Soop's comfortable and convivial kitchen.

Assume it is a turkey crown N&G , boom,boom!
( The old ones are the best ones)
With you on the clearing up. I have D2 plus Flynn coming for a couple of days so will be leaving the tree up as it all looks so bleak and bare.
Don’t really want it all to be over.
But I suppose Lego attacks might cure that?

I love the sprout PJs

Safe journey anno. Sorry to hear about your sister.
Galen your poor neighbour. That must have been a shock to come home to. Hope you and bella enjoyed the cruise.

Galen good to have you back from your travels but I am so sorry to hear about your neighbour. That is an awful thing to have to face. ?

The effort of taking the decorations down has reduced us both to jelly. It is the price you have to pay to get calm, order and LIGHT restored to the house. I have told Himself that this is the last time the tree goes up in the living room. It can only go in front of the window and blocks every bit of light and it takes two of us lying on the box to get it stowed away! We still have to get the whole shooting match up the stairs and stowed in the loft. We are supposed to be spending next Christmas in Cornwall so I am angling for not putting any decorations up here at all. DH has other ideas.

N&G where did the sprout pyjamas come from? I could see those being an instant hit! Always good to see photos of your happy family! And Cooper’s wonderful hat! Isn’t there a proverb about a bird on the head being worth two on the plate?

I had a surprise phone call today from my cousin who lives in a glorious, remote corner of Ireland. He has tried to phone us a few times but because we didn’t recognise the number and he didn’t leave a message until last night, we ignored it. We get a lot of suspect calls so we are somewhat phone-phobic in this house and his telephone number must be the longest I have ever seen so I somehow didn’t think it was kosher. It was a happy catch up! We have resolved to keep in better touch.

So, the time has come to do battle with the loft ladder. I don’t feel as if I have the strength to lift a strand of tinsel at the moment, but hey ho and on we go! I will look in later.

Signs of spring - Hellebores and snowdrops in flower - lots of buds. Have they never heard of the beast from the east? Or do they know something the forecasters don't? I hope there will still be blooms when I come home in four weeks' time. However, Christchurch is a great place for roses and my sister says she has about fifty! Luckily I enjoy pruning.
3 hours till pick-up -and counting!

Careful on that ladder greyd. You’ll deserve a sit down with something restorative later. Our decorations are currently mostly dumped on the spare bed. The outside ones are in the shed drying off, the conservatory tree remajns as we have two extra for tea tonight and it looks nice. So the ladder it will be for me tomorrow. Can’t wait .

Sending healing vibes to your husband dragonfly, chin up, wait for the x-ray outcome to worry.

Mr C is intent on a jigsaw, our visiting grandchild is watching a film so I’m off to my rl kitchen to prepare soup and scrub some potatoes for this evenings meal. I’m enjoying getting back to ‘normal’ food.

Enjoy the peace n&g, take care everyone.

Jalima thank you for stepping in to hoover up the leftovers.

anno Please may I add my good wishes for your forthcoming visit to New Zealand. I'm certain that your sister will appreciate your company.

Galen You are understandably dismayed to return home to the very sad news concerning your neighbour.

dragonfly Should your dear husband need hip surgery, never fear. I've two hip replacements. The difference each has made to my quality of life is immeasurable.

N&G As always, your photos brim over with family fun. Your granddaughter is so like you, Nana.

I owe you lot a profound apology. Marydoll made me pop into the Argy Bargy for a quick snifter. Before I could get my act together...I was doomed. I'm hanging my head in shame. Mark my words...^that place^ is a den of iniquity.

Whew, home. Wishing 2019 is either better than or not as bad as expected. (Does that make sense?
anno. Travel safely, take a lot of photos and may I say - make notes - even as you go along when you are talking family stories. I didn’t do that when I should have, thinking I would remember the details. Try perhaps to have some video and your sister’s voice on it. It doesn’t matter if you don’t look at it for years or even ever but if you don’t have it you will not have the choice. I hope you make some memories to treasure.
annsixty when my mum was in the care home, she liked being read to although she often nodded off, but it was a sign of being relaxed. I was advised by the staff to play music and also to just sit and read and not feel that I had to be “entertaining”. As there was WiFi I could do my emails, bills etc while she was snoozing. I also used to knit and organise her plants. I became friends with other visitors and we supported each other. Thinking of you both.
soop thank you so much for welcoming me here. You do a lot of ironing so I imagine you as chic and organised. I think I might be little slobby as I only iron my DH’s shirts.
To all others with difficulties, remember to try and do something every day that you really enjoy even if only for 20 minutes.
Well even here in freezing Scotland there are some green tips of snowdrops pushing through iron hard ground as a reminder that spring will come even though we are still in the depths of winter.
I missed the free booze but as it is New Year I am on my annual dose of Iron Bru “made in Scotland from girders”. I have left a whole crate full - beware!!!! It makes you hyper and doesn’t wash out if you spill it but is very good for hangovers (so I am told).

