Soop's welcoming and supportive kitchen

Ooops I think the word I was trying to say were batteries!!

Thank you, Panache for all your thoughtful comments.

There was some fun to be had on Gransnet this morning (or at least if you have a coarse sense of the ridiculous like me)! I needed it, having spent absolutely ages trying to register the warranty for my camera. Easy, you might think? Not a bit of it! It was like pulling teeth. They wanted to know your entire life history, followed by submitting photographs of serial numbers and receipts with very precise information to be included. It doesn’t help when you have a receipt a foot long with the retailers name at one end and the purchase date at the other so that by the time you have it all in frame on a phone camera, you can’t read it! Anyway by the time it was done and gone, I needed a stiff drink. But I made so with a cup of tea. What do people do who don’t have the facility to jump through all these hoops? Why does everything have to be so complicated? There, I have that off my chest now.

Panache it’s a shame the weather didn’t allow your potential buyers to see your house in its best light, but fingers crossed for some positive news. And yes there is cake left, to which you are most welcome. You would be doing me a favour as I am now on a diet!

Soop it looks very much like you have a new lodger?! I hope he/she likes the digs enough to stay around! If they don’t it won’t be for want of having the very best rations provided! With the winter coming they would be silly not to.

The problem with starting a post on a new page is that you (I!) forget what has gone before and have to keep highlighting and copying to make sure you don’t lose your post (there has to be a better way - I just haven’t found it yet!), so to any and all I have left out please forgive me. Off to do the school run shortly.

My pal with whom I visit the care home, has phoned to say that it's still under lock-down. This will be the second no-go week. Best be on the safe side. No one would welcome a dose of such a nasty virus.

I am to recite the poem I wrote in the village kirk tomorrow evening. Would welcome the opportunity to read it to you lot...so, here it is.

The Soldier...

Fearless youth,
stalwart, proud,
closed the door
and strode the path that led to war.
Bleak days and nights
blurred into one -
such was the gloom
that stained the sun
and froze the tears of everyone.
The seasons lost their it seemed -
the tides forgot to ebb and flow.
From time to time, within a dream,
crept images of long ago.
Hope mouldered into dust,
no tree, no flower, nor bird remained
to offer solace for the pain.
As eyes went dim and limbs grew weak,
the spirit yearned for endless sleep.
By vile gas, robbed of sight,
at last the warrior shuffles home.
A newfound love of Nature born
as birdsong welcomed him at dawn.

To all those who have sent positive messages thank you SO much. I was at Mass this morning and it was almost too much to bear. Then I thought of you lot and all your various problems - many not trivial - and little bits of your advice kept coming back back to me and it was such a comfort.
Willow could you please tell me a bit of the back story regarding the bungalow? I’m afraid I’m in the dark not having been a regular dropper in to the kitchen till relatively recently.
I was going to say that I think you can call yourself a cat owner Soop but as all of us who share our lives with felines know - they call the shots and we never really own them. Another Kipling story - the cat who walks by himself ...
Panache ??
I feel your pain Greyd - I’ve just been trying to get someone to come and look at my tumble drier which is currently taking about two hours to dry anything - still under warranty but what a palaver and a mountain of paperwork to get them to agree!
I’m going to leave a gingerbread on the side and a lemon drizzle for those who don’t like spice!

Overthehills As you are well aware, I hate to see good cake go to waste. A slice of both will go down nicely with my afternoon

And here is a lemon and almond cake. It’s the first time I have made it and dare I say, it may even be better than drizzle!

I feel so bad as today is anno's birthday.
She is away spending it with her family, so in the hope she can see this a Very Happy Birthday anno?

Overthehills, I don't know if this will help with the tumble dryer problem.
We bought a new one a few years ago and after about six months, just like your one, it took forever to dry. Everything was cold and damp.
It turned out we should have been washing the condenser out every couple of months, . The minute we cleaned all the gunk away, it was as good as new.

anno A very happy birthday to you. Have lots of fun and laughter.

Log off time. Darkness is falling and it's time to close the blinds and get that cosy feeling.

Thank you for your company.

Has the West Wing/Nordic cabin come up to expectations N&G? I hope so. Are there any bacon butties left? If Soop has left any, I`d like HP brown sauce on mine please.
Many Happy Returns of the Day Anno, if you are able to read this.
Panache, such a pity then weather didn`t allow your lovely home to be seen at it`s best, but you never know, the viewers might just have been practising their inscrutable expressions.
Soop, as asked for, thev blatest pic I have of Max.

