SOOP's kindly Kitcheners

Bellasnanna It's still such early days yet. x

soop my mother is 79, she has always looked so young for her age that it came as a shock to see her looking older than her age. She is the same age as my stepfather, who also always looked younger, and he could now pass as her son. I really hope I managed to hide my shock when I saw her.

I am going to buy a couple more grabbers, so that she can have one in her bedroom, one in the bathroom and one in the sitting room. I don't think she will be in the kitchen for a while.

So sorry gagagran, it feels like only yesterday that you acquired your cats.

I have been picking pounds of French beans, giving away 'marrows' and squashes the size of a baby's head, have picked 4lbs of raspberries and merely glanced at the bolting spinach and lettuces. The tomatoes and all else will have to wait until tomorrow, it really doesn't pay to leave a vegetable garden at this time of year.

Thank you both for your kind thoughts. We don't think we should always have a plan B in case our plans don't pan out and then when they don't, we have to rethink our lives at a time when we are at our most vulnerable.

And soop

bella for you too. You are often in my thoughts.

Sorry to hear your sad news, gaga

annsixty I hope it doesn't happen to you. I never gave it a thought either but here I am a widow at 59 trying to figure out where I go from here. I will manage somehow, but I do wish we had thought things through 'just in case' as it would have made things easier now the unthinkable has happened

Gagagran my condolences both on the loss of your sister and your cats. I hadn't seen your post until now and I really am so sorry to hear your sad news.

annsixty please, you must not hide your head in the sand and hope that it never happens. It may not but you must have plan B available. There must be others in a similar position who found a way around it. Have you considered opening a separate thread about this horrid subject?

soop I so identify with your worries about being left. If my DH has to go into care I could certainly not be able to stay in my home. Our income would all go to his care as he would be self funding and I would not have enough income to manage. As I am already 78 working would not be an option!!
I do shut my mind to it which is not what I normally do, but as I can't do anything to change the situation I ignore it and hope it will never happen.

Tara sits in the middle of the road to wash herself. No problem now as her hearing is acute but I do worry for later years. Also we live in a mews so there is not a great flow of traffic.

She is so used to me walking round the house sometimes with a crutch and then she decides to sit down in front of me to have yet another wash expecting me to leap over her. As she is living here rent free she can do a bit of moving. She also likes to stretch outright in front of a doorway for a snooze. It cannot be comfortable because I have temporarily removed every rug so she is lying on the hard laminate upstairs and down.

I still would miss her to bits if anything happened to her and I do worry as any parent would, where she is.

I'm away to enjoy a much needed G&T. Love to you all.

Gaga I'm so very sorry to hear your sad news. I was wondering why you seem not to be visiting us lately. I hope that you have had the support you deserve.

annsixty I'm afraid that cats do have a tendency to shoot across a road. Rory was often seen strolling along the verge between here and the village (three miles away). That was before he moved in with us. MacSporran likes to know exactly where he is these days. Having said that, Rory never ventures very far from MacS's side when they are outdoors.

Charleygirl Your post made me

Bella I know for certain that I could not be able to manage our home and garden in the absence of MacSporran. It is something that I often dwell on and it makes me sad. We have gone down the equity release route...needs must...and, should the time come when either of us needs to sell our property, it will be worth an awful lot less than it might have. I then think...what would I do? Where would I go? How will I manage? It has been one of "those days".

Hi Charley - yes he did stop and apologise but it was dusk and she dived across the road like a black arrow and he had no chance (even though he was going too fast). She didn't suffer as we think she broke her neck. DH found a nice spot for her in the garden and buried her.

So cherish your little furry girl and enjoy her whilst she's with you - it is such a loss when they depart.

Hope you are improving and feeling a bit more mobile - don't trip over the minx whatever you do!

Sincere condolences Gagagran on the loss of your sister and also your cats. I well remember your posts when you adopted them. My DD's kittens are 6 months old now and are ready to go out, having had their last vaccinations last week. They are very reluctant to let them out for the very reason you describe but I have said they need to go ,it isn't right to keep them confined to the house.

Gagagran you must miss Bella and Tinker so much and I can understand why you cannot think of giving another cat a home at present. Did "white van man" stop?

My minx is acting like a part time lodger who would probably spend more time indoors than she does. Out for 10 hours, food, litter tray and then bed. Where she goes and what she does I have no idea but the baggage came home at nearly 10.30pm last night. She prefers the litter tray to the great outdoors. Although I live in the outskirts of London we are surrounded by greenery.

The cats are gorgeous- both enjoying what they do best.

