Soop's welcoming kitchen for all in need of a hearty blether.

I`m so pleased to read that Tara returned safely. Mia is either here all the time, or out all the time, no happy medium. The other day, Lynne said there was a cat in the kitchen, sitting in Mia`s litter tray. Sorry if TMI, but that cat must have been saving it up for weeks! I cleaned it out, replaced the litter, and bugger me if it didn`t do the same again the next day, what is it about Mia`s litter tray?
I`m also chuffed to dollrags to read that Brodie has resurfaced, brilliant!
Ann, nothing unsuitable at all about your top, in fact, very suitable for the weather.
N&G, a wonderful photo of nature and it`s wonders.
GrannyG13, an interesting phenomena indeed, glad you all came through it in one piece. A few years ago, Lynne and I were pottering on our laptops during a thunderstorm, all of a sudden there was a loud bang from the router, followed by smoke, and what looked like a large orange ball of fire slammed into the wall outside...…………..then disappeared, and there wasn`t a mark on the wall. My grandma used to talk about thunderbolts getting into the house upstairs, she said you had to open the outside door as they rolled down the stairs and would roll out of the door. I think she believed it as well!

By the way, I`m still laughing at Kitty`s interpretation of a bouncing council!!

Lovely message, Panache..."our" Brodie is not a wild cat. He is feral. He may have a smattering of wild cat genes coursing around in his body. No matter, we love him and will continue to do whatever we can to make his difficult enough life, less so.

GrannyGravy That bouncy council must be a jolly lot! I blame Brexit.

Glad to hear you lot are coping with the heat. It gives me a mild headache. Lots of fluids and not too much sitting in the direct sunshine.

I haven't totally caught up with all the happenings. However, I am TOYA, especially those of you needing extra special tender loving care.

Away to service Brodie's chalet and replenish supplies for when he next honours us with a visit.

Until tomorrow...

That chalet of Brodie`s sounds like a feline Waldorf!

The sunshine continues although a tad more acceptable whilst we here in the west could well do with that odd shower.We are even missing all these thunder storms which is resulting in everything looking so parched.

Soop your ongoing state of health is truly one that needs attention as well as those answers you so desperately need.After all it is your body and so you should be privy to whatever has been used to help it previously.Please take the greatest care because I am now readily admitting we are NOT as fit as we might think we are!! Continual "buggerations" do get us down and you are one very special lady so deserve much more.

So sorry hearing of your GD being unwell again Ann......whilst an utterly charming top ideal for this weather.

Leg is certainly on the mend I am pleased to report.
My dear one had his 4th hormonal treatment yesterday and what a joy it was to have a small wander amongst the beautiful floral displays and the fresh air as we gazed upon the great blue sea,now near enough to almost dip in our toes.

Tomorrow we hold the first of 2 Garage Sales hoping to get rid of our remaining bits and pieces .............although dreading the day!
Perhaps then we can spend more time settling in our new abode.

Wishing those feeling under par well again and please take care out there in this very hot summer sun.............sending you a crate of ice lollies to help soothe those heated brows!!

Ooops

TOYA just popped into the kitchen......sorry to disappoint you but Mr.Gravy was not prostrating himself upon the council, but the bouncy Castle !!!!!

Greyduster thank you for the "heat burst" snippet I shall "Google" it later when we return home from our "dinner date". ( we have gone out on a Friday night since we started dating and seldom have we missed it, although when the C were younger they would join us, as they got older their partners would join and now it's not unusual to have all the children, partners and Grandchildren with us!!!!!) Tonight it's just us.

I was about to burst from the heat, it reached 37.5 here yesterday!!!

Hallo all,
Just back from picking the crop from our rented cherry tree on the Kent/Sussex border. The forecast said dry, but we drove through a deluge which cleared up as we arrived at the orchard. We'd no sooner picked the first handful of fruit when the heavens opened. Luckily I'd taken plastic macs with us, but every time we picked a cluster of high-up cherries, the water cascaded down our sleeves. At least it was warm water. The crop was huge this year, 72lbs---what on earth am I going to do with all those? All the neighbours have been given some (whether they wanted them or not !)
So glad Brodie has returned. In this hot weather, our ginger tom is reluctant to come in at night and has taken to hiding in the old tree house, so OH has to clamber up the rickety ladder to grab him, then carry him all the way up the garden---and he (the cat) is no small weight.
Hope you don't mind, but I've left a big box of those cherries in the kitchen in the hope that it will be empty by the morning. They are big, black and juicy.

I am absolutely fascinated by the thought of renting a cherry tree.
What a wonderful idea.
I love cherries but would be daunted by such a bumper harvest.
It evoked a lovely memory, long since forgotten.
One of my close childhood friends has an Aunt and Uncle who lived on a farm.
During the summer holidays when it seemed the sun always shone ,we would be invited over for a couple of days to “help” with the harvest.
Aunt Janet would cook lunch for everyone which we ate at long trestle tables in the yard.
There was always a huge steamed pudding, cooked in a copper,and when it was cut into ,it was just full of cooked cherries which tumbled out all over the dish.
That is a very happy memory.
This was not long after the war, did the sun really shine all the time then?

soop delighted to hear about Brodies return. We were once" allowed" to look after a feral cat and he was an absolute joy.ann that top looks just the job. panache so happy for you and your dear one. TOYA>

Synonymous I have no idea why people decide that every cat needs feeding. If the animal was crying, very thin and the fur matted, maybe but Tara also looks very well and is not overweight. I also do not want Tara to be offered milk- she has water.

callgirl that was a tad cheeky of that cat- what was wrong with the great outdoors?

soop I am delighted to hear that Brodie popped in at that inclement hour for a bite to eat. He knows that food is always available to him. I doubt if he will ever put a paw inside the kitchen door.

I had a disturbed night so of course slept for ages this afternoon. Not a good move.

Good luck tomorrow Panache with luck most of the items will go rapidly.
TOYA

Hello the kitchen. Well, I thought I had misdiagnosed the UTI I mentioned on Thursday, but no, it merely lulled me into a false sense of security and then hit me like a brick this afternoon!! I was very fortunate to ring the surgery and get an immediate appointment as someone had just cancelled and we only live five minutes away, so I am now on antibiotics and feeling rather sorry for myself, particularly as there is a bottle of Oxford Landing with my name on it in the wine rack! So move over, Soop, I am joining you! (glad to hear that Brodie has come “home”!). I do hope it clears up as we have booked a few days away next week and are greatly looking forward to it. DD et al are off on their holidays so we have no child minding duties until they come back.

Panache I hope your garage sale goes well, and I am happy to hear your leg is mending!

Chicken you obviously did far better with your cherries than I did with my plums this year - we have ONE! After all the blossom and the fruit that set, we lost the lot! Hey ho! No jam this year! Cherries are very beneficial for the male prostate - perhaps you should set up a stall at your garden gate and advertise the fact - you’ll get rid of them in no time!?

Very pleased to hear Tara came home, Charley - it was on my mind when I got up this morning ??.

So, I will continue to beat a path to the downstairs cloakroom, and wish you all a very pleasant evening! TOYA.

Greyduster Tara knows how to pull my strings. She is around 14 or 15 but does not look it and can still climb the 6-foot fencing in the garden although I do not like her doing that. She does prefer the housekeeper to open the front door rather than her crawling through her catflap. She is very fond of her home comforts and I think would prefer it if I slept elsewhere and she took over my double bed.

Cherries around here are so expensive- I would be in my element with so many.

Were I lucky enough to rent or arrive at a place where one could pick your own cherries, I would think I had arrived in heaven!!!
You have certainly grabbed my attention Chicken and if you could send a few bagfuls my way, I would be your friend for life!!!
Am so partial to those fat juicy black ones!!!

Evening all !!

Thank goodness the weather has been much more manageable today ! I feel almost recovered !!

Chicken I want to rent a cherry tree !!! Who knew !! Sounds wonderful. How about making Cherry Brandy for Christmas with some of your bounty- Ill help test it :-)

Its always good to hear of the comings and goings of all our fur friends ( I saw on another thread that 'fur babies' is soooo passe !! LOL

I am away to eat the last piece of chocolate swiss roll that was purchased to cheer me up after the dentist...diet?? what diet??/ :-)

I am trying not to be envious chicken as I just love cherries. We have two small cherry trees each of which had a few cherries for the first time this year and the blackbirds enjoyed the lot. We are intending to net everything for next year!

I have a fabulous recipe for cherrie. It is just cherries roasted with rosemary, pinch of salt and marsala. The recipe actually said maple syrup but I misread it. I doubt it would be as nice.

Should have said - lovely on ice cream.

I love cherries, but they are £3.99 a kilo on our market, and as I like to eat them like there`s no tomorrow, I`ll have to pass.
Panache, hope your garage sale goes well.
Unlike other cats that we`ve had, there`s no problem getting Mia in at night, she knows that she gets her treats at 10 pm, so if she is out, she`ll always be on the doorstep at 10 pm.

Tara is upstairs resting her eyes. She was home before 8pm tonight so her mother can relax.

Cherries jubilee anyone?
Also delicious with ice cream.
Thinking of Panache tomorrow and the poor souls with UTI’s, I have never had one but my H had several in his last year.
My GD is back home again, now on oral antib’s.She has two appointments lined up so we hope an appropriate course of action soon takes place.
TOYA

I think Tara woke me every hour on the hour after 3 am I suppose either wanting cuddles and/or wanting to go out. She persuaded me to move after 7am. Hopefully tonight will be cooler.

Good luck Panache rain is the last thing you want or need today and here it does look as though the heavens will open anytime soon.
TOYA

Morning. Back home after an amazing foray to County Waterford. Very tired and I have not caught up with events in here yet. I will arm myself with post-it notes later today and attempt to do so.

I shall return, with home made pizza later. Mr Izabella has added home made sourdough pizza to his bread making range.

Morning all!

?it’s raining men......hallelujah ! ☔️

Well not exactly men but cats and dogs at the very least ! Much more manageable in terms of heat ! Even Sam has stopped huffing !

Pizza sounds great ‘Izabella* - count me in!

Ann , I used to love cherries jubilee - has that fallen out of favour along with Black Forest gateaux?

It’s Norfolk day here , so we are off to a local market town to try all things edible made in Norfolk - gin springs to mind ?!

We will report back !

Well! What can I say? You lovely lot seemingly run on mega amounts of energy. I am unable to fully catch up. Although I do thank you all for your updates and chicken for the cherries and other marvellous treats.

The outside light was triggered a little earlier this morning. Four o'clock to be precise. No Brodie but a younger, male/female black cat called into the chalet and enjoyed half a bowlful of dry cat food, followed by a long refreshing drink of water, before padding off into the forest. Aren't we blest? I think so.

It's a humid day. Some light rain but nowhere near enough. Perhaps later.

I'm about to do some on-line research regarding vaginal mesh implants. I intend being fully armed with relevent info' when I see my favourite lady GP on Tuesday.

I shall return in due course.