soop's kitchen for friendly folk and precious pets.

It is a new day and the sun is shining on a glassy sea. Why, oh why couldn't today's weather have put in an appearance during yesterday especially for callgirl1 and her family. Weather can be so inconsiderate. We are both relieved that she and the family arrived home safely. We know from experience that it would have been a tiring journey.

varian Where have you been? It's good to have you back with us lot.

dustyangel Your sister-in-laws party sounds out of this world. How lovely to have so many family members together and for the sun to shine on the gathering.
Your thoughtful words to ann made me nod my head in agreement.

Crafting There is no shame in enjoying a special occasion...together with the many treats on offer.

Maw Your post made me

Not sure if I dare to stick my head around the door as I have not been keeping up with all the news and have missed the last couple of kitchen extensions altogether.

Sorry to read of those with troubles, but glad there is some happy news such as soop and callgirl getting together.

Not a lot to report from Malta. My life is a busy round of looking after DGD (full time as its holidays, including overnight). Also, have been taking the dog to training classes which is time consuming. He has made some progress but is still ridiculous when we leave or return to the house, leaping, pulling and barking with joy, but making me paranoid about being pulled over again. Hes a lovely dog but so strong. However, I shall persevere.

Next month I will have clocked up two years as a widow. I don't like it. Time doesn't heal. On the contrary, I long, even more, to talk to my DH and have him back again.

I try to look on the bright side and am grateful for my friends and family, but I doubt I shall ever get used to being without him, or my dear sister who died six months ago.

In other news, I've discovered chalk paint and have 'upcycled' a few items of furniture which didn't fit very well with my new colour scheme. My children think it is amusing as I seem to be painting everything in sight, but, not being much of a DIY specialist, I am quite pleased with the results.

Having been absent so long, I have rather rambled on so please forgive me.
Best wishes to you all.

Bellasnana All good wishes to you from all of us.

Bella had better keep moving in case she gets chalk painted,

Galen Have you noticed that I'm your advisor? Thanks to FB.

Hi Bellasnana how lovely to see you again.

Soop yes I had, and heaven knows, I need one!
Not that I ever follow any advice!

Hello to all and so nice to hear from Bellasnana.
I hear what you and Galen both say and must say you were
both widowed so young, it means a long time to be on your own,so special good wishes to you both and of course to callgirl still very new to it.

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Afternoon/evening all. Sorry to be so late coming back, but I`m ashamed to say I fell asleep over my laptop!
I`ve been reading back over the last 3 days, but my memory`s gone completely to pot lately, so I won`t even attempt individual comments, apologies. I`m so sorry for all those whose plans went awry, hoping that things start to go better.
I was so happy to meet Soop and MacSporran on Saturday, the afternoon went by much too fast, we had a lovely natter. I`ll post some pics, but unfortunately mine have come out a little dark, so please forgive me.

Galen I have ways of making you listen to my advice. Not that you'd ever act upon it.

callgirl1 has brought us up to date with her homeward journey. No doubt she'll be in for a much needed rest and a well-deserved Port and lemon.

I find it hard to believe that Bellasnana was widowed almost two years ago. It's a great pity that nothing us lot can say, or do, will take away her sadness.

I'm logging off for today. Care home visit in the morning. I shall catch up with you when I return home.

Another pic to show what delayed us for so long on our journey up there on Friday. The driver, luckily, escaped unscathed, apparently, but he only just missed ending up in Loch Lomond. An unfortunate tree didn`t get off so lightly.

Well, that's Easter over! I seem to have been chained to the kitchen (but not the right kitchen!) since Saturday. DD came for dinner and an overnighter on Sunday, then dashed off this morning without staying to say hello to her brother and sister in law, citing a running commitment as an excuse! . DS went to the match this afternoon with DH and left me and DiL to have a good catch up, then roast lamb for a late lunch and they were off too! So now DH and I are sitting enjoying the silence - till we get fed up of the silence and wish they were all back again! I have really missed GS this weekend, but he facetimed his mummy last night to say they were having a good time in Amsterdam. They have one of these father and son 'jollies' every year, always somewhere where there's a football stadium - Barcelona last year. They were going to the Anne Franke house today, and a natural history museum. Then he waved Duncan, his teddy bear, at her and said he missed her. I could have ?.
callgirl we all enjoyed seeing the photos of you and soop and your grandson, and I'm glad everything went smoothly even if the weather could have been better. Glad you got home safe and sound!
My heart goes out to those of you who no longer have your DHs with you. I can't begin to imagine it. ??
I have yet another hospital appointment to look forward to tommorrow, so I will go and psych myself up for it. If I don't manage to get a fishing day in this week I shall go off my trolley - I'm sick of the sight of hospitals!

