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"What have you eaten" Parallel Chat

@DCUKMod I'd love to live in a real village for a while! Yours sounds like the best! @MrsA2 that starlit path sounds lovely, but oh my aching head! 10cm is small and delicate to work on-- please take a pic for us. Around here people use white paper bags with a little sand in the bottom and a candle. Bag manufacturers have gotten into the cutouts of all shapes, including custom for weddings. I love warm outdoor lights, so inviting.
@Annb believe it or not, we lived next door to an Irish setter named Ceilidh for years lol. Thank you so much for your description of parts of life there. The no-tea thing is interesting-- Mormons do not drink tea or coffee because of the tannic acid. Why was tea forbidden?
@Antje77 14 piggies!! You have a veritable pig farm there. Probably the goats ate the charger... you drove home with the hay bale on your hood, didn't you!
@SlimLizzy oh dear. I'm two hours too late to help you. Hope your better self prevailed. Very unfair of #1 !
@DJC3 you should have seen us in our 245 heading out to vacation-- 3 kids (rotating list of occasional third kid), a gigantic soft pack on top with a kayak next to it, and 4 bikes on the back. No animals. I got 30 miles to the gallon (stick shift) fully loaded on the interstate at 70mph , and no car has come close to that since then. Her name was Bianca after the white mouse in the Fievel movies. Zsa Zsa Gabor was it?
 
@zauberflote, lovely as they sound, lights in paper bags would not last in our winter weather. They'd either get very soggy very quickly or get blown away. These ones won't be lit. Personally I don't think its going to work too well, too big a distance but I'll still have a go at making some. Going the easy route of spray paint and stick on crystals as they will have to last outside.
Your tale of the loaded car reminded me of camping trips to Europe as a child. I had to sit on top of all the sleeping bags with everything else piled high beside me. It felt like my own little cave. Just enough room for me and my Teddy bear and some books.

Had to take the car into town for its Mot today. Was so sad to see everything except the supermarket shut. Felt quite spooky being the only person around.
 
@MrsA2 haha I totally forgot to say, these lumieres are single-occasion use. What a camping memory-- I love it! My young travel memories include having to sleep in the car at night-- one girl on the seat, one in the foot well "on the hump". The blankets were supposed to level things up but they never did. We were overjoyed to become too tall for that stunt.
My DIL, a 5th grade teacher, texted me joyously, "Good news! They just delayed our in person learning start date to Jan. 14!" It had been Dec 7, and the teachers were very unhappy about what they were expected to do in the way of teaching to both in-person and virtual students, who would have been doing different things at different times but teacher has to keep track of where all the virtual kids went while she was teaching the ones in the classroom. It was a mess-- and will be. Not to mention, there was not a single teacher at her school in favor of live or mixed classes. But the parents told the school board "we want the choice of live or virtual", so they got it. She has a friend who teaches private school in a small college town not too far away. At that school, if a kid has one symptom, they have to stay home for two weeks-- and their siblings too, only the sibs have then to stay home another two weeks! Can you imagine? Flip flopping between learning from home and going to school. At DIL's school system, the only requirement is that a parent says the kid doesn't have a fever. Sheesh.
 
@DJC3 thank you for the kind wishes and for the schoolboy humour of the typo/autocorrect. Do they do that to one? I actually imagine you using a very weird phonetic spelling technique based on going overly native down in the West. A kind of eccentric attempt to mimic Jethro. Here that would be saying tool for towel. As for #snackgate this is all N=1 stuff. The idea is to navigate a compromise route between my fairly austere regime, my idea of food hell (DD route) and massive upping/starting meds and going very off the reservation. These seem to be more trendy ecomum than most of the Frankenstein food bars but who really knows?
Edit: Talking of snacks and Christmas these guys have offers https://www.cheesies.co.uk/collections/all/products/new-variety-pack?variant=33191301480501. I prefer Dr Almond but they have much bigger bags which I would manfully destroy in one, watching sport. My boys and grandchildren took a shine to these. Actually, as per flatulence bars, very comparable to posh crisps and snacks from days of yore.
 
