Soop's lovely warm and friendly kitchen

The daily 'walk' is the main thing that has kept me sane over the last year or so.
We live very urban now, but I still venture out every day. I have a few dedicated spots for a sit-down and usually someone stops to chat, or just to say are you OK?
Helps to overcome this awful deprivation of social contact.

Thank you Maw you inspired me to mount the exercise bike and pedal to nowhere for twenty minutes. I shall return tomorrow and up the routine by five minutes. After which, I shall try to do a daily 30 minute ride (as I used to before I became lazy and laid-back).

It's very cold and there will be yet another hard frost tonight. Fern has more blankets in her specially made bed than I have on my own. She has also graduated to Sheba meals. Mr Soop spent rather a lot of the housekeeping money as he maintains...^she's worth it^.

I wish you all a cosy evening. Until we meet again tomorrow...

Fern is slowly becoming less nervous. She no longer races away when we open the back door. I place her bowl of food on the mat. As I close the inner door, she strolls in and settles down to eat. After which, she sits on the mat, as Rory did and watches the birds visiting the feeders. She doesn't annoy them. They seem to ignore her. All is well in their world.

Maw Congrats on your 50 minute hike with Hattie. With our car being towed away to Campbeltown, we are unable to partake of our daily exercise routine. I shall however try a short spell of gentle exercise on the bike that goes nowhere. The drop-bot can make the exercise routine a tad uncomfortable. I shall do my best and report back to you later.

It is now a lovely sunny-if nippy-afternoon and I am basking in an aura of virtue after 50 minutes of walking Hattie. ?
I feel I can snuggle down with a cup of coffee and my book with a clear conscience.
Honestly if my hip/thigh didn’t bl**dy hurt so much (aggravated by walking uphill) I could happily have stayed out longer.
There’s some Christmas mincemeat (with brandy) fudge on the side - goodness knows what (sugar craving) prompted me to make it and you’ll be doing me a favour by finishing it off!
If somebody could just invent a timed snack/ treat/cake /chocolate dispenser I might cope, but I have simply no willpower!
That cat-shaped space is a familiar one Charleygirl (or in my case dog-shaped) and you have been very brave and unselfish to do the right thing for Tara - but oh isn’t it hard?
Welcome Yiayia and nice to see you in here too Urmstongran - best seats in the house!

Lovely message, ixion

Charleyg Our Tara has a special place in our hearts.

corner GOOD news that will help to keep your spirits upbeat. Remain positive. Your turn will come.

Urms Doodle is right. You are one of us lot.

Grandmafrench Now that our car has been towed away to the Campbeltown garage, we have no means of taking our daily stroll through the village and up the wee hill. There is no pavement between here and two plus miles along the road. A walk on the beach was fine when we we younger. It's rocky and slippery and not at all safe for us to venture on to it.

Heartfelt thanks to all the bearers of cake. I shall dollop the Cornish cream on every slice that I sample. It may be a long, cake-filled afternoon. Someone kindly get the tea urn prepared. I've plumped the cushions on the sofa and chaise and easy chairs. Plenty of room for everyone.

We have had puss cats all our married life and the children have grown up with a range of them - strays, abandoned ones, many from our local sanctuary! Each has come with joy and immense sorrow in equal parts and my thoughts are with you, charleygirl5?
I have bought along some warm fruit scones, with strawberry conserve and a tub of clotted cream from Cornwall.
Let the debate over jam + cream v. cream + jam commence!
Take care, all.

I was fairly shattered mentally after yesterday but people have been so kind. I would have preferred a clarion call at some ungodly hour but it will not happen again. She is now at rest although it was an uphill struggle to get the deed done.

I know it is cold but I have not opened a blind or curtain so there could be 6 feet of snow but Alexa would have warned me.

Very good news Cornergran. Very pleased for you.
I really hope other kitcheners will pop in today and have some good news to share.
We have had quite a bit of sadness lately.
It is snowing outside my house and the flakes are thickening - just as the last snowfall had melted yesterday.
Instead of Wednesday I’ll re-christen it Craftsday and get out my cross stitching project.
I hope everyone can find something gentle to keep them going today. ?

Good news Corner ! So glad there is progress.

Doing the right thing is often the hardest thing Charley. Your thought about the CPL is an excellent one, for you and for the cats passing through your care. I hope you can rest tonight, you must be shattered.

A bit of good news from me to end the day. Knee assessment went better than I could have hoped. There were some hilarious moments when we switched to a video call with Mr C as the cameraman while I tried to adopt the postures required by the physio. She kept her composure, consulted my x-rays and was clear, surgeon referral is needed. As lists are long a steroid injection has been offered in two weeks. Couldn’t hope for a better outcome.

