Val's Cafe

Kitty

Daily Poem

Going for Water

By: Robert FrostThe well was dry beside the door,

And so we went with pail and can

Across the fields behind the house

To seek the brook if still it ran;

Not loth to have excuse to go,

Because the autumn eve was fair

(Though chill) because the fields were ours,

And by the brook our woods were there.

We ran as if to meet the moon

That slowly dawned behind the trees,

The barren boughs without the leaves,

Without the birds, without the breeze.

But once within the wood, we paused

Like gnomes that hid us from the moon,

Ready to run to hiding new

With laughter when she found us soon.

Each laid on other a staying hand

To listen ere we dared to look,

And in the hush we joined to make

We heard—we knew we heard—the brook.

A note as from a single place,

A slender tinkling fall that made

Now drops that floated on the pool

Like pearls, and now a silver blade.

Toni, Penelope is beautiful. Do you ever call her Penny, it's lovely to see Sleek visiting us. thank you for the scrambled egg on toast. I'll pinch some of Barbara's brown sauce.

Barbara, I didn't know which brown sauce you preferred, so I got both,

Joan, which do you prefer, brown or Ketchup?

frogmorton

Yes Joan I LOVE quorn sausages they are very very tasty and much better for our health too :) I will be posting to our message section probably tomorrow with information about P.

I am sending the photo of my car to the Figaro Owners club - she might be in the calendar for 2021!

barbara12

Evening all..or is it still afternoon..

Tonight I really enjoyed the scrambled eggs on toast thank you

What a lovely photo of your car..such a stunning colour..I still think you should wear a large hat driving her around the village and a flowing scarf.. 😁

Yes I found the brown sauce thank you..its good to know some neighbours have the ring at least you can get some advice off them..

So glad our Chris is home..our Joan knows all about the boots..I hope uts comfortable fir her xx

Joan my brother really has done well..apparently the first tumour has shrunk..but the secondary one is there but not to bad at the min..how is your hand doing I hope its not to painful xx

My friend that I have known since I was 16 has the virus..she has quite a few health problems..so I am hoping she will make a good recovery ..her husband is poorly but he has tested negitive..it makes you wonder how good the test are

Love to everyone

Xxxxxx

frogmorton

Such a lovely upbeat pretty and tinkly poem Kath. You can almost imagine the brook and hear it too. If you can't just look at the photo you posted.

Sleek says she always loves to visit her Aunty Kath too bless her.

Now I would like to called Penelope Penny, but would you Adam and Eve it? We have TWO Pennies (Pennys???) in our village already!!!

Thanks for sorting out the sauce for you and Barbara. My Dad liked daddies himself.

Hi Barbara I will wear a hat and scarf not Penelope Pitstop style, but retro for next summer's Figaro Owners 30th anniversary. A head-scarf maybe like Hilda Ogden without the rollers though.....🤗 If I tie it tight enough it might hold my double chin up!!!!

Sleek wants me to change the seats for these....

I am so sorry to hear about your friend....🤞 for her. I bet her husband would test positive if they tried again. I am not 100% confident about the tests either.

Right must get my act together this morning....

I hope Chris (catlady) is settled back at home and may just pop in soon ((()))

and we see Carol too maybe 🙂

Love to Christine and mig 😍

dachshund

Good morning everyone

Kath (((())).yes I like brown sauce I used to drink vinegar from the bottle. I hope all is well with everyone love to Chris ((())) Anita ((())) Val ((())) and your dad ((()))

Barbara ((())) yes your brother's done well I hope the other one shrinks down ((())) love to his girlfriend (((())) and your son (((())) and Mr B (((()))) Good luck to your neighbour and her husband ((()))

Toni (((())) your car looks lovely hope its picked for the calendar. Love toPaul ((()))Charley ((())) and her girlfriend ((())) Lucy ((())) Tia (((())) Kari ((())) Pom ((()))

love to Bill ((())) Chris ((())) Carol ((())) Mig ((())) Christine ((()))

Kitty

Daily Poem (I've found a few by E A Poe, so mysterious but he was brilliant. I couldn't resist this one).

