Soop's friendly KITCHENERS

soop glad to hear MacS has three months' remission till any further treatment, and glad, too, that he is so cheerful. I'm sure you help him to be. Scarey words from the consultant though. I'm also 75 but hadn't considered popping my clogs with this recently diagnosed pneumonia. And how do we avoid viruses? Hope that cough goes eventually. It's sooo wearing.
Pompa', what a gorgeous little DGD you have. Those eyes!
N&G , get well soon.
soop, love the name bracken.
ann good luck with injection
I'm fed up with being housebound. Cant remember the last time I was. DD2 and little ones coming over on Friday. Can't wait ?☀️

Good afternoon dear Kitcheners ...I trust that some of you have a sunny day. The north easterly breeze is pegging the temperature down in Kintyre. I have the utility room to paint after lunch. That 10 litre tub of paint was a buggeration to shift and I was constantly climbing up and down the steps to reload the brush with paint. Yesterday, I had a light-bulb moment. As we were in Homebase, I purchased a paint kettle. MacS (being tough and less messy than I am) can therefore fill the kettle on my behalf. I shall manage famously, especially when I've covered everything in newspapers. Watch out, Rory.

Now then...regarding MacS's possible flu bug. He does take care not to expose himself needlessly to bugs of all sorts. He and I had the flu jag (as the local nurse calls it). The entire village has been poorly on and off since before Christmas. He has seen the doctor on three or four occasions. As the flu bug is viral, he needs his immune system to butt in on his behalf. Antibiotics are of no use. Hence he's having a wee battle to overcome the lurgy. Anyway, thank you for your concern. You lot are most kind.

NanaandGrampy I'm sorry to hear that you remain poorly. Bed rest is the answer. Keep warm and drink plenty of fluids.

Pompa Your wee granddaughter is a poppet. Nasty falls are par for the course at her age. Alea Whenever we were with our youngest grandson (six years old today,) he was forever tumbling over things or barging into things...he never ever walked anywhere. He was poetry in motion (most of the time).

loopylou Were you wined and dined last evening? If not...there will be trouble. Us lot can be very persuasive especially when we get a bee in our knickers bonnet..

Nelliem Crafting Galen anno

number Welcome back to our kitchen. I hope that you are refreshed and have some happy memories to share with us. Mia would have been ecstatic to have you home again.
Very soon we'll be visiting our grandson. We are both worrying about Rory not being allowed outside to meet up with Bracken. The person who will call in to regularly feed R, will obviously put B's food into her outside chalet. MacS being very protective of R doesn't wish him to go outside during our absence. He fears that R will return to the forest. I KNOW that R has no intention of adventuring beyond the fence. However, I shall not cause a fuss. It will only be for a very short time that he's housebound.
The traffic accident was a wee way along the stretch of road the you know. Somewhere closer to the big shed in which timber is stored. One person sustained a fractured pelvis and was air-lifted to Oban hospital.

Charleyg Keep smiling. Not very much longer to wait until your room looks spic and span and everything is to your Tara's liking.

Tara came home later than usual yesterday evening, not knowing if she was going to have to slum it by lying on my computer chair while I sat on a garden chair dining and watching TV. The borrowed chair is uncomfortable even with cushions but Tara found it comfortable to lie on the arm or the top of the chair so she is happy. I have surrounded the leather chair with artillery- the garden chairs and bags so that Tara cannot claw at it.

pompa what a gorgeous little girl your GD is- has definitely been in the wars.

NanaandGrampy sorry to hear that you have had to retire to bed with another dose of the lurgy- please do not spread it to us lot. Will Grampy know where to go and more importantly, how to get home again today, hopefully remembering to bring DGS3 with him, with luck in one piece.

The weather is so good here I am washing for the entire county I think. Tara has retired to bed.

Just popping in for a quick read but not stopping.

I've caught another bug, nothing serious just making me feel terrible so I'm off back to bed. Swimming with DGS3 will be interesting today as Grampy is taking him on his own - a world first .

Hopefully be back to see you all in a few days. Take care all !

