Daily Project Round 9

[SpiritOfEdna]

Hello!

New thread for when we are ready.

Happy New Year, Happy New Thread

Whether you want to do one extra thing a day while the kettle boils or a list helps with a kick up the bum to Get Things Done - all welcome.

@Aria999 @autumnangel @WinterFrogs @crivit @FoolShapeHeart @FourSeasonsLobelia @mumofoneAloneandwell @Mumtobabyhavoc @Peridot1 @petalpower @RunningKatie @SingleThreadJoiner2 @SunnyViper @SydneyCarton

Simple food for us too this week @WinterFrogs . I poached a salmon yesterday and will have that in a creamy sauce over pasta. Greek salad on the side.

But my freezer is quite full so plan to Not Spend Any Money this week and eat through it. I have a haddock gratin; a beef lasagne; chicken burgers; spinach smug soup and random goujons and wedges.

Greek salad to start every day though because both Dcs like it and it gets nutrients in when they are hungry. I've already chopped it up for the next couple of days so just need to spoon it out of tupperware.

Well, now I'm down the rabbit hole of Things to do in London 🤣

Morning! Here we go, another Monday already!
I missed a bit of the read on the last page so I've been catching up.
@BerfyTigot did you get your back pack and if so what did you get and are you pleased with it? I need one for walking I think. Pockets do me in the winter.

How are the moth situations @Peridot1 and @petalpower ? I hope your elderly cat is ok @SpringingIntoSummerLobelia and I am impressed with your food plans for the week. It's so simple with just a touch of organisation but not always easy to get going.

Are the kids ok @Mumtobabyhavoc now? So cool that yoh can just book check up for them. You have to have something dropping off to get an appointment round here. Fuel is suddenly gone up >15p a litre round here and DH just informed me that the powers that be are looking at encouraging wfh again. He can if necessary but enjoys the busy office. In headphones, listening to books and podcasts, but with people about. Weirdo. I think he mostly enjoys his trips downstairs and chatting to the canteen staff. Tbf I'd get a bit salty seeing nobody at all during the day, but a busy office...no thanks!

@RunningKatie I did love your comment about Monty Don being in charge of Friday nights. I think I need to start watching him. I have a book of his on kindle which of course I have not read... Gone Fishing with Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse is a real soother in our house.

I'm enjoying the virtual tour of London! It's not far from me but I see it as bandit country, being a country mouse ( though I have never considered starting a thread asking if it's safe to visit) DH survived working there for many years so it can't be that bad! I really do need to get out and explore.

@FurForksSake how goes it with the allotment? A friend of mine has one. She is a single lady and really enjoys the social aspect as well as the gardening 💕 I would very much like to get the hang of gardening.

I must get going so a big 👋 and ☕️ to everyone I haven't mention. Have a great day 😘

I love Monty Don- yet never watch him!

Elderly cat- well, she spent a day in the hospital having a battery of blood tests and they all came back absolutely fine. However she has not eaten a proper meal since Friday. Yesterday i drove 16 miles round trip to a specialist pet store to get her specialist food and also poached a chicken breast which is usually her fave but nothing doing. She's drinking fine and still cuddling so it's a watching brief right now.

Agree about getting a GP appointment so quickly @Mumtobabyhavoc ! Here it is basically nothing doing. I have ALOT to say about our local practice but won't bore you all with it.

I confess my food plan is mainly freezer food courtesy various supermarkets! Although DS1 did put in a request for a lasagne I made a few years back for a function which he has never forgotten. I actually ran out of bechemel very close to the deadline and sent DH out to buy a couple of jars of Dolmio white sauce as a hack.... everyone raved about it and I've never admitted it. I'm not sure what that says about my cooking....

Hope everyone has a lovely day.

@WinterFrogs I bought a 25l Waterfly, £22 from amazon. It's really lightweight. I think the straps could do with a bit more padding but it's fine for my needs.

My daughter has just bought a Zeeksack which is nicely padded and i might borrow occasionally.