A Dream Within A Dream

By: Edgar Allan Poe

Take this kiss upon the brow!

And, in parting from you now,

Thus much let me avow-

You are not wrong, who deem

That my days have been a dream;

Yet if hope has flown away

In a night, or in a day,

In a vision, or in none,

Is it therefore the less gone?

All that we see or seem

Is but a dream within a dream.

I stand amid the roar

Of a surf-tormented shore,

And I hold within my hand

Grains of the golden sand-

How few! yet how they creep

Through my fingers to the deep,

While I weep- while I weep!

O God! can I not grasp

Them with a tighter clasp?

O God! can I not save

One from the pitiless wave?

Is all that we see or seem

But a dream within a dream?

I'd like this as my mouse mat.

Barbara, such good news about your brother. There is so much cancer around. I read a FB post from a woman in her 3os who has terminal breast cancer. So cruel. 😪

Toni, is that you in Penelope or is it Grace Kelly? I agree with Sleek, those seats are F A B U L O S O. She is always welcome at ours, we often fall asleep on our settee - she curls up on my lap.

Thanks for the chucky eggs on toast.

Joan, our Tesco order is due around 12-1.00 pm today. 😊

Right, over to Matron's for another historic recipe.

barbara12

Afternoon all..

Toni thank-you for breakfast my GDs fiance cuts the toast like that for her..😁

So you are Pennie never mind the other one..there is only you with a car like that.. I think the new seats are a must ...😍and the scar will be spot on mi lady...

These test do make you wonder.. xx

Joan thank-you.. how is Sue.. doing we don't hear from her now..love to all if you xx

Kath thank-you.. I do like to watch the waves when at the seaside.. the stronger the wind the better.. 😁

The poor lady being so young with cancer..its about time they found a cure..saying that a friend if ours works in the lab at Christies and there is something new on the horizon he says..xx

Love to catlady and Christine hope both your recoveries are going well xx

Better make a move

Love to everyone

Xx xx xx

frogmorton

My brother's best friend at work died at 34 of triple neg BC Kath he took in her dog for her because he promised. It was however a pain-free and restful death. Watching corrie the Dr had been she didn't need pain relief she really really did go to sleep. Best female friend and ex husband (also a good friend) also watching telly with her at her home. It was devastating.

I love the poem about grains of sand and really how life slips away and it's as though we'd never been....a dream within a dream. BUT we were here look at the profound effect when we lose someone and those memories in our hearts.💔

Sleek informs me that Aunty Kath's lap is very comfy and she sits still for a long time which she loves bless her🐱🐱

I think I could look like Grace Kelly maybe? not Hilda Ogden???😁

Joan I also used to love drinking vinegar out of the jar, but now gosh can you imagine the heart burn even after 30mg of lansoprazole😣

If my car gets picked for the calendar I will let you know I promise.

Aw Barbara isn't that the sweetest thing making heart shaped toast. That's all you could want for your GD isn't it? to be loved and love 💕

Oh I do hope your friend who works at Christies is right and there really is something new. One day I am sure people will look back at this brutal chemo treatments and be horrified what we had to do to cure cancer.

This whole COVID is so confusing I just don't understand any of it. Time will tell. I hope people in your village are recovering.

Is Niamh coming over this weekend?

Love to Carol who has been in and replied to my PM.

Chris - who is doing ok at home, but is very weak to Christine whose eyes should 🤞be on the mend.

Aidan's Saturday breakfast!

dachshund

Good morning everyone

Kath ((())) I hope you get all you ordered love to Chris (()) Anita (()) Val (()) and your Dad ((()))

Barbara ((())) yes thank you sue is well we went for the flu injection yesterday all the money that goes in to Cancer care you would think they could have found a cure by now. love to Mr B ((())) your son ((())) and your brother ((())) and his girlfriend ((()))

Toni I((())) I read we could have snow today. Love to Paul ((())) Lucy ((())) Charley ((())) and her girlfriend ((())) Tia ((()))

love to Bill ((()))Chris ((())) Mig ((())) Christine ((()))

Kitty

Daily Poem

I Am

I am—yet what I am none cares or knows;

My friends forsake me like a memory lost:

I am the self-consumer of my woes—

They rise and vanish in oblivious host,

Like shadows in love’s frenzied stifled throes

And yet I am, and live—like vapours tossed

Into the nothingness of scorn...

