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

I have never had a reaction from flu or covid jabs before. I just wonder when I will feel normal again? Any ideas? Nobody around here was old enough to have the jabs so I am on my own.

Oh charley you need to eat something please, even just some toast if there’s nothing else you fancy
So good you both enjoyed your get together uttb and fgt, hope there’s many more
The boys will love the skeleton grandmabatty hope it’s not too scary for them!
I’m just in from line dancing, so much laughter and not that much dancing. I think the instructor tries to keep it all together but we’re hard work, such good fun though! Tomorrow I’m looking forward to an absolutely free day, such a treat - I’m planning a very lazy day
Corner lots of concern on here about your cough, I know they can linger but it’s maybe a bit too long especially if you’re feeling poorly with it
Yep charley we might get some early snow on Friday or it might just be slushy rain, will see!
Hope everyone sleeps well, take care all x

Evening! Just in from garden club, after an afternoon of admin. Our friend gave the talk on beekeeping and of course I bought a jar of honey!
Glad FGT & UTBB had a good lunch. I went to meet ups in Leicestershire but I haven’t done any here in Suffolk. Anyone out there?
Sleep tight everyone

Sorry about the typos cornergran. - I blame my fat fingers!

Hello everyone. Some very heavy showers today and quite windy this afternoon. I got a bit wet walking to the church hall for the coffee morning but it was dry when I walked back. Stupidly I washed an anorak and a fleece jacket today, neither of which could go in the tumble drier. The clothes airer is in the garage until the decorators have been. So the jackets are on hangers hanging from doors. They’ll soon be dry, the heating has been on all evening.

fgt and utbb so pleased you had an enjoyable lunch with a glass or two to wash it down.

charleygirl no food since Monday isn’t good, I hope you soon feel like eating again. Is the exhaustion a result of the covid jab do you think? Most people I know have had a a similar experience. You mention shrinking - have you lost height yourself? I used to be 5 ft 6inches, but now am about 5ft!

conethran I hope you’re able to not talk and just rest for a few days as your DH suggests? Do you think it’s time to seek help?

DD2 is feeling a little better but still hasn’t been able to collect the prescription for her original meds as her pharmacy has had to order them in. She’s hoping to get them tomorrow.

Night night everyone, my bed is calling and hopefully is nice and warm!

So glad to hear you have heating and hot water again Charleygirl. Not eaten since Monday? Look after yourself now please.

utbb and I had a marvellous time over lunch (and wine) forging a deeper friendship. We plan to meet again after Christmas. Same place, Stockport. If anyone is in the vicinity when we set a date and would like to join us, please just say. It would be good to put faces to some names!

I can hear fireworks, quite loud. Beyond ridiculous so early. Unless of course it’s a one-off, some kind of family celebration. That seems to be something of a thing these days. 🤷‍♀️

jax you are close to their height.

No redness on my jabbed right arm. Luckily I chose it as I am left handed. i have slept nearly all day, not having the strength or inclination to fill the dishwasher. Thankfully I have heating and hot water.My last meal was Monday!

corner I hope you get better slowly. Please ignore Mr C! You will be pleased to hear my cough has returned.

brook I hope you are prepared to stay in on Friday as snow is forecast in your neck of the woods. Doubt if it will be thick so will be slippery.

uttb so pleased you had a lovely meal and the odd glass of wine with fgt Good for both of you for different reasons.

After my last sleep this afternoon, I woke thinking it was Friday evening with an online delivery on Thursday rotting on my doorstep!

Look after yourselves.

Hi all, not much Charleygirl I was 5’ 11”, measured a few months ago minus half an inch.
Right corner behave! If no better by the weekend seek help, I’m concerned.
This morning my friend came for coffee, swiftly followed by the ear wax lady, MrJ was playing bowls this afternoon, they lost - oops.
It’s been a day of showers and sun, 10 ‘feels like 4’.

The boys will love it Grandmabatty 👻
I’m glad your meet up happened and went so well utbb.

Well it’s grey and raining here 🌫️☔️

DH is out, the teens are here for their weekly sleepover so I need to get a wriggle in and cook dinner.

Had my mammogram this morning, always surprised how uncomfortable (flipping hurty) the procedure is.

