Soop's Kitcheners

Have another wee dram on me,soop and MacS....

Agus...I shall pass your suggestion on to MacSporran. Will he wish to comply? Will he heckers. In fact, you will have earned yourself a big gold star for being so sympathetic and agreeable.

bags and I wish that many more of our Granspals lived within a shortish journey from where we are living. I'm possibly living in one of the most inaccessible places. To reach anywhere in Scotland from hereabouts, one needs to drive umpteen miles around the all too many lochs. Be assured, you will be included in our conversation.

It's ironing day for my pal tomorrow. She's had a holiday. There will be a teetering tower of stuff to press. Keeps me out of mischief.

I think this should become a ritual soop. A wee dram is meritted on your return home from any hospital appointments. Treatments allowing of course

Enjoy your meet up on Friday soop & bags, I shall picture you both having a good blether in the George

Woweeee! Thank you ALL for the many messages of good will*. They make us feel truly blest. MacS is beaming from ear to ear. We had a special wee dram last night. It was a special 15 year old malt and phew...I could only manage half of the dram [we do measure in order to be sensible] and that was well watered down. We all slept like new-born babes.

Yes, kitty we were told that there are many strains of NHL. The bone marrow test should reveal more useful info'.

I'm enjoying the lemon drizzle cake and apricot flapjacks. you lot are such fine cooks.. It's a blessing that you cannot walk into my kitchen in reality...I would throw caution to the wind and insist on scoffing tasting all your home-baked goodies.

bags does live a busy life, for sure. We're meeting in Inveraray on Friday. We shall raise a glass of something non-alcoholic [a long drive ahead for both of us] to all our wonderful Granspals.

Bellasnana I came over all mist-eyed when I read what your granddaughter had said.

As for all of Rory's devoted fans...MacS suggested that we write a blog on his behalf and call it 'How to make friends and influence people'

dusty I'm pleased to hear that your back is responding to treatment. Do continue to take good care of yourself.

As we were driving back from the village this morning, I spotted a dead creature lying in the verge, not too far away from our home. I thought to myself, was that Tortoiseshell kitten-cat? She missed her supper last night. I mentioned to MacS that I was concerned. He turned the car around and we returned to find a dead otter. Naturally we were sad but also relieved that it wasn't one of our cat callers. It may have been the otter with which Rory had a scrap way back when.

soop I'm glad that dear MacS has got a diagnosis and hope you are both feeling better for it and not too tired after yesterday .
I went off to the chiro's yesterday though I had nothing like as long a journey as you. I'm improving, he was able to manipulate both sides, and I can be up for longer which is great.

Lemon drizzle cake sounds lovely. It would go just nicely with my coffee. Do you have a recipe Lona?

soop Hope you're both feeling refreshed today,love and best wishes to you and our hero MacS

kitty Condolences on the death of your DN

Leaving a large Lemon Drizzle cake (one of soop's favourites) so help yourselves.

Sending love and (((hugs))) to two very special people (and one very lucky cat, who is with you through everything).

here's to health and strength returning

soop thank you for telling us about MacS. My dearest friend has NHL - the exact 'strain' defeats her never mind me! She has had one course of chemo to date which wasn't too bad at all., She is now her old self and only having blood tests every six months.

Give MacS a big hug from us and know we are with you all the way!

McSporran is awarded the starring role in Brave Heart II. Grab some blue eyeshadow and do his make up

And for his leading lady and true companion.

The kitchen already has a mascot in Rory. How about a motto? Something along the lines of "All ye who enter here will leave fortified in body and soul"

Sending love, admiration, respect and lots of strokes for Rory all the way up to bonny Kintyre x

Wishing you both courage, good humour and patience for the weeks or months ahead. If PMA(positive mental attitude) could be bottled and sold, you would be in business! Thank you for sharing this with us, we will be behind you all the way

Think Bags is too busy with archery, gardening and researching the microscopic life of her garden!

Good to see you safely back home Soop and MacSporran. Good that you have at last a definite diagnosis, something that they can now work on. All my best wishes to you both..............and to Rory.

I was wondering about bags yesterday, soop, as she doesn't seem to be around much at the moment. I know I've said this before but I have a friend who has one sort of leukaemia [not sure which one]; has had it for years and I sometimes forget he has an illness, he looks so well.

Dear Soop and McS I think the news was probably as good as you could have hoped for and the treatment will be decided and started upon before you know it. McSwill deal with it all in his own inimitable way and the pair of you will get through, each supporting the other.

I wish you both all the very best and hope you sleep well tonight. ((())) and xx Oh and I've left a tin of apricot flapjacks in the kitchen!

soop all my best wishes for our and MacSporran. a dear friend of ours , also a Scottish (from Dundee), has non Hodgkins and has had it for years and years and years. Yes he has bouts of treatment but also lives a full and healthy life. I wish you both lots of good care and love from all around you.

for you, soop and MacS

It is a pain when we have to enter the world of regular hospital visits and getting the treatment right, but thank goodness for our NHS. I will not grumble again about the 18 miles we have to travel to our nearest hospital which is nothing in comparison to your journey. I hope they soon sort out his treatment and he will feel better and on an even keel.

After such a tiring day, it was good of you to come into the kitchen and tell us the outcome of McS's appointment soop You've been on my mind today, wondering how things were going for you both but at last, you have a diagnosis and I wish McS all the best for his future treatment. x

Dearest soop, I have been with you in spirit all day and am glad to know you are back safe and sound. More sorry than I can say that you, too, have to enter the world of hospital visits and waiting for treatment etc., but MacS has all his Granspals behind him sending positive vibes, so let's hope he will soon be well again.

DGD has just gone back to her mother after protesting that she wants to 'live with Nana forever'

(((Hugs))) and goodnight to all

Oh dear soopanother wait before treatment is decided on and started ,but at least you know what the diagnosis is and that sounds encouraging. My own thoughts are always that if there seems no urgency from the medics it is good news.

for you both soop and MacSporran

You must both be tired after today, I hope you sleep well.

Bellasnan You are beautiful and your wee granddaughter looks a lot like you. A super photograph. How lovely for you to have her to brighten your days.

Thank you for all your good wishes. You are such kind and caring Granspals. It's been a long day. Left home at 8.30 and walked back in through the door to be welcomed by a grumpy looking cat, just half an hour ago. Time for coffee and a wee catch up with you lovely lot.

MacSporran has Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma - the least vicious of the two main forms of leukaemia. The tests show that he has several merry gatherings of small growths in the lymph nodes in his neck, underarm and groin. The nice lady doctor arranged for him to have further blood samples taken and a bone marrow extraction done early this afternoon. Depending on the findings, she will express a preference for a suitable form of treatment. When she saw the large scar on his back, and heard of the awful time he had combating whatever the infection was at that time, she agreed that his immune system is compromised. We return in one month for the findings.

The weather has been glorious. We played several discs of Scottish music over and over during the drive. The song Mull of Kintyre never fails to make the eyes moist. We had time for a bowl of Kitchen Garden's hearty soup and a lovely refreshing glass of apple and elderberry cordial. Have bought one to give bags when we next meet.

Lots of (((hugs))) for all of you. I need to catch up with a few jobs. I shall return tomorrow. x

Go well today soop & Mr. soop.

Just popped in to wish you good luck for tomorrow soop and Mc Sporran.
Sorry for your loss kitty