soops kindly kitcheners and perfect pampered pets.

I'm glad I'm not the only one confused by the move to a cafe. I liked it just the way it was and hope the atmosphere doesn't get sterilised by the 'Elf Inspectors.

I see Michael's Good Morning slot is back in 'chat' after being moved to the cafe yesterday. What is going on?

Another text from soop. It seems the internet connection problem is not the hub. She and MacS are waiting for a BT engineer as I speak but they've no idea when he'll arrive.

I've no doubt she'll be visiting the kitchen as soon as she possibly can when stuff id sorted out.

Er, am I in the right place? I am fairly open minded and easy going and I don't mind change but, flipping heck, has GN world gone mad.

Who needs a cafe when they have a cosy soop's kitchen - apart from people on the telly who use a cafe to talk about their most intimate problems instead of walking 5 yards to their own house.

And, what have they done to soop, do you think it's a plot?

We seem to have had two weather threads as well.

I wonder where all the extra people came from? It's nice to see new faces but not so many new thread type thingies at the same time! And, I agree with GD about protocol.

I hope George's improvement continues jud. Things seem a little more hopeful.

Glad Tara made it home safely, Charley, little stop out!! And I hope you two and your car make it home safely and cheaply, Maw.

Nice to see you in here, merlot. It doesn't bear thinking about!!

I've given up trying to understand. swanny, it all seems a bit unnecessary to me. Pleased that wandering cat turned up Charlie, whatever she was up to it sounds as if she was pleased to be back. Thanks, Bags for letting us know about Soop. Our connection drops out from time to time, no reason as far as we or BT can tell, we live in an urban environment and can only access a really slow connection. Frustrating a lot of the time so I can feel for Soop. Just hope she can find the kitchen when she returns - I have confidence that the BT engineer will work a miracle .

Did we finish the old kitchen thread already ?

I think soop might have been snatched up by the Internet police and is being held in the equivalent of Guantanamo Bay :-(

Ooops confused ...... for a minute I thought I'd posted on a new thread !! This whole cafe palaver has muddled me up !! I need cake !

If you find any n&g, please share I think we all need some.

I'm at DD'S and had been assured the builders would have gone by today. They haven't. If I get home and discover anything is going on in our own kitchen I might just run away and not come back till the world rights itself!

I've been coming in the back door (the 'I'm on' tab) so didn't notice the kitchen had turned into a cafe until I started reading all your posts. Maybe the signposting will encourage those who needed encouragement to come in. Perhaps new people felt they needed to be invited into the kitchen.

It will be interesting to see Soop's take on the revamp...once she can overcome her cyber difficulties.

FHS

I have tried to stay open minded but suddenly I don't know where I am with GN any more. Gransnet Café purports to be a thread for "chat."
Hello? Ww have a "Chat " forum, just as we have all the other Forums so why is this different?
What was wrong with how things were?
If it ain't broke, don't fix it
I am also concerned that it might disappoint members who are looking for a chatroom, which I didn't think GN was. OK so is there new funding or something from the Jo Cox Foundation? Worthy cause but why did GNHQ feel they had to move things around and generally cloudy the water.
For instance Mick's "Good Morning ..day" thread is lovely, open to all, a comforting way to start the day, I would imagine particularly for those of us who live alone (including Mick)
The Kitchen is also special, not exclusive (although the Kitcheners are rather special) but why muck about with it?
I intend to ignore all the changes as far as possible, but would be very happy if somebody "put the armchairs back in their usual place."
Grump over
Anyway, car has been delivered back, wallet a bit emptier, and we are also back from the Royal Free which seemed especially busy, crowded and noisy today. Splitting headache and DH exhausted. They are suggesting moving DH's Cardiac care to the JR in Oxford as they have everything in situ there e.g. clinics, surgery etc whereas Cardiac surgery at the RFH is done at Bart's so another hospital would be involved albeit a partner. Suits me, the journey is similar but the surroundings are perhaps less crowded and more spacious and the JR are still hoping to do a fairly pioneering procedure on DH if they get the go ahead on funding. . He would still go,to the RFH for Liver transplant care and Gastro clinics and procedures. Complicated.
Big sigh but we are so lucky to have this level of care from the much maligned NHS.
I hope Soop has made it back online. It is so frustrating isn't it? You don't think macSporran hammered a nail through some crucial bit of wiring do you? ?
Hugs to Georgie and her humans, looking forward to news of more progress ?

Finally managed to speak to my GP today and got the results of my blood tests, scan and biopsies. All fine except for a bit of inflammation in my liver still but improved on last test and probably coming from the gastritis. I have to continue with omeprazole daily until I stop getting twinges. Feel reassured and hopeful now that I will get back to normal. She agrees that it's probably been caused by ibuprofen.

Don't like this new location at all - why has it been imposed GN?

A productive day. DId some much needed (and heavily resented) cleaning again, so there is just the kitchen to fettle now. Managed a good workout with my friend gym instead of the half-hearted attempts over the past few days. Korean Fish stir fry for dinner with noodles for OH and cauliflower rice for me.

MawBroon agree entirely re: your rant. Hope soop returns soon, and hoping for news of Georgie again.

