Living the Good Life - mortgage free and living in line with our values

Suffolk_lass

I completely agree re commercial units. They should all be built with mono-tilt south-facing roofs of PV.

The agriculture thing is a bit more complicated and very much soil dependant. Here we have lots of sandy soil, so having fields of semi-permanent roots helps to prevent erosion (and is better for animal grazing and hay for animals, rather than F&V crops). The pollination crops initiative from Defra is a three year thing for this reason. It's a shame that there is so much creeping thistle and ragwort now as a result of the "seed and leave" approach though. With local highways and National Highways being among the biggest culprits for letting these (regulated need to control weeds) proliferate. Most livestock farms no longer muck spread either

themadvix

Afternoon all,

Agreed SL - it definitely depends on location.

I'm about to head down to the allotment for a bit of weeding (and maybe start the mammoth task of harvesting currants... maybe).

Henley yesterday was fabulous. Definitely not a cheap day out, but not as expensive as it could have been and we know how to make it cheaper for next time (yes, there may well be a next time - it turns out, once you have a contact, it's not that difficult (or expensive) to get tickets to the Stewards Enclosure, and our contacts will be more than happy to share the link with us for next year!). It was London prices for drinks and food (which we got from a standard festival food van outside of the enclosures). If we went again, we'd definitely take a cooler with a picnic lunch and drinks in (you can't eat it inside the enclosure, but we didn't have lunch in there anyway and now we know that the car is easily accessible and it's fine to come and go as you please) and we've sussed where cheaper food options were. The prices were a bit odd - some things seemed reasonable (£7 a pint - London prices), others (4 small ice cream pots @ £22!) were definitely not! Our hosts were very generous and provided us with two bottles of (£90 each!) English fizz - fortunately, given that only three of us were drinking it, the second had the cork still in it, so we've brought it home (bought without them batting an eyelid, so definitely not in the same world as us!). Enjoyed the racing and just spending time with the friends we took (technically they drove us) - normally we're either also entertaining their small children or tired after a day at work when we see them. They really enjoyed it too and have already said they're definitely up for repeating the experience!

We've had the details for our heatpump options through, although Mr MV is still wanting more detail. We've got two prices for two different installs (one an eco option: lower flow rate, so higher install cost and lower ongoing cost; one 'turbo' option: slightly higher install cost (fewer rads replaced) but higher ongoing costs) - but no full details as to what each involves (it's more than just one rad's difference) - and therefore whether we could go for the cheaper option but later upgrade our rads ourselves and turn the flow rate down. In any case, we need to check the details at the weekend and arrange a call with the Octo salesperson next week to discuss. In excellent news, our quotes don't include the 15% offer they are running at the moment - so there'd be more money off too.

I've completed a piece of work for main client this morning - it had a firm deadline which is unusual, but I got it done in time, despite there being some serious issues with it. Have also had a Cambridge meeting and done several other bits for there too. I have a small piece of work lined up for Monday for UK client and will continue with Cambridge work if I don't receive anything from main client.

Have let my current cat client out to enjoy the sunshine and will go and pop her inside for the night when we head to the pub. Anyway, better get down the allotment for a bit first.

Have a good evening all!

lulabelle1

Delurking…! We had octopus install out Heatpump at the end of Feb. We had the cosy 9 and 12 rad replacements. Couldn’t have been happier with the whole process and chuffed to bits with the finished result. Happy to help with any questions you might have 😊

themadvix

Thanks lulabelle, that’s really good to know. 

Am just visiting my cat client - she’s such a sweetheart, a tiny little thing. Nineteen years old but still pretty healthy and happy with her simple life. We’ve been to buy buoyancy aids this morning for kayaking. We’ve borrowed previously but the ones we borrowed were uncomfortable and bulky, so visited an independent shop and bought ones that fit much better. Better yet, they were on offer so came to the same price as a cheap Dec4thlon one would have been (which is what we’d borrowed). We were planning on a paddle this afternoon, but it’s very windy and quite grey here, so think we’ll skip that. Will catch up on housework, Mr MV can watch the f1 qualifying and maybe we’ll go for a walk later as it’s meant to brighten up then.
Will be cheering the women on in the football tonight!
 Dinner last night was swede curry from the freezer and I think it might be another freezer meal tonight - trying to make some room for the harvests that I’m picking!

themadvix

Morning all,

Well cat sitting has been cancelled by a change of plans from the client, but I'm to keep the money (and the key, in case there's further changes). I offered to return some (she paid cash), but she's adamant not.

I'm quietly hoping this week will be slightly less manic work-wise. I've got plenty of Cambridge stuff to do/catch up on and a small bit of work for my UK client, but at least this morning, I've got nothing from main client (he's now in Canada, so we'll see when he wakes up!).

We had a very productive weekend, getting various jobs done and preparing for the arrival of a small double bed from my mum's (she wanted rid and it solves a problem for us at zero-cost). We're collecting it on Thursday evening, when we'll have a van as we're going to collect the teardrop caravan kit from Wales on Friday. We're meant to be kayaking on Friday evening.... and it's a 24hr hire for the van, so Friday will require an early, early start. (It's already on my plan for the week to ensure we have breakfast and lunch with us when we go.)

Have decluttered a few bits and identified a couple of things to sell too, so some MSE elements to this. We've only been here 13 years, but it feels like we might finally get my office/spare bedroom 'finished'! Also spent some time while watching the women's football (dire, wasn't it?) updating email address/closing online accounts I no longer need - it feels good to be taking back some control of my data.

