Pay Off Before Lay Off!

boultdj

Habibiboo wrote: »

:wave:

Hi Squirrel, you snuck in there with the stealth of a secret Squirrel indeed! Yes, just can't help being drawn into watching the birds' activities, it's the one thing which holds me back from getting a cat, as I know the birds wouldn't play in the garden like they do with a cat on patrol.

Hope school is being kind to you, have a great week too. x

Don't bet on that, the robin's and blackbird's delight in tormnting adopt-a-cat, and she is a good hunter, we wake up to mice and small birds on the door step quite offten, but the thing is when it's bird's it tends to be the young one's, and we've got robins,blue tits,house sparrows, bullfinches,blackbirds and mice all nesting in the hedge on the back garden.

Habibiboo

:wave:

Hello lovely visitors!

gallygirl wrote: »

Another one voting for more time to watch wildlife . Was on the golf course today with Mr GG and loved watching the bouncy squirrels , plus 2 red kites trying to get peace and quiet to eat a dead squirrel :eek:. Fabulous birds but they have a rather pathetic squeaky call :rotfl:.

Goldiegirl wrote: »

I always enjoy seeing the birds in the garden, but we have a bit of a problem with a wood pigeon at the moment, as he (I assume it's a he) literally hogs the bird table, and eats all the seed.


It means the smaller birds don't get a look in.


We've tried putting a twig across the opening to the bird table, but he limbo dances in! We don't want to make the opening too small as the blackbirds won't be able to go in, but I'd love to stop this pigeon eating everything we put out - he's costing us a fortune!


I always like reading your menu plans - gives me ideas for things that I can do - butter bean and carrot soup and spicy lentil bake sound like things I'd enjoy

boultdj wrote: »

Don't bet on that, the robin's and blackbird's delight in tormnting adopt-a-cat, and she is a good hunter, we wake up to mice and small birds on the door step quite offten, but the thing is when it's bird's it tends to be the young one's, and we've got robins,blue tits,house sparrows, bullfinches,blackbirds and mice all nesting in the hedge on the back garden.

Isn't it lovely that we can all enjoy the fun things nature offers?

GG - wow to the Red Kites, I'm sure they think their call is very tuneful and awe-inspiring!

Goldie - your tale of the pigeon made me laugh, we have a similar issue with a magpie who keeps trying to fit into a bird table that has a little roof thing on it, it's a small space but somehow he manages to get in and out again, although he does make a fuss and spill everything off it! Glad you like the menu, it's all very easy to adapt to dietary needs.

Boultdj - lovely to hear that the cat doesn't have things all its own way, surprising how feisty some of the birds can be. Shame about the baby birds though

Habibiboo

:wave:

Hope everyone is ok and not too shivery now that autumn seems to have arrived with a vengeance!

MFW actions:

* NSD today so 2/7 so far this week.
* Completed RM correctly delivered survey today so £5 voucher on its way towards Christmas.

Today's AA action: received invitation and have been accepted to do another 6 month stint with RM surveys, starting next month, which will cover us with free stamps to help with Christmas card postage.

AA day 45 /100 = £882 / £2,000

Grey Clouds:

Cooker's still playing up ... took me 25 minutes to get it switched on today. As this was just to cook rolls I gave up in the end and went with wraps to go with our soup. Getting worried that we might have to fork out for another cooker before Christmas, seems to be a prevalence of poorly cookers across these threads at the moment!

Silver Lining:

Fire lit for the first time this season. It seemed to be a good compromise for not putting the heating on for what has been an entirely miserable day. Especially as myself, DSD2 and Mr. Hbbb are still full of colds, nice to have a snuggle cosy fire going.

Daily declutter:

3 items decluttered from garage and into recycling. Lighting the fire today was a reminder of how much decluttering I need to do in the garage to be able to get to the coal! Total = 307 / 365.

Simple pleasures:

* Lovely soup on a cold day (went with butterbean and carrot in the end because I didn't want to get soaked pulling up the beets).
* Warm jumpers.
* The Internet, for making life so much easier.

