Soop's kichen for friendly folk and pampered pets

Hello, folks! I haven't been here for a few days and I have no hope of catching up with all that has happened so I hope I'm forgiven if I don't mention all who have posted.
I'm very glad to see you back in line, soop - bags has done a very good job of keeping the lines of communication going!
And jud; glad to see you back in the kitchen and very pleased to hear that Georgie is making progress.
We have been here in Oxford since yesterday, the opening day of stepGS's graduation art show. Gosh, it was brilliant. We have such talented young people. It was a long day, though; we ate very late and this morning I had 'a bit of a hangover' (the wine was complementary!). Today we spent a lovely day exploring Oxford. Coffee and cake in the Ashmolean Museum (DS shares my love of museums - even DH enjoyed it, although we didn't see it all - you'd need a whole day) then a bit of shopping followed by a pub lunch then a mooch round all the colleges most of which unfortunately were closed as it is graduation day today, a walk along the river (rowing eights on the Thames and punts on the Cherwell) to the botanical gardens, then back home for a rest before we meet stepGS and his girlfriend for dinner. Lovely weekend but glad to be going home tommorrow. I'm exhausted! Catch up with you again from the comfort of my own South Yorkshire sofa!

Lord help me !!

I've tiptoed in to escape the kids !! You KNOW I love my little rascals but tonight they are determined to drive me crazy. Jackson has sobbed for his Mummy...unheard of . Cooper is like a little whirling dervish and has spilt, dropped or otherwise destroyed everything in his path. Grampy has gone to a friends 70th birthday.

THIS is why we need to move. The stairs will be the death of me. To such an extent that I am sitting on a stool on the landing as I CANNOT do another trip up and down.

Slap me for whining......but I am feeling every year of my age tonight and then some !!!

n&g deep breath...relax. I think you have been wonderful looking after DGC as you do. Mine, who are older, still exhaust me. Hope Grampy gets home soon to help.

wot I am so sorry you are worried about how you will manage. Have you thought of perhaps a ground floor flat somewhere. As soop says, things have a way of working out just don't go spending any more money on you know who.

whew....and then.....

Please note sign on the wall :-) xx

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Take heart Nana and pray that grampy will be home soon.
Wot I am assuming you have a joint account? Whether or not, make sure he is not spending your money. Stash some away if you can without him noticing and do not spend anything on him. Also make sure he is paying his way. What a horrid position to be in. But there will be a way, I am sure.
Now just sharing a card containing condolences and forget-me- not seeds from our kind and thoughtful local vets. ?

I can't read the sign N&G but I'm very glad Jackson is happily dreaming now. I know he usually loves time with you so maybe he is subconsciously realising that things will change when you move. As for Cooper, DD1, who trained as a nursery nurse and now manages a SureStart center looking after family's with under fives (and their older siblings), once said that she hated seven year old boys. She doesn't! But apparently she has noticed over the years that at this age suddenly they change from being gentle and reasonable to feeling they have to impress everyone around with their "macho-ness". If there is such a word.
I hope you have had a chance to sit down and put your feet up for a while by now.

Lovely card and a very nice thought with the seeds from your vet Maw

N&G i also could not read the sign - it is just a pity that the pair of them chose tonight to have a different type of strop. Silence appears to be golden now. The lure of the bungalow must be beckoning.

MawB you do have caring vets- a lovely gesture for a lovely girl who has reached pastures new.

i also agree, that fool has taken you for a ride wot try to do what MawB says.

I was going to post a say how pleased I am soop to see that your broadband has been reconnected and that you are able to get back into your own kitchen but I got a bit sidetracked
I'm very glad you are back and I hope you feel fully caught up with everyone now soop.

