Soop's warm and welcoming kitchen for kindly folk.

Lovely plants ?Brook I am no gardener
I see gardening as outside housework but like the garden to look good. Fortunately, DH is quite keen.
Have just lit my little harvest mouse decoration. Very Autumnal. DH thinks it's a bit naff. Will try to post a pic and you can all judge for yourselves. A little bit of whimsy.
Planning a lazy evening with DH ,the cat and the tele.
Will come back to read later posts.
Have a good evening.

Am no photographer either ! There is a tealight behind the glass which doesn't really show in my pic.

I love your autumn decoration Grandmajean!

Thank you Susan

I love that autumn picture Grandmajean.

Hello everyone. It turned into a lovely day here and the sun was positively warm! The grass is cut, red onions planted along with leeks, garlic and shallots and the patio is tidy and swept. Ironing done except for the three items which reek of cat wee. He is not in good books!
The photo is our “ hanging gardens” which take a bit of climbing!
Sleep well everyone ?

Well aren’t you all busy bees! I’m so pleased the family ‘do’ went so well Blossoming, deserved.
corner I hope your appointment assuages your niggles.
Yia and Susan56 sometimes we need a day to recoup our energy, ready for the next onslaught.
You underplay your baking Grandmabatty hopefully you’ve taken my quota, which is minimal!
brook and Nannytopsy bad, you give me ideas, ideas lead to lists, which lead to MrJ despairing of me!
The artist in residence seems quietly happy….*soop*?
I am gently tired, is there such a thing? We had a very tasty tapas lunch with our good friends, then we all went to watch Commander Bond, in a very flash cinema with reclining seats and the leg support thingy’s. Into the local for a swift one, MrJ recounting his adventures at the football yesterday and home, a very active Sunday for us.
I hope MrGSomerset is improving.
And that you’ve had a good day Urms onwards….
Right, (if I say right it sounds like I’m doing something), I’m settling for the evening (prune juice for me tonight *muse).
Enjoy the remnants of Sunday all, hug to those that need one, Panache and everyone else ‘cos a hug is always welcome xx

Really like the little mouse decoration grandmajean I bet it looks lovely with the tealight shining behind it

The hanging garden looks good nannytopsy a really different use of that space too, I think it looks really creative. Do you grow your vegetables there ?

JaxJacky that sounds like a lovely day.

The party sounds grand, Blossoming! Lovely to have a lie-in, too. I used to get Country Living but went off it. I now get Landscapes magazine which is a more general interest. They focus on a town or small city every month and it’s so interesting - all these places that might just be a name to you but have fascinating histories.

Brooke, that heather is an amazing colour! ?

I love the wee mousie, Grandmajean.

Nannytopsy your garden looks and sounds lovely. I’ve ordered some spring bulbs from Sarah Raven today, looking forward to them blooming next year.

Grandmabatty your kitchen was more productive than mine. I decided to make the Xmas puds today. First of all, I found I had no breadcrumbs or bread to make them from and wasn’t prepared to go out on this rainy day to get some. So I thought I’d at least get the bowls ready for tomorrow, a mix of a Mason Cash big one and some foil individual ones to send to various family members. Then a jar of marmite fell out of the cupboard and smashed the china bowl! ? I gave up on food prep today and Dh made our evening meal.

My youngest dd left today, driving back to Yorkshire. It leaves quite a gap in the house when she’s gone. We’ve made rough arrangements for Xmas, though. She’ll be working night shifts in Maternity so won’t be able to come home. We’re going to go down to her. She has a small two-bed flat, but her flat mate will be away so we can stay. The kitchen is minute so I’ll be getting ready-prepped everything from M&S and it can all be bunged in the oven so we don’t fall over each other trying to do things.

I’ve done some mundane stuff such as wrapping a birthday gift ready for posting tomorrow, ordering a new landline phone (mobile signal is dodgy here so we need a LL as well) and folding up laundry. There’s always laundry to be folded, it seems to me.

Now to spend the rest of the evening reading my somewhat barmy book for my book group later this week. It’s a classic, Lady Audley’s Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon.

TOYA now I know what it means!

Suedonim a catalogue of disasters! You've still been busy and have a Christmas with your dd to look forward to. I'm in bed early and have had a lovely time reading. Tomorrow is a toddler sitting day so I need all my energy! Night all.

‘Evening All’.

After a rushed start (overslept) Himself drove us 3 - my stepfather too .. it’s Sunday after all! ... over to God’s Own Country. Our Yorkshire Lass & her partner of many years (he’s asked her to marry him twice but she said ‘we’re fine as we are, aren’t we?’ So he’s saving it until he feels the time is right for 3rd time lucky?) booked a table for 5 (always especially miss my mum on these occasions 3 years on) for lunch in a pub local to them. My goodness the food was amazing. We all had 2 courses, different food. It was perfect.

Himself and our YL were driving so had AF beers. I’m being good (necessary) so had Fever Tree elderflower tonic with ice and a slice which I enjoyed and a pot of coffee for one afterwards.

We all enjoyed it so much we’ve decided to make this venue our place for future meet ups.

We’d not all been together for hugs, kisses and laughter since May. We had a lot of catching up to do. I’m a very happy mum tonight as you can all imagine.

