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

downsized so sorry to hear about your friend. It will be awful saying goodbye tomorrow, both of you knowing that it will be for the last time. You have had more than your fair share of sorrows over the past few years.

You obviously have not been staying in the right places because the weather in London has been gorgeous- today is perfect- sunshine with a light breeze. At times I have been moaning because the T has been 32C, too high for me with the humidity as well.

Sad for you downsized/bellasnana. Our schoolfriends are a large part of our lives. Safe return to sunny Malta.

Hellooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Will you lovely lot give a girl a break and stay still for a bit. Always so much catch up to do...as if I've nothing better to keep me occupied.

Anyways...good news regarding Paw. That's more like it. Keep up the good work you handsome man. Us lot want to see you sitting comfortably in your favourite chair...back home where you belong.

downsized I've been following your visit on FB. Your dear friend must have been cheered, thanks to your visit. (((hugs))) from us lot.

Rory sends greetings to his faithful fans...

I'm sad for you downsized, leaving your friend must be so hard for you both. Safe journey back to Malta, take care.

Afternoon all .

Thank you all for your kind words ( and the cake and wine !!) .

It really helps to know its happened in various forms to others because it feels so personal and I'm sure its not.

However, today is another day and on the plus side I won a prize of a selection of outdoor toys in Coopers pre school raffle. So Grampy is having the scooter and I have blown up the space hopper and we shall be racing down the garden later on..... I'm not sure if there will be pictures ...but flowers can be sent to the local hospital !!!

Id never heard of 'Hospice at Home' Gaga but what a brilliant idea. What a comfort to be in a familiar place .

Maw , plainly Paw did not like your choice of hymns !! Glad to hear he has improved a little.

Thank you Kitty I was thinking about assembling a Gransnet Posse, we have some gun toting, arrow shooting , leg of lamb wielding fierce women here ! I shall throw out the invitation to the political threads also ! That should put the fear of god into our ex buyers!!

Sorry for your sadness downsized but you will have memories to carry you home.

Right, I'm off to check the air pressure in the space hopper !! Back tomorrow !

I see that Rory found himself a nice sunny patch to relax in!
Lovely to hear from you Downsized, so sorry about your friend, but I`m sure that having you to stay has bucked her up a little.
Much too hot and sunny outside for me, I`m staying in here, under the fan.
N & G, photos definitely needed!

Paw was about to have fluid drained from his abdomen today. I queried his INR with the dr when he ran through the "risks" which included BLEEDING (as it was 3.4 yesterday, quite a bit above his target of 2.5)
Good point, checked and it is 4.1 so either got to administer something (plasma/vit K ) or delay or both.
There are times it seems when my "interference" has its uses.

Rory is very comfortable but I thought that he would have liked a rug or at the very least a cushion under him! What are the staff doing today?!

Tara saw the yellow van of my plumber/gas heating engineer. She likes Nick so came in to make sure that he tripped over her.

Another perfect day here- the bedding is hanging outside- I have a feeling that the staff have left so I will have to remake my own bed!

N&G may I ask to which type of hospital the pair of you may be admitted?! I do have my suspicions if you are seen in the garden playing with your new toys!

Obviously dementia ward of local geriatric unit

Obviously Galen ?

Maw please keep us lot posted.

Am logging off. Care home visit in the morning and...dentist in the afternoon. I've a horrible feeling that I may have a cavity in the back tooth. shall know the worst when I've had the inspection.

A beautiful, sunny, warm end of afternoon. Love to you all.

maw glad to hear paw is doing better. Good job you are keeping check on things. I do the same with my DH, see we have our uses

Well soop look at Rory sunning himself! Do you think he's feeling a little smug knowing how many of us were worried about him

N&G hope you are feeling a bit better today. It is an awful disapointment but I am sure something better is on the horizon. Don't give up.

downsize what a sad time for you. You really have had more than your fair share of troubles. Safe journey home and hopefully some sunshine in your life in more ways than one.

Had a bit of a day today. Got to work to find I was wearing my slippers (more of a house shoe), luckily I have a pair of old trainers under my desk as I had to go to bank, post office and shop.

Had to go to the shop to buy Uncle Ben's rice - Anlon had a relapse so back on chicken and rice. I had bought some Lidl's rice but he would not eat it at all, tried Uncle Ben's and he licked the bowl clean. Kitchen floor washed more times this weekend than the rest of the year ? He is a lot better today thankfully. They really do have us wrapped round their little claws.

Glad Paw is beginning to be annoying ? You know they are getting better then.

Here's to 'interfering' maw, you keep them on their toes.