I've been having similar problems with internet. As I've mentioned occasionally we have had very bad reception in the past here, so when we went to arrange telephone connection for the new house and they said that we could probably have cable internet at the same time, DH jumped at the chance. I didn't think it was possible because we also live off the beaten track (until recently, quite literally) However, they erected an extra telephone pole, went away for a few days, engineer number 1 arrived and joined up some wires, went away, days later engineer number 2 arrived and joined up some more. Telephone company sent someone else who joined up some more wires and said the telephone was connected. It wasn't. Nor was any internet and therefore television at all. Very and DH. It seems that there is more than one department in Portugal Telecom dealing with the same thing !and somehow we were having work done by both of them.
At the moment, the telephone has been reconnected, thank goodness, and as I'm spending a week in England with DD1(who seems to have apparently unlimited cable internet access and TV) and DH has stopped complaining about PT, I'm hoping that it will be sorted out by the time I get back.

I have had a very enjoyable but busy couple of days when DGD returned overnight for her 26th birthday with her boyfriend. Last night seven of us went out for an Italian meal, very good but we all felt a bit rushed and at the DGCs suggestion went on to a nearby Cream's for dessert. The size and variety of the icecream desserts available was amazing.

DGD seems to have left one of her presents behind. It is a homemade worm farm from her 4yr old cousin. I don't think it was an accident.

What a lovely kind gesture from your vets maw . I must admit it brought a tear to my eye. Re. your post querying whether you should get another pet, after our old cats passed on when they were nearly 18 years old, we decided not to get any more pets because they would 'see us out'. But, although we are both getting on a bit (I am 70 and OH is 74) we really fancied having a dog of our own - having often looked after DD''s two. So now we have our little Oscar who will be one next month. I know that DD would adopt him if necessary.
He has made a huge difference to our lives, I know that you need time to get over loosing dear Grace, but you sound as though you've got years of active life left in you and dogs do get you out of the house. In fact, I'm just off out in the rain now.x

Morning all, quiet day here, OH out playing with his friends & I'm doing last-minute stuff before putting my 'puter on a full scan (takes hours) as have just changed security provider. I need everything sorted as new FutureLearn course begins tomorrow - yippee!
oldgoat - how did the YD walk go? We have annoyed Wensleydale for 2 weeks every year for the last 15 years!

Banana muffins made for this afternoon's archery club shoot in our garden. Also a chocolate cake but I made that Friday because I was going to be out all day yesterday on a walk with two other grans. Lovely chatty walk and we enjoyed the wild flowers.

Minibags and her pal made some bacon pancakes last evening. I snaffled one and had it with maple syrup as they were. Twas yummy. Their washing-up efforts were appreciated but they need a few more lessons in the finer art of the task ?

Oh how I wish I could send my H out to play with his friends.
Times were when he would play golf four mornings a week .
He is getting me down currently but no solutions sadly.
He flatly refuses to accept there is anything wrong with him
so therefore doesn't need any help at all.
He is going to outlive me so he will see one day just what I do and how much help he needs.
Sorry but very down and I know others will agree as they are in the same shoes and I do know and realise that.

ann. and anything else that might make you smile. My heart goes out to you. I have seen but far not experienced the destruction from that illness. I am so ashamed of my grumbling about a cold which will go one day.

mawb your vet is a kindly soul. Go with your heart about another companion. No one can predict what's around the corner.

n&g I could read your sign. Oh yes! Hope you had a peaceful night

I'm off to share thoughts of the murderous kind with Mr C about the kindness of germ sharing children. Apologies to all I may have seemed to ignore.

Afternoon all!!

I am back in good humour after a morning by the lake. The little boys ( who are currently fascinated with mystery) took it as a day for crawling in the undergrowth looking for treasures !! Jackson saved his 'duck' bread to leave a trail so they could get out !! Cooper ate his 'duck' bread and assured me it was the best bread ever !!

Somehow they don't seem so loud in the great outdoors !!

It's hard in your situation Ann , there's just no solution is there? I can't even think of any real coping mechanisms other than to have a glass of wine with lunch!! Are you still trying to get out for a couple of hours each week?

