Soop's welcoming kitchen for friendly folk

Thank you all for understanding and telling me that I am far from alone in my thoughts.
It really has been a long and hard road for so many of us.
I have had two phone conversations which have done me good.
I have also taken the time to make a really good ragu which will be made into lasagnas tomorrow, one to eat and one to freeze.
It is getting chilly so I will turn the heating up and settle down for a short read, along with a cuppa and a biscuit.
Take care everyone, we must trust that better times are round the corner.

Ann You are not alone. I stand beside you. I awoke this morning feeling almost beyond hope. Then, I fell on the bedroom floor, hit my head on the open wardrobe door, was hauled upright by Mr Soop, sat on the bed and wept. Went to the dentist. She listened to my problems, inspected my gaping mouth and said...'your temporary filling remains intact. You can have it removed right now and I can put in a more stable filling. The choice is yours.' I suggested that she removed and refilled. She seemed surprised. I wonder why? She then proposed that we leave well alone for an further six months. Zippity doo dah! I thanked her kindly and left the surgery with a .

So, dear Kitcheners, I am on cloud nine, so to speak. The sun is shining. All I wish for at this moment, is the sight of a dear black cat staring up at the kitchen window.

N&G Isn't it a pity that men do not have to endure testiculargrams? I have a mammogram to look forward on Wednesday next.

Sending virtual comforting hugs to every one who is needing solace right now.

Just popped into the kitchen with a coffee and to see how everyone is doing..
Sorry to hear it’s all getting a bit much annsixty I can only echo what others have said and suggest one day at a time. Spring is on the way with better weather and I hope you have some good local friends who you can soon meet up with for that glass of wine and a cocktail or two. Yes I’m sure those days will definitely come back so hang in there ... you’re almost through it now
It’s so good to be on nanna duty BA - I’m not seeing my DGC as much now that the local ones are back at school and the other ones are too far away. But I’ll be there when I can! I’ve also got an appointment at the eye clinic here in Inverness tomorrow so living it up like you!
I hope you get something sorted for your DH polomint it can’t be easy for you both and it is hard putting a brave face on all of the time. Hopefully the workmen will be allowed in soon, maybe less than 3 months and once your doors sorted you can work on getting out to the garden centre. Everything crossed for you
I needed grocery shopping today and I wanted a walk somewhere so I combined the two and walked about 4 miles down to Tesco this morning and then DH picked me and all the shopping up. Makes a change and I enjoyed it - result!

annsixty you’re certainly not the only one, it’s never ending and I know the road map may change, but I’ve started marking dates in my diary for doing things. Others have made good suggestions, try a couple of them and look after yourself ?

Ann, I'm so sorry you are finding life such a struggle, it's not been an easy year or indeed more than a year for you.

Bladeannie is exactly right in my view, be gentle with yourself, if you can get outside into your garden the next time sun shine shines then do, tiny steps forward will take you further than you think. Have you had a chat to your granddaughter to see how she feels about being with you? My guess is she doesn't think you are any sort of burden and is enjoying your company and her space in your home. You just might need to hear it from her to believe it though. It might be worth trying to find something in each day you enjoy, no matter how simple. A television programme, a piece of music, just looking out of the window and seeing the birds, eating something you enjoy no matter if it isn't 'healthy', small things that lift our spirits do help. Sorry, ann, my apologies, I've slipped into lecturing mode. It will get better, I'm sure of it, Spring will come followed by Summer and we will all feel lighter. Sending and a hug for now.

Just popping in the kitchen to say hello. I did my nanna duty yesterday and my services have been booked again for Sunday. I've had an appointment at the eye clinic this morning and have a bone density scan tomorrow. I really know how to live don't I?? annsixty it has been such a strange year for us all and I think even the most optimistic of us have found it difficult. If all is to be believed we have turned a corner and I'm sure there is light at the end of the tunnel. It's so difficult when you are feeling low but try to be kind to yourself. You've come through an awful year and you are still here amongst friends . As the weather is getting nicer try to get outside if possible for a bit of fresh air - even if you just wrap yourself up and sit on your garden with a coffee? Sorry for rambling but I always like to help if I can . Have a good afternoon everyone and stay safe

So sorry your feeling so low Anne let’s hope for better days ahead?

