No T Words mentioned at all - a fresh start

[Deleted User]

Wow SM well done on getting your chestnuts to germinate and congrats on aquiring a free greenhouse, can only add to the scope of gardening you can do, well done that Dad eh?

Cheapskate

Hello everyone

FTM, I'm still jn the land of the living, just RL hitting me from all sides!

So nice to hear your relaxing Easter tales! We went away for a few days, lovely to have no alarm clocks etc.

How nice of mrsLW to send your littlies post, FTM! My dad worked away and used to write to my mum, me and my sisters, and I still love getting proper letters now, so rare, though. My mum even wrote to us when she was in hospital briefly for an operation and, later, when my brother was born, just little notes, but decorated with her little drawings! If they want more pen pals, PM me, my two would love to write, even though we're not that far away!

Mrs LW, how exciting on the genealogy front, what a clever DD you have! Before my dad passed away, we started delving into his family tree; he had some info, but not much because his mother was a horrid old witch who told him very little! He didn't even know that some of the kids he played with were actually his cousins until he was grown up, poor bloke. There weren't any skeletons in cupboards, just her being bl00dy minded!

VJsmum, hope you're on the mend now, sounds a nasty slip, ((hugs))

I have returned my stitching to the magazine today after a furious few days of stitching, and need to make a birthday card for my sister, and have a humongous pile of ironing that is hiding my sofa, but am having a little time to web surf.

Should have a bit more time now to pop in regularly, hugs to you all.

A xo

[Deleted User]

It's an amazing feeling CHEAPY to know that you have family in this world, up to now I've had my brother and his wife and 1 nephew and DD has managed to trace the swedish side of the family back to the 1600s and there are still some relatives living in the little village where my Grandma came from. To see their names and their dates of birth and death and know we have ancestors is the warmest feeling, almose made me cry. She's working on the english side of the family too but having less success due to odd spellings of an unusual name on my mothers side which seems to have been recorded in many variations. We're hoping to make the trip back to sweden in the summer next year and actually find the village, not to make contact, that might not be wanted but to round the circle and see home territory, exciting!!!

FTMs littlies are doing home school projects on capital cities and as we were going to Paris we thought they would like some french stamps so the postcards were the easiest way to send them. DD1 travels quite a lot with her job on school trips and also for pleasure so she'll send them postcards with foreign stamps from wherever she goes, it's not a lot of trouble and will help them see the bigger world, Lyn xxx.

candlelight_2013

Good evening all,

Well what a horrible day, it has rained non stop for much of it, and according to the weather lady many people have suffered the same, I know Lyn has.

Took DD to physio early this morning, and it wasn't raining then, and then took her to Mr. T to buy a few things. Physio is pleased with her and has given her different exercises to do, but I texted her this evening and she has had to take her full compliment of pain killers (she has been trying to cut down on these) Once she becomes used to the new exercises it will be better.

Himself and I are popping into town first thing tomorrow, really just to have a look around and have some time out. One thing is for sure we are not going to be able to do much gardening over the weekend. I am hoping my Sister and Brother in law are coming for tea either Saturday or Sunday, just waiting to hear from her.

So not a lot of news from me today.

Much love and hugs to everyone, have a good weekend and try to stay dry.

Candlelightx

[Deleted User]

Today, in this village at least, is the day of the largest amount of YS reductions in both the Co-Op and One Stop shops. You have to time your visit carefully but 12.30ish seems to be when there are most reductions and fewest people. Today I spent £17 and a few pence and for this I got
1 large sliced loaf of bread
2x Chicken breasts with a cream cheese and parmesan and breadcrumb topping
1 large family sized Steak Pie
1 400g pack of lean braising beef
2 x packs of Finest Crumpets
4 pints of skimmed milk
1 pack of baby tomatoes
1 pack of rocket
1 large tub of coleslaw
a pack of 6 large sausage rolls
1 family sized lattice apple pie
a large garlic bread
1 packet of McCoys deep ridge meaty crisps
1 tub of soured cream
3 x packs of Cadburys Giant Drops
1 packet of Natures Harvest sweet and nutty bars
1 pack of 8 chippolata sausages

I'm always staggered at the amount of produce that is over ordered by the shops that they then have to reduce, there was so much there but I just couldn't carry anything else and it's all freezable except the fresh salad stuff. Why do people pay full price for anything? I know you have to be flexible with the meal plan and adjust it up to whatever your bargains are but I saved more than I paid for good quality food so it's to my advantage to take advantage of such good prices. We eat much better for doing so!!!

flowertotmum

Hello all..hope your all ok..

