🌞 Happy Days in our Golden Years 🌞

Fortune_Smiles

It's so quiet, it's so still, you're all alone and so peaceful until…

Mr F and the Younger Fortunate lads decided to make a weekend of it so I have had the house to myself for a couple of days. It's been marvellous! I didn't realise how badly I needed some quiet, alone time until I had it.

I did the planned housework, some Hearing prep and other chores but spent quite a lot of time watching episodes of Poirot and making a tunic. I had intended to continue making the jacket I'd started at my last workshop but it's autumn wear and I just wasn't feeling the denim love. I've been sorting through my fabric stash so that I can get things washed, dried and ready for cutting while the weather is dry and came across a blue, white and silver printed georgette. As soon as I saw it the perfect pattern for it came to mind and, as I had that in my pattern stash too, it seemed meant to be. I've just the hems to sew and it will be ready for wearing. It's a long tunic with a boat neck and splits at the sides - perfect for wearing over wide leg trousers and a camisole. If I wear it over white it will be quite summery and work as day wear. Over navy it will feel more dressy and could work for autumn/winter. I might make a second as I have a lovely navy georgette printed with grey roses which I think it would look good in. Although I might need to psych myself up for it - this was my first time sewing with georgette and it's a bit fiddly.

But nothing lasts forever 😂 I was enjoying the last few quiet hours before Mr F's return when there was a knock at the door. It was a Policeman. They had received an 🍏 watch alert of a car crash at my location 😲 I immediately thought of Mr F of course who was on his way home but a quick telephone call to his 🍏 watch confirmed that he was just leaving the North. So all was well and no crash was discovered but my heart was pounding for a little while. Very shortly afterwards I received a telephone call from a relative's partner. Someone who I don't think has ever called me before. I immediately thought there must be a problem but it turns out they just wanted some help understanding a legal document - apparently my recent experiences with the court system makes me an expert 😂 Then Mr F returned and the remote was reluctantly handed back 😂

I've been surviving on leftover soup and cheese and cucumber rolls while on my own but Mr F's return prompted a 'proper' meal of

https://www.abelandcole.co.uk/recipes/beetroot-halloumi--cashew-curry-

sourced from the freezer to save me cooking.

I'm glad I had a restful weekend. Some of the Younger Fortunates are coming to stay next weekend so I will have a busy week getting ready for their visit.

Hope everyone's had a fab weekend.

Fortune x

Cheery_Daff

Goodness Fortune, it must have been very alarming to have a policeman turn up at your door! 😱 glad all was well x

Fortune_Smiles

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82081923#Comment_82081923

Very alarming. It's happened several times before and usually they are looking for someone eg a distressed woman calling from a mobile tracked to our area or our previous, elderly neighbour who always ran away when he knew the doctor was coming, etc. But you can't help thinking the worst.

Fortune x

rtandon27

Oh goodness - that must have been distressing!

We arrived home once to the police blocking our drive with flashing lights going - it was most distressing & then we noticed they had pulled over a 'likely lad' in a flashy car & had a sniffer dog going through it! We were so upset & tbh nothing was actually wrong!

ETA - turns out he was just a young man with a flashy car driving too fast in a residential area! - nothing in his car & nothing on his person!

teapot2

When I lived in London I once came home to find police stationed at the front door. They were there to arrest the neighbours for kidnap and assault but it was a bit of a shocker to turn the corner and be faced with that scenario.

Fortune_Smiles

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82082839#Comment_82082839

OMG! An absolute shocker!

Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

Chickens coming home to roost 🐓

The distractions of the past months are catching up with me…

I thought I'd entered some gins into the local country show this year. I'd certainly paid the entry fee but I discovered I'd drafted but not sent the entry form email. Doh! Fortunately a lovely lady on the show team has taken my payment date as my submission date and allowed my entry. Phew! I'd had to buy new bottles to meet the exhibitor requirements and spent some time making and decanting the gins so I'm glad that investment hasn't gone to waste. I have high hopes for my redcurrant gin and the cherry rum 🍸

I also managed to pay less than the full amount on the credit card last month. Double Doh! So we have been hit with a big interest bill 😢 Mr F is being very sanguine about it saying 'these things happen'. But it's galling knowing that it's wasted money which should have gone to better use. Going to have to be kind to myself and let that one go.

This week's grocery shop has come in a little under budget which is amazing considering we have visitors at the weekend again. I still have quite a lot left over from the last visitors so that has helped plus we will be eating out for most of the time.

Ii went to gym class Monday but not last night (again 🙄) as I had a horrid headache. Mr F kindly took over meal prep so we survived on pizza and freezer fish and chips although Monday's supper was

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/lemony-prawn-courgette-tagliatelle

The veg patch has yielded 3 courgettes so far which is not many at all for 5 courgette plants. I don't think they're liking the dry weather.

I reconciled all our personal bank and credit card accounts. There was nothing unexpected but we have had a lot of expense in the last few months. I intend to keep a tighter reign on things going forward. We have been refunded the 'tree' money but the retailer could have up to 45 days to dispute this. They'll have to provide compelling evidence though which won't be possible as they don't have any. I've also requested a refund on some garden furniture we ordered in May. There have been repeated delays in stock coming in and I've lost faith that the furniture will get here while there's still any summer left. This month's credit card bill has been paid… in full 😉

I raised another invoice for the business this morning. There's some work needed to get the accounts up to speed but that can wait until next week.

All the plans and bookings for the weekend are in place and I'm looking forward to kicking back and enjoying some social time. I haven't finished my tunic but am hoping to do some more on it this evening. But there's still lots of housework to do before then so I'd better get on.

Hope your week is going well.

Fortune x

themadvix

Mr F is right Fortune - you've had a lot on and these things do happen. You are normally on top of all things financial, so it's highly unlikely it's the start of a slippery slope (as evidenced by the fact you've already paid this month's!). Do be kind to yourself.

The gins look fab - good luck!

Humdinger1

@Fortune_Smiles as you usually pay in full, it might be worth calling the credit card company and asking them to waive it as a goodwill gesture? It's worked for me. Keep going, you're doing brilliantly. Love Humdinger xx

VintageHistorian

As Mr VH says to me when I do something wrong - "If it was left to me it would be late anyway, at least something got done" 😅

Those gins look fantastic, no need for one of us to pop over and bribe a judge for you 😉