Blogmas Day Twenty - A Look Around Our New Home - BEFORE

 

I've been feeling guilty that when so many of you asked about wanting to follow the progress of the renovations of our new home, I was very uncertain if this was what I wanted to do on my blog.  Years ago you were let into all the nitty, gritty of our day to day lives, with maybe more access than I would dream of now.

But I have had a rethink, and maybe I mellowed slightly to the idea, after all it would also give me a record of things as they happen.  Then last week Alan asked me to video the bungalow as it is now, and then at regular intervals as the work progresses so that we have a record.

So why not share it with you, although for obvious safety reasons on the internet I will not be sharing the front of our property at all.

I thought I should start by sharing some photos of the kitchen, as rather weirdly I forgot to turn right after I came in through the front door.  We usually use the side door for access so coming through the front door for the first time I instinctively turned left and then didn't go back that way.  The front door is in between the living room and the kitchen.

So these first three photos show the kitchen.

Already it has changed massively, and Alan has managed to get all the wall cabinets and the tiles off the walls this week.  We are trying our best not to send too much of what we rip out to landfill, so wherever possible we are selling things really cheaply on Facebook Marketplace.  For instance someone is coming to pick up the fully working, but really needing a clean electric cooker for £10 tomorrow.

The kitchen while looking very good both in person, and in photos is actually not worth us keeping.  It has more years of life left in it, but not enough to see us out, and this bungalow is all about us future-proofing our lives.  So once it has all been removed, I will be photographing it and offering it for sale as well.

Below is my video of the rest of the bungalow, I notice that some of you have already found it on YouTube and left comments, thank you for those.  If you have any questions about anything you see please ask them on here, as I am terrible at responding on YouTube, I only use it as a tool to get films off my phone and don't even think to check back ... oops!!  😄

https://youtu.be/Ws9x9bvxh7Q?si=Aby89oJdQPfPbovU

Now I know that I am sharing any videos on here I will talk my way around next time, but this was just going to be for our use.  I know how much you all love my dulcet tones with my Mancunian accent.  😆

Happy viewing.

Sue xx

Blogmas Day Nineteen - Pocketfuls of Peace

 

Artwork by Ann Baratashvili

This Christmas...

You don't have to be full of joy

All merry and all bright

You don't have to force festive cheer

If you don't feel alright

No, you're not obligated

To be jovial and jolly

To string the lights and sing the songs

Or deck the halls with holly

Perhaps you're missing someone

And perhaps they miss you too

Perhaps you're feeling burdened

By how much you have to do

Perhaps the bleak mid winter

Leaves you feeling rather cold

Perhaps it's hard to drive

December's darkness from your soul

Perhaps you'd rather hibernate,

Let Christmas pass you by

But remember; it's not long ‘til you

Can bid this year goodbye

For now, don't paint a smile

Upon your teary, tired face

Instead, find quiet moments

Where this season gives you space

And recognise that songs

And decorations cannot hide

The flurry of emotions

Overwhelming you inside

Yes, find those little moments

Where the lights don't feel so bright

Where you don't have to keep pretending

Just to be polite

Where you can breathe in peacefully

Away from all the noise

Away from expectation

That you're full of festive joys

‘Cause when the day is over

And the lights are taken down

When it’s another year

Before next Christmas rolls around

Yes, when the joy is fading

And the merriment has ceased

You’ll be so very grateful for

Those pocketfuls of peace

Becky Hemsley 2023

Blogmas Day Eighteen - Making Space for Christmas Food?

 

I have been slowly and surely eating my way through the freezer drawers over quite a long time now, but have I been making space for Christmas food?

If I have I've failed miserably!!  No matter how much headway I make I quickly fill the gaps with random leftovers that I just do not want to go to waste.

There are some gaps, although looking at these photos you wouldn't think so.  I have been trying to eat the odds and sods that were in boxes taking up more room than they should have been, and that has been going well ... with some interesting results.

Three hash browns for breakfast must have been my most random meal, and one that I lived to regret.  All day long no matter what else I ate or drank I could still taste them.  It's put me off buying any more that's for sure.  Maybe I should have had them as part of a meal instead of the whole meal!!

But I did manage to throw away the box.  😄

I've done so much better at using up the things that are in the food cupboard.

Seen here from both sides of the dividing bar, as I can't step back enough to get a straight on shot.  There is so much more of the wood visible now than there was in my last photo taken in June of this year.

This was how it looked in June of this year when I sorted out the 2025 foods and those that were out of date.  I'm happy that some of the oldest foods have now been used and nothing has been wasted, but I guess I could have done a bit better.

Ah well, my not so little stash has kept me going nicely this year through my tiny pension payment months.  There are only five months until my State Pension now, or as Alan insists on calling his 'my old age pension'.

But have I made space for Christmas food ?  The answer really is no.  But then I don't have much to buy, and what I have already will fit easily into the new spaces in the cupboard.  I have two boxes of mini  mince pies, and one of some teeny tiny fairy cakes to take to Mum's on Christmas Day.  I have cheeses in the fridge and chutney in the cupboard, along with the little silverskin pickles and jar of beetroot that are visible on the bottom shelf.  I have stuffing in the jar on the top shelf and Linda McCartney sausages in the freezer, so for my 'main item' I will make a sausage and stuffing Wellington or plait.  

To compliment all that I will hopefully, be able to pick up some of the cheap supermarket vegetables to complete my Christmas lunch.  Alan has ordered his main item from Booths, I don't know what his final choice was as he kept changing his mind, he's also ordered a couple of  dairy-free 'cheesecake style' mini desserts for us both to have.

So that's it, we are pretty much sorted.

Sue xx

Blogmas Day Seventeen - Eat Them

 

There are very few shops in our area that consistently have a dairy-free option on the cake or dessert menu.  One such place is usually Daisy Clough Nurseries, so when we go there I try and support their wonderful endeavours.   😁

On this occasion we had already had a small lunchtime meal there, so I opted to ask for a doggy-bag for my cake.  I enjoyed it much later with a nice cup of coffee at home.

It was small but perfectly formed, but also quite expensive for what it was.  It reminded me that I must get back to baking in the New Year.

I apologise to Angela for the glaringly obvious error in this meme ... I didn't do it honest!!

Sue xx

Day Sixteen - The Christmas Tree Festival

 

  

It was our local Christmas Tree Festival at the weekend and as usual we went along to see the trees and support the local church and Foodbank, which they run from the church hall every Monday.  Admittance to the festival is a couple of items from the Foodbank request list, and we always buy a cup of coffee each and Alan has a slice of cake to support the church funds.

There were some very unique trees this year.

But I think that a lot of people had seen the 'book Christmas tree' on social media, as books were a recurring theme.

The Foodbank entry.

The one we both independently voted for, and which also won the friendly competition.  I guess lots of people could see how much work had gone into it.  It was called 'Fleece Navidad'.  😄

Lots of trees, and lots of colour schemes.

More books, but on a smaller scale this time.

A tiny 'booky' offering, I think this one is lovely in its simplicity.

A view of the stained glass window and the altar nativity.

We loved having a wander round looking at these trees and all the others, then we went onto a Christmas Craft Fair, where all we bought were a couple of old hooks for the back of our bedroom doors in the new bungalow and stayed for a sandwich and yet more coffee.  The stallholders all seemed really quiet and demoralised, it does make you want to support more of the crafters, but sadly there was nothing else that we needed.

We had left home at 9am in the morning for a meeting at the bungalow, and didn't get back until after 4pm, so we managed to get a lot fitted into one day, leaving Sunday free for visiting Mum.

Sue xx