Frump to Fab 2022 - The Big One

liberty_lily

Great charity shop bargain, Wednesday 😀

Unfortunately the charity shops near us aren't great - even the ones in boutique-y Llandeilo - so I've given up looking. I did manage to bag/box up a few more items to donate this morning (a few M&S Autograph jumpers, a couple of Mistral/White Stuff dresses, two lampshades, a few duplicate art books and some votive/tealight holders).

On Friday I found a Rockett St George candle holder on sale (online) for less than half price! It was delivered yesterday (so quick!) and is even nicer in real life 🙂 I'd originally intended it for the guest room but recalled a pair of green glass ones we'd got in TK Maxx (Sass & Belle, RRP £13 each) for just £5.99 each. I'd put them away and forgotten them, but they're perfect for the window sill, paired with pink candles and flanking the lovely original Art Nouveau trough DH bought me at Ardingly antiques fair back in 2005 🥰 As per the pic in my previous post, I've moved the green Pooky lamp into our room, swapping it for a pair of lamps that we bought for just £16 each in Homesense in 2020.

The Rockett St George candle holder won't go to waste as it should fit right in to the eclectic vibe of the living room when it's finished.

Talking of which, we've sold a few more items that were taking up valuable space on the 'building site' including a huge old sideboard I'd earmarked for firewood but managed to sell for  £100 😁

sugarbaby125

Hello Ladies,

My grandson got over his Covid-19 within a few days and returned to work. Unfortunately, my older daughter, my son in law, my grandson's partner and my 2 Great-grandchildren all have Covid now. Only my daughter has severe symptoms, but she has turned the corner. 

Floss

Sugarbaby I'm sorry to read that your family have been ill, and hope you won't have Covid too.

Personally I would be inclined to pay more mind to Ola and her feedback - if the dramaturg cannot be bothered to read your work & the assistant dramaturg cannot find anything positive to say about it, to me that says a lot about The Young Vic & its productions (I've always preferred The National anyway 😁) Your are very committed to your play, as you are to all of your writing.

sugarbaby125

Thanks Floss, all of those family members live in Andover, so I am hopefully safe from getting Covid, here in London. 

I have my next Covid booster booked for this Thursday.

Ola is a man. Yes, The National is on a different scale to The Young Vic, but I have seen lots of productions at The Young Vic that I found excellent before I joined Neighbourhood Voices over the years. 

I entered The Bridport Prize poetry competition earlier this year and then forgot about it. I got a lovely email today to say that my poem I'm Not Just Black did not make the cut and was rejected. I was not disappointed, as I only submitted it because I wanted the experience, and I received a bursary from The Bridport Prize, so I did not have to pay the entry fee. 

I also got an email this evening from Clapham Library to say that I can be one of the performing poets for their Black History Month Poetry Night entitled My Place: Home in A Changing World. I will be allocated at least 10 minutes to perform my poetry. The organiser wants me to send her a photo and a short biography. Even though I do not have a list of accomplishments as a writer or poet, I am really glad to have been accepted and feel so fortunate to have this opportunity. As one door closed another one opened for me as a poet.

chanie

@sugarbaby125 wow, that’s great news about your poetry.

liberty_lily

Great news about your inclusion in the Clapham library poetry night, Sugarbaby 😃 
Sorry to hear that other members of your family now have covid...hope they're all feeling better very soon....

Wednesday2000

I'm just getting my foot scrub and pedicure. I think I will get this done regularly as it lasts about 6 weeks without  chipping and it is only £20. It is really nice and warm in the salon too. Much warmer than my house!

The man came over yesterday to help me fill in the form which took about 45 minutes. I went to the post office to send it off recorded delivery. Those boots turned out to not be a bargain as I wore them there and back and they started to pinch. I think it is the fleece lining making them feel too tight. 

chanie

Hi fabbers,

thought I would check in and see how you all are doing.

Things have been hectic with work these last few days and I feel like I haven’t stopped.  Also I haven’t been sleeping well recently, so I’m quite tired.  