I was thinking children's ward n&g

Hope tomorrow is better tizliz, sounds quite a day.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201707/medium-792354-img-1461.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201707/medium-240428-p1060497.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201707/medium-876834-dsc03571.jpg

Well if I'd known so many of you lot know Norfolk so well, maybe I'd have been forewarned before we paddled our way along Holkham beach and sat down to eat a picnic. There we were quite unaware at first that we were in the middle of a naturist beach , we soon cottoned on but weren't tempted to join in and ambled on our (fully clothed!) way!
You're so right, maw about the easy pace of life there. The seals were at the far west end of Brancaster beach where a little river joined the sea. We sat for ages watching them playing and barking to one another, magical! Glad to hear Paw is mending, but it does make you wonder about the fate of patients who don't have an "interferer" on their case!
Yes hipsy I took the photos, Norfolk was full of opportunities, my poor old boy was
mostly very patient as I stopped and started at every corner!
Yes isn't Titchwell marvellous n&g, and also the new visitor centre at the salt marshes. We're pretty clueless about birds and are useless at standing still, but even we were captivated by it all! So sorry to hear about your house move, what a disappointment. Take care on those garden toys, I suspect it could all end in tears, or possibly under the circumstances uproarious laughter!!
I'm glad the photos brought happy memories to so many, I will resist the temptation to bore the pants off you enthrall you with dizens more though
But can't resist one of Brancaster beach and another of Titchwell, along with a gull having a bad hair day !

Good luck at the dentist, soop, here's hoping it won't be major ouchy work requiring a small mortgage to pay for it too!
tizliz hoping your kitchen floor has some respite!
Charley, I love it that your cat takes his welcoming duties with tradesmen so seriously!
and good wishes for those concerned about very poorly friends and family who are nearing the end of life's journey. Sad times for you indeed .
Well my thirsty garden is watered so it's time to unwind for me and to think about
footering around doing unnecessary things an early night before the busyness of tomorrow. Sweet dreams everyone x

Glad you were there Maw to question Paw's procedure. No end to the worrying eh?

downsized so sad for you and your friend. Safe journeys.

Lovely photos grannyqueenie My DS and family were at Holkham the other week but didn't say anything about a naturist beach! We found ourselves on one on the Isle of Wight in that summer of '76 so stripped off too. Lovely sandy bit of beach but unfortunately it got everywhere

Good luck at the dentist soop

Wishing a good night's sleep to all who are worried about loved ones, animals as well as humans x

Back from care home visit. M was eager to show me the planes landing on a distant hill. I saw no planes, but lots of grazing sheep. It made her happy to believe that the young pilots (70 plus years ago) are continuing to fly their Bo fighters and land safely. It was her job, when in the WAAF, to service parts of the planes. She confesses to continue to worry that she did her job well. She often has migraine which she says is down to her concern for their safety. A remarkable lady.

The friend who takes me to the care home where her husband is resident, picked me up with tears in her eyes. She had received a phone call to tell her that her dear brother, diagnosed with cancer just two weeks ago, had died during the night. I offered to drive. She insisted that she wanted to do so, as concentrating on the road eased her distress. We sat in silence during the journey. There was no need for small talk.

Off to visit the dentist. It will be an ouchy inspection.

A peaceful end to yesterday...

In the photo you can see the image of the ferry returning to the mainland from Islay.

The visit to the dentist was less nerve jangling than anticipated. The bone above the very back upper tooth has receded. It's called "old age". Unless it gives me on going jip, the tooth can remain in situ. Alternative will be to have it removed. But, not yet. Yay!!! Had a wander around Tarbert village harbour and took some lovely photos. I shall share one that I took of MacSporran.

I'm hoping that after tomorrow morning's ironing session, I shall call in to hear better news from all our Granspals who are experiencing a tough or troubling time.

There were pleasant happenings this morning. I caught the bus round to the pharmacy to collect my prescription that I couldn't collect yesterday because the pharmacy was closed. I didn't know it was a bank holiday in these parts. Head in the clouds! ?

Today, I collected my meds no problem and walked a few stops back as there was quite a wait for the return bus. Then I leaned on a wall and read my book. After a while, and about ten minutes before the bus was due, a car drew up. In it was someone whose house, for six years, Minibags and I had walked past on the way to school. The woman who lives there and I had exchanged good mornings but that's all. In the car were her three dogs too. I don't know what breed they are but they look a bit like miniature Lassies to me. Anyway, the woman was offering me a lift. Although I don't think she has seen me for about five years she must have recognised me, or my Tilley hat, perhaps. Anyway, we had a nice chat on the drive along the loch and now know each other's names.

While I was at the pharmacy, the pharmacist saw me signing the prescrip slips left-handedly (my right is 'stookied' for two more weeks). He told me that it reminded him of a retired airline pilot he knows whose advice to people who are frightened of flying was this: when you are settled on the plane, take out a notebook and pencil and start writing your name over and over again with the hand that you don't usually write with. Interesting! I'd love to know if anyone who tried it found it helped.

Off for a bone density scan tomorrow. It'll be a very early start as we have to get to Clydebank during rush hour.

Ah, so, Soop, that is not a devilishly handsome dentist standing beside his tooth extraction machine?? Your know - attach one end of string to tooth; attach other end to winding gear. Have someone playing to bagpipes in the background to drown out patient's screams! . Seriously, I'm glad your dental appointment was not traumatic. Lovely photo of McS!
We think we are finally bringing our bathroom plan together at long last, although the man in the plumbing showroom goes pale everytime I walk through the door. He made the mistake yesterday of giving me their latest bathroom catalogue. I then proceeded to change my mind about everything I had asked him to quote for before. Serves him right! DH is not a lot of help. He just stands there and utters the six magic words: "Don't ask me. You're the boss!"
DD sent me a text today saying "Help; GS brought these home from school today!" with a photo of what appears to be two rather hopeless runner beans. Frankly, I haven't the faintest idea what they are, but have offered them a foster home until they either show their true colours - or perish! ?