Soop's warm and welcoming kitchen for kindly folk.

Congratulations Nannytopsy to all your fsmily.
I have been thinking about you all this afternoon.
I have to be honest our baby looks just like any other newborn but obviously she is beautiful to us.

Our baby arrived safely this afternoon, but rather than being a big baby, she’s only 6lb 4oz! She looks beautiful, with dark hair.

Hello all, the staircase must remain undusted for another day as every bone I have ever broken is aching. Storm Isha has given us a good battering and Storm Jocelyn is carrying it on! I have cabin fever and have been sticking my head out of the window and taking big lungfuls of fresh air 😊

The tree opposite our house is waving madly, as are the “neighbour’s palm trees. I took a photo but shaky hand and shaky tree have given a rather surreal result. There doesn’t seem to be any damage so far but I wouldn’t be surprised to find a few fallen branches and trees when I’m finally able to get out.

Stay safe and warm all and take care if you need to be out and about.

Thinking about Nannytopsy and her D tonight.
I have had my little darling to visit me this afternoon.
She is so tiny and so beautiful.
I hope everybody is ok tonight and bracing for the next storm which I think is Jocelyn.

Sending love to all the troubled Kitcheners tonight and best wishes for a safe journey to those who will be on the road tomorrow.

Soop you made me laugh! I'll have the rest of the chicken tikka tonight with a rice salad. Dgs1 is a poor wee boy. He has earache and it's possibly an ear infection. The doctor wanted to wait before prescribing antibiotics. He's cried a lot today and just wanted his mummy and daddy. Dgs2 has tried to be sympathetic but has the voice of a foghorn. So it was a difficult morning. I took them home after lunch and they've both been in bed all afternoon. I'm now home and facing toys littering the floor. Oh well, they'll clear up quickly. It's still windy here and snow is forecast for tomorrow morning. I hope Brook is enjoying the sun

Power cuts are possible. The sky is leaden. The sea is mountainous. In fact, I've not seen such massive waves in all the twenty plus years that we've lived here.

Stay safe and sound. I shall join you in the kitchen again on Wednesday.

TOYA

Good afternoon BlueSapphire I was born in Northampton in the Barret Maternity Home, Cheyne Walk. All my family are Northamptonians. A few of my ancestors worked in the boot and shoe industry.
I understand how you feel in respect of not wishing to intrude on your neighbour's grief. You will know when the time is right.
Do you mind if I join you for home made chunky chips - please?

Thank you for your interesting post, Naughtyneine. I am a pagan with Buddhist leanings. It is a simple philosophy that makes absolute sense to me and my husband.

All good wishes continue for Baggs and her dear family. Not a day goes by when I do not think of her and all that her family is dealing with.

Grandmabatty Mr Soop would have greatly appreciated a dish of your colourful chicken tikka. He is a lover of spicy cuisines. I need to beware, as the ostomy makes extraordinary noises if I am tempted.

As I typed the last sentence, a rumble of thunder startled me. I thought to myself...I shouldn't have had baked beans yesterday.

Good afternoon everyone from a still very windy Northampton. Couldn't post anything this morning because of all the rubbish on the site, and then I had to be out early for yoga so didn't have time.

Did not enjoy the yoga class this morning, everything done in a kneeling or all fours position and my knees and arms were struggling. Lots of awkward poses and balances. Was glad to get home, sit in a comfy chair and have a coffee!

Popped a sympathy card and note into my neighbours this morning; he is back from a weekend with his son and family, and I see that his sister is also staying with him. Do not like to intrude on their grief, so will let him set the pace when he is ready.

A quiet afternoon reading first the Good Morning posts, then more of Demon Copperhead;
fish and home-made chunky oven chips for tea.

Enjoy the rest of the day.

Ghastly weather. Preparing for long trip to hospital tomorrow. The road, although scenic, is not a favourite. If it buckets down with rain, we're in for a tricky journey.

I shall return later to play catch-up.

