Soop's kitchen for kindly folk.

Hello everyone in the kitchen. Shall I put the kettle on for a pot of tea? I shouldn’t have said the ‘s’ word yesterday as it’s been so cold. But, I put my sandals on again and didn’t wear a coat when I went out. My cleaner rang in tears this morning to say she couldn’t come as she was suffering from a bad menopause. I went for a haircut and am pleased with it. I thought I was having my roots done this time but that will happen at my next appointment in July. I dropped some things off at the Charity shop and was very nearly tempted by a jug. The thing is I have around 25 and there is no room for more in my jug cupboard. I have been trying to find the perfect marmalade/orange ice cream, and I think I made it today. I made one before with chopped chocolate mixed with the marmalade but it wasn’t a roaring success. OH is currently tarting up the spag Bol I made for dinner! I will be watching a talk on London Parks after dinner and then hopefully catch up with the Sewing Bee. Thinking of the Urms and praying all is well. Have a good evening.

Thanks Grannmarie I spent a week working there years ago, not that sort of work! It was an IT trade show, I bet it’s changed hugely. Photo attached she sent from her hotel, the MGM Grand, captioned with ‘I’ve had worse days’.
Sorry ladies, quite warm here, but the breeze still has a sting to it in the shade. Library visited, watch has a new battery and I have some busy lizzies to pot up. Watering continues, I only do the greenhouse every day, we’ve no rain forecast for a couple of weeks.
I am in contact with Urms but leaving them be for now, it’s a very difficult time for them ❤️.
Have a pleasant evening all.

Oops, forgot photo!

Quick whizz in. Been busy gathering ‘stuff’ for our Welsh friends 80th birthday tomorrow. Cake, balloons, table decorations, napkins, oh yes and a gift or three. We’re with her for lunch along with some of the family, the venue will let me in early to decorate tastefully (tackily!). Wish me luck, she’ll either be pleased or horrified. Not sure which.

Get well soon all poorly folk, a hug for anyone who would like one, life isn’t easy at times is it? I’m in running up a sand hill mode, almost to the top and there I am sliding back down. Soft landing anyway .

TOYA.

👋 Hello, YiaYia, good luck with your viewing tomorrow, it might just be the one!🤞 Hope you manage to get your holiday in Greece, maybe later in the summer.
LLL, your ice cream sounds delicious, your recipes are very adventurous.
Jaxjacky, we stayed in the MGMGrand, it's enormous!

Well I've spent a couple of hours on my Photobook Challenge, time for dinner. Home made chicken curry from the freezer, then Greek Mess. That's the Slimming World spin on Eton, natural fat free yoghurt and berries with a meringue nest each....trying to shift some of the holiday lbs, then I've still got the Christmas lbs and the Lockdown lbs....story of my life!🤣

Hello 👋 Cornergran, crossed posts! Well done for all your preparations and organisation for your friend's 80th birthday, I'm sure she'll be delighted! Have a wonderful time, take pictures to send us.

Just popping in to say hi to everyone. It’s hectic here with the family! Today’s entertainment was washing my London GD’s hair, which is down past her bottom when wet. Her father (my ds) claimed he didn’t know how to do it (mummy went home on Monday). Even if I say so myself, I’ve done an excellent job on it and it’s now in ringlets down to her waist.

Also took my local GD to dancing, London GD coming along too. Then a roast meal this evening, poor Dh has only just finished clearing up.

Yesterday was dd1’s birthday. A family meal to celebrate was a bit of a disaster when the chippie we’d planned to get food from was closed. We repaired to a local hotel, where the service was so bad it took nearly an hour for the food to come, by which time all four children needed scraping off the walls. I’d also had to stop the car on the journey as there was allegedly a spider in the car and mass hysteria broke out on the rear seats. I never even set eyes on this supposed spider but apparently all was well after the door was opened and window wound down. 😂

Anyway, I am looking forward to bedtime, although am supervising the London GC as they go to sleep while daddy has a work call with Australia.

TOYA. Xxx

Good luck cornergran I hope your friend is very happy and the lunch goes well.
You must be exhausted SueD what a shame about the meal out, not helped by arachnids in the car!

Thanks Jax for the update on Urms, keeping them both in my thoughts and hoping all is going as well as possible
I’ve only just sat down after a busy day, all good though! The gym this morning was hard work but good, then coffee with my pal and a sit down. Later we picked up 9yr old DGS from his after school athletics class - he looked exhausted poor lamb after running about in the heat. We brought him back home here and he’s tucked up in bed now and hopefully fast asleep
That’s a good school trip Yia what an adventure for your DGS
Hope you feel better soon neine take care
Have a lovely evening everyone

Well done with the hair SueD - never easy and that sounds so very long!

Good evening all, we’ve been enjoying lovely sunny weather here this week, wonder how long it will last?

