The Bluestocking Women’s Pub: definitely full of ludicrous halfwits who refuse to get a grip (with unionised gerbils)

[MyrtleLion]

Welcome to The Bluestocking: convivial by design, opinionated in the best way, generously stocked with excellent food and drink that complies with whatever it’s meant to comply with, and any calories, gluten or alcohol are entirely virtual.

Staffed by impeccably trained, unfailingly polite gerbils who run a tight bar with plenty of enthusiasm and good intentions. Quick with the drinks, but terrible spillers spellers and liable to turn an idle thought on existential existence into a full blown musical with Busby Berkeley routines. You have been warned.

All women welcome, just in case that isn't obvious. Men can go to The Staunch Ally round the corner.

Previous thread here: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5477133-the-bluestocking-your-local-womens-pub-warm-friendly-and-not-at-all-unusual-in-any-way

Those are really cute, Cher. I like them!

Morning all! Weekend away so I'm feeling quite out of touch. Will have a read back through. Loving the puffin earrings though.

It’s taken a decade to convince him that me and the kids drinking caffeinated drinks before bed has no impact on our sleep. (Or lack of… 100 reasons for why we all can’t switch off, but not my cappuccino 🤣)

I like the puffin earrings too but I think the design would work much better as a brooch, they are a bit too much of a good thing as a pair of earrings.

I'd wear it as a brooch, and I'm not even a puffin!

Oh no, that's favouritism😧 I would of course also wear a dragon brooch, a beetle brooch, a pirate brooch, a moose brooch, an android brooch, a christmas star brooch and every other Bluestockinger-as-a-brooch? OK? <phew!>

Not all at the same time, though

WaW, are you happy that your car is OK, after your day out yesterday? I hope it behaved itself, proving that the unintentional grounding didn't do any harm

Thank you but I found it on one of the ravelry links. I don't find ravelry easy to use, even when the pattern is on the page.

The cardigan is attached. It needs blocking. I did consider reknitting the back when I was about 16 rows in of 48 rows. Next time I will follow my instincts.

I might try the embroidery, thank you, for the link. I'm so touched that you're all helping. It reminds me of the coffee mornings my mum used to go to when I was little. Someone available with help for knitting, childcare tips, cake and recipes. And no doubt advice on whether someone was being unreasonable...

I was strolling around the Bluestocking's little wooded area, and these little critters asked if it was all right if they set up home in one of our trees?

They promised they'd be good, they've had all their anti-rabies jabs, they keep their claws neatly manicured, they'll be nice as pie to all the other animals, they won't rummage through our rubbish - unless we ask them to do so for recycling purposes. One of them said 'NARALT'.

They were very cute, and very convincing, but I've always been a sucker for a cute face an a convincing story...😒
Do we give them the benefit of the doubt and let them stay?

Aaaah... trash pandas!
Businesslike and efficient little banditos.
I'd let them stay.

Who can say no to those cute faces?!

And Clara the capybara can send some of her security crew on patrol if they get out of hand.

Reformed businesslike and efficient little banditos, they swear😄
I believe them. Let them stay, and add to the cuteness of our surrounding.

Most important question - will the raccoons give cuddles?

They might, but only so they can pick your pocket.

Thank you. She seems okay, but I've looked online and found out that the garage that kept my old Mazda Bongo going for years advertises wheel alignment checks and adjustments, so I'm going to ask if they would do the wheel alignment for me and check her underneath just to put my mind at rest.

I feel awkward, cos the extended warranty means that I can't get them to do major work for me, but I trust them and the VW dealership is in the next town. [ETA I figure that if I pay them to do my wheel alignment then I'm not taking total advantage of them?]

Sod's law - I have umpteen things on this week and next...Oooh, my busy social life! (Meeting the in-laws, haircut and my very first shingles vaccination. Is there no end to the excitement?) I'm going to phone the garage at the back of 2.

Didn't do it first thing, cos that's when they're checking in cars and they'll be on their lunch rota now. (Also, I was supposed to get an early night, but finished up scrubbing a sob plug cleaner spill in the kitchen. Yes, I am doing well... I've neutralised the caustic soda. The next stage will be oxalic acid on the dark stains.)

Oh sugar! Snow warning for tomorrow and Wednesday...

I love the little raccoons. I'd like them to stay.
Could they be in charge of putting the bins out once a week?

That's such a good idea! they can still be trash pandas, but in a pro-social way😄

WaW I hope the 'wheel alignment, nudge nudge wink wink' ruse works, and they don't find anything untoward under you car

And I hope all the other many and varied commitments go smoothly, unlike the plug cleaner spill😬

And sold for a good cause, too.

Hello. Sorry I haven't been in for a while. I've got some sort of lurgy that's really wiped me out. I'd got so behind but I thought if I didn't catch up soon I never would do.

❤️s to all those who've been grieving, struggling for whatever reason.

🎊s also where necessary. The only ones that have stuck are @Britinme and @Boiledbeetle. The rest of the alphabet must have trickled out of my ears.

I believe the Manx shearwater is called Puffinus puffinus because, like the puffin, they nest in burrows. A sciencey type stuck his hand down a burrow and pulled out a baby shearwater but thought it was a puffin. The unfortunate chick became the holotype. This does seem a little apocryphal to me but stranger things have happened. I suppose it could have been worse, the science guy could have grabbed a mole or a pebble.

I've only seen a blister (oil) beetle once. It totally upstaged Wayland's Smithy many years ago. I didn't know at the time there are apparently several native British species, some very rare, some thought to be extinct. They're bizarre looking wee beasties. In my mind reminiscent of a queen termite. Regular sized head and thorax but with a huge abdomen. Their colours are beautiful. It says the name comes from the haemolymph they excrete from their joints if they're attacked but i think it's the rainbow effect of oil on water on the carapace. I feel a little sorry for bumble bees. A fair number of critters seem to use them for transport but to then go and eat their babies is a little ungrateful.

Great cardigan, @MyrtleLion . Congratulations!

Marie, I vote for the Recycling Raccoons - they'd be very useful. And I insist that you wear all your brooches at once so there's no hint of favouritism. Might be a bit heavy, though.

Had to look up oil beetles. What absolute gits! I suppose that's why Boily never mentions that part of the family.

at 9.30 five of us were looking at each other saying what if nobody turns up?

Then . . .

post pilgrimage, post tea, with the room next door full of rushes and cross makers, Brigid herself at the back.

Very fun morning, but next year we plan earlier and delegate lots. Probably about 90 attendees in all.

We could have done with some gerbils for the clean-up phase.

Full house, then, @DeanElderberry.

In other news, I've just pulled the (very fine) yarn off my lucet. Damnation! This calls for a very fine crochet hook and quite possibly a magnifying glass.

I don't crochet - I just keep hooks to hand for cock-ups such as this.

Where is the laugh reaction when you need it? 😄

Arthropods are a diverse bunch. I once lived in a place that had an infestation of silverfish. They will eat absolutely anything.