🦞Lockdown friends still together🦞

I spent the morning with my friend and neighbour Ray today. He's waiting for a wheelchair but in the meantime will use my (zimmer?) walker.

We laughed at ourselves, two old crocks ,both off our food atm but I took him home-made cream of chicken soup with dessert of apple crumble, custard and cream. I wouldn’t have had the motivation to make that for myself.
Funny isn’t it how you can do something for a friend which you wouldn’t for yourself?

He said Friday's lunch was still in the fridge but he thought he'd eat my offering.

We caught up on various things in our two lives and with his permission I contacted St. John's to arrange for someone to come and fit a free alarm. He's fallen a few times so if he has this, all he has to do is wait calmly for the paramedics.

Knowing he spends a lot of time in bed and not wanting to disturb I haven’t visited for weeks (shame on me ) but his reply to my text about a convenient time was "any time any day"

He was in bed when I arrived but I sat and chatted until I felt I’d disturbed him long enough but not a bit of it. He struggled out of bed and made me a mug of tea – just how I like it too, not too strong and very hot. [smile

I always assume people get sick of me soon as my tongue runs on wheels but he did his fair share asking about the elders group and my family.

Once he has a wheelchair it may be possible for him to come to the Kaumatua group again. He says he is very uncomfortable about eating in front of people as he's so shaky but that's no problem, we’ll just take our kai somewhere private and join the other rascals later.

I think we did each other good and it’s given me a reason to get my act together and DO something.

Although you usually tell us you creative work is not up to par, Doodle everything you've shown us so far over the years has been lovely. Looking forward to seeing the watercolour.


I bought some Floradix so I'm hoping it will give me a kick start to get me going again.

Kaimoana so many of the songs these days are sad ones or ones about lost love. Some places have that sort of music on when you’re holding on on the phone., I have sometimes had to put the phone down because it was upsetting me too much
what a good idea to ask the librarian for some book ideas. Hope you find them interesting. I too like mystery without murder. Some intriguing tale that keeps you interested.
Grammaretto have you had a busy day with your helpers?
Ive been out for lunch with a friend. Then I went food shopping and back to more painting. Trying to do my watercolour lake scene.

Ambiguous statement.
I meant I'd eat the tomato shells. Probably filled with cream cheese and finely chopped spring onion

How awful for you to be so upset by that song.
It's not so long since M&S declared tghey were not going to play music in respect for the many people who don't like or are disturbed by it. Obviously respect is swept away by commerce.

I avoid music at all times but there are still one or two (old now) which can reduce me to the same distressed state if inadvertently heard. Takes a while to recover too as it stays in the mind.

We have a system called "Ask a Librarian" and I sent a request to see if these learned person could find me books which are mysteries without murders. Even the recent "cosy crme" book are not as cosy as I would like. :-)
It seems we have a veritable obsession with murder and the US books are the worst - they seem to be used to even the most terrible of horrors.

Within two days I had a list of 12 audio books from my librarian.
Isn't that marvellous? I tend to forget all these lovely little things when I'm a bit down but I'm so grateful for them.

Re tomatoes If I were planting, I'd scrape out the seeds and use the rest of the tomato don't waste a good thing.

Grammaretto I’m so sorry about your friend. Is glad you managed to see her again so recently.
it must be so hard for you packing up things from your home. So many memories. Some good ideas for the calendars. Be nice to keep the photos.
Glad the helpers are working well. Have a good trip to the kiln and hope all the pots come out ok
Hope you sleep better tonight. A restless night always seems to go on for so long.
*Ixion I certainly have some big knickers not red ones though.
Do you still have your frilly ones from your can can days in the Argy 🤣*
Cherry my dear we all miss you and hope you’re managing ok. I can certainly choreograph a more sedate cheerleading routine for the less athletic amongst us.
ive been out for lunch with my cousin today, it was very pleasant sitting in the sunshine. All was going well until I went into M&S and they started playing Leo Sayer singing “When I need you” . It really upset me and I had to leave. Been feeling a bit down ever since. One of those days today.
Hope all sleep better tonight. X

Grammaretto, I am so very sorry to hear that your DF has died🕯️

Kaimoana I really appreciate the trouble you go toto keep in touch with us.
As Ixion said if only there was some way we could speak our input.
Im not surprised you haven’t told your son how poorly you are. Just like you thinking of others. The reason I asked was that when I had my pacemaker fitted I didn’t tell my sons as one was on holiday and the other was working hard. They weren’t best pleased. Our older son said he would never have forgiven me if something had gone wrong and he hadn’t known. I realise you’re protecting your son but perhaps he really ought to know