Hello, so nice to see the inside of the kitchen again, after a week on a ship. We arrived home on Sunday, but I`ve been so busy since that I have hardly touched my laptop.
Soop, MacSporran really must start to take notice and look after himself more, and YOU, you brave but sometimes foolish one, stop cancelling doctors appointments until you truly are better. Thank you for the photo of Bracken, she`s lovely. I hope there are no serious after effects of the road accident, I know the double bend you referred to, we`ve negotiated it with the caravan several times.
I`m sorry that several of you are still coping with this awful lurgy that`s going around, and hope that you`re all soon well.
We collected Mia from the cattery when we got back on Sunday, she jumped down off her perch when I walked in, started yowling, and didn`t stop till we got home!

Galen, you haven't met my DS2! I'll say no more. He might be spying.

So I see tortoiseshell cat has now been named. Another step nearer the inside of Soop's house.
I get the feeling that McSporran would not turn her out if she does come in.

I hope all you poorly people get better soon. What a dreadful year for bugs this has been. We all need more and some warmth.



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Poor little wounded soldier! How did she do that?
(My DGS came off his scooter the other day and apparently hadn't done his helmet up properly and is similarly in the wars )

Useless. No man will take care of themselves. Suspect it's written in their jeans genes

Our granddaughter can even manage to pose when she has just returned from casualty. I bet she will milk this tomorrow.

Soop no wonder MacS remains bright and cheery , it's because he's married to you but he still needs to take care and keep himself as fit as possible. After all, he needs to keep an eye on Bracken as well as Rory now. Glad you enjoyed your fish and chips. You didn't buy another can of magnolia when you were in Homebase did you? .

soop, I have never forgotten that in my Higher English exam I wrote on the subject 'The Best Things in Life Are Free', though I can't for the life of me what I actually wrote. Just as well, as it would no doubt make me . Funny the things we remember.

I hope MacS is going to look after himself properly and get rid of his far too long-lasting cough. I think I'd be sitting on the doctor's doorstep in those circumstances!

soop that man MacSporran must start to look after himself especially as he does not listen to a word that we say and when were we ever wrong? I have no recollection unless I mention 1956, March I think.

Tara has not seen the leather chair yet- I have put a throw over it and placed a garden chair on the left and at the rear to stop her scratching the chair. The right hand side has cushions up against it. There will be murderous thoughts and action will be taken if she puts half a claw near the chair.

loopylou I would not have been able to keep my mouth closed if I had to listen to your OH. A pub supper is the least that he can do for you. He had better put his thinking cap on because he will have to wine and dine you for I would think at least a week. He would not survive here long, you are welcome.

loopylou Any self-respecting husband needs to keep his mouth buttoned and his smile fixed. Go for it...a pub supper and and treat yourselves to a welcome break. for you x

We're home...safe and sound. Hello dear Kitcheners I'm about to catch up with your news.

MacSporran is most likely poorly with a flu virus. He's had a hacking, chesty cough for ten weeks. The consultant said...It's the viruses that you must be wary of. At your - age (75) a virulent strain could carry you off... I thought.
Back to the CT scan. Additional swollen lymph nodes detected. Also, the aortic aneurysm is slightly larger than it was when last screened. However, because MacS remains bright and cheery there is no hurry to get him started on a regime of treatment that will knock the stuffing out of him. Back for further check up in three months. In the meantime, we shall continue to enjoy life. Thank you for your good wishes. He's rather fond of his Granspals.

The fish and chip lunch in a smart new restaurant was perfect. We also had a small glass of red wine. After which, we visited Homebase and purchased a couple of sturdy potted shrubs to stand beside our front door.

Bracken was waiting to see Rory. Rory couldn't wait to get through the door to see her. They will remain together for another two hours or so. At the moment they are sitting side by side on their door mat.

Galen Slumming it on Princess Emerald Oh, you do make me chuckle. Do the crew know in advance that you'll be slumming it? Have a lovely, relaxing, well-deserved float aboard a boat.

