Soop's comfortable, cosy, friendly kitchen...

I have shown the amazing flower images with MacSporran. He gasped with wonderment. Glorious colours and superb photography.

We have been promised a storm, together with wild winds. As we haven't had a drop of rain for yonks, the garden and the spring water supply are in dire need of a positive amount of rainfall. The holding tank in the hills awaits a visit from our neighbour. He has to reinforce the area that sprung a leak. He's a builder and knows about such things. Without his knowledge and skill we would need to pay a heavy price to employ someone. Our neighbour has purchased the house next door to us. He now shares the water supply. There is no mains water between us and a village seven miles away.

Maybelle Do you like the crazy jigsaws that bear little resemblance to the picture on the box? My pal swears by them. Mind you, she a clever clogs at the best of times.

Gardening done, potted on seedlings and planted out geraniums, just fine for a cup of something soothing and a scone before attacking the jigsaw, again. I will finish this one soon ! Got too much other stuff waiting for me to do. . .

Panache

Granniequeenie N&G and Panache Your photographs are absolutely amazing. Thank you for sharing with us lot Mother Nature never cease to amaze.

I had a shingles vaccine not so long ago. I had no immediate after-effect (as promised) but since yesterday I've not been feeling on top form. Please bear with me. Later today I hope to stride into our kitchen and catch up with all your lovely posts.

A warm welcome to you, Maybelle. Us lot love having news of babies-in-waiting. We shall follow your post with big smiles. You are promised a wonderful Christmas gift...the very best. Well, as for cake, the virtual stuff is calorie-free. I do however dream of the real thing.

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Another treat in store and these mornings are such a joy,birds singing and sun shining..........we cannot get up too early...............whilst I think you cannot beat the sunsets in Kintyre........amazing.

`Morning my kitchen friends and I have just pulled up a chair for you Maybelle,so park yourself down..........much to look forward to and of course all eyes and ears will be looking out for news of a new arrival.

The photographs are just beautiful,each one a masterpiece in their own right, and I would love to visit each one in turn...........so any one offering??
Our own garden is more green ......a mini arboetum but nothing like the ones you visited Maw............we love that peace a woodland area brings.

I think a field of colour is truly eye catching and I would love seeing that poppy field in reality..........then of course a lavender field is another beauty, whilst here in this county we do have the few fields of daffodils in season........... and that too is quite spectacular.
Aren`t we the lucky ones living amidst such natural beauty?

Mmmmmmm might I join you for your lamb and chick pea biryani JaneD3.............my tum is rumbling at the mere thought!
I could do with "Fattening up"

Time to join the out set I think,so until later chin up everyone and keep delivering those delightful gardens that give us all such an uplift.

Because of being held up on said difficult machine I have missed out on my morning shopping expedition though I am not exactly crying into my coffee............a peaceful day in the garden will be far more acceptable.

Cherrs and lots of

Hi all, I haven't managed to get into the kitchen for a while either, and I have no idea why or where the time goes.

Welcome Maybelle and congratulations. We have a new baby due in October - currently named Wolfgang - I hope they are joking but I'm not so sure!

Charley, I hope your pain is reducing and ann, I hope you are getting some well earned rest. I thought that your DH would be fine once he got into respite and that must be such a relief to you. I hope you have managed to get the information you required from AgeUk.

The poppyfields are fabulous N&G and your gardens gq.

Anyway, I am hiding in here because DH has started to do the mighty, mammoth, garage clear out and keeps coming is asking what he should do with the these left over roof tiles/bathroom tiles/shower room tiles/kitchen wall tiles etc. Having sorted the tile problem we are onto the paint remains, some of it dating back to when we moved here 25 years ago and which is quite complicated to get rid of. We also have 2 spare garden umbrellas (with no bases - where the hell did they go?) and enormous pink, weather proof sag bag (belonging to DD3 who wants it kept but doesn't have room for it herself!) and, if any one is in need of garden seat cushions, we seemed to have a corner in them!! We also discovered some left over Prosecco (how does that happen!) and enough slug pellets to wipe out the world population - if they weren't all soggy and yucky!

