Simplifying Life

mary43

Well, managed to get a gathering of runner beans in and our first two ripe cherry tomatoes before the rains came !!
Was all set to make sons birthday cards (one from us, one on mums behalf) -got the images I want to use and everything else but the actual card to stick them on !!! Hate that.............how could I be that disorganised ???
Very easily it seems. Thought about popping down to the craft shop to get some but now its raining like steel rods I think not ! Have to pull out all stops on Monday to get the card (have a quick look in the new Age Concern charity shop while I'm in town) and then literally get stuck in with my glue and stuff ! Got ten days (well be eight days from Monday) so I don't need to panic..............yet !
Had thought of going down to see Mum next week but checked my diary and a couple of meetings get in the way of the week so looks like I'll have to put it off and go down when my brothers back from Spain, try and fit it in between his visits so we don't fall out !
Oldest boy now has his pay and is meeting someone this morning about a possible plastering apprenticeship/trainee position so fingers crossed.
Very much word of mouth round here where jobs are concerned as there's not of work about. As soon as a job becomes vacant someone usually knows someone and lo and behold, jobs taken !
Thankfully the temperature seems to have dropped slightly so it's no longer hot and sticky.........maybe now my brain will start working and I can get on with things. I look around at 'projects' I've told myself I'll do - been given another shoe box to cover (lack of pretty paper to use for that) and I really must make a list of the stuff I want to make for christmas pressies otherwise I'll be in a panic situation come November - oh and must, absolutely must, wrap up sons birthday present to post on Monday...........might take a week to get there.
Right.............off to make yet another list !

EagerLearner

Hi Mary - I'm like that with lists too...! I know what you mean about the card - very annoying isn't it!

We planted our lettuce and carrot seeds on Wednesday and I am excited to say that 3 days later, we have some green tiny foliage coming through - three of them! Last night it was only 1 but today there are 3, so excited! We also have a pepper and a strawberry plant, also bought this week. The pepper plant has 4 red peppers that I can't wait to enjoy, and lots and lots of green ones coming through. The strawberry plant has one green strawberry for now. I love the idea that if this works, we may be eating our own things - I worked out we spend around £6 a month on salads and another say £3 on peppers, maybe £2 on carrots and definately £5 on strawberries. So even allowing only a few strawberries, we may save £10 a month = £120 a year. Not to mention less supermarket shopping, less transport, no packaging, less hassle = simpler.

Same goes for having started making my own yoghurt, inspired by folks here and also the Rhonda Jean thread. Prob saves £4 a month there too, and less packaging.

I have done book-keeping etc for clients early today so that later I can relax - Mr EL is out with work tonight so I was planning to make cards / watch a girlie movie = aka: not spend cash and just relax.

Thanks so much to everyone on this thread and I look forward to reading more tips on simplifying and enjoying life.

mary43

EL - lucky you with the peppers...............haven't got any pepper plants this year, just chillis and honestly I think we got them too late and too small. Ex foster girls sister gave them to us........first time she'd grown anything from seed so we had loads of herbs from her as well. They seem ok but the chillis...........wel they're growing but thats about all that can be said about them. Its lovely though just to walk out of the back door and pick the veg for the weekend. Can''t get much fresher than that.
Well, back to my list...............havent put pen to paper yet but its all logged somewhere in my poor muddled brain..............simplified at the moment I am not !

EagerLearner

Thanks Mary - only reason we have the peppers is 'cause the plant was ready grown otherwise would miss the boat... I have little hope for the chillis I put on my windowsill mid week, still, will see what happens...

I think the rain will stop me from being outside today which may be a good thing!

Good luck with getting your bits done [toddles off to see what the Rhonda Jean blog has to offer today, for some more inspiration] x

mary43

Well the day goes on getting worse.........................just as well I hadn't any card for making sons birthday card -think it would have ended up down the yard !
Oldest boy goes to town to cash his cheque.........rings up having got off the bus half way home, to say hes lost all his cash and ID (passport, bank stuff etc.) and is going back to the bus station to see if its been handed in (feels it fell out of his pocket on the bus - what ?? The one he just got off ?? Don';t think so ! Off he goes to town saying he's straight there and straight back..................not so ! I rang him about an hour ago...........he's gone to see his brother and says he's got to go back to us station later to see if his stuffs been handed in ........ummm....even more doubtful about all this. Told him he needs to get home and report it as missing to police (details can be used for ID fraud etc.) well...........he's not back yet and wouldn't be so bad if we hadn't lent him some money yesterday on the proviso we got it back today...................so OH is pacing the garden path with much muttering going on, I've nearly turned white with anger and frustration and when he's seeing the 'possible plasterer employer' is anyone's guess.
Then I tried to order something from an ebay seller.......not via the auction, just direct to the person............can''t do that as one of the boys we had last year (left now and don't know where he is) had used e bay and his name keeps popping up, I can't get rid of it to sign in myself at all. Oh well, thought I, I'll e mail the seller................can't do that without going through e bay either :eek: OH was going to make a loaf of bread and has thought twice about it -bound to go wrong he thinks so has dragged a cheapy one out of the freezer ! Oh dear..............don't you just hate those sort of days. Is it the moon or something ? Hardly dare check on that !
Started off so well to today. Just goes to show.......you never can tell whats going to happen. Sons parcel still not wrapped and needless to say, list of 'stuff to do' is still in my even more muddled brain ! Maybe tomorrow will be a better day ????????

Moan over.............plus side is that we've more tomatos ripening, the sun is shining and everything in the garden is good..............so **** ebay and kids ??? Well.............what can I say.............lol

ceridwen

EDITED: spam post that was above has now been removed - thanks moderators.

mary43

Thanks ceridwen - came across him/her on one of the other boards.

ceridwen

Our Weezl has gratefully accepted the freegan gift of spam on her thread - she's likely to pick it up and cook it for dinner:D

I've just reported them - their post will be removed soon. The weekend always brings them out to play.

mary43

One of Weezls 'interesting' meals.......................lol

Decided to ignore e bay like it don't exist and after much googling found another site for the door hangers I want...........they're now ordered so hopefully, I won't have to wait too long and things will start to get done (not counting on anything at the minute though)

mary43

Well, today is another day (thank goodness!) -oldest lad stayed round his mates last night and is still there........just as well as OH not in the best of moods with him after yesterday.Youngest lad was wandering around with moans of 'I'm bored' after phoning his friends and they're all either out somewhere or still in bed ! Now he's gone fishing so I have a bit of 'me' time,
All is not running smoothly...............but it will, I'll make it so !
Wrapped up sons birthday parcel and attempted to do a card to pop inside. Ran out of pritt stick, tried some liquid glue and got in dickens of a mess.......piccys I wanted to stick on the card crinkled up and if I smoothed them out they tore..............so aborted that operation and am going to start again when OH comes home with some more pritt stick for me.
Have to get it done in time to post tomorrow and just need to do card for inside and do the brown paper wrapping.
Then I've got to get stuck in to his proper birthday cards (from me and from mum) tomorrow..............that'll then be another birthday out of the way, something else crossed off my list thank goodness.
Two more, possibly three more ripe tomatos !!!! so at least the gardens proving 'positive'................I must make sure I go along the same lines and this week tick all the boxes of stuff I've to do...............:j