Pizza day…

Sunday as you may or indeed may not know, is mine and Jesse’s pizza day, these we make ourselves, three reasons why really, :1: it’s cheaper that way by far, 2: I can buy wheatfree bases, Jesse has he’s low carb cauliflower bases, :3: is and here’s the vital reason they taste so blooming good, I’m not just blowing my own wind section here folks, home made really is the best your ever going eat, there’s no oozing slimeball grease slick, like take out pizzas , plus it’s beautifully hot, straight from your oven, and you can add any topping you fancy, and believe me we do 😁,.

I hadn’t eaten anything at all during the day, I like to save myself for the main event, (by afternoon I’m counting down the minutes until 9pm finally shows itself,. by then my stomachs passed the rumbling stage, it’s now making enough noise to disturb even this sleepy little hamlet…

It never takes us long to prepare though, thank goodness, it cooks in roughly 12 minutes in my air fryer oven, while I wait I decide to have a beaker of icy cold Raspberry lemonade, I rarely buy anything other than carbonated water these days because I’m very allergic to artificial sweeteners, it does all kinds of lovely things to my stomach😳😁(mostly not quite so lovely though), even with just that one mouthful, so I avoid it at costs, but this was all (orgasmic😁) and supposed natural, but still i had read the list of ingredients before taking the final plunge, it was to all intention purposes absolutely fine.

ohhhh let me tell you about my sippy cup first😁, The other week while out picking up my prescription, myself and my friend Debbie had a juice drink at the local Costa coffee,,(rarely treat ourselves, but this time was one of those) My drink came in a very sturdy lidded plastic beaker, with that piece missing just perfect for sipping your cold drink, I was so impressed with my what I now call, “an adult sippy cup”, that I bought it home, to reuse…and I surely do, Anyhow I’m wandering off topic again something im won’t to do, sorry!😁.

Last night half filling my sippy cup with ice cubes, I then poured this insipid pink coloured fizzy drink over the top(I hate pink by the way). In fairness though it did indeed smell rather nice, being somewhat thirsty I gulped half of it down before I even stopped to actually taste it😁,(plus avoiding its pinkness), by this time the timer on my oven rang out at last, and my pizza was cooked, rushing out to get It,(priorities here folks) (and thank goodness I did), by the time I had walked back in with my food, I began having these very odd visual disturbances, I could only make out half of everything I was looking at, the other half just melted into darkness, I knew all at once what had occurred,. Even now my vision was treating my eyes like an over zealous fire work display complete with a myriad of coloured wavy glow in the dark lines. the kind sparklers leave behind in the dark.

This normally lasts anything from 30 minutes to an hour, it is now if I have any sense at all left in my aching brain box, and can indeed could stop shoving pizza in my mouth long enough, I would normally grab any available pain killer to hand and manage to stave off the worst effects of a full blown migraine…it’s been a number of years since my last one, as I have sourced most of my triggers. An hour later and the weird light effects have stopped and I could once again make out Jesse’s face upon my phone screen, I had already by this time begun to feel quite unwell, so didnt like the added anxiety of not being able to see him, it’s bad enough having to feel my way around my home, but I managed that with some persistence, but seeing Jesse is always a big comfort, one I’ve grown very accustomed to over the years, (plus here’s a secret don’t tell him though, I quite like his face 😁.

By 10:30 that evening all around my neck is tender and stiff, my nose decides to play silly beggars setting off a spectacular sneezing fit that feels not unlike its shaking my brain loose from its moorings, sending pain throughout each and every blast. . This migraine was fast becoming a reading off the ricter scale, I knew at once what had triggered it though, . See in all drinks even though most of the ingredients are listed, naturally sourced flavours don’t have to be, natural flavour like ORANGE juice!!!, I’m allergic to even a sip of (agent orange, not only do I get violent migraines, but it does other violent things too…. Only to my stomach…very much so, 😳.(told you pink was evil!)😁

So not only have I spent most of Monday nursing a thumping head,(if someone has any notion on how to turn down the London Philharmonic orchestra from oh hell no loudness, to screaming loudness,then I would appreciate it greatly, same goes for the national guard marching around in there…, But add to this my running the Olympics back and forth to the bathroom darlings, then you get the kind of day im having…

Really wish the added free gifts of extra ingredients could be listed or omitted by manufactures, would make life a wee bit less dramatic for strange folks like myself with add ons, (allergies)….Well there is one upside to this whole debacle if you can in fact call it that, I’ve barely eaten today so I’ve saved a fortune in calories and food 😁…Stay well folks and take care of yourselves ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

Just like my bills ever lasting…,

Yes the Electric bill saga continues, as do the Emails back and forth, the endless Correspondence while improving my previous limited English literature is both telling and tiring, I didn’t think at my age I would be still writing endless essays but here we are.

Unsure whether it’s down to my ineptitude or lack of eloquence, I bore greatly of the same subject,(repeating myself almost Sage budgie style., and to be fair I’m sure they themselves are tired of it also, But no matter how often I explain my very odd situation, That infact during the day apart from my one small fridge freezer and the kettle, everything thing else electric without exception is turned off at their sockets,. I’ve explained this over and over till I’m Technicolour about the gills, if your reading this and finding it hard to understand please please for goodness sake and sanity, help me out here and let me know?😁 I would be much obliged.

I know they are either not understanding, or reading the Emails in their entirity as this morning they replied with my greatest usage is during the daytime..which is strange because as explained and let’s repeat ourselves again for those sitting at the back…during the day everything with the exception of the freezer and kettle is turned off, anything like phone, speakers, tablet runs off three massive house brick sized power banks,( these are charged after 9pm when the cheaper tariff kicks in, I have solar fairy lights, battery lights, candles, and two LED table lamps also only used at night. Are you following me thus far?😁. It’s really not hard is it?.

I have washed in cold water daily since april, it’s supposed to be good for your Metabolism, I can well believe this, standing shivering as you pour icy water over yourself not only smacks of some kind of self M&Ms, ( S&Ms) for those of us not adept at Theresa speak….but by the time my body has got it’s core temperature back past Cadaver temp I must have burned off a few calories surely?…😁, blue is not my colour though lol.

Clothes, Sheets, even bathroom mats, now double up as a new improved exercise regime, each day I spend time washing by hand, rinsing, then drip drying upon the line outside, (this though is one of the few good experience,s to come out of it all, my laundry even upwards of a week later smells delicious, I’m not sure I want to forego this in a hurry 😁, even dodging the endless monsoons this summer have been worth the traipsing back and forth. I live totally like some out back woman…I have the large marauding spiders and herd of wood lice to prove it. Some are so cold living here they climb into my bed….yeah I know not for the squeamish😁.

The other good thing I’ve taken from this whole experience, is my love of reading..I cannot afford to go out these days, so most afternoons I live totally vicariously through my books, back in the beginning of January I let on to the fact I set a goal of reading over fifty different genres by the end of the year, I’m well on my way to achieving this, .Books always being a huge escape for me since early childhood, I’ve travelled to many different far off lands, met new cultures, laughed, cried all between the ink filled page..the confines of my walls no longer exist, I’m limited only by time..

There have been other things to come out of this lifestyle, I live a simpler, spend less, want for fewer things, find enjoyment where I can..and despite myself I can..Saturday morning was a prime example, outside was a cool, dark dreary day…the whole sky covered in oppressive grey clouds, they looked heavy and full, no sooner had I turned my back, than the heavens opened, a deluge fell in minutes, I didn’t relish washing myself down in cold water, so I decided to have a wee hint of luxury…I took a bucket from the bathroom, poured in the bottom a liberal amount of my favourite thick mint green shower gel, added a little dettol disinfectant for good measure, by now the kettle boiling away in the kitchen had switched off, I poured it into the bucket, took this into the bathroom, topped it up with cold water.

