Soop’s always open and very welcoming kitchen.

Instead of cola try one of the (many) alcohol free beers Jax? They taste nice, obviously not sweet. Lucky Saint is the favourite of Himself. His older brother likes Guinness Zero. Quite a wide choice nowadays, pretty much everywhere.

FGT2 Guinness Zero is barely distinguishable from the real stuff 👍

Bud Blue is rather good also.

Have tried so many alcohol free wines and they all taste horrid to me including nosecco (alcohol free Prosecco)

Hello everyone. A bright start to the day, but cloudy this afternoon. DD2 cleared the cupboard ready for the Smart meter to be installed this coming week. I only had to throw out a couple of very out of date items. The dining room looks a bit more cluttered so i need to find a home in the kitchen cupboards for some of the foodstuffs. She also dismantled the high chair and put it away, the family don’t often come for meals now, but it’s easy to put together again when necessary.
I decided to get rid of some of the dozens of flower pots stacked in the garden, but found it quite hard to do! Goodness knows why, most of them are old and not exactly nice to look at! Set up another compost bin too and felt quite pleased with myself.
grandmabatty a busy day for you! I think I need to wash throws and cushion covers too, maybe tomorrow? I hope your mum continues to eat and drink a little.
Have a peaceful evening everyone.

You have been busy Redcar !
We had DS and family to lunch but have done very little since. I should have finished the ironing but it’ll still be there tomorrow!
Hope everyone sleeps well.

Good afternoon to my favorite Granspals. I could swear that favorite had a u in it. Hey ho!

You lovely lot have been exceedingly busy. I admire your fortitude.

We treated our pals in the village to a Sunday roast in a favorite restaurant yesterday. Mr Soop and I had fish and chips. Why not! Our pals had traditional roast beef and the trimmings. It was fun.

I do not have any further news to share with you. We live a quiet life.

Mr Soop's scalp is little improved. Wednesday is when he next has a change of dressing. The area on his thigh, from where the skin graft was taken, remains sore. Never the less, he continues to care for me and remains cheerful and positive. Bless him.

I shall away to empty the washing machine. It is change of bed linen day.

Best wishes to you all.

Admirable restraint brok 🤣🤣
MrJ drinks Guineas 0 or Moretti 0 *FGT, I’ve had a taste of both, I could have the Moretti with lemonade, my ‘beer head’ from younger years has disappeared. Quiz tonight where MrJ will be on the real black stuff for St Patrick’s Day toasting his family across the water.
Disappointing for MrSoop that the healing isn’t speedier soop; is it soon you have family visiting?
Busy bee Redcar I am impressed there wasn’t much to get rid off.
I’ll pop in later

Hi Everyone... I've not had much chance to pop in over the last few weeks... I'm still in support role for my friend. The funeral is on Thursday and she has taken my advice to go and sit somewhere where they both used to go and if she can't stream the service then just be at peace with her thoughts. She has an open invitation to jump in the car and just arrive if she needs to...

She is going to be one of my attendants at the wedding but I feel it is too insensitive to talk about outfits etc yet. I've suggested that we 3 ( the other attendant too) go away for a weekend and clothes shop. She seemed happy with that idea. I don't really need attendants but they have with me through thick and thin in great measure as I have been for them. We have laughed till our sides ached and thought we'd be asked to leave the hotel and wept
oceans too so it's right that they be with me.

The invites went out last week and acceptances are coming back thick and fast. It's all getting very real now. We both just need to lose a stone and get clothes 🤣

I've read back and it's been lovely to feel more happiness in our special kitchen...I hope it continues.

Hi kitchen pals, we’ve enjoyed a really sunny day here in Inverness today, it’s still cold but getting better
Good to hear the wedding preparations are going well neine, hoping all goes to plan I hope Thursday is ok for your friend
We’ve been busy at DD2s this morning but seemed to make quite good progress. We came home with a car full of stuff that the DGC have outgrown or no longer needed. I’ll sort through it gradually into 3 piles, charity shop, the bin and for selling. That’ll keep me busy for a while
Good luck in the quiz tonight Jax and hope Mr J enjoys the St Patrick’s day celebrations ☘️

Evening Kitcheners. Soop Poor Mr Soop. It's a pity it's taking so long to heal. Brook has dd bought another house to move into? Neine it is good to hear that wedding plans are moving on.
I've had a busy day. Up early for childcare. Then I worked in the school library for a couple of hours where I managed to slice open my finger. Blood was dripping everywhere. 🙄 Once home, I tidied up and had a hot cross bun to cheer me up. Both boys had a good day but dgs2 got very upset as he dropped his water bottle which cracked. That made the journey challenging. However, once at my house where he ate his bodyweight in food, he cheered up. We played outside for a while and dgs1 watched tv. I've had dinner and I'm lying on the couch thinking about loading the dishwasher then putting the frost cover on the car. Enjoy your evening all

‘Evening All’.

I couldn’t seem to get warm today! That wind went slicing through like a knife as we crossed through the park doing school drop off then pick up. On the way home it was “please grandma can I go on the swings?”. Why not? I was already cold even in my layers! Children just don’t feel it do they when playing out?

Same again tomorrow. The alarm will be set for 6:30am. Hats off to all you grans who do this on a regular basis! 🥇

Hello kitchen people.

I had my usual Monday. Our cleaner cleaned beautifully and I shopped in Waitrose.

Have a good evening. I’ve been reading a book about an artist called Mary Ellen Best while OH catches up with Match of the Day.

Evening folks, I hope you don't mind my popping out of the quiet corner looking for a hug.

We went to the funeral of a friend of our 2 youngest daughters this morning. They met as avid Forest friends but he sadly developed MND aged just 43. The funeral was a wonderful occasion- just the right mix of tears and laughter.

