Soop's Kindly Kitcheners

Bah! Humbug! here too soop.
My local garden centre had its 'Christmas Grotto' more aptly known as Grotesque by me open 3 weeks ago, and apparently Father Christmas arrives this weekend.

Hopelessly wandered around trying to find weedkiller being very grumpy as frantic women pushed laden trolleys full of over-priced Xmas tat goods ......

Hugs for all of you.

Nellie - have you tried Nytol Herbal? - works for me.

How can the staff at a residential home put up halloween tat? - deary me. There is no sign of halloween here I can assure you! I shop online in the main so have also managed to avoid the pre-Christmas carols. Silly to start so early.

Autumn leaves here are gradually succumbing to the wind and falling from the trees, but the view is still spectacular. We will treasure it while we have it.

I will be watching TV tomorrow evening with as little light on as possible. I will not be answering the door and I hope that if anybody does ring they will think that I am out.

I hate Halloween and Christmas is not far behind. I know that I am a misery guts.

That makes two of us Charleygirl

Make that three! [grumpy]

Plus one more

To me Christmas is a total waste of money. It is nice to see a young child's face light up when Santa is mentioned but the money spent on toys, computers and phones for 5 year olds is beyond me.

I send one present, a cheque and that is my lot. I agreed with friends years ago not to give me anything. I spent months thinking what to buy them when they had everything and wanted for nothing. I am a misery guts and Scottish to boot!

Luckygirl I use the "Kalms" one a night version. I think they all contain valerian. I get some decidely odd dreams though.
I rarely sleep beyond 6am and if I sit down in the afternoon I have much needed cat nap.
I worry if I go to bed too early I will wake up even earlier am.

Add me into the gang of Grumpy Peeps. Simple pleasures, in my opinion, are the best. Horrendous over-priced "tat" doesn't rate at all with either MacSporran or me. What's the point of it all? Ooh, I was forgetting that overpriced "stuff" equates to feel good factor. Is that why so many stinking rich celebs appear to be deliriously happy and super contented.

Don't laugh...^you lot^...I'm returning to the Heeland Coo portrait that I thought was not up to scratch. It went under the shower. A good wash and I am hopeful of a happy outcome. We shall see. Gulp!

Pompa Stop playing hard to get!

I agree soop where is he?

Soop You stuck the half finished picture under the shower? ??

Gosh! There's brave!

I have slept until 11am for the past two mornings. It would appear that the best sleeping pill for me is the absence of DBH. I'm off to bed in a minute to see if I can make it three in a row. It feels very decadent.

Yes - the valerian gives me some strange dreams. Last night I travelled to Russia by train to take part in a cycle race (if you could see me limping about you would know how mad that idea is!) and I had to wear a sort of floral shorts onesie. I wonder where I will be going tonight!? I hope I will have something a bit more elegant to wear!

A bright and warmish Sunday afternoon to all.

Charleygirl I think he may have managed to get himself locked in the garden shed. Goodness only knows what he's finding to do that is more important than spending quality time with us lot.

Luckygirl Aren't some dreams crazy? I am almost always trying to reach a destination, the way to which is beset with difficulties...I was climbing a near vertical pathway to the door of a house not so long ago.

stillhere Chill! Feet up. Good book. Pot of tea or a glass of and give yourself a breather. You so deserve one.

Nellie a muddy-looking watercolour can, on rare occasions, be restored, thanks to a short shower. I am really struggling with the Coo. I have two dog portraits to start very soon. Back to the drawing board.

LG - what did you get up to last night ? And do you actually own a onesie ?
Your vertical path, too, Soop. Interesting, isn't it. In RL not quite reaching goals you are aiming for ? A couple of nights ago someone else and I broke into my previous house. Nobody was there and there were cobwebs everywhere. I didn't recognise any of the rooms and felt guilty because I had somehow broken in and didn't want to get caught. I was glad to wake up and wondered what the dream was telling me !

I have been taking and picking my curtains up from a medical library after they have been dry cleaned. How weird is that? I have not had my curtains dry cleaned.

Thankfully the fog here has vanished and the sun is out.

Tara has learnt to open the living room door and get outdoors through the cat flap on the front door. How- I do not know. I thought I had not closed it properly the first night but two more nights on the trot and her little brain has been working overtime. One would think that she was tied in here. I just do not want her joining the nightlife of foxes and whatever else. I thought that being outdoors from around 8am to 9pm at night would be enough for an 11 year old madam. I was wrong.

I suppose she's a bit like us, charleygirl - unable to accept her advancing years!
Eleven hours sleep last night, thankfully no evening callers, and I had a spurt of energy this afternoon, which has been beautiful (as was yesterday) so I have been digging over a stretch of garden, and collecting veg seeds. I'm just having a cup of tea and would anyone like a square of galaxy milk chocolate? I decided a small bar of it every day would be a treat while DBH is away. Then I must have a bath, partly to wipe away the memory of the toad I picked up in the log pile by mistake. but in my case it means slight nausea!

stillhere I could eat the entire bar but that may put me off my supper. Not that I am greedy!!!

I am having the majority of my windows replaced tomorrow so I have been taking down curtains and nets upstairs. Luckily my bedroom windows are staying so that is one room with curtains. I will remove the curtains in the living room when I see the van appear tomorrow because I do not want to be sitting exposed, looking as though I am in a goldfish bowl.

I started yesterday because there was so much furniture to move.

You will all be pleased that you will have a break from me tomorrow. I will have to shut this down tonight because cables run under the window. Make the most of it, I will be back on Tuesday, you have been warned!

Charleygirl You will enjoy having new windows. Don't go doing yourself a mischief when moving heavy furniture. And...don't stay away from us lot for too long.

stillhere I like toads. They are good for the garden. I shall be having a lovely G&T in about an hour. The latest cow has been sketched and a light wash applied. I have high hopes that this latest portrait will be a winner.

Bellanonna Sometimes I have the strangest dream that I'm being "seduced" by a stranger. I really do not want such dreams. They are unsettling. What's more to the point, I'm perfectly happy with my MacSporran...so it isn't a case of wishful thinking.

It has been a perfect day. The sunset was gentle. Now is the time to feed Rory and his daughter cat. They sat together on the paving this morning. He was so gentle as she repeatedly attempted to coax him to play a game of hide and seek behind the potted plants.

A fond farewell to all our Kitcheners until tomorrow.

Happier dreams sooop

Sorry about extre o. !

I wouldn`t like to upset anyone who was convent school educated, but the book I`m presently reading is set in the 1920s, and a new girl at school has been told she can`t wear black patent shoes, "because they might reflect your knickers!" Also, the girls have to walk in the grounds in groups of 3 or more, girls in 2s are not allowed, because it could generate unhealthy conversations! I wonder if these things really happened back then, or since?

numberplease definitely not in my day at a convent boarding school I think 1955 to 1961. Our games shorts had to be long as did our tunics and Sunday kilts. I wore black lace ups.

We knew nothing about sex so our conversations could not be unhealthy,(in the eyes of the nuns). We had very little time to ourselves- every minute of the day was planned and there was little time to stand around in groups chatting. That did not happen.