Soop's kitchen extension

Soop IRL = in real life ... so I now have an actual batch of chocolatey buns with vanilla icing and all topped off with chocolate buttons. They look too nice to eat, but we may have to tuck a few away as the bun tin won't take them all. It's a hard job but ...

Sorry to hear about Hamish. I grew up with cats and have had several in my adult life, some dearer than others. Lily is an absolute beauty - even though she did bring in a huge blackbird just before tea time! I think having a rescue animal is so rewarding - to see them recover their health and come to trust you is just great and in my experience they seem to go on showing their appreciation.

Well, here's to a good evening ... I am off to the kitchen to count my buns!

It's just one d**n thing after another it seems! <sigh>
Phoned NHS 111 at 10.30, DH had extremely painful left wrist, which had became red, angry and swollen overnight . They were very helpful and I was told he had to be seen "urgently" within 2 hours. He has a weekly blood test at 12 so agreed to go to Hospital walk-in centre "critical care unit" rather than try our GP. We had a 3 hours wait there for a dr. who then wanted DH seen by orthopaedic surgeon in A&E so there we were still waiting , several hours later. Got home at 8.30 . Diagnosed with Cellulitis and his left hand is extremely painful and out of action. His back is also aching after 7 hours on a variety of uncomfortable plastic NHS issue chairs!
He has 2different pretty powerful anti-b's , but being on immunosuppressants, he will need those.
Thank goodness for good friend who has seen to Grace in our absence.
???(feeling fed up.)

How awful for you both. Hug and good wishes for you. Hope you get a good nights sleep.

Oh Alea, what an awful day you`ve both had, I do hope your husband is feeling better soon.

Alea I hope the antibiotics work soon, and I hope your DH has a long enough supply of them. I've had cellulitis twice now and recognised the signs the second time, so it was straight off for an urgent GP appointment (the first time the GP didn't know what it was and phoned the hospital).
I had to take the antibiotics for two weeks, and now keep one week's supply in to start them straight away if I notice a hot red area.

Oh Alea I was going to come into the kitchen today looking for some sympathy as I am suffering from a really bad cold (I was going to sit quietly by the fire feeling sorry for myself) then I read about your poor DH and his troubles again and realise I have no reason to complain. What a long day you had, no wonder you are fed up. Hope things improve soon. Here are some for you and a large ?.

Due to my cold I haven't looked into the kitchen for a few days and have just been catching up on all the lovely photos everyone has been posting. The photos of MacS and Rory were nice Soop. How comfy they look together.

Wot I love your tapestries, especially the one of the yorkie lying in the grass. It looks so much like one of ours it made me smile.

P.S. Alea, I've just realised you might not be able to see exactly what it was I sent you in the above post. It's actually a chocolate donut (in case you were wondering )

Nom, nom, nom!!
I always crave sugar when I am stressed/tired, I suppose it is (just) better than so thank you!

Cakes and milkshakes for you, Alea! Smarties and Maltesers too.

Where else would you want to spend your day when you are feeling bad and in pain than on a NHS plastic chair? I just feel thankful that I have never had to wait that long. Don't you just love it when the nurses stand there chatting? You think if they got on a bit faster the queue might go down a bit!

I know the NHS is a wonderful service but sometimes you need to have a good moan.

Have a nice glass of , but probably not out the bottle I opened on Wed evening. Couldn't understand why I went to sleep after dinner until I looked on the label and found it was 15%, and I had a large glass, did taste nice though.

Really sorry to hear about your bad day alea. I do hope things are better today. Do you like sticky gingerbread? I made some in my breadmaker and it's absolutely skyhigh in calories - but really great tasting. I've cut you a big chompy slice - see if that helps xx

Oh Alea That sounds like a very long and uncomfortable day and ongoing for you DH.

I hope today can at least be a lazy day at home. Hopefully the antibiotics will kick in quickly !!

I sympathise Crafting mine has developed into a full blown cold so I feel your pain !!

Visited my little DGS3 today , he has chicken pox and mummy is hoping DGS4 gets it too! I have had to supply Poorly Bags each day with interesting things in because when you're 4 yrs old every day stuck indoors is torture !!

Oh go with the wine Alea you really to have enough to cope with without depriving yourself.( Well that is always my excuse)
I have been told how very painful cellulitis is so I hope your poor DH gets some relief soon and you get some rest and some peace of mind .

Hope things are a little easier for DH Alea! The cupcakes are lemon meringue and I need help eating them or all 12 will be on my hips by the end of the day!

Have the wine tonight!

Mum was pretty poorly yesterday and, as she had been saying she'd love a whisky, I took a bottle in (not all for Mum obviously!) but it occurred to me that a small tot wouldn't do the residents much harm when they reach Mum's stage. The staff thought it was a good idea and locked it in the dispensary!

Don't think a small tot would do most people any harm kitty! Someone told me recently that drs used to be able to prescribe a tot of brandy for elderly patients. I'm not sure about that, but I do seem to remember that a glass of stout used to be given to elderly patients in hospital (or am I imagining it? ).

Good afternoon dear Kitcheners one and all...I've been catching up with your news.

