soop's kitchen for friendly folk and precious pets.

I really think it is time you took some advice as to where you stand with this firm. I think you should give them notice to finish completely in a set number of days or you will be taking legal action.

Silence is golden here and I have no idea what is happening. Tara's food has been delivered and my Morrisons delivery will be arriving within 2 hours so some people do a day's work, not the ones I want as I have no heating working.

Heaven help the first person from that firm who actually arrives, they will learn exactly how I feel. On Friday nobody turned up and this is only Tuesday for it to happen again. I only hope that scaffolding is not hired weekly.

I have told R the new boss that I would persuade his dad to come out of retirement and sack the dead beats working for him now. They are dragging his new business down.

N&G it's not a baker's cyst is it (your knee?) I had a lump there once which really worried me as a I couldn't bend it properly but of course once diagnosed, it went away without me really noticing.
Glorious sunny day again - this is the best type of Spring weather, but of course all the washing is going to means loads of ironing later
I feel strangely restless and am finding it hard to settle to anything. Annoying as I should be out and about making the most of the
Good luck charleygirl you really need it these days!

Charley I do feel for you ! Wehad a damp patch which led to a new hall floor and plaster from the bottom of the stairs to the landing , the rest of the house was awash with dirt and dust for weeks !, then of course we had the windowsills sand blasted ! Sealing the windows was a joke , showed up why the house was... errrrrrrr... emmmm so well ventilated ?
Sadly I do not need help with all the chocs

Not sounding good. charley, getting worried about your situation again. If you remain sane it's a major achievement.

"and all for the want of a horseshoe nail......" Charley! Didn't all this start with something fairly trivial like insulating or porch roof? I do not know how you have coped with it all. Just hope you think it has been worth it when - finally- the workmen have gone, the debris and dust has been vanquished and you can enjoy your new show home! x several!

Thanks Bellanonna I have almost given up. At least it is a pleasant day outside and my new cleaner is beavering away upstairs which is livable with the exception of the 2nd double bedroom which is full of painting gear etc. At least I sleep each night but I would love a lie in having had a glass or three of wine the previous evening.

My heart goes out to you Charleygirl

It does not get any better here. The rear garden was cleared of all rubbish and then pressure washed. It looks beautiful now- the only problem is that copper tubing for the radiator also found its way to the back of the large van and of course that was the piece that the plumber wanted later and the shops were closed. He was going to leave me with no heating or water- I do not think so. Heating I could manage without but not water so he struggled to sort it. He is coming this evening to hopefully finish the job. My water is heated by solar panels so that will be 2 evenings I will lose the hot water.

Earlier somebody came to ask me for £120 to pay the electrician. As I had paid another many thousands and this fellow was rectifying shoddy work I thought not and the RBS subsidiary no longer lives here. I do not know when or if I would get the money back so I decided I did not have it.

Morning all !!

Of course my card didn't arrive yesterday ...maybe it will come today....maybe not

I am disappointed as I have hurt my knee and so swimming is not on the cards today with young Cooper, in fact coming downstairs may be a challenge. No idea what I have done to my already fragile knee, something at the back that makes bending it tricky. ho hum !!

Apparently M & S came in for some serious criticism on Mothers Day Maw for poor quality flowers and failure to deliver or damaged delivery so you weren't alone, I hope a letter of complaint gets you some belated chocs.

Congratulations to your daughter Grey on her new role - you're right it will get her back in the swing of things. Might even be extended which would be lovely if she enjoys the role.

My day yesterday did improve with a lovely lunch in our favourite Italian yesterday.

We also bought 2 new pillows from John Lewis on the recommendation of my brother. I had to sell a kidney to pay for them but I must admit they are lovely and apart from the dodgy knee waking me in the night, slept like a baby. We had a good chuckle though as the ones we chose had Hungarian duck feathers and down in and we were bemused that they were more expensive than UK duck feather and down. The man said it was because its colder in Hungary so the feathers were thicker???????/ Really?????

