And now we go again...

EssexHebridean

The vitamin C is exactly the reason for the rosehip syrup! Having said that, the rosehips were examined, and proclaimed not quite ready, and so we didn't get any of those - we DID look at the apple tree though (lovely flavour although fairly tough skins, but pretty much all burrowed into which is a shame) and we did collect somewhere over a kilo of blackberries for jam - which MrEH made on Sunday evening, and apparently it's delicious! 

Our walk to get the blackberries also proved to have another small MSE win imbedded in it as we discovered someone had discarded a part box of small ceramic floor type tiles on the path...we ummed and ahhed, and wondered whether they might be useful, and eventually decided that they might indeed even if we weren't sure what for, and so we stashed them to the side of the path on the grounds that if they were still there on the way back, we'd take them. They were, and we did, and they are now in the shed although we still don't quite know what we will use them for! 

As planned we did a bit more clearing of the little patch of ground we have identified for possible additional growing space - and it turned out that what we expected to be a couple of small discarded rotten old fence panels leaning against a tree at the back of the area were in fact a pair of doors that have clearly previously been on some form of outside cupboard - whether in our garden or elsewhere we have no idea, but anyway, they weren't actually rotten at all, and so those too have been rescued and we think we are going to use those to re-roof the log store. It had been our plan to rebuild it - as currently it's too shallow and all the logs which were in it when we moved in were pretty well rotten. We've been considering how best to go about sorting it, and in fact these two doors might just be exactly the thing as they are pretty much the perfect size... We need to work out how to fill in one of the sides a bit, and we need to learn how best to apply roofing felt to the new roof once it's built, but we can do those things... The one remaining bit of the puzzle was the need to fit some slats to the base so the logs can sit in there but still get some airflow - and then inspiration struck - we have two of the spare decking tiles that we'd used on the balcony at the flat - those two were unused and so we brought them with us when we moved. Well it only turns out that they are exactly the right depth to sit across the existing structure, they are already built with gaps for airflow, and filling the rather larger gap in the centre can be relatively easily done with timber we already have - result! Now we just need to build the thing, and hope that our theories all work! If they do, then it will be great to be able to tackle a job that we had been considering getting a handyman to do, for just the cost of a bit of roofing felt - I'm pretty sure we even have all the screws that would be needed thanks to our habit of retaining any that look like they might prove useful! 

OP sent to the mortgage this morning (nothing else financial had better happen in the next 4 days!) and I will probably send some money to PB's tomorrow as well I think. Mr EH's car was fed at the weekend, he is only intending to travel into London once this week so his Oyster will be fine, and so I feel ready to commit to distributing surplus! 

I'm not talking about the grocery budget other than to say that circumstances mean that the next time I will need to go shopping will be in September, and halleluiah for that! 

PennysIntoPounds

Fantastic shopping from home.
*And* everyone is getting a ceramic tile coaster for Christmas 😁

lucielle

Good use of your shopping from home.   I fancy having a go at mosaic but probably wouldn’t finish it. Attention span of a gnat!!!
L

greenbee

I have about a billion clout nails for felt (from when I refelted my log store at the last house (it was made of pallets cut in half and roofed with old OSB). We’re using some for the shed/summerhouse re-felting but I suspect I’ll have spares. Pity you’re not closer!

EssexHebridean

Darn Greenbee - isn't it just!   Having said that, I suspect they aren't "break the bank" expensive, and I wonder whether they are the sort of thing that the big Orange DIY place might sell on a "number needed" basis - I know they do have some buckets of that sort of thing in store... To be honest if we can get the job done for the cost of the felt and some nails I will be delighted! 

PiP - great shout on the coasters! I don't mind betting that some of them do get grabbed and used as coasters at some stage too! 

L - mosaic does seem somehow appealing doesn't it - but yes, in my world too it would end up as a part finished thing that then sits and nags at me until I realise it never WILL get finished, and get rid! 

London for both of us today - although the traffic driving in was lovely (in spite of the radio saying there was going to be a 15 minute delay) and I got a slightly longer than usual walk on a route I would not usually get to enjoy first thing in the morning, so that was nice - already at over 6k steps for the day, so should top off to my 10k at lunchtime and everything else will be a Brucie bonus. 

Need to get some picking done in the garden later on - there will be another tub of toms I suspect, and I reckon at least a couple of cucumbers. I decided to stick the oven on last night to roast a big tray of veggies for topping couscous, so also did a tray of tomatoes at the same time - roughly chopped garlic, a big handful of torn basil leaves, and a drizzle of oil plus salt & pepper and that will be a couple of delicious pasta sauces right there. It's still sitting in the oven at the moment so I need to divide and freeze this evening. We must also feed all the relevant veggies tonight as well, although that might be a job for MrEH while I am assembling tea. 

I say "Assembling" because this evening will be a nice handy "use it up salad" - the remaining two sausages from the 6 I cooked the other night to use for hot dogs, plus the eggs that MrEH hard boiled yesterday. Lettuce, red peppers, HG toms and cucumber...quick, simple and tasty! 

We are off to see MrEH's folks for the weekend, and for him to join in with various events around the town's annual regatta. I have a little plan to maybe have a bit of an adventure myself on Friday - exploring somewhere that I've wanted to go for a while, although I have no idea as yet how practical I will find it, but I'm going to give it a go I think. It will be a spendy-ish weekend, not least as it will involve buying a fair amount of meals out and about,  but so be it, and that will come from personal spends. The car is pretty much fill of diesel and I am vaguely hoping we may get away without filling up again until we get home, but we'll see - it depends how much driving about gets done while we are there, although usually that's "not much" for this trip! Money left sitting just in case it's needed anyway. 

£200 transferred to PBs this morning as well - and assuming we can keep a decent level of surplus intact for next month, that will see us creep back over the £1k in there again. Just need a few wins, now! 

lucielle

I put quite a large sum into pbs and this month will be the first time it’s had it in. I’m ridiculously excited for it. 

L

EssexHebridean

I love feeding my pots L - it's daft how satisfying it is, isn't it, but that feeling of knowing that upcoming costs are budgeted and saved for is still priceless to me! 

The real reason for popping back is for bragging rights...

WORDLE IN 2 ATTEMPTS TODAY - YAY! :LOL: 

badmemory

I'm going to have to change my starter words as the best I have managed so far is 3.  I suspect my normal will usually be 4 just because the way my mind works.  It also took me a couple of goes to realise you could use a letter more than once.  I also do the spelling bee & letter boxed.  When demetia finally kicks in they won't be able to blame the fact that I didn't exercise my brain as I do at least 15 puzzles every day.

joedenise

I'm with you @badmemory 3 is the best I've ever done, more often than not it's 4.  I also do Doodle, Quordle, Quordle Sequence; Blossom; Pilfer; Duotrigordle.  I've found Pilfer really addictive and find myself doing it far more often than I should!

EssexHebridean

I suspect 4 is most people's most common result on wordle - 2 is a bit of a sur[rise on the odd occasions it happens and is either pure dumb luck (last time) or is as a result of some lateral thinking in the way I work things through (this time). Having said that, there is always going to be an element of luck relating to the choice of starting word isn't there!