Free Parking?

Are you sitting comfortably? I am going to have a rant. 
First a relatively minor one...

This sign means the space is for disabled people, blue badge holders. Bob is so grateful for his permit, it means the walking distance from the car park to the door of the shop/church/theatre is reduced. My neighbour knows the hatched areas around the space means there will be room to manoeuvre her daughters wheelchair. 

These spaces are not for Joe Public, who is in a hurry and doesn't want to walk from the other side of the carpark. And people who park in such spaces should display their blue badge. 

So the other day, when we returned to our car outside a busy Sainsburys, and a couple pulled into the adjacent space and both jumped out, and set off speedily towards the InPost lockers, Bob called out in a cheerful tone "Hey! You've forgotten to display your blue badge!"
The man said "We'll only be two minutes, we are going to the InPost Locker" and the woman said "oh, I'm waiting for my blue badge"  I know not all disabilities are visible, and maybe she was 'waiting for her blue badge' to arrive...but as we drove away, I was pretty certain they did not return to the car after depositing their parcel, but walked towards the supermarket. Bad behaviour if you ask me.
But that is nothing compared to the utterly selfish people on the Norfolk coast this weekend,.

On Sunday morning, seven people, including four children were trapped on a sandbank with an incoming tide at Wells Next the Sea. This is not uncommon at this time of year, visitors do not heed the warnings

The siren sounded and the volunteer lifeboat crew scrambled to get to the station so they could launch a rescue craft - only to discover that holidaymakers had taken up all the crew's designated parking spaces by the lifeboat station. Which obviously delayed the rescue - where every minute counts as lives are at risk.

This is unbelievable thoughtlessness - I am grateful that this time, all the stranded people were rescued safely. Operations manager Chris Hardy said “Today, our crew experienced difficulties parking when responding to this shout.The restricted parking near the lifeboat station is clearly marked for RNLI crew and emergency access, and it is vital that these spaces are kept clear." He asked visitors to respect the restrictions staff, who try to enforce them. Parking issues persisted throughout the bank holiday weekend The crew pleaded again with people not to park in their spaces after more issues on Monday morning. "We are asking everyone, respectfully but very clearly: please do not park in or block RNLI access areas, emergency service spaces, slipways, gates or turning areas," 

Personally I feel that people who park in the RNLI Crew spaces should have their cars towed away and impounded, and be fined for reckless endangerment of life. I don't think people would park their cars in ambulance bays, or across the front of the fire station. Why do they think it is ok to regard these spaces at Wells as "Free Parking"? 

Why Don't They Read And Write More Carefully?

First rant: three people have spoken to Bob this week about our Nativity Tableau. Specifically the signs along the main road with arrows pointing "To the Manger". All three said they thought they said "To the Manager" [hospice contributions now at £240 for which we are grateful]

Second rant: we treated ourselves to a box of cereal this week. Porridge is a good, warming breakfast, but sometimes sweet crunchy stuff is fun. But surely somebody at Sainsbury's should have proof-read the blurb on the back of the packet? Oats, cornflakes, peanuts, honey... but what are cereal cripsies? [it's wrong on their website too]

Third rant: if you are sending out an important document, do check what you are saying is sensible. My dad said that during WW2 he saw a sign about what to do in an emergency. At the bottom it said "If you can't read this, ask a policeman". I asked Dad how someone who could not read would work that out... 

Bob had a letter from the NHS on Saturday.  Halfway through, top of page three...

Please address all complaints to the Manger...

It's All White Now!

I have been sharing the Pantone "Color Of The Year" with you since 2014, although the company started the idea at the turn of the Millennium [All colours here] But honestly I think this year they have surpassed themselves. Their chosen colour is white!

This has proved very controversial, as you can imagine. With their usual [ahem] colourful language, they declare it "a whisper of peace in a noisy world""a billowy balanced white imbued with a feeling of tranquility" There has much criticism of this 'non-colour' in the press

Apart from Hello Magazine, who gushingly tell us that Kate Middleton was a "vision in white" and has already nailed it perfectly. Can I just mention here that she should be referred to as Catherine, Princess Of Wales. She hasn't been Miss Middleton since 2011. And she doesnt have to worry about laundry or dry cleaning bills. I too have nailed this colour - my new kitchen has a white ceiling, white tiles, white paintwork on the door, and a powder coated white range style cooker...

