The Simple Bare Necessities feat. Gratitude & Recipes

Greying_Pilgrim

*UPDATE* - credit where credit is due, Blooming Terrible telecoms company managed to find a 'spare' engineer, who thankfully was able to fix our fault.



Dialtone restored


Greying X

rtandon27

Aww GP & Cheery - so sorry you are both having a trying time of it - sending lots of hugs your way - :A:A:A - It is really lovely that you both openly share with us the everyday ups & downs of life here on the diaries - so much more 'real' than inst@gr@m perfection!

(two cups of coffee and a lovely lunch later - lol - complete sentences are a lot easier)

Earlier this month we were without a boiler - no hot water & no heat for almost two weeks :mad: not impressed with the landlord's management team :mad:- we were 'drawing water from the well' every morning and boiling it for a bath out of the giant stockpot - Furiously as both the dishwasher and washing machine are cold water fed, our dishes and clothes got more warmth than we did!
My full on grumpiness became instantly legendary & folks at work stepped lightly for some time :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: OH & I are now pleasantly warm & properly clean & very very very thankful for the modern luxuries of life!!!

badmemory

Greying_Pilgrim wrote: »

We tried to buy something from a shop for BG, for Christmas. Who knew, you can no longer walk into a shop, lay your money on the table and walk away with your desired purchase. DH had to 'place an order' and will have to wait until midweek for it to come in - which will entail another trip to the shop to collect it Good job we didn't leave it until the last minute before Christmas or anything............... And before you ask, no, t'ain't bespoke, artisanally crafted, nor unique.. just boring, mass-produced, everyday ordinary

This is why some High Streets are suffering & why it is so much easier to buy on-line. I do like to actually see something before I buy & I don't mind paying a little more to do that. But when I then have to pay 2 lots of parking on top & you're living on a budget it just all gets too much!

Greying_Pilgrim

rtandon27 wrote: »

Aww GP & Cheery - so sorry you are both having a trying time of it - sending lots of hugs your way - :A:A:A - It is really lovely that you both openly share with us the everyday ups & downs of life here on the diaries - so much more 'real' than inst@gr@m perfection!

Oh gosh, I could never keep up the pretence of 'my perfect life' for social media exposure. Stuff goes wrong, we make mistakes, miscalculations, misjudgements and occasionally, misdemeanours Why pretend otherwise? But neither do I want to descend into an Eyeore Gloom-Fest, after all - I'm a woman in the western-world, I'm very, very priveledged with all that I have - all that we have and I do try to remain focused on that, and remember that my problems are pretty small in the greatness of it all. But we're human, so we moan


I try never to smother my 'problems' to try to showcase perfection in my life, but I do also try to retain a sense of perspective - some are having it a lot worse than us, and fighting their own battles.



rtandon - I am as used to central heating/boilers/modern conveniences now, and so would miss them dreadfully if they were snatched away - even temporarily due to busted boiler-ness It's a far cry from what i grew up with - aluminium single-glazed windows, one coal fire in the far side of the house (with a back-boiler), and immersion heather that was rarely used because (hushed tones) it was too expensive to run........ To be fair I've never had to draw water from the well though........



DH has taken a 'reluctant to retire'(over-tired) BG for a snooze, so I best make hay.


Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

badmemory wrote: »

This is why some High Streets are suffering & why it is so much easier to buy on-line. I do like to actually see something before I buy & I don't mind paying a little more to do that. But when I then have to pay 2 lots of parking on top & you're living on a budget it just all gets too much!

I agree, but this was a retailer on an 'out-of-town' park, and the product was advertised as being available to collect just 1 hour after ordering on-line. Not every outlet can be near the central distribution hub, so how could it be in the shop virtually as soon as you order, if it's not carried in the shop's stock? Something is not stacking up somewhere....... But I agree, it is nice to see things before you buy - but seemingly that is getting harder and harder to do.



