The Cybergarden - Late Summer Edition

[madmouse]

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

at full-size trebuchet. I Want One of Those! And you have led what sounds like a ridiculously exciting life, shodatin! Was this practical demo part of the local history/architecture meetings you've mentioned?

And more great gadget sites!

Hope your DM does manage to get to the Xmas events with you, hob, and MIL too if I understood that right, despite the painful adjustments.

I'm shaking with laughter at your description of my "special house"! You are so right, yet also weirdly wrong! DP had only two criteria: (a) no risk of flooding or dalek attack, and (b) absolutely no work needed. I'm crossing my fingers he gets (a), given how miserably I failed to meet (b). So yes, it inadvertently has lots of character and also a very good "vibe". But with all its problems, and some very intrusive neighbours, it's difficult to like on occasions. Your place sounds completely different - yet mysteriously the same!

Not uncomfortable about other threads, btw, and didn't want you to think I'm ignoring you there. Just imagine I'm every time I see any of you!

And yes yes yes to a cybergarden Xmas party! (We were all too sleepy/busy and missed out on an autumn party.) Should the party be not on Xmas day, as we may all be too busy trying to socialise in RL?

Ooh, Upward, fleece is the business, isn't it? So glad you are well supplied with snuggly covers.

Hope everyone has had a good day, and is resting well after various busy-nesses. Sleep well tonight, and stay snug!

what fabulous posts . Sorry , have (painless) migraine interfering with vision at the moment , lso will just have to say goodnight for now to all lovely cybergardeners .

Poor, poor hob with a migraine, even without pain they're worrying, so I hope it's now gone.
Apologies tianc for not mentioning a Christmas celebration - excellent idea but with brain absenting so often I'm afraid I just can't contribute this year. Before I forget, yes, trebuchet demo was indeed part of architecture class, which often strayed from theme and was lots of fun.
Am imagining an older house tianc with bags of character but requiring alterations to be "just so", and good for you for convincing DP it was the right one (poor man with free time disappearing endlessly).
Agree with you about fleece, upward, have just made bandeau/hat with some spare and have another piece which will be a useful poncho some time in the future .

Hope all had a good night and can enjoy today's sunshine- I see it's that time again s on tray.

Bad luck with the tv listings, shodatin - I've found one which looks ok on the iphone, but never had much luck finding a good printable one. Nice

A Xmas party not on Xmas day sounds like a plan, I'm away between 24-27 Dec this year - maybe we could spread it over a few days?

I hope your migraine went quickly, hob - I understand they're pretty horrible.

I got a nice surprise this morning, CMHT person came and said that she'd see me monthly for a couple more months, then probably discharge me (I still would see the psychiatrist). I am apparently a very capable woman good job she sees me at the least sedated part of the day so she doesn't see the completely ditzy me

Thanks for note on listings, upward, because I was beginning to think it was my fault again - guess they're not designed to be printed out. (DB just agreed to bring his mag. over tomorrow, as printer not up to faxing at present).
What good news from CMHT person, and congratulations too! Am sure you are extremely capable, despite the nuisance of physical limitations, and pleased they've seen this.
My feeling is that we couldn't have the Christmas party without you, so am suggesting one of the Twixt days between 28th and 1st Jan, but am happy to fit in with people who have busier lives (and HF, who probably also has plans).

Hello all , >
What fabulous news , upward !!!!! Now that's the sort of thing we want at the end of the year . < platinum medal in the battle of 2011 > If cmht lady sees you at more seddated ti"ditzy time of day she'll surely realise how much of an achievement is your capable self .

Hope you had another of the lovely mornings which have surprised you recently , shodatin .
No no , although I fret about loved ones with their debilitating migraines , I promise you that for the time being at least mine have lost most of the symptoms , particularly the nausea - I had a flareup of health condition which must have acted on the part of the brain involved .