I was changing after we got home when I heard the most horrendous bang. When I looked out I saw an 11 year old boy had been knocked over. Fortunately, he wasn't badly hurt but we did enjoy the presence of a paramedic, an ambulance, 6 police cars and an unmarked police car.

When we sat down for a cup of tea DH spotted a message to say that one of his oldest friends was in hospital with pneumonia and kidney problems.

Not a good day at all.

kitty what a difficult day for you and your DH. I hope his friend can receive treatment for the pneumonia and kidney problems. Also hope that the child in the accident will make a swift and complete recovery.

neine exciting that your wedding plans are proceeding satisfactorily!

I saw my friend with dementia this afternoon, it wasn’t very warm in her house and I was glad to get home. I’m at DD1’s tomorrow keeping the dog company while DD1 and her husband are both in the office. DD2 will collect the grandchildren from after school club, I’ll cook their dinner and look after them until their parents come home. Not looking forward to having to drive home in the dark - the first time since last October!
Night night everyone.

Big hug for you kitty what a rubbish day, tomorrow should be better
Good your plans are on track neine ‘ding dong the bells…’
Flipping freezing out there tonight,but we came third!! My daughter came and Imogen, her daughter, poured her a perfect pint of Guinness, one for the family album 🙂
Night all 💤

Oh my goodness kitty what a day you’ve had, sending you a hug. Thank goodness the boy is ok, could have been far worse.

Yes grandmabatty they’re not moving in with us 😀 She’s selling her old house that’s needing lots of attention and buying a smaller new build that doesn’t need anything doing to it. So trying to sort out everything before the move as there won’t be anywhere as much room at the new house. It’s still in Inverness, in the preferred school catchment area and just slightly closer to us, but not much.. Hope your finger is ok now and you’ve had a restful evening

Oh my goodnesss kitty. What a day of sadness and worry. A very late hug for you, sleep well, tomorrow just has to be better.

I’m afraid I’ve neglected you lovely Kitchen people for more than ten days, now. Life has been hectic here. It’s my DD’s MIL’s funeral this week, a v large one. Dh and I are charged with various GC duties during it and also my other dd is making a flying visit from Yorkshire to attend.

Dh seems to still be improving after his hospital stay in January. It’s been a long old haul and we know he’ll never have full health again, but we’ll take this situation as a bonus for now.

Lots of childcare has been happening and car stuff too. Repairs and MOTs etc. All done now, so I can tick that off the list. I’m trying to find a gardener to help me with ours. I need someone to do the heavier work as I just can’t manage it myself. Though I have shifted half a tonne of top soil recently so I’m not totally incapable!

I have an urge to get decorators in, too. Will I regret the upheaval or will it be uplifting to make my abode as I want it? Luckily Dh leaves the choices to me, if I like it, he likes it.

I’ve read through the posts and send and 👏 as appropriate. TOYA. Xxx

Kitty I've just seen this. What a rotten day for you. Hopefully today will be better. Brook that sounds ideal for your dd. New builds shouldn't need too much doing to them. Onwards and upwards!

Thank you all for the lovely messages. I heard quite late last night that the 11 year old has been discharged. I also got a photo of his poor face.

kitty what a horrible day, hopefully today will be better 😘

Kitty..I hope you managed to get some sleep to get over a horrible day and that today is much much better for you.

What a busy kitchen yesterday! I hope today is better Kitty and that wedding plans go well Neine.
DD has one of our cars to borrow and someone hit it in a supermarket car park. The culprit wants to pay off insurance but wants so many estimates! This week someone else hit their car! That one is a work lease car, being returned as she is changing jobs, so has to be repaired before return which should have been today. So complicated!
Beautiful morning in Suffolk, the garden calls! Yesterday I made a pork and mushroom casserole, with cider and cream then a beef ragout, with prunes and orange. Some for the freezer and some to eat this week means no cooking tonight!

Hi kitchen pals it’s been another gorgeous sunny day here in Inverness - I’d better not get used to it!
I was at the gym for aerobics first thing, then called into DD2s to deliver the washing that I’d done for her 🙄 and then finally back to do some gardening this afternoon. A happy day but tiring. It’s a quick pasta bake for tea later so that won’t take too long
Lovely to see you SueD and good news that your DH is gradually improving. You sound very busy with lots going on, hope all is going well
Hope today is much better for you kitty
Hoping everyone in the quiet corner is doing ok, sending gentle hugs and take care all x

Evening Kitcheners. Brook the weather here has been lovely today too. Sounds like you've been busy.
The boys were good today. Dgs1 was rather cheeky this morning but we had a chat. Dgs2 has had a good day. I cleaned the windows with my new karcher. It worked well. No smears. I dropped them off home and tidied up my house. I made Chinese style chicken curry for dinner and it was very tasty. Tonight I'm having a lazy night as I have an extra busy day tomorrow. Early start for childcare, then I'm visiting my friend's partner who I haven't seen for ages. Then back home and a quick visit to mum's care home to see her room. An hour in the school library and pick up the boys again. Phew! I'll need a rest tomorrow night. I made enough curry for tomorrow too which will save time. Enjoy your evening Kitcheners

Hello everyone. We’ve had a Good Day and as you all know, we don’t (can’t) take these for granted. It’s been sunny, a bit nippy in the shade, but lovely in the full sun. Picking L’il Miss up from school, we headed through the play park. Seeing her enjoying herself on the swings with her friends was nice. She doesn’t get this usually going to the childminder.

These are my nails after a manicure today. I like to go every 3 weeks. Nothing special, no nail ‘art’ just snipped short and choose a colour.