Thanks so much for the suggestions re calendars. I'll do something like that

Sadly my friend died this morning
I know it was expected but its always a shock. So final

I'm tired after a day of going through boxes
*I took a car load to the tip so that's
them gone*

Tonight df is coming to supper as usual and the Aussie girl is making brownies for pudding. She spends her time tidying either in the greenhouse or in the kitchen

Tomorrow I am driving up to Arbroath to unpack the wood kiln and collect mine and several other people's pots
It's an opportunity to show my visitors a bit of the countryside

*I was set to view a house this evening too but I've just heard it's
been sold!* The sign only appeared on Tuesday

How good to hear from Cherry 🍒
But a shame she's in the wars like the rest of us
My hip has been playing up since Monday and I'm limping

I think your planting ideas are great Kaimoana. I'm tempted by the tomato one
Although we get about 6 decent tomatoes after all the effort but they are magnificent plants
* Slugs get the rest *

Grammaretto...I was thinking about your calendars....could you maybe make a large collage of the GCas they've grown...maybe just their faces so you can see the changes...it could be mounted and framed and then come with you when you move. I do understand how you are feeling...I left what I thought was the house of my dreams..5 bedrooms...long drive and large treat garden with ponds, fruit trees etc etc filled with memories of my girls, their friends..the grandsons too but I am happier
than I would have believed in our 2 bedroomed cottage I really hope ou will find your peace soon. ♥️

In the end I copied and pasted my post to my email...then make it bold and put in more paragraphs and pm it to Kaimoana. I've found the 2 * thing now too. *

I love the tomato idea Kaimoana!
🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅

ixion I'm sad you are in such pain and at the risk of becoming boring (or even more boring than usual) don't forget MSM.

And you too Grammaretto it seems life is taking an emotional toll on you as well as a physical pne. Be kind to yourself dear friend. If and when you move, you'll have years to sort out what to keep.

Why not buy one of those folderswith many clear pages into which one can insert papers or photos back to back?
They could hold all the individual calendar pages and you'll have a record of how the grand-children have grown over the years.

Thank you dear Cherry for the remembrance; I know I'm not the only one who thinks of you and misses your input. Much love and many cwtches.
I wonder if that's where we get "cutchy cutchy coo"

I do have a screen reader and used it here for a while but one has to make notes as it reads the text if one wants to respond. I can't write fast enough and forget so easily, so I gave it up.

I just saw a video with some garden tips. One of which was laying tomatoes cut in half, seede uppermost in a fairly deep tray, covering with soil and watering and hey presto! they all came up as seedlings. So easy.

One thing I remember from long ago was to mix water, flour and seeds into a thick paste. Put into any squeze bottle (washing up liquid well washed?) and squeeze in rows down a tray contain seed-raising mix. Cover with more compost and water in.

Saves planting individual tiny seed which you may not be able to see.

I seem to remember the original idea was to use wallpaper paste but I think these days it contains something which might compromise the seeds.

More garden tips here.:
www.facebook.com/groups/1377104787027460/user/61567794740157/

Just two tiny bits of cheery news from me then off to bed. My re-lined pond finally has frogspawn 🐸🐸🐸
and my amelanchier has, at last, burst into glory! I will try to take a photo - it was awkward today because of the angle of the sun

Sleep well tonight all you aching, itching, sleep deprived and struggling..
I hope tomorrow will be a GOOD day

What a lovely post Kaimoana!

I am sure we are all happy to hear from you
Not happy at all about your loss of appetite

I was a bit puzzled at first seeing Doodles copy of Naughtyneine's post 🤣😂

* I thought she had lost the plot *

The Aussies have gone to a ceilidh in Edinburgh. I didn't want to go

I need downtime after such a busy and emotional day *looking through
stuff for the nth time* and still undecided about a lot of it

He mended my garden seat, and did some more work on the pond
She cleared and cleaned the greenhouse

My df is very much worse so I'll not see her this week again?

I don't have to return to work tomorrow after all. As you know I volunteer in our community store.
There are enough staff
So it'll be back to wondering what to do with piles of calendars which my DC used to send each year with photos of the DGC on every page

I think it's bedtime for me as I had a bad night with waking up every 2 hours

Thinking of you all

I'm probably the last person on here who is technically competent, but surely there is a way we could read a day's worth of messages via the microphone thingy, iPad to iPad, thereby keeping Kaimoana in the loop?

