From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

Greying_Pilgrim

Morning MSE'rs

Phew, we've packed a bit in.

DH and LG had a very nice bike ride and did indeed go to the local community cafe, where they enjoyed a sweet treat - extraordinaire!  But LG talked about it for ages after they had come home, so it was probably well worth the investment 😁It's definitely in the 'only a couple of times a year' treat category for us, which I think helps to make it a little more special.  

We went out yesterday for a day trip to a museum that DH had wanted to go to for a while, since we'd passed the sign for it on our way to a holiday a couple of years ago.  The day didn't start well, as I managed to not put the lid on the new flask well enough and as I lowered the flask into the cool bag, the lid just came off 😬the flask body bounced and cue 1 litre of hot coffee filling the cool bag, splashing up on my face and generally going all over the kitchen floor 😬  LG did at least come to see what all the shrieking was about, and ran to fetch DH.......  We managed to clear up, get a different flask prepped and a substitute cool bag found, put on a wash of the coffee stained cool bags, get dressed, peg-put the washed cool bags and be on the road only 10 minutes later than planned.... and then at the first roundabout I remembered I had forgotten to pick up my written directions, so we had to go back home again...... so 25 minutes later than planned, we were on the road 😁We actually made good time, and were at the venue something like 15 minutes after it had opened.  

In total we spent 6 hours at the museum.  There was a 'wear a sticker' system in operation, so that you could move freely about the museum buildings and sites - and as it was dry yesterday, and we weren't wearing coats, it was easy for the volunteers to spot that you'd paid and welcome you to each building/section.  I had booked online on Friday, so had got a £7 discount on the ticket prices.  We were supposed to be eligible for a small discount for being members of a historical society, but I couldn't see how the discount would be applied online, and had we had to show our membership on the day, would have received less of a discount, than booking ahead,  The weather was good enough to eat our lunch on the (outdoor) picnic benches yesterday, I am not too sure where we could have eaten our food had the weather been inclement.  Due to the coffee debacle yesterday, I was going to buy DH a coffee in the cafe on-site, but we were so engrossed in the exhibitions, that time passed and we didn't actually get to the cafe area.  Thinking about it, I understand why the museum asked that you didn't eat/drink in the galleries, but it was entirely weird to see people walking about NOT clutching a disposable coffee cup as if their life depended on it.  

Whilst DH was finishing off his lunch, LG and I went for a little walk in the grounds - LG had commandeered my camera, so we were taking pictures of anything stood still 🤣 I very, very nearly trod on what I thought was a mouse....... 😬 It was out in the open, balled up and clearly was more frightened of me than I was of it.  Luckily, I managed to get LG over without the mouse vamoosing, and we managed to get a couple of pics.  From looking it up, I think it might have been a harvest/field mouse, as whilst we weren't in the middle of a farmers field, the mouse had small ears, black eyes and was sort of the right shade of brown.  What made me think it was this type of mouse, was the habitat.  Of all things, there were small ponds, with reeds in them (possibly a water treatment system), nearby (well, across the car park), and reed beds are the preferred habitat of harvest mice.  It may have been dropped by a bird of prey, as there was woodland at the back of the museum and we'd been watching buzzards and (we think) a couple of red kites soaring around.  Anyway, we got our pictures and the little mouse saw it's opportunity to leap into a small hedge.  I couldn't see it's tail quick enough to add to the identification process!  

We had plant balls, tommie sauce and pasta for tea on our return, and a choc ice to finish off.  So not a low-cost day, once travel costs are added in.  It cost us £41 to get in the museum, and DH bought himself something from the giftshop, but it was a value-full day.  The museum had a system whereby you could trade-up your admission to an annual pass with gift-aid, but I'm not sure it was a) quite near enough and b) quite interesting enough to do that.  I mean, the exhibits probably do change over time, but probably not with sufficient frequency.  I have to say, the volunteers and guides were welcoming and friendly, enthusiastic and knowledgeable, but we didn't decide on the annual membership - had we lived closer, it might have been an option.  But it was slightly worrying how 'quiet' it was.  I appreciate that many people just spend a couple of hours at these places, or perhaps come to see one particular thing, or wing/gallery, but there were 2 big(ish) car parks and only one was utilised, and had all the cars parked together, that was only just over half full at any one time 😬

I suspect today will be a slow one.  I don't think we will be going out anywhere.  The weather is promising to be warm, with it getting hotter tomorrow I think 😬  Halfway through the school holidays, and I think it would do me well to assess what needs to get done before school starts up.  There is definitely a key bit of uniform to purchase (the most expensive bits 😕), I was holding off, just in case LG had some sort of growth spurt during the hols, but I think it will probably pay to just get a set now, next thing they will be sold out.  The school does have a secondhand system, but purchasing opps are usually determined by events - such as parents evenings - and they aren't scheduled in the first week or so of school.  

