Away From The Madding Crowd

Humboldt

Nebulous2 said:

Humboldt said:

Nebulous2 said:

Humboldt said:

Hello and welcome @Alnat1 and @CarolWHerts, thanks for taking the time to comment. @Savvy_Sue I will keep my thoughts to myself and once again, wish you a swift recovery

Today's simple pleasure - I have embraced what feels like a shift in the seasons and prepped gifted apples for the freezer.  My kitchen is filled with the comforting scent of stewed apples and cinnamon. 

It feels very much as if it shouldn't be autumn, but the shift around me is telling me that it is. We saw some ripe blackberries a few days ago. Smaller than usual, possibly due to the dry weather, but definitely almost ready. We have a favourite spot to go and pick them, so need to find an opportunity sometime soon. 

Hi @Nebulous2, have you been on your overseas touring holiday?

The signs of the shift in seasons are becoming much more noticeable.  A drop in the evening temperatures, the hedgerow's laden with berries, and the Christmas items have already appeared in the local garden centre! 

Thanks Humboldt - I've been quieter here of late - no financial updates but we've been busy and I'll do one after month-end. 

Yes we spent 5 weeks touring France, Portugal and Northern Spain, having a great time, but it was too hot. We were okay, but we had to be careful managing the dogs. Great food, cultural sights and pace of life however. 

Simple pleasures this week.  We walked up a forestry commission trail to a spectacular viewpoint on a lovely sunny day. While we were standing taking in the view - about 13 miles of a valley right to the sea, we heard broom seed pods popping. I've always liked that noise, but its another indicator that the seasons are changing. 

Morning @Nebulous2 your touring holiday sounds amazing, despite the weather. Spain is somewhere that we haven't explored yet, but it is on our to-do list. 

Thanks for sharing your simple pleasures.  I have to admit that I have never heard broom seed pods popping, perhaps need to add that to the to-do list.  

Today's simple pleasure - homemade sourdough pancakes with yogurt, blueberries and a drizzle of local honey.  A leisurely breakfast is one of the many positives of retirement/semi retirement.

Humboldt

Hello and welcome.

Motivational quote of the week.

Autumn shows us how beautiful it is to let things go – unknown.

Money saving.

Our monthly grocery budget for me and my DH is £250. Week 4 spend for August was £65.23. Total for August was £285.62.  £35.62 over budget this month. 

Fully utilised the 2-hours free electric via our energy provider.

Monthly interest gained via various savings accounts for August was £85.63.

I was gifted a bag of seasonal fruits.  Some have been processed and frozen, the remainder were made into a spiced compote to enjoyed with porridge. So nice to be squirrelling away free produce to enjoy during the winter months.

Having submitted a complaint to my bank I was awarded £75 compensation.  Despite this offer, I remained unhappy with the outcome.  I took the decision to request a review and was pleased to receive an apology within days, along with a further £300 compensation.  More importantly they fixed the issue and agreed to review their staff training as a result.  I only complain when necessary and equally offer praise when appropriate.

September’s premium bond win was £125 (2025 total to date is £575).

This week’s main menu.

Monday – Creamy spaghetti with courgette and bacon (from one of my recipe scrap books).

Tuesday – Nepalese chicken curry with a small portion of brown rice.  I am using a ‘new to us’ readymade sauce (P@ssage to India) bought from L!dl, which contains no artificial colours or flavours.  I will add a few vegetables and cook in the slow cooker.

Wednesday – Spanish-style chicken bake (H@iry D!eter’s recipe).  I have tomatoes that need using up and the potatoes will be from the garden.  I will reduce the number of potatoes, and add carrots and sweet potatoes. To fully utilise the oven, I will bake a sourdough.

Thursday – Warm potato and smoked mackerel salad (from one of my recipe scrap books). Potatoes will be from the garden. 

Friday – Vegetable bhuna (an adaptation of the H@iry D!eter’s chicken bhuna recipe), with chapatti.  I will use leftover vegetables, a tin of chickpeas, and cook in the slow cooker. Root ginger will be from the freezer. I buy root ginger when reduced in price and freeze in thumb sized pieces.  No defrosting necessary, you can grate from frozen. 

