Soop's Friendly Kitcheners and pets...

My neglected garden is attracting butterflies. Today I saw one I hadn't seen before - quite small, brown with lighter spots. By the time I had collected my camera, it had gone, but according to the website I consulted it is a Speckled Wood.

I phoned him today and he said he'd tried to contact me last night; well, I was in all night, although was on the phone quite a bit. Anyway he's coming out hopefully on Friday. I've had a toilet that doesn't flush for months now but don't want to have the work done prior to going away in case a leak occurs [which has happened when I've had work done]. Not sure if the S.O. has heard from the gardener [who I was going to give work to]. The crazy thing is that he has a house in Northumberland and whenever he has a problem [eg there was a leak yesterday] the people up there are so reliable and have never let him down.

Tegan I call it bad mannered not to keep an appointment. It's as if the person can't be bothered and it's wrong.

It's a lovely day, I have bedlinen waiting to go out on the line and what do you think? Some inconsiderate person, a few doors down the road had started a bonfire. I thought it wouldn't last and I'd be able to get the washing out safely, but it seems to be going on and on. ?

Perhaps this thread should be renamed soop's friendly kitcheners and grandchildren. The pets have taken a back seat this week.

After I had rung,one of the managers from the window company had the decency to ring me back today to say that the fellow was not coming- in the fellow's on line diary he had the 20th of this month! The manager is going to have a few words with him tomorrow. For the sake of customer relations, my job should be first in the queue but I have a feeling I will have to wait until the 20th unless the fellow is sacked and we start all over again.

The TV man did not ring me yesterday pm nor this am. I am aware that the SMART part of my TV is not working but it would be nice to know what the long term implication is. I can see me going elsewhere.

I have no recollection of my first day at school, I only knew that I hated it.

Have to wait until next week for grand-daughter 2 (she is my 5th gc, but 2nd gd so is that correct?) starts school. She is not 4 yet, but will be at nursery 5 mornings a week, and she has a uniform. Seems so young. Photos have been requested.

I started again with the car insurance and got rid of the complicated bits like dual car policy and shuffling ncd. Spoke to a nice company called Geoffery who answered the phone promptly with no menus (hurrah), and were polite and knowledgeable. No need to look elsewhere. Why can't some companies see that customer service is important.

? Blustery day here, looking out for Pooh to blow past?

Lovely photo lona, the excitement about school is wonderful. Enjoy it while it lasts . Collected ours from school yesterday to be told one new teacher wasn't up to the expected standard. Oh dear think that one is in for a hard time . Fortunately the other one was declared to be 'very good, she knows what she is doing'. . I really can't recall being so picky, I was just happy if a teacher didn't shout, my pet hate as a child. Sounds as if yours had an excellent first day anno, it's 36 years since our oldest began school, schools certainly have changed, no locked doors then. I can recall wandering in and out without anyone checking.

Sorry you are having a difficult tradesman experience, Charleygirl, isn't it just so frustrating? Ours is a sub contractor from a larger organisation, second piece of work we have had them do, we did say we wouldn't have the first builder back, so I guess they have been careful with this one. Fingers crossed all the other trades are as good.

Onwards - there is ironing with my name on it.

I'm not able to share the pictures of GS on the day he started secondary school - looking very serious and smart in his blazer and black trousers, standing beside young brother, now starting Y4, and grinning from ear to ear. I got a text from the big one, telling me he'd had a 'really good day'. It's 20 years exactly since my DGD1 first started school!

Yes Charleygirl it's just the adults who get teary!

Lona at least she looks happy to go to school and is not sitting in a corner crying. They all look so sweet in their slightly overlong clothes.

Oh she's lovely Lona and she too has first year uniform length :-) And very sensible too. By the end of the year it will be a 'mini skirt' I'm sure.

Yes Charlie his shorts are badly named eh? I am sure he will have completed A level maths by lunchtime so then his education will be complete !!

How did the whole TV thing go?

Daphne sounds like a good result. I hope Flynn's Mummy enjoys her windfall . I did NOT know it was National Stand your children against the door and take a picture week {smile] that made me chuckle !! I do hope your DGC have a Mummy who knows that too!!

Glad the builders arrived and are on track. We have had some good experiences with tradespeople recently and I can only put it down to putting price second and making our choices based on whether we liked and trusted the person. Its worked ok so far !!

N&G That's such a great photo of Jackson. Daphne our little 'first day girl' was posed against the stairs for a change!
I'm collecting her at lunch time, I'm so lucky.

You're right - swallow my pride and let DD and SIL swallow the chocs! A good result in the end.
Hope other people's buggerations are resolved as easily - but I doubt it.

N&G I love the uniform and the bag is almost as large as Jackson! It is a bit remiss of the school, in my opinion, if he has not been taught how to read yet, he has been there for one whole day!

Daphne I think maybe swallow your pride this time but if it happens again, attack with all guns blazing.

I am amazed cornergran that the builder has turned up and started work. You are luckier than me- I rang the company and I could envisage the blank face at the other end as she did not have a clue what I was talking about! "somebody" will ring me today, that I doubt.

The builder is here. So is the skip . Pleasant people, their expectations seem to match ours. Such a relief. Hot buttered toast is just what the doctor ordered, too anxious first thing for breakfast. Daft devil that I am.