Glad you had a good meet up Usedtobeblonde

Good evening kitchen folk. Utbb I am happy that you and Fgt had a good catch up. That's the best of gransnet, isnt it? I have made good friends in the Glesca Grans group too. Corner definitely behave! No more talking!
This morning I went to the retail park for a new mop and came back with a skeleton. The boys will love it. It's supposed to move and make noises by sensors but I havent switched them on as I reckon that would get old very quickly. I've cleaned all the windows and glass today and hoovered throughout. Tomorrow I'm having the boys in the morning and dropping them off at their aunt at lunchtime before I go to art class. Tonight I'm having trout fillet with salad and sweet potato chips. It's raining here too

Back from my meet up with FGT we had a lovely time, both of us could win Olympic gold for talking (and enjoying a glass or two of wine)
It is a dire afternoon wet and miserable but I am buoyed up with our chat.
I hope you all have a good evening.

Whizzing in to catch up. It’s the only whizzing that’s happened this week! Cough? Very alive. Me? Feel very poorly generally and more than exhausted.

Suspect I’ve been doing too much and not treating the cough with sufficient respect. Mr C has decreed I’ll do little for the next two days and even worse I am to speak little in the hope of regaining my ability to utter words of wisdom at normal volume. I’ll behave, if I can.

That sounds painful utbb, a real ouchie as our grandson would say. Nail envy here again fgt. Pleased you’ve been steadier.

Is it the Covid arm that’s sore Charley? We both had huge red patches around the needle site for a several days post Covid jabbing. All ok now though.

Wonder of wonders my eyes are closing to I’ll not stop them. Night night everyone.

brook when I was a child, our dance teacher organised we dance for patients at the local psychiatric hospital. They loved it and the large hall was packed. I have a photo pf my dancing a solo, wearing a very pretty dress. i WAS AROUND 10.

My ex had 2 left feet so my dancing days finished when I got married.

fgt I hope you had a lovely lunch with uttb. It takes your mind off other things for a while.

uttb I would put money on it that you have broken at least one toe. I hope it isnt your big toe because that usually means a b/k pop.

I had my jabs on different days last week. I woke up today with a very painful r) arm and difficulty moving it. I ate next to zilch all day and have slept for most of it. I hope I sleep =tonight.

jax very tall grandsons. Are you like me and shrinking?

Look afrer yourselves.

Oh and well done with your yoga too redcar that’s something else I can’t do!

Hi kitchen pals, hope everyone is doing ok
Lovely nails fgt pleased you’ve had a better day today and enjoy your get together with uttb tomorrow
A very tall grandson Jax I wonder when he’ll stop growing! My family is mostly small but our Inverness grandchildren are really tall, the Cambridge ones not so much
Such a shame you can’t dance now charley I wish it was different for you, especially if you’ve danced for many years. Lovely memories though of your parents dancing at Blackpool. I’ve never danced there but I’ve visited a few times and remember the Wurlitzer Organ in the ballroom
I find Pilates quite hard GG so hats off to you for doing it this morning, I think you deserved your banana bread afterwards
Hope everyone sleeps well, take care all

Hello! A productive morning, choir this afternoon and salad for tea. I’m feeling guilty about not making progress with raising a mere £200k for a new church roof. Lots of paperwork to go through.
DH is asleep, I’m watching Winter

Hello everybody. I’m so much better today. My equilibrium has been restored. I feel the good cry reset me and with a good night’s sleep I’m more settled in my mind about things.

I had an appointment at the nail salon and the cameraderiein there did me good. Don’t they say ‘laughter is the best medicine’?

I decided not to have my nails snipped short as I usually do. Just for a change I kept the length and chose a colour with chrome dusting. Not practical for jobs such as gardening or making pastry but fortunately I do neither ….
#lazygran

Looking forward very much to our get together tomorrow uttb. 😊

grannygravy my asthma nurse mentioned the new type of inhaler to me when I had my review earlier this year, but she left it to me to decide if I wanted to try it. I didn’t so am still on the old ones. I remember you having problems sleeping with the steroids.
Yoga was hard work yesterday, I hadn’t been for four weeks.
Enjoy the cottage pie and veggies.

Hi all, a very wet, dark day here, the rain is needed but it’s been cool too.
Just ventured out to the farm shop, 4kg Maris Piper with dirt on, not often you see that these days.
Chat with my son, then my daughter sent a message to thank me for a small gift I’d sent to cheer her.
Trying out some new to us chicken sausages for dinner, not Heck, low cholesterol etc…
I hope FGT has had a good day and you make the meet up utbb ouch!
Our 13 year old grandson is 6’ plus, nearly caught up with my son at 6’ 3”.
Have a good evening all.

