Soop's welcoming kitchen for kindly folk...

Afternoon all

I and the bag carrier (DH) braved the rain today and went Christmas Gift shopping which was fairly successful.

On the way back we popped into Sainsbury’s as they have their 25% of wine promotion and we now have wine and fizz for Christmas Lunch (that is if I am not tempted beforehand 🤣🥂🍾)

neine what a frightening experience for you.

Enjoy your evening folks 🙋‍♀️

Very scary neine and exhausting, hope you’re recovering.
I’d embrace a log burner right now BA, as it is, our small electric fan will have to do. Good you have the water back, nightmare!
Ive been out for a brisk walk, cleaned our en suite and made a cottage pie, MrJ is at bowls tonight so will eat early, too early for me.
Enjoy your evening all.x

Oh Neine that’s so frightening! I did notice you were missing but I’ve only been popping in and out myself, due to a very temperamental digestive system. I’ll spare you all the details, but I have been spending a lot of time in the bathroom! I hope it’s settling down now, I’m afraid to eat just in case …

Have a good rest of the evening all x

‘Evening All’

It’s been a very rainy day here in south Manchester. Torrential at times. It was nice to come home at 7pm after our grandparent duties. These apartments are so well insulated we still don’t need the heating on yet.

We watched Farage on GB news with the very clever Liam Halligan explaining the Autumn Statement in words we could understand. He thinks Sunak & Hunt are taking us all for fools.

We ate chilli taken out of the ice box of the fridge this morning (we don’t need a freezer living above commercial) and I pinged a bag of mushroom brown rice to go with it. Eat your heart out Delia.
#lazygran

neine that sounds so frightening. I’m glad you’re okay now after doing a Rip Van Winkle.

No soop today, or have I missed her post?

So sorry to hear about your bad reaction neine I hope you’re feeling much better now, take care
Oh blossoming hope you’re feeling much better too
We’ve had a brilliant but exhausting day at the Alhambra here in Granada, we did the entire lot, the Alcazaba, The Nasrid Palaces and the Generalife Palace and gardens. We got the audio guide rather than a guided tour so we could take it all in at our own pace and stop when we wanted. So we were there all day with only a brief stop for lunch. Too tired to go out to eat tonight so we bought pizza, salad and wine from the supermarket and stayed in the apartment with our feet up
Hope everyone sleeps well tonight - I know I will!
TOYA and thanks for being there

My utmost sympathy, Grandmabatty. My oldest friend (75 years) is on end of life care and every time the phone goes my heart misses a beat. With DH at the start of the year and S at the end of it this is not a year I will look back on fondly - the two people who knew me best both gone, and with them part of me. I do hope you get the chance to say goodbye; I didn’t, and regret it. I will be thinking of you.

Haven’t seen a post from soop, Jax, hope alls ok ❤️

You’re right Jax.
No soop all day. I hope there’s no health or family cause for concern although an unscheduled absence is most unlike her.

Wasn't Soop and MrSoop going to Oban for a medical appointment yesterday? I thought that might be why she was missing.

They are having awful weather up there too. Hope she calls in to sit by the fire soon.

A very relieved good morning to you lovely lot. We have just heard that our dear friend in the village, who was taken to Paisley hospital with post-hip replacement agonising pain may be able to return home this weekend.

All day yesterday, neither Mr Soop or I could concentrate on anything. We all feared that our friend had developed a major infection. Deep breath. I feel so much better about things today.

I shall call into our kitchen a little later. I have to play catch-up with all your latest news.

So good to hear from you soop and pleased to hear all is well
I hope your friend is back home soon without any further complications 💐

Very glad to hear from you Soop and pleased that your friend is on the mend.

After yesterday’s shenanigans my belly still feels a little tender but no more bathroom trips, thank heavens! I’m feeling a bit wary of eating though

Naughtyneine What a terrible experience you've had. Bless you. Mr Soop has picked up my new meds. Hopefully, before too long, I will feel some benefit. GP is to see me on Monday.
If you are serious about sending a pud to me, WOW! That would be grand. If you pm me, we can sort out my address and the cost of both the pud and postage. I can pay you by bank transfer.

Grandmabatty and GrannySomerset You have my sincere sympathy. You will both be afraid of the phone ringing. Our friend is nearly 83. When we heard that he had been rushed to hospital in great pain, we were unable to "function". When the phone rang, my heart skipped several beats.

GrannyGravy Lucky lady! We like Sainbury. Sadly, the closest to us is a good two plus hour drive away. Slainte!

Blossoming Gentle hugs for a quick recovery from whatever is causing you so much distress. If it doesn't get better soon, make an appointment with your GP.