And, the pregnant cat seems fit to explode but hasn't produced anything yet - it's all very stressful.

My laptop is up to its tricks again and I don't know why it likes to duplicate my words of wisdom. My old laptop didn't do this, so it must be this dratted Chromebook.

N&G Sam is saying to the world "get this bloody thing off me" I am a dog, not a doll.

Sam there is a place in this house any time you want- you will not be dressed up I promise you.

Welcome Maybelle the kitchen folk are definitely growing.

Grannyqueenie your picture makes me think of a Monet painting- just beautiful!

N&G I am speechless! What an amazing sight!

Those poppy fields are glorious, N&G. There used to be two near to Didcot where DS2 and family live - one of white poppies and one of red. They seemed to have been replaced with something boring when I last drove that way. A four-year-old with a cricket bat would send shivers down my spine - bad enough when they're 14. I have had more than my share of broken windows. When we got a cricket set for the two youngest GSs, the younger one stated that he couldn't play cricket because he's a leftie. DS and I fell about laughing and assured him that some top cricketers were also lefties. He was about 8 then and it turned out that he could whack a ball about half a mile and had a very strong left arm. He hasn't taken it up yet - at 10 - but there's time. So you never know - Cooper might yet surprise you! England needs good openers - or so I'm told.

Those poppy fields are glorious, N&G. There used to be two near to Didcot where DS2 and family live - one of white poppies and one of red. They seemed to have been replaced with something boring when I last drove that way. A four-year-old with a cricket bat would send shivers down my spine - bad enough when they're 14. I have had more than my share of broken windows. When we got a cricket set for the two youngest GSs, the younger one stated that he couldn't play cricket because he's a leftie. DS and I fell about laughing and assured him that some top cricketers were also lefties. He was about 8 then and it turned out that he could whack a ball about half a mile and had a very strong left arm. He hasn't taken it up yet - at 10 - but there's time. So you never know - Cooper might yet surprise you! England needs good openers - or so I'm told.

My soul is restored Nana!

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Morning all !!

Welcome Maybelle , what an exciting time for you and your family !! No calorie treats are our speciality along with discussing the merits of a decent Magnum ice-cream and the odd tipple of your choice. Pull up a chair and settle down!

Glad to hear your laptop has decided to behave Panache ! Restoring to factory settings is such a pain.

Lovely pictures Grannie ! I too bought some plants yesterday and Grampy treated me to 2 raised planters for my burgeoning veggie plot ! Before we went on our hols we had 2 pots of lettuce that would not have survived , so we donated them to a local young mum, who has now reciprocated with 2 tomato plants and a courgette plant!!

You're so right about Grampy too, you never know who you'll find him chatting too next!! Found him in the front garden talking to an old chap who has made it his mission to restore all the milestone markers in the area!

I like the sound of your chickpea and lamb Biryani Jane will there be leftovers? DD2 has had new neighbours move in, a charming Indian couple who came round with cake and sweets for the little boys to say hello. The little boys grilled the young husband about cricket ...and he foolishly agreed to teach them the basics.... watch this space....giving 4 yr old Cooper a cricket bat is not my first choice !!

I took a couple of photos on the way to the great lawnmower debacle yesterday and thought Id share them....they lifted my soul ! Isn't it funny how something beautiful can do that !!

Happy days all.