John Clare

John Clare was an English poet, the son of a farm labourer, who came to be known for his celebratory representations of the English countryside and his lamentation of its disruption. 

Joan, thank you, our order arrived. Late - but it arrived. 🙄

I know it seems they should have found a cure for cancer by now, but there are so many different types. For example there are at least 13 types of breast cancer, not just one - 13. That's not even considering Bowel cancer, stomach cancer, bone cancer. Plus the cancer our lovely Lucy had. Then each cancer grows and spreads at different rates and ways. I had 20 friends in my chemo group. 4 have died and one has secondary cancer. It's spread to her bones and her liver. We pray she will remain a stable Mabel (not terminal) Here endeth the lesson on cancer. 😝 (I'm sticking my tongue out at cancer, not you lovely friends)

Toni, definitely Grace Kelly, not Hilda Ogden. Thank you for Aidan's Saturday breakfast.

Nottingham is probably going into lockdown next week. We Derbyshire folk have been advised not to mix with them. There's a road in Long Eaton where one end is in Nottingham and the other is in Derbyshire!!!

barbara12

Evening all..

Toni thank-you for the croissants ..I am getting hooked..

No you are Grace Kelly..not Hilda.. 😅bet you can't wait to show your car off at the anniversary meeting...you will be proper proud

Cancer is horrible ..hopefully very soon..our friend has worked at Christies for a few years now.. I do hope whatever they have can combat all tumours..

Niam cane for a couple if hours. We wire our mask..but how life gas changed...xx

Joan i am glad to hear Sue us doing OK and you had your flu jabs..

My late mum used to say the same about cancer and that was nearly 40 years ago..hopefully it won't be much longer.. xx

Kath thank-you for another nice poem...mymums went to her brain from her breast.. so I really feel for your friend and hope that her treatment can help.

ooh lockdown.. not sure if we are in or out..🤔like Toni says its so confusing ...xx

Poor Chris..she will need building up now..xx

Love to Christine xx

My bloods on the 13th ..not sure what day that is..I am lost with them

Love to everyone

Xxxxxxx

frogmorton

Joan we didn't get snow - did you? We are going up to Scotland to drop off supplies to Lucy today, but won't stay because there is a lot of COVID up there. We'll take her a Macdonalds though she loves it. (((())))) Do look at your personal messages there's one from me about P.

Kath lovely poem and such a fabulous painting. A true artist was John Clare.

So true what you say about cancer it's a very clever disease and VILE truly VILE. I know how hard they are working to cure it and can at least try to treat most types now. Genetic stuff seems to be the current thinking for a way forward.

In Lucy's little bay the 4 girls with leaukaemia. One died 3 survived and of them two are fine back to normal (at least physically and one - our Lucy has long-term consequences with her bones and epilepsy. (((()))) to you.

Barbara it is a funny funny life now. Imagine wearing a mask - a barrier of all things? to see your own grandaughter?! It's incredible the times we live in.

We are nipping up to drop supplies to Lucy now to be sure she's ok as i think it might not be allowed after tomorrow I heard Boris is talking to MPs about further restrictions.

Dreadful times. Do please look at my PM about P. She's ok don't worry, but it's worth reading.

Sending some breakfast:

Getting bigger every weekend!

Brown sauce and vegan options available!

