Val's Cafe

frogmorton

Morning from a very very hot Staffordshire

Mike I think the shop-keeper should leave the signs up for definite! She has a right to let whoever she wants into her shop! So far the shops around here seem to have their boards out still. I am a bit worried about choir I know tonight's is outside but I do not want indoors yet....might pack it in😕

Your poor baby sister. She shouldn't have to put up with abuse at work😠 really no-one should bit they can see she isn't well so ought to be kinder. Some people...grrrr😡 What a sweetie fetching you cake and a lovely melon for this heat. (I want one now!)

To top it off your Home help delayed her visit so you could still natter. 😊

Kath good idea getting the poem online so fast it will ring a bell with many. They say one in two of us will get cancer now. I can't bear the thought of another one of us in the family having it, but I know we'd cope we did last time.

You look good in that pic, but expect the steroids made you look 'healthy' like they do.

Thank you for the crunchy salad it looks so cooling I will have mine for lunch.

I got Kari's 60th birthday present yesterday!

The story is....she always wanted lego. No girls don't have lego it's for boys. She was almost 9 when bro born in december that Christmas he gets lego! So I got her

She might have waited 60 years but she's having her own lego!

Barbara yes it is very tough P being so ill and knowing nothing can really be done, but I think she is calm and did what she wanted to so grateful for that and the year we didn't expect.

I'm so glad Niamh has been in the pool bless her though I suspect it wasn't until 10pm like Kath has to put up with🙄

46 degrees?! I hope that was in the sun?

I feel for these builders so much bless them

Aidan would have been inside with you; fans and aircon on

Morning Reshmi. I am sorry Mum was out of sorts yesterday bess her probably the heat? My hair used to be so thick the hairdressers used to say 'big hair'! It's more normal now (thyroid thinned it a bit). Short is good but in this weather I am happy to tie mine up 👍️

I have some lovely neighbours one is a wheelchair user and her husband needs his hip done I recommended the walking poles yesterday there he was out walking upright loving them😊

Miss Cookie is the only sensible cat I know Carol! Sleek still goes for fluffy blankies as does Winnie! Although both will lie on the floor if it's too bad.

Well Ava-Maye is the sweetest little baby ever! I can absolutely see the family resemblance to you all to all your GGDs🙂

I bet you absolutely CANNOT wait until next month to see them all!

Don't worry the real you will be back when all this is over and it cools down too. You can keep the mad bit though😁

Wow! 9.5lbs already? That is phenomenal! Well done you. Mind you you've done it before so I thought you'd do it again.

Right better get us some breakfast something cool again? Continental methinks:

Mike1

Mike I think the shop-keeper should leave the signs up for definite! 

I went to the village shop again yesterday as I was getting a bit stir-crazy and noticed that they have put up a sign asking people to continue to wear masks and another which says something along the lines of "you may have been vaccinated but please have consideration to our young assistants who have not". It is VERY noticeable down here that the majority of holiday makers (we call them "emmets" which is Cornish for "ants") are NOT wearing masks or social distancing and it is they who are being most vocal and generally obnoxious about Covid restrictions; it seems to be a case of "we are on holiday, we can do what we want", this is certainly the case in the supermarket where my baby sister works. Talking of supermarkets, getting an on-line delivery is getting bad again with having to wait up to a week to get a slot; this has coincided with the start of the holiday season down here so it looks like people are travelling down and then booking deliveries instead of bothering to go to the supermarket, another way of disrespecting locals who, like me, have no option but to rely on home deliveries. Better stop now as this is turning into a rant again!!

dachshund

Good morning everyone

Kath ((())) thank you for the photo I wondered how people had Chemotherapy. How long did you have it for.

Love to Chris ((())) and Anita ((())) and Val ((())) and Emily (()) and your Dad ((()))

Barbara ((())) have you heard anything about your knee's I hope they are not too painful ((())) love to Mr B ((())) your son ((()) and Niamh ((())) and your brother ((())) and his girlfriend ((()))

Reshmi ((())) I spell your name and a red line comes underneath it meaning its wrong but to me it's how everyone else spells it. Have a good day. it's to warm for me we'll love to everyone

Carol ((())) thank you for the photo's they are lovely. Do you have a favourite little one. Have a good day cookie looks lovely.