Thinking of Urms and family, and our lovely Baggs and of course all the rest of my fellow Kitcheners

Goodness, it was difficult to find you all! Thankyou soop for somehow cloning my favourite chair, I can sit and look at your lovely green garden when (if) there is a quiet moment.

We have DGS visiting at the moment, he’s going to work from home but here in Portugal instead of in UK for the next few weeks. His partner hasn’t come yet as she is working extra shifts instead. Although DGS is going to be based here for June, he was in Poland on Monday and going to Holland next Tuesday, I don’t know how many countries he will visit while he is ‘here’.

It’s lovely having him around though, good for both of us to have someone different to chat to.

Hello Dusty your DGS is a busy young man, glad you and DH are enjoying the company.

Blossoming Yes, it’s good to have someone young around too. He’s been helping DH, whose memory is not what it was, with so many technical issues as well.I hope his patience doesn’t wear out!

I’ve realised that I’ve not commented on anyone else’s posts, I do read them honestly and enjoy so many photographs too. Some for you all.

I read everyone’s posts too Dusty but I struggle to reply to mention everyone. Fortunately this lovely kitchen is a very understanding place. X

Sometimes it's difficult to remember who I have mentioned and who I have inadvertently missed out! Dusty and Blossoming it's easily done. It was the last art class until September this morning. I'll miss it, although some all day workshops are in the pipeline. I am very happy with my large poppy painting. I still have work to do on it, but it's one of the best I have done. Dgs2 was not a happy boy this afternoon. Grumpy, whiny, screamy and any other of the seven dwarves that would fit. He has a rash too which is probably viral. It isn't anything nasty as we checked. However he made life difficult today. Dgs1 wasn't at his best either, so I'm glad to have dropped them off and left. I'll visit mum in half an hour. Before then, I must put all the toys away and prepare the veg. The chicken is roasted. Have a good evening Kitcheners.

Pots and hanging basket planted up, the two in the back garden have Tumbling Toms in them, not as pretty, but delicious, more beetroot sown, the first lot didn’t germinate well.
It’s been glorious this afternoon after early cloud lingered, this weather looks set for a while, I await a hosepipe ban!
Hope your lunch went well corner.
I’ve been adjusting my shopping delivery for tomorrow, we’re heading to the beach with the grandchildren on Saturday. It’ll be busy, nightmare parking and a return to carrying lots of ‘stuff’, I have booked to go out for dinner with them in the evening, then we’ll play Rummikub and they can help me water.
Enjoy your evening all.

It’s been another gorgeous sunny day here but with a bit of a cool wind so I needed both my jumper and sunglasses 😎
We dropped DGS off at school this morning, it was lovely having him to stay over as he’s definitely growing up far too fast. At 9 and a half I don’t know how much longer he’ll want to sit on the sofa next to me for his cuddles so I’m making the most of it whilst I can.
Lovey having your DGS there with you too Dusty and so nice and kind of him to visit you too.
Sounds like a good weekend ahead Jax with lots of special family time
You’ve definitely earned your gold medal again today grandmabatty time for a treat later
Blossoming hoping the warmer weather lasts!

Another hectic day here, but I’ve tried to enjoy it all as the Down South lot are heading back home tomorrow. I only got as far as Tesco and my DD’s house but never mind! We had our evening meal together, which was nice, and then the little cousins all had to say their goodbyes to each other. 😭 DS has gone to the pub with DD and I’ll go and pick him up later.

Ds1 begins his penultimate chemo treatment today. In six weeks, he’ll be finished with it all.

TOYA. Xx

Hello everyone. OH and I went to the funeral of our friend’s husband this morning. The church was packed and the service went as well as could be expected. We didn’t go to the lunch afterwards. OH’s shoulder was causing him a lot of pain and he needed to rest it. I popped into see a couple of friends this evening. They are always fun.

Good morning everyone! I am very jealous of all the talk of warm sunshine. It has been cloudy and cold in East Anglia all week. Our DS and family have been camping nearer to the coast all week and have frozen.
We are taking two armchairs to have new covers made, then going on to visit the campers. Out with my big coat again!
The husband of one of my village friends died suddenly yesterday morning. He wasn’t well, but this was unexpected. I drove past their house yesterday and had an uneasy feeling when I saw lots of cars there.
Well done to all the DGC minders - we have ours on Sunday/Monday this week.
Have a good day everyone and enjoy the sunshine.