Love to you all

Toni xx

dachshund

Good morning everyone

Kath ((())) thank you for explaining about Cancer I didn't know there was so many different kinds of breast cancer I knew breast lungs bowel liver brain and leukaemia and bone . our mum had liver and secondary. Our Dad had a brain tumour

love to Chris ((())) Anita ((())) and Val ((())) and your Dad ((()))

Barbara ((())) I hope your blood test is alright. How are your eyes love to Mr B ((())) your son ((())) and your Brother ((()) and his girlfriend ((()))

Toni ((())) have a good drive to Scotland love to Lucy ((())) Paul ((())) Charley ((()) and her girlfriend ((())) Tia ((())) Kari ((())) Pom ((()))

I remember when our friend married and her husband had a daughter and she did not like living with a stepmother she used to climb out the window they all get on now she's married.

Love to Bill ((())) Chris ((())) Carol ((())) Mig ((())) Christine ((())

Kitty

Daily Poem (a strange one - makes you think)

New Economy

Joshua Rivkin

A man tries to trade his guitar for a city bus.

My pick for your passengers. Six strings for sixteen wheels.

A bride on her wedding day exchanges her love

for bright weather, a groom exchanges his hands for hers.

A father offers to trade his family for a hotel’s worth of sleep.

A sailor offers the Pacific for a hotel’s worth of sex.

Tonight, the shirt from my back, my singing mouth,

my endless praise for your skin or company.

I’ll give you my stethoscope for a red barn: a doctor.

I’ll give you my right arm for your left: his patient.

It’s the inequality of pain a sleepless woman wants

to give away. Here, take mine, she offers to freight trains

whistling their replies through the city’s poorest wards:

Jealousy gets you jealousy. Rage gets you rage.

“What wouldn’t you offer?” a man asks the pawnshop window.

“What wouldn’t you take?” replies the glass.

Joan, I agree that cancer devastates people's lives. Gran, mum, myself and Anita, all had breast cancer. But it wasn't hereditary! My other grandma (nannan) was full of cancer when she passed on aged 90. My dad's older brother (Uncle Jack) died of lung cancer. But he was a heavy smoker. I'm sorry to hear of your experiences with cancer. Were you very young?

Toni, thank you for keeping us up to date with Pom, I'm so pleased she liked her gift from the village. Thank you also for the very BIG BREAKFAST. Mine lasted 3 days.I hope you are enjoying the recies I'm putting on Matron's Munchies

Barbara, as far as I know the 13th is Tuesday. Hope everything goes well. 🧡

barbara12

Evening all

A short one today my eyes are not good

Joan my dad had brain cancer..its a rotten disease ...his came from skin cancer he got badly burned with the sun when in the war in Italy..

How are pepper and lexi doing hope I have spelt there name's right xx

Toni the pm are so hard to find they use to show up at the top..but now we have to look for them and it easy to forget ..I will read mine after this.. x

you enjoy your vist with Lucy..bet you can't wait..oh and thankyou for remembering the brown sauce with that very large breakfast.. xx

kath another strange poem..will read it again when my eyes are not has bad..🙂

Not heard you mention Holly lately hope they are all well and still doing some errands for you xx

Love to everyone xxxxx

frogmorton

I liked the Poem Kath very much. There was a line or two just for us lot on Versus Arthritis. and yes in case you wondered l did read the train lines along with the sound a train makes!!

I am enjoying the munchies recipes thank you very much. My lunch is ready for later. Glad the breakfast kept you going for a few days. They are getting a bit big

might have to cut us down????

I hate cancer. Full stop I just hate it 🤬

Barbara your bloods are TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Don't forget.

I am sorry your eyes are so naughty ATM.

Lucy is fine it was lovely to see her, but so hard to leave her and come back. I miss her so much. Took up some of my 'who gives a crap' loo rolls and some ladies stuff and litter for the kitten. She has a collar on ATM due having had a sore patch on her back which she them over-groomed.

If I leave a PM I'll remind you. Extra tricky on phones maybe?

