The Bluestocking - Best Pub on the Internet

[EdithStourton]

Welcome to the Bluestocking women's pub. Excellent (if sometimes wilful) gerbil bar staff, varied cocktails, splendid cakes, cracking Sunday roasts...

Voted Best Pub for the umpteenth thread running, join us for conversation about tractors, units of measurement, films, wildlife, and even, sometimes, women's rights.

Just keep Glenda off the gin.

Any men, you can trot along to the Staunch Ally just up the road.

I enjoyed that exchange of poetry very much, Edith

I'm sorry you feel so bleaggghhhh, Magpie. This too shall pass.

Not bleaggggghhhh enough not to post a disgusting picture of a Sparp cocktail, though, which would make anybody feel bleagggghhhh😝
😄

Glad the interview went OK, Myrtle, and something resembling moral victory re the sofa?

My migraines have greatly reduced in number since I'm taking feverfew daily. I'm not imagining it either, the time between my repeat prescriptions for Zolmitriptan has more than doubled.

Well done Myrtle. Somewhere out there is an organisation with a lioness-shaped hole.

That wasn't meant to be as rude as it sounds, reading it back. 🙄Just encouraging & weird. Weird is good.

Is the sun over the yardarm yet? I went to AquaMobility class today and my bloody arthritis is killing me.

I'm the youngest person in the class by 9 years. The very oldest is late 80s. It's slightly embarrassing being this clapped out in my 50s.

I'm joining @Magpiecomplex on the "peri menopause is unacceptable" couch.

@SionnachRuadh In Sex Wars by Marge Piercey one of the women has a daughter named Zulu Maude. I did try to look up if there was a reason behind the name but couldn't find anything. You have just solved that for me, thank you. It's a good book based on real life characters who were notable in early America feminism.

Not weird at all! Thank you! I have two other applications on the go at the moment and another two to apply for. I feel better than I have done in months so something will come along soon.

I'm nearly 66. I go to a Senior Flex class. The octogenarians are doing better than I am. When we're told to do knee bends, you quite clearly hear the crack as mine go.

Presumably those classes are to some extent self selecting and only those who are inherently quite flexible continue into their 80s?

At Aqua as we queue ready to enter the pool 80% of them have the same scars - knee replacement surgery!

Usually they are for people trying to keep functionality in their dodgy joints (or at least in my experience)

You'd be surprised. There are some people there who are using walking sticks.

Yes, we're all trying to keep mobile. Some people there have had hip and/or knee replacements.

We are told to miss any exercises which might exacerbate problems and the instructor does always give us options.

ETA What I will say is that we all agree that the class has improved our mobility.

Ah, good there are such classes!

They are massively oversubscribed and a good third use a crutch or a walking aid.

Fingers crossed for you @MyrtleLion .

Hugs and sympathies to all those suffering from peri- and menopausal effects.

And anybody can quote Hopkins to me as often as they like - what a magnificent mind that guy had. Even hardened old atheists like me can thrill to his words. If somebody ever told me I could only read the work of one poet for the rest of my life, he'd be the one.

Pre-chronic fatigue I used to go to three different weekly dance classes with the U3A. Everyone was probably over 65 and certainly some were in their 80s.

We weren't doing ballet, but at least two of the three teachers had taught ballet all their lives so there was a lot of ballet behind it. Two of the people doing the class could still do full plies.

I used to enjoy the classes so much, and I will get back to them. One day. Fingers crossed it will be before I'm 80.

I'm way out the other side, but for anyone suffering from peri or full menopause symptoms, I can recommend "HRT cake". There are a number of recipes on the internet so it's easy to find one to your own taste, but they are all based on nuts, seeds and beans such as linseed, soya and almonds which contain phyto-oestrogens and minerals you may be deficient in at this time and which help regulate the endocrine system. I found it really helpful and I still use some of the ingredients in my home-made muesli.

That’s really useful to know. Thanks @AuntieMsDamsonCrumble, I’m off to hunt.

Is this thread just for those in the clique? Because why the cryptic opening post? How are other women supposed to de-code this?

Hi @Jk987 and welcome to the Bluestocking Women's Pub. We're not at all cliquey and everyone is welcome. You'll find we discuss many serious topics, but also like to break out into surrealism on occasion and the lead posts often reflect happenings from the previous thread. Think of it as a bit of light relief from some of the more trying FWR threads.

One advantage of the Bluestocking is the availability of any and all types of virtual food and drink, which are delicious, but free from any pesky ingredients that would not suit you. And all served by unionised gerbils who, while generally willing, can get a bit out of hand at times. I'll send one along to take your order.

Welcome @Jk987 just grab a drink,have a read, and join in if you like. Or stay in the background, whatever pleases you. I was a bit intimidated at first cause I felt like an interloper (and there are some SERIOUSLY intelligent and well educated women here), but everyone is really welcoming. I don't post very much, but I do read all the posts and have learnt an amazing amount of random things.

@MyrtleLion It's great that you're feeling better these days and just thinking about what you have been through in the last few months I wonder whether you might have found it physically difficult to start a new job before now and really needed this time to heal properly.

My Irish ex-MIL (who was a lot nicer than her son!) had a saying "What's for you won't go by you" and she was correct on many occasions. The right job is out there and will come to you at the right time.

Hi Jk987, you're very welcome to stay if you think you'd enjoy the conversations, and you can always start one yourself!

We talk about all sorts of things here, it's often light-hearted, sometimes serious, sometimes very very serious if one of the posters is dealing with something difficult in real life.

It took me a while to step inside, I walked up and down outside for a bit wondering if I'd fit in, and I'm glad I did step inside, I felt very welcome.

So join in if you feel like like staying, unless it's not your cup of tea, or any other beverage served at the Bluestocking

Adding to my previous post - we are all 'other women', everybody was new here once and had to decode the cryptic bits, but I guess the point is we enjoyed doing that, it's part of the fun of the Bluestocking - but only if that's your idea of fun😄