You cannot begin to know the bliss, of that first pouring of warm minty fragranced water over my skin, instead of holding ones breath waiting for the usual ice cold chill, as I lathered up, I heard myself belting out Proud Mary(Tina Turner), I at once pity my poor neighbours,😁 but not for too long,, they had a free performance what more can you ask😁, . But this small luxurious moment wasn’t quite so small to me, things of this nature no longer are, …that odd Scone with fruit Jam, Bar of shops own brand chocolate, Reading a book, I’m finding appreciation in simple pleasures, an afternoon visit with my sons was all the was to be one of these, well enough from my meanderings whatever your doing take care folks.❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛❤❤❤❤❤❤🌹

Waking up after a restless night is never easy for the best of us, for me it usually requires much more of my caffeine infused beverage of choice(I don’t need much encouragement),, Any more though and i will be able to be located someplace on the ceiling , eyes rolling in the back of my head, gurgling, The upside of course if there is one, least I can deal with any stray cobwebs while in situ.

On the menu

I’m not a very good sleeper at the best of times, some nights I do this weird thing I call a “starter sleep”, it goes something like this..one minute I’m wide awake, the next thing Im actually fully aware that it’s ten minutes later, Now I’ve either been pulled backwards into some strange time warp thing or I’ve fallen asleep 😴,. I’m fully conscious again, with a pool of drool attractively making its slow way down my chin, this is slightly disconcerting as I wasnt even aware I was tired to begin with, but what’s worse is I feel like I’ve been asleep for hours😲, it’s only ever just ten minutes, no more, like some strange pre sleep sleep, before the main event to follow, “the authentic sleep”, which maybe anything from 20 minutes to four hours…who knows?, I never do, I know I like a surprise but sleeping for a full night would be simply Marvellous…

Last night wasnt optimal though, before settling for the night, I decided to check for Emails, (I know on reflection this wasn’t wise, I really should have waited till later, much later, preferably morning sometime after coffee oclock, or not at all on further reflection(my usual method). But in fairness to me I was only trying to be proactive for once, keeping on top of incoming correspondence, 😁,. I scrolled down the line of mail, mainly from my friends at Amazon😁, with the usual endless list of things based on my normal searches, there’s a dozen items I simply cannot live without according to them,(normally made up of things I’ve already bought or things I would never consider in a million years, but I check it anyway, who knows I might at some point need that powder blue chain saw or a diamond encrusted angle grinder, well I may😊, . Then there’s the endless amounts of Spam mail…oh if only, I love Spam,(but of the tinned variety only please). As I half heartedly carry on about my business, I realise I scrolled passed one, I’ve no idea how, but I’ve a sneaky suspicion I did it somewhat unconsciously, it was from my energy suppliers…oh why didn’t I carry on scrolling..I just had to do it, …it was there in big bold letters, my latest statement..I should of stopped right there. Should but didnt

Curiosity gets me every blooming time, I open it up, read the usual lines of information, well I may read it but struggle to take it in….my brains screaming just get to the bloody bit I need to actually know!!!!, Four more paragraphs of dis information, I feel my eyes suddenly begin to boil and droop involuntary, (maybe I will get to sleep after all 😁) that is until I scroll to these enormous figures, I swear they are almost flashing in large bold dark black italics, screaming as they go…massive bill warning, massive bill here!!??, Theres no escaping it, I mean I try believe me, but it can’t be avoided, seems in one month alone, it’s tallied up figures of over £400.00, . Now I know all about inflation, cost of existing that kind of thing,(certainly not living that’s for sure), but £400.00, I mean seriously in one month…

I live this lifestyle, I jokingly call frugal, which really is no joke, no washing machine, no dryer, no tv, dish washer, heating, no hot water, I vacuum once a week or use my carpet sweeper, the only things I do use, which are both vital, are my kettle(coffee being a must to get me through this malarkey😁) and my fridge freezer (it holds milk for said coffee), it’s tiny and on low…I cook my food using my air fryer, once daily…the rest of the time I’m sat using nothing eletrical, this done deliberately, trying hard to curtail costs,(thank goodness for reading is all I can say 😁) How is everyone surviving this is, I would like to know?

After this I already know sleep will, at best be impossible, I’m way too hyped, (also sure it’s no longer the coffee either 😁), there’s nothing I can physically do until morning anyhow so I try to push it aside,compartment it away someplace dark and dank until I at least have more information, but I’ve never been able to do this, I’m an act now, live in the moment type personage, Jesse says I’m like a dog with a bone,. And he,s correct once I’ve the bit between my teeth there’s no shifting me, my mind just doesn’t relax…I can feel my mind working away at it, gnawing, spiralling almost into full blown panic attack,

Finally after two hours of working myself into a lather, I settle on a plan of action, numerous Emails back and forth over months to my supplier are getting us no where fast, Only as Jesse is fond of saying an unwanted penpal…I’ve a much nicer one, I’ve neglected over the months due mainly to letter blindness from endless correspondence, ….So let’s just take it to the top now, I’m going to the Fuel Ombudsmen or is that ombudsperson in the day and age, yup there’s my answer…I cannot live this 1950s dark age madness only to feed the endless gaping mouth of an electricity company, ..with the newly plan of action fresh in my mind, I finally fall into a troubled restless sleep, it’s only for two hours, but it’s sleep never the less, .

On waking I feel that utter exhaustion,the one where your body feels, not only has it managed to somehow survive ten rounds plus a knockout with Mike Tyson, but it’s truly and utterly depleted,. Where as my mind on the other hand is completely wired, wide awake already without the aid of coffee, (running amok like some sugar fueled hyped two year old) I know I have to make that phone call, and I detest phones, I already don’t want to do today,(make it stop someone!) Sometime during the short sleepless night ive managed as only I can, to slip my left shoulder out of its socket,it’s laying at an odd angle,(I’m lop sided) Initial pain jolts me from sleep and although Ive unconsciously manipulated it back into place, it’s uncomfortable, tender, and I’ve a pile of washing to get done by hand, (groaning sound effects maybe applied here folks 😁),

Thank goodness for either insight or restlessness of the night prior, I had already put it in soak, this is half the battle right there, there’s still the agitating to do(the laundry not myself😁) that’s where being ambidextrous or as I’m fond of calling myself bi annual, I’m gonna get in trouble one day 😁comes into its own, not just for party tricks…wringing out water one handed is novel but with manipulation achieved…

As was the dreaded, much put off phone call, I spoke to two lovely people, they put up with my very rattled erratic diatribe with more patience and aplomb than I would have had in their place, my grievance is lodged, I moaned like a moany thing, Andrew on the other end was very good natured about it all, even when Sage the budgie is on fine form screaming “Peeka boo!!!” Or “you alright” at intervals throughout our conversation, I’m unsure of the outcome yet, as this is just the beginning, the tip of the very icy iceburg, (I’m dreading winter without heating already 😁). But as bad as I am with dealing with authority figures, I will not be adverse to taking this further, to the top if needs be, ok let’s get the kettle on for a well earned cuppa now folks😁, take care of yourselves all, and stay safe x ❤❤❤💛💛💛❤❤❤

Another week has passed, And what a week its Been, I’ve not felt the best in the last couple of weeks, so i,m running on a type of go slow, alternating between doing my normally daily tasks, then sloping back off to lay down and read my latest book addiction, (it works quite well for me, I don’t have that endless nagging voice going off on a rage at me for laying about, I achieve my daily goals, just at a much slower pace,(I find after several large mugs of coffee I can think almost clearly, (that is just an almost mind, thinking clearly has been essential or vital for moi) . It has rained off and on for nearly all week now, I’ve spent my time glaring up at the ever thickening black clouds, defying it to rain on my freshly washed, lavender scented line of laundry😁, .. luckily so far the monsoon deluges have seen fit to be obliging, waiting till evening for the clouds to burst open sending sheets of rain that bounce off the black tarmac road, there it forms mini rivulets, rushing down the slight incline carrying away any debris in its path.