Er, Neine, have you thought what you might wear underneath?
I think you will need Big Red Knickers. Please ensure you tuck the frock away if you want Jeeves to call. He can be a little, well, unreliable - IYSWIM 😉.

My cold has gone to my chest. I have been resting my hip as instructed, foraying out only for a hair appointment. As I eased myself painfully in and out of the chair, I apologised to my hairdresser for being so pathetic and explained that I had been advised to use a stick but couldn't yet get on with it.

Ooh she exclaimed. You don't want to look like a little old biddy, do you?
Exactement

Cherry sends you her greetings. She says to say that she is still thinking of you all and 'hoping for sunshine, real or metaphorical, in each of your lives'.

She too is having mobility issues, I think it's fair to say.
We need to rethink our cheerleading routine to something more sedate
.
Maybe Doodle could now join us and show us some seated manoeuvres?

Doodle No indeed DS2 in UK does not know how grotty I feel. What can he do about it excepy worry and he's just beginning to feel happy and hopeful again.

NN Be careful what you wish for I've lost over 20lbs in the last few weeks and far from feeling or looking better, I feel awful. I wish whatever has run off with my appetite would bring it back

Dear Doodle you are so very kind to Bold NN's post and I did try to read it (as you see) but these days I can manage only a few sentences, bold or not, before I have to give up.

Typing my own responses is also more difficult and if I make a mistake I can't always see what it is . If I didn't love the people on this threa (we've been together so long through thick and thin) I'd have bowed out a long time ago.

Kaimoana I’m so pleased your granddaughter came to see you. It was lovely of her to say she’d come to the uk and back with you.
It may seem impossible but it’s good she thought of it. I wish you’d come it would be wonderful
Im worried about how you have deteriorated too. We can’t see you but you haven’t been well for a long time
Does your UK son Know how poorly you’ve been ?
Grammaretto hope your Aussie workers are getting on well.
Naughtynine 😱🤣🤣🤣 Wonderful

Kaimoana the above is a copy of Naughtynines lovely post which I have copied and made bold for you in the hope that you can read it.

I may have to leave lobsterville if pyjamas are required ....I don't have any and only one nightie that comes out only when someone is stopping here or I'm away from home. Other than that...it's me in all its glory with bits that could well do with starching and ironing!!!!!
It's been lovely to read and catch up on all your posts. My friend has gone home now...she has enjoyed being here and going out and about. We went to see if there was anything that night resemble a wedding outfit for her and me but I lost heart when holding a dress up against me and looking back was someone who looked as if they needed to lose a stone and a facelift.

Oh well..DH says he didn't care if I turn up in a bin bag. I did make him laugh though..I spotted the red dress in the picture and sect him a picture of it saying I'd found my outfit....back came an immediate reply...'Hell Yeah'. Memo to all...I am not planning to wear it...for one thing that zip would need reinforcing.

Thanks for the clothes tip Notspag. The wedding is on June 28th...so I've plenty of time to find something. ( Not).

Kaimoana...it was so lovely to read your upbeat post about your happy day out but then got so sad for you feeling grotty and having to live with a skin flare up too. I'm really glad this new doctor is taking things seriously.

Doodle... Never forget how amazingly you are doing...it’s so very natural to cry at memories...and things that have meant so much to you and your beloved husband. I promised my friend that it wouldn't always hurt as much as it does now..I hope as the weeks and months go on it will be the same for you. ♥️

Notspag... Your Mother's Day sounded busy but lovely. It was really heartening to read the love that was shared...for you and other Mums on here.

I kept myself busy so there wasn't a repeat of last year's grief. DH was worried leading up to the day...but I am following something I read by St Paul and replacing my feelings of hurt and pain with that of love towards my girls. Where there is no love...put love.

As part of the distraction we took the 3 'children'' for a walk. The Cane Corso in her excitement crashed into DH at speed ( all 45k) of her and knocked him flying. As he lay on the ground I panicked as to how on earth I was going to get him back to the car with what had turned out to be a twisted knee and ankle. I managed to get him to his feet (foot actually) and he used me as a crutch and hopped back to the car....slowly. He said we used a rugby skill called lock on and drive.... From my point of view I still can't see how they can play when their teammate has given them a 'wedgie' as I was seriously grateful we only had a relatively short distance to go as by the time I drove home I thought I was going to need surgery to remove my thong from where it was buried never to be seen again. Too much info I know!!!!*

Oh my giddy aunt! Naughtyneine!!

Naughtyneine

*I forgot to put the picture of the dress on..*

Oh please, Kaimoana, do your best to come.
We will look after you somehow!

Escorted travel - such an opportunity ❤️