Escape into the tea & sympathy chat room #3

[JAR21]

Just pegged the washing out.... full line, first time this spring... put the last item on and the whole fucking thing collapsed. Honestly feels like a metaphor for my life right now.

Firmly at the end of my washing line tether with all sorts of crap being flung at me from different directions. Is this what being 50 is like because I'd quite like to rewind to 49 please.

Oh and my tomato seedlings have all bit the dust because it's gone from stupidly cold to stupidly hot. Next time I pass Aldi I'll just by some ready to go tomato plants instead <mutters>

(I'll be OK I just needed a whinge).

At least when you look in the mirror, you don’t look like the child catcher!

 

[Doodlebug005]

Thanks for new thread! @Miscanthus the polytunnel is hardcore My 2 cats sleep in there at night- my clotheshorse resides in there and sometimes I do the ironing in there oh ya there is a stand with seed trays on it! We had to move it onto concrete when we were having the garden drainage done and I liked it in it’s new home - not working to it’s full gardening potential but useful all the same! Very interesting about the shingles vaccine- hopefully next dose will be less irritating

 

[DanDanTheIceCreamMan]

Thanks both, I've been and met a friend for a cuppa and just generally had a long hard moan at all the shit going on.

This too shall pass and if in doubt take the piss out of H&M

 

[DanDanTheIceCreamMan]

I would maybe ask them if they are going to do it, can they do it at a set time so you know not to hang washing and can shut the windows. Not ideal by a long way... especially if they're difficult.

But then if they can get a fine for it then they shouldn't be doing it regardless (but I've turned into a right old battleaxe who'd report them anyway)

 

[Doodlebug005]

I've got one of those, but I thought it did a better job without it. I need to clean the patio, so I might give it another go.

Didn't see the Northern Lights and went to bed, as I wasn't sure about the time and I was knackered! But they're supposed to be around again tonight, so I'll try and stay up long enough!

We went out around 11- sky was purple ish - my sister lives about 15 miles away- her sky was red - so I tried to take a picture - the secret to see them it seems is to look through the phone camera- they appeared like magic - later on it got a bit easier to see them with the naked eye-
Good luck with the powerwashing- a bit slow but worth it!

 

[JAR21]

I would maybe ask them if they are going to do it, can they do it at a set time so you know not to hang washing and can shut the windows. Not ideal by a long way... especially if they're difficult.

But then if they can get a fine for it then they shouldn't be doing it regardless (but I've turned into a right old battleaxe who'd report them anyway)

So would I, apart from the fact it would be too obvious who has reported them, and then potentially cause issues for years to come.

 

[DanDanTheIceCreamMan]

Thanks for new thread! @Miscanthus the polytunnel is hardcore My 2 cats sleep in there at night- my clotheshorse resides in there and sometimes I do the ironing in there oh ya there is a stand with seed trays on it! We had to move it onto concrete when we were having the garden drainage done and I liked it in it’s new home - not working to it’s full gardening potential but useful all the same! Very interesting about the shingles vaccine- hopefully next dose will be less irritating

I'd love a polytunnel... I did at one point have a very nice (cheap plastic) greenhouse that was set up really well, but the neighbours accidentally set fire to it and the fence and I've never really bothered with one after that (Mr neighbour was genuinely mortified and we were adequately compensated). We were very zen about it at the time (it was very close to the house and we were VERY lucky) but I do miss my good trowel and kneeling pad that were in it at the time.

My seed trays are currently sat on the kitchen table getting sunlight thru the patio doors... I'd love one of those proper posh wooden framed greenhouses like Monty Don has, but then I'd quite like his garden too

@ChaoticArtist talking of the good drugs I've had morphine once, it really is the business I totally get why it's addictive

 

[ChaoticArtist]

Well the peace didn't last long. Mum went on an hours-long rampage and now dad's in a crisis state. I think we nearly lost him tonight. It's still many hours to morning. If she doesn't get a wake-up call now, she never will.


@DanDanTheIceCreamMan, I would be very happy to send this weather to whoever wants it. Trouble is that it's refusing to go.

