*Soop's kitcheners*

Icyalittle- we had a grand day- people from all over the world there- what a mix. We had a few... and survived. Absinthe is a very natural product made with herbs, and if drunk in moderation, like all alcohol- is very safe.

Sadly there is a stupid absinthe culture out there, where people use cheap horrible stuff from Czech Republic, with lots of chemicals and colourants- and are told to drink it neat with a burnt sugar on top- which is just so stupid. Next time you come, you will have to visit our new Maison de l'Absinthe Museum, which opens on 3rd of July, in the lovely village of Môtiers near us.

Morning! Daughter had her 'hen do' yesterday and we did it South African style in the form of a "kitchen tea". All the guests bring an item for the kitchen, must cost less than a fiver, write a silly rhyme about it and the bride to be has to guess what it is and who it's from. With much and and and . Then we each chose an item of pottery from a box - plates, bowls, cups and saucers, jug, sugar bowl etc and spent the rest of the afternoon painting the items with more of the above and etc. It was lovely to see all the creativity that transpired - there were 12 of us.

Then the young 'uns went off to the pub, happy and dancing as they walked and I brought all the gifts home.

The pottery will now be fired and given to daughter as a memento

gk - What a super day!

Sounds fab Gk , when's the wedding?

19th July. . 40 of us decamping to a manor house in Devon , but thankfully we are "there" now with the arrangements, all that needs is for the magic to happen .

What a lovely way of doing a hen night, gknot . I've never been to one and have never had any desire to, but the event you describe sounds right up my street. Lovely!

I'm sure it will Gk

I do,like the sounds of your DD's hen night gk All the best for the Big Day

Grannyknot the hen party celebration sounds perfect. Even I would attend...it all seems so "normal" and enormous fun. The 19th of July will be a super special day for all the family. I wish you wall-to-wall s and

number MacS has two lots of ointment prescribed for his red-raw under-parts. A pal told me today that her late father had shingles and his rash spread to the very same area. I'm about to Google to see if I can find a similar rash. The spots are slowly but surely fading. MacS sends his Granspals a wee hug for their kindness.

What a great hen night idea gk . I hope you all have a super time, and good weather for the big event. I am storing up these ideas so that if/when DS2 and his lovely young lady get round to a wedding I will be able to interfere give them some good advice.

nonu enjoy the rest of your hols and a safe journey home. Will you get chance to take the train from Reno to Colfax through the Sierra Nevada mountains? We did it in November, going towards Reno, and the scenery was great. The train is quite slow so there is time to enjoy it. I wasn't thrilled with Reno itself, however, and we only stayed there for about an hour while our Dil came and collected us.

GK, that lovely hen 'do' augurs well for an equally lovely wedding.

Poor darling MacS.....what a sport he is to have his undercarriage discussed in such detail I'm so glad he's feeling a bit better though.

DH has returned from his swim with his Rambler pals. Too hot for rambling now so they go for a dip and a chin-wag instead. Whilst he was out I had a good cry. Sitting in the empty house just made me fast-forward to the time when he won't be coming back. I know I've to stop it and 'live each day at a time', but its easier said than done

Nonu hope you have had a wonderful time. Give my love to the US, and safe journey home

for all soop's kitcheners

Oh Bella you will have started us all off now

Bella Sending a huge (((((hug))))) xx

for you, Bellasnana. xx

Lovely ideas GK and glad you enjoyed hen night. My girls have opted to do things differently. (No surprise there!) Their CP ceremony is on the 18th July and they'll then head off with their friends to the Rewind festival over the weekend! There is no hen/stag split so it's just all their pals and the 80's music.
Will have wedding eve dinner with visiting family and keep fingers crossed for a sunny weekend all over the country!

Nothing we can say can make things better Bella but please know we are here for you if we can help. I can't imagine what you are going through!

soop, I'm just catching up and reading your posts made me wonder if MacS was going to apply the Magnum to his sorest parts for some cooling relief

Those of you with weddings to come - I hope you have a brilliant time!

Now, can I just hide in here please? DH has decided that he wants to do a barbecue and it's perishing out there!

Ooh kittylester I had the same thoughts about the Magnum but didn't dare mention it . (which flavour do you think would offer most relief?)

kittylester and Crafting you are naughty- surely peppermint as it is cooling.

Bella my heart goes out to you. You must scream and shout at us but appear calm at home if that is possible. in abundance.

Bella It's perfectly okay to scream and cry. Such painful emotions need release. NEVER be afraid to call in and discuss your feelings with your Granspals...although we can offer so little support during this awful time, we do genuinely care. I think that you are an amazing lady.

Crafting...how quickly and easily you've become one of us lot...the more the merrier.

Just a quiet word. MacSporran doesn't know that I've mentioned his under-parts. It is possibly something he'd rather keep under wraps. I'm not taking the micky. I do feel so sorry for him as he's been through a painful few days. Having seen some similar rashes, courtesy of Google, it could be Shingles. The spots all over his torso, on the other hand, are not one bit like those associated with the disease. I wonder, was he bitten and did the bite trigger Shingles. Has he in fact had a dose of Chicken pox? All very curious.

We've been watching the final at Queens. A very exciting match. Sad that there had to be a loser. Wimbledon very soon...my favourite time in the sporting calendar.

soop, DH is very sympathetic towards MacS's plight. I did wonder how you were getting away with it.

Bella, at the moment both you and your DH need time apart to let off steam. Whether it is swimming and just 'mucking around' with friends, or having a good cry and coming on here to rail at the fates.
If only we could help more.

I think I need 5 minutes just sit and look at your view soop. I've had to close the doors and shutters against the heat and I don't like dark and gloomy rooms.

Soop, you`d better not let MacSporran read these pages then!

Bellasnana, you`ve been so brave, but you`re bound to need a good cry now and then. My thoughts are with you and yours.

If it makes MacS feel any better soop my friend had shingles as a by-product of chemotherapy - hers was inside her rectum and, consequently, it was permanently infected. TMI, I know!

I'm so sorry soop. I meant to say that I hope MacS is gradually getting better.

kitty, ouch, your poor friend. for her.