Soop's comfortable and convivial kitchen.

Hello lovely peoples and thank you, Baggs for the batch of your famous flapjacks. We promise not to fight over them. I've put two to one side. Never do things by halves.

I went to the care home with my pal. I was also able to visit the pharmacy in Campbeltown and had a chat with the man in charge. MacSporran had so little sleep last night. It was cough, cough, cough. I purchsed two bottles of what the pharmacist recommended. Hopefull, he'll enjoy a more restful sleep tonight.

Happy birthday, dear kitty and best wishes to your husband.

GrannyGravy Although frustrating, at least the tiler was thoughtful enough to confirm that he will be with you. It's the waiting in for someone who doesn't show, that is unreasonable. You are lucky to have a Sainsbury's in your area. I always consider that store to be top of the list of best supermarkets.

Nannytopsy* Stay warm and relax. Your ailment is a buggeration for sure. There is a lot of "it" around.

Charleyg You are wise to keep your plumber to yourself. Treat him gently.

I must be lucky because my plumber is arriving at 10am on Monday and he will be there at that time. I am keeping him to myself. Some I have noticed cannot even give a day of the week which is even worse.

Still wobbly this morning, rest easy charley. Mr C is proving himself to be an admirable nurse, he knows I don’t do well with fuss and so simply provides endless cups of tea, offers food now and again and leaves me in peace. He’s a star, no matter what else I may mutter about him

Popped in to wish kitty a very happy birthday in spite of the hospital interruption. My best wishes to Mr Lester. Hope you can both relax and enjoy the rest of the day.

Is macs any better today soop? Hope today is brighter for you both.

Get well soon nannyt and anyone else feeling poorly. Tradesmen eh grannyg? I have always thought there’s a training school somewhere teaching them how not to tell the time and how to annoy customers by lack of communication. Asked a friend who is a builder, he laughed, said its part of the apprenticeship .

Right, back for a nap for me. Take care everyone.

Just popped in to moan, we have had a text from bathroom tiler “will be with you mid - late morning”!!!! Grrr why not say an approximate time.

Now waiting in before I can go to Sainsbury’s

Happy Birthday Kitty ??

Hope all poorly kitcheners and mr. kitcheners are comfortable and on the mend - keep warm and take the medication x

Just popping in to say very best wishes to kitty's DH and to her of course.
Back later.

Good luck tomorrow Lesters! DH and I have the Russian ailment , the Chestikov, but his got worse and he is now on antibiotics. We are coughing our way around the cafes and estate agents of Suffolk!
Ann I used to drive for an hour or more through the worst bit of the M6 to see Mum and then drive home, often in tears. I came to realise after a point that she was no longer aware anyone was in the room, even if I held her hand. After that, I felt less guilty for not visiting so often. On the other hand, I will not forgive the home who told my brother, less than an hour before she died, that she had been deteriorating over three or four days. Don’t feel guilty but treat it as a bonus if your DH is awake.

Izabella I do not have a lurgy- mine is bone idleness or in my case, old age. I am not cold- the heating has been on since I woke up this morning- I do not like being cold either in or out of bed.

I think it is bedtime now.

Thank you for your kind messages to MacSporran. He has rested throughout the day. Most unlike him. He enjoys being busy.

Also thank you for helping me to keep my spirits buoyant. I felt a tad sorry for myself earlier. That was selfish of me. I appreciate how much more serious are the worries and health issues that so many of my Granspals deal with on a longtime basis. Bless you all.

It will be up to six weeks before I get an appointment for the pre op' assessment. After which, I shall get a date for surgery.
I understand how fortunate I am to have the marvellous benefits of the NHS. Aren't we all.

Wishing you all a peaceful evening. I fully intend catching up with you tomorrow.

Ooooh flapjack! Always worth stopping by for a piece of the virtuals. Thank you Baggs . Like you I can never keep up with events in the kitchen The footfall is always on the up and up. Suffice to say my thoughts are with all.

Like you Charleygirl I seem to have spent an inordinate amount of time snoozing this afternoon, and cannot get warm for the life of me. From a woman who has team and individual golds for hot flushing, this is a bit weird to say the least. Strange thing this lurgy

corner sorry to hear you are not feeling well. If Mr.C can make something edible in the kitchen he may be able to look after you.

