Countdown to Christmas 2020 - Lockdown: Peaked! (Thread 5)

[NoWordForFluffy]

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Morning. Welcome to our new thread.

We maybe have rain today. I really hope we do! I have no ides when we last had it.

I'm baking with the kids today plus potting some plants on. Exciting. No idea where they'll go, mind you!

Only 2 days left of furlough. Yaaay for the financial side and booooo otherwise! 😂

Ooh do you think I can just move mine straight to my grozone and mini green house then fluffy? I think I have become over stressed about it from the allotment group I am on on Facebook but they all seem to live in very cold places whereas we are very mild here.

There is a test to see if we've had CV and got antibodies which is very good news. Seems we may be getting nearer a vaccine but will need to learn to live with it bit like the flu. Well we can do that 😊
Fluffy it's still cold here , heating is on l can't remember our heating being on this late in the year before. However it's a gorgeous day sunny and dry 🌞 😊
"Most* can't believe l am telling you this but lhave never been to the boating lake . I am going to remedy that asap when we are back to normal 😊
Better shift 👍

You must go there Mrs it is lovely, especially at this time of year when there are ducklings and cygnets.

A reliable antibody test is good news. I read an article today about the WHO saying this is something we will have to learn to live with. Hopefully we will either get a vaccine soon or an effective antiviral for it. We all need to be able to start looking forward to normal life coming back sometime soon. I have written off this summer but really hoping that from the autumn we find a balance between keeping people healthy but also enabling some normality. At least at the moment I have Christmas to look forward to.

I personally would, Most. If your allotment group is like mine, it's full of people screeching 'Too early!' at anyone daring to sow anything before about June! 😂

Mrs, we had it on a bit last May after having turned it off for a while beforehand. We have bizarre weather!

I think we may be in the same group fluffy

I've decided for dds birthday we will get her an echo dot. Then she can downloads the Harry Potter audio books on audible.

Great idea Wreck :) I am a massive Audible fan, have loads of Bill Bryson's and Agatha Christie's and I keep coming back to Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister. Hate to think how many times I have listened to them.

Fluffy l'm sure you are right l just can't remember lol , age is a many splendered thing . .NOT 😂
Most lake sounds lovely 🤗 l can't wait 😀. Yes to the normal life soon 🙏
Woolly has the right idea , must rank my Christmas present list up 😀
Wreck great idea 👍 she will get a lot from it , even my Mum has one and uses it for Music ,the date, the weather 🤗👍
Must shift now DH starting to move 😝

Well my chillies and peppers are now in my mini greenhouse. Just need to set the grozone up for my toms now.

Mrs I really hope we're closer to a vaccine. I'm not a virologist but I would think that it'll be like the flu that they'll have to try and predict which strain will be the dangerous one that year.

Arlene Foster has said she hopes phase 5 (everything off lockdown) will be in December.

Most I love Agatha Christie but I've never thought to try audible.

Wreck I got dh an echo for his birthday last year. It's never off.

Fluffy have you been given a date to start back yet?

Boots they told me I've to get tests done too, but they don't know when the hospital will be operating at full capacity again.

I know we're not supposed to, but I think I might go out for a drive today. I'll not get out of the car, but I need to see something different.

Dh has said if we don't get to go to Center Parcs for Christmas we can have a big party on Christmas Eve. So I've been planning a menu.

Thank you for all the comments about the mortgage.
We have a broker and he's still scouring the market for us but the offer we had has gone and it's a guessing game as to who, if anyone, will offer us a mortgage and what the terms will be.
After being upset yesterday I've given myself a shake. We have somewhere to live, we're still earning and we're healthy. This is a little problem in the grand scheme of things.

Now the first present has been purchased What's next on your Christmas plan woolly? 🎄

Haven't had Cadwalader's ice cream in years puss but would love one today!

fluffy the coo is coming on so well!

MrsMad no Cadwalader's and never been to the boating lake - are you sure you live in S Wales?
FIL lives not too far from the boating lake and goes there a few times a week as part of his exercise. It is lovely but he said loads of people aren't observing social distancing at the mo.
Pontypool park is a favourite place of mine - I used to go here loads as a child so if we go now I have this random urge to run on the grass like a child

most How do you get audible? And is it expensive? I don't seem to be able to settle to reading at the minute but have so many books on my list.

I'm too much of a sceptic to have an echo dot Neros 😂
What is on your Christmas party menu so far?

Weather is sunny but not very warm here. I'm on a mission today - I've written a to do list (included writing a first draft of a doc for work, some spring cleaning, walk, yoga, washing and crochet).

Attached pic of doll that I've finally finished. She was naked for 2 days while I got around to making her a dress and I'm not happy with face but I'm done faffing with it. I Am making another dress to go with her though - a red one with some white stars embroidered on, that could be a Christmas/ winter outfit

She looks lovely, Crazy. You're so talented! Her face looks lovely!

It's sunny but cool here today, as well. BBC weather says night temperatures are staying above 10 from now on, so think I'll leave my more tender plants in the (unheated) greenhouse and put the brassicas outside. Don't know if I'm brave enough to plant them out yet...

In other news, I've ordered a tent. DS has been asking to camp in the garden for ages, but our tent is a massive 8-man job that filled the garden even before we put the greenhouse in. Found a basic 2-man on offer, so I've ordered it. Haven't told DH yet...

Told DH - he ordered the same one silly bugger forgot to tell me!