Anyway, hope everyone has a brighter start to their day...its a pea souper here !!

Oh phooey. Good to know, thanks tizliz, one day I'll get organised . Good job I don't use many now.

Hate to upset everyone but the price of stamps went up yesterday

Your trip out sounds wonderful soop, not ice cream weather here, flipping cold this morning but OK by about 3.

Happy to help anyone with goodies, having one of those spells at the moment and virtual goodies are the best . I wish my waistbands were getting looser, just grateful they aren't getting tighter anno, good for you.

Mothering Sunday was a good one here. A card that brought tears, daft old thing that I am, flowers, chocolates and alcohol , the best being a lovely meal cooked by our granddaughter, with a bit of help from her Dad and a lot of hindrance help from her younger sister. Our family always seem especially kind at this time, my Mum died early Monday morning after a Mothering Sunday, I had sat with her all night. It was a long while ago but each year the feelings come back, although of course the date is different it is the emotion of the time that gets me. It has been a mixed day since and as adults our family have understood this. I do appreciate their care more than they will know.

Thanks for the reminder about the stamps, charley, will add to the stock tomorrow. How are those builders doing? On track to meet your deadline?

Sorry you have another buggeration to cope with greyduster, hope the scan can happen quickly and it will put your mind at rest.

Oh dear, mawb, hope there is an appropriate response from M&S, your daughter must be so disappointed. I'm about to organise long distance flowers for two special birthdays, one 70, the other 40, think I will pass on the chocolates though.

Hope your days improved n&g and ann, our old GP practice had 'Things can only get better* as the tune on the telephone hold system, had me growling every time so I won't say it to you both. .

Time I was asleep but the clock change has put me out by an hour, never mind, the light this evening was more than worth it. Take care everyone.

Hello again, aggie...I'll help you to eat your chocs. Are there any caramel centres left in the box? Shame to let them go to waist waste.

callgirl1 I've a carved wood Buddha. It's precious.

I love Stevie and bags a cuddle.

I've not caught up with today's pressing tasks. Going to Skipness this morning was much more pleasurable.
Tomorrow morning, I shall be care home bound. A man will be coming here to install the refurbished (is that the right word?) computer which was promised almost three weeks ago. The boiler chappie is also to call. Boiler switches itself on and off with gay abandon.

I shall do my best to catch up with all the latest happenings sometime in the afternoon. That's the plan. All depends on whether or not the computer behaves. Fingers crossed.

Wishing you all a very pleasant evening.

Thank you, Bellanonna

I must confess that I haven't yet caught up with you lot You will go having fun and stuff in my absence. It takes an age to read through all the messages. I shall do so...but, before I do, I have a few jobs to attend to. Being out all morning has put me behind.

N&G Your cards are brilliant. Those that you've made for me are in my personal treasure box.

I wander in having enjoyed a pleasant trip to Skipness, a small village overlooking Kilbrannan Sound and the spectacular island of Arran. A short ferry boat ride across the Sound and an island that has special memories for us. We didn't make the trip across today. We sat in the sunshine on the beach and had choc ice cream (bought from one of the teeniest shops on the planet. Two customers, and it's overcrowded

kitty The bronze statue sounds lovely. Interring Mum's ashes on what would have been "her day" was appropriate.

Greyduster Do you have any idea when the scan will be arranged? I trust that you won't have to wait too long. It's one buggeration after another.
I'm happy that your daughter hasn't had to wait too long before securing a job. It will, as you say, help to boost her spirits and confidence.

annsixty I dare not volunteer to help you eat the

MawB What! No chocs! Ooops...M&S will be in big trouble.

anno Oh, I'm a tad ...I would be cockahoop if my pants were a little on the loose side.

