Five OS Pleasures in your day today

Patchwork_Quilt

1) Our Saturday coffee date this morning
2) DD's bf now home from camp and looking very tired. What he doesn't know is that we're all going out tonight to celebrate his results ...
3) Another box of blackberries from the allotment. DH, who rarely goes down there unless there is something doing that needs tools, said it was very impressive
4) Went to B&Q with a 15% off voucher from MSE and saved £11, which went on
5) more vodka for the blackberries and two punnets of peaches, since they were so cheap. Is that OS? I shall enjoy them, anyway

Have a lovely weekend, everyone

Caterina

Hi all

Well, back home now and slowly but surely negotiating a truce, he really realised that I meant it this time, it is not every day that after an argument in the night, I text him in the morning saying that I am off to Ireland - I hope that the shock has made him aware of the need for some changes.

I want to thank all of you who have offered me so much support and all the pms I have received have been truly welcomed, you are a great bunch of friends! xxx

I just skimmed the last few pages, since the horrible hostel in Cork (ghastly!!!) I haven't been near a computer until now and have missed a lot of your pleasures, blessings and adventures, so please forgive me if I have missed something important, sending hugs and best wishes to all of you who need it.

Ollie: thank you very much for passing my message from Cork! Managed to get through the night and in the morning I complained about the room (for those who don't know: hostel room was a tiny 6-bedded dorm, small window that opened on the bathroom - yes that's right - worse to come: bathroom window that opened on the KITCHEN!!! airless and stinky place). The guy tried to argue back but then I mentioned planning laws. RESULT! I got 10 euro refund hehehe

Sparrer: sorry to hear you have been unwell and I hope you are in better health now. Good luck with weight loss, we are in the same boat for that!

Sarahsaver: good to see you, long time no see! Hope your baby girl is ok now, it is great to be a mum and be able to heal our babies, no?

zarazara: I am very sorry to hear about the poor pony and hope with all my heart that he recovers well.

Anyway, I have so many pleasures and blessings in my life that it would be too long to say them all, so I shall only put a few since my return last night:

1 - Coming back to England from Ireland, weather-wise, it is the equivalent of going from England to the Mediterranean - loved to find warm weather and sun shining, never again will take them for granted!

2 - Despite a long delay in departure on the ship, I managed to get on the train for Chester with 3 minutes to spare *phew!*

3 - Coming home to my darling children, who were delighted to see me.

4 - DH being delighted too (and contrite, which is also important on this occasion :rotfl:) and the fact that we are managing to communicate from the heart, it feels really like there is hope and understanding this time.

5 - Sleeping in my own bed and not in a bunk bed with someone on the top bunk twisting and turning and making the bed creak!

6 - Seeing my darling cats again!

7 - In the morning, DH bringing me breakfast in bed (usual treat but this time even more appreciated).

8 - M&S cream tea with DH this afternoon

9 - Various vouchers and freebies in the post

10 - The veg in the garden are doing so well!

11 - Got special offer for returning to a veg box delivery after a long time with the competition

12 - Doing some work and finding out that I have already done more hours than I remembered so won't have to kill myself working quite as much as I thought before!

13 - Monday I have a babysitting job, it will help with cashflow!

14 - Being able to sit at my computer and post my stuff here

15 - All my dear friends on this forum

Love to all and good night

xxx

catznine

Caterina - so good to hear you are home and happier! I have been away myself (Spain) and am still catching up but am sending positive vibes your way! (((hugs)))

Todays old style blessings/pleasures-

1) labelling up 4 jars of hm plum jam and 4 jars hm plum chutney.

2) Starting a "freezer soup fairy" again with leftover cooked potatoes, runner beans, french beans and celery.

3) Although tired and very tempted to get a takeaway, managing to produce a 3 course meal from stores! hm curry mayo dip with celery, cucumber, tomatoes and crackers from approved foods - soya mince bolognaise and pasta - sliced mango from the organic box.

4) Picking an abundance of runner beans and tomatoes from the garden.

5) Catching up on all my favourite threads on mse old style while drinking a lovely cup of tea.

Catz x

Kittikins

Caterina, I'm so pleased you're home safe and sound and working things out with DH, hugs to you both.

1. The sunshine
2. DD accepting that she needed a nap this afternoon and waking up much happier, perkier and even more fun to be with
3. Getting compliments from DD's friend's mummies when we went to nursery about how good I'm looking......and now am "booked" on a girly night out this week...shame I'll be driving but am not going to break my diet before I go on holiday!
4. Young friend coming over to play with DD, staying for dinner and loving my strange concoction, good girl
5. Going blackberrying with friend and her lovely mum after dinner - must find my demijohns to start making blackberry vodka They're deep within the shed....gulp.

sparrer

So happy to read your post Caterina, am pleased you and OH are able to speak about issues which I think is such an important thing to do. Too few people won't discuss with their partners, I think you have something worth working for when you do. Thank you for your very kind thoughts, all is well for the moment at least and hope it stays that way now I've been given this chance of pulm rehab.

