soops kindly kitcheners and perfect pampered pets.

Nothing better than a warm house, callgirl. You won't regret it.
Glad you're feeling more yourself today, corner . I will be making the scones today that I intended to make yesterday until I got hung up sorting through a pile of papers that had been shoved in a drawer! I came across an old pad of lined writing paper and, leafing through it, found a lightening quick sketch I had done of DH and GS putting decorations on the Christmas tree. Must have been a couple of years ago. I went to throw it away with the rest of the pad but I couldn't bring myself to do it. It's just a scrap, not even good, but it's clinging to me.

Lona all good vibes winging your way, I have been there myself.
So pleased to hear about Georgie.
callgirl I am pleased that you are spending your "windfall" on making yourself happy. If you had had that money it would have been absorbed in everyday living and just disappeared.
Now I have a similar dilemma, I received a letter yesterday from DWP telling me about the rise in state pension we shall all receive in April, at the bottom came the good news that in July when I will be 80 I will receive an extra 25pence a week.
Do I just spend the pound a month on half a cup of coffee? On a bar of chocolate from Aldi ( the cheap stuff you understand) or do I save it for a whole year and spend the £13 in one go by taking H and myself off to Wetherspoons for fish and chips on Fish Friday? (If we are spared). Answers before July please.

Yes Maw it was your recipe, my mistake Rose

Thanks Ann, it's so nice to hear from you, I've missed your posts. I hope you're not feeling quite so low. Xx
I remember my mum being informed that she was getting a pension increase of 4p! She was beside herself with excitement not

The riches Ann -- the riches !!

I have googled what you can get for 25p !!

1 A Freddo Bar
2 A large pack of Space Raiders crisps
3 A pack of Tesco Colour Washing Tablets
4 A beer in the Czech Republic
5 A Homebase strawberry plant
6 A two-minute phone call
7 An out-of-date advent calendar
8 Use of a public toilet
9 12 goes on a 2p machine
10 Tin of marrowfat peas 25p
11 Tin of sliced carrots 22p
12 One lime 15p
13 One lemon 19p
14 One clementine14p
15 Milky Bar chocolate bar 20p
16 Packet of cat food 21p

I think personally you should invest it !!

Morning all from emergency ward 10 ( how many remember that I wonder ?)

Tonsillitis central here. It was bound to happen and is my absolute weakness. Luckily we have nothing on till next Tuesday so I shall be spending my time in bed feeling sorry for myself !

Loved the swan picture soop . I did not win the January competition with my duck but have high hopes for February when the theme is The Weather ! One of your sunsets would do the trick

Hope all goes well Lona its good its all being fast tracked !

I know exactly what you mean about food rejection Corner . I put it down to their parents continually asking them what they want to eat. I don't EVER remember my Mum asking me, she cooked it, we ate it . End of !! I worry like you , the children seem to be grazers and only at our house do they sit at the table and STAY at the table. At theirs it all seems to be a movable feast!

Jud good news Georgie is coming home but it does sound like you both have a lot of hard work ahead. I hope it all goes well .

I am not liking where threads are popping up Maw there's a politics one in the café now - I thought that wouldn't be where I would find them , I'm just confused !

I think its a very sensible decision Callgirl and lots can be done to the kitchen to freshen it up I'm sure.

Right I'm off back to bed so I don't give you lot my germans as Jackson says xx

ann lovely to hear from you again. Re your pension, you must not act too hastily with this amount of money, I think I would be inclined to bank it and watch the interest grow, not. Maybe even get professional help because I feel that with this amount you just may make the wrong decision which would be disastrous.

grannyqueenie I would love to dog sit Pip. I cannot walk far but cuddles would be in abundance.

Tara cannot make up her mind whether to go out today and has tried at least 20 times but has come in again immediately. Her mind will be made up for her today when the fellows come at 11am to line my roof in the loft because I am losing a lot of heat through the roof. It should slowly save me money. When she sees 3 male strangers she will fly out of the door.

Keep warm and tucked up n&g, time for you to be cared for I think. Ann has plenty of choice from your list. Good to hear from you Ann, dont you just love our pension systems ? I would love to be able to make scones that don't resemble digestive biscuits. Is there a foolproof recipe? If there is would someone point me at it, please? I do try to find things with the search facility but fail spectacularly. It's the Winter. I will improve once Spring comes, honestly. .

Sorry, forgot to say I love that sketch greyduster, it catches a very special moment. Of course you must keep it.

So sorry to hear you have succumbed N&G clearly a weak spot!
Keep warm, stay in bed, get the anti-b's and milk it for all it is worth .
(Did I just say that ? )

Flynn had his first ride in a swing this week, wish I'd been there!

Found you!
Are we playing hide and seek?