As you are all more than aware by now, I am still on my frugal lifestyle kick, this has been one tough month though, I had far more out goings than I would have comfortably liked, although it couldn’t possibly be helped and I suppose in the grand scheme of things these months are going to happen to us all at some point in time.. Even though I know it’s justified, i still can’t help but find it troubling, One of the smaller expenditures was actually to be a necessity, (this of course doesnt help settle my other thinking wired up brain) but when every pair of shoes are increasingly hurting your feet, there little choice left but to address the matter

Recently I had seen these shoes, yes I know we all see shoes 😁, but these made me pause in mid scroll one afternoon, For a start off they had the most peculiar style, I have never seen anything like it in all my years,. firstly thinking this some kind of joke post on Facebook,But no, the shoes are called Barefoot shoes, (I’m no authority on the matter but originally I’m thinking they were in fact designed for beach wear, protecting your feet from pebbles, glass and sharp objects, the mesh like body dries quickly, but is also wonderfully cool in hot weather, it’s sole is thick durable and has an almost tyre like non slip pattern, allowing you to gain purchase on most surfaces, . It seems though that people loved wearing them so much that they didn’t want to take them off, . I can for one understand why now, I bought my first pair Sunday 😁,

They have more than lived up to my expectations, The only other shoes(well type of shoe I’ve had, that’s come anywhere near this is my fake Crocs,) On the whole though I can’t abide anything upon my feet, Shoes, trainers, slippers all hurting, I walk for the most part bare foot where and when it’s possible…It’s an EDS (Ehlers Danlos) thing, Shoes are just a blooming menace to us, necessary at times (but I don’t have to like em😁,. That is until now,. The cheapo knock off crocs I bought some three years back, had not only looked somewhat shabby, (but their thick fur lining that made them so very uber comfy, now I’m ashamed to admit it, but they stank to high heavens, I am in myself a very clean person, showering daily as a rule, but still this did not prevent the pungent pong ponging, .I had taken each morning to creeping up on them, from their hiding space under my bed., Deluging them daily with every scented industrial chemical known to man or beastie, In some vain attempt to rid them of their evil skunkiness,but alas every attempt at making them Rose scented failed dismally, Soooooo one afternoon after I could bare the thought of sulpherous gases following me about like some ancient faithful dog with terrible wind one second longer, I hit on a dastardly plan…

Well actually not just a plan but a back up😁, Plan A was to drown the offensive blooming things….ok stick them in a large of vat of disinfectant, weigh them down firmly, so they couldn’t crawl back out and leave them there at least a week 😁😳, . This I did only taking them out of their confines, on the best drying day, after tying them to the washing line where they swang merrily for two days I bought them back in…I brushed up the now snow white fur liner into its fluffy soft original state,. They I had to admit looked almost new…ok I’ve saved money once again I congratulate myself heartily…mmmm hmmm, that was until two days later..(it’s back!!!!!😳, yes the now even ranker skunk scent permeated the air with added vigour..now it stank with impunity, it stank of DAMP! skunk!😳, ….So straight into plan B…oh yes I wasn’t going to be defeated uh huh not me..(or is that actually defeeted😁,) Now this was personal, picking up a large pair of sharp Orange plastic handled scissors, (fully masked up) I was going to stab them,. Well no stop panicking folks, actually what plan B was in its simplicity was cut the blooming liner out….this was in fact so much easier in the planning stages, …

The Crocs fight back….

When I took the scissors to the first bit of liner, it seems all attempts to cut into it failed(who knew armour plated Crocs), try as I may I could not break through it to begin the cutting, (So taking one section of the scissor or is that still scissors ✂😳?) I quite literally stabbed at the fluff webbing, I could hear the psycho music as I wielded the shiny blade at the offending material, still it resisted me, instead of cutting through fluff, I somehow managed quite easily to slice through a finger😳, ..After taping my fingers back together, drinking a coffee, jumping on the crocs from a great height, (shouting die foul fiends), I decided this was it, …and I won….well I thought I did..finally the liner was out, tied up firmly into a trash bag after first being sprayed from a distance with neat bleach…I was masked also for this folks …Jubilation I can now go back to wearing my crocs once and for all,. I dance a happy dance, I flit about the room singing a victory song….it doesn’t last….

The rude shoes….

Next day to put out the laundry, I slip on the linerless Crocs, safe in the knowledge I’m not leaving a stench trail in my wake, I can almost skip outdoors to the laundry, gamble about the area, peg out my beautiful lavender scented clothes, smell the fresh summer air freely right?…..oh hell no!, Because as I walk out towards the clothes lines, there’s this strange noise, if I had to describe this I would say it’s like a slopping, slurping thing,, erm a sort of disgusting botty burping sound, …I look about me, fully expecting some poor soul with dreadful windy IBS to come walking along behind me…to my shock there’s not another living breathing soul anywhere in the general vicinity, no one, nada, nothing, what’s worse when I stand still, it infact stops😳, ceases, desists, no more, …I walk on and there it is again, only the further I walk the louder it becomes…now either I have a severe GI issue here that I need to see someone urgently about or something is very rather amiss, ….I stop again and silence….it dawns on me then suddenly it’s the revenge of the blooming crocs…they were having the last laugh😁, everywhere I walked the windy sound walked with me….at first I learnt to tolerate it, it wasn’t going to win right?, Then as I carried Jesse about in phone land one afternoon, I become ever more conscious of it…what if Jesse thought it was me?, I tried walking more slowly to no avail, picking up speed only makes it sound like I now had wind, but at Machine gun speeds,. Socks didn’t help, putting powder in neither, that just sent up plumes of talc out the backs, looking even more like gassy emittions floating in the air, or indeed smoke signals telling anyone passing, Jesse including look she’s got Gas…. (Nope couldn’t have it,Simply Can’t) wasn’t happening, I took off the offending shoes, throwing them straight outside in the dustbin then and there, only thing is I instantly felt guilty for the bin men…

So after this somewhat traumatic experience, I decided in a fit of pique, Treez hang the cost, buy a pair of these Bare foot thingies, did I tell you some of them have toes places in them, like toe gloves 😁, others like mine come in the outter shape of your feet, toe spaces inclusive, …I ordered them quickly before my thinking sensible head took over my itchy Amazon finger and banned me from the site…When they arrived the next day, in just a zip lock bag, that alone impressed me, not boxes in boxes, taped enough to hold on the crown jewels, but just an easy access bag…huh I like it….but what’s more from the moment I released the bare foots from their plastic confines, slipped them eagily upon my waiting feet..it was love, instant and no apologies made glorious love…not felt anything like it since meeting my man….😁

They are roomy round the toes, deliberately made much larger to allow your toes to space out, just the same as when you walk about shoeless, their lightweight, breathable, and cushion your walk, for the first time in years I forgot they were actually upon my feet, I’ve in fact read of people forgetting totally and going to bed in them😁, I for one can actually believe it, I left them on all day, another first😁, …I have been so impressed by them, I ordered a second pair, and now have decided that I will go on to order a third..some of the better names are truly expensive, I couldn’t touch those, but scroll on long enough and you will find bargains…just as good and what’s more as equally comfy, fabulous colours too, that don’t break the bank…Anyhow take care out there folks, where ever your hotfooting too, until next time frugally yours ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣

Monday..

