Away From The Madding Crowd

uralmaid

I ordered a new t shirt yesterday. The slogan on it says "I don't know how to act my age - I've never been this old before"  As soon as I saw it I knew I had to have one.  I have been busy with the gardening group - deadheading and weeding.  Found a good buy today on the facebook page of the village we used to live in. It's only 2 miles away. A lovely garden parasol - white with multicoloured spots for £20.  One of our old neighbours had advertised it.  When we went to pick it up it was actually brand new and still wrapped.  A bargain as our old one has holes and has faded a lot, so really pleased.  I need to do some work in our garden too as everything is growing like mad. Have a good week everyone.

Humboldt

Morning all.

@mark55man love the thought of sitting in a tent in the lounge to watch Glastonbury lol.

@bluenose1 pleased to read that you enjoyed the family gathering.  Hope that you snaffled that strawberry whilst watching Bridgerton.

@uralmaid fabulous slogan on the t shirt.  Go you finding another bargain on f@cebook. Such a sustainable way to source new to us items, plus an absolute bargain price.  All you need now is that illusive sunshine to be able to enjoy it. 

Today's simple pleasure - buds are forming on the jasmine in the garden.  Hopefully the flowering and sunshine will coincide so we can can enjoy it's perfume on a summers evening.

Humboldt

Hello and welcome.

Motivational quote of the week.

“Is your glass half empty or half full?” asked the mole.  “I think I’m grateful to have a glass,” said the boy – The boy, the mole, the fox, and the horse by Charlie Mackesy.

Money saving.

Our monthly grocery budget for me and my DH is £250. Week 1 spend for July was £71.57. If it is of interest to anyone, Tayl0rs of Harr0gate decaff coffee beans are currently on offer for £3.50 in S@insbury’s (Nect@r price).

July’s premium bond win was £50 (2024 total to date is £575).

Took advantage of 2 items on Bo0ts ‘£10 Tuesday offers’, saving £15.  For those who are unaware of this offer, each Tuesday B0ots reduce a selection of products to £10.  The products on offer vary from week to week, some are total one-offs, whilst others make more regular appearances.  Prior to buying it is worth checking out whether you can find a better offer elsewhere, also worth looking to see if any extra offers have been allocated to your Advantage Card prior to making a purchase, i.e. gain extra points if you spend over a set amount, a percentage discount on certain brands, etc.  Also saved on other items because I am a ‘60’s Rewards Member’ and there was an extra 10% on selected Bo0ts Brand with my Advantage Card.  Delivery is free if you spend £25 or over.

This week’s main meal plan

Monday – S@insbury’s ‘taste the difference’ melt in the middle beef burger (reduced in price and frozen until required) in a wholemeal bun, BBQ beans, salad and a small portion of oven chips.

Tuesday – Orange & almond couscous salad (He@rt UK recipe), with seabream lightly fried in an Asian inspired butter. Mint and parsley from the garden.

Wednesday – Lentil Bolognese with wholewheat spaghetti.

Thursday – Goats cheese and wild garlic pesto pizza (pesto is homemade and frozen until required).

Friday – Eating out.

Saturday – Kashmiri butter chicken (Ultimate Sl0w Cooker recipes), a small portion of brown rice.  Chillies and ginger were reduced in price and frozen until required. I bought a small portion of double cream and will use some for this recipe, and the remainder will be added to the quiche tomorrow.   

Sunday –  Crustless cheese & onion quiche, homemade coleslaw, and large salad. 

Weekday breakfasts continue to be oat based. Lunches continue to include salads and homemade soups from the freezer. We are also enjoying Ald! Moroccan style falafels (currently £1.05), salad and homemade tzatziki (made with mint from the garden) in a warm wholemeal pitta.

Healthier lifestyle

Completed 0 free workouts last week via Fabul0us50’s on Y0utube.

Step count last week was 60,761.

Completed 4 free meditations last week.

Simple pleasures

An evening at the pub with friends.

A beautiful bunch of lilies from Ald!. Reduced to £2.14. Sell by date tomorrow and guaranteed fresh for 7 days.

Book 10/24 - A Thousand Days in Tuscany - Marlena de Blasi (a free book from the community book swap).  The author has been a chef, a journalist, a food and wine consultant, and a restaurant critic. The author of A Thousand Days in Venice, The Lady in the Palazzo, and That Summer in Sicily, she has also published two cookbooks on the regional foods of Italy.  On a forgotten patch of earth where Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio collide, the author settles with her Venetian husband, in search of a new life. Whilst this is predominantly a foodie book, it also about the friendship that the author and her husband develop with a local (Barlozzo), who shares his knowledge of Italian farming traditions, ancient health potions and artisanal food makers.  I enjoyed the style of writing and have included a couple of snippets below:

‘A slashing November rain loops the olive trees in spangles while it darkles the morning sky’

‘Probably because simplicity is the last thing a person considers as he’s madly searching for the secret to life. Mathilde and Gerard had so much because they had so little’

Thanks for dropping by and taking the time to read my diary.

bluenose1

Lovely motivational quote and will be putting Marlena De Blasi on my reading list, very descriptive writing - been caught in some slashing rain myself in my time
Cant remember who recommended it but just read “Strange Sally Diamond”. I know I say I don’t do sad books but it was that good I couldn’t put it down. Coincidentally my son’s girlfriend’s parents visited this week from Canada and her book club have just read it. Would thoroughly recommend.

I bought a Euonymus reduced from £2.50 to £1.12 in our local Morrisons yesterday, bit of TLC and it will be fine, someone on a local FB gardening group recommended Morrisons plants for price and value, they also had some really nice Acers for £3.50.

