Soop's very welcoming kitchen...

Glad to hear you’re feeling a bit better today, with half a head. Best bit the talking half, cg, speaking for myself that is...it’s the bit that gets most use anyhow my old boy would say that I’m sure! Actually it seems he has only half a head today himSheoherdsself. We had a trip into the big city today with dd2 to buy her a 40th birthday present. She chose and ordered a very tasteful piece of jewellery, so far so good. We then popped into JL for a browse, the old boy the man who never spends anything on himself surprised us by finding a pair of trousers and a jacket at knock down sale prices and promptly bought them both! Again, so far so good. We then enjoyed a leisurely lunch and a glass of wine before catching the train back to dds where we had a quick chat with the children before setting off for home. What could possibly go wrong at the end of such a pleasant day out? When we arrived home no sign of the little rucksack with the old boy’s bargains and also a rather nice platter I’d also bought in JL in it. Yes dear reader, you’ve guessed it ... it was left it on the train. He’s notorious for not picking up HIS rucksack and I usually keep an eye to it, but sadly not today. So we’ve reported it and we may see it again...or not! In the grand scheme of things it doesn’t matter one bit, well just the wasted money but he is feeling suitably chastened!
oldgoat we saw those lovely birds on that very river, just a bit downstream at Bolton Abbey!
Ann I’m glad you had a good day out today, keep on looking after yourself and please take every chance you get to do so. I love Turkish food!
That orangery looks very posh n&g, keep cracking that whip you have a reputation to maintain with workmen!
Loved the story of your wee house soop, it’s funny the turns that life can take isn’t it.
Time for bed now, sleep well all!

Good morning to the kitchen, which we will all be moving from before too much longer, by the look of it! How quickly a 1,000 posts seems to go.
corner I hope you find the other half of your head soon! I think DH would quite often like me to lose mine and has probably thought of some way to facilitate that on a number of occasions! .
Oldgoat I hope you are feeling more upbeat. I felt a bit like that myself in the week. The weather hasn’t helped anyone recently. Grey skies, grey moods.
N&G I love the babygrows and the tee shirt. Your new bit of kit seems to be proving its worth! You should start a business! Looks like the orangery is well on its way, too.
Gq what a shame about your rucksack! Fingers crossed that some kind soul will find it and do the right thing. All you can do is be sanguine about it - as you say, it is just ‘things’ - but it would be the kind of thing that would drive me to distraction. On a much smaller scale, I made a saving on two items last week and got a pound change from a five pound note - then promptly lost it. I banged on endlessly about it for a couple of days until being told to shut up!
My son has been here overnight. He came for lunch and then to go to the football with his dad in the evening, so it was nice to have a bit more time to spend with him than we usually do on a football Saturday visit, when it is lunch (if we’re lucky), match, home! I chauffeured then to the ground and then spent the evening at DD’s before picking them up again. I felt sorry for my GS, who had daddy trying persuade him to watch the match on tv with him, and DD trying to persuade him to watch a programme on Ancient Rome with her! In the end, he put together a Lego set with me!
Nothing much planned here today. DH is still limping from the toe he is convinced is broken, but he won’t go to the walk in centre to have it xrayed, so I have dressed it and strapped it to his next door toe, which has seemed to make things a bit more comfortable. I haven’t the faintest idea whether it is a good thing to do - I sit firmly in the “if you can’t cure it with old wives remedies and chicken broth, get to the doctors” camp. Where is the comfrey when you need it?
I will look in later.

greyduster A friend gave me a bottle of comfrey oil to rub on my aching knee. It worked like magic! I've still got the bottle but don't know how long it keeps- had it about 5 months.

granniequeenie Hope you get your lost items back. OH once left a bag full of M and S shirts in the luggage rack of a train when he was coming home from Leeds. No sooner had the train pulled out of York station than he realised what he'd done. The train was due to stop just up the line at Northallerton so a phone call was made for the guard to check for the missing parcel. It had gone! Some dishonest person's lucky day, and because the shirts were from M and S they would have no problem taking them back. Hope you have more luck.

