Soop's welcoming kitchen for all in need of a hearty blether.

No,we actually bumped into a family on Sunday and their cavachon is having puppies.They had three little girls and the dog was so calm with them which is a big consideration with two grandchildren and one on the way.
I can understand you worrying about Tara but hopefully she has many years left.
I hope Ann is ok,I read some of the comments on her thread about grass cutting and cannot believe how dreadful some of them were,so unnecessary.

Susan sorry I cannot give you any advice on that subject. I would steer clear of other threads- I promise you will not get your head bitten off here or be told how stupid you are!

ann's thread about grass cutting turned so vile she ran for the hills and if she has any sense she stayed there!

Losing a pet is so traumatic- Tara is over 14 years of age now and that subject is frequently on my mind.

Is it a rescue dog?

Once again I am playing catch up in the kitchen.You all lead such busy lives!
I have a dilemma.Our daughters dear little Harry,a cavalier King Charles who we looked after a lot died really suddenly just before Christmas,he wasn’t even eight years old,I can only just write about him.
As a family,we have decided that DH and I will be the main carers for the new family dog.I had set my heart on a replica of Harry as his temperament and in fact everything about him was perfect.At the weekend we met a cavachon and for the first time I am considering a different breed to Harry.Any advice from anybody with a cavachon or indeed anybody replacing a much loved pet as Harry was our first dog.
Hope I am ok posting this in the kitchen,I am a bit wary of some of the other threads.
TOYA?

Synonymous Smokie must be a darling. Oh, we miss our Rory so much. He had never had a home until he finally stepped across our threshold. Yet, with months of patience, he morphed into the most appreciative of felines. He adored MacSporran. MacSporran loved Rory to bits.

The naughty man has finished the job. The hedges look ace. I've been helping to do yet more tidying in our garden. At one time, I looked after an acre of garden single-handed. Now, though, my body gives me so much jip that I know, for sure, that this may be the last year when I can do strenuous stuff. In fact, as we were enjoying a cuppa on the terrace, MacSporran said something like...next year, we must get some help... , I simply nodded. Hallelujah!

Care home visit in the morning. I intend calling into the kitchen just as soon as I'm able.

TOYA

soop it is amazing just how far these cats roam and they clearly have their meal and snoozing points all worked out. It is great that the feral family have peoples who are looking out for them and even including the vets.
Smokie has not been out for nearly three months now and is looking so much better, in fact he is getting so big that I have to make sure I am properly balanced so that I can pick him up. He is gorgeous and loves to sit 'with' me but no laps thank you very much, He seems to want to have a cuddle but doesn't really know how!

soop oh dear, but you have to love the determination to carry on! We are so grateful to a super gardening friend who takes on all those sorts of jobs for us.

Charleygirl you are on the right lines but I don't think I dare get rid of anything and will have to be much more subtle than that.
He is making ice cream atm and skinning plum tomatoes for freezing which are all things we can do together and he can sit down. I fear I am turning in to Mrs Bossyboots!

dragonfly you have much with which to contend between the pair of you so just hang on in there together.

Corner I take my hat off to you!

Panache hope to hear some really good news regarding the house soon but in the meantime it is nice to hear that you are now living in such a good place. Hope you enjoyed the barbecue.

Ann hope you are feeling much better now.

dragonfly You remain very much in my thoughts.

Thank you Panache for your concern. My DH has had blood tests and scans and nothing sinister is showing up. He actually said yesterday that he thinks the exercises the physio gave him are working. I am hoping after my op on Monday he will pick up some more. I am sure he is more worried than me.

soop I think you should be selling the ladder and hedge trimmer and use the money to pay the gardener!! Gives me the shudders thinking about McSporran up a ladder.
Synonymous I would get rid of any ladders in your house too!!

Callgirl how lovely your DS would like to have you around on his holiday.

Sorry Corner I need all the energy I can muster so not got any to spare. Yes you definitely deserve a nap!!

corner You have done yourself proud. You deserve to have forty or more winks. Mr C will cope, or else us lot will come calling to give him a good ear-wigging.

Panache You are right to give your opinion regarding "so-called Sciatica". It is dangerous to self diagnose. Far better to take oneself back to the GP.

More kind messages to morethan from mumofmadboys aggie and Cherrytree59

MacSporran informs me that he intends to finish trimming the hedge. I rest my case.

We now know that Brodie lives on a farm about three miles from us. He's one of a family of five feral cats. The farm owner has moved and couldn't take the cats. They are far too fierce to be domesticated. Five traps are needed to catch the cats and they will be neutered/spayed before being returned to their "patch". Only two traps available at the mo'. When all five are available, the family will taken to a vet in Lochgilphead. We have met a lady in the village who feeds them dry cat food. The animals always keep a safe distance from her. Another lady, living a lot closer than we two, also puts food down for any cat that visits. The mystery of Brodie's wherabouts has at long last been solved.

Syn I really would not speak too soon! Your DH has another lease of life now that he sees his life did not end when he had his leg amputated and he is in a different sort of pain. I would hide all ladders.

corner I would love that sort of treatment please but I promise you will keep a healthy voice because you will not be choo chooing trains for me. The thought of being read to and healthy snacks provided-yum, yes please.

