Soop's kitchen for friendly folk and precious pets...

Posh I am very pleased to hear you are starting to feel better. It always seems to take an age to shake these things off.
Well, my tirade of yesterday must have had some effect. DH got up this morning to listen to the Beeb downstairs, so I have not had to listen to him heckling JH or Nick Robinson or whomsoever. My day yesterday wasn't improved by him insisting that we have a morning in Bakewell - "it's only a bit of rain. It won't hurt you!" We got absolutely soaked in spite of waterproofs and umbrellas. We were walking round the much depleted market when the corner of an awning collapsed under the weight of collected rain and soaked a lady walking past. It was just as if someone had thrown a bucket of water on her, poor thing. I called into a shop before we left that sells all sorts of nice kitchen ware and the lady behind the counter was downright frosty because we were dripping on her floor. She even got sniffy because I refused to use my debit card contactless. "Well it probably won't work" she said. "Well, let's see, shall we?" said I through gritted teeth. I felt like leaving the dishes I was buying on the counter and walking out. My card did work, but I smilingly suggested she probably needed a more up to date card reader as I walked out. She's probably got me on some kind of watch list now for when I go in again! TROUBLEMAKER!! Pity. It's the sort of shop I can always find something to buy.

Greetings to Kitcheners one & all...I'm slowly surfacing from enforced retreat (eggslice & bogbrush put away as Fenella Fielding seems to have taken over my voice) & brain is beginning to function with a bit more reliability rather than being stalled in a corner somewhere.
The various photos of plants & creatures, great, small, joyous & proud have been a delightful lift to the spirits, haven't they?
Hope your leg is not giving you too much pain Grey, an investigation sounds a good idea. Sorry that Paw is having difficuties Maw, is there an allergy link to his asthma - just thinking that harvest crops can sometimes aggravate things.
Regarding your fascinator soop - you pulled it off beautifully & looked radiant! On me they look all wrong... I went down the "statement" hat route for both DD & DS weddings; the first was a Jacques V job, the second a Debs crushable, both were huge.... great for photos, useless for kissing in & both cheerfully ditched at Receptions!
Right, it's medication time o'clock, haven't felt like any recently & OH opened last bottle on Sat, so will treat self to half glass.
Cheers & hugs to all.

Nellie I agree that Co-codamol is best avoided if possible. I'm so sorry that your sleep is disturbed on a regular basis. Back pain can be a buggeration from which it's difficult to escape. When I suffered sciatica, I did find relief when I used a tens machine. Back pain is more difficult to manage.

I've watched some tennis. Written letters. Dusted the house - (where does the fluffy stuff come from!)I've also re-housed several daddy long legs. Took them into the garden in a jar. Daft as a brush!

Time to log off. Will return after tomorrow's care home visit.

Soop One co-codamol and one paracetamol, or two co-cod. The least co-codamol I can get away with.

The trouble is the effect only lasts about four hours and the light nights don't help. I really need to get up and move about to stop it locking up. Then I can't get back to sleep.

soop, As a child I found the houseboat great fun. At high tide we had to use a rowing boat to access it. With adult eyes I suspect it was hard work at times although as we stayed on her several times I guess it can't have been that bad. I also have never ventured onto a canal boat, although we lived next to the Grand Union Canal for a few years. It does appeal, although I'm not sure about the locks. .

I thought of you all this morning, mawb, it seems the rain is generalised and not confined to our corner. Oh well, tomorrow will be better, honestly. We're very pleased our family have had their London trip, they went the weekend after the previous incident, I was on pins until they were home and safe. I'm with you, there's a difference between adult and child trips to London. No need to take children unless its essential.

Oh dear, mawb, not what either of you wanted. I hope it is asthma and settles quickly. I guess pawb is familiar enough with his symptoms to be able to self diagnose. Not good for the sleep patterns, though.

Lovely photos nellie and moan away if it helps. I know all too well the outcome in terms of wellbeing and general tetchiness from lack of sleep. I'm sure you will have had advice aplenty but I do find a slow release ibuprofen gets me through most nights. I'm lucky, can tolerate it. I know many can't. Heres wishing you a better night tonight.

Thank you gagagran, I've been reluctant to return in case Hayling had a different character now. Will add it to the list of places I would like to return to - there are a lot I'm in a nostalgic phase I think.

Keep breathing, greyduster, I've been doing a lot of that this morning, Mr C has yet to learn there is a fine line between helping and interfering. .

That was a lovely treat, Callgirl, pleased you were able to enjoy it. Good uck with the heating and especially the kitchen. It will be worth it.

It's hello from a damp and midgey morning in bonnie Kintyre.

