So close, we can smell mortgage freedom!

Suffolk_lass

That all sounds great. I have never dried and tied herbs - I don't know if I'd use them up in a timely way but I might emulate you. Do say what the rhubarb and ginger vodka is like when you try it, and please say how you made it. Today is my veg garden day.

themadvix

I don’t do huge amounts of herbs, but I took great pleasure in making my own stuffing with hg sage last winter and have used dried coriander from the garden too. This year, I’ve got sage, apple mint, dill and lemon verbena drying (and have discovered I really like lemon verbena tea too).

 The rhubarb and ginger vodka is delicious - like rhubarb and custard sweets and I just enjoy it with some sparkling water. The recipe I use is here: https://www.craftginclub.co.uk/ginnedmagazine/homemade-rhubarb-ginger-gin just substituting gin for vodka, as I don’t like gin! It’s very simple.

Suffolk_lass

Ooh thank you!

themadvix

Afternoon all,

You're welcome SL - always happy to share a good recipe

Yesterday was an insanely busy day. Cat sitting first thing. Spot of gardening (trimming leaves off of toms and tying them up - hoping not to get blight). Then picked up a large (larger than expected) cat scratching post from a Freegler (meets approval with the boys, so that's good). Then popped round to  Dad and fiancee (dropped some tools we'd borrowed back to him). Home and quickly changed to meet Olio friends at their sports club/gym (very posh and £69/month!) for 'tennis' and lunch. I'm not sure it could really be called tennis - it involved many tennis balls and racquets and a court, but pretty much anything went and we didn't do any scoring (but much laughter was had and we were all exercised by it!). £20 spent on lunch there for Mr MV and I - very nice though. Also got rid of some rhubarb and a large courgette to friends (who dropped round a BNS later on in exchange). Then popped to Wickes, dropped Mr MV to collect his new glasses (and return library books), fed long-term cats, collected Mr MV, went home, showered, two more cat visits, before heading out to Mum's with replacement car battery, in-laws with leftover currency and a courgette (exchanged for some hg toms) and then finally to our friends' for dinner. Busy, but productive and plenty of social in there.

Today I've done two cat visits, had a quick appt at the docs and am now settling down at my desk. Have a meeting with Cambridge boss/friend later (just checked, it hasn't been cancelled). Will visit one set of cats again later.

We're having problems with the kitchen drain and having hauled the cupboard over it out and tried some hardcore drain unblocker, Mr MV has come to the unfortunate conclusion that he's going to have to get the rubber gloves on and hoik the accumulated fat out of it. We're really good about not putting fat down there, but obviously you can't avoid all of it and the design of our drain allows it to build up. This happened a couple of years ago and caused the kitchen to flood, so better to catch it now than later. So that's going to be our fun activity for this evening!

MS things:
* Wins on both the bookies I've been using this weekend - so £15 withdrawn from them
* Clicks and HW done (small HW win today)
* Free tennis!
* Lots of cat sitting (and in all three cases this weekend, I've avoided the platform, thereby saving fees).

Gratitudes:
* Lovely social time with two sets of friends yesterday
* Caught up with all parents
* Very affectionate cat charges - all of them, even the one who usually keeps his distance!

Have a good day all!

Cheery_Daff

You have a good day too! Tennis sounds fun! Drain unblocking sounds less fun 🙄 I fear we will have to tackle the bathroom at some point - going to try normal vinegar and bicarb route first (although I've realised I forgot to pick up bicarb, so perhaps not today 🙄)

EssexHebridean

Ugh to the drain - not a nice job at all. A drain test is one of the things I need to make a note to do in the new house once we're in - I'd sooner get a good idea of the speed of the drainage so I can easier spot any issues!  

We've gained a cat visitor at home - a very small, very pretty black one. We think she belongs to the new people who moved in along the way, but over the weekend she's spent more time with us than them I think, as with the door open she's been happily wandering in! Quite nice to have a cat about the place again, although every time we catch her trying to scratch the sofa we're reminded of one of the reasons we agreed not to get another one right now! 

themadvix

Tennis was indeed fun, and hopefully to be repeated - friends get 4 guests passes per month each (and they've promised us a trip to the sauna next time if we want).

Yes, the drain is definitely not fun and Mr MV is making it clear that he is not looking forward to it. I am about to go and find the long rubber gloves.... if I can (if not, I'll be making a quick trip out for some!).

EH, your feline visitor sounds lovely (bar the scratching!). Do you think the time will be right again when you're in your new home, or are you enjoying the freedom (and nice house) of not having a cat to worry about?

EssexHebridean

At the moment we've decided cat ownership isn't practical for us - we're away too much. when we had HRH Mum used to come around and check on her/feed her and let her out,  but I'd not ask her to do that now. If we were able we'd have a dog, but again, it's not the right time now. Teeny black kitty makes a very welcome visitor though - although I had better hope our successors in the flat also like cats...!  

themadvix

Morning all,

Entirely understandable EH, but as you say, nice to have a visitor!

I was out yesterday with my Trefoil Guild group visiting a local transport museum. It was excellent and really had so much there - and all run by volunteers. £10 entry and £9 on lunch for friend and I in the cafe - I owed her from our last trip out. Also called by at in-laws and collected supermarket-delivered washing powder (it was on offer, but I didn't need a whole delivery) and the refill shop - £29 spent there, but mostly on washing liquid, conditioner and other liquids, so things that will last longer.

All of that was around work - 3 x cat visits, Cambridge work and some of mine (ince some for a US client). Put Mr MV on the train about 5pm and he was away with work overnight. I spent the evening doing some of my work and catching up on comps - it's been ages since I've entered any.

The endless stream of work from my main client continues - I thought I was getting caught up but then he reminded me of something I'd forgotten about and I've since remembered something else. I'll be busy until well into September, which is great. I have a scheduled weekend off from cat sitting this weekend - it's just the long-term ones and my friend is doing a week from Saturday - it gives me the weekend without any cats and then I've got another client for twice a day visits, so it'll be good to not be going there too (it's not been great this week, trying to do three visits a day!). My Cambridge boss/friend also wants me to do more for her - for various reasons, so there's more work there if I can squeeze it in. Next week at least should be calmer - I'm out one afternoon with my ex-Brownie friends, but no whole days taken up (first world problems!) and no midday cat visits.

MS things:
* Comps, HW and clicks
* Can't remember if I mentioned but we've changed broadband provider. Vodafone wanted £30/month as we were coming to the end of the contract, so we've switched to Now. 
* Drinking lemon verbena tea - leaves from the garden, so very pleased with the money saving and food miles savings here!

Gratitudes:
* Lovely day out yesterday - such a local treasure - will be taking Mr MV and our dads there
* Sunshine
* Blueberries from the garden on my porridge (I guess this comes under money saving too)

Have a good day all!

Suffolk_lass

That's a lovely positive post.

I was wondering what you will be planting to get ahead in your allotment this late summer and autumn? I am definitely going to try broadbeans (you mentioned broadband and I mis-read it ), garlic and maybe sweetpeas if I can get my act together. I also have wildflower seeds I have mixed to plant up (some to scatter, some to plug into the lawn if they grow in cells from old plug plant purchases). I might try and overwinter a few chilli plants and grow some little salad leaves in the greenhouse too.