Monday 31 January 2022

Revamping old tea towels

 I have turned old tea towels into vegetable and fruit storage bags for the fridge and floor cleaning clothes. As its time to change them again (every 2 years), I wanted to make some dishclothes as my crochet ones are tatty.

I cut each towel into 12" x 6" strips - got three strips from each one:

Then did a zig zag stitch around the edges to join them together. This was followed by a line of straight stitch, through both middles to sew a cross shape. This should help them retain their flat shape longer:
After double checking and re doing one or two edges, I now have 8 'new' dishclothes (only 7 here as one is in use:
Should last at least a year as we change both the dishcloth and tea towels every day.


Friday 28 January 2022

Sorry for my absence

 Not a lot to report. Tootling along doing every day stuff and playing on the PS4! 

Sunday 23 January 2022

Coping on a reduced budget

Pricing increases and delivery problems are a big concern for many at the moment. Our food budget has certainly increased and increased again in the last year. Bills have gone up and in Spring will go up again, especially fuel.

We have been through our monthly, quarterly and annual budget. We add everything up, add 10% for inflation, then divide it back into its monthly, quarterly and annual components. 

However, as we age, my thoughts do turn more to how would I cope if anything happened to DB. He financially would be fine if I went first as he has the bigger share of pensions. We have both made wills and paid upfront for our funerals.

He has spent quite some time, going through all our finances, spending and savings. He has created a list for me, of what amount comes out of which account, who it is paid to and when. I did have a good idea but it is always nice to see it in black and white.

He has created another smaller list of his pensions, life insurance and any other credits I might get. Without a share of his work pension, which I am entitled to, I would just be able to manage everything on my government pension and my teeny tiny other work pensions.

How that would pan out in future years with this crazy financial worldwide situation I don't know. It has however, taken a great weight from my shoulders.

I would hope before then, and before we get too decrepit, we would have moved closer to our son, into a smaller property and be even more financially secure.

People say 'why are you still being careful with money, why have you gone without in past years to save for your future. That is why!

None of us know what the future holds. We have no idea when and if we will decline in health and need a major outlay for help. Staying at home rather than going into a home is our top priority, unless medical problems dictate otherwise.

That is also why.

We do still want to live and go visit places and have the money to do so. Pandemic to one side, this year we hope to do more of that.

Tuesday 18 January 2022

Mask wearing

 As far as I know, we are supposed to still be wearing masks in shops? In Lidl, the manager was swanning around without one, he wore it last week. A group of school boys weren’t wearing theirs either. Two men and one woman didn’t wear them either. Have previously seen these wearing one.

Then went to Morrison’s where almost everyone had one on.

People, flu has just started in Europe, wear one against that at least!!!

Sunday 16 January 2022

A tad overpackaged!

 We had a delivery yesterday, this is how it was packaged:

A little bit OTT.

Also, I for one will be glad to hear the back of the constant news about a certain tennis player. The publicity has completely overshadowed all tournaments previous to the Australian Open and indeed, all build up to it. You could hear the exaspaeration in the players voices during post match interviews.


Saturday 15 January 2022

Runner up Andy

 But boy, apart from losing both opening games, you played well. 5th game 2nd set could have turned it around but your opponent was excellent. Lots of the old Andy evident. Well done lad.

Sydney tennis final

 The BBC, despite not mentioning much about him, have decided to show Andy Murray in the final of the Sydney tennis. He can be found on the red button or iplayer, UK only, for anyone who is interested. Coverage from 08:25 today.

Thursday 13 January 2022

It occurred to me the other day...

That in an emergency, we would need an emergency item - a manual can opener! We use an electric one as I find manual ones difficult to use. We do have a manual one but to be honest, it is about as much use as a chocolate teapot!

We ordered and have just received a butterfly opener and 2 x military issue P51 can openers:

DB was happy to show me how to use the military version as he had knowledge of them.

Yeah, yeah, I hear you say, what kind of emergency are you thinking of? A prolonged power cut for one thing, breaking the tab of those so called easy to open peel back cans (done that numerous times). Spam and corned beef keys are notorious for breaking halfway around the tin.

What I like about the P51 are their small size (easy to operate though) and the fact they can be threaded onto a cord for safe keeping if you are out and about camping.

Another to do thing checked off my list!


Wednesday 12 January 2022

Jigsaws and sticks

 In two days, DB set to and completed his Christmas present of a 500 piece jigsaw. I bought it for him as this is how he remembers Christmas from his childhood:

Occasionally, when out for a walk in woods, Ruby, picks up a thick stick to walk back home. She is not allowed to run with sticks in her mouth. We take them off her once home and throw them into a pile to weather down. Here they are, mixed in with garden branches, ready to burn on our fire:

We usually only burn 1 to 1 1/2 baskets of logs in a day unless very cold then we might use 2.



Wednesday 5 January 2022

Oh - poor thing!

 I looked out the lounge window first thing yesterday morning and saw this:

I don't think it will open anymore but it is certainly a record date for something that normally flowers late April early May!

Just shows how topsy turvy the weather is.