Soop's kindly kitcheners and pampered pets...

How lovely that your son has someone special to spoil him Lona. It doesn't take much to make us Mums happy does it?

It's great that the kitchen is such a welcoming place but it does make for a lot of catching up to do when you have missed a few days.

I'm back from a lovely couple of weeks with the family and pleased to know that DD2's husband is safely through a big operation and seems to be making a good recovery.

I'm glad to see number is able to join in again,I'm sure I'll get used to the new name soon!
Its so frustrating not to be able to join in, when my Internet was playing up before we went away I was scared sometimes even to go on to the next page in case I lost it all completlely. I had absolutlely no problems while in England and hope it won't start up again now. I went to a lunch yesterday, mentioned that we'd had trouble getting information about it and found out that others in the area had been having difficuties with missing emails etc. over exactly the same period of time. Weird!

Beautiful sunset Galen. I hope it soothed you and I hope they get they damn chair lift sorted soon.

I had to google Rambling Rector and now I want one as well. I wonder how it would do here. We've got to have a re jig of the garden when the building work is finished and I'd planned to concentrate on native and non prickly plants but it's very tempting.

Here I am, all breathless and eager to catch up with you lot. Well, doing so will take me an awful long time. How come you've all been so busy. I have been busy but not on the internet. We've been visiting the care home. It is all decked out with ghosts and scary spiders (not real) and cobwebs. If they had asked, I could have donated a few from our house. This afternoon there is to be a Halloween party. The staff dress up and have a lovely time acting the fool. They really are good people.

The internet connection is dire in this area. I get mad with it because I'm certain that folk in the most remote regions on earth get a better service than we do here. Thing is, MacSporran doesn't allow such things to bother him. He is the nearest thing to a Zen master that I know.

Lovely sunset, Galen. Mother Nature does soothe the troubled soul. Sometimes...

Welcome back to number that was.

Welcome back, dusty I very pleased to hear that your son-in-law is recovering well from his stay in hospital.

Swanny I like heederum hoderum. The Scottish tongue would make it sound like something very special. So, now I know, I'm a bit of a mish-mash. There's a lot of truth in that.

NanaandGrampy Boys and dirt are made for each other. I shall look out a favourite photo of Torben (eating either mud or organic chocolate) most likely equal parts of each. .

Here it is...

I named this photo...things to do...places to go...

Lona Big cheer for your son on his birthday. I'm happy that you're happy that he and his girlfriend are happy.

???soop I'm glad that you're happy that I'm happy ..... ??

Lona, I'm so pleased to hear about your son. It sounds as though you like her too. I hope your daughter is ok!

soop, I am concerned about the Care Home being decked out with spiders and Halloween type things and hope that none of the residents are scared. You can tell that I've been doing my Alzeimers course can't you.

I've just got back from lunch with two old friends one of whom has just had a lumpectomy and radiotherapy. She was fine but feeling a little vulnerable. Her DiL is expecting her first baby in January and the pregnancy was announced on the day that my friend was diagnosed. My friend is feeling that she nearly missed the arrival of her first DGC. We made her laugh by thinking up the most outrageous names for the baby and making her practice smiling and say 'Oh what a lovely name!' - by the end of lunch we had got quite silly and I hope she has gone home in a happier frame of mind.

kitty The residents seem very happy about things that go bump in the night. I do not like the hairy spiders. I was reminded that 'they are not real' Yippee!
You were right to try to make your friend laugh. It's a worrying time for her and family and friends. Looking on the bright side isn't always easy. Good friends are very precious.

I'm about to log off. Time for cat pampering duties. It's been a good day. The weather has been kind. The internet has been behaving (on the whole) and you lot have been good company.

Until tomorrow.

The proverbial has hit the fan in our family today, our daughter has walked out of her job. She has been struggling with stress for a long while and her health has been of rel concern to us. She never get time to eat at work, she works evenings and weekends, they just keep pilling more work on her. Personally I'm glad it has come to a head, she needs to find another job.

Oh dear Wobbly does she live with you? She must have been very stressed to have done that.

Good for her but its a worry when you can see the proverbial heading to the fan isn't it WB* and a relief when it eventually does. It does sound as though it had got out of hand. I hope she finds something less stressful quickly! Good job she's got you around (ish)!

