Put away your purse & become debt-averse

Onebrokelady

foxgloves said:

OBL - That's the reason I am wanting to buy a large notebook. I too have bwen writing various recipes down over the years & I have 3 books full plus a box of clippings from magazines, etc. I have a plan in mind for a re-edit plus addition of notes & memories. Perhaps a nice project for the winter months, though have got quite a few refurb projects to do too.....new curtains to make, items to upcycle, etc.
F x

The book my DD got me is in a folder so like a cross between a photo album and a journal,it's got pages to write on and plastic sleeves to post cuttings or postcard size recipes in. I wouldn't have bought it for myself but it was a lovely present 

foxgloves

Yes, agree that was a nice present, OBL. I always think that with presents like that, you get the initial presenty hit of opening it, looking at it, etc, then further enjoyment from actually using it. 
F x

Onebrokelady

The electrics in my house when I moved in were mostly the original ones from when it was built in about 1960, there were the rope type corded wires for the lights and the fuse box was an old wire one.The boiler was also original and while it might have not been energy efficient it certainly chucked out the heat, my hot water was so hot you could have made a cup of tea with it and most importantly it didn't freeze up and stop working every time it snowed like my Lilly livered condenser boiler does 😡 mind you it did try to kill us by leaking carbon monoxide for months before it was condemned,it was well over 30 years old when I had it replaced and most of the electrics done
The husband of the couple who I bought this house off also fancied himself as an electrician and did lots of dodgy things here.my downstairs hall light won't switch on unless the kitchen light is on. My electrician practically took my house apart trying to figure it out but couldn't in the end 😀

foxgloves

That sounds like the sort of electrical problems we've gradually been getting fixed, OBL. We have defo saved the worst ones till last though!
F x

foxgloves

Hello Diary Readers, 
I don't feel as though I've done very much today, yet I feel really tired. I think having big work done & people in our house all day (though they are very nice & well-behaved) is quite mentally tiring. It will all so be worth it though. New utility room skimmed today & looking promising.
So what have I done today? I haven't spent any money, so that's a start. I finished knitting my final pair of yarn stash mittens, sewed them up & packed all 9 pairs in a box of assorted gubbins to post to my sister tomorrow. Mr F added some DVDs he promised the nephews at Easter before lockdown scuppered our Spring meet-up, so that's a bit of clutter dispatched too.
We also went round every room with a clipboard (mine, so I felt especially organised & important) noting all the electrical jobs we will shortly be asking an electrician to quote for. There are 11 jobs in total from very small to likely to be more complicated. I've also vacuumed because although the building dust is everywhere, we do now have two days where no new dust will be added, & I'm in the process of clearing various items away which I'm sick of seeing. Oh, & I've been through a pile of grotty old baking/roasting tins & measured the ones I intend to replace tomorrow. And I've written a list of jobs I can usefully do in town tomorrow. Mr F has watered all the veg, picked blackberries & it is his cooking night. So I reckon I can find another two or three items of clutter to shift.
Wishing you all well for the weekend, 
F x

Baileys_Babe

Well done on getting the mittens finished in time.

We had major building work done about a decade ago, it took the best part of 2 years, motivating myself to do any cleaning over that time was very hard as you knew it would be very messy in the next day or two. The chaps who worked on our house were lovely and swept where they had been working at the end of each day but the dust got everywhere.

I_Love_comps

@foxgloves What a wonderful Diary you write every day .  Very interesting. I especially found your Toilet roll consumption funny. There is only myself and my OH and I have worked out we use 4 a week. I also buy a pack of 18 rolls if possible, but if not a nine pack.

Never thought about old pillow cases for lining masks.  I do not have a sewing machine. I treated myself to one of the battery operated hand sewing gadget. It apparently minor sewing repairs and is goo for crafting.

foxgloves

Hello I_love_comps,
Thanks for your nice comments. It makes diary-writing seem worthwhile when folk pop in to comment. Yes, I find old cotton pillowcases useful for all sorts of things.... Mr F swears the plain white cotton from the one I cut up is the only mask liner we've tried so far which doesn't massively steam up his specs. I also occasionally use a cotton pillowcase as a lingerie bag in the washing machine, just with a freezer clip holding it closed. My best ever jelly bag is also a re-purposed cotton pillowcase. I get on better with it than my old bought one. I just cut 4 holes in it to enable me to hang it up for the juice to drip through, sterilise it first with boiling water & chuck it in the washer before putting it away. So yes, it's yay to pillowcases, lol!
F x

foxgloves

Hello to anyone reading today, 
Well it has definitely not been a no-spend day. Really useful morning in town...posted big parcel to my sis & nephews so that was the first decluttering, then 2 bags of stuff to charity shop courtesy of Mr F's ongoing clearing of the Man Cave. Managed to get all on my list except two baking trays in specific sizes, but they are due in stock soon so shop owner is going to let me know. While in there, I discovered a box of jam making supplies on 2 for 1 & had a lovely time choosing pretty labels & Christmassy looking lid covers for home made gifts. We also replaced a few skankrous kitchen items - all planned spending from our recent blitz of the kitchen cupboards & Mr F (the chief roast dinner maker in the relationship) decided he'd save a few quid by buying 1 bigger excellent quality roasting tin, rather than 2 cheaper ones. As soon as I got home, I took great delight in chucking all the ancient gunky tins into the skip. Small pleasures! 
Have just done the rounds of the veggie garden to do today's pickings - 450g french beans, 2 yellow courgettes, 1 pattypan squash, 500g tomatoes, red & green chillies & an aubergine 🍆. I can't leave apples & rhubarb much longer so processing those will need to be a Monday job at the latest.
I can barely believe this, but here are the facts:
This morning = felt fine
Lunchtime = felt fine
2.30pm - Went out to pick the beans - felt fine.
2.45pm - Just finishing bean pick & noticed a very slight sore throat.
3.15pm - Just half an hour later, definite sore throat. How the blinking flip can that have come on so quickly??
Have just slowly sipped a couple of spoonfuls of my home made blackberry vinegar as I find its syrupyness soothing on a sore throat. 
If this develops into anything, it had damn well only be a cold, that's all I can say! I'm going to treat myself gently for the rest of the day & do nothing more energetic than read my book or maybe start my recipe project. Then if this is the first signs of a lergy, rather than a one-off, it may feel like bugg*ring off sharpish.
On my pondy bench atm, talking to you & watching sparrows squabbling over who's getting first go on the new half coconut shell.
Take care all, 
F x

DawnW

Hope you feel better soon Foxgloves.