Crikey, chaps! soop opens the Kitchen door just a crack - at noon - and now there are 22 posts (?) and I will have to try harder to condense my comments whilst racing to post before another half a dozen more Kitchener types turn up with theirs.
Have to say it does sound cheery in here today - despite puzzler 's nice car being rammed by some oik who (with all the cameras about, as Susan has mentioned) must have been photographed somewhere as he drove away from the scene of an accident! Hateful people are on the increase, I think. Well done you for taking it all on the chin, puzzler. The only sensible thing to do - you weren't hurt and it's only "stuff". That's what I try to think about if I'm involved in something like that.
Sometimes it actually works too!
Two lovely new words for me "guddle" and "skooshed" (or cuddle and smooshed, my iPad argued ..... but I won) Hopefully you won't be living in anything like your lovely descriptive word for too much longer, Syn. It does sound lovely and hopefully worth the wait. I too would take great exception to the poor finishing of the job. Do hate workmen who do something good but still manage to create something bad whilst they're there. Such a small thing to do to make sure the customer is thrilled with the job! Still soop's idea of asking the decorator to clean the ceiling for you is an excellent one, I feel.
Hope you all have had reasonable weather today. We had a glorious day after a couple of rather damp and grey ones. We found ourselves at lunchtime on a deserted beach, apart from a family or two picnicking, and after a couple of miles we sat in the sun and just watched the sparkly surf and the odd sailing boat. A couple of brave souls were swimming, although it was T-shirt and sunglasses temperatures and after our walk and lunch, we were able to cut the lawn and sit and listen to the bees and a lot of birdsong in the garden.
It seems that there's a real feeling of frustration and some sadness in the air elsewhere on Gransnet and, well, it appears so in the country generally. It's much the same here and people are quite tired of feeling stressed and having to follow orders. It's all gone on too long and we have no way of knowing when it will all stop. So, we're all getting down days and feeling a bit fed up with life in general. But change has to come and meanwhile, we must keep those smiles polished and find some positive things each day to keep up our spirits. Fortunately, there are enough of us here to do a proper job on anyone who feels low or dispirited. Chins up, ladies. (oh dear that wasn't meant to sound like a fat joke!).
Lovely for you to have a new laptop, NanaandG. They are so worth it - I just hate the getting acclimatised part. Clearly not enough patience here!
Hope that, in spite of feeling rough on antibiotics, your DD has taken a definite turn for the better now, Susan. A big worry for you, but you're stars for holding on to the Marvellous Miss Matilda and not unleashing her on her poor fragile Mummy until Mummy is feeling a lot stronger. Building villages and getting all Snakes and Laddered out is very tiring work, as you and Mr S can confirm. Hope you are planning on setting aside a few days soon when you can pretend you're both retired and can slump around doing just what you please, or nothing, just for a change! 
So glad the Princess Tara's meds are working, Charley and very pleased to hear you sounding so positive about the start of your recovery, Ann. It must be marvellous to have that behind you and know that you won't just be stuck with all that pain for the foreseeable.
Sleep well, everyone. Hugs from French France!
and whatever else that you fancy, providing it's legal. 
