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

Hello the kitchen. You can tell it’s nearly Easter - what a change in the weather! We should have been at Center Parks this week, and if we had been I think I would just have stayed in and let everybody else do their thing while I kept warm! Better that, though, than not seeing the family except on a small screen, but any port in a storm.
Well, yesterday was a full on spring cleaning day, and today is a do nothing day, or at least it will be when we get the daily Covid Tango out of the way. I murdered my way through the Jerome Kern songbook this morning but my piano needs tuning - it sounds very “bright” - and that ain’t gonna happen any time soon! I hope my piano tuner is still in business - they are as rare as hens teeth these days. GS rang me yesterday for some help with his music homework and I was ashamed at how much theory I had forgotten and how it didn’t exactly all come flooding back to me even when I had time to sit down and think about it. But we muddled through! I feel a trip into the loft, where all my theory books are mouldering, coming on!

N&G thankyou for the hare photos - they’re brilliant. I love their ears (though being one who ties fishing flies, I shouldn’t say too much about hares ears!!?). We were privileged to see a mountain hare in its winter coat when out walking on the high moors some years ago. It didn’t hang around long enough for a photo though and I’ve never seen one since.

Callgirl I’m glad your DS is back home and I wish him a speedy recovery.

You too, Dizzy - rest and take it easy. If holding your iPad is too much, don’t let anyone give you a copy of the new Hilary Mantel - it’s a proper brick and finding somewhere to rest it comfortably is becoming a bit of a nuisance especially if you are finding it hard to put down!!

Ok, I will now drag Y Gwr away from his jigsaw so that we can get this walk out of the way before both of us take root! I will look in later. TOYA.

Dizzy, I’m sorry you’ve succumbed but glad it’s the milder version. Get well soon.
Callgirl I don’t often comment but I’m so pleased your son is safely st home now and that the tests were better than usual. N&G how privileged you are to see those lovely creatures.
Here in suburbia they’re non-existent but I have seen them in various wildlife holidays I’ve enjoyed in the UK. Stay safe everyone.

A sunny Tuesday greeting dear lovely peoples. Thank goodness you are here in the kitchen and there is some better news about callgirl1's son. Although not such good news regarding her daughter.

Dear dizzy, plenty of rest and love from us lot.

N&G The photographs of hares are stunning. I suppose that, it being March, the males are all ready for fisty-cuffs. Most males are up for a bit of bovva when trying to impress the females. MacSporran is happy enough to tiddle in the garden.

Carillion My husband's hospital appointments have been cancelled. It is a tough time that we are all being asked (rightly so) to weather as best we can. I send MrC a special hug. He is a star.

dragonfly Keep reminding the surgery that you need your prescription. You have come through such a tough time and deserve to have the right medication to keep you on track.

Purplepixie I was with you in spirit. The hot toddy and cheese scones and rolls went down a treat.
Missing family and friends is common-place to all of us. We have been waiting twelve months for our big family gathering. Sadly, the date has had to be erased from the calendar. However, there will be another to take it's place. When? I wish that I knew. In the meantime, let us all believe that what we are having to sacrifice will ensure that we do remain healthy and we will all be reunited with those we love.

I cannot keep up with the kitchen news, I am sorry.

Well I am so behind today 12 week GS woke up at 4am with absolutely no intentions of going back to sleep, so I took over from 7am to let DD have some sleep. Which was nice as I took him back to my bed, gave him a bottle and managed to get him to have a nap for a couple of hours. So pleased they decided to move home before we were in lockdown.

I am playing catchup, changed my bed and cleaned my bathroom, jobs for this afternoon is to bake with the 5yr old and make a lasagna for dinner.

Sending virtual hugs (((-))) to all, keep safe and well.

GrannyGravy There is absolutely no need for you to apologise. You are doing a sterling job and I admire your energy and commitment.

Good news callgirl glad your son is home.
Look after yourself Dizzyblonde, don't worry about any household jobs, they can wait ?
I agree with soop keep reminding your GP practice that you really need your medication dragonfly.

ANother one wo cannot keep up with kitchen events here, but I do try. This morning I felt energised so the bedroom is now fully Spring cleaned. This afternoons lockdown job is making seed tapes for the remaining beetroot seeds. I cannot see the blessed things very well these days and CH has awful vision problems now, so this seems the way forward. I am a firm believer that if something no longer works for me, try something else. Following that a little nap, then a session with Johan Sebastian and possibly Borodin.

greyduster so sorry to hear of your stretched strings. As you say, a tuner will be quite some time. The keyboard I currently
massacre play is electric. However as a previously properly trained person, I miss having damper/ sustain, una corda, and whatever the middle one is called. Memory fails me on that one. However, although i find playing more difficult as time goes by, it does seem to stimulate the brain and does, I feel, do me good.

