Never Quite Enough Time

  All I said was “are we having T-shirts?” In a completely Harold and Hilda move we have, not only T-shirts but sweatshirts, fleeces and jackets for the trip ……and possibly gardening for ever more to remind us of France 2026. We also have tote bags, just because!  Paris chic, these are not, but naff has its place and this year, for us, that place is northern France and the Loire Valley. Just a little more exclusive than a Rolling Stones concert T-shirt!

  So I was watching a YouTube vlog from Early Retirement Wanderlust (ERW) this morning.     They were answering questions about early retirement specifically (1) How do you decide when was the right time to retire; (2) What do you do all day; and (3)Aren’t you worried about running out of money? As always on their channel the vlog presented an upbeat, polished, entertaining, personal perspective which I have, no doubt, will prove both interesting and helpful to many watching who are in the throes of thinking about retirement, early or otherwise. From what I have gathered they retired in their early 50s from teaching careers having made the decision after a truly miserable 2021.    They had gone straight into work from university and started their family early.    As a result they had, albeit reduced, teachers’ pensions they could access at 55 (a few years after they retired) and with buying back a few years they are in for full state pensions in due co...

  The new windows should take 4-5 days to be installed in 3-4 weeks.     Two robins are frantically feeding young in a nest in a box cone outside the dining room window.     I understand from those in the know that this should not be a problem unless they have another clutch immediately after this lot have fledged.     It’s all very sweet but the current windows have been in since the late 70s, early 80s and double glazing is well overdue.     That particular topiary probably escapes the Derby Day trim this year though. Another 4.45am start yesterday which is doing me no good at all.    I’m neither use nor ornament by 3-4pm on the day and it is messing with my sleep pattern and I already do not sleep as well as I used to.    Thankfully, I avoid this next week but the pay off is an additional night away from home and two full days of video platform meeting which, frankly, would probably be better done away from the office b...

  I have no excuse, a friend was extremely happy about the weather forecast when I spoke to her Monday evening but I still packed for the usual (plus for a scrub up appointment).     Scraping ice off the car at 5.15am failed to alert me to a sudden last minute addition, like T shirts or shirts.     The black trouser suit, ankle boots and white silk top for Tuesday’s appointment was entirely appropriate and easily wearable.     No tugging at anything, no painful feet.     No best dressed awards incoming either but it was an occasion when boring yet appropriate would do.     For once it was that business casual wardrobe I actually thought I had sorted a few years back that failed.     Dark wash straight legged jeans, matching coloured crew neck sweater, ankle boots, blazer and silk scarf.     That sweater in 24 degree heat was just wrong.     The blazer wasn’t an ideal addition either but it could be take...

  She often does.     For Easter, however, she got a Michel Roux Beef Wellington with peppercorn sauce amongst other things.     Absolutely fabulous, even my efforts with her AGA didn’t mess it up.     Not entirely sure I would pay the premium for it, actually I am pretty certain I wouldn’t but it wasn’t on my grocery bill and otherwise it was impossible to fault. She also bought a second Beef Wellington from Waitrose, not a Michel Roux one.    It seems even she was a little nervous re cost.    As it turned out my Dad was ill and my parents did not join us so only the Michel Roux one was cooked on Sunday.    We, as in S and I, will be having the other next weekend.    I would point out that, whilst cheaper, it was not what one could describe as inexpensive.    I will report back!

I heard a story recently about a lady whose husband had died.    After his death she continued to do her shopping as she had always done using her store credit card.    Unfortunately, she got into a bit of a mess with this as her husband had always dealt with paying off the credit card and she did not realise she needed to do anything or how to do it. Easy to mock but for the most part these days a quick wave of my phone pays for the bulk of my purchases and where I do use a credit card either via my phone, it being registered to a particular site or actually get the plastic out, then the bill gets paid out from my bank account each month.    It is, therefore, unlikely I would have been caught out by this particular situation but I can see how it could happen especially at such a difficult time.  We had something not too far removed on both sides a few years back.    The first was when my Dad was in hospital for a couple of weeks and we disco...

  The main veg beds on both sides of the garden are ready to go and under the hooped polythene I have the following: One row each of  Swiss Chard (white silver) Swiss Chard (Bright lights) Kale (Dwarf green curled) Beetroot (yellow) Beetroot (rainbow mix) Beetroot (Bolthardy) Turnips (Snowball) Mooli and two rows of Babingtons Leeks The Babbingtons Leek (ie a perennial leek) is a new one to me this year.    Mooli is getting a second chance - last year it was not a rip roaring success but we shall see. Nothing more has been done in the greenhouse save that some cardboard has been redistributed under 8 bags of muck.   The hard standing of random pots of plants waiting for a home has been tidied and most given a weeding and fresh compost. That may well be that in the garden for the holiday weekend.    Tomorrow we are at the MiL’s with me manning the AGA supposedly with a view to making up some way for her being in hospital for Christmas Dinner and Mo...

……and a very little longer on this blog, the primary purpose of which is keeping track of my attempts to work towards what I need/want to be in place to retire while getting through the daily grind and trying to have some fun on route. The tally so far: Decluttering eBay sales    £119  - 6 items,    4 of which have been out of my wardrobe and 2 general clutter from S, the principal sales fund contributor being Transit roof bars we no longer needed after the 2023 kitchen project. My wardrobe  - After much faffing I have finally worked out (more or less/I hope) what I need to do to get this working towards the life I actually have now and going forward.    It isn’t going to be quick, not least, as I would like to try and sell a fair bit - eBay algorithm obliging - but I now have some firmer parameters in place as to what keeps a spot and what does not.    Comfort and ease of wear, for the most part, taking precedence. As an adjunct to my w...