Sorry, the latest

Goodness, soop, your poem is very moving. I’m sure the congregation at the Kirk tomorrow will also find it moving.

callgirl, Max is gorgeous!

Wow! What a gorgeous little chap Max is, and such a lovely smile! You must be very proud of him, callgirl. They certainly don’t stand still these Gransnet babies do they? Happy days.

I missed the school run this afternoon ☹️; DH went on his own, as we had an impromptu visit from the plumber, who finished ALL the outstanding jobs. Boiler serviced, new expansion vessel fitted to the hot water system and.... ???.... downstairs cloakroom finished! Photo is what all the fuss was about. The tiles are actually blue in daylight. That is our last ‘project’ in this house - from now on it’s all maintenance. Getting this one little room done has been like pulling teeth! I will celebrate with a glass of lemonade - or something!

I’m trying to organise a large shower cubicle instead of my bath! It’s going to cost an arm and three legs as it will involve a new sink and completely retiling the bathroom. This is because the tiny one in my bedroom which is basically the toilet with a shower in it is too small to be able to move safely in it and as I’m getting more wobbly I’ve had to rethink.
Plumbers don’t seem to be interested.

Evening All. Caught up with all the bitty, horrid bits that have been lurking here, tedious day but it feels good now.

Wow greyd, it was worth the wait and hassle. Very swish. Hope it made up for missing the school run. Fingers crossed for the tumble drier.

Birthday wishes flowing to anno.

The cat sounds to be settling in soop, there will be a cozy home with you for the winter head. Your poem triggered both emotion and thought soop. I anticipate a silence will fall in the Kirk when you finish your reading. We’re off to an event run by children on Saturday. One of ours has written and will read her thoughts on the anniversary and war in general. She is taking some family items from WWI as illustration, I’m taking tissues.

How’s the cabin n&g? There’s serious envy here, I put in a bid for one when we moved but Mr C’s alternative idea won, the outcome is lovelyn and useful, but I still wish the log cabin had arrived. Looking forward to the photos.

Been thinking of maw and ann , love to you both. Hugs to you overthehills, everyone is holding so much pain and tension just now it’s bound to spill over. I know it doesn’t feel like it but it will all settle down.

Max always triggers a smile here callgirl, such a contagious grin.

Good to hear from you panache, please look after yourself. Hope those viewers were more impressed than you fear.

Where has all the cake gone? There’s a lot of cake being consumed here, it’s soft so doesn’t damage the dodgy tooth. Or that’s my excuse .

Need to tidy up after our meal. A few hectic days on the horizon, will read but may not manage to reply. Take care everyone.

greyduster belated happy returns. Sorry I missed your birthday yesterday. Your cloakroom looks very nice. Any cake left #everhopeful ?
maw this must be a really sad time for you and a reminder of all you have lost. I am hopeless with words so please forgive me for my inability to express my sentiments kindly. I hope happy memories will lift your spirits soon and your DD's stress lightens and things look brighter.
overthehills glad things are better between you and your DD.
Lovely poem soop. Hope the reading goes well.
Max is a handsome chap callgirl lovely smile.

Quick hello to panacheand ann any everyone not mentioned. Hope all is well with you all. Hello Galen sorry you've got the humph. More time in the kitchen or a cruise should help ?

Cruise booked for xmas?
Can’t wait!

If it’s not too late, a very Happy Birthday, Anno. Hope you enjoyed your day!

Where you off to galen? Somewhere warm? Suspect I could be envious .

Corner and Doodle I have put two pieces of cake in the kitchen with your names on them!
Marydoll, thankyou for that. I’m pretty sure DH will have been doing that (he’s a bit obsessive about keeping things in good order!) but I will ask him when he gets in just to make sure - be great if that’s all it was.

Soop, your poem is so moving, I don`t know how you will read it out tomorrow without a few tears. I`m sure there`ll be some amongst the congregation.

Thanks overthehills, I’ve hidden mine, safer that way .

Mercy dash to London this morning to look after poorly DGS
Why do they do this on a Monday morning?
Anyway he was mostly pretty chipper just a bit quieter and cuddlier than usual (what’s not to like?)
As I left he said “Janny lovely you come my house” aaah ! ????