Soop’s kitchen, filled with kindness, understanding and some damn fine cake ! Come on in.

Evening All. Been National Trusting today, all very pleasant with lots of seats and constant sunshine.

OK, where have all the strawberries gone? Caught the end of the Rafa match and could just manage some.

Delighted you feel better ann, as ever I struggle to understand the ‘why’ of some comments. I’m hoping annieb is feeling more secure.

An emotional day nannyt, sometimes best expressed if utterly exhausting. A sit in the garden sounds just the right medicine.

charley I thought a pompier was a fireman, may be wrong, I’m sure carillion or someone else will be along to correct me. Cardigan? Goodness no, far too warm.

That was a beautiful rose izabella, thank you for sharing it.

Right, must tidy a bit and then it’s feet up time. TOYA and be good everyone.

A pompier is a fireman
They picked me up the other day when I was tipped off the disabled taxi ramp in Cherbourg.
I have a really nasty gash on my ankle which can’t be stitched due to my fragile skin.

It's not so very contentious, mcem. I have pm'd you on the subject.

carillion you are a welcome addition to the kitchen. Opera cake, I can’t wait! ?

Thankyou Grannynise I do have a lovely family.

Evening all....

mmmmm opera cake...I am willing to be your taste tester Carillion :-) its a tough job but someone has to do it :-)

I dislike some of the flippant or harsh replies on threads outside the kitchen but to challenge these people is to light blue touch paper. They have a million 'excuses' and its always about the other person being too precious. I have wondered about one particular poster as her replies look familiar.

I think there should be an HQ thread that says who has changed name and to what. After all we aren't allowed a like button in case it causes cliques apparently :-) so I think we should know who we are talking to !

Anyway, enough of that niff , naff and trivia. My little grandson Stevie has just got home after a short hospital stay for a dodgy looking rash like a million little bruises all grouped together under the skin. He is fine apparently and stood up to blood tests etc . I asked him if there was any bits he liked and weeing in a bottle topped the list !!

he's such a boy!

Have a lovely evening all. x

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That tennis match sounds awful - I ‘m afraid I can’t stand either. Rafa’s constant ticks drive me mad. Just got back from the most emotional funeral I have been to. A young woman taken by aggressive breast cancer, leaving a close family behind. Songbird by Eva Cassidy at the crematorium was the final straw for most, followed by I will always love you. More tissues please. DD, SiL and family were exhausted by the end, bless them. Sitting in the garden listening to swifts and gold finches which are soothing me.

grannynise when I bump into them again I will introduce you!

Kyrgios would be a far better player if he saved his energy for playing instead of as you said anno being so rude to the umpire so frequently. Spitting is disgraceful.

Ann I am so pleased you have had a pleasant day and hopefully forgot about these nasty folk.

It is supposedly 25C here but my house is cool so I have a thick cardigan on.
TOYA

I'm sure that opera cake was one of the challenges on the most recent Bake Off and it looked elaborate - too good to eat... almost. I have to get up and away from the TV where that very insolent Aussie, Kyrgios is being rude to the umpire at every change of ends and doing his best to distract Nadal with his silly antics. I've spotted him spitting a couple of times. Can you imagine any of the really great players doing that? Oh I do hope Nadal beats him.

Tanith I have just caught up.with the thread and have to say that your post about your lovely grandson and his partner made me a bit tearful, it was so lovely. Fortunately the news about Ruby Rose and the beautiful photo made me pull myself together

Charleygirl who can the lovely gransnetters with whom you meet up be?

I'm a very infrequent poster but do try to keep up with the kitchen. So thank you Soop for providing this lovely 'La-la Land as a refuge for us.

I'm leaving on the side some strawberries from the garden and a pot of chocolate ganache for dipping - vitamin C and iron combined so very healthy.

TOYA

Ann

Charleyg We can't all love the same tennis players. Some would rather run a mile than watch the game. It's good that we are all different. Rafa is a very sweet natured man off court. On court, he is a warrior. Entertaining first set.

I shall hasten away. I shall return as soon as the care home visit and Tesco shop have been accomplished. Please, you lot, stay safe and try to keep out of trouble. TOYA

Everyone has been so kind thankyou.
I was going to the Solicitor this morning to sign things to do with my H's will and make a start on rewriting mine.
It all reminds me of my new state in life and is upsetting so the posts caught me at a raw moment.
However my very good Thursday friend came and took me to a garden centre where we had coffee and a good mooch round and then we went to M&S simply Food where I bought myself some special treats.
I am fine now, thankyou all and good wishes to sick friends and their spouses, may all go well with you .

carillion. Opera cake is a marathon and complex bake. May I be first in the queue please? Once tasted, forever hankered after. ?

ann I discovered from another GN that one of the people who were nasty has changed her name and is a well known sarcastic so and so. I would forget about the nastiness if you can, you were being helpful.

Carillion I have never heard of opera cake but I am more than willing to try anything once. It will mean I will have to get there early or this lot will beat me to it.

Sorry Carillion but what is a pompier? I am assuming DH is having his surgery done in northern Brittany? Good luck wherever.

