Gardengirl

Still in the UK, as it fell on a Sunday this year I ordered Waitrose’s £20 Valentine’s day meal for 2 online as our normal Sunday lunch, delivered with our weekly groceries on Saturday morning. Starter, main, 2 side dishes, dessert and a bottle of wine - which should have cost an extra £13.72, so quite a saving! Too much food for us, so we had the starter the next day. I really don’t know how such deals as that and those at M&S make money for the stores, but I suppose the answer is that they order and sell it in bulk. Mt favourites were the large rack of lamb - delicious, very tender, and the chocolate and caramel tarts, but the whole meal was very good. We don’t ‘celebrate’ Valentine’s day, but we did exchange cards though.

I actually thought at first that this new member was ALBF in disguise, trying to stir things up like he used to. But even ALBF couldn’t get things so very wrong in 3, yes, just 3 days!

Excellent news! We have a range of fabric masks with several layers which we wear on our daily walks just in case we find ourselves close to others on our daily walks. For medical appointments and when we have to collect medication from the pharmacy, the only other time we go out, we wear those blue ‘medical’ masks, as I feel that the least we can do is to wear the same as the nurses/doctors wear.

I agree, Mint, each and every piece of evidence of progress on all fronts is very welcome news. Trials have begun in the UK on vaccinating children from 6 to 17, although the thought of those aged 6, the same as our younger granddaughter, being volunteered by their parents gives me some concerns. On thinking about it more, presumably the younger children will most likely be from families where the parents are in medical professions or work in the field of vaccines themselves and know everything that can be known in advance, certain that all will be well. Only just given ethical approval, also in the UK, healthy volunteers aged 18-30 will be infected with coronavirus to test vaccines and treatments in the world's first Covid-19 "human challenge" study. They will have the virus squirted up their nose, then spend 14 days quarantining in hospital, while being closely monitored by a medical team and monitored/tested over the course of a year. They will be compensated. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-56097088 I find such work very heartening - another little ray of light towards our futures.

Danny, I’ve just seen this and I’m pleased that something very positive is happening. Your syndique sounds to be effective, not true of all syndiques. The advice given by LeHaut is exactly what I was about to give. I was a member of the conseil syndical of our apartment building for several years and dealt with many problems that the owners had to pay for collectively. The legal advice we were given was that any part of a building in joint ownership that could be seen by others was owned by all of us - the few private gardens and all balconies could be seen by other owners, so although they were for private use, they were jointly owned. The biggest problem we had was similar to yours but rather worse, as 3 apartments had extremely bad water damage. It was eventually put right by the insurers after a long battle over several years and the conseil syndical and syndique were key to that. Good luck. Reports on how it’s all progressing would be interesting for some of us, if you wouldn’t mind posting about it.

I feel very lucky to have had 1 dose of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine 5 weeks ago, also my husband, my 88 year old brother, neighbours and friends. It happened several weeks before I thought we’d be invited to attend for vaccination and I and they are perfectly content to wait up to 12 weeks for the second jab. Some friends in other areas had the Pfizer jab and have had 2 doses. None of us has gone out and about more than BJ (before jab!) nor intend to after our second, and we all stay at home apart from medical visits and exercise, with a few going to the supermarket once each week - the rest of us are very lucky to have home deliveries. We think we’re very fortunate to have had any vaccine and hope that everyone else will have theirs asap. It really has been a little ray of hope that there will be an end to this terrible pandemic and that everyone can meet again and hug - oh, how I wish I could hug our young granddaughters very soon!

That is so, Norman. Both episodes of this that I’ve heard of happened in France since there has been controversy about it in mainland Europe. No such events have occurred in the UK despite many thousands of medical staff having been vaccinated with the OAZ vaccine. The other episode I remember reading about was medical staff, young and fit, in a northern area of France who had such problems. It has been described as a ’nocebo’ effect. This is said to occur when negative expectations of the patient regarding a treatment cause the treatment to have a more negative effect than it otherwise would have. There are also such things as ‘hospital viruses’, which a nurse friend of mine has mentioned occasionally, when something rips through a team on a ward, but few others get it. It’s also possible that all those who have had the problem could have been in contact with people with Covid-19 or might even have had it in a mild form themselves. In which case it could be happening because they had high levels of antibodies. I had the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine 5 weeks ago, as did my husband and some neighbours. All of our neighbours and many friends have had the OAZ and friends in different areas had the Pfizer vaccine. Amongst us all there were various side effects such as sore arms, aching arms, stiff arms, redness around the vaccination sites, headaches, raised temperatures and fatigue. Nobody had all of those, some had none at all and more women had them than men. Several of us said effects were very similar to having the flu vaccine. The effects lasted from overnight to a few days. I’ve just realised that I don’t know what the equivalent system to the yellow card scheme in the UK for notifying side effects from drugs, vaccines etc. Can I assume it’s simply ‘carte jaune’? Some of you might be interested in this article about vaccine side effects in a US paper - unfortunately it carries some adverts: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/12/what-expect-when-you-get-covid-19-vaccine/617428/ Another article about having side effects following the second vaccination: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/02/second-vaccine-side-effects/617892/

