Moving on

WelshmansDaughter

I'm still mulling it over. I think however a separate account for gifts might be more suitable. The nephews birthdays are all summer and the rest of the family winter.

Cherryfudge

Sunday was busy. I dropped off biscuits and lids for toddler cups first thing, and had a hurried conference with the leader who knew it would be shorter session due to baptisms. Children's activities finish early on a baptism session so they can come back in and watch, but unless you have a helper following the livestream, you don't know quite when that will be. We get a running order, but sometimes items run longer than planned. Anyway I said I'd drop a note into the group chat in the hope that at least one of them would hear their phone and know they had to wind down the session.

The service started off really loud so I put my loop earplugs in, but we were both struggling with the volume so I had an inspiration: I'd seen a member of my midweek group was on PA but didn't have his number so I (possibly rather cheekily?) put a message on the group chat to say it was seriously loud this morning! It worked - a few minutes later someone came and found us to say they'd turned it down! Still on the loud side, but better. Apparently the techy stuff was playing up in a couple of areas and the PA team looked hassled afterwards.

Nevertheless, the service was wonderful. I thought I had judged when the talk was finishing but was a bit early, which I suppose gave more time for them to get the room cleared up. I was glad I'd said I'd keep an eye on that as it meant I didn't leave due to the noise levels, and if I'd done so, I'd have missed a great meeting.

Afterwards we had a few chats with people then it was out into a very grey, wet day. I made the chasseur for dinner and we had more chicken than expected so there's a meal for another day. The only thing we did with the afternoon was a local walk and collected some more parcels form V1nted. (I've not ordered anything in the last few days, honest! This is older orders coming though). I'd got a shirt for DH but it's not a good fit, and a tunic dress for me which is nice. Also a pine cone biscuit cutter.

This evening DH had a meeting and I made the 'miser's marmalade' that I've been planning to make since summer 2024. That clears several bags of citrus peel and a bag of lime wedges from the freezer. I didn't have enough lemons but decided just to use what I had. The instructions were confusing (it wasn't Mrs Goode's recipe, it was a long one I'd got off here) but I think it's turned into a marmalade of sorts. Whether it's nice enough to make again, we will see. I saw after using them that I'd frozen the limes in 2021!

Poor DGD2 is absolutely laden with chickenpox, I do hope she has a good night so they can all get some rest.

Cherryfudge

Monday was good: weather gloomy but DD and I went out for lunch and to look round the shops in a little town a few miles away. That was the second half of our Christmas shopping day (one has to be flexible when there's a baby in the equation!). Very enjoyable.

Lunch was very good and I treated us (£35.80) and I treated myself to a coaster from the gift shop (£3.49). The idea was that it was similar to a couple we bought once and wanted more but the shop didn't have them. When I got home today it occurred to me to look on V1nted and almost immediately I found the exact ones we already had, in a set of four, for just a bit more than I'd already paid for the single one. So now I have those coming to me, and some travel-sized atomisers (about £6) which I had been wanting for a while. I am having guilt trips over still wanting a mug that I've been watching for a while, as I don't want to get rid of any I already have.

We arrived back before it went dark so I called in at L1dl (£16.72) then I did some small jobs around the garden in celebration of the rain having stopped and a snowdrop emerging. I've put mesh over the back gate in the hope of keeping other people's animals out, and some on plant pots that the bird pull to pieces. I've also brough logs from under the trees to the log store to dry out.

The last couple of days I've been using willow twigs to attempt a mend on the lid of the laundry basket - is it cheating to hold them in place with wire ties? Once they have dried and been painted they may even blend in. It was fun and nothing lost, as they say.

We are both on childcare duties in the morning so I need to get to bed.

ladybird1106

Impressed with your willow weaving.
love 🐞

Watty1

Super impressed with willow weaving.  That is quite a skill, there, and fun to repair something too.

Cherryfudge

I think I was born in the wrong century! I can't resist using those willow whips for something and it saves prematurely binning the laundry hamper. However, the proper willow is split and I don't have the gadget for that, or the knowledge to make anything from scratch. There are courses but they seem a bit expensive for something I've really no need of.