make do and mend for tougher times

2tonsils

I tried to upload a pic of a Scops owl for you to look at, but the link won't work. Local tradition says they are a sign of victory over difficult conditions so that is good news for us. Hope so...

We often see them at the side of the road when we are driving home at night as they stand there and spot prey in the headlights of cars...the problem is that they often stand on the road and they are only little. I am always scared of running one over! They are quite tame and will let you stop the car very near them to have a look. But if they spot you getting a camera out they are off....

We also have lots of eagles here that breed during the winter. The owls make a noise very like a car alarm beeping at regular intervals...the eagles make a blood curdling screech that would work well in a horror movie. There is a huge one that spends most of the winter picking sticks up in the olive grove and perching on top of the hen huts looking at the chickens lol.

Just took my OH for a walk through the village and had a sit in the band stand in the lovely fresh air. It was too hot to sit in the sun for either of us. His back is still hurting him but it might ease a bit if he can move around a bit more. He has a hacking cough but still has five more days to go on the antibiotics. I feel tons better and will be back to normal routines tomorrow . Going to enjoy the rest of today first though.

About to prepare the dinner for tonight, will do extra new potatoes so I can put some in the fridge for tomorrow and some in the freezer in portions. It saves on the gas if I cook a lot at once and makes it easier another day if I am pushed for time. Didn't use the strawberries I defrosted for breakfast (forgot lol) so going to make a gluten free sponge pudding with them in the microwave for after the lamb dinner. I must be getting better I feel hungry again!

kidcat

Two and a half hours later and ironing finally done, I may struggle to move later mind but at least its out of the way. Coq au vin is smelling amazing and am really looking forward to it.

I remember the days of costume making, when I was a childrens leader it was tradition to perform a nativity the week before Christmas, I was told by the vicar that the costumes were all in the loft and he would get them out the week before. I went ahead secure that it was all organised and we were on target, then he calls me and says he wont be there that Sunday but would give them to me on the meeting Tues.
Tues arrives, get to meeting he has forgotten but if I call tomorrow he will get them while I am there.
Of course he couldnt find them, eventually calls previous leader who announces that they had always used costumes borrowed from her daughters school. So four days before play I had to conjure up a full cast of costumes, single handed.
I lived and breathed them for the days and was careful with them, finishing them off afterwards.

They are all in my loft now (we found them last night) as I figured that if I made them and paid for them I would keep them with me, so glad I did now as my kids regularly require a costume last minute and I can usually pull one out and adjust to fit.

I do prefer the idea of school having their own costumes though - saves the issue we have every year of some kids turning up a fancy designer costume.

savingqueen

ginnyknit - thank you for your kind comment and everyone else who has made other comments re my extended family. I feel better just sharing and to have some nice responses has helped me further still.

Fuddle - I once bought some off chicken from Aldi a while ago (only ever happened the once, happenned more at Tescos) and they refunded my money and asked me to pick another pack of chicken (was a big one about £7) to restore my faith in them. Result in the end but a hassle. Fortunately was making a jambalaya with veg, chicken and ham so we just missed out the ham and it turned out ok.

Well my tummy seems to have settled a little (touch wood) and we made it to the cinema - film was awful (Topcat a favourite from both DH & I's childhood in 70s) but the kids loved it so that's all that counts. Realised picking up the pre-booked tickets that I can save the booking fee (only 70p each but £2.80 in total) by driving to cinema in advance and buying from the machine. It wouldn't cost that in petrol and would go to a nearby trading estate to check out the bargains to maximise petrol use. Every little helps and all that!

Made boys a picnic lunch on picnic rug in front of TV - a huge treat on all counts. DH was impressed I seem to make a very varied spread "out of nothing" and said what a good mum I was. Nice to be appreciated isn't it?

Lovely bright sunny day here and pleased to get washing outside for 2nd day in a row.

DH has been beavering away with course work and I need to clean kitchen and cook later and supervise/help 2 big bits of homework for both children. DS2 has been given the class bear for the weekend which has literally done everything with him and he has to write about their weekend and draw a picture in a big diary to share with the class tomorrow - hence the request for a teddy bear's picnic.

