Finally I have a mortgage I can start to pay off!

themadvix

Morning all,

NG, funnily enough there was a discussion on the group about the VFM of the salad items. I think verdict was it was comparable to organic salad from Waitrose (comparable ethics), but was still expensive. But I guess that's because we're used to unethically produced salad. It's a sad state of affairs, but I get that you've got to be able to feed your gannets without bankrupting yourself  - you've got to do what's right for you. 

SL - Our garden is not there yet, although the spring onions are looking good and there's some quick growing salad that's getting there. I'm not a fan of radishes and don't know whether DH would eat them without them going off (he'd likely forget they were there).

Had a terrible night's sleep last night - between DH coming late to bed, then getting up and accidentally slamming door as he went to the loo, then a police helicopter and the cat practising for the opera it wasn't peaceful! This morning I'm hoping to get a load of housework jobs done and then, depending on how I'm feeling, either see Mum, Dad or a friend (or a combination of the above). DH is going for a road trip to meet a friend about an hour away - he's single, so has been on his own for lockdown and is a really sociable person, so seeing someone will be good, I'm sure.

MS things:
* Turkey finished up last night
* Bread is proving
* Much smaller supermarket delivery arrived (2/3 of the cost of which was actually cat stuff) - need to do freezer inventory to think about meals for the next fortnight
* Clicks done and an SB survey  -first time in ages
* PA survey
* 1P survey

Gratitudes:
* Oh the freedom from Monday! We can have BIL and Fiance over for a BBQ! Downstairs loo can be allocated for visitors and all is well!
* Beautiful blue skies today
* Continued small amounts of work - it's good to have something productive to do

Have a good day all!

themadvix

Evening all,

Went for another lovely cycle this morning (25 km this week!) and spent the afternoon relaxing in the garden. Nothing spent today. Homemade pizza for tea (why, when it's this hot do I think turning the oven up to highest temp is wise?). Plants watered, last runner has been plopped into place. Just watching the rocket launch now - looks like it will go ahead now!

MS things:
* YG, NV, PA surveys
* Clicks done
* NSD
* Free exercise!

Gratitudes:
* Some wonderful views on our ride today - including alpacas, pigs, longhorn cattle and lots of horses
* Skylarks
* Good weather in Florida!

Have a good evening all!

Suffolk_lass

Seventeen years ago this week we were in Florida. We visited the Kennedy Space Centre and were delighted to hear that an unmanned Mars Mission was due to launch that day. We spent the day learning as much as we could and had a fab time clambering around the old rockets outside (from memory there was a Saturn 5 (Apollo missions) rocket there but not sure that was the one we were inside). Amazing day. The weather prevented the launch but we were told our tickets would be valid for the rest of the week. Talk about once in a lifetime. So we juggled our plans and phoned up each morning after avidly following the weather forecasts on TV (pre smartphones!). Finally we got the go message and leapt in the car to try and get there. It was obvious with about 10-15 minutes to go that we would be mid way from the security desk to the viewing building so we parked up at Cocoa Beach and got out on the sand in time to see it launch.

No sound at all but I remember how fast it was moving. And watching it as it arced around the edge of the Earth as it left our atmosphere. One of my life’s best moments.

Cheery_Daff

Skylarks here too Vix (and curlews, although no rockets!) I'm having a more successful garden year than I've had for ages - mostly because I' here to keep an eye on everything rather than sowing seeds and ignoring them. But I've still managed to kill the celeriac - frazzled under the roof of the greenhouse within a few hours it seems... 🙄 Window is open now, and everything moved to lower shelves.

Sweetcorn is having a field day! But I think some of the less heat-loving stuff needs to come out before it burns to a crisp. Hard though as some of it is still tiny! Might have to spend my days ferrying stuff in and out - along with ferrying water from the house as the water butt is nearly dry...

themadvix

Afternoon all,

Writing as we're waiting for the astronauts to dock. Your trip to KSC sounds amazing SL! What a thing to see. I have a feeling Karma has seen something similar from Cape Canaveral? We didn't see the capsule in orbit, but we did manage to catch the ISS passing, which was a first for both of us. 

Cheery, the same thing happened to my tomato plugs - the heat is just unrelenting! I agree though, that things are thriving because I have more time/energy to look after them. Our butt has been empty for ages (and when it's not I'm not allowed to use for watering as it's used for the pond - water doesn't need treating). Speaking of the pond, our poorly fish (the one that ended up on the lawn for a while) had passed away overnight, so one of our first tasks this morning was to give him a burial.

Since then I've made biscuits, this rhubarb curd (yummy!) and stewed rhubarb ready for a crumble. Then remembered I don't have the food processor and hate rubbing fat in.... oh well, needs must. I now don't have any butter left until our next supermarket delivery *next* Thursday  (spreadable available but more expensive than I use for baking). Will have to marshal supplies of biscuits carefully and be creative!

