Soop's super supportive kitchen (with a wing for poorly menfolk)

Safe journey tomorrow soop, I'm mightily relieved you both have such good care from your GP and the NHS.

Look after that shoulder mawb, I find my aches get a whole lot worse when the weather is cold, perhaps the same for you.

Sorry, I'm a tearing rush, more fraughtness here but nothing that time won't sort.

Hugs all round, take care, especially those with snow and ice.

Just popping in to catch up, I have just returned from the physio, feel as if I have been in the ring with Muhammad Ali!!!!

Sipping an iced chilled white wine (medicinal of course)

Drive carefully soop.

Annsixty cats are not good at apologising.

MawBroon hope you get some relief from your sore shoulder.

I hope those naught men will be quieter and better behaved this cold night.

Keep warm and safe kitcheners ❄️?

Just read through the last couple of days' posts and am exhausted by all the ups and downs in the health of your lives Too many to mention individually but I so wish I had a magic wand to wave in the kitchen and help you all get back on an even keel.

However I must mention I lurve the 'Facq u' letter, it is adorable. I am currently working on DGS to stick his tongue out between his teeth to pronounce 'the' instead of 've'. His father did the same. Back in the mists of time (mid-70's) his school tried to embrace political correctness and, instead of a nativity play, put on a presentation of The Thief of Baghdad. I made encouraged my DS to work on his pronunciation but on the night it came out as 'Ve fieth of Baghdad'

On a different note, an elderly neighbour (well she's older than me anyway!) is having a makeover of her living room and wants new curtains and cushions to go with new flooring and seating. She is perfectly happy to sew them herself, having been a trained machinist, but where have all the fabric shops gone? Managed to track down a couple online for her which are just one bus route away, as she wants needs to see and feel the fabric for herself, but we live in the middle of London for heavens sake! Plenty of bijou, state of the art, 'this is the in-thing stuff' sort of shops but all the market stalls where you could pick and choose have been replaced by trendy world-food outlets. We don't all have pots of money to follow the minimalist-yet-expensive trends and just want something that looks comfortable and homely. Rant over

Swanny Tue 29-Jan-19 18:36:46

"Just read through the last couple of days' posts and am exhausted by all the ups and downs in the health of your lives."
Me too. Trying to remember you all . And take care on the roads tomorrow soop.

Take care on that long and winding road to Oban tomorrow Soop. Best wishes to you both.
Mim is gorgeous, what a lovely smile!
I love Facq u, will think of that now every time I write thank you.

A very kind and concerned GN member who read about Molly's exploits this morning PM'd me to earn that looked are very toxic to cats and kittens.
I immediately got rid of them and will never buy them again.
I am very grateful to her and pass the warning onto the rest of you with pets.

B.....y auto correct.
"Warn me that lilies etc etc"

Well I haven’t looked in for several days, and when I looked just now, there are about five or six pages of comments from all the kitcheners. I started to read them all, and then thought better of it, because I realised that by the time I got to the last comment, it’d be about a week on Wednesday! So apologies for any comments I missed.

Sorry to hear about all your ‘buggerations’ Soop. I hope all the hospital visits went well. But anyway, MacS is better from his awful cough so that’s good news.

Corner, sorry about your aunt. She had a very long life didn’t she, what a shame she didn’t quite get to her century.

Lovely pictures of children and also dog portraits.

I was at the hospital this morning, I’m now officially on ‘the list’ for surgery for my arthritic thumb joint. It won’t be done for a good while, but it will at least be done and dusted before next winter. I’m not looking forward to having the surgery, the first 48 hours after my last surgery, on the left hand, were extremely painful, but it is worth it in the end.

Mr M made mince pies today, in order to use up the last of the mincemeat, so I’ll leave a plateful on the side for anyone who fancies an unseasonable but delicious mince pie.

Ann, I think lilies are very toxic to both humans and animals. It is useful to know, you’re right.

Oh dear Anne is Molly ok?

