From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Afternoon MFW'rs,

Very slow start with us today. 

DH has a cold Man Flu, so has felt like doing precisely nothing.

I (eventually) walked into Greying Town to finish off the banking.  The bank was quiet - which is unusual, and it was even quieter than yesterday, so I for one was doubly grateful for all the staff in working, even though I was able to complete my tasks at the cashpoint.

Town itself was quieter than I expected, although it appears everyone was in M&$ who seemed to be having a bit of a sale.  I did have a look in the children's section, but nothing of any interest presented itself.  

I did see a woodpecker (don't know what sort), it was doing the 'keek keek' type call and it was undulating in flight, so I think that's what it was.  No other birds of interest spotted today 🙁

I made soup for lunch - leek and potato (or Vichyssoise if we're being posh 😁).  I used one of the leeks I had bought a couple of weeks ago - in the PoTW (?🤔), some of the 15p tatties, celery onion and garlic.  I cooked it in 2 stages in the PC, tatties with the aromatics and stock first and then I threw in the leeks for a couple of minutes.  I partially blitzed and then added the rest of the garlic and herb cream cheese.  It made a really nice creamy soup but with 'interest'.  DH had one bowful and LG and I had 2 (not massive bowls).  DH also had the last slice of the smoked cheese and made a sandwich out of it.  He's now gone off to bed.  

I need to adjust my siggie, as I did buy some apples and toothpaste today.  I will have a little bit of money left out of the grocery money this month - which, quite frankly, is a minor miracle.  I don't think it will be much - and I did pay for the hot choc/coffee/cake with the grocery money yesterday - but anything saved is a bonus, so......

I didn't do a wash again today - despite initial forecasts giving a good breeze and dry weather today, we've not lost the grey, cloudy, dreichness here and there's no breeze.  Fingers crossed all will change tomorrow.

Can't think of anything else MSE worthy.  Ta for popping in.  Appreciated.

Greying X

Cheery_Daff

Urgh,sending get well vibes to Mr Greying, and to you too. Mr C has had a cold which has floored him for 3 weeks now, and I've felt rotten myself for a week too 😕 Hope you and LG manage to escape unscathed!

Greying_Pilgrim

Oh Cheery you are so kind.  At present, I do think it's a cold - and not anything more.  I mean, for sure, DH went to bed this afternoon, but he was just catching up on a few ZZZZ's, rather than sheer and utter exhaustion - which I know is a key feature of many of the bugs flying about 🙁 He's still eating as well.........😉

We're having wedges, fish fingers and mushy peas for tea.  Wasn't what I had in mind, but then I didn't think DH would be wanting tea........ 😉

I forgot to say that last night, DH went to bed not longer after LG and left to my own devices, I came across a 'play' on eye-player, which you may all be well aware of.  It was the 2018 (?) one-man adaptation of 'A Christmas Carol' by Simon Cowell.  It was absolutely marvellous.  I was spell-bound by the actorly story-telling, aided and abetted by the lighting, camera angles, props, special effects, sound effects etc etc.  You were IN the scene.  Masterly.  72 mins of utter engagement. 

Then of course I fell down the rabbit hole of watching the first episode (of 20???) of 'Dickensian'.  Oh my goodness, dark, funny, sad - a literary 'mash-up' of such outstanding quality. The set up of 'who' could have bopped Jacob Marley over t'head was very well done.   And whilst the players were far too clean to be in Dicken's Londinium town of yore, I did love spotting the textile creations - Mrs Cratchett's shawl, 'Little Nell's Quilt' - marvellous.  I think this was first broadcast in 2015 (???) and I think iirc that it was played on consecutive evenings, and with being (possibly) pregnant, I didn't want to invest in anything that I would possibly not be keeping up to date with if I had an unexpected nana-nap.......... 

I have started on a new blanket knitting pattern.  I have already gone wrong 🙄  But luckily it was only one row - although my 'set up' row has made it more difficult to follow the pattern - but that is on me, and is easily remedied - and I have tinked back, and now knit it as the designer intended!  I would like to get it finished before the year end, but realise I may be being overly ambitious.  

Thank you for dropping in, and keeping me company.  I still haven't altered my siggie must do that.  

Fingers crossed we'll have a laundry day tomoz.  Fed up o't'fog now - in auld London tawn or elsewhere..........

Greying X

redofromstart

Much sympathy on the fog - still hanging about here too

northwalesd

Greying_Pilgrim said:

I forgot to say that last night, DH went to bed not longer after LG and left to my own devices, I came across a 'play' on eye-player, which you may all be well aware of.  It was the 2018 (?) one-man adaptation of 'A Christmas Carol' by Simon Cowell.

Sorry GP, the thought of Simon Cowell doing anything like that has me in stitches. I think it was the sublime Simon Callow, I haven't seen it but now you've said it's on the player I'll have to.

