The Simple Bare Necessities feat. Gratitude & Recipes

Pippilongstocking

*catching up*

Yay to mushrooms however they are cooked.

Love the sound of those dishes.

I see our boxes at the food bank donation centres fill and sit for ages. I wondered if it was lack of donations or ??? One shop we have seems to be more on the case. Given the rise in these - oh my, heaven hopes they work.

Hugs to you and yours - toddling sounds ace. My toddler is home. At 23 now, I'm sure I walk slower than he does. Although elder mutt has shown off by sprinting since he's returned from working a winter season. Although he's been plentiful with the hugs and the catch ups.

Geez toddlers. Love em.

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Afternoon :hello:

Can anyone direct me to the Great Britain Olympic sleeping team please? I wunna be on it.........

BG can't help that their cough seems to be worse at night. BG can't help that the whole entire household wakes up when they cough. BG can't help it that there isn't really anything that helps, but............ oh.............

This week has been a bit full-on and DH and I are struggling on with being tireder and tireder. But.

Mucho has already been completed and the week is not yet over :j

DH managed to snag an appointment due to a cancellation, which means that he won't have to lose holiday with having to take more time off work :j It was a dental appt, and we had the money for the work - although I will add in at this point, thank heavens for NHS dentists!

I ate a grapefruit for breakfast that was destined for landfill. It looked awful, but it was the tastiest, tangy and yet sweet enough grapefruit that I have had in a long while. Why must we always seek perfection!

I had a card through the post today from a dear, dear person - "just because". Don't you just love receiving those type of cards/letters/emails/texts???? I appreciate them greatly :D:D Quite made my day

The grocery budget is outta the window, but I'm going to have to revisit this anyway. The truth is, and this isn't necessarily because of the broo-ha-ha about obesity in the press at present, or the health of the nation in general - I want to eat a good diet. I want DH and I to be healthy enough to look after BG for as long as possible. There already aren't any givens, so we can only do what we can do to look after ourselves - the rest is down to the luck of the draw, circumstance, genes or a myriad of other factors. But as we have discussed many times, a healthy diet is never cheap, so...... I'm just gonna have to bite the bullet and pay the dollar.

I ended up using my YS'd mushies on Sunday for a sorta kedgeree dish. Filled us up and was very nice. I have got some mushies - not YS'd for a stroganoff for tonight's tea.

I got some yorkysh1re T for £4 for 240 bags from mrS yesterday - it is an offer that is also on in mrA and mrM if YT is your bag. We've never really had the brand - the parentals drink it - but we've been getting tetlee from mrAl, but they appear to have stopped selling it, so....... I also got 5kg basmati rice for £5 from mrS yesterday. I've had the brand before and it is good enough. I was going to try the 10kg from mrL, but storage is an issue (along with handling) when the bags get so big. We've filled up the fruitbowl from h0me bargins, although DH bought bananas from mrAl, despite being explicitly told not too....... We will eat every single morsel of those 13pence e.a.c.h bananas and enjoy them...................

Right, a cake is cooling on the rack, washing is in the machine and I've tea to make. Thank heavens DH is on hand to handle all other duties :T Gotta love that man & teamwork :kisses3:

Ta for popping in, and telling me about your toddler offspring's endeavours ....... :T I think our babies are always our babies.........

Greying X

Pippilongstocking

Hope the wee one is feeling a bit brighter today and your application to the olympic team is successful. I might ask to join you as I don't appear to be able to sleep for more than 3-4 hours at the moment, all self imposed, so I really cannot moan, but I shall.

Have a great day dear greying.

Greying_Pilgrim

Thanks Pippi love. I'm pleased to report that we all had a full night's sleep :j:j:j First time in about 10 days :T

I have just been on fire this morning and achieved so much - go me :rotfl: I'm still drained, but sleep - oh wonderous, restorative sleep!

Today is dank and dreary. Back to normal spring-like weather then. Mugs of soup all round.

I've got a parcel coming today - must check on the timing, as it's a tracked one. Mmm, just done it - great. Love tracked parcels, so good.

Right, I've washing to dry up, things to put away and snap to make. Best get started.

Ta for popping in. greatly, greatly appreciated.

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning :hello:

Currently dry here. So the world is our oyster. But the weather has been playing havoc with our plans lately, Alot of outside wandering - near and far has been scuppered by consistent precipitation.

I'm feeling a bit directionless at the mo. It's coming in on the back of the ongoing changes that we're making. But I'm still feeling rudderless. Much of what I 'was' (although I don't think I identify myself through possessions/work role/money - or lack thereof) is currently being divested as we let go of 'stuff' to move on with the revamp of Greying Towers, in an effort to 'move on'.

I didn't ever see myself as a 'Barbara Good' type - not self-sufficient to the point of picking up every rubber band that the postie dropped to eventually weave myself a new bucket, nor to pick up discarded water bottles to make myself a greenhouse. And I'm not sure I ever wanted to be self-sufficient. I just don't want to be a rabid consumer. Ever. Having BG has been a wonderous blessing, and I'd not change things for the world, but the shift in 24/7 responsibilities and a shrinking of what can be achieved with a small in tow, is palpable. I love being a mum, I care about being a mum, I want to be as good a mum as I can be. I just don't know what I am outside of that. Or where I'm headed.

