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MollyUK's bio
Old but not yet finished. I appreciate jazz & classical music, art, literature, gardening & various crafts. I don't "do" pets, pop music, quizzes or manic tinsel shows. I'm compiling my family tree, which is boring for everyone but me. I like genuinely eccentric people (people who proudly call themselves eccentric, not so much). My guilty pleasure is crunchy chocolate spread eaten with a large spoon. My pet hate is the colour beige. -
MollyUK's latest comments
ViewDate:
18th Dec 2021
MollyUK commented on:
How to find anything on this sitecris1117, I know exactly what you mean! I'm getting to the point where I wonder whether there's much point in carrying on, as my posts too always seem to go out into the ether, never to be seen again! This of course also means that any people who reply to me will think I'm ignoring them, just because I can't get back to where I was to begin with.... I've just found a note to me completely by accident while I was searching for something else. I replied to her but I bet if I try to find our conversation again, it will have sloped off to The Land of The Lost Replies...ViewDate:
16th Dec 2021 MollyUK commented on:
New Member saying hello - [DELETED_MEMBER]Hi Kasbah, I'm Molly and also feeling isolated for various reasons. At this point, I wrote a mass of stuff about myself, which isn't really interesting or relevant to replying to your posting! All I really want to say is that your situation struck a chord with me. I like reading, writing, music, arts & crafts and gardening. If you'd like to talk with me now & again, I'd like that very much. I'm not sure how to communicate with members directly, so I'm leaving this on the public part of the site. All the best.ViewDate:
26th Nov 2021 MollyUK commented on:
Anyone interested in paranormal experiences?Not sure if this fits into your parameters, but my husband's deceased father is our go-to person whenever we mislay something. It started when we lost a ring of keys. Couldn't find them anywhere. Finally (for what reason, I have no idea) I said, "Come on, Dad, tell me where to look for the d*mn keys." Almost immediately I had an urge to look under the sofa. There they were. I'm pretty sure I'd already looked there, but won't swear to it. On its own, a coincidence. But this has happened ever since, in at least half a dozen cases of lost property. Maybe it's my subconscious "remembering" where I last saw the lost article, perhaps, perhaps. I don't tend to get excited about things that go bump in the night, but I am convinced that telepathy exists. But telepathy with a dead person? Hmmm.ViewDate:
26th Nov 2021 MollyUK commented on:
What do we know about the new Covid variant and how worried should we be?Is it just me, or is anyone else concerned that people arriving in the UK from the affected countries are being given a 2-day window to get back here without having to self-isolate? Surely that's 2 days' worth of potentially infected carriers coming in unchecked? If only one of those people passes on the virus, it will mean everyone in the UK will effectively be endangered. I must be missing something. Admittedly our government is lackadaisical over Covid restrictions but surely they can't be THAT stupid?ViewDate:
9th Oct 2021 MollyUK commented on:
Would you buy plants from eBay?As with anything else in life, you take your own risks when buying cheap stuff from amateurs. I've bought plants from E-Bay a dozen times or more, from seeds to plants in pots and have only (so far) bought a dud once. That plant was OK in the end, thanks to careful nurturing by yours truly - if the packaging had been suitable it would have been fine. So, for my money, it's worth the risk as long as you don't invest the family jewels in your order! Win some, lose some...ViewDate:
2nd Jul 2021 MollyUK commented on:
Am I weird or what?You've obviously developed antibodies to the super-virus that's been going around for several decades now - EgoHysteria-2ndMillennium. It's very damaging and, once caught, it's apparently impossible to get rid of. I have antibodies too, so I haven't found lockdown a huge problem either. I pity the tortured souls who have it - all that uncontrollable screaming, exploding tinsel bombs and pouting for selfie images (with all the social media "friends" they don't actually know). It's a terrible disease, poor loves. ;>ViewDate:
2nd Jul 2021 MollyUK commented on:
5 places to see amazing peonies right now in the UK and IrelandSadly, all my beautiful peonies are blown and gone now (lovely display while they lasted) so it's nice to see the pictures in this article, thanks.ViewDate:
2nd Jul 2021 MollyUK commented on:
Woman, 82, to launch into space five decades after Nasa trainingIf she can do it and get an insurance company to take her on, why not? I s'pose we can't all be like Mother Teresa and give away our spare dosh to charity....ViewDate:
11th Apr 2021 MollyUK commented on:
Even moderate amounts of bacon and red meat linked to bowel cancerHazel, so sorry to hear that. I too have been a vegetarian for several decades and I'm living proof that "going veggie" does NOT guarantee a long and healthy life! I stopped eating meat & fish because I've always hated the notion of eating corpses. As soon as I left home (away from mum's sausages, bacon & lard-fried bread!) I simply stopped eating what I didn't like. Then I started learning about animal husbandry & feeding methods and I defy anyone who knows about all that stuff to continue pushing the results down their throats! I also worked for a chemicals company for a time (don't even ask, I was desperate for a job at the time) and it doesn't surprise me in the least that processed meats are linked to cancer. Just reading the Hazardous Substances information on the process chemicals (additives which aid the manufacturing process) will make you run screaming out of the butcher's shop! OK, rant over. Hope all goes well for you, Hazel, and all others who are collateral damage in the war for profits.ViewDate:
10th Apr 2021 MollyUK commented on:
In Pictures: Duke of Edinburgh through the decadesThe great British public are laying down flowers in spite of the Queen's express request NOT to do so - so much for Great British patriotism and respect for the Monarch.ViewDate:
9th Apr 2021 MollyUK commented on:
In Pictures: Duke of Edinburgh through the decadesLooking forward to seeing how they'll achieve a state funeral with social distancing. Or maybe they'll be granted special dispensation to see their loved one off, unlike the rest of us.ViewDate:
8th Apr 2021 MollyUK commented on:
Morning from a silver-surfing Yorkshire lass who is spending too many days not speaking to anyone - but the walls.During the Covid crisis I have become very appreciative of my strong inner life. Always been the same since childhood - happy to be with people, but equally happy to be alone doing stuff I love: reading, writing, drawing, gardening, reading, craft work, listening to jazz & classical music, watching the old Smiley films, sticking my tongue out at the rain, oh and did I mention reading . . .? I feel low and somewhat isolated for a while every day but am soon back up and running because most of my interests are fairly solitary anyway. I feel so sorry these days for people who lack mental self-sufficiency. It must be horrendous for them, not even able to ask a friend round for a cuppa. Chins up, though, people. It could be SO much worse.ViewDate:
8th Apr 2021 MollyUK commented on:
Speakers Corner CommentsI don't think they want as little to do with the Royal family as possible. If they did, they would just get on with their so-called "independent" lives and stop referencing their every little gripe back to Mummy, Daddy, Nanny and Grandad. Leaving the nest behind (with all its pros & cons) is called growing up!ViewDate:
3rd Apr 2021 MollyUK commented on:
Seven tips for making friends in retirementOne thing I wish I hadn't done is move to a completely new place as soon as I retired. I didn't have a huge circle of local friends because I'd spent my entire life working in a different place from where I lived. I didn't imagine it would be much different if I moved somewhere else, but boy, was I wrong! By retirement age most people have set themselves into a nice comfortable little "clique" of friends, family and acquaintances, in a place they've lived in for years. They don't need new people. We are spoken of somewhat disdainfully as "incomers" and if we want to make new friends, we have to seek out other newcomers, which makes for a rather uncomfortable "them & us" local community. In my view, you just don't make solid friends when you're older, you have to do it when you're young, and then you have to stay within sight & sound of them. Don't move away! That's my considered opinion, take it or leave it. Have a happy holiday weekend, folks, whoever you're spending it with.ViewDate:
31st Mar 2021 MollyUK commented on:
St. Clements Drizzle CakeWhy is the picture for this recipe exactly the same as the recipe for Dad's Lemon Drizzle Cake? Are they related? I think we should be told. (All suitable acknowledgements to Private Eye.)ViewDate:
31st Mar 2021 MollyUK commented on:
Hello - brand new!I think it's mostly younger people who don't see anything wrong with using their phones during more intimate occasions (family dinner, eating out with friends or loved ones, etc). I heard a comedian the other day (I forget who - my apologies to the person concerned, but I am very old). He asked a younger person, "Why do you have to live on your phone?" The answer came, "It's the only place we CAN live." Although it was a kind of joke, it was also kind of true - young people find it hard to achieve the kind of lives that we old 'uns used to take for granted: a job that'll last and give us a pension (and possibly private health insurance), our own home we knew we would be able to pay for in time (because we had job contracts longer than 1-2 years) and so forth. Young people face a hard time these days - something we retirees might not fully understand. It's nobody's fault. But you hinted that it's an older person who's forgotten the rules of politeness - that's more tricky to understand and deal with. But, just as everything else changes through time, so do our "rules of engagement", and there's nothing much to stop older people simply going with the flow of change. Maybe that's what's happened with the person you spoke about? Sorry to be so long-winded - a problem I face (due to age or changing personality, who knows?) is the ability to talk succinctly, which maybe irritates other people the way I'm irritated by phone yattering.... Live and let live, then, I guess...ViewDate:
30th Mar 2021 MollyUK commented on:
Would you be happy with a driving curfew over the age of 70?Nobody is suggesting a curfew for teenagers with roaring hormones and underdeveloped judgement! Placing restrictions on people just because of their age isn't very sensible. Yes, we've all seen doddery old fools making a liability of themselves behind the wheel, but is that just because they're old, or is it just because they're fools? IMHO, hard & fast one-size-fits-all rules aren't really appropriate.ViewDate:
29th Mar 2021 MollyUK commented on:
Are you living where you always wanted to live?Before we retired, I said I'd never move up to be near his family (lovely family, terrible weather & backward community!). Yet here I am. If I could say one thing to young women, it would be: Don't become a camp follower (even if he's a lovely man, he probably won't really appreciate the sacrifice) and don't sideline yourself (other people will only too gladly do that for you if you let them). OK, I suppose that's strictly two things, but they amount to the same sense of having missed your own boat.ViewDate:
29th Mar 2021 MollyUK commented on:
Clever uses for duct tapeNEVER "hide" keys under the doormat or a plant pot! NEVER! It's the first place potential burglars will look. Agree a genuinely secret place with the rest of the household members and make it imaginative. In the middle of a jar full of nails in the shed, or whatever comes to mind that's (a) not obvious and (b) not easy to find.ViewDate:
29th Mar 2021 MollyUK commented on:
Natural fertilisers you can find in the kitchenI throw chopped banana skins onto the soil around my roses (the potassium is good for them). You can just put them into your normal compost bin, but the direct hit seems to work well on roses.ViewDate:
26th Mar 2021 MollyUK commented on:
Is sleeping in separate beds the beginning of the end?Dani, there used to be a long pillow thing you could lie next to in bed. Obviously it's no substitute but your subconscious might let you get a good night's sleep just feeling a solid shape beside you. Don't know if they're still available, but you could try a Google search, or Amazon. All the best to you.ViewDate:
26th Mar 2021 MollyUK commented on:
Is sleeping in separate beds the beginning of the end?Of course it is, but you don't need to do it all night, surely?ViewDate:
26th Mar 2021 MollyUK commented on:
Is sleeping in separate beds the beginning of the end?The beginning of the end is the first time you think you'd PREFER to sleep alone. However, if you have to sleep apart in order to get a good night's rest, that doesn't have to be the end of everything. In fact, "visiting" your partner in his bed (or vice versa) is kind of nice. OK, you have to go back to your own bed to sleep but nothing's perfect...ViewDate:
26th Mar 2021 MollyUK commented on:
Shallot and Potato CakeA nice recipe, although it wastes the potato skins. I prefer to re-fill the skins with the mixture & bake individually.ViewDate:
22nd Mar 2021 MollyUK commented on:
What book are you currently reading?I'm just about to start reading 'What You Want' by Constantine Phipps. It's not your conventional novel (300 pages written entirely in rhyming couplets) but the theme is same-old-same-old (man tries to forge new life after separation from his wife). Apparently there's every influence under the sun in this book (as one review says, "from Dante to Disney") so wish me luck, people. Cover me, Tex, I'm goin' in . . . .ViewDate:
21st Mar 2021 MollyUK commented on:
Climbing Plant Advice/SuggstionsHi Bricktop. Probably a better bet to put hedging in, because climbers by their very nature tend to go upwards rather than bushing out to provide privacy. Also I think most decent climbers tend to be deciduous and you'd want something that keeps its foliage all year round. Cotoneaster comes to mind, although it can take a while to get high enough. Try Googling "perennial hedging shrubs" and include your geographical location if possible. Whatever you do, I'd advise you to AVOID cupressa leylandii - you do get privacy but it's a thug that just keeps on growing (upwards and outwards), giving you an annual pruning marathon - it's one of the biggest bones of contention between neighbours!ViewDate:
19th Mar 2021 MollyUK commented on:
Side effects of The Jab?Leadfoot82, loved your doctor's comment that all humans are like snowflakes - I believe that's American-speak for what we call "nutcases" here in the UK. Yes, welcome to the green planet, populated by snowflakes. That's made my day.ViewDate:
14th Mar 2021 MollyUK commented on:
What's next after 51 years of happy marriage?Hi Arvee, you mentioned that you're a Vietnam vet -- are you American? If so, I'd be happy to hear what you think about American life, as my degree subject was American Studies (you don't always get a true picture from books, so I like talking with my American friends to get an idea of what's happening there now). I'm British, by the way. A happily-married woman so not looking for romance. Polite, respectful friendship is good!ViewDate:
14th Mar 2021 MollyUK commented on:
Just Joined and feeling a bit lonelyI am 73 years old too, with no children or grandchildren. I've battled loneliness many times but have come to the conclusion that the cure for it is to be interested in other people. I've spent my share of thinking, "I'm lonely, please talk to me." It doesn't really work that way round. People don't generally come knocking on your door, you have to make the effort to go out. You've already done that by posting your comment. I'd be happy to talk with you. If you find any of my interests, er, interesting, don't hesitate to send a reply. Music (mostly jazz & classical) Art (mostly painting & sculpture, don't quite "get" installations & factory-art) Cooking ( vegetarian dishes, baking, preserving) Making do & mending (food, clothes, gardening, upcycling, trying to avoid plastic packaging, etc) Reading (fiction & nonfiction, not so much blockbusters or chick-lit) Theatre, drama, ballet (on DVD/TV currently, but let's hope the theatres open again soon) Writing fiction (not poetry -- I'm a lousy poet and DO know it!) Love to hear about things I don't already have an interest in (as long as it isn't sport). Anything to interest you there? Love to hear from you.ViewDate:
14th Mar 2021 MollyUK commented on:
Thinking of moving to a new town on my ownI've done it several times and intend to do it again if my darling husband pops his clogs before I do. However, as with everything else in life, there are pluses and minuses to burning a bridge behind you. First, of course, you have to start again with getting to know the people, the area, facilities, etc. To me, that's heaven as I love the adventure! But I suspect many people would feel lonely and isolated very quickly - especially, I'd hazard to say, someone who's never totally "left home" before. Realistically, we have to accept that people we leave behind are going to forget us (and, sadly, some will even be resentful that you had the courage to go and they didn't). That's hard to accept but, with a lot of people, if you're out of their daily eye-range, you eventually slip off their radar altogether. Most pre-existing circles of people don't tend to joyfully hug new incomers to their bosom as though you're a long-lost sister. They will stand back and size you up, maybe for years, wondering whether the fact that you're "not like them" will cause problems. A small example: the first time my fiance took me to meet my mother-in-law-to-be, from a tiny village in Shropshire, she asked the vicar what she should give me to eat, as she had never had a Londoner in her house before. Weird but true. Golden Rule -- don't choose a close-knit area where neighbours act like each other's extended families and know everyone else's business. It looks cosy on the outside but there are layers of social interaction to that kind of place which can be very painful for an incomer. They may treat you with enormous kindness and they may seem welcoming, but it is the kind of welcome that people give to strangers ("Nice to meet you, when are you leaving?"). If there are lots of other incomers (preferably from very diverse origins) this needn't be a big problem as there'll be plenty of folks in the same boat. But, from personal experience, I'd say that incomers can feel very much out on a limb in a small close-knit community. Big towns and even cities have much more to offer in terms of new interests and people who aren't afraid of change. I agree with granpa100's comments, absolutely. If you really want a new life, there's nothing stopping you but your own attitudes. Work out what you really feel about it and if you decide to move, you go girl! Good luck and happy adventuring!ViewDate:
14th Mar 2021 MollyUK commented on:
Looking for some new friendsHi Michellex, hope you find someone to talk with. I've found this site less than useful in that regard. Whenever I find something interesting, it usually seems as though I've missed the boat as it's ages old with hardly any replies! I'm not convinced that many people use this website, but I'll keep pegging away for a while. Good luck to you.ViewDate:
14th Mar 2021 MollyUK commented on:
Vicar Of Dibley star Trevor Peacock dies aged 89Sad to hear it. Lovely man, gave pleasure to many. RIP.ViewDate:
14th Mar 2021 MollyUK commented on:
Eggy Bread with Creamy Mushrooms & Crispy ShallotsI had some cream cheese, mushrooms & day-old bread to use up. There were also a few tubs of raw shallots in the freezer from last year's harvest. Your recipe was very serendipitous, thanks!ViewDate:
22nd Feb 2021 MollyUK commented on:
Older grandchildren who never say Thank Your for Christmas or Birthday chequesI've never NOT received a thankyou note from the younger members of my family. Clearly, your grandchildren were either never brought up to say thankyou in the first place (in which case, have a quiet word with your sons/daughters) or they've forgotten and need a gentle reminder (in which case, have a quiet word with your sons/daughters) . . .ViewDate:
10th Feb 2021 MollyUK commented on:
Do you think Camilla should be crowned queen?When all's said and done, what is allowable now in our society isn't really the point, because being a Queen is not the same as being a common forelock-tugger like you and me, because we are never going to be married to the Head of our country. However, one day (like his mother) Charles will be Head of the Church, which traditionally has not allowed Monarchs to marry divorcees. (Remember what happened to Edward & Mrs Simpson and, just lately, to Harry & Meghan? It's gullible to imagine that moving abroad was all their own idea - they didn't fit into the Firm, so they had to go.) It'll be interesting to see which way the Church falls when it comes to deciding about Charles and Camilla's status. What Camilla gets to wear on her head is hardly the point now - the heir's divorce and re-marriage have already been blessed by the Church. Our opinions on whether or not they should be "allowed" to be King & Queen are redundant, since the Church has clearly already caved in. The real question is "Just how much should the Royals be allowed to kick the backside out of the country that keeps them?"ViewDate:
25th Dec 2020 MollyUK commented on:
Should we pick chicken over turkey this Christmas?Better for you, maybe, but not for the birds.ViewDate:
25th Dec 2020 MollyUK commented on:
Should we pick chicken over turkey this Christmas?When I was a kid, chicken was rarely affordable. Then came battery farms, from which the world has not recovered, and may be never will. Few people now turn a hair at the idea of food manufacturers (yes, they manufacture, they don't cook) who turn out fast food-like imitations under the illusion of feeding the world. Turley of chicken? Don't make me go Pshaw at such a puerile question. Puh-lease.ViewDate:
21st Dec 2020 MollyUK commented on:
What are your views on TV Charity Begging Adverts?Ignore all begging TV ads, flyers and letters in the post. Pick out a charity you want to support (there are plenty out there) and stick to it. Each Christmas, and maybe through the year when you can afford to, send donations to 3 charities you really think are worthwhile. You'll be able to make a reasonably good donation to each, based on the dribs & drabs you might have given in response to all the random advertised begging you've been targeted by. You'll still be helping out but you can thumb your nose at the pointing finger of guilt all those carefully contrived ads try to shoot you with.ViewDate:
21st Dec 2020 MollyUK commented on:
Clever uses for Fairy liquidClean your spectacles with it! Put a tiny dot of washing-up liquid on each lens. Rub all over, both sides, with your fingers. Run under the tap to rinse off, then polish dry with a clean cloth. It beats those specialist cleaning liquids and is MUCH cheaper!ViewDate:
19th Dec 2020 MollyUK commented on:
Vegan friendly ChristmasI've been a vegetarian for 35+ years and have found that there simply is NO vegan alternative which looks, tastes and behaves like meat. My answer is simple: stop trying to replicate meat! What's the logic behind that anyway? If you want to eat meat, then eat it. Vegans & vegetarians don't have to be given meat look-alikes in order to eat well and enjoyably. I have the full Christmas dinner, leaving the meat out, including vegan Yorkshires, meat-free stuffing and nut-based pigs-not-in-blankets. Don't look at it as a difficulty, but as an opportunity to be creative and imaginative. Works for me, anyway. -
MollyUK's latest showcase activity
Approved3 Comments22/11/2020 15:29:05Gallery SubmissionI\'ve been making crocheted DK blankets during the Covid crisis, for sale at our local day centre... -
MollyUK's latest forum subjects
View subject Posts: 1 MollyUK, 20/12/2021 18:09:43 started a new subject:
How do I deal with this difficult friend?View subject Posts: 5 MollyUK, 09/04/2021 15:41:29 started a new subject:
What is your go-to comfort snack?View subject Posts: 6 MollyUK, 21/12/2020 20:43:57 started a new subject:
People who make no effort when buying giftsView subject Posts: 0 MollyUK, 27/07/2020 11:49:54 started a new subject:
Not life-or-death but is there an effective feather duster out there?View subject Posts: 2 MollyUK, 19/04/2020 19:56:37 started a new subject:
JAZZ and/or CLASSICAL – What are your most striking concert memories? -
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