Soop's comforting kitchen for the sharing of...

Good afternoon greetings to my favourite peoples.

I am chasing my own shadow. Nothing new there, then.

We were late home yesterday, as we called in on friends in the village.

MrS had a scan to monitor the group of enlarged lymph nodes that cluster around the aortic aneurysm in his abdomen. We will have the result in two week's time. Then, he will have the most important procedure - an in depth measurement of the aneurysm. I thought that it was to be carried out yesterday. Appears not.

The journey, 'though tedious, was uneventful. We popped into M&S and Homebase and treated ourselves to a tasty supper and a couple of hanging baskets. Nothing remotely over-the-top.

I have skimmed through your messages before ironing the bed linen and sundries.

You have made me smile. You have cheered me. News of MrMuse being home is astonishing. I was kept in hospital for six days after my hernia repair. He must be super-fit. Congratulations!

So, it really is time to tackle the ironing. Mr Soop offered to do it for me. We are a good team. We each have "duties" to perform. The ironing is one of mine. Fair do's.

My love to you all.

Hallo kitcheners - I have just seen that Muse's husband has been in hospital. Pleased to hear that he is now home and hope you are managing to keep him tied down to recover.

Hoping Mr soop's scan went well yesterday.

I woke up with a terrible headache - the doctor informs me it is due to the fall I had two months ago. Apparently a form of whiplash which could go on for a few more months. Who knew?

Naughty I am currently living near Leicester having lived in Glasgow, London and Holland since I married. I love this part of the world as it is very beautiful but not busy. I do miss Holland though as we were there 18 years.

Glad MrMuse is doing well. MrSoop in my thought too. I hope your hip is ok Naughtyneine. A quiet day. Baked bread, made soup (wonderful it's not too hot to eat soup today) and hummus. Tea will be whatever is in freezer.
Planning a holiday in London and the South West in a few weeks. Have not visited AC down there since they moved so very exciting. And a bit nervous. Train tickets booked.
Weather grey and drizzly though looks like it's drying up. Ddog and I had a plod around earlier. Will go out for longer later.
TOYA

My claim to fame today is that I fell down a mole hole?️. I was actually excited about having moles in the garden.... I know I know... gardeners nightmare but it was just another of our exciting new life in the country. I was out late last night with my slug bat (spatula) and put my foot down one of them and went flying..I landed on my 3 month old replaced hip. DOH was very very upset...far more than me but then he did witness my spectacular fall that resulted in eventually needing a new hip. There is no real damage... It's a bit achy but definitely everything is still in tact. As of last night we are now known as the Fantastic Flying Acrobatic Duo. !!!! At least I wasn't naked. !!!!!!

That sounds like a wonderful day Shazza. My brother’s original wedding ring is in the pilings of the Humber Bridge, it dropped off his finger when they were having a nosey! The replacement was a size smaller and has remained in place for 40+ years.

Goodnight all, sleep tight x

I’m loving the Gaelic Grandmabatty, it’s great fun.

Corner I may sound harsh but I do hope your goddaughter is not taking over your entire life by constantly getting in touch. I believe there is quite a difference in distance between you and your friend so your goddaughter must remember you have a life and need time to do mundane things like going to the dentist and do the inevitable paperwork which is never far away.

It is not practical to hop in the car at her bidding.

Good news Muse pleased Mr Muse is doing well.
Hope for good news of Mr Soop.
Enjoy your meal Jax.
Still using the stick?trouble is taking steroids I feel like superwomen and of course I’m not.!! Seeing my Rheumatologist next month so we will see what he has planned.
Sleep well all.

Hello the kitchen. Reassuring news from Muse, now waiting to hear from soop.
We went to the car dealers today, test drove several and bought a nearly new car. The chap we saw yesterday wasn’t there - he has Covid ?. Now we have headaches, is that a sore throat, etc etc. How long is incubation with the new varieties? We have the family coming this weekend and DD is only a couple of weeks from the baby arriving so we really don’t want it now. ?
We are in Suffolk Naughty. Moved to the countryside 3 years ago after nearly 30 years in Leicester.
Sleep tight everyone.

Good evening lovely Kitcheners.
Naughtyneine I’m in Hull just a few minutes from the Humber Bridge. I did laugh at your description of trying to locate the smell. ?

Covid has disrupted so many plans Muse. So pleased Mr Muse is up and about and also thinking of Mr Soop.

I’m so impressed with you ladies learning new skills and languages. Amazing.

