Soop's comfortable and convivial kitchen.

Managed to get DH to the hospital appointment today without the use of a wheelchair - just a posh stick!

Shouldn't really say it but there are the sproutings of a slight improvement in his back pain eg he doesn't wince every time he moves any more.

Mamissimo I can't say that the custard with skin appeals to me either although we used to fight over the skin on the rice pudding.

Soop pleased that MacSporran is seeing a doctor.

Ooooh dragonfly mentioned rice pudding skin - I love crispy rice pudding skin. Tomorrow .......

Oh and raisins in the pud! How do you make yours?

With gold top jersey milk ?

Meant to say, it’s all or nothing with rice pudding, fully leaded on all fronts.....

Good evening the kitchen. Haven’t had time to look in today as we have been taking advantage of the good weather to have a walk down the Rivelin Valley. As DH said, even when you walk it time after time, it is always such a pleasure. The sun was shining, the river pristine and enchanting in all its different moods, with its rushy rapids and slow deep glides, and wiers reflecting its industrial past. I have scoped out a couple of fishing spots for when the season starts! And we were up to our ockers in herons. They were most accommodating to the camera!

Soop I must wish Mila a belated happy first birthday! Doesn’t time fly when they are babies? I hope MacS is improving. I recommend drip feeding Oban malt. Works for me!

Panache lovely to see that things are looking up for you and your DH. NHS Wales leaves a lot to be desired in my sister in law’s neck of the woods too. They seem to be stretched too thin all across the board.

Mamissimo you were reeling me in with your B&B pudding until you mentioned the thick skin on the custard! It is one of the things that has me running for the hills! Any cream on offer? My DD and son in law had a beautiful much loved sporty Saab prior to having my Grandson. Alas it wasn’t a practical family car so it had to go! Broke his heart! That was nearly twelve years ago and it is still seen about on the roads! Quality.

N&G well done at the weigh in for only clocking up a pound over Christmas! I’m not telling you how much I put on but I wish it had only been a pound! Congrats to Grampy too! Is he going to frame his sustificate?

To those I have missed, I hope you’ll forgive me. A gin and tonic with my name on it has appeared. So much for dry January!

I tried to download some photos from our walk, but the iPad is not having it. I’ll try just one.

Here’s another! I’m on a roll!

Greyduster - lovely photos. What species are they? Especially the blue one.
The white one could be a heron.

That new camera you received is paying dividends Greyduster those photographs are superb, actually worthy of a book or a calendar.
I think it is Grannyqueenie who is the other talented photographer, you should collaborate on a project.

Fabulous photos, greyduster, you’ve obviously mastered your new camera beautifully. I’ve walked along bits of the Rivelin valley, it’s lovely there. I would love to have been doing just that along with some collaborative photography today Ann. I did a couple of calendars as presents this year, then liked them so much I ordered one for us too! Sadly I was feeling frustrated on such a beautiful bright day not to be out and about with my camera. I’ve a dodgy arthritic knee which normally troubles me very little, for whatever reason it completely seized up yesterday evening hence I spent today popping painkillers and hobbling like a real old lady! I even succumbed to pressure from dd and visited the surgery, next available appointment being Friday of next week and not even with a doctor at that. Ironically it’s with the very same nurse practitioner I actually saw yesterday morning, she gave me the all clear on my BP readings... so my body then celebrated this success with an immobile and painful knee - in heavens name, what's that all about?

Sorry Ican’t say hello to everyone tonight, having had little sleep last night I’m off to bed early. We’ve both just yawned our way through a lovely programme I’d recorded about Scottish lochs.

They are both common grey herons, Fennel; I think it was the fading light that made the grey plumage take on that blue tinge.

Ann that’s very kind, thank you. I still have L plates on!

Gq I feel for you. By the time we had walked down to the bottom end of the valley and back (having called into the cafe for very good coffee and cake!) my hip was giving me serious jip! I will pay for it tomorrow; good job it was worth it. I hope you get some effective treatment for your knee soon. Joint pain is no joke. Take it easy.

Greyduster, gorgeous photos, well done, the blue one is particularly beautiful.

Joint pain is a pain isn’t ladies? I’ve just visited my GP today to ask for referral to the hand clinic again. I have painful arthritis in my thumb,, the base of my thumb. I had surgery some five years ago and it pretty much cleared up the pain in my left hand, but now I feel I can’t wait any longer and must also have the surgery on my right hand. I’m not looking forward to it though, as my hand will be in plaster for six weeks, and it will be my dominant hand. But at least I know the surgery will mostly clear up the pain.

Morning all !

