Soop's welcoming kitchen for the sharing of...

Purplepixie I am impressed by your baking today!
Unfortunately whenever I get the urge it becomes a cycle of “Bake, eat, repeat” ??
Have I had a busy day? Huh!
Read a new book, wrote some emails, pushed the hoover round a bit. The wonderful thing about the Dyson handheld cordless is that the battery only lasts 20 minutes ! I think that’s brilliant, what can’t be hoovered in 20 minutes can wait until tomorrow!
Took Hattie for a walk, turned my leftover chicken into a curry and resting (why?) now with a mug of tea and a chocolate hobnob.
If only all this Covid19 stuff wasn’t going on elsewhere, life would be pretty damn good

That made me smile maw. I have a cheap cordless which works much better on 'extra' but that halves its run time!! I'm not daft.

I have had an exciting day having got through to Sainsbury's, got back into my account and managed to get a click and collect for Friday. Then this afternoon I rang a friend who was the first teacher for all my daughters. We had a lovely gossip and a fun few minutes exchanging the worst swear words we could. I am shocked about the language such a pillar of the community knew. I am also shocked at how silly we got!

I'm also pleased to hear that MacS wont need to go up that flipping ladder again.

Lovely to see you Panache

Back later - try to sit still while I'm away.

Good to see you Purplepixie I'm grateful for your wonderful baking but TBH what I'm really looking forward to is one of your hot whisky toddy's.

It's been a better day today, helped by the Mr. S. firing up the BBQ as I type and your post not going astray soop.

In case I can't get back to the kitchen this evening, thank you all for lifting my spirits with your wonderful posts TOYA x

MawB - love your self-limiting vacuum
Soop - what a lovely neighbour
Grandmafrench - I really chuckled at your description of the antics of your Devon Rex

Hurray - my car is sorted! After the mechanic got it going I then drove to Kwikfit for them to fit a new battery. It's only about a mile away but I felt like a criminal. At least I know now I can use the car in an emergency and I will take the mechanic's advice to run the engine for 20 minutes once a week to stop the battery going flat.

grandmafrench you made me laugh at the description of your cats antics.
susan so glad to hear that little Henry is being well looked after. Lovely boy. Keep him safe.
Oooh izabella I like your buns ?
purplepixie you could feed the nation with treats like those ?
dreamkeeper it’s a shame that programme brought tears but I hope it brought happy memories too. It sounds lovely. I may watch it myself. I went to Pembroke as a child and stayed with relatives there. I don’t remember much but I do remember a large indoor market and some lava bread (not sure that’s how you spell it)
Lovely neighbours soop nice of them to cut the hedge.
maw I have one of those Dyson thingies too. But my vacuuming doesn’t last 20 minutes. My excuse is it hurts my wrist to hold the trigger in for that long so I get away with 10 minute bursts ?
mbmb what a relief about your car. Bet your pleased.
Sending my good wishes to all including Tara and Dylan two very special cats.

Doodle asked me to pass on his thanks for your good wishes.

It's his bath day tomorrow so he'll look even better than he did in today's photograph. He wont be happy!! He's had a bath once a week his entire life, 8 years now and he still moans about it.

smileless does Dylan’s skin need extra care. I noticed a few wrinkles (don’t tell him I don’t want to hurt his feelings) . Do you have to give him some cream or oil to keep his skin smooth?

Good morning kitcheners.

You wont hurt his feelings Doodle he's supposed to have wrinkles, they have wrinkles from birth. I have to put sun cream on him to protect him in the summer from sun burn.

I bathe him once a week using baby body wash and clean his ears with baby oil. He has no fur at all so the natural oils in his skin that would usually be absorbed by fur, make his skin a bit sticky if he doesn't have a bath.

Years ago I'd taken one of my earlier Sphynx's to the vets and there was a lady with a cat in a cat carrier who must have had a skin problem and as a result was pulling out it's fur.

She looked into my cat carrier and said to her cat "if you don't leave your fur alone that's what you'll end up looking like". I replied "he's a Sphynx; he's supposed to look like that". Needless to say no further comment was made!!

I've shed a few tears this morning watching Captain Tom do the final lap of his garden. What an amazing, inspirational man.

Good morning my lovelies. The sun is shining. The birds are singing. The wind is a tad chilly. I shall need warm clobber when I venture into yonder garden a little later.

N&G How's the Latin dancing coming along? How about the tango? I can easily visualise you with a rose clenched betwee your teeth and Grampy doing whatever Grampy thinks fit in response.

Maw Your day together with Hattie, sounds perfectly fine. A little of what you fancy doing, does you no harm whatsoever.

kitty Tyke! Silly talk with a good mate can be the best of fun. Whenever Baggs and I used to get together, we also had a tendency to act like little kids. I miss those times.

Purplepixie Your baking skills will not have gone unnoticed. When I entered the kitchen I was shocked at the amount of crumbs that some of that lot dropped and left for the likes of those with Dysons to clear up.

