?

My cousin's wife gave birth to their first on the motorway twixt home and hospital.
*He wasn't very impressed with the resulting state of his upholstery*
The biggest issue was trying to work out exactly where the birth took place, as the journey straddled three registration districts.

I am pleased that you are able to go out now and again and meet up socially, Doodle. It must take a lot of bravery. People used to say to my Mum that she really ought to go away for a break or a little holiday to help 'get over it'. She always refused, saying the memories of their life would always be there when she got home anyway. I guess that coming home must be the hardest part, however distracting your day has been.💐

I have ordered, through dire necessity, a new tumble drier and washing machine.
One doesn't heat, the other grinds like a Hovercraft coming into land. For an extra £50 over and above the price quoted for supplying and fitting a new drum, I can buy a new up to date washing machine, complete with whistles and bells. Control from your phone, it gaily announces. ^Our 10kg drum lets you wash 50 men's shirts or 14 bath sheets.^

That's reassuring.

I'm glad we don't have to worry about you Kaimoana.

My lodger is about to be a DGM any minute. Her DiL is in labour with #3. It may be quite soon.

My #3 arrived as the midwife arrived at the house. Poor DH had to be her assistant.

I must finish begin packing for leaving early tomorrow.

How do you manage to get away in the camperbubble so efficiently Nfk?
Do you have it ready in advance?

I can't believe that the deeds were hiding in plain sight Doodle. Mad!

Do you remember 'In Town Tonight'?
Someone used to shout !!STOP!!

If anyone is worried about me and The Great Migration, please don't.

My son is by nature a meticulous planner and whilst he may risk not finding suitable accommodation for himself immediately, he would never, ever allow the children, my DiL or me any such uncertainty.

I don't quite know what I said to make you think he'd abandon me, blind, disabled and alone, in Yorkshire

That's the kind of thing a taxi driver once did here, you may remember, leaving me in a vast cemetery in pouring rain.

I didn't dare tell my son about that.

Can you imagine this great hulk getting into your taxi one dark night and saying, 'I'd like to have a word with you about my Mum'?

Ixion yes I’m happy to have DH’s ashes back home. Somehow it’s comforting.
Mr I better beware the frozen leg of lamb if he keeps giving you the run around like that 🤣
NfK I’m glad you found the keys. I get in a panic if I lose mine. Lucky yours were somewhere safe
Yes I have some good friends who are also in their own. It does help to have someone to talk to who knows what it’s like.
Kaimoana I hope things work out well for your son and all of you. It will be a wrench for you leaving your Māori family though.
Love your idea of a reply for John Lewis 🤣
Jan I use Libby a lot. Started at lockdown and been using it ever since. It’s frustrating when they don’t have the first books of a series though.
Hope the checkup is ok
Grammaretto, Nespresso is a coffee machine. DH had one for his 75 birthday. I don’t think I have ever used it.
No!!! I don’t believe you’ve found the deeds at last. Where has this box been hiding?
What a lovely concert. Candles were a nice touch
Shame your helper is going but at least you’ve got a little trip to look forward too. Hope the journey goes well and you enjoy your course
Ive had a busy day. Coffee with friend this morning. Painting the Woodentops and a Sherry this afternoon 😊

Ixion, your gymnastics in the wheelie bin must have been quite a sight! I wonder what a Nespresso machine is . Have they reached Scotland yet?

I was sifting through dusty boxes of papers yesterday and guess what turned up? Not my teeth unfortunately but the title deeds to the House! In a folder marked HOUSE no less.
I have long since replaced them but still it goes to show, if something goes missing the Borrowers will eventually return it.

The candle light concert was wonderful. Just the Basses and Tenors singing the Seven last words of the unarmed.
Followed by the full youth choir performing Faure's Requiem
We held lighted candles, precariously, and it was inside a magnificent church so I did wonder about elfinsafety

I see we are all a little anxious about Kaimoana's planned move to the UK. Surely you'd need to be 100% sure that DS wasn't going to change his mind and leave you in Yorkshire?
But perhaps you wouldn't mind that either.

It's my Helper's last day so I have promised to make him a pavlova for tonight. I had best get on with it.
I am away to the Isle of Skye for my annual Gaelic course on Sunday. The forecast is rain every day and temps of 13 max but it might be wrong. At least it will be too cold for midges.

Kaimoana2 Thanks for the info. The Yorkshire books look like light but interesting reading. Can’t cope with anything too complicated these days - poor old soul! Just looked at my Library App - called Libby here - and typically they have books 5 6 and 7 but not the first one!! But see I can get it on Kindle for peanuts! My physio showed me how to stream Libby audiobooks straight through my hearing aids yesterday. Mmmmm! Works well but have to tell him that it’s too slow for me! By the time a narrator has spoken the first paragraph I could have read nearly a whole chapter but can see how helpful streaming through hearing aids is to so many people.
Now waiting for GP to call. He checks up on me every 4 weeks bless him or else I go to surgery.
Another warm day forecast but we do so need rain!
Thanks again Kaimona - will be reading later!

It's YORKSHIRE DAY pop in the puds !

Jan It was The Dales Detective series by Julia Chapman.

There's sometimes a nonsensical sentence attached to book sites which says, "Will be enjoyed by fans of........." then it'll name an author whose books, style and content bear no resemblance whatsoever to the one you want.

The Kitt Hartley series by Helen Cox is set in Yorkshire but I don't think I've ever read any. I'm restricted to eAudio books and if my library hasn't bought them, I'm sunk!

