Soop's welcoming and supportive kitchen

Overthehills I really do dislike "that man". Children are good at making their feelings felt. Good for you dear granddaughter. Mum's the word.

anno Yes! When I was a new mum I was forever looking forward to the next stage. It's a pity. Every moment counts. No need to wish time to hurry on by.

Izabella Had the spider been big, I would have gone into a stupor. I have an awful, irrational fear of spiders. I do not kill them. I persuade MacSporran to do the decent thing and remove them from the house so that they can enjoy the fresh air.

Oh dear soop not a pleasant experience for you. We had the biggest blackest one yet last night, and oh boy could it jump! Every time I tried to catch it, off it jumped. Never seen anything like it. Took me several minutes to get the better of it.

Greyduster, your trip to Meadowhall sounds like my idea of Hell. I very rarely go to the Trafford Centre nowadays for that very reason. I'm glad you have finally got the camera you wanted. It will be fun (and occasionally frustrating?) working out how to get the best out of it. We hope for a gallery of lovely shots from you.
Soop, what an unpleasant experience! I can cope with spiders, but preferably not swimming in my water glass.
Eeugh!
Lovely pictures of babies. How quickly they do grow! I sometimes wish mine were still at that stage, but when they are, don't we always wait eagerly for the next phase of development - standing, walking, talking, potty training...?

So many lovely photos, thankyou all! Our niece on Skye is very pregnant but very happy and amazingly energetic!
That spider Soop - yuck!
Take care Panache, keeping everything crossed for the house sale.
I’m sorry not to reply to all of you, it’s so lovely to be in the kitchen with all of you but I never seem to have the time to respond properly.
We had another incident with “that man” last night. He simply turned up on DD’s doorstep with DGD who wanted her mummy and wouldn’t be persuaded by him and his partner to stay with them. And they did try to persuade her - “why do you want to go home to Mummy when you have so much more fun with us” ... Their idea of fun is to take her shopping or let her look after their two babies. I think DGD was really brave to stick to her guns that she wanted to go home to Mummy. I was in town today worried all the time that I’d bump into him and partner and be on the receiving end of abuse.
On the bright side DH is at the hospital getting his machine - keep your fingers crossed everybody!

? eek! Soop
No repeatable comment!

I shall do my very best to catch up with you lovely lot a little later. A busy day ahead.

By the way, there has been no further sign of the tabby cat. The outside light was triggered in the early hours. I went to the window. No sign of a visitor to the chalet. Bowl of food remained untouched at breakfast time.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201811/medium-786112-45132939-1892349647550556-171655557759893504-n.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201811/medium-236753-teddy-in-his-halloween-costume-i-wonder-what-hes-thinking-.jpg

Awww! Miss Ella looks well chilled. Thank you for sharing, N&G

Here is Teddy dressed as a pumpkin. I think that he's contemplating the meaning of life.

Panache my man sleeps for England too, and I am frequently awake in the dark hours - it is rarely the other way around; but as long as one of us is getting his full quota, I take that as a positive for both of us, but I’m sure that you, like me, worry about him overdoing it. My son calls DH the Duracell Bunny, but his batteries are not what they were a year or two ago. He is seventy five going on twelve most of the time, but age is catching up with Peter Pan!

Talking of tiredness, we eventually made it to Meadowhall yesterday at about eleven thirty in the morning and were home for half past two, having had lunch in between. It was a one stop shopping trip. I was completely exhausted. I know now that I couldn’t spend a whole day there like some folks do, even though the shops are lovely and interesting. It was very crowded by early afternoon, and we got lost twice trying to find the same shop we had been in before lunch!! It being half term didn’t help. I said to DH “The last time we were here you felt so ill we had to leave early.” “Yes,” he said. “I remember. I think it was caused by my wallet leaking!”

Callgirl I hope you’re feeling better after your impromptu exertions. I used to be able to walk to my hairdresser’s before we moved. Now it would probably take me days! It would be quicker to walk to DD’s and beg a lift! I have to get my hair cut this afternoon. I love a good haircut.

We also have to go and stock up DD’s fridge with some essentials as they are due back from holiday tomorrow sometime and after an eight hour flight I don’t suppose they will want to go shopping. I wouldn’t.

I will look in later, folks.

Morning all,

From a wet and windy Norfolk. Spent a LONG 10 hours in the car yesterday to see Miss Ella ( see picture of her dressed in one of the outfits we took !) It was lovely to see her and get some serious cuddling in !!