I am off for a VERY well earned afternoon nap ! Zzzzzzz

By the way the sign says... Kids for Sale. No returns accepted

Lovely card Maw ! I think you will miss the space left by your beloved Grace but maybe a cat is the way to go? I am not a cat person but prior to Sam we had a rag doll cat called Evil Noodle ( don't ask lol). He was the size of Sam, mostly an indoor cat and more dog like than cat like . I'd have another rag doll in a heartbeat .

Dusty that sounds like a frustrating experience with the whole phone /internet thing!

Ann my heart goes out to you because of the situation you are in. H is as fit as a fiddle in his body if not his mind.

I am inclined to agree, alcohol and going out for coffee is all that I can suggest. You are between a rock and a hard place. Scream and shout at us lot, we understand.

N&G how could you? those little cherubs!!!!!

Greyduster I'm very fond of Oxford. I recall visiting a super indoor market and purchasing fresh fish. Also having a in the hotel in which Morse was known to frequent.

bags The wild flowers are at their blooming best. We went for a stroll earlier today. It took an age. at every footfall, I felt duty bound to take a photo.

N&G The notice on the bedroom wall made me chuckle out loud. May I add - you are a truly wonderful Nana. I'm in awe of your energy. It seems boundless.

MawB The vet's gesture warms the heart.

ann *Corner's response to your post reflects what us lot feel about the awful illness that has blighted your husband's (and your) life.

oldgoat An animal to care for and enjoy is a blessing. We wouldn't wish that Rory had never walked into our lives. He's family. Simples!

dustyangel Your phone/internet fiasco puts our paltry experience to shame. I am still playing catch-up.
Torben's daddy commented that, around his seventh birthday, Torben became "all rufty tufty".

At this point I need to do other "stuff". I shall, internet permitting, return later this afternoon.

soop We are travelling to Campbeltown on the ferry from Ardrossan on Sunday and staying at callgirl's special caravan site for five nights before moving on to Oban. I really hope the weather will be fine so we can see those wonderful Kintyre sunsets. We would take you with us callgirl but as we've only got a two-berth van you would have to share the bed with OH and me .
Our walk up at Grassington went really well, thanks posh .We only had a couple of drops of rain then the sun shone. The wild flowers were lovely in Grass Wood and on the moor but the highlight of the day was our afternoon tea, laid- on by a local WI - so many delicious and gallons of tea.

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Truly soop my boundless energy has deserted me today . The age gap seems to have grown between the two boys . Its 2 1/2 years but as Cooper has grown older ( but not old enough ) he wants to do what Jackson does and simply can't. Equally Jackson's tolerance for his little brother has shrunk as he wants to play 'properly' and Cooper can't.

Its nice for their Mum and Dad when we have them both but a nightmare for us , so we think we might , going forward try Stevie (7) and Jackson(5) together and Laura (10) and Cooper (3) together. Laura has endless patience with the 'baby' so we shall see !!

Honestly Charley ...last night I would have given the little monkeys away !!

However, then I see the pictures I took on the way home ...and I love them again

Sam loves them to bits and he is also going to miss them but he knows them so well he will never forget the little souls when they bounce in the door for their holidays. Just think, 2 weeks and you will both be hospitalised from exhaustion and stress and they will be "home alone" children with Sam!

Well, NandG those two little boys look angelic to me . I remember when our two were younger and I was looking after them both that, at times, I was absolutely exhausted and desperate for the time to come to send them home. The problem was that they had boundless energy and didn't stop for a minute. You have my sympathy. It's lovely having their company but one at a time is so much easier.

oldgoat - ventured out of Wensleydale one year & stayed in Bishopdale & "did" several walks in Wharfedale, including Grassington & Grass Wood, in October, stunning Autumn colours.
Lovely.
p.s Are you a Paul Hannon fan?

oldgoat Yes, of course, I remember now. I shall pm our phone number. When you are at the site, phone me (if you wish) and we'll go to the super Glenbarr coffee shop (not too far away) for .

N&G Sounds like a sensible plan. I love your photos. Sam is gorgeous. Happiness bounces off them.

Hello again, PoshG. I've heard good things about Wharfedale and Grassington. It's somewhere that I've yet to visit.