First of all thank you for all the comments yesterday and apologies to all the people who took me far too seriously - Suffolk sense of humour is odd I admit, but I'm not becoming a total recluse - only dropping one WI meeting! Also apologies for not replying and thank you to everyone for reading - I'll keep writing while everyone keeps reading!
Swimming this week was lovely and quiet - despite it being an ordinary public session as opposed to a dedicated lane swimming session there were just 3 other people going up and down - all faster than me! But I did my half hour and felt better for it.
I thought having a water meter would cut my water and sewer charges and it certainly has but it now means that I have to read the meter after the estimated bills arrive (Monday - both at once), get through on the phone - twice. Give both companies the reading - because it was much lower than the estimate - and wait for new bill to arrive for water usage although I was able to pay for the sewer over the phone.
The electric was off for a planned outage on Wednesday. I decided it would be a good time to do next months shopping - which sounds very odd but I have a cunning plan to see how easy/cheaper/doable it would be to live for a few weeks on just the Essential/ Basic/Value ranges which have appeared in all the supermarkets (I used Aldi, Asda and Morrisons and bought store-cupboard stuff and frozen for now). Youngest Daughter said she shops online using all the value range from one shop and if they don't have it in stock sometimes it gets upgraded without paying more. Although she said " DON'T try the sausages!"
I had lunch out for a treat and got home, sorted all the shopping, made notes for the future and as the house was beginning to feel chilly I lit the wood-burner and just as it was getting going the electric came back and the boiler clicked on - if I'd have known it was going to do that I needn't have lit the fire!
(BTW Aldi and Morrisons both had tomatoes, peppers, lettuce and cucumbers - no shortages here despite the dire life or death warnings! I didn't notice what Asda had).
This week I've been grateful for
- A nice quiet swim
- An interesting morning of slow shopping
- My peaceful Suffolk life
- Plenty of reading
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It's a pity the Whitstable Pearl books have got sillier as I thought the first few were OK - now they've started to be televised perhaps she is writing with a view to what will become good TV. If they ever get on free TV I doubt I'll be watching.
Whatever you are doing this weekend - hope it's a good one. Last Saturday there were several things happening around here - too many to get to. This weekend there is nothing in the diary. Although Six Nations Rugby is back on TV to enjoy.
I shall be back Monday.
Sue
Waitrose full of tomatoes too. Media just love a scare story.
ReplyDeleteSome reduced choice but no shortage
DeleteNot even reduced choice yesterday. They had every variety of tasteless tomato as they always do. Cucumbers aplenty and no gaps. I don't know what it will be like this morning but Friday was normal.
DeleteThank you for the comment on my blog - and for ordering the book through the library. I liked your gratitude list here - a coincidence too, as I was just about to write a piece on giving thanks. Should you read my book then pleas post a review - even a few lines would be lovely; I hope so much that it can help to elevate blogging as form and give it some of the attention it deserves.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the rugby.
Just had an email back from Suffolk Libraries that says "They have no plans to buy this book" which is a bit sad and unexpected as they are usually pretty good at buying suggested titles.
DeleteIt will be interesting to hear how you get on with all the basic/value ranges and if you do get any upgrades. Morrisons might have tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers for now, I bet they don't last long now a shortage has been announced, everyone snapping them up whether they eat them or not, haha.
ReplyDeleteI won't be shopping on line - I only shop in store- so will only have what they have available
DeleteNow there is a turnip shortage according to Radio 4 this morning.
I must admit to howling with laughter when I read about the turnip shortage-just another example of an out of touch politician engaging her mouth before her brain! We finally have blue skies but chilly winds so salad won’t be featuring any time soon in this house. Enjoy the rugby-I am currently reading Rob Burrows autobiography. Catriona
ReplyDeleteMs Coffey is MP for Suffolk Coastal where we used to live - she ought to know more about farming as the area is a large vegetable and pig producing area.
DeleteCan't you enter your meter reading for water online? I bet it would be faster than a phone call!
ReplyDeleteNo -as the reading was less than the estimate.
DeleteWe all get a bit fed up with media scaremongering don't we - well if we have to live without tasteless tomatoes and watery lettuce for a few weeks or even months it won't break my heart. That water meter business sounds a pain. We do online for all our electric stuff but they still send a meter reader round now and again, checking up on us I suppose!
ReplyDeleteAlison in Wales x
Some utility companies seem easier to deal with than others, at least I got through to both quite quickly on the phone. I've not seen a meter reader for years!
DeleteI'm glad you're not suffering the shortages I've seen reported. A good reminder to read news stories with a bit of scepticism.
