Soop's welcoming and supportive kitchen for kindly folk...

Happy Birthday MonsieurFrench???

Happy Birthday GrandpaFrench ???

Happy birthday to GrandpaFrench I hope he has a lovely day and enjoys his full English breakfast.
I'm having a quiet day today as I buzzed about yesterday. I hope you all have a good day.

Let me be the first to wish Grandpa French a very happy birthday!
Lovely day with family at the coast - it was very fresh air, so should be ok!
They are coming for a BBQ lunch on their way home tomorrow so more wine will be drunk!
Sleep tight everyone.

What a day, what weather, what a setting! The Royal Family - and especially the Queen - must have taken some comfort from the plans that the late Duke made: they were exactly what he wanted and seemed perfect to me.

The enforced low-key arrangements without foreign dignitaries and uniforms and endless cars and procession; just family and mourning black and the peace of the Castle grounds was so touching and so appropriate - especially now.
I'm so glad I watched it and collected a little bit of history in the memory bank, history which must have been shared by millions today.

However firm in duty and resolve, the Queen looked so small and frail today. Hopefully it will be the very last time that she will carry out duties in public and alone, since I understand that the senior Royals have agreed that one of them now will always accompany her on any engagement. A lovely sentiment, I think, and one which I'm sure she'll welcome.

Great to hear from you Izabella and so glad you have your own tribe to support you, especially at more wobbly times. Glad too that your DH is feeling more comfortable.

The silence from Panache is worrying and I'm trying not to fear the worst, but her last news was very bleak. If you're reading, Panache, our love and thoughts are sent to you. ??

We are retaining our wonderful senses of humour on this thread, though. If we're not frolicking with our dentists, chasing the fish man, wrestling with weeds, sitting outdoors heaped with blankets and hot water bottles in a determined attempt to 'eat out' with the family, Cheffing for a diva cat person, or cheering on our team whilst wearing daft socks, we are just dealing with mundane and much reduced life every day .........and I think (at the moment) we're winning!

As far as my 'Pome' is concerned, you are very kind and appreciative. But I must make an admission. The sentiment is 100% genuine (just like Batty's inspired writing). I mean every word. I can't imagine anything that would give me more enjoyment than a get together with all or any of you. However, although I do find it so easy just to fling a few words together and make them rhyme - it's hardly poetry. I should imagine that Maw would be horrified to hear my slapdash effort (done in 5 minutes) described as a poem!

How this rhyming came about is a bit of a family joke. My late MIL - an absolute pain in the nethers who demanded 150% attention and admiration at every turn - received a couple of birthday and Christmas cards which I had carefully chosen on behalf of myself and her Son/my DH. They were super, he and I could safely say that. Well, no, she felt she needed to "have a word" with my DH (can you imagine, the nerve of it resorting to quality control over your own birthday card!). He then shared with me that if they didn't contain some rather over the top and saccharine verse printed inside, they definitely weren't welcome! How we laughed!

So after that, we used to go into card shops searching for that special little Hallmark moment. This resulted on a couple of occasions in me being almost bent in half from laughing, as my DH read out - in a suitable voice - random cards which he was sure would fit the bill. The more I laughed, the worse cards he found. At one point even the owner in one thankfully quiet shop was shedding tears at our efforts and offering his own ideas!! You know what happens when you see people laughing uncontrollably - so then customers would join in with their ideas. As you can see, I've had years of practice with simple rhyming verses. No particular talent required! But thank you, anyway.

Sleep tight, Kitchen peeps. Sweet dreams. I'm off to locate some good Irish bacon in the freezer - saved for a very rare event tomorrow. We shall be having a full English breakfast - cooked by me. The excuse/reason will be my darling man's Birthday.

Hugs to you all x

Wonderful poems Grandmafrench and GrandmaBatty and nice to hear from you Izabella
I watched some of the funeral today beautiful service it’s been a very sad week.
Sleep well dear Kitcheners.

Good evening dear kitcheners as another beautiful day draws to a close. Gorgeous photos again soop - what a view. Nice to see you back amongst friends, urmstongran . What a talented poet you are Grandmafrench - makes for lovely reading. Football tonight so I'm wearing the shirt and proud to be a Blade, even though if they lose tonight they will be relegated . And sadly I think it's almost a given. Ahh well such is life as the saying goes. Hope everyone has a pleasant evening and sending virtual hugs to all who are in need of a little comfort

‘Evening All’

The dignity of this day, HRH Prince Philip, RIP.

My friend's husband's funeral was yesterday so two sad days. I felt for the Queen. I know when my Dad died after being married for 73 years although my Mum had dementia she realised he was not there and grieved.

Love the poems grandmafrench and grandmabatty you’re both very talented!
It’s good to hear from you Izabella and such exciting news about a new baby due in the family! Definitely something lovely to look forward to
I’ll keep everything crossed Anno for your family celebration in the summer. Like you say it’s such a shame you couldn’t meet up with your DS for his birthday celebrations but hopefully you’ll celebrate together very soon
It’s been another lovely day here in Inverness, this morning we enjoyed a walk around the University gardens where there’s a pair of swans nesting on the banks of the pond. Last year they had 5 or 6 baby cygnets but they must have gone as just the adult swans seem to be there now.
I watched Prince Phillips funeral this afternoon and DH finished painting some fencing outside. I really felt for the Queen sitting so alone, how sad on such a difficult day for her.