I'm hopeful we can make room for one or two more adventures for Fam.Greying this hols.  It will depend on how much OT is available for DH as to whether the remaining weekends will be affected. He received a text from a colleague yesterday indicating that no OT is available on his first week back, so we'll see.  

Right, my coffee cup is empty, so I best go and get a refill.     

Ta for popping in.  Appreciated.

Greying X

Watty1

Lovely catch up reading about family adventures

beanielou

Sounds like a good day. 

Sorry about coffeegate. 

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MSE'rs

👋 to Watty

Coffeegate is a great way of phrasing it beanie! 🤣  

So, we're officially into the second half of the school hols 😕  I realise much of Scotland is returning to school today, but we've still some time left.  

Today's chores are going to involve picking up school uniform bits.  I've checked and the compulsory bits are lowish in stock at the only source we can get them from 🙄 Mind the sizing is so odd that you can't really buy before you try.  But the size LG had last year - and they have grown out of - is oos, so we're going to have to go at least one size up, as long as it's not 'silly' big.  I have to say, the fit 'was' on the small size, and of course, despite correct washing, the darn things do shrink over time 🙄

Whilst we're over that side of town, we'll call into MrT, and see about some sports wear.  Although last time we were in there, I picked up a 2-pack of t-shirts, which were actually in the 'school' section, but they are a lovely fit and wash so well, I might see if there are more, as they weren't too expensive, and are great for everyday wear.  

So, some spending on the cards today, but sort of budgeted for (well I have the CHB for it).  

I've got a wash on, as we are in for a scorcher today apparently, although currently the weather can't quite make up it's mind, and we've got a slightly grumpy 'can't quite make it's mind up' small thunderstorm rumbling around.  We've had 14 and a half dots of rain, and it's brightening up slowly - after going very dark and moody for 10 minutes.

DH had left for work this morning before LG and I got up.  My excuse is that I couldn't sleep in the middle of the night, so was awake for a couple of hours.  But I'd fallen into a deep sleep - and you know how lousy you feel when you've been woken up unexpectedly 😕  Never mind, I don't want to get in the habit of sleeping on though, as it'll soon be term time and we'll need our routine back.  LG took the lie-in no bother, of course 🤣

Right, I better get shifting.  At present all spending is expected and budgeted for - I want to try and keep it that way, as DH was getting like he wanted to do every minute of overtime going (but it's the school holidays!  We want to spend time with YOU!!!), but now he's been told there is likely to be nowt on offer anyway, he's getting antsy about things like the window replacements, decorating, the garden etc.  We've just got to keep plodding.  It would have been lovely to just waft into this new house and change (for the better) all that was needed, but it hasn't happened like that; won't happen like that, so we've just got to knuckle down and plod.  We'll get there in the end.   DH did at least tidy the garage up a bit yesterday, which I was pleased about, as we did move some stuff from the rental that should have been ditched then, but at least it's gone now.  And at least even LG is saying that the garden is difficult to dig (such is the nature of clay - sodden and flooded one minute, baked rock hard the next 😕🙄), so I don't feel like we're dilly-dallying quite as much as it seems over getting the garden 'fixed'.  It's blessed hard work.  In a ideal work, you'd get a little digger in, but there are access issues 😕

Right, I think the petulant cloudage has blown over, and the sun is trying to shine, so best get the first load pegged out and the second one going.  

Ta for popping in and cheering Fam. Greying along.  Always appreciated.  Always.

Greying X

Fortune_Smiles

Morning Greying 🌞

We have clay soil here too which can be very difficult to dig.  We use a small rotavator in the veg patch which helps a lot.  It's still hard work but Mr F says it's better than digging by hand.  I wondered if it was possible to hire one? 

