Soop's kitchen for kind and caring folk

Hello the kitchen. It’s a fine day today - shame there is nowhere to go! We did get out for a short walk yesterday along the river where we were able to keep a few bus lengths away from the only other couple and their doggie! We came back through the reed bed, where we never, ever see anyone. We saw one lady walking her dog who looked as surprised to see us as we were to see her. We skirted around each other cheerfully!
There was much Face Timing yesterday, and a pleasant surprise when I got a face to face call from the eldest of my son’s two Stepsons. We had a lovely long chat. He showed me around the chaos that is currently the little house he is sharing with two other chaps off his course. Every space, including the kitchen (there was a kitchen under there somewhere!), has been turned into studio space as they are not able to access the ancilliary facilities at the college and this is the crucial year of their Masters. In the evening, DD and her menfolk set up a quiz with us, and that was fun. TeamGS won and TeamNanny came second! We will do that again.
DD gave me the new Hilary Mantell book for Mother’s Day, along with one of her gorgeous sticky ginger cakes. The book is over eight hundred pages, so it should keep me busy through the lockdown!! I am hoping that DH, with his COPD, which is not too serious, is not one of the ones who can’t leave the house at all.
It would please me greatly to be able to do something, anything to help those of you in need, in some small way. Soop you help all of us, in more than a small way, just by being Soop, and by keeping your wonderful kitchen going for us.
I made a fruit cake yesterday - it looked ok but I have a feeling that as it was rather beggerly on the ingredients side, due to one miscalculation and another. If it proves to be edible I will leave some on the side!
TOYA.

Another lovely sunny day in S London. Some garden tidying on the cards I think. Keep safe everyone

I was having a shower and washing my hair when the bathroom door opened and a small face appeared, wondering what on earth I was doing. I normally let Tara out first but not today. It was not even 8am, hardly an oversleep.

It is very cold here- but at least the sun is out.

My cruising friend Bellasnana has just facebooked to say it’s 82°F where she is. She’s stuck in USA as Malta (her home) has shut its airport.
She’s staying with her darling daughter and dgd.
As it’s currently 10°C here, I think I’m ?

Afternoon all,

Reality has set in here after a week of isolation. A shopping delivery slot is impossible to get right up to the end of April. Of course we are lucky , we do have a butcher and a baker in the village and I suspect we will either have to simply go out or rely on the kind help of strangers.

Its a beautiful day here which makes it difficult to believe the world is going to hell in a hand basket.

I love the sound of the quiz Grey , might have to try that . The little boys did P.E this morning and then some school work. After lunch they are watching a movie then they are going to be movie reviewers and write a review of it .

Then they are planning on some gardening before helping with chores. I cant believe I wont see them for at least another 3 months ! I hope it flies by !!

Good afternoon dear peoples. Thank you for helping to keep some smiles in circulation. Every little helps.

I've just glimpsed the otter. Also have a photo of our dear Harriet to share with you.

Oncologist phoned this morning. My appointment and mamagram have been postponed for a few weeks. I phoned the prescription orderline and the system is overloaded right now. No eggs, or tatties, or kitchen towel in the village shop. Our neighbour went into Campbeltown and dropped off provisions on his return.

'Corrie' on hold. Walked along a long and lonely road. Ironing job under wraps until further notice.

And yet...I went on to FB and I have had the most amusing time with my sons. One is self isolating in his London home. He has measured the rise of each tread of the staircase and, wearing a helmet (paragliding issue), is planning to climb "stair mountains". His brother in Leicester is running around his house and garden and making a note of distances and times and such. To be honest, I cannot feel doomed when I read such nonsense.

I mowed a small (by Boggy Brae standards!) patch of greensward today. This would not be a big deal except that I broke my shoulder six and a half weeks ago. So.... YUS!
Can't use my scythe yet but progress is progress.

All best wishes to Kitcheners.

Hello lovely kitchen,
Went shopping today, first time in ten days. We needed milk, eggs and bread. Took my 'permission to go out for essentials' paper with me, duly signed but not a gorgeous gendarme in sight to stop and ask for my papers! ?
Shopping very quiet, shelves about half full and no frantic rushing around the aisles. Everyone I saw was buying single amounts of goods which made me so very worried about news reports and dear kitcheners in the UK who have to face uncertainty and empty shelves.
Full, unambiguous lockdown in France has been reassuring. People in rural communes here really are buying just what they need. I think Paris is another matter though.