Toni ((())) I hope all is well there love to Paul ((())) Charley ((())) and Annie ((())) and the carers ((())) and Lucy ((()) and Tia ((())) and Kari ((())) and P ((())) and your lovely neighbours ((()))

love to Chris ((())) Mig ((())) and Mike ((())) and Elliott ((()))

bosh

Hi @barbara12 , that’s true, but I think atm the main prob is energy levels, my tendon in heel of my foot mainly bothers me in winter, I think the physio told me that in my case if I can walk in a more natural way, it’s best for me, best for my patella structure or something like that, but if things get worse, I’ll def give the poles a go thanks, lol about lollies, 46 degrees in garden, that’s terrible, have a good day.

bosh

Hi @Turbogran , don’t worry, I’ve never been normal either, lol. Ava - Maye is looking really beautiful, congrats. I hope you enjoy the day. Take care

bosh

Hi @frogmorton / Toni, morning, I’m not too bad, seems a bit cooler so far today, so thats good, yes could’ve been just the heat, but I always worry if her kidney disease is coming back, sorry to hear about your thyroid is it overactive? Have a nice day. Take care

bosh

Hi @dachshund , how are you? Lol, yes, Google, auto-correct, etc are v mono-lingual, which really seems odd to me, as I studied French and German at uni, many centuries ago and if I occasion want to to write one or two words that are not online ,on FB or whatever, that aren’t in Mark Zuckerberg’s native tongue, he doesn’t like it, lol. Have a lovely day and take care, Reshmi ( not “reshuffle” - despite predictive text suggestions.)

Kitty

Carol, what a darling baby is Ava-Mae. And Miss Cookie is looking cool on her chill pad. Is that a microphone beside her? Perhaps she's going to record some of my poems. I don't know where this will appear in the posts, I'm a bit befuddled with all this heat, and I'm listening out for the bin men. I do feel sorry for them working in this heat. We should have tge brown bin and blue bin emptied today. But the brown bins have been cancelled due to lack of men because of Covid. Have you seen pictures of empty shop shelves because of workers being "pinged". It's a worry.

Love and hugs to you all.

Kitty Kat

barbara12

Hello all hope you are managing in this heat.

Toni rhankyou for the continental buffet... Niamh loved the pool we bought her a blow up lilo..

So Kari will be 60 ..and you have got her lego she will be pleased..its something I used to love when the boys were little and now with Niamh..love to Pxx

Mike I can imagine the holidays makers down there ,on holiday no thought for people that live there ,most of our shops are continuing with mask thank goodness xx

Carol what a beautiful ggd Ava Maye..oh I need a cuddle ..Cookie looks so comfortable on her cool mat ...xx

Kath I have seen your book and love it not got through them all yet..who did the Drawings..xx

Reshmi I hope your mum us a little better today..this heat is not good ..hope you are managing to keep cool xx

Joan I am now waiting for xrays..but won't hold my breath but my knees are behaving thankyou xx

We have thunder 😳

Love to all

Xxxx

Mike1

I forgot to mention the other day that I had a response on Monday from my surgery about the on-line form I filled in about the crisp crunching in my neck. They made a phone appointment for me which happened yesterday when the GP phoned me. I am not sure that there was that much point in it to be honest, I said that it was a progression of the problem that I had reported to him 3 years ago "oh yes, I can see it now" he said. I also said that I had not bothered seeking appointments since then whilst my OA had spread to most joints except my hips for some reason. He seemed to ignore that comment and went back to my neck by saying "it must be awful for you" and "never heard of that before" and "what do you think we should do, I can increase your Morphine doses if you like". I said that I was trying not to use Oramorph so much in the hope that the Zomorph would be more effective and that I used distraction techniques to counter the pain as much as possible. He then wanted to know what distraction techniques I used so I replied watching TV for up to 20 hours a day, reading and model making. The last one prompted him into a discussion about how he liked painting Warhammer figures and had I seen such and such website and so forth, he seemed more interested in that than my ruddy neck. Anyway, to cut a long story short he is booking me further x-rays probably in 6 to 8 weeks time but he is not sure what to do after those results come back!

frogmorton

Refer you! That's what he has to do Mike! Honestly they need to at least check if your neck is stable🙄 Sounded like a nice chat I expect he enjoyed it over some of the calls he probably had!

