soop's kitchen for friendly folk and precious pets.

Helloooo
I wrote a long post at the weekend despairing of pet insurance (see the thread) and the whole thing just disappeared. Didn't have the energy to rewrite it so crawled back under my stone.
I don't know why I am so sensitive/stressed/on a short fuse these days, but the slightest thing sends me scurrying for cover. Like getting no replies from several "friends" when I asked if anybody would like to go to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern last week because DH decided he didn't want to go. Like the 2 older DDs taking no notice of something I posted on FB to remember my dad by who died 16 years ago yesterday, like DH just not saying anything for several hours on Sunday. Sigh.
I am a bundle of fun aren't I?
Anyway I am taking two friends plus the DH of one (he has Alzheimer's) to "The Viceroy's House " tomorrow afternoon as I want to go to the cinema and DH doesn't want to go anywhere !!
I read a brilliant quote which I would like to share with you, those with chronic problems of whatever kind may like it
"Any idiot can face a crisis, - it's day to day living that wears you out"
Checkov

mawbroon your post ist still there!
www.gransnet.com/forums/pets/1236260-Bloody-pet-insurance?dod=1

What a wonderful day. OH had an appt with eye consultant at Inverness so I had a nice shopping list for afterwards, don't get out very often . Three and a half hours later, and a very stiff back, we decided to just come home. We only like leaving the dogs for six hours and just made it back. The consultant was very thorough and the good news is there is nothing wrong, but he was so slow. He had not finished the am patients when the pm ones came in.

And we have more snow!

Wheres my post gone?????

Oh, for Gods sake!!!!

Good afternoon all !

Thank you for your good wishes one and all. We are very excited. Slightly disappointed in our youngest daughters attitude and her husbands. Talk about a guilt trip .We do love them and will continue to do the lions share of the travelling to see them etc but they don't seem to understand things must change. And of course when they talk about it , its all about how the boys won't understand, how they'll miss us and yesterday's doozie- what about all your baby sitting commitments !!

Hope the leg is improving Grey and its not the shoes.

Kitty you and Charlie are hired !! We spent the day yesterday looking at houses and we're exhausted today BUT we are going back tomorrow for another full day and then after the sleepover with he 2 bigger boys on Friday night ( plus swimming, dinner and movie) we are going up again on Saturday. If this move doesn't kill us I'll be surprised !!

Tizliz I know what you mean about leaving the dogs. Sam does not really enjoy the car so we left him at home for nearly 11 hours on Monday and what a little star he was. Grampy gave him a lovely long walk today and there was chicken for dinner ( not for Grampy). I'd ask my daughter to come and let him out but that will result in a lecture on moving !!

I'm sorry to be so grumpy.... Maw you're not the only one having a wobble. I'm so disappointed in my daughters attitude , it just strikes me as so selfish and that's not how I brought her up. My other daughter is infectiously excited - I'm sure she thinks the same things but she is saying all the right stuff and it so bolsters me up.

I do worry about whether the decision is right and I really don't need one of my own spreading doom and gloom >

[sighs]

More finger crossing please for 'the house' to be one of the 4 from tomorrow .

PS ..... why do I always need a wee half way through these bloody trips...I now know where Morrison's is and Tesco's AND Sainsbury's !!! Thank god for superstore toilets !!!

It's very windy wot - maybe that's it?

Maw, you have loads going on and rarely complain (and when you do it usually raises a smile) you are entitled to feel out of sorts if you want to.

Wonder how Ann is, speaking of people coping with loads.

GD lets not mention the C********h flower show or it will be overrun.

It's now sleeting here which makes salmon, new potatoes and green beans slightly wrong - think I'll have to do a chili sauce with it - forgot, we had chili yesterday. Decisions, decisions. Having said Sainsbury's have samphire, they didn't today! And the fish van comes on Monday afternoons (as usual I forgot!)

soop, samphire isn't really a seaweed as it grows in salt marshes - maybe like a short, chubby, salty reed (sort of thingy) and it is delicious stirfried and served with fish _ like tonight's salmon! Izabella will have a better description, I'm sure.

Anyway, off to stare at a slab of salmon and hope inspiration strikes!

I love you lot...talk about keeping me on my toes. I came in to see whether or not there were any catch-ups (I've been ironing for a wee while) and, hey presto, I'm wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy behind with your recent messages. What's more, it's time for log off and, tomorrow morning I shall be doing my pal's ironing. Could you please do me a wee favour...would you be kind and considerate and permit me to get logging on before this kitchen needs another new extension. Not too much to ask.

Just two messages before I vanish in a puff of smoke.

Welcome angelab and NanaandGrampy Don't you dare feel in the slightest bit "guilty". I won't hear of such nonsense. No grandparents could possibly be more hands on than you. You are not moving to the other side of the planet. You will all meet up whenever a special occasion comes knocking.

Almost forgot... and

Samphire is a type of succulent. It has bright green stalks or stems that are similar to young asparagus. Texture is crisp after steaming and taste is reminiscent of the sea.

Good news is the damage to my dental implant is minimal, both in damage and cost of repair terms. Phew! Not so good is an infected finger from thorn damage in th garden on Sunday evening. Just given it a good fettle but won't go into details near dinner time. Chicken Moroccon style with spiralized veggies. Bella looking hopeful.

I hope all kitcheners feeling down, despondent, jiggly, ( I mean niggly but my spell checker prefers the former) cross or unwell - will soon feel better or more able to cope with life. Mawbroon I just love the Chekov quote.