Smileless We are lucky to have each other. Every one of our kitcheners contributes to creating our sense of not being entirely alone.
Be gentle with Dylan.

mbmb A volunteer from the village has just this minute dropped off a few items from the local shop. Apparently, further along the road, a lady stood inside the wee shop and said that, as it's safer here in Kintyre, she has motored from the south of England to spend time with her mother. I'm shocked. I'm also angry. Wish I had been in the shop when she said such a thing. She would have left with a flea in her ear.

Susan I'm hoping that little Henry is feeling very much improved.

Doodle I wish you

Three hearty cheers for Captain Tom. He is a remarkable man. Cheers and claps at 8:pm for the NHS and all the dear people who going the extra distance to hep with the well being of others.

Lins1066 A special (hug) for your recent kind gesture.

smileless I don’t know much about Sphinx, or any cats for that matter but it’s interesting how you have to bathe him to get rid of the oils. Dylan has such huge eyes. Without fur he looks so dainty. You have obviously had the breed before. What is it you like most about them?
Hello dear soop thank you for the sunshine ☀️. It is balmy here today. Overcast but warm. I am eagerly awaiting a Waitrose delivery. Can’t remember what I ordered now so it will be a bit of excitement when it comes.
Captain Tom is indeed a wonderful character. No wonder he has raised so much money. I thought he looked so nice today with his medals on and his guard of honour.
Hope you and McSporran are taking good care of each other. Keep safe x

Good afternoon all! I typed out a piece for here and it just disappeared! Oh well!

Glad you like the goodies from the other day and I have just made a meat and potato pie which will go with some vegetables later. Also in the kitchen today there will be some blackberry and apple crumble with a bit of custard. Help yourselves.

Raise a glass tonight for the wonderful Captain Tom who has grabbed the hearts of us all, fabulous!

Catch up later with a cuppa or whisky hot toddy, if there is any left in the bottle. I think the fairies creep in on a night and drink it all.

Dylan is my 5th Doodle I bought him and his brother who was from the same litter. Eddie was much smaller and more delicate.

I spent a year looking at various breeders, felt sure I'd done my homework, read reviews etc but when I got them home little Eddie was sneezing and that was just the beginning of his health problems.

He'd had severe cat flu as a kitten and had been pumped full of antibiotics which caused internal problems. His third eye lid was fused, and his nasal passages were permanently blocked.

When I found this out within the first 3 months, I contacted the breeder and she said she'd take him back and give me a refund. No way; she'd have had him put down and I was too much in love with him to let him go.

He was constantly at the vets having scans etc to try and find out the root problem of his internal problems which meant he was often sick and not always able to control his bowel movements.

In the end I just couldn't let him suffer anymore and had to say goodbye before he reached 2 years old. It broke my heart and Dylan's too; he cried for him and searched the house trying to find him.

They're an exceptional breed. Very talkative and needy, more so with Dylan as he's a singleton and they really should be kept in pairs but I couldn't face getting and losing another one.
Real characters, just like your Devon Rex, in fact Devon Rex's were often used to breed with a Sphynx before the breed was well established.

He feels like a warm peach, soft skin and always a warm body the only exception being ears, paws and tail which always feel cold. The pads on their paws are deeper, making them look as in they're wearing platform shoes and their front paws look more like hands with long elegant fingers.

They're like marmite, you either love them or hate them. We have a couple of friends who don't like to touch him because they say he looks and feels weird.

When you stroke them you need to do so with a firm hand as touching them gently irritates them. We had a vet a few years ago who didn't like giving them injections because she said it was like injecting a person.

If we see a vet for the first time and he needs an injection I always say they need to use the finest needle they can as their skin is thicker than other cats.

Hope I haven't bored youseeing the length of this post has reminded me of an old lady when we were children who had goodness knows how many cats. We called her 'the mad cat lady' and I'm beginning to wonder if I qualify.

Of course you don't Smileless - he's your darling and a huge interest and commitment in your life. Why wouldn't you want to talk about him. I knew people who didn't like my Rex cat - their loss I thought - although he had fur, very short in little curls and always felt warm and cuddly. He and I were forced to part company when I started a new full time job and a woman at the bottom of my garden decided that she would keep feeding him. He was always sick, had a bad stomach and was costing me a fortune at the Vet. When I confronted her about it, she told me he was thin and he needed building up. I was furious and although I said that my Vet would be sending her the bills, she refused to stop. So, very reluctantly I asked his breeder (a good friend) if she could find him a good home. He went to live with a couple just outside Liverpool. They adored him and he had the most marvellous long life, eventually going to sleep underneath their apple tree in the garden on a sunny afternoon. I missed him so but couldn't cope with the treatment that both he and I were suffering from the witch at the bottom of my garden. Every cat I had has been different, every one has been missed, every one has entertained and made us laugh and cry at their antics my entire adult life. Long life to your little pudding - he's certainly landed on his paws with you. x

I cannot understand why people feel they absolutely must feed other people's cats. Tara is on prescription food and if she is given "ordinary" cat food she vomits. I think on the whole Tara dines at home but who knows, she is out for so long.

