13 Moons part 2 - Freebird & Frugabulous

skint_spice

Hi Lula, as you know I have the male version of DD and would like to state that works no better! Adorable kid to Kevin and back several times per hour, it's only the short spells of loveliness and the fact it makes me giggle that keep me feeding the little darling!
High school going well here, hope DD settles in quickly too.

bast

Thank you Lula for visiting my diary today, feel free to read anytime, I read your diary and yet, never knew you had been a boater, fantastic... Can I say you diary makes me chuckle... I too am an avid shoe collector, and I feel being on a boat, should not stop ones true addictions in life:) I have curbed the clothes expenditure:) thank you for the quidco introduction, will check that out...

Lula-Hula

Hello, welcome & thanks for stopping by bast My boating days were a while ago now, pre DDs but I do know others who have them & each time I visit I'm struck by the simplicity of life & the beautiful surroundings.

We have a canal nearby & while I do feel the odd pang of envy when I see the little community of boats there, I dont' think I'd want a permanent mooring & I think I'd prefer the river as opposed to the canal which I'd find too restrictive & a bit 'urban'.

Skinty :hello: always a pleasure to see you here & glad to hear that your 'Kevin' is enjoying high school. I need to learn to laugh more at the hormonal flushes, I just find that female ones are more 'b!tchy' & can really push my buttons. I do wonder if perhaps I was just as vile & that maybe that had some correlation with my speedy despatch to boarding school aged 12 :think: :rotfl:


The day ended well with Dd insisting on watching The Lost Boys with me & laughing at how old it was. That was quite humbling as I remember going to see it ... 24 years ago :eek:.

The sainsbugs curry in a box was superb & I would definitely recommend it to those who aren't veggie. It was meant to be a meal for 2 but the potions were very generous so I think it would easily feed 3 & even 4 if not too greedy. We had seconds and still have enough left over for one more serving. It was only £7.50 so a cheap treat & minimal effort required which suits me .

Previous to that, we'd been to the garden centre. Once the rain stopped, the sun came out & it was hot so off we went. I got 60 mixed crocus bulbs which I'm going to plant all over the grass. DD chose some dark purplish tulips called queen of the night or something equally amusing & I chose another bag of mixed tulips to scatter about the borders.

I also found the best thing ever; a 2m wide by 3m long by 1.9m high green polytunnel thingy on a very sturdy frame. It's the perfect size, would keep all the wildlife off & I could also escape into it if necessary . It was in the clearance section for a mere £89 & my hand was already on the CCCCC when DD dragged me away & started lecturing me about not needing one, it being a waste of money, blah blah blah. Sheesh she bores me sometimes .

We compromised on 2 x 9ft long by 1 & 1/2 ft wide & 1ft high 'easy tunnels. They're pretty amazing too, they fold out concertina style with the netting already attached on metal hoops that push into the ground. They were only £9.99 each so just slightly cheaper than the biggie.

I also rescued a thyme & a sage from the clearance section, just £1 each & I'll be going back some time soon for some pots to grow other stuff in.

All in, I spent about £36 & all from my pocket money. Not as much fun as the gorgeous purple sequinned sandals ... but probably more useful & should help provide both food & pleasure in the dark winter months.

Can't believe I just mentioned that word, but being 2 months past Solstice already, it's now dark by 8.30 & there's a definite chill in the air at night.

Must get to sleep now or my sleep patterns will be out of sync for days.

G'night
xx

Karmacat

Delightful Diva! I love it Your garden centre haul sounds wonderful - I love tulips, I really do, much prefer them to daffs (sorry Daffs!). And crocuses - I wonder if they're the subspecies you get saffron from :think:

I haven't come across the cat problem yet (probably cos my soil is clay, and doesn't stay "friable" long enough for them to get any ideas ) my problem is slugs - I finally tripped a switch yesterday evening, flicked 5 of them off my nice mint and chucked them into a glade of trees over the road if they try to get back, they'll get run over _pale_ but needs must. The birds might find them more easily too :j so I'm helping really

Lula-Hula

Morning all,

my utmost sympathy on the slugs KC. I really can't abide them; disgusting, revolting & vile bird food .

I sling any I find over into the field & hopefully they land on the neighbours cat poo which I also sling over there if I find it .

It seems that my recent introduction of using an alarm at the weekends is working. Eight o clock is a reasonable time & it does get me going & I accomplish more

The washing machine is on & I'm hoping for a bit less rain today so I can get stuff dry outside. I have a few tasks to complete so feel that a list is in order :

- wipe down all kitchen surfaces - DONE while waiting for kettle to boil
- washing & ironing

- resparkle the bathroom

- sew on 20 name tapes

- plant out 100 bulbs

- wash floors

- keep reminding DD to get her room done - at this rate she'll be 15 before it's repainted


Nothing too scary & mostly fun stuff & hopefully a NSD too, will update as each task is completed.

Bye for now
xx

Wordsmith

skint_spice wrote: »

I have the male version of DD and would like to state that works no better!

