Soop's welcoming kitchen for kindly caring folk...

Partial good news kitcheners. Son in law doesn't have covid. A chat with the doc is next as he is still being sick with stomach pains. His dad had his op but they've taken a biopsy so the family will be waiting anxiously for the results. I'm awaiting a gas engineer to service the boiler but no idea when they will appear,if at all. To that end I have done Saturday housework today. I need to go to the chemist for my repeat prescription but can't until Amazon have delivered toys for dgs and my boiler gets a clean bill of health. I'm not complaining as I expect a visit later from my daughter and grandson to drop off rolls and a chicken pie. Thank you all for your concerns about my wee family. I appreciate each and every one.

soop, I meant to say I can’t believe it has been two and a half years since your family all met up.I remember you packing the parcel of gifts to send on ahead of you.

I think we have a while in lockdown yet but hopefully you will meet up with your family this year????????

Welcome Muse. Are you bringing cake next time you visit? Sorry to be blunt, but I feel the need to make that clear ! ?
We made it into the garden today for a couple of hours - such a delight. We just tidied up a bit but it looks very different.
I hope you are all looking after yourselves and all the animals.

BladeAnnie, I echo Puzzlers words re your daughter.My uncle is currently battling Covid, recovery is unlikely, but the staff have and are amazing.The care and compassion they have shown to family as well as the nursing care for my uncle is amazing more so as they are all exhausted.

Urmstongran, I think flowers would be lovely for your friends wife.

Grandmabatty, I hope your son in law is feeling better and that there is good news on your DGS’s granddad.

Take care and stay safe all.x

Welcome muse you will enjoy being here.
So sorry about your friend Dragonfly such sad news.
Hope your SIL gets well soon Grandmabatty
Sleep well everyone.

‘Evening All’
?

Thank you so much everyone for your kind words concerning the death of our friend. You are such very caring folk on soops.

We went over to my stepfather’s this afternoon and when I shared the sad news he was visibly upset. I bought a sympathy card after we had parked up back home. I will think what to say and post it tomorrow.

I’m wondering whether to send some flowers next week to his wife (cant bring myself to think the word widow) or does that seem OTT? Just that we can’t drive over to give her a hug, nor attend his funeral.

On a more upbeat note - Himself is really enjoying playing with his new toy today ... a smartphone! He has been Setting it all up to his heart’s content. A couple of his friends today said on WhatsApp (get him!) ‘welcome to the 21st century)!

Being a very happy Luddite my basic Nokia with a contract ‘SIM only’ does me fine. Himself thinks I’ll want one too ...
Erm, Nope.

Wishing everyone here a pleasant and peaceful evening. x

‘Goodnight All’.

Evening all from a calmer S Hants, welcome Muse you will find a comfortable perch or loll here. I had cake today, not a major event for some, but I eat cake maybe 3 times a year! It was coffee, delivered by Sainsbury’s, very yum too. I have no words left for the disgraceful BT treatment of the Soop family, only actions, which would get me into deep trouble. Right, got to go, dinner is a cooking. Love you and leave you.

Welcome muse and a Good Evening to kitcheners.
Another mint tea drinker here ✋
Grandmabatty what a worrying time for your DD’s family, and you too. Let’s hope for a negative result.
Could the lovely Duncan be given a calendar he understands BladeAnnie so he will know which days he is safe to come out, and which days to hide from a little person?
Your nursing Sister DD deserves more than wages for doing what she is for poorly Covid sufferers. Perhaps letting the emotions out after a long shift is a good thing for her, better than holding it inside? Nurses are our modern-day Florence Nightingales and we are all extremely indebted to them all. ?

Good evening lovely Kitchen peeps. Great idea, Charley - are you hoping that we might pop round and disconnect his telephone line?

Weather sounds wild soop but you sound as if you have made proper plans to make your pretty house even prettier. Did Fern have a word? I expect - given the dining selection available - she will have strong views on what her new home should look like.

Very sad to hear about your Malaga chum, Urms. Hateful when a big part of life and cherished memories just has to suddenly fade from view and really shakes you. Awful to hear about your friend, Dragonfly. Glad to hear that your Son is on the mend.

Bit puzzled, Hellogirl - bet you are too! Is the thinking behind your Vaccination trip that you will welcome the distance to charge your car battery, d'you think or maybe you're desperate for an outing in this intemperate weather, or are they just being predictably ridiculous? GrandmaB you're going to be a real skinny Minnie if you are reduced to grabbing little snacks when that precious boy decides to sleep. Hope your day was a good one and trust that you will very soon have good news of his Granddad and that his poor Daddy gets well very soon.

