Moving on

Sun_Addict

I can’t do sweet things in a savoury dish at all. So the thought of sultanas, apples or apricots is a definite no despite liking them. I’ve been there picking apples out of salads and don’t get me started on pomegranate seeds on salads 😬

Cherryfudge

Sun_Addict said:

I can’t do sweet things in a savoury dish at all. So the thought of sultanas, apples or apricots is a definite no despite liking them. I’ve been there picking apples out of salads and don’t get me started on pomegranate seeds on salads 😬

Sultanas in coleslaw?  I think I once gave a  colleague nightmares with that one. DH doesn't do sweet in savoury either.

rtandon27

@Cherryfudge - I remember Ballet Shoes fondly (though I'm not sure if that quote is from there - lol) - I do remember once as a teenager fainting in public and my Gran who was with me at the time asking if I'd bothered to wear a matching set of underthings as the paramedics lifted me into the ambulance.  It was honestly one of the funniest things I've ever been asked, because at that moment, who really cared, I was too busy being dizzy!

It's definitely a garden center kind of day - we went and used our coupons for free coffee this morning. Disappointingly the kitchen was closed so no breakfast baps, but we did have some lush cinnamon buns.  It seems the entire retired population of our town was also out in full force, to do the same thing, as the café was heaving & much muttering could be heard about the lack of hot breakfasts!

Justcrackingonwithit

I have removed my undergarments from the window, before my neighbours complained!!  

Fingers crossed for mouse news soon....

How are you feeling now, is your reflux better.  I'm not sure what's wrong with me, but I've really not got much of an appetite at the moment and am not even fancying food.  Making the most of it as I'm sure it'll come back with a vengeance soon enough!!

Just trying to type and my beautiful beloved cat is trying to sit on the lap top.  He's so funny and gets very fed up if my attention is not on him....signing off before he deletes my post!

Happy new year x

Cherryfudge

rtandon27 said:

@Cherryfudge - I remember Ballet Shoes fondly (though I'm not sure if that quote is from there - lol) - I do remember once as a teenager fainting in public and my Gran who was with me at the time asking if I'd bothered to wear a matching set of underthings as the paramedics lifted me into the ambulance.  It was honestly one of the funniest things I've ever been asked, because at that moment, who really cared, I was too busy being dizzy!

It's definitely a garden center kind of day - we went and used our coupons for free coffee this morning. Disappointingly the kitchen was closed so no breakfast baps, but we did have some lush cinnamon buns.  It seems the entire retired population of our town was also out in full force, to do the same thing, as the café was heaving & much muttering could be heard about the lack of hot breakfasts!

Ohhh, cinnamon buns...! Now you're talking!

But oh dear - where ever did those lines come from? I don't know them verbatim so I can't start searching! That is funny about your Gran, though.

Justcrackingonwithit said:

I have removed my undergarments from the window, before my neighbours complained!!  

But... you might have been making their day! And thank you, yes the reflux abated.

And before I lose track and forget, a happy new year from me to one and all. I have various other things to write about but that needed to be said first.

Cherryfudge

It's been a productive day, even if sunrise is stuck on 8.27 and the rain has poured down all day.

No mouse news, sorry. DH heard something in the bedroom so we listened intently then I cautiously moved some papers but no little furry thing darted out so I think we were stalking sliding wrapping paper (now in the bin).

DH fixed the bathroom plug with WD substitute, which has probably saved a lot in terms of replacement parts, time and frustration.

DH's work has asked for volunteers to man the phone lines due to the weather but he's not putting his name forward for various reasons. Hopefully the work will go to those who need some extra money around this time of year.

After lunch I got side tracked and spent ages sorting out the spending over December. It's only got as far as the notebook but the spreadsheet can be completed from there. Then we went out for our 'free' hot drinks at the garden centre and must have been almost the last to be served as they started to pack up soon after. It was so gloomy out that I chose a table away from the window but under a lamp. We have learned from experience not to have our usuals there so it was Breakfast tea for DH and lemon and ginger for me. However, it's a cheap way of going out and getting dedicated time together so when my rewards card runs out I will probably get another. I also had a good look around the Christmas sale and picked up a couple of bits - one for the house and one for a gift next Christmas.

Talking of rewards schemes, I don't think I'll go for the Duolingo offer. I've always reckoned that if I make so many mistakes that I lose my 'lives', I'm too tired to learn, and if I want to regain hearts I can always go on the practice option. I'd like to get away from their annoying promotional ads, but it's not a priority. I'm learning because I want to, not for a particular trip.

On the way home, I remembered to put the spent batteries in a recycling box and picked up a bag of coffee grounds free from the garden centre, though I was having fun squashing the lumps out on the way home so I probably smell of coffee now. Then we entirely failed to buy a chainsaw. We are getting good at that. The split tree in the back lane needs attention though so if we don't work out a way to get the wood, DH will probably contact the housing association as they may own the land it's on. Still want a chain saw, though. Still not sure how big a one we want.

