OS Singlies - We Do It Our Way!

LavenderBees

Hi, All

TFI Friday, eh? Is the lack of posts down to having a rip roaring (social) life? :beer:. I hope so...

I was sorry to read about Pink's passing, very sad.

Talking of very sad, Young-Boy-Cat is physically better (touch wood), and lots of the time he is actively seeking to play and have cuddles, but, at quiet times, he is mooching around the house and very clearly looking for Old-boy-Cat. The last few nights he has disturbed me by looking under the duvet (while I was asleep) as OBC spent many years tucked in beside me, then he went to look under the spare bed where OBC had spent the last few weeks, and then last night, he opened the wardrobe door, and got inside to check if OBC was there (OBC often went in there if he was feeling poorly).

Poor YBC...his tail droops further and further when these searches don't turn up OBC .

And poor Little Miss Millie Mops - if she tries to play with him when he is searching, she gets told in no uncertain terms that she is not wanted . (Then 5 minutes later they are romping around together again, thank goodness )

I can't do anything but try to comfort and distract YBC and hope that as the scent of OBC fades, his memories do, too. Poor little cat. But at least he isn't as distressed as last week, so is physically doing ok.

So, apart from that, I am just plodding on - busy at work ironically given I expect to be finished next year , and will get busier in the coming weeks, and it looks like it's all going to be interesting challenging work, so I'm glad as I desperately need to build my confidence again.

On the downside, I'm starting to hear references to the C word....have declined the office party, and seen the first TV ads . It all seriously depresses me again. I think it was around this time last year that I started the last lovely thread, and got such fabulous suggestions on how to fill my time so wonderfully, that last Xmas really was a doddle...well, most of it.

I need to start to think about planning my time off work that week to keep busy but also mainly to have a nice rest.

I also need to find a way to ignore the run up to C....but it's a strange thing that others (I suppose these are mostly those who have no idea how I feel), just will not let me be...

But that's a little way off yet, and today is FRIDAY, and the sun is out, and I am planning another pottering weekend after shopping tomorrow :T. I might...just might....light the first fire of the Autumn tomorrow night...Yep, I know how to live :rotfl:.

Hope you are all doing ok. Enjoy your weekends

LB xx

Horace

Hello all

I have been busy so not been here. Yesterday I had to collect the cash that we've been given to sort out the window decorations for the light festival - I went to buy some stuff (got moaned at but so what at least now our group has things that we can use in the future - all the argy bargy because of a small pot of glow in the dark paint). Driving to the craft shop and back the petrol light started to flash on my car - I cursed but managed to get home without running out.

Today was sign on day - must remember to note down when my next date and time is (thankfully the chap I saw [the sensible one] has made my appointment for the morning). Drove there but stopped by the garage first for some petrol - I put a fiver in which was the last fiver in my purse. Due to some unexpected expenditure this month I am more in my overdraft than I expected to be:mad: and therefore I am more skint.

I was taken out for lunch today too - I haven't been out for lunch in over 12 months, I didn't even have to pay. The friend who is in the abusive relationship took me out so we went in her huge Landrover Discovery (I always feel like the Queen when I sit in it because it is quite high up and I can see over the hedges). She took me to the local farm shop and she did a bit of shopping whilst we were there which I put in the car for her as she had left her coat at home and I was wearing mine (she didn't want to get wet). I was going to have soup but she insisted that I have a proper meal so I had cottage pie - none of this microwave slop either it was made to order (using local braised beef and oxtail) and served with very dark green cabbage and baby carrots (all locally grown). I can remember the farm shop when it was just a shack at the side of the road selling veg - it has now become a destination as the shop has expanded and they now sell fresh meat, cooked pies & quiches, they bake their own bread, sell local milk and cheese. They also sell fresh flowers, jams etc and have a lovely restaurant - there is even a conference room on site.

We had a great time, we had a giggle about things we had done in the past and we had a chat about more serious stuff too. She was surprised to learn that I am still in contact with one of our other former work colleagues so next time she is over from Wisbech, we shall all go out.

Need to do some housework and some washing up. Yesterday I received a note from the post office saying that someone had sent me something and hadn't put the correct postage on it - would I go to the sorting office and hand over £1.20 - er no, they can keep it or send it back because I don't see why I should pay for it.

