Moving on

Watty1

There is still carol singing around our villages but a very short route and never passes mine, but, I realised this week it says on the village face book group they will end up in the pub for more singing so perhaps that it the change these days. I do miss carol singers   

Cherryfudge

I think you would enjoy a visit to the pub that evening, @Watty1. A lovely community event.  

DH has been busy today: he volunteered at the shop this morning for a couple of hours then went along to a carol singing fundraiser and was very heartened to find some people from our church joining in. He's used to being the only one from this particular congregation so I think that cheered him up about standing in the cold.

I sat around in my pyjamas and did some work on the assignment for my course. I've not finished it yet and realised I will need to edit drastically. Why can't I write short pieces?

We had salmon for lunch (eating down the freezer) with cous cous and veg but also some tiny tomatoes that had been ripening since I took them off the vines. So tasty. There were a few things to be bought in the afternoon so we walked into town. It's quite a bit milder and lots of people were out and about. I entirely failed to find a headdress for tomorrow's Scratch Nativity, so will make do with a tinsel halo and the fancy dress wings I borrowed from J. I felt I ought to do something as the children are all being encouraged to dress up, and I haven't any originality today. DH is going to hide on the balcony - I told him he could be the plain clothes detective but I don't think he's even going to try that. The most memorable character was the man who went as a banana, but I never found out how he justified it.

Anyway, back to the narrative. I was flagging after wandering down the High Street, so we went for our coffee (gingerbread latte for me and apple juice for him), which revived me. I am out a lot next week and we won't get the chance to go out till he's back from Auntie's next weekend. That reminds me, I could make a batch of marmalade and send her some, as per tradition.

We went to various supermarkets, partly for needs and partly for bargains. Olio/Iceland did us proud with  a dozen mixed weight eggs for £1.33 instead of £1.80, a Savoy cabbage for 27p instead of £1 and two packs of luxury easy peelers at 52p a pack instead of £2.25 - so a saving of £4.66 on the full price, not that we would have paid full price as I think normally they are a bit expensive. DH bought a toy for DGD3.

I had a rest when we got in and DH admitted he was tired, too. He thinks his iron levels are a bit low, so it's as well we are having liver tomorrow.

I've also had a sudden inspiration to knit duck mittens for DGD2, who likes finding ducks in pictures. There is just a slim chance she might let us put mittens on her if she can make quacky ducks with them. I have plenty of yarn but discovered I don't have the right circular needles so I will get some on Monday if I remember to take a note on my phone of what I need.

Lastly, I confess I have treated myself in the Sutt0ns Seeds free delivery and sale day, and ordered garlic and alliums, both of which I'd already planned to grow this coming year.

Garden £10.98
Entertainment £7.10
Gift £6.97
housekeeping £20.23

Honeysucklelou2

Just catching up…an allotment sounds exciting. Do you have any indication of the waiting time?

Cherryfudge

Honeysucklelou2 said:

Just catching up…an allotment sounds exciting. Do you have any indication of the waiting time?

Unfortunately not - it could be years for all I know. (I wonder if I could leave the position in the queue to someone in my will? ) 

Things are moving now because there was a legal hold-up to some new allotments to the north of the town but that seems to have been overcome and those will probably be first to be allocated, thus shortening the queue. Then there's a new cluster of allotments planned for quite near me, but I've no idea of timescale. My first choice is a lovely tucked-away area a few streets away where there are plenty of established allotments, but I think the queue there could be stretching out of the gate.

All that said, two new lots of allotments has to be significant  

Cherryfudge

Sorry I didn't update for a couple of days - still significantly affected by the cold and exhausted by pre-Christmas stuff. At least I'm past the worst of said cold - still snuffly but hardly sneezing and amazingly, I've not developed a cough.

Yesterday (8th) it was 106 years since my Dad was born. He's been gone a while now but I was looking thoughtfully at the youngest grand daughter when I realised her eyes are like his. Whether that will remain as she gets older, I don't know. Her colouring is not dissimilar to his but her nose is quite different. At eight months she is super-active and accidentally standing unsupported before bumping to the ground so she needs an eye kept on her all the time. It's going to be interesting to see how she turns out.

The reason I saw her was that it was her Mum's and my rearranged shopping day, which has been a tradition since my daughter was a student. We used to hit Meadowhall for a day-long browse and a couple of meals, taking a suitcase to leave in the lockers rather than carry everything around from the start. I'm not sure we bought as much as that suggests but we did enjoy ourselves. This year it was pared down due to me being washed out by this cold and her having a baby, so we went to a local favourite café and did some High Street shopping, but both of us got a few bits and pieces. The café was interesting: it's very busy when local offices have a lunch break so there wasn't a huge choice of sandwiches left and when mine arrived, it didn't look like the chicken BLT that I'd chosen. The waiter had gone back for my drink so I had time to think and mentioned it to him on his return. He took it away and when he came back, explained apologetically that it had been wrongly labelled and what would I like them to make instead? He actually had a few options along the lines of would I like a meal on another day or a refund, but I said I was fine with what he'd brought, I'd just thought it had been swapped with another customer's order by accident. (Later I realised the implications had I had allergies but thankfully that's not so). So I accepted the sandwich as first presented and he gave me a fully stamped loyalty card so I could have a free drink on the house. I worked out it costs about £35 to fill one of their loyalty cards, so that was a nice freebie - and their drinks are absolutely the best in town, just not cheap. Mine yesterday was a spiced brown sugar flat white and was delish.