Joan well done finding the personal messages. I will keep reminding you if l post one. So many bad experiences for you with cancer. It is a vile disease. Lucy was fine and it was a lovely sunny day for driving 🚘 Love to Sue ((()))

Sending love and strength to Chris and Christine hope we hear from them soon and of course Carol. She will have had a busy weekend with Church.

dachshund

Good morning everyone

Kath ((())) I'm sorry you have had a lot of cancer in your family. we were in our 20's when our mum died and older when our Dad went and our Aunt and favourite uncle went he did not smoke he was in a office on his own.

love to Chris ((())) Anita ((())) and Val ((())) and your Dad ((()))

Barbara ((())) are you in the north with the lock down ((())) Good luck tomorrow love to Mr B ((())) your son ((()) and your brother ((())) and his girlfriend ((())))

Toni ((()) is Lucy managing to go to college for her course ((())) it must have been upsetting seeing her an leaving ((())) love to Paul ((())) Charley ((())) and her girlfriend ((())) Tia ((())) Kari ((())) and Pom ((()))

love to Bill ((())) Chris ((()))Carol ((())) Mig ((()))) Christine ((()))

Kitty

Daily Poem

Claribel

BY ALFRED, LORD TENNYSON

Where Claribel low-lieth

The breezes pause and die,

Letting the rose-leaves fall:

But the solemn oak-tree sigheth,

Thick-leaved, ambrosial,

With an ancient melody

Of an inward agony,

Where Claribel low-lieth.

At eve the beetle boometh

Athwart the thicket lone:

At noon the wild bee hummeth

About the moss'd headstone:

At midnight the moon cometh,

And looketh down alone.

Her song the lintwhite swelleth,

The clear-voiced mavis dwelleth,

The callow throstle lispeth,

The slumbrous wave outwelleth,

The babbling runnel crispeth,

The hollow grot replieth

Where Claribel low-lieth.

Barbara, I see Holly every Tuesday. As far as I know they are all well, but Holly's sister Eliane might not be at school today. A child at her school and in her year (9) has Covid so that whole year has to stay home even though the school is still open. 😥

Toni, I'm happy that you are enjoying the grub I hunt out for us. I'm pleased you had a lovely time with Lucy. Give her my love. 🧡

Joan, I'm relieved you and Sue weren't young children when your parents passed on.

barbara12

Evening all...

Omg..I only went to the doctors this morning..I thought today was the 13th..and not only that ,but had to go upstairs in the lift..only one floor.. then it said the doors are opening like they do and nothing..😲then I hear this voice turn round..the doors were open at the back if me..🤣the nurse said why they don't put a sign in telling you...then she looked at my letter and said its tomorrow 🥺but felt sorry for me and did it there and then..bless her..

Toni I can imagine how hard it is leaving Lucy.. you have both gone through so much.. xx good to take supplies though..

Wish I had got on this morning would have seen your reminder for my bloods 🤭oh sorry thankyou for the cheese on toast..

I will add to the prayers for P..xx

Joan yes we are in the North..used to be Lancashire but now they call us grt Manchester.. 🤨apparently we are in section 2 ..1 being the highest with covid .Liverpool...love to all off you xx

Kath a proper autumn poem thankyou..glad that Holly is still doing some shopping for you ..but her poor sister not being in school..there are so many school with the virus...I pray it will go away soon..xx

Love to everyone

Xxxxxx

applerose

Just a quick one to say hello. My sight is back in my left eye. Very strange. It came back from the top down with the bottom being black till then. Very blurred and my glasses are totally useless now but the consultant said it could be three months before my eyes settle so not worth getting new ones yet. At least they don't hurt any more.

Hope everyone is as well as possible. X

CatLady1

Hi to all my lovely cafe friends,

At last I'm home. Came out of hospital last Wednesday. Very tired and with no energy, but I am better and am home.

Just lost a long post I was writing, so it will be a short post now. Hoping you are keeping as well as you can.

Take care and stay safe. Love and gentle hugs to you all.

Chris (Cat Lady)

frogmorton

Is that a dachs puppy Kath? he is ADORABLE!!!!

Loved the poem loved it all especially the Olde Worlde language so pretty :)

I always enjoy the food you seek out for us and the recent food from war and post war time is just so interesting too. They didn't have much processed food - just margarine!