IKEA on the other hand, say their C.O.T.Y. is "Rebel Pink". After decades of green washing up liquid, I went crazy last week and refilled my bottle with cherry pink 

White is fine for tiles and paintwork and wipeable, washable surfaces. And for special events [bridal wear and baptismal gowns] But I do not find it practical for everyday clothing, I'm far too messy, and I spend time with sticky fingered children!

Sorry Pantone, I  think this billowy white is not your best choice!

A Foat? Whatever's That?

It's a new portmanteau word, I told Bob. Ferret+stoat? Fishing+Boat?  Nope, it is a Funnel-necked Coat! I kid you not, it was in Red Magazine. 

How ridiculous is that name? Whatever next? Pumper = polo neck jumper, Rardi = round neck cardi. 

Netmums suggest this cream one from Sainsbury's for less than £50.

No thank you. Not with a silly name like that!

Furthermore, knowing my clumsiness, a cream one would be besmirched with coffee stains, or worse, within seconds of being put on. They do it in a few other colours, including "this season's Must Have brown twill" 

Being told something is a Must Have puts me off buying it.

Wrap up warm, everybody - and don't worry if it is the comfy garment you've had in your wardrobe for months [or years] and keep your hands warm with Loves or Witts [leather gloves or woolly mitts] 

So What Are YOU Celebrating Then?

Years ago I was in WHSmith looking through some Easter cards, when the lady next to me complained "This is no good, these are all religious!" I said, rather more loudly than perhaps I should have done "But Easter is all about the resurrection of Jesus from the dead - what are you celebrating then?" She looked very embarrassed and scuttled away. 
I thought about her last week as I was looking through the John Lewis Christmas section whilst Bob was sorting out the replacement microwave.

JL declares there are four themes to their decorations this year, "these are Heirloom Splendour, Enchanting Tales, Worldly Treasures and Ancient Wonders, and each have been thoughtfully curated to add charm to the festive period."
I don't need any more decorations, but it is fun to have a look. Heirloom Splendour seems to baubles and wrapping paper [retro items like telephones and sardine cans], Woodland Tales is animals [felt ones, or decorated baubles, tableware and beauty products] Enchanting Tales seem to be mostly interesting shaped baubles - and Ancient Wonders include a wooly mammoth, a dinosaur. acorns, pine cones and more. But did they have any nativity crib scenes? [Sue in Suffolk is hunting them out for a friend's fundraiser]

Yes they did! starting at around £100, there is this porcelain Alessi model. Personally I think it is odd - particularly the smug baby Jesus standing up with his fingers in his ears. 

There is another more expensive Alessi range, and you can buy the pieces separately, like these musical angels [£34 the pair] and animals for the stable. 

I am not sure they gave much thought to this. Surely a Jewish stable is unlikely to contain a pig! So basically, any representation of the true Christmas story is not in the main Christmas section but round the corner in the kitchen/china area - and rather too expensive for the average family. Why not buy something much cheaper for your tree, like this felt Christmas Toilet Roll?

On our way home from JL, we stopped at Next to have as coffee in Costa, and I browsed their Christmas Shop. They seem to be fixed on Highland Cattle - decorations, tableware, bedlinen. If you have bought the JL loo roll, why not add a Highland Cow in a Santa Hat sitting on the toilet reading her book? 

My Christmas tree is covered in all sorts of eclectic items - a Maine lobster from Steph, a tiny Marmite jar from cousin Gillian, and a little glass sewing machine from Julian, the little mermaid Rosie and Liz brought me from Denmark. Each item has its own story of love behind it - but the majority of my decorations are angels, nativity scenes, or items saying love, joy, peace, hope etc. 

If your entire house is bedecked with highland cattle this Christmas, then I am just wondering, what exactly are you celebrating? 
And yes, there will be a candle on my Christmas Cake - it's Jesus' birthday after all! 

