Soop's very welcoming kitchen...

N&G You really are the tops when you go all creative.

pinto What! No praline? Who was it offering us lot Florentines? Bet there isn't one left in the tin.

anno My shoe size used to be a five. After I lost weight (ages ago) the feet had shrunk by half a size.

Maw The hugs that keep winging their way towards you, seem to be working well. Klimt's glorious use of colour is unsurpassed.

PS NanaandGrampy, love the tee shirts

Hi GrannyandGrampy! No, my parents all called me Eggy as a child as I loved eggs, and usually managed to get them all over including my hair. I did grow out of that but the name stuck. And those of my family who are still with us still use it! When I came back to Gransnet (yesterday), I couldn't remember the name I used, I do now,it was Goldengran, hey ho back to eggs. Is anyone else still called by a family nickname?

Loving those baby vests Nana

Away but not away ?

Still got all the home comforts, including

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201801/medium-201218-dsc-0002-3.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201801/medium-818201-dsc-0003-3.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201801/medium-951611-dsc-0006-1.jpg

Glad its not just here then Morethan - its still grey and getting dark now :-(

Welcome Grannyeggy ! Dare I ask how you came about that name? Is it what your grandchildren call you. My Mum is fondly remembered by my children as 'Nana Poncey' ! Not for THAT reason but because they couldn't say Portsmouth when they were small and that's what came out .

Charley you would love these boys ( some not so young LOL) they have worked flat out apart from stopping to share their lunch with Sam after his bath !! And are just now shutting down for the day as the next job is roof work and needs to be made waterproof straight away.

I know what you mean Maw - timed this work badly !! Your trip out sounds just the ticket and one thing a day that uplifts you has to be worth doing.

What if you actually cook the carrot first Grey? Or does that defeat the whole purpose of it. I just open a carton :-)

Travelling home or away Pinto ?

I just finished some baby vests for our youngest builders new arrival - thought Id share them with you lot x

Praline finished

Waving at you lot. Travelling day today so an early start, now catching up. You know what they say, a change is as good as a rest.......rest, fat chance

I definitely need

soop the boss thinks that he has finished but his standard of work and mine are rather different. He did say that he would return with a couple of the fellows to do the snagging jobs. He also said that he would pressure wash the tiled garden back to its original state. I did not dare tell him that it was the first clowns who made such a mess. He was kind enough to remove a load of junk but there are opened paint tins which must also go.

It is so dark here I am going to switch on a light or two.

I saunter into the kitchen thinking...I'll play catch-up as I drink my coffee. Fool! There isn't a hope of doing any such thing. Why not? You lot never seem to take it easy. It's all go, go, go and before I can draw breath, go, go, go again. And lovely you are with it.

morethan I'm delighted that the consultation with your daughter went well. The news is uplifting. Just perfect for the start of a new year.

Hello, GrannyEggy1, you are very welcome. Don't worry about forgetting a few user names. There are times when I forget who I am. I need to come here for reassurance.

Galen Listen up! Get thee to a comfortable chair and chill. Maw is right. You do FAR too much. Thank goodness for the support of Bella on that recent boating trip. It's what friends do. As for objectionable folk...I would politely ask to be served at a different table. In fact, I would have been happy as larry seated at a table for two. Surely there was a far corner in which you could have been tucked away from the madding crowd.

N&G Those builders deserve gold stars. You are creative. Fashion one each with a ribbon and pin on to their dungarees once the job is completed. I dare you.

Greyduster It's the way you 'em. I'm chuckling away as I read about your so-called-smoothie.

Charleyg I dare hardly ask...have the builders still not completed the work? I don't believe it!

It's bright and sunny and the air is crisp. A lovely day in every way.

Getting confused by cancellations, appointments and re-appointments! Appointment with rheumatology nurse today cancelled (I think she has flu); re-arranged for next Tuesday; so cancelled hair appointment at same time; hair can now be done this afternoon as the hairdresser had a cancellation. I will, unfortnately, miss Edwina Currie addressing our U3A on Tuesday on the subject of 'growing old disgracefully'.
Hermes brought me my new Hotter shoes which, regretfully, I am returning because at size 5, wide, they are too big and too wide. That size has always been just right for me but my feet seem to have shrunk. Has anyone else here had shrunken feet after losing weight?

Six new nice young men, I mean builders N&G !
Not the weather for topping up their tan alas, you should have had them in July
There should be something satisfying about having work done on one’s home but poor Charleygirl’s recent ongoing nightmare could occasion second thoughts!
I have just come back from a wonderful illustrated lecture /talk on Klimt at our local NADFAS and I’ll never look at The Kiss in quite the same way again. The speaker was so good he could have made reading out of the Yellow Pages interesting and I realise I need to get out every day as I have come home feeling quite “uplifted”.
Might try for a haircut now.