Having made progress, I have a to-do list of non-work-related items for the week, but it's good to at least have them written down so I can tick stuff off.

I also inventoried the freezer and work continues to free up space in there for harvests, in combination with fresh stuff from the allotment. Dinner last night was leftover roasted veg from Boxing Day! 🫣 I have a meal plan for the week and no R'ford delivery will be required. We also avoided buying extra milk last week - we had a cooked breakfast yesterday so it wasn't needed for cereal (and the avocado needed using) and I managed on black tea when the milk had run out.

MS things:
* Sister's birthday present bought within budget (used a discount code)
* Harvesting tomatoes, cucumber, cabbages, potatoes, kale and saltbush (the latter are my perennials, which have settled in brilliantly). Growth is good and beans are forming on my many bean plants (mostly for drying). Harvested my first soup peas the other day.
* Have drafted an email of complaint that will hopefully get us a small refund (holiday-related)
* Used S&S points for an argoose voucher - for toner cartridge for the printer (£50 saved)
* S&S and FOTG submitted

* YG survey
* Mr MV has taken lunch today (and generally has recently)

Gratitudes:
* Mum has gifted us the bed - I have offered her some money for it (and then she reminded me that we've saved her several thousand (as per the quote she got) by replacing her fence for her).
* Lovely early morning walk yesterday with Mr MV to check on our geocaches
* Mr MV has taken on a new volunteering role and it's lovely to see him so enthusiastic about it.

Have a good day all, I'd better get on with this work!

themadvix

Morning all,

The weather is warming up again here. I was hoping to get to the allotment early this morning to strim, but I have work from main client and diminishing amounts of time to get it done due to not being here Friday (or tomorrow pm, see below). I also have Cambridge meetings today and Mr MV has a call with the 🐙man to discuss the heat pump.

I have my ex-Brownie friends coming to visit the allotment tomorrow (and go for a walk, if it's not ridiculously hot), so I'll pop down tomorrow morning with the strimmer (and the chairs needed) and that will have to do.

Started my tax return yesterday, which led to me discovering that I have two workplace pension accounts - one only shows the old (tiny, tiny £169) pension, but the more recent account shows both that one and the other one. These are from Cambridge and I joined entirely because they give me free money. In total, they are worth £600, which is excellent as it doesn't feel like I've done much to achieve that, but equally I'm glad that's not all I'm retiring on! 😆 Tax return isn't finished because I'm waiting for tax statements from V1rgin Money, who have a terrible system for requesting these. They aren't routinely available, you have to submit a form (not logged in, and yet with account details transmitted). It says you have to submit a form for each account you need the certificate for and yet, it plants a cookie that means you get a 'This form has already been submitted' notice when you try to submit again. And theoretically I should get the documents in the app within a couple of days, but equally elsewhere it said they'd come by post within 4 week. So who knows! Let's hope NW can sort out their online systems (we won't even go into the VM cc app which is separate to the banking app and quite often hangs before you get to your transaction details!).

MS things:
* Chickpeas soaked and cooked for hummus
* Ordered some dye-lon to redye Mr MV's black t-shirts
* All first early potatoes now dug up - about 7.5kg and they're good sizes for the most part too
* Redcurrants picked and partly ready for freezing (had to leave the rest as was at evening class last night)
* Dinner tonight will be allotment stir fry
* Planted first batch of leeks

* Have agreed meal plans for Friday with Mr MV (we'll take breakfast and lunch with us, planning a kayaking picnic for dinner)
* Mr MV to call council as they're taking more than they should be for the rented garage

Gratitudes:
* Lovely in-person final evening class before the summer break last night
* Front garden is a true nature reserve - just for insects though! Went out to do a tiny bit of tidying yesterday and the crickets, bees and butterflies were amazing. I've been feeling guilty that we've not cut the weeds, but not anymore
* A quick chat with neighbour's adult daughter who is growing some fantastic F&V in their back garden - she wanted my advice 🥰 I've encouraged her to put her name down for an allotment (partly to preserve the sanity of our neighbours, whose garden is inaccessible due to plants 😆)

Have a good day all!

rtandon27

@themadvix - Vix, I noticed you freeze red currants.  Wondering what you use them for!?  I've got a pound in the freezer from last summer as they were prolific at the community gardens we volunteered on!  No clue what to do with them.

themadvix

That sounds familar RT! I am currently eating the last of last year's stewed on my porridge. I'd probably be better at doing this and using them up sooner if the freezer lived in the kitchen, not our external utility room! Generally though, I freeze them ahead of making jelly - at this time of year I don't have the time (or in the heat, the inclination) to make it, but I do usually make a decent sized batch - MIL seems to consume quite a bit so I'm frequently telling her that she doesn't need to buy any as I've got some for her.

Summer pud is always an option, if you have the rest of the ingredients. And I'm going to have a go at this recipe using them (apologies, it's in German!).

rtandon27

@themadvix - ooo - that recipe looks delish & these days, inbuilt translation bots make short work of languages I have no grasp of! 🤣🤣🤣 - thanks for letting me know what you do with them, and yes - summer heat is no good for preserving sweet things!

EssexHebridean

Eek - that reminds me that we have a few handfuls of currants that need using in something as well...maybe I'll buy a punnet of raspberries at the weekend and we can make ice cream! 

MrEH also clocked that the plums round our way are nearing ripeness so I suspect we'll be doing something with those at the weekend!