Soop's very welcoming kitchen...

Soop yes very exciting times. Does your granddaughter know the sex of the baby ? My daughter doesn't. I am going to a scan with her next Wednesday, I've never seen a live scan before, only pictures afterwards.
Kitty so true !

Absolutely, kitty?. Spot on!

Is this what you mean GD?

Good for you, Baggs To be honest (which I know that I can be with you) I wanted to tidy up the back of your hair with my manicure scissors, (only I'd left them at home). Bet that you are well pleased with the professional trim. I do cut my own fringe and bits at the sides. Never yet mastered the hang of doing a proper job.
Don't forget...tartan dress, orange tights, pearls...

Sar53
Our granddaughter's baby is due around the same date! Exciting times ahead.

The weather is wild. A very choppy sea. Snow on the peaks. a tad skiddy underfoot!

That's my lot for today. I must log off until sometime tomorrow. I understand that some of the islands on the west coast have lost their power supply. Please let it be possible to join you lot tomorrow.

Crafting, my OH and I both have 2 daughters. He has 5 grandchildren and I have 4 plus the new addition due in January. We treat them all as our grandchildren.
We have 3 born on the 9th of the month, 2 born on the 10th, 2 on the 11th and 2 on the 24th. The new baby is due on the 10th January, how bizarre is that !! None of them have the same birthday, apart from the twins.
Like most ladies I know when everyone's birthday is .

PS Snow on the upper halves of hills when I came out of the barber's this afternoon. Yes, the barber's. Had to collect the car from the garage and there's a lady barber nearby. She cut my hair good. I've to tell MrBaggs to hide all the scissors in the house so that I don't try any more snipping myself .

The funny thing is, I'm the one who hides scissors in this family, so that scissor ignoramuses (everybody else in the family!) don't go cutting paper or other shocking things with fabric and embroidery scissors.

Ooh! I like the demerara before cooking idea, shysal. Might try that on the next one.

soop, tell MacSporran the cake's really good with cheese. I had some apple cake with Comté for my lunch. 'Twas fab. (I wasn't born in Yorkshire for nothing!)

Baggs Your recipe is a hit. MacSporran had a silly smirk grin on his face when I told him that you had reserved a slice for him.

annsixty I'm also sorry to hear the sad news.

Sar Oh the images that I have in my head of you and MrSar perched atop of the ladder in the wee small hours.
We've only seven grandchildren. The new year arrivals will be special.

corner Any hot sausage rolls to spare? I don't mind helping you to sample them.

Greyduster We've had a hailstorm and promise of 'worser' things in store. The cloud formations are amazing. There is blue sky, billowing white clouds over seen by angry, towering, black monsters. Snow is in the air!

Thanks for the apple cake recipe Baggs. I have made half the recipe in a loaf tin with Demerara sugar sprinkled on top before cooking. It is sharp and sweet at the same time - delicious!

sar 10 grandchildren! That's fantastic. How do you keep track of all the birthdays .

Hello everyone, hope you are all warm and cosy indoors. Very wet and windy here. I've been into town and finished my Christmas shopping . Will now hibernate for the rest of the day.
Sorry to hear your sad new Anxiety and the fact that your DH doesn't remember family anymore.
Grannyqueenie I'm very excited about this baby as it was totally unexpected and, I think, will be last DGC for OH and myself. This will be number 10 !!!
Now imagine this if you can, 12.30 last night I get woken up by OH saying 'can you hear that bleeping. Turns out it's the smoke alarm in the hall, battery has expired. To cut a long story short it took about half an hour to get the thing off the ceiling and remove the battery. Climbing ladders in the middle of the night in my nightie, not a pretty sight, OH climbing the ladder in his underpants a worse sight . Then I couldn't get back to sleep, lay awake for about an hour and a half, resorted to counting sheep. Oh what fun.

I might be thinking a long time, kitty, especially if they have to be practical !
I am on my knees again this morning, having had a second night without sleep! There must be - to quote the words of a song - “someone in the great somewhere” that says “tonight you will wake up and worry about X; then tommorrow, we will wake you up at the same time again (quarter to three, anyone?) and you will worry about Y. Do not even think about trying to catch up on your sleep - you won’t have time!” I have just yawned my way around Aldi, leaning on the trolley with my eyes half closed. We are going over to DD’s later for tea. The sky looks full of something and I hope it isn’t snow. God, I hate the winter!
I will look in later.

I've just some for a sit and a ponder of the appropriate uses of the leg of lamb.

Mr C has new hearing aids, in itself a source of great rejoicing. Having a minor tidy this morning I picked up the old storage boxes (new ones come with every new hearing aid) and wondered if as they are plastic they could be recycled.

Oh dear, the horror. We apparently must keep them. On enquiring why I was told 'just in case'. In case of what I ask? Just in case.......

Noticing a shifty look I observed their final resting place and on investigating found not two but five such boxes. Along with al sorts of other things I thought had left the building.

Now, the question is, does anyone understand the 'just in case'? Or please, can I borrow the leg of lamb?

I'll just sit and breathe for a bit I think.

