Holding On and Letting Go 🎈

savingholmes

Hope you're okay. Your post was rather cryptic.

Fortune_Smiles

savingholmes said:

Hope you're okay. Your post was rather cryptic.

Sorry SH - didn't mean to worry you.  I'd intended to follow up with a post straight away but got caught up in other stuff.  All is good here.

Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow ⛄

We have been taken by surprise!  I'd been watching the weather forecast closely and we were only supposed to be getting a sprinkling of snow.  When I woke up yesterday though, I knew we'd had a blanket of the stuff because it was so quiet and the light coming in around the bedroom curtains had that special quality.  We had several inches yesterday and even more overnight so won't be going anywhere for a while.

Health:

Mr F is back to full health 🥳  I, however, have managed to tear a muscle in my arm 😢  So that's put a stop to my exercise plans.  I must stop breaking myself 😆

My mental health is on the up.  Partly because I've stopped worrying about Mr F, partly because we're getting more daylight hours and partly because I've been out gallivanting and trying out lots of new things.

Wealth:

Mr F has a new boss (although he hasn't met them yet) and there are signs that other change is coming.  I know I'm always saying this but Mr F's employer moves extremely slowly.  So, we've decided it's not a wise move to exhaust all our emergency savings on buying Mr F's company car.  We'll get a loan for it so we can keep money in the bank for the time being and make sure the terms allow overpayment and early repayment.  That way we can clear it when we've a better idea of how things are going to pan out.

Our veg box was delivered yesterday but the supermarket delivery was cancelled so we popped up to our local, independent store to pick up milk and eggs and a few other essentials.  The bill was shocking!  We bought a quarter of the things we'd ordered from the supermarket yet the cost was about 50% of my usual spend.  The cost of convenience 🙄  We were lucky we could get out at all though and were very grateful for Mr F's truck.

We'd arranged for an estate agent to come out today and value the house but it's unlikely they'll be able to get to us now.  Not that we're thinking of selling right now.  We just want to get an idea of where we are financially as downsizing would be an option for us in the future.

Happiness:

I've been to a couple of crafting workshops plus a course on fruit tree pruning.  Also attended some events with girlfriends.  Socially it's been very busy but mainly low cost.  The pruning course was more epensive at £80 for the day but run by an expert and included lunch and refreshments.  I do feel confident now in taking care of our orchard and feel it was well worth the money.  Not that I can get out to do anything yet of course.  It's late to prune anyway but I was waiting for the course and now it's forecast to be either snowing or raining for days 🙄

Mr F has had a couple of outings with his new off roading group and the Younger Fortunate boys stayed one weekend so they could join him on one of the adventures.

Most excitingly, I've bought a sewing machine!  I used the little extra lump sum I got from my main pension and some vouchers to fund it.  Someone had given me their old 1961 machine but it's soooooo heavy I can hardly lift it and it may be partly responsible for my current arm injury.  So a new, lighter, modern machine is on its way and I'm hoping to sign up for some courses at our local college to help me get started.  I did learn to use my mum's old singer machine when I was a child but that was a very, very long time ago so a refresher would be helpful.

I hope all is well and not too snowy where you are.

Take care

Fortune x

Suffolk_lass

My old sewing machine was my Grandmother's before she bought one that she subsequently gave to my Sis for her 18th birthday (we are both in our sixties now). It is a converted manual Singer with an old electric motor bolted on. With a bit of manual reading it does most things, as long as it is cleaned and serviced (oiled) before it is used. My Mum still has hers from the 1960s but I don't know when she last used it. I know she took a school job to save and pay for it (initially as a dinner lady, and then as the welfare assistant, and in MSE related comment, she receives a small pension from the LA associated with that latter role). It has never occurred to me to do a course. Plastering, yes, sewing, no. 

