🦞 The Lockdown Gang still chatting 🦞

....and now the squirrels have taken most of my figs!!!
🤬🤬😡😡

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Our other hoya - also inherited - was a Hoya Bella.
Took loads of cuttings over many years but lost it in the end.

It tended to lose the diamond shaped leaves from nearest the roots until it looked very bare.
I was sad about it but it was glorious for maybe 20 years.
Here are some images (found online) of the Bella.

Both this and the Carnosa exude the most delicate sugary nectar in huge sticky drops. (See leaf photo of the Carnosa where the syrupy nectar has dropped from above)

My children used to lick the blossoms of the hoyas if I wasn't looking... Now they are more refined and they just catch the nectar on their fingers!

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Finally took some photos.
Our lovely Hoya (inherited from my father in 1991) and a cactus brought back from America as a gift from a dear friend in 1978.
They are both about waist high now.

Grammaretto is the doer upper the sort of house you would be happy to be in when done? Is it in an area you will be comfortable living? Where will you stay while the work is being done? Sorry don’t mean to be asking so much but I just worry about you taking on more than you can cope with but if it is a good location it may well be worth it, Hope it works out for you.
That flower is lovely.
I think ixion May be in touch with Kaimoana and I am trying to get in touch but not having much luck with messenger. I have exchanged very short emails because our dear lady can hardly see.

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I hadn't come across that plant NotSpaghetti porcelain plant or wax flower. Well done for keeping it going.

My trip around the Botanical gardens today was very interesting with our lovely Foraging guide. We tasted mugolio on pancakes (a delicious syrup made from pine cones) and a kind of imitation chocolate made from Lime tree berries.

I am tired now after so much walking and the bus trips. I have to pace myself these days.

I have a Hoya Carnosa in bloom at the moment. It's been really neglected but still fignting on!
The fragrance is really heady.... maybe even sickly if you shut the kitchen door!

I'll try to take a photo soon

I found it - commonly known as "Queen of the Night".
How lovely!
Cereus is obviously a broad category!

Gosh it doesn't look at all like the ones found on Google!

Cereus* is the correct spelling

NotSpaghetti

What IS that beautiful flower??
😍

It's a type of cactus. Years ago I was given a cutting from my mum's cousin from Burma.
I've since cut it back brutally and given cuttings away. It shares a tiny flowerpot with an avocado but still manages to produce a flower or two. They smell lovely.
Midnight cirrius

What IS that beautiful flower??
😍

What a pest NotSpaghetti to have a glitch at this stage.

My Helper is a whirlwind Doodle she's gone to see her friends in the West today and possibly overnight so I can relax a bit 😉

The house viewing reviewing with some friends and the architect has left me just as confused.
It's in a dreadful state but not hiding any nasty things - they are all obvious. The architect isn't worried by any of it saying it's what he does every day. I may decide to make an offer.....

Other friends came for dinner. We had halibut which was delicious and good chats.
When they'd gone I baked my cake for today and realised the dishwasher is not working so unpacked it and washed up in the sink. Meanwhile my once a year for one night only flower opened.
It's collapsed this morning. An omen?

I hopeKaimoana is ok. Is anyone able to contact her?

Notspaghetti i think selling houses is so stressful. There ought to be an easier way of doing it, hope you get the video sorted soon.
Grammaretto your new helper sounds a bit of a whirl wind. I hope she is helping you clear some stuff.
I had a lovely lunch out with some friends today.

Oh no.
The video of my mother-in-law's home had a glitch - so we have to go back again on Tuesday! 🙄

Please come back Naughtyneine with some good news.. 🙏
Thinking of you

How awful to have a break in - and was the stained glass repairable (without massive expense)?

Grammaretto That house is eant to be yours! It's obviously much smaller than yours so not so much to do - surely it can only be half The work??

What truly beautiful saw handles.
Can't they be restored by a group somewhere? Surely too lovely to bin 😮😮😮

Just had the video and photos done of my mother-in-law's house today ready for sale.
The people who put in an offer in February went away last week (or maybe the week before) for a few days and decided, out of the blue, they like another area more!

Sorry Ixion Im on a couple of groups and I can’t remember what I posted where. Yes church was broken into by youngsters we think. Definitely not professional thieves. Lots of damage to locks and doors and an upturned office but fortunately the main part of the church apart from one stained glass window stayed in tact.
Well balanced pain in deed. 🤣🤣
Grammaretto if the doer upper has had its price reduced then you’re not the only one who thinks it’s over priced. If you really want it and the work involved try giving them a much lower offer and see how keen they are to sell. Sorry I don’t know about the Scottish way of selling. I know things are different where you are .

The woofer is doing well ixion thank you. I dog sat for a few hours last Sunday and both dogs were very well behaved.

I am the self-proclaimed Queen of rehome, recycle, repurpose Grammaretto, but even your plentiful saws leave me flummoxed.
My final option is always, with some sadness, to throw out😩.

