Soop's welcoming and ever supportive kitchen,

Internet connection keeps shutting me down.

I had better say farewell for today. Hopefully, normal service will be restored before too long. My apologies.

Hi all, smart meter now fitted, after 48 hours I can unplug it, put it back in its box and into a drawer. I don’t need reminding how much I’m spending, my bill does that. I’ve just returned from giant hugs with my daughter and two grandchildren before they rush out to football for the youngest, my daughter doesn’t seem to stop. We’ve had sun, storms and torrential showers this afternoon, the gardener decided digging in the plants he delivered yesterday would best wait as I’m off to source some more. We can then place them out together when everything is here.
Enjoy your evening all.

Good afternoon dear kitcheners - just popping in to say a quick hello. I seem to be rushing from one thing to another and can't believe next week at this time we will be in Scotland in readiness for the big day Eight days until the Ms becomes a Mrs!! Off to watch the football now

BA that’s not long now is it !! So pleased for you and hopefully we’ll get to see some pictures ?
Jaxj your giant hugs sound wonderful❤️
It rained all morning here and the garden is too soggy to do anything much so I put on my wellies and went for a walk in the woods. I quite enjoyed it really and in bought out my inner child with lots of splashing through muddy puddles!
Another beautiful sunset picture soop it must be lovely to see that view every evening

Hi Kitchen friends.
Oh golly gosh : 8 days. 8 sleeps. It’ll be here in no time Ms. BladeAnnie.

Jax our smart meter is similarly hidden from view for the same reasons. Seeing the daily pennies rising was giving me palpitations in the winter! ?

I don’t know what it is about puddle splashing brook but it is Very Satisfying ?

No rain here today but still puddles hanging around. Lots of bird song in the garden. This one isn’t real but it cheers me to see it through the kitchen window.
Have a Good Evening soop and everyone.

Oh b*##!r I banged my elbow on the door handle earlier and it is so painful ? I have a feeling a big bruise is coming.
Izabella that is good news. I’m sure we would all agree you have a wonderful wit.
Have fun in the garden today.
soop you always share such beautiful sunsets.
Grandmabatty my dyslexia made me misread your last post to I’m having a wee before my next task. I thought ...nice of you to let us know ?
Jaxjacky giant hugs sound wonderful. I’m still waiting for mine.
All the canine and feline kitcheners seem to be very well fed. Glad all the new members are settling in well.

Doodle ???

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202105/medium-371980-6d1b0d91-fc09-4cfa-8236-e92d31202a32.jpeg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202105/medium-641235-237c0d6d-a2e5-479f-8b11-26b8db6860a9.jpeg

I’m pleased Billy has settled in so well and is relaxed hellogirl,

Beautiful sunsets soop. We’re rarely treated to a decent sunset at home, no sign of one here either.

We had company with our coffee today. It seemed crumbs were needed before they would leave. We had quite a chat .

Cornergran those little birds look almost tame!
Garden birds are all very chatty at the moment aren’t they?

Annodomini and Grandmabatty. I hate slugs too.?The sight of them gives me the shivers and what the blighters do to all the veggies I try to grow, beggars belief. I've tried garlic spray, egg shells and the odd beer trap but they still get through to the juicer plants. Last year, I lost nearly all the 12 cauliflower plants I'd been nurturing and caring for, for months. Nematodes do work, so I read, but they are very expensive to buy, especially the amount I need. So this year, I'm growing breeding my own. Sounds weird but I'll give it go, MrM has volunteered to get a few slugs for me tonight. He usually kills them but I need them alive. ?

Jax Big hugs sound brilliant. Looking forward to getting mine in a month.

soop Another amazing sunset. Thank you.

Ouch? Doodle - I read wee too?

Just the usual necessities done today. Only task not done was to finish the grass cutting. Knee very twingy.

‘Evening All’.

A day of 2 halves here.
Morning = #lazygran.

Sat on the sofa for 4 hours (!) ... surfing on here, newspapers to read and eating porridge with blueberries from a bowl on our knees. Standards are slipping further it seems ...

Anyway, after lunch we walked to the Trafford Centre! Not done that for years. Only took us just over 30 minutes, strolling. In the sunshine too! Once inside I had to carry my coat & scarf. May weather has been very mixed hasn’t it?

Got home (with my new swimming costume, yay!) dumped the M&S food in the fridge and went down in the lift to one of our favourite small bars, where 2 pints & 2 wines felt well deserved! Sitting in the warm sunshine at 4pm felt quite Spanish actually. It was wonderful to people watch.

