Tales from The Shire

Fortune_Smiles

I forgot to mention that my welly boots split. I wore them for a walk last Sunday morning when DS2 and wife were here and Mr F noticed there was a big split at the ankle. How long are welly boots meant to last? I think I've had mine 3 years but they were very expensive Barb£r ones because I bought them for taking out tours at my last job. I thought welly boots were for life :eek:

Anyhoo, I haven't got any walking boots at the moment, having worn my last pair out after 26 years :A So I need something for wet winter dog walking. I have tiny skinny feet so it's not going to be easy to find a good fit - if only that was true for all of me :rotfl:

My first try is Joules and they have given me 20% off for friends so here's the link in you're a Joules fan:

https://joules.mention-me.com/me/referee/registerko/24023553/100980253/er/ad67b2c1681282fc28af3a8291d3c92a66c20d50/fb/cw?epr=1

Oh and I did cook supper last night :rotfl: Runner Bean & Prosciutto Pasta :rotfl:

Fortune x

Karmacat

I've heard there have been a lot of complaints about Barb£r boots - they changed their country of manufacture, thats when it started, sorry



Your own orchard! What bliss

Cheery_Daff

Ooh, all those plums and peaches! :j :j what fun! :j excellent choice of recipes there

Well done on the running too! I started a few weeks before you and finished last week, although I'm rather slow and it"s rather hilly here so my final 30 mins runs didn't actually stretch quite as far as 5k :rotfl:

However I then found it difficult to motivate myself out to do the next run after it'd finished :eek: need to make myself a training plan to take me from not-quite-5k to ultra marathon in 11 weeks :eek: :rotfl:

I'm planning on lots of soft fruit planting next year too :j :j :j What larks :j

Sorry to hear about your wellies, most vexing. I bought what are basically food factory wellies from Progressive Safety (I think they do online) - blood and acid proof apparently :eek: and with steel toe caps for a total of £16. Had them a few years now although they didn't get much wear til this year and are probably too heavy for much walking...

wishingthemortgaheaway

I have joules ankle wellies. And I love them, fleecy on the inside too which makes them super
Cosy for the winter.
I bought them when I first started teaching in nursery as they were easy to get on and off with going indoors and outdoors all the time.

Fortune_Smiles

I'm not sure what happened to September - it rushed by in a blur and here we are in October.

HAPPY PUT THE HEATING ON DAY PEEPS!

Well it is for us anyway We always try to get to at least the 1st of October before turning it on.

The plumber has been out today to give us a quote for some work. We've asked him to service the boiler, fit a room thermostat, replace a broken radiator thermostat and repair a stop c0ck handle. The boiler may also need a repair as our water temperature is wavering. That should help to get us winter ready

We are still saving for a new drive gate but I'm trying to progress things in the house too where I can do so cheaply. I found some cheap living room curtains that were further reduced in a sale. The fabric isn't great quality but the pattern and colour are perfect. The two pairs for the windows are up but the patio doors ones will need taking up. They are a big improvement on the insipid chintzy curtains we inherited from the house seller.

Regular savings and MOPs continue. Although the savings are for the gate at the moment rather than for topping up the emergency fund. I'll have to have a re-think about budgets soon though. Lodger friend is close to completion on her house sale and is actively looking for a new home. She's made a couple of offers but nothing's been accepted so far. I'm hoping she'll be with us until after Christmas. Our agreement was that she'd stay for at least six months.

Meal planning and cooking is going well. The veg box delivery is making a big difference as we are eating more fruit and veg and more seasonally. After the peach and plum gluts we had blackberries and now apples I need another freezer but Mr F is refusing to find room for one in the barn - says he doesn't have enough space :eek:

We've started tidying up the garden ready for winter too. Mr F has mowed and strimmed and waved the weed burner about. I've started cutting back and pruning. We are thinking about taking out some big laurels from the courtyard this weekend.

I have enrolled on a local writing course and attended the first session. I'm hoping it will help me to finish some of the many stories I've started :rotfl: Sadly, I've had to stop running for the moment. I managed the first run of the last week in the C25K programme and then succumbed to a hip injury No running for me now until it's healed. Although I'm very proud of myself getting to 30 minutes of continuous running.

And after very, many failed attempts at getting a pair of wellies that fit, I now have a pair. They were of course ridiculously expensive and still don't fit brilliantly, but they were the best that I could find. And after Storm Ali I was getting desperate!

I do hope we're not facing a Winter like the last one. Not sure I could face that again. Better get Mr F chopping up all the wood we saved from the barn refurb. That'll keep him out of trouble :rotfl:

Hope everyone is well and warm.

Fortune x

doingitanyway

Waves to Fortune

Lots of activity over at yours as usual. Great about the writing class.

I like the idea of a weed burner as hearing awful things about weedkiller. I've been trying to get my own garden into shape too for winter so it isn't unmanageable by Spring!

Stay warm too

the_cross_rabbit

Hope the writing classes go well and the hip makes a rapid recovery. Sounds like a busy time in the fortune household.
CRx

Karmacat

Lovely catchup, Fortune, thanks for that, though sorry to hear about the hip injury. Is there anything you can do in the meantime? Fast chairobics

Fortune_Smiles

doingitanyway wrote: »

Waves to Fortune

Lots of activity over at yours as usual. Great about the writing class.

I like the idea of a weed burner as hearing awful things about weedkiller. I've been trying to get my own garden into shape too for winter so it isn't unmanageable by Spring!

Stay warm too

Waving back DIA :hello:

We got the weed burner as I'm not keen on weedkiller either and we thought it would cost less :think: I'm not sure it will at the moment though. We need more gravel on the drive and the weeds spring up on the thin bits. Might look at getting just a couple of bags to sort the worst patches out. It is an industrial size weed burner and I don't think I'd be comfortable working it myself. Mr F has mastered it though. You can get smaller ones that work with cannisters and I think they'd be easier to manage if less effective.

I'm trying to get out in the garden whenever the weather allows now. There is always so much to do.

Good luck with yours

Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

the_cross_rabbit wrote: »

Hope the writing classes go well and the hip makes a rapid recovery. Sounds like a busy time in the fortune household.
CRx

Thank you Cross Rabbit. It always seems to be busy in the Fortunate household :rotfl: You wouldn't think I'm retired :rotfl:

Fortune x