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

yes, wow, go Andy!

I think you're right about short hair being more bother, downsized. I've always found having long hair tied up was less trouble, especially fine flyaway hair like mine. However, having very little hair just now might mean I can wash it with one hand and scruffle it about to achieve a suitably... er... scruffled look. I have had short hair before and the most tiresome part was keeping it short! I hate going to hairdressers, always have, it sets the nerves in my right hip tingling in a very weird way. I actually think that my hypersensitive right ear is the problem, picking up too much of the snippety snip sounds but as a child how could I explain that was why I was wriggling so much!! yes, well, anyway! ?

I haven't got a hairdryer and can't be arsed with hair faff, so I'm going for the dragged through a hedge backwards look. Hope the hairdresser understands!

It'll grow again.

Downsized I'm sure that your dear son will be freed from the kitchen for the family photo. Enjoy yourselves and please share.

Maw I'm about to glue my backside to the chair. Come on, Andy!!!!

A deer called a short time ago. She and I had a cosy chat beside the garden fence. I was close enough to feel her breath.

Did we all see in today's papers that Andy has offered the entire prize money if he wins Queen's to the Grenfell House appeal? (Over £300k)
As if we needed another reason to cheer him to victory!

soop, thanks so much for mentioning the tennis. I hadn't realised it was on but am now sitting happily watching Lopez and Wawrinka

Baggs I think you are very brave to go from long to short in one fell swoop, I'm sure it will suit you. I do think short hair is more of a faff to care for than long though. I speak from experience.

Anyway, best of luck and please let us have a photo.

Tonight is my one and only chance to assemble my four offspring for a family photo before DD1 returns to her life in California. Even so, we are having to go and eat at the restaurant where DS is a chef and hope he will be able to leave the kitchen long enough for us to get some snaps. Fingers crossed.

Now, back to the tennis.????

Baggs make sure your highlights will go with your dress and orange tights. Go for it, I say!

Thanks, maw. Appreciated!

Baggs, very late in the day, sincere sympathy on your injury. I hope it won't affect your trip South to your Mum's shindig but it will be a complete buggeration at home, in the garden, in general

Baggs the hairdresser in Campbeltown admired my grey hair. Apparently it is in vogue. Young folk ask for a similar colour. I find that astonishing.

Baggs Cor...super purple pot and, I'm so looking forward to seeing your new hairstyle. I may think about taking a chance and going shorter.

Charleyg I'm with Swanny Our Tara deserves her own gold medal for on-going putoutness. Turn that fan on. Allow her to chill in feline fashion.

Swanny You've painted a very colourful picture of two, hot and bothered workman. My imagination has gone into overdrive.

corner The haar has drifted back out to sea. It's sunny and as warm as we both like it to be. Tennis at Queens this afternoon. My favourite spectator sport.

Crafting Willy jumpers! What have I missed? I bet I've made a fool of myself by misspelling some word or other. Help me out, please. Ha! Have just caught sight of your explanation. I go way back to wherever it was that I logged off yesterday. Takes time to really catch up.
I've a little secret to share with ^you lot"...Macsporran was given a willy warmer as a fun present one Christmas long ago. We laughed a lot. He refused to try it on for size. Anyone wanting an unused willy warmer is welcome to it. It's bright red!

NanaandGrampy I've several "ahh bras", absolutely useless for uplift but extremely welcome on hot, humid days and nights.

Lona such good advice. Now where's the plant mister and... Arrgh! Not a Magnum in the hoos.

oldgoat When I saw Oscar's latest photo I did a double take. He is even more handsome than he was when he visited Kintyre. I shall look into the 'Summer Cup' from Aldi. Sounds like a fun drink. I bet you're supposed to dilute it. Such a waste of good water!!! I opt for drinking it neat. Well, I would, wouldn't I.

Thank you for the aah bra recommend, n&g. The new tankini arrived today but it was disappointing so it's going back. I'm sure the models wearing it didn't show as much cleavage as that! ? Colours are just right for me though, so it's a pity.

Just back from seeing the orthopaedic surgeon who assured me I won't need an op as there has been very liitle 'displacement' of bone. So I've got an all round purple pot now. Have to go back in a week cos my wrist and hand are still quite swollen and if, as expected, the swellings go down over the next week, then the pot will become too loose. So even a clean break can be a bit complicated!

Excellent service at Vale of Leven Minor Injuries Unit. Hardly had time to open my book ( The Silk Roads by Peter Frankopan; have raced through several Roman emperors and am now onto resurgence of Zoroastrianism set against the spreading tide of Christianity) between nurse cutting off old pot, seeing consultant and having new pot put on.

I booked a hair cut for tomorrow afternoon. The young lady politely changed my "short and spiky" request to a "pixie" cut. She seemed quite impressed I was just going to go for it with currently waist length hair. I've never coloured my hair and don't intend to tomorrow but thereafter we'll see. I like my wisps of silver but maybe some purple highlights?...

Tara popped in for a bite to eat at 10am but it was a stretch on a cool laminate floor that I think appealed to her more. My cleaner came so she decided not to stay.

As an original redhead, I'm really feeling quite desperate in this heat. There is a very slight breeze coming in and the curtains are keeping the sun out, but flippin 'eck I'm melting!
I got ready to go out yesterday morning, very slowly, in order to stop dripping . Closed all the windows, and then found that the balcony door just wouldn't close! After my landlord assured me it was the heat wot caused it and just to leave it open, I managed to bang it closed although it still wouldn't lock.
By this time I was like a melted ice lolly!
I do feel so sorry for all the poor dogs with thick coats, they suffer so much too.
Good idea N&G to wear your cossy round the house, I keep using my plant mister as a refresher.
Stay cool and eat Magnums!