WB you may well be right that it was the best thing for her to do, but if she gets an attack of second thoughts or doubts you will have to be there to reassure her that ALL WILL BE WELL and in the meantime, mum and dad will stand by her every decision.
It is awful to see our DC taken advantage of or to be locked into a job which brings them no joy. Good luck to her

She Lives in Leicester which is a few hours from us. Trouble is, she is the main wage earner. I would prefer her to find another job, I'm sure she could temp quite easily. She is extremely well qualified for her job, she could go self employed as a consultant. It is worrying, but i know it will come out better in the end. her existing employers may realise how ridiculous her work load is. Unfortunately councils are having to cut staff all the while.
Much of her job is psychologically stressful as it involves child abuse etc.

Sounds as if your daughter didn't have a choice, wobbly, her health is the most important thing. One of ours was in the same position last year. Didn't walk away in the end, looking at him now I so wish he had. I'm sure there will be alternatives for her, it may be bumpy for a while but so much better in the longer term. She will be pleased to know Mum and Dad are on her side. it's hard not to hurts when our children do, wishing you all well.

Everyone thinks she did the right thing, here partners comment was "they have been taking the P.... for months". I rather suspect that her employer will make a proposal to ease her work load, not sure if I want that or not, but she does earn substantial salary, so she could be tempted to stay.

Perhaps this will be the wake up call her employers need. Whichever way it goes, she has stood up to them and shown that she is not a doormat . Well done*wobblydaughter*!!

Now, do I deserve extra and something stronger than a to recover from my kicking or do I not?
Some may not wot of what I speak.....never mind, just pass the

Definitely something stronger daphne if you refer to the thread I stumbled across earlier. ???

If it's out of a bottle I will be joining you Daphne my D and GD have gone home today and although I loved having them here I am now so tired and I can't relax. I am alternatively reading and dipping into GN. I am like a coiled spring and will be good for nothing tomorrow.

It can be so hard to unwind can't it? You long to just "flop" but it doesn't happen like that.
Cheers both of you cornergran and annsixty!! ???

Goodmorning kitcheners.

DB and Ann60, I hope the & did the trick. Stay here and feel the love. (can I still use the L word without being sexist ? )

Wb we can enjoy the wine and the cakes but virtual love from folk we feel really mean it and are wishing us well is very welcome and appreciated. Keep it up, and don't tell MrsP.

We need a "Hug" emoticon

Morning all !!

soop I love that picture of Torben !! Its a classic

Daphne I now see why you retired here to recoup from that particularly nasty thread ! What is it with some people ? Were they born mean or do they actually work to achieve it ?? But I noted your accuser remained anonymous - I would like to see that option removed quite frankly. Maybe people wouldn't be so cavalier with others feelings if they could be identified !

Hope you're feeling less stressed xx

WB good on your daughter ! It might make things tricky for a while but her health( and sanity) are more important !!

I had a cake disaster yesterday( so will not be offering any to you lovely lot) . I made a quick banana loaf but used a new recipe and a lower oven temp. I cooked it , tested it then cooked it some more. When I tested it again the skewer was a little sticky but thought I might have got a 'banana pocket' so took it out because it had been in so long. Let it cool for a moment then tipped it over onto the cooling tray and went to take the tin off.

The whole middle not only collapsed but pure runny cake mixture poured out and spread all over the work surface. The 2 inches all round was cooked and the rest was inedibley raw !

I showed Grampy and he said ' hmmm no going back from that is there' !!

Understatement of the year!!

Luckily my granddaughter cheered me up. We took her off to Scout Camp for the weekend ( only an hour from us but felt like it was in the middle of nowhere). Grampy took her kit in so she could get settled and then offered to stay for 10 mins but she waved him off with a cuddle and a kiss and set off to join in with a group of people she had never met before.

I love her confidence. I shared with her that in all my years at Guide Camp( and I went on to become a Queens Guide) I never washed enough to take the label off my imperial leather soap!! She is going to carry on that tradition she assured me !!

I wash now...in case anyone was wondering.

Hope you got a good nights rest Ann and have something nice in your plans for today x

yes we do WB a hug emoticon would be most useful !! And to the person in one of the threads who was confused that you might consider 'virtual' people friends...I should ask her to pop in and see what it looks like