Living on next to nought - is that the key?

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning :hello:

Well, I can't claim a NSD today, so 9/20 it is on the 17th. Really don't think I'll hit 20 this month - but I'm enjoying having the target - I'm sure it helps

We were supposed to be going to dig over the gardening parental's allotment this morning. However, despite the weather forecasters giving 'wall to wall' dryness, it seems awful wet out there..... I will check in with the parental later, but I suspect our jaunt is 'orf'...... oh how sad.......;):rotfl:

Right, so about this 'lugging'. Basically, we have decided that this is not the house/area for us (long-term) and so we're 'moving'. Now, don't get all excited, as unlike dear Piq and dear Pippi I am not going to be able to give you a date as to when this will happen. In addition, the house needs an awful lot of work doing to it to make it rentable or saleable. So, there are 'elephant traps' a plenty on this journey.

So, when we started that project the other day, which I subsequently 'U' turned on when I had my LBM, it was because it was a project that would of given us something for us to use.... if we lived here...... but we (eventually) will not live here, hence the waste of time and resources. So, we made the decision last Monday to simplify the outside of the house - blank slate if you like, the equivalent of magnolia paint indoors. Part of this simplification was to part with all the [STRIKE]tat[/STRIKE] useful objects that we had 'squirreled' thinking 'oh we could make.....X, Y, Z with that'. Luckily, most of this stuff is either wood - which can now be sawn up for firewood, metal or bricks. At worst the bricks can be freecycled - but may yet be used in a 'simplification' project. The wood has started to be processed and the metal..... well, using inspiration from the washing machine debacle - and 7 week wonder gets credit again for making me think out of the box for that - I used the same principle, and we took all the metal we could lay our hands on to the scrapyard DP made sure that trips were incorporated into days when the car was headed in that direction anyway, we had to put the grunt work in; collecting, sorting and loading it all up (by torchlight ), but... our efforts have yielded us £37. And we won't have the 'cost' of lugging the stuff to our 'new' home - which as we don't know if that will end up being a rental - is probably a good thing!

My LBM moment happened when I wondered why I was lacking enthusiasm to do the project on that Friday. I was pondering about it, in the wee small hours of Monday morning. And it struck me, I've been in awe of Piq's decision to move house - I don't want to get into the 'whys and wherefores' I'm just talking about a decision that was made and carried through. I think to my self - 'well Piq's done it, I/we should be able to do it'. I am also delighted in ninjasavingkat's attitude of 'anything is possible' she is living it and it is working. This has been a great motivator - and I have to say, it is working (albeit on a small scale) here at Greying Towers too. And finally, in the wee small hours of the morning, I stumbled into Shortie's diary and saw a sentence that absolutely lifted from the page in front of my eyes (maybe I was more tired that I thought :rotfl:) it was;

"The shame is we got our old house exactly how we wanted it, but once we had, we realised the focus we had put on getting house lovely didn't detract for the neighbourhood we were in, and within a year of having an extension etc, we looked to move."

Now, we haven't even got Greying Towers remotely nice, but it hit me that even if we did, we don't like living here! We're focussing energy in the wrong place - and I have to say, I'm sure you use up more energy when you do that. Since the LBM, we've worked hard physically, but have used little 'energy' - I don't suppose that makes sense, but that is what it feels like.

So, for Karma and others, I hope that explains things. And as the home warming party is unlikely to happy within 12 months, y'all have time to save up for frocks, gifts and champagne*........ :rotfl::rotfl:

Oh, and we've discussed it, and the £37 will go into the CU rite emergency fund :T As the other expenses are covered with the rebate

Anyway, better go and see if it has miraculously dried up in the interim - I'll be digging out spades and my adze if it has

So, off to seize the day I go - have a good un, whatever you are getting up to

Thanks for popping in, reading and listening. I greatly appreciate it.

See y'all later.

Greying

* Y'all know I'm joking about that right? It'd be 'come as you are', no gifts and a bottle or a plate if you'd like to

moneyistooshorttomention

Lurker posting here...as I can relate to your last post.

I have just faced the decision as to whether to spend (lots!) of time and money on doing work on the house I had or move. I couldn't possibly have avoided spending that time and money necessary any longer. But one of my deciding factors in moving was that I had to face the fact that the house just wasn't going to be right for me even if I absolutely gutted it (both the type of house and neighbourhood were wrong for me and there was absolutely nothing I could do about either of those factors). I didn't want to be in the position that I had put in all that time and money and still wasn't happy in my home and so decided to move before I wasted all that...

So I Jumped and Moved (across the country too in the event) and have got "my" style of house and "my" type of neighbourhood to live in now. I'm having to gut my new-to-me house and start again in a new neighbourhood and its nerve-racking and a "culture shock"...but I think it will come good in the event once the dust has settled (literally....as there are clouds of dust hovering in the atmosphere at the moment here, from all the literal knocking about the house is having at the moment whilst I gut it).

