The Simple Bare Necessities feat. Gratitude & Recipes

brizzledfw

Good to catch up GP.

Good point re farm gate potatoes, think I will look into that

Xx

Greying_Pilgrim

Ay up brizzie Yes, ex-farm gate is good if you have one nearby, have storage and have a means of transport. Plus I like that the money is going to the producer - even if, in this case, it is a huge concern with acreage in the fowsands.......

Well, it's always interesting when expected visitors turn up half an hour early! Not to catch you out, just because their diary said nine and the person making the appt agreed nine thirty with you......... Ah well, Greying still has it, as I didn't get caught with a leg in a pant! No siree!

And it's all done and dusted and we've the rest of the day to ourselves now :j

I've made my list, need to sort out the budget so that I'm not digging into next week and then we can find the shopping bags and go for a wander up the high street.

See y'all in a bitski.

Greying X

joeyjimbles

Its a good time for reflection, December, I find. This has been a mixed year for us - seems to be more improving towards the end, or at least more optimistic but it has definitely had it's challenges this year and I have felt very stretched on too many occasions - usually from things that I must deal with but have no control over.

Went to Tesko yesterday as I have points saved and wanted to buy FIL's christmas present whilst its on offer, and they were doing a foodbank collection in the foyer - they had lists of what they wanted so I asked if they were happy to receive items from other stores and they readily agreed. I managed to secure quite a few items with good long dates in HB/Bee n Emm, better quality and better prices than Tesko alternatives, and a couple of decent Tesko basics, so happy all round I think - and within my food budget. I should have asked if they are there again next week.

Upsidedown_Bear

Good morning GP and Pilgrimers

This came up when I was searching for something for another thread and it made me think of you all




Have a good day

Cheery_Daff

Glad you weren't caught with one leg in your pants GP! :eek:

Just nipped into the big supermarket afeter the dentist, there were some lovely ladies doing a food bank collection and they had a printed list which is always helpful - I'm sure there's something psyhological that goes on with me at any rate as with a list I always feel like I have to cross everything off!! :eek:

Didn't get everything this time, but went for christmassy/toiletries today - shampoo, deodorant, box of sweets, biscuits etc - except I realised when I got back to the car that I accidentally kept a packet of chocolate digestives! :eek: feeling very guilty now (even though they were only worth about 40p - I went for value biscuits as they're pretty much the same as normal and I got several packets for them to share out). Well there's one less now will try to remember to drop into the chuch collection box round the corner when I remember.

Hope your day is cheerful Greying :j

Greying_Pilgrim

joeyjimbles wrote: »

Its a good time for reflection, December, I find. This has been a mixed year for us - seems to be more improving towards the end, or at least more optimistic but it has definitely had it's challenges this year and I have felt very stretched on too many occasions - usually from things that I must deal with but have no control over.
.

Actually joeyjimbles I think that December is a very reflective month, and I know that i started my last diary towards the end of December 2014, rather than at NY. It's been a good year for us on the whole, but without a shadow of a doubt, 'other people's actions' (or inactions) and having no control over the situations that subsequentlyoccured has been my ongoing downfall, and cause of stress.

Bravo for your extremely thoughtful donation to the FB collection. Giving added quality and value is to be applauded :T

Cheery_Daff wrote: »

Glad you weren't caught with one leg in your pants GP! :eek:

Me too Cheery, me too! :rotfl:

Cheery_Daff wrote: »

Didn't get everything this time, but went for christmassy/toiletries today - shampoo, deodorant, box of sweets, biscuits etc - except I realised when I got back to the car that I accidentally kept a packet of chocolate digestives! :eek: feeling very guilty now (even though they were only worth about 40p - I went for value biscuits as they're pretty much the same as normal and I got several packets for them to share out).

:rotfl:Cheery, when Whisky and Wine makers talk about fermentation and ageing, they refer to the 'Angel's Share'. This is the amount of product that 'disappears' through evaporation, leakage, spillage etc. I think that a pack of biscuits was the 'Angel's Share' today. You did a kind thing, and can enjoy the biscuits - just as the people who will receive your goodies, will enjoy them. I agree, the valoo choccy biccys are ace

And yes, my day is very, very cheery, as i have delighted in reading all about the donations to FB's. How kind you are. How kind.

Upsidedown Bear - I am currently reading a book by a bloke who went to live up a Welsh mountain for 5 years - very reminiscent of Mr Thoreau..... No electrickery, phone, supermarkets etc I'm about half way through and he seems to be getting on fine

Well, no need for nominations or phone votes. I'm awarding myself 'numpty of the day' award today. After getting ahead of myself, by being able to accomodate the early arrival of the visitor, I thought that I would nip up the high street to complete some chores and pick up a few bits and pieces. I went via one of the scenic routes, after all, I was earlier than anticipated and had loads of time. I went over to the library, which is the long end of the high street, and went to get my library pass out.......... and realised that I hadn't picked up my purse.......... Arghh! I had to walk all the way back home, pick up my purse (from on the table, where I'd been sorting everything out) and set off out all over again. I've worn at least half my feet orf today, I tell you! I then forgot to put the money into the credit union, because I had got the cards and the money, but failed to put it on my list, and didn't think about it as I sailed past the post office...... :doh:

Is there any hope?

