the hedgehog's balloons.

peb

So pleased to see you posting, was beginning to get worried...

the_cross_rabbit

Thanks peb for your lovely post. 
So DD1 is back in the burrow so to speak. No rugby scrum for hugs, all done in an orderly fashion. She requested a cooked breakfast this morning and the hubbster achieved a paul hollywood style handshake for his fried egg which was as good as my mum's, its only took him 20 years . He's not sure if he can repeat it though. A nice slow morning today after the excitment of yesterday. Other than listing an item on olio(non food item) not done a great deal so far. A family walk is planned for later today providing it stops raining otherwise its me and miss giddychops trudging the streets. Need to pop up to the allotment  to get the last lettuce as DD1 has requested homemade burgers and salad for tea. My reward gift ( a mattress topper that she had but didn't like after only using twice) from my aunty (for a good deed i did for her years ago) has made my bed super comfy and has helped ease some of the aches and pains.
POSITIVES
1) My (many year old) good deed saved me £45.
2) Breakfast was super yummy
3) DD1 is home and the kids haven't fallen out yet, but its only a matter of time.
Take care everyone
CRx

Karmacat

That all sounds really good, CR - a lot of fun too.  How sensible to postpone Christmas - hope your dad has seen sense about isolating.  There's a lot of blinkers around, sadly  

earthgirl2

So lovely to hear that your dd is home and you are staying positive and thinking of things to look forward to as well. Hmmm homemade burgers!

the_cross_rabbit

Hi karma, dad is still stuggling with the fact he will need to isolate. He keeps going on and on about it, how bored he will be, how he won't cope the list goes on and on. The way he's carrying on you'd think his wife did it on purpose or that the main person who will be effected is him. No mention of the fact his wife has cancer and thats reason enough. My sister and I are getting to the stage of asking him if he wants us to throw him a pity party as that will probably shut him up. That sounds mean, but believe me he really is a very me orientated person.
Earthgirl2 they really enjoyed the burgers. I've had to train myself to be a more positive person as I used to be very negative about life in general. I still find myself slipping when having a bad day but I've found trying to find a positive no matter how small when something happens to help me keep my focus.
Our smart meter is now up and running and I keep finding myself drawn to it. I found the hubbster staring at it yesterday and I could here the coggs whirling away, spreadsheets could be come a thing of our future. It was fun going round the house turning things on and off for half an hour to see what uses lots of energy. I was shocked to see the arrow quickly shift into the red zone when I put the microwave on, luckily it only goes on for a couple of minutes. We shall see if it makes any difference to how we use energy and if it will save us any money.
POSITIVES
1) Miss giddychops wasn't too muddy when we got back home and has stopped been sick.
2) Its cold outside so hopefully it will be killing off the whitefly at the allotment.
CRx

the_cross_rabbit

DD2 is super pleased today as she has been told she doesn't need botox  and the surgeon is really pleased with how much she is able to move her legs about, so we don't need to see him for another year. We've been really busy this week, she is painting a cherry blossom picture for her grandma and has made two christmas wreaths. She has suddenly decided that she is into reading (good job I was sat down, as reading was considered a rude word for many years) and has bought herself Black Beauty after watching the new movie. It was a book I loved reading and I remember having it on tape as well. I'm hoping she will enjoy it as often she only reads the first couple of chapters and then the book is never picked up again. I've always found it very difficult that she hates reading as I love to read. I find books transport you to another time and place, a respite from the real world. I have many books that I've had for many years which I enjoy re reading its like meeting up with old friends and find solace in places very much removed from home life. I have a book called the Shell Seekers that when I need a mood boost, I pick it up and its like been enveloped in a big hug. Its not the usual type of book I like as I much prefer sci-fi or cli-fi, but the shell seekers is my favourite. What else have we done..... we've been following our local art trail for the past couple weeks and taking photos to make up a story about where we live. Our town and surrounding area has a massive amount of sculptures due to the council insiting new builds were accompanied by a piece of art work.  We've really enjoyed it and has helped us see our area in a new light and visited areas we've not been to before.
The hubbster and I are currently thinking about the future and what we would like to happen. We think he will more than likely will start job hunting next year as due to the restructing he is spending more and more time in the office and he hates  it, he's the type who needs to feel the wind through his hair and sticking his head out the car whilst driving is not enough plus not safe. So he if he wants to be out and about more he will either have to move to a different company or look for a post in his current company but take a substainal pay cut. Anyway we are looking at the moment and we'll see what happens.
I really need to sort out christmas presents but my christmas mojo is not wanting to surface yet.
POSITIVES
1) No botox....whoop whoop.
2) DD2 is reading Black Beauty
3) DD1 has taken up the physio baton whoop whoop
Take care everyone
CRx

Karmacat

Great post, CR tons of good news there, especially for DD.  I loved Black Beauty too when I was little, I had a picture version too.   I know what you mean about comfort reading - for years, mine was Pride and Prejudice (a cliche, I know!) but also a lot of SF - the Galactic Milieu books by Julian May, some of the dragon books by Anne McCaffrey, the Merchanter universe by CJ Cherryh, I love disappearing into those worlds.

Cli-fi?  Climate fiction?  OMG, I just googled it - I never knew it was a thing, I **love** that.  What would you recommend?  I've read a few, and now I've got a list open on bookriot, but what have you liked?

the_cross_rabbit

Hi Karma, I'd recommend Barbara Kingsolver - flight behaviour (cli-fi), she also wrote a book about how her family for a year tried to live off the produce they grew or was grown within a certain radius to where they lived (not cli-fi, but a good read).
Well we've been busy in the burrow over the past couple of days. Almost all the presents have arrived, most are second hand,food related. plants or a charity donation. DD2 has made several presents, a vase covered in autumn leaves, winter planters filled with bulbs,several wreaths (which started her hayfever off) and we've just finished a felt wreath (which I've claimed as I love it ). Christmas tree is up and covered in lights and homemade decs. We've really stripped back what we are buying and who we buy for. We've ordered high tea (at home) for Tuesday as a present for us as we are unable to go away this weekend, I have a bottle of bubbly we can open. Not quite what we planned but it is what it is and trying to make the best of a bad situation. I keep reminding the kids things could be alot worse when they start moaning its been a bad year. i count myself lucky. 
Overpayments are continuing looking forward to getting our yearly update letter, although I could just look on the website , but I like a letter to confirm things. 
Hope you all have got your christmas mojo (unless you don't celebrate christmas - just hope your well) raring to go.
CRx

Karmacat

Thanks CR - I've seen her name around but never followed up.  I shall do that this aftie  

Have a lovely time too!

Viking_mfw

Ooh, I like the sound of the Barbara Kingsolver book about eating local/homegrown for a year. Thanks!