Soop's comfortable and convivial kitchen.

Syn what is an EO bomb. I feel in need of one?

Just wanted to pop in and wish everyone a Happy New Year. ???

Wishing all my GN friends.............. within Soop`s kitchen and out.................... a very Happy and Healthier New Year,may hope prevail and may there be that certain peace within that helps us on to meet these unpleasant moments we all get too often.

You are "Simply the best!!"

Happy New Year everyone. Lovely moment this morning when a neighbour and her partner, who are both in a military band, stood in the middle of our cul-de-sac and played ‘AuldLang Syne’. Everybodies’ windows thrown open, a real neighbourly moment.

Happy 2019 kitcheners one and all!

Delighted to hear that help is in train for you and you DH, Panache, and that things will look up from now on.

Maw your mention of the White Heather Club reminded me how much my mother used to love it. She particularly liked the annual rendition of Three Craws Sett’n on a Wa’’! ?, at which point my father would take himself off to bed, muttering!

We are having a quiet day today after yesterday’s mud fest. DD has been very quiet about the clothes I sent back. I’m not sure if this is a bad sign or a good one! I am not taking steps to find out.

Marydoll it sounds as if you are going to have your maternal hands full! If there is any way in which you think I may be able to help - please bear in mind that I was a pretty hopeless mother so you may wish to look elsewhere!! Will the babes come out with a hangover do you think? Does Big Jim know any lullabies with clean words?

I have just been out to buy some mucho complicato bulbs for our bathroom light fitting and as the covers seemed to have acquired a fur coat I decided to wash them. Problem is, the way they are configured I can’t get all the water out! This is shaping up to be a two cup problem (as I don’t smoke a pipe)(anymore!).

I will look in later and catch up if I have not fused all the electrics!

Dragonfly I am into Essential Oils which is the original more gentle, natural, plant based way of healing but more importantly keeping well. You make a bomb when there is a threatening infection you want to rid yourself of quickly and keep it going every 4 hours until you feel the danger has passed. Even I baulked at the sheer amount the recipe said to put in the capsule but it certainly seems to have helped so I am hoping to see off any infection before tomorrow morning when we set off for home. I wish it had occurred to me to give her an EO bomb when DD was so poorly but we just diffused the oils and put them on the soles of her feet which worked but not as fast as the 'bomb' would have done. At least she has not had to resort to the pharmaceutical antibiotics which we would rather steer clear of. I am using Frankincense, Oregano and the Thieves blend in a capsule for this but it varies according to need. A fascinating subject!

Wow Syn - it sounds amazing. I also avoid antibiotics - had too many as a child so tend not to work on me.
I must look into this as would love to get rid of my cough.

Hi kitcheners, well today is the first of 2019, I wonder what it will bring let’s hope the year is kind to us all.

Now I must go into my own kitchen to cook a late lunch ?

Dragonfly PM me if you wish - always happy to help. Best to leave it until Friday as I will be back home and have had a good night of sleep - hopefully!

A very bright and cheerful and more importantly, healthy, New Year's day to all of you. You lot are quite wonderful. I may have said so on a number of occasions. It does no harm to make certain that you know that I value your friendship. I bless the day I joined Gransnet.

mrshat Lurk ye not. Come on in and enjoy the company. Pull up a chair. I shall pour your a glass of sparkling wine and if I can find any offer you a pick of the chocs from someone elses tempting selection. Sadly, I gave my own away. Tut!

Doodle Wow! Was that really your diaphanous dress that I discovered under a cracker wrapping, behind the sofa? I thought that it had fallen from the fairy on top of the Christmas tree. Surely you didn't feel comfortable in something so brief. As for doing the okey pokey down the street...I failed to mention that I was quite alone. The rest of the party goers were taking turns to sit on big Jim's lap. He didn't mind. He was snoring and his paper hat was well over his eyes. He hadn't a clue what was going on.

Feelingmyage I've not tasted Bru before? Is it a pick-me-up when all else fails? I had a double G&T last night. In bed by 10.30. We still enjoyed a very pleasant, cosy evening by the fireside. In my late teens, I would be out partying until the milk cart trundled down the street. Not now. At last, I'm all growed-up.

Just popped in to wish all the kitchen friends a Happy New Year and very relieved to hear help is finally going to be forthcoming to Mr & Mrs P - independence is a splendid thing but at times like this a helping hand is always welcome.

Ann as others have said your husband is being well cared for now but it must be hard letting go and spending your first NYE on your own - Maw too I did laugh at Hattie's card though - it could have come from Daphne.

Luckygirl thoughts are with you and your husband too - it's a fine line between fearing for the future and wanting the suffering of a loved one to end.

Dragonfly thank goodness there were no broken bones

Izabella your memories of the horses in the surf sounds wonderful. I love to see them but confess to being slightly afraid of such magnificent creatures - as for Mr W with the Shires he'd have been at the other end of the field quicker than them in reality

GreyD I'm not sure what it is with small children and mud We watched the Secret Life of 5 year Olds on Holiday the other night and the holiday rep was trying to entice the group into a mud bath - one little chap was very reluctant but eventually ended up in there with the rest - I dread to think who had to do the washing when they came out but I'm sure it was worth it.

