Soop's welcoming kitchen...

charleygirl Your description of the boys' antics on the back seat made me laugh. When our two were small we used to put their potty in the footwell and hope the contents didn't slosh about too much!

My motorway driving days were on the M4 to Bristol. I was caught out once taking two of the boys to me house for a long weekend, They wanted a wee when we were nowhere near a petrol station etc. It was an exceptionally quick stop at a hard shoulder.

The next time I went prepared with a bottle for each. What I had not anticipated was the pair of them standing on the rear seat, fully exposed to whoever was behind us as they peed into their respective bottles. I nearly died as I was attempting to keep the car on the road.

It is marginally warmer than yesterday. I have to go out after lunch but I think when I return I will be switching on the heating. I cannot wait for the colder weather and high winds later this week.

ann I do hope that you thoroughly enjoy yourself today and try to forget about what could be happening at home. At least your son will get a dose of the medicine you receive day after day.

oldgoat you can still get those 'snake' belts. My DGS wears one on his school trousers.

Maw I do hope Paw hasn't done major damage in his fall. I couldn't believe my eyes when I read about the 'wrong trolley' and as for waiting two and a half hours for the ambulance in the first place ...

ann have a lovely day with your family and Happy Birthday to your DGD. Is this the same one that looked after your husband while you had a couple of days away?

soop love the birthday cards. Isn't it nice when someone takes the time to find just the right card?

Cloudy with rain imminent today so I'm glad I got the crisp walk in the sunshine yesterday. Hope you all have as good a day as possible

Popping in to the kitchen for a proper look-round. Sorry to hear that paw is back in hospital maw and really hoping that his fall didn't do too much damage. A heavy fall really shakes you up when you're well, so for somebody who isn't in the best of health it's really bad news.

It's dull and chilly here today so I'm getting on preparing DGS2's 'evacuee' outfit for school. They are doing WW2 all this week and tomorrow are off to a WW2 museum in a converted Prisoner of War camp. I put my name down to go with them but am surplus to requirements. Probably just as well because these school trips are fun but pretty hard work too. I'm full of admiration for their teachers who work their socks off.
I'm making him one of those elastic belts with a snake-shaped fastening. Boys always had those when I was at primary school (post-war I might add!). Also, have to shorten the sleeves on a heavy woollen coat bought in a charity shop. His mum spotted that it's a girl's coat so just hoping that nobody tells him or he won't wear it. Just need to get some long grey socks with stripes round the top and his outfit will be complete.

Hope you can get your car fixed without too much expense soop A car is essential when you live out in the country with very little public transport

Have a good day everybody that's feeling low. I'm sure it's got something to do with the gloom and long dark nights.

Ann whinge? I really don’t think you do. Tell it as it is for you these days? Yes you do, but I’d call it honesty not whinging. So squeeze every last ounce of joy out of a well deserved treat today no one will begrudge you that pleasure.

gd we too have zoomed up and down both the A1 and the M1 over the years, often with a car-full of small children and a dog or two! It’s surprisingly hard to get out of that habit, even now when time is more plentiful. I’m not sure if I’ve been to the house or not, but it looks very grand externally. I know I’ve been to the park around it, a few years ago now with friends who live not too far away from there. It’s a nice town centre with a good few little independent shops amongst the usual chains. There’s a large church in the centre, the ground floor housing retail units which to be honest looked a bit odd. We imagined that the upstairs was maybe used as a cafe or arts venue perhaps. When we read the information board outside it seems that the whole interior of the original building was stripped out a number years ago. I thinks it’s offices now, that seemed such a shame.
Off to try to do a bit in the garden before the woman who laid it out in the first place comes to do it’s annual cull. Same principle as cleaning before the cleaner I think!
Hope there’s good news of * paw* later on.

Maw?. ??

Morning all !!

Early start today as its slimming weigh in and the gardener arrived at 07:30 to cut the grass ( we keep losing Sam in the jungle) !!

Sounds like you celebrated your birthday with vigour anno , although worried about your mishap - you don't need to break anything else !!

I feel for you Granniequeenie and your granddaughter. I had a long chat with our daughter last night, as Laura ( 11 next week) has been accused of bullying a younger boy . Turns out that isn't quite the whole truth but she has been involved with things like laughing at him with other girls. We had a chat about what she needed to do to bring it home that it isn't acceptable or right. I'm hoping she gets through to her.

Its so hard on your people these days to navigate a world that is ruled by social media etc so I can totally see why your GD might struggle. I'm a firm believer in love conquers all and she is so plainly loved by you all it has to come good in the end.

Have a wonderful day Ann it sounds wonderful and just what you need.

I was hoping for news of Paw also - I'm hoping no news is good news !

Back later all !!

Please don’t feel a seconds guilt, ann, you deserve your outing. A very happy birthday to your granddaughter. Just checked in to see if there was news of maw and paw. Been worrying about them. Making drinks and sorting biscuits at a coffee morning today so had best get moving, usually about 16 in a small room, it sure does get noisy. .

Good morning all.
As I whinge a lot I thought I would tell you that I have a lovely day in store today ( God willing) as an old friend used to say about everything.
Today my DGD is 19 and she,her mum and I are going to Manchester for Afternoon tea on the 23th floor of a very nice hotel where we be able to look out over the city.
We will then call for a cocktail in a bar on the way to the train home.
My S is in charge at home.
I hope to hear better news from Maw during the day.
Isn't guilt over an outing when others have problems a difficult emotion?

Funny you should mention Stamford, Gq. It is one of the places we keep saying we will visit and never quite get round to it, but the other day, DH said he’d like to go to Burleigh House, which we often passed in the days when we travelled up and down the A1 quite a lot, so maybe it’s on the list for next year!

