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

Good morning all, any coffee left in the pot?

We didn't get the torrential rain and thunderstorms forecast in this area but it has been quite windy and overcast for the last few days. Today, however, the wind has dropped to an occasional breeze, the sun is shining and the workmen have finished relaying a brick path in the gardens, so it's a nice quiet Monday morning.

Next week it all starts again as we are having an outdoor gym installed! A few of the neighbours are very Bah Humbug! about it but curiously some of the most keen are in their 80s and 90s! I believe there will be 4 pieces of equipment but not sure yet what they'll be. Once installed we'll have a demonstration and advice on usage. Might help me get some weight off

Kitty pleased to hear the Open Garden weekend was a success, if a lot of hard work. A few years ago I went to see a local small garden that had been shown at Chelsea. It was a massive disappointment, much smaller than it looked in the exhibitors' advertising photos. A fee was charged for entrance and you then had to pass through their pottery workshop (where items were displayed with pricetags!) in order to get in, turn round and get out.

Just a quickie...... stopped for brunch..... found the perfect place for us Kitcheners.......

NanaandGrampy Move up...room for one more...now what would I fancy...

Some very funny stories have put a smile on my face this morning. Thank you, Baggs, I loved the tale of MR B's expedition to the shops. Had to share with MacSporran.

Liaise I have a lot of respect for crows. I've seen them with a mollusc in the beak, flying up into the air on the beach, and dropping the mollusc from a height to crack the shell. I also remember seeing a film of a crow, using a twig to reach into a bottle, and spearing/removing something tasty. I call that clever.

Swanny Meece I can live with. Spiders, on the other hand, are to be avoided at all costs. As a child, a gang of us opened up a trunk in an old pig sty. Inside was a giant spider. One boy used a stick to remove the spider in it's sticky web. He then chased me for a very long time and I'm still recovering from the trauma.

corner When MacSporran worked in a converted goose pen (he was an architect and able to convert anyfink), he was visited by mice big time. He would take the trapped mouse to the bottom of what was our paddock (in Cornwall). He claimed that the same mouse returned every time and, one day, he put the humane trap containing the mouse, in the car. He drove three miles to a field outside Bodmin. Did it return? I'm not sure. Though the rest of the mouse clan continued to call.

Jalima MacSporran was stuck in what we call the "wee loo" which is handy when gardening. I went outside and put a little step ladder up to the window sill. He opened the tiny window and, with much huffing and puffing, bum first, just about squeezed through it. Had I been stuck in said small space, I would most likely have needed to have the door taken off it's hinges.

Gaga Keep smiling.

kitty You've contributed to a very worthwhile cause.

I love a cocktail but those sound quite disgusting.
One based on tea or coffee might just be acceptable but a bit early in the day for me, and didn't those spirits seem expensive.? For the price of two doubles I can buy a bottle at Aldi and it is very good especially with a mixer.

An unexpected sunny morning had me gardening instead of doing the admin. Hmm, guess what I'm avoiding now .

Sounds as if the weekend was well worth it, kitty, hope you have as much success with your posters.

Not sure a gym of any sort, inside or out, would be my best friend swanny. Be interested to hear how it goes, though.

It sounds as if macs is calmer around mice than I am soop. Give me a spider any day .

We've also had the unexpected arrive this week, gagagran, In the guise of an invitation. Lovely though it will be it does mean not an inch of space to just sit and 'be'. Hope your day is a good one

That's an unusual breakfast menu n&g, did you sample any? Think I would be safer sticking with the food .

Could do with something now come to think of it, can ignore the admin no longer.

Take care all.

The neighbours from hell in the bungalow, have reported their next door neighbor to the police saying she's poisoned their plants!
The lady in question is 85 and they're mounting a vendetta against her.
The plants don't appear to have been watered and I suspect that that is the cause of their demise!
How nasty can you get!
Then today ,the husband has made a very rude gesture at her.
This was a lovely peaceful road before they came and we are all very upset!

Perhaps some of the nice neighbours should report the rude gestures, galen. Sad when it gets to this sort of thing.