ReplyDeleteAll a big fuss about nothing. Plenty of proper winter veg around in the shops
DeleteDidn't February fly by, Sue? I will go to the grocery store today. I haven't noticed any more shortages here.
ReplyDeleteI'm reading an Ann Cleeves right now so I'll want to spend some time on that because I am getting near the solution and I haven't guessed yet who done it!
I've just zoomed through another crime book from my library haul
DeleteSounds like a good shopping trip. I am contactly having to go buy tomatoes and bananas as they don't last long. We have some good buy-one-get-one deals at a grocery store and that's when I stock up on cereals, canned goods, etc. Gotta save when you can!
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting to go shopping and not have to hurry and to look around all the shelves
DeleteI've not noticed product shortages in the US. Sometimes the shelves are low on stock and lots of products sit in boxes on the store isles. Our grocery stores have difficulty hiring people. Meter readings might well save on costs. That said, phoning the readings in is a process. The process needs some automation for better efficiency.
ReplyDeleteSome utility companies are easy - others seem to make life complicated - but all sorted in the end
DeleteThe sheep are happily munching away in all the turnip fields round here. I picked up O, Pioneers! from the library yesterday. I spent a very happy hour in Chichester library and chose books that just aren’t on the shelves in my local libraries and at 60p a reservation I am having to limit my reservations. Last year was probably the best tomato growing year ever for me and I still have two tubs of roasted tomatoes in the freezer. Nutbourne tomatoes are usually in the local farm shops from Easter time and I don’t know how they do it but they are always really tasty albeit expensive at £8/kilo. They grow unusual varieties too like stripey Tigerella and almost black Coca Cola. Now I am salivating at the thought of cheese, tomato and wild garlic pesto toasties - yum! Quizzing tonight and after a busy afternoon in the bookshop I am going to get my brain in gear with today’s Wordle. I Sarah in Sussex
ReplyDeleteI've seen black tomatoes and thought "that's just so wrong!" Hope your quiz goes well
DeleteWe have tomatoes round here too - but they go quickly - how can you hoard tomatoes, I wonder. :-)
ReplyDeletexx
It's all very silly!
DeleteSo far no shortage in veggies here, but the prices make me cringe.
ReplyDeleteOur power company planned a power outage as well, but cancelled it since we were at -40C with the windchill the past week. Hopefully they pick a warmer day and not have it last too long.
God bless.
-40C is so cold I can't even imagine what we would do here - glad they cancelled the outage for you all
DeleteI think sometimes the news makes people panic which makes things worse. If you say something is hard to find when people do find it they buy more of it. It worked that way during the pandemic too.
ReplyDeleteAck sorry to hear about that Whistable Pearl book. I guess that won't be one I'll buying though I do enjoy the television show.
The programme is only on paid TV here so I've not seen it - I expect it will appear eventually. I just found the book a bit silly and lots of unbelievable happenings
DeleteRugby is my favourite sport! Our Super Rugby season started up this weekend so guess what I was watching? The Six Nations games come through live in the middle of the night - son watches them when he's on night shift work, but I'm afraid I go to bed :)
ReplyDeleteI would have to be a huge fan of Rugby to watch in the night!
DeleteDo you have to read your meters every week? Here we do it once a year and then pay for the next year in four installments based on the use of the past year. It is one bill for water and sewer. There is a meter in every house which is on the mains water. If you move into a new house, the first bill is estimated based on the size of the house and the number of people living there. Our first bill was horribly high, the family who lived here before us must have wasted a lot of water! We paid almost nothing for the second year because we had overpaid so much.
ReplyDeleteHilde in Germany
Water meter is just twice a year and I've only had it since August, the people before me paid for water based on their Council Tax banding- so it was new to me. Lots of places pay water and sewer to the same company but here in a corner of Suffolk and Essex we pay to two different companies. It's all sorted now and I have paid for what I've used since August. The next bill will come in July and should be estimated closer to what I've actually used.
DeleteIf you were the blogger who recommended The devils dice by Roz Watkins, then thank you. It was a library borrow and I enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteSue
Had to search my pages to see when I read it - and it was right back in January last year. I should borrow another
DeleteIt seems very hit and miss over the country this fresh fruit and veg shortage. Our Aldi had virtually nothing in the salad lines, although a delivery had arrived that had a LOT of turnips, so that isn't a shortage in our area. :-)
ReplyDeleteIt will be interesting to see how you get on with all the Value lines, that sausage warning sounds like it's worth heeding!!
Your new challenge -- 100 ways with turnips!?
DeleteI think the value lines are a bit hit and miss for quality - the yorkshire puddings at 15 for 50p are hilarious!
I am so grateful for my well stocked freezer. I have not noticed any shortages here, but if the worst happens, we will be okay for a couple months
ReplyDelete