Soop's Kindly Kitcheners

Hi Bogoff, you are very welcome and soop's kitchen, in all its many incarnations, is a friendly place. We have loads of [cupcakes] and so please help yourself. Where do you live? You might be advised to stay in the kitchen for a while as there is all hell breaking loose on some of the other threads.

I had a PM from 'pompa' too and I'm afraid it looks unlikely that he will come back but, if he lurks, he will know that most of us will miss him.

I'm sorry pompa has decided to call it a day. Maybe he will re-join us in the kitchen at some time in the future.

It is 28C here today so I have had to dig out some summer clothes, only to find that none of my linen trousers fit me any more. I have lost rather too much weight with all the goings on in my family.

DH is still in hospital. They took him for an ultrasound at 11.30pm on Friday night as he had a bad pain in his leg, which turned out to be another blood clot. So Saturday morning he had a procedure to insert a filter of some sort to catch the clots.

He has been very sad and I know he is feeling scared of what's to come, bless him. I am off to visit shortly. Wish I had made a note of what it has cost to park at the hospital all these times. There are no concessions for cancer patients, disabled or whatever. You just have to pay it.

Yesterday, I managed a quick hour or two at a friend's lunch party which she had organized to get together a group of us who were members of our own 'Mothers' Union' (as we called it) back when our children were growing up.
Being in a foreign country made a lot of us who were 'ex-pats' gravitate towards each other, but we also had Maltese mums in our group.

Lovely to remember the halcyon days when we used to get together at least once a week, and to catch up with what everyone is doing now.

Am babysitting DGD but her Mum should soon be back from work so I shall be off to the hospital to see DH.

Hope you all have a relaxing Sunday

Bellasnana - hope your OH is feeling better soon.

Thank you for the welcome. BOGOFF , We have 2 children plus they have 2 children each (well nearly) hence Buy One, Get One For Free. Cakes, not much good in the kitchen when it comes to cooking, good at taste testing though.

Welcome Bogoff

Bellasnana having to pay charges in hospital car parks is immoral IMO. My best wishes to your DH. Good hear you managed to gets some time with your old friends, that's a tonic isn't it?

May I just quietly pop my head round the kitchen door? Hallo. I'm also new to GN. About two weeks now. I have contributed to and visited various forums but have been shot down for criticising a very rude - in my opinion - person, and have been amazed at the level of insults directed at some posters and exchanged between others. It doesn't make pleasant reading and when not being nasty on one particular blog the regulars revert to four pages of trivia about how to get emoticons on screen. I won't grumble any more but will just leave them to their rants and visit some of the more enlightened blogs. I had not realised gransnet could sink to such depths though and then I found the kitcheners and thought what a nice group you sounded. I will just pop in now and then. If that's ok. I, too, wrote on a mainline thread in defence of pompa. What a shame he felt he had to go.
I don't often make cakes but have brought a panettone to share. Its Italian and delicious. Please try some with your tea.
I live in The South East and envy Soop her lovely part of the UK though I gather the weathers not too good.
Apologies to Bellasnana for having a similar name. I can't do much about that now. So sorry about your husband BN. Mine too has had a few years of ill health and we lurch from one problem to the next. Visiting is really tiring too, maybe it's the heat on the wards, I don't know, and it's disgraceful that you have to pay at all to park
Just off to the shops before they shut. Thank you for accepting me and I know I won't have to don my tin hat. Not that I've got one! x

We have two local hospitals, one you have to pay up front and guess how long you will be, so you always over pay. At least the other you pay on exit so don't have to guess, and surprise surprise you get 1/2 hour free.

The first minute at our local hospital is £3.50! After an hour it goes up exponentially - if you have to wait for your appointment the cost can soar. It has been a source of some anger in the locality, as the profit goes to a parking company and not to help the hospital.

I believe there is some arrangement if you are a pregnant father or they would need to take out a mortgage!

Pregnant father !!! They should pay him to park.

Bogoff I lurve your name! Warm welcomes from us lovely lot...

Welcome Bellanonna Our mantra is...the more, the merrier. And, since you are thoughtful enough to treat us lot to panettone (not that we greedy) I shall offer you the chaise together with a plumped-up tartan cushion. Enjoy the view over the sea.

Dear Bella Sigh! I am thankful that at this trying time, you have the welcome diversion of minding your cherished granddaughter. Not a day passes when you are not in my thoughts.

I shall return anon...

Welcome Bogoff- we are a friendly group and we do spend a lot of time in the kitchen feeding our faces with scrumptuous cakes and after 5pm that is when the corkscrew is found! I am a cat lover, Rory knows it and takes takes advantage of me by requesting strokes whenever I sit next to him.

There are also meetups in several parts of the country= just keep a beady eye open for your neck of the woods!

Just had an interesting phone call. In our local paper was an article by a woman researching her family, but had come up against a brick wall because she could not find ant evidence of brewery in our village which was rumoured in her research, she gave a phone number for any information.
We live on the site of the old brewery, have some of the history in our house deeds and some old photos of the brewery. She was over the moon and is visiting us tomorrow to see the site and our documents, we were also able to give her information on a house she was trying to find, it was built on the site of the brewery and demolished to build our house.

