Oh Beautiful Autumn

Well today has dawned beautifully after the full harvest moon last night.
I do so love to see the glow of the harvest moon, yet mourn the year passing so quickly at the same time.
We were up before the lark this morning as it is the day of the local historic ploughing match which hubby has a lot to do with. Sonshine made it home last evening and he has taken off with his Father before dawn loaded with veg for them to exhibit at the show. I'm afraid I bottled out this year...having rather overdone working during the month of August I knew better than push myself too hard making jams chutneys and cooking for the show. Just as well...I've had to do lots of prep. work for hubby's entries! Yes being married to him is rather akin to having another child sometimes...one I have little control over. Insert weary smile! I often joke that his guarantee has run out so I have to keep him now!

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Yesterday I managed to prepare for the freezer most of a bag of pears that one of my sisters in law kindly gifted us. I still have some to do but most of that particular task is done. In the afternoon I went out with Heidi to our youngest daughters and raided her orchard of a large quantity of apples. Luckily there is plenty of room in the freezer if I ignore the value of 16 bags of ice cubes we were given after a friends wedding! Yes really. She has a little puppy and we also all went for a short walk. She is a Beagle and boy does she have energy to burn. At one point she skidded past me on her back under an apple tree...obviously tearing around so fast and didn't corner too well! Luckily Heidi tolerates her well...that is until the claws dig into her face a little too deeply...then a warning grunt exudes.

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So a little later I am duly off to the ploughing match...most likely to get tasked with selling raffle tickets...I got put on that job for the whole day last year and am not keen to repeat the feat! Then this evening I shall go to our local town's carnival...not so much for the carnival but for the pipes and drums event that occurs afterwards. In the dying light on the quay, massed pipes and bands march up and down playing. Sends shivers down my spine every year. Hubby I believe is staying on for the after ploughing match entertainment elsewhere...no worries...not sure about the children...think 2 are coming with me and Son is making his mind up later...no really it's not a problem. Can't be in two places at once unfortunately.

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So I must be away to some chores before the clock beats me...a lovely load of dishes has materialised, though I did the massive pile from taking the ploughing event helpers tea last night...had a bit of a mishap with a large cottage pie in the boot of my car! It's the Devon hills and corners I'm blaming. It tasted good though despite looking a little worse for wear!

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Have a good Saturday everyone...

Blessings J. x

Not getting everything done

As my week off is nearing its close in the not too distant future I thought maybe I should reckon on how productive I've been. I had such grand plans...to make curtains for our patio doors that are situated near the table. I was going to pick bowls of blackberries, rose hips, and haws. Well it is past dusk on Thursday evening and not one pin has been placed and not one berry picked! The rain has prevented berry picking and I have kept busy enough without starting sewing.

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So what have I accomplished so far this week. Well our business inputs and outputs are bang up to date. I've looked after young Henry on more that one occasion. I've this afternoon defrosted both freezers and made an inventory of their contents! Almost succumbed to frost bite doing them but a job well done. I've collected several pocketfuls of hazelnuts whilst out walking with Heidi. Washing is nearing a reasonable level. I've baked bread, made sausage rolls, rock cakes and cream slices. The household budget has been updated and adjusted for the season. Our mortgage introductory rate is nearing it's close and I've sorted out the next deal. I've caught up with a good friend. I've even uploaded a few recent photos so they can be shared. Here are a couple of the patio garden, some birthday flowers and of course, Arthur.

Until next time,

Blessings, J. x

Grrr...

Quite frankly I just don't know what is going on with Blogger. I used to be able to leave comments on my iPad...then that became intermittent, so I would log on to my laptop. Well guess what...now not even on my laptop can I leave comments. Have I missed something?

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So Sheila...hello to you too! I honestly cannot think where the time has gone to. Really this year is on skates or something. I hope you and yours are keeping well. I feel really out of the loop right now.

Sue...OMG yes I realise that Mummy will be really tired, sometimes grumpy and constantly worrying about something...I am thinking that even when she's on maternity leave again I shall have to help in some way. Lovely to hear your grandchild number 4 is on the way.

Janice yes I indeed need to value my time a little more. Am anticipating a battling down of the finances to make life more controllable. 

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Blessings J. x

Coming Soon...

Summer...we had a Summer? Must have missed that one...Autumn has certainly arrived and with it an urgency to pick and preserve nature’s bounty. I also have begun to have Henry once a week as daughter heads back to work part time. What a joy...this week I am on holiday and had him yesterday for the first time. Usually I work Tuesday afternoon/evening and will have to hand him over after lunch to my other daughter. I’m presently number crunching to see if I can give up my Tuesday shift...he will be young for such a short while so why would I want to give up my time with him. He is hopefully going to become a big brother in early February! He’ll be a little under 17 months...goodness, daughter will have her hands full!

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Lots has been happening here at Little Winter, the pig house roof...AKA the utility has been re-roofed with the original pan tiles...hopefully keeping the inside much cleaner. 

The water wheel is up and pond and stream are coming along...I can’t claim finished because they are not by a long way. Hubby has agreed that come Winter we will put our lovely greenhouse up in the vegetable garden...poor thing has been in storage for around eight years.

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We have had satellite broadband installed as fibre was useless and regular was as well. I can’t say that it is amazing, however it has been a definite improvement. My work life balance has been so out of kilter this Summer...I have however been keeping the tax man happy...Yes number crunching needs to happen...I sometimes think I am working for nothing as I can easily miss things on hubby’s paperwork that end up costing us more in the long run. I just feel good bringing home enough to cover the mortgage however it’s time to be realistic.

