Soop's kitchen for kindly, caring folk...

Hello everyone. A quiet day for me and OH. Although I did make a large batch of mixed Guinea fowl and chicken stock. We ate both yesterday. My freezers are now packed! OH will cook dinner. Hopefully we can watch D Attenborough’s new series and the Antiques Roadshow later, if the Beeb has gone back to a normal timetable. I am currently sitting on the sofa with Milo the cat doing the Observer crossword.

Llfl Please stroke Milo for me.

I received a lovely message from the lady for whom I painted the pet portrait. She is delighted. That is all the reward I need. Now I have a local lady's four month old Labradoodle to paint. Her previous pet died not so long ago.

TOYA. Until tomorrow, I wish you a pleasant evening. [moom]

Just going to settle down with a Thai chicken curry and a glass of wine after quite a busy day
We went into town to watch the Proclamation ceremony for King Charles, there were quite a few people about and lots of local dignataries of course. After that we had a walk by the river and a look at the floral tributes left outside the cathedral
Then home for a couple of hours in the garden making the most of the fine weather
Enjoy the last day of your holidays blossoming staying in a lighthouse sounds really good. Safe journey home tomorrow
Shame about your car SueD hope it’s sorted soon
Pleased you’re both back home safely Jax and corner, I know the Botanic gardens and Wimpole well !

Here’s Milo, Soop.

Hi all, thanks Blossoming it looks delightful.
Oh, oh with your car SueD just maybe you’ll be ok.
A mixed trip for you corner I’m glad there were some ups during your visit as well as downs
We were out for lunch with good friends today, our tums are still full, but what a lovely place with delicious food. A new find on the edge of the New Forest at Cadnam, we’ll definitely be back. A return to simpler fare from tomorrow, belts need to be tightened in more ways than one!
I was reminded today it’s 21 years since 9/11, so I took a moment, amongst those for our Queen, to remember those other families.
Have a gentle evening all x

Thank you for the car commiserations. It’s just a car but it’s so damned inconvenient and annoying! ?‍♀️

What a handsome chap Milo is! ?

Today we’ve been back to our patch in NE Scotland to say farewell to the Queen. It was lovely sunshine, although oddly, a chill breeze blew through the village just as the cortege arrived. A few people in the distance clapped but mostly there was simply a respectful silence as they passed. No one quite knew what to do afterwards - we decided to have a restorative coffee and cake in a favourite cafe.

It now seems real that the Queen has died - she wasn’t in the car that was carrying her coffin, if you know what I mean. A sad day but I’m glad we went. We also followed a lot of the tv coverage, I think I know every inch of those roads from Balmoral to Perth. ❤️

Thanks for sharing the picture with us, SueDonim.

Evening! I should be asleep because we are up for the school run tomorrow ?.
We have a house full of family, with the two local DGC plus DD SiL & baby DGS. ?
SueD that’s a buggeration with your car. Bring on the insurance!
NNGB ?

Thank you from me for sharing the image, SueD

Nannytopsy Your energy really is amazing. You have my respect.

Jax Twenty-one years ago, (on the 11th September) we arrived at a hotel in Moffat, a very pretty small town in the borders of Scotland. The manager informed us of the nightmare situation as the scale of the destruction and terrible loss of life unfolded. As we sat on the train en route to Scotland, we passed through a station. I caught a glimpse of a TV screen and thought that it was showing the film, 'The Towering Inferno'. I shall never forget that day.

Ladyleftfieldlover Have I painted Milo's portrait? If not, may I please do so? It will be a gift.

Soop! I would be delighted if you painted Milo’s portrait. What a wonderful thing.

Llfl I will pm you with my email address.

We've been watching the moving account of the late Queen's journey along the Royal Mile in Edinburgh to St. Giles' Cathedral.

Tomorrow, we are travelling to Glasgow. I have an appointment with the wonderful surgeon who performed the colostomy back in February. His skill transformed my life. I shall never forget the wonderful support we received in order to have the surgery performed privately.

