🦞 The Lockdown Gang still chatting 🦞

I wish you luck with EE Notspaghetti they kept me hanging around for weeks paying high charges while they set up my new cheaper contract then suddenly sent me a message. Can’t connect you return all the equipment we’ve sent you now.

Hope your husbands appointment comes through soon. Hard getting older isn’t it.
Grammaretto i miss my landline but didn’t actually use it much. It was good as backup though. Hope the foraging went well. Did you have anything tasty to eat.
Envy you a day in the beach. Mine was spent in shops. Not the same

Grammaretto, we once lived in a house with a phone box outside. It was on a lane and we would often take a mug of tea out there when making phone calls.

Sometimes, in the winter, if we were waiting for a call back from someone we would tell them to ring it for a long time - and we would go back inside and open the huge sash window in the sitting room so that we could hear it. Then we'd stay near the window with our coat on ready to rush outside!

Three of our babies were born in that little cottage and that's how we rang the midwife - until we coild afford a landline

I have fond memories of phone boxes actually. The truly rural ones weren't the smelly sort you found in some towns and cities - and some had their own phone books in them too. Before we were married we spent a summer when I was working in a seasonal type seaside restaurant and after my long shift I'd ring my now husband who was working elsewhere and who would have walked a mile to "his" phone box and waited patiently for me to call.
There was often someone else using it (or wanting to use it). I remember the feeling of being so close when just holding the phone to my ear. Nothing needed to be said.
❤️
I do realise I am very lucky to still have him.

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Aw that sounds so romantic NotSpag !
Having the phone box just outside the house sounds pretty perfect too although I would have been anxious in an emergency.
I remember the queues outside and opening the door and begging them to be quick!
Things have improved in some respects.

Foraging was good but rather cold despite being wrapped up. We reached some woods where the grass was the greenest I've ever seen. We then came across a marshland covered with samphire but it was too small to harvest just enough to have crunchy, salty bites.
The 4 children spent the whole time on the rocky shore, appearing occasionally to show off their finds, including some amber.

I bought a grow bag yesterday to transplant some lettuce seedlings. I can't get used to the fact that I may not be in this house much longer.

My NZ son has just wished me a happy mother's day 😂. Isn't that lovely 😍. I don't mind having two!

I hope your family remembered you Kaimoana and I am wishing you the same.

Tomorrow is DBiL's funeral. It's going to be very sad.

I live in a council house and they own the front garden. They are responsible for cutting the grass they have only just done it, left all the cuttings, I went over it to clear all that, 6 bin liners, but it looks so much neater

Hello Janet. Are you joining us Lobstars?
If so you are welcome.
Sorry you had to clear all those cuttings yourself. That wouldn't be my favourite job.

I've left a lot of my lawn uncut because I like a meadow and am excited to see what grows in the grass.
Some simple red tulips have appeared among the bluebells!

I remember using the phone box when we were in holiday so I could phone my mum and see how she was. DH would stand outside with our two dogs who weren’t happy that I was somewhere they couldn’t get in to. The yapping sometimes overpowered the conversation.
Grammaretto i Hope all goes as well as it can for your BIL funeral. I expect it will be quite sad. Thinking of you.
Notspaghetti what a wonderful tale. That made me laugh.

Oh Doodle, My husband was once trying to negotiate a piece of work with someone and if he was busy in the study upstairs I'd run out to answer it to give him time to get downstairs and out, and I'd say, "Just hold the line please, Jeremy (or whoever) and I'll just find him for you" - by then he might be rushing out with notes and a pen having been alerted by me shouting "phone, phone" as I ran out

It was quite the highlight of the day for our children, and they still talk about it sometimes

EE has not called me back today by the way. Grrrr!

Hello Janetashbolt
Welcome

Have just found this thread interesting posts about old red phone boxes . For long while when we got married never had one . So they were vital part of the day to day life for most people.

Hello Hearsay
I think the phone box was important for lots of us in the days when having a phone in our homes was too expensive for most ordinary people.
It was very exciting when we got a phone line inside our home, that's certain.

I remember a holiday camping in a field near Oxford . The caretaker of the field were a couple with 11 children. One of the 11 would be positioned near the phone box outside their 3 bedroomed cottage to take bookings for the "campsite".
They even had a pony we could ride in the next field.

