The Cybergarden - Late Summer Edition

[madmouse]

Sorry been unfaithful, lots going on. But making myself useful - here's your new thread x

Ah, thank you shodatin - chocolate is one of the things which evokes my first British winter < happy >

Hope you sleep peacefully - very good point about the trade in badges , but I think security was due to be improved around now , in ways which wouldn't torment applicants .

Forgot to cheer the new leaves - joyous news

hob with any luck your region may not have this ludicrous "name on bills" requirement. It's new here. But if I make progress I'll let you know.

So glad MIL is looking a little better. And why did your not work?!

shodatin I may be tempted re plants! But am fearful of not doing right by them. Let's see if the eryngiums survive SoD, cats, frost, leaf-miners and my Fingers of Death...

And I can't speak for others, but if you want to talk about your health problems here ? or start a specific thread ? you're certainly welcome by me. But maybe you want to keep this as a happier place for you.

I'm not sure how to get it right. I tried not to talk about stuff bothering me when we started these threads, but it ended up feeling like I was lying to you and being falsely cheerful ? and anyway you all saw straight through me![hblush] And it's made such a difference having you all being lovely when I'm doing something difficult, even when I don't explain it in detail.

Upward hope your day has been good.

And the same to kizzie, madmouse, NanaNina and butterpie, if they're around.

Night all, sleep well.

Thanks tianc for kind invitation to discuss health problems, but I think you're right about keeping this garden place symptom free, as far as possible I'd rather forget stuff at this stage but it's true about seeming to be dishonest, know exactly what you mean.
Meanwhile it's another beautiful day here, even better than the forecast, so hope to get outside after this afternoon's planned Skype (Can't hear anything while outside, unfortunately, and a friend plans to ask her son to call me, which has not worked so far)
Hope everyone else has good weather and is able to enjoy it.

Goodnight all - too tired to stay up!

Blue and beautiful here, too ? but we've just cracked and put the heating on for the first time.

Hope you managed to get outside a bit, shodatin, and weren't left hanging around indoors for a call that never came. Completely understand about keeping our garden a nice place to forget about stuff.

Talking of the garden, surely the our bees must be going into hibernation about now? With the queen tucked in the middle, surrounded by workers taking turns on the cold outside?

I've done something useful today: started a "nice suppers" list to pin up in the kitchen. I'm hopeless at thinking what to cook, so if I write down some nice simple things that have worked, at least I can reprise a reasonable variety.

hob hope news still fairly positive from the hospital.

upward hope your day has been good and sunny too.

Off to bed here. Wishing us all a good night's sleep and good tomorrows.

Good morning all - a beautiful blue and gold morning here, but glad to have thermal/blackout curtain linings, plus that I managed to get some fixed for DB (who spent most of life being too warm).
What a good idea for a suppers list Tianc. A French neighbour actually had a weekly list pinned up in the kitchen, so she only had seven to think about, altho I never figured why one would need to know that Thursdays were for pork chops etc. Saved any thinking, I suppose.
Hope we can all have an enjoyable day and that the sun stays out.

That utility bills thing is ridiculous - I wander if they'd accept being on the electoral roll as permanency? The only 'utility bill' I had for years was mobile phone bill, or benefits letters people sometimes accepted.

Damn, too late at night to grab an espresso. Should have come by earlier and had one with whipped cream, mm yum!

Well done on getting curtain linings sorted, shodatin, that's great that you managed to sort some for DB as well.

The electoral roll! How right you are, Upward. If my arguments so far fail, I shall deploy that one next!

Hope we've all had a good day, or as good as possible.

Very thought - provoking thoughts on the thread his weeked , which am mulling over & learning from - lemon balm - beautiful stars tonight

Very sorry indeed for long gap again but have bitten off more than I can chew & been too zonked to complete most tasks , but we managed to "take" my Mum to a tiring but memorable family celebration , which I 'm very grateful to have been to . When I tried to write a brief "hello" here yesterday , everything came out sounding horribly negative cos of sleepiness, so I gave up in the end ( couldn't just send a cheery < wave > as seemed odd not to mention any of the discussion on whether to keep cybergarden as a retreat , versus need to mention realities sometimes)

I too remember having benefits letters accepted as proof , upward , but seem to think they aren't now for most purposes . Hope you've allowed yourself some leisure time after your busy week .

"Blue and gold" morning sounds beautiful , shodatin & glad you are sharing the remedy for draughts ( for & waking too early from bright light ) with DB , & reminding me to improve draughtproofing too.
If you'll excuse my nosiness , I did see your advice on thread about growing older & seeing loved ones having a hard time , & was very struck by your ideas. So many of us lurk on threads & that suggestion will help many people .I also see upward & Tianc helping on threads , but try not to eavesdrop .