Greying_Pilgrim

Doh!  How could I have made that error!  Of course you are spot on northwalesd - Simon Callow, yes, yes, yes.  I would heartily recommend it, if you've not seen it (it isn't a new adaptation), a stripped bare performance, but so engaging.

Washing is out on the line.  I didn't get it on as early as I wanted to, however, to be fair, the breeze wasn't anywhere near useful until mid-morning anyway, so in some ways i haven't missed out.  

I have packed away the decorations and tree.  Ironically, LG has been fiddling with the tree alot less recently 🙄I'm not too sure if it is regarded as too bah-humbuggy, but I prefer to head towards the new year with a clean slate.  I have already spotted something I have forgotten to put away, but that is par for the course with me..... 🙄I will miss the fairy lights - and no, there is no reason to not have those up year round, or for the winter months or whatever.  Something to work towards.  

DH took LG out on the bikes.  Yet again LG fell off - DH will insist on going on routes where there is muddy paths to traverse or leaf covered paths to go up 🙄  LG wasn't hurt - which is the main thing - but clothes put on clean this morning are now mud slathered and in the washing machine 🙄

In addition to clearing away the decs, I have done a bit of knitting - really enjoying this pattern, after 2 mis-starts 🙄It remains important to try my best to make something nice.

I watched a couple more episodes of 'Dickensian' last night - that was good too.

We had cheese salad sandwiches for lunch.  Not too sure about tea yet.  The cooker took ages to cook the fish fingers last night 😕 And yet it cooked the wedges - I don't understand.

Right, I can't think of owt else MSE-wise to add, so I'm away to brush up on my National Treasure's of stage & screen........ 🤣

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Afternoon MFW'rs

I have two lines of washing pegged out - nary a inch of washing line left vacant, and only a handful of pegs left over too.

LG and I popped over to the next market town along.  The hairdresser we normally use wasn't open (not a total surprise), but luckily another one that we occasionally use, was.  

We picked up 3 books for LG from the chazzers - one didn't even look as though it had been opened.  One was a book LG has had from the library and liked the story, another was number X in a series LG has started collecting (previous 2 came from chazzers too), and the third was a punt  I took, as the author is Matt Haig.  I have read 2 of his Christmas books for children, and love his writing style - but this one sounds interesting too.  

We did buy a few grocery bits - YS'd or from h3r0n, which along with the haircuts will probably take out most of the remainder of the grocery budget for December.  I will work out the specifics just now to make sure I'm not robbing the January budget.  

I did also drop on a nice fleece for LG in a chazzer - it was in good condition, and cost £2.50.  It's a good thick one, and will do for general tatting about.  I gave it a quick wash when we got home and have pegged it out on the line, hopefully it can be pressed into use at the earliest opportunity.  

We did pop into M&$.  Quite a bit of stuff YS'd/reduced, but I only bought a YS'd loaf and two packs of blueberry muffins.  The  muffins were only reduced to £1.20 (for 4), but I have put one pack in the freezer, as I figure that either for a breakfast treat, or to take for a walk with a flask of hot chocolate, they will be ideal.  The muffins aren't small, but neither are they huge - but I should imagine that you would pay (at least) £2 - £3 for the equivalent muffin in a cafe, so they are worth it for 30p each.  LG and I had one each with our lunch - very fruity, and very nice - definitely worth 30p.

The visa bill has arrived.  Nothing unexpected on it, so I will get on and pay that.  

Avian interest was provided by a solitary red-kite floating effortlessly over the carriageway both on our outward and return journey.  They are just soooooooo huge and majestic.

Can't think of anything else MSE at the mo.  So I'll shuffle orf.  Times tables practice beckons 🙄

Greying X

rtandon27

ooo - well done on the blueberry muffin purchase! - always nice to have a cake in the freezer ready to be pressed into service! 

I've had an initial trawl though our freezer and noted too many ingredients and not enough convenience - so that will need to be rectified over the next few days in preparation for a slashed grocery budget in January!

beanielou

Can’t believe you were able to peg out a washing. Blowing a hoolie & lashing rain here! 

Greying_Pilgrim

beanielou said:

Can’t believe you were able to peg out a washing. Blowing a hoolie & lashing rain here! 

Definitely had to make hay today beanie, as the wind and rain are a-coming to us tomorrow 🙁  I hadn't realised that the lantern parade for Hogmany had been cancelled in Edinburgh - last I heard on R2 was that there were going to be certain roads closed from 3pm for the parade to take place - but clearly it didn't, and now I hear all the celebrations have been called off.  

It was definitely worth pegging out though, everything had dried 'well', considering the time of year/cold wind.  Even the fleece, which had far less time than anything else, was touch dry.  I put everything on the airers in front of the radiators - didn't put the dehu on.  I feel - momentarily - caught up with laundry anyway.  And with the weather forecast, I don't think we'll be using any of our ballgowns and tuxedos over the next few days 🙁

Greying X