greent's mfw journey

Suffolk_lass

Yes, HB from here too. 

Re water saving, our friends in France have five of those rectangular water butts tagged together with hose, saving every scrap of washing up, bath, shower and gutter grey water. Only the toilet gets flushed without being used on plants. I need to move one of the butts from the pig-shed to the new greenhouse today - ironically, I want the one that is less easy to move, but at least it is nearly empty after watering the new compost bins to encourage breakdown of organic matter

brizzlegirl

Love the sound of that grey water system SL...we have 2 huge waterbutts, but like greent says, they are getting pretty empty now. Not that I am complaining. This gorgeous weather in the SW has been a silver lining to a pretty awful time.

We are also huge fans of fake Nand0s greent. Everyone seems to love it and its so simple. Glad you're getting by. Is your husband furloughed? Couldn't quite work out. We have also sent off our tax and compant return details. Am hoping for a refund on CT as we can post some losses, but that hope may be nothing more than blind optimism and fall flat on its face..who knows. But earliest have ever sent off the information. Just want to know one way or tother!!

Have a good day, Brizzlegirl x

Karmacat

It's still busy round at yours, then, greent!  Happy Birthday to DS - lovely to have a celebration that he likes in spite of everything.

newgirly

Happy birthday to your ds greent, he’s lucky having such an inventive mum, enjoy that “Nando’s” 😊

chumpy45

Happy belated birthday to DS1.  Hope the Nandos was a success, it all sounds delicious.  I'm always up for chocolate dessert.

greent

Thanks for all the bday wishes for DS1! - he enjoyed his bday (mainly spent attached to gaming devices...) and the 'Nand0s' went down well (with some leftovers used for lunch today - yum!) My best friend Sky-ped us for his bday, too - so I spent about 2 hours talking to her (everyone else at this end ended up wandering off/ going to bed - as did her hubby! ) I think we all had bday cake for dessert - decorated with orange Smart1e mini eggs - yummy

Another lovely day here - and we've all been out for a walk - very thankful to live so close to canal paths and fields Indoor seedlings are coming up well - some already need moving on We are forecast rain for tomorrow (heavy rain all day, apparently) - so a chance to refill the butt and the buckets and tubs I've left out can also collect some - as well as the garden and pots hopefully getting a good soaking (Sat is apparently sunny again) I'd quite like a grey water harvesting system - seems a sensible idea to me

DH isn't furloughed, brizzle - he's actually working really silly hours as a keyworker (but at home - it's just the industry is classed as keyworking) - he was meant to get a 20% paycut but they've had a rethink and it looks like the paycut will only apply to those a grade higher than him and above - his job is actually a grade higher than he is paid but due to C-19 he hasn't had his grade rise - which has ended up being not such a bad thing (although it means he isn't part of the 'big' bonus scheme until he gets made up a grade - not that bonuses are being paid at the mo!) - he should get the grade rise later this year (fingers crossed)

We're still having 'fun' chasing refunds of things we've paid for and which have been cancelled. Far too many people want to issue vouchers/ credit notes - not a fan of that - I appreciate their cashflow issues, but..... Looks like we may be doing a chargeback on DH's CC for a hotel booking which is only offering a credit note (pretty uselessly) now - after previously saying they were issuing a refund   And I've written to a chocolate company about my Easter egg - it was missing half of the 'extra' bits - feels slightly petty with everything going on, tbh, but I've paid for something which isn't as described on the box (and let's face it, eggs are a rip off price anyway!) - am happy if they just send me the missing bag of chocs from the box, though - I'm not after anything else - just what I was meant to have

Had a good sort out/ clean/ tidy of the fridge/ freezer in the kitchen today (also have the weeniest ever old and battered chest freezer in garage - was my Nan's) - much more organised and I know what's in there/ what needs using first. Will do garage one tomorrow (if not too cold in there!) and maybe the dry goods cupboards (kitchen) - am determined to rein the food spends in for the rest of the month - they've gone crazy at the mo. Plus a very short shopping list will mean a very quick supermarket trip - a bonus at this time!