Goodness how on earth do these weeks go by so fast? 😊, This week despite my very best efforts, has turned out to be a little on the expensive side,. I know full well around this time every monthly, I have these two fairly large bills that need feeding,,(they remind me of hungry baby birds, mouths constantly gaping, just not as cute) it is actually fine though as I’ve factored this into my monthly accounts, but then there’s those things that will creep up on you, like important big birthdays to buy a gift for., My store cupboard choses now also as a good moment to join in, doing it’s best impression of old mother Hubbard’s cupboard, (apart from that is a rather impressive stash of tinned chopped tomatoes),. I had somehow grown low on certain things you always need in., especially those essentials, like herbs, corn flour and tinned soup,,. In all honesty i felt somewhat overwhelmed even panic stricken. Im unsure why as it wasnt anything I couldn’t handle, it’s just I finally have my spending under control, i think if I were to analyse, it theres almost a fear of sliding back and falling into the abyss of the old habits of yestermonths 😊..(Then there’s the other part of me that worries is this in fact becoming a whole obsession.(this frugal lifestyle

Have I? in my extraordinary effort to save where I can, took frugality to a whole other concept,. And i honestly can say with hand on heart, whenever I have to make any purchases other than food or pay those oh so evil but necessary bills😊, I find myself very ill at ease, I check my bank account more regular, mind working overtime trying to conjure up a way to write off some of this expenditure.

Other months when this has happened I’ve paired down my grocery shop to its lowest, even going to the extremes of going without items,. Falling into other bad habits along the way, like eating just once daily again, drinking coffee to stave off any hunger pangs, knowing this isn’t healthy or indeed the answer, but doing it anyhow, its a trap I’ve allowed myself to walk into many many times before,. I’m thinking I may have yet another fight on my hands, thats not to allow this to take over.

Sunday was a prime example of what can happen when things like this occur, I had been awake since fairly early, wanting to get my washing dry before the predicted heavy yellow weather warning, sent storms my way,(as you know I hand wash and this takes far longer to dry) so line drying for me is at a premium, I need to take advantage of every hour to its fullest, if this means early rising then so be it., I soak the first lot of coloured wash while I drink a speedy coffee, this is gulped while just a degree or two off molten😊, by 7am on that Sunday morning, whilst most sane folks relax in bed, having that well earned lie in, Im pegging out my third load of washing, bells peel somewhere in the distance bought clearer by the ever thickening deep bed of cloud cover, birds sing in the now swaying branches and a rather plump bumble bee decided to land on my freshly washed undies, I grabbed an obliging twig, using this to persuade my new found friend that in fact a late blooming pink BlackBerry flower was a much prettier and sweeter proposition. signs of predicted storm are gathering menacingly, but though the sky’s dark and foreboding, there’s also high winds great for drying,

After doing some more much needed chores i note it is still early, my stomach begins to growl, so I made myself another coffee, it normally works for a while, the pangs of hunger delayed for now, I carry on with the day, but it’s not long before I’m reminded I haven’t eaten since the evening before, by now it is lunch time though. I could have a bacon sandwich, but it’s Sunday, and Sundays are actually mine and Jesse,s pizza night(fake away style of course) I still hadnt bought any wheatfree pizza bases running out the week previous, so opting to use bread. But because pizza night is a big deal for us, I chose not to eat much, making myself a pack of instant porridge instead, the thought here was it would hold me over till nine o’clock that evening, (good thought)😊

It did work up to a point, where it no longer did😊, I distracted myself by reading a book on my kindle, it was one of those rare bargains, next to nothing to buy, but a gripping read, (The Rabbit Girls by Anna Ellery) I lost myself in its pages, it’s thought provoking paragraphs take you back in time, while losing time for you.

We make pizza around the nine o’clock time, hunger hasn’t taken a back seat now, my mind still full of the story I’ve been reading, . As I said earlier I had to use bread again this week, which is no hardship as I really enjoy it, still using the pizza base sauce, garlic, cheeses, and sausage, …Soon as the smell of warm cheese drifted from the kitchen, hit my nostrils, I felt my stomach strirring awake once more, I was ravenous…

The minute the oven pinged, I spring off my place on the bed and shot out into the kitchen, there gloriously golden slices of melted cheese topped bread awaited, cooked to perfection, to make it easier to eat I cut it into fours, …As I ate the first slice in seconds I realised just how intensely hungry I had in fact been, barely chewing the hot cheesy mouthfuls, and it was this that got me into trouble, one piece slid down my throat, and as it did a hard sharp piece of crust scratched all the way down…I didn’t choke or anything but if you’ve ever done this yourselves you will I hope share a sympathetic thought, …each swallow after this was worse than its predecessor, the scratchy raw sensation only intensifying, ..I thought it would possibly pass after a few mouthfuls of water, only it didnt. In fact by bedtime I was having even more difficulties, my throat felt like I was having one of my many tonsilitus infections, swollen and painful…I’m now on day two and despite, salt water gargles, icy drinks, and taking teaspoons of honey it’s still hurting..hereby ending this lesson do not ever wait until your overly hungry to eat in future 😊.

The other much more positive lesson of the week is how to eek out ones favourite shower Gel, . I love the Source range, normally either buying the Mint Source of the lemon, both have powerful scents that linger in the bathroom long after you’ve left. But the only downside if there is any to be found, is it’s cost,. I have rectified this in my mind over the months by telling myself it doubles as a minty airfreshner, (well it does) but still I was torn by the price, I tried watering it down a little to drag it out longer as frugalers have on youtube, And although it smelt ok still it had for me anyway lost some of its potency, …So it was while doing an online shop last week I stumbled across a bottle of on sale teatree shampoo for just a £1, . It dawned on me suddenly that I could use this to top up the half empty bottle of mint shower gel, it’s cheaper by far but still really strong scented and sudsy, with this, making my own icecubes, foregoing pizza bases I’ve saved nearly £10, ok I’ve a sore throat to boot, but maybe this will in effect give rise to another saving….Jesse’s ears 😳😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁, whatever your up to folks take care out there and look after you 💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛❤🌹

Wednesday..

It’s been nearly three months since I left my flat last. Theres reasons,far too many reasons infact to list, but the main one being, I know full well if I don’t go anywhere it’s the sure and only way to prevent money leaking from my wallet,(this is also the reason I have a broken zipper on it, I swear my wallets deliberately denying me access to my card).. Thinking of designing a wallet that either slaps my hands or shocked my fingers when I try opening it,(this could in fact be a thing😁) Anyhow Monday morning I learnt I was in fact going to have to leave my comfy nest and venture forth into the great unknown(ok the pharmacy to pick up my prescription, (same thing) my delivery service aka Dave was on his holidays….