I have the kitten version. But at least I can shut him in the naughty box when he gets too much.

Karmacat

Kitten version! I like it

Hmmm, no list update. Thats not a good sign! But its quite a serious list, Lula! I notice no updates - did you get bored and go out somewhere? :j:j:j

Lula-Hula

Karmacat wrote: »

Kitten version! I like it

Hmmm, no list update. Thats not a good sign! But its quite a serious list, Lula! I notice no updates - did you get bored and go out somewhere? :j:j:j

alright Mrs Pushy

I'm just about to update. I didnt' go out but I did get rather distracted by cutting down a tree .

Update to follow, just need to do the quotey thing ...

Lula-Hula

Lula-Hula wrote: »

LIST UPDATE ( for Karmacat )

- wipe down all kitchen surfaces - DONE while waiting for kettle to boil
- [STRIKE]washing[/STRIKE] & ironing - WASHING DONE , ironing can wait til

- resparkle the bathroom - DONE

- sew on 20 name tapes - 7 DONE ... 9 still to do

- plant out 100 bulbs - mostly DONE - another 20 to do

- wash floors - DONE

- keep reminding DD to get her room done - at this rate she'll be 15 before it's repainted - DONE - both my reminders & her completing it :j


Nothing too scary & mostly fun stuff & hopefully a NSD too, will update as each task is completed.

Bye for now
xx

Ahem,

I was going to update, really I was, honest missus, but then I went to hang the washing out, started rummaging in the undergrowth to pull out vicious brambly spikes & eventually realised the reason that corner of the garden is so dark & gloomy is because the non-elderflower tree has overgrown again while I wasn't looking.

I was given it years ago & told it was an elderflower & had visions of lovely champagne & cordial. Not once has the blasted thing ever come to close to flowering. Never has a berry appeared either & the thing just shot up about 20 feet :mad:

I cut it down to about 3 feet above the ground a few years back & it clearly took umbrage at this & has made a determined effort to reach the same height by means of sneakily producing 5 different thinner branches. Well, now it's back down to being a 3 foot stump again & I've stuck a dish on the top for the birds to bath & drink.

This whole process took about 2 hours so then I came in for some lunch & we chanced the left over curry by blasting it in the microwave. Delish . I sewed on some of the name tapes before extreme bordeom set in so it was time to resparkle the bathroom & clean the mirrors & windows & then head back out to the garden with my able assistant.

She quite enjoyed throwing the bulbs over the lawn & then racing to find them so I could dig them in. Apparently it's like gentle bowling. In fact she had so much fun that she asked if she could reclaim her own flower bed under the big tree & set off with a bag of the bulbs she'd chosen while I got on with planting the others & measuring up the veg patch for the new tunnels. I think I need another larger one so might try to sneak off & get one during the week .

The leeks are still very spindly, but they look quite happy so I'll not worry about them. The carrots are looking quite healthy too & I've noticed some new shoots appearing ... it was weeks ago I planted them so not sure what's going on there. There are some weeny parnsips, but I doubt there's much more under the soil.

The salad leaves have been very disappointing; just one tiny leaf has appeared. I think a container full of compost, either indoors or out is the way to go there. I've potted up the new herbs & so far, I'm liking the arrangement of them near the house. I do need some more pots for flowery things. I'm going to pot up some of the bulbs, & find some other way to have a range of colour by the house all year round.

I trimmed the hedge along the path crammed the twigs etc into the last of the 3 garden bags I have & then came in to have a bath in the newly resparkled bathroom . We had supper, DD had a bath while I cleared away all the kitchen debris & made a batch of pasta for lunches next week.

I prepared DDs lunch for tomorrow & then shooed her off to bed so I could wash the floors & have a sneaky chocolate biccie .

So, a NSD & a huge amount achieved. I'm not quite sure where the energy & motivation came from, but it's been a very satisfying day & I feel like I've done a lot of stuff where the results are visible. I've managed to completely ignore the paperwork that's been sat on the table for weeks, & we've not been anywhere but the time hasn't been wasted. DD hasn't even turned the tv or pc on today :j.

We have both got our clothes ready for tomorrow & it's the last full week of work & playscheme so if we can just get through this one then we can chill for the long weekend .

I've been thinking about money & how to organise my finances once the CCCCC is finally cleared. I haven't got around to writing up my plans or projects for the next few years, but I am thinking it all through & have recognised that I will need to allocate an amount each month towards home & garden projects, alongside saving for the future, saving for emergency funds & of course the biggie ... saving for the Escape From Reality project :j.

DD caught me looking at campervan !!!!!! earlier She suddenly seems rather enthusiastic about it. Well, as long as she can have her own bunk. Preferably in the roof & with windows. I'd just about got used to the idea of it being a solo project to put on the back burner & something to save up for but with no burning sense of immediacy.

She could change her mind again, well she is my DD :rotfl: but that's given me the impetus to start on a plan.

Must get to bed now, & hopefully make a CC payment tomorrow

G'night
xx

taxi73

that sounds like a very satisfying weekend