soop's friendly kitchen for like-minded folk and pampered pets.

Happy birthday dear Paw
Happy birthday dear Paw
Happy birthday dear Pawwww
Happy birthday to You xxx

WELCOME HOME MrSar Do as MrsSar says. Get well and no heroics. (Like sliding down the bannister)

Got to. Things to do. Folk to greet. Take care dear Granspals.

Got to go!

I haven't been on for a while either (but I have been keeping an eye on you all!!) but I wanted to pop in to wish Paw very many happy returns. I hope you all have a lovely day. You must be so pleased to have him with you.

Glad your husband is home sar but please look after yourself as well as him.

It is DS1's 46th birthday today And 10 years since he (and we) spent his birthday in hospital in Japan following a huge stroke. Really scary times for all of us. Despite losing a wife along the way, he is living a happy and fulfilled life with lots of friends and interests. I feel so grateful but have struggled with it this year.

Happy Birthday Paw and I hope it is warmer than here for your tea party.
I am sure though, that the sun will shine in all your hearts to have him home in the bosom of the family for his special day
Happy birthday to Lester minor on his special day.

Happy birthday Paw you like myself is perfect and dependable I have read. Mine is next Friday but I have a feeling instead of one year older I will be 10.

Naturally the sun is shining in London but even I have to admit that it is not very warm.

Good morning all. A very Happy Birthday to paw I hope you have a lovely day with your family beside you.
Lovely and sunny here this morning, I have quickly been out and bought supplies for the weekend. I don't think we will be going far.
A very disturbed night, hopefully will get better with time. Even I , who very really does, may have a little doze this afternoon.

Happy birthday to young Master Lester too!
You were clearly underage when you had him kittyl - child bride?
But after what he (and you) has/have been through, every Birthday is precious sonwishinh him and you a happy day xxx

Sar there is much to be said for an afternoon nap.
Both you and DH may be fired up by adrenaline (and the GA) so be prepared to be washed out.
Get those feet up in front of the telly this afternoon and zzzzzzzzzz

"Wishing" not what the iPad came up with

Much as I loved the cottage we stayed in on holiday (apart from the bloomin' mirrors!!) it is nice to wake up in your own bed!
Maw a very happy birthday to Paw - I hope he is feeling better and the sun shines for him.
kitty sounds like your DS has had a rocky ride, but I hope he enjoys his birthday too! DS had his 74th birthday while we were away (the day we had the monumental row in the lay-by!! ?). We had a lovely birthday dinner with his family which he enjoyed enormously.
N&G I loved the pic of Cooper. He does look as if butter wouldn't melt, but all little boys should have a naughty streak, I think, although my DS's was, like Cooper's, a little wider than most, but he turned out very well ?.
The plumber is back on the case today; tiling has resumed and he is grumbling about the mosaics I want to go up the middle of the shower area. They are very difficult to deal with apparently?! Tough. I am having them. (He loves me really!).
DH is off to football this afternoon, sans DS who is not coming down today. I shall bake this afternoon - lemon drizzle cake, I think.
This is the last photograph I took before we left Wales. Not sure if it will come out well here, but I hope it presaged some better weather to come.

kitty I wish your son a happy birthday also. He has been through the mill at a young age, good to hear that he is enjoying life and is fine now. One does not know what is around the corner.

I agree Greyduster I am very fond of my bed.

I had somebody in mind to do some carpentry work and believe it or not he has had the temerity to be on holiday and to make matter worse could not start until the end of October or later. Back to the drawing board.

Good Morning all from 'sick central'!!

Grampy has succumbed and returned to bed this morning feeling unwell and I am getting by on about 3 hours sleep a night as the rest of the time I am trying ardently to cough my heart up !! It is not a happy place here in nana and Grampy town !!

Even Sam the dog has a bit of hang dog expression ;-) but the plus side is Maw I could easily come and help out Paw as I certainly wouldn't be getting any less sleep than I am now !!

'impish' is a great word for Cooper soop and I shall be using it instead of 'naughty boy' going forward . Enjoy your Dutch visitors too , hope the weather holds for you to enjoy your weekend.

Belated Happy Birthday Mr Grey - I love the sound of the lay-by barney ! Its the things comedy shows are based round !! Glad to hear the shower moves on apace - I like the sound of the mosaic tiles.

Good news about your OH Sar , glad you survived night one and I am another that heartily recommends afternoon naps !!

Happy Birthday Paw , I hope you have a wonderful day and make some memories to get you through the next year !! Will there be cake Maw?

I am a little sad that we are not having the little boys for a sleepover but glad we changed our plans now that Grampy has gone down with a bump. We have young Stevies birthday tea on Monday so need to be well enough to attend even for a short while !

I see a very lazy weekend here - hope you all have a relaxing time too xx

Poor Sam, he will not be getting his walkies if both N&G are incapacitated. Maw would not appreciate your help until you are 100% better as Paw has enough problems without adding to them. Take it easy over the weekend- the dust can wait.

I needed a hot water bottle last night and although I had to share it with Tara that was not a problem and I got a really good night's sleep. I think this evening the heating will definitely be going on. It is nippy indoors mid day.

Sar two things that your OH needs apart from a picker upper are elastic shoe laces and a long handled shoe horn.