Oh yes, I made some rather nice if I say so myself sausage rolls this morning. If anyone is in search of lunch or a snack they are keeping warm.

That is sad, Ann! Especially being unable to reminisce with your husband. Glad you had a good time with your friends. I like to hear about anyone having treats but especially you.

A busy time for you morethan - it sounds as though you will have a lovely time - especially if it snows.

corner, when we were out with DH's friends last week we had a roll call of everyone in their year - it was fairly depressing.

On the husband front, we could do a sort of rolling programme taking into account their talents. I'll try to think of DH's.

I intend to try the apple cake too, I will not be posting pictures either!

That’s sad annsixty condolences to your husband and his family. Your right though I try (I don’t always succeed!) to count my blessings. My own mum had been dead for 20 years at my age. I mustn’t get maudlin. Christmas decorations are up early this year and very low key because I won’t have much time between visiting my family in Liverpool then back home and the mammoth drive to Bonny Scotland ??????? Hope you all have a good day. I’m still smiling at Kitty’s camel story.

I stir the apples in before the eggs. It probably doesn't matter if they go in after or if eggs and apples go in together ?

Thanks baggs will have a go once granny duties are done. I probably won’t be posting a photo

Sad news indeed ann, also sad that your husband wasn’t able to properly understand. We were counting up how many of our neighbours had become very ill, died or had to go into residential care in the last two years. The total was very scary. Then we got to thinking about our friends and family and stopped pretty quickly, so many aren’t with us now. That sort of news and thinking does encourage living life while we can. I hope you were still able to take enjoyment from that lovely afternoon out,

Time I tried to sleep. Not been doing much of it the last few nights. The wind has arrived here, lots of rattling outside, at least I’ll have something to listen to

Sleep well everyone.

Ha, ha. I thought I was being daft when I couldn't work out what to do with the apples! I read the recipe a few time, but couldn't see the apples mentioned. I quite fancy trying it. Thanks Baggs.

Thanks for the recipe baggs I think the gremlins deleted the details about what to do with the apples. Guess you just fold them into the mixture at the end. Is that right? We'll all be wanting a taste next Wednesday, by the way.
Hope your visit to the dentist wasn't too awful greyduster Was it just a check-up?
Loved the Nativity play stories. None of our family have ever had a star role which is probably just as well.
DD used to do ballet when she was little. She was a Red Indian once in their annual show and was so heavily made-up that I spent most of the show watching the wrong child.

Oooh a new comfy kitchen with apple cake, what could be nicer. Just what I need after a busy day. Volunteering all day with parents/carers and toddlers and babies, when I got home at 4pm Bob the builder was just about to leave. He’s now completed the decorating and few other little jobs we’d neglected he noticed needed doing along the way. Bless him he’d also reassembled the bed and some Ikea shelving units for us as well, so when the old boy got in at tea time we set to and worked like Trojans all evening (with a short fish and chip interlude) to get the study, spare bedroom and bathtoom back as they should be. I’d taken loads of books to Oxfam before the decorating started and another lot last week. I culled even more as I was filling the bookshelves tonight but those shelves still look pretty full to me, how can that be? I suspect they are breeding!
I’m sorry you had a sad end to your day Ann, I admire the way you can see a positive side in remembering what you and dh have had over the years.
soop good news on macsporrans check up. That man is a survivor I think and long may it be so. I think you may have sent that wind south, the windows are rattling here tonight.
greyduster it could be a slippery slope with that prosecco, you may find you like it! Snow on the horizon? I hope it doesn’t reach us, I love to look at it, but am much less keen on walking/driving in it though. Hope you get to the performance on Sunday.
I’m feeling a bit of new baby envy sar, our littlest is 8 now, enjoy every moment when your newbie arrives.
Reading about other kitcheners old boys, I do think some short term loan arrangements could work well for those who love/hate shopping, Christmas, cooking etc! It may considerably reduce the need for the frozen leg of lamb?
maw I feel your lost post pain, it’s very frustrating especially when you’re feeling a bit tender round the edges and haven’t the stamina to say it all again. Thinking of you in these very early days without paw
My bed is calling me, wishing you all a restful nights sleep and if I’ve ignored anyone - sorry it wasn’t intentional x

Ann, so sorry to hear your sad news, that must have dampened your pleasure in your afternoon treat somewhat.
Soop, so pleased that things went well in Oban, and that the fish and chips went down well. Do they serve fish and chips at The George? I don`t envy you that drive today, that road`s bad enough without complications!
I had a card from the post office today, someone hasn`t paid enough postage on something, so I have to pay £2 before they`ll deliver!

kitty I love your camel story

Glad your trip went well soop

ann glad you enjoyed your afternoon. Sorry to hear your sad news.

baggs that cake looks delicious I think I will try it myself. Thanks for the recipe

That’s very sad news for you, Ann, and doubly sad that your DH has no recollection of his sister. We witnessed this happen with my brother in law and it was heartbreaking.
Thank you for the recipe, Baggs. I will try it on Friday and send you a sit rep!

MrBaggs-approved Apple Cake recipe

H didn't know who I was talking about and although he recognised his sister's name doesn't know who she was. So very sad.