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

rtandon27

@Suffolk_lass - I'm highly amused that you are having cocktails accompanied by nibbles rather than nibbles with their accompanying cocktails! (Yes I have an odd sense of humour)  You really are the Hostess with the mostest 🍷🍸🍹🧀🥟

Went for a work wine and cheese the other week as a charity fund-raiser and I was more about the cheese and chutneys than the actual wine (or in my case cocktails) - lol - I now know that I like my brie unaged (the cheap stuff) & not the best brie that wafts it's scent across the room! - and not blue in it's natural state, but only cooked.

foxgloves

You're very kind giving all your people a Christmas box. I have never done that, although I do take every opportunity to thank the postman, bin man, etc, when I see them. I rarely see our milkman as he clinks up our drive in the early hours, so out of our household, he probably only knows Ash!
F

Suffolk_lass

I missed yesterday because it did not go to plan. I'll explain (I started this earlier but there was a power blip and now all the stilled lights are flashing outdoors - oh well, as long as they are stopped before dark!).

The cocktails and canapés went well although the young adult daughter who came is gluten and dairy intolerant now, doesn't like this, doesn't eat that - so she had one cocktail and played with dog most of the time. The other six of us enjoyed just having a nice chat with no pressure. I think I kept tipping the slightly diluted remnants into my glass. I certainly felt I had had a drink, but not hung-over or drunk, if you know what I mean. 

Anyway, I was up at 05.30, and set off for Morries knowing they opened at 06.00 (I checked). There was a big pile of Brussels sprout bags where the 5p veg should have been, but nothing else. As I walked round, picking up things, I found five bags of carrots in a random place, so I put those I did not need in the carrots place. There were no big pots of double cream where they should have been but they were in the cream cakes fridge! - Ad so on. I picked up what I needed and paid full price for big parsnips, calabrese and four baking potatoes. I felt really sorry for the delivery and click and collect pickers and customers. Fancy ordering in February and then receiving nada. It was clear their delivery lorry didn't come. I don't know if there were staff in store overnight but many shelves were devoid of stock. I did secure the smoked salmon I wanted and we will be fine. I popped back in for fresh flowers and got to the Butcher for my 07.00 pick-up (first slot) as they opened up. I was about 10th in the queue. I was home by 07.30 and resolved not to do any more shopping. By 10.00 I was ready for bed so I did!

I had to get up by 12.00 as I had a hospital appointment. I insisted I would go on my own so Mr Sl could hang out at home as he had a list... Anyway we couldn't find the appointment letter. I knew I needed entrance 2. Cut to the chase I spent two hours being directed or escorted round three diagnostic imaging clinics, none of whom could find me or see my appointment. I hate being late or not turning up. The poor girl in the first clinic's reception had only started there a week ago, so she was very worried it was her. It wasn't. When I went to X-Ray (last, because it wasn't an X-ray) the receptionist insisted I waited while she explored. I was almost in tears, thinking it was all my fault and what a waste of time and money I was causing.

It turned out that whoever booked it, did so at the other hospital. They are in different counties but part of the same trust. They looked at my postcode and sent me to the hospital in the town the first two letters refer to. My GP, the Clinic, the Consultant, the records, all sit in the other hospital. We live in the other County (no prizes for guessing which one, BTW ). At no point was it mentioned in the appointment letter - they just had not looked at my records at all. Had the scan been undertaken, nothing would have happened, as although they are one trust, only the admin bits are part of the new computer system. The consultant would not have been able to see my scan, review what next, or put me down for a repeat if NFA. Worse, if the condition has worsened, nobody would have taken any notice as nobody knows anything about me there. So it was a time-consuming waste of time, but it could have been worse. And the five reception staff, and one volunteer (who normally stands in outpatients reception and directs you to your clinic) who escorted me round - well they are why I love the NHS. I now have a new appointment at the correct hospital at 08.00 on Saturday 3rd January. 

So not very Christmassy, but disaster avoided thanks to those lovely people. 

Today, I have a new list and I am quietly pottering my way through it.

The cocktails were great, by the way @rtandon27 - Cosmopolitans suitably sharp and the perfect foil for the canapes, little mouthfuls of crab and avocado, and  spicy prawn and cucumber skewers, then a local pink fizz (literally 2 miles from here) with smoked salmon blinis (mine might have been more generous with the toppings, and finally Brandy Alexanders with sardine and ricotta tartines (my least favourite)and little gooey squares of sourdough maltloaf with little squares of dolcelatte cheese on top (I made this one up, it was yummy). All consumed and they went home by 9.30pm. My kind of evening!

Watty1

Hospital resolved - and - that does sound a lovely evening 

rtandon27

Oh my - what a kerfuffle with the hospital appointment - honestly I'd have been in tears with the saga!  Well done on them for rebooking you for early January!