As soop says the service was indeed befitting and it was such a beautiful day.

Grandmabatty I felt that too. I was thinking that if she been less thoughtful and aware of her role she could have done anything she chose, after all who would dare to gainsay the Queen?
It is interesting that she has reflected what has been happening everywhere and has shown a solidarity with her people. So many people have been bereaved in a vast sea of loneliness.

It was a beautiful service and the weather did both England and the Duke proud.

I thought a member of her household was going to sit with her but perhaps that would have meant a family member would not be able to go.
HM did look so alone.
It was a beautiful service, seeing his RN cap and sword on the coffin was so poignant.

I know that the Queen had to sit alone because of Covid rules, but in the Bentley, she was sitting with a lady in waiting and could be seen talking to her. It does seem a shame that the closer members of the family couldn't sit in the same pew.

It was very sad and poignant to see the Queen sitting alone. She looked so frail.

The funeral service for Prince Philip was, we think, befitting the man and the occasion, throughout which the sun shone from a cloudless sky.

My fond thoughts are with you all. I shall return tomorrow.

Oh, much admiration GMFrench, and GMBatty. Really enjoyed reading those poems.

soop I’m delighted the sometime guest is renewing her visits.
You must have been so chuffed when she first came back.

Lovely, too, to hear from you Izabella. I enjoy your writing style. Look forward to “seeing” you again.

Oh Grandmafrench you are so smart,
At turning verse into an art.
I wish I had a similar skill,
But versifying makes me ill.
You kitcheners are such a bunch
I'd love to have you all to lunch.
But in the mean time,know it's true,
I'm very very fond of you.
All.

Dear Izabella, your posts are eloquent and I admire you tremendously.
I need to confess that I am beginning to find it more and more difficult to express myself. I dither over simple statements. I need to constantly refer to the dictionary. My job as a proof reader for several years, seems a lifetime away.
Thank you for nudging me into expressing my doubts and fears.

Grandmafrench Your poem speaks on behalf of all our kitcheners. Brilliant!

We are having a relaxing day. The sun is shining brightly. The sea has mini waves that gently lap the shore.

This afternoon, we shall be with the Queen in thought. Prince Philip was a decent, down-to-earth individual who quite obviously was devoted to her, and she loved him dearly.

Thanks Galen. I'd better get going with them. I'm a bit further north than you are and I don't have a conservatory!

Anno my beans are 6” high in conservatory waiting to be planted out.

Lovely verse, Grandmafrench. That's something else we are missing with the absence of Maw. She writes really good poetry. I think we should have an anthology of Gransnet poetry but to assemble that would be a task and a half!
On Thursday I had an hour, flat on my back, with a charming young man - unfortunately he's my dentist and my mouth was full of technology. After that, I went home, took a painkiller and went out to celebrate a friend's 80th birthday in her garden with a bunch of other octogenarians. Luckily the weather was fine if not very warm, but we were well wrapped up. Takes more than an east wind to deter our generation.
I was sad not to be able to celebrate DS's 50th with him and his friends in their local pub garden, but it's three train journeys away. I understand that certain people had 'sore heads' the next day. Younger generation in the shape of DS2 and partner have their first vaccs booked next week and DS1 has booked his second, so a family gathering in the summer could be well on the cards, fingers crossed. 16 year-old GS has had his first jab because he has a history of asthma. I wonder if there are plans to vaccinate other teenagers.
A lovely day. I have a pot of parsley, bought from Waitrose, now begging to be planted out. Is it too early to sow runner beans?

Do we have any news of Panache

Good morning all from a sunny Shire. The church bell is tolling both singly and slowly and the melancholy sound is echoing mournfully across the valley. A sombre start to the day.

I have tried and tried to recap on events in the kitchen but have largely failed. For some reason the picture of soops unfortunate episode with floor varnish still resonates with me. Definitely a buggeration. So I hope you will all forgive me if I appear to gloss over maladies, concerns, sadness and life events. It is not intentional and I apologise. Linked to this current husband has noticed another recent change, in that when people engage me in conversation, I often appear not to follow 'the gist' with the unintended result of me appearing not to care what is said, minimising concerns and lacking compassion. I think he is right as I know I am developing a huge gap in conversations and struggle with meaning. After a lifetime in a caring profession, this progression is something the household struggles with. Interestingly this distancing does not relate to any of the animals here - rather their bond is stronger still. They 'know' don't they

Good news is I am swimming again and yesterday met a lovely lady neuroscientist in the shallow end (as one does) and we had a fascinating conversation about alzheimers and EEG's. So how do I remember that? Possibly as it was so closely linked to my career and 'old' memories.

More good news is that we have lots of new life in the garden, beautiful birdsong and a clear blue sky. Trees are unfurling their fresh green leaves and a new baby is expected in the family and CH's pain is now more controlled. All cause for rejoicing.

Sorry for the long and probably confusing post.