I was seen today by an orthopaedic registrar re a total knee replacement on my left, I have one in my right knee and other metal work around. Because of other problems I am aware that the surgery would be high risk of infection but the decision to operate was left with me. I said that it was not my decision although I have a lot of clinical knowledge, it would be the consultant who is ultimately in charge. An appointment in 4 months thus putting the onus on somebody else- this will be the third with no decision. Maybe they are hoping I will pop my clogs very soon- sorry to disappoint them but it is not on the cards for the foreseeable future.

When and where did this ?cafe ?kitchen thing start?
I know about Jo Cox's original idea.

I would have thought Soop's the kitchen does a lot to help loneliness as it is.

Oh, charlie, that's a dilemma. Wouldn't dream of making suggestions, just hope it works out in the end for you. Agree with your rant, maw, I'm still grumping away about it. Seems like change for the sake of it. Your hospital jigsaw sounds to be getting even more complex. As you say a wonderful level of care, so not all bad, just complicated. I'm a happy soul, the tooth has stopped hurting, you can't believe how happy I am about it. Mr C seems relieved, can't think why. .

I quite agree Nellie we are fine as we are, no changes required.

Tara came home at a reasonable time this evening- I think that she was trapped or locked in somewhere last night. She has retired to my bed of course, waiting for me.

What is your gut feeling about the knee charleygirl?
Another few decades (at least) is a long time to be in pain and on the whole surgery doesn't get any easier as we get older even if techniques improve.
Would you need any immediate improvement in your health to make it more viable?
Personally I'd say go for it ( without any medical expertise whatever) if it is on offer. The NHS might be right out of money in a few years' time and the option could be withdrawn.
Anyway that's my tuppenceworth and you may feel entirely differently about it all

About 6 months ago, I went for my annual check up for my knee replacement, the consultant said that the x-rays shoed my other knee was going the same way as the first one, and would soon need replacing. I said that although I do have problems with it, it`s by no means the terrible agonising pain I had before, so would leave it for now. He said OK, but to go back to them as soon as it got unbearable like before.
I`ve spent the last 2 days making sure the house was all clean and presentable, in readiness for a man coming at 5.30pm today to see about installing central heating. At 5.45, a message came that he was running late and would come tomorrow instead!
What news about Georgie today?
Hope Soop is soon reconnected, I`m missing her!

Hells bells it is twenty to two and I am wide awake . I have tried reading but can't be bothered. I can hear Grace who sleeps at the foot of the stairs and she seems to be dreaming ad making little yelps in her sleep! I feel tired but twitchy and restless.

Oh dear! Hope you got some sleep eventually Maw. You had a lot of 'excitement' yesterday and the proposed changes to DH'S care could be going round and round too. It's horrid feeling twitchy isn't it.

Charley, I'd echo Maw's advice - use the nhs while you still can.

gaga glad you are recovering! And that your tooth is behaving corner!

I'm very shocked that a 'good morning' threa has been started but * not by Mick*! World, hell and handcart comes to mind!

Hope you got to sleep, maw, busy days can do that to us, hard to stop the momentum. I didn't have a busy day but was also sleepless, no idea why. Still, I did sort out some financial stuff, research locations for a short break and read some (fairly depressing) news. All from the comfort of my bed. The iPad is a wonderful thing . Good job I don't need my brain, it seems to have left me, just cleaning today before the school run. Fortunately the grandchildren don't expect intellectual brilliance, just food . Agree with you about the good morning threads, kitty, it's all too confusing for a simple soul like me. Hoping the BT man was successful for soop, it's strange without her. Trying hard not to go to sleep now, best get up and try to wake up.

Thanks MawBroon and kitty. I need to see the consultant but he has wiped his hands off me because my right knee is not 100% but I am now happy with the result.

The chap I saw yesterday seems to think that my life is fulfilled only being able to walk around 150 yards. The next time I go I am going to make a fuss and with luck I will see the consultant.

I do not see the point of leaving surgery so long that it is more difficult to operate. In 6 months I have developed a 5 degree fixed flexion deformity of my L)knee and a 10 degree valgus deformity of my left leg.

He suggested I try pain killers! That is a novel idea.

Oof! That was strange as I usually have no problem sleeping and I know many of you suffer regularly from insomnia so I can't really complain - except when my alarm then goes off at 10 to 5 for absolutely no reason I can think of! Gremlins!
I shall ignore these new threads and leave them to those who wish to create their own safe haven. I hope Mick didn't feel he was being pushed aside. That is the trouble sometimes when people have "bright ideas".
Thursday group annual lunch today in a local hostelry to which I may wear my oh that old thing? I've had it for a while new Woolovers coatigan . I was going to post a pic but I see the picture option seems to have disappeared. Oh well, it may be on the advertising strip down the side - the navy and scarlet fair isle colourway.

The option to post pictures has disappeared from this thread*
Is this the curse of Gransnet café?
If it is connected in any way (as it is still available on other threads) please GNHQ can we go back to where we were.
No Georgie, N&G's little men, Kintyre sunsets, Tara and a whole bevy of lovely moggies, Flynn or Grace and other pampered pets make GN a duller place

MawBroon Trump has written an executive order banning Photos on GN .

We're doomed!!