Thank you for your concern for my , Tianc , & hope the weekend has refreshed you .
I do a ludicrous thing of writing the main ingredients for next few days & planning the meals like this , like a small child , so can swap ingredients between ( ) as needed as needed .[hgrin] at why people should need to know about your friend's repetitive dinners , shodatin :
( Quorn mushroom pie ) + (pasta) + (pasta sauce B) + (peas) or (stirfry veg )

Aha Tianc , I remembered your question about the bees today when neighbour was pointing out bees still flying around near their hves . She says they still need the occasional feed from their humans in winter ... I must research

Was a glorious summery day here , as I hope we all had , & tonight is "proper" autumn at last , with sparkingy stars
< restarts preparations for belated autumn celebrtion as suggested by shodatin before Indian Summer >

Aww , just missed you , Tianc . Thank you so much for crossing fingers for MIL , who*seems to be getting on fine with very gradual tube feeding , & is hoping to come home this week .

So pleased your patient work on study has earned you an extra day of DP !
Peaceful night to all

Have just woken up after nodding off - feel like a dormouse - and will have to post tomorrow as practically braindead, so goodnight for now.

Good morning all - sorry I couldn't stay up last night, but was pleased to have news of hob's MIL and possible return home - hope all goes well with the tube.
Love idea of autumn celebration in garden, but am feeling really tired and short of creativity these days.

Remembering friend with bees putting sugared water back for bees after taking their honey, but can't remember details.
Am really pleased for tianc, having DP at home for another day, now you have home office - I do hope it works then maybe it could happen more often?

It is hard to acknowledge ageing hob, and I don't know any way round, just a bit of experience which helped me.
Hope we all find sufficient energy today, and have a good week.

< leaves out seeds for dormouse shodatin > [hshock] You ought to be in hibernation , little friend - and what about dormouse Tianc ? we should have tucked you both in for the winter back in August < bustles off to organise moss-lined nestboxes >

Sorry you 're suffering such intense exhaustion , shodatin . I do sympathise & empathise , & hope to pass on any good results of my experiments with anti - fatigue measures which might possibly also help you a little, even though the root causes are different .

Thank you for telling us about sugar water for bees , how lovely . I must look in our beekeping manual nfor instructions on the new season .

Hope you're having a good day , upward , & have time to make a nice teain a bit . Hope you are you doing OK for warmth - 'tis chilly & damp everywhere now .

Hope you have a lovely day with DP working at home , Tianc ,
& that madmouse and kizzie and NanaNina can join us for

( don't worry about energy & imagination for our little celebration , shodatin , we don't want you frazzled - perhaps you could supervise a young volunteer to facepaint the children if we have such a stall again ? Then you can concentrate on enjoying the mobile exhibits we'll have arranged )

Hob, I do believe I might be changing into a dormouse, the thought of a little moss-lined box is wonderful, and I could really use a few anti-fatigue ideas. I realise that you and tianc probably know a fair bit about this, and it's great that you both come bouncing back every time, after an enforced rest.
Would be very pleased to oversee /join in with face-painting, as could almost do it in my sleep anyway.

Just heard a really strange noise outside, like a load of coal being delivered (in the dark), and then realised it's only sudden heavy rain being blown against the window. Hope other people have more moderate weather, as it does seem to be changing today, and glad we composted the courgette, tomatoes and dead annuals this afternoon, leaving garden a bit tidier.

I've got rain blowing around too, shodatin - but it's likely to be better than yours is. I hoope you don't get woken in the night by it.

Hope everyone's surviving...

Thanks upward, and I hope you're now able to sleep through, although sorry to hear you're having rainstorms.
Hope the door problem is now sorted, and that your research is going well, with all the right words at hand.

Surviving here, thanks Upward, but discombobulated today for various reasons. DP ended up in bed with rotten cold, but at least I could make him hot chocolate and lemsip.

Ooh moss-lined nest sounds bliss, hob. Especially with shodatin's evocatively described rain coming and going here too.

Can I retreat and curl up, and try for something more intelligent tomorrow?

Hope we all sleep well and wake refreshed tomorrow.

Good night all, and best wishes to tianc's dp for speedy recovery after good sleep.

Have been busy today, with Christmas in mind etc. and now nearly too tired to type. Suspect a few other regulars might be feeling the same, but hope everyone's OK and can look forward to a peaceful evening.

Christmas? Again?! But we had one last year? I know I know. And DP tells me that light flickering on and off in the sky is actually the sun coming up and going down.

Actually that's a joke these days, as I'm back on Human Standard Time, but 'tis definitely true in Dormouse Time.

Sorry to hear you're feeling the fatigue more at the moment, shodatin. Afraid I'm the world's worst patient, so for me chanting "Do a bit Rest a bit" is pretty much the height of my coping strategy.

That and lots of forward planning, because as with the phone etiquette you helpfully talked through with me, by the time it happens one's too tired to think. But I think you're much more on top of that stuff than me.

Less usefully, I have learned that people can readily accept that you can only do one Thing a week; what they can't remotely accept is that this week's Thing ain't gonna be them! Oh well.