Do hope you and Hattie are very well, Maw and that no outings demand the use of waders, at the mo'. If soop locates her muse and her up and at 'em soon, BladeAnnie, she will do a knockout portrait of handsome Duncan. I have a likeness of my boy cat, Nouba, which always makes me smile. It's as if she actually knows him. Must take the trouble to put it on here soon so everyone can see the Kitchen Queen's talent.

Keep up the firm unpleasantness Kitty. No one should have to suffer what you have. He'll have to learn how rogue builders are treated in the real world. Laughed at your soft close toilet seat, Puzzler. The worst aspect of owning these is that you visit friends' houses (in the good old days, you remember?) and you 'throw' the seat closed before you flush it - totally forgetting that theirs is probably not one which closes gently on its own. A couple of times I have had to apologise for the terrible noise of (almost) breaking sanitary fittings when I've paid a visit! Can make one quite jumpy but won't put me off visiting anyone and everyone once my release date is here!!!!!

Welcome Muse. I have some home made ginger biscuits which I'm leaving in the Kitchen for all to help themselves. Sorry it's a meagre offering today - I've been super busy on admin and laundry and righting fallen pots in the garden after the gales yesterday. I too drink only Earl Grey - since 40 years or so - and have to buy it directly from Twinings in Ireland. Will drink it black, white, whatever and find it difficult to get used to anything else now. Hope you enjoy the Kitchen - some lovely people here. Do tell us where you are so that we can place you in our mental directory of Kitcheners.

Have a great evening/reasonable evening/restful and peaceful evening/an evening you enjoy, everyone. TOYA. Stay safe. Hugs from French France ?‍♀️?

Welcome muse you will soon get used to us lot.

Duncan deserves peace and quiet- poor fellow.

soop such a pity you do not have the chairman's home address! I cannot believe it has gone on for so long.
TOYA

A very warm welcome muse. You have done remarkably well to dismantle the king size bed. You deserve a and too many ginger biscuits.
There will be a time when you can have visitors. That's my mantra. I've never experienced anything like the longing I feel to hug my family again. It's been two and a half years since the family gathered and we were introduced to the wee great grandchildren who are now three years of age. One born a few months ago, has yet to be cuddled. A fourth will be born in July.
Scotland is in lockdown until mid February at the moment. I've a feeling that we shall remain so for much longer.

Hellogirl Mr Soop has a preference for subtle decor, so, yes, I imagine that it will remain much the same. Different coloured door. Can't make up my mind which way to go. Maybe teal green, shades of the sea. What do you think?

Grandmabatty I'm hoping that the news is comforting for your family. It's so hard to wait for updates.

BladeAnnie I am sorely tempted to paint a wee portrait of the handsome Duncan. Keep that image please. Or better still, one in which his eyes are open. I haven't wanted to paint anything recently. If I could get into the mood, it would be a good thing.

It's awful blowy but we haven't floods to contend with. Those poor people with flooded homes. Some not for the first time.

My very best wishes to you lovely lot. Stay safe and warm.

Welcome Muse. This is a lovely thread. Four minutes and I take dgs home. His dad has had a covid test as he feels so bad. He doesn't think he has it as he's only sick. But constantly so since Monday. And still no word about his grandad and the operation.

Condolences to Urmston and Dragonfly over your so sad news.
I love the picture of Duncan, he looks quite content, if a little squashed.
I`ve had the letter inviting me to book my vaccination. We have a brand new mass vaccination centre here in Boston, and they`ve offered me Leicester or Norwich, 53 and 60 miles away, so I`m going to wait and try again.
Soop, are you keeping to the same colour scheme for the outside of your house?

New to GN. Doodle has recommend I look at this thread.

Spent ages just reading through to see what you all say to each other. It is a lovely chatty thread.

I've spent the day dismantling a king size bed. Warm work. Tomorrow it will be reassembled in a different room. Wishful thinking but I hope my family can visit us when safe to do so. Bed will be ready for them.