How long to the results of your biopsy greyduster or is that what you get tomorrow?
I should live on easy or ready made food for a few days to get over your cooking stint. I just made sandwiches for tea today after soup from the freezer at lunch time. No cooking at all here, it was great.

Ann at least three weeks till I get the results on the blip. It seems to be healing nicely despite having lost a stitch. No, the appointment tommorrow is for something else - at the other end!! It seems I'm so interesting that they can't live without me! I'm obviously the only one who thinks I feel pretty fit, really! Your sandwiches and soup sound spot on to me!

I remember reading Bella's sad news two years ago, tears streaming down my face. DH suddenly came in and I had to say it was an allergy. He just would not have understood.
Callgirl, did you do the journey in one go? Helluva long way, if so. Hope you are feeling rested now.

So are we all back to normal?
Thought not
Felt really down today, a proper billy no-mates. I have tickets for the live streaming of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead from the NT at a small cinema near us in Northampton for Thursday night. DH has said he doesn't think he is up to an evening out so rather than go alone I emailed round about 10 or 12 friends this morning to see if anyone would like a ticket (it's been sold out for WEEKS)
Four hours later I still hadn't had a single reply and I really thought that was it, nobody likes me, nobody can be bothered.
Three people have replied now, one is going anyway so I will take the first "applicant" and the other friend has said she is willing to be "first reserve".
But it was not a nice feeling.
Royal Free Hospital again tomorrow afternoon. Maybe they can "kick ass" about Saturday's debacle.

Maw I know only too well how easy it is to fall victim to self pity and also how hard it is to shake off the feeling.
We mustn't and shouldn't take things personally, other people are not aware that we can and do sometimes take things the wrong way.
I hope you get an apology tomorrow and things go well.

Seems a bit up and down in the kitchen today, some good things some not so. wishing you all well and hope for those with sadness tomorrow will look a little brighter.

You are right annsixty but I am realising that the demands made on my time and myself by DH's health issues do isolate me to a degree. People often "assume" I won't be interested in going somewhere because I have so often had to turn them down before or am unable to commit in advance. You must know the feeling too, it is easy to be "written off".
This weekend has not been a good one so giving n to self pity or taking offence where none is intended are probably all connected.
Memo to self, lighten up, get a grip!!

callgirl. Lovely photos. Thanks for sharing.

bella lovely to hear from you gain. Please keep popping in, it's nice to hear from you. Hope you get on well with your ? training.

maw stop it this minute. I only know you from GN but even so I know you must be a lovely person to be friends with and certainly not Billy no mates. Perhaps your friends don't fancy the cinema, too short notice (or like me have no idea what it is you're going to see ) but I am sure it is not because they don't want to be with you. Hope things go well tomorrow.

(Huggs) to all who feel a little sad today.

My neighbour who is joined onto the front of my house has just acquired a tiny, tiny new doggy!! It's an eight week old Yorky and I had a lovely cuddle of her! Miracle, these new animals are.

MawB definitely isn`t a Billy no mates, she`s lovely, must be, or Grace wouldn`t love her so much! Seriously, I`ve met her, and she`s a very nice lady.
Bella, lovely to see you on here again, it amazes me that it`s actually 2 years since you lost your dear husband, it doesn`t seem like it. I`m still getting used to the feeling of not having my hubby anymore.
And Soop, dearest, I`ve just read back again over a few days, you state that you just had the one glass of wine with lunch.........but you didn`t say how LARGE the glass was! lol! My port and lemon was lovely. I`ve got Kian a few times this week, so will show him the photo of him with you and me.
Nearly forgot, MawB, that`s a cute pic of Flynn, he looks a cheeky little chappie.

My neighbour herself is not joined to my house...only her house...well, actually, her house is a 16th century farmhouse and my little abode is an early Victorian bit stuck on the back.....probably an animal byre in origination.. ..used to be much lower with a dirt floor.

Not being pedantic or anything.

Ah ha!! The truth will out. Now we know soop's secret. Her wee dram is really not so wee . Thanks for letting us know callgirl. This must have been a sad time for you over Easter but having soop and MacS to visit must have been a happier moment. Glad you arrived home safely. Sounds as though you have a lovely grandson to keep your spirits up too