Soop's very welcoming kitchen...

?T’was on a Friday morning, the gasman came to call?

Flanders and Swann are sadly missed.

Hello everyone. I haven't been in for a while. Seem to spend all my time trying to cope with one eye and bathing the blessed thing.

I've got abs, just in case, as I have a virus too. I've been trying to manage without the eyedrops but think I might give in today as the itch and drip is getting worse.

I went on a flower arranging morning yesterday - fun with one eye! I'll attach a photo - it looks OK to me but then I only have one eye!!

It sounds as though the Edinburgh meet went well. Was anyone actually arrested? I bet soop is tired after her journey! And, yes Maw, love bag's hair.

Ann, I have a friend like that but now try to avoid spending time with her - life is too short and I have better friends!

Gd, I've now got that flipping song going round in my head - thanks!

Thank you Greyduster

Morning all !

No charley that handsome chap was just passing through. We have a metal pheasant in the garden that looks quite realistic, so much so that now we get real ones Sam just ignores them so its safe for them here .

Glad you had a smashing time soop , was a heck of a trip but it looks like you enjoyed it . I'm not surprised Santa didn't want to come in , it looked rowdy !!

Sorry to hear about the sweatergrey I feel your pain. I once spent ages knitting a mohair sweater for myself ( a HUGE undertaking) , I left it on a chair when I had finished and Grampy helpfully washed it and turned it into a Barbie doll sweater. I was heartbroken , not only had it cost me a fortune and money wasn't in plentiful supply but I had laboured for weeks over the darn thing.

Welcome NannyJan , pull up a chair .... did you bring virtual cake? I know exactly what you mean about wondering how you found time to work . I feel exactly the same . I do chuckle when I hear people say 'what will I do when I retire?' . I always want to answer 'LIVE' !

Some people are just like that ann , I wonder if she remembers she has told you all that stuff before ? Aren't you tempted to tease her with a bit of game of one-upmanship? Even if its all made up ?

My latest Windows 10 upgrade seems to have made my laptop a bit slow and unstable. Oh I wish for the days when computing was simpler and I could actually change things to suit myself instead of to suit the big companies!!

Sorry to hear your eye is still troubling you kitty but lovely arrangement. Its something I envy people , mine always look like I've just plonked them in ( and I usually have) .

Last minute stuff for us today before the 'erberts' arrive this evening. Please keep your fingers crossed for me for a dry day tomorrow for the zoo. We will all be disappointed if we can't go .

Ill catch up with everyone on Monday ( if I survive a weekend babysitting !!) .

Oh... look away ( proud Nana moment) young Jackson was selected to take part in his schools Spelling Bee. He made it through several rounds until knocked out by that tricky word 'Television ' ( he forgot the i ). Not bad for just 6 I thought .

Happy days all !

PS Thought Id share a picture of my favourite garden visitor ! No feathers for you grey

Oh help!
Not that anybody can. The cloud around my head when I woke up has just bigger and bigger and I cannot move a muscle without waves of tears washing over me..
I have tried the “Today” programme, reading the paper online (NOT the Grenfell service) and rubbish on iPlayer. No good.
I am simply not used to being so out of control, how on earth can I cope with Christmas?
Sorry,no answers possible and I do apologise for casting a (very damp) damper on the kitchen, just a total feeling of bleakness all around

Maw, I have no words for you but send you lots of love and a huge (((hug))). It will get better!! I'm sure others will be along with proper words of comfort, sorry mine are inadequate.

Lovely robin, N&G, maybe next year's Christmas card? I am full of admiration for Jackson's spelling ability. Wish Max, my 10-year old GS, shared that talent; however, he does score tries quite frequently - big, strong and fast on his feet, the perfect physique for rugby!
So sorry about your troublesome eye, kitty. Do you have a nice 'pirate' patch for it? I think there are some decorative patches which would make your GC very envious.
Ann, what a pain in the neck that friend is. A good thing you had another friend there to share the agony! We once spent New Year with old friends, and the wife took us round showing off her antiques, complete with the price they had paid for each one. Luckily they went off to live in various places abroad.
Glad your Edinburgh adventure ended so well, soop. It's a mighty trek into the city centre from Haymarket. I remember the long walk out to Murrayfield but then I was a student and there were several thousand other young people sharing the walk. Good old days, eh?

Oh Maw I am so sorry I do not know what to say. These feelings are going to overwhelm you from time to time and in the most inappropriate places.

How is Hattie? She must be wondering what is happening in your house these days.

