Champagne Lifestyle on a Lemonade Budget - 2021

phoebe1989seb

Good to see you back posting, LL 😃
Sounds as though you've been really busy, achieving loads in your absence from the forum. You must look after yourself though!
I'd love to see photos of your progress too 😊

I do feel your pain on the wearing yourself out bit 🙄 I was saying elsewhere recently that I'd lost my enthusiasm for the garden here as it feels like mere fire fighting, trying to keep on top of the rampant weeds that entirely covered the main half acre 'garden' when we purchased the old mill back in 2018.

Over the past couple of weeks my mojo seems to have returned - I think it's the thought of autumn coming (like you said, it does feel as if it's already arrived here) and therefore the pressing desire to get stuff accomplished before the dry weather runs out. Actually, I've always been one of those types that do best under pressure (exams etc), so quite enjoy having a deadline to work to 😉

As a result, imho, the garden is looking the best it has all year right now (see first pic for my new liatris clump!) - in some parts anyway - obviously not where the rockery demolition is happening, as that more resembles a pig's breakfast, lol 😂

Over the long weekend I succeeded in planting around 40 perennials/shrubs, many of which had been potted up waiting to go in.

The pile of rocks I've managed to remove from the rockery is growing (have barely scratched the surface but already fills a pallet - see pic!), although I'm glad I didn't have to move the ones DH did (see last pic - there were several this size!) as he worked on tidying the end of the new bed near the garden entrance....

Both of us ache more than a little today - I'm just fortunate I don't have a job to go to.....except more gardening!!! It's pretty grey here today too, as you can see from the pics.....

helensbiggestfan

Don't overdo it Phoebe.  Actually I've got a pile of rockery rocks....no idea what to do with them.  Might ask a neighbour if he wants any.  

Champagne moment.....just saved myself £181 on my house insurance renewal.  Not bad for 30 mins work.😉

Have filled two bin liners with clothes for the chazzer.  Still got more to go but that's enough for today.   Time for a cuppa and put my feet up with a book.   Easy supper, chicken Caesar salad.  

Turned out quite a horrid day, cold and grey.  

phoebe1989seb

That's great going on the house insurance saving, LL 😄

It definitely might be worth asking your neighbour if they want your rockery rocks. Easy way to get shot if you've no use for them! Ours will be repurposed to build the retaining wall we'll need once the rockery - which is almost 5' high where the adjoining land is lowest! - is gone 😎 We're also finding plenty of other uses for them throughout the garden generally as well as making repairs to the courtyard walls and the front boundary wall....

At our last-but-one house we demolished a stone outbuilding (to make way for an extension) and managed to swap the massive boulders it was constructed from for a gorgeous reclaimed kitchen table at our local salvage yard - a win win as they came and took them away so we didn't have to deal with the removal 😉

phoebe1989seb

helensbiggestfan said:

Don't overdo it Phoebe.  

You too, LL!

Despite the physical nature of this kind of stuff, I actually find all kinds of gardening - even the rockery demolition - cathartic and (usually!) relaxing 😉 Not sure my aching back and thighs would agree, lol!

I've still a heck of a way to go though, the rockery being some 13' x 12' x almost 5' high with some of the ginormous boulders being too heavy for me. The whole shebang needs taking back to ground level, so the plants we put in during 2018 are being found homes in other parts of the garden - we can always find gaps for more plants 😁

Buried deeply amongst the rocks are dozens of bluebell bulbs. I'm painstakingly lifting these to replant beneath our ancient apple tree.

Seeing all those plants (around 42 removed so far!) in their new spaces feels like we've acquired more - with no expense apart from my efforts 😅

Thankfully there have been no more *cow in the garden* moments catching me unawares....phew!!!