My D has just been diagnosed as being diabetic.
She has a meeting with the diabetic nurse tomorrow and then a meeting with the diabetic team next week.
We are both intrigued as to what form that will take.
She is very overweight so I hope the restricted diet will be helpful.

Utbb ouch! I hope it isnt too painful now and you can catch up with fgt tomorrow.
The boys were really well behaved today, even helping each other to tidy up. We played Frustration again but it has to be dgs2 rules, which change by the minute! Anyway, I took them home via the long route to see if we could spot any Halloween decorations and we saw some. I've had an early dinner of fillet of trout, baked sweet potato and pureed peas. It was lovely. Shortly I will have greek yoghurt and apple sauce. I phoned the doctor's surgery this morning as they had tried to contact me yesterday. I needed to make another appointment with the diabetic nurse which I have duly done. I'm quite tired tonight so it'll be an early bed for me. Enjoy your evening kitchen folk

Another one here for Cottage pie.
Mine is out of the freezer, I made three individual ones a few weeks ago, I have just put the oven on to heat it through.
This afternoon I was attempting a wardrobe tidy up, putting summer things away and sorting out boxes when I dropped a small but very heavy safe which I keep in the bottom of one, on my toe.
I don’t know what language I used ,the pain was so bad for a few minutes but already one toe is black and it is painful.
I hope it just bruising, I am out for the next two days but fortunately very little walking.
I am meeting up with our dear FGT tomorrow for lunch, I had to cancel last time but determined to make it this time.

I hope you are all keeping warm and dry, it is cold and wet here.

I can confirm Redcar it is grey and dismal in our neck of the woods. The NHS are trying to swop all asthmatics over to one inhaler which is allegedly a preventer/reliever. My GP and asthma nurse are keeping me on the separate ones, due to my asthma being rather bad since December last year up till end of July this year. Still trying to lose the steroid weight gain.

Pilates was hard this morning, I have been rather lazy on my return home, including a rather large slice of homemade banana bread 🙀

Cottage pie and lots of various veggies for dinner, and I think an early night for me 🙋‍♀️

Hi everyone. It’s grey and cold here, but no rain yet.
jaxjacky and grannygravy thank you for your good wishes for my DD2. Courtesy of the steroids she didn’t sleep well last night, but has seen her asthma nurse who has changed her prescription back to separate preventers and relievers, so I hope that will improve things. She sounded more positive this morning so fingers crossed!
She thinks the builders are feeling guilty about all the dust in the loft extension as they spent a lot of yesterday afternoon clearing up and vacuuming!

I did 15 minutes weeding in the front garden this morning and had hoped to replant an agapanthus from a pot to the garden, but I couldn’t separate it from all the weeds in the pot. Most frustrating, I’ll have another go at it when the soil in the pot is wetter.

fgt I’m sorry you had such a sad day yesterday, I hope the manicure/pedicure were relaxing and that you feel a little brighter today.

charleygirl I hope you were able to mention all your health worries to your doctor and that the chat was helpful.

cornergran hoping your cough is improving a little, coughing is very tiring!

Enjoy the rest of the day everyone.

❤️💐 for FGT and those of you too who have had similar sad experience of losing a much love partner and friend.
Its not quite the same I know, but when my dear Dad died 23 years ago, even though it was expected and I managed to be there at the end with Mum ( I live 300 miles away from the town I grew up in) the feeling of loss never really seems to have gone away.
I was very stoic ( as was my Mum) during his illness and what followed, but I can remember a few months after he died, just looking out of my lounge window at nothing in particular and silent tears fell for what seemed an age, although it probably wasn't.
And now, I often wonder about the things he's missed out on, such as getting to know his grandchildren and great grandchildren and similarly how much they have missed out on with not knowing him too, as he was a lovely man.
I think we all have different coping methods and its not a case of 'one size fits all'.
Eventually we find what works for us. In my case its remembering the happy times my older brother and I had with Dad over the years of times often filled with laughter.
This, along with a kind of relief that his suffering was over and though it means he is no longer with us physically, he is always present in spirit. x