Soops Kitchen, a friendly place of refuge

Pleased the waters are calmer fgt. I’m relieved the quote seemed appropriate, I’m always wary of sharing these things in case they jar.

Do you know I’m not sure I’m cut out for providing three decent meals a day for four now. It’s so long since I’ve needed to for more than a day. I’m shattered! We didn’t go far today, just along the coast to enjoy the sun with a stop at a garden centre on the way home. Nothing strenuous. The rest of the time? I was in full kitchen fairy mode where I'm doing myself no favours by refusing offers of help. It’s a small kitchen and I’d rather work through what I know needs to do without distractions (interference ). No hope really.

Two main meals down with no food poisoning. Long may it last! We’re having lunch out tomorrow. Life will be easier We have had fun though, world events permitting we’ll be on holiday together later in the year which we’re all looking forward to.

That sounds better (I think) ladylfl a neighbour has just had a toenail removed, not for the faint hearted according to her. Hope it all heals well.

Your hair is lovely jax. Mine is short, fine and thinning. Not a crowning glory. Go carefully, you too neine. Different I know but I realised last week that I had for the first time walked confidently down a flight of stairs in a shop without holding on - the TKR was five years ago.

Time for lights out here.

Night, night everyone. Sleep tight.

Hello kitchen people,

Well, I saw a podiatrist today and in 15 minutes she stopped my right big toe from becoming ingrown and sorted out the left big toe which has been causing problems for 3 months. Basically she removed most of the nail, removed some other unmentionable bits and applied a dressing. I have to buy a lotion from the chemist tomorrow and apply it to what’s left of the toe nail bed area. All a bit grim but I believe she’s done a good 👍 job.

Sleep 💤 tight - hope your peppermint tea does the trick FGT.

Lovely hair jax! Good that you’re getting out and about more now.

neine my back is aching today, but it’s bearable and I didn’t do any more weeding today. I may attempt using the lawn edging tool tomorrow, having retrieved it from DD1’s clutches.
Take care on your steep stairs, I still hang on to the bannister rail and probably always will, although I’m faster going up and down now.
I walked to the pharmacy this morning for some showerproof dressings to protect my leg. I had to wash my hair over the kitchen sink and got very wet.

nannytopsy fingers crossed it’s new hip week for you!

Thinking of those in the quiet corner and especially soop and her DH.

Night night everyone.

I’m having my hair cut tomorrow too! It’s a preop one (again) so that I can then wait until I can drive myself.
It was a lovely sunny afternoon but it’s gone cold again tonight.
I’m glad you are on an even keel tonight FGT. Enjoy your Classic FM!

‘Evening All’

I’ve felt a lot calmer today thankfully. A day with 3 enjoyable events and I’m much more settled tonight here in bed relaxing with Classic FM and my peppermint tea. Equilibrium has been restored. For now anyway and that’s okay.

I liked your ‘grief is like the wind’ corner I shared it with the girls and they liked it too so thank you.

This kitchen is a wonderfully holistic place full of good kind souls. Soop would be proud of her legacy I think.

Oh you’ve lovely hair Jax - I’m at the hairdressers tomorrow too!

Jax, that ‘mop’ looks good to me. I’ve always wanted long hair but my face is very small and I look like a Dulux dog when it’s long. We’re never happy with our looks are we 🤣

Hi all, cloudy with the odd glimpse of sun today, I was on the voluntary phone, so just a garden wander.
I shall go out tomorrow, I need cash for the hairdresser on Friday and I must write a book review for book club, I still can’t attend.
The mop that needs a flipping good trim!

Hi to everyone in the kitchen, it’s turned a lot colder here, I had to get my hat, scarf and gloves out again
I enjoyed the volunteering session this afternoon then did a bit of shopping and collected an M&S order. I parcelled up a box of Easter treats for the Cambridge family and will get them posted tomorrow, I hope they survive the journey. Nothing planned now for the rest of today so I’ll do a few jobs then settle down in front of the tv.
Hoping you’re enjoying time with your visitors corner and alls going well
Thinking of everyone in the quiet corner, take care all x

Not at all utbb I withdrew it as it went on and on!

Fried I’ve just read about your cushion on the GM thread. Do you have a teddy or a soft toy? I have a soft and fluffy toy moose and sometimes I feel the comforting need to hold his paw. x

FGT.... Please don't feel you need to go onto another thread to share how you are feeling. I think I can say that everyone here in Soop's kitchen has walked beside you over the last three years wishing, hoping and praying that all would be well and our hearts were heavy as the inevitable day drew closer. This is your safe place, to cry, rant, laugh or just whatever it is you need to do to get through the day...♥️

Granmarie.. Prayers said for you all. Enjoy your family time together. May he rest in peace.

Yia..A lovely day out for you...I hope you manage to have some more soon.

Jax...I really do feel for you. It doesn't help that it happened at the worst time of the year. Slippery pavements/surfaces are not condusive to getting your confidence back are they? My crutches kept slipping on the garden path and it really unnerved me so I gave up on them and just made sure I wore shoes with a good grip. I am still struggling to walk properly up a whole flight of stairs in the cottage but that's because they are really steep and it doesn't help that my back is pinned to my pelvis too. Fingers crossed that the better weather and getting back to your usual outings like hair and the pub will all help you to recover well.