I'm very proud of myself as I've found and booked train tickets at a £40 saving over the advertised price. This is for our trip to London next month. What's more, the split ticketing site I used allowed us to compare times without the faff of putting all the details in again so we slid the slider till we got good timing, too. We can go a bit earlier and come back a bit earlier to maximise our time there and minimise exhaustion for only a bit more cost. I'm planning to take some packed lunches for when we travel, to save paying station prices, but we will eat out for a main meal each day.

Dinner used half the remaining chicken (the rest is in the freezer) and some Christmas sausages in a pasta dish which was okay but not brilliant. We finished the Christmas Schl-ooer too. I can actually see real space in the bottom of the fridge.

Expenditure:
Travel (holiday budget) £80.80
Hot drinks out £0 as we resisted cakes and used my rewards card points.
Gifts 1p! Yes really - the woman on the till helpfully suggested I use my accrued points on my loyalty card, which expire when the card runs out unless I renew it. Should have been about £6.50.

I don't yet know what DH spent on fruit and DIY stuff.

Cherryfudge

A low-key start to the New Year, but the weather was much nicer than forecast. We got out for a walk around town this afternoon, which wasn't warm but was much better than staying in.

DH has changed the fitness tracker he bought the other day as that one wouldn't charge. He's upgraded, too, and the replacement is all-singing, all-dancing, but he's yet to find where the steps are recorded. Mine gave me a bit of a scare because it told me my peak heartrate was something like 194, while I was walking up a gentle slope and hadn't done anything strenuous. Mind you I'm not sure it was recording right, as I don't seem to have as many steps as I expected. Looking back at the tracings, which I rarely bother with, my normal resting heart beat is good and raised heartbeat goes up to around 130 which I think is okay. However, there's been a pattern of this sudden very high recording normally at almost exactly 4pm over a few scattered days in the last month. That's so completely odd that I think it could be the monitor. Certainly I felt no different. I will look into it tomorrow but not tonight - sleep is better for me than google at this time of night!

I've written a long list of resolutions, but realised they are more like goals. I've also decided to make a journal for my reading as I read a lot but often reread the same things as I need to wind down at the end of the day. If I write about what I read, I might process better and possibly might be encouraged to read during daylight hours when I can focus.

Dinner today was more of the Moroccan-style vegetable stew from the other day and I'll finish it up tomorrow. We've agreed to go for a couple of vegan meals a week if I can organise myself to make them. Both of us feel healthy on them. 

And... I got some aurora photos tonight! The best colour I've had so far, thanks to the new phone camera, though the pictures aren't spectacular.

rtandon27

Well done on getting out there for a walk!

Cherryfudge

I slept badly last night - if I'm honest, I'm worrying that the blips on my heart rate trace might be atrial fibrillation, but I couldn't feel anything different from normal so it may not be. Anyway, I finally got up and made myself some toast which helped settle me down.

Then I slept in late, and haven't done much since that so this post is to make me bestir myself. I need to get the ironing at least started, and possibly some cooking done to use up the many veg filling the fridge, the two bananas that are getting unappetising and some eggs that need a float test before committing to anything.

Cherryfudge

I didn't manage any cooking but I fed the birds and got some time in the fresh air. The bulbs I planted are coming through which is brilliant, but they have layers of bubble wrap over as it's freezing. We had wall-to-wall sunshine all day, though, which helps.

Looking through the bank statement the other day, I relised DH's first pension payment had been for a part-month and he's actually getting a couple of hundred more than I thought, which will make a difference. I was a bit concerned about living based on just that, if he ever gives up work, though we will both get state pensions and I have small pensions from various jobs, so really I shouldn't worry. I think it's freed up my thinking about spending, but I'm still glad I didn't go for the Duolingo offer that was being pushed so hard on NYE. It would be useful if I were aiming towards an exam or extended stay abroad, but I'm not and I make progress with the free version.

Some of DD's friends are arranging a baby shower and I realise it's been many years since I went to one and I'll have to look up the etiquette! It comes within days of two other meals out - so much for cutting down on socialising over Christmas, it's coming after me! H is invited too so I expect I can ask her for a lift - the likely venue is at a distance.

I was brave and approached the supermarket about paying for the item that didn't scan the other day, and they were really nice and let me pay without asking questions about which member of staff was on the till. I feel better about it now as it's properly paid for - and the tee shirt I ordered had arrived so I've collected that at the same time. I like it but haven't tried it on yet. I also bought a couple of food items.

I then went over the road to check if M&S had obligingly discounted anything, which they had, so I came away with avocados, Banoffee sauce, another panettone, chestnuts and hazelnuts. It's still Christmas here!

My dinner was the remains of the veggie stew with a baked potato and I think DH had a fishcake. I had two hours at work and I suspect it will be the same tomorrow till the regular person comes back.

I had a bit of a chat with DH about the odd heart beat readings - another four o'clock blip today, and again, I felt normal so how it's reading so high, I don't know. He's suggested I try his monitor which I might do tomorrow.

EXpeniture:
Housekeeping £17.63