Soop's warm and welcoming kitchen...

Love the plaque soop, looks just right. I continue to breathe and have taken n&g’s advice unto myself. Rain? No problem . If it all gets too much you will find me snoozing by the fire probably hidden by a blanket.

Sorry soop, I’m in a right dither, also meant to offer commiserations about your car. Hope macs is smiling again soon.

corner MacS has been talking with the mechanic. Car not going anyplace soon. It's a right buggeration. All the postman delivers just recently are bills. Looks like we'll be paying another in the not too distant future. In the big scheme of things...we're the lucky ones.

corner I meant to say breathe - not breath - you know what I meant.

Oh lordy soop, more buggerations definitely not needed. Hope your afternoon is a calm and peaceful one.

Soop that little plaque is charming, and you have just the right place for it. The carvings on the shelf are nice too! I am sorry to hear about your car; no wonder MacS has got the glums. Hope the bill will be more modest than last time! Fingers crossed. We all think our vehicles are essential, but where you live, I would think it is more essential than most.

N&G I sympathise with the whole muddy garden scenario - had a basin full of that in a new house in the mid seventies when the children were young and couldn’t resist dragging half the garden in each time they came into the house! There was a whole lot of shouting then, too! Poor Sam, I’m sure he’s forgiven Grampy now! Have you, though?

Hope you’re keeping warm and dry, corner. How is the ark coming along? There must be a tribe of red indians doing a rain dance at your end of the country! Time to send for the cavalry, I think!

Well, no snow today - it’s actually mild and bright - so the cake can go over to the birthday girl (yes I managed to keep my fingers off it!). She is my youngest...... I feel rather old today.

I will look in later.

A pleasant day in London- almost warm and the sun has been out.

My printer has died and it is cheaper to buy a new one than get this one repaired. I have bought another and when I replace the ink it will be £9 cheaper than the printer!

n&g, we have friends who we think of as rather “high maintenance” guests, even in fine weather, coming in a few weeks time. I think I may need to print off your guide and keep it to hand. Mainly ‘cos I thought if the guests weren’t snoozing in a chair after all that liquid refreshment then I would happily be and would no longer notice if they were bored/hungry etc!!
corner I do hope the washing machine gets safely where it needs to go in time for you to tackle the laundry mountain and maybe even lie in a darkened room for half an hour before your friends arrive!
Oh dear soop your purse is not having a good start to the year. I hope the car can be mended more easily that you fear. Lovely as Kintyre is I guess it’s not the easiest place to be without a reliable vehicle. That beautiful little plaque looks perfect in situ, methinks you are a lady of very good taste.
I haven’t been to that particular location JaneD3 but have been to one further north, I do think they lend themselves very well to mixed age family groups with rowdy grown ups!
Well I’d best be off to do something productive, the old boy is looking at me with his “are you ever going to move off that sofa” sort of expression -one he does so well!

Even as I type, the breakdown truck has arrived with the mechanic in situ. It sounds like there is a lot of banter going on. MacSporran is a true gent. He never loses his temper. I shall report back in a mo'.

Charleyg In the meantime, I'm sorry to hear that your printer is kaput. It must be that time of year when stuff packs up.

Granniequeenie Do you have a certain look on your face reserved for times when Mr Q sends forth certain vibes? If not - get one and be sure to use it when needs must.

The truck left. I swear that it was not towing our car. Our car appears to have gone somewhere and I cannot locate MacSporran.

Watch this space for further update.

soop that's one of the few disadvantages of living out in the wilds - dependence on you car (or other means of transport.)
Unless you have a good bus service.
If we ever get back to the UK (mixed feelings anyway) I hope never to drive there. Though driving here is a pleasure.

Update on car buggeration. It has disappeared. Although I didn't see it depart. "There is a problem"... it has gone with the mechanic to the garage in Campbeltown. It's to be linked to the diagnostic machine. Oh joy! Thankfully, we've a pal who has included MacS (yet again) to the insurance on his mother-in-law's reliable but seldom-used car.

Our pal who needs urgent hip surgery, has learned just today that it's all systems go for the op this coming Thursday. She'll fly from Campbeltown airport on Wednesday. We will take her to the airport in the borrowed car. She's in a tizwoz. I'm in a tizwoz. Think Zen and

Fennel Are you still having problems with your intended move? I imagined that you were at long last on the right track.

I did manage to do the ironing that I wilfully ignored earlier today. After which I sped around with a mop and broom and polish and duster. Then I thought to myself, bah and humbug, I've better things to do with my time. I have sketched and started a watercolour painting of an owl. It's looking promising. If by some small miracle I manage not to "muddy" the colours, I shall share the outcome with you lot. I appreciate your honest feedback providing you approve

I'm away for today. After care home visit in the morning I shall return to spend time here in the kitchen. Take good care of yourselves.

Just a quick pop in for some sympathy please.... there I was, in the smallest room, I happened to be reading my iPad ( not my usual place to read but...well never mind ) when the door opened and there was our youngest builder.

I shrieked, he shrieked , Sam rushed in , the builder rushed out , Grampy rushed in, Grampy rushed out , I obviously stayed sitting where I was as I hadn't finished my page !!!

Later, when we changed places the young man apologised profusely and blamed Grampy for not saying the toilet was occupied ! I blamed Grampy too ( it truly isn't his day) .

Sam just pranced around looking VERY smug and nodding at Grampy as if to say ' Now who's in trouble' !!

Its been one of those days here !!

PS Added a picture....thought it might have been a builders eye view

I’m crying with laughter, oh dear n&g, what a kerfuffle. Is grampy still in the land of the living? Will the youngest builder return? Your description was just priceless. By the by I also take the iPad to read in the bathroom. Doesn’t everyone?

