Put away your purse & become debt-averse

foxgloves

HHoD - Thanks. I lost 6 stones between 2011 & 2013 but I have regained a couple of stones over the last few years.......I tend to yo-yo it on & off, but Mr F now needs to lose a bit prior to surgery so I have decided to do the same for moral support. I have some nice clothes hanging in my wardrobe which are just that bit too tight to wear comfortably, so being able to fit nicely into those again will make me feel as though I've been clothes shopping for new stuff.
Yes, you are so right about the virus & some people being complacent  - if my Mum & Dad were still alive, I'd be worried sick about them. Mum had a rare illness which meant she had to take both steroids (which caused her to become diabetic) plus a drug to suppress her immune system, so she was vulnerable to anything infectious, & my Dad died of an incurable lung disease. He wouldn't have lasted 5 minutes in the face of this virus as was already on oxygen cylinders & very anxious about his breathing. If I think I am starting to get complacent, I'm going to think of people like them. 
F x

Pollie

With regards to shops limiting purchases------unfortunately I believe that those that are selfishly stockpiling now, will just send individual family members to buy limited items separately. 

NorthernSoulSouthernLife

Long time reader of your wonderful diary here, I hope you don't mind popping to say hi  
Amazing results on this weeks weight loss and your overall long-term loss, very inspirational.
Life's thrown some huge challenges my way lately so I've decided now is the time to pop my head above the parapet and start engaging with all the amazing diaries on here as I'm going to need some extra help along my journey now.
Your story re the cash machine does not surprise me at all.  One of my family members who is severely immunocompromised  was attending a consultant appointment at the hospital last week when someone sneezed all down her back  , no apology not even an acknowledgment.  It took the consultant 15 mins to clean her up (hair, clothes etc all covered) !!! My aunty was mortified and has felt nauseated ever since when ever she recounts the episode!!! Hospital staff were amazing but said they are struggling to understand how the general public just aren't getting the message.
Enjoy the rest of your Sunday 

foxgloves

Oh, northernsoulsouthernlife... that is truly revolting, but it doesn't surprise me at all. Some people are just plain downright unhygienic, aren't they? 
Nice to hear that you enjoy my diary & that you have come out of lurkdom to join in! Do feel free to comment. We've usually all got plenty to say on here.... especially me, so do ignore any of my ramblings/thoughts/rants which don't interest you.
F x

foxgloves

Pollie - Yes, you could be right, but it will make it just a little bit more difficult. As with all things, there will always be people who find a way round the rules to game the system.
Challenging times. I'm determined to carry on as normal but being sensible re contagion risk. 
F x

foxgloves

Morning Daffodils!
Another week & doubtless also a further 7 days of thinking what strange, worrying times we're living through.
Nevertheless, there is lots to do. I've had my bucket of coffee, a boiled egg & marmite soldiers & intend to throw myself with unfettered vigour at the many domestic tasks I wish to accomplish today. So without further delay, Laundry Load 1 will be double-spun while I do my mascara, then onward.........
Might pop back later to share achievements. 
Go carefully about your week, m'dears. 
F x

foxgloves

Oh my days......where HAS the time gone today? I have no idea. It seems that it was 10 a.m last time I looked & now I need to be getting the laundry in before it starts to drop damp outside. If you told me that a band of naughty little time-stealing goblins had snuck in & changed all the clocks, I think I'd actually believe that could have been A Thing!
Cat is downstairs yowling his ears off because he can't be bothered with the mechanics of his cat flap (yes, just one push, like all cat flaps but he likes to have the front door personally opened for him) but he'll have to whistle as I'm going to get today's post on before cracking on with my jobs.
A useful day, despite it being stolen by goblins. Three loads of laundry not only washed but PEGGED OUT!! When was it last dry enough for that to happen? It felt like a major event, which is ridiculous if you think about it. I've also filled up all the bird feeders, made a loaf (just on its final proving), performed a triage of the fridge.......a surfeit of peppers has been dealt with by prepping both a supply of chopped & slices, bagging & freezing. I've written cards for 2 people & walked to the post box with them.....went the long way round to encourage a bit more flab to start burning itself.....& have done my mid-month budget check-in.
This isn't quite as straightforward as it was before I established a separate budget for the Home Improvement plans we're currently implementing, as I need to do double-accounting to keep things straight, but I make myself lots of notes about financial things & it all worked out OK. We've got workmen coming next week, so I'll be able to pay off another bill for work done.
On our normal March budget, I'm pleased to report there were no nasty surprises - in fact I have ended up with a princely £5-11 more than I thought I should have. OK, I won't be dining out on that or buying a rather nice dress I saw recently, but it is always nice when a budget discrepancy goes in one's favour, instead of being a shortfall, isn't it?
Well, I must go & pop that loaf in the oven - I've tried 100g white, 200g wholemeal & 200g granary in this one so am hoping it will be good to eat - I do like having time to bake our bread (most of it, anyway). Then I must fetch in all that laundry & hope it is at least fairly dry.
Knitting & TV quiz night tonight. I am not intending to do much more than that once I've sat down.
Take care all,
F xx

foxgloves

Oh what weird & deeply unsettling times we're living through, are we not? Mr F thinks his work (public facing) will be shut down soon, as not an 'essential' service, so he's gone off today determined to reassure his staff on a number of key points.
As for me? I can be a shocking overthinker at times, especially when a situation is out of my control, so I think the best thing for me is to keep busy on a range of useful tasks. I've soaked a bowl of chickpeas overnight so will turn those into a batch of spicy veggie burgers today. I've got bed linen to peg out on the line & baby chilli plants & cukes to pot up. After that, I'd like to spend at least an hour working over my big flower beds - clearing, forking & replanting with my overwintered freebies. Being out in the garden sorts my head out & is good fitness too.
I'm caffiened up, so will crack on with my day. Might as well feel in control where I can.
Take care all & keep up with the well-soaped hands.... my goodness you see some unhygienic habits when out & about.... am coming to the conclusion that some people are just mucky b*ggers.
F x

NorthernSoulSouthernLife

foxgloves said:

Nice to hear that you enjoy my diary & that you have come out of lurkdom to join in! Do feel free to comment. We've usually all got plenty to say on here.... especially me, so do ignore any of my ramblings/thoughts/rants which don't interest you.
F x

Thanks for the welcome, I  find your diary one of the friendliest on here , a real little ‘community’ ☺️ 

Not found anything worth scrolling past yet 😉
moved the coming weeks I’m sure to be picking all your brains regarding cooking & growing veggies ... but for now that’s for another day 
Have a wonderful day hoping the sun continues to shine where you are 
NS 

foxgloves

That's a lovely thing to say, Northern Soul, but it is the community of people who read my diary who make it friendly..... without readers & people chipping in, it would be pretty pointless.
Re veggie growing, my advice to beginners (if that's what you are) is to get hold of Geoff Hamilton's 'Organic Gardening' book, published by DK. I bet it's out of print now, but it is absolutely my bible for vegetable growing. Great photos, clear advice, & covers all other gardening topics too. I love mine. Was consulting it only the other day as we are growing celeriac for the first time & I wanted to check what conditions it likes. I've seen copies of this book in charity shops & if mine came to an unspecified grim end, I'd have to replace it somehow. We try to adhere to organic principles as much as possible, but even if people choose not to garden organically, this is still a very useful & accessible guide to growing food.
Always plenty to do in the garden if self-isolating. I'm trying to comfort myself with that thought! 
F x