An Early July Treat Day....naughty but necessary :)

 This year we had made it our mission to have a day out as a treat once a month.  This month (June) we had the NEC visit so started planning for our July treat,  but we seem to have had so much bad news lately.   Firstly, my brother-in-law is struggling with end of life care.  He cannot swallow easily and chokes on his food and drink (what little he can manage) The family are visiting him but waiting for the inevitable......

Our son is still in pain with a bowel condition after his appendectomy and is awaiting further investigations in Oz which should take place in another week or so....

And now my younger brother has had an MRI scan for lung cancer and is waiting for the results which could take up to 4 weeks.....

We thought "why wait for our next treat? It could be one of us next" so yesterday (Tuesday) when we awoke to a beautiful sunny day, we decided to blow the budget and visit the Black Country Living Museum again.  It's only about half an hour away so not too stressful for Gray. 

It was not exactly cheap at £25.95 each so £51.90 plus £3.95 parking fee but admission does come with an annual return pass for free so we can come back again and again over the next 12 months.....

There is now so much to see because the site has grown such a lot over the years.....

We took a packed lunch and ate our salmon salad sandwiches sitting in the sun.....

Followed by a drink in The Elephant and Castle pub;  half a bitter for Gray and a Babycham for me.....😊

This is one of the more recent acquisitions: built around (I think) the  1920's .......

....with the external walls made of metal construction.  Boy, it kept in the heat today.  It would have been sweltering in Summer and icy cold in Winter.....

Golly, mum had one of these cisterns in my childhood home.  She used it right up to 2008! Fortunately, the Izal toilet paper bit the dust long before, in favour of Andrex!

Lots of familiar items......

Candlewick bedspreads were all the rage in the 1950's.  I remember that mum had a yellow one 😀......

--------------

We really enjoyed the day and it took my mind off my worries for a few hours.  I know we have overspent this month but we didn't break into the savings as the admission costs came out of Graham's discretionary spending,  I paid for parking (£3.95) and the drinks (£6.00) out of mine, and we intend to make full use of the free returns.  I think we'll go again in July....

------------

Thanks for popping in,  Do stay safe and well wherever you happen to be,

Angie 💗

Strawberry Thief and Yummy Stuff

Now that our veg plants are doing well after the recent rainy spell, I'm getting excited!  We are beginning to harvest:

Broad beans

Brocolli

Cucumbers (mini)

Baby potatoes

Radishes 

Beetroot 

and

more Rhubarb than we can eat

The tomatoes and peppers in our little greenhouse have fruit on them now too.  We did have some gooseberries on the bushes at the allotment (proof below) .... but they have vanished 🫣 as have a fair number of strawberries. Animal or human thieves?  We have no idea 🤔

How are your gardens doing? Any harvests yet?

Thanks so much for popping in.  Stay safe and well wherever you happen to be,

Angie 💗

Random Acts of Kindness

 I do try to help people whenever I can and today, whilst trying to park in the village, I got the opportunity to help several people.  The dratted machine on the car park often plays up and the instructions for use are far from clear.  Today it threw a wobbly when people tried to pay by card.  It just didn't want to know and displayed an error message every time.  I ended up helping several people to pay with cash and one elderly chap (listen to me aged 75!) only had a card on him so I paid his £1.60 due for an hour's parking out of the change in my glovebox.  

I did notice that he was parked next to me in a stonking new car with a private number plate so I hope he will 'pay it forward' and help someone else 🤔

-----------------

I dropped another batch of cards into the Hospice shop too; 126 so far. There were just 5 left again.  Now that I feel a little better, I can crack on and make more for them.  The manageress says that customers are now coming in asking for them specially👍

 Thanks so much for popping in.  Stay safe and well wherever you happen to be,

Angie 💓

On GP's and NEC Adventure!

 Thank you so much, all of you who left a comment on my last post.  It seems you are all struggling with the same issues with regard to seeing a GP too.  Did the surgery get back to me on Tuesday?  Of course they bloomin' didn't.....not a peep out of them.....