Not Tempting Fete?

I am going to have a rant. And I am not going to apologise for it. I feel that village fetes generally aren't quite what they used to be. There is little I am tempted to buy at the stalls round the edge of the field.

I have been to a few this summer, and come away with the same question every time.  

Why are so many people selling small plastic animals ?

Every colour under the sun, some multi coloured rainbows, some shiny iridescent, others sparkling glittery finish...And why are people shelling out so much money for them [many cost £2+] when they cost about 4p each online?

At our village school fete, it was one of the most popular stands. At the event we dropped in on last Saturday there were three different stands,  all selling these horrid things.

They have no purpose, many are poorly made, and some are downright ugly. And they are all made of plastic - so will be littering our planet for centuries.

These items seem popular with children in Primary School. But they are a choking hazard for toddlers and small creatures.  Their popularity will not last long. Unlike Lego bricks and Playmobil figures, they are quite cheaply made, with limited play value and do not fit together as part of a larger creation. They cannot be recycled.

One stall holder was explaining that the dragons she was selling were unique, they were her own design made on her 3d printer at home, which is why they were £6.99 each. I hate to think how long her printer was running, and how much energy it consumed to produce these items. 

I know it is hard to be consistent, and we cannot avoid every piece of plastic - nobody makes wood and metal pcs, phones, or TVs. Unlike George Washington, who had wooden teeth, I am smiling because I have a synthetic dental implant. And the front of my car is plastic to make it safer for pedestrians in the case of RTAs. But surely these bits of tat are quite unnecessary?

What is the point of encouraging my grandchildren to think about litter, and landfill, and the pollution of the oceans if I then give them a handful of plastic lumps which they will tire of and discard within days [if not hours?] 

There were other 'craft' stalls at the last fete I attended - 3 with crochet items [I recognised two of the grannies and their products from other local events] a couple of 'wax melts' stalls, and a lady with handmade cards. I was not tempted by any of their items.

A teenager was selling friendship bracelets in aid of Breast Cancer. She told me her Mum died two years ago. I gave her a donation, but declined the bracelet, and told her to sell that to somebody else. She seemed slightly surprised that someone would give without expecting an item in return. 

If the fetes' food stalls have changed policy and now use recyclable cups and biodegradable paper napkins, why is it still acceptable for other stalls to churn out all these plastic items?

Is this an unreasonable rant? How can we make a better impact? 

A Short Spell Of Rain

As a child [OK, I admit, even as an adult to] I was fascinated by words which had more than one meaning. Stable not rocky, or a place for horses. Rocky not stable, or like a rock. Rock a sort of music, or a big stone...
Spell is particularly wonderful. Is a short spell of rain defined as "R A I N" said very quickly, or is it "Abracadabra, pitter patter" said by a wizard? Neither, it means a brief period of rain🌧 
I love those little mnemonics which help with spelling

because Big Elephants 🐘Can Always Use Small Envelopes ✉️
ices can be found in the middle of LeICESter 🍦

deSiCCated CoConutS  all have one S and two Cs

rhythm Really Helps Your Two Hips Move [Steph taught me that when she learned it in primary school]

Spelling matters - I am afraid I get mildly irritated when British people use color, favor, fetus and other Americanisms. [except in Technicolor which is a brand name so definitely has no U]

I'm proud of my grandchildren's efforts to learn, and their good end-of-term school reports.

But I think it is possibly a lost cause. Texting has given us such conversations as "CU L8R?" "Gr8, B4 2moro!"  And ugly sentences like Hi m8, R U out 2nite? Are we surprised people cannot put a coherent message together? Julian recently sent me this picture, with the caption " Prfoof redader wnated" 

But U probably do not have time to db8 this, as U have 2 walk your K9. By the way, these words are called Numeronyms

I do not use these in my messaging, although I admit to some shortcuts [imho, btw, and wfh]

What do you think about these textspeak abbreviations?

Here is the verdict of Jess on Saturday's short [but heavy] spell of rain which soaked us right through. Once we got back to the car, she burst into song!

Sad To See It Go...

