Well, it is half term and actually June at the end of the week - and I am in winter woollies. The hens don't like the cold weather and have almost stopped laying. Just three eggs in total in the last three days from the seven who are still laying. They are not earning their keep!

We just had our gas bill for the last quarter and it is an estimated bill. However, when I checked the meter, I find that we have used about 50% more than they estimated. So, however cold I am this week, I just can't bring myself to put the gas fire on. The thing is - I have been really trying NOT to use any more gas or electricity than we can help. We've hardly used the central heating this winter - just an hour in the evening if it was really cold and we managed only to do that a maximum of four times a week.

I had to go into work today to meet some contractors who did not turn up. So I've got to go in again tomorrow to meet them. This is holiday! I am feeling disgruntled and the cold weather does not help at all. I am off to iron some shirts for work next week. At least I might warm up a bit doing that.

I've just spotted that I've made 50 posts now. That is more than I thought. Last time I posted, the weather was warm but we seem to have gone back to much colder weather again. I've been really cold in work this week as the heating is off for the summer now.

We've been getting just a few more eggs recently - averaging 4 most days from the 7 that are laying. In fact, I was able to sell a fifth box of eggs this week. That is a little bit eggstra in the pot to pay for their food when the winter is here and they are not laying. In the summer holiday, when I am not supplying my school customers, I hope to put a few bags of lightly beaten egg in the freezer so that we can have some home produced egg dishes when the winter comes.

I've been reading a blog from a lady in Australia:

http://down---to---earth.blogspot.com/

Rhonda Jean encourages people to simplify their lives and explains how she and her husband go about it. She gives some recipes for homemade washing powder and liquid that I would like to try when I have finished all that i have in stock at the moment. Like me, Rhonda Jean does not shop from week to week, but shops to fill the storecupboard when items are on offer. I find this cuts my grocery bill down a great deal when averaged out over the year and so does she. This blog is well written in an easy-to-read style and so is a good read as well as being full of useful information.

It is just a week until half term holiday - but what a week! During the holiday, my Library at school is being moved from one side of the site to the other. A firm is going to be brought in to move the items that are currently on the shelves, which is a great relief to me, as there are around 10,500 items on the shelves. But I have already packed over 50 boxes with items that are not on the shelves, stationery, files etc etc and I am not finished yet. Of course, this packing in done in addition to my normal workload... And then, after, there is the unpacking...

But, right now, there is the ironing, or there will be no shirts to wear to work tomorrow!