Soop's Kitchen Extension

granny 23 Your caring and melancholy post makes us want to be with you. I do hope her 'life well lived' gives comfort once the immediate grief lessens.

Granny23

granny23 for you and your dgd.

[Flowers] Granny23 and [warming fire] Galen xx

Sorry, you both deserve proper

Galen keep warmly wrapped up. thro a window helps.

Granny 23 it seems its harder when one of OUR generation dies and a winter death also seems worse somehow. My Mum died early one bitterly cold January morning. Bizarely, all I could think of at the time was trying to keep her warm.
Sorry, that is very bleak.
Lets have a huge group hug for all those missing loved ones.

A group hug, albeit virtual, works wonders.

OGM When I stood beside my deceased mother [she died of Cancer in hospital] I thought to myself, her hair looks beautiful. She would have liked knowing that insignificant fact.

I've been briefed regarding my dog-sitting duties. I shall return at lunchtime. I shall also sleep with the dog...not in the same bed, mind. He is aged. His pal; a dog of the same breed, who was also aged and blind, recently drowned in a fish pond. Fergus, the dog I shall keep company, is missing his pal of many years.

It is a grey, windless day. Perfectly calm and restful. I've the perfect poem to share with you.

colour the water landscape... Morgan Downie

abundant grey
rain impending
sheeted blue
across the hills

blue where it touches
the sea, charcoal
the line of the horizon
the waves uneasy, gunmetal

green the drenched fields
trees irised with moisture
upturned soil ochres the ground
the distant hills, heavy lidded, indigo

here the white water falling
free from the stain of peat
each drop a jewel
as if the granite itself
could weep quartz.

A beautifully soft and peaceful poem.

Many thanks to all for the Hand-holding and flowers yesterday. Back on an even (if slightly low) keel today, managed four hours sleep this morning. Now fed, showered and dressed ready for the DGC invasion after school. Very frosty and foggy here this am, but the lovely sparkling bright this afternoon, makes such a difference - fairly lifts the mood. You are all welcome to pop along here and have a walk along the path by the woods behind our house with us, kicking up the leaves and collecting firewood.

Lovely poem - especially the last 4 lines - very evocative.

DH is like a bear with a sore head as he is in a lot of "discomfort" (means it bl**dy hurts!) He was awake at 4 ish grumping because he couldnlt take any more paracetamol until 5.30 and the pain was keeping us him awake. I should have moved into a spare room but I was too tired(!) and anyway he had taken himself off to the study to play on the computer until he could take his pills. It is no way to go , despite saying he would be issued with painkillers, never actually got round to dispensing any so he is coping on paracetamol. Because of the blood thinning he can't take aspirin, because of asthma and the liver he can't take ibuprofen so we are now waiting for our GP to ring him back and (I hope) prescribe some co-codamol or similar as he is a very unhappy bunny
Isn't it cold and raw out?? Soops kitchen is even more tempting - maybe the fairies will do my ironing by the time I get back?

I seem to have lost a line after "no way to go" it should have read "no way to go on and the hospital, despite saying....." etc

I'll join you Granny 23. Can't think of a better way of spending a sunny winter's afternoon.

Hope you get your DH's pain meds. sorted soon, Graces.

gracesmum Drop the ironing off. I'll add it to my heap. I feel so sorry for your husband. It's crazy that he was discharged without being given the right and proper painkillers. You both need a good nights sleep. I would keep geeing-up the doctor.

Granny23 It's good to hear that you are feeling a little better today. Walking in the woods...kicking up leaves...smell of wood smoke...I love these things.

Mr soop and I packed our lunch and went to eat it with Fergus, the dog I'm minding for a few days. Fergus was anxious to go outside...he barked a lot...turned around and walked back in. He repeated this routine for at least an hour. We return at tea time and then again at bedtime. I shall remain overnight with him. I've a wee list of his night time routine. Apparently, he often wakes in the night and smacks his lips. This is to say, I need a drink of water. I have a special glass on the bedside table. This is to be offered him if he needs it. He drinks from the glass! Tomorrow morning I have a well-heaped basket of ironing to do for my friend. Fergus, will by then, I hope, be less "on edge" and he'll enjoy having company until early afternoon.

Rory is helping Mr soop to sweep up leaves and suchlike. I love watching them from the window. Rory shadows Mr soop. They are very close. Mr soop let it slip the other day when I heard him shispering in R's ear...you're a very fine cat AND I love you.

Granny 23

Granny23

An afternoon of gentle Tai Chi, adapted to be done in my friend's upstairs lounge, very relaxing.

No.2 son is 40 today makes me feel OLD!

Gracesmum sending you lots of patience vibes (and don't forget yourself when all this is going on) and pain relief for Mr.G.

Granny 23 glad you are are feeling better today.

Soop I dog sat one night, didn't get much sleep! Strange house, strange bed and a dog who did not do what she normally does i.e. sleep in her dog basket downstairs! Good luck!

Random act of kindness - the other day, in the huge queue in M&S, a woman turned round and offered me a 20% off token which I gratefully accepted. So a couple of Christmas presents were cheaper than expected. The token was valid until yesterday when I decided it would be a good time to replace my old duvet, so now I have a lovely new one, very cosy, and can be separated into mid-weight and lightweight. As a knock-on effect, I now have a voucher for 25% off clothing today. Do I need anything? Probably not! That kind person helped me more than she knew.

Granny23 and a hug.

I had a wonderful weekend of friendship, food, drink, and even dancing. (Yes, I did dance!) But it takes so long these days to get over it, so I thought I'd give up on dusting and pop in here for some coffee and a natter. Here are some delicious macaroons that I was given, and please help me eat them. I know I can rely on you lot to help out. Ooohhh, my knees...

Can I come into your kitchen? Mine is unusable as it's being redecorated. I decided that might as well have one long period of disruption rather than lots of smaller ones.
While all the sideboards, dressers etc are empty (due to repiping) I'm having the downstairs redecorated. I've redundant speakers on the wall that need to be taken down, also a non working thermostat and marks where the workings for the old stairlift were.

Crikey Galen You've done well to get so much organised so quickly!
How lovely it will be when it's all finished.

Think I will join you to get away from my builder men who are fixing the gutter, and at the moment are throwing down bits of fascia from the top....have been posting on the Today thread but I need a break!

Galen what an upheaval. At least mine is outside!

I'd love to help eat the macaroons. Is there coffee?

Now sitting at computer, have just found that I can't print anything until I get some more ink....it's only the yellow that's run out, and I want to print BLACK....
Tried adjusting the settings. but it won't. !!!

I will stay here and hide my head under a cushion.