Dear soop, your comforting place is becoming even more special. Xxxx

BaggsSo sorry that we couldn't arrange a meet-up. This will pass. Life will go on. Changed for the good, we hope.

Carillion Wot! No gorgeous gendarme to escort you to the shops. Shame on them. You deserve so much better.

My goodness, what a lot of people have been in the kitchen since my last visit. ?. Nice to have somewhere cosy and welcoming to chat. No bans on virtual meet ups thank goodness.
No hope of catching up with all the posts although I have read them all. Thanks to those who have posted pictures and cartoons. (Love the one about John opening his last toilet roll ?)
Like many in the kitchen I expect, my DH is on the shielded list and so not allowed out at all but I have been sending him out on the balcony for some fresh air every now and then.
By sheer fluke I have been able to secure a Sainsburys delivery tonight but I expect much of what I have ordered won’t be available. I am trying to persuade DH to sit still for an hour while I go round washing and disinfecting the flat. I never realised how many door knobs, chest of drawers knobs, cooker knobs and door handles we had. When I have finished I will disinfect him and hope for the best ?.
Thank you all for the cheery chat and news. Take care all.
TOYA ?

Doodle You are a scream (in the nicest possible way).

I have decided to take myself away from the puter for an hour or two. I shll surely return. No cake to share. I may be able to find some Scottish shortbread biscuits, and we've ample tea bags. Stay cosy and safe until I return.

Greyduster I'm loving the new Hilary Mantel but somehow didn't plump for the Kindle version when I pre-ordered it. It weighs a ton and is impossible to read in bed.

Baggs please don't overdo it

I am so thankful for this thread in these troubled times. It's a real refuge.

I have spent much of the day reading and will probably speak to the DC this evening. Stay safe and well.

DD, 11 week baby and 5yr old GC have moved in with us today, so I am socially distancing myself in main bedroom/bathroom for the next 7 days, then all being well I can cuddle my gorgeous GC, they are not leaving here until this nightmare is over!!!

I find it so difficult to understand this situation we all find ourselves in.

Thank you soop for this haven of peace and friendship

I may have a glass of something later, so in anticipation cheers

Keep safe and well kitcheners

Doodle you should know by now that we rarely stay still for long.

I have bought enough cat litter for Tara to have no problems for many weeks but I am expecting an email from my bank querying that expense! She has everything money can buy with the exception of cat litter tray liners- only 5 left. Please tell me I will not be washing them.

I am amazed that one upmarket food store never sells them.

The weather here is lovely- I would just like to add 10C to the weather and I would be in heaven.

Baggs I did think you knew better but obviously not. I only hope you have not injured your shoulder. A long soak in the bath later may help.
Look after yourselves.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202003/medium-652397-img-20200323-wa0001.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202003/medium-271950-img-20200323-wa0004.jpg

Hello, Soop's kitchen and lovely 'visitors', I haven't posted here before but I enjoy catching up with the kitchen when I can.
I thought I'd send you all a couple of funnies, it's good to laugh...

mbmb DH said “Don’t put that on a high shelf - if it falls off it’ll kill you!”

Welcome Grannmarie!

Grannmarie Yay! Highly amusing. Thank you.

This afternoon I've cleaned a few kitchen cupboards to near perfection. MacSporran has cut the grass to near perfection. We then made a and sat down for the PM's daily update (which didn't happen).

The local GP's wife phoned to ask if we needed any help. The breast care nurse also called for a chat. I thanked and told her that the oncologist had phoned earlier. Local pals also phoned to check up on us. Such kindness.

I have pedalled my exercise bike for 20 minutes. Raised a bit of a sweat. Nothing harmful. Am about to log off and watch 'Pointless'. Life goes on...albeit not as we all would wish it to.

Thank you for your company. You are marvellous.

Until tomorrow and TOYA

Just popping in to say hello and welcome to Granmarie??
Not a lot to report from here.The garden is looking lovely and our lovely daughter has managed to secure a supermarket delivery for us.She was up feeding Henry at 4am and checked if any slots were available and managed to bag us one for 13th April.Local dairy will deliver essentials in the meantime.
Like most of you,am missing family and have had holidays and appointments cancelled but reading the threads in scoops lovely kitchen and knowing we are all in it together and the support and upbeat posts is a real help.
Stay safe everyone and thinking of you all.

soop you are doing more than you can know. I don't know how you keep up with this lovely lot!

GG13 how lovely to have your little ones with you.

