Moving on

Cherryfudge

So, the garlic can be planted out even though it says they are for spring. It's just about a longer growing season. Now I need to decide on a place or put them in pots. I've not looked up the flowering alliums yet.

I decided there wasn't enough washing to justify running the machine and as tomorrow is due to be fine, that will do nicely. The tea and coffee cupboard took quite a while and of course looks nicer but one item won't fit back in. I took absolutely ages to get myself dressed, but with hindsight I probably felt I deserved a quiet day and wasn't looking forward to asking for my refund on the socks.

The sun was setting by the time I got out, but the colder air and some menthol sweets helped clear my aching sinuses. I remembered most of what I went for: there was no problem with the refund, and I took a big bag of medical blister packaging to B00ts for recycling. I never got the hang of their recycling app and just wanted rid, so I won't be getting money off anything. After that I called into church for some photocopying, then on to Sains to avail myself of a few yellow stickers and discounts. I also found a few bits for stockings, though not the chocolate I'd intended as it's so expensive now. However, as Christmas gets closer, my sense of proportion usually gets warped and I spend more than I normally would, and I suspect this might happen again. I even called in at two other supermarkets on the way home, but didn't get anything else.

I'm finding that without DH in the house, I'm not keeping track of time. I was about an hour and half later running my bath than normal! Still, I don't need to be up early tomorrow.

Housekeeping £7.75
Pets £1.99
Refund £1.98
Gifts £22.84

P.S. A couple of very good y/s bargains: 'posh' breaded cod for £1.56 instead of £6.25, and pork and apple sausages (which I can't find in Mr T since they've turned into a massive promotion of pigs in blankets): were £3.25, reduced to 68p.  

badmemory

My mr T has turned into a real shambles.  It appears that cheese is no longer a dairy product but cooked ham is & they only seem to have finest sausages & have no thin ones except the size to fit in pigs in blankets.  Oh the joys of a refit.  I spoke to one of the shelf fillers & he said they have had to put things where head office told them to.  There is no logic to it at all.  Can you tell it is driving me mad, but Aldis are doing quite well out of it.

Cherryfudge

Saturday has been slightly more organised. I spent a bit of time doing face and hair care, though I still look as though I've got a cold - perhaps because I do, but it's diminishing.

I'd bought mushrooms to have for lunch but as it was sunny I put them out to make some vitamin D (takes a couple of hours, apparently) and had hot cross buns instead. Eventually I went to the shops (won't try to sort out what I  ought for which category tonight) then noticed a tractor on the High Street, which reminded me there was a tractor parade at some point. I looked it up and it was from 5pm today, so when I'd done my shopping I hung around to watch.

People were starting to gather but nothing happened so I turned to FB where someone had posted that the stalls opened at 5 but the display was at 6. Of course I was a bit cold by then so I went and bought a bag of doughnuts and looked round some more shops to keep warm. Eventually the parade started properly but by then there were a lot of people so I couldn't really see everything, but there were a great many tractors done up in lights, some with Father Christmases as well. I don't know what happened, but the procession ground to a halt so I was left staring at the nearest stationary tractor and I eventually decided I was bored, and went home.

Tea was the mushrooms with a blue cheese sauce and supper was two more doughnuts. I bought lots of veg for tomorrow and feel as though I owe it to myself after that. I also got an Olio/Iceland large chicken for tomorrow.

The rest of the evening has been spent cutting out the activity for the children's group tomorrow.

Cherryfudge

I was completely muzzy-headed this morning but managed to get myself to Church and took the pre-school group. Thankfully they seemed to relate quite well to cardboard cut-out figures to enact the story and liked making their own including, as I've just mentioned on the Advent thread, a neon green angel and an inky black angel. DH arrived back from Auntie's and gave me a lift home as it was raining.

I'd put a chicken in to cook before going out: it had four and a half hours in the slow-cooking facility of the Instant Pot and that worked really well. It maxed out the SC but I've read elsewhere that the IP isn't as efficient as a traditional slow cooker. I've also over-bought on veg so we had carrot, cabbage, kale and leeks as well as potatoes, gravy and cranberry sauce. No room for a pudding after that lot, just a cappuccino!

I slept all afternoon, which I needed but which means I'm burning the midnight oil now. However, I've made a start on the mess around the computer, frozen some of the remaining chicken and shredded a load of satsuma peel for the Miser's Marmalade. Not much freezer space left now, but almost zero fridge space. With a bit of planning that should be back in balance in a few days.

I never got round to posting last week's schedule, but it went something like: Monday shopping day with DD, Tuesday childcare followed by course Christmas meal, Wednesday lunch with friends from the Tuesday group and meeting (which got cancelled) in the evening, Thursday work afternoon and evening, Friday work.

