Soop's welcoming kitchen!

Really lousy weather today! Even my very hardy gardener didn't feel like venturing out. Yesterday my sister arrived from NZ - seven hours late because Emirates missed her connection at Dubai. However, she had an upgrade and was able to have a shower and relax. She is now sleeping off her jet lag! According to the forecast she has a dreich week ahead of her and I hope there will be an improvement by the time she reaches Scotland next week. It's good to sit and chat with someone with whom I have so much in common. Despite the geographical distance between us, we do have very similar tastes.

annodomini For your sake I trust that both you and your sister have a good many days of sunshine. If I could bottle some of Kintyre's and post it on to you, I would. I've always wanted to visit New Zealand. My youngest son has travelled around the world [he used to work for the Lonely Planet] and he loved NZ. Was it there that Lord of The Rings was filmed? Marvellous dramatic mountainous scenery.

soop picture up. I made double cake so here's one for all of you. Still warm from the oven. Didn't get round to shortbread as time was too short!

soop "A lovely warm sunny afternoon"

It is dull, grey and very cold indeed in Cheshire. It has hardly stopped drizzling here all day, I also put the heating on in the middle of the day.

As my weather website says actual temp 6degC "Real feel 2degC"

So I am staying by your fire in the warm. Eating Galens cake

Nellie dear... and a glorious sunny morning. The sea is almost flat and a beautiful shade of turquoise blue. The sky is almost cloudless. Wish that I could spirit you in my direction. We could have coffee and shortbread on the terrace patio paved area.

Galen I shall take a look at your photo. I'm betting that your cake smells delicious...and tastes even more so.

I found a super photo of you with your trusty bow. You look wonderful in purple. A favourite colour of mine. Where is the pram blanket? Is it on another thread?

soop, yes, the Lord of the Rings was filmed in NZ and the scenery is magnificent. But shall I tell you a secret? Shh, keep this quiet ... I prefer Scotland, with its wonderful variety of lochs, glens and bens and I am quite envious of your lovely home on Kintyre.

Trouble with lovely Spring sunshine is that it shows up the dust, smeary windows etc.
I'm trying to be a new broom and sweep clean
Popped in for a sit down and a slice of whatever is going.... I haven't been inspired to bake for ages.
Thinking about the sun again, it must be almost over the yardarm, so I'll just open a bottle to share.

anno We've been to Campbeltown. The 24 mile drive is in mostly beside the sea. The day is sunny. The islands of the inner Hebrides are magnificent. So yes...Scotland is magical. We treated ourselves to a latte and wee dram in the Royal Hotel overlooking the famous Campbeltown Loch. Couldn't be happier

OGM ...the sunshine also highlights paint work that needs refreshing. Our bench - in bits in the loft, needs rubbing down and a coat of white gloss before it's respectable enough to be parked outside the window. I'm trying my best to lose a few pounds of weight in readiness for the trip to see the wee man. Cake is officially off my list of "needs"...doesn't stop me eying the freshly baked offerings in the Royal...but, resist I did.

Talking of cake ..... Had a call from DD3 to tell me our poodle had got into the fridge whilst she was at work and had eaten the better part of a chocolate birthday cake. She had to take him to the vet where he has been on a drip and has been given pills to take. There's always something to worry about.

Today is my sister's birthday. She had to go for blood tests and starts chemo on Tuesday. It will be twice a week and they say she will feel very unwell. She is wondering if it is worth it, bless her.

Glad you enjoyed your trip out soop

for you and your sister, bellasnana.

Had our cousin from Wirral over for lunch today - good to catch up the family news and she showed us some wonderful photographs from her travels around the world. Sister is apparently over her jet lag!

And here is some chocolate cake that didn't get eaten at lunch time. Dig in, everyone!

Lots of ((HUGS)) & xxxx "S
for you and your sister , Bella

Bellasnana for you and your sister.
Twice a week is relentless and horrible. My friend has just finished a 12 week course, during which she had to sit for two hours with hands and feet in icepacks every time.
Anything you can do to help or comfort seems just so, well useless really.

Bellasnana I'm so sorry to hear that you have more worries to contend with. My thoughts are with you and your dear sister.

Naughty anno...are you certain that the cake is calorie free? I'm feeling peckish at the moment.

Lona Our lovely friend [next door] who was married just a few months ago, has been diagnosed with lung cancer. It's very difficult to find the right words when asking after her. She was a passenger in her own car that was written off in an accident very recently. She has injured the base of her spine. Her cancer treatment is on hold until she recovers.

Nonu and bags

So sorry to hear about your friend Soop, I do so hope that treatment will be effective for her.

Hello from a very windy and chilly bonnie Kintyre. We went for our daily stroll and were blown around the village. My ear [the one without a hearing aid] aches. MacSporran's eyes are all watery. Rory remained indoors. It was such a pleasure to return to our cosy wee home.

