Next steps; grip-relaxing bimbling, and avoiding the temptations

foxgloves

Oh how annoying! Yes, supermarkets are just crazy at this time of year. Can well recall a year at Waitbl00m on Dec 23rd when we said, "Never again". The worst aisle blockers were the couples with 2 trolleys, discussing every item while blocking everyone else. Most of the staff seemed to be on queue management as the place gridlocked. The trick is defo to be there at opening time & to go straight to the classic key bun-fight areas of stock.
Mind you, we are calling into the Swedish Emporium later today - I'm sure I'm going to regret that.
F

Suffolk_lass

I've been to the one in the big town as the road into the small town had a three way traffic control in place yesterday, and the store is considerably smaller there. This effectively killed off the market yesterday, with many people grumpy in their cars, trying to get there - and that was without the silly stitch driving her car down to wrong side of the road to try and bypass the queue. What did she think she was doing? well she was made to reverse the 300m back along the queue before someone let her in.

I had thought that stock levels might be better at the bigger one, and to bypass the small town congestion, but no simple granola and no seafood that were on my list. I do have to go for the fresh veg I did not get (deliberately) so will go for 06.00 on Tuesday before collecting the meat from the butcher's at 7.00. On the upside I got almost 20% off with a 10% of minimum £40 spend, and the same with the More or less card

I have still to face Waitflower but I think I shall go for the Monday morning opening time. It's a bit of a PITA to get there, as it involves the well known bridge that congests in the morning. Oh well, if I will invite people for drinks and nibbles!

I once went to Tosco on 23rd December and went at 04.30 to beat the rush. I think it was only the first or second Christmas after they started opening the big stores for 24 hours. Well, that was a four hour job, with 30 minutes to park, and an hour and a half getting out, 45 minutes shopping and over an hour trying to get through the till. I remember resorting to calling down the queue and asking people to pass x product off the shelf they were queued next to! I recall the two trolley days so well. It felt like that when I went into Sainsbugs this week. I do like their fruit though.

In other things, my Sis asked if I wanted to go halves on 2 different coloured cashmere sweaters she had got hold of for a total under £90 - Mum will like that - she likes it when we do things together. I've just transferred my half to her. All good really. I just need to check the grocery budget now, to confirm how things are going...

Suffolk_lass

Our tree is decorated and secured to the ceiling to protect the many pieces of breakable decorations. These are crystals from my friend's late MiL's deeply unfashionable chandeliers that I broke up and used to make hanging crystal decorations. Along with the porcelain bells (one per year since 1997) bought in and from Germany.

It's in what we refer to as the grotto at Christmas. There is a low wall with the timber frame (that was once a wall) still there, so we net off the "walls" and peg the cards behind the net of twinkling lights. We like a few lights and still have lots of bright white lights! The big leather chair is our reading chair, that the dog loves (hence the fleece blanket to stop him trying to pull the leather into his "nest").

So apart from the residual cobweb removal, the sitting room is complete. Here is a photo (sorry the bright white lights are blurred)

KajiKita

Oh that is lovely 🥰 Really pretty and cosy ❤️

KK

foxgloves

That looks fab, @Suffolk_lass. I love beams. Sadly the only beam in our house is a big supporting one from when a previous owner removed a kitchen wall. White lights manage to be both cheery & calming, don't they? I like to have some up all year round.
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Merlin's_Beard

That's really pretty!

thriftmonster

That's so beautiful

Suffolk_lass

No pat, pat, ding this year. Old Stealth Cat is more interested in food and pens, than tree decorations, although I noticed the little stack of party hats on the table last night, have at some point been removed to the floor this morning. Dog is only really interested in cat, most of the time (although he is my sausage rug this morning, spread across my knees and gently twitching and snoring, having demanded to go out and chase something in the dark this morning at 06.00. So I am up, and he and SC have been fed.

The Christmas box for Dan, Dan our Milk-Man (sorry!) is in the cold box with the empty bottles, ready for the early hours of tomorrow, and the other Dan, Dan the Post-Man (sorry again) has his card and Christmas box ready to catch him, when he calls. The window cleaner is coming today. We no longer see Tom, our original chap, but first his brother, and now another, come regularly every month and are reliable and good. A small thank you for him is planned too. I caught the dustmen last week. It involved chasing them down the road. They literally run their route. So good. 

In other matters, while I am still in budget for groceries, with just over £175 remaining, it all feels a bit more squeaky on the finance front. Receiving about £300 less for Mr Sl's little car when he swapped to the truck that will need some money spending on it, and a pathetic refund of £19 for 6 months insurance has not helped.

Why am I sitting here instead of trawling Waitflower for the stuff I need for tonight's little gathering? it is because I listened to others on here saying how relatively quiet the SM were this weekend and I went yesterday instead. A relatively pleasurable experience, I teamed up with a random stranger shopper to both hunt for the missing Gravadlax. He pulled the things in the wrong place out, I moved them, lifted and checked there were none hiding. He was cursing himself for missing it on Wednesday when it was on his list and he omitted to pick it up. I reconciled myself with a jar of dill sauce and some mild smoked salmon on offer instead. There were lots of people, but no crashing trollies and lots of partners (the working ones, not spouses) to help, direct and show. I got everything, including the mostly mythical 3-year old French OB Brandy I use for cocktails and cooking. I think it was £13 last time I managed to get some. £20 for a litre. No dye though (just blended brandy) - definitely matters. So this morning, I will write the remaining cards and post them (just two) and the neighbour cards too. I might make fudge, just to gift (although we always eat a bit) and get ready.

I am doing cocktails; Cosmopolitans when they arrive, then pink fizz and finally Brandy Alexanders. The accompanying nibbles (in addition to some nuts) will be Spicy prawn and cucumber skewers then crab and avocado croustades, with the Cosmo's, followed by smoked salmon Blinis with the fizz and Sardine and ricotta Tartine and Sourdough Malt loaf with Dolcelatte with the Brandy Alexanders. After that they will probably go. If not, I have Hummous and crackers, nuts and different wines, so I think I am there. I probably said before, this is to thank the two households locally that looked after dog (who cannot be left) when Mr Sl was in hospital twice this year. I haven't hosted anything like this for several years. If it goes well, I might repeat one or two elements for New Year. Ooh, the WM has just finished its' cycle, I need to get that sorted so it isn't hanging on the aga when they come 

Watty1

That sounds like a fabulous evening - and - to include Brandy Alexanders - what class! (My favourite of all cocktails).  Snacks sound excellent too.  

I love that you have regular Dan Dan's the whatever man.  I would give Christmas boxes but never see the same people these days. We have moved from rural village to town in the years i have been here (ok, not a town but changing people all the time now)    Only the milkman is a constant, from a dairy down the road that decided to challenge the usual way of being dairy farmers and now have their own rounds that are very extensive, complete with glass bottles.  

Suffolk_lass

I should probably have said Dan; Dan, the ****-Man but it didn't play to the nursery rhyme element (my juvenile sense of humour). The dairy we use is a conglomerate but at least it is a milkman with glass bottles. I thought our milkman was Ivor as that is what the website said, but this year we received a handwritten card, so it is a little more personal. I guess Ivor is the generic name they use to make it feel more personal. I don't mind that. I think it is an important service to preserve. It also stops me going off piste with local shop spending, picking up too many things not on my list by staying out of the shops! I do wish it was a local producer but we live in arable land, not livestock (other than a few sheep and chickens).

Right, time to stop lolling and do some getting on with it!