Off to get a wheelchair from Freecycle!

Bit demented pushing dd about on a computer chair - couldnt get one from the docs (no idea why!) and was given 2 numbers to call for wheelchair lending. Both were miles away in remote parts of Edinburgh and Dalkeith (no idea how to even get there) so put a message up on Freecycle to see if I could get lucky and even get a loan of a wheelchair......lo and behold a lovely lady has replied and we are going in half an hour to pick one up! Turns out its only a few streets away from where my dd actually lives when shes not being out house guest!
Arent people lovely.......

Disaster....

Well, off me and dh went on Friday to our caravan down near Dumfries - baltic weather but got all cosyed in and got the phone call......turns out eldest dd had a dizzy turn on getting up from the sofa and crumbled on to one leg.....managed to phone my son-and-heir who took her up to hospital as her ankle was agony and swelled up immediatly - after 5 hours turns out she has fractured just above her ankle AND fractured at the top near her knee!
It was too late too come home on Friday night when we got the news so she was taken back to our house with a temporary cast on (up past her knee). We woke up Sat morning to a snow blizzard and werent going anywhere! Dreadful weather and because its a high road home we kept in touch but decided to stay where we were.
So woke up this morning to nice crisp snow and managed to get back - by the time we had got over the hills back to Edinburh there wasnt a scrap of snow!
So I am now back - shes in a lot of pain - has to go back on Friday am to see about getting a proper cast on - so looks like I will have a house guest for a while! Shes at Edinburgh uni so is going to phone them tomorrow and tell them whats happened. As shes disabled she had a lot of things sorted out already - they know she could miss lectures and tuturials because of her back pain but hopefully they can help her not to miss out on too much.
Never rains but it pours!

Quorn shepherds pie

Rummaging through my freezer I came across 2 bags of Quorn mince (well, 2 1/2 bags cos one had an extra 50% free in) and my big bag of potatoes was beginning to sprout....so I decided to make Shepherds pie(s)

Cooked the mince with beef stock, peas, carrots, celery - added worcestershire sauce and a wee bit brown sauce and gravy granules - boiled up pots and managed to get 3 large shepherds pies (4 good portion) and we ate one last night. Very tasty! Quorn does need a lot of flavouring but at only £1 per bag at the moment its cheap as chips - even the carnivoure dh gave it the seal of approval!

And....drum roll.....another holiday this weekend! I'm due a days flexi this weekend and youngest dd doesnt want to go to the caravan so shes staying with eldest dd and it will be just me and dh!

Wee caravan break....

Went to the caravan for a long weekend me and my eldest dd - managed to scrape the money up and have bit the bullet and paid for the full years seasonal pitch. Its nice to have a bolt hole.

We had one cup of tea out at Carlaverock Castle. The castle was £5.50 per adult but I asked if they did a reduction for disability and they only charged £4.40 for dd and I got in free as her carer. So with that, messages and petrol it only cost us £35 each so thats not bad for a long weekend! It did cost my dd £16 for wool - theres a lovely wool shop in Annan and I also bought 5 books for 20p each at a church sale.

We forgot to put the stew in the slow cooker for tea yesterday so put it on overnight - before we left I put it on high for about an hour. Left it in the slow cooker and wrapped it up in towels so we stopped at Langholm on the way home and had a lovely warm stew while sitting by the river watching the birds! Freezing cold but very enjoyable!

Boots bargains and Quorn mince

Popped into my local Boots today and got some wee pressies in their 75% off sale - makeup set reduced from £12 to £3 and some nice eye shadows from £8 to £2 so my gift box is looking a bit better!

Also tried out quorn mince for the first time last night - Asda had it on special offer for £1 per pack. I put 2 tins of toms in and herbs and made spaghetti bolognese last night and there was enough left to add chilli and kidney beans to make chilli-con-carne. Although it was a bit strange consistency it was perfectly ok and cheap as chips! Very pleased.....

Our New Year treat..

We usually go to the cinema on New Years Day and have a nice meal out but what with illness/hangovers etc we didnt get so went up to Edinburgh yesterday.

Went to see Puss in Boots in 3d - what a shocking price - £11 per adult! Im afraid it will be a long time before we got to the cinema again unless its a Tuesday and its me and my eldest dd who has gets her carer in free!

Had a nice meal in Frankie & Bennys - £48 and we didnt even have dessert but it was budgeted for in my Entertainment budget.

So really need to knuckle down this year - first thing I altered was birthday presents - have cut everyones (apart from my youngest dd) in half.

We are still running 3 cars (I will eventually pass my test!!!!!) so one is going as soon as we decided what to do about the caravan (we need the big car to bring it back)

I have a suscpicion 2012 is going to be a very lean year - my youngest dd turns 16 next December so our Working Tax and DLA for her will stop so we might as well tighten our belts to get ready for the drop in money....

Been very quiet.......

We are trying not to spend anything at the moment......our bill is due for our caravan on its seasonal site at the end of this month - a lot of money to pay up front.

I must admit although I loved the idea of a bolt-hole its too expensive. Not only is it working out about £70 a month just to keep it there we have petrol and food on top of that. And the site is not as good as we first thought (the noise from the nearby motorway killed it for me!) Also they advertised heated toilet block and ever since we have been going down from September to November not once was the heating on. And charging £1 for a shower was far too expensive (we cant use the shower in our caravan - its in with the loo and too tiny to use)

So we are still debating about it - me against the family at the moment!

Did an on-line Asda shop (did miss getting bargains!!!!)

Re-started my driving lessons - 53 lessons I have had so far and I am still terrified! Not sure if I will ever get to pass standard......