Soops kitcheners

Hello dear Granny23 that is very good news regarding Granpal3's improving health. The last time you mentioned him, he was not at all well and, understandably, you were under a lot of stress. I agree that the "waiting game" is particularly tiresome/stressful. It seems that throughout this summer, we have been waiting for appointments or results of tests regarding MacS's problems. We have one delivery of post each day. At the moment we wait for that buff envelope that will specify a time and date for MacS's important scan. The word Lymphoma means little until a positive diagnosis is made...yet, all day, every day I am aware that we may need to take it very seriously and be prepared for whatever treatment may follow. Very soon we are to have our annual family gathering. It is the highlight of the year for both of us. If we could get the scan crossed off the calendar before the event, it would be a bonus.

Granpal23 is coming on by leaps and bounds (well more of a soft shoe shuffle to be honest). Our Barber who had not seen him for 6 weeks was amazed by how well he looked - tanned, with a bit of weight back on and walking unaided, said he looked wobbly and peely-wally last time. Granpal can get in and out of car, bed and shower unaided, dress himself, make his own breakfast and lunch leaving me free to go about my 'Independent' duties. He is waiting for appointments with the physio in Alloa (10 mins away) having been signed off by the rehab unit at Falkirk (40 mins). Goes back to see consultant at end of September when a decision will be made whether to have an operation to stabilise his still unstable, but no longer very painful, elbow.

I have been following McSoop's progress and hope that now there has been progress diagnosis-wise, he will receive effective treatment.

Oh dear Granny23...that seems so unfair. Every year as we drive through Muasdale, we marvel at drifts of red poppies in the verges. They must self-sow. The purple variety that you mention, is stunning. I'm wishing that the seeds I shall sow, produce just a few poppies in our garden. We have salty air which some plants fail to thrive in. Mind you, Muasdale is just as close to the sea, so it's a bit baffling.

How is your husband? Is there some improvement in his health and is he still having treatment?

I have been fighting a running battle with poppies ever since we moved into this house 40+ years ago. Ever year we had big purple ones (like opium poppies) appearing randomly in the veg patch and yellow Icelandic ones every where else. Last year I upped the ante by going round the garden every single day with a poly bag, dead heading every poppy before the seed head burst and scattering the seeds in the wild bed on top of the back wall, with a few actually sown in a pot.

Result? This year not a single poppy anywhere Neither the sown nor the scattered seeds have 'taken'.

Charleygirl Cold steak is a no-no. There isn't any excuse for such a shortcoming. As for Tara liking macaroni cheese...what a pussy cat. She has an adventurous taste for the exotic. I had to chuckle when you added - "provided it's not in her dish". Cats are canny creatures.

As for the bike, if it's not inviting you to use it and it's in the way...sell it on.

It is warmish here in bonnie Kintyre. Highways have been parking across the road and part way in our drive all night...with a yellow light flashing. That's okay. They are doing a job of some sort or other. A car has been parked at the entrance to the beach. That's okay too. It isn't private property. What annoys me (more so than MacS) is that whoever used it last night, left an empty bottle and a few wrappers outside the car. Discarded cigarette packets also in the ditch. I wanted to go over to pick said rubbish up and leave it on the car roof. MacS went across, picked up rubbish and placed it in our bin. He is a far nicer person that I am.

I have just returned having had an expensive lunch (to me, being a Scot!) out with a friend. It was a steak house and although the steak was perfectly cooked, medium rare, it was cold. We sent both plates back and the next dish was perfect. Having had about 2-3 mouthfuls from the first sirloin, neither of us could finish our steaks so my friend's dog Alfie would be receiving a mouth watering supper this evening.

Tara loved the remainder of the macaroni cheese that I had last night. She will try anything provided it is not in her dish.

soop I am selling my bike as I studiously ignore it. Also it takes up too much space considering I have used it infrequently. You are doing very well and it is good to be distracted, you are more likely to peddle for longer without noticing the time.

Agus Many thanks for your suggestion. I shall pop them into the soil tomorrow. The weather forecast is very promising. Today is just about perfect.

Alan Bennett never seems to age. I think of him as being an overgrown school boy. He has such a dry sense of humour. I pedal away and lose track of time because he makes me chortle out loud and forget the strain and pain of exercise. Only joking. I am comfortable with a daily twenty minute session. I would not wish to put my body through any form of torture. I'm simply wishing to maintain my cardio vascular performance. When I've completed 10mins I pretend that I've won the bronze medal...on reaching 15mins I award myself the silver. The gold medal is for 20mins of pedal power that puts roses in my cheeks (both on my face and elsewhere)

Beautiful sunny morning here too soop

Love the Alan Bennett diaries and Poppies . I would put the seeds under the soil to avoid any risk of frost. Not sure if this is what should be done but I am going by instinct. Hope you are successful this time. A splash of bright red poppies is lovely.

A very good sunny Sunday morning to all the kitcheners. We've just returned from a brisk stroll (is that possible) around the village. Stopped to blether and enjoy the beautiful cottage gardens. Entered shop (the only one) and stayed blethering for a further twenty minutes. A lady has given me a large envelope full of poppy pods and seeds. I have tried to grow some before, but unsuccessfully. Is it best to scatter them on top of the soil, or what? In the wild they must self seed without much ado.