 

About 12 miles up the road, less than half an hour in the car, is Taverham. A small village, for many centuries, its great claim was that St Wulstan lived here. He was venerated as a saint before the Norman Conquest, and of noble birth [his mother closely related to Ethelred the Unready] But he renounced all that to become a farm worker. Now Taverham has all the usual facilities [schools, library churches, a big Lidl ...] including a large Garden Centre. 
The 'Nursery Centre' offers a lot more than just the regular stuff. On site there are other businesses - a windows company, shoe shop, art studio, Hospice Charity Shop and more.

For years there has been an excellent haberdashers/sewing shop called Sew Simple. the range of products on sale is phenomenal - quilting, dressmaking, knitting, embroidery, art and painting,

 cake decorating, children's crafts, craft books and patterns. I don't think there is anywhere else in Norfolk with such an extensive range.
I really enjoy going - just to wander around, and maybe buy a skein of DMC thread.

So I was quite upset when someone announced at our Craft Group yesterday that the store is closing down in August, as the owner has decided to retire. And everything is half price.

I get the impression this was quite sudden. When I got home from the group, Bob suggested we went over and had a look [We needed to get a few bits from Lidl, and he is researching Firepits] 

Here's my hoard:

• 2 packs tissue paper
• 10 skeins of DMC floss
• A reel of Guterman machine embroidery thread
• A pack of bobbins for the floss
• 23 adjustable slide buckles.

Original price in excess of £27.50 - I paid £12.63

I will explain the buckles later. It was fun to get some bargains  - but I am sad the shop is closing [especially for the staff who were completely unprepared and are now trying to find alternative jobs] Losing independent shops like this is inevitable I guess, when more and more people buy online, very cheaply from Temu etc, and are happy for great container ships from China to bring goods to the UK. 
But these ladies had excellent specialist knowledge and were always willing to help and advise. I know people who travel across the country to buy specific craft products from them - and pop into the Hospice shop and the other businesses too. A real loss!

Here's the Craft Group Summer Social - Jane taught us to make balls on sticks using leftover wool and bits of bamboo. Mine's the dull dark purple one at the front [all the fancy wools had already been grabbed] Jane suggested we should each make a load more to fill a vase to stand 'on the mantelpiece or in the fireplace' As Cornerstones possesses neither of these fixtures, I have decided not to bother!

But it was good to end our session chatting and sharing a buffet lunch. 

Do you have a good haberdashery nearby?

And whatever shall I do with my Ball On A Stick? [no, perhaps you should not answer that!]

CoverStory update : Kirsten's piece ie now also completed , pictures here

Another Bryan Bilston Poem

This is a reprint of a post from July 2018 - after I had gone to London to protest with Liz about President Trump's first State visit to the UK. Afterwards she sent me a BB poem. So my post about that march was entitled Liz Sent Me A Poem - here's a shortened version of that post...
Friday's march was a joyous carnival event -[many people] united in their anger and sadness over the activities of one narcissistic man. Liz and I were marching with Jenna, originally from Michigan - I was proud of these two young women beside me who shared my feelings about the arrival of this man on our shores.

We commented on the diversity of issues represented [racism, misogyny, nuclear weapons, global warming, mistreatment of refugees, Islamophobia, imprisonment of asylum seekers, homophobia, separation of children from parents...and more]We sang, 

 cheered, clapped, blew whistles Afterwards Liz sent me Brian Bilston's poem. I shall endeavour to live up to it as I grow older!

AS I GROW OLD I WILL MARCH NOT SHUFFLE

As I grow old
I will not shuffle to the beat
of self-interest
and make that slow retreat
​​​to the right.

I will be a septuagenarian insurrectionist
marching with the kids.

I shall sing ‘La Marseillaise’,
whilst brandishing homemade placards that proclaim 
‘DOWN WITH THIS SORT OF THING’.
I will be an octogenarian obstructionist,

and build unscalable barricades
from bottles of flat lemonade,
tartan blankets and chicken wire.
I will hurl prejudice upon the brazier’s fire.

