Gardengirl

Yes, I have had those, interesting to add in extras like that, as people’s activities alter. With so many participants their research must be very comprehensive. We haven’t been outdoors (apart from in our garden) since we started to take part in the study, but expect to do so as time goes on. Including such activities must be important; nobody can know if they have been close to someone with the virus but asymptomatic, so it all adds to the body of research. Have you watched the very interesting video with Professor Tim Spector and Jonathan Wolf discussing results so far?

Anyone in the UK can help research each day, with results being fed in to the government, NHS and Kings College research team through an app: https://covid.joinzoe.com/ I’m perfectly healthy, as is my husband, but we report in daily - a message pops up at some point in the day if you forget; our apps are on the front page of favourites. They do ask fir donations on the ‘done’ page; I’ve donated once so far, as I really feel that this research is going somewhere.

Ha, Idun! A friend calls them f...ichokes! ? On first trying them I thought they might be like ginger and was sadly disappointed! I think ordinary artichokes are also a waste of space - well, they actually take up more space when you’re finished than they did before starting to eat, and you have to work for it! I first tried artichokes on a school exchange to St Nazaire, aged 13, following a long coach journey from the NE of England to the south coast, a very rough Channel crossing, when I was seasick all night, then 2 train legs before arriving. We sat down to dinner en famille and had artichokes and oysters as starters - I can hardly think of any worse starters than those after such a journey - plus none of us could communicate! I’d never had either of them, have never had oysters since and only eat artichokes if friends serve them - I never buy them or order them in restaurants.

Thank you for this reminder, Wooly, we’re all so concerned about what’s going on with C-19 that it could slip our minds. RIP

Your walk sounds a good way to shake your brain about, Mint. Interesting about the néflier, which I didn’t know, so your brain-wakening walk had taught me a new word too. It’s a bit like parsnips - they were regarded as animal feed in France not so long ago, but they are not only on sale in greengrocers, but on menus, or were in winter.

I wouldn't worry about it, Alan - he knows you’re a foreigner and probably thinks you do well to communicate in another language. French friends are quick to appreciate foreigners who try to use French, however poor their skills, and are quick to say so. However, I met some of them when they came to AVF English sessions I took and were emphatic that their English was awful! As did the vast majority of my pupils, regardless of what I said.

An interesting thread, ericd. I’ve always put my vague location on forums and always put it as Berkshire/Gard or Gard/Berkshire, depending on which location I’m in at the time. I don’t imagine many people here would be much wiser if I put actual place names, but as I’m on a couple of other forums and know that some posters on here also inhabit them, I’m not keen on being more specific on any forum. That’s mainly because where we live in France is a small town, where I’m known to many people because of the associations I’m a member of. I would hate to think that I would get better treatment in restaurants etc because of being known as a poster on one of the other threads, where I’m trusted when giving opinions and recommendations. If I still lived in Sunderland, where I was born and lived until I went to college, I’d be happy to put that for all to see as it’s such a big place. Having reread my post, I’ve talked myself into putting our nearest town in the UK as it’s quite a big area but I’ll leave Gard for my location in France.

Excellent that your social whirl is picking up ? One day we’ll have some entries in our diaries too, such as our grandgirls’ sleepovers rather than just our grocery delivery dates! My husband actually started the ball rolling today, had an emergency appointment with a podiatrist - the first person either of us has been close to, other than our family and next door neighbours across the drive and neighbours across the road when out clapping on Thursday evenings. Really good that you’ve got dates from the hospital - just behave yourself, no virus allowed near you! ?

It sounds as though it would suit me very well, Norman, and our tastes are similar - the only reason I didn’t choose the strawberry starter is because I’m allergic to strawberries. We won’t be able to return to our apartment for quite some time yet, and it might be a bit far for a day trip, but you never know..............

Lucky you, Idun. We were forecast to have rain from about 06h, heavy around lunchtime; it later became 16h but never arrived and now it’s disappeared. Very disappointing as I was very much looking forward to it ; I’d even moved little tomato plants and newly-planted pots under the eaves for protection. What’s the opposite of a wash out?

