Soop's kitchen for friendly folk and precious pets...

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Good Morning all !

Apparently one of the benefits of old age is that I slept through a cracking storm last night !! Shame really because I love a good storm !

I did chuckle at your story of MacS and your legs soop ! I once wrote of Grampy in my diary ' A nice boy but not the sort you want to go out with'! Grampy took it upon himself to read my diary and now 40 years of marriage later that one still appears in disagreements

Sorry to hear you're poorly Posh ice lollies and sympathy all round !!

Thanks Kitty , I see another thread this morning where a different poster is perfectly vitriolic , as if that's the norm. I am heartily glad I don't know them in real life- or maybe they only do it on-line as its so easy to be mean when you're anonymous !!

Huge sympathies Grey! I spent 20 years of my marriage trying desperately to be the person my MiL thought I should be. It made me miserable and her too I suspect. I have now reached a place where I like me and sod the rest of them. Its not your problem - truly- if your Dh does not like elements of who you are then that's their problem , not yours !!

PS love the picture x

Sounds like you enjoyed your evening ann . Long may that little respite last for you .

Love the dog picture Maw. Reminds me of our early days when we would have an upper and downer of a row and then eventually Grampy would apologise and I would always ask ' What are you apologising for' . 9 times out of 10 he didn't have a clue !!!

So sorry about your poor budgies Nellie what a shock !

Loved the 'pussy willow' Grey !

Jackson and Cooper had their cousin Stevie sleep over yesterday and the picture I'm posting is one of the reasons I love my daughters. They let their kids get wet, and dirty - just because ! In this day and age of sanitised everything - its a sheer pleasure seeing kids just getting dirty!

n&g I am sure the anonymity of on line posting permits people to be rude and unkind in a way they never would face to face. It's a trait that is hard to respect.

Love the photos. Our Littlest was introduced to a watering can this weekend. Much more fun to empty the water down his front that help Daddy water the plants. .

Oh dear cornergran are you being packed away for the summer like my woolly jumpers?
Could be worse though, it could be the dump, but not sure what you could have done to deserve that

Loved the "pussy wallow" it bears out what I have heard about so many cats
"if it fits, I sits"
We must have had a bit of rain in the night as there is a pleasantly cool breeze but no storm. Grace used to be so afraid of thunder (as did the other greyhounds) likewise fireworks, I could cope with a thunderstorm, as long as you feel safe, they can be quite exciting - but not with a hyperventilating animal trembling at your knee!

Oh mawb, how norty have I been . I'm going in, wish me luck.

❄️❄️❄️❄️"I may be some time"? ☃️☃️☃️

I wasn't supposed to be doing my pal's ironing today. However, her elderly mother's health has taken a turn for the worse. Mother's wee dog, Harry, is at friend's house. I did the ironing in order to keep him company for a few hours. Dear little dog. Feeling a little confused by the sudden change of routine.

Greyduster each of us is unique. Hang on to your uniqueness. It's important.

granniequeenie After yesterday's session with the Spanx thingy, I've made up my mind to leave it in the bottom drawer for the duration. Hell's bells! For a wee while I imagined I was being assaulted by a boa constrictor.

annsixty Enjoy every moment of spending time with your family. You are entitled to chat away to your heart's content. If your husband prefers to retire to his bed, so be it. No harm done.

Greyduster Are those stocks in your photo with the butterfly? If so, I can imagine their heady scent.
Pussy Wallow. Clever!

Nellie It's sad for you to suddenly lose both Barry and Graham. Had a cat got into your house, there would almost certainly be signs of a tussle.

corner Thank you for asking after "the leg"...at last I'm without a dressing. The scar is pretty thick and a rich shade of purple. Surprising how long it has taken for the flesh to heal.

I'm out again. All is , or maybe in this case rain ☔️ now. Going to pick up a parcel next. A really, really exciting day .

soop. Not sure if I've told you this but years back my Mum dropped a huge metal (catering type) cooking pan on her leg. Similar injury to yours. It did heal, took ages, always a scar but eventually it faded. So hoping for the same for you.

Nana&G Loved the photo of the lads splashing about in puddles. It's what children do. Long may it be so. The broad grins are testament to their unbridled pleasure.
In 1988, I slept through that hurricane. It wasn't until I awoke to see uprooted trees and damaged fences and demolished garden sheds, that I realised what havoc the wind can do.

Maw Sadly, Rory isn't into squeezing himself into boxes and planters. He considers himself to be "up market"

corner What's in the parcel? I'm a nosey mare.

Tara went out for a couple of hours today but it took her at least two to make that momentous decision. I think this was because all the house staff are on permanent leave and she had to negotiate the new cat flap by herself. She has been upstairs on her bed, resting her eyes.

Those of you who know about my building traumas will I think agree that enough is enough- my spring has been ruined, I do not want summer to follow suit so if the fellow is not finished by Sunday, I am going to find somebody else. It may well be worth the extra money because the work could be done in a working day, 7-8 hours, not 3 hours. The worm has at last turned!