This was going to mean either a cab ride at £20 a time or reaching out to ask my friend Debbie for help!!!!!, as Luck would have it though Debbie was indeed off work this week, So being kids about town😁, we decide to throw in a crafty hot chocolate and a delectable moist slice of chocolate brownie while out, (yes we both know this isn’t good for either of us, but somehow knowing it’s naughty just adds to its temptation😁 , plus it’s been an age since we have caught up with each other, and there’s nothing better than a slice of cake with your hot serving of gossip…

This is Monday when we make these arrangements, leaving plenty of time for me to work myself up into a right screaming meany(I do excel at this 😁) by Monday night I’m already nice and edgy, I know full well as much as I enjoy Debbies company(not to mention the cake of course) I will have developed some sort of Berry Berry,Small pox, Consumption, or Parvovirus anything to avoid stumbling about mixing with real live human people type beings 😁, but this time I cannot excuse myself, I need to pick up my meds, I’m down to the last three of both tablets. Being without either med, is far more serious than any uncomfortable sensation I could ever feel of being outside.

I woke up Tuesday morning to a bright sunny Dawn, but there was already the weight of doom and gloom weighing down heavily upon my chest., With that and one very swollen painful left leg that kept waking me throughout the night, I feel a justification creeping up here to cancel the arrangements for the next day, (never thought I would see the day when my leg became an enabler😁,) but pain in the leg or no, still I know full well I have to leave the safe confines of home, but I don’t wanna!!!! sighs.

So all day Tuesday even though I’m doped up on a wonderful mixture of strong pain killers and caffeinated to the maximum amount, I keep busy, I do things I have put off for weeks, things that don’t require my attention, both Sage and Cinnamon hide cowering in the corners as I thoroughly clean their homes much to their disgust, I do anything to keep occupied, my mind away from the next day, (I’m even putting off going to bed that night, because like any child excited knows, it makes the next day come around all the sooner..but I do so in the knowledge,I now have an exceptionally clean house and pets..😁

Wednesday..

As my eyes flicker open, and the light streams in from the cracks in the red striped curtains, unwelcomely hits my startled eyes, I feel like I’m about to be thrown into a large pack of underfed hungry lions, not in reality go out to enjoy an hour or so with a friend, everything feels like it’s running in slow motion, moving requires energy, and my reserve’s are already flashing on the red warning light, to make matters worse I cannot boost it with a healthy shot of caffeine, last thing I need, while out is my stomach going into an oh gawd blimey rebellion mode…as it only it knows how…my mind confused and sleep befuddled, I mumble profanities to myself as I hobble into the bathroom, flinching instinctively as the first drops of stinging icy cold water hits my skin, like a thousand mini electric shocks, I had just seconds previous been partially warm still, from my soft fleece clad bed, by now though I am all too wide awake…

I dress more for comfort, never being someone who dresses up unless it’s required of course, still shaking from the chill of the water, I sit on my bed, trying hard to focus on the early dawn chorus(this would normally sooth me) today though I’m already far too agitated, even at this 11th hour I long to call the whole thing off, I’ve already cleaned out the pets hoping their presence will warm my mood., instead though later as I try without success to apply my make up, streaking a long black line from my eye down to my cheek, Sage the budgie swinging back and forth on his cage swing comes out with a well timed Ha ha, (could be a coincident but knowing him I doubt this…no Solidarity there then…

Jesse is by now awake, and we chat back and forth, his voice is rich, soft and soothing, I feel my breathing drop from an unhealthy hyperventilating, to a calm distracted normality, I’m almost relaxed, I say almost…😁,

The morning escapade does indeed go by without disaster, and as always once I’m actually prized kicking and screaming out of the front door, things go ok, soon we chatter away like a couple of excited sparrows, between Debbie and Jesse I find I can cope with just about anything, Plus Debbie knows how to lure me out, just mention cake of some form of another. Going out did as expected come with a price tag, we let ourselves loose around the shopping aisle of a super market, bad bad idea, I spent £2 over my carefully planned budget, I hate doing this, I know it’s not a vast fortune, and doesn’t drastically alter the economy, but it bugs me. That said I now have enough soap powder here to last month’s 😁

We also sat in a lovely clean cafe indulging ourselves to the full with a scrumptious chocolate muffin each, soon as I tasted it’s rich smooth moist chocolate softness, being out among others hit the background, I no longer saw anything other than the task at hand, my hands and t shirt were soon covered in a multitude of crumbs, but I cared not, I ate every delectable mouthful and even licked my fingers, this was a rare treat and I found myself enjoying it tremendously…

The day had been a far cry in fact from how it started out, I had long since forgotten the panic of leaving the safety of my cave like home, there were indeed no lions, Tigers, Dinosaurs lurking round street corners ready to snap my head from my shoulders, Even the endless earworm(song) of the last three days ceased it playing in my head in repeat(Bad moon in the rise) it’s predictions left unfulfilled, I had survived intact, my wallet somewhat lighter but a trifle price to pay even for this frugaler….until our next adventure, stay safe, stay well and look after you ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤, I see a bad moon a rising ! 😁 🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶

It’s been some months now since I first began the challenge of living Frugally, it’s a quest even as early as six months ago I could not have foreseen myself upon, One indeed I doubt if I had had the remotest choice about I would not of undertaken, but though I protest the path did lead me on this never ending journey and although it’s not always proven the most scenic, there’s always some joy to be had if one really sees rather than just looking..

Monday.

Last night was mine and Jesse pizza night, We are both as you well know real foodies, it’s a joy neither of us is prepared to forgo and make no apology for, food is our one true weakness😁, the other pleasure we enjoy about our Sunday Pizza nights, is that making our of own…ok we don’t make the bases 😁, Jesse buys cauliflower bases, which we just can’t get over here in the UK just yet(sure we will catch on eventually though) So I will go for instead, a wheatfree option by Schlar at £3:75 for 2…they are a somewhat different texture to those that are wheat based, but turn out perfectly for all that. slightly crisp and golden around it’s very edges, yet soft,pliant but never soggy in its centre,

Jesse never strays from his choices in toppings, loving, his peppers,onions, cheeses and pepperoni slices, where as I’m all over the place😁, I regularly change from a strong cheddar/Goats cheese collaboration, with spinach, red onion and pepperoni, to Blue cheese, tomato, garlic, spinach, sweet corn. There really is nothing I’m not afraid of trying..I say this somewhat tongue in cheek as I flatly refuse to consider anything in a cheese and pineapple, (I know it’s popular folks and many like it, but the mere thought of that sweet, soggy, healthy fruit on my not quite so healthful combination just leaves me all of a shudder.😁,

Last night’s pizza night was to be slightly different however, because I had in fact run right out of pizza bases, now I know what your thinking,So why didn’t I just get online and have Morrisons deliver some more,?, That’s the usual way of course.But In my defence though, in order to order😁 those pizza bases I would have had to spend a further £40 or most likely more, Now my weekly budget allows for just that amount only, (it’s a figure I adhere to strictly, I have thought over even more greatly, some weeks ago now, the original budget being £50.. I had already spent this weeks allotment on Tuesday, it however with some great determination that i would wait a further week to buy more groceries, …So it’s Sunday and Its still Pizza night, so what do you do about it?, well You cut two thin slices off a loaf of bread you made fresh just yesterday, Cover it in your pizza sauce, Garlic paste, pesto, spinach, cheddar cheese, blue cheese, pepperoni, and put it in your air fryer oven for 12 minutes.. I hadn’t told Jesse of the great pizza base shortage as of yet😁,. Quite simply because he would do one of two things, order them from Amazon or call off this great weekly event(and that my friends just ain’t happening). I sat waiting for that most elusive of sounds, the ping of the bell saying it’s done..I will never understand why 12 minutes feels like a whole day when your waiting for food and very hungry.?