Out of frustration, I went on to their Facebook page (I hate Facebook but wanted to check out their information regarding the new system) and left a comment about my non-appointments.  I was polite, didn't rant, but stated that the new system doesn't seem to work.  The next day, Wednesday, I received a text in the afternoon giving me an appointment with an ANP (Advanced Nurse Practitioner) at 4.45pm that day 👀Wow!

When I attended, the ANP was kind, respectful and actually listened to what I was saying.  She examined my ear and said that, although she couldn't see the eardrum, it was perfectly possible that I have an inner ear infection.  She prescribed antibiotics 👍I'm on the second day of tablets and already feeling a bit better.

Yesterday, I went back to their Facebook page and noticed that the surgery had read my comment and apologised.  Is that how I got my appointment then?  Maybe it pays to complain nicely......

-------------

I was so glad to be seen by someone at last because we had our Gardeners World Live/ Good Food Show tickets for yesterday and I couldn't have gone there with a pounding headache.  

The journey on the M6 was horrendous; so much traffic and the speed down to 40mph in many places.  We got there after a 90 minute journey and headed straight to Gardeners World Live before the rain set in, as it was all outdoors.  There was so much to spend money on! although we didn't......just stored up ideas for later 😀

Monty Don was there although we couldn't get close.....

The bee garden was my absolute favourite.  It was a lovely mix of veg and flowers and there was an actual working beehive on site ......

I left Gray there perusing the gardening tools and suchlike and visited the Good Food Show nearby.  So much to see....and taste!

They had mounds of street food which was very expensive (£14.99 for Scampi and chips, £6 for a tray of chips £8 for a hotdog special 😖)  but I went to the Food Forum where I could sit and eat my HM sandwiches and watch the celebrity chefs being interviewed.   I bought a can of delicious ice cold Rose Lemonade for £2 from a lovely friendly vendor, who gave me a taste first, and really enjoyed my picnic on a very comfy padded bench seat 😋

The only other thing I bought was a bag of cinnamon rolls for £2 to take home (after tasting a sample first, of course 😊) but came away with a few ideas to spice up my cooking.

By 2.30pm we were both shattered as well as full and took the courtesy bus back to the carpark as it was pouring with rain.  I had pre-paid for parking @£8 and I'm so glad I did because the cost would have been... £18.95 😟

It took another 90 minutes for the drive home in the rain.  Gray's neck was killing him by then due to the concentration required to drive safely, and my headache had returned, so we were glad to be home. Ready prepared meals were the order of the day and we both slept like logs last night.

I don't think we will ever be going to the NEC again but we both enjoyed our June treat.  Now what can we do in July?

-------------

Speaking of complaining nicely...the renewal for the insurance on my washing machine came in last week.  It will increase next month from £6.99 per mth to £7.99 which is £12 per year extra.  I rang them this morning to query if they could reduce it back down to £6.99 as I have never called them out.  We compromised at £7.10 per mth therefore a saving of £10.68 a year.  It all helps, doesn't it......

------------

Thanks for popping in and do stay safe and well wherever you happen to be,

Angie 💗

How the hell do you get help for health issues?

 I've had a niggling headache for well over a week and at the weekend it escalated to a real humdinger.   No amount of paracetamol nor Ibuprofen, nor both combined have even taken the edge off, so I did what the surgery dictates and went to the pharmacy for help.  I have tinnitus anyway but the ringing has got worse affecting my hearing on my left ear.  The pain now radiates down the left side of my face from temple to jaw.  I think I have an ear infection.  The pharmacist can give antibiotics to patients...yes! but only if you are aged 1 to 17 😭 so they told me to visit the surgery and fill out an appointment request form.  I tootled off to the surgery only to be told I have to do it online.  I lied and said I was unable to do that so the receptionist completed the online form on my behalf at 11.15am.  I was told to wait for a phone call.  At 4.20pm I received a text message saying that there were no appointments available today and to complete an online form at 8am tomorrow and I  would be triaged for an appointment.

  What are the chances tomorrow do you think?

 Meanwhile,  I'm popping pills like there's no tomorrow and I'm looking forward to yet another sleepless night....