Mr W has now gone home with Alfie as he is back at work tomorrow (Mr W that is - Alfie has given up on his part time job of Bringer of Mice being unable to prevent them escaping) and I am left here to take down the Christmas decorations. I have tested both the washer and the dishwasher this morning for the first time and actually have washing hanging on the washing line. The weather is quite lovely here on the East Coast although I can now see some ominous black clouds building. Having had a very late night bringing in the NY with some friends I'm not tackling the tree dismantling until tomorrow. We played card bingo which was a new one on me but good fun as well as trying to test our TV knowledge with quiz cards. It was the first time in many years we were actually still up at midnight and watched the spectacular fireworks in London.

I hope all those who are feeling unwell have a better day.

I'm away to write the words of a special verse that I like to share at this time of the year. Back soon.

Here is the verse that I feel is most appropriate for the beginning of 2019...

Sometimes by Sheelagh Pugh.

Sometimes things don't go, after all,
from bad to worse. Some years, muscadel
faces down frost, green thrives;
the crops don't fail,
sometimes a man aims high,
and all goes well.

A people sometimes will step back from war;
elect an honest man; decide they care
enough, that they can't leave a stranger poor.
Some men become what they were born for.

Sometimes our best efforts do not go amiss;
somtimes we do as we meant to.
The sun will sometimes melt a field of sorrow
that seemed hard frozen:
may it happen for YOU.

Hi everyone..am not going to come as I have a bad case of the lurgy..so will just look in through the window..
Want to wish each and every one of you a Happy, healthy New Year...let's all raise a glass to 2019 and all that it brings....but as long as we are all here for each other..we will cope with anything..off back to bed now ?

soop - a wonderful poem. A friend sent it to me when life was tough - it meant a huge amount to me. Thanks for posting it.

Did anyone hear Justin Welby's new year message. I thought it was excellent.

Lovely poem and thanks for posting it soop

It is dark. There was a brief sunset, when the sky was flooded with pastel colours. I shall check to see whether or not to share with you tomorrow.

It has been a good day. The care home visit was pleasant. The roads were empty of traffic. I've started a portrait of a Labrador . Not fully happy with the drawing thus far. I'm about to do a second sketch. I never give up.

Tomorrow morning is ironing duty day for my pal. I shall return to catch up with you lovely peoples as soon as I return home.

luckygirl I am so sorry. Somehow in the threads I’m on or in the busy world we live I had completely missed the fact that your DH was so seriously ill. How kind of you to help panache and think of others when you obviously have so many problems of your own. From your post I gather your DH is in a hospice. That must be had to cope with on a day to day basis. I hope this year brings you some peace and somehow a lifting of spirits.

One year ago today my dear brother died. My SIL has coped well probably due to the fact that it was a relief from the Alzheimer’s that destroyed what joy he had in life. For those remembering loved ones today I hope your memories can be more of the happy times spent together than the sadness of loss, although I imagine that will be really hard for many of you.
Peace and good will to all. May 2019 bring a lifting of spirits and joy to your hearts. May the kitchen long continue as a source of comfort to those in need. Soop if you think I’m falling for you doing the okey pokey on your own after your visit to the Argy you’ve got another thing coming

Just popping in to wish all the kitcheners a happy and healthy 2019.

I hope the worries some people have are soon eased.

Thank you all for your support for me and others when needed.

We are having a flurry of visitors over the next few days - Bertie for 2 nights, overlapping with Seb and Hattie for one night and then DD2, her husband and 2 daughters for 2 nights - and if any of them think they are getting clean sheets, they have another think coming!! Then all of us out for lunch on Sunday. Then a loooong lie down, I think.

Blimey kitty you are a glutton for punishment, but what fun there will be. Am I totally muddled or is there a birthday on the horizon? Could be wrong, seem to be all the time around here at the moment . In any case, good luck with the comings and goings.

Was having quiet afternoon until I spied something 'odd' with my email, still fighting with it. Ggrrrr. Oh well, if all else fails I'll get another email address and ask the provider to simply delete the old one. Don't want to though, have had it forever.

A sad anniversary doodle, a hug for you any anyone else who would like one.

Right, onwards with the flipping email. I will prevail.

Thank you corner. It is nice now to think of happy times when my brother was such a wonderful raconteur a quiet gentle man. I do my best to forget the images of his last few months and just hope he was not aware. He was however, despite all we read in the papers, looked after by a wonderful team in the care home and they treated him and my dear SIL so kindly.

Lovely poem soop. Thank you.

A very Happy New Year to all Soop’s kitcheners from all of us over at The Argy.You know you are all welcome there, but many of you are too refined to visit us ( true, we are a bit on the rough side.)However, if you do there will be a free pint of poteen and a comfy chair.

Free booze?
I’m on my way!