Soop's warm and welcoming kitchen for friendship...

brook2704

A very warm welcome Fairycakes good to see you settled down in front of the fire keeping warm

Thank you, Brook. You can't beat a real fire 😄🔥🤗

Good evening kitchen pals, hope everyone is keeping warm
I spent the morning at the hairdressers and the afternoon shopping in town, I didn’t buy anything much but I enjoyed browsing. Lots of Christmas shoppers about and the decorations in the shopping centre looked very pretty and festive.
Hope you enjoyed your meal out ann, it’s always nice not to have to do the cooking wherever you go.
corner hoping you and your DH are fully recovered soon
Hope you enjoyed tonight’s dinner grandmabatty always a favourite of ours!

I have to give a heads up to our local Beefeater, we both had a steak, sirloin for my friend and ribeye for me.
They were well cooked and full of flavour.
We bought a bottle of wine which I had a glass of, my friend had half a glass and we took it back to hers to finish, then I got a taxi home.
She was driving.
We had a good night and as usual set the world to rights, we are very good at it.
I wish you all a peaceful night and keep warm ,it is a very hard frost already here.

corner you need that like a hole in the head, especially as Mr C is not capable of doing much now. You are lucky to have such decent neighbours to help with groceries etc.

ann it may not be your favourite eating place but at least you will not be washing the dishes.

soop seeing the consultant cannot come soon enough

A very late Good Evening, Soop and lovely Kitchen people! Soop, I'm sure your visit and kindness was much appreciated by your bereaved friend.

Annsixty, sincere condolences on the loss of your dear friend. She was blessed with the passing that many would wish for, but such a shock for family and friends. R.I.P. 🙏💐

Blossoming, I hope you are feeling a wee bit better today. Keep nice and cosy.

Brook, you are very motivated, going to the gym on a Saturday, well done you! I've booked for the Aquafit class on Tuesday, haven't been for a few weeks.

Cornergran, I'm so sorry to hear that you both have Covid now, wishing you both a speedy recovery. If it's any comfort to you, my friend, who contracted it in hospital recently, recovered very quickly. She was so glad she'd had all her jags.

Dustyangel, 👋 hello! I hope you and DH are doing OK. I totally agree with your sentiments about Urms' wise words. I'm so glad that she and Himself enjoyed their date night.

Grandmabatty, you know me well! 🤣 I have a big pot of lentil soup ready for tomorrow, my sisters are coming for lunch after Mass. Then they are going to assist me to clear out my winter wardrobes. The idea is to get warm clothing into the charity shop when it is most needed. They can be quite ruthless, even brutal! I find it hard to let things go, maybe a throwback to the days we didn't have so much? DSis2 has been known to say, ' Well it never really suited you, did it?' I love my sisters, really!

Jaxjacky, I hope you're not too uncomfortable waiting for word of your operation, fingers crossed 🤞 you get word soon.
I had a very thorough F to F appointment with my GP, she was pleased with my B.P. and bloods, and reviewed my medication before considering a referral to the Sleep Clinic. Apparently my medication for the visual migraine can cause daytime sleepiness. I've to phone for update in the New Year. I'm satisfied with that just now.

Nannytopsy, thinking of you and your DS. Good luck to your DGS for his mock exams, my DGS1,( namesake to your wee DGS), is at the same stage, a stressful time for them.

It's been bitterly cold here today, but beautiful blue skies. The furthest I've been was out to the bin, ran back in to hug the radiators, my legs were frozen.
DS3 and lovely girlfriend came for lunch, then went up in the loft to bring down all my Christmas stuff, as DH and I can't really manage the loft ladders now... they stacked everything neatly in the guest room, until I'm ready. I may be some time, Christmas cleaning not started yet!

Forgive me if I haven't mentioned you by name, I do read all your posts. TOYA, NNGB.