I will be a nonagenarian nonconformist,

armed with a ballpoint pen
and a hand that shakes with rage not age
at politicians’ latest crimes,
in strongly-worded letters to The Times.

I will be a centenarian centurion
and allow injustice no admittance.

I will stage longstanding sit-ins.

My mobility scooter and I
will move for no-one.

And when I die

I will be the scattered ashes
that attach themselves to the lashes
and blind the eyes
of racists and fascists.

Thank you Bryan! I was in my 60s when I protested then, I am in my 70s now. I hope I never lose the fire in my belly that makes me want to speak out against evil and injustice. 

Trump is due here for another State Visit in September. According to CNN last week  "More specifics about the state visit will be released in the future, the palace statement said. As with every state visit, it will include a full ceremonial welcome and state banquet. All senior members of the Royal Family are expected to take part."

Of course, the King's brother Andrew will not attend the banquet, as he is no longer able to take part in State Events, because of his unfortunate close friendship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein...

Of Viagra, Heartbreak And Current Affairs

Out there in the Gulf Of Mexico* there are many turtles- Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles to be precise. These little creatures were first identified by a guy called Richard Kemp in Florida and sent off to Harvard to be properly classified. 
Nobody is sure about the Ridley bit of the name - before that these poor things were known as "the bastard turtles". From 1946-1986 there was a huge decline in their numbers. Then their breeding ground was discovered, a beach along the Mexico Coastline . Sadly the locals were stealing the eggs in vast numbers. People paid well for them - because "A turtle egg with a shot of tequila" was believe to combat impotence in Mexican males. In a brilliant co-operative project, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Service got together with local conservationists to collect eggs and set up a new breeding ground along the Padre Island Seashore.

This began in 1986, and when Viagra came along, a social awareness advert was produced in Mexico suggesting that the little blue pill was a better alternative than the eggs. The strapline was "My man does not need turtle eggs" It was surprisingly successful! Numbers of the breed really improved. But it remains a critically endangered species, and TPWS continue their work. The video below lasts 7 minutes but is really informative [and full of cute baby turtles]

But unfortunately, global warming has affected the temperature of the waters, and some turtles are getting a little bit lost, confused by warmer currents. In November 2021, after Storm Arwen, one was washed up on a beach in Flintshire. It was taken to Anglesey Sea Zoo, nicknamed Tally, and after months of intensive care, was nursed back to health, then flown home to the US in September 2023.  A few months later, another turtle was washed up, nicknamed Rhossi. ASZ started working with the Americans in their Turtle Conservation Programme.

All good stuff - for the Kemp's Ridley, Bastard, or 'Heartbreak Turtle' as it has been variously named. Apparently sailors witnessed the creatures having 'turned turtle' [flipped on their backs] and dying. The sailors maintained the turtles' hearts were broken, hence the nickname.

But here's the latest heartbreak - Rhossi was due to be flown home in March, but is stuck in Anglesey. By order of Donald Trump. On his first day in office, that man signed an executive order requiring a freeze on all foreign development assistance. Which meant the US Fish and Wildlife Service stopped funding various projects, including the Marine Turtle Conservation Fund. In February, 400 USFWS workers lost their jobs as part of Trump's cutbacks. So there is currently no way of flying Rhossi home to the Gulf of Mexico. Frankie Hobro, director of ASZ continues to look after him.
Martha Williams, former director of USFWS said the impact on conservation projects was "heartbreaking". "I didn't expect this administration to necessarily be friendly towards conservation. I have been surprised at the speed and the degree to which they have undermined decades of goodwill and work in the conservation sphere…International work involved so little money, you know in the big scheme of things, small grants with enormous impact - enormous impact to communities." Williams described the cuts to promised funding for projects such as marine turtle conservation as "cruel". Ms Williams said the message was "don't give up. Speak out - tell the stories, explain why this work is so important, and that it does impact people in a positive way,"

So here I am, speaking out, telling the story, trying to make a positive impact. These are precious, beautiful creatures. They are part of God's Creation, and as a Christian, I believe I am called to be a good steward of the earth.
God bless the turtles, Frankie and co at ASZ, and what remains of the conservation services in the USA. There is a link here if you want to find out how you can help ASZ with their sea turtle recovery programme.

