Not Locked Down but may need to be locked up

Happy Birthday dearest Doodle
I know you celebrated yesterday but you can never have too many good wishes
❤️❤️💥💫🍦
.
After a proper summer's day yesterday, today it's thunder and heavy rain. I must have brought it home with me.
--but the buckets are dry--

What a nice setting for your group Kaimoana. I only hope transport isn't going to be a problem again.

A df of mine is about to move to NZ! Hawkes Bay area. It's quite a sudden decision but their DC are small and they want them to grow up in NZ.

My classes etc all begin again this week and the DGC start school on Wednesday. The architect will come to see me too if he's recovered from covid.

Nice little video Kaimoana2
Thank you

It is indeed NotS and I've thought so often of your cruel disappointment when wretched Covid intervened. It must have been so hard on you saying goodbye.

I think we've done the best we can; DS says the worst part will be 'ripping off the plaster' of actually parting with his darling daughter on 18th.

Tomorrow our elders group is finally moving into our new and probably permanent meeting place. Newly refurbished at a cost in excess of $8m it's going to be a much better home for us.

Here's a little video if you want to see.
The reference to 'gifting' names shows that there's deep spiritual significance in this action for Maori.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vS7Mnf1uik

I sense that today has been a better one than some recently?
Beautiful flowers, wild, in gardens and shop bought, chocolates, visits from important people, love, hugs, fabulous singing, and birthdays.

Now we need the seizures to stop and we will all feel a bit better

... parting is tough though Kaimoana2

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~*~ HAPPY BIRTHDAY DOODLE ~*~
Here's a picture which looks like enflamed spaghetti and probably far more candles than are appropriate Much love xxxx.


ixion You wouldn't be allowed to grow agapanthus here.
It's banned.
It grows wild and super-abundantly in every lane and byway: blue and white versions.

There's now a miniature, sterile version you can buy to deter people from digging up the wild ones and taking them home, as Kiwis have since 1952 when they were first imported from South Africa. I guess they liked the name Love Flower (Agape - love)

Gorgeous gladioli NotS such a beautiful flower and that too has a rather Romeantic name, after the gladiator's sword.

I forfeited todays visit by DS as we parted yesterday without tears and couldn't have done so if it'd been the last one. Best for us both I think.

🤦‍♀️

Not late Cherry my birthday is actually tomorrow. I’ve been celebrating today as our sons both work so it was easier to meet up with the family today.
I thought you’d been having more seizures than we’re normally aware of. Not surprised it’s bringing you down. Hope they lessen off now and you feel better
ixion love the card 🤣

A bit late in the day but Happy Birthday Doodle 💐. It was bound to be a tricky and emotional day for you but I'm pleased that you enjoyed your lunch with your family, Sending you a big birthday cwtch X

You had an enjoyable time on the Isle of Skye methinks Grammaretto and an interesting and scenic --if not long and tiring--journey home. Welcomenews that the buckets are still empty 👍. Have I got it right that your friend is performing at the Fringe on your birthday next weekend? I hope you do manage to get tickets.

Lovely to have an unscheduled visit from your DS and Gubbins, Kaimoana ☺️.

Snap, NotSpaghetti, our gladioli didn't do very well this year either. I'm envious of the cut price ones from the supermarket, they were a bargain. A lovely compensation 😁.
I so agree with what you say about when our bodies go wrong and sometimes like during my latest bout of seizures I'm a poor student too 💐

Thanks for the hugs and warm get well wishes everyone, I really do appreciate them. I don't think I really been well since having covid, I've certainly had more seizures than I normally do and have felt quite low. You're all ⭐️s 🤗 x

Mixed day for me today. Went to church and had a good time until I suddenly found the tears running down my face. Got a hug from a friend then was ok for a while.’
Had a lovely lunch with the family. Really enjoyed it. Got lots of very thoughtful presents. Came home and felt sad again
I suppose birthdays are bound to be a bit emotional
Thanks for the book suggestions Kaimoana
How lovely to have another visit so soon from your son and the lovely Gubbins. Your sons sounds as though he’s out a lot of thought into his plans. Hope it works out well for them all
Grammaretto glad your safely home after a good trip. Bus passes are so good aren’t they. You’ll be tired tonight I expect.
Hope you get the tickets you want.
*Notspaghetti your flowers look lovely. My mum always liked the gladioli. What a bargain.

Happy Birthday Doodle.

Lovely gladdies, NotSpaghetti. What a shame I succumbed, instead, to their greatly reduced tubs of chocs☹️.

Welcome home, Grammaretto. How long did your return journey take? Staggering to learn it cost nought, thanks to 'your' concessionary fares. I really rather fancy doing that and other journeys for free.

You must be another summer baby, Grammaretto, as my dear mother used to say.

Doodle too. This special day must have been particularly difficult for you, despite everyone's best efforts, I am sure. I hope you were able to draw comfort from the knowledge that so many friends and family held you close today. 💐

Such glamorous flowers NotSpag!
I'm waiting for my sweet peas to flower.
They are timed to coincide with my birthday next weekend but I don't think they were listening. 😒

I see a df and lovely singer is performing in the Fringe Festival. I must try to get tickets.

It's been warm and sunny here now I'm home. 😎

I suppose this is compensation for the ones in the garden being pathetic
😕

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Just had to share my gladioli glut from Tesco.
They must have had 30 bunches of flowers reduced and lots were gladioli.