Thinking of you and your family on this most difficult day, Grammaretto 🕯️ x

Hello All. Sorry to be so vague and slow at answering. No idea why I dont get round to doing things nowadays! Think Im losing it - musnt joke! ixion for asking about my DH. Yes hes fine and quite honestly I think he is enjoying his trips to hospital! So far he has been lucky in that hes been the only person in the hospital car/taxi and my husband loves to talk! Sure the drivers had enough well before they get home! Whether the treatment is working who knows?!
KaiomanaNot sure you will be able to read this but sending you all my love. I cannot imagine what it must be like to be unable to see properly. If you would rather I typed in capitals please tell me. xx

THINKING OF YOU TODAY GRAMMARETTO AND HOPING IT GOES AS WELL AS IT CAN. I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHERE THE WEEK HAS GONE

DF IS DOWN FOR 9 DAYS. DH SAYS SHE IS THE ONLY PERSON HE KNOWS WHO HAS AT LEAST A WEEKS ALL INCLUSIVE ONCE A MONTH.

WE HAVEN'T BEEN GALLIVANTING AS MUCH THIS TIME THOUGH BASICALLY AS I HAVE BEEN IN A LOT OF DISCOMFORT FROM TENDONITIS AND SCIATIC PAIN
BOTH WERE POSSIBLE COMPLICATIONS FROM THE OP AND I'M HOPING THEY WILL SETTLE WITH TIME

I HAVE GARDENED THOUGH AND DF WHO HAS NO INTEREST IN GARDENING AT ALL HAS BEEN INSPIRED TO PLANT UP A CONTAINER, WHETHER IT ACTUALLY HAPPENS IS ANOTHER MATTER.

I NEED MY HANDS TYING BEHIND MY BACK IF I AM EVEN IN THE VICINITY OF PLANTS FOR SALE BUT I NOW HAVE THE BARGAIN GREENHOUSE ERECTED ( MALE TESTOSTERONE WAS ABOUNDING YESTERDAY AS 3 MEN JUGGLED WITH A GIANT MECCANO SET) SO I NOW HAVE THE PERFECT EXCUSE TO BUY MORE.

JAN GOOD NEWS THAT THE HOSPITAL TRIPS ARE GOING WELL AND FINGERS CROSSED THE TREATMENT IS WORKING.

A LOT OF THE RED PHONE BOXES IN RURAL AREAS AROUND HERE ARE NOW LITTLE BOOK SWAPS ( OR HOLD DEFIBRILLATORS) ITS LOVELY TO SEE THEM BEING USED STILL

HELLO HEARSAY AND JANET.

DDOG 2 IS HAVING A NEW TREATMENT TOMORROW AS THE FIRST ONE IS NO LONGER WORKING, SHE IS STILL EATING AND HAPPY SO WE WILL STILL KEEP FIGHTING THE FIGHT AND GIVE HER AS LONG AS WE CAN.

I HAD MY CLOSING MEETING WITH MY LITTLE FAMILY IN FRIDAY, IT MEANS I NO LONGER SUPPORT THEM VIA THE CHARITY BUT HAVE THE OPTION TO REMAIN FRIENDS WITH THEM WHICH OF COURSE I WILL.

WE HAVE TAKEN THE LITTLE BOY WHO DIVIDES HIS TIME BETWEEN HIS DAD ( NOT THE FATHER OF THE 2 GIRLS) AND HIS MUM. HE IS PROBABLY ON THE SPECTRUM BUT ALSO JUST WANTS ATTENTION, HIS DAD SPENDS A LOT OF HIS TIME PLAYING VIDEO GAMES AND HIS MUM IS OBVIOUSLY BUSY WITH A 16 MONTH AND A 5 MONTH OLD.

NEEDLESS TO SAY HE PLAYS UP SO WE'VE BEEN TAKING HIM OUT FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS WHEN HE IS WITH HIS MUM (EVERY OTHER WEEKEND).

YESTERDAY THE LAMBS WERE BEING MOVED FROM THE BARN TO THE FIELD BESIDE US AND HE LOVED HELPING TO SHEPHERD THEM OVER THE RIVER VIA A LITTLE BRIDGE.

BLESS HIM, HE WONT KNOW IT BUT HE IS FILLING A GAP IN MY LIFE TOO. IT STILL CATCHES ME OFF GUARD NOW AND AGAIN.

