Greying's Gaining Ground - with Gratitude & Grace

edinburgher

@Greying_Pilgrim - I also own a tofu press and feel this deserves a special badge

Greying_Pilgrim

edinburgher said:

@Greying_Pilgrim - I also own a tofu press and feel this deserves a special badge

oooooooh, I bow down in awe of your shiney tofu press and agree to a well-deserved badge of ownership 😁  Meself, I use me granite pestle & mortar and a pyrex dish 😉  But it does have the distinct disadvantage of silently leaning one way or another, so you get 'wonky' tofu...... 😂

Greying X

Cheery_Daff

Greying!!!! How have I only just spotted your shiny new diary?? What a lovely, lovely thing to have you back I have missed your diary SO much, so pleased you are here! 

I've only read the first post, so I have a nice few days to catch up on And you have sold Greying Towers! Gosh, I am so very pleased for you, I remember how frustrating things were for you from your old diary. 

And BG turning into LG! Of course, but also how lovely

I may not get back through your whole diary tonight but will subscribe and follow along with much glee and cheering. Hooray!!

Cheery_Daff

Ok, so I did read back So sorry to hear about your parental, and their insistence on independence. It must be so difficult. My parents are still young (61) so not facing any of that yet - and in fact my mother has already said that any time we want to get someone in to do her cleaning that's fine by her But Mr Cheery's dad (in his 80s) is proving rather more truculent and a worry...

This has been a long old slog, and even cheery me is finding it tough, so I'm not surprised things are feeling a little overwhelming at times. Have a virtual hug ((((())))))) xxx

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning!

Hey Cheery <WAVES> how lovely to 'see' you 😁  If I can smash my 'reverse mortgage' in the same way that you are battering your own mortgage with Mr Cheery, well then we'll be in a new home in next to no time 😁  I'm now actively thinking i need to tell LG that we 'need' a cleaner - I will not stand in their way, if they could just organise....... 😂  thanks for popping by - appreciated.

Well, let's start the day in a positive frame of mind, eh?  The support on MSE is legendary, and can I just say that has always been my experience, but thank you for all making the difference at THIS moment in time.  I'm extremely grateful 😘

I think Mr Wicks is starting up his routines online today?  That sort of jiggling isn't really my cup of tea - I much prefer a good long walk in the great outdoors (NOT next to main arterial highways.....😕), but i'm beginning to think we may have to indulge, as exercising locally has become so difficult.  

Today is likely to be a NSD.  Tea was rostered to be Mushroom Stroganoff & rice, but will probably morph into more of a vegetable/bean stew type thing which features mushrooms........  and will probably be served with rice.  A third of the way thru the month and I only just have about two thirds of my grocery budget left 🤔  I will need to restock non-food like shampoo, soap, toilet paper before the end of the month too, so any 'savings' from my budget are looking squeaky 🙁  I forgot to say that our local council have FINALLY contacted us about the CT refund that we are due.  Naturally, they prefer not to just give you back the money that they OWE you, they prefer to mess around and take it off your current CT account - which of course will be delayed, and they will probably spread it over as many months as they can..........  I was looking forward to having the amount 'in my hand' so that I could directly apply it to the EF 🤨  

Right, best go and 'seize the day'.  Ta for popping in.  

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Phew!  That there Mr Wicks drives a haaarrrrdddd workout!  To my credit, I only missed out the 2nd rep of burpees and only managed half of the 'crouch to star burst' - but everything else I did for the full 35 seconds.  I was pleased HE was a little out of puff too - as I was encouraging LG as much as he was instructing/giving shout outs 😉

Tea this evening has been decided on - it will be mushroom speltotto (i have some ancient grains in the cupboard - yes, I know it is an 'Ancient' grain, but these are also 'ancient'......😮) and I shall dig out more veg to serve with - Broccoli is a definite.  

Phew!  Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Hey there!

All well?  I sincerely hope so.

Well, today has been spiffing.  No doubt about it.  LG has just consistently done as asked - and with enthusiasm and a with aplomb.  And to top it off, they ate 2 (teeny-tiny) pieces of broccoli WITHOUT complaint for their tea!  To be fair, they weren't super-dooper enthused, but they ate them, and there was no tears before, during or after the munching, so we're taking that as significant progress, and are secretly delighted 😁

I'm still here after Wicksy's workout and haven't keeled over yet...... although will I be too stiff to move tomoz? 🤣

Tea was indeed mushroom speltotto, served with broccoli and carrots (as we still have plenty......).  So although the mushrooms were 99p for the punnet, everything else was what we had.  I didn't take a pic, as it's a difficult dish to make look appealing, but it tasted nice (cannae get that from a picture anyhoo). and I'm glad I went to the trouble of toasting the spelt first, as the toastiness really helps the overall taste of the dish.

