Soop's welcoming kitchen...

Are you within reach of a Uni or college, Tegan? If your gardening work needs more muscle than experience, you might find a student who would do it. There may be a noticeboard somewhere.

....just needed to get that off me chest.....

Need lots of gardening work done. Phoned someone who has advertised in our local free magazine, only to be told he's fully booked till March. So why did he advertise. This is after waiting in all day for someone to come and give me a quote who didn't turn up. Phoned him and he said he'd come tomorrow; thought about it and phoned him back and told him not to bother [I'd waited in the night before as well].

I would love to help with the mince pie testing! My painter has gone on holiday, leaving hall, landing and stairs half done. Grrrr

Done it, Baggs

Guess what I've been doing all afternoon...finding a suitable tree to draw, that's what. So that's an entire afternoon wasted spent on a very simple outline of a tree. I shall use it as a template. The next step is to draw a variety of wee animals and birds. Some to sit on the branches and the others at the base of the tree. Then I shall add leaves that I can paint colourfully, (she says hopefully.) This evening I shall refine the drawing. I've thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Wishing you all a pleasant and peaceful evening.

They have to be sometimes GD, it's the law of averages. Just as very, very, occasionally you will be wrong.

Nothing at all to do with me, Ann - my job is just to complain about the things he thinks will look okay! In this case (b****r!) he was right.

How did you manage to achieve all that Greyduster?
In our household, we wonder about decorating then think about it for several months. If it does get done then choosing a carpet would get the same swift treatment , which is why nothing gets done, especially now that we have to get someone in. You have achieved wonders, are you open to offers?

Love the Tree of Life idea, Soop; an heirloom of the future, hopefully!
N&G I hope the person who runs the slimming sessions is not a GN member or the game is up! We won’t give you away (though there will be a small fee involved......)!
Gq that is a superb photo yet again. Could you ask to be the Christmas official photographer as well as a mince pie tester? I nodded sagely when you said your DH was not skilled at practical things. Neither is mine, though he does like painting. Watching him this afternoon cutting up the old bedroom carpet reminded me somewhat of the picture of a bloke up a tree at the wrong end of a branch sawing his way to disaster! Any minute I expected the Stanleyknife to go through a major artery he was so cackhanded. I did not help by offering advice! But I have to say he has made a lovely job of decorating the spare bedroom. Decorating done, new carpet down. Job’s a good ‘un. I don’t know quite how we will break it to GS that his Star Wars stormtrooper and Darth Maul posters are not going back on the wall, though! He will have to make do with some tasteful artwork. The bad new is that Himself has announced that now that is out of the way, next week will be devoted to...... (drum roll??....) CHRISTMAS SHOPPING!! I am packing this evening and will be gone by the time he gets home from the football! Anyone want a lodger until New Year?

Done it Baggs!

GQ what you said about your DH reminded me of clearing Mum's flat with one of my brothers. We had decided to take anything we thought we might like and throw the rest. My brother, bless him, picked everything up, examined it very carefully, decided he didn't want it and put it back where he found it. AAAAHHHH!

Soop, what a brilliant idea for the new babies.

N&G your secret is safe with us. I'm sure Bertie and Persie will be happy to be elves, if you need any more we have a plentiful supply of their cousins though probably best avoid Lottie, she has a thing about switching things off and flushing things away.

Your poem definitely suits the day round here Anno it is just gggrrreeeyyy!

I helped on the Carer's course this morning and,as always, I am in awe of them all (and the ones here) so, why do I come back so flipping tired.

Hey, soopers, could yous all go and look at the KETTLE thread and post answers, please ?

Maw and all those who need a gentle hug...this is for you. (((HUGS)))

Good, albeit dreich, afternoon to you lovely lot...

Home from the care home. I walked in with a smile planted on my face and kept it going until I left the premises. There was little conversation but there was a more light-hearted feel to compensate.

N&G I won't tell on you. Honest!

grannyqueenie Yet another wonderfully atmospheric photo of yours. I specially like the contrast between light and shade.

anno I like the poem .

I think that you are all amazing. Your kindness is uplifting.

I've had a moment of inspiration. What do you think? I've been wanting to think of something that I can paint which can hang in the great grandchildren's rooms.
How about I paint a tree of life in cheerful, bright colours? I've an idea to do a sketch this afternoon.

What a lovely photo GQ. I love that area, too. One of my favourites. Lucky you to live around there.

Wharfe Valley must remember to preview !

n&g your secret is safe with us, and please can I be a mince pie tester. I’m well suited to it, years of experience and probably a stone or two to prove it.

Maybe I need to get out more but I have never heard of a Black Forest hot chocolate. I will stick with coffee although I have promised my GP i will slowly switch to de-caffeinated. I will but when I am not 100% certain when.