Zarazara and your pony - thinking of you both and sending good wishes for a speedy recovery your way.

Reverbe I hear what you say and hope you manage to get at least a some of your loan back. The person I lent to was bankrupt, had already lost their home and job but pulled themselves up again and has paid everyone back. It took a while but they were determined to do the right thing by their friends. Good luck

Saturday blessings...

1. Shoe shopping this morning, found exactly what I was looking for, and more. Two pairs for £8 each in a sale and something I never, ever do - bought a pair in a charity shop. Brand new, £3 for a size 3...difficult to find my size at the best of times and these are really lovely so I was very pleased. A very OS shopping session

2. Finding a card shop which has cards for every occasion at 25p each - and buying quite a large selection

3. Buying 2 chicken samosas to eat on the way home but they were so spicy I couldn't manage half a one. I looked up the fat content later and was happy to make an egg salad when I got home - that'll teach me to be lazy :rolleyes:.(And my little lodger enjoyed the second samosa)

4. Postie bringing me a double ended mascara, not seen one like this before so am looking forward to using it tomorrow to see if my eye lashes look 70% thicker. How do they know it's 70%? I'm wondering who measured my lashes in my sleep :rotfl:

5. Watching the X Factor while doing the ironing - not sure which was most heavy-going but it got me through a chore I don't much enjoy :rolleyes:

Night night n God bless
S x

Olliebeak

Evening :wave:

Blimus - those sound like two brilliant days out .
savingforoz - enjoy your trip to Paris - Vive La France!
sarahsaver - (((((hugs))))) for you, your dd and your ds - sounds as though you all need them .
zarazara - sorry to hear about your pony's leg! I do hope it's something that will heal given time.
Molly41 - well done to your son on his exam results (terrifying time for so many teens) and good wishes for your health.
sparrer - great news on getting your money back unexpectedly and also on your friend's 3 yrs sobriety :T. Well done on getting some good shoes in your size. I have the total opposite problem - size 9's and wide fitting - my dear departed dad used to say that I was well-rooted!
bella - your pleasures may be humble - but those are the ones that keep our world turning .
Reverbe - sorry to hear about your financial problem - I do hope your flatmate realises the position s/he's left you in.
Primrose - well done on your garden harvests .
Patchwork - I think spending an unexpected £11 on something that you'll really enjoy can be called OS. Now if that had been £11 that had been earmarked for something else then that may have been a different matter ...........;).
Caterina - Welcome back home again - please God that you and your dh can get things back on track again - it does sound as though he is trying. Then again, that is the problem with MOST men - they can be very trying :rolleyes:!
catznine - Welcome back from warmer climes and well done on your preserving and soup making.
Kittikins - Hope you enjoy your girlie night out :dance: :beer:.

Mine for today:
1. dgs3 arrived at 10.30 this morning then ds2, g/f and dgs2 all departed for camping trip to North Wales. Heading up Snowdon tomorrow - brave people taking 8yr old 'Dylan the Villain' up Snowdon :eek:.
2. dgs3 and I 'hit the bargain and charity shops' today. Brand new Music Quiz Book for 99p in one charity shop and a 'flip over style' One-Pot Cooking book for 99p (originally £12.99) for £1 in another one - I'm sure I can adapt most of these for the Slow Cooker . The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe for £1.20 in another shop. Chatted to the Big Issue seller for a while - Billy delighted with his little dog. Billy also got a big balloon from a charity shop - which he promptly bit into in HomeBargains and burst . Don't think he'll do that again in a hurry. I DID check to make sure that I found all the pieces of the balloon.
3. Visited the 'new local butcher' shop in our village centre - got two gammon shanks - now my sister can keep the ones I left in her freezer last weekend . They were giving away samples of their own 'spicy sausages' - wow! a bit too spicy for me :eek:!!!
4. Lunch in Asda Cafe for Billy and myself (Fish Stars, chips, beans and free dessert for Billy and Jacket Spud/cheese filling/salad and coffee for myself) for around £5 - can't be bad .
5. Some more great whoopsies this week - lemons (I need to make a couple of lemon drizzle cakes this week), organic skimmed milk 30p a pint from 50p - now in freezer, dishcloths halfprice, air freshener refills halfprice. Pura dairy-free margarine reduced to £1.00 a tub (from £1.29) so bought a couple for the freezer - 2 milk/lactose intolerant dgk's.
6. Visited DD this evening with Billy. Her two were delighted to see him as it's been ages . Katie (22mths) played the 'mother hen' to Billy (1) but guarded her toys very carefully :rotfl: - Upsy-Daisy wasn't leaving her sight for one single moment!
7. Billy has been in bed since 8.45 but has woken twice in that time - so I could be in for a bit of a restless night :eek:. Roll on 10.30am when I hand him over to his Auntie Lisa .
8. Got a Max Factor make-up sample in the post this morning - in fact it was TWO samples in one package :j.