On second thoughts preparing lunch isn't easy!

Ann I also can identfy with how you feel. It's a constant battle to keep to the daily routine.
Maybe it starts off being in the mind then if we're not active enough affects our body too.
I set myself easy targets such as preparing lunch. - are you having regular meals?

Annsixty I think many of us are feeling the way you do. This just seems to go on and on. It will pass, I'm sure. You sound very low though. Maybe a chat with your doctor about depression? And tell them about your lack of mobility. Maybe they can offer advice. You could ask Age UK for advice yoo. You've had a challenging time over the last year so give yourself credit for getting through it all. Be kind to yourself too. I can understand that you feel very frustrated. I have very little motivation at the moment and grey skies and cold weather don't help. Spring is coming and more people are being vaccinated. Take care x

No you are not alone annesixty in feeling so down and not seeing the end in sight. I have a double whammy as my husband has a broken hip and cant have surgery as it's too big a risk for his heart. I am only looking as far as him getting out back garden on a Zimmer. We need a new door with a low threshold to get him.out but due to lockdown, it cant be done for 3 months. Once he is out of the house, I hope, we can concentrate on getting out somewhere like a garden centre but it all depends on how mobile he will be. Yes you need someone who cheers you up as I do too. It's a strain trying to put a brave and optimistic face on all the time. I think workmen are allowed in houses elsewhere but not here in Scotland. Hope you have a more pleasant day tomorrow. Sometimes I think to hear some good upbeat music helps our moods

Good morning all.
I have been having a few off days so have been quiet. Sorry to say that lockdown is getting to me big time.
I cannot see any future .
I am having more days, more frequently, when I just don’t feel well, although I suspect it is mostly in my head.
I am worrying constantly about being a burden to my GD.
She really doesn’t deserve it having had a very difficult life at times which is why she lives with me, but that is a whole other story.
Even when we get our freedom I can’t see it making a huge difference to me as I can’t get out alone any more.
Me, who until last year loved nothing more then a lovely restaurant with a cocktail and a glass of wine ( and then maybe another cocktail to finish off the evening)
Please tell me that along with everyone else this will come back.
I ring up friends and some sound as down as me, not what I need.
I am the oldest of my immediate friends , only one is just 80, and I feel so very ancient.
Have you had enough of my wallowing?
I certainly have, but I don’t do it to family so you have the dubious pleasure of “listening”
I hope I haven’t depressed any of you and I truly wish you all the very best day you can have with deep apologies for my whinging. Xx

Morning all !

Sorry to hear you took a tumble Corner ! Glad it was just your pride that was dented !! If I fell I am sure I would need the fire brigade to bring in heavy lifting gear to get me back up. The year of lockdowns has not been kind to my weight sadly !! All my own fault of course.

Mammograms are a pain GrannyG !! I am convinced i men had breasts they would have developed a better way than squashing them between 2 metal plates!!

Lets not talk about Vets bills please! We have just settled the first half of Sam's at a whopping £518 . Of course part 2 will include the op, aftercare and the new jacket. I may need to sit down to recover. Thank goodness for Pet Insurance. A royal pain when you don't need it and a godsend when you do.

There will be 3 weeks now of military exercises in the area with live firing and flypasts so it came as no surprise when 3 chinook helicopters flew past low and loud this morning. In fact so low we could wave - which of course we did !!

We then spent 15 minutes recounting memories of jumping out of helicopters during our time in the military. I cant jump off a step now so you can tell how long ago that was!!

Well time to at least pretend to make a start on the day - toast anyone?

Happy Day all x

corner I am so pleased to hear that the vase is intact. I can understand Mr C looking after the carpet first because carpets are expensive to replace but luckily he sorted that out. Seriously you were fortunate you fell on carpet rather than a hard floor as would happen here and the outcome may have been rather different.

The 16th is very close so the colonoscopy will be over and done with before you can blink. I hope your local hospital is not too far away.

Hellogirl Tara had a lot of teeth removed around 2 years ago and I was also shocked with the huge bill which was over £700. Vets know how to live.
TOYA

Not my first colonoscopy so not concerned about the process. Haven’t had or needed a sedative before, would rather not if possible as these things tend to disagree with me.

