Soop's friendly kitchen

It's a Nilfisk Maw - though my tongue keeps calling it a
Nitflisk for some reason! Mr Gaga is a big fan of this make and I have to say I am impressed. It's easy to set up - you need an electric power supply and a water supply via a hose.
I have weak wrists and thumbs but managed it fine and I love the way it just blasts off the muck. Recommend it!

I am going to try cleaning the car with it next "playtime" - there is a soft brush attachment for that.

Right that’s done! (Swallows scruples about Amazon ?)
See what I nearly did there??
Just a thought. Do you still have to go into the garden to push it around though?
Darn!

Agus I wish that I could recall the very first opening of our kitchen. I do wonder how many we've shared ever since. For as long as I'm able, we shall have a kitchen.

Alygran That is a beautiful photograph. We are enjoying wall to wall sunshine here in Kintyre.

Maw Brilliant! Made me chuckle.

I'm really in top gear. Stuff spread from room to room. Lots of vacuuming and feather-dustering and painting. The skirting boards almost finished in two rooms. I'm looking forward to painting the one wall in the kitchen (tomorrow)...the blind is terracotta and the wall will be a very soft shade of the same. Unless the chappie who mixed it at Jewson had a rush of blood to his head. We shall see.

Oh, a power washer. We've been promised the loan of one by a friendly neighbour. A few years ago we had the entire outside of our home power-washed by a travelling Irishman. £600! It looked amazing. We were told that we'd never need to repeat the exercise. Not strictly true. Hey ho!

Gaga I'm envious. I want one.

Back to the paint pot. Big roll of kitchen towel and a bottle of white spirit.

This afternoon I have been enjoying tadpoles, that is, watching gazillions of them squiggle about in our pond. There were also pretty little insects flitting about from flower to flower of Opposite-leaved Golden-saxifrage that grows abundantly by the edge.

It has wheels on the machine which is about the size of a cylinder vac and a long electric cord. Our hose pipe is long too so we had plenty of room to use it and it mainly operated from one spot. You use a similar motion to vacuum-ing and depress the handle to drive it.

So yes you have to go into the garden Maw(d) (see what I did there!

Everyone is getting a little giddy in here!

We DH uses a power washer on our patio and the path under the house martin's nest (yuck) and the results are miraculous.

Maw hope you are feeling a little better. I think it was a good idea to take up the notion suggested by Alygran of keeping some of the books. When my nephew died, his parents decided to donate his enormous library of left wing books to a trades union library or some such - as far as I'm aware they are still paying storage on them as no one wants them.

What you are going through is something that strikes terror into the hearts of most of us who are lucky to have our DH's still with us. You are allowed to be wobbly as much as you like because you are being so brave the rest of the time.

When you have finished your decorating soop could you arrange to stop off here on your way to Rutland for a month or so!!

Welcome to the kitchen Teetime

Alygran my Bil and Sil live in North Yorkshire. It's beautiful and your bit looks specially lovely.

Fabulous photo Bags.

GD, we used to wonder why we would find DSil asleep in strange places - the sofa in the lounge, the one in the 'playroom' with a scarf round her eyes because the curtains weren't making the room dark enough! BiL's thrashing around seems to be the answer.

I'm with you corner, I try not to be a nuisance in someone else's house - not everyone is like us.

Anyway, DBiL was in too much pain to come today and I'm not sure whether to be pleased, or not. Obviously, I'm not happy he is in pain but he is a stubborn old cuss and won't go to the pain clinic so it's largely his own fault. His wife though, seems to be getting more and more down about her world shrinking as she has to do more caring so it would have been good for her to come for a while.

But, I've changed beds, bought dairy free stuff for SiL, planned a nice meal, bought the beer BiL likes, bought cinnamon rolls for the morning!

Anyway, I'm off to cook the nice meal, eat the nice puds and drink

Hello again my foot is post op so it will get worse before it gets better so I will be sitting here with my foot up for weeks.

Get foot-well soon Teetime

Teetime Your chair will be here for the duration. Do as the surgeon said. No disco dancing for the foreseeable. Bless you. It goes without saying that we are all better balanced with two good feet.

Baggs I like your photograph. It is both delicate and powerful.

I smell pungently of white spirit. I have gloss paint on the hair tips. Everything is beginning to look very much fresher. Still a lot to do. Now in the mood. MacSporran had better not stand still for too long.

Our shower remains non-operational. MacS tiddled with the replacement and has come to the conclusion that we need a plumber. Plumber very busy. We may need to use the bath. I cannot get in or out of it without much ado. In fact, the last time I used it, I swore never again.

Care home visit in the morning. I hope to be able to catch up with all the happenings when I return.

Bye for now.