I've been reading up, or trying to, considering the lack of localised and understandable resources, on the reasons and mechanisms affecting the prevailing weather. I'm still of a mind to sacrifice someone. In some villages, they still sacrifice a beloved doll of a child (in lieu of the child herself) so it would rain. I've heard it works and there are lots of crotch-goblins running around my neighbourhood. Except it might actually make the deities angry to have such rude kids offered to them.

I need to take a nap now - was trying to prevent the Pup getting heatstroke (all the ACs have given up) all night, then dad disappeared after locking us inside the house with no other way out, and came back all disoriented so now we're keeping a constant eye on him, and I have to finish a tonne of office work and might have client meetings/internal reviews that I'll have to be fully awake for (I'm usually the only one apart from my boss who has to be) today. Can't even take the day off

I can literally feel waves of heat washing over me. Would have killed for this in winters


@lilyannrose, take care

 

[DanDanTheIceCreamMan]

Beautiful Rose - joyful Hope everyone doing ok? We are going through some things atm - hubby had surgery- stress levels off the charts for a while but hopefully things are settling down now curveballs… life throws them hard… and they bring their friends🫣….. Lots of deep breaths‍

View attachment 2987377

Glad things are settling down @Doodlebug005 and I hope MrDB is doing well. How is it that things always happen at once? it's always the way isn't it.

We've finally (touch wood) turned a corner here. I had my routine '50th birthday special' mammogram in April and have just got the all clear after several hospital visits/scans/biopsies, bloody terrifying. But anyway, I got the easy way out in the end and we can all breathe a sigh of relief.

On the more fun side, my 'political' poster arrived today and has been hung in the window... The good news is, it doubles as a tea towel once all this nonsense is over We can't decide whether it will attract convassers or scare them off, only time will tell

Larry the Cat tea towel

A tea towel featuring Larry the Cat, resident mouse catcher at 10 Downing Street! Browse political and progessive tea towels at radicalteatowel.co.uk

radicalteatowel.co.uk

 

[DanDanTheIceCreamMan]

Firstly, I am extremely grateful to have a dentist in the first place so part of me feels ashamed of having a little grumble but...

Earlier this year I had a really nasty fall and landed smack on my face. It transpired some time later that this had caused enough damage to one of my top front teeth that I needed root canal and crown surgeries to fix it.

Again, I'm really grateful that I'm able to have the treatment I need but today is my third surgery in two weeks and... it is kind of exhausting and mentally draining too.

Mainly I'm just furious at myself for falling over like that. It's never happened in my life. One minute up, next down. It was traumatic as I also injured my hands and couldn't use them properly for weeks, and hurt one of my feet as well and had a limp for a while. I'm still very shaken about what heppened even though I'm better and some time has passed.

I really hope nothing like that ever happens to me again.

I know what you mean about mentally draining and it's so frustrating when this stuff just comes out of nowhere. 3 surgeries in 2 weeks IS so much (and root canals scare the crap out of me!). You can absolutely grumble as much as you like

@ChaoticArtist I think you have all the weather ATM, it's freezing here right now which for June is so weird. The Zinnias sound wonderful, I haven't had to water much at all yet (which is just as well because my heart hasn't really been in it this year).

 

[Chita]

Just pegged the washing out.... full line, first time this spring... put the last item on and the whole fucking thing collapsed. Honestly feels like a metaphor for my life right now.

Firmly at the end of my washing line tether with all sorts of crap being flung at me from different directions. Is this what being 50 is like because I'd quite like to rewind to 49 please.

Oh and my tomato seedlings have all bit the dust because it's gone from stupidly cold to stupidly hot. Next time I pass Aldi I'll just by some ready to go tomato plants instead <mutters>

(I'll be OK I just needed a whinge).

sometimes it feels like everything goes wrong and you want to shake your fist and shout 'Of FFS is there anything else????' at God or the Universe or whoever the feck it is that decides this shit.

All you can do is tell yourself it will pass.

And it will.

In the meantime you've got us to let off steam with and have a laugh in the Hazbeen and Megziznutz thread.

