Moving on

Watty1

that is a lovely area (and on my potential move to list as well)

Cherryfudge

Quite a full day: I gave DH a haircut first thing this morning, then we 'did' church online and I got very frustrated as the speaker, while enthusiastic, wasn't structured. I'm still not sure what the talk was about! However, things were otherwise good.

J had arranged a meeting with her cousin and family so we drove out to a country pub. All the Yorkshire family except D and E were there. I was quite pleased with myself for looking more 'put together' than usual but forgot we'd decided to take the hobby car, which is a convertible.  After a few minutes of glorious breeze, you could forget the 'put together' look! However, we had a really good afternoon with the cousin and family: there were thirteen of us including five children so we had a big Sunday lunch, including introducing the guests to Chicken Parmo, then decided to go into the pub garden for desserts. I was good and just got a cappuccino as I'm trying hard to reduce the saturates in my diet, and it was a good cappuccino which meant I didn't miss the ice cream and brownies too much.

The pub hospitality was excellent: there was a table of toys for little ones (N and F took turns riding the pink rocking unicorn) and outside there was a sandpit, swing and bouncy castle. Unfortunately N jumped off the edge of the area where the swing was, landing on soft sand which pitched her forward into the wooden sleepers around the sandpit. She has a huge bruise on her forehead now, though the nice member of staff obliged with an ice pack and paper towels and after a while N was able to go and enjoy the bouncy castle. Of course she wanted grownups there too, so A and I obliged, and there was great hilarity when I got on the castle and fell in a heap as it was really very bouncy and I guess I'm heavier than the kids! Anyway I had fun playing with them and it did nothing to restore the put together look!

The cousins had to go by late afternoon after which the rest of us drifted off. We will see them later in the year for their wedding.

Back at home, DH and I both decided we needed to rest, despite only having done a couple of thousand steps apiece, but after that we did some light gardening. More ground elder has been removed and I was happy to discover the mulch has largely stopped growth. Half the time was taken with picking gooseberries, which are abundant this year.

Expenditure:
Entertainment £45.50

Cherryfudge

We have rain! I'm not quite at the point of saying 'Long may that continue', but we need it. Even a little bit of thunder. The rain water barrel is topped up and the equivalent of about 5 x 2 gallon buckets, too. Our water isn't metered but it seems sensible to capture the water the plants prefer and have it ready for the next week or however long. I'll need to put mesh over the buckets to stop creatures getting in.

This morning I got my bloods done, bought a cap for DH, got more fat balls for the bird feeder and used some L!dl offers to stock up on basics. Then I had a doze on the sofa to make up for the heat and airlessness upstairs last night, which got me up about five. I also had a read of Wuthering heights, which I never got into when my friends did during our teens. 45 or so years later, I'm ready for it and it's a page turner!

The sandwich bounty is nearly finished but I'm horrified at how high in saturated fat the vegan 'cheese salad' is. The two sandwiches in the packet use up three quarters of the daily recommended saturate fat in one go - and it contains not only palm oil but bamboo. Probably nothing wrong with eating bamboo, just a bit unexpected. Tastes okay.

I think the rain is over for now so the laundry is going out.

Expenditure so far today:
Pets £4
Housekeeping 11.23
Clothing £7

rtandon27

@Cherryfudge - I have a feeling that bamboo is used as a source of fibre.  In and of itself, I find it quite tasty, we usually keep a tin of strips in the house to use in thai green/red curry.  It's crunchy and has a neutral flavour - whereas tofu or tvp takes on the taste of anything it's added to, bamboo tends to hold it's own in a sauce.

Cherryfudge

I don't think bamboo is available round here - perhaps I'm not looking in the right place though.

Tuesday has been wet! Well, the morning was dry: DH took the grandkids to toddler group, which was the last before the summer holidays. He learned that the leader is leaving as she has to get another job and the backup person doesn't feel able to run it alone. It's possible this will be the last session, which would be a big shame.

