Soop's welcoming kitchen...

Morning all !

Its a crisp one here today but the snow has gone !

I'm sure Torben will be familiar with the whole rock thing soop , for anyone who isn't - people paint little rocks and hide them and when you find one you take a photo , put it on the relevant Facebook page i.e Norfolk Rocks - and then re hide it for someone else to find. Little ones love it because its easy and no real cost or equipment needed.

Hope everyone has something nice yo look forward to even if its only a slice of cake !

We are off to buy shelves this morning as a total rearrange of my craft room aka the kids bedroom is called for as my Christmas present arrived and is not only huge but super heavy so not something that can be moved at will.

Tomorrow we are back down south for Jackson's 6th birthday party ! I'm not sure who is more excited him or us !

Have a great day all xx

I get very envious reading about all your decorating as our house is really ,really in need of doing everywhere.
It is so neglected but will not get done.We are still in the home we moved to over 40 years ago and it is much too large for us, although I value the space to get away from the constant grilling all day everyday.
The only way anything would get done would be to move out for a month and get it sorted, that of course will never happen as I can't get H out of the door often now.
I must accept the situation and I do try.
Now to a lighter moment, I have opened the first box in my M&S advent calendar, it is Radiance Body Glow which gave me a huge smile, now I have to think who to pass it on to!!

I'm sorry to hear you have decorating envy ann :-) . Here I have found out the village has a group of volunteers that do things like decorating for those who need help( or gardening or even dog walking !!) Is there anything similar near you, even if you just got one room done to cheer you up ?

Or if you cant tackle décor - what about just refreshing your room accessories ? Like new cushions? Curtains? a rug?

Sometimes small changes make a big difference.

Your advent calendar sounds great!! I shall look forward to hearing what goodies you get each day !! I did see a cheese advent calendar---- maybe next year ;-) xx

I have a painted stone given to me by my GS, then aged about six, when I arrived to spend a holiday in France. I had to guess what it was: a mouse? a cat? a hedgehog? 'No', with a pitying look, he informed me, 'a woodlouse'. How could I not have recognised that?
A lovely bright afternoon albeit still chilly - my thermometer has reached the dizzy height of 5C. Nevertheless, I have put on my newly purchased fleece trousers to keep my wobbly knees warm.

Ha ! I love that Anno !!

I have vivid memories of the consultant bending down to ask my 5 year old if the cereal box thing she had brought for the new baby was a castle? She looked at him pityingly and said 'no- its a coco pops box " !

Out of the mouths of babes :-)

There is little to better popping in here to read the messages from you lovely lot.

anno and N&G You've made me laugh. Thank you.

Happy sixth birthday for tomorrow, Jackson. No need for me to add have fun because you most certainly will.

Time has been spent in the care home (coaxing our pal to do the crossword) and having a mince pie and coffee in the Harbour View Grill and shopping in Tesco. Oh my, how I appreciate entering the store and not being harassed to death by the pre-recorded Christmas songs. 'Don't They Know It's Christmas' will be played over and over and over... in a week or so.

JansD3 Your decorator has finished. I would be out of my bed in a flash if a decorator had done the business here. I really need a decorator. My days of climbing ladders are over. I often look around and think to myself...if only I could redecorate the bathroom/bedroom/sitting room...and, maybe the kitchen.

Galen and Bellasnana Can you explain why it is that I'm excited about the cruise on your behalf? I wouldn't say no to tagging along for one day with you both. I would need the remaining days to recover from the experience. Did I tell you that I crossed the channel on the S.S. Felais (? spelling) when I was about five or six years of age. I had the top bunk. Needed to wee in the early hours, and fell flat on my face (as I stepped out of the bunk.) On top of which, I was seasick. The rest of the stay in Jersey was a marvellous experience. I seem to remember that it was at the time of the festival of flowers.

Interior and exterior decoration are sorely needed here, but, despite the best efforts of DS1, I still have clutter in the way. I was put right off decorating when, during my marriage, I always seemed to land the job of painting the ceiling. No wonder I always had a stiff neck. A great physio helped with that and divorce fixed it!

DH is pretty cack handed so I always do the decorating but this time I drew the line at the hall, landing and stairs! The kitchen awaits but I think it will be in the New Year. At least I have chosen the paint!

oldgoat We visited the Factory Shop as I need new Sloggis. MacSporran thought he'd found just the thing...bikini briefs in a size 10! Dear of him. He meant well.

anno

JaneD3 what shade of paint have you selected for the kitchen?

Talking of interpreting a very young Torben's request to have fish fingers and rice served together one lunchtime, silly Nana thought to herself, that's odd, but if that's what Torben likes...so I put them side by side on a decent size plate. Torben took one look and said - not like that together. Seprat together!

It's pitch black outside. It's at this time of day that I miss Rory most of all. He would be lying at my feet and waiting for me to log off. He would yawn, stretch and lead the way to his cupboard in the kitchen. At which point MacSporran would show Rory a selection of gourmet delicacies. He would wait until Rory mewed (with frustration) and then pretend that R had made a choice. Daft as two brushes - MacS and me.

Log off time. We have a funeral service to attend tomorrow. A lovely 98 year old lady in the village died peacefully in her own home last week. She was "with it" until the end.

Little Greene Mono which is grey. Kitchen is dark grey and white.

soop, understand how you feel about Rory. My cat, who died last year, was called Fudge - and today I got an email from a lost animal website for a cat called Fudge, brought all my sadness back.

soop could the ship have been the Falaise? I crossed on her in a gale when the sailors were seasick. She rolled like a whale who’d had far too much gin!
Mother and I were fine, but, father, who got seasick crossing a damp lawn, really suffered!

By the way, have you ever seen a seasick Irish wolfhound? I have on the crossing to the Isles of Scilly

ask.cunard.com/resources/carnivaluk/fleet/Queens_dinner.pdf

just a sample dinner menu for you soop
Click on dinner.pdf and it should show it.

Just had to have a look galen. Serious .

I am so happy to say that one of the old, old friends who I felt had let me down has totally come good! A lovely long phone call and she and her OH are aiming to come to Paws Requiem Mass/funeral on Monday. Bit of a long way, Salisbury to us and I am very touched, but most of all just happy that that friendship has not been kicked into touch.
I have had a lovely visit from DD1, just the two of us which was a perfect opportunity for us to reflect together and do some mother/daughter bonding.
Getting nervous about Monday, but I think it will be lovely

Galen I have only ever met one Irish wolfhound (lovely dog) but he wasn't sea sick at the time, which may have put me off him!

soop all the best for tomorrow - that is what we would wish for all of us.

We had someone in to do our hall, stairs and landing - I banned DH from doing it as he was quite keen to climb ladders but I was not so keen to stand at the bottom steadying the ladder and catching the drops of paint.

maw I am sorry about your 'fair weather friends' - no use in times of need. Perhaps they just don't know what to do or say, but they should know by now especially if they have had experience themselves.

soop you should know that together means together!

I always like my curry together whereas DH prefers his side by side.

Maw I WILL be thinking of you on Monday (in between the 4 potentially violent claimants we have of the 5 attending)

Where will you be Galen - I could come and stand guard with a couple of trusty cats.

X post Maw

I am so glad your friend has been in touch and that she will be there for you.

My thoughts will be with you on Monday.