Good choice, soop. I also have the Motorola though my contract is with Virgin. It works well for me as it's not quite the all-singing, all-dancing model that my sons have - and it isn't the size of a small tablet which seems to be the way phones are going!

Hello dear dustyangel and welcome to the club. It's good to catch up with your news. So sorry to hear that you've been suffering with shingles. If I could pick some fresh flowers from our garden, I would do so especially for you.

Ahem...I can now break the world shattering news that MacS and I have, after much serious debate, selected and ordered our new phone. Ta da!!! It is a Vodafone Motorola Moto G 8GB in black. We've also splashed out on a leather wallet and two stylus pen thingies and a charger [because it doesn't come with one]...

It's Rory's favourite day. For those of you who know him almost as well as we do...there is a chicken roasting in the oven. He'll be counting the minutes to his treat time...or so we like to think. I've lightly cooked a saucepan full of Victoria plums. I shall serve some together with ginger sponge and cream for pudding.

First things first...I'm about to pedal the exercise bike for 20 mins. As I do so, I shall listen to Alan Bennett Diaries 1980-1990. I love that man.

Lots of love to you all. Enjoy your Saturday evening.

soop I think DH and I need to join your tech non savvy club as well.
Although the family are starting to tease me about my attachment to my new Ipad, I still have a very simple, to me sleek looking, phone that has lovely large text and is easy to use. DH's is hard to read and hard to hear and he has been looking for a new easy to use model. We think it would make life easier when travelling if we have one with a camera and internet connection and we prefer pay as you go as well. We think we could cope with a touch phone but you can understand why I've been waiting to see the suggestions for you and McS.

I have just shown him the post's from you and Bella as I'd mentioned your search for a suitable phone and he was chuckling away and then read the next one from Soutra, so Soutra he was as pleased as me to hear of your daughters safe delivery. Congratulations to all from both of us, and a warm welcome to Pippa.

It is a good job that we can share virtual flowers as I have brought in some of the red roses he got in the market this morning to cheer me because of the shingles. They come with all the prickles still on but have a lovely old fashioned perfume

Bella, lovely to have your daughter and grand daughter for a long visit. Does it mean they will be with you over Christmas?

Charleygirl consider yourself a member of the kitcheners non savvy club. I'm beginning to feel very much better now that I know I'm not alone. As for your other experience ...all these years on and still the hairs on the back of my neck crawl when I think about the incident.

soutra now the work begins! Congratulations.

soop my experience was also bike related. I was around 9 I think, was walking up a long steep hill, pushing my bike and a fellow appeared from the bushes, pulled me in and put his hands around my neck and asked me to remove a part of underwear. I did not and managed a squawk. He ran away, I left my bike, ran home, told my father who ran out of the house leaving the door wide open. Fortunately for the fellow my father did not catch him but I do not think that it was reported to the police in those days.

I cannot tolerate anything around my neck so I have problems at the hairdressers but once I explain, there is never a problem.

Can I join the non tech savvy group, I think it is larger than you thought.

Dragonfly Lovely to have you back with us.

We're still waiting for the appointment for MacS's scan. The specialist said it would come within 7-10 days. Therefore, hopefully, there will be a letter in Monday's post.

It is a very pleasant day in bonnie Kintyre. The sun is shining and the wind is nowhere near as fierce as it was yesterday. A balmy Saturday in fact.

Do any of you have a recurring nightmare with a lot of shouting out for help? I have the same nightmare every few months or so. It happens when I'm about to wake up. In the nightmare, I'm fighting off a man who is trying to rape me. I scream to MacS for help. He soothes me and reassures me and I then go back to sleep. When I was around eight or nine [may have been younger] my friend and I were cycling in our local park. In order to reach the lake, we needed to dismount and push our bicycles under a linked chain. I went ahead of my friend, her name was Leonie. As I was about to lift the chain so that she could join me, a man in a boiler suit stepped up behind me [he had come through a gap in the fence that led into a small spinney]. He was exposing himself and asked me to go with him and not to be afraid...and to tell Leonie that he wouldn't hurt me. I was in a panic and hurt my leg on the bicycle chain as I attempted to go back under the linked chain. The man had disappeared by the time I joined my friend. We cycled home in silence. Neither she nor I spoke of the incident again. I did not tell my parents. I imagine that the experience is locked away in my brain...and it is this incident that returns from time to time in my nightmare. There, I've shared the horror with my Granspals. It may have helped to do so.

Many congratulations Soutra, lovely news. I've been away from GN for a while since Dad died, so am only just catching up with everyone's news. Off for a lurk around the Kitchen to see what's been happening to whom.

Soutra Oh happy day! Welcome to the world wee Pippa Jane. Loving hugs to you, Soutra...isn't it a wonderful mind-blowing feeling when a new member of the family is born. Hooray!

Hello dear Bella on reading that you, like me, are not tech savvy makes me feel a whole lot better. Our granddaughter's fiancé is looking into options that may well suit us. I shall report back when there is a decision.

Am about to catch up with those kitcheners who have popped in to say hello. Back soon.

Congratulations Soutra and a loving welcome to Pippa

Soutra !

Such happy news, Soutra. Congratulations and welcome to Pippa Jane.

Congratulations Soutra! another GN baby to enthuse over.

Welcome Pippa

Congratulations to all, soutra. Have a good happy cry

Wonderful news, Soutra! Congratulations to all the family