My drink at the moment is a big mug of earl grey tea - no milk of course. Plus too many ginger nuts

Good afternoon everyone - ditto that Jacjacky. Far too much sadness around. Sending virtual hugs to all in need. DD1 who is a sister on a dedicated covid ward has come home the last two nights and cried at what has happened throughout the shift. Awful isn't it? I just had to reassure her that the entire country is grateful to people such as her. On lighter note, Duncan is overjoyed that DGD (the small person!!) is not here today. However he has still chosen to tuck himself away in a minute space!! Mr BA has just brought me a camomile and spearmint tea so I'm going to sit awhile and enjoy. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing - stay safe

Condolences Urmstongan too much sadness about right now.?

dragonfly I'm sorry to hear that your dear friend is gravely ill. I can imagine how you are feeling at this time.

kitty Rogue workmen should be shamed, feathered and tarred.
Same goes for BT. Still no word. Six weeks are up tomorrow.

Grandmabatty Mr Soop has prepared his letter of disgust complaint to the Chairman.

Puzzler Fern is a fine looking feline. Bright eyed, glossy coat, a joy to behold. Our friend opened up the gap in the wire fence a little more so that she has better access to the garden from the forest. Honest to goodness...

Condolences Urmstongran
My father used be visibly saddened and to exclaim “ But he was no age” whenever a contemporary died, even more so somebody younger than himself.
It is shocking when we are reminded of our own mortality and that those with whom we shared special memories are no more.

We have a mighty white-capped sea. I can almost hear the shingle shifting on the shore. Isn't that poetic?

We've had an invoice from the garage for work done on the car. Mr Soop usually opens it a couple of days after delivery. The builder has given us a quote for cappings and sofits, fixings and trims. Deep breath, we agreed to the estimate. And so we embark on preparations for a smarter home sometime this spring.

Susan I was also moved by Amanda Gorman's beautiful poem. It is printed in our newspaper today. I shall print it.

Urms For you. (hugs) and . This is a sad time.
I had one of those notebooks. Took great care not to blot it. However, that resolution was a difficult one to maintain.
Ink wells and old fashioned pens...
There was an occasion when I came home from a party and was wearing my best dress - pale lemon with embroidered blue butterflies. My mother instructed me to change out of my dress before doing anything to spoil it. I didn't heed her warning. I sat at the sloping wood desk in my bedroom, opened a bottle of ink, was careless and, it rolled down the desktop and spilled ink through the skirt of the dress. The pitter pattering of ink on the lino' floor, alerted my mother. She rushed up the stairs to scold me. I stood on the bed and my little sister cried...God help her...to which my mother responded...too late! I was smacked soundly. Fair dos.

Maw My father lived close to Olney (in Thrapston) many years ago. I like that part of the world.

Very sorry for your loss Urmstongran so sad.
Just had a short walk,its cold and blustery here no rain at the moment we rarely get snow.
A quiet afternoon reading well it makes a change!!
Have a good day everyone stay safe.

Faced snow when I woke this morning but it appears to be, like the witch in The Wizard of Oz, melting. Kittylester I'm fair scunnered for you. It must be so frustrating to have to deal with such shoddy workmanship. I'm scunnered for Soop too. The bold boy is napping at the moment. I'm going to attempt to have lunch before he wakes. I'll have to message dd to find out how his grandads operation went.

So sorry about your friend Urmston we too have just heard that one of our oldest friends - over 60 years ago we were at uni together - is in a hospice and extremely poorly.

There used to be coffee shops in Waterstones where you could drink coffee and browse the books. There were a couple in London and one in Llandudno. Our Waterstones is still there but not coffee.

When my DD was a journalist working in Southend she had a flat in the centre. I loved staying there as you could walk to everything - cinema, restaurants, shops etc. As she said she could fall out of bed into Topshop!!

I was thinking about you kitty last night as the rain was lashing down. I do hope you get the roof sorted soon.

Sorry about your friend Urmston. You must have many good memories of him. End of an era as you say.

Also sorry about your wet hall kitty. Do you have dehumidifiers ready to clear the damp once the roof is repaired?
Not much happening here the excitement of the day will be haircutting, and ordering a soft close toilet seat. When the pace of life eventually picks up I don’t know how I’ll cope!

Is Fern plumping up soop now she is having regular cordon bleu meals at yours?

Wishing everyone a good day. ?

Thank you for thinking of me grandmabatty. It is quite wet in our hall! Only 3 weeks until the roofmen come and I think our letter to the rogue one seems to have put the wind up him. (Strange expression!) He sent a reply full of bluster but our letter in return has made him go very quiet!!