Off to Ambleside in the Lake District for a couple of days tomorrow so we will eat out each evening, first time our 15 month old dog has stayed overnight with dog minder so feeling a little discombobulated by it…   

Had a lovely 4 mile walk in woods today with the added bonus  the sun was shining. Did similar walk yesterday and got absolutely drenched, though was worth it  as a deer was stood staring at us for ages.

Humboldt

Morning @bluenose1 thanks for the book recommendation, which has been added to my ever increasing reading list. Thanks also for sharing the plant bargains available at Morris0ns.  I bought my monstera (Swiss cheese plant) for £3+ from Morris0ns a couple of years ago and it is doing really well.  £3.50 for an acer is excellent value, I will check those out.  I hope that you enjoyed your trip away and that your furry friend was pleased to see you upon your return.  Magical moment with the deer, thanks for sharing.

Today's simple pleasure - my morning coffee and silence.

Katiehound

Many thanks for the recent recipes-both chicken & cake sound good.

I have learned my lesson: now I cut & paste into a word doc, then I won't need to trawl through pages and pages on the forum! (That happened not so long ago!)

I have been away on a cruise to the Baltic: very nice 'though the weather wasn't amazing- but better than here! Some very interesting ports although St Petersberg has been axed for obvious reasons......
The hound has come home and I think he has withdrawal symptoms missing his terrier buddies & lots of walks: home is a tad boring!!

The Daily Times on board always has a motivational quote so I'll look some out- how about this one?
"Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud"- Maya Angelou

Off to fill the washing machine again- all those fancy clothes need a wash before they are packed away. I'm thinking T shirt & shorts are not the warmest, but it is summer.....might need to wear a thin fleece.

Simple pleasure on Thursday: seeing magnificent hollyhocks growing on the central reservation of A2 &/or M2. Lots of different colours, made me smile on a long tedious drive from Dover.

Humboldt

Welcome home @Katiehound. We have not done a Baltic cruise and would be interested to know which ports you enjoyed. Love the motivational quote, but love your simple pleasure more.  How wonderful to see hollyhocks growing  in the central reservation of a motorway.  

Today's simple pleasure - the soothing sound of the rain on the window whilst I read my latest book. 

Nebulous2

Humboldt said:

Welcome home @Katiehound. We have not done a Baltic cruise and would be interested to know which ports you enjoyed. Love the motivational quote, but love your simple pleasure more.  How wonderful to see hollyhocks growing  in the central reservation of a motorway.  

Today's simple pleasure - the soothing sound of the rain on the window whilst I read my latest book. 

I'm currently away on a break for a few days, also reading while looking out at the rain, and I have an abundance of simple pleasures here. 

There is a cacophony of bird sounds and Merlin has been trying its best to keep me informed. Goldcrests, Goldfinches, Siskins, Chiffchaffs, various Tits, Blackcaps and Redstarts to name a few, with the most exciting of them being a long-eared owl. 

Walking through the woods with dogs I was excited to find an orchid, went back the following day to have another look and found dozens of them. I initially thought they were common spotted orchids, but after a bit of research we concluded they were heath spotted orchids. 

Katiehound

there are lots of Baltic ports to choose from! Take your pick

Sweden- Gothenburg (Yotaborg!) went on a boat trip on the canals & had to bend right down as some of the bridges are very low
Stockholm: remember visiting the ship Vasa, fascinating. Abba museum hadn't opened then. Old stadt with red brick city hall. Archipelago has 30,000 islands
Gotland with Visby- mediaeval town with walls (to keep the islanders out, not invaders!) part of the Hanseatic league.
Narrow gauge heritage railway
Karlskrona- home of Swedish Navy & very expensive 'garden bungalows'at Brandaholm, World heritage site-the city
Remember to have 'Fika'- coffee & cake!

Denmark
Copenhagen- Little mermaid, palace, trip on boat from Nyhaven to the fort (protecting the city: not!)
Skagen (pronounced Skane) where the Baltic & North Sea meet. Sandtrain. Famous artists. 

Lithuania- Klaipeda- Amber factories (fascinating) Curonian spit- bird watching. One or 2 places have WW2 & Russian connections. Fascinating to hear about life in the eastern Bloc. For all 3 of these countries- the 'Singing Revolution'- how & why

Latvia- Riga

Estonia- Tallinn. Another mediaeval town centre

Poland- Gdansk (Danzig)

Finland- Helsinki- been twice. Trip on the private tram around the city centre- what is noticeable is the metro stations clearly signed as M underground as well as S for shelters. They know their neighbour & are prepared.
This time went for the Sibelius experience: the memorial of metal pipes said to represent the trees that provided him with inspiration. Spotted a bird- probably with a nest  & barnacle geese with goslings. Visited his house Ainola & then went to a wonderful concert by 2 students with a full description of the piece Finlandia & performance on the piano. Thought the piano was going to fall apart as the pianist got such volume from it.

 Turku

I don't walk as well now so don't always get off the ship but I do try to see some of the more unusual ports. Really enjoyed Helsinki

Also German ports: Kiel (& canal if the ship is the right size!)
 Travemunde- ship moors almost in the town
 Warnemunde- a chance to see Rostock or even Berlin if you like a 3.5 hour coach trip each way! 

I really would recommend a Baltic cruise if you like history & don't mind some cool / wet weather. Last year the weather was wonderful. Hope I have whetted you appetite......

Humboldt

@Nebulous2 the destination that you chose for your days away sounds just perfect, and thank you for sharing it.  I hope that you enjoy every moment, despite the weather.

@Katiehound thank you for the time and effort that you put into your latest post.  Such a wonderful array of ports and lots of information to enable us to research further.

Also wanted to say thank you to @tiddles.  Your support is much appreciated.