I needed to get a card and stamps today for GS's 18th birthday later this week.
Taking advice from this thread I bought a book each of 1st and 2nd class, a fiver and very small change from £20!!!
I visited the bank and got no help from the cashier who insisted I should have had a letter with the closing date for a fixed rate, fixed term ISA. I am old not stupid but need to check it all out before I go back and complain.
I then went to M&S simply food and bought more than I could comfortably carry and got home shattered to the hundreds of questions that are the main part of my day.
I hope your day got better N&G. Mine is still to improve, however the weather is beautiful and it is really warm.

Hello all. I've managed to catch up on everything, I think.

I'll have a cupcake please, Ann - the more sugar the better today.

soop that leg looks awful - take care.

N&G - I hope your card appears soon, it's awful when you want to get on with something and can't!

GD, I sympathise completely re the tummy problem but can go one better in the embarrassment stakes having done it in my friend's car. I managed to leap out at some traffic lights before there was too much contamination of her car seat but then had to walk to where I had parked mine and the aroma left in my wake was something to behold. She's a really good friend and only reminds me occasionally. It's good to hear that your daughter has a job - could it become permanent?

I had a lovely Mother's Day with lots of cards, a few visitors and a 'bronze' statue of a family with 5 children that my 5 had clubbed together to buy.

We interred Mum's ashes today and tried to decide on the wording to add to Dad's headstone. The space looks terribly small to me!

Ann I will always volunteer for a cupcake, but I agree that the shop bought ones are very sugar heavy even not counting the icing. Oh, go on then, what the hell! I'll have one please!

Well, I phoned the GP this morning and he said I did the right thing to stop the new pill regime, so we have now reverted to the status quo. But he also said he was going to refer me for a scan on my stomach! So, now I not only have the blip on the lip to look forward to, but this as well! As soop would say, what a buggeration!!
A bit of good news, though; DD has a temporary job with the Tinnitus Association for ten weeks, and it's within walking distance of her home. Their offices are actually on the same business park as she worked for some years before her firm downsized, so at least she knows her way there, and it will be valuable experience and something to add to her CV. It will boost her confidence a bit.
Off for a walk this afternoon. May pop in later.

Thanks, Charley, I might get around to buying my Christmas stamps this week! So far it's a lovely bright morning here though the weather person on TV said it wouldn't last - killjoy! Mind you it was chilly when I went down the garden to leave some tumble drier fluff for the nesting birds. MawB what a rotten thing to happen. M&S should compensate you handsomely for the missing chocolates. Now - I need to iron some trousers or I might have to resort to wearing a skirt. Yesterday I found an old pair of cargo pants which kept threatening to fall down, because I'm a lot thinner round the bottom half than when I last wore them. Cheers!

Not missing the significance of the date either

May I remind everybody that the cost of stamps is going up on the 1st April? I think that the PO is shooting themselves in the foot, pricing themselves out of business.

I narrowly missed out on chops too yesterday it seems . We were just leaving to visit youngest DD in London for lunch when a courier turned up with a big box containing a lovely M&S bouquet of roses and sea thistles from DD1. So I put them in water and rang DD when we got to her sisters. Not time to talk so we spoke again in the evening and she was a bit quiet. Then she said "was there nothing else in the box? There should have been a box of Swiss chocs"
Being Mrs Efficient I had put out the recycling (!) so I had to run out to the pavement, torch in one hand and phone in the other to search through the wrapping and empty box. But nothing. The rubbish hadn't been out long enough for anybody to help themselves, and it is a very quiet village so nobody saw me apparently going through my rubbish bags! I hope she gives M&S what for, but felt strangely guilty ?

"These things are sent to try us" N&G if I had a fiver for every time my mother said that I would be a very very wealthy woman.
It is very annoying though. I was just getting ready to serve dinner last night when my GD and my two sort of GC arrived with cards, flowers and a tray of 12 ( shop bought) cupcakes all very sweet and calorific looking. I would bring them into the kitchen but ...
I am looking for volunteers.

Soop that looks nasty. Isn't it awful how a little incident like that can end up so painful and enduring. Again, I'm so glad McS took you to A&E, and that you're getting it dressed frequently. Look after yourself !!!