Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2015

candlelight_2013

Hi Fuddle,
Pleased you had a lovely weekend.

The arbour sounds lovely particularly if you could find a nice clematis to climb over it. Many years ago I bought a clemtatis for £1.99 at a greengrocers in town near to where I worked and every year it is stunning. At the moment it is running rampant over 2 conifers and an ivy.

My BIL gave me two thyme plants and a basil so I have transferred them this morning into a herb pot, and the smell is gorgeous.

Himself is outside, we have a couple of dodgy decking boards so he is replacing them, we don't want any accidents either.

Your washing should be dry soon and ready to put away.

Enjoy your day off

Candlelightx

savingqueen

So sorry to hear about Docky Mrs LW. What a wonderful life he had, hope those memories offer some comfort to you both.

[Deleted User]

Thank you so much SQ, we're still coming to terms with it and life is odd as our routine of long standing is gone and we miss him so much. I know we'll get used to it in a while but until we do it's going to be a bit strange. Hope all is well with you and yours and that DS1 is excited about going up to senior school in the autumn, well done on getting him into the one you both wanted, result!!! Love Lyn xxx.

[Deleted User]

Surgeon is pleased at his handiwork this afternoon and removed some,but not all of the stitches.He is a lovely chap and very caring, he was beaming this afternoon and showing his registrar his work.Every op. I have had that he has done he has taken photo's of my chest He is writing a paper about plastic surgery in older patients and I have been his 'guinea pig' as he apparently did it a different way than usual:) so my boobs will end up on 'presentations' here and there all over the globe :):) The second op. last September was shown in Italy at a conference :):)Fame at last :):)
My gardener has been working hard today and hopes to finish it off tomorrow.
Just off to have some dinner now, I found some steak pie in the freezer along with some mixed veg and mash which will do very nicely
Cheers chums
JackieO xxx

Nargleblast

Mrs LW - just caught up with the news about your old four legged friend, so sorry. A life worth celebrating.

lindadykes

Lynn - So sorry to hear about Docky.

Good to have you back Jackie - so pleased the op was a success and you are recovering well.

Quite a productive morning. Noticed that DH had used the last of his store bought granola so rather than head out to the shops used what I had in to make a batch of homemade granola with nuts and seeds. Then noticed the punnet of nectarines which needed using up. We had a couple after tea last night and they were a bit on the sour side so used them to make a pot of nectarine and mint jam. Then thought that some apricot and pecan scones might go nice with the jam and some cream for dessert so had to make some of those too . Finally made a garlic and rosemary marinade for tonight's lamb chops!

Felt really rather smug as I emptied the juices from the almost cooked lamb chops into a saucepan to thicken with cornflour as a nice sauce - until- they didn't seem to be thickening, had a little taste, yukk!!! Very sweet! I'd only gone and used icing sugar instead of cornflour!! I only recently decanted everything into labelled tubs to save space in my cupboard but clearly had failed to read the label! Ah well the rest of it was nice, just no garlic and rosemary sauce!

Lynplatinum

Hiya

Fuddle - it sounds like a brilliant weekend in the tent.
Jackie O glad you are doing well but dont go overdoing it!!! (Cant find an icon for wags finger severely )
JanB - cant wait for Friday!! Must try to open your PM!!! LOL
Viv - no make up - might it indicate we dont need to put on false faces went we meet up as we know and trust each other well?? (Pop psychology 101 :rotfl:)

Well, yesterday spent £16 - a friend's birthday pressy + salads for the BBQ! To explain - it was my friend's 60th and her kind and lovely husband and caring daughter got together a surprise party! My friend had no idea it was happening - a real shock for her but a nice one - over 30 people turned up. So nice - we all bought JLewis vouchers because she wants a new Dyson hoover - apparently. I long ago trained all my family that presents must be useful, yes, consumable, yes, but something to do with the boring aspects of the household would be likely to be placed somewhere about their anatomy where the sun never sees!!! (So choccy;fancy biscuits; fancy teas/coffees;interesting new herbs/ bubble baths/soaps etc are acceptable!!) But a brilliant day out. Im 56 - and was the only person able to get down to the floor to sit on a picnic rug - and my Birthday girl friend!! Are we unusual?