* As far as I am concerned it is still the Gulf of Mexico

Hilda And Her Housework

I spotted this emoji recently. I am sure that many of you reading this have often felt that you are juggling too many balls at once, and expect to drop one very soon. Down the centuries the role of women has changed, but I think most of the time [unless females were very sick, or very wealthy] girls have generally been kept pretty busy. 

My Mum was called Hilda. Her generation had fewer clothes, and laundered them less frequently - but they had to contend with boiling nappies in "coppers" and rolling sheets through mangles. And if it rained, no chance of a tumble in the dryer to get things dry. With no freezers,  microwaves, air fryers, or Deliveroo, it meant meals were usually cooked from scratch, and it took ages. And until 1954, Hilda and co had to manage "on the ration". 

However much we have been "liberated" and women have "broken the glass ceiling" to acquire jobs previously dominated by men, and we try to work towards equal partnerships in our relationships, frequently it seems that women still carry a heavier load when it comes to running the home. I came across the phrase "cognitive household labour" recently. In families where there are children, the Mums do much of the thinking, planning and project management of day-to-day life - and then do the higher percentage of the actual work. 

In fact, the latest Hilda Survey* shows that men spend 12.8 hours a week on household chores [the same figure as 20 years ago] but women are doing 18+hours on average.  

I look around at my own extended family, and I'm so grateful for the guys who iron shirts, cook meals, do the school run, unload the dishwasher, take children to sports, and pull the wheelie bins out etc. I also see hands-on grandparents helping out as and when they can. I am also very aware that my two daughters [and four nieces] work very hard at full-time jobs and do the work of organising things so "family life" runs smoothly. I love them all, and I am proud of the example they are setting the next generation.

So please could all you "influencers" back off a bit? Stop posting pictures of your ideal homes, fabulous birthday parties, immaculately behaved adolescents, perfectly potty trained toddlers etc etc. Stop pushing false Mum-guilt onto exhausted young women who are already giving 100%. Thank you

[*Hilda stands for Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia ]

Fuss In Boots

 I am so very annoyed with Boots right now. Have you seen this?

Initially it sounded good "Boots are going to recycle blister packs" said Bob "and our two nearest stores are collection points" Then we looked into it further...

IT IS "GREENWASHING", PRETENDING TO BE ECO FRIENDLY FOR APPEARANCE SAKE.

They say it is simple, but it isn't really. You need to have the app and scan all your blister packs. Once they are approved, you take them to the store. 15 packs will earn you 150 bonus points - but you only get them if you spend £10 within three days of donation.

If I've understood it correctly, donating 20 packs will still only get you 150 points [I may be wrong there]

Bob and I, between us, have a lot of daily meds

We drop our used packets in a box in the bedroom drawer, and there are always at least 10 per week. This appears to be a normal figure among the many OAPs I know [who often discuss their pills at the Church Café! ]

BUT a high proportion of these friends do not have smart phones or use apps. [Or bother with loyalty cards] So they can't use the scheme. Younger friends who perhaps only have 1 tablet a day will take months  to accumulate 15 empty packs.

Furthermore the reward scheme mostly benefits Boots! They are in effect saying "you need to spend even more with us to get points off your subsequent spending" 

I'm not fussed about reward points, I just want to recycle for the benefit of the planet.  This is far too complicated for me to bother with. And I suspect Boots know this, The management of a scheme like this will be complicated and costly for them to implement. So a few months down the line, I suspect it will be cancelled, and they will tell us that they did offer this environmentally friendly option, but customers didn't take it up. 

Some Superdrug stores have drop off points. No incentives or loyalty points - just the opportunity to help the planet.

We are fortunate to have Tony at our church. He takes all our packs  to a charity [I have forgotten which] who then sell them on to TerraCycle. So we will continue to do that.

I think most people who want to recycle want the simple Superdrug system [or a mate like Tony] saying "Leave your packs here, and we will ensure they get properly recycled" without apps and offers. An easy way to have a positive impact.