Hello the kitchen! The sun is shining and DH has just informed me that the blackbirds are eating my as yet unripe plums! The tree is pretty well laden this year, so I suppose I could be magnanimous, but last year, when it set about thirty five, we only got five; the birdies got the rest! Hopefully they are eating the small fruits that would probably have fallen anyway.
Gq your garden photos are stunning. You snapped one of my favourite plants - meconopsis - and one I would love to be able to grow but have failed at every attempt. They are very fussy.
Welcome Maybelle. An exciting time for you. Make the most of the wonderful early years because they pass in the blink of an eye and leave you wondering where on Earth the time went.
The plant related arm rash of yesterday is still there, reinforcing my view that gardening is bad for your health -even when you don’t get stuck in corners! The reason I toppled backward was because I was working behind a large erysium Bowles Mauve which was, and always is, smothered in bees, so having lost my balance, falling backward seemed the better option than falling forward and upsetting them!
Well, time for me to get a move on! I will look in later.

Welcome Maybell - congratulations on your little one! A lovely time for you and your family.
I shall be baking for my neighbours on Friday as it is Eid so there will be chocolate cake! They keep us supplied with things like lamb and chick pea biryani .
I am off to a well known Swedish furniture store for bookcases!
Grannyqueenie, I thought that was your garden at first!

Soop..... you sashayed into The Argy, tittered and sashayed out again, without even buying a drink! What are things coming to? You didn’t even bring us a cake ( the soggy bottom ones you make) or some rock buns (well named.)

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For whatever reason I’ve just not managed more than a peek round the kitchen door for I don’t know how long. I guess having had 3 different lots of friends staying in as many weeks might have something to do with it. While I do love having folk here I must confess I’m actually quite happy to be back to “normal” or at least our version of normal whatever that may be!
We had a trip out to some popular gardens today, always beautiful and of course I just had to buy a couple of plants. Needless to say I’ve absolutely no idea where I can put either of them!
Lovely to see those Kintyre sunsets soop, they are stunning.
Congratulations and welcome Maybelle, you’ll have lots of fun in store.
greyduster, you always make me smile, but I’m glad only your pride was dented and no serious damage was done.
Poor grampy, I hope he’s not getting the blame for the broken lawnmower? His neighbourly networking skills do sound very like my old boy....sigh.. it’s not safe to leave him unattended for too long!
Rather envious of your variety of garden birds Jane, there’s nothing like it is there.
Dd 4 (she of the mending broken heart) has taken herself off for a week in the sun, completely on her own. It sounds like she’s enjoying the space to relax and be renewed, I’m relieved as I wasn’t so sure it was a good idea. Happy to be proved wrong, on this occasion at least.
Well my bed is calling, I’ve 2 busy volunteering days ahead.

Hello again and do keep your fingers crossed because it rather seems as if one clever pair of hands ie........my DH ......may have solved this misbehaving machine........he was about to contact said internet provider as you suggested Annodomini........but gave it one more tweak.................and hey presto all seems well.
Further more I am lurking in the kitchen to prove it!!!!

Someone has earned himself a treat!!!

Wishing you all a restful night

Welcome Maybelle! And congratulations in advance on the expected grandchild. Such an exciting time!

The respected Kitchener and I will be recognisable by our oilskins and wellies I fear! ? ? But whoever let a little thing like tempests and floods deter them?
Pity it’s not The Tempest we are going to see
Just hope the trains are running OK!

Hi, just joined GN, 1st grandchild is due at Christmas and heard that this was a friendly and supportive group.
Saw the 3 month scan today and amazed at the detail.
Hear that you do calorie free treats here . . . Just start watching my weight if I plan to be an active granny

Hope you and "the highly respected gransnetter" I know who it is both enjoy the play. I really like Maxine Peake. Hope the weather doesn't spoil things.

Panache, on the few occasions when I've been tempted to relegate my laptop to the bin, or bury it in a quiet spot in the garden, it has usually turned out that the fault lay with my internet provider which I ultimately discovered by the simple tactic of phoning Virgin!
The weather seems to be breaking which is such a shame as it's this Thursday that I'm meeting a 'highly respected' gransnetter in Manchester to go to a matinée at the Royal Exchange, starring Maxine Peake.

To quote young Sam - “Grrr!!”