Cherry takes the reins

Cherryfudge

17th/18th NSDs

This is my weekend off! However, I managed to get very little sleep last night so I have actually got two days out of today: early rise and out for a run with DH which was okay: I still don't feel I'm running as easily as I was but when I looked back at the F!tbit graphs, I'm not running as often which would explain it. Got back home, showered and went out to do our customary meander round the car boot sale: I spent £2.50 on a couple of cookery books.

Back at home we had fish & chips and both of us fell asleep!

I didn't get up again till about four but was feeling all motivated to work on my messy garden and harvest the fruit before it goes over so I spent a couple of hours on this. I've done a drastic prune on the damson tree as I picked, which made me a bit sad because I love damsons but this one is too near the house and blocks the view of the garden. It's on dwarfing stock but is fighting it. Anyway it's now a much better shape and a lot lighter. DH came to help and took a bag of branches and brambles to the tip.

After tea we walked down to the supermarket for tomorrow's food and DH paid so it doesn't show in my diary!

I've had a couple of other expenses: I repaid DS2 for some groceries he got me the other day when I was too short of time to go out (£3.30) and sponsored an event for a fiver.

Spends:
Groceries £3.30
Sponsor money (Donation) £5.00
Books £2.50
MS stuff:
Lots of fruit picked and some of it simmering right now ready for crumble tomorrow.
Some of the thicker trimmings from the tree are chopped for kindling.

Honeysucklelou2

This time of year is great for fruit harvests . I'm trying to resist cutting back brambles at the allotment until I've been able to harvest the blackberries!

Cherryfudge

This is a bit boring, but... NSD today.
Lots of exercise which is just as well as it will partly counterbalance lots of carbs. This is why I don't bake as often as I'd like.

So: church this morning (walked there and back), went for a walk with DS and DDiL: not far in miles but very steep and the last time I did it, I had to sit and rest as my heart was going 19 to the dozen and I was breathing very hard. This time I'm pleased to say I only got short of breath.

Talking of walks, DS2 did the Yorkshire Three Peaks yesterday and isn't even hobbling today. Maybe twenty-somethings really are invincible.

Back home it was toad in the hole, apple and blackberry crumble and Twink's Hobnobs for tea. Sadly, having crunched the numbers as well as the baking, those babies are between 145 and 116 calories each, depending on whether the batch makes 24 or 30.

A good day but now I'd better make my work lunch and get to sleep as tomorrow's an early start and I'll have to borrow DH's key as mine is still missing.

Night all.

Cherryfudge

Morning shifts are a bit of a drain on energy: A busy start then sloooowwwww... mornings are not my strong point.

Anyway, here I am back home and various things are vying for my attention. I found my key - in my bag, where else? - but I'd completely emptied it looking, so I don't know how I'd missed it! I also found the foundation I had to replace last week: in my basket of stuff in the bathroom, which I'm sure I'd been through at least twice. Who knows... maybe things are out to get me.

Anyway, do I go and tidy the garden, go for a run or do the shopping? I also ought to stew some plums that are cluttering up the kitchen. DD has asked us to go for a walk tonight if the weather holds so that would be exercise. The garden is looking a bit better than it did but still needs lots of time. I haven't decided what we're having for tea.

I know - I'll go for a run! Not that I'm addicted or anything.:rotfl:

Cherryfudge

Yesterday = NSD.

The finding things continues: my favoured running leggings turned up at the back of a drawer after about 4 weeks awol.

I went for that run yesterday (before I found the leggings but it was so warm I needed shorts anyway). All in all a good run: a little bit further than before, though I messed up the settings on my running app so it's been recorded as 2 runs. Then in the evening DD and her partner invited us to go for a walk which turned out to be miles! They set a fair pace but it's given me ideas for longer runs in this area when I've built up my skills enough. All in all I did over 11 miles yesterday and while I'm tired today, I'm okay - and it's a day off, and for once, one where I don't feel I have wall-to-wall things to do.

Of course there are things to do, it's just not urgent (apart from the fruit preserving which I overthink - how can I overthink fruit preserving? I just do.).

Having escaped insect bites so far this year, the midges have got me over the last couple of days: not bad bites but a minor nuisance. It's grey and muggy so they might be out again today. Grr.

I have some shopping to get: just everyday stuff that's running out, nothing exciting apart ordering the replacement washing machine for Mum's house, which we are hoping will make visiting there easier. No more lugging bags of laundry back to mine or laborious hand washing; much easier for my sister as her visits are necessarily longer, and it might help get rid of the lingering damp smell. For some reason I'm putting the order off even though I've chosen the machine. Probably this is due to it being new territory for me (at home we choose things together and DH arranges delivery and things like that). But what on earth could go wrong? It's not a mega-expensive machine - under £200 including delivery, plumbing and taking the old one away and it's agreed with my sister who will co-own it, and the reviews are good. I think it's getting the right delivery slot so I can be sure of being at the house. Telling myself to take it in stages ).