Congratulations to your DGD on her exam results.

I am sure that some guiding hand is leading you back to the fixer-upper. Spooky. Do you think it may just 'have your name on it'?

How is woofer, Doodle?

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Ouch! ixion
But how lovely to have sundial garden. It suggests there's plenty of sun.

The wretched do-er upper has raised its head again and I'm viewing again tomorrow.
I don't know who to take with me to balance the architect and agents' enthusiasm.
The price has been reduced but it's still too much considering the condition it's in.

I didn't know about the break in at your church Doodle. That's so awful. As you say it was mainly the offices which suffered but any break in and attack is a violation and makes you feel vulnerable.

Sending 🤗 hugs.

My Aussie helper is hyperactive. She's had to stop indoors because I'm not ready to let her throw any more out until I am ready.

Here are some saws which are far too good to chuck 😅🤣😅

Doodle, you never mentioned the break in (did you?). I'm so very sorry, it must be dreadful for everyone concerned. At least the integrity of the church itself wasn't violated. I hope everything settles back down soon.

Dunwich holds a special place in our family's hearts too. My DF used to take us on trips out.
Apparently, according to my uncle, Dad's youngest brother, the boys were firstly evacuated there during the war. This I had sort of gathered at the time.
What I didn't know was that my Grandfather paid a check up visit to see how his boys were getting on. At the time, various sea manoeuvres were taking place off the coast, complete with mock battles and real gunfire noises.

'That's it', my grandfather announced. 'They're coming back to London with me. If they're going to be in danger, they can get that back home.'
They then went to Somerset...

Light rain here, much welcomed after a serious session of clearance gardening.
Decided to tackle the grandly named sundial garden, where many of the top up lavender plants had failed to survive the prolonged heat, despite copious watering.
Half way round the circle, I developed a real right sided lower back pain.
All resolved, just tackled the remaining by turning round and tackling the weeding in an anticlockwise direction.
Well balanced pain now!

Jan please send it down here. It’s still hot. Fan still in even at this time of night.
Grammaretto your yarn group sounds fun. Ours is nice too. We sit there quietly ……..and gossip,🤣
These fires are awful. Not something we’re really used to in this country.
Went to church today and pleased to see it looked ok despite the break in. Lots of mess for people to clear up but apart from one broken window and all the doors and locks were broken the main church was ok it was the offices which took the brunt.

RAIN! Quite a good downpour but still need more please!!!

Thanks Jan. I hope my house sale will go through without too many hitches. It's not done and dusted yet.

I was shocked to see the fires near Dunwich.
My in-laws lived at Southwold for many years so we were regular visitors to the area.
I hope there's some serious rain soon.

You are allowed to grumble to us whenever you need to. You have such a lot to contend with.

My sciatica is easing a lot though I still begin and end the day with an ice pack.

My garden is a riot. Everything has gone to seed in the raised bed . It looks a picture. I will try to send one.

I hope to have a fairly restful day today.

My helper likes to be busy all the time so that could be difficult. 😂😅 I let her drive my car so she did 2 tip runs without me.
We got a lot done yesterday.

She bought a bus pass so yesterday she went into Edinburgh where she has a friend. She lived and worked in Edinburgh for a few years.

My neighbour is hosting a leaving party this evening for a couple who are moving away. She's the 3rd to move in the past year. It's not even to live near their children.
It's quite unsettling.

I hope you slept better last night Doodle
I'm going to yarn group this morning to catch up on the gossip and plan my next garment.

Grammaretto I’ve found it difficult to sleep recently too. I like a cool bedroom at night and it’s far from that. Also things going on in my mind like you have to i expect.
Hope you get on well with your new helper.
Jan those wild fires are scary. I hope we have some rain soon.

Good Evening from a tinder dry Norfolk. Its still quite hot and no sign of any rain. A dark cloud went over a few minutes ago and managed to spit out about 6 drops! Its getting very serious now and we have had quite a few wild fires especially at Dunwich Heath which is actually in Suffolk! Its a nature reserve the size of 210 football pitches. Many rare habitats and countless wildlife decimated in minutes.
Our garden is virtually dead. Although we arent gardeners - well I used to be but cant do anything now since my stroke - we have always liked to see the garden looking tidy and colourful.
This is turning into a miserable post so think I had better go back to drinking my glass of wine!
So pleased Gramaretto has sold her house and here’s hoping you find your forever house very soon.

My new helper arrived today and is settling in. We had some good chats but as she had been awake since 4am to fly from Ireland she was understandably very tired.

I parted with 3 more bikes today and a dozen stacking chairs. It feels good.

Sorry you poor people are so hot!
It's on the cool side here with plenty of rain. The helper hasn't taken her coat off yet 😂

I can't get to sleep again. Too much in my head. My back is definitely a lot better but I've booked half a dozen chiropractor appointments and am doing my exercises.

I too would love to know if NN has resolved her work/life balance.