Cocktails, canapes AND home by 9:30 - what a civilized bunch of guests you had!

beanielou

So glad you got another appointment so soon.  

But what  carry on. 

Suffolk_lass

Merry Christmas if anyone sees this. Our guests this evening all departed about 7pm. I had run the first dishwasher load, and loaded the second by then. I left Mr Sl to it - he was a bit overwhelmed. I have just unloaded that third load and am running a 70c cleaning cycle as nothing in that third load was clean and I have just washed it all again by hand. Ho hum! It was a lovely day, for all the clutter, clearing up and washing up that remains outstanding. I'm calling it a day. Sitting here in my sequinned slightly-itchy top, velvet skirt and new pearl necklace with my apron over the top. Classy (not!)

I wish everyone well. Peace, health and contentment please. x

KajiKita

Sounds like a successful day 😊 shame about the dishwasher though! Hopefully and Mr SL are restored to full function by the time you interact with them today! 😉

KK

Suffolk_lass

All good this morning, with all the plain crystal glasses with water in, ready for handwashing and the roasting tins all clean and grease-free. The rest of our dinner service was clean and dry in the Dishwasher. I think possibly his ambition with roasting tins to avoid hand-washing was the cause, and it was also at least six weeks since I ran a hot cleaning cycle. It definitely benefitted! I've just finished putting the last glasses back in the cabinet (a CS find - a 1930s glass cabinet), and I have a bread putting in the oven. Almond Croissants from the wonderful bakery are defrosting on the oven top. I'm just persuading myself I do not need to go shopping, even if there are bargains. I know our neighbour friends enjoyed themselves. She made a glorious lemon meringue pie and I made a lovely panetone trifle. My cousin's partner made some fantastic mackerel pate and raisin/cranberry and cashew nut melba toasts. We did not ask our other neighbour (widowed this year) to bring anything but he brought a quiz (unused) and a box of chocolates. I now have five bouquets of flowers and the European cheese mountain to contend with.

Auntie (94, who broke her femur in the summer and has it pinned, and is still rehabilitating) was on good form, heard most things, was witty, and eat a small dinner and the top of the LMP, just scraping the pastry and leaving that bit. Apparently it has been only chicken soup this week, and my other cousin forewarned me she might not eat. She even had 2 dates rolled in smoked streaky bacon ("dates are good for me!") and just the one little red ball

DS left with one portion of LMP to try (he is getting more adventurous), along with a 2 litre pot of leftovers for his working nurse partner, and a second of roast potatoes to take in to work!

A nice relaxing day in prospect, we will walk the dog and organise other friends to meet up with tomorrow.

Suffolk_lass

Right, I have set up my personal 2026 tracker spreadsheet (a duplicate of 2025 with all the totals removed at this point) I'm going to review it more closely to see if I can make it work better for us, and a bit more straightforward to maintain.

There are very few other budget things to report except I have set my grocery challenge annual budget at £3000 (again) for 2026 and our savings target for 2026 at £10,000. The link to the "Save £12k in 2026" thread is in my signature, along with the grow your own (planning mostly at this point) thread and the reverse meal planning thread (that is shopping from home to stop us paying the supermarket to store their food).

I wondered if @edinburgher fancied the savings challenge as he is going for it for the home modifications?

Other than that, this morning is about maximising the value from the Christmas food (half a Christmas cake, a box of selected cheeses and the cakes from the M&S afternoon tea hamper from my sister have all entered the freezer, as realistically they are just too much). More cheese will follow after New Year. I need to process more turkey and I have pastry resting ahead of making a pie for today to have with friends who are visiting today. Plenty of drinks here so nothing needs buying for New Year - it will be just five of us, I think, but two more possibles, so not much preparation for that. 

The only other budget saving was by Mr Sl who deployed the log splitter, preparing two wheelbarrow loads that are now in our fireplace, drying out a bit before use. A bit weird, bringing a wheelbarrow into the house, but it meant we kept more heat in and it was only on the brick floor just inside. Phase two was me stacking them (I bend more easily and I could see he was tired after staying up late to hear day one of the cricket). Plenty now and we can use some over New Year rather than the heating being on so much.

Right, having felt compelled to get up shortly after six to turn on the radio (and hear England finally win a Test Match in Australia) - I am reflecting on how I knew I needed to get up and listen at that point. It was a really strong feeling and occasionally I get them - Chelsea winning the Champions League in 2012 - I dreamt the outcome, knew who would score and that it would be a penalty. Mr Sl had a similar thing once. He woke up in a foreign hotel room knowing he had to turn on the TV and watch the Challenger Rocket launch (that was the one that exploded) when he was not even aware it was taking place. I offer no explanation. It is just one of those things.

I hope everyone continues to have an enjoyable, restful time and keeps the faith - purses closed unless we need it