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zauberflote said:
[USER=25851]@Annb[/USER] believe it or not, we lived next door to an Irish setter named Ceilidh for years lol. Thank you so much for your description of parts of life there. The no-tea thing is interesting-- Mormons do not drink tea or coffee because of the tannic acid. Why was tea forbidden?
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I've never understood why tea was supposed to be "the devil's brew". It was just a pronouncement by the Free Church way back when. It seemed so odd, to m, that whiskey was to be preferred over tea. It no longer applies, of course. People drink tea and coffee in addition to whiskey now. (Vast sweeping statement there - of course not everyone drinks alcohol and not everyone drinks tea.) These days people make up their own mind on that. The church still has great influence though and is quite a somber influence here. Some people have been known to blame that for the level of alcoholism and poor mental health we have seen over the years.
 
Em came in to make her "fridge cake". Oreo biscuits layered with a mixture of double cream, marscapone and cherries. She wanted to take it to school tomorrow to share with the class and as a welcome to a little boy who has just joined the class. It wouldn't be suitable really - too soft and DIL says they aren't allowed to take food for sharing to school these days. But I promised that, if her teacher gives permission, she can make cupcakes tomorrow and take them the day after - just before another couple of days off, apparently (Thanksgiving holiday).

DIL told me that she and Em had found an octagonal box in a charity shop which Em wants to redecorate for me for Christmas. When DIL asked what she wanted to put in it, "Oh no," says Em, "It's for putting Granny in when she dies!" It would have to be quite a big box to use for that purpose. Maybe she's thinking of cremation. Quite a hoot!
 
Very curates egg of a day. Early panic, No 3 son and wife unwell. We dash off, rescue then look after 18 month old granddaughter. Already looking after her big cousin (2) for the morning while mum had medical appt. Moana, Wizard of Oz and let's scatter toys everywhere. Waitrose delivery. Flatulence bars and CWC lower bg at 2 hrs - taste not wonderful but hey. Tootal off to farm shop with baby to order meat for Christmas. Distressed phone call while ordering - 90 yo Mil's repairs from the flood not able to be done until Jan - with her house being sold she panics a tad. Took baby around the Christmas barn, she was entranced. Ancient Range Rover will pass MOT. Rosa "always goes down by 7.00 am" As at 20.20 21.20 she is full of energy, bedtime milk and mischief. No 3 son finds out someone at his work tested positive for COVID but no one knew. He is too ill to drive to the test he booked. All the toys I lovingly put away now strewn all over the floor again and dogs cowering from flying bits and pieces. Averaging 5 seems like a winner.
 
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DIL was telling me that she has dug out her wetsuit and will try swimming in the sea, but I had to advise her not to do that. Wild swimming alone, unless one is an expert, just isn't safe. She agreed that it may not be wise so will wait to see if No 2 son can go with her - Sundays will be the only possible days - being a postman, he has no days off until after Christmas. Not much good taking Em's newfie with her - he'll just pull her straight back out of the water. He currently weighs about 101/2 stone and would be hard to argue with.

Em is currently trying to be more independent. She's telling everyone that it is her plan to act more independently day by day so that she will be able to do things for herself and without supervision. A laudable project, but I think she has a way to go on some tasks she wants to do.
 