My cleaner rang today to say that tomorrow was a BH so she would not be coming today? Once I had explained that it was actually today, she wanted to work tomorrow and was shocked when I said that I had a hospital appointment. I do not trust her with a door key just yet. I ended up telling her that I was not in the house 24/7, I had a life.

Soop, when do you depart for Holland?
Sympathies to all of you with unwanted rain, it hasn`t reached us yet, although it is cloudy and cooler today. I`d love some rain, just so I can open the windows for fresh air without admitting terrifying wasps!
N & G, love the photos.
I don`t mind a thunderstorm if I`m outside, inside I`m scared stiff! Many years ago, there was a humdinger of a thunderstorm raging, so I got both kids (only had 2 then) ready, plonked them in the twin pushchair with hood and apron, and walked the 2 miles to MIL`s house, only to find she was out! I was drenched!!
Oldgoat, are you still in Scotland? Hope Oban was good for you.

callg Wednesday is going to be a very long day. I'm going around in ever decreasing circles as I do the next best thing to a spring clean. You know how it is... friends will be caring for Ruaridh and, I'm conscious of the dust that is lying low, especially in far distant corners.
We have had a good shower of refreshing rain. No sign of a thunderstorm. My mother would sit under the stairs, in a broom cupboard, during noisy storms. Weather is improving after today.

Charleyg You've been well and truly mucked about by some of the workmen. I'm in awe of your patience thus far. I would have flipped long ago. I imagine that when the final job is completed, you'll whoop with joy. Best get a decent bottle of wine ready for the celebration.

No care home visit for me tomorrow. I'm having a rare treat. A trip to the hairdresser. I always ask for the same look - drop-dead-gorgeous! Not much to ask.

A few more book shelves to deal with. May have a wee dram later. It is Bank Holiday Monday and I've had a very busy day.

Sounds like a well deserved dram soop. Going away is flipping hard work. The parcel? M&S undies, looked better on line, suspect they will be going back . If you need some rain callgirl more than happy to share ours, puddles like lakes. Anyone got a canoe?

Have I told you lot that I am going to Sweden for a few days at the end of June?
On my own too, flying to Stockholm and then on to Gotland wher Flynn and his mummy, daddy and dog are spending a month for a play she is designing. Her friend Maria (also with a baby) is the Director and is herself Swedish.
My sis-in-law offered to come up to stay with Paw for that week so now that I don't have to worry about Gracie, there is no stopping me.
Way outside my comfort zone if I am being honest but to say no would just be making excuses. Actually very nervous about navigating Terminal 2 on my own let alone Arlanda airport! Booked a taxi both ways at ginormous expense but the stress of getting to places on time is more than I can handle.
Maybe a trip to IKEA soon to put myself in the mood is called for

So pleased for you mawb, sounds just what you need. Just allow plenty of time to get to the airport, follow the signs or ask someone and you will be in the right place at the right time. It will be wonderful, really, really pleased for you.

You`re brave MawB doing all that travelling on your own!
Soop, I`ll be thinking of you and MacS on Wednesday, BON VOYAGE! You do know that Ruaridh is going to be very unforgiving when you get back? Enjoy your wee dram (s)

Yes callgirl The Oldgoats are still in Scotland, at a site just north of Oban. We have a lovely pitch right next to the sea but it's a huge site and we are 670 steps from the toilet block - about a third of a mile - which is a long way when nature calls. You don't get a choice of pitch here. They just tell you where to put your van.
We walked to Tralee Bay yesterday in glorious sunshine. When our children were small we camped there but now it just has static vans. On DS's birthday - he was about 8 at the time - we bought him a fishing rod so he could fish off the rocks there. Unfortunately he got his hook caught in the rocks and OH had to take his trousers off and wade in to free the hook. I tried to get him to do it again yesterday so I could take a photo for the DCs , but he refused. Spoilsport!.
Hope you've got that dusting done soop
I always have a mad purge on the house when we go away too.
Hope we'll see a picture of you in your wedding outfit and that the journey isn't too exhausting.
By the way, it's raining here..

If all else fails, play the helpless old lady - which we know you are not!

Mawb, I hope you have a lovely time! You'll be fine travelling on your own...if I can do it, you certainly can!

Sorry but I need a moan. I think I am feeling more wobbly about my birds now than yesterday. It's all sinking in.
Did I leave the back door open and let a cat in???? was it my fault?
I am really tired now and I offered to do a child mind of the two little ones tomorrow while DD sleeps off her night shift. havent seen them for 3 wks anyway.
Thoroughly fed up and in need of a hug please. My back is complaining a lot and waking me up at about 5am as well as the light.
Thoroughly fed up. In need of a hug please.

Sending love and hugs, Nellie. Sorry about the birds.

I wear an eye mask and earplugs....does the trick. You can get the masks on ebay. The sparrows woke me very early as my earplugs had fallen out!