Have had stern words with my knee about the benefits of me remaining upright. Bit achey this morning with a bruise or two where I landed on the vacuum, thought I’d broken it but thank goodness not. Good timing in a way as I have a knee injection due on Monday and can remind the physio she promised onward referral. One way or another I’ll soon be held together by sticky tape .

Quiet day ahead here, the promised grey skies won’t tempt me out so we may look considerably tidier by this afternoon.

Imagine grandmafrench is on her way now. Safe trip. We do find excitement in odd places in this strange covid-world of ours although I doubt excitement is the word soop will apply to her dental visit, hope all goes painlessly.

Mr C is on his way with our first cuppa of the day. Look after yourselves everyone. TOYA.

Corner, it's almost a qualification for being on Gransnet to have a colonoscopy, so welcome to the club. I'm sure you won't feel a thing as it's customary to have a sedative - not usually a general anaesthetic. That would really have made me sick! They threw in a gastroscopy for good measure. And nothing was discovered.
Bon voyage Grandmafrench tomorrow. I do hope it's a fine day for a drive through the countryside. Is your DH also having the vax? And will you have to go all the way back for the second shot? Or can you pull some strings to get it done closer to home? For mine, I walked a quarter of a mile down the road - lucky or what?
soop, I hope you aren't heading for another BT showdown. You've had just a bit too much of that nonsense!

Safe journey tomorrow Grandmafrench.
Corner, I`m so pleased you didn`t come to any real harm, and what a treast to be married to a man who`s really concerned about the carpet!
Soop, I hope you`re not having to prepare for even more buggerations. Safe trip tomorrow, try to enjoy it (not)
I haven`t long finished putting my shopping away, Mr Tesco, in his wisdom, allocated me the 9 till 10pm delivery slot.
TOYA

Evening Soop's Lovelies !

Weather here has been total pants today. Easterly wind, overcast, misty and cold. Should have lit a fire, but realised that too late in the afternoon. Himself has been in the bottom of the pool, (empty now) jet-washing and making lots of noise.

Much sadness reading this evening that Merlotgran lost her DH today. Hoping that with so many fond wishes, she will find extra strength to get through her pain.

Yes, thank you kind people - we are off on our jaunt tomorrow. Never was there so much excitement over a vaccine. I can still remember years ago .... pre-children ......when just the sight of a hypodermic would see me fall to the floor. I do recall one time listening to my dear Mum droning on to our Doctor after he had given me an injection at around 13 years of age. I was standing - she was meant to be saying goodbye and we were next to his desk - and I was thinking "oh come on, I feel weird". Down I went with my hands in my pockets. I struck my face on his desk and remember waking up and seeing his legs standing above me, I thought "he hit me, that's it, I'm never coming here again!" I'd broken my nose. He was very kind and later gave me a lecture along the lines of my always needing to say if I felt unwell or faint. He said that it was hardly fair if I had some warning and that it gave others a real shock to have anyone just collapse in front of them - and of course, the risk of injury in falling. After that I always made sure that anything needle-involved saw me sitting or lying down in advance!! Thankfully those days are over.

Alarm will be set for 4.30am. DH keeps bringing the time forward - maybe we can do the bin recycling collection for the area just before we leave?

Not impressed with your fall, corner. I know there was lots of mess, water, running around and a shock, but am so glad that you aren't hurt. Thank goodness for carpet. Hope you refuse to trust that knee again, if it's really important, just in case. Colonoscopy? Wow, do you have fun or what. Here in the land of terrible hypochondriacs and those who need drugs (3 prescriptions) and anaesthesia for almost everything - (Sshhh! I'm not being mean, really) - I for one am pleased to report that Colonoscopies are done under general anaesthetic. Day cases, still, but while you are asleep. It certainly helps keep me calm !!

Mammograms - what a horrid way to spend time, even with a nice chatty Mammogram operator (or whatever they're called). In Northern France, I used to dread it. Lovely clinic, lovely kind staff but the only way to describe the sensation was mostly like having your boobs squished in a swing door.
Equally nice clinic here in the South, and they don't seem to have quite the same amount of pressure on the controls of their machine - thankfully - so there wasn't that same feeling of taking part in a Tom & Jerry cartoon where you needed to roll up your bits and take them home to wait for some re-inflation later. Was that what your 3 tyre pressure gauges are for, Jax?
?

