Ladies and Ladies: The Bluestocking is open: again

[DeanElderberry]

Newly renovated, beautifully appointed. Food and Beverages, excellent (if sometimes unexpected service), delightful clientele, special accommodation for invalids, pedants, readers and normal people.

Ceol agus Craic

Entertainment!

! Gerbils beautiful gerbils!

❤🐀🎧🐀🎺🐁🎷🐖 ❤

all furry!

! ❤AI and Scientists❤

less furry !

All women welcome

well behaved male visitors from the Staunch Ally are welcome in the stableyard but not across the threshold of the main building

ooops. posted too soon

there ye go

Shedloads .

DH is good about dropping holey socks in the bin.

He buys a couple of dozen identical pairs at once, so there's no pairing and holed or paint splattered ones can be disposed of with no ado. Each batch lasts years - I can't remember when he last renewed his drawerful.

I mostly wear bridgedale socks now - there's a type which come in a two pack which I find very comfortable for everyday wear with my default walking shoes - I haven't managed to hole or lose any yet.

I didn't announce putting socks in the bin. He just noticed they were there and fished them out again! It's easier to rip them up than put them straight outside in the wheelie bin where he wouldn't see them.

My solution to the watch strap problem, encountered in my twenties, was to stop wearing watches with straps with buckles, and be careful what the rest of the watch is made of. I had a sterling silver one with a winding knob I turned out to be allergic to (but was dealable with because it was just that bit), a steel one ditto, several plastic ones without buckles and am now the proud possessor of TWO steel watches which don't give me eczema. Citizen. Not exactly cheap but worth it to avoid decades of itchy red rashes on one wrist.

That first picture shows a <gasp> sheer negligee!

I remember a helpful hint that you can coat the back of the watch with nail varnish, Deano. And the buckle, presumably...but they may be different kinds of metal, and the buckle is less in contact with the skin, so maybe not.

Thank you for the quokka pikkie Fuzzy - they don't need AI to make them look friendly and caring, they are so cute IRL, and they really do lift the spirits

Magpie has reminded me that this isn't just about age, I had nice all-plastic Swatch watches for decades, but then couldn't replace them. I'll keep a look out for something heavy and non-metal. Meanwhile tubes of knitted cotton reclaimed from doomed socks are quite effective.

Oh Boily, those look interesting! Maybe I could have a look through them in case there's anything useful?😂

Most of the back of my Apple Watch isn't metal, I'm not sure if any of the aluminium touches my skin. Strap is a webbing one - I don't care about aesthetics vs the comfort of one that can be adjusted exactly right.

Slaps hand away.

Bad android!

Step away from the bags of tat!

The back of the watch is steel and doesn't seem to be a problem - it's the winder and the buckle. Irritating in both senses.

Unless of course you have a use for 12 matching candle thingies.

That's always been my problem - winder and buckle. I assume it's a nickel allergy, Dean? Mine is.

Probably - I had aunts on both sides of the family who developed quite severe cases post menopause - hence my fear of the vest scenario.

Candle thingies or shot glasses, Boily?

That's a cheery thought, Dean. I already have a huge list of allergies, the idea of adding more post menopause is not encouraging.

Definitely candle thingies. I remember them arriving with actual candles in them. Of course thinking about it that was probably 15 years ago!!

My mum became allergic to stawberries, tomatoes and corn after menopause!

I haven't worn a watch ever since I got a mobile phone. DH has similar hoarding issues - he has stuff that belonged to his mum, to which to my knowledge he has not looked at more than once in the 22 years we have been married. He keeps them in case one day his daughter or granddaughter are interested. They won't be, and if they are they might look briefly and then chuck out.

This has reminded me to look through a plastic box of stuff I brought with me when I moved across the Atlantic, some of which was things my kids did at school. As my youngest will be 38 in June, I'm thinking they're unlikely to be interested and I haven't looked at them since they went up into the attic, so I will have to harden my heart and get rid of them.

During lockdown DH did a load of work on his family tree, all beautifully ordered and set out in scrapbooks. He showed it to his DD (she's in her late 20s) and she's not in the least bit interested. He was really upset. Sad.

Yes, but in 30 years time she probably will be. I got stuff from one of my aunts - none of her children were interested then. Now they all want to see them - and to gaze on her handwriting now she's gone.

I do still have a jar of jam in my fridge that my gran made, Victoria plum, from the tree in the garden, made in 1995. I can't bring myself to throw it away, especially as it's got a handwritten label on it!

Tempting.

.

Aw. Don't eat it, though.