Life’s good. x

A late night here, dear Kitchen peeps...
Just to say there are so many interesting posts here. No wonder soop says she can't keep up. Hope your painting fest continues tomorrow and always, soop, so much better for you than housework.
Lovely photos - brook's wonderful colours, NannyT inspired garden bed and Grandmajean's mousie. Like that a lot - but you need a higher wattage tea light, I think. ?
Hang on until Tuesday before you get too cross with your recovery plan, corner. Bet your Consultant will be more inspired with your progress than you think! Who smashed a pot trying to prepare for C.......s, was it you, Sued ? Always best to pour a drink, sit down and give up. Another day will be better. Hope you've re-found your mojo after yesterday's exertions, Blossoming. Urms you are positively flying - keep it up! Jax you've had a great weekend by the sound of it, Ann you sound happy, Yia don't try to do too much, dragon hope you enjoyed Brighton; GrandmaB nice to see you are claiming a proper bedtime in preparation for the assault course that is that sweet little Toddler Terror tomorrow.
Susan do hope you have had a fully relaxed evening - the busy week is fast approaching. Take care of you and of MrSusan in his poorliness.

Hugs to GrannySomerset and Panache. Hugs to you all and see you in The Week. Sleep well, sweet dreams xx

Brook those beds are flowers and small evergreens. The vegetables are in raised beds in the garden at the top of the steps.
Glad you found a good place to eat Urms - we need to do more work on that.
Step GS has tested positive today - DH taught him last Wednesday and we had DGC from that house for 24 hours yesterday. Our fingers are firmly crossed as we are going away on Thursday.

DH slightly better today in that I did manage to get him up and dressed and downstairs this afternoon but since he seems unable to stand (and is 6 ft 2 inches despite having shrunk a couple of inches) it is very difficult. Rescued the zimmer given to him when he broke his leg soon after we moved here seven years ago, and that, much tugging and copious tears (mine) helped but I can’t carry on like this.

Will do battle with the surgery tomorrow to insist on a GP visit because something is definitely astray. On Friday he could stand, walk, feed himself and some of the time talk fairly logically. None of this is true now, and he needs to be seen.

I do treasure the kind thought of the Kitcheneers - you have no idea how much it helps. Thank you.

Good luck tomorrow GrannyS.

Had no internet for the last two hours and just back. Most of our village seemed to be off so a great to do was made by a lot of people !
Glad most of you don't think my little harvest mouse ? too twee ! DH is quite wrong about it.
Love your suggestion of greater wattage tea lights, Grandmafrench. Do let me know where to get more powerful ones
How lovely to have Christmas plans to see your daughter Suedonim
GrannySomerset I hope you get some help sorted out tomorrow.
Wishing all a peaceful sleep.

Thinking of you grannysomerset. You must be exhausted, hope someone from your surgery hears that you both need help. .

Sounds a day to remember urms. Oh dear sued, it just wasn’t meant to be. You’ve reminded me the cake ingredients are in the cupboard. Will tackle that later in the week.

Package to collect from M&S food today, I do find on line clothes ordering a bit of a lottery. I’m sure there will be a diversion for coffee on the way back, otherwise a faffing about day for us. A plumber needs our under the sink cupboard emptied so she can sort the tap first thing Wednesday morning. We’ll be out for most of the day tomorrow, best tackle it today. So much under there. Hoping to reduce it by fifty percent. Wish me luck.

TOYA. Look after yourselves.

grannysomerset I hope that you can get help and a GP home visit today ?

GrannySomerset I hope the GP realises the importance and immediate need of a home visit for you and MrS today.

Another here hoping the doctor will see your husband today GrannySomerset. You both need some help now.

I sense your desperation GrannySomerset, hopefully your surgery will too and you get a visit very quickly ??.

An early visit from me.We had a very early phone call from DD to say Barnaby is ill and so SIL was hoping to take the day off to look after him but could we get ready to go just in case.At 8 we had a phone call to say SIL has the day off so we are all dressed up with nowhere to go!

It feels very strange not to be rushing around after the last couple of weeks.DH has now planned our day - tip,supermarket and go to DD1’s to do some laundry as our washing machine has broken and we won’t be getting a new one until next Monday.

GrannySomerset, I really hope the GP listens and you get the help you need.Many years ago I worked on an EMI ward and the staff used to advise families to say they could no longer manage to do anything for their loved ones.This was not as harsh as it sounds.No package of care is complete so even if you say you can do nothing you will still do something if that makes sense.When my FIL was ill earlier in the year he was allocated a social worker who was brilliant.He organised care,hospital referrals and appointments and equipment that was needed.If you want me to find anything out from DH’s sister who organised it all let me know?

Wishing everyone the best day possible?

Brilliant advice, Susan. I was just thinking the same.
Good morning everyone and, of course dear, dispirited GrannyS.
If you can’t do it for yourself, get someone to phone for you and express their shock at seeing a family trying to cope, mostly alone - without support, advice, practical help, assessments or even, interest! Get someone to make some pretty strong demands for you. They’re a total disgrace - if your DH is no longer their patient, they need to confirm that, and you’ll immediately change to another Surgery!! You aren’t qualified to assume responsibility for his medical care, nor are you fit enough - they’ve simply allowed you to take on their work, by stealth, and they should be ashamed!

Sorry, GrannyS, but you can tell how very angry I am for you and your Husband. You’ve nothing to lose - they need to be told! Good luck and please take care. x

Have already spoken to GP on triage duty and a visit promised for later today. DH a bit less confused this morning but still unable to stand unaided. Will keep you posted, and thank you for your support.