Soop's kindly kitcheners and pampered pets...

My elderly mum suffered from really bad headaches. She was referred to a pain clinic who treated her with acupuncture. Despite being deeply sceptical about alternative therapies, it did help to relieve her pain so unlikely to be a placebo effect.

Wobbly the pain in your operated knee could be coming from 3 different places- there is a slim chance that it is coming from your back, more likely partly the hip on that side and also some pain from the knee itself. Have you injured it recently and maybe not noticed that you had done much damage? A change in gait because of pain can alter the mechanism thus causing pain elsewhere.

I think that this is something for a doctor to decide and a pain clinic is as good as any. I had several treatments at a pain clinic once the orthopod had decided that he had come to the end of the road. I refused the last treatment (pain clinic) because for me it would have been a step too far (paralysis) if anything went wrong. I decided I would stay as I am.

I doubt if one bout of physio on its own will help but with luck the next session will be soon. It is wearing when you also have pain at rest. What about a medicinal brandy or whisky to get you to sleep?

It's a bright, bonnie, chilly hello from Kintyre.

Wobbly I echo Charleyg's comments regarding your pain. Have you ever tried a 'tens machine' . I found it helpful prior to my first hip op'.

oldgoat I've also heard positive results from a friend of mine who went along the acupuncture path. I'm afraid that I am sceptical.

The physio was happy that the hip was the root of the problem and that the knee pain was being caused/referred from the hip. I have a series of exercises aimed at strengthening the muscles around the hip, and I see her again in 2 weeks. I have to give it a couple of months before I push the doctor to take the next step (if the physio works, that may not be necessary)

Lona I'm sure that you will enjoy Bellasnana's company. I'm delighted for you both.

oldgoat Glenbarr is not on Gigha. It's in a village between our home and Campbeltown.

kitty I enjoyed seeing the photos and I could almost taste the deliciousness of the hot chocolate. The girls look very pretty sitting on the bench.

NanaandGrampy You have inspired me to return to a portrait of my niece's puppy dog...Dexter. I've been putting off the moment when the painting gets serious. Why? The puppy is all black. Here I go again. Perhaps by the close of this afternoon, I shall have made a little progress about which I'm pleased.

Daphne I trust that Grace is now fully recovered. Animals will never appreciate loud bangs and stuff that whizzes through the air.

I've been printing a few more of our pal's favourite poems. When I visit the care home, I shall staple them to last week's choices. It surprised me how pleased he was to recite the poems. In fact, at one point, he had a wee tear in his eye.

Wobbly Keep up the good work. Us lot need to be regularly updated. (((group hug))) for you, and all other Granspals in need of TLC.

Thanks for the Hg Soop. just what I needed, I would get MrsP to give me a hug, but she has a cold added to her problems, and she can keep that to herself. I thing MrsP was more positive about her problem after seeing the Physio.

Wobbly please keep mrs.P away from this site at present because we do not want colds here either. I have not had a cold this year and intend to keep up the good work.

Wobbly, I hope that things start to go better very soon kneewise, when mine was at it over 3 years ago, I was just about ready to chuck myself under a bus by the time I was offered the TKR. Now the other one is getting towards the same state, but until it gets unbearable I won`t take them up on the offer of another TKR.
DaphneB, love the pic of little Flynn, and hope that Grace has settled down again. My Heidi suffered terribly at this time of year.
Love all your other photos.
Oldgoat, Easter may not be as cold as you think, it`s in mid-April next year, not March. But although nice weather would be a bonus, we`re going mainly to scatter David`s ashes at Muasdale, his favourite place on this earth. A lunch or teatime meet with our Soop will be nice to look forward to though, so here`s hoping.

Wobbly Us lot have hugs to spare. Even virtual hugs have a way of making things seem so much better.

Charleyg Have made any progress with the pet portrait? Nah! I've been faffing aboot the hoos and the arty farty hat remains in the cupboard. Perhaps tomorrow...