Nellie How on earth does your husband manage to stay at the computer for so long? No wonder he's tetchy. The very thought of it exhausts me.
What medication are you taking for your back problem? Restless nights will do you no favours.

Gaga Dentist's drills (especially the ones that whine like a banshee) scare me witless. Do you recall the dentist's drill circa 1940s? Our dentist had to "pedal" it. He also had a stammer. I often thought that two were connected.

Greyduster Think Zen...and then lose the plot. It helps to be relaxed in advance of throwing a wobbly.

callgirl That was a lovely treat. You deserve to be made a fuss of.
Torben's daddy was not at the wedding. He was in "foreign parts"...he is the step brother on Andrew and Tim. They all get along famously. I so wanted him to be there. We'll all be together at the annual family gathering in September.

Nana&G Holly and Sam. They are delightful. Made me

Maw I have a very soft spot for donkeys. Lovely creatures. Lovely photos.
Sorry to hear about MR Paw's wretched asthma. One of our daughter-in-law suffers badly, and sometimes finishes up in hospital. As the wedding was held in a garden setting, she was feeling ropey at one point and I thought that she was about to collapse. Thankfully, all the correct medication including inhalers were with her.

Guess who's playing tennis? Andy Murray. Will have a coffee and watch some of the game.

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MawBroon Sorry to hear about your Aunt she clearly meant a lot to you.

I have not been on here much lately. The news is dreadful and I make sure I switch off once I have heard it.
I have been very busy with my garden it's nearly looking right after getting the bedding patio pots sorted but now I can't get out as its raining.

Am I allowed a whinge on this thread? I am really fed up at present
I am really tired as I wake up early with my back aching and OH clumping about getting to bed at about 5am after he has sat at the computer until late, or fallen asleep in his clothes, He is really tetchy, but of course will deny he does not get enough sleep.

pic 1 Graham Thomas rose.
pic 2 Heuchera "Paris"
pic 3 My peony has just flowered after several years of waiting. I have had no idea what variety that one was but it is a lovely surprise.

Love the wedding photos soop - you and MacS look wonderful and it sounds as if you had a super celebration. You have certainly got the good looks gene in your family!

We live about 3 miles from Hayling Island and I can reassure you corner and N&G that it is still much as it always has been and is still a lovely retreat. There is a lot more traffic these days of course which can make getting on and off the island a bit tiresome at peak times. There is a foot/bicycle ferry across to Eastney so an alternative exit route.

I have noisy workmen in situ this morning taking out an old tiled fireplace and replacing it with something more suitable for our woodburner stove. Sounds like a VERY big dental drill!

Maw was going to send you after your 'night from hell' but decided would be better as Paw's asthma is bad

As a child I lived in a farming area of Yorkshire. Only managed one birthday party (just school-friends home for tea) in nine years as my birthday is in July and my dad had asthma, which was particularly bad at that time of year. It improved a bit when we moved to an urban setting on the south coast. I still didn't have birthday parties though, as I was deemed to be 'too old for parties' by then

I think I am going to have installed in my home one of those devices like the old fashioned fire alarm, but instead of saying "in case of fire, break glass" it will say "in case of husband banging on endlessly about the BBC and the Today programme, break glass" and behind it will be - you guessed it - a leg of frozen lamb!!!! As N&G would say "....and breathe!"

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In case you don't make it to the donkey sanctuary, N&G these are for you!

Callgirl what a lovely birthday treat!! Your family do sound very caring and you deserve a bit of spoiling!
What a strange weekend. So much emotion.
It was rounded off with the night from hell with Paw's asthma(which is what he thinks is the problem, not a chest infection or bronchiectasis) as he coughed and coughed and wheezed and coughed to the point where I thought I was going to have to get him to a hospital. Fortunately intensive inhaler and spacer use with both his asthma drugs eventually calmed things down and a Piriton helped get him off to sleep.
Moi? Feeling like a wrung out J cloth.

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Good morning all from a very damp Somerset !

Sorry to hear about your loss Maw ,it sounds like you will miss her greatly.

Your trip and the photos are wonderful soop it sounds like you had a glorious time. I adore the picture of you and MacS you make a lovely couple !

Sorry to hear your leg is once again bad Grey , is it time to get it investigated ?

The sad news from London filtered through yesterday and made us all sad. And angry ! The first thing that happened that young Stevies cub trip to HMS Belfast was cancelled ( much to his Mums relief) . We have some London trips planned and have decided to cancel those with the little ones but go ahead with the adult ones. We won't risk their lives but will not bow to terrorism .

Living in Portsmouth for part of my childhood Swanny means Hayling Island was very much part of my memories of long sunny days !

