Soops place of refuge and friends

Evening everyone. A busy day with the little ones, especially as DGD is potty training! They went to sleep beautifully although she woke up after an hour. A head cold is making her a bit grotty.
I shall be early to bed myself!

Yes, it’s chilly here in S E Essex.

I am a happy bunny, just started the second season of Rivals (I love Jilly Cooper’s Rutshire chronicles)

Night night

Ooh, Simon and Garfunkel, thanks Redcar, that's me sorted. 🎵🎶

My sisters and I saw Paul Simon live in Glasgow last Saturday evening. 84 and still creating new music and putting on a great show.

My heating has just come on too, no sun to keep the house warm! I think it may be drizzling out but I hope we get some proper rain overnight. My back was too painful for me to do any more gardening today unfortunately. I may be able resume the battle tomorrow.

cornergran I hope the pest control man has sorted out the problem with the rats and that you’ll soon be able to sit outside and leave doors open again! If I leave my back door or patio doors open the local cats come in! We seem to have quite a lot now as new people move into the road.
grannmarie I look after DD1s dog as much as I have the DGDs! I usually look after her when they go on holiday.

For some reason I was awake at 3.45 this morning then couldn’t go off again! I’m tired now, can’t decide whether to watch Eurovision or to stick with Simon & Garfunkel on Sky Arts!
Enjoy the rest of the evening everyone!

I was the same, brook, but I ended up becomng very fond of Granddog. He stayed with me often when the family were on holiday.
I still miss him. 🐕‍🦺

Not really my thing grandmabatty but will see …. 😂

Thank you ladies. Dsil has had health issues in the past so he was better being checked out. The doctor is fairly sure whatever ails him, isnt serious so he's picked up a prescription and dd has taken the boys home. They have eaten me out of house and home! I'm going to have a quiet night. A productive day Grannmarie. I like the sound of your soup. Brook will you be doing puppy sitting?

Heating has come on here down south too, a grey, chilly day, rain for the last hour.
We have Imogen staying over, my daughter is out, a late one, grandson at a friends, we’re chuffed at 18 Imogen chooses to spend time with us.
Watched football, did my exercises, hung up washing, MrJ had a fruitless shopping trip for a fleece.
Have a pleasant evening all.

I hope yourDSiL is OK, Grandmabatty, I thought of him recently when I drove past the oil refinery. It's fortunate that you are nearby to help with the wee boys. Sounds like a great family meet up earlier on!

Castle25, I hope you're more comfortable and sleeping better now.

What a kind and thoughtful friend, Jaxjacky, beautiful gifts.

I'm glad to hear that "rat gate" is being professionally dealt with, Cornergran, hope you can enjoy the garden soon.

No wonder you're tired, brook, you've been very busy this past week. You need a few days all to yourself. Well done on your volunteering.

Enjoy your babysitting, Nannytopsy, belated congratulations 🎉🥳 to your birthday boys!.

Sorry if I haven't mentioned you by name but I've read all your news and I'm thinking of everyone.

I was up early for my usually reliable handyman coming at 8.30 to 'softwash' my grubby roughcast garden walls...he arrived at lunchtime! Most unlike him but he had kept me informed by text and he made up for lost time when he arrived and cleaned up thoroughly before he left. My walls are now sparkling, they look like they've been freshly pebble dashed.

So I've not done much today, some ironing, reading and knitting, and I made a big pot
(DH used to call it my cauldron!) of lentil soup with a ham hough. I've just had some, very tasty and warming on another cold day.

I enjoyed my visit to the Wee Boy yesterday, he's been learning about Scottish mythical creatures at school and he's made a model Nessie, a tinfoil Kelpie and a Selkie headband!

Wishing everyone a peaceful Saturday evening and a good night's sleep.
TOYA NNGB

Hoping your disl is seen quickly grandmabatty and is soon feeling much better
The weather here today has been ok, some warm sunshine mixed in with the clouds and it’s stayed dry. I’ve enjoyed a couple of hours pottering in the garden and then DD2 called in for a cuppa after dropping the children off at their dads. They’re all really excited especially Dgd as they’re getting a new puppy next week 🤦‍♀️ …
Thinking of all our friends in the quiet corner, take care all x

My heating has been on, too. I also took a hot water bottle to bed last night.
Apparently, it is going to start warming up mid week onwards and (whisper), the first half of the bank holiday weekend looks good. (The second half, Sunday and Monday, looks more typical - though forecasts can be wrong …).

Good evening kitchen folk. I have 2 wee boys here at the moment. Dd has taken dsil to out of hours clinic as he's quite unwell. Dgs1 had noodles, a peanut butter sandwich and half a watermelon. Dgs2 had soup and strawberries. He's eating a yoghurt at the moment. We net up for coffee and cake as a family earlier. Ds, dd and the boys and my aunt and uncle. So I've had a pleasant day all told. Hopefully dsil will be ok. Enjoy your evening all

Heating was on here this evening too. It felt so cold. An unusually full day for me, volunteering and visiting two friends. One just out of radio therapy/chemotherapy the other about to start. Then a call to our Welsh friend. Suddenly it was evening. smile].

Rat-gate worries have eased now a very reassuring pest controller has visited. Over to him! The downside of forecast warm to hot weather at the end of next week will be we don’t dare leave our conservatory doors open until we’re sure the rodent motorway along the front of it is no longer being used. Give it a month according to the pest controller. Oh well, it’s a week less than we’ve endured so far.

