Soop's warm and welcoming kitchen for kindly folk.

Good late afternoon from a blustery Kintyre. The sea is pounding the shore in a spectacular fashion.

singingnutty I was moved to tears when I read that your friends are faced with the truly awful visit to collect their dead son's belonging. How on earth is it possible to accept that suicide was the option that he chose to take. Poor parents. Poor man to have felt so despairing.

Maw Your photo raised a smile.
Likewise, kittylester, our Wolfie looks the part. And so nonchalant with it.

brook I am delighted to hear that you have enjoyed a well deserved break with your family.
Who brewed the pumpkin spiced gin? Perhaps you should market it. What a clever idea.

Welcome back N&G. You will have been disappointed that the boys were unable to join you for the Halloween fun. I'm betting that you went to a lot of trouble to prepare for the spooky celebrations. You may still be able to do so. A belated Halloween would most likely go down a treat.
Sorry to hear that Grampy is suffering from ongoing aches and pains.

We both had bloods taken at the surgery early this morning. Getting blood out of me is like the proverbial blood from a stone. Half an hour of poking, prodding and jabbing did in fact produce sufficient samples in time for the blood man to take it away. Mr Soop was, as always, the perfect patient.

Hellogirl1, we said hello to dear David

Charleyg Until relatively recently, I believed that Alexa was a member of someone's family. I'm a simple soul.

Our Sweetie Pie feral cat has walked into the utility room. Her servants are preparing to do what they are expected to do. Food is being prepared as I speak.

I shall away until tomorrow. It's good to learn that many of you lovely lot have had or are having time with family and friends. There is nothing quite like sharing time with someone you love.

Please continue to take good care of yourselves. Stay safe and keep warm.

Hi everyone, I’m just popping into the kitchen whilst I’m sat here on the train from London back home to Inverness.. it’s a long journey but quite easy. I’ve had a lovely few days at DD1 house, the time has gone too quickly though but I’ll be back again soon

Yesterday afternoon and evening we had a lovely Halloween party for this DGSs, their friends and their parents. I can report back that the pumpkin spiced gin liqueur was a definite hit, not too sweet but with a lovely warmth to it.
I love that photo maw also the photo of Woolfie kitty so cute!

A very warm welcome to singingnutty I hope you enjoy soops lovely friendly kitchen. So sorry to hear about your friends son - what a sad and tragic time for all the family ?

Hi everyone I’m

Good morning. It's good to be in here instead of just eavesdropping, as I have been doing for a week or so. Today it's dry and windy so I have got the first load of washing in and the second load sitting in a pile waiting. I decided it was time to put the winter weight duvet on the bed, so it's bedding that's getting washed. The summer weight one is airing over the banisters and will go in the spare room when I make up the bed in there.
Yesterday DH and I went for PCR tests, as advised by Track and Trace as we had been with DS1 last week who then tested positive for Covid. We are both negative thankfully, so should be able to go to our Community Choir tomorrow. We run it, so if we couldn't go would have to pass register, cash box, song sheets etc. to one of the committee.
I will be thinking a lot today about friends who have gone to London to collect their son's belongings. Last week he was found dead in his flat. He was in his forties but had serious mental health issues. At the moment they don't know the cause of death - there will be a post mortem and an inquest but this will take several weeks. Any little troubles we think we have pale into insignificance compared with theirs.

Morning all,

I have been busy catching up on the thread ! You are all very busy . Its been a weekend of movies and being lazy here after the little boys cancelled their Halloween visit as they both had sore throats.

Grampy has a GPs apt this morning as he has a bad hip/back/knee that the osteopath hasn't fixed yet .

Maw you should have popped in on your visit to Norfolk !!

Enjoy your 'surprise' party Anno.

To everyone, hope you all have a little sunshine in your day x

I asked Alexa a question the other evening. She asked me if I was Charleygirl and if not she would have to get to know me. I answered and she apologised saying she had mistaken my voice!

It is very cold here in NW London but the sun is peeping through.
TOYA

Enjoy time with your family anno and your special day - whatever happens.

We have 2 Echo spots in our bedroom (don't asks!) so have to call them different names - 'Alexa' and 'Echo' and sometimes Echo says something about Alexa and Alexa answers.

Thought you might like to see Wolfie dressed for Halloween.

A late arrival in soop’s kitchen - we got up very late this morning and stayed up watching Widows. I thought it was a good film.
Welcome singingnutty . Do you need help with the port? ?
Sleep tight everyone ?

Patting myself on the back for clearing and cleaning the fridge. There were a few UFOs (Unidentified Fridge Objects), but not as many as I'd feared. All the shelves are back in and everything is pristine. DS2 is here overnight, having come north for a friend's wedding. I gave him a lift to the venue and he's getting a taxi back. Tomorrow he is taking me home with him. It will be great to see the family again. DDGD let it slip that they're preparing a surprise for my birthday on Friday. We missed out on having a family party for my 80th because a a lockdown started on that very date.
Now having a sit-down before I finish packing.

Oh Marydoll that really made me laugh. I must chat to her more.