In Soops very descriptive words...another buggeration... apparently the bloods taken yesterday came back abnormal...something about potassium so I've had to go back today for another test. I'm hoping it's all down to the lurgys I've had and reaction to the meds earlier this week. As my grandson used to say when he was little and vexed....grrrrrr. Blossoming...maybe a little mashed potato today to line your poor tummy.
The sun has been shining here and the sitting room windows have been attacked first thing...and I think I've jinxed it now as just as I was admiring my handiwork so the clouds came over. We've so very dear friends coming over tomorrow... They haven't seen the cottage yet ....I normally go all out when we have visitors but I'm keeping it simple with a gammon and parsley sauce...and a roulade to follow. Enjoy your afternoon everyone.
Soop I have pm you re puds. X

Hello all.
Well I have had a bit of a week.
However it is nothing compared to what some of you are going through, no really I’ll friends, no health problems for myself or family but just general “ bug………..ns “ of a first world sort.

Firstly we had the water off for about 18 hours but we could pick up bottles of water from one of 3 water stations, just no use for flushing loos.

Then my electric shower has stopped heating the water, again I have one from the mains system but I have to come downstairs to use it.

Last Saturday I was invited to a meal at my friend across the roads house.
At about 3:30 pm when I hadn’t heard from her but knowing she was not too good, I rang and she decided to cancel.
I am supposed to go tomorrow but have still not heard anything since then. Hey ho.

I have had my mobile bill for twice what I normally pay but still haven’t got that sorted.

The last straw was yesterday, another friend had taken me out for coffee and we called at Waitrose, I bought beautiful braising steak, pancetta, shallots and cremini mushrooms and yesterday spent a couple of hours making beef in red wine.
I put it in the oven at 150degrees for two hours.
Result. One totally decimated casserole.
Burnt black to the sides, no liquid left and dry meat.
The oven thermostat must have gone haywire.
It went in the bin and I was very upset.
Fortunately I hadn’t put the shallots and mushrooms in, I cook them separately and add when it comes out of the oven.oh well, worse things happen at sea as my mother used to say.

Nothing bad, just annoying but I find it so much harder to shrug things off as I have got old.

I wish all those of you with real problems some slight relief from them and to those of your friends so seriously I’ll I send peaceful thoughts.

Glad to see you back Soop and glad your friend is improving. Annsixty, these upsets do become more disturbing as we get older, I think.

Today I shall myself concentrate on one cheery thing - it’s my golden wedding anniversary. No plans as it’s vile weather, unlike our wedding day which was cold but beautifully sunny. We have exchanged cards and the children have congratulated us. We might have a party or something next spring, to celebrate.

Many congratulations Suedonim it is an achievement these days.
We had a small celebration for ours and then took our family to Nerja for a holiday.
We did achieve 60 years and a card from the Queen but by then my H was well into dementia and didn’t know what it was about so we had no celebration at all.
Enjoy your special day.

Good afternoon, Soop and lovely Kitchen people!🥰

Happy Golden wedding 💒 anniversary, SueD and Mr SueD! A great achievement these days. 💕

Take care, Neine and Blossoming, hope you both feel better soon.

So sorry to hear about your dear friends, Grandmabatty, GrannySomerset and Soop. My heart goes out to you. I've spent some time with two of my oldest friends this week, I couldn't imagine life without them.

I've got lots of kitchen catching up to do, we've had a busy spell lately, childcare and brother visiting from America, but I usually try to read even if I don't post. I do remember those with worries, illness or sorrow in my prayers 🙏🕯, so many people having difficult times just now. Thinking especially of the sons and daughters who are having a hard time.

Brook, those photos bring back wonderful memories of our trip to the Alhambra and Generalife gardens, about 10 years ago. A very special place, steeped in history.
I loved watching SkyArts Spanish series Isabel, about Isabella and Ferdinand. I watched 3 seasons then it disappeared, I've not been able to find the conclusion...I wonder if parts of the programmes were filmed in Granada?
TOYA

Happy golden wedding anniversary Suedonim I hope you both have a lovely day 🥂🍾

Happy Anniversary SueDonim, I hope the foul weather doesn’t affect you, I noticed there was a flood warning for some parts this morning.

Soop it tends to be too much rich food that causes me problems. The lack of a sigmoid colon means less time to digest it! I won’t go into the gory details but it usually settles with time and care, I have eaten a bowl of porridge today and so far so good. It’s a drastic way to reduce one’s calorie intake and I don’t recommend it.
Neine I hope you get the right treatment soon, mashed potato was recommended following my bowel surgery 5 years ago so I think that’s a good suggestion, thanks.
AnnSixty what a trying day! Hope today is a better one.