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

Did you get here via the Time Portal & took a wrong turn into the 1910s? Easily done. Sorry I missed the move, I was... er... where's the day gone?

Also, I meant to choose a new username & I forgot till it was too late. 😥

Slightly prickly day here - it would have been Mum's 80th.

She'd have rented a big house with an indoor pool and table tennis, and had the whole family stay for the weekend like she did for her 60th, 65th and 70th.Then she and Dad would have a week away somewhere posh.

She knew how to celebrate.

I've donated to Lumos in her name as she felt strongly about helping children in care. I invite my sister Bluestockings to raise a glass to a bloody lovely, funny, compassionate woman who died far too young.

"No one is finally dead until the ripples they cause in the world die away, until the clock wound up winds down, until the wine she made has finished its ferment, until the crop they planted is harvested. The span of someone’s life is only the core of their actual existence."
Terry Pratchett

I quite agree - that's why every birthday and Mother's Day I take what I would have spent on Mum and donated it to something she cared about.

It makes me feel better, knowing good things are happening in the world because of her, even though she died 7 years ago.

Chin chin, iechyd da, cheers and skol to you all. 🥂

I have many talents!

I'm pleased it went so well, @Swashbuckled

this family of flightless beetles oozes the toxin cantharidin, which was used in antiquity as medicine and also as an aphrodisiac in medieval Europe.

How different, how very different, from the home life of our own dear Beetle!
at least, so I hope😬

Hiding tunnoks, not being one of them. I was suspicious at your lack of presence at the end of the last thread so snook over to the new one and hid behind the curtain, and saw where you put them……

Thinking of you, sending love and hugs, and thinking how lucky I am that when my mam died she was deeply missed, but we willingly released from our lives as it was time for her to go after a long life that drew to a quiet end.

I raise a glass to your dear mother, and to you who had to let her go much too soon

Your mum sounds amazing @PastaAllaNorma

Aaaaand after a short hiatus it's snowing again...

@Magpiecomplex I love this:

"No one is finally dead until the ripples they cause in the world die away, until the clock wound up winds down, until the wine she made has finished its ferment, until the crop they planted is harvested. The span of someone’s life is only the core of their actual existence."
Terry Pratchett

@PastaAllaNorma your mum sounds like a gem.

I was quite enjoying that article, after worrying about the first stage where it says, “Just checking that you are human.”

But then I read After they hatched, the larvae climbed the grass stems. … Alam collected larvae and ground them up.

What! Boily, that’s unnecessary. My commiserations.

Oh blast and bugger.

Just don't tell anyone else.

They'll never find them without help.

<cough>

(Recycled image)

I'm going to have to get the capybaras to build me a whole new hiding place

Or I could ask them to stop putting helpful signs on things.

Yes, labelling the boxes as, for example, "Emergency Bath Salts, Sardine Scented" might help with the misdirection. Although maybe not from @FuzzyPuffling.

She was.

Of course she could also be unreasonable, a pain in the arse and we argued a lot. Until she was 55 she thought my feminism was daft and unnecessary, and until David Attenborough spoke out, my membership of Greenpeace since I was 16 was silly.

But she was very proud of me, absolutely adored her grandchildren and was outstanding in her support and advocacy for them. We had a lot of fun and we loved each other very much.

She died in three weeks after getting a blood test because she was tired and thought it might be low iron.

Cheers to you & your mum, @PastaAllaNorma.

Here's to your mum, @PastaAllaNorma.🍷

I had to google 'bumbarrels' to discover they are long-tailed tits, which I find are actually not members of the tit family. Since we set up a feeding station for birds in a small tree just in front of our kitchen window, we've discovered we have long-tailed tits in the neighbourhood and they are gorgeous tiny creatures.

I know we're not fond of the Guardian here, but this is a lovely little article on bumbarrels from its Country Diary.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/feb/17/country-diary-an-eruption-of-the-most-delightful-sociable-bumbarrels

Your mum sounds fabulous, @PastaAllaNorma .

Three weeks, Pasta? it must have been a terrible, terrible shock and I'm sure there's a pain that never heals.

I can't think of anything else to say, except that you honour her pride in you by being you, and I'm glad you're with us this evening to share your thoughts and feelings

I'll be happy to raise a glass to your mum @PastaAllaNorma

She sounds like a lovely lady.

To @PastaAllaNorma 's amazing mum! 🍷

I'm not sure if any money from it goes to Lumos, but there's a 'Lumos' nail polish topper which glows in the dark! Made by Orly, it's in a range of Harry Potter nail polishes. So tempted.