This is my rammed greenhouse! 😂

The runner beans and climbing green beans are desperate for their final position as they're climbing furiously! Tomorrow afternoon can't come soon enough.

I love your doll, Crazy. She's so lovely.

Firefly, the tent idea is great. I hope your DS enjoys it.

We have an Echo but unplug it when it's not in use so it doesn't listen in!

Neros, I've been back at work for 2 weeks now. I've just been given some more files, which will keep me gainfully employed!

We're allowed to drive here, Neros. You can always say you're going shopping!

Crazy this is my menu so far. I'm thinking NG of doing a buffet so that it's easier and more relaxing.

Fluffy I must have missed that you were back. How are you finding it?

I went out and wasn't stopped today. Dh though is stopped nearly every day on his way to work.

Fire can you cancel one of the tents?

Crazy the doll looks lovely. My dd would be head over heels for it.

Today is our weekly bakery delivery day, so lovely pastries for mid-morning coffee (and we were all free to stop at the same time mid-morning for the first time since we've all been home), and quiche for lunch - which DD organised while DH and I were still working, and it was nice enough to eat outdoors.

Fluffy, that greenhouse is definitely rammed!!

Firefly, at you both ordering the same tent - would you use both? Is it too late to cancel one?

Crazy, its disappointing about the mortgage, but hopefully "what's for you won't pass you by".

Back to head down again for the afternoon...and I have potentially 2 cookery demos today - a free one at 4 (if my teleconference finishes early enough, I can turn it on while I finish writing something) and a paid "quarantine cooking" in the evening. A nice distraction from real life!!

I love a full greenhouse, Fluffy. This is mine at the moment. There's just about room for me to get in

The peas in the guttering need to go out at the allotment, then I'm putting my tomato grobags on top of the soil where they are, in front of the peas I'm hoping will give an early crop, with cut and come again lettuces where the mizuna is now once that has finished. And a cucumber at the side of the tomatoes.

Ooh, and my greenhouse framberries have just started setting, so I might get an early crop of those as well

And I have a pepper coming on the pepper plant in my hydroponics! Exciting times 😁

Yep, yours is pretty rammed too, Firefly!

We need to go and water in a bit, so I might take some beans with me and get them in the ground. I think they'll appreciate it!

Oops re the tent! I agree with Biddy, can you cancel one?! ⛺️ ⛺️ aren't required! 😂😂

Biddy, pastry delivery?! Sounds amazing.

Neros, great menu. Just let me have the address and I'll head over!

I'm OK. Better now I'm up-to-date, though still trying to catch up with myself a bit with silly little bits that go by-the-by when you're busy. And now I've got these new files which are all lagging behind I've got lots to do!

I'm glad you all like the doll. I've finished the second dress. I'm done with her now!

Lol at you both buying the same tent Firefly 😂

They are very busy greenhouses Fluffy & Firefly

How many will you be catering for Neros? That is a lovely menu!

What demos are you watching Biddy

I've ticked almost everything off my list today. Just a walk to go and I've done everything I want to 👍🏻

We went to the garden centre today! If was so surreal as I realised that it was the first time in 8 weeks that I had been into a building that wasn't my house! It was also my first experience of social distancing shopping. They ran it like a well oiled machine and they only let a small number in at once so there was plenty of space and it was really enjoyable all round. Felt like a bit of normality plus I got some stuff I needed :)

DS wanted a cucumber plant but it's not looking very healthy this evening :( Have put it in a bigger pot, given it a water and put it on a south facing windowsill so will just have to see what happens. It is a grafted one, I don't know much about grafts but it looks weak down there. I have made sure it is supported to be upright so fingers crossed it looks happier in the morning.

I have been a busy bee and have got my peas in the garden (will do the allotment ones tomorrow) and put my tomatoes into their grozone.

This afternoon, the chef from the sailing club made chicken liver pate (with a half a tonne of butter!!) and hake with a nice crumb and "sauce bercy", both of which are staples on the club menu when it's open.

Tonight, a club member is doing thai fish cakes and kung pao chicken. She's a professional caterer/chef.

This afternoon I could watch as my teleconference finished on time, so I was typing my notes as I watched, and I am catching up on here tonight (having done a bit more work as I was at the computer - oops!! need to work on boundaries)

The pastries is that a local artisan baker does great sourdough breads and he also does lovely croissants and other baking. We'd been going occasionally as a treat even before lockdown, and now we are having a weekly treat as they deliver - you have to order 2 days ahead and they are only open 4 days a week at the moment, and if the baking doesn't work on the morning, he won't let it go out the door - we got a refund one morning as the croissants were not good enough, so quality is important to them......lovely crusty bread as a treat on Thursdays is something to look forward to, along with a breakfast treat or some nice sausage rolls or quiche for lunch on occasion.

Ooh, Kung pao chicken sounds yummy.

I keep planning lovely, healthy meals and then feeding them to DH and DS as all I can face is ice pops and crisp sandwiches. Although I had curry for tea tonight - it's currently the only way I will eat veggies! Only problem is, it is starting to give me heartburn

Fingers crossed for DS's cucumber, most. Hopefully it'll perk up with a bit of water and tlc!

Eugh firefly get some ranitidine. Safe in pregnancy and cheap as chips from a pharmacy just don't tell them you're pregnant because you know what they're like

I lived on prawn cocktail crisps in the beginning with ds after that all I wanted was fruit salad. I think it's because I was always thirsty!