Just nipping in before the day takes hold, do I follow my list of rather tedious jobs or go “ freestyle”, who knows!
soop your poor family, any one of these situations would be a sore trial for any family to cope with but having all at once is awful, they must just be reeling from the impact of it all.
Maw my heart goes out to you, it’s those little things that reinforce all that you've lost in losing much loved paw, layer upon layer of such precious memories - many memories, happy and sad. And yes like others I can’t help thinking “what if if this was me.”
Well in the time that’s passed since I began this post (I’m so easily distracted!), it’s clear that today promises to be damp and dreich so I may need to resume clearing out the rooms that are allegedly going to be decorated next week. That of course is totally in the hands of the decorator man who up to now has not been forthcoming in actually promising an exact date. But hope he knows that I meant it when I said next Monday is the last date I can work with to avoid pre Christmas insanity! My old boy who is not skilled in practical things is more than happy not to be doing the job himself phew and so am I cos he’s hopeless at that stuff but he also seems to be abdicating completely from any clearing up or interest in colour choices. I get the feeling that shouldthis exercise all go horribly wrong it might be all MY fault!
I’ve attached a photo of the What’re Valley, I thought it matched the mood of the kitchen these days - subdued but with a hint of light at the end of the day

A dreich and drizzly morning here. It looks as if there has been no sunrise though I suppose it's there above piles of clouds.
Thomas Hood put it better than I can:

No sun - no moon!
No morn - no noon -
No dawn - no dusk - no proper time of day.
No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,
No comfortable feel in any member -
No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,
No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds! -
November!

Let's hope December is more cheerful.

N&G, how could you mention Black Forest Hot choc at this time of day? I'm going to have morning coffee with a friend though I don't drink coffee, so now I am going to be hopelessly tempted to order hot chocolate. Am I a lost cause? I had a wonderful dream last night about a slender and elegant Anno in the mirror. Dream on, I say.
soop - what an unimaginably awful time that poor family is having. How do some people cope? And Maw - my thoughts are with you constantly, though I know that is no great consolation. One of the daftest things anyone can say is 'It's the thought that counts' - my MiL's favourite! ((((hugs)))) to everyone who needs one. xxxx

Thank goodness for the kitchen; so many trials and tribulations around yet so much support and understanding here. I don't want to send individual messages as I'd be sure to accidentally leave out at least one person, so love and (((hugs))) to you all

Morning all !!

I can see the Ninja Christmas Team taking shape nicely. Corner you can be our Kitchen Personal Shopper for all those Bah Humbugs about !!

I shall obviously be in charge of co-ordination and chocolate logs ( plural of course !) .

Maw can I press you into service at Christmas Kitchen Poet Laureate?

Kitty could you press Bertie and Persie into service as elves?

I am looking for a Mince Pie Tester , Cracker Puller and of course - the Fairy for the top of the tree !

We have lots of time so I shall just leave that message out there for additions from your good selves !

Soop so sorry to hear of so many buggerations . Life does throw the most awful curved balls doesn't it?

Please come close.....I have a confession to make..... whispers.....I am not going to Slimming this morning and I have lied to the lady in charge and told her I am poorly ( well its hard to say I've been a pig isn't it?) . Of course that does mean I will now go down with something !!! But I have had a very bad week and I blame it all on those darn Black Forest Hot Chocolates from Costa !!!

So please slap me if you even see me thinking of one !!

I must be good ( Ill write that out 100 times as penance this morning !!).

Morning, just catching up.

Soop what a sad tale! It really is unfair that so much pain should attach itself to one family. I wish there was something we could do. I hope the care home visit usnt too trying.

Maw, I echo what Crafting said. I wish I could think of something clever and comforting to say but send love anyway.

DH went to the Gin Place for the whole experience last week JaneD and is raving about (and drinking!) his own creation!

Fancy talking about fish and chips when there is someone who is gf in the room, Callgirl, that's just rubbing it in.

Morning everyone! I was on duty at DS's house last week and my little man and his little sister don't give much time for GN and texting! 50 miles a day on school runs too!
I love Christmas and all the lights, so would like to apply to the Ninja team.
The Autumn colours were beautiful in Charnwood forest yesterday as I went to our local gin distillery- a new find .
Soop and Maw - you brought tears to my eyes. As others have said Maw, you are in a place where so many of us dread to be. I went to the funeral of an eighty four year old chap who died suddenly in his armchair without having been ill. Hard for his wife but such an easy death.
I am off to visit Mum today for the first time in two weeks but it won't matter. She won't know that I am there.

Oh fiddle faddle, posted and you guessed it, disappeared. Where oh where do they go?

Just wanted to say to soop what a time her family is having. No words really, as I don’t have a helpful thought in my head. maw what a clear thinker you are. I’m sure pawwould have looked at you with pride.

Soop, thank you for the hello. I lurk around the kitchen door, but don't often pop in. I should do, as it's cosy in there. So sad to read about your family problems.
Crafting, phew, can breathe again. Glad you understood.
As to the coffee lake, (yes, it was a full mug), it didn't do any harm. DH was more concerned about his Ipad, I was just so glad it didn't have time to get to the carpet, and I was surprised at how fast I moved.
Maw, lovely to see you posting about Paw, he is in your heart.
If Annie is here, thinking of you, night, night, God bless.