Today has been World Book Day and tomorrow is Women's World Day of Prayer - it seems that the powers that be are trying to gather us together to one purpose on some of these days.
I daren't buy another book really, although there are several that I have my eye upon....the YFG brought home four of the WBD free vouchers, because her friends didn't want them. She was quite incredulous - it means she can get £1 off each of four books, and she has ideas about the ones she might like - I'm so pleased that my absolute joy of reading has successfully been passed on to both of my girls. Both of them are often to be found reading at day's end, reluctant to turn off the light until they have reached the end of the chapter - I know just the feeling!
I am speaking at a church meeting for WWDP tomorrow, my first time for this occasion, and I am not sure what to expect. The meeting is being held at the Church Rooms of our local CofE establishment, as their church is a bother to heat, and they want to serve refreshments afterwards anyway. My sincere thanks to Ang for her support and encouragement in my preparation. I spent a very peaceful couple of hours tucked up on the sofa with my books and papers around me this morning, writing the talk and then typing it up. I know most other speakers probably had their talks organised weeks ago, but I am rather a last minute kind of person these days. There just often isn't time to do it any earlier as I am busy doing things that need doing NOW.......such is life!
Today, I've mostly pottered about, doing this and that, and generally having a day at home, until I had to fetch the EFG home from school. She had stayed to do an afterschool revision session and so she was too late for the school bus, and Mum's taxi had to come to the rescue.
We went in to the Co-op to buy a box of chocolates for an older lady at the chapel whose birthday is tomorrow. I have to admit that there were a few offers on which I took advantage of, because I was confident that these were the best prices around. Nouvelle toilet tissue, at £3 for 9 rolls, is something I always look for on offer, because I won't buy it at the full price of £5, but we like it and our septic tank likes it too, so we tend to use it most of the time. Three packs of that, probably the last three in the shop, went into the trolley. Branston beans, 4 packs for just over £1.30, three of those fell into the trolley easily, because they are usually over £2, although I had seen them recently for £1.50 somewhere. I knew that this was a good price, and so I stocked up, as we had just about run out. Knowing your prices is key to this kind of shopping, and it really helps.
And finally, we went to Slimming World for our weigh-in. After my 4lb loss last week, I stayed the same, but I am so proud of the EFG: she lost just one pound last week, but this week she has recorded a five and a half pound reduction!! She was very happy afterwards, and really keen to carry on now, although she had had a few doubts in the week. The lady told her that she only needs to lose another half a pound and she will have her first half-stone award, so she has something to work towards and look forward to now.
We are looking towards the weekend AGAIN - I can't believe how quickly the months are flying past and before long it will be time to change the clocks again. Another day closer to summer and another one with no snow and ice here, so lots to be grateful for........hope you are all well, and I'll hope to see you tomorrow x
Thursday, 6 March 2014
Wednesday, 5 March 2014
You are spared
I am not going to waffle on tonight as it has been a long day and I am tired. Can't really think straight so I am off to bed with my cup of tea and a book to read for 10 minutes - I am sure I shall be asleep shortly. Night, all xxx
Tuesday, 4 March 2014
Not a pancake in sight!
Well, I thought I would be different!
There are lots of posts in my blogroll tonight about pancakes, but we haven't had them here tonight - the YFG and the FH made themselves some mini-doughnuts with the doughnut cooker machine whilst the EFG and I were out at gymnastics, so they have had enough fat and sugar to last them a couple of days!
It's been quite a day and I am looking forward to retiring to bed with my knitting shortly - I had the tea cooked and cooling by 8am this morning, and have been to a meeting about my coursework, and taken the FH shopping, and then I went to gymnastics. The FH wore himself out pushing the trolley around Aldi so he went to do his jigsaw in bed at about 8pm, which meant that the sitting room was quiet with no tv on, and I could phone my friend for a catch up - half an hour later and I had to get off the phone to go and do the washing up.
We are watching less tv nowadays as well - we seem to watch specific shows, but are getting much better at turning it off when there is nothing we want to watch. Same as yesterday, it means we are getting more done IRL.
And so tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and we are moving in to Lent. Forty days of what? Some people would have us believe that Lent is all about going without, abstention and misery. I like to think of it as a time when I can spend more time trying to get a better handle on the Bible and on Jesus, so I will be doing things to further that aim rather than doing without. I have been trying to read through the Bible this year with a template of readings I can tick off, but I have missed quite a few lately, so it is my intention to grow a little more diligent with that, and catch up with where I should be. Easter is such a joyous time in the Christian calendar that spending time in preparation is definitely time well spent. Ann Voskamp has a downloadable devotional for Lent on her website [link in the sidebar] and so I shall also be spending some time with that.
Haircut in the morning at 10am - it's been six months or more so I am definitely in need of a trim! I don't really worry too much about getting my hair cut as it spends most of its time up and I don't notice how long it gets, but the trim will cost me £7 so I really ought not to begrudge that as a semi-annual expense.