Chilly start to the day here complete with rain !!

LOVE the pictures Grey , what a beauty that heron is . Looks like you're enjoying your new camera. I had to take Grampy's picture with his 'sustificate' - Ill never hear the end of it lol

Sorry to hear about your hand Maddy but if an op will solve it , it has to be done I suppose. Is there likely to be a long wait?

Must be the week for knees GQ , mine have been bad but I put it down to extra walking taking down the decorations. Sounds silly compared to you hikers but that extra walking even indoors can put me in a chair for a couple of days.

Sorry to hear about Macs suffering with his cough Soop , my daughter swears by putting vicks and socks on the little boys feet when they have a cough and they also drink pineapple juice ( apparently it loosens mucus) .

Massimo I'll pass on the custard skin but the hot cross bun loaf sounds wonderful- can I have a sticky slice with real butter please ...diet....what diet LOL !!

We are staying in today as we decided to bite the bullet and have bought a tumble drier. I have always had a washer/dryer but we have an integral washing machine here and don't really want to replace it. I love AO - they give you a time slot, you can track your delivery - its all so very civilised !!

So, I shall leave you all to a peaceful day !

Good morning everyone! I hope things are progressing down in Wales with the Panaches and that all coughs and colds are improving. I am not there yet but definitely improving thank goodness!
DH has quietly sneaked out to work without waking me, bless him, but yet again left the bedroom curtains open. My first sight of the day was the bobble hat and smiling face of the window cleaner! There will be gentle words ...

Good morning all.
So sorry about all the aches and pains, "getting old is not for wimps" is a very true saying.true
I am taking H for a cystoscopy this morning, you will guess how much I am looking forward to that.
My GD is here to go with me so I will see if she has time to put some photos of Molly on for me.

Annsixty recent events here have reminded me of how relieved I was when your H went into his care home. My friend whose H has Alzheimer’s was admitted to hospital yesterday after complaining of flu type symptoms which had poleaxed her over the weekend, but is also now on heavy duty IV antibiotics for an “unspecified infection” which she has had for some time but nobody took any notice of. I fear it sounds very like sepsis. Her son who lives about 15 miles away has come to sleep over at their house to look after his father for whom he has found a place for the rest of the week at the Day Centre which he normally goes to once a week, 10-3.
What they will do when my friend is well enough to come home is anybody’s guess (I hope they are investigating respite care at least) but it has been a wake up call to the family who have let their 79 year old mother “cope” for too long, believing that all was under control because she always put on a brace face
Worrying.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=dG1W1h5W17Y
Especially for you nannytopsy
Enjoy!

Thanks for that Maw! chiropractor, French ( no, I haven’t done mes devoirs!) and the ascent of the ironing mountain today. Anyone seen my crampons?

Goodmorning all kitcheners sorry to hear of all the aches, pains and "lergies" that are abundant in this comfy kitchen.

I am still on dry January, but we are off to see The Tina Turner Show tomorrow with dinner in the oldest restaurant in London (allegedly) so I may have a glass of bubbly, one of our AC's Christmas gifts to us.

Off to the gym for Callanetics, always feel so much better afterwards.

Hope your husbands procedure goes as well as it can annsixty. Soop wishing mcsporran a speedy recovery. Let's hope the Panaches are having a better luck in 2019. I know that I have forgotten someone/something, so please accept my apologies.

Have left some warm banana bread on the side, and yes it's healthy one slice = one of your five a day ???

GG if I filch the entire loaf I can get all of my 5 a day without doing too much except enjoying the gorgeous loaf with loads of coffee.

A very cold but bright day here. No sign of spring yet except daisies and weeds pushing through on my lawn.

Panache two sticks are not safe for you. What you need is the type of Zimmer frame with arms so that you can lean on it and the wheels gently will help transport you around the house.

Home from ironing duties. Time for coffee and a quick catch-up. I have to be joking! It will take a very long time to keep up with you lot.

Those photos are superb, Greyduster they should be used in a Countryfile calendar.

Ann You are in my thoughts. Please update us if you have time.

I've a heck of a lot to do. The annual family gathering is being organised and emails and texts are cluttering the air-waves.

MacSporran isn't improving. He had a wretched time trying to get to sleep last night. He has a GP's appointment later this afternoon. I shall make every effort to join you all again once hr returns home. for all those of you who are having to deal with ongoing buggerations of one kind and another.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201901/medium-267449-image2-2.jpeg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201901/medium-853645-image3.jpeg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201901/medium-688945-image1.jpeg

My lovely Molly

Ann what a pretty cat Molly is! Kittens are heart melters aren’t they?