Hello the kitchen, and welcome (back) GrannyEggy! Nothing much going on at Chez Duster this morning. Base for shepherds pie on the go, I embarked on making our morning smoothie. It is usually whatever soft fruit is kicking about in the fridge, plus apple, banana, and a liquid of some sort. Today I thought I would do carrot, apple and ginger. I have discovered that, unlike apple, there is only so far you can go with carrot in its raw state to render it ‘smooth’. You could have eaten it with a knife and fork. I ended up pushing the whole lot through a sieve, and the resulting juice was delicious, but the lesson is stick to fruit in the future and leave the carrots to the local farmer’s donkey.
I am off to do some housework. I will look in later.

Welcome aboard- the vast majority of [us lot] do not stray too far.

N&G would it be possible please for you to send a couple of the fellows here for half a day? It would not take them long and I could then rest in peace. They would probably be glad to return to your cooking.

I also fed the last lot who worked here but it did not work.

Tara allowed me a lie in until 8am today, that is very unusual. I thought that it was Sunday so not a lot has changed. I am so glad that this machine is working again-I was suffering from withdrawal symptoms but on the other side the house was not so neglected. Swings and roundabouts.

How lovely to see Soop's kitchen still in action! I haven't been on Gransnet fo a few years and I realised I missed it, so here I am again. Unfortunately , brain is more addled so I can't remember my user name, but think it was a version of the one I am using now! Great to be back and to see some familiar names, as well as many new ones.

Sorry Anno that was rude of me to blurt it out like that - apologies. Its just something over my years breeding, showing and living with dogs I see so many fall at the hurdle of 'naughty' dogs. I know what you mean about DD's , mine at least nod and smile and ah ha me....we both know they wont pay a blind bit of attention !!

Thanks for the advice, N&G. Telling my GD (not DD) anything would probably fall on deaf ears! She is, at least, working on taming the beast.

Morning all. *N&G I hope it’s a comfort to know that it’s misty and grey here too. I think it’s a day for reading or a dvd. I’ve just done the school run with happy six year old. Lots of chattering he told me the difference between a mummy and a nanna is mummy does the important things and nanna’s do the fun stuff. He also said he didn’t mind my new grey hair (I’ve grown out the colour) he loves me whatever I look like! Not sure if that a compliment or not? Two youngest coming for usual sleepover tonight after Christmas break. Jaffa cakes,grapes and board games at the ready. Stay cosy everyone

Morning all !

From us and all 6 of our new builders who arrived at 07:30 !!

Glad the news was promising Morethan you deserve some great news , so hopefully it will only get better from here .

Spoken to the boys kitty they will be a few days so you have time and I can probably borrow a van to transport the body!! :-)

Hope you're feeling better this morning Corner.

Galen I second Maws comment. I know you like to keep busy and generally enjoy your work but lately it sounds more stressful than rewarding and does seem to be impacting your health .

Oh NO ! Anno please talk your DD out of her plan to have puppies to 'calm the mum ' down. It wont work. Its an old wives tales and also there is a likelihood the puppies would have the traits of the parents. Get her spayed is a better option. The decreased hormones will help but training is the only way and its hard work . Sorry to be preachy :-(

Well Grampy is out talking to the builders , I shall have to get dressed and go and rescue them. I think that's the only thing he misses about work, is men to talk to .

Sam is off to a new groomers later for a mini trim and bath. So he will be looking like someone stuck him in a tumble drier later as after a bath he looks like a giant puffball !!

Hope you all have nicer weather than us , its misty, grey and has that soft rain that soaks.

Breakfast it is then :-)

Great news, morethan. I do hope that she continues to make progress - all that treatment sounds gruelling.
Soop, what a lovely baby! You are obviously a doting GGM already. I wish DDG would take the hint but she seems to be more interested in puppies - well, she wants her hyperactive hybrid terrier to have some. Hopefully it would calm that animal down!

That`s wonderful news Morethan, a weight off a few shoulders, I`ll bet.
Corner, I hope the lurgy doesn`t linger for too long.
Soop, my new calendar has pride of place in the new kitchen, with a beautiful picture of a sunset over Jura to start off with.

Galen thankfully you stayed on board- it would have been hell on earth being transferred to a strange hospital. You were lucky that Bella was with you and more importantly stayed with you if you were a cranky patient!

morethan that is good news- you can rest foir a little while.

soop that baby girl is gorgeous- daddy may well have a few more sleepness nights.

corner where have you been to have picked up this lurgy?

Maw I wish!
Ask Bella I’m the worst patient ever. She had to force me to get medical advice!
Any way, got through today’s tribunal!

Galen - physician, heal thyself!
Or in other words, don’t push yourself to the point of illness - please!

Oh corner do hope you're ok ??Why don't you sit over there in the corner.....no a bit further....just a little bit further...that's fine ? Here's a hot toddy for you ? Hope it makes you feel better. ?

Really pleased for you all morethan, breathe now.

Florentines? Yum. We had some, didn’t last long

That baby is just edible soop, I’m sure her dad doesn’t need sleep

Think the lurgy has arrived here, oh dear, stand by for lots of complaining. I’m not a patient patient.

Take care everyone.