Hi Dita and all

[Penny]

Kept meaning to ask how the visit to the dentist went Dita. Had a nice surprise at lunch today, son turned up, had cancelled meeting in London. So back to normal. Says grandson may come tonight now daddy is available to bring him. Mom and grandaughter in Norfolk until Sunday on the Duke of Edinburgh award thing. Then they all go down to the static van in Dorset for a week sailing and surfing. Talk about busy lives. Lots of good offers in Sainsbury,s this week, three items for two in nearly every aisle. Extra hugs. cheers Penny

[Penny]

Morning Dita and all, big hugs for doggie. Had a busy morning playing cards with grandson. I am now about 2 million in debt. Decided to go out for lunch, just baking a loaf for him to take home for his breakfast in the morning. Hope all are well and doggie able to enjoy walkies. Take care all and enjoy the weather. Seems we are in for a little rain then a heat wave. So hot last night, all fans going hell for leather. Hopefully, catch you later. cheers Penny

[dita]

Hi Penny and all, will happily lend you a few bob, maybe you can then win a bit of your loss back from Grandson. Hopefully he will have treated you to a nice lunch. Extra big hugs for you today from doggie, you have certainly earned it. Very hot here again, need to do ironing and all sorts of jobs, got good excuse for not doing them, Yippee. Funny thing because it was very dull and raining earlier. Just eaten a big lump of lemon drizzle cake, their finest from Tesco, it was luvley. Take Care Penny and all.

[vannin]

My family has moved onwards this morning. They were with me two nights en route to Devon. That is, my daughter, s-i-l and four-year-old only grandson Charlie. It was a great time though short, and the weather went through the full spectrum. Yesterday was 30-odd degrees and Charlie was in the paddling pool that is really for toddlers, but he is sensible about not trying to sit (or stand) on the side etc!! I sat nearby and we both enjoyed it a lot.

Wednesday I took them out to lunch because both the grown-ups have birthdays now and the restaurant is my favourite and their first introduction to it. Far too big a lunch but great value! Then as the Wed weather hit a good spell in mid-afternoon, we went to the park were the playground is and the Thames flows nearby. Charlie was interested to hear my description of how it is the very same river as the one outside his home in Dockland but it is long and goes to the countryside! So we fed the ducks of course. Then some more rain arrived just as we were back in the carpark, so we had been lucky.

It is always so quiet after they have left!

Viv

[Andere Richtingen]

Good afternoon, everybody.
It's still very warm and muggy here, despite a lot of rain and a beltin' thunderstorm this morning. It's supposed to be a bit cooler and fresher over the weekend so maybe I'll be able to work up the enthusiasm to do a few useful tasks. One good thing about this humidity: I always go off my food when it's really hot and muggy so the excess kilos gained on holiday are falling off without any great effort on my part. Nice to know everything has an up side, isn't it?
I've just fetched Lucy Katt back from the vets. She had to have a dental de-scale and one of her teeth removed. They said to keep her quiet and calm and avoid extremes of temperature (Huh? In this odd summer?) while she recovers completely from the anaesthetic. Some hope! All she wants to do is tear about the house and jump on to high shelves and ledges while she tells me very loudly what an awful purrson I am and how much she has suffered ....
Have a good weekend, everyone

[Penny]

Pleased there is a good side to all this heat. Lucky you to have a cat who takes notice of you. Most just curl up and ignore everyone. Don't overdo the jobs tho' otherwise you may feel hungry. ha ha. Take care. cheers Penny

[vannin]

My cat has been miserable on the hot days, desperately seeking shade or close to the electric fans. I think her drinking of water has normalised - it was a worry that she ignored it when most at risk of dehydration. I constantly rinse and replenish the bowl, sometimes with added ice cube.
How quiet is always is when the family has gone!

