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๐Ÿฆž The Lockdown Gang still chatting ๐Ÿฆž

(477 Posts)
Doodle Sun 03-May-26 19:56:19

Yes another new thread. A gentle chat for old friends and new

ixion Tue 11-Aug-26 19:46:04

Oh Grammaretto.
Soooooo pleased!
๐Ÿก

ixion Wed 12-Aug-26 08:33:33

Happy Birthday to our Doodle๐Ÿ’ƒ xx

Grammaretto Wed 12-Aug-26 08:39:19

Happy birthday to you dear Doodle๐ŸŽ‰๐Ÿฅณ
๐Ÿฅฐ

NotSpaghetti Wed 12-Aug-26 09:22:33

Yes.
Happy Birthday!
๐Ÿ›๐Ÿ’โค๏ธ๐ŸŒผ๐Ÿท๐ŸŽŠ๐Ÿ•บ๐Ÿผ๐ŸŽ–๐Ÿฐ๐Ÿฅ๐Ÿง๐Ÿฅฎ๐Ÿฅž๐Ÿซ–โ˜•๏ธ

NotSpaghetti Wed 12-Aug-26 09:25:34

Oh Grammaretto!
I am excited about your possible new home and in spite of your daughter ๐Ÿคž

(...those of us with adult children have just got to accept that we may make decisions but know nothing!)
๐Ÿ‘ฏโ€โ™‚๏ธ๐Ÿ‘ฏโ€โ™‚๏ธ๐Ÿ‘ฏโ€โ™€๏ธ

ixion Wed 12-Aug-26 10:16:07

Isn't it funny, NS, how we, as parents, are expected to endorse - or at least exhibit good grace to - ideas and crackpot plans our adult DC may have?

Yet, the older we all get, it doesn't seem to work in reverse, does it?

Go for it, Grammaretto!

BTW, are you OK, NN?โค๏ธ

Grammaretto Wed 12-Aug-26 18:20:47

I'm sorry folks but I have chickened out and withdrawn the offer. My sensible friend had a serious talk to me about finances and doesn't think I can afford it. The project is just too big and fraught.
Also the DC are not supportive at all so it would be a lonely journey.

Not sure how I feel now but relief is one of the emotions.

Doodle Wed 12-Aug-26 22:17:05

Thank you all for your birthday wishes. Iโ€™ve had a nice day at church and the hospice.
Grammaretto i think you should decide hat you want for yourself but from my experience having done a doer upper bungalow it eventually cost about twice as much as we were quoted and by the end Dh was so fed up with it we moved .
I would love you to find the perfect place for you. Hope it comes along soon. X

NotSpaghetti Thu 13-Aug-26 00:17:04

An architect in Ireland once told us that "doing up" is a bit like weddings.

If you can afford a ยฃ10,000 wedding you should be budgeting as though you can only spend ยฃ5,000 as you will then spend 10.

So basically double whatever you think it will cost.

๐Ÿ˜• Sorry Grammaretto we really wanted that to work for you.
flowers

Jan16 Thu 13-Aug-26 11:43:40

Grammaretto So sorry to hear that you have decided against your purchase but honestly at our age do we really want a big house to look after? Think of the upkeep, decorating the heating etc etc. Really hope you find the house of your dreams very soon. Moving is such an upheaval and so stressful as I am sure you are finding out. Fingers crossed for you in your search
Its so hot in Norfolk today Im sure I am going to spontaneously combust! Last night was so hot in bed I was tempted to get up and go downstairs and open the patio doors! Theo would have been very pleased!
The so called eclipse was uninspiring! Not sure whether it was just here or all over the country. Yes it went eerily dark for a bit but it was soon over. Certainly wont be here for the next one!
Hopefully it will turn cooler next week and please please some RAIN! We are off to the Norfolk Broads in a couple of weeks when it very probably will rain but never mind as we will meet up with Norfolk Dumpling and hopefully join her on a ride down the river.
Hope everyone has a good weekend

Doodle Thu 13-Aug-26 20:29:06

I didnโ€™t see the eclipse at all. It seemed something and nothing to me.
Grmmaretto I hope youโ€™re not too disappointed. House moving is hard and if you find something you think youโ€™d like your mind starts making plans of what you can do.
Is there a shortage of properties for sale in your area? Do you want to stay close to where you live now? I imagine you would as you will know people there. I really hope the right place comes along for you soon.
Unless you fancy a camper bubble? !

ixion Fri 14-Aug-26 19:53:56

I will be so relieved when the temperature drops properly.
25 degrees promised this morning was still too hot to do anything constructive so sitting around was the order of the day.

My landscaping materials arrived today, more tomorrow, but I decided it was too hot for navvy mode. Instead, I went down a literary rabbit hole with Sarah Raven's lovely book 'A Year Full Of Pots', perusing winter bulb planting.

