Dark and stormies all round! Bluestocking piss up

Trying to organise a GC feminist meetup, starting from that MN thread, is like cat herding. People using emails they don't often check, because they understandably don't want to give their usual ones online strangers (even with a posting history),coupled with the fact that women tend to have more responsibilities ... it's really difficult.

I have a variety of cherry preserves and they shall be deployed in batches of Bakewells.

Presciently, I have fruit cakes made with fruit steeped in amaretto as well as jars of amaretto cherry debris as it is charmingly known which is perfect as the base of Bakewell as well as other dishes. I'm especially partial to cherry meringue pie.

Ooh. Ooh. Do you have Morello cherry? Or maybe I should go for amaretto...
Best see to doublethink first, her need is greater.

Thought I'd pop in to join you all but feel like the new girl as I keep name-changing!

I started early on the red wine today, 4.40pm to be exact, after I'd got off the phone to an organisation that has got some rather ugly flaws in their child protection policies (namely penises) and they tried to fob me off saying that it is not a safeguarding issue, and that additional risk assessment is unnecessary. For fuckity fucks sake.

I tried to console myself this evening by trying to find a local GC feminist group, but can only find one that is 'intersectional and inclusive'. So I'm back on the wine! And I'll give some of the gluten free seed n' quark delights a try too please Arranfan.

[Puts on half a stone just reading Aran's offerings.]

Hickory smoked almonds please (I feel these would go nicely with a glass of Chablis for some reason) and yes please to the Bakewell with cherry preserve.

Bakewell slice - is your preference for raspberry jam or might I offer a fine cherry preserve at base?

Pushes forward hickory-smoked almonds. Offers fresh-bread rolls with either plain or smoked butter. Should bread not be suitable, has rolls made with ground linseeds or some nicer-than-it-sounds gluten-free creation made from various seeds and quark. Range of fillings.

Fill your boots with boiled fruit cake; golden fruit cake; figgy loaf; keep cake; solid fig and hazelnut cake - all with variety of cheese and some quince or bitter orange cheese.

All of the above adapt to beer or wine, depending upon bread and cheese preferences (where applicable).

Let me know if there's room for a little something more.

Weeps for joy at arranfan's post.

Bakewell slice, and smoked almonds please. And a sangria.

I've just finished the GRA thing so I need a drink ... for once I have some actual beer in the fridge. I'd adore some proper bread. Or fruit cake. Or ... well, almost anything TBH, we try not to keep snacks in the house when DDs off at uni. She should be ok there, said one of her housemates procrastibakes, a word I thought worth sharing.

I'm baking/cooking as a form of de-stressing.

Any requests for pub snacks or light meals? I do a range of smoked nuts. I bake good bread rolls and also faux bread in the form of gluten-free. Your fillings are to your own preference.

Biscotti and assorted items. Plus, the sort of fruit cake and fruit cheeses that accompany cheese.

All fine pub fare. Assert your preferences and we'll see what I can rustle up.

Absolutely!

As my feminist radicalisation has progressed over the past couple of years I've been pondering these issues more. And trying to change my practice. In fact I have just signed up for a whole study morning on menopause.

I still don't love gynae I'm afraid but I am feeling a bit guilty about it and trying hard to shake off my patriarchal medical socialisation!

Thank you tricky, that’s my understanding too, from Nice guidelines. and yes, am only 45 so still young for meno. And yes again to the issue of women’s health needs being lesser! I spoke to my insurance company this week about the gp, thinking maybe a private referral would be worth considering, and they told me that menopause isn’t covered because “it’s not a medical condition”

If men suffered from it, bet your arse it would be.

I am a GP by the way, although gynae is not my specialist area.

In fact there's a whole other interesting discussion to have at some point about the prioritisiation (or lack of) of women's issues in medicine and general practice. It's not my favourite bit of practice but that's probably partly due to medical socialisation rather than purely personal choice if that makes sense?

Evening all. I could do with a stiff drink after a long week. Not over yet as still have work tomorrow am.

Haven't had time to catch up with all the action here so that will keep me busy for the next hour or so.

Hope everyone going through crap is doing better today

Sophocles if you are still under average age menopause (51) there isn't any real added risk with HRT overall. It's just replacing the oestrogen you would have had if you'd had menopause at the regular time. So I don't know why they won't increase your dose.

I’ll have a pint of beer. And then spend two or three hours drinking it, put it in the fridge for tomorrow evening, because my genteel female body gets pissed really easily.

Dropping in for a bracer (maybe an iced tea with a pinch of cayenne to liven it up).

Anyone in the mood for channelling our inner Edna Mole, strutting, and declaring, "Fight. Win!"?

Bat signal heard, so I now have the opportunity to reformat the EA Consultation and submit it if I make this a very swift visit

Thanks!

That’s amazing. Thank fuck for adult human females like Venice and Posie, pointing out the absurdity of the naked emperors all around us.

Stiff drinks all round!

Sending hugs to betty and HRF

I cannot sleep. I have menopausal sweats and job worries. Ho hum!

I went through the meno at 42 and the GP will only pony up the HRT with extreme reluctance because "we are quite conservative about that sort of thing". Which is an interesting way of putting it - why not just say "I think you ought to suffer through this, you big crybaby"? So she will only prescribe a low dose that seems to have stopped working and won't increase it.

Yes, I will be changing GPs. When I get a minute.

Glad your DD is doing better betty

Im exhausted. But i don't sleep well, so I'll just prop up the bar.

Glad to hear she's doing better, Betty - hope you can relax a little yourself and get some decent rest. or whatever?

I can't see any problem with a helpful link out (I can install some discreet portals if required) but never a link in, entrance by the front door only I think?

Popping in for yet another swift one. Leans on the piano next to arran and hums badly.

Betty yay! And as a gift to you, seeing as you've gone through shit, flops out 'vast hairy prongs' onto the bar counter (sadly, link is a bit soggy due to beer sops on counter, but should still work!).

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3384525-vast-hairy-prongs

(I'm guessing the pub isn't a place where we normally should be putting links back out, but I think Betty deserves it this time? Chuck me out of the door otherwise, and I'll wander in link-less next time )

Someone has to link me to an explanation on the Vast Hairy Prong thing - I am so behind the times!

Thanks everyone ❤️

My little lady is out of ICU and onto the stem cell ward (I say ward, there are only 4 beds, all in seperate rooms, so it’s not very much like a ward) and has managed to do half a Frozen-themed jigsaw. Considering she was on a ventilator 36 hours ago, I’m pretty darn happy about that.

I could definitely do with a very stiff drink!

Yes I remember that scene arran there really is some Father Ted for every occasion...I must admit I was really rather keen on some VHP (as it shall now be called) back in the day but alas menopausal fanny weirder has put paid to that...perhaps I'll have a sedate sweet sherry in the corner as befits my current status and silently remember the good ol' days...