A few cats visit the rear garden, I would not dream of offering them any food. Each looks as though he/she comes from a decent home.

The sun is out here but I find it very cold. Next on my list is tidying away clothes, sorting out wardrobes and drawers.
TOYA

Hi kitcheners, reading all your cats antics has made me realise how much I miss having a cat in the home.

I have had another lazy day, just two loads of washing and some pottering. I intend to get up tomorrow reenergised and crack on like my usual self (hopefully).

Keep safe and well folks ??

Hello to you all in soops lovely place.

I’m feeling a bit wobbly today. Cried seeing the wonderful Capt. Tom who will be 100y on 30 April. I’m a little emotional. Not my usual upbeat self at all. I think I’m a bit scared and to be honest, overwhelmed by the enormity of it all this afternoon. The whole world is on standby.

I didn’t sleep too well last night. The awful ‘what ifs ..’ that pop into our heads in the wee small hours.

This is the first time I’ve been in tears since lockdown started. I need to adjust my head.

I hope those who are struggling a bit today like me, can find a better place mentally. I’m going to try harder. x

I am afraid we are also struggling today as our granddoggy is very poorly. He has an ulcer in his eye and will not have drops put in. He is too big for us to struggle with and every time he sees me near him he runs. It is horrid to see him suffering as he is - in so much pain.

I though yesterday my DD was sickening for the virus but she says she is much better today. She had a really bad tummy ache but you never know.

I am very afraid that we oldies may be confined to barracks until they find a vaccine which could mean months. Having had my life on hold since last September the thought horrifies me.

I really must perk up - on the up side I got a Sainsbury delivery for Tuesday.

Please keep safe every one and sorry for the moan.

Hello everyone,thinking of you all and especially those having a wobbly kind of day.
Henry was doing well but had a bad reaction to vegetables at lunchtime,luckily his medicine seemed to help but it’s one step forward and two steps back at the moment.
We have done more gardening today,rain forecast for tomorrow which is needed as the water butts are nearly empty.
Urmston I think your lockdown experience has been a lot tougher than ours in that you can’t go out in the garden and also all the uncertainty to begin with about whether you could get a flight back to Manchester.Give yourself a pat on the back for coping so well,you are definitely allowed a wobble.Hope you feel better soon.??
Dragonfly I can’t offer any advice re your grand dog.Whenever Harry needed any medication it was always a two man job.Hope you too feel better soon and it’s not moaning it’s offloading onto friends?
Smileless,I really enjoyed your post about caring for Dylan?
Stay safe everyone and thinking of you all.

Dear Kitchen, hello today.
I have loved reading about the beautiful felines. DH has always been a Labrador man but my love was my very fluffy tortie formally called Tigger. She had such a beautiful face, she became Tigsy. I still miss her and dream about her after twenty years. When she walked she appeared to have fluffy Hareem trousers on.
I'm sending you two photos today. One is the print I bought for DH's birthday, a famous one but one which means so much (delivered unbelievably in time by A****n) and the second is our first poppies. Used to call them Californian poppies when we lived in Scotland but not sure if that's the right description here. They grow in an oak tree stump.
TOYA xxxxx

DH's present

First poppies??

Dearest you lot, I'm filthy dirty and dishevelled and awful weary. The gardening area tackled this afternoon is wild and much remains so. I've been stacking wood and cutting back tangled stuff that, if left, eventually chokes the wild flowers. Happened across a very poorly dove. Tried to offer him/her water but to no avail. An injury had caused him/her a lot of damage. Made the creature comfortable and, within thirty mins, it died. MacS is to bury the dove in a peaceful spot under the hedgerow.

I shall return to catch up with you tomorrow. I am thinking of you all. Please continue to great care of yourselves.

Oh soop, how sad. But thank you for trying ?

I'd have been furious too Grandmafrench, especially as you'd already spoken to her. It must have been hard to give him awaybut how lovely that he had a long and happy life with someone who loved him as much as you did.

As much as I love cats that's something I would never do Charleygirl only you know what food is suitable for Tara. Coming from such a lovely home, I'm sure she wouldn't entertain eating anything someone else gave her.

I don't blame you for having a lazy day GrannyGravy then again you did do 2 loads of washing so a totally lazy day.

for you Urmstongran I think you've done very well, I've had a few tearful days since this all began so don't be so hard on yourself.

Oh dear dragonfly poor granddoggy. You're between a rock and a hard place if he wont let you put drops in as you then feel guilty upsetting him trying to do so.

Oh poor Henry Susan thank goodness he has his medicine. It must be very frustrating for you all.

What a beautiful gift for DH's birthday Carillion and the poppies are lovely.

It's our weekly shopping day tomorrow so there'll be a wobble or two here no doubt.

Stay safe everyone TOYA x