Anyway, it's that of time of day, again. Tomorrow I'll be care home visiting in the morning. I shall return thereafter. In the meantime big for each and every one of you. Stay cosy warm.

callgirl1 Have just read your message. I'm looking forward to seeing you. x

Likewise Soop xx

I used my cold as an excuse to binge watch The Crown on Netflix. DS recommended it and I agree with him. It's a great series that starts with the Queen's wedding in 1947. I can remember so many of the events in it as I was 7 when the wedding took place. The characters come over convincingly and the 1950s accents have been well mastered. And the fashions! slim waists and swirly skirts.

Forgot to say - a special mention for Eileen Atkins as the dowager Queen Mary. Brilliant.

I would love to see that but I have no idea how I can get Netflix.

A very chilly evening here, Tara of course looks after herself and has retired to bed. At least she came home at a reasonable time this evening.

A bright frosty morning and perishingly cold here. Tara as usual wanted to go out very early but I managed to keep her in until after 9am. I would have preferred it if she had stayed in all day but she was howling and jumping up the door trying to reach the handle as she knows how to open it but thankfully cannot reach the handle.

I had a toasted bacon sandwich for lunch yesterday and today- delicious. Only fancy it about 3 -4 times a year. I am defrosting a portion of chicken casserole cooked last week. I doubt if I will be going anywhere today, that is the beauty of being retired.

Better day today. my mates persuaded me to go to the Ukulele club last night and today MrsP and I managed half an hour in the garden plus a few indoor jobs.

anno I had a very small waist (long ago) and loved wearing full skirts with sugar-starched petticoats. I went through a phase of liking gingham. At one time, I even tried to wear my hair like Bardot. Messy but marvellous with it.

Charlyg Rory slept well into mid-morning, curled up behind the computer desk fittings. MacS was getting fussed. He doesn't like him being any place where he cannot be rescued (should he need) not without removing the entire unit. MacS has since blocked off the narrow entrance to the
hideaway. Rory now has MacS's lap on which to sleep.
A photo of Mac's home-baked loaf coming up.

Wobbly That group (hug) has worked some magic.

The visit to the care home was, at times, trying. If there isn't a chair close by to the gang of ladies, I find it difficult to both hear and respond to their chatter. Especially as the ladies are all Scots. An awful lot of nodding of heads takes place. Almost half the residents were sleeping soundly. The staff are tip-top. I have huge respect for them.

I really cannot put off putting paint to paper. I'm away to find my arty-farty hat.

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MacSporran's latest loaf...

soop I have decided that MacSporran has a full time job keeping us lot supplied with delicious homemade bread. I often think about buying a bread maker but to date I have not because I have a feeling that I may bake one loaf and then the novelty will have worn off. It obviously has not in his case.

I think that is a good idea that Rory no longer has access to the computer desk fittings. Tara walks over the keyboard when she fancies, causing no end of damage if I am writing an email.

McS has got a good rise there!!!!!!!

What does it do to his sporron

Charleyg Rory isn't fussed about walking across the top of the desk. He has to squeeze himself through a narrow gap in order to sit in the smallest of spaces, where we cannot reach him. As I said, we could if we had to, but it would mean dismantling the entire corner unit to do so.

jollyg and Galen TYKES! I could come up with a witty response - but, being a lady, I won't.

That certainly is a big one MacSporron.
We were given a Panasonic breadmaker by my sister who had been given it by a friend who had been given it by somebody else. I used it about twice then got fed up with the amount of space it took up on the work surface.
My loaves never looked very special and had a big hole in the bottom where the mixing apparatus goes.
You are welcome to have our machine charleygirl It's looking for a new home.

soop my goodness what a whopper ? . My DH makes our bread about 5 times a week but not usually the size of that. MacS is obviously a star baker. I think that's the biggest loaf of bread I have ever seen. Do you eat it or use it as a step ladder soop