🦞🦂 *What are we up to?*🦂🦞

Sounds to be a lovely, social time for you Doodle I hope you enjoy every moment.



Why is this biscuit wearing a Santa hat?
For that matter, why are many icons wearing them?

Christmas comes but once a year.

We need more interesting icons to liven our posts.

Hope Mr Jan had a lovely birthday celebration and that the meal was a success.
I spent most of the morning in church helping and chatting. Lots of people not well with various ailments so spent some time talking to them all. Came home and washed hair then did some painting. Coffee with a friend tomorrow. Will be a busy week at church this week so I will have to fit everything else in around it.

Yes. Me too. Have a super day!
🥳🎉💐🎶🎵🎻🎸🪕🕯🍰🎂🎁

Happy 90th birthday MrJan I hope you have a splendid time celebrating.

Jan how lovely of your Dh to be able to celebrate with the family. Please pass on my congratulations on his 90 th too.
Grammaretto glad you had a good time in Edinburgh. Nice you have someone t help with the bookcase,
Kaimoana i always feel so sorry for those whose loved ones have become different through illness. To lose someone slowly bit by bit like that must be so hard. Hugs

Gosh! Marvelous Jan. Enjoy the celebrations next week.

I will need helpers more than ever once I move to the doer-upper if I do
I don't think I could live in it while the work is being done but I may be able to linger on here depending on who buys it.

I had a lovely catch-up with 2 old friends this morning in Edinburgh. It was sunny but there was a bitter wind.
This afternoon the Gaelic café so more cake.
I'm going to walk it off tomorrow. 😂🤣

Australian helper is coming again tomorrow afternoon to see me and help clear the huge bookcase (another one) so that if the auction house collect on Monday it will be ready. She's a sweet girl who just wants to help.

So to all those lovely ladies waiting to hear how old DH will be next week - sorry Kaimoana thats wrong! - but he will be 90!!

Happy 100th birthday Mr. Jan

It saddens me to read about the agony of widowhood.
I feel so sorry for those who have lost a dearly loved partner.

I was widowed in 1988 but spared the extreme pain of that loss.

My husband was 49 when he died but I could not mourn because he had been so very unhappy and ill for years.
I was glad he was finally at peace.

I missed him and still do, especially his humour which was mischievous and silly to make me laugh.

The illness took all that and more until he was no longer the wonderful man I fell in love with - and who loved me.

The double tragedy was that he knew what was happening and that it could take years.

In the end, he decided on his own solution.

We were together for 11 years. the first 4 of which were blissfully happy so I was lucky to know the real character before the deterioration.

I've been asked many times why I have not remarried but I vowed to concentrate on our boys, and I wanted no outside influences in their lives.

And now you know a lot more about my past than even my closest friends are aware of.

Ixionyes for many years i gave up chocolate and other things for lent. I did intend to last year but my dear friend (also widowed) said not this year you have enough to cope with. Do something different so last year I didn’t give up anything. This year I decided not to as well but am trying to be more kind and thoughtful to others and attended a lent course and listen to the come and see videos from the Oxford diocese.
Mind you I really need to lose weight. My hip and knees would appreciate it. I think more exercise is needed.
Notspagetti treasure every moment with your Dh. I am lucky I have my photos and videos to watch. They bring me comfort but I do miss him so much.
Went for a walk this morning but find that one leg I don’t notice whilst the other one hurts with every step, popped over to see DS2 tonight to give him his gifts. It’s his birthday tomorrow

What a kind chap, Kaimoana, even if the gesture was somewhat misplaced.
It reminds of my DM unexpectedly receiving a food parcel from our church's Harvest Festival.

She opened the door to two small children bearing said gift, but was a little nonplussed when they gaily announced that it was for the old people.

But well meaning as well.

If you were successful in securing your fixer upper, Grammaretto, would you be able to live in it while the renovations took place, or would you have to factor in a moving schedule somehow ? Is Music Man being proactive?

I can see that helpers would come into their own following a move. Did your furniture leave successfully?