We watched the documentary about Jeff Beck on bbc4 last night. And wondered at his guitar skills (doubtless the result of hours of practice, dedication and hard work). His success with something that he was absorbed in, had led, in turn, to him being able to absorb himself in a love of hot rods and old cars. It was wonderful, if not a bit surreal to see a rock star wielding what must have been an imperial size spanner To have things that you are good at - and passions that you can pursue is wonderful. Other than my family, I don't know what I'm passionate about anymore. Food? Ay, but not passionate enough to pursue a career in catering - if the likes of JO et al can't make that work, then why should my caff fly?

My life is wonderful - but my everyday activities are very pedestrian and my world is quite small. Whilst I do believe that you can live a brilliant life without an over-reliance on money; living a 'rich' life is all in the eye of the beholder. Gazing at cloud-forms for hours, making up stories and watching the changing weather fronts may be free, but it could well bore the pants off everyone else on this forum, and I may well be asked to stop reporting such mundanity. On the other hand, DH and I spotted the face of a bulldog in the clouds above Sainsbury's the other day, so clear and so....... funny!

I no longer grow my own vegetables. Much of the work at Greying Towers will have to be given over to trades, as I nor DH can't do it with a small in tow. Costs aren't as low as they can be due to circumstances. Whilst debt-avoidance is a key driver in our lifestyle choices, we are not living a minimalist lifestyle 365.

At this moment in time, I'm questioning the relevance of keeping on a diary.

I don't know which way to step, and I have no firm conclusions. But I do think that my life is becoming increasingly irrelevant to the key drivers of this forum, which is getting out of debt/debt avoidance.

But I do value the MSE community. There are some spiffing folk wandering about the boards, and I'm lucky enough to be able to call several 'friends'. Which is such a fantastic position to be in.

Greying X

MatyMoo

Delurks to say I love reading your diary, your love of BG shines through and as I was never lucky enough to be a mum it's very special to hear about BG learning about the world. I also love hearing about you trying different shops and foods - you do sometimes seem to find a way to make dinner out of nothing and I need to learn how to do that!

Greying_Pilgrim

Hello MatyMoo - I remember you from Karma & Pippi's threads :wave:

Oh, I certainly, certainly cherish having been given the opportunity to be a mum. I thought I never would be, so to have had the opportunity - even at this stage is a blessing through and through.

If I ever give the impression that I don't value BG and DH above everything else in life - then feel free to call me out on it

I am fine in 99% of the way in which my life has changed, having BG in it, it's just that I seem to have moved away from my previous life, which was very much more 'old style', DIY and 'recycling' than it is today. Although many of BG's books, toys and clothes are preloved (and actually quite, quite spiffing!).

Thanks for dropping by - always great to 'see' you

Greying X

WannabeFree

I hope you do decide to keep your diary here. It's lovely to read diaries of those at the start/middle and end of the DF journey. Even when I'm not posting on my own or other diaries yours is always one of the diaries I do keep up with and read.

I'm sure there is many who read along on the sidelines that agree your diary is helpful to many even if you don't see why or how
Honestly it does.

You are a brilliant mum to BG and have never given off or come across like you don't value Mr Greying or BG

x

greenbee

GP - your diary is inspirational. Full of ideas for culinary creativity, which contribute hugely to this site - and are relevant to anyone trying to get out of debt, stay out of debt or get rid of their mortgage. And as is obvious from some diaries, staying out of debt is often a challenge to some of those who get out of it successfully. It's also lovely to see how you have adapted to the arrival of BG in your life, but I know from friends and family how hard it can be when you need to redefine yourself as a result of becoming a mum. Look after yourself during this change, and as you say goodbye to the 'old' you, give yourself some time to think about what you want from your new life.

I have a MF diary. Which I really don't keep up particularly well... I'm actually still not at the stage where I can make overpayments, as I'm still finishing the house and sorting out my finances post job-change. However, updating occasionally and hanging out on MSE helps me remember my ultimate goal.

I'm just home after a week of travel that involved 8 flights on 3 different airlines. The good news is that I've discovered I can spent my BA avios on gin and M&S food on the flights... the bad news is they don't carry full stock so I can't do my weekly shop on the way home...

apple_muncher

My dd reached double digits earlier this year, and I am having a 'significant' number bday soon (think it might be the same as pippi; but it sure aint 40!).

Until having dd, I probably defined myself by my job, and was glad (and super duper fortunate) to be able to return to it for 2 days per week. (No way could I have stayed at home all the time!) However, since having dd, I am dd's mummy. Full stop. Priorities change. Views, goals change. Stuff goes on hold. And it is only on hold, it is not cancelled, but will/may happen at a later time. And if it doesn't happen at all, then that is because I have decided it aint worth it. And putting stuff on hold, changing direction is totally worth it. We waited a lonnnng time ourselves for dd and there's nowt more precious than her.

You just make sure you carry on enjoying BG and being BG's mummy to the full. You are doing a great job, missus. xx