Do you ever watch Dr John Campbell's videos? He said that supermarket staff are the 'unsung heroes' they worked throughout and without them we would all have starved. Your baby sister deserves a pat on the back not lack of respect! The shop did right and all being well people will respect their very polite request.

I like 'emmets' I thought tourists were incomers or is that people with 2nd homes? Easily confused me!

Lucy has a blow up Unicorn (and a baby one) for when we go to France Barbara, kids (even if they are 22!) love them I bet Niamh is never out of the pool!

Yes Kari is 60 in August and Paul was in February hehe! I am waiting a while yet for mine. She will love her lego I expect I will be roped into making it with her though bless her.

All being well i get to see the wedding venue next week!

How is your bro doing? Is he still trucking along doing ok🤞

Reshmi when I used to type Aidan's name into my phone predictive text used to change it to Sudan😮 Yours is brilliant, but slightly annoying I should think!

My thyroid is ok just underactive. My brother's was overactive and he had to have it killed off. He was buzzing hot and sweating acting very oddly his heart racing etc. Now he is also underactive like me actually he had a kidney biopsy on Tuesday....

I hope it isn't your Mum's kidneys. Barbara knows all about kidneys so you'll have some support there if it is but it is very hot.((()))

The mornings start off ok don't they? But not for long🙄

Morning Joan Lucy had her chemotherapy via a drip like that pic of our Kath, tablet form too and some of it is injected. Finally the worst one you probably remember when she had 'intrathecals' injected into her spinal fluid. Shudder. Love to you and Sue ((())) xxx The wedding invitations have arrived!

Morning Kitty Kat how are you today? Not too hot I hope. It feels ok here first thing, but I expect it will heat up later🙄

Not had any problems with food supply yet although some Ocado stuff was missing i need to check why....it could have been me you know when you think you pressed the button to order something?!

I also feel for the bin men and my poor builders! They have been incredible. P bought me an 'airpot' a huge 4 litre flask I have been filling it with iced water this week for them.

next i expect they'll be trying to work in rain!

Take care my lovely😍

Love of course to Chris and Carol.

I fancy pancakes

bosh

Hi @barbara12 , how are you today? My mum seems a bit better today, so that’s good. Yes heat is terrible, I’m trying to keep cool, and stay off the sugary cold drinks, but only partially succeeding, lol. I hope you have a nice day. Take care.

bosh

Hi @frogmorton , that’s funny about predictive text, yes, it is annoying, but I don’t text that much and I’ve noticed that sometimes my tablet “remembers “ my name, but strangely not quite all the time, so is the iPad as clever as a human? I would conclude, not in the slightest, lol. Ok, I’m in a rush now, ty about my mum etc, but my mum is better today thankfully. Just planning to go out for a cup of tea! After 10 centuries it seems, bye for now

dachshund

Good morning everyone

. Kath ((())) I hope you have a good weekend ((())) It's going to rain from to night that should cool it down a bit. Love to Chris ((())) and Anita ((())) and Val ((())) and your Dad ((()))

Reshmi sue has a carer called Rashda she's lovely she is deaf nobody spoke to her at her other job. have a good weekend ((()))

Barbara ((())) I hope you don't have to wait too long for the x-rays ((())) how is your niece doing ((())) love to Mr B ((())) your son ((())) and Niamh ((())) and your brother ((())) and his girlfriend ((())) have a good weekend.

Mike ((()) I hope the Doctor gets things moving for you he seemed more interested in what he liked. Love to Elliott ((())) have a good weekend.

