5 OS Pleasures in your Day Today part 2

Frith

I really think I need to do my 5 Pleasures, I feel completely rubbish!

My hair (quite short) is growing into a stupid mullet, sticking out at the back of my neck. I couldn't have it cut because it's taken me a fortnight to get rid of my "little friends" that I caught from my sons... I saw a photo of myself and my skin is AWFUL. I go from deathly white in winter to very brown in summer but this year something has gone wrong and I have gone brown all in patches and blobs. It's worst under my eyes and in a V down my forehead. I have lost some weight, but nowhere near enough to wear normal sized clothes.

I have been feeling very strange and disconnected from everyone and very tired (possibly because I haven't had a proper night's sleep in a fortnight). I have so little to worry about compared with the last few years, I don't know what's the matter with me! And I don't do relationships and don't bloomin want one (it's a long story) but suddenly there is a man I have my eye on and I wish I could take my eye OFF him and forget about it!

I have £6 in the bank to last me until Tuesday which is entirely possible but irritating. And to top it all, the episode of Casualty this evening was the most depressing thing I have ever watched in my life.

Right, 5 for today!

1) Friend from Sixth Form College came round this morning with her children. She has moved to the south east now so I only see her 2-3 times a year. She brought lunch with her (pizza and salad) and we made and iced fairy cakes.

2) Other school/college friend came round too to catch up with friend 1.

3) Took sons and friend of smaller son to the cinema to celebrate smaller son's birthday (last Weds). We watched Toy Story and it was really good. It was worth the admission price just for the Barbie and Ken scenes. :-D

4) Went on the Frankie and Benny's afterwards (not a very MSE day) and had a lovely meal there. The staff put the music on to bring my son his birthday cake.

5) Came home and had a good tidy up.

mollythewestie

Good morning all,

I have been AWOL for a few days as I have been feeling a little low after my hospital appointment last week (My blood test results show high levels of inflammation again, which means more tablets, more hospital appointments and more blood tests ). But I am trying to see the positives in my day again.

Here are my pleasures for yesterday:
- A trip to Bristol museum. Free entry and they had updated alot of the exhibits since I was last there with interactive screens and play areas for the children.
- Probably the most un-MSE thing I have done - I went out without my coat, and had to buy one while we were out . On the plus side it was reduced to £50 and was by far the cheapest coat in the shop AND I haven't bought a coat fot at least 3 years, so I will make it last many, many years!
- A visit to the Oxfam bookshop. Managed to find lots of bargain 2nd hand books including Nigella Lawsons How to Eat for £4.99.
- Went to the Cath Kidston shop and bought nothing, eventhough I was very tempted by a shopping bag and purse.
- An unexpected visit from a sister brought fantastic news - her boyfriend has proposed and they are now engaged to be married :j

Caterina - a very belated happy birthday from me, hope you had a great day.

The_Thrilla

Sunday
1) I came straight out of church this Sunday morning and headed off to Asda. (Only The Thrilla would bring his bergen to Mass!) I don't normally go to Asda, but I tell my offspring what things are cheaper there. Our town has always been a depressed area, so some of the older residents have been through the mangle before, and they know what to do in hard times. I meet people in the street and we discuss which items are cheaper in which shop; and people carry round the prices in their heads. Today, they had gathered up some loose bananas and also cut price carrots, sticking them in plastic bags and selling them for 50p a kilo. I bought a kilo of each, and three cut-price pak-chois. Looking around, I could see that there is no sign of any recession in Asda. I even went to the reduced counter and was on my own.

2) I loaded the lot in the bergen and headed home by a different route. The object was to find the places where all the free fruit was growing. I found some new places where blackberries and elderberries were growing. I also noticed what looked to me to be whitebeams. They were bearing fruit, but it was yellow, orange, and red. I don't recall them bearing yellow fruit before, so I will have to look up the whitebeam and check that this yellow stuff is edible. I have taken the fruit of this tree before, and am still alive.

3) You would have caught me red handed, because I was peeling and cutting beetroot for the borshch. I burst into tears as I chopped a home grown onion. I also found some spare runner beans and threw those into the crockpot as well.

4) Foraging, like charity, begins at home; so, as the neighbours twitched their curtains, I went round the gardens front and back, and started gathering the blackberries. I shall eat some and freeze the rest.

5. Last week, there was some garlic going cheap, so I found myself buying enough to keep France and the Iberian Peninsula going for a decade. I parceled some up and am sending it to my offspring, so that they can lower their blood pressures, and find out who their friends really are.

silligilli

I'm new to all this and generally just read everyone elses comments but I'm going to put pen to paper or fingers to the keyboard and go for it!

I don't have any debt or own a credit card or have a mortgage but what I do have is a diminishing income. I live alone and often think it would be cheaper to be part of a couple if I could be bothered with the hassle but I'm really happy today for the following reasons:

I've made my own bread and eaten it with my homemade jam.

