Tales from The Shire

Fortune_Smiles

Cheery_Daff said:

Oob, excellent progress Fortune, and I'm most impressed at you eating so healthily and having lots of energy, and also making time for your creative pursuits. Enjoy your day out, how exciting!

I'm not sure where the energy is coming from Cheery.  I'm eating more healthily and cutting out sugar but also taking supplements to help with some of the minor post-menopausal aches and pains I've developed.  I've been exercising a little more too and the sun is shining (which always helps).  I suspect it's a combination of all these things.  Anyhoo, I'm very happy to have a bit more get up and go as I've been very productive this week and feel as though I'm getting on top of things.  Long may it continue 😆

Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

SandyShores said:

Love your update Fortune, all sounds really positive (its motivating me to get and do some things).  And I'm glad its all going well.  Thanks for the recipe links, MrShores will love Cauliflower, Paneer and Pea Curry - that will be on the menu tonight and its very healthy.  We are losing weight in the Shore's household and its having a very good effect on the household budget.  Third month in a row I'm not having to raid my personal account for food shopping.

Hi there SS.  That's interesting - our grocery shop has been coming in on or below budget this last couple of weeks.  I hadn't thought it could be due to our healthy eating/weight loss attempts.  But now I think about it, portion control is where we can slip up so, now that's back under control, maybe we are squeezing more meals out of the shop.

Good luck losing the lbs and savings the £s 😆

Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

Sunny

It's a glorious day here in the Shire - the sun is shining and there isn't a cloud in the sky 🌞  It's still a little too chilly to sit outside for lunch but made my hour in the garden this morning a pleasant one.

I weeded the final veg bed ready for Mr F to rotavate at the weekend and trimmed back some of the herbs in my herb garden.  This veg bed has my rhubarb at the end and hasn't proved to be very productive for anything else.  It's quite near a willow tree so I suspect it's a bit dry for most veg.  This year I'm going to try some perennials to see if they fare any better - artichokes and bunching onions.

I've decided to change my shampoo and conditioner.  Embracing the grey has left my hair much dryer and coarser.  My current hair products are just not cutting it any more and I'm running out of those anyway.  My favourite brand does a product specifically for grey hair, however, the shampoo only comes in a salon size and is just too expensive as a result.  However, after shopping around and managing to get a new customer discount and some cash back, I reduced the cost by almost 50% so can have a touch of luxury at a more affordable price 😁

I've chased up our electrician about the light switch he replaced.  He'd sent a photograph of our old one to his supplier but the one they sent wasn't the same and doesn't match our other fittings.  He fitted it anyway with the caveat that it would need changing when the right design could be found.  Apparently he's had the replacement in his truck for the last few weeks 🤔  Anyhoo, now I've prodded him he's going to come round when he's next in the area.

I had to pop out yesterday to pick up a prescription from our local independent supermarket and whilst I was there I ordered our hanging baskets.  We always buy from our indie as the quality is fabulous and the price reasonable.  The baskets always look beautiful and make me happy every time I look at them so it's money well spent.

I've the usual chores to do this afternoon but nothing too strenuous.  We'll be having our leftover curry early this evening as Mr F is off to his Pilates group later.  They are meeting outside on the banks of a Mere at the moment which sounds very relaxing if a little cold.  I shall give myself a home manicure as I'm going out in the world again on Monday.

Hope you all have some sunshine too... and the chance to enjoy some of it 😁

Fortune x

rtandon27

Fortune_Smiles said:

...as Mr F is off to his Pilates group later.  They are meeting outside on the banks of a Mere at the moment which sounds very relaxing if a little cold...

Mr F is a brave man!  My OH was moaning about how cold it was when he was doing Qigong inside the house!  I'll never be witness to a session on the lawn let alone near a river in the evening🤣🤣🤣

savingholmes

Glad I have inspired you to continue with your writing Fortune! I've hit pause at the moment as my day job suddenly became more demanding again. I will continue though - I am on book 2.
I too liked that you had a category for blooming! I adore tulips - but am making do with shop bought currently.
Good luck with the healthier eating and exercise... I need to do more of that too!