You don't come up on the 'last hour' page!
GNHQ what's going on?

ann lovely to see you again. Whatever you do, think carefully about that pension increase and don't spend it all at once - save some for a rainy day

Galen I always come in the door marked 'I'm on'. I thought I'd read they sorted that 'last hour' link yesterday - obviously I thought wrong! It does all seem to have been done in a haphazard rush for some reason

Flyn looks as though he is enjoying himself and I would think that it may have been difficult to prise him away from a new found toy.

Galen GNHQ did not discuss it with us and have certainly not listened to us. As MawBroon said, it it aint broke why fix it?

Quite!?

This is utterly ridiculous in the extreme. No! Not the fact that we've been moved...back to that subject in a jiffy but...how many more messages have I to catch up with? Last night, I read those that I'd missed thanks to loss of broadband. I had printed out four pages of them. Then, in I stroll, albeit a little late in the day, to discover almost as many fresh messages. I shall be here for some time, methinks.

About the move. I've thought sensibly about it. It's not that we're being subjected to a down-grade. Let us believe that the status of the kitchen has been upgraded. We are happy to remain in our kitchen, in the newly opened café. We're people persons. We like sharing the good things in life, together with the not-so-good and bothersome buggerations that are made more bearable when discussed with like-minded Granspals. Sorted!

Time for a proper celebration with whistles and bells...Georgie, our precious poppet, is going home tomorrow. I almost wept for joy when I read Jud's message.

You're an inspiration, Soop! Long live the kitchen.

Here I be...I was called away to help MacSporran with the moving back of the bedroom furnishings. The floor is looking really smart. What I need to do next is tidy and vac all the wardrobe cupboards. Oh, the joy of it.

Greyduster I like your sketch. It's a keeper. You could frame it. It is of sentimental value.

NanaandGrampy I'm so sorry to hear that the tonsillitis germans from which you've made every effort to avoid have sought you out and are proving to be a right buggeration. Get thee back to thy bed. Stay warm and we hope that you recover just as soon as possible. It's a horrid thing while it lasts.

MawB I like to think of young Flynn as being our smiley wee mascot. Although you couldn't be with him at the time, you have the compensation of a joyful photograph.

annsixty Your latest message has put a smile on many a Kitcheners face. MacSporran is at this moment opening a brown envelope from DWP. I shall tell you whether or not he can match or better your "windfall". He doesn't appear to be overjoyed. In fact we need to go the online bank to establish how much less he'll be getting.

Charleyg Three strange men in your loft, eh? Let's hope that they do a sterling job of insulating it for you. Out with the best biscuits and a decent to keep them happy while they work. You most definitely feel the benefit.

The floor has been insulated since I bought this house. It is the roof area that is being insulated and anything extra left over will be placed on the floor. Apparently there were large gaps at the front so I have been heating the great outdoors totally unaware. I have never been able to get into the loft so I am grateful that these chaps have been able to sort it out (at great cost). Better late than never.

Two of them only drink what they bring- bottled juice and water and the other fellow, the boss is a man after my own heart and drinks coffee.

I am ever hopeful that they will be finished by 6pm as I quite fancy some supper sooner rather than later. I would also like to switch on the heating as it is getting very cold here now.

I was really proud because the loft was entirely empty. When I moved here I decided that I was not filling it with rubbish and I have kept my word.

NonnaW First thing this morning, MacS answered the telephone with - "Good morning. Is this one of those funny phone calls...?" The voice responded with...It's the telephone engineer. We need to fix another fault. MacS couldn't stop laughing. The engineer must have thought that he had finally lost the plot. The phone line was dead for a couple of hours. All was well on our return from Campbeltown.
PS I like malt loaf. When I was a child, my father fed me a large spoonful of malt extract every breakfast time.

callgirl1 I'm here for the duration. Power supply restored. Mind you, this area is prone to fairly predictable blackouts and such, especially during inclement weather conditions. The longest we've been without power was during the blizzard a couple of years ago. We had no electricity for six days. We did receive some compensation after the event.

Charleyg MacSporran mentioned that he too would prefer the loft to remain empty. We moved here from a small cottage that hadn't a loft. Would you believe that this loft is now crammed with stuff that MacS would prefer to keep "just in case..." He has had two massive clear-outs and paid handsomely for clutter to be disposed of. And guess what...the loft remains chocka-block. I can no longer climb safely into the said space, which pleases MacS no end. He knows that I'd be inclined to "nag" if I saw the state of it.

I know that many of you have posted messages to which I haven't responded. It isn't that I don't care. I do. Apart from GN and FB I've had to deal with about a hundred emails, the majority of which went into the bin.

At this moment, may I suggest a group hug. My best wishes to all who need comforting for whatever reason. We're here for each other.

This one was in rare form today! Looking forward to having her home. Today I managed the bladder expression successfully ?

Who would have thought!! Lovely pic of a lovely and happy dog, Jud So pleased for you all.

Oh jud brilliant. Dear little soul. Ever onwards ever upwards

She has a smile on her face jud - she knows she's coming home! ?