Weds 30 Oct 2024 post begun 2334GMT

Right, so the UK clocks have gone back but US ones have not. Makes scheduling phone calls a bit tricky especially since newest granddaughter has been in a US Level3 NICU since a half hour after birth. My son is over the moon about having a daughter and walking around in a happy daze while my dil is coping with having to travel two hours to be with the wee lass and two hours back so she can spend some time with their son (just turned three). She had to have an emergency C-section so riding in a car is not her idea of a great way to spend the day. 

Meanwhile the scramble is on to assemble a preemie layette including nappies - say what you will about Amazon but you have to admit when it's crunch time, Amazon comes through. Baby wasn't due until 15th November and was estimated (by the OB-GYN) to arrive weighing between 7-8lbs. The grand and great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, besties have been delivering no end of things - and not one thing small enough to diaper and clothe a preemie. Seriously, Amazon is a life-saver. I am especially grateful I can use Amazon USA from the comfort of my UK living room to send birthday presents and infant supplies.

Meanwhile on my UK home-front, between sending preemie nappies and onesies and sleep sacs to the newest granddaughter in America, I've had to replace ALL my black plastic (nylon and silicone and yeah I had a lot of it) kitchen utensils because the news filtered across the Pond the black plastic material is TOXIC owing to the recycled materials it is made with and that includes the spatulas used to stir a pot of beef stew bubbling on the hob AND stir raisins into the oatmeal biscuit mix, DAMMIT! Black plastic is toxic because hot or cold use, the toxins leach into whatever food it comes into contact with.

I JUST BLOODY BOUGHT THOSE!! OK, what happened was I discovered, two years ago, hand washing my wood spoons was futile, who knew how disgusting wooden spoons are, ffs?! Some bright spark put her wooden spoons that looked spotless in a pot of boiling water and honestly seeing that video nearly had me throwing up. 

Most of my cook and bakeware is stainless steel but my vitreous enamel and My Precious, er, I mean my Cuisinart 5-in-1, have to be used ONLY with nylon or silicone utensils. 

In 2022 I replaced ALL my kitchen utensils with 'black plastic' and thought I was Kitchen Queen 2022. 

 

When Amazon delivers my 14pc set of RED silicone kitchen utensils, I hope to have the decency to avoid thinking myself Kitchen Queen 2024 because bloody hell knows how long it will be before red silicone is found to be as toxic as black. 

Hopefully newest grand will be home from NICU by early next week. She's holding her own, off all the tubes and CPAP and O2 and... She's only lost 2oz since her arrival four days ago, her lab work is good. She was under the blue light for jaundice but should be out from under in a few hours. 

Posted 31 Oct 0022hrsGMT