Living on next to nought - is that the key?

EssexHebridean

:rotfl::rotfl: Little Sweetie - in the raw indeed!

Glad you had a better nights sleep last night Greying - let's face it, we wouldn't swap our respective OH's for anything, would we, but sometimes we might just like to pop them out on loan on a temporary basis, eh?! Hopefully the pension related angst was just a temporary thing itself though - I've seen some people get themselves into proper knots over all that - and indeed attempt to take others with them too - but I'm sure DP is far more reasonable than that.

Watching the situation with the floods unfold is heartbreaking. I just wish there was some sort of practical help that those who felt so inclined could offer - I'd be happy to head over to that direction on Saturday or Sunday and give assistance, but I can't find any firm ideas on what could be done, and would hate to simply be seen as getting in the way, that's no hope to anyone, as the never ending trail of politicians heading across to gawp are proving. If you're going to go, chaps, then for goodness sake DO something - if you're unable to DO something then it's a cheap trick just to use it for publicity IMO.

Sensible planning with the plumber - as a self-employed one man band you simply can't afford to take your eye off the ball and muck people around, or they will indeed quite rightly go elsewhere.

dreaming

Glad you and DP had better night's sleep. Pensions are definitely worth the hassle though as this is what has allowed me to retire early. But it is quite scary - thoughts of getting older and all that. Now just trying to hang on to what I've got for the next few years until state pension kicks in (if they don't move the goalposts again!). I don't log my NSD's but I do manage quite a few (as I hate shopping). The trouble is when I do shop it can go a bit awry as I pop a few "treats" in the trolley. I have got into the habit of highlighting on the receipt the things I buy which are totally unnecessary (my kids call me anal) and I have noticed it creeping back up again.
Just spent a couple of frustrating hours on 'phone trying to get information about my tv/phone contract, and my 0% credit card which are both coming to an end. Why is it so difficult to actually speak to someone? Now need to decide if I abandon tv package completely and go freeview, then have BT phone line connection to use them for phone and broadband. So I know I will have to spend money to save longer term but am suffering from information overload at the moment.
Just had the most horrendous hailstorm here, and the wind is whistling down the side of the house. I thought we were in for it as the cats have been unsettled all morning. They're now asleep on the bed, and there is a lovely rainbow opposite the window. I am so thankful to live in an area which doesn't get flooded. As long as my little home is secure I can cope with anything else.

Karmacat

Piquant wrote: »

I just have to add how much I am enjoying Karma's input into an already wonderful diary. Double the joy!

:o:o Thank you!

dreaming wrote: »

Pensions are definitely worth the hassle though as this is what has allowed me to retire early.

Thats really good to know that *someone*'s managed to do it.

Now just trying to hang on to what I've got for the next few years until state pension kicks in (if they don't move the goalposts again!).

My goalposts for that have been moved twice (as I mention on every possible occasion :money:) and I *did* have a letter saying they promised not to do it again. Hmmm.

I have got into the habit of highlighting on the receipt the things I buy which are totally unnecessary (my kids call me anal) and I have noticed it creeping back up again.

Thats a great, really quick way to analyse what you've spent! I have some things regularly that I regard as treats - I have one strong coffee a day, with ground coffee. But there's other things I'll buy on the fly, and they make an awfully big difference. I've recently been equating them with the effort I've made to cut down on the bog standard stuff - it seems a waste, quite frankly, especially when so many of the treats are manufactured rubbish (I blame my taste buds :rotfl:

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning :hello:

Just checking in to say hope that you are all ok, as we are here.

Didn't want to risk a long post last night, with the potential for power cuts at any point.

MSE stuff going to plan

Won't be able to claim a NSD today - need milk and TV guide.

Thank you for all your comments, I have read them :D I have gotta dash though, early appointment.

Tried listening to local radio, to see about any problems on the route - they were more interested in interviewing somebody about their hobby and talking about themselves (the radio staff) - not what I thought their purpose was.

Hope you are safe, dry, warm and well.

Thank you for taking the time out of your day to come and see me. I do appreciate it.

See y'all later...... hopefully

Greying

greenbee

Local radio appears to be more about entertainment than information unfortunately. Personally I'd like it to be constant traffic/weather/news but I'm guessing that's not what regular listeners are asking for...

Hope you get there and back OK!

in_need_of_direction

We have a travelwatch government website in NI. It doesn't post pre 7.30 and totally ignores bank holidays. You sometimes wonder what it's all about! Hopefully you won't be afflicted by too many power disruptions. Hope anyone out and about takes heaps of care.

maddiemay

I hope that you have managed to safely find your way to work.
My own local radio station (BBC radio Shropshire) is amazing and are broadcasting the details of road closures (very many) due to flooding, trees down, lorries in difficulty and a hole appearing in the road out of nowhere on a very regular basis. We seem to have missed most of the high winds, but some interesting stories this morning of fencing panels turning into frisbies and in one case a whole shed being blown over the hedge into a roadway last night:eek:

Pippilongstocking

Hey up
Our local radio is fantastic at the weather stuff and closures etc they also have a FB page which is epic for being updated. Sad that our level of service isn't echo'd around the UK - maybe on the whole we're more 'weather centric'.

