Tales from The Shire

Fortune_Smiles

I am very fortunate in that I have few worries these days. However, a couple of things are niggling at me today. 1 - there is a hotel bill of £399 on our credit card which looks like one of Mr F's expenses but he can't remember it. I've been asking him to look into it for two weeks now :mad: 2 - we've upped Mr F's pension contribution significantly but it doesn't look like the deductions are being made. Again, I've asked Mr F to look into it but he is dragging his feet :mad: That could come back and bite us in the bum big style as we've told HMRC that Mr F's earnings are lower because of the increased contributions. I don't want a big tax bill coming to call next Spring :eek: I am going to nag him relentlessly today. I may get bitten :rotfl:

It was lovely to have a day out yesterday. I got all my chores done and made the library talk which was very interesting, had my hair cut and still managed to get home in time to run the hoover over and get supper sorted before DSS1 arrived.

We had a lovely evening eating supper on the patio. Sausage Casserole with Garlic Bread and Sweet Potato Wedges followed by redcurrant ice cream with strawberries. The casserole recipe is one I use quite often but I added garlic this time and I think it was better for it. I may have even indulged in a rhubarb gin (courtesy of my lovely neighbours this time) It was an early start though as DSS1 had to get away to a client meeting this morning.

Lodger friend's house is under offer and her ex has found a flat so that's good news for her. It will be some months, of course, before the sale is completed and then she wants to take her time looking for her own home so she'll be with us for a while longer. I am going to start researching @irB&B so we have a plan for when she does go. Her ex can't take their two cats to the flat apparently and she's hoping they can come here. It wouldn't be a problem except we have FDawg and I think he would chase them and probably catch them (he is fast and they are old) and I'm worried about them doing their business in next door's garden. My elderly neighbours love their garden and I'd hate to fall out with them over somebody else's pets. I'm going to think it over. What would you do?

BREAKING NEWS - the £399 is for a hotel stay in September. They've deducted the bill already :eek: At least I know that money will be coming back through expenses.

Stay cool everyone :cool:

Fortune x

beanielou

I think you know what I would say about the cats:p

Fortune_Smiles

beanielou wrote: »

I think you know what I would say about the cats:p

I love cats too Beanie but it might not be practical or safe to have the here

Fortune x

Moneyfordreams

I was worried over a hotel a week or two ago... I'd booked our November hotel in Euros, took longer to show although money removed At least it's paid for

Fortune_Smiles

Lodger friend's boyfriend and chum came to start our barn drainage works on Friday afternoon. They finished yesterday and just in time because it's been raining hard ever since. They've done a very good job and even dug the water pipe to the animal trough in so that it doesn't freeze in the winter. The cost has been met from what remains of our barn work budget and I threw in a couple of bottles of wine as a thank you for the extra they did. The wine came from our Avios order so there was no extra cost to us

I am following the meal plan so we are eating healthily and I've completed the 4th run of C25K (Week 2, Day 1) :T

Not much else has been achieved this weekend. I'd planned to do some gardening but it's too wet for that. I have got through some paperwork though and nagging Mr F has done the trick. His increased pension contributions have not gone through so I've calculated that we owe HMRC about £400 as a result :eek: Mr F's company are looking into what went wrong so we should hear more on that this week. Once I know what's happening I'll go on line and update Mr F's tax details. It might mean we end up paying an extra £50 a month in tax to clear the shortfall

Our plum tree is a bit poorly. It looked like we were due a bumper crop of fruit this year but I've discovered brown rot on some of the plums. When the weather clears I will remove all the affected fruit and we'll have to see what survives.

Mr F will be spending the day in the barn as he's discovered a problem with my truck that needs fixing. I have my fingers crossed it's a small job and not one that requires parts as I have a busy week planned. At least he has somewhere dry to work and we finally found the circuit breaker for the electrics (hidden in the Annex) so he has power in there now.

Oh - and the plastic stopcock handle to the barn water supply is breaking (and it's buried about 3 feet below ground level) and there is rain water coming through the bottom of the kitchen door...

... it never rains...

Happy Sunday all

Fortune x

Karmacat

Fortune, you're starting to sound like a proper smallholder, what with barns and animal troughs it's brilliant

Fortune_Smiles

Moneyfordreams wrote: »

I was worried over a hotel a week or two ago... I'd booked our November hotel in Euros, took longer to show although money removed At least it's paid for

It's really confusing when they take the money so far in advance. Wrong too I think - you shouldn't have to pay for something months before you get it.

Karmacat wrote: »

Fortune, you're starting to sound like a proper smallholder, what with barns and animal troughs it's brilliant

Wait until we get the chickens Karma :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

Mr F has fixed my truck :T:T:T It was only a minor repair after all

We also tidied the barn a little and found two more boxes for Baying. We are scraping the bottom of the barrel now though. It's all stuff that's difficult to list and difficult to sell. I am persevering and listed four further items today. I was encouraged by the sale of 5 of my currently listed items which will bring in about £90 :j Half of that has been spent already on grass seed, which we need for patching the areas dug up during the drainage works. The other half will go towards bolstering the current account. If I can make enough this month I will buy a bathroom cabinet to replace the cardboard box we are currently using :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Lunch today was the rest of the Cheesy Leek & Spinach Pasta I cooked for supper yesterday. Supper was Cheshire Cheese, Spinach & Watercress Salad.

If it's not persisting it down tomorrow morning I will go for the next run in the C25K programme. Can't believe I'm doing it but I am :A

Hope your week gets off to a good start tomorrow

Fortune x

PurpleFairy26

None stop busy at your end fortune but you seem to be so organised, and the recipes, as ever are lovely and inspirational - thank you. Well done on the running, I find I don't mind too much in the rain (as long as it's not lashing sideways , it can be quite refreshing. Obviously if you're running wth FDawg, he might have other ideas :rotfl:

Fortune_Smiles

PurpleFairy26 wrote: »

None stop busy at your end fortune but you seem to be so organised, and the recipes, as ever are lovely and inspirational - thank you. Well done on the running, I find I don't mind too much in the rain (as long as it's not lashing sideways , it can be quite refreshing. Obviously if you're running wth FDawg, he might have other ideas :rotfl:

I'm afraid it's a long way from sounding organised to being organised Purp :rotfl: I used to be ultra organised when I worked. Had to be I suppose to juggle such a heavy workload. Now I have less to juggle I seem to be less organised

Fortune x