Soop's kindly kitcheners and pampered pets...

Our cat has taken to sitting in DH's 'place' on the sofa.......DH sits on a chair that is facing away from the TV rather than disturb him! Daft ha'porth (sp) as my nan would say.

Enjoy your lunch Soop and MacS . I'm off to Derby for the school run and it's blinking freezing!!

soop I do hope that you and MacS enjoy your lunch out tomorrow. Happy birthday to MacSporran

Cats are funny the way that they move around chairs- having one as a favourite for months and then all of a sudden will not go near it because they have chosen somewhere else.

He isn't back yet, Soop, probably doesn't dare . I'm doing a little light dusting, enjoying the process as there's no rush and I like leaving our home looking nice. The bathroom needs cleaing, guess who I'm leaving that for? .

All good wishes to MacS for tomorrow, have a wonderful lunch. Hope the sun shines for you both.

It sounds as if your cleaner is a very bright woman, Charlie, suspect she will make a success of whatever she is able to do.

soop. Happy birthday to fellow Scorpio, MacS. He is two days older than I am! I was a Guy Fawkes baby, and born on the day when Franklin D Roosevelt gained his historic third term as President of the USA.

Charleyg TYKE!

All that is missing in your favourite chair soop is Bracken.

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Good morning lovely peeps. We've had a long walk and the coffee is just as it should be. No biscuits. I'm very strong willed (when I want to be)

Charleyg Good news indeed about your new television. Did you watch the scary comedy/horror drama about a spooky lighthouse set somewhere in Scotland? I was all of a tremble. Although having walked out (after 30 mins)of the film, The Exorcist, well over 42 years ago, I honestly cannot think of anything more disturbing than that film. I shall add a few pics. Rory has taken a great liking to my favourite chair. The moment I vacate it in the evening, he is there and stays put until morning.

NellieM Your little grandson wouldn't understand what the scariness was all about. Older children really enjoy themselves. Having said that, our older grandchildren (in their twenties) went to town wearing rags and cobwebs and suchlike.

corner Sorry, I had to chuckle when I read your post. Although I do understand your concern.

NanaandGrampy Your craftwork is beautiful. I shall treasure the card that you made for me.
Good! You can take some of the credit that your granddaughter hasn't totally given up on karate. Our grandsons have been to classes. It is a very worthwhile discipline.

anno Begonias seem to outlive many of the garden flowers. We haven't had a frost so far. I understand that the forecast is for much colder weather to creep across the country very soon.

ann You remain in my thoughts.

MacS is proud of his latest home-baked loaf of bread.

He'll be celebrating his 76th birthday tomorrow. We shall celebrate with a tasty lunch at our favourite restaurant.

kittylester I am working on how to have a magic cup of coffee when watching breakfast TV! My bed would be cold by the time I made the coffee downstairs etc. Also when I go down madam wants to go out and it is too early for her because she is out for so long. She is mostly happy to stay on my bed provided I am there.

My littlest DGS 18mnths went to the door when the little kids came ringing DGS1 was interested. The poor little one took one look at the costumes and ran off howling.

Good morning all from a fairly chilly but bright Leicestershire. I hope it will be the same in Derby when I do the school pickup today.

Glad the television is working Charley - watching Breakfast in bed with a cup of tea is one of my luxuries.

Lovely photos of Trick or Treaters, aren't they cute?

So glad you have found Mr C Corner - honestly, you can't trust them.

Good news about Karate NandG - hope it lasts. Bertie went to his first football training session yesterday and was coached by two ex Leicester City players - ooh, the excitement. His parent's went to his first parent's evening and think that the teachers must have confused him with someone else as he is, apparently, really well behaved, quiet and follows the rules. My father once took a photo of one of my brothers to parent's evening as he didn't believe that they were talking about his child.

I hope we haven't scared Ann off with our well meant advice.

I'm speechless!

Sat down for a cuppa post chopping, opened email and guess what, an email from Mr C reporting his safe arrival.

Is it me or him? Do you think if next time I ask him to send and email there might be a text??????

Off for a nice potter now .

cornergran my cleaner is Romanian, married with a 6 year old boy. She has a degree in Maths and computing. She was a maths teacher in Romania. Her problem here re jobs is taking and picking up her child from school. She cannot get an office job eg 10-2pm, it is more likely to be 2 long days which she could not do.

I am working on her setting up SMART TVs but she does not drive so that is a problem.

Lovely sunny morning here. Had planned a quiet potter as Mr C went off early to a meeting. He was supposed to text when he arrived. He didn't! Much as I know he is fine (plenty of time for the police to have told me had there been an accident) I can't settle to the pleasant things. So I'm off to the shop for soup bits and pieces and will get chopping. That should reduce the frost when he returns . Or maybe not .

Sounds as if your cleaner is a gem Charley, if she wanted to she could have a second string to her bow setting up complex tv's. Could boost her income nicely.

Good news about the karate n&g, one of ours is having a similar wobble with swimming, life can be hard for them sometimes.

As it happens do have some cake, we have friends coming tomorrow so I've baked some little cakes, easy and quick guess they are called muffins now, my Mum always called them fairy cakes. Watch the icing, it's still a bit soft but plenty to share.

Wobbly has reminded me of a long ago holiday on the Norfolk Broads with my parents and Mr C. My Dad, a countryman through and through, was Captain and enjoyed sharing his knowledge about the wildlife around us. After a bit it was just a little tedious so my Mum and I delighted in calling everything we saw a duck, just to wind him up while Mr C tried to look solemn. Good memories.

