The Bluestocking Women’s Pub - The Return of Salad and the Lion

[MyrtleLion]

It’s been a while since I last saw everyone!

Welcome to everyone, regulars, lurkers, newly ventured in.

A place for women to discuss whatever takes their fancy, where the bar staff are attentive gerbils, Rosy the Red Panda is available for cuddles and all sweet things have no calories and all alcohol leaves the drinker slightly merry and hangover-free.

Previous thread is here:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5326705-the-bluestocking-womens-pub-where-brains-can-exist-in-a-single-state

I have no idea where Ruby's room is. Or what happened to her Tunnock's.

I'm very impressed at Ruby's ability to write upside down.

There is a somewhat similar famous garden show in Dublin, and I've just seen that the Garden Show Manager is a woman called...Kerrie GARDINER
I think that's what they call 'nominative determinism'!

That's an excellent example of nominative determinism!

I’ve got a power outage, so looks like an early night for me. I’d only just come in from the garden, starting to prune back the clematis Montana

I only learnt 'nominative determinism' recently - on FWR, naturellement - every day a school day here😃

Bad luck about the outage, Errol hope you get the leccy back soon.

I think I'll call it a night too. G'night all.

In case Swash has a few minutes to look in on the Bluestocking tonight -

Dear Swash, we are thinking of you, even as we go on with our own lives, and even have the odd humorous exchange on here - whatever else we are doing, we are keeping you in our hearts.
💙

Good evening gerbils and associated pixel generated interwebbed footed boobies.

I'm here again after a long forced hiatus, assisted by the shiny one, and have long read this thread from afar and just wanted to use my first post back to say what words cannot but I've been thinking about Swash all day. Sometimes life is really, really shit.

Welcome back @Shedmistress to Mumsnet🌹

If you want to place an order with the gerbils it will take a little longer than normal, but they'll be back shortly, they are just delivering a care package to Swash, (as soon as I can get them going in the right direction).* *

Congratulations Magpie! Great to hear.

Literally drums!

And books!

🤣

I may just forgive you for stealing the Tunnocks, Boily, as it seems they're on their way to Swashy.

There's a lot of organising to do, Swashy, while in the midst of grief. It can feel like a lot, so know that we are here and thinking of you and can offer a mad distraction (and some practical support with arrangements if you want. Ny DB died in February 24 and I had plenty of experience of sorting things out. )
💐❤️

@Boiledbeetle What about some salad options, carrot sticks, cucumber, radish, lettuce, tomatoes you know all them lovely salad things

Gaynor, Gladys and Geranium have gone out with a second cart

Dear Swashy,

Thank you for telling us what happened. I have been doing other things today, not looking at mumsnet, and this is the first time I have read the bluestocking thread since yesterday. I feel deeply moved by your own posts and also by the posts of the kind women who have responded and collectively opened their arms and hearts to you on here. I think it is a wonderful thing at such a terrible time, that something as trivial as social media, chatting between women online, can be a channel through which people can express love and support, genuinely, and I am surprised and heartened to find it so.

There is so much sorrow and devastation in your current situation. I am so sorry and sad that your beloved son died. I'm grateful that you are able to reach out here, and find a bit of solace. I'm grateful that your daughter is there. I'm grateful that friends and family have been helping with small things, getting you some food, words of comfort.

It's true that the admin after a person dies is absolutely exhausting and seems to go on forever, but it is okay and good to accept the help that is on offer, such as the tell me once service, and advice and support that you can get from citizens advice, funeral directors, and the government, surprisingly.

I send you love. I am glad to see you here. I send your daughter love. I am glad to see her talked about, her presence is so valuable.

Thinking of you, Swashy.

Also!

Congratulations to Magpie for the garden prize and the new job whoop whoop!

Lovely to see you back here, Cher. And nice to meet a new person, @Shedmistress . And thank you to Boily for the brilliant pictures. And to Marie for your thoughtful words. And all of you actually. Particularly you, @MyrtleLion. But everyone. I feel I am in good company. Loving all the wit and kindness.

I'm in a reflective mood tonight. I am going to have an operation next week and I'm not exactly looking forward to it but I kind of am looking forward to it. And I have just had my 70th birthday, so I'm feeling quite old and a tiny little bit wise.

Hugs all round. Even though I don't really do hugs in that way. As a moose I am a little bit stiff. But it's purely physical stiffness she lied

Thank you shiny one.

I will be stacking our winter wood delivery Scandi style later today so comfy slacks, cold drinks and podcasts will be today's theme.

@Swashbuckled I am so sorry to hear your news, even though it was expected. I cannot imagine what you are going through. The Bluey is always open, and if you need comfort or company we are all willing to provide them.

Much love to you.

My distant cousin in Australia went on a trip to a place where the quokkas run free and sent me a photo. I thought you might like to see it. She said the rangers have to keep the quokkas away from the beer. Who knew? I hope the Bluey quokkas don't have access to the rum supplies...

Is that why quokkas so often have that rather dopey look on their faces?

They should be ok here, as Bluestocking booze has no alcoholic effects.

Finally got round to educating myself about Tunnock's. It was the apostrophe what done it. As a pedant I am thoroughly ashamed of myself for failing to recognise ... anyway .... potted history is fascinating!
https://www.tunnock.co.uk/about-us/

I'm being careful not to bound up to Shedmistress saying how lovely it is to welcome new faces etc., because I think you may have been an habituée of the Bluestocking before I was, so - welcome back

It is a sad time to be returning to the Bluestocking, as we are all shocked and grieving at Swash's loss. But the humour and imagination that built this place are still around, and when Swash feels she can come back, we'll be the same surreally daft lot we always were, but also caring and supportive and sensitive to grief in all its stages.

And our cute little rodents and marsupials carry those messages of love and support between us - in this case, in the form of a little green greeting card saying
LOVE AND HUGS TO ALL BLUESTOCKINGERS WHO NEED LOVE AND HUGS.
Written in very small letters

I've been away for a few days waiting for the fan on my laptop to be replaced so have only just caught up with @Swashbuckled's tragedy. I'm so sorry.