Today we had our nephew and his daughters visiting so played in the garden with Great Niece 1 . We picked up GD from pre school and played in the garden with her too. I cooked a curry and DD and SIL came too just as I was dishing up I realised I’d been chatting so much I forgot to cook rice so DH popped to the shops for uncle Bens. ?
They brought pudding and for me a large piece of gluten free Victoria sponge. Oh my! I ate the flipping lot!
DGD clung to me and had to be peeled off to go home saying ‘but Grandma you smell lovely’ ah she is a beaut ?

So tired tonight. We have GS all day again tomorrow so on Friday I’m having a child free day to myself lol.

Speak soon lovelies. TOYA xx

‘Evening All’

We’re just back up from sharing a very spicy ‘Vulcano’ pizza (upon which I drizzled chilli oil ?) at our favourite Italian round the corner. Himself is now watching the other women’s football match - sussing out the competition ready for Sunday’s final!

There are some similarities to Italian Blossoming but also a number of words that mean one thing in Italian but something different in Spanish so I'm watching out for those. I'm really enjoying it! I do half an hour a day and I'm finding myself saying phrases during the day. How's the Gaelic going for you?

Is the Spanish very different Grandmabatty?

Today’s Gaelic lesson has moved on to the important stuff - food and drink! I now know that the Gaelic word for cake is cèic

That’s good news about Mr Muse muse pleased to hear all went well and hopefully alls fine with Mr Soop too
We’re in Inverness naughtyneine we’ve been here about 18 years but I’m originally from the Manchester area and DH from Yorkshire.
We’ve had another good day looking after DGD, we were going to take her out for the day but all she wanted to do was to come to our house and play with her toys so that’s what we did. She doesn’t get the chance to come as often as she used to now as she’s getting older so I enjoyed her being here. Even though she’s 7 she still wanted to play with her dolls pram and the pretend shop and cafe game that she loves - bless!
Enjoy your dinner out Jax and you’re such a kind person to do all that driving for others - I’m sure you’re very much appreciated and it’s such a worthwhile thing to do. I’d definitely send you some rain if I could ☔️
Corner I’m sure that just being at the end of the phone helps your goddaughter more than you realise, even if it’s not practical hands on help she’s got someone to talk to rather than feeling on her own ?
Hope the Spanish and Gaelic are going well grandmabatty and blossoming, I can speak a bit of Spanish and I know a few Gaelic words as most signs are in both Gaelic and English here

Pleased that op went well muse gently does it for your Mr as he heals.
I’m in South Hampshire Naughty like a desert with lack of rain, a dust bowl, quite worrying.
We’re out for dinner tonight, it was planned last week, then we had the soaring temperatures, so cancelled.
Gave two of my favourite clients their regular lift to the GP earlier, the gentleman has dementia and comes out with some amusing phases, all three of us chuckle.
Hope Mrsoop is ok and your drive was a pleasant one soop.
Sorry to hear that corner I really don’t know what you’re expected to do, sounds like your goddaughter needs some local support, if she’ll accept it.

OH and I seem to have spent the day doing admin. OH has spent some time on the phone to John Lewis and emailing them. The doors to his wardrobe have jammed and he needs it fixed. Fortunately he has a few spare clothes. The wardrobe is over ten years old but apparently it is still under guarantee. I have been booking blood tests, moving money around, sending emails, booking a bus to London and putting drops in my eye every two hours. I am going to the Summer Exhibition on Saturday with younger son and obviously there’s a train strike. I had thought about driving up, parking at my other son’s place and getting the tube. But, it will be a busy day and I would then have to get two tubes back to Kew and drive home. I can’t stay overnight as on Sunday we have to clear the kitchen and utility room ready for the decorators on Monday. Sauté chicken and mushrooms for dinner, I think. A small pot of cream would be nice to fold through before serving!

Good afternoon dear Kitcheners. I’m pleased to read everything went well Muse and I hope he’s obeying instructions. Fingers crossed for MrSoop too.

I have had a trying few days culminating in the purchase of a new mobile phone that arrived this morning. It’s now all up and running, I’ve left it charging. I’m going to do today’s Gaelic lessons shortly, after coffee and ginger biscuits provided by Mr. B, help yourselves. Scone, cream and jam will be a lovely extra

Hello everyone.

Back from a hectic couple of days around Oxford it’s been catch up time here. Two medical appointments sorted it will be on to the dentist for me. Unhealthy? That’s us .

Good news about your husband muse. Hoping for the same about mr soop.

Our friend remains in hospital, our goddaughter is struggling so the phone is red hot again. There’s only so much I can do, it seems to me I’m at the end of what I can offer. Oh dear, I wish there was someone closer, the downside of a tiny family.

Best get back to the faffing now. There are scones, jam and cream on the side. Not home made you’ll all be delighted to hear .

Wishing MrMuse a speedy recovery, and good luck for MrSoop's scan. Thinking of all with appointments and procedures.

