Soops Kitchen, a place of refuge, reflection and revelry.

I go to the local town by bus and there is a small Lidl opposite the bus stop. I couldn't find a can of tomatoes but toothpaste was under £1. Everywhere else it is well over £2.

When I entered there was a child around 3 on a scooter about to career out the open door. I stopped him, found his mother but she wasn't bothered!

My dishwasher is having a holiday, there is always something.

I live in London and one would expect decent Chinese takeaways but no, not around here.I do envy you, GrannyGravy Mine will be more healthy, a prawn salad.

It was a warm, sunny day here, still no downpour for months. Still a hosepipe ban.

Please look after yourselves.

I have had a good day, circuit training and dodge ball at the gym. Then DH and I went to a local garden centre for a mooch and then into their farm shop for veggies.

I came home and sorted out the freezer (again) along with the kitchen fridge.

As neither of us could decide where we wanted to go for dinner, we have ordered a Chinese takeaway to be delivered later.

How frustrating Brook

That's very annoying for you brook.
Today is nipped to aldi for bread, then did 2 lots of washing and some housework. It's been a quiet day but I'm happy. Ds has announced he's bought a car. Not before time! Dinner will be out of the freezer tonight. Enjoy your evening kitchen folk

Hi kitchen pals, hope everyone is doing ok
I've been at the gym this morning and just now I'm waiting for my volunteering session to start, so I've jumped on the Wi-Fi here. It's still off at home, probably until Monday they've said

I put the heating on last night for the first time charley, I couldn't last out any longer, although if feels a bit warmer today

Hoping for good results from the bloods too fgt and then hopefully no more worries

I've still got to go through the jackets and coats Jax see what I want and what's seen better days!

Thinking of our friends in the quiet corner, take care all x

OMG I would suffer from hypothermia if I had a 7.5 tog duvet. When I first go to bed with my 13.5 tog one, I feel cold even with a hwb. How I survived in Scotland until my mid 20's is beyond me.

I only open a window during the day to air a room, hypothermia would set in here!

I haven't needed to switch on the heating yet but it is almost October.

* brook* I am sure the internet will be working soon because the company can't afford to lose customers.

I am a hoarder and have enough tops to open a shop. A charity shop rarely sees clothes from here. They do well with books but now without a car it is very difficult to get them there but I have a plan.

Please look after yourselves.

So far so good fgt. Fingers crossed that the bloods don’t show anything untoward. Still under my 4.5 tog duvet, but the window is shut! Sleep tight.

Glad to report some of the tests arranged by the GP have come back normal. Steps in the right direction thankfully so I will sleep a bit easier tonight. Bloods on Monday so my anxiety isn’t fully gone. He is being very thorough and was kind and understanding of my anxiety. I hate how worried I get - it affects all aspects of my life while I wait for results.

Im hoping to be back to my usual sunny self this time next week. 🤞

Good to hear you’re cosy Charleygirl.

I’m under a 4.5 tog duvet still and the bedroom window is open it’s mild enough here yet, but I’m sat in my bed with a large mug of delicious Horlicks.

Hi everyone. brook I haven’t heard from DD2 today, so I assume that littlest DGD is sufficiently recovered to go to preschool today. Her dad was working from home while DD2 was in the office, so fingers crossed! DD2 doesn’t work on Fridays but has to take littlest to the gp for a follow up appointment.

I had a walk this morning and met the daughter of our former neighbours, she’s over from Australia to celebrate her mum and dad’s 60th wedding anniversary. Good to catch up with her, I used to bring her home from after school club when she was 11 and she’s going to be a (young) granny next March!
Then I cleaned the kitchen and cut the front grass! Pushing my luck I think, but I feel ok.

brook I hope you get your internet back soon.

jaxjacky I’m sure the charity shop welcomed your jackets and coats. Pleased you had a good time with your brother and sister in law today.

I’m pleased you’ll be warm now charleygirl I’m still under the 4.5 tog duvet but thinking of putting the 7.0;tog on soon.

Thinking of those sheltering in the quiet corner.

Night night everyone, sleep well.

Hi kitchen friends 🙋‍♀️

The Imp is upstairs asleep, I am collapsed on the sofa. My energy levels are rather low, no idea why.

Good news *Blossoming^

Hope your GD is ok Redcar

Night night 🙋‍♀️

Hi all, great news on your brother Blossoming and good you’ll be warm Charleygirl
Glad the puppy behaved brook it could have been so different.
After our clear out, no longer used jackets/coats and shoes went to the charity shop first thing.
My brother and sister in law came for lunch, what a delightful few hours, about 6 my daughter called in, grandson football training at our local school.
We’ll watch Ludwig later.
A wave to the quiet corner 👋👋.

