So close, we can smell mortgage freedom!

themadvix

Morning all,

Still rather sniffly, but definitely better than yesterday, in large part due to a decent night's sleep. I've taken the mini for its MOT and bread is about to go in the oven. End of the last loaf has been chopped into croutons/crumb base and frozen. I'm cracking on with my work, which is going well. Mr MV is here at the moment but visiting a site later with car. Depending on when he gets back I may take the car to the refill shop. If not, I may plant some of my beans out - all assuming I get this work out of the way (in theory, I've then got plenty more from main client to do, so we'll see what the weather/time is like when I've got this done).

I'd like to get my bike serviced this weekend... this requires a trip to a town on the other side of the county, as I'd like to get it serviced properly (this first time) where I bought it from. Equally though I need to spend time getting plants in the ground at the allotment, so I'll have to see when they can fit me in - and probably combine with a trip to Mr MV's parents (and my parked up car) as it's in that general direction.

MS things:
* 1P surveys
* Clicks and HW
* Comps
* Bread baking 
* Sunshine - thereby reducing cost of bread baking

Gratitudes:
* Sunshine - breakfast in the garden and with a sparrow there too
* Blue tits in the front garden yesterday
* Asparagus - so lovely, even when I overcook it 🙄

Have a good day all!

themadvix

Afternoon all,

Looking back at my last post - 90% of that (if not all) didn't happen as planned! I did get stuff planted out - on Saturday, but bike hasn't been serviced, I haven't been to the refill shop, we didn't see Mr MV's parents.... you get the gist.

The decking has come on a long way though - Mr MV has worked really hard on it this weekend. And beans (borlotti, coco Sophie and French), carlin peas and squash have all been planted at the allotment. We had a nice time at the tapas bar on Friday night (and no one wanted dessert, which saved a bit on the bill). I also did some cat sitting and on Sunday, made yoghurt, naans, ice cream, rhubarb crumble and bottled my rhubarb vodka (taste tested too 😁). In terms of relaxation, we watched the cup final and the grand prix and, best of all, went for a walk at 4am on Monday morning to enjoy the dawn chorus (it's on the 40/40 list) - the Merlin app totally made this a better experience - it would have been nice without it, but knowing what we could hear and realised the diversity of birdlife that you can't often see made it extra special. We'd done 8k steps by the time we got home (at 6am). 

I have abandoned the idea of taking bike to distant shop for servicing - time just doesn't allow it and I really need it serviced. So, I'll try the local shop and if he won't do it, I'll take it to Halfords. I'm still really busy with work at the moment and need bike in useable condition - it's fine, but it definitely needs tweaking, cleaning etc. I also have a long list of non-work stuff I need to get done this week - fortunately Mr MV is away tomorrow night and taking the train, so I've got the benefit of the car all week (he's here today and I've requested the car for a day out on Friday!). I intend to take advantage of this and get a lot of jobs done.

MS things:
* Clicks and HW done
* Have been eating from freezer/fridge (fridge is now beginning to look more normally full, rather than jam packed)
* Picked up 5p yesterday (when out for a short walk with Mum - I did over 20k steps in total yesterday!)
* Swapped a couple of spare peppers for some verbena bonariensis (none of my seeds came up)
* Have ordered some more BnQ vouchers with S&S credit

Gratitudes:
* Mr MV for getting up for the dawn chorus with me - he enjoyed once he woke up a bit!
* Hearing a tawny owl on our walk (screeching, not hoo-ing)
* A lovely sunrise
* Fun with BIL and SIL on Friday
* Enthusiasm for my seed swap idea with one member of allotment committee - it's happening on Sunday! (Maybe not quite how I'd envisaged, but it's a start and hopefully we can build on it)
* Lots of work

Have a good afternoon all!

rtandon27

Vix - you know it will ALL get done at some point - LOL - not necessarily when you want it!

themadvix

Morning all,

Absolutely RT, no doubt about that. I have an eye test this afternoon - which has been on my to-do list for a while. Hopeful I won't need new glasses - these feel fine, so I can't see why I would. Intend to see Sis and Niece afterwards as they're back from their cruise and from the photos, it looks like they've had a wonderful (if tiring) time.

This morning, I have a piece of work to finish for main client and a Cambridge meeting. But just the one as one boss is away working and the other is off for half term, so that's nice.  Am dropping Mr MV at the station at lunchtime (on way to eye appointment) as he's off overnight for work. I've got to see the cat client later, so that will be my evening's entertainment. There's a portion of chilli in the freezer with my name on it for dinner. We had a delicious peanut tofu rice bowl for dinner last night: https://www.thespruceeats.com/baked-tofu-in-thai-peanut-sauce-3378127. Dusted tofu in cornflour and fried rather than baked and chucked in the last of the spring onions too. Would definitely make again.

In exciting car news, someone contacted Mr MV last night about viewing the car - and was extremely keen - wanted to put a deposit down so we wouldn't sell it in the meantime! Mr MV pointed out that he couldn't view it until Friday because Mr MV is away, so we're not going to sell it to someone else in the interim! So fingers crossed that we may have a new home for the car... then we need to buy a new one!

Have started making enquiries/investigations into venues/cost for our birthday party in January. Awaiting a response from one hotel, but the bar which is also an option conveniently has prices on website and we were pleasantly surprised.