Today did my 'big' shop - I overspent (hangs head in shame) I gave in to cut price temptation in L!dil and bought a YS salami slices from their 'posh' range - all of 55p! Spent more 14p more on the better looking tomatoes as well :rotfl: erg a massive over spend of 40p in total - so spent £5.40!!! Purse now shut for the week!

Also did some hacking back of ivy which is trying to eat my lovely shrubs - including my rosemary bush!!! also did a load of washing! Cooked a HM meal cleared my e-mails today and gave some reasonable replies for once!!! NB I walk for a mile to the shops but went a different way to go to the bank as well - so its a mile and a half! Hoping to loose some weight soon! Phew early to bed for me!!
Nite all! :A

[Deleted User]

corrieflash wrote: »

Morning Jackie, sometimes when using pumps like that it goes through as a £1 to make sure there are funds there and then it changes it later. I have noticed this before with my debit card so naybe credit cards do the same
Kathleen x

Spot on, thank you I did get to phone the garage up yesterday, and they said don't worry this is what the automatic payment machines will do. Phew that's a relief I am not keen on using them at the best of times I like a 'human machine'

Woke up with a bit of a sniffle this morning,but its what I usually get if I am on anti-bio's for some reason, they always seem to give me a cold :):) long as it heals the rest of me I dare say I can cope OK.I too am looking forward to Friday
Lots of feet up and reading between now and then
Hope you all have a good day
JackieO xxx

fuddle

Ah Lindadykes a terrible end to something so blooming lovely. May I admit to having a little chuckle?


JackieO I've had a weak chest for a couple of weeks now but today it has ramped it up. Struggled coming back from the shops this morning but hoping that as it's now showing other cold like symptoms it might be on the way out. Hopefully as I don't fancy a doctors visit.


I managed to get reduced bread and sausages this morning so I was pleased at that. I could have had a lot of reduced bakery items but they weren't on my list so I didn't buy.


Tea tonight is cooked breakfast. The children people are thrilled at the prospect as it will have no veg. So they think I think a roasted tomato will need to go on the plate for comical effect.


The rhubarb cordial didn't turn out great as I added the sugar too early. The girls are still drinking it but it's consistency isn't to my liking. I much preferred the consistency I got when I made the curd. I whizzed raw rhubarb to a pulp then was able to remove the natural juices. I think I will do this and then add the sugar on heating. Worth a try.


We have shoots on the peas, corn and lettuce. We got reduced beetroot and spring onion seedlings that are doing very well. The strawberries are producing but we have to get there quick as ants seem to like them too... ants! The raspberries are forming berries and looking very promising.


Going to take it easy today but jobs consist of the last of the washing drying outdoors and start to dent the ironing pile. I also want to try https://www.ohsobusymum.com.au/1o-dozen-cookies-from-1-batch/ 10 dozen cookies from one batch but as they need condensed milk they will have to wait till tomorrow.


Instead I will make carrot cookies for packed lunches.


Have a lovely MMM day

vhalla1478

Good Morning, Everyone,

I was late up this morning as I really overdid it yesterday. I've been working frantically in the garden so it's not a jungle when I get back after this weekend. but that's not the real reason I was over tired. As I live so far away from Jan's I am staying down for the weekend so the beginning of last week I decided to sort out the clothes I would need to take with me - a mini capsule wardrobe - I always do this when I travel - who wants to drag a large majority of their possessions halfway round the world?

Anyway, disaster struck - I co-ordinated a few outfits and put them aside to try on - can you believe it - they had all shrunk in the wardrobe; in other words, ladies, I'd got complacent about my weight. My DB has been away for the last month working offshore so I've been comfort eating - that's the reason, not an excuse. Consequently I put myself back on the Atkins diet last week and have overdone the exercising, especially yesterday. I'm now going upstairs to retry those clothes on. And yes, Lyn, I can still sit on the floor at 68 - nearly 69 next month (arrgh!!) and touch my toes even when I've put on weight! And you're probably quite right about the pop psychology. See you all on Friday.

Viv xx