This coming week looks like this:
Monday - work
Tuesday - childcare then dinner with DD and DSiL, stay over to be ready for
Wednesday - childcare
Thursday - work (afternoon and evening), dog sitting.
Friday - dog sitting, church cleaning, work
Saturday - dog sitting
Sunday - Christingle

There are three family birthdays between now and Christmas, so cards need to be sent.

Cherryfudge

It's raining steadily and hard, which is a bit of a shame as I'd intended to do laundry and I have parcels to post. I've decided to go ahead with both as it's my last 'free' day for a few days and by then Christmas will be that much closer and in the spirit of loving my future self, I need to have some jobs out of the way.

I sold something on V1nted! Now I've to work out how to do the label, and get it posted. A couple of other items have been favourited. I also have a parcel to send on as we are the forwarding depot for my SiL, who lives abroad and this has to go to her daughter to be taken on their Christmas visit, and get there by Friday. Things aren't straightforward, are they?

DH kindly got the Christmas tree down from the loft yesterday but declares it smells musty and next year we should get another. I can't tell as my sense of smell is only partly working (though I could smell the flavoured coffee this morning and consequently didn't enjoy it quite as much: it smells wonderful but somehow doesn't taste as good as it smells, go figure?). Anyway I suggested we put the tree out in the garden in an attempt to freshen it up - so the rain is due to me. It will be not only aired but washed, now.

Rhyddid2026

Well done on the vntd sale! 

Cherryfudge

Thanks @Rhyddid2026! Parcel all labelled etc, just got to brave posting it now. How hard can that be? The rest of the process was simple, V1nted gives good instructions.

Other than that, I've had a very ADHD day. Lots of bits of small jobs done, and no idea if I've left any half-done. The hot wash is nearly complete: the bed sheet for our room will go in the dryer and the rest can air. Socks are put away from the last wash. Ironing hasn't been touched apart from to put stray items in the pile. My sister rang, which almost never happens, so I seized the day and asked her about seeing them some time. Turns out New Year may be good for them.

I've made up a rice pudding for later, which I must remember to put in to cook in time for DH to take it out when he gets home. I've done practical stuff like letting DH know I cut up the chicken and there's some in the fridge for him. I even finished up the pesto with pasta, greens and salad chess, which is a new invention for me but have had it two or three times now.

I ordered another item for my Secret Santa person, so their gift is almost totally sorted out. All gifts have been put in bags ready to wrap now - a bag per person (nearly all stocking fillers), but there are some people who still don't have enough... why are men harder to buy for? I think I need to raid S00perdrug later this week.

Basically it would be a good afternoon to spend cooking, rather than go into the rain, but needs must.

I did treat myself to the book of 'Howl's Moving Castle', though. 99p on Kindle today, and very readable, though a complete contrast to the Elsie J Oxenham I bought yesterday (£3.99).

Sun_Addict

Sounds like a busy week ahead. Salad chess sounds interesting 🤣

Cherryfudge

Sun_Addict said:

Sounds like a busy week ahead. Salad chess sounds interesting 🤣

LOL, I will have to start calling it that now! It took me a moment to work out, but I think I meant cheese. The irony is that I've been learning chess on Duolingo - is that owl infiltrating my brain?

It took me till 3.30 to get out of the door, and I might not have done it then but I knew those parcels had to be posted. Putting one into a locker was a bit of a learning curve. Another customer tried to help when I couldn't get the bar code to scan, but she had no luck either. Then I offered to let someone go ahead of me as I was taking a while, and she managed it on the second attempt. For some reason it scan well if the lower bar code was used, upside down. I wonder why that wasn't in the instructions? I then had a queue in the PO but managed that without mishap and got back in time to get changed and arrive at work in time (complete with wellies: I know from experience that after a days rain, part of the footpath becomes impassable with dry feet).

Work started with a meeting with the new management (five of them, looking slightly nervous as faced with a roomful of people). As forewarned, it was about trying to reduce the workload in anticipation of the employer having to make major savings in the future. I was the only one to ask a question (there's always one, isn't there?).

I think it may be one of those things where changes are introduced and some stick, but other things revert to the old way because there's a reason they were done like that.

DH gave me a colleague a lift and when I got home I found he had rescued the wet Christmas tree pieces from the bath and put them up to dry. I think the musty smell has gone, so leaving them int he rain may have been the correct MS thing to do.

My only expenditure today has been e-books (now the three in the Howl series, £2.97 in total) and the postage (£5.40) which I think DH's sister is going to refund us.

Watty1

Great on the vinted sale. I've given up and donated items.   I might try again next year as I'm planning a clear out in 2026 but for now I decided I just needed the head space it was taking up