Charleyg We think that Bracken may be about three and a bit years of age. Yes, she is very like Rory.
As for the musical chairs saga...I shall so miss your amusing updates.

anno I would love to read your short story. Such a clever idea to base it on the answers to a crossword.
As we were driving home, I recalled the subject that I chose to write an essay on for the GCE paper (60 years ago). I wrote an essay on the subject of Fear What on earth was I thinking. Gulp!

Ooofff, please can I hide awhile here.....the new kitchen's being done, the contents of the former one are stacked in the living room, I've got a headache from the drilling and banging and not so DH has just announced he doesn't like the new work surfaces....stuff him! ?

He's also not happy he can't find everything he wants because 'you emptied the kitchen' and I'm starting to feel a trifle murderous.......

Anyway, I'm on strike cooking-wise so he can treat me to a pub meal this evening, can't he? Only the living room, hall/stairs/landing and bedroom to do.......l

I seem to have got out of touch for a few days. Can't think what I've been doing! Yesterday was our creative writing group meeting and I realised in the morning that I still had a story to write by early afternoon. I had seen in the Guardian, an interesting way to set a challenge: take all the answers from a crossword (can be quick or cryptic) and use the words in a short story. That was fun and I managed to come up with a quirky tale which was appreciated by my fellow members. We have several excellent poets, but I prefer the narrative form. I'm tutoring a few youngsters who are anxious about forthcoming exams. The pressure on them at this time of year is crazy and when I learnt that an eleven-year-old girl was suffering from acid reflux in the run-up to Y6 SATs, I felt angry for her and her mum. I would really like to see the Secretary of State taking this new Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar (SPAG) exam!

Tara came home very early yesterday evening- the floor was not dry so of course she padded over it, eyes as wide as saucers, not knowing what was going on in HER house.

I received a call at 7.45am today and my temporary furniture was installed less than 30 minutes later. I only wanted an armchair and managed to persuade the fellows to leave the 2 seater on the van. A good job I did not order this leather chair myself- it is 2" off the floor and there is nowhere to rest my head and shoulders. At least it will only be until hopefully Saturday.

I used a garden chair last night for eating my supper and watching TV but not Tara- she used my computer chair but luckily I had put a cushion on it so that she did not scratch it. She is used to the finer things in life.

Thanks for the pic of Bracken.

Will you get a warm welcome from her tonight? I do hope so Its a fair wee trauchle to Oban and back. Safe journey with good news

Oh dear, too late to wish you well for tomorrow Soop - safe journeys and I very much hope for a reassuring report from MacSporran's test results. You will be shattered by the time you get back, I always am and I'm not even the patient!! We are off depleting the NHS coffers too, a Liver Clinic appointment at the Royal Free but don't need to leave until 12 so we are spared the buggeration of an early start.
Haste ye back!

Thinking of you tomorrow soop and hope the journey is good.
How I love to slum it but no chance here.

Fingers crossed soop that MacS gets good results

soop the furniture saga continues. I have had a phone call from the store and they are sending me an armchair and a 2 seater sofa tomorrow. I only need an armchair (stuff any visitors) but the van is packed. Apparently I can expect the delivery between 7am and 12 mid day, knowing my luck it will be 7am. My new cleaner starts at 9am tomorrow and her first job was to tackle the floor in this room but that will be my pre supper task I think.

Roughly how old is Bracken? You must call her by her new name at every opportunity so that she recognises it. She looks so much like Rory.

Good luck for tomorrow- I hope that MacSporran's results are favourable. Enjoy your fish and chip lunch.

Soop
Not yet. Go on Sat for a quick inter cruise cruise for a week. Slumming it on Princess Emerald .

I would never be allowed near a tin of paint - of any size - at home. Though I did paint most of the workshop, I think it was white but after ten years I am not sure. The workshop was completely empty at the time and OH was going to paint the floor afterwards so it didn't matter how much mess I made. It needs doing again but now that all the equipment is in place there is no chance of that happening. I suppose we will have to do it when we eventually move out as it is only rented.

Re shooting - I am worried that arthritis will overtake me before I become proficient.

Good news is that sun came out today - just for a few hours. Off out now to dog training club, I am needed to make the tea