Simple living in the country - back to basics

beanielou

themadvix said:

You beat me to it Beanie, although I’d send B&W cat as he woke us up at 6 this morning even though we’ve both got the day off… and knowing that the Cheeries are owls not larks, I didn’t think that would be appreciated! 😂 Beautiful puss cat 😻

She is a beautiful girl. Thanks. 😻

Eek to being woken up at 6.00. 

Cheery_Daff

Thanks for the offer of your beautiful cat beanie! 😍 

There's still another mouse here, but it'll have the run of the place tonight as we're off to stay with friends - will catch it tomorrow. 

Sad morning here - my hairdryer has died 😱😂 Not something I'd usually be sentimental about, and I rarely give my hair more than a quick whizz anyway, but I think it was a present for my 16th birthday so I've had a good 27 years out of it 😂😂 A good MSE appliance 😂

Took it apart and the heating element has snapped. Won't be attempting a repair, will keep an eye out for a charity shop one as we're mooching around.

badmemory

Unfortunately unless the charity shop has a tame electrician they don't sell electrical goods.  Good luck (although luck isn't really applicable) with the job application.

VintageHistorian

The job sounds really interesting Cheery! I don't know if you're Arts/Humanities, Sciences, or Social Sciences, but if you're anything except the Sciences then I'd also ask around to see how student recruitment is going in the department. I know you don't teach but the axe tends to swing at the A&H lot first (and Soc Sci second) and several institutions have removed entire departments in the past 12 months, just something to keep in mind!

Cheery_Daff

Plenty of charity shops round here sell electrical stuff! I know not all of them do, but I'm still going to keep an eye out.

Thanks VH, I do teach at the minute (just not as much as I used to) so very aware of recruitment issues - several courses axed where I am now. Good reminder to ask about that though, thank you.

Cheery_Daff

Evening chums 😊

We are having a lovely weekend with our friends 😊 Nice and relaxed. They had theatre tickets booked this afternoon so we've been pottering around the local area, visited a cafe (of course) and found a Remington hairdryer in a charity shop for £8 😂 There was a choice! I went for the one with flowers on 😂 Let's see if it lasts another 27 years 😂

Home now, but friends aren't here yet. Mr Cheery has gone for a lie down, so I've been sat nice and quiet with the cat in the living room. Done the Happy Wheel - down £5 today but at £59 for October so far. Done a couple of 1P surveys, although it's been glitchy today, kicking me out of things. Up to £21.65 now so payout shouldn't be too far off! 

Not much else to report. We've bought various bits of more extravagant food than usual and some drink - fair I think, since we've basically invited ourselves to stay with our friends for the weekend 😂 

I'm very much enjoying hanging out in a finished, clean home with no lingering DIY projects and no clutter. They've sorted a nice little seating area in the garden since we were last here too, which has given me some ideas for ours.

This is all spurring me on to get on with our next round of jobs. If I do get this new job, I'd VERY much like at least the windowsills/skirting done before I start working full time - the rest of the kitchen will was finished nearly 2 years ago now 🙄😂

I've ordered my next lot of experimental cleaner for the windowsill stones! I've had so many recommendations and so far none of them have worked 😂 So let's see what happens with this one...

Jellytotts

I’ll send one of my cats over to you, 5 mice on Thursday, in varying states of dissection. Brings the total to 17 this week, although they bring them in, rather than catch them inside.   Any idea where yours are getting in from?  I must admit I’m a dab hand at catching them now when they’re brought in alive and the just get launched over into the paddock behind our driveway.   

Cheery_Daff

Eek! Thanks for the offer but I'd rather keep mine alive! We're in a draughty old farmhouse, there's plenty of places they can get in 😂 

Cheery_Daff

Evening all 😊 We are home after a lovely weekend 😊 Such a tonic to sit with our friends in their garden in the sunshine, nowhere else to be 😊😊

Driving home was slightly less of a tonic 🙄😂 But we are here and I have spent sufficient time sitting on my swing seat in my own garden that I'm almost starting to feel re-combobulated 😂

Definitely feeling autumnal here. The view is turning increasingly golden, and as I sit I can hear the leaves falling, and flocks of jackdaws settling in for the night. And an owl! Right in the tree near me - I feel like I should be able to see it, but it's very well camouflaged 😂 And some mournful curlews, and blackbirds kicking up a stink (probably about the owl...). Anyway, most of those aren't particularly autumnal, but the view and the leaves are 😂

So. I've done half an hour of scything, but then almost impaled a toad and had to stop to give both of us time to recover 😱 Almost at the end of row 12 now.

Back in a tic with some plans for the week.

Cheery_Daff

So. Here's a rough outline of the shape of the week.

Mon - working at home, Mr Cheery out in the evening (I've offered to drive him, which would mean an evening spent working on my job application, rather than an evening pottering at home - we'll see how he feels tomorrow)

Tues - in the office, Mr Cheery may come with me, in which case I'll stay at work til he's finished around 9pm, or see if I can go to a friend's for tea.

Wed - in the office, car for MOT.

Thurs - working at home

Fri - no plans

Sat - meeting my mum in the morning to use my free MSE National Trust vouchers 😊

Sun - currently no plans

Going to use last week's meal plan since I didn't get much chance to use most of it last week 😂 Also got some bits to use up from the weekend, mostly bread/cheese/salad.

Want to sort out meals for Mon-Wed tonight, as I may not get another chance. Oh, and I NEED to clean out the mouse-ridden car before the MOT, and looking at that list, my only chance to do that is this evening 🙄

I've ordered more stone cleaner, so that's a job for the weekend. The grass also needs strimming 🙄 And I imagine Mr Cheery may want to see his dad at some point, although whether I go too may depend on whether ANY progress has been made with ANYTHING in the week before then 🙄😂

Would like to get back on the flylady bandwagon this week as well.

Mostly though, I can see I am just heaping things onto my plate, when what I probably need most is a good night's sleep! So:

6.45-7.15
Clean out car (rubbish out, hoover, quick spray wipe). Nothing fancy, it just stinks of mouse 🙄

7.15-7.45
Sort out meals for tomorrow & Tues. Hopefully this will just involve making breakfast and getting things out of the freezer! Maybe some haybox shenanigans while I'm working at home tomorrow

7.45-8
Prep for tomorrow - decide clothes, make sure desk is clear and laptop etc plugged in. I has the whole of last week off, and this week was going to be a busy one anyway.

8-8.30
Flylady evening routine.

8.30-9.30
Hanging out/pottering/whatever

9.30
PJs & bed

Feels later than it is but I'd best get this car done before it goes dark! Can't believe how fast the nights are drawing in 🙄