Come on Boots, surely you can do better than this!

Now I'm wondering what will happen if I take my bag of empty packs into Dereham Boots and try and sneak them into the box without using the app...

They Are Absolute Pants!

I really thought I had done my research here. I drew up a list of "pee pants" designed for "moderate-heavy" leakage. I eliminated the huge Granny-pants, and the minuscule briefs which would have been too small even for Jess. I kept to British and European companies. 

I chose ones made with cotton. I discarded the most expensive [we seniors need to be careful with our pensions] and the cheapest [avoid false economy. [check out Vimes Boots]  I'd decided to shell out for Sloggis, but they had none in stock in my size.

Then I finally found a company which purported to have been reviewed in a number of prestigious magazines, and featured on Loose Women [I don't watch LW but they seem the sort of crowd who chatter, giggle, and frequently experience what cousin Gill always called "Tena Lady Moments"] Its website was British based, with the green stars of Trust Pilot views scrolling across the page. The design showed a generous suzed gusset. And there was a multipack offer in the January Sale. So I sent off my money waiting for my express delivery from Vera

Two weeks later my package has arrived. 

IT IS ALL LIES!

These are incredibly poor quality briefs made from horrid nylon with a thin cotton gusset. I put one pair on the worktop on a piece of kitchen paper. I poured a teaspoon of water on the gusset ‐ in less than a minute the pants was wet through, as was the paper!

The pants come from China. 

I think these two are not the women who founded the company. I think they're just stock photos. Kate and Margaret are probably as real as Betty Crocker and Barbie.  If I send the pants back to China [at my own expense, £15+]  I may get a partial refund. I am not throwing more money at this. 

I am cross with myself for being stupid.

BUT 5000 people look at this blog every day. Many of you are women who understand the issues surrounding incontinence problems. The embarrassment and loss of dignity. The unwillingness to consign thousands of pantliners and disposable briefs to landfill sites.

If this post stops other people falling prey to this Vera scam, I will feel better about my financial loss. My post will have a positive impact

The urge to spend a penny should not cost a woman so many pounds! 

SpongeBob Square Pants

I have never actually watched this programme, but I had four things I wanted to mention and tis title sums them up beautifully. I shall deal with them in reverse order [all those palindromes have made me think backwards.

pants, square, Bob, sponge

Firstly then, a pant-rant. What has happened to M&S briefs?

They are so flimsy now, and wear out really quickly. I hgave some pre-covid ones I bought in Dorset which are fine, but a newer 3-pack is already giving up on me. My thumb went through the other days as I pulled them up. I found this pic on line of "visible mending" Life is too short to waste time and thread on such things - and you rarely hear me say that! I shall have to pull up mny bug girl knickers and buy some more.

Then square-Xmas-cards. We received 32 cards this year, and 24 of them were square. That's 75%. Square cards are taking over. This cheerful handprint angel is from Grandson George [not sure why the greeting is in Spanish!] You may have had one of these school-fund-raiser cards from children you know.

Bob is now going to the gym Mondays and Pilates on Tuesday, which appears to be helping strengthen his back and improving his mobility. If your GP recommends the gym for back problems, you can get a discount at the Leisure Centre [Useful tip picked up at the Men's Shed] 

Here he is with all four children at Christmas, watching him  as he breaks open a lump of clay containing "dino relics". George was happy with the result an eye, a skeleton, and a mini dino - but I didn't think we got a lot of 'bang for our buck'. The tiny wooden hammer in the kit was hopeless - Grandad had to provide a heavier one!

And finally- sponges - last year I mentioned I had changed over to Wettex - biodegradable, allegedly the ultimate ecofriendly dishcloths. Here is my review a year on. I have been washing and reusing three in rotation all year. 

They have been excellent all rounders - dishwashing, general cleaning, windows etc. Only downside - coffee spills stain them badly. The pink one has just gone into holes and is being retired as a garden cloth for wiping flowerpots etc. And eventually will go to compost. 

You can see by the new yellow one, they do shrink a little in use. 

I rate these a ***** product

There you are pants, square, Bob, sponge - have a good Thursday!