MS things:
* Using up the last of veg box in dinner/for lunch today
* YG surveys - 2, and one was £2 worth.
* Clicks and HW
* Comps entered
* Library books returned yesterday - one I couldn't renew anymore online, so if I'd not got it back, there would have been a fee. Cycled too, so that a) saved electricity and b) was free exercise
* Ordered some shampoo while Faith in Nature had 20% and free delivery. I bought 2.5l (normally I get 5l but they were oos in the flavour I wanted; 2.5l will last me years anyway) - so £24 delivered is not bad. Also went through TCB


Gratitudes:
* Sunshine today - I breakfasted on the decking
* Looking forward to hearing about Sis and Niece's adventures
* Delicious dinner - peanut sauce was so good it may feature on other things!

Have a good day all!

greenbee

Can I ask how easy Carlin peas are go grow? And do you grow them to dry or eat fresh? I buy quite a lot of the dried and thought maybe I could try germinating them... I also have blue peas. But not if it's going to be complicated!

themadvix

greenbee said:

Can I ask how easy Carlin peas are go grow? And do you grow them to dry or eat fresh? I buy quite a lot of the dried and thought maybe I could try germinating them... I also have blue peas. But not if it's going to be complicated!

You can ask! I have no idea - I picked up the seeds at the seed swap I went to in Cambridge - no instructions with them and apparently it's hard to find instructions on the Internet too. So far, they've germinated and look like normal peas. I've planted them out and because we're likely to get pea moth, I'll net them once the mesh is off my alliums (insects are not fun!). I'll let you know how I get on! I'll be using them dried - hoping they might be a UK chickpea replacement (I know I could try them too) for chillis if nothing else. Are they nice to eat?

greenbee

I'll see whether I can sprout my dried ones then! I love them - I try to vary my pulses, and carlin peas are particularly high in fibre I'm having some on my lunchtime salad as I type. If you want to try some other UK-grown pulses then have a look at Hodmedods (they have UK-grown chickpeas too - the last batch I had were grown not far from me by someone I went to school with!). 

themadvix

greenbee said:

I'll see whether I can sprout my dried ones then! I love them - I try to vary my pulses, and carlin peas are particularly high in fibre I'm having some on my lunchtime salad as I type. If you want to try some other UK-grown pulses then have a look at Hodmedods (they have UK-grown chickpeas too - the last batch I had were grown not far from me by someone I went to school with!). 

I get Hodmedods from my zero-waste shop, but I've not seen carlin peas from them. Mind you, I might not see carlin peas on my allotment, as the slugs munched the first lot over the weekend. Desperate for some drier weather now!

themadvix

Afternoon all,

Another busy weekend - and a day out with a friend and her daughter to RHS Wisley on Friday, which was lovely. Weekend included the seed and plant swap, which was a success. Unsurprisingly, the plants were more popular, but I have plans to incorporate a seed swap into the AGM in the winter, potentially.

Did buy a couple of plants over the weekend - two heucheras and a fern for the shady (empty) bed in the back garden and a globe artichoke for the allotment. Planted the artichoke yesterday, along with replacement french beans (swapped at the plant swap) and replacement courgettes, as the slugs had also got those. I've got some more carlin peas in the greenhouse still and I'm going to let them get  a bit bigger before I plant them out. Down to one butternut now too, and it's a weak and feeble looking one, so I may yet pop to the garden centre 🙄 Also bought a little cuke at Wisley as mine are surviving but pathetic and I'm not holding out much hope for them!

My work has finally quietened down a little bit, which will allow me to take on more Cambridge stuff for a while - I've got a backlog of data entry there and have been doing something for the report-writing boss today too. I've also paid myself and done the money shuffle. A decent amount into savings, despite the expenses of a large vet bill (this was juggled from both their bills fund and their holiday fund as there was a decent amount in there).

We're off to Harrogate (for the final RHS garden) on Thursday. So focus of this first half of the week is using up stuff in the fridge and ensuring we have a packed lunch to take with us, as well as doing a million jobs that I've not got around to for months due to work busyness.

MS things:
* YG surveys
* 1P surveys (I pick off the 10p ones as that's all I've got the patience for at the moment)
* A couple of PA surveys today
* Took a packed lunch on Friday (outweighed rather by paying for morning coffee to which friend promptly added cakes 🙄)

Gratitudes:
* A lovely day on Friday with friend and her adult daughter - haven't seen daughter in a couple of years and she's really grown up (she's neurodiverse and has just completed her first year living away at Uni, which is fantastic!)
* Back in time for a manic cycle to the pub (straight from the station) to see all those who ever come to the pub, which was nice
* Quiz night last night - we didn't win but definitely had fun
* Olio/cat friend no. 2 has been offered an allotment 😊 so we'll be allotment buddies!
* Sunshine!
* I think I may beat the slugs to the very first ripe strawberry!
* An unexpected visit from Dad this afternoon - he dropped something off and stayed for a cuppa

Have a good evening all!

Greying_Pilgrim

greenbee said:

Can I ask how easy Carlin peas are go grow? And do you grow them to dry or eat fresh? I buy quite a lot of the dried and thought maybe I could try germinating them... I also have blue peas. But not if it's going to be complicated!

I hadn't realised that Carlin Peas are called so many different names - as I've bought and eaten Black Badger beans, but didn't realise they were the same thing.  Maybe an internet search using the alternative/colloquial names for the legumes might yield better growing/cooking/storing tips?  only a thought - I found THIS web page quite interesting with the history of the bean.  H0dmedods was the brand I bought to try (for eating, not growing).  

👋 to tmv and apologises for slight thread hijack.

Greying X