I expect you are en-route by now soop but I hope the roads are ok and you have a safe journey. From memory (way back) that road is a tad windy, so take care. We shall all be relieved to hear of your safe return.

This morning we have the merest covering of snow with the odd flake falling tentatively to the ground as if trying to select the best possible piece of ground on which to fall. There are blue skies too so probably not much more for us today. We have friends with a lot more and I have been sent pictures of swathes of countryside completely enveloped in pristine glistening snow. If only everyone could cover all their problems with such glistening beauty. We can but dream.

Well after a few hours of total enjoyment I now have music where I want it wherever I go. All rearranged courtesy of S*****y and together with my loop system, good to go. I have playlists for travel (very long for long flights) gym tunes, running beats and so on. I just wish I could do a list for falling asleep but can't 'do' hearing aids and pillows together.

I hope you all have the best day possible. I shall return to the poorly wing later when all the beds have been made. It is sheet change day.

Good morning all.
Molly is fine thankyou, I have been warching her like a hawk.
We have a good covering of snow, about 3 inches and it is staying around.
I was being taken out to lunch today but that is cancelled.
Schools are closed and some bus routes not operating.
We just aren't geared up for bad weather.
A neighbour has invited me for tea this afternoon so I will hunt out my walking boots and take my trusty stick.
I hope all you who have similar conditions are safe, warm and well.
I have plenty of food in thank goodness.
I hope soop is ok with their journey and of course anyone else who has to travel today.

No snow here! Pond is frozen though.

Ok, you lot, I've said it before and will say it again, 'please standstill for a bit'.

We've had a bit of a trying time at LesterManor so I haven't quite had the energy to reply to all the posts and then there is no chance of catching up.

I must say good luck to the soops with all their medical appointments and procedures added to the pesky weather.

No recent word from Panache or Galen - I hope all is well with them both - or all three including MrPanache!

Ann, I have 3 cats and often have lillies on the hall chest - they all survive. We even had one cat who used to drink the flower water and appear with pollen from the stamens all over his face. Of course, you might not want to be so cavalier (!!) with Molly.

I love the 'facq u' letter - that is to be treasured.

DH is coping well with his diagnosis (!!) but now has a cold and is dying!!! We also heard that a friend of his fron University has recently died. He had had Vascular dementia for the last 5/6 years and, although we had arranged to see them a few times, he had been unable to cope and demanded that they turn round and go home. He had stipulated that he didn't want a 'big' funeral, just family and 'no fuss' but DH has found that quite difficult. Their group of 6 or 7 friends from dental school is now down to 3 - scary!!

Added to which, I am on a mission to find cushions for the playroom. I think DH is finding that the most stressful thing of all!!

Gentle hugs to those suffering from aches and pains and from various other stresses.

Sorry not to mention everyone - must try harder!!

Any mince pies left?

Just a couple of mince pies left kitty, help yourself.

No snow here yet, I’m on the south coast.

Sending good wishes to all who are under the weather, or sad, or lonely.

I’m taking elderly mother to see The Favourite this afternoon. Hope she’ll enjoy it.

Botheration! Got to have my poorly tooth removed. It is an old, crowned rootfilling which keeps getting infected. A minor thing compared to so many others but not looking forward to it.

Drat! Did I miss the mince pies? If I follow this trail of crumbs will I find Kitty on the other end? If she hasn’t eaten both of them I might lie in wait and mug her!

N&G the “facq u” letter is definitely a keeper. On a recent clear out I found all the cards GS had ever made for us, or sent us. The first ones were totally indecipherable but the most treasured.

The sun has been shining today, in spite of the fact that fine powdery snow was drifting down this morning as if someone on high was sifting icing sugar! It soon stopped so we went to do some shopping and then had a walk through one of our favourite local parks. On the way round, we met my nephew and his wife who were also having a walk so we went and had a coffee and a good catch up in the park cafe before we parted and went our separate ways. We don’t see them very often and I had forgotten what a lovely sense of humour he has and that he is never short of something to say! In spite of the sunshine, the lakes were frozen, the paths were icy and the distant moorland was a blanket of white, banked by a huge mass of cloud out to the West, which makes me wonder what we are in for tomorrow.