VJ's mum..am hoping you feel much better..i hurt my foot years ago and wow it took ages for it to go..you actually laugh at doctors when they tell you to rest..with 6 children that is not going to happen lol..

Candlelight..hello..o so sorry your gal had to take painpills..hoping she gets used to new exercises soon and can cut them right down again..hoping you have a lovely tea with your sister and brother in law.

Cheapskate..o i have had a wonderful week off..still getting up early and doing jobs but then been pottering about the garden and girls have been playing board games..total relaxation..

SM..ooh a free greenhouse how wonderful..i bet you have got lots of things to grow and get ready for it..well done on the chestnuts..about 8 yrs ago we brought home 6 little acorns from Belton House..planted them and waited..we now have 6 beautiful little oak tree saplings growing in very big pots around the garden..we call the Fern's trees..as me being pregnant with her kind of inspired us to go green and grow our own and just try to be better..

Kate..hello babe..

AOT..hello hoping your ok..o i hope you don't have to have them B12 injections..i warn you they hurt like i don't know but only for a few seconds..

Hoglet..heya..wow you have some patience up all hours to sort out the cats bless you..your a wonderful person..hope your hubbys foot is ok now..

Big jenny..hello hoping your ok..thank you for the strawberry plants they have perked up and are in the planter..which is lovely thank you..

MLW..hi..am hoping baba zebra is growing and your girls are ok..how is docky doing?.
I read your post and totally agree with you on the over ordering of food by shops..if they can reduce it right down to get rid of it and still make a profit from it..why is it so expensive in the first place..you did well with your shopping today..i like a bargain and if it freezes its even better..i am very flexible with my meal plan if i spot a bargain..or try to shop accordingly.

Well we have had an absolutely relaxing week..i have kept away from the laptop and tv..we have played board games and reading..pottering around the garden and have a good baking and batch cooking session too..cookies and muffins galore..plus choclate covered strawberries yummy..we made lots of ice cubes in Eiffel Tower shape..plis some very tiny love heart shaped ones too..i have them in an old ice cream tub in the freezer ready for a cold drink..
I have bought a few bags of lemons and limes as they are getting ridiculously expensive..i sliced,zested and squeezed them..so have a lot to last me hoping by then the price will have come down..i also did the same with oranges that were 25p for a bag of 6..i had a £1's worth..my kitchen smelt lovely...
We also had a very hard time sorting our books..i love books and didn't want to part with any of them(now i know where girls get it)..i had to set example and just breath through it and put them in a box for the CS..girls did the same..even though when they had gone to bed i took 3 books out of my box..thats bad isn't it...i did rescue 2 of theirs as well...my book case and shelves upstairs look much more organized now..so do the girls..
We are so pleased that all of our fruit tree's have blossom on them even the little ones we put in last year..i have potatoes up,onions up..carrots coming through,beetroot up and radishes up..my lettuce is doing great..the raspberries are all shooting and i have currents on my current bushes..so its all go..the chickens are laying 3 a day..i have lots and lots of eggs now..
I made more laundry powder this week..also some carpet freshener..i am hoping to get my curtains down and give them a wash also see if i can get my sewing machine to work for a few minutes to whip up a lovely cushion cover, i have pinned it together in hopes it works..if not then i shall hand sew it..i have bought an embroidery hoop too..only £1.29 of ebay..i want to start doing more sewing and crafty bits with the girls in the afternoons..that way we can be outside in the sun if its warm enough...
Sam is still in charge of the allotment and heavy garden work..i need a patch of dirt digging over and weeding so i can have a nice shrubbery next to the pond..we had to move the bird feeders down the garden as they were directly over our patio table and chairs..the birds found them no problem lol...
Thats what we have been up to this week..i hope your all ok and enjoying the sunshine today...
love to you all
ftm

hoglet121

Hi everyone :-)

FTM - what a lovely post yours was to read, thank you, it really made my day. DH's foot is much better thanks, but still a bit iffy.