My washing is out but it really is too hot to move. Trust me to have the oven switched on at 220C for my lunch.
TOYA

We’re being minded by Littlest. Help! How unreasonable is it that I sneak off for a nap leaving Mr C in charge of the trains? I’ve Choo choo’d until I’m hoarse, played board games with Littlest’s own rules , read books and completed a jigsaw. Provided snacks of the healthy kind and it’s only been two hours. I’m not thinking of how many to go. . It’s a fun and precious time, wouldn’t miss it for the world. Just need to be a whole lot younger. Anyone got some spare energy??? .

TOYA. Take care everyone.

soop it really is scary when these overgrown boys do things whilst teetering on the top of wobbling ladders! When I mentioned it to Himself he just said "and why shouldn't he if he feels he can" so clearly it is a "boy thing"! Mind you, I am quietly thinking that Himself will not be able to do such things now but it would be a bit of a drastic solution to chop one of MacSporran's legs off! However with that new leg with all the jointed and moving parts Himself is getting soon who knows what he will be trying to do next!?!

Having broken the unforgiveable rule ofmentioning your MacS as 80 next birthday instead of the much preferred 79 Soop I guess his reply to that was doing the unthinkable...........climbing that ladder to the dizzy heights and lopping off those tall trees.
You really need to apologise profusely........one to the other, as yes accidents do happen and it is something we do not wish to witness hearing on these pages!!
Now you have been told!
Seriously though it was the one thing I so dreaded with my man, and it left me in a state of great unease each time the ladder came out,so please, please ........time to call in the younger lad methinks,hard though it is to admit to age halting proceedings.

Whilst Dragonfly hearing of your fears and concerns over your dear husband`s so called sciatica.
You may well remember when this first came to these pages I told you of my dear man suffering terribly from supposed sciatica..... and finding no relief through differing positions,medication,excercises etc.
Very sadly the chief culprit was later discovered to be cancer in various bones and it was an altogether bitter shock.So by all means, it is time your dear man had some proper diagnoses because my man suffered some 8 months of the most awful pain before firstly advanced prostate cancer was discovered, quickly followed by the bone issues.
Months,precious months were lost before treatment began.I do not wish to alarm you but just push you into action with the GP......to perhaps look at this pain from a different angle.Cover all the possabilities.
This added concern and worry is the last thing you need at this time.Sending loving hugs.Thinking of you both.

Time I was in my bed!

Goodness soop what will you do with him? Definitely time to hand over that job. Mr C and I have an agreement, if he climbs nothing higher than our step stool I don’t jump up and down in the loft and crack the ceilings. It’s worked so far .

TOYA.

soop please remove that ladder- no matter how much care he takes accidents happen so quickly and easily.

morethan Sending love and wishing you all strength to get through this awful time and hope against hope that your brave, caring Daughter in law sees her lovely children settled into school.

My heart breaks for you and your family

morethan I have no words to express my sadness just praying for strength for you to bear the unspeakable and wish to see that bairn off to school

MacSporran, beware, enter by a different door to usual!

Morethan, your post is so sad, yet so brave, as is your wonderful DIL, bless her. May she be granted her wish to see her little girl into school.

N&G, I`m not bravely letting the spider reside under the settee, I`m too bl--dy scared to move it!

Not sure how long this weather is set for, but youngest son and his wife and little boy have gone to Blackpool for a few days, and eldest son and his wife have gone off to Llandudno till Thursday.

It was a make do and mend Sunday dinner today. Last night I went to the freezer to take out the joint of beef to defrost...………..it wasn`t there. Then I realised I didn`t remember putting it away after Wednesday`s delivery, checked the invoice, no beef, but I know I ordered it, so Lynne had a Tesco beef stew, and I had 1 beefburger and 2 slices of luncheon meat grilled by George Foreman, along with the usual new tates and veggies. Oh well, things could be a lot worse!

Soop, I salute you, I have a mountain of ironing waiting, but in this heat I just can`t face it!

Eldest son just rang from Llandudno, it`s gorgeous, they have a beautiful sea view, and have asked me to go with them next year.

TOYA xxx

Been an odd few days here in Gravy Towers, off to,sit in the garden with a chilled white wine before dinner.

I hope you are all enjoying this fine weather.

I have been thinking of you and your family all day morethan ???

TOYA

More than Hoping and praying your GC gets to secondary school before your DDIL dies. Wishing you all courage and love to help each other through the hardest of times x

Ooops! Psst. McSporran better lie low for a while ?

Doodle MacSporran had better go down on bended knee and apologise when he comes into the house. Guess what? He's been perched on top of that b*** ladder and, without my permission, has trimmed a good 12" off the tall hedge.

What did I tell you lot? MacSporran is a law unto himself. The tyke!

I've been ironing bed linen. I am glowing. I am bushed. I am about to log off, read the paper and look forward to a G&T a little later this evening.

My thoughts are with all of you with sadnesses to bear. Especially dear morethan2

Until tomorrow.

soop everyone could see McSporran will be a youthful 79. 80 indeed! ?

Moshulu customer service are brilliant so give them a ring or order and return.

Morethan I’ve not been in the kitchen for a couple of days so I’ve only just read your heartbreaking post. Others have expressed everything I am thinking. Somehow we stay strong through the most difficult times. My thoughts and prayers for you and your family.