I don’t know where the sad face in the title came from, but it won’t go away! I’ve been reading an article about modifying how people speak to protect one another from the spread of C-19, explained by médéric Gasquet-Cyrus from Aix-Marseille University. As there’s a paywall, I’m putting most of the article here: “With tongue positioned somewhat in cheek, linguists have been studying the problem of how the way we speak can help cut down the risk of spreading droplets, in French called gouttelettes or (especially for the larger ones most likely to contain the virus) postillons. It is well known that a cough or sneeze can violently project droplets out of the mouth, but it also happens to a lesser extent during speech, especially if you use a lot of consonants, researchers say. This is especially the case for the ‘plosive’ consonants, such as ‘b’ and ‘p’ explains a linguist from Aix-Marseille University, Médéric Gasquet-Cyrus, in a video made for France Bleu Provence. This is because contrary to vowels, where the sound is made in the throat and comes out of the mouth or nose without obstruction, in these sounds the lips block the airflow and then it is pushed out again with additional force. The speech of the typical Marseille resident is notably risky says Dr Gasquet-Cyrus, as it typically involves copious use of words such as putain! [popular swear word meaning ‘prostitute’]. Hence saying something like “Putain! C’est pas possible!” [roughly, "oh for ****’s sake"], is especially dangerous, he explains. Rather than this word you should go for more polite options, like flute or even better zut, which obstruct the air less violently, he says. You should also in general avoid insulting people and speaking too loudly, he advises. Speaking gently has also been recommended by an American team from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), who used a laser to pick up on the number of droplets expelled into the air by repeating the phrase ‘stay healthy’ in a loud voice. They found that speaking loudly could generate 1,000 droplets per minute, which could stay suspended in the air for at least eight minutes in an enclosed space.”

Very difficult to choose, Norman - what did you opt for? I would have gone for the magret salad, the vegetarian moussaka and lemon tartlet. However, I often can’t manage to eat 3 courses, however tempting, so it would be the moussaka followed by lemon tartlet - I adore lemon tart. I’ve been ordering Sicilian lemon tart from Waitrose most weekends in my weekly delivery, really delicious. They do a smaller size non-Sicilian, cheaper, not quite as delicious but still very good, but we eat a sixth each of the bigger one, spreading it out over more meals, but a quarter of the smaller one - so it must be less greedy! ? Angela, it sounds lovely. Some of our favourite country pubs are doing take away menus, but most are too far away for home delivery, plus we are still self-isolating, but we would like to have supported them.

I have plenty of winter nightwear here, but only 1 cool nightdress, the rest are all in France. That happens with other clothes, but that us just silly. I sent for a some nightdresses from M&S a couple of weeks ago and they are awful; just as well they have extended their returns limit. Mint, if I fancied indulging myself with some lovely nightwear, there are a few I like at David Nieper: https://www.davidnieper.co.uk/luxury-ladies-nightwear/nightdresses-and-nightshirts.html?dntv=brand&gclid=CjwKCAjwiMj2BRBFEiwAYfTbCrKLwRmBWdslapKIA_IyzOCtFbNopeYSBFUCfkX3p1WtV-QGq1uYhhoCw_0QAvD_BwE