Baggs do take care of yourself and not overdo it!

I have explained to Smokie that he is not going out until he can control his eating habits as I think he has been socialising with 'Greedy 6 dinner Sid' from along the road and judging by the fallout - if you will pardon such graphic language - he has clearly been led astray and into eating grains again. It has taken a few days for his tummy to sort of normalise and now he just wants to go out. I have been trying to exercise him to burn off his surplus energy but he doesn't last long before he sits and gives me a look of sheer incredulity before turning his back on me. How rude!
He probably noticed that Himself has been busy in the garden getting his raised beds ready for the growing season, so good to see him busy outside even though everything is taking him much longer. One of my jobs today was to order all the seeds for both him and our gardening friend so I hope we manage to grow, harvest and eat it all! Thank goodness for the internet and telephone as the local garden centre closed today until further notice so we couldn't get the seeds any other way so I am hoping we can still get deliveries.

TOYA

Thank you for your welcome, Greyduster, Soop and Susan56.

* Baggs*, painful injury, makes me shudder, take care! Sending ?? for full, quick recovery. X
Welcome Grannmarie! X
To all dear kitchen Hilary Mantel readers, it's keeping DH occupied. Not a squeak all afternoon, just kept feeding him cups of tea and a 'volcanic' secretly- filled choccy muffin! Until next time TOYA xxxxx

Hello everyone, welcome Granmarie. What strange times we live in. I went out for half an hour this morning, walked along the sea front, hardly saw a soul. It did make me feel better, the sun was shining but the wind was cold.
I've just had a phone call from one of my brothers, who lives a long way from me, to tell me he has received a text telling him he is one of the 1.5 million who is most vulnerable , and must stay indoors for the next 12 weeks. He has severe COPD but is only 62. He was affected by asbestos when younger without realising it.
He lives alone and I am the only family member who talks to him. I am worried about him but cannot do anything. He tells me a younger neighbour is doing his shopping and looking out for him. How kind.
Please all look after yourselves and stay safe xx

Don't know where each day is going at the moment, which is quite peculiar considering the circumstances we're all finding ourselves in . Had lovely long family phone calls yesterday but seeing that I was one end of the phone it's hardly surprising they were long !
Concerned for my N1 who's a teacher as so far there's been no sign that she will be provided with any protective kit even though she ( and all the teachers) are looking after the children of NHS staff . It seems as if it's being forgotten that these teachers are on the front line themselves just maybe not to the same degree.

Synonymous and soop the behaviour of the birds in Spring is peculiar isn't it? Fascinating too. Love the photo of the blue fit soop, I love all the birds ( with the possible exception of common pigeons - which my WP lovingly calls flying rats) but a blue tit is one of my faves.

Charleygirl I would never dream of calling anyone thick and I actually think you are quite a smart cookie
Lins I absolutely love your card, it leans towards my WP's kind of humour.
Carillion I like your glass half full attitude, "shelves about half full", so many people would declare that the shelves were half empty
Doodle I've been thinking exactly the same thing going round the house, when you add them all up, door handles, light switches, lamp switches, power switches cooker knobs and bathroom cords there are rather a lot of them and of course they get touched a lot!
Welcome to soops lovely kitchen Grannmarie, pull up a comfy chair and enjoy a [brew[ here. Love the cartoons, if you have anymore keep them coming.
soop glad others are looking out for you and are on the receiving end of kindness. I echo what others have said you are helping all us Kitcheners with this heartwarming kitchen you have created. You are one of life's gems
Be kind to yourselves all of you ❤️

grannygravy must be really hard to keep your distance for 7 days with a new baby to cuddle ?
baggs hope you are ok and it’s not too bad.
Hello mbmb and grannmarieNice to meet you.
charley, yes the kitchen is always active. I see you have bought lots of cat litter for tara. I hope you are not planning on sharing her ‘facilities’ if you run out of loo roll ?
Glad you’ve got a delivery organised susan
sYnonymous nice to hear your DH is enjoying the garden. Must be uplifting for you both.
sar good your brother has kindly neighbour. My DH is on the shielded list too.
cherryc it’s amazing the number of things you touch as you walk through your home isn’t it.
carillion glad your DH is enjoying himself and you are taking good care of him. Don’t forget to take good care of yourself too x
Dear soop did you ever think how important this haven of caring and sharing would be when you started this thread so long ago. What would we do without you. Please take care of yourself and the lovely McSporran . TOYA?