Champagne Lifestyle on a Lemonade Budget - 2021

chanie

sugar your grandson is such a cutie,

helensbiggestfan

SUgarbaby......sorry to hear your arthritis is still playing up.  It's horrible isn't it.  And the upset tummy.  Hope you feel better soon.  Glad it didn't spoil your enjoyment of the theatre too much.  

The human body is amazing isnt it.  I firmly believe that our systems are interlinked, when one is out of kilter there is a knock on effect.  In my case I have been plagued with stomach problems all of my life, and now arthritis and fibro. I have come to the conclusion they are linked.  I know arthritis and fibro are often found together and are recognised as being two sides of the same coin and that research is starting to show that both can be linked to IBS.  

 Most of the time I manage well enough, my tummy issues are much improved but I have had a couple of fibro/arthritis flare ups recently.  Both times it seems to have been when I have had a cold or virus of some sort.  Im guessing it's probably something to do with my immune system being a bit weak at the moment.  I think in my case, it's linked to getting my jabs.  I always seem to react a bit to any kind of vaccine.  Hey ho, I wouldn't not get vaccinated though.  The side effects are relatively mild, just inconvenient.  

One of my goals next year is to get a grip with my outstanding health issues.  I am lucky in that none  of them are "serious" but I know I can do better.  I am determined to get stronger, fitter and healthier so that is going to be my priority.  Lose weight and join a gym at some point.  Like I say I do think the human body is an amazing piece of kit, able to regenerate and heal itself. But I have been neglecting myself and it's time I gave my body a helping hand so to speak. 😂

Got most of the decorations up yesterday.  Will finish off today and then have a good tidy up.  Make a start on wrapping the presents.

  I too did a lot of my Christmas shopping online this year but it's not the same, I do like the bustle of real life Christmas shopping.  I did pick up some bits from Sainsburys the other day.  It was nice to browse round, it was busy but I enjoyed that. During the pandemic I have shopped more often online but I much prefer "real" shops.  I have become a bit lazy so I am hoping that next year I can get back to browsing round real shops and markets.  Covid permitting.  

No matter what, I am determined that 2022 will be the best I can make it. For a number of reasons, which I wont bore you all to death with, 2021 has been somewhat short of champagne moments for me. I am hoping for better next year.  But it's up to me isn't it.  

There's no magic wand......If I want better times then I need to make them happen. 😉

sugarbaby125

Helen, thanks for your empathy. My arthritis is definitely worse this year. Now, whether it would have progressed without me having contracted Covid in such a severe way, is never going to be known. 

I just refrain from eating when I wake up with an upset stomach. I find eating apples helps to settle it down again very quickly, so I ate 2 apples in the morning, then I did not eat again until I had dinner just after 6pm. 

If I really cannot eat anything, then a couple of cups of strong tea also calms my stomach upset. 

I turn 60 next year, and I am planning lots of family celebrations and also a party in the pub that I used to go to regularly. There is also the family party for my Great grandson Shylo's 1st birthday in February before my April celebrations. 

Despite Covid and it's many variants, I intend to live my life to the full, while always taking sensible precautions. I found masks early on that were 100% cotton and washable, were the easiest masks to breathe through and to keep clean. I will get boosters whenever they are offered to me, as I personally believe they will prevent me from getting a severe case of Covid again. Hopefully if I get Covid again, the vaccines and booster I had mean I will more likely have a mild case of Covid. 

Most of my family had their vaccines and booster, despite anxiety over side effects of the vaccines. We also have lateral flow tests that we use to ensure we are Covid negative before large family gatherings. 

florianatwobob

Friday’s Champagne moment was a one man performance of A Christmas Carol with a glass of wine and a mince pie. The performance took place before this beautiful Christmas tree in the world’s last, purpose built, monitorial class room. If you’re  interested Google British Schools Museum and you can find out a little more about this teaching method  

helensbiggestfan

You gotta laugh........definitely not a champagne moment.  

