Saturday 6 January 2018

Pennies Pinched this week(Sat 30th - Fri 5th), expenses + Flowers+ Ed Sheeran

First  the PS............ must say thank you for all the crossed fingers for Colin in hospital. We are hoping that the tests don't show that his body is rejecting the donor stem cells. That would be rather drastic - to put it mildly.
Welcome to new followers - two people I think - Hello and Hello
 

 And the main topic for today..............pennies pinched.

Dried washing outside (not on the day of Storm Eleanor 😁 obviously) and finished off in front of fire rather than tumble dryer.
Cooked more than one thing at a time in oven.
Took pack up food and had free drinks and water in Cancer Assessment Unit while waiting at hospital.
9 hour power-cut must have saved some electricity!
Put spare 4pt milk from fridge into freezer before it went out of date after Col went into hospital
Eating from fridge - especially after Col went back into hospital leaving me to eat everything!
Remembered to use car park voucher in Stowmarket Asda.... so free parking
Looked round charity shops in Stowmarket - bought nothing, not even half price Christmas cards.
Printed out voucher for free can of fruit
Took pack up lunch when visiting Colin


Spending Saturday 30th Dec - Friday 5th Jan

£3.60.... Hospital car park
£1....Eggs from local roadside stall
£19.10..... Things that I was getting short of in the cupboards. Asda - including Pharmacy, bath sponges, fruit, coffee, cat food, pasta, nuts and  Prune Juice and Jelly Babes for Col! plus cornflour or as it says on the till receipt cornFLOWER!
£3.50 Park and Ride for hospital visiting
TOTAL £28.30

And a real flower......... look what has appeared in the lane opposite the house.
 First of the season and very early I think

The ditch was completely empty a couple of weeks ago, we've had a lot of rain in the last fortnight.

Just love Ed Sheeran's new song "Perfect", it gives me shivers. Actually love all Ed Sheeran music. Maybe I'll queue up next time they sell his clothes at the Framlingham charity shop, it's not far away!......Hang on, I'm 62 so maybe not.

Enjoy your weekend - I'm seeing small granddaughter - the first time for over a month.

Back on Monday
Sue


41 comments:

  1. Lovely snowdrops - mine are nowhere near as far on as those. They are so pretty and cheering.
    Have a wonderful time with little granddaughter. I'm seeing not so little daughter this afternoon and very much looking forward to it.
    All the best to Col.
    J x

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  2. A good penny pinching week Sue, we have several snowdrops appearing under the tree, I thought they were rather early. I love Ed Sheeran I have a couple of his cd's.

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  3. Another thrifty soul Good work!
    Arilx

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  4. Those perfect snowdrops must be a sign that better days are coming. Enjoy your time with your grandaughter and love as always to Col. Catriona

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  5. Enjoy seeing little granddaughter, she will lift your spirits. Fingers crossed for Colin.

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    Replies
    1. Poor little poppet was very tired,grumpy,teething again and sore bottom!

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  6. Any pangs buying eggs from someone else or are you reconciled to that? A clump of snowdrops in January gladdens the heart! Hope all turns out well with Col.

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    1. Hate buying eggs! but reality is we probably only use half a dozen a week and to buy/make a shed/coop of some sort would be equivalent to about 3 years worth of eggs( unless we can find one for free! unlikely) and thats without buying chickens and feed. Egg selling was a good source of income at the smallholding - with passing traffic we sold anything up to 10 dozen a day.

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  7. I hope that Col is on the mend again soon and back home with you. I am guessing that with his sort of illness, the path to recovery is never always steadily upwards. (((HUGS)))to you.

    Well done with the penny-pinching. I still have a freezer full of meat so that will last us until the end of the month with any luck.

    Love the snowdrops. Mine here in the garden haven't even thought about life above ground yet!

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    1. I was surprised to see them, one minute no sign and then suddenly whoosh - there they were!

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  8. Fab start to the year! I'm rolling my eyes at 'cornflower'

    Fingers crossed for Col and hope he's back home soon

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    Replies
    1. I Hope it's spelled like that to differentiate between one their own make and another

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  9. Enjoy your cuddles with grand daughter, precious moments. The snowdrops are early, but what a wonderful sight. The sea has been over the wall and lapping Portchester Castle this week, with loads of comments on how rare it's that high.
    We have only purchased bread and milk so far this year.
    Hope Colin in home soon.

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  10. I have never owned or wanted a tumble drier. So I have made an automatic saving! I buy eggs from farm gates, big choice around here. The rest of my grocery shopping, I award myself a "could do better"! Enjoy your weekend and hope the next news from Addenbrookes is better.

