A Better View 🌄

South_coast

She needs a flat to put it in first! Get an offer accepted by the end of March, LaPlan and the correct Smeg is yours 😀!

themadvix

I reckon a Smeg kettle might not be large in size, but over the limit of a ‘small’ present value-wise! 

rtandon27

Especially if it is the D&G version - wow - I don't think ALL my kitchen appliances cost that much & OH asked why I'd gone for retro when the bog standard ones were cheaper! - LOL - he'd have to lie down if I showed him that one!

Fortune_Smiles

LadyWithAPlan said:

What a fun and great painting!!

I missed the 6 small gifts a year - I will see what I fancy before end of March  Is there a cost limit?

22 23 was £2k tax dividend .. so its getting slashed

well done on your first dividends and payments

Thanks LaPlan.  For Directors of a 'Close' company it's £300 per year and £50 per item.  You can buy gift vouchers but not vouchers that can be exchanged for cash amounts.  Here's what GOV.UK has to say about it and there's lots of further advice from accountancy firms on the internet.

You can also have an annual party.

Fortune x

South_coast

themadvix said:

I reckon a Smeg kettle might not be large in size, but over the limit of a ‘small’ present value-wise! 

OMG, I genuinely had no idea they were that expensive - £129 for a kettle 😱! I think my last one was £9.50 and paid for with Argos vouchers earned from surveys 🤣! 

(Although this is from the woman that's considering a boiling water tap for her new kitchen and doesn't even drink tea or coffee....🤣)

Fortune_Smiles

Drama Llama

Thank you for the art love 🎨❤  You are all very kind 😘

The last couple of days have been hijacked.  I let myself be drawn into some drama which has been taking up headspace 🙄 I'm usually very good at avoiding this but I'd been lulled into a false sense of security and forgot that a particular individual doesn't behave like a normal human being 👽  The upshot is that one of my social groups is ruffled and I don't think it will go back to being cozy any time soon.  I'm seeing the people affected on Monday so will see how things are then.

Also, FDawg managed to trip Mr F who bruised his ribs in the fall 🤕  So today, I have had to help him put in the 16 hedgerow trees which arrived yesterday and he couldn't manage alone.

Never mind, I only had cleaning on my to do list 😂

Mr F made porridge for breakfast today which we had with dried fruit, nuts and seeds.  Lunch was Warm Roasted Roots with Herby Lentil & Chickpea Salad.  Supper was Creamy Salmon, Leek & Potato Traybake.

I made two gins today.  The first is a Limequat - I'd ordered some to try and didn't enjoy them but I'm hoping they make excellent gin 😁  The second is a Clementine, Bay Leaf & Black Pepper Gin which I've made before and is delicious.  I would encourage you to give it a try 😉🍸

I met up with a friend last night for a lovely catch up.  She has had a tough time recently but has such calm energy.  It reminded me to spend more time with my grounded friends and not so much time with the drama llamas 😂 I bought the first round - £9 from personal spends.

It's Friday tomorrow peeps - yay!

Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

Grow Untamed 🌼

Mr F and I went to the market town for a conference on Meadows yesterday.  There were speakers from CPRE, our local wildlife trust and an organisation called Buglife - it was very interesting.  As a result we have joined a local community group who are restoring wild flower meadows in the county and will be able to help us restore ours.  It was £20 for household membership so isn't going to break the bank and means we can join free workshops and visits to restored meadows.  I also marked our orchard, hedgerow and meadow restoration on the Buglife website.  They have developed a network of 'B-Lines' - insect pathways covering the country which are helping to develop new habitat.  I was delighted to discover we are in one!  🐝 I have given Mr F an insect hotel project so we can add that too.  The conference was free with an excellent breakfast and lunch provided and soooo inspirational.  I am really excited about restoring our meadow now.  Mr F and I are going to start documenting all the species we find.

We have been paid two further invoices - both on time 🥳  So we have nothing outstanding now until we submit a couple more at the end of this month.

We started moving things around in the Annexe today.  Mr F has arranged for the broadband in there to be reconnected so, as soon as that's up and running, we can move the office in.  I have revised quotes from Boiler Man and Window Man so will have a look at those and press go on the work.  The boiler replacement is likely to be done within weeks.  The new back door should go in around July.

Lunch today was a basic potato soup with some leftover roasted veg added.  Supper was Creamy Beetroot Risotto.

A courier delivered a surprise bouquet of flowers this afternoon - blue ones!  They were a gender reveal for Baby Fortunate 👶😁

I did a longer session of yoga whilst Mr F was watching the rugby.  It finished with a deep relaxation session during which I fell asleep 😂  I woke up on the floor, cold and stiff, when Mr F went out to walk FDawg and slammed the back door 😂  I'm definitely in training to be a grandma 😂

Hope your weekend is going well.

Fortune x

Cheery_Daff

Ooh, that's interesting about your meadow restoration project 😊 Do keep us updated. As you know I am slowly trying to restore ours but it's a rather unwieldy enterprise 😂 I might add it to the Bug Life website!

beanielou

How lovely on the flowers as a gender reveal. 💙

Fortune_Smiles

Cheery_Daff said:

Ooh, that's interesting about your meadow restoration project 😊 Do keep us updated. As you know I am slowly trying to restore ours but it's a rather unwieldy enterprise 😂 I might add it to the Bug Life website!

Will do Cheery.  Have a look and see whether you're in a B-Line.  I know you're very keen on your sythe but grazing can be really effective and important in meadow maintenance.  Having said "no" to the sheep last year, we'll be reintroducing them in the autumn.

Fortune x