Trust kind shodatin to worry over others' niggles when your absences are more troublesomme than ever. I know you feel you won't get further assessment / treatment but I hope you remember perhaps you it you've to tell your GP it's significantly worse . Oh yes , my own memory caused me to forget you can't concentrate on radio plays etc & expect tasks to turn out as intended . of course I knew that ...Hope you outing yesterday

Forgot to thank you for gorgeous ,smelling hyacinths ( aha , thank yu for reminding me- every December I forget to get those for DM , who adores them - phew >
or

So glad to see you've taken the brave decision to have the heating on a bit more , upward < & hope the bill will be within acceptable range . Delighted to hear of your fleecy comfort It's lovely stuff as so light & easy to wash & dry .Ooh shodatin , I must try headgear idea but clever poncho is an advanced project
I love malt loaf and didn't know WW make one . Find said loafvery good for sustaining energy, heh heh < munch munch squidge > . I wonder if you might find lowish calorie festive fruit bread or similar , passes round big owl of satsumas >. Maybe parkin - style cake with black treacle / molasses or wholemeal cakes with same and lots of seeds would be filling sweet treats too if you like them ? I find it easier to stop eating those than some sweet foods , too ..Mushrooms are brilliant for satisfying flavour , nutrition and not calorific

Tianc , your house must have be something special about it regardless of aggravation endured . < sends HF on reconaissance for chances of dalek attack > I salute the courage it took to take on all that work and am determined it will be a joy to you < soothing chants & incantations to persuade intrusive neighbours to revolutionise their behaviour > . Have more thoughts / questions but can't quite formulate them

The architecture class sounds bliss , shodatin Would love mustn't interrogate you as you have lots of practical and need to rest before Christmas ..Please , please don't imagine you're "rambling" - you absolutely are not , & I shrieked a your "ramble"
Thank you all for being willing victims of Xparty ! Think we're all agreed the few days Upward is away around the Day itself and shodatin* busy entertaining , and the rest of us juggling combining festivities & relatives ,a Twixt party sounds great brilliant fun . We could have a sort of Advent calendar of revelry in the fortnight till the day

May I propose starting our celebrations today with a great reason to celebrate upward's news from cmht today
Who wants to choose the music ? Someone suggest a rousing choral piece < hob always chooses Messiah >
As soon as I wrote "revelry" Howard Devoto started singing in my mind < pretentious but happy >

< HF oversees banquet of light delicacies being assembled >
< places cybergarden & visitors in time machine and lands here >< links just won't work at he moment - please visualize Pembroke Castle at night floodlit for classical concerts

The twixt days are a good idea, shodatin - agree with hob too! I've just picked up a radio times for Christmas time.

seems a great idea. celebrate everyone's stick-to-itness this year! :)

Which bit of Messiah, I've got the Novello edition on my shelf?

That's interesting re: the loaf varieties, I'll look into it.

Could we possibly start celebrations tomorrow hob?
Really really tired just now, although could possibly manage to get into time machine for Pembroke Castle by moonlight with music, am likely to do dormouse thing, particularly if food involved, which could confuse dear HF.

Must just mention that fleece poncho would be really simple, as I have a square of the stuff and plan to cut circle in centre for head with (non-fraying) fringe cut round edges and possibly some applique if enthusiasm lasts long enough.
Thanks for mushrooms reminder - have just bought a pot of pate from Morrisons to try, not having sweet tooth.
I used to make a version of Welsh tea-bread using just dried apricots for fruit content, v. filling & convenient, and recently heard of scones made with grated apple instead of liquid, also good for munchies (and better than bagels upward, you do deserve a medal for weight-loss).
Must leave for bed soon, sorry I get tired.

Twixt days sound perfect, either one day or several. The lovely thing about this thread can be the laid-back delay between writing and response - time machine really does work...

Such super news from the CMHT, Upward. And are you going to be our soloist, as you've got the music? (I've a melancholy liking for "He was despised", but it's not really in the spirit of the thing!)

Morning all, a cold and windy morning and uncertain now about DB's visit, which is a shame but not much I can do.
I loved the polite query from tianc re food prepared by HF, but had assumed HF has owner trained in all aspects of food preparation, and has only to say the word to have hob drop everything to deal with refreshments.
Really appreciated the moss-fluffing, just regrets about not staying awake long enough.
Three cheers for upward's recovery, now official, big pats on back for achieving simultaneous weight loss and thanks for idea of stick-with-it-ness for New Year.
Hope migraine symptoms have gone, and we're all OK today.

Dark and nasty here, too. Was hoping to sit in the window and sew; instead I've had the lights on since midday!

Hope DB's visit managed to go ahead.

Fleece soundslike a good fabric for a poncho much better than half an old underblanket which I spent days blanket stitching to make a camp blanket for -guides--.