Fortune_Smiles

Suffolk_lass said:

My old sewing machine was my Grandmother's before she bought one that she subsequently gave to my Sis for her 18th birthday (we are both in our sixties now). It is a converted manual Singer with an old electric motor bolted on. With a bit of manual reading it does most things, as long as it is cleaned and serviced (oiled) before it is used. My Mum still has hers from the 1960s but I don't know when she last used it. I know she took a school job to save and pay for it (initially as a dinner lady, and then as the welfare assistant, and in MSE related comment, she receives a small pension from the LA associated with that latter role). It has never occurred to me to do a course. Plastering, yes, sewing, no. 

My mum's was the same @Suffolk_lass!  I don't know what happened to it though.  I think I'm going to be fine figuring out how the machine works - it's things like understanding patterns, putitng in zips, etc I could do with some help with.  I have lots of crafty friends who would help but I don't like to take up too much of their time.  We're making a quilt at our WI crafting club at the moment and I've learnt loads already doing that.

Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

A big freeze 🥶

We had a thaw yesterday afternoon and about 50% of the snow melted... which still left several inches to freeze solid overnight 😯  Temperatures were between -8 and -11 in our area 😯  Things have warmed up a little today but the snow is melting very slowly.  It looks as though it's going to really warm up tonight though so we may wake up to find it's all gone 😁  I do love the snow... but only for one crisp, winter walk.  I lose interest very quickly once it starts getting mucky or I have to go anywhere 😆

My arm injury was a little improved yesterday and, as my ironing hand was not affected, I tackled the ironing pile and... completely cleared it 😁  This happens so rarely in the Fortunate household that it merits celebrating 🥳  I also put two loads of washing on so the basket won't stay empty long.

There is no sign of my new sewing machine unsurprisingly.  It was out for delivery yesterday but has been rescheduled for today.  I'm not holding out any hope.  Shame though as I'd set aside this afternoon to have a play with it.  Mr F is waiting for a router which he bought with some reward points and there's no sign of that either.  No hurry really though and I'd rather the drivers were at home safe than tackling our treacherous lanes.

Money has been spent today.  A re-stock of toiletries, a birthday present for one of the Younger Fortunates and food and treats for FDawg.  I've had the bill for the boiler repair in so will need to transfer some money for that later.  At least it came in under budget.

I've been reading on some of the diaries about '30 plants a week'.  I'd not come across that before so did some research.  I'm going to keep track of the varieties we're eating just out of interest...

• Breakfast this morning was Breakfast Naans to use up one of the several avocados I seem to have accummulated in the fridge.  2.25 points (herbs count as a quarter of a point)
• Lunch was Root Vegetable & Goats Cheese Frittata to use up carrots and parsnips from last week's veg box.  I used swede instead of beetroot as I had a small portion leftover from a previous recipe.  And a red onion to add some colour.  We had it with salad so the points added up to a whopping 11.25
• I'm planning Cheesy Cauliflower, Potato & Fish Gratin for supper which we'll probably have with some peas so 5.25

that's 18.75 for day one 😁  The number's likely to get lower over the course of the week though as I often cook a meal for four and we eat it two days running - a plant can only be counted once in a week.

Mr F is planning to watch rugby and drink beer this afternoon so I shall be taking myself off elsewhere to do something creative 😉

Keep safe and warm everyone

Fortune x

Suffolk_lass

Nuts and lentils count too, and a few olives with some fermented grapes

themadvix

Suffolk_lass said:

Nuts and lentils count too, and a few olives with some fermented grapes

🤣🤣🤣

(and all grains and cereals)

Merlin's_Beard

30 plants a week sounds very difficult for anyone doing any batch cooking - will be interested to see how you get on!

Fortune_Smiles

Suffolk_lass said:

Nuts and lentils count too, and a few olives with some fermented grapes

I did wonder about the fermented grapes @Suffolk_lass 😂

themadvix said:

Suffolk_lass said:

Nuts and lentils count too, and a few olives with some fermented grapes

🤣🤣🤣

(and all grains and cereals)

those too @themadvix 😂

Merlin's_Beard said:

30 plants a week sounds very difficult for anyone doing any batch cooking - will be interested to see how you get on!

I thought that too @Merlin's_Beard

Fortune x