Watching the floods unfold down south is harrowing, those poor folks/animals/people with liviehoods on the land and folks needing to travel.

Hope you've had an unhampered day and you're all dry and safe.

x

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening :hello:

This will be version 1 'coz we've not eaten dinner yet

Thank you for all your supportive posts - I'm gonna come and live where y'all live, sounds like your radio stations are really switched on. Whereas I definitely think that the planks at our station must formerly of run the website in NI that In need of direction posted about - nothing before 7.30am indeed. So much for 'make extra time for your journey'. As it was, I got there and back again, in one piece without delay - but there was evidence of various bits of damage along the way, and I can only conclude that council operatives, emergency services and possible the environment agency had been out in all weathers making the way passable for commuters.

Oh, and before I forget, little_sweetie thank you so much for posting about how long it could be before charities cash cheques, I didn't realise that it would take so long. However, the good news is that the cheque has gone out of my account today, so let's hope it gets to work cancer bashing eh?

dreaming - it's good to hear about when pensions can make life 'right'. DP needs some 'shuffling about' to happen, and who knows, maybe he can enjoy a 'vimto lifestyle retirement' :rotfl::rotfl:

Right, so I came on to tell you about last night's dinner, that was a dish inspired by Maria Elias in her 'Modern Vegetarian' cookbook.

The actual recipe was for a Portobello mushroom, cooked in a paper bag with lentils and beetroot. Well, I had no mushrooms, so instead I cooked up some lentilles verte with onions and garlic and grated carrot. Drained them, and set them aside (but kept warm) and then made up a ginger vinaigrette (recipe in the book) and put that with the diced up beetroot in a saucepan to warm gently through. I plated the lentils up, dotted the beetroot around (with the vinaigrette) and then chopped up some mozzarella and dotted that around too. Finished off with a dash of black pepper, some parsley (dried unfortunately) and a squizz of oil.

Picture here;



It doesn't look like the recipe in the book, as I have made it into a warm salad (but wish I'd got it a little hotter to encourage the mozzarella to warm up), and I would need to work on presentation! However, it was a winner of a dish. Perhaps something that would work with different cheeses too?

The vinaigrette worked really well with the beetroot and was nice and zingy. What I can't remember, is whether Maria put the dressing in the original dish? It felt much more luxurious than the sum of its parts. Which came to somewhere in the order of £1.40 for 2 big platefuls.

Right, I'd better go and dish up tonight's offering

See y'all later.

And thanks for stopping by today and in the past few days - I do appreciate it

Greying

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening :hello::hello:

Here I am again.

So today I spent money, so can't claim a NSD I didn't find any *roadkill* either I did however bag a YS'd courgette for 20p (one of those round ones) so that will go into Sunday's dinner.

I did manage to drop a bag of stuff off at the charity shop though - this lot went to our local hospice shop. The hospice is a brilliant place and I always try to support it where I can.

I was looking at the planner earlier and I'd forgotten that it is the start of *Freshers Week* - or *student dining time* as from the weekend. I shall look forward to dusting off my veggie student cookbook and cooking from it. It should be fun. At least one of the recipes is another 'first' so my February challenge to cook 5 new recipes for the first time is actually going well - exceeding expectations in fact

Dinner this evening was kept simple - soup and ...... I'd normally say sandwich, but I'm experimenting with other things at the moment, so tonight's offering was Butternut squash and sweet potato soup with potato onion cakes. The recipe for the soup is out of one of the Cov3nt Gardin Soop Co's books - soup & beyond I *think*. Whilst there is a recipe on the net, by that company, and by that name, it is not the same. This recipe used cumin, coriander, fresh ginger, chickpeas (substituted red lentils in mine tonight) and lime as principle components.

The potato cakes were that Be-ro recipe again, with some sauted onions thrown in.

We had a small bowl of soup each and DP had 3 cakes, me 2. It was filling enough and just the job on a cold night. I'm afraid I can only provide a pic, no recipe link tonight



The butternut squash was the remaining half from the Jaymee recipe, so Ald* S6 25p, 2 sweet potatoes from a mrT bag (1.25) so 50p? the lime was 25p, lentils 15p, and everything else...25p? £1.50 for 4 portions of soup (2 to freeze for snap) Plus literally pennies for the potato cakes (4 left over to freeze too). Not the cheapest meal, but using sweet potatoes and fresh citrus won't help you to cut costs I guess. But a simple, pleasing meal, that didn't actually take too long to prepare.

Today I am grateful for these 3 things;

for the workers on the ground trying to rectify storm and flood damage - if your day-glo ain't dirty, you're a tourist or a politician.........

for sunshine - I know it won't magic the water away, but it was nice to feel the benefit of its rays.....

that the heath-robinson repair we made to fence panels last night held..........

Thank you so very much for continuing to read this diary. You continue to provide me with support and incentive to keep going. I'm so pleased with the progress I have made so far in February. Even though money saving activity seems somewhat insignificant with what is going on around us weather-wise .........

See y'all later.

Greying