Come and tell us your dull and unexciting news 32: Calmly through the day

[MissConductUS]

I've started a new one. Please join us and share the boring and mundane things happening in your world. It will be calming for all.

Here is a link to the prior thread:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5148913-come-and-tell-me-your-dull-and-unexciting-news-31-calmly-through-the-day

Welcome to all regulars, lurkers, and new contributors! Everyone is welcome to join.

Note there is one minor change to the thread title. "tell me your dull news" has been changed to "tell us...". I thought it was more in keeping with the spirit of the thread.

@Mumtobabyhavoc Livin' on the edge over here

You are actually over the top and down the other side!!!!

The casual mention of Lobby now makes a lot more sense and sounds delicious. We have that with suet dumplings in winter but haven’t made it yet this year. Not on a particularly tight budget for food but we all like mince and it is cheap and easy to batch cook different meals with it. In fact today is dd’s birthday and she has requested my homemade lasagna.
She has been away with guides and I am about to collect her so she can open her presents. As she was away she and o visited Lyme Park a lovely national trust place. We walked up to the folly which occupies the highest point and got whipped by the wind. Worth it though and the cafe has a delicious venison stew to warm us up.

flipping heck those are some determined scammers @WearyAuldWumman !

I remember Mum had a proper old fashioned mincer when I was small. It was fascinating as a 4yo to watch the long worms coming out of it while she was turning the handle.

Finished all my Christmas cards and it nudged me to ring a couple of really old friends to catch up, which was so lovely. Somehow the days pass like lightning and then several months have gone by, so to actually make the time to speak to them was a bit special.

Went for a lovely swim today too and younger duckling went into the water too. He didn't completely submerge today, which he has before, but the water's down to 6.4C so he did pretty well to go in at all.

I made an easy version on the stove: apple juice, star anise, cloves, cinnamon stick, orange slice. Teaspoon of spiced rum in mine Sounds absolutely delicious.

Her in Scotland I have to wait until I'm 65 before I'm eligible for my shingles vaccination. I've already had shingles twice that I'm aware of, both times when I was in my 50s and stressed to the max. I'm not sure how much help the vaccination will be, but if I'm offered it next year I'll take it.

I've not yet had my flu vaccine...apparently, our local health board hasn't reached my age group yet. My older friends have already had it. For a few years, I was a priority for the flu vaccine because of my late husband's health.

woman on 3rd month of coil for HRT faints

I have to admit that mince is still my favourite.

A local diner/takeaway actually does a mean mince and tatties with peas. My grandmother would be birlin, but if I'm not feeling too perky I do order it from time to time.

They also do a lovely apple pie and custard...

I got a bit cold outside today, so I'm afraid that I ordered out.

There's a very good traditional butcher in a nearby village. I'll be heading over there for supplies tomorrow. I'll probably get some of their stir fry for tomorrow and mince to cook into batches for the freezer.

I received a parcel of potatoes that I hadn't ordered. Unsolicited potatoes!

Hello TonTon that sounds like quite exciting news. Do you think a secret admirer sent them or is mrs Jones next door wondering where her delivery went? Our local social media chats are full of people trying to find parcels as our evri driver has changed and the new one doesn’t seem to know the neighbourhood.

@DandyDandylion
they were actually addressed to DH! He insists he didn't order them - not even as a Christmas surprise!

Have been to Wales for a couple of days in the van. Did me the world of good; it's my "happy place". We pottered around, people-watched and I swam in the sea both days.
Not really looking forward to Christmas, but now feel I can get through it.

I've never heard of lobby, but it sounds just like the stew I've eaten all of my life.

Sending support, @IWanderedLonely That swim sounds brave! 💪💕
Death, hmmm I do feel as though I'm tumbling downhill at times...😵‍💫
@TonTonMacoute were the potatoes a special variety?
Weary, with you being Scots you must know Mairi Campbell's version of Auld Lang Syne? I've just watched/listened on YouTube and of course I've got tears now. God, her voice is amazing.
I agree to just blocking those numbers. I don't answer numbers I don't know/not in my contacts. I let it go to voice mail to check. Be careful. Now that you've engaged you will likely see an increase in scam calls and texts.

I can't even risk comment re the coil. I'm constantly enraged at the failings of health care for women and this thread is for calm chat. 🤐

Ducky, another cold water swimmer. I'm impressed!
Yes, the cider is easy, Havoc loves it, too.
Can I just mention I recently read about a (famous) fellow who dove into cold water at the pool (usually heated), drove home and died of a brain haemorrhage.
So, there are risks. I was completely unaware of this.
I wonder if it's to do with submerging one's head and the shock?

Checking on:
@bizzey
@sproutsandparsnips
@penguinsa
@HelenaJustina
@ShoesOnFirstThenCar
@ZZTopGuitarSolo

Thank you @Mumtobabyhavoc for your checking in. All OK here, I sometimes find that if it has been a while I get a bit overwhelmed and worry that I will miss someone out when I post! Still amazed at all the lights you manage to take in!
@TonTonMacoute that's an interesting unsolicited parcel!
@DucklingSwimmingInstructress you are both very brave!
Yes, @MyrtleStrumpet that is a very good idea which I will also be using!
@Umanresources my mum used to make what I called 'minced beef stew' which sounds similar.
@IWanderedLonely whereabouts in Wales did you visit?
I visited my parents for a couple of days this week, left DSs and DH to fend for themselves. DS2 had a rugby game as part of his training whilst I was away and wore his match kit. Then realised that as I had been away no washing had been done...... panic ensued but luckily mother came to the rescue and kit dried in the nick of time. On the way home I called in to watch our senior team in a thrilling extra time cup win. The venue was half way between my parents and home so worked out very nicely. Fitted in a trip to see the Nutcracker whilst I was away.