I need an emergency plumber and mine I think has had the temerity to go on holiday because he would normally have contacted me by now if only to say he was very busy! At least the water is going down the loo and not on the floor so that is a plus. A good job it is the downstairs loo and I have the bathroom upstairs to use because the problem will not be fixed today. A great start to the new year. Also, I have not won the million pound premium bond prize- I was certain it was my good luck this month.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201901/medium-598395-p1011262.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201901/medium-932046-p1011267.jpg

Here is yesterday's sunset. Followed by todays. I've just taken the second image.

Today's!! The sun is still awake here! Not that it can be seen behind the clouds!

Galen - sorry to hear of your neighbour's troubles. Very unpleasant; and very sad.

I agree, not pleasant news to return home to Galen.

anno have a good journey and as you are aware, there will be bitter/sweet moments. What a horrid diagnosis.

soop that is beautiful it has been grey and dull here most of the day.

There is a God, my plumber is coming tomorrow pm.

Luckygirl The sun sets early-ish on the west coast of Scotland. Kintyre sunsets are, on the whole, amazing. As in "sunsets on fire, as they carry me home to the Mull of Kintyre".

Feelingmyage Ironing duties enable me to squirrel a little cash away in our travel fund box in my knicker drawer. We hope to have a long weekend in the Highlands in the Springtime.

I'm away to do some ironing of my own - ^for which I earn not a brass farthing.

Tomorrow we travel to the hospital for a check-up on the procedure I underwent six weeks ago. So far, so good. Not perfect BUT well worth the discomfort. I shall update you when I return home.

Charleygirl Bravo for the plumber.

Hope all goes well, Soop.

Evening all,
Ha ! Maw that's a good one , the ,littlies will love that!!

Thanks Mumofmadboys The kids weren't keen but we grown ups loved them. My daughter is great at hunting things out and if I remember she bought them in the sales last year as she wont pay full price lot sure where the pjs came from Grey .

Feelingmyage is your Iron Bru the new sort with less sugar or have you stock piled the old stuff? I understand die hard traditionalists don't like the new sort .

Right, I am off to eat the last leftovers because tomorrow we are back on the straight and narrow !! Is it next Christmas yet ? :-)

charleygirl5 the premium bond draw is not until tomorrow. But you haven't won because I have

Beautiful pictures, Soop. Hope all goes well for you tomorrow.
So sorry to hear about your neighbour, Galen. What a shock.
Safe journey, Anno. Enjoy seeing your sister even if the reason is such a sad one. Hopefully, this new treatment might slow things down.
I am itching to take down the Christmas decorations like some of you but DH and DD are totally against the idea. DD would keep mine and hers up all year if she could. I tend to feel claustrophobic after a bit.

I won’t tell what happened in the Argy soop. ? your secret is safe with me ?

Well it's not with me Doodle! I'll blab to anyone about what soopgot up to on New year's eve! Have you given her that item she left behind yet?

Wishing you a safe journey Anno - it's a long way but will be worth it to spend time with your sister. I hope you get some sleep on the flights.

Galen such sad news for you to return home to and such a dreadful shock.

Soop lovely photos - good luck for tomorrow and I also hope your husband gets good news Dragonfly.

I have spent all day taking down the decorations here and also doing a huge mountain of washing. The tumble drier arrived on time so has been in full use - tomorrow will be an ironing day - Soop I wish you were nearer I will have to start all over again when I finally go home on Friday

I also had a surprise call from my cousin who had rung home yesterday. Sadly his wife is very unwell and they are spending most of their time between various hospitals as she undergoes a battery of different tests. I fear for the final diagnosis but have tried to be upbeat for him.

Here is Daph in one of her favourite positions - she managed to save this picture 23 times to my desktop by sitting on the keyboard

Sssh chewy. soop doesn’t want the other kitcheners to know what she gets up to at the Argy. She has her reputation to consider ?

willow clever Daph.

Desperate for a good night sleep so have taken 2 herbal sleeping tablets, then remembered that the plumber is here at 8am to fit new shower in my bathroom- oh dear could I have made a mistake!!!!

Pittcity the winners of the large amounts are always shown on the first day and one fellow lives in Croydon and a woman lives in central London. We should find out tomorrow if we have won £25.