Washing machine is here and installed without incident just before Mr C left. Guess whose grinning from ear to ear. Now to the instruction book. I’m feeling positive. All will be well .

So sorry the car has had to go off to the garage soop, everything crossed for a simple fix. I’m reminded again what a supportive and kind community you live in.

Right, instruction book. Take care everyone.

Thanks for giving us such a good laugh N&G. Love the picture too.

Hope you get the car problem sorted soon soop It doesn't seem that long since it was playing up before. If it's the same problem won't the repair still be under guarantee?

Oh my goodness N&G! Hilarious! You couldn’t have made a better Whitehall farce than that! I shouldn’t think your young builder will be scarred for life, but he’ll dine out on that one for a while . What a shame dogs can’t talk!

Soop where would we be without our friends to help us out? You are blessed. Hope your own car gets sorted out soon.

Good news, corner! Bad news is that washing lead to ironing..... !

Charley it is so long since our printer was required to do anything other than croak when we switched it on that it might well also have gone to the great scrap heap in the sky without having bade us farewell. Cost of ink was always a downer, even if you bought compatibles.

Well, the birthday cake went down very well and DD got a special birthday present, having been to a second interview for a job today and then receiving a call to offer it to her. I have never seen anyone so relieved. She will be an asset to them I’m sure. She is only working two days a week to start with but they will be long days and we will step in and fill any after school gaps while ever we can. One thing that made me smile was when I asked GS whether he had got mum anything for her birthday. “Well I bought her some socks and a jar of marmalade!” he said. When I queried the marmalade, he said “Well we went to see Paddington Two and he liked marmalade so I thought it would be a good idea!” DD has never particularly liked marmalade, but she said she will do her best to eat it, so as not to disappoint him ?.

This is me signing off then. A peaceful evening to all!

N&G, thank you so much for giving me a laugh to go to bed on! Reminds me of the time, years ago, I was running a bath, stripped off, bent over to test the water temperature, and my daughter walked in, to be faced with my (very)ample behind!
Soop, so sorry about your car, hope it won`t be another expensive job.

soop - thanks for enquiring about the move.
We have a big problem - in spite of giving plenty of notice the tenant in our house in the UK refuses to budge. So we've had to start eviction proceedings, very unpleasant. I sympathise with the tenant, but it is our house.
We'll probably stay with eldest daughter for a few weeks hope we don't all fall out Or we might have to rent somewhere. Meanwhile belongings in store (as long as the removals people turn up.)

ps it's a real buggeration as you say on here.
And as Churchill used to say "Keep buggering on."

Fennel I sympathise with you - some years ago, it happened to friends of ours who were moving back from Germany and it all got very difficult. I hope you get your house back soon.

Fennel that is a real buggeration especially as it is costing you a lot of money. You do not need that hassle- it is bad enough having to move from one country to another but not to be able to move straight into your own house is horrendous.

My cleaner has sorted out my brand new printer so it is working. It was totally beyond my pea brain.

I have not been totally idle and an electrician is coming on Friday to do quite a lot of small jobs. It would be good to have my oven bought before Christmas up and running before the weekend. I bought a halogen oven a while ago and I have not got to grips with that yet.

N&G I was roaring with laughter re your antics. My heart goes out to poor little Sam- he needs a holiday here where he would be cared for properly.

.I hope things get sorted out quickly for you too fennel, moving is difficult enough as it is.

GD, that's brilliant news for your daughter and relief for the rest of you I expect! I hope it is just what she was looking for. DD2 is trying to find a 'gentle' job with school hours and applies for lots but rarely gets an interview. She had a very responsible job but was offered a good redundancy package when she was pregnant and, as they didn't need her to work, took it. She doesn't want to go back to a pressurised job but noone seems to be taking her seriously. It is so stressful every time she tells us that she has applied for something, we daren't ask whether she has heard, got an interview etc and then have to bolster her when the rejection letter comes. I'm definitely too old for this lark.

N&G that is really funny. Everyone upset about it but you. Love the picture!!

Hope the washing machine is doing it's job and that you have a lovely time with your guests corner and that the rain stops!!

Sorry about your car soop, these buggerations are sent to try us. Hope the cost isn't too eye watering!

I've been sorting out the final box of Mum's stuff - mostly photos - which has been sitting in our dining room for 11 months - hey ho!! lots of the old black and white and sepia photos look really interesting, with some family resemblances, but when I eagerly turn them over they mostly say 'unknown!' Do I keep those - who will ever know who they are - or do I bin them and then regret it? I'm too old for this lark too.

Kitty I am sure your DD will find something suitable soon - it has taken my daughter almost a year and she said to me yesterday that the only thing worse than not having a job is actually looking for a job, because it takes up a lot of time and energy and is dispiriting. She has a three month probationary period to get through, so nothing is set in stone yet. I know what you mean about not wanting to ask the questions, though! Offering advice is not a brilliant idea either !

Himself has been making his signature baked bean soup this morning. (“It’s bean soup, but what is it now??” BOOM BOOM!). It is actually very nice, but it’s birthing pains were, as usual, an agony! Cutting veg (how can it take someone so long to cut up a carrot?) with a totally inappropriate knife and refusing to accept help in selecting the right one; starting off with totally the wrong size of pan (spatial awareness difficulties?); and then nearly burning down the kitchen because he can’t tell a 6 from a small letter ‘b’! Six is medium heat; ‘b’ is a boost button that whacks things up to super heat in the blink of an eye. It will boil a pint of water in seconds so you can imagine what it was about to do to a tablespoon full of sunflower oil!! ?‍♀️ But he got there in the end and the results are, as usual, very good (she said gritting her teeth!). God loves a trier!

I will look in later. Ironing calling.