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

Taking it slowly this morning after our hectic weekend but I'm about to go out and badger people to put up posters for the next CrISP course so wish me luck. The Open gardens raised money for the local children's hospice N&G by selling programmes with a map and notes about the individual gardens. We find out on Thursday how much we raised. Apparently, this year was a 'good' year.

Charley, Doodles do fit older than 5 year olds - Bertie has the red dinosaur ones. Persie has pink and glittery ones (wouldn't you know!) I don't think they go up to our size though or I might get some.

Baggs (can't get used to the extra G.) I hope you continue to be well looked after but please stop doing stuff that might involve the inadvertent use of the broken wrist.

And, Maw, I hope you have arrived safely without enticing more young men to follow you around.

I think you are being too modest NandG - I am sure your American was dazzled by your smile and joie de vivre - your scooter cannot have been the attraction!

I had today pencilled in as a rest and recuperation day after our hectic, but lovely family weekend. Howver, Murphy's Law prevails and some very old friends from Yorkshire ( 65 years and counting since DH and he started at Grammar school together) rang to say they'd like to call in this afternoon, to see us on their way to a conference along the coast.

Of course we are hugely looking forward to a catch up and have had a quick whizz round and even got the laundry done and on the line. It will be dry and back indoors by lunchtime!

So many Mondays when we have had a dullish weekend when it would have been a real treat (well it still is) to have visitors and it would just be this Monday! Aint that the way of things?

DS has a friend who has a car older than his wife

Morning All !

Back to blue skies here, we have no storms and a mere smattering of rain , but its a little cooler.

Its OK Charley Doodles are not really plimsolls , they're Clarks soft trainers for little feet. Come in different width fittings etc , just like shoes. They are just more colourful.

Sadly soop Doodles are only for little feet , under 5's I would guess, so Torben would probably be too big. Its a shame because who doesn't like red dinosaurs ??

Loving the pool Dusty totally envious !!

No panicking ( unless its of the what if this doesn't happen sort) ann. Grampy is the worrier - not me . I never worry about 'what if's' , far too much to worry about that's happening in my opinion. . Your birthday treat sounds perfect !! How nice is your friend? I do hope you have a wonderful time , you deserve it.

Tizliz I too read LLama soup...maybe me laugh out loud !

Hats off to you gaga I love the sound of your running buffet ! You deserve a rest now.

Sounds like a roaring success Kitty . Is it for a charity? Or just for the love of pretty gardens?

LOL Maw your young suitor made me laugh. I was once roaring round the Mall of America on my mobility scooter when I was stopped by an impossibly young and handsome American man who invited me for coffee. I declined gracefully as I was not only married but had at least 40 years on him but oh I smiled for the rest of the day!! I think he was after my scooter actually!!

Grey is just taking a little break Oldgoat , I'm sure we shall see her soon.

I'm hungry at the mere thought of your chefs menu Baggs ! Almost worth a broken arm !!

Not sure what the day holds here but I hope you all have a good one !

One of our friends is marrying a girl 25 years younger than him - told my OH he had better not get ideas, but he replied to the effect it was too much trouble. Not sure if that was a compliment or not ?

Indeed jalima, no idea why but you are right .

very nice young Swedish man insisted on accompanying me to make sure I didn't get lost bless him.
Exciting!!
You still have what it takes then

I met a lovely young man recently, he was charming and attentive and all I thought was 'You would make a lovely son-in-law'. Am I losing the plot?

cornergran why does the wind die down every evening - and the sky clear?

It's been windy all day but it did dry the washing ( I am a day previous this week).

Baggs

that reminded me of a time, many years ago, when I locked myself out - having invited some friends back for coffee. One thought it was a good idea to call the local police station; two policemen duly arrived and decided they would smash the kitchen window to get in. However, before they did that one of my friends spied a very small toilet window open and said she could wriggle through it (downstairs loo). She managed it with a lot of wriggling.
Exit policemen, declining coffee.

Pleased you made it out of the UK, mawb, heck of a day but it will be worth it.

Forgot the seagulls when mentioning the birds. I have absolutely no idea why but they never land on our home, always our next door but one neighbours home. Anyone any idea why, are they territorial? Yes, we get pigeons and ring necked doves now and again, not regularly though. There was a lone robin, haven't seen it for months. We think we are lucky with the field sparrows,liaise they are nervous birds but are here every day.

swanny, you sound far more calm than I would be with a mouse visitor. Reminds me of a camping trip in France with two small boys. One of those ready put up tents with most of the mod cons. First evening sitting with the odd glass of wine I looked up to see a mouse in the washing up bowl. Invited to leave it did, returning the next evening to inhabit the fruit bowl. Day three we discovered it had eaten through our younger sons pj's. Mr C heroically caught it, took it out to the middle of the field and let it go. Guess where it ran? A homing mouse!

Day four Mr C was getting tired of searching the sleeping bags before anyone could go to bed so he put half a baguette and some cheese outside. Voila! Mouse problem solved, as long as it was bribed with food we saw it no more. I laugh now. Then? Nope, I really struggle with rodents iof any sort. Grew up with a chicken run which attracted the flipping things.

I'd like a chef, baggs, not worth any damage to my person as Mr C has never quite grasped the intricacies of cooking, good at mouse catching though . Be careful with that arm. The tale of Toad and the shopping list made me laugh. Just like living here. .

Now, charley if you had suggested Glastonbury in a swish motor home with an en suite I could just have been tempted . Still really windy here, no rain though, you're right, we moved in the wrong direction for calm weather. I did think it was our final move .

