🦞Lockdown friends still together🦞

It's OK, NfkD. Don't you have to be a 🤫v**g*n to do the ritual sun welcoming dances?😉

Either way, make sure you wear your liberty bodice.

Too tired to make any sensible contribution tonight so will wish you all well until tomorrow.

Doodle - do read Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club books. His insights into our age problems are really quite worrying in their accuracy!!

Onwards and upwards NNeine! At our ages we need to enjoy the life we have for as long as we have it. It's a gift. At least that's what I tell myself when I'm recovering from a bit of a wallow in that Slough of Despond.

Only a week to go to Yule and the shortest day. To celebrate on the day, I'm thinking about dancing around outside in the nude to upset the neighbours and bring back the sun. Only thinking mind, as I can no longer dance beyond a gentle swaying and it's too bloody cold. And I think an apple tree should be the centre of attention and ours died. - I was reading about old witchy traditions and customs but that's one I really don't think ever happened. I mean, why would you in the middle of winter?

Hello Lobsters.... Thank you for your kind messages and emails too....it wasn't the happiest of birthdays if I'm honest but each day since has been better because glimmer of hope that was is now gone. Life goes on. Lots of news on here too catch up on ....I will be back...

Nfk The sun shone in our part of Norfolk this morning! Must admit it only lasted about 2 hours but was lovely to see. Think we are now back to gloomy dark days

That sounds like a very posh shed NotSpag. Should it be promoted to a bothy? After all, it practically has an en suite.

Your weather looks very pretty Grammaretto. Jan and I are enjoying miserable grey overcast-ness with occasional mizzle. It did nearly brighten while I was driving - for at least 30 seconds. I really don't like this time of year when it hardly seems to get light. I can see why Christmas was put where it is!!

Cherry we miss you hope you’re back with us soon.
Nfk I wrote a long message and felt sure I’d posted it but maybe I didn’t. So annoying though
Notspaghetti your patio sounds as though it will look really nice. Can we have a picture when it’s finished?
Kaimoana we all worry about you. You’re a very special lady. I’m glad Waipareira is around to help people. The pension people don’t sound very helpful.
Hope you enjoy the new cafe. Most places here sell gluten free produce in the cafes. Is that the same in NZ?
What a great idea to keep the crackers for Gubbins. All children love the excitement of pulling a cracker
Hope your toes are well on the mend now even though it may mean you see less of the nice young man 😊
Grammaretto my dyslexia comes up with some funny visions. I wondered why your chiropodist was working on your back!
Did you enjoy the Christmas party? Some dancing maybe?
Ixion yes I have eased up a bit, trouble is it’s like a double edged sword. For four days I was really busy, coughing but getting on ok. Now I’ve had two days when I’ve been on my own resting and not doing much and whilst my cough is better I’ve slumped into a down time. I’m out with family and friends tomorrow so hoping that will lift me up a bit. I’m really hoping the last 2 days being miserable is because I’ve been ill.
Loved Les Dawson. Especially when he played the old lady leaning over the fence putting the world to rights.
Nfk I am feeling better thank you. Not talking for two days has helped my throat and I’m hoping the tickly cough has gone,
How are you getting on with Richard Osman? He’s very popular but I’ve not read anything of his yet.
Kaimoana those must be the anti-social type of anti-biotics. 🤣.
Grammaretto hope your DD has a lovely birthday. Have a nice weekend looking after or being looked after,
Those pictures are lovely. Frost makes things really sparkly

Messages from Cherry still struggling to get back to us.

Jan, Cherry is thinking of your dear daughter and also wants to wish Grammaretto's dear daughter happy birthday ♥♥

And she is thinking of, and missing everyone.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202412/medium-767391-1000020982.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202412/medium-604762-1000020983.jpg

So annoying Doodle when posts vanish.
Another end of term get together at lunch for my yoga class. The frost was so pretty but it feels icy cold and I'm sure we'll get snow soon.
It's my Helper's final day for working for me. He is training a rose easier than a dog? and sweeping and clearing outdoors.
Indoors, I've come across boxes of
paper. I guess the DGC may like it for
drawing.