When I do finally rush out to the kitchen and open the little airfryer/oven door, it’s to find a sight to behold, The cheese is now golden, bubbly and even distributed, the bread base is cooked to perfection, And that glorious cheesy smell has filled my kitchen…I cut it into squares, as I do I can even now feel that slight crunch under my knife, the cheese stays perfectly balanced upon the other ingredients, As i get to enjoy this wonderful concoction, it’s as glorious as it’s pizza cousin, I was not to be disappointed or feeling left out of our usual Sunday night feasting, if anything I was delighted at its simplicity, but morishness, I finished it in quick time.

This has though in its wake created somewhat of a dilemma, I love pizza and I loved my Italian Rarebit,(a spin on that good old fashioned delight of Welsh Rarebit, cheese on toast) But I could save nearly £8 monthly by going down the Italian rarebit route, no great shakes to some right?,(agreed) but I look at that breakdown over a year. The figures are an impressive £96 a year, again your sitting there saying so what right?, That’s over two weeks grocery bill, two months paid off one of my utilities, in the great calculation of things it is in fact a very big deal…

Over the weekend I also learnt another thing, (I know right this old dogs learning a whole gambit of new tricks. Right so ponder this?, let’s talk dirty…..dirty laundry😁… When those civilised amongst us do a load of washing, how much detergent or powder do you use?, I bet you, like myself too at one point fill up that bottle cap to the very brim right?. This being what I remember the grinning perfectly Coifed lady doing on the tv adverts, so it just has to be right?, Well actually no,would you be shocked if I said it could in fact be wrong?, The detergent we use is mostly double strength to begin with. And if you check out the handy measuring cap there is down at the bottom of it, two faint lines, A and B,. A being for the clothes that are not really that grubby, B being slightly more so…but both are no where near that whole Cap full we have been lead to believe we need to use,. Why did they show that on the commercial?, I won’t insult your intelligence by proffering an answer, . And most of us never get our clothes in a state bad enough to need that second line let alone a whole capful, so the math is plain to see. No wonder we never get as many washes per the bottle as it states.

If this wasn’t enough after that little Gem I started seeing all sorts of possibilities, I was already getting a further weeks teeth cleaning by merely squeezing the tube to the bottom,. Adding water to shampoo bottles gives two to three further washes, I do this to detergent, washing up liquid, mouth wash, the list is endless, …so this in mind on Sunday after a trip to the bathroom, I saw a bar of soap I had bought weeks previously, that not only didn’t really larger up, but to add insult further it didn’t smell of mint, in fact actually it didn’t smell of much of anything…now in my no waste lifestyle this neglect was non allowed 😁, especially as I have run out of hand wash, also I had to factor in cost, this wasn’t just any soap..nooooooo this was in fact A environmental animal friendly mint and lavender soap…(still didn’t pong any better though folks) so what shall we do with it?. No not throw it in the bin(the old me would have too readily done this very thing). An idea but out of nowhere..I did no more than boiled the kettle up for coffee 😁….ok plus used the left over water to melt down the bar of scentless soap…I had to stir vigorously for some time before the white bar began to disintegrate into a liquid state..this achieved it still didn’t smell right?, Wrong I added a few drops of Sandalwood essential oil, tipped my newly fragranfed soap into a reusable pump bottle and hey Presto I now have a full bottle of hand soap…and scented😁, .

So let’s go back to my original question here?, some may call this penny pinching, others of you thrifty, there are even those on the other hand that have been pretty nasty, calling it miserly, they are of course entitled,. And in truth I wouldn’t not inflict this lifestyle on everyone, not even myself if it wasn’t I need to do this until I’m Solvent again, But what I have gained from this there cannot be put a price tag upon, ..For the first time in as many many months now, I realised something while sitting enjoying a rare moment devouring a scone complete with jam on, The taste had somehow increased, no that’s wrong!, Not just increased, but each and every mouthful exploded with flavour, it had been so long since I had indulged in anything this frivolous, That’s not the end of the story though, I’ve also learnt to really appreciate the things that in the past I had in fact taken for granted, Simply things, like an unexpected letter from my daughter, a text from a friend I hadn’t heard from in a while, that first coffee while sitting listening to the cool crisp notes of a Blackbirds song at dawn, the smell of fresh line dried laundry, that months supply of sweeties from Jesse I wasn’t expecting, it’s strange how by giving up something that in truth, really didn’t bring me any joy,(being part of the great consumer rush) I’ve gained so very very much more. So is this in fact penny pinching, frugal, or just being blooming careful…you decide ?😁 well enough for now folks I’m going off to enjoy my dinner, I’m starving …so whatever you get up to folks enjoy and as always take care of you ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤x

Thursday 6th

Recently I joined a new group on Facebook, it was recommended to me by a fellow Frugaler after one of our many discussions, Its centres around food and recipes while living through the Great American Depression era. But alongside the recipes, ideas, and learning about making ends meet, there’s the fascinating stories,

Back to the future..

It seems to me that alongside the ever soaring prices of food, fuel, and the cost of living in general, people are adapting to a whole new style of living,(well no I’m wrong there, we are going back in time to learn new/old skills, evolving thwm to fit today’s new world, Several people in my new group have dug out amazing hand written recipe books from the Great Greatmothers, Wonderful women who not only fed large family on little to nothing, but the children tell of how they never went without . Foraging, hunting and kitchen gardens providing the bulk of provisions, only visiting stores to buy coffee, flour, sugar and bare essentials,…clothes were handed down, either being patched up, altered or the odd scrap of fabric found to make it look new..

Now though I didn’t grow up in the mountains regions of America, and we didn’t have a depression hanging over us. I did however Grow up in a rough industrial town in the 70s, We had a large family of seven, a three bed council house, and like most of our neighbours at that time just the one wage coming in, My father being quite literally the sole bread winner.

We were lucky in one respect, because we had with our house a decent sized back garden, My parents with the Dig for victory(second world war reference) mentality still fresh in their minds grew most of our veg . There was always row upon row of Garden peas, Dwarf runner beans, radishes, lettuce, potatoes, tomatoes and onions, when things were harvested, cleaned and stored in our huge metal blue shed, the soil was prepared for the following year,

Clothes were passed down from my older siblings, cousin’s or neighbours children, receiving a black sack of second hand clothes was something akin to Christmas, there was no thought of where they had come from, I had never worn them before so to me they were new, other sources were charity shops or my favourite the jumble sale😁, .Normally held in the local church hall over the winter months, money raised there went to the church found,.I remember mother hurrying me out the door, me barely getting my coat on before we were off rushing down the street, my little chapped legs encased in thick wool stocking going two to the dozen trying to keep up with my harassed mother pulling me along the road, Mum’s florid faced friend Beaty doing her utmost to catch us up, These Gals were of one mind only, to get to the jumble sale early before the best stuff went..

And if this meant waiting on the steps of the hall for those doors to be swung open in the winters icy cold, so be it, anything in the name of a bargain…Some of the more seasoned professionals, stood out there for over an hour to get front on queues,(Others bribed their children to stand their for them to save a place) I’m not too proud to say I did this more than one 😁,

What were we all waiting for?….A Jumble Sale was in fact trestle tables set against the walls in a horseshoe shape, each table heaving with second hand clothes, shoes, handbags, Others had books, tools, puzzles and games,. Anything deemed a little bit upper crust was hung in neat rows from clothes rails, stood behind each table was normally two very eagle eyed determined looking ladies, between them a lidded biscuit tin to collect money in…

Once those doors were opened to the public, people thronged in like their very lives depended on getting in the tiny building first, when small I got pushed away from my Mum by some woman, bag tightly clutched over Her arm as she elbowed her way through, I tell you Rugby had nothing on these woman when they scrummed through those doors and saw those tables,😁, I can still to this day hear those excited womans raised voices, and smell the strong musty scent of second hand clothes plus moth balls 😁.

