Soop's kitchen extension

Galen has offered, but even so I was a bit taken aback at the whole thing! Feel a coming on!

Alea my friends wanted my professional input before they rang AGE UK to help them fill in the AA form. You should do the same, 35 pages is ridiculous, it must put many off but not me for the sake of my friend.

Happy Easter kitty, that cake looks delicious so I'll just cut my piece now and have it with my coffee!
At the moment, the sun is shining, my washing machine is on a final spin, and I have a lazy day ahead of me.
A very pleasant Easter to all our lovely kitcheners ?? ?? ??

Morning everyone.

Just a brief visit as my cold now has a cracking sore throat to go with it !

Its always the way, everything ends up as tonsillitis :-( small fry in the big picture of things but oh it makes me miserable.

Id love some chocolate and almond cake but the one thing that's guaranteed with a bad throat is all of that stuff loses its charm.:-(

Anyway, I wont stay with my germs- wishing you all a hot cross bun filled Good Friday xx

dh volunteered for AgeUk helping people fill in the AA forms so it might be worth asking them for help.

I just popped on to wish everyone a super easter and to leave this chocolate and almond cake for you all. It needs eating quickly as the cream with go off otherwise!

I spent years filling in those forms for CAB clients and I don't miss that aspect of the job one little bit. Wish I could be of assistance.

We have at last received the form to fill in for AA and it is massive. Hollow laugh at having to itemise all the occasions DH has had medical attention for the things listed in the past 12 months . How long have you got? And fortunately I have kept last year's calendar. Actually I have a sort of dyslexia at filling in forms, I hate it I even delayed applying for my Threshold pay increase for 2 years while I was teaching because I could not face the form. Eventually the Head said look, it's a done deal, you just have to fill the damn thing in!
Oh dear!

Well, that's all my weekend plans in disarray. Car broke down and had to be brought home by RAC. Being a a Bank Holiday weekend I doubt my garage will be able to do anything before Tuesday at the earliest.

Where I broke down cause major traffic jams, police were very helpful until RAC arrived to move me. Being an automatic, I was unable to move it myself.

I helped a friend and her husband to write down many pointers for the 35 page Attendance Allowance form. With Galen's help, thank you, and my professional background I will eat my hat if she does not get the higher allowance. Somebody from AGE UK is going to fill in the form but I feel that we have done the donkey work.

Afterwards we went out for a well earned lunch at a local pub, lovely fresh beautifully cooked food.

We have rain in London, sunshine was forecast.

I am so pleased that my lodger has now been identified. I do hope that some of you were not thinking that I was up to hanky panky here! As if!

soop I am tired saying this but you are doing too much. The heather looks beautiful.

Aye, soop, all my prescriptions usually come in a big bag (they don't charge for that!) but in this case, the surgery apparently sent three or four different messages! We shall have words! I also had an epidural for my hip which made a big difference.

Lona I'm well pleased that the ruffled waters have been calmed. We can all be too sensitive on occasions. I have, from time to time, felt "taken for granted"...common sense usually prevails and I'm always relieved that I kept my mouth firmly zipped.

For a total of 23 hours I've spent doing heavy duty slog in the areas of garden that had become overgrown and choked with bracken and briars. I'm really pleased with the way the garden has opened up. The exposed rocks look lovely. MacSporran cut down a small deceased tree. We've hoed and raked and disposed of what seems like a mountain of vegetation. From hereon, we can easily manage to use the strimmer. It isn't man enough to have tackled the initial clear up. Deep sigh of relief.

Our pal's funeral service is at 10:00 tomorrow morning. The kirk will be packed. She lived in the village for eighty years and was very well liked.
After the funeral, we'll be heading to the care home to visit another good friend.

I shall return to catch up with all your news when we return.

Love to all our Granspals

The heather looks glorious soop, as for all your energy, I think it comes from Lemon Drizzle cake! ?
I'm feeling much happier today because I've had a very heartfelt apology from my dd, for being so thoughtless, taking me for granted and patronising me! So all is well. I think that sometimes they forget that we aren't as young and fit as we were and I've had to explain that I'm no longer Superwoman!
anno hope you have a good weekend with your family
soop Behave yourself in the garden, no more wet t-shirts please!

Heather in the rockery. A little something to cheer you.

anno Eleven items of medication. Surely it would make better sense to enclose the entire repeats in one large bag. As for your on- going sinus infection, I feel very sorry for you. However, if you can be relieved of chronic discomfort, it must be to your advantage to have surgery. Anaesthetics worry me a little. The after affects can be nasty, 'though I'm usually fine after a wee rest. I underwent one hip replacement under a full anaesthetic and the second after an epidural. I much preferred the latter.

All very confusing, soop, but at least things seem to be ...er....moving.
I had a very confusing time collecting my medications from the pharmacy today. I request my repeats on line from the surgery, the prescription is then sent electronically to the pharmacy. Today I was handed a small bag containing six items. I said I'd ordered far more than that; the assistant then found another bag; still not enough; then another; and finally one more which made up the eleven items I'd ordered! Crazy! I am not looking forward to seeing the ENT consultant again as he said that if the chronic sinus infection didn't clear, the only solution would be to clear it under anaesthetic. I don't think it has fully cleared - nose still blocked a lot of the time. Ugh! I loathe general anaesthetics and usually wake up puking my guts out, if you'll excuse the unladylike expression. Good luck (and better health) to everyone who's under the weather and especially if you're awaiting treatment.

Hello to all Granspal Kitcheners. It's a trifle murky outside. I've therefore a day playing catch-up with indoor domestic stuff...polishing, ironing and faffing around with a squeegee mop.
If the rain clears this afternoon, I shall take some heavy duty garden sacks outside and stuff them to the "grim" with stuff I yanked up yesterday afternoon.