Stilll...sometimes you just have to jump and hope for a soft landing...

Pippilongstocking

Greying_Pilgrim wrote: »

Good Morning :hello:

So, there are 'elephant traps' a plenty on this journey.

Well isn't that all very exciting - I do like a good 'Heffalump' adventure - I'm sure it will be exciting and jolly hard work. Goodluck to you both :A its always nicer once you've made your mind up about something.

And as the home warming party is unlikely to happy within 12 months, y'all have time to save up for frocks, gifts and champagne*........ :rotfl::rotfl:

Oh I might be able to dust a frock off, how exciting.


So, off to seize the day I go - have a good un, whatever you are getting up to

And you dear girl - hope the soil isn't too soggy if you go for it. Its lovely here today but its been so wet.


* Y'all know I'm joking about that right? It'd be 'come as you are', no gifts and a bottle or a plate if you'd like to

Can I bring the posh wellyboots?

Oh and great stuff with the scrapyard money!

Can you gumtree some of the other bits and bobs (like bricks) before you 'freecycle' them?

Karmacat

:hello:Greying, how wonderful! Very exciting to hear you're cooking up something on that big a scale.

When I moved to this house, 3 years ago, I was sort of hoping it would be my forever house, but it won't be - I wouldn't like to be living here as a really elderly person, I don't think I'd feel safe, and anyway the stairs are horrendously steep - my mum had to go down them like a ladder when she stayed here earlier this year. I still need to spend a bit of money on this house to make it last for the next 3 years for me, until I retire and give myself some breathing space, and I'm very tempted then to rent it out and go travelling; its all about options, and in clearing your space by getting rid of stuff, you're opening up your options. Lovely that you have DP on board

NB - what Pippi said about Gumtree is spot on - I put a big bookcase on there, after I'd decluttered enough books to get rid of one, and it went in 8 days, I got paid cash at the time. Thoroughly recommend it.

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning :hello:
Can I just say that I continue to be blown away by the fact that folk take the time to pop in/de-lurk and comment on this diary - I greatly appreciate it

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Stilll...sometimes you just have to jump and hope for a soft landing...

moneyistooshorttomention - thank you for de-lurking and Welcome! Yes, you are right about the house/area just not being worth the investment. I'm glad you had the confidence to 'jump' - I think we are finally getting there

Pippilongstocking wrote: »

Can I bring the posh wellyboots?

You betcha you can I'll bear Gumtree in mind. The thing is with bricks, you do actually seem to need a lot to do even the smallest projects, so we may use them up yet

Karmacat wrote: »

Lovely that you have DP on board

But KC that was sort of where the LBM has been necessary. I've been wittering on about moving away for at least 18months, with DP thinking of every reason why the house wouldn't sell (and there is some foundation to his concerns) - and effectively blocking any progress. But in the last year or so, DP's changed fundamentally, and certainly since the incident that kicked off this diary, he is fully on board with my [STRIKE]hair brained schemes[/STRIKE] methods of keeping us afloat. I hadn't 'computed' that I now had his support to do the 'blank slate' let's just try to get this house sold I was the one guilty of fiddling whilst rome burnt for a change! Once I'd realised my error, I changed my thinking - and the upshot is, we've achieved more progress in a few hours spread across a week, than we did in the few hours of that Friday morning

Well, today is hopefully going to be a NSD.

We had 'deconstructed' cottage pie for dinner last night, made with AF aduki beans and a load of veg from the gardening parental's allotment It was 'deconstructed' because I didn't want to use the oven again. The non gardening parental thinking that hungry diggers would need to be fed, had bought a couple of spinach & mushroom pasties. We got given them to bring home, so for lunch, we had the rare treat of pasties and baked potato (pre-cooked with the pizza on Friday night, so just needed heating) which needed the oven on for a bit. The down side is that the allotment still needs digging the upside is that the journey out to the parental's estate yielded the most wonderful tree colour images. Had it been a slightly sunny day, the landscape really would of glowed.

Dinner this evening should be pasta and sauce, but I have a mound of veg that needs using up, so that may change.

Well, best get on and seize the day. Have a good 'un y'all

Thanks for popping in, reading and commenting. It is appreciated.

See y'all later.

Greying

Karmacat

Greying_Pilgrim wrote: »

But KC that was sort of where the LBM has been necessary. I've been wittering on about moving away for at least 18months, with DP thinking of every reason why the house wouldn't sell (and there is some foundation to his concerns) - and effectively blocking any progress. But in the last year or so, DP's changed fundamentally, and certainly since the incident that kicked off this diary, he is fully on board with my [STRIKE]hair brained schemes[/STRIKE] methods of keeping us afloat. I hadn't 'computed' that I now had his support to do the 'blank slate' let's just try to get this house sold I was the one guilty of fiddling whilst rome burnt for a change!