Happy Birthday in advance for Mr.Jan's significant milestone. So, just about 14 of you going? Gosh , but how blessed you are to have family at hand to help you celebrate.

Have you given up chocolate for Lent, Doodle? I recall you usually do. If so, bravo.
Not long to wait now. I have given up most things in honour of my latest dieting attempt. I spend a lot of time calculating how I should ration the chocolate: a coin sized piece daily, or eat the lot in haste to restore diminished calorie equilibrium.

Mind you, with my hip and knee issues tonight, you would only have to park the Easter eggs in another room and I wouldn't be able to get to them.

But there again ...

I feel you are all so brave just to plod on without your soulmates by your side. I know the alternative is not good either but my heart goes out to you all.

Even when we do or say stupid irritating things and are extremely annoying I think my husband and I still know we are lucky to have each other

Sending love and tissues. ☀️

grammaretto i think music man has kept you hanging on too long. He needs to get his act together.
Of course you know how I feel too. So many of us sadly, we all understand. Sometimes those feeling just come out of the blue don’t they? Yes I’m building up to lots of anniversaries too. They are hard to get through sometimes.

I know how you feel Doodle. 😥
I don't often say that but when it's Spring and everything gets busy, our wedding anniversary soon and our DS and DGD birthdays. It would be very different if he was here.

I have definitely put the wind up the music man. He is still determined to acquire this house. No other will do. He's even having the TV people to see over it next week to publicise his dream.

I hope they don't want to interview me!

Some of my big furniture is leaving tomorrow so I am clearing a route for them to leave! I don't feel in the least sentimental about them - yet!

How kind that man was trying to be Kaimoana . 😄.

Oh Kaimoana what a kind hearted chap. That was nice of him. Glad you got to enjoy a nice meal. Have you had any more thoughts of moving?
Notspaghetti i buy prepared chicken breasts with lemon and pepper or ginger and coriander
I cook two together and have hot with veg one night and cold with salad the next. No gravy or sauces and for the veg I usually have a packet of steamed veg. 30 minutes cooking one night and nothing the next.
Jan your poor neighbours what a shock for them. Hope the young man is ok and can come home soon. What a lovely thing to do for DH’s big birthday, may we ask how big it is or is it a secret.
I’ve been at art this morning with my lovely friends, the sun is shining, the patio door is open and I can hear the geese outside. Such a wave of sorrow just washed over me. How I wish I could share this lovely day with Dh.
Must think of all the lovely days we had together and be grateful.

It is a beautiful sunny day in Norfolk. Blue sky without a cloud but when you open a door it is absolutely freezing! Think the sun is laughing at us by making us think its warm! Lovely sitting in the house watching the birds but thats as far as Im going today!
Unfortunately we have no idea about our neighbours who had the fire. They are quite a way down our country road but do know that after the fire the police cordoned the bungalow off. Both mother and son were taken to hospital but mother has been released and the disabled son was critical in hospital but have heard no more. The property looks in a dreadful state and imagine it would possibly need rebuilding.
We are on a countdown to DH big birthday. Actually theres very little to do as its just about 14 of us going for a meal at our local pub! Im afraid everything is a case of taking the easy way out nowadays! Hope Doodle is feeling better and Kaimoana getting nearer to finding her forever home

Yes there are still thoughtful people out there Kaimoana.
Thank goodness

Maybe he didn't have it very often either? I think that the effort of cooking "whole meals" for one isn't always a top priority when the effort expended becomes gradually more and more.

Though, if people can afford it, there are now some good frozen options that might be a convenient and tasty shortcut.

My mother-in-law bought "Cook" frozen mains more in her last couple of years. She liked their fish pie and the chicken in red wine sauce - only needed to pop them in the oven. She would just cook - a few veg to go with them.

Too expensive for many, sadly, but they do make a good chick pea tagine!

At least it was water and not the legacy of some poor, incontinent toddler or elder.