Doodle, the other morning I was lying in bed, asked Alexa what the weather was and this voice asked, Is that you Marydoll or is it MrMDoll, I just like to know to whom I am talking. Now that really freaked me out!!!

Wow Doodle our Alexa never says a word to us, you are honoured. It sounds as if you as well as your husband are feeling better for which I’m glad.
Suedonim migraines are hell but as I get older they have definitely got a lot less,I’m really, really grateful.
Welcome to this lovely kitchen singing nutty. It’s a very friendly place.
Dear soop best wishes for tomorrow.

cornergran glad you had a nice trip out and are feel8ng a bit better.
Charleygirl nothing like a good nights sleep to restore the spirits. DH had a good night last night too which is a relief. He has terrible RLS which often has him walking around at tonight.
singingnutty welcome. Sounds like you had a lovely day, was it your anniversary today? If so congratulations.
soop sounds as though you were full of energy today, don’t over do it. Hope all goes well with the tests.
suedonim hope you’re feeling better now.
Hello Maw glad you had a good time with the family.
Our Alexa has been giving out spooky howls all day today. Don’t know what’s up with her but she did just wish us happy Halloween so at least she’s polite ??

Hello singingnutty, good to see you. A belated happy anniversary.

No trick or treaters here. I can’t decide whether to be pleased or disappointed. .

Hope you feel better soon kitty and that migraine disappears suedonim. . Nasty things. Decent day today, I slept well and doesn’t it make a difference? Germs definitely receding. Achieved a bit, if not as much as you soop.

Feet up now. Take care everyone. TOYA.

Evening everyone. We had a few little ones round earlier at times arranged with their parents. We had made some goodie bags of Halloween treats which we gave out. In return we had some dancing and a riddle. Lovely. Door now firmly shut and curtains drawn.
Saw GC earlier for Halloween treats. Heavy, heavy rain this morning but in the afternoon another gorgeous blue sky and a beautiful light.
Welcome Singingnutty. This is an accepting and lovely thread. No cooking I'm afraid but can leave large tub of Celebrations chocolates if anyone partial.

X posts Maw just love that photo!

‘Evening All’.

An atrocious evening indeed SueDonim! Poor you today with an horrendous migraine. We’ve just come home. I went out ‘trick or treating’ with the Boy Wonder and L’il Miss (well wrapped up, no school tomorrow but she had to be allowed to join in on this once a year sugar-fest!). Such a lovely neighbourhood with houses spookily decorated. The coda seems to be if there are lit pumpkins on the steps, porch or window sills ‘please call’. Daughter and I must have let them knock on 20 houses until the rain started hammering - luckily we were only round the corner from their home by then!

The scariest were 2 houses. One had holograms of ghouls dancing on the brick walls with a Grim Reaper plus huge scythe and sensor red eyes that emitted a deathly shriek as we passed on the way to the porch ....
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And the best was at neighbours 3 doors along when we did our last call. The mum opened the door in a fierce red wig and face paint wearing a witch costume. I had to reassure L’il Miss that ‘it’s only Anne-Marie isn’t her costume scary?’ as we approached for our treats. Then, as we turned to go, the car door opened on the wide path in the dark and her husband jumped out at us, in a woolly mammoth costume wielding a huge machete ‼️ We all screamed - he gave us such a fright. Totally unexpected.
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Anyway the children loved it all. A real sense of community spirit and back to theirs by 6pm. Cosy now and the kettle’s on. Well deserved.

Thanks for the other welcomes too which had appeared by the time I finished my post to soop.

Thanks for your welcome soop. DH and I are going to play Bridge online with his sister and her husband after we have listened to the Archers. We may just sample the port that DS2 brought.

I’ve been away in Norfolk with D, SIL, DGS and D’s FIL so I have a lot to catch up on.
Just wanted to remind you all ……

Just popping in for a catch up.

Welcome singingnutty - did you bring cake?

topsy, I have only used one pillow for ages because I was told it stops a double chin. Not sure I believe it but I live in hope. The Tigers did really well didn't they.

I am still suffering the after effects of my booster. I feel really lethargic and I have an upset stomach. But, I will be better tomorrow!!!!

So much for me doing a proper catch up today. I was laid low by a Grade A migraine overnight and this morning. I went back to bed and only got up about 4:30pm. I didn’t miss much as the weather has been atrocious.

Welcome, SingingNutty, you’ll find a calm oasis here in the Kitchen!

Back tomorrow, restored to full health, I hope. Take care, all! Xx

Welcome singingnutty Happy Anniversary to you both ?cheese and biscuits, yum.
Talking of yum, that curry sounds very moreish SueDonim and obviously it was. Oops on the appointments front, if it’s just a checkup and you can get one reasonably quickly, beauty over dentist for me.
Blimey GrannySomerset you just get one thing sorted, the bed, and another hurdle appears, well standards will have to slip, just for a short while, it won’t be the end of the world. A time for easy meals, a lick and a promise cleaning wise, no hefty stuff that will niggle your back, promise?
We have chicken in the oven, veg are prepped, bonne appétit all.

Welcome ,Singingnutty

Hello there, singingnutty, I'm sure you will feel welcome here. I tend to frequent the Good Morning thread, but pop in and out of here randomly.