How lovely to have lunch to celebrate a first day at school. I'm sure Jackson will be reading very soon, and so proud.

My Mum also made blackberry jelly, just loved it. I made it in the early days of marriage, probably not for 30 years now, oh dear, lazy or what? The smell of the commercial bramble jelly puts me straight back into a kitchen 'helping', in reality eating as many blackberries as I could when Mum wasn't looking. Never did work out how my she knew - could have been something to do with the purple lips

Have a good day everyone, best try to look as if I'm functioning or the builders won't trust me to make their tea .

Bless him!! Love the "shorts"! Did everybody realise this is, according to FB "National Stand your Children up against the Door in their New Uniform" week?
My little chaps don't start until Thursday for DGS1(y2) and NEXT Thursday for DGS2 (Reception)
Can't wait to see them too!!
PS yes, N&G I will swallow my principles and hope DD enjoys the chocs!

Good Morning all !!

Lots to do today but only housework and crafting stuff.

Had a lovely surprise yesterday when young Jackson invited us out for lunch to celebrate his first day at 'big school' ( see attached picture). We went to Pizza Express, his favourite restaurant with his Mum and Dad and little brother. There were no tears at school which is wonderful but when I asked him what he had done he shook his head sadly and said ' I didn't learn to read yet'.

He obviously has high expectations

Daphne its a tough choice. Maybe you need to sit down and think would anything - any offer- make me happy. I suspect it wont because you feel so let down. If it was me , Id take the offer. Every company makes mistakes at one time or another( Tesco's sent me 6 bags of frozen sausage rolls one Christmas instead of pigs in blankets and no veggies !!)I think you either have to vote with your feet and not use them again , or draw a line under it , accept their offer and see if they can win you back?

Did the builder arrive Corner ?? I am waiting with bated breath ( and a nice plate of hot buttered toast ) to find out !!

soop please send blackberries ! My favourite homemade pie with lashings of custard is blackberry and apple ! I have fond memories of my Mum making Blackberry Jelly Jam which for many years was the only jam my girls would eat. We'll be looking forward to tales of the Clan Gathering ....how exciting. I bet you cant wait, especially as you now have the tickets booked !!

anno hope you're feeling cheered a little . Toothache is horrible but surely you have had all the wisdom that tooth will impart time for it to go !

Happy Tuesday everyone !

That's an excellent outcome Daphne, that mean you will stay with them? Well done. Have these as an extra .

I've also been let down by yet another gardener. Now it's a jungle again and the hedge at the front is so unruly that the postman might need a machete to get to the door quite soon.
Glad you got a result, Daph. Persistence always usually pays.

PS
Result! Message on Twitter offering wine or chocs (taking chocs in case the wine is rubbish, SIL is quite fussy) so honour is satisfied
Hope everybody else is as lucky!

There seems to be a lot of people being let down. I hope we don't follow the trend. Our builder should have been here today, told us end of last week it would be Tuesday - please tell me he will turn up after we have spent two days hard labour moving heavy furniture so he can begin. He will come, he will come, he will............

Daphne did you place the order? If so that's why they won't send anything to your daughter, odd but I think that's the reason. If you have been happy with their service in the past think I would give them a second chance, personally I think a higher amount voucher is more appropriate, but if that's their standard again I guess it is all that will be offered. Having said that one more small error and I would be off to Waitrose.com and tell them why. Think it's one of those things to follow your instinct, if you really dont want to shop with them again then don't. If you want to give them another go that's equally fine. Whatever sits comfortably with you.

I'm sure your friend will appreciate the offer of a shared coffee Soop, sometimes it's helpful to change a pattern. She must still be so sad and it could be a welcome break for her. I know you said when your family get together was going to be, memory like a sieve, I also can't recall.

I'm not sure I could concentrate long enough to get to the end of a dissertation now. tegan you are a marvel (worrying now as I hope I've got the right person, the post is on a precvous page and if I go back I will lose what I've written, really must change my settings to 100 messages per page). Having yet another clear out I came across my own dissertation written as a very mature student. Did I really write that? Hard to believe .

Best be off. A skip is arriving at 7am - I repeat, the builder will come, he will..........

Isn't it Autumnal all of a sudden?
The grocery saga continues, I have been sent a £20 voucher, had the undelivered goods refunded plus £6 "goodwill" from the delivered goods. I am still tempted to tell them where to go as, honestly a bouquet of flowers/box of chocs or bottle of wine direct to DD would have been a thoughtful gesture. I tried for that but they weren't having it! What do you think? On all other occasions they have been reliable and helpful, and part of me wants to take the money and put it behind me, but on the other hand I could just as easily get Waitrose.com to deliver and it might be a salutary lesson for them to lose a customer. Or am I cutting off my nose to spite my face? Selling my soul for a £20 voucher ? (always welcome) it is so hard
I have been catching up on the washing and ironing now we are on our own again, but it WAS nice!
When do you go off to your gathering of the clans Soop? And where is it to take place? Will there be caber tossing, hammer throwing or heilan'' dancing?

I really don't understand.....

I went to the shop where I am supposedly buying a bedroom TV, it was not delivered on Saturday because there was a fault. I went to the shop today, fellow was going to ring me this pm- did not bother. I was expecting a phone call this afternoon from a fellow supposedly coming to do work here tomorrow. It was to say whether he was coming am or pm, he has bothered. Do they not want the work?