Not been awake long. I think my problem is a lack of sleep. Every weekday morning I'm up at 6.45 because GS2 comes for breakfast and school drop-off. Today I woke at 9.15. Lovely.

Have a good day everyone.

Another grey 'nothing' sort of morning. 'They' say it will get colder next week. Oh joy! Ann, what a good evening out with your GD. I love having a meal with my senior GD. When they emerge from their teens, they are really good company. Did you go to the Turkish restaurant in Bramhall? I like the food there and the service is excellent.
Must get moving - I've a hole to mend in the trousers I want to wear!

anno we went to the recently "changed owner" Topkapi in our village. It was very good, nice atmosphere. As we have to use taxis Bramhall stretches the budget somewhat when Gran is paying?

Good afternoon to our lovely Granspals. It's blowy and grey and damp outside the cosiness of the wee hoos.

corner Bless you. Oldgoat and you, too. I hope that as the day progresses you will be feeling better by the minute.

granniequeenie I can well imagine how you must have felt, when after a cheerful day out, the lost rucksack was missing. I would sooner give things away than mislay/lose them.

ann Every time you share a happy convivial outing with us lot I almost burst into song. Keep up the good work.

Greyduster Your grandson will have loved time spent with you. Lego beats tele' hands down.

MacSporran did the shopping without my assistance this morning. He had to motor to Tarbert, and a walk around the harbour in the cold wind was unappealing.
I took it upon myself to turn the utility room on it's head. Two hours it took to turf out useless stuff that might come in useful. It looks very smart. First thing I said when MacS walked through the door was - go and take a look at the utility room! Such a boaster - me! Wow! was his response. Followed by - where is all the clutter? I opened the back door, and pointed to a towering heap. Where do I put it? he enquired. I said something under my breath. If it's going into the recently turned-out shed, there will be trouble.

jollyg Lovely to have you back with us lot. Sorry, I don't understand what it is you are referring to. Can you enlighten me please.

Instead of being pleased (Thank you very much) why did today’s letter telling me I will receive an unexpected annual “spouse’s annuity” (not huge, but nevertheless welcome) reduce me to floods of tears?
Finding Paw’s “Hornblower” (4) of them) Kindle purchases from Amazon just 5 days before he died had a similar effect. I was so relieved that he had actually started at least one of the books.
It doesn’t take much actually. ?

This is for Charleygirl

Thanks Maw!

Tara has decided today to have a day at home- the only problem being that she wanted me to stay in as well. There had not been a discussion previously so she was less than happy when I took a piece of furniture to a charity shop and then went to Waitrose because I had to buy mince for spag bol tonight. It must be the pregnancy because I do not want anything else to eat.

Now that I am home for the remainder of the day she has retired to bed. It is one way here- fine if she goes out for 14 hours +, but not so good if I pop out for a couple of hours.

maw big ((hugs)) especially just for you xx

maw And big (((hugs))) for you from me.

Charleyg Cats are canny creatures. My goodness, Rory and Bracken are greatly missed. We still look out the window and hope to catch a fleeting glimpse of the two of them playing outside the chalet.

Middle son is, as I type, with his brand new first granddaughter. Lots of photos will be taken. I've been tidying the bedroom drawers and wardrobes and every so often I pop back to the computer to see if he's shared one or more with us. When that happens...woop woop! you lot will be the first to know.

Log-off-time. Back tomorrow.

I hope that Mia didn`t hear what the taxi driver said this morning, I was shooing her out of the road as he drew up, he looked at her and said "Is she pregnant? She`s got a bit of a tum." Mia is just nicely rounded (a bit like me, but less so), I think she`s adorable.