Viv

[Penny]

Morning Dita Vannin and all. Understand your concern re puss but I think they manage whatever the weather. Give her a big kiss from me. Hope not to hot for walkies today, big hugs might help. Put this on earlier but for some reason, wiped it off. Idiot. Taking it easy after yesterday. Took grandson out for lunch, then down to the canal to see barges up and down. Pleased to note he is becoming a book worm, asked him if he had one of those thing on which you can put lots of books and then read wherever you happen to be. I said, I think it is a winkle. Talk about falling about, I thought he was going to fill his pants. No matter what I said, he would not tell me what the name of the thing is. When my son came to collect him last night I mentioned this and again, grandson falling all over the place, still don't know what it is called. Will have to wait until I catch it on tele. He gave me a big hug and said, I have loved today grandma, specially the card games (I still owe him about a million. and the winkle. Cheeky scamp. They are off to the coast today so hope weather continues fine. Hope all on here are keeping well and enjoying the weekend. Take care. cheers Penny

[dita]

Morning Penny and Vannin, know what you mean about the house being quiet when family have gone Vannin. You sound to have had some right fun and games with your Grandson yesterday Penny, hope you paid your debt off, he sounds a right card. Walkies was a bit hot for doggie today, she sends big hugs for you instead. Hope you have a chill out today after the busy Friday, take care Penny and all.

[Penny]

Morning Dita and all. A very quiet day in more ways that one. Still cannot hear a think. Just finished lunch, decided on lamb chops today rather than a big roast. The manor house behind us is having a lot of tree cutting done and my poor birds keep trying to feed and then get frightened off. This must go on for quite a time I expect as we are surrounded by the Rookery and have our own chestnut trees. Hope doggie has good walkies today, big hugs from me, and puss is feeling better Vannin. Meant to pass on, a very good buy and refreshing drink from Sainsbury, a large 2 litre bottle of bitter shandy for only one pound. Very nice, grandson loved it. Have a good day folk and take care. cheers Penny

[dita]

Afternoon Penny and all. Hope ears soon better, I'd better shout. Quiet day here too, seems like birdies will be desperate now, the young ones will have got well established in the trees that are been felled, it was the same here a couple of weeks back. Having easy to cook meal today, made a pasta bake, it is very humid out, not a day for eating anything heavy. Doggie and I just back from a game of football in the garden, she is sending big hugs to you too. Son, Grandaughter and doggie Taz are at the moment motoring to their house near Limoges in France, I am always a bit uneasy until I know they are safe. Take Care Penny and all. Hope little cat better too Vannin x

[Penny]

Morning Dita and all, big hugs for doggie, better day for walkies. We have had a little rain but clear now. On edge at the moment, waiting for a chappie to give us an estimate for a new garage roof. All that heavy rain did some damage so hubby has decided on a complete roof rather than patched up. Trouble is its a long garage, one end for the car and another for fridges, sink, boiler etc. so quite a size. Dread to think of cost. Still, only thing that has gone up the spout since we moved in as it was built, that is some 39 years ago. Fingers crossed, Can't grumble. Lucky we also have a large car-port so will be able to park some stuff under there during the mess. Hope all are well and enjoying good weather. Just right for puss now I expect. Take care. cheers Penny

[Andere Richtingen]

Good afternoon,all and I hope all cats and dogs are feeling fine now it's cooled down a little - their people, too! Lucy has been to the vet for her post-op check up and been pronounced absolutely fine so she's busy sleeping off the stress of it all on my bed.

It rained here, very briefly but just enough for OH to announce that it's made the front hedge far too wet to cut this afternoon. If he doesn't do it soon, the postman will have to hack his way in with a machete! Yes, I know that I could do it if it worries me that much but I did it for years and, now he's retired, I decided he needs to take responsibility for something!

Had a very quiet weekend; only a visit to a model railway exhibition and a brief trip out to Dobbs Weir in Herts for a breath of fresh air but that means that, at last, I found time to finish sorting through the holiday pictures and I've now uploaded half a dozen in the Photography thread if anyone's interested ...

[Penny]

Don't tell hubby about the railway, his favourite hobby was miniature until he sold up last year. Most certainly leave the hedge, let the postman complain. These OH's get away with too much. Glad puss is o.k now. People have just arrived to check the garage roof , I'm keeping out of the way otherwise it will be all my fault. Take care and enjoy the day. cheers Penny

[dita]

Hi Ya Penny, and Andere, you well and truly beat me to it today. After rain early morning it dried up good enough for doggie to drag me out for a walkies, it was more pleasant, not so much panting today, that being me she sends you muddy hugs, but more of them Penny. Hope you get a decent price for your garage roof replacement, it hasn't done bad in nearly 40yrs. We do have one long hedge Andere, rather not discuss it, badly needs cutting and a rather sore point. I meant to tell you Penny, dentists not too bad because I do have one which is loosening, expected she would want to whip it out, thinks it may last a bit longer. Take Care Penny Andere and all.