I also have 4 orangey ones!
£1.50

Thanks Doodle 😊
My Hebridean adventure continued on the journey home. Our city link bus driver heard that the main road to Inverness was closed due to an accident so decided to take us via the northern road, sometimes a single track with passing places! I was so glad not to be driving. We arrived an hour later than planned but somehow there was another bus to get us to Edinburgh. A long day of sitting on buses but very scenic. All free on my bus pass too.

And the buckets are still dry in my sitting room.

I am glad that you are seeing plenty of DS and gubbins, Kaimoana. Times to cherish and especially with the smell of freshly baked bread 🍞

I hope everyone is having a good weekend.

True Grammaretto however much we enjoy getting away, home is always the safe haven.

Doodle if I didn't mention it before, Jenny Colgan has written dozens of easy-listening, predictable books with happy endings which are ideal for night time. it doesn’t matter if you fall asleep and miss whole chunks of it

I save the non-fiction for when I'm awake

NotS I understand so well the difficulties of accepting what aging and other stuff brings. I suppose we all feel that way at times.
The other hard truth is that comparing our life to someone much worse off (as we are often urged to do), doesn't help much, or at all because it never changes our own road, just reminds us of the sadnesss in other homes.
I hope things ease for you soon

Another visit from DS and Gubbins today, unscheduled and flying to fix my phone again. He's so good, coming all this way and I get very, very frustrated that I can't see well enough to fix it myself.

So I was up at 5am this morning, making a little treat for him and knocking back (no, not the gin ) but the bread I'd set to prove last night.
Two sunflower & pumpkin seed loaves filled the house with an evocative fragrance and were just out when he arrived.
We talked briefly about his trip; it takes a lot of courage to do this but “Time spent in reconnaissance is never wasted” and if he finds, after 6 months in UK it’s not where they want to be, that's useful info.
There’s always Plan B.

Grammaretto I so pleased you’re enjoying yourself enough to stay another day. 😊
Sounds like today was a good one. Safe journey home
Hope all the gang have a good weekend. x

I am travelling home tomorrow. I decided to stay another night. I've met some very nice people who are learning Gaelic language or music for all kinds of reasons. They come in all ages and from many countries.

I spent today after class with a Canadian girl whose ancestors come from these islands. She's staying another week. We visited Armadale Castle, museum and Gardens. The tearoom closed at 4pm just as we were ready for a cuppa!!

I need not have brought my shorts or swimsuit and should have packed more waterproofs. 🌧

The ceilidh last night was most enjoyable.

It's been great but I'll be glad to get home.

Kaimoana 💕

There's a very beautiful song by a talented young Scottish singer/songwriter. I used to sing it when I was a folkie.
It's about loss of a loved one but it's come back to me 1,000 times since as a glimmer of hope in so many different circumstances.


Oh how the nights are long
But life is longer still
Oh how the nights are long
But the sun's coming over the hill


And indeed it always does

*Grammaretto are you home yet? Hope you had a lovely time.
Did the singing go well? *

Kaimoana I’m grateful for sleep at night. I keep listening to sleep stories although could probably recite the journey from London to Aberystwyth by train without prompting now.
I get very stressed during the day but try and relax more in the evenings.
Notspaghetti I ought to be grateful for all I’ve got too. So many kind people around me and I get to do lots of things every week. As others have said though, I miss the person I was happy to do nothing with.
ixion that’s brave to give your dress away. Mine is still in a drawer under the bed. I doubt if anyone would want it. It was quite plain and home made.
I love your photo. Thank you for sharing. Beautiful

It's been a -surprisingly- sunny and pleasant day here. Just right for the weekly blitz clean. Not.
Barney has been attempting to catch (and eat) anything in the garden which flies or scuttles and Mr.I has been assiduously carrying out his St. Francis of Assisi rôle, rescuing anything winged which had flown into the back porch.

Is your Summer School just for your local class, Grammaretto, or are you meeting up with groups from all over? I hope you have a good trip home - may all your buckets be empty on your return🤞.

I took the plunge this afternoon and donated my wedding dress to our local Marie Curie charity shop, which has a pop up Bridal Store for 6 weeks, after which another store nationally will host the event.

^I expect you'll want to put this on your vintage rail, won't you?^ I lightheartedly suggested. ^ That's right^, she replied.

I hope Cherry and all those needing a 🦞🤗, here is just that.

And a photo of my dolly tub of juvenile agapanthus.

Jan - it is so easy to shatter our confidence when our body goes wrong and thereafter won't do what we want. I had a similar experience and although I was most certainly one of the "lucky ones" I have to keep reminding myself of that. I am learning to be thankful for what i still have... but some days I'm not a great student!
💐 to you

Cherry - I hope you soon get the rest you need. What a terrible situation. I hope you get longer and longer breaks from your seizures. Exhaustion is terrible.

That scenery is spectacular, reminds me of our Scottish holidays when I was a child. We were based in Rothesay but travelled round.

Oh Doodle don't you believe it. I'm far from calm and rely on magnesium to help me get any sleep at all. And I'm still awake for hours in the night.
Thank goodness for audio books but if I'm very anxious, I haven't the patience even for them.

So right Jan, makes me wonder why we have such loony expressions, that and "If I can do it, anyone can." Utter nonsense.

Hope everyone has a good weekend.