 

[JAR21]

Ya it is tricky- i felt for our elderly neighbour she had 2 lines of sheets/ duvet covers drying when the last fire was lit- not fair- Will see how things go- Hubby who is unwell atm says when he sees her he will let her know there is a €5,000 fine for burning rubbish🫣 - You may see a post in the future saying that I am moving

You could ask them to let you and the neighbour know when they're going to have a fire and give the neighbour's washing as an example of why it's problematic. Then you could say, and by the way, do you know there's a €5k fine and you've been told they're doing spot checks!

Or ring the Council and explain the problem, but don't give them any address details, and see what they suggest. You could do with them spot checking all 3 of you, and only finding them guilty!

 

[lilyannrose]

Glad you're ok and being treated. I know a couple of people who have damaged their teeth in accidents and basically been told to get on with it!

It does make me feel very relieved even while finding the process draining. What's happened to dental care in this country is beyond outrageous and I do think in days past people would have taken to the streets over it. I wish they would now, it's such an important aspect of health.

I'm feeling much better now my treatment is over, anyway. Just had a bit of a tantrum because it was wearing me out.

 

[ChaoticArtist]

Thank you for the wishes. Still in the hospital waiting for him to be shifted from Emergency to the ICU. MRI etc are clear. There's a potential cause but the docs are worried that it shouldn't have caused such a bad situation. My mum's cousin, her daughter (the helpful cousin I often mention) and son-in-law are with me and handling most things for me. Just so grateful.

 

[Doodlebug005]

I'm OK (fair to middling - I would say crap is still bumbling on in the background, but I have at least replaced the washing line ). I have a very sluggy garden generally, I gave up on lupins decades ago because they just disappear overnight. I did figure out (during lockdown when I put vast amounts of effort in) that the dahlias do much better when they're fed (basic tomato feed for everything) and don't tend to get eaten much (just nibbled here and there), and the same goes for sunflowers. My normal rule of thumb is to only plant them in containers and only when they have 2 sets of leaves (gives the plant a head start). The trouble this year is I'm growing the dahlias from tubers so one has been sacrificed to the critters but the others are ok.

I think you're fine to tidy up the roses from your side, we have climbers on both sides and try and keep them in check. Helped by the majority of our Clematises (clemati?) dying from rot last year, including a 20 year old Montana that had always been sturdy as anything. The only one that survived was the one that's prone to wilt every now and then.

Stuff is finally flowering here, peonies are out, roses and geraniums are coming on nicely and no mow may means the lawn is full of daisies.

Here's one of the first roses to flower in the garden (Olivia Rose Austin - I've caught on to David Austin roses in the last few years or so, they really are fantastic plants):

View attachment 2958331

That rose is absolutely beautiful- what a sweet name ! Bet it smells divine too- I love lupins but we are slug heavy- just not worth the heartache-I have some dahlias this year- 2 in pots- 2 in a raised bed - the beasties omg vine weevil did for strawberries and rhubarb - and i did 2 applications of nematodes-
Glad to hear you are doing ok- let the empty vessels make their noise- If you haven’t read it I recommend “ The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne/ it definitely helped me tune out the arseholes in my life and I am more grateful and more positive than before I read it- oh I know I occasionally saunter in here with dilemmas … I like to keep yourself, Chita, Miscanthus and all up to speed with your counselling skills
A screenshot of a page if book from Amazon

Thanks for rose advice! not too much has gone through fence- maybe they will be glad when I tidy it!

 

[lilyannrose]

Firstly, I am extremely grateful to have a dentist in the first place so part of me feels ashamed of having a little grumble but...

Earlier this year I had a really nasty fall and landed smack on my face. It transpired some time later that this had caused enough damage to one of my top front teeth that I needed root canal and crown surgeries to fix it.

Again, I'm really grateful that I'm able to have the treatment I need but today is my third surgery in two weeks and... it is kind of exhausting and mentally draining too.

Mainly I'm just furious at myself for falling over like that. It's never happened in my life. One minute up, next down. It was traumatic as I also injured my hands and couldn't use them properly for weeks, and hurt one of my feet as well and had a limp for a while. I'm still very shaken about what heppened even though I'm better and some time has passed.

I really hope nothing like that ever happens to me again.

 

[lilyannrose]

I had a near miss with what would have been a nasty tripping accident in my room. My mother's response? Told me to stop whining and what about me with blah blah blah.

