Bluestockings & Orange Wellies: Welcome to the Degu Station!

[ifIwerenotanandroid]

Well, that's self-explanatory, I think.

Previously known as:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5176773-bluestocking-the-gerbical?page=1

I keep the bathroom loo rolls in a Fortnum and Mason mini hamper. Posh or wot?

The jackets did seem a bit long for their physique - I think Cake's probably got the answer to that one.

Anyway, I did version 2. All I changed in my request was leotards for the gerbils, & the AI rather went to town on you! I hope you're not about to eat that one.

Very posh! I noticed an F&M hamper in a multi-million pound house listing this week (still doing the EuroMillions).

Other posh things that always turn up: smart wooden rocking horses in odd places, telescope in the bedroom, a collection of whimsical straw hats (where does that one come from?).

Some great performances tonight from the gerbils.

Ribbons make the best bookmarks because (assuming they're long enough, >2x length of book) you put one end through at the back cover so it stays with the book rather than getting lost while you're reading - especially on trains and planes.

The idea of using tickets is definitely passé as they're now all QR codes on your phone or maybe a card.

Meanwhile I'd like to mention that AIs (tbh I'd call it ML, machine learning) can be used for purposes other than decorating the Bluestocking. (Though some protein structures are rather pretty so maybe we could have a few depictions of those too)

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-03214-7

The gerbils are doing a great job. I love their cabaret show..

DH has a telescope ( but it's in the music room. Is this better or worse than in a bedroom?)

Version 2: the gerbils in the green and the red tutus do look a bit concerned about the gerbil in my hand. All the others probably know that I’m vegetarian, so they aren’t worried. Or are they are selfishly concentrating on facing forward so they will outshine every other gerbil in the imminent dance performance?

I went out last night with two silver drop earrings and came home wearing only one. I see the missing one has turned into a tiny chandelier.

I feel like I need to move getting my sewing machine serviced up the list of priorities! But I also have a blanket to crochet, since senior offspring took the last one to university. I don't begrudge it as it's nice to think he's got something warm, colourful and fluffy in his room to add some cheer, but I do miss it!

Warm, colourful, fluffy - and made by you.

Lovely that he’ll have that with him when away from home.

I don't have many buttons so I keep them in a jam jar. I do have old baccy tins full of allen keys though. They used to belong to my OH's ex wife's dad. No idea why he ended up with them, he is rubbish at everything to do with DIY.

But this has given me inspiration of buying a Danish BISCUIT tin for my OH for Christmas to go round and gather all the screwdrivers together and keep them in, as he is always bloody moaning about finding the right screwdriver. That's boxing day sorted. I never use them, I go get one of my drills.

I also have bad veins. I tried to explain this to a young French bloodtaker earlier this year and he smirked. Then he frowned. Then he muttered. Then he left the room. Then he came back full of vim and vigour. And I tried to explain about them having to take it from various other places before and he growled. After about 20 mins and trying several places he said i was right and yes, this is difficult. Finally he called a senior person in (female) who tried and got it on the first try. He wasn't happy.

It turns out he's eating salad! I'm sure this is contraindicated behaviour for a student, isn't it? Green stuff?

@AlisonDonut Wouldn't an oblong tin be better for lots of screwdrivers? I saw one in an early Christmas display that had a raised design of cats on a doorstep & it was so neat I almost bought it even though (a) it was September & (b) it was filled with sweet biscuits that I can't eat. There was a dog version, too.

Just had a google. It's Grandma Wild's & various places/organisations sell it.

Hmm. Maybe he's having you on. Is he rising at the crack of dawn & cleaning his room, too?

He's admitted he's not getting up early! He's washing his clothes, don't know about cleaning his room 😂

A more traditional image on an other Grandma Wild's oblong tin (it even features slightly red wellies).

More tins.

And now to prep some veggies...

This is my favourite tin. I only have one favourite, so can't justify 🎶'These are a few of my favourite tins'
It is unusually slim, 5.5cm diameter, and not tall, 20cm. So quite elegant.

It has mystery - why did Brown Brothers Ltd choose a Magen David as their trademark?
It has chemistry - Calcium Carbide of the finest quality. Guaranteed to produce the maximum quantity of acetylene gas'
and it has danger -
CAUTION the contents of this tin, if brought into contact with moisture, are liable to generate A HIGHLY INFLAMMABLE GAS.
DANGEROUS IF NOT KEPT DRY.
Why, it even has punctuation - check out the commas separating the clauses in the warning!

It now holds screws.

That's a truly magnificent tin, @MarieDeGournay!

Thank you Magpie! And bet you could even explain all about calcium carbide.. but maybe some other time, eh?
I liked your story about your lad at uni, bringing something warm and fluffly of yours with him and behaving in an atypical, broadly healthy and pro-social manner

I saw two magpies feeding a baby magpie in my garden last year. The fun thing was that the only way to distinguish between the three birds was that two were cramming food down the beak of the third, who was only slightly more fluffy, but otherwise exactly the same plumage.
They are so resistant to the fashion trends in the rest of the avian world, I love that

Nice tins, but we are in France so will have to be bought here. It will have to be cat based, OH doesn't do dogs.

I shall use it as a good excuse to go into the city and buy some more pottery stuff.

My best tall tins (used for candles and for pasta rather than screwdrivers) came with bottles of Benedictine I bought my parents as wedding anniversary gifts (courtship incident reference) a few times. Which reminds me that I have at least one bottle of the stuffin the house - maybe I should try making a classic Burnley benny and hot, it's a raw day and I got a bit chilled at a local historical society walk. I said we should have done it in the summer.

https://www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/recipe/2900/benny-and-hot

I'm glad I clicked on that link, Deano, even though I'm never going to make a Benny-and-hot. The wildly unexpected historical link to Burnley Miners' Club, and the 11th Batt E Lancashire Regiment in WWI was a delightful find
Sláinte!

Excellent plan!