Soop's warm and welcoming kitchen for kindly folk.

Muse my son has a permanent position in a law firm in Edinburgh but is doing a secondment with a 'magic circle' law firm in London. I should have made that clear. Sorry. A magic circle firm is one of the top five law firms so he's feeling rather chuffed that they're keen to keep him. Suedonim I'm sorry to hear about your friend. As you say, life turns so quickly.

Here you go ....

Oooh pass one over to me please Urms I’m a bit peckish …

I’ve just eaten a Mars bar.
?

Sounds like you had a lovely afternoon Urms, we had a beautiful sunny day until around 6pm when we had a sudden rainstorm.

So very sorry to hear the latest news on your friend SueDonim

‘Evening All’.

A lovely day for me today. Lunch out with my stepfather at a restaurant with a lakeside view lucky us. We watched swans and geese on the blue water in the autumn sunshine. Such an unexpected treat at this time of the year. It’s so mild isn’t it? We all enjoyed steaks so no other meal needed for us once home.

Himself went out for a couple of hours with a pal at 6pm and so I asked him to set me up with a film. He is techie I’m not! Anyway I watched Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Coleman in ‘The Father’. My, it was well done. Life seen through the eyes of the elderly man with dementia. And using the same (huge) flat to be his home, his daughter’s home, the private consulting rooms of the geriatrician was a stellar idea. AH was superb. It was an unsettling watch and I cried.

Himself has just come home and the kettle’s on. ??. Good man.

Blossoming you’ll be glad that pharmacy closed and you’ve moved to the much better facilities in Morrison’s. Jax I can only imagine your anxiety but I’m sure all will be well for Imogen. You’ll see. x

Gorgeous art Galen you are very talented. I’m rubbish at everything and so I don’t ‘do’ but so admire those who can. Thank you for sharing.

Is Doodle back from her mystery holiday tour yet? I haven’t seen her posting. If yes, ? Doodle.

Ooh, Himself is looking up flights to Malaga. Yay! We can go back any time from 1 January. A trip over will shorten the winter and Covid cases are lower there...

I hope your cold improves soon, Annsixty. It sounds like the monstrous one Dh had recently. Soop I hope Mr Soop is soon improving, too.

Love the photos, Grandmabatty. Enjoy your weekend in Kelso. Hope that baby moves its butt! DD’s friend’s baby was transverse for weeks but decided to shoogle about at the last minute and all was well.

You’re very clever, Galen. I wouldn’t know where to start doing a painting. My dad was artistic and my mum musical. All their arty genes passed me by. ?‍♀️

That’s poor show, Jaxjacky for Imogen’s appointment. Why does no one ever seem to get all their ducks lined up? It’s such a waste of people’s time.

blossoming I had a pharmacy ‘event’ today. I sailed in to pick up my repeat prescription, ordered online and for which they sent me a ‘we’ve received your order’ email, but there was nothing. The pharmacist, who we’ve known for years, said to go to the surgery across the road and ask for it to be done. Astonishingly, I was able to get in the door! It’s usually like Fort Knox.

They could see in the system that I’d had nothing since August but they were still v suspicious, like I was trying to order a job lot of ketamine or something. . Anyway, I got it eventually and it was dispensed asap at the chemist, so that’s done.

I had my book group this morning, which was very nice, although it is terrifying to be given cake to eat and coffee to drink in a house that looks like a John Lewis showroom! We were all scared we’d drop stuff and embarrass ourselves.

I returned some parcels to Amazon later on. I had two items this week which when they arrived were covered in a sticky brown liquid. Their returns procedure is quite good now, but because I’m in a rural area only one option worked for me. I had to take them to our sorting office which prints labels from a QR code Amazon send you on your phone. Much to my amazement, it all went without a hitch!

I’m sorry to have to say that the news of my poorly friend isn’t good. Her condition worsened after a second dialysis session and her family were told it’s now a matter of when, not if. They’re taking it in turns to keep a vigil at her bedside. Truly, the world turns on a sixpence at times.

I’m sorry to be so gloomy, though as others have said, I’m trying to appreciate the good things of life as they happen. To that end, Dh and I watched the first two episodes of the new All Creatures Great and Small. I have never seen the originals so am happy with this version. I must say, there is some splendid knitwear on display in it!

Peaceful dreams to you all. Xx

The sun's been out and I should have been but I had a long lie in so I've not been very productive, garden wise. Perhaps tomorrow. Matt (monthly gardener) is here to help all day and the list is long. Hedge and shrub cutting a priority. Then he can dig over and I will plant. Expanse of bamboo to cut down. Pesky stuff.

Just ordered the DVD Urms. Thank you. I need a push in the direction of such films. Same TV tonight for me soop. Hope you two enjoy it and MrSoop's cough disappears soon.

Good to hear the dialysis is helping your friend SueDonim.

It's a great feeling when our AC are settled and happy so I hope that permanent job materialises Grandmabatty.