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    1. We had one when the children were at school for doing uniforms in a hurry, then without for several years until we cleared my Dads house in 2009 when we brought his home, since then it's lived in sheds/garage and gets used rarely.Too much lint appears - it must wear out clothes quicker

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  11. I do admire you and Col, you both are so positive. Hope everything goes your way. x Rinty

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  12. I see what you mean .... great minds think alike on our blogs today, showing our lovely and slightly early Snowdrops :-)

    I'm doing the same as you with washing, out on the line when there's even the hint of a breeze and then in before the air goes too damp for finishing either on the Aga on or the radiator airer things. I've only ever used a tumble dryer a couple of times, in a rented house many years ago. I didn't like how it shrunk my socks and made the towels go all fluffy ... and the amount of fluff that appeared in the drain thingy made me wonder how much of the fabric it was stealing as it dried the clothes. It's cheaper and nicer to dry the old school way if you possibly can in my opinion.

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    1. Our TD was rescued from my Dads house clearance in 2009 . it's been in sheds and garages and is rarely used

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  13. flowers ... i'm really looking forward to Spring this year.

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    Replies
    1. I brought a few in and put them in an egg cup, just to cheer me up

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  14. I'll be crossing fingers for Col too. I can't believe you have something growing! Can't see the garden at all (haven't for a while) for all the snow. No chance of drying anything outside here. My hair freezes when I go outside and it's not even wet!!!

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  15. I am hoping that the early snowdrops are a sign of good things to come for you. Enjoy your visit with your granddaughter. I am sure she will bring you many wel-needed smiles.

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  16. If there are any snowdrops around here they are hiding under about 3 feet of snow. I don't remember the last time I saw a clothes line in someones backyard. Probably 20 years ago when my mom had one. Hope you get some positive new about Col.

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    1. I'm sure I heard that some places in the States are not allowed to hang out washing which seems rather draconian

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    2. Some upscale areas have associations, you sign that you agree to certain rules when you buy. We have one here, 17 houses. We have to get outdoor paint colours approved and so on. JanF

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    3. And not just the "upscale" areas. My daughter and I lived for some years in a "downscale" apt. complex, which was very proud of its lavish swimming pool, but would actually fine anyone drying their suits or towels on their back patio. I think we just have to accept that Yanks are crazy, and the rule is that we all pretend we have servants (although NOT immigrants) who take care of our laundry, in private.
      A few moves ago, I installed an umbrella style line dryer in the back yard, and so much loved drying the clothes in the sun and wind (okay, not so useful in the winter in Oregon, but wonderful in the summer). When we again had to find a new place, we had a yard-sale, and the man who bought the clothes-line was so excited to find that such things still existed. I hope he's still using it.

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    4. I remember reading about a scenic little place in Italy or S. France (??) where they used to string out the laundry across the street. Apparently there was an order to stop this, to make it look better for the tourists but- to the amazement of all- the tourists preferred the homey look and the laundry was permitted again! I love that. JanF

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  17. Have a lovely time with your grand daughter. Best wishes

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  18. Hope all the tests come back as good as they can for Col. Can't wait to get the washing out on the line here, fed up of it hanging around the house. xx

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    Replies
    1. The weather forecast was wrong today, washing got wet while I was out - tomorrow should be better

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  19. Sending love and healing hugs to you Sue and Col xxx

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  20. Very thrifty week.

    Wow that is a great deal of accumulated water in the ditch.

    God bless.

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  21. Nothing like snow or snowdrops "down under", Sue. It's hot here and the southern states of Australia are sweltering with temps over 40C. Summer! Hope the news is good for your Col. Meg:)

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  22. Having a bloggy catch-up and am sorry to find that Col is still in hospital....I'm amazed at how you keep at it through the most worrying of times. Hope you had a lovely catch-up with the grand daughter x

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  23. I do hope everything is well for you both, especially for Col. Enjoy your time with the little granddaughter, special moments xx

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  24. Waiting to hear good news about Colin. You are both so positive and inspiring. JanF

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  25. Hope all goes well with Col's tests. x

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  26. Hi Sue,

    I keep thinking of you and Col even though I haven't been commenting much on blogs lately. I sure hope he's feeling ok and the new stem cell treatments "take".

    Those snowdrops are beautiful. I can't wait to see some spring flowers around here.

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  27. Have been thinking of you both and hoping that you have better news this week.
    There aren’t really words that seem adequate for what you are both living through.
    Just know that many are thinking of you and willing those stem cells to do their job
    and multiply and for Col's body to receive them joyfully! Sue.

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    1. This is a beautiful post. Says it all so well. JanF

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