Champagne Lifestyle on a Lemonade Budget - 2021

helensbiggestfan

Good Morning everyone

lily. Your garden is truly beautiful, a testament to all your hard work.  

SUgarbaby. Your activities sound really fantastic.  

Siebre. Happy birthday to your DD. Your more family time plan sounds great. There's nothing in this world more important than family and friends.  Hopefully your daughter  will soon make new friends.

well a lot has been happening here.  First I accepted an offer on my house then the buyer dropped out....well actually he started messing about so I told him to sling his hook.  I have reserve buyers waiting in the wings, although their purchase is sale dependent.  So just biding my time and keeping my fingers 🤞.

I'm pretty much in limbo at the moment, just awaiting everyine elses pleasure.  Im trying to use the time constructively, have started decluttering etc and trying to concentrate on upping my personal care and fitness, lose some weight etc.  it's a slow process but I'll get there.   

Have booked a cruise, although it's a long way ahead, 18 months in fact but having such a long lead time it was very keenly priced.  I have also booked tickets for a concert in our cathedral.....a candle lit David Bowie tribute.  

It's my birthday next week and my family are taking me to my favourite restaurant. So some njce champagne moments to look forward to.  

One of my "self improvement" tasks has been to engage a personal tutor for some computer training.  I've had two sessions so far and am very pleased with my progress.  I'm finally engaging with the 21st century.  Lol. 

Other than that, not much news.....it's all just sit tight and wait and see.  

I am really looking forward to moving.....downsizing, releasing capital, living in a home that is smaller and easier to manage, getting rid of all the extra stuff and paraphernalia that no longer "gives me joy" or serves me well.  Looking forward to a life of "elegant simplicity" more ease and freedom, travel and adventure.  

(Before I'm too old and decrepit to enjoy it).  

Have a great weekend y'all.  Keep those champagne moments flowing.....

sugarbaby125

Thanks Helen, despite my health issues, and the global issues we all have to deal with, I am really enjoying my life this year. 

My Champagne moments yesterday evening:

I went to a party in the Lola Jones Hall in Tooting for a friend's 60th birthday party. I know her from Blackfriars Settlement. I had a really good evening. My legs are hurting today, but the dancing last night was worth it. The DJ was great. There were so many people at this party that truly cared for the woman whose party it was. She received so many presents, cards and bouquets of flowers. She had the best time, all evening and it was lovely to see her continually enjoying herself. 

I was complimented by this black man on my way to the bus stop who told me I looked beautiful, I turned to look at him and said thank you and then he said you look really lovely and I said thank you again. 

liberty_lily

You look lovely as always, Sugarbaby - it sounds as though you had a great evening 😀

Helen, thank you - yes, although we've a long way to go (inside too 🙄), we're definitely seeing progress now in the garden and in many areas it's looking really well established.

Hope you have a lovely birthday meal 🙂

Our weekend didn't go according to plan as our roadtrip was cancelled and DH's plumber 'friend' failed to show up so we didn't get the structural beams put up. I think we may have to go to plan b on that one....

Champagne moments included cooking delicious fillet steak (indulged ourselves by getting them from M&S, which paid off as they were the best we've had for ages) as DH's birthday dinner. We were so stuffed we didn't want the posh Bighams Bakewell pudding, although we did polish off a large jug of Pimms 🙄

We did a tour of local antique shops and went to our first fleamarket/antique fair since November 2019! Didn't spend much (about £40) on three pieces of art and an original (rusty!) Art Nouveau plant hanger for the garden.

I made an orange drizzle cake which DH declared was my best baked effort yet!

Also, DH found time to plaster the kitchen chimney breast which is now as smooth as glass...we're so fortunate that despite no formal training he is able to do this - it's saved us a fortune over the years 😀 

liberty_lily

Lots of champagne moments so far this week...

I've been enjoying watching more tennis on TV whilst working on a small piece of art for the kitchen. The originals on which it's loosely based cost in the region of £300, whilst prints are between £35 and £50. My canvas cost £5.99 and I already have the paints/brushes, so a good saving 🙂

Our wallpaper samples for the kitchen chimney breast have now all arrived. I'm leaning towards a mid-range paper which is currently on sale 😉

In all the lovely weather we've been having the skimmed plaster has dried quickly so we should be able to crack on with papering as soon as a definite decision is reached. 

Out of the blue DH received a bank transfer for approx half the money owed by his client with a promise to discuss the outstanding balance on their return from their house in Spain 😄

Finally, my half price decorative trays arrived. Here's the smaller one in the guest room...

sugarbaby125

My Champagne moments yesterday:

I went to the Matinee Idols event from 12pm to 2.15pm at the Waterloo Action Centre, then I went over to the Old Vic theatre to watch the play Jitney. 

I had a good time socialising with some of the women at the event, which was a question and answer session with the director of Jitney Tinuke Craig and the associate director Prime Issac. These 2 young black women were just so engaging and informative. They brought a lot of humour into the room as they interacted with our group making the whole event so much fun.     They were both so open and honest when they were answering the questions.   

We were once again provided with 2 flavours of hot soup with bread. We also had a selection of crisps, popcorn, 2 types of healthy bars and some small chocolate bars. There was white and red wine on offer as well as hot beverages. 

All of the sitting around, left me in a lot of pain with my arthritis, but it was all worth it, as the play exceeded my high expectations. I was totally captivated by all of the characters and how they interacted with each other in their workplace in the drama.  

I got a special code when purchasing my ticket so I only paid £5 for a £30 seat saving me £25. 

I treated myself to a copy of the Jitney programme for £4 and a copy of the Jitney play for £8.50 as I could easily afford both. 

Jitney is the 1st August Wilson play I have seen, but it will not be the last of his plays I will see in my lifetime.  

sugarbaby125

Phoebe, 

As per usual you have had some really special moments this week. 

The tray is a lovely finishing touch to the guest room. 

helensbiggestfan

Hello just a quickie....will catch up properly later.  But just popped in to tell you the good news.  

Big champagne moment.......My reserve buyers have now sold their property so we are back in business. 🤞🤞.  

It was my birthday on Wednesday,  71 and counting, 😱😂.  Had a fab day, was spoilt rotten. 

And of course selling the house (again) was the icing on the cake. Great  birthday present.  

sheilavw

Quickly catching up before work, sounds like you've had a good week Sugarbaby, good news on the money Phoebe, your pictures are lovely. Good news on the house LL, and belated happy birthday

Wednesday2000

Happy belated birthday!:) Good news on the house front!

liberty_lily

Thank you Sheila and Sugarbaby 😃 
That sounds brilliant, Sugarbaby - lots of champagne moments there! And again, great news about the house sale, Helen 🙂

Last evening we had a super champagne moment when DH - who'd gone into Been & Queued to get some timber - found they'd reduced some of their plants. He picked up 10 (!!!) clump-forming bamboos - which I'd been wanting to add to the two we found tangled in the overgrown jungle of weeds here - for the area behind the egg chair. They were marked down from £39 each to just £10 😀😀😀

Bamboo is something we've grown successfully over the years without any issues as - despite the scaremongering stories - if you choose the right type/have the space/keep contained in large planters it makes a great screening plant 😉