Oooh nannytopsy apologies but we have got another warm sunny day, the wind has dropped too so it’s definitely safe to take off the jumper! I hope it’s warmed up a bit for you and your family today. Sorry to hear about your friends husband, sending condolences to the family
Hope your DS manages his treatment ok SueD without too many bad side effects, not too much longer to go now
I’ve been at the gym this morning for the circuits class - you’d think it’d get easier each week but no, I think the instructor just makes it harder. I’d like to think I’m getting a bit stronger but I’m still one of the weaklings there - honestly some ladies are very very strong! Anyhow I just try my best - that’s all I can do 😀
I’m just finishing my cheese and salad bagel for lunch then I’m off in the garden for the afternoon
Have a lovely afternoon all x

Brook your garden is sublime. And so well cared for! Ladyleftfieldlover and Nannytopsy I'm sorry to hear about the passing of friends' partners.
Today I was determined to do nothing, however, spurred on by a poster on the Good Morning thread, I have washed all my winter gloves and scarves, also my hoard of floaty scarves and cleared out two drawers in my chest of drawers. I have also sat out under the parasol, weeded, pruned shrubs and cleared the wrought iron railings of spider webs, as well as doing the housework. I'm feeling very virtuous. Shortly I shall have a pancake on jam and a cuppa before preparing dinner. It's easier if I do it before I visit mum. It's been a lovely day here, albeit slightly cooler than Tuesday. Have a good afternoon kitcheners.

Storm and Finlay Chapter 3.

Storm....Finlay...Finlayyyyyy.. Where are you little brother?

Finlay.... I'm hiding

Storm...well where are you hiding?

Finlay...behind that big black thing that Mum and Dad stare at in the evening and Luna tries to attack as she says some four legged thing is going to come out of the front of it and eat our food.

Storm...it's called a television...but why are you hiding behind it?

Finlay....Mum has gone mad

Storm... She's been that way for a VERY long time.

Finlay... Not I don't mean when she throws herself around the bedroom with not many clothes on and says... You can't beat a bit of ...I think she says Ah Ha to jiggle to in the morning. That's scary enough but this was worse.

Storm... What's she done?

Finlay...well we were sitting on the sofa and she was fiddling around with that box thing that she always has to have and that she gets very sweary when she can't find it and I've eaten the outside of it but she still uses it.

Storm...yep it's called a phone...and a word to the wise..if she does lose it...scarper as she will tear the house apart until it's found.

Finlay...well anyway she stopped tapping it and went down to my favourite place...you know the one with loads of paper at puppy level that I tear into minute pieces when she is on that other bigger box thing... especially when it looks like she is talking to herself while staring at it... ... Well then the thing on top of the big box thing started spitting paper out of its mouth and it was so fast Mum nearly dropped what she said was a vital page.

Storm...ok then what happened?

Finlay ..we went back to the sitting room and Mum looked at some of the spewed paper ...turned her head in lots of directions while she was looking at it ... turned the pages upside down ...then got on the floor.

Storm ...What? You mean like Dad does when he comes home from work and he plays with me and I leap from the chair to the sofa and back on the chair 10 times and charge round the room and Ned barks and barks and Mum comes in and says 'will you stop winding the children up'

Finlay...yes but then she turned over and lay flat on her back like I do when I'm asleep and she said goodness knows if I'll ever get back up again but if it helps with the pain I'll give it a go.

Storm...Oh Goodness .. What happened next?

Finlay...her leg shot out to the side of her and I nearly got booted under the sofa....her face went a very funny colour and she made some really strange growly sounds. Then she shot the other leg out and the log burner nearly got dislodged...she made some worse noises that time. Then she put her head back on the floor and seemed to try and push herself through the floor muttering words like core and abs.

Storm...oh no... That's what she calls stretching exercises.... She's been going on about them for months and how she wants to be able to do the things she could before she tripped over Luna and broke something that caused her to crawl around the place cos she couldn't get up the stairs and then she went away for a few days and came back with a stick.

Finlay ...why does she do them if they make her face go all funny and an odd colour and her tummy makes funny sounds. ..well I think it's her tummy.

Storm...it probably isn't her tummy so be warned...anyway what happened next.

Finlay....well I thought I'd help her. She stopped gurning and lay her head back and closed her eyes...I thought she'd died.

Storm....so what did you do?

Finlay....I threw myself off the sofa with the biggest jump I've ever done and landed right on those soft pillow things she has stuck on the front of her.

Storm....eek you landed on her lallies ..oops maybe not the best idea you've ever had little one.

Finlay....I know...she screamed and shouted what I thought was Oh Buddy..but I'm not so sure now as I definitely heard the word hell after it.

Storm ...then what happened?

Finlay.....I don't know for sure...I scarpered under here ... I think she tried to get up but a bit of her had gone into I think she said a spasm and when I peeped out she was walking like a crab towards the kitchen whispering what definitely sounded like is it too early for gin?

That’s priceless Neine! I really need to do more stretching exercises but I’m too comfy right now. I try to do my physio exercises 3 times a day. I’ve been out walking around in the sunshine most of this afternoon so not feeling too guilty! I am loving this warm sunny weather, my muscles are always less hurty than in winter.

Will keep my fingers crossed for your son SueDonim