Interesting Blog.

On my travels around the Blogisphere (is that a word??) I came across an interesting blog. http://meanqueen-lifeaftermoney.blogspot.com/ I haven't been reading it long but currently the writer is walking from Blackpool to Hull. From what I can gather it's over 100 miles. She's sixty-two years young and has a great spirit. She is taking the scenic route and is posting pictures and stories of her adventures each day.

I think I would like to be like her. She has just decided to take off and do it! She is staying in pubs or B&Bs and doing exactly as she wants. Her blog is worth a read. It has certainly inspired me! A few years ago she cut back on work (exactly what I'd like to do!) and decided to enjoy life! She paid off her mortgage early and lives frugally on a small income.

In some ways she reminds me of my Mum. My Dad left when I was young and wasn't around at all (either physically or in monetry terms) and Mum was left a single woman raising 3 kids (my older sister had just got married and had a baby). She always went without but worked hard at jobs she hated just so we could have food on the table and a roof over our heads. She paid off her house before retirement and now lives on a small state pension. Since retiring and us all leaving home she has come into her own. There are things I discovered about my Mum that I never knew - she enjoys singing and is now in a choir that performs at events and churches. She enjoys keep fit, crafts and she enjoys traveling. She is a lot more social than I ever thought!

Perhaps it isn't that she's changed just that I see her as a woman rather than just my Mum. It makes me wonder what my kids think of me or how they see me. I admit to not being as selfless as my Mum. I enjoy doing my own thing and enjoy my own time. There are times when I (especially now my 'kids' are older) when I run a bath, shut the door and lock them all out.

SUNDAY POST 2

Darn internet... just when you think it might be working it conks out again.

I'm just going to post a couple of pics taken from my hols - something to tickle the tastebuds. I'll post more later. Have to say that my DD had a thing about animal pictures - there are lots of squirrels and ducks, whereas I had a building thing going on. Oh and a sea thing - lots of beach and wave pics.

Below are a couple of the food pics we took (there are more of these too lol).

Yum! My scone filled with fresh cream. A decadence indeed but one I really get to eat

My daughter's choice. Fresh cream and strawberries. We sat out in the Abbey grounds at Bury St. Edmunds - one of my favourite places to visit.

Sunday...

Ug. I did not miss working on Sundays while I was on my hols!

It's been as hot as ever at work. I was hoping they would have got some sort of air conditioning in my office while I was away, but no such luck! It was almost 100F in there most of the week. Apparently they are 'working on it' - I think that means I might have it by winter! It's a really small office with lots of computer equiptment in it and I can't have the door open as it is the cash office and has the safe in it.

BLOGS - I always feel like we spend loads of money unnecessarily. It seemed that when I wasn't working (or working part-time) we - or perhaps I - was a lot more frugal. I was careful about food buying, careful about spending money and how much bills are. But now it seems that it's not such a concern. I'm not saying we're rich, or my job pays a lot, but we are better off than we have been in the past. Anyway, the point of this rant (yes, there is a point)is that once in a while I like to look for inspiration.

There are so many blogs out there about frugality. I'm not looking to become the next Extreme Couponer but I would like to see how other people save and how they enjoy it. I started off reading one of my favourite blogs http://makinggooduse.typepad.co.uk/making_good_use/ and hitting her favourite blogs. There are lots to pick from! Happily this is an English blogger so makes me feel a little more at home :)

WILL POST MORE LATER - internet is really slow! It's been acting up the last few days.

I'm baaaaccckkk!

It's been a while and I've been...on my hols! I went home to England for three weeks and am now back at work and starting to get in the swing of things. It is definitely NOT fun going back to work - I would have quite happily stayed away. It also wasn't nice to come back to this heat!

Things I loved about my holiday!

* I got to see my Mum. Miss her terribly and treasure the time I have with her.

* GREAT to spend time with my DD. She came with me this year. She will be a senior once school begins. Next year she will be going to college. She's hoping to go to a Uni out of town so we probably won't spend as much time together.

* LOVED being on a regular schedule. By nature I'm a night person and it was lovely to be able to stay up late and get up late in the morning.