LavenderBees

Well, it's been a gloriously warm and sunny day here. Fabulously warm...so I won't be having my first Autumn fire tonight. The first fire is so special....and needs to be on a wet and windy dark evening. I'm sure there will be one along soon

I've enjoyed a little potter in Morpeth, did my tiny bit of C... shopping, very pleasant service, chatty shop assistants, busy enough to be interesting, but nothing like that horrible frantic time in December, when people would kill you as soon as look at you.

I'm also stocking up the store cupboards, as well as using up older stock. Doing quite well on this, lots of tinned stuff used this week, and it's forcing me to think of cooking different things to use stuff up...tonight is seafood risotto, and tomorrow will be allotment leeks with tinned gammon/green beans/cream of chicken soup pie. Yum! :rotfl:

If anyone has any suggestions for using up 2 tins of coconut milk (apart from the obvious thai curry) and I also have a tin of evaporated milk...don't know why :rotfl: Any suggestions, gratefully received! I have a pumpkin off the allotment...maybe pumpkin pie??

And, does anyone use cracker biscuits for anything other than cheese? I have a box of various types that I obviously got for last C... and haven't used. Any ideas for using these up in a different way?

if you have any time, please feel very sorry for my 4 chooks...being wormed over the next 7 days, so NO TREATS AT ALL. It's only Day 1, and they are already planning their escape...shouting at me that I've forgotten their TREATS!!

Bless 'em :rotfl:

Enjoy your evenings...It's so quiet on here I feel I must be the only one in PJs about to watch Strictly :rotfl:

LB xx

moneyistooshorttomention

Re the coconut milk - I've done a very nice "icecream" before now from blitzed together coconut milk, honey and suitable fruit (mango on one occasion, pineapple on another). Put in freezer until icecream-like (probably best to bash it around a bit a couple of times en route to freezing solid).

Mainly working at the moment on eating bits of vegetables that don't come with them when buying in the shops (or even farmers markets). This week's discovery is that allowing the leeks I'm currently growing in the garden to grow on rather means they come up with thick long centre stalks with little "bulbs" in them. Wondered...so chopped out the little "bulb" type bits and diced the rest up and sauted with things like tomatoes and a bit of garlic powder. Wasn't even sure if that "unknown to me previously" bit of leek would be edible. It was and in fact rather nice.

mum2one

LB - the crackers I crush and mix with cheese and use them as a casserole topping - with tomato and sausage casserole
8 sausages/meatballs
Pepper
Any veg lying around
2 tins of Tom (mash mine down with a fork)
Grated cheese and mashed crackers
Onion - sliced finely

Grill sausages until browned transfer to casserole dish
Add onion to dish
Add chopped pepper and veg
Add the tinned toms if whole bash them down
Top with cheese and cracker mix
Bake 45 mins gas 4
Xx

LavenderBees

Thanks so much, Ladies...would never have thought of those 2 suggestions. I will investigate further and give them a whirl in due course. Much appreciated!

Just been watching Strictly with the sound down and listening to a couple of Frugal Queens webinars on debt reduction. I'm not in debt, but I am expecting a much reduced income to zero at some point, and I know that, since I paid off my mortgage a year ago, I have become much less mindful of my spending, so it's been very useful to re-educate myself on what I used to do (to pay off my mortgage in 3 years took some doing :T), and I will mull over what I will be doing from next payday onwards...that's only the end of next week :eek:

Hand in hand with that will have to be a diet - going to have to go back to cutting out the cr$p...I've been comfort eating and drinking, and it really has to stop. I'll feel better in myself and be saving money, and be able to fit into clothes in my wardrobe without spending on new clothes...so tomorrow will be making soup for work lunches, as well as my frugal pie for dinners. And here is my pledge...

NO MORE EATING CR$P and DRINKING CR$P...not for the next month, anyway. 4 weeks and then I can have a treat. It starts on Monday as all good diets do :rotfl:...frugal, frugal, frugal...that will be me.

Oh help!

Wish me luck...

LB xx

mum2one

Hope everyone having a good weekend, just crashed out with tv, and a sandwich (banana, brown sugar and walnuts) its lush, my DD had her first trip to town today with her best friend, dropped them off this morning said meet them at 3pm where dropped them off...... I was stuck in traffic, took me an hr to get back into town, rang dd to say stuck in traffic, youve got another 15 mins dont go too far........... (ha ha), got to the spot........ no one there, they were only the other end of town, thou they did offer to walk up to meet me, took me another 30 mins to get 1 mile round town... so pround of her, they went to Mcdonalds for their dinner, and they made an error with dds burger, she said too big of a queue to take it back, so she gave it to a homeless man with his dogs, x

Horace

Hi all

I went out today and was a bit spendy - spending a whopping £1.20:rotfl:. The local church were having a table top sale for Macmillan so it was 20p to get in (managed to clear my purse of 1p and 2p coins) and then I bought some homemade cupcakes - I have eaten two, and will have the rest in the week.