To my utter shame I have not really regarded the delights of the shire today. Perhaps I ought to go for a short walk.

That well known chemist have just staggered to the door with prescription packages, so all well now.

TOYA. Did I welcome new kitcheners? If not, apologies - and welcome!

Lovely to hear from you Izabella. I remember your interesting posts from when you first came into the kitchen. You shared your bike rides with us (I love my bike) and the lovely long walks and expeditions you took. You also talked about feeding the chickens and I wonder if you still have them?
Thank you for continuing to brighten our day!

callgirl so pleased to hear your DS is now home. Sorry about your daughter.
dizzy I hope you feel stronger soon.
DH and I are missing our daily walks. We are doing an online exercise class for oldies but it’s not the same. We have been having a good laugh about it though. It would be hard to find two less coordinated people than us. Trying to watch the video and step left step right we keep falling over our own feet.?. I am still spending a lot of my day with cleaning the door knobs handles, taps etc. I don’t think our home has ever been so clean. Hope fully some sewing this afternoon for a bit of fun. Take care all and keep well x

My huge Morrisons delivery came 90 minutes early and caught me on the hop. I have now distributed the goodies to the other two houses and tried to get another slot sometime in April but no joy. They are not looking at May slots yet.

The food as everyone is aware has been flying off the shelves so I was amazed to see long use-by dates for the food I ordered. The bread usually has a date of use by the
next day.

I have washing out, the heating is off but I am finding it rather chilly now. Still, yet another cup of coffee will help.

I love the photos of the March hares N&G- I see few in NW London but there were plenty when I lived in Fife bout 100 years ago.
TOYA

Well since this morning the day looked up.
I managed to get a telephone appointment with my GP who took my word for the new medicine and sent it through to the chemist. I got straight through to the chemist 5 minutes later who already had it and it is being delivered on Friday. Quite a weight off my mind.

I then booked a Sainsbury delivery for Saturday for myself and friends.
We just have to get DH’s blood test done tomorrow but the GP assured me there will be no one else there.

Hope you are feeling better dizzy.
TOYA

dragonfly quite a few simple tasks now sorted.

I agree, look after yourself dizzy. Do not return to work too soon. It would be good to be tested when you return to work and with luck you will have developed some immunity to it.

dragonfly Result!

Doodle Laughter (shared) is as good as any exercise. MacSporran and I laugh a lot, usually over the silliest things, (because we are childish when it comes to humour).

It's lovely to have your company, Izabella. I agree with Bellanonna when she says that your posts brighten our day.

Charleyg Still a chilly wind hereabouts. I've been in the garden. I did most of the work kneeling down. MacS suggested that I might be safer closer to the ground.

CherryCezzy Early afternoon and I thought...maybe I should move the bed and bedroom furniture and was I surprised...we have wood flooring and under the low bed, I discovered a gathering of fluff that made me feel ashamed. All gone.

There is plenty of time available for doing housework. A little and often is my mantra.

I shall log off for today. Tomorrow we shall be one day closer to the day when our lives return to "normal". I wish that I could be more specific. Sadly, I haven't a crystal ball.

TOYA

Grandmafrench I have pm'd you.

Glad you got your medication sorted dragonfly

Had another tech' glich earlier, this time - ' connected, no internet' message. Seems okay now.

Had the dreaded government letter today, the one I'm calling 'high security prison solitary confinement' ☹️. Supposed not even to be in the same room as my WP but I don't think that matters much for us since if I can't go anywhere he can't either. It will make some things tricky though, something we, like so many, will have to work through.
I made some plum tarts earlier so I brought a couple. Nipping 'back home' now got some ? pie to eat ?

Good evening fellow kitcheners.

Goodness you've all been very busy, there's a lot of lovely posts to read through.

Wonderful news about your son callgirl the sense of relief must be immense.

Oh dizzy I'm so sorry you've succumbed to the virus. Take it easy and don't worry about work, just concentrate on getting better.

Well soop I've been inspired by your cycling and your son's forthcoming marathon fitness attempt and for the last 2 days have got into a routine of my own.

The cobwebs have been blown off my exercise ball and the dumb bells brought out of their hiding place. I must have worked hard as I'm feeling rather stiff this evening.

What a beautiful photograph N&G.

Great news about your prescription dragonfly that must be a huge relief.

Your post did make me laugh Doodle well done to you and Mr. D. 'couples who exercise together, stay together'.

Dylan seems to have been rather particular about his appearance today and the state of his bed. Maybe he's hoping for a visit from a certain female called Tara!!