I didn't manage to meet up with DH and the children till about 11.30, by which time they had done the swings and slides and were ready for a rest. Both fell asleep on the walk home, and I dived into the supermarket for some edibles while DH pushed the buggy. As a consequence, the planned lunch didn't happen but they ate plenty of crumpets and tinned peaches and I made up a story for N about a Victorian child taking her doll on a cold, wet walk and coming home to dry in front of the fire while toasting crumpets on a toasting fork.

We had a peaceful afternoon: all the excitement and conflicts of us looking after them overnight seem to have dissipated and it was all really rather straightforward. We played an extended game of babies (N's choice) but fitted in some drawing and TV too. The rain started at lunch and let up for an hour before tea, but by the time we called in at the supermarket (having decided on salmon for dinner) it was belting down again. It's still raining now, gone midnight.

There's a been a poor sick pigeon in the garden. I looked up bird flu symptoms but that doesn't seem to be what's wrong and it's disappeared from sight so even if I thought I should report it, I don't know where to find it. For a while another pigeon was keeping it company but eventually that went. How the sick one hasn't been caught by a cat, I don't know. I hope I it doesn't linger long.

The other bit of garden drama has been that the new drain coped very nicely with the deluge but the soakaway turned briefly into a small pond.

Expenditure:
Housekeeping £9.64.

Watty1

Send the rain to the south east.   It dribbled here yesterday.   (Hope sick pigeon doesn't suffer for long, luckily I have a bird expert neighbour who helps out in such circumstances)

Cherryfudge

Today was dry - sorry Watty, no more to send yet.

The pigeon hasn't been seen: I went out to look and was surprised to find the ground is a bit soft. That's not happened for a while.

In the morning I went to the Wednesday job and decided to check As*da for bargains on the way home. I got some discounted fruit and a large battered scabious which was reduced to about £1.50. Then on the way out another plant caught my eye but it was a 3 for £5 offer so I have a couple of dianthus and a bi-coloured geranium that I didn't have this time yesterday. All are now in the garden but I'm running out of plant saucers and it's about time I moved the smaller ones into bigger pots or into the ground.

While I was out, I managed to miss a WhatsApp conversation in which my niece booked train tickets to come to see us - I've had to apologise that I'll be out for some of the first day she's here but we will have most of the weekend. I also discovered I'm leading the little kids' session on Sunday and haven't prepared anything, so that will have to be fitted in somewhere.

I only had a couple of hours at home (tuna and avocado for a very late lunch) then went straight from two hours at work to my evening church group, where I apologetically ate my overnight oats before we started.

Expenditure:
Garden 6.68
Housekeeping 1.58

Cherryfudge

Today is one of those days when I really need to get active as my niece is coming tomorrow and I need to tidy up.

This afternoon I have a meeting for a couple of hours and three hours (probably) at work this evening. I must say this relief work is to my advantage. Every so often I'm not needed on a day when I could work but mostly they will use me. There are about half a dozen relief people and the work gets divvied among us but some just like to do two hours whereas I'll do three if I can. I've always been one for picking up extra hours, probably because I don't earn much and have a sort of pride in earning. Odd when you think I've elected not to go for a permanent contract.

Housework at home, however, is another matter. It's not easy to get stuck in, hence lists posted here.

Things to do today:
Wash spare room bedding
Tidy the emergency foods cupboard including the new supplies - and do the tins cupboard in the kitchen as well.
Check the fridge for use-up and OOD.
Pot on a plant or two.
Gloat over new geranium.
Ironing
Clean bathroom
Clean kitchen

I probably won't get them all done but it gives me something to aim for.

Watty1

Personally I love the "gloat over new geranium" task.    (I must look for a red geranium to go in the old railway bucket I found, you reminded me of that).

Sun_Addict

Perhaps subconsciously you like the freedom a non permanent contract gives you. 

I kept my geraniums going over winter last year by keeping them in the greenhouse. Mine are bright coral and so cheery.