Thank you for your kind words, number...before our friend married our lovely neighbour, she was constantly back and forth to her local village GP with a very troublesome cough. As she is asthmatic, her treatment continued to be for asthma. After she moved next door, she went to the surgery that caters for the local community. The GP immediately sent her for an X-ray. The result was lung cancer. She was referred to an Oncologist and has already spent a full week having radiotherapy in Glasgow. Then she was injured in an accident that has written off her car. She has faced other tragedies in her life and remains a very positive lady. Thank goodness.

Now for a pot of piping hot coffee. Wish you share with me.

Another Saturday. Doesn't time fly...am just dropping in with a freshly baked bought batch of Scottish shortbread. Pot of coffee ready.

Although it is still damp outside, it isn't quite as cold as yesterday. Been wishing a happy birthday to MacSporran's sister who lives in Australia. She has been standing in the garden, in the rain...the first shower since December!

I know, it has taken me a long time to come to the conclusion that the weather in this country is crazy. This time yesterday I was indoors with the central heating on. Today, I have just returned from shopping, opened the French doors as the sun is shining and it is at least 20C here. Tomorrow will be similar.

Tara is in and out like the proverbial yo-yo, loving it as I am nearby to rescue her if another cat strays into her garden.

She was having supper last night, stopped off to be sick on my large rug and then returned to her food. Luckily for her the rug is being cleaned this Monday!

Can I help myself to some shortbread to have with my hot chocolate please soop? As you may gather (ha ha), I am on the 2 part of the 2:5 today but have dropped by the wayside already. It is soooo cold outside - I have the heating on full blast and need some comfort food.
I have just received some lovely roses from middlest DD in Sydney to go with the spring bouquet from youngest DD which arrived yesterday. I also have a parcel to open from biggest DD but am keeping it for tomorrow. I am so blessed to have such lovely relationships with all my girls and send to everyone who is not so lucky.
I am trying to keep busy as it's spend-it-alone weekend yet again. Tonight I am again dressing up as a pirate for the 2nd night of our Youth Theatre's production of Long 'Joan' Silver. Great excitement as the writer of the play will be there - all the way from the US.
Such sad news of your neighbour soop. Some people have so many problems thrown at them, it seems so unfair.

Dear Charleygirl...and two or three days ago, we were taking afternoon tea in the garden. Today, we'll be lighting the fire. As you say, it's crazy old weather. Rory is already taking up his post close to the oven. He knows that it's Saturday. He knows that chicken will be roasting [late afternoon]. He knows that he'll be first served. Shall we both come back as our cats? Not a bad life...

Gally lovely to have you call in. I gave up the 5:2 diet. Instead of which, I'm eating my porridge and banana at breakfast and just an apple for lunch. Evening meal is same as per but I forego a pud. Three and a half weeks later - I'm about 7lbs lighter. I do not have scales. I just know that my tum is flatter and I can get into a favourite pair of jeans without a huffin' struggle. Forgot to mention that I also ride on my exercise bike at least once daily. 15 mins burns off 100 calories [according to the thingy that monitors heart rate and such]. By the time we attend wee man's party, I shall be a lot happier with my shape.
I'm so happy to hear that your girls are spoiling you. You deserve it. And - I'm very pleased that you're preparing to venture out tonight as a pirate. Good for you. Have lots of fun.

soop we will have to be very picky re the houses we choose as not everybody are total idiots like us. Tara is not allowed and anyway she is not interested in treats. I do not mind her stealing -tasting- some curry which she loves.

I thought that Tara would sit outside and sunbathe but as I was not there she retired to bed. She will be fresh as a daisy when I want to have supper and watch TV.

Charleygirl as we're both aware, cats only do what they choose to do...I wonder whether that says a certain something about cat lovers - as opposed to dog lovers. Imagine, if you can, how we'd feel if Tara or Rory was to dash over to meet us and make a huge fuss of the fact that we had returned home. We're lucky if Rory part-opens a sleepy eye. As for your Tara liking curry...well, that's what I call exotic.
Tortoiseshell hasn't called for at least a week. The other evening, when the sensor light was triggered, I rushed to the window expecting to see her on the kennel roof. It wasn't Tortoiseshell...it was mother cat who we haven't seen for a very long time. She waited for me to place the food in the usual place. As I closed the door, she was there in the blink of an eye. She is such a pretty cat. Naturally, Rory was beyond caring.

I'm logging off until tomorrow. I hope that my Granspals have a very restful Saturday evening. I shall return tomorrow to find out how Gally's pirate evening went. I would love to see a photo of her all dressed up.

soop Tara has two personalities. One day she will be fast asleep on my bed and will not open an eye when I return home. Another day she comes running across the road to meet my car. When I open the door she will even hop in and this is an animal who hates the car because of its association with the vet. Admittedly the cat basket is upstairs, she is bright and will have sussed that all is okay and mum has come home to make a fuss of her.

The heating is on here again, it is cold this evening. I must remember to put the clocks forward an hour when I go to bed.