MRI tomorrow. It’s a medical week here but I’m delighted at the evidence that our wonderful NHS is still caring for non covid people here.

Sleep well everyone, hope you manage it charley. TOYA.

It was the right thing to do Charliebut it doesn’t make it any easier. Helping out at the CPL sounds like a great thing to do.

It is a bit quiet and lonely here. That will not improve until a stray cat ambles in the catflap. There is plenty of food for it, I have 7kg of Tara's prescription Z/D granules as well as a supermarket shelf selection of sachets!.

To be honest, I do not want a full-time cat again, I would like to help out my local CPL by maybe taking in cats if they run out of beds for them or maybe an extra nervous cat who can not tolerate a cattery with its noise.

Thank you all so much- many of you know the hell and torture it is to say goodbye but still the right thing to do.

Urms I will post to you what soop said to me when I posted a similar comment years ago. You are one of us now ?
Welcome Yiayia. Thank you for the cake, you too Jaxjacky
charley I keep thinking about you. Hope you are ok. Little (hug)

‘Evening All’

Feel I’m intruding a little as I’m a relative newbie (or more accurately returnee from over a year back. I don’t want to interrupt all the condolences about Tara (?) who Charleygirl had put to sleep this morning. Very sad indeed.

So not really a post as such from me tonight. Just to wish everyone on this lovely thread a warm & peaceful evening.

‘Goodnight All’. x

Eat, rest, sleep and take care, Charley. Promise us !!!!!

How lovely to get a message from the lovely Panaches, Doodle. I do miss her posts, bless her (to, as my late Mum would say, "bless her little cotton socks and all her under woollies". ) I know, well meant but sounds a bit bonkers!

Hooray for the Palliative Care team.

I think that the rhythm of walking is wonderful for calming and clearing troubled minds, Jax. If you don't have a chum or a dog or a real purpose in walking, it can feel a bit same-y or be easy to avoid! Especially if the weather's not good. I think a purpose is always helpful, delivering something, measuring steps with a pedometer (or upmarket Fitbit for some), taking a camera or 'phone - maybe to photograph the same scene for a month (for example) - different light, different weather, different plant growth, timing the walk, measuring and increasing the walk and noting how much fitter and better we can all feel. Just little tricks to get your jacket on and get you out there. We all need a purpose now, to get through this latest period of buggerations! I have a friend who walks past the end of my lane at about 6.30 am, every single morning, all year, with her little dog. She is fit and apart from a bit of creakiness, looks years younger than she is. I too have promised myself I will aim for that for me (not at that ungodly time....but I will do it.).

Welcome Yiayia - and don't listen to Kitty, we are not nice, we are absolutely lovely and you better believe it !! Sometimes you can even sneak in when nobody will spot that you haven't brought cake. Real hot chocolate left on the side for every Kitchener type. Nighty night all, TOYA. x

Welcome to soop's kitchen * Yiayia4*, I love Delia's spiced apple cake.

Charleygirl I hope you have some rest tonight, such a hard day for you.

Hello everyone. Very sorry to hear about Tara Charleygirl. It must be very hard for you. Sending hugs

Welcome yiayia I intend taking a large slice of that gorgeous cake. I have not eaten much for days so that should be perfect.

The house is so quiet- she could open most doors but that is not going to happen this evening.

That minx was on a prescription diet for years- no wonder some evenings she did not fancy it! At last she is at rest.

Welcome yiayia. We are quite nice - especially to people who bring cake.

Just had a funny experience. We were having a videochat with DD2 and her daughters when the landline rang. It was her husband, who I think is missing his own mum, They then proceeded to chat about what he should collect from the shop on his way home from work - I did feel redundant!!

TOYA!

It’s a Delia Smith recipe chunky apple cake nice and easy.

Spiced apple cake - yum. Share the recipe or family secret?

Hello everyone, I have bought ginger cake, with a drop or two of rum added, should warm you all through. Sad news about Tara, a deserved gentle end.
My NYE resolution to walk every day (apart from dismal failure on Sunday) does buck me up a bit. I need to take more notice of my surroundings, rather than head down, notice nature stirring awake, so, a new target.

Bread and butter desert would certainly taste awfully sandy

Sand wiches , Soop ?

Oh please Yiayia4. And welcome to the kitchen.
I love anything spiced. We have a winter spice candle and it smells good enough to eat! ?