Soops warm and welcoming kitchen for kindly folk 🎄

Soop glad you have good neighbours. We have some lovely souls on our road, over Xmas got some delicious home made mince pies and a pudding the old boy next door couldn’t eat himself but knew we had family coming - don’t worry he came to us for an Xmas day supper after having dinner with a friend otherwise he would have been invited by several on our road including ourselves for dinner.
Am now making my signature dish, chicken soup, the recipe passed down through the generations, and is definitely a secret 🤫
Will put in Tupperware and distribute to neighbours later making sure we have enough left to last a couple of days.
Keep warm kitcheners, and let me know if you can smell the chicken soup, is wafting nicely through the house.

There’s too much to catch up on in the Kitchen but it’s lovely to see Soop back amongst us!

I’m bimbling along here, taking life a day or two at a time. Sending love to all. Xxx

Good afternoon all, no walk today! It’s sunny and the ice appears to have gone. However, poor MrB has had to have a tooth removed. He bit on a date stone and has been in a lot of pain so he’s better off without it. He’s now snoozing in a recliner and I’m sat in our warm and sunny kitchen as I don’t want to disturb him. My prescription can wait until tomorrow.

Hope you’re improving Kitty and will be home soon .

Hello kitchen people.

Well, I engage consulted the surgery and had a callback pdq. I had sent a photo of my blessed toe - it could put you off your lunch! I have been prescribed antibiotics and a daily salt water foot bath. If there is no improvement in a few days I will be referred to a podiatrist, eek.

OH has gone to collect my prescription as I still can’t put a shoe and sock on. I last drove on Monday and it was uncomfortable.

I had better perk up tomorrow as it is the annual U3A post Christmas do. It is a short walk from the car park so I can either hold OH’s arm, or hop.

I’m thinking of all of you with difficulties. 🪻

Ouch llfl I do hope the antibiotics work quickly.
Enjoy your family visit soop
I have a new chair, far more comfortable than the ‘hospital type’ we’d been given, I'm pleased.
Poor MrB I sympathise.

llfl I'm very glad you have been given antibiotics. Enjoy your evening out. Jaxjacky I'm also glad you have a more comfortable chair. I hope you are healing. Suedonim it's good to hear from you. Have you been snowed in?
Today I was going to have a lazy day and I think I've partially achieved that. I have also done all dds tumble drying, washed and dried my own white stuff, emptied and loaded the dishwasher, did a Tesco order which will be delivered today and dusted all my relatively new Venetian blinds, as well as do some Spanish. I'm not sure what our weather will be tomorrow. The snow disappeared yesterday and was followed by rain which then frozen, so I was happy to stay home. I made it out to the car to retrieve a hat and water bottle belonging to dgs1. He forgets stuff on a daily basis! Dd will pick up all their dried stuff and belongings on her way home tonight. I hope Brook is enjoying her holiday. Have a good evening Kitcheners.

Quick update, MrB has awoken and is looking much better. We managed a short walk, he has eaten some porridge and we’re going to watch a YouTube series about Scottish castles.

I never find hospital chairs comfortable Jax, hope you’re feeling better x

Jaxjacky it’s good you have a more comfortable chair 👍

Blossoming hope MrB continues to improve.

llfl hopefully the antibiotics will kick in quickly.

DH is out, I have a beef casserole in the oven, a quiet evening with The Traitors planned.

Night Night 🙋‍♀️

That's good news Blossoming I hope Mr. B continues to improve. Grannygravy I've just had pie and beans. Real comfort food for me. I'm now going to have a Jameson's with green ginger wine which will warm me up

Nice to finally have a more comfortable chair jaxjacky.

