Tales from The Shire

Fortune_Smiles

My WI are hosting a games night tonight to raise funds. I'm on the team organising the event so today I need to do some preparation. I'm facilitating one of the games and have agreed to provide the prize. I have a boxed, scented candle in my store of emergency gifts which will do nicely. I've also agreed to take two bottles of wine to contribute towards prizes. These will come from the wine rack courtesy of Mr F's Av10$ points. He travels so much now he gets double points :T We are all baking a cake to contribute towards refreshments so I'm going to try a Toffee Apple & Pecan Cake as we still have apples to use up. I will test a slice for quality control measures of course but it will be a very small slice in keeping with my new goals. Mr F has gone into the office today so I will have some piece and quiet to concentrate.

There is some Beetroot Risotto left for supper tonight and I have four butternut squash to use up - 3 which I grew myself One of those is destined for soup for lunch which will give me an opportunity to try out my new blender.

Spends yesterday were a fencing post rammer so Mr F can make some repairs to our fencing, food for FDawg, compost bin bags and lip salve. Also the one special Christmas Tree ornament we buy each year - this time it's a glass bauble of FDawg wearing a santa hat :rotfl: I shouldn't have any spends today. We are serving chip baps and cake at the Games Night but I'll eat before I go and should be too busy to be tempted. I usually have a G&T or glass of wine if I'm out with the WI but tonight I shall take a bottle of water. I want to keep a glass of tipple as a weekend treat.

The plumber is due tomorrow. Well he was due last week but their supplier got the wrong part in :mad: I'm hoping all goes well and we'll be winter ready as far as the heating is concerned. There's a distinct chill in the air this morning.

Brrrrrrrrrrrr :snow_grin


Fortune x

beanielou

Enjoy the games night

Fortune_Smiles

The games night went very well and we made over £150 for the WI :T My cake turned out to be quite popular but I managed to save a slice to bring home for Mr F I didn't spend any money and won a raffle prize - a huge box of chocolates :eek: So far, I have resisted opening them

Today I have been mainly discussing thermostats with the plumber :rotfl: I now have a portable, programmable room one :T The boiler has also been serviced and repaired and the broken radiator thermostat replaced. The heating should be far more economical now. Unfortunately the plumber discovered a second repair is needed to the boiler. He didn't have the part required so will have to come back in the next couple of weeks. I'm hoping it won't cost too much more. Overall, the heating should be easier to control and more economical Just in time too if the weather forecast is anything to go by :eek:

Farmer Giles came round today to cut our hedges. We had offered to pay but he wouldn't take anything I'll drop him round a bottle of fruit gin or a cake or something to say thank you.

Lunch today was the Butternut Squash Soup that I didn't get round to making yesterday I used one of the Squashes from the veg patch and chillies from the plant I've been growing on my kitchen windowsill. Supper was fish and chips from the freezer as it was quite late by the time the plumber left.

We have a planned electricity cut tomorrow - for the whole day :eek: They are doing some tree clearance along the line. So we'll have no heating :rotfl: In the circumstances, we've decided to take a day off and go exploring. Hopefully to a NT property.

Hope you've all had a good day.

Fortune x

beanielou

Glad that all went well

Fortune_Smiles

beanielou wrote: »

Glad that all went well

Thanks Beanie :kisses3:

Karmacat

Did you get out on your NT visit, Fortune?

Fortune_Smiles

As planned, we visited a local NT property today. It's the first time we've used our membership since we moved here It was lovely.
A fabulous facility to have on our doorstep and we could take FDawg in too. He wasn't allowed in the house but could go into most other areas. He was able to sit outside with us in the morning when we had coffee and cake and also when we had lunch. We took him for a long walk around the grounds and left him in the truck with a snack and a blanket whilst we looked around the house. He likes it in the truck because the windows are high and tinted so he's not disturbed by passers by. He was fast asleep when we got back. It was nice not to have to race back home to let him out :cool: Entry was free because we are members and we spent £33.40 on food and drinks. We could have taken a packed lunch of course but I cook from scratch three times a day usually so it's nice to have a break from it. Costs will be met from the fun money. I also spent £4 on a pumpkin. I have always carved one in the past but missed last year because we were settling in. It's something I enjoy doing but £4 :eek: The cost was really for a Halloween carving workshop for the children and all the profits are going to the NT so I didn't mind making a donation.

The power has been off all day but the new thermostat seems to be working well. There is a setting where you can temporarily break the programming to set a new temperature for up to 9 hours so I used that today to make sure the heating didn't come on if the power came back whilst we were out. We have already turned the thermostat setting down one degree because we were too warm this morning. It was lovely getting up to a warm house. And even nicer knowing that the heating will only come on now if it's cold enough. I think we're going to have to tinker with the settings a bit but it's almost there.

Supper was the soup leftover from yesterday and the chocolates are open I am limiting the number I have though.

Hope you're day went well

Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

Karmacat wrote: »

Did you get out on your NT visit, Fortune?

Hi Karma

I must have been typing up my last post when you asked. Yes, thank you, we had a fabulous time. The weather was just right for a day out too.

Fortune x

beanielou

So glad that you had a lovely day

Fortune_Smiles

beanielou wrote: »

So glad that you had a lovely day

Thanks Beanie - it helped to recharge the batteries

Fortune x