Toni ((())) it's cooler they say but I'm still warm. Yes I won't forget the worry over Lucy ((())) I know one's younger than her have it but I feel I know Lucy because of the forum. Love to Paul ((())) Charley ((())) and Annie ((())) and the carers ((())) and Lucy ((())) and Kari ((())) and Tia ((())) and P ((())) and your lovely neighbours ((()))

Love to Chris ((())) Carol ((())) and Mig ((()))

Kitty

Morning everyone. a rather sad Kitty Kat this morning. My son sent a message. He has mental health problems (lack of confidence, anxiety, depression) and it affects his relationship. Of course I take the blame, and I feel so sad for him. 😥 😪

On a lighter note, the lovely mods have been in touch about using my new poetry book as a fund raiser for VA. I know I can depend on your support. Apparently the original raised £50 so I am dead chuffed about that. Of course there were other donations that didn't specify that they were for the book so it might have raised more. Every little helps.

Barbara, I don't know who does the sketches, I pinch them off Google. I'm happy that Niamh enjoyed the paddling pool.

Mike, I hope you get a referral. One doctor I visited about a rash I had (Vasculitis) ended up discussing my cancer, as it was an interest of his. 🙄.

Reshmi, I'm so pleased that mum is feeling a bit better today. We had a bit of thunder in the night, but no rain but it hasn't made the lightest difference in the humidity. Oddly I keep going cold which Chris (my husband ) says is a sign of overheating!

Toni, Thank you for the pancakes, I like orange juice on mine. Chatted to Holly yesterday. Esmae has finished infants and is stressing about going up to junior school next term. She's so sassy, she'll cope.

I've checked the website to check if our Tesco order is all coming/ It looks as though it is. so I'm staying positive.

Now what shall we have for supper?

Crispy Tofu Bowl

BY THE GOOD HOUSEKEEPING TEST KITCHEN

Fried tofu adds a delicious crunch to this cucumber and cashew-filled vegan quinoa bowl.

YIELDS:

4 servings

PREP TIME:

0 hours 5 mins

TOTAL TIME:

0 hours 30 mins

Ingredients

14 oz. extra-firm tofu

1/2 small red onion, very thinly sliced

1/4 c. red wine vinegar

1/4 c. Thai sweet chili sauce

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 seedless cucumber, chopped

3 tbsp. cornstarch

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 c. quinoa, cooked

2 tbsp. roasted cashew halves

Parsley leaves, for garnish

 Directions

1. Slice tofu 1/4 inch thick. Place on cutting board between paper towels; top with baking sheet. Top with large cans or other weight; let stand 10 minutes. Soak red onion in cold water.
2. Whisk red wine vinegar and Thai sweet chili sauce, olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Pat onion dry; toss with half of vinaigrette and cucumber.
3. Sprinkle tofu on both sides with cornstarch. In 12-inch skillet, heat vegetable oil on medium-high until hot. Carefully add tofu. Cook until deep golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
4. Divide quinoa among 4 bowls. Top each with salad, roasted cashew halves, parsley leaves and tofu.

Test Kitchen Tip: Love your tofu extra crispy? Let stand 30 minutes instead of 10.

Nutritional information (per serving): About 440 cals, 18 g protein, 45 g carbs, 20 g fat (2 g sat), 5 g fiber, 310 mg sodium.

Mike1

Greetings Froggy!! Emmets are tourists and incomers are indeed second home owners and those who have relocated to Cornwall from England, that place East of the Tamar!! 😊

bosh

Hi @frogmorton , sorry, forgot to mention, sorry to hear about your thyroid condition, I had a friend once who had overactive thyroid, she also had bipolar, like me and she also did behave v oddly when not well, she was completely addicted to chocolate, she stored it in her room away from other family members and had constant dental problems. She also had palpitations. Bye for now

barbara12

Evening all Sorry will have to keep this short not good these eyes

Mike at least things are moving on even if the doctor was talking about anything but xx

Rashmi I'm fine thanks apart from these eyes..glad your mum is a little better and it feels cooler here tonight..please don't think you have to mention each of us..it was something I started a while ago but I am now finding it hard xx

Joan thankyou still waiting fir the xray I hope you are managing to stay cool xx

Toni thankyou for the pancakes ..wonder wgat kego Kari will end up with ..we like the friends ones 😁 ooh how exciting seeing the wedding venue 😍xx

Kath I am sure your book will raise loads..its very kind of you ..thankyou fit the recipe

Love to all

Xxxxx

frogmorton

Two days off of builders! Yippee!

