Soops kitcheners

Bless you dear number...I am still trying to catch up with family and friends. So many phone calls. Isn't lovely to have a birthday that starts and finishes on a happy note. I'm about to take to my comfy chair with a nice G&T. As MacS said...have whatever you fancy for supper, I'm having a big bowl of vegetable soup with nutty bread followed by bread and butter pudding with fresh blackcurrants and real thick custard. Yabbydoodah! or, as our grandson would say...WICKED!

Even later....HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
.....

AlieO Your good wishes have put a smile upon my face. How are the neighbours? Do keep us updated.

Bellasnana How are you coping at the moment? We care.

MacSporran showed the GP a lump on his neck last week. He's been notified of an appointment in two weeks time with a surgeon. When the NHS works, we are the fortunate ones. My heart feels like breaking when we see the suffering that is going on around the world...I'm at a loss to know what to do.

Belated Birthday greetings SOOP
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We were out with our G/D"s at the coast flying kites, and having a general good time with plenty of laughter. so I wasn"t about !

Still better late than never eh!

to you

Nonu I don't 'arf love you and the rest of the kitcheners.

Tomorrow we were invited to drink Champagne with our next door neighbours. They should be celebrating their 1st wedding anniversary. Sadly, our friends are both unwell. The celebration postponed. Our female friend is ill with lung cancer and her husband, our male friend, has been diagnosed with dementia. One year ago we were all on top of the world because they were marrying each other. So much can change in a relatively short period of time. Just needed to share with you lovely lot...

Oh that is sad !

XX to you

That`s so sad Soop, I remember your joy when telling us that they were getting married, life just ain`t fair sometimes.

number (hugs)

By the by, MacSporran used his special surveyors measuring thingy to establish the height of the gunnera in our "wet garden". He confirms that the tallest is 12' 5"... Impressive!

MacS has replaced my fairly ancient and clonky exercise bike for a very much nicer model. My birthday gift. He has assembled it and it works a treat. Tomorrow I shall give it a whirl. There will be a photo. I don't own a lycra outfit. Thank your lucky stars as there is a little podge to burn off before I shall feel confident enough to flaunt my figure.

The news of your neighbours is indeed sad soop to have found each other (presumably) late-ish in life and to have so little time is tragic. Thank goodness they do have each other and such lovely* neighbours as yourselves. I agree sometimes you just want to weep don't you. but we have to go on and do what we can.
Cool birthday pressie- Tour de France Kintyre next year?

Terrafirma1 Many thanks for your very kind message. Yes, our friends married only last year...they had been "stepping out" for at least twenty years. Today should be a celebration. The bottle of Champagne will remain unopened, complete with bow, until the time is right to open it.

MacS took a couple of photos of me on my bike. Try as I may, I cannot get them added to the album. Will have another go later.

soop I had a chuckle when I read that MacSporran had bought you a new exercise bike, having used the old one a lot. I bought myself one nearly 3 years ago and rarely used it. I have managed to sell it, the purchaser is on holiday but will pick it up when she returns.

Tara is so much better now but only ventures into the garden if I am there. She has her litter tray and will continue to use it I think until next spring as the wee soul has had enough traumas for one year. All 3 bites/claw marks appear to be healing and not causing her pain or discomfort. She is doing what she does best, sleeping for England.

Charleygirl Good news about Tara. Cats are very highly strung and sensitive creatures, aren't they? She will stay close, where she feels safest. Rory is also in a deep trance. He wraps his tail in a neat knot around his back legs. If we say...'are you a kitten, Rory?' he rolls over on his back and peers through a half open eye. He's such a poser.

I love my new bike. The old one did me proud. I bought it for a donation to a dog sanctuary. It went like a dream for ages...and then the pedals would stick or spin and I could no longer use it. A pal took it apart and reassembled it...and still it continued to clonk. When the delivery man came in with the new version I offered him the other bike. He was thrilled and very happy to get it fixed. He left with a broad grin on his face, which was nice.