TOYA

Tara is not interested in a mere cat bed, She does like to spread out on a double bed and would prefer it if I slept elsewhere- I could but I prefer my memory foam mattress with a memory foam topper and she loves a hot water bottle. Would the latter be available at Dylan's pad?

She, as usual, is waiting for me to go upstairs. I have to fill our shared hot water bottle first. She got a shock a few months ago when she accidentally put a paw on it and water hit her- I was not amused, a little water goes a long way on a mattress.
TOYA

Thank you for all your good wishes to my son, he will appreciate them when I tell him. He coughs such a lot, and so hard, that he`s started to cough up blood, but they`ve said it`s just caused by the coughing. He has to follow up the results of the swabs tomorrow.
It`s lovely of you to think of my daughter Soop, but she`s not in any dire straits, just confined to barracks for 12 weeks because of diabetes and high BP, she`ll be OK, she`s working from home. I haven`t been able to get any eggs, so her hubby is dropping me some off in the morning, on his way to work, says they have plenty. I tried to go on the Morrisons site this afternoon to amend my order for Sunday, but there was a queue to get on there, more than 42,000 people in front of me, so I`m going to try again tomorrow.
So sorry that you ended up with the virus Dizzy, I hope you`re back to full strength very soon.
Dragonfly, I`m pleased you got your medication, Lynne is still waiting for hers from Pharmacy2you, it was sent off a few days ago, hopefully it will come soon, the posties are asking to be laid off work now.
Hoping everyone stays safe, and TOYA xx

Morning all! After filling the new flowerbeds up with soil yesterday, today I shall start planting. I have been looking forward to this! DD told me some local nurseries are delivering and sure enough we can either do a contact free collection or have a delivery. Marvellous!
I really ought to do some housework ...
Have a good day if you can!

I'm sure something can be arranged to ensure that Tara gets the comfort she's become accustomed too Charleygirl.

I hope there's good news from your son's swabs today callgirl and that he starts to feel better soon.

We've gone on line and our local nurseries have closed and aren't doing deliveries Nannytopsy it's such a shame that so many beautiful plants are going to go to waste not to mention the financial cost to those businesses.

Stay safe every one TOYA

Hello dear kitchen friends, I hope everyone has been safe overnight.

Dear soop I hope Macs appointment will soon be reinstated.
Being objective, I think DH's progress is good.

Our French neighbours are feisty and doing well. We are in a hamlet of eight homes...not sure if maybe a hamlet is only six dwellings? One neighbour is from Kent originally but the others are all local and often communicate in their Breton dialect which adds another dimension to DH and I, aiming to converse at all times firstly, in French!

DH is much better than I am. I only have JMB French 'O' level so although my vocab is ok my use of verbs is rubbish. Maw, I think I need your help!

I think I'm wittering on this morning but am just hoping to lighten any sadness of dear kitcheners in these challenging times.

Today I will be sowing nastrutium seeds in the hope that because they are such rogues, they will fill pots for a bit of summer colour. Other than that, a cauliflower and lardons cheese tonight!

dragonfly, callgirl ...??
chezzy, hope you are well.
Smileless, have you read any of the Miles Kington franglais spoofs yet? Sent you the info last week.

Panache xx ??

Dear kitcheners, off now to the surgery, hopefully to encounter a gendarme who might check my papers.
Sending love and as always, TOYA

So pleased your DH has made good progress Carillion.
I could never master languages at school but having lived in the Netherlands for 18 years I speak fluent Dutch. I just wish it was more useful.

My DH has to go to GP’s for a blood test today. The GP assured me there will be few patients there but I will strip and fumigate him when he gets back! As I am shielding it is a worry. We are abiding by the rules laid out in the letter apart from the one about eating separately.

I have found some seeds kicking around that I must plant.

TOYA and love to you all.

A good late morning, dear kitcheners. Sort of sunny. A tad breezy. But, hey, we are thankful, and that is so important.

My son had a short spell of TV fame last night. It hasn't gone to his head. Thank goodness. He has raised 55% of the total he's aiming for on behalf of Just Giving Charity for Medecins San Frontieres. I have reminded him to put his inhaler in his pocket.

Carrilion You have indeed lightened our kitchen. While you are at it, capture a few extra gendarmes for us lot. I'm sure that they will enjoy our special brand of hospitality. What say you?

Smileless News that thousands of plants and saplings will be going to waste brought a tear to my eye. I cannot imagine how such a thing can be prevented.

Charleyg Tara is an uptown feline. Only the best is good enough for her ladyship. MacSporran stood in the doorway armed with a big fat pad and a length of rope and mentioned that the pad might make my garden kneeling more comfortable. He didn't tell me what the rope might be used for. I hope that he doesn't plan scaling the Eucalyptus tree. I had better check. He does crazy things without asking my permission.