That's about me done for now. Nitey nite all and God Bless (((((HUGS))))) for all who need them (or just want one) - love Ollie xxx.

catznine

Today has been a lovely lazy day, apart from helping out at sunday school which was also very quiet (lots on hols). I have so much to do as the family are coming to stay next weekend but it can wait another day!:D

1) Making the time to visit old friends.

2) Picking possibly the last of the french beans from the garden and some [STRIKE]courgettes[/STRIKE] marrows!

3) Finding lunch in the freezer and garden (quiche, spuds, runner beans and tomatoes with hm chutney)

4) Sorting through card making supplies

5) Taking a home grown pumpkin round to our friends (who run a pub) for them to store away for halloween. Our is yet to ripen:rolleyes:.

Kittikins

Mmmmmm, a lovely weekend down here in Sussex

1. Turning last night's blackberry haul into blackberry vodka and then kind of making jam or something vaguely like that with the pulped fruit, so as not to waste it. Odd recipe - I thought the fruit should sit with the vodka for months similar to making sloe gin, but this one didn't need me to.....hope it'll work out ok! .
2. Going out for a walk to the 'rec with DD and her friend to have a picnic, picking some pudding along the way - they played loads whilst I sunbathed, watched a gorgeous man play tennis *sigh* and read a good book
3. Making what looked like a scrumptious dinner in the 'moska for DD and friend, using up the remains of picnic's salad and a huge baked potato that filled them both up!
4. Starting to clear out the garden shed, and discovering lots of forgotten goodies in there, there's a fair way to go before it's more useable but little steps
5. Realising that I can actually run a few paces for the first time in over 10 years - discovering it as sadly DD hurt herself and I ran into the garden to see how she was, but I had a great sense of achievement when I did it..I've blamed a bad leg for many, many years. Might see if I can do a bit more another day....or year....don't want to rush things
6. DD and I made tortilla wraps for the picnic this morning - they looked, smelled and (apparently) tasted divine. I'm so pleased, I'm not going to buy bread or tortillas ever again, we only made them as when baking the last part-bake roll this morning, I burned it....oops! Lucky break as it turned out as we had fun and she was so proud of her wrap

sparrer

Evening all, just a quickie as it's been a longggg day...

1. Good trip down to visit DM, practicing fuel economy for a change and came home with 1/4 tank, almost unheard of

2. A lovely pub lunch of steak (think it was almost half a cow!) and horseradish sandwich, decided against the pud menu and called into Mr T on the way back to buy yummy raspberry sorbets...much cheaper than pub prices (and better for us )

3. Took some talc/baby lotion samples I'd got in the post to DM, like all of us she loves a freebie and will put them to good use

4. The pets all giving me a lovely greeting when I got back, anyone would think I'd been away for weeks

5. Starting on an alteration on some posh jimmies DM wants to take on her hols next week. Trouble with we shorties is everything has to be tucked or taken up, but thank goodness I enjoy sewing which saves money on having to take everything to the dressmaker

Hoping everybody had a good weekend, as much as poss, night night n God bless
Yawning S x

[Deleted User]

Hi everyone
Back again after a hectic few weeks. The early start to Spring has had me sorting out the greenhouse, starting seedlings, putting in a new vegetable garden and extending the hydroponics. The calving has meant that both my friendly dairy farmers are sending me lots of lovely fresh milk and cream, which I am busy turning into butter and cheeses and returning to them. Some days it looks like a small cottage industry has been set up in my kitchen. Also been called back into work as they are overloaded, all combined to make for a very very busy few weeks.
So my recent pleasures.

1. OH was able to take the boat out two days in a row, a sign that he is definitely recovering from major surgery in March. Also means that with limit catches both days the freezer is full of lovely gurnard, cod, terakihi and kahawai.

2. OH bought a large smoker, (holds about ten trays) and I have been experimenting with smoking fish.

3. Yummy smoked kahawai fishcakes for dinner last night.

4. Another lot of really interesting seeds arrived this morning. One of the benefits of the internet means that I am no longer restricted to what the major seed companies decide to promote, there are now so many small specialist companies that the consumers choice is huge.

5. Quiet peaceful day today, weekend over, everyone has disappeared and I am enjoying some laid back time with the animals

'Blessings be
Jennie