I have just paid a fine for traffic violation. 😱😂.  apparently I drove through a bus lane.  It's that is time sensitive.......ie ok after 7pm till 7 am. And closed off during the day.  Who knew. 😂🤣.   

Beautiful day now, blue skies, bright sunshine.  

SUgarbaby.......that's how I feel.  Just as soon as I feel better I am going to start getting out and about more, obviously being sensible.  

I'm so done with being a hermit.  

phoebe1989seb

I quite enjoy being a hermit, lol 😂 Although only when it's self-imposed 🙄

We had a lovely evening on Saturday, decorating the tree(s) and putting up other festive bits and bobs, whilst nibbling our party food and having a glass (or two!) of buck's fizz 😋

Many of our baubles and decorations are vintage, collected over the years including a pair of 30 year old garlands in the perfect muted jewel tones to complement the snug's colour scheme. Every year they seem to have shed another jewelled apple or pear, but I love them nonetheless!

This year we decided to forego the small living tree we usually have in the kitchen window (partly because of the three we had, two unfortunately didn't survive last winter and the remaining one is better suited positioned by the front door), and instead stumped up the princely sum of £19.99 for a light up display of four, snow-kissed twiggy trees from Homesense. I hung these with an assortment of more (mainly vintage) baubles in red and teal matching the kitchen's accent colours 😉

When I get my phone camera to stop playing silly beggars, I'll try posting some pics.

Best champagne moment was delivering one of the furniture items we sold to a sweet man in his eighties, looking after his wife with Alzheimer's (reminded me of my late parents). He was so grateful that we'd agreed to take it the twenty minute journey for him without charge, then carry it into their living room (whilst fully masked up, obviously) that he presented us with two cans of coca cola as a thank you 😄

Today I'm making festive napkin rings using a few unused baubles and wired ribbon.....

Next job - gift wrapping!

phoebe1989seb

As promised, here's a few 2021 Christmassy pics (apologies for the quality which I'm afraid is still rubbish 🙄). The snug currently has bookcases that will eventually go into the new extension and the booze won't be on that distressed table but on a vintage trolley, so it all looks a bit crowded right now!

Kitchen....Snug....
Loving my pretty reindeer from Gisela Graham 😍

Today's champagne moment - receiving our new vase from Graham and Green. It's a perfect match for the less expensive ones I picked up recently in Dunelm 😄

phoebe1989seb

Meant to add a pic of our best bauble... the heart-shaped one made by three year old DGD (ably assisted by her mummy!) for us last Christmas 😍❤️😍

sugarbaby125

Phoebe your kitchen and snug look lovely. That heart bauble is gorgeous.  Thank you for sharing those photos with us. 

sugarbaby125

My Champagne moment today was cooking 68 jerk chicken wings to add to the traditional turkey Christmas dinner at Blackfriars Settlement this morning. 

My son carried the bag of chicken wings for me and accompanied me to Blackfriars Settlement, as the chicken wings were too heavy for me. I took all of the seasonings with me and 6 disposable roasting pans. 

I had never used such an extra large professional gas oven before. I almost had a disaster, when the timer went off after 20 minutes, I was shocked at how overcooked some of the wings looked. It is the seasoning that looked burnt in places rather than the skin of the chicken wings, so as the other side of the wings was a little pale looking in contrast, I turned all the chicken wings over in the roasting tins and put them back in the oven for exactly 3 minutes, then they were all ready to be cooled down. I scrubbed down 3 melamine extra large trays and dried them. Then I put all of the chicken wings laid out on the 3 trays to cool down. Once they were completely cooled one of the facilitators would cover them in foil and put them in the fridge until tomorrow when they will be reheated before serving them to the members who like hot and spicy food. 

As there is now going to be 60 people at the Christmas dinner tomorrow, I have decided not to go, as I feel that is too large a gathering to take the risk, when too many of those people I know to be unvaccinated. With Omicron the risk is very high of contracting Covid even when you are vaccinated, according to the existing data about this latest variant. I do not feel that a meal and social dance is worth the risk.

The facilitators gave me a little Christmas present as I will not be present tomorrow when they will be giving Christmas presents to the members.