Hello kitchen people. It’s nice to be back in my own bed! It took two hours to drive back from Kew. The traffic was appalling. I met younger son for lunch (which was delicious) and then we went to the Holbein exhibition at the Queen’s Gallery. Highly recommended. What a wonderful artist he was. These were mainly his preliminary sketches.
A whole pile of packages were delivered while I was away, mainly Christmas presents. This includes things my sister in Australia arranged to be sent from English companies, which I’ll have to wrap up! Cheek.
I hope everyone is having a good evening, that steak sounds good, Ann.

Oops, a few crossed posts, Brook I'm sorry ,I've confused your post from yesterday with today! Happy hairdo!

Annsixty, I'm glad you enjoyed your night out. I love a sirloin steak! 🥩
Ooh, I didn't know my phone had an emoji for steak, you learn something every day.

Hello 👋 Charleygirl, nice to see you in the kitchen. 😀

Hello 👋 Ladyleftfieldlover, sounds like you've had a wonderful weekend. Well done on your Christmas shopping, that's the way to do it. DH and I did quite a bit of Christmas shopping from the comfort of the sofa this evening ( before Dr Who and Strictly of course!) I appreciate it when family sends me links to 'wish lists' because I have very few ideas for suitable gifts nowadays.

It wasn’t my friend who died but my friend’s friend.
But I thank you all for the sentiments and the warm thoughts.
The autopsy showed she died from COPD which my friend didn’t know she had!!
Her very old mother is devastated and not really taking it in.

Hello all. Sorry I haven’t visited the kitchen for several days. Earlier this week I learned that a much loved friend and colleague has been given the unwelcome news that her cancer is no longer responding to treatment. The cancer has since and the tumours are growing. She and her husband will be having the conversation with her doctors and hard choices made. She is a lovely woman and was so supportive of me when I needed it.
Last week I learned that another friend and fellow brain injury survivor had a massive stroke and was in intensive care. This morning I learned that he died yesterday evening without regaining consciousness. He leaves a wife and two young sons. We are bonded by a shared trauma and the understanding that comes with that. Our little group is dwindling, we went through so much together and it hurts.

I need to deal with all this and I don’t know how.

Look after yourselves xx

Oh Blossoming what a very traumatic time for you.
I am so sad that you are having this to deal with.
As I said in a previous post we are constantly reminded of our own mortality.
You and your fellow “survivors “ of your illness will feel your friend’s loss deeply, as you said, a shared bond.

I have been awake for ages and my GD is in “big trouble” when she wakes up.
She came in with her friend shortly after me and said F would be staying overnight.
When I woke for a “comfort trip” I was boiling hot, she had overridden the central heating and then not switched it back.
It has been on all night.
I am not happy.
I dread to think what it has cost.

Sending a hug and much love blossoming. Such a difficult time

Oh heck, ann. Understand you being cross. I’d be ready to murder. Isn’t it sad when we need to focus so much on the cost of being warm?

Stereo coughing here today. Mr C is back to a normal temperature and staying upright, I’m so pleased and relieved.

Stay well everyone. Covid isn’t fun.

A lot of sadness for you Blossoming and all at once, it will take time for you to grieve, I’ll be thinking of you 💐.
I’m not surprised you’re cross ann I think a word will have to be said, it’s not as though it can be undone.
Better news corner and a sigh of relief from you, onwards!
Out for a late lunch today with our little family, I’m looking forward to it.

Sorry Blossoming be gentle on yourself, such terribly sad news 💐

Blossoming ❤️

I have not had a chance to post ( but have kept up with all my kitchen pals news) as work suddenly went crazy from all directions. My usual companies suddenly had projects that needed completing immediately and then 2 new companies asked if I could work on projects for them too. I'm off to work shortly but had to share something wonderful with you all. On Friday I had gone to pick up L who used to be my lodger ( he is also D3 brother in law). It's been hard for him as he has been between a rock and a hard place over the last 4 years but he refused to give up our friendship as he says that it is down to me that he survived and is sober for 8 years. He and DOH get on really well too. He lives in the same town as D2 D3 and D4 and my DGS's. I had just been comforting a lady who had reversed her car into another one and was a few minutes late meeting L when one of my DGS ( one of the twins) walked past...I turned to look at him and he turned back to look at me and I walked towards him and he to me. We hugged one another and I cried and told him I had always loved him...I had never stopped and I never would. I told him where I was living and said may be one day you will come and visit and he nodded. I said please send my love to his brothers if he could ( without causing any upset) and he said he would. My heart has been singing ever since.

