Soop's comfortable, cosy, friendly kitchen...

Ho hum! Can’t sleep, no one in the kitchen and I have lost the insomniac thread! I will snuggle in the corner x

Funny thing Jane, I too was thinking about the insomniacs thread at 3am this morning. .
The pain in my hands was keeping awake. Consequently DH is very grumpy, as apparently, I "kept him awake with my moaning and groaning!!" Oh dear.
I couldn't sleep in the spare rom, as I'm doing a cull for the charity shop. There are bags everywhere.
Looking at the clothes which I've stored for years in the loft, I can't believe I was ever that thin!

`Morning all from a sizzling coastline here in west Wales,it is really a reminder of those long balmy summer days of yore.............. when summer seemed to stretch forever.
Indeed a welcome change and hopefully it is here to stay awhile.

The one downside being the growth....... which is phenomenal this year.
We notice it all the more because we had thought there would be no further mowing or trimming of endless hedges, but as you all know by now,fate was rather unkind...............so one man intends mowing the meadow this very day!!!!

When he is not pampering those sweet peas of his Greyduster..........I now know what you mean as he drools over the poor things!!
Hope you are back to your well self again .

Whilst Marydoll......hoping you too get some much needed relief from those pains that keep you awake.Something you said.......^ I could`nt sleep in the spare room, as I am doing a cull for the Charity shop.There are bags everywhere.Looking at the clothes which I`ve stored for years in the loft,I can`t believe I was ever that thin!! ^

Rang a big bell in my mind.

Indeed only a few months ago black bags had almost taken over our home as we were packing up,down sizing drastically, and hoping to move onto pastures anew.
Sadly it was not to be,another long saga!!!

Whilst yes it is surprising how our weight fluctuate throughout the years, and in my black bags ............dare I admit it!! .....were sizes ranging from 14 to 22............whilst now I am more like a 10.

You cannot hide from my presence Jane D3............I no longer lurk............ but make my presence known most days!
Anyway you are allowed a treat when on holiday,and it is your scales that will bear the brunt of your weight!!!!

Bellanonna you are so kind,thank you.
I haven`t forgotten you telling me of your visits to Wales,the Lleyn Peninsula and then Newgale and Tenby........all three delightful, though very different.

You really have touched a chord with me mentioning Newgale as it was just less than 3 miles away from the farm where I was brought up, it was in fact what I would call “my stomping ground” as a youngster,a daily visit on my bicycle was a must and if possible I would be walking those sands from early morning until almost dusk................
.Giving me just enough time to race up that steep hill in the direction of St Davids,get my bike from the Village of Pen y cwm.......and pedal like fury so that I would be home by the time given!!
Most of my early “courting” was on Newgale beach ........if only those pebbles could talk?!!
I presume you may have camped there alongside the “Duke of Edinburgh” public house?
It remains mainly unchanged.
Do you know things in general have not changed very much since those days I spent there as a child.

However there are great plans afoot that will change this place forever.Because of the rough seas encroaching the main road and causing such damage year on year, there are plans to totally re route the coastal road,obviously costly and a drastic change,whether it will be done in our lifetime I have my doubts.
However it will certainly change Newgale as we know it, and not really for the better........sadly.

Tenby on the other hand gets busier ...........and prettier...... year on year!!
Cornergran I believe is visiting later so can vouch for that!

What gorgeous little`uns soop.........I was especially interested hearing of their dutch father.You see my husband`s family, on his father`s side were Dutch........and our surname starting with the soft j has everyone asking questions................whilst even more interesting is the fact his mother came from Lithuanian descent.................
I am not altogether sure what that makes us, as my DH himself classes himself a scot................and he married me............a welshie through and through!!!

Enjoyed a rather laid back amble wandering amongst the boating fraternity in our nearby Marina yesterday,with just a hint of cool air coming in off the water making it just perfect.
Whilst although I am on a Low fat diet (because of health reasons) I did enjoy sitting down with a rather large Italian ice cream............ watching the boats come and go,whilst carrying out a spot of people watching,a favourite past time of mine.
No one stood out............. as everyone seemed dressed for the weather, and in fact, it was a mini fashion parade of shorts with low cut tops, and already some sprouting sun tans............

The sun shine calls and I can foresee a day out in our courtyard under a large brolly which will suit admirably................perhaps even put back some of the mojo that seems missing at this moment.

Hoping you all have an enjoyable day and week......sending healing vibes to all “under the weather” and perhaps feeling the need.

[smiles} and {sunshine} calls !!!!

Early start this morning for a fasting blood test. GP spotted that I hadn't had a thyroid function test for three years, so added just about every other test he could think of. We have a wonderful Health Care Assistant who never leaves a bruise when she takes blood, unlike the practice nurses!
The growth, as Panache says, is phenomenal. I had trees and shrubs cut back in the autumn and now they have surpassed themselves. A large shrub rose has managed to get involved with a big Cornus Mas shrub, and there's now the bizarre sight of pale yellow single roses peeping out of the top of the Cornus. A honeysuckle with variegated foliage has run riot, as has every weed known to botany. A clematis I'd forgotten I had is full of bud and I'm looking forward to seeing what colour it is.

Still no definite news about where we're going to live next.
We have to leave this flat in 2 weeks, so where to go? Wherever it is it will be without furniture for a while.
Belongings scattered in various places, most still in store, which is expensive. Had to buy new summer clothes, even though I've got loads. Can't remember where anything is.
Trying to be a Pollyanna.

Well! I wander into the kitchen thinking that you lot will be baking cakes or watering the garden or flicking the feather duster over the furniture. Now I have at least thirty minutes of catch-up before I can or say anything other than...it's lovely to see you.

I intend calling back later. In the meantime, can anyone tell me what this magnificent specimen is? It is huge and growing in our "natural/wild" area of the garden. The leaves measure 24" long and 18" wide.

anno I missed the tennis Cannot understand how that came about.

N&G Those chocolates will melt if you leave them too long. You made a justifiable complaint and did so with good manners (I'm guessing). I like the way the hotel went about apologising. Very fair, methinks.

Welcome back. JaneD3 Yep! I likes baklava and Joan Armatrading. She is a lovely woman with a lovely voice.

Maw I'm delighted for you.

Hello Menopaws have this lot made you welcome? If you would like a comfortable chaise to loll on I shall pat the cushions and invite you to linger longer.

Marydoll You are a slip of a girl. I also need to sort through stuff trapped in my wardrobe that is too small but that I may get into before too long. Yay!

Panache Phenomenal growth in our garden too. Every plant has sprung up several inches over the last week or so. The sun continues to shine and we have not experienced the storms that were forecast at the end of last week.
Do you know what the plant is that I've photographed above? It's gigantic. It grows on the patch that I cleared at the beginning of spring. It is rather grand and I love it.

The wild flowers growing around the village are a beautiful sight. Yellow wild iris and poppies are everywhere.

anno I hope that your test result proves to be favourable. MacSporran has the aortic aneurysm scanned tomorrow.

Fennel I know how you are feeling. It's horrible. Being uncertain is very unnerving. Because the purchase of both our plots fell through, we had to rent an apartment. Ten months rental cost us dear. All the time our belongings were in storage in Cornwall. Then we bought a used caravan and lived like gypsies for an entire winter. Not funny. But...this too shall pass. Your patience will be rewarded.

Panache my DH loves Newgale for the huge pools the tides leave behind. I don’t care for it because it is very exposed. I prefer Marloes, both the Broadhavens and Barrafundle. When we lived in quarters at Manorbier, we had access to Skrinkle Haven, which was then part of Manorbier gunnery ranges and as such not open to the public, but it was to the few service families living there. If you had the stamina to access it by the 130 odd steps cut into the cliff, it was a truly idyllic place.
Fennel I am so sorry to hear you are in still limbo with your living accommodation. I hope that gets resolved very soon. ?
Soop looking at that plant, it would seem to be a case of eating it before it eats you! Can’t believe it’s size, but would be interested to hear what it is!
We had a very early start this morning to get the car to the garage for a service at nine o’clock. There is a park across the road from the garage with a river running through it and it was my intention to fish it for a couple of hours, but at the last minute this morning I decided to leave my rod at home and just walk up the river instead. As soon as I got onto the bank I regretted it as there were fish rising everywhere and I did not have the wherewithal to get at them. Nothing worse for an angler than to have trout thumbing their noses at you while you stand tackleless on the bank! There will be another day. We went to the park cafe instead and had smoked salmon and scrambled eggs and very good coffee by way of compensation.
I will look in later.

Nice to read about people's gardens taking off. That pink blossomer looks like a species of rhododendron, soop. I don't know what species.

I have been mowing sharp-flowered rush shoots. They took over a big section of the front garden last year. This year I'd like to keep them down. Much as I like the rushes when they flower they're difficult to deal with.

I've been mowing paths around wild flowers that I do want to encourage, things like wild angelica and devil's-bit scabious. Our northern marsh orchids seem to be spreading so leaving them to set seed last year seems to have worked.

Hello Baggs It's good to have you back. Yes, we know that the pink is rhododendron It's the vast green plant in a previous pic that is baffling us.

I promise not to be too long winded again!!
What a gorgious day with such velvety blue skies and oodles of warm sunshine.

I have had a nice snooze out on our courtyard under the brolly so hopefully that has restored my missing mojo!!

Was about to add that the beautiful pink flower must be a Rhodendron Soop but obviously great minds think alikeBaggs!
Haven`t a clue as to what the other is........ although as a lover of jungle type plants I rather favour that one.

Our cerise rhodendron has now gone "over" but our lilac coloured one has sort of taken over.
Two little niggles though.......the flowers drop too soon.......and secondly, they are quite messy at that stage.

Indeed our wild flowers have been in abundance this year,the best for years and what a lot of pleasure they bring.

I wish I could offer you a decent abode Fennel.........rather a worrying time for you but glad to see you have your priorities in hand........new summerwear!

I rather think Newgale is a little bit like Marmite Greyduster,you love it or hate it!!
Whilst you were obviously spoilt for choice whilst living in Manorbier and what are a few hundred steps to climb when it offers you a real delight............plus of course back then, you would have been in your prime!!!
There are several of those almost inaccessible beaches within our county............I think they maybe to deter outsiders!!

Time I really said Good afternoon/ night all..........have a good one.

First of all Soop, what gorgeous cuddleable babies! Bet you wish they lived near to you. As for your plant, I can`t help, but Triffid comes to mind!
Panache, I do so enjoy your daily missives, and am so pleased that you seem to be making a good recovery so soon after your operation. Re Newgale, we only ever went there once, but that day the heavens opened, the wind blew an absolute hooley, and it was sooooo cold. We came upon a tiny little café overlooking what was that day a very rough sea, and had very welcome sausage and chips and a pot of nice hot tea, whilst watching the storm from the warm.
I enclose a pic of me and me cake from Saturday night, it was totally unexpected, I didn`t buy one to take because I thought I was too old for a cake with candles!

Panache I also prefer our "wild garden". It's that wild at the moment I can barely find the pathway. The Rhododendrons are everywhere, in a variety of colours. It's the giant green plant that has stumped us. We've lots of foxgloves in the garden. The plant I want to know the name of, is not a foxglove.

It's that time of day. I shall log off until we return from MacS's scan tomorrow morning.

Enjoy the continuing good weather. It's an amazing spell of sunshine that we've been blessed with.

Here is last night's sunset. Another stunner. They just keep on delighting us.

PS, there was a photo of me on top of the cake, in icing, taken when I was 17. I wondered why Dawn wanted to borrow some old photo albums!

Callgirl1 Love the photo. Love the lady in it. Love the cake and candles. xxx

And I love the lady from Kintyre! All the best to MacSporran for tomorrow, is it Oban or Glasgow?
There were only 5 candles (75 would have been pushing it!) but it took me 2 puffs to blow them out!

PS............Wishing MacSporran well for tomorrow...........healing and uplifting vibes on their way.

Hope MacS’s scan goes well tommorrow Soop.??
Callgirl that is a lovely photo, and cake! Photo toppers are a super way to make a really personal statement with a cake, and they are (thank the Lord) a lot less nerve wracking to put on than they used to be.
Panache yes I was younger and fitter in those days, but a couple of years ago we climbed down to Traeth Llyfn via the 126 rather scary metal stairs, and back up again! I had to stop halfway! Everyone left me behind! Stunning beach though, and peregrines nest on that stretch of cliffs. Ok, I’m getting serious, serious Pembrokeshire withdrawal symptoms now, and I absolutely know we can’t go there this year.
Well here is me signing off. Catch up again tomorrow!

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Afternoon all ! Enjoying our last full day in the sunshine .

It is Sams birthday today and he has been well loved ! I got some photos this morning of Cooper giving him his card lol

I suspect I’ll be quiet for a couple of days so I’ll catch up when I’m home x

Hi to all kitcheners,
just popped in to ask soop if it was possible that her triffid could be a Mallow.

We have had several in our garden they grow very tall with large wide soft leaves and have pink flowers in Summer.

I may be too late to catch you before you leave, but good luck and safe journeys Soop and MacSporran

Sounds like you had a lovely day yesterday maw. So pleased you enjoyed it.
Callgirl what a fabulous cake. It's amazing they can put photos on them these days. It's a nice touch I think.
Happy birthday to Sam, N&G. What a lovely cuddle he got.
Hope all goes well for McSporran tomorrow soop. Lovely photos again.
Hope you find somewhere suitable to live soon Fennel. We were in limbo for a short time some years ago and couldn't wait to find somewhere.

Oops! Trust me not to be paying attention properly re That Plant . Send us a pic of its flower if there ever is one.