So pleased that you will soon get plastered, kitty but wondered if you've started early!!!!!! The 2nd para., of your post was so entertaining. I'm still trying to work out how your Wednesday dinner is affected by a man in Y-fronts (who is obviously not your DH) interfering with your Sainsbury's order and causing 'fraughtness' in your kitchen. Hopefully it's all sorted now. ?. If I'd logged in earlier, I'd have happily raced you round to Grandmabatty's - although have to say your pie sounded delish.

You're right,Jax - you obviously have a smoker's version of a Speakeasy going on there. Do you get your purchases in plain brown wrappers, perhaps?

I keep meaning to look up the diamond art work, Yiayia - must do it when we get back home. Your card is really lovely.
I shall watch out for anything interesting en route, Brook - it'll be good to have a change of scene.

soop keep calm. I cannot bear to speak of the unspeakable. Another 20 rounds with Buggeration Telecom would be more than flesh and blood could withstand, I should think. Maybe keep Mr Soop on standby and encourage him to practice a slightly menacing tone, just in case? x

See you all Friday, hopefully. Until then, night night, love and hugs to you all and keep on staying safe.

Popping in to wish Grandmafrench a safe journey to get the vaccine tomorrow. Important enough reason to make that long journey.
Good luck to soop, making a trip she doesn’t want, to the dentist. Take deep breaths, stay calm....
Also best wishes to Grannygravy and cornergran having their bodies probed at hospital appointments. I hope you both get a clean bill of health.
Urmston I scratched the glass hob last week being a bit ham-fisted with the scraper blade, but it sounds like Mr Urmst made a real good job of yours. Costly!
Goodnight ?, TOYA

Urmston we shall be watching that too. We are watching an awful lot of TV these days!
Tomorrow’s excitement is going out for mushroom compost and rat poison. Roland is back and he’s a big lad ...
I think Charlie must have seen him this afternoon because he was sitting staring intently at the hole. Not sure Charlie would come off best.
It’s getting cooler, damper and more miserable - not ideal! I was hoping for warmer and brighter. Ho hum.
Sleep tight everyone.

Sorry grandmafrench a safe and fruitful journey tomorrow.

‘Evening All’
?

Himself (aka Frank Spencer) dropped something on the glass which covers the hob this afternoon. A crack zinged across the surface. I rang our cooker guy and he has ordered a replacement which comes from Italy. Here in 2 weeks hopefully at a cost of £280. I wouldn’t mind but he did a similar stunt in 2018. I’ve stopped his spends for a few weeks.

Fantastic news that you’re going for your jab tomorrow GrandmaFrench and turning it into a road trip and picnic too!

Hope your mammogram result comes back negative GG13 you made me laugh about your excitement going out!

Right, I’m off to make a cuppa and plan to settle down at 9pm to watch the new drama ‘Terror’ - I really like Ciaron Hinds the actor in it.

Hope tonight is a peaceful one for us all. x

‘Goodnight All’.

Grandmabatty the most ‘comfortable’ mammogram I’ve had was at the breast clinic last month. Possibly because I was so scared being there, but the machine seemed differed. Yia you are clever and have patience, not one of my strengths. cornergran juggling as a second career?
Ok, who’s the dopey mare that only defrosted four sausages for tea then? That’ll be the person eating leftover curry from Monday whilst her husband has sausages, mash and beans, I love curry, but I wanted sausages. As my dear Mum used to say ‘those who want don’t get’, annoying, Mum!
panache ?

No chance on catching up on everything so just popping in to say hello to all the kitcheners.
Grandmafrench good news about your vaccination but a long way to go to get it. Sorry I missed your Anniversary. Hope you had a lovely day.
corner hope you weren’t hurt in your fall. Hope the colonoscopy goes ok.
urms I too was blessed with a lovely mum (and dad) it makes a difference doesn’t it. My mum lost her own mum at 8 years old.
soop hope you get on ok at the dentist. ? from me to Mr Soop hope he’s doing well.
Take care all. ?

Kittylester I've got a plate warming for you!