5 OS Pleasures in your Day Today part 2

Primrose

funkymonkey849 wrote: »

1. Had to pop to the post office and on the way back I spied what can only be described as a plethora of pine cones on the pavement! I couldn't help myself and grabbed a bag full. I was next to a main road at the time and I wonder what the people passing in the cars thought of me stopping every few seconds to pick something off the floor and pop it in my work bag :rotfl:

Don't worry funkymonkey - they probably thought you were one of these good spirited community people who goes round picking up dog turds so that other people won't have to tread in them :rotfl:

I once went with my Mum onto the Sussex Downs and helped her pick up dried cows' turds and put them into carrier bags to help fertilise her small vegetable patch. When passers by asked her what she was doing, she replied "Picking wild mushrooms". Nobody queried her so perhaps that's what they thought wild mushrooms looked like!

funkymonkey849

Primrose wrote: »

Don't worry funkymonkey - they probably thought you were one of these good spirited community people who goes round picking up dog turds so that other people won't have to tread in them :rotfl:

And putting them in my handbag?! :eek: :rotfl:

Primrose

Well, when you see the kind of things that accumulate and develop a life of their own in MY handbag over a period of time, nothing would surprise me!:rotfl:

CCP

Evening all.

Caterina - I hope you had a lovely time in Portsmouth today. Oddly enough, I was intending to head to the outlet shops today myself, but woke up feeling less than brilliant so I decided I couldn't face it. I wish I'd made the effort now I know there was a chance (not much of one, but a chance) of running into you.

My pleasures:

1) Not having to go to work today. I wasn't ill enough to phone in sick, but I was feeling sufficiently off colour that I was grateful to be able to stay in my nice warm flat.

2) Refound a pack of Christmas cards I bought in the sales at the start of this year...

3) ... so I spent the afternoon writing Christmas cards. It's not my favourite festive job, but it's good when it's done (despite managing to get a paper cut on my tongue from licking one of the envelopes ).

4) Cold gammon for dinner tonight. It's been in the fridge all day, so there's still some left.

5) Christmas pub quiz tonight - if I can summon up the energy to walk the mile and a half to the pub, anyway (and, of course, just as far back again later ).

Have a nice evening, everyone.

BlimusOreilly

ccp - Feel better NOW! :snow_grin

Here are mine from today:

1) A lovely sunny winters day.
2) Went to the local park for a play with the boys.
3) A NSD.
4) Baked some focaccia, some dough balls (both AF kits) and some sun-dried tomato bread and a mini loaf. Also made some butterbean and rosemary soup ready for the home-ed party.
5) Successful crocheting of two Yoda mini dolls for friend's sons.

Ladyhawk

Hey everyone,

DundeeDoll - thanks for the recipe for the sage tea... I will see if I can pick some up tomorrow on the way into work.:)

Sparrer - you have made me chuckle with your visit to the garage... oh the shame! I only laugh because it is so familiar!:rotfl:

Funkymonkey - I started my Christmas shopping today... yay!:T

1) Went to pick up my dress for the Christmas party. The ladies who have made it for me are absolute angels :A. The mum is very unwell with MS but is still so cheerful and nothing is ever too much trouble.

2) I had to go up to Peterborough this afternoon for a meeting and was picking my boss from the station but he missed his train so was an hour late - so I took the opportunity to pop into the shoppinf centre next to the station for some shopping! I got my SIL's christmas presents.

3) Lovely HM soup made with YS veggies for supper, served with YS cheese rolls. YUM! I will take some with me to London tomorrow for lunch.

4) I'll be getting a early night tonight since I am getting a 7am train tomorrow morning... yuck...

5) Am able to claim my W@itrose steak and cheese wrap and large fresh orange juice that I had for lunch on expenses... now I just have to get round to putting my expense claim in...

Nighty night all... sleep well

L

marmiterulesok

For today (a day off):

1 Wrote and sent off my Christmas cards.

2 All the clothes washing done and put away.

3 Went for a run,despite the bitter wind.

4 Have made two marzipan and mincemeat teabreads to give to friends.Just remembered once they were almost ready to come out of the oven that I'd forgotten to sprinkle flaked almonds over the top :mad:,but it won't affect the taste.

On a slightly related subject,I watched a programme the other week about how panettone are made.The process takes a few days.Also they are suspended upside-down after baking to stop them collapsing,as they have no egg-white in(!).Don't think I'll be making one in a hurry,I'll leave it to the experts.I'll enjoy all the more the one I've bought....

5 Have found the best way to stay warm is to go outside.Have been in and out a lot today.The logic being that I appreciate so much being back inside,that even a cold flat feels cosy.

Sparrer here is the recipe for the marzipan and mincemeat teabread:

Preheat oven to 180c and butter a 2lb loaf tin.