I was told about a charity who take books but I can't get through to them so they've probably closed down. 😞

It's DD's birthday today. Far too near Christmas. not her fault I'm going to hers this weekend and will babysit or the children will granny sit

Annoying too to wait so long for your nice new shed NotSpag. I hope your builder can fit you in soon, before Summer anyway 😉
Cobblers' children and all.

Here are a couple of shots of the Borders scenery today.

Why does that happen Doodle? - it drives me mad!

The building work is only a shed NfkDumpling - replacing an old run down wooden one at the bottom of the garden. It's next to the Victorian WC which is a hand made brick structure so we were picky with the bricks. It's been on the cards for years (abd started in the summer) but as we aren't desperate for it the lovely but irritating builder (who first did some work for us in 2000) keeps putting other people with more pressing matters first.
In fact he's off for 2 days now doing storm damage work for someone 🤷‍♂️

Sorry all. I typed a long post about an hour ago, com back in again to see it’s not here, too tired to re do it now but sending love and hugs to all

Poor Cherry is having problems getting through to us. Bear with her please while she sorts it out.

Grammaretto someone is getting their own back on your chiroprator by pulling his leg.
No heatwave here, in fact Summer only began on Dec 1st and hasn't really had time to get going. February is usually our hottest month when it's not an El Nino or El Nina year.

So glad you are feeling more rested Doodle - I like Richard Osman as well.

I'm sure you know this, with relatives overseas you can digitally visit their local stores and order - many will giftwrap before posting it to your family.
Cheaper than posting a parcel from UK and with more guarantees it''ll actually get to its destination.

Personal, hand written messages can be posted cheaply in advance if the store doesn't do it, to be added to the gift when it arrrives.

Just taken the last of my anti-biotics which had rather unsettling side effects. My perspiration smelled of boiled eggs and they gave me sulphurous wind too.

Put me right off my potato and egg mayo salad.

*I'm pleased you're feeling better Doodle and now have time to catch up with your rest. It can be so hard to admit limitations and say "No" when overstretched even when you enjoy it!

£46 ixion? That does sound extortionate until you put it in terms of trips out. And - you escape the hell of soft play torture. I'm so pleased your Cirque du Soleil Open Reach chap succeeded in restoring your line. Mine has been tested all the way back to the exchange, except for the copper wire from the post to the house. It's probably the same wire as was installed with the phone line in 1965. But replacing it means closing the road and that's not going to happen, even if I am with BT! We should be going completely wifi in a year. Hopefully.

Are you extending your house NotSpagetti? It sounds lovely with all these old bricks. I probably missed you saying during one of my absences.

I now have a Morning has Broken ear worm and forgot to buy mincemeat. Enjoy your carolling Grammaretto.

And I do hope Kaimoana, that your mattress has hidden pockets. Having to show an empty bank account before any help is forthcoming, sounds really cruel and very demeaning.

Now off to bed with Richard Osman. I've been given three of his books and am into The Bullet that Missed. An intriguing title.

That café looks amazing, Kaimoana. I hope they can cater for your dietary requirements - and, that you will get there🤞! Do send a review.

Are you easing up a bit, Doodle? It's a fine line between keeping busy to distract oneself and running oneself into the ground. I hope you are feeling better.

Ah, Grammaretto, a hectic Christmas schedule. Can one ever tire of mince pies? Let us know!
Where does your helper go next? He has been a proper asset, has he not?

A quiet day here, and nippy to boot. Telephone calls to a couple of very spritely 90+ year olds, putting my slothfulness to shame, but a rare example of home baking rectified this a little. A lot of effort to make use of two decaying bananas: a banana and walnut loaf- and I don't even like walnuts😇.

Actually, I did a catch up on my set shoulder exercises. A feature on 'improving sleep' in a magazine recommended not exercising close to bed time, due to the harmful effects of excessive adrenaline. Adrenaline? Clearly not doing them correctly ...