Grammaretto Hope today went as well as it could.
I’ve been to a funeral this morning of one of our older members of the congregation. So sad that sometimes you only learn what interesting lives people have led at funeral services.
NN I love the description of your greenhouse as a giant meccano set. 🤣
How lovely of you to help out with that little man. I bet he enjoys his time with you.
Jan I hope your husbands treatment helps. Good he has someone to chat to in the journey.
Hearsay I remember the old police boxes (Tardis style) and my mum telling me if ever I had any trouble to go and phone the policeman.

Kaimoana I’m another that misses your lovely chats and funny stories. Sending love and hugs.

Wasn't it 3 lots of one penny for Press Button A, Press Button B for your money back if the call went unanswered?

We had 2 of the old fashioned Bakelite domestic phones rigged up as intercoms when the children were small, then teenagers with loud music and closed bedroom doors.
No longer shouting up 2 floors, just pick up the phone and send your instructions message 😁

I hope your sad day passed off reasonably well, Grammaretto, and that you were left with some happy memories.

I read, Kaimoana, on another thread (can't remember which) about tips from the our RNIB, most of which I am sure you know already, but what struck me was the suggestion of white print on a black screen.

Would this help? Could someone set it up for you, if so?

I hate to hear of you struggling ❤️

Look after yourselves, Jan x

Always lovely to hear from new Gransnetters. Welcome

Goodness, camels and deserts, I wonder if Jeeves went off to join the Beduin?

I remeber that spectacular scene in Lawrence of Arabia when Omar Sharif came riding through a mirage.
I was 15 and thought he was the most beautifil man I had ever seen.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ud1zpHW3ito

Mothers Day was lovely. My son came to spend time with me.
I’d made chocolate brownies with fudge frosting but of course couldn't eat more than a teaspoonful

He took that and some double choc muffins home and I know they would fall on them as if starving

At first I was sad my granddaughter hadn't come with Daddy but like me, she is such a chatterbox, that you can never get a word in - so it was good to have my darling son to myself.

Ah the emergence of Omar Sharif! I think I was a bit older when DH took me to see it in Leicester Square.

Did I already tell you I was born (or we lived in) the house in London where T E Lawrence wrote Seven Pillars of Wisdom ?
There's a blue plaque and it's not for me
😂

I'm on the home journey now. The funeral was good in the good funeral sense.
Standing room only and the important people in his life, spoke. Including his mum who gave an Irish blessing.

We then removed to their local where a feast awaited us. It was nice to see my DC , their cousins, meet his friends and to talk about the good times.

14 Barton Street – T. E. Lawrence Society telsociety.co.uk/about-lawrence/places-to-visit/london/14-barton-street/

What a lovely townhouse house Grammaretto
I wonder if it had a garden?

I don't know if there was a garden. There will have been a place to dry the nappies I guess. My DF was a master at Westminster school who owned the building but in those days from my DM description, it was cold and very shabby divided into small flats. Rationing was at its height and with a baby and a toddler and no washing machine, DM found life hard and was keen to start a new life in NZ so we left less than a year later.

Those houses are very upmarket now, mainly occupied by MPs.

Kaimoana it was Peter O’Tool’s blue eyes for me. I loved that film.

So pleased you had a lovely time with your son. Hope he brings Gubbins to see you soon.

Grammaretto what a wonderful place to be born. Hope you’re safely home now. Good the funeral was well attended.

I’ve made a return visit to the sculpture gardens with two other friends. We had a wonderful afternoon lots of chat and discussion about the various pieces and a huge piece of delicious chocolate cake as well

I have been trying to take more seriously my own health and physical improvement.

I have been to yoga twice (not good at this as not very bendy tbh) and to one pilates session and tomorrow I'm going to aquarobics. I've noticed that my left (stroke affected) foot is getting stiffer again... I really have to prevent that happening again if I possibly can.

Grammaretto I was pleased to hear it was a "good" funeral. I think there is something very healing about a good funeral. Still very sad but also happy memories

Mothers Day must be a different day there Kaimoana - but whenever it is it sounds like you had a lovely time with your son.
Sometimes it's really nice to have your offspring totally alone- as you can really chat without distraction.
I do hope you got a good chance to chat.

Notsaghetti me too. I do dit fit and am trying exercises to improve my knees which are very bad. The creaks and groans are unbelievable when I bend them., Good for you trying new things.