I had some reactions from my first vaccination 5 weeks ago, similar to what I normally have after my annual flu jab. My husband had no reaction to the Covid vaccination and rarely does following the flu one. I understand that a reaction shows that the immune system is working well. Apparently more of a reaction can be expected following the second vaccination; interesting article on this: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/02/second-vaccine-side-effects/617892/

I agree so much about the taste of such things as tomatoes, so much more flavour when home grown. A friend in Beaune who runs/used to run a wonderful b&b (who knows in the future!) grows peaches against one of the garden walls, which she serves with her copious breakfasts. She has to be vigilant throughout the winter in case her fruit trees need fleece putting over them. So many years she’s almost been in tears because she’s not managed to save her fruit. Any thoughts of possibly buying in the area disappeared when we knew a bit more about how icy-cold their winters could be. For her it was home, she just had to be more vigilant; her husband is the last of a long line of vignerons and to live a few steps away from the centre of Beaune is wonderful.

Weegie, while pleased that you have your vaccinations lined up, I feel depressed for friends in France, at the so very long wait for most of them, regardless of age, it seems. Surely égalité in vaccinations should apply to our older friends wherever they live.

It’s ages since I came across jadis, yet a lovely word. A couple of times a year a man turned up with his stall at fairs in the main square. He had many boxes of old postcards from the local area, always interesting to rummage through them. I used to buy any that really appealed and sent them to friends to enjoy. I imagine he had vast numbers of boxes of old postcards from places all around France and made/added to his living each weekend travelling around hoping that nostalgia about the local area would appeal to enough people.

She sounds a game old lady! They do say that you have to be strong/determined/stubborn to grow old, but I’m sure that a good sense of humour must be in the mix somewhere.

I heard a little about it on R4 this morning and thought it sounded a wonderful find on both occasions. To realise that actual equivalent notes had been drilled in it made it seem so close in time to us - shivers down the spine time from so long ago!

Lori, you must both be feeling very relieved that the appointment has been cancelled. I couldn't help, but, echoing Norman, there’s a wealth of experience and info from members on here. All I could think of was to ring them up coughing and spluttering and say how ill you were feeling but that they should be OK as you’d wear a mask, in the hope that they’d be so frightened of catching Covid to even thinking of disturbing you! ?

I don’t like mussels at all; where I’m from in the north-east they came in jars, which my big brother loved, but which I thought were disgusting. I’ve never ever had any myself, fresh or in jars -which I imagine might have been pickled. When we were having lunch on the ferry one day when our elder son was about 7, he decided to have moules-frites. My husband ordered them too and showed him how to eat them. He loved them and ate with gusto: an English family went past and the mother told her son to look at the little French boy eating his bowl of mussels. Our son was so proud of himself to be taken for a French boy. ?

[quote user="idun"]With artichokes do you leaf nibble, dipping the leaf in vinaigrette first? And you end up as Coluche says[:D]: [/quote] Sorry if this quotation is as bad with Edge on my ipad as it always was with Chrome etc. I fiarst found that about artichokes on my very first visit to France in 1957 on a school exchange visit! I never cook and eat them, although do so happily if friends offer it when we have lunch or supper with them - but it happens very rarely. I do eat the stalk if it’s offered - which happens even more rarely! Actually, another food where there’s more left after eating than on serving is mussels - or maybe it’s because they are left less tidily when finished eating! ?

My pleasure, Norman. My husband and I, and most people I know, have had the OAZ vaccine, so rather longer to wait.

Hi Gardian, no sign of a Britline ad anywhere - I also use an ipad.