SandyShores

Thanks Fortune, I like that 'losing the lbs and saving the £s'

Its lovely to have something leftover either for dinner the next day or for our lunches which definitely stretches the £s out.  Mr Shores' portion control was out of control before - thinking in terms of making double the amount of chilli, then finding there wasn't enough for two nights of dinners.  His portions are much better now, and there are no second helpings.  

I'm thinking about getting a raised bed in a corner to do a bit of veg. growing too.  Runner beans and tomatoes would be fine for me.  Also considering planting a couple of flower beds too, I've always wanted a bed with lupins in, and I love country garden flowers for the butterflies and insects.  

Well done on the hair products discount.  Its nice to get a good product at a good price.  

Fortune_Smiles

rtandon27 said:

Fortune_Smiles said:

...as Mr F is off to his Pilates group later.  They are meeting outside on the banks of a Mere at the moment which sounds very relaxing if a little cold...

Mr F is a brave man!  My OH was moaning about how cold it was when he was doing Qigong inside the house!  I'll never be witness to a session on the lawn let alone near a river in the evening🤣🤣🤣

He survived RT but he did wrap up well ⛄😆

Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

savingholmes said:

Glad I have inspired you to continue with your writing Fortune! I've hit pause at the moment as my day job suddenly became more demanding again. I will continue though - I am on book 2.
I too liked that you had a category for blooming! I adore tulips - but am making do with shop bought currently.
Good luck with the healthier eating and exercise... I need to do more of that too!

Very frustrating when life gets in the way SH.  I'm sure you'll be back scribbling away soon though.

Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

SandyShores said:

Thanks Fortune, I like that 'losing the lbs and saving the £s'

Its lovely to have something leftover either for dinner the next day or for our lunches which definitely stretches the £s out.  Mr Shores' portion control was out of control before - thinking in terms of making double the amount of chilli, then finding there wasn't enough for two nights of dinners.  His portions are much better now, and there are no second helpings.  

I'm thinking about getting a raised bed in a corner to do a bit of veg. growing too.  Runner beans and tomatoes would be fine for me.  Also considering planting a couple of flower beds too, I've always wanted a bed with lupins in, and I love country garden flowers for the butterflies and insects.  

Well done on the hair products discount.  Its nice to get a good product at a good price.  

I love it when I get a 'no cook' day.  Much as I love cooking it's nice to have a break now and then.

Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

Holiday

The last few days have felt like something of a holiday for the Fortunate household.  We all went out on Saturday morning to an outdoor antiques fair.  It was lovely to mooch around the stalls in the sunshine.  We bought a few items for the house that caught our eye and Uncle F bought me a present of a pot I'd taken a fancy to 😁  We ate lunch from a food stall there (not at all MS but we're trying to help our local businesses get back on their feet).  Then it was home for tea and ice creams 😁  We had a quick supper later of home-made wild garlic pesto with pancetta and pasta.

Yesterday we pottered around the garden and ate our lunch outside on the patio - Root Veg Pie with a Gnocchi Crust.  Very tasty but I'll use more milk if I make it again (I thought it needed more sauce) and perhaps sprinkle some cheese on top.  I used all the gardening work as an excuse to indulge in a nice hot bubble bath and used some lovely posh bubbles that a friend bought me for my birthday.

Today I met a friend in a local cafe's new garden for lunch and then had my hair cut.  My head is feeling much lighter now - the hairdresser took about 3 inches off 😲  I think he probably went a bit too far actually but the condition is much improved and I've lost the last of the colour I was growing out.  I'm all natural now... and a lot greyer 😆  My new shampoo and conditioner for grey hair have arrived so I'm hoping I can still have shiny, lustrous locks despite that.  I popped in to M&$ whilst out and picked up some little treats for FDawg and Mr F.  Mr F has a very stressful work week ahead of him so I thought he could do with a little spoiling.

Being back in the world is expensive though.  My purse has been open more times in the last few days than the whole of last month 😲  All this freedom has gone to my head 😁

It's still gloriously sunny here in the Shire.  I hope some rays have made it to where ever you are too 🌞

Fortune x