Soop's welcoming kitchen!

Thanks for the reminder Charleygirl I think my DAB bedside clock changes automatically, but what if I am wrong? That will sure mess up the day. The shortbread is delicious soop. Scottish Shortbread is the best!

Sorry it`s not very warm for you Soop, it`s been a lovely warm and sunny day today, I even went into town minus coat, AND we had the back door open all afternoon. Yes, I agree, we definitely need a photo of Gally in her pirate get up!

Creeping in, confused by the time change, having just eaten porridge with honey (soon be time for the Summer alternative!)
I know I should be grateful, and I really am BUT once a Mum always a Mum (remaining very protective of offspring!) and I am sad that my boys have been slightly ripped off:
Number 1 son sent a boxed item (list of contents on side of box) and one item is missing..... lovely thoughtful present too!
Number 2 son has sent a beautiful bouquet of flowers, lovely Spring colours chosen because he knows I like them, but some of the contents being in full flush will only last a couple of days.
I really am grateful that they have been kind and thoughtful but am slightly peeved that they have been 'short-changed'.

OGM I know how you feel. Long ago I asked my three sons not to buy a gift. I do look forward to a card and a telephone call. Have spoken to two. One will be ringing this afternoon. in my heart...but not outside. The north easterly wind is a bummer. Fire laid and will be lit this afternoon.

Charleygirl Your Tara must really love you. Cars [where cats are concerned] only mean one thing...a trip to the vet. Rory had chicken at six o'clock sharp last night. He slept soundly until eight this morning. Such is the measure of his stress!

Hello Deb and number We've booked our rooms at the venue where our granddaughter will be marrying her lovely young man next springtime. Something special to look forward to...now what shall I wear!

Hello soop and chums, I've had a busy couple of days so not had chance to pop in here.
I had my 'day' yesterday when my dd and dgds came for a hockey match at the local school and we had a lovely lunch.
Later I went to ds's and he bbqd a chicken, with chips gravy and mushy peas, a favourite meal of dil, and me too.
So, lots of hugs from the children and lots of laughter too. A lovely day.

A friend is coming here shortly, so I'm not on my own, and we will have lots of laughs too.

soop Your poor friend/neighbour to have to face all that, but at least she has a loving husband to help her and some good friends next door.

I'm leaving the usual lemon drizzle cake as I know you all enjoy it, and a bunch of spring tulips and daffs to cheer up the kitchen (not that it needs it!) xx

soop I have just spent £80 on line for my baby's prescription z/d diet. 4 packets so that is around 5 month's worth of food which she loves. I noticed that the cat food is a lot cheaper now, there must be local or on line competition!

I then decided to do a Sainsburys shop on line so that is sorted. I have cancelled substitutions because when I ordered cat litter tray liners once they were out of stock so I was sent panty liners instead. Not a lot of use to either Tara or myself.

When Tara comes to greet me after I drive home, the tail is ram rod straight and she is squeeling to see me which is lovely. Non cat lovers will not understand.

It was dull but warm earlier. The sun is now appearing, my washing should dry. The French doors are open but Tara has retired to bed for a rest, she spent an exhausting 10 minutes outdoors.

It's a lovely warm spring afternoon. I dropped my sister off at the airport this morning and she will be in Edinburgh with her DD and 2 GC by now. It was lovely to have her here even when she was sleeping off her jet lag! Last night we polished off a bottle of Prosecco. We enjoyed a little (but steep) walk round the restored garden at Quarry Bank Mill yesterday. Great to see the spring bulbs, camellias and magnolias. Rhododendrons soon to burst into bloom. My single white camellia is flowering but the pink one doesn't even seem to be in bud, yet looks healthy.

anno Time shared with your sister must have been such a lovely treat. It's a pity that you can't be in Edinburgh with family members. I do believe that the sun is trying very hard to peer through the low cloud. All of a sudden the day is about to change. What a difference the sunshine makes.

Charleygirl ten minutes outdoors is some long time for a pussy cat. She deserves a long nap. Rory is about to go into the garden with McSporran ...he's wearing his...^I'm about to take a leisurely stroll around my estate^ expression. Rory, not MacS

Hello Lona I was hoping that you'd call by sometime soon because the cake tin's empty it's always good to catch up with what's been happening in your life. Yesterday's treats sound perfect. Have fun with your friend this afternoon.

I'm wondering how Gally is after her pirate evening. She makes me chuckle.

Charleygirl, I am still laughing at the thought of Tara walking around wearing a panty liner!
DGD1 noticed DGD2 digging around in the cat litter with DGD1'S little beach spade this afternoon. Luckily the litter had recently been changed!

We had our lunch outside because it was so warm and sunny. I planted up my large pots at the front with some spring flowers this morning; it all looks much brighter now.

Had a video chat with DS1 and his little band of baby chicks! Only one of the eggs they had bought to incubate hatched, so they bought two more to keep it company. Big softies that they are. The chicks are growing fast but still very cute.

Good afternoon to my Granspals. The weather is a little warmer today. The stiff breeze coming off the sea is still on the chilly side. I'm busy surfing the net for likely gifts for wee man's birthday. Shall return later.

Yo, soop!

Just saying.

And hello everyone else too. That apple and cinnamon cake is for everyone at tea time.

Ooh, I can smell it from here. Yum!

bags you are such a dear friend. The cake will be scoffed enjoyed by us all.

I've settled for a gift from the Lego range. Been browsing for so long my eyeballs are almost square and my feet and hands are frozen. Need a nice hot and a wedge thin slice of that delicious apple and cinnamon cake.

Soop, I just bought some Lego for DGS who wil. Soon be 6, it seemed a good idea as it is reasonably light and I hope he can take it home again with him.

