Botanical blunderings on a budget - good life starts here.

Karmacat

Mine's a tip too, Pippi, I'm with you on that.... I don't believe in cleaning (I guess my dust allergy goes to prove that )

Your day sounds lovely, and another one set up too .... I understand about getting fidgety just listening, its not something I do myself... knitting sounds better than a magazine, I have to say :rotfl:drawing? writing a blog post on your ipad?

Enjoy it, no matter what you do :j

MrsMoo2U

Pippi, I am with Cheery. Depends on what kind of venue and audience it is. It would never be done to read a book in the arena at the proms but me and a guy call John do it all the time in the Proms gallery. Depends on the concert though, if there is lots of percussion I love to hang over the railings and watch the musicians (we stand right above the percussion area). Other times we all lie on the floor and close our eyes and just listen. When I go to the prom to listen to the jazz and blues bands I love watching people sit knitting and others reading. As long as you clap at the end and show appreciation you can do whatever suits. Why not take your camera and do some surreptitious photos for a blog post. If you have some really good ones perhaps you can speak with the band members and see if they need any publicity shots (for a fee of course)

Thanks for the PM. Happy Valley is glorious indeed. I love to share your blog with Mr C. He likes to see all of his old haunts and goes off into his own little world as he relays some stories of his days in the sailing club and the cricket team. He also used to be a member of the local environment group (cant remember the name) and still has all of his notes from when he was the secretary. Also I found a newspaper clipping of a letter that he wrote to the Orcadian in his days there. I am thinking that I might make a scrapbook for him for Christmas as a surprise.

Pippilongstocking

Thank you you lot

I've done the evil paperwork and now I send and see what they say

self employment and head in the sand type tactics whilst trying to make sure you've got it right and told the tax people the right thing and the wtfc people the right thing is scary - especially when viewed through sand - whilst my taxable income is always under the taxable allowance - that might change soon and being a paid post grad and working s/e is very confusing

I've had my head in the sand for this for a while, its not that I'm owe anyone anything I'm just pants at this kind of stuff. I always think I've done it wrong

Done, now, the only thing that they can do is shoot me and/or stop my wtfc if I've really ballsed it up (which I might have) I've got to stop putting these things off.

now I can tidy up the paperwork and do a bit in here

Cheery Mrs M and KC nice advice...........................................

On table 11 jars jam, blackberry (6) Rasp (5) and 12 crispy cakes off into tooon for a bit

Karmacat

Activities at a performance: I'm *way* too compliant to stereotyping on this, obviously! Some great advice on here ...

Pippi, you sound like you've just walked the plank about revealing income .... you're okay, and you've done the best you could. I'm *very* familliar with head in the sand, and it feels easy after you pull your head *out* of sand, but horrendous in the future - if you could've done it sooner, you would've. You know the answer - keep going with what you're doing, keep posting, with f/b on here and in RL of course, you'll sort it.

Hugs.

MatyMoo

Not been posting much but had to pop on to share exciting news.

A very (un MSE) little Mini Schnauzer puppy will be coming to live with me in two weeks time when he will be 8 weeks and 4 days old.

He is my treat to myself for being made redundant next Friday, to get me out of the house and exercising, and my way of making sure that I never ever get myself a job so far away from home.

2-3 hours a day commute for 26 years is enough for anyone!

Pippilongstocking

Oh maty well done you. Hugs about the redundancy, I'd beg to differ on a dog purchase, they are pretty MSE, the walking, the adventures, the happiness they bring. And, if you like you say, have said goodbye to that long commute brilliant!

Kc thank you, u understood exactly. I'm sure it's fine, giving estimates to one agency and the real to another is scary. I have no faith in their ability to communicate properly, and previously I didn't have the head space to deal with it all. I've managed to have a couple fines but I'll deal with them, as far as I know I've been as accurate as I can. I won't stop posting now I'm almost completely on the straight and narrow. Odd wibble now and again. returns filed.

Home now tv on, bit tidying to do, bit dodgy telly (come dine with me) home made yorkies with veggies and a pre cooked reduced (£1) chook.

And thanks for all the lovely comments on the woodland get a way from it all. Lula, you're right when we need space to reevaluate we often go to our opposite type of existence, for me it's swapping beaches for woodlands or rural for city, I feel like a need even a day in a city quite soon, might try escape to Edinburgh for a day.......

MatyMoo

Pippilongstocking wrote: »

Oh maty well done you. Hugs about the redundancy, I'd beg to differ on a dog purchase, they are pretty MSE, the walking, the adventures, the happiness they bring. And, if you like you say, have said goodbye to that long commute brilliant!

Thanks Pippi I sort of new you would understand!

I'm pretty chuffed, a mini schnauzer has been a long held dream for more years that I care to remember but I just couldn't do it working the hours I do. When my Mum died (5 years ago) my boss and I sat down for a heart to heart and I said I was struggling to get back in to the swing of things at work. He asked me what I really wanted and I said to work closer to home and get my puppy. He said that I could forget that idea as he needed me. When he had to tell me that I was being made redundant, and what the pay off would be, I was gutted for a couple of days until I realised that this was my chance to do what I wanted.

I can't believe that I am actually going to get him :j:j:j

Triciaxx

MatyMoo wrote: »

Not been posting much but had to pop on to share exciting news.

A very (un MSE) little Mini Schnauzer puppy will be coming to live with me in two weeks time when he will be 8 weeks and 4 days old.

He is my treat to myself for being made redundant next Friday, to get me out of the house and exercising, and my way of making sure that I never ever get myself a job so far away from home.

2-3 hours a day commute for 26 years is enough for anyone!

I really relate to that and did it across London. When I moved North, I scared the locals with my quick starts from traffic lights and roundabouts.

Has he been christened yet?

MatyMoo

Triciaxx wrote: »

I really relate to that and did it across London. When I moved North, I scared the locals with my quick starts from traffic lights and roundabouts.

Has he been christened yet?

Luckily (?) mine is now around the M25! But used to drive in London and still feel the need to race everyone away from lights, junctions and roundabouts :rotfl:

When I was expected the younger of my 2 brothers asked if the baby was a boy could he name him Roderick Angus Duncan. So in memory of my bro pup will be called Rodders to his friends

Pippilongstocking

YAY to Rodders, lifes too short not to have a life with a puppy in it (if you want one) x

I'm watching h-f-w - done a pile more paperwork, cooked tea and now held captive by the sofa (then I'll change my bed and have an early night!)

I think I need a book/list a la cheery

Day/Week one of new life - I need to fathom my weeks/movements to maximise petrol and work my time well now I don't have a pesky thesis to obsess about.

Mondays are an in work day - flowers before lunch to put the cafe, bodybalance to go to (I hope and thats in town) work to do on hort course they are setting up (paid), work to do on Wed evening veg growing class (paid) and work tunnel to sort out, water and do bit of planting (my own work). Egg to town for one gal. A bit of a peek at reduced veg etc in supermarket

Tuesdays should be a non town day - my own work (gardening) and website/garden home work

Wed night teaching (a town day) - day time a bit of prep work on class preparation (I'll get faster at this when I'm better at it) and hands on stuff - dd to fencing, then a bit of a dash round supermarket.

Thursday - unsure - worlds my lobster - apart from the fact that its a 'mother and son day' we work together on that day either paid or unpaid.

Fridays - need water tunnels, do a bit work on hort stuff and gardening at that side of island (paid)

Well a vague plan there, if I am successful at the job I'm after its 2.5 days - which I think will work for Fri/sat and then 1/2 day floating admin. (but its not been advertised yet)

I did say it was a vague plan - I'm trying to hone my petrol/work/life