The Bluestocking, where the short days shorten and the oaks are brown

[MarieDeGournay]

Welcome all, regulars and newcomers, to the Bluestocking Women's Pub, a place of refuge and inspiration and camaraderie and silliness, where all alcoholic drinks are non-intoxicating, cakes contain no gluten, sugar or calories, but still taste yummy, and the attentive staff are small but very professional rodents wearing snazzy little outfits.

Other roles - such as acting as foot stools, looking decorative in the garden, or just being impossibly cute when you need something impossibly cute to go awwww at - are filled by a team of miniature pigs, quokkas, wombats, etc etc.

If real life is difficult, you can bring your troubles to the Bluestocking and a comfy chair will be found for you at a roaring fire, a miniature pig will settle down happily to support your tired feet, and a gerbil will serve you promptly with a comforting drink - very large G&Ts or massive mugs of hot chocolate with extra cream and marshmallows are popular choices [don't forget: no calories in the Bluestocking].

Colin helped round up the piggies but has come over here first to have a good sniff around and bag a comfy chair.

Thanks, Marie. I've left the transporter in my lab on automatic, for all the things & beings we've left behind.

Good idea

Colin's grown - what have you been feeding him, Errol?

He hasn’t - it’s a smallish chair, I’m a small dragon, they’re mini pigs. It’s a big gerbil though. and he’s usually a lot more Black and Tan

….transport complete. Well done Android, that was easy

No problem. Now, as long as everyone else follows our trail of gravy & hot chocolate breadcrumbs, everything will be fine.

Hello! I’ve found this iteration of The Bluestocking and very happy to rejoin you.

I didn’t know the poem in the thread heading. Is the plan to offer safe haven to the maid in it? Perhaps we can ask the search gerbils to quietly contact their sources, discover where she is, and then guide her here.

Since so many things are mysterious and wonderful in The Bluestocking I assume moving through time isn’t an issue.

Good Morning!

There is Good News!

The noise cancelling earplugs are a success and I was able to sleep soundly for two hours until I was woken for antibiotics and then slept soundly for another two hours until I was woken for observations at 2.30am.

That is good news, but it is not Good News.

I haven't been asleep since, because they were worried that the negative pressure pump, the VAC, wasn't working properly. It had stopped pumping a few times on Saturday and every time it restarted it sent a vibration through my leg.

The VAC is essentially a tube that goes from my wound, secured to my leg with a dressing, to a container to collect the gunk, attached to a pump which uses negative pressure to extract the gunk from the wound and simultaneously force my blood to enrich the area.

They added a more secure dressing at 3am in the belief that the position on my leg was causing the problem. This did not work and so they contacted the on call doctor who suggested replacing the container.

The container was a pain to replace but eventually they were able to remove it and replace it.

Still it did not work. And here comes the Good News.

There is no more gunk to remove!!!

This is a Good Thing.

They have turned the pump off as it's not required, but not removed it as the wound could fill up again.

But it means that the infection is under control and my foot should be able to heal more quickly.

It will still take weeks, and we're still waiting for the results of the tests and cultures, and I still need antibiotics for weeks and I need to stay in hospital for now, and things can get complicated, but it is the first sign of progress.

Bluestocking prosecco, bargerbil! Lots of it!

You all moved while I was asleep! The Bluestocking is not the place for an "early to sleep-er" and yet here i am, moved by gerbils, I suspect!

Excellent gunk news Myrtle. Hope the paw is being kept comfortable.

I'm up early as I'm singing this morning and we'll practice beforehand. Happy Sunday all!

Lovely update @MyrtleLion Glad you are keeping your spirits up - am sure you’ll get into the knitting as you feel better. Do you have the Loop earbuds? Absolutely brilliant for shutting noise out when you sleep. My DD swears by them since moving into uni halls!

Morning all/

I'm relieved to hear Myrtle has some good news at last though cross that it would not have got to this in the first place if they'd listened to her and responded.

However.

People's experience of bereavement and departing friends has resonated - sympathy to everyone living with loss.