Redcar...I know that weeding back pain...it doesn't feel so bad when you are actually doing it....it's the straightening up that's the ouch ouch ouch moment. I hope you don't hurt too much today.

Dragonfly... Here's hoping that whatever it was that you injured is healing more each day. We certainly don't bounce anymore do we?

Corner...have a wonderful time celebrating....and making memories.

Forgive me for not mentioning everyone ...,💐 for you all and the hope that your week ahead is peaceful.

Of course be here just as you are fgt. You’ll always find care and compassion.

I wonder if doodle might be right and counselling won’t be offered. I’m basing my thoughts on the CRUSE approach in my last area. Support could be accessed at any time, people were encouraged to wait a while for formal counselling. Other organisations may of course have a different approach.

Apologies, I can’t recall the origin of this quote, it made a lot of sense to me at a painful time.

Grief is like the wind
When it’s blowing hard you adjust your sails and run before it
If it blows too hard you stay in harbour, close the hatches and don’t take calls
When it’s gentle you go sailing, have a picnic, take a swim.

Our friends have arrived, a busy day for the kitchen fairy and tour guide tomorrow, I must try for sleep.

Night, night everyone. Sleep well.

fgt Please don't bottle the grief up. As others have said, we may not have an answer, but we are good listeners.

I seem to be permanently cold and wonder if it will ever be warm again to sit in the garden. I do enjoy hanging out the washing. Simple pleasures.

FGT please keep on posting in Soops kitchen- we are here for you.❤️
When my father died I asked my Mum how did she cope ( they’d been married for over 50 years ) as she always seemed so stoic after he died.
Her answer was she cried often when she was alone, never in the company of others, and she felt she had no option other than to carry on.
Mum did enjoy her life after Dad died, although he was, and still is missed terribly, possibly because she had me and my brother and her grandchildren which gave her purpose, along with her strong Christian belief.
Dad died when Mum was 72 and she died aged 90. x

Jaxjacky I did read your post of about midday and felt rather guilty on reading it.
I do hope that you didn’t feel I was making light of your experience by comparing it to my own .
That would be like comparing apples and pears.
I do know how much worse your op would have been than a straightforward replacement and made a hundred times worse by it dislocating.
I really do wish you a good recovery.

Dear fgt you are doing amazing. You have been through so much in the last three years. Please keep posting on soops kitchen we are all here for you. Take care

You can always offload here FGT. You can feel comfortable with us.
Well will this be new hip week? I’m booked for Friday. That last two cancellations were phone calls late on Tuesday morning. If I get to lunchtime, I may start to believe! I’m remembering Jax’s advice and making sure my toe nails are cut 🤣.

The family came for lunch and we made a lasagne with Quorn, so the veggies could share with us all. I am still very full - that’s Wegovy for you.
Sleep well everyone x

fgt please don’t feel guilty. We’re here for you and each other.

Fgt ❤️

Wise words Doodle thank you for sharing. And brook I think it’s because I feel so supported in here that I feel guilty in monopolising the thread.

Tomorrow is a whole new day, untouched. 💕

Do not be sorry FGT we’re good listers even if we don’t have answers 🥀
I posted earlier, then had deleted, a long winded explanation on traumatic hip breaks, suffice to say, it’s not straightforward!
Another outside potter today before the cloud moved in, I also sorted getting my hair cut here later this week, hurrah.
I hope you continue to improve dragonfly again, a trauma.
Sounds great brook, a shot of r&r.

FGT you might not get counselling yet. It may be different in different places but here they won’t start until at least 5 months have passed. It seemed wrong to me at the time as I desperately needed help.
You have a lot of lovely friends in Soops Kitchen. I’m sure they won’t mind you telling how you feel. Counselling will tell you not to hide it or out in a front or mask it. They told me that family and friends need to know how you’re feeling so they can support you.

Fgt, just like gillgran says, you’re amongst friends here who really do care, please don’t feel like you need to apologise for how you feel x

Thank you Jax, grandmabatty, grannmarie, redcar and all of you lovely kind friends we’re home now after a really enjoyable weekend away. The weather was fine and dry, a bit of a cold wind at times but I think we expected that on the Aberdeenshire coast. Yesterday after an early check in at our gorgeous hotel we ventured out to Stonehaven and Dunnotter Castle, which was really impressive and definitely worth the visit. Back to the hotel for dinner and a couple of drinks in the hotel bar. Today we’ve travelled home the scenic route and visited Balmoral Castle and Crathie Kirk on the way. The Castle isn’t open for the season yet but the grounds, cafe and garden were open and were very enjoyable. Another couple of stop offs on the way home to stretch our legs and enjoy the scenery. Back to routine tomorrow with fully recharged batteries
Thinking of everyone just sitting in the quiet corner, hope Mr&Mrs Soop are doing ok, thank care all x

FGT, you are amongst friends here who care for one another. x