Fortune x

kayannie

Good luck with your school uniform shopping. When I was at high school (many years ago) all our uniform had to be purchased from just one 'posh' shop in the town where I went to school. I know it was a real struggle for my mum to find the money as dad had been very ill for many years & unable to work. I overheard her talking to a friend, telling her that she almost wished that I hadn't passed my 11+ exam as the cost of going to high school was so high. Luckily for dad, he had an operation several years later & was able to return to work here he stayed until he was 70!

Your day out at the museum sounds lovely, just the kind of thing we'd have done with our children when they were young. 

It's an odd sort of morning here, so windy in the early hours that it blew over the bins I'd put out for the dustcart. At 7 am I was running around picking up the recycling that was all over the (luckily very quiet) road. Rain forecast for a few hours this morning before a sunny afternoon. However, looking outside now I can see that we have thick fog/sea mist.
KA

rtandon27

GP - we too are plodding along when it comes to doing things to the house!  Family Greying are not the only ones who have to work bit by bit! 💖

We've been in our place three years this month and have finally tackled the 'frontage of the house'.  At some point, former owners converted the front yard into a parking space and a retaining wall planter was put into place.  The box hedges in the planter died a death last summer due to the dreaded box moths.  The soil turned out to be a mixture of clay and builders rubble & is almost impossible to dig!  We cut the dead box down last week (yes a year later) and had to make a couple of trips to the garden centre to purchase soil and plants (on sale) to bring it up to something reasonable.  Once we cut down the two box shrubs we did however get  a full view of just how badly the grout in the damp course had eroded!  Repair has now been added to the never-ending to-do list & we will start getting quotes for the work.  It's not going to happen anytime soon tbh - as there are several other more urgent items that need doing first!

Greying_Pilgrim

Ay up Fortune, yes, a cultivator would be a useful hire once we've done the 'first levelling',  There is such a differential over the back garden, it needs rough digging first to get the height down - and up, and then a rotovator would be super-useful to break up the ground, do a 'second levelling' before a finessing level in order to sow grass seed.  We're going to attempt to put in a rudimentary land drain too - just a trench and stones to try to alleviate the worst of the pooling.  I suspect that as the garden was possibly untouched from when the houses were built, we've a combination of panning from JCB's etc driving about, and ill-thought out tree/shrub planting extracting all available moisture.  I levelled the garden by myself at Greying Towers, but although it was bigger space, a) I was younger 🥵 and b) the soil was not brilliant, but not 99% clay either.  LG shouted at me this morning as I placed a foot on the dug bit to peg out some washing 🤣

kayannie - I still think there shouldn't be compulsory  items of clothing in primary school - so I have to be grateful we only have the one item I suppose.  I don't think legislation is helping to give access to schools for all though, as a friend's child goes to a secondary school that has not been without problems, so the 'new broom' head has swept in with a 'blazers for all, at all times policy.  There was a child in the shop just before the end of term getting fitted for a blazer for this school - the parent was having to make phone calls to family to pay for it 😕 So sad, as it probably won't bring about the transformation in behaviour that the head assumes it will.  

The weather is just well weird here.  Warm but very overcast and threatening rain at all times.  I've plodded on and put all the washing out, as it may dry - the wind is starting to get up as I type.  

RT - I don't know why DH is getting so antsy about things.  We've never been in a position to get "everything done at once" - whether because of finance or us having the time/strength to do the work ourselves.  I do think as we've aged though, DH has got a bit more conscious of needing things a little more 'ship-shape', for "just in case" - whereas we've lived in topsy-turvy homes ever since we've been together with jobs half-done and no carpets etc.   

Shopping done.  Just under £50 spent on clothing - mostly for school, plus a pack of 2 t-shirts from MrT.  I am glad that I went to the shop to get uniform today, I am also glad we went early.  When we arrived, I thought there were 3 people in front of us, but it was just 2 people and they were served.  When we left, the queue was snaking around the door and 2 more cars were arriving in the car park 😱  LG tried the clothes on and they fitted - with room to grow, so we bought the tops there and then. 