What the f**k is happening to this country 😳  Sorry to swear folks but I feel dreadful 😢 

Take care of yourselves,

Angie❤️

Empty Shelves, Poor Harvests, Expensive Treat & Fishflation

 On Saturday afternoon, after moping indoors since breakfast, we decided to venture to Sainsbury's for a few fresh veg despite the rain still pouring down.  I had a fancy for some cauliflower or broccoli 🥦 🤔  The shelves were bare......

There wasn't a single cauli nor head of broccoli to be seen.  OK...maybe cabbage?.... the only two specimens available can be seen in the bottom right hand corner.  They were limp and uninspiring so I left them there.  A lot of the produce is such poor quality at the moment.  I bought a bag of baby Cornish new potatoes in my Wednesday delivery and when I opened them there was the unmistakable smell of rotting potato 🥵 I emptied them all out, disposed of the rotten ones, rinsed and dried the others and put them away.  This morning yet more had perished so 2 more in the bin before I could prepare lunch.

--------

Is there no end to rising prices? During the week Gray decided he would like a lunchtime pint in the local pub as the weather was so wet and depressing.  A pint and a standard glass of white wine was...... £9.95 👀  It's a really lovely pub with a welcoming atmosphere and an open fire in the winter but it will be the last visit for a while.  I really can't afford to spend my whole week's discretionary spending on one drink.....

.....and don't get me started on the cost of takeaway fish and chips....

Our last portion of fish and chips from the village, which we bought at lunchtime last week to share in the allotment shed, cost £10.40  How do young families manage this kind of treat?  Little wonder that the kids are mostly fed on McDonalds food as it's a bit cheaper,  although I have noticed the prices are rocketing there too, not that we eat there much anyway but the grandchildren seem to live off McD now that they buy their own 😕

--------------

Now for the good stuff......😊

....and another small batch of cards for the Hospice shop is ready to be dropped off.

A sample below:

Thanks so much for popping in.  Stay safe and well wherever you happen to be,

Angie 💗

Recycling.....What The Heck?? and A Bird Scarer!

Now.... you all know I'm into recycling as much as I possibly can, despite the local council rules being a bit iffy, so I went onto their website to check if they take spent batteries.  Yes! they do!  If you put spent batteries and small electrical items into a clear plastic bag and place them on top of the closed grey (waste) bin they will be collected and recycled by the council.  I carefully placed all the batteries in a small clear plastic bag and put them in clear sight on top of the bin.   When I heard the bin lorry arrive I looked through the window just in time to see the refuse collector pick up the bag, look at the contents....then chuck it in the bin and tip it all into the lorry 😡

What is the point?  It will obviously now go into landfill! No wonder some people simply don't bother to sort their stuff but just throw it in the bin....

----------------

Graham is very diligent at feeding the birds as we have a pair of Blackbirds and a beautiful pair of Robins who regularly come to feed at the garden feeder.  The other night he got fed up of trying to chase away the Pigeons and Magpies which can empty the feeders in a matter of minutes.  He wanted to watch the news in peace so set up the 'bird scarer' ....his jumper with a piece of string tied to the sleeve so that he could move it about.  It doesn't bother the Robins and Blackbirds but the bigger birds see it as a human and fly off.  What is he like...

😂😂😂

----------------

 I'll end with another flower photo just to cheer things up 😉These are in my Daughter's garden......

Thanks for popping in and do stay safe and well wherever you happen to be,

Angie 💗

Dating a Toilet Roll results & Bad News....Again...

Remember  my toilet roll experiment?  The roll lasted .....

3 Days ! 😨

At this rate my stash will last 3 months so I won't need to buy more until September. 

It didn't help that my IBS has flared up again, which is not surprising considering that I'm worried about so many things right now.  Just when I thought it couldn't get much worse, my sister has told me that her husband has been discharged from hospital back to his care home for end of life care.  She has been told 6-8 weeks.  I feel desperately sorry both for him and for my Sis......  

--------------

A cheerful foot note:

With all the horrible things happening in the world right now, we need to focus on the small and simple things.  These flowers are a case in point.  Oh, and we have our June treat to look forward to.  We have decided to visit Gardeners World live at the NEC.  For the cost of the ticket we can also go into The Good Food Show as well.  I'm really looking forward to going 😊

Thanks so much for popping in.  Stay safe and well wherever you happen to be,

Angie 💗