Autumn leaves, crackling fires, quokkas and puffins at the Bluestocking.

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

A new thread - with apologies to the gerbils for leaving them out of the title.

I have recently sent in my application to get my NHS pension when I turn 60 in December. It isn't going to be massive, because I only worked about 8 years, but there will be a bit of a lump sum, and enough each month to cover some nice yarn and my glucose sensors. Rock 'n Roll lifestyle, here I come!!

I read it for Neil the puffin and for all the mentions of fresh baked bread and other baked delights.

Though at the moment, I am reading utter trash - romance novels by Betty Neels. She's written about 150, and I have them all (in the Box of Shame under my bed), so I have enough to keep me going for a while. I probably ought to read something different, before my brain completely atrophies - I do have the new Ann Cleves 'Vera' book on my kindle, and that should be gritty enough to lever me out of the marshmallow world I live in at the moment!

A miracle has occurred this afternoon.

One of my two cats (semi feral) who needed to go to the vets got into a carrier about 15 mins before I had to catch him.

The other was napping on a chair and was too sleepy to run away.

So I have two very quiet cats in their carriers in the vets and someone with two noisy cats has just come in and I feel quite bloody proud of them both.

My private pensions will net me about a fiver a year! (It's appallingly low)

I guess I'll just have to sell the yacht

Taking a cat to the vets is one of my personal nightmares, @AlisonDonut - I only ever managed it by shutting them in at least a day beforehand, with food and a litter tray, in a room where there weren't lots of hidey holes for them.

Dogs are much easier - you just get the lead and say 'Come on - let's go in the car!' and they follow you in blissful ignorance.

Touch wood quick @AlisonDonut , they're probably plotting a synchronised inappropriate pee-in.

Aaargh! Another way to get all stressed about Proper Christmas being Ruined ... but still, could be lush and shiny and addictive, so not all bad?

Has anyone mentioned the gravy bowsers? Which are also cleaned out and used for custard and, occasionally, hot chocolate.

ooh pretty and shiny!

I love that I don't do Christmas Day! No slaving away in a kitchen for hours for me! It will probably be chicken dippers for tea like most days!

I also love the years my cleaner does meals on wheels for beetles and drops me off Tupperware containing enough Christmas dinner to feed an army!

I only mentioned them in a the gerbils can get you anything way!

Sounds amazing. Can I come as well?

Could I have a Død tante or Tote Tante (meaning 'dead aunt' in Danish/German), please? Known as a Lumumba in English speaking countries.

Basically a hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows and a generous slug of rum or, my favourite, brandy.

Make it a very generous slug - Covid jab and arthritis flare-up.

She sends enough for about four meals and a massive tub that just contains gravy. You may wish to bring some Yorkshire puddings with you, there's never enough of those!

Guess who I've just seen...

Sharon and Kevin must have seen the note nailed to the door.

However...

Look what else I saw!!!

I see the gerbils just left the bottle!

Very kind of the gerbils.

And the cat's not getting any, sorry. I'm sure someone mentioned Dreamies, over that way ➡️ somewhere.

I had such an awful Christmas last year (DH and i both had whooping cough) that almost anything would be better than that. Dear son in law turned up on the doorstep with full Christmas dinner on plates though, bless him.

I love that Steven has showed up. Take that, bin lorry. SQUAWK!

Sympathy to @Chersfrozenface . Hope you feel better soon.
But no to the big slug. We don't want those slimy garden-destroyers in here!

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius

You said the magic word - QUOKKAS! Yippee!!!!

I had to google bowser! Had a vague idea it was a fountain. Dunno where that came from, but not TOO far wrong. Did take a while, though. Top results included:

Gravy Bowser is a fanfiction author that has written 1 stories for Storm Hawks.

and

31 May 2024 — Sauce Bowser is dark Sauce Bowser's dad. Born as: Superhero. Voice: Neil (From CrecStingrayBob). Link to CrecStingrayBob:

...which had me confused for a bit.

Now that I've sussed bowsers, am very keen to indulge in the gravy variety - as long as it's with proper oop-northern Yorkshire puds...

Also went on a little detour via SuperMario, before deciding this was probably not the bowser in question...

Wowser - lotsa bowsers. Who knew?!

Thanks for the reminder about gravy - I had some of the liquor left over after cooking pork steak with onion, sage, white wine and finely chopped Bramley apple. It's now in the freezer and will do nicely with toad-in-the-hole next week.

One did a nervous pee on the way there and a nervous poo on the way back. The other one, who was strangely the poo monster before his neutering, has been very good in the carrier ever since.

We are all back and the two of them ran up the garden together to report to the rest of them on their adventure.

Just found Aldis Christmas lines. Look at Garry and Parker!!!!!

Blimey, you lot have been busy while some of us have been earning a crust! I've mostly been marking today, so I'm very very very very bored, and could do with someone else doing the cooking. Please.

I made a vat of carrot and lentil soup earlier and there's a loaf of sourdough just outside oven, fill your boots.