My DH had his physio appointment yesterday, delayed since pre pandemic! Better late than never...

I have my feet up for a wee rest while DGS2 has his nap??, we've been playing in the garden all morning. A wee hurl on Papa's mobility scooter is planned for later, they both love that!

TOYA, I'm going to catch up with all the Kitchen News now.

Good to hear thatMrMuse is home and recovering Muse. My last dog loved to roll in fox poo, the stinkier the better. I've visited mum who was hard work today and then my friend where I had coffee and cake. This afternoon I'll practise drawing hands and learning more Spanish. Have a good afternoon kitcheners.

Good Morning to all Kitcheners. I have MrMuse in my eyesight as he walks slowly around ! Thank you to everyone who wished him well for yesterday. The hernia repair itself went very well but there was much discussion beforehand as the surgeon would have preferred to do it by general but he was concerned about it having an impact on MrMuse as he has narcolepsy. In the end, he had a local and a sedative and the anaesthetist on hand to keep nudging him to wake up. A bit like me at meal times! We got back home about 8:30 last night. I really enjoyed driving back down to collect him as the road was free flowing and and queue-less. I was so pleased I'd allowed an extra half an hour in the morning !

Thank you for the offer of a smelly dog Naughtyneine but no thanks. I have a dog that loves to roll in fox poo. We live in a wooded area, mid Cornwall, where foxes frequent often along with deer. There is nothing worse than fox poo. One day after a thorough shampooing, which she hates, she returned a few hours later with more poo.

Thinking of MrSoop and his scan today.

I shall be chatting to my DD soon. She is feeling a little better after testing +ive for covid on Monday morning. It was the first day of her two week break from work ?. She has cancelled one short holiday to a music festival in Kendal which she was leaving for today but hopes to do the other short break in Derbyshire with DGD1 next week. Just hope that DGD1 remains covid free.

Take care lovely kitcheners. Anyone baking today? We've finished off all my salted caramel brownies.

Morning all you lovely peeps. I've not had a chance to pop in for a few days... We had friends visiting and it's been an orgy of cooking and showing them the glorious areas surrounding us. That got me thinking too... I've sort of picked up ish where some of you live...if you want to ..can you say where you are ...I like to picture you...if that makes sense. The naked flying acrobat is well on the way to recovery it seems... He is walking more normally now and on Sunday joined in with gusto the moving of the man cave to it's new position. There were 4 of them involved in the manoeuvre... the local lad who has been building the decking...making the gate etc...the husband who was visiting... the local farmer and the acrobat. It was like watching a reality show.... Lots of ...put that plank there...move it just a fraction...now give it an almighty shove....up he goes there ( everything seems to be male in Somerset including the shed). Anyway the acrobat seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself even when the heavy shed roof fell on his toe. Luckily it's missed the nail and it's not broken. The shed (man cave is now in its new home and we have uninterrupted views across the fields and beyond. Happy Days. Yesterday there was a funny smell intermittently... I noticed it first in the cellar... Then it seemed to follow me around wherever I went....I began to think it might be me!!!! In the end I couldn't stand it so for a very long time yesterday afternoon I was on my hands and knees crawling around the cottage trying to locate the source of it. Down ward dog in yoga had nothing on me as derriere in the air I sniffed and shuffled. The post lady was a bit surprised I think when I opened the door on my hands and knees and I was tempted to say I was praying but something on her face told me it was better to say nothing and just take the parcel and say Thank You. Returning to operation Track Smell...I just happened to crawl past dog No 1 who had been keeping a close eye on his mistress who seemed to have become possessed by some kind of dog spirit and who looked like she might cock her leg against the sofa at any minute....a lightbulb moment happened as I eyeballed him. It was that little bu...r that rolled in something vile and unidentifiable on Sunday when we were out in the woods. The acrobat couldn't deal with it at all...I had to make the best job I could with wet ones and then hosed him down when we got back but with all the excitement of the shed move I forgot to do a proper job on him with something sweet smelling later. I think something in my face alerted him that
A. Darling Mum was not possessed anymore.
B. She had a look in her eyes that said any second now she was going to be up on her feet and .... He wasn't going to be hanging around to find out what her next move was going to be.
I eventually found him loitering between the newly placed shed and the neatly arranged recycling bins. Anyone want a pointer/spaniel cross with a penchant for rolling in dung heaps?
Sending lots of love to you all and hoping hospital stays and visits are all good today.

I seldom read this thread but I have tonight noticed that MrMuse has been in hospital. May he have a swift recovery.

Hello everyone! The old washing machine is empty and disconnected, the new one arrives on Saturday. I eventually went to sleep at about 3am, so I’ll be off to bed soon. Night night all xx