I also want another look at the supermarket delivery I've arranged for when I'm there: a few changes to the basket I think. In the past these online shops have messed up my food budget but now I accept that's going to happen and it evens out in the longer term. It also means the things I can only buy online can still be had, which is good as the nearest supermarket is good at discontinuing things I buy regularly.

I also have to conquer the new repeat prescription online system at my doctor's: I finally succeeded in cracking the login, only to be unable to find the right area on the page! Apart from that it's all straightforward.

Onward and upward!

Cherryfudge

Another of those days when I really ought not to be allowed out unsupervised. Bought lots of bits, including a washing machine, which I then had to un-buy as they couldn't deliver it for ages and I'm limited in the days when I can be in to receive it. I'll try another company.

I also found a vacuum cleaner for Mum's house but they are out of stock locally so that's no good.

One significant online shopping success: I've never been able to find those split fare discounts for train tickets until today. Saved about £7 on next week's fares.

I've bought various other things too: my favourite coffee at 50p off, which I then more than negated by buying a nice mug for £3. A trip to the other side of town where things are cheaper did indeed get me a few bargains but they were selling plants cheap so I had to get some. Then I wandered over to the spring bulbs stand and got three packets. Then I went into the shop (note I can do all this extra buying without even going into the shop), bought two of the three things on my list and saw they had a half-price sale on bits and pieces of keep-fit equipment, so I ended up with a gym ball and a little wheel thing that's supposed to give me amazing abs. So far it's caused some hilarity as DS2 tried it out and it's more difficult than it looks.

I then raided Mr T for pizzas which was quite cheap. there were a few things on my list that I either couldn't find or couldn't carry so if it's not rainy tomorrow I'll probably go again.

Spends:
Garden £6.07
Train (to be reclaimed from estate) £49.45
Household (mug) £3.00
Housekeeping £14.89
Hobbies (keep fit things) £5.48
MS stuff:
Perennial plant for 50p, thyme for 10p and a beautiful rosemary for £1.50.
Gym things half price and cheap even before that.
50p off coffee.
Bought frozen sweetcorn to save waste.
Money off coupon from the till that I might actually use.
Gathered some seeds from my garden to add to the garden at Mum's.
Have identified washer and hoover for Mum's house both at good prices.
Good saving on train fares.
Didn't add anything to the online shop as the items I wanted will be on discount soon enough and I'm not paying full price if I can help it!
Confession time:
Didn't need or plan plants.
Didn't need or plan gym things.
Some of the fruit succumbed and had to be thrown out. I'm partly blaming the extreme humidity).

Cherryfudge

NSD today. Yesterday (23rd) I did a bit of grocery shopping, got all the laundry done (a sure sign the kids have mostly left home) and generally should have been okay with myself but the difficulties getting the washer for Mum's house have been bugging me so, in combination with a lot of midge bites, I was out of sorts. I made up for it today with a personal best of a run (tracked by three different apps - I am Geek Central, apparently) so I feel much more positive. I have practically decided to do a swap-round of days off and rearrange the delivery for what was supposed to be 'me' time the week after, taking the planned house-sorting time as 'me' time instead. Let me get used to the idea though.

Honeysucklelou2

The plants sound good and I would have struggled to get past the stand of Spring bulbs. All those colours in spring will be worth it!

Cherryfudge

They will indeed! Though I have to plant them first, which means choosing and making a space...

I think I was half asleep yesterday as what I wrote doesn't seem to make sense. What I should have put was:

23rd
Spends:
Housekeeping £3.60
24th
NSD

I'm off to the shops for a top up shop soon, then will be in work overnight so may not make it back on here till late tomorrow.

Cherryfudge

I've really very little to report: I'm in the middle of a working week (for me) so not much opportunity to get up to mischief.

A couple of grocery spends yesterday, no spending today. We decided on a run instead of our usual car boot trip - there's one to add to my little list of useful things that have come out of taking up running! Another would be that we had very little time to get some supplies in at work the other day and nobody in a position to drive, so guess who did a run to the shops?! I made the trip there and back in half an hour, so I was pleased with myself. I know I go on about running, but please don't imagine going fast is involved, so surprised should come in there too.

25th
Spends:
Housekeeping £10.94
MS stuff:
Found more decaff coffee in depths of the cupboard under some chocolate (go figure?) so don't have to buy any at full price (yet). Hoping discounts come round soon.
26th
Spends:
Nil
MS stuff:
Picked up another few hours at work.
Went for a run instead of car booting.