I have pics to share and hope to get them up soon.

WOW long time no post...

Life has dragged me away again. Time just seems to be flying by!

Today we celebrated my MIL and FIL's 50th Wedding Anniversary. Go them! I can't imagine being married that long. I helped a little with the party. It just came at the wrong time as my hols are coming up too. Busy, busy, busy. My DD and I volunteered to design the centrepieces. Not quite as easy as it sounds. They didn't turn out too bad, but I'm glad it's over. BIL and SIL and their family came up for a surprise visit. My In-laws were surprised and happy.

I only have 4 more work days left until vacation!!!!!! Can you tell I'm excited? So happy to not be at work and be away for a while - I LOVE vacation!

Guess what...

This is the sight my DD saw in our back garden early this morning just before dawn. We live in the city so it's quite a sight! She did her best to take a pic.

Happy Birthday to me!

Wow - I can't believe another year has passed! When I first started writing this blog I was getting ready to turn 40. Now I'm 41!! Where did the time go? This time last year I was in England celebrating with my Mum and sisters. I didn't get to talk to my Mum today -- she's in Spain visiting her sister. We only have another 5 weeks until we leave and I will get to see Mum.

Anyway - I picked up my DD early from HS and we went out to lunch and to see the movie Bridesmaids. It was such a good movie! I found it really, really funny and sad in parts.

DD is cutting up Strawberries for afters - we are having cake and ice cream at my MIL's on Sunday and I didn't want cake again today. All in all a nice day!

:)

Sunday Catch-up

I forgot to post a picture of the cake my DD made me for Mother's Day last Sunday. Quite a surprise to come home from work and see her making it. They also got me a new MP3 player as I washed my smaller (and cheaper one) in the washing machine. I take it to work to listen to before anyone arrives and had it in my pocket when I put my trousers in the machine. Aaaaarrrrgggg! I didn't want to spend the money on a new one as I am saving for my hols. I missed listening to the Scott Mills podcast - a show I download from the BBC website.

I try to let Mother's day slip past quietly as I miss my Mum terribly. I see her once a year. Right now I'm trying to focus on the fact that it's next month that I go home! Yeah!

I stayed at work an extra hour today as I had work to catch up on and this week I am taking some time off for my birthday. I am having four days in a row off - Thursday thru Sunday - haven't had that much time off since this time last year! I also have Tuesday off as I have to go to Grand Rapids to have my Green Card renewed - groan.

Now that I'm home I'm sitting down to watch Hoarders. While watching I started wandering around the web looking at thrifty websites and all the goodies people found. People seem to find all kinds of treasures at Garage Sales, Car Boot sales and thrift/charity shops. My DD actually found a nice handbag on Saturday for $3. She was after something to carry the spare camera lens while she was taking pictures for the school newspaper at the prom. We ended up at a Goodwill store. I was really suprised to see so many people there!

Anybody else find any treasures?

Did I miss it???

Spring? Did I miss it? We went to cold weather with snow, very dreary and suddenly HEAT! It was 80-something yesterday and even with the windows open we were toasty warm. It's a little too soon to get the window air conditioners out. Let's be honest - I'd like a couple smaller bills before the air conditioner ones begin and this IS Michigan - we could be back to freezing temps tomorrow!

With Spring - or nicer weather - comes Garage Sales. I always seem to go to more at the beginning of the season. It's fun to see what everyone else is getting rid of. Afterall one man's trash is another man's treasure. We didn't have these when I was in England. The added bonus of England is that there are lots of Charity shops to poke about it - especially if the weather isn't too nice.

Back when I was a SAHM I used to hit the sales on Fridays, but now I'm working most of them have been picked over by the time I get done. Sigh. I miss those days!

However, today I did hit a couple thrift stores. I picked up some nice cross stitch mags - some Just Cross Stitch, The Stitchery and Stoney Creek.

FABRIC pic

This is all fabric I purchased when Enchanted Fabrics went out of business. It has great names like Dragon's Mist, Hocus Pocus and Mystical.