Have just spent an eye-watering amount on three pairs of shorts from Joules. Limited options as places are out of stock (and there are places I won't buy from). Did get £10 off (still an eye-watering amount) and free delivery (I should hope so!). Would like to send at least one pair back, but my current singular pair of shorts could fit two of me in (the stretch has gone and they weren't great to begin with, rather than me having lost a lot of weight), so needs must and if they all fit.... we'll see.

Lunch shortly will be avocado and egg on toast (avos need eating); dinner is leftover veggie curry, naan (yet to make) and some daal (not enough curry for both of us... although, with the crumble, maybe I don't need this...).

MS things:
* Voucher used for purchase
* Ordered some other bits (inc a gift) from Am using S&S vouchers
* Clicks done

Gratitudes:
* The cool in our living room (curtains closed!)
* The rhubarb curd (and the Riverford Tribe member who recommended it)
* Spacey stuff - no desire to go, but it's exciting to watch!

themadvix

Just found this nearly completed post from yesterday, so thought I'd post it!

Afternoon all,

Pay day today and money shuffles all done. Was able to put some money into savings and my ISA, which was good - mainly due to the budgetary shufflings done the other day. Unfortunately I've spent money today and will probably spend some more. Did go by bike to the garden centre with good intentions of supporting a local business but they were all out of tomato feed or similar, which was a bit of a disappointment having made the effort to go! So I'm afraid that's coming from Am tomorrow. Am returning another item to them as it wasn't as described - have to say, I was relatively impressed with their customer service, but it would have been better if they could have just sorted it out, but it wasn't their product, so fair enough.

Have had some work today - Mondays are usually better for it though. Still waiting on arrival of slightly larger project. And of course, invoicing counts as work! Spent this afternoon doing some pond gardening, which is a very messy job, but plants look better now and I improvised and used some slate chippings that have been removed from the front garden instead of gravel (which we didn't have). Leftover daal and naan for lunch; mac and cheese tonight as we had lots of milk, cheese and cherry toms. Leftover crumble for dessert (good job I'm getting lots of exercise in at the moment!)

MS things:
* Returning item to Amazon
* Sold Dad's old phone on the Bay, will get a small commission!
* Clicks done
* Cashback earned
* Cold drink of choice is currently elderflower cordial from last year (has been kept in freezer) - 'free' food (using the quotation marks as they do in the newsletter - obviously I had to buy sugar!)

Gratitudes:
* Sister has made cake and will be sharing with us
* Garden centre trip was exercise, if nothing else and gave me a bit more confidence in my cycling

Suffolk_lass

I agree - elderflower cordial with fridge (filtered) tap water is just lovely. Do you mean you kept elderflowers in the freezer? that is what I do, then I make up a batch when we run out. Using Mary Berry's trick of putting two Campden tablets in with the flowers when they steep, stops them fermenting so it keeps at least a year if it lasts that long. 

themadvix

Morning all,

Tiny amount of work done already and bread proving (need something to eat the rhubarb curd with!). Need to go to PO today with ebay sale and amazon return. Might cut the front grass/do some sewing later. Have been checking on the voucher situation as we need a better lock for the bikes (DH's is insured, but only if a gold standard lock is used - the one I used yesterday I'd only trust somewhere where no one's likely to nick it anyway, i.e. a virtually empty garden centre!). The locks start at £60, so vouchers towards them would be good. I've found about £20 between MS rewards and RM survey credit, which is a start. There's another £30 in S&S, but part of me would like to keep some balance in there. DH might have some MS rewards credit too. 

Have just made an OP of £300. This is purely formed of odds and sods, ebay sales and TTs saved over the past three months. There's more in the account, but I don't want to 'spend' all of it, just in case. My invoicing for this month has not raised much in the way of funds, but between DH's share money and my buffer fund, I felt OK to pay something off. This puts the mortgage at £67,935, but it'll tip back over to £68k once the interest is added. 

I have some more money in PP, which I'll move once I've sorted out the sale of Dad's phone and paid the fees etc. No win on the PBs this month though!

MS things:
* DH (doesn't know it yet) is having salad for lunch as there's a cuke and salad leaves that need eating (he likes salad, I'm just not so keen)
* Clicks done
* £300 OP made!

Gratitudes:
* The neighbour has finally cut his front hedge so you can get past it now! (It's a narrow path with two overgrown hawthorn hedges opposite each other)
* The raspberries are turning red
* Appreciative purrs from ginger puss cat 

Have a good day all!

themadvix

Sorry SL, hadn’t  seen your reply. I made the cordial last year and froze it in jam jars. It didn’t freeze completely because of the high sugar content, but enough to keep it. I think I put campden tablets in, but I didn’t strain it though a muslin, so it has tiny bits in that might be inclined to rot, so I drink it quickly!

 Front grass cut, salad eaten (I had it too, DH kept asking what was wrong as I was so slow! I really don’t like salad!). Have just committed on a Facebook group to spend 300 mins on the bunting this week, so I’d better crack on!

Suffolk_lass

I seem to have lost or used up my muslin squares so now use some of that heavy duty kitchen roll (the kind they sell in single rolls) in a nylon sieve. I am finding it works as well as muslin. I think I persuaded myself to pick and make (and freeze) more flowers. It is very popular!