Yesterday, DH brought home some *architectural salvage* from the Victorian gatehouse he's renovating - several lengths of original timber barge boarding, including one particularly beautiful, gothic style piece. These were destined for the bonfire if the client (philistines, who are replacing all the lovely original features with plastic!) had their way and DH hadn't rescued them 😮 We, otoh, will appreciate them and put them to good use in the future when we build a *folly* in the garden 😎

Wednesday2000

I have had a nice week. I went to a Caribbean festival last Sunday and then for drinks afterwards. I also went out to a pub meetup on Wednesday and just met a new friend for lunch today. We went into B&M after and that is the first time I've ever been in that store. It's very easy to spend money in there! I did buy a couple of items at a charity shop, a blue dress and a Dorothy Perkins skirt. Both were £1 each.:)

I am off out tomorrow night to a bar for a DJ night. I have been feeling quite tired and know I have to pace myself (diagnosed with fibro back in 2017) so I am going to go out socially but only for a certain amount of hours each time so I don't get exhausted. Today was fine, it seems like being out for 3-4 hours is the right amount for me.

I found out I need to get glasses and my friend said she would meet me in Soho and try on frames to see what suits me before I buy anything. I need to arrange that with her in the next couple of weeks.

candygirl

You're such a social butterfly now WEDNESDAY, but you're right to pace yourself too.
Can't believe you were a B & M virgin!! 😳Do you have Home Bargains there? It's fab x

sheilavw

just catching up on here (13 unread posts)!  been away. First, the friday before the bank holiday, a night in Chester with my youngest Daughter, then on to Wales to my late Husbands motor bike meet. Met up on the saturday with my eldest Daughter, Son in Law and Grandson, who had spent 3 days with me before there week in Wales. We had a lovely afternoon tea in Beaumaris and watched my Grandson play in the outdoor pool on the front.

In the evening my eldest came to Bangor for the bike meets evening meal. I returned home Monday and straight to Blackpool until yesterday with my Sister and Brother. Early night last night, felt exhausted. I don't know where these school holidays have gone.

Feeling apprehensive about returning to school with this virus, experts are expecting a peak in cases again.

Nice to see everyone's garden pictures! I managed to get a lovely egg chair but it only came the week before last. I feel that I won't get much use out of it this year unless September is nice!

Wednesday2000

CG - We do have Home Bargains but I've never been there either!

Sheila - I like those egg chairs. I saw some on a balcony near to the bar I'm going to later today.

phoebe1989seb

Gosh, all these hectic social lives you ladies are having...makes me exhausted just thinking of the effort involved, lol! Glad you're having fun 😃

Our - B&Q - egg chair has to be one of this year's best buys! Hope you get lots more sunny days to enjoy yours Sheila 😎

My champagne moment yesterday did involve an outing of sorts - we drove down to DH's old stomping ground in Hampshire (the New Forest) where we met up with DS for a lovely walk with our two dogs and his one. We had a picnic on arrival near Balmer Lawn then allowed the dogs to run freely on a long walk DH used to take with his parents and siblings as a child on their annual camping holidays. It was very peaceful unlike some parts of the forest that are overrun with cyclists etc 😉

It was so wonderful to catch up as we haven't seen him since he stayed with us back in June 😄

Afterwards, DS set off for Brighton whilst we crammed in a quick trawl through wonderful Waitrose (something we lack in our part of Wales and miss so much) picking up a few items impossible to find locally, a whistle stop tour of Salisbury Homesense (used to be our local branches of both when we lived in a nearby village) as well as getting chips from one of our favourite chip shops 😋

Only one Homesense purchase (a stunning, bright red Danish fruit bowl for the kitchen - RRP £65, ticket price £15 😁). It replaces what iirc was our first ever TK Maxx purchase - a Portuguese fruit bowl - back in the early noughties which is now the wrong blue for our current kitchen! That has put in many years of good service and will join the carboot pile!

After a drive past the thatched house we owned/lived in between 2011 and 2014, as well as a ridiculous diversion through Bath, we finally arrived home at 11.30pm.

Totally exhausted today, so think our only exertion will be a trip to M&S food hall to spend our money off voucher 😉

Enjoy the sunshine.....

sugarbaby125

My Champagne moment yesterday evening was going to a DJ friend's Karaoke birthday party in his home. I had a fantastic evening dancing and I sang 6 songs.     

I got lots of compliments for my singing and dancing