soop's friendly kitchen for like-minded folk and pampered pets.

Just to show how life can turn on a sixpence.
(Don't entirely know why I feel the need to share but feeling shocked and so sad.)
Chatting to DD2 who is on the train to Leeds when she suddenly said "Mum I am going to have to go. I've just had a text from O who says that C......(friend, neighbour, fellow dog owner)'s baby has just died"
(He is a similar age to DGS I think a bit younger and had had his jabs yesterday. DGS was quite poorly after his, three weeks ago, but Calpol and reassurance that this is normal saw him through it)
SID was always one of our fears but you feel once a baby is past 12 months the risks become negligible (assuming that is what it was)
But how do they live with that? The poor parents AND their friends with babies

morethan I can only repeat what has already been said. You have your hands full enough without worrying about the kitchen, but I know I speak for others when I say that you are always in our thoughts. Anyway, as Soop often says, it is sometimes hard work to keep up with "us lot". I'll second that!
Gq lovely photo! I always think the Passion flower is the most exotic of blooms. I am forbidden to grow any more climbing things!
Nellie know exactly how you feel. Once the school system swallows them up our babies are not babies anymore. But what an exciting time for him and he will be full of wanting to tell you about it whenever you speak to him. GS is now in year six - senior school next year. I don't know where that time has gone. But I had to laugh the other day. He had a friend round on Sunday when we were there, and they now consider themselves a pair of real grown up 'cool dudes'. But when I called up the stairs to say we were leaving, they both came down dressed in bits of plastic armour and helmets from the seemingly long forgotten dressing up box, waving foam rubber swords! ?Neither fish nor fowl nor good red herring still!
Anno I hope the news about your injury is not all gloom and doom and that surgery is not on the agenda. ?

I am feeling really quite upset no sensible reason. We spent yesterday with our little grandsons, we have visited them roughly every fortnight since DGS1 was born.
Today DGS1 starts at school three half days then full time.

We live nearly two hours away. All this means that I will really miss him. We will only get about an hour and a half after school with him before we need to leave for home. Still got days with funny silly DGS 2 to enjoy but he is really going to miss his brother.
I am being ridiculous I know that. But the education system has kidnapped my wee grandson.

(pull yourself together NellieM)

I think you have morethan enough on your plate (see what I did there? ) and no need for excuses.
The best friends are the ones you may not have seen for a while, but you pick up exactly where you left off!

grannyqueenie has said what I think, morethan.

I love the passion flower and honeysuckle. We have a passionflower over the back door. We hacked it back at the start of the year and it has gone 'bananas' - sometimes I feel we will need machetes to get outside. Not many flowers though.

Anno, I hope you don't need surgery - don't these things happen out of the blue. Just when we are quietly getting on with our lives. Hopefully you are not in pain.

I hope poorly people are feeling better today, that Paw finishes his tunnel and that life is peaceful for Rory.

Oh morethan, don't be daft. Hope you can have some quieter time now, the catching up will happen, but no rush. Look after yourself.

morethan2 I'm sure you're not a terrible friend at all, just a granny with an extra hard lot on your plate. Hope you've survived a demanding summer with those youngsters who are so lucky to have you there

Did someone mention ? I guess if you're going have a surfeit of something it's not such a bad one to have!
anno that's not what you wanted to hear, hope the pain eases and you get some rest tonight. N&G colds are such a nuisance and it's not even winter yet. Hope you're 100% again soon.
soop sorry to hear Rory's not been so good today, hope tomorrow is a better one. Fabulous sunset!
We've had some hideous showers but somehow the garden survived the onslaught and everything looked so fresh and green after wards.
This photo made me smile today. In June a few years ago I was sure this Passion Flower, growing up a pergola in a shady spot, had been killed off in the heavy winter snow. An elderly friend came to stay, she's a more experienced gardener and confirmed my fears. She kindly bought me a Honeysuckle to put in it's place, which we duly planted together. After she'd gone home I set about hacking back the seemingly dead Passion Flower only to discover it wasn't quite dead after all. It's bloomed in abundance ever since but I've never seen a hint of the Honeysuckle till this week! Since at 95 she can no longer manage to come to stay I'm going to send her a photo, I know it will make her smile too.

My laptop keeps losing posts while I'm in the middle of typing them.Trying again.
I saw the consultant st the fracture clinic today. Turns out that the fracture is around the shoulder prosthesis done 11 years ago so I had a CT scan and will know, at my next appointment in 2 weeks' time, if the damage warrants surgery, I do hope not.
Thinking of all you others, spending the night in pain and anxiety.

I haven't kept up again, I'm a terrible friend both here and in real life. I just wanted to say "phew" the school holidays are over. Perhaps I'll have time to tidy up. Best wishes to you all

If you need help with he escape tunnel, maw just let me know. So sorry you've both had another disappointment.