200g SR flour
100g cold butter,cut into pieces
85g muscovado sugar
85g marzipan,cut into cubes
2 eggs
300g mincemeat
2 tbsp flaked almonds
icing sugar,to dust

Rub cold butter into flour to form fine crumbs.Stir in sugar and marzipan.

In another bowl,lightly whisk the eggs,and stir in the mincemeat.Add to flour mixture until evenly combined.Spoon into prepared tin and sprinkle flaked almonds over the top.

Bake for 1 hour until risen and golden.Lightly dust with icing sugar whilst still hot.Allow to cool for 10 minutes before turning out.

CCP I would also like to say 'Get well now'!

Good night x

sparrer

villagelife I had to google bobotie as I'd not come across it before now, have to say it does sound scrumptious so it looks like I might just have to experiment over the coming weekend
Mhags you did make me smile but with empathy, I'm phobic about 8 legged things too, can't even write the correct name for them :eek:. I'm sure in time some of the local ladies will give you some tips on how to keep the various crawlies away. Good job done with the laundry, one great advantage of havig sunny weather.
Tealady bless you and your DD, she's talking and that's a good sign. Hoping all improves for her very soon, if not sooner . Congrats on completing the project
funkymonkey just goes to show how OS you are, having a bag big enough for gathering pinecones in . Good to hear about the neighbours card, good ones are invaluable - neighbours, not cards! It usually pays to make friends with them, I didn't have any til I moved here and they've been a real blessing
Primrose love your story of cowpatting, I think it's a national hobby as there's a little lane I use as a cut through with a few houses on one side, paddocks on the other. Very often if someone has been out riding you can see a resident walking back up their garden path with their bucket of treasure :rotfl:. Thought about stopping myself but don't want to get lynched in their territory!
CCP sorry to hear you were feeling under the weather on your day off, hope you're better now. Congrats on still having enough gammon left for dinner
Blimus the butterbean and rosemary soup sounds lovely, as do the breads you made. Good ol' AF, what would we do without them? (I'm just waiting to see if bread flour comes back in before I order again)
Ladyhawk, would love to see a pic of The Dress sometime, it sounds beautiful. Good for you using your bosses delay, a sensible way to use his time to do some Christmas shopping
marmite thank you for the recipe, I'm looking forward to trying it. An interesting story about making panettone, I didn't know that they hung it. My local Mr M makes it but it's got rum in it , so will go further afield to Lidl when I can as theirs is the most authentic I've come across....unless Caterina knows better

1. Physio visited to confirm hand rails are going up on the stair wall and a grip over the bath in January, I've managed til now so am sure I can wait a little longer
2. Postie brought me a contents insurance renewal quote. Fortunately it hasn't gone up since last year when I claimed for my broken-down freezer so I don't have to trawl the comparison sites
3. All cards sent, just one parcel to do now which will be completed by the weekend, then the spending is all over for another year . I don't begrudge them the presents, I just begrudge having to spend money on a family of four or five, while they only have to spend on one of me. Oh, the joys of being a pensioner
4. Parcel postie brought me my new camping cooker. It's really neat, has its own little carry case, and came with two 'free' gas canisters. Since we had a 9-hour elec turn off a couple of weeks ago and I have an elec cooker i it's made me do something about a substitute. I'm ready now, bet there won't be another for years!
5. nsd, hurrah, first for days :T

Night night, sleep tight
S x

Kittikins

Yesterday's goodies

1. Had a good sleep Monday night, but still woke up with a stinking cold, but felt refreshed, if that's not a complete contradiction in terms!!
2. The thought of claiming expenses for a trip to another office yesterday
3. Lovely drinks and nibbles with colleagues up there
4. Free babysitting by friend so I could be back a bit later than I usually would, shame the trains were rubbish and I got back even later, wasting valuable alcohol-free cocktail drinking time!!
5. Very generous voucher Christmas present from the bosses - bring on the January sales!!
6. Lovely cuddles with DD who used her healing hands on me, bless her.
7. Bought fab coloured pens on special offer to do lots of revision notes with, and some A3 paper. Can't believe people would pay £10 for them though, or am I just tight?!?

Have a great day everyone, I'll be back later with today's goodies! Hugs to those that need them, and stay nice and warm, looks like the rubbish weather is on its way back

Tealady_2

Morning

Sparrer - thank you, DD seems to be on much better form this morning so hoping this is just a short episode this time.

Pleasures for yesterday:
1. Picked up a parcel from the post office and discovered it was a free John Frieda gift set. I h ad forgotten I had applied for this. Have added to SIL christmas present. I love MSE:money:
2. Started wrapping some presents yesterday and realised I had much more in my present stash than I thought. Some people will get a bit more and the rest will go towards birthday presents for next year.
3. I bought a few things yesterday from boots on behalf of my mum and used lots of vouchers to maximise my points ready for the sales.
4. Tasty dinner of our version of rustic pasta and sausage soup, great cold weather food
5. One of the bosses brought in a box of After Eights, needless to say they didn't last long in our office

Hugs to all who need them