Thanks @Mumtobabyhavoc as you can see from the time of posting (about 11:15pm here) I’m just not around much at the moment! Racing towards the end of term, only 5 days to go.

Thanks Havoc I am fine and loving all the Christmas pictures and news but very busy now back at work full time and struggling to keep up at the moment.

Thanks for responding Sprouts, Helena and Penguinsa. ☺️
It's going on for 9:30pm here. Took Havoc our for a walk/run for a half hour and saw lots of branches down from tjat windstorm the other day. A landslide closed the highway to Whistler just on the outskirts of W Van.
Now having pumpkin pie with whipped cream and Havoc is having a bit of ice cream with blue sugar sprinkled on top.

This was the moon around 5pm.

Sprouts we went to Llandudno.

Long day ahead, looking after 2 youngest grandchildren all day, then everyone stays for tea. I peeled potatoes last night, so that's 1 job less to do. Going to start a rice pudding in the slow cooker.

Oh how lovely to swim in the sea @IWanderedLonely! There's nothing like it is there? the water is so alive. I miss the N Wales land - the hills, the little secret valleys. So much richness of colour and texture and height.

Put the Christmas tree up with sons and partner yesterday. Oldest is struggling very badly with school and sometimes behaviour at the moment so it was absolutely lovely to see him engaged and happy for the time we put it up. He might change schools to another course which could be for the best.

@Mumtobabyhavoc 🥰...you are so sweet for checking in on people and making them feel important and wanted 😘!

I am fine ...I think my "moon" has been waining so been on a few low days for some reason !
I think I have an issue going with the skin on my big toe that is annoying (to put it mildly!!)

Got GP appointment tomorrow.
I think it is psoriasis.
I have been using over the counter creams ...but possibly not as regular as I should ...for the fact that I didn't know if I was treating psoriasis or fungal issue !

Think whatever it is , is infected...as I have been feeling "off" ... but just can't put my finger on what !

Good news is that I got a 50p refund from Amazon that I was not expecting!!

I bought a kettle about 3 weeks ago ...it has now gone down in price since I bought it ...so ..hence the refund !😀😀

Oh that's nice! and surprising too. Didnt know they did that sort of thing.

Lobscouse (or lapskaus) is a thick Scandinavian stew made of meat and potatoes.

Aha! See above. Whilst reading about your lobby I thought it was familiar. I think Scandinavian (Norwegians??) sailors brought it to Liverpool (hence Liverpudlians being called Scousers).

@Mumtobabyhavoc awww thank you for checking on us…this is such a lovely thread. Much like sprouts I always think I need to respond to everyone which is clearly unrealistic! Also my MN page has been playing up and not loading which is frankly making me too cross to bother 😬.
Loving reading all the news though! In the spirit of the thread life has been quite uneventful, we lost a piece of our guttering in that storm so waiting for the upvc guys to confirm when we can get a replacement. Luckily it’s not a critical piece of it, so we can wait. DD is well which DH and I are really relieved about as she fell very very unwell this time last year (hospital unwell) so we are on edge every time she sneezes!

The Carol Service was rather "worthy". Partly because we were asked not to clap the music solos or choir sections until the end, and partly because the pace was rather "dirgey". Apparently I have a nice voice according to my DSIL and one of my DM's friends. Everyone knew who I was because I look like my DM and it was lovely to see people from church who I knew when I was little, even though I'm not a believer.

Picked up the candles and melts which are lovely. I will post pictures when I've finished my craft week.

Picked up DH's final present and wrapped everything. Repotted my peace plant. I usually kill things so this is a pleasant surprise to be giving it its second space upgrade. It looks a bit bruised after the process, but seems to be perking up now it has more room. It's not quite vertical yet, but looks more vigorous than it did two hours ago.

Today I finalised my glass tree which I will pick up later this week. My DSIL has suggested lunch out which might help the menopausal agaraphobia. Tomorrow is silver jewellery.

Dropped off tins of sweets at the surgery, the pharmacy and the garage.

Took half a dozen jars to the bottle bank and dropped off a bag of size 22 t-shirts at the clothing bank.

I've lost weight and have gone down in size, but - predictably - the loss of fat has been uneven. My backside is now done to a size 20 and my chest is down to a size 18. I'm 5ft 9, so visibly overweight, but I'm not - I hope - giving off humungous vibes. My arms are back down to their normal size, so if I attempt to wear a size 22 top I look ridiculous. If I wear a sleeveless size 22 t-shirt, I finish up with my bra on display at the both the front and at the armholes.

Attempted to buy Christmas cards, but came back with only one packet. I'm not sending many this year: most folk I know have cut back on them because of the postage.

@sproutsandparsnips @Mumtobabyhavoc the potatoes were seed potatoes, and the variety was Rocket.

I do grow a few potatoes each year, but never this variety and I haven't ordered any for next year yet.