The cats are all much happier now they are going out. Alfie has calmed down no end but shhhhhhh we have a little problem with him. We have discovered he is going into other people's houses and stealing things. He has brought in 4 cat toys that do not belong to us, and now he's started bringing in someone's make up sponges. He obviously thinks they're good toys..... No idea how to break this habit.

Well here I am back at work, where on earth did that time go. We really did have a wonderful break. The weather was ok, not amazing but could have been a lot worse.

So we got the insulation put in - it is utterly and completely wonderful. After 2 winters here without any warmth, our bedroom now at least is warm and cozy. we have a ceramic wall panel in there for heat but with no insulation it didn't really do anything. No we are toasty warm its made such a difference.

I have to confess we didnt have a very frugal time on leave at all - we ate out twice which is very unusual for us - although both times they were special offers - and we stocked up on a few things for the house. We also came into the city for an evening at the comedy festival and that really was excellent.

We were at our local Anzac Day dawn parade on Friday and that was very moving. There was an excellent turnout, we were so pleased to see how many people made the effort to attend.

Yesterday I was out at my craft club and when I came back DH had washed and dried the bedding and towels, mowed the lawn, batch cooked some meals for the week, remade the bed, folded and put away the washing and defrosted the fridge. I am a very lucky girl.

I've so enjoyed catching up on everyone's news :-)

Hoglet x

[Deleted User]

Morning everyone, nice to read all your news and find positives, makes you all fairly unique as the rest of the world seems to be gloom and doom. Docky is getting on well, he was a bit stiff yesterday but he's 10 now and still behaves as if he was a puppy so it's inevitable that he gets stiff and sore sometimes and he seems fine this morning so has gone off for his walk with his usual verve and enthusiasm. I'm missing the warm weather of a couple of weeks ago but am finding lots to do indoors that probably comes under 'spring cleaning' and yesterday we cleaned the ovens which has made a big difference. The forecast says colder for the end of the week so we might light the woodstove up again if it really does feel colder, thought we'd finished for the year but we still have plenty of wood in store so it will be OK. The garden and allottment are ready for planting and we've windowsills and a greenhouse full of pots of seedlings growing on and the peas in the polytunnel are flowering well but I'll be glad to get the better weather and get planting outside as I love to see rows of crops growing on, I like it much better than flowers if I'm honest. Hope all is well with everyone, have a nice day and stay dry!!! Lyn xxx.

katep23

:rotfl: Hoglet - loving the image of Alfie stealing make-up sponges!

When we first got our boys, they had magnetic collars to get through the cat flap.

Monty came in one day with the ring pull lid of a whiskas can hanging from his collar, looking all innocent as if to say "I haven't really been on the worktop"

And Charlie stuck his head in OH's Horlicks cup once and came out with the spoon sideways on his collar like a bow-tie

hoglet121

Kate - those images of your cats made me laugh so much! :-)

When our girl was staying with my parents whilst we were in the process of emigrating, my mum told me she was very worried about her as she was refusing to eat her food. Well she can be a fussy thing at the best of times (she was rescued from the streets by an adoption charity and has clearly forgotten her roots!) so I wasn't too worried about her and figured she'd eat if she was hungry.

Well part of the deal with my parents looking after her was that I would be available for one particular weekend when they were going away to stay and look after her and their pets. And I quickly discovered why she wasn't eating food from her bowl... Mum had put her open box of crunchies on the work top and the cat was just sticking her head in when she fancied something to eat! I took a photo and showed mum who was not used to dealing with crafty little cats like ours.....