The SHOMO’s
I was away on holiday recently with family and whilst we were away, the annual gathering of the UK Money Bloggers took place. So I was unable to go. Which is a shame, as they are a fabulous occasion and I learn masses about blogging and it’s great to see people in real life that I know from online
One of the things that the UKMB community is doing is taking part in Secondhand September and many people arrived in a secondhand outfit. I get lots of clothes from charity shops. Usually tops of some kind as dresses are too short, with the waist set too high, and if they have sleeves, they’ll be too short as well. And trousers too short in the leg AND the rise. I need an inside leg of 31″ and a slightly longer rise than the most common one. It’s always been difficult to get clothes that fit, and being overweight certainly doesn’t help that
These are the delegates from this year, do you recognise any of them from blogs you read? Lots more new people this year, and many I would have liked to have a catch up with. Hoping very much that I can make the date next year
And look what happened! I only went and won Best Frugal Food Blog didn’t I! So pleased to be chosen by my peers, it’s an honour!
Birthday Celebrations
It was my son-in-laws 50th birthday celebration last week, that’s why we were away. He wanted to go to France and fish. For a whole week. So nine of us drove down to Oak Cottage, near Bierne in south Mayenne 9 miles from Chateau Gontier. It’s an 18th Century stone property with 4 bedrooms, with a private 3 acre lake for fishing and wheelchair accessible. We were all crammed into a minibus and son-in-law did ALL the driving
It’s a stunningly beautiful place. I very much enjoyed spending time with family, being creative in the kitchen with not much and relaxing. I took Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat with me and was able to immerse myself in it. The cottage was rather isolated and we only had the minibus, which only son-in-law could drive. The bikes provided didn’t work, the nearest village wasn’t really walkable in any practical sense and there was no public transport. So I didn’t get to enjoy France, we could have been anywhere!
Son-in-law caught 500lbs of fish and enjoyed himself hugely and if you like fishing, it’s a great place to go
I picked blackberries from round the lake with my daughter, then had to try and work out the proportions to make a crumble with no weighing scales. The weather was perfect. Pleasantly warm most of the time, just right to loll about in, without getting over heated. Although I do tend to position a chair just in the shade, almost in the sun.
Des wants to go and do it all again somewhere else now!
Oak Cottage. An 18th century house, where all 9 of us stayed
Mike fishing in the 3 acre lake. He didn’t catch anything, but he was just having a go really
Des, my son-in-law with one of the many fish he caught. 500lbs in total over the course of the week. All the fish were treated with great care and returned to the lake. Apart from anything else, they are very valuable, some worth thousands of £’s
Thanks Tami. Sorry to hear of your loss, such a big change for you. Mike and I have been together for a similar amount of time and I can’t imagine it
A belated CONGRATULATIONS! My late husband ( passed away in August of this year, 2019) was a picky eater but loved your recipes and was most fond of your ragu. For years I studied and followed your meal plans and recipes. Friends chuckled and thought it odd that I followed a frugal food blog but I felt compelled to do so. Now that I am a widow and have significantly less to live on, I am prepared and able to feed myself on so little. I cannot thank you enough for all that you have taught me. Losing the love of my life ( we were married for 40 years ) was devastating and the hardest thing I have ever faced but at least I am prepared and able to survive. Thank you, Lesley for freely sharing your gift with us all.
Woo hoo! : – D
Congratulations on winning “Best Frugal Food Blog” !!!
Very kind of your SIL to release all the fish, too.