And now we go again...

EssexHebridean · 26 October 2023 at 2:36PM

kayannie said:
@EH - If you want more hydrangeas, they are so easy to grow from cuttings. When we moved to our present home a while ago, there were at least 8 hydrangeas in the garden, the largest of them needing quite severe pruning. At the time, I needed a strong stick to support a plant so used one of the thick stems that I had cut from a hydrangea, stuck it in the ground & tied it to the plant needing support. A few weeks later, the stem in the ground developed buds & is now yet another hydrangea covered in flowers.
Your hydrangea sounds lovely, a paniculata by the description. KA

It is indeed a Paniculata! This one: https://www.rhsplants.co.uk/plants/_/hydrangea-paniculata-pinky-winky-dvppinky-pbr/classid.2000011174/ (yes, I could do without the awful twee name!) great to know that cuttings are simple as well - in fact, one of the flower heads got partly snapped off in transit home so I may try that out sooner rather than later by stripping the broken one back a bit, shoving it in a pot of compost and seeing what it does! Thank you!

pink_poppy said:
EssexHebridean said:
I do LOVE hearing all the various tails of the rest of your animals on your diaries though!
Was this a deliberate typo, EH?? It made me smile

Oh I wish it had been! Sadly I suspect an autocorrect fail!

Blackcats - with you on the grocery challenge - I KNOW it makes me focus better on things, so I probably do need to go back to it for a month.

TMV thank you for the video link - much appreciated! And yes - I don't actively keep track of NSDs these days, although I have done in the past. I mean in the past two months there would have been little point in doing so I suspect but...! As you say though, there is a little glow of satisfaction in knowing that you've achieved one!

And on that subject - achieve one yesterday I did! Aiming for the same again today - and allowing that so far as I know neither of us have any plans to set foot over the threshold of a shop - real of virtual - I can't see why it wouldn't be OK. MrEH did not have to feed his Oyster, although I suspect he will on Monday so it will still come out of this month's budget, but can't be helped. MrEH did put a small personal spends thing on the CC yesterday but he will be clearing that back off again shortly so all good there. (this was a "stupid tax" item - he was heavy handed with a thing, and broke it, so as it was all as a result of not reading instructions I said replacement was his responsibility and yes, it needed to be a genuine part from the original supplier...!)

MSE Stuff:
- Banks checked and all good
- Updated bonus rate applied to both Mark-Us accounts
- I have used MrEH's car for the commute today rather than needing fuel in mine.
- managed to completely forget that I planned to do rice with the spicy ragu last night, and only remembered this at the point at which I drained the pasta! Ahh well, meatballs and rice this evening it will be then - might shove some kidney beans into the sauce and make it essentially a chilli.
- Need to check but I *think* I may have some Vitamin D tablets stashed away somewhere, so that will save me needing to buy a new supply for the winter yet. One to put on my list for tomorrow I think.
- Might suggest to MrEH that we swing via the coop tomorrow morning to see if we can get his milk there using the £1 off coupon I have on the app. Will need to evaluate which of the other special offers might also be of interest at the same time.

Spendiness:
- NONE!
- I also have a spendiness reduction plan for the weekend that involves not letting MrEH anywhere near a supermarket if I can help it! (Not just me who finds a substantially higher shopping bill when a husband is in tow I take it?)
- There are things we WILL be buying at the weekend. A new loo seat (the downstairs loo one was cracked around the hinges when we moved in), a tube of grout and possibly the round-pin plug we need to change the plug on the front room light so it will work from the main light switch.

The garage for my car repair have - predictably - contacted me to say that the parts haven't arrived. Sigh. Currently looking at rebooking for another fortnight's time, but my gut feeling is that they will delay again at that stage, we'll see. It's not an issue, and I would far rather they delayed than took it in, got it in bits, and then there was a delay, but still.

Main weekend plan involves working to get the spare room sorted, and hopefully getting into the loft too. We're mostly using the spare room for indoor washing drying when needed, so getting things sorted in there will create added floorspace.

Still thinking for shopping this week I might use T's - I've got some extra points offers from them, and there is nothing particularly tempting being offered by any of the other supermarkets to encourage me to go to them instead (aside from coop as above!). Allowing for that, I will most likely shop tomorrow (particularly now I don't have to wait for the car to be collected) so need to think about a meal plan and shopping list this evening. definitely got eggs to use, although current thinking is that I might use some of those tomorrow evening for sausage, egg & chips.

In non money saving news I am entirely DELIGHTED to have got out for a run after work last night. I've been wanting to try again for ages but worried about making various niggles and twinges worse - however as if anything things seem to be getting worse not better since I've been off running, and I KNOW running is altogether helpful for making my joints feel more comfortable, I decided to take the "s0ddit" approach. Just a mile and a half, mixed running/walking, but lovely to be out there again and so far, no obvious ill effects.

lucielle · 26 October 2023 at 2:59PM

Very well done on the running!

L

Debsnewbudget · 26 October 2023 at 3:30PM

I know you eat pasta and rice quite a lot, like us. Have you heard the Dr Michael Mosely, Just One Thing, podcast this week? Its about cooking, cooling and reheating pasta and rice as its much healthier for you. Interesting stuff.

jwil · 26 October 2023 at 6:31PM

Well done on the run!

milann · 26 October 2023 at 7:25PM

Well done on the run. Take it slowly though and build up….don’t go too mad too soon 👍 The voice of experience here….not with running but I’ve gone mad too many times with swimming/gym and ended up putting myself back to square 1 😏
The house sounds as if it’s coming along nicely.
Im another who has a bigger shopping bill when Dh comes with me 😳😂

EssexHebridean · 26 October 2023 at 9:01PM

Debsnewbudget said:

I know you eat pasta and rice quite a lot, like us. Have you heard the Dr Michael Mosely, Just One Thing, podcast this week? It’s about cooking, cooling and reheating pasta and rice as it’s much healthier for you. Interesting stuff.

Hmmm,..he’s someone who I would suggest taking anything he says with a very large pinch of salt I’m afraid. Each to their own, but he has some somewhat problematic - albeit good for TV ratings - views! (And in case anyone IS considering cooing and reheating rice - you should only do it by immediately spreading it out onto a surface like a baking sheet, and cooling as rapidly as possible before refrigerating - it can be anything BUT healthy for you otherwise! ) Thanks for the suggestion Deb, but definitely not for me!

Thanks L and jwil - and Milann, I will definitely be taking it steady - I’ve been here before and have learned the lesson about trying to do too much, too soon. Initially I plan to keep it to the same sort of distance and just build the amount of running within that distance up. We’ll see - it’ll be back to dark evenings after the weekend so that might put me off altogether! 😆

In exciting news we have just discovered that our local Al’s now does TGTG bags…so naturally we have booked one and will be heading out to collect it shortly! Let’s see whether it’s a well spent £3.30, or not!