Barbara your poor eyes 😕

I'm convinced you struggle when it's too bright (or too dull) I think I am seeing a pattern.

I got Kari the lego flowers....photo to follow😉 60 years she's waited for that.

Hope your X ray isn't too much longer did they say 6-8 weeks or was that someone else😵

£50 is a good result Kath although it could easily have been more. You should be well-chuffed nd book number 2 is on it's way now too!

I loved the tofu bowl - they are all the rage ATM you know I quite like them there's something comforting about a bowl of food don't you think?

Enjoy your 'day off' and recharge those batteries of yours.

Reshmi you poor friend probably thought she was going mad when her thyroid went overactive. I know my brother did. He was buzzing and could not sleep. Those palpitations made him think he was going to have a heart attack too bless him. I hope your friend is ok now? ((())) To be fair I adore chocolate too in fact it has been the hardest thing being vegan now to replace, but I have!!

Yes it's been a while since we could have a cup of tea out hasn't it? I bet it was the best one ever🙂

As for IPADs no we are still cleverer than them than goodness!

Ah yes I thought it was incomers second home owners or newbies Mike we had a lovely lady on here who was from Luxulyan and I used to visit her quite a lot before Lucy got ill. I might start calling new people to our village that too! hehe on the QT of course. Some of them do not know how to be part of village life - they are too busy chopping trees down and trying to change it🙄

Joan yes of course there are children who get cancer younger than Lucy but you must feel you know her because you all lived it with me didn't you? This forum was absolutely wonderful. Lucy was the youngest in the YPU at the time too and the most scared bless her. Cooler today so far for definite I hope it stays like this a bit. ((())) to you and Sue xxxx

Love to Carol and Chris I hope you are both well.

frogmorton

The lego set I got for Kari!

says 18+ on the box and she loves flowers 🙂

bosh

Thanks @dachshund , that’s sad that no one talked to her. I hope you enjoy the weekend too. Take care

bosh

Ok thanks @barbara12 for the advice, sorry about your eyes, my mum has bad eyes too, she’s waiting for cataract op. Tc Reshmi x

bosh

Thanks @frogmorton , yes she suffered a lot, sorry to hear about your brother. Ok about choc, but she really became obsessive and the thing is she was not in her right mind sometimes, so she had 2 horrific problems simultaneously. Yes tea was great ty. Nice and rainy today!! Tc xx

dachshund

Good morning everyone

Kath ((()) I'm sorry about your brother ((())) I'm sure it's not your fault he has that ((())) have a good day off.

Love to Chris ((())) and Anita ((())) and Val ((())) and Emily ((())) and your Dad ((()))

Barbara ((())) you have a good weekend and rest your eyes ((())) love to Mr B ((())) how is he. and your son ((())) and Niamh ((())) and your brother ((())) and his girlfriend ((()))

Reshmi ((())) life can be hard at times I know but we get through it with help ((())) have a good day.

Toni ((())) the flowers look so real. I remember when you said Lucy had collapsed in Primark's. Love to Paul ((())) Charley ((())) and Annie ((())) and the carers ((())) and Lucy ((())) and Tia ((())) and Kari ((())) and P ((())) and your lovely neighbours ((()))

Love to Chris ((())) Carol ((())) Mig ((())) and Mike ((())) and Elliott ((()))

bosh

Hi @kathleenT , that tofu bowl looks great btw, I’m so hungry , but I’ve already seemed to have eaten half the fridge , lol, my mum made this great Indian dish, not quite sure how to describe it really, I think it’s a kind of flaked rice, with soft cashews, raisins, a little bit spicy, but not too much, doesn’t taste like rice though, ,she rarely makes it, I think it was leftover from food parcel going to brother in law, spoiled lazy chap that he is, lol.