Ah well, there's always tomorrow I guess

The pizza dough is made, and I've got some of the wilja tatties out of the bag (an endeavour in itself, the cotton string is supposed to unravel, how come it doesn't on tattie bags anymore?) and washed them. Thankfully they had a light dusting of relatively sandy soil, rather than being 'covered in mud', so not too onerous a task

Right, BG is snoozing on my arm, and I've got some more chores to attend to. I'm going to attempt to move.

Whatever happens next, know that I have still got a grin on my face, because of your kind deeds

Greying X

beanielou

Blimey your library must be mean.
Mine would have given the book.
Talking of which I picked up the new Ian Rankin the other day :j :j

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning :hello:

Beanie - I think our library let you have the books if you've other forms of ID, I just didn't have anything else on me, so no point in even asking. Even though a large proportion of the staff *know* me, and i was collecting a book, so I would have had to know lots of details for them to find it in the reserve cupboard for me...... ah well, needed my pennies, too, so just had to suck it up....

Tea last night was cheese and tomato pizza, which didn't look much, but tasted lovely - I don't know what I did different, but it tasted much more than the sum of its parts IYSWIM. The wedges were a little disappointing, didn't taste of overly much. I'm hoping that this was either because they were overcooked, or because they're better as mash. They did crisp up though. I tried a new thing of dusting them with spice and cornmeal. Not too sure if this is what made the difference, will have to try again when I don't overcook them. Picture here;



I've got to finish up the chores up the high street that I didn't do yesterday. Must shift-a-tail-feather and get going. The Chrimbo shoppers will be there in droves today (which is a good thing for the town).

DH has a small list of items to get from mrL. And that will be pretty much our shopping for this week. There is only just enough left for a FB donation :eek: Where does the money go?

Right, I must vamoose, hair t brush etc

Ta for popping in Know that I value it

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Phew! Not too sure if everyone else had the same idea of getting into Greying Town early, or I was just right about descending chrimbobs shoppers. Busy, busy, busy!

Still, I managed to complete my list. I even got a chore done at the bank, as there was an operative sat on the welcome desk doing nowt, so I asked them to do something on my account that I've been wanting to sort out for a while.

I will firstly say that they have been 68p a pound for I don't know how long, so I shouldn't really complain, but I noticed that the bananas in m&$ had gone up to 72p per pound They price match mrS, so obviously mrS has put up their price too. I estimated (using the weigh scales) that the bunch I picked would cost £1 - they were 99p Whoo hoo I picked up the TV mag whilst I was in there too - amuses me that m&$ stock the cheapy one :rotfl: As I think they've printed it early to make way for the chrimbo double edition. Anyone else noticed that jaymeeO is on the front cover of every other magazine at the mo? Wish i was an out-going self-promoting sort. I'd make a mint

Went to the charity shop to pick up a 'new' item for a little project that I have got in mind. I was chatting about costs to the manager - who is very nice and recognised me from previous visits - and they were telling me that their takeaway had gone up in price, when they ordered last night. I thought shops were going to hold off the increases until after chrimbo. Hope this doesn't mean they'll try and do a sneaky 2 stage rise. There are some costs you can cut out all together, but some you have to absorb. And whilst I don't routinely have takeaways, even I wouldn't begrudge their usefulness sometimes - are they going to become unaffordable?

I was in wilkos and one of their display tubs (of glue :eek:) got knocked over. No-one batted an eye-lid! I managed to pick up the container - but couldn't bend down to pick up the glue packets. Thankfully, in telling a bloke to mind out, as he was about to step on a packet (he would have gone flying as it would have slipped on the tiled floor ), and explaining I couldn't pick up the individual packets, because of BG he said, 'oh no, of course you can't - I'll do it' So thoughtful! We both agreed that he had done his good deed for the day Hope Santa was listening

Right, my coffee is at about the right temperature and my tummy is rumbling, so I'd better go and sort something out. I've not bought anymore weetybicks, but not really decided on what else to eat of a morn either....... Darn DH for putting the l/o pizza in the freezer :rotfl: (just joking, although l/o pizza for brekky is lush )

See y'all later.

Greying X

hex2

I bet it's really busy out later, pay day weekend for most people. This time last year I'd have been struggling round too - hate crowds. I do like being a lady of relative leisure.

We are planning on a local walk, OH wants to try out his latest home made stove (Beer can and tomato puree tin version 4 I think) so a coffee in the woods while the boys run round.

M&S delivery came with a free mini hamper, nice timing as DS1 wants some bits to take for his reverse advent. His class are collecting for FB, I was quite pleasantly surprised that he was so keen on the idea of a reverse advent given his grumpy teenage hormonal stage.