I've just come back on again.
Thanks Soop for your message at 17.36 yesterday - gives me a bit of courage to persevere
Luckily husband is more resilient than me. Bless him.

Did the rucksack turn up grannyq? Hope it’s been reunited with its owner now.

greyd I think your grandson showed great sense, Lego would have won for me too .

I’m positively envious of your turning out and tidying soop. I have a list of similar processes needing doing. All I will say is it is regularly added to. One day, one day. I’m sure many photos will have dropped into your computer by now. Exciting times for sure.

More hugs from here if needed maw,fortunately virtual hugs aren’t sabotaged by germ bugs.

All will be well in the end fennel, moves have the tendency to cause worry and uncertainty but it will all be worth it.

Oh dear, charley,of course you know Tara is in charge and you should listen to her. How could that taxi driver callgirl? I’m sure Mia turned a dead ear.

Our trip out today was lovely but I ran out of steam after lunch so back we came. I was presented with a fetching plastic bag complete with eye holes (!) to contain any contagious bugs, caused great hilarity in our coffee stop cafe. One of us was not amused .

Still on half a head today, hoping for three quarters tomorrow but hey, half a head is better than none.

A good days “turning out” in the end today.
The cupboard under the stairs yielded up FIL’s medals including his CBE. Paw had brought them home after clearing his mother’s house 17 years ago -I have no recollection of this so TG nobody asked me for them as I would have turned the house, loft and garage upside down in a panic looking for them!
Then I tackled the cupboard under the sink, throwing out no end of nearly empty bottles of cleaning stuff .
Anything dangerous I have now put in a box so that when the DGCs come next weekend, I can move it all out to the garage.
Enough tidying and clearing, I am now glued to the 1st DVD of The Crown, thanks to my neighbour and friend.

Maw if you are still in the mood maybe some tidying up here would be helpful. I was pleased to discover when I woke up that I did not have an elephant to feed but I did think I had found where I had placed the on line banking details of my recent bank move. This is one way to save money!

Another miserable day here and again Tara does not appear to want to go out. She may change her mind. She allowed me a lie in until 9am but would have preferred if I had crawled out of bed around 5am.

Morning all !!

Nothing much more stressful than a house move Fennel we lost a year with the whole thing and maybe that's what makes me so joyful about it all finally being behind us. Hope yours is now moving forward and the stress will soon be a thing of the past.

Sounds like you had a lovely trip out Ann , you sound very cheered up

Oh no GrannieQ - now that's a buggeration !! I once lost a quite pricey shirt that I purchased for a Christmas present, hope yours is picked up by an honest person and you get it back !!

That sounds like a positive end to the day Maw , how are you enjoying The Crown , we have just finished the second series and messages have been flying back and forwards between my eldest daughter and I talking about Prince Philip!! I shall say no more - except enjoy!!
I am hoping for a trip out today with a newly bathed Sam and my camera but that will depend on whether Grampy is still poorly . I think that will depend on how much I there, there, there him [wink}

No photo from me but Jackson sent me this yesterday and in true 6 year old boy fashion he thought it was hysterical so thought you lot might smile !!

I'm happy as can be. Lots of lovely baby pics to upload and share. Here is one of Mila and Grandpa Tim, taken just this morning. Awww!

What a beautiful baby- I can well understand mum and dad running around catering for every whim. She is so content lying on Grandpa's knees- she is tiny.

Good for you, Maw. Funny coincidence...my next clear-out session is to be under the kitchen sink. It feels good to "rationalise".

corner I seem to recall that some time ago someone thought that Rory might be pregnant. Bloody cheek. He was most definitely a boy cat.

N&G That is the perfect joke for a six year old boy.
Us lot look forward to more of your wild life photography.

Fennel For you. and and x

Charleyg It is Tara's prerogative to call the tune. Surely you know by now!

corner Get well soon (((hugs))) a plenty.

Another of proud daddy and Mila.

Beautiful baby soop and a doting family. Just how it should be.