That's lovely Naughtyneime no wonder you are buzzing.We had a rotten week Dd hard to visit hospital twice ,she has a P E ,infected lung cyst. and narrowing of cardiac vessel ,now get partner has come done with covi d like symptoms ,we have grandson here and granddaughter slept at friends what a week. Hope ever can find some pleasure today.

Thank you Grannmarie I am rarely far away.

corner I was pleased to hear that Mr. C is slowly returning to normal. You must look after yourself and rest.

ann I also would not be very happy. I am aware it is a simple mistake but a very costly one at today's prices

I found a grass cutter through Nextdoor. He turned up 30 minutes late, a very poor command of the English language but I had stated online that he had to bring his own tools. When he saw the work to be done the price rose astronomically. He had no tools so back to the drawing board or more likely a sharp pair of scissors.

Good afternoon, I must apologise for last night’s rambling and incoherent post. I was feeling overwhelmed by it all. Please forgive me for bringing it to this happy place.

Blossoming the kitchen is a place where we can all bring our sadness as well as our happy times as we know we will be met by sympathy and support.
You were quite right to bring your thoughts here.
There are few ,if any of us, who haven’t posted in distress at some time.
Keep on with your posts please and worry not.

Oh blossoming so sorry to hear your news, sending you gentle hugs and ❤️❤️
Please don’t feel the need to apologise, like ann says the kitchen is a safe place to share your feelings and we’re all here for each other x

Blossoming, I share the sentiments that annsixty has written, as I'm sure we all do in this friendly, cosy kitchen. Take care now.

Happy news neine … one day I hope he’s knocking on your door

Sorry to hear about your DD hulahoop and your stressful week, hoping things improve a bit soon

Good afternoon, Soop and lovely Kitchen people.

Blossoming, I'm so sorry to read your sad news, that will be a shock to your system, particularly as you had a special bond and much in common. Be gentle with yourself, grief takes its own time. Come back to the Kitchen whenever you can. Sending love and prayers, for your comfort and consolation. 💐🙏

Annsixty, Brook and Gillgran, we are all agreed about the open door of Soop's welcoming kitchen. 💕

Neine, I'm so delighted to read your happy news! I think your encounter with your DGS was meant to be, I hope it is the start of happier times in family relationships for you both.

Annsixty, I know exactly how you feel! Some years ago, DS3 and a previous GF were staying in my house while we were on holiday. When we returned the house was like an oven, thermostat 23 degrees. Cross words were said, I must admit.

Aw, Hulahoop, so sorry to hear about your DD, I hope she is on the mend soon. Thank goodness you are able to help with your grandchildren, but don't forget to look after yourself too.

Charleygirl, I hope you find a grass cutter soon. 🤞

👋 👋 Hello, Baggs and Grannygravy!

Cornergran, may I prescribe two generous hot toddies at bedtime tonight ? Should help enormously with the coughing/ troubled sleep.😉

Jaxjacky, enjoy your family lunch, great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

I had my sisters here today, plus DSis 1's baby granddaughter. She took her first steps yesterday, she will be one in January. It was her first time in my house, she joined us at the table and had a wee drop of my home made soup! Family tradition!
Then we spent a very focused hour going through my wardrobes. As expected, my sisters were lethal, anything that no longer fits/ hasn't been worn in a year ( apart from 'occasional' outfits) is now in charity bags in the boot of my car. My teaching outfits have gone, I haven't been in a classroom since March 2020 when our schools closed for the pandemic. It's a job I welcomed their help with, I found it hard!

Wishing everyone a peaceful Sunday, TOYA.