I’m on the verge of turning our heating on.  I was hoping to not to have to turn it on until the end of October, but mornings have been quite chilly.  We have a Hive thermostat, which we got with our boiler and it’s great, as we can control it from our phones, but I need to have a look at it in a bit more detail.  

liberty_lily

Sorry to hear you've not been sleeping well, Chanie 😧 I can empathise as I've never really slept well and often find myself reading into the early hours.

The building work is progressing steadily here - DH took an additional day off yesterday to remove more of the old frontage and - apart from the doors - it's all down so we're tarped up to the eyeballs to keep out the elements etc! Going into the room now is like stepping into a blue lagoon, lol! Hopefully we'll get the odd bits of render done at the weekend then, once that's dried, it's on with the first timbers 😀

I can't believe I'm saying this, but we ordered some of our Christmas food on Tuesday!

In previous years when we were hosting family we organised Christmas like a military operation, but since buying this place almost five years ago we've been so busy with building projects and it's too far for most people to travel so it's just been the two of us. As a result our organisation has been rather hit and miss 🙄 

Last year we thought we'd got in early with ordering at M&S online, only to find the choice left was very poor, with most stuff already sold out. We ended up with an M&S joint of venison (which DH loves but I'm not so keen) for Christmas Day and had to scramble around the shops to find starters, beef etc. The lobster starters from Aldi were awful 🙁

On Tuesday I had an email from M&S about their Christmas food so I decided to take a look. DH then suggested we take the plunge and place our order - lobster halves, rib of beef, something a bit different for Boxing Day and a few other treats. In view of what happened last year it made sense.

I love that you only have to pay £40 deposit with the balance due when you collect.

We'll get a gammon elsewhere and I'll be making a huge trifle as always, but I'm delighted we've ordered some of the most important components of our Christmas feast and won't have that headache nearer the time 😁😆😁

sugarbaby125

Hello Ladies,

Chanie and Liberty Lily I hope you both find ways of getting more sleep soon. 

I realised in time thank goodness, that I am performing at Minet Library not Clapham Library on 6th October. My son and daughter will come and support me. 

I will also be performing some more of my poetry at Brixton Library on 22nd October, for another Open Mic Black History poetry event. 

I got my £150 cost of living disability payment. I put another £50 with it and put the £200 on my electric prepayment meter, so now I have the maximum allowed to use before the latest price rise on 1st October. I will pay the current unit and standing charge prices until the £250 runs out.

I went to see House of Flamenka at the Peacock Theatre on Tuesday evening. It is an absolutely mesmerising dance show. It is a mixture of flamenco and contemporary dance. It was stunning sets, staging and costumes, especially for the men. The dancers were superbly talented, athletic and flexible. I loved the show so much, I literally wanted to watch it all again on the same night.  I got my ticket for £9 but it was worth £38. 

I went to the Matinee Idols event yesterday from 11.45am to 2pm. We had a group singing session followed by a zoom question and answer session with Donato Wharton, the sound designer for Eureka Day at The Old Vic. Both of the events were enjoyed by all of the participants including me. Thanks to the recent Matinee Idols open day, there are far more of us than in the recent past. We had the usual snacks, hot soup, bread, red and white wine and hot beverages provided for us.

Then we all went across to The Old Vic to watch the play Eureka Day from 2.30pm. It is a comedy, which just did not tickle my funny bone. It was just not entertaining to me and it did not keep me engaged, I was distinctly bored at times. Good job my ticket which was worth £30 (senior discounted price) it only cost me £5 plus a £1.50 booking fee. I also got a free programme for Eureka Day that was worth £4. 

I went to The Royal Court Theatre in Sloane Square to watch the play Jews In Their Own Words this afternoon. It was a brilliant play based on interviews with 12 Jewish people, both male and female and of different ages and ethnicities about their harrowing accounts of antisemitism. It was a real eye opener for me and it was an education about the everyday antisemitism, bigotry, racism and hatred that Jewish people are subjected to was truly shocking. It made me deeply sad and ashamed that other non-Jewish people feel they have the right to do this to Jewish people. There were some lighthearted, funny moments in the play and that levity was really welcome. There was also a song and dance number. I got my ticket which was worth £45 for only £6.50. 

I had my Covid-19 booster this morning at a local chemist. My left arm is a little sore, but otherwise I am okay for now.