I also got some food whilst I was about, and need to tot up my spend.  I think it was £4.20 in MrT for 4 x YS'd pizzas.  2 were their basic cheese and tomato, 10 or 12" pizzas YS'd to 84p and 2 were their stonebaked chargrilled veggie YS'd from £3.50 to £1.26.  I got them, as they have all gone in the freezer and will be good to whip our for a playdate, or for a picnic or whatever - I couldn't have made 4 pizzas for that money.  I then went on to spend something like £13.29 (I think it was that, as I had the correct change), in MrS on cheese, feta, choc ices and  plant-based frozen burgers etc.  MrS were oos the other day, so I stocked up a bit.  I will amend my siggie when I've got the receipts to confirm the figures. 

 Greying X

Cheery_Daff

We too are taking forever over our DIY 🙄 and I confess as I get older I get more vexed by it. Partly a desire to live somewhere finished,  and partly because I'm just aware we're not getting younger,  Mr Cheery in particular has had a few health scares in the last few years and I don't want to end up in a position where he's incapacitated and there are still a hundred unfinished jobs 🙄 

In our case it's mostly only me with the sense of urgency though, and also me with the lack of time,  so we do clash sometimes about me wanting to get on and him wanting to just hang out. In fact, today being his birthday, we have spent the whole day just hanging out and he has commented need several times on how nice it's been to have me cheerful and relaxed and not wishing I was doing something useful 😬 a lesson for me there,  I think (although in our case of things occasionally got done while I was at work I wouldn't be concerned with filling up my weekends...).

I think i may consider some kind of leveling if our lawn this autumn,  although likely just me and a bag of top soil filling in more hills and cow hoof prints 🙄😂

Greying_Pilgrim

Oh Cheery you do make me larf 🤣  Did the moo cows leave you any useful deposits for the rhubarb??  At least this house has proved to me that if we EVER move again (unlikely), I don't want any type of project.  DIY just no longer interests me, and we don't have a posse of tame tradespeople on hand to help us out - most of our time in the last few years of home ownership has been spent waiting for quotes or getting ripped off 😕

So tea was a success - even if I do say so myself - but it was clutched from the teeth of disaster.  I decided to do 'feta pasta salad' as it is so hot.  And I remembered I had a bag of beetroot lentil fusilli pasta, from MrAl in the cupboard which I thought might work well.  I also had some plain (cooked) pasta in the freezer, as LG is sniffy about beetroot.  Well, I cooked the pasta - what a waste of time.  The beetroot colouring washed off immediately 😕 and then the pasta proceeded to disintegrate without cooking, so I ended up with slightly crunchy sludge.  Whilst I appreciate the pasta was made from lentils - and we like lentils - this tasted of nowt.  Dear reader, I confess, I binned it all 😔and started again with the last of the MrL spirali, which is what LG was having.

I had quick pickled some diced red onion, added diced red pepper, the handful of cherry tomatoes from the MrL box, quartered, black olives and the cooked, cooled pasta, and then folded in a dressing of oil, white wine vinegar, garlic, miso paste, tahini, honey and dried parsley, oregano and basil.  I then diced up some feta (just the MrS stamford st), and gently combined.  I topped with toasted pumpkin and sunflower seeds and some slices of nectarine (which was out of the MrL green box and had ripened to perfection).  LG now likes feta (hurrah!), and I was amazed that they lapped up their tea - as I'd not really exposed them to 'dressings' much before.  But, clean plates all round - YAY!  I'm still annoyed at myself for throwing away food, but honestly, that pasta was dire.  I shall not buy it again.  But I am pleased that I used up things from the MrL box - we've pretty well used up most of it now.  I used one of the (2) oranges in the fruit cake, (which was yummy), but unfortunately I noticed the other orange had gone down with citrus mould, so I had to chuck it.  But the mandarins/satsumas have been lovely.  They taste like the mandarins (in juice) used to taste when back in the days of my childhood, Sunday tea - particularly when the grandparents visited - used to be D3l m0nt3 tinned mandarins with cream....... we thought it sooooo sophisticated 🤣 But these little oranges have that lovely piquant but fruity taste - took me straight back.  

Today I am grateful that I've a full line of washing dried, we're one step closer to LG being ready for school's return in September (although I'm still determined to enjoy the holiday time we've left), and that a hodge-podge made for a nice tea 😁🤣

We're very blessed and we are in a better place than we were a year ago - I do realise that, even if I do appear to be moaning on occasion........ 😉😕  Ta for popping by.

Greying X