DJC3 said:
@Antje77 my son in law built a ‘guinea pig palace’ for my granddaughters GPs over the summer - clever lad. ( photo attached if I remember)
@zauberflote we had a couple of old Volvo workhorses I loved them, the last was a fairly ancient 740 big and comfy enough for us, 3 children and our collie to travel many many miles in. It’s the only car I’ve ever been attached to.
@ianpspurs the year has flown past - it may not have been a brilliant year in many respects but we are all still here and that beats the alternative. Happy 1 yr anniversary and may you have many more.
@DCUKMod I like the angels idea although I’m not very religious. The church in our village has also opened its doors to me and a a couple of others that run the community larder/ food bank. We were so grateful as we’d been operating from the pub car park all year and we were getting wet and cold as the weather turned. View attachment 45442
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Looks fab - the guinea pigs will have lots of fun there - reminds me of when my boys were young and we had a pen outside and the guinea pig used to hate it when it was time for him to come inside and stop playing outside and he would try and run away from you! He lived to he was about 8 - when we first got him the boys were very young and called him Cuddles but when they got older (as he lived for so long) they decided to change his name to a more cool name of Joe rather than Cuddles - so funny.
 
ianpspurs said:
Very curates egg of a day. Early panic, No 3 son and wife unwell. We dash off, rescue then look after 18 month old granddaughter. Already looking after her big cousin (2) for the morning while mum had medical appt. Moana, Wizard of Oz and let's scatter toys everywhere. Waitrose delivery. Flatulence bars and CWC lower bg at 2 hrs - taste not wonderful but hey. Tootal off to farm shop with baby to order meat for Christmas. Distressed phone call while ordering - 90 yo Mil's repairs from the flood not able to be done until Jan - with her house being sold she panics a tad. Took baby around the Christmas barn, she was entranced. Ancient Range Rover will pass MOT. Rosa "always goes down by 7.00 am" As at 20.20 21.20 she is full of energy, bedtime milk and mischief. No 3 son finds out someone at his work tested positive for COVID but no one knew. He is too ill to drive to the test he booked. All the toys I lovingly put away now strewn all over the floor again and dogs cowering from flying bits and pieces. Averaging 5 seems like a winner.
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Oh I hope your son and his wife are ok. They are very lucky to have you and your wife to help. It never rains but it pours with yous having your mil dependent on yous too. My heart goes out to you all do take care
 
Annb said:
DIL was telling me that she has dug out her wetsuit and will try swimming in the sea, but I had to advise her not to do that. Wild swimming alone, unless one is an expert, just isn't safe. She agreed that it may not be wise so will wait to see if No 2 son can go with her - Sundays will be the only possible days - being a postman, he has no days off until after Christmas. Not much good taking Em's newfie with her - he'll just pull her straight back out of the water. He currently weighs about 101/2 stone and would be hard to argue with.

Em is currently trying to be more independent. She's telling everyone that it is her plan to act more independently day by day so that she will be able to do things for herself and without supervision. A laudable project, but I think she has a way to go on some tasks she wants to do.
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It's a bit cold for swimming in the sea in November in Scotland - chilly chilly - rather her than me
 
Mrs T 123 said:
Looks fab - the guinea pigs will have lots of fun there - reminds me of when my boys were young and we had a pen outside and the guinea pig used to hate it when it was time for him to come inside and stop playing outside and he would try and run away from you! He lived to he was about 8 - when we first got him the boys were very young and called him Cuddles but when they got older (as he lived for so long) they decided to change his name to a more cool name of Joe rather than Cuddles - so funny.
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That’s a ripe old age for a GP! You and the boys must have taken very good care of him. This palace was built for 4 rescue GPs - mum and 3 daughters. They are surprisingly friendly and cute. I never thought a lot about guinea pigs before this year. They’ve made lockdown a lot more fun for the girls than it might have been ( not sure their dad agrees as he spent days building their home)
 
DJC3 said:
That’s a ripe old age for a GP! You and the boys must have taken very good care of him. This palace was built for 4 rescue GPs - mum and 3 daughters. They are surprisingly friendly and cute. I never thought a lot about guinea pigs before this year. They’ve made lockdown a lot more fun for the girls than it might have been ( not sure their dad agrees as he spent days building their home)
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Yep we thought he was never going to die - he did live to an old age for a guinea pig. They are lovely wee creatures and so vocal and yes he was spoilt rotten - my hubby used to go to morisons for his carrots as they were his favourites - he liked the crunchy ones from morisons apparently.
 