I hope your DH continues to improve blossoming and that you’re able to continue your walks, but take care with all the snow and ice.
grandmabatty that sounds like a busy day to me! It was bin day here today, I put the bins/bags out yesterday afternoon so they all got very wet overnight and my driveway was quite icy this morning. My next door neighbour brought the bags back for me later in the morning.
I negotiated the driveway and walked to the village hall for chair yoga this morning. Only 8 of us there and the hall was very cold. My back survived the stretches etc and I hope it will be better tomorrow. Did a pile of ironing when I got back.
soop enjoy your son’s visit! llfl I hope you are able to get socks and shoes on your poor toe tomorrow, so you can get to the U3A Christmas do!
Night night everyone, sleep well!

No snow to speak of here Grandmabatty! We had a tiny amount at the weekend. It froze then overnight last night the ice thawed away and it was quite a pleasant day. The daylight hours are definitely increasing, I’m happy to report.

Good to hear SueDonim.

Good evening all. MrB is healing nicely, thanks for all your good wishes. We have finally collected my prescription, then enjoyed a walk in the park. Lovely to see some beautiful swans on the lake along with the usual mallard ducks and blackheaded gulls. We aren’t getting the extreme weather some of you are, but it’s quite brisk and bracing!

Good evening Kitcheners. All my plans came to naught today. I just couldn't get going. So a quick tidy in the morning then I went for a nap this afternoon. Instead of being productive, I've been lazy. We had a little snow this afternoon which is hanging around. I am going to watch Tinker, Tailor etc- the series with Alec Guinness tonight. Have a good evening all

Hi all, we’ve had rain all afternoon, I heard gusty winds upstairs too, it’ll get worse apparently.
Still plodding on doing exercises, walking and today faffing with Tesco delivery list for tomorrow.
Glad MrB feels better.
We will eat earlier tonight in case power goes out, have a gentle evening all.

Just a quick visit to hope that everyone keeps safe and warm and are but too badly affected by the storm.
Blossoming....good to hear Mr B is getting better and you are back to walking.
LlFL... Ingrowing toenails are sooo sore. I hope you get some relief very soon.
Redcar... Well done for sit fit and fingers crossed your back doesn't complain too much.
Grandmabatty... Thank you you the recipe I am going to give that a try.
Yia.... I've been watching Alan and Amanda's Greek job and now realise that you name is pronounced Ya Ya rather than what I thought was Yeeea Yeeea. Grandmother in Greek ..of course... Every day is a school day.
SueD...I hope life is treating you more kindly than 2025!!!! Keeping you all in my prayers...FGT and Dragonfly too.
Falling star what a lovely thing to do.
I'm not staying long. It's been a horrible week so far. DH's company have suffered a downturn and he's been made redundant and the next day our DDog was diagnosed with Lymphoma Cancer. She started chemo today in the hope that she and we might have a few more months together. Those 2 plus the pain and fear of the op ( bad things happening in threes) have made it hard to try and keep it all
together . Memories of the effect of our Ddog dying and the work stress had on DH two years ago have been flooding back.

Prayers for your dog Niene,our pets are so precious.Your going though so much
at the moment.❤️Well done,Ya Ya is just how it sounds it was so easy for my grandsons to say when they were little.I’m enjoying Amanda and Alan.The area we know so well and it’s where I found Spiros.

So lovely to have you back where you belong Soop

So tomorrow morning I will be having my first cataract done.Im coughing a little but I think it will be fine.I’m a bit nervous but be good to get it done.Its an early start I have to be at the hospital at 7.45am.

Sleep well and stay safe everyone.

So sorry to hear of your troubles neine. I hope your DDog responds to treatment.

We are bundling along. DH should get a trolley on Saturday which will enable him to carry things. I am exhausted will all the fetching and carrying.
He is doing his exercises religiously so I have great hope that things will improve.

Sleep tight everyone and let’s hope we are not too affected by the storm!

yiayia l hope your operation goes well tomorrow and that you’ll be home by the afternoon. Take it easy afterwards.

neine I’m so sorry you’re going through such a rough time at the moment, I hope the treatment is successful and you have a few more months with your lovely dog. How awful for your DH too, I remember how stressful it was for you when he left his previous job and hope that something suitable comes along soon. My back hasn’t protested much at the different exercises yesterday, now the weather is a bit less icy and cold, I’ve resumed my daily walks.
jaxjacky fingers crossed you don’t have any power cuts tonight. Are you seeing the physiotherapist soon? Dislocating your hip must really have knocked your confidence, hoping the exercises and walking help you.
I hope that no one suffers any damage in tonight’s storm, keep warm and stay safe everyone.