Times back then were so very different, we had less expectations, we didn’t want the latest big screen tv, iphone, or computer ..If someone had a car in our street they became Posh😁, if their children got new bikes, scooters or skates for Christmas the parents had more money than sense according to the mother’s meeting standing on the corner of our street gossiping behind their hands😁.

But one thing living in my tough little town taught me was how to thrive in the little you have. Now many years later those very same lessons are as vital today as they were then, And others are finding out the same thing, more and more you read of food banks cropping up, Facebook freegal sites, people upcycling, recycling and repurposing, we are using skills of yesteryear to make it through our modern day lives, and I have become no exception.

I no longer take for granted those things I possess, they have to last, I have to make them..I no longer just buy replacements items for things that break, i either try to repair it,adapt it so I can still use it or go without, I’m also finding I have a need for far few things,..I’ve not owned a tv in over five years, I don’t possess a tumble dryer, stereo, mainly because there’s no room😁, but neither do I want them..

Living within a frugal lifestyle however means there’s something else of even more value I’ve learnt to appreciate recently, this is to maximise the pleasure I get from things I do have, over the weekend for instance I splashed out on a pack of four scones, yup that’s it…just scones😁, I already had jam in my store, so there I sat a large mug of coffee, one scone with jam, it has been weeks since I enjoyed anything other than my two regular meals per day, eyes closed, head tilted back, the sweetness exploded with a tart sharpness from the Blackcurrant jam, upon my tongue, the scone crumbled with freshness, there I savoured every single last mouthful, I found for the first time in an age I not only found the food alive with more flavour, but I was enjoying it to the full, . And there it is folk, we have become so used to treating ourselves all the time, anytime, that treating ourselves means upping the stakes, spending more money to achieve that enjoyment…there’s other things too, like a letter from my daughter, finding a book I really enjoy and reading a chapter each morning between chores, writing a poem, the smell of fresh laundered sheets straight from off the line …suddenly I’m no longer taking for granted simple things I had once, I’ve realised with some shock, much is infact no longer equated with happiness, and as I listen to the lone clear sweet voice of a blackbird after rain, the church bell ringing softly in the distance blown in by a soft evening breeze, these are riches and sometimes it takes losing things you didn’t need anyhow to gain even more.anyway enough from me folks, take care out there, until next time ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

July is now well and truly upon us, even before we have begun to adapt to the fact it’s even summer. I for one have barely witnessed the changes that the summer season brings, Frugal living and going out do not make for good bed fellows..everything these days requires money, and as we are all well aware plenty of it,.Even something as simple as going out for coffee can cost as much as £5 in some places, that simple five pounds, at one point,(which was nothing to some) I would have too just months ago , somewhat without thought even, but this is no longer the case, I have become that boring person in my pursuit of saving a pound here and there, a spendthrift.

I find I can indeed tolerate the self enforced incarceration, if it has an end game, there is you will be glad to hear a method to my madness, a reason for all this penny pinching, And the main point to all this is the need to be solvent, and as its possible to achieve this,. The mere thought of leaving behind a whole bunch of debt for my loved ones to deal with leaves me cold, and with some stubbornness and determination it will never happen, I will make sure of this.

This infact is the very first year I havn’t bought any plants for my garden, (it’s with a feeling of loss for me), gardening being a hobby I’ve enjoyed since early childhood, especially growing things from seed, (mostly vegetables), and I know what your thinking now😁,packets of seeds are inexpensive right?, And I agree they really are on the whole, but getting to those shops that sell them would take a car,(In my case a taxi) then there’s compost, pots needed to plant them in, because there’s no real garden here to speak of, instead I trawl the shop I use for home delivery groceries, buying large cheap bags of frozen mixed veggies, it’s very cost effective, doesn’t go off and surprisingly contain as many vitamins as their fresh veggie counterparts.

The discipline it takes to live this life can infact be somewhat harsh, Today for example there have been times my foody past comes tapping at my door 😁, and I crave those things I used to readily buy.. One of these for instance are good old Crisps,(potato chips). It’s not just a want, it’s that midnight calling, mouth watering, you can almost taste those salty, crunchy mouthfuls, this week was to be no exception, Crisps even starring in several dreams, now youve two options here, give in to ones temptations or dig your nails into the palm of your hands until you’ve crescent moon indents and wait for it to pass…I have many of these indents from sleepless nights believe me, but up until now I have not given in,

Then there’s the hand washing of clothes each and every day, sighs!, It’s avreal chore on the best of days, then there’s the other days, ones youve just taken pain meds because that also so happens to be a day your hurting more than usual. Those are hard to push through, but somehow I always have,usually with much bribery and corruption,once the wash is done I allow myself a curl up on the sofa with a passage or two of my latest read and another coffee, works every time,. After this peaceful well earned respite theres always the taking of the rugs outside to beat,(this is somewhat satisfying in an odd sadistic kind of way, teach those rugs to attract crumbs😁)we also have the joys of sweeping with a carpet sweeper rather than vacuuming,. I never in my wildest dreams thought there would come a day, when I would look longingly at Henry(My Hoover who sits idoly by in the cupboard gathering much dust, while I do all the work😁, yes it would be easier and less time consuming to vacuum, but not less electricity though, (and there’s the nub of it all) , There are those days when it’s all up hill, and I long to bellow “I hate this!!! “, those are the days remembering my cause is not only much needed, but in fact rather crucial.

Friday dawned way too early for my liking, for the past two weeks I’ve slept badly at best, during which the heat in my tiny room can become unbearable, . I’m not sure if its connected or not, but each night my sleeps abuzz with countless nightmares,. what I do know though is I wake up even more exhausted than when I went to bed the night before, . Something else I know through my own experience, is lack of sleep causes sugary food cravings this is indeed connected, so it’s not my fault right ?😁…

All day Thursday I had longed for something sickly sweet ,anything sweet would do it, Ok if we’re breaking this down, Cake was in fact the main culprit,cake always is 😁, being more precise chocolate fudge cake😁, . But of course there’s none to be found, as if to rub salt in the wounds, all my face book pages are filled with endless delicious cake recipes, every type of cake, it’s like Facebook reads my mind and is determined to make me pay😁, I slather as I scroll almost tempted to lick the tablets screen, it’s only Jesse is watching that I enforce some self control😁, but as I continue on scrolling nonchalantly, I come across something that instantly catches my eye, I slam on the breaks, reverse, and there in a haloed glow is a three ingredient recipe for home made fudge…

Oh Boy…

Firstly and foremost at the same time as I’m enraptured at the idea of partaking in soft creamy caramel fudge, a little niggly voice murmers, “well you know Treez your bound to not have all the ingredients” , (Even if there is only three needed), I watch the video three times over, the smiley man repeats over and over how easy it is to make, his looks perfect, but there’s always does right 😁, he talks on about how there’s enough to store in the fridge for three weeks, ..I on look enviously at the 24 tiny perfect cubes of fudge, (hang on a moment here!!!!!!, 24 tiny cubes are meant to last you three whole WEEKS!!!?, Nah surely not?, Well not in my house anyhow…some of us have this thing called a healthy appetite, AKA..gluttony😁,. But what I will make Mr perfect smile, fudge maker right about for once, I do have all the in ingredients here right at home in my store cupboard yayyyyyy!.

