Soop's Kindly Kitcheners

Well, here I be.

I sang happy birthday to my friend in the care home. She had been treated to a manicure and was in good spirits. I discovered a book containing many beautiful and evocative black and white photos of Machrihanish (in which she lived) together with images of old Campbeltown when it was a thriving fishing port. Most children in the photos were without shoes and appeared to be in need of a good meal. At one time the train track ran along what is now the road on which the care home has been built. Fascinating stuff.

I've a sore throat as a result of the blethering and laughter that we shared with visiting family yesterday. It is at such times that I would like a slightly larger home. Never mind, we all get along very well and best of all, we were able to meet our great nephew for the very first time. He is twelve, and as bright as a button. Such good manners...a delightful member of the clan and a credit to his parents. Charleygirl Rory stayed well away form the visitors. However, when our great nephew sat on the floor not too far away from him, Rory sauntered towards him, and licked his finger. He must have sensed that the young man was a cat lover.

loopyloou Your grandson is obviously the apple of your eye. Today's technology is amazing. The young members of our family are "savvy" whereas MacS and I are so-last-century.

Bella I am hopeful that your house sale proceeds without a hitch. You deserve to have something go right for a change. Have you seen somewhere that you would be happy to buy?

I am about to take my seat for a very important rugby match. Come on, SCOTLAND!

We have just had a lovely nearly surprise visit from DD and the DGC for lunch, just long enough for DH not to overtire and they have gone in plenty of time for me to watch the Scotland match!( I can't believe I said that, bad granny!!!)
Watching Japan run rings round Samoa it is refreshing for brawn and became not to be the deciding factors, Japan show real skill and what a turn of speed!
Loved your anniversary pics, Soop if anybody is an advertisement for "happy ever after" it is you two! [heart] emoticon.

"Became" was supposed to be "beefcake"!!!

Alea That was such a kind comment. Thank you. I shall be thinking of you as Scotland prepare to strut their stuff.

until tomorrow. x

I am very sorry to hear about your friend Bella - it is so tough.

I posted elsewhere about a flu jab jamboree in the village hall and understand that Soop has something similar in her neck of the woods. I thought it was brilliant.

We have had an entertaining couple of days which included someone scraping my car and driving off, being sworn at by a tractor driver because he did not like the speed of my reversing, 2 little GSs staying and the youngest decided to vomit everywhere (poor little chap) and the return of DD3 and family from a week in Pembrokeshire on a little break that they struggled to afford but in which they had the very best weather imaginable and they have had a wonderful time - hooray!! - we are delighted for them.

I have just had Day One of my birthday celebrations, with a 'surprise' trip home from DS (DBH let the cat out of the bag!) but a real surprise visit from DD and family, which was wonderful. They arrived quite early in the morning, just as I was preparing to go outside and plant bulbs. Much Prosecco was consumed, and we had Pimms in the garden with the cake, because we have had the most glorious weather for the past couple of weeks - always at least 18C in the shade. We took the DGS to the park and all played on the play area, as they have now installed an outdoor gym, which we all enjoyed. A simple birthday, but I really enjoyed it - and as it is my real birthday tomorrow, we are going out to lunch before taking DS back! I do love a two-day birthday.

I have a flu jab jamboree next week too! You just turn up and roll your sleeve up. Sit down and natter until the nurse gets to you.

A very Happy Birthday for tomorrow janer, with plenty more and I'm sure, plus hopefully x

Thank you!

I felt quite young until I saw the photos DD took of me and DGD in the bright unforgiving sun! Definitely a wrinkle for every year. It was one of those 'Who is that old woman?' moments.

Happy Birthday Janer. I hope you have another lovely day today.

Keep telling yourself that you are your own worst critic when it comes to looks. That's what I do.

Happy birthday dear janer Happy birthday to you... How sensible of you to make a good thing last. We do the same thing. One day passes all too quickly. Celebrations should take for as long as it takes...

Luckygirl I'm sorry to say that this year's flu jamboree in the village hall has been rescheduled and will now be at the surgery. Tut! It was one of the highlights of the village calendar. Tea/coffee and chocolate biscuits together with lots of laughter.
You have certainly had a busy couple of days. Life is like that sometimes...you will be glad a little peace and quiet in order to recharge your batteries.

I thought that you might like to see the anniversary card that MacSporran and Rory gave me.

Perfect card! Excellent taste
May you have many more soop

I find removing my glasses and squinting slightly, before looking in the mirror improves my looks...as does avoiding cameras at all costs

loopylou It is the person inside that really matters. You are beautiful.

Happy Birthday Jane - 2 days of celebrations sounds like the way to go!

I love that card - Quentin Blake I assume.

I am sorry to hear that your flu jamboree has been cancelled - I was blown away by it - never has having a flu jab been such jolly fun!