Baggs...wishing you a safe journey this week. My thoughts and prayers will be with you.
Blossoming... lovely to read that your 'getting there' bit by bit. Long may it continue.
Another new baby due today too...hoping all goes well. I had my last 3 by CS and actually recovered much quicker that after my 'normal' delivery that involved a face presentation keilland forceps a very unpleasant episiotomy followed by a PPH , D and C and 2 blood transfusions!!!!!!. By the fourth one I was tempted to tell the surgeon .. to cut along the dotted line...remove content and then
fold and fold again as needed and restitch.
Urms..you nailed it when you said those were faith lean into it. I couldn't live without mine...I have 'leaned' into it so many many times in the past when life was sad and hard. One of the greatest gifts it gives me too is that I can pray for others..and it's not exclusive to others who have faith..it's for all that I know that need love and peace. You and Baggs need both in abundance just now I think. 💐
Yia... Busy happy days making memories...
Jax... Fingers crossed Mr Jax gets well soon and good luck if you go to the quiz tonight.
Gillgran and Grannygravy...did you get to see CTM in the end?
Llfl... Lunch sounded lush...I can't scroll back but there was a mention of homemade burgers ( I think it was Blossoming) and between you I am now yearning for a burger with blue cheese.
Saturday was really busy...I had my second Reconciliation /First Communion session with the children..we are concentrating on Reconciliation or First Confession as it was called back in my day. It's all very modern now and far more child friendly. (Grandmarie do you remember how literately we felt the fear of God as we moved closer to the confessional). Anyway part of this week's class was to involve water, food colour and bleach...the reasoning behind it was that we added a few drops of food colouring to the water to symbolise our sins and then add the bleach (God) who takes away the sins and the water becomes clear again. Well it didn't, luckily I was practising at home and the very opposite happened and the colour got more intense ( a very beautiful orange actually) so I had to improvise promptly. In the end I wrote little labels with child appropriate sins on them, put them on leaves and we took it in turns to put our sins into the water and then I used a sieve ( not sure how God would feel about being a sieve ( or bleach for that matter) but needs must and hey presto we had pure clear water once more.
If I'm truthful I chose to put in the leaf that had..."use bad words" on it because my b...dy back had been killing me all day and I had uttered way to many bad words and still am.
The wind has taken out our fence posts and therefore fence panels too. The 'children' were not impressed by the noise or the rearranged garden. It's our neighbours fence but we've offered to contribute to the repairs. I spent the day with a hot pad on my back. The warmth was very comforting but as I write I'm still in bed as every time I stand something doesn't feel quite right... I've a pain in my groin and all around my right hip and right pelvis. Fingers crossed it sorts itself out soon...not least because I'll need a whole bowl of sins to be forgiven just to myself all saying...Do not use bad words. 🤣

Hello kitchen people. I hope we aren’t all being blown away! We’ve had two mini power cuts so far and the wind is rattling the windows.
Church this morning was short and sweet - a Book of Common Prayer service with fewer than a dozen attendees plus the vicar and organist,
OH and I went to an American Smoke House for his birthday lunch. Ribs, burgers and sundaes.
We had a slice of my homemade Barmbrack for our afternoon tea.
Sleep tight.

Blowing a hoolie so I think sleep may be hard to come by - I lie awake waiting for roof tiles to detach themselves, tree branches to fall and any other catastrophe I can imagine. Nothing like that has ever happened so I have no idea why I am like this. Hope everyone is safely at home to ride out this storm and that tomorrow finds us intact and tranquil.

It was delicious Urms and your meal sounds tasty too Grandmabatty*.. The storm is in full force outside and very noisy. Earphones and a good audiobook if it keeps me awake! Hope you don’t have any more problems Gollgran.

Oh dear, we've just had 2 very short power cuts here in N., Cambs., ( & we are not in direct line of storm Isha!).
In the middle of DOI too! Fingers crossed we stay on for Call the Midwife!!
Stay safe during this weather.
Warm thoughts for you all. x

Stay safe kitchen folk. Lots of trees down and flooding near me. Here's my homemade chicken tikka with mango salad, rice, naan and homemade raita. I couldn't finish the naan bread. Early childcare tomorrow so I'll be early to bed tonight

DH has just taken DD and family home, the wind is getting stronger along with the rain. Time for comfort TV (Dancing on Ice, Call the Midwife)

Nightie Night 😘

X posts Blossoming and SNAP! We’ve just eaten exactly the same tea as you tonight!
😁

Dear Urms, thinking of you and your dear man. You keep hoping and I'll keep praying.🙏

Oh what a lovely comforting thing to say Granmarie thank you. That soothes me. I have no faith and sometimes wish I did as it must be a comfort to lean into when times are fraught with anxiety.

Hello Kitcheners, not much happening here today as it’s too squally to be out. Caught up on a few chores, ignored the dusty banisters, that’s a job for tomorrow as I can work it into my physio exercises. MrB is making Piri Piri chicken with rice and there are lovely smells wafting up from the kitchen. Goodnight all, you are all in my thoughts as always. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and outings, etc. it lifts me up when I’m stuck inside so much ❤️

‘Evening All’.

Pretty blustery now here in our NW area - makes us really appreciate our little apartment on the second (top) floor. No big trees outside our windows. I think I will shut our bedroom window tonight though as the howling wind will wake us up at silly o’clock otherwise.

Time soon for my mug of Horlicks, my Kindle then 💤

A very quiet kitchen, have you all been blown away?
MrJ is full of cold and unhappy, he didn’t even come to the pub for meat draw, I won on his ticket.
We took the birthday boy his present earlier, football shirt, he’s very happy, 11 tomorrow, age 13 - 14 shirt fits with a little spare and he’s skinny.
Tesco delivered, even though a technical fault meant many were disappointed.
I hope you’ve all had a good day and are hunkered town, it’s blowing a storm here and wet.
Baggs, if not with your precious BTDD yet, I’m sure plans are made, take care of yourself at the most difficult time.

Thinking of all kitchen people on this rough night. Hope you're all safely battened down and warm.

Hello Kitcheners. Hopefully all will be well tomorrow for those feeling unwell.