Today I am grateful for these 3 things;

1) guided workouts - new territory for me, but I 'quite liked it....' 🤣
2) washing that dried on the line - nice breeze and the rain held off until after I'd brought the clothes in - YAY! 😁
3) For remembering to 'be in the moment' - so many smiles, laughs and high-five moments today.  We are so, so blessed.........

Ta for reading.  Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning!

Well, I managed to get out of bed - no obvious stiffness.... thus far..........

Can be a NSD today.  I will get the TV guide when I do the main food shopping later in the week.  I see the publishers took the opportunity to put the price up with the Christmas double-edition, "sigh"

Soup and pudding day today.  I think I shall be going for snert (dutch pea soup), which I just make with mushy & marrowfat peas (tinned) for convenience.  I have some wrinkly apples - which are perfectly edible, but I will put them into a crumble, rather than expect anyone to pack them in their lunchbox 😁

Nothing specifically MSE/MFW that I can think of to report, so I best shuffle orf.

Ta for popping by.  Appreciated.

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening,

Well, it turned out to be an OK day today.  No triumphs, but no tragedies either, so that's a win.

I have received an unexpected refund for an online purchase - so that was definitely a win.  

I had no need to spend money today, AND I stuck to the meal plan!  Wrinkly apples are no longer cluttering up my worktop - de-cluttered into a crumble they were!  Pretty lush it was too - even though I say so myself.  LG slurped up their portion with ice-cream and I did (inwardly) smile, as I remember a time when they would eat neither item......... 😊  DH and I had Snert, which I make following the given recipe, but instead of boiling up green split peas in the bouillon with the other veg, I get it to the bouillon stage, add the veg (small dice), cook them until tender, and then add in my tinned mushy and marrowfat peas.  I use both types of pea, as I like a textured soup, but if you ever watch the episode of the Hairy Bikers where they make this, you'll see that it's supposed to be much more like porridge or dhal in consistency.  I swirled some mint sauce through my finished soup, as I like the zingy hit.  A very filling, but low cost first course, and probably the biggest cost of the crumble was putting the oven on........ 🤔  i know, I don't get my 'advanced' money-minding badge for that faux pas 😊

I did spot 3 houses for sale in our 'sort of' target area today.  I suspect all 3 of them would not be affordable - we would certainly require an additional mortgage, which would be tiny in comparison with some of the mortgages that people take on, but you will recall that our earning capacity is limited in terms of available employment plus available years to repay.  Thankfully, 2 of the houses probably wouldn't even be worth a viewing, as there were other factors that made them probably not good choices for our needs.  The cheapest house would require quite a deal of modernisation - it would probably be impossible for us to fund a mortgage payment AND still rent whilst some updating eg the bathroom was undertaken.  The property that was in the 'middle' of the 3 prices has quite alot going for it, but I don't know if we would really be able to secure a mortgage for the 'top-up' we would need.  It has the advantage of being pretty much in 'move in' condition, but it's downside is that it is a soul-less box.........  Still, it was encouraging that there are properties out there that may offer what we would like.  Am I right in thinking that there are just too many mortgage products on the market these days to arrive at what you 'might' be able to borrow?  Last time I took a mortgage eligibility test, it was based on a 25 yr mortgage, at 3 times salary - pass or fail!  Those days are definitely ancient history!

Today I am grateful for these 3 things;

1)  LG remaining well-behaved, and trying to engage in activities.
2) a cheap, but filling tea - got to try and get in the inventive groove every day if I stand any chance of saving pennies.
3) Getting out for a short walk - LG directed our route, and it was shorter than I would have liked, but we had fun together and some nice, brief (socially-distanced) interactions with passers-by.

On balance, today was good, and it's these times I always try to conjure up when I'm having a bit of a wobble - and not every day can be as brill as yesterday was, so I cherish days like today......

Ta for reading.  Greying X

peb

I don't often comment but I think it worthwhile for you to speak with a Mortgage Broker just so you know what is feasible:  from your comments there are two issues with mortgage financing; number of years to repay and the monthly amount you will need to pay. Until you know these factors it's impossible for you to explore the available properties.

One other thing, a new bathroom doesn't necessarily have to be that disruptive, obviously I've no idea as to the work needed but I stayed with family for one night when mine was done, you could consider maybe a travel lodge or similar?