Moving on

Cherryfudge

Working_Mum said:

I made a "soft set" bramble jam this years Cherryfudge and have been dipping my toast into it (I am the only jam lover in our house thankfully) and using it as a topping for porridge and overnight oats. It's been absolutely great. 

You tire me out with your diary - you are always on the go!

I have porridge and overnight oats quite often - thanks for the idea of using the jam as a topping! At the moment traces of jam have occurred as far afield as the bannisters: chez Fudge is coming to a sticky end unless we can tame the jam! It's the most beautiful colour, though.

There is a children's book by Margaret Mahy called 'jam', in which the characters expand as they eat their way through the produce of a huge plum tree. They have my sympathy.

As for tired out - well, it can be pretty tiring to experience it! It's what I prefer, to keep me healthy mentally, and it's toned me up as well! However, I've never seen myself as an active person so I'm not quite sure what's going on!

@Watty1, I looked up Denby Memories and it's very pretty. Remember it's not clutter if it's useful or beautiful, and Denby does seem to last a long time so it could be an investment!

Cherryfudge

Today's been very full (again) but in a nice way. It's been the most gorgeous late summer weather: clear skies with that slight haziness that belongs with August.

I took @Laura_Elsewhere's advice and put some of the contents of the wardrobe out in the sunshine to freshen them up, then forgot about them so it's as well the weather stayed so beautiful. I got down to the church about eleven and did some cleaning. Part of that was cleaning behind a desk, and in pulling out the desk I managed to put the printer offline but thankfully someone got it back working. I said I thought that office ought to be taken off the cleaning list as it's clearly hazardous if I'm allowed near it. Apart from that, things went all right and I also found a hose had been left out by the gardening project (another area from where I water the tubs) so it made the job easier. (There is a huge hose, but it's a bother to get it out...)

I was quite MS and self-caring in that I took a packed lunch and made sure I got a drink before I left, so I didn't need to buy anything.

From there I walked to the garden centre which is out of town and asked them to check the gift voucher that I thought might have a few days and a few pounds left on it. To my shock, it was completely unused, so I have till midweek next week to spend £50! Of course I had ideas already, as I'd decided a while ago to buy more more spring bulbs, and the other day I'd found the receipt I'd saved from buying a very large plant saucer to use as a bird bath. I was delighted to find they still stock the identical saucer, so I bought one for the other side of the house as well as my bulbs. I also want compost so I must remember to go with the car one day very soon to spend the remaining £13.

While I was there I dropped off 80 of the cleaned plant pots for recycling (!) but brought half a dozen bigger ones home, along with a damaged but very solid deep plastic tray that could corral a number of small seedlings in little pots. The damage doesn't matter as it's got drainage holes and has cracked between them but not otherwise.

I then had these to carry home, and called in for some groceries too. There was an unplanned spend on chicken that had been discounted, as well as tuna which gets used a lot. I can't find the receipt right now but it came to about £15.

There was only about half an hour when I got in before I had to go out to work - glad I had the soup ready to heat up. Work was another three hours, and a delightful walk home through a very peaceful evening. I'm really enjoying the cool air after work, while it's still 'tee shirt weather'.

So the only thing off my list today has been the garden centre, but that was well worth doing. It will be a fairly full weekend, at least till after Sunday lunch, meaning I may not get through everything else.

Cherryfudge

Another gorgeous day! We went to the car boot sale in the morning: DH bought some old coins and I bought a selection of things. For some reason clothes don't seem to appeal so much this year, though I bought lots last year. Today, however, there was a Laura Ashley cord jacket that fitted me beautifully so I bought it (£3).

I also got four books: Nigel Slater's The Christmas Chronicles which I already have on Kindle, but this way I get the very stylish cover too; a cookery book from our favourite 'day out' café, an RSPB book on attracting birds to the garden and a paperback on crochet. £4.50 total.

All very satisfying.

After that it was back home for a quick lunch (I had another of the carrot and ginger soups, and a peach) before DH went to the other car boot sale (he bought an old watch for £1) and I went out with my friends from the Tuesday group for an afternoon in a sculpture park. I managed to persuade them to let me pay their entries as both of them have given me lifts so many times. They did buy me coffee and cake later, though, and we sat out in the sun and took our time over it. A really nice day out.

This evening DH has had a few trips to the supermarket for things we forgot but I don't think a lot has been spent. I made a token payment with the Clubcard voucher that's about to run out and got a message to say the balance will be credited to me within three days. I haven't found out what to do with the Nectar points so they will probably just stay as they are.

I've also been back into my notes and found I've been overthinking tomorrow's meeting - phew. I have a plan now, then tomorrow afternoon I can move on to the next thing to worry about. Oh, and my friend has to work on Tuesday so I get that evening off completely, as well as Thursday and Friday, which is probably needed. Monday will be a work day, Wednesday is the debt advice centre (eek, I have someone to advise! But again, there's a plan) and then Friday is when we are hoping to go to an exhibition.

Expenditure
Hobbies (DH) £3
Entertainment - already paid + £1 entry for afternoon car boot
Housekeeping - anyone's guess, will have to wait for the bank statement to catch up (£12.37)
Clothing £3
Books £4.50

Cherryfudge

Things don't happen as expected: the bit of the meeting I'd struggled to get my head round didn't happen as someone was unwell, but I was able to run through the rest okay. I think the two other group leaders are concerned as I broke it to them there are only three of us to lead sessions now, but right now there's nothing I can do about that. Longer term, we will see.