NanandGrampy I think I know the sinking feeling of "we didn't bring them up to be like this" and can understand that you might see this as selfishness, but it is also a mark of what a huge gap you will leave in their daily lives. You are their "rock" - mum is always there.
I hope you find a house in a lovely part of Norfolk (coast or not too far from would be ideal )then the DGC will not be able to wait to come for visits and you will be busier than ever. The uncertainty of the future is hitting them as well as you,
I was pregnant with our first baby (who died at 3 weeks ) when my PILs left London where we lived too, to live on a remote Scottish island (Barra)
I /we really needed them then as my parents were also in Scotland and Dad had just had a minor heart attack. I know my MIL felt dreadful about it, but that's life.
Let your DD calm down and eventually she will come to see that this is a good move and once you are having thevlittle ones for a fortnight at a stretch ?? she will come round.
A couple who are very good friend of ours left a lovely rambling big house in the heart of our village to buy a much much smaller 3 storey town house with a patio garden in the next town . Most of us thought they were mad as they loved their big garden and were central figures in our community. Their 3 grown up children and 4 grandchildren all live quite a long way away and were going to find it a squeeze to ever stay with them, but our friends would not allow ANY negative comments about the move, we either supported them or kept our views to ourselves!
It is an exciting time for you, but your DD needs to get used to that idea. Good luck!

Izabella shame you don't have the salt marsh. If you had had, I'd have asked you to keep some sheep for me.
I ADORE SALTMARSH LAMB

When we lived in Norfolk, a friend I was visiting was very enthusiastic about having bought the first samphire of the season and prepared some for us to try. I wasn't very impressed, but was even less impressed when I spent the rest of the night "on the run". And I've steered clear of samphire ever since!

Late visit today after a 'stuff happens' tense sort of day. Sounds as if I'm not alone. n&g, aren't our adult children a pain in the whatsit sometimes? Please don't get down about your daughter, the childcare comment was way out of order but I wonder if there is worry about coping without you rather than a desire to criticise or make you feel bad. Yes, the boys will miss you and you will miss them, but things will settle down, visits will be made and there will be exciting places to see. Any chance you can have a couple of weeks in Norfolk to save on the travelling? I envy you, we lived in Norfolk back in the day, still have good friends there and it's the place I said I always wanted to return to.

Be kind to yourself, mawb, life is complicated, you have fewer freedoms than many of us and of course it gets a bit much sometimes. These anniversaries can and do catch us out. Today would have been my parents wedding anniversary, I always feel a little sad but I have noticed today more than usual. Something in the water I guess. I'd like to think someone else will remember when I'm not around, but know they won't.

Hope no news is good news on the medical front soop, at least you haven't had a 'no' reply.

There seems to be all sorts of ups and downs about at the moment. Wishing you all ladders and no snakes.

I hope the stuff that happened isn't ongoing or too bad, corner.

I had a series of photos from DD2 yesterday which all made me smile - this is the best!

Love that, corner - "wishing you all ladders and no snakes"!

kitty a lovely photograph - very pretty your GDs and what lovely smiles!

Morning all !

Having that important first coffee of the day before we head back to Norfolk.

Thanks for the words of wisdom Maw ,soop and Corner, you're absolutely right .But I needed to hear that .

I know they don't mean the words as they sound and I can see an element of uncertainty from them. We are their major go-to carers , sitters, transport etc simply because there is no one else. But my DD is gaining a new circle of friends as Jackson is now at school and I can see them as a source of instant support when we are an hour and a half away.

With DD1 we already have planned in a weeks visit for the big kids and have lots planned.

Id love to go for a week or so Corner and if we do not find something this week or next I think that's exactly what we'll do. We're on our knees lol and of course nothing ever runs smoothly so instead of a nice planned trip we end up zig zagging about across the country !! typical !!

Love the photo Kitty what a pair of lovelies !!

SiL had his injections in his back yesterday with us taking him then going to fetch him back. He had a bad afternoon and our daughter phoned us as she said he was in tears with the pain. We gave advice and then asked his osteopath to call him as he really needs to help himself by doing as he's told !! Hopefully the pain was managed and he got some sleep and he's feeling some benefit today. Silly boy thought he'd walk out of there as right as rain !!!

Well must fly.... hoping its all ladders for us today .

xx

I'm not sure what goes on in this cafe and it's a long thread and I'm notorious impatient. If you have the time can somone explain?

Not much actually goes on, morethan, new comers are expected to bring cake (hint) but we are just generally chatty and supportive. We post lovely photos of children, dogs, fluffy kittens and cakes. It's soop lovely, gentle, supportive refuge from the sometimes scary world out there!!

We will be having to open a new extension before too long so do stay - there's plenty of space!

Hope this catches you before you leave N&G - there's a nice little place which might suit you in Norfolk which will soon be vacant called Anmer Hall (ducks)
On a more cheerful note (and thank goodness I offloaded here and didn't moan to the DD's), they have both commented on Grandpa's anniversary.
Emotional intelligence - I need to repeat that to myself or write it out 50 times a day!!

Absolutely nothing goes on here Morethan other than real life.

We share ups and downs ( and cake) , and just our daily life. Sit down , put your feet up ... it's a comfortable place to be.

Sounds right up my street Maw , wonder if they'll take offers !!

I have been nosey and looking at bungalows in Norfolk on Rightmove (!)
There seems to be quite a lot available depending on where you want to be. My next door neighbour and her "gentleman friend" have a bungalow at Snettisham which we have visited and although where they are isn't very interesting, Sandringham is near and lovely for walks etc. I believe Heacham is nice too but of course that may be the wrong end of the county for you. We once stayed in a holiday cottage in Holt and I thought that a lovely little town,and like going back about 30 years, for quiet traffic and absence of "busyness"
Good luck!

n&g.

How many of us would reject "granny's" so generous wedding present or even be in a position to do so?
Sorry for introducing a slightly contentious thought.
Definitely make an offer N&G then that will be all our holidays sorted.
Beautiful girls in blue(bells) kitty