Something good to look forward to there oldgoat, I'm sure you will manage the airport perfectly.

Feet up time now. Pleased you had a happy day soop.

Baggs you are so fortunate to have found someone who can cook and not just a boiled egg- I am impressed. Make the most of it because it will not last!

Good evening to all Kitcheners, especially Maw in far flung Sweden! So pleased to hear you eventually got there - now just enjoy it and don't even think of the return journey yet

All this talk about the garden birds in your areas makes me think of my childhood, when we'd go on Nature Walks from our school. I could identify birds from their songs and trees from their leaves etc. Alas, these days I have trouble distinguishing a buttercup from a celandine However, we do see some birds in our North London garden. Pigeons of course and crows, but also tiny little wrens, beautiful robins, a few tits and finches, a pair of magpies and a splendiferous jay. Unfortunately last year we were visited by a heron who dined on goldfish from our pond The smaller birds actually nest here but, despite being in London, I haven't seen any ol' cockney sparrers here

Putting out food for the birds is discouraged as we have a 'mini' mouse problem. A few days ago, when it was off the scale with regard to temperature, I was sitting reading when a little brown mouse squeezed under the living room door. I shrieked (in shock, you understand ) and it beat a hasty retreat back the same way. I had the back door open trying to keep the place cool but had to make sure the mouse hadn't hidden in the (downstairs) bathroom before I could close that back door!

I'm on burger-sitting duty. They're under the grill. He forgot the baps and has buzzed out again. There is a shop just over a mile away....
Anyway, they're guacamole-stuffed burgers ??

Talking of clever crows, here's a Minibags story. She and a pal climbed out of the bathroom window onto the lean-to den armoury/artist's studio/conservatory (I call it a den; Toad calls it those other things) with their garlic baguettes and a packet of Parma ham one evening. I didn't know they were there so shut the big bathroom window when I went to the loo, effectively locking them out there. They didn't bang on the window.

Eventually, MiniB managed to jump off the low end of the roof without hurting herself. This took some working up to as both her pal and I had arms in plaster casts at the time and she was thinking what if...?

Anyway, when she rescued Pal-in-Plaster, they didn't bring in the leftover food. They didn't wake me up either (I'd gone to bed), which really impressed me. Next morning they were amazed that the remaining baguette had disappeared and, though the ham packet was still there, and the plastic film that had been between the slices, the ham had vanished. Yup, corvids are clever. It might have been carrion crows, but we also have magpies galour and plenty of jays.

Btw, they could have used the landing window instead. I wonder why they didn't think of that.

Careful baggs or you'll be cooking one handed too! ?

MrB (I'm going to start giving him his other nickname (well, one of them): Toad). Where was I? Ah yes. Toad has just got in from shopping again. He didn't shop the first time because, although he'd made a list on his iPhone, he hadn't noticed that the phone battery was nearly dead, so by the time he got to the shop.... need I say more? It's only a twenty-six mile round trip. There's something to be said for shopping lists written on paper. Mind you, paper lists can be forgotten...

Phones and lists aside, I'm enjoying being cooked for: lovely lamb three days ago, then steak diane, then chicken with lemon, spices (nice ones, no chili), coriander leaves and black olives. I think tonight's meal involves burgers but it won't be any of your bog-standard, common or garden, tree-climbing burgers. I won't ask any questions because I'm really hungry and interruptions might cause delay.

I did some washing up one-handed today.

SOOP I once gave our cat a cooked salmon head in the garden. It was as big as his head. When he had eaten enough and gone away to sleep it off the old crow came down and took the rest away. I always think of that as perfect recycling!

Log-off time for me. It's been a happy day. Enjoy your Sunday evening and I hope to be back with you tomorrow.

oldgoat The September holiday in Majorca with your twin, is something special to look forward to.

Charleyg and Tizliz We had choc Magnums during the tennis final. 45 minutes to G&T time.

Liaise Mostly finch and tits of all persuasions in our garden. We have a wren, a pair of blackbirds, thrush, two woodpeckers, enormous crows and robin. The crows are fed at the front of the house. They have their own stone on which food is left. They pick up food and fly to the beach with it. They often store some under the pebbles. Clever birds - crows.

Maw Tyke!!!

corner I am very fond of sparrows and there are many in the village. We hardly ever get one visit the garden.

Cilic v Lopez final was very exciting. Lopez deserved to win. It's a pity that there had to be a loser. Both competitors gave there all.

CORNERGRAN you are lucky with your sparrows. We haven't seen any for a long time. We do have robins, blue tits, wrens and a tame young thrush which is worrying as we have a cat but he can't see much these days so hopefully the thrush will survive. We also have a magpie which comes along to taunt DH as he doesn't like them. He waits for DH to rush out of the door clapping his hands and then flips over the fence.

charleygirl you must be muddling me up with someone else, I never worry what time it is, it is always time

corner I do keep telling you to move as the weather appears to be so much better in London than in your part of the world.

I am amazed that you and DH have not been at Glastonbury(sp) festival, living in a tent!!!!!

MawB nearly there, at least you are in Sweden.

Tizliz the day is almost over and you can relax very soon with something stronger than tea! Please do not worry about the early drinking time, it is 6pm somewhere.

Sorry, crossed posts mawb Glad you made it safely. Have a great time in Sweden

Hope greyduster is OK. We haven't heard from her for a while.
Not too much duty-free mawb - don't want to fall asleep and miss your flight. I've just booked flights to go to Majorca with my twin sister in September. We will be travelling from different airports. Just realised that I've never flown on my own before.