Anyway, that's out of the way for now and I've sent off notes of the meeting so everyone is as up to date as can be. Oddly, while I've been fired up about this role, the ADHD side of things seems to have gone quiet. Usually enthusiasm makes almost no difference when it comes to being able to apply myself.

I got home and DH had made us a chicken chasseur but he had also had a spell of racing heart rate and raised blood pressure, as he did last year. He called NHS 111 and chatted it through with them, but after an hour or so it all calmed down and he went back to a healthy reading. He had a rest for a while then did his usual walk and I went with him - mostly 'just in case' but also because I'm unlikely to do a lot of exercise in the coming week. It was really pleasant walking weather and DH was fine and has been since.

I've had a lazy evening: I wanted to crochet something from my new book but a lot of the patterns seem to be for chunky wool which I don't have so I've just been playing on the computer. My friends shared photos from yesterday which will be a pleasure to look through in the winter: full of sunshine and lovely parkland and us having a nice time.

Cherryfudge

Today, I'm Part of the furniture, it's official. MSE has given me a badge for it to celebrate my 11th year as part of the forum under this name.

And we're off to a misty start. The garden is completely still: no birds sing. There's a load of laundry making the most of overnight electricity rates. DH will be at work today. The scales tell me I'm still losing. It's about 2lbs over the last few weeks: I don't weigh regularly any more but I'm getting plenty of exercise and not eating as much chocolate and gradually it's shifting the excess.

I cleared the backlog of receipts on Saturday night but I've not gone through the bank statements yet and today's the day some direct debits will hit the accounts so it's a good time to do it. I wonder how much progress I can make? I'd like to have some more figures to put into the budgeting app.

This month will be much lower earning than August, as I only have one day at work this week and none the week after next when we're away.

Cherryfudge

I am having a very procrastinating morning: it's those darn bank statements that I don't want to wade through, but I've just remembered I discovered how to enlarge them so I'm not struggling with the miniscule print.

I've had a text conversation with one of my team and booked her in for a slot in October so I'm pleased that's sorted to both our satisfaction. The personal touch: I much prefer it to guesswork!

The washing is on the line but the air is nearly as wet as it is, so it will take all day. Other than that I really need to get out of the house and feel I've done something so I'll head down to Lidl for cereal and the doughnut they promised me. There are overnight oats waiting for me when I get back, and soup for tea.

Cherryfudge

The day cleared a bit though there was the odd spot of rain. There are lots of leaves falling now, though the trees are still more green than gold. It must be roughly autumn, though, as I've just seen a big hedgehog snuffling along under the open window!

I had my quick trip to L!dl, coming back with cereal, potatoes and that doughnut, which I added to my lunch. I had a snooze this afternoon, to make up for not enough sleep overnight - the Fitbit said about five hours though I didn't think I'd been particularly late to bed. The sleep worked well and now I have plenty of energy (at nearly midnight). I had three hours at work and that's all for this week as there are various things to take up my evenings and they didn't need me on Thursday when I was available.

Today was the first time since spring that I've set off home after work and it's been after sunset.

I have gone through the month's accounts, woo! I know there are still lots not done from earlier in the year, but looking at our regular outgoings, I had a bit of a revelation about something for the budgeting advice, which could be a game changer for someone depending on X, Y, Z.

My meals have been overnight oats for lunch, plus doughnut, then soup for tea and a cheese sandwich later.

Expenditure
Housekeeping £12.31 (including DH's shopping)
All the other regular beginning-of-month outgoings which never usually make it onto here: £499.75. At least it's under £500. 

KeepOnKnitting

I'm with you on noticing the change of weather and daylight. I don't feel like we had a proper summer this year.  😕 

Scott_Weiland79

Cherryfudge said:

I am having a very procrastinating morning: it's those darn bank statements that I don't want to wade through, but I've just remembered I discovered how to enlarge them so I'm not struggling with the miniscule print.

I've had a text conversation with one of my team and booked her in for a slot in October so I'm pleased that's sorted to both our satisfaction. The personal touch: I much prefer it to guesswork!

The washing is on the line but the air is nearly as wet as it is, so it will take all day. Other than that I really need to get out of the house and feel I've done something so I'll head down to Lidl for cereal and the doughnut they promised me. There are overnight oats waiting for me when I get back, and soup for tea.

Your bank can issue you statements in large print if you ask them

Cherryfudge

KeepOnKnitting said:

I'm with you on noticing the change of weather and daylight. I don't feel like we had a proper summer this year.  😕 

To me it feels it started late! Spring is my favourite season and sometimes there's a hot spell at the end of March but maybe that's been saved up for next year? The last few weeks have been warm and there's been a lot of sun, but I don't know when the first half of summer has been as wet and windy!

Scott_Weiland79 said:

Your bank can issue you statements in large print if you ask them

Thanks Scott, that's worth knowing but I'm reading online and it just hadn't occurred to me to zoom in! 

I feel much better for having August's figures under my belt, now to feed them into the spreadsheet.