Resourcefulness: The budgeter's friend

foxgloves

Afternoon m'dears,
Thanks for all your kind comments & well wishes. Yes, I hate the waiting. I'd intended to get loads of stuff done today, but was stymied on the garden tasks I'd planned for this morning because it was unexpectedly raining when I got up & continued drizzling for quite a while. I've been in a bit of a 'meh' sort of mood, but I am putting it down to a stressful couple of weeks & have just gently pottered around shifting a few tasks. I knew you'd be impressed at my 'two-fer' on getting that smear thrown in on the same lot of car parking, lol!
Anyway, today's efforts have included:
*A couple of surveys. I also received a £2.50 bonus for one of the ones I did yesterday before the site went wappy, which was useful as my June earnings are already at £7.07 & I only cashed out yesterday.
*Wrote & stamped June's birthday cards.
*Ordered birthday present for B-in-L who is famously difficult to buy for, so I need to do it in good time. Used my 'Just-for-points' credit card for the loyalty points (I get ridiculously excited about vouchers) but will pay the funds across from the Presents Pot when it arrives.
*Did next week's meal plans. Apart from buying a chicken, we will continue to source meals from our freezer.
*Wrote grocery shopping list.
*Submitted online complaint form to HMRC as after 9 weeks, I still can't access my Government Gateway account, so can only assume they haven't implemented the ID verification process for which I was instructed to send all the info/certified docs into them back in early March. You know, I don't mind waiting if there is a backlog. I understand that 13 years of the Tories has seen the public sector cut back to the bone, but I DO mind sending polite, articulate communications into a black hole & never receiving any form even of acknowledgement, let alone a reply. I have at least heard from a robot email this morning, which told me my query was in a queue. I didn't have sufficient charge in my phone at the time, or I'd have tried the other, actual 'in person' form of queue.
*Freezer stores continue to provide meals.......2 portions of chicken chilli defrosted for tonight, which will be served with rice. Also defrosted a portion of soup for tomorrow's pack-up.
*Had a sort through my yarn stash for a decent combination of leftover self-patterning sock yarns. I should finish my new purple socks over the next evening or two & will cast on a stash-busting pair for Mr F. I am enjoying knitting the shawl kit I received for Christmas, but it requires more concentration, so I like to have an easy 'TV watching' project on the go as well. The good thing about socks is that they are simple & I can knit 3 different sizes from memory. I've noticed a few of Mr F's older nice handknitted socks have gone into holes recently, beyond mendable, so I know he'll be glad of a new pair.
Right, I'm getting a little bit of a muzzy head because I've done quite a bit of screen time today & haven't drunk nearly enough water, so I am off to pour myself a glass & to divide my sock yarn melange into 2 on the scales ready for casting on probably tomorrow or Friday.
Cats in a funny mood too - I've just checked to see if it's full moon. It isn't, so they are obviously just being weirdos today (that'd be a first!)
F x

Makingabobor2

I had plans for the garden today as well. Fed up with this cold weather again and its only been cold for 2 days...lol. Probably warm up soon as the lids are back at school next week. Although we are heading north on our break away on Monday, and looking at the forecast, I wish we were going south...oh well, you can't win 'em all

kayannie

I'm envious of your rain @foxgloves. We have had none at all for about 3 weeks, & it doesn't look as we'll be getting any I the near future. And this is the north Wales coast where, when the rain starts, it doesn't know when to stop! My garden is desperate for a good soak. We're on a water meter and as I don't want to run a tap for the plants, I'm saving any washing up water etc for them.

kayannie

I was just going back in to my message to correct a typo but accidentally pressed 'post', which is why I ended abruptly! I just wanted to add my good wishes to you. KA

milann

I’d planned a couple of gardening days but spent the morning yesterday on the phone and sending copies of past medical papers to the nurse at the screening department. Like you I don’t like wait around for results or the tests they plan to do to get the results. I can deal with things once I know where it is. Then yesterday I felt awful so nothing has been done since weekend.
Enjoy your knitting, hopefully things will move quickly and put your mind at rest.

foxgloves

@Makingabobor2 - Yes, the temperature has definitely dropped. The thermostat in our hall first thing was only on 16.5 degrees, which had the central heating not been switched off in the first week of April, would have been cold enough to trigger the boiler & the radiators on....in June! Ridiculous!! The french beans & courgettes will be planted out at the weekend whether it warms up or not, as much as they don't like the cold, they don't like being confined to pots either. I don't like it too hot - low 20s is fine for me - but I'm ready for more reliably warm days now.

