Soops kitchen, a place of reflection, refuge and at times revelry.

Goodness it’s quiet in the kitchen this evening. Hot again, but breezy. Some cloud coming over but I don’t think we are forecast any rain.

DD2’s flight home from Italy was delayed by an hour and a half last night, no joke with an 8 year old and a 3 year old. They had to queue for ages to get through passport control as families with children under 8 can’t use the new digital system.
Stansted was a shambles apparently so they didn’t get home until 2.00.

I pottered in the garden for most of the day, coughing all the time. I know it’s only a cold but I’m fed up with it!

fgt I hope you enjoyed your lie in this morning.

jaxjacky I hope you had another pain free day again today and were able to enjoy just being outside in the sunshine.

Enjoy the rest of the evening folks.

Nanight everyone.
I’m just back from an unplanned curry night with friends. Most enjoyable.
And the icing on the cake is that I don’t have to set a 6:30am alarm in the morning! Childminding duties are done (for a while) 😁

grannygravy I’m pleased to see that you are getting better at relaxing on a sun lounger and reading! I was enjoying a coffee sitting outside but was disturbed by a pesky wasp!

utbb I hope you’ve had a good day today, being without your DGD will take some getting used to.

DD2 has just texted to say their flight home from Italy is delayed by at least an hour, no joke with an 8 year old and a 3 year old! Fortunately they’re only half an hour from Stansted once they land.
I went to the garden centre and came back with quite a few plants for my empty front garden. Then repotted a large plant into a bigger pot, it was a bit of a struggle but I managed it, but need more compost so another visit to the garden centre is needed.

Enjoy the rest of the evening folks.

Hi all, I do hope you sleep better tonight *Nannytopsy and your eye is ok.
A constructive appoint Charleygirl 👍 hopefully.
The first day pretty pain free for sometime so I went to the pub, how lovely to see friends, lots of chat, just brilliant to be out for pleasure.
Enjoy your takeaway GG13 and your F&C brook we’ve got quiche with penultimate serving of garden potatoes, they’ve been great.
Have a pleasant evening.

Hello kitchen pals, it’s been a lovely day here today, just a bit windy
I’ve been to the gym for a couple of classes, walked into town, got a coffee and then the bus home. I wandered into M&S thinking the sale might be on but no sign yet 🤷‍♀️
I hope you enjoy your takeaway later GG sounds a good idea, we’re having fish n chips soon, homemade not from the chippy.
Hope your eye isn’t too sore nannytopsy well done 👍
Hope everyone in the quiet corner is doing ok, take care all

I have had a lovely day, an early unplanned trip to Aldi, before our major roadworks start tomorrow.

A good session at the gym, followed by tea and cake (a continuation of my birthday celebration) This afternoon I have been in the garden laying on a lounger with my kindle #lazygran (I am getting much better at this FGT2)

We have decided to get a Chinese takeaway this evening, which will be delivered at 7.30 by their own driver, as we do not use Uber eats or the like.

Usedtobeblonde I hope you have been ok today, it will take some getting used to a quiet home 🌺

*Charleygirl5) hope your OPD went well 🌸
Wishing you all a pleasant Friday 🙋‍♀️

After an awful night’s sleep, I have achieved very little today. I must make more effort tomorrow.
I’m just back after I had a cyst removed from a lower eyelid. The procedure was fine once the rather “sharp” painkilling injection was done.
Hope you had had a good day UTBB

Hope your hospital appointment reassures you Charleygirl

corner with any luck your dishwasher will not have a permanent holiday or cost a fortune to repair just yet. It would be good to maybe buy one when the sales are on.

Mine and my dishwasher are beavering away. I will hang the clothes indoors as I have an OPD appointment and showers are forecast. I can always hang items out for a couple of hours when I return.

Look after yourselves.

Your courage shines through utbb, there are bound to be mixed emotions, you did exactly the right thing. My good wishes to you and the young couple.

Excellent to have a friend live so close by fgt, I’m sure you each support the other.

Well, our dishwasher may have been fixed today. The resourceful engineer found several things wrong and somehow fixed all he could see. His fear is that more are lurking. We’ll see. We hope not or the poor man will back.

Quiet few days ahead for us. Just pottering and if we can fight our way through the chaos caused by roadworks sitting by the sea wall.

Night night everyone.

Oh uttb hugs from me too ❤️

uttb I agree with fgt and jax re your GD. Happy days for her, sad for you but you coped well.

fgt you are fortunate to have such a good friend living next door. My mother dictated everything, I was never allowed a lie in, my clothes were laid out for me, you get the drift. Even in my 29's and living in London, when I visited my father would tell me to get my hair cut!

Nannytopsy when I saw that gorgeous display, I thought it was in your rear garden! Shows what I know about gardening.

I echo FGT utbb what a grand job you’ve doing nurturing and guiding until your granddaughter was ready to fly. You’re understandably sad, you should also be very proud of yourself and her.