We don’t have a peony here, we had a beauty in the last house and it seemed each time it was in bloom looking wonderful along came a storm which knocked the petals off. No luck at all with them here, even in a tub.

A super gift jax. You mist be delighted.

Thinking about May weather, I can recall many birthday outings wearing a winter coat and probably a similar number in a summer dress. It’s a wait and see month I think.

I should try to sleep now. A friend is coming for coffee in the morning, it wouldn’t be polite to drop off to sleep when she is in mid sentence 😂.

Night night everyone. Sleep well.

I like the bag jaxjacky. It’s been dry and mostly sunny today so the heating hasn’t come on this afternoon. My house gets the sun in the back in the morning and the sun in the front in the afternoon.
I have a peony in the garden but it usually only produces one flower! Perhaps I should feed and water it more!

I did yet more gardening this afternoon, the garden waste bin is full and I’ve started to fill one of those big builders bags.

I potted up the tomato plants and they’re on the kitchen window ledge as it’s too cold to even think about hardening them off yet. I need to transplant the salad leaf seedlings too before they all die off. I’ll plant more seeds too, to try to get a succession of salad leaves, they’re so expensive to buy.

Night night folks, sleep well.

I do hope that winds stop, peonies are in bud, I’d like to enjoy them for the time that blossom.

I don't often post but do look in sometimes 🙂

One lot of our peonies are over already JaxJacky, the lovely very dark pink ones. Another group are in bud.

I love the bag too. Missing our Aussie rellies.

Best wishes to all Soop's Kitcheners.

Lovely gifts Jax what a kind friend
Another one here with the heating on, although next week is forecast to be better
The end of a busy week, I’ve done so much volunteering this week that its almost felt like being back at work - and now I’ve got that lovely Friday feeling of finishing for my holidays! I used to dread Monday mornings when working, I’m so pleased those days are all behind me now
Lovely to see youngsters enjoying lots of different foods GG 👍
I’m going to have an early night as I’m struggling to keep my eyes open 😴 - I’ll probably fall asleep about 9pm then wake about 11.30 thinking it’s morning
Hoping all our quiet corner friends are doing ok, thinking of you all x

No kitchen friends, as usual I am on catch up

Just home after a meal at one of our local Turkish restaurants with The Imp. He maybe 6, but loves a salad…

Love the bag Jaxjacky I also love Australia, just wish it wasn’t so far away. I miss our Aussie lot so much.

Night night from Gravy Grange

Hi all from a very chilly S Hants, our heating came on at 4:30, I'm missing the electric blanket too Redcar.
Another quiet day letting this cold ride out, the window cleaner came - it rained, Tesco delivered and it didn’t rain.
Our friend called round with gifts from their 6 week Australian trip, MrJ has rum, me a lovely cross body bag and sandals.
I do hope that winds stop, peonies are in bud, I’d like to enjoy them for the time that blossom.
Have a pleasant evening all

charleygirl apparently this type of weather is normal for May! My heating is on too, and I’m regretting taking the electric blanket off the bed!
We had a few showers today, including hail, thunder and lightning at the exact time the children came out of school this afternoon. DD2 and the Dgds all got very wet!
I did manage another half an hour pulling out couch grass from the front garden - I’m winning I think!

.nannytopsy I hope your DH has a very Happy Birthday, I’m sure that all your hard work cooking will be much appreciated and I hope you enjoy it all too.

Night night everyone, sleep well.

Could somebody please tell me if it is January or May? My heating is on, when I go out I am dressed for mid-winter and I still need my hwb. I used to be saving gas and electricity these months.

Welcome rutheik, you will soon get to know us. I have been around since soop opened the kitchen all of these years ago.

ruthiek, soops kitchen is a forum set up by a lady who’s pseudonym was soop. It’s a forum where we chat to each other, giving news of our day to day lives and trying to encourage and comfort each other when we are struggling with life’s challenges.

Sadly soop herself passed away recently.

Can I ask what is Soops kitchen please ?

It’s still very cool and showery here, the heating is on and I’ve a blanket ready on the sofa for later. I’ve had another busy but enjoyable day, tomorrow is my last volunteering session for a while, next week it’s back to the gym and then holidays! 😎
Sounds like a busy few days ahead nannytopsy, enjoy the family time
I’m hoping MrSoop is doing ok, I often think if he’s managing ok on his own and if he has some support nearby 😢

Good morning! I slept for 8 hours last night! Huzzah! I’m bright eyed and bushy tailed this morning as a result. It’s a good job as DS and extended family are coming here for his birthday tea and for DH’s birthday tomorrow. With a toddler, veggies, carnivores and fussy eaters we end up making a huge range of food. They will have to take the leftovers home as we are babysitting for DD tomorrow and Saturday.
I hope Blossoming improves soon.
Have a good day everyone and remember that the gardens need the rain!

I’ve had what I now describe as a recovery day, it sounds better than stayed in bed . I didn’t sleep last night at all and was very sore. Redcar we have got someone to do the garden for the first time. It’s mainly grass cutting and general tidy up but making such a difference to DH. I just need to work on getting a cleaner for indoors. Hoping all are as well as can be