Soop's very welcoming kitchen...

Heloooooooooooooooooooo! I be back from the party. Champagne and other luverly jubberly. To be honest, I'm ever so slightly pissed inebriated. Hic!

It was a brilliant end to the festive season. So much laughter. So many funny tales of yesteryear and fond memories of Bobby, one of the village's most colourful characters.

I'm glad that the errant creature returned to his newly refurbished hutch, N&G Sighs of relief from one and all.

ann You are most welcome to remain in our kitchen. I can promise you most faithfully that you will never be met with a cross word. It's not what we're about.

kitty I firmly believe that it's the thought that counts.

Greyduster and so the gingerbread house chimney has already been devoured. That's what cake is for. It looks absolutely fantabulous. Well done to the young architect. It is picture perfect.

I feel mean. I do wish to stay awhile and engage with you lot but truth of the matter is...I'm sleepy. A pot of tea and I shall retire to my comfy chair for a shut-eye session. I cannot believe that it is Saturday. The days appear to have gone into a whirlwind of activity and I'm not quite up to date with reality. I shall return sometime tomorrow and be very much more with it. In the meantime, a big group (hug) and lotsa love.

That party sounds just the thing Soop, the best reason for some afternoon shut-eye there is. Lovely to be able to include memories of your friend with shared friends. We’re off to our neighbour and friend’s funeral on Wednesday, I’m ashamed to say I get a bit collywobbly before funerals.

Oh the dreaded gingerbread house. Many congratulations greyd you succeeded which is far more than I did the one and only time I attempted it. Nothing I did would stick it together although I should point out although tempted I did decline MrC’s kind offer of superglue. Gingerbread dipped in tea is quite nice we discovered . Haven’t risked it since. I obviously need a Chief Architect.

Your get up and go will be back maw, it’s just resting somewhere so maybe rest along with it? My ma-in-law used to say ‘one day when I feel like it’ when she had those spells. It’s a motto I have tried to take unto my self, not always successfully, but it’s a good one.

Yes, it’s scratchy out in wider GN ann, absorbs too much energy for me. Your soup sounds just the thing for a chilly Saturday. Nothing so healthy has passed my lips here

Oh dear, husbands and presents kitty, some can do it and some can’t. Mr C hasn’t quite got the knack either but he gets marks for trying. Pleased your day was a good one.

Keep the robins coming n&g, always make me smile. Don’t you love the way the walls of a room expand when Christmas is put away?

No rain here today, hooray, flipping cold now so it’s feet up time with a glass of wine. Keep warm and well everyone.

Evening all from a very lazy granny here. Today was supposed to be a busy one with two gd coming at 1pm and sleeping over. The reality is that after a night of an achy tummy and let’s say a somewhat interesting start to the day, with my unpredictable and over active digestive plumbing on the blink yet again I wasn’t up to the two lovely girlies. So my old boy went across there at lunch time and will stay until dd and sil return from their afternoon/night out on the town celebrating (40th) with her twin sister and husband. So annoying as I’m fine really but it just leaves me feeling a bit turned inside out. I hear they’re safely tucked up in bed and It sounds like he’s coped very well. If I’m around he sometimes does tend to leave me to it, so good for him to get on with it really. So I’ve dossed around doing nothing much all day and I must admit to feeling better for it. I saw a dietitian recently who felt my symptoms didn’t warrant the faff of the Fodmap regime but I just hate the inconvenience of this malarkey and can’t really identify causes just acutely aware of the effects. Sorry folks, rant over!
That’s an impressive structure gd! Looks very appealing too. Yes kitty and corner husbands, even the loveliest of them, and presents can be a dangerous combination! I had a floaty garment that I’d never have chosen this year. The fashion police aka my girls have persuaded me that it looks good with leggings and I’m not like MDL (mutton dressed as lamb!) in it....I’m not totally sure on either count... I’ve worn it once, bless him, he means well!
That sounds like a pleasant way to spend and afternoon soop, lovely to reminisce about an old friend like that.
Maw I hope your day of hunkering down has had a restorative effect, the jobs will wait. You’ve had a demanding few months both emotionally and physically, be kind to yourself and recuperate as you best you can.
Well after a day of idleness I’m ready for bed. Wishing you all a night of peaceful dreams. x

Morning all !

Bad news ! Grampy has a cold. This is bad because :

I will get it.
He will complain endlessly.
I will get it.
He will complain endlessly....

You're getting the picture? I am thinking of ways to word the suggestion that he takes Sam for a long walk to allow the cold to kill his germs :-)

Maw , how was the movie and mince pie? We resorted to the same last night- Pretty Woman ! No brain needed ! I think you're allowed to hibernate in January and February , start getting lively in March for full on activity in April

Glad you had a nice birthday Kitty , maybe that scarf is how DH sees you? As exotic and entrancing and a little bit daring?

Loving the gingerbread grey! And the pictures of GS . He's lovely , looks very focussed !! We once took our youngest daughter to Berlin for the day solely to buy a gingerbread house. We had air miles to burn , and it was quite the adventure down the Kurfendam . One of my favourite cities. She was studying German at the time and refused to say a word to anyone !

Oh I do love a squiffy soop ! Glad you had a lovely time.

Corner my only drawback with taking down the decorations is that we can once again see that decorating is due. Some clever spark touched our walls up periodically using the same colour paint but an silk on matt walls. So when you sit down we have this delightful ( not) dotty effect going on all round !!

It will have to be added to the things to do.

Hope you're feeling better Grannie , shame to have missed out but Grampy , like your DH , does default to me doing the work if we have the GC together , so its lovely he managed perfectly well without you. Grampy has a tendency to fall asleep in the chair as chaos rages round him !!