I do hope that the house is sold soon- it is very frustrating when you are strung along- many people do not care.

I am waiting for a Sainsbury delivery, ever hopeful but not counting on it that there will be sufficient food in stock for supper tonight.

Yes, J and R do look similar and very well fed

I will not be leaving Malta, just moving to a smaller, more manageable house. That's if I ever manage to sell the one I have. Hopefully, when the time is right, someone will buy it.

Good afternoon everyone - lovely to see the pictures of the furry boys.

I have been meaning to tell you about the sad loss of both our rescue cats - Bella and Tinker. Bella got run over by a speeding white van and Tinker pined away - we thought from losing her friend but it turned out to be a kidney disease and she had to be put to sleep. I can't cope with going through that again so we are staying catless - at least for the time being. My sister dies suddenly in June also so we have had some teary times this year.

Hey ho, as Bags would say. Life goes on. Can only just talk about it!

Hello Lona I trust that the sun is shining for you. x

Bella the right person will come along for your house. Are you planning to stay in the same area?

Dear Bella You never need to apologise for feeling sad. As for the house sale that nearly was, that must be awfully frustrating for you. Will you be remaining on Malta? Or, do you plan to live elsewhere? I wish that you weren't so far away.

Jasper looks very like Rory. Possibly plumper? Both are handsome boys.

Forgot to attach photo of the lovely Jasper, my sister's 17 year-old cat. He is a sweetheart and very much rules the roost. I think he and Rory are similar characters

Hello soop and everyone. I have just been catching up on what you are all up to.

janer what a good daughter you are. I'm sure your mum was pleased to see you, and you seem to have thought of everything which might help make life a little easier for her. I'm sorry she is so unwell

soop that is such a sad tale of your dear neighbours and I can see how the ragged flag is a poignant reminder of how quickly life can change. Sending you a big (((hug)))

I'm feeling gloomy today. My poor sister is not well most of the time due to the side effects of her treatment, so we are marooned at home for much of the time.
Also, I had been hoping that the house in Malta might have got a buyer, but she has decided against it after stringing me along for some time, during which I had an offer that I turned down. It was a bit lower than I had hoped for, but am now wishing I had taken it. Always 20/20 vision with hindsight.

It is almost three months since DH died. I still can't really believe it and miss him so, so much

Sorry I am not very cheerful today. Sending and to all you kindly kitcheners xx

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A beautifully sunny good afternoon to all our Kitcheners...

Charleygirl I have no idea whether or not I need to "eat my hat"...where did that phrase originate? I'm willing to bet that Elegran knows.

janer Your visit to your mother must have been like a tonic. You have obviously thought of many useful aids to enable her to be a little more active. How very sad that she is so poorly. What age is she? I'm intrigued to hear about your daughter's diet. It must have been a relief to see that she looks much improved. How much longer will she need to wait until the result of the test is known?

We delivered our neighbour's Sunday paper earlier today. He has a form of dementia and has four carers visit him daily. We spent a very happy Boxing Day with him and his wife, her twin brother and his wife. His wife died recently, just weeks before their second wedding anniversary. Her twin had a serious of strokes and is now in the care home. Our neighbour's mental health has rapidly deteriorated. He was diagnosed with dementia not so very long ago, having blacked-out as he drove his car. As we left his home, I noticed that the flag that has flown proudly by his gate post, is almost in tatters. The sight of it was distressing.

Just back from soggy Sussex, my mother is really bad but she was so pleased that I disobeyed her and turned up. I bought her all sorts of things, like a grabber and a stool for sitting in the shower, books and flowers and chocolates. She just felt too tired to be able to entertain, and hated to be seen looking ill. She is living on a diet of morphine and complan. She seems to think her bones will heal up again, as they did last time. I do hope she is right, I also bought her a long-handled rose pruner because she cried when she saw her roses dying outside and couldn't do anything about it. She can at least reach out of the window now and do the nearest ones, but she can't walk far, only to the bathroom and back, as yet. She is so thin. My daughter however is looking amazing. She has been told to stay on a boiled veg and actimel diet until they have pinpointed what is wrong, and now I am wondering if all vegans look so good!

I spent five whole day down there, seeing her every other day, and went to Nyman's and Wakehurst in between, which was great but oh heavens was the weather foul. There was flooding everywhere.

Love the red boots! I love Hotter actually, I found them a couple of years ago when I broke a bone in my foot at a funeral in Cornwall , I turned it in a grave, and found that stout walking boots and Hotter were the answer to being able to get around for the rest of the week.

I'm all agog. What happened Soop did you eat your hat ( virtual of course)??