Galen I've had "one of those days..." it kicked off with a scene out of hell - mountains of rubbish left to be picked up by volunteers after the "revellers" departed from Glastonbury...and now, your very sad comments regarding the neighbours from hell. I feel so sorry that the lady who is being bullied, can do little to defend herself. I'm logging off before I lose my cool and say stuff that I shouldn't.

Back in the kitchen after the care home visit tomorrow morning.

I didn't try one ann but I'm sure they taste better than they sound. We had gone to browse the big John Lewisat Bluewater where EVERYTHING is expensive.we can usually be found with our noses pressed up against the window .

But how's this for fate , we made a last minute decision to go. Our usual restaurant had closed so we chose a new one at random. We had never been there before. I looked up as we waited for the bill and found one of my oldest friends and her husband being seated at the next table !! I haven't seen her in ages as they have both retired and have become world travellers so are rarely in the U.K. We had a lovely, and unexpected catch up !!

Galen , that's unacceptable behaviour by anyone's standards. At her age your neighbour deserves some respect not bullying. Keep your camera phone at the ready - pictures speak a thousand words ! I hope the rest of your mean neighbours plants die too!!

Im beginning to wonder what's gone wrong with our country. I don't remember things like this several years ago.
Violence
Despair
Is it worth going on I wonder?

Galen, I do know what you mean but please don't give up before September. I've just booked my flights

See you in the cabin suite.?

The butler will unpack for us!

Blimey, galen. the behaviour of the bungalow people towards their neighbour is totally unacceptable. I feel for her and can only hope she has some very large and appropriately angry grandsons. We're very lucky, we have kind neighbours but it can so easily change. Yes, keep your camera phone handy. Is the bungalow still for sale? It would be good if peace returned.

We can't wait for them to go, but the price is completely unrealistic.
Unfortunately no grand children.
They are both very nasty people and also complained to the police that no one spoke to them.
Are you surprised?

I did try when they first came, but then they started this vendetta and caused trouble for all of us.
They complain that all of us in the road are old!

Galen I am sure that your age is not your choice and there is little that you can do about it! I would happily be 29 again.

If they do not living living beside the elderly, they can always move and no doubt they will receive a lot of help!!! What a flaming cheek!

I wonder how younger neighbours would receive their behaviour, Galen? I imagine with more noise and maybe a more physical response than those 'old' people they complain about. Could send my 6'6" son if it helps . On a serious note this is bordering harassment or elder abuse and I wonder if your local community PCSO might take an interest if 'asked for advice'.

The nasties complained to the police who sent police to interview her re the poisoned plants!
She's 85,a widow on her own!
Her garden is her joy and is immaculate. The only help she has is Gary who mows her lawn.
She's very deaf, so doesn't socialise much.
We are all elderly widows and all of us have been here for many years.
Loud parties with flashing lights and very smelly BBQs and noisy music and out of control children to say nothing of two very yappy dogs aren't the main problem. It's their general attitude, particularly to this old lady

What a shame the police interviewer couldn't see there was likely to be another side to the complaint, galen. Your neighbour must be distraught. Also distressing for you all to feel helpless to manage the situation. You could go back to the police, there must be many 'complaints' where the complainant is actually the aggressor. Just wish there was a magic wand to fix it. Your neighbours are bullies, sadly and the usual advice to stand up to them would be very difficult to put into practice in this case. Just hope a buyer comes along very soon.

How awful for you all Galen! Has anyone rung the council to complain about their behaviour? I can't recall what the dept is called but they will intervene with nuisance neighbours. Please don't be bullied or intimidated by them. And moan to us as much as you like.

Bit of a buggeration this morning at the fracture clinic. Felt a bit dizzy again after doc checked over my arm (p'raps I'm allergic to hospitals as a patient). More x-rays today and they want me back again next Tuesday for yet more so I'll have to curtail my Derbyshire visit by a day. This is annoying as I'd already bought my train tickets. However, never mind, hey ho and all that. Needs must.

How long have the nasties been there, galen? I do hope something can be done to tone them down!

Hospital allergy is well known. I suffer from it as well. The mere thought makes me foam at the mouth and lash my tail wildly!
They've been there about 3 years and things are going from bad to worse!
Edna did say the police seemed very sympathetic and of course this couple are well known to them from their previous residence round the corner.