Soop's kindly kitcheners and pampered pets...

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Good morning all !!

OOOh its crisp and bright here !!

Sorry to hear your lovely break wasn't the best WB . Location can make all the difference can't it?

Soop so glad your records were tracked down. What a palaver though eh?

Having done some reading up and with some kind info from Charley we cancelled the entire will and got a refund
( thank goodness for a 14 day cooling off period !!) . We now know what we want and what is right so now to make an appointment with a solicitor and get it done.

I quite liked the start picture Dusty what will it look like when finished ?

I had a wonderful sleepover with our granddaughter - sleepovers are so different now she is 10. She took herself off to have a bath and wash her hair after dinner, then chose a very funny movie to watch while she enjoyed her monster box of malteasers from Grampy.

Shopping was lovely and she ended up with some lovely outfits . We were let down in the boot department so will be heading to a large mall next week to finish up.

Then it was back to her home with everyone else for fireworks, dancing and cake !! Its those times with my family that set me up for the next few months !!

Added a couple of pictures. The boys were allowed as a huge treat a J20 IN A BOTTLE !!!! You would have thought they had been given beer

Laura wore one of her new outfits for the evening.

Finally Coopers first sparkler ! With his mummy. He was delighted and amazed. How lovely to see the world through a child's eye.

We have 2 days now of being lazy at home before we get back into the swing of it !

N&G those children are delightful and I agree it is lovely seeing the world through a child's eyes.

I am so pleased that you got your money back, I did not realise that there was a cooling off period.

A very pleasant if cold day today. I am waiting for a parcel to be delivered from Amazon and then I need to nip out for a loaf of bread and other essentials. Tara flew the nest hours ago.

It's horrible here, no snow thankfully though other parts of Scotland do, but a cold wind and rain. Unfortunately I have to go out to an AGM and it will be cold there, have to balance layers of clothes with looking reasonably smart.

Wonderful photos n&g, you are helping the children create fabulous memories. There's no way I would put you and lazy in the same sentence! Aren't sleepovers just fabulous. We haven't been able to host any for a while but can again now, hoping for the first soon, except one of the children has asked can there be a tent.

Youv'e had me worrying about our wills, they need adjustment, not sure if that's the right way to go or if we are better to start again. Doesn't life get complex? Hard to know if doing the right thing is actually doing the wrong thing. Need a headache emoticon.

Love your sunsets soop, we don't get quite the same here although there was a cracker two nights ago.

Off out for a bit now, fresh air is calling then back to the practicalities. Need to make some soup we can heat when we get back from our hospital day tomorrow. All good fun as our eldest says with a huge sigh when life gets just a bit overly busy .

I have not told N&G yet but Tara and I may be the next pair dropping in for a sleep over- sounds great, not something that happened when I was young.

cornergran I spent the last couple of weeks making a new will and adding Lasting Power of Attorney. Expensive but well worth it as I am on my own and it costs a horrendous amount to sort it out in court if one has eg dementia, bills have to be paid and maybe the house sold to pay for care home fees. This is the cheapest long term option. Hopefully all that the executrices will have to do will be to sell my house and contents. I have to stay on this planet another 3 weeks until everything is signed, sealed and paid for but I had intended for it to be a lot longer!

How come you lot have been blethering away and I've only just this minute logged on to catch up. You really are wonderful.

callgirl1 Your photos are lovely. Memebers of the Royal family have been known to picnic on the beach on Gigha. They disembarked from the royal yacht.
Yes...you have selected a "posh" hotel. Friends of ours live not so far along the same stretch of road. Gorgeous views. If the weather is as sunny as it is here today, you will have a lovely time. I'm looking forward to May 2017.

dustyangel We've lived on three building sites. At the time it feels as if nothing will ever be completed. Step by staggering step...you will eventually be rewarded. Us lot look forward to that day.

oldgoat We celebrated my birthday last year with a trip to Gigha. We dined in the Boathouse. The food was delicious. Sadly the restaurant was empty (other than we two) and therefore, at that time, it lacked atmosphere. We really like Glenbarr (under new management.)It has a lovely welcoming atmosphere and the food never fails to please. Not high cuisine...but good, tasty, wholesome, cooked as you wait fodder.

Wobbly Amitriptyline and dihydrocodeine(? spelling) help me cope with my pain. It seems to me that you will not be waiting for too much longer for surgery. (hugs)

N&G Your photos are always a pleasure to see. What a lovely time the boys had with their fireworks. Your granddaughter, Laura, will have had one of the best shopping sprees ever. Outfits! Yay! It's a girlie thing. She has excellent taste.

Charleyg and Tizliz Kintyre is beautiful (as always) we have bright sunshine and a very chilly breeze. MacS is cutting the lawn. Rory is officiating.

corner thoughts with you when you visit the hospital tomorrow. A bowl of hearty soup with crusty bread will provide you with a welcome supper. It's what we do on such occasions.

The flowering cactus is possibly at its best right now. I shall add a photo.

I need to do a spell of ironing. I've been a bit lax lately.

I haven't been posting much as whenever I do I seem to get shot down in flames and what's the point of that, but 2 nice things have happened this weekend.
One was a more or less surprise visit yesterday from Ariadne and her DH Theseus en route to festivities a bit North from us. We had never met in RL but felt we knew each other and hit it off right away
The other was a flying visit from my littlest man of the moment on their way South from visiting their Birmingham auntie, uncle and cousins. His mummy was poorly with a tummy bug so they didn't stay long, but how he has grown! Lots of cuddles and chuckles before they had to be on their way again.
I am sorry to hear of various aches and ouch pains and send my commiserations.
Nice to see number callgirl posting, you are often in my thoughts.
Dusty you look as if Putin /Assad have been bombing your house, but I assume this is all deliberate and hope it continues to go to plan.
I have read that some of the snow gates in the Highlandscare shut already, so Winter seems to be well and truly upon us. Cold, wet and dreich here, but if it discourages a repetition of last night's nightmare fireworks I shan't be sorry. Grace suffered so much last night.

Lovely photo daphne. Its always a pleasure to hear about good things happenng to people, two lovely surprise visits sounds wonderful. Sorry for Grace and all the other animals scared by the fireworks, one night is enough that's for sure, pretty though they can be at a distance. Not shot down in flames here, surely? No flames in this kitchen, or none that I've spotted .

I should be doing boring admin now, procrastination ruling again. Oh well, it won't get itself done I guess, although while procrastinating I have managed to book a lunch for Mr C and myself in a new-ish local restaurant that gets excellent reviews. So sometimes procrastination is useful. Take care all, especially if Winter really has arrived.

DaphneB Dear little boy...he's teething methinks. My goodness, he is growing at a rapid pace. It doesn't seem that long ago when he was a tiny new-born. I'm glad that you've had two pleasant surprises. You deserve to be treated. Poor Grace, at least she was safe and sound in her snug home. I can hardly bear to think of stray animals in such circumstances.

corner the teetering of ironing has vanished. Not into thin air...but thanks to a naughty voice inside my head telling me that I'm a lazy mare.

It's time to read the newspapers and settle down for the evening. Rory has now taken a liking to MacS's piano stool. Is nothing in this house sacred? Answers on a postcard please.

Good night to our lovely Granspals. I shall return in the morning.

corner I missed out mountain (of ironing).

soop my fear that there will be insufficient resting places for Bracken in your house. She,like Rory, need a decent choice.

Daphne that intelligent young man will be going to school anytime soon. Yes I had noticed that the guns were out but it is peaceful here.

Tizliz working on a Sunday is definitely out of order.

Another day that my heating has been on since I crawled out of bed. I saw on the news that the powers that be are looking at our pensions and winter fuel allowance (again). Have they had a lapse of memory and forgotten who votes for them?

Gorgeous photos again from NandG, and Daphne, honestly I don't know where you find all your energy NandG!
Daphne how lovely to meet Ariadne and Theseus, I don't see her posting very often now.
All being well, Bellasnana will be coming to visit me in a few weeks, I'm looking forward to meeting her.
Charleygirl my heating has been on this weekend although I do put more layers on first. There are local rumbles that our council tax will be 4% up next year too, so back to scrimping!

Lona I could be wrong but I think that Ariadne has changed her name. There was a veiled comment about that on another thread not long ago.

That is one reason Lona why I bought a TV for my bedroom. I thought that I could go to bed earlier to watch whatever and switch off my heating for eg an hour. Every little helps. My house is well insulated - I do not think that I can do much more to it. My house is rarely sweltering hot during a heatwave in summer. I have no idea why.

That is great if Bellasnana is coming to visit you fairly soon. I meet really pleasant people with GN every month when we meet locally for a coffee. We have been meeting for over 2 years now.

My local council is usually one of the first in London to raise council taxes and we get little in return. One of these years the worms will turn and they will have a fight on their hands.

charleygirl don't worry it wasn't work, it was the rifle club AGM and as I am treasurer I really needed to be there.

Trouble posting again ?

callgirl 1 Thanks for the photos of Gigha. I love rock pooling. Just sorry that the GSs won't be with us when we go away next May. Sad that now they are a bit older we don't see so much of them but, like nandg we did have lots of fun with them when they were younger.
A Kintyre GN meetup would be lovely but I think the weather could be a bit chilly in our campervan at Easter (that's in March next year, isn't it?) Of course, you will be nice and cosy in your posh hotel!
It's a pity that the campsite has changed hands but we will still be able to enjoy the lovely views from the site. The Boathouse was shown on Alison Steadman's programme about Gigha soop. She said that it had a mention in the Michelin guide so it sounds as though it might be pretty upmarket. Guess that we might not have any smart enough gear to eat there. Where is the Glenbarr - is that on Gigha too?
Can't wait for next spring to arrive. I hate the long dark evenings. So depressing.

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Lovely photos of the children, Db and nandg. We had DD2 and family here for the weekend, which is always a treat. Yesterday, we went for a very chilly walk and then hot chocolate to warm up. I've attached the photos prove it.

Our heating has been on for ages so I'm impressed with those of you who have managed not to give in to the cold.

How lovely to see Ariadne, Db. I hope she is well. I wasn't aware she had changed her name.

Lona, I think you and Bella have the makings of great friends. Please give her our love if you do meet up.

Got our first Physio sessions this morning, let's hope they can suggest something for us both. MrsP is no better and I am am worse as both my knees hurt as well now, the pain in my left knee is what is preventing me sleeping. By the evenings I am drained and not sure how I can cope with this long term, not even sure I'm not already overdosing on co-codemol.

Really hope the physio can help you both today wobbly . Constant pain is really draining.

Good luck to you both wobbly, be sure to tell them how bad the pain really is, try a 1-10 scale, most physios can work with that. Still,wonder if a pain management specialist could help, but fingers crossed for today.

I shall ask about pain management, the doctor asked me to discuss that with them. I can't understand why I have so much pain in the knee, it's that knee that has already been replaced. The hip is painful when I move it, the pain in the knee is relentless even when I am sitting or lying.

You sound as if this is really getting you down wb which is not surprising. No practical advice to offer, just sympathy to you and Mrs P at what must be a total b*ggeration for you both, as constant pain drains your energy, your mood, your concentration, everything.

I've been to two pain clinics wobbly, both were headed by consultant anaesthetists which seemed odd until I thought about the nature of the medication. There are also a number of non medication approaches that can be tried. In fairness one clinic was more helpful than the other. If the physio doesn't or can't refer your GP should be able to. Fingers remain crossed,

Good Morning all !

Charley yes like anything sold to you in your home there is a 14 day cooling off period. They just don't make it easy for you to exercise that right. .

No we didn't have sleepovers either but I do enjoy a little one to one time with them . We get to really know what's going on in their lives and I love that.

Sleepovers vary in our house Corner from easy with our granddaughter to busy with our grandsons to downright exhausting with the littlest one ! Enjoy yours !! I always think there will come a time when they wont want to so have to make the most of now.

Daphne I do think popping out of the kitchen should sometimes involve a flak jacket and a hard hat but your visit from the little man must have cheered you up no end. He is growing so fact - such a little charmer !

I'm sorry Grace suffered so badly. Sam barks at the loudest bangs so he is on duty all evening but if he's snoring loudly enough he doesn't hear them . It doesn't seem to distress him just make his 'work hours' longer.

What lovely little girls Kitty all bundled up for winter - very sweet .

Sorry to hear you're suffering WB - can alternative therapy that might help? Grampy suffered for a year with a frozen shoulder that really restricted him but a course of acupuncture and it really improved to the point he is now back to normal. Might be coincidence but you sound like you're at the end of your tether so might be worth contemplating?

Its another crafty day here - and I can hear Grampy in the kitchen so that means boiled eggs and soldiers for breakfast!! I've got a good un' !!!

Happy days all !