Monday, 10 February 2025
A Job for Me for This Week, a Taste Test and a Snooze
Friday, 7 February 2025
Let Them by Donna Ashworth
Thursday, 6 February 2025
So, Can You Still Shop for £3.50?
We were talking about rising food prices yesterday and I remembered that back in April 2023 I did a Challenge to see if I could live for a whole week on just £3.50, so I decided to see what the prices of those same items would be if I were to go shopping for the same products today.
Wednesday, 5 February 2025
Obeying the Meme
Monday, 3 February 2025
Getting Down to the Minutiae
After yet another day sorting through things at Mum's bungalow while we were waiting for some painters and decorators to come and give us a quote, I realised that while Mum was never a hoarder of things in the same way that my Dad was, she still nevertheless has lots of stuff.
In Mum's case it's lots of little stuff.
She has saved every leaflet that came with every bill, every shopping list that she wrote out to phone through to my brother, every paper clip that came on a letter, every photograph whether good or bad. It's been as slow a job sorting through Mum's things, slower even than Dad's garage that was packed to the rafters.
I can't rush any of it as I have found important documents hidden in old birthday cards. For example, we searched high and low for Mum's DNR when the carers needed it and nothing, then last week there it was in a Mother's Day card from many years ago. A treasured photo of my great-grandmother tucked in with old receipts for electrical items that Mum bought many, many years ago. There's no rhyme or reason for where things have found themselves being deposited, well maybe Mum had one, but she never told us.
So while we wait for various deliveries and things to be quoted for I have been sitting and sifting through the minutiae of my Mum's life. It makes me come home and do my own. In little corners of my home tins are being tipped out and small things that might have been saved 'just in case', if they haven't been used since I moved here over three years ago, they will most likely not be needed anytime soon.
One thing for sure they will not be there when my son's have to rifle through my possessions in the future. Even living simply and small as I do now, there are still little things hidden behind cupboard doors, in boxes and in tins that are just not necessary. Yesterday I sorted through my ribbon stash and got rid of virtually everything, this morning it was my handy little box of screws, nails, hooks and the like. It's not that handy if it contains nothing that I need to use.
I thought I had finished my decluttering ... well I have for the bigger things ... now it's the turn of the little ones.
Sue xx
Saturday, 1 February 2025
The Books I Read Last Month ... and the Final Days
We had our coffees along with a fish and chips lunch each, and with the multiple discounts that were on for January managed to get our lunches for a combined total of just £18.60, saving us a whopping £19.30.
I also had £9.50 of Dobbies vouchers, so these were used towards buying a fresh bag of bark chippings to go on the back garden later this month when we have a tidy up. Somehow Mavis, who was with us all day, managed to talk her Dad into buying her a doggie pick n' mix biscuit box.
So we all came away very happy. 🐶
Sue xx
Thursday, 30 January 2025
Moving Towards Healthier - Part Two - Recent Lunches
Tuesday, 28 January 2025
So What's Next?
I finished Laura Ingalls Wilder's 'The Long Winter' the other day and I have yet to start another book.
Sometimes when you finish one book it can take a while to get into another one, and I usually like to really vary what I am reading, so it won't be another in the series even though I do own them all now.
I stood in front of my tall bookcase and didn't see anything that inspired me, so I stood in front of this one, well I stood back in the bathroom which is where I had to crouch down to take this photo. My little hallway is only narrow, perhaps two foot of passing space between the wall and this glazed bookcase when it's doors are closed. I do like living small, but it occasionally has it's disadvantages. 😄
Still nothing jumped out at me, I'm obviously lacking inspiration ... maybe it's something to do with yesterdays blog post.
Monday, 27 January 2025
Complaining, Annoyed and P*ssed Off
Complaining ... my brain is full of complaints at the moment, the negativity surprises even me. Contrary to popular belief I'm not all Little Miss Sweetness and Light, I have been known to be Big Mrs Totally Pissed Off on thousands of occasions.
I don't tend to share lots of negativity on here, there are more than enough people doing that in blogland and on social media these days. But sometimes enough is enough and I have to take a step back and reassess my thoughts ... and on occasion my actions.
I'll be back tomorrow, hopefully in a better frame of mind. 😉
Sue xx
Friday, 24 January 2025
An Atmospheric Read, and Bargains That Just Had To Be Had
The manager was serving someone when we got into the charity shop so we stood waiting and these two items, hanging together just like this, caught my eye. A brand new Barbour t-shirt, original price £34.95, and a new Weird Fish fleece jacket, original price £60, but currently reduced in the sale to £40, for a combined cost of £19 ... and in my size.
It had to be done!!
So we went out to make a donation and I ended up spending £20, but what good bargains I got, I'm happy. 😁
Sue xx
Thursday, 23 January 2025
Moving Towards Healthier
Tuesday, 21 January 2025
Feeding the Addiction, Explaining This Year