Heatwave

It is heatwave weather and I don't like it one bit. In the winter, if it gets really cold then I don't like that much either. I am a temperate creature and would like the temperature to remain in the middle all the time. Mind you, I'd probably find something to complain about then, as well : )

I've been busy recently - no surprise there. I've been invigilating for GCSEs and A-levels and a few internal exams as well. I can cope with being paid for being bored occasionally. It would be soul destroying to do that job all the time. I liked when I invigilated for an art exam and was paid for watching paint dry...……

I've been trying to fit in shopping and cooking and baking for the church coffee shop around being in school for the exams.  As well as everything else. Some days I thought I would meet myself  coming back. The church kitchen is finished as regards getting the work done. It is not painted yet and we are going to leave that part of the job until after term ends and there will be fewer people needing access to the kitchen. I can't tell you how much easier the job of cooking and baking for the coffee shop is when you can turn on a tap and water comes out. And there are work surfaces too.

I came across some elderflowers so I made some elderflower champagne. It does not take long to get it going. I picked more elderflower than I needed and froze it in the hope of getting some gooseberries later or I can make elderflower cordial. The elderflowers go a horrible brown colour in the freezer but freezing does not impair the flavour and the elderflower is not left in the cordial, after all.

We've had a family bbq and everybody came and brought something to share. It is easier that way because some are veggie, some eat anything and some have diet restrictions such as lactose free and gluten free. I took along a bottle of my elderflower champagne, which pleased my son greatly as he loves it and he didn't know that I had made any. I bought some finger bread rolls (yellow stickered)for the sausages and made some round bread rolls for everything else. My contribution to the proceedings was to be some drinks, bread rolls and some sausages. It was fun and I loved watching the grandchildren playing. The youngest is 10 weeks now and I haven't seen him smile yet but I did get a good cuddle : )

My daughter's Italian inlaws have been over to meet their new grandson. Italian nona (grandmother) only let my daughter have the baby back to feed. My daughter was having baby withdrawal symptoms. Mind you, I can understand Nona's point of view. If I had to go all the way to Italy to see my new grandchild, I would not be willing to part with him much either. After all, next time she sees the baby, it will be a lot of months in the future and he will have changed so much.

This is my first day for weeks when I have nowhere that I have to go and nothing that MUST be done - so I'm having a day off. There are lots and lots of jobs that I could be doing but the housework will still all be there tomorrow      : )

Bargains and busyness

I seem to have been busy this week doing lots of different kinds of things and I'm finishing the week feeling tired. I'm glad that there is less in the diary for the coming week.

Last weekend we went on a romantic Valentine's Day outing to a big Tesco - 12 miles round trip and not my usual store. I was hoping to find lots of yellowstickered goodies so that I could take a big bagful to my son and his family. I don't seem to have been able to find much for them recently. They are all veggie but I didn't find anything for them. There wasn't even any bread or fruit or veg suitable for taking to them. However, for us meateaters, there were most definitely goodies to be had. In fact I brought home enough meat and fish to do us  dinners from Sunday night through to Thursday night. And I brought the same home to my friend. Both households were well fed this week even if I had gone with the intention of feeding my son's household rather than ours.

We seem to have had lots of meetings at church this week. Sometimes it is like that and everything seems to happen in the same week.  We were at church this morning and had a breakfast meeting before the music group practice before the service itself. guess who was down to prepare the breakfast? Yes, us - so we had to be up early and get there in good time to get breakfast ready before the others came. My husband set the alarm clock. In fact  I was stood beside him when he set it. I don't know when he set it for but it wasn't for the time we needed this morning. Fortunately I woke up a mere 30 minutes late and with a mad rush and the benefit of all the others being late, we managed to get everything done. But I feel like I haven't quite caught up with myself all day and am definitely heading for bed early tonight.

On Friday night, we went to my daughter's for dinner.  My SIL's mother and a couple of friends were there too. It was a really pleasant evening.  All we did was natter but it was a lovely meal and pleasant company and was really enjoyable.

If you use Quidco, they have the new Yeo bio yoghurts with £1 cashback and they are on offer at Sainsburys at £1.50 ( = 50p for 4 lovely yoghurts AND you can claim for each of the 3 flavours available)  .  Quidco also have various Tate & Lyle sugars at £1 cashback and they cost £1.99 for Demerara and others that are useful to have in the cupboard. Quidco are also offering  a free 100g of smoke and fire turkey slices from the deli counter at Tesco - if you are fortunate enough to find a Tesco that stocks it. I've been to five Tesco stores on two towns and nobody working at a deli has ever heard of this type of turkey. If you find it, please tell me.

Busy weekends

This weekend was busy.  Next weekend will be busy and so will the one after that.  It is the housework that usually gets left undone because we have to eat and clean clothes are needed for work...  so don't come and visit before the Easter holiday, please, so that I'll have a chance to play catch-up : )

One of the things that we did on Saturday was to go to an 80th birthday luncheon party at a pub near Stratford.  It was a very pleasant afternoon. As we were the transport for another couple, we were invited back afterwards for a cup of tea because the other couple were, if you see what I mean.  I had not expected that so it ended up that the whole day had gone because it was not very local... It was my first 80th party.  I've been to lots of 50th and 60th celebrations but not been to a 70th yet.  It will come : )

We don't tend to go out for meals but our invitation was the verbal kind that is kindly meant but extremely hard to refuse without giving offence and besides, the other couple would not have been able to go if we didn't, so we bit the bullet and went. We had expected to have to pay but discovered that it was all paid for so it just cost the diesel, which helped towards my enjoyment, if I'm being honest. I know I'm a skinflint sometimes but I like our cooking and it grieves me to pay a week's housekeeping money for a meal that is usually not as good as we could have cooked for ourselves.  I decided to order the scampi meal because I like it and my husband doesn't, so I very rarely have the opportunity to eat it.  And there were four different veg served with it, so that pleased me too.

Sunday, we had church in the morning (with music rehearsals that means 9 am until almost 1 pm - so it is longer than it sounds...), a quick trip to Lidl for milk and a glance at the weekend half price specials (pork mince £1.14 for 500g - nice!) and home for a quick sandwich.  Then off with son to help him move something which took longer than expected (doesn't it always?) then a super quick omelette made with a large number of my new girls' baby eggs and back to church for a special event.

I did manage a load of washing on each day and it was really good to bring it in dry at teatime, even the towels.  Since we have the woodburner now, I put up with an airer or two in the living room with us in order to make more use of the heat and keep away from the energy guzzling tumble dryer but I really like not having the room like the proverbial Chinese laundry.

And mentioning the woodburner reminds me to say that my daughter rang up to say that a tree had come down this weekend in her neighbour's garden and she has kindly volunteered our services to clear it : )  It is not a huge tree but it is free wood nonetheless and will help towards replenishing what we have lost at school.  The garden and tree belong to a single mother who is very grateful not to have to pay to have it cleared or to have the trouble of working out how to clear it. Win win, I think.