Kitty your eye should be on the mend by now- what has happened?

N&G I think that Jackson did so well considering he is only 6 years old. He will need to have brains to get the type of job paying mega bucks to buy and run his expensive car habit, Those boys are gorgeous and their parents should be proud- I know that their grandparents are!

I have a streaming cold which is not going well here with the builders still in residence. I thought I had taught them to close doors but like children, it is something which has to be repeated many times a day.

Maw, I'd just posted when I read your post. You are still in the very early stages of bereavement and your tears are a perfectly natural release. Don't overthink Christmas because every day will be different and you will take them as they come. If there are tears, so be it; but there will be smiles and love as well. xxx

Maw don’t be hard on yourself - this will happen. It is early days and part of the healing process. Come on here and let it all out. {{hugs}}.
JaneD you are responsible for my new ear worm! It’s better than the Gilbert and Sullivan of earlier, but I want it to go away!
N&G the forecast for Norfolk tommorrow is wall to wall sunshine! Enjoy the zoo with the boys, and no, they cannot bring a lemur home - Sam would not like it! And your robin is safe with me (but I still have my eye on the pheasant!)
Kitty I hope your eye heals soon - it has been on the go long enough. Flowers are lovely, one eye or not - well done!

Teehee! They say you should sing Happy Birthday to shift an ear worm ?

My ear worms at this time of year are Come oh come Emmanuel and Angels from the Realms of Glory ?

My ear worm this week is
Star trekking across the universe
On the good ship Enterprise
Under Captain Kirk

Marvellous! The gasman cometh not - British Gas called 10 minutes before the two hours were up and they can’t book it again until February.

It’s life, Galen, but not as we know it, not as we know it...... .

Bad luck, Jane. Aren’t they just a pain in the rear?

Jane I would get rid of BG.

Ventured to the shops this morning. Couldn't find a half bottle of rum until, just down the road from home, I dropped in at the Co-op and there it was! You may ask what I wanted rum for. It's a ginger cake I only make at Christmas, involving stem and crystallised ginger, lots of dried fruit, all held together in a batter with rum. Baked in a fairly low oven, so not all the rum evaporates. Not for the kids.
Car park at M&S/Tesco was rammed but after a couple of circuits when I was about to give up, there was a space that wasn't only for disabled drivers. Lovely skirt in M&S but too long in my size, so I've just found the right length on line and I can collect it tomorrow. Whew! Not much more shopping to do now, before DS2 and GSs turn up on Wednesday to whisk me off to Sandhurst for Christmas, but not before we have been to see the new Star Wars next Thursday. Can't wait!

How’s the afternoon looking maw? I’m so sorry I have no words to magic the cloud away. Please be gentle with yourself, grief is so unpredictable, the tsunami of it will come and then subside for a while to give you some respite. Sending love and hugs.

kitty that arrangement made with one eye is so much better than I could do with two. Maybe time to take and use whatever remedies have been suggested? Eyes are important. Sorry, don’t mean to nag.

Sounds to be good times ahead anno. You ready for the invasion n&g? I wonder who is the more excited, you or the little boys? Well done to Jackson, he’s a bright little lad. It must be the day for IT struggles, I’ve been fighting with yet another Apple update. Hope you prevailed.

Oh dear, jane, so, so frustrating. Better luck in January.

We’re off out to an NT evening opening. My feet are freezing indoors, I’ve sort of gone off the idea. Best go though as the tickets were hard won. Water bottles in the boots do you think?

Keep warm and well everyone. charley I hope your doors are closed and your heating is on. Sorry, it’s my day for nagging.

I've just returned home to hear that our dearest friend, Bobby, died this morning. Also heard that MacSporran's favourite aunt has also died. MacSporran is out and I have to break the news to him when he returns. I'm truly sorry. Please forgive me for not doing the catch-up that I promised. Tomorrow, I shall make amends. A big (((((hug)))))

Anno do you think you could post that recipe? DH is a rum man - sounds like his kind of cake!

Soop I missed your post - I am so sorry to hear about your friend, and about McS’s aunt. What an awful double blow for you both. No apologies needed from you.

maw was thinking of you this morning when I saw this on Facebook but didn’t have a chance to pop back till now.
I can’t post a link here but it came with a lovely photo so I’ll just put the words add a photo of of my own.
Hope the day dried up a bit as it went on it’s such early days but days like that are horrid. Big hugs x

“How do you do it” said night
“How do you wake up and shine?”
“I keep it simple” said light
“One day at a time”