Oh redcar your poor DGD, I hope she’s much better today and she’s over it soon, what a worry these grandchildren are

Yep corner the puppy slept well, very settled and not a peep out of her all night. She sleeps in the kitchen and seems to know when to settle down. I’ve no experience of dogs at all but she seems very good. She’s quiet too, I’ve not heard her bark once, a few little whines now and again but that’s it. She’ll be delivered home tomorrow with a glowing report. Hoping you got your very clean sparkling car back ok today!
I’m having to use mobile data as the internet is down here, someone’s car ran into a junction box at the top of the road and the outage is affecting all our estate. Openreach are onsite and have made it safe but no idea when it will actually be fixed 🤷‍♀️

Good news about your brother Blossoming so pleased for him and all the family, hope you’re ok too.
I too hope Yia and her DH are doing ok Jax

Hoping everyone has a good night, take care all x

That’s really good news blossoming.

We don’t get much rain here either jaxjacky and charleygirl I’m still watering newly planted plants., with a watering can. Fortunately the rain last week filled a water butt, so I’m using that and hoping for more rain next week.

A warm day again today, but not as sunny as yesterday,

Yoga was challenging as usual this morning, after that I got the mower out and cut some of the bits of the lawn where the grass is actually growing. Then I dug some weeds and grass out of an overgrown flowerbed, just a few feet. I’m now sitting with my feet up and a hot wheat pack on my back!

Both DDs rang this evening, the 11 year old DGD apparently has lots of homework now she’s at High school and is finding it hard to adjust.

My 3 year old DGD spent several hours at A&E yesterday with a high temperature and pain in her legs. She seems better today, I expect the temperature is some bug she’s picked up at pre school and the painful legs could be due to the fact that she has hypermobility, like her mum, aunt, cousins and granny!

* cornergran* I hope that your unreliable bus service arrived and you have been able to collect your car.

Enjoy what’s left of the evening everyone.

Good evening everyone. A flying visit to let you know my brother is doing really well after his lung cancer surgery and is hoping to be home by the weekend.
TOYA xx

Hi all, another warm day, I forgot, yesterday the Orange engineer can and updated our meters.
‘Where’s your live display?’
‘In a box hiding’
Laughing he said ‘you’ll need to plug it in for 48 hours’…t’is done, I'm ignoring it.
Anyway, Tesco list updated for delivery tomorrow, hasn’t food gone up in price, I doubt it will come down again.
I was thinking about Yiayia today, I hope she and her OH are keeping well.
Rain bypasses us too Charliegirl not good.
Dentist moved my dreaded appointment next week a day ahead, I’ll be glad when it’s done.
Enjoy your evening all.

Thank you everybody for the birthday wishes. To face the winter I will now have hot water and heating. My electric shower is deciding whether to have a permanent rest, so I must ask a Triton engineer to visit. There is always something.

corner if I lived closer I would happily look after your dog. I cared for 2 dogs for 2 weeks when I was newly married and one didn't want to return home as she loved life with me. It was so embarrassing, with my friend in tears.

Please be happy you are still allowed to drive because without my car, it is no picnic.

I would love several heavy downpours. Rain appears to bypass London.
Please look after yourselves, winter is coming.

Sad news from your sister fgt, I seem to recall she’s not in the uk so hard to be with her in person. Hope those tests come quickly, waiting is always hard.

Did the puppy sleep brook? It’s many a year since we had care of one, I miss dogs of all ages and would re-home a rescue in a heartbeat. The voice of reason, aka Mr C, is right though, we do still flit about and doggy care is hard to find without local family.

Totally understand sight worries utbb. My eye condition still doesn’t have a name - I’m told I’m unusual, Mr C has stronger words 🤣 - the injections tried as a bit of an experiment work though which has reduced worry to an itch from an ever present weight. Hope your sight remains stable. Good news from your optician grandmab. A relief.

We’ve got bees buzzing around our garden too redcar. They seem to head for the verbena then buzz around the late roses. They give me hope the mild weather will last a while longer.

I like the style of your 11 year old grannyg. That lad will go far.

We need to brave the totally unreliable local bus to go and collect our car. It’s been in the car beauty parlour having all sorts of bodywork protection added to what I thought was a totally adequate finish. The men in my life disagreed. Outnumbered I gave in, less than gracefully it has to be said. It’s raining at the moment, according to AccuWeather it will stop in an hour. If so off we’ll go then. It’s a horrid walk the other end along a busy road, much better in the dry.