Good morning all !

Its still hot and steamy here , so any activity will take place pre 10am and post 7pm....

No Gaga you're never too old for a paddling pool in my opinion. Even if its just for putting your feet in !

Do keep popping in Lona we miss your company. Sorry to hear of the ongoing trials

You need an 'ahhh' bra Baggs. I have several and perfect for broken wrists or hot weather. Its one piece, super stretchy and probably the most comfy thing ever. They come in all names now but Ahh Bra was the original. Very reasonable on eBay etc.

I'm not sure the camera could cope with me in the paddling pool soop LOL But I'll try. Sam is indeed feeling much better thank goodness. First proper food today so long may that last !

You made me chuckle Kitty my bottom is the same !!

I have saved that image Tizliz it made me laugh. That would totally be Sam. He struggled yesterday and finally made his home under a big bush. His coat looks like that's what he did this morning.

I sometimes wear my costume round the house in hot weather Corner. Its cool, made for the heat and supportive so why not? AND handy if the little boys pop in and the water pistols come out !

Oscar looks very cool Oldgoat . Sam envy's him . We only had Sam cut about 6 weeks ago so his coat isn't long enough for another cut just yet but its just so thick. If the heat keeps up I might have to splash out of a cool jacket for him.

Those sound mighty interesting jumpers Crafting !

Finally resolved the parking issue when we were in Guildford and they have overturned the parking fine ( we were ticketed for not parking in a bay properly but our vehicle was only 6 inches less wide than the bay and I need to open my door fully to get out. There were also no Blue Badge bays in the whole car park - so I complained) . So that was a good result, and fair I feel.

Why do they persist in making parking spaces so small when cars are getting bigger I wonder?

I hope all of you find a little shade today or a magnum at the very least!

Happy Days !

me too!

Crafting, I was wondering about that!

??? woolly jumpers soop. Sorry

Glad that Sam is feeling a bit perkier today N&G Oscar had his trim yesterday - more like a No.1! He looks very sleek and a bit skinny , though the vet says he's just the right size. He was badly behaved when the groomer was trying to do his legs and had to wear the 'cone of shame' so that he couldn't get at her hands.
DS had a day off work today so we had a barbecue in our back garden with the family after school.
I bought a bottle of 'Summer Cup' from Aldi. All the chefs on the Great British Menu seem to be using it. Unfortunately, I don't know what you are supposed to do with it- is it like Pimms? Anyway, I had a small (ish) glass full and can report that it has a quite a kick. Just off for a short nap now.

Sorry everyone I've got hiccups! No it is not the it's probably the ice cold beer I've had as it too hot hic sorry!

Thanks kitty and cornergran I'm fine now , just a slight hiccup . ( not the noisy kind which is still going on )

Hope the open garden goes well kitty You wouldn't want to see mine!

Lona what a lot you have to cope with. Hope your DGC are ok. Please keep popping into the kitchen. We love to hear from you

baggs coping with one had can be really difficult. Cutting you hair short are you sure? I know it's difficult to manage with one hand but if you tie it back at least it's out of the way. Sometimes with short hair you have to fiddle with it a lot. Best of luck with the snip if you go ahead (needless to say we will want photos)

Lovely photos soop. Hope Rory and his possible offspring get on ok. Have you got a lot of willy jumpers in your garden soop?

Charleygirl your poor Tara has been through so much lately with the builders disrupting her routines, not to mention your own moanings about their shortcomings, that I am sure she deserves to have the fan switched on, if only as a reward for her patience

We currently have workmen in our grounds repairing a path that has become dangerous due to partial subsidence. The side of the garden they are working in is a suntrap and at lunchtime today I heard the hosepipe being unraveled. Curious as to who was watering plants in 30 degrees direct heat I investigated and found two of the aforementioned workers dousing themselves in cold water. One of them is a 'chubby chappy' and didn't care where the water went as long as he got cooler. The other seems to fancy himself as a bit of a 'ladies man' in a wet tee-shirt contest, flexing his chest muscles (whatever they're called!) yet somehow managed to not get a hair on his gelled head out of place. I had to retreat before he saw me laughing

I must be off my head (please do not answer)- I had the fan on most of the night for Tara on the landing. It was too fierce for me having it in my bedroom. She came back at lunchtime today and has stayed, looking at me from the top of the stairs as if to say, please, I am very hot, could you switch on the fan? It is actually cooler downstairs but she possibly does not realise.

I am going to concoct a salad for supper- I am hungry but do not fancy much.

Pleased you got here. soop. Yes, those sheep seem confused but it sounds as if Rory may be willing to share a little of his space.

We've had a seaside day today, cool on the beach, lovely paddle and a picnic but 30 degrees on the way back. It is a tad warm, even for me. Feet up with the fan on now

lona, hope 'that man' stops being a thorn in everyone's side very soon. I despair of human nature sometimes.

Oh for an adult sized paddling pool, n&g, been contemplating the wisdom of a swimming costume that fits me, but not sure I'd ever dare wear it. . Hope there was functioning air conditioning in IKEA.

Pleased jud is OK, *baggs, take care of that arm. No acrobatics .



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I'm saying farewell until I return from the care home visit tomorrow morning. MacS has cut the lawn and I shall join him in the sunshine with a pot of tea. Would sooner it be Pimms...but, hey ho, we can't always get what we want.

Thank you for your company. I've appreciated it. It was difficult for me to muster the will to log on today. Once I had, I was glad.

The sheep appear not to know whether they coming or going.