Luckygirl Quentin Blake is right.

The flu jab won't be anything like as much fun from hereon. Hey ho as you-know-who would say.

Spent the day at slimbridge wwt with dgc and dd. Great fun.

We used to go to Slimbrdge every year when the children were little - they loved it. Glad you had a good day.

Happy Birthday today and tomorrow, janer. Sounds like the best kind of celebration

Thank you for your birthday wishes!

Today was spent with my niece, her new husband and my sister, they took us out for lunch and than we had cake and champagne - only the cake was huge and we had just had a large lunch. I have now got three cakes - the one they bought, the one I bought and the one DBH made, all three only part-eaten! Plus a fridge full of leftovers from yesterday. We shall not starve this week.

I can't help thinking that card does bear a certain similarity, soop!

I thought I`d posted on here earlier, but it`s not here, so here we go again.
A very Happy Birthday JaneR, and many more of `em.
Soop, love the card, I can just see you and MacSporran sitting up in that tree!

A good soggy, blowy, chilly Monday morning to you lovely lot.

janer Your birthday celebrations must have been great fun. Three cakes! us lot wouldn't say no to a thick wee slice. . It would be a shame for it to go stale.

Galen Slimbridge rings a bell with me. Where aboots is it?

MacSporran's card will go into the "treasure box" at the end of the week. It contains every card that we've exchanged during our 27 years together.

We had the flu jag at the surgery. No jolly atmosphere (compared with the village hall.) I did manage to get myself briefly locked in the lavatory. The nurse wanted a "wee sample" as the UTI may have returned. I went into the lavvy and slammed the door. I expected the light to come on automatically. It didn't. I stood fumbling with a dodgy latch in pitch darkness. At one point, I imagined having to hammer on the door... but having fiddled with the latch for what seemed like an age, I finally opened the door and used the outside light switch. After that karfuffle I found it nigh on impossible to do a wee wee. Talk about an old lady locked in the lavatory...the incident was too close for comfort.

Sorry... I locked myself into a loo in France. As it was siesta time in Carcassonne, DBH&Son were most agitated, as I am the only French speaker and there was no-one else around in that square. As I saw it, if I had to be locked in anywhere, at least it was cool (39C outside) had drinking water and a loo. I was quite happy to be in there for half an hour and not be forced round yet more castles! Sadly they found a lady who could tell me how to work the flaming thing.

Please help yourself to a slice of chocolate cake. Even though DS was packed off back to uni at the crack of dawn this morning, he still had to take a cake with him. I got up very early and packed him up all the most fattening stuff in the house. I simply cannot be left in the house with that much cake, I was already contemplating birthday cake for breakfast before I was scarcely awake.

soop - poor old lady locked in the lav! That happened to a lady at a service area when we were on a coach tour to Austria - the coach drove of without her and it was about half an hour before anyone noticed - we had to double back to get her! Driver not best pleased!

It was wet this morning but just grey now. School governors' meeting this afternoon, so I will have to do my homework. I understand all the data at the time, but it does not stick in the brain!

janer I envy your son. Had I cake in the house, which I haven't, I would feel the need to test a thin slice. Trouble is, unless the thin slice leaves the remainder looking "neat and tidy" I feel obliged to keep trimming it.
Your inconvenient experience in France made me titter.

Luckygirl Oh my...that poor lady must have been awfully embarrassed. I would have had a fit of the vapours...whatever they are. A very long time ago, I was on a coach tour in Crete. The bus stopped at a monastery and I asked where the toilet was. I was instructed to wander around the ancient building to use what was in fact a very large open pit. Heck!

loo tales! Reminds me of French loos where the light comes on when you lock the door. How the blooming heck was I, as a very green traveller, supposed to know that? Balancing on the edge of the loo, bag jamming door open enough to see but foot firmly planted to keep door from swinging open...traumatised for life

As for hole in the ground loos, impossible if wearing trousers or shorts ..... and as for those with poor balance! I had to rescue a very unfortunate, extremely smartly dressed Italian lady in the back of beyond in Tunisia. She'd slipped.........

A fit of the vapours could come in very useful I'm sure soop but no idea what they are either

The first time we travelled to Spain by coach, we stopped somewhere along the motorway in France for folk to "stretch their legs", and the queue for the ladies was very long, winding through woodland. Eveyone who walked past us after using the toilet was laughing, but wouldn`t say why. We found out when it was our turn, yes, it was the hole in the ground! i must say that they were extremely clean, but so awkward to use!
I`ve never locked myself in the toilet, but my granddaughter and her friend locked themselves in ours one morning before school, they were 6 years old, and really panicking, as was I. I eventually had to wake hubby, who`d only been in bed an hour after his night shift, he wsn`t best pleased.