Struggling along as best I can

nannygladys

Oh dear, I seem to have got out of the habit of updating daily!!

Yesterday I got up late, looking after a two year old makes me realise how old I am!!  But I wouldn't change it at all and its only one day a week and I have the luxury of a lie in if needed. I went to the allotment and did some planting and managed to get in half of the sweetcorn, the other half will go in when a bit bigger, and I finished preparing the tunnel for all the tomatoes, cucs, aubergines and melons (I try melons every year but haven't been successful yet!) So as they get big enough they will get moved into it. I also dug a bed for the courgettes which are desperate to go in - this weekend I hope and pulled up some weeds and chopped down some brambles, sounds more than it was!!

My internet provider is putting up my bill yet again, it really upset me it seems like it's happening on a monthly basis, every bill I pay has gone up since Xmas not just this one, I really don't know how they expect us all to keep paying and living, dd is coming by on Saturday to go through it with me and get a much better deal! Thank goodness for dds, I don't know what I would do without mine.

Today, I have had eldest dgd and her little sister here, little one wasn't feeling well but as the day went by was feeling a lot better. So I didn't go to the hub for fruit, veggies and bread this morning but did call in the community pantry later on, managed to get bread and some fruit and I will call in the hub tomorrow to see what they have on offer!!

Oh I also called in lids last night and spent £31.21 so signature will be updated with yesterday's and today's spending after I press 'go'. The food last night was mainly to go into my stock pantry, I will have to watch it as I seem to be spending quite a bit on it but hopefully I won't be without food, and I can pass some on to dds if needs be.

So just repotted some veggies and about to have tea, a pasta bake of a mixed sort!!!! (Throw anything hanging about in!!).
Nannyg

Pollie - they have some really comfy chairs in the one I use, I could go and have nap!!! 

nannygladys

Oh dear no posting yesterday! 
Ok, yesterday I actually went to the community hub and managed to get some bread, veggies and some fruit so really pleased about that and then went to the lottie and did a mammoth planting of toms in the polytunnel and I still have another four to go in, I also covered the strawberries over which is a job I've been meaning to do for a couple of weeks and all my pea seedlings have either been eaten or just pulled out the ground, how rude is that!!! So I've planted a load more and will be covering them up when I go tomorrow - I WILL manage to grow some this year!!!! And I carried on doing some more clearing.

Today youngest dd came and had a look at my internet billing so I have to phone them up next week to see what they are playing at and hopefully change provider at a much cheaper rate that she has found for me! 

It's been lovely here weather wise and I sat out In the sun with dgc whilst dd and OH went on a hunt for trainers, they also bought pup with them, I'm looking after him for a week soon and he has his first birthday whilst he is here!!!! There's a doggy shop in the next town that sells hm treats so I'll be going there for a look before he comes 

Anyway off to bed, I want to be up and at it tomorrow morning, more planting out etc to do and some more seed sowing.
Nannyg

Skint_yet_Again

Hi nannyg don’t worry about not posting every day. It’s great to read about what you have been doing but it is your diary so post when you want. It shouldn’t feel like a chore (in my opinion) and we are privileged to share a little bit of your life & stories of your family and the lottie 😊

Speaking of allotments, my DF has stopped growing peas as the mice have eaten them all. He tried netting and tea tree oil but neither worked

nannygladys

Skint_yet_Again - oh no I was thinking birds, hadn't really thought about mice, I will have to get my thinking cap on for deterrents!!

nannygladys

Not been doing an awful lot today, woke up with great expectations but what with the showers of rain and the unexpected (on my part) of the cold, I've stayed in, going through my budgets, food and just thoughts on how to make everything stretch further, and my mind is just going around in circles so I've given up for the time being 

The 'not my cat' has been asleep in the spare bedroom all day and has just come downstairs, so I'll put him out in a minute. He had his nose pushed out yesterday with the pup being here - poor old thing.

Just thinking on here, I'm going to lower my grocery bill because after buying some food stock for future use my yearly amount is only just on track, so as I have a few bits growing now and the need to create some room in the freezer for this year's crops I think I can work on lowering it over the next couple of months. I will still use the 'hub' and community pantry for needed bits but I'll try to keep out of the sm. 

During this pay period I have also had to put in extra petrol over what I budget for the car and yesterday I noticed that it had shot up in price again!!!! So I will try, no I will cut down on the amount of journeys I make in it. I get paid this coming Wednesday so I've been looking at all my figures in my book and bank figures!! 

I don't believe it the sun has just come out and its after 6pm! I'm not going to sit outside though   

Right off to make a sandwich, using home grown lettuce and other salad stuff I have in, followed by some cake I was given, so that's it for now. Keep well everyone and take care.
Nannyg

dreaming

nannygladys said:

Skint_yet_Again - oh no I was thinking birds, hadn't really thought about mice, I will have to get my thinking cap on for deterrents!!

Hope you don't mind me posting - it's a pity you can't entice "not my cat" down to the lottie to see if he could catch any mice. Mind you, my 2 cats often catch mice but just bring them home and let them go still alive. Cue me running round trying to catch them (the mice) and then taking them over the field to let them go. I often wonder if it is the same mouse they keep bringing home? I have been reading along for a while and think you do an amazing job on not much money if all you have is the state pension. I started receiving  my state pension  last year but I also have quite a good company pension so feel very fortunate in that but I still watch the pennies (and the pounds!). I can't drive at the moment but will give my daughter some of the car budget as she is running me about at the moment to hospital appointments etc. and she lives about 35 minutes drive away so has to factor that in as well. She always refuses but I think I will insist as she works so hard and isn't that well-off herself.

WinterWarrior

It was colder here today too. We all know we aren’t supposed to cast a clout ‘til May is out, yet it always catches us out 😁

nannygladys

dreaming - 'not my cat' is a very old decrepit one, we were trying to work it out some time ago how old he was and he was six when his original owners left and over the road have been looking after him for around 10years!!!! So his walking isn't all that brilliant and I haven't seen him run for ages!!!!
I did see a small ginger cat on the allotments a couple of weeks ago so let's hope it will scare 'things' away lol!!!

I have to very careful with money but thank goodness for all my sinking funds, no debt and a paid for house, so I'm in a lot better position than many others, and I'm able to use a community pantry, the local food hub and have the allotment (which my eldest dd pays the rent for and will take it over -so she says- when I can't manage it anymore, oh it's in her name so no problems there). And I know if I was really struggling both dds would help out, likewise the other way as well. My pension is just over £2 a week too much to be eligible for pension credit but I have been told to apply anyway, so I will get around to it soon and you never know, it would be a help with dental care etc.

I hope you can get back to driving very soon, my car is my one luxury but even then we are all watching the price of petrol  which around here just under 1.70 a litre!!!!! Diesel must be more!!
Nannyg

nannygladys

WinterWarrior - I have heard that saying before but haven't a clue what a clout is, to me it's something I got around the  ear when I naughty, back in the day 

nannygladys

Right off to the lottie to do a but more planting out before the forecasted rain hits, see you all later.
Nannyg