I hope that they both enjoy building with it!

rosequartz The Lego range is extensive, the choice mesmerising. I spent ages trawling through all the options. It will be good to help wee man with the putting together of his gift. He also likes the wee figures that are a newish addition to the catalogue.

soop you almost had a cat arrive today or at the latest tomorrow by courier to stay with Rory. Vaccination book, bedding, food etc. would be forwarded as would details of her insurance.

I have laminate floors throughout with rugs in strategic places. There is a large one in front of the fireplace which I had cleaned yesterday. It now looks like a new rug. Before I had lunch today I thought that I would place a small rug I have in front of the armchair temporarily where I sit and have snacks etc with a tray on my lap. Luckily I did because Tara decided then to be sick and chose the small rug and not the newly cleaned one. She was fortunate with her choice because I would not have been a happy bunny!

I usually keep my ups and downs to myself but today I really need some TLC, perhaps because my DSis is currently sunning herself in Tenerife and I don't want to impose on her. A week ago today I started having vitB12 injections as my blood tests showed a decided lack of same. I am having 5 shots over 2 weeks and then a booster every 3 months for evermore. I took a migraine in the surgery and had to sit there for half an hour for it to clear so I could drive home. DH promised to drive me back and forth for the rest of the injections.

I am currently stone deaf in one ear and the other is not very good due to a head cold, which makes me feel dizzy as well as deaf. The injections have given me the runs and made me feel kind of peculiar, not myself, fuzzy headed but I got through last week including replacing the microwave which packed in, organising and womanning a street stall for YES Campaign and coping with a credit card which has been locked as apparently I entered the wrong pin 3 times (I did not). Thursday and Friday two men were here from 7.30 erecting the new fence between innumerable visits to our toilet. Also on Friday the tumble dryer packed in and the toaster went on fire.

So Saturday evening, 7.00pm, settling down for a quiet evening when DH went out to fetch some logs and coal and returned chalk white and clutching his arm. I had a look and there was his elbow sort of turned sideways. Rang NHS 24 who asked a million questions, decided it was best I take him immediately to A & E 'which is only 11 miles away' - Yes it is but only if you are a crow - from here it involves a trip to either Kincardine or Stirling to cross the Forth and then back to Larbert. Anyway I got him wrapped up, in the car, seat belt on and drove as carefully as I could because he yelped at every turn or bump. In spite of his obvious pain he managed to maintain a running commentary on my poor driving skills the whole way but we got there and I heaved him out of the car (hurting my back in the process). A mercifully short wait and through to triage, then two trips to XRay and by 21.00 I was ushered into an empty relatives room while DH went into resusce [sp?] to be anaesthetised and have his dislocated elbow 'pulled'. Two hours later, with nothing bar a clock and a full length mirror to entertain me, I grabbed a passing cleaner who promised to find out what was happening and after another half hour a nurse appeared and advised me to go out and get a coffee as DH was back at Xray. At midnight I was ushered back into rescues where I found DH 'spangled' = high as a kite, with dislocation back in place and arm in a stooky, and on a drip. Registrar appeared and told me he would be kept o'night for observation but would first have another Xray. Apparently, there was a sliver of bone obviously chipped off and missing but they could not locate it. Danger was that it could cause bleeding within arm. So, I said goodnight as he went off to his ward and arrived home just as clocks changed from 1.00 to 2.00.

Another Xray and an ultra sound scan in the morning failed to locate the missing piece of bone but he was allowed home in the afternoon with an appointment to return to see the orthopaedic surgeon on Wednesday, when they will decide whether to open the arm to search for splinter or leave be meantime. Either way we are facing at least eight weeks with the arm in plaster DH is still in a lot of pain and, as he does not know night from day - keeps insisting he has just got up!! - I am having to strictly ration his painkillers. Thankfully today he has regained his appetite, I was having to force food down him so that he could have his 'with food' medication.

DD's have been very supportive and abandoned Mother's Day outings - we will have Mother's Day on Father's Day as compensation , but now DGD2 has V& D, been up all night and off school which has thrown child-minding and Granpa sitting arrangements into disarray.

No need to reply to this diatribe - I just needed to get it off my chest. Thank You.

Of course you must get replies Granny23 what a dreadful time you have been having. Sending big (((hugs))) and decided against the wine in case you have to do lots of driving. Seriously I hope your OH feels better soon, hopefully they will discover there was no sliver of bone after all and that no further action needs to be taken xx

Blimmin' 'eck, G23! No wonder you need some TLC! Box of it coming over the airwaves as we speak.

Good heavens G23 I will have to go and sit in a darkened room for a bit to recover from that!! More tlc zipping over from Fife. Hope you are keeping warm - it's bloomin' freezing here.

My days, G23, you are having a tough old time of it! I'd say keep your chin up, but then you'd probably not be able to see where you're treading and trip over something. Hope things get better!

Daring Granny23 I feel awful because I've only just this minute logged on in order to say an early goodnight. And what do I find. Bless you [and Mr G23], you've both been through one hell of a bad time. On reading your post, my jaw dropped. I called MacSporran and he flinched [and went pale] as he read through your message. Please do not think for a moment that your problems matter not to us lot...you must feel totally washed out. I'm really sorry that there is nothing positive that we can do to support and comfort you. bags is right...the best possible vibes are winging their way to you.

Charleygirl As for Tara... tut tut and all that. You know very well that you'd not be without her. Rory is sun bathing. The day started rather damp and grey. It is beautiful now.

Gally When I return tomorrow I would appreciate a blow by blow account of your pirate evening.

I have to dash. Back tomorrow. Will be thinking of you all...especially Granny23 and dear husband. xx