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We have a new addition to the family...Arthur...Arthur is a budgie who came to us in rather unusual circumstances a few months ago...he has however settled in remarkably well and has learnt some interesting phrases...Love you....usually followed by Grumpy git! Wonder who he learnt that from...hides face grinning...You ok and you alright Arthur, good boy, kissy kissy xxx are more of his chirpings. Not sure if he talked in his past life but he seems to just say what I do.

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The weather is really not conducive to hunting the hedges for tasty treats...I am bound for some fun with a friend today instead. We are both working ladies and time off at the same moment rarely occurs. Hopefully I will at least amble down the lane later with Heidi and pocket some more fallen hazelnuts. Right now the thought of a hot cup of tea beckons and I shall then do some long overdue catching up on favourite blogs.

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Blessings J. x

Oh The Irony

Well what can I say...I'm counting the calories at the moment...and I've at long last updated the header photographs on the blog...to ones mainly of highly calorific foods...a little of what you fancy does you good obviously!
I have actually managed to lose 5lbs so far...in 5 weeks, so I'm rather pleased with myself. Slow and steady wins the race as the old saying goes.

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It is so sticky here this evening. It is also very windy. I can hope and pray for a good night's sleep...but I'm not holding out too much hope!

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Three days off...three hopefully magical days...I do have the constant bane of paperwork to do...but I think with a little pacing myself...half an hour here, and half an hour there it will be alright. My brain goes off the boil after too much computer work so small bursts are definitely the way to go.

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I cannot believe it is almost ten o'clock...I worked later tonight. I'm rather hoping that tomorrow will be payday. I can't guarantee it, but am thinking it should be. We'll see...anyway I hope you all enjoyed the most wonderful Solstice...I unexpectedly had to work...but all in a good cause.

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Blessings, J. x

Catchy Weather

I know, I know...the weather...either too hot, too cold, too windy, too wet or too dry...never satisfied are we, or so it seems. However, having looked at our forecast last evening I was satisfied that it would be a wonderful idea to allow the near dried washing to hang out overnight and finish drying when the sun came up. I awoke to puddles on the patio. Thankfully everything seems to have held tight to the line in the brisk breeze that is blowing through our garden. She says through gritted teeth!

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I needed to bake a cake for hubby's packed lunches today, and am working later so bravely mixed a basic sponge and added some cinnamon and a chopped apple...not that brave I hear you cry...no, however then I did a mercy dash to Lidl in town leaving my baby sponge in the simmering oven. Luckily the shop wasn't overly busy and I certainly did not browse as I pushed around my trolley. No dithering permitted. I was done and out of there in a trice, then back home...cake needed another 12 minutes too!

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The aforementioned cake is smelling rather lovely, so I may indeed partake of a small slice at lunchtime. Before that though I'm venturing up the garden to give the washing line a good rattling off before adding our large bed sheet to it's load. Hopefully this brighter interlude that is over us now will last and I will be picking in beautifully air dried laundry this evening...as opposed to scooping up sodden muddy laundry from the overgrown grass.

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Blessings J. x

Plotting and Planning

So...what to do next...I've worked out our monthly outgoings in our house accounts. Not all expenses are able to be reduced, though some can slightly. Our food bill has come down drastically. We currently have critical illness cover for hubby, though I'm not sure that this is a good financial item as it only covers our mortgage payment and only for six months, and only after 6 weeks...Think these details are correct, so might try to scrape 6 months of mortgage payments into an emergency fund...better still would be to have 6 months of our total outgoings in an emergency fund.

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It seems that when Brexit finally happens, as it surely will do now, the foods that will be delayed entering the country will be wine and processed ones mainly so as I'm not that bothered about either of these...(they certainly don't fit into my budgeting), as long as a healthy crop can be dragged in from the garden we should stave off starvation. I shouldn't joke about it, and I'm not, for surely there will be people hoarding food now to flog it to desperate souls should things get really messy at dreadfully inflated prices. Who knows what is around the corner. I am willing to be prepared, but I should never want to stash away more than we need in order to profit from others.

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Where do the hours and minutes go to? I have so much flapping around in my head that I want/need to get done...but the reality is that on mornings when I'm working there is regular housework or the shopping to get, a dog to be walked, and then off I go. The evening is half over when I return for the evening meal...which depending on who gets home first is now prepared by either of us. The clearing away still falls to me though. Then very soon so it seems I'm ready to go up to bed. The couple of days a week where I don't work are filled with washing, baking and more thorough housework tasks. So where does that leave our paperwork...generally mostly undone and in a right mess is where. Today I have managed to make out one bill...yes, just the one, but I'm taking that as a positive. In fact I may try for one every day...this sitting down for hours 'till my eyes cross over is tiring, boring, and no good for my figure. Speaking of which, I'm back on track to whittle away some rather undesirable lbs...no membership required...it's just me, my Fitbit, daily weighing (I take the weeks average), and measurable goals along the way. I've reached the first which is a 3lb loss, the next will be at 7lbs, then 10lbs then 14lbs. It'll continue in this pattern right to my goal which is 30lbs off! The first goal of 3lb could not come soon enough, a new bread maker is now on it's way to our Cottage, the old one being totally unreliable and I'd had enough. At 7lbs off the treat is to get the car valeted...hopefully this will coincide with a family wedding!

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Now is it just me or is anyone else struggling with using Blogger on their iPad? I cannot leave a comment on  anyone's post...well it looks as though I have, but no, nothing, zilch has been left...this has made me appear extremely quiet of late and I don't always realise that it has (or rather hasn't) happened. So sorry.

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You see, once more the clock has raced the morning past. The weather is being a bit bleh to say the least so the single boiler suit that I flung on the line is dripping rain drops in a most unhelpful manner.

Heidi is snoozing on the kitchen floor...I'd rather like to join her, for last night, sleep was rather too elusive to be humorous in the slightest.

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Blessings. J. x