Put away your purse & become debt-averse

foxgloves

Well..... I'm up, I'm dressed, I am heading for coffee & toast and from thence to the start of my Very Productive Week. Feeling quite positive & a bit less affected by Lockdown stasis than the last 2 or 3 weeks.
F x

Blackcats

Me too please!  I'd like to join you and your crew in a productive week.  Not a medal winning start from me though - it's my day off today and I've only just achieved the "up and dressed" status that you posted about 3 hours ago 🥴.  

marionmgcars

Great to see everyone raring to go.  I've been busy sorting things before i go to hospital for a hip replacement tomorrow.  I know I am lucky to have an appointment when the NHS is so busy at the moment.  I have done all my preparation which includes at least three knitting projects, and some talking books to keep me busy in between my physio exercises when I get home.  I will enjoy catching up on everyone's progress.  xx

foxgloves

@Blackcats - Yes, do join in. I was up early because once I'm properly awake, I find I often get a headache if I stay in bed. I was keen to get started too.
@marionmgcars - That's big news! Sounds as though you are all prepared. Best wishes for your op & a speedy recovery.
F x

foxgloves

Evening all, 
Well, I couldn't tackle any outdoor tasks as it rained all day, but I did get my productive week off to a good start indoors. I got regular chores done in the morning - 2 loads of laundry, watered my chilli babies, tidying, made bread, rubber chicken duties (enough for another 3 meals plus a sandwich & 3 cartons of stock too from bunging carcass, gribbly bits, veg, etc, in the slow cooker). Also did my regular Monday morning budget updates & moved funds around accordingly.
This afternoon, I finished my audiobook, sewed in all the ends on the 57 blanket squares I have knitted so far & cast on another dark blue one. I also finished scanning a big pile of old family photos which have been sitting in piles around my desk for too long. Checked for surveys - just a couple today, but one was for £7 so worth doing. Also ordered a large umbrella because it is a task that has been falling off the list for months & I am trying to tackle lots of these silly outstanding things this week. 
The big news is that Postie brought my vaccine letter! I haven't been able to book my appointment yet, as there were none at all available at our local vaccination centre. I think they must still be busy with 60+ age group. I will check again early tomorrow & regularly for some 55+ local appointment slots to appear. 
OK, am stepping up blanket square production this week, so shall say goodnight & finish my 6 rows of moss stitch border. 
Hope everyone got off to a decent start to the week. 
F x

Blackcats

Good news on the vaccine letter - I think we are a similar age and I got an invitation to book too.  Amazing progress on the mass vaccination programme.  I think we are living parallel lives at the moment .... I just posted about finishing my audiobook - The Secrets of Strangers - really enjoyed it.  And I've been sewing in ends on my crochet blanket.  I've left all the ends to sew rather than do it as I go along so it's a very tedious task.  

foxgloves

@Blackcats - I have now knitted 57 squares (10 different colours & designs). It has dawned on me recently that if I wait until I've finished all 144 squares, it's going to take me ages to sew in the ends. So I've tackled the pile & shall now sew them in as I complete each additional square. Only 2 ends per square, but it is still a tedious job which I didn't want to see get any bigger!
F x

foxgloves

Day 2 of my (hopefully!) Very Productive Week. It's looking dry so far, so will shortly be donning my wellies & heading down the garden.
Have a good one, 
F x

foxgloves

Afternoon Frugal Friends,
Another productive day. Am feeling quite tired now though, as I didn't have a very good night's sleep, so my very task-based day has come to an end & I'm ready to watch TV & read and have a relaxing evening.
Got chores out of the way first - 2 more loads of laundry, which I pegged out on the whirlygig for the first time this year, & everything dried! That felt Spring-like & positive.....well, apart from it meaning that the ironing is hoving into view, of course. Also got everything prepped ready for cooking tonight's meal, which is rubber chicken based. I am evangelical about leftovers, as you know.
Then wellies on & down the garden - finished clearing the strawberry bed & planted gaps with runners I potted up a few weeks ago. Had 18 spare runners so potted them into modules & put at the end of our drive with a note saying 'Free strawberry plants - please take'........I know I would just LOVE to come across plant freebies when I'm out on my walk, but just like last year, nobody has so far taken any. Last year I put out pink primroses, marigolds, cornflowers, all sorts of things & there were no takers at all! Ah well, if they are still there by Thurs, I'll compost them. Continued digging over & cutting back the herb bed next - pleased to see that most things have survived the soggy winter. Checked seeds - no more flowers up but 5 tiny tomatoes have germinated & we now have 3 aubergines. The transplanted chillies seem to be doing ok on the back bedroom windowsill ('Man Cave'). Also sorted out next batch of seeds for sowing, which will be cucumbers, basil & radishes.
Other stuff: A bit of kitchen tidying, made up a new jar of fajhita spice mix, which had nearly run out. Also finally dealt with some elderly tamarind by using it in a double batch of jalfrezi paste for the freezer. Will only need chicken thighs & peppers, etc, to turn that into a nice slow cooker curry at some point. Did 3 surveys & am at a tantalisingly close £24-70 on the site I intend to leave as soon as I reach £25 cash-out. Chased workman re outstanding remedial work which was promised - I think there are issues there which I may need to be understanding about for 2 or 3 weeks longer - I am very assertive, but not heartless. On a more positive home improvements note, I heard from the painter & decorator who wants to come & start the first room next week! Yes, please, Delighted! There is a lot to do & I think that his planned more gradual approach, while not what I'd imagined, will be much less stressful in terms of boxing stuff up & finding places to store it. So that, m'dears, except for casting on another blanket square, was today's activities. I've been so busy, I've only thought about biscuits once & as there are none in the house, I settled for a banana.
Right, time to go & chop some salad. Am ridiculously excited that our new massive umbrella might arrive tomorrow! (that's how Lockdown gets us, isn't it? Last week's mega excitement was the arrival of a new spray mop!)
F x

ladyholly

I wish I lived near you I would love some free strawberry runners. I just missed out on some tomato plants last year but someone beat me to them.