If this link works, it lists a few others.
www.alibris.com/search/books/subject/England-Fiction-Yorkshire-Detective-and-mystery-stories-Police
Happy Reading

I wish I could smell the aroma of that lovely rose Grammaretto if it's as beautiful as it looks it must be superb.

I've no idea what area of the UK our family will eventually settle. DS definitely favours the cold North but until February 2025, when he begins seriously looking for permanet work and a home, none of us will know.

This first 3 months will be spent in London while he's alone. From then, all is conjecture.

“Dear John Lewis,
We were indeed inspired, so here's a few photos to share on your website of how we use the Nespresso. We think you’ll appreciate the artistic poses and gymnastics employed…all that caffeine certainly kept us lively.”

Oh gosh ixion, how inventive can you be with a Nespresso machine. The best I can think of is making gravy with one of those little Knorr Stock Pots.

I love it when other people do silly things like confusing letters and emails. Mr I sounds like a man after my own heart. He makes me feel almost normal. I lost the campervan keys today. I knew I'd had them to close the skylights yesterday evening and the van was locked so they had to be indoors somewhere. I'd tidied the whole house before I got around to looking in the handbag sitting on the dining chair. Although I'd not used it in days, it was open and I must have somehow swept the keys off the table and into it. I can't believe I actually put them in there. They are now hanging on the appropriate hook where they should be and where I really, really will put them straight away in future.

Are you really excited to be coming home Kaimoana? You're so immersed in the local traditions and culture, I hope the UK won't be too much of a disappointment. And which bit will you choose? Obviously closeness to family will be a major consideration, so it probably should be which bit are they going to?

A candlelight concert sounds lovely Grammaretto but will it be dark enough?

I'm so pleased you had a good day Doodle. There will be more and more good days, or mostly good days. Especially with good friends who know.

Apologies for absence - I seemed to have developed a writer's block for a few days.

Another who loved the description of Keira finding she could swim! Just wondering if Spud, another of the Gang's pin ups, is into swimming, Mamissimo? A Fearless Freddie or Cautious Charlie? DGS2 was the former - throwing himself, unbidden, at any point into the pool, laughing all the while. Nightmare.

How's the hand 🐕, Grammaretto? Does it affect your throwing? I'm so pleased your NZ helper is proving such a bonus. May we see the finished willow bower?
He will be missed.

Kaimoana, things are really moving apace😳. Is your DIL content with the move? I wonder which of us will have you as the closest neighbour🤔. You'll have to get a Senior Railcard and visit us all on a round robin! You'll have to give Trevor a sequel - Trevor visits his family overseas.(You see, I'm not very good with pithy titles).

How are the NotSpaghettis? Fully recovered?

Doodle, I hope you are finding evenings and nights more comforting in the knowledge that your Dear Man's presence is close by you again.

I have spent a frustrating day helping Mr.I look for an important letter from his car insurance people. This involved multiple inquisitions on my part- what, where, when, sorting several waste paper baskets, kitchen and council Sulo bin (head first) before the Damascene moment.
^I remember now, it was an email^.

He has also bought a replacement Nespresso machine, the previous one having finally bitten the dust.
^Feel inspired^, the John Lewis page tells us.
^Share how you're using this item for a chance to feature on our website.^
🤷‍♀️

Cherry yes I went shopping with my friend and neighbour. She is an angel I’m sure. How I would have coped these last weeks without her I do not know. Being with someone who knows exactly how you feel is such a help.
Today I went for coffee with the art class and then came home and spent the afternoon chatting and knitting with my friend.
Cable cars are scary aren’t they
Anyone else been using your kitchen sink to have a quick wash in? Watch out your WP doesn’t bring the bird Bath in for a quick shower.
Kaimoana I must have got hold of the wrong end of the stick, I thought your DS was in the UK now. I’m glad you had such a lovely time with Gubbins.
Wow exciting news. I wonder if you’ll be back here soon. Do let us know how things are going.
Jan yes it was to me. Kaimoana sent me a long list. Might be one of her suggestions
Grammaretto I always think of NZ as somewhere sunny,
Hope you enjoy the concert, lovely your DGS is in it. Ah yes now I remember Kiwi helper I’d forgotten where he came from. Glad it’s working out well

Oh my Kaimoana I can't keep up!
Exciting news indeed.
Are you sure it's not the Winter Blues speaking?
My chat this morning with my Kiwi family found them rather down. It hasn't stopped raining and they live in a wooden house with a glass roof light.
If you were to move here where abouts would it be?

Gubbins sounds adorable 😍
I understand why you wouldn't want to be too far from her.
Yes DBs bach is rather like NZ.
It's in the far north of Denmark so quite a long way from their home in Copenhagen.
I remember staying in pal's baches back in the olden days.

I'm going to a candlelight concert tonight. My df DGS is singing.

My Kiwi Helper is repairing the willow bower which we planted about 20 years ago and now has a mind of its own.

Kaimoana2. Such exciting times for you. Well I hope you’re finding the idea of moving to the UK exciting! Things have changed so much in this country over the last few years not necessarily for the better unfortunately.
Bet you enjoyed your day with Gubbins. Sorry I kept calling her “him”. Think I’m losing the plot.
It’s still hot and humid here today. Desperately needing some rain which forecasters keep promising but so far has not arrived.
Someone n here a while back posted some book recommendations. Can’t remember who but think they were recommended to Doodle. One set was about a detective in Yorkshire. Love Yorkshire so would be grateful if the person who posted could do so again please. Thank you