DJC3 said:
This palace was built for 4 rescue GPs - mum and 3 daughters. They are surprisingly friendly and cute.
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Here are mine in their muddy pen, enjoying breakfast.
Mrs T 123 said:
They are lovely wee creatures and so vocal and yes he was spoilt rotten.
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Mine are vocal every time I'm in the kitchen, never shy to let me know I should throw something out the kitchen window (from where I took the video). Here they're too busy eating to squeek.
Eight years old really is a respectable age, thank you for spoiling him rotten!
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10222026846094553
 
Antje77 said:
Here are mine in their muddy pen, enjoying breakfast.

Mine are vocal every time I'm in the kitchen, never shy to let me know I should throw something out the kitchen window (from where I took the video). Here they're too busy eating to squeek.
Eight years old really is a respectable age, thank you for spoiling him rotten!
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10222026846094553
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Awww they are soooo cute - I must show my son this but he is working until midnight tonight - thanks for sharing
 
@Antje77 such pretty guinea pigs, we had one when I was young, actually we had many but Trudi was the first, and the only smooth haired, the others were long haired.
With fur that grew in rosettes and quiffs.
I think we has about a dozen at one time. In summer they used to roam free in the garden, sleeping in tunnels under the pampas grass at night. Our two cats would stalk them, but always turn aside at the last moment - as if the guinea pigs were distasteful.
 
@Annb here, Baptists serve only grape juice at Communion. However, these days a Baptist who has an adult beverage is probably the norm. My pastor had a beer at a Super Bowl party I went to, and all the folks I knew from that church had nothing against alcohol. That is (sort of) cute, Em and the "cremains" box. Also, the doctor who would tell someone to go swimming ANYwhere alone needs a head examination.
@ianpspurs your poor son. And MIL. And bravo you and Julie for stepping up to entertain the baby overnight. Hurray for the car-- a relief for another year!
@Antje77 the vid won't play, but oh they are adorable!
Only small mammals we ever had was gerbils. Oh my. I took 3 from a friend and housed them all together. Well. Turned out to be one happy male with a little harem. By the time we got things sorted out we'd had a few dozen gerbils pass through. The original 3 were nearly black-- most of the babies and their babies were blond/e! Seemed like thousands of babies in those cages, and I had to pick the precise hour each litter was weaned so I could give them to the pet store. Did you know that a female gerbil, if impregnated while already pregnant, will "hold" the second litter until the first is weaned??????? We really thought it was parthenogenesis-- we had removed the male (once we figured out which was what sex) before her first litter was born.
 
ianpspurs said:
Very curates egg of a day. Early panic, No 3 son and wife unwell. We dash off, rescue then look after 18 month old granddaughter. Already looking after her big cousin (2) for the morning while mum had medical appt. Moana, Wizard of Oz and let's scatter toys everywhere. Waitrose delivery. Flatulence bars and CWC lower bg at 2 hrs - taste not wonderful but hey. Tootal off to farm shop with baby to order meat for Christmas. Distressed phone call while ordering - 90 yo Mil's repairs from the flood not able to be done until Jan - with her house being sold she panics a tad. Took baby around the Christmas barn, she was entranced. Ancient Range Rover will pass MOT. Rosa "always goes down by 7.00 am" As at 20.20 21.20 she is full of energy, bedtime milk and mischief. No 3 son finds out someone at his work tested positive for COVID but no one knew. He is too ill to drive to the test he booked. All the toys I lovingly put away now strewn all over the floor again and dogs cowering from flying bits and pieces. Averaging 5 seems like a winner.
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So sorry that your family is suffering from ill-health - nothing serious or long term, I hope. Poor MIL as well. I can quite see how upsetting it must be for her. They are all lucky to have you and Julie to help out, Stay strong.
 
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