Soop's open-all-hours supportive kitchen for kindly folk...

What lovely flowers, Tilly! I was going to buy some spring flowers today in M&S but they had none. I’ll enjoy yours instead.

I love the look of concentration on your GS’s face, Jax.

It’s always nice to be home, isn’t it, Brooke. ❤️

Duncan looks as though he’s settled in for the duration, there!

It was very cold here this morning, heavy frost and still minus two at 11am. It’s warmed up a bit but not as much as the BBC said it would. We took a trip to get some bits and bobs and had a coffee out while we were there.

Last night saw more paper-sorting. There was just so much! Heaven knows why we’d kept it, much of it filed away neatly in folders. We really didn’t need bills from the mid-90’s. It was interesting to note some things, though. Our phone bills pre-internet days were £40 a month. That was quite a lot of money back then. Astonishingly, we also found our house deeds which neither of us knew we had! I suppose we must have been given them at some point and they were filed away but we don’t remember it at all.

Anyway, we’ve reduced seven boxes down to about one and a half boxes, which is much more manageable. There are three boxes to go to a paper recycling centre, a bag of cardboard for the dump recycling and two bags of paper waste to go in the recycling bin.

Have a peaceful evening, everyone. Xx

Fabulous flowers Tilly. Thank you for posting the photograph.
Shattered after my shift which is a bit odd as it wasn't busy. As usual working with great colleagues. Just walked Ddog rather slowly. Very few people about.
Sorry. Too tired to type much. TOYA

‘Evening All’.

We are just back up in a taxi having eaten the most delicious roast dinner at The Carvery in Montemar. I looked across the room and said to Himself ‘OMG ... we were last here early March 2020 - the night the State of Emergency was declared by the Andalusian government’.

Seeing that corner table jogged my memory. I’d not thought about it till that moment. It made me feel quite sad, thinking what we’ve all been through, how scared we all were in the beginning with no vaccine and how long this has lasted. x

Happy Birthday To your GS Jax hope he had the best day.
Lovely flowers Tilly and I love Turkish delight thanks.A G&T will go down well Muse
Hoping for a better nights sleep,our neighbour decided to play her piano at 3am this morning not what you want to hear at that time.
Sleep well all.

Jaxjacky looks like the helicopter will be taking flight soon. Lovely photo. Hope he had a good day.
Glad you’re back home safely Brook hope you had a good trip.
muse I love marmite. Thank you ?
Grandmabatty good to hear you’re feeling a bit better, I’m watching Hidden Assets too.
Lovely flowers Tilly thank you for sharing.
Soop how lovely to have an email update from MrSoop on the funding and latest news op your op date. . Kind of him to send it to us all. I bet you can’t wait to have it done now.
Take care all

I am running well late. Have yet to pack and prepare some pet portraits for postage. Please forgive this all too brief visit.

Tomorrow is another day. Until then TOYA and much love.

Good afternoon dear Kitcheners. I had a lovely walk by the river today, quite sleepy now but it’s a good feeling, not like the dreaded neurofatigue. I saw Mr. Soop’s update too Doodle, good to see things are progressing. Mr. B and I are currently
Iistening to Alison Weir’s ‘6 wives’. It’s restful listening to audiobooks together, we both love history though Alison Weir seems to be employing a lot of ‘artistic licence’! Quiche for tea later ?

Good afternoon kitcheners. Typhoid Mary here. The virus has moved onto my throat which is very sore. Hopefully that's the last bit of my body to be hit. I have made banana bread and butternut squash and sweet potato soup. I also made lasagne and had that for an early dinner. I've begun clearing out the spare room wardrobe but lost interest so I'll have to go back to it tomorrow. Have a good evening all.

Good evening from Suffolk. I have just woken from a long nap in front of the rugby. We had all the family with us yesterday, for a day of food, board games and more food. We made an array of lovely curries and the leftovers will provide our supper tonight.
Tomorrow I am meeting a school friend at Minsmere, so I am filling up with painkillers for the knees and hips.
Have a good evening everyone!

Nannytopsy that sounds like a wonderful day

‘Evening All’.

We are home, warm and cosy after a tapas lunch with friends, followed by a lovely walk before diving into a busy bar full of chattering, ebullient Spanish. I do love people watching!

It was a very nice surprise to receive an update from Mr.Soops when I got back - so thoughtful. Poor you Grandmabatty you’ve certainly been through the mill of late. I do hope you feel better soon.

Thank you for your lovely message and update Mr Soop. I never had any doubt that the Soop Fund would reach its target. She is a much respected, admired and loved friend and we all wanted to help.

Not long now before she can get some relief after suffering for so long. So much support winging its way to you both from so many on GN and beyond!