DH is taking a break from study in a sec so need to shift my bum. Will pop back later. Looking forward to my weekly fix of Downton this eve.

take care each and every one of you
sq:)

kidcat

Savingqueen - I do that with the cinema now, I originally took to just turning up but the early morning £1 showing regularly sold out so now I pop along the day before, which saves the hassle of queueing and means we just go straight in. Saves the issue of kids asking for sweets there too as the queues are so big they dont want to wait!!

Just catching up on the Gordon cookery program - really tempted to buy the book as some of the recipes look lovely and quick too.

fuddle

Thank you both. My chicken went in the bin in disgust. Stupid, I wasn't thinking. It's enough to stop me from buying meat from there again though.

You're all going to think I'm such a spineless bint. LL came, saw the damp and said it's always been like that, which is different to blaming me for it I suppose. He's not going to do anything about it because he lived with it when he lived here. He is going to get my toilet fixed though. I'm fed up with it. Same plan, live here until something else comes along.

We won £10 on the lottery

Basic meal of sausages gravy and chips.

I've lost my enthusiasm and drive at the moment. Looking forward to just chilling with candles on later with hot chocolate. Feel a bit down, need to perk up.

shegar

shelley_crow wrote: »

Fuddle: I've had two lots of chicken from Aldi that's been off recently, if you can then take it back for a refund. Both packs of chicken were stored in the fridge as normal and were rank 5 days before use by date, yuck! It messed my meal plan right up.

Alot of you getting rotten meat with a long date on it , this is the reason why , ....... If Supermarkets cant sell foods by sell by date by, they take it back store and re pack with a longer date on,thats why I dont buy supermarket meats..........That !!!! me off when they wont throw it out , so they try another re sale.............

Been beautiful here today again, but wee bit chilly now.......

[Deleted User]

Hey FUDDLE - would you believe it, I've just realised I have a foxglove in full bloom in the front flower bed, and it's October already!! The perishing deer have eaten all the pansy flowers in the pots at the front again but luckily the didn't get those in the window box. He who knows has declared war and moved the pots to the back garden and my poor window box looks like pentonville prison he's put so much chicken wire round the plants, I wonder what the next move from the deer will be?

I've just picked another small bowl of blackberries and made blackberry and apple for pud or breakfast with our porridge and the cherry tomatoes I dehydrated today are in jars covered with olive oil in the fridge where I hope they will last for a couple of months and go in pizzas.

Don't let the LL get you down, you're on the up at the moment and who knows what tomorrow holds, keep your chin up girlie you'll be fine because you'll make it that way, Cheers Lyn xxx.

Byatt

Fuddle, even though you have binned the chicken, I would still complain to Ald! You can take your receipt or take a pic of chickens or take wrappers back, but definitely complain. I have taken just the packaging back to T's when food has been awful and have received a refund.

I'd also recommend a dehumidifier. I bit the bullet and got one, it's only small and cost me £30 on fleabay, but it's already making a difference, wish i'd got one ages ago.

Molly41

shegar wrote: »

Alot of you getting rotten meat with a long date on it , this is the reason why , ....... If Supermarkets cant sell foods by sell by date by, they take it back store and re pack with a longer date on,thats why I dont buy supermarket meats..........That !!!! me off when they wont throw it out , so they try another re sale.............

Been beautiful here today again, but wee bit chilly now.......

Im sure they dont re-pack and re-sell. My DD works for the Co-op and comes home almost weeping at the amount of stuff, including meat, that has to go into the secure bins as wastage. It is not fit for human consumption and must be destroyed. There are very severe penalties including jail.

What is more likely to have happened is that there is a chink in the supply chain and the meat is not staying within regulation temperatures.

nuatha

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

Hey FUDDLE - would you believe it, I've just realised I have a foxglove in full bloom in the front flower bed, and it's October already!! The perishing deer have eaten all the pansy flowers in the pots at the front again but luckily the didn't get those in the window box. He who knows has declared war and moved the pots to the back garden and my poor window box looks like pentonville prison he's put so much chicken wire round the plants, I wonder what the next move from the deer will be?

I've just had a mental picture of the deer returning with wire cutters.
More proof of my insanity
My roses have just come back into bud, about the only thing that has grown well this year.