I didn’t know there was a hospital trolley equivalent of the wrong sort of snow/leaves on the line type of scenario, maw. You really couldn’t make it up! I do hope it’s not as bad for paw as you fear it may be.
* Anno* it sounds like you have had a country wide tour, no wonder you need to put your feet up now! Did you go to the Festival Hall after you twisted your ankle? I seem to remember the stairs were a challenge there, but maybe I’m just thinking of that Christmas concert when I was very heavily pregnant with twins....heck that’s very nearly 40 years ago now!
n&g taking the day off when the sunshine is always a good plan in my book, come to think of it so is an M & S dine in. I think we may share some similar priorities . Working on the same principle we had a very pleasant and sunny drive north today, after visiting our ds. We stopped in Stamford and since the sun was shining lingered long enough to enjoy a good lunch and a walk around the town. I was tempted to spend more time —and some money— in an antique place we happened upon, I suspect my old boy was very glad I resisted, mind you I’m making no promises for the next time we pass that way. So it’s back home now to a busyish week. Lovely as it was to see the family it did nothing to reassure me that my troubled and oh so trying gd is getting back on track. We spent half the journey home going over and over it all, no easy answers or firm conclusions were reached . However we did agree that, love are as we do, we’re very glad it’s not our responsibility to manage her!

Hope Paw is ok! What a journey he has been on.
Old goat, we don't know! Our grandog is a lurcher/ terrier cross, supposedly involving a patterdale terrier. We think she looks like a Parsons Jack Russell cross. I have bought them a dog DNA test kit and we await the results with baited breath.

Any news yet maw? Hope paw is ok and nothing broken. Fingers crossed and legs too actually, waiting for the loo to be free

Oh maw how awful for you and paw. Really hope he has been seen to and that it is nothing serious. Keeping everything crossed for you.

Evening all!

Sorry to hear of your car problems soop ! Hope it all gets sorted.

Things that go bump in the night eh Grey !!

Sorry to hear about Paw Maw, I hope by now he’s all settled in and they have worked out what happened . Are you ok?

The unpacking continues apace Gaga. We took the day off today as it was blue skies and sunshine. We did all our errands and then bought a dinner for £10 from M & S so I’m just waiting for my profiteroles !! (Smile)

See you all tomorrow!

Dear oh dear, I just popped in to see who is around and find that Maw is back at that blessed hospital. Fingers crossed it gets sorted and it is nothing serious.

Bloomin` `eck Maw, I hope it`s not a broken hip, and that the right sort of trolley was found.
Soop, we always had automatics, because David passed his test in one, but then after going several years without needing to call out the breakdown service we paid into, we needed them, they sent out the local garage that they used...........and the bloke knew NOTHING about automatics! They had to ring round to find someone who did!
Many years ago, he was a member of the RAC. Never called on them, then one freezing, snowy morning, we slid off the road and ended up sideways on in a snow filled ditch. Our daughter climbed out of the window to ring her boyfriend for help, we weren`t hurt, but me and David couldn`t get out as easily as she could. David called the RAC, but apparently they don`t come out if you don`t have all 4 wheels on the road. David shouted down the phone, "If all 4 wheels were on the bloody road, I wouldn`t need you!"

I've been away for just a week and find myself in another re-constructed kitchen which is as bright and cosy as ever. My sister from NZ and I had a very short visit to London where I twisted my ankle falling off the base of the war memorial at Euston Station. Don't ask... Then I was horrified to find that we were on the second floor of a hotel with no lift. Again, don't ask... Last Tuesday night we attended a delightful piano recital in the Royal Festival Hall which I thoroughly enjoyed. Thence to Dundee where we attended a symphony concert, saw various relatives and I had a family birthday party yesterday. Home now and feet up with a brew!

Good night you lovely lot. I'm wishing that many of your personal irritations become more bearable before I join you again tomorrow afternoon.

Or from me maw. Well. Nothing repeatable.

Maw No words!

Greyduster I do love your sense of humour.

corner What is it about new washing up bowls and throws...I have several of each. It's a woman-thing!

I'm doing ironing duty a day early this week. I won't therefore be visiting the care home. I'm almost certain that M won't miss me. BUT, I always feel guilty that I've let her down. Daft as a brush - me.

Ahh, the car. We now have the appropriate insurance cover as we'll be borrowing our friend's mother's KA. The Campbeltown garage has a diagnostic thingy and will use it on our motor on Friday. Once the fault has been diagnosed, we then need to get it fixed. Garage may (or may not) be able to do the fixing. The Fiat garage has closed. The car has an automatic gearbox that a computer regulates. Our mechanic is not familiar with such mod cons. Ain't technology grand.

Blankety blank on a bicycle
Taken to X-ray and SENT BACK for being on the WRONG SORT of trolley. Rapidly going off mine.

Just come back from our walk to read your post, Maw. Hope for the best for Paw. Neither of you deserve any more bad news regarding his health. Fingers crossed for you.
Soop your cards made me laugh out loud - that’s always a bonus!
We both felt better for our walk except that the pub halfway round, where we usually have coffee (other dark brown beverages are available!) has now decided to close on a Monday ! But it gave us the incentive to hoof it home a bit quicker and get the kettle on!
corner my DH seems to live by the maxim that you can’t have too many washing up bowls!!

Oh blimey maw. Everything is crossed for paw. Enough is enough for you both.

Sat is a busy shopping centre waiting for Mr C to do his magician act and appear with a hot drink. Need a voucher for a birthday. How come we’ve bought a new washing up bowl and a throw? Really, really mustn’t go home without the voucher

Hoping for better news from maw. Hugs to all who need them.