N&G I love Cooper's jacket- is it a new one?

I agree, MacSporran is not allowed to be ill.

I will also keep my fingers crossed for Mr. Lester tomorrow.

All those feeling proper poorly should have an early night and then be up fresh as a daisy tomorrow.

I hope I sleep tonight because I appear to have snoozed most of the afternoon away. Is this old age because I never used to do it.

Man, Torben`s not a nan!!

May I send all my best wishes to Mr. Lester for Saturday?
Soop, so sorry that another operation is pending, but if it`s going to leave you "sorted, good and proper", it will be well worth it. I just wish I could visit bearing goodies. Also I hope that MacS is soon feeling much better, as Baggs says, he`s not allowed to be ill! Great pic of Torben, quite the young nan now.
Dragonfly, I can sympathise re the sciatica, I`ve had it on a recurring basis, since 1979, it`s awful, and very painful.
Ann, so pleased that Molly is helping you to cope, she sounds lovely, can we have a photo?
Went into town today to get a new back door key cut, £6. flipping 50!!! I needed another though for my granddaughter, she`s moving in in a few days time.

Evening all,

Crossed posts Grey , of course you can fix anything !! You’re a NaN !!!

Sorry to hear you’re not feeling so good Corner , hope you feel better soon.

Thinking of you Kitty and Mr K.

Well, 75% of the decorations are down. The outside, orangery and hall are finished but both trees are up and the pile of boxes to go back in the loft is blocking the hall !!

I so hate taking down decorations!!

We’ll do the rest tomorrow and good riddance till December lol

Now everywhere looks dull and in need of decorating ?, I’ll break that to Grampy tomorrow!

Have lost my long message in the blink of an eye. Will put this buggeration of a Kindle on charge. A promise to return before too long.

Good afternoon have tried to catch up, but I have an appalling memory.

Soop I hope your op goes well.

Kitty I hope all goes well with Mr Kitty.

Dragonfly you seem to be getting excellent care from the NHS.

Ann enjoy your kitten, I would love another pet but Mr.GG is adamantly against (he hasn't even been to the stables to see our horses for over a year!!)

I can only hope that 2019 improves as it seems to have started very "dodgy" for some.

Decorations are all down, tree is outside ready for green waste collection, GS's living tree is outside and the living tree he got from Father Christmas is waiting to be potted.

Now I am just waiting for Mr.GG to fetch the plastic boxes from loft so that I can pack things away and reclaim the dining room.

Off to play with GS and then off out for dinner, probably either the local Beefeater or Italian.

Have a pleasant Friday evenin kitcheners, no sneaking into the "Argy" you know you will regret it in the morning ?

Bon courage for your next op. Soop.
I'm on a long waiting list for mine - repair of double hernia.
In the front, not like yours.
At our age everything drops southwards.

Please can the rest of the Kitchen People forgive my not keeping up with everything and everyone! I do send good wishes for anyone needing them , and a tin of the very Best Baggs Flapjack. Share nicely now!

soop, I hope the proposed surgery can go ahead and that it is successful. They wouldn't offer it if they didn't think it could help. <strong vibes> coming your way (and let me know which hospital (wrote hopsital first) you'll be in so I can visit if at all possible). Please give my good wishes to macsporran as well. I had thought in recent photos of him that he was looking very well. He's not allowed to be ill!

Creeping in for a sit. Really frustrated with myself, I’ve soent the morning lying on the bed with a head full of cotton wool, dizzy when I get up and total inability to think, The thinking block isn’t that unusual according to Mr C, he’s doubtlessly right or is for now, he may well revise that opinion once I find a missile to fling .

Hope macs is much better soon soop, I know you’ll keep an eagle eye on him. There’s a lot to adjust to ann, bound to be ups and downs.

Sciatica is seriously foul dragonfly, it visits here sometimes, I’m sorry your husband is experiencing it. I think I’m with others regarding your appointment so try not to worry, it shows a good level of care.

Wishing mr lester well for Saturday kitty, please try not to exhaust yourselves.

Sorry, that’s the limit of concentration time, I’ll sit quietly for a bit and enjoy the fire.