Had an unexpected flebay sale today - forgot the couple of things on there auto re-list if unsold. It was a pair of DH's jeans (now too big) so I don't feel crazily bad about selling them at the mo - people still need an occasional item of clothing, I guess - I know DD has rag-bagged 2 pairs of jeans in the last month - and DS3 is going to need new boxers very soon! (It's a good job I'm at home and washing every day! ) Actually, I've had that sale as extra money, £10 cashed out from a shopping-receipt app and just under £50 from tcb today (taken in TEsc0 vouchers) - a rather good day for unexpected money! 

brizzlegirl

Ooh a nice long newsy post Like these greent. All sounds good, glad OH is doing well although hope the silly hours are reducing? It does seem a struggle to get refunds. I am waiting for the late Summer a Term school trips to be formally cancelled, then a fight by schools and parents to get refunds. We shall see. Am still hoping to be able to go to Europe over the summer. Then wondered how we get travel insurance. Less worried about cancellation costs, just more health care if anything goes wrong. Blimey, lots to think about as part of an exit strategy for the Brizzle household anyway. 

Weather looking nice today. Even though I’ll be working am pleased it’s sunny. Makes a huge difference to everyone’s mood here 

Have a great day 

Brizzle 

Tahlullah.H

It is annoying when you are waiting for refunds of money, and no I don't want a credit note!  Have had to book a holiday later this year because I couldn't get a credit note or money back, only move it.  This may be as useful as a chocolate fireplace all things considering. No real concern for customers at all.  Hope you get yours sorted.

greent

Yep - refunds are a pain - but so many people are experiencing the same issues - and I'm thankful that the lack of refund is not an issue financially at this time

Didn't realise I hadn't posted in 11 days - must try harder! Have still been cracking on with the garden - most of my green (black beauty) courgettes are now in the garden - I have 5 more plants left - will see if anyone wants them (eg neighbours/ my mum) - have half a dozen yellow courgette plants still to plant out, too. Tomatoes are mostly in their final large pots - around half a dozen or so newer seedlings still indoors (later sowing). 3 pumpkin plants need planting out - but I haven't figured out where they're going - they can take up so much room! Other than that I have 20 sunflowers at a large enough size to be planted - hopefully at the weekend (lousy weather expected from 2am until then), and lots of teeny tiny night-scented stocks have sprung up DS1 & I did some pruning of one of the plum trees and 1 of the pear trees and a couple of purely decorative trees - very pleased with the results Have also been to my Nan's house (insurance says weekly visits but I haven't been for around 4 weeks with work and then lockdown) - probate came through the other day, so hopefully the house sale can now progress again, so I nipped there to a - check on the house and b - check on the garden - and lift some of the bulbs and take bits of some of the plants - most of which have now already been planted in my garden Still too many weeds and a border which desperately needs digging over (may end up with a mix of sunflowers and courgettes in it!! ) but way less than there otherwise would have been - the last almost week has seen me start some jobs which often get overlooked

Otherwise life is continuing - DH is still working long hours - although I think they've reduced from the crazy amount before. DD and DS1 (dumped by his gf of over 2 years last week ) are continuing with uni essays etc, DS2 with heaps of Y9 schoolwork and DS3 with not very much Y6 schoolwork! I'm shopping/ cooking/ cleaning/ gardening - generally enabling them to do their thing! We have discovered that our local chip shop has reopened - telephone orders preferred with card payments and no more than 2 customers in the shop at any time - so we are planning an order later this week - it will seem a real treat!!

I had an unexpected - and very lovely - catch up with a mum from school today - her youngest and our youngest are very good friends and her son had written DS3 a letter (they keep in touch by phone but he decided to write as well - lovely!) so they took their daily walk past our house and posted the letter and then DS3 and I went out on the drive and chatted to them from a distance - it was great! I also spoke to 2 of my aunts by phone (both calls lasted a long time!) - one is late 70s and the other 68 - was good to catch up with both

I have to say, I feel 'lucky' during this crisis. So far it has not touched me on a personal level (or anyone I know in RL) I am glad my Nan died when she did so that we were able to have a full family and friends funeral and wake and that she could have visitors and a social life in the care home right to the end. DH is in secure employment (as much as people can be) and - happily- his pay is not going to be affected (the pay cut comes in from 1 grade higher) We have savings, we're healthy and can meet all our bills (and continue to save) - I know families who are struggling with reduced/ no income (as yet) and have had to take up payment holiday offers etc - paying off our mortgage was not down to 'luck', as we all know - but I am (yet again) thankful we have done that Obviously there is still a way to go, but I feel we are in a reasonable position 

As I've been planting things and bad weather is expected, I have (again) emptied the water butt ready for it to refill tomorrow I expect to use it next week

Take care, everyone - stay safe x

brizzlegirl

Great to see your post. Like you, feel supremely lucky. 

Your plants sound great. Slugs have got some of mine so have brought them in. Weather has definitely changed today but garden did need a proper shower.

have a good day x