I CANNOT add my latest pics to the album. Is anyone else having problems? GN HQ Please advise, Thanks in anticipation.

Glad to hear that Tara is on the mend Charleygirl. It is sad if she can't go out for a stroll without the local bullies attacking her. Perhaps she will just enjoy the rest of the summer in the garden close to you.

Feeling quite lazy reading about your bike soop. Perhaps I will just go and run up and down stairs a couple of times.

In the meantime I have brought some courgette slice, courgette bake and courgette and lime cake for you all to enjoy. Hope you like courgettes! (you can't taste them in the cake anyway.) I will just make a to go with the nibbles.

rosequartz I shall most certainly all the goodies that you are sharing with us. Courgette and lime cake sounds very exotic. Could you bother to share the recipe for the courgette bake? It sounds lovely.

PLEASE will HQ see if there is a wee problem with uploading photos to our albums. I cannot understand what the matter can be.

I had the French doors wide open and the thunder, lightening and heavy rain woke me from a nap so I closed the doors. Tara opened an eye to see what the fuss was about and returned to sleep.

That was fortunate you did not have to pay to get the old bike removed and the fellow may get many years of pleasure out of it.

I suspect that it would be a draw if Rory and Tara were in a competition to sleep for their respective countries.

I have had tech problems trying to access some of the sites and earlier I had to give up. I am incapable of adding a photo.

Thought I had lost you there! .....found again.
Things have been quiet here, the dogs and their people are away. I dread them coming back.
But the policeman who told No.10 to put up a good fence turned up last week and having inspected it came round here and said although it isn't finished, it will keep them in, and he will check it out again when he comes back from Wales (work, but no idea why.) So I am reassured.

The Environmental Health people came and told me that it is very unlikely that any leaks in the roof of No.16 would arrive in my house....however I have not heard back from them since their visit, so I am waiting to contact a) the MP and b) the local councillor.
And I have had another valuation on my house from a different estate agent who is MUCH more upbeat about it. No, I don't want to move!

Do have some shortbread, fresh made last night!

Things may well be looking up for you AlieO and about time too. Yes please to a slice of your homemade shortbread. I shall away to make a pot of tea.

Charleygirl We've had plenty of rain but have escaped lightly compared with some places. The last time we had a thunderstorm was way back...so far I cannot remember.

Still unable to add 2 pics to my album. I shall get cross if this continues.

rosequartz there are two bullies, brothers, who live a few doors away. There is another who visits frequently and seems to make a bee line for my front door. Thank goodness I bought a microchip driven cat flap or Tara would be killed in her own house.

I have never heard of courgette cake but I will try anything. Shortbread also tickles my fancy. At this rate I will not have space for my supper later, eating all of these goodies.

Charleygirl Hope you like the courgette cake! It's the lime that makes it nice - tangy.

Perhaps the brothers need a little attention at the vet's to calm them down? Does that work I wonder?

Sorry to lower the tone!

rosequartz they have been "done" already. One of the cats is so friendly but once outside, he and his brother are like demons. Tara is quite small, not overweight so they tower over her, being boys. I will stay with her as much as possible but she has little interest in the great outdoors.

The cake was yummy, I am begging for more!

A good Monday morning dear kitcheners...'tis damp and blowy and grey. I have tried yet again to upload two images into the album. A big notice fills the screen with THIS PAGE CANNOT something or other. At which point I let forth a stream of unmaidon-like abuse. Which relieves the tension and makes MacS sigh.

Charleygirl Bully boy cats can be a menace. If they've "been done" as rosequartz suggests, they should be less ferocious. I do feel sorry for Tara. There can be few things more stressful to a wee female cat than being pushed around by the big boys.

I was given a gift token for my birthday. I'm considering treating myself to a new box of watercolours. There are few things that I enjoy more than creating a new painting with new paints.

Off to hear what the doc has to say about MacS's blood results this afternoon. We could be a tad wiser when we return. If so, I shall update you.

PLS do !!

I hope all goes well this afternoon, soop.