I'm off for some onions for soup, have plenty of other veg, so soon to be chopping .

Tara was on my bed last night when I went upstairs. I wanted to watch a programme on my new TV and it was so good lying in peace watching it. Just what I wanted my TV for, I only have to work out how to work it properly now.

I watched the news for a short period of time this am but Tara was crying her heart out. She did eventually come back to bed but she is used to me jumping when she calls but not today.

It is sunny but very cold here today. The heating is on but Tara is out.

One of my 5 year old neighbours told me yesterday that the children were given a day off school on Monday to get their costumes ready for Halloween. It was actually a staff training day!

An appointment this pm with my solicitor re my will and Lasting Power of Attorney. She is frighteningly efficient.

The first frost of the winter overnight and the begonias have new faded. I can get on with replacing them with tulips and mini daffs. It's a lovely bright morning, but cold.

Good Morning all !

Glad to hear your TV is now functioning Charley , your cleaner sounds lovely .

Loved the picture of your little Trick or Treater Lona and soop Torben looks the part !!

Its going to be a lovely quiet day here. Grampy is off to the football tonight and I shall take my youngest daughter shopping ( its so much easier AND cheaper) when she doesn't have the two little lads with her.

But other than that its a day in the craft room for me. A lady on a forum I belong too has a very poorly grandson and we are all making him a card to cheer him up. He should be surprised to receive a huge sack full of get well wishes.

Then its back to my Christmas crafting.

On a positive note I took our granddaughter to Karate last night and she seemed very positive afterwards. So we will be changing days from Thursday to Tuesday. It was a much quieter class and maybe that helped as she got more 1-2-1 attention and it was a lot more focussed. I shall be taking her every other week also because I think she enjoys me being there and being her cheering squad .

The aim now is to grade in December and get to the next belt which will be a brown I think . Fingers crossed.

Have a lovely day everyone. Please bring cake....we have eaten run out !!

callgirl1 I remember you telling us of the duck incident. It still raises a smile.

Jalima your memory of the mother duck and her ducklings was lovely. I would have camped out all night had I not seen the wee one get up that bank. I couldn't have enjoyed myself until I was certain that all the family had been reunited. I know...DAFT as a brush...ME!

NonnaW Thank you for updating us. I'm relieved for you. Time spent with your grandson will have been a welcome tonic.

Time to log off. Wishing you all a pleasant and peaceful evening.

No charley I can't remember the exact term but it's a TV part, not a connexion. The techie in JL thought it was the hard drive, but that's not what the engineer said!

I love your duck stories. About 15 years ago, we were in our tourer on a farm caravan site in Co. Durham. The first morning we awoke to an awful loud knocking noise under the caravan floor. We worriedly wondered what I was, till we went outside to see about a dozen ducks emerging from underneath the caravan! That became a regular occurrence for the few days we were there.
Love all the Halloween photos.

Lona I did not realise that you were also having problems. My bedroom TV, the new one, is a Samsung. The main TV is a Sony but it is an ordinary set, not like this new fangled thing which is totally beyond my pea brain. The picture and sound are really good, all that is missing is a decent programme to watch but that is beyond my cleaner..

Has he ordered a powerline extender? That is what Wobbly thought that I may possibly need but I was going to get in touch with him before I actually bought one.

I have a week to play with it until my cleaner returns and no doubt she will be able to sort things out if there is a problem.

I went out for an hour or so today and I was not long home again when JL rang wanting to refund my £34.99 so that should be winging its way to my account. I went twice around the houses to get it but everything seems to be fine now. I think give credit where credit is due. I will soon be needing a lie down.

Charley the engineer came to my TV yesterday, after I'd reported to John Lewis, my trouble connecting to the Internet. He said that Panasonic tvs regularly fail to connect to BT hubs. He got it connected but said it would probably fail again in a day or two, and he ordered a new part of some kind. Should be fixed in a week or so.
So much for modern technology

Thanks all for the messages of support. The procedure went fine, uncomfortable mainly with just a little pain but bearable. They found I have diverticulitis but hopefully nothing else. The appointment was for 2.30, finally went in at about 4.30 and left the hospital just after 5.30. My poor DH was hanging around all that time, apart from giving the dogs a run in the local park. They poor things, had to then wait in the car. Still, all over and done now, and having a fun day grandson sitting today. He always brings a smile to our faces.

We didn't have one trick or treater come to the door last night! There aren't many young children around here but DH bought a multipack of sweets just in case which I will have to hand on to the DGD (I'm sure they'll be happy even if the dentist may not be!). The DGD went round their village with other children and mums and dads then had a lovely party in the hall arranged by one of the mums, all had a good time.

We visited an RHS garden in North Devon once and watched Mother Duck lead her very tiny ducklings across the pond for their first swim. When they got to the other side they all managed to climb up the very steep bank except for one. He tried so many times but kept slipping back into the water. We didn't know whether or not to go and help him (or her) but eventually, after many attempts, he/she managed to join the rest on the bank. We then continued on our way round the lovely gardens.

It's very grey here and has become very chilly

POGS What a sweet remark.

I had a load of wonderful, polite children trick or treat last night but one made my heart glow.

He was a little lad about 3 years old with a group of other kids. After we had the necessary picking of the sweets and little chat and bit of sillyness he turned around as they were leaving and said.

"I'm ever so tired , can I come and sleep with you ". Aaaah.

Love the photos everybody!