Milann’s mutterings through retirement

WinterWarrior

What a brilliant photo! 

Floss

@milann those big lights are on until after New Year, so plenty of time to go when it's properly dark & kids are not on school holidays 😉

beanielou

milann said:

Love this photo from last night

That’s fantastic. 

Sun_Addict

That’s a brilliant photo indeed, well done for capturing that fabulous display 😍

Seasidegal58

That photo is gorgeous milann! ❤️. Well done!

milann

Floss…..we’ve been the last couple of New Years Eves to ‘the lights’ , Tea at Bispham followed by drive along the lights and home for buffet in time to let the NewYear in. That’s the plan this year too 👍 Hopefully it’ll be decent weather and we can look around the Christmas village near the tower too…..we were rained off previously. 
Thanks for the compliments on the photo. I just pointed the camera and kept pressing button. It was just luck and wasn’t particularly hard to take as the fireworks were continuous 👍
I went for lunch with a friend yesterday and then to the local theatre. It’s mainly run by volunteers and there are some great shows there and an art deco cafe ( which unfortunately was closed yesterday ) it has been used in lots of tv shows. Anyway there was fund raising variety style show hosted by local celebrities yesterday afternoon. It was only £11 a ticket and one of the best shows I’ve been to. They had some amazing singers ranging from operatic, Country and Elvis to the Drifters. I’ll definitely be going again next year 👍Lunch was in a cheap and cheerful cafe and just over a fiver for an omelette and cuppa 😀 So a lovely day out.
Not much happening today. I do want some winter pansies and the sun is shining so I might nip to the garden centre. In fact that’s now a plan 👍

Seasidegal58

The show at the local theatre sounded great fun!  Certainly puts West End prices to shame at £11 a ticket!😳
By the way, I know you love knitting and crocheting and didn't know if you were aware that Aldi currently has an annual wool sale on. Apparently there's some lovely balls of wool going for £1.29. I heard about this second hand as I don't knit or crochet myself but hopefully the local branch nearest to you may bear fruit so to speak..... 

milann

Thanks SSG I’ll have a look next time I’m in…..although atm I could probably sell them some 😂😂😂 I’ve been stocking up as I want to make both gks a blanket. I’ve already started but need to look up a bobble stitch I haven’t come across before. That’ll be my job this evening.
ive been a tad concerned that I haven’t had any notification that the ESA I claim is coming to an end. I wrote to them and told them I’d be getting my state pension and fully expected confirmation that it would be stopping. I’ve tried several times to phone them to no avail so I nipped on the bus with my bus pass 😀👍 to the offices but apparently they don’t deal with ESA….anyway the lovely frazzled looking lady who kept apologising for yawning….phoned through to whoever deals with it and apparently it just comes to an end. I fully expected  this but it’s good to have confirmation as I don’t want any accusations that I’m trying to be fraudulent and claim both. It seemed a tad silly to me as they write to you  about EVERYTHING. I’d have thought that it coming to an end would have warranted a bit of paperwork. Anyway I’ve done all I can think of to notify them…..hopefully there won’t be any repercussions.
i was speaking to one of the teachers from school last week and somehow ended up volunteering on a Thursday morning 😂😂😂 I have missed the banter of school and being with the littlies. I’ve often thought about going in one morning but wanted to wait until I was properly retired so it didn’t come to bite me on the b@m…..volunteering to do something once a week for a couple of hours is a whole different ball game to working full time. Anyway I called into school yesterday and commenced with the clearance checks needed. Filled it in online this morning and popped in to show documentary evidence that I am who I say I am and live where I say I live. The secretary suggested a teacher in one of the reception classes but I much prefer the teacher in the opposite class. So that’s where I’m heading for. I won’t be starting until after I come back from dds….i expected the clearance to take longer than a day…..used to take weeks or even months at one stage. It was quite funny as one of the teachers I used to work with dragged me into the staff room with a ‘taadaa…..look who I found loitering’ I didn’t know any of the staff in there…..and they didn’t know me 😂😂😂😂😂 so that fella bit flat….. it’s over 4 years since I was there and hardly anyone I know anymore. Ido know the lovely teacher I’ll be with though and she knows me and my history so won’t get me doing anything I can’t do. I’d volunteered to listen to readers….but who knows what I’ll end up doing 😂😂
i had a lovely afternoon planting bulbs and some pansies in the front to replace my sweetpeas which were beautiful this year. I’ve saved the seeds and will plant them. I’m going to plant the rest of the pansies this afternoon in the back. I knew I’d don’t it though even though I was sitting on a stool.
Tomorrow I’m going to a local ish pub for lunch and a Motown show. We saw an Elvis tribute a few weeks ago - it’s a great way to fill the pub in the afternoon.
Dh has told me to keep Friday clear for a birthday surprise and on Saturday my actual birthday we’re going for a Chinese. We have tickets at a theatre to see Ukelel band of Great Britain on Sunday. We’ll head over early on the tram and have a wander by the canal as I know there  is a big football match nearby and the trams will be heaving. The group Dh goes to is playing in the foyer as a warm up, but he didn’t put his name down to play, but it’ll be nice to see them.
Then Monday morning I’m off to dds for a few day by the sea 😀I’m really looking forward to it. It’s always relaxing when I go there…especially when I’m on my own 👍
£50 spent at the garden centre yesterday but that included renewing my loyalty card and it pays for itself with 2 free hot drinks a month. Plus they send offers and the discount mounts up quite nicely too.
I haven’t been to SW for the last couple of weeks so the cash saved has gone towards my pansies 👍

beanielou

You will love your volunteering. 

milann

I’m sure I will Beanie. I still know some folk there but am removed enough from all the work politics that goes on everywhere. I love the teacher I’ll be with and by the sound of it there are several characters in the class. I chose Thursday as Dh is out that morning and we can do something together when we both finish 😀 There are closer schools to me but I decided better the devil you know 😂😂