The Bluestocking: it's the season of mulled wine, conversations about pineapple and, of course, gerbils. Confused? You will be...

[EdithStourton]

Welcome to the anarchic and marvellous women-only on-line pub, the Bluestocking. The booze won't give you a hangover, the cakes won't make you fat, and the conversations are fascinating, covering knitting, health and safety, the Muppets and anything else that comes to mind.

Climb Peak Woo, have a cuddle with Rosie the Red Panda, and watch out for capybaras busy with any necessary building works.

Welcome in (and name change at the door if you need too).

I'm going to check these out: I think I fell in love with one at B&Q because it looked so realistic. Wish I'd bought it now. Although we do have a Dyson something-or-other which heats up a room very quickly or cools it in the summer.

ETA No logs, flames or smoke, though.

Very large hot chocolate please bar gerbil. With extra chocolate, extra cream, extra marshmallows and probably some extra hot too.
I'm counting the days to the end of term.

It was my first day back at work today. Phased return, and I’m working from home.

Feel a bit dazed, really.

Shall have hot, comfort food for dinner.

Here you go, Maggers!

Oh, that is utterly perfect! Just exactly what the doctor ordered.

Thank you. I will surface again once I've reached the bottom of the mug.

Hey, congratulations! It's a huge step to take & you deserve any comfort food you like. What's it going to be?

Well, it’s all going to be done in the air fryer. I bought some sausages with black pudding in them (although tasty, the black pudding is more than subtle) and home made chips. Fried tomato. fried onion. Houmus. Pudding will centre on ice cream (it’s a thing lately).

And thanks ☺️

And I’m contemplating cracking in with the decorating after that. I’d rather not, but I also want it to be finished…. I’ll see if I can muster the required energy and motivation.

Ease yourself back in slowly, until your brain catches up that you are back in work mode.
Work won't be expecting you to be firing on all cylinders so just slow and steady.

The air fryer is your friend!

If you can muster the energy to decorate after work and food then power to your elbow!

Blows own trumpet...

Both the ceiling light fittings in the dining room finally have 3 working bulbs in them.

First time this year!

The meal sounds perfect! See how you feel afterwards. I'd send a team of painting & decorating gerbils but they're (whispers) not real, so I don't know how much use that would be. 💙

This is a big step, one amongst many for you, dear Swash💙
Hoping the return to work goes OK and the comfort food is comforting

Those suction feet of yours must be very useful for this sort of thing.

not real

HOW VERY DARE YOU!

Trouble with ceiling walking is in my house that's where the big, BIG spiders dwell.

Aaaaahhh, that's better. A very large Bluey hot chocolate and leftover Chinese takeaway in real life, and I feel more compos now. Multiple conversations with self-harming students wasn't what I needed this afternoon.

🥳 for Boily's lights, and 💐 for Swash.

Nobody was supposed to hear that except Swash.

I'm just practising for my part in the nativity.

Thankfully it's a non speaking part.

Stay safe & vacuum them up.

I can smell tomorrow's tea cooking (sweet and sour pork in the slowcooker) and all this talk of food as well has made me realise I didn't have lunch. And haven't yet had tea.

I think you're gonna need some sort of costume to get away with that.

True. I'm never going to pass as a donkey without a costume.

Rope tail and cardboard ears and you'll be fine.

Hello, I'm Crumble. May I come in?

I was just passing and it looks so cosy in the Bluestocking. The conversation sounds barmy intriguing too.