My friend in Somerset tells me that the waters are going down now, but that a new wave of despair is hitting people as now they are able to actually go to their properties and see the devastation that the water has caused to their houses and their belongings. I am cross that the news programmes seem to have moved on and forgotten about these people, as their story is still one of heartache and problem after problem. We remember them and pray for them, and I made as much of a donation as I could afford at the time to a fund for the local people which my friend alerted me to on Facebook. I am sure that others are thinking of the people in these areas and wishing them well too.
There are lots of posts in my blogroll tonight about pancakes, but we haven't had them here tonight - the YFG and the FH made themselves some mini-doughnuts with the doughnut cooker machine whilst the EFG and I were out at gymnastics, so they have had enough fat and sugar to last them a couple of days!
It's been quite a day and I am looking forward to retiring to bed with my knitting shortly - I had the tea cooked and cooling by 8am this morning, and have been to a meeting about my coursework, and taken the FH shopping, and then I went to gymnastics. The FH wore himself out pushing the trolley around Aldi so he went to do his jigsaw in bed at about 8pm, which meant that the sitting room was quiet with no tv on, and I could phone my friend for a catch up - half an hour later and I had to get off the phone to go and do the washing up.
We are watching less tv nowadays as well - we seem to watch specific shows, but are getting much better at turning it off when there is nothing we want to watch. Same as yesterday, it means we are getting more done IRL.
And so tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and we are moving in to Lent. Forty days of what? Some people would have us believe that Lent is all about going without, abstention and misery. I like to think of it as a time when I can spend more time trying to get a better handle on the Bible and on Jesus, so I will be doing things to further that aim rather than doing without. I have been trying to read through the Bible this year with a template of readings I can tick off, but I have missed quite a few lately, so it is my intention to grow a little more diligent with that, and catch up with where I should be. Easter is such a joyous time in the Christian calendar that spending time in preparation is definitely time well spent. Ann Voskamp has a downloadable devotional for Lent on her website [link in the sidebar] and so I shall also be spending some time with that.
Haircut in the morning at 10am - it's been six months or more so I am definitely in need of a trim! I don't really worry too much about getting my hair cut as it spends most of its time up and I don't notice how long it gets, but the trim will cost me £7 so I really ought not to begrudge that as a semi-annual expense.
My friend in Somerset tells me that the waters are going down now, but that a new wave of despair is hitting people as now they are able to actually go to their properties and see the devastation that the water has caused to their houses and their belongings. I am cross that the news programmes seem to have moved on and forgotten about these people, as their story is still one of heartache and problem after problem. We remember them and pray for them, and I made as much of a donation as I could afford at the time to a fund for the local people which my friend alerted me to on Facebook. I am sure that others are thinking of the people in these areas and wishing them well too.
Monday, 3 March 2014
IRL
Those three little letters appear occasionally when we are reading internet forums, and in text messages now and again....do you know what they mean? In Real Life.
Real Life has been more abundant here since the computer broke down, and I am trying very very hard to restrict myself, to not while away hours surfing from one website to another, not to spent ages reading forums, interesting and informative as they are.
I've discovered that I am rather a magpie - I like to collect things, or more precisely, I like to collect Information. I have more recipe books, more knitting patterns, more instruction and information books than I will ever have time to make use of. There is so much information out there on the internet now, that my books and texts here are becoming just the tip of the iceberg - and now that Pinterest has popped up, one can index links to more information.
Goodness me, I wonder how I managed without access to all this information.......you know what? I actually DID things, rather than reading about them and collecting information about them! So I have determined that I will continue what I have started, and DO more and read/collect less information. I am so pleased that I have finished the YFG's scarf in the last two weeks, and hope to have the EFG's done by the end of the month.
The next project is to crochet some squares with yellow in them to look like daffodil petals in honour of Freddie who was born and died one April not so long ago, and of my mum, whose birthday was in April. I'm not going to spend hours researching the best pattern, but instead I am just going to find one that looks vaguely appropriate in one of the three [see what I mean?!] crochet books I have got, and I am going to make them. IRL. Watch this space and I'll show you what I have made by the end of April.
And you know what else? The house is just a teeny bit tidier too. Just a bit.
Real Life has been more abundant here since the computer broke down, and I am trying very very hard to restrict myself, to not while away hours surfing from one website to another, not to spent ages reading forums, interesting and informative as they are.
I've discovered that I am rather a magpie - I like to collect things, or more precisely, I like to collect Information. I have more recipe books, more knitting patterns, more instruction and information books than I will ever have time to make use of. There is so much information out there on the internet now, that my books and texts here are becoming just the tip of the iceberg - and now that Pinterest has popped up, one can index links to more information.