The weather here in London is perfect- I am having a rest from tennis having watched the Dart girl win. I fell asleep when a British fellow, Cameron something played but lost so decided to have a rest for a while. I cannot stand Rafa Nadal, sorry soop so I doubt if I will be watching him for long.

TOYA

Dear Soop, as I write and watch R Federer DH is sitting in the garden. I have told him I'm sending the opera cake recipe to the kitchen. He says his and my middle are looking in need of slimming down but that's because of too much French vino, methinks.
We have a clock in the garden which he's just asked me to take down because it's stopped at 2.50pm. I've told him it's staying where it is because it's all about my favourite poem...'Granchestet'...
^Yet stands the clock at ten to three?
And is there honey, still, for tea...?^
I digress ...it's back to the tennis for the rest of the day. Thank you x soop

If Rafa's match doesn't begin soon, I shall be doomed to busy myself aboot the hoos. I have done a pile of ironing. Dashed hither and thither with the vac. Tidied all the gubbins relating to my so-called art studio. Thought seriously about other boring stuff. Soon recovered from that blip.

Good afternoon, Carillion , I am pleased that you and the rest of us lot appreciate the ambience of our kitchen. A VERY long time ago, I was told that I lived in "la la land"...a place where folk do not wish to bicker and bitch. So be it. La la land suits us just fine. I have no desire for unpleasantness. It's negative and a complete waste of time. A little kindness goes a very long way.
Sadly, cake and warm cheese straws crumble before our eyes. As does chocolate. Your opera cake sounds very tempting, Carillion. What is the recipe? Not that I should make it. I'm on the plump side (around my middle) right now. I blame the medication.

anno I'm eagerly awaiting Rafa's match. Inbetween times, I flick the dust from A to B and back again.

Good afternoon dear kitcheners, haven't posted for a couple of days as I have been staying close to DH through his knee injury investigations after his fall in hospital in northern Brittany (wifi not great).

Looking very promising. Have been told his planned back surgery will more than likely go ahead. Very relieved because his constant pain restricts all aspects of his daily life and I hate the fact that I can't 'make it better' for him. Our pompiers were magnificent and made him comfortable very quickly.

Thank you, thank you soop, kittylester, and Gand G for just thinking about us...and Bordersgirl your tea and buttery toast was Delish. X

Also, I missed MrandMrsGreydusters big anniversary, sending belated but very best wishes. Xx

soop, it was so lovely to see the photographs of the boys, very gorgeous...but I really wanted to say thank you for looking after everyone, even newish forum members like me. Xx

I have been following what must be a longstanding worry for Panache because moving home is never easy and was so glad to read that she and DH are safe and sound, if still in furniture removal challenges!

Tanith how beautiful Ruby Rose is! You must have so much joy.

Izabella I feel great hope and warmth when I read what you write. I wasn't sure at first, after joining the forum that GR forum was a place where I wanted to be but soops kitchen is.

annsixty, please don't be upset. Those who post unpleasant or argumentative or even pointless opinionated posts have a long way to go to find inner peace...and sadly, as an earlier poster mentioned they might have been bullies or bullied in the past. That's not your fault. Just ignore this.

Doodle ... I really valued your sensitive and caring post which you sent to ann.
I had only been part of the forum for a few days when I received an unnecessary and pointless post. I was nonplussed but having thought it through now realise the person who sent it was perhaps in need of some attention. I always feel sorry for those who need to vent their frustration. Posters like that need sympathy, in my view! No-one in need is ever turned away.

Thank goodness for soop's kitchen and all the kindness here.

Making enough opera cake tomorrow for anyone who'd like a piece... xxxxx

ann some people live lives where arguments and disagreements are part of everyday life and they make their opinions known to all around. Things bounce off them and I think they don’t understand that others can be hurt by what is said. A poster once told me to “grow up” because she didn’t agree with my opinion on something. I was not being unkind to her or anyone just saying what I thought about a situation not even a person. Her comment stung and stayed with me for a while. I doubt the person who posted it ever gave it another thought. We are all different and some take things to heart more than others. I hope you can forget it now and relax in the warmth of the kitchen.

ann. You requested cheese straw - here they are just for you, still slightly warm.

Well said Anno

ann, you have enough reassurance here to let you know that you are loved by us here. There is a name for those that pick on others who are known to be vulnerable (and you are). They are, quite simply, bullies and should be cold-shouldered by the rest of us.

Izabella, what a lovely rose. Does it have a name and fragrance? I love your inspirational posts. Living life in the moment is what we should all do more of - love the life we have, not the life we had or think we should have.

Izabella I agree with so many of us lot...you, dear lady, are remarkable.

Ann I've no idea what it is that has caused you distress. I am sad and angry in equal measure. It...whatever it is is utterly pointless. You have my respect.

I've much catching up to do. Nothing new there then. The FB glitch has been resolved. I've ironing of my own to tackle. MacSporran is in the loft and sawing something that sounds weighty and sort of important. Don't ask.

Back a little later.