Thank you Urms. I'm heartily sick of feeling unwell.

soop please thank MrSoop for his email. I look forward to the update after you have the successful op.

I love people watching too Urns your post brings back memories of times past and some to look forward to.
Poorly you Grandmabatty hopefully it will push off now it’s invaded every part of you, get well soon.
A quiet day, the weather is dull, we sauntered to the local for Sunday meat draw and won the chicken breasts marinaded in bbq sauce, from winning them last spring, I’d guess there’s over a kilo, all free range so they’ll be frozen for a summer bbq. Not bad for £3 worth of tickets.
Last episode of The Tourist tonight, then bed, alarm will go tomorrow.
I thank you all for your kind words yesterday for Fin, they’re all so special our GC’s.
Have a lovely evening. X

Awww hope you’re feeling much better soon grandmabatty I can well imagine you’re fed up with it all
It was lovely to get MrSoops update earlier, not long now for soop to wait before things are much better
I’ve not been out today, only to the washing line and the bins. It’s been quite windy so most of the holiday washing is dry now and I’ll put it away tomorrow until next time. DH was back at work this morning cleaning out and relaying the log fires in the restaurant where he works
I had a lovely face time call with DS in Switzerland earlier and we pencilled in a date at the end of May for us to visit him there, travel restrictions permitting ?
Hope everyone has a lovely evening, take care all

Well done with your win Jax - BBQ at yours sometime in the summer then? I’ll bring the hot dogs ?

A quiet day here, DDog took DH for a long walk this morning via the woods, a stream and the tearoom in the next village whilst I tackled emptying out the big oak dresser. Honestly there was so much rubbish ?! I had done about half of it before they returned for lunch. This afternoon sort of slipped away without much more progress so more to do tomorrow. It’s extremely heavy, it takes four men to move it so I’m hoping that I can find it a new home locally or it’ll be offered to the wood recycling place in a nearby village. I really need it to go, it’s too big.
We enjoyed homemade lemon cheesecake for tea, I gave half to my dear friend as it was enormous- I must halve the ingredients next time!
I hope you all have a peaceful evening.

You must be sick fed up of your ‘germ’, Gradnndmabatty. It’s horrible how they sometimes linger.

It was a lovely surprise to hear from Mr Soop. Not long to wait now!

Today’s entertainment was a visit to the dump this afternoon. That’s another car load of stuff gone, most of it to recycling. We emptied a filing cabinet of just about everything, it was all years old and we didn’t need any of it. The filing cabinet has gone too, ugly old thing.

We’ll do a bit of desultory sorting through papers this evening while I watch Call The Midwife and The Good Karma Hospital.

Have a lovely evening, all! Xxx

'Thank you' to Mr Soop for his update, we remain with you in spirit?

Thoughtful & kind of MrSoop to take the time to send us an update.
I join the many in wishing soop a successful operation, & look forward to a happy & healthy future.

Warm wishes to you all, especially those with added problems.

Hrandmabatty

Quiet day for us. Had a short visit with out falling neighbour, pain levels are, well, a pain. Otherwise she’s coping. Long haul ahead.

The update from Mr Soop left me smiling. Not long now.

Off out early tomorrow researching televisions. Definitely not looking forward to that but our tv is failing fast so best grit the teeth and sort one.

I do understand grandmabatty, you must be more than tired of feeling tired.

Apologies for not responding to the many messages posted, my eyes just won’t stay open now. TOYA. Sleep well.

Hello everyone, I haven't posted regularly for some time due to family worries now happily resolved. Our son's lovely partner caught the Delta strain in the latter stages of her pregnancy despite being double vaxxed and very careful. The poor girl has suffered dreadfully, shortness of breath and the worst cough imaginable, and of course she couldn't take any medication. The hospital looked after her well but our son couldn't accompany her to any appointments. Thankfully their baby, a little daughter was born safe and well last Thursday, weighing 8lbs. We saw them yesterday and enjoyed our first cuddles.
So many of you have already given your congrats and good wishes on the GM thread but I wanted to let the Kitchen know. soop I know will be pleased as she has given me a lot of support during the last few years, as have a few other Kitcheners. Good news about your impending op, not long to wait now.
Time for sleep, a bit hit or miss for me these days. TOYA

What a nightmare you have lived through Lins. Thank goodness your sort-of DIL was delivered safely of a healthy sized baby girl. Congratulations to you all.
I had an almost replica Christmas Day yesterday cooking a roast with all trimmings for guests.
I may sit in the kitchen quietly and recover. We had a great day. It was just that “lunch” turned into the whole day - you know how it does sometimes when you are catching up with loved ones?
I will keep the fire in here stoked and if anyone else wants to join me they are most welcome.
Grandmabatty I hope you can kick this virus once and for all. It is really having a go at poor you. Here are some flowers for you.