Went to the Sallies fortnightly Community lunch today (in pouring rain)
The man next to me at the table said how delicious it was and because I never make myself meat and veg, I said, 'It's a lovely change, normally I have soup and toast.' An innocuous remark I felt.

He took this to mean I could not afford to eat and kindly dashed off to ask if I could have a food bag like those a whole stream of people were leaving with as we arrived.

Poor chap, he was told I'd have to have an interview and possibly see a budgeter and the whol process could take weeks.

I knew all this, having been a budgeter myself but I reassured him I could afford to eat healthily, its just that my usual preferences have changed over the years and soup, with or without the toast, was all I wanted..

I didn't add that because of my eyesight, I'm unsafe now with stove and cooker so its also a safety move .

How kind of him to care.

Thanks Grammaretto i do feel better today. Still snuffly but not as bad.
That sounds like some journey. We had hailstones twice this afternoon. Good news about your DGd.
I went to get the car cleaned this afternoon and had coffee in the garden centre while I waited. I sat on a chair and immediately felt damp and wet. Apparently the roof leaks in one corner and the plastic chair I sat in was wet, the staff knew but had done nothing about it. My trousers and coat were so wet. It was really uncomfortable but I had no option than to sit it out and wait for the car to be finished. I didn’t like to walk around as I thought people would think I’d wet myself 😱

I wrote a disappearing post this morning 😟

I hope you are feeling better today Doodle. Yes my DGS still writes poetry but this is a short story.

I spent today driving my df to her eye appointment way across the other side of Scotland. It snowed at times, the sun shone and it rained. Something went wrong with the satnav so we relied on road signs and stopping to ask people in the street. Just like old times. ☺️

DGD is recovering well and the books I sent her had arrived. I hope she liked them. She sent me a voice message.

What happened about your poor neighbours after the fire Jan?

Any news from NZ?

Still not feeling great. I’m now wondering if I have a cold. I’ve been on hot drinks and paracetamol all day. Had to cancel meeting my cousin for lunch which was a shame but I certainly wasn’t up to it.
Jan oh dear that sounds bad about your neighbours. Hope he son is ok.
DH and his dad both lost their hearing in one ear in later life. Hope your Dh gets his fixed. Hope the drinks and nibbles went well.
Grmmaretto well done on your DgS story. Is he the one who’s had something published before I think. Do you have any good retirement homes near where you live? If you don’t like living on your own it’s certainly a consideration. Nice for your friend to have you to talk to. It’s good to have someone who understands.
Ixion yes those exact sandals but like Grammaretto mine were brown.
NN don’t divulge all my secrets. I’m a respectable pensioner now 🤣🤣
Kaimoana wish we all lived closer and could help you. Hope that your eyes are indeed better tomorrow.

Ha ha!

Or geese?

NN 😂😂😂
How was the gynae appointment?
No known connection between G app and G string, argy bargy or shoes

NS...I didnt know there was one....I did a search for it and ended up in somewhere called the Argy Bargy.... where our Doodle lost her big pants and ended up wearing a bar towel and being goosed by a llama. I may be missing for a while I'm heading back to read more.

I have those sandals NN but mine are plain blue not leopard print. Mine aren't Pavers but apart from that they are identical 😂😂

So sorry your eyes are bad again Kaimoana. Any news on your possible move?

My NZ DGS has one of his stories published in an anthology called RE-DRAFT 25 . Poems and stories by 88 New Zealand teenagers.
My copy arrived yesterday and I am enjoying it.

Last night I was at my DGD school concert. It was very professional in the Queen's Hall.

My friend has left now so I am back to being alone. Maybe I should be thinking of a retirement home where I wouldn't be lonely. It's hard to know. i don't think so

My friend whose husband died at the weekend is coming to tea tonight.
When I called round yesterday she showed me her large ginger cat in the middle of their bed. He's a comfort to her I'm sure but she'll be missing her DH very much.

Your DH Jan sounds like he's doing his best to upstage you!!
I hope you both make good recoveries.

I think the first pair should go on the leopardprint thread! I like them. Very smart.