I hope Soop and MacS fared well on their travels and that they are safely back at home.
Take care out there, people!

Evening all,

I have read back through the pages but to avoid War and Peace - sending good wishes to all. BUT especially to * Nannytopsy* I too have to have an extraction which I am currently avoiding. I have to ring to make an apt and have managed to put it off since last Friday so far :-)

We had a layering of snow last night which melted mostly under the clear blue skies this afternoon but it is forecast to return with a vengeance so I am sending Grampy to the men's ward as he has got on my last nerve !!!

No reason - he just has !! :-) Ill have him back tomorrow please.

have no interesting news and have been unable to use the West Wing ( maybe that's the cause of my urge to throttle Grampy???) so I shall leave you all with some rather delicious Bread and Butter Pudding and my very best wishes to one and all.

Just a very quick pop-in to say that the journey, 'though a buggeration going, was so much better coming back. Left home at 8:30 and walked through our door around 5:00. Tomorrow morning...ironing duties. When I return, with a little lot of luck, I should be able to play catch up.

Just a wee surprising statistic...MacSporran's inflammatory marker at the time of that ghastly rash was 14,000 that's fourteen thousand. The norm is somewhere between zero and 500. The consultant says that my man is an enigma!!! Too true. He hasn't a blood clot. Scan on his swollen leg clear. He no longer need a daily injection. We believe that he has turned a very tight corner. A bit like the bends on the Oban road. Made my hair stand on end on occasions.

I must dash. We need food and a wee dram. I shall do my utmost to catch up with you tomorrow afternoon.

HUGS a plenty for every single one of you.

Photo taken on the road to Oban.

Last morning in NZ where it's warming up nicely! Later today I'll be on my way to Manchester airport, arriving on Friday morning and not looking forward to the snow. I've packed warm clothes in my cabin bag so hope to survive the transition from airport to home. See you soon!

Well Grampy settled into the poorly wing quite rapidly following a reading of the riot act. On admission he was grumbling at length about missing bread and butter pudding. I pointed out that such luxurious fayre is not allowed in the poorly ward. Suitably chagrined he is now helping the staff lay out the supper things and generally trying to look busy. I have my beady eye on him.

Beds all changed and lovely new sheets although someones visitor sat on their loved ones bed earlier. They will be spoken to on the morrow.

Does anyone out in the kitchen have a very well behaved dog that would like to train as a pat a dog please? I think having one around would stop the constant grumbling and chuntering from the inmates patients.

I keep hearing reports of more dental problems out in the kitchen, my sympathies. Don't forget the conservatory ladies, if you require a brief sojourn in the gentle wing. Soop perhaps a visit on your return? Matrons heavy metal music collection has been replaced with more soothing sounds, so fear not. Come on in.

Hattie would like to volunteer as a Pat-dog.
She would need a bed too however as she has to rest her eyes regularly.

So pleased you got back safely Soop and MacSporran has turned the corner. It did indeed sound a very tight one.

Charley I did indeed check DH out from the ward in fact I remember bringing a present for all the most amazing nurses. He has improved a great deal since you took him under your wing. He even made his own lunch today - Hurray!

dragonfly at least we are doing something right and if he is doing something useful around the house that is a definite plus.

Izabella if grampy is only staying overnight there is nothing to stop him changing all of the bedding and helping me bring it home to wash etc. He has to pay for his keep somehow.

N&G if you do not make a dental appointment you will find yourself in a corner of that ward and you will not like it one bit. If you do not make an appointment tomorrow I do not want to hear that you have pain 17.00 hours on a Friday.

Hattie would make a lovely pat dog but I agree, she must rest her eyes but she would not mind sharing her bed.

soop I am delighted that the pair of you arrived home safely. Feet up now and rest.

Hattie might do double duty as a hottie “Hottie Hattie”?