Here we are again...all good pals and jolly good company.
WELCOME. Enjoy the treats on offer. All food virtually calorie-free. No washing of dishes permitted. Please relax and we'll raise a glass of cheer to each other. 
Cheers!
CherryCezzy and Izabella We miss you. Please let us know how you are. 
Goodness the kitchen has been busy this morning.
Oh Susuan I'm head over heels in love with Henry
what a beautiful little boy.
I'm still laughing about the photograph you posted Pittcity. Great shot of my cleavage by the way
.
What beautiful GC and GGC tanith I do love to see the pictures of everyone's GC.
5 blood samples soop that's a lot. I'm terrible with blood tests, my veins aren't good anyway and the moment I'm approached with a needle, they collapse. On more that one occasion I've had to have it taken from the back of my hand which is quite painful. So pleased yours went well.
How lovely to see you in the kitchen Madgran. Another great baker by all accounts. At this rate I really will look like the lady with the large cleavage in Pittcity's photograph
.
A cutting from your 'lollipop' tree would be lovely Carilion. I can only hope it will end up looking as good as yours which I'm sure will be possible with Mr. S.'s green fingers.
I think the polishing you've just done lasting until Christmas is debatable Charleygirl but if you keep the curtain drawn and cut out the
you wont notice it anyway.
I started lengthening a pair of very expensive curtains yesterday that aren't quite long enough. It's only taken me 3.5 years from us moving here to get started. They're from our main bedroom and match a bed cover and drapes for our 4 poster bed.
I was quite nervous getting started TBH in case I made a mess of them but the first one's fine and the second should get finished this afternoon, then I get them re hung.
I'll pop in later with some and nibbles TOYA
Smileless A four poster bed...I am envious. How romantic. Good luck with the alterations. I shall be shortening a pair of leisure pants a little later. What a pleasure it is to be able to wear baggy, elastic-waisted pants around the house and being assured that there won't be an unexpected visitor. 
Afternoon all. Admin completed (hooray) and lunch consumed we’re about to venture forth into what looks like a gale to get some air. Very fresh air I suspect .
I’ve been feeling the same about planned holidays n&g, One we should have been enjoying next week we’re sure we won’t do in future, the other is possible if we can still cope with the tediously long journey. It seems a selfish sadness but it’s a real one.
There’s a rather nice fruit cake here, used up the ingredients from Christmas, baking, help yourself n&g before it disappears.
You’re brave tackling the curtains smileless. You have reminded me of the courage it took to shorten curtains my ma in law had made and hand embroidered, I was sure I’d wreck them. Fortunately didn’t, we still use them 30+ years later. I don’t dare wash them now so they have a steam bath twice a year. It wouldn’t be home without them.
Mr C will have a car park blood letting soon soop, he’ll be delighted to know it’s possible to survive the experience.
Hello, madgran, good to see you and love that name. Our lot would say it was very appropriate for me, can’t think why . It seems ann hasn’t found the new kitchen yet, hope alls as well as it can be.
Dusting is very overrated charley, ours looks quite artistic at times.
Time to venture forth into the gale, well strong wind. Look after yourselves, stay safe out there.
Hello lovely Kitcheners ! What IS the matter with so many men, soop - is it a long lost macho thing, or are they afraid to face what might be something unpalatable....like a stitch or a large dressing? They generally, in my experience, will rather risk the large dressing... down... they get on a regular basis from us caring types. So pleased that MacS has 'seen the light" allelujah !!!! Mine is normally so well behaved, my DH of course, and so sensible. But he gashed his leg falling awkwardly into the pool whilst cleaning (don't ask) early last summer and by the time it was mentioned to the Doc, he had an extra telling off from her and it took so long to heal. There is something so surreal about your car park treatment room that it's almost funny. Except loads of phials of blood is not funny. I had that treat immediately before lockdown. Fortunately our team of phlebotomists at the paths lab in the town do nothing else except take blood and even I end up with not even a tiny mark on my hand when they release me!! Hope you are feeling better and raring to go to the Hospital tomorrow. As you say..."let joy be unconfined". Poor you, I am sending a hug and Victoria sponge and tea.
I mailed Cherry last night. I have not heard but maybe she is just having a rest or a wobble. She certainly deserves a rest given all the falling around she is forced to suffer. At least she is not on her own, so if she's reading this, feel better soon. We send all good wishes. x
Crème d'Isigny - crème fraîche - is divine. However, completely different in taste from clotted cream. It is very slightly sour in taste which makes a lovely contrast with something very sweet like treacle tart or fruit crumbles....or anything actually. It's made in Isigny in Calvados, in the area where I used to live. They sell the butter in supermarkets in the UK, so they probably will have the crème fraiche as well. It's not posh! It's just that the French don't do the same cream as in UK which is a shame because there is a place for both types IMO.
Did you notice, charley that in cornergran's reassuring advice about dusting, there was a little clue as to how she manages her housework? She writes that dusting is overrated, in her opinion, and that theirs can look quite artistic at times. Then she says she is going forth into the gale. There you are...if you want 'artistic' dust, as opposed to any old common stuff, you need to open your door wide on a windy day and just let nature deal with it. Quite clever that.
I've just heard about Boris's baby. I'm not a fan but I was amazingly pleased at the news. How lovely to just have a baby, for once......no "bump glimpses", endless photos, posing, watching dates, pondering names, guessing gender, baby showers, and rub, rub, rubbing of bellies. Everyone in the public eye seems to behave like that. Here, Baby arrives safely and a simple announcement. It seems to have made my day brighter.
Off to play with my new wonderful garden weeder in hot sunshine (21c in the shade) and a stiff breeze which is drying the laundry at a cracking pace. TOYA. [flower]
N&G
Not cakes I’m afraid but Cunard recipe scones fresh out of the oven. There’s Cornish clotted cream and homemade strawberry jam to go with them
If people think the bananas behind are looking manky! That’s because they’re being ripened for banana bread
You lovely lot have been extraordinarily (is that a real word) busy this afternoon. I'm happy to tell you that MacS has had a super dressing applied to his hand and has returned home with several stand-bys.
I really do not fancy getting up earlier than needs be tomorrow...and I cannot visit the hospital unless I'm squeeky clean. So, right now, I'm off to shower and wash my hair and all that jazz.
I shall be returning to the kitchen at sometime tomorrow afternoon.
Please continue to take great care of yourselves. Leave me a few tasty goodies. I shall return from hospital feeling peckish.
Thinking of you all 
Just popped in with wine and nibbles as promised.
Feeling very pleased with myself as the curtains are finished and look really good
. Mr. S. will put in some hooks for the tie backs tomorrow, as I've been able to use them because the curtains weren't long enough.
My hands were literally shaking yesterday when I started on the first curtain yesterday Cornergran. It was probably my fear of making a mess of them that took me 3.5 years to get started!
Glad that MacS's hand has been properly dressed soop. Hope tomorrow's hospital visit goes well for you.
Was it Quentin Crisp Grandmafrench who said he hadn't dusted for decades as there was no point because it just came back again? I really wish I could be more laid back, but I just can't.
Last night I had to remove Dylan from my shoulder because one of the bulbs in my display case had blown, and the fact that it wasn't on was driving me mad. I told Mr. S., who looked at me as if I was losing the plot, that it isn't easy being ever so slightly OCD. Maybe he's right, and I am losing the plot.
I'm going to have to cut and run. So much delicious food on offer, the temptation is just too much.
Have a good evening everyone; see you all tomorrow x
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