Today i need to sort car insurance and do a load of tidying. I got a bit excited with decluttering and now need to clear the piles- bins, recycling and another trip to charity shop.

I've also got 3 flowering cornus coming today which I want to get in the ground as soon as possible.

Hope everyone has a productive day!

No sunshine here: I thought I would have my first coffee outside this morning but scarpered in when I saw SpiritDoggo sitting patiently outside the living door to be let in - obviously didn't fancy joining me 😄
Today

• in a chat with a robot/human - who knows? - about why my credit card was declined for a C&P and a contactless payment yesterday. But I can use it online to pay. I mean I said no rush 30 minutes ago can I rescind that? OK so my pin is blocked I need to find a Link machine.
• I also need to find an appropriate support form to change my name in work - you used to be able - in the good old days - to rock up and ask a friendly exchange administrator to do it for you, nope a million forms and identity verification - for a simple Katie/Katherine type change. Step 1 DONE - page of passport photo uploaded.
• SpiritDoggo's toys need mending - I did one last night and will do another tonight
• Fix the rug in the hall - the bit underneath that stops it slipping is showing and has been a low level annoyance for a while now 😄 DONE
• brushed up the piles of sand from where SpiritDoggo has been flopped out - DONE
• Tidy away all sewing stuff - an exercise in finishing what I've started 😄 DONE
• eeking out fuel in my car till Wednesday (payday!!!) - the queues have been unreal this week and with a 20p price hike.
• I need to make a vat of soup today for dinners this week - have been living on beans on toast - need a change
• finally returned a gift this week, now need to wrap and deliver the replacement
• need to give the bathroom a deep clean - might start now while on boring work session that I just need to listen to
• smashed a cup today, need to hunt out a replacement - it was a plain white Jamie Oliver but it had a good handle, kept my coffee warm and had a good hand feel. (I have sensory issues 😄) plus it leaves us with an odd number...

That's all for today, have a good one, SoE

A bit quiet on the moth front @WinterFrogs. I changed the moth traps over the weekend, not sure if it’s a good or bad thing that they’re empty. Due to get a bit cooler here so that might discourage them too.
Had a productive day:

• made cake for a village event tonight
• took glass recycling
• wrote and posted a card
• printed a 22 page document from my dad’s care home that needs filling in
• online admin
• met lovely friend for lunch and gave her a big bag of stuff for the charity shop she works in
• big basket of ironing

Kids are doing great, thanks everyone. 💛
Yes, texted pediatrician directly twice and he responded to first text when they were sick then subsequent appt request with a time. We can usially see GP in a week, but there are times when it's 2-3 weeks and I think that's due to vacay etc without securing a locum. Hospitals in rural areas are struggling and closing their emergency depts over weekend, Peace Arch has closed, I think, their maternity. However, our Premier announced 400 nurses/doctors have been hired, so that should help a lot. Down here, lower mainland, I think the issue is staff for wards. When my mum was in hospital during the pandemic staff levels seemed very low as wait times were long and I was doing a lot of care for my mum (honesty, all personal care) and even helped her room mates with same or whatever they needed as I was there up to 12 hrs a day.

Lots of laundry to do today and write a program I've been procrastinating about. 🙄

@WinterFrogs Hi waves Injury recovery is progressing ok, albeit slooooowly. Three active physio prescriptions at the moment, one of which has been running for 4 years! After I got to ditch the boot and crutches I promptly came down with a nasty cold which has settled nicely on my chest. Bizarrely, I can ski, but carrying my own skis is bloody difficult 😆 So, no running is possible at the moment due to legs and lungs. This is annoying as the blossoms are coming out here and I would love to run through the trees in the local park and up our nearest hill.

So, basically, I've been doing next to sod all and have been too embarrassed about that to post 😞

I did however take better care of my cat's health than my own. She went in for her vaccinations and I was told she needed her teeth de-tartarising. Poor soul did not come round well from the general anaesthetic and was apparently a tad aggressive with staff until they took her out of their cages and put her in her own carry crate. Then she just dozed off. I'm glad she feels so comfortable in her carry crate 😊

I have a few things on my agenda for today (including my first physio appointment of the week 😁) and would also like to get done a simple 15 minute round the flat with a bin bag throwing random crap away.