Sadly my wine order is a mere two bottles ann. More than happy to share yours, though.

Wishing all poorly people and pets a restful night.

ann I am amazed that the wine will last until the weekend!

I find Sainsburys website a breeze in comparison with Morrisons. I did find it difficult but I am used to it now. I try to order their bargains mainly and for my shop tomorrow I have saved £16 for a £ 65 delivery. Tara will have enough litter to last many weeks I think.

I hope that Rory has moved from his man cave and is now resting on his cushion in the warmth indoors.

Soop I have only just caught up with the news about Rory. He's a fighter, that's for sure, bless him, and a lucky lad to have found a home with you and MacS. ?

Dear N&G and Greyduster I prescribe bucket loads of TLC.

Swanny How very dare the supermarket deliver unwanted substitutes. Do they not know with whom they are dealing? Shame on them for charging the extra. Us lot will gang up and go on a protest march.

Ironing duties in the morning. I shall be back early afternoon. Thank you for all your kind messages.

You are all very welcome soop but come before Monday or it may all be gone ?

I think the wine should last us through the weekend kitty
I have even now been brave enough to amend my order and add things to it.
I am slightly scuppered if some of the dates are short as I have doubled up on some things to save on ordering again in a hurry.
I have done mostly groceries though so should be ok.
It has been a very miserable day here.

Galen I'm feeling excited on your behalf. Keep packing! x

ann If you go telling us lot that you've foolishly ordered a few bottles of wine too many, who knows how many of us will turn up as expert volunteer wine tasters. You will need a couple of "bouncers" to help keep the peace.

I use Sainsbury's for occasional online grocery shopping and find it a boon for heavy loads. I'm familiar with their products because it's my nearest supermarket but I agree their website leaves a lot to be desired. I prefer to walk round doing my own shopping, especially when buying fruit and veg, dairy or bakery products, as I find their use-by dates on deliveries are very short.

I always ask for no substitutes on delivery now as I've been sent some peculiar items which always seemed to be more expensive than what I wanted, and they've charged me the difference

What a buggeration Maw. Shall we send the grans in to help him escape.

Sorry to hear about Rory, soop. Hugs for you all.

Please keep your cold to yourself N&G. We go away in about 10 days and I DO NOT want the ensuing sinusitis. Hope you feel better soon.

I don't do online shopping (for groceries at least, I do lots of it for other things) and would miss my trips to the supermarket I think. Most of my daughters do it I think.

Don't drink that wine all at once Ann!

Maw, sorry that your plans have gone awry yet again, hopefully tomorrow will happen, everything crossed.
Soop, I`m so sorry that Rory is a bit more poorly today, all my best to you all.
The widower of my friend who died in January called in today. He told me he`d been in hospital for a few days for an unexpected hernia op. If I`d known I`d have gone to visit.

#pawsescapetunnel

Ah, that's not good news, Maw. And I thought my whistling the theme tune to The Great Escape all morning would do the trick. Someone mentioned digging a tunnel and it gave me a ear worm! Fingers crossed for tommorrow.
Ann online groceries are something I have steered clear of doing, but our adult children put in an online grocery order to our holiday cottage last year and there were a few anomalies, but on the whole we got what we ordered and it saved us a considerable round trip to the supermarket. I was impressed that Tesco came out into the middle of nowhere to deliver groceries.
N&G I am sending you a huge hug - nothing more miserable than a heavy cold. I recommend an infusion of fresh ginger, lemon, honey and whiskey. Very comforting. Or if you prefer, ditch the first three and just drink the whisky!
corner we had chilli, which I adore, for dinner a few nights ago and I ended up with a horrible bout of DVT, which, coupled with Putting my back out again on Sunday, made for a very miserable couple of days. I wasn't sure whether the back was hurting worse than the front hurt or vice versa.
I felt sorry for my GS yesterday because they had an inset day at school which meant he was in our care for the day. He is used to me being as active as he is, but we were largely confined to barracks yesterday and he was very good about it. DH took him off for a kick about, but they got rained off, so it was back indoors. So we played Monopoly and grandad and I got fleeced as usual.
I will look in later to see if there is any news from Soop.

Oops, crossed posts soop !

Maw you're doing a grand job with the outward smiles. I think you may need to use the services of those 'tunnel diggers' though to get Paw home

Condolences to those with heavy rain and with colds - nothing worse, unless it's both together Looks as though it going to pelt down here too any moment now.

soop hope the day is going well for you

Hello dear Granspals. You lot are better than any tonic.

I spite of promising not to bore you with Rory updates...here goes.
Rory's condition is slightly worse today. He tried his hardest to accompany MacS around the garden but it wearied him and he had to be lifted up the steps to the kitchen.
He's shared some steamed salmon with me. Just a few morsels. We've dragged him and his cushion to the door opening. He can monitor the stuff that goes on in his garden in comfort.

I shall return to read all your messages.