I am always pleasantly reminded of one of the jokes of the late Les Dawson with his deadpan renditions.

Get up in the mornings. Up two there four, down two three four.
Then the other eyelid. Up two three four ...

* I get things wrong. It's the tune which is a Gaelic tune, not the words which Cat Stevens sang.

Kaimoana - 🤐

Hello Lobstars 👋
I braved phoning the chiropractor yesterday to apologise for missing my appointment. It was early November but he said I could go round straight away so I did and had a good work out on my back.
He's a Kiwi and tells me what a heatwave there's been in the North Island. It's nearly a year since I was there.
Meanwhile back here in Freezing Scotland.
Lots of Christmas parties for every activity so tonight we'll be Carol singing and eating mince pies in a church. Did you know the hymn Morning has broken is translated from Gaelic?
I didn't.

I'm glad you sound somewhat rested Doodle and that your cold is better.

I hope you are too Naughtyneine?

Your building works sound exciting NotSpaghetti
My Helper/gardener not only chopped a hedge in half, he cleared my wee patio and will transplant some plants into frost proof containers for me. One of my friends is borrowing him on Friday!!! He's like my very own Jeeves.

NaughtyN I add my good wishes to those of everyone here and trust you will feel much happier soon. ♥♥

Doodle, Ange my advocate asked him to check if I was getting everything to which I'm entitled but he said, 'It doesn't work like that. If you are in need, you must apply for something specific and prove you are indigent by bring in your bank statement showing you have nothing.'

But I simply cannot deliberately run myself into debt then hope WINZ will bail me out (and there's no guarantee they will) .
I'd rather live on porrage - no hardship, I love porrage .

It's not all bleak dear Doodle so you can cross me off your Worry List . This sort of thing was why Waipareira came into being decades ago, so help was available on all levels without shame.
I could go to them (my good friends run their foodbank) but I don't need to.

Next week, Aatoa is to take me to a new cafe she's discovered. (see photo)
I'm hoping there will be something gluten free.
So not emaciated and in the gutter yet

Because I'm in a Salvation Army house, I will accept their Chrismas bag but all their tenants, including in my street where most are working, will probably get one too. It's a gift, not a hand-out.

That reminds me, their gift last year was a box of 12 luxury Christmas crackers, delivered, without irony, in January .
I saved them and Gubbins and I pulled them all at her birthday party. Her delight was a joy to see.

Re. nurse. It was every alternate day but I'm doing so well it's now every 5th day. Good news eh?

I may even go dancing.

ixion Know any gorgeous guys in aprons who can do the Military Two Step?

I think my builder came back because he felt guilty! He's such a nice man and always wants to help but I think he gets taken advantage of by some people.

He has been ill too...)
I knew he couldn't pour the concrete in all the wet. He's now up to about 3 or 4 feet so it feels good to see progress.
Slowly the piles of bricks on the area rather grandly referred to as "the patio" are going down. We are using hand made Victorian ones on the front and most visible side and some Victorian colliery bricks on the far side and back. Of course the hand made ones vary by several millimeters (¼ inch or more). This makes it slower.

Anyway. It feels good.
👍

I do know he's off on Thursday and Friday repairing someone's storm damage though..

Naughtyneine I hope you feel a bit better now. Take care x

Ixion glad you are fully connected and fully functioning again. Loved the way you described the engineers visit 🤣
Did you get your order fixed? There have been a couple of occasions when we’ve received an order full of expensive “fillers” because one of us forgot to go and amend the order
Do hope your parcel arrives at it’s intended destination soon
Notspaghetti I give our children and grandchildren money but I do like giving gifts too. Nothing like having a present to unwrap*
Glad your builder has returned. Is that because the weather has calmed down a bit?
Kaimoana, the food at your meetings sounds lovely. I hope you enjoyed your trifle.
Are there any benefits you could apply for (like the fact you have very low vision) or any other action that can be taken with regards to your reduction in pension. It really doesn’t sound right.
Glad your toes are healing but they still sound very painful. How many times a week are they dressed?
Im sure Gubbins would love a second Christmas with you.
I love the idea of you having lights in your hair. I bet you bring a lot of fun to your gatherings 😊