Ah, also, my last backpack purchase was a deuter speed lite pro 23l. German brand, very good back padding, perfect for a day hike but I also use it around town. Not cheap, but very good. They also do women's fit options.

@WinterFrogsi need to get up at the weekend to the allotment to see what has survived and clear some beds. My mil and I shared it really and last year she did a beautiful job. She passed away last night, she was poorly since January and this last bit has been very quick. I told her on Sunday when I saw her and she could just murmur that I was sorting seeds and she was very happy about that.

It’ll be a place we can remember her.

I need to plan my planting so we are growing what we eat. And also things that are expensive to buy!

@FurForksSake sending much love your way after the loss of your MIL. It's lovely that you were able to make her happy so near the end.

@FurForksSake I am very sorry for your loss 💐 💕

I'm so sorry @FurForksSake Hugs to you and your family. xx

So sorry to hear your sad news Forks. 💛💐

Sorry for your loss @FurForksSake 💐

I've been lurking but love to you all ❤️

Sending very best wishes to you and your family @FurForksSake. It's a busy, stressful and emotionally draining time so look after yourself xx.

💐@FurForksSake 💐

Hugs to you and your family @FurForksSake.

So sorry to hear your sad news @FurForksSake .

Hello everyone 👋
I hope you and your family are doing ik @FurForksSake Lovely idea to have the allotment as a reminder 💕

@petalpower I love your list of achievements!

Pleased the kids are ok @Mumtobabyhavoc

Oh @crivit you have had such a tough time of it 😔 And your poor little cat too. I hope she is recovering well. You are always welcome here even for chit chat. A daily project is the icing on the cake.

On that note, I cleaned the top of the microwave first thing while the kettle was boiling, and I did my stretches and squats. I have just booked the cats' health checks too. Feeling quite invincible- this is the level of daily projects in this household 🤣

I like the backpack talk. I think we actually have something similar to the deuter speed lite here, belonging to DS. He's a proper hiker. Goes all day.. I'm more a five mile max person. I think I'll get a smaller leather look one as I won't need to put much in it but I like to walk with my hands free.

@SpiritOfEdna I hear you about the sensory feel of certain mugs. Hope you get a replacement. My favoured one is very plain too. We only have six mugs in the house. And four are really only for when we have visitors.

Another beautiful day and school holidays are almost upon us. I hope the weather stays good!

Love to all ☕️ 🍰 and have a great day

Took a load of junk to charity shop yesterday, including some large items - small table, footstool and 2 large vases. It wasn't really junk, it was quite nice stuff but cluttering up our house.

@WinterFrogs we have about 40 mugs!! People know that i like a brew, so i get lots as gifts and I haven't got the heart to throw them out.

My favourite is a plain yellow Le Creuset.

Today's task is to clean some windows.

Good decluttering @BerfyTigot Sometimes even things we like just get in the way. I prefer space to too much stuff.

Mugs do turn up as presents quite often don't they? I did a cull recently and some did have to stay. On or two just slipped out of my hand - oops- and became the base in plant pots. I have also repurposed a couple and now they are vases. Another is a washing powder scoop...

I am quite ruthless as I am simply too chaotic if I have too much stuff. Lived like it for far too long. Fortunately my nearest and dearest understand me and accept that I genuinely don't want to be given things that will become clutter (books, on the other hand, are always welcome but it's on the understanding that they will be passed on) And I do love a good tea towel 😆

My Le Creuset casserole dish is my most used and loved cooking item. I would probably not say no to one of their mugs tbf but another would have to go 😎

I love an Emma Bridgewater mug and have far more than I should!
Yesterday’s achievement was to clean out the greenhouse and today I need to clean my wellies which would look better with a bit of a hose down.