A new 'tougher' thread... and so it continues

gardenia101

Byatt wrote: »

Gardenia, what are the Wa!trose £10 offers? Do they have them all the time? I have some vouchers and as DD and I are off to Cornwall next week it would be nice to get some luxuries, but cheaply!

It's so cold here, and still raining.

The £10 Waitrose offer is similar to the M&S £10 offer - but you can have a box of chocolates instead of the wine (& I have lots of wine as I'm still not feeling well enough to drink after my "virus" ). You can choose a starter OR a pudding, a side dish & a main +wine/chocs. Yum - had the starter, brie, bacon & caramelised red onion cheesecakes for tea (both of them - a benefit of no OH :T). Tonight it will be leek gratin (side but enough for 1 main) & mushroom ravioli will do for Sat. In true OS fashion, I shall be throwing some flapjacks/muffins & my standy baked bean lasagne to cook at the same time, ready for the freezer. See, I'm getting it :rotfl:

PP & GQ - wow at the blanket story! What are the odds of that happening? PP - hope the car is OK :eek:

Dee - OTs can be amazingly helpful can't they? I think it must be a lovely job to do when you can change a person's life so much with some practical aids.

And yes, its still raining here too Off out for the first of many soakings for today.

Penny-Pincher!!

gardenia101 wrote: »

PP & GQ - wow at the blanket story! What are the odds of that happening? PP - hope the car is OK :eek:

Just waiting on the garage to call and dreading it.

ginnyknit

I just love the barter system :j In an attempt to keep his mind occupied OH made 2 painted signs for the butty wagon at the fishing site he goes to. He didnt want paying but the chap said he would feed him for free when he can get down for a few hours fishing. Suits me fine as the food is good and it saves me rounding up provisions for him and him using up the very expensive gas for his little stove which I want for emergencies. So today he took the signs and the butty man was over the moon. When the owner of the lakes saw it he asked OH to make him a few signs ..payment... a years free fishing :T:T:T
So now not only do I get peace and quiet knowing he is safe (they know his medical problems) in a disabled friendly place but it now costs nothing

stiltwalker

GQ and Penny - joining in with a wow at he blanket story!

Ginny - how lovely, for both you and your OH. Must have been a bit of an ego boost for OH too, I've sold work over the years and it's always a really warm and fabby feeling that someone actually likes your stuff enough to want to pay for it!

Had a quick read through before the kids and I go swimming with some home ed friends of ours. Just had some good news as well, there are some more hydro sessions available for DD for this term starting next week. She really got a lot out of the last lot so here's hoping she likes the new person and does as well again. Just need to look into riding for the disabled for her now. That'll have to be next week's job now as I'm all out of organising skills this week - it's been a long one and with OH's uncles in hospital and not doing well I think it's about to get a whole lot longer.

mardatha

Is the best way isnt it ginny - swapping and bartering. Sun is still out here but itsa very cold wind - and its too late for a lot of the wee lambs in the back field, poor wee things. So sad seeing the tralier coming round with wee limp bodies in it.

Byatt

Well, I'm back from the optician and all's well with my eyes, bar my normal reading problem which isn't severe. I paid £10 to check for diabetic retinopathy as I had missed October's at the Dr's, and was worth it for peace of mind as all is well there too. So, not the reason for tripping over things,

might be the gin though...:D

Thanks Gardenia...

Edit, what a lovely story about GQ's blanket and its new home with PP. I wonder what it would say if it could talk!

smileyt_2

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

Hello AUNTIE SMILEY I is heer, Mumi has beened abit bissy inna gardin an ver polytunil (mosly inna polytunil acos itsa bit rainin allatime here) Ise bin in lotsa truble cos is funnn diggin inna poly an Mumi an Dadi sez argh stoppit you likkle ratbag, gets outa heer cos you jus digged up ver lettises agin! Its funn cos vey chases me but I is fasta van vem - he he he! I is sure I is shrinkin wiv alla vis wetniss an one day I 'll turn inta a chiwowa! Hopes vat Bruno isn't in alotta truble fer shreddin fings - did he eva laya eggie? Lotsa luv frum yer frend Docky x.

Hello Docky, I've not been well so it's been a while since I posted. No, Bruno did not lay an egg but I very nearly had kittens when I saw the state of my chair! It's a good job we humans are completely under your doggie spells and will forgive you practically anything!

Well, I'm going to write a book called 'How not to pursue the woman of your dreams.' I asked someone to come to a donkey sanctuary with me and she said no (this was ages ago). I offered someone else a bag of live mealworms to take to her mum's chickens in Ireland and she declined. What is wrong with these women? Why are they not falling at my feet? What could be more romantic than a bag of mealworms?!:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: I can't do the tried and tested method of getting drunk and hurling myself at someone in a nightclub because I ain't that kind of gal. The consensus amongst friends is that I'm a bit eccentric, but surely there must be other eccentric ladies of a certain bent out there? Oh well, I'll just keep drinking my tea and weaving my own eccentric way through life .....

Ginnyknit glad to hear of OH's bartering successes; I hope it's given him a boost.
Byatt glad to hear there's nowt wrong with your peepers. If you'd mentioned the gin the first time we would've known the real reason for the fall ..... hope you are less stiff now as well.
Laughing at the story of the blanket - what a coincidence! Perhaps you two can get together and write a best-selling children's book on the travels of Belinda Blanket ....

Where is Mrs Chip? I hope she hasn't been blown away over any Welsh mountains!

Have a good day, ladies! xx

Byatt

Sorry Smiley I was just kidding about the gin.

smileyt_2

Byatt wrote: »

Sorry Smiley I was just kidding about the gin.

I know - my reply about gin was a joke too but I am seriously glad there's nothing wrong with your eyes! xx

BitterAndTwisted

Good Lord! The story about Grey-Queen's fabulous blankie is so spooky but lovely and heartwarming. What are the chances of this happening, a million to one? It must be wonderful to have spent so many hours grafting and sweating over something like that and then to know that eventually it has found its forever home and become truly loved and cherished.

Another good thing that has happened is our Scotish k**e-loathing poster's beautiful soaps (where's that link to her Flicker account?). I've unwrapped them and set them aside to dry out properly so they don't melt away to nothingness as soon as I use them. The scents are truly heavenly and the whole flat is bathed in their wonderful perfumes. Anyone who hasn't ordered a couple of these is just bonkers. The jasmine one is especially delicious.

About travelling alone: I fretted and worried myself sick before I did this for the first time decades ago. I went off to the Greek islands and had the most wonderful time. Nice people have a tendency to adopt singletons, so it's lovely to have a bit of company when you want it and some freedom and solitude when you don''t. I've met some truly interesting people and never not enjoyed myself. There's a lot to be said for having the opportunity to please oneself for weeks on end without having to consider someone else's wants and needs for a change. I've been all over since that first adventure, I even went to Goa for a couple of months and was by myself for about five weeks of that trip. A fantastic time was had. It's so easy and safe if you exercise a tiny bit of natural caution but it must be said that the overwhelming majority of people on this earth are kind and generous and not threatening or hostile at all. Anyone who has never considered travelling anywhere on their own should give it a go. If nothing else it does wonders for one's confidence. I feel so intrepid now I could go anywhere.