Keep warm and dry x

gallygirl

Habibiboo wrote: »

GG - wow to the Red Kites, I'm sure they think their call is very tuneful and awe-inspiring!

Judge for yourself :rotfl:

apple_muncher

How are you Hbbb? And how is the cooker? Are you cooking on the fire yet?! Keep an eye on freegle/freecycle for cookers...

Keep resting, snug and warm. And eat well! xx

Habibiboo

gallygirl wrote: »

Judge for yourself :rotfl:

:wave:

Yup, definitely more tuneful than my last attempt at karaoke! Hope all's good with you GG! x

Habibiboo

Hmmmm, don't know where everything else I posted yesterday has gone! Let's start over then ...

apple_muncher

I've not got it here.

Did you declutter it?

Habibiboo

apple_muncher wrote: »

How are you Hbbb? And how is the cooker? Are you cooking on the fire yet?! Keep an eye on freegle/freecycle for cookers...

Keep resting, snug and warm. And eat well! xx

:wave:

Hi A*M, it appears my reply yesterday vanished, so just to say thanks and we're muddling along ta!

We've found a more permanent workaround with the cooker so that I can at least use the oven without it turning itself off or refusing to turn on, but a new one looks like being on the New Years wish list! Mr Hbbb doesn't mind buying reconditioned but he has a thing about not taking white goods from Freegle due to safety issues.

Fire is lit for second afternoon in a row, so yes, plenty of warmth and reting going on, although we're sticking with soup as this weekend he's bought a belly bug home from school with him

Habibiboo

:wave:

Ok, mega update overdue following distractions on my part and vanishing posts!

MFW actions:

* NSD = 5 / 7 this week, two days of odd spending (one taxi fare to appointment, one mini grocery spend for top ups, milk, laundry detergent etc).

AA daily actions since last update have included:

* Sorting airing cupboard (including putting in hooks and small line) so that I can now dry approx 1 small wash load (or one wash load of smalls) in there on these wet days. This at no extra cost to anything, as the cupboard just gets warm anyway when the water comes on.
* Sorting old / unused clothes pile as Fleabay have offered me 100 free listings until Tues, so may bit bullet and get some of these listed tomorrow / Tues.
* Re-jigging menu plan since last Thurs to take account of what's now available in garden so that we don't have to buy any veg before the end of the month (next week's menu plan to follow in another post).
* Very focussed exploration of own money earning potential in context of ongoing poorliness and opportunities currently / possibly available. More on this later on in week, I hope.
* Winter duvet now on bed, summed one washed and stashed away ... All of which saves me the cost of boiling a kettle each night for a hot water bottle (which I was doing for the week before changing the quilt over) ... will try to get to a real cold snap before getting my bottle out again!
* Tilly tidying like a person obsessed, so small MOP totalling £20 made.
AA day 51 / 100 = £ 902 / £ 2,000 ... so now over halfway there but not quite on target.

Grey clouds:
* Mr Hbbb is bringing a shocking amount of germs home from work with him ... last week coughs and colds, this weekend belly bug! Poor fella is really feeling it and then passing it on! It's so not like him to catch anything though, it's really showing what a low ebb he's at in the work-related stress stakes I think, which is almost another grey cloud in itself. And speaking of which ...
* He has admitted to feeling "squeezed" at work and finally told me today that he's been given an appointment just before the half term holiday "to talk about your future".
* All of which means it's pretty carps-vile around here.

Silver linings:
* There are always options and we are good at seeking them out (even when they are obscured by dark clouds).
* Dora has finished moulting so we are back to 3 eggs a day.

Daily declutter:
* 15 in 15 into charity bag which should be picked up tomorrow (will count out when it goes).
* One of Freegle items should also be picked up tomorrow so not much has actually left but a few things are on their way.
* Small parcel of crafty bobbins posted out to good home though so total at moment = 308 / 365

Simple pleasures:
* Home made soup for poorly sore tummies!
* Lemon and ginger tea for poorly sore tummies!
* Doggies enjoying a warm fireside.
* Finding things to look forward to.

Hope everyone else has had a good weekend and that next week brings good things for all in MFW land. x