I'm not sure I remember all I bought: florist's wire in case I get round to trying to make a wreath, Christmas gifts for DGD, some sticky tape, a tiny wooden house as an accessory for my doll's house, knitting needles (I couldn't get both the sizes I wanted so there's another to order), cough sweets, paracetamol and a few fake flowers to boost the remains of the flower arrangement that still linger. Those are quite good and an investment at 3 for £1.

In the evening I had three hours at work but was too tired to throw energy at it so did the basics, then went home via the supermarket to take advantage of vouchers that were about to expire. The till receipt shows I saved £9.57, but we all know that actually means I spent a lot more than that (£24.91).

Today I was shattered but because of the storm I had to be up in time to get a lift with DH to look after the children. He has tachycardia again so he made an appointment with the surgery and was able to go in at lunchtime. He's had an ECG and some blood tests and thankfully they say it's not AF (we know someone who's recently had to be treated for this) but they don't know what it is, possibly anaemia. Still waiting for the result of the bloods. As DH was out and about with the car I asked him to call home and fetch various things including my thick fleece as I couldn't get warm, though the little girls were running round in short sleeves and refusing jumpers. I warmed up during the afternoon: I think it was tiredness. DD came round with the baby for a while.

When we got home I went to bed for an hour, then off to the final session (a meal) of the course. That was a good evening though I am not my sparkling best due to the red nose and snuffles. However, the sleep I had means I'm awake now...

Watty1

Hope you feel returned to your usual sparkling self soon.     

Nice of the cafe to apologise in a way that works for you.  Gestures like that mean so much but take so little to do

Cherryfudge

I'm feeling rather better today. In the morning I texted my friends to say I'm still symptomatic as one of them is concerned that her husband is vulnerable to infections. We decided I'd go in the car with her but wear a mask, so honour satisfied. We met with a couple of other friends but decided not to go to the NT property itself as two of us don't have membership and it's terrifically expensive just for a short walk on a windy winter's day! However, we lingered over coffees in the café, had a look round the gift shop (I bought quite a few bits for stocking-fillers) then had a leisurely lunch with plenty of catching up and one person starting off a crochet project for another!

My evening 'thing' was called off as we've decided we are all busy and are going to reconvene in the New Year. I was glad of the time off and I think I needed it. Dinner was Toad in the Hole so that's finished the extra sausages I bought on Monday, with the older eggs and some of the long life milk. Very handy.

I've spread out a lot of gifts as the beginning of assessing where I'm up to. The children's ones are about done and so is DH's, it's the next generation of adults who are underrepresented. I think if I take a photo as an aid-memoire, I might be able to do the chocolate gifts tomorrow.

Entertainment: £15.70 (two coffees, lunch)
Gifts: £27.00

DH has been spending too: I can see £60 gone out of the account and I know he's been wrapping presents.

Cherryfudge

Definitely on the mend, but not there yet. I got myself to work in the afternoon and reflected that the bus ride to the next town is no longer as big a thing as it was. I also had a lift home with the tutor, which is quicker and easier than another bus or train.

It was time for a quick turnaround and out again for my cleaning job (three hours) before calling into L1dl to spend some of my coupons. Earlier in the day I'd been unsuccessful looking for the right knitting needles in charity shops but in Lidl I found three stocking fillers as well as Stollen (on discount but still rather expensive) and sundry other bits. I've just noticed I didn't get a shelf-edge discount that I'd expected so I need to get back to check if I'm eligible. I got a paper copy of the receipt as I was gift-buying, so I have evidence rather than faffing around with my phone.

Houskeeping £15.09
Gifts £12.47
Bus fare £3 (to be reclaimed)
Medical 35p

ladybird1106

Glad you’re feeling better.
love 🐞

Cherryfudge

Thank you @ladybird1106, so am I.

I have no work today but there are various things to do. The bulbs I ordered the other day have arrived and seem in good order but now, what on earth am I to do with them? Can they be planted out of will they suffer as it's cold and wet? Or will they suffer more if warm and dry indoors? I need to research.

In the meantime I'm clearing and cleaning the coffee and tea cupboard, which will take a little longer but not all day. It's mild and rainy so at lunchtime I'll do some laundry, ready for the dry afternoon. There are bits and pieces I should be doing that require being out and about but those will also wait till it's dry.

There's pasta/pesto left over from yesterday for lunch and I'll have a look for 'finish ups' for tea. I think there's bacon...