The care home remains closed to visitors. I popped a card through the door for the lady that I visit. I would hate her to think that I was neglecting her. On Tuesday, another day on which I normally visit, MacSporran has to have CT scan on his lymphatic system. We'll need to go to Oban for the procedure. Oban is in the opposite direction from Campbeltown. I cannot help but be concerned for the elderly residents. It must be rotten to have to deal with a nasty virus when one is already frail.

Alea Dear me, you and your dear husband have been through the mill. You must be exhausted. I hope that the pain and swelling is much less troublesome. I'm also pleased to hear that a good friend called in to feed Grace. One worry less.

Imperfect27 I kept trying to guess what those initials meant. That's clever of you. The thought of your freshly baked buns and Badenkate's sticky gingerbread makes my mouth water.

Crafting I'm sorry to hear that you have a miserable cold. So far, fingers crossed, I've not succumbed. MacS continues to cough heartily.

kitty We took a half bottle of whisky into the care home...our neighbour enjoys a wee dram. The supervisor locks it away, (thank goodness) but a tot before bedtime is permissible.

A few years ago, I scratched my thumb on a rusty gate latch. A week later, I awoke in the night with a pain unlike anything I had previously experienced. The thumb had swelled to double it's normal size. A few days passed and a red line started to creep up my arm. A friend urged us to consult the GP. It was a Sunday night and therefore he came out specially to take a look. I was taken to Oban hospital and put on a drip of antibiotics. It was grade A septicaemia...which started to discolour my arm. Each day a marker pen mapped the progress of the sepsis. It almost reached my arm pit. I was in hospital for nine days. At one point, I felt that ill, I was sure I might die. A very scary experience...and all because of a small cut.

Alea that sounds like a very frustrating day! Those chairs are dreadful! I sat with my son in the MR eye hospital on Tuesday for 4 hours and my back was so painful!
Hope your poor husband is improving, cellulitis is no joke!

Lona I was at Manchester eye hospital last Thursday for angiography, it is not the most welcoming place. I was referred by the consultant at the Alex and it was mostly a waste of time I knew no more after 2 hours than I knew last June when this problem arose. I have been referred on to a regional centre for a further decision. The Dr I saw did not know where geographically that would be. Not much help really.

Lona A four hour wait! Heck! It's a wonder you didn't suffer from severe cramp after waiting that long on an uncomfortable chair.

annsixty On-going hospital visits are no joke. It seems to me that there might be an element of buck-passing. I was assured that I would be referred to another clinic for the rectal hernia on 11th November last year. Our GP has been chasing things up, but we're none the wiser. He now believes that my notes may have gone astray...if so, it won't be the first time. Sometimes I feel like throwing in the towel. Maybe I simply have to live with the condition and count my blessings - of which there are many.

I'm about to log off. The sea is almost flat calm. I can barely see the islands. The easterly wind is a biter. Stay cosy, and I shall call into our kitchen tomorrow for catch-up

For all Granspals with a problem, I send (((hugs))).

Hello all. I'm still alive (I think), just depressed with the dark days of winter, looking forward to spring. However on Thursday we went for a walk at Heybridge Basin and sat on the quayside overlooking the estuary (tide was in for a change) having lunch from the Lock cafe. Amazingly, in the sun it was warm enough for shirt sleeves, luvly. Went to Anglesey Abbey last weekend to see the snowdrops, very odd to see snowdrops and daffs both in full bloom, crazy weather.
I hope all our kitcheners are well. Too many contentious issues atm to venture into the other threads.

A very calming scene pompa. My mind is fizzy and bizzy this morning, so very good to look upon your photo.

pompa! How lovely to see you back here in the kitchen. And what a great picture. Let's hope that spring is really on the way, though it's been coming and going for a while! In my garden, the cornus mas, which usually comes out about this time, is beginning to fade. The snowflakes are beginning to bloom just as the snowdrops are fading. So much has been happening in the kitchen since we last saw you, but perhaps you have been lurking, and know it all already! We all have our ups and downs - perhaps too many downs recently. But your return is a welcome ray of sunshine.

soop that comment about your notes is ridiculous! All NHS records are computerised, so all the relevant somebody has to do is look properly. It makes you despair sometimes!
Nice to see you back pompa I have always meant to go to Anglesey Abbey, ever since I discovered it is actually a doable drive and not on Anglesey
No pictures I am afraid, but a little story to cheer me you up.
I was having a go at the borders yesterday afternoon having not touched the garden since October, so there was a lot to clear. I pulled up some dead ornamental grasses and my hand touched something limp -eek! I don't "do" dead things so I asked our very nice young neighbour if her husband might dispose of it for me. We had a look together and he gave it a little poke - it moved!! A hibernating hedgehog, no doubt well hacked off at being disturbed so I replaced all the ornamental grass etc in a little mound over it and hope it survives these cold nights. Aaah! (DD suggested I take out a fleecy blanket, hottie and cuddly toy today as well. ?)

I'm sure they do it just to confuse us :-

Anglesey Abbey - near Cambridge
Leeds Castle - Kent
Sheffield Park - East Sussex (superb autumn colours)
East/West Mersea - on the River Blackwater

How many others can you add ?

Pompa my dear, it doesn't take much to confuse me!
Several Sandwiches (not just Kent), more than one Ouse, and recently when a friend went down to Dartmouth, she found she was near a Blackpool!

River Dee in Aberdeenshire; and another on England/Wales border
River Don also in Aberdeenshire; another in Yorkshire.