Ann I am glad you are getting along with your kitten and that she is bringing you joy. Shortly after my BF became widowed, she also lost her beloved dog! She decided to get an adult cat, despite her daughter fostering kittens for the local cat shelter and trying to persuade her that she should have one. She went along to view some candidates and this one particular cat was all over her like a cheap suit, so she decided she must be ‘the one’! Having got home, the cat had a personality change and decided she would only share the house on her terms, which included no stroking, playing, sitting on laps and often even being in the same room! The only time DH tried to stroke her she bit him! (Mind you, I sometimes do that myself!?). Three years down the line she is marginally better but still not what you would call a sociable animal! You have fallen on your feet with Molly!

Away to make a pot of coffee. I shall return a little later.

Good morning to you lovely lot.

We would normally be in Campbeltown, visiting our pal in the care home. MacSporran has been incubating a nasty, chesty cough for a few days. He made the decision to stay put and catch up with some shut-eye. A wise decision. I shall therefore join my pal tomorrow, when she visits her husband.

I love Cooper. He wears a permanaent smile that warms the cockles of my heart.

Ann I'm sorry that you are experiencing a "down-time". It is still early days and you've had to deal with a very long period of stress. In time, you will have a routine that suits you and your husband. I do believe that a short period of hand holding is theraputic. I'm sending you my love.

Dragonfly The experts know what is best for you. It must be an awful strain for you to be "on edge" and uncertain at this stage but, you are in safe hands. And us lot are here to give you all the support that we can muster.

Greyduster "Nanny can mend anything"...that is one whopping compliment. I also think that having your grandson share his love of books with you, is yet another compliment. So, Nanny, I give you a virtual gold star.

Morning all !!

Its a bit crisp here this morning !!

Lovely picture of Torben Soop , bet that cheered you up !! Sorry to hear you need more surgery but if it can relieve some of your woes then it can only be good .

Ah Corner your poor GD , Jackson is literally itching to get his plaster off!! It should be this sunday if all goes well but with 2 more months with no sport, no playtimes and no new bike ! I feel for the little lad!!

It seems like your health professionals are really on the ball Dragonfly so I would take heart - early is always better .

I love how your new kitten brings you joy Ann , you are naturally a 'carer' I think and having that little bundle of fluff to care for is such a positive thing .

We REALLY are going to take some decorations down today. Both of us hate doing it so we encourage each other to put it off !! How bad is that?? But unless we are going to leave them up all year( and we even discussed that yesterday) down they MUST come.

I thought Id leave you with a picture of young Coopers BEST Christmas present. He got a new 'puppy' but had to stuff it down his coat when he went out but Santa ( or Mrs Santa :-) ) got him a baby carrier... I think he likes it lol

Hello the kitchen. I am having a fairly lazy day today, if you can count tackling a pile of ironing as high as Ben Nevis lazy! GS came yesterday and it was a bit full on, but fun. We went to the library in the afternoon as I had books that were on a waiting list that had to go back. He went and browsed for some books of his own and kept coming back with “Nanny, read this! It’s really good/funny/interesting/weird!” So I spent more of my time looking at his books than choosing mine! He also brought a book from home that had “had an accident” when he dropped it and it fell down the stairs, suffering some damage in the process. It was a large - and quite heavy - book that he got for Christmas and was apparently expensive. Mum was very cross. He was sure I could mend it because “you can mend anything!” So I set to work and managed a repair which, if not invisible, was passable. I will see about getting some book film to cover it with later - if he doesn’t drop it down the stairs again.
Soop the fact that you have to have surgery is, I am sure, a setback you could have done without, but hopefully it puts you in a more permanently comfortable place, and I’m sure you have every confidence in your surgeon. I love the photo of Torben (he’s not sitting on my ironing mountain is he?). He looks like Edmund Hillary up there!
Like others, Kitty, I will be thinking of you and Mr Lester. This period of treading water until you find out exactly how the land lies is the worst and my heart goes out to you. At least having the grandchildren there this week will have done something to take your mind off it.
Ann you have so much to deal with now and I’m sure a year ago you would not have thought to find yourself in this situation but your first thought now must be for yourself and your wellbeing. Your DH is being well cared for, but trying to get your life into some sort of new perspective must be your priority. You will find a way to come to terms with the guilt issues that always accompany these situations.?
Well I suppose I had better put my best foot forward. I will look in later.

Kitty is your appointment at the General on Tuesday? We will be at the Royal. DH has an appointment in endocrinology - if he can get there!