Champagne Lifestyle on a Lemonade Budget.

helensbiggestfan

hello my lovely friends.....

Sounds lovely SUgarbaby......

Nipped to Asda bright and early this morning - picked up a second tray of baby lavender plants So I've got 10 now plus two established plants so hopefully will be able to take lots of cuttings so I can plant a lavender hedge.  Also bought lawn weed and feed, see if I can rescue it and some heavy duty weedkiller.  Weather looks good for next week so going to try and crack on. 

Champagne moment.......last night booked a holiday cottage in the Peak District for the first week in July...........only about a 40 minute run from here but it will be a nice little mini break. Just DS1, DIL, GS and myself.  Lovely spacious cottage, with 3 beds, two baths, and a fabulous kitchen/living space, big garden for GS to run around in. So plenty of space to spread ourselves out and just relax.  

 We won't be going out eating or anything but it will be nice to just to chill out somewhere different, maybe visit the odd beauty spot for a picnic and then cook some nice meals, take some board games and cards etc for evenings.  It will be both mine and GS birthdays whilst we are away.  I think we all need a break from the monotony of lockdown.....we can still keep to our bubble to shield DIL. Looking forward to it.    

Just going to peg out the second lot of washing, call me daft but I love drying clothes outside.  😉

candygirl

That sounds lovely LL .It'll do you all good We usually have family holidays in Cartmel in the Lakes, n Portpatrick in Scotland, but not sure what's happening yet this year 🤔
Just off to Mums to sit in our " bubble" in her lovely garden  

Wednesday2000

That will be nice LL. I was just saying that I need a break too so I hope that my trip to the coast in July can go ahead. I was thinking it will be so lovely when I move there as I would imagine every day will feel like a holiday.

I have started journaling today as I was watching a neuroscientist on YouTube yesterday saying that it is very good to get out your thoughts on paper each day, especially during a trying time like this. I will see if I notice any benefit.

I have started reading a new book today and it is about how you can improve your health just by doing three 5 minute what the doctor calls"health snacks" each day.

I have just been for a 30 minute walk and now I'm about to make a healthy lunch of chickpea salad. I finally tracked down my favourite mustard in a local shop. I had been avoiding that shop as it didn't look like people were doing proper social distancing but they have a member of staff by the door and labels on the floors now. It's strange how such a little thing like buying mustard sparks such joy in me.

phoebe1989seb

That sounds like a potentially lovely break, LL - and being able to celebrate birthdays whilst there will be brilliant 

I guess that's another champagne moment related to where we live and something to make amends for the current difficult circumstances we find ourselves in - the fact that we are in a beautiful area, surrounded by woodland/fields and one that is a popular holiday location, moments from the Brecon Beacons. Indeed, our nearest neighbour has a holiday cottage on site and being so peaceful (particularly right now, with only birdsong punctuating the silence), it's as though we are on holiday all the time but without the expense....as long as the weather is good, lol!

We managed a little drive out today - not quite a road trip - to a plant nursery's smaller, more local shop where we picked up a few additional floral delights (or at least hopefully they will be!), one of which was at a bargain price for its size compared to those I've seen online.

The lady who owns the nursery said they've never been so busy, so that's another silver lining!

Back home for an al fresco lunch, followed by a spot of planting/DH prepping for the next gate he's going to be making (between the courtyard and main garden). Thunder in the distance now, so timed that right!

We rarely have takeways, but one is on the menu tonight as a reward for another week of getting through lockdown with our sanity just about in tact .......

PaulieHerts

I love reading this thread but haven’t contributed before, so hello everyone. I thought this was appropriate to post as I picked elderflowers on a recent walk and yesterday I bottled up 2 x 2 litre bottles of elderflower champagne🥂 🍾.  Never done it before so hopefully “champagne lifestyle on a lemonade budget”! 😊🍾🥂

sugarbaby125

Welcome Paulie, definitely a champagne moment. I hope it tastes fabulous when it is ready to drink 

missychrissy

nice to meet you Pauli. I’m waiting for a sunny day to collect elderflowers (apparently the flavour is more intense if picked on a dry sunny day) to set off 5 galls of elderflower wine. I have made elderflower champagne before but I didn’t like the bit of debris in the bottom. I also had a bottle exploded in my boiler cupboard, what a mess, I forgot to release the top that day.  

helensbiggestfan

Hello my lovely friends.  

Hello Pauli, and welcome.  Love the sound of your elderflower champagne.  It's something I have often thought about trying to Make but have Never got round to it.  

Wednesday.   I journal regularly now.  I was advised to try it when my husband died.  I think it definitely helps.....I have found it very helpful over the years.  

DS2 called round today with his girlfriend. We had a lovely chat. Whilst he was here he fitted the doors back in the kitchen cupboards.  It looks fab. 😁. Still got a few bits yet to finish but going to have a little break to concentrate on the garden.  

candygirl

Welcome PAULI xx

sugarbaby125

My Champagne moment yesterday was watching Northern Ballet's Dracula. Thanks to the heads up from Spider In The Bath.   I realised that this was a BBC4 production so I was able to watch it for free on BBCI Player. It was so dramatic and the story telling was fantastic. The ballet dancers were all super fit, athletic and the most amazingly talented dancers. The male dancers made the women dancers appear light as a feather when they were lifting the women dancers. I would give this ballet 10/10 

Even though I love classical ballet, I am finding a preference for more modern ballets.   

My other Champagne moment yesterday was finishing the book Broken by Daniel Clay which completely absorbed me. I had already seen the film based on this book when I spotted this new paperback in one of my local Poundland shops. I have now begun to read Finding My Voice by Nadiya Hussain which is a fascinating memoir.