Debt Reset....

EssexHebridean

Wow what a reduction - that's fantastic work from you there, well done! 

You've got me thinking again about whether I can find a sneaky space somewhere for raspberries. The issue is the council's tendency to come along and spray things with weedkiller though - it would be annoying to pay for bushes only for them to be killed. The gooseberries survive it because they're well back towards the window. 

CRANKY40

Thanks @EssexHebridean. These are also thornless raspberries which cost me slightly more than ordinary canes but have been well worth it as they've spread along the empty space at the back of the garden and I don't get ripped to pieces collecting the fruit. 

Seeing as I'm posting anyway, my debt total so far this month is now £2989.40. I'm hoping to make another smallish payment before the end of the month. 

Take care everyone 😊

CRANKY40

Hello anyone reading along, 

My sister has been over from Ireland to stay for almost a week. She went home yesterday so today I am playing catch up with washing, ironing, baking etc. I'm in the middle of making lasagne and I have some apples ready to make an apple pie too (we picked the apples yesterday). I need to get the damsons out of the freezer to make damson gin or vodka - I can't make my mind up which. I've made the HT's lunch time toastie but I've had to sit down for a rest now as I've been standing up too long so I feel a bit queasy/faint. 

I'd really like to do a freezer inventory today because the last one is out of date and I always seem to be stuck for dinner ideas yet the freezer is fairly full. It's on the list but if it doesn't get done today I will probably have time on Friday. 

I still have some apples left over so I'll sort those out on Friday too - I'll probably stew them then freeze them. We picked 5lbs of apples and 2 lbs of tomatoes from best friend's garden yesterday so the hard work is starting to pay off. The flowers look pretty too - he's more interested in the flowers and I'm more interested in growing food so it's a good balance. 

Debt total at the end of August is £2899.99. I'm happy with that. 

Take care all of you 😊

Deni_debt-free_dreamer

Hi Cranky
I vote for damson gin - I'd prefer that anyway   
I defrosted and organised my freezer a few weeks ago. I have 2 large butternut squashes ready to make soup which i will freeze. 
I haven't grown anything this year but my neighbour gives me tomatoes from his garden so I will make some tomato sauce to freeze too.
That's brilliant re your debt total!
love Deni 

CRANKY40

Thanks @Deni_debt-free_dreamer. I'm going to make pasta sauce with the tomatoes that I have here. Friend has quite a few tomato plants so I have a feeling that there will be more tomatoes headed this way fairly soon. We enjoy gardening and even though we have a lot of rest breaks I think that it's doing us both some good. I'm leaning towards damson gin too 😁

CRANKY40

Hello all, 

I'm working today but as usual I am working from home so it's a chance to crack on with a few small jobs. There's a gammon joint in the fridge that needs to be sliced into portions and frozen (cooked in the slow cooker) and I'd like to cut the grass out the back if I have the chance. Looked after person isn't keen on the great outdoors but will just stand at the french windows and watch. 

I haven't done the freezer inventory yet but that's down as a job for Monday morning as it takes a while. All the washing, drying and ironing is up to date and I made apple pies for best friend and I yesterday. Some have been left out for eating in the next few days and some have been frozen. I also froze some unused stewed apple so there's enough in the freezer for another batch of pies at some future point. 

I've started to crochet another wave blanket. I'm using leftover wool and this one is for me as I've made a few now but I don't have one myself. The HT has his on his bed, best friend and best friend's niece sit under theirs for tv watching and even the HT's ex has one. They are lovely and warm so I'm thinking I'll keep mine in my bedroom too, either as an extra layer on the bed or for wrapping around me when I'm online gaming. 

It's going to be an interesting winter for sure. I'm wondering where most people are supposed to find an extra £300/£400 per month for fuel bills given that a lot of families live to the limit of their available income as it is (or maybe that's just people that I know). I'm going to turn into a replica of my dad, who followed us around the house when we were young switching off lights and appliances in our wake and complaining about the cost of things. When I lived with my gran and grandad while I was doing my final year in school (mum and dad moved to London and I opted to stay behind and finish school) I had to put 50p in the meter out of my pocket money if I wanted more than the statutory one bath a week that was all that my gran deemed neccessary. We're going back in time......

Take care all of you 😊

Four_Seasons

Hi, your wave blankets sound lovely, what pattern do you use, I am new to crochet and would love to have a go at one if its simple enough and it would definately come in handy over this winter.  I was born in '47 and I clearly remember as a family sitting around a little open fire the houses only heating) in several layers of clothes and snuggling under several blankets and an old fashioned eiderdown clutching a hot water bottle when in bed. As  you say we seem to be going back in time.....
Have a lovely weekend x

CRANKY40

Thanks @Four_Seasons, I actually just picked a pattern off youtube and it's easy enough as it's a basic stitch - it's just the counting that is important. This is one of the blankets that I have made. The added bonus of making it as an autumn/winter project is that it keeps you warm as you make it. Pattern link is  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6wOFuj6XqI  

Four_Seasons

Oh that is beautiful! Thank you so much I will follow the link x

WinterWarrior

😮😮😮 oh my goodness, look at that blanket! I love it. You are so clever 🌟