I shall report back to you on Wednesday. Until then,

Thanks for the picture SueD
Hope all goes well tomorrow with your appointment soop take care travelling too. So pleased that things worked out so well for you
I’ve been for a zumba class at the gym this morning and then home to hang out the washing and a bit of gardening. I’ve also been watching the service from St Giles this afternoon, I thought it was very moving and respectful
Salmon for tea so I’d best get a move on to get that ready
Sounds like a busy day nannytopsy enjoy!
Take care everyone

Good evening everyone. It's been a strange few days. Very emotional at times watching the TV. I've shed tears at least once a day. I did think yesterday's walkabout with William and Cate and Harry and Meghan very telling. Whilst the boys did at least try to talk albeit briefly it seemed that Cate wanted nothing to do with Meghan ( perhaps understandably given that because of her their workload increased). We had a friend staying for the weekend... It's a bit like a Chinese Laundry here on Mondays as we seem to have guests most weekends. We found a lovely pub in a village called Churchinford that did amazing Sunday roasts... Sadly I couldn't manage the Strawberry meringue stack so I'll have to go back!!!!!I had a call from the physio earlier...it seems there are several anomalies with the new hip do she has sent the email onto all the lower limb orthopaedic team for their advice. I should hear back tomorrow. I'm feeling a bit yukky...headache ( Maybe the weather) and a sore throat too. I'm supposed to be traveling to London on Thursday to pay my respects but not sure A. How the hip will hold up or B. If this develops into something.
SueD...I spoke to my DOH and he says you will be better having the car written off.... It's a pain I know... Finding a replacement but better that you have something reliable. Your holidays sound and look lovely too. Lots of good wishes for your hospital visit Soop. Llfl...ditto your tests. DOH is just home... No dinner prepared!!! Luckily he is kindness itself ( but no confidence to cook dur to his ex telling him he was useless at everything.. I will never understand why you have to destroy someone just because you fall out of love with them). Fish and Chips tonight methinks. Have a peaceful evening.

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Good evening lovely Kitcheners, we are home after a fabulous visit to our favourite Galloway hotel.

Soop no cycling whatsoever has been done, lots of very good food has been consumed and lots of quality sleep was enjoyed.

Excellent wildlife watching, porpoises put on a display yesterday.

I did quite a bit of walking but was a bit upset at how poor my mobility is just now. By the time we visit again it will be much improved, fingers crossed.

The hotel is the Corsewall Lighhouse Hotel, if anyone is wondering. A stunning location, it’s owned by 2 lovely people, very welcoming. We shall return.

Wishing you well tomorrow soop. Safe journey.

That looks amazing Blossoming you’ll get to your walking place, at your pace.
Best of luck tomorrow soop.
Thinking of you llfl.
After the washing this morning, all dried, then sorting and defrosting food for the next couple of days I was off to the dental hygienist.
Any dental appointment fills me with trepidation, my own fault after years of being an ostrich, so I was very pleased when it was over with, for today.
Planted out some lettuce, admired our new joined together water butts and made dinner, so now it’s a settled in evening.
Enjoy yours x

Will be thinking of you tomorrow soop and hope today went well LadyLL.
I’m glad the dental appointments are all done with Jax.

Safe journey Soop. Hello all ?.
TOYA ?

Hi Doodle good to see you ?
Well done with the hygienist Jax, it’s always a good feeling when it’s done
They’re lovely pictures blossoming and thanks for the info about the lighthouse hotel, it would be good to stay there sometime

Hello everyone. Well I spoke to my GP this morning. All my latest blood tests were fine except the one which showed my alkaline phosphate levels were elevated and rising. She is arranging a full body scan in 2/3 weeks. She texted later in the morning to ask me to have another blood test - Gamma CT - so I did that this afternoon. She said she wants to check the more serious possibilities first. That was my day apart from an hour at my friend’s house talking about craft.