The low down…

What you need is either a bar of dark chocolate, or a bar of milk chocolate, you can alternatively use half and half..I only had my bar of emergency dark Lindt(why emergency?) well I know full well I won’t eat the whole bar at once, then it’s there at real times of crises, like nuclear holocaust or just because I need something yummy. The next ingredient is a tin of sweetened condemned, I mean condensed milk. Everyone has one of these in the cupboard right? (Mostly handed down as a family heirloom from your great Gran twice removed, once poured over tinned fruit cocktail on Sunday teatime😁), .last but not least half a pack of salted or unsalted butter..

You pour the contaminated(whoops condensed milk into a heat proof bowl(microwavable) add the butter..microwave this for two minutes. While this whirls about and your waiting impatiently for it to ping…begin chopping up your chocolate into small pieces, unless you have chocolate drops then use those, now as you chop always chop more than required,(why?) Because your going to shove some in your mouth as you go along!, (Oh you don’t do that!!!?, Ooops thought everyone did sorry)😁 .Once the milky buttery gloop is heated, shove in what remains😁, of your chopped chocolate😁, stir until it thickens into a lovely silky shiney Ganesh type consistency, line a small brownie tray with Parchment paper, then pour and smooth over, leave to cool for ten minutes before you lick the bowl😁, I mean place the flattened tray in the fridge for four hours, then wash the remains off your face, and change your t shirt….oh that’s just me again ok is it😁…!,

Tomorrow I’ve decided to invite a group of large burly work men in for after high tea😁. Well actually what’s happening is I’m joining the age of connection, broadband connection, I’ve ordered in extra milk and Kitkats as they may like a choccy biscuit, but if their all watching their figures that’s ok too because then it can live out it’s days in my store cupboard….ahemmm, stop laughing you lot, you never know I may surprise you all as well as myself….well I might!, Anyhow dear folks be careful out there and look after you ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤🍰😉

This week has been somewhat varied, strange varied but mostly just audaciously varied, It all began when i received an early morning phone call on the last Monday in May, now my phone rarely if ever rings, but when it does it’s invariably for news I’m wanting to hear, that day was to be no exception, my estate agent were calling to inform me I was in fact due my annual inspection, (not me personally you understand), but rather the rental property i live in, Now if you have learnt anything at all about me over the months of these missives, its that my tiny apartment maybe on smallish side, but ive always strived to keep it neat and tidy, Mainly if I’m being honest because any more than two things out at any one time and I would have to take up mountaineering, there is absolutely no room for clutter of any kind, even if I were to be predisposed,. Plus cleaning without the aid of electrical gadgets not only is much harder, but takes far more of your time, this taught me very early on to clean up as I go along….Something that is on the whole preferential for myself anyhow.

But even though I clean daily, still that panic button was well and truly hit, for the next three weeks everything within reach was not safe from my ministrations, either i polished the woodwork until it gleamed,bleached thoroughly, or just have things a damn good scrubbing 😁, Jesse watched on the sidelines at a safe distance, somewhat bemused by all the fluried activity, he had already tried to reassure me to no avail,,..Finally realising the best plan of action was no action and just to let me go about my merry way, cleaning up things that really didn’t require it, much less tiring that way😁,as the days grew closer, I became not only more fractious,but industrious in my work, …

Inspector without gadgets..

The morning finally arrived, I awoke stupidly early to a glorious sunny dawn,(least I had that going for me, everything looks so much better in the sunlight right?) throwing open the windows to emit fresh air, trying in vain to dilute the stench rising up from copious amounts of Lavender disinfectant, orange pledge polish, and the peppermint oil percolating away in its change colour air humidifier,. I began running about hyped up further by goodly amounts of gulped down strong hot coffee, I had started the second my feet touched the ground, tweaking last minute things, plumping cushions, putting away things in places I’ve got small chance of finding ever again without the aid of either a pack of sniffer dogs or a Satnav, maybe a water deviner?😁

The Eagle has landed…actually I think it was Walter Pigeon…

I had finally got to a point where I felt everything was acceptable for receiving visitors, or at least someone coming in to check things over, …after finishing up, I take a minute to finally just breathe!!!, It’s as I’m sat staring out the window, that i realise this flurry of activity is just me being pro active,(the need to have control over something (I know full well, I can never like it though, when they go I am left feeling somewhat invaded, my privacy interrupted, I am I’ve discovered over the years a very private sort of person, my bedroom particularly an inner sanctum, a barrier against that outside world, so this fills me full of dread and unease.. I am if nothing else a very good bluffer., when finally the very nice smart gentleman arrives, I do my up most to hide the turmoil i find myself going through,, Manners taught once, very long ago go into auto pilot, I play a good hostess and everything works out fine…

Over the weekend temperatures have soared, and during the day despite lacking air conditioning and loathing to use fans, since the cost of electricity like the temperatures is still soaring , I’ve managed this well enough so far, it’s amazing how far a bucket of ice in your thermal beaker will go to cooling one down, I make sure to also take full advantage of any cross breeze blowing from my living room and bedroom windows, nights I have very little choice in the matter though and am more than a little glad of my tower fan whirring away moving the stuffy warm arm about in an attempt to fool me it’s cool…being on the ground floor means the Windows are shut firmly after dark.

Sunday morning dawned just as hot as it’s predecessor’s, once again I am up with the lark, sleep becomes increasingly difficult with the sun shining through my bedroom window…plus I want to get a start on things early before the sun really gets its dander up…Washing is always first on the agenda, this is mainly because hand washed clothes takea that much longer to dry, . I always soak clothes first over night, cutting wash time, but that morning before I could set to, there was a knock on the door,. I’m only too glad at this point, I had had the forethought to get showered and dressed, because answering the door in one’s pants with bed hair is indeed frowned upon here in blighty…

On answering the door I see stood a delivery driver, in his hands a rather large cumbersome box, he does no more than places it upon the floor, turns and leaves, I’m left saying thank you and bye to his retreating back.😁, first I established that whatever the package contains is in fact for me, I’m not to my knowledge expecting a delivery…but on closer inspection I see yes it is definitely addressed to me, hmmmmmm.

washtub Willy

After breaking two nails trying to peel off the copious amount of tape, I decide scissors are in order..😁, I tackle the tape, many layers of cardboard to reveal a large plastic drum…no I’m not joining a band,(and be grateful I dont ever!!!!😁) This if you can imagine the inside of a washing machine, then make it plastic, you have what I was looking at…Jesse worried about my endless amounts of washing, and the fact my hands would survive to tell the tale, has bought me what I could only describe as a type of hand cranked washing tub, picture a salad spinner…now make it larger, then you have it…😁, I was excited to give this ingenious little gadget a whirl, . Pleased now I hadn’t already begun my washing, I set too.

After a few minutes of cursing trying to set it’s lid on straight, I decide the bath is the place for my new toy, and I’m thrilled with it from the off set..I find washing I didn’t know I had and begin the clockwise cranking , the outter drum is filled with soapy water, while the inner one spins agitating the clothes within, it’s a bit like churning butter must have been, but I love it, . Turns out Jesse had spent an eternity searching through pages on Amazon trying to find just such a thing to aid my work load, and it’s not only perfect for this it’s fun..who knew 😁, like all gadgets it had to have a monika, name..(hence washtub Willy😁..better still batteries and electricity are not required… Anyhow folks enough from me, I’ve my trusty carpet sweeper to run up and down with, take care out there now all ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛.