Soop's welcoming kitchen...

I really must stop previewing my posts and then forgetting to press the ‘post message’ button. That was before dinner and two hours of GS - too tired to do it again.

anno that made me chuckle!!

Apparently, it's going to get colder folks! I seem to drift off to an alternative universe when the weather forecast is on the tv - why? I then have to ask DH or rewind and watch again.

This seems to happen even when I think 'I must watch the weather forecast'

Thanks for the chocs crafting, I’ll help myself to a couple as they are a well known cure for cold bugs. I’m getting better, Mr C seems intent on winning the prize for having the most dramatic germs. I haven’t yet decided what the prize may be

I don’t have those curtain problems, kitty as Mr C seems to have no idea how they work. Perhaps as well .

I’m pleased you had company for your visit, soop, I hope your friend was able to feel your presence. . Wishing macs well with his appointment tomorrow, how lovely to have the chance to meet with baggs. Safe journey.

Feet up time here, flipping chilly outside so nothing to tempt me out. Keep warm and well everyone.

Thanks for reassuring me, Charley, that I'm not the only one who gets discombobulated. When the phone woke me the other day, I looked at my watch which said 5.15 and I wondered why someone was ringing so early in the morning. Then I realised I was fully clothed and had been having a rather extended afternoon nap.

Ihope that all goes well for MacSporran tomorrow, another long journey.
N&G, what a gorgeous picture!
Maw, I hope that you are keeping well?

soop hope MacS gets on ok with his hospital appointment. You will enjoy catching up with baggs no doubt.

N&G what a fantastic photo! It looks lovely. You are being conned with that quote. Take care.

oldgoat and mumofmadboys I too have many pairs of knickers. DH reckons I have more than M&S which is saying something! oldgoat, perhaps wearing several pairs at once would protect against the pine needles.

corner and MrC hope you both have a better night and recover from these germs soon.

? Hello everyone else. I leave a box of chocs on the table for you (minus the ones I like most ) please tuck in.

soop I do hope that the weather is okay for travelling. I know that there has been snow on some days in certain parts of the country. Good luck got tomorrow, it is a long, tiring day.

Kitty I am 100% fine, thanks.

I would not be happy if your DH closed my curtains which are also a few weeks old and left them in any old fashion. Men do not appear to notice.

N&G Sam is a lucky young man if that is the lovely wood where he is taken for walks.

My friend and I have visited our lovely mutual friend who is in a secure unit in a Lochgilphead hospital. He was fast asleep throughout our one hour visit. A very nice carer told us that he no longer speaks. He gives the thumbs up or down when asked a question. On the wall beside his bed, is a beautiful blown-up photo of him on his wedding day. He was wearing his kilt and looked so handsome. His bride (girlfriend of over twenty years) looked radiant. This was just a matter of five years ago. His wife (a non smoker) died from lung cancer about two years after the marriage. He went into a downward spiral and his once loud, hearty voice became a mere whisper. My friend and I talked to him as he lay asleep, and brought him up to date with the comings and goings in the village. He has lost weight but looked clean and well cared for. His room was modern and had a pleasant view of the garden and trees. We left him feeling that our visit had not been in vain.

Tomorrow MacSporran has a hospital appointment in Glasgow. I shall be having coffee/blethertime with Baggs. If I can, I shall pop in briefly when we return home.

Love to every one of you.

Can I ask if anyone knows what it is with husbands, or at least mine, that they can't see that when they open or close curtains they should then make them hang nicely?

We've just spent quite a lot of money on new dining room curtains, which even dh loves, but which he pulls across and then abandons half on the sill, not quite meeting etc. I'm itching to sort them out but he gets uppity if I do! It's driving me bonkers.

There, I've got that off my chest!

That sounds a weird thing to happen when you wake up, Charley. Do you still feel discombobulated? I know I would.

Maw, did you speak to your sister or brother in law? I remember you expressing concern a while ago.

I think the pink cycling shorts will be very fetching, og and we could attach tinsel - it would only itch a bit!

Galan Merryn would know- I certainly would not!

Apparently T. rex don’t wear tiaras?

soop you are wellcome to the tiara ( if you can wrest it from 4 year old Elowen who has claimed it ) Merryn 6 prefers to be a Tyrannosaurus rex!

ann Always stand up for your rights. Con artists are a buggeration. This I know from personal experience. We were diddled out of £600 a few years ago. I'm not going to broadcast what happened. Suffice to say that as a result I'm far less trusting and hopefully a good deal wiser.

Welcome to the crazy gang, mumofmadboys

N&G Your photo is marvellous. I dare not be tempted to paint it. I'm having such a faff with the drawing for the GGC's nursery. The Tree of Life sketches have been tucked away in a dark corner. I have photos of mother deer and baby deer from which I'm attempting to coax into an interesting composition.

anno I'm mightily miffed. I missed what must have been a belting win by the hardy Scots. I shall now sulk and stamp my foot.

Oh, Elegran You are so wise. If I'm ever in doubt about anything of importance, no matter how vague, I always know that you will have the answer. P.S. I'm so looking forward to seeing you in the room with a view. Will you be wearing your battery-operated flashing antlers?

oldgoat Struth! I do believe I have a similar garment of extreme torture in my knicker drawer. I tried to get into it just once. Finished up lying on the bed with one leg akimbo and the other going a pretty shade of purple. MacSporran thought that I needed the kiss of life. I held on to the bed post and he released me from the garment. It went back into the drawer-drawer and hasn't seen the light of day since circa 2010.

Galen You are a VERY IMPORTANT PERSON. They know your worth. As do we.
Have you packed your bags? Don't forget the pearls. Will you be needing your diamond tiara? If not, I shall borrow it for the Edinburgh do.

Maw Is it possible that you could arrange to visit your friend?

corner Don't go putting notions of candy pink cycling shorts into oldgoat's head. She enjoys a challenge. Getting her up on top of the tree will be difficult enough - but remember that it will be up to us lot to get her down again. The mind boggles.

Maw I am fine, I go into a deep sleep so many times I am not 100% certain where I am for a few seconds when I wake up! I was in bed before 10pm last night- that was the problem.

Luckily I have a keysafe outside, the minor problem being that my eyesight can no longer see the numbers for the 4 number security code. For many reasons I am reduced to having only one indoor key.

I must make the effort to go out.

Lovely photo N@G Once again, (like granniequeenie 's ) I feel inspired to try to paint it. Just started at a painting class which I really enjoy, but at the moment I have a great deal of equipment and very little talent.

We had a conservatory/ orangery built a few years ago. It has heat-conserving glass and the roof is self-cleaning. Just as well! We had underfloor heating installed so we can use it just about all year round.

We had a lot of trouble getting rid of a double-glazing salesman once. He wasn't going to leave without an order and kept ringing his manager to get a price reduction from the exorbitant original quote. I wonder if they don't get paid unless they land an order?

At the other end of the scale to Orangeries etc I had a renewal notice for McAfee security on my laptop for £88:99.
I pressed the button to take auto renew off and a friend uninstalled it and put another system on for me.
Friday brought me a bank statement with the payment gone out on Oct 17th.
I got their customer services yesterday and sorted it out with a full refund but not before they offered it to me at £53:99 as " they are always open to negotiation" , what a con.

Are you OK Charleygirl?
Poor Tara being disturbed in the middle of the night like that!

What a glorious picture N&G but we have been having some glorious days (apart from the damp, dark ones about which the less said the better)
Your conservatory quotes must be extortionate. Is this instead of the studio/craft room in the garden?
Lots of people caution against conservatories as they can be hot in summer and cold in winter which is the opposite of what you want. A garden room with a solid roof would keep the heat in better and I would venture to suggest that you need to keep looking at potential suppliers /providers .
I know that DD’s studio in her garden could not possibly have come in at a figure which allowed for a £7k discount.
The big nationals can be extortionate (we spent a bomb on Everest some years ago to replace cladding, soffits, guttering, diwnpipes etc etc ) arguing that this would “see us out” and it probably will, but when they start offering massive “discounts” I wonder what the true bottom line is.
Keep looking, keep asking around for local companies, personal recommendations is what I now believe in.
(Here endeth the lesson!

Lovely photo n&g. Beautiful wood.

You win some and lose some with new recipes, cheese on toast is my favourite anyway so I’d have been happy.

Hmm, some sales people never learn, do they? If you haven’t contacted one might be worth getting a local independent installer to quote but I know from our own experience that orangeries are eye wateringly expensive if beautiful.

The brandy was for Mr C and the cake, I hate the stuff. Consoled myself with a large glass of wine. Germs still alive and well, we’ve both had a disturbed night. Think I’ll stir now and try for a nap later. Do need to go and buy some food, apparently Mr C is a believer in feed a cold .

Stay warm and well everyone.

Morning all !!

Sorry to hear your daughter was at the incident in London Maw but very glad to hear she is safe.

Now those are the sort of facts I like and my addled old brain will retain Elegran - Thank you !! I love a good fact :-)

Hope you're feeling better Corner or at least that the brandy helped !!

Oldgoat I think they might be described as gender neutral or at least gender fluid !! I don't want to get in trouble with the PC brigade for trying to influence your choice of gender today ;-)

That is a series of coincidences Maw . But there is comfort in talking to someone who truly understands eh?

We didn't have a good day yesterday. Firstly the quote for the conservatory/orangery came in so high I'm surprised it could breathe!! He did the usual thing when we winced of going to call his manager and miraculously dropped it by 7 grand but I always think if you can do that then you can double it. We sent him away unhappy as I will not be bullied into signing in case the 'deal' goes away!! We'll have to give it a LOT more thought.

Then dinner was a total disaster. I had a recipe for lamb biryani in the slow cooker INCLUDING the rice. You put in the meat , veg and liquid , put the rice on the top and leave.

It looked ok, it smelt ok, the meat was lovely and tender but oh the rice !!! It had turned into a gloopy, substance less slop. :-( .... never mind ...plan B - cheese on toast!!

But all in all a rubbish day !

So as the sun is up, the sky is blue we are off to walk Sam in the forest and take some photos. I'll leave you all with this one from yesterday morning.

Just read your post Maw. What a strange series of coincidences you share with your friend.

That must be a record oldgoat! 126 pairs of pants! I thought I had a lot . Probably about 30!

There is little hope for me- I was up this morning- all lights blazing, looking for my door key in my bedroom. Not much hope of finding it there! I was about to have a shower and wash my hair when I thought I would glance at the clock- it was 2am! Back to bed until Tara woke me after 7am. I had to get up fairly early to wash my hair etc as I am going out for an early lunch and I prefer my hair to dry naturally.

Galen I have a feeling that the London lot will realise the error of their ways when it is too late. Not everybody can jump at the drop of a hat.