So we're running on empty today. Time for a catch up.

Soop that was a horrible spider experience. I take a bottle of water to bed these days with a sports top.... no spider is getting in there !!! How quickly Mila is growing ! Seems like only yesterday she was tiny.

Good news about a potential buyer Panache , keeping all my fingers crossed.

Hope you're not as shattered as you expected today Callgirl .

Looking forward to seeing how the new camera works grey all you need is some nice weather to get out there and use it.

I stopped having the flu jab Harrigran for those very reasons despite the nurse telling me endlessly I couldn't get sick from it , it was too much of a co-incidence three years on the trot. But I bit the bullet this year and had it done a week ago, with little or no swelling and no sickness. So maybe its different or maybe I imagined it ;-)

Sorry you're poorly kitty , get well soon.

Sam blotted his copybook yesterday with his first day with the dog sitter. She arrived at 1pm to find he had had an accident in the orangery ( as near to the door as he could get it !!) . Turns out he had a poorly tunny , otherwise he would not have done so. She, bless her, simply cleared it up, then messaged me to tell me and sent pictures of him gallivanting with his friend Ratty in the garden. She is definitely a keeper and Sam will be purchasing her a box of chocolates from his pocket money as clearing up after poorly pooches is not what we asked her to do.

Have a good day all !!

In the early hours, I took a long drink of water from the tumbler beside the bed. Reached the bottom and felt something akin to cotton wool in my mouth. Spat it back into the glass. Put the light on and saw a spider doing the crawl along the bottom of the glass. Wanted to scream. Didn't. Not a pleasant experience for an arachnophobe.

Fennel Thank you. The doctor and nurse have used the very dressing. Sar53 Yes, the skin as one matures most definitely becomes more fragile.

Jud I too am hoping that your husband will be feeling better soon. The care home that we visit is closed due to the Noravirus. Apparently, it is expected to re-open next week.
Georgie looks in tip top form.

Panache Yet more gentle (((hugs))) for you and your dear husband.

Here is a photo of our great granddaughter, Mila. That smile is contagious.

Dear Kitchen people ...... I thank you all for your consideration towards my tiredness and indeed my dear man`s being over stretched ..........it is a real conundrum.

My sleep is truly negligible and my eyes are hanging out for most of the day,I get plenty of bodily rest but of course I am forever computing......but you see with all the worries mounting in the back ground .....it really is partly to relieve my mind.
Quite frankly I am in a no win situation,simple as that.

My man sleeps almost a solid 8 hours or more,but yes he has so much to contend with,certain things we dare not leave slip because it would seem we MAY have a purchaser standing in the wings and that we cannot dare let go again.
It probably will be in the New year but even so the pressure is on.

So to satisfy you Charley Doodle and Corner.....I will take your point and try at least to cut back,although you are asking almost the impossible........but I take it you mean well.

A lovely sun filled day kicking off November, and here`s wishing you all blessings galore,whilst all those struggling may you find the strength and peace to cope.

Hope you are not paying the price for your long walk yesterday Callgirl and can rest up.

PS GreyD, nearly forgot, good luck learning the new camera!

I`m making a habit of being late these days, aren`t I? Today my excuse is that I was out this afternoon having my hair done, and as I couldn`t get a taxi home, I had to walk, it took me ages, and has kn-----ed me up for, I think, at least a week.
Sorry about your cold GreyD, they`re miserable things, especially at night when you lie down in bed for some blessed sleep, and are immediately bunged up for England!
GrannyQ, thank you for the lovely photos, particularly the gorgeous butterfly. Strange how much I love butterflies, but moths terrify me.
MawB, lovely pic of little Flynn as a ghost, but I agree with others, he looks a sad little ghost, cute, but sad.
Jud, thank you for the latest pic of the lovely Georgie, she has such a sweet little face.
Soop, I hope that MacS`s arm heals up without causing him too many problems, especially with his birthday looming.
Oh dear Corner, just when you thought you were safe for a while!
Panache, much as I love reading your brilliant posts, please don`t over tax yourself, you need to take care, Mr. Panache as well.
Ann, I hope you had a peaceful evening, and a good night.
Apologies to anyone I`ve missed out.

No reaction here from this years flu jab galen, not even a sore arm between us.

Another busy kitchen day. Hope your cold departs rapidly greyd, miserable things are colds. Plumbing improvements are good though , sounding hopeful. Won’t be long now

I’m with charley, you getting enough rest panache? Sounds as if you may be pushing yourself a bit. Please don’t overdo it.