Nothing much going on here today --- unless you count supplying Grampy with tissues , hot drinks and day nurse....now where did I put that leg of lamb !!

Bit of a landscape from yesterday from over the fence !

Happy Sunday all x

Get the leg of lamb in the oven, N&G - it’s Sunday after all, and you know you love Grampy really, snotty or not!!

Beautiful landscape, Nana. Hope you enjoy your leg of lamb.
You will not catch the cold. Buy some dual defence from Boots.

The thing about dual defence loopyloo is that, by the time I've worked out that I need it, it's too late!!

I hope DH doesn't see me like that N&G, cos I'm not!! Still, he will learn - we've only been married 47 years! Love your dotty paint work, maybe it was done on purpose!!

It's funny how men always abdicate responsibility for children when there is a woman about, isn't it, GQ? Hope you are feeling better today.

Maw, hope you had a good 'sit down' yesterday and have a good day today.

I suspect that most of us have tried the gingerbread house thing GD but only once. It does look such a lovely thing to do with children - in principle!

How's the head soop!

We are going to have lunch on our local Heritage Steam Train today. It is making us all laugh that something DH used to travel to and from school is now 'Heritage'!

Hope Soop is not suffering a hangover from the champagne yesterday. It is notorious for bad heads the day after when imbibed freely! It does sound like a lovely afternoon though and just the thing to see off such a good friend. Did MacSporran imbibe too I wonder?

It is really bone-chilling here on the south coast even though the sun is out. I long for the warmth to come back. There are bulbs shooting through in the garden now and we had daffodils out in January last year. It was not as cold a winter as this is proving to be though. At least the light is coming back. Hurrah!

Yay! Pop the Champagne cork! Bring out the cake! We are great grandparents as of 1:30 this morning. Lauren and Erik have a bonny baby daughter. 7lb 7oz. Her name, Mila Johanna. I'm all of a tizzy. Oh let joy be unconfined and all that. Sorry to be sounding off like this but I am overjoyed. Just have to share with you lot. Tra la!!

callgirl1 I have your calendar. Will post on Tuesday when the PO operates in the village. Please PM your address. I do have it somewhere or other but need you to please confirm.

I do believe that I've taken leave of my senses.

Many congratulations Soop and MacSporran, and welcome, Mila Johanna! If it were me, I would by dancing on the ceiling right now! Fill your boots, Soop! ???

Here's our little sweetheart. This was taken more than 10 years ago but she still looks the same:
P8050202.JPG

And many congratulations to the parents and GGPS

Welcome to the world Mila Johanna !! Oh the high jinks you’ll have with Your great grandparents - the tales they’ll tell!!

Congratulations soop and mcs !! Another branch to your splendid family tree !

Fennel, is this the pose of your choice? If so, I shall make it my next project. Am part way through the present painting. xx

You lovely lot will need to be patient with me. I am star struck. Must wait until April for cuddles. Lauren's sister's baby is due to arrive in the next three or so weeks.

Mila Johanna Snaathorst (Dutch) isn't that many hours old. She has my chin!

Congratulations to you and MacS! Hope the other one arrives soon. We've just had a lovely sunny walk through Bushy Park ending up in the Mute Swan for lunch! DH had ham,egg and chips which means that I don't have to cook tonight! Now off to tackle ironing. Hope all those feeling low feel better soon.

Congratulations Soop on the birth of Mila Johanna, lovely news and such a pretty name.
My DD and new GD went home from hospital this morning after three days. She is called Charlotte Olivia and I will finally get to see her and have lots of cuddles tomorrow.

Wonderful news soop and MacS. Congratulations.?

Bet you can't wait until you have your cuddle Sar ?

Such happy news soop what excitement and a lovely baby.
My GD (15) is Charlotte Sar, enjoy your cuddles.
Beautiful ,if cold, day here, roast pork in the oven.
My GD is coming for dinner, a surprise for GDad as I don't tell him anything now until it happens, he gets anxious about everything now and it is very wearing for me.

What fabulous news soop, - congratulations to you and MacS. What a pretty name. Does this mean more champagne?

Lovely name for your DGD sar. We have a Charlotte as well. Ours is called Lottie and is a more like a Dotty Lottie than a sedate Charlotte. Enjoy your cuddles. Enjoy lunch with your Charlotte Ann.

It's still perishing here. This afternoon, DH is going to watch the football which is only on BTSport, which is only available on the TV in the 'playroom' which is not the warmest room in the house at the best of times being subject to a few draughts as the ceiling goes right up to the roof. I'll be in the lounge which has 2 huge radiators and NO draughts.

It is my Lauren I am having dinner with kitty Charlotte lives several hours away.

Sorry Ann, confused your DGD.

Sar53 Welcome to Charlotte Olivia. Another pretty name.

N&G The landscape is stunning. I love it. Sorry about Grampy's cold. It's bound to be the worse cold that has ever been...or will be again.

Granniequeenie Queasy tums are best dealt with in the privacy of one's own home. I speak from ongoing experience. Hope that you feel better very soon.

Apart from the joyful arrival of our great granddaughter, we had news today of the sudden and shocking death of one of MacSporran's cousins. He had the flu-like bug over Christmas. Was appearing to recover and spoke to family on Jan 1st. Taken into hospital on the 2nd. Sepsis had set in and he died that night from total organ failure. There are photos of him happily playing with lego with his grandchildren over the festive season. No sooner had the family boarded a plane back home, they needed to return, but they couldn't say goodbye because he had died very suddenly.

Congratulations to Soop and Sar. Enjoy all the snuggles. My DGD decided her brother who was born just before Christmas had spent long enough with them and she was found putting nappies and clothes into a backpack so that he could go back to the hospital.

Congratulations, soop and sar! ??

One question, soop: is the pronunciation Meela or Myla?