Norman, t’s good to read that you’ve had your first jab. Here in the UK, everyone I know who has had the Pfizer vaccine has either had their second jab already or has a firm date for it, around 3 weeks ahead. That’s probably about 30 people. Those of us who have had the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine haven’t yet had our second jab or a firm date. My GP, who vaccinated me, told me that he would ring at some point up to 12 weeks. I’m OK with that, as I won’t be changing anything I do/don’t do now - I rarely go outside our garden other than for my daily walk - weather permitting, as we’ve had snow followed by heavy rain all this week. I’m in group 3, over 75 to 79, and had my first jab almost 3 weeks ago, and our GP practice has moved on to vaccinating the over 70 group. So if Norman lived in our area he would have had it before me, quite a bit earlier. However, it depends on where you live, as my 88 year brother who lives about a 30 minute drive away only had his first jab 8 days ago, and had to be driven on an hour’s round trip. Some GP practices aren’t as efficient as ours and not all places started vaccinating at the same time.

‘ Deserving’ was my choice of word, Wooly, maybe not the most suitable. The official word was ‘priority’, used by The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation: Priority Risk groups 1 Residents in a care home for older adults and staff working in care homes for older adults 2 All those 80 years of age and over and frontline health and social care workers 3 All those 75 years of age and over 4 All those 70 years of age and over and clinically extremely vulnerable individuals (not including pregnant women and those under 16 years of age) 5 All those 65 years of age and over 6 Adults aged 16 to 65 years in an at-risk group (see clinical conditions below) 7 All those 60 years of age and over 8 All those 55 years of age and over 9 All those 50 years of age and over 10 Rest of the population (to be determined) Are vaccinations being held up for that reason? I’ve not read or heard that. But I feel it’s right to get well-known people being used in adverts to get more from those groups to go for their vaccinations when called, as they are at more risk, as seen in the deaths, just as white ‘personalities’ have been doing to try to get certain groups to be vaccinated. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, anti-vaxxers seem to have been successful at spreading that DNA will be altered, that parts of unborn babies (presumably aborted) are used. That sort of false story has been spread to many, regardless of position, colour, background, income etc. One of my French friends is adamant that she won’t have it, and has been sending links to such stories to us by email; she’s intelligent, caring, thoughtful, not ceprived and usually won’t accept b... s... .

Wooly, no not like with the flu vaccine. Covid vaccinations can’t be bought like that. It has to be done via GP surgeries, large and small vaccine hubs and now quite a lot of pharmacies, but done via fairly strict guidelines according to which group you’re in. We came into the group under my brother’s as he’s a few years older than me, but our GP practice was extremely efficient and got ahead, as did a few more places. Now supply has been held back in such places to allow those in the most deserving groups to catch up on vaccine protection.

It must be especially worrying for those of you particularly in France with elderly people in their families and/or whose health makes them vulnerable. Several French friends have commented about the lack of appointments. However, I was very worried about my brother, aged 88, who has some very serious health conditions, but had heard nothing about his vaccination date although some living locally and younger than him had had their first jab. We live in Berkshire and have a very caring and efficient GP surgery, which has steamed ahead - we’re 76 and had our first vaccination nearly 3 weeks ago. My brother lives in Hampshire and eventually had his first vaccination after my niece went on line and was jabs for him at Marlow and at Fleet! She drove him to Fleet, about an hour long round trip, so we’re all relieved that he’s rather safer, not that he or we go out and about or mix with anyone. The dispute between the EU and Astra Zeneca is worrying.

Wooly, I have vague (woolly?) memories of writing you used to put on here long ago.

Lori, very similar to my engineer husband, who changed horses to be a project planner later. He likes everything to be just so and to work out, but baking and cooking aren’t like that, are they. He used to expect that everything would behave as laid down in recipes. But he does have a few recipes he makes totally on his own, one of which he tried when I went out for lunch with girlfriends - remember those days, pre-Covid? He made so much that our son, who used to have his office in a spare bedroom in our house until Covid arrived, stayed to lunch, and there was still some pasta left over - and our son can eat for England! He also helps with other meals, and always does the main veg each day, which I really appreciate as prep often starts my back off aching. Both of our sons were domesticated by the time they left home, with a small range of recipes they could cook. I’m a believer in everyone being able to cope around the home even just a bit and it’s we females who need to teach them.

More rolls on the stomach! I don’t eat a lot of bread but I’m still getting a few of those! ? The loaves my husband made yesterday were made with a mixture of wholemeal flour, wholemeal spelt flour and strong white flour. They didn’t rise as well as usual but turned out OK, apart from 1 loaf sticking in the tin. are nice and light and tasty and he’s very pleased with them. Half of one loaf is in the bread bin and the rest is sliced and in the freezer.