Holding On and Letting Go 🎈

Fortune_Smiles

Up in Smoke!

Stove Man came this morning - it was not good news.  We need to replace everything 😲  Fortunately we have a stove showroom close by so we gave them a visit this afternoon and found a stove we liked, with the right specifications which was in stock.  So it's just a matter of getting some dates for the installation now.  Stove Man thought there was minimal risk of continuing to use our current log burner it's just that it doesn't meet regulations so can't be signed off as safe - which is a problem from a home insurance point of view.  The log burner has a hairline crack in the top too which, although not a problem right now, could quickly become one  So one issue almost solved although we are feeling very much poorer now.  The log burner supplements our central heating and is the only source of heating we would have in a power cut so we don't want to be without it.  It also brings us much joy 💕 I've used this month's savings budget and some of the money we were ring-fencing for OPs to meet the cost.  We'll need to pay for the installation too of course but that might not happen for a while giving us time to save some more towards it.

We popped into the garden centre next door afterwards to see if there were any end of summer bargains - there weren't.  It was strange not stopping for coffee and cake (usually a favourite treat) but I didn't feel tempted.

Stove-gate took up most of the day but I did manage to get some clothes mended and I also repaired a vanity mirror using a mini glue gun I got last Christmas.

We had Banana Pancakes with Crispy Bacon & Syrup for breakfast... without the bacon... or the syrup 😆 Instead we had a medley of veg patch berries from the freezer and some creme fraiche.  Lunch was leftover meatballs with spaghetti and supper was Leek & Potato Soup with a buttered roll.

We are curled up in front of the log burner now watching Strict1y 🤭 - it's all rock and roll in the Fortunate household 😂

Fortune x

greent

Those pancakes sound nice - I might make those in the week 😋 

What a pain about the log burner - but, as you say, you wouldn't want to be without it - and I totally understand why. At least replacing it won't cause you major financial issues, more of a wrinkle in your plans - that's a good place to be in x

Fortune_Smiles

greent said:

Those pancakes sound nice - I might make those in the week 😋 

What a pain about the log burner - but, as you say, you wouldn't want to be without it - and I totally understand why. At least replacing it won't cause you major financial issues, more of a wrinkle in your plans - that's a good place to be in x

I'm not gonna lie greent - it is gonna hurt.  The cost is nearly double what it would have been pre-pandemic.  But you are quite right.  We have the money to do it and are very grateful for that.  As a wise forumite once said - we can do anything, we just can't do everything 😆 So it comes down to priorities.

But a roaring fire on a cold winter's night... priceless 🙂

Fortune x

VintageHistorian

In the long run it's cheaper to replace it now than it would be to fix any issues that came from it, especially with a crack in the stove itself!

savingholmes

Sorry about stove gate - but would love one myself. They are such fun to watch on a winter evening.

Fortune_Smiles

VintageHistorian said:

In the long run it's cheaper to replace it now than it would be to fix any issues that came from it, especially with a crack in the stove itself!

You're right VH.  And we'd end up duplicating some of the installation cost too.

savingholmes said:

Sorry about stove gate - but would love one myself. They are such fun to watch on a winter evening.

It can really take the edge of the dark winter days SH.  But is practical too - it reduces the amount of heating oil we need to use and it's our back up plan if we lose power.

Fortune x

beanielou

Happy new stove 

Fortune_Smiles

Indian Summer?

Blimey what a gorgeous day 🌞 We've been outside all day in t-shirts!  In October!  I turned the heating off yesterday and, according to the weather forecast, may not need to turn it back on for a while 🙂 Something to do with Hurricane Ian affecting the jet stream it seems.

I did a couple of hours weeding in the veg patch whilst Mr F did the mowing.  Then rearranged the contents of a log store to make some space for the second bag of the hardwood logs we ordered. Picked apples and blackberries to take to the WI Committee Meeting tomorrow, got a few chores done in the house and then gave myself the afternoon off to have a nice hot bath 🛀

Mr F cleaned the inside of the car we bought for the Sunflowers.  It was a bit grubby but has cleaned up really well.  It's ready now for either use or sale dependent on how things go with Mr F's company car.

Lunch today was leftover Leek & Potato Soup and supper was Mushroom Stroganoff with added spinach from the veg patch.

An early night is on the cards as we're both exhausted after working outside in the fresh air all day 🥱  Should help with the weight loss - 8lbs now 🥳

Hope you've had a great weekend all

Fortune x

Moneyfordreams

Great weight loss, keep it up

We love our log burner too It was one of the first jobs we had done in this house. We spread the cost of ours on a zero 0% card to keep our cash flow at the time. We did have a gas fire fitted too in the kitchen diner to make it worth our while - but amazing heat on a cool evening.  

savingholmes

Glad you had kinder weather. Good to be out and about too.