I hope your appointment goes well Soop.

Hello Kitcheners. Hope all goes well tomorrow soop.

Beautiful holiday photos blossoming especially the unusual lighthouse hotel. You've made progress with your mobility and it will continue.

Excellent planning for next year Jax. I'm sure we're going to keep getting these dry bouts.

MrMuse's birthday tomorrow so I'll whisk him off to our fairly local pub for a meal. He's needs a break from struggling with a solar thermal controller. We might ask around the pub if there is an electrician in the house! Our's has let us down.

Fine weather tomorrow please. We are having the soffits on the new house painted.

Hello everyone! I spent the evening with a small boy asleep on my chest. That’s his favourite position - and mine too!
Everyone is in bed now and hoping he sleeps well.
That looks like a good hotel Blossoming . Still dropping less than subtle hints to DH!
NNGB ?

This came up on my time hop today. I thought I'd share it with you. It brought me up short then and again this morning at how short life really is...I was staying in my beloved Tenby at the time....on my own never thinking how much my life would change just a short while later.

I just love being here. It really is the only place where my shoulders come down to where they should be. ..rather than up round my ears where they normally are...I have done nothing but walk..eat..read and sleep. Walking on my beloved South Beach on Sunday...I suddenly realised...I don't have a lifetime ahead of me to walk with the sand between my toes gazing across at Caldey and then back to candy coloured buildings high above the rocks. The emotion that rose up within me made me stop walking...I couldn't breathe properly and although my faith tells me that eternal life will be wonderful...I for a few moments couldn't comprehend a time when I wouldn't walk this way again...I couldn't even cry...it was almost for a few seconds like time stopped. (It's making me a bit weepy recalling it tho). Ever practical tho. ..I remonstrated with this emotional wreck that seemed to have jumped briefly into my skin and promised her a piece of fruit cake and a glass of wine if she just shut up and start walking again before the heavens opened. Luckily there were over 1000 men taking part in a triathlon...Ironman Wales...so emotional wreck was relegated to a back seat whilst I cheered about 500 of them on as they ran past the cottage on their 26 mile marathon.....after swimming 2.4 miles after and cycling 112 miles. I got tired just clapping!!!!. Happily Mrs I'm in the Autumn of my life ...had departed and Miss I'm heading towards Late Summer was back....and I set off on another bit of the Pembrokeshire Coastal path near Marloes..in North Pembs this time. More utterly stunning scenery...craggy steep sided rocks...sheltering little bays and in one of these little coves....Seals...not just seals tho....baby seals...tiny white forms that were so new I had to stand really still to watch to see they were actually real. My eye was caught by a seal in the middle of the beach and I initially felt sick as it looked like it had been injured ...blood on the beach beside it. The wind was starting to whip up at this point so standing closer to the edge was chancey but I'm so glad I did....because as the wind dropped and I could squint more..so I realised that she had just given birth. Beside her was a tiny creamy yellow shape that she was licking. Mrs Emotional Wreck parachuted in from somewhere and nearly knocked me over the cliff edge as I realised that even if I'm not here to see it.....walk it....love it. ..Life will go on. Firmly grabbing Mrs Emotional Wreck by the seat of her pants and yelling that if she gave me any more life affirming moments whilst standing at the top of a cliff.....my life certainly wouldn't be going on for much longer. !!!!!. The wind that would develop into a force 5 gale later was beginning to make its presence felt so with prayers that the little seal would make it through the storm I headed back south to the safety of my stone cottage. The wind was blowing a houli by the time I got back to Tenby and I had to hang onto walls and parked cars to stay upright......but not even that could stop me loving this place...and the wind blew Mrs I'm close to death..my life is nearly over. ....right out to sea.....and Miss.....Feck it..I'm only a bit over 50 opened a bottle of Chenin Blanc and toasted Sandra the seal ...and her cub ...

Happy Birthday to MrMuse, enjoy the birthday treat