Saturday –  Lamb moussaka (from one of my recipe scrap books) with a dressed salad.

Sunday – Ping meal (as above) – cook once, eat twice (saves on time and energy costs).

Healthier lifestyle.

Last week’s step count was 56,176.

Completed 4 free meditations last week.

Completed 3 free online workouts last week. 

Simple pleasures.

DH and I took a trip to the coast and enjoyed a walk along the cliffs.  Fabulous views and a picnic.  Highlight of the day was seeing seals along the way.

Met an ex-neighbour on our day out.  Such a lovely surprise, nice to have a quick catch-up.

Sitting in my summer house and reading a magazine that was kindly passed onto me by a friend.  When I have finished with the magazine, I will also pass on to another friend. 

Book 13/25 – A walk in the Woods – Bill Bryson (bought this from a charity stall at a village fete). 

The longest continuous footpath in the world, the Appalachian Trail stretches along the East Coast of the United States.  At the age of 44, in the company of his friend, Bill Bryson set off to hike through the vast tangled woods.  Ahead lay almost 2,200 miles of remote mountain wilderness filled with bears, moose, bobcats, rattlesnakes, (the list goes on) – and perhaps most alarming of all – people whose favourite pastime is discussing the relative merits of the external-frame backpack.

Not only was this book informative, wonderfully descriptive, but also laugh-out-loud funny. Loved it. Thanks to @Clowance for recommending the author.

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

jwil

I like Bill Bryson books too.  Your food sounds lovely as ever!

Humboldt

jwil said:

I like Bill Bryson books too.  Your food sounds lovely as ever!

Hi @jwil, I do love reading travel books, but it was the humour that made this one a little different.  I am sure that I will come across another of his books at some point.  Continuing with the travel theme, DH and I are enjoying watching Griff's Gre@t Americ@n S0uth on Ch@nnel 4.  

Today's simple pleasure - I have begun to read a book titled Simple Pleasures - Little Things That Make Life Worth Living.  It begins with 'The deepest pleasures almost always come from the simplest sources'.

Savvy_Sue

Humboldt said:

jwil said:

I like Bill Bryson books too.  Your food sounds lovely as ever!

Hi @jwil, I do love reading travel books, but it was the humour that made this one a little different.  I am sure that I will come across another of his books at some point.  Continuing with the travel theme, DH and I are enjoying watching Griff's Gre@t Americ@n S0uth on Ch@nnel 4.  

Today's simple pleasure - I have begun to read a book titled Simple Pleasures - Little Things That Make Life Worth Living.  It begins with 'The deepest pleasures almost always come from the simplest sources'.

I have just spotted Bill Bryson's "Little Dribbling" and "Made in America" on the bookshelf here. Must read them ... did enjoy "A Walk in the Woods a few years ago", he is very entertaining. 

Yorkie1

"Notes from a small island" (the original) was about life in Britain, with a clever observation that many people give directions related to pubs! (Turn left at the Blue Bell ... )

Humboldt

A big thank you to @Savvy_Sue and @Yorkie1 for taking the time to recommend more Bill Bryson books.  A Walk in the Woods will be my DH's holiday read when we are next away, and then it will be passed onto a family member who has expressed an interest.

Today's simple pleasure - homemade apple and blueberry crumble on the menu today. 

louby40

I've made a plum crumble with plums from my parents plum tree. We've just eaten it with warm custard.
😋 yum 

QrizB

louby40 said:

I've made a plum crumble with plums from my parents plum tree. We've just eaten it with warm custard.
😋 yum 

Sounds lovely!

A friend had a bountiful plum tree, but sadly he's not very garden-y and got fed up with having to pick up the windfall fruit while dodging wasps, so he had it removed

jaybee

My very favourite Bill Bryson book is The Lost Continent closely followed by Neither Here Nor There. Made me laugh out loud!