I did a stack of washing up, sometimes my washing up takes longer because I wash it and think that it is clean and then discover that it isn't so it needs to be done again (all because I cannot see blemishes or even dust). Vacc'd the kitchen floor too - I will clean it tomorrow.

Fridge forage soup is in the slow cooker, I will blitz it tomorrow and freeze it. I have seen the weather forecast for Tuesday when I shall be doing my walk leader course and as lunch is not provided I have to take my own - I will christen the wide necked soup flask. Chicken leg taken out of the freezer for dinner tomorrow.

Friend and park manager came round today with some plants we can borrow for our window display, she will be bringing a log on Monday but she wants it back (the plants will be returned too).

Received a letter from the NT asking me to renew my membership, I had already told them that I could not afford to renew in an email so I wrote to them this time and chopped up my membership card and returned it. £58 a year might not seem a lot but it is when you have little money coming in and have to pay it as a lump sum. I haven't been to an NT property for ages again a reason for deciding against renewal.

BTW I also watched Strictly (I do wish they would stop with the dreadful jokes it is as bad as when Brucie was on) and I had been told about a programme by Guy Martin about a Spitfire so I found it on 4oD and watched it (all 3 hrs of it).

moneyistooshorttomention

Am trying to think of the last time I watched tv, but am planning on watching a series of TV programmes next week on making the best of a small garden - "Big Dreams, Small spaces" on BBC2 at 7pm every night this coming week by the look of it.

Mine is a medium-size garden I guess, but I still want to maximise what I do with it and obviously all the more important unless and until I can manage to get back the bit of my garden that Little Sod neighbour is still currently squatting on.

Have had it suggested to me that I do a bit of "protection" with garlic around my garden (ALL my garden!) against her. Quite surprised at the number of my friends that are describing her as a witch to me and one friend said she literally screamed when she saw her photo and is still wondering why.

Perhaps Halloween should see me hedging my bets against her then...garlic and a Bible or the like as protection against her:rotfl:. Almost enough to make you doubt the evidence of your own eyes when you see her walking firmly round the place one minute (ie when she thinks she is unobserved), but the second anyone turns up to visit her she goes into Little Old Lady mode and moves feebly/accepts helping hands and tries very hard to look "frail" generally.:cool:

Re the fridge forage soup, yep...that's me sometimes these days..courtesy of the assorted vegetable selection I often have and, by now, have stopped even using a set recipe for it and just make sure something onion-y is in the base/it looks like a decent amount of vegetables/saut! the lot and then bung in around 2 pints of liquid and some seasonings and cook the lot for about 20 minutes. Blitz, if I feel like it, at the end.

BookWorm

Good morning everyone Sorry for being MIA. RL has been kicking my butt a bit.

Work has been absolutely mental. In fact it's been so bad I had a bit of a meltdown at a big boss last week..and they have actually taken notice and have taken some work off me. This is a first as I have asked them to do so before but usually it falls on deaf ears.

I have been fending off the lurgy too Had a sore throat and sniffles for much of last week (I blame having to attend a 2 day work conference) and the most annoying cough. I seem to have shaken the sore throat and now just have the cough. Although I suppose if it doesn't develop into anything more, I've been quite lucky.

I've also got a bit of a problem with the bathroom. I think it's condensation causing a damp ceiling/start of mould showing. There is no heating in the room but there is a window and so ventilation shouldn't be a problem - so currently investigating that. Howevever, I also now have a hole in the ceiling where a helpful family member touched it :eek: More to sort/deal with/pay for.

Goodness - I sound like a right moaning myrtle don't I?! It does help to write this down though - so thanks for letting me share

I'm having a quiet weekend. Partly needed for mental sanity and partly enforced as payday not til Friday

On a more postive note though - the weather has massively improved last few days and it's given me a chance to get the garden tidied. I'm pleased to have got the lawn cut as suspect that will be last time this year.

Off to catch up

Hugs BW