DP back at work today, but he likes to be fussed over when ill so thank you for those good wishes!

hob I hope your MIL's rather less trivial problems are continuing to improve, and going home soon remains likely. And I really hope DH is getting enough recuperation time with all that's going on, and not pushing himself to the edge day after day.

You magnificent Mner, Tianc , the Christmas & recurring light comments have made me laugh a lot

< dh sips Tianc's reviving tea far more politely than hob ever manages >

Oh my , a very frustrating few days trying to post, losing posts in Notepad & being very sleepy - definitely Dormouse Time . Please don't think I'm not watching thread & trying to join in < says she weakly but bravely [hsmile] >

Thank you so much for reviving wishes to dh , who is very touched at your concern, & has felt really supported through the sadness of his Mum's condition - you lot are like a forcefield of strength - I hope you all feel the benefit of it "going round" us .

So glad DP well enough to be able to go back to work yesterday , Tianc ,& hope recovery continues - I expect you needed a rest after dosing him up with fuss . He reminded us all about the flu jabs the other week , so I hope he doesn't get any complications from this cold . I was very sorry indeed to hear of discombobulation semming from various sources recently , & hope you have less looming over you now .

Thoughtful shodatin , hope you're having a "good" day . How fabulous to be slowly but surely completing tasks for Christmas . Do you have to remember to send cards weeks in advance to your DSis & family ? Any news of your DN trying to manage work placement in Australia ??

Hope you've felt able to allow yourself a comfortable temperature , upward , & wonder whether you've been feeling up to contacting possible sources of support with your research ... dh works in that type of environment & over the years I've seen how many projects - & academics - don't reach fruition due to the many factors "against" them , so I hope you have decent support ( am sure you provide same to others in your field ) .

I 'll really enjoy sharing results of my anti - fatigue experiments , shodatin - am not planning on daft stimulants . The fatigue is permanent nowadays , but had years & years of this condition before that happened , so am not so cross about it . Do get with the occasional day every montth or two of feeling less "jelly", but I do worsen it sometimes by going out to a few of the Things Tianc mentions .
( Am so impressed that you can readily get people to understand that you can only do X amount - am not always believed as am so maniacally excitable < firms resolve >)

Very helpful advice on phoning ,thank you from me too .

MIL would be due home in a day or so , thank you so much , but both she & I have a touch that "bad feeling" about her getting home at all , despite the good fortune of her not having caught anything in hopital so far .

FIL stormed out of hospital yesterday ( how dare staff keep him waiting !!) , delaying discharge , as was due to be shown how to operate feeding system . ( he does have a phobia of HCPs , plus big ishoos which would not have been indulged had he been female ) MIL in sanguine & witty mood & will make him pay ...

< Rings alarm ... frost due most places , in case any tender plants need bringing in >

< Puts out tankards of alcohol - free cider to celebrate start of proper autumn > < adds wholemeal sandwiches to go with it > < & vegetable soup with barley >

You do manage some amazing posts, hob, despite the almost-constant fatigue, and the menu at your place is equally impressive, which could be the reason people believe me when I say I can't, food limitations being obvious to most. Am also probably less considerate and tactful than you...
My sister has never managed to send a Christmas card in time, usually putting them through the machine at work so they arrive about March, so I just send the one card (likely to go missing if larger than average) when the other international cards go for Amnesty, via Mtg.House request.
No.1 Niece is doing (I think) PhD at University with a couple of bursaries or similar, so not really job-hunting at all. although working long hours and enjoying the subject now, which is really good news after shaky beginning.

You're probably much more organised than I am, with so many relatives in different parts and no doubt small children who might be upset if your Christmas items were late.
(Am assuming you celebrate Christmas, although many Quakers don't, of course).
DB plans to spend Christmas with me, after last year's drama, which will no doubt be a bit difficult and the reason I'm having to start early, as I'm usually home alone for most of the holiday.

I've got to sort 4 birthdays prior to the C-word!

I'm equally impressed by the way people here manage to post.

Birthdays are really awkward upward, if they involve pressies, and I think they get more difficult as time passes because people have accumulated most of their most-wanteds by the time middle-age arrives, and become impossible- to -buy -for. I know it's supposedly the thought that counts, but I've received some horrors and don't look forward to them anymore. (Yes, I do really believe that DB will enjoy getting a gnome this year).
Hope you get some inspiration for the four birthdays.

Oh dearest hob, you've been so very brave and still post so many beautiful, generous caring posts, even when you have so very much on your plate. I'm gutted that your lovely epistles are being eaten by the technology.

I'm keeping everything firmly crossed for your MIL's discharge, FIL notwithstanding!

Thank you for frost warning, too. Must put the garden on a winter footing now the house is done.

That's fantastic news that your No.1 Niece is now really enjoying her PhD, shodatin. Gosh, Christmas does sound challenging. I do hope you and DB manage to make it a warm and enjoyable time, and a real contrast to the recent past.

Four birthdays, Upward? I feel your pain! Are you shopping for grownups or littles? shodatin's so right about it getting harder to buy for people as they reach the older years and I'm pretending I didn't see the gnome.