I missed the move because it eventually dawned on me that several days tiredness and sore eyes might just indicate that I have some sort of low level virus that would justify a bit of extra sleep (I always do like my sleep). And since protein aids healing I think I'll have a back rasher and a streaky rasher and some black pudding and some white pudding and a Nuremberg bratwurst and a negg and a mushroom and a tomato and a lot of tea for breakfast. And stewed apple. And maybe some toast and marmalade.

So nice that we don't use words like slothful and greedy in the Bluestocking.

Planning a quiet day - maybe I'll plant a few crocus bulbs.

That breakfast sounds lush Dean! It’s Sunday so DH will be cooking up a storm after our dog walk in 15mins, though I may have to insist on a quick stop at a Tesco express for mushrooms. Our dog walk area is currently a film set. Beeing converted into a 13th century hamlet for the filming of Werwulf (the extras, fortunately will not be present today so it should still be quiet during the walk). This time last year it was being used for s2 of The Citadel where they created a snow bound log cabin and a Swedish supermarket where I suspect there was a shoot out. Can’t wait to see it on screen later this year!

Imagine meeting a werwolf and not knowing whether it's a gone-astray extra or real . . . .

The advantage of the mega breakfast is that all the meaty things fit in the air fryer so the kitchen doesn't end up full of fat particles.

We are airrfryer evangelists too! Sausages, bacon and hash browns cone out brilliantly

How lovely to find you all here and hear of Myrtle’s good news. But saddened to read of ?inky’s (I think) sudden loss at end of previous thread. Thank you for moving me along with the furniture and Boily’s tunnock mountain, Marie.

i spent yesterday evening catching up with a friend and former colleague who I had not seen for some time (pre-covid) so we had lots to catch up on over tequila cocktails, including processing the death of parents, the challenges of supporting the surviving ones long-distance and readjusting to new roles. We cried, we laughed, we hugged, we drank, we reminisced and we ate a v nice curry cooked by Mr Leaving. Now I need to see Bessie about a hangover cure, for alas our tequila was not Blue Stocking tequila…

The doctor has been on rounds already. Sunday is weird. We havent had breakfast yet so the doctor appearing before breakfast was a surprise.

Anyway, they have turned the pump back on, but it is still Good News because there is no gunk but the pump must be on. And he was smiling with a Big Grin. He has a big black beard so it was an even bigger grin. And I told him it was the first time he had smiled and he smiled more.

Obviously, I'm still not out of the woods, long way to go etc, but the doctor is smiling.

CT scan booked for 9.30 today but we'll see if that happens.

Glad the gunk pump was sucking on empty Myrtle, and that you got some rest before that.
Food which you find helps healing and rest aren’t gluttony and sloth, of course Deano.
That reminds me, do we still have a sloth hanging around somewhere? We rewatched The Durrells a little while ago (at a point when we needed the televisual equivalent of comfort eating); they had a sloth for a while who was a point of calm amid their chaos.

Morning all. Thanks for the shiny new thread Marie!
Good gunk news Myrtle, your doctor with the big black beard sounds sort of piratical in appearance.
Sorry to hear of Inky's loss.
I've got marking to do today, although not massive amounts of it.

I’m taking a break from mumsnet for a while. I feel really violated from a thread on here (in this section) and I completely realise it’s my issue but I don’t have the bandwidth and resilience to carry on right now. I didn’t want to just disappear and I know it’s not an airport etc but I wanted to let you all know.

I will be back (I hope) I just need to get my head around how much even feminism and womens rights on this board is dominated by men who call women stupid and won’t give over when they are asked to.

I feel incredibly violated it’s made me feel sick and I know it’s not healthy for me to stay here right now xxx

Thinking of you, Taz.

I can understand that Taz, and hope a (short) break helps you feel balanced. We'll miss you, but you come first.

This year's autumn leaf colour is some of the best I've see after all that summer sunshine, so a trip to somewhere with trees might be a spirits-booster.

we’re here for you when and if you need us.

So sorry it's taking a toll, Taztoy.

We're here when you're ready xx

💙

Take care of yourself, Taz, do whatever makes you feel stronger💙
We'd be concerned if you just disappeared, so thank you for letting us know