Wow! "Singing from the same hymn sheet" comes to mind, then :j

Hope the day is going well

EssexHebridean

What exciting news to pop in to! Great that you've made the connection of "what needs changing" before changing the wrong thing too - well done for LBM's and taking appropriate action! (and for lugging of course!)

Your curry looks absolutely gorgeous! I have to confess I have never got round to cooking with Paneer - how daft is that?!

moneyistooshorttomention

Well I'm trying to remember the toasted oatmeal lightly crushed trick to coat paneer (amongst other things presumably) instead of panko breadcrumbs.

Not that I've ever had panko breadcrumbs in fact...and I'm certainly not likely to even be able to source anything so "exotic" where I am now living:( (downside time...)...but its a useful little Culinary Thought. Am also trying to remember the one about crushed cardamom seeds adding a "lemony" touch to things.

I'm not an "instinctive" cook...more one who "follows the book" personally. I'm not a bad cook within those bounds...but am open to picking up new basic techniques that wouldn't have occurred to me..

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening :hello:
Visitors have been through and left thoughtful comments again - how kind.

EssexHebridean wrote: »

Your curry looks absolutely gorgeous! I have to confess I have never got round to cooking with Paneer - how daft is that?!

Don't be so hard on yourself EH - it is the first time that I have used paneer too! And I'm 'wiser' in years than you I would like to try it in a curry - I think 'Pea and Paneer' is a favourite recipe for it.

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Well I'm trying to remember the toasted oatmeal lightly crushed trick to coat paneer (amongst other things presumably) instead of panko breadcrumbs. Yes, but don't forget, if you had some 'ordinary' dry breadcrumbs, these may be better than the oats - it's only because we don't routinely buy bread that I rarely have breadcrumbs - So I use oats for coating. Coarse polenta/cornmeal might be good too - although I have not tried it myself yet.

Not that I've ever had panko breadcrumbs in fact...and I'm certainly not likely to even be able to source anything so "exotic" where I am now living:( (downside time...)...but its a useful little Culinary Thought. Am also trying to remember the one about crushed cardamom seeds adding a "lemony" touch to things. Can I just helpfully suggest that it is coriander seed that gives the lemony tang - cardamom is an intoxicating spice, that will give you a floral and sweet hit (and can be bitter in quantity )

I'm not an "instinctive" cook...more one who "follows the book" personally. I'm not a bad cook within those bounds...but am open to picking up new basic techniques that wouldn't have occurred to me.. I love experimenting - don't mind telling you when I've failed either, but I suppose I would class myself as more of an instinctive cook, and it is my passion

I shall be back anon, to fill in about my day

See y'all in a bit.

Greying

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening :hello: (again)

So, today..... well, I achieved a NSD - must update siggie. Didn't find any *roadkill* despite being in a different area today

We had Moroccan style stew for dinner with bulghar wheat. The stew was pumpkin, chickpeas, onions, celery, garlic, tomato passata and stock, with spices, such as coriander, cumin, turmeric, black pepper, mint etc. The pumpkin was donated, the dried chickpeas I buy in 2kg bags and are relatively inexpensive, and quick to cook now I have the pressure cooker. The bulghar wheat was courtesy of AF - think I've only a kilo or 3 left now...... I topped it off with a dollop of HM yoghurt and sprinkled sumac over, as I had no lemon - and it is better with a citrusy note. I didn't take a pic - thought it looked a bit beige........:rotfl:

We've had a convening of sub committee No.5. Can't say it was as productive as last week And DP ended up in a nark - because of his bank, not anything I have done. Mind you, he is going to have to waste time going into the branch to get them to sort something out that he didn't ask for and didn't want I've researched it on here, and that seems to be the best advice - but of course, DP just sees the inconvenience and won't actually read the useless b3ggars the riot act when he is there!

So, after a week of seeming progress, it appears that we may be no further along...... actually, that is not a true reflection - I'm letting DP's niggle get to me, which I shouldn't.

I think I am going to claim an early night. I don't think there is much on TV, and it feels like it is getting colder, so bed is probably the best place to be

Oh, and I did wonder whether I was 'over egging' the - 'I can't believe the colours of the trees this autumn', but I popped over to Lucy's blog at Attic 24 and she wrote exactly the same thing :rotfl::rotfl:

Today I am grateful for these 3 things;

that life, in general, is ok and that narks are only temporary......

that the climbing rose in a nearby garden is still flowering it's heart out - the flash of colour is amazing. I wonder if it will survive the predicted frosts........

for MSE collective knowledge, wisdom, good humour and generous contributors thank you all :T

Ta very much for dropping by, reading and contributing. You know I appreciate it greatly.

See y'all soon. I'm away to Bedfordshire

Greying