Tea bread made with apricot sounds nice, shodatin - I must look into some recipes, at the moment my main dried fruit is 3 dates chopped into porridge.

I hope you rested well, shodatin - now that I'm taking all those meds I'm exhausted way beforee midnight, so I'm impressed you get that far.

There are lots of nice one/two part bits in the Messiah (I prefer some of that to the chorus ).

It's dark/windy/horrible here too. worried about friends in Scotland. people are saying it's reminiscent of 1987.

I'm trying to hold myself together at the moment, I've been sent the withdawal form for my phD, and it's difficult to do

No hurry to fill it in... Unless you'd rather get it over with?

It might feel like wimping out, but is it possible to get a friend to fill some or all of it for you? Other people can often summarise the main points without having to relive the details, as we do when it's about ourselves.

I have filled it in and posted it - thanks Tianc , I needed to get it over with :) Part of it's about 'what now?', but I don't need to address that over Christmas.

Thanks for enquiry tianc, and DB did get here but didn't make usual confirming phone call from changeover at nearest town, and was not answering home phone, so I got out number of his local police station to phone if he was not on the train, and had a bit of a pray on the way there, knowing he was not in a good place this week...
We were half-way home from favourite cafe when he said he'd left his coat (plus wallet) on back of chair (stressed), but luckily owner knew us and handed it over as soon as he dashed in. Today could have been so much worse; we didn't even get rained on, although very windy and still a bit cold and glad we're not in Scotland.

Brilliant idea tianc, and so sorry upward that you still have to do some paperwork. You've done so well to get so far, but who knows what the future holds and I'm sure you're doing the right thing at this time.
I like Messiah too, all/any of it really but especially last bit.

Glad it's done & dusted now, Upward. Yerse, "what now" is always a bit of a poser, isn't it? As you say, Christmas first ? and I guess you have the MSc to get under your belt too.

shodatin - scary!. So glad it was just a bit of dippiness - and then more dippiness that worked out OK. I'm sure you could do without frights like that...

Sorry to hear about the stresses, shodatin - I'm glad everything worked out ok.

I think my priority for now has to be to stay 'well', with no odd/unsettling happenings - keep being told it was a serious hospitalisation etc. and I don't want to go backwards.

Here are some non-contentious

I'm so glad that the cybergarden is here, need somewhere peaceful to come and relax/be.

Thanks for *upward, I seem to have crossed with you earlier, then just forgot to mention the date recipe, which is a really good idea (and to me, lots better than s, although I appreciate the thought).
Thinking back, it did seem a serious health matter at the time, we were worried about you and so pleased with recovery, so please try not to over-do it. May I suggest that you keep in contact with one of the HCP's, just in case you need some help or advice in the future? My DB's support has recently been cut - good news of course, but still a bit stress-inducing, which is sad.
I'm glad we have the cybergarden too, have never had anything like this before, and never even considered cats in same sentence as time-travelling.
Agree that the drugs are tiring, and just remembered my recent increase, so maybe things will improve, but have to wave goodnight now, sleep well all.

Sleepy wave here, too. Hope hob's been having a good day.

Know just what you mean, Upward. Consolidation is a good goal which I should have printed on my forehead to stop me being stupid.

Honestly, shodatin, never heard of cats in time machines? Where have you been?

Early bed for me. Hope everyone has a warm and safe night in these hideous gales.

Ooh, candles!

I think I'm fortunate shodatin, as my consultant does a weekly drop-in group so it is fairly easy to get in touch on an ad hoc basis.

I think it's so much easier to say what you should be doing rather than doing it, tianc - it's one of my weaknesses that one.

Here's some morning

Many thanks for the upward, just in time to keep me up and awake.
Am pleased to hear about informal group available, what a good idea - wish DB had similar, particularly right now, and not surprised people have Christmas crises.
Hope it's a good day, and no damage from gales - seems OK here and good to see the sun again.
Hope Hob's having a manageable day too, and not too tiring, despite other people's problems.

Mmm, other patients have commented that they'd like it too, she's the only one who does it. Like you say, it's very helpful when people are going down/towards crisis, because she can alter meds/suggest getting a cancellation appointment to discuss further straight away.

Gosh, it is a beautiful day - looks like a nice one for a walk :)

Sun here too!