Soop’s kitchen, filled with kindness, understanding and some damn fine cake ! Come on in.

hattie’s not the only one who loves you maw. Now just try and stay out of trouble for a bit ?

Oh dear GrannyGravy I didn’t ‘arf get my knuckles rapped for using that phrase

Annsixty I am thinking Gonegirl perhaps?

Blimey Maw you seem to have rattled someone's cage?? ?

Who is your sidekick Maw?
I am intrigued.

Lovely Soop!
Just to say thank goodness Hattie loves me!
(Picking pins out of my wax effigy)

Another stunner, soop!

This was last night's sunset...

kittylester That is for sharing the story of the man collecting for water for Africa. Naturally you gave him a cash donation. Because you are kind.
MacSporran was an architect in a former life. A flat roof is a buggeration. Or so he'd have me believe.

Charleyg Stay positive and keep safe.

End of my time on Gransnet. I've tidied the wardrobes inbetween. Tomorrow...ironing duty for our pal. I shall call in for catch up as soon as I return and have caught my breath.

It has been a glorious day. There isn't a hint of a cloud in the big, blue sky. A fab sunset almost certainly promised for later.

TOYA

soop, so glad you are feeling better this time round. I love the Repair Shop but dh isnt to bad at that sort of thing so hopefully he can manage the repair. I intend to put Foam in the bottom of the umbrella pot in future.

charley, please just sit in a chair till the electrician comes back. We value your input too much to risk you taking off.

Our roof has leaked, off and on, since we moved here. We have a flat roof hall between the front bit and a later extension. Finding someone to replace the lead on the flat roof was a long job and we regularly had buckets dotted around the hall. One day I opened the door to a man doing a collection for water for Africa. Strangely, he wouldn't take the buckets and only wanted money.

I have been very careful since the house was "rewired". At least there is only Tara and myself and I will have the kitchen cleaned up and the freezer back in its place.

When I moved here it was the hottest day of the year but once the furniture etc was in the house I could do things at my leisure. I will not be moving any time soon unless I am more gaga than now and it is decided for me.
TOYA

It is a hot and sunny good afternoon from Kintyre. Glorious weather. May I share a little with those of you who need some. Especially the Panaches as their move gets ever closer.

Maw I agree with the rest of Us lot. It was very decent of you to put your name forward. But...I am glad that you haven't been selected.
For what it's worth, I thought about suicide a VERY long time ago when my life seemed to be spiraling out of control. I've a feeling that many of us have teetered on the edge of that very dark place. I'm truly thankful to have survived the crisis.

N&G Sam is debonair. How cooel he looks!

Charleyg I'm surprised that the electrician has left you with unsafe areas to steer clear of. PLEASE do take care. We are very fond of you.

Kittylester You need the expertise of 'The Repair Shop'. Have you managed to see the programme on television? The range of skills of those who feature in it, are truly awesome.

Thank you for asking after me. I'm back on Letrozole. So far, I have escaped the crippling fatigue experienced during the first encounter with it. The short holiday in the Highlands also helped enormously. We're saving for another away break before the summer ends.

Forecast is good charley, fingers crossed for them. Mr C and I were only saying this week after seeing a removal van outside a house in a monsoon that with our house moves, 9 I think, we always had dry weather. How lucky were we?

Please take notice of your electrician. Orbitting your street is a definitely bad idea .

Sounds a bit dangerous charley. I suggest you stand still and wait for him to come back ?

corner it is this Friday that the Panaches move. I hope at the very least it is not a muggy or a rainy day.

The electrician has just been and showed me two areas I must not touch or I and the house will no longer be here. He is coming back next week to finish the work. Clearing up is obviously not part of his repertoire today. He definitely will return because I have not parted with a pound yet!

Just go with it kitty, perhaps an indication of the mixed emotions you experienced. I wonder, would you be cross or relieved if Mr Lester couldn't fix it? One thing I hope can be fixed is your leaky roof, I'd be climbing the walls, you always sound so laid back about it. We have friends who had a similar predicament, finally fixed after I don't know how many years. They still don't quite believe it and look upwards with some anxiety when it rains hard.

Sam's looking very smart N&G. You're right to be proud of the little boys, they have good hearts.

Now I'm sure you'll all tell me how mean I am when I share that a neighbours dog was very poorly in the night and I didn't offer to help clear up the resulting substances. I'm happy to go later and help pamper the poor dog who does sound to have been proper poorly although back to his usual self now. Oh dear, what sort of neighbour am I?

I think I'm with other relieved people about that trial maw, a wonderful thing to offer but maybe not the best thing for you as a person. As you say they have a lot of other volunteers.

Its grey with a damp feel in the air here today. Proper miserable. We're forecast sunshine tomorrow. Do I believe it? Nope!

Can I join with kitty in asking how you are soop? You are keeping very quiet about yourself.

I think its lunch time, no idea what I'll have, so its just go and see what falls out of the fridge.

I've been wondering how Mr and Mrs Panache are doing, moving day must be nearly here. Wishing them a calm and very well supported move to their new home.

TOYA and be good everyone.

Good morning all x

Third night of very little sleep, developed a fierce migraine about 2.30am, fortunately I always have my prescription medication to hand. Now after a late shower I am on the sofa, with garden doors open, no breeze, very humid and a grey sky. Not a lot of action in this house today.

We are having a gransnett get-together tomorrow which is something to look forward to - anyone in SE Essex who wants to join us please PM me or look at meet-up thread Southend.

Beautiful dog NannaandGrampy

Maw, you were very admirable in volunteering for a medical trial, I volunteered for an Asthma trial a few years ago but got declined due to my own medication.

Kittylester strange how we become attached to things we thought we didn't want.

TOYA ??

I think you were being incredibly brave too Maw! I would be thinking of all the things they could find I had wrong rather than living in blissful ignorance. Glad they can manage without you. And, well done on being honest in your answers to the questions. I imagine lots of people weren't.

We have arranged to go to my brothers cottage in mid September as we are hoping summer will have managed to arrive by then Ann. It is flipping miserable isn't it?

It should have been Bertie and Persie's sports day today but it has had to be cancelled. It is cold and damp here and the grass will be slippy after all the rain. DS1 was coming with us and I always worry about his walking on damp surfaces.

That is one very smart looking dog, N&G. and, aren't your boys being kind? Good (grand) parenting.

soop, it sounds like a really entertaining visit to the care home. But, how are you?

A weird thing happened last night. I discovered that the umbrella pot was broken. My fault I think because I bought a new brolly and dropped it in. The weird thing is that the pot had been Mum's and I hadn't really wanted it after she died but felt obliged to take it. Now, I'm quite upset about it and DH is going to try to mend it. I'm confused as I'm sure lots of you can recall my relationship with my Mum!

On the bright side - the roof man is here!!!

TOYA and I'll try to get back later.

Maw
Is is ok to say I am relieved to hear you have not been accepted for the trial?
I think to go on a trial for a condition you already have is a laudible thing ,although not without its problems, eg, am I on the drug or the placebo?
Will my condition get worse instead of better?
It is a different thing entirely to go on a trial when you haven't got and may never hsve the illness.
They are very brave people and you were one.
Another dull but warm start here.
I went to visit a friend last evening, her beautiful garden is her pride and joy, she works for hours in it and we had hoped to enjoy a glass of wine sitting in it, no such luck and it is nearly July!!
She wants to do a coffee morning for McMillan nurses but won't do it as she has a tiny bungalow, she had to downsize on the death of her longtime partner, and if the weather wasnt good she could not possibly have it in her home.
I think this is such a shame when we can't rely on some sunny days .

Sam is just gorgeous. I hope his poor paw is no longer hurting him.

I believe there are about 7000 participants in the current trial N&G so not a problem!

Morning all,

A quick pop in this morning as Grampy has a dentist apt and we have to leave early as the Royal Norfolk Show is on which will predictably cause traffic chaos.

We were sat in the orangery yesterday evening and watched a fog appear out of no where and roll in across the fields until you couldn't see 5 yards . It was quite spooky but not a sign of it this morning .

Sorry to hear you 'failed' your test Maw. Hopefully they got enough volunteers to carry the trial through.

I have added a photo of newly groomed Sam... wont last long methinks. LOL

Back later xx

Did I tell you I had volunteered for a 5 year research programme into a drug to combat Alzheimers? I have had two lengthy consultations with a company called Re:cognition conducting the trial on behalf of Novartis.
Well, boo ? I have been rejected by the Research Trial.
I met all the physical criteria and the genetic testing but when they did the psychological testing they asked if I had ever had thoughts of suicide or “not wanting to go on living”
Well, no to the former, as such, but surely everybody has had moments of the latter? So I admitted that when our baby boy had died 46 years ago I came “this close” to stepping off a kerb in Victoria Street in London, and that at the actual moment when Paw slipped away, I’d have gone with him in a heartbeat.
Wrong answer.
Possibly for the best. The trial involved a lot of medical stuff which with hindsight made me a bit nervous, an MRI brain scan, PET tests or lumbar puncture plus lots of bloods etc over the 5-8 year period and I am a medical wimp!(Nervous even about X-rays or ultrasounds! )
It also made me uneasy about possible (even remotely) side effects they would be checking for, including psychological ones.
But sorry that I will not be “doing my bit”

Maw I should think so.

N&G May we have a photo of Sam post his appointment with the beauty parlour?
Your boys are wonderfully kind. As are you and Grampy. I wish that dear young man the good health he deserves. The beautiful cards that you have created for me are kept in my personal treasure box.

The care home visit was a bit muddled. MacSporran was with our late freiend's husband, who greatly appreciated the enlarged wedding day photo that we managed on our computer. It is framed and hangs in pride of place on our friend's bedroom wall.
I was upstairs talking to my pal, Tina. A new resident was convinced that Tina was in fact her husband. She insisted on giving T a "good talking to". Two new gentlemen have joined the other residents. When one got out of his chair, I noticed that a whole lot of backside was on view. It was duly covered. Another lovely lady asked me to take her to the toilet. She was perfectly able to walk there but...she couldn't manage to undo the button on the waistband of her trousers. It was humbling to be thanked for assisting her with something that some might think of as being trivial.

It has been warm and sunny and a few rogue midges played silly b's when we took our afternoon outdoors.

Time for log off. I am hoping that you lovely lot enjoy a peaceful evening and that those of you who need to catch up with sleep, do so.

I shall return tomorrow. Stay safe and stay away from trouble.

Evening all !

We are home with a much more comfortable Sam. He doesn't look much like a cavalier at present but his ears wont be dipping in his gravy at dinner time and he has amazingly dainty paws- usually hidden behind a massive furry foot !

Had to laugh at your grandsons grasp of geography Grey ! B- .. must work on that lol

Glad to hear your world in on an even keel syn long may it last . I'm with soop enjoy that hotel and celebrate such success.

Our little boys have Race for Life this week. They have dedicated their fundraising to a young man I have been corresponding with for over 2 years now. He is only 14 and has a rare form of Leukaemia . Our craft group sent him Christmas cards over 2 years ago and he so impressed me that I carried on by sending him a postcard every week. I shall continue to send until he is declared healthy - if he can go through everything I think its little enough to write a card a week.

The little boys have raised £62 so far ( I think Grampy might be tempted to round that up to £100 for them) . They have said they will be sending their medals to the young lad to cheer him up .

There are times when I am so proud of their kind hearts and this is one of them.

Time to go and open the fridge and think about dinner- wishing you all a lovely evening x

Soop yes, Mam!