Sorry all for not being around much recently. I have had a hectic 4 days at church plus sore throat and being so tired I haven’t had the time to post a lot.
Grammaretto if I hadn’t been ill I would have been fine with what I was doing. It did get to be too much by the end but when you’ve promised to help it’s hard to let people down
All done now and a more relaxing day today
I love a good clear out. A trip to the dump is always a treat.
Jan, yes I have been overdoing things but much of it was enjoyable. Rest for the next few days.
Im certainly very emotional at the moment. Not sure if it’s Christmas or just how I feel anyway.
Autumn used to be my best time of the year I loved it, now, like you I’m looking forward to spring, lighter days and some sunshine.

Awkward as ever, I love being older (almost) 78. It's great.
So many horrible things well behind me, thank goodness.
I don't go to Sops Kitchen and assume its another thread.

This one suits me fine, it's not unlike my kaumatua group in that we are all close and supportive. Lovely. ♥

I've never seen so much food as was displayed on our table for the last day of our eldelrs get-together. Far, far more than we could eat, so I was able to bring back a huge bag of goodies for my neighbour, Ray.
Mostly lucious, salad croissant sandwiches and cake (which of course I can't eat)

Nor was I suppoised to have two dishes of trifle, but I did.


It was a male nurse to re-bandage my foot on Tuesday.
Again someone who made me laugh.
Apparently the toes are healing well, yipee, but still quite painful, making walking a trial, but what the heck, I don't have anywhere to go.

I always look forward to Christmas and although all my family are away, I shall still enjoy it.
My "Christmas Tree" this year is my Chlorophytum, adorned with a few inches of tiny battery lights.
I wore similar in my hair for the party yesterday.

Perhaps when Gubbins comes home and we have our separate Christmas celebration here, I'll get out the tinsel.

I shall be wrapping her gifts at the weekend and putting them "under the tree" aka around the stool where my Spider Plant sits.
DS will be happy with the usual bottle of Port and a Chocolate Orange.

♥ ♥

M.mn. your parcel is in Sydney!
Harrumph!

I have also sent treats off to family far away ixion. It's obviously more sensible to just send cash but I love to think that something I have held in my hand and wrapped lovingly is on its way to them.

I was forced to start my card-making too if they were to have one in the box with the gift - so I have been doing that on-and-off for the last two days

Oh and my BUILDER is back this week!
💃🏿💃🏿💃🏿💃🏿💃🏿
Small joys!

Well, folks, I have now escaped the internet desert we found ourselves in at the end of last week. A dodgy connection meant patchy - or no - internet at all, to the extent that I tried to catch it out by getting on line successfully at 04.30 one morning in a fit of insomnia, to try to complete my Sainsbury's order which currently stood at 2 bottles of gin to fulfil the order criterion.
Then timed out.

Having endured a scenario reminiscent of the famous Flanders and Swan song, and with the landline no longer functioning at all, we finally were granted access to an Openreach (used to be 'a chap from BT', Kaimoana) engineer who arrived at lunch time. After shinning up the previously condemned telegraph pole in a performance which would have qualified him for a role with Cirque du Soleil, he descended with fault repaired and fully functioning phone line. Yay.

I sent the family's Christmas box to Brisbane, all £46 of p and p, only to find it back with me when I returned home last week.🤔
Guess who had forgotten to stick the customs declaration on?🤦‍♀️.
I have applied for a refund, but not heard back, but mea culpa.
I justify the cost of a -generous- 5kg parcel by telling myself, and Mr.I, that if our DGSs lived nearby, we would be taking them out for pizzas, to the cinema or pantomime, to -heaven forbid- soft play or trampolining throughout the year, so we get off lightly, imho!

I checked the tracking today on the return amended parcel.
This time it has arrived - but in Sydney🤷‍♀️