Galen

Charleyg...ha! I also thought to myself, that Charleyg is keeping something quiet and doesn't want to share with us lot. Naturally, once I had read the following message, I was disappointed enlightened.

dustyangel You were treated to a right royal birthday treat. Good for you. The owner of the restaurant did you proud. Service with a flashing Portuguese

Tizliz Don't forget the [cupcakes] us lot will be waiting for dainty tasters later. I've already tucked a napkin into my blouse.
Your nephew must be a first rate gardener if he helping Chris B prepare for the Chelsea Flower Show. I've never attended the show. My pal in England makes a point of attending whenever she can. I imagine that it is a feast of colour and perfume.

Today...three letters arrived regarding the procedure that I'm to undergo sometime before June. That makes five in total during the past fortnight. I spoke to the secretary of the surgeon whose letter started with...'Dear soop, It was a pleasure to meet you at my clinic some time ago...' The date on which I attended the clinic was November 11th last year. Anyway, it was very friendly letter. Reassuring me that I shall undergo the procedure, under anaesthetic, some time before June.
As we live some distance from the hospital, I may need to stay over the night before (if it's an early appointment) in which case it would be in the Queen Elizabeth hospital. If the procedure takes place early afternoon, then it will be in the Glasgow Royal. Phew! What a kerfuffle.
Depending on what the surgeon discovers I may then need corrective surgery yet again.
What would our bags say...
All together now...Hey ho!

dustyangel my lodger is a 4 legged girl. I call her the lodger because she is here for bed, breakfast and evening meal- out on her travels from early morning until her full bladder brings her home around 7-8pm. She does not use the great outdoors for toilet purposes, she has to come home to use her litter tray. I do not want her sitting in the hall waiting for me to open the door and in the process she scratches the glass.

She thought I was going to bed when I had a shower after she came home so she retired to bed and has not moved.

Soop a bloody big one! Grrrrr?

Thank you all for the good wishes today. Bellanonna, we have been out for a lovely Portuguese meal this evening. Slightly more upmarket restaurant than usual for us, the paper tablecloth was on top of the cloth rather than instead of it. No vinho verde tonight, the owner takes great pleasure in pouring me a enormous gin and tonic before I've even ordered. I couldn't possibly disappoint him by refusing.

Lona I did indeed have real champagne at lunch time, along with the smoked salmon sandwiches. DH spoils us.
By the way I sometimes feel that the DDs sound a bit condescending. It's only ever a passing comment if I'm out with both of them. Never did with DS, maybe it's more a girl thing.

Charleygirl err, umm..... I took your last sentence literally and found myself wondering why you wanted the lodger with you so that you could have an early shower.

You lot have been busy. I have been out all day and come back to see loads of people visiting the kitchen and scoffing all the cake.

We have been to Grantown on Spey to meet with my sister and my nephew (with partners). It was nice that we could all meet up as my sister is only in Scotland for a few days and my nephew is busy working with Chris Beardsley on his garden for the Chelsea Flower Show. We left the dogs behind and were worried as we were gone so long but they were fine, though I nearly got knocked over when we got back. Nice lunch in hotel and macaroni cheese pies from the bakers for tea (not over impressed with them). OH enjoyed the good beer and I kindly drove back.

Feel I haven't been pulling my weight here so will get some cakes made tomorrow, along with the potato pastry my sister recommended.

soop staying outdoors until you are soaked! I am sure that you do not want a lecture but please, it is not good for you. Take a leaf out of Rory's book a couple of hours each day!

The volume control from my cleaner was turned down today- I think she may have been nervous starting a new job here last week because she partially broke my phone, today one of my best mugs went flying- I dread to think what will happen next week. I cannot manage without help but this is costing me money!

soop your medical problems are anything but trivial! What are we going to do with you?

I am waiting for the lodger to come home so that I can have an early shower and wash my hair.

anno enjoy time spent with family. It is very precious.
As for getting soaked - I was well equipped on the whole. My hair managed to get soaked. I've washed it, and it will be all the better if left to dry off naturally.

The sun is shining. Lovely fluffy clouds have replaced the grey. Goodnight dear Kitcheners. I shall return tomorrow. My last Thursday ironing-free. My pal returns later today. Next week I shall therefore have a lot of stuff to deal with.

Galen And sometimes you can be a pussy cat.

wot Yesterday's bombings are traumatic enough to read about in the press and watch on the television. It's entirely another matter to have family living in the region under siege. Of course you will worry. Also, your friend's dog is one of her family and, it seems, that he also enjoyed your company. A gentle arm around your shoulder.

Bellanonna Compared with a large number of Kitcheners my problems are trivial. I admire those Granspals who have serious personal health issues to contend with and take everything in their stride. Also, there are those whose husbands are unwell and in need of support.

My sons don't patronise me; they wouldn't dare! If they tried it on, I'd turn it into a joke and we'd end up having a laugh. Younger GD, aged 13 could become patronising as she knows it all already, but she won't get away with it. I have an eyebrow-lifting technique. . I'll be seeing them this weekend as I'm going south for Easter. DS2 and family will be here overnight tomorrow en route to Glasgow, so I'll have a very brief glimpse of them. They are moving to a bigger house the week after next, so more space for Granny's visits.
soop, what do you mean by letting yourself get soaked? I know you can't get a cold from being wet, but you have enough problems without adding to them!

soop I didn't realise you had such a lot going on with your health. You never complain and always come across as a kind, cheerful, lovely person as though nothing was ever wrong. I do hope your forthcoming surgery redresses some of the problems.
lona they can get us down sometimes. One of mine is quite bossy and critical but I love her lots as I do her children. Hope you feel a bit better!