Goodness me, I wonder how I managed without access to all this information.......you know what? I actually DID things, rather than reading about them and collecting information about them! So I have determined that I will continue what I have started, and DO more and read/collect less information. I am so pleased that I have finished the YFG's scarf in the last two weeks, and hope to have the EFG's done by the end of the month.
The next project is to crochet some squares with yellow in them to look like daffodil petals in honour of Freddie who was born and died one April not so long ago, and of my mum, whose birthday was in April. I'm not going to spend hours researching the best pattern, but instead I am just going to find one that looks vaguely appropriate in one of the three [see what I mean?!] crochet books I have got, and I am going to make them. IRL. Watch this space and I'll show you what I have made by the end of April.
And you know what else? The house is just a teeny bit tidier too. Just a bit.
Sunday, 2 March 2014
Mum's gone to...
(image from en.wikipedia.org)
Having acquired a voucher for Lidl this weekend, and with a refurbished store recently opening in town, it seemed like a good time to go back to Lidl. I was very glad that I did!
I couldn't believe some of the prices in there yesterday, especially on the fresh fruit and veg. Being on a Slimming World plan, we are eating plenty of fresh stuff, so it was a good opportunity to stock up:
Carrots for 39p/bag
Mangoes at 37p each
Savoy cabbages at 29p each - 29p!!
Broccoli for 79p
Iceberg lettuce for 48p - half the price that it is in that other place.
A punnet of pears for 50p
Bag of plums for £1.09
Large bag of British apples for £1.09
Beetroot for 55p/pack
Mushrooms for 42p/carton.
And we bought the YFG a waterproof, windproof Hiking jacket for the Duke of Edinburgh expedition for £14.99, as that helped the total get to £40 for the voucher, and similar jackets we had looked at in an outdoor shop in Ely had been over £30.
We also stocked up on cat biscuits [still the only place I can find them locally for under £1/kg], tinned goods like potatoes, tomatoes, peas, sweetcorn and tuna. A couple of chocolate biscuit treats for the YFG and FH, and we were done. Very pleased with that shopping trip, and I shall be going back again.
(image from retail-week.com)
I've also been to the Iceland store in town this week - I thought it was time I had a look as I had been hearing such good things about it and it did open before Christmas....I wondered why I had waited so long when I got in there!
The packs of hash browns which the YFG has for breakfast were the same price as the basic versions in Sainsbury but had 100g extra in the packet - well worth noticing.
The fresh selection at the back of the shop was filled with lovely fruit and veggies at very good prices, and I was pleased to see a good variety there - we just bought some broccoli that day but there was lots of choice and it was in good condition.
With these two shops in this town and a Co-op in the other and occasional side trips to Aldi when I am in the direction, I am all set to minimise the times we go to that other place, and save money as well!
Saturday, 1 March 2014
Photo round up
I have been faithfully taking pictures of all the jigsaws that the FH is doing, and this is the latest selection.
Most of these have been lent to him by the puzzle group at the chapel, or I have bought them in charity shops or for a £1 at the surgery, like this one below.
This one below is a celebration of Cadbury's chocolate, and was lent by UJ.
This fabulous one of steam trains came from an older lady at the chapel, and the FH fell upon it with glee! He absolutely loves trains, and this was right up his street.
Noah's Ark came from our charity shop trawl in Ely last week, and he found it quite hard going. Some of the pieces are actually shaped like animals. It is a great picture.
And this is wartime Paddington Station. The detail in this one is incredible. That it is wartime is evident by the uniforms, soldiers with kitbags, and sweethearts bidding each other farewell!
The girders in the roof were apparently particularly tricky!
I made the EFG take this photo for me when we walked to chapel Craft Club last Friday as I pass this patch of snowdrops in the car every day and never have time to grab a picture.
This is the scarf I have just finished tonight for the YFG. It knitted up quite quickly, which is a relief, since the EFG now wants one too! This is Rowan Renew recycled yarn and I think it is great. This colour way is slightly more blue than it appears here, and it is called Diesel. The EFG's is going to be in Garage, which is more grey in tone.
And finally, this is a lighthearted celebration of the sunny days we have had this week when I have been able to hang the washing outside and revel in the clean fresh smell of line-dried laundry. You can't bottle it, no matter how hard the conditioner manufacturers try - there is no substitute for FRESH air!
Off to bed with a cup of tea now - been to gymnastics, shopping at Lidl, cleaned out all the chook houses, and made tea, finished the scarf and done three loads of washing. Time to stop.
Voucher for you
If anyone wants an Aldi voucher from this week's paper [valid until next Thursday], I have a spare one because I have acquired a Lidl voucher which is only valid for this weekend, and actually more convenient for me to spend today! So I am happy to share the kindness and send the Aldi voucher on to the first commenter who wants it - I will post on Monday. Hope that it is of use to someone this week.
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