22 Foxhole East

crazy_cat_lady

VintageHistorian said:

I believe there is somewhere in Northumberland that is excellent for star gazing, might even have some kind of legal protection against buildings being erected in the area to prevent light pollution spoiling it? (Could be talking out my posterior).

Kielder is protected and has the observatory as well. And having been to Brighton I would still recommend Northumberland - it's a beautiful place.

f0xh0les

Good Morning all! I got up early, dismantled a 1990s ugly glass and chrome tv unit (you know the one) that I had tried to give away on every gifting site - and they are selling them for £15 in the c/shops and people buy them, but they will not take collect them (where do they get them from then??) as it is 'glass'.  Anyway, it went off to the recycling centre, along with a bunch of books for their new dvd/cd/computer/book container, and  a fully grown man-weight worth of cardboard packaging (DH really needs to stop buying Big River stuff).  So, for the first time in probably 6 months, but more like 9 months, I have a clear, clean, hoovered hallway with no stuff ready to go to c/shops (that have become soooooo fussy about what they are taking in).

Janus is the god of corridors, and my entrancing entrance is now clutter free.

Overview of 2021

What worked:

The mortgage target was £80k by NYE - got down to £79,499.99 so that is a win.

Wanted to get to £20k of savings to fix the house - managed £21k - classed as a win + DH managed £8k

DS1 at Uni - foundation degree is going well

DS2 getting GCSE results he needed

DS4 at 'Big School' and happy there.  No battles to get kids in the car in the morning is priceless.

First paid employment!  I am still employable, so employable they booked me for January within 36 hours of working with me.

Managed to donate blood 3 x this year, which means I should be getting my 25 pints badge soon .

Got all the kids vaxxed - not a guarantee, but it is all I can do except hose them down on entry.

Sourcing 75% of what I bought from charity shops (obv not food!!) but furniture and lamps and 95% of clothes - only bought 3 items of underwear and a pair of PJs  for me in a supermarket with points coupons, vouchers and money off.

Buying teabags by the 1000's  direct from Twinn1ngs when they change their packaging - over a 50% discount and delivered to the door.

What brought Joy!!!!

Discovering Whitby and seeing my kids in wetsuits

Operation Puffin Strangler with a bonus Seal thrown in for free

Visiting DS1 in London and seeing how much DS3 and DS4 like him and miss him

Getting a pay cheque for my own efforts.

Taking DH to an 'exhibition' locally, and  watching him realise his stuff was better than most of what was on offer, and starting his own side hustle. 

What did not work, and will not be done again

Tropical Xmas fruitcake - not worth the cupboard space.

Waiting for 'my' roofers to get back to me, need to find new roofer - loyalty does not pay.

Plans for 2022

Employment for me

Mortgage of £70k or less by NYE 2022

Holidays in UK with kids during school holidays - Feb / June / July / October

Architect to draw up plans for house improvements

Roof replacement and added windows - possible  roof room created

New boiler and central heating system

2 bathrooms with showers

Whole house carpeting of top 2 floors

Living room chimney opened up and ready for use to stop DH from heating the whole house for one ground floor room to be  lukewarm while the top floors swelter.

Front of house painted and insulated  and brickwork mortar replaced in a couple of places  the draughts from the window sills are not funny - in high winds it sounds like they are playing the bagpipes.

Get over to step gran at least twice, and DH's parents at least once.

 

If funds  allow, then solar panels on roof - when the govt decides what level of bribe they will pay me to get it done. 

f0xh0les

Today will not cost me a penny as I made tomato and red pepper soup (bulked out  further with the dregs of a container of red lentils) (3 out of 5 in each bowlful) and I made perfectly edible wholemeal bread rolls (rolled in seeds) to go with it.

Tried to make a fudge recipe from online, but I really do not think it is going to set at all, might end up as a sauce for ice cream instead - it will not be wasted. 

Supper is a  pasta carbonara with odds and sods left over in the fridge (1 of their 5 a day) and a tropical fruit salad and cream (4 of 5, so only a grand total of 8/5, unless they hit the dates and apples in the fruit bowl). Xmas cake is down to 5 slices left.

Might do mango lassi overnight oats for them for breakfast tomorrow. 

In the fridge I have a huge sad looking leek and some carrots, masses of 19p spuds in the pantry, and a portion of frozen peas, so I reckon it will make a perfectly acceptable veg soup with soup mix for tomorrow - will make and bake more  seeded rolls.

We are off Otter hunting again (no luck so far, but they seem quite excited by the idea of possibly finding 'spraint' - boys are weird!) although they make so much noise, if I were an otter, I would be half way to Birmingham before we ever came into view.  Still, it is a harmless little expedition to the outside world, and gets my step count up a bit.

Supper will be saag aloo.

Porridgecat

Lots of house plans for this year foxholes, its just so difficult to find a good builder. I do have a good roofer but not sure if he'd travel to Leicester (actually not that far...) I would swop him for either a carpenter or a plasterer.

mark55man

f0xh0les said:

In the fridge I have a huge sad looking leek and some carrots, masses of 19p spuds in the pantry, and a portion of frozen peas, so I reckon it will make a perfectly acceptable veg soup with soup mix for tomorrow - will make and bake more  seeded rolls.

My OH does a mock-a-leekie with much the same ingredients as listed (but rice instead of spuds) basically, as you might imagine
* soften the leek (with some onions as well)
* then add veg stock, water and carrots and rice and cook for like 30 mins (we used to make a coq one and a mock one, you could prob do with less time for mock only)
* we added quorn pieces quite late in the cooking to the mock if you want

Serve thick enough to stand a spoon in - we don't do peas but no reason why not

f0xh0les

Just back from the otter walk.  Went past the metal bridge full of pigeons and I pointed out to DH that that was the one that is supposed to be a favourite haunt of a kingfisher, walked for about 3km - still no otter- then turned round (it was very muddy) and ploughed on through to get back to the car.  DH shouts 'look a kingfisher' as we get  back  to the metal  bridge, and I missed it .  I stood for ages hoping to catch sight of it, but no such luck.  Still, at least the reports of the kingfisher have been independently verified (DH and DS4 count as independent witnesses). 

Then we came home, and I put the bins out before coming in, and I did not even have the door locked or my coat off before DS3 and DS4 were asking when I was doing them hot  chocolate and marshmallows, and DH was on the computer playing a game.  So went and did that, and they scampered off with no word of thanks -  so mine had a brandy in it, and I might have muttered some very bad words while kneading the bread dough.  Anyway, made a veg stew, the roll dough is rising, made mango lassi overnight oats for breakfast tomorrow.

Everyone else was on a computer having a fun old time.  So Xmas has been put away,  and I am having a cup of tea on the sofa and DS1 has just gone to the bathroom with a Lu$h bathball and a clean pair of PJs. 

Feel like telling them all to s0d 0ff. 

kerri_gt

At least if they're all off in their own little corners you get some peace and quiet. Silver lining n all that 

f0xh0les

Yeah, I might feed them and then go read a book in bed and deprive them of my company.  That'll learn 'em.

They won't even notice!!

Porridgecat

They will notice if you forget to feed them...

badmemory

Porridgecat said:

They will notice if you forget to feed them...

I wouldn't bank on that.  Didn't feed my DS until gone 10pm.  Picked up his plate & disappeared.  No 8 o'clock - mum is everything okay, no nothing.  Just intercommed him to say tea is out - end of.  Intercommed because I got fed up with screaming up the stairs long long ago.