Influencing others

I had a wee cheer to myself this afternoon whilst chatting with my aunt.  She had visited in the week before the funeral with my cousin and cousin's husband and I had sent her away with some pickles for my uncle, from the FH's stash in the garage.  She came out there with me to see which pickles he might like and was impressed with my two back-to-back wardrobe store cupboards.  She came back today with my cousin and in the conversation over a cup of tea, we were chatting about shopping.  I have been encouraging her to try Aldi, and asked her if she had been yet.  She shared some of the bargains she regularly picks up in Farmfoods and encouraged me to have a look in there too!  Then she said it - she has been inspired by my storecupboard and has started her own wee stash in a little cupboard in her bedroom - woo hoo!!!

Thanks to our cupboards, and stashes, I still haven't done a "big shop" since the FH died.  We have veggies aplenty in the garden, and it is no hardship to get our five-a-day from the variety we have there.  The two fruit baskets we have received have kept us well supplied in that respect, and I am going to have to make apple sauce with the last of the apples so that they don't go to waste.  I am going to go to Lidl this week, as there are a couple of things we are running out of, but we don't need an awful lot.  There was a £5 voucher for when you spend £40 last week in a newspaper which I saw quite by chance, so I shall endeavour to make use of that, but I may go on Wednesday afternoon and take UJ along for the ride in case he wants anything too.

Azura

[image from simplonpc.co.uk]

Life without the girls here is definitely quieter, but I am doing OK.  I have had lots of phone calls and texts from them, and they are having a lovely time - they were in Stavanger today and it was HOT they reported!
Life on the ocean wave seems to suit them, and they are doing their own thing a lot of the time and just meeting up with my dad and MB for meals.  Dad is happy that they are having a holiday and he gets to see them often, but he isn't actually having to take them places or amuse them, thank goodness!