I have jars of preserved tomatoes in the cupboard along with some very spicy chilli jam - great with veggie burgers.

My cookies have turned out well and now all I need is the self-control not to eat them all at once!

I've borrowed a friends sewing machine and am going to attempt making my own clothes again.

I cleaned my kitchen with stardrops and the smell transported me back to my childhood - don't know why - but it was a lovely feeling.

There were hard times back in the '70's and loads of people wanted to be like Tom and Barbara in the Good Life - now with the credit crunch and recession I think a lot of people are going down that route again. It's difficult making ends meet but I'm happy to keep on trying and I keep telling myself I'm helping the planet too.

I'm off to take my dog for a walk now and while I'm out I'll collect some rowan berries free of course to make rowan jelly - more for the winter ahead.

Thanks for reading my ramble x:j

Caterina

Hello and welcome to all the newcomers!

Woggle, sorry you have been unwell and hope you get better soon.

Acey (((BIG HUGS))) I am sorry that you are feeling so down, but well done for coming and entering your pleasures in spite of that - re. the mullet I would not worry too much, it will grow back again - we live in a time of RETRO fashion anyway and you can always pretend that you had it cut like that on purpose, to go with the vintage vibe (until you have an opportunity to fix it, that is!). A tip: if you feel low, don't watch stuff such as Casualty, or Eastenders, you know for sure that they are going to have some sort of depressing sob-story!

Molly thank you for birthday wishes, hope your health issues get sorted out soon.

Here are a few pleasures at random:

1 - DH is back! It is so good to have him back, even if he is sporting a great big shiner (that's one of the hazards of doing loads of martial arts, no sympathy! hehe).

2 - Lots of veg in front and back garden and the allotment is starting producing (courgettes) too.

3 - The bedroom looks very posh with the new bedcovers on the bed.

4 - DH brought me breakfast in bed (sliced sourdough Levain bread with my own homemade jam).

5 - Lovely lunch of fresella (dry Italian bread) with tomatoes and herbs for lunch, followed by plums.

Off to water the allotment now, have a great evening everybody xxx

wogglemaker

Hi all new posters,

Thanks for the support Catrina

Here are mine for Today.

1. Dr agreed to prescribe a sleeper and I slept straight through the night (first time since being admitted to hospital).

2. Managed a walk down to the hospital canteen for breakfast and had a really lush bacon hash browns and beans. When you are in as often as I am cereal, bread and jam every morning gets rather boring.

3. Blood sugars down this morning, due to steroid reduction - lets forget about tea time reading as I munched on fruit big time for pudding at lunch.

4. Catering supplied a lovely large off menu salad to go with my sarnie at tea time.

5. sitting on the bed as I type with a large fan blowing cool air at me.

Have a god evening everyone

parsonswife8

(((Hugs wogglemaker)))

1. Some sunshine at last.

2. OH has done all the ironing, bless him.

3. A lovely late breakfast of homemade bread, toasted, some mushooms, bacon and tomato.

4. All my meals planned for the coming week.

5. Supper for the two of us was 2 big frozen yorkshires from Mr T ( 3 for £1.00), with an onion and mushroom gravy, green beans from our garden, a few carrots and mashed potatoes and Quorn sausages (8 for a £1)
Got enough leftovers fors for 2 more meals of the same and well full.
Never had Quorn sausages before, but admit to being quite impressed.

mummysaver

My five for today:

1. The children are back from their hols with their dad early tomorrow morning and I can't wait to see them!

2. OH brought me the paper on his way home from work this morning so that I could read it in bed, bless him!

3. Browsing OS again, after ages without a computer!

4. The kittens mewing and making me laugh, and just starting to open their eyes.

5. Enjoying a glass of red wine and having the house all to myself for a bit, and knowing that OH will be home soon and we will be able to enjoy a peaceful evening together.

zarazara

1. delicious stir fry with HM veg for dinner
2.watching timeteam on iplayer
3.church this morning was lovely
4.HM bread turned out particulaly nice
5. Theres a few baby runner beans on the plants

savingforoz

Ooh, the lovely mummysaver has joined us!

Welcome to the newbies as well.

My 5 for this weekend:

1. Having a great weekend in Leicester visiting friends. They have a gorgeous cat and the cutest bunny ever! We had yummy curry (navratan koftas and coconut rice).

2. Enjoying the drive to and from Leicester - I love driving and the roads were quite clear.

3. Fixing an appointment for a lady to come and meet my beautiful foster cats with a view to giving them a permanent home. Fingers crossed!

4. Collecting a book that I'd ordered from our wonderful free library service.

5. Speaking on the phone with Mr Handsome - he sounds lovely - will keep you posted! Edited - just had another conversation with him - not so keen now - think I'll give this one a miss!