I do hope Elliane does not catch COVID. Seems quite dramatic to send the whole year group off - I bet she doesn't even know the child concerned.🙄

Joan it was very upsetting leaving Lucy behind, but we communicate every day even if just snapchats, but usually snapchat videos or video-calls. You were young to lose a parent. Such a good thing you have each other (((())))

CATLADY (CHRIS) how wonderful to see you posting! We have all missed you very muchI bet you are just happy to be at home in your own flat in your own bed.

Annoying when we lose a post, but we all do it always the long ones too😫

Keep drinking the build up drinks and you will soon be back on form. every day you are getting stronger.

Christine too! how amazing is it your sight is back! weird the way it came back though. They will do the other eye? then get specs if needs be???

A couple of people in the village have had it done and had to wait between eyes. One old boy gave up after one and had some specs made with very different lenses in each eye.

Hi Barbara oh dear.....the wrong day and the lift door sneakily opening behind you. Our lift in Tesco does that!!! What a lovely nurse though squeezing you in like that so all done and dusted and no harm done 🙂

Yes tough leaving Lucy, but glad she has supplies and told her to keep up the online shopping if she can get slots. Figures are high up there.

On our way back we needed petrol I said to Paul no not Liverpool stop on Manchester for some. I feel so much for those in Liverpool and Nottingham. I have to wonder though why on EARTH did kids go into 'University' Halls of residences??? They should have done their work online for this year🙄

Anyway shut up Toni and get the breakfast on!

eggy bread used to be my favourite thing EVER!!!!!

dachshund

Good morning everyone

Kath ((())) that's good Holly helps you ((()) when our Mum died social services would not let us be on our own ( our dad worked nights ) we had to have someone in to be there it didn't matter we could cook and do things it was having c palsy.

love to Chris ((())) Anita ((()) and Val ((())) and your Dad ((()))

Barbara ((())) you had a day of it yesterday at least that's done. Love to Mr B ((())) your Son ((())) and your brother ((())) and his girlfriend (((())))

Chris ((())) it's lovely seeing you here again sorry about your ankle very painful ((()))

Christine (((()) was the op for cataract's that's good you have no pain now,

Toni ((())) Lucy ((())) is so far away it's good you speak every day. Love to Paul ((())) Charley ((())) and her girlfriend ((())) Tia ((())) Kari ((())) Pom ((()))

love to Bill ((())) Carol ((())) Mig ((()))

frogmorton

Everyone who knows her Lindlegs is having her shoulder operation today and needs pocket duties?

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/52980/surgery-today

One of our longstanding 'old' members of the forum.

If anyone has time to pop by and wish her luck?

Kitty

Daily Poem (This one's for Pom)

At Midnight

Now at last I have come to see what life is,

Nothing is ever ended, everything only begun,

And the brave victories that seem so splendid

Are never really won.

Even love that I built my spirit's house for,

Comes like a brooding and a baffled guest,

And music and men's praise and even laughter

Are not so good as rest

   

Sara Teasdale

1884-1933 

Sara Teasdale [1884-1933] was an American lyric poet. Some of her work anticipated modern feminist verse and the intimate, autobiographical style known as confessional poetry. A large number of Teasdale's poems deal with love and death. Many of the speakers in her lyrics are women who face the death or desertion of a loved one. They also face the fact of their own mortality with disillusionment, but not as cynics. Teasdale associated moral and spiritual beauty with the harmonies of the natural world.

Toni, yes that's a Dachs puppy. I put him on for Joan. This poem is for Pom because I liked the second line and thought it apt for us thinking and praying for her. Like Aidan she will NEVER end. Eliane is year 10, so she could go to school yesterday. Our box of 45 loo rolls arrived this morning. They are better quality than Andrex IMHO.

Christine, I'm so pleased your eyes are beginning to improve.

Chris (Cat Lady) Welcome home, may your recovery be speedy.

Joan, Holly popped over with a couple of cakes for Chris and I. She picked them up when she did our bit of shopping.

Barbara, almost a disastrous day - but you did have your blood test, so that's something.