Totally chilled now (? the wine ... probably). Himself is happily watching the Liverpool game. It’s an important match apparently. I’m on here & in between reading my book. Life’s good. That’s our ‘cheers’ saying when we chink glasses anyway.

All being well ‘see you tomorrow’. Hope the night ahead is peaceful for all. x

Muse slugs ? after trying numerous solutions it’s pellets here, the non toxic to animals type, only thing I’ve found to work. soop stunning view.
Hellogirl is Billy doing online tutorials in #relaxedcats? (Daughters kitten, 1 of 2).

Hello, Paxo here. Is it just us black and whiteys who can indulge in Sofaerobics whenever we want? These photos motivated me to get off my tail and go and find a photo of me chilling and generally enjoying an evening at home. This is the life, fellow moggies.

To all those who are NOT moggies, my long-suffering owner asked me to wish you a peaceful and restorative night's sleep and a lovely day tomorrow. Nighty night ??

Back online. Spasmodic interference. Hopefully able to catch up after lunch.

Took a nasty tumble in the bathroom in the early hours. Cracked my head on the edge of the wash basin, then, as I fell, I hit it a second time on the underneath part. Woke Mr Soop up. Dazed with two lovely egg shaped swellings to show for it.

Back later for a proper chat.

Oh dear soop , so easily done and washbasins are not the most forgiving things either! Himself had stitches the last time he had a close encounter of the porcelain kind. Hope you have some witch hazel or similar to take down the bruises. Take care

Oh Soop! My dear, I hope you are alright. What a shock for you. You need to have a restful day. I'm off for second vaccination later. Take care x

Oh soop that’s a nasty accident to have had during the night.
You will have a very sore head today. Will ice packs help? Even packs of frozen peas?
Please do nothing that doesn’t need to be done today and get your strength back dear lady. ?

Lovely to see the posing black+white puss cats and kittens on here. The length of a cat is amazing when you see them stretched right out. They all look so chilled out - Billy, Paxo and Jax ‘s grand kitten.

Oh soop we really need you to wear a crash helmet, knee and elbow pads and wrap you up in cotton wool. It must have been such a shock for you both. I do hope you are ok.
I think cats lead such lovely lives so laid back and cosy.?

soop stop falling about. You’re getting as bad as me!

I had written half of my messages to you. Got as far as looking at corner's delightful photo and...guess what? I somehow logged out of Gransnet and all the messages are floating around in the ether.

BladeAnnie Us lot are preparing to form a guard of honour at your wedding. We shall do you proud.

brook We all need an inner child. Splash in a puddle on my behalf please. Very little rain in Kintyre at the moment.

Puzzler I like the pretty pot. Where did you find it?

Doodle We've both had a bit of a bash. A gentle (hug) is called for.

muse Slugs are a buggeration. End of.

Urmstongran Your upbeat post was a joy to read.

The photographs of beloved felines made we wonder, are they related? They all resemble "our" Billy.
Fern has returned. Apparently she prefers tinned tuna in spring water. Mr Soop says so.

The sore head is just that. The eggs are reducing in size. It was a shock to the system as I fell at 2:48 precisely. It took me a further hour to go back to sleep.

Love to all. I'm about to shorten a pair of jeans for my beloved. x

No more falls please Soop hope your feeling better today.
Not long now BladeAnnie you must be so excited!
Just had lunch out with friends,so nice to catch up over a meal and glass of wine?
We have a severe weather warning for high winds and rain,it’s starting to get very windy now so will batten down the hatches and relax.New diamond art to start a snow leopard for Oscar our 6 year old GS.
Have a pleasant Evening everyone.

Yia Snow leopards are fabulous creatures. I look forward to seeing it when you have worked your magic.

We have had at least half a dozen calls this afternoon. A few in quick succession. A foreign voice speaks at such a rate that we cannot understand a word of what she's saying. We've also had four other "silent" calls. Mr Soop, the most patient of men, has lost his cool. Why on earth do folk need to pester others? What do they gain? It has reduced me to tears.

Oh soop I’ve been going to ask what it is you are on as I think you are a couple of years older than me and you seem to have twice the energy. Perhaps it’s time to take it slower at nighttime. I have a horror of the thought of slipping in the bathroom at night and being carted off to hospital still desperate for a wee.

I hope your sore head improves rapidly with or without the help of frozen peas.

I going to try to post a sunset photo, they are beautiful at the moment but I’m trying to cut out excess glare for my eyes so am only catching the last half hour or so. Is your view due west or not? The sun is setting behind trees at this time of year but it will soon start moving east again.