Finally waded through the holiday laundry. How two people made so many clothes dirty in a week is one of life’s mysteries. If it was an Olympic sport we’d have no trouble winning gold.

Have the best day you can everyone. Be careful out there.

A very late Happy Birthday charleygirl. I hope you’ve had a good day. I agree about the brown grass, not sure mine will ever recover.

fgt I hope that you receive appointments for the tests soon, and that the results are through quickly and don’t show any problems. It’s hard not to worry though. I hope your sister is ok.

I was at my dementia friends this afternoon, watching loads of bees on the ivy in her garden. The ivy is flowering at the moment and the bees love it. I had loads of bees on my salvia ‘hot lips’ today, including a huge bumble bee.

* utbb* I hope your eyes don’t deteriorate any more.

brook I hope the dog behaves tonight.

Night night everyone, it feels warm out still.

So sorry to hear about your brother in law fgt sending condolences 💐
Good to hear all was ok at the optician grandmabatty and hoping your eyes stay stable too uttb
A very late Happy Birthday charley, pleased you had a good day
We’re looking after DD2s puppy for a couple of days whilst she’s away in Edinburgh on a works event. The DGC are staying with their dad so we’re only needed for the dog these days 😂 She’s been as good as gold though, just a few wild moments running around the garden but she’s generally settled down well. Hope I’ve not spoken too soon ….
Hope the sleepover goes well GG 👍

Hope you’ve enjoyed your day Charleygirl - good that all events chimed well for you today. A birthday bonus.

I’m sad tonight for my sister as her husband died at home during the night. He had several co-morbidities and had major life changing surgery 5 months ago. I keep thinking of her tonight, getting ready for bed without him.

And I feel anxious about the tests my GP has organised for me. I wish I wasn’t such a worrier about health issues. One minute I’m almost sanguine about it all then the next minute I’m on high doh.

I just have to be a patient patient. Some of you are great at this. I wish I could be.

A late happy birthday Charleygirl5 🎂🥂

The 11yr old has commandeered the largest guest bedroom complete with the full Virgin streaming TV for his sleepover tonight. His reasoning, when his cousins started senior school they didn’t sleep in the children’s room 🤷‍♀️

Yes I know I am a total pushover 🥰

Good news about your eyes Grandmabatty

Fingers crossed your eyes stay the same year on year Usedtobeblonde

Nightie night folks 🙋‍♀️

So pleased your eyes are OK Grandmabatty.
My own are poor now. Very little sight in my left eye and now diagnosed with dry AMD in the right one but the last eye test showed it remains the same after a year so hopefully it will stay that way.

Happy birthday Charleygirl even though it's nearly over.
It has been really lovely here today,25 degrees this afternoon.
I went out to lunch with a friend, fish and chips. It was nice but a bit warm for it really.
I had a cardigan on and I was roasting.
We called at a garden centre on the way back as my friend had two free coffees on her loyalty card.
When I got in I went straight up and got changed into pyjamas, forgetting Sainsbury's was delivering between 4:30 and 5:30.
I didn't bother to get changed, I looked decent so just smiled and took delivery.
He may not come again.
Waiting now for the second part of 70 up.
I was underwhelmed by last week and have since read that some participants are not too happy but strange most of them.took part all.this time.
Have a good night everyone.

Hi all, a very Happy Birthday Charleygirl hope your day has been and still is special 🥂🎂🥳🌻.
Another glorious day, lots of bees on the verbena and asters, they survived the summer heat, not many wasps this year.
MrJ scraped out the last of the small weeds on the patio then swept it, I need some more garden work done, my lady helper should be here next week.

Good news on your eyes Grandmabatty 👍

I have had a really pleasant day with friends and the few members of family I have emailing me.

The gas engineer was here for nearly 3 hours this am. I have had no hot water for almost a week. It didn't bother me too much having an electric shower, dishwasher and washing machine. He serviced the heating system and a couple of other jobs.

My cleaner came, so the house is spotless. Ocado/M&S delivered so I will have a decent supper tonight and Amazon has also delivered, even ringing the doorbell.

A pity every day didn't run like clockwork.

Still no rain here. I have almost forgotten what green grass looks like being used to this shrivelled up apology.

Happy birthday Charleygirl. I hope it's been good.
Today the boys were very good and well behaved. I headed to the optician who put anaesthetic in my eye and had a very good look. Everything was fine, thank goodness. Then to the school to pick up the boys. They came to my house for an hour and a half before I took them home. I've had chicken and chips and in a while I will have a bakewell tartlet. The house needs tidying but my feet are sore, so that's a job for tomorrow. I hope you have a good evening kitchen folk.