The weather has closed in here this morning and we woke to torrential rain so I don't think we'll make the donkey sanctuary today . Our two canine companions don't seem to care and we celebrated Sams 4 th birthday yesterday with a cake made of dog food, peanut butter and a digestive biscuit !!

Here are Holly and Sam on their hols !!

MawB, I`m so sorry about your aunt, especially on top of all your other trials lately.
May I apologise for my recent absence? It was my birthday on the 1st, and my 3rd daughter, Dawn, took me on a mystery trip on the day, coming home the day after. It turned out to be destination Nottingham, and a visit to the Royal Concert Hall, to see Kevin and Karen Clifton from Strictly, a brilliant show! Since arriving home on Friday teatime, I`ve been kept very busy emptying my kitchen and finding temporary homes for everything, as the C/H men started yesterday, and the kitchen people arrive tomorrow, so I`m ever so slightly shattered.
Soop, so glad that the wedding was as wonderful as you hoped it would be, lovely photos, particularly the last one, the one of the gorgeous looking couple! Which one of your sons is the father of Torben?
I`m signing off now, please send me good vibes for this week, I think I`m going to need them!

kitty You have made me chuckle. It appears that there are many such eighty year old chaps with the same problem. We had a good pal (same age) who was moved out of one care home into another for such shenanigans. Lo and behold, it too sent him elsewhere.

Swanny I'm usually in bed at this ungodly hour. I couldn't resist one final pop into the kitchen to play catch-up. It's a glorious late evening. Fabulous sunset.

corner I've not even stepped aboard a houseboat. Have you watched the Prunella Scales and Timothy West travels on canals? It seems a very pleasant way to travel at a leisurely rate of knots.

grannyqueenie I sympathise. Some folk are difficult to get along with. Grin and bear it! It's not for too long (I hope!)

Thank you Bella and Jalima Because we managed to get lost en route to the hotel in which we were to change into our outfits before continuing to the venue for the reception, we had fifteen minutes in which to change. It was something like a frustration nightmare. Tim, my son, father of the bride, also got lost. The motorways were tricky, to say the least. He arrived at the venue with his suit over his arm. He somehow managed not to lose the plot and looked as fresh as a daisy when he walked Lauren into the beautiful garden, the setting for the ceremony.

Time to log off and retire to bed with a good book.

What a lovely photograph soop! I hope you have a suitable frame ready for it.

I love the outfit!
And yours is lovely too

A beautiful picture of you both soop !

That's a lovely photo, soop, one to treasure.

Sounds as if brothers in law visiting can be 'interesting' and there could be tales to tell afterwards.

I used to go to Hayling Island as a child for holidays with my parents, swanny. Haven't thought about it for years. Guess it's changed a lot, we loved it there. Very quiet back in the day. We either stayed in a caravan or a houseboat. Good memories.

Oh charley I think I agree with you! It does seem to be cloudy here far more frequently than it's sunny. I do like the sunshine. Always a happier soul.

What a beautiful photo, soop, your family must have been delighted to have such stunning and youthful looking grandparents in attendance!
Good luck with that brother in law kitty! My brother in law also plans to visit this week, my problem will be coping with his rather difficult 2nd wife if she decides to come too, she does try my patience somewhat. I keep having to remember that it's not her fault that she is not my
first rather lovely sister in law who I still love dearly!

oldgoat Hayling Island in Hampshire has a scarecrow festival/competition each year, with scarecrows popping up all over the island. Fantastic fun driving around looking for them.

soop what a beautiful photo of you two

I'm envious of your lovely weather. In my part of London it's been quite windy, cloudy most of the day and the temperature has barely reached the night-time temperatures of a few days ago. In fact I've had to put a cardigan on just in the house

Popped in for a catch up and I find a photo of a very handsome couple smiling at me. It's a beautiful photo soop. Keep sharing!!

Maw so sorry to hear about your aunt. Although it is inevitable the death of someone special like your aunt is still sad for those who loved her.

Oldgoat please let us see the finished scarecrow. We went to a scarecrow festival somewhere in Hertfordshire with DD2 and her family a couple of years ago and were amazed at the effort that had gone into some of them.

Erm, I love fish pie GD, especially if I haven't made it! I hope your leg gets better and stays better. I also love crab and prawns but DH is allergic to shellfish so I only eat it when I'm out.

I'm off to ready a bedroom for DH's brother's visit. He is the almost 80 year old who, according to his last wife, can't keep it in his trousers and, because of that, gets into rather more scrapes than you'd expect for a man of his age!

I can only second that. A lovely photograph indeed!

Thank you kindly, oldgoat. x

What an elegant couple you make soop