Did the curtain fitters succeed with getting the curtains up to your satisfaction Annsixty? I wondered if you climbed back into that warm bed. Just the place to be when you fancy nodding off. Get well soon.

Buggerations Jax I would be quietly simmering with frustration. Hope the consultant rings as soon as she get the results. ??for those negative results dragon46.

Such lovely art and craft work on here. Look forward to the Turneresque landscape Galen.

The perfect kindly Morrisons store Blossoming. We have a pharmacy in our Asda but would love on in our Morrisons. Glad they are looking after you.

I've had a good news day ?. DD had a call from CMS that her case has been agreed. They were happy with her evidence of dates so her ex can now stopped saying she was lying ?. The maintenance amount will be finalised quite quickly and she will get a backdated payment. MrM forgot to take his phone to the surgery for a comparison photo of his ulcer but he's having an assessment next week as there's been continued improvement. He could be down to one dressing change a week. He's just about recovered from falling out of bed last night. I thought he had leapt out! Apparently he was demonstrating to a school friend how to roll over in a sleeping bag with your arms tucked inside. 5:30am and he went straight back to sleep. I didn't, hence the long lie in.

We have a tricky decision to make tonight. MrM's son has invited us to his GD's birthday celebration at the weekend and his cousin and family are with them for a few days. We have our double vaccinations on Saturday and with the visitors and us there will be 10 in the house, which isn't huge. We've seen DS a few times over the summer, here outside, but not the whole family for 18 months. MrM is ringing his son tonight. It would be lovely to see the children and the youngest keeps asking when Grumps is coming to play with him.?

Thinking of Panache and Harri and how they are coping.

JaxJacky how frustrating for your daughter and Imogen. Blossoming I had a similar situation in my pharmacy where half my medication was missing. Three different people asked me if I was sure I hadn't got it. I was getting rather tetchy by the third!

A frustrating day Jax for your DD and Imogen - but hopefully it’ll be positive news when the scans are eventually received
Hope you get a good rest this evening you’re always so busy - take care

Good news about Morrison’s pharmacy blossoming it sounds like a much better solution

Grandmabatty and Galen your work is beautiful.

What a shame about Imogen’s appointment JaxJacky, hope she doesn’t wait too long for the results.

Sorry kitcheners, I’m very tired after three frustrating and lengthy voluntary drives today, I’ll hopefully acknowledge all your wonderful posts tomorrow.
Imogen’s appointment was frustrating as the EEG, brain scan, had not been sent to the consultant in time, DD was unhappy as she’d emphasised today as the date. However, the lady Dr felt the chat was important to see Imogen, a telephone consultation will follow when the scans are received. My DD is not as impatient as me, just as well really.
I bid you all a good evening x

Good evening lovely Kitcheners. The pharmacy visit went seamlessly. The previous pharmacy that kept messing my prescriptions up is closing down, and I still didn’t get my missing drugs. I don’t suppose I can do much about it now. The staff were quite rude and accused me of lying, and said I had obviously taken all the tablets! I would have been unconscious if I had. Anyway, I had a much more pleasant experience today. The re-jigged Morrison’s is lighter, brighter and lovely wide aisles. I stocked up on shampoo and conditioner and a few other bits and pieces. I somehow ended up with a ginger cake in my basket, so help yourselves one and all.

I hope any poorly Kitcheners and families are on the mend now

I am glad to see you back in your kitchen soop

The Turneresque version of the photo you show sounds interesting, Galen. Please share the finished result with us!

Some lovely photos on here, well done everyone.

Chilly, but bright day here today, in East Anglia.

I've just booked my flu jab for next week, now I hope to get my Covid booster soon.

I hope Grandmafrench is OK.? I miss her chatty posts.

Take Care, dear folk of the kitchen.

NO not local. Taken from a photo on the banks of the Panama Canal a few years ago.

I’m going to try a a Turneresque version of a photo taken by a fellow Gransnet friend next. .

Thank you Brook. I'm off to the chiropodist in the morning before my trip to Kelso. The aforementioned feet should stay in reasonable condition til I come home

Really lovely picture Galen thanks for sharing with us

I love it too, Galen
I can't draw or paint at all.
Maybe I could knit a picture

I did notice your feet grandmanbatty and thought they looked really nice! In much better shape than mine definitely

Galen that is lovely and very atmospheric. Pastels and I don't get on at all!

Lovely to see you in the kitchen again, Galen. Your pastel has a beautiful atmospheric quality. I can well imagine walking into that scene. Is it local?

I have to dash but I shall return tomorrow...bright-eyed and bushy-tailed (so to speak)

Poorly peoples, take things easy and let Mother Nature do the healing.

Grandmabatty Baby will do as babes do. I am greatly looking forward to the wee one's arrival. Not too long now.

Hi! I’m still around!
I’ve taken up a new medium pastels they’re very different from the watercolours and acrylics I’ve tried in the past.
This is my first attempt.