Apologies utbb I meant to say “well done you” dear lady for holding in your emotions during a huge period of transition. Cry on your own and pin a smile on your face for the young ‘uns. Quite right - as you say. It’s their turn in the sunshine now. They’re not a million miles away. You’ve given them a good push off from the dock. You can be proud of that. x

‘Evening All’

L’il Miss has been with me again today. She is a joy. She has me laughing which is the best medicine isn’t it? One can’t be too sad in the presence of a happy 9 year old and it’s contagious!

Her hair is beautiful. She doesn’t take after me or my side of the family! Oh Charleygirl5 such a shame your own crowning glory wasn’t allowed to be grown to the length you wanted. Different times indeed. Children often had little say in these matters.

GG13 your husband came up trumps it seems! ✔️

I’ve just been sitting with my lovely friend (neighbour) and enjoyed a G&T together with ice and slice of lime. We are both so grateful to have one another only next door but two. I met her 50 years ago through a mutual friend. What were the odds really she’d have downsized here with her partner? She coping quite well, getting through her own ‘sadmin’ slowly but surely. A bit more complicated than I had to deal with. Her partner had a post mortem which delayed things by 3x weeks and because they weren’t married (albeit partners for over 20 years) there’s been much more for her ro deal with - application for Probate and eventual dispersal of his assets as per his Will to his adult children. She’s doing admirably at 77y learning as she goes.

I’ve now just poured myself a rosé wine. As you do. 😊

Oh goodness Redcar I’d be watering every night with no ban, I'm exempt but would feel guilty and have to put a placard in the front window if I got the hose out 🤣

A big hug from me too utbb. Best wishes to your Dgd and her partner in their new home.

grandmabatty my back is a little better thank you, I’m sitting with a hot wheat pack on it at the moment, but I’m so hot!
The gardener came today instead of tomorrow, the garden is looking better, but he’s very fond of the hedge trimmer, so I’m having to watch what he’s cutting back.
I’ll go to the garden centre tomorrow to look at plants for the front garden but I don’t really know what I want. There’s a large bare space to fill.
A lovely photo nannytopsy the RHS seem to have several new venues for their flower shows this year.

jaxjacky we haven’t got a hosepipe ban here (yet) so I thought I’d do the car while I still could. I felt a bit guilty doing it, but wasn’t very long or very thorough! I’m finding it hard to water the garden just using watering cans, so am only doing the veg and newly planted things.

Enjoy the rest of the evening everyone.

Oh Utbb a big hug from me

My GD and her partner have now left for their new home.
I managed to save the tears until they had driven away.
They are only about twenty minutes away but I am determined that they lead their own lives and just see me occasionally .
It is the way young couples should be.
There are just a few bits of theirs still here which they will pick up at their leisure.
It has been a warm day again here, no sign of rain, my garden has really suffered , I have not been able to water, I shall replace as and when.
I am not particularly bothered.
Have the best evening you can everyone.

We have spent today at RHS Sandringham flower show. It was our first RhS show and was a lovely day out, despite being hot and dusty. My feet are filthy!
I only bought a few plants, large to introduce this kind of colour scheme to part of the garden.

GrannyGravy that sounds like you had a nice time. Redcar I hope your back has recovered.
I've had quite a lazy day today. I caught up with The Sewing Bee and read a lot. I did extra Spanish this morning and hung out a wee wash. Macaroni cheese soon for dinner with toasted sourdough. Enjoy your evening kitchen folk

A dull and cooler day today so I have a Cardigan close by. Morrison's delivered and decided to give me the food that had no more than 48 hours before consuming. They wanted a review and received one, possibly not what they were expecting.

That is a lovely head of hair fgt. I had thick hair also but I was never allowed to grow it.

GG( at least your husband is trying to please. Many wouldn't bother.

No car washing allowed here Redcar and I’m not buying any more plants, our hosepipe ban will be a long one, tomatoes and other veg watered only. Oh, two hanging baskets as well.
An overcast day, keeping the temperature pleasant, beautiful hair FGT, Imogen’s is still long and thick.
Delivery list for tomorrow’s groceries updated, sauce made for fresh pasta later.

I have had a lazy day, visited two garden centres (plants were purchased 😺) and a new to us farm shop.

I was whisked away to one o f my favourite restaurants, had a lovely meal, ended up booking their private room for a celebration next year 🤷‍♀️

Your GD has fabulous hair FGT2

Gorgeous hair fgt well done, looks like a very similar colour to my DGD’s hair
We’ve just waved off both DGC, their dad has just picked them up and they seem to have had a good time. The best thing being that they seem to have stopped their constant bickering and winding each other up, now it appears they’re actually liking each other. There were a few little spats but nothing much and it was soon forgotten. We’ve played lots of board games, not my favourite pastime but they enjoy them and it keeps them off their screens for a while. Anyhow the kettle is now on and I’ll see if there’s any biscuits left in the cupboard…
It’s a lovely warm sunny afternoon here, I should really get outside for a bit but I’m happy sitting here on the sofa
Hoping everyone is doing ok, take care all