Hope you manage to meet up with NfkD, Jan.
Kaimoana and I have finally managed to meet up over the airwaves.
And very nice it is too๐Ÿ‘ฅ

Doodle Fri 14-Aug-26 21:24:23

Oh ixion me too. Iโ€™m really struggling with this heat. My fan is just blowing hot air around. Not known it like this before.
The fires raging around are awful. I feel so sorry for the poor farmers and the people who have lost their homes. Really frightening.
So glad youโ€™ve got to chat with Kaimoana i have left her three messages but she says she can only hear one of them. Not sure what else I can do. So pleased you can communicate though.

Grammaretto Sat 15-Aug-26 10:57:56

May you have some cool air! Soon.

Thanks for being so kind and understanding Lobstars. It's so appreciated.
I'm trying not to think about houses at the moment although it's hard when everyone I meet asks me about progress.

It's hyperactive Aussie s last day . She's been sorting through books and has washed her bedding already! She says she has a sleeping bag for her last night!

I shall have a coffee with her in the Town Hall and then make an excuse to get away somewhere.

Your bulby garden sounds delightful Ixion well done for keeping in touch with. Kaimoana

Your advice is wise Jan but just a bit too sensible for me to listen to.
๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿคฃ

Doodle's advice is a cautionary tale. I am glad you found your flat when you did. That worked out well.

Doodle Sat 15-Aug-26 21:58:57

Still very warm here. Although the day has been cooler tonight is really hot again.
Iโ€™m going for lunch with DS1 and family tomorrow. Hope the restaurant has air con.
Grammaretto Iโ€™ve got fingers crossed that the right place comes up for you soon. Will you still sell even if you donโ€™t find somewhere to move to? I know the Scottish market is very different from down south.
Sleep well all

Grammaretto Sun 16-Aug-26 01:52:36

I may have to rent somewhere if the right place doesn't reveal itself ๐Ÿ˜• . However the sale will take a while because their property isn't sold yet so there could be a chain.

My lodgers move out in less than a month and I don't want to let again. My helper will leave in the morning and I'm having lunch with my DS family and going to a show in the Festival. It's my birthday.

It's much cooler here - I had to put a cardigan on and the Australian helper has been wearing a coat indoors!
She's going further North so I hope she doesn't freeze.
I wish I could sleep ๐Ÿ˜•
I hope all Lobstars are able to .

NotSpaghetti Sun 16-Aug-26 09:15:45

๐ŸŽผ ๐ŸŽบ ๐ŸŽน ๐ŸŽท ๐ŸŽต Happy Birthday to you ๐ŸŽถ ๐Ÿฅ ๐ŸŽบ ๐Ÿช•

NotSpaghetti Sun 16-Aug-26 09:21:23

We have my mother-in-law's house on the market at last.
Hooray.
I have to say the notice board is a lovely colour!
Ha ha!

I took flowers over on Wednesday afternoon for the first viewing on Thursday. They said "guaranteed fresh for one week" but I was sceptical in this weather so I asked the agent, who is doing the "showing-around" to check them before people came on the Saturday and she agreed to bin them if no good.

This is what I found yesterday lunchtime!

ixion Sun 16-Aug-26 09:33:53

Happy Birthday Grammaretto is that right?๐Ÿคž
๐Ÿ’
Have a lovely day!

ixion Sun 16-Aug-26 09:42:27

๐Ÿคฆโ€โ™€๏ธ
If I'd read the posts, I'd have known it was.
Enjoy.

NotSpaghetti Sun 16-Aug-26 10:11:45

Ha ha!
Hello friends.

Where are you Naughtyneine? I hope you are OK and are just too busy relaxing to drop in.
๐Ÿ–

NotSpaghetti Sun 16-Aug-26 10:29:08

Just saw this and thought of you Grammaretto
www.instagram.com/reel/Da0U6GeM9CP/?igsh=MXhtN2JjYncxYzUwbw==

Grammaretto Mon 17-Aug-26 01:16:35

Thankyou for all the birthday wishes. I had a lovely day. Lunch at DS then DGS drove me into Edinburgh where I met my friend and I had bought tickets for a Fringe show. It was well done.
He drove me home afterwards and on the way almost collided with a runaway horse!
Poor animal was galloping around a roundabout. No sign of the rider. I hope nobody was hurt.

I enjoyed the clip NotSpaghetti. Well done for getting DMiL house on the market complete with dead flowers!! ๐Ÿ˜•

Doodle Mon 17-Aug-26 21:27:03

Oh Grammaretto yes happy birthday
Sorry itโ€™s a bit late. Glad youโ€™ve had a nice day. I wonder what happened to the rider of the horse.

Fingers crossed for all the house sales. Hope all goes well.
Sleep well all xx

Grammaretto Mon 17-Aug-26 23:08:49

Thanks Doodle! I did have a nice day and another one today.
I was at the Book Festival and had lunch out with my friend who also has a birthday.

Now I hear my DSis is coming to stay. She thinks it could be her last chance to stay here.

I also wonder what happened to the horse. It was probably reunited with its rider and is safely back in its field. No sign of it today and nothing on local social media.
Sleep well or sleep better everyone