You now know that after he has his other hip revised, you must be strong enough to tell the ward staff that you cannot take your DH home as he is not ready and you cannot cope. Be strong because nobody else will care- if he is breathing, can stand, walk two paces he is fit for discharge. Like Maw I am also hyper cynical.

There wasn't much that was comedic about it, N&G, believe me (my mother would have been proud of me!). My rage was about as apolcalyptic as the weather! Can't remember the last time I blew my stack to such an extent, but was reminded afterwards of the words of Omar Khayyam "The moving finger writes and, having writ, moves on. Nor all thy piety, nor wit, can lure it back to cancel half a line, nor tears wash out a word of it."

I now "blow my top" often * Greyduster* , the redeeming factor in my case is that 5 minutes after H has forgotten.
I hope the nice meal that evening restored the status quo.
I have just received a phone call asking me if I want to go to a shopping centre nearby for a couple of hours. Do I ever!!!
I had better trousers , different shoes and a touch of hippy on in 5 minutes. H will be ok for 2 hours as football is on television and I will ring a couple of times. Hooray.

Have a really lovely afternoon, Ann. Hope you'll treat yourself!

downsized has just returned from walking round the walls of Dubrovnik!?
Me I'm sitting sipping V&T

Sounds lovely ann enjoy yourself !!

The lap of luxury eh* Downsized* ? How was Cipriano's Galen?

ann that sounds great- enjoy yourself.

Downsized and Galen you appear to be enjoying yourselves. AA will have a vacant space for each of you on return- I am assuming that they have the equivalent in is it Malta?

Make the most of it as time flies and you will be at home before you know it.

Will there be cake???
24 Fiona Cairns cupcakes from Mr Waitrose and my own "signature" apricot, almond, polenta and rosewater cake decorated with crushed pistachios.
The combined ages of the 3 birthday people come to exactly 200 so out of respect for the smoke alarm I have gone for 6 "digit" candles!!

Goodness, a busy week in the kitchen, that'll teach me not to drop in.

So, soop how are you and macs now? Hope the lurgy has left. Rory sounds to be made of tough stuff, love the sound of his menu.

Oh dear, N&G you both sound proper poorly. Please mend soon. I do understand the struggles with coughs, they are just foul, drain the energy. Our Littlest is proper poorly at the moment, sounds a very similar bug, I plan to avoid him for a while. Cooper looked so, well, innocent in that photo, its good to have an imp about the place, livens things up.

Greyduster you did well to return from Wales without shrinking, not the most welcoming of weather for you. Loved the photos, Mr C is Welsh and we drift that way regularly, usually in the rain . I'd look at the argument as clearing the air, sometimes these things just need to happen. Good news the plumber is back, hold out for the tiling you want, he'll enjoy the challenge I'm sure.

Hope your day is going well maw and paw is able to enjoy his birthday celebrations. You two have been through the wringer lately, time for some fun for you both, although I'm not sure organising a tea party will have been relaxing the time with your family will be wonderful. Later perhaps try to emulate Hattie who seems to have sleeping down to a fine art.

How is yor husband today Sar53? Hope he's mending, although I do agree the first day or two out of hospital is neve as easy as we think it will be. That shopping trip sounded wonderful, ann, hope you are enjoying it right now.

I smiled at your mention of the Dubrovnik walls, galen, the views from there are to die for but oh the climb, did it 6 years ago on a very hot day, I think downsized deserves a rest now and a very, very large drink. We hope to go back next year, will I be back on the walls? Nope

All the mention of soup has had me getting our soup maker out of summer hibernation. No time today but its on the menu for Monday. Right, there's a need to be organised now as I should have been out of here 20 minutes ago, oh dear, no hope is there? Hope to get in and out this week, slightly quieter than last week. Take care all.

Birthday wishes for Paw and get well soon for all the poorly xxx
I got some lovely fresh veg today so 20 mins later the pressure cooker and Whizzer had soup on the table , just the day for it , got loads in the freezer as soon as it cools

aggie I will be round for a bowlful as I cannot be bothered making soup today, apart from the minor fact I do not have any ingredients.

It will be chicken curry for supper, that should warm me up as I am cold at present. At least the clothes are drying.

I have had a lovely few hours, out longer than expected but H was fine watching the tv.
I bought myself a lovely Radley purse from JL and some " bits and bobs" from Lakeland. I could have spent a fortune.
I also had a toasted bacon bloomer in Caffe Nero. It was delicious and I didnt have to cook it myself.
My equilibrium is restored for a little while.
How little it takes.

Well, realising lunch had passed us by we too the opportunity to consume a very nice afternoon tea. Thoroughly enjoyed it and refuse to think about the calories.

Sorry, kitty forgot to wish your son a very happy birthday. You've also been through the mill with him, not surprising sometimes it gets a bit overwhelming.

Was also thinking about your sister in law greyduster, distance is the very devil sometimes.

That sounds an excellent shopping trip ann, pleased you enjoyed it. I agree, anything I don't have to cook is always delicious.

Just for once I think our weather is kind, Charley, relatively mild and would you believe there has been a yellow ball in the sky. I was told it was called the sun, well, so that's what it looks like.

Take care all.