We’re into our 12th week of self-isolating here in Berkshire and it’s very difficult to tell one day from another, never mind each week. On Tuesdays we have to remember to put the rubbish and kerbside recycling out (no glass though!), every other Thursday we put the brown bin out with the green waste, and up to this Thursday we went out to clap for carers, so those days have stood out. The clapping was one of the 2 highlights of the week, as we went to the wall of our front garden, clapped, waved to neighbours who were out clapping and had a brief chat to our next door neighbours across the hedge. The other highlight of the week is our Waitrose delivery with our supplies of food, booze etc. I’ve mostly managed to book Saturdays; quite exciting to read early on Saturday morning what they don’t have in stock and what substitutions they’ve made. Today no organic broccoli or salmon fillets, and they substituted Charlie Bigham’s fish pie as they had no Waitrose fish pie. It’s the only day we have a newspaper (free if you choose one of the right titles) and it is very well read. Thank goodness my husband and I get on really well and don’t go in for shows, cinema visits, pubs etc and are quite happy pottering or sitting in the shade of the old apple trees in the garden, especially during these weeks of lovely sunny weather. I can’t imagine anything worse in this mini-lockdown here than not getting on well with your other half, possibly even mental or physical abuse and perhaps not having a house to yourselves, the lot of so many, and no garden or even a balcony. We’re content with our current unusual life and plan to continue for quite a while yet, although my husband will be venturing out to see the podiatrist on Thursday as his feet are extremely painful. He should have gone the week we started self-isolating and usually has them done every 6 weeks or so. He’s being seen as an emergency, has to wait in the car until he’s called in, his temperature will be taken before he enters the clinic and must use hand gel before entering and leaving and has to wear a mask. Sensible precautions. Chessfou2, your 2 visits must have given you a boost. Enjoy your haircut next week, Judith, a good boost for you too. Lori, your walks sound lovely and your clothes-drying session sounds an excellent idea. Things seem to be coming together nicely for your move. We have hair appointments for mid-July; mine was last cut in mid-January due to a stomach upset the day it was due in March, and then we started self-isolating , so it’s going to be very long after 6 months! We visited Alan’s salons for years before he decided to only do home visits; if it meant a visit to a salon I wouldn’t be doing that. He’s going to be wearing a mask and using hand gel - a bit tricky to do fine cutting in gloves, I think.

I knew réouverture, as it appears in signs at shops after holidays etc, but only recently started seeing and hearing rouvrir. It looked and sounded wrong, but now has become commonplace, so much is reopening at this time. As you say, Mint, once we’re aware of words they pop up all over the place. For some reason, jurisprudence sticks in my mind, not having a clue what it meant the first time I read it. You wouldn't think it occurs very often, but over the following few weeks it turned up all over the place, but I don’t see it/notice it these days. Maybe my reading habits have changed...............

Mint, Michal Gove spoke very earnestly about doing that very thing himself on the Today programme earlier this week. I wonder how many others there are in the country who would even think of behaving so stupidly. On their wives’ birthdays or any other time. What an extremely lame lie from The Liar.

An interesting breakdown of Cummings’ statement at the weekend by a trained commentator on legal matters for the Financial times. It lasts 25 minutes - I started it and had to leave it until I could give it my attention for that amount of time; there’s nothing earth-shattering, but I found it fascinating. There’s no pay wall: https://www.ft.com/video/e82b5a00-3ad5-4d2c-9703-ff14942aa5b1 Sorry, you’ll need to cut and paste it.

He sounds lovely, Wooly - can you put a photo up?

He might still be the around at Christmas: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=teAMJubOCQs Sorry, I can’t make the link live.

Thank you, Norman, I like that VERY much! Happy birthday Dillie Keane.

My first thought was it’s a cross between a Bunnygirl club symbol crossed with the UK National Lottery symbol in girly pink.

Your wish is my command, Chesssie - using my ipad ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ??

I imagine a pantechnicon would be needed even if a cash purchase could be made these days! ?

Good news that you’ve found some of the lost documents and mail, Chessie, but as you say, no doubt new hiding places will be used in future. A good idea to collect together useful items that just might go missing - you need some secure hiding places too. Yes, do get in touch with support groups, there’ll be nothing new you can tell them, and you need to have support at your back. Keep in touch, Chessie, you have a lot of friends on here.

Rotten isn’t he!? Having me drooling is so mean! ? We do so miss it all, G, but we’ll have to be patient and wait for next spring. We did have fine asparagus for lunch today, delivered by Mr Waitrose. Not as fine as we know it though, and £3 for 220g, on offer instead of £5. We have a Waitrose delivery every Saturday - not quite like Uzès or St Quentin market, of course. But a tiny bit like it - unsure quite what we’ll buy at the market, we don’t know what exactly will be in our Waitrose delivery until their email arrives at about 08h. Today there was no fresh salmon, Maltesers or their own brand lemonade. Last week there were no frozen peas. It will be extremely odd when we do finally go to the shops eventually.