Good wishes for your operation yiayia. It’s a quick process here, hope the same for you.

Oh heck neine. Its not a good start to the year for you. I feel for you and your husband, we endured many a redundancy and I still recall the sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. The same has recently happened to a son. It’s more than stressful. Sincerely hope you will have more time with your dog, they are so much part of the family. Operations are always a fearful time. I’ve found anticipation to be far worse than the reality, I hope the same for you.

The wind has picked up here, rain battering the window. It’s not too bad as we’re low down in a bungalow. I’m edgy though and struggling with sleep. Time to get into a book I think. I’m more than grateful for library access on the iPad, always something to read, even in a dark room.

Pleased Mr B is improving . 🤞 for no power cuts jax and anyone else vulnerable to them. We’ve got belt and braces alarms tonight, Alexa and a manual bedside clock with a set alarm in case there are power issues here. I’m volunteering in the morning so really should get some sleep.

Night night everyone. Stay warm and safe.

Naughtyneine what a terrible week for you both. Dogs are such important family members and the thought of looking for another job must be so daunting for your husband.

Wishing YiaYia a successful procedure, glad to hear good news from Dragonfly and Blossoming re their DHs.
Hope your new chair helps Jaxjacky, fingers crossed 🤞 you avoid the power cuts.

Neine, so sorry to hear your sad news, you're having a difficult time. Prayers to St Francis for your wee dog, 🙏🐕 hoping he is comfortable. Thinking of you and your DH.

Yesterday I went to my Strength and balance class, first since I had Covid in October. Glad I made the effort. Hopefully I'll manage Aquafit too next week. 🤞

Great to have our Soop back in the kitchen, hope she is enjoying her family visit. Thinking of all with worries, illness or sorrow. Hoping everyone in the path of the storm is safe and warm. TOYA

I hope Yia is now at home recovering.

Oh dear naughtyneine what a horrendous beginning of 2026 for you.

YiaYia I hope you are back home and resting.

It started raining here just around 2pm yesterday afternoon and hasn’t stopped yet!

I am slowly starting to sort out stuff which I have put off over the Christmas season, along with feeling rough (asthma flare up). Both freezers are sorted and I know what is in them.
I need to empty and clean my glass cupboard and contents in the kitchen. Although it was taped closed during the building/decorating work it desperately needs blitzing. Then it will be a couple of cupboards a day.

My wardrobes and drawers can wait 🤷‍♀️

Hopefully no kitchen friends have been impacted by Storm Gorreti 🤞🏻

A very light snowfall here about 10pm quickly washed away by rain and no wind at all.
We were very lucky and I feel for those affected.
My candles are still in place and willl stay there until the warnings were just has passed.
Yia I hope your op was over quickly and was successful, a friend had her first one done last Friday and she is already very impressed by the improvement.
nneine my commiserations on both your problems, a very difficult time for you, I hope your H will soon find a suitable position.

A neighbour called in this morning, me still in pj’s and dressing gown to tell me about our mutual neighbour’s funeral next Friday.
They were very close, since being widowed they have spent much time together, going on holiday together twice a year.
She is very low and missing her.
I haven’t made my mind up yet about the funeral, it is in two parts, Mass in the morning, the church will be very, very full, M was very involved in Church life and very devout.
Then a private cremation, followed by “a tribute” and refreshments in the Parish hall in the afternoon.
I can only go if I can get a lift and dependent on who goes to which part with a break in between, quite a logistical problem.
I may just pay my respects to a well loved friend and neighbour quietly at home, she would be most understanding I just know.

Another quiet weekend at home I am getting used to not going out at all, it may get boring soon though.
Kindest wishes as always to poorlies and their loving carers.