@kayannie - Thanks for your good wishes. Yes, it has been very dry here too, & very difficult to turn over the earth because it is so hard. I was very glad to see yesterday morning's rain from that point of view, but surprised, because there was absolutely none in the forecast & in fact, we've been rationing how often we water the garden. We're not on a water meter but don't like to behave in an unsustainable way with the hosepipe. 

@milann - Yes, I hope I will get some information next week, that's what I was told, anyway. I do agree about waiting around for results. Nobody likes that, I know, but I think it's even worse for us planners. My attitude is that even if whatever it is turns out to be bad news, at least I will know & be able to get a plan in place. My Mum always really hated waiting around & I think I am the same.

F

foxgloves

Morning Campers!
A day of utter greyness here  - not even a glimmer of sunshine trying to push through as yet, & the first thing I did was go back upstairs & fetch a cardi & some socks. Last week, I was in a little summer dress & slarmed in sun cream. What nonsense. Although once the temperatures reach 26 degrees +, however, I know I will be the first person to moan that it's too hot!
Anyway, a productive morning. Small wins so far:
*Made bread (wholemeal loaf just on its 2nd proving)
*Harvested the last of the over-wintered chard.
*Made chard pesto (5 pots frozen plus a mini-pot to cover a pizza base & a pot in the fridge for our pasta tonight)
*Remaining chard prepped & frozen - we like it stir-fried with garlic.
*Did a survey - might check again later, it depends whether I want to have further screen time.
*Wrote a new library book wishlist.
It's Mr F's day off tomorrow, but he was still adamant about calling into Waitbl00m tonight on his way home for that portion of the shopping list. Thursday used to be the best yellow sticker night in our local branch & apparently last week, there was a lot of pork mince at ridiculously reduced prices (can't remember the exact amount). Well, he was in a proper huff about it because it was so utterly surrounded by everyone grabbing it & piling their baskets high, that he couldn't get a look in. I had to laugh, because Mr F is built like the proverbial brick privy, but he also has manners, so probably didn't feel comfortable about barging other people out of the way. I bet he goes straight to the meat aisle tonight to see if there's any more. It reminded me of an occasion long ago in the same shop when there were lots of yellow-stickered pork loins, reduced to just over £1 to about £1.50 depending on size. I went to get two, & noticed the chap next to me was just systematically putting them all into his basket 2 or 3 at a time. I grabbed another pile of them, ignoring him glaring, stacked them into my basket, then when I saw he'd gone, I went & put them back so somebody else could have a chance at getting some. 
Well, I feel as though I've got off to a decent start. Not sure what I'm going to tackle this afternoon. Tbh, I could do with pottering around doing a damn good tidy-up, so I may decide to put some music on & do just that. I want to pick a few blooms from the garden for my purple flower bottle, so I shall look on that as a free gift from Mother Nature.
Take care, m'dears,
F x

foxgloves

P.S If anyone else has over-wintered chard to use up  - it is usually just starting to bolt by now - & would like to make some pesto, just use any standard pesto recipe but replace the basil with chard. I use 50g of chard leaves, 30g grated cheddar, 6 tbsp olive or cold-pressed rapeseed oil, 1 tbsp cashew nuts, half a tsp salt & 1 garlic clove. Stuff the chard leaves into a blender goblet followed by everything else & blitz. Scrape the sides down & briefly blitz again. Tip out into a bowl & repeat until you have used up your chard or consider that you have sufficient pesto. I freeze mine in 2-person size portions in yoghurt pots covered with a double thickness of foil. I do make the classic basil pesto in the summer when I harvest our basil, but when I saw a recipe for kale pesto, it made me think I should try using chard, so I tried it last year & we both really liked it.
F x

foxgloves

Forgot to add pic to my last post x

Makingabobor2

I do love reading your posts FG. Find them so comforting and inspiring. Have a good afternoon. I'm just about to brave the cold....lol,  with a walk to the village to return library books and get some more for our holiday.