Thank you Soop. I'm relaxing in the chaise and enjoying those lovely views which will last longer than down here in the south. Got to pop my own cork in a mo as DH a I about to eat. Again, thanks for the welcome to your lovely kitchen!

Many welcomes Bogoff and Bellanonna!

Bellasnana, I can sympathise with you regarding the cost of hospital parking. After over 10 weeks in hospital, and there being quite a few of us in the family, I dread to think of how much we`ve paid between us all over those 10 weeks! It`s £1.40 up to an hour, then even if you`re a couple of minutes over it jumps to £3.40 up to 3 hours, then it`s £4.40 for 6 hours, not sure after that. Even blue badge carriers have to pay, but it`s much less, £1.50 for however long you are there.

It was absolutely pouring down when I got up this morning, then it fined up later, now it`s sunny and 18 degrees.

I do hope that Pompa changes his mind and comes back to us, he`ll be sadly missed. I haven`t seen the thread where he was got at, must be one I don`t read.

You are most welcome, Bellanonna I am looking forward to my Sunday evening G&T. Not too long to wait. I always feel that anytime around 5.45 is decent...

Bogoff What a marvellous coincidence. You will no doubt enjoy treating your visitor to a most informative visit. Please tell us all about it.

Wow! Stuart Bingham 4 frames and ditto Shaun Murphy. A clever, tactical game. Thoroughly enjoyed the session.

I'm away doing my pal's ironing tomorrow morning. Her husband is away to a golf tournament on Tuesday. He needs several freshly pressed outfits for the event. I shall pop in tomorrow afternoon, by which time I hope to hear that a certain baby has arrived.

Have just seen your post number (((hugs)))

Hey, let's not "knock" the "regulars" (whoever they may be) Bellanonna or that illuminating 4 page smiley tutorial. It made a pleasant diversion from all that stuff that was going on. It is an unwritten rule that Soops Kitchen is a controversy-free zone so words such as "rant", "insult" and "depths" shouldn't need to feature in our kitchen vocabulary.
There is nothing wrong with "trivia" on the other hand, as long as we do not view it negatively.

(Thank you Elegran and Ana for teaching me that one )

Bellanonna Welcome! You did happen to arrive to a particularly heated row discussion. It's not always like that!

I found the diversion to the subject of icons was quite welcome and something of an escape from the furor going on. This can happen when all energy to pursue the original subject has begun to wane.

A number of threads get slightly side tracked and wander off at a tangent as do lots of ordinary comversations. At times resorting to bit of a siliness is theraputic. You will get used to these oddities.

Soop's kitchen has wonderful views from the window and a once violent feral cat called Rory.
All food is "virtual" and calorie free.

No need to apologise, Bellanonna. I realised soon after I joined that there was a Bellesnan and I felt bad for not having picked a more unusual name. However, as long as we know who's who, what does it matter.

Welcome to the kitchen ( you too, Bogoff) I lurked on the threshold for ages before being brave enough to sidle in, but I'm so glad I did. Such wonderful, supportive Granspals who have helped me get through some very trying times, and the high spot of last year was actually meeting Galen in person.

Hope you enjoy Gransnet

Feel very cheated, NO ONE told me that the food here was calorie free !!! that's like a rose that doesn't smell. Give me a Victoria sandwich, lots of jam, cream & CALORIES

Coming right up Bogoff and a big welcome to you and to Bellanonna to this haven of warmth and friendship and kindness. Our soop is a wonderful hostess and I am sure you will find your way here time and again.

Meanwhile, the Victoria sandwich with jam and cream in on the table - help yourselves everyone! I had the oven warm from baking SPECIAL muffins for the Tintagel party tomorrow so made the cake to oblige.

Thank you everyone. Soutra I did note your comment on THAT other thread and have now learnt the protocol. Put it down to beginners' ignorance. I enjoyed your Freudian slip comment. Btw Bellanonna = beautiful grandma. Yes I'm a granny. Nelliemoser, I spose the icon stuff was quite funny. Just jealous cos I can't do them. It's nice to be in the kitchen and the views are wonderful. Hope you all enjoyed the panettone. Just been on a short bluebell walk. Nature is wonderful at the moment. All that blossom and birdsong. Catch you again soon.

Just taken an evening walk (well- limp!) down our lane and it is sublime, in spite of the grey sky. The bluebells are out in the verges, the hedges and trees are that wonderful new-green of early summer and the sound of the birdsong is stunning.

I received a Sainsbury's on line delivery late afternoon and they have surpassed themselves this time with 11 items missing. Apparently the items were in the store (milk, I would jolly well hope so!) the picker did not appear to bother. I have been given a £10 evoucher and with luck the missing items will be coming tomorrow but in my present mood I feel like driving to the store tomorrow and giving my tuppence worth to the manager. It is a case of how to lose customers without really trying.

The lady i spoke to said that she would have to deliver them tonight and that would mean going home to collect her car, returning to the store, picking the items and delivering them at some ungodly hour tonight. I did not want to be inconvenienced any more, hence the delivery, I hope tomorrow.

I will spend the evoucher and that will be my last delivery.

A very recent TV program (forget which one) reviewed on-line grocery deliveries. As I remember Sainsburys came out poorly whilst Tesco came out best. We have used Tesco many times and never been disappointed. Occasionally, out of stock items have been acceptably substituted and if more expensive, not charged for. If items have been on offer since our order they have been reduced.