Did Flynn enjoy today maw? He surely looked the part.

Beautiful photos grannyq, I’m a big butterfly fan, fascinated by them. Beautiful creatures. Weve our elder granddaughter for a day at the weekend without her little sister. “What would you like to do?” Quick as a flash “Sleep!” Says it all really. .

Your table sounds not only beautiful but usefull too ann, a good result. We never get Halloween visitors here, I sort of miss them, or the little ones, not sorry to have no older ones lurking outside. Can understand you opting out.

Pleased macs is being well looked after soop, enjoy your new painting, can we see when its done?

More tooth ups and downs today. X-ray accomplished, looks straightforward according to the dentist, new temporary filling installed. The bad news was a 3 month wait for the dental hospital. Oh well, the new filling should hold. Two hours later the new filling left me. Oops. Guess where I’m going tomorrow? Thank goodness for a helpful and sympathetic dental receptionist. Had to laugh, what else was there to do? .

Fed up with the weather. Full of hiraeth for the Med!

soop I did exactly what mcsporan did on his forearm, not once but twice. Back in the long hot summer we had all our doors wide open indoors and I caught my right forearm on the bathroom door handle, peeled the skin back, lots of blood. A week later I did exactly the same thing to my left forearm. This time a lot deeper. They both took ages to heal and have both left noticeable scars. I think my skin is a lot thinner as I've got older. Hope mcs heals quickly.

greyduster poor you. Hope you get rid of the dreaded germs soon.
corner I do hope you get that tooth dealt with soon.
maw what a lovely little ghost. I am so pleased to see that safety first features and Flynn is wearing his helmet ?
panache you amaze me with your continued posting despite being so worn out. Hope you have a better night tonight.
galen DH and I have both had our flu jabs and my SIL. No adverse effects to report from any of us.
overthehills glad you had a good trip. Never been to Skye myself but it sounds lovely.
Hello jud what a lovely little face Georgie has.
Well soop sounds as though I will have to bubble wrap McSporran as well as you. Please take care both.
Wishing everyone a peaceful and undisturbed nights sleep.

Alas, Izabella, I sorted a camera out today, but it’s always worth saving the information for the future. Thank you. It should serve me well when I learn how to use it - that in itself should keep me busy for some time as I am a bear of very little brain!?. I’ve never had borscht; I shall partake of a little in the interests of culinary research! I even have some soured cream!

Jud I hope your DH is better soon. I envy anyone up to their eyes in grandchildren this week - I am getting withdrawal symptoms now! Georgie looks well!

We have to wait until next week for our flu jabs - the latest we have ever been booked in for them. It will be a jolly day for me - a hospital appointment in the morning and flu jabs in the afternoon! My cup runneth over.

soop - your husband's arm wound.
There are special dressings you can get for this, that don't stick and can be left on for several days.
www.bowersmedical.com/online-catalogue-product/smith-and-nephew-allevyn%E2%97%8A-gentle-border-foam-dressing/
They're expensive, but worth it, imo.

harrigan he probably picked up a bug when he went out for the vaccine. Faecal spread so someone had not washed their hands somewhere along the line. Hand to mouth spread so dirty door knobs etc.etc. A flu vaccine cannot give you the trots. I certainly hope things are abating. So draining.

Commiserations to Maw. I along with others have read goings on elsewhere with disbelief - and the usual kind thoughts to everyone else.

GD regarding cameras. If you ever venture to the British Museum there is a wonderful independent camera shop very near to it indeed. Well worth a special trip, they gentleman is extremely well versed in the right camera for the right person for the right situation and level of expertise.

A supply of home made borscht is next to the aga if anyone wishes to indulge. It should keep until tomorrow if I have popped in too late for today.

Soop all these lovely paintings, you are so talented.

Passing through at great speed but just wanted to commiserate with you Maw ! Not everyone outside the Kitchen is kind and supportive. I posted asking for advice a few weeks ago and wished I hadn't. It just takes one to undercut confidence. Better to stay warm and supported in here.

Sorry folks. Up to the eyes with grandchildren and not quite well husband. But big hugs to all. And snuffles from Georgie.

Regarding the flu vaccine, DH was really ill this year he thought he had mild flu and he got diarrhoea which lasted five days. Everybody I mention this too says it is absolutely not possible to react like this. I was okay but had very sore arm which was a relief because my first flu jab put me in bed for three days.