She doesn't really have bad health at all for the most part but her attitude in recent years is becoming horrendous when it comes to any time I say anything that she might get away with calling "whining"... and I really don't much.

I wish my nana was still here so I could get a hug.

 

[Doodlebug005]

I had a near miss with what would have been a nasty tripping accident in my room. My mother's response? Told me to stop whining and what about me with blah blah blah.

She doesn't really have bad health at all for the most part but her attitude in recent years is becoming horrendous when it comes to any time I say anything that she might get away with calling "whining"... and I really don't much.

I wish my nana was still here so I could get a hug.

Some people don’t know how lucky they are- if I had a daughter I’d fuss over her - take no notice of mother- be kind to yourself - glad you are ok

 

[DanDanTheIceCreamMan]

How's it going everyone?

I made a low effort into planting my sunflowers, they're normally coddled on windowsills or in the greenhouse, but this year I just stuck them in pots and left them on the patio. The blighters are sprouting and have not yet been eaten by slugs (unlike one of my dahlias).

 

[ChaoticArtist]

Hope you're doing better, @Miscanthus My classmate with Thalassemia required frequent transfusions to deal with the anaemia. The good news was that she was always quite refreshed after one. Had we not been too young and my classmates too non-cool, I'd have made quite a few vampire jokes my favourite lab tech usually gets the brunt of them nowadays


That's a beautiful bloom, @DanDanTheIceCreamMan! Makes me miss the big bush of little tea roses we had in our garden in our previous home. Wish we could have brought a cutting with us.

I'd thrown in a few Lupin seeds a few times, nothing ever came of it. Although something ridiculous happened this year. As I've complained before, we've been going through a massive heatwave (40C+ day temperatures), crossed 50C in the national capital. People and plants dying. So I was quite pleased that my gomphrena that I'd sown a few months earlier were growing - they're pretty and quite sought after by artists as inclusions so I figured maybe a bit of commercial success? I'd made some cute earrings with flowers I'd bought from a craft supplier, was excited to use my own. Anyway, this was my first time growing gomphrena, but I could tell something was off. When the first bud bloomed, I realised that it was a zinnia. Which I'd last sown I think three or four years ago, and had never sprouted. It's a bit eaten up, but it's nodding its head around waiting to see what colours the other two plants put out.

Lots of mites, aphids, little orange-y bugs and lots more pests. I hate mealy mouth the most though. Every day twice a day I have to wash certain very spiky plants and scrub the leaves and get rid of the bloody creatures one by one by hand. And they're so icky!!! I'm very squeamish Can't apply any sort of repellant because it's too hot and the plants will burn. So physical removal it is

Physical health is bleh - heatstroke and almost-pneumonia at the same time, mum's usual stuff, caught dad in some lies so I'm dealing with that (financial stuff, not anything else), super-hectic at work, haven't crafted in months so withdrawal symptoms, TV and air conditioner and other gadgets keep dying or aren't working at their best so the cost plus the boredom. And the dog bit me again.

But we have ice and cold drinking water, I can afford to buy non-alcoholic beer (the malt saves my kidneys from giving up), I'm actually contributing at work and learning stuff, weather might start improving soon, the cricket world cup is beginning this weekend, and my material manufacturer told me that we're in the correct weather for crafting so I just need to be a little less exhausted. And I love my seedlings and the ginger lily is sprouting and the Pup likes me sometimes.

So lots of silver linings.

I'm also planning to buy some fun makeup for exhibitions to push myself for some self-care

I can definitely complain but at least right now my mood is not too bad. Especially after the breakdown yesterday. Being in long meetings (virtual) all day and hearing them all laugh and have fun (some were in client's office while the rest of us connected from home) was quite nice and comforting. Man is a social animal, after all


Anyway, here are my gomphrena earrings. Not a very good photo, but it will do. Tried doing a photo with the flowers but it really confused the camera

ETA: I'd read that mealy mouth etc are attracted to lush green gardens, so I left my dried out Fenugreek plants in the containers - not much is growing anyway in this heat. Seems to have worked. Mealy mouth and others are a daily nuisance, but not as bad as previous years even though conditions are ideal for them right now. Worth a try, maybe, to leave some dried grass in?