Good evening folks. What a gorgeous day it has been here today. We went out for a walk and lunch with GS in tow. DH was in my bad books for forgetting the boy’s walking boots so we had to take a route that kept him out of wet and mud. It worked until we were on the way back after lunch when grandad kicked the rugby ball they had taken along, GS went haring off after it and it landed in a bog. So of course, he retrieved it and sank up to his ankles! He did enjoy his lunch though and was the only one who could manage ice cream for after, but someone couldn’t resist pinching a bit ! I would like to think we’ll get a bit more of the sunshine we had today; ever the optimist, me!
Splendid photos Baggs and Alygran. I wish my garden was as tidy but we’re getting there!
Teetime hope your foot improves soon!
Have a pleasant evening, folks.

I am having the house spring cleaned next week. The only problem is that I have to clear surfaces of clutter and I haven't got very far with that yet. Help!

We are all busy bees! I have cleared the smallest bedroom aka the study but now one of the spare beds is covered in file boxes ?. I have started shredding all of the old guarantees, bank statements etc. Very smug ?

Thank you for the welcome to the kitchen soop but I've been here a while ? (It's me, crafting) I've had to change my name. I'm now a doodle

Double trouble with family problems here this evening.
My lovely GD has left home due to problems with her Mother's partner.
This has been on and off for years. She has moved in with her best friend and her mother, not ideal but best of a bad situation, her friend's mother is lovely and very sensible, I have known her for 15 years since the girls started school, but obviously it is not ideal and I am very troubled by the situation.
I just wonder what I did in a previous life to warrant all these trials.

Ann what a sad situation for your lovely GD, but if she is in a safe space with people she trusts and who are known to you, that must be a weight off your mind. ??

Oh dear Annsixty thank goodness she has a good friend and a safe place to be.
“When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions”
Oh how true that is.

Charleygirl, no, Mia isn`t clawing up my new carpet, she`s concentrating on the new ottoman instead! She`s had her bum smacked a couple of times, to no effect.
Maw, I love that cartoon, wish I could borrow it to send to my daughter, she`s been dropping veiled hints that I don`t clean often enough, it all looks OK to me! I know what you mean about getting rid of Paw`s things, I`ve had that problem gradually over the last 18 months regarding tools and fishing tackle. David`s clothes have gone to 2 homes, eldest son took half, the rest went to the charity shop, apart from a few odd items that I`ve kept.
It`s been a beautiful day today, oh that it will be like this when we come up to Kintyre at the end of next week, it would be nice to say hello to David in the sunshine, rather than the goodbye last year in the pouring rain.

I am actually quite desolate tonight.
We have said nothing to my husband ,he would not understand, but how I wish I had his former wisdom and commonsence to rely on.
I am taking her out to buy a bed tomorrow, how awful is that?
I don't know how to react or treat my ex Dil, we have kept up a decent relationship since she and my S divorced 17 years ago but I don't know how to react now when I know she has put her partner before her daughter.
I am in turmoil tonight.

This is when you miss them most isn’t it Annsixty? No matter how good your friends might be , or how close you are to other members of the family, your partner is the one person you could share things with, who knew exactly where you were coming from, how you were thinking and and with whom you could feel secure. That's not to say we were always in agreement but we could function as a team.
Mr Sixty sadly is no longer able to be that person for you and “coping” is a lonely place.
Thinking of you

Callgirl another one for you!

Brilliant Maw, can I steal them, pretty please?

ann, no, I don't know what you might have done in a previous life but it's obvious that in this life you are the sort of person that people can come to if they're in trouble. I'm so sorry about your GD's situation and pleased that she is able to depend on good friends - and grandma. If I were you, I'd leave the ball in your ex DiL's court and see if she comes to her senses about the partner and realise what she will lose if she disregards her daughter. Goodnight.

Evening All. Yes, I know I should be asleep, I will soon. Goodness, I’ve been running trying to keep up with you all and failing dismally.

There’s too much talk of Spring cleaning, I decided years ago that I’m allergic to it. Strangely if I venture into those realms it’s in the Autumn. .

Blimey kitty, some guests are more trouble for not being there. Enjoy the lovely food and

Oh ann, yet more trials. I know I’d not have bucked up so quickly without Mr C’s input and am sorry there isn’t someone beside you to listen and support. Tongue biting is a speciality here, hope it's not needed with your ex daughter in law as it gets more than painful after a while.

Our friend continues to let go of her husband’s things eight years after his death. She has to do it when and how it feels right, true for everyone I think. There’s no right or wrong way.

Envious of your walk - if not the bog - greyd, various irritations kept me indoors today, oh well, the sun will shine again.

maw if that product was Wet and Forget Mr C used it a lot in our last home. I am reliably informed it worked instantly on wood but took a few weeks to work on paving. He’s now muttering about getting the jet washer from the depths of the shed, oh dear, dangerous in his hands. .

I do like the sound of a virtual exercise bike. Can I join in with n&g please? I used to love my proper bike until I fell off in some stinging nettles, don’t ask, sort of lost interest then and am sure I would break my neck now.

Right, I should at least try to sleep. Good night everyone.

“Wet and Forget” of course!
I was close, thinking perhaps “Pour and Ignore” then conflating them.
It did help a bit but I think I will have more fun with the pressure washer.
Look out Hattie! Could be time for zoomies!