Greying X

in_need_of_direction

your childhood home heating mirrors mine. we did have paraffin heaters that we used in 2 spots when it was particularly cold

Greying_Pilgrim

in_need_of_direction wrote: »

your childhood home heating mirrors mine. we did have paraffin heaters that we used in 2 spots when it was particularly cold

We had those too! One in the kitchen and one in the bathroom! Oh, and the con.den.sation.............. I remeber the one time going into the bathroom and being met by a wall of smoke - but thankfully no flames. The wick had needed cutting or something and it had just been smouldering for several hours........ They only pumped out heat for a 6 inch radious of the blooming heater though, didn't they? Most ineffectual - and as for the fumes..............Elfin Safety? :rotfl:



Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Afternoon :hello:


Time seems to have slipped right on by again and I've been awol longer than intended.



BG is suffering another cough thingy. Fingers crossed it isn't going to be as bad as last time. We're currently on the cusp I think - they could begin to get better, or their breathing could get congested again. Obvs, I'm hopeful for a recovery.


I've been keeping out of mischief, but lack of sleep has hampered things a little. But I'm completing some of the xmas crafting chores that I set myself, and letting some things go As it would be too stressful to try to shoe-horn it all in. Not what life is supposed to be about.


I found 1kg bags of English C0xes apples in h0m3 bargins today - for 79p :j I purchased 2 bags, thank you very much And a 1kg bag of YS'd carrots for 20p - out of date, but looked OK.



Tea this evening will be black olive pizza and wedges. Teas this week have been a bit hit and miss, and we were down to scrambled eggs on toast with beans last night - a perfectly acceptable and tasty tea, I just hadn't the energy to be any more imaginative.


I had a reminder today of the preciousness of life. A family friend has begun their battle with the bigC. The odds are stacked against them, but they'll put in their best shot at living life. They have had a long, productive, enjoyable life - not without their own sorrows - but they aren't necessarily ready to leave us just yet. I had another reminder on Monday too, seeing a house, where we know a valiant battle is being wrought - again with the bigC - with a resplendently lit Christmas tree. Whilst I'm no fan of putting up C'mas decorations too early, it was a reminder that we don't always get to keep appointments alloted their place on our calendars, and have to seize our joy whilst we can. I'm afraid I shed a tear or two and flung up a little prayer of hope for the best.


Our FB donation is now complete and packed up, ready for despatch.



People have been so kind and supportive of me recently - and of course, they remain as kind to and supportive of BG as ever they have been. We really are the luckiest people alive to have such good friends and - realistically speaking - such good fortune. I hope I never take it for granted, even when I'm grumbling about a set back or three....... :rotfl::D


Oh, and I came across some alpr0 ice-cream in h3r0n foods - 2 for £1. They are 500ml pots. There was a choice of coconut or hazelnut chocolate I think. I went for the nut/choc. I have to say, it is delightful - very hard to get out of the container when fully frozen, but a nice enough taste/texture to it. I would buy it again - certainly for that price, anyhoo.


Can't think of anything else absolutely bargainacious that I have dropped on of late. My mind has not been lazer-focussed on penny saving, I have to admit. And our christmas celebrations will definitely fit into the 'modest' category I'm afraid, so it's not like we'll be spending madly in the next couple of weeks. We have already got BG's present and the few outstanding bits and bobs are all allocated, accounted for and won't require lavish outlays of dosh.


Right, best get a wiggle on. BG is snoozing and that there pizza wunna make itself!


Ta for popping in. Appreciated.


Greying X

rtandon27

Greying_Pilgrim wrote: »

...Time seems to have slipped right on by again and I've been awol longer than intended...

...Tea this evening will be black olive pizza...

Aww GP - it is ALWAYS good to hear from you & to hear that you've been keeping yourself out of trouble...

(as opposed to getting yourself in trouble - of the baking kind - :rotfl:)

We also did pizza for our meal tonight - leftovers from the freezer - warmed up using a handy dandy microwave setting for (of all things!) frozen PIZZA!:rotfl::rotfl:

Greying_Pilgrim

rtandon27 wrote: »

& to hear that you've been keeping yourself out of trouble...

(as opposed to getting yourself in trouble - of the baking kind - :rotfl:

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: I am a leg.End in mine own lunch-hour for my Bake Orf activities, rtandon :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: [Very much pulling OWN leg and popping OWN pretentiousness bubble! ]



Glad you had a good, super saving tea :T


Greying X